Christmas is almost upon us and are you wondering what to buy your friends and relatives who already have it all? Why not be radically different and gift an adrenaline-junkie pal a chance to be at the controls of a Boeing flight simulator? Or, how about a Harley Davidson for a day for a lover of two-wheel thrills? Alternatively, how about a super-exciting quad biking experience? 

That’s right. It’s time to skip putting those standard gifts under the Xmas tree and be the best Santa Claus ever to your loved ones by gifting them unusual experiences that they’ll never forget. And remember, you don’t have to stop at Christmas — these are year-round offerings for just about anyone. So, you could generously gift your family a unique vineyard tour or give them the chance to fly in a microlight aircraft (a lightweight, two-seater aircraft) as a co-pilot. The best part? Well, you can gift all this and more at just a click of a button!

“Our Boeing Flight Simulator is a replica of an actual Boeing 737 cockpit with all the controls,” says Regan Rodricks of Blue Bulb, an online portal that offers a whole range of curated experiences, from a crocodile safari in Goa to a two-hour session of Kalaripayattu or even Wing Chun, an ancient Chinese martial art. Alternatively, they also offer to set up trekking expeditions. The operating price band ranges from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000.

“You can feel like you are sitting in an actual plane and a trained pilot helps you fly from any destination of your choice. Trust me, the controls are as responsive as those on an aircraft and you won’t regret gifting it to your friends,” says Rodricks, who left a lucrative career in advertising to run the portal which sells an average of 250 experiences a month.

“The idea is to ‘experience’ something new rather than simply buy a present from a store and their novelty makes experience gifts far more exciting,” says Meenu Singhal, chief experience officer and founder of India Santa, who started out by asking her friends at a New Year’s party what experiences they craved.

“We had a New Year party at our home where I asked my guests to write down their bucket list for me,” says Singhal. “Based on that, I put together unusual experiences such as camping and The Wacky Race, an obstacle race with medium difficulty level that’s laid out over a 5km stretch dotted with 20 obstacles. We are also seeing a lot of demand for adventure sports activities such as parasailing, paragliding, wakeboarding, rafting and bungee jumping,” she adds.

To make your gift even more memorable, India Santa also gives the option of adding a personalised message and delivering it either via email or having it handed over personally in a gift box with vouchers and a box of chocolates.

“The concept’s becoming really popular and we’re seeing over 50 per cent growth month on month,” says Jayantika Jatia, founder of Experience Boxes, an online portal that exclusively offers a mean Jetovator ride experience apart from other interesting experiences priced between Rs 900 and Rs 20,000. Once you’ve booked an experience,  the vouchers are delivered in a beautifully wrapped gift box. 

Jetovators use the same principles as a jet-ski and the water thrust allows you to rise above the water and control where you fly by changing the direction of thrust. “A Jetovator’s a flying motorbike, and it feels that you’re actually flying over water,” says Jatia, who first came across gifting while studying in the UK. “There people have moved away from clichéd gifts such as flowers, chocolates and dinner sets to gifting experiences that are personal, social and leave a lasting impression,” adds Jatia, who returned to India and launched Experience Boxes in 2014.

If that’s not enough, then up the ante with Giftxoxo, another gifting portal, by booking a man-made 300ft-long Crossing Sky Bridge in Dehra Dun. It’s made with wire, ropes and bamboo stems and suspended at 80ft. You’ll be provided with a harness attached to a supporting rope wire. For daredevils, there’s Chimney Climbing, which involves scaling up the cracks in a cliff. “We also have fighter jet simulators that are 4D set-ups to give you a fast-paced gaming experience,” says Rajan Jindal, vice president, business operations & products at Giftxoxo that gets about 2,500 customers a month.

From racing on an F1 Track and dining on a yacht to skydiving and trekking expeditions, Giftxoxo has something for everyone. It plans to spread to the Middle East and the US in coming months. 

There’s no need to worry about your safety as these brands employ the country’s best service providers. “I’ve tried many experiences myself before we tie-up with an adventure sports company,” says Singhal, who conceived the idea when she gifted her niece a holiday package to Jaipur with a hot air balloon ride thrown in. 

“We follow safety regulations diligently. For example, in case of hot air balloon activity, it’s mandatory that the customer consults a doctor to ensure a suitable level of fitness,” says Singhal. And for microlight flying, there are weight restrictions and for scuba diving there’s a health declaration. 

For Oye Happy, it all started when founders Harshvardhan Khemani and Varun Todi were requested by a friend to surprise her boyfriend at the airport. “We actually held a mock ‘swayamvar’ to welcome him. That’s when we decided to do this for a living,” says Khemani. Since then, they’ve dressed as fishermen to welcome a fiancé, hosted a surprise book launch and signing for a ‘closet’ poet, and so on, he says. 

The brand specialises in curating romantic experiences tagged anywhere between Rs 200 and Rs 10,000. One of their most popular experiential activities is a dinner at the Helipad in Bangalore that offers an unparalleled view of the city. The package includes a private candlelight dinner setting, a four-course meal, cake and a bouquet. “Our latest addition is something called the Air surprise for couples who want to propose in an unforgettable manner,” says Khemani. “We take the couple on a sortie and write out a personalised message on an 80ft-long banner to surprise the person,” he adds.

Ruchi Chopra, too, left her high-flying job with an international apparel brand to kick off her portal ASAP that focuses on curated experiences and sells around 120 experiences a month. “Suddenly, from this corporate worker, I was the founder and also the clown that showed up at midnight with cakes and balloons,” laughs Chopra who is set to expand operations in Dubai and Singapore by next year.  

ASAP starts by ideating with clients. “Once we curated a surprise gift called The Home is Rome surprise,” says Chopra. “The couple was booked to go to Rome and Paris and the girl suffered a fracture.” She adds: “The guy wanted to do something special so we converted two rooms of their house into Rome and Paris using mood lighting, decor, a guitarist and booked two chefs who made it look like they were serving lunch in Rome and dinner in Paris.” 

But if you want to gift something with a romantic touch then choose the Vineyard Experience offered by Jaitia. The package includes a one-night stay at the vineyard’s resort, a winery tour and wine tasting for two. “We have tie-ups with Sula and Soma vineyards in Nashik and there’s an optional spa package as well,” says Jaitia.

And believe it or not, you can even book a whole cricket stadium to play a thrilling cricket match. “We call it the Private Cricket League and book a stadium for you in Hyderabad for four hours,” says Khemani. 

“One of our most unusual activities is the Crime Scene Investigation that’s designed to give you a glimpse into forensic science,” says Rodricks . “Participants are dressed in lab coats, latex gloves and even face masks and we set up a crime scene at your home,” he adds. The experience involves collecting evidence from the crime scene, sending it for lab work, analysing reports, and using financial forensics to crack the case.

To keep their repertoires fresh and alive, these brands keep adding expe-riences to their portfolios. “We add a new experience every 15 days and will soon be starting operations in Dubai, Singapore, Delhi, Baroda, Chennai and Hyderabad next year,” says Rodricks.

Jaitia, on the other hand, has introduced a paragliding experience in Kamshet, Pune to her portfolio. 

Going a step ahead, Singhal has also set up a gift registry. “The idea came from my daughter who received two identical board games,” says Singhal.

So just click and let your loved ones have the experience of a lifetime.