Virtuoso Life Mayo Junio 2020 Inglés

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH US

MAY | JUNE 2020

OUR LOVE LETTER TO TRAVEL

IT’S MORE THAN THE TRIP Travel may be on pause for now. Dreaming is not.

This love letter to our favorite pastime is meant to remind you of all the joys a journey brings, whether you’re planning future getaways, out exploring the world, or remembering adventures past.

Dream Looking forward to a trip is half the fun. Plotting where to go and working with a Virtuoso advisor to craft a just-for-you experience is a master class in anticipation.

Experience Connecting with new places, new people, and loved ones enriches your world.

Remember While material possessions come and go, travel memories grow richer with each passing year.

We hope this issue of Virtuoso Life delivers happiness and inspiration – and reminds you of all the reasons you love to travel. When it’s time to explore again, Virtuoso advisors are here to help you navigate your choices and connect you with meaningful experiences.

The world’s finest travel agencies and advisors are Virtuoso®.

We’re here for you.

Travel brings joy in dreaming, the excitement of the experience, and a lifetime of memories that grow more valuable each day.

Keep dreaming.

We’re ready when you are.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH US

“WHEN WE CAN TRAVEL AGAIN, I CAN’T WAIT TO ...”

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER TERRIE L. HANSEN EDITORIAL VICE PRESIDENT/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ELAINE GRUY SRNKA MANAGING EDITOR MARIKA McELROY CAIN SENIOR EDITOR JUSTIN PAUL MANAGER, DIGITAL CONTENT AMY CASSELL ASSISTANT EDITOR SAMANTHA FALEWÉE SENIOR COORDINATOR DENISE RODRIGUEZ

“Visit Lake Como, Italy, because I was supposed to be there sipping Aperol spritzes (and working) in early May!”

DESIGN DESIGN DIRECTOR MELANIE PRASETYO FOWLER ART DIRECTOR KORENA BOLDING SINNETT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER VERONICA ROSALEZ CONTRIBUTORS COPY EDITOR DIANE SEPANSKI PHOTO RESEARCHER MARY RISHER DIGITAL RETOUCHER WALTER KELLY WRITERS ELAINE GLUSAC, AARON GULLEY, DAVID HOCHMAN, JEFF KOEHLER, KIMBERLEY LOVATO, ANDREW MCCARTHY, KIM BROWN SEELY PHOTOGRAPHERS SIVAN ASKAYO, BALL & ALBANESE, ATUL PRATAP CHAUHAN, NANNA DÍS, STEFAN FUERTBAUER, LUIS GARCÍA, LAURYN ISHAK, JEN JUDGE, ALAN KEOHANE, LINDSAY LAUCKNER GUNDLOCK, YADID LEVY, KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI, RAYMOND PATRICK, ULF SVANE, CLARA TUMA, RACHEL WEILL, SUSAN WRIGHT MARKETING/ADVERTISING/PR MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL PUBLIC RELATIONS MISTY EWING BELLES MANAGING DIRECTOR, NETWORK MARKETING SHARON WYDUR McGRATH DIRECTOR, MARKETING PRODUCTS & PROGRAMS ROBERT DUNCAN SENIOR MANAGER, MARKETING KIM BRADSHAW MANAGER, DIGITAL MARKETING KELLY KIRCHNER

“Cruise to Alaska for my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. There’s no better way to celebrate than a shared family adventure to a spectacular destination.”

CIRCULATION/DATA SERVICES LANECHA WHITE AMY HYDE, GAYLYNN MAGERS MARKETING OPERATIONS DIRECTOR KATHY NIWA TERRELL SENIOR MANAGER MARTIN NOGUEIRA SPECIALIST NATALIE SHERMAN COORDINATOR HALEY COWSER ACCOUNT SALES SARA ARCHIBALD, AMY BAILEY, CAROL COLEMAN, CECE DRUMMOND, CRICKET DUCAT, XABIER EGUREN, ARLLYS FILMER-BENNETT, TRISHA FORESMAN, CHRISTINE GILBERT, KAREN GOLDBERG, RACHEL GROGAN, STEPHANIE LEE, TONY LOGAN, GREGG NIELSEN, WENDY ROMANOW, LAURA SPORT, DANIELA TROTTA VIRTUOSO CHAIRMAN & CEO MATTHEW D. UPCHURCH SVP, PARTNERSHIPS ALBERT M. HERRERA SVP, STRATEGY DAVID KOLNER SVP, FINANCE & OPERATIONS MIKE McCOWN SVP, PRODUCT TRAVIS McELFRESH VP, CULTURE & TALENT MICHELLE RASHID VP, MEMBER RELATIONS CHERYL BUNKER VP, MARKETING PRODUCTS JAMES RICKS VP, PARTNER RELATIONS BETH BUTZLAFF VP, TECHNOLOGY PAUL KEARNEY

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD TONY ADLER, MEREDITH BURBIDGE, NICK CABUGOS, GRACE DEVITA, SCOTT LARGAY, ALLYSON MOFFITT, KEN NEIBAUR, ANGELA PIERSON, ERINA PINDAR, ANNE SCULLY, LEAH SMITH, RENEE WEISS, KIMBERLY WILSON WETTY

Virtuoso® is the leading international travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises 1,100-plus travel agency locations with 22,000 elite travel advisors in 50-plus countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with 2,000-plus 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. 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; TA #808 - Registered Iowa Travel Agency; Washington UBI #601554183. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the state of California. Copyright © 2020 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.

