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20 20 Sports
20 ways to live the sporting life in 20 spots around the planet.
By Ken McAlpine
1-Nukubati Island, Fiji When it comes to crowds, surfing during many breaks these days is akin to boarding a New York subway train. But solitude beckons. Nukubati Island Resort (pictured above), just off Vanua Levu’s remote northern shore, features luxurious bures (bungalows), an open-air dining room, and tropical sunsets often accompanied by molten red clouds. Most important to the surfer, Nukubati is the only resort with access (a 20-minute boat ride) to the Great Sea Reef. Especially from November to March — when storm-generated swells march across the Pacific — you’ll find some of the world’s best, and emptiest, waves. From $680 per night. (800) 707-3454, www.nukubati.com
2-Cusco, Peru Cusco, once the capital of the Incan Empire, is where the adventure begins, a wholly unique running tour along the Incan trail to the lost city of Machu Picchu. Imagine trails bathed in misty golden sunlight, wind-swept rivers, high alpine passes and cloud forests, and small villages where the children light up when you pull out a bag of colored pencils. Incan messengers once ran this very same route, headed to Wayllabamba, Ollantaytambo, or legendary Machu Picchu itself. Today most people arrive at Machu Picchu by bus or train; following in the Inca’s footsteps instead is magic. Andes Adventures will make it happen via an 11-day journey through Peru’s southern Andes (two nights are spent camping). From $2,150. (800) 289-9470, www.andesadventures.com
3-Kona, Hawaii Night diving with mantas off the Big Island is one of diving’s Holy Grails, with good reason. To see the bewitching manta ballet is to dwell in a child’s dream. Jack’s Diving Locker takes divers by boat to a spot just off Keahole Point where they kneel on the bottom in the shallows (35 feet). The mantas, some with wingspans of 16 feet, swoop in to feed on plankton attracted by the divers’ lights. The mantas aren’t shy. They come so close they seem intent on collision, inhaling plankton as their mushroom-white underside sometimes brushes the top of your head. $145 for two dives. (800) 345-4807, www.jacksdivinglocker.com
4-Papua New Guinea Water is the consummate buffer; for centuries the Coral, Bismarck, and Solomon seas sequestered Papua New Guinea’s islands from the world. Much of the area remains a place barely touched. On some PNG islands, the terrain is so extreme that neighboring tribes dwelt only a mile apart, unaware for centuries that the others existed. Over 15 days Tauck World Discovery explores Papua New Guinea — remote beaches , untouched rainforests, and removed villages — on a brand-new trip via luxury cruise ship, allowing for odd juxtapositions: exploring timeless cultures while enjoying gourmet cuisine and fine spa amenities. Trip begins and ends in Cairns, Australia. From $8,490. (800) 214-5158, www.tauck.com
5-Zambia, Africa African safaris are not new, explaining why some of Africa’s more popular parks are now teeming with tourists. Not so in Zambia’s Kafue National Park. One of Africa’s largest parks, it’s home to all manner of beasts — from cheetah to waterbuck — all of them still wild and shy. Wilderness Safaris recently opened a series of camps in Kafue, providing game drives, hikes, canoe trips, and luxury lodges and bush camps where, through your tent flap, you might view herds of antelope moving across the African plain. From $5,180. www.wilderness-safaris.com
6-Chicago, Illinois Perhaps you’d like to be an NBA reporter, be an honorary floor sweeper before the game and during halftime, get a personal clinic with a Bulls player for you and your friends, or maybe rebound for the Bulls on court during pre-game warm-ups (sorry, promotions only go so far). The Chicago Bulls Fantasy Experiences program offers 12 pre-designed fantasy basketball packages, or you can design your own. Every package includes great seats at the game, and, best of all, part of the money goes to helping Chicago’s youth. From $500. (312) 455-4161, www.bulls.com
7-Austin, Texas Why not test your fitness with 10 kilometers of down-and-dirty fun? The popular Muddy Buddy Series, held from May through October in cities across the country (Orlando, San Jose, Atlanta, Richmond, Boulder, Chicago, Los Angeles, and, on May 20th, in Austin), sees two-person teams running, biking, and clambering over obstacles ranging from balance beams to inflated climbing walls. The series’ signature touch, each course ends with a crawl through a mud pit. Last year 13,000 folks took part. Why? It’s too much fun to be exercise. From $130 for a two-person team. (818) 707-8867, www.muddybuddy.com
