Money brings freedom, and a lot of money brings the chance to do things others haven’t even dreamt of. Racing around a circuit in a Formula 1 car, rent a private island where the staff are there just for you, order a cocktail for 50,000$ or fly to the ends of the earth — all of this is a reality if your bank balance means you don’t have to give the figures a second thought.
This list isn’t about luxury in the usual sense. We’re not just talking about expensive hotels and yachts, but about unique experiences available to only a select few. Here we’ve compiled the most extravagant, rare and prestigious activities – the sort you won’t find at your local travel agency. And, of course, such a holiday is best enjoyed in the company of a VIP model.
Hawaii, USA — private villas and underwater adventures
Ordinary tourists come to Hawaii for the beaches and surfing, but wealthy men experience a whole new level of luxury. Villas on the coast of Kauai or Maui cost tens of thousands of dollars a night, and that’s just the start.
A truly rare experience — a deep-sea dive in a bathyscaphe to extinct volcanoes, where you can see huge sharks and ancient lava tunnels. For an additional fee, they’ll organise a private underwater spearfishing trip for you. And if you’re after a real adrenaline rush, you can hire a military fighter jet and practise combat manoeuvres in the air under the supervision of an instructor.
Mustique Island, the West Indies — an exclusive retreat for billionaires
An island with no hotels, tourists or strangers. It is a private estate accessible only to the owners of luxury villas or those willing to pay from 40 000$ a week in rent. Only the «in-crowd» holiday here: members of royal families, top business executives and media personalities; and if you fancy a round of golf with an Arab sheikh or a rock star, chances are you’ll be able to.
The island’s main attraction is its complete seclusion and the chance to do whatever you like. Fancy a personal chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant who’ll fly in ingredients from Paris? No problem. A private party with a world-class DJ? A morning swim from a $50 million yacht? Everything can be arranged with a single phone call.
Laucala Island (Laucala Island), Fiji — an island where you make the rules
Laucala Island is one of the most secluded places on Earth. There are just 25 villas here, but each occupies a vast area with its own swimming pool, spa, beach, chef and staff. Guests are met by a private Gulfstream jet, which flies them directly to the island, bypassing standard international flights and airports.
Everything here is tailored to your personal comfort: no one disturbs you, and there are no strangers around. The staff operate in the background until you need them. The most unique experience is piloting the DeepFlight Super Falcon submersible. Unlike standard tourist dives, here you’re at the helm yourself, exploring the underwater reefs. The sub is fitted with a transparent dome, so the views of Fiji’s milky-blue waters, schools of stingrays and sharks, and coral gardens are simply fantastic.
But the fun doesn’t stop underwater. The island boasts a one-of-a-kind golf course, set amongst the wild jungle, with undulating terrain and views of the ocean. To fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere, you can book an exclusive round with renowned professional golfers, who will be flown to the island especially for you.
The food here also goes beyond the usual standards of luxury. The island has its own organic farm, where Wagyu beef, marbled beef, rare tropical fruits, spices and even coffee are grown. In one of the restaurants, the chefs use only local produce that is not exported outside Fiji. And for cocktail connoisseurs, the bartenders create bespoke drinks that aren’t on the menu and won’t be found anywhere else.
Prices for a holiday here start at 50,000$ per week, but if you wish, you can hire the entire island for a sum that is not publicly disclosed.
Necker Island, Virgin Islands — Richard Branson’s island
Necker Island is the private estate of billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. Unlike most private islands, where guests can rent a villa or a stretch of beach, here you can become the temporary owner of the entire island for 100,000$ per day.
The main attractions are unique sports and activities that are only available here. One of the most impressive is hydrofoiling. These are boards with underwater wings that allow you to literally fly over the water, reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h. It’s no surprise that Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, who visit the island from time to time, are keen on this sport.
As well as premium water-based entertainment, you can take part in chess matches against world grandmasters. Branson is a huge chess fan, so private tournaments are often held here, to which the world’s best players are invited. You can play anywhere – in the water, on the yacht, or on the helipad – because the pieces have built-in magnets and won’t fall over even in strong winds.
The animals on the island aren’t there by chance either. Branson has brought rare species of flamingos and tortoises here, as well as lemurs from Madagascar. Guests can spend time with the animals, feed them and help look after them, which is why the island is a one-of-a-kind private nature reserve amongst the ultra-expensive resorts.
One of the main advantages of a holiday here is that access is restricted. This is not a place for casual visitors — you can only get here by invitation or by hiring the entire island. Many influential businesspeople use this place not only for holidays, but also for secret meetings, discussing multi-million deals away from prying eyes.
Every year, Branson hosts the Necker Cup here — a private tennis tournament that brings together sporting legends, celebrities and investors. You can play against the star guests, and after the matches there are private parties featuring world-class DJs.
