Kuala Lumpur to Pangkor Laut: Off the Beaten Track in Malaysia

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If you thought there was little more to Malaysia than the pearlescent beaches of Langkawi and the bashful orangutans of Borneo, this ten-day trip will have you thinking again. Peninsular Malaysia is a fascinating destination where history, culture and food combine to create something just as colourful as the landscapes that surround them. Filled with intel from our South East Asia experts, this trip promises to get you under the skin of the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur before taking to the mystical Cameron Highlands to cool down. Through the jungles of Belum and onto the shores of Pangkor Laut, prepare to see what caught our eye in Malaysia.

New Cuisines in Kuala Lumpur

Begin your journey in the metropolis that is Kuala Lumpur, staying at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental. Sitting next to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, staying here means you’re right in the heart of the action. With your own personal guide on hand, explore the old and new charms of this vibrant city. From towering skyscrapers, colonial builds and traditional mosques and temples; get a feel of what makes this city tick. Kuala Lumpur also boasts some incredible food stalls open – many staying open until the wee hours of the morning. Don’t know your char kuey teow from your mee goreng, your roti canai from your roti bom? We’ll send you out with an expert guide to get to grip with all the best delicacies.

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Tulum, Merida & Riviera Maya: A Relaxing Beach Break in Mexico

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Mexico. A place where it is just as easy to spend a morning amid temples and ancient civilisations as it is an afternoon amid beaches and palm trees. Mexico is a country full of contrasts and complements where you can start the day unlocking the secrets of the Aztecs and end it with a soothing massage. Bringing this all together in one luxurious package, spend a fortnight getting to know Mexico from all angles on this luxurious getaway.

Culture Beneath the Sun

On your first day, you’ll arrive in Cancun before heading straight over to the beachside oasis that is the uber-luxe Be Tulum boutique hotel. Here, you’ll be just steps away from the ocean as you spend your days topping up your tan and sipping on sundowners. But there are plenty of cultural highlights to see too. If it’s ancient ruins you’re interested in, we’ll set you up with a private tour of the Tulum and Sian Kaán monuments. The first is considered to be one of the most beautiful Mayan sites, whilst the second is a sublime area of natural beauty, home to thousands of species of flora and fauna.

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Baja Peninsula: An Action-Packed Beach Break

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If you fancy yourself a beachside retreat with more to offer than days stretched out beneath the sun, we have created an exhilarating coastal break in this nine-day trip to the Baja Peninsula. With one of the most exciting and diverse landscapes in Mexico, the sun-soaked Baja California promises plenty of thrills and spills alongside its boutique hotels and spas. Where else can you swim with whale sharks and learn to throw a pot in a remote mountain village?  Completely unique—this is one of our favourite coastal getaways.

Swim with Whale Sharks in the Sea of Cortez

Kicking off your trip in style, as soon as you land in Los Cabos you’ll be whisked straight out to the spectacular Posada de Las Flores in La Paz. Journeying through miles of cacti-peppered desert, golden beaches and dark mountainside, you’ll get your first taste of the haunting, otherworldly beauty of Baja California as you go. Soak in these natural wonders and the fragrance of desert flowers as you watch the superb sunset from your private suite terrace.

Nestled on a secluded nook on the east side of the peninsula, La Paz provides the perfect base to enjoy one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems – the Sea of Cortez. With your private guide to lead you, plunge into this underwater wonderland in search of whale sharks. These gentle giants of the deep can reach up to 20 meters in length and will leave you feeling as if you’ve entered a lost world swimming alongside them.

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Puglia: The Perfect Italian Getaway

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Fancy being the envy of colleagues around the coffee machine? Puglia should do the trick. Our favourite Italian getaway, we’ve been retreating down to the heel of Italy’s boot for several years now, but no matter how many times we dip our toes in those beautiful waters or wander through those quaint towns, we never tire of this charming part of Italy. So why not spend the summer (or the spring, winter or autumn for that matter) and hole up in our favourite Puglian paradise, Borgo Egnazia, for a week or so? Sunshine, culture and haute cuisine, it’s got everything for a relaxing and indulgent trip away.

