Winner: Secrets of the Archipelago, Indonesia
When you spend big—really big—on a trip, you want a one-of-a-kind experience with personalized attention that gets you far from civilization. For example, sailing through Indonesia aboard a 130-foot schooner. With three king-bed cabins, the brand-new Si Datu Bua is more an elegant teakwood base camp than a boat. On GeoEx’s new 11-day trip through the Komodo archipelago, guests swim with pygmy seahorses in Komodo National Park, hike to the high point of pink-beach Padar Island, and explore hilltop villages on Sumba, an ultra-remote island in the middle of the country. You’ll encounter dragons, monkeys, and some of the world’s most vibrant coral reefs. Still too crowded? Get dropped off on a nearby deserted island for the day—with the food and drink of your choice, of course. $125,000 for six people; May to October;