Elite Traveler Spring 2019

B U C K E T L I S T

DEEP-SEA DIVING THE MALDIVES

ULTIMATE CHINA CHINA On this 11-night itinerary, you’ll tick off the major sights and experiences China has to offer. Beginning in the bustling city of Beijing, you’ll spend three nights at The Peninsula Beijing, where you’ll have a tai chi class taught by a master instructor at the classical Ming Period Temple of Heaven. Then explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World: Climb or take a cable car to the top of the well-preserved Mutianyu section of the Great Wall to enjoy views of the surrounding mountains. Fly by private charter to ancient Xi’an to explore the excavation site of the Terracotta Army’s warriors and horses, accompanied by an on-site archaeologist. Head to Shanghai for a guided walking tour of the famous Bund and visit the Shanghai Museum with a curator. For the last few days, travel to Guilin to observe the rural, traditional life by boarding a bamboo raft for a cruise along the Li River. Finally, you’ll jet to Hong Kong for a farewell dinner and a night at The Peninsula Hong Kong before flying home. From $42,000 per person. Contact Annie Jensen, travel expert, info@abercrombiekent.co.uk, +1 888 611 4711, abercrombiekent.com

The vivid turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean are home to an abundance of marine life such as turtles, nurse sharks, dolphins, manta rays and bright coral. Of course, you can snorkel through the warm waters and spot these creatures as you skim along the ocean’s surface, but to get closer to the action, you’ll need to go deeper undersea. Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru has just the thing — DeepFlight’s first three-person Super Falcon 3S is its most advanced model. You’ll board this high-tech submersible and descend to a depth of 120 ft to explore the Maldives’ only Unesco Biosphere Reserve in the Baa Atoll. The submarine’s design was inspired by the aerodynamics of flying, so it can effortlessly glide over reefs and cruise alongside marine life. As our marine ecosystems are so delicate, the Falcon’s electric and acoustic emissions are minimal so as not to disturb the underwater life, and it will never land on the seabed or reef. During your deep-sea exploration, the pilot will explain the workings of the marine ecosystem. From $1,500 per flight for two people, Three-bedroom Landaa Estate from $18,000 per night. Contact Ivan Giles, resort manager, +960 660 0888, fourseasons.com

IGLOO SLEEPOVER GREENLAND

You might be heading to the Arctic to chase the Northern Lights, but you need accommodations that are as unique as those dancing lights. Newly launched for winter 2018/19, the Igloo Lodge has hand-built, traditional igloos where you can spend the night. There are five igloos; each can sleep two people and comes with reindeer skins and specialist sleeping bags, and the aim is to bring you back to nature to experience a night in the Arctic tundra like the Inuits have been doing for centuries. By day, head off on snowshoeing and snowmobiling adventures and by night, head on a Northern Lights safari.

From $1,300 per person. Contact Alice Spencer, travel designer, info@offthemap.travel, +44 800 566 8901, offthemap.travel