The pandemic may have disrupted our travel plans for 2020, and with our persisting wanderlust, we may have wondered when can we travel again. While travel restrictions were in place last year, all we could do was sift through photos of our past adventures and temporarily place our travel ideas on the shelf.
However, that’s about to change — with the coming of the new year and the comprehensive vaccination coverage in Singapore, it’s time to look forward to packing our bags once more, taking trips again and planning on where to travel next.
Youth travel operator Contiki feels the same way about 2021 — like you and me, they’re feeling optimistic that the new year will deliver travel dreams, and as such they’ve launched the Contiki Pledge, inviting travellers who are 18 to 35 year-olds to make their next trip count.
It feels like we have to make up for lost time, and because each traveler has their own preferences on where to travel in January or the months ahead, Contiki has a list of amazing trips curated for every type of adventurer. To give you more travel ideas for your next trips, here are Contiki’s 2021 travel deals:
1. Travel Ideas for Vegans: Contiki’s Vegan Food Explorer Europe
The Vegan Food Explorer Europe, is an 8-day vegan odyssey covering Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest hosted by vegan influencers @thelittlelondonvegan and @laurafruitfairy. Departing on 28 August 2021, it’s one of the best travel ideas for vegans: the trip coincides with the Vegan Summer Festival in Berlin and includes a vegan cooking class in Budapest; a dining experience with locals in Berlin, and the chance to sample a wide range of vegan delicacies on an interactive food tour in Berlin.
Immersive cultural experiences include a locally guided bike tour of opulent Prague and a classical music concert in melodic Vienna, the home of Beethoven, are also included. Plus, free-time add-ons include a morning yoga class in Prague and a soak in the famous Széchenyi traditional thermal baths in Budapest, perfect for those who want to relax in style.
The accommodation has been specially selected to showcase the coolest stays around, including the Moxy in Berlin and A&O in Budapest, with bespoke vegan breakfasts served exclusively for Contiki guests. Prices from US$1,436 per person.
2. Where to Travel and Give Back: The Contiki Cares Experience
What better way to make our travels count than doing something positive for the destinations, communities or wildlife we visit?
Contiki has an increasing number of Contiki Cares experiences, with travel ideas designed to support the people, planet or wildlife in the destinations we travel to, with the goal of having at least one such experience across 50% of our trips by 2025.
Contiki’s New York Uncovered is a 4-day adventure of the Big Apple with an included New York subway pass and a group size of not more than 25 persons. Guests will stay at Moxy Hotel Times Square, right in the hear of midtown Manhattan, where this boutique hotel has a trendy rooftop bar perfect for enjoying cocktails and offering stunning views of the Empire State Building. Locals love its “urban amusement park” complete with a rotating carousel, a topiary garden and a chic indoor “Foreplay” golf course.
If you’re wondering where to travel for worthwhile causes, you can make travel matter with a visit to the Bronx to learn about Green Bronx Machine, a non-profit introducing school-based urban agriculture projects to transform marginalised communities into inclusive neighbourhoods. Prices are from US$700 per person.
3. Reach New Heights with Contiki’s 2021 Travel Deals
Contiki’s NEW six-day Nepal Trek Challenge is the ultimate bucket list trip where views of the famous Annapurna peaks from Sarangkot viewpoint awaits. Admire the unique beauty of the Nepalese Himalayas. Accommodation is in a hotel at Pokhara at the beginning and the end, and in comfortable hiking lodges along the trek itself. There is free time, in the end, to enjoy a well-earned rest by Pokhara lake. Prices from US$1,063 per person.
For more experienced climbers who are looking for the next level of travel ideas, there’s no more question on where to travel — Marangu Kili Climb is an epic seven-day journey up the highest peak of Africa in Kilimanjaro. Climb up the Marangu route to Uhuru Peak and the true adventure of paths trodden, wildlife spotted and friends made will make this an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime trip. Prices from US$1,905 per person.
4. From Your Bucket List of Travel Ideas: Do Something that Scares You
There’s not much that will counter the lethargy of 2021 than the adrenalin rush of pushing our limits and doing something that terrifies us, but it’s much more fun amongst friends and in beautiful surroundings.
