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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Peru: Machu Picchu, fly fishing, Hiram Bingham train, “inventive” Incan cuisine
LYNNE WILLETT | MAY 16, 2025
Lynne Willett and her husband spent a “flawless” week in Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
We just returned from a 2 week tour of Peru planned by Mark on Marisol’s team. Five stars are definitely not enough! Mark listened and crafted a trip including dinner reservations at the best restaurants in the world. From incredible guides to personalized special moments we could not have asked for more. Everything was flawless! We felt cared for and safe but best of all we learned so much, did so much, and came home feeling we had an incredible adventure.
A WOW Moment was included on this trip at MIL, a restaurant in the Sacred Valley (sister restaurant to Central, the 2023 best restaurant in the world). It was an 8-course lunch that was the most inventive, educational and delicious experience we’ve ever had. They are preserving Incan agriculture and technique paired with dishes and utensils that were pure art! This was a cherished experience we felt so fortunate to have!
We spent 3 days in Lima followed by a week in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then a 4 day Amazon boat cruise. Excursions included fly fishing, horseback riding, the Hiram Bingham train, gourmet picnics, and personal BBQs and many archeological sites. Peru’s reputation as a foodie destination is well deserved! Our guides—shout out to Angie, Erika and Maria Antoinette—made our experience unforgettable. The lodging choices were exquisite. Most of all, in our early 70s, I felt so blessed to be able to see and fully experience this bucket list destination. Thanks to our guide, I did it all!
We travel a lot and this company is remarkable! I really liked their travel app too—all your travel info at your fingertips. We didn’t have a single problem. They made absolutely sure of that!!
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Loire Valley: biking among vineyards & chateaux, hot-air ballooning, light show at Blois
VANESSA LEW | MAY 15, 2025
Traveler Vanessa Lew particularly enjoyed riding through small towns in the Loire region.
This was my first trip solo was to Loire Valley for 4/12-4/17, and it was amazing!! My guides were informative, helpful and friendly!!
I had gone to a Chateau Chambord, Amboise, Clos Luce & Blois. I had gone to three vineyards, stayed at Fleur de Loire with a two-Michelin-Star restaurant on the grounds, which was delightful. I would highly recommend staying there.
Even though I had days planned and free I was able to add in a few things that seemed interesting, I highly recommend the hot air balloon excursion over the chateaux (I went during sunset but they also have sunrise) & the light show at Château of Blois—it was beautiful!!
One day me and my guide rode from Blois to Chambord and around Chambord which was about 30 miles that day, but lovely to ride through small towns in the Loire region.
I highly recommend this trip for anyone who doesn’t want the craziness of Paris but wants to see learn more about the history of France.
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New Zealand: a “bucket list” trip exploring islands, caves, and river kayaking
SARAH CHEN | MAY 14, 2025
Milford Sound lies deep within Fiordland National Park. Photo: Traveler Sarah Chen
Wow New Zealand! A bucket list trip and a 30th Wedding Anniversary celebration trip, it did not disappoint. We travelled March 15-30th, technically shoulder season, which helped keep expenses intact and summer visitors at a minimum. To start off we give credit to Gillian and her “play by play” team Catherina and Ellen. We couldn’t have asked for better people—Gillian listened carefully to what we wanted, and together a great trip was executed. With only 2 weeks to travel, we were able to explore both the North and South Island. Checking out the caves with blue glow worms, and Auckland on the North Island, ocean and river kayaking on the South Island in addition to hiking and exploring Milford Sound via helicopter—our adventures were fun.
The lodging was top notch and hosts were very personable (not to mention the fabulous food they prepared). Perhaps that was the best part—every person we met took an interest in us and shared their stories as though we had known each other already. While my husband and I are seasoned world travels, we chose to use Wendy Perrin and her team to support our high expectations for our dream vacation. It was fantastic and we are already planning another trip! Thanks for a memorable experience.
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South Korea: hiking Jeju Island, seeing Bulguksa temple, UNESCO sites & Seokguram Grotto
TONY FORD-HUTCHINSON | MAY 13, 2025
Travelers Jane and Anthony on Jeju Island: “a must for anyone travelling around the country.”
Having visited Seoul for business trips and given the fact that we have already visited most of the South East Asian Countries, we felt it was time to understand what South Korea was all about. Our trip planning started with a zoom call with Grant, where we outlined our wants and he came up with an itinerary that covered some of the highlights of the country.
Our trip started with an overnight in Seoul followed by four nights in the luxury JW Marriot Resort and Spa on Jeju Island. The island in our opinion is a must for anyone travelling around the country. Jeju Island could be described as the Florida of South Korea with its milder weather and distinct culture, although with its volcanic origins the beaches are more limited. Thus, it is full of “attractions” (think Teddy Bear museum) but we choose instead to focus on the natural beauty, including the UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Seogsan Ichulbong Peak and the Jusangjeolli Cliffs. It is definitely an island for hiking, either along the coastal paths running past our resort, which we did, or mountain trails, which we did not. Another highlight for us was seeing and learning about the world famous Haenyeo women who have practiced free diving for sea food for generations.
Leaving Jeju Island we flew to Busan and were then driven to the historic city of Gyeongju, the original capital of the ancient Sila Kingdom. Highlights of the visit were the Bulguksa temple, including the Seokguram Grotto, and the ancient burial mounds in Tumuli Park, one of which you can enter and view how the tomb would have looked with all its gold artifacts. After two nights we were driven to Jeonju and our accommodation for the next two nights was in a historical Hanok House (very modernized with jacuzzi and plunge pool) right in the historical district where we could walk around all the streets and alleys, admire the historical buildings and graze through the restaurants, cafes and bars.
From Jeonju we were whisked by high-speed train back to Seoul to spend four nights at the Four Seasons Hotel in the heart of old Seoul. Seoul was largely destroyed during the Korean war and is a very modern city. However, the old palaces have been restored and the highlight is the Changdeokgung Palace together with its beautiful hidden gardens. Another highlight was the ancient walled city of Suwon, an hour’s drive from the center of Seoul. Getting around Seoul is easy, either on foot, using uber taxis or the ultra-modern subway system. There are multiple outstanding restaurants with extensive tasting menus and Michelin stars. We visited three, Jun-Sik, Solbam and Jueon. Top restaurants in Seoul are not easy to get in to and booking well in advance was a necessity. Korea is definitely worth a visit with its unique culture and food and for its mountainous terrain and its historical sights. Pity it is such a long flight from the USA!
This trip was arranged by WOW List candidate. Here’s what that means.
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Belize: Mayan sites, manatee encounter, snorkeling the reef, cooking with a Garifuna family
BILL BUCHANAN AND GAIL SEVERN | MAY 12, 2025
Archaeological ruins and “warm encounters” with a local family were highlights of Belize.
When we encountered difficulties in trying to find special accommodations and convenient air connections for a spur of the moment trip for two to the Caribbean, we once again turned to Wendy Perrin for recommendations. Patricia and Rachael’s team were recommended and Belize was the suggested destination. Belize had not been on our radar, but after a brief call the prospects of warm Caribbean water coupled with Mayan archaeological sites won us over in a hurry. Patricia quickly came through with three recommended sites for our 12-day trip, and presented a choice of three possible accommodations at each site. After questions that further defined our tastes, they booked us and the trip was set.
After an easy connecting flight from Dallas to Belize City, we boarded an internal flight to Placencia. Upon arrival we were met by a representative from Francis Ford Coppola’s “Turtle Inn Resort” and whisked away to our seaside cabin under the palms. Our stop was well-planned to incorporate a private sailing charter with snorkeling on the barrier reef. Alas, high winds curtailed the open water sailing and snorkeling but Patricia and team pivoted us quickly to a sunset sail and manatee encounter. In addition, they arranged a three-hour “cultural experience” with a local indigenous Garifuna family. We cooked, laughed and even played some drums. The food, service and cabin at Turtle Inn were top notch.
After four nights we were picked up by Darryl, our driver and guide for the next four days, and driven to the Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge for a completely different experience in the highlands of Belize. While there Darryl guided us through the Caracol ruins, explored a cave, and joined a Mayan family for another round of cooking and fellowship. The Hidden Valley staff went out of their way to treat us to special culinary experiences. The ruins and the warm encounter with the local family were highlights of our trip.
After another four nights we boarded and internal flight to the northern part of the coast and a stay at the Matachica Resort on Ambergris Caye. It was here that we got to enjoy snorkeling on the reef in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and immersed ourselves in lazy days. And once again the accommodations were a beachfront casita that perfectly matched our desires.
This was our second trip with a Wendy Perrin WOW List planner, the first being for a trip to Croatia and Slovenia in 2023. And we are about to book a trip to Japan with a third advisor. It goes without saying that the ease of using these carefully vetted travel experts has been a rewarding experience and we do not hesitate to recommend using them.
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Chile & Rapa Nui: hiking to see the Moai on Rapa Nui; viticulture and the secrets of the Maipo Valley
MICHAEL RUMA | MAY 11, 2025
“We will never forget the serene silence of the island and the mystery of how the Rapa Nui people carved and carried the innumerable statues.” Photo: Traveler Michael Ruma
Unique and Unforgettable: From Moai to Maipo
We flew to Santiago on February 16 and spent two nights in Chile’s capital city before traveling to Rapa Nui for a blissful week, topped off by a few days in the birthplace of Chilean viticulture before returning home on February 28, 2025.
Navigating the higher costs of airline travel today, I seized the opportunity to secure a reasonable fare to Santiago. We have been fortunate to spend time in Santiago, Patagonia, and Chile in prior travels. Ranked as one of the most remote places on earth, Rapa Nui seemed like a perfect place filled with wanderlust for our first trip of 2025. It also seemed to be a popular choice; as most hotels were fully booked, with luck, I reserved the last room at the Explora Lodge. With airfare and a place to stay, I began to wonder how we would fill in the gaps. With luck, Wendy and her trusted travel expert Maita, along with her itinerary planner Alexander, were quick to answer my questions. We set up time to visit on a virtual call to discuss ideas for yet another perfect itinerary to Chile. With the expertise and local knowledge of Maita and Alexander, they curated outstanding hotels, exceptional drivers, and marvelous guides.
Landing early in Santiago, we made our way through immigration and customs and were carefully chauffeured to the Singular Santiago Hotel. We dropped our bags and enjoyed a guided tour to reorient ourselves to the capital of Chile. Awakening the next day, we charted out a full day to explore the city. From a funicular ride, a trip to the top of the tallest building in South America, a stop for the best empanada in town, and dinner and wine tasting at our favorite, Boca Nariz, Santiago delighted our senses.
The following morning, we enjoyed the nearly 6-hour flight to Rapa Nui. Enjoying all the bustle of the big city but constantly drawn to the connections made in countryside spots, we grew excited to land in Rapa Nui, home to only 9,000 locals and the two daily flights of tourists. Picked up by Explora staff, we were rapidly transferred to the hotel and introduced to the daily program of the lodge. Before lunch, we joined a casual walk to explore the island countryside right out our back door.
