DESTINATIONS DESERTS ACTIVE & ADVENTURE


for Funway Holidays, when the sky turns a burning orange-violet. “I always recommend getting up early to stand atop Dante’s View, the highest point in Death Valley,” he says. Other attractions in the area include Zabriski Point, set in the Amargosa Range and overlooking the tiny village of Furnace Creek; Harmony Borax Works, a former borax-producing plant built in the late 1800s; and the Ubehebe Crater, a colourful volcanic site that plunges 180 metres. Book it: Funway Holidays offers a week at the Ranch at Death Valley from £586 per person, based on an October 10 departure. funway4agents.co.uk


5


EXPERIENCE AN EXPEDITION CRUISE, ANTARCTICA Picture a desert and the


glaring white, icy landscapes of Antarctica probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. But, believe it or not, it’s classified as one, with just two inches of snow a year falling here, meaning it gets less precipitation than the Sahara. There are adventures all over the


continent – from mountaineering to wildlife-spotting, sea kayaking to snowshoeing – and the best way of experiencing it is on an expedition cruise.


If emperor penguins are the main impetus for a trip here, suggest Quark Expeditions’ 14-day March to the Emperor Penguins cruise, which takes passengers to visit Snow Hill Island – one of the remotest destinations on the planet thanks to the ice surrounding it – and offered exclusively by the cruise line. If clients are more swayed by


orca-spotting, direct them to Aurora Expeditions’ Spirit of Antarctica trip on board the new Greg Mortimer, which takes passengers across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. As well as spotting these immense creatures at sea, passengers can also camp out on the ice for a night, watching the penguins and glimpsing leopard seals. But if it’s an adrenaline-fuelled


adventure they’re seeking, look no further than Aurora’s new ski touring programme, which offers advanced skiers the chance to plummet down


46 travelweekly.co.uk 17 May 2018


the likes of Mount Tennant and Mount Hoegh on several of its itineraries, with outings included in the add-on package. Book it: Aurora Expeditions’ 12-day Spirit of Antarctica cruise starts at £7,990 per person based on two sharing a cabin, excluding international flights. auroraexpeditions.com.au


6


STAY WITH A NOMADIC FAMILY, MONGOLIA No list would be complete without mentioning Mongolia


and its vast Gobi Desert, where yurt camps sit among plunging yellow dunes on one side and sprawling, verdant grasslands on the other. G Adventures explores the best of them on its Nomadic Mongolia trip, taking guests to hike among the majestic Khongoryn Els sand dunes – also known as the ‘Singing Dunes’


TOP: Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer


ABOVE LEFT: Mongolian


cultural show


ABOVE RIGHT: Berber


experience in Morocco


and considered the most impressive in Mongolia – before moving on to the grasslands to stay at a nomad camp. Here they’ll enjoy a traditional meal with a camel-herding family in remote surroundings, learning more about the nomadic way of life in this extraordinary part of the world while staying in a traditional ger camp. Book it: G Adventures’ 14-day Nomadic Mongolia round-trip from Ulaanbaatar starts at £1,682 per person including transport, accommodation, entrance fees and most meals. gadventures.co.uk


7


RIDE A 4X4 ROUND MONUMENT VALLEY, US Few sights are quite as recognisable as the trio of


huge rocks towering up from a sea of red-orange sandstone, made famous


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