Abercrombie Kent

Not For The Faint Of Heart: Five New Extreme Adventures From Abercrombie & Kent

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, By Design

Certain people viewing at this image, and the ones on the next page would find them to be definitions of dreams as yet unrealized -- finally getting away from it all in an ultimate mental and physical fitness challenge. And, for those people, Abercrombie & Kent has good news: five new extreme adventures have been launched last week.

Extreme Adventures is a very popular component of Abercrombie & Kent, and it is NOT for everybody. On their website, the verbiage defines the extreme adventurer:

Extreme Adventures are for the travelers ready to meet a different kind of challenge. No matter what goals we attain in our lives and careers, nature remains the ultimate benchmark of what we can achieve. An Extreme Adventure reveals exactly who you are, demanding the most of your physical, psychological and perhaps even spiritual selves.

Face the challenge of freezing temperatures, soaring altitudes, pounding G forces and barren deserts. Venture to places that test your ability to persevere; push your body to the limit in the harshest conditions and with the most demanding activities. Savor the rewards that only come from experiencing nature at its most extreme.

Since launching Extreme Adventures, Abercrombie & Kent has seen great interest from solo travelers, especially on personal challenge experiences like climbing Mount Olympus or crossing Iceland's glaciers. While many people travel solo because they don't have a partner who shares their idea of adventure – others simply prefer the freedom of leaving their everyday lives to embark on an adventure far, far away with an expert local guide. Adventure travel appears to be a good fit for solo travelers, as the adventure itself promotes a kind of camaraderie, based on encouragement in sharing a once in a lifetime experience.

"With one in four of our Extreme Adventures clients traveling solo, we've designed as many of our programs as possible to be solo-friendly, with a single-supplement of 15% or less," explains Abercrombie & Kent president Scott Wiseman. "We've discovered that this not only appeals to solo travelers, but also to groups traveling together who prefer the privacy of their own rooms or tents."

In addition, to help prepare for an Extreme Adventure, A&K recommends Fit for Trips, a service which provides customized fitness programs that simulate the same stresses and forces on the traveler's body that they will experience during the expedition. This prepares the body to handle the unique challenges of a specific itinerary for an ultimately more successful and rewarding experience.

Below are descriptions of the five new solo-friendly Extreme Adventures for 2011:

Tags: Abercrombie and Kent New extreme adventure, Abercrombie Kent, Abercrombie Kent Extreme Adventures, Abercrombie Kent Fit For Trips, extreme adventures, Iceland Glacier travels, Mount Olympus travels, personal challenge adventures, solo extreme challenge travel adventures

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Annie Scott's Incredible Journeys in 2010

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

This year, I am thankful and fortunate to have traveled to 16 countries for my work with Luxist, AOL Travel and Gadling, including Austria, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Barbados, England, Scotland, Switzerland, France, Aruba, Curacao, Spain, Zambia, Mexico, Italy, South Africa and within the United States. Some trips were press trips, and others were my own adventures, like my honeymoon in Florence. Each trip had its own merits, but, as this is Luxist, a year-end roundup of the most luxurious places I was lucky enough to visit is called for.

Here are the top five most lavish and thrilling experiences I had in 2010, where I stayed, and a little more information about each of the trips. Perhaps you'll be inspired to take one of these journeys yourself in 2011!

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Annie Scott, cannes, Lausanne, luxury travel, Montreux, Montreux Jazz Festival, Oscar de la Renta, Punta Cana, Sanctuary Retreats, Swiss Riviera, Vienna, Zambia

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Abercrombie & Kent Tour of Zambia Review

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Abercrombie & Kent Tour of Zambia Review

I recently embarked on my second safari tour in Africa with Abercrombie & Kent, a Luxist Awards' nominee for Best Family Winter Vacation as well as Best Adventure Getaway. The safari took me through three of the Sanctuary Retreats camps in Zambia, as well as a night at the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg. My tour was custom-made, so you won't find the exact same one online for booking, but you can arrange a trip just like mine or with additional features if you'd like to. This article will take you through where we (myself, another journalist and a PR representative) went and what we did, what to expect and what to bring on a trip through Mr. Kent himself's favorite destination: Zambia.

