Durban

Hurling yourself off the top of Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium might strike you as an activity conjured after one too many beers, but here, madness is a virtue. Welcome to the Big Rush Swing-officially the tallest and most stomach-churning swing on our spinning blue planet. Built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, this sleek monument to soccer fanaticism now invites thrill-seekers to trade their dignity and dollars (around 695 rand, or a reasonable forty bucks) for a few seconds of gravity-defying terror. Book ahead-ideally several days beforehand if you fancy leaping during the golden hues of late afternoon-otherwise, aim for mornings when your nerves haven't yet fully awakened. Forget your smartphone selfie stick; instead, bring a hefty dose of bravado and possibly a spare change of underwear. Even if free-falling from a stadium arch isn't exactly your idea of cultured sightseeing, it's the perfect blend of insanity and bragging rights-and trust me, the tale you'll earn from doing it is worth every scream-filled second.

Climbing into South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains is like stepping straight into a Tolkien subplot-minus any promise of elves or shortcuts involving eagles. This soaring UNESCO-listed beauty demands you trade your comfort zone for windswept peaks, dizzying cliffs, and trails designed seemingly by a mischievous nature deity who enjoys amusingly steep inclines. Go at dawn when the sky blushes, the valleys fill with whispers of mist, and the proverbial tourist hordes are still wrestling with overpriced instant coffee. Plan at least a month ahead-procrastinators beware, because good guides vanish faster than craft beer at a hipster festival-and budget around $50-100 per day depending on your level of outdoorsy indulgence. Pack layers, snacks, a sturdy flask filled with your libation of choice, and enough blister plasters to protect your dignity. Even if you curse the climb, gasp for breath, and question your life choices, the reward is peerless vistas of green velvet valleys, ancient San rock art, and tales of dragons that locals insist might still linger in hidden caves. Once done, the Drakensberg offers bragging rights and blister-induced credibility-after all, epic experiences make for legendary stories back home, and that alone is worth the sweat.