Where Do Travel Editors Go on Holiday?
What does it take to excite a travel editor? Some days, it’s a new hotel opening. On others, it’s a buzzy it-restaurant flipping the script or a special stretch of coastline taking off on social. But, when you spend your 9-5 scouring the globe, it’s not just about finding the next new place to visit — it’s also about discovering a new way to visit it. So, take it from the experts who’ve ‘been there, done that’: these are the best places to explore in 2025 and the very best ways to explore them.
Mark Brandon, content & partnerships director
1/9“Greece is the word. We’re going back in June/July for the first time since 2018. This trip, we’ll have two small kids onboard. We need to travel during peak school holidays, which can be tricky for Reward seats but we picked up Classic Plus Flight Rewards which frees up more cash for great hotels and Airbnbs. The itinerary is still a work in progress. Maybe beach and chill in Mykonos; we’ll definitely return to Nissaki Boutique Hotel. It’s not the latest, flashiest opening but it’s everything you imagine when you shut your eyes and dream of Greek island luxury – all white everything with a sparkling pool overlooking the even more dazzling Psarou Beach. Other islands on the list? Milos, Kefalonia and Corfu. We love Ace Hotels and have never been to the Athens Riviera, so this new Ace Hotel & Swim Club is also a maybe.”
Bridget de Maine, editor
2/9“I’m aiming for 2025 to be the year I finally tackle the chromatic and cultural kaleidoscope that is India. After reading Pico Iyer’s The Half-Known Life, my daydreams became invaded by visions of energetic mornings spent by the Ganges in Varanasi and I think this special spot, combined with the northern cities of Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, would make for a particularly magical trip. If time allows, I’ll also venture to the very top of the country for a few nights at the new Thiksey House Shakti Himalayas Ladakh, where the majestic Himalaya are so close, you could practically touch them.”
Kirsten Galliott, head of content
3/9“When I was 17, my parents took me to Disneyland and I want to do the same for my eldest daughter now that she’s the same age. They don’t call it the Magic Kingdom for nothing — it’s a fantasy land of F-U-N. We’re going to live the American dream and hang out in Los Angeles for a week and I’m already mulling over food hotspots (Bestia for modern Italian in a converted warehouse) and cultural stuff to explore (tiptoeing through Jeff Koons’ tulips at The Broad). Then, we’ll take a serious reset in Hawaii. The research is almost as fun as the trip.”
Image credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Hollie Wornes, senior social and digital producer
4/9“For the last year, I’ve watched my Instagram friends – and what feels like the rest of Australia – touch down in Japan. In 2025, it’ll finally be my turn. But unlike the snow chasers on my feed, I won’t be hitting the slopes of Hokkaido. I intend on keeping warm – whether that’s soaking in Kurama Onsen, located in the quaint mountain village of Kurama near Kyoto, or overheating from inhaling a bowl of Tokyo's famous Ichiran ramen too quickly.”
Image credit: Getty Images
Christina Rae, managing editor
5/9“I’ve been dreaming of visiting Egypt since I was a child – there’s something about the unique combination of history and architecture – and I’ve decided that 2025 is the year that I’ll finally tick it off my bucket list. I’m excited to see the giant pyramids in person and the Grand Egyptian Museum – the world’s largest archaeological museum – in Cairo has just opened its doors, so the timing couldn’t be better. I’ll be bringing my mum with me and we’re planning on doing a 12-day Viking River cruise down the Nile, a la Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, but without the stress.”
Faith Campbell, content director
6/9“I’d like to see more of Australia in 2025, and can’t choose between a road trip in Tasmania and camping on the NSW south coast. If I’m really lucky, I’ll get the chance to cruise through the Huon and Tamar Valley food bowls in the Apple Isle and pitch a tent at Honeymoon Bay near Currarong.”
Genevra Leek, editor-in-chief
7/9“It would be a dream come true to finally see the sun set over Uluru and Kata Tjuta, my children by my side, and to explore the significance of the area with an aboriginal guide. I’d start the journey at Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre – the centre was built in the mid-’90s at the base of Uluru and co-designed with community with the aim of educating visitors and I’m keen to see the architecture up close. Nearby, The Mala Walk is a family friendly, accessible trail that leads to the sacred Kantju Gorge, taking in Anangu rock art along the way. And in the evening, Wintjiri Wiru is a cultural storytelling drone experience that brings the ancestral Mala story to life. If we can, I’d also like to time our trip with the twinkling installations of Parrtjima, the free festival in light, which returns to Alice Springs (Mparntwe) for the tenth year for ten days in April – the 2025 theme is ‘Timelessness’.”
Melanie Colwell, senior campaigns editor
8/9“What do you get when two friends – one who writes about foreign cities for a living (me) and the other a travel agent (my bestie) – book a long weekend in Singapore? An itinerary so meticulously planned that even our downtime (relaxing by the rooftop infinity pool at Mondrian Singapore Duxton) is scheduled. Admittedly, eating and drinking dominates the agenda – we’ll hunt the hawker stalls for the best Hainanese chicken rice, sip yuzu whisky sours at Jigger & Pony (currently fifth of the The World’s 50 Best Bars list) and treat ourselves to a meal at Candlenut, the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant. I’m also excited to explore the charming neighbourhoods and outdoor spaces such as Katong-Joo Chiat and Fort Canning Park, and immerse myself in a virtual world at the ArtScience Museum. When will you sleep, I hear you ask? That’s what the flight home is for.
Kate McGregor, associate director
9/9“Growing up, I spent school holidays and long weekends at my grandparent’s farm, Balboora, about an hour outside of Dubbo in NSW central midwest. This is where my love for the outback began, so I’m planning a road trip through West Texas in 2025. I’m not ashamed to admit that I'm obsessed with the new Paramount+ series Landman, so my first stop will be living out my final frontier dreams by touring a network of private ranches that only opened to the public in recent years to marvel at the deep canyons and thick forests, possibly on horseback. If time allows, I’d canoe the Rio Grande, stopping to camp (OK, maybe glamp if possible) a night or two along the way. And I wouldn’t leave without experiencing the small town charm of Marfa and Alpine to eat my body weight in burritos, mosey through museums before finishing with a well-earned soak at the Chinati natural hot springs. Giddy up.”