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(ITALY AND ZEBRAS) GETTY IMAGES

“Rebook my African safari adventure with my husband.

I’m ready – we’ve been packed since March 6.”– K.G.

“Head to the Galápagos.

I’ve missed being with my daughters more than ever and dream of a family trip to visit penguins, blue-footed boobies, and giant tortoises.” – W.R.

ON THE COVER, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: (AIRPLANE VIEW) ELAINE SRNKA, (FIJI) KORENA BOLDING SINNETT, (PENGUINS) ABERCROMBIE & KENT, (MOROCCO) ALAN KEOHANE, (POOL) NAYARA SPRINGS, (BAR PALLADIO JAIPUR) ATUL PRATAP CHAUHAN, (ZODIAC) CAPRI PALACE, (BORDEAUX PATISSERIE) CLARA TUMA

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50 REASONS WE LOVE TRAVEL

T SEEMS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY, YET ALSO A LIFETIME ago before Covid-19 became a household term. Our editorial team first discussed concerns about a virus in China back in January. Work on print publications begins months in advance, so we moved articles about travel to Asia further down the calendar and focused instead on other regions, such as Europe. When that continent began to shut down, we pivoted again to feature close-to-home destinations – and then the dominoes kept falling. We didn’t realize the ways our lives would change.

Today, we’re still not sure when the world will fully recover. But we do know this: We will travel again. The allure of escape, discovery, disconnecting, or perhaps reconnecting keeps us dreaming of our next trips. And we know you love travel too. That’s why we’ve put together this special digital edition of Virtuoso Life. It’s our love letter to travel, highlighting all the best parts of taking a trip, from the meaningful (supporting sustainable-travel efforts) to the merry (charging hotelbar drinks to your room). Our team (pictured above on yet another video call) brainstormed, wrote, edited, photo-researched, and designed the entire issue from our sometimes-hectic home offices, with children, spouses, pets, and plenty of stress in the background.

Our mission at Virtuoso Life is and always will be to inspire you to experience the world. And that starts with your Virtuoso travel advisor – whose expertise, connections, and advocacy are more invaluable than ever. Whether you’re ready to travel tomorrow or are taking a wait-and-see approach, we hope our ode to travel reminds you of the beauty, wonder, and fun awaiting us.

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

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We’re travelers at heart – and if you’re reading this, chances are that you’re one too. We’re taking a pause from our regular format to delve into some of the many, many reasons we’re compelled to explore.

We settled on 50, but we could go on for 50 more – and another 50 after that. Here, just a few of our favorite things about travel.

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Dreaming of the Seychelles.

GETTYIMAGES

LET US COUNT THE WAYS

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THE ANTICIPATION We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: The deliciousness of looking forward to a trip is almost as much fun as the actual travel. There’s the thrill of the moment you book your flight to a new – or beloved – destination, then the pre-travel scouting for restaurants, tweaking of itineraries, shopping for that just-right wardrobe, and hashing out plans with travel companions. And tucked into all that anticipation is an even more gratifying sentiment: hope.

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FIRST LOOKS

(AERIALS) MARIKA CAIN, AMY CASSELL, JOEL CENTANO, SAMANTHA FALEWÉE, MELANIE FOWLER, JUSTIN PAUL, KORENA BOLDING SINNETT, ELAINE SRNKA

“I love the first glimpse of new destinations from airplane windows,” says art director Korena Bolding Sinnett. “The colors, the forms of the landscape or the density of a city, the anticipation of landing on new soil – and all the adventures that await as soon as I touch down.”

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3 THE JOURNEY Because getting there can be just as fun.

Hundreds of thousands of frequent-flier miles later, here’s what we love most about air travel: An iced Americano from a local coffee shop’s airport outpost – hey there, La Colombe at PHL and Caffe Vita at SEA.  Buying magazines at the airport newsstand.  Two words: Preflight snacks. (Eat those Shake Shack fries at 9 AM, you’re on vacation!)  Blissful, uninterrupted in-flight movie time.  Champagne and pampering during long layovers in plush airline lounges – have you seen the Cathay Pacific Wing (pictured above) at HKG?  Terminals with entire shopping malls (hello, Heathrow!).  Any and all expedited customs processing.  A driver waiting with our names on a placard, and the private transfer to the resort.

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An eagle hunter in Mongolia.

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Travel affords us so many luxuries – time with our loved ones, new adventures, broader views – but perhaps the most profound is the chance to make the world a better place.

What began decades ago as a movement on the geographical and political fringes of the tourism sector has grown into an industry-wide ethos, grounded in the three pillars of sustainable tourism: protecting the environment, celebrating natural and cultural heritage, and providing social and economic benefits to local people.

(MONGOLIA) OLEH SLOBODENIUK/GETTY IMAGES

THE POWER TO DO GOOD

COMPANIES THAT CARE Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold safeguard the cultural heritage of the communities they operate in with experiences such as a visit to an Italian weaving cooperative. Their nonprofit TreadRight Foundation supports scores of sustainable-tourism projects around the world.

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Nomadic Expeditions has helped shape Mongolian tourism with conservation efforts that range from snowleopard protection to cultural preservation and rigorous guide training.

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and environmental training designed to minimize poaching by providing locals with economic opportunities.

