When regular theme parks start to feel as thrilling as stale airline pretzels, that’s when you know it’s time to jump on a plane and head out to The Rig.
Anchored 40km off Saudi Arabia’s coast in the Arabian Gulf, this floating mega-destination takes the industrial muscle of oil platforms and flips it into something wildly fun and unapologetically extra. It’s not a theme park; it’s literally an experience made of steel and sea.
Spread across more than 300,000 m² (yes, you read that right), The Rig packs three hotels, 800 beds, 11 restaurants and over 70 attractions: think less office cubicles, and way more adrenaline.
Flying over the waves by seaplane, helicopter or fast ferry is just the warm-up. Once you arrive, there’s everything from extreme sports parks to splash zones, immersive theatres and even underwater thrills.
It’s a project with serious ambition, designed to pull nearly a million visitors a year and celebrate Saudi Arabia’s oil heritage in a way that is both cheeky and visionary.
Imagine go-karts chasing sunlight on floating decks by day, epic eats with ocean views by night, and stories that start with “Remember that time we…” for decades.
Ngl, in a world full of cookie-cutter resorts, The Rig feels like the one that actually understands adventure. And we’re here for it.
If your 2026 mood board involves fewer spreadsheets and more mountain vibes, Highlander Adventure is about to make your year.
The global hiking phenomenon (born in Croatia and now strutting across more than 20 countries) is finally bringing its multi-day magic to Australia, kicking things off with a blockbuster debut in Victoria’s Mount Hotham from 18–22 March 2026. And yes, it’s every bit the wilderness love letter you’re hoping for.
This isn’t your average “walk in the bush.” Highlander’s Hotham itinerary sends hikers wandering through the Alpine National Park’s greatest hits: sweeping ridgelines, historic huts, cinematic valleys and old mining sites – hidden, rugged, and very much worth the effort. You start and finish at Mount Hotham, and everything in between is a choose-your-own-adventure of 1 to 5 days on the trail.
And the best part is that Highlander handles all the logistics so you can pretend you’re living your best off-grid fantasy while someone else remembers where the water stations are. Meals, mapped routes, safety support, air stations, it’s all sorted. And once the sun clocks off, their legendary festival-style campground kicks in. Think starry skies, new mates, and the kind of energy that says “yes, I hiked 20 km today, and yes, I will absolutely have another campfire snack.”
Five format options mean everyone, from first-timers to ultralight disciples, gets a slice of the Alpine action.
There’s a new kind of “house” in Philly, and by house we mean the sprawling, neon-lit, pop-culture funhouse of Netflix, one you can actually walk into.
Netflix House Philadelphia recently opened its doors at the King of Prussia Mall, offering fans a chance to step off their couch and into some of their favourite shows.
Inside, you’ll find over 100,000 square feet of immersive experiences – a mix of VR games, mini-golf, escape-room-style puzzles, themed food, merch and more. Two of the early centrepieces: a 60-minute pirate-style quest called “ONE PIECE: Quest for the Devil Fruit” and a carnival-meets-mystery event inspired by Wednesday (very spooky, very playful).
If you’re not into puzzles or spooky vibes, there’s still plenty to do: a nine-hole mini-golf course, VR versions of hits like Stranger Things and Squid Game, a themed restaurant called “Netflix Bites”, a merch shop, a theatre for screenings and fan events. So this place is basically a hybrid between a gaming arcade, immersive art installation, and a social clubhouse.
For a company that’s long lived in your TV screen, Netflix has now built a place where the stories really feel like they come alive; a playground for anyone who’s ever paused a show and thought, “What if I could walk inside this?”
It’s like a reminder that even in a world of algorithmic suggestions and streamed binges, there’s still something special about showing up to something in person.
Saltwater lovers, rejoice: Malta is having a seriously big moment beneath the waves.
The Maltese Islands just scored major bragging rights in the 2026 Scuba Diving Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards, a.k.a. the PADI community’s annual ceremony of “who’s absolutely nailing it underwater.” And Malta? Absolutely nailed it.
The Mediterranean country is now officially known to have the Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving Destination on Earth. Not too shabby for three tiny islands better known for sunshine and rabbit stew.
