Elite Traveler March-April 2015

INSPIRE ADVENTURE

MOZAMBIQUE DIVE AND SWIMWITH SHARKS OFF THE SPECTACULAR EAST AFRICAN COAST

The sleek Ocean Adventurer II , a live-aboard catamaran, will take you to sites that have never been dived before off the otherwise inaccessible coast of northern Mozambique in the Quirimbas Archipelago. The underwater territory is so uncharted you may get to name some places – just think of something to match Walls of Insanity, a spectacular 260-foot drop off down to a warren of caves, or Neptune’s Arm, where a coral garden tumbles down a 3,000-foot cliff and clouds of fish attract prowling reef sharks. This trip is all about big fish and crystal-clear visibility. In the waters around the St Lazarus bank (a vast reef system), shoals of yellow fin and dogtooth tuna swim, as well as manta rays, bumphead parrot fish and humpback whales. At night, there’s a foray to Metundo Island to spot rare coconut crabs. Alongside you is a dedicated dive team that have been exploring this area for years. For your supper, throw a line over the side and see what bites. At either end of the trip is a night at the beautiful Vamizi Island Lodge. Price: Seven nights from $38,000 for full charter

ANTARCTIC A POLAR ADVENTURE THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE, FROM KITE SURFING TO PENGUINS One way to celebrate the centenary of the Endurance ’s epic voyage would be to join an expedition led by Patrick and Robyn Woodhead’s White Desert outfit to the South Pole. From the moment you touch down on the solid ice runway (pictured, above) you will notice a few differences from Shackleton’s experience: the drone that flies up to check weather patterns, for example; the cosy, Alien -style sleeping pods; the kitchen serving oysters and champagne; and midnight-sun cigars and cocktails. The team have looked after Saudi royals who had never seen snow, arranged for one client to go hot-air ballooning (he set a world record in the process), and for a couple to get hitched on the ice. When TV adventurer Bear Grylls came, he insisted on kite-skiing and cliff-camping. But there’s plenty at ground level to set your heart pounding, from walking amid huge colonies of Emperor penguins, to sliding down twisting, surreal ice tunnels, to visiting the Scott-Amundsen science station. “It will shake your world,” says Robyn. “The sheer whiteness and blankness of the region and the feeling of vulnerability can make people begin to reimagine themselves.” Price: From $29,000 per person. Contact: Robyn Woodhead, +27 6077 94840 white-desert.com

of Ocean Adventurer II (sleeps 10), full board Contact: Neill Ghosh, +44 7809 523 280 neill@originaldiving.com originaldiving.com