Add some adrenaline and awe-inspiring views to your clients’ next Four Seasons trip. This month we’re showcasing flying experiences – from helicopter day trips to paragliding and hot-air ballooning. These are great ways to elevate an itinerary in Beijing, Costa Rica, Hampshire or the Serengeti.
Invite your clients to witness one of China’s greatest historical treasures from a private helicopter, thanks to Four Seasons Hotel Beijing. This unparalleled Great Wall experience begins in a luxurious private limousine, travelling from Four Seasons to the lift-off location. Everyone can relax in the airport lounge while sampling delicious dishes from our exclusive Four Seasons catering service.
Once on board, guests receive an audio tour via headphones. A professional GoPro camera records the incredible scenery, surveying part of the 21,197-kilometre (13,171-mile) Great Wall as it stretches through valleys and across hilltops. The destination is Mutianyu – the only place along the Great Wall with a helicopter pad for aerial excursions. On the ground, enjoy a guided hike, then a picnic lunch courtesy of Executive Chef Jackson Wu and his talented culinary team.
Each trip can accommodate three guests plus the pilot. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is bound to be a highlight of any Beijing itinerary.
A day trip by seaplane can become the unforgettable highlight of your clients’ stay at Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo.
Seaplanes provide easy access to remote areas, creating a more profound connection with nature. Flights aren’t confined to airports. Now lakes and the ocean can become the take-off and landing points.
Your clients can board their seaplane right off one of the two Four Seasons beaches. After a scenic flight across the Costa Rican landscape, they’ll land on Lake Arenal, the country’s largest freshwater lake, situated in the northern highlands in the middle of the jungle. The end of the “runway” is the majestic Arenal Volcano, a nearly perfect cone-shaped mountain, blanketed in rainforest.
Here, they may choose from a variety of activities, including a nature hike in the forest, horseback riding, ATV riding on the slopes of the volcano and wakeboarding on the lake. Finish the experience with a gourmet picnic prepared by the Resort’s Executive Chef Nicolas Schneller.
The seaplane can fit four people comfortably, with a maximum of five depending on weight. The trip is priced from USD 4,500.
Suggest your clients try a glider lesson, flying high above the rolling countryside near Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. On a clear day, views extend as far east as the City of London and as far south of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel.
At the nearby Lasham Airfield, your clients are greeted by an instructor who runs through a few simple safety procedures. Groups can range from 6 to 20 participants. Once on board, the glider is launched behind a “tug” airplane, ascending to 762 metres (2,500 feet), where the tow rope is released and the guest is invited to take the controls, under the expert tuition of the instructor. It’s a chance to see how the controls work and their effects on the glider. (The instructor has a duplicate set of controls and is able to ensure safety at all times.) The lesson is a fantastic opportunity to experience the thrill of gliding for the first time.
Once everyone is back on the ground, toast the occasion with a glass of bubbly and a private Four Seasons picnic.
Another great way to take to the skies is a helicopter experience. Guests can choose between a 30-, 60- or 90-minute tour, providing aerial views of Hampshire and the surrounding area all the way to the Portsmouth docks and the Houses of Parliament. Tours start at GBP 1,435 and may be booked for groups of two to six.
If your clients want to stay closer to earth, but still challenge their head for heights, suggest the Highwire Adventure at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. Hidden among the woodlands of Dogmersfield Park, this is an exhilarating treetop challenge for all ages and abilities. With 24 high-rope and 17 low-rope elements, the course encourages guests to balance across bridges and traverse through the trees at heights of up to 13 metres (43 feet).
If swinging through the canopies isn’t adventurous enough, add to the thrill with “The Descent,” a breathtaking 235-metre (771-foot) zip wire, or try the ultimate free-fall experience with “The Power Fan,” a hair-raising parachute simulator. All this fun is just a few steps from their guest room or suite!
What better way for your clients to take in the stunning Serengeti plains than from the air? Rely on Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti to arrange a sunrise hot-air balloon flight, providing a 360-degree panorama of Tanzania’s golden savannah – with the chance to see lions, elephants, zebras, buffaloes, crocodiles and more.
The team from Serengeti Balloon Safaris arrives at the Lodge at 4:45 am to transport guests to the launch site, a one-hour drive away. This is a very special time to be on the road, as the sky is still dark. Night safaris are not permitted in the Serengeti National Park out of respect to the animals, so this is a rare opportunity to spot wildlife on the move in the darkness.
The hot-air balloon flight lasts about an hour, covering up to 30 kilometres (18 miles). Passengers may ascend up to 610 metres (2,000 feet) above ground level – about 2,134 metres (7,000 feet) above sea level – to take in spectacular views of the Serengeti plains. Each balloon can accommodate up to 16 passengers.
Back on the ground, waiting safari vehicles transfer passengers to a bush breakfast, accompanied by Champagne and orange juice. After breakfast, guests have the option to continue on a half-day game drive in the more southernly region of Moru Kopjes – one of the best places in the Serengeti to see rhino, the most elusive of the “Big Five.”
Located in the heart of the Serengeti National Park, Four Seasons is blessed to have abundant wildlife sightings all year round. To best take advantage of this, the Lodge recently launched four new game drive circuits, close to the property, with routes ranging from 10 to 25 kilometres (6 to 16 miles).
These new circuits include a westerly loop towards Robanda and a southerly route to include the Kilimafedha picnic site.
All of these new circuits branch off what has become known as “Four Seasons Road.” This is a 15-kilometre (9-mile) track that turns off one of the main roads through the park. This track goes only to the Lodge and, as a result, has very little traffic. It is also a very active region for wildlife, with frequent sightings of zebras, buffalos, giraffes, impala, lions, leopards, and the visiting elephant herds that come to the property’s watering hole.
These new routes complement the choice of safari circuits already available, including trips to the Ngorongoro Crater, Moru Kopjes, Ndutu and the Southern Serengeti, plus all the highlights of Seronera and the Central Serengeti itself.
During their Four Seasons stay, guests may embark on any number of other activities, including up-close discoveries of nature on a walking safari, a new birding trail, and rejuvenating rituals at the six-suite Spa.
