As it’s the start of this much-hyped and longed for year, it’s a good time to look ahead and contemplate what we may achieve, who we may be able to reconnect with and where we may be able to go this year that isn’t from our bedroom, to our desk to our sofa. On repeat.
As we are in another strict lockdown, this has added poignancy but with a vaccine in sight, travel is not as out of our reach as it has been. Perhaps, we are being overly optimistic and it certainly isn’t a priority but at NERANO we love some wanderlust escapism from the comfort of our home so here is a round up of some destinations and hotels we have on our radar for when we can finally pack our bags…
TRANSYLVANIA, ROMANIA
This magical land has been calling us for a while with its go-slow rural lifestyle and few tourists. Farmers still travel by horse and cart and guest houses often don’t have wifi. Frequently called Europe’s last great wilderness, Transylvania has vast forests, medieval villages, fairytale castles and incredible UNESCO heritage sites to visit. The brilliant company, Slow Cyclist, organise 5/6 day guided cycling trips for small groups around Romania, which sound like the ideal way to leisurely explore the quiet villages and go off the beaten track. You overnight in restored guest houses and picnic in beautiful locations in flower filled meadows along the way. Alternatively, Bethlen Estates is the hotel we’ve bookmarked. Guests can choose between restored self-catering houses and the Corner Barn, all mixing wood-burning stoves with traditional kilim rugs and contemporary furniture. Prince Charles has been quietly promoting Romania for years and owns a guesthouse in the quiet village of Visci, which has traditionally decorated rooms for the very reasonable price of 129EUR per night.
CAIRO, EGYPT
One of the best holidays we’ve ever had as a family was slowly sailing down the Nile, visiting the temples and ruins at sunrise, followed by watching daily life on the river unfold that is still relatively unchanged from biblical times. We don’t need an excuse for a return visit but Cairo will hopefully be opening its Grand Egyptian Museum this year. It will be the new £1billion home to the largest collection of Tutankhaman relics ever displayed, and is expected to attract over 5 million visitors a year. It will be the first time all of the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb will be on display and we will view them in the exact order as when Howard Carter first discovered them. It will be a state-of-the-art visiting experience.They have developed entire narratives in the designs of many of the galleries, to demonstrate King Tut's lifestyle, including what and when he ate, and what he might have been wearing. There is also a separate children’s museum within the museum, which will use visual tricks to explain Egypt’s ancient world to children.
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
We feel Marrakech is the closest place you can fly to from the UK that when you disembark the plane, you feel that wave of hot heat hit you, quickly followed by the bright light, smells, sounds and exotic flavours of North Africa. El Fenn in Marrakech, is one of the most colourful and joyful hotels in the world and has just completed a design refresh. Like many places this year, they have an idyllic sounding new ‘work & stay’ offer for guests who want to work remotely and have a major change of scene. We’d love to swap our WFH situ of being wrapped in a blanket with a hot water bottle to sipping mint tea on El Fenn’s sunny rooftop terrace, overlooking palm trees and lush gardens.
A FRENCH CHATEAU ROAD TRIP
Over lockdown, we became big fans of ‘The Chateau Diaries’ on YouTube. Owner, Stephanie Jarvis, records her life at Château de LaLande, near Limoges, with her family and group of volunteers as they attempt to slowly restore the historical chateau and bring it back to life. We’ve lived vicariously through them as they cook, garden and party together as well as fly the flag for the benefits of communal living . In 2021, we dream of going on a French road trip, taking in all these glorious chateaus, now taking in guests but until then there’s Instagram...
Check out: Les Sources de Cheverney / Chateau du Grand-Luce / Chateau de LaLande / Domaine des Etangs
ANDROS, GREECE
The last holiday Alexandra and I took together was to Crete in Greece. We were both exhausted, I’d had an intense run of travel for work and Alexandra had just finished a gruelling UK theatre tour. We just wanted to fly and flop and recharge. We sat on the beach all day and only moved for ‘robe time’, which was essentially G&Ts on our terrace in our dressing gowns. The island of Andros in the Cyclades is the next island we have on our list to visit, where we’d book into Melisses, an idyllic B&B property, owned by Italian Allegra Pomilio. Andros is the first island you encounter coming from Athens and Melisses is a beautifully designed in Allegra’s laidback, whitewashed style. The small selection of rooms come with private terraces, outdoor kitchens and you are only ever a few steps from your bed to the sea. Allegra is a hands-on host, who also runs a series of incredibly popular workshops and retreats throughout the summer season, ranging from cookery, food styling to photography.
THE DOUBLE RED DUKE, CLANFIELD, NEAR OXFORD
This February, The Double Duke, is due to open in in the village of Clanfield, west of Oxford. This former honey-stoned coaching inn, which looks like it should be in a Jane Austen adaptation, is owned by Sam and Georgie Pearson. Former owners of The Lucky Onion, they are now creating a new group of inns under the banner of Country Creatures. This will become a new weekend getaway destination with former Hawksmoor and Pitt Cue Co veterans Richard E Turner and Richard Sandiford, in charge of the kitchen with plans to cook over open fires. Conde Nast Traveller has called it "a perfectly pitched pub for a countryside-stomping spring escape". We can’t wait to pop in for a visit.
THE MAKER HOTEL, NEW YORK
New York has been one of the hardest hit cities by Covid but it will bounce back. Broadway will light up again and the city’s thriving restaurant and bar scene will come alive with the hum of hustling New Yorkers again. If we ever make it across the pond, we would swing by The Maker Hotel, in the historic downtown Hudson area of New York, which opened last August. Housed across three historical buildings, this 11-room property is a curated sanctuary with a bohemian sensibility fusing design from 19th-century Industrial, La Belle Époque, Art Deco and Mid-Century periods. 70% of its decor is vintage and it has a strong ethos of supporting local craftsmen and artists. It even has a Fragrance Library, where guests can smell 180 fragrances, selected from around the world by the owner as well as a circus themed fitness centre, full of acrobatic/gymnastics equipment such as rings and pommel horses, which will bring back either great or very bad memories of school PE classes!
These are just a few places on our wish list of places to travel too this year and we will be keeping the blog updated throughout the year. Let us know where’s on you holiday wish list by leaving a comment below!