wander lust
When the clock ticks past midnight on New Year’s Eve, we often harbor fantasies thatthe incoming year will be different – even better. And perhaps never more so than when we wait for the calendar to flip from 2020 to 2021.
The past year has taught us that forces beyond our control can whip up even the calmest of seas, but it has also re-enforced the need to remain positive and, of course, to continue to make plans. After all, while happiness, according to the Greek philosopher Plato, is “secure enjoyment of what is good and beautiful”, other theorists posit that one of its three primary elements (as well as someone to love and something to do) is having something to look forward to.
With that simple yet essential piece of wisdom in mind, we present here our guide to some of the most extraordinary travel experiences on offer in this coming year. Although we’ve made sure to include superyacht favorites, there may well be places that you’ve never considered before. We’re sure that these off-the-beaten-track locations – and the opportunity to gather with loved ones in privacy and security as well as luxury and beauty – will hold more appeal this year than ever before.
Camp… in Antarctica on a 24-night, $5 million cruising expedition
Cookson Adventures and camping experts White Desert Antarctic are calling this experience Ultimate Antarctica – and at 24 nights, taking in three continents, a 254ft explorer yacht, the South Pole, mountains and underwater trenches, it’s easy to see why.
Start your adventure seeing in the New Year at One&Only Cape Town, South Africa, before flying into the heart of Antarctica in a Gulfstream. With the Whichaway Oasis eco-camp as your base, explore 650ft-long iridescent blue ice tunnels and marvel at a colony of more than 28,000 emperor penguins, before flying to the Geographic South Pole on a carbon-neutral flight.
From here, the compass only points north, so fly in that direction to the snow-tipped mountains and emerald rivers of Torres del Paine in Patagonia to horseback ride with cowboys, bike mountains and hike glaciers.
On your return to Antarctica, board Icon Yachts-built to visit remote inlets, searching for orca and humpback whales and skiing powder-fresh slopes. With both a helicopter and three-seater submersible on board, you can explore either from the sky or from underwater, watching penguins dive and leopard seals hunt for prey. Round off and contributing to wildlife research by helping gather data on different species.
