The Hotel Imperial, Vienna

09 Wednesday May 2012

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Travellers taking our Insight Gold ‘Alpine Harmony’ tour are in for a real treat in Vienna when they stay at the historic Hotel Imperial.

“The Hotel Imperial has made me realize what First Class really means”
Trip Advisor review (April 2012)

Built in the 1860s as a palace for Duke Philipp of Württemberg, the Hotel Imperial is Vienna’s most exclusive five-star hotel. Past guests range from Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Jackson, to Adolf Hitler (following Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938) and Benito Mussolini.

Hotel Imperial in 1880

Main picture: The Hotel Imperial in 1880. Inset: Duke Philipp of Württemberg

Designed by Arnold Zenetti in a Neo-renaissance style, the Duke of Wurttemberg sold the palace after only five years of ownership. Two years later, in 1873, it was converted into a hotel.

Hotel Imperial today

Today’s Hotel Imperial

Known for luxuriousness from its opening, the hotel has retained its reputation and, in 2012, was voted Europe’s most luxurious hotel in Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards (coming second in the world only to the Shangri-La Hotel in Tokyo). Over 91% of reviews on Trip Advisor describe the hotel as Excellent or Very Good.

Interior of the Hotel Imperial

Interior of the Hotel Imperial

A speciality of the hotel is the Imperial Torte (or Imperial Tart). A sumptuous chocolate truffle cake, it is said to be based on a secret recipe created in 1873 to celebrate the dignitaries who came to open the hotel. Although I don’t have the exact recipe, I understand that cacao cream is first beaten until light, then layered between thin wafers of almond pastry, after which the stack is wrapped in marzipan, before finally being glazed in chocolate. The torte is then presented in an elegant pinewood box. The best news is that a torte is left in each guest room as a complimentary gift.

A Day in the Life of … a Tour Director

23 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in People, Tours

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Brad McEwen has been a tour director with Insight Vacations for over 10 years. Born in America, he now lives and works in Italy.

Morning
I awake in a hotel that is 500 years old and look out onto the impossibly built city of Venice, Italy. An army of barges is already milling around the canals, making their morning deliveries – including the fresh produce for our morning breakfast.

Breakfast gives me a chance to chat to my guests, answer their questions and join in their discussions. These can range from advising on the best place to buy Venetian glass to discussing ancient monuments and current events. Some comments I hear will stay with me forever. One guest, having won the group over on the first night with his innate charm, followed up the next morning by asking the local guide in Rome “were you beautiful when you were younger?”.

An awesome day greets everyone as our private launch ride closes in on St. Mark’s Square. Our orientation takes us into the heart of the “Serene Republics” history and improbability, being constructed upon wood pilings driven into sand in a tidal lagoon prone to flooding. Venice just blows your mind and could never be re-created. The group splits up to either see Venetian glass being made or to hit the museums. I take 20 minutes to grab a real espresso, reconfirm my gondolas, and navigate the maze of paths that is Venice to arrange the marvels that our guests are to experience during the rest of their stay.

Gondola ride in Venice

Gondola riding in Venice

Afternoon
Gondola time! Groups love these sleek aquatic vessels, gliding along in a few centimetres of water fully laden and, in the past, the secret the Venetians had used to glide over the many sandbars in the lagoon. This is why Venice was the only European city immune from attack: the lagoon was the ultimate moat with two low tides a day to snag the unwary boats that may venture into her grasp. This enabled Venice to adorn their palaces with art to entice visitors – unlike the rest of Italy and Europe which was forced to deter visitors as a method of defence.

Next we go to the jewel of the lagoon, Burano, the famous lace makers’ island with incredible seafood restaurants adorned with art. Art is visible everywhere you go in Burano: it’s populated by small, brightly-painted houses which follow a specific system dating back years – if someone wants to paint their house, they have to submit an official request to the government and are then advised of the permitted colours they can use. You have to love Italy.

