The World, Our Way: Around the World by Private Jet

Photography courtesy of Jonathan Kingston.

Seattle, USA — The Reunion

Hugs before handshakes — that’s how you kick off a Once‑in‑a‑Lifetime Journey. Seventy‑one Members, forty‑two returning jet travelers, and the Four Seasons buzzing like a family wedding. TSA came to us (a dream), Exclusive Resorts CEO James Henderson welcomed everyone — celebrating our most‑traveled, our first‑timers, and those with 1,000+ Club days — and the swag felt like Christmas morning: Tumi, Bose, iPads, Hästens blankets, and handwritten notes from our Ambassadors. By sunset, we weren’t just ready — we were airborne.

Tokyo, Japan — Polished Precision, Playful Spirit

We landed in a city humming with neon and nuance, checked into the Four Seasons by the Imperial Palace, and let the curation begin. Phone‑photo tips from Nat Geo’s Jonathan Kingston at 40,000 feet turned into frame‑within‑a‑frame shots at Meiji Shrine. Our Members rolled sushi, whisked matcha in kimonos, carved washi, painted woodblock prints, and — because long flights demand it — discovered the joy of a Japanese foot massage. Asakusa delivered knives, fortunes at Sensō‑ji, and a lunch no one will forget at the Tokyo Sumo Club: table‑thumping cheers, practiced chest‑pounds, and a few brave Members in the ring. That night, geishas, kabuki, and samurai closed our Tokyo chapter in cinematic style.

Gobi Desert & Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — Vast and Very Human

Mongolia arrived as a horizon — a watercolor of ochres and sky. Most of us bounced across the steppe in Lexus LXs to the storied Three Camel Lodge; others peeled off for Ulaanbaatar and the Shangri‑La. My sunrise photo walk filled more quickly than any I’ve led. The desert answered with petroglyphs, dinosaur bones, and a private Naadam festival: wrestling, archery, horse races, cheers of Khurai! under a gold‑pink sky. At night, we stepped into our individual gers, listening to throat singers and the horse‑head fiddle, stars pricked across a velvet dome. “We could go home tomorrow and call it a success,” Member Dr. Grant said. We didn’t — we had Laos waiting.

Luang Prabang, Laos — Grace Notes

We slipped over the Phou Nang mountains and down to the Mekong, clearing customs in fifteen minutes (the private‑jet effect), then divided between Rosewood and Aman’s Amantaka. Dawn found us barefoot, offering alms to saffron‑robed monks — an ancient rhythm that quieted the room. Some cooked Laotian classics (sticky rice for the win), others wandered UNESCO‑listed streets and textile studios. Afternoon choices flowed like the river: a long‑tail cruise, bikes and tuk‑tuks, or an elephant encounter that left the Augustine family misty‑eyed. Night Market lanterns flickered; the air smelled of lemongrass and possibility. The next morning, we breakfasted beside Kuang Si Falls, mist on our faces, then turned toward India.

Udaipur, India — Palaces Afloat, Stories Ashore

We arrived to rose petals and rain at the Taj Lake Palace — every guest ferried across the water, every pen and pastry, too. Morning yoga in a marble pavilion set the tone; then came choices. In town: the City Palace’s crystal and courtyards, henna and bangles fitted by artisans, and an unscripted swirl into the final day of Anant Chaturdashi with dancing horses and drums. Farther afield: a rain‑slicked, epic drive to Ranakpur’s 15th‑century Jain temple — worth every flooded bridge. Back in Udaipur, emeralds appeared on ears and fingers, and we closed with a Bollywood party in the Crystal Gallery, tailor‑made kurtas and jeweled turbans catching the light.

Baku, Azerbaijan — Fire, Form, and a Plot Twist

Baku gleamed like a mirage: Parisian limestone meets Hadid curves on the Caspian. We toggled between narratives — Zoroastrian fire at Ateshgah, the world’s first oil well, the old city’s facades, the Heydar Aliyev Center’s white wave, and a vintage‑car spin to the Retro Museum. Some cooked shah plov; others chased carpets and modern art. We clinked flutes at the Nobel brothers’ Villa Petrolea — and then the plot twist: a bird strike on landing. Our team orchestrated a surgical “nose job” — a flown‑in part, a second mechanic from Iceland, cool heads from Nat Geo’s Tisa Oldham — and our Members gave a standing ovation for grace under pressure. We left late, yes, but with spirits high and gorillas on the horizon.

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda — Eye to Eye

We landed at 4:00 a.m., rallied by 6:47 — with 18 jeeps, a police escort, and schoolchildren waving us into the Virungas. Exclusive access, defined: 95 gorilla permits issued daily; our group held nearly all of them, secured a year in advance. Gaiters on, porters at our side, we hiked through bamboo and mist to meet families that regarded us like neighbors. Silverbacks strolled by within feet, babies tumbled, adolescents practiced chest‑pounds. Some visited the Dian Fossey Center (gorilla nose prints are as unique as ours). Others helicoptered to Akagera, where lions and rhinos materialized within minutes. Back at six intimate lodges, fireplaces crackled, birthday toasts rose, and the stories got better with each retelling. Our Members’ generosity — trunks of school supplies, ten laptops, countless donations — met palpable gratitude on the ground.

Bodrum, Türkiye — Sun, Silk, Sea

The Aegean exhaled, and so did we. Check‑in at The Bodrum EDITION came with keys and mini‑ice creams — always say yes to mini‑ice creams — then a lira‑backed dine‑around at the hotel or Yalıkavak Marina. The next day, split three ways: a private‑boat idyll in hidden coves; a deep‑dive to Ephesus and the Library of Celsus (worth every mile); or a culture crawl through Halicarnassus. We shopped (oh, the jewelry), floated in pools, and that night sailed into sunset before dinner inside Bodrum Castle, whirling dervishes tracing light in the dark.

San Sebastián, Spain — The Finale, in Courses

We arrived to Atlantic light and the Belle Époque curves of the Hotel María Cristina. Pintxos became a verb as we bar‑hopped Old Town — tiny compositions that tasted like applause. Day trips ranged from Rioja’s tunnels to Biarritz’s breakers, coastal hikes to Pasajes, surf sessions, and a coveted seat inside a private gastronomic society. Our farewell at Palacio de Miramar featured Basque strongmen and wood‑choppers and a 40‑minute slideshow from Jonathan Kingston that had us reliving nine countries in one long, joyful inhale. “We’re really in it,” Jarl said. And we were — until wheels‑up for D.C.

Washington, D.C., USA — Home... For Now

A quick customs stop in Maine, then a private arrival in D.C. Some headed straight home; others lingered at the Ritz‑Carlton, toasting new friends. On board, I shared Club updates (cameras out, notes flying) and a whisper of what’s next—because there’s always a next. Members were already plotting returns to San Sebastián via our European Villas Collection, or eyeing 2026 journeys from Seabourn to Antarctica. The best trips end with momentum.

By the Numbers

• 71 Members
• 8 countries | 24,518 miles | 82h 05m flight time
• 17 onboard lectures | 79 curated excursions
• 172 bags checked (≈ 7,152 lbs) | 880 airport forms handled for our Members
• 694 local partners and staff across destinations

The Exclusive Way

Access you can’t Google. Customs in minutes. A doctor on board, Nat Geo experts in the aisles, and a team that can replace an aircraft nose overnight and still deliver gorilla trekking at dawn. The result? Ease, intimacy, and the kind of experiences that change how you see the world — and your place in it. Want to join? We are heading out again in 2026, and the next seat has your name on it.