http://www.eightroadstravel.com/

Eight Roads Travel Co., Manchester (2024)

16/08/2024

🇪🇸 NEW FOUR SEASONS MALLORCA NOW OPEN 🇪🇸

Welcome to the Balearics ! Now open, the beautifully renovated at Formentor.

This historic resort, located in the north-east of the island, emerges from a careful & considerate makeover now it’s part of the Four Seasons family. And it’s looking great! I loved this peaceful side of the island. A beautiful spot for a late summer / early autumn sunny escape in my view 🌞

Eight Roads is a Preferred Partner of Four Seasons. This means that if you book your visit with me, you’ll benefit from these superb benefits (never available if you book direct);

⭐️ 15% off for stays from now to 31st October
⭐️ complimentary breakfast
⭐️ $100 credit for room bookings / $200 for suites
⭐️ priority room upgrade*
⭐️ VIP arrival amenities
⭐️ early check-in & late check-out*

Drop me a DM or a message on WhatsApp to find out more, for a quote or to get booked in 😊

*subject to availability at the time of check-in

14/08/2024

🇿🇦 when the conversation with a dear client turns to safari, and I can’t stop wanderlusting over the images I’m sharing 😍

Talking safari trips is always such a joy for me. Whilst I’ll freely admit that this is a type of travel that I’m not as personally familiar with, what I do have to offer are trusted & wonderful partners in Africa, who I am very proud to work with. They, like me, are as committed to ensuring the perfect fit for my clients for their safari travels, whether it’s their first or their fourth time in the bush. The right lodge, the right style, the right level of service. It’s so important for this type of trip.

It’s also very much where we (the travel agent community) come in. We all talk. We share our stories, our clients’ stories, the good and the bad. The insights, the tips and the deep, deep knowledge. And that is so valuable, and powerful. Thank you to those who’ve shared your insights with me this week. I’m always so grateful.

And back to the images. Well. These are of two of my good partner ‘ beautiful lodges in the Kruger National Park of South Africa; Boulders Lodge (in Sabi Sand) & Lebombo Lodge. The stuff that safari ‘hotels’ are made of! Thank you to dear for your time this week in so brilliantly representing this amazing company 🙏🏻

If I can help design your next safari, please do get in touch. I work across Africa with the best of the best, and would be delighted to help 😊

15/06/2024

Some of my own personal holiday 📸 for a change, after a dream of a week here on with my family 🩵🇬🇷, celebrating my birthday.

Thank you (and especially dearest Kat 💗) for looking after us all so well in your peaceful spot here in . We are all so grateful 🙏🏻

is the perfect choice if you want a contemporary, calm and comforting hotel here on Crete. Being located just above the authentic and welcoming village of Plaka, and opposite the fascinating historic island of , its position is unbeatable. Add in warm Greek service, and it’s a winner in my view. It’s great for all ages as well, especially for multi generational families like mine.

If you’d like to plan your own Cretian odyssey, please get in touch 😊 I’ll be delighted to help.

09/04/2024

🌞 I N T R O D U C I N G… 🧡

Many of you know already my unbound love for all things Balearic. Well imagine my joy when meeting my good friends from last week in discovering that they have launched a new, adult-only project on the beautiful unspoilt island of , just off the coast of 😍

And doesn’t it look stunning?! In their words (and I trust them completely, given that is in my top 5 hotels in the world), a “cocooning sanctuary in tune with Formentera’s natural rhythms”. Yes please. Get me over there pronto! 😊

Immersed between the island’s fragrant pine forests, those amazing cerulean blue waters and the sand dunes, Teranka sets out to be a laidback retreat, a joyful refuge and a nourishing restaurant.

It is inspired by the notion of ‘terre d’ancrage’ – a safe harbour between land, sea and sky. Think pared-back styling, a simple & soothing palette, light-bathed spaces, and a natural, island-centric sense of luxury. With just 35 rooms and suites (offering a sea / land / sky perspective), this is going to be very special I think. Dining also will be bound to please, with a sea & garden option, as well as a pool bar too. The island is your (car-free) playground.

🙋🏻‍♂️ DM me to enquire or to get booked in.
As a preferred partner with the team, and also with , my special benefits apply of course:
🗝️ complimentary breakfast
🗝️ 1x $50USD voucher for food / drink per room
🗝️ room upgrade (subject to availability)
🗝️ early check-in & late check-out (subject to availability)
🗝️ VIP treatment & welcome amenity

Opens 10th May. Rates start from around £340 per night. Oh, and of course the team will take care of arrivals and transfers to the island from Ibiza, and your return there also (transfers are supplemental).

