For the Love of Cape Town!

 “This is a pretty and singular town; it lies at the foot of an enormous wall (the Table Mountain), which reaches into the clouds, and makes a most imposing barrier.  Cape town is great inn, on the great highway to the east.” – Charles Darwin in a letter to his sister, Catherine, 1836

Happy Me = Wine & South Africa!

 

To me, Cape Town is one of the most exquisite places to visit in the world. It satisfies my hunger for classic adventure, and yet is infused with a contemporary  feel that many do not envision when thinking of Africa.  From the hip night life of Camps Bay to awe-inspiring natural vistas, anyone can feel at home in this beautiful city.

My first night I stayed at the very chic One & Only Cape Town with its stunning views of Table Mountain and easy access to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.  It truly captures the cosmopolitan feel of Cape Town with restaurants like Nobu and Reuben’s.  In my opinion, it has one of the best spas in the world,  situated on its own little island in the middle of this urban resort.  If getting rid of jet lag is on your to-do list, this spa will not disappoint.

Beautiful View from One & Only Cape Town

 The next morning we transferred to the beautiful area of Constantia Valley to a true gem in the Cape Town area, The Cellars-Hohenort.  This small boutique property – with only  52 individually decorated rooms and suites – has so much to offer the traveler who is looking for a quiet and unique retreat from the hussle and bustle of the city center. When we arrived we were able to tour the property with the General Manager, Tony Romer Lee, who took us through the highlights of this 9-Acre property and all that it has to offer. 

Table Mountain peeking thru the “Table Cloth”

When staying at Cellars-Hohenort you are only a short drive to the many attractions, such as Table Mountain, the Winelands and Victoria Alfred Waterfront.  That evening we were treated to an amazing culinary experience with Ms. Martha who taught us how to make Samosas.  As can be expected from a group of young travel advisors, we had to turn it into a competition! And just for the record, I won that contest!

Making Samosas with the Friends

After the treat of samosa making, we were served a traditional Cape Malay dinner, which is very heavy on the curry influence which I enjoy.

The Cellars Hohenort also has 2 amazing dining venues, The Greenhouse – which was awarded Top 10 status in South Africa – and The Conservatory, a fresh approach that takes advantage of their 9 acres of award-winning gardens.   It is hard to put in words the warmth and charm of this little jewel only 20 minutes outside of the city center of Cape Town.  Little Tip: Make sure you are there on a Saturday Morning to be able to enjoy the local fresh market!

Spacious Accomodations at Cellars Hohenort

My Beautiful Accomdations at Cellars Hohenort

Stunning Views from Cellars Hohenort

The first two nights of our Southern Africa Adventure were amazing and just the beginning!  Next Stop Ellerman House for my Birthday Celebration!

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Why a Luxury Travel Advisor?

I love what I do… I do not call it a “job” as most can not wait until Friday at 5 to leave their “job” for the weekend.  There are many country songs to prove this point.  The one thing that does annoy me is the question I get from everyone, I mean strangers, family and friends alike, “Do Travel Agents Still Exist?”.  When I read the below article from Luxury Travel Advisor Magazine, I knew I had to share these funny, but most likely true stories.  

Below are some cautionary tales for the next time you consider booking your own trips via the Internet or through an amateur agent.

1. You booked your own trip to Europe last spring and the volcano in Iceland erupted. You ended up spending two extra weeks in Paris because you couldn’t get a flight home using your online travel agency. Your hotel bill at the end of it all totaled the same amount you’d set aside for your son’s first year at college. He’s now working at Walmart while his friends are at freshman orientation.

2. You were certain that the resort you’d booked for your honeymoon was on the water because you could see it plain and clear in the photo on their website. Turns out there was a highway between your room and the ocean. You eventually learned how to dodge the cars but you felt funny doing it in your bathing suit, didn’t you?

3. How were you supposed to know it took three hours to transfer from the airport to your Caribbean resort? Either way, you ended up spending half a day getting to the place and getting back to the airport, which was a shame, since you were only there for the weekend.

4. You thought that new hotel in downtown New York looked funky and fun but you didn’t realize part of the fun was sharing the bathroom down the hall with five lovely young backpackers from Prague.

5. Your hotel was in the heart of it all, as the ad promised, but that meant it was near a disco that stayed open all night, so you never got to sleep and you still can’t get that ABBA tune out of your head.

 

6. You didn’t realize until you got to the airport that to travel to your destination, you needed to have at least six months on your passport before it expired. Now you know. So, you’ll go next year. Those mean immigration guys were just doing their job.

7. All of your friends who booked through a luxury travel advisor had special passes for a private tour of the Vatican, except for you, so you stood in line for three hours in the hot sun, just to see the main rooms. While you were waiting, your friends met the Pope and then went off to sip Prosecco cocktails in the garden of the Hotel de Russie.

8. Their luxury travel advisor also called them each day to be sure everything was going okay while you couldn’t even get an Internet connection to double-check what day your return flight was headed back to New York, or was it Newark?

