Special interest holidays

Walking, stretching, pedalling – if keeping active is your favourite way to relax, then why not do more of the same on holiday? You don’t have to be hard at it all day every day; just find an itinerary that suits, in a destination that you’ve always fancied, and away you go. Yoga retreats in Spain, Portugal or Morocco; walking tours in northern Spain, southern Italy or the French Riviera; learning to ride in Argentina, sail in the Caribbean Sea, or scuba dive; you name it and we Just Do It. And if you fancy getting active over winter, Finland, Austria and Sweden in the snow are all amazing options. Cross country skiing, snow shoeing and husky drawn sleds will get the blood pumping much more readily than cotching up on the couch.

Sometimes we just can’t seem to find the energy to learn something new. The trick is to set aside time. Find a tour that focuses on your special interest, circle a week on the calendar, and start the countdown. Learn how to make a mosaic in Turkey and return home with your beautiful artwork. Start to salsa with professional dancers in Santiago de Cuba and enjoy nights of music and mojitos in the city. Take your watercolour skills to the next level, thanks to the inspiring landscapes of the South of France. Joining a group of enthusiasts allows you to learn together, bounce ideas off each other, and share recommendations, tips and advice. A group guide will lead you through processes and techniques and give you feedback that allows you to learn and develop your passion, your skill set, in a positive and friendly learning environment. Learn a language in the country of origin; take photographs in amazing locations in the company of a pro; no more excuses, now’s the time to make things happen.

There are plenty of ways to uncover a country’s cultural identity through the lens of special interest. A photography tour in Iceland might show you fishing villages where people live right up against wild, volcanic scenery, an archaeology expedition in Greece or Jordan will show you how local people live alongside an ancient past. Language and walking holiday in Spain will allow you to meet people in rural mountain areas and learn about their lives in their language. Studying a particular subject in the company of a local expert is certain to help you discover the history of a region. And there will be plenty of opportunities to stop for a snack or two along the way, obviously.

There’s no quicker route to a country’s heart than through its cuisine, and cooking and food holidays are one of the best ways to get an intimate portrait of the places you visit. The rowdy markets, the flagstone kitchen floors, the chopping boards criss-crossed with a thousand cuts. From Sicily to Sri Lanka, the Spanish Pyrenees to the French Riviera, if you’re hoping for a holiday that mixes cooking with cultural discovery then roll up your sleeves and feel the difference. Wine tasting trips make a natural pairing to our cooking holidays – grapes like sunny climates and rolling hills, and we do too. Enjoy learning the difference between grape varieties and wine styles in some of the Earth’s most beautiful settings: the Cape winelands of South Africa or the vineyards of Umbria and Tuscany: our special interest food trips really do present the world on your plate!

The Arctic’s midnight sun can be just as fascinating as the Northern Lights – and both are weird and wonderful way to see a country from a whole new perspective. Getting slightly more obscure, photographing orangutans in Borneo is always worth adding to the special interest wishlist, or how about a Halloween holiday in Transylvania? Learn something new – like calligraphy or nature journalling, or how to navigate on a moor in the mist, and how to build a snowhole and sleep in it overnight. Whilst these sorts of tours are definitely left of centre, they’ll allow you to discover a country from a unique angle. You’ll also develop your own extra special interest in the company of local people who view these sorts of activities as pretty much standard.