Our story
In 2000, we left our home in Paris for a life-changing holiday in the Aeolian Islands, off the north coast of Sicily. One morning at dawn, as we sat on top of Stromboli watching sparks fly out of the crater, we decided to start a business focused on bringing discerning travellers to Sicily.
Our voyage around the Mediterranean so far
2002
In December 2002, we launched The Thinking Traveller’s first brand, Think Sicily. Nobody was offering upscale villas in Sicily, so we set out with a collection of seven of the most beautiful villas available for rent at that time.
We soon realised that the only way we could consistently exceed our clients’ expectations was by adopting a model of “quality through exclusivity”. Think Sicily quickly became the point of reference for exclusive villas in Sicily.
We soon realised that the only way we could consistently exceed our clients’ expectations was by adopting a model of “quality through exclusivity”. Think Sicily quickly became the point of reference for exclusive villas in Sicily.
2009
Soon, many of our loyal clients, eager to travel with us to other destinations, began to ask us, “when are you going to do somewhere else?” So, in 2009, with the help of some Puglian friends, we launched Think Puglia, again with just seven villas.
The timing was serendipitous: people were just becoming aware of the heel of Italy’s boot as a wonderful destination, but no-one was providing high quality villa experiences.
The timing was serendipitous: people were just becoming aware of the heel of Italy’s boot as a wonderful destination, but no-one was providing high quality villa experiences.
2013
Then came Greece. Towards the end of our third season in Puglia, we saw an opportunity across the Ionian Sea on the islands of Lefkada and Meganissi.
It didn’t take more than an initial visit for us to fall in love once more, and in 2013 we launched Think Ionian Islands, subsequently expanding it to include Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos.
It didn’t take more than an initial visit for us to fall in love once more, and in 2013 we launched Think Ionian Islands, subsequently expanding it to include Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos.
2014
In 2014, we consolidated our destinations into a single brand under the company’s original name, The Thinking Traveller. In 2016, we launched our first collection of villas in the Aegean Sea, on the wonderfully unspoilt Sporades Islands of Skopelos and Alonissos.
Then, in 2017, an opportunity arose that we were unable to resist and we began working with a small but elite selection of properties in the south of Corsica.
Then, in 2017, an opportunity arose that we were unable to resist and we began working with a small but elite selection of properties in the south of Corsica.
2019
We live in London now with our three children, all of whom were born in Sicily . We’ve been hands-on since day one, visiting all our villas, meeting thousands of people, and touring our destinations regularly.
We didn’t plan to work together back in 2000, but our lives are so wedded to The Thinking Traveller that it’s hard to imagine things if we didn’t. School holidays generally involve the kids accompanying us to our various destinations and getting hands-on themselves. We think they’re very lucky, and we feel very lucky too.
We didn’t plan to work together back in 2000, but our lives are so wedded to The Thinking Traveller that it’s hard to imagine things if we didn’t. School holidays generally involve the kids accompanying us to our various destinations and getting hands-on themselves. We think they’re very lucky, and we feel very lucky too.
2021
Since November 2021, White Key Villas has been a part of The Thinking Traveller, and we’ve now merged our two sites to showcase the Mediterranean’s most exceptional villas in one unique place.
Since joining forces the sense of synergy we felt has only grown stronger, and we are now a fully integrated team with expert Villa Specialists in London and Athens, an infinitely resourceful network of Local Specialists in all our destinations, and an unrivalled collection of the most extraordinary villas in the heart of the Mediterranean, from Corsica to Kefalonia and from Sicily to the Sporades Islands.
Since joining forces the sense of synergy we felt has only grown stronger, and we are now a fully integrated team with expert Villa Specialists in London and Athens, an infinitely resourceful network of Local Specialists in all our destinations, and an unrivalled collection of the most extraordinary villas in the heart of the Mediterranean, from Corsica to Kefalonia and from Sicily to the Sporades Islands.
"All excellent. If I were to design the ultimate villa holiday experience, The Thinking Traveller would be it. Attention to detail and constant striving to give the traveller the best experience is very evident"
- SB, UK
