Category Archives: Destinations

Nashville is No. 3 on Condé Nast Traveler’s list of places to visit in 2013

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I’m used to sending people from Nashville on vacation elsewhere. If you live here you never really think of our little city as a travel destination.

Alan Whitt

Alan Whitt

I guess I should have known. After all, this is Music City – the country music capital of the world.

But Condé Nast Traveler’s “Daily Traveler” lists Nashville as one of the “Best Places to Go in 2013” – coming in at No. 3 behind Amsterdam and Seoul.

Why Nashville? Here’s what the “Daily Traveler” has to say: “The new Nashville offers two things worth traveling for: a hot, trendy new food scene and its famous, funky music scene. The “haute southern” cuisine is flourishing in Nashville at restaurants like The Patterson House and The Catbird Seat. Not to mention some of the tastiest and most creative cocktails we’ve ever tried. At night, you can’t walk two blocks without coming across some incredible live music, from bluegrass to brass bands, zydeco to country.”

I don’t know much about “haute southern” cuisine. Just give me a bowl of grits and a couple biscuits from Loveless Cafe and I’m good.

Of course, there’s more to Nashville than the music scene with Gaylord Opryland, major professional sports (yes, the Titans), major college football (yes, Vandy) and a host of first rate college basketball programs … not to mention the cultural scene and other offerings.

And for those Nashvillians who wouldn’t think of vacationing here, next on the “Daily Traveler” list is very drivable New Orleans – complete with a multimillion dollar facelift in anticipation of next month’s Super Bowl.

Visit Allure Quest Travel Experience and We 2 R 1 Honeymoons on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

Deal of the day: Bring your golfing buddies along and get a Sandals vacation for free

Posted on by alanwhitt

Get your sporting buddies together for the ultimate golf outing at the all-new, spectacular Sandals Grande Riviera Beach and Villa Golf Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica – and you go for free!

This offer is for groups only and good through December 24, 2012, and August 15-December 2013. Book five rooms and the sixth room is free. Prices start at $175 per person/per night.

And don’t forget the golf. Sandals Golf & Country Club is a magnificent 18-hole course 700 feet above sea level in the hills of Ocho Rios. Spend your time on the course during the day, and enjoy the varied entertainment and dining offerings during the rest of your stay.

Find out more about what Grand Riviera has to offer.

Call Allure Quest Travel Experience (615-818-8241) to book this fabulous getaway.

Allure Quest Travel Experience on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

Mickey makeover: Fantasyland grand opening slated for Dec. 6

Posted on by alanwhitt

Alan Whitt

Never let it be said that the Walt Disney Company doesn’t understand timing.

The grand opening for Disney World’s new Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom will take place just in time for the holidays.

On December 6, Disney unveils several attractions, including Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Enchanted Tales with Bell, Ariel’s Grotto, Gaston’s Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts.

You can get a sneak peak under the Christmas tree beginning Nov.19 at Magic Kingdom.

The Fantasyland makeover has been years in the making, with further expansion planned i 2013 and 2014. Other attractions opened in July.

Deal of the day: Australia’s two best destinations from ridiculously low $1,849

Posted on by alanwhitt

Spend 11 days exploring the Australian cities of Sydney and Cairns – four nights in each city, with round-trip air from Los Angeles included for the Down Under experience of a lifetime.

Alan Whitt

Prices range from $1,849 to $2896, depending on dates and accommodations.

Sydney is Australia’s largest cosmopolitan city with a blend of urban lifestyle and cool beaches. The city has much to see and do with its great arts and cultural scene along with a wide variety of fine food and wine.

Cairns is a laid back city in the tropical north of Queensland, known as the Gateway to Great Barrier Reef, one of nature’s wonders of the world and a world heritage site. This is one of Australia’s most popular travel destinations. There is easy access to rain forests, tropical islands, reefs and mountains by visiting here, or enjoy world-class diving or snorkeling, and get close to schools of fish and abundant marine life.

For more on this trip and other vacations in Australia contact Allure Quest Travel Experience at 615-818-8241.

Allure Quest Travel Experience on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, insightful videos, the latest travel news and vacations to book.

European river cruises, fine wine make a winning combination

Posted on by alanwhitt

I remember those college days when the only wines I knew about were Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill and Mogan David 20-20 – referred to as “Mad Dog” for a reason.

