Treasure Hunting In The Rain

It’s always a shame when it rains on the day of an event but with proper preparation rain won’t stop play and enjoyment. There is a deadly triad that will ruin any experience; wet, cold and hunger. Ideally all should be avoided but, in my experience, people will tolerate one of them. If they are feeling two of them they will complain and if it’s all three they will probably go home or to a place where they can feel better.

With proper clothing (warn people in advance if the forecast looks iffy), umbrellas and regular pubs on the route the event will not be ruined by a bit of rain. Often it adds experiences for the teams. Who doesn’t enjoy dancing with an umbrella and if you can do it as a chorus line all the better!

One of London's Treasures - Mercator's Projection

London has many old treasures on public display and this old Mercator’s Projection map of The World is one of them. It’s located in my favourite London Underground station, a place with real atmosphere which features in many London Treasure Hunts.

Can anyone tell me which station?

The Eiffel Tower in Paris

Paris is a great city for a Treasure Hunt. We have several routes, but the main one takes people along The Seine between The Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral. Transport links are very good so it’s quite viable to have a 24 hour stay with a Paris Treasure Hunt to see all the sights and a meal in one of the many wonderful restaurants in the evening.

Groups often use our Treasure Hunts as a sightseeing device. It’s a very effective way of seeing many of a city’s major tourist attractions in a fairly short period of time. We can finish at a restaurant, making it all the more convenient.

Mexican Wave

This team earned an extra bonus point for finding a group of real Mexicans on holiday in London to help them out with their Mexican Wave. I wonder if they thought that this was something that is a bit of a trend in the UK?

No, it’s just more of the usual fun on our London Treasure Hunt.

Travel is one of the great advantages of Treasure Hunting and we’re very excited about what 2012 has in store. Looking out of the window today somewhere warm would be nice!

The Limo Treasure Hunt

Love them or hate them, and there’s no doubt that many subscribe to the latter view, stretch limos are actually the ideal form of transport for a city treasure hunt. We can get any number of them for our Limo Treasure Hunt so they are useful if there is a large group. However, what really makes them ideal is that you can fit eight or sometimes more people into one vehicle, which makes them good for sensible team sizes.

One interesting trick is to have two teams in one vehicle and then have scheduled meetings where the teams move around. This gives the unique opportunity for teams to mingle more through the day, spending more time with more colleagues than is usually possible.

So, don’t be so hard on the poor old limo. Leave your dignity at the door and join in the fun. At least the windows are blacked out so no-one you know will see you inside!

As the event organiser I tend to cover more distance than the participants as I have to set it all up and visit all of the characters in their places. Most teams don’t cover the whole route and spend a lot of time planning and looking for clues.

My Paris Treasure Hunt covers just over 5 km and this is about right for an area where there is so much to see and do and also taking into account the varied fitness levels of average participants. The last thing you want is to make it feel like a chore. The other thing to take into account is that teams will want to stop a few times at pubs and bars on the route.

So, my advice for a three hour Treasure Hunt is 5 or 6 kilometres of walking.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is a lovely location for a Treasure Hunt. The town attracts thousands of tourists for its links with Shakespeare and because it is a classic ‘chocolate box’ location with pretty houses, the RSC and plenty of really ancient original features.

The main area of Stratford is compact enough to be covered on foot in a half day and there are many old pubs where you can end the event in memorable surroundings. There are several excellent conference hotels within a coach trip of the town centre, so it makes a good centrally positioned location for a UK wide conference.

Most Haunted

We have a Most Haunted themed Treasure Hunt which is great fun. We choose a suitable spooky location and write a themed event in it’s deep and dark nooks and crannies. Add a few props and costumed ghouls who jump out and surprise the teams and you have a fabulous day of thrill and spills.

We’ve yet to find an old hotel without a ghost. Stories range from the strange to the predictable but, with a little embellishment, they can all be turned into something fun.

Why not finish off with a Murder Mystery followed by a moonlit midnight stroll in the hotel grounds?