Find a suggestion on every one of the 25 days of Christmas to give you an idea of the things we can plan and help get your wheels turning for the next year so you and your friends, family and loved ones don’t miss out on anything! This section will remain online all year as a source of inspiration to help you think up some amazing things to do, be sure to contact me for any additional questions or information!

On the first day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

A ski weekend in a private Luxury Apartment at Villa Wellspacher Semmering in Austria including limousine Transfer to and from Airport, bottle of welcome bubbly, 2 day ski/snowboard passes, equipment rental and private ski/snowboard instructor. Weekend can be extended and expanded to include Vienna. Read our post about Semmering and this property here.

On the second day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

A romantic French Château retreat at your choice of either the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles directly or Chateau d’Esclimont (dinner included) in Saint Symphorien, near Versailles. Limosine transfer to and from Airport, welcome gift on arrival, a visit of the Versailles Castle and gardens on one day and the traditional french sunday market in Versailles (if stay includes a sunday). This retreat can be extended and expanded to include all of the surrounding area, including Chartres and Paris.

On the third day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

A Rail Tour that will allow you to not only experience the excitement of traveling by railway between countries in the heart of Europe, but allow you to discover and explore two completely different cities in two completely different countries, providing you with a bit of the best of both worlds! Beginning in Budapest, you will stay at your choice between the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace or the Kempinski Korvinus Hotel, both located directly in the City Centre. After your stay in Budapest you will travel to Prague via rail in 1st class (of course) and check into the Kempinski Hybenska Hotel located in the heart of Prague. Welcome gifts on arrival and limousine Transfers to and from Airports and Train Stations are of course included and taken care of.

On the fourth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

The ultimate Golf experience, where you are able to play three of the best courses in the world! You will be staying and playing at the courses of the Turnberry, Gleneagles and the St. Andrews Old Course Hotel. Everything including transfers between the properties and Airports is taken care of so you can kick back, relax and just focus on your games.

On the fifth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Do you want to experience true Japan? Well, on this occasion you can experience Japan and all its traditions during an amazing Ryokan visit. A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese Inn which originated in the Edo period and would accomodate passing travellers during their long journeys. These traditional inns provide a true Japanese cultural experience which isn’t necessarily evident in all of today’s modern Japan. Yukatas (Japanese Robe) are worn and baths are taken in hot springs, breakfast and dinner is included and why not experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony? If you thought drinking a cup of tea in Japan was a simple thing, think again! A Japanese Rail Pass is available to visitors of Japan for those of you that would like to take full advantage of your visit there. This unlimited railway ticket enables you to explore the entire country at your hearts desire without having to worry about all the nitty-gritty details like train schedules and fares.

On the sixth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Our automobile fans are covered today with an exclusive supercar road trip on the Grande Tour, which takes you through Swiss, French and Italian Alps! Featured on the best European road trips by the guardian and since I believe that “why settle for one, when you can have them all?” I have selected and put together this amazing journey just for you! After selecting the car of your choice you will hit the road with a detailed map, which will guide you and let you know when you reach a place of interest or beautiful spot to take a break, stretch your legs and why not enjoy a nice little picnic with your partner/navi (navigator is the passenger, who usually is responsible for navigating the driver)? Of course you will be staying at only the best, Hotel Splendido in Portofino, Italy. Please note that this experience is limited to the time of year (more enjoyable in the summer, for example).

On the seventh day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

You’ll be sending your friends and family your love from Russia, Mongolia and China on this crazy journey, where you will be traveling from St. Petersburg over to Moscow, followed by Yekaterinburg (yes, that’s in Russia), Irkutsks (still in Russia), Ulaanbataar (Mongolia) and finally Beijing (China), all on the Trans Siberian Railway! During your stopovers you’ll be staying at only the best hotels for a day or two in order to allow you to explore and get a feel of the place but also a chance to relax and get you through the journey (because let’s face it, you are practically crossing an entire continent here…): The Hyatt Regency Yekaterinburg, The International Hotel Sayen in Irkutsks, The Terelj Hotel in Ulaanbataar and finally the Shangri-La Hotel Beijing.  You can experience an “interesting” virtual tour of the train here and journey all the way from Moscow to Vladivostok, just in case you’d like to get a feel for it. Shorter journeys are available as well.

On the eighth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

After all the excitement of the past few days this trip is to provide true relaxation and a stay in the Seychelles is the perfect place to go. Here, you’ll be spending your stay in a private beach villa at the Hilton Labriz Seychelles, located on Silhouette Island, a marine national park regarded as one of the most important biodiversity sanctuaries of the Indian Ocean. On the way home, you will be able to spend a couple of days at the Hilton Dubai Creek City Hotel just to experience a bit of the hustle and bustle of the City and add some excitement to your relaxing holiday.

