| Masters of Travel |
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Page 5 of 6
©iStockphoto.com/JacobH
Photo by Rob Howard
When George Butterfield organized his first trip, in 1966—a shoestring student bike tour of Europe—he didn’t realize he was pioneering a travel revolution. The Bermuda-born law student’s rookie effort—co-led by his wife, Martha Robinson, and her brother Sidney—featured a hodgepodge of rented bikes and a lot of great burgundies. Since then, Butterfield has made it his business to crisscross the globe, designing stylish and surprising trips that place a premium on authenticity and intimacy over superficial excess. The Butterfield & Robinson credo: Go slowly, on the ground, as the locals do. “That’s how I define luxury,” says the inveterate wanderer. “We look for local places that aren’t in the guidebooks and won’t be in the guidebooks.” 1. Lunenburg, Nova ScotiaWHY > The new Nantucket, minus the hordes.MUST DO > A day of whale watching with local lobsterman and storyteller Bill Flower. EAT > Foie gras and sole at Fleur de Sel restaurant. 2. ParisWHY > Walking around the small neighborhoods.STAY > L’Hôtel Paticulier in Montmartre. MUST DO > Croissants at Café Delmas on Rue Mouffetard and an amble along La Coulée Verte, then pick up a creamy Brillat Savarin cheese, a baguette, and a bottle of wine at the Bastille Market and have lunch along the Seine. Later, a visit to the Musée Picasso in the Marais district. EAT > La Régalade in the 14th and after-dinner drinks at the Bilboquet jazz club. 3. Burgundy, FranceWHY > Some of the best wines and cycling in the world.STAY > L’Hôtel de Beaune. MUST DO > Bike rides between the little villages and vineyards. DRINK > The Meursault at David Butterfield Wines, owned by George’s son. 4. Athens/SantoriniWHY > To visit the most classical of all Greek islands.STAY > Hotel Bretagne, Athens; Perivolas Traditional Houses, Santorini. MUST DO > Hike from the port capital of Fira along the caldera’s rim to the traditional village of Oia. EAT > In Oia, Taverna Katina for keftedes and fresh fish. 5. OmanWHY > Even though it is steeped in history, Oman remains on the cusp of discovery; now is the time to go.STAY > The Chedi. MUST DO > Hike in the al-Hajar Mountains, and descend at sunset to the old port town of Muttrah to visit the teeming souk. Sail to Quantab and snorkel the bay off Muscat. 6. MyanmarWHY > For the people. Says Butterfield, “The Burmese are the most generous and peaceful on earth.”MUST DO > Hop a flight from Rangoon to Putao and stay at the exquisite Malikha Lodge, on the Nam Lang River. There’s rafting on the Nam Lang and good mountain biking, but try the elephant trekking. |
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