Tr avel Tales B&R STORIES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
BUTTERFIELD.COM | 1
Every trip has a story. But with B&R, that tale is less “Oh, how was your trip?” and more “Riveting Greek epic.” Not just because we're suckers for spectacular journeys, but because of you. Yes, you: our traveller (or as we think of you, our muse). Your willingness to open yourself up, learn, explore, get quite literally up to your elbows in fresh mozzarella, and gallivant around the globe with us inspires us daily to delight and disarm you. You fascinate us, challenge us, and have even given us a run for our money on a steep Italian hill or two. Simply put, we'd go to the ends of the earth for you. So please, do join us in 2017. We promise to give you something to write home about. —George & Norm
B&R STORY #24
The Case of the Missing Wabbit This is the story of a B&R trip designer who went hunting in the Serengeti—something that is rarely permitted for any wild game.
B
ut this was an exceptional circumstance. Brad Crockett, Director of Private Travel, was hunting for rabbit. In the midst of his working day at B&R headquarters in Toronto, Brad received an anguished phone call from a traveller on trip in Tanzania. Her daughter, six-year-old Emily, had lost her precious stuffed rabbit, Rae Rae. Not
up until they find what they’re looking for. Even if it means learning Swahili very quickly. Back in Tanzania, Emily’s parents tried to convince her that Rae Rae was having the adventure of a lifetime, meeting all kinds of wonderful animals, and that there was nothing at all to worry about. Meantime they wondered how on earth they’d get Emily on a plane back home without her beloved “Trip designers are a little like stuffy. Two days later, journalists: they don’t give up until their group arrived they find what they’re looking for.” at the Ngorogoro so much lost, actually, as Crater Lodge. As was the forgotten in the excitement. custom, Emily got to bound Left behind in the private into the room first. Usually mobile camp—you know, the she would race around the camp the operators set up for suite announcing one great us and took down when we discovery after another, but left? In that place a three-hour this time was different. Emily plane-ride behind us! stopped dead in her tracks. Although Brad had very On the bed, sitting between little experience sleuthing for two pillows, was Rae Rae. plush toys halfway across the There’s no recording of world, he took the challenge in Emily’s reaction, but we stride. Trip designers are a little hear it out-roared the lions. like journalists: they don’t give
BRAD, TRIP DESIGNER
Want to book your own Tanzanian trek? Head to page 35, then visit us online at butterfield.com
TANZANIA
TUSCANY, ITALY
B&R STORY #73
The Super Tuscan Fontodi doesn’t just make Super Tuscans, they are super Tuscans—to which one group of (privately invited, of course) B&R travellers can attest.
T
he wine world has its rock stars, and Giovanni Manetti is Chianti’s. His domaine is Fontodi, where he makes Super Tuscans. Fontodi, a necessary stop on a recent Tuscany trip stacked with oenophiles, is a legendary winemaker—but they have their quirks: No private tastings. Only informal standing tastings of whatever’s on hand. Our group’s response? This was just fine. It is Fontodi, after all. Enter
some of their best vintages. But Dana had another trick up her sleeve. Part way through swirling glasses, in walked the iconic maestro himself. Yes, Dana had convinced Giovanni Manetti —fresh off a plane, no less— to come and clink glasses with her excited group. Just as Dana had promised him, Giovanni fell head over heels for our crew. At one point, he opened a bottle, glanced around, shook his head slightly, grinned, and discard“But Dana had another trick up her ed it—simply because sleeve. Part way through swirling he felt it wasn’t quite glasses, in walked the iconic the right expression maestro himself.” of the vintage. And Dana Quinn, veteran B&R when he poured the 2006 guide for whom “fine” is just vintage of the Flaccianello a step on the path to fabulous. della Piave, he didn’t need to Turns out Dana can pull add that the vintage was one strings as well as she pulls of the greatest of all time: corks. She wrangled an he could see it on everyone’s exceptionally rare private radiant faces. tasting at Fontodi for our Trust a born-and-bred, wine-loving group—hosted prototypical B&R guide like by superstar sommelier Dana to turn “no exceptions” Lawrence d’Almeida—with into exceptional...
DANA, B&R GUIDE
Craving some Tuscan sunshine? Go to page 23 to peruse, then visit butterfield.com
B&R STORY #94
Rainy Days in Japan Rainy days are a traveller’s curse. (Unless you’re a B&R guide. Then you get to finally show off your sparkly, super-secret back-up plan.)
