Daily Archives: June 27, 2021

There are very few times when I can genuinely say that a hotel is unlike anything I've ever seen. But Calilo, a 30-suite resort on the Greek island of Ios, truly is in a class of its own.

Walking into the lobby is more akin to entering a high-end, post-modern art gallery in midtown Manhattan than showing up to a hotel in the Greek isles. Every wall is a work of art, some covered in hand-painted boots, others with vibrantly colored tile spelling out inspirational aphorisms. There is art hanging from the ceilings, wooden swings trellised in flowers and even decorated Vespas in the common areas. When you walk in, you don't know which way to turn your head, let alone where to point your camera.

The solution is simply to slow down and appreciate the artistry, little by little.

Even the main pool at Calilo is a work of art. There are swings hanging over the water, carved out dining areas within the pool and exuberant sculptures of bodies being flung through the air. And it's all in view of the resort's pristine private beachfront.

Suites are built into the rocky hillside overlooking the beach and incorporate private outdoor space. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Calilo

Opened in 2019, Calilo is a truly a destination in and of itself. Set on 1,000 acres of protected land about 12 miles from the island's main town of Chora, the property has miles of walking trails, golden beaches, a wellness spa, enormous pools and a variety of suites ranging from one to three bedrooms set in the rocky, olive tree-lined landscape.

In the game of hotel room suites, size matters, and Calilo offers plenty of room for sprawling luxury. My one-bedroom suite had a massive marble bathtub, a king bed and one-of-a-kind furnishings. But even more expansive than the room itself was the outdoor space, which included private, open-air lounging and dining areas, a pool-sized whirlpool bath, an infinity-edge pool and a terrace.

Then, of course, there is the island itself. Ios is still very much an under-the-radar Greek island, yet it offers a geographic perk that many of Greece's other lesser-known islands don't. Set between Mykonos and Santorini, this island is an easy-to-get-to, appealing retreat from the partying crowds of its more popular neighbors.

And did I mention the beaches? Over the past month, I've been to four Greek islands in search of post-vaccination solitude and a few good stories. And after visiting Ios, I can say with certainty that the island is home to some of the best beaches in the world. It's not just the water -- which is a perfectly clear, cerulean at some beaches, pale turquoise at others -- it's the lack of crowds. Even in the high season, crowds at beaches like Tripiti, Pikri and Manganari are sparse, locals told me.

An overhead view of the resort. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Calilo

Spending time at Calilo and on the island itself felt like being welcomed into a family -- the Michalopoulos family, to be exact.

The Michalopoulos family doesn't just own Calilo, they own about 30% of Ios. But in an effort to preserve the beauty of the island, they have committed to leaving 99% of their land undeveloped.

Besides Calilo, the family company called Luxurios owns a second hotel, the Agalia Luxury Suites, and five bars, restaurants and beach clubs on the island. All are the textbook definition of a labor of love. Every element of the design is done by Angelos Michalopoulos. His wife, Vassiliki "Vasso" Petridou, runs Calilo, and each one of their five children is somehow involved in the family business.

Besides hosting me at Calilo, Petridou and Michalopoulos welcomed me into their home, as they do for many guests. Home, however, may be an understatement for their exceptional, Getty Museum-esque estate on a magnificent private island adjacent to Ios. The family's private island is also where they test new designs for their properties.

Visiting their other properties is another part of the Ios experience, from the Erego Beach Club overlooking Koumbara Beach to Pathos Lounge, which offers the best sunset view on the island.

In theory, the heart of the island is the town of Chora, known for its cube houses; narrow, stone-paved streets; and abundance of small hotels, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. But, in actuality, the Michalopoulos family feels like the beating heart of this island. They know everyone, they run the most happening places and their passion for Ios will make you fall in love with the island as much as they have.

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Calilo a work of art on the Greek island of Ios - Travel Weekly

We live in an area where beauty surrounds us.

Living in a place thats been named the best city in the world, as well as several other top 10 list favorites among national and international publications, we take for granted our beautiful beaches, idyllic islands and magnificent marshes. Others come here to experience them for a week, a month or a season.

