The smart summer travel guide

Independent

27-05-2025

Are you craving barefoot luxury in the Caribbean, culture-soaked city breaks, or just some smart ways to make life easier when travelling?
From eco-villas in Bali to a next-gen non-alcoholic drinks and even a high-tech chauffeur solution, these standout travel ideas are tailor-made for curious, conscious travellers looking to soak up the summer season in style.
Encounter laid-back luxury with local soul on a Balinese beach
Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach is so much more than just a beachfront beauty. As the beloved hospitality brand's first resort, it's a vivid celebration of Balinese culture and community. With 289 rooms, suites and villas, eight dining venues and a sublime spa, it's a dreamy place to unwind.
But what truly sets it apart is its neighbourhood-rooted ethos.
Guests can try Endek painting – a traditional textile art – or don ceremonial dress for a joyful immersion into local life. The hotel's sustainability efforts are equally hands-on, from transforming used chopsticks into furniture, to donating surplus food, and repurposing cooking oil into biodiesel.
It's a stay that feels good – and does good, too.
Discover a sun-kissed paradise in the British Virgin Islands
Summer is so much more than a season — it's a state of mind.
And at Long Bay Beach Resort that feeling comes vividly to life on one of the Caribbean's most postcard-perfect coastlines.
Set on the shores of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, this boutique resort hideaway offers modern beachfront villas and suites with knockout ocean views of the surrounding Caribbean islands, swaying palm trees and soft white sand just steps away from your door.
Whether you're into paddleboarding at sunrise, sailing to secret coves, or just napping on a day bed on the beachfront to the gentle lapping sounds of the sea, Long Bay Beach Resort moves to your rhythm. Here, time slows down, the stress melts away and every moment feels like the golden hour.
Book a five night stay 182 days in advance and get 30% off at longbay.com
Book now
Possessing both magnificent nature and unparalleled urban style, Norway is a must for any discerning traveller's bucket list.
And Thon Hotels makes it easy. With over 80 stylish locations across the country, this colourful hotel group pairs Scandinavian design with a warm welcome and a reassuring focus on sustainability.
Whether you're soaking up Oslo's vibrant arts scene, kayaking through crystal-clear fjords, or chasing the midnight sun in the Arctic north, you'll find a cozy place to land at the end of every day.
Expect smart, modern rooms, a standout Norwegian breakfast buffet and easy access to both wild nature and walkable cities. This is summer travel somewhere cool, calm and thoroughly refreshing.
Save up to 20% on your stay at thonhotels.com. Offer ends August 2025.
Located near Canggu, Desa Hay Bali is where eco-luxury meets soulful serenity.
Each standalone villa comes with a private pool, lush garden, and is tailor-made for travellers who crave connection as much as comfort. At Ijo — the resort's restaurant — globally inspired tapas is crafted daily from fresh, local ingredients.
Morning yoga, in-villa massages and traditional Melukat rituals offer deeper immersion, while nearby adventures range from the cliffside majesty of Tanah Lot to sunrise hikes up Mount Batur.
With solar energy, water conservation and gentle luxury at its core, Desa Hay is so much more than a place to stay.
It represents a slower, more meaningful way to experience Bali.
Sip smarter on your next summer escape
Whether it's beachfront barbecues or golden-hour gatherings, it's increasingly clear creating great travel memories needn't involve alcohol.
That's where a new kind of drink comes in. Enter SENTIA Spirits — a pioneering functional drinks company whose products are designed to enhance mood, boost sociability and help you stay fully present.
Developed by leading neuroscientist Professor David Nutt, these award-winning blends use cutting-edge science and botanical ingredients to support your brain's natural GABA system, bringing calm, clarity and connection wherever you roam.
Start your day with an energising pre-surf GABA Black pour, savour vibrant GABA Gold at a long picnic lunch or wind down with a mellow GABA Red after dark. Whether paired with tonic, kombucha or your favourite fizzy drink, each sip helps support your wellbeing — without compromising on flavour. Or vibes.
Flight delayed? Schedule changed?
When travel plans shift on a dime, drvn exists to ensure your ground game stays sharp.
Designed for travel managers, event planners and executive teams who demand flawless execution every time, this global platform coordinates private transportation at scale, with real-time ride tracking, custom integrations and white-label booking tools tailored to your exact needs.
Whether it's black car pickups for an international conference or discreet SUV arrivals for top-tier clients, drvn connects you to a vetted network of commercial chauffeurs worldwide. Every detail is managed, and every mile carefully accounted for.
This isn't just black car service, it's large-scale ground transportation management.
Unwind at a Tuscan wellness retreat
Castel Monastero is located in a beautifully restored 11th-centruty monastery in the heart of Chianti, surrounded by rolling vineyards and cypress trees.
With just 70 rooms and suites, the hotel's atmosphere is one of calm refinement — perfect for couples or solo travellers seeking space, silence and soul. Guests can unwind at the award-winning wellness retreat with water circuits, detox therapies and customised spa rituals.
Gastronomy is a highlight, from informal dining in the medieval cellar to a Michelin-starred experience in the historical square.
Whether you're exploring Siena and Florence nearby, sipping Brunello under the stars or simply recharging in the gardens, this romantic corner is the perfect place to rediscover balance.
If your soul is seeking a little snow-dusted silence and starlit solitude, Isbreen The Glacier is where it's at.
This off-grid Arctic hideaway sits deep within Northern Norway's Jøkelfjord, where five geodesic-domed igloos overlook the Øksfjordjøkelen glacier and fjord below. From wood-burning stoves and private whirlpool baths to chef-prepared meals featuring reindeer and cloudberries, every detail exudes authentic local luxury.
Fill your days with dog sledding, kayaking or whale swims. Or simply gaze at the Northern Lights, when conditions are right, from the comfort of your bed. The largest suite, a 1,500-sq-ft double dome, redefines remoteness with style.
Book now and get your fourth night free, a complimentary forest sauna experience and potential igloo upgrade (subject to availability). Offer valid with code OFFER2025 for travel in 2025 and 2026.
Stay stylishly stress-free in the Swiss Alps
If your family vacation vision is all about clean lines, crisp air and zero hassle, rocksresort in LAAX totally hits the mark.
Set in a modern Alpine village at 3,600ft, this design-forward escape swaps cookie-cutter chalets for sleek, stylish and modern stone-clad apartments, with cafes, restaurants, concept stores and a freestyle park that let kids roam and grown-ups breathe.
The Family Deal of rocksresort wraps up the best of the region: lift passes for hiking and biking, entrance to turquoise Lake Cauma, the world's longest treetop walk (complete with gnarly spiral slide) and even childcare when you need a little adult escapism.
LAAX brings laid-back energy with sustainability baked in—it's cool, conscious and quietly luxurious.
Book now
Learn a language through full cultural immersion
If you're hoping for a life-altering summer, why not take the plunge and learn a language where it's spoken?
EF's immersive Language Abroad programmes let you swap surface-level sightseeing for deep connection, meaning you'll bring home skills that last a lifetime.
Offering flexible Monday start dates, EF has courses in 17 countries, including Spain, France, Japan and Costa Rica. You'll learn at modern campuses alongside students from over 100 countries and get to benefit from a full calendar of cultural events, weekend excursions and cool summer-only perks like beach barbecues and music festivals.
Each programme includes accommodation, expert support and guaranteed progress in as little as six weeks. You'll return more confident, more connected and well on the way to fluency.
Book before 12 June 2025 to get 15% off courses of three weeks or more departing by 25 September 2025.