Editor's Letter: Gemma D'Souza on Issue Seven

Gemma D’Souza introduces issue seven of Unforgettable Travel Magazine

Dear Travellers,

As the end of the year is closing in on us, this editor’s letter is an opportunity to round up 2022. We’ve launched new destinations, sailed on new cruise ships, and welcomed new faces to our Unforgettable team. 

Most recently, our company returned from Unforgettable Week (UFW). Each year we gather somewhere around the world to come together as a company – to share, to learn and most of all, to bond. It’s an opportunity for the company to reflect on how the season has been and what we’ve done well. 

Previous years have taken place in Amsterdam and Surrey, but this year we went back to the roots of Unforgettable. UFW 2022 was on board the beautiful Phoenix 72 yacht in Croatia and for seven nights in October, we sailed, chatted and above all, laughed together from dawn to dusk. 

The first evening spent on Phoenix 72, I immediately felt part of the family. That feeling grew as the week went on. Like most people during the pandemic, life in lockdown led me to contemplate the little luxuries I overlooked pre-pandemic: striking conversation with a friendly stranger; sharing a platter of fresh oysters on a floating pontoon; paintballing with colleagues you only ever interacted with online. These weird yet wonderful moments are the ones we remember. The ones we will always reminisce.

Over the course of the week, our mornings were spent in meetings and our afternoons were spent enjoying an activity on a different island. In Korcula, we drove buggies on roads that twisted around olive groves and sheltered bays; And for those who spent the hour with their eyes closed in silenced fear because of their partners’ questionable driving, let me assure that the island of Korcula really is picture-perfect. 

We took a hundred photos of the impeccably-presented food on board the yacht, and stroked a hundred cats on each Croatian island. And at any given moment, aromas of lavender and rakija reminded us where we are. How lucky we are to be in this breath-taking country. 

We saw the best sights spots from above; like the minaret in Mostar (Bosnia) and the cable car in Dubrovnik. We also saw the best sights from below; Look up during one of the swim stops and you’re bound to see a colleague accepting the top-deck challenge to jump off the yacht. 

Croatia – and the Dalmatian Coast in particular – is a beautiful reminder that a place is more than just a destination. It’s far more complex. A place is a community. The people of Croatia and the family at Unforgettable invest in conversation, invest in friendliness, and invest in you. 

To all the staff on board – Ante, Ivan, Chiara, Antonio, Bruna, Ivan, Peter, Nina and Darko – thank you for keeping us safe, fed, and entertained. And of course, to UTC, thank you. Thank you for a fantastic week, concept and opportunity. And for Unforgettable memories.

Gemma D’Souza

Editor