From left, Joanna Franco, Megan Batoon and Luis D. Ortiz. The hosts arrive at Bolt Farm Retreat for a stay at two of four "fairy tale" like retreats on Wadmalaw Island. Photo/Netflix.

The Lowcountry has been the backdrop for several television shows and movies. Add The Worlds Most Amazing Vacation Rentals to that list of appearances.

If youre a fan of home shows or if you love to explore beautiful properties in beautiful places via a weekend binge watch, youll want to tune in to Netflixs latest aforementioned show. Three industry experts, Luis D. Ortiz (real estate), Joanna Franco (world traveler) and Megan Batoon (designer) travel the globe to show viewers some of the most luxurious, unique and budget-friendly places for getting away from it all.

Viewers get an idea of how much it costs to rent each property and each host weighs in at the end about which one is their favorite and why.

I watched all eight episodes on Netflix last weekend, and the Charleston region showed up in two of them. Premiering on June 18, the hosts give viewers an up close and personal view of some of the globes most amazing properties that anyone (given the budget) can rent. Some properties rent for thousands a night and others, for a few hundred. It all depends on how luxurious one wants to get or how much off the beaten path one is willing to go.

An estate in Japan with a Michelin Star chef. A sustainable snake home near Mexico City. A large cave home in the Ozarks. An igloo in Finland. A butterfly bamboo house in Bali. A houseboat in San Francisco and a lighthouse in Alaska. An entire island in the Bahamas is available to rent, and you get there via boat if you want to pay $15,000 a night to do so. If renting a yacht with an entire staff at your disposal is more your ideal dream vacay, theres an entire episode geared toward boats and floats stays.

Old House Cay is located on a collection of three islands off of Hilton Head. The hosts stay at the home, which starts at $500/night, featured on the "Private Islands" episode. Photo/Netflix.

In the Lowcountry, a home on its own private island off of Hilton Head is featured on the Private Islands episode. A boat brings the trio to the island, known as Old House Cay. A collection of three islands, an 1,800 square foot, off-the-charts charming home and an observation tower -- its private with a capital P. It sleeps six and begins at $500/night. Daufuskie Island is a five-minute boat ride, and celebrity chef Sallie Ann Robinson makes an appearance to cook with them.

In the first episode, "Best of Bali," a butterfly bamboo home in the rural area of Selat in Bali is featured. The unique home is known as the Camaya Bali Butterfly." It rents for $375/night.

A treehouse episode features Charleston-inspired treehouses on Wadmalaw Island. They drive through downtown Charleston to Wadmalaw to what is known as the Bolt Farm Treehouse Retreat. There are four different treehouses with amenity decks for each of them. Rental prices begin at $500/night. The fairy-tale like property was built and born out of romance by a couple, Seth and Tori Bolt.

In Episode 3 Boats & Floats," an ultra modern 4,300+ square foot "floating mansion," The Arkup is in Miami. It floats 20 feet off the water and stands on hydraulic legs. If you want to cruise over the water, you can for an extra feel. The unique rental starts at $2,000/night. Photo/Netflix.

"Seasons Niseko" in Niseko, Japan is a 7,750 square foot luxury home, with an indoor heated pool, a 1,000 bottle wine cellar and the rental comes with a Michelin star chef to cook for you. Rentals begin at $5,500/night. Photo/Netflix.

According to the shows hosts, there are over three million rental properties around the world for any kind of traveler and any budget.

A 430-acre island, "Cuvee's Royal Island" comes with a 15-person staff to serve you while you stay. There are five bungalows and the island located in Eluethera, Bahamas can only be rented to one group at a time. Rental prices start at $15,000/night. Photo/Nexflix.

Luis D. Ortiz, a former power broker in Manhattan who sold multimillion-dollar properties for over a decade was once a regular cast member of Bravos Million Dollar Listing New York.

Luis D. Ortiz is one of the show's hosts. Ortiz has been involved in luxury real estate for over a decade. Photo/Netflix.

He now explores the world in this latest venture. Ortiz took time out of his schedule to answer a few questions about how he got into the real estate industry and what the show is all about.

