Grand Passages travel advisors specialize in luxury vacations for those who are curious, romantic, a
(4)
There may have been a social media pause, but the gratitude was unceasing for being as busy as ever planning your adventures! This year you all are traveling to Alaska, Greece, South Africa, Korea, and more. Looking forward to getting back to sharing more fun in the coming months… 😉
Norway is home to another scenic train, the hour long Flåm Railway ride from the fjord-side harbor of Flåm up to the village of Myrdal. Built between 1923 and 1940 to create a transport route from Bergen to Oslo, it is one of the world’s steepest railway lines. You climb over 2800 feet in just over 12 miles. Of 20 tunnels, 18 were excavated mostly by hand. You can make the trip a return to Flåm, combine it with hiking or cycling, or use it for an onward journey to Bergen or Oslo. It was stunning in snow and ice and would be equally so with waterfalls and the colors of the other seasons!
Standing on the platform today to board the British Pullman, A Belmond Train, I chatted with a local couple who were on their sixth journey aboard this gorgeously restored 1920s locomotive. “Everything is perfect,” my new friend gushed. “You’ll want to cry when it’s time to go home.” I had high expectations after that and yet I was still impressed. This is a new must-do in my book when visiting London, both a unique experience and a stylish way to see something scenic outside the city. Our destination was Bath, but Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, and other historic destinations are available. I cannot say enough good things. The train is beautiful but the crew is something special. ❤️
Scottish scenery is beautiful even in the rain aboard the historic Jacobite steam train. One of the greatest railway journeys in the world begins near the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis. It visits Britain's most westerly mainland railway station, Arisaig; passes close by the deepest freshwater loch in Britain, Loch Morar; and finally arrives next to the deepest seawater loch in Europe, Loch Nevis. The train also crosses the historic Glenfinnan viaduct, which you may recognize from films including “Harry Potter.” Enjoy warm and authentic hospitality onboard and pre-order your treats to enjoy! 🚂🥃🍫
One of North America's classic rail journeys is Rocky Mountaineer's First Passage to the West. Begin in the vibrant city of Vancouver, worthy of a trip of its own for whale watching, wonderful food, and unique culture and scenery. Board the train to travel through the legendary Spiral Tunnels, traverse the Continental Divide, and wind through mountain passes and dramatic canyons. After an overnight stop in Kamloops, enjoy another day onboard with breathtaking lake and mountain scenery. The entire trip is accompanied by the narration and service of your knowledgeable hosts and delicious onboard meals and snacks. End your train experience in Banff, a scenic town perfect for further exploration in nature.
📷: Rocky Mountaineer
The theme for March is trains! All aboard. 🚂
I was so happy to visit the Grand Canyon a few weeks ago via the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel. Skip the traffic and take a scenic ride full of character from Williams into the heart of Grand Canyon Village. The day starts with a Wild West shootout and other fun surprises pop up along the way! 🤠
Let me know if I can answer questions for you about this experience, perfect for families with kids interested in nature, Route 66 and Americana lovers, and, of course, locomotive enthusiasts. ❤️
Painted skies and rolling waves. Secluded beach hubs and sunset island hopping. With late stays and overnights on each itinerary, Virgin Voyages has a path, port, and plan for any kind of wanderlust. To cap off the month of romance, consider an adults-only cruise to a dream destination on one of Virgin's funky, modern, and unexpected superyachts. Diverse dining, wellness options and outside-the-box entertainment will elevate your onboard experience. Now sailing to the Caribbean, Europe, and more, Grand Passages travelers receive exclusive priority access to reserve add-ons and bookable experiences.
