Trips of a lifetime

Reach the edge of space with the Russians in one of the world's fastest high-altitude jet interceptors, on a six-day extravaganza based in Moscow. Warm up in the L-39 stunt plane, then strap into the front seat of a Mig-25 for the Big One. A couple of 360-degree rolls at twice the speed of sound - then hurtle up to 80,000 feet. The Earth curves away below, above is darkness, the atmosphere a thin blue line on the horizon. Your pilot will speak English but you'll be speechless. £12,500, including accommodation/training but not flights to Moscow. www.unmissable.com (0870 442 1350, trip ref: 2780)

Deltas

Live the high life amid the wildlife on a luxury safari in Botswana, travelling in small planes to remote camps in the watery paradise of the Okavango delta and Chobe river for wildlife encounters by boat and Jeep, plus walking with elephants. Twelve-day trip from £2,945, including accommodation/flights. Abercrombie and Kent (0845 0700 611, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk)

Oceans

Sail the flag with a round-the-world cruise on the QE2. As the dockside at Southampton recedes, nearly 40 ports of call in 123 days beckon, including NYC, Tobago, Cartagena, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Cape Town, Namibia and Madeira. From £16,400 fullboard, including gratuities. Cunard (0800 052 3840, www.cunard.co.uk)

Peaks

Make a 17-day cultural journey through central Tibet and Nepal against a jagged panorama of the Himalayas. You need to be fit: there's much high-altitude walking (max: 5,000m), prior to descending into plateaus scattered with settlements. Unforgettable: sunrise over Everest and the northern Himalayas. From £1,815 B&B (flights, transportation, guide). Explore Worldwide (01252 760 000, www.exploreworldwide.com)

Deserts

Contrast is king when you do Chile, from the arid beauty of the Atacama desert in the north to cool cruising amid the glaciers and fjords of the icy south. From £2,377, including flights/accommodation. Easter Island extension from £338. Trips Worldwide (0117 311 4400, www.tripsworldwide.co.uk).