Tag Archives: wendy perrin

Chris and Lisa Wollan alongside an organic farmer near Hoi An in Vietnam.

Travelers Just Back: Real Reviews That Show The WOW List Works

Wondering what a WOW trip looks like? Read the trip reviews below, all written in your fellow travelers’ own words. WOW trips are custom-tailored exactly to your interests, maximizing your experience, minimizing logistics, whisking you past lines, and avoiding crowds (yes, even this summer in Europe—read on to see how that’s possible).

Learn how to get your own WOW trip. Then, browse our WOW List of Trusted Travel Experts to find the right specialist for the trip you’re dreaming of. If you’d like help figuring out where to go or how to plan it, write to Ask Wendy. And you’ll find lots of other ideas in our other compilations of traveler reviews.

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Sri Lanka​: historical sites and beach time, botanical visit with botanist, UNESCO site in a vintage VW

WENDY TUCKER | APRIL 9, 2025

Wendy Tucker and husband at UNESCO World Heritage site Galle Fort in Sri Lanka.

Travelers Wendy and Marco enjoy UNESCO World Heritage site Galle Fort in a 1971 VW convertible.

My husband Marco and I just returned from a wonderful three-week trip to Sri Lanka planned by Miguel and Nicola. We experienced a vast range of geographic areas and experiences from cultural, beach, safari, religious and most important to us, immersive with the local people.

Our guide/driver, Manjula, was stellar. Before we left the airport upon our arrival, we all agreed that for our 3 weeks together we would be a “family,” and we were—despite many 3-hour-plus drives, we were comfortable, relaxed, and spent time chatting, listening to Sri Lankan music or just quietly looking at the passing scenery. Manjula quickly learned the nuances of my husband’s challenges remaining from a traumatic brain injury due to a motorcycle accident years ago. Although Marco is physically fit, he still has challenges with uneven terrain and stairs without handrails as well as environments with a lot of commotion and people. Manjula always made Marco feel comfortable and supported without being demeaning, which we were both so grateful for.

This trip was unique for us as in total we stayed at 8 different places but I am so glad we listened to Miguel and Nicola as to the rhythm of the trip. After 24 hours to travel, staying an extra night at the beginning at the tranquil boutique Wallawwa Hotel was perfect. We saw so much and had so many great experiences including all the historical highlights like Sigiriya Lion Rock, Dambulla Cave, Temple of the Tooth, and the ancient city of Anuradhapura, beach down time at the gorgeous Amanwella with a fantastic cooking class, and visits to tea and cinnamon plantations where we were astounded at how much hands-on labor is required.

Our favorite experiences included a visit to the Botanical Garden in Kandy with an incredibly knowledgeable botanist who has written numerous books and knew every plant and tree in the garden. A visit to a quiet beautiful Buddhist cave temple inhabited by only two monks where we received a lengthy blessing and were the only ones there. And our WOW Moment—a drive around UNESCO World Heritage site Galle Fort in a 1971 VW convertible with a local guide whose family ran a tea shop in the area. My husband, who is a classic car lover, had a grin ear to ear when we walked out of our hotel and saw the car!

Miguel and Nicola spent time learning about us and our interests and their recommendations of places to stay and experiences and the overall feel of the trip showed that they listened. They each made time to meet us personally, which was a lovely surprise and another opportunity to chat with a local and learn more about this beautiful, welcoming country and people.

Read more reviews of Miguel. Or request your own trip.

Contact Miguel


India: a work trip extended to include “must-see” sites, local markets, and rescue elephants

BERTRAND SMYERS | APRIL 4, 2025

Bert Smyers with elephants at a refuge in India.

Bert Smyers enjoys a whirlwind post-business “adventure” including major landmarks and an elephant refuge.

Amazing trip put together on short notice! Thanks to the planners and Wendy Perrin for making my brief stay in India so wonderful.

I decided in mid-February 2025 that I needed to make a trip to India in mid-March for business. I was flying into Delhi, but the business destination was Pune. My business dealings required 2-3 days to complete. I had never been to India before, and wasn’t sure if I’d ever make it back, so I wanted to add a few personal days to see and experience the region around Delhi. This included especially the Taj Mahal but also what is known as the “Golden Triangle” —formed by Delhi, Agra (where the Taj is), and Jaipur. Unfortunately, I only had another 4 days in which to make this happen. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to pull off the planning without expert guidance.

Fortunately, Wendy’s team connected me with a tour company led by Victoria (who’s based in the UK, I believe) and Diggy (who met me on the ground later in India). In short order, they put together a fabulous itinerary that met my core objectives. My guide, Harsh, met me at the Delhi airport when I returned from Pune. From there, we set off on an adventure that hit the “must-see” spots (like the Taj, the Jaipur City Palace, Amber Fort, Red Fort, and many others) and lots of wonderful and unique extras, such as jewelry-making, other handmade arts & crafts, trips to a few local markets, and even an afternoon with rescued Asian elephants.

The choices of lodging and dining were top-notch, as well. During the trip, Harsh shared much of his knowledge of Indian history and culture, for which I was very grateful. I ended the trip exhausted but quite satisfied and ready to return to experience more of this fascinating country.

Read more reviews of Bertie and Victoria. Or request your own trip.

Contact Bertie and Victoria


Portugal: pastry & astronomy workshops, Jewish history, walking tours with “best ever” guides

DEBBIE AND ROB POLISHOOK | APRIL 3, 2025

Debbie and Rob Polishook on a swing at the Vagar Hotel in Belmonte, Portugal.

Debbie and Rob on a swing at the Vagar Hotel overlooking the valley in Belmonte. Photo: Traveler Debbie Polishook

My husband and I travelled to Portugal from March 19 – April 2 2025 to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Goncalo’s colleague Joana helped us plan and arrange our entire trip from accommodations, to car rental, to drivers, tour guides, experiences, meals, etc. During our initial 40-minute Zoom with Joana and Goncalo they helped draw out from us what experiences we wanted to have and in which cities, at what cost, and at what pace. When we received our initial draft itinerary we were “shocked” in a good way at how well they had listened and how they really understood us and how we like to travel, and it only got better from there.

From our wonderful private walking tours with the best quality tour guides we have ever experienced, we explored Porto (Portuguese history), Coimbra (Portuguese history), Douro Valley (boat tour, hike alongside the vineyards), Belmonte (history of the Jewish people in Portugal), Evora (Portuguese history and Jewish Portuguese history) and Lisbon (Portuguese history, Jewish Portuguese history, Sweets Tour including a Pasteis de Nata-making workshop, Street Art Tour), to our relaxing 2 days in the Alentejo region—where we learned to make pottery and had a chance to take a Stargazing workshop with an astronomy expert to learn about our planet, stars and galaxies—we had such a wonderful and fulfilling time, and credit Joana’s team with helping us make it happen in such a seamless, fun and relaxing way.

I would highly recommend working with them and would work with them again in the future if/when we return to explore other parts of Portugal.

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Spain: sidestepping rain with the “eccentric” Gala Dali Castle and a tapas tour

BARBARA PALTER | APRIL 3, 2025

Barara Palter and her husband atop of Montserrat during a rainy and foggy day.

A rainy, foggy day atop Montserrat: The guide’s deft scheduling avoided the worst of the rain.

My husband and I were travelling to Barcelona on business and wanted to extend our stay to see the sites around the city.

I contacted Pablo early in the year to let him know that we were coming to Spain but weren’t entirely sure of our timing. He was super helpful and provided us a list of suggested ideas for the surrounding area.

With just a few weeks before departure, Pablo put together a fantastic itinerary for us. We spent three days with our marvelous guide Jordi. Jordi was super friendly, incredibly knowledgeable and just a pleasure to spend time with. Sadly, it rained for most our time together and Jordi manipulated the schedule so that we could be indoors during the downpours. One of the gems that he inserted at the last minute was the Gala Dali Castle—this was not a museum but rather the home of Dali’s wife. The architecture, furniture and photos there helped us to understand the eccentric lives of Gala and Salvador Dali—would highly recommend! In addition, Jordi took us on a tapas tour around Barcelona. We ate our way through some sensational local restaurants and enjoyed every bite.

Thank you to Pablo, Jordi, and our driver John who really made our stay in Barcelona a special one.

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Colombia: visiting a coffee plantation, cooking with a chef, admiring orchids

MOLLY WHISENANT | APRIL 1, 2025

Whisenant family during a cooking class at the home of a chef, outside Medellin, Colombia.

Members of the Whisenant family during a trip highlight: A cooking class at the home of a chef.

Boris and his team planned a fantastic journey and really stepped up when we had issues! Our group of 6 worked with Boris’ team to plan our trip to Colombia. We visited Medellin, the coffee region and Cartagena. Our group consisted of me, my husband, and two of our sons on spring break from college, another couple and one of our other sons who was working in Medellin unexpectedly. Despite planning the trip in advance, our group had two issues. Two weeks before our trip, one of my older sons found out he would be working in Medellin at the same time we were in Colombia. I contacted Boris, who was able to book my son on a flight from Medellin to Cartagena at the end of his work week. He was also able to secure a room for my son to stay at our hotel in Cartagena. My son was able to join us for the last portion of the vacation and activities thanks to Boris and his team! The second issue we ran into was the couple traveling with us had a family member pass away during our trip. The husband had to fly home early. Boris and his team worked to make arrangements to accommodate this change.

We covered a wide variety of activities in Colombia. In Medellin, we visited District 13 and a historical monument dedicated to the loss of life during the Escobar years (our guide Lillian was very informative regarding the history of Colombia…she was also a reporter). We visited the second largest collection of orchids in the world at the home garden of the collector. Over 5,000 different types of orchids were being grown on site!!!! We also had a private cooking class at the chef’s private home. Very yummy food and a wonderful setting.

In the coffee region, we stayed at a wonderful hacienda out in the country….so tranquil and lots of birds. We visited a coffee plantation and went bamboo rafting. In Cartagena, we did a rum tasting, a private cooking class (one of the trip highlights!!!!), street food tour (I am NOT a fan of street food in foreign countries, but our guide took us to some fabulous places and the food was divine and no one got sick!) The final day was spent island hopping in the Rosario Islands with a stop for a late lunch at a beach club…a perfect end to our trip.

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Contact Boris


Chile: Santiago, Rapi Nui, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Valparaiso, & the Atacama desert

MATT WILSON AND LYLE YORK | APRIL 1, 2025

Shadows of three people in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Without a shadow of a doubt: The travelers embracing their time in Chile and the Atacama desert.

We just returned from a splendid three-week trip to Chile, including stops in Santiago, Rapi Nui (Easter Island), Patagonia National Park, Torres del Paine, Valparaiso, and the Atacama desert. Jordan and Olivia planned the trip.

They listened to our desires and put us in nature-oriented, history- and culture-oriented lodges that offer daily excursions suitable for our ages and fitness levels. (One of us is about to be 80 and the other 69, and we’re relatively fit.)

They recommended places to visit and stay, coordinated flights (getting around long-and-skinny Chile requires many airplane rides) and transfers to and from airports. Their attention to detail made for easy traveling. We stayed at Explora Rapi Nui, Explora Patagonia in the new national park (where we crossed paths with a puma about 30 feet away), and Tierra Patagonia in Torres del Paine.

Our favorite lodge was Awasi Atacama. It gave us beautiful architecture, great food and table service, personal attention in general, one excellent guide for our entire stay, and warm and dry weather!

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Cuba: a mural tour, a mixology lesson, and “personal touches” like a home-cooked meal

ANN MARIE BELL | MARCH 31, 2025

Five people after lunch with a local family in Cuba.

Highlight of lunch with a Cuban family: “The powerful connection we felt around their table and their efforts to improve their community.”

Our trip to Cuba in March 2025 was nothing short of extraordinary. What made it so special wasn’t just what we saw and the richness of the experience (though both were good), but the exceptional care and expertise with which every detail was planned. The experience surpassed what we could have imagined.

From the very beginning, Rob and Ana Maria took the time to truly understand what we hoped to gain from our time in Cuba. Their thoughtfulness, in partnership with their phenomenal on-the-ground team, Raquel and Diana, made all the difference. Raquel met us at the airport and became our amazing guide and companion throughout our stay. Diana, our 24/7 concierge, partnered with Raquel to work magic behind the scenes to make sure every moment was seamless. She made a point to see us several times during our stay. Their level of commitment went far beyond professionalism—by the end of the trip, we had met their families and were invited to attend Diana’s daughter’s birthday party. These personal touches allowed us to experience Cuba through the eyes and hearts of the local people.

We asked for a trip that would help us connect with the culture and learn about the people. They delivered far more than that. Some of the most memorable experiences included a private concert at the home of a celebrated Cuban guitarist (Molina), and a mural tour that was originally planned with the artist himself, who was unexpectedly out of the country. In his place, his wife welcomed us, hosted us for coffee, and shared stories of his work. In a thoughtful gesture, the artist left two original portraits to take home.

The food and drinks were exceptional, including the cooking class and rum tasting/mixology lesson we had. As good as those were, one of our favorite experiences was sharing lunch in the home of a Cuban family. The meal rivaled the top restaurants we visited, but what stayed with us was the intimate conversation and powerful connection we felt around their table and their efforts to improve their community. Another surprise…attending a local baseball game, which was unplanned and coordinated by the family we shared lunch with. It was another glimpse into the everyday Cuban spirit.

There was also a day trip to Vinales, where we explored tobacco and coffee farms and gained a deeper appreciation for the traditions and resilience of Cuba’s farming communities. Our driver during the trip, Tony, safely transported us around Havana and to the countryside. His commitment was remarkable in ensuring our comfort and making sure our journey was smooth (when things we take for granted, like availability of gasoline, cannot be assumed in Cuba).

The trip could not have been more thoughtfully and beautifully curated. The warmth, resourcefulness, and hospitality of the Cuban people was front-and-center in every interaction. We are grateful to Rob and Ana, Raquel, and Diana—not only for planning a perfect trip, but for welcoming us into their everyday lives. It was an experience we will carry with us forever.

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Contact Paul


Japan: entertaining three generations with baseball, ninja museum, hiking, and picnic

LESLIE ENLOW | MARCH 31, 2025

Leslie Enlow and family hiking Japan's Nakasendo Trail.

Leslie Enlow and family hiking Japan’s Nakasendo Trail.

Wendy Perrin for the win. For spring break we took a family vacation to Japan. None of us had ever been so Andrea had his work cut out for him. The trip centered mostly on keeping our 9-year-old grandson entertained by going to a baseball game, sumo wrestling demonstration, samurai sword experience with a 16th generation samurai, and ninja museum. We still saw plenty of shrines and gardens to keep everybody happy. The weather started out cold and rainy but that did not dampen our spirits.

All of our guides were exceptional and very attentive to our 9-year-old. Andrea and his team were in constant contact with us and able to answer any questions that arose. The itinerary was varied in places and accommodations. The hotels and ryokans were all unique experiences. A highlight was walking the Nakasendo Trail where we had our WOW Moment, a picnic lunch at a scenic overlook. So scenic, in fact, that other tourists were taking pictures of us enjoying our lunch with a cherry blossom centerpiece. We were a little early for cherry blossom season but Andrea was determined that we would see some.

We had a busy itinerary to fit in all that we wanted to do but there was enough down time that we weren’t exhausted. It was the perfect trip and one we will never forget.

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Contact Andrea


Ecuador & the Galapagos: Cloud forest in Mindo, Papallacta hot spa, snorkeling & hiking the isles

KATIE MCBRINE | MARCH 30, 2025

Sea lion lounging on a dingy boat in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

A sea lion lounging on the ship’s dingy: “The wildlife was everywhere.” Photo: Traveler Katie McBrine

Our family (2 teenagers and 2 adults) went on the trip of a lifetime to Ecuador and the Galapagos. We went from March 15th to the 26th. Allie helped us plan the most amazing trip we have ever taken. She was extremely knowledgeable and really listened to our wants and needs. We could have never planned such a long and complicated trip without her. All the places we went (city tour in Quito, Cloud forest in Mindo, hot spa in Papallacta) were fun for both kids and adults. Our tour guides in Quito did an outstanding job of educating and entertaining us. The van broke down and while we waited for another van, they were able to get us an impromptu coffee tour which turned into a highlight of the trip.

We were on the Galaxy ship for the Galapagos part of the trip. We did the 5 day tour and it was the perfect length for us. The crew on the ship were lovely and very helpful. My husband got pooped on by one of the many frigate birds that were following the ship and they very nicely helped clean his clothes. The food was great. The kids loved sushi night! The beds were very hard so if that is a problem for you, you may want to pack some sort of mattress support. We were very lucky with the weather. It was at the end of the rainy season but we had mostly sunny, beautiful days. We only had to cancel one snorkeling activity due to rough dangerous waves. Each day was spent with a snorkeling and hiking activity in the morning and afternoon. We saw all the animals we wanted to see up close. We always felt safe and cared for by the guide and staff. 10/10 would recommend this trip to everyone.

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India: cruising the rivers, bathing in luxury, living like royalty, “painting” the town

RON KLAUSNER | MARCH 28, 2025

Ron Klausner, his wife, and two friends covered in paint at the Holi festival in India.

Ron Klausner, his wife, and two friends joined in the community’s Hindu festival of Holi.

My wife and I are avid travelers and have visited over 70 countries but we have always avoided going to India for fear of getting intestinal problems. We finally bit the bullet and decided to go, did not get sick and loved India! The people, the people, the people. We went for three weeks with another couple this March and visited Assam by boat down the Brahmaputra River and the major sights Varanasi, Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Agra. We also spent three days off the beaten path at Desert Retreat in Jamba, a three-hour drive from Jodhpur.

The first highlight of our trip, however, was the service given by Sanjay and his company when our flight to India was delayed for 24 hours. It was Saturday night and he was on the phone for hours with his staff in India and us making contingency plans. He was making all sorts of contingency plans depending upon when we finally arrived. We missed the departure of our cruise down the Brahmaputra River but managed to catch up to it a few days later. I should also say one of our suitcases got delayed on the flight to Assam and we had it driven 5 hours to meet us rather than lose another day of our trip waiting for it at the airport. Meanwhile, Sanjay and his crew took great care of us in India until we met the boat. That alone was worth booking with Sanjay!

Although we were between earning WOW Moments, I feel Sanjay made our entire trip a Wow Moment. In Varanasi we had a private sunset and sunrise boat cruises on the Ganges River, and a sitar concert at the home of Ravi Shankar’s cousin. We also participated in Holi day where we celebrated Spring by joining different groups of locals and covering each other with paint and water and then dancing together in joy.

To get to our next destination we had to fly back to Delhi to take another plane. While in Delhi we visited an amazing Sikh temple that feeds over 10,000 people a day. Image seeing a great room with 1,000 people at a time sharing a meal together. It was an amazing act of social justice practiced by the Sikhs every day!

We then went to Jamba where we explored rural India while bathing in luxury at Dune Retreat, a property consisting of private “cabins” with incredible service run by a local family. We were the only ones at the property as they close the rest of the rooms when a Nomadic group comes to visit. Amazing!

From there we went to Jodhpur and stayed in its main palace. The royalty stayed in one section of it and we were in the other. Needless to say, we were treated like royalty. We then flew to Udaipur staying at the summer palace on its own island. Both properties were extraordinary.

After Udaipur we flew to Jaipur and visited the “pink city.” Our last night there we had dinner at the home of a very special family. They are royalty but what makes them special is the parents have one biological child and adopted nine children from age 8 to 19! The children, all girls, were abandoned as babies because their biological parents wanted boys, not girls. This family is now raising them as their own. We ate, we sang and we all danced together. What joy!

We completed our journey by going to the Taj Mahal in Agra. Need I say more?

Without reservation I implore you to visit India if you have not already done so. We ate only at the hotels, and avoided any water other than bottled and any uncooked food. We did not get sick.

Finally, if possible, ask for the guide Shaitan. He has a breadth of knowledge and will do anything to please you. He often went off script. One of our most memorable moments occurred when we saw a bunch of women all dressed in magnificent yellow dancing on a side street. We went to take photos and after a while one of the women gestured for my wife to join her. She did and had a wonderful time. When I asked Shaitan what was going on he said the women were celebrating because one of them just had a daughter who got engaged. They went down the street knocking on doors and neighbors kept joining. How wonderful to ask my wife to join and Shaitan was not going to interrupt.

Overall, one of our best trips ever!

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Contact Sanjay


Norway: exploring the ice hotel, pulled by reindeer, viewing “always breathtaking” Northern Lights

THERESA SANDOVAL | MARCH 26, 2025

Theresa Sandoval and family viewing the Northern Lights at Bjørnfell Mountain Lodge in Norway.

Three generations viewing the Northern Lights at Bjørnfell Mountain Lodge.

We had the BEST time in Norway!! Torunn’s team, Thea and Danny, left us in good hands throughout our journey to Alta to see the Northern Lights! They made everything about the planning process as easy as possible—which was a stretch because we were juggling the needs and desires of three generations spanning from 12 to 81. We were all on different flights on different days…we were a lot to handle. But we had the most fun on this trip. It was well worth the journey north, even for my reluctant traveler husband.

We started with snowmobiling to an overlook down to a river, then had a homey lunch at an inn, followed by an afternoon exploring the ice hotel on our hotel’s property. That night, we were pulled by reindeer to a Sami hut to hear stories of their culture and sample some delicacies. The next day, dogsledding was the event of the day! It was the most fun we had together! From harnessing the dogs to mushing through the pristine scenery, it could not have been better. We had a fantastic dinner that night at the farm where the dog sledding took place. It was delicious, and the atmosphere was exactly what you’d hope to find on a cold snowy night in the middle of nowhere. Cozy, warm, filled with locally sourced food that pleased everyone at the table.

The next day, we transferred to another hotel with a different vibe from the first. I can see why they recommended that we try both. This one was on a mountainside where the family has a small herd of sheep and runs a ski-in, ski-out inn next to the area’s only slope. From here, the good food continued, and we went snow shoeing, ice fishing, spa-ing, tubing, and skiing. It was a blast!
And I haven’t even mentioned the Northern Lights! We were lucky enough to view them 4/6 nights that we were there, from both hotels. My parents even saw them from their plane! They varied in intensity and movement, yet they were always breathtaking. Thank you, Thea and Danny for planning and helping us execute this memorable trip!!!

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Japan: two opera matinees, Taiko drumming instruction, Kintsugi workshop, cooking class

BEVERLY PHILLIPS | MARCH 25, 2025

Beverly Philips and family at a Taiko drumming class in Tokyo, Japan.

“Even with three generations—grandparents, parents, and children—we all played our hearts out.”

Tokyo 2/3/2025 to 2/9/2025

We asked for the impossible, and Andrea made it happen! With just over a month to plan, our family traveled to Tokyo for two opera matinees of Carmen, and Andrea and his team crafted a truly magical journey—one that allowed us to prepare, savor, and fall in love with Tokyo.

With only five days in the city, we didn’t want to waste a moment. Having visited Japan before, we knew this time we wanted to focus on immersive experiences without any stress. Our priorities were clear: seamless communication with guides and drivers, prompt and top-notch transportation, and the chance to feel the city’s rhythm.

Presto! From the moment we arrived, every detail was meticulously arranged. We were whisked from the airport to our hotel, where a beautifully curated welcome basket awaited us—filled with exquisite Japanese treats and treasures, including a box of handcrafted Kuromoji toothpicks from a shop with a 300-year history.

The next morning, we jumped right into a Taiko drumming class led by an incredible instructor. Even with three generations—grandparents, parents, and children—we all played our hearts out. And to top it off, our instructor, a professional performer, gave us a private demonstration. Wow! The energy was infectious, and the experience was unforgettable.

Throughout our trip, transportation was flawless which was a feat in itself, considering that our group was sometimes split between different locations. The team kept communication flowing seamlessly, anticipating every detail. They must have used magic because if traffic caused delays, they adjusted pickups on the fly. Jolina and Anne were extraordinary, keeping us informed down to the smallest details with weather updates, schedules, driver names, even what shoes to wear. And we could always reach them in an instant.

