Today's Travel Tips

Guy Trips That Will Change Your Life

 

Get lost with these guy trips that will be make you think about the world in a whole new way

 

By Claire Martin, By Greg Melville

Travel should transform. Choose your destination wisely, and then the voyage itself, the people you meet, the foods you sample, and the experiences you have will mean you've arrived in a whole new place—physically, spiritually, philosophically. This kind of travel isn't exactly relaxing, but is mere relaxation ever really that satisfying? Our purpose here—on these pages, on this planet—is to squeeze the maximum amount of joy, hilarity, challenge, and accomplishment out of our allotted time. What better way to do that than to travel to places that won't just be a change of scene, but rather, can provoke a change in you? We accumulated 20 such transformative travel experiences. Maybe it's time to get lost, and find yourself.

Paddle the Grand Canyon

 

 

Tackle 300 miles of some of the most powerful white water on the planet the old-school way, in a wooden boat.

Why: Spending 13 to 18 days navigating the Colorado River through the mile-deep canyon, gazing up at 2 1/2 billion years' worth of the earth's crust on a nimble dory that launches you off the lips of roiling rapids turns you into a geologist, a waterman, and a more humble human being.

Do it: 13 to 18 days from $4,270, oars.com/grandcanyon/dories. Raft trips are also available.

 

Burn Some Rubber

 

 

For the truest racetrack experience, skip the supercar challenges that cost thousands of dollars. Instead, hit the Bondurant Kart Racing School in Phoenix. You'll spend the first part of your 4-hour session studying acceleration and braking strategies; then you'll race around the track. These 200-pound rockets have six-speed transmissions and disc brakes, launch to 100 miles per hour in 6 seconds, and corner at 2.5 Gs.

Why: Apart from the thrill (and the sweet smell of burning rubber), you'll learn skills that could make you a safer driver.

Do it: $425, bondurant.com

 

Master the Art of Grilling

 

 

Steven Raichlen, the author of Planet Barbecue!, teaches a 3-day barbecue course twice each summer at the five-star Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs. To Raichlen, barbecue is more than just an American obsession with fiery regional rivalries. It's a global cuisine. And his syllabus reflects that with recipes from Argentine steak houses, Thai street carts, and Korean BBQ joints.

Why: After Barbecue University, everything you cook on the grill—salmon, steak, vegetables, and desserts (like pear and raspberry crumble smoked in a cast-iron skillet)—will taste better.

Do it: $1,950, barbecuebible.com/bbqu

 

Track a Tusker

 

 

The Chyulu Hills of Kenya—the inspiration for Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa—are where three national parks converge to protect lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalo, and leopards—the big five—and Masai warriors have become its conservationists and guides. Campi ya Kanzi, a Masai-owned lodge here, combines luxury and wilderness. Game runs in open-top jeeps ensure that you see as much wildlife as possible, while daily hikes let you feel the pulse of the land.

Why: A safari is a once-in-a-lifetime primal experience that connects you with an era that predates civilization.

Do it: From $600 a night, maasai.com

 

Catch and Grill Trout

 

 

Stalking, hooking, cleaning, and cooking your own trout is a rite of passage. The Ranch at Rock Creek, in southwestern Montana, is A River Runs Through It country and the place to hone your fly casting. Ride into the Sapphire Mountains, spend the afternoon strategically positioning your fly in the watery path of wild rainbow, brown, bull, and cutthroat trout, and then grill your catch whole over the fire.

Why: It's the Western movie fantasy of horses, fishing, and mountains incarnate.

Do it: $800 a day for food, lodging, and guide service, theranchatrockcreek.com

 

Kayak with Blue Whales

 

 

The world's largest mammal can reach lengths of 100 feet (think three school buses) and weigh in at 200 tons—more than an entire herd of elephants. Hundreds of these leviathans winter in the Sea of Cortez, at a preserve off Baja Mexico called Loreto Islands Bay Marine Park. It's the only place in the world where you're likely to be able to paddle with them.

Why: Sidling up to a submarine-size blue in your 17-foot Sea Quest Expeditions kayak will remind you of your place in the pecking order.

