Raise A Glass To Slow Travel: 4 Destinations To Savor Local Culture One Drink At A Time
Woman pouring red wine from a bottle into a drinking glass at vineyard.
The Napa Valley Railroad dates back over 160 years. However, Napa Valley Wine Train is also celebrating its 36th anniversary, debuting a new clean-energy locomotive, designed to cut emissions by 95% without sacrificing its vintage charm.
Guests can choose from curated experiences, lasting between 2.5 to 6 hours and ranging from gourmet meals and afternoon tea to grape stomping. But to mark this anniversary, it also hosted a special 'Earth Day' tasting event on April 22 in partnership with Grgich Hills Estate, a winery focusing on organic and regenerative winemaking.
This milestone offers more than just a toast to history, it is a reminder that slow travel has been and will be compelling. For those who enjoy sipping their way through a destination at a relaxed pace, here are four additional slow travel experiences where the journey is just as flavorful as the destination.
Cape Winelands District Municipality is one of South Africa's most celebrated wine regions, known for its world-class vineyards, fine dining and French Huguenot heritage. It is over 3,167 square miles, stretching from the outskirts of Cape Town all the way to Tankwa Karoo National Park.
Franschhoek lies within the Cape Winelands region, calling itself the 'Valley of Dreams.' It is home to over 40 wineries and vineyards, as well as several immersive experiences to discover fine dining, award-winning wines, art galleries andsculpture gardens.
Aerial view of Babylonstoren in Franschhoek.
If you do not want to drive around, hop on the Franschhoek wine tram that takes you through scenic vineyards with stops at world-class wineries. But choose your line carefully. There are five color-coded routes, each offering a unique mix of wine estates and tasting experiences.
If you want to stay in one place to experience award-winning wines, South Africa's rich history and slow travel, head to Babylonstoren.
Wine here is only the beginning. It is a modern working farm, luxury hotel, spa, farm-to-fork restaurants and state-of-the-art winery. Whether for a day visit or an overnight stay, Babylonstoren makes slow travel luxurious while connecting you with South African traditions in a meaningful, immersive way.
The garden of Babylonstoren from above.
It has over 230 acres of vineyard to grow 13 different grape varieties and over 12 acres of garden filled with seasonal vegetables, edible flowers, fruit trees, beehives, climbing roses, a prickly pear maze and rare indigenous plants of botanical importance.
In its Story of Wine Museum, visitors can try hands-on wine blending and taste the full range of its award-winning wines: four whites, a rosé, four elegant reds and the beloved Sprankel Cap Classique.
A meal with a display of Babylonstoren wines.
Visitors can cycle through the vineyards, enjoy bass fishing or canoeing, learn to bake mosbolletjie, a South African sweet bread, unwind with stretching classes, visit the herd of water buffalo, or join a guided drive up the slopes of Simonsberg to In the Clouds.
Soetmelksvlei is Bablyonstoren's unique art and living history project to bring 19th-century farm life to life. Bablyonstoren restored and immaculately recreated the interiors of a farmhouse, a cottage, a cellar, a distillery, a mill and a workshop, where visitors can also try traditional craftsmanship.
Fowl House at Soetmelksvlei
Northumberland is the northernmost county of England, spreading from Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all the way to the Scottish border. The region has a distinct identity shaped by centuries of history, from the Iron Age and Roman rule to Anglo-Saxon and Viking influences.
Thanks to its strategic location, Northumberland has over 70 ruined or inhabited castles, the most compared to any other county in England. It offers endless opportunities for slow travel from England's largest dark sky park, Northumberland National Park, to walking on trails, passing Roman forts, rolling hills and remote moorlands.
Sunset at Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, England
Active England Tours, a British adventure and luxury tour operator, launched a new tour for 2025 to explore Northumberland at a leisurely pace. Its 'Bike Hadrian's Wall & Northumberland' tour is a 4-day coast-to-coast cycling adventure through Northern England's rugged landscapes, including the famous Hadrian's Wall, local pubs and historic ruins.
