Tom Howley

Opposite, below ► Looking out to the Ionian Sea from Rocca dell Tre Contrade, Sicily.

Below, from left to right ► Madreterra, Ionian Islands. Villa Elia, Puglia. A Torra, Corsica.

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► Exceptional villas, local knowledge & personal service

The Thinking Traveller was conceived one night in 2000 atop the incandescent volcanic island of Stromboli in Sicily’s Aeolian archipelago. The morning after, as dawn blushed the skies a Homeric pink, Huw Beaugié, an engineer from the UK, and Rossella d’Anna, a cell biologist from Sicily, descended to the translucent ultramarine waters below, a new life mapped out. They quit their jobs in Paris, founded The Thinking Traveller in 2002, and set about providing discerning travellers not only with luxury villas but also access to Sicily’s enormous but little-known riches.

The Thinking Traveller quickly became the first port of call for luxury villa experiences in Sicily. The company’s winning formula of exceptional villas, unrivalled local knowledge and expert personal service has been carefully extended to other destinations, and today The Thinking Traveller offers privileged access to the most desirable properties in the heart of the Mediterranean, more specifically in the south of Italy (Sicily and Puglia), Greece (the Ionian and the Sporades Islands) and Corsica. The properties in The Thinking Traveller’s portfolio are exclusively available through the company. This unique feature not only allows them to guarantee quality, but also to create tailor-made solutions for their clientele. The exceptional range of villas begins with five-star oases of fully serviced luxury (the so-called Think Exquisite collection) but also includes dreamy beachfront summer houses with pools, gems of contemporary architecture, sumptuous masserie, charmingly chic trulli, romantic retreats and much more besides. All potential properties continue to be vetted personally by Huw and Rossella, thus ensuring that only the very best villas make it into the company’s collection. The Thinking Traveller’s dedicated team of villa experts is fundamental to the company’s success. Those based in London visit the company’s destinations and villas several times a year, allowing them to offer transparent, first-hand advice to clients. The resourcefulness and unparalleled knowledge of the company’s locally-based concierges, meanwhile, knows no bounds. Available 24/7, they are always on hand to ensure that guests experience only the very best their destination has to offer. Those booking with The Thinking Traveller don’t only get the pick of the most exceptional villas in the heart of the Mediterranean, however. They also have access to the company’s range of Think Experiences, a selection of enriching activities that includes luxury boat charters, helicopter trips, wine deliveries, in-villa chefs, masseuses and personal trainers, PhD-qualified tour guides, transfers, vineyard visits, and cooking lessons with Michelin-starred chefs. The Thinking Traveller’s mission is a simple one: to hear their clients saying, “That was the best holiday we’ve ever had… we’ll be back.” That the company consistently manages to exceed its clients’ expectations, there can be no doubt: on three occasions, including back-to-back successes in 2017 and 2016, it has been voted “Best Villa Rental Company” at the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards..

The Thinking Traveller