This is going to be a perfect place to retreat to, post any Ibiza excesses, or just to really relax in this gorgeous part of the Mediterranean. Thank you to Rebeca for sharing and spending time with me in CPH last week 🙏🏻

03/04/2024

Don’t get Como 🇮🇹 fomo in 2024 😅
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Book your stay with me at the incomparable lakeside wonder that is , now open for the 2024 season! 🔑🚤 ❤️
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I was lucky enough to spend a couple of nights in this idyll last Spring, and let me tell you, it’s a total joy. There’s simply nothing like it on the lake. The location, the feel, the service, the food. Just sublime. It’s no wonder it won the best hotel in the world!
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Book with me and you’ll get not just the usual benefits (best rates & inclusions) but the knowledge that I am friends with the owner and all of the team there, so I’ll be sure that you’re spoilt for your lakeside sojourn ✨🤍

Wishing you all the love and luck for the 2024 season dear 🙏🏻😘

30/03/2024

🤍 it’s all about the people 😊
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After an awesome week here in attending , I’m heading home. Thanks to all the PLF team for everything. I’ve loved spending some quality time here in the city, exploring and learning, so that I can really help my clients to have superb holidays here.
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Best of all has been seeing so many travel friends during my stay, and making so many new ones. Thank you all for your time and support to me, and to 🙏🏻
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These human connections are, for me, what really does set a travel advisor like me apart. The people in the know, the General Managers, the sales directors, the people who really do go above and beyond to make sure that your travels are as wonderful as they can be. They’re my friends, they’re in my phone on speed dial, and that really counts for something in this industry ❤️
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Over and out from me, and from 🇩🇰✌🏻

19/03/2024

🇩🇰 T R A D E • T A L K 🇩🇰

Later this week, I’ll be jetting over to Copenhagen, where I’m delighted to be attending the Spring edition of . During the 4 days of the show, I’ll be meeting some of the best hotels, and hoteliers from around the globe. Catching up with some old friends, and making some new ones. All the while also being immersed into our Danish destination. I can’t wait ☺️

These are some of the most enjoyable moments for me of being a travel professional. I’ve made genuinely brilliant and longstanding friends through this lovely industry, and it’ll be wonderful to catch up with some of them again in Copenhagen.

The number one question I get asked is, “why should I use a travel agent, when I can do it myself?”

My answer is always this; relationships. They matter. So much. Nothing is more important to your experience in a hotel, and to your holiday, in my view. Knowing that I not just have your back, but that I know (and am often friends with) the people behind the scenes, is the key to the best type of travel. A machine, an algorithm, a person in a call centre, none of them come close.

I’ve spent years doing this, forming these personal connections, these friendships, this network of relationships all over the globe. Face to face. It’s so meaningful to me, in so many ways ❤️

So here’s to a successful week ahead in Denmark for 2024 ✨

09/02/2024

🏔️ B H U T A N • B E A U T Y 🏔️

What a joy this Friday to be helping one of my dearest clients with their plans for a summer jaunt to beautiful 🇧🇹

There’s regularly talk of places being magical, and it’s hyperbole that’s perhaps oft overused. But in the case of Bhutan, it’s thoroughly justified and deserved. Majestic and mysterious, where else in the world measures their success as a nation by the happiness of its citizens? This last surviving Buddhist kingdom plots a careful and sustainable course as regards tourism, limiting entry, meaning there’s a real sense of exclusivity and responsibility to the special experiences to be had here.

From fragrant pine-clad valleys to contemplative mountain fortresses, blissed-out spa hideaways to temple paths headily-scented by purple jacaranda trees, this is a thoroughly unique land, offering a culture, cuisine and community that is rarely glimpsed in the contemporary world.

Partnering with my dear longstanding friends at , and their property there, , this proposed itinerary will take in 3 of ’s 5 stunning lodges around this Himalayan kingdom. Knowing the family and team at Aman in Bhutan as I do, my clients are always assured of a wonderful welcome and being truly looked after during their stay.

Bhutan is always a detailed and complex proposition, and requires real in-depth knowledge of the landscapes, distances, weather and distinctions between the various locales here. Which is where I come in. A proud and passionate Asia specialist, I love nothing more than planning and designing just these types of trips for my clients here at 🤍

So as I continue my planning, enjoy these gorgeous images from my partners at Aman, which I hope inspire you to have some wanderlust today 😊

If you’d like to plan your own Bhutanese adventure, please do get in touch, and I will of course be delighted to help.

