Images Clockwise (starting top left): Desert & Delta Safaris, Seas4Life, Hotel Ambasador, Maslina Resort, Villa Nai 3.3, Cora Cora Maldives

Travel is more than moving from one place to another, and more than arriving – it’s immersion, transformation, and the chance to step into the worlds imagined by great writers. This summer, explore a curated collection of destinations in Storrington Collective’s client portfolio, each paired with a literary work that brings its landscape, culture and spirit to life. From the ancient mysteries of the Kalahari to the shimmering reefs of the Maldives, these journeys promise not only adventure and escape but a deeper connection to the stories that shape our understanding of place.

Desert & Delta Safaris: The Lost World of the Kalahari and the Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out

In Laurens van der Post’s Lost World of the Kalahari, the Kalahari Desert emerges as a place of haunting beauty and profound spiritual resonance, a landscape where wind sings through bones and the past lingers in every stone. The new Desert & Delta Safaris Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out experience invites travellers to step into this evocative world. Situated at the base of the ancient Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its spiritual significance and thousands of ancient rock paintings, guests sleep in pods inspired by the dwellings of the local Bushmen, whose stories and rituals have shaped the land for millennia. Evenings are spent around the campfire, listening to tales that echo the timeless struggles and hopes van der Post so vividly described. At dawn, a hike to the summit of Male Hill reveals the vastness of the Kalahari, connecting visitors to the millennia of history and the true majesty of the region. This is not just a journey through space, but through the living memory of Africa.

Seas4Life: The Blue Wonder: A Contemporary Dive into Ocean Marvels

Frauke Bagusche’s The Blue Wonder: Why the Sea Glows, Fish Sing, and Other Astonishing Insights from the Ocean offers a modern, awe-filled perspective on the ocean’s mysteries. Seas4Life brings this vision to life, guiding guests into the vibrant underwater world Bagusche so passionately explores. Here, the sea is not just a backdrop but an active participant, alive with glowing plankton, singing fish, and intricate communities of coral reefs. Guests are invited to witness first-hand the astonishing phenomena described in The Blue Wonder, from the delicate dance of octopuses to the vital role of plankton in sustaining all marine life. Each dive or snorkel is a chapter in a living story, inspiring a new sense of wonder for the blue planet and the importance of conserving its hidden marvels.

Hotel Ambasador: Farewell, Cowboy – Grit and Heartbreak on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast

Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of Croatia’s Adriatic coast, Olja Savičević’s Farewell, Cowboy captures the humour, heartbreak, and eccentricity of coastal towns such as Split. At Hotel Ambasador, guests can immerse themselves in the very atmosphere that infuses Savičević’s novel, a place where the past and present collide, and every street is alive with stories. The hotel’s location offers a front-row seat to the Old Settlement’s blend of tradition and modernity, echoing the novel’s cast of unforgettable characters and their tangled relationships. The spirit of the “cowboy” – both real and imagined – pervades the town, reminding visitors that, as in the book, sometimes the line between fantasy and reality is as fluid as the Adriatic itself.

Maslina Resort: The Getaway – Escape and Self-Discovery on Hvar

Isabelle Broom’s The Getaway is a love letter to the Croatian island of Hvar, where personal transformation unfolds amid salt-sprayed air and sunlit coves. Maslina Resort embodies the novel’s spirit of escape and renewal, offering guests a sanctuary where the senses are awakened and the heart finds space to heal. Here, the sound of cicadas, the taste of sea salt and the scent of pine create a sensory tapestry as vivid as Broom’s prose. Guests can follow in the footsteps of Kate, the novel’s protagonist, discovering not only the island’s natural beauty but also the deeper truths about identity, self-confidence, and the courage to chart your own course. Every moment at Maslina Resort is an invitation to step into the story and, perhaps, write one of your own.

Villa Nai 3.3: The Cheesemaker’s Daughter – Tradition and Transformation on a Croatian Island

Kristin Vukovic’s The Cheesemaker’s Daughter transports readers to a windswept Croatian island, where themes of identity, belonging and acceptance are woven into the very fabric of daily life. At Villa Nai 3.3, guests are welcomed into this world of ancient customs and contemporary challenges. While The Cheesemaker’s Daughter is set on the island of Pag, these motifs of traditional island life are emulated at Villa Nai 3.3’s Dugi Otok, situated in the Kornati National Park. In the book, the Croatian island’s rugged beauty, with its stone cottages and rolling hills, forms the backdrop for Marina’s journey of self-discovery. As guests explore local markets, sample artisanal cheeses, and wander through olive groves, they are invited to reflect on the novel’s central questions: What does it mean to belong? How do we honour the past while embracing the future? The experience is both a celebration of heritage and an exploration of the heart.

Cora Cora Maldives: Blue Planet II – A Living Tapestry of the Ocean

Inspired by the groundbreaking BBC series Blue Planet II, Cora Cora Maldives offers guests a front-row seat to the wonders of the world’s oceans. Here, the reef is a playground for dolphins, the open ocean a stage for drifting jellyfish and the mysterious migrations of the world’s largest fish. Guided by marine biologists, guests can witness the extraordinary behaviours and intricate ecosystems brought to life in the series, from playful dolphins balancing coral to the drifting ballet of jellyfish. Each encounter is a reminder of the ocean’s fragility and resilience, echoing the series’ call to cherish and protect our blue environment. Whether snorkelling among coral gardens or gazing at the endless horizon, guests become part of a living story that continues to unfold with every tide.

Each of these destinations offers more than a journey; they offer an invitation to inhabit the worlds of great literature, to see with new eyes, and to return home transformed. Explore the intersection of story and place, where every trip is a new chapter waiting to be written.