As travel editors, we get to cover a lot of ground—and we don’t just mean miles, but all the proximate joys that come along with life on the road, from the restaurants we’re dining at to the books we’re reading on the plane. This February, the editors at Condé Nast Traveler have been inspired by innovations in cold-weather skincare, workout gear to kick start the new year in style, and kitschy T-shirts fit for Mardi Gras. Below, what our editors across our London and New York City desks are loving this month.
Preshita Saha, director of content, global video
I’ve just returned from a solo escape to Australia, feeling rather recalibrated, thanks in no small part to Orpheus Island Lodge, a luxurious and immersive hideaway set literally in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. I spent hours snorkeling off the pristine beach, as turtles, manta rays, the occasional reef shark, and over 1,100 species of fish meandered through coral gardens so incredibly beautiful they felt sculpted by imagination. I’ve come back with a head (and camera roll) full of unforgettable memories. And I’m now obsessed with Australian swimwear! As a person who struggles to find swimwear both cute and supportive, I fell in love with Seafolly’s Beach Bound ring-front bikini top and a classic one-piece by Form and Fold.
Back in wintry London, my wardrobe has narrowed to a reliable uniform of Lovall’s winter leggings (originally bought for a cruise trip to Norway, now a non-negotiable cold weather layer), buttery soft and gorgeously draped tops from Ninety Percent, Studio Nicholson’s impeccably cut A-line coat that goes with everything, and handcrafted glass jewelry from Levens Jewels to lift even the grayest of days.
On my reading list for this month are The Soul Catchers by Naoko Higashi and The Anthropologists by Aysegül Savas. Through February, I’ll be soaking up the Lee Miller exhibition at Tate Britain and plotting a visit to the Beatriz González showcase at the Barbican. I’m also feeling very pleased with myself for securing tickets to the V&A’s Schiaparelli exhibition next month.
I’ll be bouncing between London, Amsterdam, the Scottish highlands, and Saudi Arabia over the next few weeks, which means my suitcase is permanently half-packed. Travel essentials include the Relax ACU-PATCH from 001 London that I’ve been using since autumn to ease jet lag and support better sleep during my nighttime meditation, and the Suri 2.0 electric toothbrush, a Christmas gift that’s coming with me on all future trips thanks to its beautifully compact travel case and impressively long-lasting battery life.
Jessica Sulima, commerce writer
I’m back in New York reflecting on a trip that sounds made-up whenever I say it out loud: the Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz. The event took place on a frozen Lake St. Moritz, nestled in the Swiss Alps—the Engadin Valley to be exact. There’s no world in which I could have competed with the event’s fashion scene, which was marked by extravagant furs, Birkins, and small-dogs-as-accessories. But I did keep warm with my go-to Intimissimi cashmere underlayer and a pair of L.L. Bean Camden Hills snowboots.