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In the hands of an expert, a simple can become a life-changing journey: an unforgettable ; a soul-restoring retreat; an education unmatched in any classroom. For our 12th annual look at the best advisers in the business, we asked these pros to share their latest discoveries and insider tips from around the world. Wherever your take you—from cruising in Antarctica to a in Zambia—we have the agent for you. edited by Amy Farley reported by stirling kelso

The terrace café at Monteverdi, a hilltop retreat in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia (see Judy Nussbaum). A-List • super-agents

her interest in anthropology. a private calligraphy lesson. Lindblad works closely with Trend watch Rubin predicts ↓ experts on the ground, piecing growth in travel to Hangzhou together complex, highly thanks to its preserved cultural personalized itineraries that may heritage, natural beauty, and include historian-led walking stellar Aman and Four Seasons tours, shopping in souks, and properties. Masai-guided . “When I Contact Imperial Tours, Beijing; plan a trip, I consider the whole 888/888-1970; guy@imperialtours. Meet the travel industry’s power brokers: a dozen story—the raison d’être for going net. experts with unparalleled experience and a somewhere—as I develop each peerless ability to discern what you want from individual day,” Lindblad Anne Morgan your next trip. explains. Trend watch An increasing Scully ✓ number of single travelers, both Known for Bringing the right Trend watch Uruguay continues male and female, are planning people together when they travel. Priscilla to grow in popularity. Travelers entire journeys around their Scully introduces her clients to Alexander ✓ are planning trips to , such interests and passions. Lindblad artists, chefs, historians, and Known for Her ability to expertly as Playa Vik and Bahia Vik in José just arranged a monthlong, architects (depending on their pair clients with one of her Ignacio, more than a year out. The golf-focused trip to New Zealand interests) to deepen the impact of hundreds of employees, but she coastal area of Carmelo, known for a male client, and a global food each journey. “You have to design a does more than manage. for its vineyards and polo fields, is adventure for a woman on a trip based on who the client is, not Alexander loves talking to also getting more attention, with three-month​ sabbatical. simply the destination.” She is also travelers—both long-standing and new boutique such as Finca y Contact Lisa Lindblad Travel mindful of places that offer great potential clients—about the Granja Narbona and Posada Design, ; 212/876- value, acknowledging that even details of their trips. She’s also Campotinto. 2554; [email protected]. the most affluent travelers constantly on the road, often Contact Maí10, Buenos Aires; appreciate this. taking detours from business trips 54-11/6760-4060; maita@mai10. Trend watch More travelers are ✓ to visit up-and-coming com.ar. Mary Ann Ramsey looking for villa rentals in Europe, Known for A deep commitment to destinations. After a recent visit to especially in France. “There are extensive on-the-ground research. Argentina, she spent three days in incredible properties in wine ✓ Ramsey travels to up-and-coming to check in on the Jack S. Ezon regions that are still close to major Known for Ezon is adept at and in-demand destinations pre-Olympics progress; on her way cities,” Scully says. “Having a planning bespoke trips, but has throughout the year. In each place, back from an Amazon cruise, she private house is also an ideal setup made his name by organizing she makes a point of staying in stopped in Panama City. “It’s for families.” dozens of global celebrations each multiple hotels, taking numerous important to be an active Contact McCabe World Travel, year. His little black book of event guided tours, and experiencing participant in the industry you’re McLean, Va.; 703/762-5055; anne@ contacts, from the best florists in from several operators promoting,” she says. “ mccabeworld.com. to choice wedding to find options that best match the has never left me.” photographers in the South of interests and personalities of her Trend watch “Everything old is France, gives him his competitive clients. She also documents their new again,” Alexander says. edge, as does a team of dedicated long-term dream trips (she calls Pallavi Shah Europe bookings are the strongest Known for Believing that a party planners that includes a herself “the travel equivalent of a she has seen in years, and not only vacation begins the moment you romance concierge for financial planner”) and reports to Italy and other popular Western start planning it. Shah brings and anniversaries. back on destinations that make European countries: Eastern travelers into the trip- Ezon is also an expert on Gen-Y their bucket lists. Europe—especially Croatia, development process to make and Gen-X vacationers, a fast-​ Trend watch Ramsey thinks that Montenegro, and Hungary—are them feel invested in the growing segment of the travel wildlife-focused expedition resurgent among luxury travelers. experience and to give them final market. Though these younger cruising is still in its infancy and Contact Protravel International, approval of every last detail. Once travelers traditionally like to be will gather even more interest in New York City; 212/651-2101; her clients depart, she checks in on heavily involved in trip planning, the coming years. [email protected]. them personally and through he notes a growing number are Contact Betty Maclean Travel, ground operators to make sure handing the reins entirely over to Naples, Fla.; 239/513-0333; each , tour, and is his team: “Even the Millennials maryann@bettymacleantravel. to their liking. Maita Barrenechea are burned out on the DIY model.” com. Known for Her local expertise Trend watch In , where Trend watch Clients are willing and hands-on approach to travel Shah maintains a second to splurge when access is a management throughout residence, she’s noticed a growing concern, Ezon notes, but they’re Guy Rubin Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. “I Known for Being one of the most number of requests for “journeys still looking for good values, believe it takes discernment as sought-after tour operators in that touch the soul,” as she puts it. especially during the shoulder much as contacts,” Barrenechea China for luxury travel, a field that That could mean attending the season. “They have no qualms says. “I can open doors, but more has changed dramatically in the 16 World Sufi Spirit Festival, in pushing for the best price they can importantly, I understand what years that he’s been in the Jodhpur, or indulging in ancient get.” door to open for every traveler.” industry. Rubin exhaustively ayurvedic treatments at a Contact Ovation , New Barrenechea has done more than researches new openings—the mountainside wellness . York City; 212/329-7267; jezon@ follow regional travel trends in her Banyan Tree Shanghai; the Contact Our Personal Guest, New ovationtravel.com. 29-year career, she has shaped Mandarin Orientals in York City; 646/284-2454; opgny@ them—through supporting hotel Guangzhou and Shanghai—and ourpersonalguest.com. and estancia openings, promoting Lisa Lindblad cultivates local contacts that lead responsible travel, and working Known for Bringing an to insider experiences: a helicopter with organizations that preserve intellectual approach to travel ride from Beijing to the Great Wall, cultural treasures. planning, attributed sometimes to instruction in the game of weiqi, or

★ New to list ✓ T+L’s travel advisory board super-agents • europe • A-List

Jim Strong ✓ Joel A. Zack Known for An in-depth & Nancy Strong understanding of his areas of Known for Around-the-clock expertise, which include Portugal, availability, discerning taste, and Morocco, South Africa, Spain, and attention to detail—honed from Turkey, and for keeping a close the close industry contacts that watch on the evolving mindset both mother and son have and expectations of American cultivated, as well as their own travelers. His network of friends extensive experience on the road. and connections has led to a Everything they book has been growing roster of special thoroughly vetted: Jim spends experiences—kicking around a nearly half the year previewing soccer ball with kids in a small hotels, yachts, and tours South African township; an worldwide. They have also created after-hours tour of the a multimedia brand around Jim’s Alhambra—that are not easily Craving for Travel books. An matched. off-­Broadway play inspired by the Trend watch Zack is seeing more series is in the works. travelers heading to Portugal for Trend watch The Strongs are its food and wine. “The best new seeing a renewed interest in restaurant is Bel Canto, in Lisbon. U.S.-based travel among clients We have arranged private dinners who have time constraints or don’t with the chef, José Avillez.” want to deal with international Contact Heritage Tours Private flights. Napa Valley, in particular, Travel, New York City; 800/378- is reemerging as the destination of 4555; [email protected]. choice for people who want to stay a little closer to home. Contact Strong Travel Services, Dallas; 214/361-0027; jim@ strongtravel.com, nstrong@ strongtravel.com. The garden at Monaci delle Terre Nere, in eastern Sicily Valerie Ann Wilson (see Andrea Sertoli). Known for Being a passionate and outspoken force within the industry, thanks to her 30-plus years of experience. She sits on half a dozen travel advisory boards and has published two books. Her top-notch agency (now under the leadership of Wilson and her daughters, Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg and Kimberly i delle terre nere

ac Wilson Wetty, also on the A-List) keeps hiring and growing its client

f mon base. She’s particularly excited to Central Europe be recruiting a new generation of Jim Strong ✓ agents: “We seek out young people who have a passion for travel and Nathalie Nagy & Nancy Strong ourtesy o Insider clout A part-time resident See Super-Agents. customer service,” she says. “It’s of Budapest, Nagy travels ge: c

a an opportunity for us to mentor frequently throughout the region. and get them involved in a terrific, France In , she can coordinate long-lasting career.” private visits to the heritage brand Trend watch Once-in-a-lifetime Lobmeyr’s glass boutique and Murielle Blanchard trips keep pushing geographic and Discovery Blanchard, a French Werkstatt (workshop), where experiential boundaries. Right native, recently found an old-​ artisans handcraft the city’s iconic now Wilson’s agency is working on fashioned toy store, Miniatures

f monteverdi. this p etched and painted glasswork. a South Pole exploration, a Bois, in the lovely Burgundian Years as agent 17. handful of around-the-world trips village of Bonnay. Owners and Other specialty Mexico. by private jet, and a 21-day artists Maryse and Joël Dedianne Contact Protravel International, ourtesy o itinerary that hits every major create tiny music boxes, dollhouse c New York City; 212/409-9562; safari country in Africa. furniture, and farm animals out of [email protected]. Contact Valerie Wilson Travel, delicately carved wood.

