10 of the world's best adventure expeditions

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Here the water is four kilometres deep with an average water temperature of a chilly seven degrees Celsius, so it may be a quick dip but one that very few people have managed to do by superyacht.

How to do it: The most exciting way to do this is by superyacht, with a few close friends and family to share the moment. The 81-metre Sea Eagle is available for charter in the South Pacific with Y.CO or Burgess for €550,000 per week.

How to do it: Stay at newly opened Voaara, a retreat on the island of Sainte-Marie off the east coast of Madagascar. voaara.com

Witness an active volcano

It may not sound like a wise idea – the most exciting often aren’t – but to see glowing lava seeping from an active volcano is one of the most spine-tingling spectacles on Earth. With 32 active volcanoes, Iceland presents the best opportunity to see them in action, either guided on foot – should it be safe – or by helicopter.

How to do it: For your best chance of spotting ribbons of lava, visit the Fagradalsfjall volcano outside of Reykjavik. The Reykjavik Edition Hotel is one of the best properties in the city and will gladly help organise a volcano tour. editionhotels.com

Experience the Blue Grotto

Located in the cliffs on the north-west corner of Capri, the small, arched opening may not look like much from the outside, but once inside, the waters of the Grotta Azzurra (blue caves) are illuminated with an otherworldly glow.

The phenomenon is caused by sunlight passing through an underwater cavity and shining up through the water into the 60-metre cave system. Arrive at 9am to take in the magic in privacy, without the usual throng of tourists.

How to do it: It may be small, but few islands are as accustomed to superyachts as Capri. The 80-metre Aalto is available to charter with Edmiston at €775,000 per week; and 112-metre Renaissance is available to charter via Burgess at €3,000,000 per week.

How to do it: Like other central American countries, Belize has become more popular as a charter destination so there are several yachts available that can travel to the Great Blue Hole, which is located 50 nautical miles off the coast.

The 49-metre La Dea II is available for charter in Central America with IYC at $225,000 per week, or charter 88-metre Project X, which is available with Camper and Nicholsons at €1,200,000 per week

Become an astronaut

Those really wanting to push boundaries can now leave Earth entirely and embark on a space flight 96 kilometres from the ground, joining the fewer than 700 people who have journeyed into space. Virgin Galactic’s Spaceflight Experience takes place on a custom four-engine, dual-fuselage jet with high-altitude capability.

Lasting up to three hours, the flight will present spectacular views of the Earth and allow those on board to experience zero gravity above our planet’s atmosphere.

How to do it: Participants will need five days of space training in New Mexico beforehand. A Virgin Galactic Spaceflight Experience costs $450,000.

Take a polar plunge

It’s said to reduce inflammation and boost the nervous system, but really the “polar plunge” is an adrenaline-fuelled feat of courage as you jump into sub-zero water, alongside icebergs, from the swim platform of a superyacht.

While there are several places you can take on such a challenge, the most picturesque is surely Antarctica. Leap into the icy waters before quickly raising your body temperature again in the yacht’s sauna.

How to do it: Charter 47.7-metre Hanse Explorer, the most well-travelled superyacht in the world, to complete the challenge on the Antarctic Peninsula. She is for charter with EYOS at $235,000 per week.

Cruise the Amazon

Home to ten per cent of the world’s flora and fauna species, the Amazon Rainforest is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Spanning nine countries in South America, it covers more than 6.5 million square kilometres, with only a small part mapped and charted.

The best way to take in its splendour is via the Amazon River in Peru, where the Ucayali and Marañon tributaries converge.

How to do it: With two vessels in the Amazon, Aqua Expeditions offers a superyacht-level river charter and expert guides. aquaexpeditions.com

The Aurora can be difficult to catch on land due to light pollution, so the best way to take in its beauty is by superyacht, having cruised northwards from the town of Tromsø, deeper into the Arctic Circle. Famously unpredictable, the phenomenon can appear as an explosion of light or bleed across the sky for more than an hour.

How to do it: Charter 55-metre Purpose in Scandinavia during her world tour, available via Hill Robinson at €270,000 per week. Or to witness the phenomenon under sail, choose 55-metre sailing yacht Marie, for charter with Fraser at €168,000 per week.