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09/06/2005: "Underwater Hotels and Surfing in New York..."
Some things you expect to do when travelling to certain destinations, such as visiting a museum when on a city break to Rome or dancing till dawn in Ibiza: other activities are a little more unexpected, such as surfing in New York, skiing in Dubai or scuba-diving while on a skiing holiday in the French Alps.
Roman Katanec, head of marketing at Flight Centre, says: "As the world shrinks and people continue to travel more, destinations around the globe are always looking at ways of broadening their appeal to holidaymakers to encourage more visitors, and they have come up with some novel ways of doing this."
Flight Centre staff have travelled the world extensively and come up with their list of the more unusual activities that destinations around the globe are offering or plan to offer to attract people:
Surfing in New York: Lucky tourists and residents can now surf legally in New York, as the city opened its first official surfing beach, Rockaway Beach, earlier this year. This is the first time in more than a century that people have been allowed to surf at the city's beaches or waterways.
Skiing in Dubai: People will soon be able to cool off from Dubai's 50 degree heat at a faux mountainside dubbed Ski Dubai. Completely indoors, with no windows, the indoor field will offer skiing and snowboarding trails, mugs of hot chocolate and log fireplaces to help people forget the soaring temperatures outside.
Sunbathing on a Paris beach: Once again next month and in August a 3km stretch of the River Seine will be turned into a beach, an annual event since 2002.
The strand be complete with white sand, palm trees, sunbeds and parasols so that residents and visitors alike can pretend they are on the Cote d'Azur.
Ice diving in the French Alps: Tignes in the French Alps is better known for its ski slopes than its diving opportunities but, for those on the lookout for something different to do on their ski holiday next year, ice diving could be an option.
Professional ice divers will take suitably qualified divers through a hole in the ice in Tignes Lake for a truly unforgettable experience. Sipping vodka at an ice bar in Auckland: Minus 5 is an exceptional bar experience in Auckland where the whole bar is produced from ice.
This includes the walls, sculptures, seats and glasses. People are offered warm jackets and given a 30-minute tour which includes a drink of vodka.
Sleeping underwater in Dubai: Leading the way with underwater hotels, the five-star Hydropolis in Dubai, billed as the world's first underwater hotel, will open in December 2006.
It will be a 220-suite hotel, divided into three elements; the landing station, the tunnel to the submarine area and the submarine that will be the actual hotel, where guests will be sleeping in suites underwater.
Visiting a working prison in La Paz, Bolivia: This prison is operated as a co-operative by the prisoners and was written about in the book Marching Powder by Rusty Young.
The guards on the gates will let tourists in for a few dollars, but once inside visitors are left in the hands of convicted drug dealers, terrorists and rapists for a highly unusual tour.
Camel racing in Alice Springs: Pay homage to the great cameleers who opened up the Australian Outback at the Voyages Camel Cup. This has been an annual event since 1971 and this year it takes place on July 9.
Up to 20 camels will contest each race on the card and there will be novelty races as well (as if the camel races didn't qualify for that description themselves!).
The most popular event is the Honeymoon Handicap where the groom races his camel halfway round the track, gets it to kneel beside his bride, picks her up and charges back to the finishing line.
Cooking in China: The hot destination of the year, China is getting ever more popular in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
For those who want to experience more than just the usual sights ,there are tour options that include teaching visitors the cooking skills needed to make the perfect Chinese meal.
Have a facelift in Cape Town: Guests at the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Camps Bay, Cape Town, can come away with more than just the benefits of a bit of rest and relaxation.
A new nose or flattened tummy could also be theirs. With cosmetic surgery growing in popularity, Twelve Apostles offers the ideal place to relax, rejuvenate and recuperate. The Clarins gold-rated Sanctuary Spa is an idyllic retreat, and boasts state-of-the-art equipment and treatments.
(this article was taken from iol.co.za)
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