Melissa Biggs Bradley

Coziest home base in Edinburgh @gleneaglestownhouse. #indagaretravel

The news declared that Hogmanay was cancelled in Edinburgh but there was still a lot of new year celebrating indoors @gleneaglestownhouse. Wishing you Happy New Years from the land of Auld Lang Syne. #gleneaglestownhouse

Edinburgh’s 900-year-old St. Giles Cathedral.

It was a record-setting year for Indagare travelers, who ventured out in the world and visited every continent. Along the way, they checked in at a whopping 1,700 hotels.⁠ ⁠ Tap our link in bio to reveal the 24 most-booked hotels of 2024—the ones Indagare members turned to the most. We can’t wait to see where 2025 will take our members! ⁠ ⁠ 📸 @claridgeshotel, @theconnaught, @relaischristine, @aman_tokyo, @hotelderussie, @themarkhotelny, @thelargoporto and @thepeninsulabh⁠

The falconry program @thegleneagleshotel, like all of its outdoor pursuits, is top-drawer, as they say. With 49 birds of prey, ranging from eagles and kestrels to owls and hawks, the program trains and nurtures rescued birds and new borns. The largest, Fatima, has lived on the property for 30 years. Yes falcons can live to 70 in captivity. Among the other experiences we signed up for this Twixmas: tree-climbing, axe-throwing, air rifles and simulated shooting (includes boar and bear hunting), horseback riding, meet the gun dogs, golf and spa time. Passed on archery, clays, fly-fishing and off-riding driving but always good to have a reason to return. The resort’s nickname is the glorious playground and it lives up to the billing. #indagaretravel #gleneagleshotel #gleneagles

A very Scottish welcome for Twixmas @thegleneagleshotel. Yes there is a special name and program of celebrations for the time between Christmas and New Year’s. #indagaretravel #gleneagles #gleneagleshotel #twixmas

I have seen lots of “bad” Santas over the years but @browns_hotel produced one of the best to match the festive spirit that they have laid on thick with their many roaring fireplaces, Christmas trees and piano-played Christmas carols at tea and cocktails. It’s our first Christmas in London where I had heard the Brits bring the same fervor to the festivities that they do to football. They begin decorating streets and store fronts in mid-October, and I recently read an article that the holiday enthusiasm may be a substitute for national pride, which was so divided in Brexit. From touring Windsor and Buckingham Palace to candle-lit service in Westminster, we have had a very special Christmas.

As hundreds of our travelers who have been lucky to travel with John Cantrell know, there is no better companion on a journey. Eternally gallant, he smooths the way and shares his incredible insights, knowledge and kindness every step of the way. What few know is that John assigned me my very first article for @townandcountrymag and then called me to encourage me to apply for the job as travel editor when I was only 26. When I got that job, we shared a corner. His office and mine were next to each other for 12 years. He offered his “niggles”, brilliant editing, on every article I wrote. A few years after I started @indagaretravel, he joined our team and elevated the culture—not just with his dress, though he is the only man I have toured the desert with in a tie—but with his dedication to excellence in all things. He combines an encyclopedic mind with the heart of an educator, a gentle teacher who makes all of us want to reach higher and do better. To have someone who believes in us and sees our potential before we do and cheers us on and prods us ever forward is one of life’s greatest blessings. I feel so blessed to have shared this time in Egypt—and so many years of my life—having this amazing man always on my team and in my corner. Love you John.

One of the advantages of taking over the whole Zahra by @oberoihotels and chartering a plane is that you can fly over Abu Simbel and time it to arrive when the scheduled flights are not arriving. We saw Ramses II’s masterpiece that was saved from being flooded in the 1960s by UNESCO and heritage heroes like Jackie Onassis, who managed to bring the temple of Dendur to @metmuseum in return. As our guide said, “It really should be named as one of the wonders of the ancient world, considering that it is so much more intricate in its design than the buildings at Petra and more than two thousand years older, and Petra made the list.” Thanks @marina.purcell for the @📸s #indagare #indagareinsideregypt #indagaretravel

Waited until last minute for holiday gifts this year? We’ve got you. For the passionate travelers in your life, give a year full of inspiration with an Indagare Self Planner Membership. It comes with unlimited access to Indagare Go—our premium trip-planning and online-booking platform that unlocks VIP amenities, exclusive city guides and hotel upgrades. Tap the link in our bio to learn more.

When our @indagaretravel Insider Journey was postponed last fall, we had no idea that it would mean that we would get to be at Luxor and Karnak temples wjth virtually nobody but some field trips from local schools. The weather has never been more beautiful and the sights more awe-inspiring. It is just another reminder that some of the best surprises come when plans are disrupted. #indagareinsideregypt

The temples and tombs of Egypt were built as passages from the mortal realm to the spiritual one, and when you get to visit them without hundreds of tourists, it is possible to feel that original intention. This is why it is such an amazing experience to have parts of Karnak temple for a private visit or to have a private visit to the Valley of the Kings and the tombs of Tut and SETI without anyone else. When these places are crowded with hundreds of tourists, they become monuments of historical or artistic interest only, but when you are alone and you have time and space, then you feel the awe and mystery that their builders intended as the heavy weight of history. What a time to visit. #indagareegypt #indagareinsideregypt