8-Scotland The Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Prestwick, Ballyliffin, Royal Dornoch — they ring like the sound of a fine drive. Scotland has long been revered land for golfers, and there may be no better, or more unique, golfing tour than Horizon & Co.’s Ultimate British Open — by Sea. The 122-passenger Clipper Adventure sets sail from Glasgow in July, then spends 10 glorious days navigating Scotland’s perimeter (finishing in Edinburgh, and with a stop in Greencastle, Ireland), to see and play world-class golf courses, culminating with attendance at the final round of this year’s British Open at Carnoustie. From $6,925. (800) 387-2977, www.horizon-co.com
9-Kauai, Hawaii Called the Garden Island for good reason, Kauai is a paradise of desolate beaches, vast canyons, primeval swamps, wispy waterfalls, jaw-dropping seascapes, and tropical birds — the lot of it draped in some of the world’s most unique foliage and breathtaking rainbows. Hiking in Waimea Canyon, kayaking along the Na Pali coast, surfing at Hanalei Bay, horseback riding, exploring the horticultural wonders; you tell Pure Kauai what you’d like to do and they design your visit, from ultra-luxe accommodations and one-on-one yoga to healthy cuisine prepared by your private chef. A personal concierge oversees your itinerary, assuring its seamlessness. Prices vary depending on lodging and itineraries. (866) 457-7873, www.purekauai.com
10-Orlando, Florida Disney World isn’t just for Mouseketeers anymore; it may be the consummate sporting package, tucked under one (very large) metaphorical roof. Consider the options. With Disney’s Wide World of Sports, you can play golf on five different championship courses, drive a NASCAR stock car on a speedway, or hook into large-mouth bass accompanied by a professional bass fisherman. The Sports Complex hosts more than 180 sports events each year: NFL, NBA, MLB, college basketball, plus training camps (like the Atlanta Braves’ spring training). You can even learn to surf at Typhoon Lagoon, or rent the entire wave pool for yourself. www.disneyworldsports.com
11-Northwest California White-water kayaking is booming, and Otter Bar Lodge, located in Forks of Salmon, California, may be the world’s cushiest and best kayaking school. Otter Bar has been teaching white-water paddlers since 1981 in an environment both stunning (Otter Bar is flanked by the Trinity Alps and the Marble Mountain Wilderness Areas) and practical (dozens of miles of burbling stream and river are within easy reach, among them the Klamath and Salmon rivers). When you’re not kayaking, you can explore the surrounding wilds on a mountain bike, get a massage, or enjoy gourmet cuisine. The seven-day class, all-inclusive, is $2,090. (530) 462-4772, www.otterbar.com
12-Notre Dame, Indiana Rudy did it the hard way, but you can get a sniff of the aura and tradition of Fighting Irish football at the Notre Dame Football Fantasy Camp. Land of Rockne, Parseghian, Hornung, and Montana, few college football programs are more storied, and for five days campers live the dream. The entire Irish coaching staff is involved in the two summer camps, which include a talk from head coach Charlie Weis. Coaches and former players supervise practices that aim toward the grand finale, a flag football game played in Notre Dame Stadium, complete with a public address announcer and referees. The team fields a maximum 60-man roster, so book fast. $5,490. (800) 366-3772, www.ndfootballfantasycamp.com
13-Vail and the Colorado Rockies During World War II, a training camp was established in the Rocky Mountains to train troops for winter warfare. Today sage outfitters offer mountain biking trips through the Rockies, and some of this country’s most beautiful backcountry following old logging and mining roads through wildflower meadows and aspen groves, and stopping each night at one of these high alpine huts or a guest ranch. One of life’s musts, and Vail’s Paragon Guides supplies it, is to stand astride the Continental Divide. Along with biking, Paragon’s five-day, 100-mile trip skirting the Holy Cross Wilderness offers opportunities to hike and fly fish. From $1,850. (877) 926-5299, www.paragonguides.com