Q: Tell me about you, where youre from and why you chose real estate as a profession.

I dont consider real estate or luxury real estate to be a profession. To me it is something I found interesting. As I continue to explore, not just the luxury real estate market, but the real estate market in general and how it is changing the way we live and experience life, thats something that I continue to be interested and inspired by. Im from Puerto Rico, the most beautiful island in the Caribbean, and all of my life I have been a very present or in the moment person, so being present took me here.

Q: What is the most expensive luxury property youve ever sold and where was it? What about luxury rental properties?

In Tribeca, New York for $60,000,000. A luxury rental went for $150,000 a month for two years.

Q: Many know you from Bravos Million Dollar Listing New York what did you learn from that experience that you are applying to your new venture, The Worlds Most Amazing Vacation Rentals?

For me, being in television goes beyond being on television. It's something to put you in a position where you have to continue to look inside yourself - in a bowl - as a person to continue to be valuable and relevant in anything you do. I came from a film background, but never in front of the camera, and after Million Dollar Listing, that changed. I learned how to look at myself and evolve at all times.

Q: Did you always want a real estate career?

I dont think I knew what real estate was when I was 18 years old. It was a career that came along the way. A friend of mine once convinced me that I could be good at selling real estate at a time where I was very frustrated with a film I had just shot that I didnt like. And so, I gave real estate a try.

Q: Are you finding that people are wanting these types of luxury vacay rentals even more so post pandemic?

I think what people are coming to realize is that there is more to explore in this world, while you are able to continue to work remotely. People, more than just travelers, are starting to explore different types of houses outside of the realm because its safe, because its exciting, and because why not.

Q: Whats the most popular getaway property? Here in the US? Abroad? Beach or mountains?

It depends. There is a popular getaway for every type of traveler. And, depending on seasons and trends, popular getaways keep on changing. The interesting part here is that this access to millions of properties around the world -- its slowly changing the definition of popular getaways. What is it now? Im finding that out.

Q: What authentic experiences did you have out of some of the properties showcased on the show?

One example was living inside the body of work of the extravagant/organic architect, Javier Senosiain, near Mexico City that includes a serpent where you can stay inside - inside a snake! In fact, it has 10 bedrooms inside. Its an experience I would not have seen anywhere else.

Q: Though your role is geared more toward luxury vacays, part of the programs premise is about not spending an exorbitant amount. How so, can you give a couple of examples?

Not spending an exorbitant amount is referred to traveling and properties in general. Most people think that in order to travel and have this type of great experience (on the show) you have to have a lot of money, but thats not true. Platforms today are giving access to different parts of the world that are equally or even more beautiful than where we come from at much less expensive prices. At the same time, many luxury retreats or homes have ways for travelers to stay for free in exchange of work. For example, you can go and work at a vineyard in a Tuscan villa with your friends and you get to be in Italy for free. That sounds like an adventure to me.

Q: If you were to recommend to someone seeking a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, what are five things youd recommend they do before finalizing the vacation of their dreams?

When people think of a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, many believe its a luxury full service type, but a once-in-a-lifetime vacation should be one that changes or inspires something positive in you. Its a journey that will help shape the person you become after. With that said, something out of your comfort zone. Something that challenges you or all of the people traveling. Consider traveling alone, you will find out things about yourself and the life around you wouldnt have if accompanied. Last, but not least, be available. The world will show you what youre available to.

***

Season 1 of The Worlds Most Amazing Vacation Rentals is available on Netflix now.

***

Contact Brigitte Surette at bsurette@postandcourier.com.

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The perfect getaway: An interview with Luis D. Ortiz of Netflix's The World's Most Amazing Vacations Rentals - Charleston Post Courier

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yugo the fast growing private aviation platform has recently released its newest charter routes in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines; a sign that the Singapore based private aviation company is gearing up for growth in Asia.

Leveraging on its network of helicopters and jets, Yugo is the first air mobility platform that connects Southeast Asia to the whole of Asia Pacific.

With only a few clicks and based on their preferences, customers are able to request and search flights of private jets and helicopters from a curated inventory of available flights and routes.

