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28 Adventures to Travel For, From Glacier Chasing in Greenland to Sand Surfing in the Sahara

By Caitlin Morton

As much as we love lounging on a faraway beach or revisiting our favorite city for the tenth time, sometimes our passports need some adventure travel—we’re talking about those once-in-a-lifetime trips that push us way outside our comfort zones. Adventure travel is a great way to see more of the world, while also testing your physical limits, and coming home with a lifetime's worth of stories to tell at parties.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most incredible outdoor adventures for intrepid travelers, ranging from climbing Machu Picchu to skydiving in Dubai . Even if you don’t consider yourself a daredevil, you’ll still find activities that feel exciting (hello, camping under the northern lights) without too much physical—or emotional—exertion required. So fasten your seatbelts, grab your best pair of hiking boots , and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

Boat under the Iguazú Falls

South America’s Iguazú Falls, located on the border of Brazil and Argentina, make all other waterfalls look like mere trickles in comparison. The system of more than 200 cascades (reaching heights of around 270 feet) can be viewed from surrounding walkways and catwalks, but we’re fans of the more adventurous vantage-point—hopping on an Iguazú Jungle inflatable raft and sailing directly under the exhilarating, high-pressure falls.

Climb to Machu Picchu

No adventurer’s must-visit list is complete without Machu Picchu , the famous Incan citadel located in the Andes. While the site can be accessed via train and bus, more active travelers can take the five-day trek along the entire 26-mile-long Inca Trail. Or, thanks to local tour operator Sam Travel Peru , you can get dropped at kilometer marker 104 and do the whole experience in 24 hours .

Sand surf in the Sahara

The dunes of the Sahara are colossal, untouched, and tailor-made for extreme sports. The desert’s rows of barchans (meaning “crescent-shaped dunes” in Turkic) have ideal shapes for sand surfing (descending the slopes on a surfboard) and sandboarding (descending the slopes on a snowboard)—and those views don’t hurt, either. Stay at Erg Chigaga Luxury Camp in Morocco, which offers sandboarding in addition to other desert activities like camel rides and quad biking.

Heli-hike in British Columbia

With CMH Heli + Skiing , you can helicopter to the steepest and deepest powder in Canada for backcountry skiing. However, come summer , the company’s guides take guests on multi-day hiking trips to terrain otherwise inaccessible, along ridgelines, through alpine meadows, and to stunning viewpoints. While these high-altitude adventures are not for the faint at heart, the accommodations are quite comfortable, with log-hewn lodges complete with full-service restaurants, spa treatments, and a rooftop hot tub to relax in before another day on the trail.

Caitlin Morton

Jessica Puckett

Jamie Spain

Meaghan Kenny

Hot air balloon over Cappadocia

A hot air balloon ride over central Turkey’s Cappadocia region provides 360-degree views of the famous limestone spires and “fairy chimneys”—something you can't get at the ground level. We recommend booking with Kapadokya Balloons , the first company that introduced hot air balloon tourism in Cappadocia. Services include transfers to and from your hotel, snacks, full insurance, and a champagne party after the flight.

Hunt for glaciers in Greenland

Greenland is relatively expensive and tricky to get to, but well worth the effort—especially since it’s one of the most untouched landscapes on the planet. Exhibit A: the hundreds-year-old icebergs and glaciers floating off the mainland, which you can get up close and personal with during a cruise excursion. ( Hurtigruten and Cruise Norway offer these sailings.)

Hop across Botswana on a mobile safari

While most safari camps stay in one place like a traditional hotel, the private canvas safaris by  Barclay Stenner Safaris are totally mobile, meaning you can pick up and move locations based on weather conditions and wildlife movements. The outfitter’s Botswana itinerary moves across the country to fauna-rich areas like the Okavango Delta and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans—get ready to follow groups of lions, hippos, elephants, and more.

Paraglide over Turkey’s Blue Lagoon

Oludeniz has one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey, with pebble shores and a “blue lagoon” of aquamarine hues. The beach also happens to be one of the world's best places to paraglide, thanks to stable weather and gorgeous panoramic views. The launch site for most companies is from Babadağ mountain, with jumping-off points reaching 6,000 feet above sea level.

Explore the Great Barrier Reef

Divers and snorkelers everywhere need to experience the Great Barrier Reef at least once in their lifetime. Not only does the site have more than 400 different types of coral and 1,500 species of fish, but the natural wonder has been rapidly eroding due to coral bleaching and global warming . That means it’s more urgent than ever to see this sight in all its glory—and to understand what we are losing.

Swim through Mexico’s cenotes

Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula features a wealth of unique natural beauty, particularly when it comes to its cavernous cenotes. Floating in one of these natural sinkholes is an incredible experience, as is diving through the underground cave systems . When in Tulum , visit Dos Ojos (“Two Eyes”) to view one of the planet’s most beautiful underwater sites or Gran Cenote for rock formations that resemble Gothic architecture.

Free-fall over Dubai at 120 miles per hour

Dubai is one of the most over-the-top cities in the world, so are you really surprised that skydiving is one of its most popular activities?  Skydive Dubai is a company located near Jumeirah Beach, offering tandem skydiving for beginners and solo jumps for licensed divers. If you thought Dubai’s skyline was impressive already, just wait until you see it while falling from 13,000 feet in the air.

Scale Half Dome at Yosemite National Park

The Half Dome trail through Yosemite may be one of the most intense hikes you’ll ever take, stretching for 16 miles and ascending more than 5,500 feet. The final 400 feet are the trickiest—hikers must climb up the steep slope with two steel cables as their only support—but the breathtaking views from the top make the effort (and terror) worth it. Afterwards, stay at The Ahwahnee, one of the most beautiful national park hotels in the country.

Swim with great white sharks in South Africa

The fishing town of Gansbaai is often considered to be the birthplace of great white shark cage diving, an activity that would make most adrenaline junkies drool. Cage diving is totally safe (despite what some low-budget shark movies might lead you to believe), but we dare you to keep your heart rate in check as you come face-to-face with an apex predator.  Marine Dynamics is one of the most popular cage diving operators in town, with a marine biologist and videographer joining every tour.

Bungee jump in New Zealand

New Zealand practically invented adventure sports when the Kawarau Bridge Bungy opened in 1988. Here you join around 38,000 annual visitors to take the 140-foot jump from the South Island's historic, steel-framed Kawarau Bridge—an activity in which the views are almost as thrilling as the fall itself.

Climb Mount Fuji

Solitary Mount Fuji is probably Japan’s most iconic natural wonder , rising 12,388 feet above villages and reflecting on lakes’ surfaces. You can get views of the landmark from many places, like Lake Kawaguchi in Fujikawaguchiko and even the Park Hyatt Tokyo , but it’s the views from the mountain that will give you the most bragging rights. Visit from early July to mid-September to take advantage of the official climbing season, when the designated trails and paved roads are free of snow.

Go volcano boarding on Cerro Negro in Nicaragua

If you’re looking for action sports and adventure, we recommend booking a flight to Nicaragua right now. There you can kayak, surf, zipline through the jungle, and even sled down the side of an active volcano. Intrepid travelers love to climb up the 2,388-foot Cerro Negro and then “volcano board” back down (an activity where you sit or stand on a piece of plywood and slide your way down the slopes). You'll want to go with a guided group tour with this one. Bigfoot Hostels is one of many operators for excursions—for $25, you get transportation to the volcano, boards, safety equipment, snacks, and your speed clocked by a radar gun.

