The more unpredictable our natural and political landscapes become, the more we feel the urge to visit places untouched by the news cycle. So, as we continue to support and keep a close watch on those areas hit hardest by a rash of hurricanes, fires, and foreign-policy blunders, we’re craving the kind of life and perspective-changing travel that’s made all the more magical when planned by the pros—no matter how fearless and self-sufficient we sometimes feel. Because surviving in, say, the Bolivian jungle one day and meeting with the hottest artists in Lima the next requires both grit and access—to say nothing of a network of on-the-ground know-how that you quite literally can’t live without in some places. Here are the experts, fixers, and experience makers you’ll want in your foxhole.
For more on the incredible experiences these specialists can deliver, and for their contact info, visit our travel specialists directory.
Africa and The Middle East
Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa
Cherri Briggs
Explore, Inc.
Briggs has spent more than two decades planning trips to Africa, and her latest focus is lesser-known but awe-inspiring places like Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Zambia.
Michael Lorentz
Passage to Africa
Lorentz shines at back-of-beyond trips to Ethiopia and mobile safaris in Botswana, where you’ll spot meerkat, hyena, and other wildlife.
Henrietta Loyd
Cazenove + Loyd
She’ll arrange art tours in Cape Town, meetings with politicos in Ethiopia, and safaris through tribal regions of Kenya.
Mark Nolting
The Africa Adventure Company
For off-the-map safaris led by researchers in places like the rarely visited Mabuasehube Game Reserve, Nolting is our guy.
Nina Wennersten and Daniel Saperstein
Hippo Creek Safaris
This duo pulls off spectacular trips in Kenya (to the Segera Retreat, for example), South Africa (where they’ll arrange private wine tastings), and Tanzania (where they recommend Roving Bushtops).
Eastern Africa
Linda Friedman
Custom Safaris
She’s planned lots of multigenerational family safaris, and she’s also expert at gorilla tracking in Rwanda.
Wil Smith and Karen Zulauf
Deeper Africa
They take walking safaris seriously, pairing you up with leading researchers, game wardens, antipoaching teams, and guides for itineraries in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and beyond.
Egypt
Rami Girgis
Abercrombie & Kent
Girgis can get you private access to the entire Giza Plateau, including the three major pyramids and the Sphinx.
Ethiopia
Will Jones
Journeys by Design
A native of Africa, Jones has been working in safaris since 1994, managing camps, guiding trips, and planning way-out-there expeditions into tribal villages and stretches of untouched wilderness.
Iran and Tunisia
Jerry Sorkin
Iconic Journeys Worldwide
He’s got decades of experience in North Africa and the Middle East, and has fixers who can speak to everything from ancient ruins to contemporary politics.
Israel
Susan Weissberg
Wyllys Professional Travel
She knows the contemporary art scene in Jaffa and the right guides for a deep dive into Jewish history.
Joe Yudin
Touring Israel
Yudin can connect you with Israel Defense Forces officers, archaeologists, chefs, and other insiders.
Morocco
Michael Diamond
Cobblestone Private Travel
His travelers meet with women’s rights NGOs in the Ourika Valley, get the best rooms at in-demand riads in Marrakech, and do tasting tours through Fès.
Mike Korn
Heritage Tours
If you want to try dune boarding in the Sahara or see the blue-walled city of Chefchaouen, go with Korn. He’s also got great guides in Fès and Marrakech.
Oman
Sean Nelson
Oman Expeditions
He knows the best climbing and canyoneering routes; the most exhilarating dune-bashing and quad-biking spots; and the perfect stretches of coast for surfing, diving, and sailing.
Southern Africa
Dan Achber
Trufflepig
Achber knows Botswana particularly well—he’s organized multiday paddles on the Selinda Spillway and game counts with zebra researchers working in the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Deborah Calmeyer
Roar Africa
With her far-reaching network that includes some of the region’s savviest guides, she can get you into private homes, gardens, and art collections you can’t otherwise see.
Julian Harrison
Premier Tours
He’s arranged trips with wildlife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, as well as with lion and rhino researchers.