Currently operating in Southeast Asia, Yugo has been growing its customers reach and its fleet in the region within less than a year, amid the pandemic.

According to Camille Ngo, Commercial Manager of Yugo: "Our mission is to provide the possibility for our customers to fly private anywhere, anytime, by helicopters or private jets."

Camille, who leads the commercial operations of the company adds "We aim to reach a sustainable state of aviation, taking into account environmental aspects and societal responsibility".

Today, in order to propose charter flights to over 150 destinations in Asia, Yugo has built a fleet of more than 50 aircrafts in its network, from some of the aviation industrys best aircrafts manufacturers such as Gulfstream, Bombardier, Cessna Textron Aviation and Dassault Falcon private jets as well as Bell, Airbus, Leonardo or Robinson helicopters. The aircrafts are selected for the comfort and privacy of passengers from Dubai to Langkawi, Cebu to Bali, Sihanoukville to Shanghai or Koh Samui to El Nido, traveling for business or leisure.

Jim Baldy, CEO of Yugo commented "Covid-19 has reshaped the travel industry since 2020. This is the most challenging chapter of aviation in history and it has tested our resilience. We have adjusted our value proposition to best serve our customers in the most flexible, safe and secured way possible. With all obstacles we faced, we had to find ways to innovate, maintain our performance and move forward through 2020 and 2021.

From Southeast Asia to Asia Pacific, popular flights include on-demand helicopter flights, airport transfers, helicopter tours, private islands transfers, cross border medical flights, in country emergency evacuations or cross border business jets flights among others.

Indeed, while commercial aviation has not yet fully picked up, private aviation has been recovering at a faster pace. Yugo is poised continue to providing flights services to customers with needs to fly private within Asia Pacific.

About Yugo

Yugo Global Industries Pte Ltd is a private aviation company that focuses on providing private flights by helicopters and business jets at optimized costs anywhere, anytime. Yugos flight services are powered by its air mobility platform and its global network throughout Asia Pacific.

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Yugo Private Aviation expands in Southeast Asia - Business Wire

If you want a home you can truly boast about being unique and hard to replicate, two former Welsh fishermen's cottages that have been renovated to create one dream coastal home might do it.

But then locate that property on a private island only accessible on foot from the mainland and that elevates your home into the really rare category.

This Welsh island that can boast one such home might not be a direct comparison to Mallorca, the location star of ITV's Love Island, but for many it will be far better than that; no dramas or arguments, just peace and quiet and uninterrupted, panoramic sea views surrounding the property.

READ MORE: The UK's most-viewed property is a five-bed Welsh home with coastal views

There's a plot of land on the nearby mainland included in the sale for parking the car and the construction of five garages which had planning consent for construction, but as this has just expired a new owner will need to investigate further this aspect of this property proposition.

But why even have a car here as there are no actual roads on the island, just a patchwork of footpaths through the trees?

Imagine coming home and instead of walking through the front gate and up a drive, you walk across the pedestrian walkway to the island - how cool is that?

A dedicated and private 'zig-zag' pedestrian walkway gets you to your front door from the mainland - that is some garden path and one which will surely impress any visitor to your island home?

And it is a private island on offer here, shared by only one other property on the other side of this chunk of rock, and so not visible or near you but close enough to borrow an emergency pint of milk if Asda refuse to do a home delivery across the causeway.

As you walk across to the island the anticipation builds as the enchanting, wooded landscape embraces you and welcomes you to literally an island of calm away from the busy and bustling mainland.

Called Ynys Faelog, this small, wooded island is located in the middle of the Menai Strait and connected to the Isle of Anglesey, opposite Bangor on the mainland. It forms part of a collection of small islands located in the mouth of the Afon Cadnant River, and it is awesome.

This island in question has its own tiny and private harbour, a slipway shared between the two properties and magical walks through the woodland or around the 'coast' of the island, being careful not to stray into your neighbour's garden further down the pathway.

The current owner moors his boat outside his property on the island, but you will have to apply for your own mooring for your own vessel, as the permission to park it at the island is with the applicant and not the actual mooring itself.

