https://www.scmp.com/rss/304758/feed Nick Walton is a Hong Kong-based travel photojournalist who spends half the year exploring the world’s most remote corners, from the Northwest Passage to South Georgia and points in between. Managing Editor for experiential travel magazines Jetsetter, Explorer and Journey Weaver, and a regular commentator on travel issues, when Nick’s not travelling on assignment, he can be found in his adopted home, exploring the wet markets and hidden beaches, or tracking down the city’s best dirty martini... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The call goes out over the ship’s PA system: “Dolphins at 12 o’clock”. It’s dawn on the Sea of Cortez, a narrow strip of water wedged between the Baja California Peninsula and the Mexican mainland, and this is a wake-up call that simply cannot be ignored. Passengers quickly gather at the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird, a ferry turned expedition vessel. Ahead, white caps punctuate a horizon slipping from the inky darkness of night, the first rays catching distant movement: the vanguard... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2110789/sea-cortez-rewards-visitors-aquatic-wonderland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2110789/sea-cortez-rewards-visitors-aquatic-wonderland?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Sep 2017 12:01:56 +0000 So, what is Helena Bay? The newest addition to New Zealand’s acclaimed lodge scene, Helena Bay is nestled in its namesake, two hours north of Auckland. Built at a cost of US$35 million by a media-shy Russian steel magnate, the lodge caters to just 10 guests at a time. So it’s remote? Helena Bay is located in the northeast of the North Island, on the long, winding Russell Road, which traces the pristine coastline to the country’s first capital, Okiato or Old Russell. There’s little to tell... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2109944/new-zealands-latest-luxury-lodge-sleeps-just-10-does?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2109944/new-zealands-latest-luxury-lodge-sleeps-just-10-does?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Sep 2017 00:46:00 +0000 It's a safari camp, then? Yes, but not all camps are created equal. Namiri Plains is one of the Serengeti's newest camps, built to coincide with the reopening of the surrounding Soit Le Motonyi reserve, a remote area of Tanzania that was closed off to mankind for 20 years in an effort to revive the cheetah population. The result is unique in the Serengeti, which welcomes more than 20,000 camera-toting tourists each year - a luxury camp 45 minutes from its nearest neighbour and perfectly... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1840077/namiri-plains-serengetis-newest-luxury-safari-camp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1840077/namiri-plains-serengetis-newest-luxury-safari-camp?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jul 2015 14:36:14 +0000 The penguin seems oblivious to the howling wind that whips over the snowy landscape, which is ablaze under a nighttime sun. A little smaller than a house cat, but far more inquisitive, the gentoo inspects our huddle before raising its head and gargling into the sky, as if in approval. It's 5am; perhaps it thinks it's an Antarctic rooster. No one is in a rush to rise from snug sleeping bags or leave the burrow in the ice, our collective breath hanging in the air like cartoon speech bubbles. Few... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1702802/antartic-adventure-just-take-sleeping-bag-night-ice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1702802/antartic-adventure-just-take-sleeping-bag-night-ice?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2015 14:30:15 +0000 What is it? The Trump group's first foray into Downtown Manhattan, Trump Soho has a young, chic persona but none of the glittery glamour of its Central Park sibling. And despite its 391 guest rooms, the property is more akin to a discreet boutique hotel. A lobby lined with muted Spanish marble, reflecting pools and shuttered windows keeps the paparazzi at bay and leads guests into an intimate library; Koi Soho, a signature Japanese restaurant; and a panel of lifts that transport guests to and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1555543/hot-spots-trump-soho-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1555543/hot-spots-trump-soho-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2014 14:52:51 +0000 What is it? A granitic island located just 10 minutes by helicopter from Mahe, in the Seychelles, picture perfect North Island (above) has already earned a reputation as a celebrity hideaway. Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, honeymooned here, as did actress Salma Hayek; David and Victoria Beckham celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary sequestered in one of only 11 palatial villas, and Liz Hurley, Jennifer Aniston, Pierce Brosnan and J.K. Rowling have all enjoyed its... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1237629/hot-spots-north-island-seychelles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1237629/hot-spots-north-island-seychelles?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000