Ryan Hilton
AuthentEscapes
He’s planned photography workshops in the bush, connected travelers with antipoaching teams, and coordinated a 10-day, 62-mile walking safari through raw wilderness.
Teresa Sullivan
Mango African Safaris
Sullivan knows which routes, camps, and game reserves are best suited to families, and she’s coordinated multiday walks in the Kenyan bush.
Phoebe Weinberg
Greatways Travel
Weinberg can get you the best rooms (like No. 6 at Singita Lebombo Lodge or No. 1 at Vumbura Plains, plus over-the-top extras like helicopter flights above the Okavango Delta.
Asia
Bhutan
Brent Olson
GeoEx
Olson knows where to stay (Amankora, Zhiwa Ling Heritage and how to duck crowds, and can arrange meditation retreats with Buddhist monks.
Bhutan, India, and Nepal
Antonia “Toni” Neubauer
Myths and Mountains
Her trips go way off the beaten track into villages for homestays that give you an unvarnished look at real life in the countryside.
Cambodia
Andy Booth
AboutAsia
Booth is particularly handy around Tonlé Sap Lake, where his guests can watch wildlife and navigate floating villages aboard a private wooden boat. He’s also figured out the best times to visit ancient complexes like Angkor Thom to avoid jostling with crowds.
Central Asia
Zulya Rajabova
Silk Road Treasure Tours
Rajabova knows the top guides at the incredible Gur-e-Amir complex in Samarkand (a sort of Silk Road Taj Mahal) and the best hotels across the region.
China
Gerald Hatherly
Abercrombie & Kent
Thanks to decades spent on the ground here (and his perfect Mandarin), Hatherly can pull off seemingly impossible access to the Forbidden City and Xi’an’s Terracotta Army site.
Mei Zhang
WildChina
She’s a Chinese-food expert, plotting quests for prosciutto-like ham in Yunnan and fiery mapo tofu in Chengdu. She’s also built a network of experts who add context to trips throughout the country.
The Himalayas
Sanjay Saxena
Nomadic Expeditions
He’ll handle all that byzantine paperwork to secure trekking permits, arrange flight-seeing over the Himalayas, and set up one-on-ones with scholars, philanthropists, climbers, and craftspeople.
India
Lucy Davison
Banyan Tours & Travels
Davison works across the country, planning treks in mountainous Ladakh, palace tours in Jaipur, and visits to festivals in Tamil Nadu.
Bertie and Victoria Dyer
India Beat
The Jaipur-based couple has organized elephant-tracking trips, visits to polo matches, and gallery tours led by curators at spots like Delhi’s National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum.
India and Pakistan
Jonny Bealby
Wild Frontiers
Bealby is a logistics mastermind who has planned expeditions through the Hindu Kush and Kashmir.
Indonesia
Diane Embree
Bali Barong Tours
Think Bali is overtouristed? She’ll guide you to spots that don’t even appear on maps and set you up at luxury hotels almost nobody’s heard about.
Japan
Nancy Craft
Esprit Travel & Tours
She helps open doors to artists, chefs, craftspeople, musicians, Shinto priests, and Buddhist abbots.
The Maldives
Lindsey Wallace
Linara Travel
He knows which resorts have the best service and which offer the quickest access to snorkeling in the United Nations–protected Hanifaru Bay. He also knows Mauritius and the Seychelles.
Mongolia
Jalsa Urubshurow
Nomadic Expeditions
He’ll get you riding horses, watching traditional wrestling and archery, shooting incredible photos in the Gobi Desert, and touring the highlights of Mongolia’s rapidly modernizing capital.
Myanmar
Tyler Dillon
Trufflepig
He’s constructed pop-up hotels along remote hiking routes and planned street food tours. Dillon can also set up meetings with activists and officials for timely briefings on the country’s political landscape.
Maximilian Horsley
Arakan Travel
He takes travelers deep into the countryside for market tours, monastery visits, and encounters with hill tribes and with insiders who can contextualize the country’s ongoing internal conflicts.
