Stories

Announcing our partnership with Atout France, République Française and Palaces de France to showcase 31 Palace Hotels across a print, digital and video series.

Everything to know about tipping on safari, including how much, when, and whether you need cash.

Indagare founder Melissa Biggs Bradley reports on her recent visit to Egypt while hosting an Insider Journey.

When he was just 26, Pico Iyer, the prolific British-born travel writer, essayist, and novelist decided to move to Japan after a fortuitous layover changed the trajectory of his life. He has written 15 books that have been translated into 23 languages, and his Ted talk on The Art of Stillness has received more than three and half million views. On this week’s episode, he sits down with Melissa to discuss everything from globalization and his time traveling to Iran, Myanmar and other countries undergoing change or else plagued by political unrest as well as his time with the Dalai Lama, his recent book The Half Known Life: Finding Paradise in a Divided World and of course, everybody’s favorite destination these days, Japan. And on this week’s Indagare Insight, Melissa provides tips for planning your own trip to Japan.

Indagare founder Melissa Biggs Bradley shares favorite books, shows, podcasts and products to bring on the road, from her recent adventures in Egypt and beyond.

Discover the differences between African safari tented camps with Indagare's resident Safari expert Rose Taylor.

Indagare's Annie Fitzsimmons shares highlights from her transformative trip to Tanzania—including the cuisine, lodges and why returning home from a safari can be difficult.

Artist Natasha Zupan—who first came to the island as a toddler in 1967— shares the best spots to shop, where to get in touch with nature and more.

Garrett and Jessica Gee of The Bucket List Family have traveled to over 90 countries with their kids, all three of whom are under 10 years old. Through exciting video storytelling, they’ve amassed quite a following and even have their own production company, The Bucket List Studios. But before their family of travel journalists became such a hit, Garrett and Jessica were just two young parents exploring the world on a budget with their easy-going children in tow. Tune in to learn about how what they originally intended as a family video-log transformed into The Bucket List brand, get details on Jessica’s newly-released book, National Geographic Bucket List Family Travel: Share the World With Your Kids on 50 Adventures of a Lifetime, and hear what’s next for The Bucket List Studios. Plus, the Gees and Melissa discuss some of their favorite destinations and tips for traveling with children.

Lightning Round with Garrett and Jessica Gee:

• 3 things you can’t travel without (for family travel)? Healthy snacks, a camera and a positive attitude - sounds cheesy, but it's TRUE!
• Favorite place for adventure travel with your children? So many to choose from! One of our favorites is Costa Rica. Lots of good food, kind people, the jungle, the beach and surf!
• Family motto when travel doesn’t go as planned? "YOU CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE."
• A destination that surprised you most? Rwanda. It's in my top 3 countries and the experience changed my life.
• What's one thing you learned from traveling with kids that you wish you knew before? That you don't need to pack your whole household. Families, children and babies are all over the world and you can get things on the road.
• 3 of your favorite family friendly hotels? Soneva Fushi, Maldives. Gleneagles, Scotland. And Disney's Beach Club at WDW.

Oro del Negro, a founding partner and the design director at Moredesign, shares his Mallorca favorites.

Hotelier, restaurateur and former fashion executive Aby Saltiel is the co-owner and visionary behind Kalesma, a design-focused, soulful sanctuary set atop a hill overlooking Ornos Bay in Mykonos. Here, he shares his guide to the “real” side of the island, including the places to eat and explore off the beaten path.

The Empire City is looking forward to a season filled with exciting new hotel and restaurant openings and thrilling exhibitions and cultural events—proof that New York never stops. Elizabeth Harvey reports.

Designer, bestselling author and Roger Vivier Ambassador Inès de la Fressange is one of the most famous French supermodels of all time. She’s worked with Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent and even signed an exclusive contract with Chanel in the 1980s. She’s co-authored multiple books on French home design, the art of happiness and Parisian style (including the New York Times Bestseller Parisian Chic). She’s also created her own fashion brand, and her final collection with UNIQLO celebrating effortless Parisian style was just released. In this episode, Inès sits down with Melissa to share stories from the runway, what she learned from Karl Lagerfield, her thoughts on aging gracefully, her Paris recommendations and the essentials of French style. And on this week’s Indagare Insight, Melissa reveals her latest restaurant discoveries from her recent scouting trip to Paris.

