EDITOR’S NOTE

Choose Your Adventure

HAVE A SET OF COCKTAIL NAPKINS THAT SAY, With every is-I “I’m outdoorsy in that I like drinking wine on patios” – which pretty much sums up my attitude toward adventure. I’m typically more of a loungesue we create, even our well-traveled team learns a thing around-the-pool kind of traveler, but after a year of be- or two about the ing cooped up, my definition of adventure has morphed: world. Here are a The notion of just getting back out there, anywhere, few fun finds from promises its own kind of adrenaline rush. this issue:

As Covid vaccinations roll out, the option to travel • That reflection in the cover image isn’t a mirage – it’s is transforming into reality for more people – and the from a temporary lake formed after a rainfall in MoVirtuoso Life staff couldn’t be more excited. (It seems rocco’s Erg Chebbi dunes (“Desert of Plenty,” page 82). like every meeting starts with chatter about who has • The Florida Keys are linked by 42 bridges (“The Long received vaccines and who’s still waiting.) In anticipa- Way West, page 34). tion, we’ve put together some ideas and inspiration • Hotel designer Bill Bensley has a great way to use those for your next big outing, from a roundup of tented souvenir patches my kids always bring home but leave camp stays (glamping, Virtuoso-style) to a photo- forgotten in a drawer (“My Travel Essentials,” page 56). graphic visit to Morocco, interviews with travel in- • In Tellaro on Italy’s Gulf of Poets, legend has it an ocsiders on the importance of connecting with nature, topus once saved the town from pirates. Today, the town and more. Even if you prefer your vacations with air holds a festival every year where they eat … octopus conditioning, there’s something for everyone in this (“The Secret Italian Riviera,” page 48). issue, including dining your way through the Florida • Mexico’s Copper Canyon has more than four times the Keys and a toast to French rosé (which admittedly volume of the Grand Canyon (“In the Field,” page 70). goes down even easier alfresco – I guess there’s truth • São Tomé and Príncipe isn’t on the continent you to those cocktail napkins). might think (“Pitched Perfect,” page 58).

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR & VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT esrnka@virtuoso.com

JUST BACK FROM CABO SAN LUCAS

Last issue, I wrote about the possibility my son’s high-school senior class trip might be canceled due to Covid restrictions and concerns. I’m happy to report that it happened without a hitch. The protocols in place in Los Cabos, from the airport to our resort, car services, and tour operators, allayed our health safety concerns, and our resort’s on-site Covid testing center made it so easy to meet U.S. reentry requirements in place at the time. (Fortunately, no one in our group tested positive, but, like many other resorts, ours offered an inexpensive accommodations policy to reassure travelers worried about getting stuck.) I’m grateful to Virtuoso advisors Jaimie Sanders and Sarah Zamzow for organizing our trip: After a year of cancellations, it was a fun way to celebrate the end of one chapter – and kick off a new one with a passport stamp in place.

“TRIP THAT GETS YOUR HEART RACING?”

C N Katonya C N Katonya Breaux (fun fact: She’s singer Frank Ocean’s mom) created Unsun after realizing there weren’t many sustainable, reef-safe, and residue-free sunscreens on the market for women of color. $16 at unsuncosmetics.com.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH US

IT I L VICE PRESIDENT/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR L IN G UY S NK MANAGING EDITOR M IK Mc L Y C IN SENIOR EDITOR JUSTIN UL MANAGER, DIGITAL CONTENT MY C SS LL ASSISTANT EDITOR S M NTH F L WÉ SENIOR COORDINATOR NIS IGU Z

SIGN DESIGN DIRECTOR M L NI S TY F WL ART DIRECTOR K N B L ING SINN TT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER NIC S L Z

“It’s completely out of my comfort zone, but I want to take a deepsea tour via personal submarine – like the one Laucala Island has.”

