Explorer by EliteVoyage. Edition V, Spring-Summer 2024.

EXPLORER

by EliteVoyage

Pioneers

Namibia

Portugal

Japan

Peru

Austria

The Stratosphere Future of Cruising

praha.ferraridealers.com

CORFU, GREECE

CORFU IMPERIAL

AT KOMMENO PENINSULA

Greece’s most impressively located Resort, set on its own private Peninsula. The epitome of true luxury & a panorama of enchanting nature.

Vita La bella

WINE · FINE DINING · ACCOMODATION

This hilltop haven combines small-village charm with opulence, offering guests a private retreat amidst stunning natural beauty.

Gurdau is a luxurious hidden gem for food and wine enthusiasts, nestled among the Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Veltliner vines. Indulge in high-end dining with panoramic views of the valley, accompanied by exquisite wines from our production.

Whether enjoying the culinary delights or relaxing amid the vineyards on your private terrace, Gurdau is a symphony of sophistication and tranquility, making it the epitome of a lavish escape.

c hateau m cely

An oasis of relaxation in the heart of nature.

For over 18 years, we have been more than just a place to stay.

www.ChateauMcely.cz

Swim spa, lepší alternativa bazénu ohleduplná k vám i přírodě, nenáročná na spotřebu vody i energií.

Zažijte koupání bez starostí

objednejte si katalog

Pioneers

To be first. A feeling that transcends exclusivity and curiosity. A human desire that pushes adventurers to the furthest realms of our planet. An inspiration behind curating new ways to explore.

At EliteVoyage we see the definition of luxury travel changing among our clients. It’s not only about experiencing the best, but being among the first to do so. Holidays are a rare opportunity to truly stand out from the crowd and let the imagination take over. Our clients and team are travelling to more remote, less-known places, like Namibia (p. 38) and Hachijō-jima in Japan (p. 100). As well as uncovering new angles in famous destinations, like Austria (p. 142) and Portugal (p. 64). They’re pushing their boundaries and being among the first to enjoy some extraordinary new experiences.

In Explorer V we celebrate visionaries transforming how a holiday can be imagined, such as Zannier Hotels founder Arnaud Zannier (p. 88), Silvia Rico in Peru (p. 124), Vincent Farret d’Astiès taking explorers to the stratosphere and edge of space (p. 32), plus operators transforming The Future of Cruising (p. 48). We also share the stories of Jan Černý (p. 150), Klára Kolouchová, Filip Žák and William Pravda, who forged their own remarkable adventures and inspired others to travel further (p. 110).

Where will you push your boundaries and discover a new way to explore?

Bon voyage, Petr Udavský Co-Owner & CEO EliteVoyage

38

Namibia

16

64

76

88

32

The Stratosphere

Travelling to the edge of space with Zephalto founder Vincent Farret d’Astiès

150

Société of Jan Černý

A Czech fashion icon taking on the world

48

The Future of Cruising

More comfortable, sustainable & experiential, taking explorers to unexplored places

Gracefully poised on the Mo Chu riverbank, &Beyond’s first lodge in Asia is in perfect harmony with the rice paddies, chilli farms and forested hills of the Punakha Valley. It’s both an adventure playground and a cocoon of solitude, with just six tented suites and two private houses honouring Bhutan’s traditional architecture.

&Beyond Punakha River Lodge Punakha Valley, Bhutan

A lush private island oasis, the only resort in an untouched atoll some 20 minutes by the resort’s plane from Mahé. Wildlife delights above and below the water here. The 50 beachside pool villas are hidden among palm forests, range from one to five bedrooms, and open out towards white sand, lagoon and coral reef.

Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island Outer Islands, Seychelles

Beneath the snowy summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, where Africa’s last super-tusker elephants roam, Angama Amboseli is a gentle start or end to a Kenya safari. So relaxed that early morning pyjama safaris are on the program. Just ten suites of canvas, stone and sublime views, plus exclusive and unrestricted game viewing in its own wildlife conservancy.

Angama Amboseli Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya

Pioneering wellness brand SHA has taken its highly successful personal health programs to a new outpost, the Mexican Caribbean. It’s an oceanfront medical wellness destination, focused on enhancing physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. And it effortlessly finds the balance between ancient wisdom, Yucatán nature and modern medicine.

SHA Mexico

Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

One&Only Kéa Island Cyclades, Greece

Seclusion and discretion define this beachside hideaway on the Aegean Sea, just a short hop away from Athens. Expansive one- and two-bedroom villas are perched on the cliffs, with private pools and vast, airy living areas. It’s oh so quiet on rugged Kéa Island, making this a place for reconnecting with nature and embracing the beauty of silence. Opening May 2024.

Finally a new hotel worth writing about in Munich! Two grand Bavarian buildings of limestone sculptures and baroque frescoes, re-imagined as a contemporary city getaway. Rosewood Munich feels more like staying in an apartment than a hotel. It’s Bavaria old and new, in a calm central location, and already the place to be for Munich's discerning locals.

Rosewood Munich Munich, Germany

Soneva Secret - Remote Island and Expansive Lagoon

Soneva Secret

Haa Dhaalu atoll, Maldives

Aserene afternoon listening to the Indian Ocean. The feeling of soft white sand between the toes at sunset. Refreshing scents filtering through the jungle, to a dining platform in the treetops. Luxury is remembered most by small, simple moments, when there’s space and freedom for every sense to be open. Like when walking barefoot across a natural island and embracing a slower way of life. It’s been the Soneva way in the Maldives since 1995, when Soneva Fushi opened in Baa Atoll, with the first ever spa in the island nation.

“As a brand we’ve always considered Soneva to be a pioneer in the Indian Ocean” says Petr Udavský, CEO of EliteVoyage, “they are continually redefining luxury and have innovated many concepts that are now the expected norm across the Maldives.” Luxury at Soneva is not opulence, it’s not marble, nor having a menu with a thousand choices. It’s more local, more organic, completely in tune with its environment, completely curated for each individual guest. Wellness, gastronomy and sustainability are just three areas where Soneva has raised the bar across the entire Indian Ocean. “Soneva Jani is a long-standing favourite among our clients” adds Petr, “with some of the very best overwater villas in the world.”

Soneva continues to be an owner-operated brand, led by Sonu Shivdasani and his wife, Eva Malmström Shivdasani. They founded and developed the Six Senses brand, which started with Soneva Fushi, before selling in 2012 to focus on their own Soneva properties. “Our clients always feedback about the quality and personalisation of the service” says Petr, “it’s a very intelligent style of service and clients notice the singular attention to detail that’s so strong about true owner-operated resorts.”

Soneva Secret - Dolphins

Photo: Dan Kullberg for Soneva.

Soneva Secret - Overwater Hideaway

Photo: Bruno Aveillan for Soneva.

Soneva Secret - Wildlife, Turtle in the Sunlight

Photo: Fabio Giungarelli for Soneva.

Soneva Secret - Beach Hideaway

Photo: Sandro Bruecklmeier for Soneva.

Soneva Secret

Soneva Secret is the brand’s latest innovation. A new private island resort which will redefine luxury once more in the Maldives. Right now it really is a secret. Opened in early March, the resort is now receiving its first few guests. Few is an important word, as Soneva Secret only has 14 villas, on an exquisite natural island. These villas are scattered along white sand beaches, as well as raised over a turquoise lagoon and only accessible by boat. There’s also the first ever fully floating villa in the Maldives, Castaway. Knowing Soneva, it should be no surprise that all these villas blend effortlessly into their natural environment and have been constructed very sustainably.

Each villa has a massage room and fitness room, vast master suites and adjoining bedrooms for families or friends. They have private pools and water slides, other features Soneva first pioneered in the Maldives. In yet another first, each villa also has a retractable roof, for enjoying the nighttime stars directly from the bed. Clear skies are to be expected here. As are clear waters. Soneva Secret is the first and only resort in the Haa Dhaalu atoll, the Maldives’ most remote atoll. It’s a 75-minute, 300 kilometre seaplane journey from Malé, or a leisurely full-day yacht cruise from Soneva Fushi.

In this most western part of the Maldives it’s not uncommon to see whales pass by, and it’s a refreshing change to the increasing overcrowdedness around Malé. Manta rays, dolphin pods and whale sharks are all residents in these crystal clear waters, with curated experiences providing a special level of intimacy with them. The snorkelling and diving are divine out here, where guests can be among the first to discover, rather than following the boats to famous Maldivian locations.

Each villa has both a barefoot guardian and barefoot assistant, able to deliver a very intuitive and bespoke level of service, the kind Soneva has been developing for almost 30 years. Every guest program is individually curated, starting each morning with breakfast in the villa with the villa’s private chef. Another dining experience is a castaway dining tower, observatory and wine cellar, accessed by zipline. There’s also dining barefoot on the sand, around a firepit at So Primitive. Plus picnics on deserted shores, as the villa chef creates new menus to be enjoyed in privacy, in the villa or anywhere around the atoll.

As with all their properties, Soneva Secret finds the challenging balance between being both a resort for couples and families. Space, privacy and personalisation are evidently key to this. Soneva Secret welcomes significantly fewer guests than the country’s other top resorts, yet the island and surrounding atoll is bigger than most. There’s a yoga platform accessible by zipline or boat. Or simply the beauty of walking barefoot on a virgin beach, reconnecting with nature, reconnecting with the people you love, reconnecting with yourself.

“Almost all the top brands have now opened resorts in the Maldives and the choice for our clients is exceptional” says Petr Udavský, “yet Soneva Secret is the one that excites us most.”

Soneva is the brand that helped make the Maldives as a destination and they’ve created a new concept that will keep the Maldives fresh as a destination. Right now you can be among the first to explore it.

Like when walking barefoot across a natural island and embracing a slower way of life.

One&Only AESTHESIS

EliteVoyage CEO Petr Udavský explores Europe’s hottest new resort.

The soft soothing sound of the sea. A wide, sandy beach dappled in morning sunshine. Breakfast on the terrace, besides my pool. It feels like I’m on a quiet island. Which is a very rare feeling, because I’m actually in a major European city, in one of the most immersive cities in the world: Athens. For three days I’ve relished the ease of a holiday here. And I’ve come to realise that One&Only Aesthesis is ideal for many different Greek holidays.

The One&Only brand typically chooses iconic locations and this new Athens resort is only their second property in Europe. It’s a 30-minute transfer from the airport - potentially 45 minutes in traffic - to this property in Glyfada. “One&Only Aesthesis stands out primarily for its unparalleled location” says General Manager Yann Gillet, “it’s for affluent travellers seeking a blend of beachfront living with the excitement, culture and rich historical tapestry of Athens. We’re only a stone’s throw distance from the oldest capital in Europe and the Parthenon.”

My first impressions are that the service, even at this early stage, is exceptional. There are no miscommunications between staff, everybody is smiling and well educated, and I was invited into a WhatsApp group with three concierges. A hotel representative was waiting for me in the transit zone of Athens Airport, after I exited the plane and before the airport’s public area.

My bungalow is modern, fresh and light, with loads of space for me and my four-year-old son. Everything feels brand new, like it was built just days ago. Natural materials dominate the design, with lots of wood, stone, clean lines, abundant sunlight and spacious common areas. Glyfada was a celebrated luxury hangout through the sixties and seventies and Yann tells me the design recreates the ambiance of this era. Glyfada centre is only ten minutes walk away, an easy place to explore, especially for lunch.

The other guests I encounter are like me, people excited by new places and stylish experiences. “Our goal is to redefine the traditional notions of luxury and create a new type of hospitality experience, relevant to the needs and desires of modern travellers” says Yann. From the first moment I could see that they’re very big on details. Staff are continually trying to surprise me with small gifts and the quality of even seemingly insignificant details is exceptionally high.

Overall, One&Only Aesthesis feels like a property for younger generations, both couples and families with young kids, although the contemporary style and quality is definitely suitable for all ages. My son enjoyed the outdoor kids club and an indoor kids club will be ready by the summer. The mile-long private beachfront has calm, shallow water that’s great for kids, with silky sand I’d associate more with the Maldives or Caribbean than Greece.

“The resort’s distinctive essence lies in the residential feel. Each space is a sanctuary” adds Yann. “My favourite thing is the delicate way the light touches everything in the resort, early in the morning, it’s a special kind of glow that words can’t describe.” This is my third time in Athens so my trip is a relaxing long weekend, enjoying time with my son and soaking up the sun. It can definitely be a resort for simply spending a few quiet days around your villa and pool.

Except for 12 entry-level rooms in the main building, all the accommodations are bungalows, residences and villas. Some are beachfront, some have a sea view, all have their own terrace and pool. Within one to two years each terrace will be completely private, guarded by trees and greenery. Before these trees grow I can advise you personally on the best individual accommodations.

A handful of residences are still available for sale as investment opportunities. These are private homes located far from reception. The guest villas are spectacular and Villa One is astonishing, an enormous home for four people, with an outdoor bathtub, gym, firepit, direct beach access and a pool bigger than the main resort pool. What’s nice is how all these accommodations are scattered through a huge area, some 21 hectares which includes a protected forest reserve.

Yoga, walks and picnics are all planned in this forest. The Guerlain Spa is magical and there’s an adults-only beach, plus the swimming pools and three bars and restaurants. Dining at the ORA restaurant is impressive, especially the breakfast, where Greek-Italian Michelin-starred Ettore Botrini made the menu.

Their MANKO restaurant will open in April and chef Paco Morales has already done a pop up here.

All this makes One&Only Aesthesis a very relaxing stay, like mine. But it could also be a far more active trip. There’s so much you could do here. Like spending a day on the Pardo Yacht, cruising to Poros, Hydra and Spetses. The Acropolis is a very short drive away, where private tours explore the stories and myths of Ancient Athens. Just the Athens Riviera can fill a few days, a charming coastline away from city bustle, with many places to go by sea or road.

Yann tells me: “In Greece, everything revolves around celebration and the joy of life. Our mission is to provide a year-round celebration, showcasing that the spirit of festivity knows no season, resonating with those who appreciate luxury, sophistication and the allure of beach and city living.” Although the sea is cold during my February stay, the sun is shining and I can imagine the resort will be perfect anytime between April and October.

Yann’s aspiration is a resort that’s “one of the world’s best in terms of service and a distinctive experience.” For me, One&Only Aesthesis is a great all rounder rather than a niche resort. A few days will be perfect for most of our clients and every stay will be distinctive.

It could be a relaxing long weekend like mine. Or a more active stay, discovering the many treasures of the Athens Riviera. It’s a great base for a first-time trip to Athens, exploring some of its many iconic highlights. This is also an excellent addition to a longer Greece holiday. Flying via Athens you can spend the first or last few days of your holiday at One&Only Aesthesis. The resort will easily mould to your energy levels and mood, whether you feel like a beach and pool or the ease of local exploration. Consider it for destinations not connected by direct flights from home, or to use Aegean instead of budget airlines. Another option can be combining One&Only Aesthesis with the brand’s soon-to-be third property in Europe, One&Only Keá Island.

On my final morning I’m enjoying the soft sound of the sea and the sand between my toes. I splash around my pool with my son and I’m so relaxed I almost forget where I am. On an island, in a city, in Greece or in my own cocoon? It takes a special resort to make you forget about time and place. One&Only Aesthesis has achieved this in a major city, in a very convenient location, with so much in the surrounding area. I’m already planning how to include it into my next trip to Greece.

It takes a special resort to make you forget about time and place. One&Only Aesthesis has achieved this in a major city.

TheStra tosphere

with Vincent Farret d'Astiès

Vincent Farret d'Astiès is the founder and chief pilot of Zephalto, a French company taking explorers to the stratosphere and edge of space. Flights start in 2025 and four EliteVoyage clients will be among the first to travel. We interviewed Vincent on the dreams and reality of a journey to the stars.

The Stratosphere, with Vincent Farret d'Astiès

cover photo Vincent Farret d'Astiès

Vincent, what was your inspiration for Zephalto?

I remember precisely the moment. I sail a lot and appreciate how you have lots of time when you sail, you can have hours living your spirit and soul dream. My parents were plane pilots, my ancestors were pilots. I was an entrepreneur and balloon pilot, so I have this almost genetic attraction to the sky. I remember sailing in the South of France, in a sea surrounded by vineyards, seeing this beautiful sunset, exploration mixed with that European sense of being conscious of the culture and history you inherit. Everything mixed, maybe unconsciously, to make this dream: I wanted to sail to the stars in the sky. Dream is good, and action is the sister of dream, and you begin to think, what is the solution?

Simplicity is important because it directly means safety.

Have you always been inspired by exploring unexplored places?

I have always been very attracted to new ways of approaching things. I like ski travel and sailing, both very contemplative and sporty activities. I’m attracted by the exploration, but when beginning a ski trip I am also thinking: can we develop a new ski that’s more efficient for climbing and just as pleasant for descending? Most times you think of something new you find somebody else has already done it, but one time out of ten it’s something really new.

You founded Zephalto and you’re also the Chief Pilot. Tell us about your test flights.

I always feel a mix of serendipity, gratefulness and something brand new. We’ve had many test flights at lower altitudes and there is something new for each flight; we already tested four different prototypes. So gratefulness for all the work that has been done, serendipity knowing every detail is checked to be very safe. And of course it’s something very exciting, because you are flying something that’s never been flown before, pioneering something, and it’s a special feeling creating something.

The Stratosphere, with Vincent Farret d'Astiès

Does this inspiration from sailing help to explain your concept of a low carbon journey to space?

Low carbon is a consequence of looking for a journey in harmony with the elements, without combustion. When you see something really beautiful, like the curvature of the earth from the edge of space, it’s overwhelming. Astronauts call it the overview effect. I couldn’t imagine going to see this beauty without going there with a certain beauty. You need this harmony. The quest for beauty gives low carbon, only 27kg of CO2 per traveller, which is roughly the same as driving 225 kilometres. But I don’t feel it’s an end in itself. It becomes something natural and not at all demanding.

What are the key differences between taking a balloon and a rocket to space?

There is harmony and there is simplicity. Simplicity is important because it directly means safety. A balloon is a hundred times simpler than a rocket, even than a jet plane. This simplicity gives less hazards, less systems, less things to break down. That’s why balloons were the first means to go up there. What I dreamt from the beginning was sharing the dream of near space with other people. I want to share something very silent, where you can have contemplation, your mind quiet with serenity.

I couldn’t imagine going to see this beauty without going there with a certain beauty. You need this harmony.

When you say up there, do you mean balloons went to space before rockets?

In 1783 we had balloons, more than a century before planes. The first explorer of space was Auguste Piccard, he went to see space radiation in the thirties. In the fifties, space exploration began with balloons and they tested the first pressurised capsules. Balloons are the first steps. It’s near space, you don’t have microgravity, you don’t have physical requirements for people on board, so if you can board a plane you can board Zephalto. Balloons are also helpful for exploring other planets. The French Space Agency CNES had balloons on Mars but for now you need another means of transport between earth and Mars.

Tell us more about this balloon you’re taking to the stratosphere.

A standard hot air balloon is 20 metres high. The surface of our balloon is two football pitches, you can fit Sacré-Coeur or Notre-Dame inside it. It’s 110 metres high, although it’s not that big at the beginning, it will inflate as it goes up. It’s also very calm and reassuring, not aggressive with a big engine. We don’t need much infrastructure to take off, if you have a big garden we could deploy from there!

What are the biggest technological challenges you’ve overcome?

