Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy
Why We're Still Getting Out There
Travel in these, shall we say, “interesting” pandemic times is different. It’s still joyful and wonderous, that’s why we love it, but sometimes it can be challenging. This year, we need to embrace a new way of traveling – those who heed the precautions and can put up with the restrictions and changing rules can also reap the benefits of setting sail and stepping out into a world where not everyone is as adventurous as you. Travelers can find better pricing and fewer crowds. Imagine Rome’s Spanish Steps without anyone else in your selfie – it can be done!
We hope to inspire and reassure you that exploring - near or far - is an investment in yourself.
A Private Yacht on the Aegean Sea
A Place to Call Your Own
Accommodation to call your own is a much more selective and secure way to go for your group. Consider these three ideas:
Left: Lovango Cay, USVI | Right: Sandy Spit, BVI
My Own Private Ocean
When land-based hotels and resorts feel too crowded, a private yacht makes the perfect floating boutique hotel. Even better, the view will change every day. An exclusive booking makes it special and reassuring – just your group and your crew, which have been tested and vetted before sailing.
Small yachts can make you feel like a big shot – imagine sailing into coves for long days of swimming and sunning, panoramic sunsets that take over the horizon, and riding a tender to a water-access-only beach your captain has discovered. Popular yacht-charter destinations include the British Virgin Islands and the Caribbean, but don’t forget the majestic forests, wildlife, and mountains of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Paradise Beach Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis
My Own Personal Chalet/Villa
Booking out a villa for a beach holiday or a chalet for a snow-cation has long been the best idea for multi-gen gatherings. These days, it makes even more sense to keep your group safely together. (And if the family cook wants a break – private rentals often come with a private chef option, too.) A large home with multiple bedrooms gives everyone a place of their own, with grand living rooms and glorious verandas to gather for meals and sundowners.
Why not create your own deserted island fantasy and stay on one of the 350 islands of the Bahamian archipelago? Many of these white-sandy dreams can be rented out entirely by your group. If heli-skiing is your thing, many fly-in lodges offer private luxury in unbelievable beauty -- head to northern B.C. or along the province’s famous powder highway in the Kootenay Rockies.
Vermejo, a Ted Turner Reserve, New Mexico
My Own Secluded Countryside
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam! It's easier to stay distanced when your private ranch house is on a wide-open acreage. Dig out those cowboy boots and plaid shirts; vacationing on a dude ranch offers so many options for guests and families who don't like to laze about. No matter which style you choose – backcountry luxe or working ranch – guests get to choose their own outdoor adventure: horse riding, fly fishing, marksmanship, hiking, off-road drives, even putting yourself to work with the cowboy crew if you're up for it.
Travelers come from all over the globe to stay at North American dude ranches – it might be time to try one out with your gang. Favorite states include Montana, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, or head into northern British Columbia, the Alberta foothills, even the central Saskatchewan Prairies. Wherever you go, the star gazing will be incredible.
Where is your ideal escape?
Your Updated 2022 Packing List
If you haven’t had to pack your bags in a while, it’s time to rethink and upgrade your packing list. You already know what you usually need, but make room in your suitcase for the following:
Vaccine passport/QR code and/or proof of negative COVID-19 test, make it easy to show that you are ready to fly / dine / explore. Download the document onto your phone, or take a photo and save it somewhere that’s easy to pull up quickly.
Testing kits, and pack more than one – these can be fiddly affairs, and mistakes happen when you’re not used to swabbing and swiping and reading the tiny print of the instructions.
More than one mask - Maybe an N95 or KN95 for crowded areas, your favorite cloth mask, a few disposable masks; and a snug neckie/gaiter if you’re headed to a cold destination and could use the warmth it provides. Don't forget the hand sanitizer too!
Travel insurance card – many carriers offer coverage for COVID-19 delays and cancellations. Find the right policy with us and tuck the policy details and contact phone numbers in a safe place. Hopefully, you’ll never need it.
Our phone number (naturally!) and the tourism board website of your destination. These sites always include the latest news about what tests you need to get and when. Rules can change quickly as the pandemic ebbs and flows – keep an eye on what’s happening while you are away, and reach out to us for clarification.
A laptop and extra medications – what happens if you or your companion can’t fly home when expected? Sure, you’re going away to disconnect, but if you get stuck in quarantine, you’ll want to be able to log on and work and not run out of your prescriptions. Look at it this way – it could be a good chance to try the life of a digital nomad.
Getting ready for your getaway?
We’ve got ideas to make it easier.
We're Kindred Spirits
If you're reading this newsletter, you likely already know the advantages of working with a travel advisor. Maybe we've found you the perfect hotel or restaurant or guide for that special trip. Or maybe we saved your bacon when a flight was unexpectedly delayed or canceled.
We all share a passion for travel. We relish the chance to escape our day-to-day and embrace the traditions and culture of a different country or a different corner of our own country. When you meet a kindred travel spirit but realize they haven't worked with an advisor yet – share the love! Let them know how invaluable our services can be (especially when travel can change on a dime, as it can do these days). Friends don't let friends travel without one.