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The feel good future of travel The greatest travel trends of 2018
The feel good FUTURE of TRAVEL
Ubuntu, Ikigai and spa psychologists are on tomorrow’s travel itinerary. We reveal how enriching adventures with a sense of belonging and purpose are driving luxury travel in 2018
Words: Juliet Kinsman
Just when we think we’ve seen everything, our extraordinary world reminds us we’re only a drive or a flight away from mind-blowing adventures. Sure, the richest memories can come from the simplest pleasures — but all the better to combine meaningful moments with a next-level place to stay. ‘Ikigai’ is the new hygge, and finding a sexy design-focused hotel which is also making a positive difference is the holy grail. In Japanese, ‘iki’ means life and ‘gai’ means value, so this term represents finding your purpose. Stay in hotels with a strong ikigai and you’ll relax all the more knowing your vacation is paying it forward.
Discover intelligent luxury with integrity through @TheLongRun on Instagram or find getaways as glamorous as they are green via @BoutecoHotels on Instagram and you’ll see that Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland is a hotel with a huge heart. This remote Canadian 29-suite inn proves that award-winning design is all the more edifying when served with a generous side order of authentic culture and nature in all its rugged glory. Innkeeper Zita Cobb’s forward-thinking purpose-before-profit social business has revived a once-fishing-reliant economy through attention-grabbing architecture, hip hyperlocal cuisine and by ripping up the traditional hospitality rulebook. »
Ian Schrager’s PUBLIC hotel in New York, designed by Herzog & de Meuron
Fit for a president
Over in French Polynesia, 35-villa Brando is where Pippa Middleton honeymooned — but it’s the seawater-powered air-con giving the eco-minded a thrill. The sustainability of this private paradise island is seriously seductive — just ask Barack Obama who recently worked on his memoirs at this resort, which even has an eco-station equipped with laboratories and accommodation for visiting scientists.
Meanwhile, Aman can polish its halo for creating a new, seemingly ancient, walled village on the outskirts of Shanghai. Amanyangyun is comprised of precious Ming and Qing Dynasty villas and thousands of camphor trees saved from flooding due to the Liao Fang Reservoir in eastern China. An Indonesian private island retreat with policies and practices inspiring all is Cempedak in the Riau Archipelago. From Australian banker turned hotelier, Andrew Dixon, and named after the native fruit tree, its commitment to conservation has boosted endangered hawksbill turtle and sea otter populations. The Island Foundation also supports communitybased projects centred on social justice, community organisation, micro-finance and entrepreneurialism by working to eliminate poor education, sub-standard healthcare, and fixed local hierarchies.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is a botanical paradise, two hours from Cape Town. As well as preserving the critically endangered fynbos heathlands, profits are invested in a foundation which supports environmental and social initiatives. It also exemplifies Ubuntu, Nelson Mandela’s beloved South African philosophy which roughly translates as ‘human kindness’. A compelling sense of belonging and consideration for the greater good is what more brands are cultivating. Thanks to the growth of a sharing economy and co-working spaces, hotels are also twigging that when they’re better connected to their community, the togetherness is not only great for guests, but a boon for business.
Ian Schrager, a founding father of the original boutique hotel concept, is proving this with his PUBLIC hotels. On New York’s Lower East Side it’s all about the social spaces in the Herzog & de Meuron-designed building, just as the name suggests. Even W Hotels’ originator Barry Sternlicht has developed a hotel chain with a conscience: 1 Hotels in Miami’s South Beach and New York’s Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge are hi-tech urban bunk-ups that reconnect you with nature through the upcycled, repurposed, plantrich interiors and ethical supply chain.
Inside New York’s PUBLIC hotel 1 Hotel in Miami
1 Hotel in Miami blends style with ethical responsibility
Vacation or ‘workation’?
With digital-nomad lifestyles on the up, ‘workations’ are how on-the-go global citizens are mixing business with pleasure. Swapping Silicon Valley for surf-shack HQs, techpreneurs can now run businesses remotely from bamboo palaces in Bali. And why wouldn’t you? With a greater reverence for wellbeing and the pursuit of a more balanced approach to life being paramount, many are trading the rat race for turmeric kombuchas and working on laptops under coconut palms. Less-mobile high-fliers desperate to recalibrate should seek out the new breed of more intellectual, cerebral and specialist retreats. Corinthia Hotels got into bed with renowned neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart to pioneer psychology-related wellness from their five-star hotel in Whitehall; their spa-event calendar extended her research on the mental resilience of business leaders as part of a series of talks.
