LONDON, England (CNN) -- Imagine a holiday where you come home with not only a tan, but also an enormous sense of achievement.
Swimming between islands for 3-6 kilometers (1.8-3.7 miles) every day for a week might not sound like much of a holiday, but it's a concept that lures hordes of keen swimmers to do just that on their time away from the office.
Australian-born 36-year-old Simon Murie turned his love of swimming in open waters into a business in 2003.
His company, SwimTrek, now takes people on swimming adventure holidays in 10 different destinations. The company's motto is: "Ferries are for wimps, let's swim!"
British lawyer Sally Cook went to Croatia with SwimTrek one year ago, at around the time of her 30th birthday, which, she says, felt like a momentous occasion.
Facing natural forces like the tide, the wind and the sea was an amazing feeling, she says.
"Bizarrely, this somehow gave me an amazing sense of calmness and equanimity. It was like, OK. Great. I can relax now I know my place in the universe," she says.
"For me, swimming in open water makes me feel like I am completely embracing life, facing my fears and being reminded just how insignificant I am all at the same time."
With a former Sydney lifeguard Australian father who loves swimming in the sea, and an English mother who enjoys river swimming, Simon Murie says his love for open water swimming developed at an early age.
The biggest difference between pool swimming and open water swimming, he says, is that in the open water you never know what the conditions will be like.
"There's a big difference between swimming in a pool and swimming in open water. It's much easier in open water if the conditions are good. There's higher buoyancy. But if the conditions are bad, a whole new swimming style is needed," Murie told CNN.
In 1999, he swam the width of the Hellespont, the stretch of water in Turkey that divides Europe and Asia. Organizing the swim involved a week's worth of paperwork. The swim itself took just over an hour.
Although just 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide, the challenge comes because the water flows in both directions. One side comes from the Black Sea; the other is from the Mediterranean. It's also a busy shipping channel.
The swim spurred Murie into thinking he could be a guide for people who wanted to swim bodies of open water.
In 2002, Murie swam the width of the English Channel and a year later his business was born.
The most popular destinations are those in the Mediterranean -- namely the Greek Islands and Croatia -- where conditions are pretty good for open water swimming.
"It's based on the idea that you have a sense of journey. You swim from one island to the next. It's a lovely feeling turning up to an island off your own steam," Murie says.
"You spend the night on an island, get up the next day, walk to the edge of the island and swim to another island. That's basically what SwimTrek is about."
On average, swimmers travel 3-6 kilometers a day (1.8 to 3.7 miles) and between 20-25 kilometers (12.5-15.5 miles) in the whole week. Early on in the week, swimmers are filmed while swimming and later the footage is examined with a guide to assess where their stroke and technique can be improved.
In Croatia, swimmers normally do two swims a day because the islands are closer together than in, say, Greece, where swimmers travel up to five kilometers (3 miles) in one stretch.
Which destination is the best depends entirely on the person, says Murie, and the company helps people to decide which location will suit them most.
Each trip is broken into two or three groups, depending on swimming ability. Each group has its own escort boat or swimming guide.
The company gives swimmers a training plan so they can prepare for three or four months before their trip begins.
"Speed doesn't matter. It's all about whether you can do the distance. And there's always the option to get on the boat, have a break and a cup of tea before carrying on."
The ages of those who take part range from early 20s to swimmers in their 70s, says Murie. And the mix of ages adds a nice dynamic to the trips.
"The beauty of swimming is that age is not a barrier. It's a sport you can do until you are very old."
There's also a balanced mix of men and women.
He says that as with any type of open water swimming there are risks, but his company does a lot of research to ensure the trips are to areas where the worst harm could be a minor jellyfish sting.
Ten people who have been on trips with SwimTrek have gone on to swim the English Channel. Murie says he tries to add a few new SwimTrek destinations every year. Next on the list is one that goes from Spain to Morocco.
"You get an amazing sense of achievement. People far exceed what they think they can do. Because there's a group dynamic, you push yourself to achieve," Murie says.