Stop at Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum and Whisky Distillery if you love a good whisky. In the distillery, the first (legal) Northumbrian English Single Malt Whisky in over 200 years is currently maturing, with the first limited release set to be available in 2026.
Ad Gefrin visitors centre and whisky distillery
Until then, try Ad Gefrin's signature spirits: Tácnbora Whisky Blend, a blend of grain and malt whiskies from Ireland and Scotland, Flyté, a whisky cream liqueur and Thirlings Dry Gin, flavored with Sea Buckthorn and Irish moss from the coast, dill and elderberry from the hedgerow, and heather and pine from the hills.
One of Ad Gefrin's signature spirit the Tácnbora Whisky Blend.
Visitors can take a 90-minute guided distillery tour, explore The Great Hall and Museum—including artifacts on loan from the British Museum—and sample spirits in a multi-sensory tasting room set to Northumbrian pipe music. It is at least a half-day experience, blending storytelling, craftsmanship and regional pride.
Skip Paris and slow down in France's Champagne region. It is in northeastern France, bordering Belgium. The region is the birthplace of 'champagne,' the only sparkling wine legally allowed to bear the name.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of The Champagne Hillsides, Houses, and Cellars becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site. The region spans 320 villages and includes nearly 280,000 vineyard plots cultivated by over 16,000 growers, upholding a winemaking tradition that dates back centuries.
Wineyards in Marne, Champagne-Ardennes, France.
Visitors can leisurely explore wine trails around Reims or Épernay, drive through vineyard-draped hills, stop in villages to visit cellars, explore open-air vine museums or picnic with scenic views.
For travelers who prefer slow travel over road-tripping, Belmond's Conquelicot offers an elegant alternative, a floating celebration of France's art de vivre.
Conquelicot is a luxury canal barge navigating Canal de la Marne au Rhin, an almost 200-mile-long canal connecting the Marne River at Vitry-le-François to the Rhine River at Strasbourg.
Deck of Coquelicot luxury barge of Belmond Bateaux.
Six guests in three en-suite cabins can enjoy all the luxurious facilities: elegant lounge, expansive outdoor deck and scenic view of the Marne Valley.
From fresh French breakfast pastries to alfresco dining, curated by three-Michelin-star Chef Dominique Crenn, all meals will be prepared using seasonal and local ingredients.
Private tastings and vineyard tours at esteemed champagne houses, including Ruinart, the world's oldest champagne house, Leclerc Briant, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Pérignon await its guests.
Wine tasting at Coquelicot luxury barge of Belmond Bateaux.
While it may not be on most tourist's radar, Gifu quietly champions the values of authenticity, heritage and slow travel. It is where centuries-old craftsmanship meets striking natural beauty and well-preserved historical towns.
The region is mostly renowned for the UNESCO-listed thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go. However, the meticulous art of Washi paper-making, the time-honored production of Gifu lanterns and umbrellas and the 1,300-year-old traditional cormorant fishing on the Nagara River are all part of this region's living history.
Shirakawa is a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Watanabe Sake Brewery is a family-owned business in operation for 150 years in Hida Furukawa, Gifu Prefecture. Their brewers use traditional sake-making techniques that were added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.
Wabunka, a Japanese travel company specializing in exclusive experiences that showcase traditional craft and art industries, offers private sake tastings and guided tours at the historic Watanabe Sake Brewery.
The tour begins with an introduction to the traditional sake-brewing process and concludes with a tasting in a beautifully renovated, 100-year-old building that's typically closed to the public. If you time your visit between September and June, you will be able to see the brewing happening live.
Cold sake with rice and ear of rice on the table
What else to do in Gifu Prefecture? A representative of Wabunka recommended in an email interview to visit and unwind in the waters of Gero Onsen or Yunoshimakan, stroll through Takayama's Edo-era Old Town, try kaiseki cuisine rooted in regional tradition and walk through Hida no Sato, an open-air museum preserving Japan's rural heritage.
