I am just back from Japan after two weeks there and already missing the wonderful food, all the matcha flavored sweets, the soul-filling moments and the thoughtful way of everyday life.
Japan is a country that really changes you;
Through my many trips, it has made me a more considerate person, opened my eyes to what maintaining traditions and culture alive in a modern society looks like and taught me to be more caring, more thoughtful of the details.
It is hard to put into words but when a country preserves its traditions and heritage as fervently as Japan has done through the centuries, while revolutionising entire industries, there must be a secret ingredient making it all happen.
I can't tell you what it is, but I can invite you to come see for yourself. Because Japan feels different to each of us, but it is no less wonderful.
The discount will be applied to the balance and is not stackable with other discounts you may have.
5 Destination dupes to consider
Have you heard of "destination dupes"?
It's a term coined by Expedia that refers to places that are more affordable, lesser known and busy than other more famous ones but offer a similar type of vacation, experience or trip. They are essentially alternatives, or swaps, of famous spots.
Here are 5 suggestions you can consider for your next trip, be it because you prefer to avoid busy places or because you loved the known ones and want to find similar places.
🇬🇷 Mykonos → 🇬🇷 Paros
Floating fishing boats in Naoussa, capital of Paros
Mykonos is probably the most famous island in Greece along with Santorini.
It is fashionable, it is polished, it is beautiful and it is full of high end shops, beautiful sunset views and posh restaurants. This al makes it one of the most expensive islands too, and it can be beyond many traveler's budgets.
I personally love Paros instead. It is quieter and has a lot more to offer beyong the party and beach clubs that are fabulous in Mykonos.
You can go hiking, do an olive oil appreciation workshop like we do, visit wineries, and explore local beaches that aren't popular with tourists. The center of the island offers great panoramic views and slow living.
Better yet, you can visit both of them since they are close by and connected by ferry. Sped a couple of days in fancier Mykonos then relax for longer in Paros.
🇻🇳 Halong Bay → 🇻🇳 Ninh Binh
A mountain pagoda in Ninh Binh
I visited Halong Bay long ago and went to Ninh Binh just last month as part of my scouting trip in Vietnam.
Halong Bay is beautiful, but it is a popular destination with many boats, scheduled activities and a bit of a production line feel to it.
Ninh Binh is popular, don't get me wrong, but it is also a much more affordable way to see the karst like landscapes that make both places breathtaking, minus the commute, the pre-set schedules and the organized activities.
Instead, book at Emeralda Resort in the outskirts and enjoy bike rides along the river and paddies, chilled sunrise boat rides, scenic pagodas and viewpoint hikes for the most incredible 360 degree views. Make your own trip, instead of following a structured vacation, and you will find yourself alone in quiet spots admiring the beauty of the surroundings.
You can also combine boh destinations and take an overnight cruise stay for 2 days and one night and then spend 2 more nights in Ninh Binh.
🇹🇿 Zanzibar → 🇲🇬 Nosy Be island
Nosy Be twin islands
Zanzibar has become quite a well known African island resort destination steeped in history and with great turquoise waters.
Nosy Be, an archipelago north of Madagascar main island but not that far from Zanzibar if there was a way to get from one to the other, offers the same incredible clear waters, Indian ocean vibes, longer stretches of white sand beaches, and a fascinating culture with African, Middle Eastern and European influences.
In addition, Nosy Be has insane snorkeling in beautiful coral reefs and with turtles, swimming with shale sharks and humpback whales and great diving. You will find far fewer tourists around, less development and a more untouched culture. Plus lemurs, chameleons and other endemic animals only found in Madagascar. Need I say more?
We spend 4 days in Mosy Be as part of our Madagascar trip to end on a high note and those are some memorable days sleeping with the sea breeze in a luxury lodge.
There is only 1 spot left on our 2027 Madagascar tour, book now!
🇮🇳 Jaipur → 🇺🇿 Samarkand
Fun photo composition I did in Samarkand years back
I love Jaipur. It is vibrant, happening, absolutely chaotic which I love and the palaces are so incredibly beautiful, full of color and designs that seem to have been made by someone like me who loves a bright rainbow.
I also love Samarkand and I think that Uzbekistan does not get the love that it deserves. But, it is the perfect alternative to Jaipur's intensity and constant haggling which can be overwhelming and cause sensory overload even to the most experienced traveler.
You will find the same intricate designs, you'll just swap the colorful door frames with ornate blue Silk road mosaics. Both have rich history, from the Mughals and the , but Jaipur is much more in your face while Samarkand is more relaxed, more walkable, easily explored on foot.
You could even be forgiven for confusing the two where Rajasthan, the Indian region Jaipur is in, very much sounds like Registan, the main stunning square in the center of Samarkand.
The Northern Lights from our Arctic Bath lodge cabins
The Swedish Arctic is the North's best kept secret that Swedes seem to have managed to hide under the radar.
Both Sweden and Finland share the Arctic with Norway, Russia, Canada and Greenland but while Finland has managed to promote this part of the country as it there was only one Lapland, Sweden has kept it quiet, without much tourism development and intentionally small.
