Where You’ll Be Going Next
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The days of last minute travel planning are over. (You snooze, you lose.) I consulted a few travel guru friends about what we should all be thinking about right now (holidays? spring break? summer 2024?) and putting on our dream lists. Voilà.
Martin Rapp
The “nose” of the Altour travel company, for which he scouts choice places worldwide.
Do now: Plan trips that require long booking lead times: Antarctica (a small travel window), Galápagos (limited availability), Africa (for the great migration—the trick is nabbing the right lodges to see it from), and Japan (because there’s such a run on it).
Make your friends jealous: A week in a private palazzo in Venice with your own boat and pilot. Indonesia’s Nihi Sumba resort and/or the Raja Ampat archipelago. The White Desert luxury camp in Antarctica.
Splurge: The Holy Deer San Lorenzo City Lodge, Rome’s most exclusive stay. The former apartment of 17th-century Pope Innocent X (don’t let the name fool you—it was his love nest), it has 26-foot ceilings, red marble doorways, frescoes by Francesco Allegrini, and views of Piazza Navona. Contact: Martin.Rapp@altour.com
Jack Ezon
Founder of Embark Beyond, specializing in door-opening high-net-worth travel worldwide.
Do now: If you haven’t yet, book Thanksgiving or the holidays in Argentina. It has a sophisticated city, stunning nature, fabulous food and winelands, and beach access—for a fraction of the cost of anywhere else, thanks to the exchange rate.
Splurge: Be the first to snag a room at Australia’s famed Southern Ocean Lodge, reopening in December after four years. Climb Kilimanjaro, luxury edition: 15 porters per guest. For a milestone bash, take over Cheval Blanc Randheli, their private island in the Maldives, or the 15 tents at Four Seasons’ Naviva, in Punta Mita, Mexico—the ultimate in seaside glamping. Contact: jack@embarkbeyond.com
Meg Austin
Founder of the Colorado-based Meg2Book and wizard of adventure and family travel.
Do now:You can still plan your ski getaway. I love the new Pendry in Park City: the rooftop pool, the up-to-four-bedroom suites, and the location, ideal for ski school and ski-in-and-out access. Thinking tropical? The Kimpton Grand Roatán Resort & Spa opens in September on an island off Honduras. You have the largest reef in the Western Hemisphere right there.
Splurge: A spectacular house at the base of Vail Mountain, Opus, is newly available to rent by the week and in two segments—in case your family doesn’t really need 15,000 square feet. Contact: Meg@meg2book.com
Greg Tepper
Founder of the Exeter Collection, specializing in Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
Do now: Unless you’re looking at summer ’24, forget Italy, France, and the UK; think Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Also, places where Europeans are already going. Georgia is stunningly beautiful, with great food, wine, and music, and a fascinating culture. It and Uzbekistan—with the Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva—are among travel’s best-kept secrets.
Revelation: Private concessions in Africa on land adjacent to national parks. They care for the wildlife and create superb experiences for travelers. Take Tswalu, on the edge of South Africa’s Kalahari Desert: a vast “rewilded” area with three luxurious “camps” and a showstopper restaurant from a Michelin-starred chef.
Splurge: Private, special access experiences within larger trips. I recently saw the Klimt collection at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna an hour before opening time. Unforgettable. Contact: Greg@exetercollection.com
George Morgan-Grenville
Founder and CEO of Red Savannah, experts in luxury villas and bespoke trips worldwide.
Do now: The best villas for next summer in places like Tuscany and France will be gone by December, so hurry. Ditto gulets (those lovely wooden yachts that are catching on with Americans) in the Adriatic and the Aegean.
Latest obsession: Malta, one of Europe’s most stunning islands, dripping with history, with magnificent buildings, terrific bars and restaurants, swimming, yachting, and, opening soon, two spectacular new boutique hotels, the Casa Bonavita and the Cité Privée.
Word to the wise: Work with a planner! We have annual meetings with our top clients to refine their three-to-five-year travel plans. Contact: Inspired@redsavannah.com
This story appears in the September 2023 issue of Town & Country.
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