There can be nothing more exciting than opening up a gift to discover you are off on a whirlwind of an adventure. There are so many luxury experience gifts to choose for the elite traveler in both late 2019 and throughout 2020, and all would make perfect gifts this holiday season.
From enchanting Christmas experiences in the heart of the English countryside to an exciting expedition to discover an ancient South American city, here you will find a carefully-curated list of once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
Christmas at Coworth Park
If you have ever watched the Christmas classic The Holiday and wondered where in the English countryside Cameron Diaz finds herself, then Coworth Park is arguably as close as it gets. The five-star resort is situated in equally-idyllic surroundings of Berkshire and provides a magical setting for the holiday season. If you celebrate Christmas, there are few better places to do it than here.
The Christmas at Coworth package consists of a three-night break from Christmas even until the morning of December 27. It includes unforgettable experiences such as a trip to a local church on Christmas Eve for Midnight Mass, a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas morning and a six-course Christmas Day feast in the one-Michelin-star Restaurant Coworth Park.
Suites from $2,050 per night based on double occupancy, three-night minimum, dorchestercollection.com
Rosewood Baha Mar, Diving for Treasure
Rosewood has launched a series of 12 giftable experiences taking place in different hotels and resorts around the world. Each one is unique and highlights different passions such as art, culture, fashion or music. Our pick is adventure. Travel to Baha Mar where you will board the hotel’s Eternity mega-yacht to explore for a rare treasure in the beautifully clear waters. Alongside a professional diver and photographers, you will search for a Ulysse Nardin Diver 42mm watch buried in the sands below. With a water resistance to 300m, you will discover your hidden treasure ticking merrily along on the seabed. The four-night trip ends with a trip home on Baha Mar’s private jet.
$202,050, rosewoodhotels.com
The French Laundry, Black Experience
The three-Michelin-star restaurant from Thomas Keller is a favorite of regular Elite Traveler readers and was voted 25th in our Top 100 Restaurants poll earlier this year. The giftable Black Card Experience from the California restaurant is the ultimate for any gourmand. It begins with a luxury BMW car service from your residence or hotel. You will be served with a bottle of champagne upon arrival before indulging in the ultimate 18-course menu with extraordinary wine accompaniment personalized by the restaurant’s sommeliers. As the gift card is a dinner for two, make sure you seal your plus-one before handing it over!
$2,500, finessethestore.com
VistaJet, Discover an Ancient City
The global private-aviation company, VistaJet, recently debuted its latest experience, VistaJet World, which offers its members global travel experiences ranging from scientific discovery to going behind-the-scenes of the world’s most exclusive wineries. Our pick is an exploration into the Amazonian rainforest, where you will join archaeological experts as they search for ancient settlements. Guests will fly over the jungle using high-spec LIDAR scanning technology to unveil the secrets hidden in the canopy below. You will also join conservationists as they work to protect the forests, species and indigenous cultures as well as visit lagoons to visit the famous pink river dolphin.
Price on request, https://www.vistajet.com/privateoffice/
Natural World Safaris, Icons of Africa
This is not only a tour of the wild bushlands of sub-Saharan Africa but through some of the continent’s most iconic properties. This epic 13-night safari includes highly coveted overnight stay at Giraffe Manor and three nights in the famed Masai Mara based at Cottars 1920’s Camp. Guest travel seamlessly from Kenya to Cape Town, visiting spectacular natural sites including Victoria Falls and Botswana’s Okavango Delta on the way. The ultra-luxury tour includes a number of opportunities to view Africa’s stunning wildlife before finishing with three nights in South Africa’s culture hub, Cape Town, where you will stay in the city’s ultimate address Ellerman House which combines historic grandeur and an uncontrived sense of style and flair.
From $21,500 in low season and $32,600 in high season, naturalworldsafaris.com
Adventure Life, Antarctic Eclipse Cruises
If you occasionally catch your loved one staring into the night sky with a look of awe in their eye, this could be the perfect gift for them. Setting sail in late 2021 from the southern tip of Argentina, this luxury cruise will travel to the edge of Antarctica to experience one of the most remote total solar eclipses on record. The captain will use state-of-the-art weather mapping to give you the best chance of seeing this celestial wonder. As this particular total solar eclipse will only be visible in this remote location, the people on these boats will be among the few people in the world to experience it. As well as experience an eclipse, guests will also have the opportunity to see massive icebergs, nesting penguins and whales feasting on krill.
From $15,335 per person, adventure-life.com
iChauffeur, Exclusive UK Drive Tour
The United Kingdom may be small, but it would take you a lifetime to discover all it has to offer. But if you only have a limited time to spare, iChauffeur has created the ultimate experience to show you its greatest hits. In the space of 10 days, you will be whisked from London to the Scottish Highlands and back again in your choice of a chauffeur-driven Range Rover Autobiography, Bentley Mulsanne or Rolls-Royce Phantom. You will also stay in some of the country’s most incredible properties and dine in its finest restaurants. Highlights include a dinner at Spencer House with Earl Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana, a private cooking lesson with a Michelin-starred chef and a golf lesson at the world-famous St Andrews Golf Club.
From $112,360, www.ichauffeur.co.uk
Meridian Adventure SAIL, Private Sailing in Raja Ampat
Meridian Adventure SAIL is a new ultra-luxury members club offering completely bespoke experiences for its private explorers. With a fleet of six beautiful catamarans based in the largely-untouched coral triangle of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, trips can comfortably accommodate up to 32 guests. That makes it perfect for multi-generational journeys with the different needs of everyone catered for across the different vessels.
Guests can curate their entire adventure from start to finish with the flexibility to change the day-to-day itinerary on the go. Everything from tidal streams to migratory patterns is considered to offer the best opportunity to account for forecasted weather conditions and wildlife migratory patterns. There is a large emphasis on an adventure with guests encouraged to snorkel in crystal-clear waters to observe pearl divers in action and scuba dive through coral reefs.
From $19,800 per day, sail.meridianadventures.com
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