The Affluent Travelers

A Dream ? Greece on $75,000 a day

Athens is so hot and busy during the peak season that we offer a few extras to make it bareable.

Best way from the airport to your suite at the Grecotel's Cape Sounio Hotel ($18,560) on the Aegean is by Helicopter ($1900). Amenities are a view of Poseidon's Temple and a private pool. 

Lunch ($280) then be chauffeured to town ($360) and stroll from the Parthenon to the Agora.  Plaka for dinner and King George Palace Hotel for a nightcap.

Tour the Greek islands on the modestly priced, seven cabin Alexandria at $47,807 a day.  Dinner at the ancient port of Nafplion then sail to Mykonos. A Mykonas Blu bungalow  ($2900) overlooking the secluded harbor.

Splurge on the last night at Corfu's Palazzo Imperiale ($22,800) - A favorite of Aristotle Onassis.    jo@InsiderTraveler.com

Deep Water Flight

Be among the first in the world to experience a totally new dimension of flight…underwater. Hundreds have traveled to space. No one has yet experienced the incredible thrill of a Deep Flight Adventure. The  Aviator is a new class of hydrobatic submersible craft, built to fully explore underwater flight.  It can even barrel roll with dolphins!

The Aviator is unlike anything in existence, and the underwater experience is unparalleled. In conventional subs, you perch on a seat; in the Aviator, you strap tightly into the same five-point harness restraints used by Indy car racers.

Traditional submersibles are noisy and lit up like Christmas trees. Any organism that can flee, does. The Deep Flight Aviator combines the freedom of scuba and the depth capability and underwater viewing of a submersible with the low intrusiveness of a stealth submarine. The deep ocean is a truly alien world. It has the infinite vastness of outer space, but unlike space, it is heavily populated with alien creatures, geologic features, and ancient shipwrecks awaiting discovery. Sound like an out of this world adventure? You bet it is! 

The Most Lavish Suites Afloat

Jutting out at each side of the Queen Mary 2 at the stern are the Balmoral and Sandringham Grand Deluxe Apartments. Each is often combined with  the neighboring Penthouse to make  well suited  accomodations for the family. 

If you are in a particularly expansive mood, you can reserve both Grand Duplexes with the 3 Deluxe Apartment in between to create a  8,288 sq palazzo

Here your concierge and a personal butler anticipate your needs and comply with the utmost speed and efficiency. Lavish amenities include marble baths with whirlpool tubs, towel warmers, walk-in closets, en-suite bars stocked with selected spirits or wine and soft drinks, fresh flowers and pre-dinner canapés.

The enormous Grand Duplexes include sweeping living quarters - an expansive balcony downstairs, a luxurious master bedroom upstairs, and two marble bathrooms (one with a whirlpool tub and one with a separate shower). There is also an additional guest bathroom with a shower located downstairs.
info: theAffluentTravelers@mindspring.com

The Crystal Cage -- The Ultimate Wildlife Adventure

The chance to observe and interact with a Great White shark -- a fish that has been described as "the perfect hunting machine" and "evolution's masterpiece" -- brings with it a sense of awe and wonder that few, if any other animal encounters can possibly match. And if getting close to a great white shark is one of life's magical experiences, it is doubly so when conducted from the interior of the  "Crystal Cage."

It is the brainchild of South African Kim "Shark Lady" Maclean, an oceanographic expert widely credited with introducing the practice of recreational cage-diving to South African waters in the early 1990s.

The cage is a 6 foot x 3.5 foot diameter tube made of Lexan, a transparent, high-resistance polycarbonate plastic with 250 times the impact strength of glass. Lowered into the water inside this protective sheath, the diver experiences a feeling of complete oneness with the shark's natural habitat, his view unhindered by bars or other obstructions.

More important, the transparent Lexan blends completely with the surrounding ocean, making the diver's presence in the water far less disruptive to the shark and its environment.

"For the diver it is an awesome experience," says Maclean. "You feel there is no barrier between you and the shark, that you are completely part of their world. It is the closest you can get to actually swimming free with them.

A day of diving in the crystal cage costs $1,800. Nowhere else will you get the chance to observe at close quarters, and with no visual obstruction, one of the most ancient, majestic and awe-inspiring creatures on the planet.