Do it: $1,000 for 6 days, sea-quest-kayak.com

Make Pinot Noir

 

 

Think you know wine? Wait till you're standing among the vines at a Russian River Valley winery with a harvesting knife in your hand. Every September, the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission and Sonoma County Vintners join up with Relish Culinary Adventures to sponsor the 3-day Sonoma County Grape Camp. You'll learn the entire winemaking process, from picking to crushing to blending, and go on tastings throughout the region.

Why: Anyone can make beer. You'll gain a deeper insight into the art and science of what makes a great wine.

Do it: $1,750 per person per couple, sonomagrapecamp.com 

 

Climb a Redwood

 

 

The 1,500-year-old, 300-foot-tall redwoods of California's Humboldt County scrape the sky. But for conservation reasons, climbing them is illegal except by organized canopy tour. With North Coast Adventure Centers, you'll shimmy up seven stories before spending the next 2 to 3 hours taking in an eagle's-eye view of Redwood Park by zipline.

Why: It's fun, and you'll contemplate your own humble existence in the shadows of these giants that witnessed Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's arrival in 1542.

Do it: $65, northcoastadventurecenters.com

Camp on a Volcano

 

The mountain might rumble, hiss, and spew fiery boulders at any time, your shoes will probably melt, and you can roast a marshmallow at the 8,373-foot summit of Guatemala's Volcán Pacaya. Most hikers do this trip in a day, but if you camp overnight on the volcano, you'll hear the lava roll through the forest crunching vegetation, and see it light up the night sky without another traveler in sight.

Why: Where else can you walk up to globs of 2,000˚ F–plus liquid and see inside the earth's core?

Do it: $70 for 2 days, oxexpeditions.com

 

Kayak the Galápagos

 

 

Going face-to-face with penguins, iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and sea lions trumps peering through binoculars from the deck of a cruise ship, which is how most travelers experience the Galápagos.

Why: It's a time warp: Limits on development mean the islands look much as they have for eons, and the animals are every bit as innocent, inquisitive, and bizarre as they were when Darwin encountered them on his Beagle voyage 175 years ago. It's impossible not to morph into an amateur naturalist and ponder your own ancestry.

Do it: Explorers Corner has exclusive kayaking permits, from $4,490 for 11 days, explorerscorner.com

 

Survive Alone in the Wild

 

You'll be stripped of your watch and cellphone. You'll carry no pack, sleeping bag, headlamp, or tent. And, after instructors at Boulder Outdoor Survival School teach you which plants are edible, how to find drinkable water, and other survival skills, you'll be guided into the red canyons of southern Utah. Toward the end of your course, you'll go on a solo expedition.

Why: You'll live in the moment. In fact, you'll never feel more alive or empowered than when you conquer nature using nothing but your wits, a poncho, and a big knife.

Do it: From $1,400 for 7 days, boss-inc.com

 

Save the Amazon, in Person

 

 

There's a better way to protect the Amazon rain forest than sending a check to some green charity: Go there yourself. Hook up with a scientific expedition for a week to assist research efforts in the world's most biodiverse jungle. Earthwatch Institute organizes trips aboard a century-old, 100-foot riverboat in northern Peru that biologists use to survey populations of pink river dolphins, spider monkeys, marmosets, macaws, Froot Loops–worthy toucans, and other exotic fauna. You'll spend your days working with staff on the water and in local villages, and unwind in the evenings on the boat's top-deck bar.

Why: You'll see things you never imagined, and make a hands-on difference in protecting the planet.

Do it: $2,550 for 8 days, earthwatch.org

 

Canoe the Maine Woods

 

 

A weeklong canoe trip on the Allagash River has been a classic wilderness expedition since Thoreau did it in 1846, 1853, and 1857 for his book The Maine Woods. A roughly 100-mile stretch in the state's northern tip is still untamed and now protected. It starts at Chamberlain Lake, meanders through thick pine forests skirting desolate ponds, rushes down a 9-mile stretch of Class II rapids, and emerges at Allagash Village.

Why: The rhythm of the river and the sounds of the forest will reboot your priorities.