Italian luxe

Nestled within olive groves, amid blossoming bougainvillaea and fragrant jasmine – and just a few hundred metres from the coastline with sweeping views of the Adriatic, we couldn’t think of a better place to while away our days than Borgo Egnzaia. In fact, we’d move in if we could. The hotel is part of a 49-acre luxury resort which resembles a traditional Puglian village and has been built using locally sourced stone and marble by the owners, the Melipignano family, who still live on the property.

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The Ultimate Summer in Iceland

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Ethereal. Hypnotic. Otherworldly. When it comes to Iceland, there is no shortage of words to convey the sheer might of its landscapes. This is a place where your eyes will widen and your jaw will drop with every glacier, lagoon and volcanic chamber you cross. By the end of this action-packed and discovery-filled nine-night trip, you’ll have quad biked across black sand beaches, descended deep into the centre of the earth and hiked across crevasse-riddle glaciers. It’s mile-a-minute in the best way possible. By night, retreat to luxury lodges nestled into sweeping landscapes and slip into steaming geothermal waters as we bring you the best of the best of Iceland – and then some.

Relax into Reykjavik

Touchdown in Reykjavik and we’re whisking you straight from the airport into the spa. No ordinary spa, the Retreat at Blue Lagoon is perched on the shores of the lagoon’s famously tempting waters. Better still, your luxurious suite for the night will open up onto your own private corner of the lagoon. For more pampering, head down into the subterranean spa where some of the world’s most innovative treatments await you. Once you’ve had your fill, spend the afternoon out on the Reykjanes Peninsula on a private tour filled with hot springs, tectonic rifts, volcanic craters, lunar landscapes and lava fields.

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South Australia & Victoria: A Gourmet Discovery

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Between the scorched sands of the Red Centre and the tempestuous waters of the Southern Ocean, Australia’s south coast offers up chic metropolitan cities, sprawling natural beauty and a world-class food and wine scene. Spend 10 nights tasting your way through Adelaide and Melbourne, Kangaroo Island and the Mornington Peninsula and discover why we just can’t stay away. Between boutique wine tastings in the legendary Barossa Valley, canapes with kangaroos down on Kangaroo Island and a tasting trail down Melbourne’s Flinders Lane, we’ll pepper your stay with luxurious lodges and boutique getaways and enviable restaurant reservations for every meal. Spotlighting homegrown produce every step of the way, this is a real taste of South Australia and Victoria.

Welcome to Wine Country

Kickstart your taste tour of South Australia in Adelaide where a toast at the rooftop Hennessy Bar at your base at The Mayfair Hotel will get your trip off to a stylish start. Settle into one of the charming rooms of this boutique hotel ready to explore the surrounding wine country tomorrow. In the morning, you’ll head out to one of Australia’s most well-known wine regions, the Barossa Valley. In the company of a specialist wine guide, we’ll arrange private tastings at boutique wineries and a tutored lesson in the well-known Penfold wines, to get your sommelier skills up to scratch. In the home of home-cooking matriarch Maggie Beer, we’ll then arrange a leisurely lunch at one of the top-notch local restaurants here before you swing by Maggie’s farmshop for a spot of afternoon tea.

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New Zealand and the Brando: An Irresistible Taste of the Pacific

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Trust us when we say this is a trip of sky-high proportions. In the space of two weeks, we’ll take you top to tail through New Zealand, into its beautiful islands, across its shimmering lakes and atop its brooding mountains, before landing you in the island paradise of Tetiaroa. The Polynesian island that captured Marlon Brando’s heart and imagination, spend a few days in total luxury at his island resort, The Brando. A trip that will see you helicopter over stunning archipelagos and a hotbed of adventure as well as into remote hideaway adventures, there’s certainly no downside. Get your heart racing in New Zealand before slowing it right down in French Polynesia in this irresistible taste of the Pacific.