Micato Safaris’ commitment to sustainability ranges from AmericaShare (the company’s charitable arm) to its plastics ban and staff’s emphasis on environmental best practices. Plus, for every safari

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it sells, it sends a child to primary school.

Wilderness Safaris operates the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, an organization dedicated to animal conservation, community empowerment, and antipoaching. It also supports the nonprofit Children in the Wilderness, which educates African children about caring for their environment. 

Micato Safaris’ AmericaShare in action.

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains has been carbon neutral for ten-plus years and has an ongoing commitment to restore the landscape, waterways, and wildlife habitats of its World Heritagelisted location.

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Ted Turner Reserves now oversees more than 1 million acres of New Mexico ecosystems. Visitors to its Vermejo and other resort and ranch properties get to witness this commitment to conservation firsthand.

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Singita helps protect more than 1 million acres throughout Africa and gives back to local communities through education, enterprise development, 

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Traditional weaving in Peru’s Sacred Valley.

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The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that travel and tourism accounts for one in ten jobs worldwide – and ten percent of global GDP. Our trips support the livelihoods of hotel and cruise line workers, shop owners and artisans, tour guides and restaurant workers around the globe. Virtuoso advisor Dayana Brooke, who founded a sustainability-focused travel agency, recommends shopping for thoughtful finds in hotel boutiques: “Ask what has been crafted by locals and how it was made. It’s a nice way to take home a reminder of your travels and help support local economies.”

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KORENA BOLDING SINNETT

SUPPORTING LOCAL ECONOMIES

When the time comes again, the journey of your imagination will be waiting.

2018 VIRTUOSO

®

®

Most Engaged Community Partner

WINNER

PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE Forward-thinking travel companies weave giving back into their DNA. Case in point: G Adventures’ G for Good experience (pictured here), in which travelers learn to make momos, traditional dumplings, through an organization devoted to supporting human-trafficking survivors in Nepal.

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(NEPAL) KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI

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Books THAT FUEL OUR WANDERLUST Page-turners and essential titles bring our next adventure to life.

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PACKING OUR VANITY CASES The secrets to our success in 3.4 ounces or less.

BYREDO

Blanche hand cream, $43

NOTO

Lip stain, $19

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ORIBE

Dry texturizing spray, $23

MILK + HONEY Hand Purifier No. 8, $6

GLOSSIER Cloud Paint, $18

SCONSET

On the Glow sunscreen stick, $24

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JANESSA LEONÉ Calvin hat, $230

pre-trip shopping Nothing puts us in a suitcase-filling mood like a little something new to pack.

ILLESTEVA Leonard II sunglasses, $240

ANNIE COSTELLO BROWN Zola earrings, $298

ANCIENT GREEK SANDALS Desmos slide, $260

CLARE V. Bateau tote, $475

PATBO Geo Print cotton midi dress, $550

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Living in New York City with a wife and three kids (whom I adore and love being around) doesn’t afford me much opportunity for solitude. Yet there’s something about silence that speaks to me in a way all the people in the world can’t. I locate myself in the absence.

In Patagonia as the solitary guest at a 54,000-acre estancia – itself surrounded by hundreds of thousands of acres of national park at the northernmost end of Lago Argentino – reachable only by a four-hour boat ride, I began to get a hint of the magnitude of aloneness possible. The silence was unremitting. The stillness was terrifying, thrilling, in its completeness.

I had come to the end of the world for solitude, and here I had all I could handle. I hiked and sat. I observed keenly and stared blankly. I breathed deep, over and over. I wondered why tears rolled down my cheeks. I laughed for no reason, like a crazy person.

And finally, I spoke aloud to only the wind: “There I am.” – Andrew McCarthy, writer 20

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Patagonian solitude.

LUIS GARCÍA

SOCIAL DISTANCING

BY DESIGN

“The silence was unremitting.

The stillness was terrifying, thrilling, in its completeness.�

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“In ANTARCTICA icebergs sailed silent as cathedrals, then faded. A lone wandering albatross soared.

I noticed the sway of the ship, the timeless feeling.”

“Northern ICELAND is a great place for a city child to be free in nature, interact with animals, and run around the outdoors.”

– Nanna Dís, contributing photographer

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(ANTARCTICA AND NAMIBIA) JEN JUDGE, (ICELAND) NANNA DÍS

– Kim Brown Seely, contributing writer

“Like most of NAMIBIA’s landscapes, this one is so lost in time that you might as well be visiting the Pleistocene.”

– Aaron Gulley, contributing writer

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Virtuoso Advisors’ Expertise Every Step of the Way In the initial planning stages, travelers often need guidance on what’s logistically possible. Experienced Virtuoso travel advisors help them develop a realistic itinerary so they can achieve their travel dreams. – Kristy Adler

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Nailing down the details is my absolute favorite part of the trip-planning process. Once the bones are in place, I get to customize the experience, taking everything I know about my clients’ preferences and interests to add the creative touches that translate into lasting memories. – Erina Pindar

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Once a client’s journey begins, we monitor the trip in real time to resolve any unexpected changes. We also reach out to our personal connections to make sure there’s a friendly face to welcome them, whether that’s a private transfer to start their trip on a positive note or a hotel GM greeting them at check-in – plus room upgrades, Virtuoso-exclusive amenities, and more. – Scott Largay

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After clients return from a trip, I always ask them, “If you could change or add one thing, what would it be?” Advisors love to hear about trip highlights and great experiences, but it’s more important to know what we can make even better next time. – Anne Scully

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Explore further at visitloscabos.travel

EVER TOGETHER. One more thing to love about travel — the friendly faces awaiting your return to Los Cabos.

