Elite Traveler March-April 2018

INSPIRE TOP 50 ADVENTURES LAND

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS B IKE TOUR SCOTLAND To truly get away from it all, head to the Scottish Highlands — the bewitching, rugged landscape holds some of Europe’s most pristine wilderness areas, with vast mountains, secret coves, lochs and white-sand beaches. Luxury bike vacation specialist the Carter Company has launched its Scottish Highlands Tour, traversing a southwest route from Nairn to Port Appin. The week-long, 130-mile journey winds through mountain ranges (including Ben Nevis and the volcanic peaks of Glencoe) but avoids extreme climbs and extensive daily distances, so cyclists of all abilities can participate. Highlights include exploring the Loch Ness shoreline, the Caledonian Canal through the Great Glen, Culloden Battlefield (the site of the last full-scale battle on British soil) and Cawdor Castle (which Shakespeare used as his setting for Macbeth ). All accommodations are charming

boutique hotels for weary cyclists to rest up. From $4,700 per person for seven nights. Contact Simon Eckett, operations consultant, simon@the-carter-company.com, +44 129 663 1671, the-carter-company.com

COLOMB IAN ROAD TRIP COLOMBIA

Still relatively under the radar, the southern colonial towns of Colombia make for a lovely chauffeur-driven road trip. The journey begins in the ‘white city’ of Popayán, famed for its sea of white-walled homes and churches, before winding south to Unesco- protected San Agustín, home to the largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America. Further inland, head to the mountainous Tierradentro in Cauca, which hides the most extensive and elaborate concentration of pre-Colombian hypogea (underground chambers) beneath its peaks. Finally, the journey ends at Huila’s most impressive geographical wonder, the immense Tatacoa Desert — a maze of wind-carved valleys in striking shades of ocher. The area has exceptionally low levels of air pollution, so be sure to spend an evening gazing at the stars. From $7,700 per person for seven nights. Contact Marc Beale, cofounder, marc@amakuna.com, +1 646 736 7582, amakuna.com