A girls' trip to the Gili Islands, Indonesia
"For three years, a group of close girlfriends and I have been discussing the need to take a reunion trip somewhere. But logistics are tricky. We are childhood friends, a tight group that grew up together, but now live across Singapore, London, New York, New Zealand, and Melbourne. A few of us are parents. Some have demanding work schedules. All of us have different budgetary and time restraints. Finally, some months ago, we decided we needed to get serious. We cross-referenced our kids school holidays (juggling calendars in different hemispheres), assessed our own budgets, preferences, and more, and MacGyvered the plan to travel to Indonesia’s pristine Gili Islands, thinking they could be a fit for us all. The plan now is to head there in early September. We have started looking at Airbnbs along the beach and discussed the possibility of doing some days on a phinisi boat (if you haven’t been on a phinisi in Gili, have you even been to Gili?). Full disclosure, we are yet to book anything. But this trip, three years in the making, has never felt closer to happening; I don’t think any one of us will let this momentum slip away. —Erin Florio, executive editor
A bike tour of New York's Catskills and the scenic Hudson Valley
“As a lovely Christmas gift, my mother booked my father, brother, and me on a four-day Backroads biking trip through the Hudson Valley and Catskills starting on Father’s Day. I know this realm of “upstate” fairly well, having spent four uneventful years of undergrad at a liberal arts college in the scenic riverside, and am always keen to return and soak up some more of its beauty. That coupled with a few days with my dad (I see my twin at least once a week, it’s not as special) in nature exercising and eating and doing very little else. I never got to spend the summer in the area, but now I get a week—and we will rest our tired heads at some dreamy hotels: Woodstock Way Hotel in the town of the same name first, and then Troutbeck in Amenia.” —Charlie Hobbs, editorial assistant
A quick jaunt to Montreal
“When I travel, I tend to go for four or five weeks at a time—making my annual pilgrimage to visit my immediate family in Manila (and staying for a while to make the 18-hour flight worth it), then tacking on five days or a week in some far-ish destination on the way home to Brooklyn from the Philippines: Athens, London, even Sydney. So I’m excited to try a quick-ish getaway from New York over a long weekend in 2024. I have my eye on Montreal, where there are some new boutique hotels popping up and I can practice my French without having to take a transatlantic red-eye.” —Matt Ortile, associate editor
A creative retreat on an island in northern Norway
“I’ve always wanted to attend a creative retreat or some sort of residency to help me focus on a handful of writing projects—call it a bit of work, and a bit of play. I travel to Iceland at least once a year, so that was the obvious location for me to start my search, but I wanted to experience a new, far-flung place in 2024. I spotted the Singla residency a while back, which takes place in August on Arnøya—a tiny 15-mile-by-15-mile island way up in northern Norway. I’m fascinated by remote, cold-weather living, so I’m going to make the most of the Midnight Sun by taking a few days ahead of the residency in Tromsø, and a week afterward to jump around the Lapland region. From there, I’m meeting my partner in Copenhagen, a place we’ve always wanted to experience for the first time together.” —Erika Owen, contributor
A Mexico surf trip
“I usually find myself in Mexico once or twice a year—most often in Mexico City. I love getting to revisit and peel back a new layer each time, but I’ve made a pact to myself to tack on a few days somewhere new whenever I make the return. Last year, it was a weekend of antique shopping and mole poblano-inhaling in Puebla (two hours by car from Mexico City). This year, I’d like to find somewhere with a consistent, beginner-friendly break where I can do nothing but surf for a couple days—and eat my bodyweight in aguachile (currently accepting destination ideas). If I learn how to really hack my points and miles, I’m also desperate to visit Madagascar or French Polynesia, both mentioned on our list of The Best Places to Go in 2024, but that will take a tad more planning. Let's call that the Q4 daydream.” —Megan Spurrell, senior editor
A safari in Botswana and Zambia
“My husband and I are going into 2024 with major travel intentions. We are ready to check off a few bucket list trips ahead of a major life moment, having our first child. There was zero need for debate that a safari was at the top of our lists. After an intense search, we decided on African Bush Camps as our outfitter of choice. Not only do they promise to deliver on an authentic and luxurious experience, but they will allow us to explore the Okavango Delta in Botswana while staying at the Khwai Leadwood camp, and the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls while at the Thorntree River Lodge. Game drives multiple times a day both via jeep and boat will be par for the course but, thus far, swimming up to the edge of Victoria Falls is only loosely on the agenda.” —Eugene Shevertalov, associate talent director
Seeing the wilds of Malaysia aboard a Belmond train
“Growing up, where possible, my family always prioritized rail travel over road trips and flying—which explains my affinity for train journeys. So it’s not surprising that I am thrilled beyond measure to be among the first to experience the relaunch of Belmond’s train routes in Malaysia. For three days in early March I will be on the famed Eastern & Oriental Express’s maiden voyage through the wilds of Malaysia. And while its indulgent interiors, sumptuous bar car, and seasonally driven gastronomy are enough to make this the voyage of a lifetime, it’s the opportunity to experience the dense jungles and lush wildlife of Taman Negara National Park, one of the oldest national parks in the world, that really gets my heart racing in anticipation.” —Arati Menon, global digital director
A yoga retreat somewhere, anywhere
“I’ve been practicing yoga consistently for almost three years now at St. Mark’s Yoga in the East Village and have my eyes on different retreats around the world, from surf-yoga combos in Panama to meditation-focused teacher trainings in Bali. In addition to wanting to deepen my practice in a beautiful place, I’m intrigued by how these retreat-type vacations (aka adult summer camp) can provide solo travelers with some structure and a built-in community of people with shared interests.” —Hannah Towey, associate news editor
