Polar Express: Explore Greenland’s most remote regions by sailing the icy waters of the rarely visited southeast coast, travelling down to the lush southern tip, and stopping to visit local communities and observing the imposing glaciers of the west coast. Explore Greenland’s distinct culture and history by visiting picturesque villages and Norse ruins, and be captivated by the rugged landscape, which features striking fjords, daunting glaciers and verdant valleys. What’s more, immerse yourself in the icy realm of the Arctic on a kayak, or explore icebergs and glaciers on large inflatable vessels designed especially for expeditions. Cruises leave from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik. A two-week cruise on Quark Expeditions that specialises in polar adventures in the Arctic and Antarctica starts at $12,790 per person.
Manta Watch: Indulge your inner ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ fan and swim with the majestic manta rays in the Maldives. Between May and October each year, the south-west monsoon causes a large collection of plankton to get caught in the funnel-like reef around the eastern side of the Maldivian atolls, and this attracts hundreds of manta rays and whale sharks to come and feed on the coral reefs. Snorkel or dive with these gentle giants. Hotels such as Four Seasons and Dusit Thani offer special packages during manta season.
Amazon Adventure: Do you have it in you to survive in the Amazon forests? Find out, by enrolling yourself in a jungle survival course. The two-week course takes you to the depths of Guyana’s rainforest where a team of experts will guide you on what it takes to survive in the wild. Everything from skills needed to find water, light a fire without matches, source food and create a shelter will be taught to you. But after your week-long training, you will be dropped in a new area of the jungle with only a machete, a bow and arrow and a few supplies, to fend for yourself for a few days. With nothing else but the clothes on your back, test your newfound survival skills in an exhilarating real-world situation. UK-based travel company The Wild Tales offers packages for $2,990-3,090.
The Tequila Train: All aboard the Tequila train. The Jose Cuervo Express is an old-fashioned train complete with luxury wagons that travels from the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico to the town of Tequila, which the Mexican tourism department has called Pueblo Magico (or Magic Town). Step into the vintage vehicle, and you’ll be transported back in time for a glamorous day of cocktails by train car. Take a full-day trip that includes tequila tastings on the train, followed by a visit to a tequila distillery, an agave harvesting demonstration and some good old-fashioned sightseeing in the town of Tequila. Enjoy onboard entertainment such as Loteria (Mexican bingo), Mexican snacks and tequila cocktails. Tickets for the Elite class are for around $215 each, but they get sold out fast and need to be booked in advance.
It’s Carnival Time! Besides the sun, sand and sea, the small islands in the Caribbean are known for their carnival parties with catchy music, colourful costumes, delicious food and loads of drinking and dancing. Enjoy a plethora of events including street parties, calypso performances, costume parades, etc., throughout your stay there. Carnivals are spread across the Caribbean and are celebrated on different islands in different months. Check out St. Vincent at the Grenadines in June and July, Grenada Island in August and the Barbados from July through August.
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