Villas and Vines

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Villas and Vines Perfecting the art of vacationing with personalized travel in small groups to Italy, France and Croa
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Villas and Vines is a Dallas based travel firm specializing in luxury villa and boutique hotel travel throughout the world. Established in 2010, Villas and Vines is committed to perfecting our guests vacations with beautiful accommodations and authentic excursions coupled with outstanding personal service.

Who is looking for a great price on a Regent Cruise? I have prices that are so good, I'm not permitted to publish the pr...
06/08/2024

Who is looking for a great price on a Regent Cruise? I have prices that are so good, I'm not permitted to publish the prices. If you are interested you will need to message me or send an email to: [email protected] for the details.
Prices are heavily discounted depending on the particular cruise. There are about 35 various cruises to choose from.
Venice to Athens for 10 nights
Istanbul to Barcelona 10 nights
Cape Town, South Africa to Dubai 19 nights is a steal
Istanbul to Trieste (Venice) for 13 nights
How about Monaco to Athens for 10 nights with a fabulous itinerary.
For those who aren't familiar with Regent, they are an all-suite luxury cruise company. AND, it is all inclusive including your gratuities, select shore excursions, unlimited beverages including wines, craft cocktails, specialty dining, specialty coffees, free laundry, and so much more.

If you are new to cruising, I can help you select the cruise and ship that is best for you.

Dennis and I are on Oceania's Riviera ship with friends. I'm here to compare it to the other cruise ships in the same ca...
27/07/2024

Dennis and I are on Oceania's Riviera ship with friends. I'm here to compare it to the other cruise ships in the same category as well as enjoy the cruise. The ship was recently updated and our penthouse suite is very spacious with a walkin shower and walk in closets. The deluxe veranda is also a great option for less money. The food has all been great and the service is also excellent. There are many things to k ow about when booking a cruise. I'm here to help my clients choose between the various options with all the different cruise companies and ships. There is so much to know that is difficult to find out about prior to your cruise. If you want help decide on your best cruise options for you, you can contact me. Sorry I haven't taken a lot of photos yet of the ship.


It is not too late to join us in Sicily, Italy hosted by Bart and Barb O'Brien. O'Brien Estate Winery in Napa has recent...
01/03/2024

It is not too late to join us in Sicily, Italy hosted by Bart and Barb O'Brien. O'Brien Estate Winery in Napa has recently been named #1 winery in Napa Valley by U.S. News and World Report! If you haven't traveled with Bart and Barb on one of their European wine tours you are missing out. The adventure is full of experiences, exceptional food and wine, and lots of laughter. The dates are September 11-19, 2024. We have a few slots remaining. https://villas-and-vines.com/o-brien-estate-sicily-tour-2024




Still looking for the perfect gift. We can help that last minute shopper and take all stress away at the same time.
19/12/2023

Still looking for the perfect gift. We can help that last minute shopper and take all stress away at the same time.

As a small company, we are very appreciative of our clients who have trusted us with their travel plans. It is a privile...
19/12/2023

As a small company, we are very appreciative of our clients who have trusted us with their travel plans. It is a privilege to be able to work with such great clients who we also consider friends.

Morning sunrise from Sicily. The dark clouds are from Mount Etna erupting.
26/11/2023

Morning sunrise from Sicily. The dark clouds are from Mount Etna erupting.

Mount Etna is creating the dark "rain clouds". It sounds like thunder everything it erupts which is every 5 minutes or s...
26/11/2023

Mount Etna is creating the dark "rain clouds". It sounds like thunder everything it erupts which is every 5 minutes or so this morning. We can hear it from the hotel.

A stay in the Moroccan Sahara Desert should be a priority at a desert camp. The experience is worth the drive. I recomme...
16/11/2023

A stay in the Moroccan Sahara Desert should be a priority at a desert camp. The experience is worth the drive. I recommend 2 nights I order to get the full experience which includes camel rides at sunset and ATV rides in the sand dunes during the day.

We chose a private luxury camp with only 5 rooms. Our stay was all inclusive with excellent meals and service. The "tents" are large with a private bathroom including a walk in shower, hot and cold running water, air conditioning, spacious sitting area and a front porch with incredible views.

There are several other camps to choose from that will work with moderate budgets and less conveniences.

Movie studios, kasbahs, and of course shopping. Negotiating on higher priced items is part of their culture. This is th...
16/11/2023

Movie studios, kasbahs, and of course shopping. Negotiating on higher priced items is part of their culture. This is the area most affected by the earthquake in September. Several buildings have cracks and others are uninhabitable.

