If you had a private jet, where would you go? That may seem an impossible dream, but for a few rarefied individuals, flying private has been made more affordable by sharing jets and itineraries. The latest offering is a cross-Asia tour that whisks you from the zen gardens of Kyoto to the volcanoes of Bali. “Designed for people who don’t do group travel,” says the Remote Lands website travel agency for exclusive luxury journeys in Asia.
Passengers will share a private jet with a maximum of 18 guests and spend several nights at iconic Aman hotels in Kyoto, Shanghai, Palawan, and Bali. The itinerary includes a private audience with a geisha in Kyoto, an exclusive tour with a historian strolling Shanghai’s Bund, stargazing off the azure waters of Palawan, and helicoptering over a live volcano in Bali — all for the cool price of $118,888.
That six-digit number may induce sticker shock for many people. However, for a certain economic stratum, that price tag is good value for nearly two weeks of exclusive luxury travel on a private jet. Still not convinced? Let’s break it down.
Flying the cocktail party in the sky
Aman Jet Expeditions is the operator of this “Cities to Tropics” tour. Guests will fly aboard an ACJ 319 private jet, a modification of the long-range A319 jet that normally fits around 150 people. The plane has been reconfigured to fit just 18 guests with two cabin lounges, including bedrooms and showers. The flight is described in a promotional video as a “cocktail party in the sky.” For 18 people, it would cost about a thousand dollars per person per hour. That doesn’t include the gourmet catering and flight crew (and traveling engineer) that anticipates the needs of every guest on board at each destination.
Then there are the hotels. The Aman Resorts have developed a cult following of luxury design and cultural heritage. Devoted fans call themselves Aman Junkies. The Aman Kyoto is set deep in a forest at the foot of Mount Hidari Daimonji, steps from the golden Kinkaku-ji temple. Its spa has a private onsen, baths fed by thermal hot springs. The hotel’s restaurant is run by Shinichiro Takagi, a 2-star Michelin chef, specializing in the exquisite omakase cuisine of Kyoto. The Aman Kyoto has two Michelin Keys for “an exceptional stay”. “The freestanding pavilions are on another level, both figuratively and literally, as they occupy the property’s most elevated vantage,” the Michelin Guide says. The most secluded of these, the Washigamine Pavilion, costs about $22,000 a night. That’s a bargain compared to these rooms in the world’s most expensive hotels.
Private islands and live volcanoes