New York City; 212/532-3400; Years as agent 30. WESTERN EUROPE [email protected]. Other specialty Spain. rd touillon/ a Contact Black Pearl Luxury Anne Morgan Services, Salt Lake City; Scully ✓ 801/483-6533; murielle@

over: bern See Super-Agents. blackpearlservices.com. c A-List • europe

Forest torte,” Landry says. property in Oia, Santorini. Nine airlift a grand piano via helicopter Bob Preston Years as agent 34. suites (and 14 more on the way) from Naples to the lawn of the J.K. New favorite The Auberge du Jeu Other specialty Italy. have white Cycladic-style interiors Place Capri hotel. The payoff: a de Paume, just 20 minutes from Contact Century Travel, Atlanta; and polished-concrete pools with surprise performance by one of Charles de Gaulle International 404/324-4013; elisabeth@ cliffside Mediterranean views. the leading sopranos from Venice’s , backs onto the stunning centurytvl.com. Years as agent 10. Teatro La Fenice. The show Château de Chantilly, one of Other specialty Turkey. culminated in a fireworks display France’s most beautiful Contact Hellenic Holidays, New over the Bay of Marina Grande. properties. The 92-room resort has Greece York City; 212/944-8288; Years as agent 16. equestrian programs; one of its [email protected]. Contact Bellini Travel, ; , La Table du Mina Agnos 44-20/7602-7602; emily@ Connétable, was awarded a Excited about The Funky Ireland bellinitravel.com. Michelin star; and its spa has Gourmet restaurant, in , pampering wine-based which offers creative, modern treatments. takes on Greek classics (lamb Carol Cornell Insider clout With more than 40 Andrea Grisdale Years as agent 7. youvetsi; horiatiki salad). Dishes New favorite Grisdale loves the trips to Ireland under her belt, Other specialty Italy. are beautifully presented and Palazzo Victoria, in Verona—the Cornell knows how to put amateur Contact EuroPanache, ; served with high-design utensils. sister hotel to Il Salviatino, in genealogists and ancestor-seekers 888/600-6777; bob.preston@ Wine pairings often include Greek Fiesole—for its location (a in touch with historians, church europanache.com. bottles. two-minute walk to Juliet’s members who keep grave records, Years as agent 12. balcony), service, and and pub owners whose Other specialties Italy and architecture. The hotel was built establishments have historic Yaron Yarimi Egypt. over the archaeological remains of Excited about Paris’s Puces de family ties. “I also set up dinners Contact Travelive, Bloomfield, a 2,000-year-old Roman villa, and St.-Ouen flea market, now home to with locals, so travelers can couple N.J.; 888/377-5483; mina@ cleverly combines original parquet Philippe Starck’s Ma Cocotte, a discoveries from the past with an travelive.com. floors and frescoes with sleek trendy cafeteria-style restaurant. understanding of Ireland’s contemporary touches (flat-screen The large dining room overlooks present,” Cornell says. televisions; heated towel racks). an open kitchen where classic Years as agent 30. Kelly Shea Years as agent 23. Parisian dishes are prepared; New favorite The Amanzoe, Other specialty Italy. Contact IC Bellagio, Bellagio, Yarimi encourages clients to head Amanresorts’ first property in Contact Covington Travel, Fort Italy; 39-031/952-059; andrea@ to the terraces beside the Greece. Surrounded by olive Wayne, Ind.; 260/432-5995; icbellagio.com. second-floor cocktail lounge for a groves on the Peloponnese, the 38 [email protected]. view of the shoppers below. freestanding pavilion rooms have Years as agent 25. private pools and Aegean Sea Italy Uri Harash ★ Other specialty Italy. views. “The hotel is also close to Excited about A resident of Rome, Contact Frosch, New York City; many of the area’s key Filippo Curinga ★ Harash likes the city’s new Gran 212/784-0391; yaron.yarimi@ archaeological sites—Epidaurus, Special booking Curinga Meliá hotel for the different frosch.com. Mycenae, and ancient Corinth, arranged a dinner—accompanied perspective it offers travelers. Not among others,” Shea says. by a live orchestra—at the feet of only does it have an outdoor pool Years as agent 26. Michelangelo’s David in the (rare in Rome), but it’s set in Germany Other specialty Turkey. Accademia Gallery in Florence, Gianicolo, “a lesser-known, but ★ Contact Kelly Shea Travels, which was opened after-hours locally loved neighborhood,” he Virginia Giordano Carmel, Ind.; 317/805-5770; exclusively for his clients. says. While in the area, don’t miss New favorite Berlin’s 80-room [email protected]. Years as agent 17. the fresh seafood at Assunta Das Stue hotel, housed in the Contact IDI Travel, Venice; Madre. circa-1930’s former Danish 39-041/593-6299; filippo@ Years as agent 15. Embassy. Its lobby and common Christos Stergiou iditravel.com. Contact Perfetto Traveler, Rome; spaces—by turns playful and Special booking A look at Greek 39-392/129-6543; austere—were decorated by culture, past and present, that [email protected]. Spanish interior designer Patricia included private tours of ancient Joyce Falcone Urquiola. Don’t miss Stue Bar, sites and lesser-known museums, Top tip Falcone, cofounder of a where tapas and cocktails are gallery-hopping with a Greek art Slow Food chapter in her Deborah Hyte served in grand rooms that face expert, a traditional Cretan hometown of Aspen, tells Discovery The Castello di Ama in the Tiergarten, Berlin’s answer to dinner in the Old Town of Italy-bound clients to look for the Tuscany, located in the Chianti Central Park. Rethymnon, and a discussion of chiocciola (snail) emblem that Hills. The family-owned property Years as agent 19. the origins of the Greek fiscal Slow Food restaurants often place has a private gallery, so you can sip Contact Culture Trip, Berlin; crisis over dinner with Stergiou on their doors or entryways to their excellent Sangiovese while 49-30/305-3890; info@ himself, a Stanford-​trained signify their commitment to checking out the rotating culturetrip.de. financial expert. regional produce and recipes. exhibitions of works by Years as agent 9. Years as agent 17. contemporary artists. Other specialties Turkey and Other specialty Sicily. Years as agent 33. Elisabeth Landry Italy. Contact Joyce Falcone—The Other specialty Western Europe. Top tip It is a German tradition to Contact TrueGreece, Maroussi, Italian Concierge, Aspen, Colo.; Contact Altour International, Los meet friends for coffee and cake in Greece; 800/817-7098; christos@ 970/544-3799; info@ Angeles; 888/495-0066; deborah. the afternoon. In Munich, you’ll truegreece.com. italianconcierge.com. [email protected]. find the best pastries and a lively atmosphere at Kaffee Richard and Kaffee Glockenspiel, both located Petros Zissimos Emily FitzRoy Colleen Lamont near New Town Hall. Forget about New favorite Alta Mare by Special booking For a client’s Insider clout Lamont introduces calories and “order the Black Andronis, an affordable boutique 75th birthday, FitzRoy arranged to clients to an enologist in Tuscany