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The risk of death is greater than safari goers would like to believe
There's a mistaken assumption that heavy rains halt play for most wildlife. But one thing I've learnt from my 50-plus safaris is that animals – particularly predators – are reliably unpredictable. My most recent uncomfortably close encounter occurred earlier this year during the height of Kenya's rainy season. Thick grey clouds had gathered over the luxury lodge where I was staying on the edge of the Maasai Mara, accelerating the onset of dusk. During daylight hours, it's generally considered safe to walk freely between rooms – even in unfenced areas – so with the sun still hovering above the horizon, I assumed a short dash to the communal dining area would be fine. As I left my fancy villa, furiously scrolling through emails on my phone, I heard a growl far louder than peals of thunder tearing across the plains. Looking up, I saw the back end of a lioness prowling through the undergrowth and I did exactly what I've always been told not to do – I turned around and ran. In reality, she was probably more terrified of the giant two-legged creature encroaching on her territory – but bumping into a big cat in Africa doesn't always end so well. On May 30, businessman Bernd Kebbel was mauled to death by a lioness as he stepped out of his tent to use the toilet. He was camping in Namibia's Hoanib Valley, a remote area where desert-adapted lions roam along seasonal riverbeds. I'd visited the region only two weeks previously and had been thrilled to spot a lion in a region historically ravaged by drought. According to a survey carried out by Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) in 2022/2023, there are less than 100 desert-adapted lions in the country, with numbers fluctuating due to human/wildlife conflict. That population declined further when Charlie, the lioness responsible for the attack, was shot dead by authorities. What happened to Mr Kebbel was tragic, but it's not the first time that foreigners have had fatal run-ins with animals. Last year, an American tourist was killed when an elephant charged their vehicle in Zambia's Kafue National Park. A month earlier, a Spanish traveller was trampled to death by a breeding herd when he stepped out of his car to take a photograph in a South African game reserve. As the safari industry continues to thrive and our appetite for wild encounters grows, our guards have dropped faster than the fences which once enclosed many camps. I've always been an advocate for opening up corridors, allowing elephant herds to follow traditional migratory routes and predator-prey dynamics to naturally evolve. But living alongside wildlife requires careful and cautious planning and as human populations continue to grow, that relationship hangs in a delicate balance. The real problem is not 'them' but 'us' and the safari industry is partly to blame. Cultivated by marketers eager to sell holidays, the romantic, Disneyfied notion of an idyllic wilderness is misguided. On countless game drives, I've watched vehicles edge uncomfortably close to potentially dangerous animals in the hope of getting a better iPhone photograph. There's also an assumption that booking a room in a five-star lodge gives us carte blanche to wander around freely as we would at home. Despite repeated warnings from staff, it's all too easy to switch off our senses – ironically detaching ourselves from an environment where we're encouraged to feel immersed. To their credit, many camps – like Angama Amboseli in Kenya and Dukes in Botswana – are attempting to educate travellers about the true struggles of human and wildlife co-existence. But due to a combination of complacency and over-confidence, too many have lost a healthy, respectful fear for the wild. Of course, not every creature in Africa's forests, plains and oceans is actively set on killing humans. Far from it. Most would prefer to be left to continue their lives undisturbed. But blurring the invisible boundaries which should exist between humans and wild animals can lead to fatal accidents. Every time I look into a lion's eyes, I shudder. Hearing their guttural roars outside my tent still sends me into shivers. That tingling fear is humbling – a reminder of the awesome wonders existing within our natural world. Several years ago, I joined a mobile safari through northern Namibia with the late conservationist Garth Owen Smith. One night, we camped on a dry riverbed, close to the Hoanib Valley. As we fell asleep, listening to lions roar, I asked Owen Smith why nobody had thought to pack a rifle for protection. 'Because we might be tempted to use it,' he replied matter-of-factly. Years later, his response makes total sense. Far more effective than bullets, fear, respect and caution are the greatest weapons we have to protect ourselves in a world which should always be alluringly but dangerously wild. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
