Top ten brilliant ideas

An at-a-glance look at some of our favourite brilliant ideas - breaks and experiences to suit everyone, whether you're looking to really splash out on the holiday of a lifetime or have a great time on a budget.

Polar bear photography - from £2,731 per person
This certainly qualifies for the 'holiday of a lifetime' tag - accompanied by expert wildlife photographers you will travel to Churchill on the shores of Hudson Bay in Canada to see these awe-inspiring creatures in their natural habitat. Available from Why Don't You.
Ghengis Khan warrior training - from £1,165 per person
Find out what it was like to live in the days of the great Mongolian warlord Ghengis Khan and fight in one of his legendary armies in an amazing adventure starting from the country's capital, Ulaanbaatar. Available from Why Don't You.
Kasbah Tamadot - £960 for two people.
Perhaps the ultimate in brilliant short breaks - three nights at Sir Richard Branson's private retreat in Morocco. With just 18 rooms and suites, guests can take their pick of the tennis courts, pools, spa, gym and beautiful scenery. Getaways don't come much better than this. Available from Virgin Experience Days.
Orient Express city tour - £620 for two
Luxury days out don't come much more opulent. Take a trip aboard a historic British Pullman train, once part of the Orient Express route, to either Bath or Bristol. Includes fine dining and time to explore your chosen city. Available from Activity Superstore.
Drive a steam train - £265 per person
This is another chance to make someone's dreams come true - the chance to take the controls of a steam train and learn how to start, stop and 'buffer up' the engine to a 25-ton brake van. Also includes a visit to the signal box and a tour of the locomotive yard. All aboard! Available from Buyagift.co.uk
Ghost hunting - £198 for two
Test your nerve in some of the UK's most haunted locations. Learn the history of the venue, find out about the latest ghost-hunting techniques and then put them to the test for yourself after darkness falls. Best done with two people, we think. Available from Buyagift.com.
James Bond spy academy - £99 per person
Learn all the skills of spycraft in this half-day experience, including weapons handling, non-armed combat techniques, use of surveillance equipment and what to do when you're cornered by the enemy. The workshop is run by ex-police or special forces experts. Available from Buyagift.com.
Tank Paintballing - £79 per person
Feeling stressed? Well don't just moan about it - do something. In this case climb into a tank (after a full briefing, naturally) and drive it over a challenging course while engaging in paintball warfare with an opponent using a 40mm cannon. You know you want to... Available from Virgin Experience Days.
Run away and join the circus - £59 per person
Another chance to make your dreams a reality with this great activity - learn acrobatics, juggling and trapeze skills. Will you want to go home afterwards? Available from Activity Superstore.
Sphering: mad adrenaline rush - £55 for two people
This is one of the oddest (and yet strangely compelling) experience activities on offer. Climb inside a giant, inflatable sphere with someone you know very well, or possibly want to get to know better. Then get pushed down a hill for the ultimate adrenaline rush. Said to be an unbeatable thrill... Available from Buyagift.co.uk.