LOCAL COLOR

Eye candy is our favorite candy, from the streets of Jaipur (pictured at left) to the domes of Saint Basil’s in Moscow.

The vibrant scenes we encounter around the world inspire us to keep exploring.

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(JAIPUR) ATUL PRATAP CHAUHAN, (MEXICO CITY, KYOTO, PERU) KORENA BOLDING SINNETT, (ZURICH) CLARA TUMA

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Clockwise from top left: Mexico City, ZĂźrich, Kyoto, and Pisac, Peru.

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(MARRAKECH) ALAN KEOHANE, (MUMBAI AND JAIPUR) ATUL PRATAP CHAUHAN, (TEQUILA) KORENA BOLDING SINNETT, (LISBON) SIVAN ASKAYO

Clockwise from top left: Marrakech, Mumbai, Lisbon, and Tequila, Mexico.

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Jaipur, India.

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DO YOU F EEL IT? The world. It’s still out there.

That city you’ve longed to explore.

The beach you can feel as you close your eyes and breathe in.

The natural wonder dancing in your soul, pulling you toward the door.

The world. It’s waiting for you.

And we feel it, too.

Come sail the most luxurious fleet in the world and rediscover the comfort and security found aboard our smaller ships, with never a crowd and with every luxury included. Explore each captivating port, returning each night to your own suite, refreshed and replenished daily, while savoring the most exquisite luxury dining at sea.

The world is waiting. Start your journey with Regent.

CONTACT YOUR VIRTUOSO TRAVEL ADVISOR TO BOOK YOUR REGENT EXPERIENCE TODAY!

EVERY

LUX URY IN C LUDED

THE PEOPLE WE MEET

Friendly faces and memorable connections around the globe.

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NANNA DÍS, LUIS GARCÍA , LINDSAY LAUCKNER GUNDLOCK, KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI, RAYMOND PATRICK, KORENA BOLDING SINNETT, ULF SVANE, RACHEL WEILL, SUSAN WRIGHT

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LINGERING OVER LUNCH

Le Café Marly.

My daughter and I had a late lunch at Le Café Marly in Paris. We stayed and stayed and kept ordering drinks until the sky was dark and the Louvre Pyramid was glowing bright. I’ll always have the City of Light in my heart.

– Melanie Fowler, design director

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STARGAZING

I spent a night in New Zealand’s Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve with my husband on our honeymoon in 2017.

No planetarium will ever top seeing the Milky Way like that.

– Amy Cassell, manager, digital content

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Bumping into Belugas

When they discovered me snorkeling a few hundred yards off the edge of Baffin Island’s ice floe in the Canadian Arctic, these white whales approached with playful curiosity. They’d emerge from the deep like shimmering ghosts, swim sometimes within six feet of me to get a good look, dive back down, and repeat.

– Justin Paul, senior editor

MELANIE FOWLER

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SIMPLE GESTURES

My trip to Korea in 2013 was deeply personal – it was my first return since I was adopted as a baby. I’ll never forget the slow, deep bow from the concierge at Park Hyatt Seoul as the elevator doors closed upon my departure.

– Korena Bolding Sinnett, art director

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LONG WEEKENDS

The road to Big Sur.

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GETTY IMAGES

What a difference a day makes. Few things feel as luxuriously restful as a three- (or four-) day getaway. We’re talking skipping town Thursday afternoon with a duffel, a partner in crime, and a great book – and not looking back until Sunday night.

On Location at Montage Kapalua Bay

Someday soon, life’s best adventures will return with laughter. f o r r e s e rvat i o n s , p l e a s e c o n tac t yo u r v i r t u o s o t r av e l a dv i s o r .

D E E R VA L L E Y

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K A PA L UA B AY

LOS CABOS |

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L AG U N A B E AC H

PA L M E T T O B L U F F

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HoteL BarS ...

Cheers to our faithful happy-hour companions.

Le Sirenuse Miami at Four Seasons Hotel The Surf Club.

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The hotel bars we love are classic haunts where literary giants once lingered (bonjour, Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris); lush retreats dreamed up by hip designers (everyone looks cool at Le Sirenuse in Miami’s Four Seasons The Surf Club); and 118th-floor perches with the best city views (don’t leave Ozone at The RitzCarlton, Hong Kong without taking at least seven photos). The best ones leave little to chance: Drinks are meticulously prepared, the snack selection is always stellar, and bartenders dispense concierge-caliber recommendations as fast as they shake our dirty martinis. Whether we swing by before an evening out or pop in for the most convenient nightcap ever, we live by these six magic words: “Charge it to my room, please.”

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... And the drinks they serve

Here’s one to re-create at home: Hotel Solar de las Ánimas’ smoky margarita, which channels the property’s location in the heart of Mexico’s tequila country.

2 ounces smoked tequila (the hotel uses Maestro Dobel Humito) 2 ounces lime juice 1 ounce agave syrup Smoked salt, for rimming glass Rosemary sprig, for garnish

(ZADÚN) LUIS GARCÍA

Shake the tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup in a shaker with ice. Strain into a glass of ice rimmed with smoked salt.

