EDITOR'S LETTER:

Travel always comes with an air of mystery, that beautiful sense of discovering the unknown, perhaps treading in footprints first planted thousands of years ago and unearthing secrets of cities whispered long before you arrived.

This issue is a poetic code to timeless travel, with history the cornerstone of experience-rich adventures. Stroll through the sands of time in AlUla – a living museum and Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site; Come see the lost kingdoms of Luxor and Cairo; And then on to Athens, with its Neolithic narrative and sea-spritzed archaeological wonders.

Winter escapism calls for some island adventures too. This month we travel to the Ireland to uncover the luxury side of the Emerald Isle, then to Spain to soak up its sun-drenched archipelago and lastly to the Seychelles to discover four unforgettable sanctuaries by the sea.

From the old to the new, we also hero newcomers to the travel and hospitality scene, bringing you the world’s most exclusive new hotels, suites and top tables all waiting to tempt you to travel.

Inevitably, travel means different things to different people, so we hope this issue invites you to write your own story. A massive written from whichever corner of the world you find yourself in. Chapter one, page one…

Emily Baxter-Priest
Editor-in-Chief