Meet The Inspiring Women Who Make Valise Travel Exceptional |
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International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Read on to learn about some of my fascinating female partners around the world - Women who manage, create, challenge and lead. |
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“We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.” – Kavita Ramdas |
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Meet Stasa Krapez, a Senior Lecturer, a self-proclaimed Foodie, and a proud mother of two wonderful children. Ten years ago, Stasa saw a gap in the offerings for history and food tourism in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. She filled that void by developing a series of tours to introduce the history and culture of Slovenia through its gastronomy. Says Stasa, "I share my love for the people, culture and cuisine of Slovenia through the Language of Food!"
Meet Stasa in August, 2021, during a food, wine and history tour of Slovenia.
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Born into a family of pastry chefs, Giusy Aversa joined the family profession after graduating from school. Later, when she became a mother, her young daughter began experiencing health problems. To help her daughter, Giusy expanded her culinary education and talents to find nutrition based solutions. Giusy is now a private chef, specializing in traditional Southern Italian cuisine prepared with locally sourced, organic and nutrient dense ingredients.
My beloved friend, Giusy, will be your private chef in September 2021, during a trip to the Italian Coast that includes Naples, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast.
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Meet Federica Pezzini, who recognized, then acted on her desire to lead a less hectic life in deeper connection with nature. Nine years ago, she traveled to the Azores Islands of Portugal and fell in love with charming Pico Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. She and her partner bought a piece of land and began to create a place of harmony and wellbeing reflecting the soul of Pico Island.
Says Federica, "We found a paradisiacal place: virgin and alive, and surrounded by cedars, pine forest and views of Pico Mountain and the sea. We created a sustainable and natural retreat to highlight the natural and cultural heritage of the island and to promote environmental awareness. Our mantra is "integration": integrate into the environment, integrate into the local culture, integrate construction methodologies to focus on aesthetics and functionality."
My inspiring friend, Federica, will be your host in October 2021 during your stay at her tranquil hotel on lovely Pico Island, Portugal
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In her late forties, Christine Ferrari realized that her corporate job in Basel, Switzerland was personally unfulfilling and physically unhealthy. She took a courageous step, by renouncing prosperity and escaping the stressful pace of her everyday life to find her happiness in Morocco. She bought some land and started her own saffron farm. At the time, she did not know what a difficult path she had embarked upon. As a female and a foreigner in a male dominated Muslim culture, she received little acknowledgment and no support or advice from fellow farmers in the area. It took her seven years of failures to achieve a healthy crop. She chronicled her experiences in a personal memoir, The Saffron Woman.
Today, she receives visitors to her gorgeous farm where she educates about saffron, and also about life: taking risks, committing to your dreams and making personal wellbeing a priority.
Meet my fascinating friend, Christine, in October 2021, during a visit to her farm outside Morocco
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Meet Anne Arrowsmith, Corporate General Manager for 137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts, Thailand. Anne grew up in a village on the Wales-England border, devouring the works of acclaimed female author, Agatha Christie. These murder-mystery books with their strong female voice and far flung settings, strongly influenced her decision to become a globetrotting hotelier.
When asked if she could turn back time and offer advice to herself as a young girl, Anne replied; “Believe in yourself and be yourself - so often we feel pressured to ‘fit in” and compromise who we are and what we believe in. Believe you are the equal of ALL but avoid believing you are superior to others. Retain a sense of humor. Being able to laugh reduces stress, improves your mood and is a great connector with others."
Visit the 137 Pillars Hotel in February 2022 during an unforgettable trip to exotic Thailand including Bangkok, Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai and Koh Samui.
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Executive Chef team Kimsan Pol & Kimsan Sok, the “Kimsan Twins,” are the creative force behind Cambodia's Embassy Restaurant. These two talented women have risen to the top of a successful Siem Reap Restaurant Group while pursuing the mission of women’s education, training and empowerment.
During a Cambodian Valise experience in February 2022, that also includes a visit to Ankor Wat, you will participate in a private dinner and "Meet and Greet" with the female owners of this unique restaurant for a conversation about their background and the restaurant’s mission.
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As the vaccine is rolled out and some foreign countries begin to open up for tourism, I'm sure you have many questions related to travel. I can ease your anxiety by helping you navigate Covid restrictions and find safe, desirable destinations that are open to US travelers and have low numbers of reported Covid-19 cases.
Current Travel Information:
Good to know:
Destinations for 2021 that can be booked right now include: Belize, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Morocco, Cambodia, Kenya, Rwanda, Montenegro, South Africa and Tanzania.
If you are interested in travel but the timing doesn't feel right for you, any trip can be booked at a future date of your choice. Just pick your dates, your budget and your length of travel, and I'll do the rest.
Book with confidence: 100% refund if your trip is canceled for **Covid related reasons
**Covid Cancellation Policy
Clients may change or cancel any booking with no penalty up until 14 days before departure in the event of a COVID-19-related reason at home or in their travel destination. Clients will have the option of a full refund or a credit toward future travel valid through December 31, 2022. Clients are responsible for non-refundable air fees, insurance and other related costs. All other standard terms and conditions apply to the booking. Special terms are subject to change and can be withdrawn at any time.
COVID-19 related cancellation reasons include:
The U.S. Department of State issues a Level 4: Do Not Travel Global Health Advisory, or the government in the client’s country of residence restricts all but essential travel
The U.S. Department of State issues a Level 4: Do Not Travel due to COVID-19 for the destination the client is traveling to, or the government in the client’s country of residence issues a comparable advisory
The destination the client is traveling to has entry restrictions in place that prohibit the client from traveling, such as closed borders or extended quarantine requirements
International flights are cancelled without alternative routing available for client to use to reach the destination(s) in the itinerary
For more information, please contact Valise Travel Concierge
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