What a hangover!

Alan Whitt

Today, I drink a much higher class of wine for a different reason and savor the grape just a bit more.

While in the Tuscany hills of Italy a few years back I actually toured a 1,000-year-old winery and was honored with lessons from the owners on the art of wine tasting and fine dining. Each of our seven courses included a different wine designed to enhance and complement the food … so there were many happy guests by the end of the evening.

I’ll never be a wine expert but it’s always good to expand your mind with knowledge. I never drink on land, but when at sea I love a glass of wine in the elegant atmosphere of a cruise ship and conversing with the ship’s sommelier.

Fine wine … and fine ships. Makes perfect sense to me.

Now there’s a way to combine the two in a fashion you may never have thought of.

River cruising through Europe’s historic wine country.

If you’ve never considered a river cruise in Europe or Asia this may be the perfect time. This form of cruising has exploded, going from a niche market to a major vacation player. So many new luxury ships are debuting that it’s hard to keep up.

AmaWaterways has a series of “Celebration of Wine” theme cruises this fall sailing along the Rhine, Danube and Rhone Rivers, timed to coincide with harvest time in Europe.

Each cruise includes special guest hosts, onboard lectures, wine tasting and tours of vineyards and cellars.

River cruising by Americans have increased by 800 percent over the last decade. That growth has spurred a building boom that has resulted in 20 new river cruise vessels over the last three years.

River cruising allows you to visit quaint cities and villages inaccessible by big cruise ships. And many are genuinely all-inclusive … including shore excursions.

There are boatloads of river cruise companies, including AmaWaterways, Uniworld, Avalon, Viking and others.

Check out Allure Quest Travel Experience on the web for all your travel needs – including analysis of destinations, videos and the latest travel news.

Romancing the continent: Africa is a land of love & adventure

Posted on by alanwhitt

You need more than a day to celebrate love so I’ve decided to buck tradition and declare this Valentine’s Week. Therefore, through Friday I’m blogging about romance travel.

So what’s the most romantic destination for you and your boo.

Alan Whitt

A luxurious cruise? … Paris, France? …A Sandals resort? … Hawaii?

Yes, they’re all guaranteed to stoke the fires of love and cause the heart to beat a little faster.

But here’s one that may surprise you.

Africa.

Stimulated by the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and hard times in the European economy, the former “Dark Continent” is now cast in a more romantic, exotic light.

Americans in particular were especially ignorant about what Africa has to offer, relying mostly on negative news reports about politics and other issues.

Safaris are increasingly popular getaways, including a 10-day “Intimate Enchantments of Africa” package in Kenya, staying at luxury tented camps that will surprise you with opulence in the middle of the wilderness.

The new Africa not only offers cosmopolitan cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg, but also an expanding tourism effort across the continent.

There’s the wine country in the Western Cape, as well as the beaches of Durban and Cape Town and whale watching.

And although South Africa is further ahead than other parts of the continent in terms of tourism, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe also have much to offer, and East Africa is a growing market.

ROMANCING THE WEEK

Monday: I’m rich and famous … if only while writing this blog

Tuesday: Gulp! Honeymoon pressure’s on both travel agents and grooms

Wednesday: A sexy cruise provides many opportunities for ‘romance’

Thursday: Romancing the continent, Africa is a great travel destination

Friday: Do-it-yourself honeymoons? Call your travel agent instead

For more on travel go to Allure Quest Travel Experience 

Gulp! Honeymoon pressure’s on both travel agents and grooms

Posted on by alanwhitt

Take her somewhere special or you'll pay a hefty price down the road. Make it extra special and you'll reap the benefits immediately.

You need more than a day to celebrate love so I’ve decided to buck tradition and declare this Valentine’s Week. Therefore, through Friday I’m blogging about romance travel.

Probably the toughest thing for a travel specialist to deal with is waiting for a client to return home from a trip he booked.

Alan Whitt

Talk about nervous, it’s even worst when it’s a destination wedding or a honeymoon.

Think about it for a minute. You’re entrusted with one of a couple’s most important moments in their new life … a signature moment. A great honeymoon can jumpstart a great wedding. A bad experience has the opposite affect.

Who wants that kind of pressure?

You’re out of the loop, so you wonder if the moonlight dinner you ordered went off OK … or if the excursions you arranged were as good as advertised …or whether or not uncle Ned made of a fool of himself (again) and disrupted the wedding.