E
ven B&R guides can’t plan the weather. For the second day in a row, it was raining in Hakodate, washing out any possibility of riding. But Takuya, the private guide for Laura and Chris on their trip through Japan, had formed a plan to make B&R magic regardless. Takuya had learned, in conversation on an earlier rainy
and cracked open a sea urchin for their delectation. (“Definition of an acquired taste!” said Laura.) Next Takuya brought them to meet Kurata and Seto at their gallery for a private tour and conversation over coffee. Onward to lunch. Takuya had called the chef at Tushima the previous night to ask him what he might dream up. What he dreamt up was this: he awoke at 5am “He awoke at 5am and went up and and went up and down two mountains in the lashing down two mountains rain to collect 20 kilos of wild in the lashing rain to mushrooms.” collect a 20 kg day walk, that Chris was an assortment of wild mushexperienced angler, Laura was rooms and prepared a repast wild for wild mushrooms, and that left everyone in awe. they were both great art After the extraordinary feast, enthusiasts. So here is what they went back to the hotel for he had up his sleeve for Laura massages and deep reflection. and Chris’s day in Hakodate. Parting at the hotel doors, The day began at Asaichi, Laura hugged Takuya and the bustling fish market, where said in his ear: “I hope it rains Otami-san shared some of his again tomorrow.” secrets about local species
TAKUYA, B&R GUIDE
Ready to say konnichiwa to Japan? First say konnichiwa to page 30. Then visit butterfield.com
JAPAN
HOLLAND
B&R STORY #137
Making a Splash We say we’d go to the ends of the earth for you. But would we go to the bottom of a 17thC Dutch canal for your passport, wallet and iPhone?
I
n the spring of 2014, a group rode through Leiden, Holland, stopping to take in the stunning red-brick facades lining the canals, and to sample the savoury local treat pammekoeken. One of their trip guides was Marya who, unbeknownst to the group, was eating for two: three months pregnant! As they made their way along the Rapenburg Canal, Marya hailed the group to stop for a coffee break at Café Barrera. As one traveller was locking her bike, she acciden-
In no time, Marya had borrowed a broom from the café. As the travellers looked on, she attempted to fish the panier out… but it was too far to reach. So she grabbed rain pants from her own panier, threw them on and waded into the canal. But she could only wade so far—the bottom quickly sloped away. So Marya swam the rest of the way to rescue the bag. At the time, no one knew just how heroic Marya’s dip had been. She towelled off and the café owner gave her a much-needed koffie verkeerd. Miraculous“She could only wade so far—the ly, the traveller’s bottom quickly sloped away. So iPhone worked and Marya swam the rest of the way her wallet and to rescue the bag.” passport were still dry. Talking about it tally dropped her panier— months later, Marya said, containing her wallet, iPhone, “I knew they’d cleaned the and passport—into the canal. canal out that winter, so it To everyone’s relief, it floated. wasn’t really that dirty.” She For a minute. Then, with a tiny had her baby in November glug, it began to sink. and named it Eleana.
MARYA, B&R GUIDE
Immerse yourself in Holland (culturally, that is). See page 27, then visit butterfield.com
B&R STORY #296
Crème de la Crème Wes is one of B&R’s most gregarious travellers. He has an amazing taste for adventure... among other things.
M
eet Wes. He’s been on thirteen trips with B&R, and one of his earliest was to China. This was in the mid1990s, when the American ice cream company, Häagen-Dazs, was making a push into the Orient. It became a habit for Wes, and a guide named Nathan, to go for a walk every evening in search of Chinese Häagen-Dazs, a quest they undertook with passion. Wes continued to take B&R trips, travelling to Bhutan, Laos, Crete and Myanmar among other countries. And because his love of HäagenDazs was legendary, guides on
Oman desert, 4x4s appeared and rode up noisily beside Wes to deliver an ice pack with Cookie Dough Häagen-Dazs. At Petra, in Jordan, an ice-cream-bearing camel appeared. On the Alta Via in the Dolomites, leder-hosen clad women arrived at a picnic armed with dessert, and in Italy, one of the guides emerged from an abandoned hut holding a tub of ice cream. When Häagen-Dazs wasn’t available, such as in Patagonia where the nearest supplier was 3,000 miles away, B&R guides went the extra mile to ensure Wes was topped up. Amanda Gary went so far as to have a local chef “What started as a lark turned into recreate Wes’s serious business as the years went favourite flavour: by… some guides went to mango. It was so close extraordinary lengths.” to the original that, for these trips began a tradition: a while, Amanda let him believe no matter where they were, she’d had it flown in from they got Wes some HäagenSantiago. Wes didn’t believe Dazs ice cream. What started it at first, but after thirteen as a lark turned into serious trips with secret ice cream business as the years went by, deliveries, he concluded that and some guides went to with B&R, anything is possible. extraordinary lengths. In the
AMANDA, B&R GUIDE
Dreaming of a Patagonia journey? Head to page 33, then visit us online at butterfield.com
PATAGONIA
ALSACE, FR ANCE
B&R STORY #362
Teed Up How a simple gift of a t-shirt has become an (admittedly kind of weird) obsession for our guides— and a whimsical treat for our travellers.
