2024 Luxury Journeys + Adventures
| Dear MCB Welcome back dear Reader. And just like that, Spring has sprung bringing glorious pops of colour to winter’s monotone palette, spring vegetables maturing, and a surfeit of weeds needing to be tackled. Days alternate between clear blue skies and the air laden with honeyed perfume to days of tempest with lashing rain, gale force winds and delicate fruit blossoms hanging on for dear life. I’m coming out of an extended, unplanned sabbatical that kept me incommunicado from my regular readers. However, travel is back on the agenda as the world has rapidly opened up again, not just for me, but for almost everyone I know. I trust this finds you well and that you might be tempted to join me on one of our fabulous journeys we are offering in the New Year. It has become apparent to me that the greatest certainty is uncertainty like Nature’s light and dark and Life’s living and death, but have found that opening to the world through travel and connection across diverse cultures, brings a lightness of being, a wonderful sense of awe and possibility. Wherever you are, may peace and light be with you. Warmest wishes. We hope this honeys your heart and inspires you back into exploring and experiencing our marvellous world. Marieke |
 Pico Iyer – Why WE TravelTravel is the best way we have of rescuing the humanity of places, and saving them from abstraction and ideology. |
| BOOKING NOW |
| RAJASTHAN REIMAGINED 11 – 27 January |
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| Images: Steve McCurry and Jeremy Woodhouse |
| This wonderful program is perfect for first time travellers to India to fall in love with its romantic splendour, scintillating cocktail of philosophies, cultures, ethnicities, cuisines, historical gems, architectural marvels, chivalry, and vast desert sands. I’m including much less visited sites such as Bikaner with its astounding fort and havelis; a night in one of the region’s most exquisitely restored palace forts and of course must-see destinations like Udaipur and Jaipur. You’ll have privileged access to wonderful hosts, stay in sublime heritage properties, jewelled palaces, regal estates, princely homes, and the shopping is truly divine – pashminas, jewels, antiques; and the cuisine, a daily party on the palate. We’ll even teach you how to tie a turban, drape a saree, the correct head nod protocol and how to drink tea from a saucer. REQUEST A BROCHURE |
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| JAIPUR LITERARY FESTIVAL & SALON 29 January – 6 February |
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| The Jaipur Literary Festival is coming into its 17th edition in February. As a frequent participant and pre-eminent guide of too many tours to India to count, I will be hosting this enthralling program with the congenial, charismatic, visionary owner of Readings Books, Mark Rubbo. Read about his illustrious career in the world of books, running Australia’s most important independent bookstores. This will be nine fabulous days spent with like-minded, adventurous, deeply inquisitive book lovers in Rajasthan’s most vibrant city, including some significant sightseeing in Delhi and Jaipur, a private salon to meet some important Indian authors and an optional extension to the glorious Shekhawati region. A perfect combination for the intellectual, the sensual, the artistic and the curious adventurer. REQUEST A BROCHURE |
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| VIVA LA MEXICO 4- 21 April |
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| thanks you to Ana Paula Fuentes for some of these images |
| I’m not sure people appreciate the allure, depth of history, seductiveness, landscape, cultural and bio diversity and sophistication of Mexico. After several visits I cannot wait to share with you a country as full of sensory delights as India or Morocco where you’ll stay in enchanting boutique hotels and a restored hacienda. Our program encompasses: – four days in Mexico City as cosmopolitan and culture-packed as New York, – the archaeological wonders and remarkable remains of the once-great Aztec and Maya civilizations and treasure trove of UNESCO sites of the Yucatán Peninsula, – colonial grandeur in cities like San Miguel de Allende. – an irresistible art scene that is a mix of illustrious murals by icons such as Rivera and Siqueiros who depict the history and epochs of this marvellous country, traditional folk art, Frida Kahlo of course, and thrilling contemporary works (CDMX alone has over 280 museums and galleries). – the astounding arts and crafts of Oaxaca where my friend Ana Paula, a brilliant published photographer and textile maestro will escort visits away from the tourist glare to weavers, embroiderers, potters and world class papermakers. – the syncretic religious practices – a fusion of Catholicism and indigenous Mayan beliefs that can be seen in the villages of Chiapas, a stunning region of rugged landscapes with the beautiful town of San Cristobal de las Casas as your base. – out-of-this-world regional food and tequila tastes. REQUEST A BROCHURE |
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| Charismatic CUBA 21 April – 1 May |