You don’t call, because you never want to interject yourself into private or family time. You figure that if something goes wrong they will call … but you never really relax until you hear it for yourself.

When you hear the word “Perfect” you finally exhale. Whew!

The last thing you want to hear is … “I’ll get back with you later, I’m with my divorce attorney.”

Uh oh!

Destination weddings and honeymoons are big business. Folks may scrimp on regular vacations, but any guy with even half a romantic streak has to know that his bride has been dreaming about this moment probably from the time she hit puberty.

Maybe even as far back as when her Ken & Barbie dolls hooked up in marital bliss.

Now it’s time for her Ken to step up and come up with an original honeymoon.

On that note, here are five honeymoon planning sins every groom needs to avoid:

5. Never let the kids tag along, even if this is your second, third or fourth wedding. You’ll get enough bedtime interruptions when you return home. Map out a  family vacation later, but this time belongs to the couple.

4. Never surprise her with a honeymoon, even if you think you know that she will love it. That’s a decision for the two of you. Plan your honeymoon together, just as you should every important decision through the years.

3. Never tell her that it doesn’t matter where you go, and leave it to her. That’s telling her that you don’t care, and akin to telling her to buy her own birthday present.

2. Never take her to a sporting event for your honeymoon … even if its the Super Bowl or the World Series. Taking a four-hour break during the honeymoon is a bit different than building it around the event.

1. Never take her to a place you’ve taken another woman. She may not find out immediately, but women have memories like elephants and if you slip up and spill the beans even 15 years down the road … well, can you spell D-O-G-H-O-U-S-E?

ROMANCING THE WEEK

Monday: I’m rich and famous … if only while writing this blog

Tuesday: Gulp! Honeymoon pressure’s on both travel agents and grooms

Wednesday: A sexy cruise provides many opportunities for ‘romance’

Thursday: Romancing the continent, Africa is a great travel destination

Friday: Do-it-yourself honeymoons? Call your travel agent instead

For more on travel please visit Allure Quest Travel Experience 

I’m rich and famous … if only while writing this blog

Posted on by alanwhitt

You'll sit in the lap of luxury with a Sandals suite like this Royal Bahamian Beachfront One-Bedroom - complete with 24-hour butler service and a host of other exclusive amenities.

You need more than a day to celebrate love so I’ve decided to buck tradition and declare this Valentine’s Week. Therefore, through Friday I’m blogging about romance travel.

I’m not filthy rich … but there’s no harm in pretending.

Alan Whitt

Since I love to travel, I want to go where I’m not going to worry about cost – and more about what I’m going to get for my money.

Isn’t that the essence of a true travel experience? I’ve always been told that you get what you pay for. And a vacation is no different.

I also love to love. So I’ll take this opportunity to impress the one I’m with, hoping that she’ll reward me for my romantic heart … and wallet.

That’s why I’m headed to Sandals Royal Bahamian, a five-star resort in Nassau that’s even top of the line for the Sandals and Beaches brands.

I’m going straight to the top, which would be the Royal Windsor Beachfront One-Bedroom Suite, complete with butler service … of course. I’ll get from the airport to the resort in style – by private Rolls-Royce – so when I drive up everyone will know that I’m either rich or famous, because plenty of both have stayed there.

I’ll also get concierge service, 24-hour room service and exclusive dining at Gordon’s on the Pier. That sounds expensive, doesn’t it?

And since I’m not worried about money, perhaps I should turn down the free night when booking seven, the $150 spa treatment, $400 instant credit and the 60% off the entire package due to a sale that’s going on.

Who needs to save $15,023.60 anyway?

Oh yeah, one day I’ll board a plane and head to the island of Grand Exuma, for a round of golf at Sandals Emerald Bay. It’ll cost me airfare, but I wouldn’t have to be special to get there. It’s all part of Sandals “Stay at One, Pay at Two” amenity that’s also good on St. Lucia and in Jamaica.

Royal Bahamian was formerly the regal Balmoral Club back in the 1940s, where genuine royalty hanged their crowns to get away. The Beatles stayed there in the 60s while filming the movie “Help.”

Of course, my “new money” is just as green as a monarch’s “old money.”

Today the property stands as the Bahamas’ most elegant resort, and a popular destination because of its close proximity to the United States.

