Ireland, a pot of gold awaits you.

01/27/2011 By

Luxury-travel-dreams-irelandErin go Braugh means long live Ireland and for many North Americans this is a familiar phrase.

According to a 2008 consensus a total of 36,278,332 Americans or 11.9% of the population claim Irish ancestry while a 2006 similar one indicated that 14% of all Canadians have Irish decent.

 Come journey with us on day four of our world luxury travel tour to the place where many of our ancestors hailed from. The magical land where pixies, fairies and leprechauns were rumoured to have existed in days long forgotten. There is no place like home!

Like many parts of North America, the summers are warm and the winters are moderate with some snow. Weather changes quite frequently in Ireland from cloudy to sunny and vice verse.  If you are planning to visit during the summer sport some lightweight woollen or cotton clothes.

In the early centuries Gaelic was spoken here and although many still know the language locals prefer speaking English.

Very social people, the Irish and are good at having lively chats with strangers.  Residents live in great harmony and make great friends. Visitors are welcomed with warmth and are always made to feel at home and will never be sent away on an empty stomach.  Food is always served at any time of the day, to the guest of course. Guests are the pride and joy of any Irish household; a long held tradition dating back to medieval times.

Dinner is considered to be a meal of importance as it is the time when the entire family gathers to eat and talk about important family issues.

A popular event in Ireland is local flea markets. Many towns set up flea markets for tourists and locals to shop.  Irish gold although somewhat less desirable,  is quite cheap and you can often find great deals on gold jewelry in these markets.

Some of the must see Ireland tourist attractions:

  • The Connemara countryside
  • The cliffs of Moher
  • The Burren
  • Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone
  • Lakes of Kilkenny

A few Ireland tidbits: 

A local popular saying of “top of the morning to you” should be replied with “and the rest of the day to you.”

An old Irish proverb ” May you live to be a hundred years old and one extra to repent.”

Ceade Mille Failte you will see often means a thousand welcomes.

Connemara marble is a famous Irish stone that is said to have magical healing powers.  Many Irish people carry a small stone in thier pocket and rub it for luck and for health. You just  may want to purchase a souvenir of one while in Ireland.

While you are in Ireland we suggest you stay at the all inclusive luxury hotel known as Dromoland Castle. Located eight miles from Shannon Airport this is one of the greenest and beautifulest landscapes in all of Ireland.  This exclusive hotel is a vacation within itself. Truly the stuff that legends are made of.

Call our Milwaukee travel agency today and book your next vacation to Ireland,  our fourth stop on this luxury travel world tour. We can be found at http://www.luxetraveldeals.com or 1-866-365-8747 by phone.

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Ukraine, rich in history and culture is the first step on our world tour.

01/24/2011 By

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Luxe Travel Deals brings you a tour of the world one destination at a time; Ukraine.

The world is an open door and many countries become forgotten or overlooked as a travel destination in lieu of the more popular ones. As a good luxury travel writer knows, these forgotten places are the true travel gems of the world. Less travellers means more personalized service.

In Eastern Europe one of the largest countries of the region is Ukraine. Bordering Russia in the northeast, Belarus in the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west, Romania and Moldova in the southwest, surprizingly it is the least popular of all the European destinations.

Remarkably this forgotten place is rich in historical character with many cities dating back nine hundred years.  Visitors are often spellbound by the architectural beauty of it.  The capital city and the largest city in Ukraine is Kiev.  Kiev is where most travelers begin and end their Ukraine journey.

46.7 million people call this country home and the official language is Ukrainian. Other languages spoken here include;  Russian, Romanian, Polish and Hungarian.

Often described as warm hearted and welcoming,  the people of this country seem to be the most alluring part of this fascinating country.  Locals  have often been noted to invite visitors into thier homes for casual dinners  and family celebrations.  Traditional food, dances and costumes are usually an amazing addition to most of these celebrations.   As a souvenir many guests opt to purchase  costumes  because of the vibrant colors, beauty and texture of them.