O
nce upon a time, a B&R guide had the idea to present his group with B&R t-shirts near the end of the trip. A fresh shirt was certainly a welcome thing after several days of cycling, but they also became beloved keepsakes, and the event turned into a longstanding tradition. Although it started as just a fun little gesture, we weren’t surprised when our guides began to put their own creative spins on the t-shirt presenta-
pleasures, for sauerkraut, which they call choucroute and usually serve with tremendous lashings of meat. So it would not be surprising to have a course that contained the hardy vegetable. But it would be if the cabbage arrived at the table whole and raw. Especially if the table were in one of the world’s very best restaurants. Which is what happened for sixteen B&R travellers at the three-star L’Auberge de l’Ill. Pale green and smelling of rain, each cabbage had been painstakingly hollowed “Each cabbage had been out to create a chamber painstakingly hollowed out to that could hold exactly create a chamber… they were one B&R t-shirt wrapped revealed with great hilarity.” in gaffer’s tape. They tion. Perhaps the most creative were revealed to great one of all happened on a bike hilarity—proving that B&R and trip in France. Guides Erin and the French have in common a Sebastian came up with an talent for both farce and farci. ingenious plan that involved We’d claim a gastronomic first, two three-star Michelin chefs but those cabbages, sans (our friends the Haeberlin blouses, did eventually become brothers), and a lot of cabbage. the local specialty. The t-shirts, France’s Alsace region is however, are still out there… known, among its many other
ERIN, B&R GUIDE
Experience the allure of Alsace in person. Go to page 19 to peruse, then visit butterfield.com
Trips 16 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
Burgundy & Bordeaux BORDEAUX TO DORDOGNE BIKING The ultimate food-and-wine journey: from bistro dinners in narrow streets to apéritifs with gypsy jazz. And our hotel with the least history? Is from the 1600s. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $5,695
BURGUNDY BIKING Hello endorphin country. Bike the Hautes-Côtes and Ouche Valley, sip legendary vintages, and explore historic Beaune (our second home). 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,995
BURGUNDY BISTRO BIKING Five glorious days gliding through lush vineyards and stunning landscapes. A rare immersion in wine culture with local experts. Clink glasses at Maison Champy. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Bistro Hotels– From $3,995
Private Trips »»BEAUNE SELF-GUIDED EXPERIENCE »»BORDEAUX BIKING »»BURGUNDY BIKING »»BURGUNDY SELF-GUIDED BIKING »»BURGUNDY SELF-GUIDED WALKING »»DORDOGNE BIKING To see all of our Private Trip offerings, visit us at Butterfield.com
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Loire Valley & Normandy LOIRE CHÂTEAUX BIKING A romantic ride through history (and its castles). The Château Verrières? A private visit to Château du Rivau? Dining with a lauded chef? Royally good. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,295
LOIRE VALLEY FAMILY ADVENTURE Take the kids to the “playground of kings.” Verdant forests, centuries-old elegance, and divinely regal adventures (like some light swordplay). 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,295
NORMANDY & BRITTANY BIKING Spine-tingling history. Mouthwatering seafood. And the coastal breeze in your hair. We do Normandy like no one else, from Juno Beach to Mont Saint-Michel. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $4,995
NORMANDY FAMILY ADVENTURE Immerse yourselves in land, sea, and history — from sand-sailing (for the kids) to cider-sipping (for the parents) at a B&R exclusive: 5-star Villa Lara. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,295
Private Trips »»LOIRE VALLEY BIKING »»LOIRE VALLEY FAMILY BIKING JOURNEY »»NORMANDY & BRITTANY BIKING »»NORMANDY & BRITTANY FAMILY ADVENTURE »»NORMANDY BIKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
18 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
More France ATLANTIC FRANCE COASTAL BIKING Only B&R makes this sublime journey. Slurp Gillardeau oysters, sail in pristine waters, stay in a five-star hotel, and dine in a private landmark (so B&R). 5 Nights | Occasional Signature Hotels – From $5,495
PROVENCE LUBERON BIKING Cycle lavender landscapes, be a rare guest at Domaine Ruffinatto, delight in everything from Michelin stars to a stay in the 17thC Bastide de Marie. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,995
RHÔNE RIVER CRUISE BIKING NEW! Cruise the Rhône like no one else: on our stylish Uniworld river ship. Float from vineyards to canyons to class at Paul Bocuse’s cooking school. Bliss. 7 Nights | Recreational Signature Ship – From $7,995
Private Trips »»ALSACE SELF-GUIDED BIKING NEW! »»CHAMPAGNE BIKING »»CORSICA BIKING NEW! »»COTE D’AZUR WALKING NEW! »»PROVENCE BIKING NEW! »»PROVENCE SELF-GUIDED BIKING »»PROVENCE SELF-GUIDED WALKING NEW! There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
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Puglia PUGLIA BIKING Picture a corner of Italy with sun-soaked rustic villages, olive groves and soul-stirring coastline. Now picture nobody but you in the picture! 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels - From $4,795