Attending the opera was just as smooth. On one occasion, when a leisurely lunch threatened to make us late, Andrea’s “Guardian Angels” relocated us to a restaurant near the opera house and sent our guide Josh ahead to hold our table. Incredible! And as vegans, we presented an extra challenge, but Andrea handled it masterfully.

Andrea had also suggested a Kintsugi workshop in our initial conversation, and he couldn’t have been more right. Our Kintsugi Master skillfully demonstrated the technique while our translator conveyed every detail seamlessly. As we glued, sanded, and painted the delicate golden veins on our bowls, we connected deeply with the tradition of embracing imperfection. It was a profound experience and one we will never forget.

No trip is complete without a cooking class, and our lesson in a traditional Japanese kitchen was one of the most rewarding experiences of all. Guided by Michie and her friend, Chef Eri, we prepared a sumptuous vegan sushi lunch. Witnessing firsthand how these dishes come together in a Japanese home was fascinating, and we learned more than we could have imagined. Not a single morsel was left uneaten!

A day trip to Nikko took us to the Shinkyo Bridge, Toshogu Shrine, and Futarasan Shrine, where our guide Wesley provided incredible historical insights. My husband, a Tokugawa Ieyasu enthusiast, was thrilled to visit his burial site and shrine. Climbing the 200 steps to the shrine has since become a source of great pride but a bit tricky afterwards when we sat on the floor for lunch at a lovely Japanese restaurant!

To top off this extraordinary journey, Andrea and his group gifted us a set of handcrafted ceramics by Shinichiro Ogata, along with his concept book—a beautiful way to continue reminiscing about our time in Japan.

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Contact Andrea


Malta: sites pre-dating Stonehenge, private Palazzo visit, intimate winery tours & cheese-tasting

ROBIN AND JOSH MADDEN | MARCH 24, 2025

Robin and Josh Madden on a rooftop of a private Palazzo in Malta.

Travelers Robin and Josh Madden take in the rooftop vista from a private Palazzo.

Damon planned a seamless trip perfect for our interests. The first unique feature was that we had the same guide and driver for the entire trip. Our guide Pierre was incredibly knowledgeable about history, art, religion and culture. Manuel our driver was professional, kind, and also extremely knowledgeable himself about all aspects of Malta. By the end of the week, they both felt like friends.

Damon created days perfectly structured: combinations of culture, art, food and unique experiences. We visited several museums and historical sites where Damon arranged for a curator to meet us and take us around the collection. Sometimes it was after hours, so we were the only people there. Pierre expertly explained history as he took us through sites pre-dating Stonehenge and the pyramids to the era of the Knights of Saint John and the British. There were many highlights, but the ones that really stood out were those where we met local experts. We went to a sheep farm and tasted their cheeses with a former chef, met with an art restorer at her workshop, and saw how she and her team worked to restorer pieces over months.

On Gozo we had an incredible luxury picnic on the shore, played bocci with some locals and an ex-New Yorker, and met some sea salt harvesters. In Mdina we stayed inside the walls, where at night it is so gorgeous and quiet. There we learned about organ restoration and got to hear the restorer play. We visited the private Palazzo of a noble family, taken around to see their centuries-old home and collections, including a private altar with a relic of the cross. We had two private winery visits: one at San Niklaw winery, where the winemaker is a Pediatric surgeon, and the son also a winemaker and a medical student; the other at Markus Divinus, where the proprietor also has another day job. They both make incredible wines, rivaling wine we’ve had anywhere in the world. We only wish we could get them in the U.S.! Damon kept in touch the whole time, and even sent a 1947 Vauxhall car to pick us up one evening as a birthday surprise. And there was so much more…. We never would have had any of these experiences on our own.

So glad Damon planned this trip, and would unreservedly recommend others to contact him and Jason.

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Contact Jason and Damon


Japan: learning kintsugi pottery and Taiko drumming, experiencing ryokan and onsen

MIKE HARRIS | MARCH 23, 2025

View of Mt. Fuji from a hotel deck.

View of Mt. Fuji from the hotel’s private outdoor onsen on the deck. Photo: Traveler Mike Harris

Our trip to Japan, organized through Andrea, one of Wendy Perrin’s WOW List travel experts, was phenomenal. I had been to Japan many times for work, so was eager to see parts of the country tourists (and business travelers) don’t normally see, and this trip really delivered. Some highlights:

– Super helpful, always-available support to help adjust the itinerary when required due to a cancelled flight or adverse weather. The team was highly responsive and provided great alternatives.
– A kintsugi pottery class (the art of repairing broken pottery with gold leaf)
– A private Taiko drumming experience with a great instructor and master drummer
– Staying in ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) and experiencing the onsen (baths) with incredible dining in incredibly peaceful settings
– Perfect travel arrangements, from private cars to bullet trains
– Amazing views of Mt. Fuji from a private outdoor onsen (hot tub on the deck)
– Great mix of big city (Tokyo), smaller city (Kanazawa), and post town (Narai) to give us the full flavor of the country.

This photo of Mt. Fuji is taken from the private deck of our hotel room. Doesn’t get much better than that!

This was the first time I’d used Wendy Perrin’s services and I was very happy with the overall experience, comprehensive service, and organization. I would highly recommend.

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Portugal: resort in the Algarve, yachting down the Douro River, private winery tours & tastings

ANDY AND MARCI SHAPIRO | MARCH 19, 2025

Marci Shapiro on a private yacht cruise in Portugal.

Marci Shapiro, grateful after a postponed trip, on a private yacht cruise. Photo: Traveler Andy Shapiro.

Portugal Trip – Nine (9) Nights – March 2025

My wife and I have been working with WOW List experts for many years on many amazing trips and have never been disappointed. Our expectations are very high and occasionally a planner we are working with exceeds them, which was exactly the case with Goncalo & Sofia. To truly understand why we feel this way some background information is necessary. We’re planners, and typically plan our trips well over a year in advance, which is exactly what we did with our Portugal itinerary. A few weeks before our scheduled departure we were confronted with a serious medical issue that required us to cancel. Fortunately, we had and can’t recommend enough, having Trip Insurance.

Goncalo & Sofia, knowing they were now not going to make any money with us, worked just as hard helping us get our money refunded (i.e. lots of forms and follow up required) as they did plan our trip. Moreover, Goncalo shared a very moving personal story that applied to our situation and was a source of inspiration and hope for my wife and me during our medical crisis. Words cannot adequately express how much these gestures meant to us.

Fast forward six (6) months… we received medical clearance to travel internationally but only had a six-week window in which to plan and take the trip. My first email was to Goncalo and Sofia asking if they could re-do our Portugal trip less a few days. I explained it did not have to be perfect, but my wife and I would love to take this Portugal trip if they could make it happen.

They first expressed how happy they were to hear from us and joy that we were given medical clearance to do what we love… travel! They then said, “We will have an itinerary to you very soon.” In short, the Portugal trip Goncalo & Sofia planned was PERFECT! From start to finish, my wife and I LOVED it!

Our adventure began with three (3) nights in the Algarve at a beautiful and relaxing resort overlooking the dramatic and spectacular cliffs along the Atlantic Ocean. It was the perfect way to start our trip, to recover from our flight and transfer journey, adjust to the time zone and generally acclimate. Highlights included long beautiful hikes with a guide and a private sunset cruise. Somehow Goncalo and Sofia arranged for a significant upgrade on the yacht we chartered which was a welcome surprise and treat!

Next was three (3) nights in Porto at a fabulous luxury hotel fronting the Douro River with incredible views. Highlights here were our amazing private guide providing a wonderful tour of Porto. There is an art to being a great guide and whenever we had guides on this trip, they were fantastic! And of course, the private tours and tastings we had at Taylor Fladgate, Graham’s and Quinta do Noval were mind boggling! Seeing huge crowds of people (i.e. Taylor and Graham’s) and then be whisked away for the “private experience” that only experts like Goncalo & Sofia can arrange is always a pleasure. Last, but certainly not least, was the private yacht (i.e. another upgrade! Lol!) cruise down the Douro River through the Douro Valley Wine Region! What FUN!

Our final stop was in Lisbon for three (3) nights. We stayed at a former palace that was converted to a luxury 5-star hotel with what we thought was the absolute best location, even better than the Four Seasons, where we stay often when we travel. Speaking of amazing guides, our guide in Lisbon just prior to us took around the former Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau; before that was Magic Johnson and Samuel Jackson with their wives, as well as many other notable people. My wife and I could not believe he was our guide too! We loved hearing the fascinating stories and learning all about Lisbon and Sintra (Cristiano Ronaldo too! Lol!) from such a master at his craft! Additional Lisbon area highlights included two winery visits, a Fado
Show, the University of Coimbra and its Biblioteca Joanina (a must!) and, dinner at the Chef’s Table of a two-star Michelin restaurant! WOW!

A few final thoughts… Goncalo and Sofia also arranged several meals for us at delicious indigenous restaurants. Our drivers were very safe and always arrived early. The airport transfers were seamless and easy. The pacing of the trip, very important to us, allowing for strategic down time was flawless. We thought the trip pricing was extremely fair and reasonable and most cost effective compared to other trips we have taken.

In conclusion, Goncalo and Sofia’s planning and execution of our nine (9) night Portugal itinerary was perfect! For many reasons this trip is already especially impactful and meaningful. We will forever be so grateful and appreciative for everything Goncalo and Sofia did on our behalf! OBRIGADO!

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Malta: meeting cultural & culinary artisans, playing bocci, donning leather for birds of prey

JAN HEININGER | MARCH 19, 2025

Jan Heininger and Jamie Reuter with an owl during a falconry experience in Malta.

Travelers Jan Heininger and Jamie Reuter: “We had a falconry experience that enthralled us.”

Jason planned a nine-day trip for my husband and me in early March 2025 that was filled with superb experiences we could never have planned on our own. As we had spent five days in Malta in 2011 and had seen most of the usual sights, for this trip we sought activities that would allow us to more fully experience Malta’s unique culture. Boy did Jason deliver. We visited with a pipe organ restorer who was working on an organ high in a historic church’s nave, an artisan gold gilder (and builder of exquisite Maltese clocks), and a builder of traditional Maltese boats. We met with a knight of the Knights of St. John, founded in the 12th century to care for pilgrims, who gave us a wonderful tour of Ft. St. Angelo, the Knights’ headquarters until ejected in 1798 by Napoleon. We felt honored he gave us the time to sit and discuss the modern version of the Knights of St. John.

We visited the Hypogeum, an outstanding burial complex of a civilization in use between 4000 and 1500 BC. We played bocci ball with local Maltese, rode ATVs on Gozo Island, had a lovely private Gozitan picnic, created our own Maltese tiles, learned to make Malta’s renowned street food pastizzi in a local couple’s home, visited a WWII military collector in his private museum and even got a ride in his beloved “Bessie,” the WWII military truck Queen Elizabeth learned to service during the war. We visited a private 900-year-old Mdina palazzo whose owner showed us the family’s prized possessions, had a marvelous lesson by an art restoration specialist, and an enjoyable rustic farm lunch with a delightful Maltese couple.

Finally—as if all this wasn’t enough—we had a falconry experience that enthralled us. We are birders and enjoy watching birds of prey. To have a Harris Hawk, a Barn Owl and a Pharaoh eagle-owl fly from my husband’s leather-gloved wrist to mine for two glorious hours was an unbelievable treat. The falconer let fly his Peregrine Falcon who then sat sunning himself and had a mind of his own about when he would come back. The falconer, standing behind us, was a whiz at making slow-motion videos of a bird of prey flying to our wrist with wings outspread. Oh my.

All of these experiences were made possible because of Jason’s extensive network of Maltese friends. Most visitors to Malta now have little interaction with Maltese. Since our 2011 visit, Malta has been flooded with immigrants, as has much of Europe, and they now largely populate the hospitality industry. Your chances of meeting and conversing with Maltese locals are far less likely now—unless Jason Allan arranges your trip.

In the tiny islands of Malta and Gozo, the crossroads of the Mediterranean, we stayed in three places, had a wonderful personal guide for the week, a lovely driver and memorable experiences. Wendy Perrin went to Malta earlier this year and has repeatedly recommended it to her readers. We agree. Go now. And use Jason. He’s terrific.

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England: Cotswolds, Tower of London, and Kew Gardens brought to life by private guides

JAN HEININGER | MARCH 19, 2025

Jan Heininger and Jamie Reuter at The Hive in Kew Gardens, England.

Travelers Jan Heininger and Jamie Reuter visit The Hive in Kew Gardens.

England and Malta, Feb 28-March 15, 2025

Jennifer organized for us a recent stay of five nights in England (London, the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon) before we went on to Malta for another nine days. This was the third trip Jennifer has organized for us and as ever she made and executed arrangements that were flawless. From airport pick up from Heathrow to drivers to guides and accommodations, we were cared for seamlessly. (And that all-electric BMW i7 was to die for.)

Our tour of the Tower of London was excellent (I had been but my husband had not) and having a private guide brought the Tower alive. It was eerie to stand where Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell had been executed—a site I’d missed on my previous visit. Similarly, having a highly knowledgeable guide for Kew Gardens enhanced our visit. For two days we had an excellent guide/driver for Blenheim Palace, a driving tour with stops of the Cotswolds and a day in Stratford-upon-Avon. (Be sure and take the superb Costume Tour at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.) Given the tight quarters of the Shakespeare sites, we were exceedingly glad we were visiting in early March and not high season when all the sites would be over crowded.

Our hotels were excellent and we were delighted Jennifer was able to join us for breakfast one day. It was a treat to finally meet her in person. We can’t praise Jennifer highly enough. Last year, on the second trip she arranged for us, my husband broke his leg in Paris and Jennifer and her French head of operations gave us enormous assistance dealing with his twelve days in hospital and for surgery. We were so glad that this year we were able to go from being the clients-no-one-wants-to-be (or have) to clients for whom everything goes flawlessly. For years, Wendy has urged off-season travel to high-demand places. We couldn’t agree more on the value of doing so.

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Norway: glass cabin, mountain caves, fishing from Henningsvaer, & Northern Lights

CHRISTI LECLAIR | MARCH 18, 2025

Katherine LeClair holding a bbig fish on a boat in Henningsvaer, Norway.

Katherine LeClair lands the big one during a day at sea with a local Henningsvaer fishing guide.

You know it is a magical life changing vacation when you’ve made friends with the locals! Everyone in Norway was so friendly and kind. The balance of city and wilderness experiences was amazing.

We were centrally located in Oslo, so happy with the accommodations, near the bus and walking everywhere was a breeze! A flight to northern Norway, a ferry ride, and we were transported to the Arctic Circle! My number one bucket list experience was to see the Northern Lights, and our time at Manshausen delivered!

We were a family of 5, kids are 28, 27, 24 years old. The trip had something for everyone. Of course the northern lights, city walking/food tour, sea kayaking, a moutain hike to a cave, cod fishing, sauna/hot tub time. Time together as a family stood still as we ate meals together and played a lot of card games.

It really is a small world! Turns out our Oslo city walking/food tour guide is a friend of my college girlfriend that lives in Oslo. We were on tour when I mentioned we were having dinner with a college friend and her husband that night. I hadn’t seen my friend since college graduation 37 years ago. I couldn’t even believe it when the guide said they all know each other and she grew up with my friend’s husband!

Our travel planners added so much value! Everything was outlined in an app, we could message them if we had questions. I was nervous about the language but no worries it all turned out wonderfully, I felt that the company gave us the local read on everything. We left our trip with pictures of the Northern Lights, true local connections, and Norwegian sweaters from the sheep farm!

I had a health setback three years ago, and it was at that time my husband said, plan your number one bucket list trip, we will do it. This trip was it. I’m on cutting edge meds and have an excellent heart failure team of doctors. This trip was a celebration of life. Don’t wait for medical side step to prompt you to get out there and travel your bucket list trip. Fill out Wendy’s form, start planning today!

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Iceland: climbing glaciers, dog sledding, driving the black beach, and Northern Lights

GAIL FENNELL | MARCH 17, 2025

Gail Fennell and family next to a monster on a black beach in Iceland.

Gail Fennell and her family cruised in a monster truck along the black beach.

Iceland March 4-9, 2025
I highly recommend my travel consultant Mads. He helped me plan a 5-day trip to Iceland for my family (my husband, myself, my 3 grown sons with their significant others, and my 5-month-old granddaughter). There was not one aspect of the trip that I would have changed. We climbed glaciers on foot and in a monster truck, went dog sledding (even the baby), soaked in the hot springs, drove down the black beach and relaxed in a fabulous villa in the country where we saw a spectular show of the Northern Lights. Every one of his recommendations worked with our family situation and one day was more exciting than the next. We will definitely be using Wendy Perrin’s WOW List again!

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New Zealand: hiking and sailing, glamping on a hilltop, appreciating a carved Maori gift

KAREN SIEGEL | MARCH 16, 2025

Karen Siegel and her partner on the deck as the morning sun hits the peaks above Doubtful Sound in Fiordland, New Zealand.

Traveler Karen Siegel and her partner on the deck as the morning sun hits the peaks above Doubtful Sound.

Just got back from 24 days in New Zealand. Jean-Michel and Felicity planned a fantastic trip, with Ellen and Catharina supporting us through WhatsApp while there. I can’t say enough about their superb itinerary, unique hotels and excellent experiences!

We started in Waiheke to acclimate, but enjoyed hiking, winery tours and a day sail around the islands nearby. We had a private tour of a bird/reptile sanctuary and stayed in a unique “glamping” tent if you can call it that, it was a gorgeous 4-bedroom home sitting on top of a hilltop. We had a whole day with a Maori carver who exquisitely introduced us to his heritage. While with him he handed us a beautifully carved “club” and said it was a gift from the travel planner and Wendy Perrin. Now I really understand what a WOW Moment is, we were wowed! We had private helicopter rides over Doubtful and Dusky Sounds, an overnight on Doubtful Sound, Jet Boat and Scenic Seaplane excursions, and stayed in the most beautiful locations and hotels in the Fiordland National Park and Glenorchy areas. What an incredible country and trip!

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Thailand & Cambodia: kayaking through caves, drifting through floating markets, playing with elephants

TED AND KATHIE EMBACHER | MARCH 15, 2025

Ted and Kathie Embacher surprised by a baby elephant.

Travelers Ted and Kathie Embacher, surprised by a wandering trunk.

We just returned on March 9 from a wonderful adventure in Thailand and Cambodia planned by Raphael and Dan. Everything was executed flawlessly with fabulous guides who were always prompt and greeted us with a smile. The adventures that we decided on did not disappoint. Although our schedule was jam packed, there is not one thing that we wish we had left out. All of our hotels were wonderful as were our flights within the countries.

Raphael communicated with us throughout our planning process and made suggestions and adjustments to our plans. He always answered our e-mails promptly and listened carefully to what we needed.

Perhaps the fact that we took over 1,500 photos of our trip says more than our words ever could. We had one amazing experience after another as we viewed the beautiful Wats, drifted through floating markets, visited old towns, ate local foods, played with elephants, walked through the large local markets and kayaked through caves into surreal lagoons.

We made a few local friends who we are now Facebook friends with.

Our guides were knowledgeable, friendly and prompt. Mr. Yo saved Kathie’s life in Bangkok when her long skirt got caught in an escalator and he was well prepared with a pair of scissors in his backpack to cut her out. Tiger executed our WOW moment in Cambodia and made it so special. I’m not easily overwhelmed, but our special dinner on a beautiful wooden boat while cruising slowly through the floating villages on Ton Le Sap created a life long warm memory. Sanee in Chiang Mai became a good friend, as well as our guide. She was truly special. And NaNa in Phuket took us to the best small food places where we ate Thai food that we never knew existed and tasted fantastic, including a small stall that had a Michelin mention!

Thailand and Cambodia are beautiful countries and the people are among the kindest we’ve encountered. They are definitely places to see before you die and Raphael and Dan’s group are the folks to take you there. Our trip created lifelong memories (not that we’ll need memories with the 1,500 photos that I took).

Ted and Kathie Embacher
Thailand and Cambodia
February 21-March 9

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Egypt: sailing the Nile on a dahabiya, food tour in Cairo, attentive guides throughout…

KATHERINE HOYT | MARCH 14, 2025

Katherine Hoyt and the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Traveler Katherine Hoyt steals a kiss from the Sphinx.

My trip to Egypt, after an initial conversation with James, was then coordinated by Arlene at his company. I am now 80 years old and it was the best trip of my life! I traveled with a friend who is 78, and we could never have seen and experienced so many wonderful things without Arlene’s planning and constant assistance, even while we were traveling. It is a tribute to both her and Jim that all our local coordinators love them! We were cared for and our needs were met as never before. When terrain was difficult or there were stairs without railings, our guides assisted us, one on each arm. The guides were excellent and highly respected by other guides we met, and our drivers were superb, especially Abraham, our expert driver in the chaotic traffic of Cairo.

We decided to skip the long car trip to Abydos and Arlene arranged an alternative program in the Valley of the Kings, including the workmen’s tombs which should not be missed. Sailing the Nile on a dahabiya is always going to be a cherished memory! Also a food tour in Cairo with a local company called Bellies en Route, escorted by Inas on one of the first days, who introduced us to a Cairo we would never have seen otherwise.

Small changes in our schedule were made smoothly and unobtrusively to suit our needs and changing conditions by Samy, our overall local coordinator and friend for life. And to cap it all off, our WOW Moment was a private yacht trip, including a delicious meal, on the Nile in Aswan. The trip was a highlight in my lifetime of travel!

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Vietnam: calligraphy and cooking lessons, cacao farm tour, custom-tailored coats

CAROL ZUCKERMAN AND BARRY GOLDSTEIN | MARCH 11, 2025

Carol Zuckerman and Barry Goldstein at a private cooking class in Vietnam.

Carol Zuckerman and Barry Goldstein at a private cooking class in Vietnam.

We just returned from nearly three weeks in Vietnam, traveling to Hanoi, Nimb Binh and Ba Vi in the north, Hue and Hoi An in Central Vietnam, and Can Tho/Mekong Delta and Saigon in the South. The trip was amazing due to the rich history and culture, kind people, varied and beautiful landscapes, and terrific food. Sandy, Ethan, and Corban’s team were indispensable as travel consultants from the first moment we spoke with them, through the planning of our itinerary, choice of wonderful local hosts in the different parts of the country, suggestions and flexibility, and impeccable planning of every detail and logistic so that our days and travel from one place to another were seamless and stress-free. Suffice it to say, we would not have had the experience we had without their meticulous planning.

We were in Vietnam in February and, unfortunately, the weather in the north and central part of the country was rainier than expected so we had to pivot from the plan on some days. For example, rather than hiking in Ba Vi in the rain and mud, our guide Trang took us to a yogurt manufacturing shop in Ba Vi and then arranged a visit to a local village with lunch in a historic village home. In Hue, our guide Ngoc suggested a rickshaw ride, arranged a visit to a calligrapher’s home where we were able to try the art on our own, and we loved our private cooking class at a hotel restaurant. He also was instrumental in pointing us to the right tailor for sport coats to be made in a day in Hoi An. In Can Tho, when we asked our local host Sue An to recommend a restaurant where mostly locals go, she pointed out a place close to our resort and was kind enough to come there with us in the evening to order for us and make sure we ate food that wouldn’t make us sick. The impromptu visit she planned to a cacao farm with a tour by the owner also was a real treat. And in Saigon, the Cu Chi tunnel visit, which we reached by a speedboat ride on the Saigon River, and the evening Vespa Food Tour throughout the streets of Saigon, were some of the trip’s most memorable highlights.

We highly recommend experiencing Vietnam with the assistance of Sandy, Ethan, and Corban. We weren’t sure what to expect with the flexibility built into the itinerary, but the spontaneity it allowed clearly enriched our trip. It allowed us to visit art galleries, shops, an herbal medicine museum, and several markets on the last-minute recommendations of our local hosts or just because we passed by a place that seemed interesting. We cannot say enough about this team and the value they added to our Vietnam adventure.