Most visitors spend 2 or 3 nights, but we were grateful to have booked a solid week as there is plenty to discover on the island. We spent our days hiking each of the three extinct volcanoes, snorkeling and scuba diving, discovering caves and lava tubes, and dining on nearly everything offered by the lodge. The highlight of our time in Rapa Nui is exceedingly difficult to select as the Moai at sunrise and at the quarry were indescribable, the peak of the Bird Man hike had views of the bluest sea glimmering below the volcanic crater, and the clarity of the ocean water beneath the surface was beyond description. However, we will never forget the serene silence of the island and the mystery of how the Rapa Nui people carved and carried the innumerable statues all around the island.
After hiking many miles and visiting numerous archaeological sites, we left Rapa Nui with a new appreciation of the culture and countless memories. As we boarded our flight back to Santiago, we were reminded of yet another benefit of traveling under the guide of a trusted travel partner. Just prior to takeoff, Alexander sent me a text to inform us nearly the entire country of Chile was suffering a blackout. He assured me the airport was fully operational due to backup generators and our ride to our hotel in Pirque in the Maipo Valley was on their way and would be waiting for us despite the national power outage. Reassured with the seamless teamwork occurring behind the scenes, we enjoyed our departure and flight back to Santiago.
Arriving late to Hotel Las Majadas, we quickly checked in and fell to sleep. Awakening the next day, we explored the beautiful palatial grounds and enjoyed a great breakfast before heading out midday for wine tasting followed by a cocktail making class before dinner.
Recognizing our love of wine, the hotel concierge, Pablo Garcés, joined us at our late lunch, poured us numerous local wines, and made sure to share the secrets of the Maipo Valley and places we should not miss during our stay. One of these closely held secrets included Viña Don Melchor, which recently had their cabernet sauvignon named Wine Spectator’s 2024 Wine of the Year. While we had planned on a hike the last day of our trip, we queried Pablo to see if it was possible to schedule a tasting at Don Melchor and likely due to his relationship with the vineyard, we were able to book a private tasting the next day. Met by the vineyard manager at the large gates of Viña Don Melchor, we were guided through the private gardens, down to the cellar of Casillero del Diablo, and then into the former private home of Don Melchor. We were then seated in an exquisite, contemporary conference room for a private blending tasting to demonstrate how the winemaker creates the best-in-class cabernet.
It may be possible to purchase a plane ticket and book a hotel room. However, without the assistance of Wendy Perrin and her network, we as travelers would never be able to sew the patchwork of professional drivers and adept guides who created the exemplary experiences and special moments during our trip to the Moai and the Maipo.
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Australia: the sights and harbor of Sydney, the vast open spaces and wildlife on Kangaroo Island
JANE SHEAR | MAY 9, 2025
“Watching kangaroos and wallabies hopping through the vast open space around our villa was a unique bonus…”
My husband and I returned on February 19 from a two-week trip to Australia (February 4 to 19, 2025). I had long wanted to visit Australia, but was intimidated because the country is so large that I couldn’t envision a meaningful trip within only two weeks (the amount of time we can get away for a vacation). Wendy Perrin’s staff referred us to Stuart and his colleague Jacki. We had a planning session with Stuart, in which I told him that I wanted to start in Sydney and then see beautiful nature and animals and only in places that weren’t full of tourists. Stuart proposed a wonderful itinerary: three days in Sydney, including a private harbor tour, one day in the Blue Mountains (while still staying in the wonderful Park Hyatt in Sydney, with a magnificent view of the opera house from our room and balcony), three nights on Lord Howe Island and then three nights at Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island.
After our planning session we had several Zoom conversations with Jacki. She planned an itinerary that we exactly what we wanted. But Jacki’s true value as a travel agent came when we came to an unexpected glitch in our itinerary. We were already at the airport waiting to board our flight to Lord Howe Island when there was a sudden severe thunderstorm. After delaying our flight for several hours, our flight was cancelled. There were no available seats on the plane the following day, which meant that we needed to abandon our plan to visit Lord Howe Island. Unfortunately, it made no sense to visit an island by arriving in the late afternoon of what should have been our second day and then leaving the following morning.
I called Jacki from the airport and told her of our predicament. She answered her phone and immediately began proposing alternative destinations. One of her suggestions was Oceanview Eco Villas, which is actually two villas on a 500-acre property on Nepean Bay, also on Kangaroo Island, but in an entirely different location and with very different topography. We asked Jacki to make a reservation there for us for two nights and then to add an extra night to our stay at Southern Ocean Lodge. Jacki made the reservations, re-worked all of our transfers, including rebooking a night at an airport hotel in Adelaide. We were able to continue our vacation with no further interruptions.
We were very impressed with how quickly and efficiently Jacki made the necessary changes to our itinerary. We were very unhappy to miss Lord Howe Island, but our stay at Oceanview Eco Villas was wonderful. Tim and Tamsin, the owners of the villas, are fantastic hosts and do everything they can to provide an enjoyable and meaningful stay in their beautifully furnished villa with a spectacular ocean view. Tamsin prepared fabulous meals—vegan, per our request. Tim is a certified guide and gave great tours. He is true birder, and knew which trees and areas would host rare birds—and also found koalas for us.
Watching kangaroos and wallabies hopping through the vast open space around our villa was a unique bonus to staying at Oceanview Eco Villas. Tim and Tamsin are certified to do wild animal rescue and we got to watch a joey (baby kangaroo) both in and out of its mother’s pouch, and even got to feed the kangaroos (we were there during a drought so food and water were scarce).
Our stay at Southern Ocean Lodge was also wonderful. SOL is a magnificent, more than 5 star property. With the extra night that we added because of our cancelled stay on Lord Howe Island we were able to participate in more guided tours, and enjoy more of their creative and delicious meals (also specially prepared for us to be vegan). We also had more time to enjoy the wild and pristine environment of southern Kangaroo Island. Neither our stay at Oceanview Eco Villas nor our extra night at SOL of would have happened without Jacki’s reworking our trip after our inability to get to Lord Howe Island and we were very appreciative of how she rescued our vacation.
With Jacki’s and Stuart’s help, we were able to accomplish my original goal. With only two weeks in Australia we were able to see something of Sydney and enjoy some of Australia’s vast open spaces, including unique wild animals and birds.
This was our second trip with a Wendy Perrin WOW List travel expert. Our first trip was our 2024 vacation in Fiji. I am very appreciative of Wendy and her company and look forward to more wonderful trips in the future.
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Sicily: ideal weather to hike, bike, and visit the San Giuseppe festival on Marettimo Island
RICH REDIKER | MAY 9, 2025
“One of the highlights was a cooking class at a restaurant in the Siracusa area…ending with a selfie taken by the chef himself!”
Sicily March 18 to April 3rd, 2025
17 Days in Sicily
We are two couples in our 70s who spent 17 glorious days in Sicily on a trip arranged by Matteo. For decades, I have planned my own trips all over the world. However, using Wendy’s WOW List last year for Morocco and this year for Sicily saved a lot of time and provided us with local experiences we never would have had otherwise. Over 17 days we biked, hiked, took cooking classes, learned a lot of history, saw many “ruins” and ate Sicilian cuisine. Matteo arranged for local drivers and guides at each stop—people who were from the places we visited and seemed to know everyone we passed.
Over many months, Matteo and I tweaked and refined our itinerary. When I mentioned that we enjoy remote destinations, he suggested visiting the car-free island of Marettimo for the San Giuseppe festival on March 19th. Marettimo is located 90 minutes off the west coast of Sicily by hydrofoil. Matteo ensured that accommodations and restaurants would be available despite the off-season. We had a local guide who grew up on the island, and whose father was the mayor. As we joined the festivities, we seemed to be the only “tourists” there—aside from locals who had grown up on the island and return each year for San Giuseppe.
On Marettimo, we ate at a fantastic restaurant where the owner’s husband had caught the tuna we enjoyed that day. When high winds were forecast for the day we were supposed to leave, Matteo quickly arranged for us to depart early, booked us a wonderful boutique hotel in Trapani, and set up a guided tour for the following day.
Each day, lunch was included at special restaurants or private homes. We hiked, biked, took cooking classes, and visited a couple of wineries. Everywhere we went, we were treated like VIPs. Our guides and drivers were always early and went out of their way to accommodate any requests. While Sicily can be very hot and crowded, traveling from March 18th through April 3rd was ideal—the weather was comfortable, ranging from the 50s to 60s, and there were very few tourists. Aside from a few stray showers, we had only two days of rain during the entire trip.
After Marettimo and Trapani, we spent four days in Palermo, two in Agrigento, and six in the Siracusa area.
Together, Matteo and I selected our accommodations in each location. The company allows travelers to choose their own rooms and pay hotels directly. Many travel agencies bundle hotel costs into their tour prices and provide only the lowest-category rooms.
Throughout our trip, Matteo checked in to ensure everything was going smoothly, even joining us for pizza one evening and again when we were in his hometown of Noto.
One of the highlights was a cooking class at a restaurant in the Siracusa area. First, we visited the market to select fresh, locally sourced ingredients, then returned to the restaurant to prepare and plate our own meals—ending with a selfie taken by the chef himself!
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New Zealand: learning to shear sheep, Ben Lomond Station, stargazing, yacht in Milford Sound
KATHYE FARIES | MAY 8, 2025
Kathye Faries shearing a sheep in New Zealand.
We spent about a month in New Zealand in March, 2025 and it was one of the very best vacations we’ve had (and the fourth planned by Wendy Perrin’s group of WOW List experts). The trip was curated by our travel planners Sara and Sarah, and they did a fantastic job of selecting places for us to stay so we could enjoy 6 days on the North Island and the rest of the month on the South Island. Our only request was to set up a tee time at Cape Kidnappers Golf Course—a bucket list item for me!
Each lodge was very different and extremely special—and most of them had a maximum of 10 guests! They were in fairly remote locations and we loved the peaceful, secluded, beautiful settings. Due to the vastness of the South Island, we drove and flew from top to bottom and coast to coast. We were blessed with gorgeous weather so our travels went smoothly.
Some of our most memorable adventures included trying our hand at shearing a sheep, enjoying a wine and cheese tasting, exploring a 6,000 acre stunning ranch on Hawke’s Bay via ATV, hiking through beautiful landscapes, driving the scenic road to Milford Sound and taking a small yacht cruise into the mouth of the sound, buying some gorgeous merino + possum sweaters, exploring the spectacular Ben Lomond Station (33,000 acre ranch) and meeting the owner (this is a MUST DO for those near Queenstown), stargazing and scaling the mountains in an ATV in the Ahuriri Valley, getting pampered with massages now and then, seeing the rare Hectors dolphins in Akaroa, taking a private cooking class with a master chef at our lodge near Christchurch, cruising the waters surrounding Abel Tasman National Park, and winding up our stay at a luxury retreat and wellness spa near Nelson. A perfect ending to a perfect trip.
