THE WORLD’S WILDEST SURVIVAL ADVENTURES

Founded by the winner of the TV Show Alone

From castaway islands to African savannahs. Real wilderness. World-class instructors. Challenge with invisible safety.

FIND YOUR ADVENTURE

Only 5 Star reviews

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The Newsweek logo in bold red letters on a white background.
A simple black and white line drawing of two hands in American Sign Language forming the phrase “I love you,” with the thumb, index finger, and pinky extended while the middle and ring fingers are folded down.
National Geographic logo featuring a yellow rectangular border to the left of the words National Geographic in bold, black, uppercase letters on a white background.
Channel 4 logo in black and white
The word PLAYBOY in bold, uppercase, black letters on a light gray background.
The Times newspaper logo, featuring the words THE TIMES in bold black serif font with a crest including a lion and a unicorn in the center.
The Telegraph logo in black Gothic-style font on a light background.
Financial Times logo with FT in bold black letters on a peach square, followed by the words FINANCIAL TIMES in black capital letters on a white background.
The Newsweek logo in bold red letters on a white background.
A simple black and white line drawing of two hands in American Sign Language forming the phrase “I love you,” with the thumb, index finger, and pinky extended while the middle and ring fingers are folded down.
National Geographic logo featuring a yellow rectangular border to the left of the words National Geographic in bold, black, uppercase letters on a white background.
Channel 4 logo in black and white
The word PLAYBOY in bold, uppercase, black letters on a light gray background.
The Times newspaper logo, featuring the words THE TIMES in bold black serif font with a crest including a lion and a unicorn in the center.
The Telegraph logo in black Gothic-style font on a light background.
Financial Times logo with FT in bold black letters on a peach square, followed by the words FINANCIAL TIMES in black capital letters on a white background.

Our Signature Experience:
Desert Island Survival

Desert Island Survival is a wilderness expedition company that puts you on uninhabited islands and in remote wild places with world-class survival instructors. The adventure that started it all is our signature island experience. For up to 11 days, you’ll live as a tribe on a pristine, uninhabited island.

5 days of hands-on training
with world-class survival instructors.

3 days cast away with just a knife, a fishing line and your tribe.

1 proper celebration in comfort with your tribe.

This isn’t a holiday.
It’s a primal reset.

You’ll learn to build fire, catch fish, forage, and sleep under the stars. You’ll laugh with strangers who quickly feel like family. And you’ll find out how stripping life back to the basic essentials can totally reset you.

FIND YOUR ADVENTURE

  • Various Dates

    11 days

    PANAMA
    Island Adventure

    Dates & Prices

  • Various Dates

    11 days

    MALDIVES
    Island Adventure

    Dates & Prices

  • Various Dates

    11 days

    TONGA
    Island Adventure

    Dates & Prices

  • Various Dates

    10 days

    Philippines
    Island Adventure

    Dates & Prices

More than islands

Desert Island Survival was just the beginning. Founder Tom Williams has expanded the survival formula into jungles, rivers, forests, and tribal lands across the globe.

From kayaking through Botswana’s Okavango Delta to an ‘Alone’-style adventure in the wilds of Sweden, each expedition is an hands-on experience designed to test you and ignite something deep inside. Wherever you go, the heartbeat of every adventure is the same: learn, survive, celebrate.

FIND YOUR ADVENTURE

  • Various Dates

    8 days

    SWEDEN

    Scandi-River:
    The Timber Raft Expedition

    Dates & Prices

  • Various Dates

    12 days

    Botswana

    Kayak bushcraft safari
    in the Okavango Delta

    Dates & Prices

  • Various Dates

    9 days

    SWEDEN

    Bushcraft survival
    in the Boreal Forest

    Dates & Prices

  • Various Dates

    10 days

    Tanzania

    Hadza tribal immersion
    + Safari

    Dates & Prices

How it works

Every expedition follows the same rhythm — a balance of learning, challenge, and celebration that transforms a wild environment into the adventure of a lifetime.

Phase 1: Learn

Train with expert instructors
and gain essential survival skills.

