Let your long planning and preparation pay off when you reach Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Spain, Israel or another a fabulous destination for a holiday. You don’t have to sleep through the nights, there are so many things you can do when darkness falls. Aside from the usual nighttime entertainments – watching shows, clubbing, pub-crawling and dinners – there are many other adventures you can better do at night.
“Some things are just better after dark.” That’s what the CNN said as Laura Kiniri, a correspondent for CNN – Travel Section, opens up a list of the 10 Of The World’s Best Nighttime Adventures.
The inky skies paling with shifting clouds, bright stars and the pale moon add drama and mystery to a lot of locations that are otherwise regular. The darkness will set the stage like a backdrop for greater things to come. Forget about the booze and the bar-hopping. If you are on an exotic destination, whet your appetite for adventure and multisensory experiences. Check out the CNN list and give it a thought for your next holiday.
“Swimming with manta rays in Hawaii”
The waters off the Big Island of Hawaii’s Kona Coast are known for their manta rays: majestic and curious sea creatures with wings that can span up to 20 feet.
After sunset, many area dive companies run boat excursions for both snorkelers and certified divers to get within inches of anywhere from a few to more than a dozen of them….
Kayaking Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent bay
Mosquito Bay off Puerto Rico’s Vieques Island is renowned for its bioluminescence: waters that glow an electric blue and green — a combination of environment and the tiny luminescent micro-organisms called dinoflagellates that live there.
“We have the brightest luminescent bay in the world,” says Barbara Schneider of Abe’s Snorkeling and Bio-Bay Tours… More fun than “Jurassic Park.”
Night Safari in Singapore
Next door to Singapore’s 69-acre zoo is a separate zoo that’s home to around 2,500 nocturnal creatures.
The Night Safari includes both a guided, open-air tram ride through the park’s seven geographical zones as well as walking trails.
You can wander the zoo’s tropical rainforest setting spotting striped hyenas and sloth bears as you go…
Exploring America’s most notorious prison
For nearly 30 years, Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay was home to one of America’s most notorious security prisons…
A visit to the island is creepy in the afternoon, but touring the empty prison halls at night is bone-chilling.
“It’s an intimate experience compared to daytime,” says Alexandra Picavet, public affairs specialist for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.”
If these, don’t convince you yet about having a good time adventuring at night, there are more in the list:
- Petra, Southern Jordan: Delve into the ancient ruins of Petra, the setting for “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” The ruins are remarkable during the day, but more astounding at night in the glow of thousands of lighted candles.
- Granada, Sierra Nevada: Explore this centuries-old city swarming with natural and cultural interests on ground and under it. Most “Play Granada’s Night Adventure” tours include a visit to Albayzin (an olden Muslim quarter) and the caves of Sacromonte.
- Costa Rica: Be captivated by the diverse wildlife in this tropical paradise. Join a Twilight Safari Float or go on a guided night walk (Ecocentro Danaus Night Walk) through the nature reserve. Whichever way you go, both are surefire winners if you want to experience the sights and sounds of a tropical forest at night.
- Aladdin, Dubai: A fascinating desert experience awaits you here. Enjoy a camel ride, watch belly dancing, get a henna tattoo, and enjoy a sumptuous, exotic dinner (then a shisha smoke afterwards) in a campsite under the stars.
- South Africa: Safari is given a new twist when you do it after dusk. It just gets more blood-curdling. For adventurers living on the edge, it can’t get more electrifying than that. Track the Big Five and live and tell it once you survive this heart-pounding adventure.
- Whistler, B.C.: Regular? Not at all when you do the zip-lining on a freezing, winter night. Whistler’s Superfly Ziplines start with a snowcat ride to the peak of the Rainbow Mountain where a delightful dinner in a yurt awaits. Then, it is time to descend in inky darkness through an old-growth forest at a speed reaching 62 miles per hour.
These destinations are not your only options; there are more. Camp and spend a few days in the Amazon or in Guatemala. Join a nighttime hiking expedition along the banks of Macal River in Belize and quiver with the thought of deadly vipers. Board a kayak and paddle your way through the Puget Sound in Washington and be amazed at the bioluminescent waters with living pixie dusts called dinoflagellates.
If you are short on days, nights can be just as spectacular when adventure is in your agenda. Remember though to plan well and trust only reliable tour companies employing the best tour guides. These adventures are not for the faint-hearted, so pack and hone your best gear: courage.
