If you think you’re local winter is not cold enough, you definitely should give this a try: Poseidon Arctic Voyages specialises in icebreaker expeditions to the North Pole and the Russian Arctic. The most powerful and sophisticated icebreakers are used to reach some of the world’s unique and totally awesome destinations whilst ensuring that guests aboard enjoy a comfortable, life–lasting adventure. Most of the featured destinations are part of the spectacular, so called Northeast Passage. On the way to the Pole, guests will come across walruses, seals, birds’ rookeries, polar bears, ocean belugas, whales and will, without any doubt, be humbled by mother nature.

Slick modernity coupled with incredibly comfortable design principles is the ethos behind the newly created Ellerman Villa & Spa. Situated in the gardens of the world–renowned Ellerman House, the ‘twelfth room’ of the hotel was fashioned to offer a contemporary edge to the classic original, without compromising on the philosophy of service excellence. It even has its own butler to cater to guests’ every whim. Comprising a Spa, with two bedrooms, on the ground floor, a living area on the second and three bedrooms on the third, Ellerman Villa provides a home–away–from–home for the modern traveller comfortable in a minimalist environment.

Soneva Resorts in the Maldives have once again redefined the ultimate in ‘Intelligent Luxury’, with the creation of two truly exceptional properties: The Reserves. The Jungle Reserve at Soneva Fushi fronts directly onto the beach and boasts a large free–form swimming pool. At Soneva Gili, the over–water Private Reserve is made up of two complete residences linked with a vast lagoon–level entertaining area and upstairs dining pavilion. The 1,400 m² Private Reserve sits in splendid isolation with stunning vistas from almost every point. The Reserves are without any doubt a triumph of high–tech comfort wedded to the natural environment.

The brand–new luxury vessel True North allows discerning adventurers to experience wilderness in exclusive surroundings. True North’s naturalist presents interpretative information on huge plasma screens whilst an onboard internet café enables convenient communication with the outside world. The 18 spacious cabins feature stylish décor, en–suite facilities, in–house entertainment and satellite telephones. Visit idyllic islands, snorkel amongst the most highly regarded coral reefs in the world, cruise mighty rivers into the jungle, fish for impressive barramundi, encounter humpback whales and explore even further in the comfort of the air–conditioned, onboard helicopter.

Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline expects to start operating its suborbital service in late 2008. A few years ago, Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Group had entered into an agreement to license the technology of Mojave Aerospace Ventures (a company owned by investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen) to develop the world’s first privately funded spaceships dedicated to carry commercial passengers on space flights. Today, a New Mexico base has been selected for Virgin Galactic’s space tourism venture. The spaceport will boast a 90m wide (!) and 3,660m long runway to accommodate vehicles under development for the planned suborbital service. Time to start saving for your ticket which is expected to come at a cost of almost US$200,000, but includes at least three days of pre–flight training…

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is said to be on the verge of ordering a long–haul aircraft — expected to be a Boeing 777 — for his long distance travels, those of the government as well as these of the royal family. Just like the Air Force One in the USA, the aircraft would be part of a fleet of four consisting of different models. In the UK, the aircraft in question has already been dubbed ‘Blair Force One’.

German airline Lufthansa is considering introducing, as soon as this year, personalised boarding cards featuring the digital fingerprints of the passengers. The option is currently being studied. The digital fingerprints will be gathered at check in, transcribed onto the boarding cards and controlled when boarding the aircraft. This system should ensure that persons who are not featured on the passenger list could make their way on board. It is not sure, however, that this will ensure a smooth passenger flow when boarding.

Located in an historic setting on the Turkish Bosphorus, Sumahan is an elegant hotel tucked into a secluded water front property, where the atmosphere is relaxed and the hospitality highly personal. Each room provides a spectacular view of the old city and the straits separating Europe from Asia. All rooms are superbly equipped with the latest high–tech amenities, feature marble bathrooms, and most even have fireplaces. The hotel boasts the award–winning Kordon seafood restaurant on the premises, and offers a private launch service across the Bosphorus. Sumahan is very conveniently situated for both sightseeing and business meetings.

The Explora en Patagonia lodge is an architecturally remarkable hotel in a showpiece location: a biosphere reserve of waterfalls, glaciers, thick forests, and granite pillars that soar more than 2,000 metres above the Patagonian steppes. The hotel features 50 modernist rooms and suites with large windows boasting spectacular views. Excursions include hikes to the magnificent Lago Grey Glacier, a trekking out to the primitive rock paintings at Lago Sarmiento, horse riding, boating excursions on Lake Pehoe or discovering the wildlife in the region. Staying at Explora en Patagonia is truly … an ‘out of this world’ experience!

At the end of 19th century, a Russian prince constructed his personal Datcha at Eze on a spectacularly located, 5 acre private peninsula located between Nice and Monaco. In the 1950’s, Cap Estel was developed into a luxurious hotel, welcoming celebrities from all over the world. Today, Cap Estel offers 11 self–contained suites and 7 deluxe guest rooms with private balconies or terraces overlooking the Mediterranean. The hotel boasts a private beach, an indoor freshwater swimming pool, an outdoor saltwater swimming pool, a heated Jacuzzi, a gymnasium, a sauna and a steam bath. Other leisure activities include water sports, scuba diving and massage treatments.