★ New to list ✓ T+L’s travel advisory board europe • A-List who will blend wines to their Russia Contact Century Travel, Atlanta; Turkey specifications, create bottles with 404/324-4011; claire@centurytvl. personalized labels, and send Greg Tepper com. Frederick Poe cases back home. While at the Excited about Plyos, a charming Excited about The formerly vineyard, travelers may also rural town five hours north of Spain Armenian city of Ani, close to experience a traditional Tuscan Moscow where dachas, or summer Turkey’s eastern border, for its lunch with wine pairings. villas, dot the rolling countryside. Virginia Irurita windswept countryside and Years as agent 34. American travelers are just Insider clout -based incredible medieval ruins that Other specialty Small- discovering this remote gem. “The Irurita has strong ties to local were only recently opened to the cruises. best way to explore the area is on a chefs. For one food lover, she public. Contact Journeys Peak Travel, sleigh ride in the winter or a arranged a day of mushroom Years as agent 53. Portland, Ore.; 866/297-1058; carriage ride along the river in the foraging in Daroca de Rioja, in Other specialty Eastern Europe. [email protected]. summer,” Tepper advises. northern Spain, with chef Ignacio Contact Poe Travel, Little Rock, Years as agent 19. Echapresto of the Michelin- Ark.; 800/727-1960; fpoe@ Other specialty Eastern Europe. starred Venta Moncalvillo, poetravel.com. Judy Nussbaum Contact Exeter International, followed by a private cooking class New favorite The villa and hotel Tampa, Fla.; 813/251-5355; in Echapresto’s kitchen. United Kingdom complex of Monteverdi, in the [email protected]. Years as agent 15. village of Castiglioncello del Other specialty Food and wine. Ellen LeCompte Trinoro in Tuscany. Its range of Contact Made for Spain, Madrid; Special booking LeCompte, who Scandinavia options, from stylish hotel rooms 34/91-448-7275; virginia@ has a cottage in the Cotswolds, to a restored six-bedroom house, madeforspain.com. loves to give clients a sense of local can comfortably accommodate Carol Arklind British traditions by arranging for Top tip If you can’t get a both couples and families. them to attend private events— reservation at Noma, try Bror, Years as agent 32. Judith Wolf jousting matches; horse-racing which was opened in April by two Excited about The Routes of Other specialties France and trials; rallies—at historic of Noma’s former sous-chefs. The Sefarad, a network of 21 cities that cruises. estates in the English countryside. 46-seat restaurant is already highlights the history of the Jews Contact Unique Travel of Palm Years as agent 22. garnering stellar reviews for its who lived in Spain before the Beach, Delray Beach, Fla.; 561/​ Other specialty Africa. Northern European–inspired Inquisition. The organization is 495-5775; [email protected]. Contact Brownell Travel, comfort foods, such as salted also an excellent resource for Richmond, Va.; 804/353-0075, pollock, a rich white fish, served finding specialized and ext. 3; [email protected]. Andrea Sertoli with fennel. ancient synagogues, and for Discovery The eight-room Monaci Years as agent 24. travelers looking to trace their delle Terre Nere, in Sicily, which Other specialty United Kingdom. ancestral roots. Linda M. Raymer ★ sits on the slopes of the active Contact Cadence, La Jolla, Calif.; Years as agent 28. Excited about The Jewish Mount Etna volcano. The owner 925/308-7048; arktravel@ Other specialties Turkey and Museum London in Camden, has enormous respect for the cadencetravel.com. Italy. which reopened a few years ago environment, and it shows: the Contact Frosch Travel, Deerfield, after a $15 million renovation. It lush estate retains a rustic sense Ill.; 847/948-5300; judith.wolf@ traces the Jewish community in of place and is partly fueled by Tor Jensen frosch.com. Britain back to the time of William Special booking Jensen recently solar energy. the Conqueror. planned a four-man, three-week Years as agent 18. Spain and Portugal Years as agent 30. expedition across Greenland on Other specialty Croatia. Other specialties Switzerland dogsleds. “There were no stops Contact Select Italy, Chicago; and Napa Valley. other than tented overnights on Joel A. Zack 800/877-1755; andrea@selectitaly. See Super-Agents. Contact Travelink, American the ice cap,” he says of the com. Express Travel, Nashville; once-in-a-lifetime adventure. 615/277-5146; linda.raymer@ Years as agent 20. Switzerland travelink.com. Marjorie Shaw Other specialty Southeast Asia. Special booking When an Contact Jensen World Travel, Ilene Koenig American wanted to make contact Wilmette, Ill.; 800/853-6736; New favorite Adventure travelers Susie Worthy with her long-lost relatives in the [email protected]. shouldn’t miss the Titlis Cliff Insider clout If you want access, Abruzzo region southeast of Walk near Engelberg, the highest Worthy delivers—and then some. Rome, Shaw managed to locate the Scotland suspension bridge in Europe. It’s After her clients attended a private family and sent her client with a 10,000 feet above sea level, 330 feet dinner party at Buckingham driver and translator. The Claire Schoeder long, and only five feet wide—and Palace, she rented them a on American left with not only a Special booking Schoeder threw it hovers 1,500 feet in the air above the Thames for a front-row seat at deeper connection to her an over-the-top party for a family a glacier. the Diamond Jubilee Pageant. ancestors but also a secret recipe staying in a private castle in Years as agent 28. Years as agent 36. for meat loaf that had been passed Inverness. The entire clan was Other specialty Skiing. Other specialty Paris. down for generations. fitted with traditional Highland Contact Let’s Travel (a division of Contact NoteWorthy, London; Years as agent 24. dress for a day that included Plaza Travel), Santa Monica, 44-20/3051-5165; susie@noteworthy. Other specialty Honeymoons. whisky tastings, falconry, bagpipe Calif.; 310/451-5805, ext. 1258; ilene@ co.uk. Contact Marjorie Shaw’s Insider’s lessons, and a formal dinner with letstravel-sm.com. Italy, Bronxville, N.Y.; 914/470-1612; Scottish dancing on the castle [email protected]. lawn. The next morning a piper woke everyone for breakfast. Years as agent 21. Other specialty England. A-List • u.s. & canada

grits and sausage. A Historic Corner King room at Years as agent 19. the Wythe Hotel, in Williamsburg, Other specialty Switzerland. Brooklyn (see Amy Glass). Contact Frosch Travel, New York City; 212/784-0265; linda.kibak@ frosch.com.

New York city Amy Glass Top tip So many travelers limit themselves to Manhattan, but Brooklyn should be a required stop. To get a taste of the borough’s diversity, Glass suggests heading to Tanoreen, in Bay Ridge, known for its authentic Palestinian dishes. If you want to overnight in Brooklyn, opt for a room in the new 70-room Wythe Hotel, in Williamsburg. Years as agent 35. Other specialty Costa Rica. Contact Protravel International, New York City; 212/409-9540; [email protected].

Western U.S. Harold C. Jenkins Excited about The little-known town of Buffalo, Wyoming, tucked Contact Frosch, San Mateo, into the foothills of the Big Horn Calif.; 650/373-4425; Mountains. Stay at the Occidental [email protected]. Hotel, steeped in Old West history. Past guests include Teddy Napa Valley, california Roosevelt and Calamity Jane, and the 17 rooms have names like Michelle Murré ★ Outlaw and Prairie Cowboy. In the Insider clout Murré likes to Occidental Saloon, 23 bullet holes combine Napa Valley’s food and pepper the walls and ceiling—the wine experiences with its bartender has the whole story. gorgeous natural surroundings by Years as agent 25. sending clients to the Jaffe Estate, Other specialty Skiing. a winery that is closed to the Contact Corporate Vacations public but accessible to her , Lake Forest, Ill.; through personal connections. 615/714-9917; harold.jenkins@ Travelers can sample the estate’s corpvacations.com. extraordinary Cabernets, see the They’ll even lend you a stand-up professional-grade telescope in paddleboard for the afternoon. owner Gary Jaffe’s private Deborah Trevino Years as agent 26. Special booking Trevino Carolyne Brandon observatory, and enjoy a private Excited about The Ulupalakua Other specialty Alaska. reserved a helicopter to drop a pair dinner with wine pairings under Vineyards, where rows of grapes Contact Altour American Express of adventure enthusiasts at the top the stars. overlook the Pacific from Maui’s Travel, Oak Brook, Ill.; 800/535- of a remote ski run at Alyeska Years as agent 9. mountains. A handful of the 4458, ext. 11; darlene.mulkewich@ Resort, in Alaska. At the bottom of Other specialty Italy. estate’s specialty wines, such as altour.com. the slopes, a dogsled waited to take Contact Azurine, San Francisco; the sparkling Hula O Maui, are them to a romantic lunch in the 415/796-3869; michelle@ made with local pineapples. mountains; with champagne on ✓ azurinetravel.com. Years as agent 31. Edward Phillips hand to celebrate, the client Discovery Musician Henry Other specialty Cruises. proposed to his girlfriend. Kapono plays at Duke’s restaurant New Orleans Contact Altour American Express Years as agent 20. wythe hotel in Waikiki on most Sunday f Travel, Newport Beach, Calif.; Other specialty Australia. evenings. “It’s a scene right out of a 650/248-2344; carolyne.brandon@ Linda Kibak Contact Hobson Travel, Jimmy Buffett song: there’s New favorite The Hotel Mazarin, altour.com. Naperville, Ill.; 630/983-8000;

tropical music, fresh seafood, and in the heart of the French Quarter, o ourtesy [email protected]. c fruity cocktails—and a global where 102 rooms overlook either ms/ Darlene Mulkewich crowd dancing to Kapono’s the neighborhood’s historic a Top tip On the Big Island, you can island-inspired rhythms with a or a quiet European- cruise on Fair Wind’s Hula Kai rock-and-roll twist,” Phillips says. style interior courtyard. The luxury catamaran to a lovely spot Years as agent 23. complimentary breakfast tthew willi tthew for snorkeling and scuba diving. Other specialty Spain. includes Southern staples such as a m

★ New to list ✓ T+L’s travel advisory board mexico & central & south america • A-List