Our tour began with a series of flights. Surprisingly, we were scheduled on an indirect route, flying from New York to Heathrow, then down to Johannesburg, then to Lusaka and then, finally, to our final destination in Zambia. It was a 41-hour ordeal. When you book through Abercrombie & Kent, you will have the option of finding flights and airfare yourself. Many choose to do this so they can control the airline and use their miles for upgrades, etc., but I would add that you'll also have complete control over your route and how long your journey will take. A representative of A&K told me that the usual flight route to Zambia is straight to Lusaka via Heathrow. If you arrange the flights yourself, you could try another option, like New York to Johannesburg on South African Airways.

Regardless, as a fellow journalist once told me as we waited to board a delayed flight to Barbados for the third time, "once you get there, it doesn't matter how you got there."

The same was true of Zambia. We arrived at South Luangwa National Park at sunset and excitedly photographed our first game: a sole, poorly lit giraffe. We couldn't have been more captivated by his beauty and sense of calm. The drivers were patient with us as we snapped away, taking tens of entirely unusable pictures. Then, we drove through a river to reach Sanctuary Retreats Puku Ridge.

Tags: abercrombie and ken, abercrombie kent, africa, africa travel, awards-main, luxist-awards, safari, sanctuary retreats, saxon hotel, zambia

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The Ten Best Family Vacation Destinations Around the World

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Children

Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island's Kona Coast.

Luxist readers have selected their favorite luxury vacation spots for families around the world. From Scotland, France, New Zealand, and South Africa to Hawaii, Colorado and the Galápagos Islands, these destinations offer wonderful programs tailored specifically for children, in addition to luxurious accommodations and other incredible amenities.

The top ten vacation destinations for families, according to our readers, include:

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise Through the Burgundian Countryside (France)
Abercrombie & Kent offers many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for family vacations, but one of the most special trips has got to be its river barge cruise through the Burgundian countryside. A chartered seven day cruise aboard La Belle Epoque, A&K's 126-foot-long, 16.5 feet wide barge, is a luxurious and relaxing way to travel and taste award-winning Burgandy wines.

The barge, which is equipped with six cabins, all outside facing and each equipped with en-suite bathrooms. There's one deluxe double cabin; one deluxe twin/double; two twin/double cabins and two cabins each with twin beds. There's also a small swimming pool, a sauna and several sun decks. Bicycles are also available for anyone in the family wanting to cycle in the towns the barge visits. A gourmet chef is on board to prepare all of the meals, which are included in the cost of the excursion.

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, awards-main, Beaver Creek, best family vacation, Burgandy, Cruise, Ebony Lodge, family vacations, galapagos, GalapagosIslands, gleneagles, Gleneagles Hotel, Grand Wailea, Hawaii, Kenya, kona village, Kona Village Resort, Lindblad Expeditions, luxist-awards, Maui, National Geographic, New Zealand, Sabi Sand Reserve, Singita Game Reserve, south africa, treetops, Treetops Lodge, TreetopsLodge, Vail

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The 10 Luxuries of the Saxon Hotel

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas & Spa is a celebrated Johannesburg hotel which is well-known to luxury travelers as one of the finest boutique hotels in not just South Africa, but the world. The Saxon has hosted Oprah Winfrey, the Black Eyed Peas, Shakira and Kevin Spacey (how's that for a diverse sampling?) and features a distinguished collection of African art worth approximately 6.5 million South African rand (over $925,000).

If the art doesn't sway your fancies, the history will. The Saxon, a Leading Small Hotels of the World and Virtuoso member, was the private residence of insurance giant Douw Steyn until the year 2000. Nelson Mandela famously stayed there after his release from prison, and it was there that he edited his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. The former South African president continues to visit The Saxon today, reportedly every year around the same time -- but naturally, they're not saying when.

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Africa, art, Black Eyed Peas, Douw Steyn, Johannesburg, Kevin Spacey, leading small hotels of the world, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Saxon Boutique Hotel, Shakira, South Africa, spa, The Saxon, Villas Spa, virtuoso

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Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club And The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Forge New Luxury Alliance

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It has been announced today, October 25th, that two of the leading, equity based, luxury destination clubs, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club, have forged a new exchange opportunity for the benefit of their members. This strategic alliance presents members of both clubs with expanding destination opportunities that only these companies can provide. This affiliation marks a first for the destination club industry through The Lion & Crown Travel Co., LLC, the exclusive external exchange company for The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club.

