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10-Year Anniversary
In April 2016 we published our very first digital magazine for luxury travel professionals. Ten years – a long time that somehow seems to have flown by. From quirky to downright hysterical, from hilarious to "Wait… seriously?!": here’s a selection of the most unforgettable moments we’ve experienced since the launch of our first B2B publication. Plus, each LuxuryWise editor shares her favorite trip to date.
Most Challenging Trip
Tokyo’s Narita Airport – and I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Where do the trains leave from? How do I even buy a ticket? Thankfully, the staff at the counter spoke English, and I eventually managed to sort it out. As I quickly discovered, that’s not something you can count on everywhere in Japan. Luckily, a German expat had kindly helped me book my Shinkansen tickets from Tokyo to Nikko, Kyoto, and back. Without him, I would’ve been completely lost – especially since, in 2023, the app was still available only in Japanese. But even Japan’s famously efficient rail network has its little traps. When I tried to get through the ticket gate to my platform, it suddenly rejected my ticket. A station employee rushed over and, in three chunks of broken English, explained that part of my route was operated by a different rail company. Meaning: I needed yet another ticket. Great. Off to the ticket machine – which, of course, didn’t accept credit cards. Despite the language barrier and the payment chaos, I somehow still made my train. Stress levels? Through the roof. Pro tip: in Japanese train stations, always watch what the locals are doing. Trust me, the fear of messing up gets very real in Japan!
Cathrin Lührs
Most Intense Oh Crap Moment
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda – a huge bucket-list dream finally comes to life. Our group of eight slowly hikes single file through dense jungle, while I stay carefully tucked somewhere in the middle, trying very hard not to think about everything currently crawling through the undergrowth around me (or through my hair!!!). One by one, people ahead of me disappear: sore knees, photo stops, whatever – until, completely unintentionally, I end up leading the group. Suddenly, the forest opens up into a clearing where the gorilla family is lounging in the sun. Unfortunately, the silverback seems less than thrilled about visitors. Out of nowhere, he charges straight toward me, full Tarzan mode, pounding his chest like something out of a movie. During the briefing earlier today, we’d been told very clearly: whatever happens, do not run. But if I could have? I would have sprinted out of there so fast. The problem: dense jungle on both sides, other people on the narrow trail behind me. Total panic. And then, just a few feet away, the massive gorilla suddenly stops, gives us this unmistakable "I’m the boss here" stare, and calmly starts chewing leaves. Message received loud and clear: Don’t mess with Big Daddy.
Iris M. Köpke
Most Embarrassing Move
Summer, sunshine, poolside bliss: for the opening of Six Senses Ibiza, I had scored an amazing suite right by the pool. Between my terrace and the water stood a cabana that looked very much like it belonged to my suite. So I made myself comfortable there in the morning – MacBook, book, pareo, the whole setup. At lunchtime, I casually left my things behind since there were plenty of empty loungers around the pool anyway. When I came back, though, some guy and his wife were suddenly sitting on "my" daybed, their child splashing happily in the pool – and all my belongings had vanished. Not exactly calm and collected, I marched up to the guest and gave him a piece of my mind. He nervously mumbled something in French, which only made me more annoyed. Then the pool boy came sprinting over, pulled me aside, and apologized about a thousand times. Turns out, the hotel – not the guest – had removed my things. They had forgotten to reserve the cabana for a VIP guest who had announced his arrival the day before. By dinner, I had officially become the running joke of the entire hotel: the woman who accidentally chased soccer legend Zinedine Zidane away from his cabana. Oops!