Southeast Asia
April Cole and Andrea Ross
Journeys Within Tour Company
This pair is well-connected across the region: In Cambodia, they can make your Angkor Wat excursion pop; in Thailand, they arrange street food tours; in Vietnam, they introduce travelers to veterans of the war for a local perspective on the conflict.
G. W. “Sandy” Ferguson
Asia Desk
He can make intros to artists in Thailand, conservationists in Siem Reap, archaeologists in Angkor, and monks in Luang Prabang.
Catherine Heald
Remote Lands
Heald is at her best with multicountry Asia trips, coordinating drivers, guides, and private tours, whether you’re going to remote villages in Myanmar, the Borobudur Buddhist temple on Java, or on rain forest treks through Borneo.
Melissa Matthews
Red Savannah
She’ll take you off the beaten path in Bali, cycling across Southeast Asia, or into rarely visited private museums or to temples that few tourists see, with hotel upgrades and top-notch guides along the way.
Vietnam
Nathan Lane
Butterfield & Robinson
Lane is a pro at pulling together cycling trips through villages in the Red River Delta, Vespa tours in Saigon, and sails off the coast of Hoi An.
Australia and the South Pacific
Australia
Drew Kluska
The Tailor
Kluska’s roster of winemakers, fashion insiders, and Olympic medalists adds next-level insights to trips.
Pedro O’Connor
Epic Private Journeys
He’s planned private jet adventures that hopscotch the country and led scuba divers to the Great Barrier Reef.
Stuart Rigg
Southern Crossings
Go behind the scenes at some of Australia’s most famous vineyards, charter yachts to the Great Barrier Reef, and explore the wild, raw Northern Territory with Rigg’s help.
Fiji and Papua New Guinea
Lynette Wilson
Destination World
She’s the ultimate go-to in the region for scuba diving, water-view villas, and off-the-grid hiking.
New Zealand
Donna Thomas
New Zealand Travel
She plans hikes with the best guide in the Papamoa Hills, evenings with Maori elders, and wine tastings at the country’s top vineyards.
Trevor Thomas
Southern Crossings
Thomas scours his home country for new lodges, camps, and villas (like the suites at Mahu Whenua), and adventures like boating through fjords.
South Pacific Islands
Kleon Howe
The Art of Travel
Howe knows every inch of the islands: which resorts are worth booking (Vahine Island and the Hotel Kia Ora, which Saturday farmers’ market is worth a detour (Avarua’s), and which windsurfing spots have the best breeze (he likes the Aitutaki lagoon).
Central and South America
Argentina
Maita Barrenechea
Mai 10
She was among the first to offer fly-fishing trips to Patagonia and to open estancias to guests for horseback riding. She’s still our go-to for both.
Argentina, Chile, and Colombia
Harry Hastings
Plan South America
Hastings has intel on top-notch estancias and can connect you with all sorts of interesting locals, from emerald miners to rock-star chefs.
Argentina, Chile, and Peru
Jordan Harvey
Knowmad Adventures
He’s scoured the whole of Chile, scrambled all over Machu Picchu, and searched the cities and pampas of Argentina to find the top hikes and best hotels.
Bolivia and Peru
Marisol Mosquera
Aracari
She taps insiders like museum curators, chefs (like Pedro Miguel Schiaffino of Lima’s Malabar), and even jungle-survival experts for her trips.
Brazil
Martin Frankenberg
Matueté
Frankenberg is dialed in with incredible villas, Amazon River charter yachts, and expeditions to the dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.
Paul Irvine
Dehouche
He’s planned exclusive workshops with a local fashion designer, cooking classes with chef Felipe Bronze of Oro, art tours, jaguar tracking, and samba dancing lessons.
Jill Siegel
South American Escapes
If you want the best seats at the Carnaval parade, a trip up the Amazon in search of pink dolphins, or a yacht charter off the coast of Paraty, Siegel can hook you up.
Chile
Brian Pearson
Upscape
He knows the top boutique hotels (like Casa Bouchon), the Sno-Cat guides who’ll have you skiing chutes, and the cycling routes for riders of all fitness levels.
