Virtuoso Life — the adventure issue

 

There are many different kinds of luxury, and adventure travel is one of them. We in the 21st century have the capacity to discover the wilds of nature, all in perfect comfort. While you will experience some trade-offs — even the most well equipped tent will never duplicate the elegance perfected by world-class hotels like the George V or Ritz Paris — you can enjoy privileged encounters of a different kind. While there are too many possibilities to list here, but you might start by thinking about...

• an all-inclusive excursion cruise to Antartica or to Iceland & Greenland
• a tented camp in Tofino (BC), Chiang Rai (Thailand), or Rajasthan (India)
• a luxurious safari resort in Africa, a base for discovering the Big Five

It costs nothing to indulge the dream. Click here to browse the May/June issue of Virtuoso Life. Dubbed "the adventure issue," you'll read about possibilities like those mentioned in the bullet points above. Finally, contact your Virtuoso travel advisor to orchestrate your travel dreams and bring them to life.

copyright (c) 2021 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member.

Southeast Asia | cultural explorations

silk spools in Myanmar (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Southeast Asia offers unique opportunities to explore fascinating cultures. Pictured above are some colorful spools of silk that we saw last March in a silk workshop near Inle Lake, Myanmar. We had the opportunity to see silk weaving in process and, of course, a chance to sample the merchandise. Retail therapy, anyone?

One of our favorite travel partners in Southeast Asia sent an email blast with three unique cultural experiences. I'm passing them along to inspire your sense of wanderlust.

1. Thai Puppetry Workshop — located in Bangkok, the Joe Louis Puppe Teatre is the last of Thailand's small puppet troupes. Keeping an ancient tradition alive, you can visit the studio where puppets are made and learn how to perform an intricate dance with puppets.

2. Shan Paper Workshop — in the Shan region of Myanmar, home to a centuries-old paper-making tradition. Shan paper is made form mulberry bark fibers and is used for paper umbrellas and other household items. You can visit a local workshop where you'll make your own Shan paper.

3. Local life in the Mekong Delta — exploring the lesser-visited, more local areas of Ben Tre, Vietnam. You'll get to dine with a local family, spend time with shrimp farmers, and ride a traditional sampan on the canal.

Is there a trip in your future to Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, or Laos? Travel expands our horizons and creates bonds of friendship around the world.

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

weather in Southeast Asia

clouds in Bhutan (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

When's the best time to travel to Southeast Asia? These are the best months to visit the following South East Asia destinations, according to Abercrombie & Kent, Inc. I'm creating this blog post so I can easily find this information in the future!

Cambodia: OCT-MAR

China: APR-JUN, SEP-NOV

Hong Kong: APR-JUN, SEP-DEC

Indonesia: JUN-OCT

Japan: MAR-JUN, SEP-NOV

Laos: OCT-MAR

Malaysia: OCT-MAR

Mongolia: JUN-SEP

Myanmar: NOV-MAR

Singapore: NOV-MAR

South Korea: APR-JUN, SEP-OCT

Tibet: MAY-SEP

Thailand: OCT-MAR

Phuket - cool and dry season is November - February, hot season is March-mid May, rainy seasons is mid-May-October 

Koh Samui - dry season is December-February, hot season is March-August, rainy season is September-November 

Vietnam: OCT-MAR

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Amantaka | colonial meets spiritual

I've never been to Laos, although I once touched it — see the end of this article for the solution to that kōan. I've heard amazing things about Luang Prabang, a collection of adjacent villages that have been designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site for preserving the area's architectural, religious, and cultural heritage.

Two Virtuoso hotels provide luxurious accommodations for your visit to this area, Amantaka and Belmond La Residence Phou Vao. Amantaka has just 24 rooms, housed in French colonial buildings and is within easy walking distance to 32 picturesque temples, the Royal Palace, and night markets. Guests are invited each morning to experience the monks' daily meditative tak bat almsgiving procession. Our guests receive value added Virtuoso amenities at either resort — daily breakfasts, a complimentary massage, and more.

Laos is definitely on my bucket list. I've been to Thailand and Cambodia — and next February, I'll be journeying to Vietnam and Myanmar. Once I'm back home, Laos will be the number one priority for a subsequent trip to Southeast Asia.

So the answer to my riddle... how could I have touched Laos without ever setting foot in the country? Answer: several years ago, I spent an evening at Four Seasons Tented Camp in the Golden Triangle area of Thailand. Four Seasons is located on the Thai side of the river, Laos being on the other side. When Four Seasons' boat took us back to their dock at the end of my stay, I asked the attendant running the boat to take us over to the other bank so I could touch the grasses growing on the Laotian side of the river.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Four Seasons Golden Triangle — 20% off!

Four Seasons Golden Triangle is a magical tented camp resort right on the border of Thailand and Burma. Sitting on our deck, we had a beautiful view of the river, and Burma was right on the other bank of the river. In fact, when we left to go back to the airport, I asked the driver of our boat to take us over to the other side of the river so I could touch the reeds ... so I've actually touched Burma!

