If you're tired of your building pool, the club pool and the infinity pool in that five star, these six destinations will recalibrate your relationship with water.

Some have pools, the others are the pool. All of them will encourage you to book yourself a flight.

1. The Polar Plunge In Antarctica

The polar plunge is not mandatory when you're on an Antarctic expedition with Antarctica21. In good weather, you're invited to jump into the icy Antarctic Ocean to have what the guides call a 'refreshing' or 'rejuvenating' plunge. But, of course, it's much more than that. Not everyone can take up the challenge. The temperature will be close to 0° C, the courage required considerable. Most falter, others watch, wrapped up in layers, from the deck, cheering on those brave enough to go. When you do it, the cold is absolute. Then, the instant shock is replaced by adrenaline, disbelief, laughter, and the satisfaction of having crossed a line you weren't sure you would. There might be a vodka shot to celebrate once you're back on deck, but the real after-effect is quieter; it's when you realise in hindsight that you didn't just swim - you surrendered.

2. The Rock Pool In Seychelles

In Seychelles, beyond the almost-perfect beaches, the rock pools carry a different kind of beauty - that is older, more primeval, and often less admired. Ros Sodyer on Mahé is a place you might not find unless someone takes you there. It takes a drive across the island and a one-hour easy hike to get there - the route is part of the experience - before you suddenly see water held inside stone. This is the Indian Ocean gathering in a natural basin, shaped by rock, time, and tide.

Your actual experience will depend on the weather. You can swim or jump into the rock pool on calm days. On rougher days, you can simply sit with it, watching the sea move beyond the pool. Either way, you will feel the salt in the air, and everything around you will slow down.

3. The Geothermal Pool In Kenya

In Kenya, water is a point of gathering, a source of movement, a reason for life to organise itself around one place. Olkaria Geothermal Spa, the largest natural geothermal spa in Africa, is located within Hell's Gate National Park in Naivasha. The pool here is not a polished resort pool, but rather a naturally-heated geothermal lagoon. The setting is stunning - surrounded by volcanic hills, steam vents, and the dramatic Rift Valley. The water itself is warm, calm and rich in minerals - less about indulgence than relief. This is the Kenyan wilderness seen from another angle - as warm water rising out of the ground.

4. The Jungle Pool In Thailand

Beyond the Thailand that most travellers know around water - the sea, the islands, the long-tail boats, the beach days - there is an experience that turns inwards in Krabi's Khlong Thom district, as the water disappears into the forest. Nature's own spa, the Hot Spring Waterfall is warm water cascading over smooth rock into natural pools. The Emerald Pool nearby sits deeper within the rainforest, reached by a walk that buzzes with birds and insects. You won't find a single pool here - the experience is about moving from the road into the forest, from stone to water, from heat to shade. The water itself is warm, clear and moving.