tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355099242009-07-17T09:04:23.664-07:00Travel Horizons is a blog about the wide world of travel. It is sponsored by David Ourisman, CTA, an independent travel associate of Brownell Travel, a Virtuoso agency.David Ourismannoreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-87909718625316750832009-07-15T17:19:00.000-07:002009-07-15T19:43:25.870-07:00

Among the incredible luxury travel values to come across my desk in recent weeks, none will save you more money than this once-in-a-lifetime safari in Botswana. Buy one land safari, and the second guest's land safari is FREE!Botswana is located in Southern Africa, bordering South Africa to the southeast, Namibia to the northwest, and touching Zambia at a single point. During your vacation, you

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-47568887504868644552009-07-08T13:22:00.000-07:002009-07-09T06:31:51.930-07:00

Hotel del Coronado (known in San Diego simply as The Del) is an historic hotel just minutes south of downtown San Diego and over the causeway on Coronado Island. Built in 1888 and now a National Historic Landmark, Hotel del Coronado provides the ideal setting for a beach vacation in sunny Southern California. Coronado Beach is quite simply one of the best beaches in the world.Its unique Victorian

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-28571899414511121202009-07-01T11:50:00.000-07:002009-07-11T12:27:33.901-07:00

There are beach vacations... and there is Four Seasons Punta Mita, one of the world's most luxurious beach and golf resorts. Located just 25 miles from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, the area features 9 miles of pristine white sand beaches and lava rock formations. With just 173 guest rooms nestled among 26 acres of lush tropical grounds, you will never feel crowded. And once you

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-45766682316202443582009-06-25T14:23:00.000-07:002009-06-26T15:46:05.663-07:00

If you're like most luxury travelers surfing the web, I imagine you're looking for the best travel experience for the lowest possible price. I totally understand that logic, and in fact my services as a luxury travel consultant are all about obtaining the best possible value for my clients.The search for the absolute lowest price, however, sometimes has unintended consequences. Making decisions

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-49725791641920269692009-06-22T16:14:00.000-07:002009-06-22T18:47:50.720-07:00

Travel forums relate countless stories of travel adventures — of once-in-a-lifetime accounts of transcendent moments that surpass expectations ... and of frustrating misadventures of travelers whose plans go awry. The latter was the case in the story, posted just five days ago, by a traveler flying to Buenos Aires to embark on a 16 day cruise around South America.Things went terribly wrong. His

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-7885045172645749032009-06-16T14:38:00.001-07:002009-06-22T18:45:26.156-07:00

I suffer from motion sickness more than the average traveler. I've had "incidents" off the Napili Coast of Kauai on a small boat, on small planes in turbulent weather, even on jumbo jets at the end of long flights — not to mention sitting in the back of a bus ... or trying to read in a moving car.My first encounter with Relief Band came during my recent trip to New Zealand. Our group was in a 4X4

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-31631102268620617432009-06-11T17:02:00.000-07:002009-06-11T17:29:17.650-07:00

The thought of losing your passport while traveling overseas is frightening, but fortunately there is an easy precaution that every foreign traveler should take. Complete the form on the Travel Registration page at the US State Department website. This will greatly simplify matters should your passport go missing.I heard the story of a traveler who, while traveling abroad, unfortunately had his

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-87442886039509604152009-06-08T20:53:00.001-07:002009-07-11T14:39:09.352-07:00

Robert Redford is passionate about the outdoors, film, and the arts, and Sundance Resort is the realization of that passion. In 1969, "Bob" (as he is known by the staff) bought the land upon which Sundance was developed. It's a beautiful mountain resort ... and a river runs through it. Sundance is a great summer destination; come for fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding in

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-59051180000856303062009-06-01T16:05:00.000-07:002009-06-01T18:37:06.574-07:00

Mollies is the archetype of a boutique hotel, but it's not for everyone. If you're looking for a large, comfortable business hotel in Auckland in a convenient location with a highly efficient concierge desk, your best bet is probably the Westin. But if you're a discerning traveler who seeks unique and personal experiences, I highly recommend Mollies. This hotel was originally a home built for the

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-12131132153253244182009-05-29T17:03:00.000-07:002009-05-31T17:17:01.722-07:00

When I return to New Zealand, Blanket Bay is one property where I want to enjoy a much longer stay. Situated directly on Lake Wakatipu, there are no other resorts anywhere in sight (or signs of human civilization for that matter). Blanket Bay is a place to come to enjoy the scenery and relish the splendid isolation, an ideal base from which to explore the Milford Sound area of the South Island.

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-85729800377080219202009-05-25T18:55:00.000-07:002009-05-25T20:10:26.147-07:00

San Diego is a great destination for a weekend getaway. Quick and easy to reach from the San Francisco Bay area (my flight time was under 70 minutes), San Diego is also convenient to any number of destinations in the west.What to do? Go to the beach. Visit the world-famous San Diego Zoo and the affiliated Wild Animal Park. Take the kids to Sea World or Lego Land. Watch a baseball game at Petco

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-22212021582982003612009-05-22T12:07:00.000-07:002009-05-25T20:14:05.440-07:00

There's an interesting story about Virginia Fischer, an Auckland-based interior decorator who has designed some fabulous New Zealand luxury lodges. 25 years ago, the owner of Huka Lodge couldn't find the right individual to bring his vision to reality. Meeting Virginia in a totally non-business context, they talked about the project, and Virginia offered to take it on. Though she was not a

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-60465540262329183002009-05-14T11:08:00.000-07:002009-05-16T10:19:45.507-07:00

