Owned by a polar explorer, writer, and photographer, Børge Ousland, Manshausen Island Resort has a taste of true adventure. Its tagline, “where sea and mountains meet”, captures well the remote and beautiful surroundings of the property. Manshausen is a 55-acre private island far above the Arctic Circle in Norway and can only be accessed by boat. You can take a ferry or drive as far as Nordskot, but from there, you’ll need to be picked up by hotel staff to get to the island.

You can choose to stay in a dormitory room in the main house, but to be honest, it would be a crime to get this far and not experience the award-winning sea cabins. Designed by Snorre Stinessen, the cabins hang over the edge of the water, giving you spectacular views of the sea and mountains. Some of the walls are all glass so you can admire the landscape and, if you’re lucky, maybe even the Northern Lights, from your own bed.

Manshausen wouldn’t be the explorer’s house if it didn’t have adventures in stock. For sea lovers, there’s sea kayaking, snorkeling, fishing (cod, halibut, mackerel, and pollock are the most common species), and scuba diving. On land, there’s climbing, rappelling, caving, target shooting, and hiking for all levels and difficulties. And finally, for those truly adventurous, there’s skiing on virgin ski trails only accessible by boat (you probably won’t see another skier all day long).