On the ninth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Only the best of the West Coast with a visit to San Fransisco, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas. In  San Fransisco you will be staying at the Fairmont which, with it’s perfect central location will enable you to experience and explore all that San Fransisco has to offer. Once your stay there has completed, you will proceed to the Beverly Hills Hotel which, quite frankly, having first opened it’s doors on May 12th, 1912, is a part of the Tinseltown History that must be experienced in order to truly appreciate the origins of the movie world that we enjoy today. Finally, your trip will be concluded with a journey to Las Vegas, where you will stay at the Four Seasons and end your West Coast experience with the Glitz and Glam of the City of Lights.

On the tenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Today is dedicated to my mother who, with her amazing personality always radiated elegance, beauty and charm. It is a night spent in the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria to attend the Wiener Opernball (Vienna Opera Ball) for a night to look back on and remember, always. The Opera Ball is the annual social event of Vienna, first hosted in 1939. For more detailed information about this event and Hotel Sacher please feel free to have a look at our journal entries about the Wiener Opernball und Neujahrskonzert and about Hotel Sacher in my journal section.

On the eleventh day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Ever heard of “the land of the thunder dragon” or “the last shangri-la”? These are commonly used phrases when speaking about a small kingdom in the Himalayas, South East Asia called Bhutan, the reason for the latter being the fact that roads to Bhutan did not exist until the mid 60’s and the government practises a strong sustainability plan, which includes rules to govern the architecture of any new buildings and a dress code of traditional clothing during office hours. This trip will take you to and straight across the entire country of Bhutan via a stop over in Kathmandu, Nepal and will allow you to experience and explore every bit of it from east to west. There are many interesting things and therefore several entries about Bhutan in our Journal section, please feel free to refer to them for more info by selecting Bhutan in our Categories or, for more information about Bhutan alone, please refer to my post The Land of the Thunder Dragon. Finally, for more information about the Driglam Namzha (dress code) in Bhutan, please refer to our Traditional Clothing entry.

On the twelfth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Today being my birthday (and the cool date of 12.12.12) I’m going to really go out with this one and take you on a trip around the world! Starting in your home country you will be going from continent to continent by all means possible, plane, rail and road and staying at all the most interesting places along the way. The trip will vary according to your initial location, for example, if you’re starting in Europe we’ll begin by heading east to the countries that interest you and gradually moving from one place to the next, the direction depending on the next destination (imagine a map of the world and a kind of ping-pong ball going from place to place), until you’re back to square one. From the states for example you’d begin by heading up north and heading west rather than east and returning to where we started from the south. The trip will be tailored and vary according to you and your initial location, which is why I will not list it in detail at this point.

On the thirteenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Your chance to emulate your cycling heroes! In what other sport do you get to follow the exact footsteps of the world’s leading professionals? This experience will take you to the French Alps to climb three of the most famous mountain passes on the Tour de France and allow you to push yourself to the limit both physically and mentally as well as take in some of the most breathtaking views imaginable. You’ll stay in St-Michel-de-Maurienne, then climb Col du Telegraphe and stay in Valloire. After that you’ll climb Col du Galibier and stay in Bourg-d’Oisans to climb Alpe d’Huez. All “haut-categorie” Climbs, which will earn you the respect of even the most seasoned cyclists. During your adventure you’ll be staying and enjoying real French hospitality, enabling you to really live the experience.

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On the fourteenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Today you will be heading to India to visit what is known as the “Golden Triangle”, which consists of the three most visited cities in north-west India: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. These three locations, connected by very good roads and railways form a rough equilateral triangle when observed on a map, which has adopted the name of the Golden Triangle due to the historical and cultural wealth available in each of these three cities. As far as accommodation goes, India offers a wide range of options, The Oberoi and Taj Hotels being excellent choices for local luxury, comfort (and an amazing view of the Taj Mahal in Agra), conveniently located in each one of the three destinations of our journey today. Sights worth seeing include Fortresses, Palaces, Temples, bustling Bazaars, beautiful Gardens, striking Monuments, Humayun’s Tomb  and, of course, the Taj Mahal.

On the fifteenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

The best of the West Coast of Canada and Alaska on this journey, which will take you to Vancouver, where you will spend a couple of days enjoying the Canadian city life Vancouver has to offer before disembarking on a cruise to Alaska, where you will explore nature in all its glory. During your stay in Vancouver you will be staying at the Pan Pacific Hotel, centrally located directly on the Waterfront and main terminal of the cruises, which will allow you to explore Vancouver to your heart’s content and at your own pace. The next couple of days will be spent at sea, where you will enjoy breathtaking views and the opportunity to get a close up experience of the wild marine life. Once in Alaska you will head up north to the Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge by Sea Plane where a naturalist-guide will enable you to experience everything Alaskan nature has to offer, northern lights included.