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The Bahamas' Most Beautiful, Underrated Island Has a New Hotel on a Working Farm—and It's Already a Favorite Among Celebrities
This brand-new Bahamas hotel is on a fully operational Eleuthera Island farm. The hotel runs completely on solar power and nearly everything you eat on The Farm comes from the land you're staying on. The property is a 10-minute shuttle to the airport, a five-minute walk to the beach, and a quick ferry ride to shops and restaurants on nearby Harbour Island. The design is inspired by a famous South African winery, and its rustic, tropical elegance is something you'll find nowhere else in the Bahamas.'It's down the road just five minutes,' she said. 'No turns. You can't miss it.' My girlfriend and I thanked our concierge at the front desk of The Other Side Hotel on the Bahamas' Eleuthera island—the beachside boutique our ferry dropped us off at—and headed inland. The dirt path went up and down again with no sign of the accommodations we had booked for the next few days. Was it even real? The photos and videos we saw of The Farm, a new hotel on Eleuthera island, before the trip did make it seem too good to be true. And then, rising up another hill, we saw it, almost appearing out of nowhere: An expansive piece of property with swaying palm trees, 200 sweet-smelling garden beds, and thatched-roofed cottages scattered along the outer edges. 'It's a little oasis in the jungle,' said Ben Simmons, founder of The Farm. Simmons, who also runs Harbour Island's Ocean View and Eleuthera's The Other Side, actually built the farm part of The Farm back in 2018. It provided fruits and vegetables and eggs (there are about 70 clucking chickens on-site) to the kitchens of his two hotels and his wedding business. But Simmons—who acquired the land in a squabble that dates back to a dramatic 18th-century sea battle involving his Eleutheran ancestors defeating the much more powerful Spaniards—had bigger plans for his agricultural oasis. He wanted to grow his business, he wanted to increase the number of Bahamian-owned properties in the Caribbean, and, most importantly, he wanted to instill in travelers and locals the ideas of sustainability and living off the Caribbean's rich, fertile land. So, five years later, he thought, why not also build another hotel on the farm? The Farm opened in November 2024 as part of Simmons' Little Island Hotel chain. His team envisions it being a place for visitors to stay, but also to learn about gardening and growing. He hopes to arrange speakers and seminars during the low seasons. He also plans to expand the gardens, the diversity of crops, and the number of chickens. Celebrities like Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter have already found their way to The Farm's exceptional Sunday Brunch. Eli Manning's family stayed on property a few weeks ago. Even Kendall Jenner's assistant got married among the mangos and avocado trees this past winter. Still, even with all that fanfare, when you're here, it's like nobody else is around. All I heard were the bees humming inside the flowers, someone slipping quietly into the pool, and the whoosh of a welcome breeze finding its way from the nearby Atlantic. Here's all you need to know about The Farm on Eleuthera island. There are 12 cottages dotted around the lush vegetable and flower beds. The eight larger accommodations are 1,024 square feet ($550 to $600 per night)—with king-size beds, wide verandas, and an open-plan layout—while four are smaller at 540 square feet ($350 to $400 per night) and can have a king-size bed or two twins. Our larger cottage was located at the far end of the property along the inviting freshwater pool. As soon as we stepped in through the wooden dutch doors, we immediately felt at ease. Simmons says his inspiration came from South Africa's Babylonstoren winery, noting the gentle curves on the cottage roofs. A plush king-size bed, two couches, and an ever-so-tempting standalone bath made up the inside. Every accommodation also includes strong Wi-Fi, ample AC, a Nespresso machine, a waterfall shower, and a tea kettle. 