Saihoji Garden - Kyoto
120 varieties of moss cover the undulating landscape that surrounds the
ponds and trees of Saihoji.
ponds and trees of Saihoji.
The garden's air itself has been described as green with intensity.
Hello friends, clients and associates!
As many of you know, Bev, Zen and I had planned on traveling to Egypt this past month. Although we were disappointed to have to postpone this trip to 2012, we are also very much excited a
bout Egypt's future. With so much international good will now focused on this wonderful country, rest assured our Egyptian friends will prosper in the years to come. I cannot imagine another country with the depth and historical richness of this amazing land.
Our next significant family trip will be a somewhat ambitious Round-the-World trip, departing mid-June. This trip will include stopovers in Japan (Kyoto, Shigaraki, et. al), Thailand (Bangkok), Turkey (Istanbul) and France (Provence & Paris). Our last family RTW trip was back in 2008-2009 when we visited Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, India and Dubai - we have a lot of catching up to do!
Please enjoy reading Part II of our private luxury tour picks. Please note that these itineraries are trips that either our clients or the Lynch family have traveled in the past eighteen months.
Also, please note another installment of "Zen's Journal," our most popular read!
All the best + Safe travels!
Randy Lynch
CEO
Kipling & Clark and travNET
Part II of Our 2011 Private Luxury Tour Picks
This private luxury tour includes the best in Italy and France within a manageable 14 day schedule - Positano, Rome, Antibes, Luberon - Provence, Paris. Among the wonderful overnight experiences are teh extraordinary Hotel du Cap/Antibes, LeCouvent des Minimes/Luberon and the LebBristol in Paris. Originally founded by Marquis Melchiar de Forbin Janson in 1613, we feel the Couvent des Minimes to be among the most idyllic settings in Luberon, not to mention its celebrated spa.
This is an ideal family private summer tour of all the major highlights of China - Bev, Zen, and her cousin, Sofia, and I traveled this exact schedule and very much enjoyed! Your itinerary includes Hong Kong, the Tibetan cultural area of Zhongdian, set in the 10,000 ft elevation of the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, private panda audience in Chengdu, a luxury Yangzi River Cruise, lush, green Guilin, and lastly Beijing and Shanghai. In addition to the diverse cultural experiences engaged on this trip, you will be thoroughly pampered at some of our favorite 5 star properties: the Mandarin or Peninsula in Hong Kong, Banyan Tree in Zhongdian, the most unique HOMA (Hotel of Modern Art) in Guilin, and the Peninsula in both Beijing and Shanghai. This trip provides your family with an encyclopedic knowledge of China.
As this is among our favorite parts of Asia, Bev, Zen and I have traveled these parts several times. This 14 day Southeast Asia private tour includes the Buddhist-based cultures of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, including 4 nights in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), which we feel is the most impressive historical/archeological site in all of Asia. Other stops include our beloved Luang Prabang, Laos, as well as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai (Maesa Elephant Camp!) and Bangkok, Thailand. Service and hospitality are intrinsic to all of these Buddhist-centered lands. This high-touch service matches up nicely with our preferred properties: raffles, Aman, Four Seasons, and Mandarin. Please note that we may also offer a Phnom Penh /Siem Reap Mekong River option via the 5 star deluxe Jayavarman luxury cruise.
Although we prefer the vast migration herds in Kenya and Tanzania, no other area in Africa can compare with South Africa's combination of wildlife/native culture, with a European sense of sophistication. We feel an ideal South African private tour itinerary includes the physical beauty and refinement of Cape Town with a private safari adventure in Londolozi. Cape Town offers the natural beauty of Table Mountain, ape Point, the 22,000 acre Cape of Good Hope Nature Preserve, and beloved by all, Boulders Beach and Penguin Colony. Complimenting Cape Town's physical beauty is a 2-3 night stay in the picturesque Winelands region. Blessed with a climate that enables this area to produce world class wine, a stay at LeQuartier Francais in the heart of South Africa's gourmet capital, Franschoek, is an idyllic, culinary experience. We recommend ending your South Africa private tour with a 3-4 night tar at Pioneer Camp, the most secluded of Londolozi's luxury game lodge camps. The three private suites here have superb river views with private game drivers to see lions, leopards, wild dogs (somewhat rare), giraffe, rhino, and elephants. This is where wildlife meets luxury!
Greetings global kid travelers!
As my dad mentioned, my family and some friends planned on being in Egypt this past month. That's ok - we'll try again next year! After spending the past two months tudying Egypt in our 4th grade class, I cannot wait to finally see everything next year. As part of our "Egyptian Museum" project at school, I was assigned "Burial Crafts" - so interesting! I can tell you EVERYTHING about canopic jars, shabti, and sarcophagus. by the way, my favorite pharaoh was Egypt's first female pharaoh, Hatshepsut (1508-1458 BC) - all hail Hatshepsut! (Girls Rule!!)
Zen & Jenna at Parker School "Egyptian Museum"
Now that we must wait next year for Egypt, I am planning fun stuff for our June Round-The-World trip.
RTW Trip "Fun" List
Kyoto - Return to "Sushiiwa" for the best sushi (salmon eggs) on the planet! Also, look forward to re-uniting with our favorite Kyoto guide, Ms. Izumi-san and returning to our favorite shrine, Fushimi.
Bangkok - Long-boats ride through the klongs (canals!) + massage at the Oriental!
Istanbul - Spice Market, Grand Bazaar & Sekerci Cafer Erol candy shop!
Provence - I must finally see and smell those beautiful lavendar fields! My dad says this must be heaven, at least the French version.
Paris - Eiffel Tower + I must find Ratatouille!
Also, February was Black History Month and reminds us of what WAS, and what COULD have been. Last year, in Third Grade, I learned my favorite quote from Martin Luther King, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Happy Travels!
Zen Lynch
Coming up in our April Luxury Newsletter:
Hermes helicopter service, Narita/downtown Tokyo, Our Top 10 Favorite Asian Family travel experiences, Japan's new Hayabusa high-speed train, and our look at the new UA (CO)!
