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The season may be winding down, but that’s exactly why now is the moment to start planning where you’ll go next.
August feels like the Sunday of summer. You’re probably just back from a big trip and starting to think about having a productive fall, which makes this the right time to start dreaming about that bucket list summer trip for next year.
Here’s the best way to work with us: we plan best with 9 to 12 months of lead time, and some of our clients book 1.5 years out or more. The earlier we start, the better the outcome, because the best hotels, lodges, and guides are booked out far in advance. For trips under three months away, most of the guides and suppliers we work with are already spoken for, so we’re often not able to take those on. If a big trip has been on your mind, now is the time to reach out. If you need any inspiration for your next summer getaway to look forward to, below are some of our favorite ideas.
Italy is Always a Good Idea
Italy does not need an introduction – always the perfect summer getaway. Southern Italy has many iconic destinations that can easily be visited in one trip, including Amalfi Coast, Capri, Naples, and Ischia. The blue waters, hidden coves, and glamorous beach clubs can’t be beat.
While many travelers visit Capri for a quick lunch or a few hours shopping, it deserves more than a day trip. Staying overnight allows you to experience a completely different side of the island, with time to slow down and explore after many of the day’s visitors have departed. Walk out to the Gardens of Augustus, explore the ruins of Emperor Tiberius’s Villa Jovis, and wander the quieter streets of Anacapri. A boutique hotel that feels distinctly Caprese, Il Capri, is an independent five-star hotel set inside a historic pink palazzo on Via Roma. The understated elegance feels more relaxed than the traditional grand-hotel luxury. The rooftop pool offers sweeping views of the island and the Gulf of Naples – the perfect peaceful place to soak up the sun or unwind with a cocktail after a long day walking.
Trade Summer for Winter!
Forget the Mediterranean for a moment. For travelers looking for a trip that feels truly once-in-a-lifetime, it may be time to head much farther south. Antarctica is one of the few places left on earth that still feels genuinely untouched. Towering icebergs drift through impossibly blue water, penguins gather by the thousands, whales surface alongside Zodiacs, and landscapes stretch for miles without another person, or building, in sight.
Antarctica’s travel season falls during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, from approximately November through March, when warmer temperatures and extended daylight make the continent accessible to expedition ships. Seabourne luxury ships Venture and Pursuit offer the best of both worlds: a true Antarctic expedition by day and a luxury hotel experience when you return to the ship. Each ship has just 132 suites, each with a private veranda, marble bathrooms, and personal suite host and attendant take care of the details while you’re out exploring.
Scandinavian Summer You’ve Always Dreamed About
If you’re looking to trade DC’s summer heat for something cooler, this is it. Finland, Norway, and Sweden hit their stride from June through August, with nearly round-the-clock daylight, open landscapes, and none of the crowds you’d find further south. Every itinerary is built around our clients’ interests. In Helsinki, that might mean design galleries and waterfront dining by day and a night at Hotel Kämp on the Esplanadi.
Further north in Finnish Lapland, it’s midnight sun hikes through Urho Kekkonen National Park and a traditional smoke sauna, based out of kelo-log cabins at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. In Norway, we favor private villa experiences in the mountains for multi-gen and large family groups, staffed and programmed entirely around what the group wants: an adventure-heavy week on the fjords, a wellness-focused stay, or a private chef running a culinary program each night. A traditional Viking boat excursion is a favorite addition here as well, suited equally to grandparents and grandchildren. For clients who prefer a coastal city base, Oslo delivers with fjordside walks, art museums, and rooftop dining at The Thief.
In Swedish Lapland, Arctic Bath floats on the Lule River, its spa and cabins designed around the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter, with a stay at the nearby Treehotel, a natural add-on for guests who want something more architectural.
Planning Your African Safari
Nowhere rewards early planning like Africa. Most of the boutique lodges we place clients in hold just six to ten suites, and they fill a year or more in advance, so this is a trip to start planning well before you think you need to. For those escaping the summer heat, June through August in Southern Africa is winter, with cooler days, cold nights around the fire, and some of the year’s clearest game viewing as the bush thins out. First-time visitors can’t go wrong with the classic arc of Cape Town, Franschhoek wine country, and a close on safari in the Sabi Sands, where Singita Ebony Lodge and Royal Malewane are two of our favorite lodges for their setting, guiding, and understated luxury.
For clients who want the most animal-heavy trip possible, Kenya is the place, and the Maasai Mara delivers some of the densest game viewing on the continent, especially during the Great Migration. Angama Mara, perched 1,000 feet above the Mara Triangle in glass-fronted tented suites, is our top pick there, alongside the Great Plains Conservation camps in the Olare Motorogi and Naboisho Conservancies, like Mara Plains and Mara Nyika, which combine some of the lowest vehicle density in the Mara with exceptional big cat sightings.
For clients drawn to something further afield, Bisate Reserve in Rwanda pairs volcano views with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, an entirely different kind of safari and one of the most extraordinary experiences we book. Every itinerary is shaped around our clients’ interests and paced to the season, but the one constant across all of these properties is that the good dates go early.
Asia, Without the Crowds
As it seems Japan is on everyone’s mind recently, Indonesia is where we’re sending clients who want the best of Asia without the crowds. The archipelago spans thousands of islands, and Aman has built its most distinctive properties here. Amanjiwo, our favorite of the group, sits in the hills of Central Java overlooking the Borobudur temple complex, the largest in the world.
On Bali, Amandari and Amankila offer that same Aman calm along the Ayung River Gorge and the Lombok Strait. For a different pace, Amandira, Aman’s private sailing yacht, cruises the waters around Komodo and the Flores Sea, and Amanwana puts guests on the remote island of Moyo for some of the best diving in the country. It’s a trip that delivers everything people love about Japan right now: extraordinary culture, food, and scenery, with far fewer people around to share it with.
The Art of a French Summer
Summer in France never goes out of style. Next summer, rather than racing between France’s greatest destinations, we recommend slowing everything down. Paris may be the traditional starting point for a French vacation, but just outside the city lies one of the most extraordinary hotel experiences in Europe.
Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle isn’t just near Versailles, it sits within the grounds of the palace itself. One of the greatest luxuries at Le Grand Contrôle isn’t found inside your room – it’s access. Hotel experiences include opportunities to discover parts of the Versailles estate outside normal visiting hours, transforming one of France’s busiest landmarks into something remarkably intimate.
From Versailles, leave the grandeur of the palace behind and head toward Burgundy. Instead of checking into another hotel, board one of Les Bateaux Belmond, a collection of intimate luxury barges that travel slowly through some of France’s most beautiful countryside. The small, beautifully designed boats carry only a handful of guests. The trip feels less like cruising and more like having a floating country house in France. This is one of our favorite ideas for multigenerational travel or a group of friends. Chartering an entire Belmond barge creates something that is surprisingly difficult to find in Europe: a completely private experience where everyone can travel together without sacrificing beautiful accommodations, exceptional food or personalized service.
Your Next Trip, Your Way
Whatever your vision is for your next summer getaway, each trip we plan is shaped around our clients’ interests, from the pace of the days to the destinations to the properties themselves. No two itineraries look the same, because no two families are the same. Reach out to us today to start planning your perfectly tailored trip.