'The subtle message is that the farming life can be hard, rugged, almost austere,' he said, when describing the construction. 'But it is luxurious in its provision of health, food, community, and connectivity to nature.' Much of the food, of course, comes from the grounds around you. The Farm has a main kitchen, where there are complimentary breakfasts of fruit, veggies, yogurt, and coffee. You can also order from a menu of mostly egg dishes. The eggs, of course, are plucked from the hen house each morning. I was partial to the egg sandwich with a side salad, because I watched the waiter go out to the garden and fill a bowl full of greens after I ordered the salad. The Farm is reservation-only for lunch and dinner—priority booking is given to guests staying at the resort. Those meals are comprised of vegetables from the garden and fish caught that day out at sea. No meat is on the menu. Guests can also dine by the beach at The Other Side, just a five-minute walk away; we did for a delicious mac-and-cheese and ribs combo one night. Or, the wonderful concierge Allie Saunders can arrange a ferry and golf cart for you to visit Harbour Island, just a 10-minute boat ride away. On Harbour Island, we ate at the Coral Sands' Pink (very ornately-pink) Mermaid for dinner one evening, an Italian seafood haven overlooking the ocean. And, of course, there is Sunday Brunch at The Farm: A communal, family-style soirée in the garden under the centrally located Yellow Elder trees. It's a must-do event with fresh food, expertly-mixed drinks, and laughter among new friends and old. The pool is the crown jewel of The Farm. The 576-square-foot gem is perfect for wading, doing morning laps, or just lazing alongside with a good book. And lazing around is, well, mostly what you do on The Farm. There are also outdoor ping-pong and billiard tables—plus a rustic-chic gym—for active guests. And, if you tire of lounging in the shade of one of The Farm's avocado trees, you can walk over to The Other Side's private beach. Here, you can go for a sunset paddleboard. The resort also offers free snorkeling along the nearby coral reef. You'll run into turtles, rainbow fish, and even octopuses in the shallow, crystal-clear waters. There is no spa at The Farm—yet. The team says they plan on adding one in 2026: A deluxe hut with a cold-plunge pool. For now, guests can book in-room or poolside massages. Although I can't personally vouch for the family-friendly offerings, Simmons and The Farm certainly encourage families to visit. The Sunday Brunch is a huge draw for large families and their children, with space to wander and swim and partake in an aforementioned billiard or ping-pong match. Cottages can obviously be booked for family vacations or reunions. And Simmons wants the younger generation to learn why it's important to grow your own food—both for your health and the environment. Kids can help feed the chickens or pick tomatoes with the help of the always-friendly head groundskeeper, Richard. Sustainability is the reason The Farm was created. The property is 100 percent powered by solar panels, which absorb energy from both the sun above and the ground below. The kitchen uses plastic sparingly, there are 10 compost stations—with 15 more on the way—and all vegetables are grown organically with no weed killers or toxins. 'We believe calling ourselves sustainable means we also must be efficient,' Simmons said. 'So while the panels power our facility, they also provide shade to our chickens who process our food scraps and feed our plant beds. The panels also protect our hydroponic and propagation stations.' The Farm team is all-in on the idea of living off the rich, fertile soil they've been blessed with in the Bahamas. And they plan on expanding their plot—adding citrus trees and maybe a farm stand next season. Sustainable tourism is as prevalent as it could be in the Caribbean, and The Farm hopes to encourage other hotels to follow its lead. The Farm is about a 13-minute car ride from tiny North Eleuthera Airport. It's also a short ferry ride from Harbour Island. The Farm's concierge can help arrange either of these transfers. They'll also assist you in renting your own car to explore the island—including nearby Gregory Town or local haunts like Daddy Joe's or Tippy's beach bar. Because of its small, boutique size, The Farm doesn't currently have relationships with any major credit cards or reward programs. Room pricing, especially in the low season, is a steal; the smallest cottages start at $350 a night. Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-header-aerial-the-farm-eleuthera-bahamas-THEFARMBAHAMAS0525-18e2b73db08448eb9f4b80968628e682.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
