Dear travel friends and clients
I am so happy to be back in your inbox and I hope you are too! BozAround started as a blog and a newsletter 15 years ago and with the launch of my travel design business, things have taken on a new dimension. Yes, it’s almost five years since I set up BozAround Private Travel, including 2 years of travel freeze and 3 years of intense explorations. I still love sharing what I find exciting in the world, from the soulful and tasteful spots that my blog was known for (before instagram existed!), to the more pampering places that I constantly seek in the world. It’s all driven by a desire to experience the unknown, connect with people and places and encourage a form of soulful travel that gives back and opens minds.
Here, There, Anywhere. That’s what this newsletter is about. I’d like to say it will land quarterly in your inbox, always on time but I can’t promise. If you’d like to unsubscribe, I won’t be offended - but it might be bad karma - just sayin’.
Today, I am writing from an island off an island off an island - in Madagascar.
I am writing from Ile Sainte Marie. I came to see how life has not changed here. Still going at the pace of the fishermen in their pirogue. It’s calm, quiet and the beaches are spectacularly beautiful - Maldives like, but better. Chances are, you have never heard of this small island but I think it won’t be the same in 20 or 30 years (remember … you heard about it first on BozAround). There’s actually lots to keep the family busy in Madagascar: great diving, humpback whales migration, world-class kitesurfing, hiking and fascinating landscapes, unique wildlife from lemurs to chameleons - and delicious French-influenced food (foie gras from Madagascar anyone?!). Follow on @bozaround.
I have traveled lots this past year in the name of research. These are a few of the trips that have inspired me:
Nepal: from the high plateaux of Mustang where the incredible Shinta Mani recently opened .. to the storied Happy House where Sir Edmund Hillary often took shelter on his way to Mount Everest. The treks are many. There is another Nepal, different from the saturated trails that you might have heard about. As long as you plan it well. Enter: BozAround Private Travel.
Colombia: out with the old scary news! Colombia is buzzing, the art scene is exciting, the food scene is vibrant and the ex-cartel stories will keep the teens entertained. Everybody knows about Cartagena and the Baru archipelago. I also had a big crush on the colonial town of Barichara, high up in the Andes. They say that Colombia is the 2nd country in the world with the most diverse bio-diversity. The options for explorations are endless. Enter: BozAround Private Travel.
Zimbabwe & South Africa: My last visit experiencing the famous Singita lodges was beyond. There’s a reason they are among some of the best lodges in all of Africa. Their commitment to conservation and communities is exemplary - such as Pamushana’s partnership marrying tourism and philanthropy which has helped re-populate the black rhinos population in that part of Zimbabwe. Next March, I am off to Rwanda gorilla trecking (I did this in Uganda 20 years ago) and to Tanzania. Stay tuned.
Indonesia: This might be one of the most fun summer plan for happy family memories. A winning combo of noodles for breakfast, surfing in Sumba, snorkelling or diving, rafting in Bali, sighting the Komodo dragons aboard a beautiful boat and temple visits for culture. Loved loved loved.
Scotland: where the buzz word is re-wilding. And when philanthropic commitment mixes with Scandinavian design mixes with farm-to-table meals aka c/o Wildland, you have a beautiful mix of fresh air + culture. Another perfect family holiday idea.
Find my notes in the stories saved on BozAround instagram profile.
Founder of BozAround Private Travel
I use my passion, extensive connections and wide knowledge about destinations to create sustainably luxurious itineraries for families of all shapes. BozAround Private Travel is a member of Virtuoso and Forbes Travel, two exclusive networks of luxury travel advisors.
Conscious travel informs the recommendations that I make and I am constantly enhancing my knowledge, and proud to be a founding member of The Conscious Travel Foundation, a social enterprise focused on making travel a force for good.
The Conscious Travel Foundation is running its annual auction this Thursday Nov 21st and as you might expect, the list of prizes up for auction is .. out of this world!! Take a look here: from 6-nights exploring Raja Ampat aboard Rascal Voyages in Indonesia to 9-nights staying in the luxury tented camps of Sujan in Rajasthan, or 2-nights near Tangier at the new La Fiermontina Ocean … so many incredible ideas that I would happily weave in a family itinerary.
In French, we say les voyages forment la jeunesse … Travel shapes the youth. Traveling with children gives the journey a whole new meaning and purpose. It is a unique way to expose them to the beauty of this world, to help them grow as considerate and generous global citizens. We live in times where borders and mentalities are closing. Seeing the world with our own eyes might be the best recipe for tolerance to survive.
“Vanessa has been my travel guru since she had her blog BozAround. I was always checking it out for inspiration. Couldn’t be happier when she decided to start a private travel business. She organized my family’s last big trips and it’s exactly what I needed: deep knowledge, good taste, practical approach and responsive feedback. She is now my personal dream maker, can’t ask more” - Kind words from a happy client
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