editor’s letter

“The best journeys in life are Those that answer questions you never thought To ask” rich ridgeway

The long and sultry summer is now finally behind us, and a new year of travel beckons. Our autumn issue once more looks to the wonders of the Earth, so there’s no more intriguing way to begin than with our globetrotting cover stars, Murad and Nataly Osmann.

Since 2011, the couple has been inviting the world to follow their travels on Instagram, garnering an incredible 3.8 million fans for their wanderlust-worthy snaps. With her outstretched hand holding his, Nataly leads the way for her photographer husband, whether they’re in London, Paris, the Maldives or India (as featured on our cover). We also speak with the jeweller responsible for Nataly’s gems, Bochic, about their ongoing partnership and future projects.

In the Caribbean, we retreat to the islands’ most lavish holiday homes, and revel in the magical embrace of Mana in Tahiti. Virginia Haddon discovers a Malaysian haven where the jungle meets the sea at The Datai in Langkawi.

We’re on the move this issue, too, talking with three very different women at the helm in the cruise industry, including Australia’s own First Lady of Cruising, Sarina Bratton. We discover style and elegance on Europe’s historic waterways, take to the skies for unique helicopter experiences, navigate frosted tracks in supercars on ice, and slow down on The Blue Train as it winds its way through South Africa.

Mark Daffey explores Chile from the north in the Atacama Desert to the southernmost tip of Tierra del Fuego, while historian Will Davies guides us through the French battlefields of World War I. Dale R Morris goes in search of the elusive jaguar in Brazil’s Pantanal Wetland, and Hilary Doling ascends to snowy heights in New Zealand.

Tom Kundig takes us inside his incredible Whistler Ski House while Joanna Tovia uncovers the world’s most extravagant dining experiences from the haute cuisine of Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée in Paris to a sublime dinner under the sea in the Maldives.

Finally, we look to the world of fashion and Australia’s emerging young couturier from Adelaide, Paolo Sebastian, whose delicately feminine designs are winning him accolades worldwide.