Valentine’s Day travel conjures up images of starry-eyed couples lazing by the sea, cuddling on snowy peaks, sipping wine at candle-lit dinners... Then there are those heart-shaped balloons, roses and every element of mush imaginable. For a single traveller, holidaying this season doesn’t necessarily mean wading through handholding couples and being the one clicking their photographs. You don’t have to be all by yourself — here’s a bunch of activity-based holidays that can equip you with new skills and introduce you to interesting people.
Gastronomy
Plonked on the couch watching MasterChef might be the highlight of your evening. How about turning into one? Say hello to cooking holidays. From the inexperienced, who cringe to even boil an egg, to experts who grill and flambé with ease, these holidays are for those with a love for all things gastronomical. Not only does it let you explore a place, but it also teaches you to fix a meal or two. Across the globe, various regions offer charming home-stays during the duration of the course. Sometimes, these are restored old mansions, or spacious farmhouses even.
While Italian and Mediterranean cooking get a steady flow of enthusiastic learners, Mexican, Asian and French meals too are gathering steam. The sessions aren’t just about apprentices stirring a ladle and learning about ingredients; there’s much more involved — like going to the markets and learning how to identify fresh fish and vegetables, picking olives from trees, making flavoured oils…
The duration varies from two days to a fortnight. The Tuscany region in Italy, Crete in Greece, Toulouse and Bordeaux in France, are all popular destinations for culinary holidays.
Photography For many, holidays mean a camera or phone full of pictures. There are those who click mindlessly, and then there are those who take the effort to get the light and angle right for a great shot. The latter are the ones whose best shots are often interrupted/photobombed by selfie-clicking photo clickers. So here’s an idea — how about a holiday which centres on photography? Where photo enthusiasts get together, travel and patiently and tactfully take time to shoot Nature, wildlife, monuments, people, sunrise or whatever it is that might interest them.
Dancing Northern Lights, volcanic landscapes, glaciers and massive orcas — these are some of the awe-inspiring sights of Iceland.
Gaping at them open-mouthed might come easy, but capturing them in all their glory might be a task. But there are ample photo tours to Iceland that teach you the nitty-gritty of photography. Given the dramatic landscape, this little piece of land is a photographer’s delight.
Wildlife photography tours are a hot favourite too, and no, not too many people mind waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of a prowling leopard or a growling tiger. Catch zebras, wildebeest, giraffes and lions in Africa, bears and birds in Romania, look up the Arctic region for seals, walruses, reindeer, foxes and capture waddling penguins, albatrosses and whales in Antarctica.
Creative holidays
A stone mansion on a cliff that overlooks a frothy sea, a lighthouse in the distance and tufts of wispy clouds in the sky… that seems like a perfect setting for a story to unfurl. Well, it’s also a perfect setting for you to perhaps write your first short story or paint a picture. Writing and painting holidays are a great way to get out of the mad rush and give yourself time and space to think, to imagine and come up with a creative piece of work. And in the evening, all the participants can huddle by a bonfire and exchange notes. Cornwall, Norfolk, Devon and numerous parts of the United Kingdom, and parts of Ireland like Dublin, Galway and Sligo, are the perfect muse for creativity. You are not subjected to a classroom, equipped with a pen and paper at all times. You can walk along the beaches, in the meadows, chill in the pool and catch up on your reading, drink yourself silly at a bar… live up your holiday just the way you like, and sit down and pen/paint your ideas every time they drift by. And with the bewitching setting, ideas are going to be aplenty.
Cruises Who said cruises are meant for only retired pensioners or honeymooners? There are just as many fun cruises for singles looking to party and connect with other such travellers. Have you heard of The Yacht Week? Seven days of sailing, lazing, swimming and, most importantly, partying on a yacht. It sails to select islands and docks every night, so you can check out the happening clubs. There’s Croatia, Greece, Italy, Turkey, the British Virgin Islands, Thailand — take your pick. Some cruises even organise cocktail evenings for the singles on board, so they get to mingle with new people. Liner companies such as Princess Cruises and Singles Cruises have specific services for singles, and games, karaoke nights, and fun contests are all part of the activities that these cruise ships offer. These are also a great way to break the ice.
And the preferred destinations to set sail to? The Caribbean Islands, Florida, the Mediterranean region, The Netherlands… All aboard the love boat? Oh yes!
Adventure
Almost every holiday is an adventure, and then there are holidays that are only about adventures. Adrenalin-pumping and challenging activities that become the highlight of your vacation. Think sky-diving, bungee-jumping, scuba-diving, white water-rafting, hiking up waterfalls… the options are endless. New Zealand is the most popular for these escapades. The Kiwis really know how to have fun and they teach you how. Just strap on that harness and take the plunge.
Costa Rica is a place where you can combine your love for wildlife and adventure.
Closer home, in India, Thrillophilia organises a host of trekking, rafting, camping and paintball holidays. This may certainly be more refreshing than canoodling under a moonlit sky.