On the way to lunch we spotted a man in the palm tree. Of course, we wanted to stop and watch him harvesting the dates f...
16/11/2023

On the way to lunch we spotted a man in the palm tree. Of course, we wanted to stop and watch him harvesting the dates from the palm tree. He offered us some of the dates and they were so good. He was so happy we stopped to admire his work. The farmers sell their dates for about $5 a kilo to the wholesalers.

Sunset in the Skoura Valley of Morocco.
15/11/2023

Sunset in the Skoura Valley of Morocco.





Our hotel served a pop- up picnic in the palm groves. Of course, no meal is complete with the welcome tea to begin. ...
15/11/2023

Our hotel served a pop- up picnic in the palm groves. Of course, no meal is complete with the welcome tea to begin.




The Skoura Valley is between the desert and Marrakech and in the Atlas Mountains. This is a ksar turned hotel that is an...
15/11/2023

The Skoura Valley is between the desert and Marrakech and in the Atlas Mountains. This is a ksar turned hotel that is and example of staying at a hotel with a sense of place. The staff couldn't be more accommodating.





Today, we visited another Berber family in the Skoura Valley of Morocco. This is an area full of palm groves and olive t...
15/11/2023

Today, we visited another Berber family in the Skoura Valley of Morocco. This is an area full of palm groves and olive trees in the river bed. This Berber family lives in a ksar, made from the local mud or clay and hay. These are the types of houses that were affected by the earthquake a couple of months ago. No steel or rebar is used to support the house.



These are some of the faces and people of the Berbers in Morocco. The children have such happy faces, the women look yea...
14/11/2023

These are some of the faces and people of the Berbers in Morocco. The children have such happy faces, the women look years older than they actually are from working so hard. No one is afraid to ask for money. One small child said, please lady, make my heart happy.





ATV or Moroccan buggy rides during the afternoon. Another adventure where we had the dunes of the Moroccan Sahara to our...
14/11/2023

ATV or Moroccan buggy rides during the afternoon. Another adventure where we had the dunes of the Moroccan Sahara to ourselves except for the occasional camel crossing. Our outfitter was fabulous and took the videos for us. This is a MUST for everyone.

Sunset 🍸 camel rides 🐫 and amazing views. What else would you expect in the Moroccan Sahara desert? Our camels met us ...
14/11/2023

Sunset 🍸 camel rides 🐫 and amazing views. What else would you expect in the Moroccan Sahara desert? Our camels met us at our luxury desert camp rather than having to go into town.




Sunset in the Moroccan Sahara desert.
13/11/2023

Sunset in the Moroccan Sahara desert.

Leather tanning in Fes dates back hundreds of years. They continue the tradition today using urine and pigeon p**p in th...
12/11/2023

Leather tanning in Fes dates back hundreds of years. They continue the tradition today using urine and pigeon p**p in the process. They give you mint leaves to smell while watching the process to help with the horrible odor. The leather is from goat and camel and it is as soft as butter.

Eating a local lunch near Meknes, Morocco for another authentic experience. We were the only tourists/travelers in the v...
12/11/2023

Eating a local lunch near Meknes, Morocco for another authentic experience. We were the only tourists/travelers in the village. The olives coated in harissa are excellent and can't compare to our jarred versions at home. Beef kefta with tomatoes and grilled onions, and grilled chicken skewers followed by Moraccan mint tea.

The local traffic jam in Fes Morocco.
12/11/2023

The local traffic jam in Fes Morocco.

Riads are popular hotels in Morocco including tiled courtyards. This is a small riad with 18 rooms in Fes offering a re...
11/11/2023

Riads are popular hotels in Morocco including tiled courtyards. This is a small riad with 18 rooms in Fes offering a restaurant and bar that we like.

Clients don't always understand the benefit of small groups or private tours compared to budget tours for the masses. Wi...
11/11/2023

Clients don't always understand the benefit of small groups or private tours compared to budget tours for the masses. With our tours, we use local drivers and guides who can not only show you the the highlights but also special experiences while enroute. For example, we are in Morocco during the olive harvest. We stopped and visited with the family picking olives, then we went to the factory to watch how olive oil is pressed in the area.

Of course, we also stopped and supported some locals on the side of the toad on our way to the ancient Roman town of Volubilis.

These aren't you everyday tour guides and drivers. They get to know you and what your personal interests are to make your trip special.

This is another way we work to make our clients trips meaningful.




Today is the first of 13 days leading our small group of travelers in Morocco. The weather couldn't be better with blue ...
07/11/2023

Today is the first of 13 days leading our small group of travelers in Morocco. The weather couldn't be better with blue skies and a gentle breeze. We started in Casablanca with a quick tour of the city. Morocco was run by the French from 1912 until 1953 when the locals revolted and brought back their king from 2 years of exile and kicked the French out. Morocco has the same royal family for the past 400 years. Casablanca is where Pres. Roosevelt and Churchill met to determine how things would be divided up after they won the war. They main street is Casablanca is Roosevelt Blvd.

