There’s nothing better than unique travel ideas to motivate top achievers to strive for greater targets. Here are 33 of our picks from around the world
Uncovering the secrets of Bhuta
Delve into the secrets of this beautiful Himalayan kingdom. For this tour, there will be an exclusive arrangement made with Eddie Jose. Jose is a conservationist who has devoted much of his life working with the local monks on Thangka reservation and conservation, to gain a deeper understanding of their work and to study the treasures in monasteries and dzongs not usually seen by foreigners. One of the highlights will be meeting the typical local family who will whip up an authentic Bhutanese lunch.
Capacity: Maximum 16 pax
Email: enquiries@countryholidays.com.sg
Website: countryholidays.com.sg
Sky high dining
Hop on the cable car, have a four-course dinner on board and enjoy the sunset over Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.
During the first 45 minutes of the cable car ride up Mount Rigi, the first two courses of dinner will be served. A stop can be made at the village for pictures and a toilet break before the cable car makes its descent. On the way down, main course and dessert will be served. The total travel time will take one hour and 50 minutes.
The service is available between May and September.
Capacity: 40 pax (in two cabins)
Website: rigi.ch
Learn the art of receiving guests
Receiving guests is an art in France. There are a few rules to learn to become a perfect host.
The De Vogue family – owner of Vaux le Vicomte’s Castle, a private chateau 45-minute drive from Paris – still pursue the
tradition. Not only will your top achievers enjoy a dinner in the 17th-century chateaux, they can take an hour-long crash course on the art of table setting, seating arrangement, serving a sit-down-dinner, as well as observing a dress code.
Capacity: 20 pax
Website: vaux-le-vicomte.com
Call of the wild
Eagle hunting, one of the most dramatic and primal relationships between man and beast is alive and well in the remote mountains of western Mongolia.
Indulge your guests in a private itinerary created for falconers, adventurers and cultural enthusiasts. Your delegates will find home in the most luxurious gers overlooking the Mongolian steppes in Ulaanbaatar, spend a day hunting with the Kazakh eagle hunters before travelling to the Eagle Festival as part of the contingent.
Capacity: Minimum four pax
Email: info@urbanenomads.com
Website: urbanenomads.com
Heigh ho heigh ho, off to Wieliczka we go
Suitable for more exclusive groups that want to combine leisure, accommodation and meetings/dinners, Wieliczka Salt Mine is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located 10km outside Krakow, Poland. It dates back to the 13th century and is known for the statues, cathedrals and halls carved out of rock salt by miners over the years.
Groups can take up the mine’s Visit the Mine by Night tour and explore this vast underground labyrinth only by the light of their mining lamps, or put their hand to the plough and perform the everyday work of ancient miners in the Underground Escapade – Adventure Trip excursion. Delegates can also put up at The Eastern Mountains’ Stable Chamber, a converted former stable some 135m below ground, where the microclimate of the saline excavations is reputed to be good for health. The mine’s range of underground chambers are ideal both for intimate and large events, with up to 600 guests at the most.
Capacity: Group tours: minimum 10 pax, maximum 20 pax; The Eastern Mountains’ Stable Chamber: minimum 10 pax, maximum 28 pax
Email: imprezy@kopalnia.pl
Website: wieliczka-saltmine.com
An African safari adventure
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge boasts architecture as impressive as its surroundings.
While the structural style evokes traditional Maasai mud-and-stick manyatta (homesteads), the interior accommodation and finishes are pure luxury. There is also private butler service, and all suites have a view of the crater along with a luxurious domed dining area and a fireplace.
This place is ideal for groups looking for a thrilling escapade from the city and urban life. Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area in the southeast of the Serengeti allows delegates who are keen to explore the challenging paths close to the rim with safari walks, or join the game drives to witness hippo and lions roaming in the wild.
Capacity: Maximum 60 pax
Email: inception@tradewindstravel.com.my
Website: twtravel.com.my
Down in the dungeons
Leave the modern, working world behind and let your top achievers embark on a gripping journey through 1,000 years of London’s murky past – guided by a cast of London’s infamous rogues and villains.
The London Dungeon mashes up theatre, special effects and intriguing storytelling with humour and plenty of edge-of-the-seat surprises.
Meet Sweeney Todd and his evil sidekick Mrs Lovett, escape the Plague ridden streets of 1665, and visit Jack The Ripper’s favourite haunt, the Ten Bells Pub in Whitechapel, before facing your fears on the drop ride!