PUGLIA FAMILY ADVENTURE NEW! Designed with your bambinos in mind. Splash in the sparkling Adriatic, float in a catamaran, sling arrows, “eat, eat, eat”—and stay in wondrous hotels. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $4,995
Private Trips »»PUGLIA & BASILICATA WALKING »»PUGLIA BIKING »»PUGLIA SELF-GUIDED BIKING »»ROME & PUGLIA FAMILY ADVENTURE There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
20 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
Northern Italy DOLOMITES FAMILY ADVENTURE Get your Italian Heidi on. These dramatic crags boast transcendent highs (no pun intended): alpine hiking, rock-climbing, spa-lounging and more. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,095
ITALIAN LAKES WALKING “A week at the lake,” minus the Old World cravat. Incredible walks—linked by private boats— to charming Lugano, Stresa and chic Bellagio. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels - From $6,295
PIEMONTE BIKING The Michelin-starred home of Slow Food. Make pasta with a master, picnic in vineyards with cheese and cugnà, dine in the Monferrato hills. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels - From $4,995
PIEMONTE TO PORTOFINO WALKING This region blends bucolic hill country and windswept seaside: vineyards and history on one hand, glamourous, sparkling Portofino on the other. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $5,795
Private Trips »»CINQUE TERRE & PORTOFINO WALKING »»DOLOMITES SELF-GUIDED WALKING »»PIEMONTE BIKING »»VERONA TO VENICE BIKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
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Southern Italy AMALFI COAST WALKING It’s not called The Path of the Gods for nothing. Cruise from Capri. Revel in Ravello. Your feet may move, but your heart will stand still. 5 Nights | Avid Signature Hotels – From $7,795
SICILY WALKING NEW! We’re the only ones doing Sicily on foot! Walk in the shadow of Mount Etna, get a Michelin-starred surprise, and rest in our exclusive hotel in baroque Noto. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,995
Private Trips »»CAPRI TO POSITANO WALKING »»SICILY BIKING »»SICILY CULINARY JOURNEY NEW! There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
22 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
Tuscany TUSCANY & UMBRIA WALKING We’ve paired Tuscany with its charming neighbour. Stay in the heart of wine country, visit Assisi’s famous basilica and stroll lovely Cortona. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,595
TUSCANY BIKING The views! The olive groves! The hilltop towns! Delve into Siena’s rich culture and walled villages, wash it down with a super Super Tuscan. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $5,295
TUSCANY E-BIKING NEW! We plot lesser-known routes so you have Tuscany's hilltop vineyards, sunny villages, and perfect picnic spots to yourself. Tired? Tap your e-bike. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,295
TUSCANY FAMILY ADVENTURE Golden fields. Private lunches with local famiglias. Gelato tastings. Italian paddleboats. Medieval flag throwing. Tiramisu-making. Need we say more? 5 Nights | Enthusiast Bistro Hotels – From $4,895
Private Trips »»TUSCANY SELF-GUIDED BIKING »»TUSCANY SELF-GUIDED WALKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
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Spain CAMINO DE SANTIAGO BIKING NEW! Bike in the footsteps of 12thC pilgrims, revelling in the local manna, culture, and emerald-green vistas. End up in a hotel that'll make you cry hallelujah. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Bistro Hotels – From $3,795
COSTA BRAVA BIKING Cycle volcanic hills dwarfed by the Pyrénées, explore villages character-stamped by the ages, and cruise the azure waters. Sweet. Dreams. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,295
MALLORCA WALKING Our scout described his time in Mallorca as “one hell of a year”—in the best of ways. Food, fauna, flawless views, and a fragrant citrus breeze. 5 Nights | Avid Signature Hotels – From $5,795
RIOJA BIKING Enter a private gastronomical society, follow Hemingway’s footsteps, marvel at gravity-defying architecture, and cycle breathtaking Navarra. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,995
Private Trips »»BASQUE COUNTRY CULINARY JOURNEY »»COSTA BRAVA SELF-GUIDED BIKING »»MALLORCA BIKING »»SEVILLE TO GRANADA WALKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
24 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
Portugal DOURO VALLEY WALKING NEW! Soak up both Vinho Verde and Douro: drool over ancient bread ovens, terraced vineyards, stunning riverside hotels, and an OMG Michelin-starred meal. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,795
PORTUGAL BIKING Go deep into Portugal's under-the-radar heartland, where cork forests, olive groves, vineyards, and the occasional infinity pool dot the landscape. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $4,595
Private Trips »»ALENTEJO BIKING »»DOURO TO PORTO WALKING NEW! »»PORTUGAL SELF-GUIDED BIKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
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Mediterranean DALMATIAN COAST BIKING With our private ship as base camp, we stroll ancient towns and cycle some of Earth’s most spectacular coastal roads. Talk about luxury. 7 Nights | Avid Signature Yacht – From $7,395
GREECE SAVEUR CULINARY JOURNEY NEW! We cook with chefs, in private homes... and on the beach. Farm-fresh and freshly caught everything, and the best estiatorios imaginable. A Greek epic! 7 Nights | Occasional Signature Hotels – From $7,950
