Aaah… the smell of adventure! From the ice-bound shores of the frozen north to the heat of the African savannah, there’s a lot more to getting away than baking on a beach while sipping margheritas – provided you have an ounce of wanderlust in your body. Of course, we’re not talking about buying yourself a team of huskies and heading off on your own to the South Pole. Even if that wasn’t tantamount to suicide by snow, it’s far, far too much effort. A sense of adventure’s all well and good, but missing a three-course wine-paired dinner even one evening out of seven is simply unacceptable. Over the following pages you’ll find a trilogy of trips, ones that not only showcase spectacular environments rarely seen outside of David Attenborough documentaries, but do so in the comfort to which we’ve all become accustomed – and holy hell do they look spectacular…
Break the Ice With Polar Bears
Let’s say, just hypothetically, that you have a superyacht. You might have been sold it under the premise that you can take it anywhere in the world whenever you want. That’s largely true… except when the ocean is frozen over. Generally, that means Svalbard, the northern isle of polar bears, is inaccessible to pleasure boaters. Enter Cookson Adventures. One of their clients was in the same position, so they hired a full-on icebreaker to smash its way through the terrain with the client’s own yacht hot on its keels.
Once through, it’s straight on via snowmobile to the home of the polar bears, stopping for lunch and afternoon tea along the way. Sure, it’s cold, but the views – and a nice glass of naturally-chilled Champagne – help matters along nicely. Just remember: don’t feed the bears.
For info call 020 7736 0452 or visit cooksonadventures.com
Swim With Hammerheads, Whales and a Super-pod
From under the water to above, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to the ultimate adventure escape
Costa Rica’s thermal dome is one of the most biologically-intense marine environments in the world, so you can expect to see some spectacular underwater sights. The freedom of Momentum Adventure’s bespoke itineraries means that you can experience them all, any way you prefer. Setting out daily from the staggeringly-beautiful Cocos Island, you can choose to head to any of the 20 diving spots nearby; just tell your skipper where, sit back and enjoy the views.
When you get to the right area, you might find yourself free-diving with whales, getting engulfed in the legendary mega-pod of spinner dolphins or night-diving with hammerhead sharks. If you fancy channelling Captain Nemo, the yacht’s even equipped with a private submersible to reach the greater depths and the strange creatures down there. It’s not exactly fifty-thousand leagues under the sea, but there are far prettier things than giant squid down there.
For info call 01892 784646 or visit momentumadventure.com
Get the Ultimate Passport Stamp
If you’re feeling a bit down then what better way to counter-intuitively get over it than by heading to the lowest point on earth? The most adventurous of Niquesa Travel’s 10 seasonal offerings offers just that, and like any good journey it starts with wine – specifically, that of Cape Town. From there, it’s a flight to Antarctica with a hopefully smooth landing on an ice runway, before a nip of something warming and a night in state-of-the-art sleeping pods at Whichaway Camp. After that landing you’ll need the rest
The next day it’s straight to exploring, first to the emperor penguin colony, then through eerily beautiful ice tunnels. Don’t worry about a trek to get your passport stamped; it’s a flight directly to the South Pole. There’s plenty for adrenaline junkies, too, with kite-skiing, abseiling and ice climbing on offer. After all that, two nights by the ocean in Cape Town – sampling plenty more wine – sounds more necessity than luxury.
For info call 020 3829 8080 or visit niquesatravel.com
