Once limited to billionaires, celebrities and high-level politicians, private jet travel has recently become affordable for a good number of travelers who prefer to up their budgets for the convenience offered by flying private.
21.07.2023 - 08:37 / roughguides.com
If you like your holidays with a pinch — or even liberal lashings — of adrenalin, then you may want to check one of these life-changing experiences out. Taken from the pages of Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth, here's ten ultimate trips for thrill seekers.
Launching yourself down the slopes under a scorching desert sun is possible in Qatar, a small Gulf country midway between Kuwait and Dubai – but forget about snow machines and fake icicles. Here, the ski slopes are all natural. Jaded ski bums looking for a new thrill should take a 4WD trip to Khor al-Adaid – known as Qatar’s Inland Sea. This is a saltwater inlet from the blue waters of the Gulf which penetrates far into the desert interior and is surrounded on all sides by monumental formations of giant, silvery sand dunes.
These are almost all crescent-shaped barchan dunes. Both points of the crescent face downwind; between them is a steep slip face of loose sand, while the back of the dune, facing into the breeze, is a shallow, hard slope of wind-packed grains. This formation lends itself particularly well to sand-skiing or, perhaps more commonly, sand-boarding, both of which are almost identical to their more familiar snow-based cousins – without the woolly hats but with a softer landing for novices.
Khor al-Adaid lies 75km south of Doha, the Qatari capital. No roads run even close. The only way to get here is in a 4WD vehicle organized by any of several tour companies based in Doha: try www.gulf-adventures.com or www.nettoursdubai.com.
You’re halfway up a sheer ice wall in the high Andes, with crampons on your feet, an ice axe in each hand and your stomach quavering somewhere around knee level, when you sense that there are some things humans were not meant to do. Yet if you don’t mind the odd moment of panic, the Cordillera Real, strung across Bolivia between the barren Altiplano and the Amazon basin, is a wonderful place to begin mountaineering. For one thing, it’s substantially cheaper than Europe or North America. More importantly, this harsh landscape, with its thin air, intimidating peaks and snow-covered ridges, is an unforgettable one, a world away from hectic La Paz and another planet from the one most of us live on.
The Cordillera Real is a few hours’ drive from La Paz – guides and equipment can be organized here or in Sorata.
© Mefodey/Shutterstock
An average ski run in Kamchatka is not like that of your regular ski resort; it’s not unusual to get in more than 10,000m of “vertical” in a single day. You’re pumped full of adrenalin before you even start, thanks to the half-hour ride to your first run in a huge, ramshackle Russian-built MI-8 helicopter.
Your guide will head down an enormous, open powder-field running 180m or more down the
Once limited to billionaires, celebrities and high-level politicians, private jet travel has recently become affordable for a good number of travelers who prefer to up their budgets for the convenience offered by flying private.
Lonely Planet contributor, Tasmin Waby, just returned from a trip to the northernmost part of Australia's Northern Territory. Here, she shares details of a trip spent mainly on water in the lush green wetlands of the Top End.
This month, ballet fans will have the rare opportunity to see the acclaimed Australian Ballet in London. As part of the company’s 60th anniversary celebrations, performances by The Australian Ballet at London’s Royal Opera House will be the only performances outside of Australia. The 2023 London Tour will be the first international tour for The Australian Ballet under the leadership of Artistic Director David Hallberg. It will be the company’s first return to the Royal Opera House after an absence of 35 years.
A recent report released from travel marketing engine Sojern, analyzed travel trends from January 2015 to April 2016 and found the top international destinations for U.S. travelers as well as the top emerging and declining international spots.
The U.S. State Department this week added two of Mexico’s most popular leisure destinations to its long list of Mexican cities that Americans should avoid, or where they should exercise extra caution.
For US travelers looking for a vacation that offers something for everyone, Sydney, Australia is a perfect choice. Whether you’re looking to explore the stunning natural beauty, and vibrant city life, or take in some local culture at its many museums and galleries, there’s no shortage of exciting activities and sights to experience while visiting this beautiful city. Sydney’s warm climate is another great reason to visit, as temperatures rarely dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. With plenty of hotels in Sydney, Australia available ranging from budget-friendly hostels to luxury resorts, you’ll also find the perfect place to stay during your visit.
Unlike the Eurostar that takes passengers from London to cities on the European continent in record time, The Ghan, one of Australia’s four luxurious trains, is not something you book because you need to get from point A to point B. It may sound like the biggest travel cliché there is, but in this case it’s true: Riding The Ghan is all about the journey and not really about the (albeit lovely) destination. You go on the Ghan because you want to see and experience parts of Australia you’d never get to go to otherwise, at a slow pace, and in the comfiest, most lavish setting you could find.
When the very first Helsinki Biennial launched in 2021, it was a pretty local affair as the world was just emerging from the Covid 19 pandemic. So this year’s biennial, that runs until the fall, is in effect the first one to attract the world’s art lovers. And it’s free, in part to promote Helsinki’s visual art scene at home and abroad. While Helsinki has a long history of design and architecture, contemporary Finnish art is not as well known. The biennial aims to redress this and it has done so by transforming the Finnish capital into a vibrant hub of creativity. From awe-inspiring sculptures to mind-bending installations and captivating performances, this new biennial embraces both established and emerging artists in a mesmerizing showcase of artistic excellence.
For five days of the year each summer, the somewhat soulless exhibition centre in Earls Court is transformed into a giant pub (pictured above). Or at least that’s what it feels like. Gone are the trade stalls and suited delegates, replaced by an army of (mostly bearded) volunteers manning hundreds of kegs, dispensing beers few people have ever heard of to thousands of squiffy punters – a lot of whom are wearing traffic-cone hats or sombreros for no apparent reason.
From cricket at Lords to darts in Lakeside and boxing in London, here's ten of our favourite British sporting breaks. Share your own below.
In a city where it’s possible to pay up to US$250 for a rib eye steak, it is no surprise that most feel daunted at the prospect of visiting the pricy Russian capital, Moscow . Yet there are plenty of quirky cafés, hidden restaurants and expat haunts that will not break your budget. Here is a selection of some of the city’s best.
If you fancy indulging your inner artist on your next British break, try one of these excellent galleries and art spaces across Britain.