The best new packages for clients setting new year resolutions

Being more adventurous solo

For solo travellers looking to spread their wings this year, G Adventures has a new vessel in the Galapagos ready to help them embark on a wildlife-filled odyssey. The Reina Silvia Voyager is the company’s highest-spec vessel in the archipelago and the first to have dedicated cabins for solo travellers. The 10-day journey around the Central and East islands of the Galapagos includes visiting the bird colonies of Punta Suarez, sea lions in San Cristobal, iguanas in Santa Fe, red footed boobies in Bartolome and giant tortoises in Santa Cruz.

Book it: G Adventures offers the trip from £6,799pp for a solo cabin. gadventures.com

Learning something new

Picking up a new skill can be life affirming, and luxury hotel Le Sereno in St Barths features an artist in residence programme with complimentary painting classes. Guests are inspired by their Caribbean surroundings and guided by the resident artist to create their own masterpiece. Once their creativity is exhausted they can recharge in the hotel’s beachfront setting, which also features a new wellness programme.

Book it: A six-night B&B stay including two art classes, a hiking experience and water sports starts from £4,630pp, which is commissionable. serenohotels.com 

Donating time to volunteering

For clients keen to give something back to the world they love to explore, Wildlife Worldwide’s Kalahari Conservation Experience offers the chance to support a pioneering project in the Kalahari Desert. A series of cattle farms have had fences removed to become South Africa’s largest Big Five game reserve. Here, guests participate in much-needed fieldwork with activities ranging from predator monitoring to game counts, vegetation surveys and anti-poaching efforts.

Book it: Wildlife Worldwide offers nine days full-board in tented camps from £3,695pp including flights, departing 15 September 2023. wildlifeworldwide.com

Spending more time together as a family

Young children: Convenience and entertainment are two key ingredients of a harmonious family holiday, especially with younger ones in tow. Ikos Resorts has earned its stripes in both departments and is launching a new property in Majorca this June. With average flight times of less than three hours, Ikos Porto Petro will be an easily accessible, all-inclusive resort with plenty to entice parents and children alike. Families can expect mini discos, movie nights, child-friendly pools, waterfront childcare and children’s menus.

Book it: Elegant Resorts offers seven nights from £9,265 per family of four including flights, private transfers and UK lounge passes, departing 9 September 2023. elegantresorts.co.uk

Teenagers: Teens can be tricky to please but Explore has packages that even the pickiest would be hard-pressed not to enjoy. Its Family Costa Rica Rainforest and Wildlife Adventure whisks clients off to towering volcanoes, unspoilt beaches and tropical rainforest as they navigate one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. They can venture through cloud forest home to brightly-coloured birdlife, learn how to make chocolate and zip wire through the forest canopy.

Book it: Explore offers the 14-day tour including B&B accommodation with some additional meals, transport and activities from £2,820pp (£2,180 per child). Flights can be booked from £1,015. explore.co.uk

Enjoying quality time with loved ones

In the wake of the pandemic, couples aren’t the only clients feeling the need to reconnect. For those keen to spend more time with partners, friends, parents, children or siblings, renowned Saint Lucia resort Rendezvous, now rebranded to StolenTime By Rendezvous, allows them to do just that. Previously a couples-only resort it now welcomes all adults to sample the popular all-inclusive proposition. Guests can enjoy the resort’s Stolen Moments concept with experiences such as mixology competitions, massage lessons, scuba diving, salsa dancing, organised hikes and cooking classes.

Book it: Caribtours offers seven nights all-inclusive in June from £2,499pp based on two sharing and including flights. caribtours.co.uk

Holidaying flight-free

If clients are looking to lower their carbon footprint this year, avoiding air travel can be a simple way to make strides towards their goal. Railbookers has new packages to tempt those keen to travel by train with the added convenience of departing from any UK station. One new option is the Glacier and Bernina Express, the Matterhorn and the Last Supper, which takes clients from the Swiss Peaks and shadow of the iconic Matterhorn Mountain to viewing one of the world’s most treasured artworks, all via two spectacular train journeys.

Book it: Railbookers offers the eight-day trip from £3,199pp. railbookers.co.uk

Taking on a new challenge

For adventurous clients who love a challenge but are keen to tick off something different, look to Intrepid’s new Hike Trans Bhutan Trail. Striding along the newly restored trail, guests explore Bhutan’s rich cultural heritage, forested valleys, monasteries and sacred mountains. They can take in panoramic views of the Himalayas from the Dochula Pass, home to fluttering prayer flags, and explore the remote Tang Valley and Mebar Tsho (Burning Lake), one of the most serene places in Bhutan to meditate. 

Book it: Intrepid offers the 11-day hike from £4,960pp including three meals a day, private transport and activities. intrepid.com

Living in the here and now

Despite the cost of living crisis there will always be clients wanting a blow-out trip, whether celebrating a major milestone or simply grabbing life by the horns. What better option than to embark a luxury cruise liner and take in the wonders of the world? Silversea recently announced its return to Asia with a Singapore to Mumbai itinerary with visits to Unesco sites, delicious seafood feasts and overnight calls in iconic cities, all while enjoying the line’s impeccable standards of hospitality. 

Book it: Silversea offers the 16-day door-to-door trip from £6,600pp starting on 8 March 2023, including transfers (UK and abroad), flights, hotel stay and the all-inclusive voyage. silversea.com