Phase 2: Survive

Put those skills to the test in raw,
untamed wilderness.

Phase 3: Celebrate

Return stronger, clearer,
and full of stories to tell.

This rhythm runs through every adventure — whether you’re castaway on a desert island or deep in the African savannah.

Why choose us?

Because no one else does survival adventures like we do.

Extraordinary Locations

From untouched islands to wild rivers and savannahs — places you simply couldn’t reach on your own.

The Best
Instructors

Supremely skilled bushcraft experts who know not only how to teach survival, but how to make it fun.

Authentic
Yet Safe

We walk the tightrope of real challenge and invisible safety — so you feel the thrill without the contrivance.

Proven
& Trusted

100% 5-star reviews, featured in The Times, NatGeo, and the Financial Times.

People love us

Leave a review
  • A woman wearing athletic gear climbs a palm tree in a tropical forest setting during the daytime.
  • Two people stand in shallow ocean water watching a small motorboat with four passengers approaching from the sea under a clear sky.
  • Furveying a rocky shoreline for survival resources on a desert island.
  • Person with headlamp standing in water under a starry night sky. Great for team building activities.
  • Small campfire made of sticks on a sandy desert island, essentials for survival.
  • Group of friends toasting with beer cans during a Sweden survival adventure in the forest
  • View from a boat approaching a sandy beach with dense palm trees and greenery in the background.
  • Two men sit by a palm tree at the beach, smiling and laughing together during a team building retreat. One wears a blue shirt and cap, holding a coconut, while the other wears a light gray hoodie. The background includes sand and palm trees.
  • Boating survival on a desert island, group holding coconuts at dusk.
  • Survival experts discussing desert island survival techniques on a tropical beach.
  • Refugee friends toasting on the beach with canned drinks, enjoying a relaxing moment on a sunny desert island.
  • Palm trees on a tropical desert island beach with a person navigating the shoreline, emphasizing survival skills.
  • Man using a bow drill to start a fire on a sandy beach, smoke rising.
  • Group of people posing with a makeshift raft on a sandy beach, possibly related to famous castaways.
  • Man starting a fire with a bow drill. He's holding the burning tinder bundle.
  • Bow drill fire starting kit on a tree stump, demonstrating how to start a fire with a bow drill.
  • Man using a bow drill to start a fire on a beach. Survival skills demonstration.
  • People unloading supplies for a Virgin Adventures desert island survival trip in Panama, 2025.
  • Man drinking rain water

Not for everyone

Please note: these experiences are not for everyone. Expect a full digital detox, insects, open nature, and life with fewer modern conveniences like toilets or showers. It is about stepping out of your comfort zone and becoming comfortable with a little discomfort.

Who thrives on our adventures:

Open-minded
explorers

Challenge-seekers
ready to test themselves

Growth-minded
adventurers who want to push through adversity

For those people, the reward is worth it: resilience, connection, and the wildest stories of your life.

Begin your adventure

Find your adventure

Take the first step — answer a few questions and find which expedition best suits you & gives you a true primal reset.

View upcoming trips

Ready to Book? See all upcoming expeditions and find the dates that fits for you.

FAQ

We don’t do contrived tourism. We run real survival adventures in genuine wilderness, led by world-class instructors, with invisible safety. You’ll disconnect from your daily life, live simply in nature and experience an adventure and reset unlike anything you have ever experienced before.

Yes. Our instructors are certified Wilderness First Responders, and each location is handpicked for safety, calm waters, no dangerous wildlife, and a clear evacuation plan. You’ll experience the thrill of adventure without unnecessary risk. As our founder Tom says, “Guests should feel the adventure, not the risk.”

None. Most guests start as beginners. You’ll learn everything from fire lighting to shelter building before the survival challenge begins.

They’re designed to stretch you but not break you. Five days of guided training, then a three-day challenge with your tribe that pushes you just outside your comfort zone. It’s the perfect balance of discomfort, growth, and joy.

No problem. Our 7-Day Cool Off guarantee gives you a full refund, and you can reschedule up to 90 days before departure (valid for 24 months).