Buoyed by a brighter outlook for travel, many are understandably eager to start catching up on holidays, including finally managing to reach those long-haul destinations that have proved elusive over the last couple of years.
Extended family groups, having been separated for long periods, are understandably keen for opportunities to travel together and make up for lost time.
Celebratory special birthdays and anniversary trips are already popular choices, and the pandemic has resulted in an enthusiasm for bringing forward sought-after bucket list adventures and authentic experiences, many influenced by the movies and television.
Island destinations, spacious resorts and quality hotels with a good track record of handling Covid are in demand, and there are plenty of exciting new ones to consider.
Here are a few of my personal tips and recommendations that may inspire consideration for travel in 2022...
Family Holidays & Experiences
I am biased towards Mauritius but with good reason. Having recently returned from the Indian Ocean island paradise for our multi celebration trip, I can assure you that it was worth the prolonged wait.
Don’t let the pandemic put you off travelling; it’s simply a case of being organised, knowing what you need to do and of course, I am here to provide guidance and hold hands throughout.
With many, like ourselves, having missed milestone birthdays and special anniversaries over the last couple of years, I am seeing lots of multi-generational family groups wanting to celebrate together. Villa holidays for such extended family groups are ideal, especially in less commercialised areas, and there are some wonderful properties across Europe to suit all budgets.
Our first villa holiday will be near Coral Bay in Cyprus for my daughter’s 30th and the six of us will be flying from three different UK airports, all arriving in Paphos within an hour of each other.
Other European treasures include Croatia and beautiful Sardinia plus the Greek islands are a sure-fire summer winner along with the Balearics.
Not everyone wants a hot sunny beach. My client, Steven, had a fantastic time exploring Iceland and it would be wise to book soon to meet Santa in Lapland, with the best authentic itineraries filling quickly for next Christmas.
The USA is hard to beat for making family memories. A west coast fly-drive adventure offers action-packed itineraries and my family's favourite, Orlando, a mixture of beach, adventure, and fun.
Two big summer movies are sure to whet the appetite for Florida holidays: Jurassic World Dominion will have me craving the dinosaur park at Universal Islands of Adventure along with the recently opened VelociCoaster, and Pixar’s original story of Buzz Lightyear, the Toy Story themed rides at Disney. We have already booked for 2023 including a visit to the Kennedy Space Centre.
If you prefer less park and crowds and more wildlife and sustainability for your family adventures, then Costa Rica is a fantastic choice.
Couples
I have been thrilled to book some fantastic couple's holidays and honeymoons over recent months, across a range of destinations and experiences. Each holiday with a loved one or best friend is special and, in the post, pandemic era, seeking out some indulgence for that getting away from it all experience is high on many a wish list.
Being isolated on a paradise Indian Ocean or Caribbean Island has always had its appeal, but perhaps even more so now. The Maldives is always popular for romance, and magical Mauritius has fantastic options including the recently opened Lux Grand Baie or the gorgeous Royal Palm. If you are looking for something extremely special to make up for those missed holidays, who wouldn't want to have their sunbed allocated to them for the duration of their stay?
Barbados, St Lucia and Jamaica top my current Caribbean requests with Sandals opening new resorts in Jamaica this year plus a first in Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean region in the southern Caribbean Sea opening in April.
Beautiful Bali, Lombok and Thailand are supreme choices for unwinding, pampering and recharging in southeast Asia, and if exotic food and hospitable hosts are your cups of tea, then I guarantee Japan will provide a memorable experience.
Should adventure and wildlife be tempting then how about this idea for an alternative honeymoon that I have recently organised? The happy couple will be touring South Africa, including a safari stay at the incredible Pumba resort before ending with a five night stay in a luxury beach villa on the island of Benguerra, just off Mozambique; I can’t wait to see their photos.
There are some exquisite destinations a little closer to home. Venice still has my heart for charm.
Staying on the water, river cruising is the perfect platform for a relaxed and fantastic way to explore some of Europe’s most beautiful towns, villages and landmarks with the Danube and Douro Valley popular examples of routes.
One of the first fabulous new movies of the year is The Lost Daughter, starring Oliver Colman which has put the gorgeous Greek island of Spetses in Attica, where it was filmed, on many a wish list.
Why stay on just one island though? A Greek Island-hopping trip offers plenty of wonderful combinations and I can help suggest the best options for you.
Staying with the big screen, Agatha Christie’s novel, Death On The Nile, due to be released shortly, was filmed with an all-star cast in some stunning historical locations. I was mesmerised with both the pyramids and Cairo and have since developed a fascination for all things Egyptian. A Nile cruise is high on my bucket list, and I’ll be seeing this film as soon as it hits the big screen.
Films and television do have a major influence on desired destinations and the rise in popularity and reach of Netflix, particularly through the pandemic, has seen it become a great source of travel programmes.
My must-see list for 2022 includes the rerun of Down To Earth with Zac Efron, which showed a real soul that gets to what’s beautiful about travel. It captures the spirit of wanderlust - learning about the world while learning about yourself.
Street Food leans more heavily into the travel aspect of great cooking. The series highlights street food vendors across East Asia, Mexico, Central and South America in 30-minute episodes, making it an enjoyable binge any time.
Our Planet is Netflix’s own Planet Earth, and they even got Sir David Attenborough to narrate this beautiful series, which will have you itching to see new places.
Longer Duration & Bucket List Holidays
Another outcome of the Covid years has been the desire to bring forward plans for the very special once-in-a-lifetime type of experience. These often involve extended periods of time and wanting to see multiple places in one trip.
With their borders closed to international travellers for so long, Australia and New Zealand are going to be even more popular over the next couple of years and I already have several clients desperate to book.
The vastness of Australia can be a bit daunting if it’s a first trip so my guide may be useful and I have a fantastic offer based on travelling between July 2022 and March 2023. The latter is an incredible port of call for the adventurous traveller.
Road trips are one of my favourite ways to travel and both Australia and New Zealand, along with the USA and Canada offer the freedom to explore at your own pace.
A Latin American adventure, including an iconic rail journey across Peru and a Galapagos Island cruise, is a great example of contrasting landscapes and multiple travel experiences. You can even add an Antarctic expedition to your itinerary.
Silversea offers incredible multi-destination voyages across the world’s seas, and with increasing awareness towards sustainable travel in addition to wanting to support local economies, I am excited to be working closely with the brilliant Not In The Guidebooks on a range of absorbing itineraries.
Wherever you would like to head in 2022 or even 2023, I am keeping on top of any regulation changes and provide security and peace of mind by booking with an experienced travel expert.
Please contact me for a chat to discuss your plans.