Fork & Leaf Travel

Fork & Leaf Travel Designing customized travel with a culinary & nature niche. Jenn Nix, Owner & Certified Travel Industry Executive

My most-requested new property this year isn't in Europe or the Maldives. It's on a clifftop in Costa Rica.Nekajui opene...
09/06/2026

My most-requested new property this year isn't in Europe or the Maldives. It's on a clifftop in Costa Rica.

Nekajui opened last year on a clifftop in Peninsula Papagayo, and it already holds two Michelin Keys. Some villas are reached by a wooden suspension bridge across a ravine. A funicular glides down through the trees to the beach club. The spa alone covers 27,000 square feet in the canopy, and dinner at Puna, from Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz, is reason enough to visit.

My favorite part: every stay comes with a personal host who handles everything over a simple text. Sunset table, surf lesson, a monkey sighting you want repeated tomorrow, one message.

Liberia's airport is about 40 minutes away, with nonstops from many U.S. cities, which makes this one of the easiest world-class resorts to reach from anywhere.

The newest member of one of travel's most exclusive clubs. Reach out to learn more!

I fully support skipping the w**ery day trip and just sleeping at the w**ery.Wouldn't you rather stay where the estate g...
09/04/2026

I fully support skipping the w**ery day trip and just sleeping at the w**ery.

Wouldn't you rather stay where the estate grows, presses, and pours everything itself, so the w**e at dinner and the olive oil at breakfast were made a short stroll from your room?

Villa Cordevigo has been in noble hands since the 1600s. Frescoed ceilings, a private chapel where counts once heard Mass, gardens laid out with Italian precision, and a pool that looks straight down the vine rows.

Advisor tip: Verona sits 30 minutes down the road, which puts the Roman Arena, Juliet's balcony, and Italy's best aperitivo hour within easy reach of any stay.

Reach out, and I'll start planning.

**etravel

"Which Greek island should I pick?" There are over 200 inhabited islands, and the right one depends entirely on who's as...
08/31/2026

"Which Greek island should I pick?" There are over 200 inhabited islands, and the right one depends entirely on who's asking. A short list:

Paros: Whitewashed villages and great beaches, plus real ferry connections, a walkable main town, and prices that haven't gone Santorini/Mykonos yet.

Milos: The island is volcanic, so its 70-plus beaches come in white moonscape rock, gold sand, and silver cliffs, many reachable only by boat.

Crete: for the traveler who gets bored on beach trips. Minoan palaces, mountain villages, and a food culture even Greeks rave about.

Corfu (photo at olive mill): This is the green island, Venetian architecture instead of white cubes, cypress hillsides, and a run of new five-star openings.

Island-hopping between them is where trips get complicated: ferries, flight connections, and hotels that sell out by spring. Let's match you to the island that sounds most like you, and I'll plan the trip.

Wrote off Punta Cana as all mega-resorts and swim-up bars? I did too, once. Then there’s this place.Eden Roc Cap Cana, a...
08/30/2026

Wrote off Punta Cana as all mega-resorts and swim-up bars? I did too, once. Then there’s this place.

Eden Roc Cap Cana, a Relais & Châteaux property inside the gated Cap Cana community, is built around freestanding suites, most with their own private pool, spread through tropical gardens a short ride from a swimmable, white-sand beach club.

Golfers, take note: Punta Espada, the Jack Nicklaus signature course with eight holes along the Caribbean, is minutes away and consistently ranked the best course in the region.

The practical part matters too. Punta Cana’s airport has nonstop flights from most major U.S. cities, so you can be at the pool by early afternoon.

Big Caribbean ease, boutique Caribbean feel. Message me to start planning.

“Wellness travel isn’t really for me.” I hear it constantly, usually right before I change someone’s mind. A few myths w...
08/27/2026

“Wellness travel isn’t really for me.” I hear it constantly, usually right before I change someone’s mind. A few myths worth clearing up:

Myth one: it’s just spa days. Modern wellness travel includes sleep programs, longevity diagnostics, fitness retreats, and medical-grade health assessments at some of the world’s top resorts.

Myth two: you have to give things up. Plenty of programs come with exceptional food, w**e with dinner, and zero judgment. Wellness and enjoyment are not opposites.

