Further’s cofounder on returning to Iran, sailing off the Turkish coast, her favorite resorts, and the humble dish she’d circle the globe for
Further’s cofounder on returning to Iran, sailing off the Turkish coast, her favorite resorts, and the humble dish she’d circle the globe for
Riding on the beach at Nihi Sumba, Indonesia.
At the Datai Langkawi in Malaysia.
Burgers with chef Daniel Boulud at New York’s Beatrice Inn.Last trip? This spring I went back to Tehran for the first time in 20 years to visit my family. It’s hard to convey how breathtakingly beautiful my homeland is. I hope more travelers will add Iran to their list — Iranian hospitality is something everyone should experience firsthand.
Next trip? Currently planning a monthlong trip to Japan this fall. All recommendations welcome! DM your top tips to @niloumotamed — I’ll be reporting back with all my finds in Further.
Checked bag or just a carry-on? I’m a hopeless overpacker, just like my husband (Further cofounder Peter Jon Lindberg). On the plus side, that means for my travel companions I’m basically Mary Poppins and her bag of tricks — if you left it at home, chances are I brought it.
Travel outfit: Dress up or dress easy? I’m a firm believer in a crisp white shirt and cashmere cardigan for the plane. But I do love me some Singapore Airlines pajamas.
Comfort item you always bring on a flight? Slippers purloined from the hotel I just checked out of, most likely!
Your favorite hotel on earth? Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi checks all my dolce vita boxes: dreamy, relaxed-yet-elegant vibe; killer setting; stellar breakfast game; charming beach club guys; lemon grove outside your window… The Rosewood Hong Kong may be the most elegant city hotel on earth. Loro Piana wall coverings in the powder room? Come on. And the spectacular skyline views and hospitality at the Manor Club… Closer to home, Blackberry Farm is my Southern pastoral fantasy come to life, with glorious Smoky Mountain vistas, the most gracious team, and more activities than you can shake a fishing rod at… And finally, I adore the Datai Langkawi, in Malaysia, where Peter and I went in 2001 on our first trip together. I remember getting an alfresco massage at the amazing spa, opening my eyes, and seeing an entire family of curious langur monkeys watching from the trees above.
En route to Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi. 
Sailing off the coast of Bodrum on a vintage Turkish gulet. 
Nilou in New York City. Photograph: John Huba. 
Paddleboarding at Rockhouse, Negril, Jamaica. 
Exploring the hidden coves of Palawan in the Philippines. 
Fun fact: Nilou is the godmother of Silversea’s Silver Dawn. Current screen saver? A photo Peter took of me on horseback playing gaucho in the mountain desert of Argentina’s Calchaqui Valley, where we spent a blissful week at Estancia Colomé.
Last place you visited that took your breath away? In 2023 we finally made good on a long-standing plan to take a blue tour off the coast of Turkey, sailing out of Bodrum for a week with friends on a vintage wooden gulet. Our captain managed to find impossibly quiet coves with no other boats for miles, where we’d drop anchor, have epic lunches and dinners, swim in the salty Aegean, and sleep under the stars on the top deck, waking up at sunrise to do it all over again.
Meal you’d travel all day for? As someone who eats professionally it’s hard to pick a single place, but I’d fly all day and all night for a taste of the incredible bún chả at Dac Kim in Hanoi. That perfectly smoky char on the grilled pork, the spicy nuoc mam–laced broth, the heap of fresh herbs and springy rice vermicelli, a cold Hanoi beer… that’s as luxurious as it gets. (Of course I’d need to include a night at the glorious Sofitel Metropole before flying home.)
Favorite words to hear while traveling? “Good morning, Ms. Motamed — great news, your room is ready!”
Song you cue up for takeoff? Anything by Cesaria Evora or Curtis Mayfield.