Rialto Bridge in Venice against a July sunset

The Rialto Bridge in Venice

Evening
In the evening I complete my final administration for tomorrow: the local guides in Florence are ready, our next hotel has processed all the paperwork needed, the hotel porters and army of gondolas are poised to take our baggage to our driver who will take us to Florence. One final check of the weather forecast predicts another glorious day.

Now, let’s see about reading more on the Roman Republic for tomorrow’s chat before we leap beyond the Rubicon into the Renaissance …

New York, New York

26 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Destinations, Travel Tips

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So you’re in the Big Apple. You’ve been to Times Square, walked through Broadway, embarked on a harbour cruise to see the dazzling Manhattan skyline, Ellis Island and the towering Statue of Liberty. But now you’ve got some spare time. What should you do?

To answer this question, we asked our friends who live and work in New York to give us their favourite haunts. One thing’s for sure, New Yorkers don’t just spend their time in Manhattan; Brooklyn seems to be where those in the know often head for.

Manhattan

Neue Galerie (Southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and East 86th Street) is a “very relaxing museum visit… in a beautiful historic building – a perfect museum for those who don’t want to spend hours touring the Met”.

Staircase of the Neue Galerie

The beautiful staircase of the Neue Galerie

After exploring Central Park, catch an arty flick at The Paris Theatre (West 58th Street)– a charming movie theatre right near The Plaza hotel. Afterwards, head to The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English (West 59th Street- Concourse Level) for some oysters, tapas, sushi, burgers, dumplings… pretty much anything you want!

Best wine shop? They recommend BottleRocket (5 West 19th Street). The shop makes shopping for wine intuitive and fun by organising their wines by theme – and each wine comes with informative tasting notes and ratings. The back of the shop also has a substantial library of wine and cookbooks for sale and reference.

The Players (16 Gramercy Park) is a private members club located in a beautiful town house facing Gramercy Park. Modelled on London’s famed Garrick Club, it boasts members such as Kevin Spacey, Sidney Poitier, Christopher Plummer, Liza Minnelli, Peter O’Toole, Roger Moore, and many more. Our friend tells us that its restaurant, The Grill, is a great place to “grab a juicy burger” and spot a few stars – it’s “where members still play pool”.

Book lovers should check out Strand (on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway) where “they’ll be enthralled at the selection, especially of out of print and rare books”. There are regular events such as book signings and even “literary charades with wine”. Then pop across the street to Max Brenner (841 Broadway – between 13th and 14th Streets) for a luxurious brunch and chocolate indulgences (I’ll have a Melting Chocolate Truffle Heart Cake!).

The gorgeous menu at Max Brennan's

The Melting Chocolate Truffle Heart Cake from Max Brenner

Brooklyn

Although not necessarily as easy to get to for an afternoon, Brooklyn is a very popular insider’s destination.

For the meat-lovers, “Mile End Deli (97a Hoyt Street) in Brooklyn is definitely worth the trip”. Whether it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, you won’t be disappointed.

Stone Home Wine Bar (87 Lafayette Avenue). Chef John Gibson’s menu contains delights like sautéed gulf shrimp, warm asparagus flan, spice rubbed skirt steak and sticky toffee pudding, with a handsome array of cheeses and a charcuterie selection that makes your mouth water.

Franny’s restaurant (295 Flatbush Avenue). Owners Andrew Feinberg and Francine Stephens believe that food should be locally grown and used in the seasons during which they are grown. “If a dish has three perfect ingredients, then it doesn’t need anything else”. Pop down to Flatbush Avenue for dishes such as pork cheek and beef tongue terrine, wood-roasted pork sausage with freekeh, and rigatoni with spicy pork sausage, parmigiano reggiano and ricotta.

Prospect Park Lullwater and bridge

Prospect Park has nearly everything you could want in one space

The vast 585-acre Prospect Park has nearly everything you could want in one space: a zoo, a huge outdoor entertainment venue, an outdoor cinema, a carousel, beautiful buildings, playgrounds, sporting facilities (not least horse-riding, tennis and seven baseball pitches!), a tranquil meadow and nature trail… Check out their website for the full listing.

Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway) is one of the oldest and largest museums in America. Located in a beautiful 560,000 square foot Beaux-Arts building at the north end of Prospect Park, it houses a vast collection of art from Africa, Asia, Egypt, Europe, as well as a whole floor dedicated to American art, ranging from the ancient to the contemporary.

Brooklyn Museum from the front

The Brooklyn Museum is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the US

Have we missed out your favourite place to go in New York? Please let us know, we’d love to hear about the jewels that you’ve found.

March’s Destination of the Month on insightvacations.com focuses on Eastern USA.

Thanks go to our contributors for this blog post, especially Diane Letulle and Rodolphe Boulanger.

Win an 8-day tour with Insight Vacations

12 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in News, Tour Reviews, Travel Tips

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In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Have you been on an Insight Vacations escorted tour? Have you got a wonderful photograph of an unforgettable moment from your trip? If you can answer “yes” to both of these questions, then you could be the winner of the Insight Vacations Photo Contest 2012.

In addition to receiving one of our fantastic 8-day tours of Europe (or the first 8 days of a longer tour for free), the winner will also have their winning photo featured in the 2013 Insight Vacations brochure.

Your photo should capture the spirit of travelling with Insight Vacations and you should try to be creative with the subject matter.

The Tuscan landscape (right) was taken by the 2010 competition winner, Mr Randall Epp.

Our judges have given some tips on how to make your photo stand out:

  • Memorable people – capture the fun your group is having, dining experiences, and photos of Tour Directors sharing fascinating insights into local history and culture.
  • Be spontaneous – The best pictures are often those that capture the moment; albeit it laughter, surprise or movement; in one snapshot.
  • See the Whole Picture – Think about how to compose your image. Frame the shot or get some interesting angles. See the whole of your subject within the frame; consider what is included in the foreground not just the main subject.
  • Unforgettable experiences – a gondola ride in Venice, enjoying leisurely lunch in a street café or taking a stroll in a scenic location.
  • Spectacular places – feature well known landmarks and backdrops that capture the magic of your vacation.

The images on this page are some of the judges’ favourites, so hopefully that helps give you a few ideas. Remember, be creative.

Entries to the competition must be made through Insight’s Travel Forum on or before 30th April 2012. For full details and Terms & Conditions, go to ‘Capture the magic of your Insight Vacation‘ on the Insight Vacations website.

Did you know? The Insight Vacations Travel Forum is full of tips and discussions about photography from past, present and future guests. For example, click the following links for ‘Photography Tips’ and the ‘Members Gallery’.

Jane’s magic moments in Europe

26 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in Tour Reviews, Tours

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One of our UK consultants, Jane O’Connor, has just returned from the Highlights of Europe tour. Asked to give her top 10 moments, Jane picked:

  1. Everything about Rome, from the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peters Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Colosseum, the Forum, the people, the dining and the entertainment – all truly memorable!
  2. Strolling into St Mark’s Square for the first time. During our magical Venice tour we stopped for a pre-dinner drink in this most romantic of places. One of those ‘pinch yourself’ moments.

    Saint Mark's Square

    The Campanile in St. Mark's Square (Venice, Italy)

  3. My first view of Venice. Travelling on the water taxi to our hotel was breath-taking. No guide book or magazine can do it justice.
  4. Getting to know my fellow travelling companions. There was a great mix of ages and backgrounds, couples and single people. Any concerns I had about being a single traveller were forgotten before we landed in France. Everyone was just excited about the trip and there was such a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
  5. Driving to Italy through snow covered alpine scenery. When leaving Austria, I was gazing wistfully out the window, surrounded by a winter wonderland, with the soothing sounds of Johan Strauss drifting through the coach. It was just perfect.
  6. Spending time in the picture perfect town of Rothenburg. Strolling the spotless cobblestone streets and browsing for souvenirs in the cosy shops. Walking along the fortified wall with its stunning views of the Tauber and marvelling at the colourful half-timbered houses.