Of course, we had to tour the largest mosque in Morocco while we were in town. This is one of the few Mosques that women are allowed to enter. It took 6 years to build and they worked 24/7 during the construction. It cost of $800 million in the 80s to build it.

Another highlight was having lunch at Rick's Cafe made famous from the movie Casablanca with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart.



We made a quick stop in London with a nice stay at the Savoy Hotel. Of course, afternoon or high tea is a must in London...
06/11/2023

We made a quick stop in London with a nice stay at the Savoy Hotel. Of course, afternoon or high tea is a must in London.

Remember if I book your hotels through my hoteliers your breakfast is included. At an average of 60 GBP per person per day, that is a great perk.

What an amazing week it was meeting such a wonderful group of Departure Lounge advisors while celebrating Keith Waldon's...
08/10/2023

What an amazing week it was meeting such a wonderful group of Departure Lounge advisors while celebrating Keith Waldon's 10th anniversary.

What a privilege it is to be part of such an amazing group of travel professionals celebrating with my Departure Lounge ...
08/10/2023

What a privilege it is to be part of such an amazing group of travel professionals celebrating with my Departure Lounge family of 200+ independent luxury travel advisors in Punta Mita, Mexico.

With more than 60 of our preferred and VIP suppliers for cruises, luxury hotels, safari, and tour operators worldwide we honored our visionary founder, Keith Waldon, who made all this possible in just 10 years of being one of the most respected host agencies.

Not only did we celebrate, but we also spent 3 days getting updates on properties, promotions, new openings, and services to offer our clients. I was updated on several cruise lines including Regent, Viking, Ama Waterways, Seabourn, Ritz Carlton Yachts, Oceania, Uniworld and the brand new Explora Journeys.

I work with so many great hotel properties and can’t wait to tell you more about what I was updated on from Four Seasons, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, Hilton, One & Only, Marriott Luxury Brands, Belmond, Auberge, and Dorchester.

Travel advisors work for our clients and keep updated on our travel products to keep our clients informed of which properties are under construction, recently renovated, family friendly, and what the vibe is for the different properties and locations. Lots of research goes into what I offer and suggest to clients.

Did you know that I’m able to get my clients special perks and benefits like complimentary daily breakfast, resort credits, room upgrades, and so much more when you book through me? Breakfast alone at luxury hotels can cost more than $50 per day per person and it would be complimentary.

Our VIP partners also offer exclusive promotions just to Departure Lounge advisors at various times during the year. Last, but certainly not least, you will be on the VIP list from the moment you arrive.



01/10/2023

I'm headed to the beautiful Riviera Nayarit and excited to meet up the other advisors at Departure Lounge along with 50 of our best travel suppliers in the industry. We are celebrating 10 years of orchestrating the world's best travel.

Our annual Departure Lounge conference is being held along the jungle-fringed shores of the Pacific Ocean this year at Punta Mita. I'll be meeting with our preferred partners (hoteliers, safari operators, and cruise lines) to find more great places for you to experience. This is relationship-building at its best! 🌎🌍🌏

Riviera Nayarit (Puerto Vallarta) is one of the best regions of Mexico. This is the place to experience the beautiful coastline, renowned surfing, rich culture, excellent food and cocktails, and a myriad of activities. It is also home to several of the finest luxury resorts in the world.

I wish I had time to stay and play a few extra days but it's a a busy time keeping up with all my clients travel plans.🧡🏖️


Sunsets and cocktails while watching the whales and seals from the observation deck.
15/07/2023

Sunsets and cocktails while watching the whales and seals from the observation deck.



This post is for my friends and clients who haven't cruised before. The rooms are well designed making use of all the sp...
15/07/2023

This post is for my friends and clients who haven't cruised before. The rooms are well designed making use of all the space. I have a deluxe veranda suite which is 253 sq.ft. and one of the smaller suites. The room is quite comfortable with a sitting area and work space, walk in closet with enough drawers and hangers to put up 2 huge suitcases and a carry-on plus 8 pairs of shoes. The make up mirror is better than any 5 star hotel provides. The staff comes to replenish our bar whenever we let them know we want something. Time to go we just arrived in Juneau.





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Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Italy

Good morning from Stresa, Lake Maggiore in Italy. This is the first day of our 10 day small group tour of Northern Italy.

We hope your holidays are filled with love, health, prosperity, romance, friends, family, inspiration, and LOTS OF AMAZING TRAVEL this coming year!

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Villas and Vines is a Dallas based travel company specializing in luxury villa and boutique hotel travel throughout Italy, France and Croatia. Established in 2010, Villas and Vines is committed to perfecting our guests vacations with beautiful accommodations and authentic excursions coupled with outstanding personal service.