The great thing about bucket lists is that every single one is different. Your particular bucket list may be about unique places to stay or unique places to eat, it may centre around traditional local cultures or culinary experiences, you may be in the market for outdoor activities, or you may just want to add some breathtaking views to the memory bank. Wherever your travel interests lie, we know that as a Luxury Gold guest, you will want to do it in style. Here are 10 unique vacations of the moment.

1. Chase the Northern Lights

Scientists think the furthest south the aurora borealis has been spotted is in Honolulu, and over recent years parts of Europe have had surprise sightings. But if you want to be fully immersed in the holographic splendor of the sun and earth’s clashing magnetic fields, you will have to commit more time and patience to the experience. To “chase” the northern lights, your best bet is to head to northern Norway, somewhere like Tromsö, where your probability of seeing the sky lit up with blues, greens and purples is 70-90% in cloudless conditions between August and April.

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2. Receive a Shaman’s Welcome in the Sacred Valley

Our Treasures of the Incas journey is one of our most unique vacations; once you’ve met a local artist in Lima, it’s time to venture into the Sacred Valley in the Andes of Peru, north of the Inca capital of Cusco. Here, a local shaman will perform a welcoming ceremony, designed to connect you to this magical, mystical place of natural beauty, before you head on to the travel bucket list classic, Machu Picchu. Dating back to pre-historic times, the welcome ceremony is a way to celebrate and show gratitude to Pachamama, the only goddess revered by the Indigenous people of the Andes. The journey continues on to Buenos Aires and to Rio de Janeiro for cocktails on Copacabana Beach.

3. Sleep Under the Stars in California

Don’t overlook what’s on your doorstep in favor of getting off the beaten path to find the world’s “hidden gems”. California’s National Parks are home to some of the most iconic views and landscapes on the planet. Yosemite is popular because it’s special – it has glacier-sculpted geology, fairytale sequoias, jewel-like lakes and so much more. Everyone who enters falls in love, particularly if they stay at one of 13 campgrounds, with access to a campfire.

4. Enjoy a Soothing, Open-air Onsen in Japan

Hot springs and the bathing facilities around them are called “onsen” in Japan, where they constitute an important part of daily life and are deeply rooted in the culture. Benefits of bathing in hot springs include relaxation, improved sleep, improved circulation, less joint pain, better skin and a clearer mind. Onsen etiquette usually requires full nudity and no tattoos. Our Majestic Japan journey features the Oirase Keiryu Hotel, one of our most unique places to stay, thanks to its onsen deep within the forest.

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5. Get a Taste for the Wine Life in South Africa

South Africa is home to some of the most breathtaking views in the world. It’s a wildly diverse place to travel, with culinary experiences, wildlife spotting and outdoor activities all on the agenda. Those looking for unique family vacations choose the safari, but if following the vines has always appealed to you, this is the place to do that, too. On our Spectacular South Africa journey, we head to the historic Cape Winelands, where we travel by chauffeured vintage car to indulge in a wine tasting at Vergelegen Estate and a farm-to-table lunch at Boschendal Wine Estate. Sip a delicious Pinotage surrounded by astounding natural beauty – it’s one for the books.

6. Behold an Uluru Sunset

Two weeks in Australia – you’ve probably been meaning to do it for a while, if you haven’t already. Our luxury journey takes in some of the country’s more unusual vacation destinations, as well as classics like Sydney, Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef. Near the centre of Australia is Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, a large sandstone monolith. It is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area, known as the Anangu. Stopping here to see the sun slip behind the rock is soul-stirring experience – this is a landscape of surreal proportions, awash with the pinks, purples and oranges that only the sun can conjure.

7. Spy the Elusive Tigers of Ranthambore

On the Essence of India, we take the Jan Shatabdi Express from historic Bharatpur to Ranthambore, one of our favorite and most unusual vacation destinations. It’s a vast expanse of wild jungle, with a 10th century palace at its centre, and it’s the greatest place to spot wild tigers. In the former private hunting grounds of the maharajahs of Jaipur, we join a Local Expert on a quest, exploring the fort’s crocodile-filled lakes and vine-laced chhatris (dome-shaped pavilions) along the way.

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8. Take the Orient Express to Venice

This one is high on many bucket lists, and rightfully so. It is simply one of the world’s most decadent ways to travel, and it seems fitting that you should take it between two similarly decadent destinations: Paris and Venice. The carriages on the world famous train date from the Golden Age of travel, the 1920s and 30s, and the art-deco features are a feast for the senses, even without the views through the windows. Every detail and moment of a journey on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has been carefully considered.

