Destinations to put on your bucket list

Slowly we can see the light at the end of the tunnel as rules and regulations start to ease in many countries. We are feeling the fog of self-isolation is slowly lifting.

Of course, there is still a long road ahead of us as travel will be the last thing to get back on track. However, it doesn’t mean our travel dreams need to be put on hold. Research says that the simple act of planning a trip can help boost your mental health. It goes without saying that planning a trip at this moment would surely be difficult, however it could likely give you a significant mental boost during these turbulent times. ⁠

Planning a trip can be especially exciting because we often know just enough about where we’re going and what we’re going to do to begin imagining specific pleasurable details of the places. For example the sensation of the sun or the smell of campfire smoke in the forest. However, there is also enough absent details to leave us wondering about the novelty of different moments.⁠

Let’s also not forget that tourism is also essential to many economies. Next time we jet off somewhere, let’s make it work just as much as it does for these people, as it does for us.

Here are the places and trips that we can recommend you start thinking about for your next trip in 2021 or beyond. Some offer isolated stays, others promise an elevated sense of adventure. Some of these choices highlight a new corner of the world or focus on interesting activities- basically, all the things that we are missing right now.

Plan a trip to immersive Lisbon

The capital of Portugal has experienced a renaissance in recent years, and while much is new, there is plenty of the old left to charm visitors.

Lisbon’s city centre can keep you very busy, but be sure to save a few days for exploring its surroundings. In just an hour or two, you can discover completely different worlds, from palaces to fishing huts, beaches to vineyards, these day trips show off the many faces of Portugal.

Lison specialises in immersive experiences for guests. From a three-course dinner with wine pairing in a local’s 18th-century home, to taking part in a Portuguese Custard Tart workshop (Pastel de Nata workshop), at a family-run bakery. You can also join a guided food tasting tour of the vibrant food market – Campo de Ourique, to learn about Lisbon’s gastronomy. Or, with the beach on your doorstep, you can learn how to surf with professional instructors.

Visit Magical Marrakech   

Marrakech is an array of dusty, rose pink buildings, crumbling earth-coloured walls, blue skies and the myriad hues of mosaics and intricate plaster-work. It is a destination full of surprises and adventures.

The city resort is already planning ahead to capture what it thinks guests will be looking for post-COVID. They have come up with a series of new, magical experiences. For example a Bedouin-tented dinner under the stars, at La Pause – a luxury retreat in the Agafay desert. Or watching the sunrise over the Sahara from a hot air balloon. You can book an intimate dinner under The Tree of 1001 Candles, at Dar El Sadaka, or enjoy a private tour of photographer and perfumer Serge Lutens’ spectacular residence.

Experience your next adventure in the Arctic Circle

If you are looking for an adventure then there is nowhere more appealing and better than a trip to the arctic circle.

You can embark on activities such as swimming with orcas, wildlife spotting and submarine and helicopter explorations. Let us assist with booking you on a small passenger cruise with an expert staff. They will provide these exciting excursions as you sail through ice-choked northern waters while witnessing monumental glaciers, frozen tundra, spectacular peaks and an abundance of wildlife.

Indulge in true seclusion in the Seychelles

Seychelles is one of the most spectacular destinations. It has many idyllic islands that will make you feel as if you have stepped into the Garden of Eden. The islands are lush with forest-covered peaks,  oversized blooms and tropical white sands.  You can roam around among giant tortoises on uninhabited islands, watch parrots fly overhead and swim with rainbow-hued fish.

Getaway to the Greek islands

Who wouldn’t love to be heading off the one of the Greek islands right now? And that is just the thing, Greece is filled with so many islands, so you can pick a less “touristy” island to get the true Greek experience, but not be surrounded by hundreds of tourists.

For those who want to remain remote and private, The Greek Villas has launched it’s Private Hotel’ experience with a new collection of 57 stunning villas to choose from across the Greek islands.

The service will offer similar benefits to staying in a hotel, from daily cleaning to catered meals, day trip excursions and wellness offerings. This allows guests to enjoy a five-star hotel experience within a secluded private villa.

Immerse yourself in Art in Crete

Many of us have turned to the simple pleasures of discovering new crafts and pottering around our gardens during the lockdown. Harnessing the benefits of art as therapy, Artful Retreats offers a range of breaks during which you can continue your creative process. There is a variety to choose from, taking place on the Greek island of Crete this October, and also running next May 2021. It is a four-day programme, which includes morning yoga, creating art in the studio and on the estate and strolls around nearby pretty villages.

Camping in Colombia

Before lockdown, this Latin-American country was being proclaimed as ‘the next big thing’, and we can understand why. With its rich culture, musical heritage and delicious cuisine – not to mention some outstanding locations.

Offering idyllic isolation, luxury-tented-camp Corocora Camp offers a new way to experience the destination. Found in the country’s eastern savanna area – Los Llanos – which is dense with rare flora and fauna it is a region which remains under the radar. Opening it up to visitors, Corocora Camp is changing that with its spirit of adventure and barefoot luxury offering. Four canvas tents, perfect for social distancing, are kitted out with telescopes and large terraces from which to spy playful howler monkeys.

You can explore the marshes on horseback, track pumas, and make out scarlet ibis soaring overhead. Still largely wild and untouched, it is a haven for wildlife, adventure travel and profound cultural connection. With no Wi-Fi at the camp, this is a chance to totally disconnect from the stresses of life and reconnect with nature as well as the local culture. Corocora has its roots in the local community, with its own education programme, and sustainability at its heart.

Hop on over to Kea Island 

It’s always good to keep an eye on new openings when planning future visits and one of the most anticipated is One&Only’s upcoming Kéa Island in Greece. An ultra-luxury development on the Aegean Sea, due to open in 2021. With 75 resort villas, as well as a limited number of homes for purchase, the Greek resort is found spread across a 60-hectare beachfront estate. It will be the second European opening from the brand, following One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro, which is slated to open this October 2020.

Kéa is the closest Cycladic island to Athens and the resort offers elegant villas with nods to Greek traditional design in its aesthetic. Home to a destination spa, inspiring culinary experiences and a vibrant beach club, it promises to be the ultimate hideaway.

Last but not least, put Croatia on your bucket list 

With a long and beautiful coastline flanked by more than a thousand islands, Croatia has a lot to offer. Also new and promising great things, is the five-star Maslina Resort, a Relais & Chateaux property, on the Croatian island of Hvar. Located near one of the oldest towns in the eastern Adriatic, Stari Grad, the new opening is situated on Maslinica Bay and is due to open this summer. Surrounded by olive groves and terraced vineyards, the resort stretches across two hectares of lush pine forest overlooking the Adriatic Sea with wellbeing, family, culture and authenticity at its heart.