Valentine’s Day Roundup: For Couples Who Love Adventure
Couples looking for a little excitement and adventure this Valentine’s Day can look no further. From hot air ballooning in Thailand to stargazing in Chile to dining in an Oxford prison cell, Jetset Extra has gathered the best of the best in unique and thrilling celebrations.
“Ashore/Afloat” Package on Peter Island
Adventurers with a love of the sea can celebrate the day of romance in the British Virgin Islands with two nights on Peter Island Resort & Spa’s 41-foot Silmaril sailboat and an additional five or seven nights in one of Peter Island’s beachfront junior suites or ocean view rooms. While at sea, couple will be treated to their own personal captain and cook; the resort accommodations include standard package amenities. Rates for this package begin at $6,696 through March 31.
Sweep your Valentine off her feet with a romantic getaway to the Budock Vean Hotel on Cornwall’s Helford River. The location provided the setting for Daphne du Maurier’s “Frenchman’s Creek,” and couples can join an expert team from Koru Kayaking to explore as far up as the creek itself. The luxurious hotel also offers a pool, a hot tub, a natural health spa, tennis, and a nine-hole golf course, ensuring there is never a dull moment during the stay. The Valentine’s package encompasses two nights and includes accommodations, a four-course dinner and coffee each evening, a complimentary bottle of Champagne and Cornish chocolates, a full English breakfast, and unlimited use of many of the resort’s amenities. Available February 11 to 18, the package is £172 per person in a standard room or £198 per person in a superior room.
On Saturday, February 9, strip down to your skivvies for Cupid’s Undie Run, which will be held in 17 cities throughout the United States. Couples looking to spice things up a little and singles ready to mingle will run a “mile-ish” in their bedroom best and help raise money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Participating cities include New York City, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Nashville, Orlando, Mississippi, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. Undie Runs in Cleveland and St. Louis will take place on February 16. All participants must be over the age of 21 and register prior to the day of the event.
The “Get Dirt-y Couples Package” from People at Play
What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than getting “dirt-y” with the one you love? Florida-based People at Play presents a special package that includes a dozen red roses, fine chocolates, and machine time for significant others to each learn how to operate a CATERPILLAR 312 Steel Track Excavator and compete for the best time on a one-of-a-kind challenge course. With the Valentine’s Day special, which is available through March 2, couples will also receive commemorative hard hats and a 5-by-7 photo taken in front of the excavator. The package is $865 plus tax per couple and may also be purchased as a gift certificate.
It doesn’t get more romantic than a beautiful, warm French island in the Caribbean—especially when clothing is optional. At the exclusive Villa FAY, a property of Sibarth Villa Rentals in St. Barth’s, French West Indies, guests can wear nothing but a birthday suit for their entire stay. With a fridge stocked with Champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and other necessary supplies and a private terrace located steps away from the sand, Valentines won’t need much more than each other (and some sunscreen) to celebrate the special day.
Custom Cycling with LifeCycle Adventures
LifeCycle Adventures, a high-end cycling vacations company operating in California, Oregon, Hawaii, and Maine, invites couples to take a custom-designed and self-guided romantic getaway this Valentine’s Day. This unique and one-of-a-kind experience allows lovebirds to select their preferred routes, lodging accommodations, and dining options throughout the trip and includes access to LifeCycle representatives who can help ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Clients receive a comprehensive vacation and logistics guide with background information about the area, routes, sites, and safety and mechanical tips, and LifeCycle also provides luggage transfers and transport at the trip’s completion.
“Sweet Romance” at Sugar Beach
Adventurous couples can find new ways to discover romance in St. Lucia at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort. The four-night stay includes introductory diving lessons, a Gros Piton hike, a Sulphur Springs volcanic mud bath, and a sunset cruise. Sweethearts will also be treated to spa treatments for two, a private candlelit dinner, and breakfast in bed. Available throughout 2013, the package is priced at $3850 during the month of February.
Experience romance in Napa Valley, California, where couples can get down and dirty in the mud baths at Indian Springs or Solage in Calistoga or raise a toast at a private tasting of Schramsberg Vineyard’s famous sparkling wines. At The Carneros Inn, a Plumpjack Resort, private backyards allow guests to enjoy a bath for two in a claw-foot tub and roast s’mores over a fire pit, while the Napa Valley Land Trust leads lovebirds on a hike to hidden glades of wildflowers for a picnic lunch. Judd’s Hill Winery gives couples the opportunity to take home more than just memories on their jam-packed vacation; Valentine’s Day celebrators can create and name their very own blend of Napa Valley wine.