If beautiful scenery is one of the reasons you travel, I can't say enough about the south island of New Zealand. The photograph above was taken in the morning at Blanket Bay Lodge. Although inclement weather forced cancellation of the tour I was most looking forward to (a helicopter ride through the Milford Sound), it also made for some spectacular sights.I am nurtured by natural beauty,

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-42408388636564243602009-05-05T02:23:00.001-07:002009-05-05T12:48:29.091-07:00

It was an amazing afternoon tour arranged for me by one of my Virtuoso suppliers for New Zealand — an eco-tour in the Waitakere Ranges regional park just west of Auckland. We learned about the famous Kauri trees, saw a beautiful waterfall, went for hikes through verdant rainforests, and had a chance to walk on the black sand beach pictured above.It was a very reasonably priced group tour,

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-91073114005044151832009-05-03T12:14:00.001-07:002009-05-03T12:22:44.606-07:00

Huka Lodge is located near Lake Taupo on the banks of the Waikato River. Looking out the door of my Lodge Suite this morning, I saw the mist hovering over the river ... and stepped out to grab this picture.Much more on the luxury lodges of New Zealand in forthcoming posts, but I wanted to share this image of Huka Lodge right away...Huka Lodge (search here on Google)copyright (c) 2009 by David J

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-74679339321838513512009-04-30T22:39:00.000-07:002009-04-30T23:15:05.946-07:00

We decided to make an impromptu side trip today to Napier, New Zealand. (We are staying at the Farm at Cape Kidnappers, about 30 minutes to the south). Napier is a small beach town on New Zealand's North Island, known as the Art Deco city. Dropped off at the local tourism office, we learned that we had just missed the regularly scheduled daily walking tour of Napier. We made arrangements for a

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-66068518824959182682009-04-28T03:23:00.000-07:002009-04-28T04:16:13.386-07:00

I knew that Queenstown was something special from the very moment our Air New Zealand flight began its approach into the Queenstown airport. Descending through a mountain valley, I could look out the left window and see near-by mountains almost close enough to reach out and touch. Then banking to the right right across a lake, the flight began its final overwater approach to the Queenstown

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-11669238731296060042009-04-23T21:49:00.000-07:002009-04-23T23:02:32.388-07:00

Despite arriving at Kauri Cliffs at nearly the same time as a tropical cyclone boasting wind gusts over 65 mph, my enthusiasm for this property is not dampened.For many guests, the challenging seaside links golf course is the reason to stay at Kauri Cliffs. Located near Kerikeri, New Zealand, north of Auckland on the Bay of Islands, the property features one of Golf Digest's top 50 courses in the

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-64115460691049624132009-04-19T08:20:00.000-07:002009-04-20T09:57:38.032-07:00

What's your return on life?™ is a trademark of Virtuoso, the luxury travel consortium. The phrase alludes to "return on investment" (ROI), one of the key financial ratios that investors use to evaluate the performance of their portfolio. Unfortunately, for most of us, the ROI of our stocks, bonds, and real estate over the past six months has been pretty dismal.But what about our ROI from travel?

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-6991339460558303092009-04-16T14:45:00.000-07:002009-04-17T17:41:58.941-07:00

Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities you'll ever visit. The blue Danube flows through the middle of the city, dividing Buda on the west and Pest on the east. Buda is the hilly residential area of the city while Pest, much flatter in topography, is home to most business and nightlife. The four luxury hotels in Budapest covered in this review are all found in Pest.Four Seasons Gresham

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-3631596164753104612009-04-14T09:48:00.000-07:002009-04-14T11:30:10.085-07:00

If you're planning a destination wedding, you'll recognize that this is an amazing package. Hacienda Xcanatun is an exclusive small luxury hotel with 18 suites located in Mérida, Mexico (in the heart of the Yucatán). Your entire wedding party can stay two nights at this Virtuoso property with your wedding ceremony and banquet hosted by this historic estate. The entire destination wedding package

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-39074750316664624192009-04-12T14:55:00.001-07:002009-04-13T19:10:28.550-07:00

Where to stay when visiting Prague? During my recent trip to this magical city in Eastern Europe, I spent three nights at the Four Seasons and visited three other Prague luxury hotels during the course of my stay. If you're looking for a luxury hotel in Prague, Czech Republic, these are my impressions.Four Seasons Prague (pictured above) features large, comfortable rooms; modern marble bathrooms;

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-7791788440293054852009-04-07T11:24:00.000-07:002009-04-11T06:54:13.571-07:00

The picture above was taken from the lobby of the Ritz London where I recently spent two nights en route to Prague and Budapest. During the course of several days, I made site inspections of 17 luxury hotels in London. While this is too much material to put into one blog article, I do want to highlight some top choices when it comes to London five star luxury hotels.The Ritz London often offers

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-10375662729957350642009-04-01T07:28:00.000-07:002009-04-01T08:13:45.185-07:00

One of the most magnificent architectural masterpieces I have ever seen, the Budapest Parliament compares to Versailles and the Imperial Palace in Bangkok in terms of the sheer extravagance of its design. When the National Assembly decided to build a fitting Parliament building in 1880, a competition was held, and architects were invited to submit their designs. Out of all the entries, the Gothic

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509924.post-16929834509712968662009-03-31T23:54:00.000-07:002009-04-01T00:17:37.940-07:00

The Four Seasons Gresham Palace is one of the world's great hotels. Built in 1906, this art nouveau masterpiece was originally the headquarters of the Gresham Life Assurance Company. Suffering serious damage during World War II, the Gresham Palace was nationalized by the government of Hungary after the war and turned into an apartment house. However, falling into a hopeless state of disrepair,

David Ourismannoreply@blogger.com0