All all-inclusive glamping experience, the highlight of your stay will be the mahout training. You'll have the chance to get up close and personal with the resort's Asian Elephants.

Here's a last-minute offer for stays until December 19, 2016. Enjoy 20% off the best available rate ... when you book by September 30 (two-night minimum stay). All of the Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities will apply. While I'm not permitted due to our contract with Four Seasons to list the amenities on a publicly available website, let me just "hint" that we truly enjoyed our massages in the outdoor spa, and that you just might be able to take advantage of a spa credit to enjoy the same thing! For complete information on Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities, just drop me an email.

copyright (c) 2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

FS Tented Camp | it's a (ma)hout!

an elephant playing water games — (c) 2014 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

We're nearing the end of our trip to Thailand and Bhutan, and we have been able to squeeze in about 30 hours at Four Seasons Golden Triangle, otherwise known as FS Tented Camp. I think this picture says it all ... Yuki, one of Four Seasons' four Asian Elephants, is dousing my wife Claire with a surprise rain shower!

Four Seasons has created a unique elephant camp in the jungles of Northern Thailand, right on the border with Burma (Myanmar). In fact, the view from our tent is entirely of Burma. The highlight of your stay (for most guests), and the primary reason for a vacation here, will be the mahout training. If you love horseback riding, if you love getting up close and personal with animals, if you get an adrenaline rush from active adventure, FS Tented Camp should definitely go on your bucket list. (There are plenty of additional fascinating cultural tours for anyone not into elephants).

Four Seasons Golden Triangle is an all-inclusive resort, but book through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner (such as myself) in order to take advantage of an additional perk, a $100 spa credit. I'm looking forward to experiencing Four Seasons' spa in about 90 minutes, right after lunch!


P.S. — Our Thai Couples Massage was fabulous! Our therapists were Mimi and Yomi, and just as wonderful as the massage therapy was the setting ... an open-air massage studio in the jungle with the gentle sounds of birds and crickets.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. As affiliates of Brownell Travel, we can provide our clients with Virtuoso amenities and amenities from other Brownell preferred hotel partners including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and more. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

which supper on EVA Air

I'm leaving for Thailand and Bhutan in a bit less than a week and getting there via Taipei on EVA Air's redeye flight from SFO. So I'm asking my readers to help me decide what to order for dinner! You can preorder on Eva Air's website if you're flying in Royal Laurel class (which I am, thanks to Ben and Mac at PointsPros.com who helped with the award tickets).

Help me choose by voting in this poll. Bear in mind that I'll try to go to sleep immediately upon take off (scheduled departure is 1:40 a.m.), asking the flight attendants to save my meal until I wake up, somewhere mid-Pacific … So help me choose something that's likely to be moist and yummy six hours into the flight.

Do any of my readers have any experience with EVA Air? If so, I'd appreciate any tips.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

a journey across Asia | Hong Kong and Thailand

Phulay Bay | a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

This trip looks absolutely incredible. Crazy expensive, but incredible! A customized luxury travel package that includes:

2 nights at the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong in the Ritz-Carlton Suite. This is the highest hotel in the world, and the suite offers a breathtaking view of Victoria Harbour and the skyline of Hong Kong.

round-trip private jet from Hong Kong to Phulay Bay, near Krabi, Thailand

2 nights at Phulay Bay in the Royal Andaman Sea Villa

3 nights on a private yacht sailing through the Similan Islands (one of the best spots in the world to snorkel, dive, and swim). Your meals onboard will be prepared by two-star Michelin chef Pino Lavarro.

Call me if you're interested. This is the most astonishing luxury travel package I've seen in a long time!


copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

would you fly Cathay Pacific for a wooden comb?

It's just a comb, so why am I blogging about it?

Cathay Pacific included this comb in its first class amenity kit on on a past flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong. There's something unusual about this comb — it's made of wood, not plastic. I didn't think much about it at the time, but as time has gone by, this has become my everyday comb. Unlike plastic combs, wooden combs don't attract static electricity which can muss up one's hair.

So if you're wondering about where to travel next, consider someplace that Cathay Pacific flies — lots of great destinations including Hong Kong, Thailand, Bali, and Vietnam. I can recommend luxurious Virtuoso hotels and resorts in each of those place and give you added values as a Virtuoso travel consultant: free breakfast for two daily, room upgrades if available, and extra perks that can include meal or spa credits (depending on the specific hotel).

And, of course, you should fly First or Business on Cathay Pacific for your own wooden comb!

Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website. .

why luxury cruises are the best value

Nobody likes watching their wallet, but that's exactly what happens with a typical cruise. The ads headline a super-low fare, but by the time you inspect your bill at the end of the cruise, you've paid as much or more for "incidentals" as you did for the cruise itself. You've shelled out significant amounts of money for cocktails, wine at meals, soft drinks, bottled water, gratuities, etc.

That's why luxury cruises are the best value. Virtually everything is included in the price of the cruise, with some cruise lines even offering complimentary shore excursions. For instance, I just received an email blast from Seabourn advertising "unlimited luxuries for one simple fare."

