Sophisticated luxury travelers want to have the experience ahead of the curve. If the Smiths’ and the Joneses have already been there flying coach class, no thanks. We’ll find something else. There are a few things that motivate the swanky to get up and globetrotting: get somewhere first; stretch your comfort zone; find a new mode of travel.
Let’s polish up our glass ball and see where you should set your sights for the rest of 2014.
Get there First
Even if you’re super adventurous, we’re going to leave war zones out of our recommendations. There’s “ahead of the curve” and then there’s “out of your mind.” We don’t like luxury travel with a high percentage of disembowelments or wrongful imprisoning. Cuba is still hot on our list, especially as Fidel Castro seems gone from the scene and his brother Raul more amiable to capitalistic reforms on the island, much of it centered around tourism. While the U.S. embargo is still officially in place, thousands of Americans travel to this Caribbean paradise every year. Need a hint? Look for flights from Mexico and Canada. Nicaragua, Malaysia, and Tibet should be on your radar. Want to be a voyeur and watch real estate porn? Take a tour of properties on the market in Miami or London.
Challenge Thyself
Anyone can lay by the pool at a five-star resort and ring the bell for another Mai Tai or three. Where’s your sense of adventure. Channel your inner Hemingway by taking a hike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The snow has melted off the top but it’s still a pretty damn cool thing to do. Dian Fossey’s gorillas are still alive and well in the forests of Rwanda if you want to go on a picture-taking safari and aren’t overly concerned about being ripped limb from limb by an aggressive male silverback.
To the Moon, Alice
Private jets, yachts, and historic hotels. These will remain popular in the foreseeable future. We’re all for lounging around Marie Antoinette’s lair at the Crillon in Paris, but don’t forget to reserve your seat private space ventures like Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic fleet, which is under construction. For a mere $250,000 you can reserve a seat on a future space flight. Exactly when is still iffy but Mr. Branson has a history of making things happen.
Jake Swank thinks that ought to keep you busy the rest of the year. (Image: Flickr | Jeff Faust)
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The Swank Life Team
