Traditional prayer flags and steep steps lead the way to Taktsang Palphug Monastery on the Trans Bhutan Trail. Photo / Getty Images
Traditional prayer flags and steep steps lead the way to Taktsang Palphug Monastery on the Trans Bhutan Trail. Photo / Getty Images
Once-in-a-lifetime trips are just that: Adventures to remote and awe-inspiring locations that you’ll never make again — and, in many cases, are lucky to make even once.
Jessica Wynne Lockhart has rounded up the best tour operators to help you live out your wildest travel dreams across the globe.
Hike to Bhutan’s Tiger’s Nest Monastery
In September, Bhutan’s much-anticipated reopening coincided with the launch of the Trans-Bhutan Trail, a 400km trail that was once used as a pilgrimage route by Buddhists to cross the country. Reopen for the first time in 60 years, it passes through lush and mountainous valleys, and past fortified buildings. But you don’t have to be a hiker to experience the country’s unique culture, natural environment, and hospitality.
On National Geographic’s Wonders of Bhutan itinerary (operated by G Adventures), you’ll spend nine days visiting remote shrines and temples, enjoying a home-cooked meal at a farmstay, and watch locals practising archery, Bhutan’s national sport. And, of course, you’ll also have the chance to hike to Paro Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest), the country’s most famous monastery, which clings to the edge of the cliffs in the Paro Valley. Departures start from $8079 and include the Bhutan Government’s new visitor entry fee of US$200 ($314) daily.
Passengers exploring the icy continent on Ponant expedition ship, Le Commandant Charcot. Photo / Ponant Studio, Morgane Monneret
Visit Antarctica in an environmentally sustainable way
Unless you’re a researcher or a scientist, Antarctica the definition of a once-in-a-lifetime trip — which is why you want to ensure you’re visiting the ecologically sensitive environment in the most sustainable way possible.
Enter Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury hybrid electric polar exploration ship. Operated by cruise line Ponant, the 245-person ship offers refined elegance, with two restaurants, a bar and an on-board spa. But its real selling feature is that it’s classified as an icebreaker, which means you can safely venture deep into the middle of the ice, getting you that much closer to icebergs, penguin colonies, and whales. In addition to snowshoeing, kayaking, and even taking a polar plunge, guests can also participate in citizen science projects, contributing to our knowledge of the icy continent. Trips start from US$20,060.
One of the famous Galapagos Giant Tortoises. Photo / Sarah Pollok
Sleep overnight with Giant Tortoises in the Galapagos Islands
Imagine walking among blue-footed boobies sitting on their nests, watching marine iguanas feed on algae underwater, or snorkelling alongside sea lions and sea turtles. There’s no question; the isolated volcanic archipelago of Ecuador’s Galapagos islands is unlike any other destination.
On Natural Habitat Adventures’ small group Hiking and Kayaking Adventure (from US$6495) you’ll get to spend even more time immersed in the environment and exploring areas most visitors will never see, thanks to special paddling permits. Case in point: An overnight stay at the company’s exclusive safari-style highland camp on Santa Cruz, where you’ll see the island’s most famous residents, wild giant tortoises. Best of all, as a partner of WWF, Natural Habitat Adventures offsets your carbon emissions, including your round-trip flights from your departure city.
Polar bear mother and cub in the tundra o Wapusk National Park, Manitoba. Photo / 123rf
Travel to Canada’s Sub-Arctic to see polar bears
The polar bear capital of the world, Churchill, Canada, isn’t easy to get to. There’s no road access this far north in Manitoba, so visitors need to arrive by plane or on the famous two-night train journey north.
Family-owned tour operator Frontiers North Adventures offers both options, with its Classic Churchill Polar Bear adventure timed for the autumn months (October and November) when polar bears gather in the area and wait for the ice to freeze. (As a bonus, longer nights means you’re more likely to see the Northern Lights while there.) Bears are observed safely from aboard Frontier North’s Tundra Buggy, while dog-sled adventures, cultural presentations, and a visit to the Itsanitaq Museum round out the experience. Trips start from CA$7349 ($8,500).
Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
There’s no better way to arrive in Machu Picchu than by following in the footsteps of an ancient civilisation, starting from the capital of Cusco, and arriving four days later at the Sun Gate, where you’ll look out over one of the world’s greatest archeological sites.
It’s a challenging journey (ancient Incans had tiny feet and constructed stairs accordingly), but it’s made easier by the skilled porters, guides, and Peruvian chefs taking care of most of the hard work for you — and then some. (You’ve never experienced true joy until you’re magically presented with a freshly baked caked after a long day of hiking, even though you’re camping on the side of a mountain at 3000m in altitude.) Sustainable travel experts Intrepid Travel will make sure you don’t go hungry — or get lost — with departures starting from $1470.
Primate eyes: Ugandan mountain gorillas high in the Bwindi forest. Photo / 123rf
Look one of the world’s rarest primates in the eye
There are said to be fewer than 1100 mountain gorillas left. They also only live in a handful of places, including Uganda’s densely vegetated Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is home to about half of the world’s population of the species. To protect them, viewings of the gorillas are extremely restricted, and permits can cost up to US$700. Needless to say, getting a tour operator to take care of the heavy lifting when it comes to organising this excursion is the way to go.
While Extraordinary Journeys custom-builds its itineraries, its sample five-day luxury Uganda Safari (from US$4041) includes a trek in search of a mountain gorilla family, where you’ll get to spend up to one hour with the gentle primates. You’ll also visit a Batwa (pygmy) community and hike with their elders, learning how they once hunted and lived. Gorilla trekking can also be included as an add-on to a safari in East Africa.
Visiting the Mars-like landscape of Wadi Rum, Jordan. Photo / Jordan Tourism Board
Explore the remains of an ancient city in Jordan
Ghost towns have nothing on Petra, an ancient city that was once a thriving centre of trade and the capital of the Nabataean empire between roughly 400BC and AD106. The remains of this metropolis can still be seen today in the massive archeological site, which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Temples and tombs are carved into the sandstone, an extensive hydrological system runs through the city, and there’s even an altar where sacrifices took place.
You can spend literally days exploring it (trust me; it’s bigger than you think) but if you’re short on time, Abercrombie & Kent’s guided tour will cover all its highlights, including the much-photographed Monastery and the Treasury. The seven-day Highlights of Jordan tour (from AU$4970) also stops in the present-day capital of Amman, at the Dead Sea (where visitors can float in the high-salinity waters), and the Mars-like desert of Wadi Rum.
Once in a lifetime: Patagonias Torres del Paine. Photo / Peter Winckler, Unsplash
Trek through the mountains of Patagonia
Ask a tramper to tell you what trails sit on their once-in-a-lifetime list, and you might be there for a while, as it’s usually a case of “how long is a piece of string.” But chances, Patagonia’s Torres del Paine likely sits high on the list.
Circumnavigating some of South America’s most spectacular peaks, the 110km O-Trek includes the park’s more remote backside, where crowds thin out. But on World Expeditions’ 11-day guided tour ($8290) it’s not just about exploring on foot. You’ll also take a boat cruise to the head of a fjord and kayak to the Grey Glacier, making this a true multi-adventure destination.
