The Y Travel Edit: Four Seasons’ Evergreen Appeal
There is a moment, somewhere between leaving home and arriving somewhere extraordinary, when travel stops being logistics and becomes something else entirely. It is the moment our team lives for, and in the first six months of 2026, we have had the privilege of creating it repeatedly for clients who refused to let uncertainty get in the way of meaningful travel.
Four Seasons Hotel Madrid
“My clients recently returned from Madrid and adored their stay at the Four Seasons”
- Yvonne
A snow-covered mountain has a particular pull, and our ski enthusiasts felt it once again this year. Europe led the charge, with Gstaad, Val d'Isère, Méribel and Courchevel featuring across multiple itineraries. Méribel was especially popular this season, while our ski-experts' resourcefulness was put into action when a last-minute peak season request came in for two the of the Alps’ most sought after resorts. Of course we made it happen!
And then there was Ski Buzz, our annual small group ski tour, hosted by Y Travel founder Yvonne Verstandig, which was sold out once again. The 2026 ‘safari’ began in Cervinia before the group traversed the Italian-Swiss border to Saas-Fee and on to Verbier for a final flourish. Après-ski has never been such fun!
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Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
“Quote to come”
Linda
River cruising has been one of the standout stories of the first half of the year, with the South of France, the Rhine and the canals of Venice all featuring across our itineraries. There is something undeniably appealing about unpacking once and letting the scenery rearrange itself around you each morning. Beyond the rivers, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has proven enormously popular in the Mediterranean, its blend of superyacht intimacy and five-star service striking exactly the right note.
A Disney Cruise added a generous dose of magic to one family's Singapore itinerary, while one group discovered that the finest way to experience Japan is not from the window of a bullet train but from the deck of a ship, as a Silversea voyage aboard the Silver Nova traced the country's coastline. Closer to home, a Silversea expedition along the Kimberley coast from Broome to Darwin took clients through ancient gorges, dramatic tidal waterfalls and landscapes that have barely changed in thousands of years. Some cruises take you ‘somewhere’. These ones change the way you see it.
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Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa
"This was my first ever stay in the Maldives, and I was blown away by the location and the quietly luxurious, barefoot feel of the resort. I stayed in an overwater bungalow, which was wonderful. The spa was a real highlight too, you catch a long-tail boat across to a little island reserved just for spa treatments. And going out on the boat to see the dolphins was an unexpected highlight of its own."
Leora
At the southern tip of South America, the wind can be ferocious, and the granite towers of Chile's Torres del Paine rise from the Patagonian steppe with complete indifference to human presence, leaving even the most seasoned travellers lost for words. In April, clients immersed themselves in this awe-inspiring wilderness, staying at Patagonia Camp - where geodesic domes gaze directly towards the peaks - before continuing through Argentina's El Calafate and El Chaltén, where glaciers calve into lakes with the effortless drama of something that has been shaping itself for millennia.
Half a world away, a Backroads journey from London to Paris via the Channel Islands uncovered hidden coves, wartime history etched into cliffsides, and a pace of life that makes the ‘real world’ feel very far away - proof that some of the world's most memorable experiences are often hiding in its quietest corners.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An
The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
London remains the anchor of most UK itineraries, spanning the full spectrum this year, partly thanks to some of its remarkable hotels - both long-established and newly opened. Beyond the capital, Heckfield Place offered biodynamic farm-to-table dining and deep English countryside calm, while Bath and the Cotswolds featured across several itineraries as a reminder that Britain, at its best, is quietly world-class.
Further north, Scotland continues to lure travellers with its own particular brand of charm. Edinburgh delivers the drama, its castle rising above the city with authority, while The Balmoral anchors Princes Street in assured, unmistakable grandeur. From there, the road leads north into the Highlands, where the Fife Arms in Braemar has managed to bottle the romance of the region. Stags appear on the hills outside with cinematic regularity, the art collection is extraordinary, and a glass of single malt whiskey patiently awaits your arrival.
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
Singita Faru Faru Lodge
Some of our most adventurous clients turned their attention to Central and East Africa this year. One itinerary combined time at Odzala Discovery Camps in the Republic of Congo with a private river expedition aboard the Princesse Ngalessa travelling through ancient, untouched rainforest.
In Rwanda, Singita Kwitonda Lodge was the perfect base for our clients who trekked through Volcanoes National Park in search of the majestic mountain gorillas. In neighbouring Uganda another family also crossed a mountain gorilla experience off their bucket list, before continuing on to Tanzania, where highlights included Swala Camp in Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and Singita Faru Faru on the Grumeti Reserve. These are the kinds of itineraries that remain in our memory for life.
Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico
Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has featured multiple times this year and consistently delivered. The Cultural Triangle drew history lovers to ancient rock fortresses and cave temples, while the south coast offered beautiful beaches and wildlife encounters that feature heavily in the reports clients send back to us. The Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Heritance Kandalama above the Sigiriya plateau, the Wallawwa near Colombo and the Amangalla in Galle all proven popular, offering experiences to suit every type of traveller.
In Southern India, Kerala offered its own quiet rewards. Backwaters, spice markets and the colonial port town of Cochin drew clients who prefer their travel rich in history and flavour. The Malabar House and the Taj Malabar provided elegant bases for exploring a side of India beyond Rajasthan and the Golden Triangle.
Four Seasons Resort Langkawi
The second half of 2026 is wide open, and if the first half is anything to go by, it is going to be remarkable. More wild frontiers, more time on the water, and more of those moments that make you marvel at the incredible world we live in.
Where might your next chapter begin?