With the holiday season just around the corner, many of us are already racking our brains to figure out what gift to give our loved ones. And so rather than browsing the shops for hours, this year was the opportunity to offer an original activity, a unique and memorable moment to live for a day or a weekend. Whether it's a sporting, thrilling, gastronomic or relaxing activity, there are in fact a thousand and one ways to please those around you, young and old, through experiences that are sure to leave a lasting impression.
A sporting moment to exercise and discover the beauty of our regions
The important thing when you want to please someone is to understand the different facets of their personality. For friends and family members who love to take part in sports activities, in France and around the world, offering a gift voucher for a sports-related moment is an excellent option to make sure you put a smile on their face. In every region of France, it is easy to find experiences that take into consideration the specificities of each territory. Surfing on Sport Découverte, you will find activities that get your adrenaline pumping like bungee jumping. This sensational moment leads on viaducts taking place in the heart of a green nature in Aveyron, Gard, Manche or Cher, on the heights of a vertiginous cliff in Lozère, from a platform dedicated to this practice near a village not far from Strasbourg but also in tandem from a springboard in Haute-Savoie. On the D-day, a team of professionals warmly welcomes the participant and guides him/her to the jump site, before equipping him/her with the required harness. Once the safety instructions have been given and the spirit reassured, it's time to jump and experience a sensation like you rarely get to experience! A variation to enjoy aerial experiences is to offer a parachute jump in the Somme or a helicopter baptism over Paris. Not forgetting the flying courses that provide the immense pleasure of sitting at the wheel of some of the most beautiful cars in the world, directly on the circuits.
On the French coasts, one does not hesitate to go for aquatic activities such as the discovery of marine species during a snorkeling session in the Alpes-Maritimes, a palm-tree hike in the vicinity of Saint-Malo, a weekend of sailing initiation in Charente-Maritime or a rafting trip in the Aude. And if your family and friends prefer the mountain air, what better than a paragliding experience in the Hautes-Alpes or a snow scooter ride in Ariège to enjoy the beauty of the immaculate landscapes of the most beautiful massifs of the area.
A moment around the simple pleasures of life
A gift voucher can also combine the pleasures of observing the heritage, the natural environment, before meeting around a table to taste good local products. Offering a romantic getaway to a couple can take them to a hotel in the Parc des Ballons des Vosges to follow a series of walks in the heart of green, rolling landscapes with gourmet moments around refined, award-winning cuisine. Unless you opt for a night in a castle in the Dordogne or in the Loire Valley, with a hot-air balloon flight over the royal monuments that are the pride of an entire region.
Photography lessons with a professional or cooking lessons with a great starred chef, a moment of total relaxation in a spa to recharge your batteries or an introduction to oenology to discover all the secrets of making great wines or brewing prestigious beers, the options are many and varied to offer while demonstrating originality.
A gift voucher to live a sporting or gustatory adventure or one that is in line with one's passions also allows the recipient to organise his or her experience at a time that suits him or her, according to his or her requirements and availability. Some of the activities can be carried out just a stone's throw from home, but they are also a great opportunity to encourage people to plan a stay in a region that their loved ones have been keen to discover for a long time