But the accolades don’t stop there. Malta also grabbed second place for wreck diving (the seabed is stacked with WWII relics, scuttled ships and photographic gold) and second place for shore diving, because here, great dives are literally a few steps from your sun lounger.
Add a handful of “One of the Best” rankings, including Best Value, Best Overall, Best Beginner Diving, Best Advanced Diving, and Best Wall Diving, and you’ve got a destination collecting awards like they’re seashells.
MTA Chairman Dr Charles Mangion says the success reflects Malta’s commitment to sustainability, operator expertise and the serious effort going into protecting its marine environment. In other words: they’re earning every single shiny gold thing they get.
And with Scuba Diving Magazine splashing these results across print, digital, newsletters and social channels reaching millions of divers, Malta’s underwater fame is about to crank up even further.
There’s a new kid shaking up the travel world and they’re not here to take you to the places straight off a “Top 10 Things to Do in…” list. Say hello to Oddtrips, a Melbourne-born travel brand built for the incurably curious, the wanderers who’d rather get lost in Kyrgyzstan’s mountain passes than queue for yet another temple selfie.
Founded by Sasha Fidler, who grew up in Kazakhstan surrounded by sweeping steppes and stories that never make it into guidebooks, Oddtrips is all about taking the road (or goat track) less travelled. Hint: you’re more likely to swap five-star resorts for five-billion-star skies and meet locals who actually live where you’re visiting.
These are self-guided, private, and small-group journeys with heart (and just enough oddness to keep things interesting). Think Japan’s sleepy countryside, Pakistan’s untouched valleys, Lapland’s wild white silence, and the Baltic coastline no one talks about (yet). Each trip is meticulously designed with local knowledge, a touch of style, and zero tourist fluff. Just the way we like it.
“Travel should be independent, local, and deeply human,” says Fidler, and that’s exactly what Oddtrips delivers. Backed by travel industry pros with 15+ years’ experience and accredited by ATIA, it’s the real deal for travellers who crave the unexpected.
So, if your idea of adventure doesn’t fit neatly in a brochure, it’s about time you joined the odd ones out.
Just when you thought your next island escape couldn’t get more brag-worthy, Majestic Whale Encounters has gone and launched a new tour to Niue (pronounced new-way), a speck in the South Pacific that packs more paradise per square metre than most countries can manage.
Home to just 1,600 people and roughly the same number of sea views, Niue is a place where your biggest worry is whether the dolphins will crash your swim with the humpbacks (they often do). From July to September, the island turns into an aquatic playground where whales cruise through bathtub-clear water and curious humans are invited (respectfully) to join the party.
Majestic Whale Encounters, long-time champions of ethical and eco-friendly adventures, are calling it their 8-day Niue Experience, which sounds blissfully simple because it is – swim with whales, soak up sunsets, and remember what it’s like to breathe properly. Between five guided whale swims, you’ll stay at the clifftop Matavai Resort, sipping poolside cocktails, devouring local feasts, and watching migrating whales roll past like they own the place (which, to be fair, they kind of do).
It’s family friendly, crowd-free, and traffic light–free, so it’s basically the anti-city break. Flights from Auckland take just over three hours, but mentally, you’ll be light-years away.
You think you’ve done Halloween? Think again. Step inside the hulking ruin of Eastern State Penitentiary, a ten-acre fortress of cellblocks, decades of whispered misery and (now) wicked fun. At Halloween Nights, this historic prison holds onto ghosts of the past and invites them to the party.
Here’s the deal – you’ll wander (or run) through multiple haunted houses with names like Nightmares, Dark Tides, Machine Shop, The Crypt. Rough-and-ready corridors, fog, lights, thumping beats and actors whose mission is to yank you out of your comfort zone. But if you want a breather, there’s the Fair Chance Beer Garden, themed cocktail lounges, and live performers doing things you can’t quite stop staring at.
This is a perfect spot to spend Halloween because the setting is built-in creepy (an abandoned prison with real history). The production value is high (cinematic sets, immersive flow, new scare zones). The optional “opt in” glow-necklace gimmick means you might get pulled into hidden passages or separated from your squad. Like c’mon?! Fun.
