Elite Traveler March-April 2018

INSPIRE TOP 50 ADVENTURES AIR

SKYDIVE BELIZE

Sure, you can skydive. Sure, you can tick it off the bucket list. Sure, it’s a pretty hair-raising, adrenaline-fueled experience. But Brown + Hudson has taken it one step further with an unbelievable package — skydive 10,000ft directly over Belize’s Great Blue Hole with world-champion skydivers as your personal instructors. Then dive into the giant sinkhole to discover the undersea world that awaits. Part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, this Unesco World Heritage site is a rich habitat for marine life such as nurse sharks, reef sharks, blacktip sharks and even giant groupers. You can also combine your package with Special Air Service jungle survival training, if skydiving and swimming with sharks isn’t quite high-octane enough for you. From $41,000 per person for a minimum of three nights based on double occupancy. Contact Chris Brunning, senior trip planner, chris@brownandhudson.com, +44 203 358 0110, brownandhudson.com

HOT-AIR BALLOON CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

With its surreal, otherworldly terrain, Cappadocia is a landscape like no other. Best known for its distinctive conical rock formations (known as ‘fairy chimneys’), the magical region is also home to an abandoned underground city that dates back more than 2,000 years. Take in the enchanting scene from above with a hot-air balloon flight at sunrise — watching the sun soar above the ‘chimneys’ is truly spectacular. Back on land, settle into the gorgeous Argos in Cappadocia Hotel. Owner Gökşin Ilıcalı spent 13 years converting centuries-old stone mansions and an underground labyrinth into this romantic getaway. Some of the suites are carved directly into the rock, and there’s even a naturally created underground concert hall — head there for a traditional Sufi dance performance. Splendid Suite from $2,300 per night, hot-air balloon experience from $170 per person. Contact Özlem Uzun, sales executive, ouzun@ argosincappadocia.com, +90 384 219 3130, argosincappadocia.com