14 Dreamiest Valentine’s Day Adventures for Couples

Thrill-seeking pairs are always on the hunt for the next adventure, while still wanting a little romance thrown in there too. Here are some of the dreamiest, intrepid getaways in the world.

By Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Reader's Digest

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Bathe under the stars in Botswana

Courtesy Sanctuary Baines Camp

On Abercrombie & Kent's Tailor Made Botswana safari, couples can take advantage of the ultimate romantic experience: bathing under the stars. Intimate camp, Sanctuary Retreats Baines' Camp, has only five luxury suites with private decks where the staff will create a candlelit bathtub for you to enjoy after an exciting day of game drives. Check out 50 hotel rooms with the dreamiest views.

Live like James Bond in Monaco

Courtesy Jérémy Jakubowicz/Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo

Is there anything sexier than pretending to be secret spies? Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo doesn't think so, which is why they created the extravagant Golden Eye Experience. Reserved exclusively for guests staying in the hotel's Suite Carré d'Or penthouse, lovebirds will get a private tour of the famed Monte-Carlo Casino, picked up in an Aston Martin (with Bond music playing) for a helicopter ride, and return to the hotel for an intimate lunch. And that's just the daytime adventure. In the evening, you will depart again for a romantic driving tour of the French Riviera, followed by an in-room duo massage, vodka martini aperitif at the lobby bar, and an exclusive dinner on the outdoor terrace of your suite.
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Participate in an ancient Peruvian ceremony

Courtesy Inkaterra

For those couples looking to connect on a deeper level, there's no better place than the Sacred Valley in Peru. There you'll find the Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, a contemporary hotel with colonial inspiration, situated on 100 acres. Couples can take part in romantic activities like private dining and cooking classes, but also authentic Andean experiences, such as a Payment to the Earth ceremony. You will participate in an ancient ritual for giving thanks to the Andean gods, performed by a local shaman followed by a special Pachamanca dining experience, where this traditional Peruvian dish is cooked underneath the ground. Find out even more cooking school vacations foodies will love.

Sit in an igloo after skiing in Japan

Courtesy-Hoshino-Resorts

Skiing is awesome. Igloos are awesome. Why not do both in one of the coolest locations: Japan? Hoshino Resorts' KAI Alps hotel features a courtyard decorated with traditional snow domes known as "Kamakuras" in the winter. Here you can sip on some tea after hitting the nearby Hakua ski area. Then to warm up, take a dip in the hot springs surrounded by forest and filled with local Shinshu apples floating in the water. If you're staying stateside, here are the best places to ski in the U.S.

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Trek through a private reserve in Chile

Courtesy The Singular Patagonia

The Singular Patagonia sits on nearly 30 acres of breathtaking land overlooking the Fjord of Last Hope. Here couples can feel like true pioneers as they explore private reserves accessible only to hotel guests. You can go for a hike in the mountains and kayak the fjords before retreating back the luxury hotel to be pampered in the spa. Oh, and your room has 18-foot floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views. Don't miss the world's most outrageous luxury hotels and resorts.

Make wine in Argentina

Courtesy Casa de Uco

At Casa de Uco, you and your significant other can enjoy all things wine during their harvest season (February to May). During your three-night stay, you can experience a one-of-a-kind wine parcel tasting with the sommelier and chef, try a harvest vinotherapy treatment at Uco Spa, horseback ride through the vineyards, mountain bike in the Andes, and make your own wine blend, from the beginning stages of picking grapes and working alongside expert winemakers, to designing personal wine labels via the Wine Barrel Program. Brush up on all the wine terms you should know by now.
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Explore the jungle canopy in Ecuador

Courtesy Mashpi Lodge

It can take hours to get to the 24-room Mashpi Lodge, but it's worth it. Perched high in the cloud forest, guests will wake up each morning to a serenade of chirping cicadas, chattering monkeys, and chirruping birds. You will then venture out with expert local naturalist guides to explore the rainforest during the day and at night if you choose. For daring couples, the property's unique tandem Sky Bike lets you explore the canopy, dangling in total safety from a 656-foot cable stretched between two points of the forest. These are the 20 secrets hotel clerks don't want you to know.

