Outside of Matamata, New Zealand on the North Island is The Shire, home of the Hobbiton movie set made for the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies. Over 42 hobbit holes are in the shire, part of a 1250 acre sheep farm owned by the Alexander family. Bag End, the largest hole and home to the Baggins family, has a commanding view of the Shire.

Running from $40K to over $100K are Australia’s famous “Beach Boxes.” Many popular beaches feature these brightly colored private refuges. ​Some can be over 100 years old!

During the Australian summer the penguin colony on Phillips Island is home to nesting boxes and hungry chicks, sometimes two to a box. Located 90 miles east of Melbourne, the Island is a must see attraction. Each evening a thousand penguins come ashore after gathering fish in the rich offshore waters and feed their chicks. The penguin parade of returning adults can be seen from viewing positions with the penguins only feet away from the spectators. Photos are not permitted of the parade but earlier in the day we did see these chicks awaiting their meal ticket.

We will always ask you if anyone in your traveling party is allergic or has sensitivity to certain foods, chemicals, feathers, etc. Our mission is to offer you the best options for a fantastic vacation. We routinely contact hotels, cruise lines and tour operators to verify that their culinary and hospitality operations will ensure that our guests enjoy allergy-free experiences.

Harvest time brings out festivals around the world from apple picking here in Virginia to olive pressing in Italy. The annual Alba Truffle Fair, held each October to early November in the village of Alba in northwestern Italy, is ground zero for celebrating some of the world’s finest “tartufi bianchi,” or white truffles, considered by many as one of the world’s richest flavors. Even if you didn’t get an invitation to the auctions where fanatics will bid up white truffles into the tens of thousands of euros, you can join the happy crowds and browse the weekend town markets for truffle oils, cheeses, and more or settle into a local café for menus celebrating mushrooms in more ways than you thought possible. Naturally, no Italian celebration is complete without medieval costumes, parades and contrada – neighborhood – contests. In Alba they race donkeys in the annual competition for neighborhood bragging rights.
Please check out our website for a comprehensive list of Italian festivals.