Published 09 November 2023
Whether your perfect escape involves secluded beaches and lush tropical shores, adventures with polar bears or penguins, uninhabited atolls in the middle of a vast ocean, world-class scuba diving or jungle coasts teeming with wildlife, Burgess can take you there.
It doesn’t get more adventurous than a luxury yacht charter in Antarctica. A huge bay where the Southern Ocean cuts deep into the Antarctic mainland 1,600 miles (3,000km) due south of New Zealand, the Ross Sea is the closest to the South Pole that it’s possible to sail – even in an ice class expedition yacht. Here in McMurdo Sound, near the active volcano Mount Erebus, is the southernmost seaport on earth. This is where Shackleton, Amundsen and Scott began their polar expeditions, at the western end of the Ross Sea Ice Shelf, a 370-mile long, 30m high, sheer cliff of ice.
The Ross Sea is truly special. It’s the world’s largest Marine Protected Area and the last fully pristine marine ecosystem on earth. The wildlife includes vast rookeries of Adelie and Emperor penguins, huge numbers of whales and more. By helicopter you can explore dramatic mountain peaks and deep crevasses in the ice shelf, historic sites and dry valleys that look like the surface of Mars. By submarine you can venture into some of the least explored waters on the planet.
One of the most luxurious places in The Bahamas, Stocking Island is a real treat. You don’t have to be intrepid to get here – at least not if you have your own yacht – but it’s sparsely populated and off the main tourist trail despite having some of the best beaches in the whole archipelago. It also has three near-perfect natural harbours and excellent snorkelling and diving spots, from coral gardens and undersea caves to blue holes. Ashore it’s mostly wilderness with a lush national park and plenty of hiking trails.
Stocking Island is also home to an iconic beach bar, Chat ’n’ Chill, where almost everyone is a sailor and the relaxed, friendly vibe is as legendary as the signature conch salad. Plan your Bahamas yacht charter between December and May, outside of the hurricane season.
A long way north of Perth in Western Australia, the Ningaloo Coast is famous for its 160 miles of pristine, UNESCO World Heritage-listed coral reef. It’s the best place on the planet to see and swim with whale sharks, which congregate here in huge gatherings every year between March to August
You’ll also see manta rays, humpback whales and turtles – loggerhead, green and hawksbill – and it’s just as good for snorkelling and kayaking as it is for diving with calm, sheltered water between the reef and the coast. Because it’s so vast and remote, you’ll usually have a beach or a dive site to yourself. Beyond this underwater paradise there are are undiscovered surf breaks and excursions into the rugged mountains of the Cape Range National Park, where even fewer people have ever been.
Off the western tip of Papua, the remote Raja Ampat Islands have the richest biodiversity on earth. Three-quarters of the world’s hard corals – 600 different types – are thriving here on vibrant reefs with more than 1,700 species of fish. The kaleidoscope of colours you’ll see on a dive here is quite unlike anything else.
The seascape above water is also amazing. Sheer slopes of rainforest rise up from from white sand beaches and strangely shaped islets are scattered across the turquoise sea. It’s a haven for rare marine mammals, from dugongs to blue whales. The jungles ashore are renowned for birds of paradise and you can see stone age rock paintings on the sea cliffs of Misool. The best time to visit is October to December – mid monsoon in most of Indonesia, but it’s the dry season here.
As Indonesia attracts an increasing (though still quite small) number of yachts, the next undiscovered cruising ground in South East Asia is the Malaysian coast of Borneo. Here you’ll find colossal caves and sharp limestone pinnacles, perfect beaches devoid of tourists and coral reef islands with world-class diving like Sipadan and Mabul.
On a yacht charter in Borneo you can meet wild orangutans on a jungle trek in Sarawak province. Up north in Sabah there are gibbons, sun bears and rhinoceros' hornbills in the foothills of 4,000m Mount Kinabalu, which makes this the third tallest island on earth.
Natural wonders aside, it’s worth visiting Kuching for its superb cuisine and the Rainforest World Music Festival, which brings together the best indigenous musicians from all over the globe.
The insider’s tip in Tahiti is to head for tranquil Taha’a, whose fertile valleys produce so much fragrant vanilla that its sweet, mellow scent pervades the air and is carried offshore to the yachts that anchor in the lee of its lush green hills. Taha’a can only be accessed by boat and life here proceeds at an easy pace – it’s the perfect place to unwind.
Taha’a is best known for its motu, the islets fringed with fine white sand and crowned with clusters of coconut palms, which are sprinkled around the top of the lagoon’s barrier reef. They provide perfect anchorages for a relaxing day on board with remote beaches, great snorkeling around coral heads and superb views of Bora Bora in the background.
A distant outpost of Australia, tiny Cocos Keeling is a pair of coral atolls a very long way from anywhere in the middle of the tropical Indian Ocean. The climate is perfect for nine months of the year, warm with a cooling breeze, thanks to the moderating effect of the south-east trade winds.
There are 27 islands in total, set in tranquil lagoons, bordered by beaches of white coral sand and covered with groves of coconut palms and lush vegetation. Only two are inhabited, leaving 25 unspoiled islands to explore. At North Keeling, isolated from the rest of the archipelago, a yacht can anchor offshore, and visitors can swim the last 50m through the surf with a local guide to discover a completely pristine national park.
For a taste of adventure in the high Arctic, fly north in midsummer to Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen – the world’s most northerly airport, at 78°N – and board an ice-class explorer yacht to cruise the remote and majestic Svalbard archipelago. This frozen wilderness is as close to the North Pole as it’s possible to go by sea.
Here you’ll discover a landscape of soaring ice-clad mountains, get up close to awe-inspiring glaciers set in magnificent fjords, encounter colossal icebergs and trek across vast expanses of tundra. From mid-May to late August the sun never sets and the air temperature is surprisingly mild. The wildlife includes polar bears, walruses and narwhals, a wide variety of whales and huge numbers of birds.
The islands of Croatia are deservedly popular and can get quite busy, but seclusion can be found if you venture about 40 miles further offshore to Palagruža. Rising a 100m above the waves of the central Adriatic Sea, this remote and austerely beautiful island is uninhabited except for visits by lighthouse keepers and occasionally a handful of tourists in summer.
Several anchorages provide shelter according to the wind and sea conditions, and you can land on small beaches and in rocky coves to explore. Walking trails wind steeply up from the beaches to the lighthouse and along the ridge of the island, which is lovely in early summer when the bushes are green and the flowers are in full bloom.
To find out more about Burgess’ yachts for sale and yachts for charter, please contact a Burgess broker. Alternatively, get in touch with one of our offices directly: London, Monaco, New York, Miami, Singapore or all other locations.
Yachts, prices and availability are correct at the time of publication.
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