"The world is not enough, or so it seems. Bored with bog standard holidays, travellers today are scouring the globe for never-been-done-before experiences. And they are surprised at what they find.
No longer happy with a sunny Spanish beach or a week in Les Trois Vallees, booking trends show that there is now a growing breed of travellers craving experiential travel: not just a holiday, they want a mind-blowing experience which will wow them… and their friends back home. Cue hosts of bespoke travel companies popping up, tailor-making each trip to suit the needs of these needy travellers. They find flights, dig out gems of hotels and weave together dream trips. You tell them what you want, et viola, it’s ready, for your eyes only.
But look a little deeper and you’ll find the next step in travel creators. A kind of uber-travel concierge, if you like. They arrange experiences which you never knew existed.
Forget scuba diving. Now you can explore the bottom of the ocean in a two man submarine. Up high, take a helicopter flight around remotest Africa, landing on mountain tops where no human has ever stood before. And the sky isn’t even the limit anymore: commercial space travel is inching closer. Before you know it, you’ll be imitating Moonraker in space pod orbiting the outer edge of the earth’s atmosphere with fabulous moon views. But for those who are a little more down to earth (excuse the pun) with more human budgets (a space trip starts at £100k), look to the hills. The European Alps, to be exact. If you’re a mountain lover, there is now an exhilarating new breed of adventure to be had.
Take SwisSkiSafari: a small but excellent team of personable, highly professional, and creative mountain gurus, guides and heli pilots. You won’t just get a nice chalet and week’s ski guiding here. This imaginative team help clients live their dream trip: crossing national boundaries on skis to visit three countries in five days, sleeping in boutique hotels each night, bags taken care of while they picnic in style with panoramic views of France, Switzerland and Italy. All at the same time. If that’s what they want.
With these guys, brand new itineraries change daily, as finding the best Alpine weather is crucial. And with the man who’s responsible for opening and closing the Mont Blanc tunnel on their team, you can’t get much more expert than this. Did we mention he has a PhD in snow forecasting, too? The newest addition is an experienced mountaineer who has been tackling the world’s highest peaks for 30 years. And by experienced, we mean he’s got fourteen 8000 metre peaks under his belt. These really are the world’s best.
But the most impressive aspect of the SwisSkiSafari service is their constant flow of original ideas. Last November they were contacted by the wife of a ski-loving 39 year old looking for ideas for the 40th birthday celebration of a lifetime. A huge James Bond fan with 12 friends of varying ski ability, he wanted to re-enact that iconic ski scene from The Spy Who Loved Me. ‘Can you do this for us?’ they asked Danielle Stynes, the founder of SwisSkiSafari. And one unforgettable week-long birthday party was created.
The group checked into MI6 (a luxury, remote Swiss chalet) and introduced to Q, M and their itinerary. Then followed a sun-drenched week of ski missions. They schussed through an ice tunnel, were heli-lifted to enemy territory and chased by armed henchmen to a cosy Italian mountain refuge serving heart-warming cuisine from centuries-old recipes. At night they grabbed burning torches and traversed the mountain to a hot tub under the stars. One evening, their base was a transformed into a casino. Naturally, they dressed as Bond villains, learnt how to create world-class cocktails and gambled with their in-house croupier until the sun came up. They were shaken and stirred, and they loved it. The birthday boy was more than happy, the guests were wowed: mission accomplished.
This was just one of many SwisSkiSafari adventures. As the name suggests, they are Swiss-based, but their new perception of what is skiable transcends borders and blasts through barriers where other heli-ski outfits stop. And their experience is year-round. Want to climb Mont Blanc this summer? No problem. How about snowboard from the Matterhorn to the Eiger next winter? Been there, done that. The sky is the limit, whatever standard of skier you are. To many, the world may not seem enough, but a trip with Swisskisafari will show you that with a little imagination, the mountains certainly are."
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