Craziest Adventures To Check Off Before You Die

Making vacation plans and getting ready to stoke your wanderlust have been scientifically proven to improve health. The largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation. Nearly 4 out of 5 domestic trips – that is 79 percent – are taken are for leisure purposes, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Americans vacationing abroad spent $110 billion in 2015. Since you are already traveling and spending money, why not explore new destinations where you have never been before and experience adventures that you can't find just anywhere.

Living a Nomadic life in rural Mongolia for a week can be a challenge. Hiking, biking, rafting, and kayaking are often involved. You'll get to see where Genghis Khan set out to conquer the world. You'll live in a Nomad's ger, and ride horses while learning archery and garment-making skills. You may have to get up early to help your hosts with chores like milking the cows and making your own dairy products for breakfast.  Try the Wild Mongolia trip. Hike to the peak of a volcano, visit Khovsgol Lake, explore the palaces, watch cultural performances, and relax in Tsenkher hot springs.

This video shows Tyler Bradt completing the World Record Waterfall Descent – 189 feet. The previously held record for kayak descents, set only weeks earlier, had been off a 127-foot fall in the Amazon, according to National Geographic. You, of course, do have to go to such extremes.

The official New 7 Wonders of the World have been elected by more than 100 million votes to represent global heritage throughout history. They are Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, Taj Mahal in India, Machu Picchu in Peru, Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Colosseum in Rome, and Petra in Jordan.

Jump from Africa's highest bridge and seizure the moment of seeing all the majesty and tranquility of the Bloukrans River valley. You'll just have to throw yourself from about 655 feet. The Bloukrans Bridge is on the border of the Eastern and Western Cape. If you want to swing, keep Big Rush in Durban in mind. It is recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest swing in the world.

Scuba diving is a thrilling experience anywhere. But the Blue Hole in Belize is one of the most stunning scuba diving locations when seen from above. It's beautiful underwater as well – clear waters, rich sea life, lots of sunshine. It's also one of the most dangerous at more than 400 feet down into the earth. Some divers even try to go deeper. But it gets very tough after 120 feet. With more than 400 islands, white sandy beaches, the longest unbroken barrier reef in the western hemisphere and 185 miles of coastline, according to PADI, Belize is a world-class scuba diving destination.

But be aware that this is an intense, adrenaline-pumping activity. You will be launching yourself from some very high cliffs. New Zealand is a popular destination with at least 10 locations allowing for many different styles of jumping. Go on the Pin Drop or get released on The Slide. You can even do it backwards. Whatever your preference is, you'll likely experience Vertigo for a while.

Bolivia's Old Yungas Road is a zigzagging, 40-mile-long stretch that links the high Andean capital city of La Paz to Coroico, below in the Amazon basin. It steep hills have become a tourist attraction for adventurous mountain bikers. The ride begins at about 11,000 feet. When cyclists hit the 2,300-feet mark, the road thins out to only about 9 feet. This is by far the most dangerous part of the adventure because you're also likely to have on-coming traffic gets in your way. Bike traffic on Death Road jumps by about 5 percent every year.

Witnessing the phenomenon of the Northern Lights is a must. One of the best places to go is Tromsø, Norway – you can see the natural phenomenon for more than 250 nights a year. Go on an aurora-chasing snowmobile or a bus tour. Greenland is another hot spot where you can see the dancing Northern Lights. Cruise the fjords; you will always have a guide to stop at popular attractions along the way and learn about the local history. If you want to see the region's amazing wildlife, the safari is the right choice. Another favorite is kayaking near the polar bears and see beluga whales. Some of the most thrilling adventures in Iceland include cruising Jökulsárlón Lagoon and exploring the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier and the Holuhraun Lava Fields.

Known as one of the best country parks in Kenya, Maasai Mara offers wide range of safaris – hot air balloons, walking, photographing...The reserve, along with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, forms Africa's most diverse eco-system. The best time to visit is between July and October because of the wildebeest migration, famous as the World Cup of Wildlife. Even if you go off season, the number of animals you'll see – from zebras and giraffes to lions, elephants and leopards – is incredible.

