What’s New In Travel This Season

Foodies, take note: Mediterranean Food Journeys has launched a series of new cookery retreats for 2025, hosted at the Torre Ronsat estate in Spain’s Costa Brava. Led by hospitality duo Suki and Steve (ex-El Celler de Can Roca and The Clove Club), the retreats span long weekends to full weeks, each packed with Mediterranean-inspired classes and experiences. Imagine sunset paella workshops, homemade tortellini sessions, hikes along the craggy coastline followed by beachside seafood feasts, and vintage sailboat adventures. Guests can also expect wine tastings, market trips, and time to relax under the olive trees by the pool. The estate itself has sprawling grounds and rustic-chic rooms, all within easy reach of Girona and Barcelona.

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There are few more glamorous ways to see Italy than aboard the new La Dolce Vita Orient Express. The country’s first luxury sleeper train takes slow travel to new heights, with eight curated itineraries covering everywhere from the vineyards of Montalcino to the beaches of Sicily. Guests can settle into retro-chic cabins designed by Milan’s Dimorestudio – all mid-century shapes and soft glamour – before enjoying Michelin-starred dishes by chef Heinz Beck. Think sunset aperitivos beneath lacquered ceilings, lazy journeys through olive groves and off-train adventures to tiny coastal towns. We like the sound of the three-day journey from Sicily to Rome, which passes some of the country’s most beautiful beaches.

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Belmond has one hell of a year ahead. First up, Caruso on the Amalfi Coast launches La Piscina – a new destination pool club perched high above Ravello, complete with private cabanas, poolside yoga, guided jogs along the cliffs and live cooking workshops inspired by the region’s rich culinary heritage. Over in Portofino, the legendary Splendido reopens this June after a major glow-up by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, featuring revamped interiors, a trio of new bars and Italy’s first Dior Spa – think rooftop treatments and Riviera views. Not to be outdone, back in the UK, the brand has launched the Britannic Explorer, the country’s first ultra-luxe sleeper train. With routes through Cornwall, the Lakes and Wales, guests can expect elegant cabins, off-train adventures and cocktails in the observation car. 

If you’re visiting Rome, this is the day trip to plan ahead of time. After nearly 50 years hidden from the public, the Grotto of Diana at Villa d’Este will reopen to visitors this May – and it’s a must-visit for anyone who enjoys history, art or Italian grandeur. Set in the UNESCO-listed gardens of the 16th-century estate in Tivoli, just outside Rome, this ornate nymphaeum is home to a beautiful display of shell mosaics, marble sculptures and ancient frescoes – now beautifully restored with support from fashion house Fendi. Visitors can wander through the vaulted grotto and its opulent cross-shaped chambers, past scenes inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, before walking to the panoramic loggia for sweeping views across Castelli Romani. 

The Seed along the coast of eastern Bali offers an entirely private, eco-conscious retreat unlike anything else on the island. Set on 6,400 sq m of untouched coastline in Candidasa, the eight-bedroom estate is home to treetop villas, infinity pools, a private beach, an outdoor cinema, and even a bird’s nest diving platform. Guests can balance health-focused living – think jungle gyms, infrared saunas and organic dining from the estate’s permaculture gardens – with private DJ sessions in a soundproof underground club. Designed with recycled materials and solar-powered sustainability in mind, the hotel is all about reconnecting with nature. There are endless experiences on offer, too, from horse riding and surfing and to spiritual wellness treatments. 

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