📷: Virgin Voyages
Nestled in 250 private acres in wine country, Meadowood Napa Valley provides guests with the taste of being a local. As a gathering place for area residents and local vintners and winegrowers, the estate’s agricultural heritage and beautiful natural surroundings combine to create a tranquil and romantic experience. Enjoy the 36 lodge-style rooms and suites designed by notable Napa architect Howard Backen, the acclaimed The Spa at Meadowood, poolside dining at the Terrace Café, and three pools. Forum offers all day dining and the Wine Center at Meadowood immerses you in the culture of wine. There is plenty to do in the immediate area, or Napa is perfectly combined with neighboring Sonoma or San Francisco. Grand Passages travelers receive exclusive amenities, including breakfast for two, $100 resort credit, and more.
📷: Signature Travel Network / Meadowood Napa Valley
Take your sweetie to Tahiti! And go with Paul Gauguin Cruises, whose one small and beautiful ship was named the "World's Best Cruise Ship for Romance" by the World Cruise Awards. Sailing exclusively in the area of French Polynesia and Fiji, the crew of the m/s Paul Gauguin are experts in hospitality and the beautiful islands of the South Pacific. Whether you are an island explorer, a foodie, or a culture seeker, Paul Gauguin's perfect itineraries have something for you. Relax on the white sand beaches of Bora Bora, enjoy fresh fruit and fish or sauces made of homegrown vanilla, or discover Tahitian traditions of tattoos or pearls. Book with Grand Passages for perks like $200 shipboard credit, chocolate treats, and a bottle of champagne!
📷: Signature Travel Network / Paul Gauguin Cruises
It does not have to be Valentine's Day for you to celebrate with chocolate and wine! 🍫 Food tours are one of my favorite ways to get to know a new place. They provide a perfect opportunity to ask a knowledgeable local where and what you should eat when visiting their hometown. On your next visit to romantic Paris, consider a Pastries and Chocolates experience or a Wine Tasting Tour (or both!) to connect you with the culinary traditions of France. My friends at Context Travel have some of the best guides in the business, and their semi-annual sale begins today! Contact me if you'd like to know more about their offerings around the world. 🌍
📸: Context Travel
Tucked within Boynton Canyon in scenic Sedona, Enchantment Resort offers unmatched views and access to the gorgeous red rocks. The 70 acre grounds nestle you within panoramic vistas of rock formations and pine forests. More than 100 weekly activities are offered in addition to hiking and biking, plus tennis and pickle ball courts, multiple pools, and more. With access to three dining outlets and the mii amo spa, Enchantment is a wonderful setting to reconnect with nature and your partner. When Grand Passages handles your vacation, you enjoy exclusive perks like daily breakfast, $100 resort credit, and upgrade at the time of checkin based on availability.
📸: Grand Passages
There is nothing more romantic than an ocean view! Consider a small ship cruise as a convenient way to visit many bucket list locales. With Silversea Cruises, door-to-door fares include private transfer service that picks you up from home, international flights, 24-hour gourmet dining, butler service, a complimentary shore excursion every day, and more. With every luxury included, you have more time to spend with the person you love. 🥰
For destination inspiration, consider the untamed wilderness of Alaska for a milestone anniversary, or simply because it is one of the best places to experience via an intimate vessel like the Silver Whisper. Reach unique and uncrowded ports in The Last Frontier, including Haines and Wrangell, both great for spotting bald eagles. Consider joining me and other special Signature Travel Network guests on the June 1 voyage for an exclusive $600 per couple shipboard credit and more fun surprises. Link in comments for more details! ⛴
📸: Silversea Cruises
Hopefully our New Year's resolutions have jumpstarted happier, healthier habits. Now that the calendar page has turned to February, it's time for a new theme. With Valentine's Day approaching, how about romance? 😍
You can still have flowers and chocolate, but enjoy them in a secluded luxury villa surrounded by the lush vegetation of Costa Rica’s pristine rainforest. Nayara Springs is an exclusive adults-only resort set in an atmosphere of breathtaking natural beauty. Bounded by a creek and underground mineral thermal springs, the resort is located in the Arenal Volcano National Park. Arenal is host to one of the world’s highest concentrations of tropical plants and wildlife. Use Nayara as your base for heart-pumping adventure like zip lining, or perfect the fine art of doing nothing at all. Grand Passages travelers receive perks like daily breakfast, resort credit, and more. 🌴
📷: Signature Travel Network / Nayara Springs
Snow and ice are predicted in my neck of the woods tonight! ❄️ Whether your idea of comfort in that weather is retreating to a roaring fire and the coziness of a lodge or escaping to a warmer climate, there is a season for you at Blanket Bay.