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Chile: active in the Atacama dessert, relaxing at Clos Apalta winery in the Colchagua Valley

SALENA AND ALLEN KERN | MARCH 9, 2025

Salena and Allen Kern in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Salena and Allen Kern enjoyed being busy “almost every minute” in the Atacama Desert.

Jordan, Renee, and Carmen planned our trip to Chile. This was one of our “easy” trips: All we had to do was choose our dates (in this case, dependent on friends in Santiago) and choose the properties. We knew we wanted to visit the Atacama Desert and then probably spend a few days relaxing at a winery.
Could we have done this all by ourselves, on the internet? Most likely, but the benefit of expert advice was invaluable.

We compared and contrasted the properties for a bit and I finally decided to splurge on Awasi Atacama. I think that that was in retrospect a fortuitous decision: The weather was not as we expected and at Awasi every activity was designed for us as we went along, day by day, hour by hour. We lucked out with the most wonderful guide, Leo (perhaps all the guides are as wonderful), who “got” us and made sure we were happy. The food and wine at Awasi was wonderful; the service was top-notch. I can’t tell you how the staff picks up on every nuance to make sure you are pleased. I would definitely do another Awasi property if traveling to this region.

Everything on this trip went without a hitch. We were picked up on time (we take transfers for granted until the driver doesn’t show up or is an hour late, which has happened to me). After our 5-day trip to the desert, where we were busy almost every minute, we spent a couple of nights at Clos Apalta in the Colchagua Valley doing almost nothing. We did not want to come home.

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Cambodia & Thailand: biking Angor Wat, strolling with elephants, snorkeling the Phi Phi islands

LIANE MACMILLAN | MARCH 8, 2025

Liane Macmillan and family near a sculpted-face structure of Angor Wat, Cambodia.

Liane and her family cycled near the sculpted-face structures of Angor Wat.

This is our 3rd Wendy Perrin trip and it was nothing short of remarkable. Four cities in 12 days was an ambitious request and Daniel’s colleague Raphael delivered an itinerary that fun, exciting and luxurious. The travel coordination between cities was top notch and made transitions seamless and stress free.

Our guides in each city went above and beyond to curate experiences tailored to our interests. Our trip through Bangkok with Ki, bike ride in Cambodia around Angor Wat with Camera, walking with the elephants in Anantara Resort, and our snorkel tour of the Phi Phi islands are just a few examples of this. The service and value of our trip truly exceeded our expectations. Can’t wait for our next adventure with Wendy!

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Oman: majestic fjords, night in a desert camp, Wadi swimming, snorkeling the Dimaniyat Islands

JENIFER BUNIS | MARCH 7, 2025

Jenifer Bunis in the Wahiba Sands desert at sunset.

Traveler Jenifer Bunis in the Wahiba Sands desert at sunset, after a camel ride from Safari Infinity Camp.

I’m just back from a fabulous two-week adventure in Oman. My friends are used to hearing about my crazy travels, but this destination elicited quite a few “you’re going WHERE?” type comments, followed by “why Oman?” I promised everyone I’d be more qualified to answer the Why question upon my return.

Thanks to my planner Dan, my friend and I experienced all that Oman has to offer, which is quite a lot. We flew into Dubai and spent a day there on our own before getting picked up and driven to Khasab, in the Musandam peninsula, also known as the Norway of the Arabian world. This area is known for its majestic fjords, best experienced via a day on the water in a local dhow. We saw dolphins, we snorkeled, and did our best to get over our jet lag during our time in this little pocket of Oman. Khasab itself isn’t much to look at, but the fjords themselves are pretty special.

Dan put together a pretty comprehensive tour for us, which began in earnest when we arrived in Muscat and met our guide for the week, Khalid. We saw Oman through his eyes, learned so much about the history, the culture, what it means to be an Omani, and all about his life and his family. We loved our stay at the stunning Chedi hotel in Muscat and marveled at the opera house and of course the grand mosque. We spent a great day snorkeling/scuba diving at the Dimaniyat Islands. We also enjoyed dinner at the home of a local Omani family, and experienced firsthand the hospitality that this country is known for. Then we embarked on “the grand tour,” which is a loop that includes all the highlights of the region. We had one great night in a desert camp that I actually found on my own, looked smaller and more intimate than the one suggested by Dan. Even though Dan’s team in Oman didn’t have any real experience with it, they were open to having us give it a try. Worked out great.

Oman is famous for its Wadis (rocky river gorge swimming holes), and the typical tour includes a few of the more popular ones, which can get pretty crowded (at least by Oman standards). My research uncovered a fairly strenuous and lesser-known Wadi, which Dan also arranged for us to do, even though his team hadn’t taken people to it before us. That was another major highlight, and we are so glad Dan was able to make it happen for us.

Dan managed to incorporate fantastic hiking, ample culture, lots of new experiences, some great hotels with character, all wrapped up into a wonderful 12-day exotic adventure. He worked with us patiently to help build the trip of our dreams, and was always responsive to any pre-trip questions or last minute adjustments. We loved our time in Oman, and while it’s still hard to provide a succinct answer to “Why Oman,” anyone patient enough to listen to a longer answer and/or look at my photos will truly understand how special this country is.

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Portugal: live music at Verdi and Fado venues, countryside drives from Lisbon and Porto

FRANK DIXON | MARCH 3, 2025

Frank Dixon visiting a pottery studio in Guimaraes, Portugal.

Travelers Frank and Dan visit a pottery studio owner (and her dog) with their guide Maria.

This was our fourth trip using the WOW List. We started planning this, our first post-Covid international trip, last October and spoke to Gonçalo with a rough description of our ideas. He gently suggested we modify our plans to take full advantage of our 12 days. When the first draft of the itinerary that reflected our wish list of hotels and ground transportation came back well over budget, we asked for another Zoom conference. Goncalo worked through the draft, and we made progress understanding where the costs had exceeded our original budget of $15,000 by another $13,000. After a few more emails with assistant Sophia regarding the hotel’s room options, we settled on a final itinerary well within our budget.

The result was a remarkably enjoyable 12 days in Porto, Lisbon, and a few day trips into the countryside escorted with exceptional guides, drivers and very comfortable ground transportation. The historic hotel selected in central Porto was a classic gem. When there was a slight problem with construction noise the first morning, but the general manager stepped in and there was quiet the rest of our stay. Sophia also checked to make sure all was fine.

We had the best dinners enjoying the local cuisine and wine with the restaurant reservation made on our behalf. The live music events—particularly the Verdi and Fado venues and performers—were memorable.

Our guides were eager to please, fun, very professional, and experts in Portuguese culture, history, and contemporary issues as well. We feel we made friends with them. We essentially received a condensed graduate course in Portuguese history with the three guides, two of whom stayed with us for several days of guided tours. The third guide was a graduate of University of Coimbra who walked us through the World Heritage site amidst the students and professors on a private tour as if he were just another faculty member.

Having some mobility issues as we have reached our seventies, we were nervous about resuming international travel. Thanks to Goncalo and Sophia’s expert advice and planning, we had a safe and wonderful vacation. We have the confidence to travel overseas again and hopefully return to Portugal one day soon.

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Cuba: itinerary created for “culture hounds” in Havana, Santa Clara, Trinidad, Cienfuegos

BILL MELAMED | FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Bill Melamed and his husband Jamey Lundblad visiting Fusterland in Havana, Cuba.

Bill Melamed and his husband Jamey Lundblad visiting Fusterland, the Havana home of artist Jose Fuster.

Rob, Ana and their team provided a memorable and wonderful week in Cuba. From the first outreach through the planning process, they worked with this group of four culture hounds (me, my husband, and two friends) to craft a unique and custom itinerary that allowed for so many memorable moments. Cuba is a country of contrast—beautiful but challenging, difficult but hopeful—and our week there allowed us to see, learn, and experience it all.

We had countless private moments with Cubans in their homes that built memories that we will carry with us. If Cuba is not on your travel list, adjust your list NOW and talk to Rob’s team about how to see this special country. We were there for a week (February 16-23) and loved it from beginning to end. We were especially happy to be out of Havana and see more of the country, including Santa Clara, Trinidad and Cienfuegos. Go if you can, you won’t regret a minute.

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Colombia: salsa lessons, night swimming in bioluminescence, rum & exotic fruit tasting…

LAUREN SCHOR | FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Lauren Schor and family with the iconic Palenqueras of Cartagena.

Lauren Schor and family with the iconic Palenqueras of Cartagena.

Boris and his team put together a fabulous five-night getaway over Presidents’ weekend for our family of three (our daughter is 14). From our first conversation, I knew that Boris understood exactly what we were hoping to get out of this trip—culture, food, activities, and some time to unwind. Since we had a limited amount of time, we took an easy five-hour direct flight from New York to Cartagena. We spent three nights relaxing at the Sofitel Baru beach resort, which is brand new and a 90-minute drive from the airport and the city. Boris had suggested we do the bioluminescent plankton night activity, which we all loved! Swimming in the warm water at night with glowing microorganisms around us was an incredible experience!

We then spent another two nights at Casa Pestagua, a beautiful boutique hotel in the walled city. Cartagena is a colorful, picturesque, walkable small city with beautiful spots around every corner. After a couple of conversations about our interests and travel style, Boris arranged some amazing activities for us: a private salsa dancing lesson in a nightclub; a chocolate, rum, and exotic fruit tasting; a street food tasting and street art walk; a historical tour of the city, and a cooking class on our last morning. We also had plenty of time for wandering around and shopping for some fun treasures. Boris planned out our schedule perfectly. One thing to be prepared for is the weather. I knew it was going to be hot, but the humidity made it feel even warmer. We took plenty of breaks in cool stores and restaurants, but it’s something to be aware of.

People back home were surprised to hear that we were going to Colombia because of the country’s history and reputation, but Colombia is not what it was 25 years ago—we never felt one bit unsafe. If you’re thinking about going to Colombia, go now, before it gets too popular and crowded, and definitely let Boris plan your trip! Cartagena is a gem and I hope to work with Boris again on another trip to see more of this beautiful country!

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Switzerland: hiking, skiing, and sledging; Swiss cheese, chocolate and wine by moonlight

ASHLEY POINT | FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Ashley Point and family sledging in Grindelwald, Switzerland.

Traveler Ashley Point and family sledging in Grindelwald.

Our family of five (2 adults and 3 kids ages 7-13) just returned from our ski holiday in Grindelwald, Switzerland. Skiing in Switzerland is different than in the US. Switzerland uses trains, gondolas and large lifts. There were mostly beginner and intermediate runs (with a few advanced runs). The mountain regions are huge and you can ski all day and never ski every run. We arrived in Zurich on Saturday; our driver took us to Grindelwald to stay at the Aspen hotel (we thought finding the train and transferring with three kids and lots of luggage would be too much).

The Aspen hotel is a small ski in/ski out hotel in the Jungfrau region. Everyone was very polite and helpful throughout the stay. We stayed in a family suite and a large breakfast was included every morning. Saturday evening we took a private guided sunset hike of Wengen with Weronika and tasted Swiss cheese, chocolate and wine by moonlight while overlooking the waterfalls in the region. She was great with the kids! We skied Sunday with instructors in the morning. They were able to give us the best ideas for the rest of our ski vacation. Monday we skied as a family. Tuesday we toured the area (Interlaken, Lucerne, Isenfluh and Bernese Oberland) with Celio. He took us up a small gondola to a local fondue spot (8 tables in the entire place). He was very knowledgeable about Switzerland, Europe, history, politics and more.

Wednesday and Thursday we skied again. On Friday we went to Funky Chocolate in Interlaken for a private chocolate making class and toured Interlaken while our chocolate dried. Afterwards we met up with Weronika again and raced down the slopes on sledges. We almost crashed several times, but it was wonderful fun and we wanted to do it longer but the lifts were closing. Overall, Nina and her team listened to our desires for 4 solid days of skiing with Swiss culture and fun for the kids thrown in. They surprised our son with a birthday cake and planned other surprises along the way. The only thing we wished we had saved time for was the paragliding. There were many in Interlaken and it looked thrilling!

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Malta: a visit with cloistered nuns at a monastery, private lunch on a secluded beach

CRAIG BORQUE | FEBRUARY 23, 2025

Molly Borque and nine-month-old Jude on a sunset boat ride from Valletta to Senglea.

Molly Borque and nine-month-old Jude on a sunset boat ride from Valletta to Senglea.

I knew from my initial conversations with Damon that he was going to plan a trip tailored well to our needs and tastes, but throughout our 7 days in Malta, it got better and better! He put us in a hotel perfectly located in Senglea, walking distance from Birgu and a quick boat ride or short drive over to the Capital City of Valletta. He scheduled our days perfectly to see everything Malta has to offer all over the island, while also balancing the needs of a 9-month-old!

Our guide Robert was one of the most knowledgeable, flexible, kind individuals I have ever encountered! He was with us our entire trip and I am forever grateful for the relationship we formed with him. We had more than one WOW Moment on our trip, but the one that stands out to me (due to our Catholic faith) was when Damon and Robert surprised us with something not on the itinerary. They scheduled a visit with one of the cloistered Jerosolimitan nuns at the Church and Monastery of Saint Ursula in Valletta. Robert has long-time family ties with the Monastery, and we felt so lucky and blessed to get to have that experience!

Overall, I will tell everyone I know to make sure Damon plans their trip to Malta! It exceeded all expectations! I also want to give a shout out to our driver Alex who was so good to us! Both he and Robert watched our son Jude at times so my wife and I could enjoy certain times, such as WOW Moment #2 that I can’t forget to mention. On our day trip to the island of Gozo, Damon arranged for someone to set up a private picnic for my wife and me to enjoy on a secluded beach. Waves rolling in, champagne, local cheeses and meats, etc. Truly stunning! We will return to Malta and reach out to Damon, Robert and Alex again!!

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Southeast Asia: visiting monks on a mountain, waterfall hikes, ox cart to candlelit dinner

DAVID AND BARBARA MYERSON KATZ | FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Barbara and David taking a selfie on a Halong Bay cruise.

Relaxing on a Halong Bay cruise after vigorous days of sightseeing. Photo: Traveler David Katz

We’re experienced travelers, recently back from an amazing trip to Southeast Asia, beautifully arranged by Ethan who worked with us closely every step of the way—even helping us to negotiate an international departure slightly delayed at the last minute by a major snowstorm in the eastern US. (Yes, always make Day 1 of any trip a day at leisure. This is the second recent international trip we’ve taken where we’ve done so—and on which our initial arrival abroad was delayed, that time by a local airline workers strike! As with this trip, arriving a day late didn’t prevent us from seeing or doing anything that had been planned.)

We wanted to cover the highlights of four countries—Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia—independently and with opportunities to meet people who live and work where we’d visit, to walk and hike through beautiful landscapes, see wildlife, and eat delicious food, in roughly three weeks at a reasonably easy-going pace. Impossible, right?

Somehow, Ethan was able to put it all together for us, enlisting a network of charming, veteran guides at every stop who whisked us through transfers, knew exactly when and where to arrive at every point of interest and activity for immersive experiences without long waits or crowds, and provided uniquely personal experiences through their extensive local contacts. Our guides became friends and seemed to know instinctively exactly when we’d be hungry and when we needed to rest all along the way. Accommodations were exactly what we love when we travel—smaller, boutique-type hotels, locally owned, perfectly located, inviting, comfortable, restful—and within our budget.

Highlights from an unforgettable trip: A fascinating private conversation with a young Buddhist monk at beautiful mountain top monastery; quiet walks among temples shining in the light of a full moon; hikes—to a stunning waterfall near a moon bear rescue, up countless steps to breathtaking views of mountains, rivers and rice paddies (multiple massive steps seem to be a Southeast Asian thing!); walking through the jungle with rescued elephants roaming free; rowing, paddling and cruising Vietnam’s mysteriously beautiful bays, lakes and rivers, where we learned how to properly cast a fishing net and enjoyed a delicious lunch of fresh fish and vegetables on board a small boat; navigating the bright, bustling streets of Hanoi, Saigon and Bangkok (festooned for the upcoming Lunar New Year) while sampling local dishes and treats; visiting the home of retired teachers who served us tea, played traditional instruments, and allowed me, a singer, to try my hand at a tranh while singing solfeggio with our hostess; a ceremony celebrating the full moon with song and dance at the home of one of our guides along with his extended family; a candlelit dinner for two at sunset and under the stars at a beautiful remote location—transported there by ox cart; and sunrise—incredibly, away from the crowds—at Angkor Wat.

We arrived home feeling that we’d seen and done everything we’d hoped for and more. We recommend Ethan and his crew enthusiastically and without hesitation!

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British Virgin Islands: snorkeling with turtles, tubing off the dinghy, daydreaming on the flybridge

JEREMY SILVERMAN | FEBRUARY 16, 2025

The Silverman family in Little Lameshur Bay, St. John, USVI.

The Silverman family in Little Lameshur Bay, St. John, USVI. Photo: Traveler Jeremy Silverman

Our family had an amazing Virgin Islands sailing vacation over this past winter break with the expert and valuable assistance of our planner, Mandy.

Our planning journey began later in the fall than it should (as usual for us when regular life gets in the way). With availability limited for our initial vacation idea, Wendy and Brook asked—based on how much we loved a catamaran day charter in Belize, on a prior WOW List trip—whether we would be interested in exploring a full week sailing charter. We had some initial concern that a week on a sailboat would be too much togetherness for our family of 4 (with kids ages 17 and 21). But we love being on the water and, after an introductory call with WOW List expert Mandy, we were comfortable that a charter could accommodate our family dynamics.

Among other considerations, our 21-year-old is on the autism spectrum—he is high functioning, but we would need the right space and, most importantly, the right crew for the vacation to be fun and comfortable (physically and otherwise). Mandy’s expertise and detailed knowledge of the available boats and her personal relationships with the crews were clear from our first conversation. She was extremely responsive, personable, and our planning process was personalized to our unique needs and priorities, ultimately landing on One Love for the week of December 20.

Within minutes of arriving in St. Thomas, meeting Captain Christian and Chef Laura and getting settled onto One Love, we knew we had made the right choice. The boat is beautiful, the bedrooms more spacious and comfortable than we expected, and the overall design and layout of the boat allowed for everyone to have their favorite spaces.
We could go on FOREVER about our incredible experience, but some highlights and details include:

  • Our daily routine generally included my wife and I waking up for coffee on the flybridge for sunrise (not to be missed), followed by a leisurely breakfast (earlier for us, later for the kids) and usually some morning snorkeling or paddleboarding for me. From there, we would usually have some group morning activity, like a great snorkel spot (Maho Bay and Little Lameshur Bay, USVI, and The Indians, Cistern Rock and Wreck of the Rhone stand out) and delicious lunch on the boat before sailing for a couple of hours to another beautiful location. At some point mid-to-late afternoon, we would arrive at a gorgeous bay for more water activities—snorkeling, paddleboarding, or even tubing or wakeboarding off the back of the dinghy. Afternoon would lead into sunset “sundowner” appetizers and cocktails, then a fantastic dinner, family game night and then off to sleep and dream about the next day, then wake up and repeat!
  • We can’t say enough about Christian and Laura—they are welcoming, kind, FUN and experts at what they do, while making everything seem effortless. We had an intro zoom with Christian and Laura about a month before our departure after completing a detailed questionnaire about us, including our activity, food and beverage favorites. That zoom conversation laid the groundwork for the most personalized vacation we’ve ever had. Laura provisioned the boat and created a food menu for the week tailored to exactly what we like. She is truly an excellent chef and every meal was a special experience. Our First Night of Hannukah/Christmas Eve dinner is one that we will never forget—our family is Jewish, but we told Christian and Laura that we wanted that night to be about sharing traditions (ours and theirs). With that in mind, Laura made potato latkes with homemade applesauce for the traditional Hannukah element, along with a salmon dish that was an ode to the Feast of Seven Fishes. The food was fantastic, but the personal care and attention took the whole experience to the next level.
  • One Love offered plenty of space for everyone to enjoy their preferred environment at all times of day. During the sailing part of the day, each of us gravitated to their personal favorite location and activities—my wife and daughter were usually on the front of the boat to sunbathe and read, my son was watching college football bowl games in the shaded eating area in the back of the boat (the Wi-Fi was as good as my house in Atlanta), and I was on the flybridge watching the islands go by, eyeing beautiful sailboats and yachts and daydreaming away the afternoon.
  • One of the many benefits of this type of vacation is the flexibility and spontaneity it allows. Our days always had some plan, but we truly could do what felt right in the moment and shift in whatever way was best for us. One of our family vacation mottos is that we never leave fun to chase fun—so when snorkeling with the turtles at Maho Bay was too good to leave until after lunch one day, we went a shorter distance that afternoon and spent that night in a different magical spot than was originally planned. On another day, our original mooring spot for the overnight was too windy, so Christian called an audible and we made our way to a less trafficked bay at Cooper Island with only one or two other boats. That evening, the fish activity under the boat was amazing—tarpon and other fish were swimming all around us after dinner. I asked my daughter if she wanted to do a night snorkel, she said yes and we were in the water in about 7 minutes. We snorkeled in darkness with a flashlight and saw things we’d never seen before or in the same way. Along the way, we found ourselves eye-to-eye with two cuttlefish (squid) that were rapid fire changing colors in every share of luminescence. Normally, they are skittish and you can’t get close, but they were literally inches away and let us touch them without swimming away.

Like I said, we could go on forever about our magical week on One Love, but by now you should get the picture. We are already looking forward to Mandy helping plan our next sailing charter vacation, maybe in Greece or Croatia (or both)!

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Norway: hot tubs & champagne, snowshoeing, getting Northern Lights sightings down to a science

JERRY HULLER | FEBRUARY 14, 2025

Jerry and Carol Huller in Alta, Norway, in front of Aurora Borealis.

Travelers Jerry and Carol Huller in Alta, Norway, in front of the much-anticipated Aurora Borealis.

A bucket list trip of mine has been to travel to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). I visited Iceland a year ago, but only saw the Aurora for a few minutes on 2 nights of a 4-night trip; they were not very prominent. I learned that seeing the Aurora is somewhat a matter of luck. You need dark skies, mostly clear skies, and solar activity causing favorable Aurora viewing conditions as measured by the Kp Index (measure of global geomagnetic disturbance), HPI or Hemispheric Power Index (total energy of the Aurora), and Bz (solar magnetic direction).

In Wendy Perrin’s newsletter, I have read about successful trips to Tromsø and Alta, Norway, to see the Aurora. So I decided to travel about 400 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle to Alta, which is less commercialized and less crowded than Tromsø. I chose to visit in the winter around a new moon for darker skies. I knew it would be cold in northern Norway, so I said to myself, “I’d like to see the Aurora from a hot tub!” I knew I would need mostly clear skies which is not always guaranteed, so I decided on a 5-night visit to enhance my chances of success. I knew I would need someone with specialized knowledge about the area, so I contacted Wendy’s WOW List planner, Torunn, to arrange my trip.

Thanks possibly to an intervention by Torunn with the Norse gods, I was lucky to see the Aurora on 2 of the 5 nights, including from hot tubs at two different locations in the Alta area—the Björnfjell Mountain Lodge and the Onga Boutique Hotel. So all my expectations were met! We were even surprised with some gifts of champagne and chocolate at our lodges and hotels by Torunn’s team.

Torunn and her staff (including Danny and Thea) listened carefully to what my wife and I were interested in doing, tailored the trip accordingly, and then made adjustments based upon our feedback. They even suggested staying at a second location in Alta, the newly opened Onga Boutique Hotel, which was a definite winner to me. They arranged for all ground transportation, meals, hot tub visits at Björnfjell and a cabin at Onga with a private outdoor hot tub (and sauna). We decided not to do dog mushing, but enjoyed a snowshoe hike with a local insider, lunch in a lavvu, a bonfire dinner (but no stargazing because of the cloudy skies), a tour of the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel with a drink at the Ice Bar, a reindeer sled ride, and stories by a Sami (indigenous person) around a fire. We had to skip a frozen river walk due to a pulled muscle I suffered. Torunn also arranged for an Aurora Dome for us at the Onga—it’s basically a geodesic glass igloo with a wood pellet stove for warmth for observing the Aurora; you could sleep there if you wanted. To me, there was too much light reflection from the stove for stargazing or observing the Aurora. At the Onga, the staff did have daily Aurora walks, weather permitting; one night was cancelled due to cloudy weather; the other night we saw the Aurora prominently in the night sky.
The meals at the hotels, including one meal at the Maku restaurant at the Sorrisniva Artic Wilderness Lodge, were excellent. At the different hotels, we savored reindeer stew, reindeer steak, moose steak, halibut, and cod. We had a choice of dinner meals at the Björnfjell and a gourmet chef at the Onga.

