Costa Rica is a genuine outdoor paradise. Green jungles and rugged beaches throughout the country make it perfect for enjoying outdoor activities with a kick, but La Fortuna takes the cake. This lively little town at the foot of the Arenal volcano is known as the country’s adventure hub. What’s there to do? Go ziplining over the rainforest, raft class III and IV rapids, canyon in gorges and waterfalls and try stand-up paddling while enjoying views of the volcano. Boredom is not an option here.

When it comes to nature, Vancouver has plenty to go around, but Whistler is the place to be for Vancouverites. Only a 90-minute drive from the city, this sleepy little mountain town is a fantastic ski destination in the winter and perfect for mountain biking through the woods, kayaking on azure blue lakes, rafting on wild rapids and bungee jumping above rivers in the summer. Whistler is one big playground.

Only an hour-and-a-half from Zurich, you’ll find Interlaken, the outdoor Mecca of Switzerland. The city is surrounded by the Bernese Alps and has everything a thrill seeker could possibly want, from rafting in class IV rapids to climbing the Via Ferrata more than 600 metres above the ground. Not high enough for you? You can always go paragliding or skydiving from a height of 1200 metres or bungee jumping from a cable car.

Between the red rocks of Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, you’ll find Moab, a town of only 5,200 residents but a world of outdoor fun. Moab is the perfect base for rafting, canyoning and hiking, but the biggest draw of all is mountain biking. Mountain bikers from around the world come to Moab for the epic Whole Enchilada, a 25 km downhill trail from the La Sal Mountains to the banks of the Colorado River.

Although Rotorua is best known for the neighbouring Maori villages and geothermal activity like geysers, it’s also the perfect base for an action-packed holiday. Rock climbing, ziplining, zorbing and bungee jumping are all on the menu here, but the town is most famous for its epic rapids with the possibility go rafting or riverboarding on a boogie board. Natural-born daredevils can brave the 7-metre high Tutea falls.