14-St. George, Utah Test your mettle and your pamper quotient at St. George’s Red Mountain Spa. Two hours northeast of Las Vegas, this may be the country’s most adrenal-jolting spa. Yes, they have a spa, with the requisite yoga, aerobics, and gym, but the outdoor adventure is the real deal. Go rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, or horseback riding. Day-long canyoneering trips or camping in nearby Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion national parks will make you happy that you signed on for an Up Against the Wall upper body massage. Four-night Red Rock Adventure Package from $1,210. (800) 407-3002, www.redmountainspa.com
15-Little Torch Key, Florida This five-acre island roughly 24 miles north of Key West may be the ultimate in luxurious solitude. Little Palm Island Resort & Spa has long served as an escape for couples, but now, with the Keys’ world-class flats fishing in their backyard, the resort is offering a fisherman’s dream: five nights at the resort, three half-days of fly-fishing with a private guide and, after a hard day on the water, nice touches like a deep-tissue massage. Package for two is $12,700. (800) 343-8567, www.littlepalmisland.com
16-Monterey, California Cultivate your inner Bond. Race a car, learn to mix the perfect martini, hunt wild boar, drop a fishing line (and learn how to cook your catch to perfection), scuba dive, wheel a 1929 Model A along the famed 17-Mile Drive, or improve your swing with pros from the Pebble Beach Golf Academy. Few manly things are neglected in Monterey’s Men’s Adventure Getaway. Better yet, you choose what you want to do. Stay at the Quail Lodge (or a multitude of other accommodations), and perhaps indulge in the two-day golf and Scotch package. Ian Fleming would approve. From $1,950. (888) 221-1010, www.montereyinfo.org
17-Beijing and Shanghai, China Baseball Adventures takes America’s pastime, and its players, on road trips Ted Williams couldn’t have imagined. One trip offers you a chance to tour the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, see a Chinese acrobatic performance, and maybe send a curve ball into the left-field bleachers in Beijing. The trip delivers six games over eight days in an itinerary that moves from Beijing to Shanghai, against Chinese teams of similar age and ability. In the true spirit of sport, anyone who signs on, plays (average age on the team is mid-40s). Trips are also planned for Panama, Australia, and Prague. From $1,395. (707) 937-4478, www.baseballadventures.com
18-Seattle, Washington Tucked in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, 30 minutes east of Seattle, the Salish Lodge & Spa is known as one of the best spas in North America. Less known are its adventure packages, with a nod to each season. Working with local outfitters, and using their own adventure staff, the lodge offers everything from rock climbing and white-water kayaking and rafting to snowshoeing. One of the most popular excursions is a float trip down the Skagit River to see migrating bald eagles. Plan ahead — it’s available December through February only. Float trip for two from $600; one night stay included. (800) 272-5474, www.salishlodge.com
19-Galapagos Islands, Ecuador Lizards that swim. Vampire finches and penguins at the equator. Six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador, Darwin’s islands are like The Nature Channel on the fritz. Nearly half the Galapagos’ birds and insects, 32 percent of the plants, and 90 percent of the reptiles exist nowhere else. A glimpse of these islands will change you forever. Most visitors to the Galapagos explore the islands by cruise ship, where they return each night, but last year Row International began offering a more intimate view — the chance to explore the islands via sea kayaking and camping on pristine beaches. The 11-day trip includes hotel stays and is priced from $3,390. (800) 451-6034, www.rowinternational.com
20-Bhutan Only 14,000 people are allowed to visit the world’s last independent Tibetan Buddhist kingdom each year, one of many lovely structures attached to this country bordered by India and China. Only in 1999 was TV viewing legalized in this country, where happiness is one of the government’s official development goals. The Bhutanese treasure the natural environment, and most still practice subsistence farming. Monks worship in 300-year-old mountaintop monasteries among the rugged Himalayas and verdant valleys. Butterfield & Robinson will take you on an unforgettable walking tour of this still serene and spectacular land. From $9,595. (866) 551-9090, www.butterfield.com
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