Cheers to You!

On the eve of her retirement party, Patty Jefferis, founder of WhirlAway Travel, is reflecting on her most recent adventure: a voyage through the Eastern Mediterranean with Tauck. After spending the past 40 years curating journeys for clients, this adventure was all her own. Aboard Le Bougainville , a sleek Ponant yacht chartered exclusively by Tauck, she explored Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta. Read on for all her dreamy moments.

“What did you do for summer vacation?” With back-to-school and back-to-business in full swing, this seems to be a favorite conversation starter in September. In celebration of our clients’ favorite trips (and there were many!), we’ve created a highlight reel so you can begin dreaming and planning your ultimate 2026 summer vacation.

Grand Slam tournaments are the crown jewels of tennis—and notoriously elusive to access. Tickets disappear instantly, VIP passes are closely guarded, and logistics can be overwhelming. That’s where WhirlAway comes in—with guaranteed seats, exclusive perks, and insider access to the world’s most prestigious matches.

Golf, in its purest form, is about more than a scorecard. It’s about the stories the game collects: the putt sunk against a backdrop of crashing waves, a winning moment that lingers long after sunset, the shared adventure that bonds a group for life. For WhirlAway Travel, these moments are the very heart of curated golf vacations. As a Luxury Travel Advisor, Alison Warner specializes in golf vacations. Here, she shares five reasons why you should start planning your next golf escape.

Over six packed days, they went fly fishing, biked mountain trails, raced UTVs, and rappelled through canyons—all at Zayne’s direction. He planned the itinerary (nonstop action), curated the meals (burgers and sushi, please), and even selected their rental car: a white Ford Mustang. They spent the first four nights in the luxe comfort of Montage Deer Valley, then roadtripped to Zion and glamped for two nights at Under Canvas Zion. Here, Jamie and Zayne share their favorite moments, their biggest laughs, and why mother-son travel just might be the ultimate bonding experience.

1. Do listen to your guide. Your safari guide is basically a wilderness wizard. If they say “stay in the vehicle,” this is not the time for a TikTok dance in front of a lion. Guides have years of training, they know the behavior of animals intimately, and they know how to reverse a Land Rover faster than you can say, “Is that a leopard?” >>Don’t run. Ever. You are not faster than a lion. You are not faster than a zebra. Honestly, you are probably not even faster than a warthog. Running triggers a predator response. Translation: You could go from tourist with binoculars to buffet item in three seconds flat. This is a hard no.

Everyone talks about going on safari. But not everyone tells you how it feels—to experience a languid afternoon with winemakers who forgo the norm, to watch a lioness cradle her cub across the plains, to luxuriate in a Versace-drenched suite in the Winelands where the bathtub rivals the size of a Manhattan studio. WhirlAway’s Stacey Blum (whose job is to vet the best of the best) recently spent two weeks on an indelible journey through South Africa with Abercrombie & Kent. She discovered a symphony of wow factors—equal parts city, bush, and bliss. These five moments rose to the top as her most exclusive, most unexpected, and most unforgettable.

A land where empires rose and fell, Turkey is capturing the attention of the world’s most discerning travelers. What to expect? Quiet luxury, epicurean surprises, and indelible landscapes that stretch from the Aegean coast to Cappadocia's sculpted valleys. Michelin stars are landing in Istanbul, new yacht marinas sparkle along the Turquoise Coast, and restored Ottoman mansions offer world-class hospitality with a sense of place. Offering authenticity without sacrificing elegance, Turkey delivers both. Now is the moment to go—after just returning from her recent trip, WhirlAway Travel Luxury Advisor Anna Dunleavy lists 10 reasons to say YES to this enchanting country.

1. A VIP visit to the Colonna Palace in Rome “It was completely closed to the public when we visited. They rarely do this level of private tour so it was truly a unique experience that no one can just click and book. It was extraordinary—we were literally invited into the home of Prince Prospero Colonna. We walked through room after room after room and not only got an art history lesson, but also learned about the history of the family. It was mind blowing, magical, and profoundly moving being surrounded by priceless works of art and Baroque masterpieces, exploring opulent galleries and salons, serene gardens, and discovering the Colonna family’s legacy—and having it all to ourselves! I don’t know a lot about art and our guide was able to speak to my level and also to someone who was a major art lover. It ended up being a bucket-list experience for me.”