Belmond Releases 'The List'

If you haven’t made any travel plans for 2016 yet, we have some suggestions. With so many amazing places to visit, it’s hard to whittle your bucket list down to just a few places. Fortunately there are lots of great resources that can help you in your enviable task. One of our favourite resources for luxury travel ideas comes from Belmond. The travel company curates exceptional experiences worldwide and they have recently released ‘The List,’ their guide to the year’s must-do experiences. So whether you are pursuing your writing aspirations in Santa Barbara or finally getting around to checking out Machu Picchu, the list will likely have something for you.

Photo: Belmond Road to Mandalay

The List launched recently with “volun-tourism” in Myanmar, which coincides with two decades of their luxury river cruiser Belmond Road to Mandalay in 1996.

Moving on to February, Belmond turns up the glamour at Brazil’s world-famous Rio Carnival. Belmond Copacabana Palace’s lavish Magic Ball is set to surpass all others while also celebrating the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympics.

March invites aspiring artists to fulfil a lifetime ambition as a writer-in-residence at Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara as they attempt to craft the next Oscar-worthy original screenplay.

Photo: Belmond Hotel Cipriani Venice reopens Mar. 16th

April sees Italian Renaissance-inspired bespoke experiences in Belmond’s Italian collection of iconic hotels as they reopen for the season.

Guests at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg can welcome May with an exclusive performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Mariinsky Theatre from the Tsar’s private box.

Celebrating the pioneering days of rail travel, June brings the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' inaugural journey to Berlin which will link the historic European capitals of London, Paris and Berlin.

Photo: Belmond Eagle Island Lodge

Taking advantage of the seasonal high water levels, the new Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in the Okavango Delta is the place to be in July to experience a range of activities in one of Botswana’s water-based safari lodges.

August will offer the opportunity to take part in a new chapter of history as Belmond launches Ireland’s first overnight luxury train, Belmond Grand Hibernian.

Take a ‘moon-bath’ in September as a spectacular lunar rainbow at Iguassu Falls at Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, the only hotel located in Brazil’s Iguassu National Park.

In October Belmond invites travellers to take inspiration from their journeys to enter their travel articles into a travel writer competition to be published in both Belmond’s digital and print magazines.

Celebrating the close of a year, November is a time to give thanks and ask Pachamama (Mother Earth) for her blessing during a ceremony at one of the great wonders of the world—Machu Picchu.

Photo: Belmond British Pullman train

See the year out in style in December by embarking on a festive journey on the luxury Belmond British Pullman train. Follow this with an unforgettable gourmet lunch at the two Michelin-star Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire.

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