Take a white-knuckle drive in Norway

Who says your adrenaline can’t pump from the comfort of your car? Trollstigen is one of the world’s most popular (and  terrifying ) highways, known for its steep gradient and hairpin turns. The one-lane road passes such impressive wonders as the 1,050-foot Stigfossen waterfall, but be sure to pull over before you gawk and snap photos. There are several viewing platforms along the road that will let you take in the sites without risking a crash.

Dive Belize’s Great Blue Hole

Known for its circular shape and strikingly deep blue color , the Great Blue Hole is a 1,000-foot-wide sinkhole in the middle of Belize’s Lighthouse Reef. While an aerial shot is enough to convince anyone of its beauty, scuba divers are the ones who get to experience the wonders that lie beneath: massive, 40-foot limestone stalactites and stalagmites that formed during the last glacial period.

Go canyoning in the Azores

Portugal’s Azores Islands are equal parts adventurous and beautiful, inviting travelers to get up close and personal with nature while hiking, biking, and swimming. If you want to really push the envelope, try canyoning—an activity that has you rappel down a waterfall while navigating slippery rocks and fast-flowing water. Azores Getaways offers a comprehensive and easy-to-book experience. Training, equipment, on-site instructors, and snacks are all included in the excursion, which will no doubt become one of the most memorable of your life.

Kayak through Torres del Paine National Park

Chile’s Patagonia region is one of the most beautiful spots on the planet, and there are plenty of ways to explore the area. But while most people experience the sights while hiking, you can get a slightly different view from the water via a kayaking trip.  Kayak en Patagonia offers several tour options ranging in duration and difficulty levels, but all let you paddle past towering mountains, rugged glaciers, and other incredible vistas.

Sleep under the northern lights

Ah, the elusive northern lights . So many factors are at play when it comes to seeing the technicolor phenomenon—location, time of year, weather conditions—but it’s hard to lose with an excursion to Finnish Lapland. The Arctic area is one of the planet’s best for aurora viewing, especially if you get to sleep in an igloo hotel at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort or mobile Aurora Bubble Sled . Up your viewing chances by planning a trip between December and March.

Go heli-skiing in Alaska

If you’re a seasoned traveler who’s conquered every black diamond slope in North America, there’s still one snowy adventure left to vanquish: heli-skiing. There’s nothing quite like hopping in a helicopter and being dropped onto untouched snow at the top of a mountain—especially in a setting as formidable as Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. The experienced guides at  Valdez Heli Ski Guides (VHSG) will help make this dream a reality, taking you to some of the best runs of your life and then letting you unwind (hot tub and massages included) at the cozy  Tsaina Lodge .

Snorkel between continents in Iceland

Iceland is one of the best countries in the world for adventure travel , with opportunities for everything from glacier hiking to snorkeling and diving. For the latter, head straight to Thingvellir National Park along the country’s Golden Circle route , where two tectonic plates slowly pull apart at the rate of about two centimeters (0.8 inches) per year. The phenomenon results in the Silfra fissure, a stunning rift valley where travelers can snorkel or dive in impossibly clear (and cold) waters. Tour company DIVE.IS offers tours for divers and every level of snorkeler—including those with no prior experience—and will snap an underwater photo of you touching two continents at the same time.

Float along the Amazon

Some remote destinations are best seen from the deck of a boat, and that includes the upper Amazon River. Aqua Expeditions ’ luxury cruises through the Peruvian stretch of the river tour the area’s wildlife and culture at a delightful, leisurely pace. You'll even have chef-prepared gourmet meals and five-star suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. Looking for something a little less luxe? Amazon Adventures offers kayaking trips along some Amazon tributaries, where you can fish for piranhas and camp out in the rainforest.

Surf ‘The Pipeline’ in Oahu

Oahu’s Banzai Pipeline (commonly referred to as The Pipeline) is easily one of the most sought-after surfing spots in the world. Located off the coast of the island’s north shore in Ehukai Beach Park, the surf reef break averages waves measuring nine feet high. This activity is definitely not for beginners, but even non-surfers will get a thrill out of watching the many surf competitions that take place at The Pipeline—all from the safety of a sunny beach.

Spot elusive wildlife in the Great Bear Rainforest

Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world—and one of the most magical, with elusive species like sea wolves and Kermode bears roaming its 21 million acres. Outer Shores Expeditions will take you on a nine-day excursion aboard a schooner, departing from British Columbia’s First Nations community of Bella Bella and stopping for sea kayaking along the way.

Soak in the planet’s most extreme infinity pool

Located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, Victoria Falls attracts thousands of tourists each year. One of the biggest draws here is the Devil’s Pool , a naturally formed eddy sitting at the very edge of the falls, where daring swimmers can splash around between August and January (depending on water levels, that is). Given that a slippery rock barrier is the only thing separating you from going over the edge, this site is easily the planet’s most extreme infinity pool .

Camp in Antarctica

Antarctica is truly the final frontier when it comes to adventure travel, providing untouched landscapes, unique wildlife, and more activities than you’ll know what to do with (like cruising, caving, and thermal spring soaking , to name a few). If you can get yourself to Punta Arenas, Chile, Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions will fly you to Antarctica for three days of skiing and hiking before setting you up for a South Pole sleepover.

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Stuck indoors? Dive into adventures in places like Patagonia through a thrilling, first-person tale.

10 books that will take you on real-life adventures

In the first of our series ‘Around the World in 80 Books,’ we boldly leap into epic journeys from Ethiopia to Ireland.

Traveling doesn’t always have to be about changing your location. As French poet and author Anatole France wrote, “Traveling is changing your opinions and your prejudices.” Especially in this time of COVID-19 shutdowns, it might seem like travel has come to a halt. But books prove that the revelations that happen on journeys aren’t dependent on boarding passes. Read a book, learn about the world, keep traveling.

In the first installment of our series “Around the World in 80 Books,” we feature 10 adventure tales that we can dive into—even from our armchairs.

Walk in the Woods (1998), by Bill Bryson. “A little voice in my head said: Sounds neat! Let’s do it!” writes Bryson of his more humorous than heroic slog from Maine to Georgia along the Appalachian Trail. Bryson’s tale may be the funniest call for conservation ever written.

A Book of Migrations (1997), by Rebecca Solnit. The author’s long hike in western Ireland leads to a rumination on movement—cultural, psychological, personal—in a land partly defined by “tinkers” (Irish itinerants).

Seven Years in Tibet (1953), by Heinrich Harrer. During WWII, an unlikely friendship develops between the Dalai Lama and an Austrian mountaineer who has escaped a British prisoner-of-war camp in India.

In Patagonia (1977), by Bruce Chatwin. When he was a kid, Chatwin found a thick, leathery piece of skin in his grandmother’s cabinet. He was told it was from a brontosaurus in Patagonia. This inspired him, years later, to travel to the southern tip of South America, where his peregrinations led to tales of banditry, Butch Cassidy, and Welsh immigrants.

