One of Sicily’s most famous aspects is its history as a mafia stronghold, which sells short the island’s beauty. Still, there’s no doubt a well-to-do Godfather would feel right at home in the grandeur of Zash Country Boutique Hotel, an 18th century Villa surrounded by vineyards and citrus groves.
With Mount Etna looming on one side and the Ionian Sea on the other, it doesn’t really matter which side of the sprawling country manor you stay.
There’s an underground spa, a restaurant that specialises in produce found locally (less than one kilometre away), gorgeous terraces, a stunning swimming pool to relax underneath the Sicilian sun in, and more.
The architects of Jølstraholmen in Western Norway seem to have taken literally the lyrics of Talking Heads’ 1978 classic Take Me to the River.
Jølstraholmen is a compound of several different accommodation types, the most memorable being A-Frame tiny homes that are situated right on the river. And when we say right on the river, we actually mean pretty much in it.
The ‘Cabins’ each have in-ground hot tubs, meaning you can sit in warmth as the icy waters of the river Jølstra rushes by. Inside, it’s classic Scandinavian minimalist design, which we think looks cosy af, especially when there is snow falling on the outside.
Perfectly situated in the fresh air of Norway’s west coast, this place is an outdoor lover’s dream: it’s possible to kayak, canoe and float down the river in a boat. There’s bike tracks, a water slide, a zip-line, a giant trampoline, amazing spots to fish and more.
Sweden has come up with a typically ingenious idea to bring Halloween to life, by making you the main character in a horror film.
The country’s tourism board has teamed up with bestselling Scandinavian horror author John Ajvide Lindqvist (kind of like a Swedish Stephen King) to deliver an audio story called ‘Kiln’.
We wish we could tell you what happens, but we have no idea. We haven’t listened to it. It is only available in Sweden, and it is recommended, for the full experience, you head to one of the country’s many eerily beautiful forests, the kind that pop up in horror movies all the time.
Imagine wandering around one of these at night with your headphones in and a horror story playing, ideally with some mates for protection and to increase the odds of you not being eaten.
The story takes place in a forest, is based on Swedish folklore and is told in first-person, making you feel as if you are the person at the heart of it. This could be either a really good thing or a really bad thing, depending on how you feel about horror stories.
We think this is an ingenious idea; for the cost of nothing you get Sweden’s epic outdoors as well as drama and spook. Count us in.
At first glance, Skinopi Lodge could be a mirage. A blip on the horizon of an ancient, rocky landscape with the crystal blue waters of the Aegean in the distance.
Built into the slope above a tiny fishing village on Milos, this is quickly emerging as one of the most exotic and extraordinary islands in all of the Cyclades. The volcanic rocks used to construct the Skinopi turn this place into a modest, unassuming retreat offering absolute privacy and unparalleled cliff-edge tranquillity. Milos is a Greek Island slowly gaining global attention, with its protected archaeological heritage and local coastal settlements of Klima and Mandrakia, where there are unbeatable (and undiscovered) local seafood and restaurants.
Imagine rocking up to work in your own personal helicopter.
It’s funny to try and imagine the conversation that led to the creation of The Jetson ONE; “Everyone I’ve got it: what about a drone… but we fly it ourselves?”
It’s a ludicrous idea, and we absolutely love it. The Jetson ONE is described as a ‘personal electric aerial vehicle’, although the Chief Technical Officer of the Swedish company calls it a ‘personal helicopter’. It’s got a top speed of 101 kilometres per hour, and incredibly, weighs in at just 86 kilograms. This isn’t one of those ‘flying car concepts’ – this is an actual product which you can buy (there are still several buyers wanted for the 2023 intake). Yes, it is a bit of a luxury to have a flying vehicle for shits and giggles, but hey – if we had the money, we’d be snapping one up.
The Jetson ONEs are built in Sweden, but are available the world over.