The collaboration allows Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members access to 17 Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club residences in North America's finest beach, mountain and golf destinations including Scottsdale, Ariz.; Lake Tahoe and La Quinta, Calif.; Snowmass-Aspen, Colo.; Kiawah Island, S.C.; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Sun Valley, Idaho; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Deer Valley, Utah; Hawaii's Big Island; Turks & Caicos; Punta Mita, Puerto Aventuras, and Los Cabos, Mexico. In return, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club Members are able to convert their nights for use at 10 Ritz-Carlton Destination Club locations in Aspen Highlands, Bachelor Gulch and Vail (Vail a future location), Colo.; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; Jupiter, Fla.; San Francisco and North Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Kapalua Bay in Maui and Kauai Lagoons, Hawaii; and Abaco, The Bahamas.

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Abercrombie Kent Residence Club, Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, RitzCarlton, The Lion Crown Travel Company

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The Luxist Awards for the Best in Summer Travel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Yachts of Seabourn's Fabled Far East Cruise

Now that summer is coming to a close, it is not too early to think about making travel plans for summer 2011.

Luxist readers nominated and voted for the destinations that they believe are the best-of-breed around the world. Below, are their favorite destinations within such categories as Best Adventure Getaway, Best Beach Hotel, Best International Summer Destination, Best Luxury Family Vacation and Best Summer Cruise.

Best Adventure Getaway
The first nominee offers an unforgettable trekking experience in Bhutan while the second offers an unparalleled safari in East Africa. The third nominee is located in one of the world's finest unspoiled havens, while the fourth features elephants in their natural habitat. The final nominee, located in the Montana Rockies, is known for its outdoor sports, from fishing to horseback riding.

Amankora Resort: Trekking in Bhutan
East African Safari with Abercrombie & Kent
Phinda Private Game Reserve
Savute Elephant Camp by Orient-Express
Montana's Triple Creek Ranch (Winner)

Best Beachside Hotel
The first nominee is where to go when in search of a peaceful sanctuary while the second nominee is a tropical haven with a relaxed pace. The third nominee is located in a secluded natural sanctuary while the fourth offers an award-winning beach. The last nominee offers a beachside location that is idyllic and unspoiled.

Amanpuri Resort, Phuket, Thailand
Four Seasons Resort, Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos (Winner)
The Oberoi, Mauritius

Best International Summer Destination
The first nominee is one of the world's most glamorous destinations while the second one was once the home of the Ottoman Sultans. The third nominee is the premier hot spot on the Amalfi Coast while the fourth offers chauffeured-driven tours of the Tuscan wine country. The final nominee offers a once-in-a-lifetime trip from Venice to Istanbul aboard one of the world's most luxurious trains.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi Coast
Kempinski's Ciragan Palace, Istanbul
San Pietro di Positano, Amalfi Coast (Winner)
Tuscany Wine Tours
Venice Simplon Orient-Express Train

Best Luxury Family Vacation
The first nominee offers a luxurious barge cruise through Burgandy while the second offers an armchair safari suitable for the whole family. The third nominee is where families go for Scottish outdoor pursuits from falconry to golf. The fourth nominee is considered to be the jewel of Maui while the final nominee is unplugged and unpretentious.

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise in Burgundy
Ebony Lodge, Singita Game Reserves
Gleneagles, Scotland
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel, Maui
Kona Village Resort, Hawaii (Winner)

Best Summer Cruise
The first nominee offers an unforgettable cruise through the fabled Far East while the second nominee is the way to experience the Greek Isles and Turkey in complete luxury. The third nominee is an expedition to see the ice bears upclose while the fourth nominee takes its passengers down the Nile in style.

Fabled Far East Cruise by The Yachts of Seabourn
Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise by Sea Cloud Cruises (Winner)
Land of the Ice Bear Cruise by Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic
Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser: Down the Nile in Style
Mediterreanean Luxury Cruise on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Aman Resorts, awards-main, Cunard, four seasons hotel, Grace Bay Club, Grace Bay Resorts, Kona Village Resort, Lindblad Expeditions, luxist-awards, Oberoi, Orient-Express, Orient-expressHotels, San Pietro di Positano, Sea Cloud, summer travel, triple creek ranch

The Nominees For The Best in Summer Travel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Best Adventure Getaway
The first nominee offers an unforgettable trekking experience in Bhutan while the second offers an unparalleled safari in East Africa. The third nominee is located in one of the world's finest unspoiled havens, while the fourth features elephants in their natural habitat. The final nominee, located in the Montana Rockies, is known for its outdoor sports, from fishing to horseback riding.