Contiki’s Cape to Delta Safari is a 15-day trip that offers some heart-thumping experiences, with the opportunity to raft down the Zambezi river (one of the world’s best spots for white water rapids), bungee jump over the Victoria Falls, slide across the Zambezi from Zambia to Zimbabwe or swing off the famous bridge connecting Zimbabwe to Zambia. And because Contiki is not running out of Safari travel ideas, the trip includes wildlife spotting games drives in Kruger National Park and the Okavango Delta, alongside a three-night stay in cosmopolitan Cape Town. Prices from US$3,300 per person.
Check out Canada & the Rockies with countless adventures including zipline, white water rafting and a walk along the Capilano Suspension Bridge in the break-taking’ scapes of the Canadian Rockies. This trip is the ultimate compilation of your outdoor travel ideas. Starting from the charming village of Whistler, the trip covers Lillooet Mountain Range, Jasper, & Banff, before finally landing amongst the cool vibes of Vancouver. Prices from US$1,978 per person.
5. Surf’s Up for Contiki’s 2021 Travel Deals
Learning a new skill always counts for one of the best travel ideas, but where to travel to gain knowledge that caters to your interests? These 2021 travel deals have got you covered.
Surf & Yoga in Devon is a four-day glamping trip includes surfing lessons (with all the kit provided), coastal hikes, ocean swims, outdoor cookery lessons with @veganwise, energising and restorative yoga sessions and sunset fireside dinners. A Detour trip by Contiki, this is a trip that you will come away with new skills and a journey that introduces spectacular destinations through a local’s eyes. Prices start from $594.
Learn to be a Safari Guide in Kruger National Park is a six-day trip that visits the northern part of Kruger National Park Through ten fully guided game drives and walks, travellers are offered daily practical instruction designed to mirror safari guides training, for example, wildlife tracks and tracking, ecology and conservation and animal identification and behaviour. After the days in training, travellers enjoy sundowner drinks on afternoon game drives and nights swapping stories around the campfire under the stars. Prices from US$1,459 per person.
6. Where to Travel and Live like Royalty: Food and Wine in a French Chateau
If staying in a French Chateau is good enough for ‘Emily in Paris’, it’s good enough as one of our travel ideas, too. If picturesque backdrops are what completes your travel diaries, Contiki surely knows where to travel.
Contiki’s 17th century Château de Cruix in Beaujolais has undergone a $.1.5 million renovation this year and mixes original features with modern décor and art, offering Instagrammable backdrops at every turn. With views across valleys, vineyards and farmhouses, Château de Cruix offers a host of activities, from cooling off in the outdoor pool to sunrise yoga on the lawn, picnics, hikes and bike rides, volleyball on the new outdoor court and local wine tastings.
A stay at Chateau de Cruix is available on the new Food and Wine in a French Chateau, which is a 4-day mini-break, offering an exploration of the region’s gastronomy with a local host. Meet Anne Sophie, a Lyon local who is passionate about her family recipes. This passion led Anne to launch her very own cooking blog, where she combines culinary skills with her love for photography. On an unforgettable culinary experience, Anne Sophie will take guests to Lyon’s local markets to find the freshest produce, before sharing her passion for food during her masterclass for French cooking. You’ll surely be asking ‘when can we travel again and is it soon?’ with these fine culinary adventures. Prices start from US$556 per person.
Contiki’s incredible accommodation doesn’t stop there, with Special Stays including the luxurious Riad Mouana and the Belle Etoile Sahara Desert Camp on the Moroccan Adventure and the chalet-style accommodation of the Tunnel Mountain Resort in Banff on The Powder Rush ski and snowboarding trip in Canada.
Where to travel to next?
From the breath-taking to the worthwhile to the educational, there’s no shortage of travel ideas for where to travel in January and beyond. We might still be wondering exactly when can we travel again, but it’s definitely soon! With Contiki’s 2021 travel deals, we await with much anticipation as we plan for our next destination.
That said, these Contiki trips aren’t just about dreamy destinations and travel ideas, they’re about immersive, life-changing experiences and insights from local guides. If you’re the type of traveler who values connections that last long after the trip ends — connections with distant lands and connections with other free-spirited travelers from across the world, then it’s time to book that trip!
Pledge and join in the conversation to Make 2021 Count and use the hashtag #Contikipledge on social. For more info on Contiki Detour, check out their video here.
