ESCAPING TO NATURE IN FINLAND , WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS IN SOUTH AFRICA & DISCOVERING MARLBOROUGH BEYOND THE VINES. PLUS, ROYAL INDULGENCE AT RAFFLES JAIPUR , GOLD - CLASS COMFORT ABOARD THE INDIAN PACIFIC AND VIETNAMESE HEALING AT NAMIA RIVER RETREAT
KANGAROO ROUTE
Exclusive events feature throughout, including a private after-hours tour of the Vatican Museum Savour gala dinners at the prime minister's house in Colombo and before the Pyramids of Giza
A choice of optional, included experiences in each location enables you to tailor your journey
14 days, Sydney to London, departing 3 February 2026, $49,950 per person, twin share
Everything has been considered and included 1800 622 628 www.captainschoice.com.au For
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Fly the Kangaroo Route aboard our privately chartered Qantas A330. Our recreation of this historic journey combines the nest aspects of nostalgia and modern convenience.
SYDNEY DARWIN SINGAPORE KOLKATA COLOMBO CAIRO ROME LONDON
Colombia From with love...
Be among the rst to cruise Colombia’s majestic Magdalena River.
AmaWaterways invites you to discover South America’s next great luxury journey.
Contact your preferred travel advisor or AmaWaterways: 1800 867 126 | amawaterways.au
MEMORABLE JOURNEYS FOR THE CURIOUS MODERN TRAVELLER
125 linger
BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO DWELL FOR THE DESIGN DILETTANTE
126 Cradled From Coast to Coast
A hypnotic transcontinental Australian journey aboard the Indian Paci c means you can travel between Perth and Sydney with every creature comfort – and now more time
134 Conscious Connection
Peace comes in many forms at Intaaya on the Indonesian isle of Nusa Penida, a blissful, architecturally-designed retreat where nature rules
142 Romancing the Stone
Channel your inner Maharani at Ra es Jaipur, newly crafted with design and service stylings that were imagined for India’s royalty
150 Suite Life
A selection of surf-chic suites, Raes Guesthouses joins its iconic Wategos Beach sister sitting pretty on Byron Bay’s gleaming coast
154 Suite Life
In London, e Emory is a modern masterpiece where the truest luxury is time well spent
158 Design Bite
Striking architecture unites with country charm in the English county of Somerset
161 savour
A MENU OF INDULGENT GOURMET & WELLNESS EXPERIENCES
162 Where the River Slows Down
On the outskirts of Hoi An, freshly minted Namia River Retreat takes inspiration from Vietnamese history and culture
168 Smoke, Spice & the City
Whether you’re visiting Michelin-starred restaurants, time-honoured sweets emporiums or streetside stalls, Istanbul takes Turkish cuisine seriously
174 Home Grown
From fork-to-table to ne-dining, Filipino restaurateurs are quietly rede ning the way the world sees the country’s cuisine
180 Wild at Heart
A locavore menu meets dramatic design at Norway’s applauded Iris restaurant – set in a oating sphere beneath a ord
186 Rendez-vous
A beautiful place to gather and dine
188 Natural Selection
A Q&A with Australian director Nick Robinson
ABOVE, TOP On the rails between Perth and Sydney aboard the Indian Pacific
ABOVE, MIDDLE Intaaya retreat’s sculptural bamboo forms © Mo Arpi
ABOVE, BOTTOM Infinity pool at Raffles Jaipur
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
“There’s a real sense of momentum and creativity right now, not just in the product offering, but in the way brands are thinking about purpose, people and place.”
The past few months have been a powerful reminder of how supportive and connected this industry truly is. After the recent passing of my mum, I’ve been incredibly touched by the kind messages and check-ins from so many of you – thank you. It has really struck me how important it is to make memories while we still can. I’m very fortunate to have collected plenty over the years through my travels – including with my mum – and I’m now more steadfast than ever about doing more of this with my girls. After all, you only live once.
