Month: May 2024

A commemoration of durability, strength and beauty, your silver anniversary deserves a celebration like no other. Creating memories for many more years, travel is an ever-popular 25th wedding anniversary trip idea. So why not go all-in on a destination that you and your partner have dreamed of since the early days of dating?

We invite you to mark this special occasion with Luxury Gold, and take a look at our favorite 25th wedding anniversary trip ideas, including excursions through Japan’s Onsens, Peru’s ancient cities and Australia’s wild Outback.

Redefine intimacy in Italy

Food, frescos and fascinating history rank Italy among the best 25th anniversary getaways. A flawless mix of curated experiences and private, personal time, our Ultimate Italy tour is full of moments to savor. In Tuscany you’re treated to a private wine tasting tour with the owners of Guardastelle Estate. Savor lunch with rolling hills and vineyards setting the backdrop for an unforgettable meal. In Venice where you’ll embark on a private after-hours tour of Doge’s Palace accompanied by a local historian. Explore Ancient Rome and the Vatican, cruise around Capri, visit the towns of Cinque Terre, and sit hand-in-hand with your love on a dreamy gondola ride through the canals of Venice.

Discover this on: Ultimate Italy

Recapture your thrill for adventure in Australia

When it comes to 25th anniversary destinations, the Land Down Under is on top. A quarter-century of marriage certainly hasn’t dimmed your spark, but if you and your partner are looking for the thrills of yesterday, Australia awaits. Experience this wild and wonderful country with a journey into the Outback. Venture into Kings Canyon and, as the darkness settles on the day, gather around the campfire for a moonlit barbecue and listen to a didgeridoo as you dine.

A very popular 25th anniversary trip idea, consider spending your silver anniversary on the Luxury Gold Inspiring Australia tour. Journey from Cairns to Sydney, soaking up the scenery, savoring the Hunter Valley wine region, and cruising to the Great Barrier Reef.

Discover this on: Inspiring Australia

Relive simple pleasures in Cambodia & Vietnam

A sweet and simple 25th anniversary trip idea involves a return to your earliest date nights.  When’s the last time you and your beau have truly been on a date? Return to the simpler days of your courtship and embrace the date nights of years past. Enjoy a quiet dinner together in romantic Hoi An, share nibbles of street food while touring the food stalls of Hanoi, and take in an unforgettable sunset from Angkor Wat’s marvelous temples.

The Luxury Gold Cambodia & Vietnam in Style tour grants you two-weeks of travel in two of Asia’s most fascinating countries. Travel with your beau through the Angkor Archaeological Park before learning how to brew Vietnamese coffee in Ho Chi Minh City and indulging in a steam bath together at Pilgrimage Village in Hue.

Discover this on: Cambodia & Vietnam in Style

Celebrate the big 25 with the Big Five in South Africa

A remarkable 25th anniversary getaway with an unrivaled safari experience, buckle up for one of the most awe-inspiring moments in your relationship. Witness lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, leopards, and more on a luxury safari experience in Kruger National Park. Here you’ll spend three days eyes wide and mouth agape as you walk through the bush and drive through the trees in search of Africa’s Big Five.

Spend an anniversary like no other on our Luxury Gold Spectacular South Africa tour. Visit Cape Town, toast your anniversary at Boschendal Wine Estate, summit Table Mountains, and make a poignant visit to Robben Island.

Discover this on: Spectacular South Africa

Give a gift they’ll treasure in Peru

While you can’t wrap wonder, you can watch as your partner’s eyes light up when viewing Machu Picchu for the first time. We invite you to explore this ancient site before the troves of day-trippers arrive, spoiling yourselves with ample opportunities for photo ops. Go beyond simple souvenirs and let your partner pick out a traditional Peruvian Cusqueñan textile from the artisans of the Sacred Valley, a colorful gift that symbolizes your vibrant journey over the last 25 years.

The Luxury Gold Treasures of the Incas tour lets you and your partner uncover the mysteries of Peru. From Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley to art-filled streets of Lima and the serenity of Lake Titicaca, this 12-day adventure is one of the most unique 25th anniversary getaways you can imagine.

Discover this on: Treasures of the Incas

Binge on a bucket list experience in Japan

You’ve had this 25th anniversary trip idea on your radar for years. Now’s the time to book it. As you and your partner get ready to embark on the next 25 years of your journey together, make sure the first chapter on the road to your 50th anniversary is as captivating as can be. Japan welcomes you to celebrate your love in the Onsen baths of Oirase, renewing your souls and love for one another in these crystal-clear streams. Sushi, sake and other savory delights line the menu of this 11 day adventure.

Discover Tokyo, admire Hirosaki Castle and sip tea on the island of Sendai on: Majestic Japan

To see where you could celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary with Luxury Gold, take look at our worldwide collection of small-group journeys.

With a 1,114-mile coastline lashed by the wild Atlantic, it’s no surprise that Portugal has some of the best seafood in the world on its menus. From huge grilled fish to bacalao fritters and smoky grilled sardines ‒ the latter have entire festivals dedicated to them ‒ this is a country obsessed with the fruits of the ocean. 

The dining scene here is so strong here that, from 2024, Portugal will have its own Michelin Guide separate from Spain’s. Those on a seafood fine dining trail through this rich, cultured country should take note of foodie capitals Lisbon and Porto, of course, but might also look to the southern coastline around the Algarve for standout dishes. From cutting-edge Michelin-starred numbers to newer rising stars, these are the places to go for the very best fish and seafood.