The duo of character cottages now on the market as one of the only two properties on the island are believed to have been built in the 1700s and according to the estate agent selling this building bundle, during the Victorian era they became a bathing station.

Now the current owner, who is a professional, retired builder and surveyor has ensured it has become a comfortable island home, adding underfloor heating, double glazing, solid wood and slate flooring and multiple rooms to enjoy the direct views out onto the waters of the Menai Strait.

He has done all the hard work for you - all you need to do is put your own interior design stamp on the property, if you can ever drag yourself away from the views.

And then there's the temptation to wander around the woodland or find a perfect place to fish or simply stand and admire the mesmerising views from this side, your side, of the island before you even think about paint colours and fabrics.

The majestic Menai Bridge and the Welsh mainland with the mountains of Snowdonia on the horizon from an island is surely one of the most unique backdrops in the region.

We've launched a new property group on Facebook.

Whether you love nosing around beautiful properties or always keep an eye open for your latest project, this group will bring you the best in Welsh homes, properties, renovations and more.

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The property comes with its own garden that surrounds the cottages and measures up to about two thirds of an acre.

There's one particular spot in the garden screaming out for a lounger or alfresco dining set.

It's a charming flagstone curved terrace that looks out over the water, almost hanging over it, where endless time can be spent watching the water and wildlife, and the yachts and sailing ships amble past.

The work done to combine the two cottages and create a unique five-bed island home has also created a versatile network of spaces across two floors that a new owner can have fun deciding what goes where.

Currently the ground floor has a room earmarked as a kitchen next to a generous open-plan dining room and lounge that, in turn, opens out directly onto the garden via a set of French doors set into a large bay window.

How amazing will it be on a sunny day to fling open these doors onto the water views and let the sounds of this stunning and unique location, as well as refreshing sea breezes, waft into this sociable space.

Surely they'll tempt you to waft out of the doors and totally immerse yourself in the location to 'endure' peaceful bliss.

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a unique property market, with prices rising in many areas.

Strike is promising to undercut rivals by selling homes free - saving customers up to 3,600 when they sell their home. Strike says people can check if their postcode is available for the free offer here, where you can book a free valuation.

This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.Learn more

The first floor might be another possible place for a spacious open-plan kitchen diner and lounge, or maybe another reception room.

This space currently runs from the back to the front of the house and has the best sea views from this elevated position via a duo of windows, but it also has a set of French doors - not going to a balcony but a secret garden.

As if it needed it, this extra feature cements the house as a truly quirky proposition, above that of just its location - with split-levels, versatile spaces and a hidden garden where you least expect it.

Currently this room is on the floorplan as a bedroom or as studio space or additional living room - choices, choices - but whatever it becomes it will forever be a fabulous location to look out over the property's fabulous location.

Up on this first floor is the master bedroom too with masterful views of the water from a large picture window, and what a mesmerising picture this window frames.

On this upper level there are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom and a further bedroom or study can be found back down on the ground floor.

There's also a utility and boot room off the kitchen on the ground floor, very handy for sailing and fishing gear storage and cleaning, plus an extra shower room and another reception room that could be another bedroom too.

There's even a dedicated wine room. This might seem like a luxury but you wouldn't want to run out during a party or BBQ would you - the nearest corner shop is on a corner on the mainland.

Finally, the current owner has been wise and added a sunroom to the property, so its incredible island location and all the views, weather, human activities and natural beauty that comes with it is not missed - even on a bad weather day.

To become an island dweller - one of only a handful in Wales - contact the estate agent purplebrick's local agent on 07711 704544 who can take you through the special aspects of the sale of this special abode that has just come onto the market for a guide price of 900,000.

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Rare chance to own a renovated cottage on a private Welsh island - Wales Online

Is your passport up to date? Friends or loved ones who are excited to meet directly outside the backyard?

Stay tuned for Netflixs latest series, The Greatest Vacation Rental in the World, and discover ideas for places, experiences, and places to stay. It will make you joking for the trip.