Melanie Haass
Biggest WTF Moment
December 2021. The entire team – including all freelance contributors – was invited to our Christmas dinner at a steakhouse. Among them: the only man on the team, instantly recognizable by his bald head and his white beard. At Melanie’s request, everyone showed up wearing either Santa hats or reindeer antlers to make things feel extra festive. Well… everyone except said gentleman. On the way back to our table, a random male guest suddenly stopped me, the founder and editor-in-chief. "Why are you wearing reindeer antlers?" he asked, genuinely confused. I pointed toward our table: "Because we’re having our team's Christmas party tonight. Everyone’s wearing something christmassy." The man glanced over and replied: "Oh wow, that’s actually pretty funny. Everyone’s joining in – except the boss." Uhm… EX-CU-SE ME, Sir?! 😡
Iris M. Köpke
Most Elegant Transfer
I arrived in Switzerland by train – perfectly on time to the second, true to the (positive) cliché – with a packed hotel site inspection itinerary ahead of me. Business as usual, right? Except for how I got around. My very first transfer already set the tone: a Maybach, the standard transfer vehicle at the Park Hotel Vitznau. But things became even more stylish once I reached Interlaken. Guests at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa can request transfers in a – hold your breath! – vintage 1960s Rolls-Royce Phantom V – and obviously, I had to experience that at least once. After all, only 518 of these beauties were ever built. And honestly? Riding in that car feels like floating on air. You don’t drive through the Swiss countryside – you glide through it. Add a glass of bubbly and sweeping views of Lake Brienz, and suddenly you feel just a tiny bit royal yourself.
Cathrin Lührs
Most Terrible Encounter
What was supposed to be a peaceful nature walk through Sri Lanka’s lush green tea plantations quickly turned into pure panic. Before the tour, I had very clearly explained that I would prefer not to hike straight through thick bushes – creepy crawlers tend to trigger fear rather than nature-induced serenity for me. Then, out of nowhere, our guide abruptly stopped, reached into the greenery at lightning speed – and casually pulled out a cobra. An actual cobra. I hadn’t even seen that creature before it was suddenly right there in his hands. While the guide calmly carried the snake back toward the hillside, I was most likely shrieking loudly enough to be heard across the entire plantation. My survival strategy, meanwhile, consisted mainly of trying to hide behind my highly amused travel companion as quickly as humanly possible.
Melanie Haass
Most Unusual Cuisine
I know, I know – there are countless Ayurveda fans out there. I just never really considered myself one of them. I simply love steaks, pizza, and a good glass of red wine a little too much. For me, the true highlight of Ayurveda had always been the massages. Which is exactly why the invitation to the new Engel Ayurpura in South Tyrol felt especially intriguing. Alongside the Michelin-awarded Engel Gourmet & Spa, the family opened a second retreat entirely dedicated to their passion for Ayurveda – complete with exceptional specialists, world-class treatments, and a refined cuisine concept built fully around holistic wellness. For me, that meant three days of Ayurvedic fasting — because apparently, that’s what one does for the job. And honestly? I have to admit: it was surprisingly delicious. Still, by the end of it all, I was very emotionally invested in the idea of finally eating a proper Kaiserschmarrn again…
Melanie Haass
Most Magical Moment
Some bucket-list experiences are truly worth enduring tropical storms, endless rain, and severe weather warnings. One of them, without question, was watching baby sea turtles make their way into the ocean on a beach in Costa Rica. Somehow, the rain gods took mercy on us for this magical moment and paused the downpour just long enough. In Tortuguero National Park, my guide carefully pointed out a few almost invisible spots in the sand, gently brushed some grains aside – and suddenly the first tiny turtles appeared. Honestly, the cuteness was almost unbearable. After fighting their way up through the sand with heroic determination, the little hatchlings slowly waddled toward the ocean before disappearing into the waves. And someday, the female turtles will return to this exact beach to lay their own eggs – because turtles always come back to the place where they were born.
Cathrin Lührs
Most Unexpected Escort
Not only my safest transfer, but definitely also my funniest, happened in Bali. By now, the island is rather infamous for its traffic chaos, so when we landed, we had mentally prepared ourselves for a very long drive. Inside the comfortable BMW X6 from the Bulgari Resort, however, everything felt perfectly relaxed – fresh smoothies, scented towels, snacks. Then suddenly, flashing blue lights appeared in front of us. Oh no, have we done something wrong? Turns out: we had an actual motorcycle police escort. While traffic on the road toward Uluwatu normally crawls along for hours, everything in front of us was simply cleared away. Thousands of scooters seemed to vanish by magic while we glided effortlessly through Bali’s infamous traffic jams. None of the three seasoned luxury travel professionals in the car had ever experienced anything quite like it – and we spent the entire ride crying with laughter.