Contact Big Five Tours & exciting developments in Cuzco’s Expeditions, Stuart, Fla.; 800/​ hotel scene. 244-3483; [email protected]. Years as agent 16. Contact Aracari Travel Galápagos Islands Consulting, Lima, Peru; 312/239- 8726; [email protected]. Brian Morgan New favorite The 16-passenger South America Ocean Spray catamaran, operated by Haugan Cruises, which sails on Carlos L. Fida eight-day Galápagos trips. Its Excited about spacious cabins have modern for all levels of experience—Fida interiors and private balconies. led a group of clients ranging in There’s also an outdoor whirlpool, age from 28 to 72—through a large sundeck and lounge, and a Patagonia, especially Chile’s restaurant with alfresco dining. Torres del Paine National Park. Years as agent 14. Fida can set up mountain-biking, Other specialty Peru. kayaking, and excursions, Contact Adventure Life, Missoula, as well as overnights in family- Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay Mont.; 800/344-6118; galapagos@ owned ranches and small hotels. Paul Irvine adventure-life.com. Years as agent 35. Insider clout To tap in to the Other specialty Adventure. Maita Barrenechea emerging visual-arts scene in Rio, See Super-Agents. Mexico Contact PanAmerican Travel Irvine turns to internationally Services, Salt Lake City; 800/364- renowned artist Marcos Chaves, a Argentina and Chile 4359; [email protected]. born-and-bred Carioca and Zachary Rabinor Discovery The 22-room hotel Bo, current resident of the bohemian ★ on the site of an Art Deco Jordan Harvey Santa Teresa neighborhood, to Insider clout Harvey, who once in Chiapas’s San Cristóbal de las lead tours of his favorite places, Beth Jenkins lived on a Patagonian dairy farm, Casas. A playful mash-up of Discovery For families, the including galleries, friends’ has relationships with many Midcentury Modern furniture and all-inclusive Dos Lagos Lodge, on studios, and private homes. family-owned haciendas and traditional design elements, the the 442,000-acre Cerro Castillo Years as agent 10. vineyards that aren’t typically hotel incorporates natural materials National Reserve in Chilean Other specialty Argentina. open to the public. At the Julio from the surrounding regions, Patagonia. “It’s only accessible by Contact Dehouche, Rio de Janeiro; Bouchon winery, in Chile’s Maule giving it a strong sense of place. boat or helicopter, making it 800/690-6899; paul.irvine@ Valley, travelers can dine with the Years as agent 10. incredibly private, with activities dehouche.com. family and ride horses through Other specialty Central America. such as horseback riding, fishing, the 914-acre property. Contact Journey Mexico, Puerto and kayaking, keeping all ages Years as agent 4. Chile Vallarta, Mexico; 800/513-1587; engaged,” Jenkins says. Other specialty Peru. [email protected]. Years as agent 4. Contact Knowmad , Silja Torborg Other specialty Honeymoons. Minneapolis; 612/877-1735; jordan@ New favorite The Refugia hotel, Central and South America Contact McCabe World Travel, knowmadadventures.com. with 12 ocean-facing rooms, on the McLean, Va.; 703/762-5048; beth@ Chiloé archipelago off central Emmanuel Burgio mccabeworld.com. Insider clout Burgio organized a Brazil Chile. The architecture is smart trip for a renowned photographer and sustainable, and includes who wanted to take aerial shots high-design elements—fireplaces, Martin Frankenberg across South America. Thanks to Eric Sheets New favorite The Botanique furnishings, art—by local artisans. Special booking Sheets, whose Blue Parallel’s close relationships Hotel & Spa, the first truly A new airport has made the island professional sweet spot is with national park directors and sophisticated hotel in the more accessible. combining the Galápagos with country officials, Burgio was able mountains outside of São Paulo. Years as agent 17. other South American to obtain permits to fly over The six-suite, 11-villa property is Other specialty Food and wine. destinations, planned a wedding restricted areas in the Galápagos not only architecturally striking Contact Trails of Chile, Puerto for a couple who wanted to marry Islands, Machu Picchu, and and eco-conscious, it also Varas, Chile; 56-65/566-671; silja@ among Darwin’s famous islands Mayan ruins in the Yucatán. showcases the area’s natural and trailsofchile.cl. under a full moon. The chartered Years as agent 11. cultural draws: Brazilian music yacht was equipped with a Other specialty Private villas. plays in common areas; the violinist, band, and minister; after Ecuador Contact Blue Parallel, Potomac, restaurant’s chef forages for fresh the ceremony, the couple flew to Md.; 800/256-5307; emmanuel@ fruits and vegetables; and along Cartagena, Colombia, for their blueparallel.com. with pillow, wine, and cigar Tatiana Johnston . Excited about The rehabilitation menus, the hotel offers a selection Years as agent 17. of Ronda Street (also called Calle wythe hotel of waters curated by a local Other specialty Cuba. f Morales), a lovely colonial geologist. Marisol Mosquera Contact Latin Excursions, Bal thoroughfare in Quito. After much New favorite Palacio Nazarenas Years as agent 12. Harbour, Fla.; 305/356-8488, ext. investment, the once-down-on- from Orient-Express, housed in a Other specialty Villa rentals. 100; [email protected]. ourtesy o ourtesy its-luck Old Town artery is lined 16th-century former convent in c Contact Matuete, São Paulo, with stylish boutiques and Cuzco, Peru. The 55 rooms—all ms/ Brazil; 866/​709-5952; martin@ a restaurants as well as traditional oxygenated to provide relief from South American Food & Wine matuete.com. sweetshops, hardware stores, and the 11,000-foot altitude—have

local markets. Peruvian-marble bathrooms, Liz Caskey ★ Years as agent 17. espresso bars, and native art and New favorite Bocanariz, a hip tthew willi tthew a Other specialty Peru. historic artifacts. It’s one of many wine bar in Santiago’s Bellas Artes m A-List • mexico & central & south america • carribean • africa & the middle east neighborhood—think of it as the West Village of Chile’s capital— that organizes its bottles not only by region but also by valley. Travelers can order flights of one- to three-ounce pours. Years as agent 8. Other specialty Adventure. Contact Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences, Santiago, Chile; 904/687-0340; [email protected].

Woven raffia palm huts at Odzala Ngaga Camp, in the Congo basin (see Dana Welch).

Margie Hand Excited about For families in search of an exclusive and convenient getaway, Hand recommends taking over the about the conservancy’s five-villa Royal Island retreat, in pioneering anti-poaching efforts. the Bahamas, set on a private Years as agent 18. island just four miles from North Other specialty Adventure. Eleuthera. The staff will arrange Contact Uncharted Outposts meals, spa services, watersports, Safari & Travel Company, Santa and outdoor activities, as well as Fe; 888/995-0909; sandy@ parties to celebrate any special unchartedoutposts.com. milestones or events. Years as agent 19. Africa minded couple’s Africa itinerary Other specialty Destination began with shark-cage diving Lisa Lindblad weddings. See Super-Agents. outside Cape Town and an Contact All Seasons Travel, Bob Berghaier New favorite The former elephant-back safari at Camp Birmingham, Ala.; 888/234-0046; zookeeper and wildlife expert Jabulani, near Kruger National [email protected]. Dana Welch loves the high-end Muchenje and Park. They took in Victoria Falls New favorite Wilderness Ngoma safari lodges in the remote from a microlight and a Safaris’ two Odzala camps— Janet McLaughlin western section of Botswana’s river raft, then ended in a Lango, on the edge of a savanna, Special booking McLaughlin Chobe National Park. There are far beachfront suite at White Pearl and Ngaga, surrounded by went the extra mile for a husband fewer there than in the , in Mozambique. forest—in the Congo basin. The who wanted to surprise his wife more visited northern part of the Years as agent 27. intimate, eco-​friendly camps, with a special gift on an park, and great opportunities to Other specialty French made up of just six rooms each, anniversary trip to Barbados. In view predators such as lions, Polynesia. give travelers unprecedented addition to arranging their trip, leopards, and African wild dogs. Contact TravelStore, ; access to the area’s tropical rain she went to Tiffany’s, picked out a Years as agent 12. 310/689-5415; katie.c@travelstore. forest and its dense population of diamond bracelet, and sent it in an Other specialty African history com. lowland gorillas. insured package down to Sandy and culture. Years as agent 21. Lane resort, where the couple was Contact Premier Tours, Other specialties Active and staying. Philadelphia; 800/545-1910, ext. 414; Sandy Cunningham . Years as agent 24. [email protected]. Special booking Cunningham Contact The Travel Society,

Other specialty Italy. arranged a “breakfast” with baby donio

Denver; 303/563-6225; dana@ a Contact Provident Travel, rhinos at Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife travelsociety.com. r Cincinnati; 800/486-5060; Katie Cadar Conservancy. Clients were able to . Special booking An adventure- bottle-feed the calves and learn [email protected] ca kie ac j

