Properties That Embrace the Y Factors Generosity and Culture & Community

Whether you’re discussing ancient customs with a samurai in Japan, witnessing a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration in Latin America, or learning how to make haggis in Scotland, our Culture & CommunityY Factor allows you to discover the essence of a destination.

From the desert communities of Morocco to the vibrant and bustling streets of Mexico, from lively local festivals to heaving market squares, from the taste of native dishes to the challenge of mastering traditional handicrafts, this type of travel immerses you in what makes each country unique. It connects you with its people, customs, traditions, and beliefs.

It’s one of our favourite ways to experience the world and that is why we work with hotel brands that put travellers in touch with the heart and soul of a destination. Working hand-in-hand with Culture & Community is the Generosity Y Factor, which is about understanding the individual challenges faced by the communities and environments we visit and giving back meaningfully to those in need.

Below is a sample of travel brands from around the world that encapsulate our Culture & Community and Generosity Y Factors. They look good, they do good, and they make you feel good!

Luxury lodges of Australia

The trusted source for luxury Australian travel experiences and accommodation. This is a collection of the best high-end lodges and camps, located across diverse regions of Australia. Collectively, the brand showcases Australia’s extraordinary diversity of place and experience, underpinned by soft luxuries. At the core of what it means to be a Luxury Lodge of Australia is ‘purpose and positive impact’.

They lodges represented as part of this brand are much more than just beautiful places to stay. They deliver – in droves – connection to place, and between them they promise more than 300 individual experiences and activities, all created to give guests a genuine sense of place, with the luxury of privileged access.

Let’s take Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania for example. The stunning lodge, which discreetly overlooks the Hazards Mountains, Freycinet Peninsula and the pristine waters of Great Oyster Bay was designed and built on a framework of sustainability principles that underpin every aspect of its architecture, daily operations, supply chain and guest experience. From the beginning, the Saffire development sought to “protect healthy sites and heal damaged sites”.

Guests are encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of Saffire’s ‘eat local’ philosophy and supply chain during their stay. Opportunities include donning a full-body apiarist suit to see, up-close, how Saffire’s home-grown honey is produced; or stepping into a pair of waders on a local oyster farm to taste prized Pacific oysters while learning about wetland and marine ecology.

Saffire’s Aboriginal guide, Mick Quilliam leads coastal strolls that uncover the history of the Oyster Bay Indigenous people and the complexity and richness of the local flora and fauna. Guests can sample bush tucker, learn about foraging tools, and gain their own appreciation of connecting to the land.

The magical settings, the freshest of produce and the enjoyment of being immersed in the methods and stories of the oldest Tasmanians is compelling motivation to conserve this very special corner of the planet.

Another one of Saffire’s most significant sustainability initiatives is the establishment of an on-site, one-hectare, free-range enclosure that provides sanctuary – and a ‘luxury retirement home’ – for endangered Tasmanian Devils. Saffire Freycinet, together with guests, has raised over $125,000 for Tasmanian Devil Research. It is a major sponsor of Wildcare’s Devil Fund, which provides funding support for the Menzies Institute of Medical Research in Hobart. The Institute is researching a vaccine for DFTD, a disease which nearly caused the extinction of Tasmanian devils in 2014.

Guests are invited and encouraged every step of their Saffire journey to connect with the many initiatives the resort has in play to protect and preserve the local environment and community.

The Datai Langkawi

Nestled in the heart of an ancient rainforest, The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia is a captivating resort that blends into its natural surroundings. Situated on the mystical island of Langkawi, the resort’s lush tropical rainforest embraces each room, suite, and villa, with private verandas and breathtaking views.

Such is the brand’s reverence for its otherworldly surroundings, it developed The Datai Pledge; a private trust dedicated to improving the well-being of the environment, wildlife, and local community of Langkawi.

The Datai Pledge comprises four pillars: Pure for The Future; Fish For The Future; Wildlife For The Future; and Youth For The Future, which respectively focus on business operations and ethics; the marine life; the fauna and flora; and the children of the community.

Set against a wilderness backdrop of primordial mountains and pristine ancient rainforest that is home to a wealth of flora and fauna, The Datai Langkawi have actively sought guest participation in sustainability initiatives as part of the pledge. The resort’s team of resident naturalists and marine biologists have curated experiences and activities that allow guests to discover the unique natural surroundings and learn how to care for it – practices they can take home with them.

Belmond La Résidence Phou Vao

A sanctuary of serenity in the mountains of Laos, La Résidence Phou Vao is a haven of peace where guests are enabled to relax, step back into a more gracious era and embrace the tranquil spirit of Luang Prabang. Positioned atop a hill, gazing across sacred mountains, the intimate hotel is designed in a traditional style, gemmed with teak, silk and fresh cotton accents. In additional to these local architecture and design cues, La Résidence Phou Vao exposes guests to authentic Lao culture through a variety of rich and genuine experiences.

