Paul Croughton
Grab an Italian masterpiece for less

Imagine the scene: it’s the weekend, you’re strolling down your local high street, you’ve just made a mental note to buy some more milk, and perhaps treat yourself to an iced bun, when you find yourself attracted to the display in the window of a travel agent. This is what you see: “We are delighted to present a unique holiday home on an untouched glacier on Vatnajokull, Iceland. This modern bungalow, constructed yesterday from snow and ice, is generously proportioned and perfectly situated absolutely miles from the nearest neighbours and amenities. It is bright and airy, with central heating and a fully integrated music system.
“This unique property boasts a heated outdoor pool, illuminated by sunken mood lighting, and has its own chef, who pops in twice a day on snowmobile. Guest rooms can be added on request. Price is £80,000 for two people. But hurry – it melts next week.”
That’s just one example of the sort of spectacular experience now being offered to those with limitless imaginations – and a bottomless wallet – by a new breed of bespoke travel companies. You want to star in your own version of Top Gun? Sign right here, sir. Fancy learning to tango with Sinatra’s private tutor? Sashay this way, ma’am. Missed an open goal for your Sunday-league side last week? Perhaps private coaching with Ronaldinho might help?
Tom Marchant, of the bespoke travel firm Black Tomato (020 7610 9008, www.blacktomato.co.uk), which can build that des-res snow home to your specification, says that the private holiday agent who can open any door for his clients is a relatively new phenomenon. “Consumers have been swamped with offers of quite similar holidays,” he says. “People are now saying, ‘How can I get away from that?’ It might cost a bit more to get an amazing experience, but people are after originality. It’s all about the pursuit of excellence.”
So, what exactly is available if you’ve got the funds? Well, let’s start with that “Make me Tom Cruise” pipe dream – without the Hollywood dentistry. Alan Rogers, of Red Carpet Enterprises (07071 303020, www.redcarpet.co.uk), will fly you first-class to Cape Town, where you’ll attend training classes and choose your route before getting fitted for your own flight suit. Then, with Danger Zone playing in your head, you’ll be taken into military airspace in a Hawker Hunter fighter jet to hurtle about at speeds of 600mph just 60ft above the ground. If that isn’t terrifying enough, you can take the controls and try out all manner of precarious stunts in the jet that the Black Arrows acrobatic display team, the precursor to the Red Arrows, used for their world-record 22-plane loop and barrel roll in 1958. A weekend’s high flying costs £12,500pp, all-inclusive.
If you’ve still got your stomach after all that, how about a bite to eat? The bespoke travel arranger has contacts where mere wandering mortals have none – thus securing you entry into places where you’re not supposed to be. Take the annual white-truffle auction at Castello di Grinzane Cavour, in Piedmont, which is resolutely not open to the motley likes of you and me.
Held each November, this is where the world record for the most expensive truffle is broken with carefree regularity – it currently stands at £80,000 for a particularly gnarled knuckle of a thing, secured last year by a Hong Kong businessman. But the bespoke Italian specialist Dream of Italy (00 1 202 237 0657, www.dreamofitaly.com) can get you a seat among the world’s top food buyers and chefs at the auction, followed by a private dinner dripping with truffles. The next day, you will set off on a private truffle hunt with one of Piedmont’s best hunters and his dogs. A weekend’s truffling costs £2,800 for two people.
If that’s not enough to secure bragging rights at the next private-jet-owner’s dinner and dance, try this for size. Latitude International, which provides elite experiences around the UK for a predominantly American clientele, organised luxury 50th-birthday celebrations in Scotland for five couples, culminating in a round of golf at St Andrews. With Seve Ballesteros.
After a week of fine food, fantastic adventure and all-round over-the-top-ism, the party was sitting in a bar, enjoying a drink before dinner. Whereupon Ballesteros ambled over, tapped the man of the hour on the shoulder and said with a flourish: “I heard it was your birthday, mind if I join you?” The sound of jaws hitting the floor could be heard throughout Fife. And the gods were kind: birthday boy birdied the 18th hole with Seve looking on. That week cost £125,000 for 10 people, including private jets (e-mail Sebastian Lee at sl@latitude-international.com).
