Happy New Year & Hello 2026 ☀️

Hope the first week back at work isn’t hitting too hard •ᴗ•

We’ve got some exciting things up our sleeve this year and some new additions to
the newsletter coming your way, but first, here’s your very first edition of our
newsletter in 2026!

Thank you for being here x

xoxo,
Gabby & The TRAppe. Team

To usher in the new year, we thought it was only befitting to share Hôtel Costes in Paris’ long-running tradition of releasing a new soundtrack each year. The kind of Paris-dreaming soundtrack that makes you want to linger a little longer wherever you are listening from.

🎧 Share your go-to travel playlist or podcast with us. Whether it's road trip anthems or deep-dive travel stories, we want to hear and feature what fuels your adventures.

🍜 Street food galore: A local’s round-up of Bangkok’s street-side favourites, capturing the flavours locals return to time and time again.

🦁 Wildlife encounters: Wanting to see animals in the wild in 2026? Here’s what to look out for to make sure the experience is ethical and responsible.

👼🏻 Micro-retirements: Gen Z and millennials are swapping short breaks for longer pauses with micro-retirements, here’s where they’re going.

💼 For job seekers: The Social Entrepreneurs in Tourism Competition is looking for a 100% remote freelance Project Coordinator to support the planning and delivery of the 2026 edition.

📍Lukovë, Albania
Website | Instagram | Google Maps

In the village of Lukovë in southern Albania, Nena Farm offers an earthier way to experience the country beyond its beautiful coastal beaches.

This family-run olive farm has been caring for the same groves for over 250 years, harvesting native olives once a year and pressing them locally.

The experience is led by the owner, Milto, whose passion for olive oil and his home village is unmistakable. The groves once belonged to his grandmother, Nena, which means grandmother in Albanian and spending a few hours with him gives you a clear sense of how deeply olive trees are tied to the history and identity of this place.

The visit includes a guided olive oil tasting, where Milto explains what true extra virgin olive oil is, how to taste it properly and why quality matters. Producing some of the highest quality olive oil in the country, this experience will change how you think about olive oil and make you far more intentional about what you buy.

Nena Farm is part of a growing agrotourism movement in Albania that supports rural livelihoods and traditional food systems. You leave with a deeper understanding of how food, land and family remain inseparable in a country known for some of the warmest hospitality in the world.

In this week’s What’s Hot & What’s Not, meet Katie, Director of Planit Travels, an app that helps you compare flights and trains by price, time, and carbon emissions.

South African, landed in London, but swapped city life to be closer to nature. Katie is all about wildlife, wild coastlines, hidden gems, and soaking up local culture wherever she go.

🔥 What’s Hot

That first coffee sip – and actually trying the local stuff where it's grown. Sunrise hikes. A morning walk with coffee that somehow ends with me in the ocean. Wildlife spotting – and I mean properly sitting there for hours just watching them exist. I used to be an over-planner, but now? Go with the flow. Because when you're not locked into a schedule, you meet someone who says 'go to La Fortuna' and you end up in a free hidden hot spring in the rain. That's the stuff. Less planning, more magic.

❄️ What’s Not

Being rude to locals – it costs nothing to be kind, people. Overcrowded tourist spots where you're so squashed you can't even appreciate the history you came to see. Instagram 'must-see' lists that send everyone to the same spot when you could've just asked a local for something ten times better. Trying to fit 9 months of your life into one suitcase because airlines want your soul for an extra bag. The audacity.

Want to get featured too? Drop your details here.

Hook your friends up with Help! I’m TRAppe-d and score a free copy of our Bali e-guide! Just refer 10 people, and the guide is yours ✌🏻

Psst… want to see what all the hype’s about? Flip through the Bali e-guide preview, to get a little taste of what’s inside: 100+ curated stays, eats, and experiences that are kind to the planet and good to its people ✌🏻

Or refer just 1 buddy and gain access to our weekly updated TRAppe Travel Cheat Sheet.