Luxury Travel Blog

Ideas to inspire your world: luxury, culture, food, travel, style

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February 18, 2009

Top 5: Best food markets in Europe

We feel that food is a window into culture, history and traditions, and we always encourage our travelers to visit local food markets as part of the private tours we arrange. It’s a great opportunity for people-watching and to sample the tastes and flavors of each destination. Here are a few of our favorite food […]

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Destinations:  Austria, England, Europe, France, Italy, Spain

Tags:  architecture tours, Avignon, Barcelona, cheese, Cornwall, cuisine, culinary tours, Europe food tours, European, Florence, food markets, food tours, foodie, international tours, Les Halles, London, luxury tours, market tours, markets, Mercat de la Boqueria, Mercato Centrale, Naschmarkt, Neal's Yard, olive oil, oysters, pastries, Patrick Blanc, Pinotxo, tripe, Vertical Gardens, Vienna, wine, wine tours, xuixo

February 18, 2009

The best English gardens in the Cotswolds

One of the highlights of having a privately guided tour of the Cotswolds is the opportunity to learn about the incredible gardens in the region–the history, unique characters and characteristics of the manor homes and their gardens, and how international trade and exploration influenced English gardens, planting and style in the Cotswolds. Our tours of England and the […]

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Destinations:  England, Europe, UK

Tags:  Barnsley House, Britain, British, Buckland Manor, Cotswolds, English gardens, garden, garden tours, gardens, Hidcote Manor, Kiftsgate Court, luxury, National Trust, private, tour, tours, travel

February 18, 2009

Family festivities during Christmas season in Vienna

Our favorite time to visit Vienna is during the magical holiday season that takes place from late November through December. For families traveling in Vienna during this time, we arrange special activities that are particularly recommended during the holiday season, such as making gingerbread in the kitchen at Schonbrunn Palace. We also arrange for families […]

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Destinations:  Austria, Central Europe, Europe

Tags:  Christmas, Christmas Markets, family, family activities, family tour, holiday season, holidays, luxury, luxury tour, luxury travel, markets, Nutcracker, practice, Schonbrunn Palace, Spanish Riding School, tour, tours, travel, Vienna, Vienna Boys Choir

February 18, 2009

Floating in the Dead Sea

Everyone should experience floating in the Dead Sea at least once in their lives. The sea (actually a lake) has such high salinity that it is incapable of supporting marine life (hence the name), and causes an amazing buoyancy. You don’t float so much as bob to the surface—there really is nothing like it! For […]

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Destinations:  Israel, Jordan, Middle East

Tags:  Dead Sea, Israel tours, Jordan tours, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, luxury tours, luxury travel, private, spa, tours

February 13, 2009

A tour of Barcelona’s Top 5 Modernista sites

One of the main draws for travelers to Barcelona is the number of structures built in Modernista style, that fantastical, colorful, most whimsical of architectural styles popularized in the late 1800’s that is the Catalan equivalent to Art Nouveau. Most often associated with Antoni Gaudi, there are in fact other renowned Modernista architects, most notably […]

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Destinations:  Europe, Spain

Tags:  architecture, architecture tours, art, Art Nouveau, Barcelona, Barcelona tours, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Catalan, design, family, Gaudi, La Pedrera, La Sagrada Familia, Manzana de la Discordia, Modernista, Palau de la Musica Catalana, Passeig de Gracia, Spain tours, tours, travel

February 13, 2009

Padua: a perfect day trip from Venice

Known as the City of Frescoes, Padua is a compact historic town less than an hour from Venice. It has a lively university atmosphere, great outdoor cafes and a wealth of cultural treasures well worth seeing. In fact, fitting all of them into one day can be a challenge! For our travelers, we take care […]

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Destinations:  Europe, Italy

Tags:  art, botanical gardens, day tours, fresco, frescoes, gardens, Giotto, Goethe, Italy tours, Lake District, luxury tours, luxury travel, Milan, Padua, Padua tours, painting, Scrovegni Chapel, tours, travel, UNESCO, Veneto, Venice, Verona

February 13, 2009

Orchids, food and friends in Inle Lake, Myanmar (Burma)

We love to introduce our travelers to the special people we know around the world.  It makes the travel experience so much richer, and is a great way to get an insider’s view of the local culture and people. One such person is our good friend, Ann (pictured above), who lives in Inle Lake, a beautiful […]

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Destinations:  Asia, Myanmar, Southeast Asia

Tags:  Burma tours, Burmese, Burmese orchids, cooking class, flowers, gardens, Inle Lake, luxury travel, orchid, private, Shan state, tour, tours, travel

February 12, 2009

Shopping in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

Istanbul’s Grand Covered Bazaar is a perfect spot for one-stop-shopping for traditional Turkish goods. There is something for everyone in its thousands of shops, including jewelry and kilim (traditional Turkish rugs). Lamps and tea sets made of colored glass are plentiful and recall the glittering jewels of the spectacular treasury at Topkapi Palace. The bazaar […]

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Destinations:  Europe, Turkey

Tags:  antiques, bazaar, Covered Bazaar, Grand Covered Bazaar, Istanbul, Istanbul tours, jewelry, luxury, markets, shopping, tea, Turkey tours, Turkish