Students attend a winter military camp in Ansan, south of Seoul on January 3, 2013. Hundreds of students between 11 and 17 years old attend winter boot camp training courses every year. The winter courses range from 4 to 14 days at the Blue Dragon Camp run by retired marines, which also offers summer boot camp for students. — Reuters The military-style fitness “boot camps” which originated in the United States have invaded nearly every corner of the earth. If you're looking to combine travel with hardcore fitness in a team environment to jumpstart your exercise regime this year, you may enjoy online travel advisor Cheapflight.com's Top 8 Fitness Boot Camps around the world. 1. St. Vincent, Caribbean The volcanic St. Vincent Island is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada, and served as a filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean. Buccament Bay Resort and Fitness 4 Boot Camps are offering guests the chance to reach (and sustain) their weight and fitness goals with a special holiday exercise camp. Led by ex-Royal Marines, guests can choose between five, six, 10 or 12-day courses offering a variety of daily exercises, including circuit training, obstacle courses, swimming, team games and boxing. 2. Algarve, Portugal The most popular tourist destination in Portugal — and one of the most popular in Europe — the Algarve attracts around seven million travelers each year. They are drawn to the region's year-round sunshine, golden beaches and fabulous food. With this welcoming location as your backdrop, Luxury Algarve Bootcamp offers training and nutrition courses to take your fitness to the next level. The program includes health and fitness assessments and consultation with a nutritionist, twice daily boot camp classes featuring beach boxing, jogging, running, mountain biking, among others. 3. Kent, England In the rolling hills of the lush Kent farmland the female-only GI Jane Bootcamp puts women from all over the world through their paces. Over the course of three or seven days, women take part in intensive physical training, supported by a professional team with the aim of getting fit, losing weight and gaining mental strength. Working in small, close-knit groups, everyone receives equal attention and the varied workouts keep guests on their toes. Meditation, nutritional advice and life-coaching also help kick start a new way of living. 4. St. Petersburg, Florida In the sunshine state of Florida, St. Pete Beach is home to Getaway Fitness' boot camp at the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort. Travelers come to St. Pete to take in the pristine white sand coastline, enjoy the clear gulf waters and soak up the sun. All this makes St. Pete Beach the ideal location for a butt-kicking workout. A typical day begins with a beach boot camp session and is followed by five to six hours of structured, intensive fitness activities until about 2:30 p.m. when guests are free to make the most of the beach, enjoy spa services or just relax. 5. Ibiza, Spain Healthy living might not spring to mind when you think of the beautiful party island of Ibiza, but it's the setting for No. 1 Boot Camp's Luxury Fitness Retreat. This peaceful retreat is the perfect place to detox and exercise with a week's worth of tough military-style fitness and yoga. A typical day includes challenging, but breathtaking hikes to the Goddess Island, core stability exercises and team activities. 6. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Taking the concept of boot camp to new heights, why not kick off a year of health and fitness with a climb up Kilimanjaro? Run by British Military Fitness, two experienced military mountain leaders will take a group of 30 on a seven-day trek up and down Africa's highest peak. The package includes training days as well as assistance in the run-up to the challenge, and the crew will give you a great chance of getting as high up the mountain as you are able. 7. Tulum, Mexico With ancient Mayan ruins and untouched beaches as your setting, a Bikini Boot Camp in Mexico will have you looking summer-ready in no time. Classes include circuit training, body sculpting, beach cardio, kickboxing, pilates and cardio dance. Plus, there are guided bike tours to the Mayan ruins of Tulum and the Sian K'aan reserve. 8. Phuket, Thailand Thailand's largest island, Phuket, is a partygoer's paradise and one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. Surrounded by tropical forest, the Raw Fitness Boot Camp is not only empowering and fun, but aims to transform guests on all levels — body, mind and spirit. There is no competition, judgment or pressure; just support and encouragement every step of the way. — Reuters
