Author Archives: gbooks

About gbooks

Our luxury travel service puts the ultimate touch on Journeys reflecting a unique experience of a lifetime; we design Legacy Travel for our clients. Our focus on bespoke Journeys entails more than a creative idea and a few reservations. We hand select our land teams, guides, behind the scenes experts - all who reflect our passion for excellence and personalized service. I’m passionate about travel and unique experiences; interested in meeting local people,studying architecture, discovering and learning as much as possible about every city I visit. I adore Paris, yearn to see more of Africa, a recent visit to Istanbul reminds me that there is much more to see in Turkey. A passage to India allowed me to explore the rich and diverse culture, and I barely scratched the surface of this amazing country. Love to sail, discover music and indigenous food of each region, seek out the best markets and design, and of course dine at the local restaurants. I particularly love roaming Africa, recently explored Argentina and India, which deserve another visit. A devoted Francophile, love all things Parisian, world music, excellent wines & champagne.

Exclusive Papua New Guinea Expedition

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Adventure Proposal Papua New Guinea
We have an exhilarating opportunity for a fortunate group of six – eight passengers on a luxurious motor yacht. Papua New Guinea is a renowned colorful equatorial wonderland. Positioned 100 miles north of Australia, it is part of the second largest island in the world after Greenland. It is also the highest tropical island with 70% of it being cloaked in dense tropical forests.

Our Expedition Leader is a sophisticated PhD who has been on expeditions to track tigers in the Sumatran jungle, anthrax on the Etosha plain, lived with seals in the Southern Ocean, and uncover desert vipers in the Middle East. His work with award-winning documentary teams from the BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic have put him up close and personal with some of the world’s most dangerous creatures-if it bites, stings, crawls, or swims he has been at its pointy end. The Captain and local cultural specialists are world class. I’ve traveled with the Expedition Leader and I would trust him on any Journey.

SPIRIT

An expedition that includes snorkeling, diving and cultural experiences, including the Sepik Crocodile Festival. The Sepik River Crocodile Festival is a three-day cultural celebration staged annually in Ambunti, East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. The Crocodile Festival highlights the importance of the crocodile and its cultural significance to the people of the Sepik River. The Sepik River is one of the largest rivers in the Asia-Pacific region and is home to some of the world’s largest freshwater and saltwater crocodile populations.

Private visit to the vibrant Mount Hagen Cultural Show, where upwards of 100 tribes will share their cultural traditions through colorful costumes, primal dances and hypnotic music.

Cruise down river from Ambunti through hill country and authentic villages. Daily activities include but not limited to: water-sports, hiking, beach BBQ, river rafting, beach days, Island explorations, Bamboo River Rafting, 4WD Land excursions.

Sepik River

Contact us for dates, departure from PNG. Are you game?

Staycation Lowes Regency San Francisco

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Is it my gypsy soul or an over active exploring gene implanted in my disposition?
After a long Journey, I adore landing home to my garden cottage to perfectly plump pillows, down feather bed, fragrant roses, and the picture-perfect summer garden…but after a few weeks at home, Nomad Fever infects!

View from my Soaking Tub, Lowes Regency San Francisco

Impractical for me to escape on an epic Journey every other month, so little escapes satisfy my yearnings. My business meetings in San Francisco have inspired me to include sleepovers, exploring different neighborhoods. I had forgotten about the Lowes Regency, which was once the Mandarin Oriental, and is soon to be the second Four Seasons Hotel in the city. Sitting on the edge of the financial district, it offers spectacular panoramic skyline vistas, a 24-hour fitness center with floor to ceiling windows, and a superbly hushed setting for a city hotel. High rise windows open a crack for fresh air and for a burb dweller, the quiet is exquisite! The Regency occupies the top 11 floors of a 48-floor high-rise, Bridge to Bridge sweeping views, the 40th floor has an outdoor platform if you dare lean over the railing, I’m content with bed views!

Lowes Regency San Francisco

Many S.F. neighborhoods have succumbed to a blight of litter, you won’t find that here on Sansome Street at The Regency. It’s safe, unsoiled and an utterly cozy sky nest! I highly recommend a corner suite; the views are swoon worthy! Comfy beds, spacious living room, a desk for working, and for me, the ubiquitous soaking tub! My latest suite, room 4414, may have to have my name implanted on the door, the corner setting includes up close and personal views of the new Salesforce Tower with its animated tower capsule truly, among the hovering clouds and foamy ocean surf, ballet figures pirouette and float across the upper six floors of the illuminated crown. At night, daily footage culled from video cameras placed throughout the city (at Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, Market Street, Embarcadero, maybe even the dump) encircle the tower and project softly into the night. From my cozy bed, it was like my own private movie projection.

Mosey safely to leading epicurean palaces, hidden stairways and the scenic Embarcadero promenade is blocks away. My stay last week was so inspiring, I plan to return soon, maybe I will amble down to the ageless Tadich Grill for a tipple.

Lowes Regency, San Francisco highly recommend for bird eye views, a good night sleep and a stylish environment. In April, the hotel will close for a month while it transitions to management and refurbishing by Four Seasons. The cure for Nomad Fever!

Salesforce Tower Crown view from my bed Lowes Regency San Francisco