During the eight episodes, viewers will be treated to adventures to Bali, Northwest / Southwest America, Hawaii, Gourmet Food Retreats, Strange Bed & Breakfast, and Private Islands. Viewers are YouTubers Megan Batoon (self-proclaimed DIY-er as a design gal), Joe Franco (lifestyle and travel influencer), and Bravo Reality TV series Million Dollar List New York. During each episode, the trio Choose vacation rentals based on different price ranges. Batoon chooses the best budget vacation rentals. Franco shows us a unique vacation rental. Ortiz offers luxury rentals. The group will stay at each facility for two nights and test them while providing tips and cultural details about the area and facility. Trips range from the four-story Birds Nest in the middle of Balis paddy fields to Alaskas luxury resorts where glacier ice cocktails are made.

I think vacation rentals, especially going on summer trips and going on, are great options for people who want to go a little more remote, have more privacy and space, Franco said. There are so many options. Many of these types of shows looking at extraordinary homes and vacation rentals have nothing to do with pricing, but not at our show.

We talked to Franco before the shows Friday premiere to find out what travelers can expect in a world that is still upset by the pandemic and its impact. Franco has traveled to more than 50 countries and speaks 6-7 languages (she is currently learning Arabic in Egypt). The following interviews have been summarized and edited.

Q: Are all these properties on Airbnb and VRBO, or are they hard to find?

A: These locations are listed on these vacation rental platforms. Its really just a matter of digging. The cool thing is that the show is like a catalog of the best places. We did a search and found some really great stays and life-changing experiences thats an aspect of my trip. I have traveled for 10 years, and when I travel, I think lets go learn new things. Learn languages, learn cultures and meet people. So, with the vacation rental I chose, I can see that were jumping into the interaction with the host and the context there. Thats really special to me. These platforms allow us to see the world as a place to stop by as a tourist, not just as a classroom.

Q: Has the pandemic changed your travel perspective?

A: I think the pandemic has made safety a top priority for most people. The pandemic showed how global we really are. One thing happens in one country and the next month in another. Its very difficult to swallow. But my belief that travel is the best education hasnt changed. If we do it safely, if we protect ourselves and others, its a way for me to live my life personally and to others about myself in the world A way to encourage exploration and learning. Im looking forward to seeing the trip reopen. What people want to get from the show is just to get out there, look at the world, experience a rich life and learn things, not this glamorous and fascinating unattainable thing. The opportunity is to actually see the trip. What you have never learned. And to understand how big the world is.

From left, Megan Batoon, Luis Ortiz and Joe Franco, Luis Ortiz from The Worlds Greatest Vacation Rental: Season 1.

Netflixs Worlds Greatest Vacation Rental Offers Ideas

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Would you like to stay in an igloo when your trip resumes? - Ohionewstime.com

PRIVATE aviation company Yugo announced on Wednesday the expansion of its destinations in the Philippines, saying it increased its customers in the country in less than a year.

Currently, Yugo has been expanding in the Philippines and has been growing its local Filipino customers in less than a year amid the ongoing health crisis, the company said in an e-mailed statement.

Yugo Private Aviation provides private flights by helicopters and business jets through its air mobility platform.

The company said Yugo is the first air mobility platform that connects Southeast Asia to the whole of Asia-Pacific.

With only a few clicks and based on their preferences, users are able to request or search flight of private jets and helicopters from a curated inventory of available flights and routes, it noted.

It currently serves 150 destinations in Asia with over 50 aircraft from Gulfstream, Bombardier, Cessna Textron Aviation, and Dassault Aviation, among others.

The jets and helicopters are selected for the comfort and privacy of Filipino and Asian passengers from Dubai to Boracay, Cebu to Bali, Davao to Shanghai, El Nido to Johor Bahru, and Tuguegarao to Subic who are traveling for business or leisure, Yugo said.

Yugo Chief Executive Officer Jim Baldy said the global health crisis has greatly tested the resilience of the company.

We have adjusted our value proposition as well as our hospitality and butler services to best serve our customers in the most flexible, safe and secured way possible. And with all the obstacles and difficulties we faced due to the pandemic, we had to find ways to innovate and move forward through 2020 and 2021, Mr. Baldy explained.

