Do you vow each year to plan ahead, yet somehow always arrive at the last minute, overpriced escape option?
Here’s an opportunity to turn things around and see how a little forward planning can dramatically boost the standard (and reduce the stress) of trips. From pinning down a new-to-the-scene chalet before others’ catch on, to deliberating between two vastly different seasons for a Northern Lights adventure from Deplar Farm, we’ve curated an enticing menu of year-round travel, laced with our insider knowledge on each destination.
To plan your getaway, call to speak one of our friendly experts on +44 (0)1306 264 005 or email [email protected].
Med Sailing: May – September
To truly get away from it all, it’s worth jumping on board a yacht and subsuming any malaise in kaleidoscopic blues. The Mediterranean is a yachtie’s playground of sun-drenched coves, unspoilt beaches, and those lined with parasols and ice buckets, which lure in spruce (and thirsty) sailors like a metallic beacon.
Whether exploring the Gulf of Fethiye on a classic sailing gulet with a skipper and private chef, or jet skiing along the balmy fringes of Greek islands, pulled by a perfectly proportioned superyacht, May to September is when the Mediterranean switches on its fabled charm and a chic, waterborne scene is in full swing.
European Boutique Hotels: Year-Round
Boutique hotels have a knack for revealing the soul of a place in a way that larger hotels simply cannot. They ooze character with a home-from-home appeal and a handful, such as The Sublime in Lisbon and Hotel des Grands Boulevards in Paris, are redrawing Europe’s design pilgrimage map.
Boutiques also thrive in surreal landscapes, where they remain elusive and reverential, such as Iceland’s Torfhús Retreat – an adventure-luxe retreat where cabin simplicity is cleverly dialled up and hot pools steam over a mossy tundra, or Sao Lourrenco do Barrocal, where deep-rooted Aljento traditions and architecture are gentle modernised.
European Hotels & Villas: April-September
Nothing beats a long, sedate Mediterranean hotel or villa summer, where local cuts and cheese converge at lunch and exquisite settings become home for a week or two. Villa Ermelinda springs to mind, lording over the glassy Lake Maggiore with an Austrian grand piano and views of the Borromean Islands; or Tuscany’s handsome Toree della Quercia – an ancient lookout tower beautifully restored for a marginally more modern palette. The Cote d’Azur has experienced an identity shift, welcoming the wellness brigade with new, namaste arrivals such as Lily of the Valley in Saint Tropez, where chic Philipe Stark interiors sit alongside nourishing poolside menus of Charcoal water over Champagne.
Iceland: February – September / November – December
To visit Iceland in either timeframe is to visit a different country altogether. Spring’s pixie-green tundras of soft moss and volcanic slopes scattered in purple flowers starkly contrast winter’s eerily beautiful scape of glaciers, cabin lights flickering through dense slow and the Northern Lights dancing across frozen lakes in a psychedelic frenzy.
Summer visitors are treated to 24 hours of daylight, balmy hikes along volcano edges and fjords, and dips in hot springs (although the latter are just as exhilarating in the colder months). Deplar Farm and Blue Lagoon both pull the outdoors in with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the otherworldly, mossy kingdom of dramatic ridges, windswept valleys and snow-capped mountains. They also share Nordic minimalist interiors that dispense ample hygge with log fires and delicious bedding for those returning from hikes or helicopter rides over volcano craters.
Alpine Ski Chalets & Hotels: Jan – April
Seasoned skiers know all too well that the chalet game is a quick one. Especially in the Alps, where the tastefully designed, ski-in ski-out options begin to dwindle around, well now…
Meribel not only has access to the vast and variable Les Trois Vallees ski area, it is also lauded for its family-friendly credentials and spruced-spin-on-Savoyard chalets such as Chalet Iamato and Chalet Trois Ours, or, for a knockout view, Chalet du Vallon. For something a little more cosy, contemporary and self-catered, Chalet Arbe lies in the heart of Meribel village, while piste-perfect, Le Coucou is a chic Alpine classic, adored by all who can meet its high altitude rates.
Oman: September – March
Oman’s winter sun appeal is hard to resist, with a milder heat rendering its cultural warren and staggering, rocky landscapes pleasant as opposed to challenging. This is when the Arabian country’s bucket-list hotels come into their own, such as the legendary Six Senses Zighy Bay, positioning rooms, sunbeds, terraces and tables for the cinematic landscape. Here, the mighty Al Hajar mountains make their jagged (and rather abrupt) descent to a powder-soft beach sloping into the balmy waters of the Gulf of Oman. Mimicking the traditional Omani village, the hotel is a limestone labyrinth of pools, cacti and calm, contemporary interiors, sewn cleverly into the surrounding desert and beach,
Islands: Year Round
Far from seasonal, the kick of joy when escaping to an island lasts the whole year. It arguably peaks in winter, when smug sun chasers make a beeline for the Maldives, Mauritius or the Caribbean.
While couples wallow in the Maldives’ translucent lagoons, full and happy on just-caught seafood and fruity cocktails, families flock to the likes of Soneva Fushi, where broods are kept busy at trailblazing kids clubs, while parents take a well-deserved pause in the spa. The Caribbean’s go-slow spirit is given the luxe treatment at beachfront hotels such as Antigua’s Carlisle Bay, and Mauritius’ dramatic volcanic backdrop and jungle-meets-sea appeal awaits at low-key luxe resorts such as One&Only Le Saint Géran Mauritius.
Caribbean Holidays Indian Ocean Holidays
South Africa: Year Round
Vast, boulder-strewn beaches, a dynamic wine scene and superlative safari at conservation-first game reserves, South Africa is always a winner. There’s no jet lag to contend with and the foodie capital, Cape Town, is a laid-back urban playground, as well as the best launchpad for wine or wildlife safaris. Whichever hotel, vineyard or safari reserve you’ve earmarked, from sumptuously understated, Provencal style Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek to Ellerman House, a grown-up boutique hotel which takes its wine seriously, it’s definitely wise to book ahead.
British Hotels & Houses: Year Round
British hotels and houses are designed, much like the Brits themselves, to cope with all forms of weather. Few find joy in melancholic seascapes over tea and biscuits, or a toasty game of backgammon beneath rain-lashed Georgian window panes in quite the same way as the Brits.
And whether cosy in frosty months or completely glorious in summer, the country house hotel or ‘ours-for-the-week’ British rental never fails to remind visitors of Blighty’s wild and capricious beauty. This is particularly true of coastal boltholes, such as Cornwall’s elegant Hotel Tresanton (even more beguiling off-season), or rambling, Jane Austin-style piles, such as Sibton Park Manor in Suffolk – (a stellar option for large families or groups of friends).
To plan your getaway, call to speak one of our friendly experts on +44 (0)1306 264 005 or email [email protected].