Torunn and her staff also arranged for us a nice hotel, the Amerikalinjen, in Oslo, Norway, on our stopover flights back to the US.

I would definitely recommend Torunn and Up Norway to others. She and her staff did an excellent job with planning the trip to meet our desires.

Aurora tips: bring a tripod if you’re interested in getting time-lapse videos of the Northern Lights. Wear a glove liner that will work with your camera or smartphone; it’s cold in the winter. Locals told me the best Aurora viewing is when the temperature is -10 to -20 degrees Celsius or colder; there tend to be few clouds in such conditions. The best viewing we experienced of the Northern Lights was at the Sorrisniva (we saw the Lights from horizon to horizon) and at the Onga (in a valley, but great views). My wife and I got good photos with the Night Mode on our smartphones (iPhones), which are 2 and 3 versions old. I got some good time-lapse videos using the tripod and the NightCap app for my iPhone. Find and use a good Aurora app or Internet website, or check with your hotel or lodge staff; I used https://northernlightsmap.com and https://Aurorasaurus.org.

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Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand: meditate with monks, work an organic farm, Angkor Wat sunrise

LISA WOLLAN | FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Chris and Lisa Wollan alongside an organic farmer near Hoi An in Vietnam.

Travelers Chris and Lisa Wollan worked alongside an organic farmer near Hoi An in Vietnam.

Our 22-day trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand was truly a once in a lifetime adventure! We worked with Ethan (and later Corban). We’ve traveled a fair amount and have done lots of planning but have never had such a seamless trip. From being met at airports, getting our visa in Cambodia, transfers between hotels, cars, tuk tuks, meals, entrance into sights, being flexible and accommodating us when we had a request, all went without a visual hitch. We know this took TONS of planning beforehand and lots of coordination by our planners, guides, drivers, etc. It was amazing!

We appreciated the guides’ openness and their different views of history, including social and political life that resulted from their experiences. Their openness gave us a comprehensive view of a complicated history that extends to current life. All day every day, we asked questions. Each and every guide was knowledgeable, friendly, easy to be with and open to us and our questions. By the end of our time with each guide, they felt like friends.

There are so many highlights, it’s hard to narrow it down. We saw the typical tourist sights (which were amazing), but also were given access to behind-the-scene experiences in Vietnam and Cambodia that we couldn’t have done on our own. We’ve watched Anthony Bourdain travel segments and commented on how it would be cool to have such unique experiences like he did. This trip was filled with them. From meeting an organic farmer and working on her farm, to getting a glimpse into the life of the floating villagers near Tonle Sap, to morning meditation with monks are just a few of the examples. Other favorites were the Jack Tran Eco tour, Vespa night tour in Saigon, night food tour in Phnom Penh, all the activities on the day that ended with dinner at Villa Chandara. Coming out from watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat, we had a table set with China in a field for breakfast. Nearby three local kids were singing happy birthday to us and giggling when we interacted with them. A very nice touch planned by the team.

The hotels were first rate, our favorite being the Jaya House River Park in Siem Reap. Food was delicious including some multicourse lunches that were part of our package.

Our wish and goal for our trip was to get a deeper understanding of the countries we visited, their history and the lives of the people who live there. We came away with that and much more. We can’t say enough nice things about the whole experience.

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Costa Rica: birding in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, sunsets on the Nicoya Peninsula

JOE LYLE | FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The Quetzal bird in Costa Rica.

The Quetzal, captured on an iPhone through the guide’s telescope. Photo: Traveler Joe Lyle

We’ve just returned from our second trip to Costa Rica, expertly organized by Irene and smoothly executed by her team. Our first visit, also arranged by the group, took us to the Osa Peninsula and Manuel Antonio National Park. This time, we asked Irene to plan an adventure exploring other parts of the Pacific coast, and she created an itinerary that included the Monteverde Cloud Forest and Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula. These two destinations offered different experiences, starting with four nights at the Senda Hotel in Monteverde.

Our guide, Jonathan, was incredibly knowledgeable about the local fauna, wildlife, and bird species. One highlight was a day spent hiking through Selvatura Park, where we marveled at the breathtaking views from the eight suspension bridges high above the forest floor. We were fortunate enough to spot a Quetzal, a bird that many birdwatchers visit Monteverde specifically to see, as it has the largest population in the area. The following day, Jonathan led us to the Curicancha Reserve, where we observed various bird species, even captivating the attention of us non-birders.

The Senda Monteverde Hotel offered several walking paths and was conveniently close to the Aguti Wildlife Reserve for hiking and exploration. We didn’t need to go far to encounter a large family of coatis playing, agoutis darting about, and wild pigs squealing—sometimes right outside our front porch! After a long drive with our driver, Norman, we arrived at our next stop, the Nantipa Beachfront Resort in Santa Teresa. Here, we relished our beachfront bungalow, spent time by the pool, and enjoyed peaceful beach walks. We were treated to spectacular sunsets each evening, capping off a day of pure relaxation.

What made both locations so special was the option to tailor our experience—whether we wanted a laid-back retreat or an adventurous one, with activities like zip-lining, horseback riding, surfing, and immersing ourselves in nature. We’re already planning our next trip to Costa Rica and know that Irene and team will deliver another unforgettable experience.

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Mexico: Oaxaca cooking, visiting Chichen Itza, swimming in a cenote, Lucha Libre wrestling

LAURIE RICHTER | FEBRUARY 9, 2025

Laurie Richter and friends and Chichen Itza in Mexico.

Five couples enjoyed Chichen Itza, agritourism, mescal tastings, and more.

Our trip to Mexico included five adult couples aged 60-70 who traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico City and Merida. Zach and his colleagues planned eleven nights of activity, meals and exploration. After an initial issue with our first hotel was resolved, all our lodgings were top notch and exactly what we asked for. Chable Yucatan was the kind of place that made us wish we had just one day more to stay and take advantage of what the resort had to offer. Just stunning.

Our tour and transportation arrangements were flawless. Moving ten people around isn’t easy and we had modern vans and drivers with us all of the time. There were so many places to explore and activities to do that Zach and team gave us as options, and then set up for us once we had chosen. Some of the highlights were visits to crafter families, the cooking class outside of Oaxaca, the chinampa agri-tour and tacos and Mescal tour in Mexico City, and the cenote swim and lunch on the way back from Chichen Itza near Merida. With ten, it usually made sense to have dinner reservations, and we liked going back and forth between fine dining and more casual neighborhood dining. Another fun night time activity was Lucha Libre wrestling in Mexico City. Unforgettable.

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Egypt: pyramids and temples, camel markets, hot air ballooning, and villages along the Nile

HELEN BLUMEN | FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Hot air balloons in Egypt.

A trip highlight: Hot air balloon ride from Luxor over lush farming fields, the Nile, and the Valley of the Kings.

Egypt is a wonderful place to visit, with so many different things to see and do. The variety is incredible—it’s not just pyramids and temples, but camel markets, small villages along the Nile, and lovely handicrafts.

Seema arranged a magnificent trip. Excellent guides, amazing food, fabulous accommodation. And best of all, great pacing, so that we could take it all in.

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Galapagos: kayaking to rare sights, snorkeling with sea lions, scuba with hammerheads

SHELBY WILLETS | FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Shelby Willets and her family posing with a giant tortoise in the Galapagos, Ecuador.

Shelby Willets and her family enjoyed some face time with a giant tortuga.

Allie planned an adventurous 2-week land-based tip to the Galapagos for our family of 3 over winter break 2024. Traveling with our teenage son, we like to keep an active schedule. Allie understood the assignment and delivered an action-packed vacation. Highlights included a private kayaking excursion where we had access to sites rarely seen by visitors, snorkeling with playful sea lions and SCUBA diving with schooling hammerhead sharks—a bucket list item. For our WOW Moment, we were treated to a private photo shoot with the giant tortugas—perfect timing for our Holiday cards!

Since we booked our trip less than a year in advance, Allie had to work some magic to find large hotel rooms that would accommodate the 3 of us. As a result, we stayed at three different hotels. Which was not a hassle as Allie arranged for our luggage to be transported from hotel to hotel while we were out exploring. We actually enjoyed experiencing 3 different properties.

We enjoy traveling with Wendy Perrin’s trusted travel experts as it makes our vacations true vacations—we know that the details are taken care so we can relax and enjoy our time together as a family.

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Chile: enjoying Atacama Desert and Altiplano explorations in spite of medical issues

KAREN LINDFORS | FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Karen Lindfors and her husband in the Atacama Desert, Chile.

Karen Lindfors and her husband enjoy a river hike in an Atacama red rock canyon.

We arrived in the Atacama Desert of Chile following a trip to Antarctica. What a change in scenery! Mark planned our journey to the Atacama which was supposed to be followed by an overland traversa into Bolivia (more on that later). We stayed at the Explora Atacama Hotel and we cannot say enough about how wonderful it was. Mark had arranged a private guide and driver for us so we were able to pick and choose the “explorations” we took part in. We did a wondrous variety of things, from soaking in a private natural hot spring to sliding down sand dunes to doing a river hike in a beautiful red rock canyon. Our visit was capped off with a trip to see the geyser field on the altiplano at 14,000 feet of elevation, which included a breakfast while we watched vicunas roam. Magnificent!

We were only supposed to stay at the Explora Atacama for three nights before journeying into Bolivia, but on our first full day there my husband developed a kidney stone. The hotel staff and our guide could not have been more helpful or kinder. Maureen, the hotel manager, arranged for a doctor to come to the hotel. She also drove us to the pharmacy in San Pedro de Atacama several times. They were in contact with Mark’s team who kept track of our situation. My husband found that walking and being active kept the pain level down so he was able to enjoy all but one of the excursions.

Knowing that we were going to be in a remote part of Bolivia at high altitude, we decided it was best to cancel that part of our trip. We returned home, kidney stone and all, after staying at the Explora for five nights. Mark has been very helpful and prompt in getting documents to us so that we can make a claim on our insurance. Three days after we returned home, my husband passed the stone and is pain free. We are so grateful that both Mark’s team and the Explora folks took such good care of us. We would not hesitate to use them in future travels.

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Egypt: the grandeur of history, landscapes, and ancient wonders, with ambience of drifting feluccas

TINA HUNT | FEBRUARY 1, 2025

Tina Hunt standing in a doorway with the Giza pyramids in the background.

Traveler Tina Hunt: “Standing in the shadow of these ancient wonders is an experience unlike any other.”

Egypt is a destination that truly takes one back to adventures of their favorite archeologist or treasure hunter. The fusion of ancient history, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality made this journey unforgettable. We all three had an amazing time in Egypt with many thanks to our wonderful guides (special shout out to Sammy and George for going the extra mile) and overall trip organization through Jim’s very talented team. Here’s a few of the highlights:

The Pyramids of Giza & the Sphinx:
Standing in the shadow of these ancient wonders is an experience unlike any other. Their sheer size and timeless grandeur are staggering. Arrive early to beat the crowds, plus our guide took us counter clockwise through the site (i.e., started at the exit which made the experience even more engaging). We recommend going to the Museum of Antiquity the day before heading to the Great Pyramids when in Cairo. Otherwise, it’s sort of like seeing the grand finale of fireworks without the pre-show ;)

Abu Simbel:
This monumental site is awe-inspiring both for its size and the incredible feat of relocating it to save it from flooding. Catching it at sunrise can be unforgettable though any time of day you can get you will not be disappointed.

The Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan:
This historic gem is a masterpiece of elegance and luxury. Perched on the banks of the Nile, it offers stunning views, especially at sunset. Sipping cocktails or tea on the terrace while watching feluccas drift by felt like stepping back into an Agatha Christie novel. Even if you’re not staying there, a visit is a must for its ambiance and connection to Egypt’s golden age of travel. We enjoyed it so much that we added an extra day here. The formal dining is a completely different experience than the morning buffet and we found it very enjoyable.

Luxor & Karnak Temples:
These temples are unparalleled in scale and detail. Walking through the Hypostyle Hall in Karnak, with its forest of massive columns, was like stepping into a different world. We felt that the night light show made the Karnak temple come alive with wonder plus the much smaller crowd was an added bonus and would highly recommend doing the night light show before touring the site during the day.

Luxor Temple, especially when illuminated at night, we’ve heard can be pure magic. Though we decided that a daylight tour gave us enough of an overview, we wish we had done the night viewing of this temple after the impact that such a visit had on us from the Karnak.

Valley of the Kings:
Exploring the tombs of ancient pharaohs was a deeply humbling experience. The vibrancy of the wall paintings and the sense of history they evoke are unmatched. We were amazed by the range of artwork and color palette still visible after all this time.

Tomb of the Nobles (Aswan):
This was an unexpected delight. These lesser-known tombs, belonging to ancient officials and governors, are more intimate than the grandiose royal tombs. The beautifully preserved artwork, personal stories, and quiet atmosphere made it a truly memorable. Be sure to purchase a sculpture or two from the few folks that are working hard to make a living in this less traveled area.

Nile River Cruise on The Oberoi Zahra (Kom Ombo & Edfu Temples):
Cruising the Nile is both serene and fascinating, with each stop bringing new wonders. The Oberoi staff and setup on the Zahra were just wonderful. The meals were exceptional, along with the service. The well placed excursions added to the fun and sense of adventure for the cruise.

  • Kom Ombo Temple: A fascinating dual temple dedicated to Sobek (the crocodile god) and Horus. The mummified crocodiles in the onsite museum were a unique touch.
  • Edfu Temple: One of the most well-preserved temples in Egypt, dedicated to Horus. Its towering columns and hieroglyphics gave a vivid sense of ancient life and ritual.

Egypt exceeded every expectation and then some. It’s a journey that stays with you long after you leave.

Read more reviews of Jim. Or request your own trip.

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* Although we have compiled and reviewed these reviews for trip planners to earn a spot on The  WOW List, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or truthfulness of the reviews we receive and cannot assure that all travelers will have the same experience.

 

 

A man tying string around Brook's wrist as a part of the Baci ceremony.

Real Connections with Locals: WOW Trip Reviews

From cooking up regional recipes in a chef’s home to learning old-world crafts in an artisan’s workshop to getting invited to a traditional wedding, there are many ways to meet noteworthy local characters (as well as normal, everyday people) and gain a much deeper understanding of the culture and traditions of the places we explore. Our Trusted Travel Experts shine at making these connections that enrich travel. The reviews below illustrate just a handful of the people you can meet and friends you can make when you have a savvy travel fixer in your corner. Here’s how to get your own WOW trip.

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India: joining in the community’s spring festival, pulled into a spontaneous engagement celebration

Ron Klausner, his wife, and two friends covered in paint at the Holi festival in India.

Ron Klausner, his wife, and two friends joined in the community’s Hindu festival of Holi.

“My wife and I are avid travelers and have visited over 70 countries, but we have always avoided going to India for fear of getting intestinal problems. We finally bit the bullet and decided to go, did not get sick, and loved India! The people, the people, the people.

We went for three weeks with another couple in March. Although we were between earning WOW Moments, I feel Sanjay made our entire trip a WOW Moment. In Varanasi we had private sunset and sunrise boat cruises on the Ganges River, and a sitar concert at the home of Ravi Shankar’s cousin. We also participated in Holi, where we celebrated spring by joining different groups of locals and covering each other with paint and water and then dancing together in joy.

In Jaipur we had dinner at the home of a very special family. They are royalty, but what makes them special is the parents have one biological child and adopted nine children from age 8 to 19! The children, all girls, were abandoned as babies because their biological parents wanted boys, not girls. This family is now raising them as their own. We ate, we sang, and we all danced together. What joy!

One of our most memorable moments occurred when we saw a bunch of women, all dressed in magnificent yellow, dancing on a side street. One of the women gestured for my wife to join her. The women were celebrating because one of them just had a daughter who got engaged. They went down the street knocking on doors, and neighbors kept joining. My wife had a wonderful time.

Without reservation, I implore you to visit India if you have not already done so.” —Ron Klausner

Read more reviews of India trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Cuba: immersive cultural experiences illustrate “the puzzle which makes up Cuba”

Compas dance troupe dancing and playing music in their rehearsal space, Havana, Cuba.

The arts embody the Cubans’ ability to “enjoy life wherever they can.” Photo: Terraversed

“We recently returned from our trip to Cuba, planned by Ana and Rob. It is difficult to lavish too much praise on this team! First, Rob called me within a day or so of my inquiry and spent at least 45 minutes on the phone with me, digging hard during our conversation to really understand our interests and how we should spend our time in their jam-packed itinerary. It was clear from the trip, that Rob and Ana heard every word and truly tailored our immersive Cuban visit to ensure that our time was focused on these personal interests. In fact, they included some visits to locations that I would not have thought to be interesting to me, but because of the exceptional experts they managed to have as our guides, we did indeed find them of great interest.

Our main guide throughout the trip was Raquel, and she was a wonderful and caring person, with an extraordinary knowledge of her country’s history, challenges and successes. She gave us an unflinching view of the challenges which the Cuban people have endured since the revolution, along with a taste of the tenacity and ability of her people to enjoy life whenever they can.

This tour was unlike any I have ever taken before (and there have been many). Instead, it felt like driving from place to place to visit with unique and gracious hosts that were anxious to share their specialties and skills with us. It was more like visiting a series of friends, than being on a tour of a foreign country. This was true from the dinner we had at the home of a former journalist, to the tour of the Cuban Art Musuem with the head of their educational unit. There are too many to spell out, but each was truly a unique experience which added to the puzzle which makes up Cuba. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Rob and Ana’s services again, or highly recommend them to a friend.” —Arthur Hermann

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Africa: visiting with the Maasai, meeting Nairobi elephant rehabbers, hunting with the Hadzabe

Dawn Critchley with her guide Duncan and a baby elephant at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya.

Traveler Dawn Critchley with her local guide and a baby elephant at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

“Just back from a marvelous trip as a solo traveler to East Africa—Kenya and Tanzania—put together by Cherri, Frankie, and Katie. My days were filled with such joy and wonder—words don’t do it justice. The people are so welcoming, kind, and genuinely happy.

My private visit to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi was such a unique and intimate experience. I learned about their mission of rescuing and rehabbing elephants and rhinos who have been orphaned (mainly by poaching) or injured. I was able to have a private encounter with the baby elephants as they were frolicking in the mud pools, ending up splattered in mud myself!

A visit to a Maasai village in Ngorongoro was so informative and truly amazing. The Maasai are some of the happiest people I’ve encountered.

A visit to the Lake Eyasi area and interactions with the Hadzabe, Datoga and Blacksmith tribes were truly eye-opening and humbling. I was fortunate to be able to go on a hunt in the bush with the Hadzabe and witness their superb skills with bow and arrow, then build a fire, and prepare their catch. They are one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes in Tanzania. They live truly one with nature.

Every day was special as well as an adventure.” —Dawn Critchley

Read more reviews of Africa trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Peru: spending a day in the Lamay Village, and seeing how the people live in the high Andes

Audrey Moore with family and the Lamay community at the Sacred Valley in Peru.

“It was so special to make friends and see how people live a simpler life high in the Andes.”

“Our trip to Peru was one my family will remember forever. We started in the Amazon rainforest and saw so much wildlife at the Tambopata Research Center. This really felt like a special place, and we felt very far away from civilization. My kids loved the birds, monkeys and boat rides.

We absolutely loved our time in the Sacred Valley and Cusco. The resort at Sol y Luna was so nice that we had to force ourselves to leave to go adventuring each day. Our favorite day of the trip was the day we spent at the Lamay village. It was so special to make friends and see how people live a simpler life high in the Andes. We also loved our one-day hike on the Inca trail into Machu Picchu—incredible!

The locals treated us with such kindness everywhere we went. There is so much to see and do in Peru…10 days just wasn’t enough!” —Audrey Moore

Read more reviews of Peru trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Romania: truffle hunting (and dining) with a forager guide, talking with caretakers for the synagogues and other “lovely locals”

Targu Mures Jewish synagogue in Romania.

Connecting with locals includes their places of worship, including this synagogue in Targu Mures. Photo: Timothy Baker

“My husband and I just returned from a 10-day trip to Romania. We spent most of our time in Transylvania, which is both scenic and uniquely interesting. Our major reason for traveling to this part of the world was to visit the city of Cluj, where my husband’s father lived before emigrating to the U.S. in the 1930s. Our trip planners, Raluca and Malvina, did a great job of incorporating this into our itinerary and also providing experiences that gave us a deeper appreciation of the overall history of Romania and Transylvania, particularly that of the Jews. It was very moving to visit the few synagogues that have been preserved and to meet the people who take care of them.

And it was extremely interesting to tour the medieval citadels and fortified churches that dot Transylvania and to spend time in the mostly preserved traditional Saxon village of Viscri. We felt transported back in time watching the horse drawn carts, geese, goats, sheep and cows that wander through the streets of this picturesque place, and we enjoyed the simple but delicious traditional foods that are truly farm-to-table. We also loved going truffle hunting and enjoying the truffle pasta dinner prepared for us by our truffle guide, as well as our beautiful horseback ride through lovely meadows and forests. And it was great to spend time chatting with the lovely local people we met who provided insights into various aspects of life in this intriguing country.”—Linda Green

Read more reviews of Romania trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Japan: learning to make classic fish dishes In the home of a fisherman’s wife, and exchanging life stories over the meal

Motonosumi Inari Shrine in Nagato, Japan.

“Motonosumi Inari Shrine’s 123 brilliant red torii gates to a cliff overlooking the Sea of Japan.”

“I am forever grateful to Andrea for helping me with designing my dream trip to Japan. Having lived in Japan as a child and had occasion to visit the country several times since, I knew that I was asking for a lot in wanting an off-the-beaten-path itinerary. I wanted to go where few tourists go and engage in activities that would be a challenge to arrange. There are almost too many highlights of my customized trip to Japan to even list, let alone describe, but here are a handful:

* Vaulting down through Motonosumi Inari Shrine’s 123 brilliant red torii gates to a cliff overlooking the Sea of Japan.

* Practicing ‘takigyo’ (waterfall meditation) with two Buddhist monks, by standing directly beneath a sacred waterfall—its strong cold water taking one’s breath away as it pelts one’s head and shoulders—before being revived and uplifted by its force.

* Meeting with so many artisans: potters in Hagi who showed me their hand-built kilns and exquisite Hagi ware; elderly basket weavers at a bamboo-basket-weaving studio exhibiting their exquisite baskets and demonstrating their craft; a glass-crystal-etching expert who instructed me in producing an etched crystal glass of my own; and masters of indigo dying who helped me create my own dyed tee-shirt in their studio workshop.

* In the home of a fisherman’s wife, learning how to make several classic fish dishes and then sharing a delightful meal with her and my guide—three older women exchanging intimate life stories while dining on the dishes we’d prepared.

* Strolling through Kyoto’s Gion district and enjoying a private tea ceremony and dance performance there by a young maiko (an apprentice geisha), and being given the opportunity to ask her candid questions about her life and her art.

A huge thank-you to Andrea’s team for managing to make all of this happen for me.” —Lynn Savarese

Read more reviews of Japan trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Copenhagen: watching furniture makers and artists at work, Easter dinner in a local home…

Cari Bender and her family with the dinner's local hosts in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Cari Bender and her family with the dinner’s local hosts in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“We just returned from a wonderful trip to Copenhagen to visit our daughter who is studying abroad there. Mads helped us plan a lovely vacation where we got to explore all over the area. We learned about Danish food on a food tour and loved seeing the city from a private boat excursion along the canal.

