tours

Explore India's Golden Triangle by Private Plane

Greaves, the tour company which specializes in India, is running a rather good deal on a private plane package now. Spend a week touring India's "Golden Triangle" -- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, stay at super-luxey Oberoi hotels, and do all of your traveling in between via a Beechcraft Super King Air B200 plane.

The package includes all sorts of nice extras, like a horse carriage ride to the Taj Mahal, a cycle rickshaw ride around Old Delhi, a cooking demo at The Oberoi Rajvilas, as well as multiple opportunities for spa treatments and yoga classes along the way. The price is $5,100 per person, based on four people traveling together -- although you could always bring a bigger crowd, the plane seats up to eight. Travel through December 15th, 2010.

Tags: India, oberoi, private plane, taj mahal, TajMahal, tours

Explore Stratford's Giant Costume Warehouse

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you loved to play dress up when you were a kid, or you still do, or you're a theater geek -- and let's face it, all of these categories often overlap -- do yourself a favor and sign up for a tour of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Costume and Props Warehouse in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

This is one of the largest costume warehouses in the world, housing more than 50,000 items worn during shows staged over the years in the annual festival, which runs through October. Nota bene, this is a guided tour -- you're not allowed to run willy nilly down the aisles marked "men's jackets, medieval" or "ladies' coats, 90s", nor are you allowed to rummage through a plastic box marked "glitzy ruffs".

You're also not allowed to touch the costumes, which is more of a serious challenge than you might think, although you are allowed to take pictures. After you tour the prop section (and learn that what stands in for blood on stage is a combination of beet root and cocoa powder -- good to know) you are released into a special area where -- yes! -- you may try on selected costumes to your heart's content. And there are hats. The number of images uploaded to Facebook over the course of a season from this part of the warehouse must be unfathomable.

Tags: costumes, shakespeare, Stratford, tours

Melbourne's Hidden Secrets Tours

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I don't tend to think of myself as the group tour type, but I started to rethink my attitude after I took a Hidden Secrets Lanes and Arcades Tour in Melbourne, Australia, a few weeks ago.

Downtown Melbourne is laced with small alleys and laneways, once providing service access to the buildings, now, home to some of the city's most interesting restaurants and boutiques. After spending a few days walking the city getting the nagging sense I was missing something, I signed up for the tour. (As it happened, the other people on the tour were all from Melbourne -- they just wanted to know what was new and exciting in town, apparently it's hard to keep up.)

Straight away we went down into what seemed like a subway stop -- and it was that, too, but it was also home to Campbell Arcade, which hosts a rotating art exhibition, several boutiques and a cafe. After that, it was a spirited wander, through Union Lane, whose walls are lined with city-encouraged and sponsored graffiti art, to Royal Arcade to visit Koko Black chocolate boutique, through Cathedral Arcade, pictured above, home to a poetry bookstore and a vintage shop. My personal favorite? Design a Space, on Manchester Lane, a place where a 70 local emerging fashion designers can sell their lines, on a rotating basis. I'm glad I didn't miss it, although my suitcase was certainly heavier for it!

Tourism Victoria and Tourism Australia sponsored my visit; opinions are always 100% my own.

Tags: australia, melbourne, shopping, shopping tours, tours

Crack of Noon Tours, Travel For Those Who Aren't Morning People

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you're not a morning person then one of the big downsides of most tour-based vacation packages is that all too often the daily schedules start practically at the break of dawn. Crack of Noon Tours is geared for those of us who like to sleep in and start vacation days in a leisurely way (I seriously feel like they designed this idea just for me) with none of the activities scheduled to begin before "the civilized hour of noon," which means that although breakfast is included daily you can also choose to sleep in or take the morning to do some sightseeing and spontaneous exploring on your own. The scheduled activities are kept to the afternoon, evening, and night and are focused on balancing opportunities to learn with free time to explore and relax. Crack of Noon Tours also has a focus on good eats of authentic regional cuisine, encouraging vacationers to eat where the locals eat and truly get the local experience.

Crack of Noon currently offers two tour packages, one in France from Sept 22 - Oct 3rd and one in Italy from Oct 6 - Oct 18th, with only 24 spots available in each at a price of $3,290-$3,375 per person.

Source

Tags: france, italy, tours, travel, vacation packages

The Farmhouse Table Sicilian Culinary, Wine & Cultural Tours

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Travelers with a sense of adventure and an appreciation for wining and dining will want to check out two upcoming trips to Sicily in the fall arranged by Cynthia Nicholson of The Farmhouse Table. Nicholson, a former food editor at Country Living and Real Simple magazines, has a flair for seeking out the culinary and cultural gems that only insiders know about. While the first trip is more food oriented and the second focused on wine, the two itineraries have a healthy dose of both and feature a cooking class, along with many opportunities to absorb unique Sicilian culture.

