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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Temple of the senses
April marked Six Senses’ first foray into Japan: the 81-room Six Senses Kyoto opened a few weeks ago, in the former low-rise district of Higashiyama. This puts it within walking distance of both the National Museum and a handful of important temples (Toyokuni Shrine, built in 1599, is just across the street).
For the refined building and sober, serene interiors, Six Senses turned to Blink Design Group, a Bangkok and Singapore-based studio with decades of experience across Asia. The root of your story here is miyabi, a centuries-old Japanese take on biophilic design, expressed with lots of ash and horse chestnut wood, woven hikihaku sheets, woven copper lamps, and sudare shades. Plus wind chimes, private rock gardens for some of the suites and even a signature aroma diffused throughout the hotel. seissenses.comfrom £881
Norway’s Great Snow Safari
Svalbard, the frozen archipelago located at the northern tip of mainland Norway, is home to spectacular ice landscapes and around 3,000 polar bears (there may be more than people here). The world’s largest land carnivore, as well as charismatic marine megafauna (humpback whales, minke, beluga and walrus) is what Natural World Safaris, one of the most capable operators in this area, specializes in bringing its guests closer to exciting (in ways that do not violate animal welfare).
“Safari season” begins now and there are still places available for some June and July NWS expeditions aboard the ice-class RV yacht. Kinfish. The 11-day expeditions begin and end in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen; If weather and iceberg activity permit, the Kinfish will circumnavigate the island. naturalworldsafaris.comfrom £8,395 per person
Dune, the Brazil episode
Lençóis Maranhenses, in the far northeast of Brazil, is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in South America: more than 1,500 square kilometers of high sand dunes that are seasonally filled with rainwater lagoons: turquoise pools edged with green on a vast white canvas that stretches as far as the eye can see. The city of Santo Amaro is located within the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park; Just outside Santo Amaro is Oiá Casa Lençóis, an old farm converted into a new guest house near the edge of the dunes, with a handful of suites spread across the original house and two bungalows.
During the day, guides will take you, by jeep, quad bike or on foot, to the clearest, coolest and most photogenic lagoons (June is the season after the rains, when they are at their peak). Come evening, he will dine family-style with menus created by Michelin-starred chef Cedric Nieuviarts, formerly of Château de Lacan in the south of France. The decor is low on frills and full of color and charm, with whitewashed walls, poured concrete floors, and tons of outdoor spaces with hammocks. planesouthamerica.com
Run around the world
Aiming to prove that family travel can have the thrill of a real adventure, Wix Squared, the travel design boutique founded in 2017 by James and Alex Wix, owners of Le Farnatchi in Marrakech, is about to launch Wix Squared World Challenges, a series of itineraries. peppered with surprises designed to educate while delighting. With culture, food and, yes, adventure among its themes, the challenges launch in Sri Lanka this summer.
The 11-day itinerary begins with a tuk-tuk tour of Colombo to sample as many street delicacies as possible; Adventurous palates will be rewarded with arack cocktails at a secret bar. It continues with videography in the Hill Country, a blind tea tasting (an exclusive tea blend for whoever guesses the best quality), wildlife viewing contests and a race through Galle by boat, bike and tuk-tuk that culminates in a hopper. doing class More destinations will be connected every two months, including Bhutan, Morocco, Indonesia and Nepal. wixsquared.comfrom £4,300 per person for 10 nights, internal flights and all activities included