Private Trips »»DALMATIAN COAST BY SEA »»GREECE BIKING »»ISTANBUL TO BODRUM WALKING JOURNEY »»SLOVENIA & CROATIA ACTIVE JOURNEY NEW! There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
26 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
Northern Europe DENMARK BIKING We've stuck to the principles of Scandinavian design: simplicity (rural bliss), elegance (dinners fit for a monarch), and ingenuity (you'll see later). 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $6,495
HOLLAND & BELGIUM FAMILY ADVENTURE What to see? Pinterest-worthy sandcastles (made by the kids), a treasure hunt in Gouda, Rembrandt up close, a private canal cruise through Bruges... oh, and a windmill or two. 5 Nights | Occasional Bistro Hotels – From $4,995
HOLLAND BIKING The coast that inspired the Dutch Masters, Michelin dining, the elegance of the Hague, and wonderfully flat biking where windmills spin into view. 5 Nights | Occasional Signature Hotels – From $5,195
IRELAND BIKING Live like a red-haired royal by day—cresting sand dunes atop a pony, sweeping through verdant hills by bike—and a merry pub-hopping local by night. 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels - From $4,995
Private Trips »»ICELAND FAMILY ADVENTURE »»IRELAND WEST COAST WALKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
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Central Europe BAVARIAN LAKES WALKING NEW! Float privately over a pristine lake. Sleep nestled between two mountains. Dine on Michelin stars. (Figuratively, that is.) You've never had a stroll like this. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $4,995
BERLIN TO DRESDEN BIKING What rural/urban divide? Glide from culture-rich Berlin to the craggy cliffs of the Swiss Saxon woods and leafy tranquility of the Spreewald. 5 Nights | Occasional Signature Hotels – From $5,295
DANUBE RIVER CRUISE BIKING This winding river is Central Europe's blissful conduit. Around the next bend? Four countries. Three world capitals. Quiet lakes. And a palace or two. 7 Nights | Recreational Signature Ship – From $7,995
MOSEL & RHINE RIVER BIKING NEW! Stir-crazy? Pedal past castled riverbanks, royal ruins, and extinct volcanoes. Weary? Crash in a former 17thC winery. Ready to go home? Unlikely. 5 Nights | Recreational Bistro Hotels – From $3,795
MUNICH TO SALZBURG BIKING This homage to B&R's very first trip features the most beautiful and unforgettable parts of Bavaria... minus our original 1960s student budget. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,295
28 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
PRAGUE TO VIENNA BIKING Start with Prague’s bohemian chic. Add sun-drenched vineyard cycling, towering castles, monasteries perched on isolated hills (one is our hotel), and a legendary feast. Serve. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $4,995
SWITZERLAND E-BIKING Glide through stunning vistas, visiting Alpenhorn players, cheese farmers, venerable vintners and chocolatiers. Then tap your e-bike to leave them in your merry dust. 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels - From $6,495
VIENNA TO BUDAPEST BIKING This is a region of over-the-top sophistication, intricacy and elegance. We do it justice: from a bestin-the-world restaurant experience to palatial hotels to romantic rides along the riverbank. 5 Nights | Occasional Signature Hotels – From $5,295
VIENNA TO PRAGUE BIKING Cycle the land of enchanting pairings: castles with Bohemian cachet, private wine tastings and monastery ambiance, falconry with a side of schnitzel—and you with a front-row seat. 5 Nights | Recreational Bistro Hotels – From $3,995
VIENNA TO PRAGUE FAMILY ADVENTURE For you, Czech hospitality, Pilsner and the fairytale town of Cˇeský Krumlov. For kids, all that (um, minus the Pilsner) plus rafting and falconry. 5 Nights | Recreational Bistro Hotels – From $3,995
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Asia-Pacific BALI ACTIVE EXPEDITION What do you call turquoise crater lakes, Balinese cakes with the locals, UNESCO rice terraces, and crossing sacred rivers by foot? Paradise. 8 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $8,495
BEIJING & HIMALAYAS ACTIVE EXPEDITION NEW! Savour our favourite duck in Beijing, picnic on the Great Wall, explore isolated Naxi villages, and ride along the Yangtze. China never felt so intimate. 8 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $9,995
JAPAN BIKING Who needs the neon hurly-burly of Tokyo? Sake tastings, Buddhist shrines, and private onsen baths are more our speed. Sayonara, stress. 7 Nights | Avid Signature Hotels - From $8,995
JAPAN BIKING WITH ARTHUR GOLDEN NEW! A one-of-a-kind journey: pedal Japan's mountain hot springs, centuries-old temples, and gardens— reflecting with Arthur, writer of Memoirs of a Geisha. 10 Nights | Avid Signature Hotels - From $13,995
JAPAN WALKING NEW! Wander from the energy of Osaka and Kansai to the tranquility of rural Japan and ancient Nara— meeting tea producers and traditional artisans along the way.
Private Trips
7 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels - From $9,895
»»JAPAN CULTURAL JOURNEY »»TASMANIA WALKING »»SOUTH AUSTRALIA EXPEDITION
NEW ZEALAND BIKING
There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
6 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels - From $5,995
Welcome to Lord of the Rings* country, where lagoons, rainforests and bronze hills coexist with homey pubs and locals. *We guarantee no Orcs.
