The 5 things you want to do once in your life

In the past, I only wanted one thing goes on vacation.: lying on a beach chair reading magazines and especially not doing too many activities: that one time I did a quad tour with my dad in Turkey, I almost drove the vehicle off the cliff, so so far for the exciting vacation trips... But by now I am a few years older and that vegetating bores me after a day or two as well. Jon and I are quite infected with hiking fever, and we hike a lot during our vacations. But even this station I have passed so many times now that I am looking for some more exciting adventures and luckily more and more tourists with me. Here are the most exciting ‘Adventure Tourism’ tips in a row, a few of which are still high on my to-do list!

Canyoning: last week I went ‘canyoning’ for the first time with my girlfriend Kiki (no idea if this spelling is correct, but this sounded like the logical conjugation) and it absolutely made me want more. Fully packed, you set off and hike quite a bit into the mountains. Then you descend to the river and after putting on your wetsuit and ‘butt pad’ (literally an extra pad to protect your butt, I kid you not) you are ready for the real journey: climbing through the water with small waterfalls as obstacles that you slide or jump off. And the view from the valley is breathtakingly beautiful.

Rafting: another delightful water activity. Now a canoe trip always sounds a bit dull, but with rafting you encounter some more intense currents. There are often different levels possible, so if you don't feel like coming out of it like a drowned kitten, then a kid-proof route is definitely recommended.

Quad tour: now my first experience with this was not ideal, but I do enjoy such a tour with fast vehicles. This activity may sound a bit lazier, but believe me: it takes quite a bit of effort to drive one of those things. You have to lean well in the corners to go in the right direction and that is exactly what went wrong for 15-year-old Carolien...

Free fall: bungee jumping is so passé! It seems terrifying to me, but the adrenaline that flows through your body afterwards is addictive, I've been told. Fortunately, it's not a complete free fall and you're attached to a rope, which regulates the braking well. This is very high on my list.

Zip lining: in Costa Rica I did a zip lining (or canopy tour) adventure through the jungle and it was fantastic! You see the entire surroundings from a completely different perspective and can explore a large area in a relatively short time.