Remember that Sounder article a while back about our silly sailor friend Phil, the Austrian guy who sailed from Cape Town to Rio and back? I sort of figured a journey like that would drain the crazy from his boat. Nope. On January 3rd I got an email from Phil with the news that he was going […]
We all want to see lions, giraffes and elephants – these exotic animals have captured our imaginations from a very young age. For most tourists, a trip to Africa means a trip to see the lions, giraffes and elephants, but moving past this simple declaration they become quickly paralyzed by all the choice. This is […]
“Midnight is coming.” So began the rather ominous-sounding subject line of our first email from Game Control. This is what kicked-off the final week of preparation, anticipation, excitement and frenzy leading up to a once-a-year event called Midnight Madness, that stormed New York City this year on October 5th. On that cool autumn evening, 30 […]
Ever taken a yoga class? How about a tennis lesson? What about sailing instruction? Ever learn how to sail a 62-foot yacht from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro? And back? No, it’s not something many have done. Hardly anyone, in fact. But Trufflepig’s friend, Phil Haemmerle, he has. So when we found out Phil […]
Kauri Cliffs has long been on the top. This rings true both geographically (it’s near the top of New Zealand’s North Island), as well as reputationally (is that even a word?). A killer location, phenomenal food, a world class golf course, and beautifully understated luxury all roll together to give you a chart-topping Kiwi experience. Combine Kauri Cliffs […]
Some vacation days are meant to be sipped slowly and sparingly like a delicious aged wine. Other vacation days are like a never-ending case of ice cold beer, best enjoyed by drinking deeply and frequently. It only seems right that a day on a vast sheep station in Australia’s Outback would be better suited to […]
“How ya going?” I got very used to hearing that friendly greeting. While the dust is still settling, the laundry washing, and the jet lag still very much in full force, I thought I would put together a quickie about my recent incredible Australian experience. I just returned from over three weeks of exhausting research, […]
During my everyday Wall Street-workaholic life, I stare at spreadsheets and presentations on a computer screen for 12 or more hours a day. So when I worked with Trufflepig to plan my trip to New Zealand, I was definitely looking for a new challenge, and a change of scenery. I figured I would be staring […]
I was designed for the great plains of Africa – its more than just my job. I am reminded every time I land on the airstrip, any airstrip, and take my first breath. Every pore suddenly achieves full aperture, every muscle settles back into comfortable repose. It is like removing a pesky pebble from your sandal after tolerating […]
Escuchame caballeros y caballeras. The fields of Latin America are proving too vast & bountiful for just one farmer to harvest. We are looking for a new trip planner to help make hay in Latin America. Estas chancho numero uno? If so, llamanos pronto! For years now we’ve been bashing about the far corners of the Americas, from […]
If the measure of a great walk is how much better the Guinness tastes at the end, then Striding Edge in England’s Lake District is possibly the greatest walk in the world. One of the things I love most about the Lake District is that every path, rock, fell and valley has a name to […]
We’ve invented a new sport: extreme art appreciation. In this case, viewing Andy Goldsworthy Land Art in the remote hills of North Provence, by helicopter. A new concept of the term day-trip for the art-enthusiast staying in Provence or on the riviera. Since 1995 Andy Goldsworthy, the British-born ‘land artist’, has been coming to the town […]
Lodge-to-lodge trekking out of the Kasbah du Toubkal gives you access to some of the most beautiful parts of the Atlas, remote rural communities, and sweeping other-worldly landscapes. The well-known Kasbah du Toubkal has been doing up lodges, scattered in the hills and valleys around Imlil, which the lodge uses to put together multi-day treks beginning and […]
Cornwall is a ruggedly beautiful, curious and varied land, and, with the exception of its interminably windy little roads, presents the curious traveller with a perfect fortnight’s exploration. Cornwall is the toe of Britain—the south-western tip beyond the river Tamar and the English county of Devon, jutting out towards its point at Land’s End. The […]
Thanks to a splendidly mis-spent youth, I am addicted to hiking on Mediterranean islands. There are islands to party on, and islands with beaches; islands for honeymooners and islands with Greek temples. Here are some islands that are just great for taking a stroll. First up, in Greece—the tiny island of Symi in the Dodecanese. […]
Corsica is in a sense France at its finest, although that phrase would no doubt make any self-respecting Corsican pull out his vendetta knife and stick you like a wild mountain pig. The Corsicans view themselves as an entirely different (and superior) people from the French, and are famously and fiercely independent. It’s more or […]