Over the past 12 months, I have experienced six different international business class products thanks to my job as Insider's aviation reporter. And — among this particular bunch — I've found that none of them are like the other.
18.09.2023 - 14:53 / forbes.com
andBeyond (&Beyond) is an award-winning experiential travel company that has been offering some of the best African safaris, lodges and adventure trips for three decades. They are known for their commitment to sustainability and guest engagement, as well as high-levels of luxury, service and creature comforts.
While &Beyond offers itineraries around the globe, some using properties they do not own, they also have nearly 30 of their own hotels, almost all of these safari lodges in Africa, including some of the most coveted (Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Grumeti River Lodge, Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, etc.). They also moved into Chile a couple of years ago, and most recently expanded to Asia with their first lodge there, in Bhutan. The small Buddhist nation in the Himalayas has recently emerged as a new luxury travel hotspot for a variety of very good reasons (read much more about “Why Bhutan is Hot” here), and the new &Beyond Punakha River Lodge is one of the best places you can stay there.
I just got back and was one of the very first guests at the property, which soft-opened two weeks ago (early September 2023). Usually seeing a hotel this new does the property a disservice as there are always growing pains (that’s why they call them soft openings, and the spa wasn’t quite ready to open yet when I was there), but in this case the lodge is already excellent and will only get better.
While many other respected luxury brands operate small lodges in Bhutan, I found that the ones I visited seemed focused on keeping guests happy on site, but Bhutan is a really long trip to undertake just to sit around your plunge pool all day, no matter how swank the accommodations. Bhutan is a place you should go to experience the unique culture, nature, wildlife and outdoor activities - and in that regard is very much like Africa, where the &Beyond model has been proven to excel. In fact, many visitors are surprised to find that the Himalayan nation is rich in wildlife, home to Bengal tigers, leopards, snow leopards, sloth bears, black bears, civets, elephants, countless bird species including rarities, yaks, and the national animal, the rare takin, a sort of sheep/goat/antelope hybrid. There’s a riverside spot about 40 minutes from the lodge where you can see takin, and &Beyond is working with the government on plans to offer safari-style viewing of some of the other coveted wildlife, an activity largely absent right now in Bhutan.
The property was built with leaving your compound and doing activities in mind, both physically and philosophically. As a small example, the outdoor showers - always a nice luxury - were intentionally designed with doors from both the suite and the outside, so if you come back from mountain biking
Over the past 12 months, I have experienced six different international business class products thanks to my job as Insider's aviation reporter. And — among this particular bunch — I've found that none of them are like the other.
Three life-changing words: New York City.
A recent visit to Governors Island came a few days after a conversation I’d had with my father in which he’d instructed me to act like a tourist in my own city. He’d started by asking simply how I was filling my summer weekends, and I answered honestly that most of my free time was spent reading in one park or another and going to bars in my Brooklyn neighborhood. “New York City,” he reminded me (with earnest intention to inspire, no righteousness detected), “has more things to do in it than you’ll be able to see in a lifetime.”
Santiago is a spectacular city, with terrific museums, outstanding food and an awe-inspiring view of the Andes. Just steps from each other, the W Santiago and the Ritz Carlton offer two terrific lodging options. Below are highlights from each property.
Every passing month highlights a new facet of New York State, drawing millions of visitors to its hills, islands, forest, lakes and festivals.
It’s no secret that the return in air travel following the pandemic has been turbulent. But despite the challenges, including a return to prepandemic passenger volumes this year, an unrelenting pilot and air traffic controller shortage, and high numbers of delays and cancellations, overall passenger satisfaction has improved somewhat, according to a new study released by J.D. Power this week.
Pride parties in the summer, Broadway shows in the fall, holiday magic in the winter, cherry blossoms galore in the spring…there’s never a bad time to visit New York City.
A slice European, a pinch cosmopolitan New York and fully its own quirky, unique self, Montréal is Canada’s artsiest, coolest city, worth spending days and days exploring.
Sometimes, it's okay to clap when a plane lands.
Ho Chi Minh City is a vibrant and exciting city with a lot to offer visitors. It is the largest city in Vietnam and has a rich history, diverse culture, and delicious food. Some of the top things to do in Ho Chi Minh City include visiting the War Remnants Museum, exploring the city’s French colonial architecture, taking a walk through Ben Thanh Market, and sampling the city’s delicious street food. Ho Chi Minh City is also a relatively affordable city, making it a great value for travelers. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, food, or shopping, you’re sure to find something to love. These Ho Chi Minh City hotels put you close to everything.
Few places are as synonymous with Jewish food as New York City. Manhattan's Lower East Side neighbourhood served as a culinary cauldron when it was home to the largest Jewish community in the world in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, blending centuries of diasporic gastronomic knowledge.
2024 will mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Bhutan to foreign travelers, and in that relatively short time it has been one of the least visited great places in the world. Bhutan has always been a true “Bucket List” destination for select niches of travelers, including romantics, nature lovers, the spiritually inclined, and that enviable group who has been “everywhere else.” But after a total pandemic shutdown, Bhutan has gone prime time, re-emerging with new hotels, activities, travel options and revamped tourism policies that make the logistically challenging destination easier to visit than ever before.