King Pacific Lodge is a luxurious floating wilderness lodge located in the Great Bear Rainforest in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Crafted from massive timber and featuring natural slate floors, splendid wrought–iron fixtures, custom–designed furniture and intricate wood craftsmanship throughout, it is the ultimate in comfort and beauty. The lodge, open from May to October, offers a one–of–a–kind wilderness experience that includes world class accommodations, unparalleled wilderness adventures, spectacular fishing, soothing Spa experiences, and sensational culinary masterpieces. King Pacific Lodge is the place to reconnect with nature and with yourself.

After windsurfing and kitesurfing, now comes blokarting! Just like so many other fun sports, blokarting was launched in New Zealand where there’s been an overwhelming reception for this new sport ever since. It’s not really difficult to understand when knowing that the blokart is fully portable, wind–powered, fits in the back of most car boots, assembles in less than five minutes (without the need of any tools), sails at speeds of up to 90 kph and can be used on any firm surface — take it to the beach, recreational ground, local car park, or even use it on ice if you switch the wheels for ice skates! Indeed, the blokart comes in a neat zip–up bag and weighs less than 29 kg so it can be easily carried, and stored anywhere for instant access. The bag even has an ingenious design that allows you to attach the wheels to the packed blokart so you can pull it along behind you — ideal for airports or long distance. Cleverly designed for a novice to learn with, or for an expert to race at high–speeds, the blokart can easily be sailed by anyone, aged from 8 to 80, without any adjustments.

Flying the road, carving the curves… The least you can say is that driving a Carver provides a totally new experience! After having manufactured a first exclusive series of 20 Carvers in 2003 and selling out in a record time, Vandenbrink tweaked and fine–tuned the Carver to perfection. The result is the Carver One, of which a first limited series of 500 copies will go into production as early as 2006. The Carver One, which has its roots in The Netherlands, is a slender, three–wheeled, twin–seat tilting vehicle combining the agility of a motorcycle and the comfort and safety of a car. Being steered like a car it banks like a motorcycle whilst the Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC) system automatically adjusts the tilt angle and acceleration of the vehicle thus ensuring an optimum balance at all times. The Carver has been granted full EU type approval. In Europe, a regular car driver’s licence is required to drive a Carver One. For tax reasons, however, the Carver One is registered as a motorcycle in most European countries. With a price tag as from 35,000€, the Carver One could be the ideal solution to reduce the traffic jams on the roads…

Looking for a weekend escape or seeking an ideal excuse to exchange the daily office hustle–and–bustle for some extravaganza, glamour and inspiration to push your credit card to the limit?

Holding a Polo tournament on a frozen lake, 1,800 metres above sealevel, in a small Swiss village with no tradition of the galloping game, was a bold move in 1985. Many observers doubted that chasing a large red ball on snow would attract much local attention, let alone international patrons and professionals.

Today in its 22^nd edition, the Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow causes an annual midwinter pilgrimage to the Swiss Alps to take part in one of polo’s glitziest fixtures. It should therefore come as no surprise that this event is marked in more social than sporting calendars.

Over a period of four days, from 26 — 29 January 2006, the action will take place again on St. Moritz’s snow–covered, frozen lake, overlooked by palatial hotels, magnificent peaks and attended by what is most probably the most fur–clad and cosmopolitan crowd in the sport. The Teams of Cartier, Maybach, Bank Hofmann and newcomer Brioni will go centre–stage again competing for the prestigious Cartier Cup.

With average temperatures sinking to an average of −15°C during the last edition, experienced spectators will simply add an extra layer of fur or escape into the plush VIP tent. Those with no pass to the tent will again breathe a sigh of relief when the sun rises from behind Piz Rosatsch at midday.

Despite the upmarket location and popularity of the St. Moritz luxury stores, art galleries, top class restaurants and expensive quality hotels, the atmosphere at the polo event is informal, the commentary jovial and stand seats and entry free.

High time to plan that winter escape!

Whilst many dignitaries dream–up missions to conquer space, an entrepreneur named Bruce Jones is betting there is still a healthy thirst for exploration into the underwater worlds of our own planet. Jones, who has spent 17 years of his life designing and selling submarines for private use, now has US$40 million invested to build a luxury hotel where the rooms will be submerged 50ft under the sea off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. Unlike the Jules Undersea Lodge — the only undersea hotel now in existence, located off the coast of Key Largo, Florida — guests at the stunning Poseidon Resort won’t need to put on a wet suit and dive to their accommodations. They also won’t need to worry about changing pressure levels since the accommodations will be maintained at above–surface pressure. Instead, they can glide to their US$1,500–a–night underwater abodes by elevator. Each room of the five star property will feature fortified, transparent acrylic walls that look out onto coral gardens. There will be controls in each room that guests can use to adjust the lighting of the underwater worlds outside their windows and to release food for fish swimming just outside. The rooms will also feature individual Jacuzzis for those who may be inspired by their surroundings to get wet! The earliest anticipated opening date of this exciting new resort is late 2006.

The Private Collection — Edition 2006 has recently been released and enjoys a fabulous success ever since! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to order your personal copy of this luxury book which is only available online on our www.xoprivate.com website in order to preserve its exclusivity. The latest edition of The Private Collection has again been designed into a stunning piece of art: a luxurious hardcover publication featuring almost 400 pages of truly stunning photography enhanced by spot varnish on the world’s finest escapes and operators. The perfect, original gift for … a dear friend, family member or … yourself?