• intimate ships with just 104 or 225 suites
• all-suite accommodations with ocean views
• fine wines poured at lunch and dinner
• open bars throughout the ship
• all dining venues are complimentary

Seabourn is advertising savings up to 65%*. Here are three great itineraries:

• Caribbean Hideways from $2,199 (7 days)
Visit St. Thomas, St. Martin, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, St. Barths, St. Kitts, Prickly Pear Island


• Lisbon, Portugal to Istanbul, Turkey from $2,999 (12 days)
Explore Malaga and Alicante, Spain; Corsica; Rome; Malta; and Ephesus, Turkey.


• Thailand and Vietnam from $3,199 (12 days)
Visit Bangkok and Ko Kood (beach resort), Saigon, Danang, Hanoi, and Hong Kong.

Get to Europe in Super First Class. You get more than a sleeper seat. You get your own suite, a regular bed, and gourmet meals along the way, and you arrive with no jet lag!

• Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon, Portugal on March 18 from $2,149 (12 days)
• Fort Lauderdale to Malaga, Spain on March 21, from $2,249 (13 days)

For information on these sailings, or any luxury cruise, send us an email ... and ask about an additional $100 shipboard credit.


luxury cruises (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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*Fares are in U.S. dollars, for new bookings only, per guest, double occupancy and subject to availability. Some suite categories may not be available. Fares are not combinable with any other offer, may vary by sailing date, are capacity controlled, subject to change without notice, and are only available to residents of the Americas. Government fees of $32.58 to $498.66 per person are additional. Seabourn reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement for all guests, without prior notice, if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70.00USD per barrel, and may collect such a supplement even if the cruise fare has been paid in full.

eating Thai food in Thailand

I went out to east last night at Cha-Am, one of the better Thai restaurants in Berkeley, CA. Perhaps it was an unfair test, but I was disappointed. I got back a week ago from my trip to Southeast Asia, and there's nothing like eating Thai food in Thailand, Chinese food in Hong Kong, or Cambodian food in Cambodia. No matter how good the restaurant, it never tastes the same back home.

I had a singular culinary experience my final night in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was staying at the Four Seasons Resort and had booked the "Chef's Table." Guests have the opportunity to be part of a group of eight having dinner at the resort's Cooking School, watching the chef prepare a variety of dishes, asking questions about the preparation, and being served a multi-course tasting meal. We were fortunate because my friend and I were the only two guests to have booked the Chef's Table that evening, and we had a totally private, incredibly informative time with the Chef.

One of the essential ingredients used in Thai cuisine is Kaffir, minced leaves of the Kaffir lime tree. While this tree grows everywhere in Thailand, fresh Kaffir leaves are not readily available in the US.

The chef used a basic sauce in nearly everything he cooked, a 50-50 mixture of homemade fish stock and lime juice. This sauce, as well as the ready availability of fresh (not dried) local spices is what gives Thai food its distinctive flavor. Even the best Thai restaurant in the U.S. is going to be hard pressed to reproduce the flavors and aromas of Thailand.

Exploring the cuisines of the world is one of the very best reasons to travel. Everywhere you might choose to go, you can participate in cooking classes and even share authentic meals in the homes of local residents. Contact your travel consultant to put together the culinary adventure of your dreams!


copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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the hill tribes of northern Thailand

When I travel, I like to spend some time away from big cities. While big cities like Hong Kong and Bangkok offer great museums, extensive shopping, and beautiful temples, I enjoy visiting rural areas and exploring small villages.

While on my recent trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Hong Kong, I had the opportunity to visit five small villages near Chiang Mai, Thailand. The children pictured in this blog are some of the most outgoing (and photogenic) I have ever encountered. I'm happy to share these photographs with you in the hope that it will encourage you to venture beyond the ordinary in your travels.












For those interested in such details, these photographs were taken with a Ricoh GR-D digital camera.


copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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Hong Kong, Thailand, and Cambodia

In less than a week, I will be off to Southeast Asia, a part of the world I have never before visited. The reasons for my trip are both personal and professional.

My personal reason for taking this trip is simply that I love travel. Travel expands our horizons. Travel puts us in touch with new cultures. Travel brings us face-to-face with new sights, sounds, aromas, and tastes. Travel is good for the planet; it opens our consciousness to the diversity of the human family and helps us feel connected with one another. Certainly our world needs the harmony and understanding that can come when we engage one another across international, religious, and cultural boundaries.

Photography is also one of my avocations. I'll be bringing my camera along and posting pictures with each blog that I write. I took the picture above in 1996 while visiting a Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea. I look forward to capturing scenes of natural beauty and cultural interest whenever I travel.

Professionally, I am taking this trip because there is great interest in this part of the world, and clients often ask my advice about places to stay and sights to see in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Cambodia. There is no substitute for first-hand experience; even the best guide books cannot convey the experience that being in a place can impart.

I will be posting regularly while I am away. Feel free to subscribe to Travel Horizons by clicking one of the "subscription" links to the right of this article.



copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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