Milestone Birthday Vacation Ideas

Author: AB Staff

Milestone Birthday Vacation Ideas

Editor's Pick Travel

In eighth grade, I always heard my math professor repeat this seemingly profound expression to all of his students: “Youth is wasted on the young.” Back then, I dismissed it as yet another piece of “elderly wisdom” that I would hearken back to when I reached his age. But now, I’m starting to think he may have been onto something.

A widely held misconception is that as you approach 100, your life becomes increasingly more boring. Perhaps your glory years were in your 20s or 30s, but after that it is a slow descent from the excitement-filled zenith of your life. Milestones and accomplishments are no longer as impressive as they used to be, and they now only seem to mark the fact that you are closer to your funeral. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

So called “celebration vacations”, where a group of individuals gather in a place far removed from their home to celebrate a milestone achievement of one person, are becoming much more popular. According to Statista, 77 percent of respondents said they were likely to travel to celebrate a milestone birthday, and 87 percent of respondents traveling for an anniversary. These miniature holidays provide you and your loved ones with an exciting atmosphere to recognize how important this milestone is. It is these milestone achievements: 50th birthday, 35th wedding anniversary, etc., that bear more significance than those of your youth, and adults are electing to commemorate them — and doing so lavishly. Whether it be over-the-top wine tours in Napa Valley, cruising along the Italian hillside, or even a $650,000 trip to India, there is no price tag that can be placed on the important moments of your life.

Whatever it is that you choose to celebrate, here are some high-priced “celebration vacations” we found from an article in Wall Street Journal:

  1. Mara Solomon, the director of villa rental company Homebase Abroad, organized a 10-day trip in the Italian Alps for a family of 12 to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary. Itinerary included a ceremony at a 17th century church and a special dinner by candlelight, accompanied by live music.
  2. Marisol Mosquera of Lima-based tour operator Aracari invited 80 people to celebrate her 50th birthday in Cuzco, located in the Andean Mountains in Peru. There was also an optional day-trip for a river cruise up the Amazon river, and a pre-party held on a hotel rooftop overlooking the city.
  3. Maria Gabriella Landers, founder of Concierge, hosted a trip to Italy for six couples. The trip included private vineyard visits, wine tastings and lunch with winemakers, and a tour of Rome with a certified archaeologist.
  4. Villa agency CaboVillas organized a trip for a family honoring the 70th birthday of one of its members. They rented five seafront villas in Cabos San Lucas, and the trip included golf, fishing, a whale-watching cruise and spa treatments.
  5. Original Travel, a company that specializes in organizing luxury holidays, set up a nine-day cruise around the Indonesian Raja Ampat archipelago. The trip included deep sea diving.
  6. Latin Excursions organized a trip celebrating a 50th birthday that saw the guests sample coffee  at the Hacienda Bambusa in Medellin. Guests also got to participate in salsa dancing, a bamboo river float and a mountaintop picnic.
  7. Heritage Tours Private Travel hosted a 50th birthday celebration in Marrakesh, Morocco. For a group of 50, their itinerary included lunch in the desert, riding camels, and dinner at a private villa that included acrobats, fire-eaters, and a DJ.

After seeing just how big and blown out these vacations can get, you may be think of throwing your own for an upcoming milestone in your life. If you’d like more ideas, click here to read the Wall Street Journal article talking more about these opulent getaways. If you’ve already taken one of these and would be interested in sharing your experience with other, head on over to our Travel forum and let us know how it went!