South Asia MYANMAR TO THAILAND ACTIVE EXPEDITION Experience floating huts, temples, artisans, and mouthwatering food. A hotel highlight? The Inle Princess, a secret paradise visited only by B&R. 7 Nights | Occasional Signature Hotels – From $7,895
SRI LANKA ACTIVE EXPEDITION NEW! We’re the only people of our kind exploring Sri Lanka. A host of friends share her golden beaches, Hindu temples, misty highlands — and rarest hotels. 9 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $9,495
THAILAND SAVEUR CULINARY JOURNEY NEW! We cook (and eat) our way from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and Phuket. Expect colourful local chefs, and food as exquisite and sensory as the hotels. 7 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $8,495
Private Trips »»BANGKOK TO CHIANG MAI EXPEDITION »»BHUTAN ACTIVE EXPEDITION »»MYANMAR BY SEA »»SOUTH INDIA ACTIVE EXPEDITION »»SRI LANKA BIKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
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Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia CAMBODIA TO VIETNAM FAMILY ADVENTURE Wave at hundreds of smiling children on the Ho Chi Minh trail, glide past rice paddies and ancient tombs, and get massaged at every pause. 7 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $6,995
INDOCHINA WALKING NEW! Spanning Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, we're sharing our backstage pass to UNESCO wonders, isolated villages, and otherworldly temples. Epic. 8 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $7,895
VIETNAM & LAOS BIKING NEW! Limestone islands? Waterfall picnics? Intimate ceremonies? Floating villages? Secret caves? A private float plane? Even your guides get googly-eyed. 7 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $7,895
VIETNAM BIKING A region this intimate demands an intimate journey: private riverboats, dinner with royal descendants, and 3 nights at the sublime Nam Hai. (Cambodia Post-Trip details online) 6 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,995
Private Trips »»HANOI TO HO CHI MINH BIKING »»VIETNAM & CAMBODIA FAMILY ADVENTURE »»MEKONG RIVER BIKING There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
32 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
Latin America ARGENTINA BIKING Cycle from divinely-carved sculptural canyons to glittering Andean salt pans. And the wine? As good to luxuriate in (via a wine-spa treatment) as it is to drink. 6 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $6,295
CHILE BIKING If rolling hills, black sand beaches, monkey tail trees and molten Pacific sunsets wear thin, try some organic wine and a private dinner with a celebrated Chilean chef. 6 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $6,995
COLOMBIA ACTIVE EXPEDITION We've fallen hard for this road-less-traveled region. (Just imagine lush cloud forests, steaming bowls of ajiaco, and coffee that melts souls.) 6 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,995
CUBA ACTIVE EXPEDITION NEW! Our friends take us deep into auténtico Cuba—both city and countryside. Bike or hike incredible sites by day, and eat, dance, and play music by night. 6 Nights | Recreational Bistro Hotels – From $7,995
PATAGONIA EXPEDITION We don’t call this an expedition for nothing. But our bucket-list hotels—the Awasi and Singular—provide soft landings amidst the wild, lunar landscapes. 8 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $10,495
PATAGONIA WALKING NEW! Jaw-dropping. Life-changing. This remote primeval region has some of the planet's most otherworldly vistas—seen by precious few. 6 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels - From $7,495
Private Trips
PERU WALKING
»»ECUADOR & GALAPAGOS BY SEA »»PATAGONIA FAMILY ADVENTURE »»COSTA RICA FAMILY ADVENTURE
Spiritually thirsty? Hit the spot by hiking Inca Trail cloud forests and experiencing Machu Picchu the right way—after the tourists have left. 6 Nights | Avid Signature Hotels - From $6,995
There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
North America CANADA GOOSE NEWFOUNDLAND ADVENTURE NEW! Experience this epic land in style (literally: in Canada Goose gear): eerie Fogo Island, contemporary hotels, wild creatures, and the nicest Canadians in Canada. 3 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,495
NEWFOUNDLAND WALKING This Canadian region features world-class hiking and rugged beauty. A tad lost? The preternaturally kind Newfies will help. (And feed you.) 5 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $5,995