Transformative weeks hosted in different destinations are Chosen’s way of taking the lives of the most accomplished to the next level. They host optimised physical, intellectual and sociable programmes in Iceland to New Zealand, which encompass action, adventure, experiential education, functional fitness, nutrition and mindfulness. Learning holidays are going more luxe, and we’re opening our minds in »
drop-dead fabulous locations. Move over wishy-washy watercolouring holidays in Bordeaux — take a bow, next-gen escapes with the likes of media mogul Ted Turner as your host. The founder of CNN walks his philanthropic talk though by owning wilderness-protecting ranches across America and Argentina, making his deep connection with nature infectious. Private guides tailor each itinerary to the location and ambitions of the guests, from hiking and biking to heritage tours. Stay at his private seven-bedroom home Casa Grande at Vermejo Park Ranch, or in one of its seven guest lodges, and you’ll be fishing and photographing amid short-grass prairie and alpine tundra mountains in the largest privately owned sprawl of land in the States — 590,000 acres of New Mexico, to be precise.
As an antidote to our modern-technologyriddled lives, it’s time to prescribe off-the-grid hideaways that are a galaxy away from our home lives of scrolling through smartphones while watching TV. Multi-screening is proven to affect our ability to think deeply and concentrate. Restore equilibrium while meditating at Onar in Greece, a two-hour ferry ride from Athens or switch off at Australia’s Lizard Island Resort where its white-sand beaches get zero reception. Where better to unplug than El Silencio Lodge in Costa Rica? Having a name which means ‘silence’ in Spanish is a good indication of the tranquillity that awaits as you follow riverside hiking trails through waterfalls. At Vana in Dehradun there’s a policy of no phones and no social media at all so you surrender and totally tune into your two-weekminimum stay. And that’s worth shouting about. Indonesian private island retreat Cempedak
Vana in Dehradun
Vana operates a ‘no phones’ policy
Island
legacy
Turning back the clock on 250 years, these luxury resorts are reviving the Seychelles’ most pristine wilderness as they fuse exclusivity with conservation
Words: LJ Burill
Iarrive at North Island by speedboat. On approach I see swathes of dense rainforest clinging to granite slopes and sparkling white sand shores backed by coconut trees, before the managers Jonathan and Jeroen come into view, waving with their arm outstretched, welcoming us to their island paradise.
Proving true from the first moment to the island’s barefoot living philosophy, I step off of the boat into the warm turquoise sea. “Good! You’re not wearing a watch,” Jonathan says warmly, “You won’t need one here.” On North Island you can forget about the time – there really is no schedule to live by.
This small granitic island, which is one of the Seychelles’ 45 inner islands, may seem pristine now, but it hasn’t always been this way. A former coconut plantation, it’s the conservation work that’s gone into returning the habitat to its original state »
that we can thank this paradise for. Taking on the name Noah’s Ark, this project saw the complete rehabilitation of the island’s natural habitat with the on-going reintroduction of critically endangered local Seychelles species.
Now North Island is home to endemic birds such as the endearing Seychelles white eye, flashes of red can be seen owing to the introduction of the Madagascar fody and well over 100 Aldabra giant tortoises, some of which are believed to be 165, now have a home here. Green and hawksbill turtles nest on the island’s shores and the surrounding waters provide the opportunity to snorkel over thriving reef as spotted eagle rays glide by.
A little before sundown I meet Elliot Mokhobo for a guided walk along one of the island’s panoramic trails. Elliot has been on North Island since work on the sustainable resort began, first in the construction of the villas and with the island’s conservation, and now as a passionate guide who leads guests along rainforest trails with unrivalled knowledge of the wildlife here. It’s clear that Elliot takes pride in revealing the ancient tortoises’ personalities – one of the oldest, Brutus, seems content in having his head stroked, while Patrick, who’s around the same age, is apparently known for his moody disposition – and an uncanny ability to take guests to turtles’ nesting sites at just the right time.
