DEPARTURES BORN TO ROAM
DEPARTURES BORN TO ROAM 24 Space Perspective passengers travel in the Neptune Capsule, which is buoyed by a renewablehydrogen balloon Dining with the Stars Miami restaurant and nightclub titan David Grutman pulls back the curtain on his most daring project yet: the hospitality side of Space Perspective, which will start taking visitors up to the stars in 2024. How did you come to be involved with Space Perspective? Jane [Poynter], the co-founder, and her team came to me and said “We know balloons and we know safety. This is going to be an experience that no one else has, and we want you to enhance it. How do we enhance it?” I thought that was such a cool thing to say. Listen, we know what we know, we know what we don’t know, and we really want to find the guy that’s into experience. The easy route would have been let’s call Jean- Georges [Vongerichten], or let’s call whatever celebrity chef there is, right? But they knew it’s not just the food. Food is definitely a big part, but we’re focusing on how it all relates, on the whole experience of being up in another environment for six hours. You’re now 18 months from the launch. What are your main considerations for hospitality in space? First of all, you want to be able to cater to different groups: one group might not like the same thing as another group, so you want to be able to give people options: that’s a really big focus for us. And then there are questions like: “How do your taste buds react when you’re above the atmosphere?” We’re still in the process of research and understanding what will be possible – I can’t say too much now – but we’re aiming to match the awe-inspiring experience of the journey with food and beverage and music. And I should also say: it’s not just the six hours we’re thinking about. As soon as you enter your Space Perspective experience, we will make it a moment, with a welcome drink, getting you into it. And when you touch down and get on the boat, we want to make sure you can sit down comfortably and digest what you just went through. It’s a lifechanging experience and we are thrilled to be part of curating it. spaceperspective.com – As told to Brian Noone David Grutman Rising to fame for his scene-setting club LIV in Miami, he has 22 new openings over the next two years, including his second hotel with singer Pharrell Williams. © SPACE PERSPECTIVE, JÖRN KASPUHL (ILLUSTRATION)
FROM TOP: ISTOCK, © AQUA EXPEDITIONS The Departures 10 Adventure | Exploration | Sport A Mongolian falconer 4 GRUMETI SERENGETI RIVER LODGE Kenya Offering twice-daily games drive and perspectivealtering hot-air balloon safaris, adventure abounds at this new property with just nine suites and its own resident hippo pod, andbeyond.com 5 DUVINE Global The backbone of every multinight cycling tour is the charismatic local guides who offer a rare insider’s glimpse into destinations from Uruguay to the Swiss Alps, duvine.com 7 SILVERSEA Antarctica Since acquiring the Crystal Endeavour this summer, a trailblazing Silversea fleet of three iceclass vessels is unsurpassed in its exploration of the icy waters of the seventh continent, silversea.com 8 RIO PALENA LODGE Chilean Patagonia Splendidly isolated, Eleven Experience’s rustic-chic chalet is a superb base camp for epic runs on untapped heli-skiing zones in the most dramatic of natural settings, elevenexperience.com 1 NOMADIC EXPEDITIONS Mongolia The hypnotic vastness of the Central Asian country is adeptly framed in astonishing guided journeys across its craggy peaks, lush steppe and Gobi Desert, nomadicexpeditions. com Exploring the Galápagos 9 MOUNTAIN LODGES OF NEPAL Nepal With an eye towards ethical travel and Buddhist values, the experienced outfitter offers 16 beautiful lodges and meticulously planned adventures across the Himalayan kingdom, mountainlodgesofnepal.com 10 SUJÁN Rajasthan, India 2 62°NORD Norway Whirlwind cycling and e-car tours offer a 360-degree view of the Nordic wonderland’s remote labyrinth of fjords, grounded by stays at a portfolio of heritagechic lodgings. 62.no 3 ADVENTURE SLOVENIA Slovenia Whether you’re fly-fishing along crystal-clear rivers or cycling the vineyards of Goriška Brda, get to know the oftoverlooked Alpine nation through curated active itineraries, adventureslovenia.com 6 AQUA EXPEDITIONS The Galápagos Islands Witness all the drama of Charles Darwin’s ecological utopia up close on a life-altering, naturalist-guided voyage aboard the 16-passenger yacht Aqua Mare, aquaexpeditions.com Three plush, newly renovated tented camps invite guests on once-in-a-lifetime adventures, from tiger-tracking in a billion-year-old forest to wandering hills alongside local herdsmen, thesujanlife.com “In Antarctica, guests are not contactable by the outside world. You can’t click your fingers and leave. That in itself, in this modern day, is quite a thing. So we tend to attract people looking for an extraordinary sense of discovery and complete disconnect from the rest of the world.” Patrick Woodhead, CEO of White Desert Antarctica, which will soon launch its third camp on the continent, white-desert.com DEPARTURES 25
