about 3 years ago

Other operators report a movement towards longer, more specialised trips. “I believe this reflects a shift in taste as much as pent-up savings,” says Tom Power of Pura Aventura. “Clients are asking to spend longer away, to get to know a place better – and to fly less.”

Travelling “better” may well become the our new mantra. “Some people have been turned off super-sized cruises and, for the first time, opted for a smaller alternative,” says Justin Francis, co-founder and CEO of Responsible Travel. “Trips can be more tailored and ships can get into the small nooks of a place that large liners can’t. There’s freedom to hop off, explore shorelines, go hiking, swimming, kayaking or fishing.”

Tim Williamson, customer director at Responsible Travel, added: “Part of the beauty of these trips is that they can be tailored to different ages and interests. Some are especially popular with mid-life travellers; the kids have left home and it’s their chance to have their own adventure and a bit of luxury.”

Keith Crockford of The Bucket List Company sums it up perfectly: “People have missed travel, and mindsets have changed. The trips that people thought they could do ‘any time’ have been prevented for 18 months. Now, it’s about taking the opportunity when they can.”

10 amazingly adventurous trips to book for 2022 Wildlife wonders in Scotland Operators like Speyside Wildlife are experiencing a near-doubling in demand for UK trips, particularly the Scottish islands. One of their most popular is a luxury stay on the Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the Northern Highlands in the private Alladale Lodge. Autumn is the best time of year to witness the Red Deer rut. On Isla and Jura, autumn is when wintering geese return to wintering geese to the island, as raptors and eagles soar overhead.

The remote Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the Northern Highlands

The remote Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the Northern Highlands How to do it: Speyside Wildlife offers trips include accommodation, tours and all meals from £1945 per person. speysidewildlife.co.uk

Croatian adventure at sea There’s a 40-person limit on this new luxury vessel that ducks and dives into the smaller ports, villages and islands along Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. As you sail along the east shores of the Adriatic Sea in southern Croatia, stops include the Diocletian’s Palace in central Split, the small fishing port of Bol and its Golden Horn Beach, and the fortress of the harbour town of Hvar. You’ll also stop on the island of Korcula, known as the birthplace of Marco Polo. Food is revered on this ship, with Croatian cuisine prepared using local ingredients.

How to do it: Responsible Travel’s eight-day Split to Dubrovnik Luxury cruise in Croatia costs from £899 per person, excluding flights; all cabins are en-suite and air-con, and price includes transfers, excursions, breakfasts and lunches. responsibletravel.com

The big Canadian road trip Western Canada and the Rockies is near-perfect road trip territory. Starting in lively Vancouver in British Columbia, drives include the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler and tracing the Continental Divide along the Icefields Parkway, surrounded by over 100 glaciers, lakes and peaks. The route passes 124 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and kayaking, the 10,000-year-old Athabasca Glacier, Lac Le Jeune, and Jasper and Banff national parks, before ending in Calgary, Alberta. Other highlights include Spirit Island, a spiritual place for the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, staying in lakefront lodges, and an outdoor hot tub in Yoho National Park.

The incredibly scenic Yellowhead Highway in Mt. Robson Provincial Park. You can visit adventure travel

The incredibly scenic Yellowhead Highway in Mt. Robson Provincial Park How to do it: Unforgettable Travel’s 12-night Ultimate Western Canada Self-Drive starts from £2,995 per person including hotel accommodation, rental vehicle, 24-7 support and transfers. unforgettabletravel.com

Go green in Costa Rica Costa Rica has a track record in conservation and sustainable tourism, with a national attitude embodied in the phrase ‘pura vida’– which translates to ‘pure life’ but means joy, gratitude and more. This trip across the Central American nation includes visiting a sloth conservation project, staying in eco-luxury lodges, enjoying farm-to-table meals, finding out about indigenous culture and cuisine, and adventures on ziplines, tubing, canyoning and networks of hanging bridges before ending the trip on the beaches of the Papagayo Peninsula.

How to do it: Black Tomato’s Pacuare to Papagayo: A Luxury Conservation Adventure in Costa Rica costs from £6,750 per person excluding flights. blacktomato.com Y

Coast-to-coast on two wheels If you’ve honed your skills in off-road biking, this coast-to-coast trip is a good option for reasonably experienced cyclists with good fitness. Passing through some of northern England’s most striking landscapes from Whitehaven on the Irish Sea to Tynemouth on the North Sea via the Lake District, the Mosedale Valley, the North Pennines Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) and Black Hill, the highest point of the route before ending on the east coast at Tynemouth. As well as off-road routes, you’ll enjoy biking on country lanes, cycleways and old railway lines.