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| Cuba was forever on my radar. I finally visited just before the pandemic and it was an instant, enamoured enthral at the irresistible zest for life of her people, their vibrance and charm. Abundant in nature, authentic in hospitality and richly textured in culture, history, and politics, Cuba is a complicated destination that requires careful interpretation through quality guiding and the dedicated attention of a top-drawer concierge which we have secured. There is lasting influence of Spain, the glamorous legacy of it being the exotic and permissive playground of celebrities, mobsters, movie stars, robber barons and jetsetters, the controversial history of Batista and Fidel Castro, its inspiration for artists, dancers and writers such as Hemingway, its melange of cultures – European, African, Asian and Middle Eastern, and the emergence of a vibrant contemporary arts scene. Cuba’s metamorphosis is well under way with ‘paradores’ (restaurants in home environments), gorgeous ‘casa particulars’ (intimate, tasteful boutique properties in restored colonial buildings), young creatives in art and dance, allowing visitors to bear witness to a new and unfolding history. I can barely contain my excitement to share this amazing island with you. REQUEST A BROCHURE |
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| Without a travel agent you are on your own. Many travellers prefer the services of an expert agency, particularly if the ticketing is complicated or multi city, requires frequent flyer points or you’re just too time poor to do the research online. Jennie Lemon in the Melbourne office of TRAVELCALL, has for many years expertly helped my guests with their flights. A few months back I experienced an exceptional level of service when United Airlines cancelled a family flight and the proprietor Frank from BENALLA TRAVEL went the extra mile and was up with us at the ungodly hour of 3AM helping us with a complicated rescheduling so we’d still reach our destination on time. His partner Fiona Stephens, is currently taking care of my private clients with a complex Indian schedule. Both these agencies belong to the prestigious Virtuoso Travel Network. Concierge requests have been busy lately, curating for private travellers – a birthday in Sri Lanka including a swank villa, a last minute trip to Morocco, a specialised textile tour of Gujarat for a group of Sydney friends, and various girlfriend programs for women wanting to go back to India next year. I love this work and crafting private dream trips to destinations I know so well, respecting travellers’ very particular interests. So if our tour dates don’t suit, please contact us. For Frequent Flyer Travellers looking to maximise their points with Amex, I have it on good authority from a well travelled friend that The Well Connected Traveller, a WA based company affiliated with the renowned Virtuoso Network are the bees knees in helping you find flights with points. I’ve not tried them yet but telling everyone. For US based clients you might wish to explore Juicy Miles. For independent travellers looking for personalised airport transfers, city to city rides, experienced travel buddies have recommended the efficient services of Blacklane, a Berlin based company operating in 50 countries who also have a useful App. If you are seeking an expert local guide who can take you into the greater depths and secret byways of a destination I have been reliably told this portal delivers amazing treats and privileged immersive experiences. With Locals also has their own App. if you live in Melbourne or nearby environs and need a reliable driver, you will have to email me for my constantly updated list of private drivers who deliver wherever you need to be in meticulously clean cars, on time, water and sanitiser on board, haul your luggage, get you an airport trolley and courteous beyond. |
| Marieke’s News : the year so far |
 I loved being back in Rajasthan in March, catching up with friends and inspecting a slew of really impressive new properties that I will post in a separate email. My visit coincided with the Gangaur festival in Mandawa, one of the key towns in the fascinating Shekhawati region that is a treasure-trove, extensive outdoor gallery thanks to the wealthy 19thC merchants who engaged Jaipur’s best artists to paint their havelis inside and out with frescoes depicting mythology, sacred deities, folk stories and the impact of European settlement, |
 April, our sangha was blessed by the return of our Indian yoga master, Saraswathi Vasudevan after her absence from Australia for over 3 years. Having had only a zoom relationship of ongoing studies all that time, it was a special joy to be reunited for an immersive retreat in gorgeous central Victoria, resplendent with autumn colour and a workshop on the Mornington Peninsula.Saras dreams the next retreat might be in Morocco and I will be investigating this soon. Watch this Space. |
 Having sadly lost our beloved papa late last year, my family came together a few months later for the most magical celebration of the wedding of my niece in Todos Santos, a beguiling old silver-mine town that hugs the Pacific Ocean on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. People gathered from far and wide to bask in her and her partner, Keenan’s happiness in an extravaganza of events over four days. The first night, intimate family had their feet in the ocean sands around a bonfire dining on exquisite modern Mexican fare. I and her honorary aunty were enlisted to create hundreds of bonsai|zen flower arrangements for tables for the grand finale that recruited a battalion of cooks, servers and set uo staff. A Destination wedding indeed! |