Built in the grand style of an alpine resort, Blanket Bay is just a forty minutes drive from Queenstown, New Zealand. The property encompasses intimate lodge rooms, spacious suites, and gorgeous villas, all with stunning lake and mountain views. Activities range from guided fly-fishing to heli-flight-seeing to horseback riding on Wyuna High Country Station. Enjoy access to a welcoming den, game room, gym, whirlpool bath, steam rooms, a massage suite, and a heated outdoor lap pool. Grand Passages traveler perks include a special lunch, early check-in, and late check-out. 🤩
📷: Signature Travel Network / Blanket Bay
Anyone watching the Australian Open?🎾 Vacation can be a wonderful time to pick up a new skill or hone an old one!
At Curtain Bluff, four floodlit tennis courts and three resident pros will help improve your game, or there's squash, yoga, swimming in the 75 foot pool, croquet, and a full range of motorized and non-motorized water sports. This all inclusive resort is set in 15 acres of beach and gardens that create spectacular vistas for 72 rooms and suites scattered up the bluff. The roomy accommodations are ideal for couples or families - all will find plenty to keep them entertained. Fuel up for an active day with breakfast at Tamarind and then enjoy dinner beachside at Seagrape. Book with Grand Passages for an exclusive $100 resort credit and upgrade at checkin! 🤩
📷: Signature Travel Network / Curtain Bluff
Happy Friday! Hopefully it's a good one for you, whether you subscribe to the spookiness of Friday the 13th or not. Have you ever stayed in a hotel or taken a cruise where there was "mysteriously" no 13th floor? 🤣
Continuing the New Year theme of wellness, there are many who can recharge themselves simply by sitting on the beach or listening to the waves of the ocean. Seabourn elevates the the healing power of connecting with nature by offering a fleet-wide Mindful Living program that integrates physical, social, environmental, and spiritual well-being. The partnership with Dr. Andrew Weil is the first of its kind at sea. Each ship’s Mindful Living Coach is a certified yoga and meditation practitioner, who will inspire and educate guests with seminars and classes during the voyage. The curriculum delivers mind and body balance, ensuring that guests can relax and rejuvenate while they travel. 🙏
Where is the best destination to experience this program? Consider an expedition cruise! Research shows that even a short amount of time spent in nature can provide health benefits – everything from reducing blood pressure and anxiety levels to boosting the immune system. Imagine the transformation opportunities on a voyage observing nature and wildlife in remote areas that few will ever see. Check out the link below to learn more about Seabourn! 🦅
📸: Seabourn
How is 2023 going for you? How about your resolutions? I am getting a slow start on a few of mine, including walking the dog more often, but I enjoy thinking about the possibilities for the future early in the year. When I've had past success at making lasting change in my habits or outlook, it has been through incremental progress that accumulated over a long period of time. I try to remember that at the start of new chapters. 😊
Whether you are deep into your wellness journey or just beginning and need a jump start, your Canyon Ranch stay can be anything you want it to be - pleasurably relaxing, intensely active, or focused and intentional. Step outside your comfort zone to explore new ways of moving and nourishing your mind and body. Three immersive locations of Canyon Ranch resorts offer a full range of fitness activities, from guided hikes to stand-up paddle boarding. Enjoy fresh, organic cuisine and learn from leading health experts in one-on-one sessions or group presentations. And of course the spa is a must! Throughout their programming, Canyon Ranch treats you as a whole person, integrating Western and Eastern traditions. From sleep studies to ayurvedic medicine, you'll leave with an enhanced version of yourself. ✌️
Nature is key to the serenity of each Canyon Ranch location. In all seasons, the beauty of the Berkshires has inspired generations of artists and poets. Now write your own story of renewal. Leave behind the distractions of your busy life and find room to breathe and explore in New England. Grand Passages travelers receive an exclusive $100 spa, sport or integrative wellness service credit, upgrade at checkin based on availability, and more. 🥰
