New Zealand’ capital Auckland No visit to New Zealand would be complete without a couple of nights in its capital Auckland. Located on a protected inlet, this magnificent city of contrasts is the perfect home base to explore the remote, yet close black sand beaches of Kerikeri as well as the Bay of Islands a… Continue reading New Zealand Revisited – Auckland part 3

Hobbiton set visit with dinner Our discovery of Rotorua and surroundings continued with another “must do” highlight to the film set of the Peter Jackson trillogies Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. This spectacular and unspoiled landscape is now a permanent film set. Located on the 12’000 acre Alexander Family farm a 50 minute drive… Continue reading New Zealand Revisited – Hobitton part 2

Skyline tram Rotorua Our supplier partner Delta Vacations (which is the airline’s own package provider) has chosen the adventure packed destination of Rotorua on New Zealand’ north island as its host for the annual gathering of top travel agencies. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of this elite circle and represent… Continue reading New Zealand Revisited – Rotorua part 1

Takhu the whale - memorialized in Juneau Whales are the largest mammals on our planet and they are central to the Alaskan story, especially in the Alexander Archipelago of the Gulf of Alaska where thousands of humpback whales come to feed every summer. It is in these waters around Juneau that the Hawaiian islands pods… Continue reading Look-back : Alaska re-visited – whales and more

Ocean Club Bahamas- a Four Seasons property - our host Toney The last few days of January each year are traditionally spent with Virtoso to kick off the year ahead. As the location for this year’s event was the newly reopened historic Pier 66 Resort in Fort Lauderdale, it only made sense to extend our… Continue reading Look-back: New Year – New Energy

Nagoya, Japan It is with great anticipation that Azamara Pursuit finally called on Nagoya- the birthplace of Toyota Motors. It is no secret for a young e who knows me, that as a lifelong petrol head, coming to these holy grounds was a dream for years. I be am finally here! Iconic Celica from 1976… Continue reading Japan – Pilgrimage to the mothership

Famous stone bridge in Nagasaki Our tour of Japan continued with a stop at the beautiful port of Nagasaki (site of the 2nd nuclear bomb dropped 3 days later than Hiroshima’s. This small town was actually not the intended target but bad weather led to a last minute decision to try to destroy Mitsubishi Shipyards… Continue reading Japan – Nagasaki

Korean theatre performance at Azamazing evening in Busan Similar to tge Jones act which requires foreign flagged vessels to stop in a non-US port, our cruise around Japan required a stop in another country. Thus, the Azamara Pursuit pulled into port of Busan in South Korea. this stop presented the opportunity to check off another… Continue reading Japan – A day trip to South Korea

Hiroshima - ground zero There was nothing easy about our stop today in the central Japanese city of Hiroshima, where in a few months time, on August 6’25, the 80th commemoration ceremonies of the nuclear bomb’s first use will unfold. For me, it was a day of reflection on the horrors of war that endure,… Continue reading Japan – A Heavy Heart

Calligraphy entrance ticket to Marugama castle A short few hours of cruising took us across to Shikoku island’s northern tip at the town of Takamatsu. This sleepy port town is home to 1 million people predominately working in ship yards and soy sauce fermentation. Our group split up today with different excursions chosen. I toured… Continue reading Japan – Takamatsu exploration

Moon bridge in Kyoto Our ship stayed overnight at the port of Kobe which permitted us a full day private trip to nearby Kyoto - one of the most sacred places in Japan. The six of us met our guide and driver port side just before 9AM and we set off via the expansive freeway… Continue reading Japan – Kyoto for a day

Nizumi 700 train set at Tokyo Central I was just about 6 years old when this revolutionary train service began to operate in Japan in earnest. It “only took me 50+ years” to finally be afforded the opportunity to ride on this high speed rail line from Tokyo to Kobe. Excitement ran high all morning… Continue reading Japan – Shinkansen experience

Blue skies, gondolas and a volcano While the Japanese, South Korean, and Chinese foreign ministers met at our Tokyo hotel (security and riot police all around the Imperial Hotel this morning), our group left town for a scenic day trip to the mountain town of Hakone. Driver Su and guide Linda on tour A first… Continue reading Japan – Mt Fuji and Hakone

After a 12-hour flight - welcome to Japan After a 12-hour flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda, American Airlines flight 169 landed at sunrise in the Japanese capital. The blue skies made up for the cold temperatures with beauty, showcasing this mega city’s architecture. Haneda Airport Immigration and customs had to be cleared before… Continue reading Japan – Domo Arigato 🇯🇵

Great migration all around us One of the most amazing wildlife spectacles takes place here in the Serengeti where 1.8 million wildebeests migrate in a circular motion year-round. We were fortunate to pass through this magnificent experience for a 50 mile stretch where, as far as they eye can see, there are wildebeests grazing their… Continue reading Africa Calling – Serengeti