A personal guide to authentic experiences
from a veteran travel journalist
Authentic Luxury Travel
[promoslider id="my_id" category="topbanner" height="200px"]
  • Home
  • About Elizabeth
    • Published Articles
  • Authentic Luxury Travel
  • Book A Trip
  • Contact
  • Get Involved
    • Advertise
    • Contribute a Guest Post
    • Keep in Touch
    • Leave a Comment, Ask a Question
    • Plan a Getaway “Contest”
    • Send a Photo
    • Share a Travel Book or Movie
    • Write a Trip Report
  • Map of Posts by Location
  • Trip Planning
  • Africa
    • Botswana
    • Safaris
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Zambia
  • Air Travel
  • Antarctica
  • Asia
    • Bhutan
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Myanmar
    • Vietnam
  • Australia
    • Great Barrier Reef
    • Sydney
  • Authentic Travel
  • Canada
    • Alberta
    • British Columbia
      • Vancouver
    • Newfoundland
  • Central America
    • Costa Rica
    • Guatemala
    • Mexico
  • Cruises
  • Europe
    • Czech Republic
    • England
    • Finland
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Italy
    • Latvia
    • Poland
    • Scotland
    • Spain
    • The Netherlands
    • Turkey
  • Hotels
  • India
  • Islands
    • Bermuda
    • Caribbean
    • Fiji
    • French Polynesia
    • Hawaii
    • Ibiza, Spain
    • Maldives
    • Palau
    • Sir Bani Yas, Abu Dhabi
  • Middle East
    • Abu Dhabi
    • Dubai
  • New Zealand
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Galapagos
    • Peru
  • Special Interest Trips
    • Ancestry travel
    • Bucket List Travel
    • Classic Car Adventures
    • Destination Weddings & Honeymoons
    • fall colors
    • Family Travel
    • food tours
    • garden visits
    • Golf Vacations
    • Learning Vacations
      • Cooking schools
    • national holidays
    • Performing Arts
      • concerts
      • opera
    • Pet-Friendly Travel
    • Rafting
    • Recipes
    • Romantic Destinations
    • Shopping
    • Snorkeling and Scuba Diving
    • Spa Vacations
    • surfing
    • Walking vacations
    • Wildlife Watching
    • Winter Holidays
    • Women's Travel
  • Staying Healthy
    • Dealing with Illness and Discomfort
    • Eating and Drinking
    • Insects
    • Mind and Spirit
    • Packing
    • Problem Prevention
    • Travelling with Kids
  • Travel Experts
  • U. S. Travel
    • National Parks
    • USA Eastern States
    • USA Midwestern States
    • USA Southern States
    • USA Southwest
    • USA Western States
      • Alaska
      • Central California
      • Montana
      • Northern California
      • Oregon
      • Southern California
      • Utah
      • Washington
  • Vacation Rentals
  • Voluntourism

Tag: wine

Houston Restaurants – Insider Tips & My Favorite

Houston Restaurants – Insider Tips & My Favorite

Houston restaurants have evolved. Once limited to Tex Mex and BBQ, they now offer a wide variety of other cuisines and some very unusual preparations of local ingredients. I learned this during a recent brief visit, during which I managed to try at least a half dozen Houston restaurants. Best Houston restaurants After all the sipping and […]

November 26, 2015 | Updated: December 9, 2015 | By Elizabeth | Reply More
Carmel Valley – Where to Stay and Play

Carmel Valley – Where to Stay and Play

Carmel Valley is a popular destination for luxury loving Californians. Resorts, lodges, and restaurants in this area two hours from San Francisco offer the food, wine, and activities that Golden State residents love. Want to connect with the local culture? You couldn’t make a better choice than to spend some time at Carmel Valley Ranch. When I […]

July 13, 2015 | Updated: July 21, 2015 | By Elizabeth | 1 Reply More
Local Photographer’s Santa Barbara Food Tour

Local Photographer’s Santa Barbara Food Tour

This Santa Barbara food tour trip report is brought to you by Jessica Roy who – as you’ll read below – had a great time sampling local culinary specialties as a guest of Eat This, Shoot That! Her guide and ETST owner Tara Jones is an expert foodie and a crash hot photographer. Tara attended Brooks Institute of Photography in […]

October 22, 2014 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | Reply More
Tuscany Cooking School Trip Report

Tuscany Cooking School Trip Report

Remember the Tuscany cooking school contest? Last year Authentic Luxury Travel offered subscribers a chance to win a week at Il Campo Cucina, a unique cooking school in tiny Radicondoli. Andrea Cafarelle was the lucky winner. Did she have a good time at the Tuscany cooking school? Read her trip report: In June last year, […]

July 2, 2014 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | 2 Replies More
6 Santa Barbara, California Secrets

