Stories

Let's talk about winners instead of winters, shall we?

I made a short video with some top questions that have come through our Member Questionnaire, including tours here in Canada, group vs individual tours, how far in advance we publish itineraries, have we been to all of the destinations we're going to before, as well as the winners of our prize draw:

Congratulations to the winners! If you were one of the lucky four, you'll be contacted by Veronica to claim your prize; if any of the prizes aren't claimed by next week's newsletter, we'll draw new winners next week.

It’s your first time in Japan, and you’ve just sat down for a meal with some new Japanese friends. You’ve done your reading about local customs, so you know exactly how all this works.

First will be the appetizers, a gorgeous array of colors on tiny dishes, including the ever-present sashimi (raw fish).

As you nibble, someone will bring the tokkuri, a tall bottle, and a tray of small porcelain cups (sakazuki) - and into each will be poured a few fingers of Japan’s national drink, one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages, a unique rice-based drink, a proud survivor of thousands of years of tumultuous Asian history.

It’s 2012, and I’m in a bus, weaving through the Italian countryside - and everything sounds wrong.

Outside the window, a patchwork of green fields undulates towards the horizon. Here and there villages rise from the plain, wrapped around the steepest hills, each capped with a church.

For some travellers, an “authentic travel experience”’ means staying in a five-star hotel off the beaten path, dining where the locals eat, and dodging hawkers’ vending carts in the streets. How “authentic” your next trip is may not hinge solely on exotic or local experiences, it also depends on what your expectations are before you arrive at your destination.

I've just returned from a whirlwind week in London at World Travel Market, the premier global event for travel industry professionals to network and connect.

It's a place to meet old and new partners, attend seminars on the latest trends in travel, and find new and exciting travel experiences from all over the world.

It’s just after 9am on the 1st November, 1755, and the church bells are ringing across Lisbon. It’s All Saints Day or Hallowmas - now less well-known than the preceding day, our modern Halloween (a contraction of “All Hallow’s Evening”).

The private and religious spaces of the city are aglow with candlelight.

In early July of this year, the inhabitants of Innaarsuit, a tiny island village in northwestern Greenland, looked out to sea and saw an iceberg.

This was nothing new, of course. The vast majority of all icebergs in the northern hemisphere originate from around 20 locations along the coast of this massive country, and they’ve recently been increasing in numbers every year.

"This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty.” — Percy Shelley

George Lucas wanted the finale of Star Wars: Episode II to climax with a sweeping romantic scene. But instead of creating a fully computer-generated setting, he chose a location so stunning, it’s almost otherworldly.

Well, it certainly was a whirlwind week at Wheel & Anchor!

It was wonderful to meet so many travellers this week, both at the Zoomer Show, and in our Wheel & Anchor group that went to see the terrific Come From Away musical.

As mentioned, I'm off to World Travel Market to get the latest pulse of the global tourism and travel industry, connect with our partners from around the world, and scout new experiences to bring to Wheel & Anchor.