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Society of IRT Clients: ‘We Love the Belmond Grand Hibernian!’

19 Nov
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Belmond Grand Hibernian Train Manager Wolfgang Eipeldauer and crew member Mark O’Doherty pose outside Ireland’s first luxury train.  Mark prepares to serve drinks to passengers returning from a “shore excursion.” IRT Photo by Eleanor Flagler Hardy

Soon after we returned from the “maiden voyage” of Ireland’s Belmond Grand Hibernian, the reviews began arriving.

“The Belmond Grand Hibernian Railway Tour was an outstanding experience,” wrote one IRT guest on Rachel Hardy’s Virtuoso “review page.” “It was luxury rail travel with a broad sampling of the history and heart of Ireland.”  (Click here for more reviews.)

“Just wonderful!” wrote another of the IRT trip — our first-ever charter of an entire train.

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Marus Vera prepares to “launch” her raptor during a falconry outing at Ireland’s gorgeous Ashford Castle, one of the favorite stops on the Belmond Grand Hibernian tour. IRT Photo by Eleanor Flagler Hardy

“This was my seventh trip with the Society of International Railway Travelers,” wrote yet another, extolling IRT’s insistence on excellence.

Summing up, a veteran traveler wrote: “I would heartily recommend the trip to anyone interested in Ireland or train travel or both.”

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Our guide at Ashford Castle was a retired schoolteacher, and wonderful storyteller. In the background, IRT Society tour guest Julia Cordukes looks on. IRT Photo by Eleanor Flagler Hardy

These reactions — coupled with our own experience — prompt us to offer the same journey, at the same time of year, in 2017: Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2017.

We’re happy to book you on any Belmond Grand Hibernian trip next year — there are 22 departures of the 7-day tour from April through October, 2017.

But we think you’ll especially like our group tour. Why? Let one of the Belmond Grand Hibernian crew members explain:

Finally, this, from a long-time Society of IRT traveler:

“When they called it the ‘Grand’ Hibernian, they really knew what they were doing. It was a grand trip.”

To see a photo album of the trip, please click here.  And if you want to talk with one of us who has been on board, please call us: 800-478-4881 or 502-897-1725.

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Society of IRT President Eleanor Flagler Hardy poses with Belmond Grand Hibernian staff at Dublin’s Heuston Station just before the luxury train’s first-ever trip. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

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Snazzy Copy, Graphics, Pixels Prompt Four Magellan Awards!

4 Nov
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Seven Stars Over Japan ad campaign materials. IRT Photo

We’re celebrating!

Travel Weekly magazine just published  winners of its 2016 “Magellan Awards” — the travel industry’s “Oscar.”

And The Society of International Railway Travelers® won four: three Golds and one Silver.

Gold Award — “Seven Stars Over Japan” marketing campaign:

Mission: Introduce the world’s newest and most exclusive train – Kyushu’s Seven Stars – to the Western luxury travel market.

Time frame: 11 months.

Room for error: None. (We’d chartered the entire train!)

Campaign: Email blitz, oversized postcards, blog posts, brochure, web presence, news release announcing our latest “World’s Top 25 Train®.”

Crowning glory: Two specially commissioned Seven Stars posters/postcards, courtesy of our Magellan Award-winning designer, Stephen Sebree, of Moonlight Graphic Works.

Result: The tour sold out in two months!

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Seven Stars in Kyushu poster. Japan’s first luxury train, the Seven Stars was recently named one of The Society of International Railway Travelers’ “World Top 25 Trains®.”  Poster design by Stephen Sebree, Moonlight Graphic Works

2 Gold Awards — IRT Website (www.irtsociety.com):

As a highly focused, independent travel agency, The Society of IRT’s stock in trade is putting our clients at ease – in every situation.

That includes their experience on our recently redesigned website, which we’ve made even more simple yet elegant.

“Bravo” to our web designer, Nick Prebezac, of Nimbus Interactive, Inc.!

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“Seven Stars Over Japan” postcard. Design by Stephen Sebree, Moonlight Graphic Works

Silver Award — “Seven Stars Color Blaze” oversized postcard (above):

Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island, is awash in radiant, natural color – a perfect complement to the equally spellbinding decor of the Seven Stars luxury train.

