Just because we struggle to keep partying until 6am anymore doesn’t mean we can’t indulge in our adult pleasures. From afternoon tea with a Parisian fashion designer to driving Formula 1 cars, here’s how you can indulge your guilty pleasures around the world.
Here are 13 cool travel ideas for adults who don’t want to spend their holidays as a good Mama’s boy or girl.
The Ultimate Parisian Shopping Experience
There’s shopping. And then there’s indulging. Like a Parisian fashion designer showing you around the fashion capital of the world, Paris. Design your own haute couture garment, visit appointment-only fashion houses and boutiques, then do afternoon tea with the fashion designer.
Get Drunk on Cognac in Cognac
Do you prefer Le Courvoisier, Remy Martin, Martell or Hennessy? Who cares, why not drink them all where they are made. Tour these ancient Cognac houses and sample some of their most prestigious cognacs, with a backdrop of oak barrels. This private tasting adventures takes around ten hours, so yes, you will be drunk.
Drive a Formula 1 Car on Barcelona’s Formula 1 Circuit
No co-driving, no being a passenger and no speed restrictions. No DRS zone either and you won’t actually race, but on Barcelona’s iconic Catalunya Formula 1 circuit you will drive a real Formula 1 car.
Drive the Prost Formula 1 car that raced from 1997 – 2001, with a 3.5-litre engine doing 12,000 rpm.
Swim to Lovers’ Beach on the Marieta Islands
An enclosed crater where turquoise ocean laps around golden sands. Located off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. You can do just about anything you like at this hidden beach. It can only be reached by private boat and then swimming 60 metres into the crater. What will you get up to at Lovers’ Beach?
Smoke Dominican Cigars with Dominican Rum
Rum and cigars, what more do you need on a beautiful Caribbean island? Visit a cigar boutique, watch artisans roll their magic, sample and smoke, then pair your cigar with fine local rum.
Dine & Taste Wine on a Private San Gimignano Tower
72 castle towers once dominated the Tuscan hilltop town of San Gimignano. Only 14 remain. One is in private hands and it’s the second tallest structure in San Gimignano. We know the Giachi family and they’ll invite you up to the roof, for an indulgent evening of wine tasting and three-course dining. Eating in Italy doesn’t get more exclusive than this.
Big Game Fishing in Greece, Montenegro or the Seychelles
A full day of sailing, with a box of Champagne and some Shimano equipment. Plus a lot of other treats. And the fish of course. Go searching for marlin in Seychelles or catch swordfish and barracuda in Greece. Bluefin tuna and amber jacks are big catch in Montenegro. Barbecue what you catch and party the day away on turquoise waters.
What's Your Guilty Holiday Pleasure?
Cook & Eat the Borderlais Cannele
Sweet, heavy and moorish. Is there a desert to indulge your sweet tooth more than the cannele? Explore the art of this adored scalloped desert, complete with all the sweet caramel aromas and soft custardy warmness. You’ll learn and taste on a private cooking class in Bordeaux.
Magic Mushroom Canyoning
Jump and rappel down the side of waterfalls in the Dominican Republic. The name has less to do with the psychedelic fungi and more to do with the stunning rock formations. With this experience you fully indulge your adventurous side.
Explore Switzerland in a Super Sports Car
Drive the divine mountain passes of Switzerland in the latest Ferrari, McLaren or Lambo. Sweeping curves, winding alpine lanes and dramatic mountain passes make Switzerland a dreamy place to drive. Plus, the country is small, so make this an indulgent day away during your holiday.
Fly to Antarctica in a Private Jet
Okay, it’s not quite a guilty pleasure but when we’re talking about crazily indulgent ideas it’s hard to rival flying to Antarctica on a Gulfstream G550 jet. Then exploring the interior of the seventh continent.
Down in Antarctica, the Champagne really is on ice, at a natural ice bar.
Run with the Bulls in Pamplona (or not)
Run through medieval streets with bulls chasing you down. Not everybody’s idea of fun but the annual tradition in Pamplona, Spain. A guide can help you during the San Fermin festivities, July 6 – 14 every year. Maybe that’s a bit too thrilling? In which case, watch the spectacle from a private balcony in the city instead.
Gin Masterclass in the Azores
Artisanal gins paired with garnishes and selected tonics. You could do this in many places around the world, but few settings can rival a gin distillery and estate on the green hills of Sao Miguel, Azores. Portugal is known for its port but the gin is just as good and indulgent.
What’s Your Guilty Pleasure on Holiday?
There are many more experiences we could list, but let’s not give away our own guilty pleasures…
What’s yours? How do you want to indulge on your next holiday?
