Elite Traveler Summer 2024

111 elite traveler SUMMER 2024

PRIOR Membership travel service Prior was created by one of the most well connected people in the business, former magazine editor David Prior. Harnessing his enviable Rolodex of contacts, the CEO and his team design one-of-a-kind itineraries based on an individual’s unique interests — said to be akin to having a team of editors bringing your own travel magazine to life. As one of New York’s go-to experts for crafting out-of-this-world sabbaticals and exclusive access experiences, the impossible is made possible, no matter how niche a traveler’s interest. This can range from living as a monk for a day, to a trip to Japan to work alongside artisanal ceramicists, to shutting down some of Europe’s most lauded cultural landmarks like the Picasso Museum and Sagrada Familia for your own expert-led tour. Members pay an annual fee of $2,750, with spots limited and joining only possible on application or by referral. Non-members can also get a taste of Prior-style travel by booking one of the travel club’s Group Journeys led by leaders in the world of food, art and literature. THE ONE TO BOOK Paris with chef Dominique Crenn for Bastille Day will delight the mind just as much as the taste buds. French-born Crenn made history in 2018 when her legendary San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn, earned a third Michelin star, making her the fi rst female chef in the US whose restaurant has achieved the accolade. The four-day trip will see Crenn lead guests into the exclusive world of contemporary French cuisine. Taking place over the Bastille Day weekend in July, it includes a guided tour of a local market with the chef, including tastings at some of her favorite boulangeries, cheesemonger’s shops and butcher shops; hosted dinners; a fl oral and cake workshop with baker Frank Adrian Barron at his private apartment; and lunch at Le Doyenné, a restaurant and regenerative garden run by chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly. The trip will culminate in a private, champagne- fi lled Bastille Day rooftop celebration overlooking the Ei ff elTower fi reworks. From $3,800 per person. Contact caponesubscriber@priorworld.com, priorworld.com

Ei ff el Tower fi reworkson Bastille Day

Go on a culinary tour of Paris with Dominique Crenn

ELEGANT RESORTS Elegant Resorts boasts an ever-evolving portfolio of the world’s best resorts, villas, wellness facilities, cruises and tailored tours that span the globe and, quite literally, beyond (the fi rm is Virgin Galactic’s fi rst accredited space agent). With over 35 years in the industry, the award-winning luxury UK operator is one of the most trusted in the business; each of the fi rm’s travel advisors average over 20 years of experience. The fi rm’s insider knowledge of the world’s best resorts and their facilities make them adeptly placed to advise travelers on the locations best-suited to their interests. One of the most popular learning experiences near the top of many adventurous travelers’ bucket lists is completing the fl agship PADI Open Water course. And Elegant Resorts will make sure you do it in style. With some of the world’s most exclusive dive centers on its roster, aspiring aquatic explorers have their pick of dreamy destinations to complete their training. The tour operator can create an itinerary that focuses solely on learning to dive or build your course into a wider multi-destination trip. THE ONE TO BOOK Our favorite fi ve-star destination o ff ering the certi fi cation on Elegant Resorts’s books might just have to be Amanpulo resort in the Philippines, which has its own PADI diving center. Nestled on a tropical private island with two-and-a half miles of pristine coral reef starting just 980 ft from the beach, the area features countless dive sites — all accessible by the resort’s own speedboat. The course includes four hours of pool training followed by four training dives in the pristine waters of the Sulu Sea alongside a colorful underwater kingdom of barracuda, turtles, octopus and more. All the while you’ll be staying in the blissful splendor of your own private casita or villa. You’ll be fully quali fi ed in a matter of days, allowing you to dive up to 59 ft accompanied by another certi fi edadult. From $7,000 per person. Contact clientservices@elegantresorts.co.uk, +44 124 489 7514, elegantresorts.co.uk

Fromabove Aman Amanpulo, Philippines; sunset cruise

Photos Olivier Blaud, John W. McDermott, Aman Resorts Group Limited, Tsuyoshi Kaneko/Shutterstock.com