20 Journeys 1 SPEND SIX MONTHS EXPLORING ASIA Sometimes you seriously need to get away, and holidays don’t come much longer than a 28-week ‘Ultimate Asia’ adventure with Exodus (0870 240 5550; exodus.co.uk). Starting in London and taking a winding route east to Bangkok, this epic group trip crosses 12 countries, ticking off a score of see before- you-die sights including the Pyramids, Petra, Jaipur, Great Wall and Angkor Wat. Billed as the ‘Ultimate in Overlanding’, the transcontinental odyssey departs once a year in March and costs from £6,465 per person including accommodation, transport and most meals. Travel is principally by purpose-built expedition vehicle with only 42 nights spent in hotels. For most of the time you’ll be sleeping in tents on campsites or out in the wilds. Last year 13 travellers completed the full journey, and if that’s not enough, for an extra £2,105 you can add a 39-day extension that takes you south from Darwin to Sydney via the Outback. 2 HAVE A METROSEXUAL MAKEOVER IN MIAMI Are you the type of man who likes to embrace your feminine side? Or maybe you know a bloke who needs a 3 bit of sorting out? Available at selected Loews Hotels in New York, Miami and Los Angeles, the Metro Man package promises to make a man ‘more dashing and attractive’ in just 24 hours. That could be a tall order, which explains why so much gets packed into one day. The improvements start at check-in when guests are handed essential manly items such as a book on etiquette and a cocktail shaker. The hotel chef then provides a two-hour, palate-refining meal with advice on cooking, wine and mixing drinks, while the concierge chips in with some advice on how to conduct yourself socially. Next comes a grooming session, including a manicure, haircut and shave, then a consultation with a personal shopper from Barneys or Saks Fifth Avenue to sort out the wardrobe. But why stop there? Book the two-night Metro Man Deluxe makeover and you can add in backwaxing, dental bleaching, nutritional advice and personal training. Prices, varying according to the hotel chosen, are from £273 including one night’s accommodation (00 1 800 235639; loewshotels.com). Amazing Destinations 146 GET FIT IN THE WILDS OF COSTA RICA Another New Year arrives and those flabby bits are still there... do you really think gym’ll fix it? For something more radical try an intensive workout on a Costa Rican beach with Wild Fitness (020 7372 3323; wildfitness. com). It was set up five years ago by Tara Wood, a personal trainer, who believes in promoting wellbeing through natural movements rather than working individual muscles in isolation, as some gym machines and exercise classes do. The idea is to awaken the agile animal inside us by recalling the primal movements that helped us evolve as a species. Get ready to squat, bend, push, pull, twist, lunge and run. This is not a boot camp, and the open-to-all activities are supportive rather than competitive, with posture assessments, yoga and nutritional advice included. Coffee and alcohol are discouraged but dispensed without disapproval if required. A seven day ‘Kick Start’ course staying in a stilted bungalow costs from £1,922 per person including meals, accommodation and instruction, with flights extra. Wild Fitness also runs courses in Somerset, Menorca and Crete. 4 CLIMB K2 (WELL, ALMOST) Things look different when you’re high. At 8,616 metres, K2 is the second highest peak in the world, and a trek through the mountainous wilds of northern Pakistan to see it up close will certainly blow away the mental cobwebs. It’s also an arduous Grade 1 expedition, which means long, hard days and camping above the snowline, with strenuous trekking experience essential. A 25-day expedition in July climbing the Gondogoro La Pass then descending to K2 base camp costs from £2,295 per person including flights and accommodation with Himalayan Kingdoms (himalayankingdoms.com). For something a bit less physically challenging, the company recommends trekking to the source of the Ganges, from £1,695 per person for 17 days.
147 Publizr Home