Necker Island isn’t just expensive – it’s ultra-exclusive. But experiences like these are hard to find anywhere else: whether it’s sailing a $50 million yacht, training with Olympic champions or having lunch on the rooftop of a luxury villa overlooking the Caribbean.
Rania, Maldives — your very own island resort
Unlike other luxury islands, Rania is booked in its entirety — there will be no one else there apart from you and your lovely companion from our agency. The charter costs from 50,000$ per night and includes the services of a private captain, a team of chefs, a 90-foot yacht and a seaplane.
The main attraction is deep-sea fishing. You can take part in fishing for swordfish, marlin and giant tuna using the same equipment as that used in international tournaments. Your catch can be prepared to order straight away, or frozen and sent to any restaurant in the world. This type of active holiday will appeal to anyone who appreciates an atmosphere of seclusion and premium service.
Dubai and Palm Jumeirah – top entertainment in the desert
During your trip to Dubai, discover some unique VIP entertainment options:
- A race featuring Bugatti, Koenigsegg and Pagani hypercars on closed desert circuits.
- Jetpack Aviation jetpack flights.
- Camel races featuring robotic jockeys, where you can not only watch but also place bets worth seven-figure sums.
There is another extremely rare pastime — snowboarding on sand dunes, but not on ordinary boards, rather on special models with titanium bindings, commissioned by Arab sheikhs.
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Sandy Lane, Barbados — an exclusive golf resort and casino for the select few
Sandy Lane is a private club that is off-limits to the general public. There are no crowds of tourists, no hustle and bustle, and no run-of-the-mill entertainment here; instead, it offers old-world luxury in its purest form. Its regular guests include top corporate executives, oil magnates, members of royal families and international celebrities.
There are no slot machines at the Sandy Lane Casino — only private tables for the elite. Here, guests play poker, baccarat and roulette, and the minimum deposit required to enter starts at one million dollars. Unlike standard casinos, the croupiers know the guests by name, and betting limits are set on an individual basis. If you wish, you can play one-on-one against a professional player or even the casino owner.
The second major attraction is the world-class golf courses designed by Tom Fazio. These host private tournaments where you might bump into sporting legends and top business executives. Sandy Lane is renowned for the huge number of informal deals struck here; after all, it is customary to discuss investments, property and contracts during a long round of golf, and as a result, multi-million contracts are finalised on these fairways.
Musha Cay (Masha Cay), Bahamas — David Copperfield’s island of illusions
This island is the perfect setting for a personalised show, created especially for each guest. David Copperfield personally selects his clients, and if you are one of them, you will be offered a unique experience that has never been done before and will never be repeated.
One of the island’s highlights is the hunt for hidden treasure, but this is no run-of-the-mill quest. Guests are dropped off on an uninhabited stretch of land where they have to find keys, solve riddles and literally dig into the ground to unearth a chest containing genuine 18th-century gold doubloons.
Another attraction available only here is a magical illusion in which the guest themselves takes part. Copperfield creates personalised tricks, such as making objects vanish from your hands or «teleporting» the yacht to another part of the island. You can also see your own name etched into the sunset sky.
As well as breathtaking views, a stay at Musha Cay offers underwater exploration, blue marlin fishing, private film screenings on the beach and a restaurant with a menu tailored to the guest’s tastes in advance.
Banwa Private Island (Banwa), the Philippines — the world’s most expensive island
Banwa Resort’s focus is not simply on luxury, but on the complete customisation of everything that surrounds the guest. It is the only island where you can alter not only the entertainment on offer, but also the landscape itself — for example, by laying out a golf course, creating an artificial lagoon or planting exotic trees.
The main attraction here is bluefin tuna fishing. This is a sport fishing experience where tuna weighing 200–300 kg are reeled in using heavy-duty rods, just as in international tournaments. Once caught, the fish is either released or taken to one of the world’s finest restaurants, where it is prepared according to a bespoke recipe.
Another option is diving amongst shipwrecks from the Second World War. Banwa is situated in an area where, during the battles between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the US Navy, several cruisers and destroyers were sunk; you can now swim amongst them, examining the gun turrets, corridors and deck structures.
If you don’t fancy going underwater, you can hire a fleet of superyachts, book an air show featuring private fighter jets, or organise a private party with world-famous stars as guests.
The full rental of the island costs 100,000$ per day, but that’s not the upper limit — the island can be completely remodelled to suit your tastes, in which case the final bill could run into several million dollars.
The most expensive forms of entertainment offer a whole new level of freedom, where you can rewrite the rules, create your own reality and enjoy an experience that literally only a couple of dozen people on the planet have had.
