At this time of year there always seems to be various lists of things to tick off and this year we hope to inspire a wish list for your own travel plans from predicted travel trends in 2019.
By customising your travel itinerary, we can find the best options to suit your style, whether it is visiting a nomadic tribe in Namibia, cooking up a storm in Tuscany, glamping under the stars in the Rockies or striking a yoga pose at a wellness retreat in Sri Lanka. Experiential travel, or immersive travel, is a relatively new trend in the travel industry, but the sentiment has been the same for as long as tourism. Getting up close with the local culture, history and people can change the way you see the world forever and gives you the opportunity to see things from a new perspective. Favourite travel memories are more often those where we share a moment with locals, perhaps learning how to make homemade passata with a lovely Nonna in Naples, or playing a game of darts in an English pub.
Have you ever come back from a trip feeling like you needed a holiday from your holiday, sweeping through cities, a day or two in each? Linger longer with more time and less stress by immersing yourself in a foreign culture getting to know how the locals live strolling through neighbourhoods and taking the time to remind yourself that travel is a luxury to be taken slowly. Take the opportunity to attend an intensive language course, participate in a short-course study programme at a college or university, or make a base to really get to know and explore an area by foot, bike or whatever takes your fancy.
Kate visited Matera, Italy earlier this year (if you want some hints) and in 2019 it will be the European Capital of Culture. Explore troglodyte cave dwellings – called sassi – that have now been turned into galleries, restaurants and charming cave hotels. Berlin will be the centre of the Bauhaus Centennial – a series of events celebrating 100 years of the Bauhaus School of Design. And in March, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opens in Cairo and will be the largest archaeological museum in the world with a permanent display of the country’s antiquities.
Reconnect with family, friends or both and celebrate a special occasion or just choose to “unplug” from the digital world and enjoy conversation and company sharing memories together. Families, from babies to grandparents, will love the Fijian welcome staying in specially designed family bures where an endless array or activities covers every generation. Better than any movie and an unforgettable educational experience is a specially curated family safari in Africa, or for a once-in a lifetime journey perhaps cruise the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
Escape the city lights and seek out dark skies for the Aurora Borealis – a celestial phenomenon when electrically charged solar particles collide with atmospheric gases to produce a neon light show that rates among nature’s most spectacular displays. Of course, chasing these lights is never easy, but your odds increase visiting Alaska, Iceland, Canada and Norway. Cruise the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic or set sail in August 2019 on the first Silversea cruise from Alaska to Norway. See a horizon-to-horizon view of the Milky Way in the Bryce Canyon in Utah or seek out stargazing opportunities at the Aorakai Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, in New Zealand, one of only two in the Southern Hemisphere.