Men are no longer waiting for stag parties to get together and do chest-thumpingly manly things in bizarre corners of the world. After all, why should someone have to be getting married for boys to be boys and indulge their primeval urges?
The Mancation is a rapidly-growing sector in the tourist industry across the world, as groups of friends go off together for testosterone-packed activity breaks involving lots of male bonding. Here are some of the best Mancation options.
Fire Kalashnikovs in the Baltics
There can be few things more manly than loading up deadly weapons and unleashing hell on unsuspecting targets. Baltic Adventures offers a ‘Special Agent’ package, in which all those James Bond fantasies can be lived out, firing a range of guns in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania. The package is available in Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn, and includes tuition, safety briefings and plenty of ammunition for the Walther PPKs, Magnum .359s and Kalashnikovs that are set loose amongst a the firing ranges.
Golf and gambling at Lake Tahoe
The birthplace of the mancation is the United States, and few places cater for testosterone tourism better than Lake Tahoe on the border between California and Nevada. Long regarded as a first class party destination, the Lake is also surrounded by top drawer golf courses. Group jaunt specialists I’m In have a suggested package that involves four rounds of golf on first class fairways, big grills for dinner and a gambling splurge at the 20,000 square foot Hyatt Regency Resort and Casino to round things off.
Drive tanks in Cornwall
There are plenty of driving mancations out there which allow groups to take charge of everything from go karts to 4WDs. For the ultimate in chest-beating machismo, though, a tank has to be the way forward. The Dinscott Tank and Military Collection in Bude, Cornwall, has an excellent selection of military vehicles for wannabe action men to get to grips with, and instructors assess how well they’re being handled. The driver judged to be the tank king is given the chance to drive a fully fledged chieftain tank on a lap of honour at the end of the proceedings.
Catch Cod in Norway
Tackling the icy ocean off the coast and Norway and reeling in giant monsters of the deep takes strength, courage and an awful lot of gruff manliness. Deep in the Arctic Circle, the fishing adventures run by Anglers World from Stavanger and Arvik offer a perfect opportunity for male bonding in the cold far north. And, more importantly for the anecdotes after the trip, the cod in these parts are absolutely gigantic – perfect for proudly posing with, in fact.
Drive cattle across Montana
The ultimate mancation movie has to be City Slickers, where a bunch of mid-life crisis-ridden urbanites take time out to drive cattle across the great American west. Those wishing to replicate the epic adventure can do so on a ranching holiday, which come in various shapes and sizes. The biggest cowboy experiences, however, involve a week long muster across the mountains, becoming at one with the saddle and sustained by hearty ranch meals. Ranch Rider organises cattle drive holidays across the US and Canada, with the biggest adventures in Montana.
This article was originally written for AOL UK.
Copyright David Whitley
