One-of-a-kind experiences This category is not just about driving down iconic Route 66 in the US on a Harl ey Davidson, cycling

around Paris with a Gauloise cigarette in your mouth, learn ing to tango in Buenos Aries, diving for manta rays off the remote Andaman Islan ds, retracing the steps of Paul Gauguin on the Marquesas Islands in the Pacific or painting watercolours in Patagonia. These kinds of unique trips also encompas s the once-in-a-lifetime trips like Machu Picchu at Peruvian dawn, laughing with Cambodian monks at Angkor Wat and signing up to Virgin Galactic s outer space fli ght. This is dream big time. Many tour companies cater to such high end, individual itineraries, including Ab ercrombie & Kent and Bridge and Wickers. Get in touch with planet Earth Encounters with wildlife top the bucket list. Consider game drives in Africa, pa nda spotting in China, getting up close and personal with polar and grizzly bear s in Canada s wild north and west, clambering through Borneo s jungles to see orangu tans, or peering through the Indian bush for a Bengal tiger. There is whale watc hing in Iceland, walking along Hawaii s Ngapali Coast spotting endemic birds found nowhere else on earth or hearing the cries of Tasmanian Devils down under, all design to bring travellers and nature together. There are many companies, including Wild Frontiers and Wildlife and Wilderness t hat cater to wildlife-themed itineraries. Reach out to mankind Consider experiencing the call to prayer at the mosques at Isfahan in Iran or th e first site of the pyramids on the approach to Abu Simbel in Egypt. You could b e watching Highland dancing in Scotland, singing in Papua New Guinea, Buddhist c hanting in remote Tibetan monasteries or dancing the night away at the Burning M an Festival in the Mojave Desert. Check out Zegrahm Expeditions in the US and Exodus and Intrepid Travel in the UK for more ideas in this realm. Be adventurous A hot air ballooning trip and sky diving top this category. Whether it is above the African plains or the Australian desert, Everest Base Camp in Nepal or Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, these adventures appeal to the more active Baby Boomer , as do trips on small cruise boats to Antarctica and the Arctic. Think about t hat hike high along the Great Wall of China or bobbing up and down in a boat in the Galapagos Islands, or careering along a zipline in a Costa Rican jungle cano py. Most adventure tour operators are country specific, but one that has global offe rings is Cox & Kings.