From big birthdays to wedding anniversaries and honeymoons, there’s no better way to celebrate a milestone than with an extra-special getaway. Here, we’ve put together our ultimate list of luxury holidays to help you celebrate that special occasion in style, from unforgettable wildlife experiences to truly iconic train journeys, blogs Dave Warne.
Journey on the Eastern & Oriental Express
From the people behind Europe’s iconic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express comes Asia’s just-as luxurious version in what is one of the world’s most impressive and lavish train journeys. Sweeping between Malaysian rice paddies and Thai jungles, you’ll start your journey in either cutting-edge Singapore or vibrant Bangkok, alongside open-bar drinks and fine dining served among glossy-wood cladding and traditional silk furnishings. That’s not forgetting the included excursions on offer throughout, from cycling tours through rural villages to traditional cooking classes.
Visit Machu Picchu & the Galapagos
Seeing a Wonder of the World makes for an unforgettable holiday experience – and when better than a special occasion to visit one? From watching the sunrise over the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu to coming face-to-face with some of the world’s most iconic wildlife, these two Latin American icons are true travel highlights. After exploring the colonial treasures of Cusco, the Sacred Valley and, of course, the mighty Machu Picchu, swap to Ecuador to sail the famed Galapagos on a luxury yacht, where everything from giant tortoises and sea lions to marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies awaits as you head on snorkeling trips, hikes, and boat rides.
Stay at the ICEHOTEL
A stay at the world’s first ice-carved hotel is a wonderfully unique way to celebrate a milestone. Shaped by artists from around the world, a bar molded entirely from ice and 12-course ice menus await before you bunk down at -5°C among intricate sculptures and frozen suites, kept warm by reindeer hides and, come morning, a glass of hot lingonberry. And, hidden in the depths of Swedish Lapland, daytimes are jam-packed with winter adventures, from reindeer safaris to husky sledding through snow-silent forests. It’s all topped off by – with luck – the dazzling Northern Lights that sweep above the region for eight months of the year.
Enjoy a luxury Big Five safari
For luxury and wilderness combined, look no further than Tanzania. Setting off from tented lodges – all-inclusive drinks and gourmet meals fuelling you for the thrilling days ahead – you’ll track wildebeest across the Serengeti, ride in safari trucks to spot leopard crouching in trees and watch in awe as elephants stride across the remote bushland. Come back to champagne toasts by the fire in your luxury camp – before perhaps culminating it all on the island idyll of palm-fringed Zanzibar.
Cruise Antarctica on a luxury ship
A trip to Antarctica is the very definition of bucket-list – and where better to toast a big celebration than at one of the world’s final frontiers on a luxury cruise? As you explore its ice-covered reaches from Zodiacs and onshore, you’ll spot everything from penguins and breaching whales to giant calving glaciers that break off into the ocean with an almighty crash. It’s all delightfully complemented by fine dining, champagne-paired menus, indulgent afternoon teas, and pianist-accompanied sundowners.