★ New to list ✓T+L’s travel advisory board africa & the middle east • A-List

Botswana, Zimbabwe, property in Africa’s largest island Morocco Years as agent 41. and Zambia national park, the camp supports Other specialty India. Rubondo’s goal of becoming a Michael Diamond Contact Karell’s African Dream Craig Beal self-sustaining conservation area. New favorite While Diamond Vacations, Miami; 800/327-0373; Excited about Matusadona Travelers can go on guided hikes usually prefers traditional riads, [email protected]. National Park, in Zimbabwe, to encounter chimpanzees and he was impressed with Morgan where Beal spotted the other animals in their native Hotel Group’s 71-room Delano increasingly rare black rhino on a habitat. Marrakech: “It brings a hip and Jackie Rush Excited about Rush loves Mombo hiking safari last fall. Stay in one Years as agent 20. youthful option to town. Even if Camp in the Okavango Delta for its of the classic tents at Musango Contact Alluring Africa, Winter you aren’t staying here, stop by the intuitive staff, plush tents, and Safari Camp on Lake Kariba, he Park, Fla.; 800/510-6059, ext. 101; rooftop lounge for cocktails and fantastic wildlife viewing, arguably advises. “Owner Steve Edwards [email protected]. city views.” the country’s best. “Mombo has personally greeted nearly Years as agent 12. continues to top the charts. Book every guest since 1992.” Egypt Other specialty Turkey. far in advance,” she advises. Years as agent 8. Contact Heritage Tours Private Years as agent 37. Other specialty South Africa. Travel, New York City; 800/378- Malaka Hilton Other specialty Jordan. Contact Travel Beyond, Wayzata, Top tip To dress like a local when 4555, ext. 102; michael@ Contact Frosch, Washington, Minn.; 800/876-3131; craigb@ in Luxor, stop at the Mobaco Cottons htprivatetravel.com. D.C.; 800/296-0071; jackie.rush@ travelbeyond.com. store in the Pyramisa Isis Luxor frosch.com. Hotel. The well-tailored line is made Safaris EastERN and Southern Africa with Egyptian cotton and comes South Africa printed with a small camel logo. Volker Altvater Dan Achber ★ Years as agent 19. Special booking For clients who Insider clout Achber arranged for Other specialties Jordan and the wanted to see both Kenya’s famous Julian Harrison Insider clout Harrison a photography-loving client to U.A.E. highlights and its best-kept introduces Johannesburg-bound accompany zebra researchers as Contact Admiral Travel secrets, Altvater arranged a clients to Robin Binckes. An they counted the animals while International, Sarasota, Fla.; helicopter safari that provided expert on apartheid-era history flying over Botswana’s striking 888/722-3401; malaka@ views of Lake Turkana in the and a master storyteller, he Makgadikgadi salt pan in a Cessna admiraltravel.com. north, the forests of the Matthews arranges home visits with locals 206—without the doors. Needless Range, Mount Kenya, and the and takes people to lesser-traveled to say, his aerial pictures were Israel thundering herds of animals on sites, such as the imposing spectacular. the grasslands below. Voortrekker Monument, in nearby Years as agent 5. Years as agent 27. Rachel Epstein Pretoria. Contact Trufflepig, Toronto; Excited about The Beresheet Other specialty South Africa. Years as agent 27. 416/628-1272; [email protected]. Hotel, perched on the edge of the Contact Big Five Tours & Other specialty East Africa. Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert Expeditions, Stuart, Fla.; Contact Premier Tours, just a 2½-hour drive from Tel Aviv. 772/600-2213; [email protected]. Philadelphia; 800/545-1910, ext. Jeanie Fundora A beautiful, minimalist structure, Special booking By using private 429; [email protected]. it offers guests a unique base from jets and securing off-hour which to explore the desert, Mark Nolting stops, Fundora was able to plan a New favorite The eco-sensitive, nearby wineries, and the area’s ★ trip to top lodges in South Africa, six-tent Singita Mara River Ginger Hill history. Top tip Cape Town’s new City Tanzania, and Rwanda for busy Camp—the only permanent Years as agent 31. Bowl Food Market on the clients, shaving down what could in the Lamai Wedge, in Other specialty Spain. waterfront. “It’s an easy way to have been a three-week trip to Serengeti National Park. A high Contact Frosch, New York City; experience African street food,” meet their 11-night time frame. concentration of wildlife around 800/866-1623; rachel.epstein@ Hill says. “You can explore the Years as agent 14. the Mara River means that your frosch.com. stalls on your own or book a Other specialty Indian Ocean private, elevated deck is often the private tour with a culinary guide.” islands. best place in the park for game Middle East Years as agent 23. Contact Travel Beyond, Wayzata, spotting. Other specialty East Africa. Minn.; 800/823-6063; jeanief@ Years as agent 27. Contact Heritage Tours Private travelbeyond.com. Jean Newman Other specialties Madagascar Travel, New York City; 800/378- ★ and Malawi. Glock 4555, ext. 105; ginger@ Insider clout Glock, who spent 17 Contact Africa Adventure htprivatetravel.com. Tim Lapage years with Smithsonian Journeys, Company, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; New favorite The Potato Bush maintains a little black book of 800/882-9454; safari@ Camp, in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi door-opening contacts. Dr. Salima africanadventure.com. National Park, which has four Judy Udwin Ikram, for example, the head of Top tip Cape Town–bound tented rooms—with claw-foot the Egyptology department at the travelers who love to cook should tubs, hammocks, and plunge American University in Cairo, has Norman Pieters book the Cape Malay Experience pools—and is set on the banks of Top tip Pieters has noticed taken some of Glock’s clients at the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel. In the Zambezi River. a major upswing in behind the scenes to see the the interactive class, participants Years as agent 32. multigenerational safari travel, to mummies at the Egyptian learn to make regional dishes such Other specialties South America which the industry is responding. Antiquities Museum. as butternut-and-lentil potjie, a and India. MalaMala Game Reserve, in South Years as agent 2. stew prepared in a cast-iron pot. Contact Safari Experts, Park City, Africa, for example, has suites that Other specialties North Africa Years as agent 31. Utah; 435/649-4655; safari@ sleep four, and junior ranger and the Arabian Gulf. Contact Century Travel, Atlanta; safariexperts.com. programs for guests 12 and under. Contact Connoisseur Travel, 800/533-6336; judy@centurytvl. donio Kids receive with animal a

r Washington, D.C.; 202/469-8904; com. checklists and a compass; specially ★ [email protected]. Sunit Sanghrajka trained guides teach them how to Discovery Rubondo Island Camp,

kie ca kie ac track animals. j in Tanzania. The only public A-List • asia

visit to the private OX Culture and Ceramics Museum, in Xi’an, where she met with the curator and was able to examine—and in some cases even handle—pieces from the early Ming dynasty. Years as agent 19. Other specialty Southeast Asia. Contact TravelStore, Sacramento, Calif.; 800/283-2772 ext. 5511; [email protected].

Karin Hansen New favorite The 313-room Four Seasons Beijing, the company’s seventh property in China. “It’s a cut above the rest,” Hansen says, noting the impeccable service, the spacious suites, and the hotel’s artwork, which showcases the city’s contemporary art scene. Years as agent 36. Other specialties and Cambodia. Contact Frosch Travel, Deerfield, Ill.; 800/323-1276; karin.hansen@ frosch.com.

Guy Rubin See Super-Agents.

Laura Woo Discovery A Hong Kong expert, Woo cautions clients not to leave the city without sampling a dan tat, or egg tart, from Tai Cheong Bakery, at Lyndhurst Terrace. Locals line up around the block for the hot, flaky pastry. Years as agent 31. In the lounge of Other specialty Hawaii. Contact the Palace Hotel West University Travel, Houston; 281/497-8820; woo@ , adjacent hal-pc.org. to the city’s Imperial Gardens (see Mei Zhang Duff Trimble). Insider clout For a prominent U.S. architect, Zhang planned a design-focused trip in Beijing that rice paddies, fertile valleys, and included a private tour of the the Gaoligong Mountains, known National Center for the for their forests and fields of Performing Arts (a.k.a. the Egg), a sugarcane, coffee, and papaya. discussion with a feng shui expert Stops in Burma include Sagaing, at the Temple of Heaven, and a famous for its monasteries, and private tour of the Rem Koolhaas– the temple-studded Pagan. designed CCTV building. Years as agent 28. Years as agent 13. Asia Other specialty Middle East. Other specialty Middle East. Other specialty Tibet. Contact Hilliard Olander Travel, Contact Distant Horizons, Long Contact WildChina, Beijing; Diane E. Hilliard Stillwater, Minn.; 651/307-8225; Beach, Calif.; 800/333-1240; 888/902-8808; mei.zhang@ Discovery The village of Mae [email protected]. [email protected]. wildchina.com. Hong Son, in northern Thailand, where you can ride elephants, visit China India a local hill tribe by boat, and—best Janet Moore of all—get a Thai massage at Phu Excited about Tracing the Burma ★ Stan Godwyn Jonny Bealby a Klon Country Club Health Mud Road from western China to Insider clout For a traveler New favorite The Lotus, a luxury

Spa for about $10. Rangoon, Burma. Travelers make passionate about Chinese houseboat in the backwaters of miur a Years as agent 41. their way through emerald-green porcelains, Godwyn arranged a Kerala. The two rooms come with tetsuy

★ New to list ✓ T+L’s travel advisory board asia • A-List

teak floors and furniture, dhurrie City; 646/415-8092; catherine. Journeys, Boulder, Colo.; 800/​ rugs, observation windows, and Bob Watson [email protected]. 642-2742, ext. 242; [email protected]. Top tip If you go to Delhi, take a private verandas. Travelers can city tour with the Salaam Balak arrange onboard yoga lessons and Trust. The organization’s student ayurvedic massages, and borrow Jarrod Hobson Darlene Ravin guides—many rescued from life on Special booking Hobson (known New favorite ’s Siam the boat’s mountain bikes to the streets—lead tours of where as “the Indonesia guy” among Hotel, surrounded by palaces and explore the area’s temples and they used to live, usually through colleagues) chartered a modern temples, on the Chao Phraya River. coconut groves. backroads and slums seldom seen version of a traditional wooden All 39 suites and villas have Years as agent 11. by travelers. spice-trading boat for a family plunge pools, as well as personal Other specialty . Years as agent 28. traveling around Indonesia’s Coral butlers and Art Deco lighting Contact Wild Frontiers, London; Other specialty Southeast Asia. Triangle—what biologists call the fixtures and furnishings. Don’t 800/454-1080; jonny@wildfrontiers. Contact Valerie Wilson Travel, Amazon of the Seas. Between trips miss a Thai twist on whiskey soda com. New York City; 914/701-3215; bobw@ to island villages, clients can at Chon Thai Restaurant. vwti.com. snorkel right off the boat to see Years as agent 15. Carole A. Cambata exotic corals, clown fish, and Other specialties Africa and Special booking Cambata Japan pygmy sea horses. South America. personally hosted a trip visiting Years as agent 18. Contact Worldview Travel, Santa Rajasthani sights by Cessna Noriko Townsend Contact Asia Transpacific Ana, Calif.; 303/929-8877; Citation private jet. In Jodhpur, Excited about Akiota-cho, a small Journeys, Boulder, Colo.; [email protected]. the group met the city’s former town in southwestern Japan, for 800/642-2742, ext. 223; jarrod@ maharajah for tea and sailed on its artisans and soft adventure atj.com. Lake Pichola in a 150-year-old opportunities. Hike past royal boat. In a village outside waterfalls in a forest to the Sandee Litwin Jaipur, a local opened his house to Sandankyo Gorge, known for its Top tip Timing is everything them for a rooftop dinner dramatic canyon walls. Back in when it comes to visiting accompanied by musicians. Akiota-cho, stop at Yokohata Craft Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. “Have a Years as agent 32. Shop for gorgeous, hand-carved private guide take you at 4:30 in Other specialty . kitchen utensils. the morning,” she says. “It’s much Contact Greaves Tours, Highland Years as agent 18. cooler, you’ll miss the crowds, and Park, Ill.; 800/318-7801; ccambata@ Other specialty Southeast Asia. you’ll see the sunrise over the greavestvl.com. Contact Altour American Express temple domes.” Travel/Japan In Style, Fort Collins, Years as agent 31. Colo.; 877/737-1647; noriko. Other specialty Europe.

