Earlier this year I left for a Black Label Workcation trip to Europe that covered 6+ destinations over 4 weeks. Intense to say at the very least, but London, Devon, Mallorca, Malaga, Tarifa and Morocco, you’ve been more than amazing.
It was so rewarding to meet with partners and discuss upcoming collabs, such as our new NZ packages customized for The America’s Cup that will take place in Auckland 2021. If you’re thinking about visiting NZ for this amazing event, get in touch with me to learn more about how to get the most out of your stay.
Here are a few of the many highlights.
A productive start in one of my favourite cities
London was my first stop. It was amazing to catch up with close friends, who’ve been living there for ages and industry partners.. It had been so long, and I just loved everything; from my stay at the hip Shoreditch, to the chic options for food and drinks. I’m now a fan of their private member clubs too, there are so many cool options full of beautiful people. My cup of tea. 😉
Delicious food and drinks at the right places
The views at the Gherkin Building won’t disappoint. Photo:The Upcoming.
Time flew by thanks to quality time with inspiring people who took me to just the right places. Drinks at the gorgeous rooftop bar The Aviary, Espresso Martinis after dinner at the 40th floor of the Gherkin Building at Searcys (spectacular!), lunch and drinks at Peckham Levels – an amazing venue that used to be a concrete car park, now transformed into funky functional spaces. Just to mention a few.
Lunch at one of the best Indian restaurants in town, Dishoom. London has so many great Indian restaurants, so ‘one of the best’ here means that it’s too good to miss.
Delicious Japanese single malt whiskey at The Bull in a China Shop, just thinking about it makes me want to have a Whiskey Sour right now… Photo: Just Opened in London.
The Bull in a China Shop is another fantastic place to visit for delicious drinks and dinner. I had one of the best Whiskey Sours ever here. It’s my favourite cocktail, so I’ve had my share and trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
I think London is one of those places that makes you feel good from the moment you arrive.
It’s so original and happening.
It was also great to move forward with the development of our America’s Cup experiences with our partners. I’ll share more info about these with you soon.
Falling in love with the picturesque English countryside
My first time visiting this county south west of London. The English countryside is just stunning. Photo: vanidades.com.
Next up was Devon, a 3.5 hour enjoyable train ride away from London. Walking through the woods in the morning, having a cream tea in Devon (bucket list-tick) and visiting the most beautiful gardens of Dartington Estate, set on 1200 acres in Dartington – just wow.
Touring all of the local seaside villages; Ashburton, Totnes, Slapton, Beesands, Start Point (fish and chips at the iconic Start Bay Inn) and Tuckenhay. Each one more charming than the other, full of cute, historic houses telling the stories of fascinating and famous former residents.
Seeing Tors for the first time, followed by a local cider at this historic Inn from the 12th century. Dinner at 11th century Cott Inn in Totnes was absolutely sensational, the food at this gastropub is fantastic.
All of the food in the region is locally sourced and has been produced in the same traditions for centuries.
Needless to say, I did not want to leave this gorgeous part of England. I’m definitely coming back to explore further south next time, Cornwall and beyond right down to Penzance. It’s so scenic, with a mindblowing history.
Change of scene: Tapas, beaches and sangria
After England, it was time for Mallorca to stay with Kiwi friends now living in Santa Catalina, which is located in the heart of Palma. One of them used to sail for NZ. He still works as a professional sailor, and is a part of The America’s Cup Hall of Fame.
Mallorca is beautiful with lots of culture, art, sophisticated beach clubs, sunshine and tapas. How can one ever get enough of tapas? The variety that exists in Spain can’t be compared with restaurants abroad. All of it is delicious, especially when enjoyed with a few glasses of sangria or the local Spanish Vermouth.
I also visited Malaga and got spoiled with more sun, history, amazing food, culture and beautiful beaches.
One night in Tarifa before taking the ferry to my bucket list destination
Tangier Port.
The stunning Tarifa was one of my last stops, where I spent a night to catch the ferry across to Tangiers. Tarifa is one of the world’s kitesurfing capitals. Would have loved to stay longer.
My next, and last destination had been on my bucket list for so long. I’ve always wanted to visit and even if my expectations were high, it exceeded anything I could have imagined.
Morocco, the most amazing destination of them all
Morocco
From Tangier I continued to Chefchaouen. The blue city is surreal, so beautiful, as is the drive to get there. I got so many unforgettable memories from this fascinating country, much thanks to our amazing guide who went out of his way to give us an authentic and incredible experience. I fell in love with the streets in this city, noted for its buildings in shades of blue.
Another definite highlight in Marrakech, and almost a spiritual experience for me, was visiting Yves St Laurent’s gorgeous home with the magnificent Jardin Majorelle. The Berber Museum on the property and the piece de resistance the YSL museum opened in Oct 2017. It’s such an incredible showcase of his lifetime of fashion designs. No photos were allowed to be taken. Talented is an understatement of his genius and creative vision.
A magical stay in the Sahara desert
Me in my djellaba. The word literally means attractive, from jalaba, to bring, fetch.
The Sahara desert. Words can’t give it justice. We started with a 1-hour camel trek into the camp. On the way we got to enjoy the most beautiful sunset over golden sand dunes for as far as the eye could see. The following day we headed out by 4WD from our camp for a day of adventure/exploration befitting of wearing my traditional newly purchased handcrafted djellaba, an outer robe with full sleeves worn throughout the country.
We spent a mind-blowing night camping right in the Sahara Desert. Magical is the most appropriate word I can come up with.
Full moon, mesmerizing music and those drums to Berber beats.
I could just go on and on…. Morocco blew my mind and must be experienced.
Insights from my Black Label Workcation Europe – New packages to be announced across our channels soon
Travel always presents so many opportunities and leaves you with so much inspiration. Expect to hear more about our partnerships and new packages across our channels soon.
A special thanks to our partners across Europe for taking the time out of your busy schedules. I look forward to driving our projects forward together.
We’re always interested in getting in touch with organizations with similar values – providing clients with nothing but the best. If you run an organization with an interest in luxury experiences in NZ, get in touch with me and let’s find out whether we could be a fit.