We spent a week in Sylt with my mother and her partner. Most omaat readers don't know what Sylt is. For a long time, my mom and I had been harassed about visiting, but she decided to go because she loved it so much. Sylt is a 22 mile long island in Northern Germany that is on the North Sea. The only way to get there is by train or plane. Since my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I have taken many amazing trips with her. Since she is still able to travel despite all odds, we asked her where she wanted to go. How that conversation went is summarized here. Me: “Where should we go this summer? Maybe other islands in Greece, or Turkey, or what sounds best to you?”Mom: “Baby, I want to show you and Ford Sylt. It’s my favorite place.”Me: “But what is there to do?”Mom: “Well, you can sit on the beach. Just make sure you bring ski underwear.”Me: “Ski underwear? To sit on the beach in summer? How cold is it?”Mom: “Well, it can get very windy.”Me: “How windy?”Mom: “You know, maybe 30 mile per hour winds, and the temperatures are sometimes in the 50s. But it’s so beautiful. The air is so fresh.”Me: “You understand we could go to Greece or somewhere with nice weather, but you want to go sit on the beach on the North Sea in ski underwear?”Mom: “Yes, it’s my dream that you visit because you will love it.” Me: “Okay, if that’s what you want…”My mom’s Sylt sales pitch
Next thing you know, Ford found a great place to stay in Sylt, and we were on our way. I am happy we listened to my mom because we had an unforgettable time.
The mix between the Hamptons and Fogo Island is similar. Half a dozen small towns are located on the island. It is easy to get around the island as there is one main road that goes north to south. The island has a variety of beaches, sand dunes, and rocky coastlines.
In the summer, Sylt is an extremely popular destination, and it gets a lot of tourists from Germany. Though it is a domestic destination for travelers, this is still not a hidden gem.
It is hard to say what makes Sylt special, but my mom was correct in describing it. The air is crisp, it gets windy, and you will want a jacket.
We walked on the promenade by the beach and never sat on it.
You can walk through farms or along the water in Sylt.
Most of the houses in Sylt are the style of Old Frisian Houses.
You can ride a bike anywhere on the island.
I was surprised by the high end of Sylt. I didn't expect to see more G-Wagons per capita than I did. When I saw real estate prices in New York, it made me wonder if it was a good deal.
I was worried about dining in Sylt since I thought it would be very North Sea focused. I don't like herring or this-or- that. There were a lot of international dining options that I was pleasantly surprised by. There were many outdoor restaurants and bars where you could get a drink and relax.
This was the first time I have ever booked anAirbnb with my family, so I was very excited. It seemed like a good place to do that. The hotels here are expensive and not very luxurious. In peak season, you will pay $500 a night for a Holiday Inn.
There is a new resort in Sylt called Lanserhof that has a urine analysis included in the stay. It was a hard pass. It couldn't be a Six Senses thing.
We spent $400 per night on a beautiful four bedroom house, which was less than mediocre hotels were charging, because we were traveling as a group. It was great to have lots of space, a backyard, a fridge, and a washing machine in our house.
For a destination like Sylt, this was the ideal option, and I would rent the same house again in a heartbeat.
It was a great time in Sylt. Our impressions of places are largely influenced by who we are traveling with, and the general circumstances of the trip.
Is it possible that everyone from around the world should go to Sylt? It's likely not. We enjoyed it so much that we plan to return to it in the future. Our time with my mom in Sylt was one of the highlights of our relationship.
I am not sure if I was excited about going to a summer destination where ski underwear is recommended on the beach. We had an unforgettable time and Sylt exceeded my expectations. It won't be out last visit for Ford and I, thanks to my mom.
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