You’re standing at the start line of the Rickshaw Run, with 3,500 kilometres of India stretching out before you and all you have to traverse it is a three-wheeled, seven-horsepower rickshaw that – as many have pointed out – is just a glorified lawn mower. But at least your trusty steed looks fly: participants pimp out their ride from the comfort of their own home, arriving on the subcontinent to be greeted by a freshly painted set of wheels.
You’ll race with two pals for two weeks, crossing paths with other like-minded (read: non compos mentis) travellers, as you putter – slowly – across the country. Between Fort Kochi in India’s tropical southern state of Kerala, and Jaisalmer, a city almost encroached by desert in the northern state of Rajasthan, riders can choose their own adventure by following the ‘unroute’, i.e. making it up entirely as they go.
We’re often so quick to associate Italy with summer, but we’ve we’re saying ‘no grazie’ to melted gelato and scorching pebble beaches in favour of the country’s off-season – winter! Keen to share a quieter side of Italy, Intrepid Travel is offering an eight-day Highlights of Italy in Winter tour beginning in Rome.
You’ll walk the crumbling ruins of Rome, float over Venice, wander the museums of Florence, explore the narrow streets of Pisa, and learn to make pasta in Bologna. And Mother Nature may even send you some snow (although that is extremely rare). There are regular departures between November and March, so if you want to avoid the crowds – and the sweat – this could be the way to go.
SUV, RV, scooter, 1970s Volkswagen Beetle – anything goes during the annual Put Foot Rally. And entrants can expect the same loosey-goosey approach when it comes to almost every element of the race, which the coordinators declare is definitely “not a race”. A lack of organisation, resources and a general mentality of insouciance is held in high regard on this “roughly, sort of, in the region of 8000-kilometre” rally, and responsibility for organising the route, accommodation, food and insurance rests with you. Meander through six southern African nations – South Africa (Cape Town is the starting point), Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique – stopping at six different checkpoints for six different parties in 19 days.
The goal of Put Foot is to leave a charitable footprint behind through its foundation. Money raised goes to providing school shoes for children and helping to save endangered animals, some of which you may encounter during your travels. NB: do not feed the wildlife, or allow the wildlife to feed on you.
Experience the raw beauty of untamed Antarctica, up close and personal with an 11-day cruise through this otherworldly polar region that remains one of the most sought after travel destinations in the world.
Despite Antarctica’s inaccessibility, this cruise takes you into the heart of one of the most inhospitable and desolate continents to experience the wonder of earth’s last great frontier.
You’ll want to have your winter woollies on as the tour embarks from Ushuaia at the southern tip of South America and traverses the often turbulent Drake Passage on the comfortable and spacious polar expedition vessel, Ocean Endeavour. Your destination is South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Surrounded by monstrous tabular icebergs and a never-ending ice sheet, the harsh Antarctic surroundings can be explored safely and comfortably thanks to the small zodiac boats.
Enjoy unparalleled wildlife viewing, as you wander through colonies of curious penguins, encounter basking seals, watch a frenzy of feeding birds and perhaps see a whale breaching the ocean’s surface.
What’s better than spending a whole day at a brewery? Staying there overnight. You can now do just that at the DogHouse, a 32-room hotel on the site of Scottish company BrewDog’s Columbus, Ohio, beer factory. The rooms, not entirely surprisingly, have a masculine vibe – some like the Brewmaster Suite (pictured) overlook the sour beer works – with plenty of suds on offer throughout the stay. It starts at check-in with the lobby bartender ensuring guests enjoy a welcoming ale, while two fridges – one in the room and the other in the shower – are loaded up with the company’s best-known craft beers and seasonal specials.
Oh, there’s an in-room tap, too, that can be hooked up to a growler of whatever bevvy your tastebuds desire. Of course, while you’re here, it would be churlish not to do a tour of the facilities and the huge interactive craft beer museum. We’ll raise a glass to that.
