• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 710 0

take in this amazing new perspective of the earth far below. But before you’ve had too much calm, your pilot can get your stomach flip-flopping again with tricks like stalls and spinners that take you on a roller coaster ride through the sky. You speed up and go higher, then drift back down, and then fly straight ahead, until finally, you make your way toward the ground and coast toward a grassy landing pad. With a few gentle bumps, the wildest ride of your life comes to a smooth end. —JS

Interlaken Tourism Office, Hoheweg 37 ( 41/033-826-5300; www.interlaken.ch) and Bernese Oberland Tourism (http://tourismus.berneroberland.ch).

Tour: Hang Gliding Interlaken, Brunngasse 30 ( 41/079-770-0704;www.hangglidinginterlaken.com).

When to Go: Mar–Oct.

Zurich Airport or Geneva Airport, followed by a 2-hr. train ride to Interlaken.

$ Hotel Rugenpark, Rugenparkstrasse 19 ( 41/033-822-3661;www.rugenpark.ch). $–$$ Hotel Lotschberg, General-Guisanstrasse 31 ( 41/033-822-2545; www.lotschberg.ch).

52

Hang Gliding in Rio de Janeiro

Landing on Rio’s Beaches

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

One minute you’re standing there like any normal person, both feet on the ground, and the next you’re running off the side of a tall cliff—like any abnormal person. Then, without a word, you’re suddenly floating, quietly, aloft like a bird hovering over the majestic cliffs and beaches of Rio de Janeiro. There’s nothing between you and the lovely statue of Christ the Redeemer, the spires of Sugarloaf Mountain, and the sparkling sapphire Atlantic except a balmy tropical breeze. This, you realize, is the closest you’ll ever come to realizing that age-old dream of mankind: flying.

There’s a lot to see and do in Rio, so it’s easy to forget that this is one of the pre-eminent places on the planet for hang gliding. The ocean breezes that lift up over the Sierra do Mar mountains create near-perfect conditions for liftoff. Most full-service hotels can put visitors in touch with a reputable hang-gliding operator, and in most cases, operators can provide hotel pickup and drop-off—just ask at the front desk of your accommodations for recommended tours or contact those listed below. It’s also a good idea to check the weather before booking a flight, and wear athletic shoes—sandals and bare feet are not recommended.

Your flight will probably begin on a tall ridge in Tijuca National Park, one of the largest urban rainforest parks in the world, where toucans and monkeys are common sights. No experience is needed for many hang-gliding tours, because tandem flights allow the instructor to operate the control on the hang glider—all you need to do is, well, hang. Though there is usually a minimum age (around 7), there’s no upper age limit. The flights can last up to 30 minutes, depending on weather conditions, after which time you touch down gently on one of Rio de Janeiro’s soft, sandy beaches—which, when you think about it, is not a bad way to land. —ML

Hang gliding in Rio offers views of the ocean, mountains, and city.

Riotur ( 021/2217-7575;www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br).

Tours: Just Fly Rio ( 021/9985-7540;www.justfly.com.br). Hang Gliding Tour ( 5521/9343-3380;www.hanglidingtour.com.br).

When to Go: Apr–Nov.

Rio de Janeiro.

$$$ Pestana Rio Atlântica, Av. Atlântica 2964 ( 021/2548-6332;www.pestana.com). $$ Copacabana Sol Hotel, Rua Santa Clara 141 ( 0800/254-447;www.copacabanasolhotel.com.br).

53

Canopy Walk

Up Among the Treetops

Kakum National Park, Ghana

Ghana is one of the most exhilarating places in West Africa—with vibrant cities, dense rainforests, picturesque coastlines, historic UNESCO sites, and heart-pounding traditional drum and dance performances. At times, it can be a solemn place, given its tragic past as a major shipping point for Africans being sent to America as slaves. But mostly, it’s lively and inspiring, renowned for its friendly people and a government that’s often cited as a model of democracy on the continent. After becoming the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence, it experienced some instability but then