Antarctica
The explorer Ernest Shackleton called the voyage to Antarctica the last great journey left to man. But increasingly the South Pole is a new frontier for unbridled creativity. Eyos, a charter company focusing on “exploring the world’s most remote cruising areas,” has chartered the Nansen Explorer, a hybrid between an industrial icebreaker and a sleek super yacht, to the region. The 12-guest vessel’s high-designed, ice-strengthened hull allows the ship to venture to untouched parts of Antarctica other ships rarely reach. Highlights include visits to Deception Island, home to the region's largest chinstrap penguin colonies; the Arctic Sound, otherwise known as “iceberg alley;” and the Danco Coast and Gerlache Strait, some of the best spots for whale watching. Meanwhile, artist Anthony James has created nine geometric sculptures along Echo Camp, nine space-age living pods that are designed to be dismantled and have zero impact on the environment. James will lead his own voyage to the region later this year.
Berber Crafts
At Atelier d’Artiste, a new glass-paneled artist studio at Royal Mansour Marrakech, guests can busy their hands (and quiet their minds) with private arts workshops led by local Moroccan artisans. Assemble a Berber-inspired necklace using natural minerals and stones or master the ancient art of Arabic calligraphy. And if you’re still feeling blocked, an art therapist can lead a guided meditation designed to facilitate “letting go.”
Color Therapy
Wellness fans swear by chromotherapy. UV lights are now used in facial treatments and infrared saunas claim to help improve everything from digestion to skin complexion. But what about good old-fashioned color? Now is the time to book trips to travel destinations bursting with bright hues. Whether you’re wandering the candy-colored colonial homes in Antigua or the turquoise lagoon of Burano, a Venetian island known for its brightly-hued buildings, a visit to the world’s most colorful destinations is a guaranteed mood-booster. Take a note from Pantone’s 2023 color of the year, “Viva Magenta,” and see Western Australia’s Hutt Lagoon, a lively pink lake on the Recherche Archipelago, or Peru’s “Montaña de Siete Colores,” a spectacular mountain in the Andes with unique geological formations that come in a psychedelic melange of jewel-tone layers.
Diagnostics
The next wellness trend is data, data, data — and more data. Revolutions in science-based technologies and diagnostic tools mean spas now tailor guest stays with therapies addressing everything from mental health to bone strength. Swiss wellness brand Chenot’s new flagship spa in Lucerne has an in-house molecular lab that uses mRNA-based testing to analyze aging and at Sensei Porcupine Creek, a new outpost of the high-end wellness retreat dreamed up by Larry Ellison and Dr David Agus in California, guests are given a Whoop 4.0 wearable that gathers data on everything from sleep to recovery time.
E-Vehicle Revolution
A handful of international airlines have placed orders for a hybrid-electric aircraft designed by French start-up Ascendance, which specializes in low-carbon aviation. Due to hit the skies in 2025, the aircraft will cut carbon emissions by 80 percent and divide noise pollution by four. Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, Paris will open a series of electric air taxi hubs on a barge on the Seine River and a pad near Versailles. And in Uganda, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni recently used his year-end national address to announce that the country will give out EVs for free as a way to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Friluftsliv
Free-air-living (a.k.a. the concept of friluftsliv, or “outdoor life”) is a Nordic lifestyle concept that refers to the value of spending time in the natural world. This is why, even in the darkest days of winter, Scandinavians can often be found hiking and picnicking together. In Norway, families bring their young children on long treks through the backcountry on cross-country skis or aquavits no matter the weather forecast. And in Sweden, guided fika tours by foot, bike or kayak take outdoor-seekers to biodiverse spots like Omberg Ecopark, a forested reserve on the eastern shore of Vättern, one of Europe’s largest lakes.
Going Against the Grain
These days, architects and planners are dreaming up whole cities built in wood. Not only is wood a pillar of biophilic design— creating buildings and interiors that supports our connection with nature — it’s also a material with high carbon-capturing potential. In 2019, Norway’s 18-storey Mjøstårnet building became the world’s tallest timber tower. And in the Swedish town of Skellefteå, just south of the Arctic Circle, the 205-room Wood Hotel anchors the Sara Cultural Centre, an ambitious timber development that plans to be carbon negative over its lifetime. At Nayara Bocas del Toro, a private island retreat in Panama, the Bali-based designer Elora Hardy recently unveiled a 50-foot treehouse constructed from local bamboo and reclaimed wood sourced from the floor of the Panama Canal. True to form, there’s even a pulley system for seamless room service.
Hokkaido
Looking for some pristine powder beyond the Rockies or the Alps? Head to Niseko in the Hokkaido prefecture for Japan’s best skiing and snowboarding, which averages over 35 feet of snow per season. January is the ideal month to hit the slopes and Ikon passes from the States work here. The Aman Hotel Group is set to open a 30-room property there in 2023, but in the meantime, guests can check into the new Park Hyatt or Shiguchi, a resort made up of renovated kominkas, complete with private onsens and terraces perched on a mountainside. To find the après-ski crowds, crawl through the tiny fridge door to enter Bar Gyu+ aka Fridge Door Bar, Niseko’s oldest cocktail bar, which hosts rotating DJs, bartenders and chefs. Crab Dining Kanon specializes in local fresh seafood. (Try their crab shabu shabu.) And Niseko Sanroku Jingisukan serves Genghis Khan B.B.Q., which is thinly sliced lamb that diners grill at your table.
