Sublime Travel

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!

If Bhutan is somewhere you've been curious about, here's the first thing worth knowing before you book: there's a daily fee just to enter the country. It's also one of the best things about going.

A daily Sustainable Development Fee applies to every visitor and covers a licensed guide, accommodation, and most in-country costs. The result is a destination where the most remarkable sites are never crowded and the guides are among the most well-informed we've worked with anywhere.

What clients actually find when they go: a country where the relationship between development and preservation is taken seriously at a policy level, not just in marketing. Tiger's Nest Monastery. The Punakha Dzong. The Phobjikha Valley and the black-necked cranes that winter there. A food culture built around hyper-local produce that earns the farm-to-table description without trying to.

The lodges at the highest end are among the most considered hospitality experiences in Asia.

If Bhutan has been on your mind, reach out.

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!

Explora Journeys is not your average cruise. Not even close.

Smaller ships. More time in port. No assigned dining times. An onboard experience that feels like a boutique hotel that happens to be moving. And itineraries that reach places the larger ships simply can't.

The Monaco Grand Prix itinerary is one of the most requested experiences we book: race weekend access, the right vantage point, and a ship positioned in the harbor where the view is part of the event.

If cruising has never quite been your thing, this is worth a second look. Get in touch.

If a beach trip is on your mind, this one is worth a look.

St. Regis Punta Mita is on a private peninsula about 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and the recognition speaks for itself: Forbes Four-Star, AAA Five Diamond, and ranked among the top resorts in Western Mexico by Condé Nast Traveler readers.

A few of our favorites: Bahia, the main restaurant, is one of the best dining experiences on the Riviera Nayarit with seafood pulled fresh from the Pacific daily. The two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses include the famous Tail of the Whale hole, an island green only accessible at low tide. And every villa comes with a dedicated butler.

Advisor Tip: Sayulita is 20 minutes away and worth an afternoon. Bohemian surf town, great tacos, a farmers market on Sundays.

If Mexico is on your calendar, reach out and let's start planning.

Wine, olive oil, and a coastline most people haven't found yet. Here's your sign.

Meneghetti is a Relais & Châteaux property in the southwestern corner of Istria, Croatia, on a working wine and olive oil estate that has been producing here for decades. The hotel is small and deliberate: 18 rooms and suites, a pool surrounded by century-old olive trees, and a restaurant built around the estate's own production.

The wine program is a standout: tastings in the cellar, access to the winemaking team, and a list that extends well beyond what the estate produces into the best of the Istrian region.

Istria also delivers on its own terms as a destination. Hill towns like Motovun and Groznjan, truffles that rival anything found in Italy, and a coastline that rewards the detour every time.

Ready to discover Croatia? Get in touch to start planning!

When clients have done Thailand, Bali, and Vietnam, the next question is always the same: where now? The answer might surprise you.

The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi consistently ranks among the most remarkable hotel settings in Southeast Asia, set within a 10-million-year-old rainforest on the island's southwest coast and just 10 minutes from the airport.

Here's what makes it worth the flight: A personal butler from check-in. The only overwater spa in Langkawi, built to resemble traditional Malay fishing traps floating above the Andaman Sea. An overwater Chinese restaurant on stilts, where dinner starts with picking your own seafood. And a rainforest that delivers hornbills, dusky leaf monkeys, and fireflies without you having to go looking for any of them.

This is a destination worth knowing. Reach out to start planning!

Some travelers are planning with a different set of priorities right now. Destinations that feel stable, well-organized, and deliver an excellent experience without uncertainty. A few we keep recommending:

Switzerland, for alpine adventures that are hard to match anywhere. In summer, gondola rides into the Alps, mountain coasters, and for the chocolate lovers, Geneva has an unlimited chocolate pass honored at the city's best artisanal chocolatiers.

Ireland and Scotland, for long summer days, the Wild Atlantic Way, and a hospitality culture that consistently surprises first-time visitors in the best way.

Japan, for cherry blossom season, world-class powder skiing, small-ship cruising along its coastline, and a level of cultural depth that clients say changed how they think about travel entirely.

Australia and New Zealand, for stunning natural landscapes, serious food culture, and a well-run English-speaking environment that works particularly well for first-time long-haul travelers. Book New Zealand now before its first Michelin Guide puts the best tables out of reach.

If this is the kind of trip you're planning, we'll help you find the right destination and design it properly.

The pools here are heated by an active volcano. That detail never gets old.

Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa is one of our favorite properties in Costa Rica, and the hot springs are only part of the reason.

A few things we always point clients toward while they're here: the hanging bridges walk through the Arenal cloud forest, white-water rafting on the Balsa River, kayaking on Lake Arenal, and an evening back at the thermal pools with a drink in hand. Not a bad few days.

Reach out if you'd like help putting the itinerary together.

Eight rooms. One biodynamic farm. Zero reason to leave.

Finca la Donaira is about 30 minutes outside Ronda in the hills of Andalusia, Spain, and it operates completely differently from most luxury hotels. The estate is fully certified biodynamic. They raise Lusitano horses, produce their own wine and cheese, and grow a significant portion of what you eat during your stay.

The experiences here are genuinely unlike anything else. Yoga on horseback. Guided stargazing. Forest bathing with donkeys. A seed-to-plate culinary program and natural wine tastings from their own bodega. A spa built from stones collected on the estate. And truffle hunting that ends with lunch.

Andalusia and Ronda tend to get skipped on Spain itineraries. This is one of the most interesting places to base that trip.

Reach out to learn more!