In Trouble Again (1988), by Redmond O’Hanlon. This nail-biter of a jungle trek begins with a review of the afflictions O’Hanlon might encounter in the depths of the Venezuelan Amazon: Chagas’ disease (from a bug bite that kills you up to 20 years later), river blindness, and the candiru (a tiny catfish that can attach itself, with grave consequence, within the urethra).

Brazilian Adventure (1933), by Peter Fleming. His brother invented James Bond, but 26-year-old journalist Peter Fleming? He signed on to a treacherous 3,000-mile Brazilian jungle hunt to uncover the fate of a lost English explorer.

Wild Coast (2011), by John Gimlette. “To some this is hell. To others it’s an ecological paradise, a sort of X-rated Garden of Eden,” writes Gimlette, who embarked on a swashbuckling three-month expedition into the dense forests of “South America’s untamed edge”—Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname.

Wild (2012), by Cheryl Strayed. Strayed finds her best self while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. With her candor and willingness to be vulnerable, she inspired us to believe we could hike it too.

Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains (2017), by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent. Despite suffering from panic disorder (a malady the author says she shares with Charles Darwin), the intrepid Bolingbroke-Kent sets off on a solo adventure across a lesser-known part of India, Arunachal Pradesh. Her travelogue sensitively captures the history, landscapes, and people of this isolated, mountainous state.

In Ethiopia With a Mule (1968), by Dervla Murphy. Getting lost in a swamp, sharing meals with bewildered highlanders, fighting off bandits—the acclaimed travel writer experienced these and more on an epic 1,000-mile solo trek across Ethiopia, with just a 30-pound rucksack and a long-suffering mule she named Jock.

What travel-inspiring books are you reading during the coronavirus shutdown? Share with our well-read community by tagging us on Twitter with the hashtag #natgeotravelbookclub or email [email protected], and we’ll include some of your favorite reads in our weekly Travel newsletter .

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One Life was started with one idea; to create ethical, transformational travel experiences for adventurous individuals. These are no ordinary group tours. We won’t herd you from one crowded photo opportunity to another. We give you something different to the norm while making a positive impact on the communities we visit, and on the environment. One Life is for adventure-seekers, backpackers, or anyone looking to experience some of the most beautiful and culturally rich travel destinations in the world. We all have one life and one planet, it’s time to embrace both.

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We know travelling can be tiring, so we don’t skimp on where you stay. We’ve handpicked the best accommodations possible across every location we offer, so you’ll be resting your head in prime position. Predominantly hotels or boutique hostels, mixed in with glamping in national parks, camping on private beach camps and traditional temple stays – these are epic accommodations, with a unique twist.

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Hello and welcome to our travel page! We are thrilled to have you here as we embark on the adventure of a lifetime. If there's one thing that unites us, it's our shared passion for exploration and our insatiable love for traveling. We have always dreamt of venturing across vast landscapes, discovering hidden gems, and immersing ourselves in the beauty of diverse cultures. And now, that dream is about to become a reality.

Starting in December 2023, we're hitting the open road for an entire year, accompanied by loyal canine companions in our new motorhome. Our journey will take us through the heart of America as we set out from the great state of Texas and make our way through each and every state, with our sights set on reaching the eastern shores of Canada by December 2024.

We can't contain our excitement as we prepare to share this extraordinary experience with you. Through this website, we will keep you updated on our whereabouts, provide you with fascinating stories from our travels, and offer valuable insights into the places we visit. We'll be updating our content weekly, so you can join us on this incredible adventure from the comfort of your own home.

But that's not all! In addition to our travel tales, we'll be offering a treasure trove of tips, tricks, and recommendations for fellow adventurers. Whether you're seeking travel advice, insider insights, or simply some inspiration for your own journeys, we've got you covered. From must-visit destinations to hidden gems, from things to do to places to stay, our website will be your go-to resource for all things travel.

So, thank you for joining us on this incredible journey. We can't wait to share our experiences, discoveries, and wanderlust with you. Let's make memories together, one mile at a time. Follow us, and let's explore the world!

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The World’s Best Transformative Adventures To Feed Your Soul and Wanderlust

T ransformative adventure might be a new term for some, but it traces back to Stoicism and Greek philosophy. Stoics believed practicing good virtues is enough to achieve eudaimonia- a life well lived.

Adventures are the shortest path to certain virtues, such as courage, temperance, and living in accordance with nature. If they take you outside your comfort zone or give you new perspectives, that’s even better.

Our list of the world’s best transformative adventures spans the globe, with varying levels of luxury, risk, and physicality. The common factor is that these adventures can change your perspective on the world and let you find hidden lessons that you may overlook in everyday life.

Ananda Spa, India

The Ananda Spa is what people imagine when they think of transformative travel. It is the world’s most renowned holistic wellness retreat, winning Conde Nast Traveler’s Best Destination Spa in 2019 and 2020. The 100-acre grounds are a tranquil haven tucked away in the foothills of the majestic Himalayan in North India. You’ll find world-class wellness facilities and a chance to return to the peaceful solitude of nature.

This region is the birthplace of Ayurveda, attracting wellness seekers from around the world to Ananda on an annual pilgrimage. Ananda integrates traditional Ayurveda with yoga and meditation to raise spiritual awareness and restore balance.

Canyon Samadhi, Springville Utah

Samadhi is a state of intense concentration achieved through meditation, regarded as the union with the divine. Canyon Samadhi is a five-day active retreat into nature in the stunning backdrop of Zion National Park.

This retreat is an offering from Zion Guru , the company to pioneer dry-suit canyoneering in Zion Narrows. Founder Jonathan Zambella says — “The human experience is a qualitative assembly of incredible moments.” You will combine yoga, qigong, meditation, hiking, and mantra while immersing yourself in the mountain and canyon spirits and perhaps get a glimpse of the divine.

Casa Alternavida, Rio Grande Puerto Rico

Casa Alternavida is a boutique wellness retreat center offering a guided retreat experience for the curious and growth-minded. Their approach is getting people out of their heads and into their bodies. They use nature as a metaphor for common obstacles and reconnect you to body-based wisdom.

For example, as you walk through the Puerto Rican rainforest, you come to a flat, muddy spot while hiking. Casa Alternavida founder and trained forest therapy guide Yancy Wright would ask – “How do you typically move through muddy situations in life?” Many approaches range from avoidance to plowing right through the thickest part. However, a barely recognizable trail that avoids the mess could metaphorize missed opportunities when you’re stuck in old patterns.

Desert Island Survival

Being stranded on a desert island is the crux of many thought exercises, but what happens when you do it in real life? Desert Island Survival lets you try an authentic survival experience for yourself.

Per Desert Island Survival- “You will be on the desert island for eight nights; the first five will be with the instructors and the group, and the final three will be without the instructors but with the group.”

Participants say this physically and mentally challenging experience gives them a new appreciation for the world. Founder Tom Wiliams believes – “We need that adversity and challenge to stay sharper and to be healthier.”

Miraval Tucson, Tucson, Arizona

You don’t have to travel to the ends of the world to find transformative adventures. Back in the United States, the award-winning Miraval Resort offers an immersive and experiential approach to wellness.

Guests can choose from Sonoran Desert adventures like hiking and mountain biking, zip lines, and equine programs. They can also participate in more traditional offerings like meditation and wellness classes. The two can even be combined in exciting ways, such as aerial yoga.