Some experiences are literally out of this world, like sending your own rocket into orbit. Fly to Kiruna, in Sweden, where you will see how the rockets are built and prepared for takeoff before sitting in the hot seat at launch control. Trigger ignition by deploying the correct sequence of buttons – five green, five red – to send your 60ft missile hurtling into space with your name, or personal message, daubed on the side. Save the “Kiruna, we have a problem” jokes – the boys at ground control are already sick of that one. Three days in Kiruna, including husky racing and snowmobiles, cost £8,000pp with Red Carpet (as above).
And there’s more. You can go “Ahhhh” to an aria from one of the soloists at La Fenice, in Venice, performed in your hotel suite at the Bauer Il Palazzo (£9,500 with Dream of Italy; as above). You can secure the services of one of the world’s finest and most lauded footballers – Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Zidane, erm, Crouch – for some one-to-one coaching (up to £25,000 for two hours, availability permitting, with Red Carpet, as above).
Alternatively, Mayoral and Elsa Maria are the Tony-winning dancers who taught Bill and Hillary Clinton that it takes (only) two to tango. They’re widely regarded as the go-to guys when the rich and overly left-footed need to up their game – they’ve also rolled their eyes at the Princess of Wales, Rudolf Nureyev and Frank Sinatra. A five-day tango tutorial costs £4,760 for two people, with Abercrombie & Kent (0845 618 2200, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk).
Now wouldn’t it be something to gaze on the ancient site of Petra, as seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – but at night, lit only by 1,000 candles? Well, you have to know who to ask. Extraordinary Escapes, which specialises in short but spectacular breaks, can fix it. It will also throw in a tour with indigenous Berbers around preserved Nabataean remnants in secret canyons, and your own military helicopter to whisk you off to the most inaccessible sights (£75,000 for two; 020 7100 6991, www.basedonatruestory.co.uk).
If even that is small fry, don’t go away. Have you got a fanciful imagination, 18 weeks and £2.5m going spare? You have? Then how about a stay in the galaxy’s very first hotel in orbit? Your four-month training camp will take place on a Caribbean island, and, during your shuttle flight and three nights in the hotel, you’ll be taking part in international space experiments. (What, you just wanted to read by the pool?) You will orbit the earth every 90 minutes, so you’ll see 15 sunrises (and sunsets) a day. The package goes on sale next year, and the hotel aims to be open for guests in 2012 (www.galacticsuite.com). Sunscreen not included.
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Get ready for the winter sports season, with our resort guides and snow reports
We are backing British business, what is the confidence of the nation and what businesses are succeeding?
Growing demand for energy, oil that is harder to reach and the rise of carbon dioxide emissions. We examine the energy challenge
Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more



Free luxury travel brochures from specialist tour operators. Find your perfect holiday
Worldwide holidays from Times Selects. View our e-brochure and check out our superb collection of escorted tours
Advertise your home to the best travel audience on Times Online and VacationRentalPeople.com
Shortcuts to help you find topical sections and articles
1998
£47,955
12 months for the price of 11 and a 5% discount.
Offer ends 31/11/09
Check your free Experian credit report before applying
Car Insurance
to £60K + bonus (OTE £90k)
Lord Search & Selection
Location Flexible
If interested, call Oliver Luscombe on 0207 212 3065
PwC
£85k
CPA
Highly Competitve
Specsavers
Whiteley, near Southampton
Moments from Battersea Park.
For sale with Winkworth
Find out about shared ownership.
See your free Experian credit report beforehand
Book now & save over £100pp.
11 cool resorts, lowest prices... Early Booking offers 15 Nov.
20% off selected Azores holidays taken in October with Sunvil Discovery
Get covered on your travels with a superb range of policies at great prices. Visit InsureandGo.com
World Class Golf, Spa and preferential Beach Club. Private estate overlooking West Coast
Villas from £275 per night inclusive of Golf
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths | Subscriptions | E-paper
News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Milkround
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.