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BAWAH RESERVE TO REOPEN THIS SUMMER

Following a two-and-a-half-year closure, Indonesia’s award-winning sustainable resort will once again welcome guests, unveiling a new island, an extensive renewable solar farm and a fresh look for the islands

July 22ndAnambas Islands, Indonesia

Remote eco-resort Bawah Reserve will reopen on 1 September 2022, welcoming guests back to the Anambas Islands, Indonesia for the first time in over two years. Bawah Reserve offers the ultimate secluded island adventure, opening up this lesser-known part of the world for the discerning traveller. The reopening will see the introduction of a new island and accommodation offerings, a considered transformation to its villas, as well as an extensive enhancement to its sustainability programme.

THE LAUNCH OF ELANG PRIVATE RESIDENCE
Set on a previously untouched island, Bawah Reserve will launch six new cliffside lodges that now make up Elang Private Residence, promising guests over the age of 18 an even more elevated private island experience. Elang Private Residence will offer the ultimate exclusive take-over for groups of family and friends of up to 20 people. Guests will have the run of the island and exclusive access to a private beach, an open-air, two-storey Club House restaurant and bar, a Beach House with the breath-taking views of the lagoon, Kayu Spa, a dedicated activities lawn as well as a saltwater infinity pool, refreshed with every tide. Each lodge has been created by Singaporean designer Sim Boon Yang, using recycled natural materials and will offer guests private butler service, a balcony with ocean views and private paths leading to dramatic rocky coves and into the glistening turquoise waters.

A BREATH OF LIFE
On the main island, Bawah Reserve will unveil two new accommodation categories, inspired by the increased demand for group, multigeneration and family travel. The two-bedroom Infinity Pool Villa comprises two stand-alone beach suites connected with a spacious alfresco lounge and dining area. A private infinity pool offers unrivalled views over and direct access to the lagoon, perfect for snorkelling, paddle-boarding, kayaking, sailing, and diving among endless marine life. Alternatively, guests can immerse themselves in nature and opt for a two-bedroom Garden Pool Villa, made up of two garden suites with shared lounge and dining area, nestled into the jungle. One of the only resorts in Indonesia with overwater bungalows, the 11 lodges have undergone a redesign and boast new furnishings, layout, and art without losing any of the famed undisrupted ocean views.

SUSTAINABILITY AT ITS HEART
As a protected marine reserve, Bawah Reserve continues to pioneer in earth friendly practices, and upon reopening guests are invited to an education on the island’s sustainability initiatives, starting with a tour of the newly installed floating solar farm that now powers the reserve. The impressive, football pitch sized solar energy farm is tucked away out of sight and is responsible for providing the majority of the island’s electricity thereby reducing carbon emissions. Bawah is the first island in Indonesia to be powered by a renewable microgrid and is certified as a 5-star resort under the Signing Blue WWF programme.

Accessible via private seaplane, Bawah Reserve is a far away group of six tropical islands in the Riau Archipelago, Indonesia, located 160 nautical miles from Singapore. With sustainability, high-end design and a “back-to-nature” concept at its core, the exclusive resort invites guests to experience an undiscovered and richly diverse part of Indonesia. Set across 13 beaches and three lagoons with 100 hectares of forest, Bawah Reserve combines an earth- focussed philosophy with refined elegance, showcasing the best of barefoot luxury.

HOW: Rates at Bawah Reserve start from $1780 per night for two people on a full board basis including daily spa treatments, laundry, in-room minibar, a host of land and water-based activities. Rates to hire Elang Private Residence start from $21,000 USD (approx. £17,478) per night for 14 guests. Rates include full board, daily spa treatments, laundry, in- room minibar and a host of land and water-based activities. The island can accommodate up to 20 guests at an additional cost.

Bawah Reserve and will open to guests on 1 September 2022. Elang Private Residence will open to guests on 1 November 2022. www.bawahreserve.com

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SIBBJÄNS ARRIVES ON GOTLAND, SWEDEN

February 2nd

SIBBJÄNS ARRIVES ON GOTLAND, SWEDEN

SIBBJÄNS ARRIVES ON GOTLAND, SWEDEN

A REGENERATIVE FARM STAY SHAPED BY SEASONS, FRIENDSHIP AND CRAFTSMANSHIP

Sweden

Sibbjäns began quietly, the combined dream of Jonas Nordlander and Sanna Rönn, who with close friends and many meaningful couples Pontus and Kina Zeidler share a life between Stockholm and Gotland. Over the past four years, they have steadily transformed this former horse farm into a regenerative stay that feels singular to anywhere else in Scandinavia.

After a soft opening in 2025 for friends and family, the farm stay now enters 2026 as its first full season, opening more intentionally to a like-minded global community drawn to nature, food, and thoughtful design.

 

A PLACE TO REST

 

22 individually designed rooms sit across the Hotel and ‘The Bunkhouse,’ each named after important women in the family and among their friends. Adorned with classic Scandi touches of sheepskin throws, limewashed walls, soft palettes, and contemporary art, the spaces are designed for comfort.

Buildings are framed by wildflowers and constructed using traditional methods, much of the work completed by hand, with local craftsmanship central to the process. Architect Maja Berg has been a key contributor, working alongside Erik Larsson, a Master of Gotlandic Craft Heritage, who built some of the original buildings himself and continues to pass on traditional building knowledge to the next generation.

THE KITCHEN FOLLOWS THE FARM

At the heart of Sibbjäns is a working farm home to hens, Mangalitza pigs, horses, and sheep, with agriculture guiding both the kitchen and the guest experience.

In the gardens, lead gardener and local Karin Winarve brings a quiet hand to what thrives here across meadows, vegetable beds, and fruit-growing plots. Produce is grown on-site and harvested seasonally, forming the backbone of a true farm-to-table approach—one that pauses entirely during the winter months when the land rests.

 

EXPERIENCES & ‘VIKING WELLNESS’

New for the 2026 season, wellbeing at Sibbjäns is restorative rather than prescriptive. Inspired by Nordic traditions and the physicality of outdoor life, the evolving wellness offering includes:

  • A hand-built yoga barn

  • A wood-fired sauna

  • An outdoor gym

  • Recreational spaces

  • The beginnings of what will become one of the world’s most beautiful tennis courts.

The surrounding landscape invites guests to engage with nature on its own terms, from cycling or horse riding across open farmland to kitesurfing along Gotland’s windswept coastline (widely regarded as one of the finest spots in Europe for the sport). This is ‘Viking wellness’ in spirit—elemental, grounding, and quietly transformative.

 

SWEDEN’S ‘SUNSHINE ISLAND’

Gotland is Sweden’s sunniest destination, known for its distinctive light, limestone landscapes, and strong ‘right to roam’ ethos. Open from Easter through to Christmas and closed entirely during the dark winter months, Sibbjäns follows the natural calendar rather than resisting it.

Reaching it is part of the journey:

  • A short flight from Stockholm to the island’s capital of Visby, followed by a drive across the island.

  • A ferry crossing that reinforces the sense of arrival somewhere distinct and deliberately unhurried.

  • For those preferring a more direct approach, arrival by helicopter is also possible.

At its core, Sibbjäns remains a place for friends old and new built slowly, grounded in nature, and designed to endure.

BRENNERS PARK-HOTEL & SPA REOPENS AFTER LANDMARK RENOVATION

November 5th

BRENNERS PARK-HOTEL & SPA REOPENS AFTER LANDMARK RENOVATION

A New Chapter Begins as Europe’s Legendary Grand Hotel Returns

Alive with the Spirit of the Black Forest and the Cultural Pulse of Baden-Baden

Germany

Following a meticulous two-year transformation, Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, the original grande dame of the Oetker Hotels portfolio, proudly reopens its doors – ushering in a revitalised era of timeless hospitality and contemporary finesse.
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