It was a pleasure to attend ILTM Asia Paci c in Singapore last month, where I had the chance to reconnect with long-time partners and meet exciting new brands in the luxury travel space.
ere’s a real sense of momentum and creativity right now – not just in the product o ering, but in the way brands are thinking about purpose, people and place. I’m proud that Luxury Travel is part of that conversation.
As the industry continues to evolve, so too does the way we tell stories –through deeper insights, more personal experiences and a sharper focus on what really matters to modern travellers. If you haven’t yet explored our digital-exclusive features, now’s the perfect time to experience the full breadth of our editorial content on luxurytravelmag.com.au. To stay in the loop with destination features, hotel openings, insider tips and curated travel ideas, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter. You’ll also nd us on Instagram (@luxurytravel_mag), Facebook (@luxurytravelmagazine), LinkedIn (/luxury-travel-magazine), and Pinterest (@luxurytravelau). ank you, as always, for your continued support and for being part of our growing Luxury Travel community. I hope this issue inspires you – even just a little – to seize the day and nally book that dream holiday. ere’s no time like the present.
KAVITA LALA PUBLISHER
Publisher Kavita Lala
In loving memory of Prem Kumari Lala, a cherished mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister and friend. She led with love, always ready with a warm smile and filled with the joy of life. She was an extraordinary woman and will be missed by all.
EDITOR’S NOTE
“The experiences now on offer aren’t just immersive or exclusive – they have the power to create inner shifts and transform perspectives.”
Back in 2018, I penned a piece about the new wave of luxury travel. Sightseeing was out, and ‘immersive travel’ – soon to become an overused buzzword – was o cially in. Discerning travellers were expanding their horizons, both literally and guratively, in search of experiences that took them deeper into the heart of a destination. is was an exciting time in the industry that spurred a creative urry among hotels, tour operators and cruise lines, who began asking: How can we show the side of a destination that only the locals know? What exclusive insider experiences can we give guests access to that no-one else can? How can we create memories that will linger long after guests return home? Seven years later, this deeper, more enriching kind of journey has become the norm for the modern luxury traveller. And the experiences now on o er aren’t just immersive or exclusive – they have the power to create inner shifts and transform guest perspectives.
Whether it’s practising yoga in a heated glass pod in Antarctica, making astronomy discoveries in Africa or experiencing a Dior facial as you journey across Scotland’s dramatic terrain by train, Kate Symons’ cover story (p56) o ers up 18 ways travelling in luxury can far exceed usual holiday expectations to leave an indelible mark on the mind and soul. “We travel far and we travel wide, but it is when we travel deep that true transformation begins,” Kate says.
More authentic travel experiences with a luxury twist abound this issue. From letting nature be your guide in the woods of southern Finland and experiencing wellness treatments rooted in age-old Vietnamese traditions, to tasting the avours of new- world Filipino dining and joining vets treating wild rhinos in South Africa, these journeys turn the very de nition of a luxury holiday on its head –without asking you to give up your champagne taste. Which really brings home what a privilege it is to travel in 2025. I’ll cheers to that.
MADELIN TOMELTY
EDITOR
Editor Madelin Tomelty
VISIT A LIVING PALACE
THE PRINCE'S PALACE OF MONACO
Luxury Travel Team
Publisher Kavita Lala kavita@luxurytravelmag.com.au
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Production Coordinator
Charlotte Yap production@luxurytravelmag.com.au
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Contributors
Chris Dwyer, Susan Elliot, Eleanor Fazan, Tatyana Leonov, Patricia Maunder, Devanshi Mody, Jocelyn Pride, Sheriden Rhodes, Barry Stone, Kate Symons, Tricia Welsh
Events Coordinator
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Cover image
Yoga in nature takes on new meaning at White Desert Antarctica’s recently upgraded Whichaway Camp
CONTRIBUTORS
Some of the talented writers whose inspiring stories feature in this issue
Chris is a London-based travel and food writer, recently returned to his homeland after 18 years living in Hong Kong. From helicopter tours in Bhutan to visiting remote islands of Micronesia, dining at the world’s nest restaurants to chronicling the food eaten by domestic helpers in Hong Kong, he celebrates a destination’s unique cultural context and tells the stories of the people who make the world so fascinating. He gives us a taste of Istanbul for this edition (page 168).