The oversized postcard format is ideal for showcasing these twin beauties.

• • •

So how does winning these awards affect you?

Simple. We want to thrill you.

It might be just an overnight Paris-Venice anniversary celebration. It might be a 25-day St. Petersburg-Moscow-Vladivostok “Grand Tour of Russia.“

We exist to give you the luxury trip of a lifetime — from the first email or postcard you receive to the final welcome-home phone call.

• • •

For info on our luxury rail charters in Peru, Ireland and Japan next year — or any great luxury train trip — contact us. Email tourdesk@irtsociety.com, or call (800) 478-4881; (502) 897-1725.

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Golden Eagle Grabs for Gusto: in Russia, Sicily, Athens, USA

28 Oct
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Natasha Baker, Sales and Marketing Director for Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, left, with Eleanor Flagler Hardy, President of the Society of International Railway Travelers.®

It’s a journey of immense proportions: St. Petersburg to Moscow and on to the Pacific Ocean.

In 26 days, you’ll traverse Russia’s river and rail networks on board the luxurious MS Volga Dream and Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express.

Natasha Baker, Golden Eagle Sales and Marketing Director, broke the news of this exciting trip — and much more — today at our office during a whirlwind U.S. visit.

“It’s the perfect way to see Russia in its entirety,” Ms. Baker said. The Grand Tour of Russia runs July 12 – Aug. 6, 2017.

Beginning in St. Petersburg, the MS Volga Dream takes in some truly incredible scenery as it ventures towards Moscow.

Following three days in the ancient Russian capital, guests board the Golden Eagle for its epic, 5,772-mile journey to the Pacific Ocean.

For details on this landmark tour — it runs just once next year — click here.

Meanwhile, Ms. Baker had more to share for 2017:

  • The Golden Eagle Danube Express, operating from its home base in Budapest — will offer new “superior deluxe cabins” — four to a car — each with a double bed.
  • New GE Danube Express trips next year include Budapest-Athens and Venice-Sicily.

The Sicily trip offers different routes within Italy. Travelers new to Italy should opt for the north-bound tour, she says. Repeat visitors would prefer the south-bound route.

Finally, Ms. Baker honored us with this scoop:

Golden Eagle plans to run two trans-continental luxury rail trips in the U.S. in 2018 — one of which spends two nights in our home town of Louisville, KY! (Those visiting our fair city should be ready for Society of IRT festivities!)

The big 2019 news concerns the 150th anniversary of the Trans-Continental Railway in the U.S. We’ll let Ms. Baker make the announcement in the video below.

(Hint: It has to do with steam.)

(Actually, Ms. Baker said “centenary” in the video. “I really do apologize,” she said later. “I was getting mixed up with 100th year anniversary of the Trans-Siberian this year!”)

No big deal. It’s still great news!

For more information on any of the above, call us at (800) 478-4881 or (502) 897-1725. Email us at tourdesk@irtsociety.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Evolution of a Classic: the VSOE Stays Ahead of the Curve

7 Oct

Lucy Clark, Belmond’s Director of Sales, Trains & Cruises, made a special trip to IRT’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky this week to give us a full report on everything new in the world of Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.  Over lunch and chocolate-pecan pie, we discussed:

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IRT CEO Owen Hardy with Lucy Clark, Belmond’s Director of Sales for the VSOE.

Air Conditioning: Beginning in 2017, all cabins on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will have air-conditioning. Ms. Clark gave us the inside scoop: “the VSOE’s actually already begun experimenting with A/C during the 2016 season — but we wanted to keep it subtle and make sure our passengers didn’t hate it.”

As it turns out, “they” — the 1920s purists — didn’t hate it, when they noticed it at all. The A/C in the bar and dining cars was greatly appreciated by those traveling in July & August — the hottest months of the season, she said. And those traveling to Turkey liked it as well.

And purists take note: the windows in your cabin will still open, so you can drink in the smell of Alpine meadows – one of our favorite pasttimes.

Berlin: The journeys to/from Berlin have been a huge success, and they will be repeated in 2017. The VSOE hugs the Rhine Gorge — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — for 100 miles. She hopes the rollicking jazz combo that traveled on the train this year will be back — they’re working on it.

