I consider myself somewhat of a travel fanatic. The kind of person who gets itchy feet if they aren't booking trips, who can't sit at home for more than a couple of weeks before the wanderlust gets too much.
I have a lengthy bucket list of travel experiences I want to tick off before the inevitable mundanity of "settling down" catches up with me. Churning out babies, moving to the countryside, going to bed at 9pm and rarely, if ever, leaving the house. You get the gist.
All this to say, that Belmond has long been high on my travel bucket list. The travel brand's portfolio spans hotels, trains, boats and tours, all of which are "once in a lifetime" experiences.
There is a train through Peru, set against a dramatic mountain backdrop on the World's highest rail route. There is the pink hued Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, which has played host to esteemed guests like Marlene Dietrich and the Dalai Lama. There is my personal favourite, perched comfortably atop my bucket list for as long as I can remember - The Orient Express train, a must for murder mystery lovers like myself.
This September, in the last throes of a gloriously epicurean Summer, I finally had my first Belmond experience. The Belmond Caruso no less, an 11th century palace turned into a secluded hotel nestled into the cliffside of the coastal town of Ravello.
We arrived in Amalfi on one of those perfect, sunny days. We were greeted (or rather, haughtily ignored) at the entrance by a regal grey cat, who was clearly very used to being cooed at by handsy foreigners.
Stepping into Belmond Caruso felt like stepping onto a film set, a rose-tinted director's depiction of idyllic Italian coastal charm. It is mindful of its illustrious beginnings, with ancient frescos and tiled floors that emphasise the sense of surroundings steeped in history.
It is luxurious, but subtly so. There are Roman busts, sweeping chandeliers, and a breakfast room that would not look out of place in a Royal Palace. However nothing overwhelms, or feels at odds with the original architectural details. It is warm, welcoming, unpretentious.
We were lucky enough to be invited on a tour of the premises. First, a nosey around the boutique, the atmosphere and decor of which feels somewhat like a church - were the deity in question Emilio Pucci. A reminder, were it needed, that I am completely out of my depth, taking a furtive peek into another world.
The aforementioned breakfast room, a stately affair. The bedrooms themselves felt surprisingly subdued, with more subtle decor than the public spaces. I quite appreciated their relative simplicity - luxury does not always need to shout.
The indisputable star of the show, however, is the gardens. A sprawling expanse lined with perfectly tended plants, corridors shaded by grapevines, and paths meandering off to secret spaces, all looking out over the piercing blue of the the Tyrrhenian Sea.
We followed a path down to the pool at the edge of the property. Were I to have yet another bucket list, a rather niche "pools I want to watch the sunset whilst sipping a pina colada in" list, the Belmond Caruso pool would be right up there. It's an infinity pool, which is not unusual at swanky hotels. What is unusual, however, is the way the pool, sea, and sky merge so seamlessly under the Italian sun that it is hard to see where one starts and another finishes. Set against the picturesque background of coastal towns, and it's hard to see how one could ever leave.
Hungry after a 4am wakeup call, we settled in on the terrace for a spot of lunch. The menu is a mix of Italian staples, with plenty of pizza, pasta, and seafood. After much deliberation I settled on a pizza, because there is no such thing as a bad pizza. Belmond's iteration certainly did not disappoint; a thin base with pillowy crusts and a hefty topping of mortadella and dollops of ricotta.
Of course, pizza is incomplete without cocktails. There are rules! I ordered a signature Caruso Spritz, a refreshing mix of Aperol, Campari, Limoncello and prosecco. The perfect way to start my Amalfi adventure.
Happily wined and dined, we continued our exploration of the grounds. I fell deeper in love with every twist and turn, the unexpected views discovered around unsuspecting corners. Too soon it was time to depart for the next stage of our adventure, taking us to the High Seas aboard a Star Clippers cruise ship.
It was an intoxicating glimpse into life at the Belmond Caruso. Indulgent sun-soaked afternoons, aperol-hazed sunsets and a slow, luxuriously unhurried life. I left wanting more. Till next time...