Thank you to Barbara, Faith, Choden, Dawa and the Amankora team for your continued help and support 🙏🏻

06/02/2024

🇵🇪 P E R U V I A N • P L E A S U R E S 🇵🇪

Whilst a lot of what I do here at is helping clients book their lovely hotel stays (with all of the extra benefits I get ✨), another big part is planning amazing & complex itineraries for them around the globe, which include all elements from ✈️ , 🚂 & 🚘, and everything else in between, from hotels to excursions to spa and dining experiences.

Such as this wonderful journey that I have curated for some special clients to later this year, in partnership with my brilliant friends in country there.

And what a trip this will be. Taking in the colourful sights and sounds of , onto the culturally rich , before boarding the beautiful train up to the legendary Inca ruins at . After that bucket list has been checked off, my clients will head down to explore gorgeous , before journeying onwards across the peaceful plains on the , concluding by the shores of and ❤️

It is always such a delight and a pleasure for me to plan and design these longer, more substantial adventures for my clients. Hearing and seeing their tales from the road is the best thing ever, and makes me so happy 🥰

If you’re craving a global adventure of your own, whether it’s Peru or Patagonia, Thailand or Tibet, Canada or Costa Rica, please do get in touch. I have amazing partners and friends around the world, and I would be delighted to create a trip for you 😊

05/02/2024

Starting the week in the most tantalisingly tropical fashion, courtesy of my good friends at the beautiful Hotel Esencia, on the Caribbean shores of the Riviera Maya in Mexico 🇲🇽

Hotel Esencia, a proud member of the Set Collection, is consistently voted as one of the best hotels in the world, for a plethora of compelling reasons.

With an unrivalled stretch of beautiful shoreline right on your doorstep, this small, independently owned & run hotel has a truly iconic design, the warmest service, divine food and perhaps for me the best spa in Mexico. If you’ve not been, just trust me, and book your own stay here if you can. Nowhere has a sense of Mexican place & style quite like here 💛

Eight Roads, as a trusted longstanding partner of the hotel, and the Set Collection, is your passport to the best possible rates and benefits here. These are not available if you book direct with the hotel yourself, or online.

My clients, when booking their stays at Esencia, will be assured of true VIP status and a host of wonderful amenities (by virtue of my membership of the elite program), including:

* Daily “El Esencial” Breakfast (overlooking the beach)
* A room upgrade, on arrival (subject to availability)
* 1 x US$100 spa credit, per room, per stay
* Early check-in & late check-out (subject to availability)
* VIP welcome amenities
* A bottle of wine in your room / suite
* Divine fresh fruit
* Mini bar amenities (incl non-alcoholic beverages)

Please do get in touch with me to book your tropical escape.

SetCollection

17/01/2024

💎 T R A V E L • B E T T E R 💎

I’m delighted to announce that Eight Roads is now a proud member of VITA, the by-invitation-only VIP program of my long-standing hotel partner, Leading Hotels Of The World (LHW)

VITA has been designed by LHW to recognize the most valued luxury travel agencies globally. The programme is solely for the leisure travel sector, and only smaller bespoke travel agencies such as mine have been invited to join.

This is fantastic news for you as an Eight Roads client, meaning that you will now receive the ultimate attention from the many superb LHW hotels when you book your stay via me. My inclusion in this programme is your gateway to access exclusive VITA benefits, such as*
⭐️ complimentary breakfast
⭐️ exclusive rates
⭐️ most flexible payment & cancellation terms
⭐️ superb room upgrades
⭐️ valuable welcome amenities
⭐️ resort credit
⭐️ priority for early check-in / late check-out

These benefits are never available if you book yourself or online, so it always pays to use a friendly experienced travel agent! 🙋🏻‍♂️

I’ve so pleased about this news, and thank you to my good friends over at for this kind invitation, for which I’m really grateful. Thanks especially to Léna for her support 🙏🏻

Please get in touch to learn more about all the wonderful privileges available for your specific stay.

* specific benefits and privileges vary by property, and are always subject to availability and not always guaranteed. Please ask me for full details.

15/01/2024

🌞 let’s make it time for some January joy!

Whilst today may be what we’ve come to proverbially now as ‘Blue Monday’, I just read a heartening survey that said that 24% of us will combat the new year blues by booking a holiday this week 🧳✈️

Well that’s of course great to hear for me, and, if that’s you and you’re contemplating an escape, please do get in touch and I will be delighted to help ☺️

From the island paradise of the (pictured here, by at my beloved ), to the cultural wonders of Asia, or the peace and tranquility of the Caribbean, I have a host of ideas, offers and options to inspire you with for your next escape💡

Bye bye Blue Monday, and hello holidays! 💙

31/12/2023

And just like that, 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣ is done. What a year!

