5 Sensory Experiences You Can Only Have in Southern California
SoCal is famous for its variety. Whether it’s surfing, snowboarding or sight-seeing, there’s an adventure for every pleasure. But California has more to offer than the sound of the surf or the view from the canyons. Here are 5 experiences designed to give your senses a shock.
Sound Bath at the Integratron
Sound Bath at the Integratron
The Integratron may sound like a Hollywood movie machine, but the Sound Bath is one of California’s fastest growing trends. Located in the remote Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles, the Integratron is a structure built entirely for audio experiences. A typical session offers a meditative immersion in the sounds of crystal bowls while suppressing the other senses for an experience entirely about the ears.
Integratron, 2477 Belfield Blvd. Landers, CA, +1 760 364 3126
James Turrell’s Breathing Light | © Lacma
Breathing Light at LACMA
Museum
Breathing Light at LACMA
LACMA has plenty to offer the eyes, but nothing is more stunning than James Turrell’s ‘Breathing Light’ exhibit. Using only subtle shifts in light, Turrell toys with visitors’ depth perception and mood in this specially built chamber for Breathing Light. The science of the experience is so exact that visitors must wear medical booties and maintain a no-touch policy just to enter the chamber. Although each visiting group is allowed only fifteen minutes, the sensations will last much longer.
LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, +1 323 857 6010
Deep Creek Hot Springs | © WikipediaDeep Creek Hot Springs
Natural Feature
Sillage at SMMoA
Sillage at SMMoA
We don’t think a lot about smells, but Santa Monica Museum of Art’s Brian Goeltzenleuchter does. At his ‘Sillage’ installation, he explores the various scents that go into making Los Angeles the way that it is – all the oil and grime and the sweat and perfume – and he recreates them from scratch. But if smelling a Los Angeles-scented perfume isn’t enough, visitors can offer their zip codes to smell a sample of a recreated scent of their own neighborhood!
SMMoA, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, CA, +1 310 586 6488
Opaque | © Yelp via dasha C.Blind Dining at Opaque
Blind Dining at Opaque
Anyone who has watched a cooking show knows that chefs insist that the plating and the presentation of a meal are paramount to its enjoyment. Opaque has a different idea. Located on Santa Monica’s Wilshire Boulevard, Opaque believes that the other senses distract from the flavors of a meal, and so they remove them. Diners choose their meals beforehand and are then led by a blind waiter into the darkened dining area, where they can expect a full meal with only their taste buds to guide the outcome.
Opaque, 2020 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA, +1 310 546 7619
By Nicholas Armstrong
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
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I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
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