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1. Competitive open water swimming in the Caribbean
Where? Carlisle Bay, a natural harbour and UNESCO world heritage site on the south coast of Barbados in the eastern Caribbean.
What's on offer? “Swimming in Caribbean luxury,” says Zary Evelyn from Swim Barbados Vacations. The Open Water Festival in November includes three daily 2km guided swims, then a 1.5km race that attracts over 300 people ages seven to 86 and the following day, a 5km or, new for 2016, 10km (individual or four-person relay) open-water race. There's also a swim clinic with World Open Water champion and Olympian Alex Meyer. The temperature in and out of the water is about 29 degrees Celsius.
What's the luxury? Live like Simon Cowell at the famous Sandy Lane Hotel. Be collected from the airport in a Rolls-Royce and enjoy beachside reserved seating, Evian misting, and an electronic buzzer with your beach lounger to call for service. A bedside panel in your vast room lets you control everything from the curtains to the speakers on your private terrace and marble bathroom.
Swim entries: $20/£13.80 (guided swim) to $50/£34.50 (10km race), swimbarbadosvacations.com
Sandy Lane doubles from $1,300 (£898) per night sandylane.com
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2. Hiking and rowing in the Scottish Highlands
Where? The western end of the Grampians.
What's on offer? Hiking Ben Nevis (the quieter north side, most people use the south side donkey trail) with expert guide Mark Diggins; and rowing Loch Ness with Charlie Pitcher (he broke the world record by rowing the Atlantic in 35 days in 2013). For lunch on the Loch, Charlie prepares the same dried spaghetti Bolognese that he lived on for that challenge. Helen Smith from Momentum Adventure says, “Clients feel confident and exhilarated from their achievement. And from being with the best of the best; Charlie even comes to the castle the night before, with a wooden boat, to teach you to row.”
What's the luxury? Stay at five-star Inverlochy Castle. You'll be collected from the airport in a Rolls-Royce, and have drinks in the billiard room while a valet cleans your kit. Dinner is by Albert and Michel Roux Jr; a Scottish piper will announce your arrival into the private drawing room, the entrance to which is hidden in a panelled wall in the library. There's also 24-hour room service.
£2,750 per person (based on five, number required to man the boat). momentumadventure.com
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3. Cross-country kayaking, hiking and mountain biking on South Island, New Zealand
Where? New Zealand's South Island, crossing 400km in eight days, using the fewest roads possible, from Moeraki (east), to Haast (west), ending in Queenstown.
What's on offer? Sky-diving onto the beach where your Polaris buggy awaits, endurance hiking the Southern Alps, canyons and land only accessed by permits and favours from farmers, helicoptering to the Landsborough river for rafting and kayaking, and up mountains to overnight stations before biking 1,800m down, luxury camping, and being blasted by private speedboat to the Tasman Sea. All with a guide who's summited Everest 11 times. “It's the ultimate endurance test and bonding experience,” says Helen Smith from Momentum Adventure, “and in great comfort; nowhere is it written that you have to suffer to enjoy an adventure.”
What's the luxury? Recover at the Minaret Station. It's New Zealand's first Alpine Lodge, only reachable by helicopter. The private chalets come with underfloor heating in the en suite, a dressing room, hot tub on a private deck, surround-sound system, locally produced sheepskins and access to a well-stocked library and wine cellar before dinner.
From £32,000 per person excluding international flights momentumadventure.com
4. Mountain road cycling with exceptional gastronomy
Where? Empordà in north-eastern Catalonia is known for roads punishing enough for the pro-cycling teams based in nearby Girona, and for boutique wine and olive production.
What's on offer? 120km a day of enough climb and fall terrain on brilliant bikes to thrill even the most masochistic cyclist. Groups of four to 12 are followed by back-up teams with physios and masseuses on call. “We design bespoke tours using the expertise of sports science specialists, covering nutrition, biomechanics and psychology,” says Bacchus on Bikes founder and former bobsleigh Olympian Tony Wallington.
What's the luxury? Five-star hotels. At the Mas de Torrent, suites have a private swimming pool and garden, Robert De Niro has stayed at the Hostal De La Gavina overlooking the S'Agaro bay. Dinners with courses in double figures from the three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca, and tasting tours of private cellars. The gastronomy's so integral, they've called it “winefulness”.
£1,000 per day per person, excluding flights and wine. bacchusonbikes.com
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5. Cycling, hiking and eco-camping in Chilean Patagonia
Where is it? Bookended by nights in a Santiago hotel with a roof-top pool for views of the Andes, flying from the Atacama Desert in the north (the world's driest non-polar desert – one area's gone without a drop of rain for 173 months) to the south's Torres del Paine National Park.
What's on offer? Cycling the Valle de la Luna, (tourists in buses will photograph you), live volcano hiking in Alerce Andino National Park, white-water rafting the Petrohue river in the Lakes District, eco-camping and guided hiking of the three peaks in Torres del Paine, 1,000sq miles of Patagonia, which you'll feel you have to yourself. “We specialise in solo travellers – time-poor professionals in their 30s and 40s – in groups no bigger than 10 (the ideal number for critical mass, intimacy, and being able to book a good local restaurant),” says Lee Thompson from Flashpack.
