10 Epic Moments To Look Forward To When Travel Comes Back

If we learned one thing in 2020, it’s that everything can change overnight. I don’t need to repeat that it was a year of loss, deferrals and general regret about not doing those things we figured we could do at any time. 

In conversations with everyone from psychotherapists and yoga teachers to hoteliers and chefs, a certain theme kept coming up. Make the most of your opportunities. Is your day today as good as it could be? Or if you get the reference, Carpe diem. Seize the day!

That trip you were considering for your next meaningfully round birthday or anniversary? That vague idea on your wish list? Do it soon, as soon as it’s safe to do so. If we learned any other thing in 2020, it’s that life is fragile and short. 

And so we might as well live. When we travel again, it’s time to go all in, to make it count. To that end, I checked in with the travel experts at Black Tomato, who have conjured up “some of the most epic journeys imaginable,” centered around awe-inspiring moments. 

PS: Tons of research has shown that planning a trip is good for your mental health. And if planning your next meal is more your thing, I have some ideas about that too.

Northern Iceland

Along with the many other considerable draws of Iceland, Black Tomato’s new itinerary kicks it up a notch with the addition of a swim with humpback whales under the midnight sun. Rare, wondrous and ephemeral are some of the words in the marketing material, and they sound about right for an encounter with these majestic creatures as they start their annual migration to the Caribbean. Says Marchant, “Iceland holds a very special place in my heart…this remote part of the country is adventurous, off the grid and truly one-of-a-kind, and the moment itself is simply breathtaking.”

Moab, Utah

One look at Arches, Canyonlands or Bryce Canyon and it’s easy to see why the Wild West has always held a certain power over us. With seemingly endless inspiring views and epic moments, it’s still a place to discover slowly. Black Tomato plans to set up its guests with expert wranglers to explore on horseback, then sleep in a private luxury camp set up on Robbers Roost. “There’s a rebellious, unfettered spirit that permeates the western United States and makes it an almost cinematic backdrop for epic moments,” says Black Tomato cofounder Tom Marchant. “Robbers Roost is the mise-en-scène for adventure—iconic and emblematic—with one of the most epic sunrises imaginable.”

Denali National Park, Alaska—in winter

Denali is breathtaking any time of year., but for those who are brave enough to visit in the winter, the rewards are immense. “As the snow begins to fall, the crowds retreat, leaving behind a pristine wilderness whose beauty will intimidate and intrigue in equal measure,” says Marchant. “Utterly thrilling.” Tethered to an adventure guide, Black Tomato guests can out into the heart of it all, to a remote corner of the park where Jurassic glaciers give way to arctic skies and a hand-built igloo with views onto infinity awaits. (Don’t worry: You don’t have to sleep in it. The luxurious Sheldon Chalet is there for that.)

“Hidden” Egypt and Jordan

The highlight of this new itinerary is taking the slow route from Luxor to Aswan on a private antique dahabiyat, a craft that was common in Egypt during the days of the monarchy in the 1920s and ’30s when aristocrats cruised the Nile in style. The modern version has all the creature comforts, and it’s slow travel at its best, with the chance to pull over and explore villages, banana plantations and remnants of ancient temples or tombs. The trip also includes a private sunrise visit to the Giza Pyramids in Cairo, a jaunt through the Valley of the Kings (the famed resting place of King Tutankhamun), a private tour of Abu Simbel, and a jeep safari of the famous sand dunes of Siwa and the Great Sand Sea.

Mount Snowmass, Colorado

“Remote destinations will have an appeal for years to come, not just because they are socially distant by design, but because the natural world has such therapeutic effects on mental health,” explains Marchant. “After so much time cooped up inside our homes and in front of screens, taking a snow cat high up in the rockies to a remote private cabin is an epic way to disconnect.” To that end, this Rocky Mountain trip includes a snowcat charter to a secluded mountain cabin that’s a base for backcountry skiing, dogsledding with a friendly husky team and stargazing with an astronomer.

Peru through the eyes of a Chef’s Table chef

Epic moments aren’t only visual. Sometimes they stimulate our sense of taste instead, or maybe our spiritual side. To that end, Black Tomato paired up with Chef’s Table and Michelin star chef Virgilio Martinez (Central in Lima and Mil Centro in Sacred Valley) to create an exclusive adventure to reflect his cooking. Taking in the Amazon, the Sacred Valley, Cusco and Lima, it includes a traditional pago a la tierra ceremony with a local shaman and offering to Pachamama in a discovery of the Andean cosmological view. “Peruvians have much to teach us with their powerful relationship to Mother Earth,” says Marchant. Food-wise, there’s a cooking session using local techniques and a hand-built huatia oven, a private distillery tour and an unforgettable degustation menu at Mil Centro.

Arctic supercar ice-driving in Finnish Lapland

Epic moments can also be adrenaline rushes. Finland is the birthplace of many internationally recognized race drivers. Icy surfaces, undulating roads, blizzards, winding dirt tracks and frequent wildlife appearances have prepared Finns to manage challenging driving conditions. The highlight of your Black Tomato’s Arctic experience is two days of full-on ice driving instruction, including controlled 360s and slaloming on ice tracks duplicating Formula One circuits. All that, plus magnificent scenery and Nordic cuisine. “My heritage is Finnish,” notes Marchant, “and this place will forever hold a special place in my heart.”

Starlight driving in Namibia

Trade speed for slowness on a two-week self-drive journey through Namibia, one of the few places in the world where you can safely drive by starlight—it’s that bright, and the roads are that empty—from Windhoek to the secret Hoanib Valley Camp, posting up a luxurious enclaves along the way. “Namibia’s dark skies and celestial sightings are among the most inspiring on earth, and it’s the kind of place that everyone must visit. To drive at night with the stars as your compass has got to be one of the most profound travel experiences one could conjure.”

Diablo Canyon, New Mexico 

“Diablo Canyon seems to be plucked from a blockbuster set, as it’s been the backdrop of a number of films, but it’s rarely explored,” says Marchant. For those who do, near total isolation awaits between the stark basalt walls of this desert basin. The scale is best appreciated on foot, allowing the grandeur to come into sharp focus, so the tour operator pairs guests with expert anthropologist guides who’ll lead the way to a picturesque riverbank of the Rio Grande. It’s best to round out the trip with a dive into Santa Fe’s art world, a cultural tour of Taos and a cooking class for Native American techniques under the tutelage of a James Beard Award-winning chef. 

Snake River, Wyoming

Floating again, this trip begins with boarding a classic wooden canoe to glide past the crowds (and elk, moose, deer and bison) of Yellowstone to a private tipi camp set up beside the river. A cowboy chef is on hand to serve dinner beneath the silent stars. Later on, there are wildlife safaris in Grand Teton and Yellowstone and fly-fishing for spotted cutthroat trout. Notes Marchant: “Out in the wilds of Wyoming, the landscapes are blessed by a pervading sense of serenity that comes from miles and miles of sparsely populated land.”