Lightning Round with Inès de la Fressange

• One thing in your closet you can’t live without? I would say a navy blue sweater; if I don’t really know how to dress, if I have different types of appointments in the day or if I look tired, the navy blue sweater is always a good solution and gives a neat look. It also goes with many other clothes like white jeans or flannel trousers.
• Favorite beauty product from a French pharmacy? “Créaline H2°” from Bioderma is an excellent makeup remover for eyes and skin but I also like all the Avène products.
• Favorite small museum in Paris? Musée Eugène Delacroix is absolutely charming in this beautiful place, Furstenberg. It has a garden and a very authentic feeling. Some Parisians don’t even know it!
• A favorite boutique in Paris? Of course that would be mine! (laughs) It’s on the left wing (24 Rue de Grenelle) and it’s more than 100 years old that has barely changed. There were a few generations of Ironworkers there before, and I loved it at first sight. I sell clothes, accessories, decorations, small presents… It's a kind of bazaar. But I also like“Soeurs” (88 Rue Bonaparte or 61 Rue des Saint-Pères). The items are chic, wearable, quite casual and not expensive- very Parisian!
• A favorite cafe in Paris? I love “Le Select” Boulevard du Montparnasse because one has the feeling nothing has changed since Man Ray, Fitzgerald, Hemingway or Ezra Pound used to go there.
• 3 words to describe your personal style? Casual, boyish, effortless-French (laughs)

Indagare Ambassador Jolie Goodson shares her Palm Springs discoveries—including where to dine, shop and the best neighborhoods for biking.

For your next spring soirée, get The Parker Palm Springs hotel’s secret lemonade recipe here.

Located in the heart of Vienna steps away from the State Opera House and the Albertina, Hotel Sacher is one of the most legendary hotels in all of Europe. Melissa is joined by Hotel Sacher’s co-owner Alexandra Winkler and her husband and business partner Matthias to explore not only the history of this elegant hotel, but also the captivating charm of Vienna. The two share their take on the enchanting cultural capital and how it continues to meld history, art and architecture. Plus- Melissa shares her personal recommendations for Vienna from her top museums and favorite exhibits to the famous sites not to miss. If this episode leaves you wanting more, be sure to check out the Vienna Palaces & Art Insider Journey happening this fall.

Lightning Round with Alexandra and Matthias

• Favorite spot in Hotel Sacher? A truly special place is the Wiener Philharmoniker Suite. This expansive suite showcases not only modern luxury but also historical charm. Restored parquet flooring from the building's 1874 construction and a stunning, hand-crafted tiled stove add another touch of Viennese heritage.
• Favorite cafe for breakfast in Vienna? For a truly charming breakfast experience, I recommend the Meierei im Stadtpark. Nestled amidst the greenery of the Stadtpark, it's a tranquil escape from the city buzz. Their Meierei breakfast with blueberry granola is a delightful way to start the day.
• A family-owned boutique you recommend? Vienna has many wonderful family-run businesses, but a personal favorite is Lobmeyr. Just like the Hotel Sacher, they hold a prestigious title of Purveyor to the Imperial Court. Their handcrafted glassware is exquisite, and each piece is a testament to their generations-old tradition.
• Favorite historical site in Vienna? Vienna boasts countless historical sites, but a place that resonates deeply is St. Stephen's Cathedral.  Its grandeur and architectural significance are awe-inspiring.  This "Stephansdom," as it's called in Austria, has stood as a national landmark for centuries.
• 3 words to describe Vienna: Elegant, Cultural, Enchanting

Indagare’s editorial director Annie Fitzsimmons shares a first look at the new Singita Milele in the Grumeti Reserve.

New York Times Bestselling Author Anna Kloots joins Melissa to talk about her memoir, My Own Magic: A Reappearing Act, which details her travels around the world entwined in a coming of age story. After her marriage ended at the age of 30, Anna decided to fulfill her lifelong dream and move to Paris.  In this heartfelt episode, she shares her journey with Melissa and explores why travel serves as a vehicle for finding confidence and rediscovering the magic within. Anna has traveled to over 83 countries across six continents and has been featured in Travel & Leisure, The Los Angeles Times, Coastal Living and more. From Joshua Tree, Bali and, of course, Paris - in this episode, Anna also gives a glimpse at what makes these places so transformative and special. Anna also shares what living in the “real Paris” is like, including a very romantic love story with her neighbor, as well as the challenges she faced moving during the height of the pandemic while losing her brother-in-law to Covid-19. She reminds us all through her daring, adventurous story that failure creates growth and that our dreams are always within reach. Plus- don’t miss Anna’s personal, insider recommendations for some of her favorite restaurants, small museums, bakeries and shops in Paris on this week’s Indagare Insight.