On the sixteenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

A chance to explore the historic sanctuary of the Machu Pichu in Peru. Unknown to the outside world until 1911, when it was brought to international attention by the American historian Hiram Bingham, this ancient settlement is located in 2,430m above sea level, on a mountain ridge in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, surrounded by breathtaking scenery. The journey is an amazing adventure of 7 days that includes Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and, of course, the Machu Picchu. All accommodation is of the best that Peru has to offer and for those of you that haven’t had enough of Peruvian hospitality can continue their adventure on a crazy luxury Amazon River Cruise (seriously, this boat is crazy!).

On the seventeenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Today’s journey is inspired by the story of The Alchemist. It is the story of a young Shepherd boy who, after having experienced a reoccurring dream and meeting a Gypsy, who advises him to follow his dream, decides that this must be a sign and to follow his heart he must embark on a journey to where a child in his dream had led him. In order to do so, he must give up his life and everything he owns to travel. We won’t quite have to go that far; however, we will embark on a journey of soul-searching and experience two completely different countries and cultures as we follow in the footsteps of Santiago and begin our journey in Sevilla, Spain (Andalusia). There you will be able to experience a taste of Spanish life, culture, fiestas and cuisine before continuing to Tangier in Morocco and the Pyramids in Egypt via the Al-Fayoum Oasis, during which you will explore and experience oriental spices, and patterns, the different smells of scented oils and perfumes, the hustle and bustle of the Bazaar, Dessert Landscapes, an Oasis and the various Arabic cultures before returning back to where you began and the actual path leads you, to Spain and home. This journey will allow you to explore and experience two completely different cultures and ambiance, taste their different food and explore their different history, find yourself in places established by ancient civilisations, witness their traces, be inspired by the Pyramids.

On the eighteenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Caribbean dreams on this trip which will allow you to follow the trail of Christopher Columbus, as you embark on a journey to the Dominican Republic. There, you are able to enjoy soft, warm sand, beautiful, clear water and the balmy breeze as it seeps through the rustling palm trees along the beach. The Capital, Santo Domingo, as the oldest European city in the Americas, will educate us on the history of the country and its colonization and re-introduce us to Christopher Columbus and his Family by day and, as a city that never sleeps, entertain us with its vibrant nightlife and huge selection of restaurants, cafes and bars at night. Although a historic and vibrant city and perfect sandy beaches may be considered enough to motivate most of us to visit this location, the natural characteristics and environment of the Dominican Republic offer even more reason to visit. The huge selection of national parks, flora and fauna and various animals invite you to explore a side of nature like never before. Such is the environment of the Dominican Republic, that you will without a doubt often come across a place which may seem familiar… and rightfully so: chances are you have seen it before on the big screen and will continue to see it there in the future, as the Dominican Republic continues to be a primary movie location. For an idea of my first impression of the Dominican Republic, please feel free to visit the TTC journal.

On the nineteenth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

A journey to the “land beyond the forest” or, as we commonly know it, Transylvania in Romania. Home to Europe’s best preserved medieval towns, we will visit Sibu, Brasov and Sighisoara, where we are able to get the feel of the place, enjoy the local cuisine and dine like royalty then sleep in royal surroundings for a surprisingly low cost, experience true Romanian hospitality (no this does not mean your host will be a seductive Vampire, sorry) and absorb the Romanian atmosphere which surrounds us, maybe even get to admire their traditional clothing if the occasion is right. Although you might imagine Dracula’s hometown to be dark, creepy and scary, Transylvania actually is quite lovely and charming, with cute villages surrounded by meadows and flowers, castles and churches. Of course it does have plenty of Vampire-related attractions and historical information for those of you looking to learn more about the story of the Vampire and its origins and there are plenty of ruins, castles and fortresses as well, for those of you seeking a little adventure, who wish to explore and get a real feel for the past and its historical origins.

On the twentieth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Need to disappear? To really, really get away and hide out for a bit, where really none can find you? How about a camouflaged Tree House? Nature calls on this awesome trip to Sweden, where you will be staying in what can be, without a doubt, be considered the coolest tree-houses you will ever come across. Amazing for friends, couples, families, absolutely anyone and everyone will be thrilled with and can enjoy and appreciate this unique experience. The location will not only provide you with plenty of fresh air, the smell of pine trees and sun rays cutting through the branches, but the winter nights will bring an amazing spectacle of the northern lights that will offer the best of nature’s light show for you to enjoy, how’s that for entertainment?!?

