Friedland - Frommers 500 Adrenaline Adventures

Frommer's 500 Adrenaline Adventures

By Lois Friedland, Marc Lallanilla, Charlie OMalley, and Jennifer Swetzoff

Frommer's 500 Adrenaline Adventures

Published by:

Wiley Publishing, Inc.

111 River St.

Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

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ISBN 978-0-470-59503-9

Editor: Cate Latting with Jennifer Polland

Production Editor: Katie Robinson

Cartographer: Guy Ruggiero

Photo Editor: Alden Gewirtz

Interior book design: Melissa Auciello-Brogan

Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services

Front cover photo: Ice climber climbing Ouray, Colorado Brian Bailey / Getty Images

Back cover photos: Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York: Cyclone Roller Coaster Michel Friang / Alamy Images; Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica: Young woman on a zip line Alan Bailey / Rubberball / PhotoLibrary; White Water Rafting on New River in West Virginia Marek Kasula / Alamy Images; Bungee jumping off Victoria Falls Bridge above Zambezi River between Zimbabwe and Zambia Chad Ehlers / Alamy Images

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About the Authors

Lois Friedland is a freelance journalist and About.coms Adventure Travel guide. She specializes in skiing, travel, and golf. Her work has appeared in regional and national magazines and newspapers. She has written special sections for The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, and Texas Monthly.

Marc Lallanilla is a New Yorkbased freelance writer and editor. He has written extensively on health, science, the environment, design, architecture, business, lifestyle, and travel. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, ABCNews.com, Weather.com, About.com, and other print and online publications.

Charlie OMalley lives in Mendoza, Argentina, in the foothills of the Andes. Though hes surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the world and some of the best rafting, he is mellowing with age and now gets his kicks from visiting wineries. Originally from Ireland, Charlie has contributed to Frommers guidebooks about Argentina, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.

Jennifer Swetzoff is a New Yorkbased writer and editor who focuses on travel and international affairs. She has worked for Frommers, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Eurasia Group, and she freelances for various publications. When shes not in the office, shes exploring new parts of the world in search of her next adrenaline rush.

Acknowledgments

A big thank you to friends and family for their support. A special thank you to my editor, Cate Latting, for her encouragement and patience. My ultimate gratitude goes to my wife Ana for all her help and understanding.

Charlie OMalley

Words alone are insufficient to thank the friends and family members who helped me with this bookby sharing their favorite adventures, offering travel tips, reading first drafts, and giving me moral support when I was busy writing at night and on the weekends. I am eternally grateful to all of you. But my most heartfelt thanks go to Jeremy, my loving husband and favorite companionboth at home and on the road.

Jennifer Swetzoff

Editors Acknowledgements

Many people contributed to the ideas and entries in this book. Wed especially like to thank the entire Frommers editorial staff, whose inspired suggestions are presented throughout this manuscript. Frommers.com readers were also a tremendous resource, and we thank them for pitching ideas to be included in this work. Derek Lock, contributor to whatsonwhen.com, also deserves our gratitude. Lastly, many thanks to Holly Hughes, Alexis Flippin, and Sylvie Murphy, whose generous contributions at the eleventh hour are especially appreciated.

Cate Latting

An Invitation to the Reader

In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places. Were sure youll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, wed love to know that, too. Please write to:

Frommers 500 Adrenaline Adventures, 1st Edition

Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

An Additional Note

Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any timeand this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.

Frommers Icons

We use four feature icons to help you quickly find the information youre looking for. At the end of each review, look for:

Where to get more information

Nearest airport

Nearest ferry

Nearest train

Recommended accommodations

FROMMERS.COM

Frommers travel resources dont end with this guide. Frommers website, www.frommers.com, has travel information on more than 4,000 destinations. We update features regularly, giving you access to the most current trip-planning information and the best airfare, lodging, and car-rental bargains. You can also listen to podcasts, connect with other Frommers.com members through our active-reader forums, share your travel photos, read blogs from guidebook editors and fellow travelers, and much more.

About This Book

Why These 500 Places?

What is an adrenaline adventure? Ask 500 people and youll likely get 500 different answers. Everyone has an opinion on how to get the adrenaline pumping. We cover a multitude of high-octane activities and daredevil sports in this guidehang gliding, scuba diving, and mountain and ice climbing, to name a few. But not every adventurer is interested in jumping off a cliff, meeting a Great White shark face to face, or flying in a helicopter over a live volcano. Thats why weve included a breadth of experiences to satisfy even the most esoteric adventure-seekers. Participating in an off-beat marathon, spending a week at cowgirl camp, attending the X-Games, or plunging downward in the front of a world-class rollercoaster can thrill some people as much as jumping out of an airplane. No matter how you define adrenaline, weve got an option for you.