June 1, 2020
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with travel dates on or after
Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with effective start dates on or after
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Once upon a time, luxury travel meant checking into a five-star hotel with uniformed bellhops and afternoon tea. Now, high-end travelers are seeking different, more individualized types of experiences.
One traveler might ask for a week-long desert retreat with one-on-one counseling and vegan food. Another might request a family vacation at a Thai resort with sailing lessons for the kids. Whatever kind of trip you imagine, luxury travel advisors and exclusive resorts can make it happen.
And wherever your dreams take you, you’ll need premium travel insurance from the company trusted by more than 55 million American travelers each year. Consider OneTrip Premier from Allianz Travel Insurance, which offers travel protection for your life’s greatest adventures. Get a quote.
Bespoke travel company Black Tomato reports that travelers are increasingly asking for a custom trip that will make them feel a certain way.1 They don’t have a particular destination in mind. For these travelers, Black Tomato built an AI-powered “Feelings Engine” to suggest trips.
Seeking serenity? Its recommendation is a 10-night journey through Nepal and Bhutan that includes Ayurvedic spa treatments, visits to secluded monasteries, and the chance to visit His Eminence Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche, an emanation of the patron saint of Bhutan. Longing to feel re-energized and inspired? Try Mongolia: “Venture into places so remote that even Google can't pinpoint them as you immerse yourself in the lives of nomadic communities, traveling across the singing sands of the Gobi desert and into tranquil national parks.”
Luxury voluntourism may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s actually a growing travel trend. “People want to come back home feeling better than when they left,” Shannon Knapp, president and CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), tells Forbes. Many luxury hotels and resorts invite guests to volunteer for a local organization and/or make a donation. Tourism Fiji’s Loloma Hour initiative invites visitors to spend at least one hour of their trip participating in sustainability work, such as planting mangrove trees or working at a coral nursery.
According to Black Tomato, people are seeking luxury travel destinations where they can experience unsullied silence. Some request “reading weeks”: a full week unplugged in a quiet place, where they can immerse themselves in books.
“It is scientifically proven that spending time in quiet nature reduces stress, anxiety, depression, repetitive thoughts and restores attention,” according to Quiet Parks International, a nonprofit that works to recognize and protect these serene places. Some getaways that are officially certified as quiet include Gibb’s Farm on the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and the Estate of Vivo d'Orcia, an 11th-century Camaldolese monastery.
Simply having a high-tech exercise facility and a wellness program isn’t enough. Fitness-focused travelers want to remain committed to their individual workout routine—or go even harder—with classes and personal training offered by top-notch instructors. For them, luxury travel means a resort that understands and caters to their individual fitness goals.
Some favorite fitness-focused luxury travel destinations? The Canyon Ranch resorts provide personalized wellness plans, private instruction, and specialized sessions in gyrotonic stretching and intentional breathing. Four Seasons Sensei in Lanai, Hawaii, offers fitness assessments with an exercise physiologist and structured fitness programs for golfers and tennis players.
Most people envision a family trip as blissful togetherness: splashing in the ocean, riding horses on a canyon trail, fishing off the dock. But not every family is so tight-knit, and travel has a way of exposing the fault lines in relationships.
Enter a new concept in luxury travel for families: the therapeutic family getaway. Bluestone Families organizes family retreats at its New Zealand property that promise “unmatched luxury, complete privacy, and meaningful family growth.” It’s a bespoke travel experience, planned around the personalities and needs of each parent and child, that includes morning coffee with a parenting expert and daily nature and wellness activities. The price tag for a five-night retreat: $55,000 plus lodging rates of $3,800 to $5,000 per night.
The hit HBO dark comedy that follows guests (and employees) behaving badly at a high-end resort has inspired many to plan copycat trips. If money is no object, you can book the official “White Lotus” trip offered by Four Seasons. This 20-day, $188,000 journey via private jet visits the filming locations of the first three seasons—Maui, Taormina, and Koh Samui—as well as other resorts, where you’ll indulge in ultra-luxurious wellness treatments.2
If you’re seeking a “White Lotus” luxury travel experience with a slightly more reasonable price tag, simply book a resort that’s famous for service and indulgence. Think places like The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, for modern overwater bungalows with private butlers; or The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia, an exquisite resort nestled between an ancient rainforest and an idyllic beach. You don’t even have to go overseas: Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys is a private-island resort where no detail is overlooked.
When everyday life feels so rushed, why hurry on your vacation? Many luxury trips are following the principles of slow travel: lingering at a destination, experiencing it mindfully, and choosing leisurely modes of transportation. Luxury train journeys are having a moment, whether you’re traveling around the Japanese island of Kyushu on the Seven Stars or across Italy on La Dolce Vita Orient Express. Charter a yacht for a private cruise. Or just go for a long, long walk.
Traveling soon? Don’t wait to insure your trip. Enjoy the peace of mind Allianz Travel Insurance provides: Get a quote today.
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