For travel inspiration: Portugal Destination Guide

Lota d’Avila, Lisbon

Modelled on the traditional Portuguese marisqueira (seafood restaurant), with glossy lobsters, crab and oysters displayed on ice at the counter, this is the place for an impressive seafood platter. Styled like a seafood market and beach bar, it serves elegant paellas, crab croquettes, deep-fried cuttlefish and seafood soup dreamt up by chef Vasco Lello. Sit up at the metal counter where you can see the shiny fruits de mer waiting to be seasoned and sizzled, or in elegant low-lit booths, or the beach-bar portion of the restaurant with its wicker light fixtures and blue-striped cushions. Fish lovers shouldn’t miss the chance to pick out a whole fish with their chef and have it grilled to their liking over a wood fire.

Discover the tastes of Iberia on: Spain & Portugal in Style

Gruta, Porto

Photo credit: @grutaporto on Instagram

Chef Rafaela Louzada is obsessed with seafood, and after you leave her restaurant, in the foodie northern city of Porto, you will be too. Gruta just earned the Bib Gourmand in the Spain and Portugal Michelin Guide, with its carefully curated menu of seafood fine dining and techniques from the north of Portugal. A simple cream dining room has exposed stone walls, raffia chairs and filament bulbs hanging from the ceiling; seafood rice comes sprinkled with edible flowers, while octopus carpaccio and grilled prawns keep things light. A female led team with a zest for this region’s flavours.

You may also enjoy reading: Sunshine on a plate: Travel Concierge Dom on his love of Iberia

JNcQUOI Beach Club, Comporta

Photo credit: @jncquoi.comporta

The jet set is catching on to the beachy enclave of Comporta, just south of Lisbon, where beachside restaurants sit alongside wild, unspoiled white sand dunes and turquoise sea. The seafood fine dining at this exclusive beach club ‒ the name is a play on ‘je ne sais quois’ ‒ is enjoyed with a view of Praia de Pego, one of the area’s best beaches; expect cod carpaccio with capers and arugula, zingy catch of the day ceviche and spaghetti with clams and bottarga, alongside showy oyster and seafood platters. Having one of the most elegant meals of your holiday, then stepping right onto soft sand? Heaven.

A read for all foodies: Why South Africa is the ultimate setting for a gourmet road trip

Prado, Lisbon

Photo credit: @prado_restaurante on Instagram

Market produce and seasonal fare are king at this buzzed-about Lisbon opening, which is contained in a former fish factory. Decorative hanging plants and ferns are draped from high, industrial-chic ceilings, as are disused fish-canning tools, with sage-green tongue and groove surrounding leather banquettes. Chef António Galapito crafts delicate dishes of Azores squid with potato and ham butter, or seared tuna belly in tomato consomme ‒ the name, Prado, might mean field, but there’s plenty of riches from the sea to enjoy.

Bookmark for later: The Best Private Cooking Classes to Enjoy With Luxury Gold

Bomfim 1896, Douro Valley

Photo credit: @bomfim1896 on Instagram

To the east of the northern city of Porto lies the Douro Valley, an undulating, emerald patch of terraced vineyards and glinting riverside. It’s becoming as much of a food hub for Portugal as Lisbon or Porto, a distinction encompassed beautifully by this 2023 opening, from the Symington family (the owners of Cockburn’s Port). Set alongside the river, with dazzling verdant views, its chef, Pedro Lemos, delivers a rustic-luxe menu of oysters, Algarve shrimp, and seafood stew. Many dishes are focused on wood-fired oven cooking: try the grilled violet prawns or roasted turbot with cassava mash.

We also think you will like: Fine dining, dressed down: the cuisine of Vietnam and Cambodia

Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, Porto

Photo credit: @casachaboanova on Instagram

A grand design by the sea, this listed national monument of a building sits above Praia da Boa Nova, just outside Porto. As a two-Michelin-star restaurant with the waves crashing on the rocks below, it feels fitting that seafood fine dining is the star of the show here: think tuna bao with wasabi, sardine escabeche macarons and scarlet shrimp in a wild mushroom broth. Chef Rui Paula took inspiration from a verse from a famous Portuguese poem, The Lusiads – “hitherto unchartered waters” – to create this innovative and cutting-edge experience.

Read more about responsible dining: 11 of the Best Sustainable Fine-Dining Restaurants in the World

Ocean, Alporchinhos, Algarve

Photo credit: @oceanrestaurant on Instagram

This high-end dining spot takes inspiration from Portugal’s history of global exploration and voyaging, with influences from Goa to Cape Verde, as well as making the most of the local fish and shellfish. Part of the five-star Vila Vita Parc resort, in Alporchinhos, this small, intimate dining room seating 35 has sea-view windows echoed by azure walls and corals displayed on high shelves. Chef Hanz Neuner has created an exquisite menu featuring Portuguese carabinero (scarlet prawn), Rio de Formosa oysters with samphire, champagne and caviar, and turbot with mushrooms and fermented banana. With two Michelin stars, this is one to make a detour for.

We also think you’ll like: Acclaimed Sydney restaurant Bennelong and its love affair with Australian food

If you love cuisine then you’ll love a small group journey with Luxury Gold, with Exceptional Dining at the heart of every journey.