Who doesn’t love a holiday in a tropical paradise like Bali or Phuket? But, it’s also great to explore somewhere new, try the unusual or do something that reminds you how exhilarating travel can be. We asked Singapore-based tour operator Lightfoot Travel for ten of their top must-do experiences from around the world.
1. Spend a week on a liveaboard
If you’re an avid scuba diver, there’s no better way to explore the greatest dive spots in the world than by liveaboard. Many in Asia are made from traditional Indonesian pinisi boats made with teak wood, sail for up to a week at a time, and take guests to the most distant and pristine of dive sites.
2. See the Northern Lights
One of Mother Nature’s most spectacular sights, the northern hemisphere’s Aurora Borealis is caused by colliding electrically charged particles from the sun entering the earth’s atmosphere near its magnetic poles. The best places to view these eerily dancing lights are during the dark winters in Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland and parts of Scandinavia.
3. Experience gorillas in the wild
There are less than 900 gorillas living in the wild today, spread over just four national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. A Lightfoot guest recently returned from Rwanda claiming that it’s a “dream come true” for an animal lover: “You get so close to them and feel like they are observing you instead of the other way around!”
4. Balloon over Cappadocia
The sight of hot-air balloons soaring over just about anything is pretty magical, but there is something almost otherworldly as you watch them float over Cappadocia’s fairylike rock formations in central Turkey
5. Cruise the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands is known to be the world’s foremost destination for wildlife-viewing. Boutique cruise ships enable guests to sail up to lesser visited areas, whose isolation has ensured a diversity of plant and animal life found nowhere else on earth. Plus, it inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution, so that in itself is pretty special.
6. Stay in an overwater villa
For sun and sea lovers, nothing beats stepping right out of your front door and straight into the crystal-clear sea. A direct flight from Singapore, the Maldives takes the cake for luxurious water villas, many with private pools, deck areas for lounging and some with a waterslide entrance into the ocean.
7. Set foot on the Antarctic continent
The Great White Continent is one of the least explored places in the world, and visits warrant bragging rights even among the most seasoned travellers. Camp out on the ice; witness Emperor penguins returning to the sea; hike new routes amidst untouched alpine terrain; or take the plunge and swim in the thermal waters of Deception Island – a once in a lifetime
8. Heli ski
If you’re a ski enthusiast, why not take the sport to the next level? Heli skiing gives you access to vast amounts of terrain and enables you to ski the most untouched powder, with the added benefit of having the mountains entirely to yourself. The sweeping views as you fly in over the snowy peaks aren’t too shabby either. experience.
9. Trek Nepal’s Annapurna
Circuit Running between 160 and 230 kilometres and taking over 17 days to complete, the Annapurna trek is one of the most scenic and accessible routes that even amateur hikers can do. The horseshoe-shaped trail takes you through some of the highest and most beautiful peaks in the world, including Annapurna and Dhaulagiri – both over 8,000 metres.
10. Fly over New Zealand’s Southern Alps & Milford Sound
Flying through the gigantic peaks of the Southern Alps from picturesque Queenstown is absolutely breathtaking. On the way out, touch down for a stroll along a glacier, before flying on to the giant fjords of Milford Sound. On the return journey, soar over ancient wooded valleys with fresh rivers flowing down from the mountains. This is nature at its finest.
Still looking for places to travel to? Try our top spots for summer holidays
This article first appeared in the Travel Guide 2017 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