Not without its personal challenges, but professionally I’m delighted to say that it has been the most successful year (by quite some margin) for Eight Roads. In the challenging travel climate post-COVID (remember that?!), I’m so proud of that. It was bloody hard launching a travel agency in 2019, given what happened, but to see the growth finally now 5 years on is so immensely satisfying 😊

So thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of my lovely clients who have supported me both in 2023, and in my endeavours to date, some of you right from the start. It really means the world to me. There’s nothing that I love more than creating amazing holidays and memories for you all. ❤️ That many of you I now also count as dear friends is just so lovely and fulfilling.

I could not do what I do without the partnerships with the amazing people in my profession, all over the world, so thanks too to all of the hotels, sales and marketing teams, GMs, DMCs, guys on the ground, new and old friends alike, tour operators and everyone in between for your support this year. My partnership with you is everything to me, and I’m so grateful for it. 🙏🏻

So here’s to a happy, healthy and travel-filled 2024. Many of you I know have travels already booked, but if I can help at all, please do reach out in the new year and I will do my very best to help.

Have an amazing NYE everyone! 🍾🥂🥳🧡

04/12/2023

A new island awaits your discovery 💙🇬🇷…
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Whilst we’re on a particularly Cycladic tip, I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to this new Greek wonder on the small island of Folegandros, close to Mykonos & Santorini.
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offers something completely unique for . The passion project of a prominent Australian businessman, Gundari will bring his vision of a supremely luxurious resort on an unspoilt island to life when it launches on 17th May 2024.
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With just 25 suites, and 2 villas, this is something very special indeed. Located high on the cliffs, with sublime vistas, it is close to the small village of Petousis, and just 10 minutes from Chora. This will be a place to really switch off and discover Greece in her raw beauty and serenity. There’ll be Michelin-star level cuisine, and a glorious spa too.
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⛴️ Mykonos = 3.5 hours / Santorini = 1 hour / Athens = 3.5 hours
🚁 Mykonos = 30 mins / Santorini = 10 mins / Athens = 50 mins
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Enjoy these shots of Folegandros (how gorgeous?!) and also the renders / artist impressions of the resort from my friends there & . I’ll update you with the real imagery when I get them through in the new year.
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As always, if you like the sound of this, please do get in touch 🙋🏻‍♂️ and I’ll be delighted to provide all the scoop and details, and get you booked in for a Grecian adventure to treasure in 2024 ✨

04/12/2023

And in my dreams, I’m on a white island…🤍💙
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It’s cold, mizzly and the skies are leaden. What better conditions then to let me transport you away to a sun-drenched Mediterranean paradise?
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Welcome to my favourite hotel on ; the oh so cool, calm & collected .mykonos .
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Proving already super popular for summer next year, this is my hot ticket for your Grecian 🇬🇷 odyssey for 2024.
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Located on a hill above Ornos (my favourite little spot on the island) this is such a stunning sanctuary of a hotel. The design is just perfection. I mean Rick Owens furniture?! Sundown fire pit cocktails? Every room with a pool? Farm to table Myconian cuisine? Views for days out to dreamy Delos? What’s not to love here?!
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Contact me 🙋🏻‍♂️ to get booked in for next summer. I have all the intel & connections you’ll need, and get the best possible rates and benefits for you via my exclusive partnership & relationship with the hotel ✨
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Thank you to darling Theresa for the recent update on what’s happening on property 🙏🏻😊

20/09/2023

🥇THE•BEST•HOTEL•IN•THE•WORLD🥇
This morning I’m sending my warmest love & congratulations to my dear & the brilliant & for their win of the official “World’s Best Hotel” for on , in Italy at the awards last night in London.
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I was very lucky to have stayed at this sublime property earlier this year, and I can absolutely attest to its starry, award-winning qualities. Imagine staying with the most wonderfully warm, generous friends on the lake, who also happen to have the best taste, but also the best chefs, florists, bakers and every other type of artisan imaginable.
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Everyone should stay here at least once. Trust me! To book your stay, please contact me. My personal knowledge and relationships will ensure you have a Como trip to treasure ✨
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20/07/2023

