When you hit Upolu, one of Samoa’s main islands, and see Lalomanu Beach you’ll understand why it’s been voted one of the best beaches on the planet. The bright white sand seems to stretch forever, and the reef is only a few metres off shore in places, so don’t forget your snorkel.
This little getaway offers enclosed and open-sided beach bungalows for travellers who love life’s simplicities (there are also a couple of rooms away from the beach with ensuite and air-con if you need the little luxuries). It’s small and lively, with an excellent bar and tasty grub. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, check out the after-dinner fiafia action, showcasing Polynesian and Samoan music and dancing. If your idea of a good time is a back-to-basics beach shack then Taufua is for you.
If Chucky had an evil playground, it’d be Isla de las Munecas (Island of the Dolls) in Mexico City. Haunted by the body of a girl he found floating in the canals, the island’s only inhabitant – Don Julian Santana – spent 50 years collecting and hanging dolls from trees to ward off evil spirits.
Unfortunately, it didn’t all go to plan and the dolls became possessed with the spirits of deceased girls instead. Rumour has it if you spend enough time on the island you’ll catch a doll’s arm twitching or sets of eyes following you as you walk.
In 2001, Santana mysteriously suffered a similar fate and was found drowned in a canal. Whether or not you believe the decayed dolls or the island itself are haunted, peering into the vacant eyes of a soulless dolly, riddled with mould and insects, will leave you feeling terrified.
This luxury cruise liner turned World War II troop carrier has seen its fair share of tragedy and terror since its maiden voyage in 1936. Time Magazine declared the ship one of America’s 10 most haunted places and the docked Queen Mary lives up to her reputation.
Nightly ghost tours lead spectre spotters on spine-tingling wanders below decks, taking in the engine room where a 17-year-old sailor was crushed to death while trying to escape a fire. There are also stories of a lady in white roaming the decks and lingering spirits of children drowned in the pool.
A paranormal investigator accompanies the brave with ghost-detecting devices and you can even sleep overnight. If you dare.
Give the sauna the cold shoulder and air your lumps and bumps at a cool –120ºC. Haikko Manor’s Super Cold Treatment claims to leech away sleep disorders, stress and unsightly skin conditions, and locals have employed the technique to treat pain and rheumatic diseases for centuries.
Shimmy into a set of togs, pull on a pair of mittens and colourful felt booties then top off your ensemble with ear warmers – so you part with your ills, not your ears.
A one- to three-minute stint in the icebox earns you a diploma and you’ll greet a reinvigorated, refreshed you. It may not banish all your aches and pains, but for a while you’ll be too numb to notice.
Picture a holiday in India and you usually envisage crowded streets, incredible forts and the bustle of daily life, but at the Ashram Surf Retreat near Mangalore, on India’s south-west coast, you’ll find an experience far removed from the madding crowd. Take to the water and make the only barrel in your life the one you ride, rather than the one clinging to your waistline.
Choose your fitness weapon – surfboard, bodyboard, wakeboard or stand- up paddle board – and reinvigorate your body in the sun and surf. If you’re a novice, join the surf school and learn to master the swell, or opt for a sea kayaking adventure, snorkelling or meditation and yoga sessions. Delicious vegetarian meals are served twice a day, and you can eat your fill of coconuts and fruit.
Cast away that bottle of Bintang, scrap sun-baking on the beach and get your blood pumping at a Balinese wellness retreat.
Located at the heart of the island at a village outside of Ubud, a restored Balinese bungalow will be your home as you spend a week working out. You’ll earn that sweat streaming down your back getting active in the ‘jungle gym’, where the trainers utilise coconuts, bags of rice and bamboo apparatus.
Other sessions involve jungle runs, crawling through muddy rice paddies and hauling logs upstream. Rise at 3am to trek Mount Batur by torchlight, summiting its peak as the first rays of light catch a wisp of volcanic smoke. The early start is rewarded by a trip to natural hot springs to soothe those weary muscles. There’s also plenty of down time for massages, reading, napping and shopping in Ubud, and the meals are prepared using the freshest local produce. And, yes, you can have banana pancakes for breakfast.
At Amansala’s Bikini Boot Camp, a hardcore team of trainers will sweat away your insecurities and have you looking the business in no time. And the surrounds couldn’t be more idyllic. Imagine having Mexico’s Riviera Maya as your military camp HQ while you put your body through its paces on glinting white sand with the Caribbean Sea lapping at your toes.
Trade weights for coconuts and the treadmill for twilight jogs on the beach. The camp also serves up a sweat-fest of salsa and tribal dancing, kayaking, volleyball and yoga – whatever your physical fancy. Oh, and bikinis are optional if you would rather work out more modestly attired.
Mild oxygen deprivation is all the rage in the elite sporting world, so head to the hills to train as the champions do. Boost your red blood cell count and pump up your haemoglobins as you tackle high-altitude training in Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountain range. Take advantage of a preparation program at Australia’s Bodyology Altitude Training Centre before jetting to Andalusia, where tuition is tough and the air is lean.
Perched at 2320 metres above sea level, the Centro de Alto Rendimiento (CAR Centre) boasts Olympic-sized everything, including multiple gymnasiums and a cycling track, swimming pool and soccer pitch.
Favoured by cycling king Cadel Evans and national swimming squads, it’s one of the world’s most acclaimed altitude training centres. Fly with the gods as you pelt around the outdoor athletics track, nestled between snowy mountains, and push your limit as you cycle, run and hike to 3395 metres.
The three-stage program alternates high and low living and training. After two intense weeks oxygen will feel so passé.
Learn how to bend an iron bar and smash bricks with a single fist studying the ancient ways of the Shaolin kung-fu masters.
Always wanted to master the martial arts? The Maling Shaolin Kung Fu Academy in China exposes students to the 1500-year-old traditions of kung-fu with an intense training regimen that subscribes to the ‘no pain, no gain’ principle.
Whether you’re an experienced martial artist or just opening up to the challenge, the academy will help you realise your dreams of becoming a great kung-fu master.
The humble ways of the Shaolin are entrenched in the experience, which is based on ancient Chinese tradition. After months of training, students learn the Mandarin language and graduate to other types of martial arts, including weapons training and sanda (Chinese kickboxing).
Sometimes life needs a spark. What better way to breathe fire into your life than learning to walk across hot coals in your bare feet. Learning to master firewalking can work for your self-development, confidence and team-building skills. Who knew?
Generations of civilisations have taken part in this timeless tradition, including the Vikings, Cretans and Samoans. It’s a case of mind over matter as you delicately pad through searing coals packing a temperature of up to 800ºC.
By the end of a Napkapu Firewalking Retreat you’ll feel as if you can achieve anything. And in that spirit, you may also like to try the retreat’s other offerings, such as glass walking, breaking arrows with your throat or putting needles through your hand. Go on, we know you want to.
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