From spacious cabins to glorious food and attentive service, my cruise with Riverside Luxury Cruises was very memorable. In this Riverside Debussy review I share all the details about my recent Rhine River cruise.
Outside my cabin’s panoramic window, a castle that looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale sat on the crest of a hilltop. Inside my cabin, a steaming cup of tea and a full breakfast had just been delivered by my suite’s butler. That’s right, my cabin on the Riverside Debussy came with my very own butler!
This was my first introduction to river cruises in Europe, and I was getting totally spoiled by the experience.
Barge cruising with European Waterways is one of my favorite travel experiences. In this La Bella Vita cruise review I share all the details of my fantastic 6 day barge cruise in Italy.
There is a reason that a European Waterways barge cruise has become one of my favorite travel experiences – actually, it’s a lot of reasons. A week long cruise always includes incredibly attentive service, fantastic food, exceptional local wines, and specially curated excursions. And all this is provided in an intimate, small group setting. What’s not to love about that!
I share my experiences swimming in the Dead Sea in both Jordan and Israel and share tips for the best Dead Sea experience.
You’ve probably seen the photos – the ones of a person effortlessly floating in an almost sitting position while reading a newspaper. This is often the typical marketing image associated with the Dead Sea. The reality is that swimming in the Dead Sea is so much more than that.
Wadi Rum is a popular desert destination in Jordan. Broad stretches of reddish tinged sand are interspersed with fantastical rock formations that dwarf over tourists riding in camel caravans. I’ve been fortunate to visit twice, each time staying at a Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp while experiencing the unique activities this desert offers. I share my personal experiences and lots of tips for planning a trip to Wadi Rum.
I had not heard of Wadi Rum until I started doing research about what to see and do in Jordan. As it turns out, I had already seen its landscape since this UNESCO protected area has been used as a filming location in many recent blockbuster movies including “Martian”, the “Star Wars” movies and Disney’s “Aladdin”.
Discover why Pandaw river cruises in Southeast Asia are a one of a kind experience that keeps bringing customers back to sail with this very special cruise company.
I was sipping my Pink Lady cocktail and enjoying the brilliant orange sunset across the Mekong river over the city of Vientiane, Laos’ capital. It was the last evening of my Laos Pandaw river cruise and the day had been very hot, but now a gentle breeze was slowly cooling off the open top deck lounge.
A dragon boat sped by in the evening twilight, its crew chanting loudly as they oared in perfect unison, dipping their many paddles into the water in synchronous time to their chanting beat. Not far from our docked vessel, a local fisherman squatted on the tip of his longtail boat, checking his nets. I marveled at the ease with which he maintained his balance as he twisted and twirled on his boat’s narrow tip, his gyrations worthy of an Olympic balance beam routine.
Luxury barging in France on the Burgundy Canal with European Waterways has been one of my most memorable travel experiences. Discover why a France canal cruise should be at the top of your bucket list with this detailed review.
To have unique experiences is at the heart of why I travel. Recently I was privileged to have one of the most extraordinary luxury travel experiences that I have ever had. I was invited on a France canal cruise on the barge La Belle Epoque with European Waterways. For six days on my Burgundy, France Canal cruise, I had the ultimate slow travel cruising experience that included gourmet meals, amazing wines, impeccably attentive service and uniquely curated excursions.
I discovered some of the most beautiful islands in Greece on a recent cruise. I am sharing my experiences and photos to inspire your next Greek island adventure.
My luxury Mediterranean sailing cruise took me to some of the most beautiful islands in Greece. Our itinerary combined the classic Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini with some of the less touristy islands like Syros, Kos, Patmos and Milos.
Experience the best sailing holiday in Greece with the beautiful Running On Waves tall ship.
This story was recognized by the North American Travel Journalists Association with a Silver award in the Cruise category in the 2021 annual media travel awards competition .
“All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by” John Masefield
There wasn’t just one star, but rather, a pantheon of constellations blanketing the sky as the last rays of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon. To the east, a slim crescent moon was slowly rising out of the sea with the same grace as the goddess of love in Botticelli’s painting. A slight breeze and the gentle back and forth rocking informed me that our ship was under way. My dream Greece sailing tour had started.
There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than a luxurious train trip from London to the Winchester Christmas Market on the historic British Pullman. A British Pullman day trip is always a special event, and even more so during the festive holiday season.
I can’t think of any better way to get into the holiday spirit than with a special Christmas train trip that hearkens back to the golden age of train travel. I love taking unique rail journeys, and the British Pullman day trip from London to the Winchester Christmas market certainly promised to be a magical experience.
The canals of France were built in the late 1700’s to provide a means of transporting goods. Barges were loaded with timber, limestone, wine and other desirable products and they were pulled along the canals through the many locks that controlled the flow of water. Today, the canals still support boat traffic, but these historic barges have now been converted into luxury floating cruise experiences that offer a unique means of exploring the French countryside. For the next six days, I will be enjoying a one of a kind cruise on the La Belle Epoque along the Burgundy Canal, one of the many barge cruising options offered by European Waterways.