🌳 E N G L A N D 🌳
Well, this is something a bit special isn’t it?! Say hello to the glorious, newly-launched , located perfectly between Oxford & the Cotswolds.
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The vision of the owners of , the manor is something very unique for the Cotswolds. It’s just 30 minutes from Oxford and 1 hour from Heathrow.
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Estelle Manor is a beautiful countryside idyll on 60 acres of land, set within a wider 3,000 acres estate. Members and hotel guests will be able to bed down in a choice of 108 rooms, each with vintage furnishings pitched against 20th century pieces and warm, layered lighting.
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The manor has four restaurants, an extraordinary 3,000 sq metre Roman-inspired bath house, and a gym with a class studio and padel courts.
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I have some amazing special ✨ perks for my Eight Roads clients booking in here, so be sure to get in touch if you want to visit this new English 🇬🇧wonderland 😊
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.dimant .selection

15/05/2023

A gorgeous Spring morning in the Milanese sunshine today, and a visit to this beauty. I’ve wanted to say hello to the for so long, and it absolutely met my expectations. What a stunning property. The vibe, design, location, service (even just on my short visit) and style. City hotel perfection right here. Thank you so much dear Catherine for our coffee (and that bombolini 😋) and catch up, and that lovely tour 😘. So good seeing you!
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As a Mandarin Oriental Fan Club agency, I get access to exclusive rates and benefits with (and indeed all hotels). Book with me and you’ll get truly VIP’d by my friends here, and your stay will include the following benefits;
✨ Choice of $100 food & beverage credit or spa credit, once per stay
✨ Daily full American breakfast for two
✨ Personalised VIP welcome amenity
✨ Complimentary room upgrade, subject to availability at check-in
✨ Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability at time of arrival / departure
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08/05/2023

A definite Spring highlight; a return to my personal favourite hotel in the UK, , to check out their sublime new spa, “The Bothy”.
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Sadly too short a stay, but I managed (it’s a hard life 😅) to luxuriate suitably in my beautiful Master Room (thanks again Nicola 😘) and enjoy a gorgeous sunny lunch on the terrace with my lovely friend Sacha, and a delicious dinner at Hearth in the evening.
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The new spa, The Bothy, is a welcome and brilliant addition to this estate, and I couldn’t fault it. A great massage, perfect pool, and all of the facilities you’d wish for. What are you waiting for? Let me get you booked in! 🧳 🇬🇧
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Book your very own stay with me at and you’ll receive a host of benefits including;
✨ Preferred rates
✨ Room upgrade (at time of booking, subject to availability)
✨ $100 food and drink credit voucher
✨ VIP welcome amenities
✨ Early check-in & late check-out (subject to availability)
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Thank you to Kevin, Sacha, Nicola and all of the team at Heckfield for yet another wonderful stay with you 🙏🏻🤍 (and for my new luggage tag 🥰)
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28/04/2023

The countdown has begun…
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Next week I will be journeying down to my beloved to check in for the night, and to check out their beautiful new Bothy spa.
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To say that I am excited is an understatement. This is such a special property for me, and for many of you all too, and I can’t wait to experience it for myself and share my knowledge with you.
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Until then, savour the visual delights of the official new photography from this stunning space.

06/03/2023

🌱 and so the next chapter in the story of begins…

The Bothy Spa by Wildsmith will gently open at this wonderful English countryside idyll on 6th April.

This promises to make this already beloved property (of mine, and many of my clients) even more sublime. There’ll be a host of therapies & wellness experiences on offer, including an 18m x 6m “waters” chlorine-free pool.

Please contact me 🙋🏻‍♂️ to book your next stay, your first visit or your return to .

All bookings I make include the following exclusive benefits ✨:

• best possible rates & availability
• a complimentary room upgrade (guaranteed by at least one category)
• complimentary breakfast
• 1 x $100 USD credit for food & drink
• early check-in & late check-out (subject always to availability)
• VIP welcome amenities

Reach me here, or 📧 [email protected]

I’ll be heading down myself in Spring to visit the new Bothy so be sure to look out for my posts & first-hand experiences then 🤍

07/02/2023

✨ this one’s gonna be special, I can just feel it.
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. Opening soon.
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DM or email me to get booked in 🙋🏻‍♂️

06/02/2023

💚🤍❤️
all the love, always, for my beloved Italy.
it’s wonderful to have confirmed, and be working on, some gorgeous trips for you this Spring & Summer.

From Portofino to Puglia, and Sicily to Sardinia, your escapes await dear clients! 😊🙏🏻 Thank you for entrusting me with your special travel plans.

If you’re considering a trip to this year, my sincere advice is to get in touch with me asap 🚨. Availability is already gone / extremely limited for certain periods & places this summer, so booking now is vital. Of course I and my dear friends and partners throughout Italy will be delighted to help 🥰 and I’ll do my best to get you in!