We benefited from a technological transfer from the French Space Agency but I wanted to develop something new by creating a reusable balloon. We are the only company in the world doing this. This was demanding because we needed something more resistant. The fabric must withstand very low temperatures and remain supple and that’s a big challenge, because the material is then heavier than a standard balloon, but we succeeded in keeping it light enough. These are just some of the hundreds of challenges. Ultimately this approach is safer, because the envelope is more resistant, and because you always fly a balloon that has already been tested in flight, so there are no surprises.

When will the first passenger flights take off and how often will you fly?

The first passenger flights will be in 2025 and we could perform about 60 flights a year. But we won’t scale to this straight away, I don’t want to be doing 60 flights from the beginning. A flight will be something exceptional. I’m happy that together we will discover a new continent, the stratosphere.

How do you imagine the on board experience?

It’s a six hour flight, 90 minutes ascending, 90 minutes descending, with at least three hours at the top, at an altitude of 25 kilometres. When conceiving the capsule I imagined being at the opera and having a balcony. So it has huge windows, almost three metres wide, to stage nature and immerse you in it.

The experience is dedicated to contemplation and you can arrange your cocoon how you want; maybe you lie down by the window just looking out at the stars for an hour.

Tell us more about this pressurised capsule designed by Joseph Dirand.

The Celeste capsule is 20 square metres and there are three cocoons for two people, plus the two pilots. It’s flat in the stratosphere and the capsule is gently rotating so you enjoy 360-degree views. You can close the doors, or you can open them and interact with a neighbour. The experience is based on customisation and I really wanted this versatility, so you can have privileged moments with just two people, but also have other people to interact with. Celeste is also the perfect place to enjoy a dinner and we are developing a gastronomic experience in the stratosphere, with the best wines, based on our customers' tastes and recommendations of our sommeliers.

What is your dining concept at 25,000 metres in the sky?

We already had some great moments with talented chefs who designed a special menu, but I can’t yet reveal who our chef will be. Taste evolves with altitude. Even just going to a ski resort your taste changes and it changes differently for everyone. So we have to test if you are more receptive to salt and pepper, manage things with spices, and adapt to every passenger.

You founded Zephalto in 2016 and have developed much faster than other space tourism projects. How?

Globally I’m very happy there are competitors with different touches, like they land in the sea, or don’t reuse balloons. The balloon is really simple and easier to develop. Of course we benefited from this technology transfer from the French Space Agency CNES, who are leaders for safety in flight. They have more than 200 procedures and fail safe devices others don’t. We have over 200 procedures registered with the French patent office and 11 key patents pending.

The Stratosphere, with Vincent Farret d'Astiès

Our first flight was in 2018 and we have always performed flights with people on board, which is very different because of the certification we’ve needed, almost from the start. The capsule must adhere to safety standards equivalent to those of commercial aircraft. Add the proprietary technology and Céleste is being elevated to the pinnacle of aerospace safety. As French engineers we don’t tell that much to the world, we only reveal when we achieve something. So only now do we begin to share everything with the public.

What will be the future of space tourism?

One century ago we had the first passengers on planes. At the beginning it was something exceptional. Space is a new natural beauty humans want to travel in. I guess that in one century there will be a lot of space travel. What I really wish and work for is being respectful, even when we discover other planets. Don’t damage space. I really enjoy space as an earth lover, I like to discover earth from very very far away and really be engaged to preserve it.

It’s thanks to pioneers, the people who fly first, who begin something and open a new era.

Will there be a point when it’s normal to travel to the stratosphere?

Definitely for balloons! Maybe in 20 or 40 years I don’t know, people will go on balloons like they sail on boats now. It’s thanks to pioneers, the people who fly first, who begin something and open a new era. They will enjoy the exploration which is fantastic, and other people will benefit from these first travels. I think that is really a way of sharing. I want to be in touch with people who will travel with Zephalto, they are almost part of the team, the first passengers. I really would like to know these people and have a relationship with them. Together we will see the most impressive show in the world and the most beautiful parts of nature.

EXPLORER by EliteVoyage

Nam ibia

Namibia is nature’s great gallery, a country of primitive landscapes and rare experiences. Panoramas appear like a dream: immense red desert, untamed safari lands, mystical coastlines. Nowhere else offers such visual euphoria. Kateřina Sokolová, art seller, fashion model and co-founder of the AutTalk foundation, discovers the new boundaries of her comfort zone on a holiday to Namibia.

cover photo The Skeleton Coast

Namibia

A Namibia Adventure by Scenic Air Charter

“Namibia isn’t a destination for everyone” says Katka Sokolová after her September holiday created by EliteVoyage: “It’s for people who are not afraid of a little adventure, who are willing to occasionally step out of their comfort zone. I had to awaken my inner adventurer during the flights, especially as the pilot was navigating by Google Maps on his phone!”

Namibia is an enormous country of near total wilderness. There are more elephants on the highway than vehicles. The best destinations are located in some of the most untouched and inaccessible places, making scenic air charters the best way to get around. Katka adds: “Every time I exited the plane I was somewhere completely different. At the same time, Namibia is so specific I am unable to compare it to anywhere else.”

This old German colony in the southwest of Africa offers a mix of action-packed expedition and complete escapism, with excellent safari too. “My first impression was of surprise. Namibia is clean, orderly, and really cold at night too. I’m glad I packed my down jacket” continues Katka. “I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the lodges, as the level of luxury is top in Namibia. But what I remember most is the natural beauty.”

Namibia

Namibia

The Skeleton Coast

Ships abandoned on the beach, in an evocative state of ruin. Thousands of noisy Cape fur seals, covering the sand with their antics. “Flying over the Skeleton Coast I could feel its special atmosphere” says Katka. “Landing at the airstrip felt like landing in the middle of nowhere. And then we were in a jeep for three hours, driving into the fog to Shipwreck Lodge, which feels like the end of the world.”

Named for its thousands of shipwrecks, plus innumerable whale and seal bones, the Skeleton Coast is where the world’s oldest desert meets the Atlantic Ocean. This isn’t a beach destination, it’s an immersion in nature’s primitive power. “Kayaking was fun and the seals were really friendly, sometimes too friendly because they were ready to jump on our kayaks.”

Shipwreck Lodge provides the castaway vibe, just eight cabins sprawling across the dunes, looking over the desert to the ocean. Katka continues: “I loved it! The architecture is designed to enhance the feeling of mystery and it resonates perfectly with this rare landscape.”

Safari in Namibia

Elephants marching across highways and along parched riverbeds. Black-maned Kalahari lions hiding in ambush at waterholes. Namibia is where the big and small of African wildlife roams free: like meerkats, oryx, springbok, black-backed jackals and black-faced impalas. “I expected to be lucky to see a zebra. Yet we were bumping into amazing animals every few minutes: rhinos, giraffe, elephants…!”

The Etosha ecosystem is one of Africa’s great safari destinations, a vast saline pan surrounded by pristine bushland. Ongava is a private reserve bordering Etosha National Park and Little Ongava camp provides heightened exclusivity. Just three thatch-roofed villas with private pools, hidden among rocks and trees, epitomising the romance of the wild. “Little Ongava is an amazing reserve and observing animals in their natural habitat was a very powerful experience” recommends Katka.

Animals congregate in huge numbers during the dry season, from June to September, the best time to visit Namibia. Ongava’s guides specialise in novel encounters. Katka remembers: “At one point the guide took us out of the car and we approached a rhino on foot. He said don’t run, whatever happens. I wanted to run and run somewhere very far away, as I realised what a colossal animal stood in front of me.”

Namibia

Kateřina Sokolová is a fashion model and private art seller, working with art broker and auctioneer house Adolf Loos, focused on Czech moderna. She founded the AutTalk Foundation to improve the opportunities for children on the autistic spectrum and their families.

The 6th edition of the charity run AutTalk will take place in September 2024. www.auttalk.cz | Instagram @katkasokolova

Namibia

The Namib Desert

Sand, sand and more sand. Dunes, dunes and more dunes. Everywhere the same yet no two angles are ever the same in the Namib, such is its paradox. Nor are any two experiences. “Stargazing through a telescope in the lodge’s observatory, or seeing the Milky Way so clearly from our room was amazing. We took a hot air balloon and a scenic helicopter flight over the dunes, even climbed one dune which takes quite some physical effort!”

Dominating Sossusvlei are dunes over 350 metres high and the blackened remnants of ancient camelthorn trees. No two moments are ever the same here, the sun and wind bringing continual changes in colour, shape and perspective. “The desert scenery is breathtaking and resembles a moonscape,” says Katka. “Riding ATVs in the desert was one of the best experiences of the trip. It wasn’t until we belly boarded down the dune that we ended up with sand everywhere!”

&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is the place to stay and according to Katka “it’s a total blast! An exceptional lodge, great service, in the middle of the desert.” 12 contemporary suites of stone, steel and glass, each with a private plunge pool, retractable skylight above the bed, and activities in the lodge’s private reserve. “Namibia is an absolutely beautiful and diverse country. We were practically alone everywhere” concludes Katka.

Namibia

The Future of Cruising

A new generation of operators are taking explorers to places virtually inaccessible by any other means.

The future of cruising and yachting is more comfortable, more efficient, more sustainable and a whole lot more experiential.

This is an opportunity to be among the first to discover off the beaten path places, long before they become talked about destinations.

cover photo Imagine yacht

Scenic Eclipse I, 80°55.85′ N 014°39.17′ (near Longyearbyen)

Exploring Unexplored Places

▷ The first cruises

▷ Remote destinations

▷ Ponant's Explorer yachts

The first passenger ships were an invitation to travel somewhere unknown. Crossing the Atlantic they promised unknown frontiers. Rounding the Cape of Good Hope they steamed through uncharted waters. Hopping between ports they connected unimaginable cultures and landscapes. Those first ships must have produced something very profound in their passengers: a pure feeling of excitement and anticipation, generated when exploring somewhere absolutely new.

Aviation overtook ocean travel in the 20th century. In the 21st century it can feel like anywhere is reachable by plane, but that’s not true. Many places in the world require a boat. And the future of cruising honours its original premise: to explore the unexplored. “The highlight of every journey on the water is where the vessel can go,” says EliteVoyage co-owner David Eder. “Why would you travel on a giant floating theme park with thousands of other people, when a smaller vessel can take you to new places, unreachable by road or air?”

Big boats need big, deep water ports to dock, so big mass market cruises are limited to big destinations with the necessary infrastructure to process a 100,000-ton boat and thousands of passengers. “We had our honeymoon on a Four Seasons cruise in the Maldives,” says EliteVoyage co-owner Markéta Udavská. “It was a 39-metre catamaran with only 11 accommodations. The nimble catamaran could stop almost anywhere.” Markéta continues: “We picnicked on deserted white sand islands, had a private spa on a tidal sandbank and snorkelled on our own in the Baa, Raa and Ari Atolls. Of all our holidays in the Maldives, the cruise was the one when we explored the most.”

Stereotypes about cruising are based on mass market cruises, a little unfairly, as mass market beach resorts aren’t so easily conflated with the very best private island resorts. Ships and cruise programs vary immensely and big is not better. It takes many hours for thousands of passengers to disembark, so mass market cruise companies compete for over the top amenities. “Viking made an artificial snow room on some of their ships. How sad. And unsustainable! If you want snow, cruise to a place where nature provides fresh virgin snow” jokes Markéta.

"The highlight of every journey on the water is where the vessel can go."

In contrast, Ponant’s six Explorer yachts measure only 131 metres and take less than 200 passengers. “We only recommend a very small fraction of cruise companies operating on the market. Each of these has a very different proposal to the big ships,” explains David. He adds: “A Silversea Cruise was one of my favourite ever travel experiences. I experienced the benefits of a small cruise ship - space, no crowds, no reserved times in restaurants. And the feeling of waking up each morning in another place made me feel like a true explorer.”

Ponant’s expeditions include cruising around Alaska or the Polynesian islands, like Papua New Guinea and remote Melanesia. They reach places bigger vessels simply can’t go, as Ponant Captain Michael Quioc explains: “Sailing in Polynesia is unique. At each stopover the ship must navigate a pass, usually a narrow and shallow area where coral reef separates the ocean from the lagoons it protects.”

The Society Islands, Cook Islands and Marquesas Islands are explored on cruises departing from Papeete in Tahiti, while Australia’s western and northern coasts are another example of Ponant’s expedition style of cruising. “The cruise program includes long stopovers in unspoilt settings, thus embodying my idea of luxury: having

time and space and experiencing this real dilution of space-time” continues Captain Michael Quioc. With Ponant that could be walking on the island of Fatu Hiva, where thousands of petroglyphs (rock carvings) narrate the life of past Marquesan chiefs. Or voyaging on an Alaskan sound amid orcas, grizzly bears, bald eagles and humpback whales.

"The future of cruising requires an expedition style of tourism that supports the future of these less explored places."

Four Seasons Explorer, Palau

Sustainable Cruising

▷ Latest technologies

▷ Connecting with local communities

▷ Kontiki Expeditions

Mass market cruises are among the least sustainable holidays. Venice and Amsterdam are among the cities now regulating against huge ships, to tackle both environmental harm and the burden of overtourism.

“Venice already has two airports and Amsterdam is Europe’s third busiest airport” says David. “The future of cruising is exploring places where not even airstrips, nor tourism, even exist. It requires an expedition style of tourism that supports the future of these places.”

An electronic positioning system enables Ponant’s ships to stop without anchoring in protected areas, while cruising at a slower speed reduces emissions, noise and vibrations for marine life. These advancements helped Ponant become the first cruise line to achieve Green Marine certification. Their aim is to build the world’s first zero emission cruise ship.

B Corp certified Kontiki Expeditions is the first cruise to become part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. “Kontiki Expeditions is a new concept focused on conscious travel and immersive experiences, both under-the-water and on land” explains Stephen Bailey, editor of Explorer. It’s a super yacht with nine staterooms, offering three different week-long itineraries. Two explore five provinces off the coast of Ecuador, routes that don’t incorporate the world-famous

Galapagos. The other ventures along Costa Rica’s Pacific coastline.

“The flexibility of small vessels is key to your experience. At each location there’s usually a highly unique experience, as this expedition style maximises your connection with the rare places you explore” explains David. The captain adapts each day’s program based on the conditions, wildlife and opportunities for guests. Most of the activities and excursions are simply impossible without the specific cruise program, as they are in places where tourism doesn’t typically exist.

Kontiki Expeditions visit remote coastal communities, who share their culture, traditions and ancestral lands, like the indigenous Cayapas, Épera and Awá communities of Esmeraldas province. Here guests join artisanal fishermen in collecting shellfish from the mangroves. In Pile, they meet weavers crafting the world’s finest toquilla straw hats (incorrectly known globally as “Panama” hats). For the communities, hosting small groups at well spaced intervals has a more positive impact than ad-hoc tourism. The same Toquilla expedition includes snorkelling with stingrays and whale sharks, walking trails to nesting blue-footed boobies, exploring cacao, cloud forests and hummingbirds. From a small yacht like the M/Y Kontiki Wayra, guests can also quickly get into the water to enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding and other water sports.

One reason to choose an expedition cruise over a private yacht charter is being able to enjoy such experiences with new, like-minded people. It’s the same reason why the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express wouldn’t be the same experience if it was privatised. Expedition cruises can generally offer a greater variety of experiences too, as the vessels carry more specialist equipment and guides, from helicopter sightseeing to spas which can be privatised. Smaller boats like Kontiki Expeditions' also allow for extensive connection with small communities and hands-on experiences. Maximum group size is 18 people, with a team of 13 experienced crew members, ensuring it’s still a very exclusive voyage.

Polar Cruising

▷ Scenic Eclipse

▷ Polar technology

▷ Antarctica holidays

The future of cruising is about maximising a connection with new places, where the experience is different on every journey. And there is an intersection between service and experience which makes cruising a very compelling travel opportunity. The best small ships have a near one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio, which creates a far superior guest proposal.

The Scenic Eclipse, for example, offers a Chef’s Table among other intimate fine dining options, butler service for all suites, and specialist guides taking guests to places nobody has ever travelled before, like a submersible in the Antarctic Ocean.

Ultimately, the future of cruising is finding a way to explore the most remote and inaccessible places on our planet, more sustainably, and in complete comfort. Nowhere is more challenging than the two poles, distant empty landscapes that are changing at unprecedented speed. Exploring such an evolving destination requires a very contemporary approach and this is something the family owned and operated Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has pioneered since 2019.

“Our two discovery yachts are essentially majestic megayachts, with an opportunity to reach pristine and remote places that almost no others do,” says Erwan Le Rouzic, Senior Captain for Scenic Discovery Yachts:

“They are a unique combination of an ultra-luxury yacht with the versatility and safety of an expedition ship.” The two Scenic Eclipse yachts spend November to March in Antarctica. Scenic Eclipse I goes to the Arctic in European summer, when Scenic Eclipse II offers expeditions in places like Borneo, Japan, New Zealand, and Kimberly in Western Australia.

Constructing a vessel for the poles meant considerations that wouldn’t be necessary in warm and tropical waters. Captain Erwan adds: “Our stabilisers are 50% larger than other ships of similar size. Our azipod propulsion system and generators reduce fuel consumption, vibrations and noise, so you sail in more comfort even on rough seas.” Classic polar vessels feature a reinforced hull so they can sail through ice that’s sometimes over a metre thick. Only icebreakers do better than Scenic Eclipse in this regard, boats with special technology to cut into the ice.

Building a ship for the Drake Passage and Antarctica also meant removing some of the more classic amenities expected on a cruise. Like a big outdoor swimming pool, an obvious absence when the ambient temperature is so low. Instead, they focused more on the spa, and private cabanas for enjoying the surrounding landscapes.

"A combination of an ultra-luxury yacht with the versatility and safety of an expedition ship"

Scenic Eclipse and king penguins in South Georgia

Adventures in the Unknown

▷ Penguin colonies

▷ Helicopter excursions

▷ Submersible adventures

A key highlight of Scenic Eclipse is the unique means to explore far beyond the ship. One of these is the submersible Scenic Neptune, which takes six guests deep into polar waters. Neptune pilot Alex Alderwick said: “No matter the weather on the surface, the second the submersible breaks the water you enter a calm and tranquil environment. The colour scheme explodes. All forms of life have incredible adaptations and you truly feel like you’re visiting an alien world. We’ve operated the first ever passenger submarine in several countries already. In South Georgia, in the Sub-Antarctic territories, we observed underwater species that had never been seen before. ”

Successfully operating diverse off boat experiences means getting passengers off the ship quickly. This is a huge differentiator with big cruise ships. Nobody wants to waste time queuing to disembark, especially somewhere as rare as Antarctica. When the Scenic Eclipse captain presses

Interior of the submersible Scenic Neptune

the dynamic positioning button - a more sustainable alternative to an anchor - the Scenic crew can deploy all activities and all passengers, within 20 to 30 minutes. Captain Erwan Le Rouzic adds, “carrying less than 200 guests gives us an opportunity to plan for at least one activity in the morning and one in the afternoon. Often they can be combined so you do up to four in one day.”

Scenic’s activities on the water are complemented by activities possible on land, the most famous in Antarctica being walking among a colony of migratory penguins. These majestic flightless seabirds are a favourite of Scott Barnes, helicopter pilot aboard Scenic Eclipse: “We can use the helicopter to explore areas completely inaccessible by any other means. This year we’ve been able to take guests to an emperor penguin colony with both adults and chicks, on sea ice in the Weddell Sea.”

