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.

You may also enjoy reading:Unusual Architecture: Design Marvels Across Europe

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.

Bookmark for later: These Are The Most Unique Romantic Getaways The World Has To Offer

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.

More travel inspiration for those seeing a unique vacation: These Are The Most Unique Romantic Getaways The World Has To Offer

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. 

The best luxury resorts in the world are of course glorious places to stay, but there is so much more to them than their guest rooms – they’re gateways to destinations, and they’re entire destinations in themselves. Whether they happen to be located in the middle of national parks, private white sand beaches, wine country, ski slopes, cities or small towns, they tell a unique story about their place. Here are 10 of our favorites right now.

For billabong swims and hammock time: Silky Oaks Lodge, Queensland

Forty ‘treehouses’ sit snugly in the world’s oldest living rainforest, surrounded by fronds and vines, ferns and mosses. It’s hard not to think of Eden as you lie in your hammock following a dazzling blue Ulysses butterfly or a chattering of palm cockatoos with your eyes. Guests have the chance to learn about the Indigenous culture of the local Kuku Yalanji people who have lived in the Daintree Rainforest continuously, and have a deep connection with it.

 

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For tranquility and connecting with nature: Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel

In the mountains of north Japan, this tranquil ryokan is the only resort built on the shore of the Orase Gorge, part of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, a protected area teeming with lushness: beech, katsura and Japanese horse chestnut trees, plus over 300 species of moss. Rooms overlook the stream and waterfalls; it’s an unparallelled vantage point for witnessing the changing seasons. Lots of significance is placed on the onsen experience in the hot springs from Mount Hakkoda – the concept behind the resort is “Keiru slow living”. Stay here on our Majestic Japan journey. 

For sumptuous living in the city: The Leela Palace, Chennai

One of the best luxury resorts on our Essence of India journey, this is almost five acres of sheer opulence and romance where the Bay of Bengal meets the Adyar river. There are brunches fit for royalty, sea-view sundowners, marble corridors, chandeliers and silk ruching wherever you look, even a cake shop, whose counters are filled with handcrafted macarons, chocolates and cheesecakes. Rooms and suites are haven-like, golden and glorious but it’s worth tearing yourself out of them to lounge by the enormous pool. 

 

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For icon status in the great Canadian outdoors: Fairmont Banff Springs

Known as Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies” this world-famous resort with its steep copper roofs, dormers and gables, is located in the majestic Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides absurd levels of beauty and various walking trails, the park itself offers opportunities for horseback riding, rock climbing, biking, glacier walking and skiing. On the resort itself, there’s a 27-hole championship golf course and an award-winning spa, not to mention wildflower cocktails in the timeless Rundle Bar. 

Stay here on our Majesty of the Rockies journey.

 

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For serenity (and celebrity) by the beach: Copacabana Palace, Rio

As far as world class locations go, Copacabana Beach is hard to beat. This imposing white Carrara marble icon has been in situ since 1923, when French architect Joseph Gire took influence from the Negresco in Nice and the Carlton in Cannes. Since then, celebrities passing through have included Walt Disney, Brigitte Bardot, Princess Diana and Madonna. Away from the high energy of the beach and the city streets, the interiors offer soothing white linens, mahogany furnishings and arguably the best balconies in the world. 

This hotel is on our Classic South America journey.

 

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For Tuscan frescoes and flowers: Four Seasons Firenze

This is an urban retreat of Florentine proportions, housed across the 15th-century Palazzo della Gherardesca and the 16th-century convent, La Villa. The creamy interiors feature frescoes, paintings and sculptures, plus elaborate floral displays and golden light seemingly sent from the heavens. The Renaissance theme continues through the Michelin star restaurant, wine cellar and into the relaxation center, with its ancient Italian spa treatments and garden-based yoga. All a 15-minute walk from the Duomo.  

For English charm and Swiss hospitality: Hotel d’Angleterre, Geneva

On the shore of the glittering Lake Geneva, the Angleterre is a grand old dame to behold, but – as one of the best luxury resorts in the world – it’s also more intimate than you might expect. No two rooms are the same – there’s masterful quilting and upholstery, with playfulness coming through in the occasional leopard print cushion, striped drape, silk-covered wall or original Miró sketch. There’s afternoon tea, of course, plus decanters of port, cognac and whisky. It’s a masterclass in refined luxury, and it’s best enjoyed as part of Majestic Switzerland. 

For easy living in The Big Easy: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

At the edge of the French quarter, the swish Maison Blanche building which occupies a whole city block is a retreat from the hubbub, but a very assuredly New Orleanian one. After a dinner of farm-to-table Louisiana cuisine (blue crab beignets, seafood gumbo, shrimp and grits), guests can listen to jazz musician Jeremy Davenport playing the lounge named after him, while sipping Davenportinis. It’s always a joyful stop on our Southern Grace journey. The spaces are ritzy and glamorous – lots of black leather and velvet.

 

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For untouchable private island solitude: Song Saa, Cambodia

This is the kind of unfathomable paradise we couldn’t not put on a list of the best luxury resorts. On Cambodia’s Koh Rong Archipelago, 45 minutes by speedboat from Sihanoukville, Song Saa is arranged across two small islands. It’s got everything you’d expect – palm-thatched villas with four-poster beds and sea-view plunge pools and an open-air spa made up of various pavilions, and plenty you’d never dreamed of too (it’s surprisingly family-friendly!). The owners are committed to the environment – they’ve set up a marine reserve and employ conservation staff.

