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Men’s Fitness
They’re called “classic” because they’re the quintessential adventures—surfing Fiji’s blue-green barrels, mushing sled dogs over frozen tundra, and marching on Machu Picchu—that should be on every man’s bucket list. These four trips get it right, putting you in the center of the action, no matter how remote it is.
The tiny Fijian island of Namotu—five acres of palm trees and white beaches surrounded by warm equatorial waters—is the kind of paradise you dream of being shipwrecked on. Especially if you’re a surfer: At one edge of the Malolo Barrier Reef, the luxe Namotu Island Resort looks out on seven epic surf breaks, including the legendary Cloudbreak. Hit the waves in the a.m. via the included boat shuttle, then spend the afternoon snorkeling, stand-up paddling, or—if you’re channeling Castaway—fishing for yellowfin tuna that’ll wind up on your dinner plate.
“Salkantay” means “savage mountain” in Quechua, the language of the Incas, and this trek to Machu Picchu is, indeed, savage compared with the more casual—and crowded—Inca Trail. Six days of hiking take you from Alpine passes over-looking mountaintop glaciers, to jungle-filled river valleys, and finally to the ancient city in the sky. The hard work pays off even more when you reach your Mountain Lodges of Peru quarters, with their hot showers, gourmet food and wine, and outdoor Jacuzzis. This pilgrimage requires sacrifice, sure, but not too much.
A lot of dogsledding trips are really just glorified sleigh rides—you sit on the sled and gawk at the snow while your musher handles the dogs. Not so with Nature Travels’ backcountry journey across Sweden’s Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, one of Europe’s largest protected areas. You drive your own sled—braking on downhills and running behind when the route ramps up—feed and care for your own dogs, and help with chores. Think of it as Iditarod lite: a wilderness trek, but with a Swedish dogsled champ’s expert help (and his wife’s delicious cooking).
For the ultimate African wilderness experience, ditch the Land Rover and join Mark Thornton Safaris on a 60-mile walking safari across Tanzania’s five-million-acre Ruaha National Park. Harking back to the original foot safaris, these excursions bring you face-to-face with the animals—elephants, lions, and hippos, oh, my!—at ground level, on their terms. And, unlike softer “luxury” walks, this one explores the truly wild corners of the park, with no infrastructure, no roads, no tourist-packed buses. It’s just you and the raw, wild beauty of the African back country.
They’re called “classic” because they’re the quintessential adventures—surfing Fiji’s blue-green barrels, mushing sled dogs over frozen tundra, and marching on Machu Picchu—that should be on every man’s bucket list. These four trips get it right, putting you in the center of the action, no matter how remote it is.