Rania the Maldives

Lying off the southern tip of India, the slender chain of coral islands known as the Maldives are strewn like a magical necklace across the shimmering azure waters of the Indian Ocean

The first of its kind in the Maldives, Rania allows total freedom and a unique way to enjoy the 1,192 idyllic low-lying sandbank islands and coral reef lagoons seldom seen by locals or tourists. Spend your days lazing on board the yacht or in the luxury Rania suite on Water Garden Island Spa, both providing the highest level of standards with every modern technological convenience.        
     Redefining the concept of ‘exclusive’ the Rania Experience doesn’t just give you a desert island of your own, able to accommodate parties of up to nine in absolute luxury, it also provides a private motor yacht large enough to take your party offshore.
     All yours, exclusively. There is a private butler to attend your slightest whim, your own personal spa therapist for unlimited massage treatments, a PADI dive instructor on hand to take unlimited dives or train you up to divemaster level and a private chef to provide à la carte menus to match your taste. Surround all this with a palm-fringed swathe of virgin sand and a sheltered lagoon bright with shoaling reef fish and it is easy to see that for honeymooning couples after privacy or once-in-a-lifetime family reunions, tropical bliss doesn’t get any more blissful than this.     
     Available to only one group of guests at a time (groups consist of nine people maximum). Unlimited spa treatments, diving, alcohol (excluding champagne and specialty wine), á la carte dining at the resort's two restaurants, sport fishing, snorkeling and water sports and three hours of sailing a day are included in the nightly rate, which starts at $10,000 per couple from Dec. 20 through Jan. 5, with an extra charge of $750 per additional guest. A minimum three-night booking is required.

Balloon Over Turkey

SPECTACULAR SIGHTS via a hot-air balloon rising in the sky at sunrise in Cappadocia, an area of Turkey dominated with ''chimneys'' of stone.

 

It is a surreal environmet, flying across the dry, undulating hills and valleys of pastel tones of tan, pink and gray in the morning light. Below is a broad landscape of pointed hills carved out of the soft volcanic rock, eroded over millions of years by the winds to form cones, domes and the chimneys -- boulders of basalt balancing precariously atop thin shafts of volcanic rock or, as Cappadocians explain it, rocks carried to the top of hills by fairies.

Some of the scenes from the original Star Wars movie were filmed here, with Cappadocia -- an Anglicized spelling of the local Turkish name, Kapadokya -- standing in for Tatooine, the desert planet. During the Middle Ages, the area was home to thousands of Byzantine Christians who fled the Turkish conquest of Anatolia, carving homes and churches inside of the rock cones and in several cases, building underground cities in the rock. Visitors can tour the cities today.

Istanbul, Turkey

Ciragan Palace Hotel

Once the residence of the last Ottoman Sultans, the Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski İstanbul is the only hotel situated directly on the European shores of the Bosphorus. As the first member of the Leading Hotels of the World in Turkey, The Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski İstanbul is actually two hotels: the restored Sultan's Palace itself and a grand deluxe hotel featuring five star luxury.

Sultan Murat V, deposed during a military takeover, was held prisoner here with his family until his death in 1904. After this the palace became the new location for parliament and was opened on November 14, 1909. Parliament convened here for just two months before a fire, which broke out in the central heating vents, destroyed the entire palace in just under five hours, leaving only a stone shell. Priceless antiques, paintings and books were lost, along with many vital documents.

In 1946, Parliament gave the palace, its outbuildings and grounds, to İstanbul Municipality where it was used as a dumping ground for sand and other construction materials. It was also used as a swimming pool and was a football ground for the local team.

In its new incarnation the Palace has received the following awards:  Condé Nast Traveler - Top 100, The Best in the World,   Gourmet - The World's Best Hotels,   Condé Nast Traveler - 2000 Gold List, Best Places to Stay in the World,   Institutional Investor - The World's best hotels,  Travel & Leisure - Eating Well in Istanbul,  Architectural Digest - Hotels Around the World.

To ease the jet lag and transition into vacation mode I settle in for a Traditional Turkish Bath- "Kese" at the Çırağan Health Club. The first  part is  a warm soak and massage for complete body relaxation.  It finishes with a refreshing body scrub- Ottoman style.  There is nothing like the luxurious tub, smells of ocean and earth scents,  and peaceful music.

Poseidon UnderSea Resort

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Bruce Jones, who has spent 17 years designing and selling submarines for private use, has $40 million invested to build a luxury hotel where the most expensive rooms will be submerged 50 feet under the sea off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas.

Unlike the Jules Undersea Lodge - the only undersea hotel now in existence, located off the coast of Key Largo, Fla. - guests at the Poseidon won't need to put on a wet suit and dive to their accommodations. They also won't need to worry about changing pressure levels since the accommodations will be maintained at   above-surface pressure. Instead, they can glide to their $1,500-a-night underwater abodes by escalator.