6 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
The Bahamas' Most Beautiful, Underrated Island Has a New Hotel on a Working Farm—and It's Already a Favorite Among Celebrities
This brand-new Bahamas hotel is on a fully operational Eleuthera Island farm. The hotel runs completely on solar power and nearly everything you eat on The Farm comes from the land you're staying on. The property is a 10-minute shuttle to the airport, a five-minute walk to the beach, and a quick ferry ride to shops and restaurants on nearby Harbour Island. The design is inspired by a famous South African winery, and its rustic, tropical elegance is something you'll find nowhere else in the Bahamas. 'It's down the road just five minutes,' she said. 'No turns. You can't miss it.' My girlfriend and I thanked our concierge at the front desk of The Other Side Hotel on the Bahamas' Eleuthera island—the beachside boutique our ferry dropped us off at—and headed inland. The dirt path went up and down again with no sign of the accommodations we had booked for the next few days. Was it even real? The photos and videos we saw of The Farm, a new hotel on Eleuthera island, before the trip did make it seem too good to be true. And then, rising up another hill, we saw it, almost appearing out of nowhere: An expansive piece of property with swaying palm trees, 200 sweet-smelling garden beds, and thatched-roofed cottages scattered along the outer edges. 'It's a little oasis in the jungle,' said Ben Simmons, founder of The Farm. Lounge furniture sits around a firepit at The Farm. Jody Zorn Photography/Little Island Hotels Simmons, who also runs Harbour Island's Ocean View and Eleuthera's The Other Side, actually built the farm part of The Farm back in 2018. It provided fruits and vegetables and eggs (there are about 70 clucking chickens on-site) to the kitchens of his two hotels and his wedding business. But Simmons—who acquired the land in a squabble that dates back to a dramatic 18th-century sea battle involving his Eleutheran ancestors defeating the much more powerful Spaniards—had bigger plans for his agricultural oasis. He wanted to grow his business, he wanted to increase the number of Bahamian-owned properties in the Caribbean, and, most importantly, he wanted to instill in travelers and locals the ideas of sustainability and living off the Caribbean's rich, fertile land. So, five years later, he thought, why not also build another hotel on the farm? The Farm opened in November 2024 as part of Simmons' Little Island Hotel chain. His team envisions it being a place for visitors to stay, but also to learn about gardening and growing. He hopes to arrange speakers and seminars during the low seasons. He also plans to expand the gardens, the diversity of crops, and the number of chickens. Celebrities like Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter have already found their way to The Farm's exceptional Sunday Brunch. Eli Manning's family stayed on property a few weeks ago. Even Kendall Jenner's assistant got married among the mangos and avocado trees this past winter. Still, even with all that fanfare, when you're here, it's like nobody else is around. All I heard were the bees humming inside the flowers, someone slipping quietly into the pool, and the whoosh of a welcome breeze finding its way from the nearby Atlantic. Here's all you need to know about The Farm on Eleuthera island. There are 12 cottages dotted around the lush vegetable and flower beds. The eight larger accommodations are 1,024 square feet ($550 to $600 per night)—with king-size beds, wide verandas, and an open-plan layout—while four are smaller at 540 square feet ($350 to $400 per night) and can have a king-size bed or two twins. Our larger cottage was located at the far end of the property along the inviting freshwater pool. As soon as we stepped in through the wooden dutch doors, we immediately felt at ease. Simmons says his inspiration came from South Africa's Babylonstoren winery, noting the gentle curves on the cottage roofs. A plush king-size bed, two couches, and an ever-so-tempting standalone bath made up the inside. Every accommodation also includes strong Wi-Fi, ample AC, a Nespresso machine, a waterfall shower, and a tea kettle. 'The subtle message is that the farming life can be hard, rugged, almost austere,' he said, when describing the construction. 