Bringing Travel to Life
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When I was invited to join a Kensington Tours Ambassador trip to Slovenia and Croatia in October, I rearranged my schedule and jumped on a plane to Ljubljana. I'd been wanting to see these countries and finally here was my chance. Short version: I loved everything about both these countries. For brevity's sake, I'll chat about my visit to Slovenia and write about Croatia on a different day. (My short note on Croatia - three nights is NOT enough)
Early October in Slovenia was every bit the delight I'd hoped it would be! Fall is thick in the air and the budding tourism industry is slightly on pause until Christmas markets giving any visitor a chance to experience it all close up. The wonderful team from Kensington Tours (one of my preferred partners) did an exceptional job; from airport pick-up to departure it was all smooth as silk.
Our itinerary was jam packed and we were up earlier/ to bed late so we could experience as much of what the Kensington Slovenian team offers as we could. Kensington Tours guest trips are always a slower pace so there is no sense of feeling pushed to get it all done.
We based our trip out of Ljubljana, a city whose history is filled with ancient Celts, Illyrians, followed and then the Romans. At Ljubljana Castle there's a Roman well from the 1st century which was buried, only rediscovered centuries later.
There's definitely a feeling that everything is just an hour away, and mostly that's true. Within just over an hour we were in the Julian Alps, down at the seaside, and out into the country. Although we didn't have time to go there, the Slovenian wine country and its spas are also just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
This is really an ideal country where you can do a bit of everything. It's particularly well suited for anyone loving food, wine, and spas or for those looking to kick it up a notch and do some serious biking or hiking. Rich in organic food and earth friendly living, it's fabulous.
Here's what our small group accomplished in our five full days in Slovenia. There is so much more to do, this was not nearly enough time! I could write a book on just these five days. I'm still working on my social media for this trip; about 800 pics and video to sort through.
Both hotels were superb for comfort, luxury, and placement - easily walkable to the city centre and sights. The activities were fun, interesting with guides who were excellent. Then there was so much delicious food!!
Day 1 | Ljubljana | Hotel - AS Boutique Hotel
- Meet and Greet at the airport with transfer to hotel
- Afternoon City walking tour of Ljubljana City
- Dinner at Pen Klub where Chef Mojmir Marko Šiftarf leads the team
Day 2 | Lake Bled
Day 3 | The Slovenian Seaside
Day 4 | The countryside to Zagreb | Hotel Esplanade
- Transfer to Zagreb
- Tour of BioSing - a company doing handcrafted artisanal aged salami
- Dinner at Zinfandel - Michelin green starred
Day 5 | Zagreb
- Walking tour of Zagreb
- Lunch at Vinodol
- Afternoon at Leisure
- Dinner at Gallo
On Day 6 we headed to Croatia and pushed on for 3 nights based out of Dubrovnik, another gem of a city.
I was really pleased to get this exclusive invitation from Kensington Tours. I've sent clients with them all over the world and it was wonderful to finally know first hand how Kensington Tours takes care of their guests. For a private handcrafted custom trip to Slovenia, Kensington Tours is the partner I will definitely work with - just a great team.
Understandably, not everyone can go private. If you are looking to join a great small group trip to see Slovenia, I'd recommend Backroads. They have a great 5-day Hiking/ Walking trip through the glorious outdoors. Or, if you love food and want to really do a deep dive, I'd recommend going Intrepid Travel's 13-day Slovenia & Croatian Food Adventure.
My end point - add Slovenia to your list of places to visit! It's remarkable and well worth the time.
And a very Happy St. Nicholas Day!
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St. Nicholas, whose feast day is celebrated today on Dec. 6, is known to possibly be the real-life inspiration for the beloved Christmas character of Santa Claus. The historical Nicholas, was bishop of Myra, a Greek city in modern-day Turkey, during the fourth century A.D., and is the patron saint of children.
The cathedral in Ljubljana is dedicated to St. Nicholas and every year they celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6. The night before the children leave their shoes/clogs outside the door and St. Nicholas rewards those doing good with sweets, while Parkelj or Krampus, gives out coal to the naughty.
Although an Orthodox Saint, the feast of St. Nicholas, is for many the official start of the Christmas holidays with Mass and concerts.
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If you're thinking about a trip of any kind, email me - let's get you outbound.
HINT: Now is the time to book any trips you are looking at for January - April 2025. Winter ski season has begun and Spring Break is filling up, particularly in the hot spots. A lot of people waited to see what this next year would bring and now they are booking those trips they were holding.
