Truant Travel Design

18/08/2023

Looking after ourselves has never been more important in a hectic world full of pollutants both literal and existential. This is my third time at Kamalaya and once again, a five day program here has helped me reset, rebalance and come out with fresh energy. A day here might start with yoga, followed by breakfast overlooking the islands in the distance. Your program of choice will include a morning treatment drawn from TCM, Ayurvedic therapy, or a nurturing or holistic body treatment. Follow with lunch at the beach - todays was an ice cold coconut and the most delicious snapper and wing bean salad. A nap or swim, and then another treatment or perhaps a Muay Thai boxing class or Pilates session round out the afternoon. A steam and cold plunge leave you relaxed and invigorated. Dinner is convivial and if you need company, the community table is always full of laughter and interesting people from around the world. Sleep deep and then repeat. If you think this sounds like it might be for you - don’t hesitate to reach out. I promise you’ll thank me for it.

24/04/2023

In the Maldives, everything looks incredible online. So how do you choose a resort? They are all vastly different and it helps to have someone on your team who knows what those differences are.
Do you want miles of powdered sand with yours the only footprints, or a fantastic kids club with staff your kids will want to adopt? Do you need great snorkelling off the beach or a surf break within striking distance? Are you looking to reset your mind and body or satisfy the adrenaline junkies with zip lines and flyteboards? The list goes on. And then there are the things that specialist knowledge can really help with - what time of year to go, what side of the island to stay on, how to time your visit and activities to make the most of your stay and most importantly- the vibe……

11/06/2022

Public service announcement: if you’re planning travel in the near future, please make sure you factor in at least 6 months validity on your passport past the end date of your travel. Different countries have different requirements but this is the safe rule of thumb. Also: because of the huge backlog, passport renewals are taking significantly longer to process - expect a minimum of 3 months for a child passport, and note that infants must have their own passport.

11/06/2022

29/05/2022

A short speedboat ride through Raa Atoll brings us to Joali Maldives where the villas are some of the most beautiful I’ve encountered in the Maldives, all with private pools and enough space to swing a whale shark. The water is warm and clear. The restaurants are all excellent but eating sashimi fresh from the sea that day at Saoke, perched over an inky sea in the velvet night, is a standout. The staff are next level - one miraculously appeared bearing a tray of hair bands when a strong breeze whipped up. There is a mix of guests from all nations and families are warmly welcomed, from a gorgeous tots club through to an open air warehouse of jetskis,sea bobs, e-boards and aquatic toys which would make the most reality-averse teens drop their devices in excitement. Art is a passion of the owners, and as well as nature-based installations commissioned for the island such as the giant manta sculptures and delicate coral ceramics, in-house classes are offered. The sustainability efforts of the resort are impressive too, with coral regeneration programmes and community outreach a strong focus. There is something for everyone here - could this be the perfect tropical holiday?

29/04/2022

Last stop was The Balmoral in Edinburgh, a grand old dame (takes one to know one). This beautiful building in Scottish baronial style is one of the most instantly recognisable landmarks in Edinburgh. One of the Rocco Forte group of luxury hotels, it’s opulent and formal and the room decor in soft greens and blues is quite lovely. Your best room choice is to go for one of the outward facing rooms in a larger category- if you’re going to stay here, do it in style! As a member of the Rocco Forte’s Knights programme, my clients receive a warm VIP welcome including:

* Complimentary daily breakfast for two
* Hotel credit of $100 for rooms and Junior Suites per stay
* Hotel credit of $200 for suite bookings (based on minimum 2 nights)
* Upgrade upon arrival, based on availability
* Early Check-In/Late Check-Out, based on availability

25/04/2022

So for my last full day in Scotland, I hopped in the car, added a couple of destinations into the satnav in a rough circuit of Scotland and hit “avoid motorways”. This is just a tiny taste of what it gave me - I was driving so I couldn’t photo nearly as much as I saw, but around every bend, over every crest I whispered “you can’t be serious”. And that’s just from the car. For a bit more structure and inside information, I work with an award winning Scottish wilderness company specialising in everything from walking the West Highland Way (with luggage magically transferred from inn to inn) to outstanding family adventures - tire out your teens with mountain biking, trail running, sea kayaking and geocaching. You can travel with a guide, self guided or a mix of both. The more I travel, the more I realise that local experts have so much to offer. I don’t want my hand held every second of the day but to have a few things mapped out that I’d never find myself, and not have to think about organising, is a luxury. I’ve met some amazing people that way and learned more about a place than Lonely Planet could ever tell me. That’s what travel is all about right?

23/04/2022

Where do I even start with this place…imagine a Victorian Coaching Inn in the rugged Cairngorms. Imagine groundbreaking Swiss gallery owners making it their Highlands fantasy. Imagine everything is curated from the bespoke Land Rovers kitted out in the house tartan and tweed, to the bagpipers on staff.…individual rooms are named after Scottish poets, nature, artefacts. And as for the art - a Picasso hangs in the drawing room, sketches by Queen Victoria in the lobby, here a Man Ray, there a Louise Bourgeois or a Lucian Freud and countless others amongst priceless antiques, riotous textiles and taxidermy beasts . Even if you’re not into art it’s hard not to be impressed just by the sheer front of this place in a remote village of 450 souls. It might sound a bit twee but it’s just outrageously fun.

21/04/2022

To be honest I wasn’t sure I’d like Le Manoir au Quat’Saisons. Raymond Blanc was a celebrity chef in the 80’s, at the same time as lace fingerless gloves and shoulder pads. How relevant could he be? Well, let me tell you. On arrival I was served the best lemon cake in the universe, a recipe perfected over decades. Some classics never go out of style. The cooking school dinner was a treat, you would put good money down just to watch the chefs banter. Raymond Blanc (the restaurant) was a study in excellence - seasonal, complex yet remarkably unstuffy. And frankly just delicious. The manor house and gardens are beautiful. The staff (who treat guests and one another like family), the passion for detail and the joy of being surrounded by good food and wine at every turn make the whole experience like a warm hug. Much like the 80’s, I’d go back in a flash.

18/04/2022

Ask not what you can do for your concierge, but what your concierge can do for you. Concierges are woefully under-utilised - a good concierge can make the difference between the stay you thought you’d have, and the stay you never dreamed you could have. Of course they can book your transfers and arrange dinner bookings. But at my recent stay at The Cadogan, the impressively bearded Jamie and his team organised a wooden boat trip along the Thames, tickets to a sold-out musical, an informal visit to Anya Hindmarch village (being personally shown around by her adorable nephews Max and Sam, no less) and even an impromptu beekeeping lesson as we passed by the hotel’s hives. So my advice - make friends with the concierge and don’t be afraid to let them do what they do best.

17/04/2022

The British Pullman is one of the storied stable of Belmond’s legendary trains, which include the Royal Scotsman, the Hiram Bingham and the Orient Express. Taking a twirl about the verdant Kent countryside whilst being plied with champagne and first class dining, or bottomless cups of tea with scones and clotted cream is a fabulous way to mark a birthday, anniversary, or just because you feel like it, dammit. My favourite? The Wes Anderson-designed Cygnus Carriage with its vivid and meticulous styling - pink ceiling, green tapestry seats and stunning deco marquetry. 📸

27/03/2022