What makes us unique?

Wānaka has a habit of making you feel as if the world has been turned up a notch. What we call locally the ‘big skies’, and the varying blues of the glacial rivers and lakes settle a light on the landscape that photographers love and that’s best seen from a helicopter.  The mountains look close enough to touch, even when they are not, because the Southern Lakes region is visually generous from the ground, but helicopter experiences offer a particular kind of perspective: they stitch the landscape together in a way roads cannot, turning separate “places” into one coherent, cinematic scene. This is not about replacing the classic Wānaka pleasures, lake swims, hikes, vineyards, long lunches. It is about enhancing them. A helicopter experience day can be the difference between seeing Mount Aspiring in the distance and standing in high alpine terrain with nothing but rock, snow and sky around you. It can turn a “we would love to do that, but it’s too far” idea into an elegant half-day plan. And for travellers who value privacy, holiday homes with heli-pads provide a discreet way to arrive, depart, or disappear into the hills for a few hours. Think of heli-adventures

At dawn, in the Galapagos Islands, the air feels cool and unusually pure. It’s tinged with saltwater and volcanic earth; with every breath, giving you a sense of the natural, pristine state of the archipelago; a place where life moves at a gentler pace. Giant tortoises lumber through open spaces as if they own the islands (though arguably they do) while the process of evolution is nothing abstract or theoretical. It reveals itself actively, right in front of your eyes. Thanks in large part to UNESCO designating it as a Natural World Heritage site, the archipelago operates as a marine sanctuary that protects marine biodiversity. The islands are even recognized as one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World.” Though the flight between the islands and Ecuador’s largest city (Guayaquil) takes only 90 minutes, arriving in the Galapagos creates the experience of reaching a world apart in every sense. To take in the absolute best of this remarkable island world, an equally remarkable retreat offers visitors a space that combines scientific exploration with unrivaled comfort: we’re talking the luxury-class Pikaia Lodge. One of the most striking views across the Galapagos Islands is awarded to travelers who visit Santa Cruz