Colombia
Boris Seckovic
Amakuna
Seckovic can make it all happen: street-art tours through Medellín’s once-dangerous comunas, dark-roast tasting at a coffee farm, or a visit to lesser-known villages like Mompós.
Costa Rica
Irene Edwards
GreenSpot Travel
She can pull off helicopter flights over volcanoes or a day at a sloth sanctuary.
Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama
Pierre Gedeon
Costa Adventures
He’s clutch when it comes to multi-country trips that combine running rapids with relaxing at retreats—Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua are his main destinations.
Ecuador and Peru
Tom Damon
Southwind Adventures
His focus is active travel with guides like the grandson of one of the Peruvians who took Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu.
Europe
Central Europe
Gwen Kozlowski
Exeter International
Kozlowski can score tours of the Spanish Riding School, open doors to crafts workshops in the Czech Republic, or plan multiday tasting trips to family-owned wineries in the Wachau Valley.
Ellison Poe
Poe Travel
She’ll arrange for the best tables at under-the-radar restaurants in Vienna and private tours of legendary Habsburg palaces.
Croatia
Wanda S. Radetti
VisitCroatia.com
Tap Radetti for the latest intel on the best hotels (like the Lešić Dimitri Palace), wineries, restaurants, and yacht charters along the Adriatic Coast.
France
Anthony Bay
Anthony Bay Is Europe
He has extraordinary historical and regional knowledge and an extensive network of personal contacts who open their homes to his guests.
Pascale Bernasse
French Wine Explorers
She’s got the connections and clout to get the most exclusive tours of legendary estates, often from family members whose names are on the bottles.
Germany
Marion Harbison
Brownell Travel
Harbison will take you to normally overlooked (but supremely stunning) castles and coordinate fascinating tours of centuries-old abbeys and wineries.
Greece
Mina Agnos
Travel2Greece by Travelive
Her on-the-ground ops team can handle complex multi-island itineraries with private boat and helicopter transfers to spots like Ios and Koufonisia.
Ronnie Liadis
Liadis Travel
She’s secured access to otherwise off-limits ancient sites and wineries that aren’t open to the public, and chartered boats around Santorini.
Leftheris Papageorgiou
Hellenic Adventures
Go behind the scenes at artists’ studios and archaeological digs with Papageorgiou. He’ll even set up chats with experts on contemporary Greek politics (if geeking out is your thing).
Christos Stergiou
TrueTrips
Stergiou can pull off private, after-hours access to museums, organize catamaran trips around the Cyclades, and find quality hotel rooms, even in high season.
Iceland
Chris Gordon
Icepedition
He’s the guy to call if you want to kayak among icebergs, go horseback riding on an Arctic Ocean beach, or spend the night under the Aurora Borealis.
Ireland
Geraldine Murtagh
Elegant Ireland
She has an insane Rolodex—dukes and duchesses, historians, politicians, mountain climbers, artists—all of whom look after her travelers. She also has a can’t-find-it-anywhere-else roster of amazing castles and estates for rent.
Kathleen Sheridan
McCabe World Travel
Sheridan knows the top castle hotels and countryside manors (like Sheen Falls and Ballyfin, and has clued-in guides who lead seaside hikes, fishing trips, and horseback rides.
Italy
Brian Dore and Maria Gabriella Landers
CIU Travel
They’ve arranged a prime viewing spot for the iconic Palio race, the best rooms at small-but-lovely Sicilian inns, and tours of privately owned Palladian villas that aren’t normally open to visitors.
Andrea Grisdale
IC Bellagio
She has behind-the-scenes access at local artisans and iconic sites like the Vatican and the Uffizi, where she’ll make sure you never wait in line.
Adamarie King
Connoisseur’s Travel
She’ll have you baking alongside locals in Sicily, touring private art collections, visiting ceramicists and furniture makers, or sailing the Venetian Lagoon.
Gary Portuesi
Authentic Italy
He’s our go-to for tooling through Parma and Modena to sample Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, and prosciutto; flying from Rome to Capri for lunch (back in time for dinner); or having a private picnic on the Sicilian island of Mozia.