What's the luxury? Each suite at the eco-camp has an open terrace, en suite and a wood burning stove. After a day's trekking, the barman greets you with a Pisco Sour, before dinner cooked by a private chef from local produce.
£3,769 per person, excluding international flights. theflashpack.co.uk
6. Tennis coaching from Grand Slam Champions in the Caribbean
Where? Curtain Bluff, a five-star resort on the south west coast of the island of Antigua, which famously has 365 beaches. Curtain Bluff has two (one is calm for gentle activity, one is rougher for surfing), and four floodlit tennis hardcourts.
What's on offer? Tennis camp in April-May, where stars like Tracy Austin, Johan Kriek and “Fiery” Fred Stolle teach six days of matchplay, stroke and strategy clinics, compete in the Pro-Am doubles tournaments, and dispense tips based on their years at the top. “We make it easy; everything is included in the price,” says Wendy Eardley, resident manager of Curtain Bluff. “Guests have the opportunity to play, and socialise off court, with world famous tennis stars.”
What's the luxury? All the rooms have sea views, plenty open directly onto the beach, others have Jacuzzis on private terraces. There's also a 25,000 bottle wine-cellar and as much inclusive water-skiing, windsurfing and deep-sea fishing as you can handle. Annabel Croft says it's her favourite hotel in the world; she stays here even when she's not coaching.
Prices from US$890 (£615) a night, based on two sharing a deluxe room, excluding flights. curtainbluff.com
7. Navigating secret rivers by canoe
Where? Madagascar, the world's 4th largest island. It's so isolated, most of its wildlife is unique to the island.
What's on offer? Five hours daily in inflatable canoes – floating, paddling and white-water rafting (Grade 3/4) – down the Benahy river, through the Isalo canyons, the Onilahy river, to Ifaty beach on the Mozambique channel. Camping riverside (with guides and porters), drinking from waterfalls, washing in the river and playing cards by torchlight. There's no Wi-Fi, some mobile coverage (but no electricity). “It's a chance to be intrepid; it's so remote, it takes 90 minutes in a Jeep, and three hours trekking just to locate the Benahy, unmarked on any maps,” says Laurenne Mansbridge from Pioneer Expeditions.
What's the luxury? The guides do all the heavy lifting, setting up camp and cooking. They've been known to visit local villages and return with a whole pig for dinner.
£2,075 per person, excluding international flights for 13 days. pioneerexpeditions.com
8. Tectonic plate diving in Iceland
Where? Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site in the south east corner of Iceland.
What's on offer? Helicoptering to the top of glaciers before hiking or skiing down, climbing vertical ice walls with picks, and diving or snorkelling in the clearest water in the world (visibility is over 100m) in the Silfra fissure. It's a crack between the North American and Eurasian continents which drifts apart by about 2cm a year. “It's a unique feeling, to be 18 metres down the narrow channel between continents; you'll actually see bubbles from the moving tectonic plates,” says Rob Murray John from Black Tomato.
What's the luxury? The Rangá Hotel offers a personal Northern Lights wake-up call and will take you out at any time the Aurora Borealis makes an appearance. Or you can view the Lights with a glass of champagne from your private hot tub. The restaurant serves local specialities, such as smoked puffin and reindeer carpaccio.
From £5,455 per person, including flights. blacktomato.com
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9. Gruelling week-long marathon in Morocco
Where? Crossing the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco from Zaouiat Ahansal to Imlil. The remote M'Goun Massif and Toubkal are up to 4,068 metres of snowy peaks, valleys, plateaus and Amazigh (Berber) villages.
What's on offer? The annual Trans Atlas Marathon in May is 280km of difficult terrain, over seven days. You're responsible for your own water, food and navigation, and your luggage is transferred to successive Berber homes along the route. If the backmarker (a camel) overtakes you, you're out. “Guests love the immersion in local culture, camaraderie, and personal achievement,” says Denise Woolley from Lawrence of Morocco.
What's the luxury? Prepare and recover at Marrakech's sumptuous La Mamounia. Palatial rooms, a pool with a vast bed built over it and highly attentive staff. There's also a famously eccentric American pianist in the bar.
£3,720, including return BA flights, private transfers and four nights in La Mamounia. Entrance fee for Trans Atlas Marathon: €1,490/£1,180 (for 2016) including all accommodation and food. lawrenceofmorocco.com
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10. SAS jungle survival in Borneo and scuba-diving in Malaysia
Where? Travelling the northern peninsula of Borneo through the jungles of the Kinabatangan Reserve and Imbak Valley before diving in the Celebes Sea.
What's on offer? Twelve days' travelling the tidal waters of the Kinabatangan Reserve in expedition canoes to the Imbak Valley. You'll see pygmy elephants, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, and learn hunting, fishing, trapping and “survival jungle warfare skills from Woody, the SAS's former chief training instructor”, says Helen Smith from Momentum Adventure, “it's the ultimate challenge of your physicality.” Then helicopter to Sipadan Island in the Celebes Sea for private diving, and see sea turtles, sharks and triggerfish.
What's the luxury? Stay in wooden bungalows with balconies, air conditioning and satellite TV, built on stilts over turquoise sea in Mabul, a floating dive resort. Professional documentary cameramen will join you and produce a unique record of your dive.
£42,600 per person, excluding international flights. momentumadventure.com
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