11 Thrill-Seeking Useful Skills and Adventures You Can Learn While Traveling

Thrill-seeking useful skills and adventures you can learn while traveling

Are you a thrill-seeker, adventurer kind of traveler? Well, I have to be honest that I was a weakling before I decided to get involved myself in a thrill-seeking adventure kind of traveling. If you could remember my old post about, ‘How a Painful and Traumatic Health Threat Forced Me to Travel More?‘ it taught me to change an active lifestyle.

I thought that traveling is just all about vacation. Escaping on a weekend trip just to relax. But traveling doesn’t have to be spending a lot of money especially if you are traveling long term. Long term travel helps you to learn useful skills along the way especially when you are doing volunteer work. Here are some of the thrill-seeking useful skills and adventures you can learn while traveling to cross off your bucket list.

Related Article: How Travel Improves My Life?

1. Biking

For me, biking is one of the most important skills you need to learn as it will teach you how to balance. I learned biking when I was six years old but my parents cannot afford to buy one. Instead, I was able to borrow a child-friendly bicycle from a neighbor or from my grade school classmate. Many times I fell and get wounded but it’s worth it. Guidance from elders is very important to assist you.

What if you’re too old to learn? Well, age doesn’t matter as long as you have the determination to learn. Because biking is the cheapest transformation you can have and at the same time, it’s a good form of exercise.

You can check out how we enjoyed the Biking Whole Day Tour in Dumaguete as it was one of the cheapest Do-It-Yourself tours we ever did.

2. Motorbiking

As a petite girl, I first learned to drive a motorbike when I was 12 years old. My father wouldn’t let me learn just because I am a girl and underweight. Because of my eagerness to drive, I was able to convince my father to teach me. Although I was scared of the heaviness of the motorbike just in case I fall.

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To be honest, I am not an expert of motorbike driving so there’s a chance I got some panic attacks. I don’t like being surrounded by other drivers and other vehicles. But I was able to drive in Siargao alone and when I traveled to Hpa-an, Myanmar.

Related Article: Go Karting Palawan International Circuit

3. PADI Diving

I earned my Open Water Diving Certification in 2016 with PADI when a blog reader asked me about where is the best diving spots in the Philippines. Well, it really depends on what do you want to see. I suggested that you can see the thresher sharks on Malapascua Island. In exchange for valuable information, I didn’t pay for the certification.

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You can check out my scuba diving adventures and will post more other diving spots in some parts of the Philippines.

Scuba diving certification is expensive but you can try the discovery scuba diving for at least PHP 3,500.

4. Freediving

I learned basic freediving for free in exchange for helping a dive instructor fixing his sailboat. He happened to be in Puerto Princesa, Palawan and posted an event on Facebook. Since I’ve been living in Palawan like a local for more than a year, I know what he needs help like carpentry and the likes.

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Freediving is my way of enhancing my swimming skills and on-hold breathing after I learned scuba diving. Later on, you will learn how not to panic in the open water. The dive instructor could see how confident I was when I jumped off from the sailboat.

The difference with scuba diving is that you can enjoy underwater for at least 30 minutes breathing with a scuba tank and with freediving, you can go as deep as you can with the on-hold breathing technique.

5. Snorkeling

Snorkeling is the easiest way to enjoy the underwater world with the help of a snorkeling and mask, and a life jacket for non-swimmers. I snorkeled a lot in El Nido, Palawan with a life jacket as I wasn’t confident at that time. But I encouraged snorkelers to learn freediving to avoid panic in the open water.

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6. Surfing

Surfing was not my thing but when I experienced it the first time surfing in Dulag, Leyte, I was stoked. Being a weakling, you need to enhance your paddling skills using your arms. I am not yet an expert but I enjoyed my surfing in Siargao with the help of a friend. You can enjoy Siargao without being dependent on social media.

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7. Kayaking

The first time I experienced it, I admit it was tiring but it helps on how can you maneuver a small boat. While helping the dive instructor on his sailboat in Palawan, I had to use the kayak in order to reach the sailboat. It really helps to be an outdoorsy type of girl and you won’t complain how hot it is. Unless you use whitening products and you won’t dare yourself being under the sun. I had my first kayaking experience on Sumilon Island.

8. Stand-up Paddleboarding

Stand-up Paddleboarding or the SUP, I got introduced with it when I got involved myself for volunteer work. Met the owner/s and other people who are into this sport and I got the chance to learn. I was able to get around Gilutongan Island with a SUP for two hours. It was fulfilling although I was the slowest among the group. You can check out a separate page of my adventures.

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9. Hiking

To be honest, I hated hiking. I hate hiking upward and downward trails. I dislike being sweaty and getting itchy on my skin. That’s why I prefer to be in the water while my friends go hiking.  But I love hiking to the waterfalls or to the beach as long as the destinations are water-related activities.

I had no problem hiking to Kawasan falls in Cebu as everyone is required to do it. It’s not very far but I remember when I was young, my father used to carry me. Growing up, got the chance to visit the waterfalls with friends.

Met some friends in Hong Kong and did the hiking trail going to the beach. Good thing that I used to walk a lot in Tokyo so hiking was so fun even though it was a long one.

This is a memorable one, I went hiking to Mount Zwegabin in Hpa-an, Myanmar alone. As I said, I am not fond of hiking and that was the longest one. I almost gave up but I dared myself to do it. Fortunately, I made it to the top of the monastery. It was the first time I experienced a sea of clouds. It is really best to go hiking with a buddy.

In Koh Samui and Koh Phangan in Thailand, my boyfriend and I love to go outdoors. We love to go to the waterfalls and go hiking when the weather is good. We hiked for one kilometer and so far, the longest hiking trail to the waterfalls I’ve experienced.

10. Mountaineering

If you want to upgrade your skills from hiking, mountaineering is the more physically challenging one. Although hiking is for everyone, mountaineering needs more knowledge and training to start. I have friends who learned the Basic Mountaineering Course as you will learn the use of a harness and ropes. You really need to invest the proper equipment for this activity. You can check out some of my adventure with friends at Adventure Cafe Zipline in Cebu.

11. Canyoneering

Canyoneering is a combination of hiking, mountaineering, and jumping. Well, if you’re not afraid of heights, canyoneering is the best sport for you. I did this activity twice and I always have this exhilarating experience. The weird thing is that I have experienced fear when I jump. I remember when I was a kid, I love to jump on cliffs on Bantayan Island and Camotes Island.

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Check out my Canyoneering Cebu adventure blog post.

There are some other skills I really need to learn such as wakeboarding, skiing or snowboarding. Someday, I want to do it.

Do you have any other thrill-seeking useful skills and adventures you learned while traveling? Share your experiences below.