Do it: Unguided: Reserve canoes ($25/day) and shuttle service (about $35/day), and bring gear and provisions for camping. Guided: $1,250. For either option, go to maineoutfitter.com

 

Fly Across the Waves

 

Reliable 15 to 25 mph winds riffle the shallows of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which stretches for more than 70 miles on North Carolina's narrow Outer Banks, making it the ideal beach to learn to kitesurf. The sport, which is a hybrid of surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and kiting, has a steep learning curve, but beginners typically start skimming across the water in 3 days. And on the off chance of a windless day, you can always learn to paddleboard.

Why: This is the closest feeling to soaring like an eagle.

Do it: Real Watersports offers courses and rents kites, boards, and harnesses for $150 a day. realwatersports.com

Find Nemo (and His Supporting Cast)

 

 

The world's second-largest barrier reef, off the coast of Belize, brims with so much marine life that scientists have identified only a fraction of the species living there. It's home to the world's largest West Indian manatee population, 500-plus species of fish, 65 kinds of coral, and a jamboree of sharks, turtles, and birds. It's such a diverse ecosystem that it was named a World Heritage Site—and you don't even need scuba gear to appreciate its splendor. Just bring a mask and snorkel.

Why: The 185-mile-long reef, considered one of the world's seven underwater wonders, could soon go the way of Hanging Gardens of Babylon because it's under threat from warming temperatures and ocean acidification, among other factors.

Do it: From $1,050 for 5 days, Slick Rock Adventures, Long Caye at Glover's Reef Atoll, slickrock.com

Graduate from Fitness Boot Camp

 

 

Imagine a week on a tropical beach that leaves you trimmer and fitter yet still feels like a vacation. Southern California–based West Point graduate and international fitness champion Sonki Hong takes his fitness boot camp methods—which combine everything from plyometrics and beach running to body-weight drills and martial arts—to Waikiki Beach in the spring and Maui in the fall for 7 days each. You'll also be kayaking, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and scarfing ultrafresh sashimi.

Why: Training fads wash in and out, but the discipline and fitness techniques you pick up in Hawaii will help you stay lean your whole life.

Do it: $2,250, sonkifitness.com 

 

Trek the Himalayas

 

 

Hike the 150-mile trail around the 26,545-foot shark tooth that is Annapurna, and do it the way a local would, by eating and staying at tea houses in Nepalese villages. Going without a guide lets you set your own schedule, so you can spend an extra day or two in favorite spots.

Why: Two reasons. First, large segments of the circuit are expected to be turned into roads in the next couple of years, adding unwanted company to the climbs up 17,000-foot passes and polluting the pristine Himalayan views. Second, every time you look in the mirror afterward, you'll see the guy who trekked Annapurna without a guide.

Do it: For details on trip and route planning, pick up the bible of Nepal hiking guidebooks, Trekking in the Annapurna Region, by Bryn Thomas ($18, 4th edition).

 

Thunder Across the Great Plains

 

 

Galloping across the grasslands of South Dakota, Montana, and Idaho with a Lakota Sioux horse expert gives you a window into modern and ancient Native American life. You'll ride among herds of bison, see a wolf-recovery refuge, and visit the site of Custer's Last Stand and the Crazy Horse memorial.

Why: It's the history lesson you never really had, and a way to connect with our indigenous culture and people.

Do it: $4,800 for 14 days, spirit-trails.com

 

Dance the Samba at Rio's Carnival

 

 

Most travelers simply watch at Carnival, which is actually a giant samba contest, but you can participate and groove your way through the streets surrounded by half-naked glamazons in feather headdresses. First, choose a samba school—Salgueiro is in a safe neighborhood and won in 2009. Then plan to arrive several days before the event to practice your moves, laze on Ipanema beach, and sip caipirinhas.

Why: Every time you hit the dance floor in the future, it will be with a surer step.

Do it: Rio Carnival arranges flights, school entry, and lodging in funky hotels in the southern part of Rio. rio-carnival.net

Pedal into Copper Canyon

 

 

Moab meets the Grand Canyon 200 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border, in the state of Chihuahua. The Copper Canyon is 20 red-rock canyons plunging nearly 10,000 feet to a web of rivers. The network of singletrack trails are courtesy of the Tarahumara Indians, long-distance runners who have been pounding the dirt here for centuries.

Why: Riding to the bottom of the canyon and all the way back up tests your mettle and your quads, and instills a sense of awe for geological phenomena.

Do it: $2,700 for 8 days, westernspirit.com
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