According to the company, some of the most popular services among its Filipino customers are on-demand helicopter flights, helicopter tours, airport transfers, transfers to private islands, cross-border medical flights, in-country emergency evacuations, and cross-border business jets flights.

Our mission is to provide the possibility for our customers to fly private anywhere, anytime, by helicopters or private jets, Yugo Commercial Operations Manager Camille Ngo said. We are evolving together with the industry towards a more sustainable approach to improve aviation as a whole, taking into account environmental aspects and societal responsibility. Arjay L. Balinbin

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Private aviation firm Yugo pursuing growth in PHL - BusinessWorld Online

By now, the story of Jeffrey Epstein is well known. When the accused sex trafficker died officially ruled a suicide by hanging in his jail cell almost two years ago the public was left baffled alongside victims that were denied justice. There seemed to be much more to the story than the satisfaction of one mans carnal needs. What about the mystery of his money, videotapes, rumors of spies and blackmail, and boldface names deleted from court records?

Then a keeper of the key to those secrets was arrested in New Hampshire last summer. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell swanned around Manhattan for decades, but the general public first got to know her in August 2019 when a New York judge released some 2,000 pages of previously sealed pages of a defamation lawsuit against her.

It was immediately clear why Maxwell had wanted the documents sealed. The lurid allegations in those pages exposed the true scale of the sex trafficking and power, access and money that enabled the legal impunity behind Epsteins first slap-on-the-wrist jail term. I believe their release just 24 hours before he was found hanging in his federal jail cell almost certainly had something to do with his death.

As the shock of Epsteins death was still settling in, I wrote a story for Rolling Stone laying out the allegations in the previously unseen depositions. Dozens of people made similar allegations about Maxwells role in an industrial-scale grooming and soliciting operation cruising South Florida strip clubs, spas and even a Christian college. The documents included statements not just from teen girls (now women), but eyewitnesses including private pilots, butlers, house managers and chauffeurs.

Now those documents, supplemented with other legal material and interviews with legal experts, intelligence agents and society figures, some of whom have never spoken out before, are the basis of a new three-part documentary that illuminates the life and story of Ghislaine Maxwell, the mystery woman Epstein left holding the bag of his secrets, as one former CIA agent told Rolling Stone. During the past year, I worked as an executive producer on this documentary series, Epsteins Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell, that will start streaming Thursday on Peacock.

Her story starts in Britain, where she grew up rich and connected, the last and most favorite child of the legendary media figure and, it turned out, alleged international financial criminal and spy, Robert Maxwell. Sources tell us thats where she first encountered Epstein.

The connection between Jeffrey Epstein and Robert Maxwell dated back to London in the 1980s, when Epstein, fresh off a legal near-miss in a massive Wall Street fraud case, had rolled into London and allegedly worked with a British financier named Douglas Leese. Leese taught the rough Coney Island-bred American the ways of the British aristocracy, including how to dress for a weekend hunt. During those years, Epstein first linked up with Robert Maxwell, who introduced him to Ghislaine, who fell in love with him. What Ghislaine saw in Epstein was her fathers image, said Epsteins former business partner Steven Hoffenberg, who called them soulmates.

The parallels between Ghislaines father Robert Maxwell and Epstein are uncanny. Both men were born into meager circumstances Maxwell to a large family of Czech peasants and Epstein to a Coney Island parks groundskeeper and both grew up to become experts in the shadow world of off-shoring money. (Maxwell famously helped hide money stolen by a Bulgarian dictator, as well as somehow losing track of $450 million in pension funds for his own media empire employees.) Both men died under mysterious circumstances that have officially been deemed suicide. Maxwells body was found in the waters off the Canary Islands, where he had been yachting, a death that his daughter has publicly claimed to believe was a murder.

The second and third parts of the story we wanted to tell are mostly on American soil, and mostly in New York and Florida. We sought to answer questions about how and why a woman networked into the highest echelons of finance and society ended up in a Brooklyn jail cell, and accused in public documents of being a chief procuress of a supply of pubescent girls, some of whom have said they were not only forced to have sex with Epstein, but with powerful men in rooms wired up with cameras.