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Verona: O Romeo, Romeo — wherefore art thou, Romeo? Did you know that you can get on — or off — the VSOE in Verona as well as Venice? Click here to read more about this option.

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Cinema:  A new Murder on the Orient Express film is in the works, starring Judi Dench and Johnny Depp, and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Look for it in theaters next November. IRT expects it to make departures on the VSOE sell out earlier than ever next year.

Special Offers: Book Venice to Paris or Venice to London by Oct. 30, and get 2 complimentary nights at the fabulous Belmond Cipriani Hotel in Venice. Applicable dates are: March 22 & 29 and April 5, 8, 19 & 26. Email us for details.

Or book Venice-Paris or Venice-London by Oct. 30, and receive a free cabin suite upgrade for travel through April 30, 2017. (A VSOE cabin suite is two double cabins linked by a private, interior door. It gives a couple double the space, with two windows, two wash basins and two lower bunks.)

Offers are not combinable; other restrictions apply.

Istanbul – Venice Annual Journey: Space still remains for this once-a-year trip: dates are Sept. 1-6, 2017. IRT guests who did the trip this year said it was magical. Don’t let them have all the fun! Call or email us to book your cabin.

Ready to Book — But Which Direction? Can’t decide between Venice-Paris-London or London-Paris-Venice? The routes between Paris and Venice (or Verona) are decidedly different. So do both!

The northbound route takes the VSOE through the Brenner pass. Southbound, the VSOE plies the Gotthard Pass between Basel and Airolo. Both routes are beautiful in their own way.

For information about our great journeys, email us at tourdesk@irtsociety.com or call: 800-478-4881 or 502-897-1725.  Find us on the web at IrtSociety.com.

 

 

Belmond Grand Hibernian: IRT’s Newest World’s Top 25

16 Sep
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IRT Society guests gather for dinner in the “Wexford” dining car, whose tables are arranged for six, allowing for wonderful socializing.   IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy

With bagpipes peeling and young Irish dancers snapping out lively rhythms, members of The Society of International Railway Travelers® christened Ireland’s first luxury train, the Belmond Grand Hibernian. Our tour ran Aug. 30 – Sept. 5.

We were thrilled to be the first official group on board and to experience the beautiful train —shining navy and chrome outside and muted greys, greens, buff and rose inside.

Such was the beauty, elegance and spirit of the fledgling train and its staff — not to mention Ireland itself —that we were proud to announce on board its new status as one of our  “World’s Top 25 Trains®”

While not perfect, the Belmond Grand Hibernian seems to be clearly aiming for the stars.

We have no doubt it soon will shine as brightly as the other luxury trains in Belmond’s  firmament (the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Belmond Royal Scotsman, Eastern & Oriental Express and Peru’s Belmond Hiram Bingham, to name a few).

The IRT Society chartered the entire Belmond Grand Hibernian — a first in our company’s 33-year history. Our itinerary was the seven-day “Grand Tour of Ireland.”

The result was a rolling, rollicking party among friends old and new. From breakfast in the two beautiful diners through days of touring Ireland’s iconic sites to live music or storytelling nightly in the bar car, the merriment seldom flagged.

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Belmond Grand Hibernian staff Mark O’Doherty and Stevie Devine ham it up for a photographer on the Belmond Grand Hibernian. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

We enjoyed sumptuous meals: delicious appetizers, inventive main courses—the freshest seafood, for example—with tasty, freshly baked breads and wonderful desserts — all locally sourced and prepared on board.

Chef Alan Woods outdid himself. Previously head chef at the Michelin-starred Thorton’s in Dublin, he showcased the very best and freshest Irish ingredients.

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Tea time aboard the Belmond Grand Hibernian. All food is locally sourced and prepared fresh on board. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

Dishes included roast Killarney venison loin, fresh seafood from the Beara Peninsula, Donegal turf-smoked salmon and traditional seafood chowder. All were spectacular.  And with drinks included in the fare, we put a serious dent in the bar car’s stock as well.

We visited such landmarks as Blarney and Ashford Castles and Connemara National Park. We tried our hands at falconry, tasted triple-pot distilled whiskys at the Jameson works, enjoyed afternoon tea with Lord and Lady Waterford — and toured the famous crystal workshop that bears their name.

