This month, we introduce a whole new category type to our global selection of SwimTrek trips. For the first time, you'll be able to explore a premium group of packages, specially chosen by SwimTrek HQ for their unique additional activities, absolutely world-class venues and wonderful local roaming grounds for open water swimmers. These are our SwimTrek Picks - separated from an already very impressive pack (let's face it, every SwimTrek is special!) to give you the best of a life aquatic during your return to swim travel, in 2022!

Our Brighton-based discussions have helped us to compile this carefully picked list of highlights. The venues alone are ! You can settle into a sea-facing life in a private cove on the beautiful Miniloc Island. Or, sprawl out in a tented camp on the unspoilt Isla Espiritu Santo, with a sunlit view of the broad Sea of Cortez.

So far, our list of featured trips include: The Philippines, British Virgin Islands, Belize, Baja Peninsula, Canadian Wilderness and Cascade Lakes, Oregon. For us, these packages stand out for being pretty much all-inclusive (if you don't factor in drinks) - you won't have to think about anything while you're out there, other than swimming, relaxing and enjoying yourself. All kinds of meals and local activities (like snorkelling and kayaking) are available with these options. At one venue, you'll even your own private coral reef to explore!

Let's take a closer look at what's on offer (listed perks exclude our standard safety escort and guide support - available in all our packages):

Our Picks

1. Palawan Paradise, The Philippines

Discover a Palawan Paradise and swim among the limestone cliffs and stunning seascapes of the Bacuit Archipelago, northwest of Palawan in the tropical Philippines.

Perks

• All breakfasts, lunches and dinners
• Brewed coffee and tea at the Clubhouse Restaurant. Fruit juices during breakfast
• Use of available snorkelling gear and non-motorized water sports equipment (paddle board, windsurf, kayak...)
• Guided activities/tours (snorkelling at exclusive house reef, kayaking, island hopping...)
• More watersports activities (snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking, island hopping...)

Venue

Stay at the stunning Miniloc Island Resort in El Nido, northern Palawan. This island resort offers guests a Filipino coastal village vibe, with a rustic and traditional aesthetic. In Miniloc, guests can swim out to meet 1.5-metre jack fish and marvel at the diverse variety of marine species in the local house reef.

2. British Virgin Islands

Explore the volcanic archipelago of the British Virgin Islands and discover colourful reefs patrolled by hawksbill turtles and tropical fish. Enjoy safely escorted island-hopping and complete the iconic crossing from the UK to America (British Virgin Islands to US Virgin Islands).

Perks

• Stay at the stylish Cooper Island Beach Club - just a few metres from the water’s edge!
• Six breakfasts on the beachfront pavilion
• Five lunches are offered in either the resort, local beach, or, on our main support boat
• Six dinners included from the day of arrival

Venue

Our home for a week in the British Virgin Islands is the infinitely stylish Cooper Island Beach Club. This luxury resort has a restaurant, rum bar (serving an astonishing 280 different rums), coffee bar and even its own microbrewery. There are eight beachfront guest rooms, nested among palm trees and tropical wildflowers.

3. Belize Barrier Reef

Dive deep into the warm waters of Belize Barrier Reef and settle into island life on Turneffe Atoll - one of only three atolls inside the Barrier Reef. You will have direct access to beautiful open waters and fascinating underwater vistas, accompanied by all kinds of resident marine life, including turtles, dolphins and tropical reef fish.

Perks

• All meals are included (breakfasts, lunches and dinners)
• Tune your strokes with expert technique advice and video playback
• Enjoy 7 nights' accommodation on the Turneffe Flats and kick back with views over the Caribbean Sea

Venue

Live like Robinson Crusoe in the Turneffe Flats Resort - a local island property, with an array of beachside villas and cabanas, surrounded by world-class spots for diving, fishing, and, of course, swimming! The resorts main lodge has central air conditioning and a very spacious sitting area, dining room and bar.

4. Baja Peninsula

Escape to the sun-baked Baja Peninsula and share a natural playground with friendly sea lions, as well as many other marine species. Discover pristine beaches and isolated coves on the uninhabited island of Espiritu Santo.

Perks

• End each day with cocktails, freshly-cooked meals and spectacular island sunsets
• One night's hotel accommodation in Los Cabos on your first day. Followed by five nights' cabin-style camping on Isla Espiritu Santo
• All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included too (except on Day 1)

Venue

The Espiritu Santo Island Base Camp is a sight to behold and a truly unforgettable place to stay during your next swim adventure. Located on the beach of a remote island on the Baja Peninsula, just a few steps from the water's edge, the camp sleeps guests in cabin-style tents, with beds, sleeping pads and solar showers.

5. Canadian Wilderness

Enter the Canadian Wilderness! This is your chance to become a true SwimTrek Pioneer and explore the lesser-swum freshwater wilderness of the Churchill River System in Canada’s Saskatchewan province.

Perks

• Enjoy special access to remote and natureful swim spots. Keep an eye out for eagles, osprey, beavers, otters, pelicans...
• Experience the boreal forest, visit white sand beaches, mighty river rapids and canoe portages with local indigenous Cree Elders.

Venue

Located on Otter Lake, in the Churchill River system of Saskatchewan, Thompson's Resort brings rustic lakeside living to a new level. Stay in comfortable cabins, dine at the on-site restaurant, meet the local forest wildlife and relax on jetties and benches, with spectacular views of your freshwater roaming ground.

6. Cascade Lakes, Oregon

Swim the large expanses of the impressive Cascade Lakes. Dive into some of the cleanest and most pristine waters in the United States. Take in the mountainous terrain, with a backdrop of the Cascade Range, and complete a series of unique swims in the protected Deschutes National Park, with our National Forest Serviced-approved permissions

Perks

• Settle into rustic log cabins - just a few metres from the banks of the beautiful Elk Lake
• Reap the rewards of technique advice with video playback
• Additional lake activities, like paddle boarding, boating and fishing
• Enjoy five nights' accommodation
• All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are covered too
• We will also take care of all your National Park Fees and Permissions Charges

Venue

Settle into Oregon at the gorgeous Elk Lake Resort. This traditional resort has been catering for all kinds of guests since way back in 1922. Escape the everyday bustle and head out to where the wilderness expands, roaming around Elk Lake and Mount Bachelor. The main lodge and nearby cabins are all log-built and scattered in the shaded trees, metres from the water’s edge.

To find out more please visit our designated page 'The Best A Life Aquatic Has To Offer'...