EliteVoyage travel designer Michal Patek did an Antarctica cruise in 2023. He said: “Antarctica was a constantly evolving experience, I was always seeing more, enjoying more. I was always learning. On one zodiac cruise there were 20 whales all around me, some just five metres away. We watched penguins on an iceberg, hopping in and out of the water!” For Neptune pilot Alex Alderwick the number one client experien-

ce tends to be seeing “penguins swimming past the sub.” Michal adds: “Antarctica is a completely different holiday to anywhere else. And it’s not difficult to do.”

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) regulates the frequency, duration and number of guests landing in Antarctica. No two ships stop at the same site at the same time, and no more than 100 guests can land together. Ships without a diverse activity program must split their allocated time between more than 100 guests. IAATO reported that the majority of Antarctic tourism is not particularly exploratory. In 2022, over a quarter of all Antarctica landings were concentrated in just five places. Yet the emperor penguin colony in the Weddell Sea, visited by Scenic Eclipse, is only accessible by helicopter and may only see 100 guests in an entire season.

For helicopter pilot Scott Barnes, the sense of exploring the unexplored is central to the entire Antarctica cruising experience. “It’s like visiting another planet: the purity of the snow, the fantastic shapes and sizes of the icebergs, the shades of blue within the glacial crevasses and the exposed mountains that give you a sense of the immense amounts of ice that cover the continent. It is such a remote, untouched and jaw-droppingly beautiful landscape to fly in.”

Erwan Le Rouzic, Senior Captain for Scenic Discovery Yachst

Cruising in Comfort

▷ Different polar itineraries

▷ Reimagine gastronomy

▷ Future of cruise suites

Scenic Eclipse I explores the Antarctic Peninsula from Ushuaia, Argentina, where most Antarctic cruises embark. Itineraries range from 13 to 23 days. Scenic Eclipse II has charted a new route in 2024, cruising from New Zealand to East Antarctica. It’s a longer 25-day journey to an area very few vessels or people have ever visited. “Weather, fog and ice play a vital role in our operations. As we all say in the polar regions, there is no plan B, only several plan A’s” comments Captain Erwan: “We are often amazed by unexpected whale encounters. We adjust speed and route and enjoy the moment, even in the most unexpected hours. In the Arctic in late summer, when nights exist again, we can observe the Aurora Borealis.”

Scenic Eclipse in Antarctica, with Adélie penguins on Brown Bluff

Arctic itineraries with Scenic Eclipse are diverse, with the longest 15-day route travelling from Copenhagen to Greenland and then eastern Canada. Some itineraries focus primarily on one destination, like Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard or the Norwegian fjords. Others combine a range of Arctic destinations. Kay Sion is Head of Sales for Continental Europe at Scenic and says: “You can look at the Svalbard itinerary and wonder how you will spend ten full days in Svalbard? The itinerary has no fixed schedule or predetermined landing sites. It’s a flexible voyage looking for polar bears, walruses, whales, Arctic foxes, seals, seabirds, reindeer, wolverines, icebergs, glaciers, fjords. Nature will be your guide and you truly disconnect from everyday life.”

This move away from fixed schedules is a sharp contrast to traditional cruising, where the big operators continue to visit the same few places, with the same focus on boastful, on-board amenities. Scenic’s VP Hotel Operations Tom Goetter says the lack of a schedule is something that still surprises guests: “I love that it’s hard to find a routine as a guest on board. You don’t just discover nature and wildlife, you explore new food and drinks too.”

One option is the Night Market experience, serving a continually changing menu of Asian street food style dishes. It’s evolved from a Chef’s Table concept and is one of ten dining experiences on a ship for only 200 guests. Tom helps explain the logistics:

“In Antarctica you need to be very creative and find solutions, because whatever we don’t have on board we don’t have! When vegetables become soft we pickle or dehydrate them, when we run out of yoghurt or cream cheese we make it. Guests feel this confidence from our team and start to see culinary art in a new way, which is very important for me.”

Accommodation is another area where Scenic Eclipse has reimagined the cruise experience. It’s an all-suite concept, where every suite has a balcony and enjoys butler service. At 32 square metres, the entry-level suites are larger than the top suites on many Antarctica-bound vessels. Instead of portholes there are floor-to-ceiling windows. “The level of comfort surprises guests and sets the bar higher for cruising. We’re bringing a luxury experience into every space, every suite, every dining experience, but most of all, through the crew and service” says Captain Erwan Le Rouzic. Scenic are pioneers because they deliver this elevated comfort with a true expedition mentality. The cruises are not journeys from a to b, rather opportunities to explore what’s new, made accessible for anyone aged over 12. “Nobody else offers as much” finishes the captain, “ornithologists, historians, geologists, marine mammals specialists, kayak guides, SUP guides, heli pilots, submarine pilots: it’s a real luxury for us to share the wonders our planet has to offer, in exceptional comfort.”

Deluxe Verandah Suite on Scenic Eclipse

Arca catamaran in Italy

Private Yacht Charters

▷ Imagine Sailing

▷ Arca Sailing

▷ Flexibility

▷ Freedom

So gazing up at the stars in a deserted bay. Safely coming remarkably close to endangered wildlife. Sailing to beaches without people. Observing the coast from a quiet and private perspective, while connecting very diverse and untouched places. These experiences are now available on the best, modern expedition ships. They’ve always been highlights of chartering a yacht. However yachts are better known as symbols of luxury due to their opulent interiors and the one upmanship of having the biggest yacht in a harbour. For Sonia Larsen, founder of Arca Sailing, their appeal is something else: “On a yacht you can let go. You lose track of time and geography. And the other great luxury of holidaying on a boat is near 100% flexibility and freedom, at all times.”

Yachts can explore almost anywhere along a coastline, to access hidden and remote destinations that remain beyond the reach of conventional vessels. This capability is the magic of Imagine, a sail yacht that also becomes a gateway to discovery, anywhere in the world. Yet chartering a yacht has traditionally focused on something else. Globally, there are many thousands of luxury yachts available, the majority of them bookable on online platforms. “Charters have typically

focused on magnificent looking yachts, yet the actual vessel is only one part of your holiday experience” argues Petr Udavský, CEO of EliteVoyage. “What about service? What about crew? What about the expertise that’s required so you can truly discover, on your terms?”

The best cruise ships react to their environment, maximising the experience for all guests. Private yachts react to the preferences and desires of the individual guests. “We work with travel designers who know their clients, to ensure everything about the boat and itinerary is personalised” explains Sonia. “Still, people say I thought I wanted that, but let’s do this instead. Some want to party, some like secluded. The catamaran's extreme flexibility means we can constantly adapt and the crew know how to catch the vibe of each client.”

Localised expertise among the crew is essential and is one reason Arca Sailing focuses exclusively on only five Italian destinations. “Our favourite is the Aeolian Islands in Sicily, seven islands in seven days, it’s off the beaten track, diverse, beautiful, and only known by Italians” says Sonia. Arca also ventures to the Egadi Islands to the west of Palermo, a combination of Sardinia and Corsica, plus the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Ischia. Charters are for seven days from May to the end of October, except “we don’t do Amalfi in July and August because it’s too crowded” adds Sonia.

In contrast, Imagine has circumnavigated the globe three times, competed in the Louis Vuitton Cup finals among other global competitions, and won the International Superyacht Design Award. Imagine is a boat that needs to satisfy her adventurous soul. She's sailed through the wild bays of Costa Rica, the icy waters of Alaska, New Zealand, the Norwegian fjords and the Caribbean. For the entire summer of 2024 Imagine will be based in the Mediterranean. Each itinerary is individually made, different in terms of adventure, culture, fun and exploration, incorporating maritime and onshore experiences.Petr Udavský adds: "We work with yacht operators who can craft every itinerary to the desires of the guests. Companies like Imagine can curate highly individualised experiences in each destination they visit, from remote beach barbecues to experiences with local people, traditions and communities."

Comparing Private Boats

▷ Sail yachts

▷ Catamarans

▷ Motor yachts

▷ River cruising

Sail boats have a single hull and can offer more than adequate comfort and space, especially as modern boat design has evolved towards wider sterns and hulls. Without refuelling limitations, the best sail boats can truly travel to new frontiers. Wind power is also more sustainable and serene than an engine. Sailing is an experience marked by a deliberately unhurried pace, the boats in symbiosis with nature. It transforms the journey into a meaningful and contemplative experience, far removed from the haste of modern travel.

Motor yachts are widely considered to be the most luxurious and they are the most expensive type of vessel to charter. They are noisier and the fuel consumption can be huge, an important expense to remember. Most sailboat charters will mix sailing and motoring and offer almost complete flexibility day by day, with guests able to change and decide the itinerary with only 30 minutes notice. “Sailing is pure freedom” says Petr, "you arrive at a beautiful place and decide to stay for an hour, an afternoon, a day. With the captain, you choose where to go and when. The main limitation for any style of boat is the weather. An experienced captain and crew is essential for maximising your holiday, in the rare times of bad weather”.

Belmond's four-bedroom Amaryllis barge travels through Burgundy's wine region between St-Léger-sur-Dheune and Pontailler-sur-Saône

“A catamaran is more comfortable and stable, because it has two hulls. You feel the waves and movement less, it’s like being in a villa that travels wherever you want, it’s a more relaxed way to travel” argues Sonia. For the same length vessel, a catamaran also offers a lot more space, as well as more different types of space to hang out; inside, the flight deck, the outdoor spaces, the front and back of the boat. Stability and space make catamarans ideal for large families and especially when sailing with kids. Twin hull catamarans are also more fuel efficient than monohulls, which are usually cheaper to charter and moor.

A tranquil journey of exploration on the water isn’t restricted to salty waters either. Belmond operates a fleet of seven river barges in France. Coquelicot has an exclusive partnership with Ruinart and goes from Sillery to Epernay, stopping at the vineyards of Champagne. Napoléon is a larger six-cabin barge travelling on the Rhône through Provence, from Tain L’Hermitage to Avignon. Excursions can include truffle tasting, biking the lavender fields and hot air ballooning. Slow travel is the concept, meandering through unspoiled and less known areas on Art Nouveau refurbished boats with interiors to match Belmond’s stylish hotels.

“Understanding the specific benefits of each individual vessel is essential when we arrange yacht charter holidays for our clients” says Petr Udavský. “We can achieve this through our close partnerships with individual operators, the best of the best in the industry. We know and trust them to deliver not only the high level of service, but also the personalisation of exceptional and extraordinary experiences in each location.” Yacht charters can also be incorporated into a longer holiday. For example, sailing around the Komodo Islands then flying between other Indonesian island beach resorts, or near infinite possibilities in the Caribbean. “Think about the emotions and how you want to feel on a yacht holiday” concludes Petr, “it’s not only about chartering a yacht, it’s an entire holiday experience which is built around the freedom the yacht can provide.”

The future of yacht charters is defined by possibility, thanks to a small number of exceptional operators, rather than the evergrowing list of superyachts available to charter. Whether it’s an exclusive-use charter or a boutique expedition ship, the future of cruising is realising what freedom really means on a boat: the value of being among the first to explore off the beaten path places, long before they become talked about destinations.

PORTUGAL

Explorer editor Stephen Bailey discovers a small country that’s easily accessible and remarkably diverse. Beach, city, history, island, nature? What is a Portugal holiday?

PraiadoCamilo,Algarve

For four days we’ve basked in privacy on the sand, wandered through caves to hidden bays, made sandcastles on long sunny days.

Sunset paints the sky as a wave breaks left down below. From the clifftop I listen to Atlantic Ocean echoes. There's nobody on the beach. There's rarely anybody on the beach here. For four days we’ve basked in privacy on the sand, wandered through caves to hidden bays, made sandcastles on long sunny days. We’re in Alentejo, the large rural region between Lisbon and the Algarve. Porto Covo to be exact, a small village of cobblestone streets, whitewashed townhouses and intrigue, where smells of baking and espresso mingle with the salty air.

Tourism is very new here and it’s a very tranquil and escapist beach destination. It feels like the very essence of a Portugal holiday. Yet I’ve had a similar feeling in all six Portuguese regions we’ve visited during this holiday. Porto Cove is my idea of paradise. But the Atlantic Ocean is too cold and rough for my two-year-old daughter Leia, who also seems bored by the lack of facilities here. She much preferred the Algarve, where our holiday started.

Lagos,Algarve

Carvoeiro,Algarve

Splashing in resort pools and children’s entertainment is more of Leia’s vibe. For me, the Algarve is paddle boarding on lush Mediterranean waters, alongside limestone and sandstone cliffs. It’s exploring one of Europe’s most beautiful coastlines. Pinnacles jut out from the water like a giant´s fingers, small bays only become accessible at low tide, and serviced beaches hide down country lanes.

The Algarve’s popularity means the experience is different in neighbouring places. In one whitewashed fishing village the natural beauty of southern Portugal is overtaken by Irish pubs and drab tourist restaurants. In the next village I’m feasting on fresh tuna from a chalkboard menu, washed down with vinho verde. High-rise overdevelopment has ruined Portimao while nearby Lagos is a real gem, full of small boutiques, chic restaurants and seafaring explorer history. The Algarve epitomises the importance of local expertise and detailed trip planning.

For each place of mass tourism, my guide can reveal somewhere rare and untouched. For every overcrowded bay there’s a quiet, hidden piece of coastline to discover.

A protected natural park near Sagres is one of these. Here I’m enjoying al fresco dining at an oceanfront beach house with my wife. Our day has been barefoot on the beach, Portuguese wine and getting lost in a book (José Saramago, naturally). Leia’s has been painting, music and outdoor adventures, at a kids club specifically for two and three year olds. Martinhal Sagres Family Resort is the best family resort we’ve ever experienced because the activities and five kids clubs are so specifically age appropriate. And fun. And outdoors. The accommodations prioritise space and functionality. The restaurants´ children’s menus include special baby purees. We’re relaxing, Leia’s playing and it feels like the essence of Portugal, an easy family holiday on the beach.

Except, I know there’s a contradiction. A resort holiday in the Algarve isn’t very authentically Portuguese. We travel north to Lisbon and soon find ourselves getting lost in the windy, hilly lanes of Alfama, Chiado and Bairro Alto. It’s our third time in Lisbon and we simply love these three districts. Chatter emanates from bar terraces and praças, laughter swirls in the dusk light and buskers set the scene at the city’s many viewpoints. There’s life and energy everywhere, yet still time to stop, say hello, sip a beer and enjoy the vista. Sip, rather than gulp, because Portugal’s beer is nowhere near the excellence of its wine.

Lisbon is a city for exploring without Google maps. There’s as much beauty in the vernacular as the landmarks, more allure in juxtapositions than single scenes. We hear fado music on street corners, find hipster boutiques in a seemingly abandoned riverfront warehouse, drink countless espressos in azulejo-tiled

cafes, and taste dishes by three Michelinstarred chefs in TimeOut Market. A single city block in central Lisbon can mix grandeur, grunge, graffiti and glamour, in a way that’s both effortlessly fashionable and completely homely. Fueled by innumerable pastel de natas we spend our days walking and exploring by tram, continually trying out new places in an irresistible urban maze.

We also love Lisbon because of the beaches, castles and mountains surrounding the city. There are day trips galore. Like Sintra, where pastel-coloured fortresses of unknown origins poke between the trees. Or crossing the River Tagus south to quiet surf beaches. After four days in Lisbon I always feel I could stay for another four weeks. But is a capital city a true reflection of a country? Lisbon is Lisbon, a destination in its own right, for a long weekend or a whole week on holiday. So in search of Portugal’s essence we rent a car and slowly travel towards Porto.

PaláciodePena,Sintra

Portugal

Trams in Lisbon

CapilladelasAlmas,Porto

IgrejadoCarmo,Porto

Dramatic tales of the Templar Knights dominate at the Convent of Christ in Tomar. It’s Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline, all in a single vista. The medieval streets of Obidos rise to a towering fortress with seventh-century origins. Here we dine on petiscos, cod croquettes and octopus salad among the highlights. Nazare is defined by windswept streets and the roaring sound of monster Atlantic waves. Time moves slowly in Coimbra, an old university town, where we dine on goat roasted in a wood-fired oven and large bowls of pork and cow bones, the meat flaking off upon touch. In Aveiro we cruise along canals in a colourful longboat and in Cortegaça we gawp at the divinely tiled facade of Santa Marinha de Cortegaça.

This Centro region of Portugal is a playground for the curious, loaded with history and traditions. At each stop we seek out a kiosk, the quintessential Portuguese meeting place. In other countries, such hexagonal kiosks sell newspapers, lottery tickets and soft drinks. In Portugal they’re informal cafe bars attracting young and old, well dressed and seemingly destitute alike. From these beautiful Moorish and art nouveau kiosks comes beer, pastries, liquor and what feels like an insight into Portugal´s soul. Completing our journey to Porto I feel the essential Portugal holiday is experiencing its laid-back culture and preserved traditions. Like the wooden rabelo boats cruising on the Douro River, laden with wine and port barrels. Many European countries have preserved their traditions and some also have a very laid-back culture. In Portugal it just feels so easy to be part of that, even as camerasnapping tourists with a noisy toddler.

SantaMarinhadeCortegaça

Climbing aboard a rabelo we spend a morning on the Douro, stopping at a vineyard for wine tasting and lunch. An afternoon exploring port wine is unmissable, although the cellars are not actually in Porto. Port wine producers established their businesses across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, ostensibly to avoid taxes and tolls. Exploring is easy in Porto, the country’s second city considerably smaller than Lisbon. Narrow townhouses of contrasting colours cast shadows across the river. Immense street art covers the sides of buildings, historic scenes created by thousands of handpainted tiles. This is azulejo, ornamental tiles first produced by the Moors. From churches and palaces, to train stations and restaurants, or simply a wall at the end of a street, this omnipresent art makes Porto a striking destination. With an art guide we explore a thousand years of Portuguese history, told in tiles.

Porto is more of a classic long weekend destination, especially now there are direct flights to so many European cities. It’s part exploration, part wine and relaxation. Leia seems to prefer it to Lisbon, probably because the highlights are more concentrated and we don’t walk as much. From Porto the obvious add on is a wellness stay up the river, at Six Senses Douro Valley. We go in search of nature instead, taking a two-hour flight over to the island of Madeira.

Immense street art covers the sides of buildings, historic scenes created by thousands of hand painted tiles.

The Atlantic Ocean island of Madeira is not a beach destination. Sharp volcanic peaks and towering cliffs set the scene. Paved roads turn to rough four-wheel-drive tracks as we soar above the clouds for a sunrise breakfast. Wine is grown in dark volcanic soils. Dolphins and whales are amazing highlights on a yacht cruise. At the bustling Funchal market I try black scabbardfish with banana, while at Reid’s Palace I go for cucumber sandwiches and fresh scones during afternoon high tea.

Winston Churchill and George Bernard Shaw are among the luminaries who came to Madeira for peace and afternoon tea. Specifically to Reid’s Palace, now a Belmond hotel, where the best two suites are named after their patronage. Yet Madeira doesn’t feel like an island to sip tea and relax. And while there are beaches, they’re not the reason to come. It’s an island of astonishing nature and outdoor adventures, the menu of hiking trails far longer than the choice of 24 teas. In Madeira there’s something for every adventure and fitness level, even a beautiful hike for a two-year-old.

