Posts Tagged family travel
Looking for an Enriching Pursuit?
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Virtuoso Life on June 28, 2010
The Virtuoso June Enriching Pursuits travel catalog is full of journeys that are sure to ignite your desire for great travel with trips that will captivate your heart. Whether its discovering family roots, helping to support fragile environments, or simply following your passions, like cooking, history, or architecture, this catalog is full of rewarding and memorable pursuits. Plus, you won’t want to miss the value-loaded perks and expert tips!
View the digital version of the Enriching Pursuits Catalog
Highlights include:
Intrigue in the East – Climb aboard a camel, the “ship of the desert,” trekking through an Arabian oasis. Or a sleek yacht exploring ports on the Indian Ocean.
Rewards in the West – Choose a gastronomic extravaganza or family fantasyland, or sail away to island cultures so remote, they still use the star-filled sky as a global positioning system.
Revelations in Europe – Discover historic architecture in Melk, a foodie revolution in Barcelona, and a wine region in the UK.
Ten Ways to Make it Personal – Have you ever dreamed of looking up long-lost cousins? Digging for ancestral roots? Perhaps making a religious pilgrimage? You provide the idea; your Virtuoso travel advisor makes it happen.
Don’t have a Virtuoso travel advisor? Find one here.
An American (Stuck) in Paris
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Postcards, Return On Life™ on May 3, 2010
Virtuoso’s creative director of marketing, Melisa Lunt, shares how her family found big hospitality at a small Parisian boutique hotel in the aftermath of the Icelandic volcano eruption:
They say the measure of a person (or in this case, a company) is best judged in times of challenge, not in times of convenience. That could not have been more true than during our recent stay at Virtuoso property Esprit Saint Germain in Paris.
From left: Francesca La Mastra (Esprit Saint Germain GM), Djenane Poidatz (Front Office Manager), Olivia, Melisa and John Lunt.
My husband, John, 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, and I decided to treat ourselves to two nights in Paris at the highly recommended Esprit Saint Germain following a week-long vacation in Germany.
The tone for our entire stay was set when we dragged our travel-weary selves into the hotel April 14. We received a warm greeting, had our luggage whisked away and were able to go to our room right away, even though it was only 11 am. The luggage made it there before we did! Not one detail was missed in our chic lodgings, including a special bed already made for Olivia – which she wasted no time in bouncing on.
Then on April 15, the adventure really began!
We learned from the front desk that there would be “slight delays” at the airport due to a volcano eruption in Iceland. Anticipating that this would only be a one-day setback, the hotel’s general manager, Francesca La Mastra, immediately made arrangements for us in a new room. I have no idea what amount of juggling was necessary to assure that we – along with everyone else who suddenly found themselves stranded – had a place to stay. But Francesca handled the situation with grace and calm, traits we would soon learn were the norm at Esprit Saint Germain.
By Friday, April 16, it became clear that Mother Nature was in charge. Airport closures blanketed Europe. The best hope we had was a flight the following Wednesday and the news weighed heavily on us. I immediately went to see Francesca, who listened to me like an old friend I had known for years. In her take-charge manner, Francesca insisted that as long as we were stuck in Paris, we would not be turned away. She acted as if the hotel had an endless number of rooms to accommodate its guests for an indefinite period of time, behaving as a true Virtuoso in this time of stress!
By Saturday, we had settled into a routine of exploring the city between phone calls and online searches of ways to get home. And we got to know our fellow hotel guests. We assumed that we would run into at least a few travelers that had booked their stay through a Virtuoso member – we were, after all, at a Virtuoso preferred property. But we had no idea that 100 percent of the guests we met would be Virtuoso! We all became fast friends – finding ourselves together each morning at breakfast checking in on each other’s travel status – and I felt so much pride being a part of such a strong network.
The littlest Virtuoso among us – our 3-year-old daughter, Olivia – won over a few hearts, including the hotel staff. They even made her an honorary front-desk staff member!
