A winter 2023–2024 to remember: these are the destinations for you

We’ll take you to loads of seriously beautiful places. No snow or skiing—just plenty of unspoiled nature, wildlife, and local culture

Ski holiday? What even is that? Can you eat it?

Honestly, don’t even get us started on the usual trendy winter breaks. We woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, and just thinking about them is enough to bring back last night’s dinner.

Every year, we’d much rather spend a few weeks somewhere completely different, in a whole bunch of incredible places that make Madonna di Campiglio look pretty tame. And because we like you, we’re inviting you to come along and enjoy these amazing experiences with us.

So here you go: the very best ones.

Also read: Polar Express: the train that crosses Lapland to take you straight to Santa Claus

An epic safari in Namibia

Namibia is one of those destinations people don’t think about nearly often enough—and anyone who overlooks it has no idea what they’re missing. It’s absolutely one of our favorite places, because it’s really hard to find another land that moves us the way this one does.

Here’s just a small taste of what you get when you leave mainstream travel ideas behind and decide to take a tour through Namibia’s natural wonders:

• Etosha National Park with its Big 5: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo. But also giraffes, jackals, cheetahs, hyenas, and South Africa’s rugby team mascot: the springboks! (Ha ha ha...). The park is home to a huge number of waterholes—more than 80—which animals use for drinking, especially during the driest seasons, which here in Namibia are summer and autumn. These spots are our favorites for getting a close look at local wildlife as they quench their thirst. But the real highlight is the night safari, when predators come alive and the savannah awakens in total darkness. How amazing is that?;
• the Skeleton Coast, the kind of place that makes you realize that when Mother Nature is in a bad mood, everyone’s in trouble. The coastline is dotted with shipwrecks that didn’t end up here because of dramatic storms or hurricanes. Most of them ran aground on the area’s typical sandbanks, half-submerged and incredibly difficult for sailors to spot;
• the Namib Desert, which dates back at least 80 million years. Yep, 80 million! It’s an extremely arid place, but the local wildlife basically said, “Whatever,” and evolved survival mechanisms that let them thrive even here. There are beetles in the Namib that drink fog, and black-backed jackals quench their thirst by licking moisture off the rocks. And then there’s Big Daddy, which is not the latest trap artist to blow up on the music scene. It’s the tallest dune in the world, reaching 300 meters. <3<3<3

On the other side of the Mediterranean there’s a country you absolutely have to visit: Morocco

Morocco is an extraordinary feast of colors, scents, flavors, and places, with a deeply fascinating history. And sand—lots and lots of sand.

Among the wildest activities we organize on our Morocco tours, you absolutely have to try the camel races and the quad bike rides across the Sahara dunes—seriously thrilling stuff.

Of course, we never miss a good wander around Marrakesh, diving into the chaos of the souq to shop for all kinds of local handicrafts and eat plenty of amazing local food. And, of course, saying no to yet another vendor swearing that wrought-iron lantern with shocking pink glass really is worth every last dirham.

Another spectacular place is Essaouira, with its incredible medina listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded more than 600 years before the birth of Christ by the Carthaginians, this place has seen a lot over the centuries, both good and bad, and it shows off its rich history through its stunning architecture and historic quarters—most notably the medina and the kasbah, the city’s fortress.

What’s the point of going to Cuba if you don’t immerse yourself in the local culture?

In Cuba, tourists usually just sprawl out on the beach and never move again, drifting between cocktails and doing very little else.

Not us.

Okay, sure, we do spend some time on the beaches too, but far from the glossy 5-star resorts you see in magazines. This island deserves to be explored from top to bottom. Come on—why waste such an incredible opportunity?

Havana is spectacular: time seems to have stood still, and vintage cars speed along cobbled streets. The local culture is fantastic, and history pours out of the architecture of its period buildings. The historic center in particular (this too!) has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As we mentioned, we do make time for some truly stunning beaches. We stretch out on the shores of Varadero, where we stay in Casas Particulares to experience Cuban culture at its best. And then there’s Cayo Blanco, a tiny island that looks exactly like what comes to mind when you think of the Caribbean.

Oh, and we visit plenty of other beaches too. But to wrap up this overview of the places we make sure to see every time we’re in Cuba, here’s another one we bet you didn’t know about: Las Terrazas, a lovely village that’s part of a major environmental restoration project in the area where it stands. It’s a place that was once heavily exploited for coffee cultivation, but little by little it’s recovering from all of that.

Also read: For a New Year’s trip that’s anything but ordinary, come with us to India to welcome 2024

In conclusion

What we’ve shown you here are just some of the tours we organize for winter 2023–2024.

Sure, it’s not your typical winter holiday—nothing like Cortina or St. Moritz—and that’s exactly why it’s so great!

Leave the oysters and champagne to everyone else. This winter, join us for a group trip and enjoy an experience that’s truly worth having.