Treatments
When Nelson Mandela spoke of the "personal renewal" gained from touching South African soil, the former President was probably not referring to full-face laser resurfacing. But participants on Surgeon and Safari tours could be forgiven for taking his comment literally. The packages combine cosmetic surgery at private clinics in Johannesburg or Cape Town, a recuperative stay at a five-star Orient-Express hotel, and the thrill of "tantalizing your wild side" on a Botswana bush safari. Packages cost from $1,400 for a three-day break to about $7,000 for fortnight-long trips with two procedures (options include breast lifts, tummy tucks and liposuction). Accommodation and some meals are included, but not flights or safaris. See .
Europe
Druskininkai
During the Soviet era, some 300,000 Lithuanians were deported to Siberian labor camps; many never returned. So a theme park featuring the architects of Soviet terror is in poor taste, say local priests and politicians. But mushroom tycoon Viliumas Malinauskas says "Stalin World," on his estate near the spa town of Druskininkai, is intended as a permanent reminder of the "brutality and absurdity of the Soviet system." Surrounded by mock electric fences and watch towers, the park holds dozens of statues of Soviet-era heroes-including Lenin, Stalin and kgb founder Felix Dzerzinsky-that were toppled when Lithuania declared independence in 1990. Malinauskas plans to add a museum, a cinema screening propaganda films, loudspeakers playing tape-recorded screams, and cattle trucks to "deport" visitors to the information center.
England
England's rich architectural heritage includes 200 palaces, 400 castles, 14,000 churches and 3,000 country houses. But telephone boxes, pig sties and a racing-pigeon loft are also registered as sites of historic importance. By 2002, Internet users will be able to view all 360,000 heritage-listed buildings via Images of England, a free online picture library being compiled by the heritage body National Monuments Record. A selection of the first 50,000 "defining images" can be seen at .
Globe
Tours
Seniors who want to spend more time with their grandchildren can choose from 17 intergenerational trips offered by Maryland-based tour company Grandtravel. Developed by a team of teachers, psychologists and "leisure counselors," itineraries are designed to appeal to both old and young-in France, options include a tour of the Louvre and a hot-air balloon flight; in Alaska, participants can pan for gold and ride with the huskies. For more details and to book, see .