Little details go a long way under normal circumstances, and become so much more important in times of stress. Esprit Saint Germain did not disappoint. Each afternoon we found tasty little treats in our room; perhaps grapes and oranges or fresh berries. Just the thing for tired travelers (and tiny tots!).
On Wednesday, April 21, we finally made it out of Europe and back home safely. Six days later than planned, but with memories that will last a lifetime. A million “merci’s” to Laurence, Francesca, Djenane, Vanessa, Audrey and everyone at Esprit Saint Germain – for their kindness and hospitality!
Find out more about Virtuoso here.
Go Away for Some Family Fun
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Return On Life™ on March 25, 2010
The Virtuoso Family Fun Travel Catalog is a collection of favorite clan-cosseting hotels, resorts, cruises and tour packages that offer families plenty of playtime together – everything from sailing wooden boats in Paris to paddling an outrigger canoe in French Polynesia.
Highlights include:
For the Young – From Junior Ranger programs in Alaska and swimming with dolphins in the Caribbean to special ship “neighborhoods” created just for families, these vacations have what it takes to keep kids happy – including milk and cookies at turndown.
And the Young at Heart! – Go deep-sea fishing in the Sea of Cortez, ride a hot-air balloon over Tuscany, play on pristine beaches in Greece, or cruise paradise in the South Pacific with an array of extras that’ll keep all ages happy.
In Search of Harry Potter and Jack Sparrow – From Harry Potter’s London and Madeline’s Paris to Frodo’s home in the Land Down Under, following in the footsteps of a favorite literary icon or movie character is easy with these themed family vacation ideas.
Click here to view the full digital version of the Family Fun Travel Catalog.
New Year’s in New York
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Return On Life™ on January 11, 2010
by Matthew D. Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, Ltd.
Happy 2010; a bit belatedly. I want to share an incredible experience I had with my family this New Year’s Eve in New York City. With a little help from some savvy friends, we had an evening that I don’t think my family will ever forget.
If you’ve watched the ball drop in Times Square on TV, I’m sure you can imagine how exhilarating it is to be there and feel that energy. You’re personally experiencing and sharing an annual event that’s world famous and viewed by billions.
A Family Experience
But having children with you can make it a lot more challenging. Your younger kids are not thrilled about the cold or the (to them) towering crowds. Well, this year I found out that if you know a few inside secrets, New Year’s Eve in NYC can be outstanding for everyone in the family.
Jessica and I had Evan (14), Matt (12) and Clay (4) with us. I had a chat with Kitt of Discover New York with Kitt Garrett (a Virtuoso On-Site of course!) and she put me in touch with a great restaurant called Tony’s di Napoli on 43rd Street. Family-style Italian, table sharing and a terrific show featuring Broadway performers.
The Countdown Begins
We had a terrific evening, and about 30 minutes before the ball drop, we headed outside. We were guided inside the barricades and led to a prime spot right in front of the police substation in Times Square. Literally a million people were standing behind us and New York’s finest (NYPD) were personally watching over us. Incredible! An officer asked Jessica and Clay if they’d like to warm up in the sub-station, so while the older kids and I stayed in the cold with the revelers, they were offered a cookie and a chair. Clay even got to meet the Chief of Police! Jessica and Clay stay stayed happily indoors until about five minutes before the ball drop.
Finally, the countdown began and the glittering ball seemed to drop directly toward us. I got some terrific shots. Everyone was excited and oohing and aahing. It was perfect. A New Year’s to remember and a fantastic start to 2010. All thanks to some inside advice from a native New Yorker and Virtuoso On-Site!
Click here to learn more about the one-of-a-kind travel experiences that a Virtuoso travel advisor can create for you.