The food was excellent throughout our journey and the chefs at the various lodges were made aware of my dietary preferences before we arrived. The team helped facilitate the return of a jacket I’d left at one of our lodges, and made some changes to our itinerary on the fly. They were outstanding in helping me plan this rather complicated trip (eight lodges, four flights around the country and lots of miles driven). The Kiwis we met were super friendly and I have now dubbed the places we stayed as “The Lands of Yes.” If you are thinking of exploring New Zealand, make your plans now— it’s a spectacular country.
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Vietnam: Ha Long Bay, war history, biking, local life, and beaches
MILRAY AND MIKE HOWELL | MAY 7, 2025
Milray admires the Hue Imperial Citadel. Photo: Traveler Mike Howell
We used Sandy and Ethan to plan a 15-day trip to Vietnam and it was truly excellent! They were wonderful to work with especially from a communication, planning, and recommendations standpoint. I can’t think of anything I’d change and the local guides were all excellent!
We started in Hanoi on April 11 and ended in Saigon on April 27. We did so many things: war history and memorials, boating on Ha Long Bay, Ninh Bin, the Perfume River, and the Mekong. Biking in central Vietnam and a Vespa tour in Saigon. All the hotels were fantastic and luxurious with excellent locations and amazing breakfast buffets.
It was the most luxurious and least stressful trip we’ve ever been on. We saw local life, rural scenery, history, busy cities, and some wonderful relaxing beach time. We also had the luck to be in Saigon for some of the celebrations for their independence day. What a trip! I’d very highly recommend this company for any trips to that area!
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England: well-guided through the hidden gems of the Cotwolds, ablaze with bluebells
CHARLOTTE ROTH | MAY 7, 2025
Travelers Charlotte and Todd at St. Edward’s Church in Stow on the Wold, rumored to have inspired Tolkien’s Doors of Durin.
My husband and I had a wonderful first trip to England, which Katie and Shelbie planned. I’m thankful to Katie for encouraging us to stay four nights in London, rather than three, and she was so right! We were sure three was plenty, but seven would not have been too many. That’s why it’s important for us, for a first-time visit, to turn to Wendy’s advisors.
After London, we took the train to York and the Yorkshire area, then to the Cotswolds, where I fantasized about moving. We landed in the Cotswolds just in time to see the glorious wisteria and bluebells—Katie recommended visiting in the Spring, and she was spot on.
We had guides in all areas who were full of personality, knowledge, and insight. The staff at the recommended hotels in London and the Yorkshire area were over the top with service and sincere friendliness. We felt like part of the family.
Our guide Nick, in York, went above and beyond to make our trip special and to seek out things that we could never find on our own.
After four days touring with Jon, we left the Cotswolds with a new best friend. Having grown up in the Cotswolds, his knowledge was invaluable. When he learned we loved nature and flowers, he drove out of the way to a small wooded area known as the Bluebell Forest, where the entire forest floor was covered in Bluebells. It was stunning, and something we wouldn’t have seen on our own. The next day, he surprised us with a visit to the church where he was married, in a small off-the-path village. The church was small and one of the oldest in the Cotswolds, with a tapestry of the Lord’s Prayer dated to the 1600s. It was the highlight of our trip! This is why a trip planner with connections has so much value.
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Ireland: hawk walk at Ashford Castle, “sights & pints” in Dublin, Titanic Belfast
NATALIE TOMARAS | MAY 6, 2025
Natalie Tomaras with a Harris Hawk at Ashford Castle. Photo: Tim Hauber
Our trip to Ireland was just fantastic. We were very happy with the itinerary as our trip planner listened to our interests (animals, ancestry, and more authentic experiences) and managed to orchestrate a wide range of locales in our 10 days. I would say that some days felt a bit ambitious, but we always felt as if we could exercise control over editing the daily itinerary.
Things to check out: Giant’s Causeway and the Titanic museum in Belfast/Antrim Coast are must-sees. You would think that these things would be touristy and they are—but still very worth it. The museum is done in such an engrossing way—it sets the context of the era, and then draws you into the story completely. Tracy’s Farmhouse kitchen, our sheep farm tour, the hawk walk at Ashford castle and the food tour in Galway were absolutely enjoyable. We were able to have meaningful conversations with people in each of these activities and I discovered that this is really what makes a trip stick with you. The EPIC museum in Dublin was equally as engrossing as the Titanic and also a must-see.
We had a pints and sights tour when we arrived in Dublin—this was scheduled for 4 hours and that was a LONG TIME to be walking and drinking! I would definitely try to shorten this to 2 hours, though our guide was also fantastic and another person with whom we had connected conversations. Plus, after that, we were able to navigate Dublin on foot quite easily.
The most unique experience was definitely the hawk walk at Ashford Castle. Although this might not appeal to everyone, it was a true highlight for me.
We had 2 driver guides and they were amazing! Especially for the 2nd portion of our trip in Ireland. He took care of everything, was flexible, responsive, intrepid in the face of having to navigate a marathon route that kept us from our itinerary, and just a lovely human being. Martin (our driver) took it upon himself to locate a priest in a town where my husband’s relatives were buried in an ancient cemetery. Martin arranged a meeting on the fly with the priest so that my husband could validate his ancestral research. This was WAY above and beyond his call of duty.
We also toured a number of castles, learning about the history of Ireland along the way. Finally, we just got SICK of eating out, and specifically at expensive, posh restaurants. While touring Kilkenny, we sourced fresh bread, cheese, salami, and a bottle of wine to enjoy on the grounds of our hotel which was isolated from any town. This was a highlight for sure. Martin was more than willing to take us back into town for dinner, but eating out for every meal got to be tedious and expensive.
Our trip planner did a fantastic job of listening to our interests and planning a trip to hit on each one in addition to finding great places to stay and unbeatable driver guides.
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Japan: drums, baseball, temples, & the arts— culinary, knives, and papermaking
BOB URBAN | MAY 6, 2025
Party of four for paper-making (plus local experts) at the Yanasi Washi factory.
Andrea and his team put together a wonderful trip for four to Japan. The trip was designed, in part, to sample the culinary arts of Japan from food tasting to food artistry, sake tasting, and even the production of handmade knives. One day we participated in the preparation and cooking of savory pancakes called onomiyaki and gyoza dumplings. They made a delicious lunch! Another day we tasted sake with a very knowledgeable guide. For our tea ceremony, we all dressed in kimono, an experience in itself. Dining with a geisha gave us a window into the past, but with a modern touch. We visited the Ryusen factory which has been producing handmade knives for decades, a skill that evolved over centuries from sword making and handed down in the family.
The trip was not wholly devoted to food, however, as we visited another small manufactory where we made our own paper. We took a lesson in taiko drumming, immersed ourselves in the moving digital light show at TeamLab Borderless, visited the Studio Ghibli Museum, even went to a Tokyo Giants baseball game! Nor did we neglect the ancient history of Japan, visiting important temples and even spending a day in Nara, the capital of Japan during the 8th century.
Our guides proved knowledgeable and accommodating, helping us negotiate the transportation systems and even altering the planned itinerary as requested, on the spur of the moment. Further, the team set up a What’s App “guardian communication avenue, which proved most helpful on a day-to-day basis.
We are happy to recommend Andrea and his planning team to any travelers wishing to visit Japan.
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Ecuador and The Galápagos Islands: Ecuadorian chocolate, Cotopaxi volcano, excursions & animals galore
JOE AND KRIS NAGLICH | MAY 6, 2025
Traveler Kris Naglich swinging above Quito after riding the teleferico to the peak.
We traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands from 4/3/25 to 4/16/25. Our trip was planned by Ashton from Expedition Trips. After our zoom call with Ashton and deciding we wanted to go to the Galapagos, we worked mainly with Ashley and Monica planning our trip. They were super helpful with our planning and very receptive to changing day trips according to our wishes. They always got back to us in a very timely matter and answered all of our questions. We really appreciated this and we felt well informed about our destination. When I use a planner I really appreciate when they let us know what to pack, how much money to bring, tipping of guides etc… We had all of this information and more.
We started our trip in Quito, Ecuador. Our guide met us at the airport. Vanessa was an excellent guide and having her meet us at the airport gave us all the information we would need for our next day’s tour. We had a full day tour of the old town and a full day tour to Cotopaxi National Park. Both days were so different and we enjoyed every moment. We loved riding the teleferico to the top and hiking to the swing. The churches in the old town were amazing and we learned all about Ecuadorian chocolate from bean to bar. We also enjoyed our hike around the lake and seeing Cotopaxi volcano up close. The lunch we had after at Chilcabamba and the very bumpy ride when it was pouring rain was quite the adventure. Luckily we had the best driver and he tried to miss as many ruts in the road as possible.
Next we flew to the Galapagos for a cruise with National Geographic on the Islander II. The boat was lovely and the service was perfect. We really enjoyed all of our excursions to the islands and seeing the animals of the Galapagos that you can’t see anywhere else. The food was delicious and it was nice to meet other travelers on the boat. I wished our cruise was longer. If I was giving advice for the Galapagos, I would say go for a longer cruise on a smaller boat. It was so amazing that I hope I can go back and see more someday.
Last we stayed at the Mashpi Lodge in the cloud forest for three nights. The lodge was beautiful and peaceful. We felt like we really escaped from it all. We were paired with another family for our hikes and we all had such a good time. Seeing the birds, swimming in the waterfall, our private hot tub night, and watching the hummingbirds were our favorite activities but we really enjoyed everything.
Visiting Ecuador and the Galapagos was never on my bucket list but I’m so glad Ashton suggested it. We will always remember this wonderful trip. We want to plan a trip to Antartica soon and we will be contacting Ashton to help us do our planning.
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Costa Rica: celebratory rafting, rappelling & zip-lining, ceviche lessons on the beach
ANNA KUO | MAY 5, 2025
Staying afloat! “We were celebrating a couple of birthdays and a retirement, and it was such a thoughtful surprise.”
Irene planned an 8 day adventure-filled vacation for our group of 9 adults for the end of March 2025. We knew we wanted to white-water raft on the Pacuare River, followed by a few days on the beach. Irene suggested a few beach destinations and we decided on the Manuel Antonio area.
After an overnight stay in San Jose we were transported to the Pacuare River put-in, about a 2.5 hours drive from San Jose. When we arrived at the river we were greeted by the river guides who showed us how to gear up, and then handed us our helmets that were all decorated with balloons—even the rafts were decorated with balloons! We were celebrating a couple of birthdays and a retirement, and it was such a thoughtful surprise. We rafted on class 11-111 rapids for about 90 minutes and arrived at the incredible Pacuare Lodge, where we stayed for two nights. The lodge was luxurious, well maintained, and the food was delicious.
We signed up to do zip lining and rappelling, which we originally thought would be a bit tame but ended up being another highlight of the trip. The guides took our safety seriously but also made it really fun to step off a platform 30 feet in the air! To depart the Pacuare Lodge we had to also raft out, and that particular leg of the trip had some class 111-1v rapids. There is a section of the river where the water is calm and flows between a high walled canyon—we were allowed to jump out of the rafts and float downstream in this magical place. After enjoying lunch riverside, we rafted to the take-out where we able to shower and then shuttle to the local airstrip for our chartered flight to Manuel Antonio Park.