The culinary trip from Sept. 26 - Oct. 3 includes a stay at Buseto Palizzolo (above) near Palermo which produces its own olive oil, honey, wine, and organic fruits and vegetables, and a visit to an artisanal bakery where the ovens are fired with almond husks rather than wood. The second trip presented in conjunction with Swirl Wines runs Oct. 11 - 22 and includes a day trip to Solicchiata for a tasting and discussion with winemaker Frank Cornelissen. Full details on both itineraries can be found here and and you can sign up for The Farmhouse Table's mailing list here.

Tags: cooking, Cynthia Nicholson, CynthiaNicholson, Italy, olive oil, OliveOil, Palermo, Real Simple, RealSimple, Sicily, Swirl Wines, SwirlWines, The Farmhouse Table, TheFarmhouseTable, tours, wine

The Classicist: Rémy Martin Louis XIII Experience Cognac & Culinary Tour

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, The Classicist

The famed House of Rémy Martin, founded all the way back in 1724, has a new and unique culinary journey in the heart of Cognac, France. The great gastronomic tour, part of the House's Les Rendez-Vous Rémy Martin, focuses on Louis XIII, the jewel of Rémy's cellar and the most celebrated cognac in the world, as well as the birthplace of cognac itself. The day-long Louis XIII Experience gives visitors access to the "most coveted secrets and treasures" of the renowned cognac house, centered on a private tour through Le Grollet, the Rémy Martin family's historic estate and private cellar.

Guests will experience elite tastings of the prized Grande Champagne Cognac along with a private lunch and dinner prepared by the House of Rémy Martin's Executive Chef, Philippe Saint Romas, in either the historic distillery or a private dining room. Prior to joining Rémy Martin, Saint Romas worked in world-renowned kitchens including Paris' Michelin-starred Senderens Les Ambassadeurs in the Hôtel de Crillon as well as with Alain Ducasse. Visitors also will have the chance to explore the estate's wine pressing hall and view the historic stone stills. Guests are invited to appreciate the cognacs, chosen by cognac's only female Cellar Master, Pierrette Trichet, and offered the chance to learn how to blend cognac to their preference.

Louis XIII rarest reserve cognac was created in 1874 by the House of Rémy Martin. It is described as an "intricate alchemy" blended from 1,200 eaux-de-vie, created from the chalky soils of Grande Champagne, the best growing area of the France's Cognac region. Louis XIII ages up to 100 years in specially crafted oak barrels called tierçons (above). Four generations of cellar masters perfected the unique blend of myrrh, honey, plum, honeysuckle, wood bark, leather and passion fruit that goes in to Louis XIII, making it the most complex and prestigious cognac in the world. The precious elixir comes bottled in a Baccarat crystal decanter with fleur-de-lys stopper.

Gallery: Rendez-Vous RÃ©my Martin

Tags: brandy, chef, cognac, France, Louis XIII, LouisXiii, Remy Martin, RemyMartin, tours

Continue reading “The Classicist: Rémy Martin Louis XIII Experience Cognac & Culinary Tour”

Persephone Books in London

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

Photo of London's Persephone Book Store on Lamb's Conduit

In the age of digital books, the Kindle, and, ahem, blogs, one unassailable argument for the survival of paper are beautiful, lavishly designed books. Books that are actually pleasing design objects, if not works of art.

Persephone Books is a small London book publisher on a wonderful shopping street called Lamb's Conduit, which I discovered on a retail tour led by Clare Dowdy, author of One Off, about unique retailers worldwide. (Arrange Dowdy's tour through the InterContinental Park Lane London.)

Persephone, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, publishes just 83 books, and ones you won't easily find elsewhere -- neglected classics by 20th century writers who are mostly women. Their books are bound in an elegant dove gray, and the endpapers are unique to each book, and are prints of antique fabric designs. (You can get a matching bookmark.) It's fun to visit the store and hard to buy just one -- I walked away with An Interrupted Life: The Diary of Etty Hillesum, and The Journal of Katherine Mansfield -- although you can also order online.

Tags: books, bookstore, bookstores, fabric, london, tours

Take a Last Minute Luxury Tour of Northern India

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Of all the countries that I've traveled to, India was among the most fascinating -- and the most intense. I'll never forget the feeling of overwhelm when I landed in Mumbai after a 16 hour Continental flight direct from Newark. I stepped out of the airport, into the hot night and to a sea of cab drivers clamoring for my attention. Suddenly, and somehow, a slim young man appeared in front of the throng, and calmly said "Mrs. Wellner?". He was carrying a Greaves Tours sign and a bottle of water, and at that moment (and many times thereafter, as I traveled throughout the country) I was incredibly relieved to have arranged my trip through that Chicago-based, family-owned company.

There are many countries where you don't need a tour guide or a driver, and India is just not one of them. Greaves arranges thoughtful custom packages with the country's most luxurious hotels, and engages experienced English-speaking guides and drivers so you can relax and take in the total-body sensory experience that is India. One driver that Greaves engaged during my trip observed, as he simultaneously leaned on the horn, steered the van through traffic coming at us in every direction (that included at various intervals elephants, donkeys, people, cows) and smiled, that Formula One champ Michael Schumacher could drive faster than him, but no way could he negotiate the roads of India as well as he could. I do believe he was right.

