8 Trips for Father's Day That He Won't Forget
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1. Biking a Belgian Beer Tour
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2. Exploring Beautiful Peru
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3. Riding Water and Wind on Aruba
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4. Biking the Road Less Traveled in Vietnam
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5. Fishing off Isamorada in the Florida Keys
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6. Embracing His Inner John Wayne on a Ranch in Wyoming
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7. Climbing a Volcano and Hiking Waterfalls on Maui
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8. Going on an Intimate Safari in Botswana's Okavango Delta
While we do appreciate a healthy tie or sock collection, we're also all about celebrating adventure, discovery, and the outdoors -- and we've got a few perfect gift ideas for the dad who feels the same way. Read on for some foolproof and fun trips that will feed dad's adventurous spirit -- heck, he can even bring that carefully curated sock collection along for old time's sake.
Editor’s note: Some services, amenities, and events at these locations may be altered/halted due to the pandemic. Save these ideas for when it’s safe to travel again, and always follow all COVID-19 restrictions, rules, and safety regulations both at your destination and upon returning home.
For fathers who love beer, biking, and travel, we think a trip across the Atlantic may be the perfect Father's Day gift. Belgium brews an enormous variety of different beers and has some seriously gorgeous cityscapes and landscapes to bike around. Consider grabbing a spot on Ciclismo Classico's Biking Belgium tour where dad will be able to pedal to more boutique breweries than any other European bicycle tour. He'll start in Luxembourg and end in Bruges, where he can add on a few more days to explore on foot.
The sustainably operated Gondwana Ecotours' Machu Picchu, Cusco, and The Sacred Valley tour is a serious adventure that will take dad (in the company of great guides, of course) to the Incan Empire’s most iconic site and the winding streets of Cusco without getting lost in the crowd. After spending all that time revisiting ancient times, we also suggest adding on a few days to explore around Lima at his leisure so dad can soak up a little of modern Peru, too.
For dads who prefer to be out on the water versus on solid ground, we suggest setting up a watersport getaway on Aruba. This tiny island is perfect for water activities like kitesurfing, windsurfing, parasailing, waverunning, tubing, stand up paddleboarding, and more thanks to the constant tradewinds and warm waters. You can purchase classes or rentals from spots along the beach like Aruba Watersports Center or Aruba Active Vacations; if you are looking for a one-stop shop, though, Aruba Beach Villas -- located on Malmok Beach -- has free unlimited windsurfing for its guests from January to April. There's also great dining, stunning volcanic landscapes, and museums.
Bicycles are a way of life in Vietnam; you'll be hard-pressed not to see them stacked by the tens and twenties (or more) as you walk around the streets, especially in cities like Hanoi. For a truly adventurous experience, get dad a tour from Ride and Seek where he will push pedals to the remote region of Ha Giang in Vietnam's north-eastern corner. Here, the tour will ride past rice paddies and forests as well as a few tougher inclines along this road less traveled. As a bonus, get him a few days at a hotel in Hanoi before he flies out so he can massage his tired muscles, slurp some street pho, and meet a few lively locals.
Maybe it's cliche, but we heard a rumor that dads like fishing, and we also heard that there's excellent fishing down in the Florida Keys -- so we brought two and two together for this Father's Day trip gift idea: A fishing holiday down on the Florida Keys' Islamorada island. You can check out the various fishing providers and charters, or skip the search and pick something from Bud N' Mary's Marina. The company has a large selection of fishing trips from tarpon to sailfish and mahi mahi to lobstering.
Corral a ticket to Wyoming and a stay at Red Reflet Ranch retreat near Cody, Wyoming. Dad will spend five days learning roping fundamentals, cattle work techniques, and western horsemanship from expert horse trainers, wranglers, and riding instructors. Wine tastings, ranch-to-table haute cuisine, and other exciting ranch activities round-out this authentic cowboy-esque getaway.
Perfect for dads who love nature and hikes that lead to different perspectives or stunning surprises, a few days in Maui to explore the island, hike the Hana waterfalls, and climb to new heights on Haleakala is just the ticket. Haleakala is a large shield volcano that peaks at over 10,000 feet. Depending on his pace, it'll take a few hours to hike through the various otherworldly terrains -- so make sure he doesn't forget the water. Across the island, after the famous winding coastline roads on the way to Hana, there are tons of hiking trails that lead through the forest and end at tumbling waterfalls.
Wildlife-loving fathers will appreciate the andBeyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp that sets up and explores the wildlife and landscapes along this famous Africa delta. Don't worry about dad roughing it out in the wild, though; this tented camp is more like glamping. The "tented" rooms feel like modern, upscale hotel rooms and have large soaking tubs, hardwood floors, private plunge pools, and unforgettable views. A visit to Botswana may feel adventurous (and it is), but every night he'll feel at home.