Experience a different side of travelling

Holiday-makers are being implored to look beyond the standard beach or safari holiday and try another side of travelling.

Holiday provider Opodo.co.uk has launched a new scheme to steer travellers off the well-beaten track of traditional holiday activities, with a whole host of novel and enticing vacation prospects.

Many Brits worry about losing weight before hitting the beach for some serious sun worship; but how about spending some of your holiday completely weightless?

For the experience of a lifetime, holidaymakers can feel what it is like to be free from gravity during a two-hour flight on the world-famous G-Force One, which allows you to float weightlessly as the craft twists and tumbles through the air.

At the cost of £2,250, it might be a little steep for some budgets, but a cheaper option is to endure a session of astronaut training during your stay in Orlando, for the price of £138.

But a holiday is as much about relaxation as it is about adventure and physical endurance, and travellers are advised to avoid the traditional sightseeing tours of cities like New York, and do it a bit differently – and more luxuriously.

For £43 you can take a chauffeured convertible around New York, allowing you to look on those shuffling around the sights with a keen sense of satisfaction.

You can also follow in the footsteps of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha for a tour of the locations of Sex in the City (though you should perhaps take off your heels first), for £22.

While the wild girls of NYC may not be to everyone's tastes, Opodo also offers the opportunity to get up close and personal with wildlife, from feeding lions and tigers in Tampa (£29) or diving with sharks in Australia (£74).

Opodo.co.uk’s PR and brand manager, Louise Clark, said: "People are always looking for that added extra to make their holiday really special, not to mention the one-upmanship factor.

"The experiences that we are offering ensure that our customers will not only have the holiday of a lifetime, they will also have an experience that they will never forget."

For more information about alternative holidays, visit www.opodo.co.uk XXX