QUEBEC BIKING NEW! Head from flirty Montréal to historic Québec City— with beautiful rural biking in between. And did we mention riverside foie gras and Québecois cider?! 5 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,995
SONOMA & NAPA BIKING NEW! Sip, clink, drink, swish, dine, and pedal your way through Northern California's golden hillocks. Hide in the 40,000ft wine cave when it's time to go. 4 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels – From $4,995
Private Trips »»ARIZONA FAMILY ADVENTURE »»BRITISH COLUMBIA WILDERNESS ACTIVE »»NAPA & SONOMA CULINARY EXPERIENCE NEW! »»UTAH FAMILY ADVENTURE There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
34 | BIKING & WALKING SINCE 1966
Africa & The Middle East MOROCCO ACTIVE EXPEDITION Sleep in the Saharan dunes at a breathtaking Berber camp. Luxuriate at Dar Ahlam and Riad Farnatchi (exclusive to B&R). And bond with a camel or two... 7 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $8,495
MOROCCO BIKING A magic show, B&R style: bustling souks, Berber villages, crumbling Kasbahs, Saharan dunes, wild Marrakech and snow-capped mountains. 5 Nights | Recreational Bistro Hotels – From $4,495
MOROCCO FAMILY ADVENTURE
Private Trips »»MOROCCO ACTIVE JOURNEY »»BOTSWANA FAMILY SAFARI »»CAPE TOWN TO VICTORIA FALLS ACTIVE EXPEDITION »»NAMIBIA WALKING SAFARI JOURNEY »»RWANDA WALKING »»SOUTH AFRICA FAMILY ADVENTURE NEW! »»TANZANIA ACTIVE SAFARI There's more where that came from. See all Private Trips at Butterfield.com
We've strung together the most magical, Instagramconquering parts of Morocco: Berber villages, stunning oases, camel rides, and (of course) feasts. 5 Nights | Recreational Bistro Hotels – From $4,395
MOROCCO WALKING The heart of Morocco is off the beaten path. Luckily, so are we. Stay at a private riad, mingle with locals, and drink port from atop 16thC ramparts. 6 Nights | Enthusiast Signature Hotels - $6,495
OMAN WALKING NEW! How’d you like to sail in a dhow in Muscat Harbour? Or spend a night under desert stars? Mystical, magical and mysterious: our cup of (cardamom) tea. 7 Nights | Recreational Signature Hotels – From $6,995
BUTTERFIELD.COM | 35
2017 TRIPS
NIGHTS
LEVEL
HOTELS
PRICE FROM / SS
DATES
Amalfi Coast Walking
5
A
Signature
$7,795 / $2,900
May 28-Jun 2; Jun 25-30; Sep 24-29
Argentina Biking
6
E
Signature
$6,295 / $1,000
Apr 2-8; Oct 15-21; Nov 5-11
Atlantic France Coastal Biking
5
O
Signature
$5,495 / $700
Jun 18-23; Sep 3-8; Sep 10-15
Bali Active Expedition
8
E
Signature
$8,495 / $2,100
May 25-Jun 2; Oct 19-27; Nov 2-10; Nov 12-20; Dec 21-29
Bavarian Lakes Walking NEW!
5
R
Signature
$4,995 / $600
Aug 20-25; Sep 3-8; Sep 17-22
Beijing & Himalayas Active Expedition NEW!
8
R
Signature
$9,995 / $2,300
May 11-19; Oct 12-20
Berlin to Dresden Biking
5
O
Signature
$5,295 / $700
Jun 19-24; Aug 21-26; Sep 11-16
Bordeaux to Dordogne Biking
5
E
Signature
$5,695 / $1,200
May 14-19; Jun 11-16; Jun 25-30; Sep 24-29; Oct 1-6
Burgundy Biking
5
E
Signature
$4,995 / $800
Jun 4-9; July 2-7; Aug 6-11; Sep 3-8; Sep 17-22; Oct 1-6
Burgundy Bistro Biking
5
E
Bistro
$3,995 / $600
Jun 11-16; Aug 27-Sep 1; Sep 24-29
Cambodia to Vietnam Family Adventure NEW!
7
R
Signature
$6,995* / $1,500
Apr 10-17; Dec 24-31; Dec 27-Jan 3
Camino de Santiago Biking NEW!
5
E
Bistro
$3,795 / $500
May 21-26; Sep 17-22; Oct 1-6
Chile Biking
6
E
Signature
$6,995 / $900
Mar 19-25; Apr 2-8; Oct 22-28; Nov 12-18
Colombia Active Expedition
6
R
Signature
$5,995 / $1,000
Dec 16-22
Costa Brava Biking
5
R
Signature
$5,295 / $800
May 28-Jun 2; Jul 2-7; Sep 3-8; Oct 1-6
Cuba Active Expedition NEW!
6
R
Bistro
$7,995 / $1,300
Jan 3-9; Jan 15-21; Mar 23-29, Apr 22-28 Sep 23-30; Sep 30-Oct 7
Dalmatian Coast Biking
7
A
Signature
$7,395 / $2,600
Danube River Cruise Biking
7
R
Signature
$7,995 / $2,000
May 28-Jun 4; Jul 9-16; Sep 17-24
Denmark Biking
5
R
Signature
$6,495 / $700
Jun 19-24; Jul 17-22; Sep 11-16
Dolomites Family Adventure
5
R
Signature
$5,095* / $900
July 3-8
Douro Valley Walking NEW!
5
E
Signature
$4,795 / $400
May 21-26; Jun 11-16; Sep 3-8; Oct 8-13
Greece Saveur Culinary Journey NEW!
7
O
Signature
$7,950 / $1,000
May 20-27
Holland & Belgium Family Adventure
5
O
Bistro
$4,995* / $500
Apr 10-15; Jun 26-Jul 1; Jul 24-29 Apr 23-28; Apr 30-May 5
Holland Biking
5
O
Signature
$5,195 / $700
Indochina Walking NEW!
8
R
Signature
$7,895 / $1,800
Dec 31-Jan 8
Ireland Biking
5
E
Signature
$4,995 / $400
Jul 2-7; Aug 13-18; Sep 3-8
Italian Lakes Walking
5
E
Signature
$6,295 / $1,300
May 21-26; Jun 4-9; Jul 2-7; Sep 10-15; Oct 1-6
Japan Biking
7
A
Signature
$8,995 / $900
May 10-17; Oct 4-11; Oct 18-25
Japan Walking NEW!
