In a landscape where luxury is increasingly loud, Karan Bhangay operates with rare discretion. As the co-founder of Indulge Concierge, he has spent over a decade advising some of India’s celebrated millionaires, including names such as Nikhil Kamath, Mouni Roy, Anshula Kapoor, among others, on how and where to spend their most precious currency: time. His recommendations matter not because they are exclusive (though they often are), but because they are deeply considered.
In conversation with Robb Report India, he shares that for him, luxury is the absence of friction, not excess or visibility, but control over time, choice, and emotional clarity. "True luxury today is the freedom to prioritise what matters most, from family and health to creativity and rest, without disruption."
He recommends five bucket-list experiences that the ultra-affluent should consider in 2026. Each reflecting a broader shift moving away from consumption and towards contemplation.
This is not spiritual tourism; it is privileged proximity to India’s civilisational memory. Private temple immersions are carefully orchestrated journeys that grant after-hours access to some of the subcontinent’s most sacred and architecturally significant spaces, from Chola-era temples in Tamil Nadu to rarely opened inner sanctums in Varanasi and Odisha. What elevates the experience is context. Accompanied by historians, Sanskrit scholars, and Vedic practitioners, guests are guided not through ritual alone, but through philosophy, cosmology, and history.
Karan believes the real driver of today is personal relevance, where exclusivity, personalisation, and cultural depth intersect. He tells how the wealthiest travellers now seek experiences that are emotionally resonant and aligned with their values and life stage.
At the furthest edges of the world, luxury takes on an entirely different character. Ultra-remote polar expeditions are designed not as adventure travel, but as intellectual and environmental immersion. Small groups journey into the Arctic or Antarctica aboard specialist expedition vessels, accompanied by glaciologists, marine biologists, and climate scientists actively working in the region.
What makes these expeditions bucket-list worthy is the access to understanding. Bhangay says, "If given a chance, I would curate a private, multi-continent 'Legacy Week' to help families reflect, document, and shape their future, because I believe the next evolution of luxury lies in meaning, memory, and continuity rather than indulgence."
This year, the most compelling culinary experiences will move beyond dining rooms and into private estates. Closed-door residencies see Michelin-starred chefs taking over restored homes in Tuscany, French countryside manors, Spanish vineyards, or ancestral houses in Japan. Guests are not simply diners, but temporary residents, immersed in a slower, more intimate rhythm shaped by food and conversation.
Meals unfold over days rather than hours. Ingredients are sourced locally, often alongside the chef, with mornings spent in markets or gardens and evenings stretching around long tables. What makes these residencies exceptional is the access they offer to the thinking, memory, and craft behind the cuisine, where food becomes a shared, lingering experience.
Ancestral storytelling journeys represent one of the most emotionally resonant luxury experiences of 2026. These are deeply personal expeditions designed to trace family lineage across geographies, generations, and forgotten narratives. This includes families exploring land records, letters, oral histories, and ancestral homes, often across multiple countries, along with archivists, historians, and cultural researchers.
The journey might begin in colonial archives in London, continue through small towns in India or Europe, and conclude at a long-abandoned family property.
"Luxury in 2026 will be quieter and more grounded, defined by longevity-led experiences, low-visibility indulgence, and cultural intelligence, with meaningful experiences replacing asset ownership as true markers of success," says Bhangay.
In a world obsessed with efficiency, slow travel has become the ultimate indulgence. In 2026, private yachts and luxury sleeper trains are no longer going to be just means of transport.
A private yacht might drift through the Mediterranean or Southeast Asia, guided by weather and whim rather than itinerary. Days pass between swimming, reading, conversation, and long meals prepared onboard. Similarly, luxury sleeper trains across Europe or India offer private cabins, refined dining, and vast windows framing passing landscapes.
What distinguishes these experiences is their resistance to urgency. Karan points out how overcrowded, logo-led, and performative luxury is losing relevance, as loud indulgence quietly falls out of favour.
Concluding, Bhangay, a veteran of luxury curation and lifestyle publishing, highlights other meaningful luxury experiences that remain under-explored in India, including private preventive health retreats, cultural residencies with artists and thinkers, slow and unstructured travel, and legacy documentation such as family archives and films. "These experiences may not be immediately visible, but they create lasting emotional value," he says.