While in Ukraine these are must visit tourist destinations:

  •  St Sophia Cathedral
  •  Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Caves Monastery)
  •  Great Patriotic War Museum
  •  Statue of the Motherland, Kiev

Notably some of the best ways to travel in Ukraine are:

By Sea – The primary ports of Ukraine are Izmail and Odessa which are situated on the River Danube. The ferry services connect Ukraine with Russia and Georgia. They also connect various cities on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Sevastopol is the port which connects Istanbul, Turkey.

By Rail – Ukraine has approximately 14,000 miles of railway tracks linking most towns and cities. Kyiv and Lviv are the main stations which connect with Moscow on a daily basis. Ukraine also has direct lines to Berlin (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Warsaw (Poland) and Bucharest (Romania).

Let our expert luxury travel agents help plan your next European vacation and make sure you take time aside to visit this truly amazing country because Ukraine is a doorway to many other European countries, cultures and exciting travel memories.

Remember to read our blog and travel along with us for the next little while as we visit a new and exciting country each day.  Live Well and Travel More. 

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Crystal Cruises sails in the new year with a new attitude!

01/20/2011 By

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Set  sail into the new year with a new attitude and some great deals brought to you from Crystal cruises!

Luxe Travel Deals has long been spreading the idea of Citizen Diplomat and it seems that even cruises are now setting sail with this new concept.

Crystal cruises has recently launched its’ new program called “You Care, We Care.”  Starting this year, Crystal cruises is planning to add one volunteer opportunity activity to each of its’ 2011 itineraries.

This volunteer experience will involve a limited number of guests who would like to try a new and rewarding shore excursion experience by helping a local community.  The activity is planned by Crystal and can include things like reading a storybook to local children, cleaning up the shoreline or a number of other select volunteer opportunities. Each activity is planned based on the needs of the local community but it is also meant to be a rewarding and fun experience at the same time.

Luxury Travel is about the experience and challenging yourself to do new things and Lxce Travel Deals is proud to have the opportunity to offer Citizen Diplomat opportunities to its clients.  Although this kind of experience is not for everyone, for those who know the power of helping others, this program is a welcome addition to the Crystal cruise line itinerary. Travel is no longer about the how it is about the why.  Why, because You Care, We Care!

If volunteering is not something that you are comfortable with have no worries, there are tons of other activities to keep you busy on board the cruise such as swimming, spas and great dining.  Setting sail into its’ new year Crystal cruises is offering 250$ per person savings on all 2011 Crystal Serenity departures, some restrictions do apply so you will want to contact our luxury travel agents to provide you with more details.

Set sail on one of the many Crystal cruises  and you just may change the world one destination at a time!

Please do not hesitate to contact our luxury travel agents for more information about Crystal cruises and its’ programs.  We can be reached at -1-866-365-8747 or by email: concierge@luxetraveldeals.com

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The new luxury travel is adventure travel.

01/17/2011 By

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A can do attitude is all you need to experience adventure travel.

In today’s fast pace lifestyle, travel is about the adventure and a can do spirit.  Luxe travel deals applies this principle to every aspect of our travel business because we believe that we cannot expect you to experience new adventures if we have not done so ourselves.   We take travel to the next level by building trusting relationships and experiencing adventure travel first hand.

On a recent trip, one of our travel agents recants her own extraordinary experience.   She tells us the story of how a cool drop of water splashes on her nose as she awakens, nearby she hears a multitude of chirping and gurgling noises that seem vaguely familiar.  When she becomes awake and aware of her surroundings,  she smiles as she starts to realize where she is.   That somewhere is;  a deckchair on the rooftop terrace of the luxurious Orient Express sanctuary deep in the mountains of Peru.

Imagine how it must feel when you look around and as far as you can see there are beautiful green lush mountains.  You are within walking distance of the lost ruins of Machu Picchu and the way you arrived here was via a luxury train ride fit for Indian Royalty.   Incredible!

The only thing that could be even more amazing is the realization that only days ago you were deep sea diving off the coast of Fiji.  Deep sea diving;  goal number seven – crossed off bucket list.  Machu Picchu was number five.

This is  often the moment when most people wonder does adventure travel get any better than this?