We stayed three nights at the incredible Arenas del Mar resort. We were immediately greeted by iguanas, sloths and monkeys. The beach was beautiful, as well as the pool overlooking the ocean. The guys spent one day fishing sailfish and also came back with a mahi that the chef served as ceviche that night for dinner. We also took surfing lessons and toured Manuel Antonio Park. The staff at the hotel were incredibly attentive and gracious. On our last night Irene arranged for our whole group to have a cocktail making lesson, followed by a ceviche making lesson, followed by a Latin dance lesson, all on the beach!
The transportation and arrangements throughout the trip were flawless, and Irene’s attention to detail was much appreciated. All of us agreed this was one of the best trips the family ever had, and we are grateful to Irene for helping us create many lasting memories.
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Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos: tree-covered ancient temples, prioritizing greenspace, walking with elephants & water buffalo
ELLEN EISENBERG | MAY 2, 2025
Visiting gentle water buffalo in the countryside.
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, April 2-21, 2025
Just about a month before my desired travel period, I reached out to Ethan to plan a trip to Vietnam and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which had both been on my list of places to visit. I would have been open to other modes of transportation than flying from city to city, but the pacing of this entire experience was just perfect. After speaking with Ethan, we even added a couple of extra days and Laos to the itinerary. Ethan reminded me that, despite my greater interest in spending time in the countryside, so much to see in Vietnam would be in the cities.
My favorite hotel in Southeast Asia was in Siem Reap, the Jaya House River Park, where the boutique atmosphere, friendly staff, daily massages and delicious breakfasts won the day. My introduction to the region came from Ken Ya, my thoughtful guide (and talented photographer), who carefully gauged my interests and accommodated them thoroughly. The order and pacing of visiting the stunning tree-covered ancient temples and stilt homes (Tonle Sap) was just right. The Khmer cuisine planned for me far exceeded my expectations, and the quiet sunrise snacks were a nice treat. In Laos, the highlight was the Mandalao Elephant Sanctuary, where we got to feed and walk with those special creatures as they get used to a life that feels more like the freedom they were born to experience; no riding them, no sharp picks.
Besides the unique strolling through day and night markets, I was also lucky enough to experience a Buddhist welcome ceremony in my guide Ek’s home, along with his warm and friendly troupe of villagers/relatives. In Vietnam, the highlights were the food-nights-out in Hanoi by foot and in Saigon by Vespa. The food and company were delightful. Outside of Hanoi, while the side trip to not-at-all-ancient Bat Trang should be avoided (we went at my insistence, and it wasn’t a good use of time, though I did purchase my granddaughter’s new tea set there, her favorite gift from the trip), the overnights in Halong Bay were very special, from the sound bowl experience to the beautifully designed, crave-able lunches.
Also worthy of mention, the hard work and kindness by guide Mimi in Central Vietnam to accommodate my needs and interests (from local family food, laundry and custom clothing to water buffalo, extra cycling and the hilltop Hands Bridge) along the way. Also note that Thuy in Saigon was a great companion for this solo traveler, tirelessly finding me greenspace, the perfect Vietnamese coffee in a tiny antiques shop, local Phó and rice wine, as well as fun Vietnamese purchases to round out my whole experience.
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Morocco: Casablanca markets, Marrakech by sidecar, sunrise balloon ride, hiking the Atlas peaks
JENNIFER FLICK | MAY 2, 2025
Jennifer Flick, hiking the Atlas Mountains, pauses for a tea stop with the hosts in their family kitchen.
We spent 8 full days on the ground in Morocco February 4-11, 2025. When friends ask about our trip to Morocco, we truthfully say that our trip was flawless from the moment we left our front door to the moment we walked back in. In summary, we feel like we got a pretty comprehensive “tasting” of Morocco—history, geography, culture, architecture, religion, food, specialty arts/products, employment situations, both metro and mountains, music, older generations vs. newer mentalities, current “scene,” and some silly fun.
For many years, I have been the trip planner, and a very good one! But this time I just didn’t feel like doing all the research and work, so I used WendyPerrin.com to find someone to do the work for me. Wow, did they deliver! I chose between two companies, both seemed amazing, but I just resonated more with what I read about one. We met with Sara on Zoom, where she reviewed our form that had come to her through WendyPerrin.com. She asked additional questions about our preferences for timing, activities, pace, and personal interests. She noted our requests, and made suggestions we didn’t know about that were great! Although the default itinerary was 1 week, Sara worked with us to design it for 8 full days as we requested.
Initially we thought we wanted to go in December. Sara explained it would be high season due to holidays, very busy, and less choice of preferred accommodations. We appreciate her input on this—that was NOT the experience we wanted! So we pushed our travel back to February. For us the weather was perfect with daytime in the 60s and low 70s; too cool to get into the pools, a little nippy at night on the rooftop patios, so slightly off season. This meant far less people to navigate, shorter lines, more quality time with locals.
We flew into Casablanca and were met by our always-smiling tour guide Mustafa and our safe, kind driver, Abdul. It was FANTASTIC to have the same guide and driver for the entire 8 days. We could adjust the pace and ask endless questions about Moroccan life. When we went through the markets, we noticed that because he is a large man with a tour guide badge, the sales-seas parted—we were not approached repeatedly like the other tourists were. When we wanted to make purchases, Mustafa quietly gave us his input on negotiating pricing. When we suddenly needed a pharmacy item, he talked with locals to quickly find it for us. Abdul, our driver, was always punctual, friendly, but focused on the road at all times—a VERY safe and patient driver! He kept the Mercedes van spotless and filled with snacks and cold water for us.
Upon arrival, we toured the Casablanca mosque, then we were driven to Fez by way of a mind-blowingly amazing private lunch stop at a winery. We toured Fez for 2 days, then onto Marrakech by way of seaside Rabat (with a wonderful rooftop lunch and a stop at the sea to watch the waves crashing on the cliffs). We had 4 full days in Marrakech, then 2 nights in the Atlas Mountains, before flying back home from Marrakesh. We avoided big hotels, preferring the traditional Moroccan riad accommodations. Every morning Mustafa would review our schedule with us, and every evening he would remind us of what we needed to be prepared for the following day—this was JOYOUS for this “retired” planner-in-charge!
Experiences:
We did a beautiful, interesting hike in the Atlas mountains, as I love hiking! My husband had a hip issue, so they provided a mule for him to ride as we hiked. He said she was more comfortable and sure-footed than a horse, and he really enjoyed it! We had a perky, interesting local guide and visited a humble home in a tiny village, which felt very special. At the top of the hike, he had lunch ready for us on a jaw-droppingly beautiful patio facing the snowy peaks.
Although we didn’t know what to expect, we trusted Sara and agreed to the Marrakech sidecar tour. SO MUCH FUN with amazing surprises included—JUST DO IT!
We learned that the hot air balloon industry now supports hundreds of farming families that have lost their crops due to the droughts—their fields have become landing pads, and they work for the balloon companies. We were happy to support them by taking a beautiful sunrise flight, followed by breakfast. The planners set us up in a much smaller balloon basket (8 guests total) than some of the other companies (12-15 people!); details matter!
We took a cooking class from a professional chef who taught us both cooking and culture. We had a great time with the family that provides the class, and I bought my own tagine at a ceramic store to recreate the meal back home.
In general, we found Moroccan people to be very kind and helpful, not only to tourists, but also caring for local disadvantaged people, as well as the many stray cats. It seems to be built into the culture to be kind, and we found that quite endearing.
Thanks to WendyPerrin.com and our planners, this was a flawless trip. We are definitely using WP for the next adventure!
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Australia: three days in Sydney packs in wildlife, a harbor cruise, beaches, and botanical gardens
KATHYE FARIES | APRIL 28, 2025
Meeting koalas and kangaroos during a private tour of the Featherdale Wildlife Park.
Jackie planned a great trip for us in Sydney. Our time was limited (only three full days) and we gave her free reign to create a full itinerary for our time there. She recommended The Capella Sydney for our stay and we loved it—a great location, outstanding staff, wonderful food and great service. Jacki suggested a tour of the Sydney Harbor for the afternoon of our arrival on a small private boat and it was a perfect remedy for our jet lag.
Day 2 included a guided tour of Sydney that kicked off with a stop at the Sydney Fish Markets. We saw so many different kinds of fish that we’d never heard of before. During our tour of Sydney and its suburbs, we got a great feel for the history of the city, the neighborhoods, the beauty of the architecture, the Botanical Gardens and of course the beaches. Our guide suggested some retail stops along the way and I now have some wonderful purchases that will remind me of our time there. Our tour included a lovely lunch at a private home; kangaroo meatballs, lamb and fish on the barbie and fresh vegetables were on the menu.
Day 3 started with a private tour of the Featherdale Wildlife Park where we were able to visit with a koala. Yes, they are as soft as they look! We also got to hand feed a kangaroo and see scores of native wildlife. On the way back to our hotel, our guide showed us a beautiful, small neighborhood beach where he spends his free time. We then headed to the Sydney Opera House for a private tour. The iconic building is amazing—there are actually multiple performance venues inside the Opera House. We learned about the architect, and the lengthy building process of the house. Our guide slipped us quietly into a theater where a rehearsal was taking place so that was an added treat. We loved the energy of the city, the great restaurants and the friendly people.
Jacki did a wonderful job of making sure we saw the very heart of the city and the surrounding areas. Every guide and every transfer she arranged showed up on time and made sure we had a memorable experience.
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Chile & Peru: intimate fjord cruise, desert and canyon hikes, glacier & rainforest canopy walks
DORRIE WICK | APRIL 28, 2025
Touring the Citadel at Machu Picchu with “fantastic” guide Romulo. Photo: Jim Peikon
Our 26 day trip to Chile and Peru was fabulous!
Logistics were perfect on a very complicated trip—involving many planes, cars, trains and buses. Our guides were always on time—a few of them, some of the best we have ever had.
Everything about Chile was one big wow! We traveled to Santiago, Patagonia, and the Atacama desert. We loved each of our 4 hotels for different reasons: Both Singulars (Santiago and Patagonia) were fantastic with great food
and terrific service (our favorite ceviche of the trip, which they kindly gave me the recipe for) plus at Santiago Patagonia we had one of our favorite excursions! A small 8 person Fjord cruise, including a short walk to the Serrano glacier followed by a traditional lamb BBQ on a private sheep ranch with a beautiful horseback ride. We had perfect weather for a perfect day with great food, wine and fun guides.
Next stop—Torres Del Paine:
Explora owns a mesmerizing location—the magnificent view changes throughout the day with the changing light. We were lucky with perfect weather for our 4 night stay—a couple days of blue sky and no wind! After we arrived, we immediately went on a 1/2 day moderate hike. The guides put a great schedule together for us based on our desires and abilities—we stuck to the easier hikes and a horseback ride. I was so impressed with all the guides—they love their jobs, they love Patagonia and want to share it with you as well as offer you a hand for that really steep step on the trail. It’s hard to describe the beauty of the area as the photos almost look fake—but they are real!