Watch the Northern Lights in Alberta, Canada

Courtesy Travel Alberta Canmore

The province is home to the world's two largest dark sky preserves: Wood Buffalo and Jasper National Parks, making for some of the clearest viewing locations to see the Aurora Borealis. There you can head up the massive Jasper Gondola, dubbed "Sky Tram," with an astronomy for a dining and stargazing. Or, plan a date with the Dark Sky Campfires for an evening of storytelling while you sip on a hot beverage and wait for the dancing lights to appear. After nature's show is over, retire back to The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, situated in the heart of Jasper National Park. Check out these destinations that are even better in the winter.

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Become a beekeeper in California

Courtesy CarmelValleyRanch

Get a little buzzed this Valentine's Day. No, not with wine, but with actual bees. Carmel Valley Ranch in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California, offers their Bee Experience where couples can don beekeepers' suits, and step into the hives to partake in beekeeper duties. As a token of your bravery, you will walk away with honey directly from the hive and a travel-size lavender beeswax balm to take home. Another travel must-see: the most beautiful natural pools in the world.

Get helicoptered to a picnic in Aspen

Courtesy Hal Williams

Picnics are usually a low-key romantic date. Well, the St. Regis Aspen Resort kicked that idea up a notch by adding in a helicopter ride. They partnered with Aspen Heli Charter to create the Elevated Snow Picnic Package where couples get a privately chartered scenic helicopter ride to the remote base of Anthracite Mountain. There, the St. Regis Butler will set up a two-hour stay complete with waterproof blankets, heated accessories, snowshoes, and gourmet bites and drinks. If you want to make it even more special, a commissioned snow artist and drone pilot can create and capture the moment. Here are more vacations perfect for couples who love winter.
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Sleep outside in the middle of a safari

Courtesy Abu Camp

If you really want to test your bravery as a couple, try sleeping outdoors surrounded by wild animals. At the Wilderness Safaris Abu Camp in Botswana, guests can spend a night in a Star Bed overlooking the camp's resident elephant herd. You will be escorted to the large king-size bed perched on a raised platform and literally fall asleep under the stars and to the sound of the elephants snoring. Here are 14 more unusual hotels you'll want to go out of your way to visit.

Go fishing for piranha in the Amazon River

Courtesy Delfin Amazon Cruises

A Delfin Amazon Cruise is unlike any cruise you've ever taken before. During your journey, you will sail through the Peruvian Amazon on the Delfin III vessel, making multiple stops for a rainforest safari. You will get to go kayaking, swim near pink river dolphins, look for sloths, venture into the forest at night, and, yes, go fishing for piranha. After your daily adventure, you will return to the boat to enjoy authentic Amazonian cuisine and floor-to-ceiling windows in your room. For your next adventure, take one of these little-known cruises that leave the Bahamas in the dust.

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Complete plane acrobatics in London

Courtesy BFA/Lanesborough Hotel

The Lanesborough hotel in London may be famous for their refined tea service, but they're now offering an experience that's more thrills and fewer crumpets. Available April through November, couples can spend the night at the hotel before taking a limo to the Goodwood Estate for lunch. Here you will get a thorough flight briefing before taking off in two Spitfires from the grass runway. The plane will loop and roll over the stunning Sussex coast at 300 mph, all while being recorded by a 360-degree video. Brush up on these etiquette rules about tipping before you go.
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Go on an aphrodisiac journey in The Maldives

Courtesy Gili Lankanfushi

As if the Maldives weren't romance-inducing enough, the eco-resort Gili Lankanfushi created an aphrodisiac culinary adventure. Couples sit by the beach at sunset where they are served Japanese canapés and sakes. As the last flickers of daylight start to fade, you will wander through the jungle-lined paths to the west side of the island, where a spread of French delicacies awaits, including fois gras and macarons with glasses of chilled champagne. Then you munch on cheeses and charcuterie in the property's underground wine cellar before heading to the treetops for panoramic ocean views accompanied by fresh local fish and booze before ending the night with fruit sorbet and an aphrodisiac-infused cocktail. Get a look at gorgeous beaches with the clearest water in the world.

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