What’s new, August 2025
FLAWLESS PEARL
The Tailor, Australia
The Tailor is offering an exceptional new experience: cruising the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia - a destination known for its dramatic cliffs, ancient Aboriginal rock art, and rare wildlife - aboard the newly launched Paspaley Pearl. At 53m, the Pearl carries just 30 guests per voyage, and can access many parts of the coastline that are unreachable by traditional cruise ships. Tours include the Bonaparte Archipelago, Montgomery Reef and Horizontal Falls, as well as fishing for barramundi, swimming in clear freshwater pools upriver, and an exclusive visit to Paspaley’s remote pearl farm at Kuri Bay.
WHEN TO VISIT: The Pearl is in the Kimberley region between April-September 2026.
NO BARRIERS
Ahipara, New Zealand
Ahipara has designed new, unique day trips to Aotea (Great Barrier Island), a rugged, 12,000 acre conservation paradise off the Auckland coast that’s on many New Zealanders’ must-visit lists. Thoughtfully tailored to each explorer, the excursions are designed to give a wild yet elevated experience: helicopter transfers, private boat charter, guided birdwatching in Glenfern Sanctuary, bush walks, visits with local artisans, swimming, fishing, lunch on a deserted beach, and sailing in some of the most glorious waters in the Southern hemisphere - there really is something for everyone.
WHERE TO STAY: Elevate the experience further with a stay at the Britomart in Auckland.
WILD RIDE
Sticky Rice Travel, Borneo
To experience a true wildlife paradise well off the beaten path, stay at the new Utan Rainforest Lodge in Sungai Kapur Virgin Jungle Reserve, in northeastern Sabah. This comfortable lodge offers private access to pristine rainforest teeming with an array of astounding fauna, including proboscis monkeys, Bornean orangutans, sun bears, Bornean ground-cuckoos, and helmeted hornbills, so you’ll be serenaded with birdsong by day and the jungle’s nocturnal chorus by night. In addition to guided jungles walks, experience the forest from the water on a river cruise through the surrounding ancient mangroves, when you might be lucky enough to spot Irrawaddy dolphins .
TOP TIP: Book a Sticky Rice specialist guide to accompany your client and really open up the rainforest experience for them, particularly if they have specific interests.
HEAVENLY HOSTS BANYAN
Banyan, India
An exciting new chapter begins for Shakti in October, with the opening of two exceptional new Himalayan properties: Shakti Prana and Shakti Panchachuli. Shakti Prana replaces Shakti 360 Leti, in a new, more remote location. With just seven suites, Prana Lodge is an exquisite hideaway that’s the very definition of pared-back elegance, where every element has been thoughtfully arranged to allow the spectacular floor-to-ceiling views of Nanda Devi, India’s second-highest mountain, to dominate. From Prana, walk on to Panchachuli, a smaller yet no less perfectly formed retreat in the most breathtaking position imaginable.
INSIDER TIP: Georgie visited Shakti Prana and Shakti Panchachuli in April and will happily talk to you about her time there (or call her mum, who went too!).
CULTURAL HIGHLIGHT
ITEM, Türkiye
The 18th Istanbul Biennial, ‘The Three-Legged Cat’, runs from 20th September– 23rd November in Istanbul. Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and put together by Lebanese curator Christine Tohmé, the Biennial will be hosted across intriguing venues many visitors to the city wouldn’t usually visit, including a former school, a wine cellar, a former shipping headquarters and the garden of a former French orphanage. This vibrant platform for contemporary art makes this an ideal time for culturally curious travellers to spend some time in the ‘real’ Istanbul.
TOP TIP: Best place to stay for culture vultures: The Article Istanbul MGallery.
HIGH BAR
PLAN-IT, Morocco
Napa Wine Bar and Kitchen, the latest addition to the hugely popular Marrakech hotspot that includes Farmers restaurant, the Blue Ribbon bakery and coffee house, Booklore bookshop, and Farm Slimane shop, is set to become the chicest place to be seen in the city come evening. With its sleek design, low-lit ambiance, artfully crafted cocktails, excellent wine list and delicious seasonal dishes, Napa exudes a laid-back sophistication that fuses cosmopolitan flair with the warmth of Moroccan hospitality. A must-add destination for any discerning visitor to the city.
TOP TIP: Book for pre-dinner cocktails or an after-dinner digestif.
OPEN SEASON
Galavanta, Colombia
After years of careful renovations, Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena opens later this year. The expansive property is located just outside the old Walled City in the vibrant Getsemaní neighbourhood and incorporates the iconic Club Cartagena and Rialto Theatre, gathering places for the city’s elite during the 1920s. The hotel will offer 131 rooms and suites, eight restaurants and bars, two rooftop swimming pools, a spa and a fitness centre, as well as exclusive private experiences including street art workshops, salsa classes and private cruises to the Rosario Islands.
TOP TIP: The UMARI Spa will offer treatments inspired by indigenous healing traditions across six treatment rooms, including a couple’s suite.
POSITIVE IMPACT
Enigma, Peru
Enigma has launched a new non-profit organisation, Enigma Philanthropy, to formalise its long-term commitment to extending the impact of tourism beyond the experience itself. The initiative will support causes that matter to the company and the people that host its clients, covering social support, environmental conservation and the preservation of cultural heritage. Funding will come directly from a portion of Enigma’s annual profits, and every initiative will be tracked and reported on publicly.
