Favorite Place Travel

06/05/2026

Peak season in Europe doesn't have to mean crowds. It means knowing where not to go.

A few destinations that deliver the quality of Europe's best without the experience of its most visited:

Madeira: A sub-tropical island off the coast of Morocco that most travelers underestimate. Not to miss: the hiking trails along the levadas and the food scene in Funchal.

The Azores: Nine volcanic islands in the mid-Atlantic with crater lakes, whale watching, thermal springs, and landscapes that feel unlike anywhere else in Europe. Still largely under the radar.

Slovenia: Ljubljana is one of the most pleasant small capitals in Europe, and Lake Bled is the kind of destination that photographs cannot do justice to.

Norway: The fjords in summer deliver some of the most beautiful scenery on the continent, and the quality of light at northern latitudes in June is something clients consistently say they weren't prepared for.

Vienna. Consistently overlooked in favor of Prague and Budapest. The museums, the coffee house culture, the concert season, and the food scene are all at a level that Vienna's reputation doesn't fully convey.

Ready to experience Europe without the crowds? Let’s start planning!

06/04/2026

Sometimes a hotel is the reason you book the trip. This is one of those.

Capella Bangkok is on the Chao Phraya River, and the position matters more than most riverfront claims in this part of the world. The property has 101 rooms and suites, which is small by Bangkok standards, and the level of service reflects that. The river views from the upper floors are among the best angles on Bangkok from any hotel in the city.

The spa is one we specifically tell clients to book before they arrive, not after check-in. The treatments are built around traditional Thai protocols: tok sen, herbal compress work, and longer-format sessions. Block off a half day and adjust your plans around it.

Advisor Tip: The river access makes temple visits significantly easier than navigating from most central Bangkok hotels. Wat Pho and Wat Arun are both reachable by boat directly from the hotel's pier.

We'd love to help plan your trip. Message us to start planning!

06/03/2026

Wondering where you can spend two weeks in Italy and never once feel like you're sharing it with everyone else? (Hint: You just have to go south.)

Vista Ostuni is a masseria property in the Valle d'Itria, perfectly positioned to experience everything Puglia has to offer. Ostuni's white-washed hilltop streets are minutes away, the trulli of Alberobello are within easy reach, the sea caves at Polignano a Mare are worth the drive, and the coastline here is some of the most beautiful in Italy.

The property also delivers on what Puglia does best: local produce and some of the finest olive oil in Italy. And somehow, despite the growing word of mouth, it hasn't tipped into the kind of overtourism that has changed the experience elsewhere in Italy.

Ready to explore southern Italy? Message us to start planning.

06/01/2026

Destination Spotlight: Mexico

Mexico has a way of fitting more into one trip than people expect. Ancient ruins, incredible food, beautiful beaches, colorful streets, and experiences that feel completely different from one another. There is always another side to discover, which is part of what keeps travelers coming back.

Mexico gets better the more you explore it. Let’s start planning!

05/31/2026

Europe gets all the attention. South America gets all the rewards. And right now, it's the best-kept secret in luxury travel.

While everyone is fighting for peak-season availability in Italy and France, South America offers world-class hotels, extraordinary food, and a fraction of the crowds. And the destinations have never been better.

Peru has a food culture that has surprised the world, and properties around Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley that rival anything in Europe for design and experience.

Colombia has gone from under the radar to genuinely unmissable: Cartagena's old city, the coffee region, and Medellín's food and design scene are drawing travelers.

Argentina rounds it out with Buenos Aires, one of the great city experiences anywhere, and Mendoza wine country, which competes with the best regions in the world.

Three countries. Extraordinary experiences. If South America has been on your radar, this is the year to stop waiting.

Let's plan it properly.

05/30/2026

South Africa is one of the most itinerary-flexible destinations in the world. Here's how we recommend experiencing it:

Cape Town first. It's one of the most visually striking cities on earth, and the design hotel and restaurant scene here has matured significantly. Table Mountain, the Atlantic Seaboard, the Cape Peninsula. Most clients who go for a few days wish they had more.

For wildlife: the private reserves around Sabi Sands share an unfenced border with Kruger National Park. Big Five sightings are among the most consistent on the continent, and the private reserve experience means dramatically fewer vehicles per sighting than in the public park.

For wine: Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are genuinely world-class. The estate stays in Franschhoek in particular, with long lunches, cellar visits, and mountain scenery that doesn't match most people's image of Africa at all.

Most itineraries we design for South Africa cover all three. If Africa is on your travel bucket list, let's talk through what makes sense for your trip.

05/28/2026

Looking for something beyond your ususal vacation? Check out our latest newsletter for all things safaris! Let's start planning your next adventure.

From lesser-known Europe to safari experiences that go far beyond the Big Five.

05/28/2026

Some of the best trips we plan aren't for couples or solo travelers. They're for three generations under one roof, or a family milestone that needed to be done properly.

The options are more varied than most families realize. Safari. Private villa. Small ship cruise. Ski chalet. Luxury ranch. Cultural journey with a private guide. The format matters less than the intention behind it.

The common thread in every great family trip we've planned: intentional design from the start.

If you're planning a family trip and want it to actually work, that's exactly what we do. Reach out to start the conversation.

05/27/2026

DIY travel planning looks free. It rarely is.

Researching hotels, reading through reviews, comparing itineraries, and figuring out which experiences are actually worth booking rather than just well-marketed. A two-week trip often represents 20 to 30 hours of work before anything is confirmed. For most people, that time has a real cost.

Then there's the invisible cost: what you don't know you're missing. The hotel that looks strong online but has a known service issue. The guide who changes how a destination feels entirely. The upgrade that was available and simply never offered. The reservation that could have been made three months out and wasn't.

And the small mistakes that add up. A transfer that doesn't account for timing. A sequence of stops that requires unnecessary backtracking. A decision made without context that costs more to fix than it would have cost to get right from the beginning.

Working with a travel advisor doesn't just save time. It changes the quality of the trip, and often the cost of it.

If you're planning something and want it done correctly, that's exactly what we're here for.