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Africa, Concierge Tips, Uncategorized

Best Places to Propose: 6 Romantic Destinations for an Unforgettable Engagement

April 19, 2024 by Luxury Gold No Comments
Two felucca sail boats on the river Nile, seen with sunlight shining golden on the water

There is no tried and true list of the best places to propose. Each partner deserves a destination engagement that is tailored to their love language.

At Luxury Gold, we curate our journeys based on our guests’ desires, hand-picking the most unique experiences that showcase the diversity of a destination. So many of our bespoke experiences, from the hills of South America to the jungles of Asia, are inherently romantic, creating one of a kind places to propose.

That said, there are certain destinations that will make your special moment particularly unforgettable – and we’ve rounded them up and put a ribbon on them for you. All you need to do is bring the ring.

The Best Places to Propose on a Luxury Gold Tour

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Cuisine, Uncategorized

A day in the life of one of Croatia’s top truffle hunters

January 12, 2024 by Luxury Gold No Comments
Man walking through a forest, looking down

Did you know “truffle hunter” was a career choice? Not only is it a real job, but it involves leading a pack of extremely cute dogs on daily walks, in search of natural treasure. It’s a fascinating world to get a peek into, and you can do just that in Istria, a peninsula in northern Croatia. 

On Luxury Gold’s Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast journey, one of our luxury Croatia holidays, you’ll visit an established truffle farm, Prodan Tartufi; a small family operation, it’s been run by three generations of the Prodan family since the 1960s. Here, expert truffle hunter Visnja Prodan Jekić talks us through her typical day in the forests and farmland of Buzet, Croatia.

 

A good canine team is everything

 

close-up photo of a truffle hunting dog, working with its owner to sniff out truffles

It’s a myth that only one species of dog is fit to work in truffle hunting, says Visnja, though some do have it more in their blood than others. “We have a couple of terrier-mix dogs who we have trained from being very young puppies, and they are excellent ‒ the key is training them from very young,” she explains.

“We also have a Portuguese Water Dog ‒ this breed has hunting and retrieving in their DNA, but they are quite stubborn and alpha. They want to be the best on the team. Ours, Capo, is very young and doesn’t work well with others at the moment. When he’s older and calmer he’ll be able to work in a pair.” 

Dog training and relationship building is a huge part of Visnja and brother Mirko’s job ‒ they take one or two dogs out on every hunting mission.

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Training takes years

 

Truffle dog standing up against its owner

Visnja and the family spent years training their dog pack to be excellent truffle hunters. “We feed them with truffles when they are little, only a couple of months old, and they get to know the smell, to eat some and play with them,” she explains. “Then we eventually bury some so they learn to find their location and dig for them.” 

This means the dogs do get a taste for the truffles, however: “We have to be quick, back they never bark when they find one,” adds Visnja. “They just start digging, so we have to catch up and get to the truffle before them ‒ we take the truffle and give them a treat quickly, so they associate it with good work.” But no employee is perfect: many a dog has chomped through a very valuable truffle. 

 

You have to know where to look

Man walking through a forest, looking down

Truffles tend to grow in certain locations in the forest; the most reliable corners of Prodan’s own land are a closely guarded family secret. “My grandfather was a very, very wise man. Everything we know about truffles, we learned from him,” says Visnja. “He started finding truffles in the 1960s, and taught my mum and her sisters everything there was to know about truffles, agriculture and wine.” As such, she’ll never reveal her truffle hot spots, keeping them a close secret between herself, her brother and the dogs. 

“If anyone found out where we find them, they could trespass and go looking for them,” she explains. However, new locations are found all the time ‒ in fact, animals help in spreading the truffles across woodland by eating them and depositing the spores around new tree roots. 

Try local truffles on Luxury Gold’s 12-day Ultimate Italy journey.

