Where to go when? | WTN? Octant Furnas | Highlight

📷 Woodnest

WHERE TO NEXT?

Dear Traveler,

I hope the start of summer has transitioned you into the rhythm of a more relaxed pace. With lots of clients traveling my summer has been quite busy. And I've been gearing up for my upcoming adventure to the Dolomites where, among other activities, we will be hut to hut hiking over the course of a week (and staying in two luxurious hotels with spa treatments on the front and back end). As I read the descriptions of our hikes - 6 to 10 miles and 3-7 hours each day, I realized in addition to my regular work outs I needed to get some time on the trails - preferably with lots of elevation.

Preparing physically for a challenging adventure adds to the excitement of an upcoming trip! All of that activity will make it easy to justify eating delicious Italian pastas and breads and our dinner at a Michelin star restaurant in the mountains. I look forward to sharing the details with you - I think the restaurant I've chosen will be showing up in an upcoming Highlight.

Anticipating that we will love this trip, I'm already thinking about where we could go next - perhaps the mountains of Switzerland or the Pyrenees on the border of Spain and France (Patagonia is already on the calendar).

This week I've had several calls with travelers wanting to plan a late summer, winter or spring break trip but they didn't know where they wanted to go. In that case these are my suggestions:

Think high level about what kind of trip you want to have - cultural, relaxing, active, beach, focus on food or wine, adventure, history, stay in one place vs. move around, how long you are willing to spend on a plane, if you want to learn a new skill or tackle a challenge etc.
Talk with the people who are joining you (especially the kids - no matter their age!) to seek out their interests and ideas.
Consider the places that are best suited for the month you plan to travel. You can check out the truvaytravel.com webpages, called Where to Travel When, that have a list of the best places to go by month.
Consider those, but also consider unconventional options. Perhaps a European city in the winter or spring break, when it's a lot less crowded.
Then schedule a call with me to brainstorm.

This week I had the joy of having calls with some clients who recently came home from trips. It is always one of the most enjoyable parts of what I do! Hearing feedback like "Our guide was flat out phenomenal!" and "Visiting the remote oyster farm was the best day!" always puts a smile on my face!

Although travel is overall a positive for me always, I am not immune to flight woes and logistical issues. In the last two weeks I've dealt with a broken jet bridge (resulting in 90+ unnecessary minutes on a plane after we arrived in BOS) and United cancelling all flights out of Gunnison, CO for the month of November (where my daughter will be flying out of at Thanksgiving). It's inevitable these things will happen sometimes, but it is nice to know that when they do I can handle them. It might be by channeling my inner buddha to stay zen while I'm stuck in an airplane or having a flight expert to call to troubleshoot the next best flight options. I enjoy having those connections and troubleshooting problems for me and for you!

This week's curated list of travel articles includes a beach in Tuscany known as Italy's best kept secret, why there is a trend of hotels adding on larger spas and an airline that has figured out how to reduce jet lag.

Read more below. Enjoy your week!

Warmly,

Below:

This week's highlight - Woodnest in Norway
Where to Next? Octant Furnas in the Azores
Articles to Inspire+Inform

WOODNEST

It's no secret that I like unique and unconventional things - whether it be an accommodation, transportation or an experience. When I learn about something that is both unconventional and luxurious my ears always perk up.

This week I'm highlighting the Woodnest Treehouses in Norway.

"Nestled in a warm luxury treehouse, at Woodnest you will gaze out over the magnificent Hardanger fjord. With panoramic views of snow capped mountains, relax and watch the sunset, put your feet up and rest in the nest."

Rest in the Nest. I love that. We could all use some rest in the nest.

And you will likely want to rest when you get there. Because of its remote location, you will walk up a combination of steel and wooden steps and on a natural stone path to reach your treehouse (but yes we will have someone tend to your luggage). The exact location is kept a secret until the week before your arrival.

The effort is worth it!

The views of the fjord, the night sky full of stars, the seclusion.

They have both original treehouses and mountain tops. The mountain tops have a hand carved bespoke wooden bathtub and a bed that lowers from the ceiling.

BBC named Woodnest in the top 8 of the worlds best forest homes. Check out the pictures below and a quote that I discovered.

I love this quote on their website...

📷 Woodnest

Now, I'm not proposing a week-long stay in a place like this - perhaps just a night or two. But Norway is THE perfect destination where luxury is defined by experiences - stringing together unconventional accommodations, incredible active adventures with spectacular views, delicious fresh local seafoods and organic produce (18 Michelin star restaurants) and unique experiences you will find nowhere else. And I'll always suggest a helicopter ride to see the breathtaking landscape from above.

For additional inspiration, note that James Bond movies have been filmed in Norway and the latest Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning, coming out July 11, was also filmed there.

For your adventurous teens and 20-somethings - we can absolutely take you to the famous spots and replicate some (but not all) of the adventures! This would be an epic family trip that they will never forget!

🌟 On my recent scouting trip to the Azores, my colleagues and I did a site visit and had dinner with the general manager at Octant Furnas. I loved this boutique hotel in this unique destination. So much so that I have clients arriving in just a few weeks!

Why is Octant Furnas special?

An activities board greets you with slate of complimentary activities and cocktail hours. There is something for everyone!
Rooms have complimentary mini bar drinks in retro Smeg refrigerators and some have plunge pools.
Dine at Aterra where the chef combines products from the countryside with those from the sea, and cooks them in a huge wood-fired oven, in a Josper or in ovens dug in the earth naturally heated by the hot springs.

Do as much or as little as you like:

Have a treatment in the spa (the best on the island), relax in a floating bed, alternate soaking in the jacuzzi and cold plunge pool or simply relax in the natural hot spring water.
Delight your kids with the popcorn machine and a round of foosball.
Take advantage of the many local hikes, a visit to the 200 year old Terra Nostra Park, Parque Grená or the many caldeiras.

‼️ Don’t miss….. the signature dining experience, the Cozido à TERRA. A cozido is a stew cooked underground by naturally occurring heat at a very hot temperature. The chef uses local produce, alheira sausage from Santa Maria, beef brisket from Bio Kairos and cooks it in the high temperatures of the hot springs. The stew becomes a tasting journey through Portugal - north, south and islands included.