Luxe Adventure Traveler Tim and I were married in a hot air balloon in Las Vegas in 2002. Well, a grounded hot air balloon. The weather was too windy to even safely inflate the balloon for our wedding photos. Despite scheduling hot air balloon rides everywhere from Las Vegas to Egypt, something always kept us grounded. After an 11 year wait, our first balloon flight needed to be nothing short of spectacular. So we booked a flight with Balloons Over Bagan, in the ancient city of 4446 pagodas, and crossed our fingers for good weather. After all, traveling to Myanmar, even from Thailand, requires ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler A lunar-like, rock covered landscape unlike no other. Fairy chimneys and hot air balloons by the hundreds. This is Cappadocia. Nowadays dubbed a must-visit by just about everyone, the central Turkey region was barely on anyone’s radar a mere 20 years ago. But the Bagan meets Petra destination was thrust in to the limelight, and now it seems just about everyone has been there. And if they haven’t, Cappadocia is most definitely on their bucket list. Famous for hot air ballooning and Instagram worthy rooftops, Cappadocia has become one of the most visited places in Turkey ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler I might be a little bit biased, but I think hot air ballooning over the world’s must stunning landscapes is one of the most romantic experiences you can have. After all, Tim and I were married in a hot air balloon…sort of. Our grounded hot air balloon wedding in 2002 A hot air balloon wedding wasn’t always the plan. Actually, it was a OMG-our-wedding-is-being-cancelled-what-do-we-do-now decision to wake up at the ungodly hour of 4am and drag our immediate family out in to the freezing desert for a sunrise hot air balloon ride and wedding. And even that didn’t go as plan ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler Kenya’s Masai Mara is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife viewing areas and the jewel of Kenya. The nearly 600 square mile Masai Mara National Reserve is remarkable for its year-round density of big game wildlife and spotting Africa’s Big Five is almost a guarantee. It’s a no-brainer when selecting a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience. The one thing you might not have considered for your safari, though, is taking to the skies in a Masai Mara hot air balloon safari. And a hot air balloon Masai Mara experience simply needs to be on your bucket list. Sunrise in the Masai M ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler There are few things that actually worth waking up before the sunrise for – at least for this night owl. One of those things I’ll never hesitate setting a 4:30am alarm for is a sunrise hot air balloon flight, especially when gently gliding over the châteaux-dotted vineyards of the Bordeaux wine region. There’s nothing like taking the vineyards in from above, which is why hot air ballooning in Saint-Émilion should definitely be on your Bordeaux bucket list. Just when you think Bordeaux can’t get any more beautiful, you see it from the air Bordeaux is one of France’s most ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler Being married in a hot air balloon will turn you into a balloon enthusiast, especially when you are about to celebrate your eleventh wedding anniversary and you have yet to actually fly in a hot air balloon together. We may still be waiting for our very special first flight after an extremely windy wedding morning left us saying our vows in just a balloon basket, but we were still thrilled to be invited to the opening day of the Filzmoos Balloon Week by Tourismusverband Filzmoos! We had a fantastic time and here are five reasons you should go to Filzmoos Balloon Week: 1 ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler With a new home in the southwest of France for the next year or so, Exodus Travels asked me which French bucket list adventures I’d love to check off my list. Eternal planner that I am (when it comes to all things travel, anyway), I already have a list of my must-dos while I call Bordeaux home. Ballooning over the Châteaux of the Loire Valley | France Balloons 1. Hot Air Ballooning the Loire Valley You know I can never resist taking to the skies in a balloon, so it should come as no surprise that hot air ballooning over the Loire Valley’s over 800 castles and vineyard ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler I held my breath as the balloon lifted off the ground. In the silence, the first beams of sunlight began to peek over the top of the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains. It was breathtaking and I couldn’t quite believe we were actually hot air ballooning in Marrakech. It almost didn’t happen. If you know our history with hot air ballooning, you know we have terrible luck. Even the hot air balloon we were married in stayed ground because it was too windy on our wedding day. Thankfully, we had the smarts to schedule our hot air balloon flight for our very first morning in Ma ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler Enchanting wine regions with stunningly beautiful vineyards, colorful landscapes, and (of course) top notch vino are the essentials of a wine vacation. Winery tours and tastings are just a start though, so we’ve put together these 5 types of wine vacations to help you plan the perfect wine-lovers retreat for your travel personality. Each promises beautiful scenery, delectable grapes, and will inspire you to explore the wonderful world of wine making. Sunset at Santo Wines Winery 1. The wine and food wine vacation Where: Instantly recognizable for its steep sea cliffs ..read more

Luxe Adventure Traveler I’ve been fascinated with hot air balloons for as long as I can remember. My dad used to take me to a field just down the road from our house where balloonists would land and I always wanted a ride. When I moved to Las Vegas, balloons would lift off near our apartment in Summerlin and I always thought it would be romantic to take a ride over my beloved Las Vegas. So romantic in fact, Tim and I decided to get married in a hot air balloon. Unfortunately, it was too windy that day and we never got to lift off for our flight. Just a little more than 10 years later, I finall ..read more