MY GLOBAL TRAVEL LUXURY MOMENTS
Travel luxuries can often mean different things to different people, for example for some it may mean travelling first/business class, staying at five star resorts and hotels, whereas to others it can be more down to private excursions or ordering a glass of bubbly with breakfast or even just getting the chance to have a holiday at all. Anyway what I’m trying to say is we are all different and see luxury, opulence and indulgence from different perspectives. Cue this month’s Travel Link-up topic, luxury and travel. So with that in mind, I’ve thought long and hard about what luxury travel means to me and the experiences that I would say left a lasting lavish memory.
Pre flight relaxation with Bubbly in Hand
There is no better way to get the holiday started than some pre-boarding relaxation in a lounge with a glass of champers in hand. In recent years I’ve been lucky enough to have been upgraded to a lounge on my long haul trips and they really are worth the money.
Spending time with the man in my life
This I will say is one of my greatest luxuries in life. Dr C often works abroad and it’s pretty difficult to get some quality time without an email or phone call popping up. Travelling allows us to make a conscious effort to be in each other’s company full time and to reconnect with our relationship without external influences.
Photo Courtesy: Carla at Shoot My Travel
Private Tours with a local Expert
In recent years, a small luxury is to source a private guide, who can accompany us on historical and cultural visits to get orientation of the city. In my opinion it’s money well spent as the itinerary can most certainly be tailored to your requirements! One of my all time favourites was the Gastronomy tour in Athens with a private chef.
Staying in Remote Locations
I am huge on beautiful, personable, small boutique hotels located pretty remotely. Obviously I do enjoy all the luxury and glamour a five star establishment brings but to me these are the hotels that often have access to some of the world’s greatest playgrounds. For example, I was blown away by The Belmond das Cataratas in Iguazu National Park opposite Iguazu falls, and the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, located outside the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu.
A Multi-Stop Extended Honeymoon
So they say you’re honeymoon is supposed to be the best holiday of your life, well ours most certainly was because it spanned up to two years post-wedding! It’s also one of my greatest memories of all things luxury and being totally spoilt with champagne, room upgrades, flowers and chocolates! We mini-mooned in New York, then had our main honeymoon touring Thailand and the islands and were gifted a honeymoon to Bali and Singapore! One of the highlights was staying on Bon Island, a completely deserted Island with a luxurious tree house in the forest.
Capturing Memories to Treasure
One of the best travel luxury memories has been when we had an anniversary photo shoot in Florence. It is the perfect lifelong memory of an occasion, which captured the moments of being in my favourite city in Europe. Having the shoot meant both Dr C and I could feature in all the photos together. You can read all about our memorable shoot here.
Photo Courtesy: Alberto Sarrantonio Photography
Michelin Star Dining
Dr C and I make scoping out the dining scene a huge priority and whereas I’ve been lucky enough to dine at many Michelin star restaurants, one of my favourites would have to be meeting Chef Angelos Lantos at 2 Michelin Star Spondi in Athens and sampling his Valentines Menu.
Prioritising Me Time
More often than not the difficulties and challenges of getting away can be overwhelming. A lot of planning is involved in just getting up and going on a multi-stop trip away from the daily life of work and personal commitments. I therefore appreciate the luxury of being able to do this whenever I feel like I need a fix. One of my personal favourite for recharging was a stay at El Remanso Rainforest Lodge in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.
Christmas in Bora Bora
Bora Bora is pretty high up on everyone’s bucket list and sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming to imagine I spent five days over Christmas time there. We had our own butler who delivered us a tropical breakfast in a canoe each morning! There was no necessity to leave our over-water bungalow the whole time we were there except to dive straight into the lagoon that is!
It’s over to you now, tell me what do you consider to be your travel luxuries? I’d love to know what the most luxurious thing you’ve done is.
À Bientôt…
PIN FOR LATER
Travel Link Up
For this month we’re thinking all things opulent – what are your travel luxuries? The whole shebang, ephemeral moments that you’ll always treasure or perhaps something in-between?
How to link up your post
Just pop your post up over the first week of the month (the 1st – 7th June 2018), add it to the link up widget found on Adventures of a London Kiwi, SilverSpoon London, Follow Your Sunshine or on the blog of our lovely guest host Sarah from More Than Just A Cupcake Lover.
There are no rules – all we ask is that you check out some of the other cool bloggers that are involved in that months travel link up; make a few comments here and there and tweet a few of the posts out to your followers that you think they will love. It’s a great way to meet some new travel bloggers and share some blogging joy!
The Travel Link Up is open to all bloggers as long as the post is relevant.
