A year of discovery: elite adventures for 2026

A new chapter opens in Angola

AN OFF-GRID ODYSSEY ACROSS AFRICA’S LAST FRONTIER

This adventure can only be described as the definitive road trip. A chance to experience this pioneering destination in sheer isolation, staying in bespoke mobile camps to explore beyond traditional infrastructure. All but previously closed off to only the most adventurous of travellers, Angola has become one of Africa’s last great travel mysteries.

Guests will spend days soaking in the wild beauty of this undiscovered country and meet some of its more remote tribal communities. The drive will take in giant sand dunes, the dramatic coastline, war relics and sea-stranded shipwrecks. As well as clocking up the miles, guests should come prepared for high-speed desert buggy races, laser tag duels on an abandoned island, assisting demining teams and visiting historic tank graveyards.

The nights will be just as iconic, sleeping out in a series of custom-built mobile camps. Set up across a series of Angola’s breathtaking landscapes, think waking to views of otherworldly desertscapes, spending the night in a deserted ghost town and sipping sundowners beside the river in between two old Russian war tanks.

Traitors reimagined

WHERE SUSPENSE MEETS THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Traitor or Faithful?

 
Cookson Adventures is infusing its epic Scottish escapes with intrigue and theatre, unveiling the addition of a fully immersive Traitors experience inspired by the acclaimed US and UK television phenomenon.

Against the backdrop of Scotland’s most storied castles and grand private estates, guests will step into the ultimate live-action mystery. Professional actors will weave themselves into the fabric of the stay, guiding traitors in their clandestine missions while sowing doubt among the Faithful. The suspense crescendos at a dramatic roundtable finale, where allegiances are revealed, traitors unmasked, and the fate of the grand prize decided.

Designed as a bespoke, actor-led production, this theatrical experience can be seamlessly folded into a wider Scottish journey — whether for team building events, families, groups of friends, or those seeking an extraordinary twist on the traditional private getaway.

Unlocking Borneo from above

A GROUND BREAKING HANGING CAMP WITH UNPARALLELED ACCESS TO THE JUNGLE CANOPY

This will be a first-of-its-kind hanging camp in what is an otherwise-off-limits conservation area of the jungle. Suspended in an isolated pocket that few humans have ever seen, expect a leave-no-trace setup where the likes of zipwires and ropes connect designated sleeping stations, communal lounges and even rainfall showers within the trees – a truly off-grid and unique hideaway strung up some 100ft high in Borneo’s rainforest canopy. Accessible only by rope, guests will see the region’s extraordinary biodiversity as well as assist leading scientists tasked with researching and gaining a better understanding of this complex canopy ecosystem.

Along with a plethora of hornbills and tropical birds gliding through the trees, the likes of orangutans, gibbons, red-leaf monkeys and flying squirrels are just some of the camp’s wild neighbours guests might encounter. From expert ornithologists to top botanists, guests might be helping to collect samples of rare plant life, setting up light traps to observe smaller insect species or putting up mist nets to help study the jungle’s local bats and birdlife.

Summer solitude

THE NEW ALLURE OF NORDIC PRIVATE ISLANDS FOR A REFINED COOLCATION

From a rugged 17th-century Finnish Coast Guard outpost to a solitary lighthouse island off the coast of Sweden, the Nordic north offers a growing collection of private sanctuaries designed for true disconnection. Here, life is stripped back to its raw beauty, and the pace slows to nature’s rhythm: private chefs craft seasonal feasts from foraged ingredients, kayaks glide through dramatic archipelagos, hikes that climb into vast fjords for panoramic views. Evenings end in the glow of a lakeside sauna, under a starlit sky.

For those seeking seclusion and to reconnect with the wild, Cookson Adventures crafts summer escapes to cross these private Nordic retreats.

Beyond the dragons

A VOYAGE INTO THE ‘RING OF FIRE’ EXPLORING FLORES AND ALOR

As Komodo become more crowded, the remote islands of the Flores archipelago – such as Alor – offer secluded bays, deserted beaches, and private anchorages. A tandem charter aboard the luxurious, traditionally designed phinisi yachts Silolona and Si Datu Bua can bring larger groups of family and friends together for this incredible voyage. Through our contacts, we can open up a much deeper level of access to local ceremonies, where guests will be welcomed as honoured guests. This adventure features world-class snorkelling and diving, cultural visits to Ikat-weaving villages, hiking and fishing against dramatic volcanic backdrops, and unique dining experiences on remote sandbars and in spectacular island locations.

Adventure at full throttle

PUSHING BOUNDARIES, INDULGING IN FREEDOM

Motorcycling is experiencing a revival, fuelled by a longing for the freedom of the open road and the thrill of venturing far from the beaten path. Today’s riders aren’t just enthusiasts; they’re explorers seeking out some of the world’s most remote and inspiring landscapes. These journeys are elevated far beyond the traditional road trip, with expeditions entirely tailored around each private group. Alongside the roar of the engines comes the comfort of private chefs, dedicated mechanics, medical support, and a seamless rhythm of luxurious lodges and custom-built camps between each dramatic stop.

The routes themselves are as bold as the riders who take them: from the deserts of Morocco to the rugged passes of Pakistan and the high-altitude wilderness of Ladakh in India, each destination promises not only sweeping mountain vistas, but also rare wildlife encounters and cultural experiences found only off the grid.

The Algerian Sahara: Wadi Rum’s hidden rival

AN IMMERSIVE 4×4 & MÉHARÉE EXPEDITION WITH THE TUAREG

Rediscover the golden age of exploration with an exclusive journey across the Algerian Sahara. In place of vehicles, guests will embark on a traditional méharée—a private camel caravan that evokes the romance of 18th- and 19th-century expeditions. Alternating between riding and walking, travellers will be immersed in the extraordinary landscapes of Tassili n’Ajjer National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in southeastern Algeria.

This vast and untouched wilderness reveals dramatic basalt spires, secret gueltas, and rock engravings that have endured for millennia. In the company of Tuareg camel drivers, guests will gain a rare glimpse into the timeless rhythms of nomadic life, guided by starlit skies that have shaped desert navigation for centuries.

At night, a bespoke mobile camp awaits, offering comfort and exclusivity beneath the desert’s infinite canopy of stars. Days unfold at an unhurried pace, with experiences ranging from paragliding above the dunes to rope climbing and paramotoring, offering a striking aerial perspective on this otherworldly landscape.

This is not just a journey across a desert, it is an immersion into history, tradition, and the elemental beauty of one of Earth’s last great wildernesses.