Grand Canyon Rafting, Arizona

The Colorado River runs 277 miles through the 4,000′ deep Grand Canyon, the world’s largest canyon! Rafting this magnificent canyon is a way to see 250 million years of geologic history with a side of adventure rafting on class IV rapids.

Arguably, the greatest Grand Canyon Adventure of all time was Major John Wesley Powell’s expedition through the canyon on wooden boats in 1869. After WWII, rubber rafts almost entirely replaced wooden boats for whitewater, but not at Grand Canyon Expeditions. Their 14-day and 16-day Dory trips allow passengers to “feel each nuance of the riffles and can rocket off the top of some of the greatest waves in the canyon” in “the adventure of a lifetime.”

South American Surfing, Arica Chile

Greenland’s endless winters leave some yearning for an Endless Summer experience. Of course, we’re talking about the 1966 surf documentary classic that followed a group of Southern California surfers around the globe looking for the best local breaks. Only, they never made it to Arica tackle El Grinko – AKA the Chilean Pipeline.

Even if you’re not ready for the totally tubular experience of El Grinko, Soul Rider Camp offers week-long surf camps with overnights at their famous surf house. Chile is considered one of the world’s largest surfing zones, with year-long quality waves for all levels. It’s a chance to experience surf culture with a distinctly Southern flair.

Jordan Trail, Jordan

The Jordan Trail is a journey through history and an opportunity to encounter diverse cultures. You can travel 420 miles across the entire county as you peel through the cultures and tastes of this ancient land. It takes 40 days to through-hike the whole trail, but Spice Roads lets you mountain bike the best parts in only eight days.

You bike along the ancient caravan routes followed by Roman Emperor Hadrian, the Prophet Moses, and Lawrence of Arabia. Starting in the highlands of Amman, you drop down to the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea, before passing through the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra and the endless desert skies of Wadi Rum. One of the most remarkable parts of the Jordan Trail is the opportunity to meet the Bedouin people, some of whom still live in the caves surrounding Petra that they’ve inhabited for thousands of years.

Sami Homestay Under the Northern Lights, Norway

Homestays with indigenous people are one of the most powerful ways to change your perspective of the world, which often leads to transformative adventures. The Sami are nomadic tribes who have inhabited northern Scandinavia for thousands of years and have learned how to live and thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

Not only do you get a cultural experience during a Sami homestay , but you can challenge the extremes of the Arctic tundra . You’ll arrive by snowmobile under a cotton candy winter sky when the sun never rises and spend the night hundreds of miles from the nearest city with northern lights illuminating the heavens. You’ll also learn to keep out the bitter cold without high-tech gear using only natural furs and fibers.

Mongolia Eagle Hunting Tour, Bayan-Ulgii Province, Mongolia

The Mongol Altai mountains dominate the Bayan-Ulgii landscape, with glacier-covered peaks rising over lush green valleys. Small communities of nomadic families dot these valleys. They live a simple rustic life as master horsemen with a remarkable tradition of hunting with eagles, which they’ve trained and raised from birth.

Mongolian Eagle Tours let you experience this life for yourself with long rides across pastoral fields and of course, hunting with eagles. You’ll taste the traditional oven-baked flatbread and “beshbarmak” – a traditional dish consisting of boiled horse or mutton.

Working Cattle Drive, Lovell, WY

You don’t have to travel to the farthest reaches of Asia to experience life on the plains. The American West lives on at Dryhead Ranch , where they’ve raised and driven cattle for over 60 years. The new West is dotted with dude ranches that will gladly put you up in a deluxe suite with room service and tiny bars of soap; Dryhead Ranch is not that kind of place.

Unlike dude ranches, they allow guests to work alongside ranch hands and experience authentic cowboy life. When you leave Dryhead Ranch, you will have significantly increased your riding skills and earned the honorary ranch hand title.

Joining a working cattle ranch vacation lets you encounter Montana’s raw and rustic beauty uniquely and naturally. The tasks on a working ranch surround you with nature at its finest and fill you with a sense of purpose and camaraderie. After spending a week on a cattle drive, you will have learned six months’ worth of riding lessons and see Montana in a new way, like your own real-life Yellowstone episode with a lot less violence.

Costa Rica Animal Sanctuary, San Ramon Costa Rica

If you have a beef with the cattle industry, the Lands In Love Vegan Hotel might be for you. It’s located in the heart of a beautiful cloud forest. At Lands in Love, veganism is not just a diet. It is a way of life. They offer a vegan experience combining delicious plant-based gourmet food and adventure activities.

During the day, their adventure center offers a wide range of thrilling activities, including ziplines, adventure cables, superman cables, canyoning, rafting, tubing, hiking, night tours, and wall climbing. At night, you can retire in your comfortable room overlooking the breathtaking view of the cloud forest and the serene atmosphere that allows you to connect with nature. You can sleep soundly knowing that most of the hotel’s profits help fund their huge no-kill rescue center called Animal Love .

Elephant Hills Sanctuary, Khao Sok Thailand

Across the globe from Costa Rica, you’ll find Thailand’s first luxury tented camps in the world’s oldest evergreen rainforest. Like Lands in Love, a significant portion of Elephant Hills ‘ proceeds benefit animals — rescued elephants that used to work in Thailand’s logging industry.

Yes, it’s luxury glamping complete with private restrooms, but the experience is authentic. Adventures include jungle trekking, canoeing on the Sok River, sleeping on floating platforms in Cheow Larn Lake, and, of course, feeding Asia’s grand elephants.

Wild Gorilla Tracking, Volcanoes Park Rwanda

There’s no place like Africa to experience animals in the wild. Volcano Park is Africa’s oldest national park, covering 62 sq mi of rainforest and encompassing five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains. It’s home to 178 recorded bird species and the endangered golden monkey, but it’s best known for mountain gorillas.

The park became the base for the American naturalist Dian Fossey to research the gorillas, as told in her autobiography – Gorillas in the Mist. Even a one-day, one-hour gorilla tracking expedition will change your life when you see these gentle giants in the wild.

Walking Safaris, Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe

You’ll notice a pattern amongst transformative adventures– the slower you travel, the more you see. Nowhere is this more true than on Walking Safaris in Africa. Robin Pope Safaris , an industry leader, says-

“A walking safari is the most authentic way to enjoy an African safari. It leaves the roads behind and takes you on paths less travelled. You often may be lucky to spot some of the wildlife that South Luangwa has to offer, but that’s not the main goal of a walking safari. Being on foot allows you to get up close to nature, immersing yourself in the sights, sounds and smells which are often overlooked when in a vehicle. With South Luangwa being home to the original walking safaris, there is no better place for this experience. In addition to walking as part of daily activities in camp, we offer two specialist walking trails; Luangwa Bush Camping and Mobile Walking Safari.”

Polar Bear Tours, Manitoba Canada

The creation of the Tundra Buggy ignited adventuring amongst polar bears in Churchill more than 30 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I would gladly hop in a specially designed all-terrain vehicle to watch polar bears through the windows any day of the week, but would it be a truly transformative adventure?

