A Couple of Great Group Travel Opportunities!

This week I thought I’d focus on a couple of great opportunities to consider if you’d like to join some potential group travel that I’m working on. Since travel is starting to really pick up now, space is becoming scarcer and travelers are going to start looking further out to plan their adventures.

With this in mind, these are a couple of the group trips that I’m working on for the future. Of course, I’m still willing to work on travel for solo travelers, couples and multi-generational family travel as well!

Trip #1 – Recently, I had a fabulous meeting with my Business Development Manager from Windstar Cruises and they offer great group opportunities on their yachts. Windstar has 2 styles of yachts including their “Wind Class” series that are classic sailing yachts and their “Star Plus Class” series that are all-suite motor yachts.

Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises

The sleek 4 and 5 masted sailing yachts are so elegantly appointed with wide-open teak decks, gourmet dining, ocean view accommodation throughout and a maximum of only 148 guests in the 4 masted Wind Spirit and Wind Star and 342 guests in the 5 masted flagship Wind Surf. Their all-suite motor yachts cater to a maximum of just 312 guests making them large enough to pamper their guests, but small enough to dock in those intimate harbors where the larger ships are unable to.

They offer both an all-inclusive option and a cruise only fare giving flexibility for all clients. Their culinary experience is wonderful as they are the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation – known as the “Dean of American Cookery”. They offer multiple dining venues including the ability to dine under the stars at Candles Restaurant. Their motor yachts even feature the new “Star Grill” by global grilling authority, Steven Raichlen and “Cuadro 44” by Michelin Star Chef Anthony Sasso.

Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises

Their customer service is also outstanding with their staff always at the ready to “surprise and delight” guests in a very relaxed, unpretentious casual atmosphere. Their staff to guest ratio is almost 1 to 1 giving you some idea of their level of care to all guests.

They also feature their World Spas by Windstar, Fitness Centers, Pools, Whirlpools, Lounges, Boutiques, Cafes, Libraries, Watersports platforms, and even an open Bridge where you can chat over coffee with the Captain and his crew!

Photo Courtesy of Windstar Cruises

They sail to more than 300 ports on 189 itineraries around the world so there’s also plenty of options to choose from. They also have quite a few overnight stays as part of their itineraries so that their touring is immersive. Their tagline is “180 Degrees from Ordinary” and they truly are!

Trip #2 - Rene and I will be traveling to Australia this Fall on a long-awaited trip for us to both reacquaint ourselves again with this wonderful country and visit with family. Since we're doing this, we will have a pent-up need to get back to Africa again for another amazing safari experience as we've been doing for a couple of years in a row. Our plan is to travel there, likely in the Fall of 2023 and would love to be able to lead a group of like-minded travelers who may have Africa on their bucket list or maybe you've previously been and are ready to go back again too!

Our plans will include the amazingly beautiful Cape Town in South Africa that will include visiting Boulders Beach to see the cute little African penguins & cape seals on Seal Island, touring the stunning Cape of Good Hope, admiring the views from the top of Table Mountain, and so much more in and around this fabulous iconic city.

Cape Town has a wonderful vibe with the great Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area loaded with lots of restaurant choices and varied shopping opportunities as well. Plus, of course, South Africa has a rich history with their Malay culture

We'll also include a visit to the nearby wine region that includes such lovely towns such as Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, and Paarl with wonderful wines, delectable cuisine, and fantastic scenery. We'll be able to do some wonderful wine pairing with some great cuisine and have a delectable lunch at one of the fabulous wineries.

The safari experience will likely take place in beautiful Botswana, a neighboring country to South Africa with fewer crowds than the traditional Kruger National Park experience. We traveled there last year and it's such a beautiful country with such diverse scenery and phenomenal animal viewing of the Big 5 including leopards, lions, elephants, rhinos, Cape Buffalo and so much more!

The accommodation will be top-notch luxury located in a private game reserve with amazing ranger guides and trackers to maximize our safari experience. The food and all beverages will be completely inclusive as well as all of the actual lodging experiences.

Speaking of the food, it will be high quality cuisine that you'd be hard pressed to find anything better at any restaurant anywhere around the world. There's also plenty of it for all meals of the day including coffee/tea breaks in the morning and the fabulous 'sundowners' experience with cocktails and snacks at sunset, while on safari.

Another plan for this adventure will be to visit the beautiful "Smoke that Thunders", Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side that gives you the absolute best view of this extraordinary site. We will stay in a beautiful river lodge on the mighty Zambezi River with the ability to have very special river safaris to watch the elephants crossing the river, hippos lounging in the waters, and crocodiles lazing on the banks of the river.

Have I been able to whet your appetite for either one of these 2 experiences? If not, there are many other opportunities to consider, including some you may prefer that are closer to home. Some of these may include a great opportunity for a golfing group in the Caribbean or maybe Pebble Beach along with some great winery opportunities in California's lovely Napa or Sonoma areas or perhaps a river cruise right here in the United States? There's plenty to consider and I'm at the ready to work with you whenever you're ready to start planning!