Amankora Resort: Trekking in Bhutan
East African Safari with Abercrombie & Kent
Phinda Private Game Reserve
Savute Elephant Camp by Orient-Express
Montana's Triple Creek Ranch

Best Beachside Hotel
The first nominee is where to go when in search of a peaceful sanctuary while the second nominee is a tropical haven with a relaxed pace. The third nominee is located in a secluded natural sanctuary while the fourth offers an award-winning beach. The last nominee offers a beachside location that is idyllic and unspoiled.

Amanpuri Resort, Phuket, Thailand
Four Seasons Resort, Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos
The Oberoi, Mauritius

Best International Summer Destination
The first nominee is one of the world's most glamorous destinations while the second one was once the home of the Ottoman Sultans. The third nominee is the premier hot spot on the Amalfi Coast while the fourth offers chauffeured-driven tours of the Tuscan wine country. The final nominee offers a once-in-a-lifetime trip from Venice to Istanbul aboard one of the world's most luxurious trains.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi Coast
Kempinski's Ciragan Palace, Istanbul
San Pietro di Positano, Amalfi Coast
Tuscany Wine Tours
Venice Simplon Orient-Express Train

Best Luxury Family Vacation
The first nominee offers a luxurious barge cruise through Burgandy while the second offers an armchair safari suitable for the whole family. The third nominee is where families go for Scottish outdoor pursuits from falconry to golf. The fourth nominee is considered to be the jewel of Maui while the final nominee is unplugged and unpretentious.

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise in Burgundy
Ebony Lodge, Singita Game Reserves
Gleneagles, Scotland
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel, Maui
Kona Village Resort, Hawaii

Best Summer Cruise
The first nominee offers an unforgettable cruise through the fabled Far East while the second nominee is the way to experience the Greek Isles and Turkey in complete luxury. The third nominee is an expedition to see the ice bears upclose while the fourth nominee takes its passengers down the Nile in style.

Fabled Far East Cruise by The Yachts of Seabourn
Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise by Sea Cloud Cruises
Land of the Ice Bear Cruise by Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic
Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser: Down the Nile in Style
Mediterreanean Luxury Cruise on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Amalfi Coast, Amanpuri, awards-main, Cunard, Ebony Lodge, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, Gleneagles, Grace Bay Club, Grand Wailea, Hotel Santa Caterina, Kempinski, Kona Village, Lindblad Expeditions, luxist-awards, National Geographic, Oberoi Mauritius, Oberoi Zahra, Phinda, Queen Mary 2, San Pietro di Positano, Savute, Sea Cloud, Tuscany, Venice Simplon Orient-Express, wine tours, winners-summer-travel, Yachts of Seabourn

Best Family Vacations Around the World

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Scottish Pursuits at Gleneagle Hotel in Scotland

Luxist readers have nominated their favorite luxury destinations for families around the world. From Scotland to Hawaii and South Africa, these destinations offer wonderful programs tailored specifically for children, in addition to luxurious accommodations and other incredible amenities.

The top five summer vacation destinations for families, according to our readers, include:

Gleneagles Hotel

When the Gleneagles Hotel opened in 1924, it was described as 'a Riviera in the Highlands' and 'the eighth wonder of the world'. Then as now, the Gleneagles Hotel was the glorious playground for people dedicated to leisure and pleasure in the most luxurious surroundings.

Set in 850 acres of Perthshire countryside, Gleneagles is a unique place for families to escape. It is home to three of the top Scottish Championship Golf Courses and also offers a wide range of exhilarating outdoor leisure activities, all of which exemplify the longstanding Scottish sporting heritage.

Gleneagles is like going to camp as a family, albeit a luxurious one, with its world-class sporting schools. Dedicated to the cultivation of classic sportsmanship, the schools offer children and adults rewarding 'hands on' instructional programs, fueling the trend to learn while on vacation and introducing the simple pleasures of country sports to families.

World-class instruction is offered in a variety of outdoor pursuits including Falconry (where kids take part in a falconry lesson and learn how to cast the hawk from their gloved hand and then call it back), Horseback Riding, Fishing, Shooting and Archery. There's a Golf Academy as well as a Gundogs School which offers a unique opportunity to experience gundog training. There's also a Junior Off Road and All-Terrain Off Road Course available for kids aged four to nine. Here, kids learn valuable driving skills at the wheel of mini Land Rover replicas over a purpose built course, designed to mimic the grown ups' off road course. Children ten years or older learn how to operate Argo cats, which are eight-wheel-drive, all-weather, all-terrain, tiller-controlled vehicles that operate on land and in water on a challenging purpose-built course.

