The Best Gift Ideas for Adrenalin Junkies
Saturday, August 29th, 2009
Lavana James asked:
Do you know the kind of person who really only gets the most out of life when they’re closest to ending it? You’ll be thrilled to know that South Africa is literally brimming with death-defying activities for these adrenalin addicts. So if you’ve drawn a blank on birthday gift ideas for this friend whose idea of fun is pitting his or herself against gravity just to feel their lips form a snarl from the G-force of a 15m plunge into a river below, then these suggestions would most probably be their cup of junkie:
Beasties and things
In the words of the inimitable Ernest Hemingway “Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports….all others are games”. Here in South Africa we embrace the notion, and dare to add a couple more to the great man‘s list.
Great white shark cage diving has to be right up there with the best if primordial fear is what you are after. The Cape coast is a renowned hunting ground of these awesomely adapted killing machines and in recent years the really brave, or possibly downright foolhardy, have been lowered into cages right in the midst of these fiery beasts.
So if a close and personal encounter with jaws in the midst of a feeding frenzy is what makes them tick, then get them to Gansbaai for this premier experience.
Full Throttle
Speed attracts danger boys like honey entices bees and there are a whole range of speedy options for the velocity hunter.
One sure-fire way of feeling the allure of speed is to give them a flip in a privately owned fighter jet. They’ll get positively dizzy from the 5000 feet vertical climbs and if they think the pilot is grinning at them, it’s probably just the full impact of the G-force.
But if terra firma is more familiar territory for this particular speed freak, don’t despair as there are several land-based options available too, such as a genuine Formula 1 racing experience. Give them the unprecedented honour of steering a Reynard single-seater racing car around the racetrack at full tilt.
From the F1 Honda stable, the Reynard is no sissy – it reaches 450 BHP/per tonne. Exhilarating or what?
Dizzy Heights
If their favourite challenge is heady heights, then take them to the next level with a Kloofing experience in the aptly named ******* Gorge in Cape Town. The fynbos-clad Boland Mountains set the scene for a fantastic day out on a 17km hike that includes several ‘free fall’ heights, ranging from 3 – 15m!
If it’s up in the big blue that they get their kicks, there are more lofty aspirations available to them, including tandem paragliding and tandem skydiving. This way their bodies and pulses get to soar like the birds while being completely secure in the hands of the experts.
These are just a handful of nuts activities your blood-pumping friends may well appreciate as gifts to keep them living it edgy!
Christian
Do you know the kind of person who really only gets the most out of life when they’re closest to ending it? You’ll be thrilled to know that South Africa is literally brimming with death-defying activities for these adrenalin addicts. So if you’ve drawn a blank on birthday gift ideas for this friend whose idea of fun is pitting his or herself against gravity just to feel their lips form a snarl from the G-force of a 15m plunge into a river below, then these suggestions would most probably be their cup of junkie:
Beasties and things
In the words of the inimitable Ernest Hemingway “Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports….all others are games”. Here in South Africa we embrace the notion, and dare to add a couple more to the great man‘s list.
Great white shark cage diving has to be right up there with the best if primordial fear is what you are after. The Cape coast is a renowned hunting ground of these awesomely adapted killing machines and in recent years the really brave, or possibly downright foolhardy, have been lowered into cages right in the midst of these fiery beasts.
So if a close and personal encounter with jaws in the midst of a feeding frenzy is what makes them tick, then get them to Gansbaai for this premier experience.
Full Throttle
Speed attracts danger boys like honey entices bees and there are a whole range of speedy options for the velocity hunter.
One sure-fire way of feeling the allure of speed is to give them a flip in a privately owned fighter jet. They’ll get positively dizzy from the 5000 feet vertical climbs and if they think the pilot is grinning at them, it’s probably just the full impact of the G-force.
But if terra firma is more familiar territory for this particular speed freak, don’t despair as there are several land-based options available too, such as a genuine Formula 1 racing experience. Give them the unprecedented honour of steering a Reynard single-seater racing car around the racetrack at full tilt.
From the F1 Honda stable, the Reynard is no sissy – it reaches 450 BHP/per tonne. Exhilarating or what?
Dizzy Heights
If their favourite challenge is heady heights, then take them to the next level with a Kloofing experience in the aptly named ******* Gorge in Cape Town. The fynbos-clad Boland Mountains set the scene for a fantastic day out on a 17km hike that includes several ‘free fall’ heights, ranging from 3 – 15m!
If it’s up in the big blue that they get their kicks, there are more lofty aspirations available to them, including tandem paragliding and tandem skydiving. This way their bodies and pulses get to soar like the birds while being completely secure in the hands of the experts.
These are just a handful of nuts activities your blood-pumping friends may well appreciate as gifts to keep them living it edgy!
Christian