Our Favorite Experiences from 2024

We enjoyed many memorable destinations and special moments and so did our many traveling clients. Thanks to all of our partners, colleagues, and friends who made 2024 such a wonderful year in travel. Let's make 2025 even better!

We've been in love with Spain and Portugal for years, but 2024 was the year that cemented our relationship with both countries for a lifetime. We spent a month in Portugal first, renting villas in Vilamoura and Lagos, with a short break for a Bachata Festival in Seville, Spain with our favorite superstar Bachata couple, Daniel and Desiree, at their D&D BeUnlike Festival. Our focus, aside from enjoying the people and culture, was on relaxing on the best beaches (plus surfing), and reveling in the amazing food and wine scene. In Spain, the suckling pig and Iberian pork was a favorite, and in Portugal, hard to beat the fresh grilled octopus. 
And then we finally made our decision - after 10 years of looking around the globe for "our place" in the world to settle in (aside from Jackson Hole), we chose Lagos, the perfect combination for us (Old Town, marina, beaches, amazing restaurants, laid-back lifestyle, and not expensive)....and now we have our own villa near the ocean. Looking forward to spending many months there in 2025!

OK, another dream we've had for many years - attending the D&D Be Unlike Bachata Festival in Seville, Spain - came true this past September. Organized by Daniel and Desiree (champions of Spain, runners-up in Europe, two consecutive years world champions), Sergio and Marichu (Daniel's brother, Desiree's sister!), and Desiree's father, Jesus Guidonet, this is a world-class family affair, with world-class dancers and teaches, workshops, pool parties, stage shows, and rocking all-night social dances. Plus amazing to see and learn from other favorite instructors including Dario and Sara, Belen and Antoni, and Ronald and Alba. The even was even better than we imagined, and we're going back in September 2025 for D&D Be Unlike....and this will be an annual event for us as long as we can still move. If you want to join us, email Stephen for details.

Madrid, Spain - our favorite capital city in Europe...so we rented an apartment in our favorite neighborhood, Salamanca, for a month! Whether you're a history buff, art connoisseur, museum aficionado, food and wine lover, passionate explorer, or a Bachata fanatic, Madrid is your place to embark on an unforgettable journey that promises to tantalize all your sense. We enjoyed so many simple, yet special experiences, just walking out of our apartment onto Calle Serrano and joining the local scene - restaurants and bars, shops, galleries, wine stores, fresh markets, visiting our hotel partners properties, and of course, taking Bachata classes every night followed by social dancing. And in the process we learned the art of the long after lunch, two or three hours of fine dining (suckling pig, roasted lamb, paella were favorites), a bottle or so of wine, followed by a long walk and then a nap. The perfect set-up for a night of dancing. 
And while we loved renting an apartment, we also enjoy staying in our partner hotels (our friends and clients agree) including: Four Seasons, Rosewood Villa Magna, Mandarin Oriental, The Madrid Edition, and Totem Boutique Hotel are our top recommendations.
Get in touch to begin booking your trip.

It's been a while, so we decided to head back to Mexico's Caribbean Coast - Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, the land of the mystic Mayas, sensational beaches, and fabulous resort hotels. Best of all is the Mayakoba Resort, and exclusive private enclave that includes four world-class hotels - Rosewood, Fairmont, Andaz, and Banyon Tree. Hard to choose between these four...so we stayed at all four so we could give you the inside story on the best place for you. Get in touch to begin booking your trip.
P.S. And if you enjoy fly-fishing like we do, our guide team will pick you up at your resort and take you for an amazing day of flats fishing in Ascension Bay.