Crystal Serenity demonstrates that luxury cruising is about far more than elegant surroundings and fine food. The real test is whether a ship can make its guests feel genuinely looked after while giving them enough space, choice and experiences to make every day memorable. On this measure, Crystal Serenity makes a compelling claim to being […]
When most people hear the words walking trail, they already know what to expect. A clearly marked route. A map in hand. A path that begins and ends in the same place, perhaps with a mountain to climb or a scenic viewpoint waiting somewhere along the way. It’s one of the world’s most familiar outdoor […]
When you travel in style, it’s not just about seamless functionality, but also aesthetic appeal. Having the right gear is one thing, but choosing your products wisely also removes friction from your journey and means you can focus entirely on the travel experience and the joy of exploring. Our latest round-up of products is testament […]
Most people think July and August are the only months worth booking a Mediterranean yacht. September is just as interesting. The sea is still warm, the weather is pleasant, and the popular coastal towns haven’t shut down for the season. You can still have long lunches, spend afternoons swimming and finish the day somewhere beautiful. […]
The luxury traveller has changed, and quietly. Not so long ago, sustainability was a word attached to budget travel and a certain amount of doing without. That association has fallen away. At the top of the market, guests now ask how a villa is powered and where its food is sourced, and plenty want to […]
I have always believed the people we choose to guide for Aroha Luxury New Zealand Tours matter enormously. You spend a lot of time together on a private journey, often over several weeks, so I look for people I would happily travel with myself. They need to know New Zealand well, but knowledge alone has […]
A great villa holiday looks effortless from the outside. That is the whole trick of it. The guest walks in to a cold drink and a fridge someone has already filled. The boat is there when it is meant to be there. The dinner table that was supposedly fully booked has somehow appeared. What none […]
Nine times out of ten, when someone comes to me asking about a Greek charter, they’ve already decided it’s Mykonos or Santorini before we’ve even had the first call. Fair enough, they’re the names everyone knows. But I always ask if they’ve done the Cyclades before, and a surprising number have, at least once, and […]
A late landing at LAX and an early start to collect our rental car were followed by a relaxed drive along the coast towards Santa Barbara. It was a pleasure to have swapped the cabin air for the warm climate of Southern California but we were too early to check into our accommodation, so we’d […]
Ask someone what’s on their Luxor list, and I can usually guess before they finish the sentence. Karnak. Luxor Temple. The Valley of the Kings. Maybe the Valley of the Queens if they’ve done their homework. And look, I’d never talk anyone out of seeing those. They’re extraordinary, and for a first-timer they’re basically the […]
Tucked within a secluded acre of manicured gardens in Santa Barbara, Simpson House Inn has long set the benchmark for American hospitality. Built in 1874 for Scotsman Robert Simpson, this Eastlake-style Victorian manor made history in 1997 as the first bed and breakfast in North America to earn AAA’s coveted Five Diamond rating — a […]
There’s something rather secretive about St. Ermin’s Hotel in London. Long before it became a refined refuge for global travellers, this grand Victorian property was the clandestine epicentre of British espionage. It is the very birthplace of Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) – where codebreakers, double agents, and intelligence officers once huddled over gin […]
There is a case to be made that nobody should visit Ibiza in July. Not because July is bad, but because the island saves its best self for later. Come in the back half of August and on into September and you find the version the regulars quietly keep to themselves. The sea is at […]
Ask most people when they’d book a villa in the Mediterranean and you’ll get the same answer: August. Sometimes July, if they’re trying to be clever about it. Almost nobody says September, which is odd, because September is when the whole thing actually starts to work properly. I say this every year to clients who […]
As a series of heatwaves unfurled across the capital, residents ventured out of their warm homes in search of exciting and cooling summer experiences. With the season coinciding with my mother’s first-ever visit to London, I too put on the thinking cap to arrange a series of enticing activities. Tai Chi: Kew Gardens With my […]