Ellison Poe [email protected].​ Contact Litwin Travel, Los Excited about The city of Angeles; 310/470-7202; sandee@ Amritsar, in the Punjab region of litwintravel.com. northwestern India. There are grand sites—including Sri Duff Trimble New favorite The Palace Hotel Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Tokyo, where many rooms have Rebecca Mazzaro Temple—and rewarding Discovery The obscure but balconies overlooking the voluntourism opportunities. Poe fabulous balloon festival in Imperial Palace grounds, a rare often arranges for guests to central Burma’s Taunggyi, which front-row seat in the capital. The volunteer at a Sikh langar (free takes place every November. hotel also has an excellent set of communal kitchen) that feeds Tribal villagers fashion handmade restaurants—from the six-seat thousands of people a day. paper hot-air balloons (shapes tempura bar, Tatsumi, to the Years as agent 30. range from roosters to life-size French-inflected Crown—and a Other specialty . elephants) that are loaded with buzzy, see-and-be-seen Contact Poe Travel, Little Rock, candles and fireworks, released, atmosphere. Ark.; 800/727-1960; epoe@ and eventually catch fire and Years as agent 12. poetravel.com. explode into a light show. Contact Wabi-Sabi Japan, Years as agent 15. Toronto; 647/477-1711; duff@ Other specialty India. wabi-sabijapan.com. Ashish Sanghrajka Contact Asia Transpacific New favorite Sanghrajka loves Journeys, Boulder, Colo.; 800/​ the about-to-open Banyan Tree in Southeast Asia 642-2742, ext. 233; rebecca@ Kerala, India, one of the region’s asiatranspacific.com. few high-end eco-sensitive hotels. Catherine Heald Located on a private island, the Special booking Heald planned resort’s rooms overlook the an over-the-top Balinese wedding Patrick O’Connell southern state’s serene for a Brazilian couple that began Special booking For clients who backwaters. with a traditional Hindu wedding wanted to see Vietnam’s Ha Long Years as agent 13. ceremony on a beach—the couple, Bay but didn’t have much time, Other specialty Kenya. in Balinese dress, arrived via O’Connell chartered a helicopter Contact Big Five Tours & helicopter—before moving to the to and from Hanoi. A private boat Expeditions, Stuart, Fla.; prince of Bali’s palace, where guests tour of the bay’s islands was 800/244-3483; [email protected]. danced in the dozens of pavilions followed by a candlelit dinner in a and gardens. limestone cave—they were back in a Years as agent 9. the city by late evening.

miur Other specialty Asia. Years as agent 14. a Pallavi Shah See Super-Agents. Contact Remote Lands, New York Contact Asia Transpacific tetsuy A-List • australia, new zealand, & the south pacific

Kingsford Homestead, a 19th- century Georgian-style manor in Australia’s Barossa Valley (see Cassandra Bookholder).

Suzy Mercien-Ferol Excited about Australian tour company Luxury Outback Tours’ new outback excursions. Explore remote areas like the Gibb River Road (in the northwest) and Cape York (in the northeast) in a customized RV with reclining leather seats and a full kitchen. A support zips ahead to set up plush, safari-style tents for overnights in the bush. Years as agent 19. Australia Other specialty New Zealand. Cassandra Terry Coffey Contact Touring Treasures, New favorite The 18-room Cicada Brighton, Australia; 800/536-5328; hwelle Catharina Apodac Bookholder Lodge, on the Katherine River in c Excited about Experiencing New favorite The 225-acre suzy.mercien@touringtreasures. r s

the remote Northern Territory, for a Sydney by water on a Sea Sydney Kingsford Homestead, on the edge com.

its contemporary design paired gm cruise. The 52-foot Pacific of South Australia’s Barossa a with local Aboriginal art and motorboat makes its way from the Valley. Originally built in 1856 as a New Zealand unusual excursions. Helicopters urban center to the outskirts, sheep station, it now has seven are available to take guests to passing landmarks such as the suites with crystal chandeliers, faraway swimming holes and Jean-Michel Sydney Opera House and Harbour and L’Occitane amenities in d. opposite: d

ancient rock-art sites. a Bridge. Travelers can take in the spacious bathrooms. The slow-​ Jefferson Years as agent 34. Insider clout One of Jefferson’s sights, kayak, and sunbathe. roasted Barossa lamb at the Other specialty Pacific Rim. clients spent a day horseback Years as agent 24. farm-​to-table restaurant is a Contact World Discoveries, riding through a private high-​ Other specialty New Zealand. must-try. Rumson, N.J.; 732/741-6726; agent@ country sheep station on the ord homeste

Contact Carefree Vacations, San Years as agent 7. f terryc.com. . He then joined the Diego; 800/795-0720; capodac@ Other specialty New Zealand. owner at his house for a meal of sdtg.com. Contact Camelback Odyssey local rabbit and lamb with New f kings Travel, Phoenix; 602/889-5902; Zealand’s preeminent landscape [email protected]. artist, Grahame Sydney, and poet

laureate Brian Turner. ourtesy o c

★ New to list ✓ T+L’s travel advisory board australia, new zealand, & the south pacific • cruising • A-List

Years as agent 11. Contact Ahipara Luxury Travel, Central Otago, New Zealand; 64-3/447-3558; jean-michel@ ahipara.com.

Donna Thomas Top tip Thomas loves suggesting unexpected side trips. For people headed to the South Island, for example, she recommends a short hike to the pristine Ohau waterfalls, where they may find baby seals playing in the spray. Years as agent 41. Other specialty Australia. Contact New Zealand Travel, Langhorne, Pa.; 800/367-5494; [email protected].

french polynesia Susanne Hamer Excited about On her last trip, Hamer discovered Mihiarii Pearls, a fantastic shop along one of Papeete’s backstreets. “They have boxes of loose pearls in all price ranges. Choose your favorites and they’ll make any jewelry you like on the spot.” Looking onto the Danube from Years as agent 18. the upper deck of the Viking Other specialties and Odin, from Viking Cruises (see Seychelles. Liz Sadie Sutton). Contact TravelStore, Los Angeles; 310/689-5411; susanne.h@ travelstore.com. Paul Niskanen ✓ Robin Turner ↓ Discovery The Vintage Room, the Top tip InterContinental guests only restaurant on Crystal’s at any French Polynesian property Serenity and Symphony that can enjoy the facilities—the locker requires an extra fee. “Menus are room, showers, pools, and the personally prepared by the ship’s beach—at the InterContinental executive chef, the head sommelier Resort Tahiti, Faa’a (the closest to handles all wine pairings, and the the ) before cabin upgrades, generous ship whole experience is limited to 12 to taking the red-eye back to LAX. Claudia Gordon credits, reduced deposit amounts, 14 guests a night,” Niskanen says. Top tip While docked in Cape Years as agent 25-plus. and more,” Kertes says. Years as agent 39. Town, stop in at Tribal Trends, Other specialty Maldives. Years as agent 23. Other specialty African safaris. where sibling owners Eugene and Contact American Express Travel, Other specialty Group cruises. Contact Cruise Masters/Concierge Anita Kramer have hand-selected Chicago; 800/627-2815, ext. 83207; Contact Hartford Holidays Travel Advisors, Portland, Ore.; 503/​ items including painted ostrich [email protected]. Travel, Garden City, N.Y.; 863-5400; [email protected]. hwelle eggs, woven fabrics, carved pots, c 516/746-6670, ext. 1003; scott@ and feathered lamps, most of r s

a hartfordholidays.com. which are made in South Africa. Betsy Patton gm Special booking Patton hosted a a Years as agent 33. group of family and friends on a Other specialty Space travel. Lois Moran Excited about Moran advises cruise through Alaska’s Inside Contact Naples Luxury Travel travelers to skip the typical Venice Passage. Among other once-in-a- Advisors, Naples, Fla.; 239/325- and instead hop lifetime experiences, the group 5040; claudia@naplesluxurytravel. d. opposite: d

a the 45-minute to Torcello, in saw orcas and humpback whales com. the northern part of the lagoon. on a private shore excursion in The island is home to the Juneau, then hiked to a stream Scott Kertes seventh-​century Basilica of Santa where they saw dozens of bald Top tip When traveling with Maria Assunta, known for its eagles diving for salmon. ord homeste f Crystal Cruises or Regent Seven Byzantine mosaics. Years as agent 35. Seas Cruises—two of Kertes’s Years as agent 40. Other specialty Milestone f kings favorite lines—ask about booking Other specialty Private jet travel. celebrations. your next cruise while still on Contact Hurley Travel Experts, Contact Hurley Travel Experts, board. “You won’t find this in Naples, Fla.; 239/594-7400; lois@ Naples, Fla.; 800/874-1743; betsy@

ourtesy o print, but perks could include travelexperts.com. travelexperts.com. c A-List • cruising • family travel • special interest

Mary Ann Ramsey ✓ ↓ ↓ See Super-Agents.