Imagine flying over the spectacular Arctic tundra to a remote eco-lodge, walking the wild Hudson Bay coastline in small groups to view polar bears, and returning to your lodge to unwind by a fireplace before dining on delicious fare. That’s the dream polar bear tour from Churchill Wild .

Sea Kayaking in San Juans, San Juan County Washington

Walking isn’t the only way to explore the wild, and unless you’re particularly special, it’s hard to walk on water. That’s why there’s sea kayaking. A 3-day San Juan Island kayak camping tour perfectly blends expedition-style camping and a relaxing vacation.

Discovery Sea Kayak says, “Overnight kayak tours are the best way to step away from the day-to-day grind and listen to the water pass along the hull of your kayak. A diversity of wildlife resides in the San Juans. Seals, sea lions, porpoises, and whales all share the various waterways we travel.

On evenings that present the proper conditions, we will head back out into the darkness to observe the sparkling of bioluminescence.”

Boutique Cruising on the Sea of Cortez, Baja Sur Mexico

If you’re looking to cover more ground (or water as the case may be) you’ll need a slightly bigger boat. Size matters, so don’t go too big. UnCruise offers small ship cruising through the Sea of Cortez that lets you get up close and personal with this amazing location. Baja California’s Sea of Cortez is known as nature’s aquarium because it’s one of Earth’s most biologically diverse bodies of water, and the 66-passenger Safari Voyager is the perfect vessel to take you there.

UnCruise is designed to get you off the boat and into the wild. You’ll board small boats to see gray whales in their birthing lagoons , kayak in remote bays, and swim with baby sea lions. Once you get back on board, you’ll be treated to gourmet cooking and fall asleep in a remote, sheltered cove.

Galapagos UnCruise, Ecuador

The islands of the Sea of Cortez are known as the “Galapagos of North America.” So it’s only fitting that the next transformative adventure is in the “Galapagos of the Galapagos.” These islands are where Charles Darwin was inspired to develop his theory of evolution. They’re known as the world’s foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing with wildly diverse plant and animal species, many found nowhere else.

The best way to see the islands is by small ship cruising, and nobody does that better than UnCruise . Their ships are designed to get you off the boat and into the wild with a wild array of shore excursions from hiking, to kayaking, and skiff tours. Plus their focus on sustainability and the environment means you’ll feel good about your trip, with trained naturalists who can help you understand the wonders of the islands.

Antarctic Cruise, Antarctica

If you keep heading south, you’ll reach the end of the Earth and one of its most extraordinary adventures. It’s a land where ice sculptures rise with otherworldly colors and penguins shuffle to a tune that only they can hear.

Antarctica is beautiful, remote, wild, and unforgiving, which is why you need a true expert to guide you. Lindblad Expeditions claims – “Lars-Eric Lindblad took the first group of “citizen” explorers to Antarctica in 1966. Since then the Lindblad family has operated hundreds of Antarctic expeditions. This is a level of “institutional” experience that ensures your safety and a rich encounter with the region that no one else can offer.”

Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard, Cairns, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and one of the most spectacular places on Earth. It is the largest living structure on Earth and filled with a vast array of life. To truly experience the Great Barrier Reef, you must immerse yourself in it. This means not only diving, but taking a liveaboard cruise into the most remote parts of the reef.

If you’re diving down under, you should go with Australia’s best liveaboard cruise provider. Spirit of Freedom is a luxury dive liveaboard that offers year-round 3 nights, 4 nights or 7 nights trips to remote parts of the Great Barrier Reef – Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea.

During June and July, you might get a once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with dwarf Minke Whales. Not only do they hold a permit from Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to offer a Swimming with Minke Whales activity, they’re also contributors to the ongoing research conducted by the Minke Whale Project.

Overwater Bungalow, Maldives

Overwater bungalows have been getting bad press lately as some companies are building them over fragile coral reefs. What if you could get that luxury in a sleek, eco-conscious design? Kudadoo Maldives is the only fully solar-powered private island in the Maldives. Luxury – yes, including a personal butler. Sustainable – yes, they won the prestigious 2019 hospitality design award in the ‘Sustainability Resort’ category. Certainly transformative, but is it adventurous too?

A turquoise playground awaits you with unlimited watersports, including a jet ski safari to Manta Point, dolphin expeditions, and encounters with the largest community of green sea turtles in the Maldives. Of course, your personal butler can arrange snorkeling or scuba diving and even an underwater scooter tour if you wish.

Amazon River Cruise, Peru

The Amazon River contains the largest rainforest on earth, the longest river, and the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. The 5-million-acre Pacaya Samiria National Reserve at the mighty river’s headwaters shelters the largest wildlife populations in the Amazon Basin, making it a natural choice for a Amazon River cruise.

Natural Habitat Adventures Amazon cruises chug up the narrow river channels lined with ancient trees and spectacular rainforest scenery. Excursions by boat and on foot take you looking for pink river dolphins, monkeys, sloths, macaws and butterflies. It’s a journey into the wild that will forever change your perspective on the world.

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru

If you can’t decide if you want to see pink dolphins or the Sacred Valley, maybe you should do both. The Sacred Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the journey along the Inca Trail is a transformative adventure of perspective and perseverance.

Only one Peruvian tour operator has 15,000 excellent reviews on TripAdvisor – Alpaca Expeditions . Luckily they’re 100% Peruvian owned and dedicated to the development of sustainable tourism in Peru so you can transform yourself and the lands you’re visiting at the same time. Their classic 3d/4n tour is the most popular tour in the country, and an excellent balance between adventure and culture.

Climbing Kilimanjaro, Machame Tanzania

The Umbwe Route up Mount Kilimanjaro is a challenging goal for experienced climbers seeking transformational adventures. There are easier routes, like Lemosho with its high-altitude drop-off, but Umbwe is a short, steep climb through all the climate zones from tropical rainforest to eternal ice until you’re standing on top of the highest freestanding volcano in the world and looking into a 1.6 mile-wide caldera.

If you’re climbing Kili, you should go with the best. Altezza Travel was ranked #1 on Tripadvisor, with more than 300 yearly trips up the mountain and safaris across Tanzania.

Hut-to-Hut Trekking, Finland

What’s more amazing than seeing snow in Africa? Seeing the lights north of the Arctic Circle. The standard concepts of day and night blur into a surrounding of perpetual twilight at the top of the world. There’s more reindeer than people, and the largest forests in Europe.

The best way to experience the north of Finland is by a well established hut-to-hut trail system . You’ll see glacial lakes, deep forests, and a light show like nowhere. During the summer, you enjoy the endless days of the midnight Sun, and during the winter you can ski from hut to hut under the Northern Lights.

Trekking in the Land of Fire and Ice – Iceland

Finland is known as the happiest place on Earth, but Iceland isn’t far behind on the happiness scale. It’s a country of contradiction. Fire and Ice, Viking hordes and modern day technology, dreary weather and astounding natural beauty. An experience like Iceland has to be authentic and ethical, on top of simply being adventurous, which is why we recommend Boundless Journeys , one of the highest rated tour operators in the World.

Their Iceland hiking tour offers – “magnificent views of soaring peaks, lava fields, breathtaking lagoons, mammoth glaciers, and the vast tundra. Between treks, kick your feet up for a zodiac boat ride through an iceberg field, visit an ancient Viking parliament, go on a glacier exploration, and soothe your body, mind, and soul in Icelandic thermal waters. This ever-evolving country—and the ever-adapting people and culture that thrive here—beg to be discovered.”