We visited the amazing Titanic Experience in Belfast. Almost all these visits were exquisitely arranged — and often private or after-hours.

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IRT travelers (at left) Maria Vera Rossell and Jose Becerra Martin, and (at right) Orlando Herrera, enjoy a “jaunting cart” ride through Connemara National Park to the Lakes of Killarney. IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy

Most special of all, though, was our time aboard the Belmond Grand Hibernian itself.

The train  truly is an “Irish country house on wheels.” The stylish Belmond Grand Hibernian, with its navy blue and chrome livery, and its friendly, eager-to-please, youthful staff shared the spotlight for “best in show” on this trip.

“You can teach people to do tasks,” said J.P. Kavanaugh, Belmond Grand Hibernian General Manager. “But you can’t teach attitude.”  And an upbeat, can-do, super-friendly attitude was what they delivered.

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Belmond Grand Hibernian Second Chef Ursula Fischer poses behind bread and pastries just out of the on-board ovens. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

To be sure, the maiden run of anything as unusual as a privately owned, five-star hotel on wheels is going to have glitches. That’s especially true on government-owned tracks and under the supervision of a publicly operated railway.

For the Belmond Grand Hibernian, they ranged from the most serious — a carriage door, which temporarily malfunctioned — to occasional tardiness filling breakfast orders and coffee cups or a trashcan not being emptied.

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IRT traveler John Cordukes prepares to “launch” his “falcon” (actually, a Harris hawk) during a        “Hawk Walk” sponsored by the Irish School of Falconry at the Ashford Castle.                                                    IRT Photo by Owen Hardy             

But overall, the trip ran quite smoothly, both on train and off. (The carriage door malfunction meant that the train could not travel, as planned, to Belfast. We did that by motorcoach.)

And in the “off-train” category, we need to single out our indefatigable, silken-voiced guide, Marie Fitzpatrick. She was all the things you hope for in a person you’ve entrusted to spend a week telling you where to go and what to see.

As our first-ever train charter, the IRT Society had plenty riding on this trip. Our sold-out Belmond Grand Hibernian (capacity: 40 passengers in 20 luxury cabins) was the result.

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Wearing her evening uniform, a Belmond Grand Hibernian staff member tidies up in dining car “Wexford.” The train’s cars are named after Ireland’s counties. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

And how certain are we that the Belmond Grand Hibernian has a brilliant future?

Just this: I traveled on it Aug. 29 on a pre-tour “test drive,” after which I immediately requested a charter for 2017. I know it will be that popular — and that space will be hard to get.

Our Belmond Grand Hibernian departure for next year will be Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2017. Click here for more information.

• • •

Once the Belmond Grand Hibernian returned to Dublin’s Heuston Station, we said our fond goodbyes. Then a group of nine IRT travelers continued the party with a visit to, among other places, a jaw-dropping country estate known as Ballyfin.

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IRT President Eleanor Hardy plays “Downton Abbey” while breakfasting at the Irish country estate turned resort, Ballyfin. Behind her are other IRT guests. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, and you want to get as close as possible to living the life of a titled gentleman or lady, Ballyfin is the place to indulge your fantasy.

Our post-tour itinerary included a visit to Birr Castle, built in the 1620s and ancestral home to the Seventh Earl of Rosse, Brendan Parsons.

Lord and Lady Rosse hosted our group for a private luncheon, a tour of the castle, and a stroll through the magnificent grounds (including a look at the gigantic telescope “Leviathan,” constructed by an ancestor in the 1840s and the world’s largest until 1914.)

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IRT post-tour group members pose with Brendan Parsons, Seventh Earl of Rosse, in front of Birr Castle, constructed by an ancestor in the 1620s. IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy

Again, for more info on our Belmond Grand Hibernian charter next year, as well as pre- and post-tour itineraries, please click here or call (800) 478-4881; (502) 897-1725. (We have already booked 10 rooms at Ballyfin. Please let us know if you would like to be among the lucky ones to stay here.)

• • •

After we bade farewell to our Ballyfin friends, Eleanor and I spent two nights trying out the Sheen Falls Lodge, a Virtuoso hotel and Relais & Chateau property in Kenmare, County Kerry.