In Funchal there’s the CR7 museum dedicated to Madeira’s favourite son. But Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t the essence of Portugal. In Madeira I realise a constant to all Portugal’s destinations: the freedom and pleasure of a culture and life lived outdoors. It’s a country to visit from March to October, not just somewhere for the summer holidays.

From Madeira we return to Lisbon on one of the many direct daily flights. Porto plus Lisbon and Madeira is a great three-destination holiday to consider. Flying to The Azores islands is yet another destination. With four holiday days remaining we set out to Portugal’s least-known region. Alentejo is on my radar because of fashion designer Christian Louboutin. When he escapes Paris he goes to his favourite place, Melides in Alentejo. After 20 years of escapism he’s opened his own hotel, Vermelho. It’s magnificent, 13 relatively small rooms, each so distinct in style, texture and tone. Everything is bright, bold and sexy, which is somewhat incongruous with the softly coloured vineyards, rice fields and ocean that is Alentejo.

Portugal

Then again, a lot of Alentejo is as incongruous to me as a 15 centimetre stiletto with a red sole. At local seafood restaurants the price of shellfish changes, minute by minute, as supply meets demand from diners. Razor clams, barnacles, lavagante lobster, enguias (eels) are all magnificent and everyone appears to just keep ordering more. Swathes of the Alentejo interior are scarred black, cork forests turned to ash piles and burnt tree trunks after summers of forest fires. It’s a depressing, reflective sight. Destinations can’t be taken for granted. Put off a dream trip for too long and the opportunity to go may no longer exist.

What amazes me are the Alentejo villages. Every facade is painted brightly white, each cobblestone street full of a languid and welcoming atmosphere. Exploring beyond the forests there are some stunning country estates, like Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Torre de Palma Wine Hotel and L’AND Vineyards. They’re retreats for couples, unapologetically authentic and Portuguese, places for completely forgetting about the rest of the world. In Alentejo the few top hotels are not on the beach. There aren’t any hotels on the beach. Instead, there’s a hundred kilometres of protected reserves and

CalhaudasAchadasdaCruz,Madeira

deserted beaches. Where are all the people? How do such stunning beaches remain so unknown, in Europe? Alentejo is for beach and culture explorer holidays, rather than beach bumming.

DolphinsoffthecoastofCalheta,Madeira

PortoCovo

TorredePalmaWineHotel

HotelVermelho

PortoCovo

So as I sit on the cliffs in Porto Covo, listening to the Atlantic Ocean echoes, I realise that Portugal isn’t one thing or another. It’s all of the above, it’s whatever holiday you feel like. Family, couple, city, island, wine, art. Old, new, nature, neighbourhoods, adventure. Doing nothing on one beach or exploring dozens of beaches. Other countries offer such diversity too, the USA for example. But they’re big. Portugal wraps all this within a neat and easy package. Wherever we’ve been, almost everything we’ve experienced, has come with an inescapable Portuguese atmosphere. Everywhere made us feel relaxed and at home, encouraged us to explore and try what’s local. Isn’t it great to have a country of such surprises and diversity, so relatively close to home?

The Ocean

Artist Sina Ritter

Award-winning underwater artist Sina Ritter spends her life moving from coast to coast, continuously documenting different marine environments. She’s an oceanic nomad, offering a visual voice to the ocean and its hidden treasures, connecting people to the soft side of raw wilderness. Fresh from her success at Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023, Explorer met Sina to discuss our planet’s most abundant yet least known place: the oceans.

The Ocean Artist, Sina Ritter

The Ocean Artist, Sina Ritter

Sina, what are your favourite ocean experiences?

It’s always been about dolphins and whales for me. Since childhood I’ve been tearing up whenever I hear their singing and click noises, it goes through me in such an intense and beautiful way. Recently in Utila, Honduras, I had a lot of intimate encounters with smaller marine life. Like when a single fish allows me to follow it around the reef, or a shoal of squid showing off in front of my lens. Immersing myself in 40 minutes of their existence is a mesmerising thing to do on a sunny afternoon.

Have you always been lured by the water?

The idea of living alongside a body of water has been a dream for as long as I can remember. As a kid I was obsessed with dolphins, I still am. They symbolise the essence of the ocean as I perceive it, the spirit of boundless freedom and pure joy. Growing older in a landlocked country, I lost sight of that feeling. It was through surfing that I reconnected with the ocean, which eventually led me to centre my life around it. When you feel the ocean you let go of worries and all the mind chaos. Just like dolphins.

Tell us more about being an oceanic nomad. What is it and how did it start?

I don´t know if oceanic nomad is a thing, to me it feels like it is. It all started with surfing for me and my now-husband Fabian. We were young, we were studying, and between terms we left everything to drive 22 hours to Andalusia, to go surfing at the beach that feels like our homebreak. When we had to go back to Germany we were always devastated. It felt like leaving behind our true selves. Back in Germany, we felt homesick for the ocean.

Our travels grew longer, our love for the ocean grew stronger. In 2017 we got married and went on a prolonged honeymoon trip, to dip into diverse cultures and see which destinations resonated with us the most: New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Ireland, America,

You have to listen carefully to what the animals are telling you.

Costa Rica. One experience truly stood out. In New Zealand, you always have the ocean near you. You hike a volcano and the ocean is still in reach. The swell is picking up? So let’s drive and go surfing! We realised it was wild nature and the ocean’s raw power we needed, not just on holidays, but on a daily basis. Back then, we were living in the Black Forest, which we loved, but there’s no ocean. If you´re a snowboarder you don´t live in the desert, right? So we decided to sell everything and create a life centred around what we love most. The ocean.

Where do you go?

We usually don’t stay in one place for too long, about four months before moving on. We drift between familiar shores and new, exciting places. It often feels there are different stages in my life for different areas of the ocean. After almost ten years of an intense relationship with the Atlantic, this chapter is slowly coming to an end. The Atlantic taught me so much. Not just in surfing, but also as an ocean photographer. The big waves in Nazaré, that raw untamed power of the Atlantic, the whales in Gibraltar. For this next chapter I am drawn to warmer, more tropical waters, with greater visibility for diving and underwater photography. Now I’m in the Red Sea in Egypt, then next will be Mexico to focus on bigger marine life.

Soul Surfer

Captured in the golden hour following the semi-finals of the World Surf League 2022 in Peniche, Portugal, this image is a tribute to the very soul of surfing. As the swell began to rise again, the competition faded into the backdrop and both professionals and amateur surfers alike were united by the pull of the waves.

The Ocean Artist, Sina Ritter

Sina Ritter

Fins & Faces

Taken during a conservation dive aimed at culling the invasive lionfish population, a necessary measure to protect the native marine biodiversity of Utila's reefs (Honduras). Surprisingly, a nurse shark emerged from the blue. It drew closer, entranced by the captured lionfish. The diver, respectful of the shark's space, redirected it with a soft touch of his fin - a silent dance between two species.

How did your work and life evolve from surfing on the waves, to exploring what’s beneath them?

Surfing is a hobby of mine, but the underwater world, that’s where everything just clicks. However, diving only became a part of my life when surfing wasn’t an option for a few months. My first day, I was so scared. My ears were hurting, mask clearing was a problem, all those typical beginner problems that turn out to be mostly mental blocks. The ocean teaches us about letting go of control, again and again, and both the Mediterranean sea and my instructor were very patient. So I finished the course, took another one straight away, then was heartbroken to leave the underwater world behind. It took some time until I was comfortable enough with my buoyancy to take my camera with me. When I finally did it felt like this is where I truly belonged.

As an ocean photographer you’re going into a wild and changing environment. What is your mindset when you take your camera underwater?

I usually don’t have a composition in mind beforehand. I’m my most authentic self in the water and I just go with how the ocean makes me feel. It’s more emotional, less scientific. Crisp images are great, but

for me it’s less about technical details, I want to convey the emotion, convey the feeling during that moment. Especially in my marine life encounters, I always try to showcase an intimate portrait of that animal, getting close to it, showing the connection with the marine world.

How are you able to get close and connect with these marine animals, especially animals that are much bigger and faster than you?

We humans tend to think we are so important and superior to nature, when in fact we are just another species. I always remind myself that the animals I want to photograph are on the same level as I am. That may sound like the little girl who wanted to swim with dolphins and maybe it’s a romanticised view of the natural world, but when you start thinking like that, a lot changes. I’m a guest in this marine world and these animals are just as curious as we are. So I approach them with patience, respect and understanding, without making them feel threatened. Over time, I've learned to read their cues and movements, which guides me in how close I can get. Of course, as with us humans, they don't want to socialise every day in the same way. If I respect that, they trust me in return.

I always try to showcase an intimate portrait of that animal, getting close to it, showing the connection with the marine world.

A New Dawn

Witnessing the miraculous moment of a baby turtle hatching and embarking on its first ever journey to the ocean is an experience that leaves a lasting imprint on your soul. Bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, this little adventurer takes advantage of the high tide, making its journey shorter and escaping the watchful eyes of predators.

The Ocean Artist, Sina Ritter

Prism Break

A critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle ascending towards the shimmering surface of the Red Sea. In order to convey the hopeful spirit of this encounter, I emphasised the play of natural light and framed the scene with the surrounding reef.

The Kiss Patience is essential to capture intimate moments like this one of an angelfish feeding on coral, a relationship vital for both the fish and the delicate reef ecosystem it calls home. The animal must become comfortable with your presence and accept you as a visitor in its underwater world.

Does that also mean you have to approach different marine animals in different ways?

Of course! A real wildlife encounter is exactly that: wild. That also means it’s an interaction on their terms. All species have unique personalities, some share more of it, some less. It’s always a dialogue and you have to listen carefully to what the animals are telling you. That’s also what I try to convey in my art, especially now with climate change altering marine inhabitants and behaviours. I want to highlight this eye-toeye communication so you can truly feel their unique personalities. Because they won’t be like that forever.

There’s certainly a striking sense of intimacy in your art, now also recognised when you were awarded second place in the UN World Oceans Day 2023 Photo Competition. Tell us about your development as a photographer.

I’ve always been drawn to telling stories. I wanted to write, tell stories with my words. I didn’t realise it was actually a visual thing until 2019, when Fabian´s old Nikon camera came into my hand. I started with nature and landscapes in general, then my focus gradually shifted to aquatic themes, from the waterfalls of the Black Forest to flying a drone over Norway's vast expanses of water for 60 days. When a friend of mine started with surf photography I thought "wow, taking the camera with me in the water, that would be so cool!" I bought a water housing, however, my aim wasn't the usual surf shots. Rather, the textures and colours of the ocean, the coastal areas seen from water and finally, to capture all the treasures of the underwater world I used to dream of as a child.

Have you noticed the oceans changing during your time as a marine photographer and oceanic nomad?

Yes, especially in the details. When I come back to places I realise the differences. For example, our surf break in Andalusia has changed so much we can barely surf it anymore. This development has been there forever, but it’s become so drastic in such a short amount of time. When I go to a new place it’s always the same story. Locals telling me about changing seasons and rapidly decreasing marine life. Honduras has been known as the whale shark capital of the world, but with increasing boat traffic the whale sharks have left. In Costa Rica, rising temperatures have impacted the gender ratio of turtle hatchlings so there are now more females, which of course affects the future balance of already endangered turtle populations. On certain beaches, there are dead baby turtles everywhere, the smell in the air really gets to you. Nature has always been like that, not all baby turtles are supposed to get through, but it’s the sheer amount.

I’m my most authentic self in the water and I just go with how the ocean makes me feel.

The Ocean Artist, Sina Ritter

Have you also experienced success stories during your travels?

There’s definitely change going on already, it's just slow. There are so many coastal organisations doing great things. Many countries are now prioritising ocean conservation. In Kaikoura, New Zealand, for example, the protection of dusky dolphins is approached with a blend of traditional Maori knowledge and modern conservation techniques. In Costa Rica, the ban on shark finning and the establishment of marine protected areas have led to a significant rebound in marine biodiversity. Diving around Utila, Honduras, I was very impressed with the locals efforts to educate the community about sustainable tourism with minimal impact. Such initiatives are vital. That way, people still have the opportunity to feel and experience nature's wonders. It opens their eyes to the fragility and helps our cause to protect the oceans.

How can people ensure they have positive ocean experiences and don’t harm the marine life they come to see?

You have to be mindful about which organisation to choose. Choose tours and operators that prioritise sustainability and adhere to environmental guidelines. And question their actions! Nowadays, almost every organisation claims to be "ethical". But are they? Ask yourself, is it okay for the animal that I am here? One rule is to always stay away from baiting animals. It changes animal behaviour in a way we can´t foresee. Sharks, for example, are ancient beings, they know how to feed themselves. Always remember that you are a visitor in their natural habitat and ensure you don’t leave any garbage or pollutants in the ocean. This includes being mindful of sunscreen and other body products that could harm sensitive marine ecosystems.

What do you see as the future for the oceans?

I firmly believe in a positive future of our ocean and I think we all have a role to play in protecting it. But how can we stand up for something we don't even know exists? That's where my ocean art comes in. I hope I am doing my own small part, bringing the ocean to people everywhere, especially those who don't live near the coast. I want to give them a sense and reminder of why the ocean is so special and worth protecting. My goal is to create a connection between people and the ocean through my art. If people feel connected, they're more likely to care and want to protect it. So, in my own way, I'm hoping to inspire others to join in and help look after our oceans.

My goal is to create a connection between people and the ocean through my art.

The Ocean Artist, Sina Ritter

The Ocean Artist, Sina Ritter

Snout Scout

Encounters such as this, where wild and free dolphins approach on their own terms, create a powerful connection between humans and the marine world. The immediate smile their presence brings to our faces underscores a deeper question: how could we not feel compelled to protect these creatures?

The Curator Arnaud Zannier

Explorer interviews Arnaud Zannier, founder and CEO of Zannier Hotels.

cover photo Arnaud Zannier at Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô

Zannier Hotels Sonop, Namibia

Arnaud, you come from the fashion industry, first with developing the Kickers footwear brand and then your own label, n.d.c made by hand. What were your biggest learnings and challenges making the jump to hospitality?

There are more similarities than people think between fashion and hospitality. When you create a product in fashion or hospitality, you need a passion for beautiful things, for putting together pieces, materials and colours. The mechanism of creativity is very similar, whether it’s something people will wear or a place people will enjoy. You need to create a brand, understand your DNA and the key elements that make your brand. Of course they are two different industries. For me the transition came by opportunity and passion. And then, like most businesses, you learn while you build it. You have to make your mistakes, go through the learning curve. Not being from the industry can be an advantage if you’re really ambitious, because you don’t have limits, you can think and create, explore any approach, any ideas you have. Then you will see how customers react, see if they enjoy it or not.

My biggest learning is to get the right people around you, because you can’t reinvent the wheel. You can adapt, change, explore opportunities, but you need your basics. I like to have a very tight team around me because I’m really hands on and into every topic, every decision. At the same time I trust them and let them do what they’re good at.

You describe Zannier Hotels as a new era for progressive luxury hospitality. What exactly do you mean by that?

I really felt that the five-star international brands all had the same approach towards luxury, a materialist approach. At the time, it was all about big hotels, big designers, Michelin starred chefs… Today I call traditional luxury what we do, but in 2010, shiny hospitality was the norm. Everybody was going for these hotels, everybody was happy with them. As a consumer I wasn’t so excited to pay a lot of money just to stay in an incredible, huge, high-ceilinged room. I felt that my generation was looking for an alternative luxury, more humble and human, to be able to live a moment that will stick in our memory forever.

In order to give that sort of experience to guests, you have to be far more creative. Luxury consumers have seen it all, they’ve stayed in the most beautiful places, their homes are incredible places full of beautiful things. So if you want to surprise them with a one-of-a-kind experience you need to create it, you need to curate it. That starts with identifying locations that are different, finding places offering very specific experiences with nature, local community and culture. Big international hotels were coming with a very well established concept, right down to the interior design details. They were replicating their format all over the world. But what’s the point of flying to the other side of the world, to stay in a hotel you’ve already seen 20 times?

My generation was looking for an alternative luxury, more humble and human, to live a moment that will stick in our memory forever.

One of the key successful elements of our approach was trying to create unique places belonging to the local culture, country and place. That completely transforms the experience. On top of that, we aimed for a humble approach to luxury and hospitality. We don’t want the perfect waiter. We want a waiter with personality, who has a story to tell, who enjoys what they do in life and will participate in the overall experience of our customers.

The Curator, Arnaud Zannier

Can you give us an insight into your curation process? How do you translate local into something that’s comfortable and inspiring for discerning travellers who have seen it all?

When you explore a new destination you try to immerse yourself in the culture, you discover places, you look around. It’s my personality to be curious and I am passionate about discovering and learning. I’m not an architect, I’m not an interior designer, I was not even a fashion designer before that. I’m born into an entrepreneurial family and have always loved beautiful things. I put together things which I feel are right together, which are natural to me.

One key element for a successful customer experience is to design from the inside out. A lot of hoteliers start by asking the architect to design buildings, then the interior designers and operations come later. For me, it’s far more challenging to create the right experience and vibe this way. It’s better to imagine how you want your guests to enjoy their moment with you, through their experiences, through their stay in the room. Then you find the right architecture to go around it.

Of course you have a program when you imagine a new place; what kind of experiences you want to offer, how many rooms, the size of the rooms etcetera. Then you try to adapt on your site, make sure your architects can make the site even stronger, by enhancing and praising distinctive elements of the culture so it feels genuine. Architects often want to impose a big gesture on the land, whereas we really try to do the opposite: try to adapt to very different destinations and different cultures, whether it is in Africa, Asia or Europe. This gives us the opportunity to create unique products and this is what we’re passionate about. It would be boring to replicate and do exactly the same hotel again and again.

Architects often want to impose a big gesture on the land, whereas we really try to do the opposite: try to adapt to very different destinations and different cultures, whether it is in Africa, Asia or Europe.

As you adapt to different conditions and cultures, does there become a time when you must also adapt your processes?

The creative mechanism and approach are always the same. The surroundings will influence what we are going to create on each individual site; the panorama, the wildlife, the weather - everything. You have to take all the elements and they will lead you towards one concept. Architecture is there to frame nature, to frame what is around you, to create that wow effect. In Namibia we have two lodges in completely different surroundings. Zannier Hotels Omaanda is in a conservation reserve with wild animals and carnivores, whereas Zannier Hotels Sonop in the Namib Desert s all about vastness, considering the incredible landscape it stands in. So we have to frame the nature within the architecture differently.

The Curator, Arnaud Zannier

Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô, Vietnam

You are the curator of all Zannier Hotels properties and have created something that’s one of a kind every single time. Is there one that’s closest to your heart?

The one I favour is the next one, because it’s the one I’m busy with personally. I spend 60 to 70 percent of my time on new projects, finding new places, negotiations, curation, design, construction, until the product is open. My mind is always curious to see the end result of this creative process.

The next project we are about to open is always more exciting - this is at least the feeling I have. When we started with Megève, it was our first one, it was super exciting. We then went to Siem Reap in Cambodia, a completely different culture, a different size also with 45 rooms versus 12 previously. It was exciting to test myself in a different league. Then we went to Africa which was again so different, needing to learn new skills in terms of construction and design. And so on with Vietnam and now back to France with Zannier Hotels Bendor.

Tell us more about Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang in Cambodia, when you tested yourself in a different league.

