Vacations—big, wildly anticipated vacations—don’t come around as often as we’d like. When they do, they often go one of two ways: There’s the I-need-a-vacation-from-my-vacation trip, one of those whistle-stop tours that leave you more exhausted than when you began. Then there’s the I’m-really-on-vacation vacation—the kind where cortisol levels start to steady, and you don’t panic when the Wi-Fi cuts out. A bucket-list escape you wish could last forever.
The privately chartered, beautifully restored barge Belmond Lilas turns out to be one of the easiest, dreamiest, most romantic ways to experience one of the dreamiest, most romantic places on earth: Burgundy.
Where to Lounge
Imagine checking in to a charming countryside château. Only this particular château floats along a calm, meandering river past Chalon-sur-Saône in the unspoiled region of Burgundy. From the moment you step on board, you feel an immediate sense of ahhh: you live here now.
Days spent lazing around the sundeck as you drift down scenic canals, passing twelfth-century cities straight out of a history book (the captain will even point out the run-down school Napoleon once attended). The breezy living room practically insists you reserve a few hours for reclining with a book (and maybe something sparkling).
Where to Sleep
The four generously sized cabins have more in common with a lavish hotel than the traditional notion of below-deck quarters. There are marshmallow-fluff beds draped in Parisian linens and bright en suite bathrooms stocked with everything you could ever need—plus a few luxurious little extras you might not.
Article courtesy of goop.com Photos and Video courtesy of Belmond