'But it is luxurious in its provision of health, food, community, and connectivity to nature.' Much of the food, of course, comes from the grounds around you. The Farm has a main kitchen, where there are complimentary breakfasts of fruit, veggies, yogurt, and coffee. You can also order from a menu of mostly egg dishes. The eggs, of course, are plucked from the hen house each morning. I was partial to the egg sandwich with a side salad, because I watched the waiter go out to the garden and fill a bowl full of greens after I ordered the salad. The Farm is reservation-only for lunch and dinner—priority booking is given to guests staying at the resort. Those meals are comprised of vegetables from the garden and fish caught that day out at sea. No meat is on the menu. Guests can also dine by the beach at The Other Side, just a five-minute walk away; we did for a delicious mac-and-cheese and ribs combo one night. Or, the wonderful concierge Allie Saunders can arrange a ferry and golf cart for you to visit Harbour Island, just a 10-minute boat ride away. On Harbour Island, we ate at the Coral Sands' Pink (very ornately-pink) Mermaid for dinner one evening, an Italian seafood haven overlooking the ocean. And, of course, there is Sunday Brunch at The Farm: A communal, family-style soirée in the garden under the centrally located Yellow Elder trees. It's a must-do event with fresh food, expertly-mixed drinks, and laughter among new friends and old. Lounge chairs sit around the outdoor pool. Jody Zorn Photography/Little Island Hotels The pool is the crown jewel of The Farm. The 576-square-foot gem is perfect for wading, doing morning laps, or just lazing alongside with a good book. And lazing around is, well, mostly what you do on The Farm. There are also outdoor ping-pong and billiard tables—plus a rustic-chic gym—for active guests. And, if you tire of lounging in the shade of one of The Farm's avocado trees, you can walk over to The Other Side's private beach. Here, you can go for a sunset paddleboard. The resort also offers free snorkeling along the nearby coral reef. You'll run into turtles, rainbow fish, and even octopuses in the shallow, crystal-clear waters. There is no spa at The Farm—yet. The team says they plan on adding one in 2026: A deluxe hut with a cold-plunge pool. For now, guests can book in-room or poolside massages. Although I can't personally vouch for the family-friendly offerings, Simmons and The Farm certainly encourage families to visit. The Sunday Brunch is a huge draw for large families and their children, with space to wander and swim and partake in an aforementioned billiard or ping-pong match. Cottages can obviously be booked for family vacations or reunions. And Simmons wants the younger generation to learn why it's important to grow your own food—both for your health and the environment. Kids can help feed the chickens or pick tomatoes with the help of the always-friendly head groundskeeper, Richard. Sustainability is the reason The Farm was created. The property is 100 percent powered by solar panels, which absorb energy from both the sun above and the ground below. The kitchen uses plastic sparingly, there are 10 compost stations—with 15 more on the way—and all vegetables are grown organically with no weed killers or toxins. 'We believe calling ourselves sustainable means we also must be efficient,' Simmons said. 'So while the panels power our facility, they also provide shade to our chickens who process our food scraps and feed our plant beds. The panels also protect our hydroponic and propagation stations.' The Farm team is all-in on the idea of living off the rich, fertile soil they've been blessed with in the Bahamas. And they plan on expanding their plot—adding citrus trees and maybe a farm stand next season. Sustainable tourism is as prevalent as it could be in the Caribbean, and The Farm hopes to encourage other hotels to follow its lead. The Farm is about a 13-minute car ride from tiny North Eleuthera Airport. It's also a short ferry ride from Harbour Island. The Farm's concierge can help arrange either of these transfers. They'll also assist you in renting your own car to explore the island—including nearby Gregory Town or local haunts like Daddy Joe's or Tippy's beach bar. Because of its small, boutique size, The Farm doesn't currently have relationships with any major credit cards or reward programs. Room pricing, especially in the low season, is a steal; the smallest cottages start at $350 a night. Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values.
