Lucinda Chambers

Costa Rica

I’ve wanted to take my whole family to Costa Rica for nearly 20 years. The idea has been lurking there in the back of my mind – one of those fantasy trips I keep meaning to make happen. This Central American country has everything I love in one place: lush jungle, incredible beaches, cloud-tipped mountains… and I picture us moving between all of it – one day in thick green rainforests, the next on a long stretch of sand – not doing anything particularly impressive, just being there together.

I love the idea of days that are full but simple. Swimming, walking, eating when we’re hungry. Maybe heading out to Marino Ballena National Park in Puntarenas and going whale spotting, standing on a boat scanning the water, waiting for that sudden splash or the curve of a tail – the kind of moment that makes everyone go quiet at the same time. It doesn’t feel flashy. Just sun, sea, jungle — and all of us in it together.

Serena Hood

Lower Zambezi, Zambia

This year, my dream escape is taking my family on safari to Time + Tide Chongwe House in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi. It’s exactly the kind of place I love – wildly remote yet deeply comforting. A beautiful private house set where the Chongwe River meets the Zambezi, with elephants wandering past as if it’s the most ordinary thing in the world. I picture our days shaped by game drives and river safaris, long lunches in the shade and slow afternoons by the pool. Evenings would be for playing games together under vast, star-filled skies.

What makes this place extra special is how thoughtfully it caters to families. Younger children can track animals, make moulds of paw prints, bake, bead and paint; older ones can join walking safaris, canoe trips and fishing adventures. It feels immersive and educational without ever losing that sense of ease and joy. To me, that feels like a rare kind of luxury – unhurried, meaningful and unforgettable for all the right reasons.

Pom Carleton-Smith

Salzburg, Austria

After a month in Australia and New Zealand at the start of this year, I’m longing for a holiday somewhere closer to home, and Salzburg feels like the perfect answer to my prayers. My mum, sister and I have been talking about going for years. We’re (slightly embarrassingly) obsessed with The Sound of Music, so I fully intend to twirl through Mirabell Gardens and hum my way around the Old Town. Beyond cinematic nostalgia, there’s something wonderfully picturesque about Salzburg. The Baroque architecture, the fortress views, the layers of music and history – it all feels impossibly romantic.

I’m equally drawn to the idea of slipping just outside the city to Rosewood Schloss Fuschl. This fairytale 15th century castle-turned-hotel boasts a breathtaking lakeside setting, and I’m already dreaming of crisp alpine air, slow mornings and glassy, mirror-like views across the water. It’s exactly the sort of restorative luxury I crave. And back in the city? Coffee on Getreidegasse, Mozart’s birthplace, and dinner at St Peter Stiftskulinarium – reputedly Europe’s oldest restaurant. I’m pretty sure Salzburg is my Heaven on Earth.

Maya Zepinic

Puglia, Italy

I love Italy, and Puglia is the Italian haven I return to every summer. There’s something about it that makes escaping easy. The beaches are beautiful, the food is incredible, the weather is reliably sunny, and there are endless towns to explore on day trips. It has that perfect balance of laidback charm, natural beauty and design-led delights.

When it comes to my dream Puglian hotel, I adore Borgo Egnazia – a castle-like resort that somehow manages to be perfect for couples and brilliant for children too. I always pop into Bottega Egnazia, their brilliant boutique, curated by Camilla Vender Melpignano. And if I was craving somewhere more private, I’d chose the houses at Masseria Moroseta, which are extraordinary – Casa Maiora, their newest addition, is stunning – and you’re near Ostuni, that magical whitewashed hilltop town filled with incredible restaurants and little shops.

For me, Puglia is about slow lunches, ceramics shopping in Grottaglie, wandering Alberobello’s trulli-lined streets and finishing the day with gelato in Monopoli as the sun sets.

Grace Hitchman

Japan

I’ve been fascinated by Japan for as long as I can remember – I was obsessed with Sylvanian Families as a girl, and later spent hours drawing manga figures and borrowing every Japanese-themed book I could find in the school library. So, this September, my friend Emily and I have finally booked a two-week girls’ trip across Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto – it feels like a full-circle moment.

There are so many iconic experiences I can’t wait for – standing in the middle of Shibuya Crossing, seeing Mount Fuji, riding the bullet train, maybe even squeezing in a trip to DisneySea… But I’m equally excited about the smaller things: browsing stationery shops, discovering tiny cafés and temples tucked away from the crowds, hunting down Onitsuka Tigers. Something tells me I’ll be bringing an empty suitcase… just in case.

Daniëlle Verdoes

The USA

Having grown up in the Netherlands, my dream destination has to be somewhere utterly unlike my homeland, and nowhere speaks to my imagination like the big skies and the wide-open landscapes of the American West. So I’m dreaming of a road trip from Texas to New Mexico: infinite vistas, sun-bleached landscapes, solitary motels glowing in the dusk…

The trip will begin in Austin (think live music, thrift shopping and late-night tacos) before heading west through Roswell’s sci-fi spookiness and into Marfa’s minimalist art world – home to Prada in the middle of nowhere and Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation: big skies and bigger ideas. Then finally arriving in O’Keeffe country: Santa Fe, Ghost Ranch, trail walks or horseback rides when I’m craving a break from the road, and vast desert landscapes where the scenery becomes the subject itself. They say it’s not the destination but the journey. In this case, it’s both.

Sophia Mozzali

Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como is my go-to escape when I truly want to unwind. I love staying in Pigra, high up in the mountains, where the views over the lake are breathtaking and everything feels calm and green. Just below is Argegno — perfect for breakfast by the water or an evening aperitivo before hopping onto a ferry to explore nearby villages.

There’s something magical about wandering Bellagio’s cobbled streets, enjoying a long lunch at Villa d’Este, or spending the afternoon shopping in Como. The mix of relaxation, natural beauty and Italian elegance is unbeatable. It’s a destination everyone should experience at least once – slow, refined and impossibly beautiful.

Lucy Olivier

The Seychelles

As someone who finds it hard to switch-off, my dream destination is somewhere I’d have no choice but to slow down, so I’m choosing the laidback delights of island hopping in the Seychelles.

Bucket-list moments will begin on mountainous Mahé (the main island), with beach days at Anse Intendance, hiking in Morne Seychellois National Park and a mosey around Victoria Market to soak up the local sights and smells, before a treaty dinner at Del Place restaurant.

But my ultimate destination will be Alphonse Island – just an hour’s flight southwest of Mahé yet with a ‘far, far away’ feel. There’s only one ‘hotel’ – Alphonse Island Lodge – and it’s the epitome of barefoot luxury, with secluded beach bungalows, swaying palms, powder-soft sand and sapphire seas. It’s an eco haven, where giant tortoises amble past, baby turtles scuttle down to the beach, and the surrounding lagoon reveals a rainbow of shimmering sea life. My days will be simple: swimming, snorkelling and snoozing in the shade, with long lazy lunches that stretch into starlit suppers. I suspect I’m going to take to switching off…