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While Ghana is politically calm, it doesn’t lack excitement in other areas. For the biggest adrenaline rush, head to Kakum National Park in the Central Region, about an hour north of Cape Coast and Elmina. More than 200 species of birds and countless butterflies have been spotted in this pristine rainforest, and monkeys often swing from the tree branches. For your own bird’s-eye view, venture across the long and wobbly Kakum Canopy Walkway. You might feel like a tightrope walker as you balance on this set of swaying bridges—suspended 40m (130 ft.) above the ground. It stretches for 330m (1,082 ft.) between seven trees with viewing platforms. As you step along the narrow wooden planks, attached to steel cables and netting, try to ignore your sweaty palms and shaking legs long enough to look around. Surrounded by lush, green plants and chirping birds, you’ll be awed by the unforgettable perspective up here. Established in 1990 on 350 sq. km (135 sq. miles) of land, the Kakum National Park is protected by the Ghana Heritage and Conservation Trust (www.ghct.org.gh).

After you’ve survived your sky-high adventure, keep the energy level up by heading to Elmina for a Bakatue dance and drum performance. Every day, at 5pm, a small local troupe holds rehearsals in the west wing of St. George’s Castle. Common instruments include a tall kaganu drum, a squat round kidi drum, and a cowbell-shaped gangkogui. Dances often include a call-and-response routine, and audience members are almost always invited to join in.

When the festive dancing isn’t going on, St. George’s Castle is a more somber place. This site, like Cape Coast Castle, was one of the major stops along the Atlantic slave trade route. Today, both structures have been extensively restored by the Ghanaian government and are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These important remnants of a grave history are well worth visiting. But after you’ve seen them, head over to Kotokuruba Market for a brighter look at modern-day Ghana, where people enjoy lively commerce, rich cultural traditions, and, most importantly, freedom. —JS

10 Ziplines to Make Tarzan Proud

Climbing trees and swinging from their branches is exciting, but zipping between them is even better. For centuries, miners used cable-and-pulley systems to transport supplies through inhospitable terrain. For decades, biologists and researchers in Central and South America used similar mechanisms to get themselves across low narrow river valleys and into the rainforest’s high canopies. Finally, ecotourism companies got wind of the idea and developed a way for travelers to explore areas that were once impenetrable. Now, in places all around the world, you can hook on a harness, attach to some ropes, and embark on a flight made for speed lovers and tree huggers alike. —JS

Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica: Here’s where it all started. In 1997, the Original Canopy Tour opened just below the peak of Monteverde. Though there are dozens of canopy tours offered in Costa Rica today, there’s something special about the original course. After a short, guided hike through the cloud forest, you climb up to a platform attached to an enormous tree and fly through the sky. After a few zips, just when you’re starting to relax, your heart begins pounding again as a steep cable takes you rushing down toward the forest floor. From there, it’s back above the treetops before a final rappel from what the guides refer to as the “scary tree.” www.canopytour.com.

Ziptrek Ecotours, Canada: The winter is the best time to take the 3-hour Ziptreck Eagle tour that takes you all the way from the wilderness back to Whistler Village at speeds up to 80kmph (50 mph). Soaring between the snow-covered Whistler and Blackcomb mountains—over the choppy waters of Fitzsimmons Creek in the valley below, surrounded by enormous Douglas fir trees and Western red cedars—is pure exhilaration in a winter-wonderland setting. www.ziptrek.com.

Flight of the Gibbons, Thailand: This zipline course