Next stop—the Atacama Desert:
I chose Awasi in order to have a private guide for myself and my husband (68/72). We loved everything about Awasi— absolute perfection! Over the top service, understated luxury, and most of all—our fantastic guide, Leo. He watched us and adjusted our day as needed as we acclimated to the altitude. His passion for the area was clear—he always made you feel like he was sharing his very secret spot with you! Not to mention the fact that he seemed to always play the perfect music for the drive we were taking. I have a hard time picking my favorite excursion: little moon valley, the canyon/spiral walk, rainbow valley, hot springs, the geysers, the flamingos—they all were great, different and fun.
The combination of Explora and Awasi was nice—as at Explora we met and mingled with interesting people from all over, and at Awasi we had a very private experience. Did not want to leave either location!
On to Peru (Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Amazon, Lima):
After spending a couple weeks in very private locations, Peru was a change of pace—lots of people/tourists. The highlight of the Peru portion of our trip was having Romulo as our guide for 8 days. He grew up in Machu Picchu and clearly was an experienced trekker beyond our capabilities, but he was also a master storyteller with an incredible ability to bring the culture and history of Peru and the Inca civilization to life in a very personal way—not to mention he had a great sense of humor and was an incredibly interesting guy! We return a little wiser because of our time with Romulo.
Prior to Machu Picchu, we spent 3 nights in the Sacred Valley at Sol Y Luna—we must have had the best casita in the house! Very private with a lovely garden and private hot tub. Our first morning was a visit to Pisac—both the ruins and the town for lunch. The Pisac hike was described as an easy leisurely morning due to our late night arrival—must admit, given the altitude, this was more strenuous than described and we both agreed our most difficult morning of the trip even though we loved it. We enjoyed a couple other walks and village visits.
Of course Machu Picchu was the highlight—we had 2 beautiful sunny days at the site. Our first entry was the most crowded at 11:00 AM, but by our 2:00 PM entry it felt as though we had the citadel to ourselves. We went back up the following morning for the 6:00 AM entry—amazingly beautiful and peaceful. We felt so lucky! Tom had arranged two back up entries in case the weather had not been in our favor—really smart! (And we used the extra time to enjoy our hotel and relax.) Due to a large rainy season, several areas were closed, but we felt very lucky for what we were able to see without too many people (afternoon and early morning visit).
After 2 nights we departed for Cusco by train and car—lots of traffic, so might suggest an earlier train (we took the 3:48 PM – arriving after 9:00 PM). Belmond Monasterio is lovely with fantastic service—non-descript but comfortable room. We had two of our favorite meals in Peru at the recommended MAP Cafe and Cicciolina. We enjoyed the tour of the market as well as the entire town.
Last stops:
Peru’s Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica gives you a taste of the Amazon in a short amount of time. Easy flight transfer, nice glam/rustic cabins and very good guides. Our favorite excursions were Lake Sandoval and the Canopy treetop tours. Perfect for limited time.
Lima—Belmond again was great. Enjoyed the neighborhood and the old city center with our guide Claudia.
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Luxembourg, Belgium & the Netherlands: three generations enjoy bikes, boats, and tulips
JAN HEININGER | APRIL 28, 2025
When traveling with young kids, they steer the boat—sometimes literally. Photo: Jan Heininger
Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands April 10-26, 2025
Tom planned a 15-day trip that broke neatly into two parts. First was an eight-day trip for my husband and me to Belgium and Luxembourg, then a weeklong Netherlands trip with our daughter, son-in-law, and three small grandchildren. It was wonderful from start to finish filled with excellent guides, drivers, interesting places to visit and fun activities. In Luxembourg and Belgium we visited places new to us. While both my husband and I had been to the Netherlands before, we now saw the country through the eyes of young grandchildren. It gives you a new and different perspective.
We started the “adult” week visiting the Waterloo battlefield with an excellent guide followed by a delicious lunch stop at Abbey Maredsous. Our next two days were spent exploring Luxembourg’s attractive capital city and museums, and the rolling hills and castles of its countryside. We drove briefly into yet another county along the German side of the Mosel River. We next headed north into Belgium to Bastogne for a full day exploring the Battle of the Bulge on the ground. As good as our Luxembourg guide had been, our Bastogne guide was even better. There are two kinds of guides for the Battle of the Bulge—those who take you through a superb museum, which takes much of the day, and those who guide you on the ground so you can understand how, where and under what conditions the battle took place. Tom unerringly chose a guide addicted to maps (as are we) who focused largely on the battlefield itself. Someday, we may go back and spend the day in the museum.
From there we went to Ghent, a far more beautiful city than we’d expected. We had an excellent city guide, food tour and a private boat tour of Ghent’s rivers and canals. We finished our sojourn in Belgium with two nights in Antwerp. There we started with a spectacular guide though Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts. We also had a city tour with yet another great guide and dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant. We closed our time in Antwerp with an incredible behind-the-scenes tour of the Diamond Quarter. Our guide was herself a diamond trader. She took us to meet one of Antwerp’s most revered diamond cutters known for his unerring creative and artistic vision. He also was extraordinarily friendly. We got to sit in his seat while he showed us how to cut and polish a diamond ourselves! This is the kind of experience you cannot get on a standard tour. You have to have a trip planner like Tom who has the inside contacts to link you up with people who actually work in the industry.
In our kids-centered week in the Netherlands, Tom again unerringly picked activities and tours that would most appeal to a younger set—a food tour, visits to the Maritime Museum and NEMO Science Museum, a canal boat tour with an Indonesian lunch. One day, we participated in the quintessential Dutch activity of riding a bike through the countryside. As it was April in Holland, we visited the famed Keukenhof tulip garden. Tom was smart enough to ensure that we got to the garden before the masses of “tulip tourists” overwhelmed it. Our time in the Netherlands ended with a full day at Efteling amusement park. Tom picked a wonderful Netherlands guide for us. Not only was she seemingly knowledgeable about everything, she knew how to talk with the kids (ages 3, nearly 5 and nearly 8) and even got them engaged in seeing some of the smallest details in Flemish masters’ paintings. The two older kids really paid attention and all three kids loved spending time with her. We all enjoyed the bike ride she took us on between Volendam and Edam, just as we did our visit to the do-not-miss Zuiderzee outdoor museum. (Skip Zaansa Schans—that’s where all the tour buses go.) She also recommended that the kids visit “the best playground they’d ever been to” in Amsterdam – and built over water to boot!
I know that Wendy’s trip specialists can plan and execute flawless trips that draw on their extensive network of contacts to allow clients to dig deeper into the culture than just seeing the sights. But planning a combination trip for well-traveled adults together with meeting the needs of young children takes a special trip specialist. Tom really hit it out of the park for us. It’s one thing to keep teenagers happy; it’s another thing to keep little kids engaged. Tom’s choices of hotels—and specific rooms, especially for our daughter and her family—were spot on. His choice of activities was also spot on. We split our time between Amsterdam (four nights, with two days in the countryside) and The Hague (three days with two days outside the city).
I had reservations about going to the Netherlands in peak tulip season. Not only would there be hordes of foreign tourists, but it was Easter holiday, the same time Dutch schools were on spring break, and the King’s Day celebration. Tom structured the trip in a way that kept us mostly far from the worst of the crowds. Including Keukenhof, the renowned tulip exhibition garden open only for two months each spring with tickets sold out months ahead of time, gave me pause. To miss it would have been a mistake. We discovered a breathtaking huge park of paths winding through gorgeous display beds of the largest tulips I’ve ever seen, manicured green grass among the beds, wonderful playgrounds, a fun maze, and places scattered about to get snacks. It was so large that crowds thronging the entrance gate quickly spread out and the displays were so striking that everyone was in a good mood offering to take photos for strangers. We were impressed at how well organized and run Keukenhof is. Our visit there was a trip highlight.
The kids loved the day at fairytale-themed Efteling amusement park. It was huge, had some truly scary (for me) roller coaster rides that the two older kids and their parents loved, and other rides that even I (not a fan in general of amusement parks) had fun on.
Our congratulations to you, Tom. It was brilliant from start to finish.
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Paris & Amsterdam: Notre Dame, Loire Valley, and Keukenhof flower gardens abloom
ERIN LEAHY | APRIL 25, 2025
Erin, Brandon and Kylie enjoy cream puffs at a cafe around the corner from Notre Dame.
We had a wonderful trip to France and the Netherlands. We wanted to take our 12 year old daughter on her first international trip over spring break (1st week of April 2025). She has been in love with Paris for years so we knew that was our main destination but also wanted to visit another country.
Wendy connected us with Jay’s travel company and they were able to suggest going to Amsterdam. This was a great time to go because the Keukenhof flower gardens, which are only open a couple of months each year, would be open. The Keukenhof visit was a highlight for us. We spent about 4 hours there but easily could have stayed longer. One piece of advice—you can buy an entrance ticket + bus ride combo ticket. The bus ride is about 45 minutes. If you do this option, I would suggest getting to the bus early. Even though you have already purchased a ticket, you have to wait in a pretty long line to get checked in and wait for your group to get called to board a bus. We got to the bus around 9:30am but didn’t get to Keukenhoff until 11:15am. As we had dinner plans for the evening, this ate into the amount of time we were able to stay at the gardens. The ticket says it is a hop on, hop off bus transfer, which is slightly misleading to how long you will actually have to wait. Other highlights in Amsterdam are the Anne Frank house and the Van Gogh Museum.
We fell in love with Paris more than we had expected. We stayed at Hotel le Canopee. It is a small boutique hotel and was absolutely perfect for us. The staff is so wonderful and they make it feel like you are coming home at the end of a busy day. The rooms are very clean and quiet at night. We will definitely stay here again. We did opt for a private intro to Paris tour and a private Louvre tour. These tours were possibly the only thing we weren’t 100% pleased with. We had never done private tours before so I think it is just important to be in touch with your tour guide prior to the tour to make sure you are all on the same page with what you want to accomplish in your time together. Our guide was very nice, knowledgeable and great with our daughter, I think we just didn’t get the experience we were hoping for.
The rest of the time in Paris was magical. Notre Dame has reopened and if you get there first thing in the morning, the lines are minimal. We did the audio tour which I highly recommend. We did a day trip to Loire Valley for a castle and wine tasting tour, which I would highly recommend. We snuck over to Disney Paris for 1 day. It is extremely easy to take a 45-minute metro ride which drops you off right at the front door of Disney. Other things to not miss are Montmartre and Sacre Coeur.
Having a local contact was one of the best parts of our trip. Not only was she helpful with dining reservations, but also met us upon arrival to help get oriented. We had one issue with a ticket voucher and were able to get in contact with her and get it easily resolved. It was also comforting knowing we had someone to reach out to locally that could help us if we had any issues or emergencies.
We had a wonderful trip and would definitely use this team again. The whole process was easy and everyone was a pleasure to work with, from the moment we first reached out through the follow up when we arrived back home.
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Costa Rica: white water rafting and canyon rappelling, tented camp and cooking classes
LAUREN SCHOR | APRIL 24, 2025
The Schor family navigated rapids while whitewater rafting in Arenal.
