What does luxury travel actually mean?
Through the ages
Plato saw craving luxury as a sign of weakness, and Roman philosophers saw greed for luxuries as detrimental to the moral fabric of society. It was only when the higher echelons of society began showing off their wealth and standing by displaying their unattainable extravagances that we began to see luxury as something to be coveted. In more recent times the trend has been to urge us to resist conspicuous consumption and return to austerity, with a healthy dose of respect for the sustainable and a love of the natural and genuine.
Thin line with bad taste
Shiny, labeled or expensive goods that may previously have been defined as luxury can ironically now come across as in bad taste. Similarly, once aspirational and exclusive items that become accessible to everyone lose their luxury moniker. In essence there really is no answer, luxury means something different for everyone.
And luxury travel?
Travel is more accessible than ever, and luxury travel is harder to define. To us, luxury travel is something away from the norm, something original. A luxury can be space and time away in a remote desert in Namibia where, at night, the stars are bright all the way down to the horizon and the silence is almost tangible; a trek through rugged wilderness in Bhutan not seeing another soul for two weeks except for those you choose to be with, being pampered by discreet staff, or simply spending quality time with people you love in a beautiful place.
Hidden extras
Luxury travel now is more about the hidden extras; the privilege of gaining access to areas unavailable to the general public, exploring with expert guides, and gaining personal insights from local and unique perspectives. Gold taps, marble hallways and diamante cutlery may seem luxurious through one lens, but through another to be original in your travel, is the real luxury.