    Cobbled streets of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany

    The cobbled streets of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber (Germany)

  7. Arriving in Salzburg, with snow blanketing the monuments and buildings. Our guide, Gabby, was so enthusiastic and clearly loved her home city, which made our sightseeing tour even more insightful and fascinating.
  8. Spending time in the Hofbräuhaus Bierkeller in Munich. What a great afternoon, sampling the beers, the sauerkraut and pretzels (with mustard to dip them in), whilst being waited on by staff dressed in traditional German costume.
  9. The coach. It was nothing like I expected. There was loads of legroom and huge panoramic windows. Plus our Tour Director and driver were fantastic: they organised, advised and assisted us throughout the tour, as well as providing expert commentary.
  10. Relaxing on the Rhine cruise. It was a perfect opportunity to sit back and chat with my fellow guests while taking in the incredible scenery.
Building on river embankment

A view from the Rhine cruise

* Photographs by Jane O’Connor

New ideas for wine and food-based tours

14 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Tours

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Wonderful food and wine are essential components to most people’s vacation. At this year’s International Wine Tourism Conference, wine blogger and Insight Vacations team member, David Lowe, held a workshop that aimed to discover some new ideas for food and wine-based tours.

I have no doubt that food and wine have a natural affinity to escorted touring, but I wanted to find some exciting new experiences that guests could enjoy rather than just the basic tour of a vineyard.  So, on a chilly February morning in Perugia, Italy, over 50 of the industry’s most interesting figures sat down and put their heads together. After only a short time it was clear that there are many exciting opportunities available. Here are some of the ideas they came up with…

Learn the essential skills
  • Teach people the basics of wine tasting at the start of the vacation: to help participants feel welcome, confident and not daunted by wine
Understanding the vineyard
  • Planting / Pruning workshop: an interactive demonstration of the work that actually goes on in the vineyard before harvest
  • Experience grape picking during harvest time
  • Compare different grape varieties in the vineyard: for example, giving an explanation of how the various varieties of grapes around the vineyard differ and what characteristics they add to a blend; when possible include tasting the different types of grapes
The art of the winery
  • Try traditional grape crushing with your feet
  • Blend you own wine with the help of a master winemaker
  • Meet the winemaker and understand the ageing process by sampling wine maturing in barrels
  • Design a personalised bottle label to take home with the help of an artist
Once The Bottle Is Open
  • Sabrage demonstration: how to open a Champagne bottle with a sword!
  • Workshops exploring the senses: from understanding the basics of taste (such as the sense of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami) to helping guests learn how to recognise the various aromas and tastes in wine and food. There was also an interesting idea to look at the effect music has on taste.
  • Blind tasting of wines
  • Blind tasting of food: to exemplify that it’s actually quite difficult to recall taste and/or aromas without sight
  • Faults workshop: identifying the various faults that a wine could have
  • Tasting wines in the vineyard/amongst the vines
Food, the perfect partner
  • Involve the local community so that guests experience authentic regional cuisine and culture
  • Food & wine matching: matching wine with food … or matching food with the wine (“reverse pairing”)
  • A picnic of local specialities in the heart of the vineyard
More activities to try
  • Arts & crafts: from making baskets with vineyard prunings or even using pruning to cook with (apparently there’s a great recipe for smoking lamb this way!)
  • Wine therapy: using grapes to make beauty products
  • Balloon / plane flight over vineyard (someone had enjoyed a flight around in a vineyard’s crop sprayer)
  • Horse-riding through vineyard/around local countryside
  • Festivals: from harvest festivals to regional wine tasting festivals – such as the Bordeaux Fete le Vin (France) or Cantine Aperte (Italy)
General Approach

As well as these suggestions, there were also a lot of comments on how food and wine tourism should be approached.

The personnel involved seemed to be the major consideration, suggesting that staff not only needed to be fun and outgoing, but also have sufficient knowledge and training: “ideally, staff need to be involved in the winemaking process”. It was also thought important for the winemaker and/or owner to spend time with guests.

But, whilst knowledge is vital, it was stressed that guests want to hear a “story” not a long list of technical facts. And this shouldn’t be the same old narrative of how long the vineyard/winery has been in the family; everyone has their own story and anecdotes to tell, that’s what people want to hear.