Set the rosemary sprig alight, blow it out to create smoke, and garnish the drink.

Clockwise from top left: Le Royal Monceau; Brown’s Hotel; The Peninsula Chicago; Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve; Ritz Paris; and Bulgari Hotel Shanghai.

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E X T RA O RDI N A R Y W O R LDS

Intimate Ships | All Ocean-front Suites | Curated Voyages | Award-winning Cuisine | All-Inclusive Luxury

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ITALY FOREVER Year in and year out, Italy leads the world as Virtuoso Life readers’ most sought-after destination.

We love its history and culture (and fashion), but right now, it’s the dolce vita pleasures – pastas and pizzas, spritz-fueled aperitivos and evening passeggiatas – that we’re craving most. Raise a limoncello to the whole country, from the canals of Venice to Amalfi, land of citrus-scented sea breezes and stylish Riva yacht wakes, to Sicily’s sun-soaked shores.

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SUSAN WRIGHT

On the Amalfi Coast (left to right): Le Sirenuse hotel, Hotel Santa Caterina, spaghetti at Ristorante Santa Croce, and Da Adolfo's shuttle.

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FEDERICO BIANCONI

MARIELLA AVINO

VALENTINA DE SANTIS

Owner, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como If you could visit now, I’d show you: The beauty of Lake Como as our ancestors saw it: The mountains are reflecting on the water like in a mirror, and the only sound is of nature.

Fun fact: Our chef, Osvaldo, has baked each of my birthday cakes – and he’s not the only one at the hotel who has known me since birth.

For aperitivo, I’m having: A spritz, because I’m not a great mixologist. If I could have our barman, Hatem, make me a cocktail, I’d love a “Valentina,” the drink he created with my favorite summer flavors: cucumber, ginger, mint grown on our terrace, and Italian bubbles.

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If you could visit now, I’d take you to: Monti Sibillini National Park on the Castelluccio plateau for hiking, cycling, or horseback riding. It’s especially beautiful mid-June through early July, when the wildflowers bloom.

What I’ve done with the downtime during quarantine: We started an organic agriculture and essential-oils project with our friends, the Cinque brothers from the Amalfi Coast hotel Il San Pietro di Positano.

When we reopen, we’ll be able to offer these natural products to our guests.

For aperitivo, I’m having: Local pecorino and goat cheeses with a sagrantino di Montefalco red wine.

Managing director, Palazzo Avino, Ravello

HUGO PIZZININI

Owner, Hotel Rosa Alpina, Dolomites A surprising result of Italy’s lockdown: I see many more wild animals in our village of 700 – and in our hotel: A marten came in a window one night.

If you could visit now, I’d take you: Hiking up my favorite mountain to let you “hear” the silence and peace.

Italian comfort food I can’t get enough of these days: The pizzas I make with my kids and, of course, all sorts of homemade pastas and our local white asparagus – the best in Italy.

For aperitivo, I’m having: Prosciutto crudo and Ronco delle Mele sauvignon from my best friend, winemaker Giampaolo Venica.

If you could visit now, I’d take you: To Palazzo Avino’s roof to enjoy the silence and sunset’s pink show.

The thing I love most about the Amalfi Coast: The colors and the brightness of nature – the lemons, pink flowers, and days when you can’t define the line between sky and sea.

For aperitivo, I’m having: A lemon-drop martini for sure. I’ve mastered it during quarantine.

Italian comfort food I can’t get enough of these days: Homemade pasta with all the fresh spring vegetables, from peas to broccoli to zucchini. Every day is Pasta Day!

(PORTRAITS) KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI, (OPPOSITE) SUSAN WRIGHT

Co-owner, Palazzo Seneca, Norcia

Clockwise from top left: Bar al San Domingo in Ravello, a market in Modena, San Giorgio Maggiore church in Venice, and spaghetti carbonara in Lazio.

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Dubrovnik views.

CONNECTIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Travelers remember their Virtuoso advisors’ most astounding feats.

Roderick and Michelle Murré arranged one of the most incredible experiences with Italian winemaker Angelo Gaja, who really put Barbaresco on the map. His winery doesn’t usually do tastings, but there we were, sipping and talking with Angelo himself – I don’t know how they did it.

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– Samantha Breton

When I got to the St. Regis Aspen’s polo match, a lot of people were getting frisky with their fancy Champagne. Eleanor Flagler Hardy had me seated at table no.

1, where they knew to pour me the most delicious pink bubbly that was alcohol-free. I was in heaven!

– Tree Lockie

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For my youngest daughter’s 18th birthday, Dana Welch booked us on a Silversea cruise through the Adriatic and arranged for local guides in every port. In Dubrovnik, our guide had set up a treasure hunt through town. Clues led us down a little lane, where a band started playing “Happy Birthday” to Kiara. A bakery opened just for us, and she got to decorate an incredible chocolate cake. Then an artist sketched a drawing of her that we kept as a gift.

– Kathleen McNamara

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(DUBROVNIK) GETTY IMAGES, (SAHARA) THE GOODNER FAMILY

The Goodners in the Sahara.

