Have your “out of Africa” moment.

A watermelon, a vendor who had no interest in my Moroccan darija, and forty-five seconds that told me more about where I was than anything else I did that day. On why the local market is the most honest room in any city, and the first place I go. The hotel concierge will send you somewhere safe. The market will send you somewhere true.

We proudly introduce Liberty Barrons, our new Senior Luxury Travel Curator. She has solo backpacked from Colombia to Antarctica, sent clients to frozen lakes in Swedish Lapland, and has very considered opinions about the hotel you found on Instagram.

Once devastated by war and poaching, the park has become a conservation success story, now home to the Big Five and diverse species. Over several unhurried days, we experienced intimate, awe-inspiring encounters with wildlife, including a rare sighting of a critically endangered black rhino. Compared to the more adrenaline-driven gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Akagera offers a reflective safari experience rooted in restoration and resilience.

Last month, I was invited by Morocco's National Tourism Office to speak at a USTOA industry day in Rabat; a room where U.S. travel operators met Morocco's leading public and private tourism stakeholders. Born in Morocco, I joined a fireside chat to share what American travelers truly want from the destination: depth, access, and authentic encounter. The conversation confirmed something I've long believed. Morocco isn't reinventing itself. It's finally being given the stage it deserves.

Everyone has access to the same internet. The same review sites, the same booking platforms, the same Instagram accounts showing pristine hotel rooms. So what exactly do I do that you can't?

Every January, the internet produces its list of the world's “most beautiful” places. I read them the way I read horoscopes, with one eyebrow raised. Beauty is not a competition and it certainly isn't consensus. And yet. Here is my edit, built from years of designing journeys to places that have genuinely stopped me in my tracks. Take it as one well-traveled opinion, nothing more. If they move you, it’s because they are authentically and objectively beautiful.

Discover the best destinations to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. From Mecca and Istanbul to Morocco, Bosnia, Egypt, Qatar, and Dubai, explore spiritual journeys, luxury retreats, and cultural celebrations worldwide. Whether you are seeking sacred moments of reflection, vibrant city festivities, or restorative seaside escapes, these destinations offer meaningful ways to mark this special time of year.