Susan travelled Australia for 25 years as a presenter and producer of a TV travel show before taking up feature writing. She loves trips with a twist –from station-hopping through the outback in a luxury Cessna Caravan to chasing the aurora australis across the Southern Ocean in a Dreamliner. She has travelled to all seven continents, but also loves time writing from her home on the shores of Sydney’s northern beaches. In this issue she takes us on safari through South Africa (page 82).
Sheriden is a Newcastle-based freelance travel writer with a penchant for islands, snowcapped mountains and wild places – along with a borderline obsession for good co ee and wine. On a recent trip to Alberta, Canada, she swam in a just-melted lake, paddled in a hand-crafted canoe beneath Pyramid Mountain and saw the Rockies up close aboard the iconic Rocky Mountaineer. Sheriden penned our Suite Life feature on Raes Guesthouses (page 150) in this issue.
Tricia is a travel and food journalist who has lived in London, Greece and Germany and has visited and written about 100+ countries. She has climbed Bhutan’s Tiger’s Nest, hot-air ballooned over the Nile, crewed a canal boat through France and looked for jaguars in Brazil. She has been ‘at sea’ cruising rivers and oceans for nearly a year, and studied Italian in Florence and French on the Cote d’Azur. She reviews ultraluxury London hotel e Emory (page 154) for this issue.
CHRIS DWYER
SUSAN ELLIOT
SHERIDEN RHOTES
TRICIA WELSH
BAREFOOT BLISS
Move over Maldives – Queensland is officially Australia’s poster child for paradise. Tangalooma Beach on Moreton Island was recently named one of the world’s most seductive stretches of sand in a global ranking by Lonely Planet, taking its place alongside coastal icons in the Seychelles, Zanzibar and Hawaii. It was the only Aussie beach to make the cut, and with good reason.
Just 75 minutes from Brisbane by boat, Tangalooma delivers barefoot luxury with a wild edge. ink sugarwhite sand, water so clear it shimmers like glass and sunsets that turn the sky molten. Set on the edge of a marine park, it’s a dream for snorkellers and dolphinspotters alike – especially at the famed Tangalooma Wrecks, a sunken playground of coral, turtles and tropical fish. Originally scuttled as a breakwall for small boats, the rusting hulls now form an underwater oasis teeming with life, just metres from shore.
But it’s not just the scenery that has earned it global status. Tangalooma Beach is part of a rare sand island ecosystem, home to wild dolphins that visit the resort’s shores nightly. e mood is laidback, the nature immersive and the luxury refreshingly unpretentious. It’s a salty, sunlit escape that proves you don’t need to travel far for the world’s best. Sometimes, paradise is right on your doorstep.
IN THE KNOW
GOLD COAST
The Gold Coast has its fair share of gleaming hotels, but the new Mondrian may well outshine them all. Bringing the brand’s signature blend of art, design and laid-back glamour to Burleigh Heads, this is the hospitality group’s rst foray into Australia – and it lands with serious style. Designed by Fraser & Partners with interiors by Studio Carter, the dual-tower build (one hotel, one residences) curves skyward with a sculptural silhouette and interiors inspired by sea, sand and sun. Expect textured stone, warm timber and endless ocean views. Highlights? Magnesium plunge pools and a long main pool that melts into the Paci c. Add in two restaurants – including Haven by Arron Tecce (ex-EST, Felix and Manly Pavilion) – as well as the cocoon that is CIEL Spa, and you have the epitome of Queensland coastal chic.
