Category Archives: Blog

When most people hear the words walking trail, they already know what to expect. A clearly marked route. A map in hand. A path that begins and ends in the same place, perhaps with a mountain to climb or a scenic viewpoint waiting somewhere along the way. It’s one of the world’s most familiar outdoor […]

When you travel in style, it’s not just about seamless functionality, but also aesthetic appeal. Having the right gear is one thing, but choosing your products wisely also removes friction from your journey and means you can focus entirely on the travel experience and the joy of exploring. Our latest round-up of products is testament […]

Most people think July and August are the only months worth booking a Mediterranean yacht. September is just as interesting. The sea is still warm, the weather is pleasant, and the popular coastal towns haven’t shut down for the season. You can still have long lunches, spend afternoons swimming and finish the day somewhere beautiful. […]

The luxury traveller has changed, and quietly. Not so long ago, sustainability was a word attached to budget travel and a certain amount of doing without. That association has fallen away. At the top of the market, guests now ask how a villa is powered and where its food is sourced, and plenty want to […]

I have always believed the people we choose to guide for Aroha Luxury New Zealand Tours matter enormously. You spend a lot of time together on a private journey, often over several weeks, so I look for people I would happily travel with myself. They need to know New Zealand well, but knowledge alone has […]

A great villa holiday looks effortless from the outside. That is the whole trick of it. The guest walks in to a cold drink and a fridge someone has already filled. The boat is there when it is meant to be there. The dinner table that was supposedly fully booked has somehow appeared. What none […]

Nine times out of ten, when someone comes to me asking about a Greek charter, they’ve already decided it’s Mykonos or Santorini before we’ve even had the first call. Fair enough, they’re the names everyone knows. But I always ask if they’ve done the Cyclades before, and a surprising number have, at least once, and […]

Ask someone what’s on their Luxor list, and I can usually guess before they finish the sentence. Karnak. Luxor Temple. The Valley of the Kings. Maybe the Valley of the Queens if they’ve done their homework. And look, I’d never talk anyone out of seeing those. They’re extraordinary, and for a first-timer they’re basically the […]

A late landing at LAX and an early start to collect our rental car were followed by a relaxed drive along the coast towards Santa Barbara. It was a pleasure to have swapped the cabin air for the warm climate of Southern California but we were too early to check into our accommodation, so we’d […]

Tucked within a secluded acre of manicured gardens in Santa Barbara, Simpson House Inn has long set the benchmark for American hospitality. Built in 1874 for Scotsman Robert Simpson, this Eastlake-style Victorian manor made history in 1997 as the first bed and breakfast in North America to earn AAA’s coveted Five Diamond rating — a […]