- After they left the White House in January 2017, the Obamas visited some of the most exotic locations imaginable.
- After spending a few days on American soil in Palm Springs, they crisscrossed the globe, visiting Richard Branson’s Necker Island and exclusive island resort The Brando in French Polynesia.
- Take a look at their photos below.
After leaving the White House in January 2017, the Obamas made the most of their vacation time, hitting up some of the most exotic destinations imaginable.
After spending a few days on American soil in Palm Springs, Barack and Michelle Obama jetted off on a tropical tour that started at entrepreneur Richard Branson’s private Necker Island.
They then headed to French Polynesia to check in to The Brando, an exclusive island resort that can be reached only by boat or by two-engined Air Tetiaroa planes.
In May 2017, the Obamas took a six-day vacation in Tuscany, Italy, where they stayed at a luxurious villa and sampled the food of one of the world’s best chefs. Then the entire family was spotted whitewater rafting and visiting a temple in Bali, Indonesia before heading to Java to visit the city where Obama’s mother lived and worked for years.
Take a look at the incredible places they visited:
Sarah Jacobs contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article.
After eight years in office, the Obamas headed off on a well-deserved break in January 2017.
The first stop (after a very brief stint in Palm Springs) was Necker Island.
This 72-acre island — located in the British Virgin Islands — is owned by British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.
It's one of the most exclusive places to stay in the world.
It can sleep a maximum of 34 guests.
An individual room on the island starts at $4,280 a night, for a week minimum.
The entire island can also be rented for $78,000 a day.
Obama was making the most of his time there. On his blog, Branson shared photos of the former US president kitesurfing off nearby Moskito Island.
According to Branson, this was the first time Obama had kite-surfed since his time in office.
Branson wrote on his blog that he challenged Obama to a competition to see who could learn how to kite-surf and foil board more quickly.
Branson admitted that Obama won the challenge, managing to kite-surf 100 meters on his board.
He said that inviting the Obamas to his island was "a huge honor," the Associated Press reported.
Source: Associated Press
After a quick pit stop in San Jose, California, to meet some tech executives, Obama headed to his home state of Hawaii to play a round of golf at Mid Pacific Country Golf Club. He was later spotted dining at laid-back surf-and-turf restaurant Buzz's Lanikai in Kailua.
Source: Star Advertiser and Time
In mid-March, Barack Obama jetted off to The Brando, a resort on the island of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia.
The Brando is named after the late Marlon Brando, who bought the island in 1967.
It was then transformed into a luxury resort in 2014.
The resort has 35 villas on a white-sand beach. A one-bedroom villa costs north of $2,500 per night in the low season and more than $3,800 in the high season.
The villas have between one and three bedrooms; each has its own plunge pool.
Activities are a big part of the Polynesian experience. During their stay, Michelle Obama sampled the paddleboarding.
Besides enjoying the water activities, the former president is rumored to have been working on his memoirs during their stay at The Brando, according to The Telegraph.
The Obamas then joined Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, and Oprah Winfrey aboard David Geffen's "Rising Sun" yacht off the Island of Moorea in the South Pacific. Obama spent nearly a month in French Polynesia.
In May, the Obamas headed to Italy, beginning with a brief stop in Milan, where Barack Obama delivered a sold-out speech at the Food Innovation Summit.
Source: The Times
The couple went on to Tuscany for a six-day vacation, staying at Borgo Finocchieto, a restored 14th-century village that is now a private hotel.
Source: Business Insider
The property is owned by John Phillips, an American who served as US Ambassador to Italy under the Obama administration from 2013 to early 2017. Phillips bought the abandoned village and began renovations in 2001.
While vacationing in Tuscany, Michelle Obama was spotted exploring the nearby town of Montalcino.
Barack was also pictured playing golf at the Castiglion del Bosco course, a 15-minute drive away from Phillips' property.
Source: Daily Mail
The couple also managed to sample some of Italy's best food, cooked by world-renowned Italian chef Massimo Bottura at an event hosted by John Phillips.
Source: Huffington Post
After their Italian vacation, President Obama traveled around Europe on business for the Obama Foundation, Time reported. He was also seen golfing at St. Andrews in Scotland.
In June 2017, the Obama family stayed at the $2,500-a-night Four Seasons hotel in Bali, Indonesia. The former president lived in Indonesia for several years when he was a child.
Source: Daily Mail
The whole family was spotted whitewater rafting in the Ayung River.
Later, they visited the Tirta Empul temple, which is famed for its holy water. Michelle, Malia, and Sasha donned yellow sarongs for the visit.
Source: Daily Mail
The family also visited the Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, a city on the island of Java where Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, worked for years.
Source: The Guardian