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The view from the balcony of our suite at Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, County Kerry. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

We highly recommend it for its obvious pleasures: the cozy fires in the many fireplaces, the roaring waterfall in full view from our fantastic suite, and the lovely candlelit dining.

But its staff also was vital for their expert advice:  dining at Kenmare’s incredible new restaurant, the Mews, and hiking at Gleninchaquin, a working sheep farm with magnificent views, waterfalls and people (don’t leave before enjoying Pete’s homemade scones and conversation at the tea house.).

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View of the ever-changing Irish countryside on an Irish Rail train bound for Dublin. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

The Sheen Falls folks also helped us plan our Irish Rail transportation.

We rode Irish Rail for the post-Ballyfin leg of our trip. I’m happy to report the experience — while not the Belmond Grand Hibernian — was relaxing and pleasant. We  enjoyed it thoroughly — punctual and clean, with pleasant food service from the trolley.

• • •

We’d be remiss if we did not report on our warm welcome to Ireland at the fabulous Virtuoso hotel, The Merrion, in Dublin. It was all we hoped it would be—and more.

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Dublin’s Marrion Hotel. IRT Photo by Owen Hardy

Historic, gorgeous, fantastic dining and great service—spectacular afternoon tea. Our welcome cocktail party here in the historic Wellington Room was one of the best ever, our guests proclaimed.

Suffice it to say that we will recommend The Merrion to all of our Belmond Grand Hibernian guests.

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The Belmond Grand Hibernian: New Belle of Luxury Train Ball

25 Aug
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Bartender practices for the Belmond Grand Hibernian’s maiden voyage. The IRT Society has chartered the luxury train’s first trip. Belmond photo by Mary-Susan McLoughlin

Dublin, Ireland — As you read this, Society of IRT President Eleanor Flagler Hardy and I will soon arrive, or will have just arrived, in one of the world’s most beautiful and beguiling countries — The Republic of Ireland.

We’re here to celebrate with 36 Society of International Railway Travelers guests on the “maiden voyage” of the Belmond Grand Hibernian, the world’s newest, and Ireland’s first, luxury train.

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Afternoon tea at the Merrion Hotel.

Following a multi-night stay in Dublin’s five-star Merrion Hotel (a Virtuoso partner), we’ll board our “rolling Irish country house” for a seven-day tour of the Emerald Isle in unprecedented comfort and style.

The Belmond Grand Hibernian comprises 5 sleeping cars, 2 dining cars and an observation/lounge. With just 20 cabins for 40 passengers, it’s designed for intimacy.

Our private luxury train will be our hotel on wheels, a veritable “cruise ship on land.”

There’ll be no schlepping bags from city to city. We’ll unpack just once. At night, our train will stop at quiet sidings for restful slumber.

By day, we’ll “go ashore” for a wide range of cultural, historical and culinary events.

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Seating 20 guests, the elegant dining car “Sligo” is arranged in tables of four, with sleek silver accents and chrome finishes. Belmond photo by Mary-Susan McLoughlin

Here’s a sampling:

• Jameson whiskey distillery visit and tasting
• Private tour of Blarney Castle and gardens, home of the Blarney Stone
• Traditional pony and cart ride to Ross Castle
• Boat trip on the Lakes of Killarney
• Ashford Castle visit, heart of Connemara, for a bit of falconry, plus a guided hike
• Visit to the soaring Cliffs of Moher or to Galway

No one would call our tour inexpensive. But it’s nice to know the trip includes all meals, off-train excursions, entertainment and drinks.

Personally, I’m especially looking forward to the traditional Irish music performed on board.

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Triton Lake at Powerscourt Gardens

Eleanor, for her part, is thrilled with the gardens we’ll see and the hikes we’ll take. She sent a last-minute email to my  cousins to track down my Irish roots.

(Unfortunately, it was too late to arrange to meet our long-lost relatives’ home and linen factory in Ballybay.— maybe next time.)

But we’ll console ourselves with our post-tour option: a stay in glamorous Ballyfin, plus a visit to the nearby Powerscourt Gardens (one of the “1,000 Gardens to See Before you Die”) and lunch with an Earl!

There’s been tremendous interest in the Belmond Grand Hibernian — so much so that 2016 trips are sold out.

