It’s never easy to plan a trip, let alone planning a luxurious vacation on which you plan on enjoying fine dining, accommodation, the experiences of a lifetime, and a unique travel experience all at once. It might seem like just buying the most expensive of everything will get you there but enjoying luxury is more than just spending your money on the biggest, fattest price tag available.
For some, it might just be about the amount of money that’s spent but for others, it is about getting to experience that which simply cannot be achieved on a budget trip. Whether you are planning a trip that is within the country or whether it is across borders, if you have the money for it, it can be the experience of a lifetime.
When planning a luxury trip you always have the option of going for a pre-planned tour. There are countless travel and tourism companies across the globe that can design and help you execute a trip that is fit for a king and one that will cater to your very needs. While this is convenient it might not be for everyone. After all, traveling and exploring are all about the journey and not just the destination. If you are the kind of person who would like to chalk out a trip from scratch, understand your available options, and then choose something that is to your liking, this guide is for you. Here are some tips to help you cover every aspect of a luxury trip and how to make it even better.
1. The Best Time To Go
Before you pack your bags and book the ticket, you should do some research on the weather conditions of the destination you’re planning on visiting. Depending on where you are going and what you are looking to do, this might need to be in specific seasons of the year. If you plan on traveling to a country in the southern hemisphere and would like to enjoy the warm winters there, wintertime is at the opposite time than countries in the northern hemisphere. Instead of December being the coldest month, it is June and July that are considered the peak of the winter season. Similarly, if you are visiting an area for a certain event then find out when exactly that is and arrange your trip accordingly. If you just want to take a trip when it is convenient for you, then look for what options you have at that time of the year. You might want to reconsider your options depending on what is available at that particular time. Some attractions, such as the Northern Lights, are only available at certain times of the year. Planning a trip in advance gives you the room to make adjustments in your schedule to accommodate such unique events.
2. Travel
Getting to your destination is in part dependent on what your options are and partly on what you prefer. If you are traveling across borders you have a few more options but even local travel can be made quite exciting. If you are traveling through Russia for instance, you could opt to fly there and then take the famous Trans-Siberian Railway that covers nearly all of Russia and also gives you several days to enjoy the magnificent view of the world’s largest freshwater lake. In such a journey you also have the option of starting and finishing at multiple locations. You could start in China, Moscow, or Siberia. The train covers nearly the entire length of the Asian continent and in doing so gives passengers plenty of options to explore. If you prefer flying by plane you could hire your own private jet and fly to wherever you like, whenever you like. You could land in Russia for lunch and go to Japan for dinner and fly back to Norway to experience the Northern lights. If you are feeling really adventurous you could even make a trans-continental journey by road. All you will need is a reliable vehicle and some paperwork to have the vehicle shipped from one continent to the other in case you encounter a large water body. Many people even travel the world in their everyday cars.
3. Accommodation
When it comes to accommodation you could choose any kind of hotel that you prefer. If you are looking for the peak of luxury then there is only one 7-star hotel in the world, Burj Ul-Arab, located in Dubai. However, the countless other five-star hotels across the world are also great options. Though if you are looking for something that is going to be a unique yet luxurious experience then consider renting a personal space in a more remote and intimate location. Think of it as an extremely high-quality AirBnB. You can find such accommodations in every part of the world, and some are so exclusive that you might even need a reference; otherwise, no amount of money can grant you access. In more remote locations, such as South America or South East Asia, you should consider booking private luxury villas for yourself and your family; they might be within your budget. Not only do these places provide all the amenities you would expect from a top-rated hotel, but they also offer views and location benefits that many other mainstream destinations cannot match. These high-end accommodations come with everything, from a chauffeured vehicle, to concierge services, to Michelin Starred meals. Everything is provided for you, to save you the trouble of seeking out these services yourself. Some of these private properties even offer services like a private golf club, a private safari park, and even a private forest for you to explore at your own convenience.
4. Food
For some travelers, food and drink are the last of their concerns while for others it is the sole purpose of the journey. There are countless food establishments in every part of the world that create culinary delights that are not found anywhere else on the planet. Some of the most popular luxury hotels offer unique dining experiences such as Ithaa Undersea, a restaurant in the Maldives that serves food underwater. If you are looking for a challenge for your body and your palette consider Koks, a very remote restaurant located in the north of Denmark that prides itself in using all-natural ingredients. In fact, all the meat that is served is locally hunted game that is indigenous to that region. The flowers, vegetables, and even the spices are all gathered locally. It’s so far out that the journey cannot be made in a single day and since there is no other hotel around they offer rooms as well. However, it is a very small establishment so you might have to book your slot several months in advance.
5. Activities
The world is full of exciting things to do, places to explore, and unique moments to experience for every kind of person. If you are looking for something romantic for yourself and your significant other then why not take a private trip to see the sunken Titanic. If you are after a more scenic experience, then maybe a helicopter ride through the Grand Canyon will be a better choice. If you are looking for something out of this world then maybe a space ride to the outermost region of the Earth’s atmosphere will be a better choice. You could cruise the Nile in a private yacht or maybe take a trip around the world just to explore the 7 great wonders of the world. For those that are looking to relax and rejuvenate then the luxury spa experiences that Bali has to offer are also a very good option. For those looking to experience a climate and a region that only a few have ever seen, a trip to the South Pole might be a good choice.
When it comes to luxury travel you are not limited by money but more so by time. In reality, every country of the world has something to offer that is completely unique that can’t truly be experienced other than its natural habitat. Whether that is related to wildlife, the party life, sightseeing, or the history of our species there is so much to see that one life might not be enough. If money really is no object and you want to experience travel, then why not experience that which is only available for a limited time. It was just a few years ago that we lost Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island Tortoise who passed away of natural causes in 2012. He was the last of his species and now we can only see this creature in the taxidermied body of Lonesome George.
The world is changing at an incredibly fast pace and we are losing unique parts of the ecosystem on a daily basis. Another example is the Sumatran Rhino of which there are less than 80 left in the world. There are countless examples of animals that are either going extinct or are extremely close to being extinct and there are no major efforts being made to protect these precious global assets. It’s not just animals that we are losing. Global warming is a major threat to a lot of plant life and many things that we take for granted today might not exist within the next few decades. Research suggests that plants such as the Banana tree, avocado tree, cocoa trees, and even coffee plants might not survive climate change in the next thirty years. Even the Avery islands in Louisiana that are home to the piquant peppers that are used to make Tabasco are slowly sinking and in a few years, they might disappear completely. In the next few years, we might lose tobacco, honey, coffee, and even chocolate.