Our favorite day was the Danish design day! We love Danish design, and Mads arranged for us to have a private tour of a furniture manufacturer and meet some current local artists in their own studio. It was a special and memorable day. My son and I probably took 1,000 photographs, and we all loved learning about the history of prominent furniture design. We had a terrific hotel right in Nyhavn, the famous canal with the colored buildings that was centrally located and super charming.

The other incredibly memorable adventure was Dine with Danes, where we had a truly special evening at the home of a local couple. They prepared a Danish Easter dinner for us—they must have cooked for two days! We simply adored them and we had a wonderful evening together. It was very special.” —Cari Bender

Read more reviews of Denmark trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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New Zealand: one-on-one time with Maori artisans…

Maori green jade Koru pendant on wood log.

Maori jade Koru pendant. Photo: Shutterstock

“We just completed an absolutely fabulous month-long trip to New Zealand. With his extensive relationships, especially with the Maori, Jean-Michel crafted a truly unique trip that we would never have been able to create on our own. Besides cruising Milford Sound, we had three major interests for our trip: interacting with Maori to learn about their culture, going to the MacKenzie-designated Dark Sky region to stargaze, and being on a glacier.

Instead of going to touristy places to see the Maori, Jean-Michel set us up with several unbelievable one-on-one days with individual Maori, including Tom Loughlin, who cooked us a fabulous traditional Hangi meal in the ground at his 5,000-acre wilderness cabin; Delani Brown, a famous master carver who creates enormous masterpieces of complexly intricate carved wood scenes of Maori culture; and Bevan Climo, a master pounamu (New Zealand greenstone or jade) carver, who took us to his tribe’s portion of the Arahura River, where I found a lovely piece of greenstone!

For our Dark Sky experience, Jean-Michel arranged for a privately guided astral viewing at the Matuka Lodge in Twizel where we were staying. The stargazing was fabulous, and to not to have to do the 3-hour roundtrip to the St. John’s Observatory was priceless.

As for the glacier, Jean-Michel again came up with an amazing intimate experience in the Whitcombe Valley, instead of the over-touristy Franz Josef Glacier. Matt, our helicopter pilot, came with over 30 years of flying experience and was even the pilot for Tom Cruise when he was filming in the region! Matt created a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with views of numerous glaciers and glacier lakes, highlighted by a landing at a glacier that we walked up to and sat on! Talk about being at the top of the world and having your dream come true!” —Mary Lou Voytko

Read more reviews of New Zealand trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Spain: lunch in the private quarters of a castlewith the owner…

Travelers Lorin and Jeremy Seidman with their family met the WOW Lister Virginia Irurita in Madrid, Spain.

Lorin and Jeremy Seidman with their family and WOW Lister Virginia Irurita in Madrid.

Virginia and her team planned an incredible trip to Spain for our family, with the kind of experiences that we’re quite sure no other travel agent would have had access to. Our teenage kids’ favorite part of the trip was a visit to Almodovar Castle, near Sevilla. The owner of the castle, Eva Morejon, greeted us upon our arrival, and then invited us to have lunch with her in the family’s private quarters of the castle.

We sat in Eva’s dining room enjoying the most delicious authentic Spanish cuisine, which was cooked by her family’s personal chef, while she told us the history of the castle. She then took us on a private tour of the castle, including parts that were used for the filming of Game of Thrones.” —Lorin Seidman

Read more reviews of Spain trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Norway: lunch with a Sami elder, dogsledding with an Iditarod racer…

Traveler Kathye Faries with a Sami reindeer herder, in the village of Maze, Norway.

Kathye Faries with Johan, a Sami reindeer herder, in the Norwegian village of Maze. Photo: Traveler Jim Braun

“Seeing the Aurora Borealis has been on my bucket list for ages and it was time to make it happen! With Wendy’s help we were connected with Torunn, who planned a terrific 10-day adventure for us in northern Norway in February, 2024. I worked with Karin Andresen on many of the details and Karin did a wonderful job too. My focus was seeing the lights (we saw them twice, yippee!), but the entire trip turned out to be way better than we expected due to the fun activities Torunn and Karin planned for us.

We started in Alta, well north of the Arctic Circle, and stayed at a great property outside of the town in a beautiful setting on the banks of a frozen river. We went snowshoeing (easier than I thought it would be) and ice fishing with Kelle of Glod Explorer, and his husky Bruno. Jim caught an Arctic Char so our lunch was as fresh is it could get! Sitting in a lavvu, around a fire, sipping hot chocolate and eating fresh-caught fish was a real treat. We also took a snowmobile ride at night at Bjornfjeld Mountain Lodge. We were cozy in a beautiful mountaintop glass igloo, cooked our dinner over a fire and looked for the lights. On our last day in Alta we spent several hours dog sledding in the beautiful Finnmark forest and on frozen lakes, which was one of the highlights of the trip. Our guide, Hannah, ran the Iditarod two years ago and was so expert on the trails. We loved our day with her and her dog teams.

While en route to our next destination (we saw moose, reindeer and foxes along the way), we had lunch with Johan, a Sami elder, in the village of Maze. His family has raised and herded reindeer for generations and his sons are poised to take care of the business someday. We learned so much from him about his profession, about the Sami, and got to meet some of his reindeer. Fascinating.

In Karasjok we stayed at one of the most unique, exceptional small properties we’ve ever seen. Every cabin and all of the furniture in each of the 7 cabins has been built by hand from natural materials. This place is a hidden gem, set in the forest and truly magical. On property were 45 Alaskan Huskies who were very friendly and loved “cuddles” from everyone. One of our days was spent with Magrit, a Sami woman who has spent her entire life raising and herding reindeer. We went with her by snowmobile, up high in the mountains, to see and feed some of her family’s herd. We spent time in the forest around a warm fire and she shared stories with us about her life. On our last day there, I went dog sledding with the Alaskan Huskies—it was an exciting ride where the dogs broke a new trail in deep, newly fallen snow on the frozen lake. It was a wonderful experience I will never forget.

The last few days of the trip were spent in Oslo where our expert guide took us to the Nobel Peace Prize Museum (very, very moving), and the National Museum (which houses Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”). We saw several contemporary buildings—the Library and the Opera House—watched some young men run from the sauna and jump into the 32-degree water of the harbor (yikes!); and toured the Vigeland Sculpture Park.

The Aurora was as wondrous as I expected and we were so lucky to see it. Northern Norway is a beautiful part of the world with clean water, clean air, warm and friendly people and so accessible to the outdoors. When we asked local guides (who grew up in Alta and Karasjok) if they ever wanted to move away, their answer was NO!!!! We could understand why.

The trip was so smooth due to Torunn and Karin’s expertise. Prior to and during the trip we made a few itinerary adjustments and all went perfectly. All of the guides and ground transportation services were there when and where they were supposed to be, and the outfitters and lodging choices were a great fit for us. We are so glad we saw the lights but we are also so appreciative of the adventures we experienced on this wonderful, enchanting trip.” —Kathye Faries

Read more reviews of Norway trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Belize: “A local family served us a traditional Mayan lunch, nouvelle-style. And Patricia met us there for lunch…”

Our travelers Salena and Allen Kern with WOW Lister Patricia Johnson in Belize.

WOW Lister Patricia Johnson joined Salena and Allen Kern for lunch one day.

“My criteria was a direct flight from Newark, warmth, a place we’d never been to with lots to do if we wished, and a Wendy Perrin advisor. It took about a minute to find Belize and Patricia. And we were off…. Patricia recommended a few places to stay, and two of the resorts (one in the jungle and the other on the beach) were owned by Francis Ford Coppola. Who knew? Not I, for sure. Well, my husband was an extra in Apocalypse Now many years ago and that was that. He was thrilled to be seeing what Coppola had created in Belize. Both resorts were beautiful but Blancaneaux Lodge was one of the nicest places I have stayed in my life.

We climbed ruins, rafted through a cave that should have been a cathedral, and visited an entrepreneurial coffee “factory” amongst other things. Most important to me, however, was that we got to know something about the current economy of this young country and much about its varied cultures. On our first full day, we were surprised by our WOW Moment. At this most beautiful site, overlooking a series of waterfalls, we were served lunch by a local family (now, Patricia did know that I am a bit of a foodie) who served us a traditional Mayan lunch, nouvelle-style. The family has a catering company called U Janal Masewal, Ancient Recipes for a Modern World. That sort of sums up my worldview too. We were happy! And Patricia met us there for lunch. Thank you, Patricia and Wendy.

This lunch opened our eyes to what was happening in the local communities. The Mayan culture isn’t stuck in the past or lost, as it is in Chiapas, Mexico, where I visited last year. The Belizeans are creating a wonderful and mixed culture ripe for all sorts of tourism. Our week in Belize was full of surprises. I would recommend it to older people like us, to young families, well, to anyone who likes travel.” —Salena Kern

Read more reviews of Belize trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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East Africa: hunting with bushmen, visiting a local women’s organization…

Traveler taking a selfie with with local kids during a community visit to the Mukundusi Village in Tanzania.

Traveler Jeannie Mullen snapped a selfie with local kids during a community visit to the Mukundusi Village in Tanzania.

“I just returned from a trip to East Africa planned by Cherri and her team. The lodges and their phenomenal staffs, the wildlife, the guides, the available local activities, the holiday and birthday celebrations along with numerous personal touches…I cannot say enough about the locals that I met and the recurring personal interactions I had.

Normally I schedule every day of a trip down to the minute. Since this trip was so long (and as I get older!) I left some time open in the itinerary in the event that I just needed to chill here and there. Doing so enabled me to schedule some additional, non-game-viewing activities at each location which really enriched my overall experience. Highlights included: Following bushmen on a game hunt (and taste-testing the grilled results!) in Tanzania, participating in an anti-poaching demonstration (I played the poacher and hid out in the bush) at Sirikoi in Kenya, multiple community/village visits, and a visit to an inspiring women’s organization (Ride 4 A Woman) in Uganda.

On New Year’s Eve I was at &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Tanzania. At the conclusion of a tribal dance ritual at the north lodge, we all followed their torch-lit procession (singing, chanting and dancing the entire way) down to the south lodge where the Maasai then put on a spectacular dance demonstration which told the story of their customs and rituals.” —Jeannie Mullen

Read more reviews of East Africa trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Italy: fishing and cheesemaking with locals, watching glass artisans at work…

Scenic overlook of the Tyrrhenian Sea along the Amalfi Coast of Italy.

Scenic overlook of the Tyrrhenian Sea along the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Photo: Shutterstock

“From the moment we were picked up in Rome to the time we were dropped at the airport after 15 days in this beautiful country, we would have changed nothing! The food and wine were incredible, the hotels were spectacular and the guides and their tours were unforgettable. While the trip was overall the most memorable experience of our lifetimes, there are a few things that we cannot go without highlighting:

1. The boat ride along the Amalfi Coast was nothing short of spectacular, and our captain and first mate made it truly enjoyable. Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea is something we will never forget;

2. The cooking class and lunch with Mrs. Luciana and Maria Cristina were so incredibly enjoyable and delicious that we wished we could have stayed forever;

3. Watching Benedetto create his masterpiece of mozzarella and burrata cheese and tasting the delicious virgin olive oils, followed by the private tour of his amazing lemon orchard, was an unforgettable experience.

4. Our visit to Murano and the Vetreria Estevan Rossetto glass factory was inspirational. To see the centuries-old workmanship of glass making and learning the history of this profession was incredible. We actually purchased artworks made by two of the most prominent glass artisans known to Italy, Walter Furan and Amedeo Rossetto. Our guides, Daria and Piero, were so knowledgeable and spent hours teaching us about glass making and the history behind it. Piero is the grandson of Walter Furan, and being able to purchase one of his grandfather’s pieces was truly special.

5. And finally, only to keep this review from being too lengthy, trout fishing with Luca. While I did not catch a monster, the beautiful little brown trout I did catch brought a smile to my face, and the lunch we shared and our time together was terrific.

We would like to thank Wendy, Maria Gabriella, Maria Cristina, our fabulous guides, our amazing drivers, and all of the employees and staff at the hotels in which we stayed for their incredible hospitality. We cannot wait for our next WOW experience.” —Lizzy and Jay Bryan

Read more reviews of Italy trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Oman and Jordan: “It is always good to learn more, have more awareness and to become better global citizens…”

Amy Avers and her husband having coffee and dates with Omani locals.

Amy Evers and her husband talking world politics with Omani locals over coffee and dates.

“Our trip to Oman and Jordan October 14th- Nov. 1st, 2023, was extraordinary! Even with the slight unease regarding the war, while in Oman and Jordan, all was well and safe. There did seem to be some extra military presence in Amman but that didn’t interfere with our trip. We are very happy we did not cancel!

Out trip planner, Daniel, did a wonderful job talking through everything with us ahead of time. He was honest about his thoughts about things that are worth it and that aren’t. Some of the highlights of our trip were:

Oman: Eating and drinking dates and Omani coffee with locals, dinner with a local family in Muscat, learning about the culture, talking with a local at the Grand Mosque to learn more about Islam, swimming and exploring Wadi Shaab and Wadi Bani Khalid, dune bashing in Wahiba Sands, the via ferrata course in Jebel Akhdar, biking down the mountains in Jabel Shams, the random barber shop experience for my husband to get his beard trimmed (hilarious and wonderful cultural experience), and the balcony hike in Jebel Shams.

Jordan: Petra during the day/night and the back door hike in, SCUBA diving the wreck in the Red Sea (not organized by Dan), ‘soft’ canyoning in Wadi Al Mujib, floating in the Dead Sea (so unique and funny!), and discussions about current issues with our guide.

I feel very lucky to have experienced this trip, especially in today’s political climate. It is always good to learn more, have more awareness and to become better global citizens. Thank you!” —Amy Evers

Read more reviews of Oman and Jordan trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

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Morocco: learning history and culture from scholars and artisans…

Our traveler's guide outside his family home in Tangier's Medina, Morocco.

Milinda Martin’s guide AbdulRahman outside his family home in Tangier’s Medina. Photo: Traveler Milinda Martin

“It had been 20 years since I had visited Morocco, and I have to say, the country is going through such a positive time. People are happy there! The government is building tons of affordable housing, redoing the waterfront areas, and spiffing up all the cities. It’s a good time to visit.

Thanks to Radia and her team, I was able to indulge my desire to learn more about the history of this country, especially the Berber culture, the invasion of the Arabs, and the long history of the Moors and Jews. Radia did not disappoint; all of my guides were experts and very willing to discuss the benefits and challenges of being such a rich land where everyone wants to be. My guide in Tangier, AbdulRahman, was OUTSTANDING. He was born in the Medina and his family still lived there, and he was able to share stories of how Tangier has changed over the centuries with all the invaders. He shared the local delicacies — mint tea and amazing cookies — with me, and we truly felt like friends by the time I moved on to Chefchaouen.

With Radia’s guidance, I visited Casablanca, and the amazing Hassan II mosque, with a Muslim scholar who could really immerse me in the religion, far beyond the 5 pillars. The trip ended in Marrakesh, where I had the most unique experience of learning how to make mosaics. This wasn’t a “tourist activity”; this was a visit to a gentleman’s workshop where we cut the tiles, arranged the mosaics and eventually plastered the mosaics into place. Radia provided a translator because the artist — having mastered this trade 40 years ago — did not speak English.

And I have to give a strong shout-out to my driver, Rachid. Throughout my tour, he was always on time, always kind, always conversational, and a great driver to boot. This is what I like about planning with Wendy Perrin: meeting the people and seeing life like a local. We visited the communal bakery and the hammam, two vital components of life for every Moroccan. I was able to go hiking in the Atlas Mountains, obtain early entry to the Majorelle Gardens, and have someone guide me through the mazes of the Medinas. The riad in Marrakesh was truly divine! Unlike other tours that whisk you here and there, in international hotels, where you never meet a local, Radia and her team ensured that I felt like a Moroccan from the very start.” —Milinda Martin

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Norway: meeting a local fisherman, reindeer herder, and even an acclaimed actress

Crab fishing in Alta Fjord, Norway

Jeannie Mullen suited up to fish for king crab and halibut with boat captain Albert.

“Just returned from a solo trip to Norway September 11-20, 2023. After my pet sitter bailed on me at the last minute, I reached out to Jan to see what he could do to adjust the 3-week driving itinerary through Norway that he and I had just finalized. Jan was very flexible, gave me several options to choose from and before long we had whittled a 21-day trip down to 10, maintaining the main focus of trip…seeing the northern lights.

I started out at Sorrisniva Wilderness Lodge in Alta, above the Arctic Circle in the northern fjords. By day I was entertained with king-crab fishing in Storekorsnes, lunch with and storytelling by a local reindeer herder, a visit to the nearby UNESCO site featuring northern Europe’s largest concentration of petroglyphs (rock art) made by hunter-gathers dating back 2000-7000 years, and a boat ride on the Alta River with Tor, one of the lodge owners. Each night after dinner I was driven to different locations to search for the lights…. It was such a great experience. I had been coached beforehand that not everyone gets to see the lights every night and sometimes not at all over a period of several nights. Fortunately I saw them each of the four nights that I was there and got some great photos. On my last night in Alta I came back early enough to see the lights with a cup of hot chocolate from the warmth of my bed. It was an experience that I will never forget.

I had shared with Jan that I had a very broad range of interests coming into this trip, so the tenor and tempo changed quickly when I arrived back in Oslo. At my request, it was all about art, architecture, history and culture. In a very fun surprise, I was treated to a WOW Moment as I walked out of the elevator my first morning there. Jan knew from our trip-planning discussions that I am involved with a professional theatre company in my hometown and had made arrangements for his sister-in-law, Ingjerd Egeberg, a Norwegian actress (and national treasure), to spend an hour with me prior to the start of my planned day. Over coffee we had a lovely discussion about the theatre and then walked across the street together to the National Theatre for a backstage tour. It was truly delightful! Thank you again, Jan and Wendy! And THEN the day started.… The museums, art, architecture and parks in Oslo were beautiful…the Munch (The Scream) Museum, City Hall, the Opera House, the Deichman Bjorvika (the world’s best new public library), the Nobel Peace Center, the Harbour Promenade in Oslo Fjord, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History and the Vigeland Sculpture Park. The next day was spent away from the city at the Kistefos Museum in Jevnaker, one of the most important outdoor sculpture parks for contemporary art.

And then it was time to head home. I cannot say enough about Wendy’s suggestion to use Jan.… His detailed planning, choice of hotels, guides, drivers, and restaurant suggestions were all spot-on. I enjoyed myself so much on this trip that I had Jan plan a 10-day itinerary to Denmark for the fast-approaching Thanksgiving holidays. And next summer I’ll work in the driving portion of the Norway trip that I missed out on this year.” —Jeannie Mullen

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Poland & Austria: master classes in amber jewelry, pierogis, Christmas ornaments…

Beautiful Krakow market square, Poland, Europe.

Krakow market square in Poland. Photo: Shutterstock

Gwen knows we have traveled the world on all seven continents. Many of our trips (at least eighteen) have been curated by Wendy’s trip specialists. Gwen knows we increasingly value experiences over mere sightseeing. This itinerary included many hands-on and personal experiences. In Gdansk, we visited an amber workshop and created our own amber jewelry using the workshop’s professional tools overseen by a friendly jeweler. We took home the two amber pendants we made.

In Warsaw, Gwen had another wonderful special experience for us: a visit with an artisanal nalewka (pronounced na lef ka) producer. This cordial is made in many homes. But this producer elevates the quality to the nth degree. Made of macerated fruits (or flowers or pine shoots or even milk), water, alcohol and sugar, the mixture sits in huge glass jars in his backyard for at least ten months, then matures in huge plastic barrels for at least three years before bottling. While visiting with this fascinating man, we tasted twelve of his varieties. We brought home two bottles and wish we’d brought a lot more.

In Krakow, we had a great lesson on how to make one of Poland’s national foods, pierogis (filled dumplings.) The private class was in the home of the woman who runs the annual Krakow Pierogi Festival. We had such a good time with her that we stayed far beyond our scheduled time.

Also in Krakow, we visited a small workshop that makes hand-painted glass Christmas ornaments. My husband and I each painted our own ornaments with direction from the chief painter. We ended up bringing a dozen or so ornaments home. In Vienna, we had a great food safari that took us off the tourist circuit and introduced us to stores and producers of traditional Viennese foods.” —Jan Heininger

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Italy: Palio horse race with local family, outing with a truffle hunter and lunch at his farmhouse…

Palio horse race in Italy.

Palio horse race in Italy. Photo: Traveler Jessica Tolmach

“Four special highlights that Maria secured for our group during our Tuscany stay: A spectacularly situated apartment in Siena overlooking the town square for perfect viewing of the wild, medieval, spectacular Palio horse race and dinner with the family who graciously opened their home, shared wine, food and stories of the history of the races over the centuries.

Another highlight was an outing with a truffle hunter and his dog into the hills and woods where the dog found truffles and after we were hosted at their farmhouse overlooking the valley while they served us a multi-course lunch of truffle-focused dishes that were scrumptious, along with their own wines. We also adored a private tour and lunch prepared for us at a little-known but spectacular vineyard in Chianti, with tastings paired with each course.

And, last but not least, we will all remember forever our lunch at an agriturismo farm with a most generous host and chef that happily went on for hours, on a glorious afternoon, on their patio on the edge of their fields, where we were served mind-blowing grilled meats and the best lasagna and tiramisu any of us has ever tasted. My boys wanted to stay and work on the farm and never come home! And I got his grandmother’s recipes!” —Jessica Tolmach

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Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland: cooking lesson in the chef’s home, charming family-run inn…

Tom Redburn

Lisa Redburn during a cooking lesson at Tatjana Ciciliani’s home in Trojir, Croatia. Photo: Tom Redburn

“Lisa and I have had a lot of wonderful adventures in our more than 50 years together, but for our 50th wedding anniversary trip to Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Switzerland, the extraordinary planning of Claudia and Luisa took our travel experience to a whole new level. It’s true that Europe was already getting overrun with tourists during our six-week trip, but we rarely felt it because time after time Claudia and Luisa arranged guides and outings that took us away from the crowds and to hidden corners we never would have found on our own.

There are too many highlights to include all of them, but some of our most memorable moments were a gastronomic walking tour of Bologna with Giacomo, a guided E-bike ride along the Appian Way in Rome with Gioia, who spontaneously added in a visit to the multi-layered Church of San Clemente when we expressed interest in it, a guided cable car ride and walk to the top of Anacapri with Melania, and two hikes in the Dolomites with Paola, who revised her plans to reflect our own capacities for strenuous walking (there’s a theme here: nearly all our best guides were women). And that’s just Italy.

In Croatia and Slovenia, we enjoyed a guided walk up Mt. Srd above Dubrovnik, where two women from Piknik Dubrovnik had set up an extraordinary sunset picnic dinner just for us, two guided trips (one by E-bike, the other walking) in the backcountry of the islands of Korcula and Hvar that both included amazing private lunches far from the madding crowds, and an extraordinary tour by the charismatic Mario Bartulovic of his family’s winery and steep-sided vineyard on one of our only rainy days. We nearly cancelled but are so thankful that we didn’t. We also had a food shopping and cooking session with the charming Tatjana Ciciliani at her home in Trojir, near Split.

And the discovery of the trip, for us, was Slovenia, where we dined at the famous Hisa Franko (a 3 1/2-hour, 18-course tasting menu from chef Ana Ros), with a stay at tiny Chalets Nebesa, which is not to be missed if you are anywhere in the area. Four-room Nebesa (reserve far in advance!) is owned and run by Ana’s charming mother, father, sister and brother-in-law, and enjoys an extraordinary view in the Julian Alps over Kobarid, where there are still trenches from the devastating fighting along a front of World War I.

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that, with only one or two exceptions, every guide was sensational, just about every accommodation was terrific, and nearly all the reserved dinners were a delight. And that’s not to mention our WOW Moment from Wendy of a lunch and wine tasting at the extraordinary BIBICh Winery, on a day when we traveled from Split to Zadar, right after visiting Krka National Park.