Zannier Hotels’ development has been through opportunities and meeting people. When we opened Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang, we were lucky to have Angelina Jolie staying with us for four to five months, with her entire family. It’s a place she discovered by herself in a magazine, as she was preparing to film First They Killed My Father, a Netflix movie about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. She ripped out a page and told her assistant to get in touch. Angelina turned up at the hotel one day and said it’s better than what she read. We negotiated the privacy so half the resort was for her group, the rest for other guests.

Every step in our adventure has been more exciting, by the format, location, technical challenges, everything.

We have been appointed to manage a whole island in France. We will be renovating and operating Île de Bendor on behalf of the Ricard family. It is an iconic private island, a destination first imagined by pastis pioneer Paul Ricard, 70 years ago. We have to prove to the hospitality world, 12 years after Megève, that we can do one of a kind and amazing hotels in Europe, on this bigger scale. Every step in our adventure has been more exciting, by the format, location, technical challenges, everything.

It was a good experience and Angelina told me to visit Namibia; she’s in love with that country, where she adopted one of her children. So I ended up visiting her friends, Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren who run a NGO called N/A’ an ku sê. I toured the country with Rudie and he told me about this 7500 hectares of land next to their foundation. It was about to be sold to developers, which would have impacted the fauna and flora. After being touched by Namibia’s beauty I eventually decided to purchase the land and turn it into the Zannier Reserve, a conservation reserve next to the capital Windhoek, now the setting for Zannier Hotels Omaanda. I’ve been lucky because since starting this business, I’ve had an ability to meet with incredible people, who gave us opportunities to continue developing what we’re doing today.

The Curator, Arnaud Zannier

Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang, Cambodia

Zannier Hotels Omaanda, Namibia

Namibia is also a country we’ve fallen in love with at Explorer. What is the conservation work you’re doing out there?

I was not planning to go to Africa and I had no skills or knowhow of conservation. Building a lodge, managing it, welcoming customers, this we know how to do. Conservation was an extra element. Angelina has also invested in our rhino and elephant clinic and I proposed that the N/A’ an ku sê fondation would be the local partner, handling the conservation side of the business. Our private Zannier Reserve by N/A’ an ku sê specialises in welcoming injured rhinos and elephants, because poaching is still quite an issue in Namibia. Today, we have five desert adapted lions thriving in the reserve - lions unique to Namibia and driven towards extinction due to conflict with humans. A pack of African wild dogs roams freely too, as well as three majestic elephants and hundreds of other wild animals.

We had the opportunity to create a lodge to support the conservation initiative, to preserve this piece of land and its inhabitants, the animals. We have various conservation activities for guests too, they can visit the clinic and our anti poaching unit consisting of more than 20 people. Whenever needed, we take the injured animal into the reserve. It can live in the reserve and if everything goes well it goes back into the wild.

So when you’re not curating one-of-a-kind hotels in remote places, where do you spend your free time and holidays?

Since the pandemic we’re trying to organise our life in a different way, with my wife and newborn. Our base is London but I don't spend more than four or five months a year there. We are working seven days a week but trying to also insert moments of personal life, where we try to disconnect for half a day, or have a couple hours to do an experience, a spa, or just enjoy the moment. Holidays, we spend them with family and friends, all around the world, although the last time we went away for more than a week was my engagement, in the Amalfi

Coast. I do always have a short break each year around my birthday, a rendez-vous, when I go on a motorbike trip with my oldest friends.

In the last two years you’ve also expanded into a collection of private estates. What’s the unifying idea behind your collection of properties?

Towards the end of the pandemic, we noticed that a lot of big families wanted to travel together and were not so keen to stay in a hotel. With our expertise, we could bring the services and experiences they wanted, into the size of a private house, with the same eye for details. So we created Zannier Private Estates, a collection of beautiful properties you can rent for a week, for a holiday, for an event… with services for very demanding guests.

It’s becoming a very interesting business because lots of families own beautiful properties yet only use them two, three or four weeks per year. They have to manage the issues, maintenance and staff. So it’s a product we can offer to house owners. If the location, size and prestige of the house tick the boxes, then we can partner with owners and manage the property on their behalf, so they can cover costs and eventually make money. Now is just the beginning.

Tell us more about the different properties and how the collection has developed.

When we started Zannier Private Estates, we used the properties we have in the family. One is a vineyard in Portugal (Zannier Private Estates Quinta do Pessegueiro), the other a vineyard in the south of France (Zannier Private Estates Château Saint Maur). Beautiful properties that we don’t use a lot, but have incredible potential to welcome guests. They’ve existed for nearly ten years and are up to the standard of a fivestar hotel. On these vineyards we mostly have weddings and luxury brands organising events welcoming their very high end customers, to propose different experiences and sell their products.

The Curator, Arnaud Zannier

Zannier Private Estates Le Campement, Mauritius

Zannier Private Estates Finca Bellavista, Menorca

Zannier Private Estates Finca Bellavista is a farmhouse on a secluded coast of Menorca, 500 metres down a private path to the island’s most impressive white sand beach. We also have an eight-bedroom chalet in Megève and a five-room Provençal-style villa in Saint-Tropez. Zannier Private Estates Le Campement in Mauritius is the newest and it’s interesting because it’s a very different surrounding and environment. A beautiful property on an old sugar cane estate in Bel Air, on the south of the island. It’s not the typical white beach blue lagoon you expect from Mauritius. It’s far more dramatic with cliffs, rugged mountains, waterfalls, lush jungle all around, as well as the vast Indian Ocean. It’s a very unique property that just opened to guests, with 500 hectares of greenery.

You’re developing significantly as a brand and you’re also so specific as a brand. How will you keep the DNA of your brand together as you grow?

By continuing to grow and take on opportunities and development challenges, without making any concessions on who we are, what we like and what we believe in. We just have to preserve and safeguard this DNA. And as long as I’m around it should be fine. We should be okay for at least ten years!

Your approach to luxury hospitality has certainly been ahead of the trends. Do you think the definitions and expectations of luxury travel will change again in the coming years?

We were at the really really early stage of the evolution of luxury hospitality when we started in 2012. I believe in human-scale properties, with a sustainable approach and immersive experiences. Within the market this alternative approach is still in an early stage, and I think the market will continue to move towards this positioning. So I believe our brand is very well positioned to be recognised as one of the leaders of this approach, for service,

We were at the really really early stage of the evolution of luxury hospitality when we started in 2012.

off the beaten track locations and transformative travels. And I’m pretty sure this market share will grow over time.

For my father, luxury is Peninsula and he’s been dreaming of having a Peninsula, but of course this is not what I’ve done. I’ve done something more in tune with my generation. My generation and the younger generation are far more attracted by this alternative approach; by places where you also learn from your travels. To immerse yourself within local culture, to understand certain things about conservation and community, these types of elements will become the norm, but it will take time.

I don’t know if there’s going to be a new trend, personally I don’t see it yet. There are many brands who have been around for 30 years, based on a different DNA. They will have to transform and that will probably be more difficult, because they were created and based on a different kind of approach and experiences. The DNA that we believe in will be reinforced and I think we will go even further. It’s a very interesting time in the hospitality world. You still have the old approach being very present and strong, going big and spending billions on new properties and hotels. Then you have these newcomers such as us, coming with this alternative approach. You have both offers on the market so we will see what’s going to happen in the next ten years. Zannier Hotels will be around for sure, still paving a more sustainable and humble approach of luxury.

The Curator, Arnaud Zannier

Japan

Štepán Borovec discovers why Japan is such a revered destination for curious travellers. He explores Tokyo, Kyoto and the wellknown Golden Route. Plus the rarely visited island of Hachijō-jima.

cover photo Kinkakuji, Kyoto

Meeting this master was so interesting and also sad: he is scared this beautiful craft will soon die.

師 範

Grandma looks lovely but she didn’t hesitate to slap my hands when I cut the salmon wrong!

Chefs from Tokyo fly to Hachijō-jima island for this special blend of shiitake mushrooms.

On

a remote Pacific island I’m eating sushi. Actually I’m making a special type of sushi that’s only eaten on the island of Hachijōjima. My host is an adorable grandmother with the energy of someone a third her age. We make rice and cut fish in her home and it’s so touching, being hosted by people who genuinely care about who I am. Tourists are rare on this island, that’s why I’m here. Locals ask questions about my home traditions, about how things are in Europe. Before sushi I picked and grilled shiitake with a mushroom farmer. I met a farmer growing special lemons that don’t need peeling and can be eaten like apples. All these experiences feel like a meeting of different cultures, rather than tourist activities.

After ten days in Japan I’ve discovered that cultural exchange epitomises the travel experience. There’s no need to seek something authentic, local or traditional. It’s everything, everywhere. Every moment feels quintessentially Japanese, yet paradoxically, almost everything I experience is different from the day before. Nothing in Japan is quite how I expected either, nor does anything make me feel uncomfortable or unsure. It feels normal to finish sushi with grandma and spend the afternoon dying silk, with a man who has been dying silk since the world war. I’m experiencing an ancient tradition that supposedly only exists in three places around the world. Instead of using chemicals I’m taught other techniques, like shaving and boiling tree bark, then dipping in the silk eight times.

These distinctive and surprising experiences started the moment I landed in Japan. It’s my first time in East Asia so my expectations were mostly of excitement. I expected an urban jungle, with crazy metropolitan areas full of noises and neon lights. My first impressions of Kyoto were quiet, pristine and calm. A lot of greenery and lots of parks. The incredible colours of Momijigari, the autumn season when maple trees turn red and ginkgo trees yellow. The smell of any destination is unmistakable and in Kyoto it is clean air. Not a single cigarette butt could I find on the sidewalk, such was the cleanliness of the streets. People were talking to each other in whispers, so as not to bother others, an early glimpse of Japanese politeness.

At Fushimi Inari Shrine I walked through thousands of iconic vermilion torii gates. The mountain is dedicated to the god of rice and economic prosperity, so each gate is sponsored by a Japanese person or company seeking good business fortune. On another mountain slope I found a hundred Japanese macaque “snow monkeys” playing around. The famous golden temple Kinkakuji felt like a tourist trap and Kiyomizudera Temple was as beautiful as it was crowded. There are 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines in Kyoto. In some areas it seemed everywhere I walked were temples and shrines, shrines and temples, big and small, all equally nice and impressive. The experience isn’t about singling out one or two, rather, embracing and absorbing the bounty of it all.

The best hotels I recommend are RitzCarlton Kyoto, close to Gion, and Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto overlooking Nijo Castle. Hotel Higashiyama by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel is less luxurious, but excellent value given the strategic location for temples and shrines. My main recommendation is to not focus too much on Arashiyama, a super touristic district with Kyoto’s biggest tourist trap (at least for me) - the bamboo forest. There are beautiful and interesting experiences to uncover all over the city. In Nishiki Market I ate Wagyu beef skewers, bountiful seafood and some tasty foods I didn’t know existed. This city of 1.5 million people has 97 restaurants with Michelin stars! Many are clustered around Gion, where I spotted geishas on the streets and remembered organising a private geisha dinner for clients visiting Kyoto. The charm of a Japanese restaurant is that it doesn’t look like a restaurant. It looks like a house, like any other building on the street. These fine dining restaurants are small and unassuming places, without anything outstanding except their food.

Local expertise goes a long way of course, whether it’s a historical narrative, which unassuming house has the most legendary kaiseki, or where to find some local soba noodles with dried herring. My host Benjamin Wong from Tricolage Inc, our local partner company, told me about the Japanese mindset of perfection. Everything should be precisely as it should be. People here are far from an early adopter mindset, they’ll only adopt something new when they’re certain it works. I expected a country from the future and massive LED screens. Yet all the information signs at Osaka Airport arrivals were made in Word, printed and laminated. And it works! I’ve never exited an arrivals hall faster! Ben told me he uses a fax machine on a daily basis. This conservatism surprised me and when I grasped the mindset of efficiency over experimentation, Japan started to make more sense. It partly explains why everything in Japan works so well from a tourist perspective. I expected a challenging destination and found Japan to be an easy country to explore.

The Momiji season is beautifulI want to plant Japanese maple in my garden!! It takes patience to get a photo without other people at Fujimi Inari Shrine!

From Kyoto I took the Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo, almost 500 kilometres in around two hours. For most Japanese destinations this will be the best way to travel around, going city centre to city centre in minimal time. Standard class is very comfortable and has no perceivable difference with the first class “green” carriage. Like the locals I bought a bento box to eat on the way, snowy Mount Fuji a beautiful highlight as we zoomed across Honshu island on a clear afternoon. After some brief minutes of orientation, the Tokyo Metro is a great way to get around too, far better than New York, London or Paris in my experience. It’s clean, there are no beggars, and people queue methodically for the trains, which always arrive at exactly the time indicated. And it’s faster than travelling above ground.

At The Capitol Hotel Tokyu in Akasaka I had a room on floor 27, plus an elevator directly down to four subway lines. For Tokyo hotels I’d highly recommend a room on a high floor with an open view, plus easy access to subway lines. Reaching Shibuya and the famous road crossing was easy, then Meiji Jingu shrine and Senso-ji Temple. From the 360-degree viewing platform of Shibuya Sky I looked over all of Tokyo, a great megalopolis stretching wonderfully on a clear day, the horizon punctuated by iconic towers. Later I enjoyed the same view at night, from the 450-metre high observation deck of Tokyo Skytree, the world’s highest freestanding tower. Back down on ground level I did a lot of shopping.

Tokyo is an amazing shopping destination, home to many high-end brands and products hardly ever seen in Europe. Not only streetwear but also high fashion and collaborations between designers. It beats Paris and New York for me, although I’m not the biggest shopper. Ginza is the

夕焼け

most famous area for high-end stores, as well as being home to the city’s two best hotels: Aman Tokyo and The Peninsula Tokyo. I actually preferred shopping in the Jingumae district of Shibuya, specifically Omotesandō, which connects with the colourful and quirky area of Harajuku, where the street fashion is unlike anything in Europe.

Ginza and Shibuya are touristic places and sometimes I was the tourist attraction. Other Asian tourists wanted my photo because I was so tall compared to them! It happened in a Buddhist temple in Kyoto too! Out in the suburbs I explored the mazy backstreets of Kichijoji with Ben, eating street food skewers and an abundance of seafood, washed down with plentiful Czech pilsner of all drinks, a surprising find in such a seemingly local area. Later I enjoyed incredible ramen. Good, even great, Japanese restaurants are common across the world, yet the Japanese culinary experience is far superior in Japan itself.

Sunrise over Tokyo from Capitol Hotel Tokyu - lovely.

I don’t remember what the food was, I only remember the amazing taste! Many completely new flavours for me.

A special mix of old and new, Senso-Ji temple and Tokyo Skytree. Everywhere I looked was lights and buildings. It doesn’t end anywhere.

EXPLORER by EliteVoyage

Playing crane arcade games in Akihabara, a truly local experience!

In Akihabara I found the Japan of flashing neon lights, amusement arcades, manga, anime and endless sounds, along with the district’s famous maid cafes. There are many museums I didn’t visit and it would be easy to spend a full five days in Tokyo exploring new places. While some parts of Tokyo and Kyoto are touristic, overall these cities always felt like an authentic experience. They’re certainly not some kind of tourist trap, rather famous destinations that are completely worth it, part of Japan’s well established Golden Route. I definitely recommend this route for a first time visitor. For me, five days was too short. I think seven is a better minimum, with at least three in Tokyo and two in Kyoto.

For my next trip to Japan - and of course there will be a next time, Japan is that kind of destination - I will explore more places along this Golden Route. Definitely Osaka, host of the upcoming World Expo 2025, and a spa day in Hakone. Here, Mount Fuji’s geothermal activity feeds traditional hot springs known as onsens, as well as Japan’s best whisky and sake distilleries. This route has a mix of nature, spa, history, culture, big cities and some truly remarkable sights. Even in two to three weeks it would be impossible to explore it all.

However, the original reason I came to Japan was the island Hachijō-jima. EliteVoyage was one of three travel agencies globally, to be invited on a pilot project aimed at developing luxury tourism on the island. Specifically, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government wanted to learn from our experience creating long weekend holidays by private jet, our EliteTrips. So while drinking Champagne on a Dassault Falcon 2000LXS I savoured

one more view over Tokyo, then Mount Fuji and the volcanic Izu Islands, the pilot dropping down to 900 metres for the most scenic approach. These islands initially felt abandoned. Popular domestic destinations after the world war they faded away when Japan grew wealthy and people started holidaying in Hawaii and Okinawa. They’re isolated, and have been for thousands of years, yet are part of Tokyo Prefecture and have amazing infrastructure. Young people are leaving to work and study, leaving their island traditions behind.

So as I make sushi with a Japanese grandma, pick lemons and shiitake with farmers, and dye silk with a master, I’m discovering an island rich in knowledge. It’s a social form of tourism, people inviting me into their homes, demonstrating something that can no longer be found in big cities. Take the silk into the forest, bathe it in special mud eight times, and I have black silk. A translator and guide are essential as nobody I meet on the island speaks English. Yet everyone is so happy to welcome me. Perhaps in a few years these traditions will be forgotten, a thought which adds more value to our cultural exchanges.

The next morning we hike up one of the island’s volcanoes and look down into the crater, which is all mist and jungle. It’s reminiscent of my experience on the Portuguese island of Madeira, very lush, very green, with spectacular hiking trails crisscrossing the island. We board a fishing boat and sail to a now abandoned nearby island, lounge in onsen baths with a view over the ocean, and listen to the island’s distinct drumming style. It’s one drum and two drummers, a rhythmic and distinctive beat for an unusual destination.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government wanted to develop long weekend trips by private jet to Hachijō-jima. Unfortunately, there isn’t a real luxury place to stay, only a four-star option. My recommendation to them is to develop a one-day trip by private jet from Tokyo. A short flight, nice hike, meeting the locals for a series of cultural and natural experiences, then a scenic sunset cruise and to a hotel in Tokyo. Just doing the flight is worth it. People can experience an island few others have visited, in the same time it takes to cross Tokyo and explore another big city neighbourhood.

For EliteVoyage clients I do recommend combining the Golden Route with a less established place. Hachijō-jima demonstrates that anywhere in Japan can be an attraction, with the right local knowledge and guide. Japan is a country of remarkable diversity. The Okinawa islands in the south are warm and tropical, for holidaying on a white beach - Rosewood Resort Miyakojima will open this year. Hokkaido to the north is an ice world, where even the sea can freeze and there’s the annual Sapporo Snow Festival. It would be excellent for a ski holiday, as would be Nagano, host of the 1998 Olympics and the Czech Republic’s gold in ice hockey. There’s Samurai history in Kanazawa, the old wooden town of Takayama, mountain hot springs where snow monkeys bathe amid snowy slopes. And I’m still learning about more options.

Japan feels like a very versatile destination, suitable for all types of visitors, including families. I’m sure everyone, like me, will have some culture shock on their first visit. The more I explored, the less Japan was like anything I could have imagined before. It’s a fun form of culture shock,

Crazy to think people lived on this tiny island until the 70s. I couldn’t imagine it!

in a country that is safe and clean, with an exceptional infrastructure that makes travel very easy. A second visit can focus more on individual interests, be it art, wellness, cultural history, perhaps sustainability. The first visit is unforgettable, to be immersed in such an authentic and different environment, without needing to give up on comforts. I used to think Japan was a once in a lifetime destination to visit. Now I know I’ll be going back as soon as I can.

Got super lucky with the December weather and loved this hike.