Marcella Rappoport Top tip If you want to get one of the coveted seats at Silversea Silver Spirit’s Le Champagne restaurant, known for its seasonally inspired dishes, talk to your personal butler. The dining room keeps a few tables open ✓ but also coordinates educational every night just for butler Julia P. Douglas Top tip In foreign countries, curricula so that children can reservations. Douglas arranges VIP airport easily return to school after the Years as agent 31. Jennifer Wilson- meet-and-greets to assist families trip. Other specialty Private jet travel. from the moment they exit the Years as agent 14. Buttigieg Contact Ovation Travel, New York Top tip Stay close to home but feel Jetway all the way through Contact Small World Travel, City; 212/329-7260; mrappoport@ like you’re in Europe by booking a control and . Austin, Tex.; 512/495-9495; sam@ ovationtravel.com. meeting at the Blantyre, a Relais & “Getting lost or delayed with tired smallworld.travel. Châteaux property in Lenox, kids can ruin a trip before it Massachusetts. The Tudor starts,” Douglas says. Steven Shulem ✓ mansion spans 117 bucolic acres, Excited about High-end Years as agent 8. Kathryn Sudeikis Insider clout Clients with infants with tennis and golf in the riverboats in the United States. Other specialty South Pacific. traveling to the desert city of summer and snowshoeing and The new Queen of the Mississippi Contact Jet Set World Travel, Ouarzazate, Morocco, didn’t bring cross-country skiing come winter. has large staterooms with private Chicago; 312/574-1181; julia@ enough diapers. When they Years as agent 22. balconies, a sundeck with outdoor jetsetworldtravel.com. couldn’t find their preferred Other specialty Family travel. fitness equipment, afternoon tea, brand, Sudeikis had a box shipped Contact Valerie Wilson Travel, and daily lectures by historians to their hotel, Le Berbère Palace. New York City; 212/592-1210; and other experts. Jessica Griscavage New favorite Griscavage loves Years as agent 44. [email protected]. Years as agent 24. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Other specialty India. Other specialty Luxury hotels. Reserve, just west of San Juan. Contact Acendas, Mission, Kans.; Hotels Contact Strictly Vacations, Santa The former Laurance S. 913/671-7700; ksudeikis@acendas. Barbara, Calif.; 805/682-1022; Rockefeller hotel has been reborn com. ✓ [email protected]. Priscilla Alexander as a 115-room property with 64 See Super-Agents. pools, imaginative artwork, and naturalist-led educational Kimberly Wilson ✓ Liz Sadie Sutton excursions through the ✓ Manny Beauregard New favorite Viking Cruises’ Wetty New favorite Fresh from an surrounding forest canopy. Discovery Tendido 1 restaurant, Longships, which currently ply eight-year renovation, the Efendi Years as agent 9. in Granada, Spain, which serves the Danube, the Rhine, and other Hotel in seaside Akko, near Haifa, Other specialty Honeymoons. delicious tapas (and Riojas, for European rivers. Not only are the Israel, has 12 rooms, individually Contact McCabe World Travel, parents), is located within the eco-friendly—solar power; decorated in an Ottoman style. McLean, Va.; 703/762-5056; brick walls of a bullfighting ring. organic herb gardens—they also There’s also a stone-walled wine [email protected]. “It sets the stage for a fascinating have hotel-like suites with cellar—ideal for a romantic conversation with children about terraces and an alfresco dining dinner—and a 400-year-old Spanish heritage and the room at the bow of the ship. hammam. Paul J. Largay bullfighting ritual,” Wetty says. Years as agent 36. Excited about South Africa’s Years as agent 41. Years as agent 18. Other specialty Caribbean. 18,500-acre Bushmans Kloof Other specialty Small-ship Other specialty Cruises. Contact Alabama World Travel, Wilderness Reserve & Wellness cruises. Contact Valerie Wilson Travel, Montgomery, Ala.; 334/260-2482; Retreat, with its kid-friendly Koro Contact Valerie Wilson Travel, New York City; 212/592-1218; [email protected]. Lodge. The private villa is located Atlanta; 404/231-0260; mannyb@ [email protected]. in a predator-free zone, and offers vwti.com. dozens of activities, ranging from Ruth Turpin rock-art excursions and Insider clout Turpin and her stargazing to guided treasure Jack Bloch team keep a running file of great Excited about Cartagena’s Casa hunts and cooking lessons with shops and restaurants for their San Agustín, located within the the lodge’s chef. cruise destinations (and since old city walls. The 31-room hotel is Years as agent 29. Turpin has gone on more than 200 set in three renovated colonial Other specialty Adventure. cruises, it’s quite a list). They send buildings. “The property also has Contact Largay Travel, that intel to clients in advance, its own fleet of yachts so guests Waterbury, Conn.; 800/322-9481; giving them a huge advantage can visit Cartagena’s neighboring [email protected]. in port. islands,” Bloch says. Years as agent 34. Years as agent 36. Other specialty River cruises. Sam McClure ★ Other specialty Private cultural Contact Cruises Etc. Travel, Fort Excited about The small but experiences. Worth, Tex.; 817/732-6991; ruth@ growing segment of families who Contact JB’s World Travel cruisesetctravel.com. are traveling the globe for a year or Consultants, New York City; more. McClure not only pieces 212/582-6670; [email protected]. together lodging and itineraries

★ New to list ✓ T+L’s travel advisory board special interest • A-List

Destination Celebrations known for its Shiraz. It’s similar to ✓ Valerie Ann Wilson the popular Barossa Valley, but Jani Miller See Super-Agents. Insider clout A client wanted to ★ more intimate (think Paso Robles Jody Bear propose to his girlfriend on the Insider clout When a mechanical versus Napa Valley). 18th hole at Pebble Beach Resorts. problem delayed a client’s flight to Years as agent 33. Bobby Zur Miller ensured that it happened Excited about The opening, later South Africa’s Singita Lebombo Other specialty Australia and without interruptions—no easy this year, of the 43-villa Velaa Lodge past the nightfall cutoff New Zealand. feat on the popular waterfront Private Island Resort, in the time, Bear secured special Contact Alpine Travel of course. Maldives. With a My Blend by permission for her client’s plane to Saratoga, Saratoga, Calif.; Years as agent 36. Clarins overwater spa and several land after dark and organized a 408/379-3853; lyndat@alpine- Other specialty Adventure. over-the-top residences, it will night safari beginning at the travel.com. Contact Central Travel, Toledo, bring a new level of style-meets- airstrip upon arrival. The group Ohio; 419/897-2070; jani@ substance to the area. spotted a lion just after getting in centraltravel.com. Years as agent 12. the jeep. Bonnie Brayham Other specialty Southern Africa. Years as agent 35. Herman International Sporting Contact Travel Artistry, Franklin Other specialty Around-the- New favorite Focusing Events Lakes, N.J.; 201/848-4113; bobby@ world travel. exclusively on Italy and France, travelartistry.com. Contact Bear & Bear/Tzell Travel Herman and her team are always ★ Group, New York City; 212/340- on the lookout for under-the-radar Duane Penner Insider clout Thanks to Penner’s Spas and Wellness 0301; [email protected]. hotels in some of the world’s private contact list of sports- best-​known food destinations. She industry insiders, his clients can loves the Relais San Sanino, in the Karen Benson be guests of specific race teams at Discovery The contemporary and John Clifford heart of Tuscany, with its four Excited about Secret Cinema, a the Monaco Grand Prix. That candlelit Vair Spa at the 40-acre spacious suites, saltwater pool London-based company that fuses means they meet the drivers, visit Borgo Egnazia hotel, in Puglia, overlooking a medieval village, film and art in surprising garages, have access to the team Italy, where olive-tree-lined and private olive oil label. locations to re-create the world of paddock, and enjoy the race itself walkways link villas and other Years as agent 5. a film, such as Prometheus or from a sought-after vantage point. buildings, making it feel like a Other specialty Experiential Lawrence of Arabia. “It’s Years as agent 15. small village. “Get the lavender- travel. interactive theater. You become a Contact Roadtrips, Winnipeg, and-olive-oil scrub; the masseuse Contact Purple Truffle, Paris; part of the story,” Clifford says. It’s Manitoba; 204/947-7185; duane. uses products from the region,” 415/670-9294; bonnie@ expanding to Paris and New York [email protected]. Benson says. purpletruffle.com. soon. Years as agent 29. Years as agent 28. weddings and Honeymoons Other specialty Adventure. Gay and Lesbian Travel Other specialty Gay and lesbian Contact Camelback Odyssey travel. Travel, Phoenix; 602/889-5862; Harlan DeBell and Contact International Travel David Rubin [email protected]. Excited about The historic and ★ Management, San Diego; Kara Bebell LEED-certified at the Discovery The three-story suite 619/299-2359; john@international​ Presidio, located in San in the medieval Torre Prendiparte, travelmanagement.com. Maureen “Mo” Smith Francisco’s 1,500-acre Presidio in Bologna, Italy. The tower’s Top tip Don’t miss the Andean Park, which was once an army 40-person terrace at this one-​ Experience at the Sol y Luna ✓ post. Originally constructed in bedroom B&B has incredible city Lodge & Spa, in Peru’s Sacred Jack S. Ezon See Super-Agents. 1903 to house bachelor officers, the views and is perfect for an Valley. A warm hydrotherapy soak property now has 26 intimate wedding. After their with salts and essential oils is Diving contemporary guest ceremony, the bride and groom followed by a steam bath, an accommodations filled with local have the tower suite all to hour-long massage, and a reviving memorabilia. themselves. session in a whirlpool, perfect Gene Lashley Special booking When a diving Years as agent 17. Years as agent 16. with a glass of chilled white wine. enthusiast wanted to surprise her Other specialty Destination Other specialty . Years as agent 36. husband on their honeymoon, celebrations. Contact The Travel Siblings at Other specialty Italy. Lashley booked private scuba Contact DavidTravel, Corona del Tzell Travel Group, New York City; Contact Travel Smith, Hilton lessons for him during the couple’s Mar, Calif.; 949/723-0699; david@ 212/340-0316; [email protected] or Head Island, S.C.; 843/815-8100; stay at the Four Seasons Resort davidtravel.com. [email protected]. [email protected]. Bora Bora. By the time the couple

