NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) – There’s no greater gift than the gift of travel. But the logistics of actually giving someone a trip to go on are complicated. How do you gift a vacation when the particulars can be so incredibly personal?
The answers to that question vary. You can absolutely book a surprise trip for someone after sneaking a look at their calendar and passport number-assuming that falls within the approved boundaries of your relationship. But such a move comes with a lot of pressure to get it right.
Gifting a trip can also be a conversation, presented as a sort of voucher that gets redeemed by its recipient when they’re ready to get packing. Or it can be a commitment for the future, to be hatched together.
Whichever direction you go in, presenting the idea with an inspiring physical object-something you’ll use on the road, for instance, or a trinket from your planned destination-can be a perfect gesture.
Here are some ideas for how to create travel magic for someone. They’re fit for life partners, children, and good friends alike-be they travel buddies or plain-old travel lovers.
An epic treasure hunt in Indonesia
Playing pirate has never been as glamorous as with Pelorus Yachting’s new nine-day treasure hunt across Indonesia. Guests can explore remote islands on any of the company’s Phinisi sailing yachts-many come with a massage therapist and kayaks; off-ship thrills include spelunking and diving. Each activity reveals clues that point towards an eventual treasure chest, filled with a customised trove of rewards-one option includes an extravagance of fine jewellery-all revealed with a beach party under the stars. Our suggestion: Gift the first clue, along with dates and a packing list, for up to ten guests.
A Swiss adventure on skis and rail
Let the holiday magic roll into the new year by planning a trip to Switzerland, where some of the world’s biggest names in luxury are working on one-upping themselves. Start in Zurich, where the Mandarin Oriental Savoy-the grandmother of luxury hotels, dating to 1838-is reopening on December 20 after a top-to-bottom restoration. Then escape to the Alps: The 47-room Grace St Moritz is a rare newcomer to the ritzy destination, in a location surrounded by several other grand dames (and their excellent restaurants) at the foot of the slopes. It has a complimentary kids club where you can drop the little ones off while you swish around the pistes; pick a suite in the Grace wing for one of a surprisingly contemporary aesthetic that contrasts the area’s penchant for old-world elegance. Want to keep the trip chugging along? The new-ish Excellence Class service on the Glacier Express trains offers panoramic views from fancy, partially-glass-topped cars that zip through mountain passes all the way to Zermatt.
A spa vacation, near or far
Who would turn down a pampering spa getaway? Depending on your taste for adventure, book it somewhere far-flung or somewhere convenient. New and noteworthy options abound. There’s the Escape at Banyan Tree Buahan in Bali, where the villas (or “bales”) are kept open to the elements. At Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, you can create your own signature blend of spa oils before any treatment. And the 180-acre Hacienda Altagracia in Costa Rica, with spa provider The Well has resulted in stunningly comprehensive facilities that range from a series of relaxation pools and thatched-roof yoga pavilions scattered around a mountainous jungle.
Tickets to the Olympics
There are many ways to procure tickets to next year’s Olympics in Paris, including as part of extravagant VIP packages with the sporting events company On Location Experiences. But the simplest way-buying them through the official Paris 2024 website-is still effective, even with only a few months left before the games. You can still get tickets to plenty of medal qualifying events, from gymnastics to beach volleyball, both in Paris and in other French destinations where the Games are being held. And if you’re not picky, you can find seats so reasonably priced that you’ll have extra to spend on accommodations at a Palace hotel.
Culinary training with Italy’s best
If you’ve ever looked for culinary classes along your travels, you’ll likely know the options tend to fall into two camps: Cooking for Dummies and professional crash courses. At Castello di Ugento in Puglia, Italy, you can find options that suit any level of ambition or commitment, from private one-off workshops to multi-day group courses that cover anything from pastry-making to pasta and cheese production. You can even set aside a chunk of each day to work in a professional kitchen, while leaving plenty of time to laze by the pool or explore the tiny villages around Salento and Lecce. And all of it is run by the legendary chef Odette Fada, who is as happy to take guests to farmers markets as she is to run through the technical steps required to produce her signature dish, Ouvo in Raviolo, in which a giant ravioli is stuffed with still-runny egg yolk and topped with truffles. – NIKKI EKSTEIN