If you’re interested in a trip next year, contact us ASAP to  book 2017: (800) 478-4881, (502) 897-1725 or tourdesk@irtsociety.com.

Tell us names of passengers as they appear on the passports, number traveling in your party, your mailing address and phone number. Tell us a few dates that will work for you. (See 2017 dates here.) Once you’ve sent your details, we can put a courtesy hold on your spot.

Cabins are flying out the door — and will book even faster once the international news coverage about our journey hits the presses. Don’t be left at the station!

Meanwhile, check this space three weeks from today for our photos and trip report.

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IRT Secures Space on Japan’s Hard-to-Get Kyushu Seven Stars

29 Jul

Japan Sampling-3 copy (2)Want to ride the world’s most exclusive train?

You’re in luck.

The Society of International Railway Travelers® has secured prime space on the Cruise Train Seven Stars in Kyushu, a luxury train so exclusive the railroad holds lotteries to see who gets to ride.

Here’s what’s available:

October: 10 guests; November: 2 guests; December: 8 guests.

The Society’s 4-day, 3-night Seven Stars “land cruise” is part of a 9-day package tour of beautiful Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island.

The tour also features the diminutive Sweet Train, which serves a light lunch and a series of beautifully prepared – and scrumptious – sweets that show off Kyushu’s incredible cuisine and agricultural products.

Interested? Don’t wait. We expect these spaces to sell quickly. Call us at (800) 478-4881 or (502) 897-1725. Or email us by clicking here.

To see the full itinerary, please click here.

To read my report on my Seven Stars ride last November, please click here. To read my comments on my Sweet Train experience, please click here.

IRT On Luxury Safari

3 Jun

If you’re planning an adventure on Africa’s Rovos Rail or the Blue Train – two of our World’s Top 25 Trains® – don’t make the trek without adding a safari extension for some up-close animal encounters.

That’s our conclusion after our recent study tour to East Africa with one of the world’s top safari partners — Micato.

Read on for highlights!

          An elephant family on its daily march to the swamps in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.                     IRT Photo by Rachel Hardy.

Scene 1:
Trundling along in Kenya’s dramatic Laikipia Conservancy, our guide stops suddenly to admire a giant male elephant with enormous tusks playing in the river below, splashing and spouting.

         A mother and her cubs watch us with casual curiosity in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.              IRT Photo by Rachel Hardy.

The elephant swims across the river, lumbering through a pod of dangerous hippos. He trumpets angrily, seeming to scream, “Let me pass!” The hippos scatter.

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Wildebeests leap across our path in the Serengeti. IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy.

Scene 2:
Quietly approaching a female lion in our Land Rover, we admire her from about 20 feet away. She looks at us placidly, and then, deciding us worthy, she pads into the woods and returns — with her two-month-old cubs.

Scene 3:
Perched on a road in the middle of the Serengeti, we witness an incredible sight: the beginning of the great migration — 1-2 million wildebeests and about 600,000 zebra and other hooved animals —heading north to grassier, wetter Masaai Mara. The roaring wildebeests cross single-file in front of us.

Scene 4:
Lying in our luxurious tents, we listen, enchanted, to the sounds of nature all around us: weaver birds flitting and chirping, hyenas crunching the bones of their prey, the honk of a hippo in the river right outside our tent, the seemingly thousands of birds waking us in the morning.

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A rainbow comes out over Amboseli National Park during our nightly “sundowner,” where our guides serve us drinks and snacks atop a lookout point. IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy.

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          A Maasai welcome for IRT’s Rachel Hardy as we step off our bush plan and into the                        Maasai Mara Reserve. IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy.

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Giraffes in Serengeti National Park. IRT Photo by Eleanor Hardy.

For both of us, traveling together made everything extra special: seeing our lodgings for the first time, admiring the beauty of the zebras (Rachel’s favorite) and spying our first family of elephants (my favorites!).

We hadn’t gotten to spend so much time together in years!

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We loved what our guide called the “little five hundred.” A sampling of the feathered little five hundred: top left: guinea fowl, center left: mating crowned cranes, bottom left: weaver bird, center:                          malachite kingfisher, top right: saddle-billed stork, bottom right: ostrich.                                IRT Photos by Eleanor & Rachel Hardy.