The London Dungeon includes a Victorian Gin cocktail on arrival, access to a costume wardrobe, an after-hours, adult-only tour of the dungeon and pies in Mrs Lovett’s pie shop.
The venue can also be booked out for an evening event.
Capacity: Maximum 65 pax
Website: merlineventslondon.com
Raise a glass
Depart in the morning to visit one of the local vineyards up in Bali’s north. While there, learn about the local winery, type of grapes and their harvesting time from a local expert. Then taste the local wine, and have them with Indonesian snacks prepared by The Ritz-Carlton, Bali’s chef.
Back at the resort, refresh and get ready for a wine pairing dinner at the resort’s Indonesian restaurant Bejana. Pair an Indonesian Rijsttafel dinner with local wine while learning about the tipple from Sansan Pratama, winner of the Indonesia Best Sommelier 2015 title.
Capacity: Maximum 20 pax
Website: ritzcarlton.com/Bali
On the trail of a chudail
Suryagarh Jaisalmer is a 77-room property which sits on the threshold looking south towards the ancient city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, which offers an unsurpassable antiquity, and looking north to the undulating landscape of the Thar Desert with its raw natural beauty. The property has a conference hall that can accommodate 90 pax and offers facilities like drop down screens and state-of-the-art audio video equipment.
Besides their scenic sand dunes, Jaisalmer is also home to a number of tourist attractions like the Jaisalmer Fort, Amar Sagar Lake and Bada Bagh. The latter houses the Royal cenotaphs of the premier family of Jaisalmer.
Incentive groups can also engage in activities like a treasure hunt in the city, go on a Camel Safari or take on its one of a kind Midnight Haunted Trail. The locals believe that some sites are inhabited by spirits called chudails and this trails takes one to all these sites at midnight.
Capacity: Maximum 150 pax
Email: reservation@suryagarh.com
Website: suryagarh.com
Hop on that train
Travel on a one-of-its-kind narrow-gauge steam locomotive from a bygone era and get a rare look into China’s industrial revolution and the Jiayang Coal Mine.
Founded in 1938 in Bajiaogou, the Jiayang Coal Mine was the first Sino-British joint venture in Sichuan. The railway, built in the 1950s, is still the only way in and out of the valley. Recognised as an industrial heritage site, the railway is a national icon.
The steam locomotive, which pulls seven mini passenger carriages with 18 seats each and runs between Bajiaogou and Shixi in Qianwei County, Leshan, in Sichuan, can be chartered for private events.
There are four sightseeing stops along the route featuring picturesque views, Jurassic-era forests, peaks, rivers and Bajiaogou’s Soviet- and British-style village houses.
Visitors can climb up a hill to watch the small train give a spectacular “steam show”, dine at a farmer’s inn, visit the Jiayang Mining Museum, dress up as coalminers and explore a coal pit.
Capacity: 126 pax
Email: 1797341447@qq.com or 1404527714@qq.com
Website: lsqwly.com
Chasing time in Beijing
Launched in October 2013 and reintroduced this year, this is an Amazing-Race-meets-Beijing history lesson and participants race in vintage motorcycle sidecars to piece together the story of China’s capital since the days of Dadu in Kublai Khan’s Yuan Dynasty.
Participants “travel” through four eras of Beijing history from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Republican/Mao era. From the hidden corners of the Forbidden City to old Gothic churches and bomb shelters, time chasers have three hours to complete as many challenges as they can. It ends at a restaurant for a slap-up celebratory meal and award ceremony.
Capacity: 40 pax
Email: info@bespoke-beijing.com
Website: bespoketravelcompany.com
Explore the way of the mountains
Shrines on Dewa Sanzen, the three sacred mountains of Yamagata in Japan, have long been visited by pilgrims who undergo tests of physical and mental endurance. The experience is now popular with tourists and a three-day programme is offered for participants to meditate under a waterfall, jog through the serene mountains, detoxify in an incense room, and cleanse the body with a traditional meal of shojin ryori (vegetarian temple cuisine). Participants are also offered the opportunity to harvest their own vegetables and fruits for their meal, an arrangement unique to the shrine experience in Dewa Sanzen.
For incentive groups that lack time for a complete Dewa Sanzen experience, they can check into one of the many history-rich ryokans at the foot of the mountains and partake in prayers and meditation every morning, led by ryokan owners, and enjoy shojin ryori.
Capacity: Unavailable at press time
Email: kanko@city.tsuruoka.yamagata.jp / rkonno@solarisspace.com
Make your own luxury timepiece
Guided by a Swiss master watchmaker in a modern atelier with a view over a typical Jura valley, this unique Swiss experience is a one-day private watch making course (09.00 to 17.00).
