A metaphor for your 30s. Photo courtesy of Avalon Palm Springs.
There's no going back (to your twenties). Might as well go out with a bang.
This birthday has probably been on your mind for years, but you're finally (really) approaching thirty. Congratulations. Whether you're just getting your act together or living the lifestyle magazine dream, you've made it through your tumultuous twenties and deserve to celebrate the dawning of a new decade with an exciting adventure.
And party you will. From nights out in Amsterdam to off-the-grid afternoons on the Amazon, here's how you should throw your 30th birthday bash.
Lead a Caravan of Dreams
Where: Joshua Tree, California
Gameplan: Rent a fleet of mobile homes from Airstream 2 Go, a service that rents decked-out trailers attached to tow vehicles from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Bozeman, Montana. Pack party supplies — you know what we're talking about — and weekend in Joshua Tree National Park. Celebrate life's journey with jam sessions, group hikes, and tripped-out stargazing.
Live the High Altitude Life
Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Gameplan: Book The Crane, a fifteen-story piece of harbor machinery outfitted with three uniquely designed two-person suites stacked atop each other. There's a separate party space, rooftop jacuzzi, bungee jumping, and munchies within walking distance.
Eat. Pray. Love. Party
Where: Bali, Indonesia
Gameplan: The Katamama isn't your ordinary five-star resort. The hotel, which was predominantly built by local artisans, has an award-winning mixologist on staff, a multi-brand fashion boutique, a sustainable gallery, and an entirely raw foods restaurant. And the world famous Potato Head Beach Club and its al-fresco Indonesian restaurant Lilin are right next door.
Follow the Lazy River
Where: Hill Country, Texas
Gameplan: Imagine yourself and all your favorite people gently floating down a river drinking the day away. That's the experience on the Guadalupe. Whitewater Sports has cooler tubes that keep you and your beer bucket afloat. Hideout on the Horseshoe has cabins for rent on the river. And your surroundings have some of the best barbecue in the country.
Believe It When You See It
Where: Mount Etna, Sicily
Gameplan: Book Monaci delle Terre Nere, an eco conscious, wildly designed villa built into the foothills of Mount Etna, and ski the tallest active volcano in Europe. Your off-piste itinerary reads like an Italian romance novel: tour the famous temples of Agrigento, make your way through the Michelin-starred food scene in Ragusa, and drink away the afternoon in Catania.
Gameplan: You and your friends are on a boat in the Peruvian Amazon with Aqua Expeditions. You're making pisco sours on the rooftop lounge after a long day spotting pink dolphins and sloths. Next is a gourmet dinner. Tomorrow you'll fish for piranhas. Welcome to your 30s.
Party Like Mad Men
Where: Palm Springs, California
Gameplan: Rent an affordable Airbnb like this seriously sick mid-century modern retreat, which has a pool and sleeps ten and is close to bars and restaurants like farm-to-table Workshop Kitchen + Bar. Then spend your savings with abandon. Avalon Palm Springs has a new fiesta-themed restaurant with happy hour, and their spa conducts moon rituals and oil workshops. The Amigo Room at Ace Hotel is where you dance the night away.
Gameplan: From atmospherically chill to absurdly rambunctious, there's a party for everyone in Berlin. Go day-drinking at Café am Neūen See, an outdoor beer garden in Tiergarten, the city's version of Central Park. Sip martinis and smoke cigars at the old-world Newton Bar. Dance through the weekend at Berghain and catch daybreak at the second-floor Panorama Bar, which is more laid-back than the techno church below. Pass out at the cool but affordable Michelberger Hotel. Find time to eat solid food and drink coffee and watch the hip residents of Neukölln walk by from Stella.
Go Big or Go Home
Where: Sydney, Australia
Gameplan: Everything's bigger and bolder in Australia. The foliage is greener, the sharks are scarier, the drinking is heavier, the accents are sexier. Play along in Sydney, where it all comes together. Stay in the coolest hood in the newest hotel — The Old Clare Hotel, which has restaurants manned by Momofuku and Noma alumni. Since the locals are some of the friendliest in the world, this is one party you can throw and enjoy by yourself.
Gameplan: You want to kick back with your people, and you want no stress making it happen. Book the beach huts that have opened on the grounds of GoldenEye, the legendary villa where Ian Flemming penned all fourteen James Bond novels, and do as the Jamaicans do.
Gameplan: Easy flights, breezy nights. Soho Beach House and The Miami Beach Edition are the best backdrops for bearing your bright, white bikini. Gather the group for a taste of la dolce vita at the gorgeous Le Sirenuse Miami, in a soaring '30s-era loggia of The Surf Club. Laze around the pool, drink champagne, and hope the rest of your 30s are this chill.
We make every effort to ensure the information in our articles is accurate at the time of publication. But the world moves fast, and even we double-check important details before hitting the road.
