Travelers book once-in-a-lifetime trips now that pandemic restrictions lifted
NEW YORK - Not being allowed to travel during the pandemic created a thirst for once-in-a-lifetime trips once restrictions were lifted. And those trips sometimes include bucket list hotels and extra special rooms.
For some, a bucket list hotel in the Maldives means a bubble. If the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and overwater pools and villas aren't special enough at Finolhu Resort, add on a night in the beach bubble tent, which has all the comforts of home, inside a bubble on a private beach. The $1,000 a night stay includes beachside meals served by a butler.
"If mother nature allowed us, it would be booked really probably about 350 days out of 365," says the hotel's general manager, Marc Reader.
If space is more your idea of paradise in the Maldives, Velaa Private Island offers a stand-alone overwater villa accessible only by boat known as the "romantic residence." It boasts a little beach, a big pool, a gym, a jacuzzi, a kitchen and several areas for eating, including a gazebo on a floating jetty. It's so special stars stay there for rates starting at $7,000 a night. Eye-popping prices, but these days, even non-celebs, are opting for upgrades.
Travel advisor Tania Swasbrook with Travelworld International Group said, "What we're seeing now is that people are actually wanting to get better rooms. So they want the best hotel but now instead of the entry level rooms, they're wanting the suites."
There's no traditional suite at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge at Kruger National Park in northeast South Africa but there are treehouse rooms. Beds overlook the bush. The treehouses have running water but no lights, only lanterns, to immerse yourself in nature, for around $240 per person, plus the cost of a regular room, in case the late night roars prove too scary. Lion Sands has three of the treehouses which are booked most nights of the year.
Heading down south to wine country, a night at Babylonstoren provides tremendous mountain views from the porch of a cottage that has bathtubs and kitchens you might want to add to your bucket list. You can also visit the working farm, restaurants, and gardens at Babylonstoren in South African wine country for the day.