TRAVEL
Originally published on Monday, 07 July 2008
Adventure Travel
Ants, mosquitos, dirt and dodgy roadside food - all the hallmarks of the kind of travel I want nothing to do with any more.
The merest mention of trekking, roadtrips, backpacking and camping makes me feel instantly queasy, and any journey which includes a cagoule on the recommended packing list gets an immediate veto.
Until now, as the luxury market moves in on a new wave of travellers who want to join the ride, but with none of the rough.
Roadtrip
Leave the beer bongs and mooning to the gap year kids, and join Land Rover for a sophisticated driving experience. Their new road-trip adventures take care of all the details, so you just need to hop on board and enjoy the air-conditioned ride. Choose from tours in Argentina, Canada, Iceland, Namibia, Spain and Scotland.
Land Rover Experience Germany
0049 2058 77 80 90
11 nights, July-Sept 2008
Prices from £2800 per person, includes internal flights, fuel, food and accommodation.
Camp with the (5) Stars
If the thought of tents brings you out in a rash, Four Seasons have the cure. Located in the heart of Thailand’s bamboo jungle and reachable only by riverboat, 15 luxury tents overlook the mountains of Laos and Burma’s Ruak River. Made of local materials, they include air conditioning, hand-hammered two-person copper baths, outdoor rain showers, downy soft beds with mosquito nets, and a beautiful deck.
From £1200 for a three night adventure package for 2, including all meals and beverages, a spa treatment per person, full activity programme and private round trip transfers from Chiang Rai International airport.
Old Man River
Boats, unless you’re Cavalli and docked in Monaco, can be a distinctly unglamorous affair, which is a shame as so many places look even more beautiful from a deck. But the Park Hotel Group has the answer with the launch of ‘Aspara’, a floating boutique hotel complete with huge flat-screen TVs, internet, and marble bedecked en-suites, as well as on-board spa facilities and a stunning panoramic viewing area.
From £550 per person full board, two night minimum stay, including all transfers and sightseeing. 0800 055 6817.
Trekking Shmekking
Forget the ugly shoes and the blisters they bring. A much better idea for Peru’s Inca Trail would be the support of mules, horses and porters, spending your nights in luxurious oversized tents, with portable hot showers and your own private masseuse, as you start and finish your journey at the sumptuous La Casona in Cuzco’s old quarter. Manchu Picchu never looked so appealing.
Prices on request for 11 days with www.amazingperu.com
Hotel La Casona , from £300 B&B, 0800 458 7506