Everyone wants a “unique” travel experience, which isn’t easy, given that it’s not unique if everyone does it. Now, though, tour operators are increasingly offering tailor-made add-ons to their holidays that really are very, very special.

Unique, even.

So you don’t just watch the Rio carnival, you perform in it; you don’t just go to Luxor, you get into its most prized tomb chamber, the one that is usually closed to the general public; and you don’t just hum along to reggae in Jamaica, you cut your own CD there, with Lily Allen’s producer, in the studio where she’s just finished recording.

Here, we open the tourist industry’s little brag book to reveal the best travel experiences ever.

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Unless stated, all of the packages listed below include flights from London. For details of UK regional or Irish departure options, contact the operator.

Join the Bushmen of the Kalahari

It’s not unusual to stay with the Bushmen of the Kalahari these days, but to witness — and even participate in — an initiation hunt is a rare privilege, and possible only because of the long-standing friendship between the San Bushmen and the award-winning guide Ralph Bousfield. For a young Bushman, his first hunt is a rite of passage. It is a serious task, undertaken with camaraderie but against an unpredictable backdrop of a truly wild environment, tracking on foot and using traditional bow and arrows. It is an unforgettable glimpse of a disappearing world. Bailey Robinson (01488 689700, baileyrobinson.com) has an eight-night hunt trip from £7,200pp, full-board.

Dinner with a Bollywood star

Many India operators offer trips to the Bollywood Drome — but what they fail to reveal is that it is only a mock-up of the famous Mumbai studios, so about as close to the real deal as Mickey Rourke’s rechiselled cheekbones. Tropical Locations cuts through the cosmetics and secures you dinner with a genuine Bollywood star, who will also accompany you on a “proper” tour, where you’ll see 10 tons of tinsel and some vicious overacting... or you’ll want your money back. Five nights in Mumbai start at £1,299pp, B&B, including the Bollywood tour; 0845 277 3344, tropical-locations.com.

Join a Samba Troupe

When most Brits dance, it looks as if a safety pin has worked its way loose in their underwear. If, however, you are a lesser-spotted, smooth-hipped Anglo-Saxon, here’s a rare treat — the inside track on the Rio carnival. You train with a bona fide samba school, shimmy into a glittering costume and shake your booty alongside the band in open competition. That should float your gloat. Last Frontiers (01296 653000, lastfrontiers.com) has five days from £2,995pp, B&B, including the carnival experience.

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