Just back from an incredible spring break in Costa Rica with my husband and fourteen-year-old daughter. I first contacted Priscilla three years before our trip, as we were initially considering going over the Christmas holidays, but many of the properties we wanted to stay at had minimum night stays which would have prevented us from going to more than one location. Spring break worked much better for what we wanted to do and we had great weather in April!
I also knew from our first conversation that one of the places we wanted to stay (Nayara tented camp) books up early and fast! By booking and planning this trip in advance (8 months out), we were able to do everything we wanted! Priscilla was a pleasure to work with—always super quick to reply to emails and always offering detailed responses. She answered every question I had, no matter how small or detailed. When we landed in Liberia airport we were met by our incredible guide William—we have traveled all over the world with WOW List experts and William was one of the best guides we have had.
We started our trip with three nights in the Arenal volcano area at Nayara Tented Camp, which was incredible! We absolutely loved our “tent”—they all have private thermal spa pools and outdoor showers in a jungle setting. Highly recommend staying here if you book early enough. Our first morning we had a surprise WOW Moment, a family photoshoot on Nayara’s property, and we now have some gorgeous professional photos! We wanted to see and do as much as possible while we were in the “adventure” Arenal area. We went white water rafting and canyon rappelling, we did a night frog walk (where we saw much more than just frogs!), we went to the mistico hanging bridge park where we saw so much wildlife and we had an incredible private cooking class. We try to take cooking classes whenever we travel, as it’s a great way to learn about the local culture, and this was definitely one of the best we have done!
On the relatively short drives to all of these activities, William and our driver pulled over on the side of the road because they spotted sloths, parrots and toucans—I have no idea how they saw them up in the trees while driving! On our fourth day we had a 4.5-hour drive to the Four Seasons on the Papagayo Peninsula. To break up the drive we stopped at a beautiful hacienda, where we had a delicious local lunch and took a private river boat ride on the property and saw totally different wildlife in a new ecosystem—at one point we were surrounded by ten crocodiles (the river boat driver was not concerned, so neither were we). And luckily William knew a shortcut which saved us an hour of driving time!
Once we arrived at the Four Seasons we spent the last few days of our trip relaxing. One morning we did leave the property to go zip lining, which Priscilla had arranged and I highly recommend it! There were plenty of other activity options by the beach, we just chose to relax! The restaurants at the Four Seasons (five of them) were all great and we ate at a different one each night. Overall, I highly recommend Costa Rica for a family trip because it offered both adventure and activities as well as beach and relaxing. I hope to go back to see other parts of the country and I would only use Priscilla to plan our next trip!
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Japan: peak cherry blossoms, “extraordinary” nine-course meals, island hopping for the arts
MICHAEL MODAK | APRIL 23, 2025
“Our arrival to Kyoto coincided with the absolute peak of the blossoms blooming. Pictures do not do justice to the explosion.” Photo: Michael Modak
Cherry Blossoms and much more…. It’s been on the list for some time to visit Japan at peak season for the cherry blossoms. We reached out to Wendy who put us in touch with Andrea and his team. As with many trips we had a major theme and some ideas on what to do. Andrea was extremely helpful in opening our eyes to a much broader set of options to consider. From his suggestions came the plan to spend about a week in the Seto Island Sea beginning at the Simose Art Gallery and Garden Villa to Setoda on Ikuchi Island to Momojima Island to the Bennesse House Museum on Naoshima to Teshima and Inujima. Each of these islands had interesting art museums and installations that were intriguing. It was good to see that on some of these islands, artists came in to purchase a building and repurpose it to a gallery in order to attract artists and visitors to these places where the population was diminishing (some islands were down to less than 30 inhabitants). It was renewal at its best. Andrea arranged all of our island travel by private boat, including a beautiful sunset cruise where we were treated to an outstanding dinner prepared by a private sushi chef. Left to our own devices we would have never discovered this wonderful area of Japan.
The timing of our arrival to Kyoto coincided with the absolute peak of the blossoms blooming. Pictures do not do justice to the explosion of the wonderful, white blossoms. The temples, the bamboo forest, and a tea ceremony were additional highlights of this portion of the trip.
Another area that we incorporated was on the north side of Japan in the area between Echizen (an area known for old style paper making and Japanese knives) and Kanazawa (which has an interesting samurai area and several old geisha districts) among other shrines and the imposing Kanazawa Castle.
Finishing up in Tokyo was a mix of museums, gardens, parks and attending a sumo practice session.
One additional note. The food was extraordinary. Andrea set us up at many Ryokans through the trip and it was a 9-course event for most evenings.
As we traveled, we got an email every evening from Andrea’s colleague Beatrice with events for the next day along with weather reports. They do a guardian angel list on What’s App of the team involved in managing the trip, and it was very useful, as we had to check on things and confirm things as we went. All in all a great adventure!
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Germany: appreciating the panorama of Berlin and Potsdam, building a VW in Dresden
LAUREN PRESCOTT | APRIL 23, 2025
Larry Prescott working on the production floor of VW Glaeserne Manufactur. Photo: Lauren Prescott
Claudia was absolutely the best travel consultant we’ve ever encountered. Because we have not traveled in Germany extensively (except with our tandem bicycle group), we would never have been able to find the great restaurants she recommended or our wonderful guides. Her hotel recommendations were spot-on.
We knew we wanted to spend four or five days in Berlin and then asked for suggestions as to another interesting city nearby. She immediately recommended Dresden, and not just because it’s her hometown. It has a fascinating history as one of the intellectual centers of 17th and 18th century Europe. And as an historian, I was especially interested in the rebuilding following the Allied bombing in February 1945.
But the highlight for my husband (a pre-birthday surprise) was a private tour of the production line at the VW Glaeserne Manufaktur where he actually got to help build an VW ID3. And in Berlin, we had two delightful days with Sue and Aaron, fabulous guides who gave us an excellent panorama of the immense city and of Potsdam. I had been to Berlin when it was divided and was very interested in seeing all the Berliners have accomplished in the last 35 years. Claudia and her assistant, Habiba, could not have planned a better itinerary for us. Many thanks to them both.
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Northern Ireland: sea cliffs, a guide who “adds texture to every stone wall,” scratching a son’s Titanic itch
KIMBERLEY LIAO | APRIL 22, 2025
“The landscape in Northern Ireland was every bit as breathtaking as you’d imagine.”
Louise did a phenomenal job on our April 2025 spring break in Northern Ireland. We had a rather unusual request to plan a trip around our 7 year old’s undying interest in the Titanic and our desire to celebrate this bittersweet late stage of his childhood. There are trips you take, and then there are journeys that take you—that unfold something inside you you didn’t know was waiting to be discovered. We meant for this trip to be all about our son as a belated birthday present in lieu of a party, but amazingly, we were all restored on this trip.
We appreciated the dual nature of the itinerary—we had unguided time on arrival in Dublin and in Belfast, which was absolutely perfect. It always takes us a few days to get into vacation mode and truly be able to be present with guides. The hotels Louise picked were perfect for a family of three, and the flexibility to follow her tips (or not!) was appreciated. The Titanic Museum and Hotel were true highlights, and we appreciated her thoughtful gesture of booking a hotel tour for us.
As we moved on to the Antrim Coast, we were in for a surprise. Yes, the landscape in Northern Ireland was every bit as breathtaking as you’d imagine: sea cliffs carved by time, fields stitched in every shade of green, and skies that seemed to change their mind every few minutes. But what made this trip unforgettable wasn’t just the country—it was our guide, Warner.
Warner didn’t just show us Ireland. He translated it. He was a steady, thoughtful presence—equal parts storyteller, historian, naturalist, and occasional therapist. He had a gift for weaving folklore with facts, giving texture to every stone wall, ruin, and trail. Warner listened and after our first day together, knew that half of our itinerary needed to be ripped up and changed completely. He helped us see Ireland not just as tourists, but as temporary stewards of something ancient and alive.
If you want an outdoors-focused trip that a 7 year old can enjoy with you, Louise is your woman. Highly recommend. Truly exceptional. We hope to return and see other parts of Ireland!
This trip was arranged by WOW List candidate. Here’s what that means.
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Morocco: spectacular mosques, market haggling, Sahara trekking, hamam downtime
VERONIQUE PADALECKI | APRIL 22, 2025
Veronique’s four children at a “spectacular mosque, one of the most amazing religious places we have ever seen.”
We took our family of 6 to Morocco this Spring Break and used the travel planning company Wendy recommended. We are a family of 4 mostly teens (ages 10-16). We started in Marrakech and made our way to the Sahara via the most beautiful Hotel Eden in the Dades gorge and finished our trip in Casablanca with a tour of the most spectacular mosque, one of the most amazing religious places we have ever seen.
We were there during Ramadan, which turned out to be a beautiful and special time for the locals and the kids were able to observe so many traditions that take place only during Ramadan. Our local tour guide Hamza was with us the entire trip and was AMAZING. His perspective and patience with our kids was unparalleled. The kids loved the markets of Marrakech and were able to experience an afternoon at a local Hamam (spa), as well as breaking fast with a local family where we cooked traditional Moroccan cuisine. Each and every aspect was thoughtfully planned and we were thrilled with our trip.
I highly recommend Morocco for anyone looking for a more colorful and vibrant atmosphere and loves the idea of traveling to a place so different than the states. We felt very safe and our kids thoroughly enjoyed the haggling markets and seasoned foods. The Sahara is a BIG trek to make but we were all very happy we opted for this and made the long journey. We cannot wait to go back and see more of Morocco!
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Japan: observing and participating in the arts in Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, and Naoshima
SUSAN GULICK AND SARA SHOOB | APRIL 21, 2025
Susan Gulick and Sara Shoob built their itinerary around the arts in Japan.
Andrea and his team of guardian angels created a fabulous trip for us. The focus of our visit was the art and craft of Japan. Our experiences exceeded our expectations.
We began our trip in Tokyo. For three days we visited unique stores, learned about origami from a master, created our own small bonsai trees, and visited the Tokyo National Museum. Naturally we also walked across the Shibuya Crossing and were amazed at the order of all the pedestrians.
Taking the train to Kanazawa was our first independent trip on the bullet train. The process of lining up for the train and taking a seat was orderly and efficient unlike our experiences at home. Upon our arrival we went to two museums and participated in a gold leaf workshop. We also shopped at the morning market in Takayama and visited the village of
Shirakawa-go, a world heritage site.
Next we traveled like experts on the train to Kyoto. Independently, we explored the neighborhood around our hotel. We enjoyed discovering restaurants for dinner and a lovely coffee shop with delicious donuts.
Highlights in Kyoto were visiting a bamboo garden, exploring gorgeous temples, having a calligraphy lesson, dinner with a geisha in training, an authentic tea ceremony, visiting the Nishiki Market and a kimono experience. Phew! One of our guides in Kyoto actually made a video of our day together. What a lovely memory!