Rudston Steward
Trufflepig
He’s sussed out amazing food (and places to stay) in lesser-known corners of Italy, like the Aeolian Islands, Tuscany’s Monte Amiata, and towns like Matera in Basilicata.
The Netherlands
Harmina Mulder
The Travel Society
She’s got major pull at all the top hotels, and she’ll score tables at the country’s best restaurants, like De Kas and Librije’s Zusje.
Portugal
Gonçalo Correia
Tours for You
He’s arranged dinner with a former president of Portugal, a private concert with one of the country’s top fado singers, and cocktails at the studio of artist João Figueiredo.
Portugal and Spain
Virginia Irurita
Made for Spain & Portugal
Irurita has thrilled clients with coastal hikes along the cliffs near Sagres, access to members-only clubs in Porto, and private flamenco shows and wine tastings.
Russia and Eastern Europe
Greg Tepper
Exeter International
Whether you want to tour the Kremlin or get behind the curtain at St. Petersburg’s Vaganova Ballet Academy, where both Balanchine and Baryshnikov danced, he’s got you covered.
Scandinavia
Jan Sortland
Norwegian Adventures
Sortland plans climbing expeditions, glacier treks, sea kayaking, and even dogsledding adventures.
Scotland
Camilla Davidson
NoteWorthy
She’s plugged in to Scotland’s sizzling food scene and has contacts at the best distilleries, world-famous golf links, and even private hunting estates.
David Tobin
Dream Escape
Tobin’s an ace at getting inside private castles and estates, and he’s well connected with all the top guides in the Highlands.
Spain
Sebastian Lapostol
Trufflepig
He’s got friends in the right places: mycologists who lead truffle hunts near Barcelona, flamenco musicians in Jerez de la Frontera, and field biologists who know all the great birding spots.
Ally Lewing
Heritage Tours
With Lewing, you’ll see some of Spain’s most popular sights, including the Mezquita in Córdoba and Seville’s Alcázar, after hours on private tours.
Switzerland
Jack Shaw
Epic Europe
Shaw knows the top ski instructors and heli guides, plans high-altitude hikes with stays at mountain refugios, and has contacts at luxe watchmakers (in case you need a new piece).
Turkey
Karen Fedorko Sefer
Sea Song Tours
Fedorko Sefer will get you into historical sites before they open to the public, book the very best hotel rooms, and get you aboard some of Turkey’s top charter yachts.
Earl Starkey
Protravel International
Starkey can pull off a private visit to the Hagia Sophia, organize dinner at the Ephesus archaeological site, and introduce you to fixers like Riza Yenice, the kind of person you’re happy spending a week with.
The United Kingdom
Nicola Butler
NoteWorthy
She’s one of the most connected people in the country, whether you want to meet CBEs, score courtside Wimbledon seats, or get into otherwise closed museums.
Jonathan Epstein
Celebrated Experiences
Epstein knows which of The Torridon’s rooms have the best lake views, and how to score upgrades at Gleneagles, and can sneak you into the top hotels in Edinburgh and London, even at peak times.
Jane McCrum
In Any Event Tours
McCrum can book you a stay at castles and palatial country homes, so you can live like an aristocrat, if only for your trip.
North America and the Caribbean
American National Parks
Marty Behr
National Parks Revealed
Behr has arranged Monument Valley hikes, flight-seeing over San Francisco Bay, and hikes to untrammeled corners of classics like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.
American West
Caroline Bach Wood
Caroline Travel
Whether you want to shoot photos in Utah’s slot canyons, ride horses with legit cowboys, or just shack up in a Pacific-side hotel, she’ll plan it all.
Bermuda
Vicky McGlynn
Travelong of Summit
She’s been visiting the island since childhood, and can often get travelers access to private clubs, or even parliament, in addition to the best rooms at hotels like the Loren at Pink Beach.
California Wine Country
Ania Gatto
Wine Country Concierge
She’s pulled off after-hours tastings at top wineries, opened doors to invitation-only cellars, and has the scoop on what’s reopened after this fall’s fires.