What a warm welcome! By the island government, our guides and Miss Hachijo-jima.

Lemon farmer by day, amazing drummer by night! One of Hachijo-jima’s real characters!

Czech Travel

Pioneers

Explorer speaks to three Czechs who travelled in completely different directions. Their achievements have influenced and inspired people all across the world. But what inspired these travel pioneers? And what part of their home remains part of their travel world today?

Klára Kolouchová

Klára Kolouchová has climbed four eight-thousanders: Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga and Cho Oyu. She was the first Czech woman to climb the world’s three highest mountains and only the twentieth woman in history to summit K2, a dramatic climb documented in the feature film, K2 My Way. Klara’s book Nahoře fouká (It’s Blowing Above) explores her feelings as a climber who is also a mother of two.

Anyone who tries to push the boundaries of what's possible, in any way, is showing others the way. That's the absolute beauty of being first.

Klára, in your book you say that on the top there is nothing and everything at the same time. Do you experience something like ecstasy after reaching the absolute top?

The idea that something magical must occur at the top is a romantic view of people who don't climb. It's like asking a marathon runner about her feelings at the halfway point, when she has over 21 kilometres to go. Yes, it's a climax and there's no further to go up, but you're only halfway. And after every up you have to go down. You experience relief at the top, of course, but at the same time you remain in a purely practical mode.

The nice feelings people might imagine on the summit don’t come to me right away. They come to me after the descent and with time. And they never really end, they’re just gradually overlaid by the everyday. Later, I'm reminded of these feelings in moments like this interview. It's only with hindsight that you realise what a unique moment you have experienced.

Climbing is not just about the peak, it's a huge package of emotions and experiences. There’s the preparation and an intense period when I know something is about to happen. I feel sped up and emotionally charged, like I'm not keeping up with anything. What I enjoy so much about climbing is the whole process, which starts months before the actual expedition.

You're a mother, a wife, a climber, a manager, you've made documentaries and written books. You float between seemingly incompatible roles with ease. Do you have to justify the fact that Klára Kolouchová doesn't fit into one box?

I enjoy not fitting in, not having one box. It's true that I'm fragmented in many ways, but that's how I like it. I'm spontaneous and I react emotionally to a lot of things. I let situations unfold according to my mood at the time, and I don't worry anymore about whether it feels right. One thing I've learnt through natural development and age is to not defend myself. And also to say no. I try to guide my children to do the same: to be self-aware and not afraid to be their own person, which is probably the hardest thing to ask of them.

Kids are incredibly malleable and we parents have incredible power when we dump our own mindset on them. It's not easy for

them to stand up and resist that. My daughter Emma will soon be 16 and we are like fire and water, each completely different. As hard as it is, I admit that I enjoy sometimes taking a step back, to stop interfering with the way she does things. It's amazing to see her come up with a completely different solution than I would, often calmer or more sensitive.

The mountains also reinforce my need to not defend myself. As climbers we don't usually talk much about the extremes we experience there. Society mainly wants to see smiling faces at the top, no one cares that ‘Kolouchová didn't climb somewhere.’ Stories about failure and painful experiences, which naturally belong in climbing, do not appear in the headlines. But of course they fundamentally shape who we are.

Do you think there is a limit to somebody’s right to pursue his or her dreams?

We each set our own boundaries and it depends on how much we let the expectations of others influence us. It's not easy to stand up to these pseudo-expectations and put yourself first. Fulfilling your dreams is not easy. It's always quid pro quo, it takes a lot of effort, and the journey hurts. It requires a certain amount of positive selfishness and belief in yourself.

I often get asked if I'm limited by parenting when I climb, and I believe that’s a wrong question. After all, children are not a limit, but a huge added value! Motherhood is a new dimension to my life, but certainly not a limit. So many times I hear people say "If I didn't have that job, I would have come with you right away…” Or when the kids are bigger, I'll..." If I had thought like that, most things in my life would never have happened.

When Nims Purja announced that he would climb all 14 8,000-metre mountains in one season, everyone said he was a pretentious fool and a dreamer. Well, Nims did it. One of the few people who publicly stood up for him was Reinhold Messner. From his position as a legend he said that a lot of climbers dreamed and thought about it, and then Nims came along and did it. His film 14 Peaks is not about climbing, it's about absolute belief in oneself and the human potential to do something extraordinary, in spite of everything and everyone.

Czech Travel Pioneers

On the summit of Cho Oyu

On the summit of Everest with Tashi Tenzing

Advance Base Camp on K2

What's the magic of being first?

Stepping into the unknown. Surrendering to the absolute ignorance of what might happen. Anyone who tries to push the boundaries of what's possible, in any way, is showing others the way. That's the absolute beauty of being first. Whoever comes second is the same as the hundredth or the thousandth. Of course, it has to be a first with some deeper meaning - the internet is full of stupidities happening for the first time - but when it happens, it's beautiful, isn’t it?

I confess that mountains for me mean a pleasant trek at most, but climbing doesn't excite me much...

What excites you?

Freedom. Beauty. Moments when many elements come into harmony together. There is certainly never an element of danger...

But that's where we'd meet! Maybe my harmonious moments would consist of different elements, but for me, danger isn't what excites me about climbing either. I see it as a necessary evil, the less pleasant part of the mix, but an unavoidable part of the mix.

In the mountains you have to be fully in the here and now. Does this state automatically kick in?

I had to learn it. When I climb I need to be in a state of flow. Climbing is not about short-term adrenaline, it's hours of monotonous, physically demanding activity, consisting of a series of routine tasks. The moment I stop concentrating, the chances of making a mistake are awfully high.

Are you able to enter such a state of mind when you return to your daily routine?

Not yet. One of the reasons I do expedition climbing is being able to completely detach myself from everyday reality. Some people are able to meditate, but I can't. On the mountain I experience a unique slice of time, outside of ordinary space-time, a time when I am just with myself. I can't simulate that in normal life, down here.

As a single, childless woman, I climbed with a completely different mindset. Now, part of my preparation is to set things up at home, so I can leave with a feeling that everyone at home will be okay. It's my own private logistical exercise. I prepare excel spreadsheets with schedules of who does what when. I make my life unnecessarily complicated, because they'll figure it out on their own anyway. But I need it for my peace of mind. It allows me to let go.

For the last two years I've seriously debated whether to even go to another mountain. I wondered if that harmonious beauty was still there for me, if it was worth it, to what extent I wanted and needed it... And again I came to the answer yes, I still do.

How was the decision to go back to the mountains received at home?

On New Year's Day, my family and I sailed around some islands in the Caribbean, an intense rest and mental detox. As everything fell away from me, I realised it was still a journey. My journey. Previously, criticism of my decision to go on expeditions came from the outside. My family was a protected environment where I had absolute support. But this time the kids stepped in.

In my new book, which I worked on with Martina Riebauerová, there were several open letters from my loved ones, the wording of which I didn't know until the last minute. One of them was written by my daughter Emma and reading it was a very powerful moment for me. There is incredible understanding and strength in it. And for me, as a mum, great pride and a certain satisfaction. But now my younger son has spoken. Cyril was two years old when I first set off for K2 and it was much easier for me to leave with a relatively clear head. He’s now ten. Two years ago he watched my documentary K2 at a festival in Croatia and he was in tears when it ended. I thought it was a spur of the moment thing. But on this boat in the Caribbean, when I told them a great offer had come up and I might be going somewhere, there was a categorical no. Ironically, departures are harder as the kids grow up. They understand the context, my expeditions touch them, and they can precisely articulate how they feel about it.

Czech Travel Pioneers

What are you planning?

I'm going back to the Himalayas in the spring after three years. The goal is one beautiful figure of eight. I won't reveal more about it yet, but please keep your fingers crossed. I was relieved after K2, because it ended a five-year effort to stick with one direction, and the conviction that I must finish what I started. Now I'm going back to my roots, to the sheer joy of climbing. It's not necessarily where, but with whom. It's about quality time. I look forward to the next challenge and any positive energy you may send my way, as it's a really tough peak.

On the mountain I experience a unique slice of time, outside of ordinary spacetime, a time when I am just with myself. I can't simulate that in normal life, down here.

Who taught you to love a challenge?

Dad and Mom. That's their school. Today it would be considered unreasonable education haha. Few people know my ups and downs, my limits, my escapes, strengths and weaknesses. My dad is the expert on that, he acts as a mirror that talks. Whenever I have a subliminal feeling that what I'm doing isn't quite right, ten people out of ten probably won't tell me - Dad always does. He won't let me keep things from myself. He'll bluntly say what he thinks. That's where he's like my husband. My parents taught me to take responsibility for my life, which is the most valuable thing parents can give their children.

Does the fact that you're Czech ever show on the mountain?

I guess that's more for athletes who represent the country, when they are getting medals on a podium and the Czech national anthem is played. But I don't see mountaineering as a sport, it's a way of life. And since I don't climb with a Czech team, nor have support from the climbing federation or state institutions, nationality doesn't play a big role. But whenever I climb to the top, it is absolutely natural for me to pull out a Czech flag. I know where I am at home.

When did you feel the most pride?

I wouldn't call it pride as much as peace and contentment. That's something I've experienced thanks to the mountains. And also humility, even though it's not something that is considered valuable. Up there, I realise how incredibly beautiful my life is down here. And how good I have it. Even though I still feel the need to climb, I say jokingly that it is blowing above and boring down below. But if I'm proud of myself for anything, it's being able to realise that the "boring" down here is my greatest happiness and joy.

Czech Travel Pioneers

William Pravda

From South Moravia to Prague, London, Wales and then Asia, William Pravda has been managing bars, experimenting with flavours and making menus. He invented the soft serve negroni, helped to spread Pilsner Urquell in Singapore, created Capella Hotels’ now signature daily cocktail rituals and opened The Hudson Rooms at Capella Hanoi.

I’m home everywhere I am and I have no problem packing my life into one suitcase and moving to the other side of the planet. It’s the exploration as well, I feel this urge.

William, are you a bartender or a mixologist?

Mixology is older than bartending, it comes from pharmacists mixing their potions. It’s the person who goes to the market in the morning, buys the ingredients and creates the proposal for the day. When a mixologist goes behind the bar he is a bartender. You do everything behind the bar, you are a butler for some people, you keep the level of the bar, the atmosphere, the entertainment, everything.

How did you get into mixing drinks?

People say I have a gift for putting things together. Since being young I was always playing with flavours and in Prague I started to take bartending more seriously. Zdeněk Kaštánek is a Czech legend of the drinks world and through conversations with him I moved to London. My first big invention was when I worked at the Celtic Manor Golf Resort in Wales. I did an amaretto sour style of drink, accompanied with white chocolate ice cream infused with gin, wild pine needles and bacon on the side. Later, at Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen in Singapore everyone asked me for gin and tonic. I created a “choose your tonic” menu and recommended the gin for each customer - the right tonic elevates the beauty of a gin and the wrong tonic can ruin a gin. Soft serve negroni was an idea I had for years and so many chefs said it would be impossible. Somehow it happened!

What we bring as Czechs is finding a way to adapt while still being ourselves.

Tell us about the cocktail ritual you created for Capella Bangkok, where you were part of the pre-opening team?

At 6pm the bartender comes out to tell a story, changing the resort’s library area into a cool spot for evening drinks. We go through different spices and the inspiration behind the drinks. At Capella Bangkok we picked strong female characters from Asia’s history. So you connect story and flavour, like Tomoe Gozen, a female Japanese samurai warrior from the 12th century. Or Ya Mo, who saved her village in Thailand by getting the occupying soldiers drunk on rum from young sugarcane. You’re drinking a cocktail with this sugarcane, coconut, galangan, chilli, lemongrass, and other flavours from Thai street food. Part of the unique approach was connecting mixology and pastry. A bartender and chef work back to back behind the bar to create Dessert Omakase, with a new set of improvised desserts and cocktails every evening, serving four people for two hours, using ingredients like radish, beetroot or caviar. Later, when opening Capella Hanoi, we came up with the Unique Whisky Luge concept, where you enjoy great oysters and drink whisky from the shells.

You’ve lived in many places since leaving Prague in 2010. What inspires you to keep moving?

When I become too comfortable, when I’m used to a place and have had a great time, then it’s time to change. Life guides us in the right direction. What’s helped throughout my life is to be humble in some sense and stay myself. I’m home everywhere I am and I have no problem packing my life into one suitcase and moving to the other side of the planet. It’s the exploration as well, I feel this urge. I like to leave when I feel good, because that’s how it will last in my memory. And never make enemies - the world is really small and we all have people in common.

Where and what will be next for you?

Last year I chose to take a break from the crazy, luxury bartender’s life and pursue an academic journey, completing my MBA with distinction in Singapore. The year started with a broken shoulder blade and ended with a torn achilles tendon, which helped me decide to slow down. Things happen at the right time, even if we don’t understand them sometimes. Where’s next? Let’s see. The plan is no plan and the rule is no rule. Life is wonderful and everything happens for certain reasons, so let’s see what it brings.

By staying yourself is there a part of the Czech Republic that you most bring to the world?

What we bring as Czechs is finding a way to adapt while still being ourselves. Every country is different and all humans feel familiar with a country faster or slower. Every country you start from scratch and not everywhere works as you wish. When I speak to Czechs back home I always say, the most difficult thing is to make a decision to leave and go explore. Once you decide you must stick to your decision and adapt. As Czechs we are good at adapting, but sometimes we are not so good about making the decision to leave and explore!

Mixing cocktails in Hanoi

Soft serve negroni

A cocktail in Singapore

Czech Travel Pioneers

Filip Žák

Filip Žák created Art Villas, a boutique resort in Costa Rica, and dreams of more in other places around the world. Before this he built a company customising stores for global brands, established offices across the world before selling up. He talks about realising big dreams from small, patient steps.

Joy is an experience where you forget about time, whether it's creating or experiencing.

Joy is the space to realise that I am happy right now.

Filip, how did you decide to build a boutique resort in the middle of the jungle?

When my wife and I were trying to start a family we addressed the question of where to live. Parenthood wasn't an easy or straightforward path for us and our hopes weren't very high. I asked my wife where she wanted to live if we couldn’t have kids. In the tropics, she replied. This tense situation prompted us to start thinking honestly about the kind of life we really wanted. We originally thought of spending six months a year in Costa Rica and six months in the Czech Republic, but I figured that this was like wanting to be half pregnant. My dream was to build quality architecture in the tropics, where I wouldn’t be limited by snow and cold, nor have to consider thermal insulation, and could be more connected to nature. That's how Art Villas came about.

I believe that the intention you put into your actions is important, and the strength of that intention determines whether and how it is carried out. I guess my wife and I both really wanted this, because today we live in the tropics with our two children.

Why Costa Rica?

Costa Rica represents the right balance of exoticism, political culture, economic maturity, spirituality and nature. I've travelled a lot in my life and have many places to compare it to. As a kid, I used to stick pictures of destinations like New Zealand on my wall. Communism fell when I was 15 years old, I was able to travel and almost immediately I took off. I chose far away destinations with a culture completely different to our own, like Fiji. I went to Costa Rica for the first time 25 years ago, drove it from north to south and loved it.

How was Art Villas created?

When people ask me how we managed to build this place, I answer: how do you eat an elephant? Bite by bite. A big project is made up of small steps, but you have to know where you're going. With Art Villas, I visualised exactly what I wanted, and then I just followed the direction. Of course, my

idea has evolved and expanded over time, because I always try to work with people who are better than me, people I can learn from. They inspire me during the process and elevate my idea further with their art.

What is your driving force when you start with a blank slate on the other side of the world?

Of course it's challenging to start a life somewhere other than home, if only because nobody shares your history. I realise that I am not surrounded by the energy of my ancestors here, which now makes me all the more interested in the roots from which I came. At the same time, I'm the kind of person - and maybe there's a bit of ego involved - who enjoys being interesting in some way. I feel good when I can contribute to society and when the stories I tell are remarkable in their own way.

Your wife Petra takes care of the daily operations of Art Villas, while you focus on new projects. What remarkable ideas are going through your mind now?

Art Villas is located in a wild area on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, which is still quite untouched by tourism. Behind us is Costa Rica’s highest mountain, Cerro Chirripó, which slopes down to the Caribbean on the other side. We have an interesting coastline that is ideal for developing tourism in an intelligent way. I'm inspired by developments that are a little futuristic, very biophilic and intertwined organically with nature.

I would like to develop another project of about 80 residences in this spirit, in a town about four kilometres from Art Villas. I hope this can bring cultural and social life to the area. I studied at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts and I miss culture in the sense of aesthetic architecture, or a choice of good options for going out to dinner. I'd love to have other places to hang out here, and it seems like if I don't do it, nobody else will. That's the, shall I say, profitable part of my reasoning. I like being rewarded for my work, and the false sense that more money brings more security, still drives me to this day!

Czech Travel Pioneers

I am dreaming about a bigger project, which I call Eco-Expo, along with a few other people. It would be creating a physical and digital platform for those who see quality of life as a value. It's a long run, because we want to include many levels, from scientific teams, manufacturers, investors and governments of neighbouring countries, to individuals with a great idea who have nowhere to pursue it. I have no need to be famous, I don't mind the role of somebody pushing things from the background. But I am happy to contribute to creating the world I want to live in myself. Following the carrot of money is always tempting, but I now know that I can't sell my soul and life doesn't need to be all about money.

What do you consider your greatest achievements in life?

Undoubtedly my wife and two children. And not just because it looked like we weren't going to have kids at all. My wife and I have been together for 16 years and we've been together pretty much 24/7 since we met. She's been a great addition to me and I'm still growing to this day because of her.

I am also proud to have gone through the entire cycle of building a business from nothing to selling it successfully. Making the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on foot is also one of my greatest achievements. In the first four days you think through everything you need to think through, and then you start to realise an inner peace.

What makes Art Villas different?

We tend to do niche things and support less common concepts. For example, my wife likes to pole dance, so we have an open-air pole dance studio, which you really don't see very often in the jungle. Recently we've had a great run with experiential tattooing. Twice a year we get big tattoo artists, painters and sculptors. Their clients come in and together they create an incredible atmosphere. I enjoy subverting convention. Tattooing usually takes place in a dark room in a city, but with needles and a torch you can be tattooed in beautiful secluded places, like by waterfalls, on the beach or in a canyon. It turns the whole moment, which will literally stay with you for the rest of your life, into an aesthetic and maybe even spiritual experience.

Are there details within Art Villas in which you will find the Czech origins of the resort?

Of course, because everything was designed by Czech architects and there is Czech-Slovak art. We bake our own Czech bread, for which we bring flour from Bohemia and make our own sourdough starter. But I believe there is also an often underestimated quality to Czechs: an open heart and inherent goodness. This certainly isn’t commonplace everywhere. I think guests feel it here and that's one of the reasons they like to come back.

Art Villa Filip Žák

Czech Travel Pioneers

Now that you've lived in another country, what other qualities do you appreciate in Czechs?

Paradoxically, the advantage of being Czech is that nobody knows us, so nobody has negative prejudices or stereotypes about us. Which is different to some big nations like the French or Americans. When we go somewhere we have a clean slate. I have also verified many times that we really do have "golden Czech hands" and can cope in many situations.