Guests can participate in a tak bat and sunrise cruise, which involves the traditional ritual of almsgiving – one of the most iconic images of Luang Prabang – where they accompany hotel staff as they head into town to gift food to a procession of local monks in their vibrant orange robes. After the Alms giving procession, there’s an opportunity to visit the morning market in the town, followed by a sunrise breakfast cruise along the Mekong River, welcoming the day in magical style.

Another popular experience is a Baci ceremony, one of the oldest Lao traditions, which is often used to celebrate special events. A senior village shaman will perform this enchanting ceremony for family and friends. The blessings he bestows are designed to strengthen community bonds and leave participants feeling renewed.

In additional to traditional cooking classes, guests can join a Luang Prabang tour – which involves visiting local boutiques, towering temples, and shimmering pagodas – or a Laotian farm experience. On this tour, guests will discover how rice is key to the local culture and learn about planting and cultivation with a hands-on experience in the paddy fields.

The Place Firenze

In the heart of Florence, deeply connected to its daily life, artistic heritage and lively cultural scene, travellers will find The Place Firenze. While the whole hotel - its grand rooms and beautiful common spaces - are impeccably designed and comfortable, it is the connections to the Tuscan city it conjures that we think you’ll remember the most.

The streets of Florence heave with craftsmanship and cultural traditions. As you wander along, you can catch scents of wood, leather, and perfume and spot tiny shops piled high with lace and fabric, sandals, and boots.

To help preserve these local customs, the Place created a project called the ‘Place of Wonders.’ Part guest experience and part foundation, the program connects curious travellers with the behind-the-scenes of six ‘wonders’ of Florentine craftsmanship in a bid to preserve dying skills.

The Place of Wonders dares to dream of a new type of engagement between a hotel and its surroundings and strives to make The Place Firenze an ever more active participant in the social, cultural, culinary, and educational life of Florence. Guests can donate to help protect these experiences—the owners also donate a substantial amount.

To bring their vision to life, The Place works with a group of Florentine makers and artists to put guests into direct contact with a vibrant community full of wonders. One such wonder is less than five minutes away from the hotel: the Museo Marino Marini, a former church and tobacco factory. It is now a centre for contemporary art, housing more than 170 bronze sculptures by artist Marino Marini.

Africa

The whole African continent is as abundant with examples of ‘generosity’ and ‘culture and community’ as it is wildlife. From well-known collectives that specialise in the destination like Great Plains, andBeyond and Singita, to individual properties and boutique brands that look after their local communities, Africa is the heartland of feel-good, do-good tourism.

Whether you’re after a luxurious hotel stay or a more authentic, back-to-nature safari-style experience, we can recommend the ideal itinerary for you to connect with the many wonders of this wild and wondrous destination.

AndBeyond - Phinda Community Zulu Dancers

Kasbah Tamadot

Situated in the spectacular Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the award-winning Kasbah Tamadot was bought by Sir Richard Branson during one of his famous ballooning expeditions. Each of the 28 rooms and suites has been individually decorated to reflect the beautiful architecture of the building, and features antiques from all over the world.

Attached to the incredible property is the Eve Branson Foundation, a small non-profit based in the region and spearheaded by Richard Branson’s mother, Eve. The foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for locals in the High Atlas Mountains, and in turn make a meaningful difference to their families and community. It achieves this through initiatives across four key areas: artisanal training, environment, healthcare, and education.

The foundation works alongside Kasbah Tamadot, with a shared commitment to sustaining livelihoods in the region. Guests are invited to donate to the foundation or incorporate a personalised tour of its projects, which involves seeing firsthand how some of the beautiful textiles on display at Kasbah Tamadot are made!

Chablé Yucatán

Wellness retreat and luxury hotel, Chablé Yucatán, is one of the world's only properties with its very own cenote (natural pool) where you can enjoy the gentle trickle of water as you surrender to a spa treatment. The hedonistic hacienda is also home to a trio of pre-Hispanic style temazcals (saunas), and meditation lawns illuminated by fireflies that make your walk to bed in the evening feel like something straight from a fairytale. The restored 19th-century estate exudes a mod-Mexican look and is nestled amid 750 acres of tropical Yucatán jungle.

The hotel has a few tricks up its sleeve in terms of honouring the local way of life and ecosystem, including maintaining on-site gardens called K’anche’s, which cater aromatic herbs and an assortment of seasonal vegetables to the kitchens and spa. The hotel also produces its own butter, jams, tomato sauce, mayonnaise, bread, and ice cream, and products that cannot be grown or made on-site are sourced from local farmers and sustainable fishing communities. Guests can experience the property’s Melipona bee sanctuary to learn about the importance of bees in the Mayan culture and local biodiversity, and what care management looks like.

With the intention of supporting local communities and businesses, Mexican-made products are on sale at the hotel’s boutique store, and most staff are residents of the neighbouring town of Chocholá. Chablé Yucatán has a waste reduction and recycling plan in place, has installed solar panels, features plastic free and eco-friendly products, and offers a water refill station for guests.

One of our favourite ways to experience the local culture at this spa retreat is in the treatment rooms, where the menu provides three distinct journeys by bringing into focus the location, the culture, and traditions ceremonies.

Contact us to discover culture and community

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