Canada
Marc Télio
Entrée Destinations
He’s got logistics experts across the country to make sure ski vacations, road trips, paddling expeditions, and wildlife watching all go off without a hitch. He also knows Alaska.
Cuba
Alison Coelho
InsightCuba
Coelho has long-established contacts at Cuba’s government ministries, and she can hook you up with rooms at the most desirable hotels—a necessity in a country with limited options.
Michael Sykes
Cuba Cultural Travel
Sykes connects travelers with fascinating locals, like Cristina Escobar Domínguez, a journalist and broadcaster, and Victor Marín, an architectural historian.
Mexico
Zachary Rabinor
Journey Mexico
He’ll coordinate tours with celebrated chefs, devise a multiday hike through the Copper Canyon area (with luxe camps along the way), or get you surfing on beaches you’ll have all to yourself.
Stephanie Schneiderman
Tia Stephanie Tours
Many of her itineraries focus on traditional handmade crafts, textile design, and folk art. She can also hook you up with cooking classes and visits to mezcal distilleries.
Pacific Northwest
Sheri Doyle
Pacific Northwest Journeys
The go-to for wildlife expeditions, boat charters, impossible-to-get hotel and restaurant reservations, and road-trip advice in the U.S. as well as British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies.
Cruises
European Barge Cruises
Jill Jergel
Frontiers International Travel
She can get you cabins on intimate vessels, as well as the top ships that bigger river cruise lines operate throughout Europe.
Ellen Sack
The Barge Lady
Sack will pair you with the right charter, and her bespoke excursions are second to none: truffle hunts in Burgundy, visits to private gardens, wine tastings, and biking tours.
Expedition Ships
Sharon Keating
Polar Cruises
She’s booked travelers on ships sailing Russia’s far east; around Spitsbergen, Norway; and to the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica.
Thomas Lennartz
Quark Expeditions
He’s got access to nuclear-powered icebreakers in Russia (for real) and luxury yachts that do private charters to Antarctica, and he’s pulled off hot-air ballooning over icebergs, spectacular wildlife watching, and trips led by world-class photographers.
Ashton Palmer
ExpeditionTrips
A former expedition leader, Palmer specializes in small-ship cruises aboard some of the world’s top vessels to the polar regions, as well as the Galápagos.
Todd Smith
AdventureSmith Explorations
His trips to Alaska and the Galápagos are aboard small ships and charter yachts like the National Geographic Orion or the Sea Wolf, a historic wooden minesweeper.
Tim Soper
EYOS Expeditions
He’s taken travelers to climate research stations in Antarctica, through the Northwest Passage, and on cultural immersion trips to places like Papua New Guinea.
Large Ships
Linda Allen
Cruises by Linda
Allen has major clout with lines including Celebrity, Norwegian, Seabourn, and Viking. She knows which staterooms have the best views (and the least noise), and she can often secure free upgrades and other extra perks.
Tom Baker
CruiseCenter
Baker’s got a lock on the best rooms on big ships, and he’s an expert at planning over-the-top pre- and post-sail tours, like a walk through the Vatican cloisters during a Med cruise.
River Cruises
Richard Bruce Turen
Churchill & Turen
Turen is a master at crafting in-depth tours of ports like Prague, calling on a network of journalists, expats, and other insiders who offer greater context beyond rote historical facts. He also knows oceangoing lines, like Crystal and Regent Seven Seas.
Small Ships
Leslie Fambrini
Personalized Travel Consultants
Fambrini has major pull with luxury lines, including Crystal, Paul Gauguin, Silversea, and Windstar.
Mary Jean Tully
Tully Luxury Travel
Because of her relationships at Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, and Viking, she can finesse excursions (mini safaris, private Great Wall tours) you couldn’t otherwise arrange.
Angela Turen
Churchill & Turen
She gets travelers on lines like Regent or Silversea stateroom upgrades, spa treatments, and perks like free drinks that seem to magically appear.