 

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We loved visiting a Maasai village in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Here, the women prepare to greet us with a traditional song and dance. IRT Photo by Rachel Hardy.

Interested in joining one of our South or East African departures? Space fills up early and quickly for journeys on Rovos Rail & the Blue Train – and of course for all the prime safari camps. Call us: (800) 478-4881 or (502) 897-1725. Email us: tourdesk@irtsociety.com Or vist our web site: http://www.irtsociety.com. 

Eleanor Hardy, IRT President & co-owner, and Rachel Hardy, IRT’s newest travel associate, were honored to be invited to join Micato’s study safari in Kenya & Tanzania. Many warm thanks to Micato owners Jane & Felix Pinto and the entire Micato team!

 

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Pounce Like a Leopard for Luxury Rail Africa 2016, 2017

15 Apr
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©The Society of International Railway Travelers® Poster design by Stephen Sebree, Moonlight Graphic Works

 

Dreaming of an African luxury train vacation?

Better shake a leg. Here’s what’s still available this year and next on Rovos Rail’s Pride of Africa, one of our favorite trains anywhere:

2016

African Collage (9 days)

  • May 19-27, Pretoria to Cape Town – 4 Deluxe Suites
  •  Nov. 14-22, Cape Town to Pretoria – 2 Deluxe Suites

Cape Town to Dar Es Salaam (15 days)

  • July 2-15 – 2 Deluxe Suites
  • Sept. 24-Oct. 8 – 1 Deluxe Suite

Dar Es Salaam to Cape Town (15 days)

  • July 19-Aug. 2 – 1 Deluxe Suite
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©The Society of International Railway Travelers® Poster design by Stephen Sebree, Moonlight Graphic Works

2017

Cape Town to Dar Es Salaam (15 days)

  • July 1-15 – 1 Deluxe Suite
  • Sept. 30-Oct. 15 – 1 Deluxe Suite, 2 Pullmans

Dar Es Salaam to Cape Town (15 days)

  • July 18-Aug. 1 – 2 Deluxe Suites, 2 Pullmans
  • Oct. 17-31 – 2 Pullmans

Namibia (9 days)

  • April 16-24, Swakopmund to Pretoria – 2 Deluxe Suites, 2 Pullmans
  • April 27-May 5, Pretoria to Swakopmund – 2 Deluxe Suites
  • May 7-15, Swakopmund to Pretoria – 2 Deluxe Suites, 2 Pullmans

African Collage (9 days)

  • May 18-26, Pretoria to Cape Town, 2 Deluxe Suites, 2 Pullmans
  • Nov. 13-21, Cape Town to Pretoria, 2 Deluxe Suites, 2 Pullmans
Blue_Train

©The Society of International Railway Travelers® Poster design by Stephen Sebree, Moonlight Graphic Works

As long as you’re in Africa, don’t miss an overnight on the Blue Train. Totally different from Rovos Rail, but also a luxurious dream, it runs between Cape Town and Pretoria.

To get a great DVD about Rovos Rail (free within the U.S. and Canada), or for more info, send us an email.

Or call (800) 478-4881 or (502) 897-1725.  You can also fill out a booking form on our website.

 

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Caviar Stars in Cool VSOE Bar

8 Apr
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Newly air-conditioned and refurbished,  VSOE bar car 3674 retains its classic feel. Photo by Pascal Deyrolle

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express opened its 35th season with a first-time-ever air-conditioned, vintage car: lavish number 3674, the bar car.

It also got a major sprucing up.

“‘3674’s’ new interiors feature vibrant blues and golds,” said a spokesman from Belmond, the VSOE’s owner,  “reflecting the iconic livery of the historic carriages and patterns inspired by the train’s marquetry.”

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Head Barman Walter Nisi celebrated his upgraded digs with a new cocktail and caviar menu.

Working with world-famous caviar producer Petrossian, Nisi’s delicacies include shots of Alverta Royal caviar, caviar cubes and sandwiches using ‘papierusse’, a fine sheet of pressed caviar.

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For a quick glance at available trips on the VSOE, click here.

For more detailed info, call The Society of International Railway Travelers® at (502) 897-1725 or (800) 478-4881. Email tourdesk@irtsociety.com. Or log on to www.irtsociety.com.

 

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