European culture is ingrained in us, which we take for granted until we lose it. For example, the biggest value for Americans is convenience. They’ll make sure you have a place to park, as close as possible to the store, and you won't get wet walking a few metres to the entrance. In an Italian village you have to stop somewhere at the bottom of a hill, walk two kilometres, get lost three times, get wet twice, but in between you meet four interesting people, talk to them and have an amazing experience. America, including middle America, is not very romantic, but Europe is soaked in romance.

What advice would you give to those who want to push their internal or external boundaries?

Don't look for happiness, look for what pleases you and makes you happy. Happiness is conditional - we tell ourselves we'll be happy when we go on holiday, only to get there and there are mosquitoes. Joy is an experience where you forget about

time, whether it's creating or experiencing. Joy is the space to realise that I am happy right now. For example, I know that I am happy walking along rivers, exploring and following their flow through the jungle. But I certainly don't experience only happiness in doing this, because it's not entirely easy: you have to dress properly, overcome obstacles, get somewhere... And then suddenly I'm walking down the river, or sitting by the river, and I have the time and space to realise that this is my happiness!

It sounds like a cliché, but the journey is the destination. When the work is done, you enjoy it for five minutes or so before you realise things need to be fixed, or before the urge to keep going overwhelms you. Enjoy the process. For me, the story is more important than the result.

I've learnt one more thing I can highly recommend: do what you say, so you can be counted on for details. That has huge value in everyday life. I'm careful about what I promise, but once I promise I keep my word, even if it's a small thing.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I would like to explore a few more places. For architectural reasons, I'm interested in the coast of Portugal and less discovered areas of Patagonia. I'm very attracted to French Polynesia and the South Pacific, which for me is the essence of the tropics. I'd like to be able to live in three or four different places on a rotating basis.

Atelier Villa

Czech Travel Pioneers

Silvia Rico is the pioneering founder and CEO of Enigma, EliteVoyage’s trusted partner in Peru. Over the last 20 years, Enigma has been part of Peru’s transformation, from backpacker hangout to a destination for truly discerning travellers. In this wide-ranging interview, Silvia shares how and why Peru has become one of the world’s most memorable travel experiences.

Peru, with Silvia Rico

with Silvia Rico

Peru, with Silvia Rico

hen we travel we allow ourselves to be many people, to leave our usual self in its place and open our senses to whatever grabs our attention.

Silvia, what type of explorer are you?

Travel is the driver of me in my life. I believe in the capacity of travel to connect us with our true essence and make us better human beings. When we travel we allow ourselves to be many people, to leave our usual self in its place and open our senses to whatever grabs our attention. We get to know different realities, foods, ways of living, communicating, different ways of everything. I have always identified smells when I get off a plane. They represent a feeling of freedom, I can feel like another person, like I belong somewhere else.

My children are my favourite travel buddies and we've been to over 35 countries together: Australia, the Cook Islands, Uzbekistan, Tanzania, the border of Namibia and Angola, India, and of course Peru from top to bottom.

Silvia Rico

How did your travels bring you to Peru?

I’m the daughter of a Spanish mother and Bolivian father. As a kid I had books about South America and my aunt would come over from Lima, telling stories and legends about Lake Titicaca and other places. This started my own imaginarium. I have always been attracted to far flung destinations and pristine places. I get excited by touching a square metre where nobody has been for a long time. At age 31 I did a four-month sabbatical from my job as marketing director for Danone, a travel from Quito in Ecuador to Ushuaia in Patagonia. I was in the Bolivian salt desert, beneath super clear skies, so confused, throwing questions to the universe. The answer was that I should retrace my route and go back to Cusco.

What specifically lured you back to Cusco?

The place, the mountains, the peacefulness, the energy, the combination of slowing down and soaking up the atmosphere. In Cusco the people are proud of what they do, they’re willing to share and show their love through generosity. Some people say don’t go on the Inca Trail near Cusco because it’s too touristy. I say go, soak up the stones, think about who has been there and what has happened. Returning to Europe I found my corporate path wasn’t sexy anymore, so I flew to Cusco with two suitcases and started Enigma. My home, my job, my everyday life is linked to Peru. My children are Peruvian, as is half my soul.

Machu Picchu

ndless. Peru is an incredible melting pot of so many things...and all it has is living there in balance.

An Enigma Home on Peru's Northern Beaches

An Enigma picnic setup in a secret location

How do you describe Peru to somebody who knows nothing about the country, except perhaps for Cusco and Machu Picchu?

Diverse. Peru is an incredible melting pot of so many things. Intriguing culture, people, communities, living traditions and beliefs, amazing food and pisco, astounding nature, history and archaeology. In a 30-minute flight you can go from raw powerful mountains at 4000 metres to a vast jungle at 35 degrees. Or you can fly to the beach. There are so many different ecosystems and regions, such diversity of wildlife and lifestyles too. Peru is endless and all it has is living there in balance.

If Peru has it all, how much time do you need to really explore the country?

I can host a fanatic of art and gastronomy, spend a week only in Lima and not do it all. Peru can fill a month or more. You can go to Peru and tick boxes and say you’ve seen it. Or you can observe life and be part of it. At Enigma we love culturally rich journeys that allow us to connect with the essence of each place, to meet real people and learn about their lives.

With only one week, many people will stick to the Sacred Valley, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Lima. It’s the classical corridor and it's going to be colonial and the Incas. The Incas were in power for 60 years. The Wari before them were in power for 600 years and their remains are in the Ayacucho area. Our Amazon is known as one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It’s also home to fascinating ethnic groups with centuries-old philosophies and healing traditions that are being revived. I see a change in travellers coming to Peru, away from ticking the boxes to a focus on experiences, access, discovery and savouring moments.

How much of these indigenous cultures are part of modern everyday life?

The Spanish imposed the Catholic religion while the Incas believed in the power of elements of nature. In their paintings they tricked the Spanish, by drawing virgins shaped like mountains. We have very religious Catholic guides, but when they cross a mountain pass they will ask the sacred spirit for safe travel. They will use their herbs and traditional medicines. Before they drink a beer they will spill a few drops to the floor for Pachamama, the mother earth.

You said Peru is endless. Tell us more about some of these places that are not so well known.

There is the beautiful city of Arequipa and its colonial legacy, plus volcanoes, wild vicuñas, the amazing landscape of Colca Canyon - one of the deepest on earth - and its condors. In the far south is the highest navigable lake on earth, where you can explore the living cultures and community life on Lake Titicaca. To experience the Amazon you can have a modern luxury cruise in the pristine rainforest of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, to the north. Or you can experience one of the great Amazon lodges, ancestral Ese Eja traditions and biodiversity of Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata and Manu. There are too many lesser-known places and experiences to talk about! Sea lion colonies, pisco distilleries, Trujillo, Chiclayo, desert reserves, flying over the Nazca lines. There’s amazing marine life, surfing, beaches, all the pre-Inca archaeological sites and remains. Kuelap is just one of them and it’s being talked about as the next Machu Picchu.

Peru, with Silvia Rico

It all sounds amazing, and also very adventurous. Can Peru be a destination for everyone, including children?

Peru was a tough destination when I arrived in Cusco and opened Enigma, back in 2002. It was a destination for backpackers. There was only one luxury property, Monasterio by Belmond. In 20 years there’s been a huge elevation in luxury, across the country. Peru is a fantastic destination for families, with the combination of culture, nature and relaxation. Travelling with your kids when they are 12 and 10 will not be the same as when they are 16 and 14. It requires the best design and planning. However, I find most family trips offered in Peru today are essentially mainstream journeys with a couple of tweaks and touches to appeal to younger ones. It’s key to consider the age and interests of both young and adults, to include special experiences for all, like a treasure hunt we created in Cusco.

Peru’s image as a destination has changed immensely in the last 20 years. What was your mindset back in 2002?

Peru was stuck by a dark period from the eighties to the year 2000. When I arrived in Cusco the country was already growing. Belmond played an important role in its development as a destination. It’s a brand associated with five-star luxury, a guaranteed stamp. They opened more hotels and started their luxury train journeys. At the same time, we asked why does everyone on the Inca Trail have to sit on the floor and eat cold spaghetti? Why not create amazing comfort on the trail?

Cusco was bustling with different tourism agencies, all copied from each other. It was chaos, there was little control. It was super interesting too. Over the last 20 years there has been a professionalism and organisation on all fronts. Smaller boutique hotels have opened. Very important is that we have always designed our own experiences, we don’t sub contract them from another company, unless strictly necessary. This means we can take into consideration what is meaningful for whoever is coming. Other companies sell “the owner’s favourite

trip.” But why follow somebody else’s trip? Really listening is so important and we’ve always been asking “why do you want to go to Peru?”

So why do people want to go to Peru?

Every trip will depend on personal interests. Some say Machu Picchu and the highlights, I definitely respect that. It happens that something awakens in them, during a moment on such a trip. The importance of having sensitive guides is that we can enrich that moment and delve further into that experience, without breaking the program. Then there are some people who want to go into something specific. Peru is a playground for outdoor enthusiasts, like hiking, rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, climbing, fishing, surfing. There are festivities, music, art, textiles. Peru is now globally recognised for its gastronomy too.

Yes, trendy Peruvian restaurants are opening all over the world and Lima has four of the world’s top 50 restaurants. What’s your perspective on Peruvian gastronomy?

It goes beyond cooking and eating, beyond ceviche and pisco cocktails. Menus have become a culinary journey back through time, so tasting new dishes is tasting history and culture. Peru’s flavours are fresh and natural, representing the country’s diversity. Like cutting-edge restaurants including jungle supplies in their recipes, or healthy Andean grains becoming more than just traditional, local foods. Wine is entering the scene, coffee and chocolate remain key elements, and Peru is one of very few countries where fish comes from fishing and not fish farms. I recommend foodies spend several days to do a proper discovery. There are the top restaurants, speakeasy dining, market stalls and sharing with locals in small huariques. Then Peruvian wine, visiting organic farms and the revival of Peruvian boulangeries. We can arrange a Kitchen Lab experience, a creative one-on-one with the chef who runs Lima’s most talked about restaurants.

Peru, with Silvia Rico

eru is a fantastic destination for families, with the combination of culture, nature and relaxation.

Refugio Amazonas Lodge in the Southern Peruvian Amazon

A caiman in the Amazon.

Photo for Enigma by Paul Bertner.

t Enigma we love culturally rich journeys that allow us to connect with the essence of each place, to meet real people and learn about their lives.

Elita Sulca, designer of some of the finest and most characteristic Ayacucho embroideries.

In the Sacred Valley

That’s so much just for foodies. Going back to asking why you want to go to Peru, how do you react to the many different answers?

Sometimes people say to me, “I don’t need support in planning my trip, I have time.” It’s not about time. We’re constantly driven by the passion of a place and its people. We’re seeing what’s new, what’s trending, who are opinion leaders. We wish for you to learn things that will contribute to changing a little bit of yourself, just as Peru and travel has done for me.

I personally feel that only very few travel companies devote the time to truly stop and think of you, your needs, what would make your trip exceptional. All too often, that intimacy and enthusiasm is snuffed out by profitability, sending out cookie-cutter proposals in an hour. Yet to you, this is your dream, your once in a lifetime journey, you need a travel designer who will take the extra steps in realising your vision.

When I read our feedback and reviews, what touches our clients the most is tapping into the real side of Peru. Sometimes strikes have meant we’ve deviated from the itinerary and it’s like skipping class, people loved it. Or we have a guide whose family is connected to everything in Ollantaytambo, so guests have access to these real houses where people live, not the houses where life is being replicated for tourists. In the end it comes down to people, not property.

We still need to ask you about property though! You mentioned Belmond and how their properties helped to change Peru’s image. Which properties in Peru do you love the most?

Belmond opened Miraflores Park, a reinvented classic in Lima, the city’s signature hotel. Palacio Nazarenas, also a Belmond hotel, continues to be the coolest luxury property in Cusco. Sanctuary Lodge by Belmond is an understated hotel blending into its surroundings, the only hotel adjacent to Machu Picchu. We also love Inkaterra La Casona in Cusco, like a muse-

um set in a cloister, with no check in desk or bar, you simply ask for what you want or need. Sol y Luna is one of our favourites in the Sacred Valley. I can give you many more that are at the top level, like Titilaka Lodge, Refugio Amazonas, or Kichic, our home away from home in the north. There are excellent options in most corners of the country now, including our selection of private residences.

How do you see travel in Peru evolving in the future and what’s coming next for Enigma?

We see there are new generations with new interests. We’re organising a honeymoon for Saudi royals in Peru and they’re super active, they want ziplining, trekking, exploring. For us the next target is privacy. We want more places where families can be whole and on their own. We also want to prove that you can be surprised by sustainable ways of operating, be super respectful, and still have the luxury experience. Our will is to inspire a higher level of consciousness for everyone we touch, travellers, clients and supply chain.

Enigma recently became B-Corp certified and a partner of The Long Run. How do you think this commitment to sustainable practice impacts the visitor experience?

We have four pillars and one is the responsible operations. People see it. We can be out trekking in the Amazon or the Andes, so how do we dispose of rubbish? Then the other three. Social, where we collaborate and support a social collective prioritising women and kids. Environmental, which is about having the minimum negative impact. Cultural, for me, is the most important. The cultural heritage is who we are, it is our essence. We carry in ourselves accumulated knowledge of past generations and we must stay connected to that to help understand ourselves. All our experiences tap into one of these three pillars. So if it’s a chocolate experience we’re going to visit local producers and the best organic chocolate.

Peru, with Silvia Rico

Finally, you proudly create all your own experiences. What is your approach and ethos when you’re creating them?

For us it’s always going to be about people and the human side of it. We will always want to bring feelings and sensations and all that is embodied in the act of travel. Experiences are more and more going back to our roots as human beings, those connections. We strive for experiences that provide freedom to travellers, from stress, from labels, from routine. Freedom to explore and feel alive, to decide, to be oneself and nourish the kid inside each of us. Our experiences are with true people doing real things, real content as opposed to a world of virtual reality. They’re providing access to places and people that are out of reach and un-googleable. I think discerning travellers are looking for these kinds of experiences.

t’s always going to be about people. We will always want to bring feelings and sensations and all that is embodied in the act of travel.

Peru, with Silvia Rico

Andean Explorer, A Belmond Train, between Cusco and Arequipa

EXPLORER by EliteVoyage

Peru, with Silvia Rico

Ruta del Sillar, near Arequipa

Biodynamic Champagne

with Antonín Suchánek

Antonín Suchánek is a pioneer of biodynamic Champagne in the Czech Republic. He founded Champagnier in 2010, the country’s first exclusive importer and distributor of biodynamic Champagne. Antonín's helping to bring biodynamic wines to new audiences. He's the co-founder of festivals Prague Drinks Wine and La Bouteille de Champagne, as well as the Autentista wine & champagne bar.

Biodynamic

Antonín, can you know a biodynamic wine just by taste?

Biodynamics is one direction an ecologically-minded winemaker can take and in general I can taste it, although of course it depends on the individual winemaker. Biodynamic wines are distinctive and layered and have much more terroir imprinted into them. Terroir can be an overused word, but its beauty lies in the combination of soil, time and the winemaker’s signature.

For Champagne, which is my main domain, there are essentially two methods. The traditional one, used by the big houses, is to blend grapes from many different locations. It’s been like this for over 250 years. The resulting Champagne tastes more or less the same every time and you can’t really taste any particular terroir. In a sense they bend the vineyards to their house style.

Other producers like to showcase Champagne in all its colourful glory. They make wine from just one grape varietal, one specific vineyard, or from one vintage. Not every vineyard can produce interesting wine, because 90% of a wine’s character comes from the soil. I can identify the terroir and know that this is how a wine tasted, from a specific vineyard, in a given year.

How are biodynamic wines made?

Biodynamics is a form of viticulture centred upon how you treat the vines and soil. Rudolf Steiner is considered the father of this method. He emphasised the role of natural cycles and applied a lunar calendar to viticulture, as well as preserving a lot of the folk wisdom and prophecies. The changing climate means many biodynamic winemakers are no longer dogmatically following Steiner today, but the essence of making biodynamic wine remains the same: minimising interference in the natural ecosystem and not using chemical sprays in the vineyards.

Autentista (foto: BoysPlayNice)

Vouette et Sorbée - Blanc d’Argile Brut Nature

One of the most original Champagnes ever produced. Created by legendary winemaker Bertrand Gautherot, this is a 100% chardonnay exclusively from the Biaunes vineyard, oriented to the northwest, so it receives little sun and the grapes ripen very slowly. The subsoil consists of a thick layer of clay on a calcareous base. It is full bodied with a wonderfully exotic aroma that extends to the palate, before a long mineral finish.

Biodynamic

Fleury - Sonate 2013 Brut Nature

First produced in 2012, Sonate was one of the first ever Champagnes made without added sulphur dioxide. Jean-Sébastien Fleury selected the grapes from one of the first vineyards that converted to biodynamic processes. Sonate is opulent and multi-layered. It transforms beautifully over time in the glass, revealing its full spectrum of aromas. An ideal evening Champagne.

How can you know if a wine has been made in an honest biodynamic way?

led as esoteric and based on old wives ta les, because of herbal infusions or advice like “bury a cow horn filled with manure.” I don’t think it matters whether the method works because the winemaker believes it does, or because of some biochemical reaction in the soil that we don't yet understand. Biodynamics is one of many possible directions in winemaking and I am not saying it is the only correct one. It cannot be done in the same way everywhere either, as biodynamic winemaking depends on local conditions. It's easier to do biodynamics in the south where there is less rain, and harder in the more humid northern terroir, where winemakers must contend with mould.

What is the difference between biodynamic and natural wine?

Natural wine is made under even stricter conditions than biodynamic wine. No sulphur is added and the winemaker should not actually touch the wine. I confess that I don't quite believe in this. Winemaking is a craft and the personality, or signature, of the winemaker should be imprinted in the wine. Yes, as little interference as possible, but I'd rather a winemaker intervene than produce a defective product. Without any interference the natural processes lead grapes to vinegar, not wine! Wine is only created through cultivation and it's about finding a healthy boundary, not holding on to extreme methods.

Either they are certified, or they implement some biodynamic practices. They’re the alpha and omega for me. I am in constant contact with the winemakers I work with and have followed their work for years. 99% of the winemakers we represent have some certification, be it the Demeter biodynamic or EU Organic certifications. Our portfolio includes Fleury, the oldest certified biodynamic winery in Champagne. Jean Pierre Fleury converted to this viticulture method in 1989. Unfortunately, he passed away last summer. He was a great icon who pushed forward biodynamics in Champagne and inspired many other growers. I many winemakers that are fully in tune with biodynamic practices, but do not have cer tification. Some have been doing it since the seventies and never had any paper, yet eve ryone in the industry recognises them.

Pierre Gerbais - Les Grandes Côtes Extra Brut

100% pinot noir made up of the 20112018 vintages from three locations in the Les Grandes Côtes vineyard. This is a very expressive blanc de noirs, with intense aromas of fruit, raisins and brioche, and a perfect balance of flavours thanks to reserve wines added to the blend. A beautifully fruity and harmonious wine that is great to drink at any time of day.

Biodynamic Champagne with Antonín Suchánek

Does a biodynamic certificate also guarantee quality?

A certificate is not a guarantee that the wine will be good. The winemaker’s craft remains the decisive element. Some large commercial wineries produce millions of bottles per year and make one product line without additives and intervention. I definitely don't consider such wineries to be biodynamic producers, even if some of their vineyards are certified.

