Rollin', rollin', rollin'*.*.*. A handful of small, mostly working-cowboy ranches in the Wild West of the USA specialise in exclusive bookings for private parties of cool dudes.
Where? Wyoming.
What? The 12,500-acre Kara Creek, in the foothills of the Black Hills, is a no-frills, four-room working ranch, 10 miles south of the historic town of Sundance. As with all working ranches, the daily programme is determined by the season and the weather, and ranges from the springtime sorting, vaccination and branding of calves to the autumn roundup and driving of 1,500 cattle to winter grazings. For experienced riders.
How many people? Up to eight.
The deal: £785 a night for the whole
property between April and October, including food, riding and gratuities. The operator can arrange flights to Rapid City; from £399.
The details: American Round Up (0870 747 2624, www.americanroundup.com).
Alternatives: for beginners, American Round Up recommends Papoose Creek Lodge in Montana, which can sleep and saddle a maximum of 16 people. Its
Multiventure Package, which includes canoeing and fly-fishing as well as horseback riding, starts at £388pp per night between May and October, including instruction, all meals, gratuities and cocktails. Flights to Bozeman start at
£528 and can also be arranged by the operator.
In Europe, groups can arrange their own guided trail ride across the Cerdagne high plateau in the French Pyrenees, on Black Merens horses, staying in chambres d'hôtes and two-star hotels along the way. The trip is suitable for fit intermediate riders. With a minimum of seven, each pays £797 (a 5% discount off brochure prices) between June and September, half-board with picnic lunches, including
transfers, through Inntravel (01653 628811, www.inntravel.co.uk).
YOUR VERY OWN HAMLET
A place originally built for real people combines a measure of privacy from others in the party, as well as the potential for togetherness.
Where? Italy — just a 15-minute drive from Siena.
What? Torre Palazzone is a privately owned, 11th-century fortified hamlet in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. You take over a number of converted houses, furnished with Italian and English antiques, and share a swimming pool, a large outdoor hot tub and a resident chef for alfresco candlelit evenings, as well as the odd pizza, baked in an ancient wood-fired oven. Various activities can be arranged, including cookery classes, ballooning, a visiting saltimbanco troupe (a traditional Italian circus), Ayurvedic facials and wine-tasting.
How many people? Up to 22.
The deal: from £6,570 — about £300pp — in May, including maid service and the chef, but excluding food and travel, or £9,855 if you include food. The operator can assist with flight bookings — in May, expect to pay £169-£199 for flights from Gatwick or Manchester to Pisa.
The details: Tuscany Now (020 7684 8884, www.tuscanynow.com).
PRIVATE ISLANDS
The ultimate test of friendship or the ability to get on with the in-laws is to play castaway on a tropical island.
Where? The Seychelles.
What? The lush little granite island of Anonyme, just a five-minute boat ride from the main island of Mahé. Guests stay in a cluster of villas with views of the sea — the largest of which has its own swimming pool and a small beach. Each villa has its own hot tub and private terrace, and facilities include a restaurant, a bar, a large swimming pool and nonmotorised watersports.
How many people? Up to 14.
The deal: £1,821pp for five nights, half-board, based on 14 sharing and including transfers, between July 15 and August 31.
The details: Elite Vacations (020 8864 4431, www.seychelleselite.co.uk).
Alternatives: Frégate, also in the Seychelles, is a tiny, 750-acre fantasy island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, with seven beaches and 16 villas. Each villa costs £1,222 per night, full-board; at that rate, it would cost you £139,650 for the whole thing for a week excluding flights (sleeping up to 32). But if you do hire it all, it’s a snip at £128,230. That’s a saving of about £11,500 — and they throw in a sunset cruise with champagne and canapés, valued at more than £300 per couple — so it’s well worth taking the great-aunt along. Book through Frégate’s Unique Experiences office in Germany (00 49 69 8383 7635, www.fregate.com).
Cousine — also in the Seychelles — is a tiny nature reserve that Paul McCartney took over for a recent birthday. It sleeps eight in four villas and costs £3,333pp for six nights from May to July, including helicopter transfers from Mahé and full-board accommodation. Through Carrier (01625 547030, www.carrier.co.uk).
Taprobane island in Sri Lanka’s Bay of Weligama has an octagonal palladian-style villa, built by the Count of Mauny in the 1920s, with four bedrooms and an infinity pool. There’s nothing but water between you and the South Pole. Prices start at £1,246pp, room-only, based on eight sharing and including transfers, through Scott Dunn World (020 8682 5010, www.scottdunn.com).
Richard Branson’s Necker, one of the British Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean, is the world’s most exclusive all-inclusive. It can sleep up to 26 people in a variety of luxurious Balinese-style villas and comes with a staff of 31. From now until the end of January, up to 14 guests would pay a total of £14,067 per day (15-20 guests £17,817, 21-26 guests £22,505), which covers all food, drinks, watersports, tennis, use of the gym, boating trips to other islands, laundry and boat transfers. Call 020 7227 6804 or visit www.virgin.com for details. Flights from Gatwick via Antigua cost about £720pp.
Bag your own South Sea island and fulfil your Bounty fantasies with 17 of your chums. In French Polynesia, off the coast of Taha’a, Vahine is one of the smallest and most secluded island retreats, with three Polynesian-style over-water bungalows, six seafront bungalows and 10 staff. The whole island costs £8,497, room-only, for a week, excluding travel (which would add from £799pp). Book through Tahiti Tourisme (020 7771 7023, www.tahititourisme.com).