It can, and it does! Whatever your luxury travel dreams or bucket list consists of, one thing is for certain; it should include a variety of must do experiences and you must have a can do attitude.  Nothing is impossible with a positive attitude and the right travel agent behind you.  Planning an adventure travel vacation takes imagination, an eagerness to learn and and willingness to try new experiences.  Making it an exceptional one takes a luxury travel agency with thirty years  experience and a passion for travel, a luxury travel agency just like ours.

Adventure travel goes beyond the ordinary to bring you extraordinary and it takes  the collaboration of hundreds of travel consultants to bring you packages like these:

  • An African Safari -  hear  the rolling thunder of the Majestic Elephants as a herd passes nearby.
  • Spend an amazing historical and archaeological nine days visiting the pyramids of Egypt.
  • Get up close and personal with a Gorilla in the famous Rwandan sanctuary.
  • View the amazing polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba.
  • Explore the white snowy continent of the Antarctic or the green plush meadows of Ireland.
  • Relax your senses in a spa or on the beach of a private luxury resort.

You can just as easily create your very own travel packages,  mix a bit of adventure with some spa relaxation and yoga, the only limit is your spirit for adventure.  Whatever you envision as being your ultimate luxury vacation, our luxury travel agency has the power, experience and expertise to help you see it through.

A vacation is as important to your health and well being as any other part of your lifestyle, why would you chance it? Luxe Travel Deals has a winning attitude, a commitment to helping others and a passion for providing the very best when it comes to adventure travel.  We want you to live well and travel more!

Our luxury travel agents can be reached by phone at 1-866-365-8747 or email at concierge@luxetraveldeals.com

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Do luxury travel advisors still exist?

01/04/2011 By

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Do luxury travel advisors still exist?

People often ask the question why would I use a travel agent when I can easily book online?  Well the truth is, you can book yourself but you wont get the VIP benefits of using  luxury travel advisors.

I became privy to this early in my career.  It was my wedding day and everything was supposed to be picture perfect but an unforeseeable issue nearly left met in tears.

I booked my hotel by myself because in my arrogance I told myself I knew what I was doing, after all, I am a luxury travel writer. Travel writer maybe, luxury travel advisor I humbly say- definitely not.  I sat down in front of my computer, picked the luxury hotel that I thought seemed the best, checked the reviews and proudly thought to myself, I did good.   Some of my wedding guests decided they would book in the very same hotel instead of heading home and that meant we could all have breakfast and say goodbye before we left on our honeymoon.  A great end to a perfect day.

The wedding and reception went off without a hitch and we headed back in the limousine with our other guests to the hotel.  We were all laughing and having a wonderful time reminiscing about the wedding when the limousine driver called to me and said, “I do not know how to tell you this but your hotel is not accessible.”  Startled I replied, “What do you mean?”

He informed me that construction in the city had blocked off nearly five main streets and that I would have to get out of the limousine and walk the rest of the way to the hotel because no cars were allow on the streets.  It had been this way for the past five months he told me.  This important detail was never indicated on the website.

It was two in the morning when my new husband and I along with some of my wedding guests, in formal wear no less, were walking down the street hording suitcases.  It was at that moment when I realized, if I had only used the expertise of  luxury travel advisors none of this would have happened.   It was a bitter sweet moment and one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.  Thankfully, the hotel gave discounts and free breakfast and that did appease my guests, for me, it made my perfect wedding day end on a very sour note. 

Instead of being forthcoming and inform guests of this important issues which could have built a meaningful trust relationship between business and client, this hotel chose to simply  offer discounts after the fact to anyone who complained.   

I will never travel anywhere without the most important part of any trip every again -  luxury travel advisors,   a lesson well learned.

I would like to say on behalf of everyone here, I hope you make 2011 the best year ever and that you live well and travel more. 

I encourage you to VIP yourself whenever you travel and use a luxury travel advisor or agency like LuxeTravelDeals that focuses on building those trust relationships with its clients. Check for new and exciting destinations and luxury travel tips each and every day on our luxury travel guide  and visit all of our social media sights to keep your self updated and informed on luxury travel.

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