Luisa and Claudia took my idea of following in some of the footsteps of our original honeymoon trip to Europe (10 months on $6,000 in 1973-74 to Italy, Yugoslavia, Austria, Greece, Switzerland and France) and built it into an equally memorable highlight in our lives together. We spent our actual anniversary at a pension in the car-free Fex Valley in the Engadin that was one of the top places we stayed on our honeymoon. Our trip lived up to everything I had been dreaming about since we first thought of the idea more than two years in advance.” —Tom Redburn

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Norway: learning from locals about fishing, reindeer hunting, village life…

Beautiful Nature Norway natural landscape aerial photography. lovatnet lake.

Lovatnet Lake, Norway. Photo: Shutterstock

Torunn quickly grasped our interests, desires, travel style, and preferences. She promised to connect us to ‘the real Norway.’ This came to mean experiencing the spectacular environment, meeting people of all kinds, and learning about the Norwegian way of life.

The people Torunn arranged for us to meet at various venues are special and memorable. They were warm, welcoming, informative, and above all, interesting. Among them is Sven, the entrepreneurial owner of Knutholmen in Kalvag, who works harder to please his clients than anyone we have met. He became an instant friend.

Fjord skipper Roy taught us about commercial fishing and graciously shared much of his life story, helping us learn what growing up in remote Norway is all about. Driver Per delighted in taking us to see a replica Viking ship. Dinner with Edith and Jon at their hilltop ‘summer pasture’ cabin near Oye was a memorable experience filled with stories about Jon’s longtime mink business and special Norwegian delicacies to try, topped off with Edith’s handmade chocolates.

Fjord skipper Daniel took us to his family guest house at Trandal, where we were thrilled by the famous swing and braved deer-burgers and brown cheese ice cream, both delicious. Guide Britt, also an osteopath, was unusually informative and interesting. She took us on a delightful hike, showed us around the Tafjord village where she grew up, described her annual reindeer hunt, and escorted us to a friend’s guest house for a delicious lunch of deer lasagna.

Our hotels were superb and often historical. Without exception, they were situated in gorgeous surroundings and well managed with great service. Remarkable hotel staffers came from all over Norway and beyond. Each hotel was unique and memorable but our favorites were Knutholmen in Kalvag, Hotel Union Oye, and the amazing Storfjord Hotel. As is evident, Torunn did indeed connect us to ‘the real Norway.’ We will long remember this spectacular trip and the special people we met.”—Bill and Lynn Martin

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Northern Ireland & Ireland: making soda bread, helping shear sheep, a lesson in hurling…

sheep in a green field in Ireland

Sheep in a green field in Ireland. Photo: Shutterstock

“It was Jonathan’s strong suggestion that we include Northern Ireland in our itinerary instead of just Ireland, and we are glad that we did. Our experience in Northern Ireland was the soul of our trip, and we could never have understood the country without that experience and the help of our guide for three days while there, Mark Murphy. His authenticity was palpable, in addition to being a consummate professional.

For example, he not only took us through a small Catholic village to watch children learning the Irish sport of hurling on a field surrounded by Irish national flags, but then took out his equipment so we could all give the game a try on an adjacent field. Every experience with Mark was like that, including his lessons on tasting Irish Whiskey at Bushmills and getting me the opportunity to hold the great Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy’s PGA championship trophy at his home golf club in Belfast!

We also spent a morning at Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen, making (and eating) delicious soda bread, along with other delectables. Like all the folks we encountered, Tracey was an absolute delight, and we loved getting to go out to the countryside and spend some quality time with people who were so happy to share their lives with us.

We then went on to spend three days in Dublin, staying at a classic property called The Shelbourne. This gorgeous masterpiece offered impeccable service and a perfect location. One of the benefits of working through Jonathan are some small perks offered to you at each of the hotels, and we enjoyed oysters and Guinness in the beautiful lobby bar at the Shelbourne one early evening before heading to dinner.

Galway was our next stop, and we used that as the base for our exploration of the Connemara National Park and the Cliffs of Moher. Another absolute highlight of the trip is the Killary Sheep Farm. It’s on an absolutely beautiful fjord, and it’s fascinating to watch the sheepdogs in action and to participate in shearing the wool off the sheep. Tom, a third-generation proprietor, is eager to share his place, and it helps keep the lights on for these family businesses.

Our last stop was Dromoland Castle. At this point we had been on the move constantly for 10 days, and I think it was brilliant planning to let us decompress at this gorgeous castle for a few days before returning home.” —Michael Kelberman

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Malta and Sardinia: a sixth-generation gilder, a food-market expert, a real Knight of Malta…

The famous arch of Blue Grotto in Malta.

Picnics on isolated cliffs are a Malta highlight, but so are the many people you can meet elsewhere on the Mediterranean island. Photo: Shutterstock

“The nine-day itinerary Jason created for us to Malta and Sardinia in March was crammed with memorable experiences: entrance to the 4000 B.C. Hypogeum underground burial complex (tickets difficult to come by); a fascinating visit with a sixth-generation gilder; the tastiest private tour of a food market I’ve ever been on; a walk in the Sardinian countryside to see the island’s wild four-foot-tall horses; and—my favorite—a fabulous multi-course lunch set up just for us on an isolated cliff in Gozo above the crashing waves.

Jason’s ground teams were as interesting as the sights and scenery—our Malta guide, Martin, is a practicing Knight of Malta whose title goes back generations, as well as a professional photographer and former coach of Australia’s Olympic bobsled team (go figure); our driver there, Mario, is a former comptroller and auditor in addition to being an all-around great guy; guide Paola got her start translating for Tony Ryan when he was setting up his Ryanair empire in Sardinia; Marcello, our driver in Sardinia, had recently returned from the Polish border as a volunteer transporting Ukrainian orphans by bus to safety.

And if you ever want to feel like Bill Gates, now is your moment: Thanks to the VIP service Jason arranges at the airport, you wait in a private lounge before being escorted past the frenzied crowds to a town car on the tarmac that drives you to your plane, all before boarding officially begins.” —Priscilla Eakeley

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Oman: Bedouin women, pottery artisans, wedding prep with an Omani bride, meals in new friends’ homes…

Dhow boat Cruise in Arabian Peninsula, boat on blue water with desert mountains in background

A dhow cruise off the coast of Oman. Photo: Shutterstock

“My friend and I are active 60-plus-year-old women who enjoy traveling and immersing ourselves into the countries that we visit. We don’t want to just see a UNESCO World Heritage Site but want to meet the locals and see how they live—which is what we get when we use Wendy’s WOW List travel specialists.

We flew to Muscat and traveled around Oman for about two weeks. Dan listened to what we wanted to see and experience, and he or his office was with us via email, phone, and/or text every day of our visit.  Our guide, Fahad, heard I was a potter and took us to a pottery factory. He took us to his brother’s home for a typical Omani lunch and to see how they live. At this house we met his newborn niece and received the traditional gift of Frankincense. Fahad also took us to his friend’s home who was getting married that evening. We spent a few hours with the women in their traditional garb and experienced their welcome foods… dates, coffee, apples, oranges, chickpeas and other delicacies.

We also went to a local family’s home for another typical Omani meal on the floor and got to speak with their children. The father worked in the Ministry and the wife worked in the travel business setting up trips for Omanis. Quite stimulating conversations!

We visited souqs, fish markets, experienced the dhow-making process, lunched at the Chedi Hotel (a must!), visited mosques, learned about the Frankincense tree, swam in Hawiyat Najm Sink Hole (a must!), drove through wadis, learned about the date trees, photographed wild donkeys, had our feet ‘cleaned’ in the Sink Hole by the little fish, rode camels in the desert, met and dressed like Bedouin women, dune bashed in Wahiba Sands, experienced a sand storm, saw how Kumas are made, played soccer with an eight-year-old, saw goats climb trees, enjoyed a warm herbal compress massage at the Alila Jabal Akhdar (our favorite hotel!), had an impromptu donkey ride, went grocery shopping at the Hypermarket, and snorkeled with sea turtles in the Daymaniyat Islands (a must!).

We felt so welcomed in Oman and felt that the Omani people were kind, interesting and curious about us. It was another WONDERFUL adventure using Wendy’s travel specialists!” —Maureen Ferrari

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Colombia: a gallery opening with eminent artists, a private cooking class, a salsa dancing lesson…

View of Journalist's Park with Monserrate and the Candelaria district of Bogota, Colombia

Bogota, Colombia, is an easy nonstop flight from New York City.  Photo: Shutterstock

“Contrary to what people may think based on past history, Colombia was very safe. Our trip started in Bogota with an easy direct day flight from New York. Three nights there allowed us to explore the city, its food, and the amazing gold museum. Boris arranged a private art tour which included access to a private opening of the works of the famous Colombian artist Jim Amaral, where we met him and his more famous wife Olga de Amaral. For a change in pace, we then spent a night in Villa de Leyva, a national heritage site with a stop in Zipaquira to see the spectacular underground salt cathedral.

Next stop was Medellin, with visits to Comuna 13, with an understanding of conflict and cacao, and a visit to a large orchid collection. Four nights in the coffee country, staying in a wonderful hacienda, allowed us to explore that area, including a rafting trip, a visit to a coffee plantation, and a day out with an excellent birding guide. The final stop was Cartagena, where we stayed in the Casa San Augustin in the middle of the old city; great for walking around the old areas with activities such as a rum and chocolate tasting, a private cooking class in one of the best restaurants, and a salsa dancing lesson. An easy 5-hour direct day flight took us back to New York. Colombia is a country well worth a visit—even though it does not seem to be on the radar screens of many of our acquaintances—and Boris and his team are a great asset for organizing a diverse and interesting trip.” —Tony Ford-Hutchinson

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Southeast Asia: being blessed by the family elders in a local home, a sunrise breakfast with saffron-robed monks…

Ancient statues outside South Gate of Angkor Thom at sunset in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sunset at Angkor Thom in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Photo: Shutterstock

“We just returned from a fabulous three-week-plus trip to Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam, and Cambodia, organized for us by Sandy. While we have traveled a great deal, this trip was among the best, if not THE best, trip we’ve taken. The diversity and specialness of our experiences made it stand out.

Like Napoleon’s army, we travel on our stomachs, and the food we had on this trip was extraordinary. One evening in Laos we went to the home of our guide, who Sandy has worked closely with for years. We helped prepare dinner, were blessed by the family elders in a Baci ceremony for success on our journey, ate the delicious food we had helped cook, and danced and sang with the family. Another night in Cambodia, we ate at a local village restaurant. With travel to Cambodia down due to the pandemic, it’s a great time to visit, and we were the only people at the restaurant. After a foot massage and passion fruit mojito, we were escorted to our table overlooking vibrant green rice fields while being serenaded by lovely music. In Hanoi, we went to Bun Cha Sinh Tu and had the famous soup it’s known for. It was table-pounding good. And our Vespa food tour of Saigon, which Sandy had strongly suggested, was both delicious and terrifying. Driving a motorbike in Saigon should be an Olympic sport, and we just rode!

Our excellent guides in Laos and Viet Nam shared with us the experiences of their families during the War and recounted working with American veterans who returned years later, as well as a reporter who had covered it. These personal and moving stories touched us and helped us better understand the profound effect of the War on the people who lived through it.

In Cambodia, we went to a Buddhist temple at 5:30 in the morning and meditated. Afterward we were showered with lotus petals as part of a blessing ceremony and had breakfast at the monastery as the sun rose. Early one morning in Laos, we gave sticky rice to saffron-robed monks who extended their begging bowls to us. Through this daily ritual, the monks demonstrate their vows of poverty and humility. Our guide took us to a quiet place where her family normally gives alms, avoiding other tourists.

It’s hard to encapsulate all we saw and did because there was so much: seeing the temples of Angkor, kayaking in Halong Bay, boating on the Saigon River, biking through Hoi An. Part of what made this trip so good was the flexibility we had in determining what we would do and not do each day. We had great guidance and suggestions from Sandy, but he emphasized this was our trip. Thoughtful planning and flexibility helped make this the trip of a lifetime.” —Catherine Mathis

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Bali: visiting farmers, playing instruments with village musicians…

“Having never been to Indonesia before, we told Diane the types of activities we enjoyed and she devised a custom itinerary that suited us perfectly. We spent an exciting day rafting down the Ayung river in Ubud and enjoyed a scenic guided hike to two beautiful waterfalls in the northern part of the island.

We also enjoyed a visit to a Balinese farming village where we got to sample Balinese cuisine and meet the lovely Balinese people who call this area their home. A highlight we’ll always remember is the live Balinese music and dancing which were performed for our enjoyment. We were shy, to be honest, at first. But by the end of the performance we actually got up there and played the drums and cymbals! These are the types of experiences that make travel so worthwhile. We’ll never forget it—and we have Diane to thank for that!” —Joe McBrine

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Belize: meeting fishermen, organic farmers, Mayan artisans at a women’s cooperative…

a fishing guide in Belize poles the boat into position to intercept a school of fish that would have been scared off by the engine.

A fisherman in Belize.  Photo: Timothy Baker

Rachael and Patricia curated a wonderful 17 days for us in Belize. The accommodations were first-rate, beautiful, and serene. At The Lodge at Chaa Creek, no matter where we stood, the view was picture-perfect. Further, at each of the five places we stayed, the service matched the setting. We were treated very well. Trip highlights were the ancient Mayan sites of Tikal and Xunantunich, Che Chem Ha Cave, a visit to the San Antonio Women’s Group Center, and a back street food tour in San Pedro.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we were able to meet, spend time with, and learn from many wonderful people. Gonzo, Andrea, and Calliandra of Che Chem Ha were enchanting. Timotea and the other members of the San Antonio Women’s Group Center were gracious, committed, and knowledgeable. Eder and his father, El Fego, at Xunantunich made us feel welcome and taught us much. Don Eladio took us for an educational and entertaining romp through his organic farm, Victoria taught us much as she prepared our lunch, and her children Christian and Tristan made us part of the family for the day. Axel, Vickie, and Isien of Manta Island Resort were so good to us that, even in the age of Covid, hugs were essential.

And then there were the two anonymous guests (fishermen, we surmised) who ate dinner at the table next to ours two nights in a row at the Copal Tree Lodge. Their almost childlike joy (even choosing the entrée for dinner was an adventure to be savored) underlined for us how fortunate we were to be there at that moment. Rachael and Patricia provided us with many such moments, and for that we are very grateful.” —Richard Ashmore

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Canada: townspeople at a fair, musicians and storytellers, a screech-in at a local pub…

Newfoundlanders welcome travelers into their homes (and lighthouses). Photo: Maxxim Vacations

Jill organized an eight-day trip for four couples, best friends for the last 30 years. It was a trip full of great adventure, hiking, fishing, good food, and fantastic people. In Cape Breton our local guide caught our vibe from the minute she met us and took us to her own town’s annual fair. She introduced us to some of the families there, and we instantly felt the warmth and kindness—we didn’t want to leave!

In Newfoundland, we stayed in Woody Point in Gros Morne National Park. The townspeople were, again, warm and welcoming (a common characteristic in this part of Canada). The local pub, The Merchant Warehouse, had great food, and the owner’s daughter plays her guitar and sings up a storm (don’t miss it). We had our screech-in there as well with the incomparable Aunt Sophie!!! The hikes were unrivalled; accurately marked and well-kept, the unique landscapes and terrain were breathtaking. We will be back to conquer Gros Morne itself!

Finally, we ended our vacation in Corner Brook at the beautiful Hew & Draw Hotel. The highlight here was our time with Darren, who took us out in his dory to his cabin on the water for a dinner of mussels and cod, with an evening tour of the surrounding region by boat. His mom had even baked us an apple pie! The stories he told us of his family and the region were again just part of the local hospitality. We have traveled to many places in the world, and the Canadian Maritimes is indeed a treasure.” —Barbara Palter

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Mexico City: an expert-led taco tour, meals with private chefs, off-the-beaten-path shopping…

tacos

An expert-led taco tour is a must-do in Mexico City. Photo: Shutterstock

“We wanted to explore neighborhoods and culture and avoid crowded museums and other tourist sites. Zach and his team delivered right on point. We were able to visit the historic downtown, stroll through neighborhoods like Roma, Condessa and Polanca in the heart of Mexico City, and visit the district of Coyoacan with the charming Colonia del Carmen neighborhood and village center with our guide Amalia.

If you are a foodie, you will love your options: We had a wonderful taco tour with Frederico and two wonderful meals with private chefs Alfredo and Graciela. Everything was absolutely delicious. Another highlight was a shopping afternoon with Cristina, who took us to wonderful off-the-beaten-path shops where we were able to purchase items we will cherish forever and a beautiful selection of clothing for my wife. We had a wonderful time and will definitely use Zach next time we go to Mexico.” —Susan and Blake Hancock

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Ireland: teen boys meeting local teens for outdoor fun and games

Killarney National Park with a scenic tour from Killarney Jaunting Cars.

A jaunting cart ride in Killarney National Park, Ireland.  Photo: Shutterstock

“My friend and I took our four teenage sons on a March spring break trip to Ireland arranged by Jonathan. It was a mix of sightseeing, adventure, and downtime that was perfect for all of us. I can’t speak highly enough about our time with our private driver-guide, Frank. Frank got to know the boys and their interests and went out of his way to add to the itinerary with activities such as Gaelic Games and time with a local club soccer team. Our boys loved getting to spend time with other teens from Ireland.

Some favorite activities were our boat ride in Killarney National Park followed by a seven-mile jaunting cart ride. The Galway food walking tour was a hit for all. While the rest of our group did Gaelic Games, I did a walking tour of Dublin and had a wonderful time learning about Dublin past and present.

This is my second trip that I have done going through your WOW List. Your trip planners make vacations memorable and special. I will never plan a trip without going through Wendy Perrin—and I freely share this advice with others.” —Jennifer Brown

Read more reviews of Ireland trips. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.

START A TRIP TO IRELAND

 

Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.

Wendy’s Travel Advice for 2022

Of the thousands of you who arranged international trips via our WOW system last year during Covid, many of you said in your trip reviews that it was the best trip of your life and that you felt safer overseas than you do back home. This was not just dumb luck. It was the result of careful orchestration of the pandemic-travel experience by people with the expertise and connections for navigating the new international travel landscape. Based on everything we’ve learned throughout the pandemic, if you’re looking for the best travel experiences in 2022, here’s my advice:

Let your timing dictate where you go. Flexibility regarding choice of your travel destination is key. Smart windows for travel will differ by country, as the factors that help determine a destination’s Covid-safeness (e.g., local vaccination rate and type, availability of open-air dining, optimal conditions for outdoor activities, etc.) fluctuate. When you know when you’ll be able to travel, write to Ask Wendy, and we can recommend where you’re likely to have the best experience during that window.

Embrace last-minute opportunities. Given how quickly the travel landscape keeps changing, the next smart opportunity may come sooner than you think, so be ready to jump. (My family, for instance, is ready to jump because we’ve already ordered, and received, the mail-in PCR tests and at-home antigen tests we’ll need for our next international flight, even though we haven’t chosen our destination yet.) Fair warning, though:  Last-minute arrangements are a bad idea for popular countries such as France, Greece, and Italy that are seeing sky-high demand (and consequent sky-high pricing) for spring/summer/fall 2022.

Favor travel to countries that require vaccination and/or a negative test for entry. So many of your trip reviews mention you felt safer in the foreign country than you do back home, thanks to local protocols and private, Covid-safe arrangements. Even the international flight feels safer because everybody onboard is vaccinated, or has just tested negative, or both. If you choose the right country at the right time, you’ll get better service, fewer tourists, and a more rewarding experience than in crowded, understaffed resort areas in the mainland U.S.

Stick to one country per trip. With entry requirements in constant flux, every border crossing introduces the possibility that something could go wrong and ruin the rest of your trip.

Fly nonstop, if possible, to reduce time in airports and avoid more requirements.

Don’t discount a country because you’ve already been there: It’s easy to get a trip that’s completely different from your last trip to that place if you use a WOW List local expert. Just ask your fellow travelers who made return trips in 2021 to Belize or Croatia or Morocco or Italy or Tahiti or Greece or….

Give yourself something to look forward to. Anticipation of a trip helps your mental health. If prepaying for a trip, protect yourself financially by using the right WOW Lister and/or buying the right travel insurance (and using a credit card to purchase your trip; here’s more on that). A WOW Moment is something to look forward to as well, so if you’ve traveled with us recently, don’t forget to submit your trip review within three months of your return date so you’ll earn WOW Moment credit for that trip. Here’s how to get a WOW Moment.

Remember that you must test negative before boarding your flight back to the U.S…
Especially if you’re traveling with kids, you will want all family members to test negative the day before your return flight.  So, even if sickness caused by Covid is not a concern for you, it’s still critical to travel in a way that avoids infection. See 5 Testing Tips for an Easy Return to the U.S.

…and for that reason, make your last hotel a good one.
On the off chance that you test positive at the end of your trip, make sure you’re staying somewhere comfortable, ideally with private outdoor space that you could access while isolating.

Keep checking back, and reading our newsletter, for smart trip ideas now (you’ll find more here) plus answers to your most pressing Covid-related travel questions. There are a ton of would-be travelers out there who could use our help de-complicating the new international travel landscape, so please share our newsletter with your friends. Billie, Brook, Kristine, and I wish you safe and extraordinary travels this year! —Wendy


 

We’re Here to Help

As a travel journalist and consumer advocate for the past 30 years—first as Condé Nast Traveler’s advice columnist, then as TripAdvisor’s Travel Advocate—I’m all too aware of the travel concerns that need to be addressed as a result of this pandemic. For many trips, you’d be wise to use an extremely well-connected, extremely knowledgeable, destination-specific, trip-planning specialist who can act as your local fixer. You’d be even wiser to find and contact that trip planner via The WOW List, which is the first step in my WOW approach to trip planning, created by popular demand from my longtime readers. It’s the approach used by the travelers who are submitting these trip reviews and getting benefits including priority status, VIP treatment, my advice from the start of your trip planning, and the chance to win a surprise, custom-designed WOW Moment on a third qualifying trip. It all starts when you tell us about the trip you want via the questionnaires on The WOW List. —Wendy

LEARN HOW WE HELP

 

 

This article was originally published January 2, 2022. It has been updated.

(3) The Blue Ridge Parkway

How to Stay Safe on a Road Trip During Covid

(3)	The Blue Ridge Parkway
(2)	Pine Spur Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
(1)	The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, October 2020
Woman in a mask at Mt Vernon  George Washington’s home in Virginia.
homeschool day with kids Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home in Virginia.
At Mount Vernon, costumed—and masked—interpreters
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia
Richard Johnston Inn courtyard Fredericksburg Virginia
Richard Johnston Inn courtyard Fredericksburg Virginia
Richard Johnston Inn breakfast
Richard Johnston Inn interior of guest room with dog Fredericksburg Virginia
St Simons Island Georgia biking on beach
St Simons Island georgia oak trees
 St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum Georgia
 Fort Frederica National Monument entrance St Simons Georgia
Fort Frederica National Monument St Simons georgia
Fort Frederica National Monument St Simons georgia
Fort Frederica National Monument St Simons georgia
covid safety signage at Fort Frederica National Monument St Simons georgia
The Blue Ridge Parkway makes social distancing easy.

 

As we’ve learned more about Covid and how to avoid it, my family and I have grown more ambitious with each road trip.  Since the pandemic started, I’ve had to make four essential road trips. On the first trip, right after New Jersey’s lockdown ended, we avoided hotels and restaurants altogether. On the second, I learned how to choose safe hotels and restaurants. On the third, we added visits to historic monuments and museums and even rented a house. Each time, before leaving home and upon returning, we each took a mail-in Covid test and self-isolated, so as reduce the risk of spreading the virus. And it worked: Nobody in the family has gotten Covid.  As I head out on my fifth long road trip of the pandemic, here are the strategies I’ll continue to utilize.

For safer food stops and restrooms, get off the Interstate.