Mostlyfoodandtravel
Some of these places are amazing Bejal. It is nice to be able to have some luxury in life and your lucky to have had such great experiences. We never have photo shoots abroads but they clearly capture the perfect moments. Bora Bora is still my fav though I don’t know if I could do 5 nights- was it not too quiet?
Bejal
MostlyfoodandtravelThankyou Neha, much appreciated. I love experiences over things so have always saved to go away and explore different places. Well we just had our first photo shoot last year after discovering we’re rarely in pics together and it was a nice memory of our anniversary in Florence. We went to Bora Bora on our around the world trip and had to stay 5 nights because it was Christmas and how the flights to LA worked out. The time went fast and we did lots of diving as well as excursions. fantastic experience.I hope you get to go one day, it’s out of this world!
Binny
WOW! Loved this post and agree on so many of these – especially spending time with my man and the michelin star dining!
Bejal
BinnyThanks Binny! To me that is one of the most important things. We get so carried away with our hectic lives, we forget about just being with each other!!
Beccy - RaucousbyNature
Private tours are amazing, I love finding a local guide who will let you know about places you would never know existed.
These days luxury for me is being able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in bed or enjoy a sunset without small people ruining the ambience! ???? Don’t get me wrong I love my boys, but travel is a completely different experience these days!
Bejal
Beccy – RaucousbyNatureThanks for commenting lovely. I can only imagine that holidays are very very different with little people form the stories my friends tell me. But at least you can still experience so many things with them in tow, but just a slightly different type of holiday. Breakfast in bed though is one of my faves!
Angie Silver
These are things I love too! Getting a private guide is such a good way to see a city without having to compete with others asking questions! I’ve not spent Christmas in Bora Bora but I spent my honeymoon there.
Bejal
Angie SilverI remember seeing your Bora Bora photos Angie. Isn’t it just paradise? Christmas in Bora Bora is really not hyped up at all. Just a few lights on the palm trees!
Lara Olivia
Oh my these are some truly magnificent luxury travel experiences you’ve had! Private tours and boutique hotels all the way for me too 🙂 But why did your honeymoon only last two years? We’ve been on ours for the past six! It’s a bit cheeky I know but we always say we’re on our honeymoon or celebrating an anniversary because: free upgrades, free bottle of champagne, rose petals on the bed!!
https://missportmanteau.com/luxury-travel-experiences/
Bejal
Lara OliviaThanks Lara! Yes I can imagine we have similar taste! Well our official honeymoon ended after 2 years! Our unofficial one still carries on like yours! However we do anniversary getaways now for those added benefits you mention!!
richa mina
wow, your travelled places are amazing.. specially Iguazu Falls
Bejal
richa minaThanks for stopping by and your lovely comments. Iguazu Falls is just breath taking an unbelievable such a natural wonder exists!
Harpreet
Love your list, especially the factoring in ‘me time’ – it is a luxury in this day and age! #travellinkup
Bejal
HarpreetThanks Harpreet. Me time is so important isn’t it? I think we always forget about that!
Sarah
Wow, a butler! Now that’s luxury!
Love your luxuries – spending time together with your man sounds like the best luxury of All.
Sarah
Bejal
SarahThanks Sarah for you comments. Yes I always think the important things are that we forget to spend time with each other but actually it costs nothing and I agree is the biggest luxury of all!
Jaini
WOW. Love this list as I add more stuff to my travel list. Haha! What I love about luxury travel is that you forget about your stress and can tryly get engrossed in your travel adventures.
Bejal
JainiThanks Jaini. Exactly travel luxuries do tend to transport you from everyday life to a an unforgettable experience.
the Curious Pixie
Wow! So many great experiences. You know how much Iove my occasional dip into an opulent lifestyle, but a travel luxury nowadays for me is a simple lie in and peaceful breakfast in bed.
Bejal
the Curious PixieThanks Sima, I am also the same with lie-ins and peaceful brekkies and I don’t have kids! Sometimes it is the simple things that mean so much isn’t it?!
aeparker81
Fizz at the airport is a good call, a trip away starts the moment you arrive at the airport! We also love me or us time and being somewhere remote with as few people as possible. Good list!
Bejal
aeparker81Thanks for stopping by. Yes glad you agree, Fizz is a good way to get into the holiday mood! Me/us time is just so important in this age of busy lives!
Laura
We have started to use a private guide over recent years and it does really make a difference doesn’t it, I find you learn more as it is more intimate
Bejal
LauraYes totally agree, private guides are worth their wait in gold! It’s all about learning the culture and customs so definitely always try and scope one out.
Emma @ Adventures of a London Kiwi
I totally hear you on the quality time – it makes such a difference!
Bejal
Emma @ Adventures of a London KiwiAbsolutely! Such an important thing we seem to overlook!