Yacht Charters
Mary T. Crowley
Ocean Voyages
If it floats, Crowley can figure a way to charter it, whether you need a phinisi in Indonesia, a catamaran in Raiatea, or a sloop in the Lesser Antilles.
Villas
California Wine Country
Liza Graves
BeautifulPlaces
She’s based in Sonoma, which means she’s got on-the-ground intel about what’s open and what’s not after the fires this fall. She also has first dibs on the region’s top homes, not to mention impossible reservations and private wine tastings.
The Caribbean
Tim Roney
LaCure
Roney leans on 35 years of experience when he recommends homes (and entire private islands) across the region, in places like Barbados, Jamaica, and the many countries that are back up and running after this year’s hurricanes.
France
Erica Berman
Haven In
Berman is best known for fully serviced Paris rentals that come with stocked fridges, fresh flowers, and a driver on call. Her firm has recently added homes in Versailles and Provence, too.
Gail Boisclair
Perfectly Paris
She has nearly 20 years of experience renting gorgeous flats in Montmartre and its surrounding arrondissements.
Nick Westwood
Red Savannah
He’s the one to call for homes along the Côte d’Azur, as well as in France’s unsung corners, like Cap Ferret, the coastal retreat near Bordeaux.
France, Italy, and Spain
Cédric Reversade and Paul-Maxime Koskas
Unique Properties & Events
They’ve recently added new properties in Formentera and Pantelleria, as well as yoga retreats to homes in Mallorca and Umbria; they can also charter yachts.
France, Spain, and the United Kingdom
Adam Coats
Red Savannah
Coats personally inspects every one of his villas, including that 300-acre estate on Menorca with its own private cove and those stately Cotswolds manors where the only neighbors are sheep.
Greece
Ileana von Hirsch
Five Star Greece
She knows Mykonos and Santorini, of course, but von Hirsch is more keen on less-visited Corfu, where some homes have spectacular pools, and the Ionian islands.
Hawaii
Ryne Holliday
Hawaii Hideaways
Holliday has listings across the major islands, including plenty of beachfront homes with killer views and rural retreats, like one situated between two waterfalls.
Italy
Countess Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda
The Best in Italy
Her portfolio includes private estates and opulent, historic villas; she’ll also coordinate wine tastings, lavish lunches, and curator-led gallery tours.
Chiara Guidi
Red Savannah
Originally from Florence, Guidi is particularly strong in Central Italy, with homes in the Maremma as well as offerings in Umbrian villages like Bevagna and Montefalco.
Patrice Salezze
Papavero Villa Rentals
She’s got properties across the country and a network of guides, some of whom she’s worked with for 15 years, who can arrange wine tastings, bike trips, or in-depth museum tours.
Mara Solomon
Homebase Abroad
Solomon has access to some of Italy’s most luxurious estates, many of which are ideal for big groups or destination celebrations, like birthdays or weddings, and a concierge team to arrange Ferrari test drives or opera tickets.
New Zealand
Jacqui Spice
Touch of Spice
Her portfolio includes sprawling countryside retreats, private islands, and other escapes, plus all sorts of staff—private drivers, yoga teachers, chefs—to help round out your trip.
St. Barts
Peg Walsh
St. Barth Properties
Walsh has the latest on what’s available in St. Barts right now—homes ranging from surprisingly reasonable to completely over-the-top—and those that will be restored in the coming months.
St. Martin and Sint Maarten
Sonja van der Drift
BlueOceanVillas
She’s got properties on both sides of the island, and she’s able to help you navigate a post–Hurricane Irma trip this winter.
South America
Luisa Ladron de Guevara
Oasis Collections
Her properties in cities including Buenos Aires, Cartagena, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro have all the amenities you’d expect and also come with passes to nearby gyms, private clubs, and a local concierge who can help plan tours or snag restaurant reservations.
Spain
Mary Vaira
El Sol Villas
She’s got access to the chicest villas and apartments, plus hyperlocal tours, like an up-close look at the production of jamón Ibérico.
