Do You Dare? Spine-Tingling Backpacking Adventures for Thrill Seekers

So you’ve packed your rucksack, booked your ticket and taken out specialist backpacker travel insurance; now you’re looking for the kind of adventure that you’ll be talking about for a lifetime.

If you fancy testing your nerve walking on a glass shelf 1430m above sea level, creeping into a cave full of sleeping bats or riding the world’s steepest roller coaster then you’ll enjoy my top 5 most nerve-shattering backpacking experiences.

1. Hike the Glass Path in the Tianmen Mountains in China

Experience the ultimate vertiginous adventure with a hike along the ‘Walk of Faith’, a glass shelf which clings precariously to the cliff face of the Tianmen Mountains in China’s Mountain National Forest Park. The views are incredible, if you can pluck up the courage to look at them. But whatever you do, don’t look down or you’ll be faced with the 1430m vertical drop directly beneath you. You did say that you took out specialist backpacker travel insurance, didn’t you?

2. Confront your Fear of Bats in Malaysia

A visit to the Gomantong Cave in Malaysia will be a serious test of nerve for anyone who’s a little bit scared of bats or creepy-crawlies. Home to literally thousands of sleeping bats, the cave floor is also the natural habitat of a number of serpents and a multitude of cockroaches – definitely not somewhere you’ll want to spend the night.

3. Drive Norway’s Most Perilous Road

Just because you’ve passed your driving test doesn’t mean you’re ready for this! The Atlantic Road (or Atlanterhavsveien as it’s known locally) is a cliff-edge coastal road which runs like a rollercoaster along Norway’s jagged coast. Windswept and often battered by Atlantic swells, the road is not only a thrill ride in itself, it also offers one of the most beautiful views of Norway’s fjords.

4. Hiking in Death Valley, USA

With temperatures that regularly reach more than 50ºC, and only limited mobile phone coverage, a hike in Nevada’s Death Valley is not something to be undertaken lightly. Local advice is to take plenty of water with you and follow established routes because if you get lost out here you’ll be on your own. Again, you are sure that your backpacker travel insurance is valid, aren’t you?

5. Ride the World’s Most Extreme Rollercoaster in Japan

The rollercoaster designers at Japan’s Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park in Tamanash have set a new standard for thrill seekers with their latest ride, which they believe is the world’s steepest. With a near vertical drop of 43 metres and seven hair-raising twists, this is one only for the hardcore rollercoaster fan.

Once you fling your rucksack on your back you’ll discover there are so many once-in-a-lifetime adventures to be had that you’ll be creating memories everywhere you go. However, do remember to ensure you have an insurance policy which will cover you whatever you do. Get in touch with us at Let’s Go Insure and we’ll find a backpacker travel insurance policy that will fit the adventurous life you want to lead.

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Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and his expertise in providing the ideal insurance cover allows them to do just that. If you're looking for the best backpacker travel insurance Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.