9. You chose to see Europe on a luxury motor coach tour for two weeks and the price was so much better than other tours you saw online. Who would ever have imagined that your hotels wouldn’t actually be “in” the cities listed on the itinerary and that “seeing” the top attractions meant waving to them as the bus sped by at 70 miles an hour?

10. You decided to use your neighbor’s travel agent, who turned out to be his sister-in-law who had become an agent by signing up for a $49 course online. She has a diploma and everything. She can also perform civil ceremonies, sell real estate and make cute stuffed animals using only the lint that comes from her dryer. Did we mention she hasn’t left her house for eight years? And what if she did arrange for you to meet your cruise ship in Long Beach, NY, instead of Long Beach, CA? What’s the difference of a few thousand miles between friends?

August 1, 2011 By: Ruthanne Terrero Luxury Travel Advisor

Explora’n with Explora – Patagonia

I returned from an amazing experience in Chile at the beginning of May and I have not had the chance to write about it until now.  All I can say is Wow!  I have to admit that South America was on the bottom of my list of places to go.  It is not that I never wanted to go, it just was not at the very top (my disclaimer for my new South American friends).  Wooed by the mysticism of India, the African Spirit, and the fortunes of China, these places were topping my list.  When asked to go to South America with Explora Travel of course I said “yes” and now I can honestly say that I have added South America to my list of obsessions.  I apologize to my new South American friends because when I’m wrong, I am happy to admit it. 

Views from Flight

With direct flights from Miami to Santiago, LAN Airlines amazing crew makes you so comfortable, you’ll hardly notice the 8 hour flight. The night flight also allows you to sleep at your normal time and as an added bonus,Santiago is on Eastern Standard Time. No Jet Lag!! After a connection which was about a 3 and half hour flight, we landed and drove into this quaint town of Punta Arenas.  We had lunch at an adorable restaurant and enjoyed their local specialty – King Crab and mayonnaise.  I know it may not sound so appetizing, but put a little lemon on the crab and it is a wonderful dish. 

Leaving Punta Arenas, we began our long ride into Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia.  This drive was not the highlight of the trip by far, but worth it in the end.  We arrived in the late evening at Hotel Salto Chico under the cover of darkness concealing the view.  After a late dinner, we made our way to our rooms, very exhausted and ready for bed.  Having seen pictures of the views from Hotel Salto Chico, I dreamt about what might await me when I awoke the next morning.   After a great night’s rest, I wiped the sleep from my eyes,

Room with a View

fumbled around for the cord to pull up the blinds on my window and there it was, the most amazing view I’ve ever had from a window of any hotel room.  It was so magical it looked like it was a painting and not an actual view.  The peaks and the valleys were an awe-inspiring creation of nature.   

Knowing that I was going to be able to explore this amazing creation for the next couple of days was just fantastic.  Our first hike took us to Lake Nordenskold with an amazing guide who was enthusiastic and knowledgeable of the area.  He spoke about how the Torres del Paine were formed and described the different layers of the formation.  The hike was pretty flat throughout (just a little ups and downs), but the weather was extremely windy and cold which is common for Patagonia.  The view from the lookout over the lake was breathtaking and provided a close up of what I could see from my window.  Everyone took a moment of silence to take in this beautiful gift from Mother Nature.  Later that afternoon, we went on a horseback riding experience with Gauchos.  My horse was beautiful and the Gauchos were extremely hospitable. It was a wonderful ending to a perfect day in Patagonia.  

Beautiful Skies of Patagonia

The next day, our hike took us to see a very different region of Patagonia.  The area was flat with lots of grass instead of rock.  We hiked up to this amazing rock formation with paintings on the walls that no one really knew how old they might be.  We encountered guanacos, condors, and a grey fox on very nice leisurely hike that gave us a contrasting view of the Torres del Paine.  That afternoon I decided to take to myself to enjoy the amenities at the hotel.  I scheduled a massage for that evening before dinner. It was the most amazing massage I have ever experienced.  It was truly the highlight of my day. 

On our third day we chose to the full day hike to see the Grey Glacier.  The hike was more strenuous than our previous hikes, but like most things in Patagonia, it was well worth the effort.  We celebrated our last night with a great meal with the group followed up with a couple of  Piscos before our early morning wake up call for our trip to San Pedro de Atacama. 

Lake Nordenskold

 

 

 

 

Highlights of Explora Patagonia: 

- The view from my room

- The most amazing massage at Hotel Salto Chico’s Spa

- The guides who are very well-trained and hospitable

- Horseback riding with Gauchos

- The hikes and treks that Explora offers their guests, especially the Grey Glacier Excursion

I would like to thank the guides and hotel staff at Hotel Salto Chico for their hospitality and charm.

5 days 7 hours 5 minutes

The Beautiful Caribbean!

