Think of it as yin to last year’s yang. What had us enchanted—being in our favorite places with our crowd—is feeling a bit old right about now, isn’t it? “I found people quickly got over the need for that sort of comfort,” says Melissa Biggs Bradley of Indagare, the membership-based luxury travel company. “They’re desperate for space, tranquility, and less glamorized, less homogenized, more remote places.” Then there’s the spate of strikes in major European countries to consider, and the mass return of travelers from China. A couple told Biggs Bradley (who was in Tunisia in March), “We usually take a family holiday in France in August. This year it’s Costa Rica. It’s completely contrarian, but we know Costa Rica will be fine in August.” Here’s to contrarianism.
When everyone is looking for Sicily…this year, let’s try Corsica.
The chalk cliffs of Bonifacio, Corsica.
French but with an Italian vibe, Corsica is still as under-the-radar as a Mediterranean island can be, with a rugged, mountainous interior and plenty of small white sand bays where no one goes. Explore the coast via a chartered boat, or consider these two hideaways: the new Domaine de Murtoli, 20 renovated shepherd huts (with pools) on a 6,100-acre estate, and the Grand Hôtel de Cala Rossa, near (but not in) glitzy Porto Vecchio. It’s old-school and relaxed in the best Med way.
When everyone is looking for the Dolomites…this year, let’s try the Julian Alps.
A cafe at Bled Castle, Slovenia.
Tiny Slovenia is still Europe’s sleeper, with snowcapped peaks, emerald rivers, a Venetian-
style Adriatic coastline, and a high per capita ratio of Michelin stars. Its Julian Alps feature landscapes as dramatic as New Zealand’s, all the requisite outdoor adventures, and the new six-suite Hotel Milka (alpine minimalist chic). Its head chef, David Zefran, got his first star three months after opening. The ultimate table to book is celebrated chef Ana Ros’s Hisa Franko.
When everyone is looking for the French Riviera…this year, let’s try Tangier.
The lighthouse at Cape Spartel, near Tangier.
It’s one of the world’s great raffish beach cities, at the juncture of Europe and Africa, the Atlantic and the Med, with white houses tumbling from the hilltop kasbah down to the sea. The new has hugely elevated its hotel scene. Or book a villa and stay a while. The season kicks off June 23 with theater director Rob Ashford’s annual performance at designer Veere Grenney’s home, benefiting the . A hot ticket.
Fairmont Tazi PalaceTangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies
When everyone is looking for Nantucket…this year, let’s try Nihi Sumba.
The ponies at Nihi Sumba resort. You can saddle up whenever you want.
It’s not easy to get to Indonesia’s largely undeveloped Sumba Island. But it’s so worth it. Once a surfer rite of passage, it was transformed by entrepreneur Chris Burch and star hotelier James McBride into an exquisite beach-and-jungle bubble and one-percenter hideaway. The villas have thatch roofs and plunge pools, there’s a new full-day “spa safari” program, meals are kid-friendly global comfort food, and Nihi’s horses are there for sunset beach rides—or whenever.
When everyone is looking for the Hamptons…this year let’s try Fogo Island.
Fogo Island Inn, off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, designed by architect Todd Saunders.
You don’t come to this speck off the coast of Newfoundland, home to fishermen and artisans, for the scene but for the dramatic North Atlantic views, outdoor activities, and a compelling social experiment: Can a futuristic inn, the passion project of Canadian tech entrepreneur Zita Cobb (who was raised here), owned by a foundation into which all profits flow, help remote communities survive globalization? Fogo Island Inn is exquisite, and it’s edifying to participate.
This story appears in the May 2023 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
Executive Travel Editor
Klara Glowczewska is the Executive Travel Editor of Town & Country, covering topics related to travel specifically (places, itineraries, hotels, trends) and broadly (conservation, culture, adventure), and was previously the Editor in Chief of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