Camino de Santiago, Spain

According to Wikipedia , the Camino Santiago was – “created and established after the discovery of the relics of Saint James the Great at the beginning of the 9th century, the Way of St James became a major pilgrimage route of medieval Christianity from the 10th century onwards. But it was only after the liberation of Granada in 1492, under the reign of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, that Pope Alexander VI officially declared the Camino de Santiago to be one of the “three great pilgrimages of Christendom”, along with Jerusalem and the Via Francigena to Rome.”:

Walking The Camino is not difficult since most of the stages are relatively flat and on good paths. The main challenge is walking continuously for up to a month or more. The Camino is more of an art form, cultural, and social experience than a physical challenge. You’ll not only learn about yourself, but how you fit into the world around you.

Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland

Jack Kerouac can attest to the transformation power of the road, and he didn’t take the longest-defined coastal routes in the world. The Wild Atlantic Way winds 1600 miles along the Irish west coast from the Inishowen Peninsula in the north down to the picturesque town of Kinsale in the south.

Of course, you can find uniquely Irish adventures along the way, like surfing “Cold Water Hawaii” or hiking the Burren that inspired JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. But for more than 30 million Americans who identify as Irish, these adventures are a window to your heritage and history. As Little Jack says, “The best teacher is experience and not through someone’s distorted point of view.”

Great American Rail-Trail, Across the United States

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy asks you to, “Picture yourself … pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects along historic routes.” That’s the dream of the incomparable experience of exploring America’s heritage by trail. A dream that is rapidly becoming a reality.

RTC states, “ The Great American Rail-Trail ® is the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail, stretching more than 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C., and Washington State. This trail is an iconic piece of American infrastructure that will connect thousands of miles of rail-trails and other multiuse trails, serving tens of millions of people living along the route as well as those who visit the trail from around the country and the world.”

As of 2023, there are more than 2000 miles of completed trails. You can travel from D.C. to Ohio and only cross two gaps with less than 15 miles of off-trail riding and traverse Idaho with only one 10.5-mile gap. There’s still work to do, like 492 gap miles in Wyoming, but we’re over halfway there with plenty of great riding along the way.

Danube Cycle Path – Eastern Europe

If you’re looking for an established cycling adventure, the Danube Cycle Path will take you 1,800 miles along one of Europe’s greatest rivers. It starts in the Black Forest of Germany and through 10 countries to the Black Sea. You’ll see the old country, filled with castles, wine, museums, and mysteries. This is a dream trip for cyclists around the world, they’re looking to self support the entire route or join in on a bike-and-barge river trip.

Nile River Cruise, Egypt

The Nile is the cradle of civilization, with antiquities dating back over 4,500 years, including the only remaining traditional “Wonder of the Ancient World.” A Nile River cruise can transport you back to the edges of recorded history, but only with an experienced guide.

Innovative Travel has been helping international travelers experience the wonders of the Ancient Kingdoms for more than 30 years. They lead luxury trips with unparalleled knowledge and connections, including carefully crafted one-day plane tours to Abu Simbel .

Mountain Bike to Monasteries – Bhutan

We end this list where we started, high in the Himalayas, Bhutan, where they believe that Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product. The transformation doesn’t have to hurt, and it’s ok to be happy.

The Gangtey Valley is one of the most beautiful places in Bhutan. Its pristine valleys and lush forests are crossed with ancient trails that travel through traditional villages and far-flung monasteries. Your stay at the Gangtey Lodge is focused on the five keys to wellbeing by immersing you in the culture and natural environment. This goal is only enhanced by mountain biking through this majestic landscape.

Final Thoughts on Transformative Adventures

Transformative adventures can be rugged or luxurious, strenuous or serene. They’re not necessarily a dopamine drip or adrenaline shot; they’re an opportunity to see the world with a new perspective and experience something you’ve only dreamed about. Adventure is the catalyst, which a chemist will tell you increases the reaction rate and allows you to create substances that would otherwise be prohibitively difficult to achieve.

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Mother-daughter adventures: Slow travel through Kyoto and Tokyo

Florence Ang

TOKYO – Standing in the heart of Tokyo’s bustling Roppongi entertainment district, I sensed my mother’s fatigue from sightseeing. Intuitively, I diverted our path to visit Roppongi Catholic Church, an English-language Roman Catholic parish.

I had anticipated my mother’s preference for quiet moments in places of worship, but did not expect that this spontaneous decision would result in the most cherished memory of our holiday, when she thanked me for the detour.

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Citi enhances the citi premier card with new benefits to make travel adventures more rewarding.

The Card Refresh Also Unveils a New Name, Travel Protections From Mastercard and Sleek Design

NEW YORK, May 13, 2024 --( BUSINESS WIRE )--Today, Citi announced the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card – an enhancement of the existing Citi Premier ® Card – now offering increased benefits and more opportunities to earn ThankYou ® Points with the same $95 annual fee 1 , and Mastercard as the payments network. The newly redesigned card provides cardmembers with the opportunity of making travel more rewarding and adds travel protections for peace of mind.

The new name, Citi Strata Premier, evokes a sense of ambition and adventure, empowering cardmembers to reach new heights and unlock their passions. Accompanying the new name is a sleek, modern card design featuring distinctive treatments and sweeping wave lines, welcoming cardmembers into the new Citi Strata Premier experience.

"We heard from our cardmembers that they want be rewarded for their travels as well as their everyday spending," said Anthony Merola, Head of Proprietary Products for U.S. Branded Cards at Citi. "The Citi Strata Premier Card now offers extra ways for cardmembers to earn on travel and turn their purchases into future experiences."

The refreshed Citi Strata Premier Card offers new benefits including:

Now as an ongoing benefit, 10 ThankYou ® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions when booking through the Citi Travel site 2

Help staying protected with four new travel protection benefits 3 :

Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption (Common Carrier) 4

Trip Delay 3

Lost or Damaged Luggage 3

Car Rental (MasterRental Coverage) 5

3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at EV Charging Stations

In addition to the new benefits, Citi Strata Premier cardmembers will continue to enjoy access to all existing benefits including:

3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases

3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent on Restaurants

3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent on Supermarkets

3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent on Gas Stations

1 ThankYou Point for each $1 spent on all other purchases

A $100 Annual Hotel Benefit 6 -once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through the Citi Travel site

Access to Luxury Collection hotel properties on the Citi Travel with Booking.com site offering on-property benefits:

Complimentary breakfast for two

$100 resort credit 7

Early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades upon availability.

Access to Mastercard World Elite benefits, with offers on ride-sharing, food delivery, streaming, online shopping and more as well as access to Priceless ® Experiences

No foreign transaction fees 1

With the ThankYou Rewards program, cardmembers can make every moment and every point count. ThankYou Points do not expire and there is no limit on the number of points cardmembers can earn with this card. Additionally, cardmembers can access valuable redemption options such as transferring ThankYou Points to participating airline and hotel partners.