Wine tours for Insight Vacations

John Boulding experiences the luxury of India

20 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in Brochures, Tour Reviews, Tours

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Many people discount India as a holiday destination. I’ve heard some say that it’s confusing, others think of it as threatening, and many fear the dreaded “Delhi Belly”. But, as John Boulding, CEO of Insight Vacations, tells us, this isn’t the India that should be experienced:

My latest trip blew me away. The launch of Insight Vacations 2012/13 brochures saw us introduce various new itineraries, including twelve to India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Of course, this meant that I had to travel out there prior to finalisation to make sure that the usual exacting standards were being met.

I’ve been to India a couple of times before, on business, and I feel sheepish to have to admit that on both occasions I was pretty much ready to leave by the time the plane took off. This time was COMPLETELY different, primarily because everything was taken care of through superb tour planning. On my original visit I had found India to be a maelstrom of sights and sounds, sometimes fun but also occasionally threatening and confusing. Now I didn’t have to think about the day to day organisation and could relax and enjoy.

Our tour director was a wellspring of intricate local knowledge, nothing was too much and his personal insights opened my eyes to the magical and mystical, the colourful and the sublime. When strange things were introduced to us, they were explained in the context of each place, the religion, the social structure, and so on. India ceased to be a blur and became a truly wonderful, eye-opening experience. It really stretched my mind. Travel is a great leveller and, once you understand something on a local level, you really get to understand what makes the world go around.

Design your own pashmina with a local artisan

Snake Charmer, India

One of the many local sights you will see on the streets of India

My trip was a slightly truncated version of Insight Vacations’ Imperial Treasures of India tour and included Dehli, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Mumbai. I did, however, get to see all the hotels from each of the Insight tours that stay in these cities and was amazed at how incredible they are. For example, the beautiful Oberoi Amarvilas (Agra) where each room looks over the Taj Mahal – meaning you wake up and watch the sun’s rays bathing it in light. And the Taj Lake Palace Hotel (Udaipur) which is a stunning former Royal Prince’s Palace built from white marble on an island in the lake. The film buffs out there might recognise it as being from a Bond film. Can anyone tell me which one? There’s a small prize for the first person to leave the right answer in the comments section.

Taj Lake Palace Hotel

Stay in luxury at the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur used on the “Imperials Treasures of India”

The Oberoi Rajvilas, in Jaipur, used on the “Splendours of the Taj & Tiger" tour - outstanding luxury

It would be impossible to tell you about all the fantastic experiences that our tours include, but here are a few of my favourites that I was lucky enough to do on my short trip.

  • We took these specially adapted Jeeps up the winding roads to the Amber Fort at Jaipur – a truly amazing place to visit
  • This ‘Bollywood’ style show is a landmark inclusion in Agra
  • Lunch at the famous 1135 Restaurant within the walls of Jaipur Fort is a really special Insight experience on our Classical India tour.
  • Enjoying an exclusive Gala Dinner in the private apartments of the Royal Palace in Jaipur dinner
Jeep to the Amber Fort, Jaipur

Travel by Jeep through the alleys of Jaipur to the Amber Fort

The tour allowed me to get up close to remarkable monuments, exotic palaces, wonderful landscapes and incredible wildlife in a way I would never have achieved on my own. I experienced bustling and vibrant cities contrasted with ancient temples, and saw centuries old traditions living side-by-side with the modern world. Along the way I was introduced to warm, friendly and welcoming people who are proud to share their home and rich heritage with us. Dining was a feast for the senses and included authentic lunches and luxurious dinners of regional specialities. It is fair to say that there were flavours to suit every taste. Oh, and nobody, not one of us, was sick.

It is my experience that, no matter how wonderful you anticipate India to be, until you finally make the journey you will never fully realise just how personally rewarding and fulfilling your trip will be. It is at once thrilling, inspiring, amazing, mystifying and impressive. Like a great book, once taken up, the sub-continent will be hard to leave alone!

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