My travel picks of the week
Soul & Surf: Stroll back into the office all suntanned and salty after a trip to this new pop-up in Chicama, Northern Peru. Combine riding your board – in an area home to the longest surfable wave on earth – with daily yoga and meditation sessions before tucking into zingy plates of ceviche and beers on the beach. Looking to stay closer to home? Soul & Surf will also be returning to Portugal this summer with the revival of its retreat on the southern Algarve. Punters will stay at a villa close to the village of Burgau and near the town of Sagres, before hitting the epic waves as soon as the sun rises.
From the people that brought you surf retreats in Kerala and Sumatra, pop-ups in the pipeline include Costa Rica, Lombok and the Mentawei Islands in Sumatra. Watch this space.
Seven nights in Peru (11th-25th March) from $1,650pp (£1,339pp) based on two sharing a double room on a full-board basis, including all surf equipment, all daily surf and yoga sessions and airport transfers from Trujillo. Flights extra. For the Portugal retreat, seven nights costs from £900 per person per week, including a full daily surf and yoga programme as well as most meals, accommodation and one surf theory lesson.
Prestige Holidays: One for the filthy rich, the tour operator has unveiled its new Bucket List trip to South America. And if you’ve a spare 40 grand, this escape – with a signature level of luxury – is a winner. Travelling by private jet, you’ll fly across this mindblowing part of the world over the course of three weeks, stopping off at some of South America’s top sights, from the buzz of Rio and Buenos Aires to the Instagrammable Iguassu Falls and Easter Island. You’ll also journey to Machu Picchu by luxury train and explore the Galapagos on a fascinating four-day cruise. And the highlight? You’ll meet the legend that is Sir Ranulph Fiennes, OBE. I interviewed him a few years ago and he’s the perfect gent.
Machu Picchu
The Library, Thailand: I’m dying to stay here – at this cool-as-they-come boutique on Koh Samui’s Chaweng Beach. Why? Well they’ve just announced their new pool villas will open in April. And check it out, the main pool is red…
Set your sights on this sweet sweet pad, and you’ll discover its white sands just a few feet from your super-luxe room with a Jacuzzi, his and her wardrobes and a pillowy bed you’ll want to hurl yourself on. A member of Design Hotels, The Library is a something of a diamond in the rough on the buzzy Chaweng Beach – it’s understated and elegant, and worthy of an Elle Decoration feature. Away from the larks on the beach and wallowing in the blood-red pool, don’t miss a trip to the nearby Ang Thong Marine National Park, with its hidden coves, limestone caves and technicolour marine life.
