Being self-confessed travel addicts, the entire Turquoise team is daydreaming about sun-soaked shores, African wildernesses and tropical jungle hideaways while we’re all stuck in isolation in the UK. Here are just a few places we’d much rather be right now…
Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Catherine Blanks, Indian Ocean Product Manager
“There are few places that dovetail better in one holiday than Sri Lanka and the Maldives. You have the captivating culture and adventure of Sri Lanka, followed by blissful tropical seclusion in the Maldives – what more could you want? My favourite retreat in Sri Lanka is Ulagalla, a former noble estate now turned into a tranquil escape amid leafy gardens. It’s also perfectly placed should you want to experience some of the country’s best bits, from a safari in elephant-rich Minneriya National Park to exploring the Dambulla Caves. Then I’d whisk myself off to Gili Lankanfushi in the Maldives, a beautiful barefoot escape where you can discover your inner Robinson Crusoe.”
Australia
Rachel Gleave, Asia & Australia Product Manager
“I wish I was sitting outside at Doyles on the Beach seafood restaurant at Sydney harbour. I love the comings and goings of the ferries and amazing views of Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge – there is no view like it. Following that, I’d fly to Cairns and then to Lizard Island, located right on the Great Barrier Reef with stunning beaches and beautiful landscapes.”
Caribbean
Lizzie Jones, Marketing Director
“Usually, I daydream of rugged wildernesses, of mountainscapes and jungles, dramatic coastlines and long, winding roads waiting to be driven. There’s something about isolation however, which has transported me to the swaying palms and soft-sand beaches of the Caribbean. How I long for the sizzling sounds of jerk-encrusted fish charring on the barbecue and an eye-wateringly strong rum punch from a hidden beach bar. Then, that golden-hour moment, watching the sun start to sink on the horizon as the light show begins; yellow to orange, pink to red, then to a deep navy blue, twinkling with diamonds. I dream of living the tale I’ve told so many travellers, of the infamous toes-in-the-sand lobster lunches on Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, where you wade into the deep turquoise waters to pluck out your spiky catch, served fresh off the grill with garlicky butter and fresh bread for dunking.”
Kenya
Sue Bell, Product Director
“I’d love to sitting on the edge of Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau at Ol Malo, glass of wine in hand and chatting to its charming husband-and-wife owners, Colin and Rocky Francombe. Ol Malo is their bush home after all, transforming a former cattle ranch they bought over 20 years ago. By day, they take you out into the great African wilderness, show the magnificent wildlife that lives there and by night, have dinner with you and share their captivating family story. It really is a home from home and the idea of heaven for me.”
Maldives
Grace Wright, Marketing Manager
“I’d love to be whisked away to Soneva Fushi in the Maldives right now – powder-soft sand with not a care in the world! A passionfruit breakfast smoothie will be on the table waiting for me when I arrive, staff will be saying, ”Good morning, Grace”, and I’ll be cycling around without any direction or sense of time. The villas are perfectly positioned, extremely private but with so much space you feel like you’e the queen of the island. Each morning, your Mr Friday will ask where you would like to dine that evening. The rest of the day is spent dreaming about what dishes will be served! There’s just something so special about losing track of which day it is and your biggest worry is where to sunbathe next!”
Yasawa Islands, Fiji
James Bell, Managing Director
“I’ve been fascinated by the Yasawa Islands ever since I read about the legendary mutiny on HMS Bounty in 1789. After his ship was seized by Fletcher Christian, Captain William Bligh and his loyalists set off in the ship’s open launch and, in turn, he became the first European to set eyes on the Yasawa Islands. The archipelago remains one of the most remote parts of Fiji and, as a result, a collection of unspoilt islands await. There are 15 words in the Fijian language for ‘heaven’ and Yasawa is one of them – need I say more?”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Sarah Tuck, Caribbean Product Manager
“Can you get more dreamy than a tropical private island? I’d pick Petit St. Vincent in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, where it’s so easy to switch off from the outside – something I would dearly adore right now! It has beaches which run for as far as the eye can see and a lush, pristine interior that’s begging to be explored. There’s only 22 cottages here, so it really will just be you and a handful of others here at one time. Please don’t tell many others though – this is a place we’d quite like to keep secret!”
The Islands of Tahiti
Suzy Higgs, South Pacific Product Manager
“The private Vahine Island is pure escapism. Sunset views over Bora Bora in the distance. Sunrise views over Huahine. Dinner cooked to perfection by Cedric, the talented chef who perfectly blends European flair with Tahitian flavours. Relaxing massages under the canopy of the palm tree grove, snorkelling among a rainbow of tropical fish, soaking up the views from your hammock as the crystalline lagoon laps the sandy shoreline. It’s a Robinson Crusoe paradise you won’t want to be rescued from!”
Borneo
Rhodri Andrews, Head of Content
“Being stuck indoors has got me dreaming of a return to Borneo. The remote jungle, thick with mist and free from the intrusion of humans. It’s a legendary land full of thrills, where every rustle could be an orangutan or proboscis monkey swinging through the trees and once darkness falls, the banks of the Kinabatangan River light up like Christmas trees with fireflies. However, the greatest joy is pausing for a moment listening to the sounds of the rainforest: the ‘ribbits’ of frogs, the caw of a hornbill, the chatter of macaques and the snorts of bearded pigs. Your senses are fully consumed by nature and there’s nothing quite like it.”
