Deep bonds, bad blood, and wild euphoria

2nd July & 16th August only

Banners fluttering in the breeze. Hooves pounding the earth. Hot, bated breath. The Palio is not your casual ‘day at the races’. Since the 14th century, the seventeen factions of Siena (the contrade) have made history. The alliances – and the enmity – run deep.

You and your companions will arrive in the thick of things – a city on the edge of euphoria. From one of the jealously desired balconies above, you’ll bear witness to three laps – and ninety seconds of terror. The race itself will transform the Piazza del Campo into an ocean of ecstatic, ear-splitting noise. But it’s the night before, running hot with anticipation, where the Palio really begins. The stories. The preparation. Raised glasses and raised voices. You will get swept up.

This is the apex of enmity, alliance, and friendship – here, side by side with your own contrada.

Soaking up the vibes

Every April, villages and cities throughout Thailand take to the streets for the festival of Songkran, dousing each other during a kingdom-wide festival to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

Together, you’ll discover the ancient rituals from which these festivities draw life – in a local village far from the madding crowd. Splashing water is only the beginning. Voodoo-like gypsy dances. Rural temple blessings. Prosperity, hope, joy. It all starts here.

Together, you’ll embark on your own ritual procession through these historic villages; joining garlanded locals and ritual dancers who’ll summon the spirits of the festival to guide you – stopping at local temples to receive blessings along the way. Through these jubilant days and nights, you’ll be at the heart of community where Songkran is still celebrated in its most authentic and spiritual guise.

Comradery and competition at the festival of Naadam

In 1921, Naadam – the ‘three manly games’ – was declared an annual holiday across Mongolia. But its roots go much, much deeper. Archery, horse riding, and wrestling have been practiced for millennia across the heartlands of the steppe. Before battle, in the 1200s, Genghis Khan would put his soldiers through these legendary feats of strength. It’s competitive, sure; but it’s really about comradeship. About bonds.

You. Your friends-in-arms. Beneath a high and glittering sun, you’ll train – and then compete – in contests of strength, patience, and bravery that embody the very essence of the nomadic way of life. Blue-gold robes, the banging of drums. Dusting yourself from the broken soil of the Altai, muscles straining, sweat streaming, you’ll toast your victories over a heaving banquet that’ll last long into the night.

BEST FOR: Adult groups, with a minimum age of 15

Get together where the sunshine isn't

Few natural events are as dramatic as a total solar eclipse; a mesmerising celebration of the natural world – and our place in the seemingly infinite cosmos; that which the Revd. Charles Pritchard – in 1860 – called its ‘strange and majestic beauty’.

Because these alignments of earth, moon, and sun are so very rare, this Moment runs a little differently. For starters, the destination depends on the eclipse (and the best possible place to see it from) – be it the wilds of Patagonia or the moody desolation of Greenland.

Over the years, we’ve planned a number of these rare and special events. With each, we’ll prepare a fully-fledged ‘basecamp’ in the wilderness (with spacious ‘tents’, curated menus, astronomers, creature comforts, and ample opportunities for adventure) – and the staff to ‘crew’ it. Put another way, we’ll secure the ground – the sky above is yours.

Life and death in the highland heart of Las Chiapas

31st October – 2nd November

Sweet incense drifts in the air. Marigold petals lie scattered on cobblestone streets; trails to guide wandering spirits home to alters piled high with candles, photographs, bread, and flowers. For centuries, Mexico’s Día de los Muertos has honoured the dead. Joyful yet sombre, it’s a tradition that reunites the living with those they have lost.

In Chiapas, where this moment unfolds, you’ll discover the festival at its most authentic; through vibrant colours, floral arrangements, cherished traditions, and captivating rituals into which you’ll be immersed; taking part in the preparations (buying candles, bread, incense, and sugar from the markets of San Cristobal), constructing your own altar, delving into the festivities at El Romerillo Sacred Burial Hill and Amantenango del Valle Cemetery, before a heartwarming feast with a local family and a final visit, as special guests, to one of the most important rituals in the surrounds of the revered church of San Sebastian. It is a profound and deeply moving experience that’ll linger long in your memories once you return home.

Fireworks and friendship at Peru’s festival of saints and demons

15th – 18th July

Vibrant, masked comparsas (dance troupes) leap past blue doors and white-washed walls. The clamour of bass drums and the shrill of flute-like quenas rise in unison. This is the festival of Paucartambo. A celebration of the good, the bad, and the devilish – a sensational and sacred event which outsiders rarely attend. Every July, this small mountain village 100km from Cusco pays tribute to their beloved patron saint: the flower-adorned Virgin of Carmen. The holy will prevail, and evil will tremble – and cling to rooftops.

As soon as you and your companions arrive, you’ll get swept up in the energy that rocks the town for three joyfully frantic days, an ecstatic encapsulation of performance, processions, and a final holy blessing, here at the meeting of the high Andes and the Amazon rainforest below Sagras (deer-antlered demons), fireworks, and chicha. Drink, dance, sing, feast. You’ll have the time of your lives.