The task seemed easy, at first. A prominent socialite, Ghislaine had been photographed smiling beside a veritable gossip columnists registry of bold face names. For decades, she had swanned and slipped around the pinnacle of high society, associating with male billionaires and their female consorts.

We called hundreds of them. For the most part, we got no comment, or more often, no answers at all. One prominent New Yorker picked up the phone and when I explained what I was looking to discuss, hastily said that her doctor was on the other line, urgently needing to discuss something. She never called back.

Others who vaporized were a wealthy heiress who had named Maxwell as godmother to her children, and one who harbored her during her year in hiding. Now they were hiding themselves.

Maxwell had gone from being a society insider with a naughty sense of humor to social plutonium. She herself had gone into hiding, except for one photo, widely believed to have been faked, in which she appears to be wink-winking at the spy rumors by reading a book about the CIA at an In-n-Out Burger in L.A.

Some people did talk to us, on and off camera. All confirmed that Maxwell had served as Epsteins society networker. The contacts in his notorious little black book were, we learned, at least 80 percent her friends, not his. Besides that document, photos show the reach of her access: there she is with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, there she is at Chelsea Clintons wedding, there with Bill on a private jet. There is more too. Maxwells name is listed on a flow chart of the earliest members of an elite billionaires club in Manhattan, not just as a member, but a recruiter of other high-profile members.

What did Epstein, a man with private jets, mansions in New York, Paris, and Santa Fe and his own private island, actually do for a living? Mystified Wall Street insiders say that he seemed to have little or no investment skills. And yet, Les Wexner gave him power over his fortune for years, and billionaire Leon Black paid him $150 million in the years after he was let out of a Palm Beach jail.

We picked up glimmers of his M.O. David Marchant, who investigates offshore money havens, speculated that Epstein knew how to hide money. Another source who declined to go on camera recalled that Epstein bragged that flying Prince Andrew around the world on his private jet was personally lucrative because the Prince served as the U.K. trade representative and Epstein could follow him into meetings with third world kleptocrats who needed his money-caching skills.

Rumors and speculation about intelligence connections swirl around the saga. Robert Maxwell is widely believed to have worked officially or unofficially for the KGB and Mossad, serving as a go-between and sometimes actual agent for both. He reportedly played a role as a bagman in the Iran Contra weapons deal, and helped the CIA get spyware into the Soviet Union. He definitely had ties to KGB, said ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame. He was used as an access agent to the very upper-crust of British society, British aristocracy.

Intelligence insiders told us Epsteins sex trafficking operation also looks like a kompromat op (essentially an operation to collect damaging information on decision-makers, with which to influence them) for some intelligence service. When this story first broke, I said to a former CIA colleague of mine, How many different intelligence organizations do you think are involved in this? Because this had an intelligence operation written all over it, former operative John Kiriakou told us. What any intelligence officer wants to do, needs to do to get promoted, to make a name for himself or herself is to recruit spies to steal secrets. So what better secrets do you want to steal than those held by the most important people in the world? Former presidents, titans of business, politicians.

One prominent New Yorker who associated with Epstein socially in New York recalled that Jeff had a knack for eliciting peoples needs and wants so effectively and quickly after meeting them, that it was as if hed been trained.

Where does all that leave Ghislaine Maxwell? Was she in love with Epstein or working for him? And why? Its not unusual to have intelligence services, once they have an access agent or informant, ask that individual to reach out to their children and bring them in, Plame told us. Usually for the same motivations that they got the first one.

The mystery of Ghislaine Maxwell might never be definitively solved, but her story exposes a shadow world of borderless wealth, where operators face off against influencers, secrets are worth money, and civilian laws dont always apply.

Nina Burleigh is an executive producer of, and interviewed in, the three-part documentary series, Epsteins Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell, produced by Blue Ant Studios. The original series will be available to stream on Peacock on June 24th.

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Behind the Scenes: On the Hunt for the Real Ghislaine Maxwell - Rolling Stone