Lightning Round with Anna

• Favorite French saying? Flâner, which means to wander with no direction in mind 
• Best date night spot in Paris? L'epi d'or 
• Favorite neighborhood in Paris? The Marais 
• What do you love most about Parisian culture? The way they value quality in all aspects of life
• Lesser known destination people should travel to in France? Île de porquerolles is top of my own discovery list

On this episode of Passport to Everywhere, Melissa sits down with renowned shoe designer Christian Louboutin to discuss his latest venture: a boutique hotel in the scenic hills of Portugal. Christian is widely recognized in the fashion industry for his glamorous footwear line featuring coveted red-bottom shoes. He has now, however, ventured into the world of hospitality with his latest project, the Vermelho Hotel. Vermelho is located in Melides, a quaint fishing village in Portugal, and opened in April 2023. In this episode, Christian shares his journey of opening Vermelho (it was originally going to be only a restaurant) and why he fashioned the property to feel more like a home than a hotel. He also dives into the beauty of Portugal and what motivates his nomadic lifestyle creating homes in different parts of the world.  Melissa also reveals her favorite ways for mastering jet lag while traveling.

Lighting Round with Christian

• What is your favorite travel sneaker or shoe? Slip-in shoes, no shoelace, way easier for airport checks and the plane
• Three other favorite hotels that inspired you as you were creating your own? Al Moudira in Luxor, Hotel Nacional in Havana & Villa Palladio in Jaipur
• Favorite hotel in a city? The one where you feel at home, so not really any international place
• Something you always travel with that isn’t your phone or iPad? My agenda
• What is another place in Portugal that you think is a must-visit? Evora is an underrated city. And Villa Viçosa
• What are you reading now? Nos Frères Inattendus by Amin Maalouf
• What summer trip are you planning now? Melides as every year, I invite friends and family, it’s like in the French comics Asterix & Obleix, during the day you do whatever you want, but we all meet for lunches and dinners.

Frances Mayes is the New York Times Bestselling Author of Under the Tuscan Sun, which was turned into the beloved romantic movie starring Diane Lane in 2003. Frances joins Melissa to talk about how her love for Italy transformed her own life while simultaneously encouraging women to take risks and make changes in their lives. Plus, with her newly released book, A Place in the World: Finding the Meaning of Home, she explores the mysterious concept of home and what it encompasses, from the homes we build to the countries we visit. She explains how “the house protects the dreamer” and the value of a home in magnifying creativity. She discloses some of her favorite destinations and regions (including where to eat bread comparable to cake), and details how Italy differs from anywhere else in the world. They talk about the art of travel, beauty, the unexpected gifts of writing, and how to get under the skin of a place to really experience it. Plus- don’t miss Frances’ favorite secret spots and cities to add to your travel list.

Lightning Round with Frances

Favorite hotel? My all-time favorite hotel is in Cortona—Il Falconiere (The Falconry), a sybaritic, comfortably elegant inn amid vineyards and olive groves, with a super restaurant, cooking school, and spa.

Indagare’s favorite hot spot restaurants change all the time, but there are also some staples in Bangkok that never go out of style.

Paris native Philipe Perrin shares his “top-of-mind” picks for a visit to Paris, including where to eat, shop and which museums to wander.

In this episode, Melissa Biggs Bradley transports you to the world-renowned Ritz Paris, overlooking the Palace Vendôme. Founded in 1898 by Cesar Ritz, famous guests of the hotel include Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway, Princess Diana and French novelist Marcel Proust. Melissa sits down with former acclaimed bartender at the legendary Bar Hemingway Colin Field and Marc Raffray, former General Manager of the Ritz, to talk about the hotel’s storied history, how it has evolved over the years, what makes it so iconic and, of course, the best way to secure a spot at Bar Hemingway. She’ll also tell you all the ways you can enjoy the property, even if you aren’t staying there.

Indagare’s Ali Malecka is just back from spending two months living and working remotely in Paris. Here she shares favorite places and finds from her springtime adventures.

This month, I’m excited to announce that Passport to Everywhere is returning! After a brief pause, we’re bringing back our podcast with a new look and we’ll introduce you to some of the most exciting, inspiring guests in the world of travel.

On this archival episode of Passport to Everywhere, Melissa is joined by her friend Aerin Lauder, who is also the granddaughter of Esteè Lauder and the founder and Creative Director of AERIN, a global luxury lifestyle brand. In the episode, Melissa and Aerin discuss how Aerin’s travels have inspired her brand, including special childhood trips with her grandmother. Aerin also shares stories and travel recommendations for destinations that have a special place in her heart – from London to Paris, Palm Beach and the Hamptons. Aerin’s passion for travel has taken her all over the world, and those journeys have allowed her to incorporate the sights, sounds, and scents of the various destinations she has visited into the fashion, beauty, and home décor lines of AERIN. She also discusses how her grandmother’s legacy has influenced her own approach to beauty, and some of her favorite travel beauty and style tips. And on this week’s Indagare Insights, Melissa shares her own packing tips and how her travels have inspired and influenced her method.

Writer Mario Mercado shares the top exhibitions and performances to catch this season in Paris.