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Let the tide lull your senses into a state of relaxation at The Floathouse River Kwai. Hidden in the tropical depths of western Thailand, this luxurious lodge floats on the gentle waves of the famous river. Artfully constructed from teak and bamboo, each room oozes opulence and opens onto a private terrace by the water.
Spend your days mountain-bike riding, kayaking or exploring nearby waterfalls, before enjoying a delectable spread of international and local cuisine at Pontoon, the floating restaurant. When darkness falls, plonk yourself down on your terrace with a glass of wine and listen to the gentle lapping of the water.
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Take a Buddhist journey
For an enlightening spiritual retreat join Buddhist scholars, and occasionally the Dalai Lama himself (there are tentative dates for the beginning of 2017), on tours to places of great significance and holiness in mainly India, but also Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. Trips range from three days to 18, and the group size is kept small to ensure the essence of mindful travel is never lost. These are unique journeys, designed to explore both the cultural and spiritual aspects of the destination, and offer the traveller new insights, personal discover and the chance to meet local people they perhaps wouldn’t on a normal tour.
Some of the trips include a sojourn to the painted caves at Ajanta in Maharashtra and an exploration of ancient Buddhist sites and palaces and forts in Andhra Pradesh. Accommodation ranges from five-star hotels to home stays in more remote areas.
Barefoot Pilgrimage
Test your Christian faith with the ultimate three-day pilgrimage to the island sanctuary of St Patrick.
Located on a small lake in Ireland’s County Donegal, Lough Derg has been attracting worshippers for more than 1000 years. Immerse yourself in this time-honoured tradition of Celtic spirituality, but be prepared to get tired, hungry and cold. When you arrive on the island bid farewell to your shoes in exchange for a frugal existence and prayer.
For the next three days you will walk barefoot, fast and engage in ritual worship, including silent prayer and kneeling on hallowed beds. Participate in an all-night, 24-hour vigil and fast for the duration of your stay, with the exception of one daily meal of dry toast and black tea or coffee.
Some find the pilgrimage an energising and enlightening experience. Others would concur with its other name – Saint Patrick’s Purgatory.
Après-ski at the legendary MooserWirt
Want to get a taste of the pub rumoured to sell more beer per square metre than any other in Austria? Then best head to St Anton’s Mooserwirt, just one of the legendary après-ski haunts on the run from Glazig to St Anton. At 3pm, the shutters are closed and the club begins – alternatively you can try and find a place on the packed sun terrace.
Before you hit Mooserwirt, though, you might want to have a sneaky stein and schnitzel further up the mountain at the Krazy Kanguruh. Next door at Taps is a little quieter if you want to ease into the afternoon. The other slightly more sedate (but hardly quiet) option is Griabli, with live rock, soul and blues from about 3.30pm each day.
Party with Olympians at Puerta del Sol
Chile’s Valle Nevado has some of the best powder conditions in the southern hemisphere and, although small when compared with their Euro counterparts, there are a couple of good reasons to head to the Andes. First of all, there are 9000 hectares of skiable terrain. Tick. But this is also where most of the Olympic ski teams from out of town train during August and September, so, when the day is done, there are plenty of very fit (mostly male) athletes looking for a good night out.
It all starts in the gigantic hot tub at the Puerta del Sol Hotel, with a DJ on the decks and drinks aplenty. After dark everyone heads out – and as there are only four bars in town, if you spotted someone on the slopes during the day you’re likely to eyeball them downing shots later in the evening. Cheers.
Posh, not pricy, at Adler Hostel
Most people don’t think luxury when it comes to backpacker-style lodgings, but Adler Hostel proves that you can go a little bit posh without the hefty price tag. Located in the bustling heart of Singapore’s Chinatown district, the hostel’s dorms are furnished in a range of elegant themes. Each capsule-style bed is surprisingly spacious and houses all the right creature comforts – think plump pillows, universal power points, clothes hangers, a personal locker and a curtain for privacy.
The tea and juice bar offers an ever-changing breakfast menu and leads to a cosy lounge area perfect for relaxing or meeting fellow travellers. If you can bring yourself to leave your cocoon of comfort, there’s a plethora of restaurants and shops just outside the door. You’ll be hard pressed to find better bang for your buck.
Relax, it’s island time
Yes, the 4000 hectares of limestone karsts bursting from the ocean make it look like Krabi in Thailand, but you won’t find nearly the same number of gawkers in the Caramoans, about 500 kilometres south-east of Manila.
There are 10 principal islands with pristine white-sand beaches and lush peaks where you can snorkel, kayak, trek and rock climb far from the tourist hordes. There is one main spot, Gota Village Resort, where you can rent rustic cabanas and more upscale villas on a private cove, but there aren’t any discos to frequent when the sun goes down. If watching fireflies lights up your life, though, this could be your idea of heaven.
Crazy House
Get set for a kooky kip at the Crazy House in Dalat, the charming French-inspired mountain city popular with Vietnamese honeymooners. Described as a work Gaudi may have created if he’d dropped some acid, the Crazy House (its original name is Hang Nga Villa) stretches the boundaries of architectural creativity, then abandons them altogether.
Tunnels, walkways and ladders connect a labyrinth of rooms brought together using wire, wood and a generous coating of concrete to resemble a whimsical tree house. It all sounds a bit ramshackle, but has architectural credibility. Owner Dang Viet Nga, daughter of former Vietnamese president Truong Chinh, has a PhD from the University of Architecture in Moscow, and her guesthouse is a continually evolving labour of love.
Diver’s Delight
Love the idea of a remote liveaboard dive adventure where you can truly get away from it all, but don’t quite have the sea legs? Avillion Layang Layang is an isolated diver’s paradise unlike any other. Laying Layang Island was used by the Malaysian military as a naval base back in the 1980s and has since been transformed into a dive resort, spectacularly positioned on 13 coral reefs that rise two kilometres from the floor of the South China Sea.
The 20-metre-deep lagoon – 300 kilometres northwest of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah – is teeming with seahorses, dolphins, hammerheads and manta rays, and even attracts the occasional whale shark and orca. The airstrip dominates the island and the time you’re on it is the only period during which you’re likely to be dry (aside from when you’re sleeping).
Sleep under the stars in Oman
In the highest sand dunes of Oman’s Wahabi desert lies Desert Nights Camp, the ultimate Arabian glamping experience. Marvel at the majesty and isolation of the desert landscape as you take part in some of the activities, including sunset camel rides, dune boarding and visits to local souqs and ancient forts.
In the evening take your place on a pillow around the campfire, listen to traditional Omani music and delight in dates and local coffee.
Sleep under the desert stars in tents woven from Omani goat hair and forget about the worries of the modern world. This camp is not without its luxuries, as each of the deluxe tents has an ensuite bathroom, living room and outdoor sitting area. Dinner of authentic Omani cuisine is served beneath the sails in the restaurant.
This sand sojourn will leave you entranced by the wonders of the Arabian Desert and reluctant to get back to reality.