Champagnier is about boutique winemakers, who we represent exclusively on the Czech market. It's the premium range of what is being done with biodynamics and ecological production in Champagne. Winemakers often say they want to join our portfolio, because we represent a certain winemaker who they respect. Champagne is a small and interconnected world. One winemaker didn't want to join us because we represented a winemaker he had a disagreement with!

Stéphane

RegnaultChromatique Extra Brut

Chromatique is a good introduction to biodynamic blanc de blancs. It’s 100% chardonnay from the unique terroir of Les Mesnil Grand Cru, mineral heavy because of the pure chalk soil, but Stéphane has also managed to bring a strong fruit component. This combination makes it a very delicate wine that practically drinks itself. It’s an ideal companion to fish or seafood. The current Chromatique is based on the 2019 vintage and is much fuller than previous versions.

Pictured from left: Morgane Fleury, Charles Dufour (iconic winemaker whose biodynamic Champagne has long been on the menu at Copenhagen´s Noma), Benoît Fleury and Antonín Suchánek

Biodynamic Champagne with Antonín Suchánek

How did seasoned winemakers react when you first started in this business, as an inexperienced young man from a small country?

I was very fortunate to discover someone like Fleury. His wines resonated with me instantly. Full-bodied, aromatic, beautifully constructed: these wines immediately struck a chord with our customers as well. Gradually, I managed to pick up other big names. My advantage was that I came along so early. I’ve been promoting biodynamic Champagne here since 2010, when I was considered a fool. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case! Today it would be impossible to start this business and have the same success. Winemakers have small productions and distribution is very competitive, if I hadn’t been there first somebody else would be by now.

You mentioned that climate change is starting to affect wine production. How?

This is a big topic of discussion for growers and winemakers. When I was at the Le Printemps des Champagnes festival in Reims last April - dubbed Champagne Week - the discussion wasn’t that the climate is chan ging, but more importantly, how fast. In hot weather, the sugar level in grapes increases and the acidity decreases. There is a real dan ger that a loss of acidity will make bubbles in wine impossible. The Champagne region re cently approved a new varietal that’s resis tant to this change in acidity, and some wine makers have started experimenting with this.

Winemakers are also using grapes from north-orientated plots, returning to old va rietals and playing with vinification methods, for the sake of the bubbles and also to expe riment with still wines. Bubbles are bubbles and no Champagne producer wants to go straight to still wines, but they do want to be prepared. It's bad for Champagne that the acidic component is disappearing from wine. The bubbles in warmer vintages are flat and in a few years the wines will be dull. Those who don't change their production methods will probably produce heavy, fruity, inelegant wines that have no cellaring potential.

When a chef's food goes wrong, he can try again tomorrow. A winemaker only gets one chance a year. There’s not that many opportunities in a lifetime to make good wine. And when you realise that, you take every vintage of every wine very seriously.

AlexisTotem Brut

Alexis Leconte created a blend of meunier, pinot noir and chardonnay from the Troissy region in Valée de la Marne. These varietals make it a straightforward Champagne, but it’s also one of the most original: fruity, spicy, very harmonious and unusual in taste.

-FleuryBoléro

2008 Extra

Brut

The Boléro is 100% pinot noir and was aged for over ten years in bottle, where it was sealed like Fleury's prestigious cuvée with a cork closure. This is pure overblown and opulent pinot noir, in one of the best vintages available. Powerful fruit aromas, wonderful structure and a lingering, almost neverending finish.

EXPLORER by EliteVoyage

Biodynamic Champagne with Antonín Suchánek

Golfers in Austria have much more than Poysdorf, Haugschlag and Adamstal. Passionate golfer and traveller Věra Bechyňová presents her favourite seven of the 165 Austrian golf courses. These high-quality courses offer distinctive challenges in beautiful landscapes, with pleasant après golf too.

cover photo Golfclub Am Mondsee

Golf

THE OLDEST Golfclub Achensee

One of Austria’s oldest courses is 50 kilometres from Innsbruck and it regularly tops the golf polls. This top notch course has been welcoming golfers since 1934 and the first hole starts unconventionally in the centre of the town, but on the second hole you enter a realm of alpine forests and groves. Here geraniums decorate wooden buildings and alpine peaks are adorned with snow. The course is just under six kilometres and doesn’t have any real elevation changes or long transitions, so it is easy to play with a bag on your back. There is a pro shop and restaurant overlooking the green of the eighteenth island hole, plus a driving range overlooking Lake Achensee, sometimes with a paraglider landing in the vista. If you get thirsty lift the hatch at the thirteenth tee, choose a drink and leave any amount to the greenkeeper who tends this secret bar.

THE BEST NINE Kitzbühel Kaps

Locals call this nine-hole 1955 course Kaps for short, after the neighbouring castle. It offers a fair sporting challenge in an unforgettable setting. The owner, Count Lamberg, became one of the best Austrian amateurs and he didn’t rely on a driving range. There is no room for one here. Water hazards and bunkers will swallow every bad shot, so precision play is essential. Ancient trees, perfectly manicured greens, hand-painted hole plans and views of the Hahnenkam make this a captivating course, especially the final island holes. After nine holes, reward yourself at the club’s famous steak house, with its terrace levitating on the water.

THE LAKES Golfclub Am Mondsee

Golfclub Am Mondsee was designed by Max Graf Lamberg, who also designed the more famous Haugschlag. The flat par 70 course is located on Lake Mondsee, with the peaks of the Solnohrad Mountains as a backdrop, with Lake Drachsee also impinging on a few holes. A pier extends directly from the clubhouse terrace over the water, and on some holes you literally tee off over the heads of swimmers (for swimming I recommend the private beach at Mondsee). Transitions are minimal and you probably won’t need a cart. There are practice areas, a small pro shop and a restaurant with a terrace. It’s well worth waiting on the terrace for sunset.

THE MOST NOBLE Golfclub Schloss Schönborn

History breathes from every hole at Golfclub Schloss Schönbornin the Vienna area. On the eighteenth you’ll find a Baroque castle, the former summer residence of Reich Vice Chancellor Friedrich Karl von Schönborn. A par 73 course was added to the castle in 1989 with only minimal alterations to the parkland. Tee off on a natural course winding between century-old oaks and linden trees, which significantly narrow the fairways. Water hazards and bunkers are abundant. Large stones are scattered near the greens, which are renowned for their devilish speed. The first nine is purely parkland and offers views of the castle, while the second half feels more open and romantic, featuring ponds with swans and statues. The eighteenth is an unforgettable hole, playing towards the castle. Behind the tee is the house where Austrian pro Ema Spitz hails from. Along with the championship 18 holes, there is an additional ninehole course which doesn’t close for winter.

THE BIGGEST Golfpark Mieminger Plateau

In the midst of old pine forests you’ll find a course somewhat reminiscent of Penati in Slovakia. This 27-hole resort is surrounded by alpine giants and the dense forests provide absolute peace and quiet, the golfers only disturbed by the occasional deer. Course designer Keith Preston has also left his mark in the Czech Republic, at Albatross, Ypsilon and Pyšely. At Meiming he’s created a real par-73 gem. Water hazards are minimal,

just two of them on the first nine. Bunkers are just right and not too tricky. You may be troubled by the large and fast greens; hitting them in regulation doesn’t mean you’ve won. The huge practice area includes a partially covered driving range and a nine-hole course suitable for beginners. It’s almost a must to stop halfway at Stöttlalm, an old wooden building where they serve great Tyrolean specialties.

THE SPORTIEST

Zillertal-Uderns

Drive 20 kilometres from Achensee to reach Zillertal-Uderns in the Zillertal valley. The course only opened in 2014 and was almost immediately in the running to host the 2023 Ryder Cup. This is a sporty 18 holes designed by Diether Fahrenleitner, blending naturally into the environment, with superbly manicured wide fairways and uncomplicated greens. You can get a good score here, especially in spring, when the rough is not too thick. The course can be walked, with short transitions and easy terrain; just be prepared for the sight of grazing cows inspecting your swing. Located in front of the clubhouse, the island green of hole number nine is particularly beautiful. Among the modern facilities are a clubhouse with restaurant, three practice holes, golf simulator, and design hotel, headed by the likeable Daniel who speaks perfect Czech. Dogs are welcome in the hotel and on the course.

THE MOST PEACEFUL Kitzbüheler

Alpen Westendorf

Few would believe this course is only nine years old. It looks as if it has been there since time immemorial and perhaps that’s due to its somewhat Scandinavian style. The fairways stretch between mature trees and blueberry bushes, with Hohe Salve mountain looking down serenely. In theory it’s not a long course, a par 72 only measuring five and a half kilometres from the yellow tees, but it will still trouble you. The narrow fairways are lined with dense forests and any inaccuracy means losing the ball. You’ll get around the flat course fairly quickly, meaning you can then relax with a glass of chilled Veltliner on a terrace overlooking the eighteenth island green. Austrian classics are on the menu here, but foodies come from further afield for the local burger. There is a pro shop, driving range, extensive practice areas and a hotel. Feel free to bring your dogs along too. Wild mushrooms thrive along the course and the locals don’t pick many, so you’ll reap a harvest if you wish.

A final tip

When I combine golf and relaxation in Austria I like to stay at Hotel Krallerhof. The owners are passionate golfers and installed two practice greens in front of the hotel. They arrange tee times and discounts at nearby courses, and prepare takeaway golf snacks for your game. I also fell in love with the hotel’s spa, with its two outdoor pools, one indoor, a salt jacuzzi and saunas of varying temperatures and scents. New to the hotel is ATMOSPHERE designed by Hadi Teherani, with designer saunas, blue grotto, ice chamber, stylish relaxation rooms and a zen garden. Austria doesn’t have sea or sandy beaches but it makes up for this with mountains, clear lakes and great wellness. And excellent golf courses, great service, good wine and cuisine. And from my long experience I can confirm that Czechs are valued guests here.

Société of Jan Černý

Jan Černý has had a great year. He held his 11th fashion show at Prague Castle, designed the opening ceremony outfits for Czech Olympians, and changed his brand from Jan Černý to Jan Société. Explorer spoke to Jan about his travel dreams, the history and future of fashion, and a surprise face-to-face encounter with dolphins.

photo by Kuba Zeman, Jan Černý archive

Jan, we’re meeting just a few days after you returned from Paris Fashion Week. Is it a different Paris to when you interned with Louis Vuitton in 2019?

In winter I find Paris much more energetic than Prague, where I feel we want to wait out the winter and we must force ourselves to go somewhere. Paris is more alive, it has a different light, people want to have fun... Of course it’s different for me now, because I’m not there as an intern anymore. I go to fashion weeks or trade fairs to find new suppliers for my own collections.

Do you have your own version of Paris? The places, the food, the shops that you "must" visit on every visit?

I know a lot of people who found Paris ugly and dirty, but they only got as far as the Eiffel Tower. You have to find your own way in every city. I definitely have places in Paris that I like to go back to. I like the Marais art district. I like the concept of Tekés restaurant, which serves vegetarian Mediterranean cuisine and becomes a bar in the evening. I enjoy the Bourse de Commerce museum and gallery.

You’re preparing the Olympic collection for the Czech national team. Are you also going to Paris for the Olympics?

Yes, I’m going to the opening ceremony, which will be interesting because it takes place on the Seine, in an open space for the first time. Me and my partners are also thinking about doing an event. It’s probably good for me to be available for the media too, should any interest in the collection arise. I’m curious to see how the city will change during the Olympics, although I think it will be a little annoying (laughs). However, I think I’ll have an advantage just because I know the city.

Société of Jan Černý

Do you have a destination you love other than Paris?

I love going to Dahab in Egypt. My boyfriend and I have completely fallen in love with the underwater world that Dahab is famous for. It’s magical immersing yourself in the world below the surface, knowing that you are one of the many animals there. It’s a different world every time too. I’m fascinated by its silence and can always clear my head.

Dahab is relatively close, plus you can dive or snorkel right off the shore. Next time I want to go further out, towards bigger fish in the open sea. One time we were very lucky to have two dolphins swim up from behind us. They stayed about a metre away for almost five minutes! It was incredible! It wasn't until that moment that I realised a dolphin is not some cute little creature from a fairytale, but a big smart animal that needs to be respected.

If in Paris I enjoy the cultural and social life, and selected restaurants, then in Dahab I am attracted by its ordinariness and authenticity. Yes, there’s tourism, but it’s not an open-air museum, the locals mix with foreigners and there’s a really nice atmosphere.

Your latest collection is influenced by Egypt and Bedouin culture, one of your shirts even has a Dahab shopping bag motif. Are you inspired by your travels?

Definitely, we are all inspired unconsciously by our travels. Each of us is a personality, imprinted with all our experiences. In Dahab, I enjoyed comparing our Christian culture with Arab culture, which is completely different, wilder. It is funny to observe our own prejudices. That's also why I used prints, which you might think are some fanatical religious texts, but in reality it’s just a supermarket bag.

What trip are you currently looking forward to?

It’s a little embarrassing to admit that I’ve never been to Milan Design Week before. I’m finally going this year. We launched a competition for Czech designers with the brand Ploom, and will exhibit the winners in Milan.

I’m very tempted by Madeira and I should be able to take a family holiday in Puglia before the Olympics. I am looking forward to Puglia’s architecture and its traditional Trulli houses. I love to cook and Italy is also amazing for this reason!

The truth is that I travel less than I want, because I have a job that can’t be done from anywhere. I need to be in the studio, touching the materials. I hope that one year I’ll be able to spend January and February somewhere other than Czech Republic winter.

You've now done 11 solo shows. Is the process getting easier or more complicated?

It sounds pretentious to say easier, but it’s definitely getting better. I’ve hired a manager for the team and we’re getting great partners, so the shows can be bigger. As a creator, you must usually wait a long time before you can make the show you really want, because it’s so financially challenging. A bigger show obviously brings more risk, is harder to organise and more hassle. I’m not surprised that so few people do it in the Czech Republic (laughs). But at the same time, my shows are getting closer and closer to what I dreamed of, so it’s great for me.

The shows are a priority for me. I believe they represent the most important thing that happens to the brand every year. They are a condensed artistic vision of where I want the brand to go in the next year. At the same time, they should be an extraordi nary experience.

EXPLORER by EliteVoyage

Société of Jan Černý

EXPLORER

Your shows have taken place at the Old Town Hall and Prague Castle. How do you choose the locations?

Everything is connected together in my head. When I already think about the collection, I have ideas about places that fit the mood of the show. For the last show I knew I wanted it to be outdoors and carry a summer vibe - the view of St. Vitus Cathedral was a million dollar bonus. Now I’m thinking about the next show and feel like this time I want something more anonymous and less defined, where I can play more with the set design and build something very event specific. But we’ll see, visions change and October is a long way off...

You said your last show reflects a battle between emotional values and commercial attractions. Is there a state where they don't face each other?

Absolutely. I made a conscious choice to never do business at the expense of friendship. For sure, it may happen that the collaboration doesn’t work out and you break up with some people, that’s perfectly normal. But I never wanted to cut corners. Friendship, family, interpersonal relationships, fairness: they have always been more important to me than business. It’s about putting humaneness first.

Instead of Jan Černý, you now present yourself as Jan Société. Does this reflect the fact that it’s not just the work of one person?

Yes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a brand that’s always been significantly driven by the community. I have no problem with my last name, but I always knew I wanted to drop it from the brand one day, like it’s useless information, especially when thinking about the possibilities of expanding abroad. I’ve always been more concerned about the brand being the name and not the designer.

Does fashion benefit from being so closely linked to social status, or does it hinder creativity?

That’s a question that usually gets a likeable answer (laughs). But the bare facts are that fashion was created for the elite, who went to social events and needed to dress for them. The upper class used the services of couturiers and tailors. One of these progressively put his name on the clothes and the first brand was created. Before the industrial revolution there were no shops where you could go buy something to wear. The poorer class inherited clothes or bought one piece for life. Their relationship with clothes was actually much healthier than it is today. If t-shirts didn’t cost ten euros but 200, we’d treat them differently. The next boom came in the 1960s, when artificial materials were developed and could be dyed in sharp, bold colours. Today we have shops from multinational corporations, where anything can be bought for pittance. Even the wealthy shop there. We have this paradoxical situation where many people could afford something more luxurious, that’s made under better conditions, but prefer to buy cheap things instead.

I’m of course glad that the democratisation of fashion has arrived! But nowadays fashion has turned more into entertainment - we all know that Pharrell Williams is not a creative director at Vuitton because he is such an exceptional designer. Personally, I don’t see the shift to entertainment as the greatest solution. A lot of young designers have a vision of one day being able to head up a fashion house. It is a great inspiration, but it dissipates when you know a celebrity is going to sign off on your work.

I think it’s good for fashion to be stratified from chains to haute couture. I wear my own stuff most of the time, but I’ll happily go to H&M for socks and, conversely, occasionally treat myself to a piece from Maison Margiela, Ami Paris or my long-time favourite

Raf Simons. It’s like when you buy furniture from Ikea, you don’t mind leaving it in your old apartment when you move. If you buy one beautiful designer chair, you'll definitely take it with you to your new apartment.

The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters of the environment. How hard is it to act sustainably as a fashion designer?

I don’t tend to go to extremes. Just by making our clothes in the Czech Republic, and buying all the materials we can from here, we’re actually being quite sustainable. Transport is a big part of the fashion industry's carbon footprint. Each of our collections is limited and usually sells out completely. We basically have no waste, except maybe fabric scraps when we prepare samples for the show. Are we 100% eco-friendly? No. But I definitely don’t think we’re doing it wrong. If I felt it wasn’t right, I would address it. It’s awfully easy to blame companies, but I'm sure if customers were vehemently demanding something different, companies would learn to offer it. Ordering ten pairs of shoes online and sending nine back can be a much bigger environmental burden than a few scraps of fabric.

Will artificial intelligence transform the way fashion is created and sold?

Now, I’m simplifying this a lot, but it feels like sweatpants during Covid. It was said that people would never stop wearing sweatpants. And then Covid ended and a lot of people took off their sweatpants. Some people still wear them all the time, some people only wear them at home... Now we’re going to have a big boom and everyone will be on a high from AI, and then it will calm down again.

At the same time, I’ve noticed that when people are told AI did something, they actually find it lazy. They would rather buy something created by a human. I’ve always believed that the value of the human mind and craftsmanship will increase, but I expected that to come later. It’s happening now.

One area AI hasn't overtaken humans is mutual collaboration. If I design something and a photographer takes a picture of it, it's two human brains and they’re already safe from AI. At least for now. I still think that owning a nice physical thing is going to be considered a luxury for people. People want to touch things, feel things... But we'll see what the new generation is going to make of it, maybe this is just some backwards opinion of mine (laughs).

Are you tempted to create a digital clothing collection?

That for me is not clothes, it’s graphics. That’s a whole other field. I find it fun that you can do surreal things in the virtual world, that are impossible in the physical world. I can imagine it in conjunction with a game. But to make a digital collection just like that? I really don't know why. Clothes to me are what you put on your body.

If you had a month what would be your dream holiday?

That’s a good question! I’m pulled in three different directions. Firstly, islands like Madeira, the Canaries or the Azores. Secondly, I’d like to go back to Egypt, where I already found that I am comfortable, even for a longer stay. From Egypt I can go to Jordan and enjoy a cruise on the Nile. And thirdly, Vietnam and Thailand, where I'm attracted by the nature and temples and still feel a certain authenticity. Now just to get that month off!

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