What do some of your plans look like in a post-MCO era?
If it’s something along the lines of making it to the top of the Eiffel tower or catching a wave – well, you’re not thinking big enough. After months and months of botched plans, food deliveries, and being confined to our homes, the wanderlust in all of us and desperately itching to venture unexplored lands and dive into breathtaking adventures.
But if you need a little help in putting together your post-MCO travel bucket list, here are some travel experiences ideas to help get you started.
Get crafty in Italy
Not all that glitters are gold. History buffs are invited to nurture and flex your cultural side like you’ve never before in Ravello just above the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy. The Let’s Treasure Roman Gold experience by Belmond sets you up with entrances to museums and archaeological sites, as well as exclusive access to the Oplontis archeological site with a private viewing of the ‘Ori di Oplontis’. And when it’s time to get crafty, you’ll learn the crafting secrets of the Ancient Greeks and Romans to create your own jewellery pieces with a goldsmith workshop with a master jeweller. W belmond.com
An elevated dining experience
After months of ordering in or cooking at home, you’ll want to take your dinner to new heights. And for some, quite literally. Dinner In The Sky allows you to feast on a gastronomical dinner cooked up by Michelin-starred chefs while you take in the view over the Principality of Monaco, 30 metres from the ground. Aside from delighting your tastebuds and olfactory senses, you’ll also be able to soak up some of the most popular sights in Monaco, such as the Prince’s Palace, Port Hercules, and the Monte Carlo Casino. W dinnerintheskymontecarlo.com
Take a walk (over the mountains)
Sledding and skiing a bit too extreme for you? Why not go a little tamer (and probably a tad bit higher) by taking the Peak Walk by Tissot? There you’ll walk across the only suspension bridge in the world that connects two mountain peaks: from the smaller peak (View Point) to the 5-metre higher main peak at Scex Rouge. The bridge measures 107 metres long and 80 centimetres wide, giving you a breathtaking view of the Alps – including Matterhorn, Montblanc, Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Free access to the bridge is given to guests at Glacier 3000. W glacier3000.ch
Dine under the sea
This is probably the closest you’ll ever get to sipping on champagne with Poseidon. The Subsix restaurant has you dining 6m below the waterline at the Niyama resort in the Maldives. You’ll arrive at the restaurant by speedboat, then descend a dramatic three-tier staircase illuminated by Italian abstract chandeliers. There you’ll be seated by the clam-inspired bar or on the soft anemone chairs, as you dive into champagne breakfasts, subaquatic lunches, and gourmet dinners while you revel in the majestic underwater views through the floor-to-ceiling windows. W niyama.com
Swim with pigs
If the Bahamas is on your post-MCO travel list, make sure to stay in The Exumas or Nassau so that you can swim with nurse sharks, stingrays and…pigs! That’s right, you don’t have to go on a truffle hunt to spend some leisure time with these adorable pigs and piglets who are living that carefree beach life. This experience also includes a boat tour through The Exuma Cays if you’re booking a day trip to see these swimming pigs. W bahamas.com
Witness a solar eclipse
How does going on an adventure from Buenos Aires to Antarctica to view the rare total solar eclipse sound? This unforgettable 30-day trip by arranged by Jacada Travel sets you off on a luxury cruise of a lifetime from Ushuaia through the icy waters of the Antarctic, bringing you to some of the most remote but spectacular islands known to man. From experiencing the unique fusion of British and South American culture in the Falkland Archipelago to seeing some of the world’s largest penguin and seal colonies in South Georgia, the highlight of the trip is to view the full glory of a total solar eclipse, before recuperating in the wine country of Mendoza. W jacadatravel.com
Visit Rwanda’s gorillas
From golden monkeys in bamboo thickets to the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, Expert Africa combines three inspiring experiences into a 12-day adventure, where you’ll reconnect with nature, culture, and some of Earth’s most incredible wildlife. Other highlights include meeting the majestic mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, and if you arrive in Kigali early, you’ll even get the chance to visit the Genocide Memorial to learn about Rwanda’s history and its emergence from the past. W expertafrica.com
Explore Machu Picchu
The biggest icons of the Inca civilisation, the Sacred Valley, Cusco, and of course – Machu Picchu are destinations worth putting on your bucket list to fulfil your raging sense of adventure post lockdown. Explore its unique geography and Inca remains guided by Explora, whether its on foot, by van, or even bike. Explorations arranged by this company will take place at three different geographical levels – valley, plateau, and mountain to allow visitors to really soak up the history and culture of this destination. W explora.com