Racing down an active volcano at 25-30 miles per hour is a thrill like few others. You and your wooden board can literally crash into sharp volcanic rocks. Although this can leave a few marks, the experience is worth the bragging rights. Going up to Cerro Negro is just a bonus adventure as you'll have to hike for an hour or so, according to VolcanoBoard. The surf down starts at 2,388 feet and can last for just 3-4 minutes, depending on how fast you're going. 

Ice climbing is one of the most dangerous recreational activities ever and is no longer just a subset of mountaineering. More and more adrenaline seekers climb frozen waterfalls and steep ice since the equipment for this high-risk sport has gotten better and better. The 450 feet tall Helmcken Falls in British Columbia are strongly perceived to be the toughest, certainly among the most dangerous, ice climbs in the world. That's why they've earned their nickname – "Wolverine." You can always count on the climbing to be steep and hard. If you dare, go near the 100 feet dee ice hole. Imagine this along the ice spray and 6 feet icicles and you can understand why professionals are looking for ways go around the Wolverine.

The seven summits are the highest peaks of the seven continents: Everest (29,029 feet), Aconcagua (22,841 feet), Denali (20,308 feet), Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet), Elbrus (18,510 feet), Vinson (16,050 feet), and Carstensz (16,024 feet). Make sure you are fully prepared because some of these mountains are among the deadliest in the world.

The remaining fewer than 1,000 gorillas in the world live in four national parks in two countries – Rwanda and Uganda, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. Gorilla trekking is an immensely popular safari activity in both countries.  The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda contains almost impassably dense rainforest as well nearly half the world's estimated mountain gorilla population.

Now that the restrictions to visit as a tourist have been loosened, you can start planning your vacation to explore the beauty that lies in Cuba. Go on adventures that will show you not just the people and the architecture, but also the history, culture and wild side of the country. You can't dive and explore the depths of a cave that reaches 70-feet deep in many places; climb some very strange rock formations; zip line though Cuba's Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve; and, of course, run the iconic Malecon.

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, highest and windiest continent in the world. Staying out in the open for the night anywhere there presents a lot of dangers. Campers set up enough below the ground to provide shelter from the wind overnight and usually sleep in sleeping bags and bivy sacs, which provide more warmth than tents, zipped up above their heads, according to Planet D adventurers. No one is allowed to bring food or drinks on land, and they can't go to the toilet while camping either. Believe it or not, Antarctica is just one of the world's most dangerous places for camping.

You can be a real-life Ironman. You'll at least certainly look like one. See this video of the world's only real JetPack flown in New York around the Statue of Liberty to get an idea of what it's like before you try it. Personal flights are not enormously commercial yet, but it's gaining popularity, especially in Dubai. You can fly alone or with a partner.

River cruises are quite different than those at sea or the ocean, which some people may never want to take. You probably won't get sea-sick because there are no waves; you always see land on the horizons, which is comforting; and you get to be on land in a different city almost every day. Mekong River has often been rated as one of the best rivers for cruises. It passes through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China, Myanmar and Vietnam. Other popular cruises will take you on an unforgettable trip along the Danube, Irrawaddy, Amazon, Nile, and Seine, to name a few.

Ski and snowboard enthusiasts dream of completing the ultimate test of heli skiing as part of their mission to conquer mountains. Ungroomed terrain, no crowds and unpredictable snow elevate this extreme winter sport to a whole new level. Queenstown, New Zealand is a prime location. The time to go heli-skiing in New Zealand is between July and September. Prices are fairly reasonable, if you exclude the air fare. Four runs will cost you about $650, and the area has more than 5,000 square kilometers of terrain covered with fantastic powder. Most hills are accessible by a helicopter and the landscape is extraordinarily varied – trees, steep hills, verticals of more than 8,000 feet, moguls, and don't forget drops.

The John Muir Trail passes through some of the most supreme mountain scenery in the entire country. This is a land of 13,000-foot and 14,000-foot peaks, of lakes in the thousands, and of canyons and granite cliffs. The JMT is has the mildest, sunniest climate of any major mountain range in the world, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Can you willingly hurl your body out of a plane that's flying 14,000 feet in the air? Once you manage that out the door maneuver and actually begin your free fall, skydiving is one of the most exhilarating activities you can do. Some of the most exciting places to approach fast from above are the Namib Desert in Namibia, Mount Everest in Nepal, Moab in Utah, and Victoria Falls, the world's largest sheet of falling water, in Zimbabwe and Zambia.