June 1, 2020
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with travel dates on or after
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with effective start dates on or after
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To most of us, an “exclusive travel experience” just means an expensive trip. But there’s another level of exclusivity in travel: the destinations and experiences that are only available to a select few.
Sometimes, you have to be wealthy to enjoy these special trips. Sometimes, you just have to get lucky: Enter a lottery and cross your fingers. Here are eight exclusive travel experiences you won’t soon forget.
PS: Did you know many Allianz Travel Insurance plans include complimentary concierge benefits? While your concierge can’t get you VIP access to a red-carpet event, they’re happy to help you obtain tickets to sports events, shows, festivals, and concerts. They can also help you plan your trip with suggestions for activities, tours, and sightseeing. Concierge access is just one of the many benefits of travel protection from Allianz. Traveling soon? Get a quote today!
Want to spend a week skiing 100 uncrowded ski runs at The Yellowstone Club in Montana? Unfortunately, you can’t—unless you have a lot of money to burn, or you know someone who does. This super-exclusive luxury resort limits access to its members and their guests.
“Members must commit to buying or building a home, which can start at about $4 million for a condominium and $5 million for a private home—but prices often rise well into eight figures. There is a $300,000 membership deposit, annual club dues of $36,000, and annual property owners association dues of $10,000,” reported Covey Rise magazine.1 The rewards of membership are getting to shoot, fly-fish, golf, hike, and ski on an entire private mountain.
Prefer the beach? Another very exclusive resort is CostaTerra, about an hour south of Lisbon, Portugal. This members-only vacation club is owned by Discovery Land Company, which also runs The Yellowstone Club. Buy a multi-million-dollar home there, and you get to enjoy the on-site Tom Fazio golf course, equestrian center, beach club, organic farm, and more.
If you’d rather not tie yourself to one location, an Exclusive Resorts membership gets you a dedicated vacation-planning ambassador, an on-site concierge every time you travel, special events, and access to luxury hotels and more than 400 private residences worldwide. Exclusive Resorts also offers “Once-in-a-Lifetime Journeys” available only to members, such as a helicopter tour of Rwanda or an 11-day journey through Japan that includes a private audience with a geisha. The initiation fee for a 10-year membership starts at $195,000, plus annual dues.
In the high desert of western New Mexico stands an unusual work of art: 400 polished stainless-steel poles, each more than 20 feet high, are installed in a grid measuring one mile by one kilometer. This is The Lightning Field, a 1977 work by the American sculptor Walter De Maria.
“A sculpture to be walked in as well as viewed, The Lightning Field is intended to be experienced over an extended period of time,” advises the Dia Art Foundation, which manages the site. “A full experience of The Lightning Field does not depend upon the occurrence of lightning, and visitors are encouraged to spend as much time as possible in the field, especially during sunset and sunrise.” Dia offers overnight visits in an adjacent cabin for up to 6 people at a time during the months of May through October. To request a stay, you must email the foundation.2
The Elkmont area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to a magical natural phenomenon: the synchronized flashing of thousands of fireflies. Unfortunately, the park says, “as news of this extraordinary natural phenomenon spread, the number of visitors surged, resulting in heightened safety hazards and damage to resources in the area.”3 As a result, the park began offering a limited number of tickets to see the fireflies during an 8-day period in late May and early June. It only costs $1 to enter the lottery, plus $29 if you win.
You don’t call Scott Dunn Private. They’ll call you. This ultra-exclusive travel agency provides travel planning for a select list of high net-worth individuals. The agency doesn’t even charge its clients for these services.
The agency’s Relationship Managers draw on their connections around the world to create legendary travel experiences for their elite clients. It’s not just about access, but about expertise. To make a travel dream come true, they might call on a local museum curator, sommelier, naturalist, golf pro, or photographer. “Whether going behind the scenes at the French Open, entering the Sistine Chapel for a discreet private visit, or experiencing the wonder of a Michelin-starred chef's kitchen during full service, Scott Dunn Private can make it happen,” the agency promises.
Hidden inside Walt Disney World’s iconic castle is an apartment called the Cinderella Suite. It was originally built for Disney himself, and today it’s one of the world’s most exclusive travel experiences. That’s because you can’t simply book it for a night, no matter how much you’re willing to pay. “Rumor has it that Disney has declined bribes of up to $40,000 for a night’s stay,” Travel+Leisure reports.4 A stay in the Cinderella Suite can only be obtained by winning a sweepstakes, or by direct invitation from the park.
The suite itself is a cozy place inspired by a 17th-century French chateau: stained-glass windows, an antique fireplace, canopy beds, and mosaic scenes from “Cinderella.” You can see pictures here.
Want to watch the greats compete for the famous green jacket? The Masters—a professional golf tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club—makes tickets available via a lottery system. Mark your calendar for June, when the lottery opens for the following year’s tickets. Your chance of winning is small, but the tickets are reasonably priced.5
Just 300 hikers are allowed per day on the Half Dome Trail in Yosemite when safety cables are up, usually from Memorial Day to mid-October. There’s a preseason lottery in March and daily lotteries during the hiking season.
The 22-mile (round trip) Kalalau Trail traverses the rugged Nā Pali Coast, offering some of the most beautiful scenery in Hawai’i. The trail winds through five valleys and passes lovely waterfalls before ending at Kalalau Beach. A very limited number of permits is available to non-residents for hiking and camping, available only by lottery.
The famous Wave formation is so spectacular, it’s almost surreal. The undulating contours of the Wave’s striped sandstone make it a popular destination in Arizona’s Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. The permit required for this hike is awarded to no more than 64 people per day, so you may have to enter the lottery multiple times. “Nothing compares to finally seeing those swirling red and gold sandstone formations in person—it’s like stepping into a painting,” one hiker said.6
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