C NT IBUT S COPY EDITORS MI I M BULM , I N S NSKI RESEARCHERS NN BLINN, J SSIC MU LL PHOTO RESEARCHER M Y ISH DIGITAL RETOUCHER W LT K LLY WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS N NN ÍS, MICH L F NK, LUIS G CÍ , L IN GLUS C, I H CHM N, J FF K HL , K IN J. MIY Z KI, KIM B WN S LY

M K TING/ TISING/ MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL PUBLIC RELATIONS MISTY WING B LL S MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONSUMER PRODUCT MANAGEMENT N W L CK MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL MARKETING STRATEGY L U S T DIRECTOR, MARKETING PRODUCTS & PROGRAMS B T UNC N MANAGER, DIGITAL MARKETING K LLY KI CHN

“One that pairs epic rock climbing in a new country or state with great local cuisine.”

“Currently, we’re planning a family ski trip to Queenstown, New Zealand.”

CI CUL TI N/ T S IC S L N CH WHIT MY HY , G YLYNN M G S

M K TING TI NS DIRECTOR K THY NIW T LL SENIOR MANAGER M TIN N GU I SPECIALIST N T LI SH M N COORDINATOR H L Y C WS

CC UNT S L S S CHIB L , MY B IL Y, SC TT B Y N, C L C L M N, C ICK T UC T, X BI GU N, LLYS FILM -B NN TT, T ISH F SM N, CH ISTIN GILB T, ST H NI L , T NY L G N, G GG NI LS N, NI L T TT

I TU S

CHAIRMAN & CEO M TTH W . U CHU CH CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER B B U L N SVP, STRATEGY I K LN SVP, MARKETING H L N McC B -Y UNG SVP, FINANCE & OPERATIONS MIK McC WN SVP, PRODUCT T IS Mc LF SH SVP, GLOBAL OPERATIONS MICH L L N G N VP, CULTURE & TALENT MICH LL SHI VP, MEMBER RELATIONS CH YL BUNK VP, PARTNER RELATIONS B TH BUTZL FF VP, PRODUCT MARKETING M Y B TH W SS LL VP, TECHNOLOGY UL K N Y “An UnCruise Adventures expedition in Mexico’s Sea of Cortés, filled with wildlife and breaching whales.” – T.F.

IT I L IS Y B T NY L , M ITH BU BI G , G C IT , SC TT L G Y, LLYS N M FFITT, NG L I S N, IN IN , NN SCULLY, L H SMITH, N W ISS, JIM W LCH, KIMB LY WILS N W TTY

Virtuoso® is the leading global travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 1,100 travel agency locations with 20,000 travel advisors in 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacifi c, Africa, and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with more than 2,000 of the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies, and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences, and privileged access. Normalized annual sales of (U.S.) $25 to $30 billion make Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. For a subscription, please call your Virtuoso travel advisor. All pricing and travel described herein are subject to change and availability, and restrictions may apply. Prices are per person, double occupancy, in U.S. dollars, and do not include taxes or other fees unless stated otherwise. Publisher assumes no liability for the representations contained herein. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited art, photography, or manuscripts. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher. For high-quality reprints, contact The YGS Group at 717/399-1900 ext. 139; theygsgroup.com. EDITORIAL: editors@virtuoso.com. ADVERTISING: marketingproduction@ virtuoso.com. VIRTUOSO HEADQUARTERS, VIRTUOSO LIFE CIRCULATION, AND POSTMASTER INQUIRIES: Virtuoso Life Circulation, Virtuoso, 777 Main Street, Suite 900, Fort Worth, TX 76102; virtuoso.com. To stop receiving Virtuoso Life, contact your travel advisor or email help@virtuoso. com. California CST #2069091-50; Washington UBI #601554183. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the state of California. Copyright © 2021 by Virtuoso, Ltd. All rights reserved. Within the United States, Virtuoso, the Globe Swirl Logo, Virtuoso Life, Specialists in the Art of Travel, We Orchestrate Dreams, Orchestrate Dreams, Journey to Global Citizenship, Return on Life, and Wanderlist are registered trademarks of Virtuoso, Ltd. Your Journey Begins With Us, Best of the Best, and Virtuoso Voyages are trademarks of Virtuoso, Ltd. Virtuoso, Ltd., has a U.S. copyright registration for the Globe Swirl Logo, © 2000. Outside the U.S., these marks are the property of Virtuoso, Ltd., and the applicable marks are registered with numerous national trademark registries around the world.