Experiences that define a place. Moments that draw us into the present.
There is a quiet urgency to this moment, a sense that the things we’ve been meaning to do should no longer wait. To say yes to experiences that have lived in the back of our minds for years, waiting for the right time. To travel not as escape, but as an intentional presence. This is about moving closer to wonder, choosing depth over distraction, and letting the world meet you exactly where you are. It is about deciding that memory, meaning, and sensation matter more than someday.
In collaboration with The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, we created The All You Need Is Now Guide. The guide captures the essence of living fully in the present, a value shared by The Botanist, which is renowned for its 22 hand-foraged botanicals. The gin is crafted at the B Corp certified Bruichladdich Distillery on the Scottish island of Islay.
Moments has always been a defining section within Room + Wild, distilling the soul of each destination into its most transformative experiences. The Guide expands that idea into a wider philosophy shaped by curiosity, stewardship, and the belief that presence is the ultimate luxury.
From sleeping beneath Arctic skies and soaking in geothermal lagoons and mountain onsens, to watching stars bloom in protected dark-sky reserves, joining reforestation efforts, and witnessing art shaped by landscape, these are moments designed to pull you fully into the present. Across deserts, forests, islands, and oceans, the list invites you to co-create your journey, guided by passion. No rigid itinerary, no hierarchy of must-sees. Just experiences that remind us travel is most profound when it is fully felt in the now.
Photo by Panorama Glass Lodge
1. Sleep under the Northern Lights in Iceland
In Iceland’s far north, Panorama Glass Lodge rests lightly on volcanic land shaped by fire and ice. From within a transparent shell, the Arctic sky becomes the main event as the aurora moves in slow, luminous waves across darkness. Silence dominates here, broken only by wind and snow, reminding you how rare true night has become. This is an experience rooted in preservation, where darkness itself is protected as a natural resource.
Naoshima, Japan
2. Experience Japan’s art island, Naoshima
Floating in the Seto Inland Sea, Naoshima is where contemporary art dissolves into landscape. Museums designed by Tadao Ando sit low against the land, while sculptures appear unexpectedly along beaches and village paths. The island invites unhurried wandering, where architecture, sea, and sky are given equal weight. Art here is not spectacle but atmosphere, shaped by restraint and reflection.
3. Wander Patagonia’s Marble Caves by kayak, Chile
On the glacial waters of Lake General Carrera in southern Chile, marble caves have been sculpted by waves over thousands of years. Kayaking through these formations, you move slowly beneath swirling patterns of blue, white, and stone. The experience is quiet and immersive, shaped by water, reflection, and time. It is geology experienced at human speed.
Sky Lagoon, Iceland
The Marble Caves (Cuevas de Mármol), Chilean Patagonia
4. Soak in Iceland’s Sky Lagoon
Set against Iceland’s rugged coastline, Sky Lagoon blends geothermal water with volcanic rock. Warm seawater contrasts with cool air as waves crash nearby. The ritual of soaking follows ancient Icelandic bathing traditions rooted in resilience and community. Wellness emerges through elemental balance.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
5. Trek through Torres del Paine, Chile
In Chilean Patagonia, Torres del Paine unfolds as a dramatic meeting of glaciers, granite peaks, and windswept plains. Trekking through the park reveals shifting weather, vast silence, and immense scale. Condors circle overhead as trails stretch toward distant horizons. The land demands respect and presence.
The Tiger's Nest Monastery, Paro, Bhutan
6. Visit Bhutan’s forest monasteries
In the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, monasteries rise from forested cliffs above deep valleys. Reaching them often requires quiet treks through pine and rhododendron forests. The landscape reflects Bhutan’s philosophy of balance, where spiritual life and nature remain inseparable. Stillness here is both practiced and protected.
Drangarnir rocks, Faroe Islands
Seaweed, Faroe Islands
7. Harvest seaweed in the Faroe Islands
On the Faroe Islands’ rugged coasts, seaweed harvesting follows tidal rhythms passed down through generations. The practice supports sustainable food systems and coastal biodiversity. Walking the rocks, gathering by hand, you feel deeply attuned to sea and season. It is nourishment shaped by restraint.
Photo by La Manigua Lodge, Colombia
8. Sleep Among the Canopy in La Macarena, Colombia
Deep in Colombia’s rainforest, elevated treehouses of La Manigua rise above the jungle floor, immersing you in the dense canopy. Mornings begin with the calls of toucans and parrots, while monkeys and sloths move through the branches at eye level. From this perspective, the forest feels alive all around, blurring the line between shelter and wilderness.
Photo by Bambu Indah
Photo by Bambu Indah
9. Explore Bali’s bamboo architecture movement, Indonesia
In Bali’s interior, Bambu Indah demonstrate how architecture can grow from the land rather than sit upon it. Structures curve, breathe, and age naturally, blending craftsmanship with regenerative design. Life here follows cycles of farming, building, and communal gathering. Sustainability is not an aesthetic choice but a lived, daily practice.
Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka
10. Surf Sri Lanka’s southern coast
Along Sri Lanka’s southern shoreline, palm trees lean toward the Indian Ocean. Early mornings begin barefoot, walking toward gentle, rolling waves. Surfing here follows a relaxed rhythm shaped by tides, light, and local life. The coast encourages ease rather than adrenaline.
Reforestation Project
Lynn Canyon Park, Vancouver, Canada
11. Join a reforestation stay in South America
Across Ecuador’s cloud forests and Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest, reforestation projects invite travelers into active participation. Days are spent planting native trees, restoring biodiversity, and learning from local stewards of the land. The experience reframes travel as contribution rather than consumption. Regeneration becomes tangible, measured in roots and growth.