This is a country that gave has given us so much: pizza, pasta, Ferraris, Andrea Pirlo, the piano, the Amalfi Coast and more – they’ve now given us the Hotel Schwarzschmied. Built in 1981, the Schwarzmied (owing its name to a proximity to the Swiss border) has recently been updated so that it is a match for the stunning location it finds itself in.
Surrounded by a winery, and more broadly by mountains, gorges and hiking spots, some of the hotel itself has been kept from the 1980s, and looks from a distance like a cheap, mildly unattractive hotel that you might find on the outskirts of a city transposed into paradise.
It’s only once you get a bit closer that you reveal the beautiful interiors, the 29-meter outdoor pool, various spas and a Finnish outdoor sauna that you realise this place is pretty special. Its as if the hotel isn’t playing all its cards up front, and there’s an edifying satisfaction in unravelling all this grandeur a little slower.
Which is what the place is all about, really; taking it slow, and easy.
Copenhagen’s chimney house looks less like a house, or a chimney, and more like some sort of 1960s Soviet rocket-ship, if rocket-ships were made out of brick.
It is in fact a 1902-built water pumping station, with what seems like an excessively large chimney, although get lost acknowledges that travel is our expertise, and not early-20th century water pumping stations.
The interior of the Chimney House is nothing short of exquisite, with futuristic Scandinavian furniture, an epic staircase and wall to floor windows with stunning views over Copenhagen.
No, we’re not talking about the famous footballer, get lost is referring to Frenchman Thierry Gaugain’s extraordinary concept, which is being called the ‘Palace on Wheels’ – a kind of modern take on the world famous Orient Express.
Gaugain is a super-yacht designer, and he is now bringing that level of luxury to tracks. The train will feature sleeping space for 18 guests, a party carriage, and several carriages with all-glass exteriors (we hope they don’t go through any rough neighbourhoods).
The thing that is amazing about the G-Train is that it is being sold as a private train – imagine owning your own train!
Gaugain is looking for buyers – so if you’ve got a cool AU $486 million to spare, get in touch.
Some countries have a couple of beautiful natural attractions and then you have Iceland, which seems to have one around every corner. The best thing is that the extraordinary Nordic country last week threw open its doors to travellers, meaning we can all take in these unbelievable experiences once again.
Iceland experiences frequent volcanic activity, due to its location both on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. One of these is Thrihnukagigur, which last erupted around 4,000 years ago. Phewph! Wipe the sweat from your brow – that was a close one.
The underground volcano was only discovered in 1974, and has only more recently been open for travellers to walk/scale down its depths.
Harnessed in though you are, travelling 120 metres down a colourful magma chamber is as much epic as it is disconcerting. It is not the height or the crazily coloured rock formations that are lit up from a man-made lighting system that is most striking, but the sheer depth of the cavern that exists on the inside – big enough easily fit the Statue of Liberty inside. If you’ve ever felt slightly insignificant when looking at the size of the Indian Ocean, Thrihnukagigur will give you the same feeling.
Perhaps most unnerving is when guides turn the lights – all of them – off, to leave you a hundred or so metres deep inside a volcano without any shred of light.
*Editor’s note: Although get lost have been to this site, we are still none the wiser on how to pronounce Thrihnukagigur. Best to consult an Icelander here.
Skiing in the middle of summer? No problem, if you’re in Norway.
And while most think of snow and northern lights when it comes to Norway, its a great place to be at anytime of the year, not least the warmer months. The Nordic country recently announced it was re-opening its borders to the rest of the world too, just in time for the European summer.
Stryn is a municipality in central-west Norway, blessed with majestic mountains and typically dramatic Norwegian fjords. Take the unbelievably epic Loen Skylift up to the top of Mt. Hoven, a five minute trip which is surely the best way to spend five minutes outside of a bed or a disco.
From there, fly down the slopes to your hearts content – with the sun not setting until around 11.30pm, there’s plenty of time to make the most of the 12km of lightly-dusted groomers.
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