Notoriously difficult to please, teenagers are probably the hardest travellers to satisfy: too old for kids’ clubs and too young to be left to their own devices. Hotels are finally wising up to the fact that by providing cool activities, a happy holiday is had by all. One such example is the new Ambassadors of the Environment programme at Cape Sounio resort near Athens (grecotel.com, from £442 per night for a bungalow, sleeping four) – perfect for thrill-seekers. It’s even devised by Jean-Michel Cousteau (son of Jacques, the famous oceanographer and ecologist). Not only do the activities go beyond the norm – underwater digital photography, navigating by the stars, solar energy experiments, beach junk art – but they also address environmental issues with games that raise awareness on recycling, alternative energy sources and sustainable fishing.
Experiencing eco-sustainability in the raw, or more precisely in the rainforest, followed by breakfast in a treehouse, is the order of the day on the animal and plant safari on Frégate Island in the Seychelles (fregate.com, from £950 per night for a villa, sleeping four). The island’s resident naturalist, Steve Hill, takes teenagers on an early-morning (yikes!) hike high into the mountains to spot giant tortoises and rare magpie robins. Back down on the ground, the youngsters can also drive electric buggies around the island (no licence is required) and go snorkelling.
Starstruck teens might enjoy a trip to Explora en Atacama’s observatory in the Andes (explora.com, from £900 per person for three nights). There they can stargaze under the clearest sky in the world. While at the new teen club at One & Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius (oneandonlyresorts.com, from £540 per night) there’s personal training, kite-surfing, t’ai chi and yoga plus evening billiard competitions and full-moon discos.
Categorically no parents are allowed at Coast, the incredibly kitted out teenage club at Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach in Florida (ritzcarlton.com, from £133 per night). It includes a production studio for media-savvy youngsters to create and host their own live radio programme, while wannabe models can acquire catwalk techniques and put together a portfolio.
Those who adore Western movies can get in the saddle and learn to ride on Haflinger ponies, cowboy-style, at Kroller Lodge in the Austrian Alps (theridingcompany.com, from £275 full board for one week).
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, teens can gain privileged access to a sumo stable to watch wrestlers train (normally out of bounds for tourists), while staying at a Sadachiyo, a traditional Japanese inn (sadachiyo.co.jp, from £115 per night).