Gas-station convenience stores, chain restaurants, and food courts just off highways—all of which tend to have poorly ventilated, cramped bathrooms—are, in my experience, the least safe places on the road. They are highly trafficked by a wide cross-section of people from who-knows-which states with who-knows-what rules, and many of those people don’t stay six feet away. By contrast, in towns a few miles from the highway, even in red-zone states, we’ve found non-chain, family-run places that are much cleaner, less crowded, more virus-savvy, with more outdoor seating (plus outdoor heat lamps) and better take-out menus.

Bring a plug-in cooler for your car.

To avoid indoor dining, too many fast-food drive-throughs, and frequent supermarket runs, pack a cooler where you can store provisions such as cold cuts, condiments, and other ingredients for luncheon sandwiches.

Order curbside pick-up from eateries that win local awards and have extensive takeout menus.

When I can’t find a good outdoor-dining option, I search online for eateries that are beloved by the locals and do a huge takeout business.  As just one example, when we were nearing Winchester, Virginia, on I-81, I did a search for “Winchester Virginia best BBQ takeout,” found Bonnie Blue Southern Market & Bakery (check out the menu), and picked up Low Country Shrimp & Grits.  Bonus: I got to see historic Old Town Winchester en route.  Pro tip:  Always order by phone because the conversation with a human being yields important current info that you don’t get otherwise, plus they’re less likely to get your order wrong.

Look for government-run public restrooms.

In addition to local libraries, state welcome centers, and national historic landmarks’ visitor centers, we found the cleanest, least crowded bathrooms in places run by the U.S. National Park Service. First prize goes to the spotless, empty restrooms along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Before visiting a historic landmark or museum, find out what’s planned there for that day.

When we spontaneously pulled into Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home in Virginia, it turned out to be Homeschool Day. There were moms with kids all over, and while it was possible to stay six feet away from them, it would have been better to visit on a different day. A relatively easy way to avoid a school-field-trip environment is to visit such sites in the late afternoon.

Buy tickets in advance for indoor sites (and indoor sections of sites).

Many monuments and museums are limiting capacity, to reduce the number of visitors in enclosed spaces. This means there might be a wait to enter or tickets might be sold out. At F.D.R.’s Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, there was no wait to stroll the grounds but a wait to tour the house. At Mount Vernon, we bought Grounds Passes that allowed us to access most of the estate, but tickets to get inside the mansion itself were sold out.

Look for hotel rooms with outdoor private entrances.

To avoid sharing poorly ventilated indoor spaces with strangers, I usually seek out hotels that have standalone cabins or cottages with windows that open. (If I think a guest or housekeeper was in the room recently, I’ll keep the windows open for ventilation).  Where such hotels are not available, I look for historic inns because they often have rooms outside the main building.  We’ve now stayed twice at the Richard Johnston Inn in Fredericksburg, Virginia, because they have pet-friendly rooms off a courtyard:  We can park the car, walk to our room, and punch in the entry code to open the door, without entering a lobby or encountering another person. In the morning, breakfast can be served al fresco in the courtyard, and each time we were the only guests eating there.

Pack a HEPA filter.

When I enter a hotel room, my goal is to avoid breathing any particles left by someone else or touching anything recently touched by someone else.  So, before making a reservation, I speak with the room reservations supervisor in order to choose a room that will not be occupied by someone else the night before my arrival.  (On road trips I tend to make same-day reservations, so the supervisor knows for sure whether someone slept in the room the night before.)  Upon arrival, I use sanitizer wipes to clean all doorknobs, faucets, and the like. Last but not least, I place our air purifier with HEPA filter near the bed.

If you’re renting a house, the state’s infection rate matters less than hyperlocal factors such as the town and street you pick.

We spent the last weekend of one road trip in a vacation rental on an island off the coast of Georgia, and friends of ours who live in Florida drove up to share the house with us for three nights.  Georgia and Florida are not known for their Covid safety, yet our location and timing—St. Simons Island, near the beach, in shoulder season—allowed us to be as carefree as it gets nowadays:  We cooked all our meals, rented bikes—on St. Simons you can bike on the beach!—and spent our time sightseeing, fishing, taking long walks beneath the island’s famous oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, and just being so happy that we could catch up in person with our friends, even if we couldn’t touch or hug them.  We’re already planning to rent the same house with them next year.


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Wendy Perrin snorkeling in Belize underwater with a smiling fish.

Wendy’s Family Trip to Belize: Photos from the Beach and Sea

The best vacations are those where you try something new you’ve never done before. When you learn a new skill or master a challenge or achieve a long-held goal during a trip, it leaves you with intense memories of that trip and a sense of accomplishment that can linger forever.

That’s one reason why I chose Belize for my family vacation: I wanted my younger son, Doug (14), to learn how to dive. Doug is starting high school next month and is fascinated by marine biology, so it seemed like a good moment to get him his scuba certification.

The diving and snorkeling in Belize is world-class, thanks to the country’s position alongside the world’s second largest barrier reef. Belize also has the typical advantages afforded by a location on the Caribbean Sea, yet it’s easier to fly to, more affordable than, and less built-up than, many Caribbean islands.

Doug wasn’t the only one with a goal to achieve. The other reason I chose Belize was so I could road-test Belize trip-planning specialists. Belize has been catching on in popularity among sophisticated travelers. For the past year I’ve received a steadily increasing number of Belize trip requests. So, of course, I wanted to investigate and find a Belize travel specialist worthy of The WOW List.

Here’s a sneak peek at our adventures. Stay tuned for more on the best things to do and see in Belize, where to stay, where to eat… and how to learn to scuba dive in just three days (that’s how long it took Doug). And if you’re looking for the best Belize trip-planning specialist, here’s who I recommend.

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Abu Dhabi Qasr al Sarab Wendy and camel

Wendy’s Best Travel Moments of 2017

The highlights of my travels this year were a combo of the most surprising discoveries, the most worthwhile experiences, and long-anticipated moments that finally came true. These are experiences I wish for you in 2018. If you’d like advice for how to arrange them, I can help you over at Ask Wendy. Wishing you and yours extraordinary travels in 2018!

Zambia Elephant Cafe Wendy feeding elephant

Did you know you can feed and pet elephants in the wild?  We did this at the Elephant Café, an unfenced wildlife sanctuary near Victoria Falls, Zambia, that has replaced elephant rides with gourmet cuisine as a way to earn revenue to support the animals. In this photo, I’ve just told an elephant “Trunk up!” so I can throw grain into his mouth. Check out the video here.

Zambia Chiawa Wendy dancing

For me an African safari isn’t just about viewing wildlife. It’s about meeting people from a totally different culture. When these kids in Zambia welcomed us to their village with songs and dances, of course I joined in and did as the locals do. Yes, I looked like a spazz, but it got a lot of laughs and helped break the ice. See videos from our village visit here.

Zambia Chiawa girl with Frisbee ring

We brought school supplies and toys—including Frisbee rings—to the folks of Chiawa, Zambia. Africa travel specialist Cherri Briggs, the Trusted Travel Expert on my WOW List who arranged our safari, has spearheaded a number of life-changing community projects there. Our time in Chiawa was a highlight of our Africa trip. Here’s why.

Victoria Falls helicopter Doug

Victoria Falls, which is arguably the world’s biggest waterfall, can’t be fully appreciated until you see it from above. It’s like looking back in time because you can see the geological history of the land unfold. Watch video from our helicopter flight here.

Victoria Falls Hotel veranda

This is one of the world’s most enchanting and iconic places to stay: The Victoria Falls Hotel, built by the British in 1904. It transports you back in time to the days of B.O.A.C. Clippers and steamer trunks. You feel like you’re just one step away from Stanley meeting Livingstone.

Victoria Falls Hotel presidential suite2

Tim and I stayed at The Victoria Falls Hotel on our first date, eighteen years ago. When we came back this year, married and with children in tow, they upgraded us to the presidential suite. Queen Elizabeth II and Oprah Winfrey slept here too.

Zambia South Luangwa National Park elephants

In our ever-more-crowded world, a safari in Africa increasingly means battling other Land Rovers to jockey for the best position to see the wildlife. But deep in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, we had the animals—and the landscapes—practically all to ourselves. We were certainly the only people watching these elephants cross the river. Just by looking at them, you can gauge the depth of the water, eh?

Zambia pizza lunch in the bush

Bush brunch!  It’s such a surprise when you’re on a game drive, you round a corner in the middle of nowhere, and there’s lunch waiting for you, complete with panoramic view. It’s an even bigger surprise when you get to make your own pizza!   First we rolled out the dough with a rolling pin, then we sprinkled on our choice of toppings. Bush brunch is one of the special touches you get at Bushcamp Company camps. For more on our extraordinary safari, see Where’s Wendy: Exploring the Next Great African Safari Spot.

Zambia Zambezi River tiger fish

Tim’s dream was to catch a tiger fish in the Zambezi. I’ve never seen him so happy.

Zambia Chiawa hut laptop

“What kind of drums do they play in your church?” That was one of the best questions we got in Zambia. When this man asked us that question, I pulled out my laptop to show him a video I’d shot—in Bratislava, of all places—of an historic pipe organ filling an ancient church with gorgeous music. This man had never heard a pipe organ before. If you’ve never heard Zambian music before, listen here.

Dubai Burj Khalifa view from hotel balcony

Recognize this? It’s the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. This was the view from my hotel balcony on an overnight layover in Dubai. Of course Lindsey Wallace, the U.A.E. travel specialist on my WOW List who made our arrangements, knew exactly which hotel and room are best when you’ve got only one night to see as much of Dubai as possible.

Abu Dhabi Qasr al Sarab desert oasis

It looks like a movie set, eh? Qasr al Sarab is an oasis fit for a sheikh and dropped in the middle of nowhere in the Abu Dhabi desert, just a few miles from the Saudi border. Many people ask me how to spend a Dubai layover. My answer: Make your layover at least three nights, and spend at least two of them at Qasr al Sarab, which is only a three-hour drive from the Dubai airport. I guarantee it will transport you to another place, time, and frame of mind that you won’t want to leave. We were there in August—of all crazy times for a desert adventure—and, as much as I hate heat, we loved every minute.

Abu Dhabi Qasr al Sarab camel caravan

A sunrise camel ride at Qasr al Sarab is the Mercedes of camel rides. The camels are well groomed, and the tack is first-rate: The saddles are extra-comfortable, the handles are easy to grip, and there are step stools to help you on and off.

Abu Dhabi Qasr al Sarab Wendy and camel

Me and my new friend.

Abu Dhabi Qasr al Sarab dune bashing

Dune bashing at Qasr al Sarab is nothing less than spectacular. If you opt for the “hard drive” (as opposed to a “soft drive”), it’s more thrilling than any roller coaster.

Abu Dhabi Qasr al Sarab dune bashing sunset

This is how your off-roading adventure ends: sunset on the dunes.

Burj al Arab beach with kids

The kids went swimming in the Persian Gulf for the first time. Recognize this hotel?  It’s billed as the world’s most luxurious—and, now that I’ve stayed there, I have to agree. It’s the Burj al Arab, where the kids hit the beach with new friends they made in Dubai.

Burj al Arab room desk

Check out our room. At the Burj al Arab, this is just your typical guest room. Each room is two stories tall and comes with its own 27-inch Apple computer and printer.

Burj al Arab Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara

To get the full Burj al Arab experience, we dined in the aquarium that is British award-winning chef Nathan Outlaw’s Al Mahara restaurant. We were in awe of both the fish and the prices.

Ski Dubai Mall of the Emirates

I’d been wanting to see this for years. It’s Dubai’s indoor ski resort, inside a massive shopping mall. This is merely the base of the mountain. I was surprised by how much Ski Dubai looks, feels, and even smells like an actual Alpine ski lodge, from its equipment-rental shops to its chalet-style bistros serving fondue.

Morocco boys making bread

Making a staple of local life with their hands is a good way for kids to learn about a country. So we were thrilled when, in Marrakech, the kids learned how to make Moroccan bread from scratch, the centuries-old way.

Morocco communal oven

After rolling and shaping the dough, we carried it down the street to the communal oven where the whole neighborhood takes their bread to be baked. It was way cool.

Morocco desert sandboarding

There’s Doug sandboarding in the Sahara. We spent a magical night at a luxe desert camp in Morocco, just a few miles from Algeria.

Morocco desert camp at night

Here’s the Sahara desert camp where we slept. We even had showers and flush toilets in our tents.

Morocco Fez carpet store aerial view

Carpet shopping has been a colorful way to experience local culture for centuries. But if you end up buying a carpet—or seven—it needs to be because you love it, not because a rug merchant persuades you it’s a wise financial investment. (It probably isn’t.) This was the kids’ first time carpet shopping—in Fez, Morocco—and the store was so theatrical about it, with men in white lab coats serving us tea and rolling out about 100 carpets in quick succession, that we had a blast.

Morocco Fez carpet store Wendy and boys

Voilà! This carpet now lies in our living room. At left is the merchant who put on such a fantastic show. (We set a price limit.)

Grand Velas Riviera Maya beach

This was the moment—at Grand Velas Riviera Maya in Mexico—when the Wendy Perrin Global Travel Summit had just ended. After many long days of conference prep and hard work, we finally got to hit the beach for a Taco and Tequila Tasting.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya bed rice

That’s colored rice! The Grand Velas Riviera Maya’s artistic staff recreated the WP logo on the bed of every Global Travel Summit participant!

Marseille Old Port from atop ferris wheel

I get excited when a formerly gritty, crime-ridden place that people used to avoid transforms itself back into a charming city and culinary magnet. Strolling the streets of Marseille—a stop on this Mediterranean cruise—I was struck by the colors everywhere, from the building façades to the seafood dishes that thousands of people were lunching on outdoors in the early April sunshine. I shot this photo from atop the ferris wheel in the old port.

Kitty Hawk Wright Brothers Memorial

This is the site of the world’s first airplane flight, in 1903. We drove to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, for the kids’ February school break—and let me just say that February was a lovely time in the Outer Banks: The weather was great, the Wright Brothers National Memorial uncrowded. Our dog, Macy, hasn’t been on a plane yet, but she comes on all our road trips.

Hong Kong Ngong Ping cable car

This kitschy souvenir photo is from New Year’s Day 2017. Thanks to time-zone changes and a flight itinerary that took us more than half-way around the world, our January 1 lasted about 40 hours. We boarded our flight home from Sri Lanka shortly after midnight and landed in New York City at about 10pm on the same day. In between was a Hong Kong layover long enough for us to take the Ngong Ping cable car up to the Big Buddha. There are better ways to spend a Hong Kong layover, but after the red-eye from Sri Lanka, the fresh air and the 360-degree views of Hong Kong’s islands and the South China Sea were what the doctor ordered.

 

Be a smarter traveler: Read real travelers’ reviews of Wendy’s WOW List and use it to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter @wendyperrin, and Instagram @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

The truth about Travel Warnings

Watch: This Is How to Interpret Travel Warnings

One of the biggest mistakes I see travelers make, over and over, is to unnecessarily cancel a trip or rule out a country because they’ve misconstrued a U.S. State Department travel advisory. A Travel Alert does not mean don’t go. And sometimes that’s true for Travel Warnings too. Right now there are Travel Warnings for 45 countries, ranging from war zones that should be avoided (e.g., Syria) to places that millions of people travel to safely every year for blissful relaxation (e.g., Mexico).

Last week, the U.S. State Department updated its Travel Warning for Mexico. According to State Department officials, this was a routine update. Still, the info that crime has increased in 2017 in areas including the states of Quintana Roo (where Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen are) and Baja California Sur (where Los Cabos is) is making the travel news rounds.

The reality is that most of the conflicts have been between rival criminal organizations and have not involved travelers. The Travel Warning acknowledges this, stating: “There is no evidence that criminal organizations have targeted U.S. citizens based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the level of drug-related violence and crime that are reported in the border region or in areas along major trafficking routes.”

At Journey Mexico, the trip-planning company run by Zach Rabinor, the Trusted Travel Expert for Mexico on my WOW List, the staff has offered an in-depth explanation based on their first-hand, on-the-ground experience. They write, “It is important to note that, again, these conflicts and any related violence have not and are not targeting holiday travelers.  There has been no violence against tourists within hotels or resorts or traveling to or from any of the main tourist attractions in the area.” They also remind travelers that “Many areas of Mexico, such as the popular state of Yucatan and city of Merida, and throughout the Central Highlands in destinations such as San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City, have no travel warnings at all.”

Yes, you should be careful, but you should also keep these warnings in perspective.

Most countries are a lot like the one where you live: safer in some parts, unsafe in others. Just because Mexico has dangerous parts (e.g., border areas), it doesn’t mean you should avoid others that are hundreds of miles away. I took my own staff to Playa del Carmen in January of this year to host a summit with my WOW List travel specialists from all over the world, and we all felt safe the entire time. Would you avoid Beverly Hills because of terrorist shootings in San Bernardino (which is only an hour away)?

This video will help you quickly understand and act upon travel advisories. I shot it last year when I was in another country for which there is a Travel Warning but which tens of thousands of tourists visit safely each year. Can you guess where? Here’s a clue:

Wendy and a new friend in Cartagena, Colombia, last month.

Wendy and a new friend.

Transparency disclosure: Our sponsor, MedjetAssist, provided the financial support that made it possible to bring you these travel tips.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Wendy making friends at the ancient Phoenician city of Baalbek in Lebanon

Why Xenophobia Makes Me Want to Travel More

Did you see that Dictionary.com named “xenophobia” its 2016 Word of the Year?  Defined as “fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers,” xenophobia has been resonating deeply in the cultural consciousness lately.

How sad. As you can imagine, I’m a strong believer in the enlightenment that comes from traveling to foreign countries, meeting different peoples, and learning first-hand about their culture. I also believe xenophobia can be more harmful than the people it makes you afraid of. There’s danger in not leaving your comfort zone. To quote Paulo Coelho, “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine—it’s lethal.” And you can argue that certain risks are greater where we live: I’m more afraid of people wielding guns at home than in the places I travel to (the U.S. has more guns per capita than any other nation).

So this Word-of-the-Year news had me down…until I realized there’s a silver lining:  If xenophobia actually leads to a wider reluctance to travel, it will be the stereotypical “ugly Americans” who stay home. And that’s not so bad for us diehard travelers. It’s always been my experience that the fewer tourists in a destination, the more welcoming the locals are, the easier it is to talk to them, and the more goodwill they show you. I’m more than happy to travel without running into crowds of Americans in fanny packs and shiny white sneakers. I’m thrilled to have iconic sights to myself and not have my photos marred by busloads of cruisegoers from megaships. And the fewer Americans filling flights and hotels, the better the deals for the rest of us.

When I’m in remote locales, I don’t want to hear Americans saying how much better something is at home. I don’t want to hear, “I had to haggle with a guy to buy this” (do the math, and you’ll see that you were bargaining in increments less than a dollar). I don’t want to hear complaints that there’s not enough ice or air conditioning or whatever drink you’re used to at home. I remember once when I was in Egypt—on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan overlooking the Nile—my husband ordered a Coke and I ordered a Diet Coke. The waiter brought a 16-ounce Coke for my husband and an 8-ounce Coke for me. It took us a minute to understand the logic, but we’ve been laughing about it ever since. That was a beautiful travel moment.

So, my dear xenophobes, if you prefer to stay in your bubble, I’m more than happy to do your traveling for you and serve as an ambassador for our country. I’m happy to drink tea in a bedouin tent while my children play soccer with the local kids. I’m happy to travel to rural Asia armed with pencils and postcards from home. Give a child a postcard of the place where you live and, before you know it, his mom is inviting you inside the place where they live—no fear of strangers involved.

The number of truly different places to travel to in this world is shrinking. The influences of global commerce, Hollywood, and the Internet are quickly making foreign countries more similar to ours than some of us want to admit. That’s why I think it’s important to see these places soon. I’m thrilled that countries still exist where we can say—to quote John Cleese as he sat behind his Monty Python news anchor desk—“And now for something completely different.”

So that’s how I came to terms with xenophobia. Now I just need to get past “post-truth.” That’s another 2016 Word of the Year—the one chosen by Oxford English Dictionaries.  I’m a journalist who has always stood for truth (first as a columnist at Condé Nast Traveler, where “Truth in Travel” was our credo, and now at WendyPerrin.com, where I continue that mantra). So imagine how concerned I am that murky facts and fake news have grown so prevalent that a word had to be invented to describe them.  We may be living in a post-truth era, but I, for one, feel more obligated than ever to share accurate portrayals of the world we travel in and bring truth home to our fellow citizens. How about you?

 

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Watch: How to Protect Yourself From Zika Virus and Mosquito Bites

 

Recently, health officials confirmed that the Zika virus is being actively transmitted by mosquitoes in Miami Beach, Florida. That’s the latest destination in a list of popular U.S. vacation spots—greater South Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands—that have recently reported transmissions of the virus.

Experts are learning new information about the Zika virus every day, and the CDC is sharing that information online at cdc.gov/zika. There you can find up-to-date details on transmission, risk factors, mosquito control, as well as geographic listings and a map of where cases have been reported.

As we’ve stated here before at WendyPerrin.com, travelers who are thinking about pregnancy (along with those who are already pregnant) should not visit destinations where the virus is spreading. The illness has been reported in both men and women, and is known to be transmitted by mosquito bites, sex, blood transfusions, and from a pregnant woman to her fetus.

But as I’ve also stated, the rest of us should not let panic determine our travel decisions. The truth is that mosquitoes have been carrying nasty diseases for centuries: dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever. And nearly every country has mosquitoes. If we were to stop traveling to places with disease-carrying mosquitoes, we’d have to stop seeing most of the world and build a bubble around our own backyards. What’s more, as I explained to journalist Scott Mayerowitz in his recent article for AP News, “the rest of us should be careful not to focus so much on avoiding Zika that we choose a destination that puts our health at greater risk, whether from mosquitoes carrying other diseases or from another cause such as tainted water.”

It’s always important—not just in Zika-affected countries, but everywhere there are mosquitoes—to protect yourself. Here’s how my family and I did it in the rainforest along the Panama Canal. (While Panama is a Zika-affected country, we did not see or feel any mosquitoes during our time there.)

Wendy and her family, in mosquito-resistant clothing, in the rainforest of Panama last month.

Wendy and her family, in mosquito-resistant clothing, in the rainforest of Panama in April 2016.


Transparency disclosure:
 Our sponsor, MedjetAssist, provided the financial support that made it possible to bring you these travel tips.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

 

Watch: How to Make Family Trips Fun

Dear fellow parents: I feel your pain. Traveling with kids is one of the biggest challenges of parenthood. My kids have been to 30 countries, and if I had a nickel for every meltdown in an airport line, every toy left in a hotel room, every time Charlie took a permanent marker and made a mural out of Doug in the back seat, every time a jet-lagged child woke me up at 2 a.m. announcing “I’m tired of sleeping now!”… I’d be rich enough to hire a nanny to watch the kids while I travel alone.

But that’s not the answer. Because even though taking the kids can mean inviting chaos, it also means carving out the time and space to reconnect as a family and create priceless memories. And it’s a great way to raise global citizens.

Plus, it can be fun. Honest. In this video, I show you how. Charlie and Doug even have cameos, as they were plane-spotting in the Caribbean with me when we shot this.

doug sint maarten airplane landing

For more hard-earned family travel tips, check out my 10 Keys to a Peaceful Family Vacation. And here’s advice from children themselves—because sometimes they come up with the most kid-friendly travel solutions:

What to Know Before Booking Your Family Cruise

How to Get Your Child to Try New Foods When Traveling

How to Save Time and Tantrums in Amusement Parks

How to Keep Your Kids Happy on a Cruise

Why You Should Sleep In a Museum

How to Have a Kid-Friendly River Cruise

doug charlie sint maarten airplane landing

 

Transparency disclosure: Our sponsor, MedjetAssist, provided the financial support that made it possible to bring you these travel tips.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

How to Avoid Long Airport Security Lines This Summer

Airport security lines have grown absurdly long of late, thanks to more people traveling and fewer TSA workers. With the busy summer travel season upon us, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. Here’s how to minimize your time stuck in a TSA line on your next trip:

If You’re Flying Soon

Find out if your airport terminal has more than one security checkpoint.