Each room will feature fortified, transparent acrylic walls that look out onto coral gardens. There will be controls in each room that guests can use to adjust the lighting of the underwater worlds outside their windows and to release food for fish swimming just outside. The rooms will also feature individual Jacuzzis for those who may be inspired by their surroundings to get wet.

It will be a five-star facility offering the finest wine and cuisine and the highest levels of service.  There will be a visiting celebrity program and regular guest lecturers.  Diving lessons and expeditions will be available onsite and a swim with the dolphins program may also be implemented. Excursions on a deep diving submarine are also likely.

The underwater portion of the resort will consist of: - 20 luxury suites - 2 service areas - central corridor assembly - restaurant, bar/lounge, kitchen - Grand Poseidon Suite - Nautilus Suite There are 20 luxury suites, each 550 sq ft in size.

Ceilings and seaward walls are composed of acrylic and offer spectacular views of individual coral gardens and the ocean beyond. Guests may actuate exterior underwater lights and automatic fish feeders from control consoles in their sitting rooms. Two spectacular, large, themed suites, the Captain Nemo Suite and the Grand Poseidon Suite will also be available.

007 Weekend

Experience what its like to be James Bond.  We’ll show you what it takes to be the international man of mystery.

We fly you to Monaco to send you headfirst into the field of international espionage. The experience includes (but not limited to):    

* Stay in actual suite used in several James Bond movies, Monaco    
* Access to the hippest nightlife worthy of Bond    
* Private driving lesson with ex formula 1 driver    
* Enemy evading speed boat training (a chase could easily be arranged)    
* Mock kidnapping to Octupussey yacht for day of torturous spa treatments    
* Flight to Russia to commence flight training    
* Elegant dinner at top restaurant in Moscow    
* Top-secret transport to Zhukovsky Air Base for flight training exercise in military jet   (ranging from MIG 21 to the latest SU-30)    
* Access to Star City for further space and flight training    
* Private tour of the Kremlin

Depending on scale, actors, etc prices range from $85,000/ person

Wynn Las Vegas

2.7 Billion Dollars and 5 Years later.....
the Most Expensive Hotel in Las Vegas.

Wynn Las Vegas, at 3201 Las Vegas Blvd South, boasts one of the best locations in Las Vegas. Standing mid-Strip, Wynn is next door to the popular Venetian hotel resort casino. Wynn Las Vegas is across the Las Vegas Strip from the recently expanded Las Vegas Fashion Show Mall, making it a perfect perch for passionate shoppers.

Erected on land where the legendary Desert Inn once stood, the 42-story, Wynn Las Vegas is sheathed in a coppery bronze that reflects the bright desert sun. Visitors may notice the absence of floors 40-49 in Wynn Las Vegas elevators; buttons jump from 39 to 50, a courtesy to Chinese gamblers who consider the number 4 unlucky.

On 192 acres, Wynn Las Vegas holds more than 2,700 guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and a 110,000 square foot casino with several gambling areas. Players at table games are issued RFID [radio frequency identification]-equipped betting chips, making it easier for Wynn Las Vegas to identify counterfeit chips, keep track of markers, rate players for comps, and deter casino cheats.

If you've seen the ad, casino kingpin Steve Wynn proclaims atop the 50th floor of Wynn Las Vegas: "I'm Steve Wynn and this is my hotel -- the only one I've ever signed my name to."

The centerpiece of Wynn Las Vegas megaresort is a 150-foot-tall mountain with a five-story waterfall that cascades into a three-acre, man-made lake. Wynn Las Vegas also has an 18-hole championship golf course.

Tower Suite: A chic, cosmopolitan living and entertaining area offers an unbelievable view of the sparkling Las Vegas Strip.  Marble covers every surface in the his-and-hers bathroom, complete with air-infused soaking tub and separate shower, not to mention the 13" Gateway flat-screen TV. Choose one with a conference table for 10 (and perfect hospitality-hour wet bar)... and leave no question who's in charge.

Additional features: VIP check-in, exclusive restaurant, a terrace with a private pool.
-1,950 square feet with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows
-Entry foyer with private massage room
-Expansive living room with dining alcove, wet bar, and powder room
-50" plasma high-definition television with DVD entertainment system
-Cordless phone, fax, high speed Internet access
-Pillowtop king-sized signature Wynn beds with 320 thread count European linens
-Individual lighting and automated drapery controls at bedside
-Walk-in closets
-Bath and glass-enclosed shower, private toilet, his & her sinks, and LCD TV's
-Desert BambuTM bath amenities, over-sized Turkish towel