Starting at the Top

Starting at New Zealand’s very northernmost tip, amongst the mesmerising natural beauty of the Bay of Islands, the fatigue of jet lag will soon slip away as you step into your beautiful home for the next four nights; Eagle’s Nest. Teetering atop its own private peninsula, this luxurious boutique resort with its glass-clad villas make for an ideal window onto this beautiful region.

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Bhutan & India: Spiritual Sights & Ayurveda

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Sometimes we all just need to hit reset. To take a step back, take a deep breath in – and let go. Sometimes, the only way to do that is to get away – and that’s where we come in. We’ve spent years looking for the best ways to relax and recharge and nowhere has left us more invigorated than the Indian Subcontinent. In Bhutan, the air positively hums to the tune of monks chanting and prayer wheels being spun. Then, in India, there’s the home of yoga, ancient wonder and religious offerings. So, to really put you at ease, we’ve devised the perfect 11-night escape where you’ll join local monks for daily prayers and blessings in Bhutan before hopping across the border to get ahead of the crowds and visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise and find peace in the Himalayan foothills at the world-class wellness retreat, Ananda.

After a quick overnight pitstop in Delhi, your discovery begins onboard one of the world’s most scenic flights. Flying over the Himalayas, on a clear day, views can extend as far as the mighty peak of Everest. Touch down amid the mountains of Paro, before jumping in a chauffeur-driven car and heading to Bhutan’s capital; Thimpu.

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India & The Maldives: From Rajasthan to the Reef

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To us, the perfect combination is all about contrast – and nowhere exemplifies this quite like pairing the crowded cities of India with the deserted islands of the Maldives. On this two-week trip, we’ll take you through some of Rajasthan’s most iconic cities, immersing you in the culture and introducing you to some of the friendly locals we’ve met along the way. You’ll then swap the cobalt blue hues of Jodhpur for the azures of the reefs of the Maldives. Two nations, united by vibrant colours but each offering a unique experience quite unlike anything else. Walk a mile in the eyes of a street kid in Delhi, master the art of Jal Sanjhvi in Udaipur before catching a wave off the coast of Six Senses Laamu.

A New Perspective

A city where the old stands side by side with the new, in more than just name, nowhere offers a better introduction to India than Delhi. Check in at the grand Imperial Hotel, before stepping back in time to the Mughal Dynasty on a private walking tour of the Old City. Meander your way through the labyrinthine streets, passing by the intricate minarets and domes of Jama Masjid and absorbing the heady scents of Chandni Chowk market to gain an authentic glimpse of modern Indian culture straight from the word go.

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The Maldives: Luxury Atoll Hopping

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Sri Lanka, India, Dubai; the Maldives is the perfect island complement to any Indian Ocean getaway. But who says you need to go somewhere else first? Now we have a new favourite pairing; The Maldives and The Maldives. Home to over 1,000 islands, organised into 26 gleaming atolls, how could one ever be enough? On this eight-night trip through one of the world’s most luxurious island nations, we are combining two of our favourite private islands to create an indulgent getaway where the romance flows and the waters beckon. Floating amid the Baa and Noonu Atolls, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani ooze an effortlessly casual approach to luxury that we can’t get enough of. Places where private astronomers, leading wellness practitioners and water slides curving down into crystal-clear lagoons all come as standard; these are islands you’ll dream of being marooned on. Add in a luxurious private yacht to sail between the two and you’ve got one stylish getaway.

Castaway

Your week of desert island bliss begins with three nights at the original Maldivian idyll of Soneva Fushi. Just 1,400 meters long and 400 meters wide, Soneva Fushi is barefoot luxury at its most impact. But what this tiny jewel-like isle may lack in size, it more than makes us for in experiences. Drop your bags at one of the gorgeous beachfront villas and take a moment to bury your toes in the sand and take it all in.

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