Guests at the Beau Rivage Hotel will discover the intricate subtleties of how a mechanical watch moves. They will then choose their components to personalise their timepiece, before assembling it themselves and taking it home. This private tour includes a night’s accommodation, watchmaking workshop with the option of dining at a nearby Michelin-star restaurant, and a five-course dinner in the on-site Restaurant O’terroirs that has an amazing view of Lake Neuchatel. To get there, helicopter transfers can be arranged.
Capacity: Maximum 12 pax
Email: info@beau-rivage-hotel.ch / marketing@beau-rivage-hotel.ch
Website: beau-rivage-hotel.ch
A royal welcome
Terrapuri Resort in Penarik, Terengganu is made up of 22 villas, whose architecture resembles old Malay palaces that were in existence more than a century ago. Delegates will be treated like royalty, enjoying royal delicacies of olden days and being entertained with a traditional dance drama known as Mak Yong. Mak Yong, declared by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece Of The Oral And Intangible Heritage Of Humanity”, is almost extinct in Malaysia.
A corporate responsibility programme that involves releasing newly hatched river terrapins into the Penarik river can also be arranged on request. These terrapins are an endangered species and your group can play their part in the continued survival of this species.
Capacity: 40 pax for resort buyout
Email: sales@terrapuri.com
Website: terrapuri.com
Be inspired by one of Britain’s national treasures
Receive a warm welcome into Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, home of the 12th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
This 18th-century Baroque architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Site houses some of the finest antique collections in Europe. Visitors can take a tour of the State Rooms and admire the portraits, tapestries and exquisite furniture while learning about the 300-year-old palace. Blenheim Palace also boasts of more than 80 hectares of landscaped parkland, which comprises an array of formal gardens like the Rose Garden, Water Terraces and Secret Garden. Take a stroll up to the Grand Cascades or around the lake to admire some of the finest views in England.
Capacity: No maximum limit
Email: sale@blenheimhospitality.com
Website: blenheimpalace.com
Thrills that don’t need mad skills
Contrary to popular belief, heli-skiing isn’t just for extreme sports enthusiasts. Harris Mountains Heli-Ski’s menu suits a wide range of snowboarding and skiing abilities, providing helicopters and guides for your day out on New Zealand’s snowy peaks.
Incentive winners will be treated to multiple adrenaline rushes as they race down slopes of untouched snow and be lifted back to the peak by helicopter. Incredible views and a gourmet picnic await them at lunchtime, and then it’s back to the mountaintop for even more excitement.
Capacity: 16 to 25 pax per helicopter
Email: hmh@heliski.co.nz
Website: heliski.co.nz
Glamping next to Angkor-era ruins
Banteay Chhmar tented camp offers small groups the opportunity of staying overnight in the jungle right next to a 12th century Khmer temple in Cambodia, near the border with Thailand.
While the glamping experience has plenty of luxury elements it is a community-based tourism project. Local villagers are employed and help run the initiative, from looking after guests to cooking food and more, providing an ideal corporate social responsibility element for groups.
Capacity: Maximum six pax
Email: sales.cambodia@khiri.com
Website: khiri.com/cambodia
Soaring over The Land of the Thunder Dragon
Fly over central Bhutan’s Phobjikha Valley in a hot-air balloon and watch in awe as the 360-degree view reveals the snow-clad Himalayan peaks. The valley below is dotted with villages, farmhouses and temples, while the 17th-century Gangtey Goenpa monastery nestles a 5,000m spur at the north end of the valley. The area is home to snow leopards and black-necked cranes – both of which are rarely sighted – and a host of other wildlife.
Capacity: Unavailable at press time
Website: easternsafaris.com
Picnic on the back of an elephant
Explore Chiang Mai in style with 137 Pillar House’s signature picnic basket, filled to the brim with tasty treats for your incentive winners to nibble on as they journey through a jungle atop an elephant. They can toast their adventures with flutes of champagne while they sightsee from within a howdah, or visit the elephant hospital to watch a veterinarian take care of sick and injured elephants.
After having lunch at a restaurant in Lampang, they can ride a horse-drawn carriage – a famous symbol of the town – around the market, before heading to Ban Sao Nak, a huge ancestral mansion built in 1895 with 116 teak pillars.