A Kirimaya Ballooning Adventure
Kirimaya, a resort in in Khao Yai, Thailand, is set in 800 acres of lush greenery bordering a UNESCO World Heritage rainforest and majestic mountains. Luxurious, spacious accommodations include four romantic tented villas with an indoor private spa pool and an outdoor sundeck. There are also rooms and suites with private terraces and views of the Khao Yai National Park mountain range. This magical setting is perfect for an early morning hot air balloon flight above an area dotted with wineries. Available through the end of February, the Kirimaya Ballooning Adventure package includes a 45 to 60 minute hot air balloon flight and a Champagne breakfast set to the sounds of a live jazz band upon landing. Couples will receive a certificate souvenir of their flight.
Find Adventure with Jamaica’s Island Outpost
Island Outpost, a collection of hotels and villas in Jamaica, has several properties that bring romance and adventure to those who desire them this Valentine’s Day. At The Caves, located along the cliffs of Negril, lovebirds can snorkel through sun-dappled caves and plan a special dinner inside a hidden grotto. Goldeneye in Oracabessa offers accommodations in a lagoon suite, where couples can enjoy a private porch, deck, and outdoor shower and access the lagoon right from the porch—perfect for midnight dips or a swim to FieldSpa for a couples’ massage. Nature lovers will fall in love with Strawberry Hill, which sits 3,100 up in the heart of Blue Mountain coffee country and welcomes sunset swims in the cliffs-edge infinity pool.
Spend Valentine’s Day overlooking Dolphin Harbor at the Miami Seaquarium. Couples who book the special dinner for two, which includes a bottle of wine, will also receive two certificates to return to the Miami attraction and swim with the dolphins, two certificates to experience the new Sea Trek Reef Encounter, and two annual passes good for free park admission for the rest of the year. The entire package is priced at $398 per couple. Space is limited.
Eco-Initiatives at the Marine Discovery Centre
At the Marine Discovery Centre at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, couples can give back together by helping to preserve the island’s marine life. The resort’s eco-initiatives allow environmentally friendly duos to spread their love by researching manta rays, creating safe nesting areas for sea turtles, and re-building an endangered coral reef with the coral propagation project. The new adults-only serenity pool provides the perfect place to relax with your sweetheart after a day of good deeds.
Private Stargazing in the Atacama Desert
Chile’s Atacama Desert has become a haven for astronomers seeking to observe the sky because of its clear nights and bright stars. Expert private guides with Jacada Travel can help Valentines celebrate the special day in the breathtaking site, creating romantic memories that will last a lifetime. The package, which starts at $5,857 per person for 12 nights, includes three days indulging in some of the best Chilean wine and a tour of the Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia.
A Horse Safari in Limpopo, South Africa
Limpopo, South Africa’s northernmost province, has some of the most magnificently scenic and contrasting terrain in the country. Here, kopjes (granite rock hills) rise abruptly from valleys, canyons, waterfalls, striking ridges, and rolling hills. Adventurous twosomes can explore these picturesque sights and the wildlife diversity as they trek the plains atop horses to their own private camp. The trip is available through Jacada Travel.
A Valentines Lock-In at Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle, a 1,000-year-old castle prison based in the heart of Oxford, England, will hold a lock-in this Valentine’s Day for couples looking for a unique and quirky way to celebrate the holiday. The prison wing will be opened and cells will be available for an intimate three-course meal from The Big Bang restaurant. Seating times are 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The price is £50 per couple, excluding drinks.
“Couples Adventure” Package at Windjammer Landing
This Valentine’s Day, experience the best of St. Lucia with the “Couples Adventure” package from Windjammer Landing. Lovebirds can hike the Pitons, test their limits with the Rainforest Canopy Adventure, or fill their need for speed while exploring the Atlantic coast with the ATV Coastal Adventure. The package includes a private bedroom villa, three meals a day, access to both motorized and non-motorized water sports, and day and night tennis. A four-night stay is $2,069, seven nights is $3,499, and 10 nights is $4,929.
Ndogo Safari and Southern Palms Package
Thomson invites adventurous duos to take a three-night safari in Kenya’s breathtaking Tsavo East and West National Parks and an 11-night stay at the Southern Palms Resort. Perfect for couples that enjoy having the best of both worlds, the package features visits to the Mzima Springs underwater hippo sanctuary and the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, which encompasses more than 280,000 acres and is home to ostriches, cheetahs, and lions. After the thrilling safari adventure, couples can relax at one of the largest pool scenes in East Africa amid lush, tropical gardens and a snow-white strip of sand.
