Carly and I recently attended the Inaugural ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Spa Conference in London. This was the first event of its kind to bring together VIP buyers who specialize in health/wellness travel with destination spa and wellness resort suppliers from around the world. Carly and I flew Virgin Atlantic direct from Vancouver to London and return. On the way to London we flew in the economy class of service. That was the smallest/squishiest economy seat I experienced thus far. My knees were touching the seat in front of me. The man beside me was 6’4” and he didn’t look very comfortable either. Despite the small quarters I was able to rest my head on his shoulder got some shut eye. On our return flight to Vancouver from London we flew Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy service. I highly recommend this class of service. It is spacious, the service is of higher quality and it is great value. The 10 hour flight passed quickly as the other passengers on board were also in high spirits and excited to talk to their neighbours.
Read more: THE MANY FACES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM - Jessica Renshaw
Carly and I recently experienced a Detox in the Trees at Chewton Glen. Chewton Glen is an English original luxury country house and Spa hotel. It is set in 130 acres of Hampshire Countryside and located on the edge of the New Forest and just a few minutes to the sea. This tranquil location was an inspiration for the hotel to build 6 contemporary Treehouses with 12 suites, in a secluded valley just a 5 minute walk to the main house and spa.
On May 24th, 2012 - the same day that Virgin Atlantic ran their inaugural flight from London Heathrow to Vancouver - I attended a Breakfast Seminar on Virgin Atlantic Airways. This is a common place aspect of a Travel Agent’s agenda since this is how I gather information to pass on to my valued clients.
What wasn’t common place to this event is that they awarded all attendees two complimentary roundtrip seats on their Summer 2012 Vancouver - London Season! It is from this fortuitous event the experiences I wish to tell you about came from.
Read more: LONDON Starting with Luxury at 30,000 feet with Virgin Atlantic
In my last section, we were finishing up our time in London and gearing up for Paris!
We headed over to St Pancras Station and boarded the Eurostar for our non-stop train over to Paris. More on this in my last section!
Upon arrival into Paris Nord Station, we jumped onto the Paris Metro system, activating our Paris Visite Card.
This card gives you unlimited access to the Paris transit system for the duration of your chosen period. Cards can be valid for 1 to 5 days and for zones 1 through 3 or 1 through 5, depending on your needs. These cards start from $18.00 and can be pre-purchased through Renshaw Travel.
September 2012
With 3 years of anticipation I finally found myself in India. Prior to my trip I heard numerous things about India: it’s smelly, it’s hot, you’re going to get sick! I felt that I needed to see this country so that I could make a fair judgement on my own. I traveled with my co-worker Emily and we had the most amazing trip! We took a bus tour through the state of Rajasthan, Northwest India, and found ourselves in the Land of Kings.
Vancouver is a dynamic destination with luxury hotels, amazing resaurants, and a spectrum of culture for any style of entertainment. This award winning hotel has numerous accolades including being in the top 40 for 'Best in the World' by Conde Nast Traveler.
One thing that isn't mentioned is how great it is to have a little 'Staycation' in this beautiful city.
Read more: SHANGRI-LA HOTEL VANCOUVER - The Real Diamond in Downtown
A recent trip to Las Vegas was a great time and less about gambling and excess and more about the sights, sounds, and FOOD on the strip. It was our first trip to Vegas for my wife and I and we were excited to stay at The Signature at MGM Grand - it was an oasis in the chaos.
This is my continuation of my recent trip to London & Paris. If you haven’t seen my first part, check it out.
When I left off, we had just arrived in to London and our first hotel.
Taking advantage of the prime location of The Safford Hotel, we started our explorations of London. Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace and Mayfair are all within a 10 minute walk. Headed a bit further afield? Green Park Underground Station is steps away!
Read more: LONDON - Sights, Sounds, and Flavours with Shane Maddaford
Travel Stories
- AMAZING ARIZONA - Sun all day every day
- Brush Creek Ranch - The Wyoming Experience
- Carmel Valley Ranch - Paradise in the Hills of Carmel California
- DETOX IN THE TREES at Chewton Glen, England
- ECUADOR - the jewel of the equator
- Family Travel - What is the most important room?
- Hawaii - Four Seasons Resorts on Maui and Oahu
- Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro - with Jessica Renshaw
- INCREDIBLE INDIA! - Rajasthan, The Land of Kings
- JOURNEY THROUGH THE CLOUDS - A Western Canada Tour
- LAS VEGAS - day, night, and everything right
- LONDON - Sights, Sounds, and Flavours with Shane Maddaford
- LONDON Starting with Luxury at 30,000 feet with Virgin Atlantic
- Maui Revealed
- PARIS - Luxurious History
- Roadtrip to the Canadian Rockies
- SHANGRI-LA HOTEL VANCOUVER - The Real Diamond in Downtown
- THE MANY FACES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM - Jessica Renshaw
- White Desert Antarctica - an advisor's story