Capacity: Maximum five pax
Email: info@137pillarshouse.com
Website: snhcollection.com/137pillarshouse
Aerial views of Cambodian temples
Serving as an ideal pre- or post-event incentive for high-end groups staying at the luxurious Soneva Khiri, flights from the resort on Koh Kood in the Gulf of Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia afford delegates a unique aerial view of the area which is famous for its temples, including the Bayon, Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat. An expert guided tour of the complex is thrown in. Additional elements can be tailored too.
Capacity: Eight pax
Email: kiri@soneva.com
Website: soneva.com
Tanzania migration safari
Reward your winners with one of the greatest wildlife shows on earth: the great migration of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles crossing the great African plains and mighty rivers. Fly your top achievers to the Sanctuary Migration Camp, a luxury tented mobile camp erected close to the Grumeti River to witness the amazing spectacle unfold over two days. For the adventurous, they can opt to enjoy top-down game viewing through a spectacular hot air balloon ride.
Capacity: Maximum 16 pax
Email: enquiries@countryholidays.com.sg
Website: countryholidays.com.sg
Be one with the underwater world
Situated in North Ari Atoll in the Maldives, Kandolhu Island is a diver’s paradise, surrounded by cerulean waters and a pristine coral reef. Offering more than the typical water activities, the resort amps up the adventure factor by whisking your top achievers away to a nearby deserted island for a Robinson Crusoe experience, where they can explore the uninhabited white, sandy beach or go snorkelling in the colourful house reef.
For those who can’t get enough of the sea, Kandolhu Island also boasts experiences such as big-game fishing, sunset cruises and fluorescent night snorkelling, where divers can watch corals and underwater creatures glow pink and orange in the dark.
Capacity: Maximum 80 pax
Email: info@kandolhu.com
Website: kandolhu.com
Conserve Malaysia’s natural environment
The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort located in an idyllic setting on Malaysia’s Langkawi Island, is nestled between a 10 million-year-old rainforest in the tranquil Datai Bay and an 8,000-year-old fringing coral reef.
The five-star resort is ideal for delegates looking to make a real and tangible difference to the environment through conservation efforts such as coral transplanting under the expert guidance of the resort’s marine and coral curator. While in Langkawi, discover the natural beauty of the island by taking part in various nature activities such as mangrove river cruising with an experienced nature guide who will also point out the ancient rock formations that form part of Langkawi Geopark.
Capacity: 140 pax
Email: theandaman@luxurycollection.com
Website: theandaman.com
Stay in a casa in the Caribbean
Situated in one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities, Santo Domingo, Casas del XVI hotel comprises two beautifully restored 16th-century houses, decorated to reflect the area’s historical and cultural significance. Both contain a central courtyard, where your top achievers can dine under the stars as a butler tends to their every need.
Take full advantage of the hotel’s proximity to the Colonial City and lead them on a culinary tour of the city, or visit one of the largest organic cocoa producers of the Caribbean and learn how they produce, roast and hand grind chocolate.
Capacity: Eight rooms
Phone: 809 688-4061
Website: casasdelxvi.com
Private viewing of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London
For over 600 years, the Crown Jewels have been held for safekeeping at the legendary Tower of London. They are priceless for their symbolic value as well as the magnificence of their precious materials. Millions of visitors every year come to marvel at these treasures, which include the Cullinan I, the largest top-quality diamond ever discovered.
Motivate your team to succeed with the reward of sipping sparkling wine and enjoying canapes after all the tourists have headed home for the day at a private viewing of the Crown Jewels. On arrival, the guardians of the Tower will escort you to the Jewel House regaling stories of the Tower’s history along the way. Once inside, enjoy the hospitality while hearing about the unique working collection that is still regularly used by the Queen in important national ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament.
Capacity: Maximum 150 people
Email: events@hrp.org.uk
Website: hrp.org.uk/hireavenue
Skip the city for the depths of Java
For a retreat deep among lofty mountains and ancient temples, look no further than a stay in Java’s Villa Borobudur. Each of the traditional joglo-style villas’ teak arches and carved roofs were handmade by expert carpenters. While some villas feature outdoor showers and others infinity pools, all of them offer stunning views.
Your incentive winners can go on an excursion to Mount Merapi on a jeep safari, hike to rice fields and waterfalls, or go rafting on Progo River. For the less adventurous, they can learn batik printing and pottery lessons at a nearby village.
Capacity: 10 rooms in six villas
Email: info@villaborobudur.com
Website: villaborobudur.com
Retreat to a luxurious abode near a tiger reserve
The Samode Safari Lodge at Bandhavgarh in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is a unique luxury retreat located adjacent to the 450km2. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, known to have the highest density of tigers in the world.