Thank you for allowing me to pop into your email. Be sure to check out my website at www.opalandfinch.com for updates. And I appreciate your sharing with your friends and family.
Great things happening in travel. Are you ready to bring travel to your life?
Have a beautiful week. 19 days til Christmas 🎄
I'm still working on my photos from my trips this year (127 days in total). So there's a lot to cull through. Watch for them to arrive on my social. I really need to learn how to post same day. If you aren't following @opalandfinch👇 here are the links 👇 and I always love it when you tag me on your trips with @opalandfinch or #opalandfinch
Upcoming Events
NEW - Q&A with Martha | Third Monday monthly I'm hosting a Q&A session about travel. Bring your questions about current trips, things you've heard, or just a great story, and join the conversation. Everyone welcome. This will be a Teams meeting (you can join just by phone if you don't want to be on camera.) The first one will be December 16, 2024. If you are interested, email me and I'll send you the link. You can also sign up through my Meetup Group called Connecting to the World through Travel
Upcoming trips YOU can join me on
- April 30 - May 14, 2025 - Amsterdam to Budapest with Uniworld River Cruises - SOLD OUT but get on the waitlist if there's a cancellation or book into this amazing itinerary for an available date
- November 28 - December 13, 2025 - Eygpt Small Group Trip 14-days with Egypt Unlimited (Only 10 spaces available for this exclusive small group journey - Email to join Waitlist). This luxury trip will include exploration of Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, and the Red Sea with a private egyptologist/guide and driver.
- April 8 - 22, 2026 - Madrid to Lisbon with AmaWaterways - 14-Day Flavors of Portugal and Spain with AmaWaterways (only 4 Category A and 3 Category B cabins available, Category D (duck view room) has 5 available)
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Need to book a quick HOTEL? Use this link to book on your own and still get all those Virtuoso Amenities because of our partnership with Virtuoso.
Travel INSURANCE - Use the link to purchase a travel insurance policy with Travel Insured, my preferred travel insurance partner.
-> Some Land Based Travel ideas <-
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DISCOVERY TRAVEL
- Tauck in Australia/ New Zealand | Your adventure begins here! Marvel at both natural and monumental throughout this "dreamtime" land down under tour. From the monolithic Ayers Rock (Uluru), to a foodie tour in Sydney, and the waters that make up the the Great Barrier Reef. Tauck tours drop you into the heart of the destination.
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SOLO TRAVEL
- Solo Travel with Exodus | Solo travel is no longer considered a niche pursuit. Every year, more travelers are finding reasons to pluck up the courage and adventure alone, but when you travel solo with Exodus, you’ll also have an expert leader and a group of new friends to share the experience with.
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ACTIVE TRAVEL
- Let's talk about Backroads, Intrepid, UnCruise, and DuVine and so many others and see which is a fit for you.
- General Travel Tips and ideas | Check out the website section Travel Tidbits for more travel tools and information -> the page is getting a refresh so it's not as pretty as the other options.
**Help me know better what your travel dreams look like!**
Click on the word below 👇 What defines the kind of travel you want to do in the next 18 months
Hello. I’m Martha Day, owner and head travel designer at Opal&Finch, a boutique luxury travel company based in Dallas, TX, and (spoiler alert)
I LOVE travel. It is a joy to assist others with their travel needs.
My design goal is simple: that you return from your journey refreshed. Whether you head to a far-flung exotic destination, choose to relax deck side on a ship, or need your feet in the sand kicking back by the sea, whatever you choose, my desire is for you return home rejuvenated with great stories that bring smiles.
Opal&Finch exists to inspire connections through travel. We provide effortless travel planning, management, and concierge services to busy people so they can take memory-filled vacations even when schedules are packed and it seems impossible to get away.
- We believe travel is a means to bringing positive change to the world and its communities
- We believe meeting our global neighbors, through personal experience, benefits us individually, locally, and globally
- We support suppliers who are continuing to support the destination they operate in towards a positive future
If you’re looking to travel, I’d love to help bring your travel dreams to life.
#ImagineWhatCanBe #SoVirtuoso #BringingTravelToLife
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*Proud to be a certified Virtuoso Voyages Host* (ask me what this means for you!)
Bringing Travel to Life
Opal&Finch is an independent affiliate of Gifted Travel Network - a Virtuoso® Member Agency | Gifted Travel Network, Inc is registered with the following state licenses: California - Seller of Travel Registration No. 2113317-40, Washington - Seller of Travel Unified Business ID (UBI) # 603 308 394, Florida - Seller of Travel Registration No. ST39093.
