Extraordinary places & people
The Little Black Book
The hotels I'd send you to. The people who make a place come alive. The small, specific reasons some corners of the world are worth returning to again and again.
This is my little black book
Twenty-five years of travel have introduced me to extraordinary places and even more extraordinary people. Along the way, I've stayed in remarkable hotels, shared unforgettable meals, wandered breathtaking landscapes, and been welcomed by people whose kindness has stayed with me long after I returned home.
The long way to a short list.
a collection of the places and people that have shaped the way I travel. I hope it inspires you to discover a few favorites of your own.
Some hotels are simply beautiful. Others become part of the journey itself.
These are the places that have stayed with me long after checkout, places where exceptional hospitality, unforgettable settings, and thoughtful details transformed a trip into something truly memorable. Every property here is one I'd happily return to and confidently recommend.
Extraordinary Places
The lodge sits on the edge of Lake Pehoé, and from the moment you arrive, every single person, the driver, the guides, the chef, the property manager who meets each guest personally at the door, makes you feel you are part of the family. This is not a hotel that has been staffed. It is a place that has been cared for.
Explora Lodge
Torres del Paine, Patagonia
The tents are properly, unapologetically luxurious — king-size beds with percale cotton sheets, handmade Moroccan furnishings, en-suite with hot water. Everything is all-inclusive: three Moroccan meals a day, a full bar, camel rides, sandboarding, guided walks.
Erg Chigaga Luxury Desert Camp
Moroccan Sahara
The hotel sits just outside the hilltop village of Mane, surrounded by lavender fields and the kind of Provençal countryside that makes you wonder why you ever spend time in cities. The building, a 17th-century convent, stone-walled and quietly imposing, has kept every architectural grace.
Hôtel Le Couvent des Minimes
Mane, Provence
The building opened in 1918 as the Ottoman Empire's first modern prison, with the words "Dersaadet Murder Jail" once inscribed over the gate. For half a century it held Turkey's political prisoners, dissidents, and writers, among them the great poet Nazım Hikmet.
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet
Istanbul, Turkey
Kichwa Tembo sits on a private concession bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve, where the Saparingo River meets the open plains, and it has been doing what it does since andBeyond first set up camp here in Kenya, which is to say a very long time and very well.
andBeyond Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp
Masai Mara, Kenya
IMAGE CREDIT - andBEYOND
The site has been here since Hiram Bingham first arrived in 1911 - used initially as a research camp for the explorers and archaeologists who came to study the citadel. It passed through several hands before Belmond took over in 1999 and turned it into what it is today.
Belmond Sanctuary Lodge
Machu Picchu
Tambo del Inka is a Marriott Luxury Collection property set in the heart of the Sacred Valley, between Cusco and Machu Picchu. The rooms are beautifully designed, contemporary interiors with local stone and eucalyptus wood, warm earth tones, excellent bed linen. The patio rooms open directly onto the lawn, which rolls down to the river. You can hear it from your bed. The Andes are right there.
Tambo del Inka
Sacred Valley, Peru
The best trips aren't just about beautiful places, they're about the people who help you see those places differently.
Over the years, I've been fortunate to meet photographers, guides, chefs, naturalists, and storytellers whose passion, generosity, and deep connection to their corner of the world transformed my experience. These are the remarkable humans I'd happily travel with again.
Remarkable Humans
You couldn't help but like Zack from the moment you met him. It was the smile. The infectious enthusiasm. He was endlessly knowledgeable, genuinely funny, and somehow seemed just as excited about every sighting as we were.
Zach Lepaso
Safari guide, andBeyond Kichwa Tembo
Some of the most memorable people you meet while traveling are the ones who invite you, quite literally, into their world.
We met Juan Felipe in Cartagena during what was supposed to be a cooking class. It became one of the best afternoons of the entire trip.
Juan Felipe
Chef & Owner, Donjuán, Cartagena
When I left my camera on the plane, Presiyan handed me his camera. For the next several days, he shared not only his camera but his Bulgaria with us. Not only that, Presiyan somehow made the trip work for everyone.
Presiyan Petkov
Photographer & Founder, PhotoToursBulgaria
During our first stay at the Four Seasons Sultanahmet, we asked the concierge where we should go for lunch. He could easily have pointed us toward one of Istanbul’s well-known restaurants, made a reservation and sent us on our way.
Instead, he walked us to a little restaurant nearby.
The Concierge
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet
Kristinn is Professor Emeritus of Geophysics, which meant the nerd in me had found her person. I could ask endless questions about glaciers, volcanoes and the extraordinary landscape, and instead of politely changing the subject, Kristinn actually answered them.
Kristinn Arnar Guðjónsson
Professor Emeritus of Geophysics, University of Iceland
Our original skipper canceled at the last minute, and Alex stepped in to take six women, none of whom had ever spent a night on a sailboat, around the Croatian islands. We arrived at the marina in Split with an impressive collection of rolling suitcases. To his credit, Alex managed not to double over laughing.
Alex England
Skipper, Croatia
