Explore & Encounter: The Best Holidays for 2026

There’s a certain kind of traveller who thrives on the unknown, who feels most alive a little off the map. And Explore & Encounter is for them – a guide where you’ll find the best holidays for 2026 and beyond. 

This section celebrates adventurous holidays and exploring holidays and everything in between: tracking leopards through the African bush at dawn, exploring ancient temples in Greece with a local guide, stepping into age-old Arabian canyons, or waking up to icebergs drifting past your expedition ship window.

It’s not about ticking boxes - it never is for us here at Destinology - but about the stories that find you when you go looking for something real. Cultural immersion, natural wonder, and the thrill of a world that - despite its 4.5 billion years - still has surprises waiting around every corner. Adventure isn’t waiting for later; it’s just waiting for you to say yes. And these are the trips we’ve selected to add an extra layer of inspiration.

Raffles Seychelles

On Praslin Island, Raffles Seychelles sets the tone for a tropical holiday that feels gently epic. This barefoot-luxury retreat of private villas and plunge pools sits on Anse Takamaka’s pristine beach, where the Indian Ocean’s blues stretch endlessly into the horizon. Days here are designed for discovery – take a guided hike through the Vallée de Mai’s old palm forests, snorkel the legendary reefs positively teeming with turtles and colourful fish, or hop between neighbouring islands like La Digue and Curieuse by private boat.

Whether you’re trying Creole cooking classes, spotting giant Aldabra tortoises roaming in their native habitat, or watching the always-spectacular sunsets from your private deck with a flute of cold champagne in hand, Raffles Seychelles turns an active holiday into a nuanced, lavish encounter with nature and culture.

 Explore Raffles Seychelles 

Domes Island Hopping 

If you’d still like your adventure with a side of tried, tested, and highly-trusted luxury, then Domes Resorts have decoded Greek island life into a series of adventurous holidays that feel both effortless and exhilarating. Our favourite begins at 91 Athens Riviera, where laid‑back days and glamorous evenings set the tone for a spectacular summer holiday. The real journey, however, takes place across the Aegean Sea. On Milos - often discussed among seasoned travellers as a secret the gods kept - it’s all hidden coves, volcanic landscapes and bespoke boat safaris that drop you into turquoise waters and forgotten beaches.

Finish on Santorini, where Domes has cracked the island’s biggest puzzle: how to enjoy its dramatic beauty without the crowds. With pool suites that frame the caldera and bespoke experiences ranging from vineyard tastings to private sunsets, this island‑hopping route is one of the best holidays for 2026 for anyone who wants discovery with an inescapable sense of place.

8 nights from £2,199 per person - call our team for latest prices and more information.

 Explore all Domes Hotels 

Banyan Tree AlUla 

Banyan Tree AlUla doesn’t just sit in the desert – it belongs there. Villas of ochre and sandstone blend into the otherworldly landscape of AlUla, where canyon walls glow at dawn and dust‑coloured trails curve far into the distance. Up-and-coming in the world of luxury travel, days in Saudi Arabia are all about active curiosity: trail‑running past winding gorges, cycling through Sharaan Nature Reserve with falcons wheeling overhead, or joining private archaeology tours to millennia‑old rock art. Outside the adventures, fire pits, private plunge pools and Bedouin‑inspired feasts bring a kind of luxury that feels rooted in place and history.

Whether you’re rising with desert sun salutations on Elephant Rock or watching stars cast their own light on starlit suppers, this Saudi Arabia holiday is elevated by narrative and its unbelievable setting, and every single corner feels ripe for a story.

 Explore Banyan Tree AlUla 

Jumeirah Thanda Safari 

In the hills of KwaZulu‑Natal, Jumeirah Thanda Safari marries that raw wilderness we all look for in a safari with the refined design lovers of luxury also cherish. The result is a deep engagement with Africa’s wild heart that stretches across 16,500 hectares of private reserve, home to elegant villas of bark, stone and hide that overlook waterholes where elephants and buffalo amble at sunset. The morning begins long before dawn - jumping into a Land Rover to carefully track rhino or leopard as the light creeps over the bush - and continues into land walks, flying safaris and encounters with local artisans. 

Evenings are dedicated to a different kind of adventure: open‑air dinners beneath seemingly infinite skies, stories shared warmly around fire‑lit bomas, and the quiet thrill of being close to nature without ever intruding on its comfort, or forfeiting the little luxuries we all like from adventures of this scale. This is one of the best holidays for 2026 for travellers who want their safari to feel like a story, not a checklist.

 Explore Jumeirah Thanda Safari 

Swan Hellenic Expedition 

If your idea of an adventurous holiday involves cruising into the planet’s most remote places, a Swan Hellenic expedition cruise promises a voyage unlike any other. These boutique expedition cruises roll exploration and learning into one spectacular itinerary: expert‑led shore landings, Zodiac excursions into wildlife‑rich waters, and beautiful views that stretch from towering icebergs to sweeping fjords and all the wildlife that calls it home.

Onboard one of Swan Hellenic’s elegantly designed ships - where Scandinavian minimalism meets all the readiness needed for true expedition - you’ll find suites with sweeping views, a library filled with regional insights, and spaces that endeavour to bring the outside world in. From Antarctica’s colossal glaciers to the wild beauty of the Arctic and over to the tropical climes of Papua New Guinea, these journeys turn the act of travel itself into an encounter with Earth’s most striking and untouched shores.

 Explore all Swan Hellenic Sailings 

More of the Best Holidays for 2026

• JOALI Maldives 
• Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• Exploring Saudi Arabia 
• Our Tailor-Made Holiday: Sri Lanka's East Coast & Wildlife

Whether you’re island‑hopping in the Med, tracing ancient paths in Saudi Arabia’s deserts, or setting sail for the poles, Explore & Encounter is your guide to the trips that let you feel the world more sharply. These are the kinds of exploring holidays and adventurous holidays that reshape how you think about travel – each one among the best for 2026. Ready to start planning? Call our Personal Travel Concierges to build a bespoke itinerary that turns curiosity into reality.

*all prices correct as of January 2026. Please call our team for the latest information. Swan Hellenic expedition images courtesy of Swan Hellenic and Robert Michael Poole.