We mastered the greatest challenge of all on our next trip. We followed a video prepared by our guardian angels to navigate two trains, a bus and a ferry to get to the art island of Naoshima. In the next days, we visited unique contemporary art museums and enjoyed relaxing in our Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.
From Naoshima we headed to Kurashiki, a historic city that was once a center of trade. Many shops displayed handmade crafts from the area. We visited a blue jean factory and created our own pottery under the guidance of a sixth-generation potter.
Our journey was nearing the end as we took our last train back to Tokyo. We explored a luxurious department store, visited the Meiji Shinto Shrine, learned about the craft of Kintsugi, and finished our trip with a Kabuki performance.
Outstanding guides helped us to appreciate the history and values of a culture that is very different from ours. The people are respectful of others and find beauty in everything. We are looking forward to returning soon.
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London: three generations enjoy Tower of London, Borough Market, & spray-painting Graffiti Tunnel
DIANE THORMODSGARD | APRIL 21, 2025
Diane enjoying oysters at the Borough Market with her daughter and twin granddaughters.
My daughter, twelve-year-old twin granddaughters and I spent Easter break in London. This was the second trip arranged for us by Jennifer and her staff who helped us visit Paris two years ago. Once again, we had a fabulous time with excellent guides and arranged tours.
Wes was our driver/guide for a panoramic black cab tour of the city to see the London landmarks. He was tuned into stopping at sights the girls would enjoy, including spray painting their own creations in Graffiti Tunnel on Leake Street. Wes was terrific and the girls loved him.
Our guide, Ben, for a half day tour of the Tower of London was very knowledgeable and a natural story teller. An afternoon at the Harry Potter Studios was a highlight for the girls. Our black car ride to and from the studios was greatly appreciated after spending 4 hours at the studio when everyone was tired.
Our behind the scenes experience at the Borough Market with Tash exceeded our expectations. We had 12 different samplings from scallops, oysters, tea, cheese, crumble, and fresh sugarcane juice. Tash was very engaging and energetic.
The views of London from sunset dinner at the Aqua Shard, the London Eye and the Thames speed boat ride were memorable.
Our trip to London was well organized with professional drivers and guides. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Jennifer and her staff again for a trip. Their recommendations were excellent and made the trip special for all of us.
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Belize: snorkeling the reefs, hot sauce tasting, tubing caves amid tiny bats & Mayan artifacts
CHRIS KLOES | APRIL 21, 2025
“We tried over 20 different products, ranging from mild to the Red Hornet, a seriously spicy sauce!”
Un-belize-able! My husband, myself, and our 13 year-old son had a wonderful Spring Break trip to Belize using a WOW List planner as our travel specialist. They helped us plan the trip from the get-go. We had an initial call with Rachel, who helped us think through the choice points in building an itinerary to maximize the 6 days we had available. We talked through wanting to have both a rainforest experience, and a beach experience. They suggested how we could divide our time and helped us think through the logistics of getting around in the country.
Upon arrival, we were picked up at the airport by our amazing guide, Josiah. He drove us to our first stop, near the Sleeping Giant rock formation. We stayed at a beautiful resort aptly named The Sleeping Giant Resort and Spa. This resort is beautiful and luxurious. It pulls off the feat of being small, with only 31 accommodations, but also being enormous, with over 400 acres of rainforest on property and many more acres adjacent. We loved the pool area, which was surrounded by bougainvillea and other gorgeous plants.
While at the Sleeping Giant, we went cave tubing. This experience was absolutely sensational—unlike any we’ve ever had. Josiah drove us to the national park where the cave is located, and turned us over to an excellent local guide named Anthony. We were very fortunate as we had the river and the cave completely to ourselves for 90% of our excursion. (When there are cruise ships that come to Belize, the caves can be very crowded.) We floated through magnificent caves in wide, comfy tubes, admiring the sparkling stalactites and stalagmites. The cave had lots of swallows and tiny bats, both of which were so fun to see. At the mid-point of our float, we were able to climb up the rocks and to look at some Mayan pottery and carvings left behind in the cave. There was also a cavern with a deep pool of beautiful water that we could jump into and have a private swim. It was truly magical!
Josiah picked us up the next morning for our next leg of the trip. In talking with him, he had heard that we love spicy food. So, he suggested a stop of the Marie Sharp hot sauce factory! We learned that Marie Sharp hot sauce is ubiquitous in Belize, available on almost every table. The factory was on the way to our next destination, and we had a great time. We tried over 20 different products, ranging from mild to the Red Hornet, a seriously spicy sauce! We also tried some local wines, made from different ingredients—blueberries, local vines, and even cashews. Finally, we had a tasty local lunch. We are so glad Josiah took us to visit Marie Sharp’s!
Our last destination was in Placencia, toward the Southern coast of Belize. Our travel planning team steered us to this destination over other beach locales, since we were looking for a local experience that was laid back and not looking for a party scene. We stayed at a Beach Villa at the Naia resort and couldn’t have been happier.
While in Placencia, we had a ½ day of snorkeling on a private boat, which our team booked for us. It was a picture-perfect day and we loved how laid back the experience was. We boated for about 45 minutes and got to the Laughing Bird Caye National Park, a tiny island with amazing coral reefs. We snorkeled with our captain, who showed us all kinds of colorful fish and other sea creatures. The captain and his first mate grilled us some delicious chicken for lunch, with Marie Sharp hot sauce, of course!
We took a small commuter plane from Placencia back to Belize City for our trip home. This was an added insight from our team as we wouldn’t have thought that the short, 20-minute flight was possible. Our connection at the local Belize City airport was a cinch and the short plane ride made the day of our departure so much more enjoyable.
This is probably the 10th trip we’ve taken over the years using a travel specialist recommended by the Wendy Perrin team. We continue to be impressed with how a travel specialist can add value to an international trip. Our team did a great job and we would highly recommend them to others planning a Belize adventure.
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Venice & Paris: markets, Orient Express, and a weaving workshop that brings Venice history to life
KATIE GRAY | APRIL 20, 2025
Riding the Orient Express from Venice to Paris was “a fantasy trip.”
We traveled to Venice and Paris in April of 2025, taking the Orient Express between these two most romantic cities in the world. We were reluctant travelers without specific plans other than to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in a way we would never forget.
Our planner Jennifer and her amazing team members in Italy and France made our trip a VIP experience from beginning to end. Jennifer helped us find a daily adventure for exploring each city with guides who made us feel like friends visiting their towns for the first time. At the end of each day we would retire to our hotels, both so beautiful and comfortable we didn’t want to leave.
Our favorite experience in Venice was a visit to the Luigi Bevilacqua workshop, an artisan weaving company in business since the 18th century. That visit made the history of Venice come to life with some of the most beautiful fabrics ever created.
The Orient Express is a fantasy trip. We were transported to the most glamorous era of travel, passing through Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland along the way to Paris.
Every day in Paris is special, we stayed an “extra” day to see the famous Saint Quen markets, where an expert took us through the treasures of the Paul Bert Serpette market. We would be happy to do the entire trip again, but agreed a regular visit to Paris and the markets was definitely in our future.
Reluctant travelers no more, we look forward to our next trip. Until then, we will follow Wendy and Jennifer online and dream about more adventures.
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Sicily: temples, castles, and culinary adventures in the “melting pot of the Mediterranean”
SHARON KORNHAUS | APRIL 20, 2025
Sharon Kornhaus and Mark White at The Valley of the Temples, Agrigento.
My husband, Mark, and I just returned from Sicily this April. We used Matteo and Marcello to help plan our trip. After a brief meeting with Matteo, we arrived at a travel plan that included culinary adventures, cultural and historical stops and lots of opportunities to take in the beautiful Sicilian scenery.
Visiting Sicily gave us the chance to experience the wide variety of cultures that contribute to making this Italian island the melting pot of the Mediterranean. We saw Greek temples at the Valley of Temples, Roman mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale, Norman, Arab and Byzantine architecture at Monreale Cathedral, small Mediterranean villages with narrow, winding streets like on the island of Oritgia, and an Arab and Norman castle at Castelbuono.
One of the highlights of our trip was getting to visit the Scardaci family almond farm near Noto to see how they use traditional methods to grow olives, pistachios and almonds and then join them for a rustic lunch of vegetables, cheeses, pasta, and cannoli. Throughout our trip we also had the opportunity to sample some of Sicily’s wonderful cuisine—gelato, granita, Sicilian bread, pizza, caponata, almond cookies, and of course, Sicilian wine.
Our travels were seamless. Matteo and his group made sure we were never waiting for a pick up or guide to arrive. Tickets were ready, tables were secured, guides were prepared, hotels were waiting for us to arrive—we didn’t have to fret about anything and were able to concentrate on absorbing and fully enjoying Sicily.
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Dubai & the Maldives: “best family trip,” from desert sands to swimming with sea turtles
MARY KO | APRIL 20, 2025
“I can’t imagine ever going back to a standard beach hotel and not being let down.” Photo: Traveler Mary Ko
We went to Dubai and Maldives for the last 10 days in March. It was the best trip our family has taken to date. Dubai has so much to offer I wish we had stayed an additional day. The shopping and tourist attractions were amazing. Our hotel, the Grovesnor, was also amazing and we got upgraded to a top floor suite.
The Maldives are the perfect family vacation. We biked to our meals. We saw hundreds of dolphins out on the wild. We swam with sea turtles near the blue holes. We snorkeled and went on stand-up paddle boards. We had our own villa with a pool and it was so relaxing. I can’t imagine ever going back to a standard beach hotel and not being let down. Vakkaru in the Maldives was our best beach vacation ever.
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Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, and off-the-beaten-path experiences in the Izu Peninsula
ARIADNA BIETE | APRIL 17, 2025
A hike yielded “breathtaking views of Mount Fuji—an experience we’ll never forget.” Photo: Traveler Ariadne Biete
Our recent trip to Japan in March was nothing short of extraordinary, thanks to the thoughtful planning and deep care of our trip planner, Andrea. From the very beginning, Andrea took the time to truly understand our family—our interests, preferences, and even individual needs—which made all the difference in how personalized and fulfilling the trip felt for each of us. Traveling with three daughters of different ages can be a challenge, but Andrea managed to create an itinerary that offered something meaningful and exciting for everyone.
Although we just missed the cherry blossoms, we wouldn’t have changed a thing. The mix of iconic sights in Tokyo and Kyoto, paired with off-the-beaten-path experiences in the Izu Peninsula, gave us a well-rounded view of Japan’s beauty and culture. Andrea’s recommended local guides were incredibly knowledgeable and added rich context to everything from history to food. One of the most unique and unforgettable highlights was our stay at a two-room hotel perched on the coast, followed by an amazing hike with breathtaking views of Mount Fuji—an experience we’ll never forget.
Andrea’s flexibility was another huge plus; he adapted the itinerary smoothly in response to weather changes and last-minute requests, always keeping our comfort and enjoyment in mind. Without a doubt, he added tremendous value to our trip, and we would highly recommend him to any traveler looking for a deeply customized and seamless travel experience in Japan.
