The Greatest Luxury Adventure Destinations On Earth

Patagonia (Argentina & Chile)

This vast stretch of land spanning two South American nations is insanely scenic, featuring uniquely-shaped mountains, horseback riding, glaciers and some of the most amazing hikes in the world, like the W Trek. Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia has to be on every hiker and photographer’s bucket list.

Tierra and Explora offer the most luxurious accommodation in the region. Tierra Patagonia sits on lovely Lake Sarmiento, which you can see from not only the rooms and lobby, but from an indoor infinity pool. Imagine seeing the sun rise or set as guanacos pass by. On the other hand, Explora has a lodge inside Torres Del Paine National Park, Patagonia National Park and near El Chalten on the Argentine side. All the lodges have chic, comfortable rooms and excursions led by incredible guides passionate about the surrounding environment. The best part about Explora, in my opinion, are their Explora Connects journeys that will take you from lodge to lodge for an all-inclusive per-person rate, making it easy to explore the region with ease (that’s hard to do there!).

Bhutan

One of the last relatively untouched destinations on Earth, Bhutan's a hard-to-reach kingdom nestled in Central Asia that only opened to tourism in 1974. It’s marked by gorgeous mountain ranges and its most iconic sight: Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Keep in mind, Bhutan isn’t a place you can easily up and book and go like a weekend trip to Miami, but the planning is well-worth it (or easy if you enlist my help!).

Bhutan primarily suits hikers and those interested in the country’s culture, but the luxe-seekers aren’t left to dry. Brands like COMO, Six Senses and Aman have all moved into Bhutan in recent years across the destinations most visited by tourists. If you want a rich, unique trip to a place most people can’t find on a map, Bhutan’s a great choice!

Australia

My favorite! Surfing, diving, hiking, wildlife, the Land Down Under has it all. You could easily take months or even a year exploring what the Lucky Country has to offer. Hop from state to-state by epic road trip or plane ride and stay at amazing properties like Silky Oaks Lodge, Longitude 131, Sal Salis and Saffire Freycinet. All of these are perfect for going out on excursions like trekking around Uluru, immersing yourself in the Daintree Rainforest, diving with Whale Sharks in Ningaloo Reef and looking out from the top of Wineglass Bay.

Ready to go see kangaroos and koalas? I've got you! Take inspiration from my Australia guides like Sydney, Adelaide, & Tasmania In 2 Weeks or Rainforests, Beaches, & Koalas: Best Of Queensland

New Zealand

You’ve got not one, but two islands to explore! New Zealand’s another ever-popular destination for thrill activities and excellent luxury. Skii and snowboard Queenstown, surf in Raglan, go zorbing in Rotorua (AKA: rolling down a hill in a giant transparent ball) and hike Aoraki Mt Cook National Park as a sample of the adventures to go on during your time in New Zealand. For the ultimate upscale experience, stay at hotels like Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnapper's and Matakauri, among the very best accommodation in the nation. Fun fact: they have their own on-site sheep farms. Go see the famous New Zealand wool for yourself!

For more on New Zealand, check out Adventure & Luxury: 10 Days On New Zealand’s North Island

South Africa

The Rainbow Nation is, hands down, the best place on this list if you’re all about a wide array of wildlife. South Africa’s home to many of the best game reserves in Africa, including Sabi Sands, Thornybush and Madikwe among others. The game reserves are home to spectacular lodges where you’ll spend time out on safari not only during the day, but even at night. Unlike nearby Kruger National Park, you’re allowed to be out past sunset, which opens up many more opportunities for amazing animal sightings. I wrote about some of my favorites here, South Africa’s Best Malaria-Free Safaris.

That’s just covering safaris. In Cape Town and along the Garden Route, go ziplining, sandboarding, abseiling and cage-dive with Great White Shark. You won’t see me anywhere near a shark, but you do you.

Rwanda

The Land Of A Thousand Hills has come a long way since the nation’s horrific genocide during the 1990s, now a model of growth and recovery. This nation’s best known for being the best place to see families of gorillas via treks in places like Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park. It’s not a cheap trip, but the fees you pay to trek are reinvested back into the conservation of the environment and the gorillas as they are endangered.

Rwanda’s rapid development’s been accompanied by the opening of lodges in nearby national parks by One&Only and Singita. You’re sure to feel pampered while enjoying the hill scenery, rich culture and jaw-dropping gorilla sightings Rwanda has to offer.

Peru

Macchu Pichu. Enough said. Just kidding! Peru has plenty to offer more than striking its most famous attractions, as if that wasn’t enough! Other highlights of the country include the Andes (look up Vinicunca, the famous Rainbow Mountain!), the Sacred Valley, Lima and Lake Titicaca. Peru outside of Macchu Picchu is relatively underrated in my book, but it’s a place that I believe should be on all explorer-at-hearts radars.

Belmond has one of the most special experiences in Peru, operating the Hiram Bingham and the Anden Explore trainers. The Hiram Bingham may have been built in 2003, but it echoes a time long gone in the interior details that make the train so charming. The routes they have take you to and from Macchu Pichu via Cusco, Rio Sagrado and Ollantaytambo. The Andean Explorer is a sparkling new train that whisks you to Cusco, Arequipa and Puno in comfort and style. And to top it all off, Belmond has hotels in those destinations like Sanctuary Lodge at Macchu Pichu and Monasterio in Cusco.

Antarctica

There’s almost nothing more adventurous than traveling to The White Continent (on Earth, that is, now that we have six-figure commercial space trips). It’s as if you’re on a new planet, surrounded by soaring icebergs, in the company of marine life like whales and, of course, you get to see penguins!

The most popular way to visit is to cruise the Drake Passage to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula with the option of stopping at the Falkland and South Georgia Islands with high-end lines such as Quark, Viking, Ponant or Seabourn. Or, if you have a limitless budget (and I mean limitless), you can see the South Pole by taking a flight from Cape Town to land on the white continent through White Desert. You would stay in pod structures reminiscent of a sci-fi movie with floor-to-ceiling windows, some of them having a separate shower pod and others having their own fully-functional bathroom. You’d be spending your time trekking up nunataks, exploring ice caves, ice climbing and even abseiling. If your travel style is ‘extreme’, you’ll get exactly that!

Antarctica is a big trip, like a huge anniversary or when you've retired. Regardless of when in your life you go, you’re going to have a blast as one of the less than one percent of humanity that’s been there. Simply-put, it’s life-changing.

All the lodges and hotels listed above provide delicious dining options reflecting the region you’re in, but here’s some popular options in nearby cities on the way.

Buenos Aires

Anafe: Eastern European, Italian, Mediterranean fusion.

Santiago

Osaka Santiago: Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) cuisine.

Sydney

Bennelong: Fine dining inside of the Opera House.

Auckland

Cotto: Affordable Italian food.

Queenstown

Stratosfare: Buffet overlooking city and Lake Wakatipu.

Cape Town

FYN: one of the world’s best restaurants serving Japanese and African cuisine.

Kigali

Inka Steakhouse: popular modern Rwandan beef steakhouse.

Lima

Panchita: Peruvian cuisine in Miraflores Park.