Myth three: it requires a dedicated trip. Some of my best results come as a layer: two spa days built into a safari, a sleep program at the start of a long Asia itinerary, a few days of movement and recovery after a busy city stretch.

Myth four: it’s only for wellness people. The skeptics tend to come back the most converted.

Curious what this could look like on your next trip? That’s a conversation I’d love to have.


“How far in advance should I book?” It’s the question I hear more than any other, and the honest answer is: it depends o...
08/25/2026

“How far in advance should I book?” It’s the question I hear more than any other, and the honest answer is: it depends on the trip. So I made you a cheat sheet.

12+ months: safaris, Antarctica and expedition cruises, Japan in cherry blossom season, festive holiday weeks, and river cruises.

9 to 12 months: Australia and New Zealand, European summer at top-tier properties, and multi-generational trips needing connecting rooms or villas.

6 to 9 months: most European trips, Southeast Asia, and Caribbean winter.

Under 6 months: city breaks, shoulder-season Europe, Mexico, and last-minute magic I can occasionally pull off through my relationships.

The pattern is simple: the smaller the property and the more specific the dates, the earlier you book.

Not sure where your dream trip lands on this list? Ask me. That’s what I’m here for.

08/23/2026

Give me 24 hours in Paris and here’s exactly how I’d spend them:

Morning: coffee and a croissant at a neighborhood café, then the Musée d’Orsay right at opening, before the crowds fill the impressionist galleries.

Midday: lunch in Saint-Germain, then wander the Marais. Boutiques, galleries, and the prettiest squares in the city.

Golden hour: a private boat on the Seine as the light turns and the Eiffel Tower begins to sparkle.

Evening: dinner at a bistro where the menu is handwritten and the waiter argues with you about the w**e. In the best way.

Twenty-four hours or a full week, I’ll make every one count. Get in touch to plan Paris.

08/22/2026

Want three trips for the price of one flight? That’s Thailand.

Bangkok first: rooftop dinners, riverside hotels, street food that outperforms restaurants triple the price.

Then north to Chiang Mai for temples, artisan villages, and ethical elephant encounters in the hills.

Then the islands. Powder beaches, limestone cliffs rising out of green water, and some of the best beach resorts in Asia.

The routing between regions is where a trip gets made or broken. That’s my job. If Thailand is on your list, message me.

I plan trips to the Alps, Aspen, and Japan every winter. So it means something when I say one of the world's great winte...
08/20/2026

I plan trips to the Alps, Aspen, and Japan every winter. So it means something when I say one of the world's great winter stays is in Canada.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise stands directly on the shore of its namesake lake in Banff National Park, facing the Victoria Glacier. No other hotel gets this position, and in winter it becomes something out of a storybook: the lake freezes into a skating rink framed by ice sculptures, horse-drawn sleighs trace the shoreline, and the mountains stay dusted in white for months.

Skiers are spoiled here too. Three resorts are within easy reach, including Lake Louise Ski Resort just minutes away, with some of the most scenic runs in North America and none of the lift lines you'd expect for terrain this good.

Advisor tip: Lakeview rooms are worth every penny, especially in winter when the frozen lake and glacier fill your window. They sell out first, so this is a book-early property. Message me to start planning.

“Wait, hotels have Michelin ratings now?” I’ve been asked some version of this a dozen times this year, so let’s decode ...
08/19/2026

“Wait, hotels have Michelin ratings now?” I’ve been asked some version of this a dozen times this year, so let’s decode it.

Michelin Keys: launched in 2024, awarded to hotels rather than restaurants. One Key means a special stay, two means exceptional, and three places a hotel among the world’s very best.

Forbes Travel Guide Stars: the long-standing gold standard for service. Inspectors visit anonymously and grade hundreds of touchpoints. Five Stars is the top honor and genuinely hard to earn.

Here’s my take as an advisor: awards are a useful signal, not the whole answer. Plenty of Three Key hotels would be wrong for your specific trip, and some of my favorite properties fly below the award radar entirely.

The ratings tell you a hotel is excellent. I tell you if it’s excellent for you. That’s the difference. Reach out anytime to learn more!

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