Starting today and for a limited time, customers who apply for the Citi Strata Premier Card on CitiCards.com and are approved can earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. 8

"Over three quarters of American consumers are likely to leverage credit card travel benefits, so we partnered with Citi to refresh a card product that enhances their traveler experiences," said Jason Lane, Executive Vice President, Global Account Management at Mastercard. "We’ve focused on essential benefits that travelers value, by adding protections that help make sure every journey is plain-sailing."

For more information the Citi Strata Premier Card, visit citicards.com .

Citi is a preeminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi

1 The variable APR for purchases and balance transfers is 21.24% - 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness. For Citi Flex Plans subject to an APR, the variable APR is 21.24% - 29.24%, based on creditworthiness. For Citi Flex Pay Plans subject to a Plan Fee, a monthly fee of up to 1.72% will apply, based on the Citi Flex Plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the Transaction, and other factors. The variable APR for cash advances is 29.99%. The variable penalty APR is up to 29.99%. Minimum interest charge - $0.50. Annual fee - $95. Fee for foreign purchases - None. Cash advance fee - 5% of each cash advance (min. $10). Balance transfer fee - 5% of each transfer (min. $5). Rates as of 05/13/2024.

2 Citi Travel Site: You will earn 10 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions when you use your Citi Strata Premier Card to book them through the Citi Travel site via CitiTravel.com or 1-833-737-1288 (TTY:711). For bookings made with a combination of points and your Citi Strata Premier Card, only the portion paid with your card will earn points. Points are not earned on cancelled bookings. If your account is closed for any reason, including if you convert to another card product, you will no longer be eligible for this offer. Citi Travel is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., part of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies together with Booking.com.

3 Should you apply and be approved for the Citi Strata Premier Card more information will be provided in the Guide to Protection Benefits you receive with your card. Benefits are subject to terms, conditions, and limitations, including limitations on the amount of coverage. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.

4 Policy provides secondary coverage only

5 Coverage is secondary within the Eligible Renter’s country of residence.

6 Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, when booked through the Citi Travel site via CitiTravel.com (Citi Travel is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., part of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies together with Booking.com) or 1-833-737-1288 (TTY:711).

7 Eligible experiences for the $100 resort credit varies by property

8 Bonus ThankYou ® Points are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi Premier ® or Citi Strata Premier ℠ account in the past 48 months. This offer is available if you apply through the method(s) provided in this document today. Offers may vary and this offer may not be available in other places where the card is offered.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508945007/en/

Media: Gabrielle Baum 908-930-6320 [email protected]

Royal Hideaway Corales Beach, Tenerife: sleek hotel offering culinary adventure

Discover the island's volcanic beauty and black sands from this adults-only hideaway

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Tenerife: an exquisite, unspoilt, volcanic rock jutting jauntily out of the Atlantic Ocean, but with a questionable reputation. Years of conditioning have given rise to rumours of packed beaches, mega-resorts and caffs selling full English breakfasts.

This couldn't be further from the reality of this dynamic island. Admittedly, you can find those things if you want them but venture a little off the well-trodden tourist paths and you'll find a beautiful island with 15 different microclimates. 

Tenerife has an almost prehistoric, rather brutal landscape of sand, dark rock and alien-looking flora, with beaches covered in black sand, standing out starkly against the brilliant blue sea. And there's the 25° temperature in February – and you'll find all this just a four-hour flight from the UK.

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Royal Hideaway Resort by Barceló makes a great jumping-off point for plenty of the island's offerings. It's at the southern end of Tenerife in Costa Adeje, the most upmarket part of the island, next to the cluster of houses, bars and restaurants that make up La Caleta, a 20-minute drive from the airport. Across the beaches, in the far, far distance, the towers of the touristy part of Tenerife glisten in the sunlight. 

The hotel is landscaped with the striking Canarian black volcanic rock ground down to gravel and dotted with oddly attractive spiky plants – cacti, succulents and huge sprouting palms – all of which love the island's climate.

The hotel, designed by interior designers MKV London Studio and Tenerife architect Leonardo Omar, takes the form of a cruise ship, hewn from the rock of the rugged coastline, sloping down to the sea. A huge white 1950s-style building, all straight lines and long sweeping curves, it's a few minutes' walk from those black sandy beaches and has panoramic views of the scene-filling ocean from all the suites, bars and restaurants. Royal Hideaway is the adults-only half of Barceló's Corales resort – the other half is child-friendly with separate pools and restaurants.

A sleek, all-suite hotel, the Royal Hideaway's accommodation is spacious and comfy with floor-to-ceiling windows leading on to balconies with spectacular views of the palms, the roofs of the local town and on to the glittering Atlantic below. The colour scheme of blues, whites and natural tones mirrors the ocean, and suites offer vast beds and rainfall showers.

The family half of the hotel, known as Royal Hideaway Corales Suites, is accessed through a subterranean cave that resembles a James Bond-style lair. It's moody, rocky and colourfully lit; a great gash in the rock wall offers a glimpse of the sea and sky beyond. 

You won't feel the need to leave the hotel with fitness classes, several pools (including one on the roof replete with a fancy bar making inventive cocktails from regional ingredients), a 24-hour gym and a subterranean spa with steam room, sauna, plunge pool, hot tub and treatment rooms.

If you really can't drag yourself away from your terrace, the hotel offers in-room cheffing and cocktail experiences. Chefs and mixologists will whirl around you creating delicious concoctions, with ingredients sourced from the intriguing microclimates dotted across the island.

Of particular note are the papas arrugadas ('wrinkled potatoes'), a dish made from native potatoes with a black skin, a creamy yolk-yellow interior and soft, waxy flesh. The potatoes are traditionally boiled in sea water until completely dry, leaving a white crust. Torn in half they are dunked in the traditional 'mojo rojo', a sauce made from dried peppers, garlic, olive oil and vinegar.

Where to eat and drink

Food and beverage are core to the hotel's offering and it has two Michelin-starred restaurants: El Rincón de Juan Carlos now holds two, and San Hô has one. 

The former showcases food from the Canaries while the latter serves a fusion of Asian and South American cuisines and makes the most of local produce. Wines are paired with a focus on the unique viticulture of the region – small batch and volcanic terroir. 

Stars aside, there's a charming, romantic Italian restaurant with scene-stealing live-fire cooking and a host of other casual dining options. Several bars dot the hotel too, including the ultra-cool rooftop number.

The verdict

The hotel's location makes it a great point for exploring the rest of the remarkable island – whether that's dropping in to the award-winning water park Siam Park, or slightly further afield up to Mount Teide National Park, featuring Spain's highest peak.

Will Leigh was a guest of Royal Hideaway Corales Beach , where rates start from £296 a night on a B&B basis.

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How travel 'bucket lists' help cancer patients handle life and death

In the 2007 film  The Bucket List  Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go on a range of energetic, overseas escapades.

Since then, the term “bucket list” – a list of experiences or achievements to complete before you “kick the bucket” or die – has become common.

You can read articles listing the seven cities  you must visit before you die or  the 100  Australian bucket-list travel experiences.

But there is a more serious side to the idea behind bucket lists. One of the key forms of suffering at the end of life  is regret  for things left unsaid or undone. So bucket lists can serve as a form of insurance against this potential regret.

The bucket-list search for adventure, memories and meaning takes on a life of its own with a diagnosis of life-limiting illness.