5 days 7 hours 5 minutes is what our reciept for parking at the Miami airport told us.   It seems as the reciept must have been wrong as it felt as though we were away for much longer.  We had the pleasure of joining SeaDream Yacht Club on a “sampler” voyage to the Caribbean this past weekend.  We sailed on SeaDream I which is 1 of the 2 ships in their family, the other is SeaDeam II.  She was an amazing ship to relax on, especially since the crew was so accomodating and will assist you with every need.  The food was fantastic and every night we had a fantastic selection of seafood, steaks and local fare.  I could only imagine what the local fare would be like in the Mediterranean! 

SeaDream I off the coast of Jost van Dyke

After dinner, they host plenty of things to do for a vessel of it’s size.  We enjoyed the Piano Bar where George serrandes you with sing-along standards such as Billy Joel and Elton John and there was also a Dessert Buffet with Champagne and Dancing under the Stars by the pool.   The day activities are just as great as SeaDream has a mini marina that drops down off of the back of the ship with kayaks, waverunners, sailing and much more!  We had everything that we wanted or needed at our fingertips and we will be “yachting” with SeaDream soon and often! 

Beachside Champagne & Caviar with the crew from SeaDream I

3 Must Dos in the Caribbean:

 1. Sleep under the Stars in a Balinese Bed aboard SeaDream!

2. Champagne and Caviar served beachside in the aqua blue waters of the Caribbean!  Only SeaDream has this for you to experience!!

3. Yachting the Caribbean is such a treat on a small ship like SeaDream I!

Caneel Bay, St. John

We also had the pleasure of visiting Caneel Bay on St. John for an afternoon.  This resort is an fantastic getaway for Multi-Generational Famalies.  The Kids Club offers Scavenger Hunts and Dinner and Movie – this will allow the adults to have that much needed but very lacking “Adult Time”.  Caneel Bay offers 7 Beaches to choose from- two beaches are exclusively for Adults, 171 Acres, 166 Rooms, Hiking Trails and the oddest thing on the island is their Wild Donkeys, who tend to gaze at you like you are the attraction and not them.

Wild Donkeys at Caneel Bay Resort, St. John USVI

Caribbean Vacation Playlist:

• Love is the Seventh Wave – Sting
• In Between Days – The Cure
• It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over – Lenny Kravitz
• Candy Everbody Wants – 10,000 Maniacs
• And It Stoned Me – Van Morrison
• What I Be – Micheal Franti & Spearhead

Travel Mart Part II

The rest of the week was amazing.  We had 4 minute appointments with something like 315 suppliers, which includes tours, hotels, cruises and so much more.  It was exhausting, exhilarating and exciting!!  Each night there was something happening from a dinner to events hosted afterwords by some of the suppliers.  I would like to thank Authentescapes for hosting me at their table for the Destination Dinner and Jumeirah Beach Resort for hosting me at the Hotels & Resorts Dinner.  I could not have asked for better hosts!! 

The great thing is that I had a made great friends with some of my NextGen Boot Camp attendees.  We were able to enjoy all of this excitement together!

My love letter to Virtuoso: Travel Mart Part I

As I worked for a Virtuoso approved property,  I have known of Virtuoso for many years.  However, I did not realize until just recently how truly amazing it is to be a part of the Virtuoso Network.  I was able to attend Virtuoso Travel Mart 2010 in Las Vegas recently and it really inspired me as a traveler and a travel advisor.  Since it was my 1st Travel Mart, which I felt like a kindergartner on my first day of school, I was lucky enough to be chosen to be a part of Virtuoso’s first ever Travel Mart Boot Camp.  (This is where my love letter begins)  During this program we were mentored by some of the most inspiring young owners and managers of other agencies.  We learned of their passions as to why they started in this industry, what drives them to be better every day, how they stay relevant and the advice just went on and on.  You could almost feel the vibration in the room from the energy all of us created together.  You could see the commrodary building up.  I met some of the best people in that room, to whom I know I will travel with and keep in touch with for the rest of my life.  (You know who you are – Laura and Lindsey – aka Georgia, aka Vanilla)  I would also like to thank Tony Poe, Helen Nodland for putting this together.  Virtuoso Travel Mart’s 2010 Theme was “Defining Moments” and if I had to choose a moment from my Travel Mart experience, Boot Camp would be the one for me.  At this moment I vowed my allegiance to Virtuoso forever. 

This was just Saturday Morning on the first day…. What else could possibly happen…

Orion Expeditions @ VAST

Premiere Sports Travel @ VAST

Saturday Afternoon brought on VAST (Virtuoso Active and Speciality Travel) Training, where we met with some of the most amazing companies that are keeping Travel on the cutting edge.  A couple of my favorites were Aqua Expeditions, Authentescapes (who I adore), Butterfield & Robinson, Epic Private Journeys, Micato Safaris, Explora, Orion Expedition Cruises, Premiere Sports Travel, Rocky Mountaineer, Tauck Culturious and Volcanoes Safaris.