***The below is directly from my April newsletter – a monthly newsletter meant to deliver travel inspiration, promotions, guides & news to you – but is currently geared towards bringing inspiration on how to bring travel to your home. While I know this does not replace what we gain from actually traveling (the cultures we experience, the sights, the smells, the people), I hope these can bring a smile to your face, learn about a new destination, or make a delicious dish from the comfort of your home.
Hello clients, colleagues, social media followers & friends,
Wow, has it been awhile since I sent out one of these! To say that the past 9 months have been a busy whirlwind would be an understatement. From moving across the country to NYC, partnering with Full-Time Travel and affiliating with a new host travel agency, Embark Beyond, and lots of travels in between. You can see more about my life changes in this blog post!
I was actually on a trip to Mauritius and Turkey with One&Only Hotels and Turkish Airlines in early March when we had to cut our trip short to head back home as the country started to go on lock-down. I spent time quarantined at my home in NYC before heading back to my parents’ in San Diego where I have now been quarantined for the past 4 weeks. Wow, how time flies!
I’ve been spending my time working on a lot of back-end admin for the business (new website refresh coming soon!), many trainings/webinars/Zoom calls, working on client trip postponements and cancellations (thankful most clients decided to postpone!), and a few future client trips (with many hotels offering flexible cancellation policies, clients are taking advantage and getting ahead of booking their late summer/fall/festive & 2021 trips). In the evenings and on weekends, my family and I are enjoying trying new recipes (Caribbean-themed night, anyone?) and binging The Morning Show (the only thing I am personally streaming besides my morning news and HGTV). I am also personally brushing up on my Italian, reading a couple good books, trying new workouts, daily walks, and spending a lot of time enjoying that California sunshine in my backyard.
While this is an unprecedented time filled with a lot of uncertainty and a pause on travel plans, I wanted to bring some positivity to your inbox by bringing a taste of travel to your home. I’ve included a number of recipes, workouts, and wellness tips from our hotel and travel partner friends around the world, to some travel updates, stories, and podcasts/books/movies to dive into. I plan to keep this monthly newsletter going and am hoping next month’s we can start looking into the future towards the resurgence of travel (or so a girl could dream).
I was recently featured in a TravelAge West article about why I love being a Travel Advisor, and even in the midst of this absolutely crazy time – I would not trade in my job for anything. To all of those who are working on the front lines (I personally know quite a few of my clients are) – THANK YOU for all that you are doing.
And lastly, to all my fellow travel-lovers if you are looking for some good laughs… look no further.
Stay safe and well!
Cheers,
Chelsea Martin
TRANSPORT TO YOUR FAVORITE DESTINATIONS
- For those looking to create a vacation experience at home with everything from self-care routines to culinary adventures, Belmond has your back.
- Visit the beautiful country of Greece from home.
- Experience the Met’s nightly opera performances.
- Tour museums’ exhibits from around the world including Musee d’Orsay, Uffizi Gallery, Van Gogh Museum, the MoMA, and more.
- Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s live web cam.
- Explore our National Parks online with these stunning visuals + videos.
- Indulge in a taste of Napa with virtual wine tastings + wine shipped straight to your doorstep at a discount.
- Head out on safari with Singita’s Instagram Live safari experiences!
- Take a walk through the brand new Aman Kyoto’s Secret Garden.
BRINGING THE WORLD TO A KITCHEN NEAR YOU
Dishes
Aqua Expeditions’ Peruvian Ceviche (+ Pisco Sour!) (Peru)
Belmond Grand Hibernian’s Salted Caramel & Whiskey Bread & Butter Pudding (Ireland)
Blackberry Farms’ Poached Farm Eggs with Hoe Cakes (Tennessee)
Borgo Egnazia’s Homemade Pasta (Italy)
Commodore Perry Estate’s Biscuits (Texas)
Hotel Santa Caterina’s Tagliolini Al Limone (Italy)
Le Barthelemy’s Thai Lobster (St Barth’s)
One&Only Reethi Rah’s Power Balls (Maldives)
Santa Monica Proper’s Salsa Tatemada (California)
The Breakers’ Key Lime Pie (Florida)
The Ranch Malibu’s Carrot Cake Donuts with Lemon Cashew Frosting (California)
Cocktails
Belmond La Samanna’s ‘Belmond 75’ (St. Maarten)
One&Only Desaru’s Longan & Chilli Rum Cocktail (Malaysia)
Rocco Forte Brown’s Hotel Breakfast Martini (London)
Rosewood Bermuda’s Bermuda Rum Swizzle (Bermuda)
Rosewood Mayakoba’s Spicy Cucumber Margarita (Mexico)
Silo Hotel’s Rose Givino (South Africa)
WORLDLY WELLNESS & WORKOUTS
Wellness
Belmond Cap Juluca’s DIY Bath Soak (Anguilla)
Blackberry Farms’ Artisans’ Healthy Habits (Tennessee)
One&Only Wolgan Valley’s 10 Steps to Wellness (Australia)
Proper Hotels’ Ayurvedic Partner Surya’s Immune Resources (USA)
Shangri-La Hotels’ Meditation Tips
Workouts
Combat the effects of sitting with stretches by The Ranch Malibu’s Josh Ray (California)
Core workout with Eden Rock (St. Barth’s)
Gurneys’ Resorts is giving you 30 days free of p.volve with code GURNEYS
Rosewood Hotels’ Asaya Hong Kong’s Live-stream Classes (Hong Kong)
TRAVEL UPDATES & STORIES
- We did a traveler mindset study at Full-Time Travel, and here’s our findings on how the virus is changing our vacation plans and priorities.
- Check out which airlines are extending their elite status through 2021 here.
- Esme, our editor at Full-Time Travel, interviewed Luca Fiorentino of Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy about his “luxury quarantine” & how they spending this time.
- Love this article about how travel companies are giving back during this time.
- The new rules TSA has implemented for airport screenings (hint: social distancing, cont.)
TRAVEL-FOCUSED PODCASTS, BOOKS & MOVIES I AM LOVING
Podcasts
The Trip That Changed Me (our podcast from Full-Time Travel!)
The Tim Ferriss Show: Entrepreneur & Hotelier Liz Lambert
Bon Appétit Foodcast
Women Who Travel: Elizabeth Gilbert on Travel After “Eat, Pray, Love”
Talking Points by The Points Guy
Books
Become an artist at home with my host travel agency’s travel-inspired coloring book
Check out Virtuoso Travel staff’s picks here
One&Only Palmilla’s Sea of Cortez coloring book
The Woman in Cabin 10 – a psychological thriller involving a travel journalist on a luxury cruise gone wrong, but one of my favorites nonetheless!
Movies & Shows
Eat Pray Love – always a favorite to fuel wanderlust
House Hunters International – this sounds like a peculiar choice, but great way to see other destinations!
Midnight In Paris – one of my favorite cities & favorite eras!
Notting Hill – I watch this movie probably every other month to get my London fix
Out of Africa – will make you want to book a safari trip ASAP
Under the Tuscan Sun – dreamy Italian scenes & dream
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Safe travels y’all!
Chelsea Rose Martin