📸: Signature Travel Network / Canyon Ranch Lenox
Today is National Bird Day! For the New Year, I've been contemplating the adage, "The early bird gets the worm." In the travel sphere, this has always been the case. The earlier you plan, the better your options are for flight schedules, resort room categories, or cruise cabin locations. This is especially true for sought-after activities, which have often been sold out in advance during the pandemic while capacities were reduced due to safety concerns or staffing restrictions. Prices are usually better earlier as well; the less space remains, the higher the prices climb. 🐦
This maxim also rings true when considering your health and wellness. Research shows that a large part of our happiness when traveling comes from the anticipation of the trip. It gives us joy in our daily lives to look ahead to something happy. As you work on your resolutions and make plans for the best the year can bring, give yourself an event to look forward to, whether it is a simple local get-together with friends or a vacation you have always dreamed of taking. 🥰
Enjoy these photos from Xigera Safari Lodge, a destination anyone would dream about before visiting! Nestled within the Okavango Delta in Botswana, this wetland paradise is home to a great variety of animals, including leopards, elephants, and more than 400 species of birds! When you are not on safari, feel at home in one of 12 suites, each carefully placed to give endless views over the floodplains and the chance to watch passing wildlife. Make time for a treatment at the spa, whose soothing color palette exists in harmony with the surrounding landscape. In tune with the lodge’s nature-first commitment to sustainability, all treatments are 100% natural and non-toxic. When you book with Grand Passages, you receive an exclusive $100 spa credit per person. 🌴
📸: Signature Travel Network / Xigera Safari Lodge
Let's talk resolutions! Most of us use the New Year to try and reset aspects of our physical, mental, or spiritual health. For the month of January, I'll highlight travel tips and opportunities that relate to wellness, as vacation can play an important role in the goals you seek to achieve. 🫶
Many travelers I speak to say they want nothing more than a clean and basic hotel, "just a place to sleep." While this can be a practical consideration when you are out exploring most of the day, consider a retreat that can both enhance your understanding of the place you are visiting and allow you to focus on relaxation and wellness. Choose a place to stay where you would gladly spend a day resting, whether that means lounging poolside or visiting the spa. I am the most likely person to come home from a vacation exhausted from trying to see and do everything. Just as we need to push the "reset" button with New Year's resolutions, it can be worth doing the same when it comes to travel goals. By allowing yourself to enjoy some downtime, you will be better equipped to enjoy your activities and more likely to return home rejuvenated and ready to return to the daily grind. 🥰
📸: Signature Travel Network / the green o Montana, a wonderful place to relax. My Hotels & Resorts Collection properties like the green o offer you VIP amenities such as complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, room upgrades, and more.
Happy New Year, travelers! 🥳
It was a privilege to plan your adventures in 2022. In December alone, you traveled to Kenya, Thailand, the British Isles, and more, and we began planning your vacations to destinations such as the National Parks, Costa Rica, and Walt Disney World to commemorate your honeymoons and family milestones next year.
Where do you want to go in 2023? 🌏 Consider a Signature Travel Network cruise for your next vacation and enjoy exceptional value and exclusive amenities. Select sailings offer the services of Experienced Hosts, "by invitation only" events, and Enriching Experiences, including the June 1 voyage to Alaska aboard Silver Whisper hosted by yours truly! See the link in comments for more information.
Wishing you health, happiness, and fulfillment in the year ahead. ❤️
Who can believe this is the last day of November? The year has flown by while we've been planning and adventuring together. What is on your travel to-do list for 2023?