The United Kingdom and Ireland
Andrew Loyd
Loyd & Townsend Rose
A one-time butler, he organizes not just rental estates but also activities like sporting-clay shooting, croquet, garden tours, falconry, Scottish folk dancing, and private tours of distilleries.
Worldwide
Marina Gratsos
Carpe Diem Luxury Travel
For when you absolutely have to have that 12th-century castle or a private island of your own, the well-connected Gratsos is the person to call.
Special Interest
Airline Assistance
Brett Snyder
Cranky Concierge
Snyder’s able to suggest the ideal airline for any given route, and his team monitors flights in real time to provide updates on gate changes and delays. They’ll also rebook you in a flash.
Destination Celebrations
Jack S. Ezon
Ovation Vacations
Ezon has tight relationships with hotels—meaning he can often snag upgraded rooms or other perks—and he’s planned parties on Necker Island and even a 350-person wedding at Versailles.
Destination Weddings
Harlan deBell and Kara Bebell
The Travel Siblings
They’ve organized weddings and receptions at incredible venues, like a private palace in Jaipur, a castle in Northern Ireland, and some of Italy’s most stunning luxury hotels.
Disney
Michelle Allen
Travel Magic
You could try to figure out the best ways to beat the crowds, skip lines, book the right restaurants, and tackle all the ancillary Disney logistics. Or you could just tap Allen, who’s got it all on lock.
Family Travel
Kay Merrill
Are We There Yet? Family Adventures
Merrill is a pro at keeping families with older children happy, running guided hikes on the Camino de Santiago, surfing expeditions to Peru, or polo-playing adventures in Argentina.
Leslie Overton
Passported
Overton specializes in immersive cultural experiences, like cooking classes, dance or music lessons, weaving or pottery classes, in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Fly-Fishing
Mollie Fitzgerald
Frontiers International Travel
She’s got exclusive access to some of the world’s finest fishing, in places like Bhutan and Russia, and knows all the best spots to cast in New Zealand, Scotland, the U.S., and pretty much everywhere else.
LGBTQ Trips
David Rubin
DavidTravel
A rock star when it comes to destination celebrations or milestone birthdays, he’s got a global network that’s pulled off dream trips for guests in places like Egypt, Ethiopia, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Miles and Points
Gary Leff
Book Your Award
One of the original points hackers, Leff has a handle on the ins and outs of every program and how to maximize your miles to get into one of Etihad’s in-air “suites,” or how to upgrade to business-class seats for next to nothing.
Over-the-Top Trips
Kate Doty
GeoEx
Doty knows which airstrips can accommodate your private jet, how to score access to top diplomats, and the best ways to see back-of-beyond spots like Chad, the D.R.C., or Indonesia’s out islands.
Kathy Obbish
Custom Safaris & Explorations
She plans incredible wildlife-focused trips in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, as well as adventure-minded itineraries in places like Australia’s Outback and the Canadian Rockies.
Vincent RaisièreAmazing EscapesThe cofounder of this company has built a pop-up pisco bar in the Atacama Desert, camps in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni and Finish Lapland, and pulled off a bespoke expedition across Cambodia with stays in remote jungle lodges. Not remote enough? They’re going to Greenland and the Kimberley in 2019.
Road Trips
VenkyNomadic RoadThe founder of this outfitter may go by just one name, but he’s got outsize ambitions for making road trips more extreme: Trips with Nomadic Road feel like private road rallies, complete with your own personal Land Rover and the adrenaline rush that comes with driving on foreign soil—or over mountain passes in the Himalays, pristine rainforest in Borneo, or through howling snowstorms in Iceland.
Scuba Diving
Meg Austin
The Travel Society
She’s been planning adventure trips for more than 30 years, and she knows every cave, reef, and wreck—plus quality hotels in every port for when you’re done diving for the day.
Wine
Larry Martin
Food & Wine Trails
Martin has spent his whole life in Sonoma County, which is still recovering from devastating fires, and he’s got close contacts at every big-time wine producer in California. He can also take you deep into on-the-cusp regions in Croatia, Germany, or Slovenia.