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RAISING GLOBAL CITIZENS When Caroline and Sam Goodner had the opportunity to spend a year traveling with their 9- and 11-year-old kids, they went big. “Rather than digging into a country for an extended amount of time, we decided to see as many places as possible,” Caroline says. “What we’d lose in cultural immersion, we’d gain in sheer variety of sights, smells, flavors, sounds, and interactions – and playing with where we wanted to go was one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives.” All in all, they visited 34 countries in just over 13 months, and saw the world by plane, train, boat, bike, camel, horse, elephant, tuk-tuk, rickshaw, ox carriage, ocean liner, canoe, and Funyak.

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24 An adoring shout-out to the fine men and women who take our beachside (or poolside) lounging to the next level – swinging by to polish our sunglasses, mist us like exotic ferns, and proffer icy treats in the heat of the afternoon.

You put the pleasure in our leisure.

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KORENA BOLDING SINNETT

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HOTEL PERKS

Cherry-blossom-inspired treats from Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.

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KORENA BOLDING SINNETT

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We’re suckers for that moment when, after we’ve settled into our room, there’s a knock on the door from a staff member bearing a tray of snacks or drinks (one standout: the DIY margarita kit at Terranea Resort in Southern California). From cooking lessons with Richard Branson’s private chef at Makepeace Island in Australia to fitness follow-ups with a personal trainer after a stay at San Diego’s Golden Door, the perks of being a Virtuoso traveler get us every time.

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Room Service Some say room service has a time and a place. Yes – anytime, in any place. I’ll never forget the miso soup and rice my friend and I dug into at the Mandarin Oriental, Paris after a late night in the Latin Quarter. And not much beats an in-room meal before a long day of travel, especially if you know all that’s waiting at the airport at 6 am is a soggy croissandwich. While discovering a new city through its food is the best, sometimes summoning dinner with a button on the bedside phone is the answer.

Last year I was in Vienna on assignment, feeling that special brand of exhaustion that comes with being nine weeks pregnant. The cure?

French onion soup. And fries – with one of those adorable little ketchup bottles. And apple strudel. (Thank you, Park Hyatt Vienna.) The craving for comfort can strike anytime, anywhere, and if that means carbs wheeled into my suite on a silver platter, so be it.

– Amy Cassell, manager, digital content

Rise and shine: Shangri-La Hotel, Paris’ room service.

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Regent Seven Seas Explorer’s top suite and (below) Monaco.

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The excitement of watching new destinations slide into view from the ship’s deck never gets old. Neither does exploring them. On Mallorca, the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, la hora del vermut (“vermouth hour”) brings tapas of thin-sliced jamón Ibérico and blistered Padrón peppers. On the Caribbean Dutch island of Curaçao, visitors can watch pink flamingos stalk across the mirrorlike Jan Thiel salt flats. And in Italy’s Cinque Terre, where the best view is always from the water, visitors cool off with gelato, wade in the crystalblue Ligurian Sea, and hike cliffside trails lined with olive groves and terraced vineyards. Virtuoso travelers get to explore these ports – and others around the world – with private cars and drivers, step ashore for invite-only shore excursions, and raise a glass to new friends at onboard cocktail receptions with Virtuoso Voyages.

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(MONACO) NANNA DÍS, (EMMA FORD) ANGUS BLACKBURN/AB IMAGES SCOTLAND, (JOHN COYKENDALL) KORENA BOLDING SINNETT

A Discovery in Every Port

28 Local Experts

In Perthshire, Scotland, falconer Emma Ford has flown birds of prey for more than 45 years. She teaches guests of The Gleneagles Hotel to fly Harris’s hawks with her crew – Fatty, Smithy, Tigger, and others – of not-so-fearsome raptors. And she dispenses tips for sampling the area’s single-malt whiskies: Head to Edradour distillery for a tasting, and save the last drops to drizzle over smoked salmon.

Master gardener John Coykendall knows that seeds have stories. In addition to overseeing the expansive grounds of Blackberry Farm in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, the classically trained artist curates a library of heirloom specimens (700 and counting), sketches his favorite plants, and forages for local delicacies such as ramps.

Kenya native Charity Jemutai Cheruiyot grew up loving wildlife, but never intended to be a trailblazer. When she joined andBeyond’s Mwewe Ranger Training School, though, she found her calling and became the first female guide in the Maasai Mara.

Now she leads safaris at the brand’s Kichwa Tembo and Bateleur camps, where she’s a favorite with families.

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Adrenaline Rushes

CLARA TUMA

Few things connect us with a place and time like the thrill of outdoor activities: dropping in on a wave in the Maldives; rafting Class IV rapids outside Queenstown, New Zealand; mountainbiking in Moab; skiing off-piste in Saint Moritz; spotting a shark bigger than us during a dive – and seeing that it sees us too.

Adventure travel doesn’t have to spike our heart rates, but whether it’s setting out for a relaxed bike tour of Slovenia or a walking safari in Botswana, it demands personal, in-the-moment connections with nature. And that’s a heady pursuit in itself.

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Tofana Schuss, a highlight of the women’s World Cup ski tour, with Cortina d’Ampezzo in the distance.

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Some travelers love museums and city tours; many seek out festivals or the world’s finest restaurants. Me? I’m just as happy sitting in a field of grizzlies in Alaska or swimming in a lake full of jellyfish in Palau. Coming face-to-face with animals is the ultimate reminder of the vitality and wonder still left in this world, which is probably why I continue chasing wildlife when I travel – though thankfully I’ve yet to have any chase me.

– Aaron Gulley, contributing writer

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JEN JUDGE

Animal Encounters

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JEN JUDGE

Close encounters on a Zimbabwe safari.

