Published 28th Jun. 2021
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Going together like bread and butter, gin and tonic or Posh and Becks, some destination double acts just work. Combining culture and history with wilderness and wildlife, who said you had to limit a holiday to one destination? With our insider intel on the latest flight routes and knowledge of where's hot right now, we’ve rounded up our favourite holiday combinations. Read on to discover the following perfect pairings...
1. South Africa and Madagascar
2. Amsterdam and Anguilla
3. Iceland and British Columbia
4. Singapore and Sulawesi
5. Colombia and Chile
First up on our list of the best holiday combinations celebrates South Africa’s once-weekly flight service from Johannesburg to Nosy Be island in Madagascar. South Africa is a perennial Original Travel favourite, and, using this flight route, it's easy to combine world-class cuisine, wine and safari with an idyllic island escape such as Tsarabanjina in Madagascar. What's more, the seasons complement each other perfectly, too, with the islands of Northern Madagascar offering blissfully sunny days as temperatures drop in the Cape.
Image by Paloma Saint Léger
There are no direct flights to Anguilla from the UK, which has perhaps helped keep it as one of the more exclusive Caribbean escapes. The island is home to miles of powder-soft beaches, luxurious resorts and exceptional cuisine, which are best enjoyed with your toes in the sand and a cool rum punch in hand. One of our favourite flight routes is via Amsterdam (to neighbouring St Maarten before a 25-minute ferry), so why not stop over for a few days en route, settle into the effortlessly cool Dylan Hotel, and get your culture fix in the world-class Rijksmuseum? Holiday combinations don’t get much better than this.
Two of the coolest (sorry) destinations combine perfectly when travelling on Iceland Air's Vancouver flight route. Fly to Reykjavík to start the trip with a few days of adrenaline-fuelled exploration in Iceland. Descend into the magma chamber of a volcano and explore glaciers by snowmobile or Superjeep before travelling on to Vancouver, where you can refuel on a Gourmet Food Truck tour. After a few days in the bustle of the city, head back out to the wilderness on Vancouver Island, prime whale and grizzly bear-spotting territory.
Image by Matthieu Ricard
Cosmopolitan Singapore is home to fine wining and dining, designer shopping and a host of luxurious hotels, including the iconic Raffles and the funky Fullerton Bay Hotel. From Singapore, there are direct flights to hubs in both North and South Sulawesi. Northern Sulawesi is home to the Bunaken Marine Park and Lembeh Straits – two prime dive destinations – while the South is the access point for the stunning Toraja Lands, where Animist communities live ancient tribal traditions in the midst of some of the most stunning scenery in Indonesia. This is one of the best holiday combinations for those wanting a slice of city, culture and nature.
Concluding our roundup of favourite holiday combinations is a top-to-tail trip to Latin America, which unites two of the continent's finest destinations. Colombia boasts vibrant cities (we’re looking at you, Cartagena), beautiful Tayrona National Park and – for lovers of the bean – the UNESCO World Heritage Coffee Triangle region. Thanks to a new flight route, you can now fly to the Colombian capital, Bogota, and to the city's Chilean counterpart, Santiago. Combine time in Colombia with an exploration of Chile, a South American classic thanks to Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, the Lake District and some rather fine wines.
Image by Alix Pardo | Header image by Marta NASCIMENTO/REA
Practical advice and inspiration for your next trip
When it comes to your holiday, a little planning goes a long way. Recently, we’ve noticed a pattern of both last-minute and long-term bookings, which we’ve named the Concertina Effect. But why are people booking so far in advance? Our co-founder, Tom Barber, thinks ‘anticication’ has something to do with it: ‘in uncertain times, planning something joyful far ahead becomes an act of hope’. Whether admiring cherry blossoms in Japan, celebrating the Holi festival in India, cruising down the Nile on the Steam Ship Sudan, or spotting gorillas in Uganda, some holidays require extra attention.
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