9. Go Whale Watching in Kaikoura

New Zealand dazzles from top to bottom, with the makings of unique vacations every stop of the way. Our luxury journey, The Long White Cloud, takes in the wilderness of Wanaka, the adventure of Queenstown, the mammoth serenity of the Fiordland National Park and sulphuric Rotorua, where we tour a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. There are nonstop bucket list ticks here, but Kaikoura often tops them all, particularly if you love wildlife spotting. Giant sperm whales live reasonably close to the shore of Kaikoura year-round, and there is little on earth that tops spying one of these glorious creatures from a catamaran.

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10. Dance at Mardi Gras in New Orleans

You are never short of unique things to do in New Orleans, and a trip here should be considered a bucket list trip anyway, particularly by those seeking new culinary experiences. But if you can make it here for Mardi Gras, there is simply nothing on earth like it. On Fat Tuesday, right before Ash Wednesday, it’s an epic carnival featuring parades and parties of pure, unadulterated revelry. And if you can’t make it in March, our Southern Grace journey includes a behind-the-scenes tour of Mardi Gras World’s Blaine Kern Studios, a workshop that has created floats, costumes and props since 1947. It’s a whirlwind of colour and culture.

Feeling inspired be there unique vacations? Take a look at our collection of small group luxury journeys. 

Rising 1,140 feet above the surrounding flat plain, Uluru is an extraordinary sight. As the world’s largest rock monolith, Uluru is taller than the Eiffel Tower and the Chrysler Building.  The base alone spans a massive 5.8 miles in circumference. Set in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Uluru began forming around 550 million years ago. This iconic landmark is fondly known as the heart of Australia’s Red Centre in the Northern Territory – but it’s much more than an enormous rock. Uluru is a sacred landscape for the traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta, the Anangu Aboriginal people, one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. In honour of World Heritage Day, we look at the cultural and spiritual significance of Uluru, Australia, and share how you can experience the wonder of Uluru on our Inspiring Australia tour. 

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The traditional guardians of Uluru

When you set eyes on the red sandstone monolith, you’ll marvel at the sheer size and impact of Uluru, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But if you observe Uluru transforming throughout the day in different shades of red, orange and violet, you’ll know you’re witnessing something truly remarkable.

Towering above the red desert plain, over 280 miles from the nearest large town (Alice Springs), the remoteness of the landscape lends itself to the powerful atmosphere that Uluru evokes. But this is far from untrammelled land. The Anangu people have been the guardians and traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta for over 60,000 years. Anangu is the name used by Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal people to refer to themselves. Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara are the two main languages spoken in Uluru-Kata Tjuta.

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The spiritual significance of Uluru 

Uluru and the nearby domes of Kata Tjuta are places of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Anangu people. The Anangu believe Uluru was created as a sacred site by their ancestral beings at the beginning of time. The traditional story says that each region of Uluru was formed by around 10 different ancestral beings. Uluru has several caves and fissures, also formed by ancestral beings, and the Anangu people still hold ceremonies in these caves. There is incredible physical evidence of this culture throughout the landscape, including rock art and remnants of ancient ceremonies and rituals.

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An unbreakable spiritual connection

For the Anangu people, Uluru and the nearby Kata Tjuta domes aren’t just rocks. They are living cultural landscapes and resting places for ancient spirits. The Anangu people live by Tjukurpa, the foundation and philosophy linking the people to their ancestors and the world. It governs everything from their customs and laws to mapping important places to find water and food. It also expresses their relationship between people, places, animals and the land. Tjukurpa is conveyed in stories, rituals, song lines, art and the landscape, and Uluru is an important part of this.

This spiritual connection to Uluru and the land remains strong today. The Anangu people continue to fulfil their duty to care for the earth and pass on their traditions and beliefs. Since the European discovery of Uluru, this sacred site has been horrifically mistreated, from the land being stolen to people climbing the rock face of Uluru despite the spiritual violation. In 2019, people were finally banned from climbing Uluru and the trail to the top was permanently closed. The Anangu people will continue to fight to protect their unique and ancient culture, history, and way of life.

Read more: Ayers Rock Resort: where to stay in Australia for a truly memorable experience

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Remarkable learning experiences

When you visit Uluru in Australia, you’ll see how this special region is an educational beacon and hub of information, with physical links to an ancient world. There’s a living history within the Anangu people who live much the same way they did thousands of years ago.

You’ll have the chance to witness some of these traditions on our Inspiring Australia tour. You’ll stay right on the edge of Uluru at the five-star Sails in the Desert and hear some of the ancient stories of the Anangu people. Experience the wonders of Uluru at sunset when you listen to the didgeridoo during the award-winning Sounds of Silence dinner. You’ll take guided walks through Uluru-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and learn about the importance of the land. Then see Uluru in a new light at sunrise when you witness Bruce Munro’s enchanting Field of Light art installation. The coloured glass spheres light up the desert in a magical experience.

You can experience the wonders of Uluru-Kata Tjuṯa National Park on our Inspiring Australia luxury tour, which takes you from the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef to the Outback, Alice Springs and Sydney.

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