“Coming face-to-face with animals is the ultimate reminder of the vitality and wonder still left in this world.�

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LEARNING NEW TRICKS Travel builds our repertoire of globe-trotter know-how. For example, we’ve learned how to:

BAKE LIKE A MASTER PASTRY CHEF

“Attention to detail is paramount in making pâte à choux,” says art director Korena Bolding Sinnett, who traveled to Gascony for a master class. Top these French cream puffs with fresh fruit coulis and whipped Chantilly cream.

Understand the rule of thirds, shoot during golden hour (immediately after sunrise or before sunset), and be conscious of your surroundings. “I love shooting in local markets,” says contributing photographer Kevin J. Miyazaki.

“I recommend being polite and shooting quickly so as not to disrupt vendors or customers.”

RECOGNIZE QUALITY MOROCCAN SAFFRON

Search for long, thin, deep-red filaments with a faintly sweet smell.

TIP AT HOTELS

Art director Korena Bolding Sinnett’s baking bonanza near Bordeaux.

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Plan on a dollar or two per suitcase for the bellhop delivering bags and five dollars per day for housekeeping.

(PASTRIES) KORENA BOLDING SINNETT, (PARIS) STEFAN FUERTBAUER © TOUR EIFFEL–ILLUMINATIONS–PIERRE BIDEAU

TAKE A GREAT PHOTO

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Nights on the Town

Some cities we love for late dinners – be back soon, Madrid and Buenos Aires!

Others, for partying into the early hours – here’s looking at you, Vegas and Rio. But for sheer romance, no place dazzles after dark like the City of Light. “In many ways, Paris starts at sunset,” says Virtuoso travel advisor Barkley Hickox. “It’s not just the lights and the views from the rooftops; it’s the boudoir feeling of yesteryear: the red-velvet interiors, the burlesque atmosphere, the underground nature of certain places. You really just need to pick the way you want to discover Paris at night.”

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33 All the World’s a Feast

Sushi on the Seabourn Encore and (right) globetrotting by plate.

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LUIS GARCÍA, LAURYN ISHAK, KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI, ULF SVANE, CLARA TUMA, SUSAN WRIGHT

To all the meals we’ve traveled for – and the ones we’ll travel for again.

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Iconic Architecture We’ve got a crush on all the incredible edifices that tell us we’ve arrived somewhere special – Angkor Wat, the Arc de Triomphe, NYC’s Oculus (pictured here).

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INSIDER ACCESS 62

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The doors that a Virtuoso travel advisor opens for us.

For a family cruise to Alaska, we wanted eight adjoining rooms – of which there are very few – two suites, and one of the ship’s two penthouses. Our advisor, Ken Neibaur, had someone standing by when ship bookings opened up at midnight and got us all 11 rooms, exactly as we wanted. – Randy Ubillos, Virtuoso traveler

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ART Appreciation An after-hours party beneath Michelangelo’s David. The Sistine Chapel, all to ourselves. A private viewing of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum. Virtuoso’s connections have amped up my family’s arts-andculture cred, but the most meaningful was a guided scavenger hunt through the Louvre with my daughter when she was 10. Eight years later, she wrote about the experience in her college application essay. She’s now a university student majoring in art history – proof that our kids are paying attention after all.

(THE OCULUS AND JOHN ROBSHAW) BALL & ALBANESE, (LOUVRE) GETTY IMAGES

– Elaine Srnka, vice president, content

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GATHERING INSPIRATION Travel fuels creative endeavors and sometimes even sparks new ones. Inveterate traveler and textile designer John Robshaw advocates for total immersion. “I tend to stay in places for a full week to really get to know the city or town,” he says. “And to dig into all the nooks and crannies – and hopefully find some vintage textiles, of course.”

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Adults-only Nayara Springs, Costa Rica.

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HOTEL POOLS True story: I once moved across the country for a hotel pool. Splashing around under jasmine and jacarandas one February afternoon at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica was all the convincing I needed to finally give up on slushy New York City winters. By October of that year, my bathing suit and I were full-time residents of Los Angeles. Giving over to water forces you to slow down, to look inward, to push away the distractions of everyday life, and isn’t that what travel’s really all about?

– David Hochman, contributing writer

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(SAINT BART’S) SIVAN ASKAYO

BEACH TIME

Here’s to rosé all day on Saint Bart’s, the très chic French outpost in the Caribbean.

Landing at its legendary airstrip wows even the most jaded of jet-setters, and its sophisticated hotels, boutiques, and dining scene would make a Parisian proud.

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Souvenir shopping We tuck them into our pockets, ship them across oceans in bulky packages, haggle for them in open-air markets. The treasures we bring home are more than livingroom accessories and keepsakes – they’re reminders of the people we met and the things they made that are so uniquely of those places. Get back out there soon, they say.

There’s so much more to see.

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KORENA BOLDING SINNETT

Hotel Pets From Cupcake the miniature horse at Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, to Fa-Raon the cat at Le Bristol Paris and the Irish wolfhounds at Ashford Castle in Ireland (pictured here), we love hotels that cherish their pets as much as we do.

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Barcelona’s market tradition dates to when the city was one of the Mediterranean’s great trading ports, and markets functioned as open-air collections of produce and goods along the outside of the old Roman walls. The system expanded as 68

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the city grew, and today includes 39 municipal markets (and four specialist outposts) scattered throughout the city’s neighborhoods – the largest such network in Europe.

