Four Seasons: Inside the Luxury Hotelier's Strategic Evolution

The beautiful winning images of the 2023 international Nature Photographer of the Year contest celebrating the beauty of nature photography were unveiled at an awards ceremony that took place at the annual Nature Talks Photo Festival in the Netherlands.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelsey Frampton, a 21-year-old business student from Fresno, California, who's studying in Barcelona. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2024—find more travel inspiration here.

The Cycladic island of Ios is a rocky, mountainous environment of winding roads sometimes blocked by herds of bleating goats and sleepy villages hugging cerulean coastlines. In the 1960s, backpackers discovered the nearly untouched island and it became known as a hippie haven, hosting all-night beach parties, with a handful of cheap bars operating in the Chora (main town). A few decades later, nearby Santorini and Mykonos began to outshine their neighbor, attracting hordes of tourists each summer and investing in new developments. Meanwhile, Ios only got electricity across the entire island in the 1970s and most residents here are goat herders or farmers. Today, Mykonos has taken the nightlife crown and both it and Santorini have become severely over-touristed. Ios on the other hand, remains a quiet, mostly undeveloped paradise.

Girl dinner doesn’t have to be basic. And if you know someone who indulges in girl dinner on a regular basis, this gift guide will help them make the most of doing the least, deliciously of course. Whether it’s specialty tinned fish, internationally sourced snacks, gourmet pasta or dishware that make girl dinner feel gourmet, these girl dinner gifts from around the world elevate the humble meal to a truly gift-worthy occasion.

With rugged mountains, untouched beaches and fertile soil that grows coconuts, tea and spices, Sri Lanka offers travelers a wondrous mix of experiences unmatched for an island of its size.

With a new year approaching and new resolutions in mind, learning a language is one of those items that often appears on many personal lists. Travel experts and language institutions regularly publish surveys on the best destinations to do so, echoing the simple fact that in our interconnected, “globalized” world, the ability to communicate in more than one language opens new opportunities, experiences and understanding.

A new exhibition featuring sustainable art will be opening at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, thanks to a new collaboration between the hotel, Artbooth Gallery, and a local artist. 

Safari travel company Go2Africa has just released the world’s most expensive safari that will cost a family of four over $690k, visiting six countries over 24 days with hot air balloon rides, gorilla trekking, and even a personal film crew to document this journey of a lifetime for you.

Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, in collaboration with Artbooth Gallery, introduces the Sustainable Art Awareness Project, featuring a local artist who weaves eco-consciousness into her craft. The exhibition of artworks by the remarkable Lebanese-born Emirati artist Noura Ali Ramahi will be on display in public areas of the Hotel from November 8 to November 30, 2023.

Ever since travel roared back from pandemic lockdowns, Greece has been one of the hottest destinations in the world. While some visitors go for the gorgeous beaches the Greek islands are famous for, Athens is its most visited spot, with more airlift, great hotels, great restaurants and the number one historic attraction in a country legendary for historic attractions, the Acropolis.

The Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai recently launched its Young Guardians of the Earth program. The new initiative by the leading eco-conscious wellness retreat in Vietnam aims to explore sustainability and science through hands-on composting and gardening experiences for both children and parents who are interested in getting back to the earth.