Many terminals do. Before leaving home, go to the airport’s website and pull up a map showing the security checkpoints. (This map, for instance, indicates where the three checkpoints are in Newark airport’s Terminal C; this one shows where they are for all five terminals at Dallas-Fort Worth.) At the airport, ask an official which checkpoint has the shortest line.

Download the MyTSA app.

Available for free for iPhones and Android, this app gives you current security wait times at your airport, as reported by your fellow travelers. You can also view them here; just type in your airport code.

Arrive early and hit the club lounge.

The bigger and busier your airport—e.g., J.F.K., Chicago (O’Hare), or Miami International—the earlier you’ll want to arrive, especially if you’re flying at a peak time.  At least two hours early for a domestic flight, and three hours early for international, may be a good rule of thumb for most airports. To keep your stress level down, you might consider arriving really early and buying a day pass to an airport lounge club (if the club is gate-side).

If You’re Flying Later

Don’t buy airline tickets for flights at peak times.

Avoid Friday late afternoon and early evening, for example, because that’s when business travelers returning from business trips are hitting the airport at the same time as leisure travelers leaving on vacation, creating security-line pile-ups. If you’re taking a long weekend, consider flying on a Saturday morning and returning Tuesday. (That’s also less expensive than a Thursday-to-Sunday long weekend.)

Enroll in TSA PreCheck or, even better, Global Entry.

TSA PreCheck admits you into a priority lane where you need not remove your shoes, liquids, or laptop. The $85 fee covers you for five years. For an extra $15, though, get Global Entry (the $100 fee also covers you for five years), which lets you skip the long customs line on your way back into the U.S. from an international trip, and which automatically gives you TSA PreCheck. Not every airport has PreCheck lanes or Global Entry kiosks, so check whether yours does.

Buy access to the priority security line.

Many travelers who have elite status with an airline can use the express lane at the security checkpoint. If you don’t have elite status, some airlines let you purchase access to the priority security lane on a one-time basis. United, for instance, lets you buy access at 68 airports worldwide (prices start at $15), and JetBlue lets you buy it at 62 airports.

 

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Smitha leads us to our cabana in Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private port in Haiti.

Is This the Best New Cruise Perk at Sea?

If you think there’s no way you could survive a 6,000-passenger cruise ship, listen up. When the world’s new largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seasdebuts this month, it will introduce a first in special treatment at sea: the Royal Genie. Yes, that’s right, a genie. The kind who grants your every wish. More specifically, a shipboard fixer whose goal is to expedite you past every line and make every potential obstacle on a 227,000-ton floating megaresort vanish.

At least, that was what my Royal Genie did when my family and I put one to the test a few months ago aboard Allure of the Seas.  Allure was a fitting ship for this test run because it was the world’s largest cruise ship at the time (until Harmony of the Seas overtook it) and is very similar in design to Harmony. Royal Caribbean, the cruise line to whom these ships belong and that invited me to preview the Royal Genie service, plans to roll it out across five ships this month. Only a handful of passengers—those in the top suites—get a genie.

Now, testing a Royal Genie is harder than you might think. I had trouble dreaming up things for her to do. Maybe I’m just too low-maintenance for a genie. Or maybe I’m more comfortable fending for myself. I did that too on my cruise: I split my time between being spoiled rotten and tackling the buffet line like everyone else. My goal was to be able to advise you how to have the best trip possible aboard the world’s biggest cruise ship, whether you’re in a $30,000 suite or a genie-less $4,000 stateroom.

Before I share my hard-earned advice, though, allow me to clarify what a Royal Genie actually does.

What My Royal Genie Did

My genie, Smitha Thompson, and me in the Royal Promenade aboard Allure of the Seas.

Me and my genie, Smitha Thompson, in the Royal Promenade aboard Allure of the Seas.

If you’ve ever had an airline rep meet you at an airport entrance and escort you through check-in and immigration and onto the plane, bypassing every line en route, then you can start to wrap your head around what a Royal Genie does for you. Her first order of business is to whisk you through the cruise check-in and embarkation process. My genie—the lovely Smitha Thompson, who hails from Mauritius—met me and my family inside the Fort Lauderdale cruise terminal. After we’d sailed through check-in, she escorted us onto the ship and to our room, where awaiting us was about a month’s supply of Brownie Brittle, pretzels, and red licorice (my kids’ favorite snacks, which our genie had researched beforehand). Refills flowed every day.

Smitha got us tables in the ship’s fully booked restaurants and front-row seats to the most popular shows. She had me meet with the head of the shore excursions department so I could get answers to my questions about the pros and cons of various shore tours on offer.

Smitha with the boys at our cabana. Photo: Timothy Baker

Smitha with the boys in our cabana in Labadee.

Her main goal, though, seemed to be for us never to get lost on the ship and never to wait in any line. To that end, she insisted on coming to our room (or to wherever we were on the ship) to escort us to every dinner, show, and scheduled activity. We assured her it was unnecessary, but this genie business was new to her too, and she didn’t want to mess up. Her goal in escorting us was always to take us on the shortest route from point A to point B and, upon arriving at point B, to hand us off to the person in charge there for safe keeping. When the ship docked in port, she expedited us off the ship via a labyrinth of secret passageways, normally off-limits to all but crew, so as to bypass any potential bottlenecks en route to the gangway. When we called at Labadee, the cruise line’s private port in Haiti, we were the first passengers off the ship, onto a private golf cart, into the roped-off portion of Labadee that is reserved for suite passengers, and up to a hilltop private cabana, where snorkel masks, fins, a cooler filled with drinks, and a bartender named Kesnel awaited.

Smitha even stood in line at the lobby Starbucks each morning so that she could knock on my door holding a skinny vanilla latte at 7:00 a.m. (She had asked me to specify a coffee drink and delivery time each morning.) The coffee was free of charge, of course, as were all of her services. Only Star Class passengers get a Royal Genie, and those passengers have already paid top dollar, so the cruise line is not about to nickel-and-dime them.

Smitha expedited our departure as well. Normally, on a cruise, passengers must place all suitcases and non-carry-on luggage outside their cabin doors the night before disembarkation (so that the luggage can be transported off the ship and into the cruise terminal). Smitha got this rule waived for us. On the final morning of the cruise, we got to stay in our cabin with all our luggage till everyone else had been ushered into disembarkation groups. Then she came with porters to collect us and our bags, led us on another shortcut to the gangway, escorted us off the ship, expedited us and our baggage through customs and immigration, placed us in a taxi, and sent us on our way. From cabin door to taxi door, disembarkation took 15 minutes—which, for the world’s biggest cruise ship in one of the world’s busiest cruise terminals, is pretty darned fast. 

Our baggage left the ship at the same time we did. Photo: Timothy Bake

Thanks to Smitha, our luggage stayed with us in our cabin until we left the ship.

The Royal Genie concept has evolved in the months since my test run. Smitha, whose real job was in the ship’s guest services department, was enthusiastic about trying on the role but had never received any official genie training. Since that time, Royal Caribbean has hired a bevy of Royal Genies, trained and certified by the British Butler Institute, and has even designed special outfits for them that are less nautical, more purple.

How to Use a Royal Genie

As wonderful as having your own personal vacation assistant might sound, there were awkward moments and missed opportunities. Should you ever be so lucky as to have a Royal Genie at your disposal, here’s my advice:

Don’t be afraid to say No.

A Royal Genie wants so badly to be helpful that sometimes, so as not to hurt her feelings, you end up saying yes to things you really don’t want. For instance, I wish I’d said “No” when Smitha urged us to ride around Labadee in a private golf cart even though we would have preferred to walk like everyone else. I did say “No” to the hand-delivered morning lattes, once I realized I’d rather sleep in.

Ask which shipboard experiences are most special and why.

On a Royal Caribbean megaship, there are more activities, shows, and restaurants than anybody could ever try in one week, so you must choose carefully.  I wish Smitha and I had sat down at the start and gone through the universe of options, as overwhelming as that might have been. Somehow I didn’t even learn until Day 6 that the ship has a zip-line or that I could dine al fresco in a garden, under the stars, listening to live music.

Request an in-depth tour of the ship on Day 2 or 3.

Smitha gave us a 45-minute introductory tour of the vessel on Day 1. The ship is the length of four football fields, with 18 decks, so she probably didn’t want to tire us out. But I wish I’d asked for an in-depth, three-hour tour. The ship has seven “neighborhoods” and surprises on every deck, from a Kate Spade boutique to a Boardwalk carousel to a running track that wraps around the entirety of the ship. Only on the last day of the cruise did I discover my favorite serene hideout: Deck 5 aft, where there are just a couple of empty wooden deck chairs and ocean panoramas forever.

Find out what behind-the-scenes tours are available.

Who are you most interested in meeting on the ship and what are you most interested in learning from him or her? The inner workings of a 6,000-passenger megaship are pretty fascinating. Your genie can probably arrange an insider’s tour with anyone from the chef to the chief engineer.

Ask about private photo ops with one of the ship’s photographers.

Your genie will likely schedule activities for you that are unique in the world.  (Here, for example, is a glimpse of the first-at-sea features aboard Harmony of the Seas). And when you’re doing a one-of-a-kind activity with your family, you may want a photographer capturing the moment—such as when you’re riding the Labadee Flight Line or surfing on the Flow Rider.

Smitha checks on the boys at the Flow Rider. Photo: Timothy Baker

Smitha kept showing up to check on us around the ship. Here, she checks on the boys at the Flow Rider.

How to Get By Without a Royal Genie

The truth is, some of what a Royal Genie does you can arrange on your own, as long as you’re organized and do some advance planning.

Figure out what’s important to you ahead of time, so you board the ship with a strategy.

Study the cruise line’s website, read the forums and advice on Cruise Critic, and know the full range of options that will be available to you, so you can take action immediately upon boarding. On the ship each morning, read the list of scheduled activities in the daily newsletter; it’s a long, dense list, so bring a highlighter.

Book as much as possible before boarding.

You can make restaurant reservations and book show tickets online in advance. If it’s a free show, send a family member 30 minutes early to save seats for you.

Do the most important activities early in the cruise rather than later.

You know those one-of-a-kind activities I mentioned? On the last day of the cruise, passengers were realizing that they hadn’t tried the Flow Rider, or the Boardwalk zip-line, or what-have-you, and the result was that these things were in high demand. Try them early in the week when the line is short—or before they shut down because the weather has turned too windy.

If you’re in the Caribbean, consider staying on the ship during one of your days in port.

Nobody is a more enthusiastic shoreside sightseer than I.  If you have a smart plan for exploring and getting an authentic experience of an island during your limited time in port, good for you. But if you’ve boarded with no plan, beware. The larger a ship, the longer it takes to get on and off, and the more touristy or inconvenient the port areas it calls at. If you’ve got no sightseeing plan, and your choice is between a generic group tour and walking aimlessly around tourist traps, consider just staying put on the ship and having all its features to yourself. Then return to the island and see it properly someday when you have the time to do it justice.

Ask the crew for dining recommendations.

Seriously.  The crew members aboard Allure, at least, are outgoing conversationalists, and we got our best food tips from a random assortment of them. They recommended breakfast at the Park Café in Central Park (a big mid-ship outdoor garden), for instance; there we discovered New York deli-style bagels with assorted flavors of cream cheese, lox, and toppings. They also sent us to Johnny Rockets in the morning for omelettes. Who knew?

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If you are considering a cruise on a giant ship, I recommend having a savvy and extremely well-connected cruise specialist arrange and book it for you so that you get the best cabin and itinerary for your dollar. Feel free to write to Ask Wendy and I can suggest the right cruise advisor for your particular trip goals.

Full Disclosure: Royal Caribbean provided me and my family with a complimentary cruise  (I paid for the airfare).  In keeping with my standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Royal Caribbean’s part, nor was anything promised on mine.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

sleeping on a plane

15 Problem-Solving Items for Overnight Flights

Leave it to frequent fliers to come up with creative ways to make overnight flights comfortable. These unusual recommendations come from assorted travel experts and friends on Facebook. They’re not all what you’d expect, but they’re all very clever. What items do you take on the plane to help make you more comfortable?

Cabeau Fold ‘n Go Travel Blanket and Case

Cabeau Fold n Go-Blanket

Cabeau Fold n Go-Blanket

It’s super plush and comfy and can also be used as a pillow and lumbar support. It has a loop with a snap that lets me attach it to my carry-on bag so it’s easy to access and doesn’t take up precious space in my bag. —Susan Portnoy, founder, The Insatiable Traveler

Lululemon Vinyasa scarf

I never board a flight without it. The wide, soft, cotton scarf with snaps can be worn all sorts of ways, which is great for travel. For flights though, I love that it can be a blanket, a pillow, a wrap, or even a sort of light-blocking head scarf.” —Christine Sarkis, senior editor, Smarter Travel

 

FitKicks

Fit Kicks

Fit Kicks

I always bring “FitKicks,” as they keep my feet comfy and clean. I also wear my L.L. Bean 850 down jacket that weighs about 2 ounces and doubles as a pillow when stuffed inside its own pocket. —Gail Rosenberg, luxury travel designer, Largay Travel

Trtl Pillow

Trtl Pillow

Trtl Pillow

It’s a machine-washable, super-soft-fleece travel neck pillow that is the best thing ever. —Margaret Stevenson

4Head

It’s a natural headache relief treatment I buy in the U.K. It comes in a small container that you roll up, like a solid deodorant stick. It’s great for headaches and stuffy sinuses, and if you take a big whiff of it, it wakes you up too. Think of it as a solid Vicks Vapor Rub, only tinier and convenient. —Marie Fritz

Bach Remedy Rescue Night

Use these flower remedies and hope for a better sleep. —Paola Fiocchi van den Brande, founder of Passepartout Homes

 

Inflatable beach ball

beach ball photo by Michael Frascella

If you never thought to pack an inflatable beach ball in your carry-on, you’re missing out on a great nap. Photo: Michael Frascella/Flickr

Bring one of those cheap blow-up beach balls and a hand towel. Blow up the beach ball, cover with the towel, and use as a giant pillow to lay on in your lap. It’s a refreshing change from the neck pillow for those who need a “little more” cushion. —Mark Estill, travel consultant/owner, Mark4 Vacations

White noise app

I use a white noise app on my iPad. Pop in my earbuds, turn on the waves, and the sound masks airplane and passenger noises better than noise-cancelling headphones. —Deb Arora, partner, Jacks & Stars

Rosemary oil

I bring a tiny vial of rosemary oil. My sinuses get super-dry on those long flights, and that leads to headaches and other weirdness. The smell of that oil just brightens up the inside of my head. And bonus, it banishes that weird airplane smell for a bit. —Pam Mandel, writer/editor, Nerd’s Eye View

Coconut oil

I use it as a moisturizer (face and body), hair conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, and deodorant (it’s anti-bacterial). —Lynn Braz, author, LynnBraz.com

Baby wipes

First, so that you can wipe off the tray table, armrests, and headrest. Second, so that when you wake up, you can wipe your face and feel refreshed. —Katie Kenner-Bohl

Emergen-C packets

I take one while flying, and I keep a few extra in my toiletries bag, for the trip. Better safe than sick! —Kelsey Ebner

Your favorite herbal tea

It’s comforting to have something familiar while traveling, and a cup of hot water is easily gotten from a flight attendant. —Scott Laird, writer, AbFabSkyLife

iPad with extra storage

Beyond all the usual stuff that experienced travelers know to do to try to sleep (much of which will work or not work with the reliability of a cheap watch), what seems to affect me best when I’m struggling to sleep is knowing I have comfort “content” handy. Most of my favorite novels—and we’re not talking Tolstoy but easier-on-the-spirit reads—are already loaded on my iPad. And if I’m too tired to read, I have episodes of favorite TV shows (“Gilmore Girls” and “Frasier” among ‘em) and movies that help me feel at home and relax (“Mamma Mia” always makes me smile). When I replaced my old iPad with a new one, I doubled up on the storage space for just this reason: I wanted to make sure there was enough room for my old pals.—Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief, Cruise Critic

What do you pack in your carry-on for a more comfortable flight?

 

Be a smarter traveler: Follow Wendy Perrin on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Lunch al fresco on Viking Star cruise ship

This is a Cruise Ship That Smart Travelers Will Love

Ajaccio, Corsica on Viking Star cruise
Lunch al fresco on Viking Star cruise ship
Toulon, France on Viking Star cruise ship
all onboard sign on Viking Star cruise ship
big windows on Viking Star cruise ship
the bar in the buffet restaurant on Viking Star cruise ship
Explorers Lounge on Viking Star cruise ship
video screen on Viking Star cruise ship
Explorers Lounge on Viking Star cruise ship
rooftop infinity pool on Viking Star cruise ship
main pool on Viking Star cruise ship
main pool on Viking Star cruise ship
spa thermal pool on Viking Star cruise ship
spa on Viking Star cruise ship
spa snow room on Viking Star cruise ship
cabin on Viking Star cruise ship
cabin balcony on Viking Star cruise ship
putting green on Viking Star cruise ship
Viking Heritage Museum on Viking Star cruise ship
wool hats for sale on the Viking Star cruise ship
Mamsen’s, the Norwegian deli on the Viking Star cruise ship
Norwegian deli food on Viking Star cruise ship
lunch on Viking Star cruise ship
breakfast on Viking Star cruise ship
waffles on Viking Star cruise ship
room service on Viking star cruise ship
Lunch aboard Viking Star in the port of Monte Carlo. It was December, and temps were in the 50s.

 

If you’re an avid independent traveler, as I am, seeing the world by ship has its pros and cons. A cruise is an easy way to see remote places that would otherwise be too expensive and logistically tricky to get to. But there’s a trade-off: Your limited time on land at each stop hampers your freedom.

That’s why I’m excited to tell you about Viking Cruises’ first ocean ship, the Viking Star. On a recent Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona to Rome, it was easier than ever to go at my own pace and do my own thing. (I say that having sailed on more than two dozen ships worldwide, ranging in size from 120 passengers to 6,000.) Viking Star’s sister ship, Viking Sea, will launch next month, and two more nearly identical ships are coming next year: Viking Sky and Viking Sun. They’re a good option for travelers who are normally too independent for a cruise. Here’s why:

1. You can avoid the tourist hordes.

In my case, I got to explore Europe minus the crowds of peak season. It was an unconventional wintertime Romantic Mediterranean itinerary that the new Viking Sea will sail next winter. The Barcelona-Rome route includes Toulon (on the French Riviera), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Ajaccio (Corsica), and Livorno (Italy). There are two traditional drawbacks to Europe in low season, of course: Chilly weather and not enough daylight hours. Normally in low season it’s smart to stick with Europe’s large cultural capitals, since they have a lot to offer even when it’s cold and dark outside. But the Viking Star keeps you warm and cheery in cold weather (see #5 below). The ship can’t rectify the second drawback: the sun setting at 5 pm. Darkness falling early, combined with the fact that the ship was docked in one port or another all day every day, meant that I almost never got to see the ship moving through water in daylight (normally one of my favorite things about a cruise). What made up for that, though, was the absence of other cruise ships in port, making it so easy to escape other tourists on shore (something that is not easily done on, say, a Caribbean cruise).

2. The ship isn’t too big or crowded.

It holds 930 passengers, but it feels more like a 500-passenger ship. It’s blissfully uncrowded, perhaps because people disappear into the dozens of nooks and hiding spots around the ship, and also because every cabin has a balcony. At no point did I encounter or spot any lines or wait for a deck chair or an empty table. There are many public spaces where you’ll find a comfy armchair, a great book, and nobody around. The ship has three pools—an outdoor infinity pool at the stern, a heated pool in the spa, and a main pool that can be either enclosed or open-air, depending on the weather—and none of them ever had more than two people in them.

3. You spend a ton of time on land.

On the “Romantic Mediterranean” itinerary, we sailed only at night. The ship was docked in port all day long, every day. You can sightsee till 8 or 10 pm, and the ship overnights in Barcelona on the first night and in Rome on the last night, so on those nights there’s no curfew at all. I ended the trip wishing we’d had a day at sea so I could have spent more time enjoying the ship itself—watching the waves pass by, soaking in the spa’s thermal pools, sampling more Scandinavian delicacies, and curling up on one of the many plush sofas with one of the many classic novels from one of the many intriguing bookshelves.

4. You don’t feel confined.

First, you’re almost always able to get off the ship and into town. Second, every chance they get (when the weather is warm enough), the crew throws open the floor-to-ceiling doors and windows to let the outdoors in. There are great views from almost every public space on the ship. Even the buffet transforms into an open-air restaurant—and it has an open kitchen, so you can actually look through the kitchen to the ocean on the other side of the ship. Every room has a veranda with a floor-to-ceiling view, and there’s a promenade deck that wraps around the entirety of the ship (something that’s increasingly rare nowadays). Windows onto the promenade deck open as well.

5. Itineraries can be unconventional because the ship is weather-proof.

I’ve never been on a comfier ship for cold-weather cruising. In addition to two indoor pools, Viking Star’s got two indoor hot tubs, a Nordic-style spa with saunas and steam rooms, an abundance of armchairs adorned with blankets and throws, and warm Scandinavian décor throughout. This means the ship can ply cool itineraries such as from Norway to Montreal, with stops in the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Quebec.

6. There’s no regimented schedule.

Unlike on some larger ships, there’s nobody telling you when to do what. There are no announcements. There are no formal nights. You don’t have to report to a particular lounge or theater at a particular time in order to join a tour. Nope, if you want to join the free group tour in each port, you just get off the ship and meet your group on the pier. In fact, the only time I saw herding during the cruise was off the ship, on those free tours. Because they’re free, almost all the passengers take them, which means you could be part of a caravan of buses all pulling into the same tourist sites at the same time. Remember: Just because it’s free, you don’t have to do it. It’s very easy to do your own thing in port. Just grab a taxi, hop on public transit, rent a car, or start walking.

7. The Wi-Fi is free, fast, and reliable.

The Wi-Fi alone gives you freedom and flexibility because it costs you nothing to hop on the Internet and do a little research before arriving in each port to find out what’s happening on the day you’ll be there.

8. It’s easy to dine privately and on your own schedule.

There are four restaurants where you can have long, elaborate meals, but if you’re like me and you just want quick, easy options anytime, anywhere, the choices are excellent. You can order room service for free, 24 hours a day, and it’s delicious and arrives fast. You can also grab hefty, free gourmet snacks of melt-in-your-mouth salmon gravlax, Atlantic shrimp, and steak tartare (with all the trimmings), both at the ship’s Norwegian deli and at its Living Room bar.

9. The ambience is more boutique hotel than cruise ship.

The ship was designed by an architect who does not normally design cruise ships. Not only are the interior design and décor atypical, but very little of what you see onboard feels corporate or mass-produced. The ship feels like an independent, family-owned, Scandinavian hotel, with homey and personal touches—such as wool hats, for sale in the spa shop, that were knitted by the spa manager’s 95-year-old grandmother. The atmosphere is one of cultural enrichment, from the collections of classic books to the Viking Heritage museum to the selection of TED talks on your in-room television.

10. You can relax mentally because it’s so affordable.

Your cruise fare includes a lot. In addition to the Wi-Fi and the tour in each port, you get entry to the spa’s thermal pools, saunas, and steam rooms; beverages, beer, and wine served with meals; minibar items; cappuccinos at the bar; and the aforementioned gourmet snacks served around the ship. There were salmon gravlax (on rye bread with dill mustard sauce), Reke (Atlantic shrimp on white bread), steak tartare (with the trimmings), and assorted Norwegian pastries, including special waffles with berries and sour cream. When you consider the sky-high prices you’d pay for those things in Scandinavia, the value is striking. There’s no nickel-and-diming; in fact, it’s hard to spend money on the ship. There isn’t even a casino. My only shipboard expense was a 50-minute Swedish massage which, thanks to massage therapist Luisa who is literally from Sweden, was the best I’ve had on any ship.

If you’ve got questions about the ship, feel free to ask in the comments below.

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Disclosure: Viking Cruises provided me with a complimentary week-long cruise. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Viking Cruises’ part, nor was anything promised on mine. You can read the signed agreement between me and Viking Cruises here.*