 

It’s an unpredictable pursuit

gold truffles on a wooden board

People think that this outdoorsy, dog-friendly role is the dream job, says Visnja, but really it can be long, unpredictable and frustrating. Everything from weather conditions to the dogs’ mood can affect their success rate. “If you’re not patient, it’s simply not a job for you,” she says. “Some people think they can just train a dog and go and find truffles, but there are so many hours spent walking in the woods and not finding anything.” 

She goes out for truffles all year round, though tourists most often visit for tours in spring and autumn. Summer can be a hindrance: “If it’s too hot, the dogs don’t tend to find anything; so we go early morning or late evening so they can smell better.” Their canine assistants are also quick to pick up on humans’ moods. “If you’re anxious or stressed, they can sense that and they refuse to do anything ‒ so you have to be incredibly calm.”

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Gastronomic knowledge plays a part

Aged Carnaroli Rice Risotto, Crispy Sweetbreads, Burgundy Truffle, Pickled Mushrooms

Away from the hunt, truffle hunters need to know the types of truffle they’re dealing with, their value and how quickly they should be used. “You have to pretty much sell them as you get them ‒ they get less flavourful and eventually rot. If you freeze them, the flavour gets lost, so it’s best to preserve them in oil,” explains Visnja. Prodan sells to local Croatian restaurants as well as selling wholesale worldwide. On her tours, Visnja takes guests back to the farmhouse to try a range of truffle spreads, pestos and condiments, as well as scrambled egg with grated truffle and truffle-sprinkled ice cream. 

We also think you’ll like: Where to find the most rare and expensive food in the world

 

You can strike gold ‒ or white

 

Hand holding out a large truffle

“Depending on the time of the year, truffle hunters search for different types: you have several black truffle sub-varieties: black summer, autumn and winter. In terms of white truffles, you have white winter and white spring types.” The white winter truffle is the most expensive type; they cannot be cultivated, unlike the black variety. 

Prices really vary, says Visnja: “A lower quantity in one season means the prices go higher; last year the wholesale price went up to more than 5,000 Euros per kilo.” The most expensive truffle ever sold was a 4.16-pound white truffle, which went for $61,250 at Sotheby’s.

We also think you’ll like: Seven ways you’ll celebrate Tuscan food when you travel with Luxury Gold

Meet a truffle hunter on Luxury Gold’s Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast tour.

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Cuisine, Uncategorized

This Country Takes the Crown for the Most Michelin-Starred Restaurants in 2024

December 29, 2023 by Luxury Gold No Comments
Pretty plate of michelin star food

The sound of silver cutlery chiming against porcelain plates. The satisfying ‘clink’ of glasses, each holding a wine expertly tailored to each course. And, last but not least, the tingle of sugar on the tongue during the first bite of dessert: the feelings a fine meal evokes are second to none. But can you guess the country with the most Michelin stars?

It is the country that devised the entire Michelin concept: France. The first Michelin Guide was published in 1900 as an aid for French leisure drivers on long journeys – and as a way to get them to wear their wheels out faster, so they’d require more Michelin products.

 

Two classic cars driving up a winding, cliff-side road in France

The idea was a hit, soon spreading beyond France; in 1910, a guide featuring most of Western Europe was published. 124 years later, the series is still going strong, with international editions and chefs around the world prizing Michelin stars as the highlights of their career. 

France has typically topped the list since the guides were created, and in March 2023 Michelin released its celebrated guide to French restaurants – a detailed homage to the country who has the most Michelin stars in the world. 

Discover more of France’s finest on our Ultimate Southern France itinerary 

 

France’s finest food

Michelin man spray painted on to a garage

France currently has 630 Michelin star restaurants, and the list from last March awarded many existing establishments their second or third star – plus, it conferred around 40 ambitious restaurants their very first.

Spectacularly situated at the end of a peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic is the aptly-named La Marine, which was awarded its third hard-won Michelin star this year. Chef Alexandre Couillon and his catering expert wife Céline work to create nature-inspired dishes within the rustic confines of an old fishing cottage. Each day, Alexandre wakes up early to buy fish directly from the local market. Sometimes, he can be found foraging in the local marshes for ingredients – the tasting menu changes whimsically to reflect the finest in-season local produce. 