On the twenty-first day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

With all the hype about the apocalypse due to the Mayan Calendar coming to an end today in 2012, obviously your trip today will be to Mexico, where you will be able to explore the Mayan roots. This trip will allow you to explore Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to visit their ancient sites, as you embark on a journey beginning in Cancun and ending in Honduras, visiting the ancient Mayan civilization sites along the way. Of course your accommodation will only be of the best, whether you prefer a resort, to be smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city or even in an Eco-lodge located in the middle of the national park rainforest, either way you’ll be staying at only the best available, obviously, each and every hotel is hand picked by Thorya and of the highest of standards.

On the twenty-second day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

Inspired by the book “The Zahir”, this journey will take you on yet another quest of self questioning, as we follow the Zahir from Paris to Spain, to Croatia and eventually Kazakhstan, to the steppes of Central Asia, where the nomads, well known for their horse skills, would roam the area. That being their foundation, Kazakhstan is able to offer a wide range of adventures to explore. Whether it be trekking on foot or horse, explore the spectacular scenery of the mountains and the steppes, discover mysterious underground mosques near the Caspian Sea, follow the silk road and stay at luxurious hotels or with a local family and really live the everyday life there as it is the norm or push yourself to the limit on the Khan Tengri Expedition, where you will reach altitudes of up to 6000 metres. Since tourism is not yet very dense in Kazakhstan, you will be able to truly get a feel for the culture and ambiance without the influence tourism often brings. The story this trip is based on is that of a best-selling author, that one day wakes up to find his wife having disappeared without a trace and having to face the painful unanswered questions of what how when and, most importantly, why? His missing wife becomes his “Zahir” and the search of her becomes one of himself as he investigates his relationship, his marriage, his wife and finally himself. “The Zahir is an Islamic tradition, thought to have arisen in the 18th century. It is a visible presence, incapable of going unnoticed. It is someone of something that once comes to our attention, occupies our very being and we come to think of nothing else. It is a route to holiness or madness; in the West we would call it an obsession.” This journey is meant to inspire us, to motivate us, to let us think twice about the things we obsess about as we are given a question to consider as we go from destination to destination. Finally, why are railway tracks exactly 4 feet 8 ½ inches apart? I’ll leave you with that to think about.

On the twenty-third day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

What collection of trips around the world would be complete without a Safari?!? Today I’m going to offer Africa to you by taking you away onto a Safari, where you will be surrounded by nature, amazing landscapes, beautiful sunsets and beautiful creatures; from lions to zebras, little meerkats to giant elephants, who all roam the grounds freely, enabling us to observe them in their natural surroundings. South Africa has some amazing private game reserves and accommodation options to chose from and so no matter what your preference, we got you covered; whether it be your own private secluded little “legae” (Tswana for little house), a full out suite or basic camp site, you will be absolutely amazed at the beautiful settings and familiar environment that will surround you. Don’t let the word “Safari” mislead you into thinking it means something like compromising on the basics like running water, you’d be surprised at some of the things it can offer.

On the twenty-fourth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

We’re going to visit Santa today and stay in the Arctic Snow Hotel in Rovaniemi, Lapland, which is located just north of the Arctic Circle. Here children will be able to enrol in Elf School, learn to write their Christmas lists in the traditional style using quills and calligraphy and bake cookies with Mrs. Clause. The Rauna Zoo is home to baby Polar Bears, Wolverines, Mooses and a nearby Reindeer Farm, where you are able to go on an Arctic Safari and experience the Northern Lights at Arktikum.

On the twenty-fifth day of Christmas Thorya Travel Consultancy gave to me…

At TTC the sky’s the limit, as you hit orbit in a galactic flight with Virgin Galactic! After a couple of exciting days preparing for your amazing voyage with your crew you’ll be suited up and launched to reach an altitude of 50,000 feet by travelling at 2500mph – that’s more than three times the speed of sound! Up there, you will for the first time experience what it is like to be without something you have had all your life – gravity! You are light, weightless and, just like in water, are able to float, only it isn’t the kind of floating you are used to, it’s a different kind of floating. Suddenly you are confronted with a sight that will take your breath away: your home, where everything you know exists, your entire world is no longer around you, but right in front of you! You are no longer surrounded by the familiar but with a vastness that can only be experienced where you are now, beyond everything. This experience will completely alter your perception of life, earth and the universe. It will open your eyes, will show you just how small we really are and how amazing it all is, that everything that we know is located on, what can be described as what Carl Sagan once so perfectly put as a “little blue dot”; how unlimited that, which surrounds us truly is, that we are part of something far larger than we can even imagine and how lucky we are to be a part of it all.

Fin.

Seasons Greetings!

~Merry Christmas ~ Frohe Weihnachten ~ Joyeux Noël!~