Adventurous Excusions in Punta Cana

Punta Cana is one of (or perhaps the) most visited destination in the Dominican Republic. Most people go there for all-inclusive resorts and golfing. If you’re the adventurous type, you may find yourself wondering what to do in Punta Cana. Not to worry. There are plenty of adventurous excursions in Punta Cana. These five, in my humble outdoors-loving opinion, are the best.

Snorkel with Sting Rays and Nurse Sharks

Photo by Roofwalker

I love the ocean. Last year I got my scuba certification and went on to dive with thresher and reef sharks. During that same trip, I also swam with whale sharks.

There is no better way to appreciate the otherworldliness of the ocean’s ecosystems than to spend a day in the water with these majestic beasts.

Marinarium Tours takes visitors on catamaran eco-tours to the Marinarium Marine Park where they spend the day sunning themselves on the boat, drinking cocktails, eating seafood and snorkelling among the local sea life — most notably nurse sharks and stingrays.

Tours vary in length and price. Although the tours are a bit pricey compared to other local activities, this is definitely one of the best things to do in Punta Cana.

Explore the Ocean Floor

Video by Laserillo

This tour isn’t entirely different from the previous one, but it’s so awesome looking I had to include it.

The seaquarium underwater adventure is basically like scuba diving for people who don’t scuba dive. Remember the giant metal helmet with the hose coming out of the top that you’d see deep-sea divers wear in movies? You get to put on a helmet kind of like that. Then, accompanied by a professional diver, you get to walk on the ocean floor, explore a submarine wreck and, hopefully, getting cozy with a few stingrays and nurse sharks.

I already know how to dive, but I’d do this just to wear the helmet. You don’t even get your hair wet!

Ride the Waves

Photo by Space Ritual

Kitesurfing is not a cheap sport, but it’s a damned fun one! If you like kitesurfing, then you’re in the right place. Punta Cana has plenty of wind and waves, as well as several kitesurfing schools offering lessons and rentals.

Learning to kitesurf isn’t cheap. Six hours (pretty much the minimum necessary to learn) of private lessons from the Punta Cana Kite Club cost $549 USD, while group lessons are slightly cheaper at $349 USD.

If you are interested finding out more about the learning process, then you should check out my tutorial on learning to kitesurf.

If the effort and cost involved in learning to kitesurf, you may prefer to try stand up paddlebaording. It’s much easier to learn and equipment rentals are much cheaper. If you’re thinking about learning how to stand up paddleboard, I happen to have a tutorial for beginners about that as well.

Zip Above the Canopy

Photo by Bavaro Runners

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it agin. I love ziplines. It’s not because they’re extremely thrilling. Compared to some of the other activities I enjoy, ziplining is pretty mild. However, zippiness are excellent ecotourism businesses. They’re relatively inexpensive to open, so they’re often locally owned. They have extremely little impact on the environment. And, they encourage folks who may not be into hiking or biking to get out and appreciate nature.

The Bavaro Runners Zip Line near Punta Cana is no exception.

Bavaro Runners has a network of 14 zippiness connecting 16 platforms across over two miles of lush jungle-covered countryside. The tour takes about 4.5 hours and costs $89 USD per adult.

That sounds, to me, like an excellent afternoon.

Drop into Fun Fun Cave

Photo by Get Your Guide

I’ve saved one of the best for last. The horseback riding tour to Fun Fun Cave sounds to me almost as awesome as swimming with sharks. This tour, offered by Get Your Guide combines several awesome outdoors adventures. First, you ride on horseback and hike through Haitises National Park to the cave, which is one of the biggest in the world. Once at the cave you’ll be rappel 20m to the cave floor and then go on to explore the cave on foot.

The combination of so many cool activities is what attracts me to this tour. Although it is a bit pricey at $150 USD per person, I think it’s worth it.

These aren’t the only adventurous things to do in Punta Cana. Ziplining, rafting, and canyoning are also possible within a few hours drive of the city.  If you’re looking for a hotel, you can book a hotel in Punta Cana with Air Canada Vacations.

The post What to do in Punta Cana: 5 Awesome Adventures appeared first on XpatMatt.

Swimming with Sharks

Photo by bradjward

Surprisingly, this one is done indoors. Melbourne’s aquarium offers visitors the opportunity to hop in a tank with leopard and grey nurse sharks, as well as stingrays and sea turtles. The best part is, you don’t even have to be a certified diver. There are also options for non-divers to take an intro course before they jump in the tank, or to wear one of those spacey underwater helmets with a hose that rises to the surface while walking on the bottom.

If you want the real open water experience, however, you’d better hop on one of the flights to Adelaide, where you can book an open-ocean cage diving trip.

Kayaking the Yarra

Photo by elizabethdonoghue

The Yarra River has been an important fixture in southern Australia for centuries. It used to be an important source of food for aboriginals, was later used for shipping, and now central to outdoors recreation in and around the city.  Just a forty-five minute drive outside of the city is a stretch of river comprised of a mix of low-grade whitewater and long scenic paddles that is perfect for beginner kayakers.

Adventure Racing

 Photo by joshjanssen

 Adventure racing has been getting more and more popular around Melbourne, and it looks like a blast. This one is a bit difficult to describe because no two adventure races are at the same. They are unique and challenging multi-sport races that pit individuals or teams against a variety of terrains and usually include some combination of running or hiking, mountain biking, and paddling.  For example, the GeoQuest 48Hr is a two-day race including over 200km of trekking, mountain biking, and kayaking.

Surfing Bell’s Beach

Photo by willrich

Here we come full circe and arrive at the inspiration for this article–the famed Bell’s Beach, home to the longest running surf competition in the world, the Bell’s Beach Surf Classic, and locale (although not the actual filming location) for Bodhi’s death ride at the end of Point Break.

It’s not just the breaks that make Bell’s awesome. It’s long and storied history make it a place akin to Mecca for surfers–a place we must all visit once before we die.

And if that’s not enough for you, then hop on one of the frequent flights to the Gold Coast to check out another of Australia’s epic surf spots.

Lead photo by Extra Medium

The post Four Adventures Near Melbourne That I Have to Try appeared first on XpatMatt.

In honour of the opening of the 2012 climbing season on Mount Everest, here are ten quotes about adversity.

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.
~ William Arthur Ward

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.
~ Horace

For gold is tried in the fire and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.
~ George Santayana

Adversity is the first path to truth.
~ Lord Byron

Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself.
~ John Wooden

Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.
~ Victor Hugo

You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
~ Walt Disney

By adversity are wrought the greatest works of admiration, and all the fair examples of renown, out of distress and misery are grown.
~ Samuel Daniel

By trying we can easily endure adversity. Another man’s, I mean.
~ Mark Twain

Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with.
~ Thomas Carlyle

Lead photo by ` TheDreamSky

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