6 Santa Barbara, California Secrets

This wonderful guest post was contributed by Lauren Bray, Managing Editor of edhat.com, Santa Barbara’s #1 website for all things local. Santa Barbara is known for its red tile roofs, relaxing beaches, fine dining, and a burgeoning wine industry. It’s the laid-back vibe and natural beauty that brings many visitors to our American Riviera. State […]

April 18, 2014 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | Reply More
News about the Delicious La Jolla Foodie Getaway

News about the Delicious La Jolla Foodie Getaway

I think apologies are in order. Last week I launched the “Delicious La Jolla Foodie Getaway” on www.LaJollaTravelInformation.com and invited Authentic Luxury Travel subscribers to enter the contest. However, my mind must not have been fully engaged when I asked that this question be answered in the comment form at the end of the La Jolla […]

November 1, 2013 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | 6 Replies More
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the most northeastern region of Italy. It lies on the Adriatic Sea and is bordered by Austria and Slovenia. My young friend Marta Cossettini lives in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, which she refers to as “Nel Dolce Nord Est” or “The Sweet Northeast.” Marta is very proud of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, especially the agriturismi – […]

October 4, 2013 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | 1 Reply More
Carmel California Trip Report

Carmel California Trip Report

  A four-night stay in Carmel California was the prize in the first Getaway contest on Authentic Luxury Travel. Marie and Mark Bologna won the trip and spent their anniversary there in April. I always love hearing from readers, but this note was a special pleasure. Read on and you’ll understand why: Dear Elizabeth, I […]

September 21, 2013 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | Reply More
Cape Town, South Africa – Things to Do

Cape Town, South Africa – Things to Do

Beautiful Cape Town is easily my favorite city in South Africa. It may be that I just feel comfortable here because the climate and the vibe are so similar to my hometown – San Diego, California - but I think relative safety and natural attributes are also factors. The best way to see this sprawling city’s sights is with […]

August 5, 2013 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | Reply More
Tuscan Cooking School

Tuscan Cooking School

It was a stroke of good luck that I met Marlane Miriello and heard about her Tuscan cooking school. The Italian-American was visiting with friends in San Diego who thought I might find her story interesting. Of course, I was – not just interested, but really interested. Marlane and I are both of Italian descent, and […]

June 20, 2013 | Updated: September 23, 2015 | By Elizabeth | 3 Replies More
Award Winning Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley, California

Award Winning Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley, California

While it can be foggy along the Carmel coast, the sun shines 320 days a year about 15 minutes inland in Carmel Valley. This makes the lucky people who are staying at Bernardus Lodge happy. The sunshine also makes many, many acres of grapes very happy. Northern California insiders know that Carmel Valley produces wonderful wine and […]

November 14, 2012 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | Reply More
The Cypress Inn, Carmel, California

The Cypress Inn, Carmel, California

My husband and I just spent two wonderful days in Northern California at The Cypress Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea, and I can’t decide what I loved most about it. First of all, the inn is pet-friendly and standard schnauzers, labs, and cocker spaniels give it a homey feel and provided natural ice breakers for meeting other […]

November 14, 2012 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | Reply More
Napa Valley, California, USA, for the Holidays

Napa Valley, California, USA, for the Holidays

Where to celebrate the holidays? That seems to be the question everyone is asking these days. If you’re looking for a small community with Currier & Ives appeal, I suggest you head to Yountville in Northern California’s Napa Valley. If you read my earlier post on Yountville, you already know that this small town is […]

December 10, 2010 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | 1 Reply More
My Favorite New Zealand Trifle Recipe

My Favorite New Zealand Trifle Recipe

One of the great joys of authentic travel is getting to know local people in the area you’re visiting. I’ve lived in New Zealand and watched tourists rush around the country visiting the same sights that every other overseas visitor is seeing (the places where big buses are stacked cheek-to-jowl in the parking lot). These […]

November 30, 2010 | Updated: July 13, 2015 | By Elizabeth | 4 Replies More

Subscribe

Join me and discover the joy of authentic travel experiences. Subscribe here. Watch your inbox for an activation email.

Privacy guaranteed. We never share your info.
[jr_instagram id="2"]
Let our Boutique Hotels inspire you
Discover the ancient and magical culture of  Peru
Discover Vietnams hidden treasures with the help of a private tour guide
Spectaular Italian Villas and homes for rent

Need Help Planning Your Trip?

I enjoy helping travelers plan custom itineraries that wander off the beaten path instead of following the well-worn trail of tourist sites. Elizabeth Hansen
Find out how I can help .

"I truly want to thank you for helping to make our trip a joyous adventure. We will always be grateful to you for enhancing our experiences." —N. Higgins, Black Mountain, NC

Find Authentic Luxury Destinations

Click the map to find articles and travel tips about your favorite destinations.

Subscribe via RSS Feed Follow Me on Twitter Connect on Facebook Connect on Google Plus Connect on LinkedIn
© 2023 Authentic Luxury Travel. All rights reserved. Design & Development by Acorn Interactive.