In a  study  published this week, 54 people living with cancer, and 28 of their friends and family said a key bucket list item was travel.

Why is travel so important?

There are lots of reasons why travel plays such a central role in our ideas about a ‘life well-lived’. Travel is often linked to important  life transitions : the youthful gap year, the journey to self-discovery in the 2010 film  Eat Pray Love , or the popular figure of the ‘ grey nomad ’.

The significance of travel is not merely in the destination, nor even in the journey. For many people, planning the travel is just as important. A cancer diagnosis affects people’s sense of control over their future, throwing into question their ability to write their own life story or plan their travel dreams.

Mark, the recently retired husband of a woman with cancer, spoke about their stalled travel plans:

“We’re just in that part of our lives where we were going to jump in the caravan and do the big trip and all this sort of thing, and now [our plans are] on blocks in the shed.”

For others, a cancer diagnosis brought an urgent need to ‘tick things off’ their bucket list. Asha, a woman living with breast cancer, had always been driven to ‘get things done’ but the cancer diagnosis made this worse:

“So, I had to do all the travel, I had to empty my bucket list now, which has kind of driven my partner round the bend.”

People’s travel dreams ranged from whale watching in Queensland to seeing polar bears in the Arctic, and from driving a caravan across the Nullarbor Plain to skiing in Switzerland.

Whale watching in Queensland featured in some study participant's bucket lists.

Nadia, 38, said travelling with her family had made important memories and given her a sense of vitality, despite her health struggles. Being diagnosed with cancer had given her the chance to live her life at a younger age, rather than waiting for retirement:

“In the last three years, I think I’ve lived more than a lot of 80-year-olds.”

But travel is expensive

Of course, travel is expensive. It’s not by chance Nicholson’s character in The Bucket List is a billionaire.

Some people empty their savings, assuming they would no longer need to provide for aged care or retirement. Others had used insurance payouts or charity to make their bucket-list dreams come true.

“We’ve actually bought a new car and [had been] talking about getting a new caravan… But I’ve got to work. It’d be nice if there was a little money tree out the back but never mind,” said Jim, a 60-year-old whose wife had been diagnosed with cancer.

Not everyone’s bucket list items were expensive. Some chose to spend more time with loved ones, take up a new hobby or get a pet.

Our study showed making plans to tick items off a list can give people a sense of self-determination and hope for the future. It was a way of exerting control in the face of an illness that can leave people feeling powerless. 

“This disease is not going to control me. I am not going to sit still and do nothing. I want to go travel,” explained Asha.

Something we ‘ought’ to do?

Bucket lists are also a symptom of a broader culture that emphasises conspicuous  consumption  and  productivity , even into the end of life.

Indeed, people said travelling can be exhausting, expensive and stressful, especially when they’re also living with the symptoms and side effects of treatment. Nevertheless, they felt travel was something they “ ought ” to do.

Travel can be deeply meaningful, as our study found. But a life well-lived need not be extravagant or adventurous. Finding what is meaningful is a deeply personal journey.

Names of study participants mentioned in this article are pseudonyms.

Dr  Leah Williams Veazey  is ARC DECRA Research Fellow in the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies in the School of Social and Political Sciences.

Dr  Katherine Kenny  is Deputy Director of the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow, and SOAR Prize recipient in the School of Social and Political Sciences at The University of Sydney.

Professor  Alex Broom  is Director of the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies. He is recognised as an international leader in sociology, with a specific interest in health, illness, and care. 

This story was first published in  The Conversation . Hero Photo: Adobe Stock Image

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Netflix’s Time Patrol Bon is a sci-fi anime odyssey about the value of human life

The smallest of actions beget the most profound of consequences

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Share All sharing options for: Netflix’s Time Patrol Bon is a sci-fi anime odyssey about the value of human life

Most time travel stories are either stories of intervention or preservation; following protagonists attempting to either alter the past to correct for something in the future, or doing everything in their power to return to their own time period without drastically altering the past. Time Patrol Bon sits squarely in the middle, which is exactly what makes it a beloved cult classic manga — and a surprisingly prescient adaptation from Netflix.

Based on the manga by Fujiko Fujio, the comic book-writing duo known for creating the beloved Japanese pop culture icon Doraemon , Time Patrol Bon (stylized on Netflix as T.P Bon ) follows Bon Namihira, an ordinary junior school student living in present-day Japan. He inadvertently crosses paths with a time-traveler named Ream from the future and learns of the existence of Time Patrol, a technologically advanced organization that travels through time and space rescuing innocent lives while maintaining the course of history.

It’s only after discovering Bon plays a pivotal role in the history of humanity that they choose not to erase him from history to protect the secret of Time Patrol’s existence; instead they offer him an opportunity to join their cause. Accompanied by Buyoyon, a sassy, ghost-like extra-dimensional creature, Bon joins Ream as her apprentice as they travel across history saving lives while growing into his new responsibilities as a Time Patrol agent.

It’s a fascinating premise, one that naturally begs a question that’s not all that dissimilar from what multiverse stories often broach: What is the value of a single life in the totality of existence? And who, if anyone, should have the authority to decide that? In the case of Time Patrol Bon , that authority is the Time Patrol Research Office, who are dedicated to finding and saving the lives of individuals who will not impact the course of history. In emphasizing the value of good, but otherwise unhistoric people whose lives were cut short on account of tragic accidents, misunderstandings, or overt malice, T.P Bon makes a case for the abiding value of all life in and of itself, as well as the importance of human relationships.

Take the anime’s eighth episode, wherein Bon and Ream are assigned to save one — and only one — kamikaze pilot during the Battle of Okinawa. Torn between his compassion for all human life and his obligation to uphold Time Patrol’s parameters lest he compromise the organization’s mission and very existence, Bon ultimately resolves that saving any life, even if only one life, is a worthwhile and noble endeavor if it can be done. It’s a really profound moment that nails home both Bon maturing into his responsibilities as a member of a Time Patrol, but also the series’ overall humanistic message. To put it another way: Not everything that is faced can be changed, but that’s not an excuse to do nothing. Even the smallest of actions is worth doing if it contributes to lessening the sum of human suffering.

By his own admission, Bon is an average everyday teenager. He doesn’t have any special powers, isn’t especially physically gifted or academically accomplished, and isn’t even all that popular at his school. From a glance, he barely registers as a footnote in the history of humanity, let alone the grand scheme of existence. If someone like Bon can go on to impact the future of humanity, aside from his role as a member of Time Patrol, then anyone can.

It helps that T.P Bon is helmed by respected animator Masahiro Ando, known for his work as a key animator on 1995’s End of Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell , as well as his own 2007 anime film Sword of the Stranger . Such a resume helps the show be all it wants to be: T.P Bon is an excellent blend of whimsical sci-fi spectacle, drama, and occasional edutainment, with stories featuring Bon and Ream rescuing sailors lost at sea, thwarting prehistoric poachers in the Jurassic period, and even inadvertently inspiring the 16th century legend of Journey to the West. In creating a series that strikes the balance between light-hearted adventure and existential meditation, Ando and studio Bones have delivered not only a faithful and worthy adaptation of Fujiko Fujio’s original manga, but one for the ages.

T.P Bon season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.

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