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, awards-main, best luxury family summer destination, Best Luxury Family Vacation, Burgundy, Ebony Lodge, Family Travel, Gleneagles, Grand Wailea, Grand Wailea Resort, kona village, Kona Village Resort, luxist-awards, luxury family travel, River Barge, Scotland, Singita Ebony Lodge

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New Designs Of Villa Vacations, Part 3: Private Trade Winds

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Within the past weeks, i have written about The Designs of Villa Living, highlighting Abercrombie & Kent Villas, and Villazzo and VVillas. Both companies have designed exceptional villa vacations in both American and Europe. Private Trade Winds has taken the villa vacations concept a step further, as these villas are located in Europe, America, the middle east and on the high seas.

Private Trade Winds is a different business model from others– it is a Five Star villa vacations rental service combined with a luxury travel service. The PTW private villa portfolio includes more that 400 classic and modern villas all of which have passed the PTW Luxury Quality Assurance standards.

" Private Trade Winds defines the full gamut of luxury travel, but our villa rental component is extremely popular with our highest end clients." said Irene Aviles, President and CEO of Private Trade Winds. " ...and especially this year. Our most successful year was 2007-2008, but 2009 was not so great – we did not fail, but we remained sort of static. But it seems the moment January 2010 came around, we had a lot of business. Indeed, we have grown 61% YTD, which is quite substantial."
This growth is not surprising, and was indeed expected by Private Trade Winds as they commissioned a Research Survey done on villa vacations, done by the Harrison Group -- a leading marketing and strategic research consulting firm headquartered in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Tags: abercrombie kent, private trade winds villas, villa rental, Villa vacation experience, Villa vacation research, villas

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The Design of the Villa Vacation, Part 1

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: By Design

In a recent NY Times article ( April 10, 2010), entitled The Well Off Are Spending Again, But Carefully, a high end Manhattan travel agent was quoted as saying, many of her high end clients are returning, but they don't want Italy 101 anymore. They want more exotic destinations. The high end villa rental business reflects this kind of optimism, as well as availability of many elite, exotic locales. The result is the luxury villa rental business is doing very well, apparently better than many, even in this is still unbalanced economy.

One of the most successful travel brands Is Abercrombie & Kent Villas, part of the 1/2 century year old Abercrombie & Kent Luxury Travel company, that includes luxury travel to just about anywhere in the world the Villas component, and an equity-based, member-owned residence club, Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club.

Recently, it was announced that A&K Villas recently opened seven new villas on the Greek island of Mykonos, making their Villa residence count to over 150.

"The Villa vacation experience is a good value, because it can create the best memories," said Charlie Stephenson, Director of A&K Villas Europe, " and a great way of seeing Europe in a leisurely, elegant and often in a multi-generational way. Yes, we had a standstill in 2009, but we did not deflate. But this year, 2010, we are up dramatically! Since January 2010, our volume has increased about 25%. Our opening of the seven Mykonos villas in the Cyclades in Greece, reflect our growth, defined by the interests and the requests we have from our clients. And each of the Mykonos villas has its own design and personality."

Here is what Charlie means :
(all Villas below have between 3-5 bedrooms, and sleeps 6-10)

Villa Grace -- Overlooking Mykonos beach , close to the town of Mykonos.
$32,004.per week

Villa Olive Garden - In the middle of an olive grove overlooking
Mykonos Harbor $9736.00 per week

Blue Living --Villa on three levels, overlooking adjacent islands of Delos and Rhenia
$14,749.78 a week

Les Soleil de Rhenia
views of south side of Delos and Rhenia
$8965.39 weekly

Villa Asteria and Villa Artemis - sister properties both $11,471.00 a week, each.
Villa Artemis - an original stone country Villas
renovated, featured in Elle Decorator magazine, on the Southern peninsula, on a hilltop, and Villa Artemis adjacent, can be rented together for larger groups.

Villa Galaxy
$17,473.00 weekly
on a hilltop on 5 acres, facing the Aegean. This villa has four large suites enclosed within it.

As can be seen from above Villa rental is not cheap, but for those who can afford it, it is an addictive way to travel, very much like private jets. Once experienced, it is hard to return to stuffy hotel rooms and packed commercial airlines.

Gallery: Abercrombie & Kent Villas Mykonos