You will find frozen lakes, snow covered winter wonderland landscapes, Northern Lights, cold plunges and sauna, reindeers, Sapmi culture, moose, snowmobiling and dog sledding in both countries, but everything in Finland is much more developed with tourism in mind, much more expensive and tending towards a themed park, with Santa Claus Village at the center of it all. It is great fun and equally "wow", but Sweden is just less changed by tourism and preserves the original culture just as it once was.
The number of hotels are fewer, there aren't glass cabins (though there are a couple of incredible hotels), and reindeer are still only owned and kept by the Sami people who honor and love them like their family, tending to them the traditional way. They aren't tourist attractions, you can merely meet the injured or weaker ones that are taken into farms during the winter to protect them from the harsher weather, but they aren't used as props.
Sweden is more nature-first and less tourism oriented, and the Northern lights are clearer there too, with town of Abisko, about 1 hour drive from the IceHotel where we spend 3 nights on our Swedish Arctic trip, being the best spot in the world to see the Northern Lights thanks to its dark and clear skies.
Visually, both Iceland the Faroe Islands appear the same, but under the surface they are very different places, I know because I have been to both and in winter (in fact it was on the same trip that I spent time in both places).
They both have dramatic cliffs, turf houses, waterfalls, moody landscapes and tiny villages. They also both feel like you have stepped into a place that is at the edge of the world which you can fall off from if you take the wrong step. Unfortunately, they also both share very high prices.
However, Iceland is a popular destination that is now an all year round option with 24h daylight in the summer, Northern Lights in the winter, all sorts of outdoor activities and incredible resorts and hotels opened 365 days. I know well because we go there in October for the best season (you can join us here).
The Faroe Islands is most definitely a summer / spring / autumn destination, as I quickly discovered in the winter. It has few accommodation options, limited public transportation, only some tour alternatives and is very much unaffected by tourism.
If you want nature without anyone else around, choose the Faroe Islands. Harder to get to and around, but incredibly rewarding in landscapes, hiking and views.
2026 / 2027 Full calendar of tours
At the Christmas markets
Latest updates for 2026 tours: 2 Spots opened up on our previously sold out November Egypt trip, and we have only 1 spot left on our trips to Georgia, Tanzania (Luxe style), Morocco and Tuscany.
See the full list of our future trips below.
✅ = Trip is confirmed ☑️ = SOLD OUT 💃 = I or Meg will co-host these trips
2026 trips
🚗 Cuba: 29 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan, 2027 (New Year's Eve) >> Book here
🧘♀️ Bali: ✅ 20 to 28 Jun || ✅ 3 to 11 Oct >> Book here
🌮 Oaxaca: 11 to 17 Oct || 8 – 14 Nov || 29 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 >> Book here
⛩️ Japan: ✅ 13 to 23 Jun || ✅ 13 to 23 Oct (beautiful fall colors) >> Book here
🐑 Iceland: ✅ 11 to 18 Oct || ✅ 25 Oct to 1 Nov [2 SPOTS LEFT] >> Book here
🍝 Tuscany: ✅ 13 to 20 Jun [1 SPOT LEFT] || ☑️ 5 to 12 Sep >> Book here
🎄 Xmas markets: ✅ 21 to 29 Nov || 5 to 13 Dec >> Book here
🍷 Georgia:✅ 5 to 13 Sep [1 SPOT LEFT] >> Book here
🇦🇲 Armenia: 💃 ✅ 13 to 19 Sep >> Book here (200 EUR off if you book Georgia + Armenia)
🦪 Croatia & Montenegro: ✅ 31 May to 6 Jun >> Book here
🏰 Scotland: ✅ 10 to 18 Oct [2 SPOTS LEFT] >> Book here
🦘 Australia: 💃 ✅ 11 to 22 Oct >> Book here [Meg will host this trip]
🥘 Barcelona & Beyond: ✅ 20 to 28 Jun >> Book here
🎄 Christmas markets: ✅ 21 to 29 Nov || 5 to 13 Dec >> Book here
⛵ Greek islands sailing trip: 💃 ☑️ 29 May to 5 Jun >> Email us to get on the waitlist [Meg will host this trip, Photographer onboard]
🐪 Morocco: ✅ 2 to 12 Oct [Photographer onboard] || ✅ 6 to 16 Nov [1 SPOT LEFT] >> Book here
🦁 Tanzania Value safari + Zanzibar: ☑️ 11 to 21 Sep (Great Migration) || 23 Dec to 2 Jan, 2027 (Xmas + NYE) >> Book here
🇪🇬 Egypt: ☑️ 3 to 12 Apr || ✅ 30 Oct to 8 Nov [2 SPOTS LEFT] || 4 to 13 Dec >> Book here
🇹🇿 Tanzania Luxe safari + Zanzibar: ☑️ 25 Sep to 5 Oct, 2026 (Great Migration) || ✅ 1 to 10 Nov, 2026 [1 SPOT LEFT] >> Book here
🦭 Galapagos sailing: ☑️5 to 12 Dec >> Book here [Photographer onboard]
❄️ Swedish Arctic: ☑️ 28 Mar to 3 Apr >> Book here