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Australia: Tasmania, Uluru, and ground support for a Perth-to-Sydney road trip adventure
LYNNE HARRISON | APRIL 15, 2025
Traveling sisters Lynne and Maureen enjoy a white tablecloth lunch at Whalers Bay in South Australia.
My sister and I planned a 7-week trip to Australia focused on driving the southern coast from Perth to Sydney. Traveling lightly, we each planned to travel with one carry-on and a small backpack. We hoped to get to Uluru and Tasmania as well.
Wendy Perrin connected us to Stuart Rigg’s team, and Jacki Lang (who became our primary contact). While my sister and I had roughed out an itinerary on our own, we knew we needed on-the-ground help to manage driving from Perth to Sydney and getting to Tasmania and Uluru. Jacki really heard us: we were independent travelers, more focused on country than city, preferred self-catering where possible, liked good food and wine, wanted informed and adventurous experiences, and needed to be able to do laundry regularly over the 7 weeks.
My sister and I have not yet “earned” a WOW Moment. However, the team gave us so many wow moments during our time in Australia, we feel like experienced Wendy Perrin users.
Stuart’s team booked us into 20 different places (not including 2 roadhouses on the Eyre Highway we booked ourselves), starting and ending in Sydney. The accommodations ranged from luxury glamping and resorts, to apartment hotels and B & Bs, to regular hotels. The roadhouses were in a category of their own: functional and clean, but not much else. However, there were some truly astounding places: Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, and Longitude 131 at Uluru. Though we also loved Merlot in Penola, and Chocolate Gannets in Apollo Bay.
They also arranged 14 tours in the major cities and in more remote locations. All were good, and a few were extraordinary (calling out David “Lunch” Doudle with Australian Coastal Safaris in Port Lincoln). Plus, Jacki arranged for us to do a backstage tour of the Opera House followed by dinner at the famed Bennelong Restaurant IN the Opera House and then followed by attending an opera, Cendrillon, in the Opera House!
We started with the famous Indian-Pacific train to cross from Sydney to Perth before setting out on the drive back. We mastered driving on the left side of the road and were amused by the road signs saying “Drive Left in Australia.” We had no car or rental problems though we did buy nearly all of the possible insurances (not the unsurfaced road insurance—though we did have a few unanticipated unsurfaced road moments). We may not have had car problems but Jacki did a major save when one of us left a passport, iPad, and cash in the safe at our accommodation in Apollo Bay. Jacki worked with the owner of the property to have one of her staff deliver everything the next day to our next hotel in Melbourne. What a relief to have such help!
Given the complexity of our trip, there were a few snafus which Jacki quickly responded to and resolved. We so appreciated her immediate follow-up and quick resolutions.
We did our drive safely and it was not nearly as boring as everyone told us it might be (and Australia has very straight roads). We did get to Uluru and Tasmania, as well as bucket list items like the Sydney Bridge Walk, and an opera at the Sydney Opera House.
Esperance beaches were the best, especially Lucky Bay at Cape Le Grand National Park. So many memories! Would we go back? You bet? Would we use Stuart’s team? Of course!
Thank you, Jacki!
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Argentina & Chile: dinner at a chef’s home, picnic at Torres del Paine, estancia visit with a musician
KITTY BEAN YANCEY | APRIL 14, 2025
Kitty Bean Yancey’s guided hike in Torres del Paine National Park included a picnic buffet.
Imagine hotel rooms with drop-dead views of lakes, mountains and volcanoes and interacting with some of the warmest people we’ve ever encountered. That made our amazingly well-planned trip to Patagonia and Argentina Lake Country one of the more memorable trips in decades of travel. Krista and Jordan steered us to fantastic hotels and lodges (most off the beaten tourist track as we requested) and secured us exceptional rooms and activities, including dinner at a chef’s home and a private horseback ride.
Our WOW Moment was the best we’ve had. We initially thought it was the visit to Torres del Paine National Park with a guide, featuring a two-hour hike to see snow-covered peaks up close and a picnic buffet. But no, that was just the appetizer. Next day, we were taken to an historic estancia and entered the ranch house to find a locally famed musician and his daughter and son ready to give us a private concert of his songs about Patagonia. We’ll remember it always, as well as the four-course lunch including perfectly roasted guanaco and homemade matcha tea/fig ice cream.
I’m a semi-retired travel writer, but use Wendy’s WOW List experts to explore new territory because they can ensure a special trip with insider experiences.
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Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, & Hong Kong: orangutans, temples, tubing, and waterfalls
ANDREA MATHIS | APRIL 13, 2025
Traveling with three young children in Asia means incorporating wildlife—here, an orangutan.
Andrea and his team planned our extraordinary adventure through the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. We are a family of five with three young children, so it was a complicated trip to plan and execute. Andrea matched us with extraordinary guides who were always attuned to the children’s interests.
We saw tarsiers, camped with wild orangutans, swam with sea turtles, went tubing through the jungle, swam under waterfalls, and made our own halo-halo. We visited temples, churches, skyscrapers, and a rural fishing village in Hong Kong. The planning was carefully orchestrated and we always felt safe and well-cared for. Truly an unforgettable adventure!
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London: soccer tickets, after hours tour of the HMS Belfast, speeding on the Thames
THERESA SANDOVAL | APRIL 13, 2025
Theresa Sandoval’s family enjoyed an Arsenal game during spring break in London.
Jennifer and her team made our London spring break trip seamless! First and most importantly, she helped us to secure Arsenal tickets to celebrate my husband’s birthday. She had great advice on schedule our other activities around the match. Her hotel recommendation was exactly on point, and we could not have been happier with our stay and the ideal room set up for our family of 4 at the Haymarket.
Her team was available at every point, and they sent us helpful reminders of where to be and when throughout our journey. Last but not least—Jennifer set us up with the BEST tour guides!! Russell showed us around the changing of the guard, Churchill War Rooms, the British Museum, and the best food market in a converted church. He met everyone’s needs and questions and kept all of us (even the 12- and 17-year olds) engaged all day! The next day, after a private speed boat ride up and down the Thames, Stuart gave us a behind-the-scenes, after hours tour of the HMS Belfast.
Again, we loved every minute of the tour and were so grateful for his time and expertise. Thank you, Jennifer, for helping us to plan a wonderful vacation!!
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Spain: peace of mind, exclusive cooking experience, and “a unique view into San Sebastian cultural life”
MARY ANDRADE | APRIL 12, 2025
Peter, Mary, Mark and Cat dive into cooking at a members-only gastronomic society after picking up ingredients at the local market.
I’ll cut to the chase—our trip to Spain exceeded our expectations and it was all due to our trip planner, Pablo. We are typically DIY vacation planners focused on photography, but for this trip we decided to put our cameras away and concentrate on learning about the history and the culture of Spain. I had been following Wendy Perrin’s newsletters for years, and thought this would be a great opportunity to try out a recommended trip planner.
We typically plan our trips a year in advance, and found Pablo to be responsive and flexible to our needs and timing. Instead of spending weeks and months doing the detailed planning, we spent less than 3 hours with him and loved the hotels we stayed at, and the guides and activities he arranged. We had experiences and access to activities we would not have had if we planned the trip on our own. One of the highlights was the day we spent learning how to cook traditional Basque country dishes. This was not a typical cooking class in a commercial kitchen. We had a rare opportunity to spend the day at a gastronomic society. These are member-only societies in which you must be invited, and they are typically used for family and friend gatherings. We appreciated the unique view into San Sebastian cultural life. He added the additional peace of mind to know he was there to support us when my husband, Peter, injured his foot and we needed to seek medical care. He had a doctor to the hotel within 30 minutes who expedited our hospital visit.
In Wendy’s newsletters, she often talks about value versus cost, and we experienced that firsthand. The impressive cadre of guides provided unique experiences and information, and we felt the hotels were superior and better located than what we would have selected on our own.
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Italy: a 50th anniversary trip pleases all ages with villas, gelato, La Scala, The Last Supper
RICHARD ABT | APRIL 9, 2025
Our trip to Italy was fantastic. The timing was to coincide with Marci and my 50th Anniversary, so obviously the timing was fixed. The weather turned out to be fine, with only a little rain on two of the days. The rest were perfect spring touring days.
The anniversary dinner for the 20 of us (my wife and I, 4 children, their 4 spouses and 10 grandchildren) was a true banquet prepared in one of our two villas by the Rosewood Castiglione Del Bosco staff. My children had also arranged a group of musicians to perform, including our “first dance at our wedding” song—Some Enchanted Evening—as we came in.
We enjoyed a WOW Moment in Siena where an artist who had made one of the banners for the winning district in the twice-a-year horse race made a sketch for Marci and me.
Jennifer and her team added great value to our trip. The planning for a group of 20 ages 3-78 was difficult enough, but they also came through in the face of unexpected glitches. The grandson I was supposed to take on a side trip to Milan to see The Last Supper and, especially, a performance of Tosca at La Scala, was sick and had to stay behind in Venice. One of my other grandsons was happy to substitute, but the train tickets and ticket to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie were in a different boy’s name. Somehow Jennifer’s team was able to get the tickets switched with almost no notice! The following day the two of us were supposed to meet the other 18 in Florence, but the train from Milan was delayed 90 minutes. Again, Jennifer’s team rearranged a car at the last minute so we would have someplace to put our luggage when we rejoined the others for our walking tour of Florence. We also had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Jennifer and one of her associates at a Plaza in Florence (she was there for a meeting). They were also great helping us rearrange several of our restaurant reservation numbers and time—again on very short notice.
One somewhat unusual experience that all 20 of us loved was the pizza and gelato making dinner in Rome. It is a trip that all our children and grandchildren will remember for the rest of their lives.
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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
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.
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India: a work trip extended to include “must-see” sites, local markets, and rescue elephants
BERTRAND SMYERS | APRIL 4, 2025
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.
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Spain: sidestepping rain with the “eccentric” Gala Dali Castle and a tapas tour
BARBARA PALTER | APRIL 3, 2025
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
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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Chile: Santiago, Rapi Nui, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Valparaiso, & the Atacama desert
MATT WILSON AND LYLE YORK | APRIL 1, 2025
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
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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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.
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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Ecuador & the Galapagos: Cloud forest in Mindo, Papallacta hot spa, snorkeling & hiking the isles
KATIE MCBRINE | MARCH 30, 2025
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 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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Norway: exploring the ice hotel, pulled by reindeer, viewing “always breathtaking” Northern Lights
THERESA SANDOVAL | MARCH 26, 2025
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
“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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Malta: sites pre-dating Stonehenge, private Palazzo visit, intimate winery tours & cheese-tasting
ROBIN AND JOSH MADDEN | MARCH 24, 2025
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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Japan: learning kintsugi pottery and Taiko drumming, experiencing ryokan and onsen
MIKE HARRIS | MARCH 23, 2025
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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Malta: meeting cultural & culinary artisans, playing bocci, donning leather for birds of prey
JAN HEININGER | MARCH 19, 2025
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
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 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 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
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
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
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.
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 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 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
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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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, 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.
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
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.
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
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. 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
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
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, 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
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
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 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 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
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.
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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.