While North Island has established a reputation as one of Seychelles’ most exclusive locations, the newest private island to arrive on the scene is Six Senses Zil Pasyon on Félicité. Fittingly named ‘island of passion’, Zil Pasyon is another resort that’s endeavouring to lay down a legacy for future generations by returning the habitat to its most pristine state.
Steve Hill is the ecologist behind this ambitious project having arrived here a decade ago after completing his work in rehabilitating nearby Fregate Island. On the third of Félicité that’s coming close to completion, in excess of 40,000 indigenous trees have already been planted, with plans to reintroduce the birds that were originally here, along with a number of
Sustainability is fundamental on North Island
Protecting endangered species is a key part of North Island’s conservation work
Six Senses Zil Pasyon is the Seychelles’ newest private island
Seychelles terrapins and a small population of giant Aldabra tortoises.
We cross the divide between the developed part of the island and the thick, largely inaccessible, wilderness, hiking along a rainforest trail up a steep granite slope to the sound of insects, bird song and distant waves rolling in. “All of this vegetation needs to be taken away so we can replant the indigenous species,” Steve says pointing to the invasive plants that make it impossible for endemic plant life to grow. “Taking a degraded piece of the world and turning it into something pristine and beautiful is the most satisfying thing you can do. Once the island has been returned to its original state, this will be the number one eco-resort in the world.”
By following the meandering trail, clambering over rocks and ducking beneath unfurling palm leaves we eventually arrive at a grove of coco de mer trees. Shrouded in legend owing to their erotically shaped female seeds and male catkins, coco de mer boast the biggest seeds in the plant kingdom as well as some of the largest leaves, making them one of nature’s great spectacles. Placing the grove at the heart of his plans, Steve hopes to create a network of hiking trails here, leading guests down to the coast and the resort’s organic garden, while keeping the habitat’s rehabilitation the number one priority. “To me it’s a real privilege to be in and responsible for such a remarkable place,” he enthuses, “By the time we’re finished it will be truly unspoilt.”
Of course it’s not just the private islands that are paving the way in luxury eco tourism. Banyan Tree lies within Mahé’s verdant Takamaka region, overlooking one of the Seychelles’ most idyllic beaches, Anse Intendance, on an elevated patch of land once owned by Peter Sellers and George Harrison. Now natural wood villas are positioned on the granite slopes with a colonial style mansion at the resort’s heart.
Built around rainforest and some of the biggest wetlands in Mahé, the resort works in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society, which has a conservation centre on the grounds. The society’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts are based here, enabling guests to get involved by setting out on guided wetland walks, taking part in turtle monitoring and joining beach patrols to see the turtles nesting.
In recent years, the Seychelles government has shown recognition of the importance in conserving the island nation’s unique environment. These three resorts unequivocally prove the integral role luxury tourism is playing in this journey. »
North Island
One of the Indian Ocean’s most exclusive private islands – the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Clooneys both honeymooned here – North Island has just 11 palatial villas tucked into the rainforest backing the shores. What really makes the island stand out though is the experience the staff provides. Savour sunset cocktails on a deserted stretch of beach, tuck into grilled lobster under the stars and venture out on the island’s yacht to snorkel and dive.
north-island.com
Set between the jungle and the shoreline, North Island’s villas offer a return to nature
Contemporary design meets nature at Six Senses Zil Pasyon
Six Senses Zil Pasyon
Combining natural materials with contemporary design, each of the villas here is positioned on the steep mountainside for uninterrupted views out to sea from sprawling terraces and private infinity pools. Since the resort opened in 2016 it has attracted particular attention for its spa, which is stunningly built around giant granite boulders, while the main pool and collection of restaurants and cocktail and rum bars lie invitingly on the waterfront.
sixsenses.com
Step from your room onto the beach at Banyan Tree Seychelles
Banyan Tree Seychelles
Banyan Tree is distinguished by its colonial style beachfront mansion and surrounding verdant beauty where frangipani and hibiscus flowers bloom amid thick forest. Explore by bicycle, set out on excursions by boat and retreat to the tranquillity of Banyan Tree Spa before dining on award-winning Thai cuisine at signature restaurant Saffron or Creole specialties at Chez Lamar.
banyantree.com