A new two-star for 2023 is L’Amaryllis. Tucked away in a gorgeous Provençal hill village, the tables are within earshot of a tranquil mill stream. The cottage garden provides the earthly ingredients needed in the kitchen, but chef Cédric Burtin likes to keep everything else on the menu under wraps: prepare to see courses labeled simply as ‘River’, ‘Hive’, and ‘Fruit’.

Close to Calais is another culinary gem: the Château de Beaulieu, which also earned its second star this year. Sustainable cooking is integral to its philosophy, as over 30 local producers are used to supply everything from shallots to saffron. 

 

Rising culinary stars

Plate of prawns on glass plate with white background at Maison Ruggieri restaurant

Photo credit: @maisonruggieri no Instagram

Paris is home to its fair share of new Michelin-listed restaurants – it boasts six of the mouthwatering Michelin newcomers in 2023. The food scene in Paris is as diverse as its people, with restaurants ranging from Franco-Japanese to modern Mediterranean.

In 2023, brand-new Maison Ruggieri impressed the Michelin critics with its subtle presentation and seemingly limitless choice: diners can request a particular dish or ingredient when they make their reservation.

Young chef Omar Dhiab, whose eponymous establishment is a stone’s throw from the Louvre, showcases France’s most iconic dishes – think grain-fed duck, toasted brioche and strong coffee – with a modern twist, while Ōrtensia on the banks of the Seine mixes French influences with Japanese presentation; you’ll almost certainly fall for the Gallic sea bream marinated in sake. 

Although plant-based eaters can find it tricky to enjoy France’s meat-and-fish heavy cuisine, newly one-starred Astrance makes it easy: crispy onion tartlets, zingy Thai curries and fruity sweet courses prove hard to resist.   

Dress to impress: here’s how to get ready for a Michelin-star restaurant

 

In second place: Japan

Plate of red fish sushi on brown plate at Hiroo Ishizaka sushi bar

Photo credit: @hiroo_ishizaka on Instagram

While France is the country with the most Michelin stars, Paris is not the city with the most Michelin stars: with a total of 263 listed restaurants, that title goes to Tokyo, Japan. Japanese traditional cuisine (kaiseki) has always placed a strong emphasis on seasonality and immaculate presentation, and Japanese chefs strive to incorporate ancient styles onto modern plates.

In Tokyo, followers of the Michelin star will find everything from two-starred tempura (Japanese deep fried vegetables) to floreal Italian desserts influenced by Japanese Buddhist vegetarian principles. Newcomers include natural (straw and wood-fired) cooking at L’Eterre and the sumptuous sushi bar Hiroo Ishizaka.

Plus, there are now three ramen restaurants with a Michelin star in Tokyo, so those who crave a more discrete and distinctly Japanese dining experience can eat a Michelin meal in close company with hungry Tokyo-dwellers.

Discover more of Asia’s delectable dishes with India’s Michelin-star chefs



Old rival: Italy 

Interior of dining room at 3 michelin star la pergola

Photo credit: @heinzbecklapergola on Instagram

As the country with the third-most Michelin stars in the world, European neighbors Italy are hot on France’s heels with 385 starred restaurants. Italian cuisine is beloved the world over, with rich sauces, wafer-thin egg pastas and an unfailing dedication to putting love and Italian passion into every dish. Take an al fresco seat in Rome’s three-star La Pergola, and you’ll see why Italy does food like no other: classics like punchy cacio e pepe and Milanese saffron risotto take on a new dimension when your table overlooks such a romantic vista of Rome’s seven hills. For a truly unforgettable experience, consider an Italy luxury tour that includes incredible dining options.

Eat around Europe: explore our guide to the best Michelin-star restaurants in Edinburgh

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