boarded the Paul Gauguin for a Golf Culture/Education ★ cruise to Tahiti, he was certified to Doug Easton Special booking For dive with his new wife. Susan A. Dischner honeymooners seeking a royal Margery Hunter Years as agent 27. New favorite The Ritz-Carlton, Excited about The Åmot Opera welcome in India, Easton Other specialty Adventure. Dove Mountain, outside of Tucson, Farm, a 120-year-old, Swiss-style arranged a dinner hosted by a Contact Century Travel, Atlanta; Arizona, with its 27 holes designed farmhouse hotel in Sunnfjord, Moghul nobleman in Lucknow, 404/478-8888; gene@centurytvl. by Jack Nicklaus. Through her Norway, that doubles as an Uttar Pradesh. Richly colored com. contacts, at this and other courses, international opera house. It has saris and formalwear (designed by Dischner can secure a tee time an idyllic setting and draws some the host’s wife) were sent to their Food and Wine even when the concierge says the of the world’s best singers. hotel rooms in advance. A 1956 day is fully booked. Years as agent 30. Packard took the guests to the Years as agent 47. Other specialties New Zealand, Lynda Turley raja’s haveli (town house) for Other specialty Luxury cruises. Asia, and Europe. drinks in the museum-like salon, Garrett Contact Four Seasons Travel, Contact Rudi Steele Travel, Discovery Garrett seeks out followed by a private musical Savannah, Ga.; 912/598-8000; Dallas; 214/522-2777; margery@ lesser-known wine regions. For performance on a lantern-lit roof [email protected]. rudisteele.com. Australia-bound clients she and a dinner prepared by the

recommends McLaren Vale, raja’s chef. A-List • special interest

Years as agent 8. National Park), then head to seasoned divers will be amazed by Other specialty African safaris. Bamurru Plains for a couple of the schools of tropical fish, giant Contact Celestielle, West nights in a safari-style tent. manta rays, and brilliantly colored Michael Holtz Hollywood, Calif.; 310/339-3226; Years as agent 8. corals that can be spotted just Excited about Lufthansa’s first-​ [email protected]. Other specialty Australia. outside the resort’s doors. class airport lounges. “The Contact Absolute Travel, New Years as agent 27. takes the gold medal,” Holtz says. York City; 212/627-1950; bgarnett@ Other specialty Adventure. At the Frankfurt Airport, Peter Lloyd absolutetravel.com. Contact Protravel Active Lufthansa has a private building New favorite For couples looking Adventures / Beckersphere, that’s exclusively dedicated to its for a sleek and sophisticated New York City; 212/409-9527; first-class , who get experience, Lloyd recommends ★ Florine Herendeen [email protected]. lounge-to-plane in a the Bulgari Hotel & Residences, in Special booking Herendeen Porsche or Mercedes-Benz across London. “The attention to detail in recently planned a trip to Fly-Fishing the tarmac. the 85 guest rooms—Italian silk Indonesia so that clients could Years as agent 23. furnishings and Marquina marble experience the rich culture of Bali ✓ Other specialty Australia. bathrooms—is some of the finest and Borobudur, encounter Betsy Donley Insider clout Thanks to contacts Contact SmartFlyer, New York I’ve seen.” orangutans in Borneo and the in nomad communities of City; 212/268-9088; michael@ Years as agent 23. Komodo dragons on the Komodo Mongolia, Donley can arrange a smartflyer.com. Other specialty Italy. Islands, and snorkel off some taimen fly-fishing excursion on Contact Century Travel, Atlanta; lesser-known islands. the remote Delgar River. A local Private Jet Travel 404/324-4019; peter@centurytvl. Years as agent 27. support staff not only cooks com. Contact Journeys International, delicious food but also sets up yurt ✓ Ann Arbor, Mich.; 734/665-4407; David Lowy camps to keep adventurers Insider clout Lowy thrives on Adventure [email protected]. comfortable. “wow” moments—when people ★ Years as agent 22. achieve something they didn’t Michelle Bemis Susan Sparks Other specialty Adventure. know was possible, especially Excited about The growing New favorite Mukul Beach, Contact Camelback Odyssey private access to popular popularity of Iceland for its varied Golf & Spa, on an unspoiled Travel, Phoenix; 602/889-5909; museums and galleries. In the wildlife and geological phenomena. Pacific beach in Nicaragua—the [email protected]. past, he’s arranged a solo tour of “Cruise lines such as Lindblad country’s first five-star resort. the Sistine Chapel and a buyout of Expeditions and Regent Seven Among the 37-room property’s the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to Seas are adding the destination to other activities (snorkeling, view all the artifacts with no one their itineraries to meet demand,” hiking, and diving), there’s Mollie Fitzgerald Special booking A Northern else around. Bemis notes. along a Hemisphere fly-fishing trip took a Years as agent 27. Years as agent 9. seven-mile stretch of jungle Fitzgerald client from one remote Other specialty Ultra-luxe travel. Other specialty River and ocean nature trails. “It’s a game changer location to the next: the Breiddalsa Contact Renshaw Travel, cruises. for Nicaragua,” Sparks says. River in Iceland for brown trout; Vancouver, 604/733-1010; dlowy@ Contact McCabe World Travel, Years as agent 26. northern Russia’s Kola Peninsula renshawtravel.com. McLean, Va.; 703/762-5049; Other specialty Biking. for Atlantic salmon; Mongolia for [email protected]. Contact Points of Interest Travel, lenok fishing; and British Aspen, Colo.; 970/925-5855; susan@ Columbia for steelhead. poitraveler.com. Betty Jo Currie Years as agent 28. Top tip Many itineraries in Other specialty Adventure. Burma don’t allow for time to get Doris White Contact Frontiers International off the beaten path in the river-​ Discovery This hiking and Travel, Gibsonia, Pa.; 724/935-1577; filled region surrounding Inle walking specialist loves to send [email protected]. Lake. Build in a few days to clients to Gspon, in Switzerland. explore the area’s picturesque The small, peaceful hamlet above Photography fishing villages via boat and be the Vispa River Valley in the Swiss sure to stop at one of the many Alps has beautiful and well- Janie Bullard floating cafés for the daily catch. marked hiking trails, some of Insider clout Bullard’s extensive Years as agent 20. which are accessible only by ski connections have enabled her to Other specialty Africa. lifts and . plan trips for clients including a Contact Currie & Co. Travels Years as agent 25. week with landscape photographers Unlimited, Atlanta; 404/254-5677; Other specialty Europe. David Muench and Jack Dykinga, [email protected]. Contact Cadence, La Jolla, Calif.; an expedition to Canada’s Northern 858/551-4560; doris@doristrips. Territories to shoot private burial com. grounds with a First Nations chief, Brooke Garnett ★ and a panda-bear trek in China. Excited about Australia’s diving Years as agent 29. Northern Territory, where Other specialties South Africa, travelers can have an authentic Robert Becker ★ Botswana, and Kenya. Aboriginal experience with expert Discovery The Komodo Resort Contact Distinctive Journeys, guide Sab Lord (who grew up near Diving Club, in Sebayur Island, Powder Springs, Ga.; 770/888-6677; Arnhem Land and Kakadu Indonesia. Even the most [email protected].

For full profiles on all of T+L’s 2013 A-List agents, visit travelandleisure.com/a-list.

Inside the T+L A-List Some agents work for agencies owned by or affiliated with American Express, the parent company of this magazine. Fourteen are members of T+L’s Travel Advisory Board (TAAB); we have noted this in their entries. NOMINATIONS If you know of an agent who should be considered for T+L’s 2014 A-List, send an e-mail with a brief description of the agent’s qualifications, as well as contact information, to [email protected].

★ New to list ✓ T+L’s travel advisory board In the hands of an expert, a simple vacation can become a life-changing journey: an unforgettable adventure; a soul-restoring retreat; an education unmatched in any classroom. For our 12th annual look at the best advisers in the business, we asked these travel pros to share their latest discoveries and insider tips from around the world. Wherever your travels take you—from cruising in Antarctica to a walking safari in Zambia—we have the agent for you. edited by Amy Farley reported by stirling kelso

The terrace café at Monteverdi, a hilltop retreat in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia.