You don’t have to be Odysseus to understand that life-changing travel isn’t about checking off destinations—it’s about committing to the journey. It requires an appetite for depth over speed and a curiosity that pushes past the familiar.
Forbes Travel Guide’s second annual Edge List encourages discovery beyond the well-trodden path. Centered on the theme of “curated journeys,” this year’s collection celebrates luxury hotels, cruises and trains that create bespoke, multi-leg itineraries that immerse travelers in the culture, nature and spirit of extraordinary places.
The EDGE ethos focuses on four pillars: Exceptional access to remote, awe-inspiring destinations; Daring innovation that provides boundary-pushing adventures and once-in-a-lifetime experiences; Global stewardship that prioritizes conservation, while minimizing environmental impact and maximizing care for the community; and Elevated experience, delivering excellence even in far-flung corners.
Start planning your next journey with the 2026 Edge List.
On Track: Peru’s Andean Explorer is South America’s first luxury sleeper train.
Andean Explorer, A Belmond Train
A Peruvian Railway Adventure
From the soaring peaks of the Andes to the lush rainforests of the Amazon, Peru’s landscapes are otherworldly. Belmond’s Grand Tour of Peru, a choose-your-own-adventure train journey, offers a seven-day-minimum itinerary that crisscrosses the country.
It includes a ride on one of Belmond’s famed trains. Take the Andean Explorer—South America’s first luxury sleeper train—through the Andean plains, past Lake Titicaca (the world’s highest lake and the continent’s largest freshwater lake) to Arequipa, also known as the “White City” for its historic buildings made of pale volcanic stone. It’s one of the highest train rides in the world.
Or climb aboard Belmond’s Hiram Bingham, where a cocktail cart and live music add revelry to the backdrop of the Sacred Valley’s craggy peaks, stone-walled terraces and the Urubamba River before arriving at Machu Picchu’s 15th-century Inca citadel.
Continue the journey across Belmond’s portfolio of Peruvian hotels. In Lima, Miraflores Park, a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star property, sits on a clifftop overlooking El Malecón, the six-mile path tracing the coast. Admire panoramic views from the rooftop infinity-edge pool or the 11th-floor Observatory restaurant, and partake in complimentary daily activities, including dance lessons, guided runs and pisco sour demonstrations.
Peru With A View: Lima’s Miraflores Park is set along the Pacific Ocean.
Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel
Over in nearby Cusco, Palacio Nazarenas occupies a building that served as an Inca temple, a 16th-century warrior’s palace and a 17th-century convent. The all-suite hotel restored historic details such as the ancient Inca stonework while adding luxurious upgrades like butler service and a restaurant from acclaimed Peruvian chef Pía León.
Next door, sister property Monasterio has its own intriguing history. Originally an Inca emperor’s palace, the landmark was later transformed into a 16th-century monastery. The cloisters and gilded chapel still remain, and the art on the walls and the relics on display give more insight into the property’s rich past.
Float Like An Egyptian: The ‘Arax’ cruise along the Nile.
Kazazian Cruises
Cruise the Nile in Style
When done properly, a Nile River cruise can feel like a royal procession. Much like how the pharaohs once used the great waterway to travel for state visits or hunting excursions, Kazazian, a family-owned brand that’s led cruises along the Nile since 1989, steers guests today on their own Egyptian pilgrimages—from Luxor to Aswan. The five-night yacht voyages combine access to historic sites along the river and elegant, luxurious accommodations.
The two vessels, Arax and Berge, are both stylish and subdued. With only nine air-conditioned cabins (holding a maximum of 18 guests), the yachts are quite intimate, ensuring that a plunge pool, on-deck sunbathing and gourmet dining are consistently special affairs. Excursions are curated experiences as well. There’s also a 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio, so when stops are made at Luxor Temple or Aswan’s High Dam, guests are ensured individualized attention—just as a great king or queen once was.
Cliffhanger: The Tiger’s Nest monastery in Bhutan.
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A Peak Himalayan Journey
Travelers seeking Bhutan’s wellness, culture and breathtaking natural beauty can experience it all seamlessly on Aman Resort’s Ultimate Amankora Journey. The 14-night trip brings guests to Amankora’s collection of five lodges spread throughout the tiny Himalayan kingdom’s western and central valleys.
It starts in the capital at Amankora Thimphu, a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star property. The agenda includes a customized painting class with instructors who graduated from Bhutan’s prestigious 13 Arts and Crafts school and hikes to Cheri Goemba monastery and Phajoding for panoramic vistas of Thimphu Valley.
The route continues with culture- and nature-filled visits to the Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang lodges, ending at Amankora Paro (which will be closed through September, along with Punakha). This last leg includes heritage excursions to the National Museum and Buddhist monastery Paro Dzong along with a trek to the 7th-century Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the country’s first Buddhist temples. It’s capped off with a four- to five-hour hike to the Tiger’s Nest, a monastery dramatically clinging to a 9,678-foot cliff with unrivaled views.
Animal Kingdom: Villa Thandawena at Thanda Safari in South Africa.
Brad Taylor/Thanda Safari
A Big Five Safari—With Sharks
For an unforgettable safari, see the Big Five at South Africa’s Thanda, a more than 40,000-acre private game reserve in the KwaZulu-Natal region. The experience is exclusive—no game encounter has more than two vehicles—and also offers bush walks for a closer look at the animals and the opportunity to assist with conservation efforts, including rhino and cheetah tracking.
After a day of wildlife watching, stay on the property in one of four accommodation options. Forbes Travel Guide’s top choice is one of The Royal Residences, the most lavish of which is the five-bedroom Villa Thandawena. It comes with luxe amenities such as a private helicopter and helipad, a cigar lounge, wine cellar, pool and Himalayan salt sauna.
After the safari adventures, guests board a private jet to Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. From there, they transfer to a twin-engine helicopter for a 35- to 45-minute ride off the east coast to Thanda Island. They then have the 12-acre private island to themselves—there’s just one villa with five suites, an indoor aquarium, a glass rim-flow swimming pool and a staff of chefs, butlers, housekeepers guides and spa therapists. There are also two thatched-roof bandas, but these beach bungalows get an upgrade with air conditioning and two bedrooms apiece.
The island is surrounded by the Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, making it a prime place to snorkel and dive and search for a different kind of animal: gentle whale sharks.
Blue Heaven: An overwater villa at Sovena Jani in the Maldives.
Sovena Jani
Dive Into the Maldives
No matter which of the three Soneva resorts guests choose to explore in the Maldives—Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani or Soneva Secret—they will be escorted to the edge of seclusion. Baa Atoll’s Fushi is the original barefoot luxury getaway in South Asia, where beach villas are tucked into the jungle. Jani offers overwater retreats with water slides that lead into turquoise waters in the Noonu Atoll. Secret is the newest escape, building on the successes of the other two properties to create Makunudhoo Atoll’s unmistakable masterpiece of 13 villas, including Sea Lofts, standalone overwater bungalows that are accessible only by boat.
The Island to Island package offers three nights at Soneva Secret before hopping onto a seaplane for three more evenings at Soneva Fushi or Soneva Jani. Or guests can chart their own course among the properties aboard the Soneva in Aqua, a 75-foot private yacht with activities that include manta encounters, ocean ziplining or diving coral reefs.
Island Hopping in Indonesia
Paradise Found: Gili Meno, a small island in Indonesia’s Lombok Strait.
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See the quieter side of Indonesia with a trip to Lombok, an island dotted with rice paddies and volcanoes just east of crowded Bali. Family-owned The Lombok Lodge Hospitality offers guests a Dual-Island Journey in the under-the-radar area. Start at Lombok Private Villa Estate. Underneath coconut palms, nine chic, contemporary villas feature their own pools, private chefs and 24-hour butlers. During the day, head to the majestic Sendang Gile waterfalls on the back of a Vespa. For a different perspective on the island, add on a helicopter ride over Mount Rinjani.
For the second half of the trip, a 15-minute boat ride takes guests to the Gili Islands, an archipelago known for its pristine beaches and turquoise waters. At Gili Meno, a small island from a bygone era that uses horse-drawn carts instead of cars, stay at Bagno Di Gili in an air-conditioned luxury safari tent. The sister property is located on a private beach, allowing easy access to snorkel safaris.
Big Sky Countryside: The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana.
The Ranch at Rock Creek
Go Wild in the American West
Few places allow your imagination to roam as freely as it does at the 6,600-acre Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana. Nestled between meadows and pine-covered mountains in Philipsburg, this Five-Star ranch is where childhood cowboy fantasies come to life with other adventures all year long—from mountain biking and sapphire mining in the summer to snowmobiling and ice skating in winter.
Most activities take place on the property, but the ranch also helps guests experience other places in Montana. From late spring through fall, the hotel can arrange for trips along the Bitterroot, Blackfoot and Upper Clark Fork rivers. An expert guide will accompany guests on the outing, providing personalized instruction on catching trout in some of the region’s best fishing areas.
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