25th January 2021
This season, we’ve rounded up a range of wholesome, specialist travel experiences that promote eco awareness, sustainability and getting back to nature
Cold comfort
Wild swimming might be very on-trend, but it takes true mettle to submerge oneself in icy pools in the middle of winter. However, it can be done in style and (relative) comfort at the Valsana Hotel in Arosa, Switzerland, which is offering ice swimming in nearby Lake Untersee. Prepare with yoga beforehand to regulate breathing, then after your plunge, relax and restore by a roaring fire.
€100, valsana.ch
Cat calls
Wilderness exploration company Voygr has created the High Asia Habitat Fund to protect the region’s critical ecosystems. Launching a new expedition with a philanthropic purpose for 2021, it will be taking travellers on an Amur leopard adventure in the Russian Taiga. The world’s rarest big cat, the Amur leopard is critically endangered and 100% of the profit from this trip goes into its conservation.
£POA, voygr.com
Lotta bottle
Stay on top of the style game while taking a trek this winter with this beautiful water bottle and holder from German leather maker Lutz Morris. The Carey bottle holder is crafted in gold-rated calf leather and is hand engraved in its Berlin atelier.
£375, lutzmorris.com
Sail on
Harnessing the power of the wind and seas, luxury yachting company Tradewind Voyages offers a sustainable way to see the world on board The Golden Horizon, the world’s largest square-rigged sailing ship. Sail anywhere from Australia to India or stick closer to home with a trip around the Orkneys, Hebrides and Skye.
From £1,399 per person, tradewindvoyages.com
Photo: Snøhetta Plompmozes Miris
Positive energy
Combining top-notch eco-credentials with cutting-edge design, Svart will be the world’s first “energy-positive” hotel when it opens its doors in the Arctic Circle in 2022. Situated on the clear waters of the Holandsfjorden fjord in Norway, the glass-fronted building will offer 360° views — including, in the winter months, the Northern Lights. Fully off-grid, there will be Norwegian spa treatments, as well as four restaurants serving foraged produce.