mondrianhotels.com
THE SILK LAKEHOUSE
Hangzhou’s famed West Lake has long inspired poets and emperors. And now it’s home to a new retreat equally worthy of praise. On the quiet banks of this UNESCO World Heritage-listed waterway, e Silk Lakehouse brings a fresh take on Chinese hospitality to one of the country’s most storied settings. e debut of Shangri-La’s ultra-luxury Signatures collection, it features just 68 rooms that blend modern minimalism with local craftsmanship – timber lattice screens, in-room tea stations, hand-loomed silks and deep stone tubs. e interiors are elevated by a dramatic centrepiece: a custom installation of 1,930 hand-blown Murano glass pieces, said to evoke the gentle movement of West Lake’s willow branches. Built on the site of the former Xiling Hotel – once host to state dignitaries – the property preserves historic works, including Zhou Jinyun’s 1971 sculpture commissioned for Nixon’s visit. Experiences, too, are inspired by the setting: guests can join a calligraphy workshop in the library, book a guqin performance at dusk, or linger over a multi-course meal in the open-air dining room, where dishes change with the Hangzhou seasons.
shangrila.com
ANANTARA JEWEL BAGH JAIPUR
India’s ‘Pink City’ has a new hotel gem: welcome to the Anantara Jewel Bagh Jaipur, bringing regal Rajasthani charm to life with a contemporary twist. Set amid 2.2 hectares of manicured gardens on Jaipur’s outskirts, this 150-room retreat is a modern-day palace, complete with jharokhas (bay windows), jaali work, detailed carvings and intricate tikri glass – inspired by the city’s Amber Fort. While the sensory chaos of Jaipur’s Old Town is de nitely an allure, there are plenty of reasons to linger on the grounds – think pool dips interspersed with wanders through the daily on-site market of puppeteers, block printers, bangle makers and astrologers. Or a Rajasthani tapas-style feast in the oh-so-glam Sheesh Mahal bar, where dishes are modelled on how the region’s maharajas once entertained – you can pair this menu with the ‘Echoes of Distillation’ spirit tasting of heritage liquor from the royal family of Mahansar, or simply choose to sip on one of the hotel’s zerowaste cocktails. Bottoms up.
anantara.com
©
Jaideep
Oberoi
SLS BARCELONA
It was only a matter of time before SLS brought its high-gloss hedonism to the Mediterranean. Now open on Barcelona’s Port Fòrum waterfront, SLS Barcelona delivers the brand’s signature blend of playfulness and polish in a curvaceous, sea-facing build by AIME Studios and Rockwell Group. Inside, all 471 rooms and suites come with balconies or terraces – and just enough attitude. ink mirrored walls, oversized headboards, and moody lighting for late starts and later nights. e vibe continues across six venues, from the Gaudí-meetsglamour tapas haunt Bar L’Anxova Divina to Cosmico, a rooftop pool club with serious scene potential. ere’s also a spa on the way as well as three pools – a little ashy, and a whole lot fabulous.
slshotels.com
JUMEIRAH MARSA AL ARAB
Think of it as a love letter to the sea –written in curved glass and brushed metal. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, the newest arrival on Dubai’s shoreline, channels the sleek silhouette of a superyacht, completing the brand’s maritime trilogy alongside the wave-like Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab. Architect Shaun Killa designed the hotel to feel uid and cinematic, with 386 rooms and suites all facing the water. Beyond its 82-berth marina, the real story is inside: a sweeping three-storey Talise Spa, 11 restaurants ranging from Riviera-inspired to East Asian, and a mood that balances high-spec technology with relaxed indulgence. ere are four pools, a private beach, and garden-lined walkways designed for the unhurried. It’s luxury without the hard edges – soft, immersive, and made for those who prefer their ve-star with a little sea spray on the breeze.
jumeirah.com
© Pol Viladoms