In a country that celebrates excess, the house of the King is a temple to intemperance. A tour of Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, provides a fascinating insight into the extravagant life of Elvis Presley. At the mansion you can walk in the footsteps of Elvis’s blue suede shoes, wobble your hips in the music room, see the TV room (where Elvis would apparently watch three television sets at once), check out the meditation garden and shooting range, be dazzled by the display of gold and platinum discs on the walls of the Trophy Room and take a peak in the infamous Jungle Room – the man cave where Elvis did whatever Elvis wanted to do, on shag-pile carpet surrounded by exotic African furniture.
The King died at the estate in 1977, while on the throne in the royal bathroom, possibly straining after one too many deep-fried banana, peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. If you don’t want to suffer the same fate, go for a brisk stroll through the grounds, and check out 30 vehicles from Elvis’s private collection, including a Lockheed Jetstar plane, Rolls Royce sedans, Mercedes Benz limos, a pink Cadillac and a John Deere tractor. Stay at the Elvis-themed Heartbreak Hotel, right across the street from the Graceland Mansion.
Park your backside, buckle your belt and bite into the Big Apple, without ever leaving your seat. Snag a front-row view and soak in the city as it flaunts its wares behind the panoramic window of The Ride, a unique moving-theatre motor coach. Surround sound pulls urban scenes into the bus but don’t forget it’s a two-way street – external speakers keep you ‘on air’ as you drive. Sidle up to Grand Central Station and roll through Central Park. Flat-screen TVs exhibit photos and facts about each location, but the street performers steal the show.
Flashing lights and pumping beats make the bus (and you) an attraction, so expect an audience of intrigued New Yorkers. Don’t forget to catch a glimpse of the world-famous skyline through the glass-lined roof. No New York journey is complete without a subway ride and the bus’s floor-shaking technology ensures you won’t be left longing.
Alaska is the largest and most sparsely populated state in the USA. On this 11-day tour, departing Anchorage, you’ll explore its vast remote wilderness and pristine coastal environment. Go looking for moose, wolves, caribous and black and grizzly bears on a trek through Denali National Park, before taking a scenic flight over glaciers to Anchorage.
There’s the chance to go on a hell-hike across the Juneau Ice Field, and go whale watching at Point Adolphus, one of the best spots to spy humpback whales in the world. Accommodation is in boutique inns and rustic cabins.
Some traditions are a little stranger than others, and that’s certainly the case come October in Colorado’s Manitou Springs. The Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Parade attract 10,000 people who come to watch teams of four pushing a ‘corpse’ (really just another perfectly alive member of the team) along the street in a coffin. Why? Well, Emma, who was suffering with tuberculosis, moved to Manitou Springs in the late 1800s to take advantage of the healing waters of the local mineral springs. It didn’t work and Emma died, but not before she’d made her fiancé promise to bury her at the top of Red Mountain. In the years that followed erosion caused Emma’s coffin to become exposed and eventually it slid down the mountain. People in the town say you can sometimes see a young woman in Victorian garb looking lonely atop Red Mountain.
You know a cave hotel is the real deal when you wake to find ceiling rock crumbling over the bed. Hezen’s elegant rooms have been fashioned out of the ancient caves that pockmark Cappadocia, and you can still very much feel the rocky atmosphere.
Each alcove and shelf has been hand carved with pockets of light accentuating the rock detail. Multiple terraces provide the perfect vantage point for enjoying the dramatic scenery, with views out across Ortahisar Castle. Located out of the tourist hub, this petite hotel has a homely atmosphere and is a Cappadocian experience in itself.
As any gastronome worth their salt (and pepper) knows, the best bit about any fine dining experience is when you voluntarily eat something that sets your own arse on fire. The world’s most angry edible ingredient, according to New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute, is Trinidad and Tobago’s moruga scorpion pepper, used in napalm-esque condiments such as Dek’s pepper sauce. In 2012, the Trinidad moruga scorpion chilli was named the world’s hottest, with an average rating of more than 1.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale (by comparison, Tabasco original red sauce has a Scoville rating of 2,500–5,000 units).
Like any local delicacy, it’s best tasted in situ – in the restaurants in Port of Spain – but if you can’t get to Trinidad and Tobago, or you want to buy a gift basket of the sauce for someone you really don’t like, it’s available from igourmet.com. Don’t forget to put the toilet paper in the fridge before you go to bed.
Ever dreamed of downing your morning coffee with a whale frolicking in the foreground? That can be your reality when you wake up at this secluded gem. Tiny but beautiful Fofoa Island, part of the Vava’u group, plays host to The Beach House, an eco-friendly bungalow that sleeps up to five people in two bedrooms, each with its own private balcony.
In the evening, cook up the catch of the day and eat on the overwater deck as the sun goes down. The house is a 45-minute boat ride from the main town of Neiafu and overlooks the Blue Lagoon. While you’re there, jump in with or watch humpback whales (the season lasts from July to October), spot turtles, join a Tongan feast, go fishing and kayak to uninhabited sanctuaries.
Nothing dwarfs your perception of humankind quite like a brush with whales, and we’re not talking about seeing a dorsal fin break the surface of the water from a boat. An underwater encounter with humpbacks – they grow as large as petrol tankers and will be just metres away from you warbling their hypnotic song – will have you so mesmerised you’ll almost forget to breathe. With its clear, warm water and Polynesian charms, Tonga is one of the best places in the world to swim with them, and August – during the dry season and at the height of their migration – is the best time to visit.
The waters off the spectacular Vava’u Islands are a nursery for the underwater mammals and a place where you can spend more daylight hours in the water than out, slipping into the blue depths to eyeball gargantuan humpbacks and frolic with their playful calves.
Live like a Thai king in this clifftop castle overlooking the Andaman Sea. Clinging to a headland on Phuket’s exclusive Millionaire’s Mile, this six-bedroom showstopper represents tropical opulence at its finest.
Flop into the 15-metre infinity pool overhanging the rocky shoreline and enjoy the illusion of swimming in your own private ocean. Meander down the steps to a secluded cove and explore the crystal waters and tropical forest, then finish the day with a sunset soak in the outdoor terrazzo bathtub while your private chef prepares dinner. It’s expensive so share the love, and the cost, with 11 of your nearest and dearest.
Set up shop in the wilds of the southern Thai jungle as you visit Elephant Hills. Start at the main camp, staying in one of 30 luxury tents boasting bathrooms, electricity (renewable, of course) and ceiling fans. Here, guests feed elephants, watch them bathe and learn about conservation and why rides are a no-go.
Once you’re ready to say goodbye to wi-fi, board a long-tail boat and sail deep into the tropical forest. Disembark at the Rainforest Camp where 10 tents bob over Cheow Larn Lake. From your terrace, slide into the water for a swim or lounge back and scour the canopy for snakes and gibbons.
During the day, learn to cook traditional Thai cuisine, meet elephants, go canoeing and spot wildlife on a jungle trek.
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