Colorado River an Awe-Inspiring Destination for Families
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Return On Life™ on November 23, 2009
Three generations take to the Colorado River for an inspiring trip through the Grand Canyon.
by Kimberly Brown Seely
Photographs by Justin Bailie
Reprinted with permission from Virtuoso Life
Life is short, and the Grand Canyon is long, which makes it ideal for family bonding. But five minutes into our 12-day trip through the canyon, my husband, Jeff, is worried. “Are you sure we need to be down here for two weeks?”
We’ve just pushed off down the Colorado River in a 17-foot dory with our two sons: 18-year-old Sam and his brother, James, 16. Our superfit guide, Kerstin, manning the oars, is explaining how dories differ from rafts: As passengers, we’ll need to shift our weight with a quick high-side “punch,” willing the boats up and over each big wave. For now, though, we’re bobbing over mud-brown riffles, and it’s hot – 104 degrees.
We are here because I’ve been casually plotting for about 33 years to transport my clan to the ancientness of the Grand Canyon. My outdoorsy parents took my sister and me down the river in the 1970s, and the experience evidently made such a lasting impression I’ve wanted to bring my own family ever since. We’ve waited so long for this reunion, in fact, we’ve decided to splurge and do it the way one-armed Civil War vet John Wesley Powell did – not in rubber rafts, but in these beautiful, graceful dory boats.
To make the trip even more epic, I’ve invited my 71-year-old father to come along (Mom’s adventure style these days leans more toward Oberoi and Aman).
Soon we hear our first rapid, Badger, rated 4 to 6 on the canyon’s scale of 1 to 10, rumbling downstream. Staring, we see the river come to an edge and – whoosh! – apparently vanish. Kerstin, whom everybody calls KJ, stands for a good look, and I give a wave to my dad, up ahead. He looks pumped. He grins just as his dory is seized by the current and abruptly disappears over Badger’s lip.
Our turn. “Sit straight!” KJ commands. We slide neatly down the rapid’s middle, while holes and haystacks explode all around. A wave rises up like a hand and hits me flat in the chest. Cold!
“This is sick!” the boys yell, officially baptized and actually impressed. Thank god, I breathe to myself. They’re in for the trip of a lifetime and just beginning to get it. Click here to read the article.
VIRTUOSO LIFE’S WHITE-WATER WISH LIST
Classic river trips around the world.
Touch the Southwest can arrange for classic 15- or 18-day wooden dory trips down the Colorado, giving guests an opportunity to dip their toes in the same historic rapids that John Wesley Powell first explored in the late 1860s. The company’s connections in the region also include a river trip that’s accompanied by a string quartet floating alongside guests in their own raft. Prices and departure dates vary.
In addition to a remote 600-acre location in the Four Corners area, clean design that plays up the surrounding vistas, and all the usual Aman trappings and service, Utah’s new 40-suite Amangiri resort offers a taste of the river life with half-day excursions down a placid pre-Grand Canyon stretch of the Colorado between Glen Canyon Dam and Lees Ferry. Doubles from $600, including breakfast and one lunch for two. Rafting trip extra.
Oregon’s Rogue River provides a classic North American wild ride, as evidenced on Abercrombie & Kent’s six-day excursion. Tackle the river’s exhilarating Class IV rapids, hike the surrounding countryside, visit a historic ranch, and sleep under the stars. Departures: Private departures through 2010; from $11,650.
During Alpine Adventures’ five-day white-water tour of Costa Rica, rafters ply the Reventazón and Pacuare rivers, passing monkeys and colorful birds and ranging through Class III and IV rapids by day, camping in riverside bungalows by night. Departures: Any day through 2010; from $910 per person for parties of four.
Travelers on Fiji getaways with Pleasant Holidays can experience the power of the Navua River during a daylong rafting excursion through jungle and past cascading waterfalls, with stops for lunch and a dip in the river. Departures: Any day through December 24, 2009, and from January 14 through March 31, 2010; from $1,689, including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, accommodations, and rafting.
Contact your Virtuoso travel advisor for more information. If you don’t have a Virtuoso travel advisor, click here.