– Jeff Koehler, contributing writer

NANNA DÍS

Market Browsing

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Coffee Culture

NANNA DÍS, LUIS GARCÍA, LAURYN ISHAK, YADID LEVY, CLARA TUMA, SUSAN WRIGHT

Caffeine is our love language.

In Paris, sipping a tiny espresso can be an all-afternoon affair; no one is going to rush you. Ask for a cappuccino after dinner in Italy and prepare to watch your waiter scoff as he walks away (it’s espresso only at that hour). Flat whites in Sydney, kahve in Turkey, café Cubanos in Miami. Coffee is universal, but every destination’s relationship with it is beautifully distinct. Cafés are the best for afternoon people-watching, and they offer a welcome break from touristing. Plus, a bag of beans is an easy souvenir win, and a fragrant reminder of recent adventures.

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Settling In with the Family The advantage of a villa holiday, as opposed to a hotel stay, is that you really get a sense of your destination’s rhythms and personalities – you can spend an entire day (OK, probably a lifetime) discovering the quirks and charms of a single Tuscan piazza. A local chef lead us in a pasta-making class the evening we arrived at our villa. With the sun setting and candles flickering, we set an outdoor table for one of the most magical family dinners we’ve ever had.

– David Hochman, contributing writer

Most of us don’t spa often at home, but during our travels, the treatment menu is our oyster. Nothing says “I’m on vacation” quite like succumbing to 90 minutes – or heck, even a whole day – of scrubs, wraps, detox masks, purifying balms, and judicious kneading. We’ve been scrubbed in Chiang Mai, pampered in Puerto Rico, Reiki-ed in Reykjavik. And we’ll be back for more.

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(SPA) GETTY IMAGES, (BOTTLES) NANNA DÍS

45 SPA TIME

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VINTAGE VACATIONS

Special-edition, artist-designed bottles at Taittinger dating to 1978 at Café du Palais.

Myriad Champagne houses imbue Reims with an effervescent Zen, but perhaps none more so than Champagne Taittinger, built on the ruins of the thirteenth-century SaintNicaise Abbey. It’s the last of the Grandes Marques Champagne houses owned and run by members of the founding family. Stop in and tour the crayères, chalk caves filled with aging bottles of prized cuvées, and scan the walls for carvings made by sheltering Allied soldiers and civilians.

– Kimberley Lovato, contributing writer

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DEPARTMENT STORES The best department stores around the world offer a slice of their hometowns under one roof – and, of course, a little something to take home. We love getting lost in floor after floor of the clothing, food, and, yes, culture of the area.

There’s El Corte Inglés in Spain (we’re partial to the Castellana location in Madrid). Tokyu Hands in Tokyo. Stockholm’s NK. The incomparable Galeries Lafayette Paris (pictured here). Retail therapy is globally appealing.

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KIDS’ PROGRAMS

The best family-centric hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators teach kids about the natural world around them. At JeanMichel Cousteau Resort Fiji, young guests can harvest ingredients from the on-site organic garden and learn to cook in a Junior Chef program, visit local schools with their families, identify marine life during snorkeling outings, and get the wiggles out on the kids’-area waterslide, jungle gym, and zip-line.

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And a Few More …

Champagne service in seat 2A • Buza Bar in Dubrovnik • The impossible green of the English countryside in spring • Extra bubbles in the hotel Jacuzzi • Eating ripe sémillon grapes in Bordeaux • Lunch on the Great Wall of China • The morning call to prayer in Tangier • Czech beer at the source • Mashpi Lodge’s cloud-forest sky bike • An after-hours concert in Ephesus • The fountains at Bellagio Las Vegas • Cheetah sightings in the Maasai Mara • Hotel Esencia’s ceviche menu • Alfresco truffle fries at The Little Nell’s Ajax Tavern in Aspen • The concessions at a fútbol game in Mexico City • Airport flirtations • A picnic lunch packed just so by Huka Lodge • Letting the butler do the packing • Sunrays illuminating Machu Picchu • Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar • Singapore’s Orchard Road • Sipping fresh mango juice by the Red Sea • In-the-know bartenders • Duty-free shopping sprees • Lobster-and-caviar eggs Benedict at the Shangri-La, Tokyo • A sunrise bike ride down Haleakala on Maui • The scent of lilacs blooming in Paris • When an entire hotel staff greets us by name • Cape Town’s Heaven coffee shop • Pimm’s Cups at Wimbledon • Matinees at Teatro alla Scala • Being mistaken for a local • Pho for breakfast in Saigon • Russian speakeasies • Friday brunch in Dubai • Sunrise over the Zambezi River • Eight minutes of alone time with van Gogh’s The Starry Night at MoMA • Diving Fiji’s Great Astrolabe Reef • The view from a train window • Flat whites in Perth • Shutting off Google Maps • Sending postcards M AY | J U N E 2 0 2 0

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Stargazing in Utah’s Zion Canyon National Park.

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the Trips to come

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As we like to say around here, our favorite trip is the next one. Wherever we’re going next, we’ll carry with us the memories of trips past – and the knowledge we’ve absorbed – and an eternal curiosity about this great wide world and the people in it.

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Seamless trip planning and perks aside, in today’s world, an advisor is your number-one advocate.

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