If you need inspiration, look no further than New Zealand. Meet hospitable and curious locals on Kapiti Island where the manawhenua (local people) introduce you to the rare wildlife they're helping to save from extinction. Kapiti Island Nature Tours create meaningful experiences by connecting you with another culture. Wander quiet forest trails and take in the scenery or stay overnight for a night-time kiwi spotting tour. Only 60 visitors are permitted on the island daily, so advance planning is essential!
📸: 100% Pure New Zealand / Kapiti Island Nature Tours
Following Moab, a wonderful time aboard Rocky Mountaineer to Denver via Glenwood Springs. 🇺🇸 🏜️🏔️
The beginning of winter in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. 🏜️🏔️❄️
Hello from Moab. 👋🏼 ☀️ 🏜️
For many of us who love to travel, an affinity for England and the British Isles relates to a fascination with the late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The thoughts and prayers of the entire industry are with the Royal Family at the passing of a dignified leader who will be remembered for a lifetime of service to her country and the Commonwealth.
I love this photo and some interesting facts shared this morning by my friends at Queen of Clubs Lifestyle Luxury Services, who remember Britain's longest-reigning monarch as the 'travelling Queen.' During her illustrious reign, Her Majesty spent decades learning from other cultures worldwide, repeatedly crossing the globe. She was known as the ‘million-mile Queen,' covering at least 1,032,513 miles and visiting 117 different countries during her reign. She became the first British monarch to visit China in 1986, and the first in a century to tour the Republic of Ireland in 2011. And, of course, the Queen traveled in royal style! The jet-setting monarch always travelled with at least three outfit changes a day, all numbered and packed in steel wardrobes with wheels. We know she is well-equipped for her final journey as well though we will miss her.
📸/ 🖋: Queen of Clubs Lifestyle Luxury Services
If you are a "first class in every way" traveler, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the experience for you! Aboard stunning vessels like the new Seven Seas Splendor, Regent provides incredible value with Every Luxury Included pricing - business class air on intercontinental flights, unlimited shore excursions, and so much more. A stylish way to travel to traditional cruise destinations such as the Mediterranean and Alaska, or to try something new in Asia or South America, Regent offers unique itineraries around the globe. Interested in learning more? Join an exclusive webinar today at 4 PM central to get all the details on what sets Regent apart. Send me a message for the link to sign up!
📸: Regent Seven Seas Cruises / Signature Travel Network
You've heard of Lake Como, but how about Lugano? Just across the border in Switzerland, it is convenient to the Italian lakes, Milan, and Lucerne. Make Hotel Splendide Royal, Lugano your base for exploring this breathtaking region. Housed in a Belle Epoque palace, this refined hotel blends classic 19th century charm with contemporary flair. The skilled staff ensures an authentic local experience and continues a tradition of hospitality and fine dining enjoyed by royalty, celebrities, and famous artists for three centuries. When Grand Passages handles your stay, get an exclusive upgrade at the time of booking, a $100 food and beverage credit, a ticket to visit Ticino, and more.
📸: Hotel Splendide Royal, Lugano / Signature Travel Network
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Grand Passages posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Grand Passages:
Happy New Year, travelers! 🥂 🎉 🥳
World Elephant Day. 🐘 🌍 ❤️ #grandpassages #wherearewegoingnext #africa #tanzania #travelmatters #travelelevates
Do the Olympics have you interested in visiting Japan? 🇯🇵 Beyond the vibrant urban centers like Tokyo, consider getting off-the-beaten path for beautiful fall foliage, shrines, and unique cuisine. #grandpassages #wherearewegoingnext #japan #luxurytravel #travelmatters #TravelElevates #sigsocial
Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend… 🔔 🇭🇷 ❤️ #grandpassages #wherearewegoingnext #travelmatters
🦁 scaring 🦓 away. Stay tuned for cubs. #grandpassages #wherearewegoingnext #africa #tanzania #travelmatters #ccejourneys #sigsocial
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?
