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20 sophisticated stag dos

Avoid prison and a lifetime of shame with these awesome stag do ideas

20 sophisticated stag dos

Did the last stag you went on get a little out of hand?

Avoid prison and a lifetime of shame with our guide to these (slightly) more sophisticated Stag Dos.

THE SPORTY ONES: SEA KAYAKING

Where: Isle Of Skye, Scotland

What: Want to wow the stag with an exhilarating adventure that doesn’t involve being shot in the face with a paintball? How about sea kayaking around Skye? It’s wild, windswept and brimming with barking seals: explore the area’s remote beaches before availing yourself of ale and local mussels in the Arisaig Hotel.

Make it happen: £85pp; arisaigseakayakcentre.co.uk


HELI-SURFING

Where: New Zealand

What: If the idea of waking up with a glowstick bracelet and a sore throat doesn’t appeal to you, then skip the whole ‘Beefa’ thing and spend a few days heli-surfing the pristine beaches of New Zealand’s South Island. Waiting around for the perfect wave to break is for losers; let a private chopper whisk your party from one epic, isolated beach to the next, in pursuit of that velvet-smooth ‘supertube’. In the evenings, relax at a chic hotel beside Lake Wakatipu.

Make it happen: From £11,122pp; blacktomato.com


SEGWAY POLO

Where: Spolo, Warwick

What: Like traditional polo, Segway Polo – ‘spolo’ – is fiercely competitive. Unlike traditional polo, there’s no braying (from either the horses or the spectators).

Make it happen: £1,000 per team; spolo.co.uk


CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

Where: The Grove, Hertfordshire

What: This splendid manor has an immaculate championship course. You don’t have to be a member – anyone can shank their way around. The Grove can also arrange a barbecue around the outdoor pool.

Make it happen: From £130 a round; thegrove.co.uk


ARABIAN ADVENTURE

Where: Banyan Tree Al Wadi, UAE

What: Even if you’re accustomed to luxury, this resort in the Arabian Desert will blow your Gucci loafers off. Here, you can learn to hunt using falcons, take a horseback safari and chill in an ‘ice igloo’. Use the JetSmarter app to book an Uber-style private plane, and skip check-in.

Make it happen: From £139pp; banyantree.com


THE FOODIE ONES: WILD FOOD CLASS

Where: Hunter Gather Cook, Sussex

What: Badass wild cookery including butchery, fire-making, grilling and cocktail-making. No spoon-whittling in sight.

Make it happen: From £100pp; huntergathercook.com


BARISTA EXPERIENCE

Where: Small Batch Coffee, Covent Garden

What: Learn the art of coffee-making from a top barista, play with expensive machinery and get turnt up on Fairtrade caffeine.

Make it happen: From £95pp; smallbatchcoffee.co.uk


LOBSTER SAFARI

Where: Sea Fishing Trips, North Wales

What: Want to make your last meal as a ‘free’ man spectacular? You’ll hunt for lobsters, learn about their conservation, then scoop up a bunch of the tasty pinchers for dinner.

Make it happen: £45pp; sea-fishing-trips.co.uk


THE ZEN ONES: MOUNTAIN SPA

Where: Aqua Dome, Austria

What: Head to the Aqua Dome to enjoy its massive panoramic windows and huge, bowl-shaped baths; think more along the lines of invigorating brine pools, rather than candles.

Make it happen: £19pp (three-hour entry pass); aqua-dome.at


FUTURISTIC SPA

Where: Espa Life at The Corinthia, London 

What: In this five-star hotel, those with deep pockets can enjoy hardcore spa fun, including a vitality pool and ice fountain.

Make it happen: £150pp; espalifeatcorinthia.com


BEER SPA

Where: Beer Spa Bernard, Prague 

What: At Beer Spa Bernard you can take a one-hour hop bath. Each tub has an ice cold pilsner tap. Drink as much as you like – it’s included in the price.

Make it happen: £234 for six; pivnilaznebernard.cz


THE VEHICLE ONES: TANK DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Where: Armourgeddon, Leicestershire

What: Take the stag’s mind off wedding favours by roaring around an old Second World War bombing range in a 15 ton tank.

Make it happen: £99; armourgeddon.co.uk


UNDERWATER BAR

Where: Per Aquum Niyama resort, Maldives

What: If money is no object, fly to the Maldives. Take a boat to Sub Six, the Niyama hotel’s underwater bar, 6m below the waterline, and descend the ornate spiral staircase. The aquarium-like drinking palace has spectacular views of reef sharks, turtles and parrotfish.

Make it happen: From £520 a night; minorhotels.com


THE WTF ONES: PRIVATE PARTY ISLAND

Where: Solent Forts, Hampshire

What: A private island, the Playboy Mansion and a military base all rolled into one, No Man’s Fort off the Isle Of Wight was built to repel French invaders. These days, its 15ft-thick walls are used to keep the paparazzi out. Exclusive use gets you a hot tub, cocktail bar, billiards room and ‘laser warfare’ arena.

Make it happen: From £8,000 for private hire; solentforts.com


ROOFTOP FOOTBALL

Where: Hotel Football, Manchester

What: This plush gaff co-owned by Gary Neville has a 12th floor five-a-side pitch with bar and posh pie shop: an ideal place to mark the end of singledom.

Make it happen: From £95pp; hotelfootball.com


MONSTER TRUCKS

Where: West Sussex

What: It’s an eco-warrior’s worst nightmare, but driving monster trucks is hella fun. You’ll romp around the countryside crushing cars in a full-spec American monster truck – the largest of its kind in the UK.

Make it happen: £269pp; activitysuperstore.com


FLY WITH A FIGHTER PILOT

Where: Locations around the UK

What: In a few years time when you’re picking up Caspian from nursery in a Kia Picanto, you’ll remember that time you flew an acrobatic plane.

Make it happen: From £299pp; ultimatehigh.co.uk


PLAY WITH DIGGERS

Where: Dig It, Las Vegas

What: Dig It is essentially a man-size sandpit: hop in a bulldozer or digger and spend 90 minutes blissfully filling a trench.

Make it happen: £177 (90 minutes); digthisvegas.com


NINJA TRAINING

Where: Tokyo, Japan

What: The city of Tokyo has many mind-boggling attractions (anyone for a ‘meat theme park’?), but it’s perhaps best known for ninjas. Luxury travel agent Black Tomato will arrange for you to spend a day fending off simulated Yakuza attacks and learning ninja skills from one of Japan’s most legendary senseis.

Make it happen: From £4,599pp; blacktomato.com


PLAY WITH A LEGEND

Where: Locations across the UK

What: Merson, Babb, Windass – all football legends. Live your dreams and arrange a kickabout with one of 50 heroes. Drinks and anecdotes featuring Hoddle’s ‘faith healer’ provided.

Make it happen: Price on request; playwithalegend.com