 Over twenty five years I have designed, curated and escorted countless tours all over India, but perhaps the most exciting and ambitious program ever was shared with ten experienced, worldly, fun loving, intrepid travellers through her Himalaya regions in May. From Sikkim we journeyed to Darjeeling, synonymous with tea and the British, to Chandigarh, India’s remarkable planned city designed by le Corbusier and others, gained a sense of the British Raj in their former summer capital Shimla, then onto magical mystical Kashmir. The last week was in Ladakh | Leh to experience high altitude deserts, glaciers, gushing rivers and waterfalls, ancient mountain dwellings, remote shrines and monasteries and the most luxurious tented camp in the Himalayas. We will consider offering this program again in 2025. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST |
 I am now a week away from going back to Morocco, researching with fresh eyes, and unsurprisingly in a quandary given the devastating tragedy and loss of precious life of the recent earthquake. However, I have been reassured by colleagues and friends there, that in their time of need, it is preferable to show support for the resilient and beautiful people of Morocco by not cancelling.From Casablanca I will be travelling onto the south of France to finesse the design of a new gourmet tour for 2024. TO SEND HELP – this has been recommended by a friend on the ground. Afoulki Pour Femmes is led by incredible women based in the Al Haouz province, one of the hardest-hit areas. They have worked closely with remote and rural communities in this region for many years. Members and friends of Afoulki are now working tirelessly to provide relief to those in need. You can donate here, knowing your money will help in the rescue and rebuilding work, and provide food and medicines. |
 Arranging a funeral –when you are in a deep state of bereavement when a loved one has just died, it can feel overwhelming when you have to arrange a fitting funeral. I am deeply grateful for the services provided by Natural Grace, Australia’s first holistic funeral directors. Every member of the team was sensitive, sympathetic, empathetic in the most authentic way. Their compassion was comforting and real. We know our darling dad Louis will have thought it perfect. |
| Accolades |
| Our website has had a beautiful design overhaul by my vivacious friend Hannah Mercedes. Hannah has me working in a WordPress site that is easy to navigate and update, but whenever I’m stuck she is just a phone call away and quick with a solution. She has also been developing her own business, a platform that showcases a curated collection of luxury travel providers across the Oceania region, including hotels, resorts, tour operators, and service providers, who share a commitment to delivering unparalleled quality, personalised service and stays at exceptional stupendous destinations. If perchance you have a fond memory of a trip you’ve shared with us, or a favourable comment about a trip we planned for you, I’d be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave a review here. Word of mouth means the world to us. |
| I am so deeply touched and honoured to have been included in Emily Ross’s wellness recommendations where she says: No one curates an itinerary better than Marieke, with every guest showered in hospitality and personal care. From the exquisite boutique hotels, culinary experiences and daily itineraries through to the knockout cultural moments, vistas and sensory joys. Marieke has an unrivalled contact book to ensure impeccable guides, local knowledge and entrees to the best hospitality and travel experiences on the planet – allowing a deeper connection to place, to landscape, to culture and local communities. Her depth of research, lifetime of travel and passion for what she does is reflected in everything she does. She is sensitive to all ages, abilities and interests, always delivers incredible value for money and creates perfect small group experiences. In her own right, Emily is a guru to many, from captains of industry to creative startups. You might need a striking, refreshed LinkedIn profile, your brand revitalised, your website overhauled or have some coaching in public speaking or enhanced business skills. I have been lucky enough to undergo one of Emily’s Values sessions, a deep dive into discerning for oneself how to align with absolute clarity the essentials to integrate life and work meaningfully, eliminate the junk narrative and take self care without guilt. Emily, a cherished friend is a powerhouse, a philanthropist, a passionate traveller, a committed yogi, a fitness hound, a tea aficionado, a no-nonsense communicator and brilliant at pinpointing the solutions you might be seeking, in life, in work and in relationships. We also draw deep sustenance from and share a few life transforming gurus: Byron Katie, Esther Perel and Saraswathi Vasudevan. |
| Centering Thoughts from Rumi “Believe in love’s infinite journey, for it is your own, for you are love. Love is life.”“Whoever travels without a guide, needs two hundred years for a two-day journey.”“Journeys bring power and love back into you. If you can’t go somewhere, move in the passageways of the self. They are like shafts of light, always changing, and you change when you explore them.” |
 Adios. Happy Spring | Autumn equinox. Please share this newsletter with friends. We look forward to welcoming you on a trip soon, whether it be imminently real, vicarious or armchair fanciful. Warm wishes, Marieke |
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