Ready to dream again? I am certain we can all agree that the year of the pandemic was one to be forgotten, even if we will not soon forget. For all that we have endured, we can now look forward with clear intentions and open hearts.
Please enjoy my #TTCTOP3 wander list for 2021! Blessings from my home to yours, for good health, continued connection, and travel adventure.
You can have a look at the collection of #TTCTOP3 lists from our team at The Travel Corporation, and as always, I will be sharing images and video from my travels on my Instagram account @travelbrad.
“All things are bound together. All things connect.” – Chief Seattle
1. Jordan Experience with Dead Sea – Insight Vacations
“Welcome to a land rich in Arab culture, natural wonders and sites so ancient that by comparison, the Crusader forts guarding the old trade routes are considered recent additions.”
The trip that got away in 2020, Insight Vacations’ Jordan Experience journey makes it back at the top of the list for a second year. The 7-day Jordan Experience is packed with transformative experiences, in style.
Jordan’s history is rich and ancient and spans millennia, and I have long been fascinated by the evolution of this progressive, vibrant Arabic country on the East Bank of the Jordan River. My trip to Jordan will start with an exploration of the capital city of Amman, and include a jeep safari to the Wadi Rum, renowned Bedouin hospitality, a stay at a gloriously contemporary desert camp, wanders in the lost city of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra (voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World), Crusader fortresses, Mount Nebo, Jerash, Shobak and Madaba, as well as the unique opportunity to visit the Iraq al Amir Women’s Cooperative, founded in 1993 by the Noor Al-Hussein Foundation, headed by Queen Noor.
The Iraq al Amir Women’s Cooperative is supported by Insight Vacations through The Treadright Foundation, and anchors the trip as our Make Travel Matter Experience supporting the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals in the region.
This adventure has all of the ingredients for a truly magical journey, and should be on the list of every Premium active traveller.
Traveller tip: This trip is available as a Small Private Group. Travel exclusively with friends and family in your own personal travel bubble small, private group of 12+ guests.
Read all about the journey Brett Tollman undertook to Jordan in 2018, which motivated the innovative partnership with the country and Insight Vacations.
2. 100 Princes Street – The Red Carnation Hotel Collection
“With uninterrupted views of Edinburgh Castle, 100 Princes Street will replicate the boutique atmosphere of our Forbes five-star rated sister property Hotel 41, which has retained the position of TripAdvisor’s number one hotel in London for over 10 years as well as the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Best Hotel in the UK for the last three.”
I make no secret of my love for The Red Carnation Hotel Collection (RCH) luxury boutique hotels dotted around the world (I have been fortunate enough to have viewed and experienced 12 of the 19 property gems in the unique and captivating collection), and the warm and generous hospitality is a salve on the heart for all after the knocks and goings on of 2020. In last year’s wander list, I introduced the then-newest RCH African hotel Safari Lodge on the western side of the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Xigera.
This year, I am very much looking forward to exploring my new pied-a-terre in Edinburgh, 100 Princes Street. The hotel description says it all – renowned for its passionate staff and thoughtful service, RCH is to open a hotel in Scotland for the first time, with the aim of making it the number one hotel in Edinburgh. We plan to respectfully renovate 100 Princes Street, looking up at Edinburgh Castle, transforming it into a highly exclusive retreat on Edinburgh’s most famous street.
Hotel 41 has set the bar for luxuriant elegance, meticulous service and the highest standards of sustainability. Similarly, the RCH commitment to embrace the 100 Princes Street building’s history and heritage, all the while using the finest local artisans and suppliers to imagine 30 exceptional bedrooms and an Executive Lounge overlooking Edinburgh Castle, are a temptation few of us will be able to resist.
Traveller tip: Set to open in the summer of 2021 as one of the finest hotels in Edinburgh, 100 Princes Street will surely become an exclusive favourite for discerning guests. Make sure to reserve well in advance.
3. Harmony of Central Europe – Luxury Gold
“Take a journey into the past, with our show case of the grandest and most opulent cities of old Europe. From Prague to Budapest, marvel at the spirit of former empires and regal grandeur.”
Dreaming right now about the day I can escape onto one of our most spectacular Luxury Gold journeys – the 13-day Harmony of Central Europe. This classic traverse through Central Europe’s most popular destinations is delivered with a flair for VIP extravagance, with stays in Prague, Český Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest, Kraków and Warsaw.
I especially look forward to exploring these hotspots for arts and culture, and a special VIP, after-hours visit to the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace, escorted by our Local Expert. If you have ever seen the swarms of visitors that once crowded the site in a given day, you will appreciate the rarified opportunity to a VIP private showing of the gilded, rococo palace, where Mozart performed as a six-year-old prodigy in his first concerts for the royal family 1762. The private piano recital and Viennese symphonic concert that follow in the course of the journey score a perfect 10.
Exceptional dining in some of the very best restaurants in Europe, including Le Ciel, one of Vienna’s impressive Michelin-starred restaurants, or dining on traditional Hungarian delicasies accompanied with specially-selected wines while listening to the pleasant melodies of a string ensemble at Gundel, one of Budapest’s finest establishments. Heaven.
I would be remiss in pointing out that, on a more poignant note, I would appreciate the time to pay my respects at the visit to the Auschwitz memorial. I have encouraged travellers, and anyone in my family who have been in the region, to experience the memorial site, and take in the gravitas of the human spirit under the tyranny and horror of darkness, evil and genocide. It’s a lesson for the ages – and still worth remembering, even if a heavy and profound visit.
Traveller tip: Be sure to select one of the Chairman’s Collection departures, where you will join Princess Anita von Hohenberg for a private reception at Artstetten Castle, scheduled on Day 4. This is a must-do experience! Look for the icon on the Dates & Prices panel to see which departures feature the delightful Chairman’s Collection experiences.
Did you like this post? Anything to add? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please comment or send me your thoughts by Instagram dm or email.
If you would like to read more, please follow me and head back home.
Adventure, worthwhile 