"It's great to see people move on in the sport and progress. People look at the map and can see where they have swum. They get really fit during the week, too."
Swimming between islands for 3-6 kilometers (1.8-3.7 miles) every day for a week might not sound like much of a holiday, but it's a concept that lures hordes of keen swimmers to do just that on their time away from the office.
Australian-born 36-year-old Simon Murie turned his love of swimming in open waters into a business in 2003.
His company, SwimTrek, now takes people on swimming adventure holidays in 10 different destinations. The company's motto is: "Ferries are for wimps, let's swim!"
British lawyer Sally Cook went to Croatia with SwimTrek one year ago, at around the time of her 30th birthday, which, she says, felt like a momentous occasion.
Facing natural forces like the tide, the wind and the sea was an amazing feeling, she says.
"Bizarrely, this somehow gave me an amazing sense of calmness and equanimity. It was like, OK. Great. I can relax now I know my place in the universe," she says.
"For me, swimming in open water makes me feel like I am completely embracing life, facing my fears and being reminded just how insignificant I am all at the same time."
With a former Sydney lifeguard Australian father who loves swimming in the sea, and an English mother who enjoys river swimming, Simon Murie says his love for open water swimming developed at an early age.
The biggest difference between pool swimming and open water swimming, he says, is that in the open water you never know what the conditions will be like.
"There's a big difference between swimming in a pool and swimming in open water. It's much easier in open water if the conditions are good. There's higher buoyancy. But if the conditions are bad, a whole new swimming style is needed," Murie told CNN.
In 1999, he swam the width of the Hellespont, the stretch of water in Turkey that divides Europe and Asia. Organizing the swim involved a week's worth of paperwork. The swim itself took just over an hour.
Although just 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide, the challenge comes because the water flows in both directions. One side comes from the Black Sea; the other is from the Mediterranean. It's also a busy shipping channel.
The swim spurred Murie into thinking he could be a guide for people who wanted to swim bodies of open water.
In 2002, Murie swam the width of the English Channel and a year later his business was born.
The most popular destinations are those in the Mediterranean -- namely the Greek Islands and Croatia -- where conditions are pretty good for open water swimming.
"It's based on the idea that you have a sense of journey. You swim from one island to the next. It's a lovely feeling turning up to an island off your own steam," Murie says.
"You spend the night on an island, get up the next day, walk to the edge of the island and swim to another island. That's basically what SwimTrek is about."
On average, swimmers travel 3-6 kilometers a day (1.8 to 3.7 miles) and between 20-25 kilometers (12.5-15.5 miles) in the whole week. Early on in the week, swimmers are filmed while swimming and later the footage is examined with a guide to assess where their stroke and technique can be improved.
In Croatia, swimmers normally do two swims a day because the islands are closer together than in, say, Greece, where swimmers travel up to five kilometers (3 miles) in one stretch.
Which destination is the best depends entirely on the person, says Murie, and the company helps people to decide which location will suit them most.
Each trip is broken into two or three groups, depending on swimming ability. Each group has its own escort boat or swimming guide.
The company gives swimmers a training plan so they can prepare for three or four months before their trip begins.
"Speed doesn't matter. It's all about whether you can do the distance. And there's always the option to get on the boat, have a break and a cup of tea before carrying on."
The ages of those who take part range from early 20s to swimmers in their 70s, says Murie. And the mix of ages adds a nice dynamic to the trips.
"The beauty of swimming is that age is not a barrier. It's a sport you can do until you are very old."
There's also a balanced mix of men and women.
He says that as with any type of open water swimming there are risks, but his company does a lot of research to ensure the trips are to areas where the worst harm could be a minor jellyfish sting.
Ten people who have been on trips with SwimTrek have gone on to swim the English Channel. Murie says he tries to add a few new SwimTrek destinations every year. Next on the list is one that goes from Spain to Morocco.
"You get an amazing sense of achievement. People far exceed what they think they can do. Because there's a group dynamic, you push yourself to achieve," Murie says.
"It's great to see people move on in the sport and progress. People look at the map and can see where they have swum. They get really fit during the week, too."
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