12. Join a forest bathing retreat in British Columbia, Canada
On Canada’s west coast, temperate rainforests of cedar, fir, and moss create a dense, living canopy. Forest bathing practices encourage slow walking, sensory awareness, and deep listening. Mist moves between trees, softening edges and sound. The forest becomes both refuge and teacher.
Ryokan, Japan. Illustration Generated with AI
13. Experience stillness in a Japanese onsen ryokan
Tucked into Japan’s mountainous regions, onsen ryokans center life around ritual bathing. Mineral-rich hot springs soothe the body while tatami rooms and seasonal meals quiet the mind. Snowfall, steam, and silence blur the boundary between interior and exterior. Wellness here is defined by repetition, humility, and care.
Whales, Azores
Vila Franca do Campo. Azores
14. Follow the whales in the Azores, Portugal
In the mid-Atlantic Azores, volcanic islands sit along major whale migration routes. Sailing these waters offers encounters with blue whales, dolphins, and sperm whales. Marine conservation and responsible tourism guide the experience. The ocean becomes both classroom and sanctuary.
The Dolomites, Italy
15. Discover Italy’s high-altitude sanctuaries in the Dolomites
In northern Italy, the Dolomites rise sharply from alpine valleys, their pale limestone faces constantly reshaped by light. High-altitude sanctuaries here are defined by clean air, pine forests, and expansive views that slow both breath and thought. Walking trails, quiet villages, and mountain refuges encourage a rhythm guided by weather rather than clocks. Altitude becomes a form of wellness, restoring clarity through simplicity.
Cathedral Rock, Sedona
16. Find the vortexes of Sedona, Arizona
In northern Arizona, Sedona’s red rock formations rise from the desert like geological monuments. Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock are said to hold energetic vortexes, places where many report heightened clarity and emotional release. At sunrise, the cliffs glow deep crimson as light slowly fills the valley. Whether spiritual or sensory, the experience encourages stillness, attention, and a deeper relationship with the land.
SunCity Camp, Wadi Rum, Jordan
17. Sleep inside Wadi Rum, Jordan
Southern Jordan’s Wadi Rum unfolds as a vast expanse of red sand, stone arches, and towering cliffs. Sleeping within a softly curved desert dome, you feel sheltered yet fully connected to the open landscape around you. Days are shaped by shifting light and deep silence, while nights reveal skies uninterrupted by artificial glow. In this vastness, the desert’s immensity becomes both grounding and humbling, a reminder of scale, time, and stillness.
18. Experience a turtle release at dawn in Mexico
Along Mexico’s Pacific coast, conservation efforts protect endangered sea turtles at the edge of jungle and ocean. At first light, hatchlings are released into the surf, instinctively drawn toward the sea. The moment is brief yet powerful, linking human care to ancient migratory cycles. It is conservation felt in real time.
Turtle Release, Mexico
Sassi di Matera, Italy
19. Spend a night inside a cave in Matera, Italy
In southern Italy, Matera’s ancient cave dwellings are carved directly into limestone cliffs. Staying within these spaces connects you to centuries of human adaptation and endurance. Soft light, stone walls, and deep quiet create a contemplative atmosphere. Architecture becomes a record of survival and intimacy with place.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
20. Learn to kite surf on Brazil’s northern coast
Brazil’s northern coastline offers steady winds, shallow lagoons, and wide beaches. Kite surfing here becomes a dialogue between body, wind, and water. Local instructors pass on knowledge shaped by climate and place. Movement is powered entirely by natural forces.
Isle of Islay, Scotland
Foraging on Isle of Islay, Bruichladdich Distillery
21. Visit the Bruichladdich Distillery on Isle of Islay, Scotland
On Scotland’s Isle of Islay, The Botanist Gin draws on a collection of wild, hand-gathered botanicals harvested across moorlands, peat bogs, and Atlantic-facing coastlines, each one reflecting the island’s untamed ecology. A visit reveals how wind, rain, salt air, and native plants become part of the spirit itself.
Maraya Illustration, Generated by AI
22. Visit Maraya in AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Set within AlUla’s sandstone canyons, Maraya reflects the desert so completely it nearly disappears. Designed by Florian Boje of Milan-based studio Giò Forma, the mirrored structure amplifies light, sky, and rock formations while blending seamlessly with the landscape. Architecture becomes an act of restraint rather than dominance, letting the desert remain the focus and creating a surreal encounter where the building nearly vanishes into its surroundings.
Namib desert, Namibia
Dead Vlei (Namib-Naukluft Park), Namibia
23. Take a photography course in Namibia
Namibia’s landscapes stretch from towering dunes to skeletal coastlines. Photography courses here teach patience, light awareness, and composition shaped by vast space. Sunrise over Sossusvlei and wildlife in Etosha become moments of deep focus. Seeing becomes a form of meditation.
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Dark Sky Preserve, New Zealand.
24. Experience one of the world’s clearest night skies in New Zealand
In the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve, artificial light fades away completely. Stars, planets, and the Milky Way emerge with startling clarity. The experience reconnects you to cosmic scale, reminding the body of its place within a larger universe. Darkness here is carefully protected for future generations.
Room + Wild is the world's first and leading collective and platform for landscape-enhanced accommodation, ecotourism, nature-based destinations, and sustainable luxury travel experiences. We consistently inspire, influence, and spread awareness through our tailored travel guides, curated media content/channels, brand activations, press trips as well as visual and narrative storytelling.