And the vibe is both electric and macabre. You’re surrounded by fellow thrill-seekers, the air’s charged, every corner might have a jump-scare or a haunted film-set moment. For anyone wanting more than candy and carved pumpkins, it’s the full-on Halloween immersion.
Forget the usual haunted house clichés. Spookywoods in Archdale, North Carolina, has taken the concept of “Halloween fun” and turned it into a fully realized and immensely terrifying immersive experience. Like, don’t be fooled. The attraction isn’t a walk through a dark corridor with someone shouting “Boo!” at you. It’s more like being dropped into a series of mini horror movies, each with its own set, style, and extreme level of chaos.
Step into Endora’s House, and you’re greeted by a witch who clearly has better dance moves than you. Cross the Luminous Passage, and you’ll feel like a rave threw up in a haunted tunnel (think blinking lights, shadows, and plenty of weirdness). Ashes Army drags you into the aftermath of miners who dug too deep and woke up things better left alone, while Camp Crystal Lake takes you to a summer camp where the counsellors are definitely not making s’mores.
But Spookywoods doesn’t stop at storytelling. ICONS lets you rub shoulders with horror movie legends without worrying about them gutting you for funsies (we’re talking to you, Michael), and The Creeper – a seven-foot cryptid with glowing red eyes – makes sure you keep one eye on the path ahead.
Every themed set is a carefully constructed world designed to keep you laughing, but mostly screaming. And that’s exactly what everyone needs on the 31st of October.
If 2026 is the year you want to finally hit the slopes then the Ikon Pass has your back – or rather, your skis, snowboard, and questionable decision-making skills.
This winter, Ikon is going big in Asia, adding nine new destinations across Japan, China, and South Korea. That’s right. From the powdery peaks of Niseko and Shiga Kogen to the Olympic-ready slopes of Yunding Snow Park and Mona Yongpyong, you can rack up to 77 days of skiing and riding without ever leaving the continent.
Japan alone now reads like a greatest-hits tour: Myoko Suginohara for long, sweeping runs two hours from Tokyo, Furano for bonkers “Bonchi Powder,” Mt.T for a bucket-list faceplant into 15 metres of deep snow, and Zao Onsen for skiing among literal snow monsters before soaking in a steaming onsen. NEKOMA, APPI, Shiga Kogen, it’s like someone said, “Let’s make Asia the ultimate ski playground,” and then actually did it.
Meanwhile, China and South Korea are throwing their hats in the ring with Olympic-level infrastructure, sunlit slopes, and enough halfpipes to make Shaun White nod approvingly.
Access is straightforward: Ikon Pass holders get 7 days at Shiga Kogen plus 7 at each new Asian destination, no blackout dates, and Base Pass holders get 5 days each. Session Pass? Sorry, you can sit this one out.
Perfect for those whose 2026 resolution involves powder and a whole lotta adventure, the Ikon Pass is basically a free pass to Asia’s snowiest destinations.
Sure, Dread Hollow is a haunted house, but it’s also so much more than that. It’s a whole cursed town, tucked into Tennessee, where the shadows seem to watch you, and the past has a nasty habit of sticking around.
The story starts with Mercy Harker, a woman whose lies led to the deaths of thirteen innocent women. The town’s history turned dark that day, and so, the legend of Dread Hollow was born.
Now, the place is a playground for the curious, the fearless, and for the those who want to be scared shitless. Wander through the Belle Royale Hotel, where the creaky floorboards tell a story of vengeful spirits, or get lost in Dreadwood Forest, where the trees feel a little too eager to guide you off the path. The high school isn’t safe either: hallways and classrooms hide their own brand of horrors, each one rooted in the town’s grim history.
If you think you’re clever, Dread Hollow’s Deliverance Escape Rooms will test that. In “Detention,” you’re stuck with Mercy Harker herself. “Alan Wayne: The Imitation Killer” makes you chase clues before a killer leaves his mark. And “Eugene Todd” is a race against time…or against ending up as the final victim.
But what really sets Dread Hollow apart is how immersive it is. There are no cheap shocks here; the scares are in the stories, the spaces, the history. It lingers. If you’re after something that sticks with you after you leave – something a little dark and a little twisted – Dread Hollow is waiting.
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