For stylish safaris with heart: Londolozi, South Africa

In the Sabi Sand Game Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park, Londolozi is all for healing the land. The Varty family behind it believe it “should inspire a desire to live in deeper connection with each other and the natural world”. Each of the exquisite camps tells a story – the Founders camp honors the past, Tree Camp is lantern-lit, and sanctuary-like, and Varty Camp is the heart and soul – it’s been hosting family-friendly campfires for over 100 years. The rooms and suites are richly layered under thatched roofs, each with expansive decks on which to do yoga, bathe or sip champagne.

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Stunning landscapes, incredible variety, endless culture. The USA is the ultimate year-round destination. If you’re looking for some travel inspiration then look no further than the soul of the south – Nashville, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee and New Orleans, Louisiana. A region with an incredible wealth of history, culture and nature, coupled with sensational cuisine and unbeatable music credentials, the Southern USA is the vacation of a lifetime.

In partnership with Visit the USA, we invite you discover the soul of the south and to travel with us on Southern Grace, a 9-day luxury journey from Nashville to New Orleans. To whet your appetite, we’ve picked out some of our favorite moments.

For travel inspiration: USA destination guide

Read more about our Southern Grace tour: High Notes: How Travel Concierge Ann Amplifies the Sounds of the South

Walk in the footsteps of legends in Nashville, Tennessee

A welcoming and vibrant destination for visitors, Nashville has long been at the heart of country music in America. ‘Music City’ as it is affectionally known, is also the birthplace of bluegrass, with a thriving rock and pop scene. A city packed with sensational eateries and exceptional hotels, your stay at the sophisticated Grand Hyatt on our Southern Grace small group journey places you in the center of luxury and the downtown action.

Nashville grew from a foundation based on music and, as the 1800s unfolded it became a national center for music publishing. Join us and discover the music like a VIP. At Studio B – Nashville’s oldest remaining record studio, take part in a private recording session under the guidance of a professional sound engineer. Let your inner songbird free and record a take-home tune just as legends Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton have done before you.

Later, at the Country Music Hall of Fame, as guests of Luxury Gold you’ll enjoy a private, behind-the-scenes look at the songwriting process with a local songwriter and singer. On your visit you’ll also see memorabilia from stars such as Jim Reeves and Roy Orbison, before topping the night off with a performance at the Grand Ole Opry.

You may also enjoy reading: For Your Ears Only: Experience the Privilege of Private Live Music

Discover U.S. history in Memphis, Tennessee

Home of ‘The King’, the blues and the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, Memphis is another musical pilgrimage hotspot. But over and above the music, this city holds an essential place in U.S. history, and its civil rights legacy lives on in many ways.

Nowhere is this history brought to life quite like the National Civil Rights Museum, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on Southern Grace. Immerse yourself on a guided tour through the interactive exhibits and poignant storytelling, the museum shares the story of key moments throughout the American Civil Rights Movement, from the history of enslaved people all the way through to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Memphis, and indeed the whole of Southern USA, is also known for its delicious cuisine including cajun, creole and some of the finest BBQ. To experience traditional cooking at its most tasty, Luxury Gold guests get a backstage pass to Central BBQ – one of the city’s oldest and most iconic establishments. Sweep past the queues (which are usually around the block) for your VIP visit. Inside you will meet Clint Cantwell, a renowned grilling expert to learn how to make the most delicious pulled pork, brisket and ribs – a rare event usually only local insiders get to experience. Followed of course by a scrumptious meal.

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Step back in time in Natchez, Mississippi

Stepping away from the hustle and bustle, Natchez is a charming retreat. The oldest city on the Mississippi and one of Southern USA’s hidden gems, more than 1,000 structures in Natchez are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With properties dating to the late 1700s, the South’s unique architecture and history comes to life in Natchez’s antebellum homes.

Your stay in the Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark built in 1818, gives you a timeless feel for the place. An early 19th-century antebellum mansion set in 26 acres of manicured gardens, world class service and historic surroundings combine for a decadent stay.

While in Natchez on Southern Grace, we invite you to personalize your day with a choice of two experiences. Either you can step back in time and take a private tour an 1850s Greek-Revival cottage, the beloved home of a local. Take your time to explore the interior and grounds and let your imagination run wild as you learn about its past. Alternatively you can choose to join a mixology class and learn all about famous Southern cocktails including the ‘Crown Julep’.

You may be interested to read: Our Favorite Classic Cocktails, and the Timeless Hotels To Try Them At

There’s nowhere quite like New Orleans, Louisiana

To cap off your Southern Grace tour the ‘Big Easy’ beckons. A city so steeped in history and culture and rich traditions there’s a tantalizing story around every corner. The Ritz Carlton is your majestic home for three nights and is a destination in itself. The building was built originally in 1908 and it became a luxury hotel in 2000 showcasing the best of American hospitality. Centrally located it means you are just a few steps from the area’s most popular attractions, including the famous Bourbon Street.

A city world renowned for its Mardi Gras celebrations, as part of your exploration of New Orleans we invite you to enjoy an all-access pass to the Mardi Gras World’s Blaine Kern Studios. This workshop has created sensational floats for Mardi Gras and other parades around the world since 1947. Learn how artists and architects build Mardi Gras floats from the ground up and view colorful costumes and props.

Read more about this extraordinary hotel: Why New Orleans’ Ritz Carlton Hotel is a cut above the rest

To enjoy the best of the USA with a luxurious visit to the sensational South, take a look at our Southern Gracesmall group journey.