Greaves is offering several discounts, specials and sales this summer, but if your July is looking a little slow, check out the 10 day 'Royal Deal' package to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur. It's being offered at half its usual price, so fly British Air's Business Class from New York, stay at Taj hotels, enjoy top-notch tours and transfers and other perks from $6,885, per person, double. The highlight just may be your stay at the Taj Lake Palace Hotel, pictured here, and which you might recognize from the James Bond movie Upon arrival, as you disembark from the ferry boat, you are literally showered with rose petals. Book and travel by July 21st, 2009.

Tags: india, james bond, JamesBond, michaelschumacher, tours

Wayfarers Walking Tours

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Charles Kuralt was quoted as saying "Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything."

That is so true these days, you really can do a lot of traveling and yet somehow manage to see very little of the world. So why not remedy that by going on a walking tour? The Wayfarers are in their 26th season of offering luxury walking tours, and this year they have a list of locations that's better than ever with itineraries in India, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and even Alaska if you're interested in staying here in the States. The tours are all-inclusive and feature only the best in high class accommodations and dining, plus they're conveniently ranked from physically easy to difficult (so you don't have to worry about getting in over your head if you've never been on a walking tour before). Prices vary based on the location and length of the tour, but you can expect them to start somewhere between $3695-$6,995 .

Source

Tags: tour, tours, travel, traveling, travels, walking, walking tours, WalkingTours, wayfarer, wayfarers, wayfaring

Abercrombie & Kent Nature Conservancy Tours

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Just about anywhere you can think of, you can likely find an Abercrombie & Kent trip to take you there. The A&K Private Jet Experiences has numerous itineraries that whisk you away to anywhere from Bora Bora to Egypt. They have a variety of itineraries that take you to visit world destinations in style. Their customized Boeing 757 is capable of holding 186 passengers, but will only carry 52 for the Private Jet trips so each passenger has plenty of personal space, but can hang out n the jet's lounge area as well. This is definitely the company to call when you are ready to do your "Bucket List" trip.

They also do private experiences with special elements of personalization like individual dine-around choices and in-room breakfasts, or day trips like spa treatments, elephant rides and more. Accommodations include suites in some of the world's finest hotels and resorts, selected for their distinctive sense of place, gracious hospitality and inspiring views.

They also work with the Nature Conservancy to take you to some of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse destinations on the planet visiting Conservancy sites in Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Alaska. These trips include a year membership to the Nature Conservancy and seven percent of each trip's proceeds will be donated to The Nature Conservancy and its conservation efforts in the destinations visited in this trip series.

Source

Tags: abercrombie and kent, nature conservancy, NatureConservancy, private jet, tours, travel

Luxury Equestrian Tours Around the World

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Horseback riding is a more popular hobby than some may realize, with 20 million Americans considering themselves riders and 12 million taking it fairly seriously by riding at least once per week. With that many interested, equestrian-based luxury vacations are getting better and better all the time. From Micato Horseback Safaris in Africa where you can play polo and spot zebra to Cross Country International's Chateau-to-Chateau Trail in France featuring leisurely rides through the countryside with stops for wine and massages -- there's something for every taste and in every area of the world.

Source

Tags: equestrian, horse, horses, journey, journeys, luxury, riding, tour, tours

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Tours

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Some of the biggest epics to hit the big screen in the past couple of years have been filmed in New Zealand. If you want to check out some of the places where "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was filmed Narnia tours can help. These are the same people who also offer Lord of the Rings tours. Road and helicopter tours depart daily from central Christchurch. Private tours can be also be arranged. Helicopter pilots who worked on the film will take you on a tour towards the Canterbury High Country. Stopping at various locations and telling stories of the filming. Tours also include the chance to handle and photograph the weapons and costume items from the movie. A half-day helicopter tour costs NZ$1100 per person.

Source

Tags: narnia, new zealand, the lion the witch and the wardrobe, TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe, tours, travel

My Croatia Tours

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

We've written about holidays in Croatia before but if you are uncertain about where to start in this unique but not well-travelled area, UK tour operator My Croatia can help. They have launched a variety of gourmet tours and holidays that explore this special region. Their 2006 program includes winery tours in the Peljesac peninsula, Croatia’s winemaking region. Their ‘Vineyards and Villas’ tours takes you through vineyards, wine cellars and mountain villages including stops at local tavernas for home-cured hams and sausages, oven-baked olives and farmer's cheeses and homemade wine and brandies. Their website has a beautiful downloadable 40 page brochure with pictures and descriptions of the many unique regions to be discovered.

Source

Tags: croatia, holidays, tours, vacation, wine

tours

Featured Galleries

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Also on AOL