There are 12 private villas at Samode Safari Lodge. The lodge is designed around a series of individual chalets that each come with an elegant living space, a bedroom with a modern en-suite bath and dressing area, a unique open-air bath court, and a private veranda with striking views of nature.
Incentive groups can enjoy gourmet dining at the main restaurant, barbecues around a campfire, and long lazy poolside meals, and head out for a wilderness experience. Activities include wildlife excursions led by expert naturalists, as well as cycling and sightseeing tours to ancient temples and nearby villages. When the day is over, retreat to a fully-equipped spa to renew the body.
Capacity: 24 pax
Email: reservations@samode.com
Website: samode.com
Live the sultan lifestyle
As the name of this hotel suggests, your top winners will get the royal treatment at the La Sultana Marrakech. Besides offering a traditional hammam and balneotherapy baths, the hotel also features stunning architecture and decor. Plan a cooking class for your group and have them learn the tricks to whipping up mouthwatering traditional cuisine, such as chicken tagine with preserved lemon, from a Moroccan cook.
The hotel’s location in the heart of the old city means guests are mere steps away from royal palaces, museums and souks.
Capacity: 28 rooms in five riads
Email: reservation@lasultanahotels.com
Website: lasultanahotels.com/marrakech
Delve into Hong Kong’s traditions
Hosted by local artisans who are masters of art forms such as bamboo and flower displays, shadow puppetry, qipao-button crafting and lion dancing, the classes at The Peninsula Hong Kong offers guests an insight into the country’s disappearing crafts.
After choosing their preferred artisan, participants are split into groups and they get to support the city’s traditional crafts by contributing to their sustainability through education and awareness building. More than simply a learning experience, these programmes immerse participants in the local culture.
There are half-day and full-day programmes to choose from, allowing more flexibility and options depending on participants’ itinerary and areas of interest. It is ideal for small incentive groups.
Capacity: Four to eight pax
Email: academyphk@peninsula.com
Website: peninsula.com/hongkong
Luxuriate in a desert oasis
Set in a sprawling desert and occupying over 10 hectares of land, Samsara Dechu is an architectural marvel with its colossal swimming pool, expansive green areas and exquisite accommodation options.
Located 115km from Jodhpur, India, the property offers 32 luxurious villas with private gardens and a campsite with 25 luxury tents. Amid the wilderness, surrounded by dunes of the Thar, the luxury tents offer vibrant block-printed interiors complimented by locally-crafted furniture and rugs that accentuate the rich heritage of Rajasthan.
Perfect for corporate groups, the resort also houses a conference room that can accommodate 84 pax in a round table setting. Some of the activities that incentive groups can experience include birdwatching tours, camel safaris, bush dinners and picnic lunches.
Capacity: Maximum 110 pax
Email: reservations@samsaradechu.com
Website: samsaradechu.com
Simply an exquisite stay
With its stately marble staircase and intricately painted ceilings, mesmerising does not even begin to describe Ca’Sagredo Hotel in Venice. Pamper your top achievers to a lavish sojourn in this historic gem by the Grand Canal, where they will not fail to appreciate the stunning works of art within the hotel as well as its luxurious furnishings.
Capacity: 42 rooms and suites
Email: info@casagredohotel.com
Website: casagredohotel.com
Lip smacking good stuff
Las Vegas is more than just a paradise for people looking to challenge Lady Luck at games tables, and Lip Smacking Foodie Tours proves exactly that. Through carefully curated guided food tours that stop at some of the best restaurants on the Strip and off-the-beaten path, participants gain a belly full of great eats as well as interesting information about the city’s art and architecture and stories about the featured restaurants and their chefs. Lip Smacking Foodie Tours offers two regular, scheduled tours – Afternoon Culinary Adventures and Savors Of The Strip – and is able to tailor a programme just for private groups.
Capacity: Up to 60 pax
Phone: (888) 681-4388
Website: VegasFoodieTour.com
Take a bird’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon
It’s hard not to feel the draw of the Grand Canyon calling out to you when you are in Las Vegas. An aerial view of the rock formation, the forests, raging rapids, wildlife and the Colorado River can be arranged by helicopter and/or plane. This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for your winners to truly enjoy the scenery and take memorable photographs as they fly over the Grand Canyon.
Capacity: Maximum seven pax (by helicopter), 19 pax (by airplane)
Email: res@papillion.com
Website: papillon.com