Melanie Haass
Most Famous Interview Guest
At the Loop Spring gala night in Frankfurt back in 2018, I interviewed boxing champion Vitali Klitschko about his design hotel 11 Mirrors in Kyiv – back when life in Ukraine still was peaceful and normal. Before the interview even started, he made one thing very clear: he only wanted to talk about the hotel, not about himself as a celebrity. Luckily for him, that worked perfectly fine for me. I hadn’t even realized beforehand that he spoke German… which probably confirms that I’m not exactly the sport groupie type.
Iris M. Köpke
Biggest Unfulfilled Dream
We truly have a dream job – one we would hardly trade for anything in the world. But apparently, the gods of press trips still refuse to answer our prayers: WE WANT TO GO TO ANTARCTICA!!! Just once, we want to watch glowing blue ice sculptures drift past us. Just once, we want to sit face-to-face with an emperor penguin. Just once, we want to walk across endlessly creaking pack ice. But for now, Antarctica remains the one great dream destination that continues to elude us. Then again – one is allowed to dream, right?
Melanie Haass, Cathrin Lührs, Iris M. Köpke
Most Definite "Never Again"
March 2020 – the pandemic hits, the world shuts down, and suddenly all of Germany starts panic-buying toilet paper. Some of the official measures taken by governments around the worlds felt only vaguely logical – like disinfecting street signs in Spain and Italy. Or fining dog owners because they accidentally crossed the invisible border between two German states while walking near a field. Yes, that really happened. One thing is certain: we absolutely never need to experience anything like that ever again.
Iris M. Köpke
Favorite Trip: Bhutan
Bhutan with Aman: a country that feels completely untouched by time. A place where hardly anyone drinks soda, cigarettes are illegal, and carpaccio is made from yak meat. Where even entering the post office requires a traditional, formal dress. The landscapes look like they came straight from an oil painting, and the people genuinely believe that one should perform three good deeds every single day. Even if one of those good deeds means helping “Am Iris” ("Miss Iris") sloooowly make her way up to Tiger’s Nest monastery with a freshly healed triple torn ligament. Afterward, an Aman massage erased every trace of muscle soreness, while back in my room, a fire crackled in the stove – lit with fragrant pinecones. Pure magic!
Iris M. Köpke
Favorite Trip: Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a way of capturing you from the very first moment. The Ticos are warm, welcoming, and deeply connected to nature – and that nature is exactly what fascinates me most about the country. From the car, you spot toucans and macaws, constantly scan the trees for sloths and monkeys, and marvel at the incredible biodiversity all around you. The hotels are the icing on the cake. I completely fell in love with Origins Luxury Lodge: the views stretching toward Lake Nicaragua and the private hot tub overlooking untouched nature are amazing. Equally spectacular is the wild Pacific coast in the south of the country, where adventurous travelers can experience one of the most exciting water transfers I’ve ever taken.
Cathrin Lührs
Favorite Trip: Maldives
You might be thinking: really, the Maldives? Isn’t that kind of standard in luxury travel? But for me, this trip became almost a small act of liberation. It happened right in the middle of the pandemic, when most of us still felt trapped in endless home office routines. Even the journey there felt surreal; maybe ten flights departed that entire day. The plan was to stay across three different resorts. But at the second hotel a suspected COVID case suddenly changed everything. We were given two options: leave immediately or remain on the island without continuing the trip. We decided to stay. And for a few precious days, surrounded by turquoise water, sunshine, and wonderful people, the madness of that strange time suddenly felt very far away.
Melanie Haass
Images: Pinguins in Antarctica: aussieanouk/stock.adobe.com / all other Images: LuxuryWise