What do you get when you swap sand for snow and dunes for glaciers? A white desert. That’s right, deserts aren’t strictly characterised by hot, hostile conditions and sand as far as the eye can see. With an icy, largely uninhabitable landscape devoid of vegetation, Antarctica qualifies too. Which is why we couldn’t have a list of awesome yet desolate experiences and not include White Desert, a once-in-a-lifetime Antarctic journey. The voyage begins in Cape Town, where you board the private White Desert jet bound for the exclusive six-pod Whichaway Camp, your base for the duration of your stay in Antarctica.
While the pods look more like a settlement on Mars than luxury lodgings, inside you’ll find pleasant rooms adorned with plush throws, timber furnishings and rich textures. The expeditions, which range from a one-day, fly-in fly-out tour to an incredible eight-day trip, give you the opportunity to venture where very few humans get the chance to tread. We’re talking getting up close and personal with a 6000-strong emperor penguin colony, wandering through glowing neon blue ice caves or travelling to the lowest point on earth, the South Pole.
A visit to the Hudson Yards is like visiting a city within a city. This Vatican of Manhattan is the newest cathedral of commerce to grace the underdeveloped west side, where posh pilgrims can find one of the most lavish shopping malls, event spaces, and public work of art the city has to offer.
High end shopping like Fendi and Cartier and fine restaurants like Milos and Belcampo first are just the beginning. The first Equinox Fitness Hotel, as well as a state of the art concert hall complete with a retractable roof. Don’t forget to check out The Vessel, where intrepid guest can climb the over 150 intertwined open air staircases for views of the city found no where else.
Forget everything you know about the Mykonos party scene, at Scorpios there’s no doof-doof music, no sweaty, gyrating bodies and definitely no overpriced alcopops. Ideally situated on the sun-kissed southern tip of the island overlooking Paraga Beach, Scorpios is designed to represent a contemporary interpretation of the ancient Greek agora – a gathering place for people to come together to socialise and collaborate. The rustic space, much of it open-air, is littered with wooden cabanas, whitewashed walls, knitted hammocks and a quirky assortment of straw baskets, rugs, and light fittings.
There’s even a boutique bazaar, which stocks a carefully curated selection of products by local artisans – ensuring you can party in the hottest organic slip dress, should you forget yours. You’ll need to arrive early if you want to secure one of the highly sought-after cabanas by the water – the ideal spot to treat yourself to a Mediterranean feast from the 200-seat restaurant. The setting sun signals a change in tempo, and before you know it you’re kicking up your heels at the chicest party in Mykonos.
Long believed to be the birthplace of the Incas, your exploration of the mesmerizing Lake Titicaca is one that will see you completely immersed in the local indigenous cultures. Home to a cluster of floating islands, you’ll get the opportunity to visit the Uros Islands (constructed entirely by the local Uru people using the Totura reeds that grow in Lake Titicaca), Amantaní Island and Taquile – a place where 350 Quechua-speaking families exist completely unchanged by modern society.
Your overnight home-stay experience will take place on Amantaní Island, and it’s here a local family will welcome you with open arms and homes to share their unique lifestyles. Witnessing first-hand their revered traditions and long-preserved customs is a privilege you won’t soon forget.
Any bar that has a giant, shiny disco ball as part of its décor means partying business. And disco balls are just the beginning. Cape Town’s recently renovated Grand Africa also boasts an enormous red lounge in the shape of some very luscious-looking lips, two huge lion statues and a floating love heart. Despite the audacious styling choices, the interiors are inviting and relaxing, complementing the wooden boardwalks that sit atop marshmallow soft sand and fairytale style day beds.
The incredible Table Mountain makes up Grand Africa’s backdrop while the Atlantic Ocean glistens out ahead. A wide-ranging menu (we recommend any of the seafood dishes) keeps the energy levels up for the DJ sets, which hit the decks from about 4pm during summer, while the cocktail menu keeps the party going. And as things heat up and the nights cool down, this playful, and a little bit cheeky, Cape Town beach club is the place to be.
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