Trips by Simone

05/29/2026

A perfect day in Paris looks different when someone who knows the city plans it for you.

Not just the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. The neighborhood café where locals actually have breakfast. The museum that holds one of the world's great Impressionist collections. The bistro in Le Marais that doesn't need a review because everyone who goes comes back. The table at dinner that takes three months to get and is worth every day of the wait.

The iconic stops are iconic for a reason, but the moments that stay with you are usually the ones you wouldn't have found on your own. Finding those is exactly what I do best.

Ready for Paris? Let's get started.

05/28/2026

Set on a reimagined sheep farm turned luxury lodge, Eleven Deplar Farm is made for travelers who want big days and beautiful nights, featuring puffin-filled cliffs and heli-accessed adventures. 🏔️🍷

Read the five reasons this off-grid escape is worth a visit, then reach out to plan your adventure in Iceland’s north.

05/28/2026

Does travel feel more expensive right now? It's not your imagination, and it's not one thing.

Demand at the top end of the market has grown considerably. More travelers competing for the same number of genuinely excellent hotels, private guides, and limited-access experiences means pricing has moved in one direction.

International premium cabin pricing has shifted significantly since 2022 and hasn't come back down. The windows where pricing softens are shorter than they used to be. Then there's the currency piece. A strong dollar helps in some markets and doesn't in others. Knowing where and when it matters is part of the planning.

What this means practically: the travelers who get the most out of their budget right now are planning further ahead, staying flexible with timing, and being strategic about where they spend well versus where it doesn't change the experience.

If you're trying to make sense of what a trip should actually cost right now, I'm happy to walk through it with you.

05/27/2026

The Chobe River basin has one of the highest concentrations of elephants on Earth. Watching that from the water is an experience of its own.

The Zambezi Queen is a luxury houseboat that cruises the Chobe River on the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe. Fourteen suites, a small group, and days built around the river.

Elephants crossing right in front of the boat is a regular occurrence. So are hippos, crocs, and some of the best birding on the continent. Game drives go alongside the river experience, so guests cover both water and land during the journey.

Advisor insight: This experience pairs naturally with a private game reserve stay in Botswana or Zimbabwe to complete an itinerary that covers the full range of a Southern Africa trip.

If Africa is on your list, this is one of the most unique ways to experience it.

05/26/2026

Puerto Rico’s cocina criolla is all about comfort, culture, and bold flavor. Rooted in Taíno, Spanish, and African influences, the island’s Creole cuisine tells its story one bold bite at a time 🌴🍽️

Read more below, then let’s plan a journey where food, culture, and beach days go hand in hand.

📷: Getty Images

Mofongo, asopao, frituras, and more Puerto Rican dishes, plus where to try them in San Juan, Piñones, and beyond.

05/26/2026

Christian Louboutin's first hotel is in a tiny coastal village in Portugal that most people have never heard of. Very on brand.

Vermelho means red in Portuguese, and Louboutin's signature color shows up exactly where you'd expect it. Each of the 13 rooms is individually designed with antique furniture, hand-painted frescoes, and artwork from his personal collection.

It's a Relais & Châteaux property, and the restaurant Xtian, serving Alentejo cuisine on hand-thrown local tableware, is a big part of why.

The village of Melides itself is the quieter, less discovered neighbor of Comporta on the Alentejo coast. The beach is a ten-minute ride away; guests get there in Fiat 500s with red roofs.

This is the kind of property that books up fast. Message me to start planning!

05/24/2026

Eight rooms. One biodynamic farm. Zero reason to leave.

Finca la Donaira is about 30 minutes outside Ronda in the hills of Andalusia, Spain, and it operates completely differently from most luxury hotels. The estate is fully certified biodynamic. They raise Lusitano horses, produce their own wine and cheese, and grow a significant portion of what you eat during your stay.

The experiences here are genuinely unlike anything else. Guided stargazing. A seed-to-plate culinary program and natural wine tastings from their own bodega. A spa built from stones collected on the estate. And truffle hunting that ends with lunch.

Andalusia and Ronda tend to get skipped on Spain itineraries. This is one of the most interesting places to base that trip.

Reach out to learn more!

05/23/2026

There are two versions of Phuket. The one most people book, and the one I actually recommend.

Anantara Mai Khao is on Phuket's longest beach, 15 minutes from the airport, bordered by a national park, and a completely different experience from what most people associate with the island.

And if it looks familiar, that's because White Lotus Season 3 was filmed here. The 92 pool villas are set around lotus-filled lagoons in a traditional Thai-village style. The Spice Spoons cooking class is one of my favorite things to recommend: it starts with a market visit before moving into a traditional Thai kitchen, which is exactly the kind of thing that makes a trip feel different from just a beach vacation.

Ready for a Thailand getaway? Let’s start planning!

05/22/2026

Some of Norway's most spectacular coastlines have no road access. The only way to experience it is exactly like this.

Hurtigruten has been sailing from Bergen to Kirkenes since 1893, and nothing about the scenery has gotten old. The Lofoten Wall emerging from the sea. The Northern Lights appearing above the deck on a winter crossing.

Hurtigruten is so confident in the conditions that they'll give you a free voyage if the aurora doesn't show. An onboard expedition team that makes every port feel like an insider experience.

This is the trip clients come back from and immediately start telling people about. Let's get it on the calendar.

05/21/2026

The in-person experience at a Formula 1 race can’t be beat. From roaring engines to VIP vantage points, these hotels and cruises put you in the heart of the action. 🏎️🏨

Read more in the full story, then let’s connect to plan an unforgettable race-weekend experience.

These balconies and cruise ships in Monaco, Singapore, and Las Vegas are prime perches for Formula 1 race weekend. Just don’t forget the earplugs.

05/21/2026

Two travelers can book the same hotel in the same destination and have completely different experiences. Usually, it comes down to when they went.

Shoulder season is one of the most consistently underused tools in travel planning. The weeks just before or after the peak in most destinations mean meaningfully fewer crowds, similar or better weather, and prices that reflect the difference. The destination is largely the same. The experience of being there is not.

Time of day is just as consequential. The most visited sites in the world look completely different at 7 a.m. versus noon. That's not a minor distinction.

Then there's booking timing. For the properties and experiences that actually fill up, waiting until a few weeks out rarely works. The best rooms, the best guides, and the best tables are usually gone. Knowing when to move is part of the job.

When timing is right across all three of those, the trip feels significantly different. That's something I pay close attention to with every itinerary I help plan.