An all-inclusive resort promises idleness and sunny days, but that doesn’t usually mean adventure. After all, where to go when the beach is two steps from your bed and all meals and drinks are served on site? But stick to the pine colada: resorts can offer much more than just a holiday without entertainment.
In these 10 all-inclusive hotels, guests can gallop on lonely prairies, watch elephants from outdoor pools and learn various skills – from yoga to ax throwing. These unusual places can even conquer inveterate skeptics of resorts.
Marvi Club, Turkey
The resorts are scattered along the Aegean coast of Turkey as generously as pistachios on a wedge of kunefi (confectionery cheesecake). Club Marvy has a chic spa and sandy beach, which you expect from an upscale all-inclusive. The hotel’s cuisine aims for a high standard, offering Turkish-Italian cuisine made from local ingredients (the hotel owner’s mother has an organic farm nearby). But the best thing is the opportunity to play the sea captain on inexpensive lessons in the sailing club on site. Children can ride the brilliant water on the boat while the adults work on obtaining a swimming license … maybe next time you will come by boat.
Yoga retreat Sivananda Ashram, Bahamas.
The beach in the Bahamas is a suitable dreamy atmosphere for finding your soul. Immersion in yoga in the traditional ashram on Paradise Island includes guided meditation, seminars and dance performances, as well as vegetarian food and accommodation. Some individual rooms overlook the sea; even better – wooden rooms in the garden, dormitories and tent huts. When you are not working on asanas (yoga poses), you can move your toes on the warm sand or go scuba diving.
Plains of Bamarru, Australia
In Australia’s Top End, a puzzle of swamps, rainforests and sandstone plateaus, the Bamarru Plains can be seen in the forefront of natural dramas: galloping wallabies, storks and herds of water buffalo. Nine pile bungalows above the floodplains of the Mary River west of Kakadu National Park are decorated with respect for the land and its history, from Aboriginal artwork to bathrooms made of recycled metal. Mesh walls on three sides reveal epic views from your bed, and magpie geese act as a cacophonic alarm clock.
OZEN by Atmosphere in Maadhu, Maldives
White sand, crystal clear water … few places are as reminiscent of paradise as the Maldives. Surrounded by palm trees, the resort offers diving (literally), free rental of standing paddleboards, windsurfing and kitesurfing, kayaks and masks, and an on-site diving school for sunken ship and reef adventurers. Still not done with the deep blue sea? Some packages include an evening at an underwater restaurant – although it’s hard to order fish of the day when you see Nemo swimming by the window.
Roho Ya Selous, Tanzania
Wild animals rush right past the luxurious tents at Roho Ya Selous. Guided walking safaris and excursions (included in the price) will allow you to get acquainted with the inhabitants of the Selous Game Reserve: lions, wild dogs, elephants and more than 400 species of birds. Eight luxurious tents with stone floors and reed walls have a certain chic, and evening meals are held outdoors, which allows those who dine to count the stars. The best time to rest is from June to October, when watering is reduced, which allows you to predictably observe wildlife.
La Cucina Sabina, Hotel Italy
A dinner of real pizza and tiramisu is an unforgettable, albeit short-lived pleasure. But a stay in La Cucina Sabina can instill a love of Italian cuisine for a lifetime, because culinary lessons are woven into the program of gastronomic discoveries. In this elegant boutique resort, you can roast saltimbok (veal wrapped in prosciutto and sage), admiring the lemon trees and olive groves from the floor-to-ceiling kitchen windows. The route also includes excursions to the castles and ancient sights of Rome. And most importantly, you will go with the secret technique of cooking Italian grandmothers (nonne).
Guest ranch Vista Verde, USA
The upscale Vista Verde Guest Ranch, located in the Elk Valley in northwestern Colorado, is not just for serious horse lovers. It offers beginner riders, as well as mountain biking, rafting, photography, cooking classes, and in winter – Nordic skiing and sledding (all included in the price). A shared dining room and a quality wine list ensure easy communication with other guests. Take a walk on the plains on horseback, and then return to the house made of logs with a hot tub … life on the ranch, of course, strict.
Experience Chilko, Canada
Do you feel the desire to leave humanity behind for a while? Head to pristine Chilkotin, the habitat of grizzly bears (and only about 1,000 people). Wherever you look with The Chilko Experience, there are evergreen forests, alpine lakes and jagged mountain peaks. In addition to living in cozy wooden and log houses, beautifully decorated with antiques, the price includes active recreation – from kayaking and lake cruises to quad biking and ax throwing. The ideal time to relax is mid-September to October, when bears come many miles away to eat salmon on the Chilko River.
Sarara Camp, Kenya
At Sarara Camp, which runs on solar panels, every moment is an opportunity to observe wildlife. You can watch the warts from the terrace of your tent with a high ceiling, the elephants from the outdoor pool and the impala from the outdoor dining area. True Luxury Travel complements the all-inclusive holiday by visiting the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. This community-oriented project limits contact between humans and elephants, but allows you to watch the game of magical pachyderms.
Tiger Rock Resort, Malaysia
Tourism can have catastrophic consequences for the fragile island environment, and Pulau Pangkor, a popular beach resort off the coast of Malaysia, has witnessed unstoppable development. But Tiger Rock Resort has chosen an approach that does not affect the environment, and the result is a quiet corner that merges with its jungle. Knock on the tennis court, watch the huge Raja Brook butterflies fluttering in the overhanging palm branches, cool off in the seawater pool and taste the fish curry and nasi lemak (coconut rice) with the island’s signature product – ikan bilis (dried).