You love adventure, right? That feeling of adrenaline coursing through your veins and the fleeting thought that perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea after all? But once your feet are back in firm contact with the ground and your heart rate has finally subsided to a normal rate, you feel as if you’ve just conquered the world.
If you’re hanging out near Chiang Mai, Thailand you’re in luck because there are plenty of high‐blood‐pressure‐inducing ways to shit your pants get that rush. Whether you’re looking to cliff dive into a quarry, bungee jump from almost 200 feet or climb UP the coolest waterfall you’ve ever seen, Chiang Mai and its outskirts have got it all.
Cliff Diving
A quick 20‐minute drive from town, near the Hang Dong Golf Club, is the Hang Dong Quarry. The deep plunge was once used for mining but has since been filled with water and transformed into a cool spot to spend the day sunbathing on the docks or yes, hurling your fine ass off the highest cliff into the turquoise water below.
A few months ago, the quarry was just a deserted, under‐the‐radar phenomenon but has recently become more developed. There is now a cafe perched at the entrance that charges a 50 baht fee to swim, but it includes a free “herbal drink,” and boasts beautiful views of the quarry at sunset. The cafe also serves food, has nice bathrooms and rents paddle‐boats for use in the quarry.
The quarry itself is a network of red clay cliffs of varying heights from which you can take a leap of faith. The highest jump is about 40 feet, or 1‐2 seconds of freefall, before splashing into the cool water below.
Cliff dive into a mined-out revine that was once filled with minerals at the Hang Dong Quarry.
Finally, a waterfall you can climb up! Take that gravity.
Bungee Jumping
Jumping off a 40‐foot cliff not high enough for you? Be the first of your friends to bungee jump off a nearly 200‐foot tower, situated just a short ride from Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai X-Centre’s bungee jump tower is about 50 meters high and provides a beautiful view of Chiang Mai and the surrounding mountains. Down below are immaculately landscaped gardens and a lagoon that you can dip your head into after your jump. The easiest way to schedule your bungee jump is through your guesthouse. The tour lasts about three hours, costs 2,000 Thai baht and is offered both morning and afternoon. It’s not the highest jump in the world but the 5‐10 second free fall is nothing to scoff at. Only daredevils need apply.
And since we're on the topic of gravity, why not bungie jump off a 200-foot tower?
The sticky waterfalls are named for mineral deposits that have left rocks with a hardened, sponge-like texture..
Sticky Waterfalls
Named after the strange, blobby texture of the its sticky limestone, the Sticky Waterfalls are climbable with your bare feet. That’s right, you actually climb up the falls. Situated about an hour outside of Chiang Mai, some farangs (Westerners) do make it to the Sticky Waterfalls, but most of the patrons are Thai since it’s so far out of town. (Plug “Bua Tong Waterfall Forest Office‐Chet Si Spring” into your GPS to find it.) That being said, it is 100 percent worth checking out. The grounds have food, beer and shade, so you can grab a few friends, a bamboo mat and a round of Chang beer to make a day of it.
There are a few different levels at which you can perch, but if you’re afraid of heights, the cascading falls will definitely test your limits. Once you get over the weirdness of being able to firmly grip your feet under rushing water, you’ll be running up and down the falls in no time.
Thailand is often misconstrued as a crazy party spot, thanks to the full moon party and the hot mess that is Bangkok, but there are plenty of opportunities for hair‐raising adventure as well. Whether you’re looking to plunge into sparkling water from 40 feet above or chilling in the depths of a waterfall, you can find it in Thailand.
Alexa Albanese is a New York native, citizen of the world, storyteller and bad joke maker. A lover of sunsets, adventure, good food and good people, she is a full-time explorer and author at her travel blog, She Tells Travel Tales.