Live life to the fullest, and chase experiences that you have always wanted to indulge in. Presenting part two of our must-do activities to put on your bucket list!
Cruise through Volcanic Islands
Galápagos Islands
Experience the wonders of nature in all its glory without compromising on sustainability or luxury. Built specifically to tour the Galápagos Islands on sea, the Celebrity Flora, from Celebrity Cruises, is the first ship of its kind that incorporates environment-friendly technologies such as a dynamic positioning system allows the mega-yacht to remain on station without dropping anchors, protecting the seabed—and the solar panels supplement electricity, reducing emissions. This mega-luxury yacht has been designed to keep the spotlight trained on the destination around you. With certified naturalists from the Galápagos National Park on board to guide the journey, you can marvel and learn about some of the magnificent flora and fauna that abounds on these volcanic islands. Inspired by the islands and built with natural materials, the ship merges seamlessly with the surroundings, giving you a feeling of total immersion.
Walk the Gladiator Paths
Colosseum Underground, Rome, Italy
The Colosseum Underground, where many a gladiator prepared for the fight of his life, is now open for you to marvel at. After 1,941 years, thanks to a 10-year renovation project funded by Tod’s, you can now walk the path where once only the gladiators, animal handlers, salves walked. Wooden walkways allow you to navigate corridors, niches, and reimagine the behind-the-scenes moments of fight day. You can even spot the remains of the slave-manned elevators that raised the gladiators and beasts to the arena floor.
Explore Islamic Architecture on the Ancient Silk Road
Khiva & Samarkand, Uzbekistan
The ancient Silk Road is a journey that will encompass your entire life time. So, we have chosen to explore Uzbekistan, said to be the architectural heartland of the Central Asian Silk Road. Lose yourself in the blue domes of Samarkand, explore the Registan Square and marvel at the stunning blue tilework of the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and the tomb of 15th-century warlord Tamerlane. Itchan Kala, the well-preserved walled citadel of Khiva Oasis yet another edifice that stuns you into silent admiration. The inner town (protected by brick walls some 10 m high) was said to be the last resting-place of caravans before crossing the desert to Iran.
Romance the Flowers
Almere, The Netherlands
Roaring gas pits not your thing, then let us lead you to a one-of-its-kind garden. Floriade is an international horticultural exhibition that happens only once in a decade. The 2022 edition starts on April 14 in the Dutch city of Almere and will not only focus on ‘growing green cities’ but host countless ingenious pavilions, an expansive arboretum, a greenhouse complex, and art and culture among other programmes that might enthuse the horticulture enthusiast in you. This spectacularly stunning show is housed in a custom-built waterside site that consists of 150 acres of expanse dotted with trees, shrubs, perennials, creepers, hydrophytes, and flower bulbs. An 850-metre-long cable car offers you an easy way of transport between the park and also comes with a spectacular view of the Floriade grounds from a height of 35 metres. Now that’s what we can a garden tour!
Soak in Stunning Forest Views
Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, Thailand
Thailand is just hop, skip, and a jump away from where we are, and it has more than just the sights of Bangkok and fabulous beaches on offer. On the UNESCO World Heritage list, the Kaeng Krachan forest is worth putting on your bucket list. Located along Thailand side of the Tenasserim mountain range, part of a north-south granite and limestone mountain ridge running down the Malay Peninsula and at the cross-roads between the Himalayan, Indochina, and Sumatran faunal and floral realms, you can explore the semi-evergreen/dry evergreen and moist evergreen forest with some mixed deciduous forest, montane forest, and deciduous dipterocarp forest. UNESCO says a number of endemic and globally endangered plant species have been reported in the property, which overlaps with two Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and is noted for its rich diversity of birdlife, including eight globally threatened species. The property is home to critically endangered, endangered as well as several other vulnerable species of birds and mammals, apart from being home to eight cat species.
