Trips that prioritize cultural immersion are hot, as are getaways that put food or adventure first. Whether it’s to celebrate another decade around the sun, soak up the last summer before the nest is empty, or simply spend time with your favorite people, this Where Next list of the best
My Review of Windstar STAR BREEZE Note: This is my personal opinion, not a paid endorsement. I paid for my cruise passage and bungalow stay. Some destinations lend themselves to cruising, and I believe French Polynesia is one of them. Is Tahiti and Bora Bora on your travel bucket list?
Video courtesy of Atlas Ocean Voyages; the expedition crew made this video on our Nov 13, 2024 voyage! My clients and I appear throughout, as does the wonderful Atlas expedition team led by our very experienced and respected expedition leader, Jonathan Zaccaria. If you want to know what Antarctica looks
I journeyed to Antarctica on Atlas Ocean Voyages WORLD NAVIGATOR in November, and what an adventure it was!! We were a group of 11, and started in Buenos Aires. From BA we flew to Ushuaia, and spent the day in Tierra del Fuego National Park. In Ushuaia, we embarked on
If you are going gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, look no further than OO Gorilla’s Nest for an ultra-lux stay! Here is a short room tour of my Forest Suite #103, had everything I needed in total comfort!
Why go gorilla trekking? Africa’s mountain gorillas cannot survive in captivity, only in the wild, which means if you want to see them you need to go TO THEM. You will never see them in a zoo, which makes trekking to see the gorillas in their natural habitat an amazing
Part 1: KENYA I just returned from Kenya and Rwanda, and as always, Africa thrilled me! Hemingways Nairobi is becoming my de facto home while in Nairobi, and while there I returned to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to see Mzinga, my adopted orphan elephant. I also never tire of the Giraffe
–Discover Marataba, a luxury safari lodge in Marakele National Park, a seldom-visited corner of South Africa Marataba, a 21,000-hectare (52,000-acre), privately managed section of the malaria-free Marakele National Park, is uniquely situated where lush bushveld gives way to the Kalahari sands, in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. Marataba is part of
An absolute gem in Madikwe Private Reserve, South Africa Madikwe is a relatively new malaria-free game reserve, established in 1991. Madikwe Game Reserve is home to 66 large mammal species including the Big Five and approximately 300 resident and migrant bird species. It is one of South Africa’s largest game
Some of my best pictures from my trip this month! Taken at Shamwari Private Game Reserve on the Eastern Cape; Madikwe while staying at Mateya and Jaci’s Lodge; and Marakele while staying at Marataba. I’ve been to Kruger and Sabi Sands before, and the above are all malaria-free areas that
Paros is one of the Greek Cyclades and is easy to ferry to from another island such as Naxos, Mykonos or Santorini. I ferried to Paros from Mykonos, only a 45 minute ferry ride on the fast ferry. Everyone has heard of Mykonos and Santorini, but Paros has been generating
Athens is a lively city filled with historical wonders, great food and shopping, along with fab luxury hotels. I stayed at the Hotel Grand Bretagne, which is the grand dame of hotels in Athens due to its history of hosting celebrities and world leaders for over 100 years. It was
-Notes from my own adventure in Morocco by Denise Burcksen, owner Luxury Travel Adventures I loved Marrakech! It’s a cacophony of sights, sounds, colors and smells. I was traveling with female clients and we stayed in a two-bedroom, three-story riad at The Royal Mansour that was stunningly beautiful. Each riad
-Notes from my own adventure in Morocco by Denise Burcksen, owner Luxury Travel Adventures I just did a fabulous tour of Morocco and it is an absolute FEAST for your senses! The food, the fragrances, the mosaic tile and pottery, the artisans, the craftsmanship, the architecture-it’s all amazing. I have
Cruise in sleek style onboard this high-tech beauty The Celebrity APEX is an Edge-class ship and brand-new build that started sailing in Nov 2021. I sailed the 2/5/22 Western Caribbean in a Sky Suite in The Retreat, and it was a fabulous experience from start to finish. And-I didn’t get Covid. First
If you like the Great Outdoors, then you must go to The Last Frontier, ALASKA! I cruised for a week, stopping in Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Ketchikan. We sailed all day through Glacier Bay National Park, which is full of glaciers such as Marjorie Glacier, the largest tidewater
*Lux on a Little Island* When people talk about a Caribbean getaway, the little island of Curacao is usually not top of mind. But it should be, especially if you have already “been there, done that” on the more well-known islands. Curacao is one of the “ABC” islands along with
Various pics from Luxor & Karnak and Cairo that were not featured in the blog posts! Interested in Egypt? Questions? Just reach out to us, we are happy to help you! LUXURY TRAVEL ADVENTURES A Boutique Travel Agency email: denise@luxurytraveladventures.com phone: 240-744-4749
The Valley of the Kings & The Valley of the Queens For me, this was a true highlight of my time in Egypt…..to go into the actual tombs of pharaohs that lived and ruled thousands of years ago. The Valley of the Kings and Queens is where you feel like
Yes, everyone who goes to Egypt wants to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx And they certainly are MUST-SEES. But so is Sakkara, the VERY FIRST PYRAMID from 2700 B.C. and pre-dating the pyramids at Giza! It’s about 45 minutes outside of Cairo. The day we went, there
The Egyptian Museum (currently open in downtown Cairo) or Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) when it opens, likely in 2022. Before you go to Egypt, it’s best if you have some sense of the historical timeline before you start taking in loads of ancient Egypt data points! To that end, I
Egypt has so many iconic sights to see! Of course you will come to see the Great Pyramid at Giza and the Sphinx, but there are many things to see and do that I would recommend not missing. So here is my own personal highlights list based on my most
What is it like to do a bucket-list trip during Covid? -by Denise Burcksen I just returned from my own bucket-list trip to Egypt, and it felt terrific to enjoy international hospitality once again! Although the jet lag from flying back really kicked my a*#, so I guess I’m rusty:) Here’s a recap
Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Cabo, Mexico may be one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve every stayed at, and certainly one of the most romantic, with its twinkling lights, hand-lit candles and lanterns everywhere and trees hung with glass hearts. Now I know why Las Ventanas is always on every travel critics “BEST” list.
Prepare to be WOW-ed by ZADUN, a Ritz Carlton Reserve property in Los Cabos, Mexico.
The location of this resort is spectacular–between mountain and ocean, and at the tip of Cabo San Lucas, on the Pacific side. Waldorf Astoria took over this property in 2019, and has only made it better. Here’s my hotel highlights review from my three night stay at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal-
Athens to Venice itinerary / July Some images from Silversea’s newest ship, Silver RAY. All-Suite ship, All-Inclusive, maximum passenger capacity of 728 passengers. Gorgeous ship! Lots of light! Modern design, airy and light. Eight restaurants, four bars and lounges (including a cigar and whisky lounge). A couple like La Dame
With 80+ countries stamped in my passport, I’ve gained lots of first-hand knowledge and invaluable on-the-ground contacts—and I love putting my experience and expertise to work for my clients.
I craft highly personalized journeys that let you explore the world the way you want to, while making lifetime memories with those you love. Let my destination expertise and global connections level up your travel experience. You can’t VIP yourself-but I certainly can!