You don’t really have to be rich and famous to book a Sandals vacation. However, you will need a sense of romance because this resort is strictly for couples.

ROMANCING THE WEEK

Monday: I’m rich and famous … if only while writing this blog

Tuesday: Gulp! Honeymoon pressure’s on both travel agents and grooms

Wednesday: A sexy cruise provides many opportunities for ‘romance’

Thursday: Romancing the continent, Africa is a great travel destination

Friday: Do-it-yourself honeymoons? Call your travel agent instead

For more on travel please visit Allure Quest Travel Experience 

Gambling isn’t necessarily a winning bet for Hawaii

Posted on by alanwhitt

It just doesn’t feel right … gambling in Hawaii.

Alan Whitt

For some reason it’s tough to imagine slot machines in paradise. More important, do you even want to see gaming there.

Chances are it won’t happen. Not only is Hawaii one of only two states that do not allow state-regulated gambling, but bills to legalize it have been unsuccessfully introduced on an annual basis.

However, buried in a survey of Hawaiian residents asking if they would visit a Waikiki-based entertainment center with showrooms and movie theaters … was the mention of casinos. Seventy-five percent said they would visit.

Honestly, if gambling has to come to Hawaii, there would be no better place than Waikiki, with it’s skyscrapers and big-city feel that makes Honolulu unlike any other Hawaiian destination.

In fact, if you know Hawaii at all … you know that Waikiki is the only place that would make sense.

A casino on Maui? Tough to imagine. Kauai? Even less.

And although those polled agree that an entertainment complex would help Waikiki, 54 percent said it would further alienate them coming to the area because of congestion and expensive parking.

“Although much progress has been made in Waikiki the last 10 years, we were not sure how local perceptions of Waikiki had changed,” Rick Egged, president and CEO of the Waikiki Improvement Association, said in a statement. “We have heard many people say they don’t go to Waikiki any more, but we really had no reliable data to quantify those numbers, or explain what it would take to bring local residents back to Waikiki.”

The problem with gambling in Hawaii isn’t just the negatives that usually accompanies it. When visitors head to the islands they’re usually more interested in beaches, bikinis, luaus, and the great outdoors.

Why spend your time indoors when there’s so much to see and do outside. There are 48 other states with some form of gaming. Can’t we have one or two forbidden zones?

No problem, Zimbali Retreat offers a Jamaican alternative

Posted on by alanwhitt

No matter where you travel there are always two sides to your destination – the tourist side with all the trappings, or the more authentic native experience.

Alan Whitt

Most times you never think about the latter. Our idea of “real” is what we see in the travel brochures.

There’s a resort in Jamaica that gives you a “real” Jamaican experience, a fabulous, soothing and relaxing vacation experience … and is totally off the grid.

It’s not Seven Mile Beach in Negril …. or Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios … or any number of all-inclusive resorts with eye-popping amenities.

This is Zimbali Retreat, an idealic resort where the food is deliciously healthy, the accommodations charming and relaxation is a way of life.

If you want to find the true beauty of Jamaica, Zimbali Retreat offers resorts nestled in the lush Canaan Mountain or along the calming sea, and only 20 minutes from robust Negril. Chances are you’ve never experienced anything like this truly authentic Jamaican treasure.

At Zimbali Retreats your health and wellness are the top priority, both physical and spiritual. You can book either resort, and discover both worlds with complimentary transportation between the two.

How many times have you said … I need a vacation to rest up after my vacation? When you leave Zimbali Retreat it’s almost impossible to have that problem. Zimbali has yoga, detox and weight programs, massages, river clay facials and healthy spring bathing. You can relax with a good book from the extensive library, hike through the mountains or sit and chat with owners  Mark and Alecia and discover more of the Jamaica that they love.

Most food consumed at the resort is grown on property, including many of the spices used in the authentic Jamaican meals, such as curry, all spice, coconut oil, ginger, thyme, basil and many hot and mild peppers.

All dishes are prepared over an open fire by a personal chef – who will delight in teaching you how to create his specialties, including fresh seafood, coconut sushi, gourmet vegetarian, traditional Jamaican cuisine and fresh squeezed fruit juices. And don’t forget the sweets, such as banana breads, puddings and cakes.

Accommodations are either two-bedroom villas that sleeps up to six people, or cottages that accommodate two.