While many of us are just getting back from a well-deserved break over the holidays, the beginning of a new year is a great time to start planning for your next big adventure.
Who better to help you decide where to next than luxury travel expert Geoffrey Kent, of Abercrombie & Kent. Below, he shares with Whitewall his top 2019 far flung locales, as well as his favorite travel rituals.
WHITEWALL: What is your top design/fashion must-have for travel?
GEOFFREY KENT: Custom made suits from Ermenegildo Zegna and shirts from Turnbull & Asser.
WW: What personal object or garment best represents your style?
GK: My vintage leather Geoffrey Kent Safari weekender bag. The “Wishoni” design has a zippered compartment around the base to separate shoes or freshly-pressed shirts from the rest of your luggage. Fits easily in an overhead or a jeep roaring across the savannah.
WW: When you travel, what are your cultural go-tos?
GK: My wife and I always look forward to trying new restaurants when we travel. And also anything you cannot Google.
WW: What are your travel essentials?
GK: An Iridium Satellite phone to keep in touch no matter where I am in the world.
WW: What are your travel rituals?
GK: The first thing I do is change into my gym clothes and go to the gym for a minimum of a one and a half hour workout.
WW: Where was the last place you traveled?
GK: I’ve just returned from leading a trip around the world by private jet that included stops in Bolivia, Patagonia, Easter Island, Queenstown, Perth, Kerala, Oman and Georgia in the Caucasus
WW: What’s always with you on a plane?
GK: I am never without my Louis Vuitton briefcase. It’s a President Classeur from 1972 that’s been all over the world with me. When there is no gym I use it as a substitute for weights and do exercises in my tent when I’m on safari. I’ve even used it to support a jack when I had a flat tire in Tanzania.
WW: Where would you recommend traveling in 2019?
GK: Jordan is a playground for active adventurers and now there’s a new way to explore the 400-mile Jordan Trail. A&K Philanthropy teamed up with Working Bikes to send donated bicycles to Jordan. When each shipping container arrives, it is converted into a bike shop staffed by locals who have been trained to repair and rent out bikes along sections of the trail.”
I led an expedition above the Arctic Circle [Finland] earlier this year and everyone described it as “the trip of a lifetime.” Pictures simply do not do justice to the experience of losing yourself in this vast landscape.”
Rwanda is where the abundant wildlife and verdant landscapes of the West African jungle meet the East African savanna.
Don’t miss the National Tile Museum, housed in the 16th-century Convent of Madre de Deus, to see some of the finest examples of the beautifully-detailed painted tiles for which Lisbon is renowned.
A party unlike any other, Rio’s Carnival should be at the top of your list. We had an amazing time at the Samba parade – over 80,000 people all singing, dancing and having such a joyous time. If you haven’t been, I strongly recommend you go. This is a memory you will never forget!
Nothing rivals the Naadam Games, the traditional contests of archery, wrestling and horsemanship that reflect Mongolia’s military history. Local experts recreate this thrilling experience for our guests.”
Thinks of [The Northwest Passage] as a semester at sea with university-level courses in history, marine biology, geology, and much more, offered in the field from the comfort of a luxury expedition ship. The opportunity to visit remote villages and meet local Inuit people is so rewarding. Observing their traditional way of life and learning how they survive in the often-harsh Arctic environment is unforgettable.
