There are few things better in this world than a name you can trust, and one such name is Christina Ong. On a recent visit to Cocoa Island, the Maldivian outpost of her COMO hotel group, I found that this style maven is still at the top of her game. I think Mrs. Ong and […]

I’m going on vacation to Mexico next week and all I can think about is staring at the sea. We’re headed to Tulum, a place I’ve never been, but everything I’ve ever seen of the coastal water down there makes me want to weep. It’s just so breathtakingly blue. Incredibly, impossibly, hypnotically blue. Which has […]

Abel Tasman rocks. And it also does the splits (see the photos above and you’ll know what I mean). Seriously though, any visit to the Nelson area of New Zealand should definitely include a visit through Abel Tasman National Park. This park, founded in 1942, is the smallest of all the National Parks in the […]

There’s a camp, set high (so high you need a helicopter to arrive) in a valley in New Zealand. And at this camp there are no restaurants. No shops. Not even any trees. From an initial look, there’s nothing to do. Yet, it’s the background of one of the top ten experiences of my life. […]

The first thing about Sextantio that doesn’t make much sense is its name. Sextantio calls itself an “Albergo Diffuso”, which literally means diffused hotel. This is because the rooms and facilities are randomly scattered about the medieval hilltop town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio. The second thing about Sextantio that might make you scratch your […]

Depending on where you live (we live in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is decidedly snowy/icy/chilly), right about now might be the perfect time to start daydreaming about a tropical vacation. Might we suggest you start daydreaming about somewhere sand and sunny? Yes? Ok then. Let’s start with what this cruise is not. It is […]

Let’s go out on a limb and predict that the world isn’t going to end tomorrow. Christmas and New Year’s will come and go, and then those of us in the northernmost parts of the northern hemisphere will enter what one Trufflepig planner calls “the long, dark tea time of the soul.” Give your soul […]

Have you ever been in a helicopter? It’s cool. Like, really cool. Up until recently, I had a big helicopter-shaped void in my life. Then I went on six of them in one trip. If you want your first (or any) helicopter experience to be a special one, New Zealand is the place. It is literally the […]

KEEP LEFT. That’s the first thing we tell everyone when they travel here. We also tell them about a dozen more times. In your jet-lag induced, underslept state, it is a valuable piece of advice. Now that that’s out of the way, driving in New Zealand can be a bit of a wild ride. Combining […]

In its heyday, Zanzibar was regarded as something of an island paradise. Exotic and removed from the mainstream, it was an unspoilt draw for the rootless wanderers of the world. Benefiting from a bewildering array of influences, epic monuments to colonial vanity rubbed up against medieval medinas and ramshackle hovels. With a small population and […]

Sure, the flurries are a beautiful novelty right now. We’re all dreaming of a white Christmas too. But come January, escape is going to be the only thing on your mind. Plan your trip now with a few of our favourite suggestions for this January. You can call it a new year’s resolution if that […]

It’s the second last edition of our 100 things we love, celebrating our 100th newsletter. Here we cover number 40 down to 21. 40. The Boatshed on Waiheke Island—Just a short ferry ride away from Auckland, New Zealand’s capital, The Boatshed is a tiny retreat we’ve loved for years. In fact, our New Zealand planner, […]

Today we continue our countdown of 100 things we love, in celebration of our 100th Sounder newsletter, going out to all of your inboxes this week. Here we cover number 60 down to 41. 60. Our National Geographic “Tour of a Lifetime”—We’re not going to lie, it’s nice to see our name in lights after […]

Today we continue our countdown of 100 things we love, in celebration of our 100th Sounder newsletter. If you need some Christmas wish list inspiration, this is it. From 80 to 61: 80. The Nam Hai—Vietnam’s villa perfection is one of our very favourite hotels. Parked right on the beach outside the charming town of Hoi […]

The newsletter we send out to all you fine folks next week will be our 100th edition (get it here if you’re not on the list yet). To mark this special occasion, we thought we’d round up 100 of our favourite things—a little bit like Oprah does around Christmas, but with fewer free cars (sorry). […]

Right in the heel of Italy, sandwiched between the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, lies the understated and laid-back Puglia. This southern province offers fortified farms with home grown feasts, romantic harbours with a sunset backdrop, and an unrivalled diversity of architecture. Always keen to stay away from the well-trodden path, […]