7
E
Signature
$9,895 / $3,500
Apr 21-28; Oct 28-Nov 4
Loire Châteaux Biking
5
R
Signature
$5,295 / $700
Jun 25-30; Jul 16-21; Aug 27-Sep 1; Sep 17-22
Loire Valley Family Adventure
5
R
Signature
$5,295* / $900
Jun 18-23
Mallorca Walking
5
A
Signature
$5,795 / $1,800
May 7-12; Sep 17-22; Oct 8-13
Morocco Active Expedition
7
R
Signature
$8,495 / $3,100
Apr 19-26; Nov 1-8
Morocco Biking
5
R
Bistro
$4,495 / $700
Mar 19-24; Oct 22-27
Morocco Family Adventure
5
R
Bistro
$4,395 / $700
Apr 9-14; Dec 24-29
Morocco Walking
6
E
Signature
$6,495 / $1,500
Apr 2-8; Oct 15-21
Mosel & Rhine River Biking NEW!
5
R
Bistro
$3,795 / $500
Jun 11-16; Jul 16-21; Aug 13-18; Sep 3-8
Munich to Salzburg Biking
5
R
Signature
$5,295 / $900
Jun 11-16; Sep 10-15; Sep 17-22
Myanmar to Thailand Active Expedition NEW!
7
O
Signature
$7,895 / $1,550
Feb 1-8; Oct 30-Nov 6; Nov 10-17; Dec 24-31
New Zealand Biking
6
E
Signature
$5,995 / $1,000
Nov 12-18; Dec 24-30
Newfoundland Walking
5
R
Signature
$5,995 / $1,800
Jul 24-29; Aug 27-Sep 1; Sep 11-16
Normandy & Brittany Biking
5
R
Signature
$4,995 / $800
Jun 25-30; Jul 9-14; Jul 23-28; Sep 3-8
Normandy Family Adventure
5
R
Signature
$5,295* / $700
Jul 2-7; Jul 30-Aug 4
Oman Walking NEW!
7
R
Signature
$6,995 / $1,500
Jan 20-27; Oct 20-27; Nov 10-17
Patagonia Expedition
8
E
Signature
$10,495 / $2,500
Jan 9-17; Nov 4-12
Patagonia Walking NEW!
6
E
Signature
$7,495 / $2,500
Jan 19-25; Nov 14-20
Peru Walking
6
A
Signature
$6,995 / $1,600
Apr 24-30; May 8-14; May 17-23; Aug 1-7; Sep 20-26; Oct 4-10; Oct 18-24
Piemonte Biking
5
E
Signature
$4,995 / $400
May 28-Jun 2; Sep 10-15; Sep 24-29
Piemonte to Portofino Walking
5
E
Signature
$5,795 / $1,400
Jun 18-23; Sep 17-22; Oct 1-6
Portugal Biking
5
R
Signature
$4,595 / $400
Apr 30-May 5; May 21-26; May 28-Jun 2; Sep 17-22; Sep 25-30; Oct 1-6; Oct 15-20; Oct 17-22
Prague to Vienna Biking
5
R
Signature
$4,995 / $700
May 21-26; Jun 11-16; Jul 23-28; Sept 3-8
Provence Luberon Biking
5
E
Signature
$4,995 / $1,000
May 28-Jun 2; Jul 2-7; Sep 3-8; Sep 17-22
Puglia Biking
5
R
Signature
$4,795 / $600
Apr 25-30; May 16-21; May 28-Jun 2; Jun: (11-16; 13-18); Sep: (5-10; 12-17; 19-24); Sep 26-Oct 1; Oct 10-15
Puglia Family Adventure NEW!
5
R
Signature
$4,995* / $500
Apr 9-14; Jun 18-23
Quebec Biking
5
E
Signature
$4,995 / $1,000
Jul 16-21; Aug 13-18; Sep 10-15
Rhône River Cruise Biking NEW!
7
R
Signature
$7,995 / $2,000
Jun 18-25; Jul 30-Aug 6; Sep 10-17
Rioja Biking
5
E
Signature
$4,995 / $800
Jun 11-16; Sep 10-15; Sep 24-29
Sicily Walking NEW!
5
E
Signature
$4,995 / $400
Apr 30-May 5; May 14-19; May 28-Jun 2; Sep 24-29; Oct 1-6; Oct 15-20
Sonoma & Napa Biking NEW!
4
E
Signature
$4,995 / $2,000
Jul 9-13, Aug 6-10
Sri Lanka Active Expedition NEW!
9
E
Signature
$9,495 / $2,500
Jan 17-26; Sep 17-26
Switzerland E-Biking
5
R
Signature
$6,495 / $1,000
Jun 26-Jul 1; July 31-Aug 5; Aug 28-Sep 2
Thailand Saveur Culinary Journey NEW!
7
R
Signature
$8,495 / $1,300
Nov 13-20
Tuscany & Umbria Walking
5
E
Signature
$4,595 / $700
May 14-19; Aug 27-Sep 1; Sep 24-29
Tuscany Biking
5
E
Signature
$5,295 / $900
May: (7-12; 21-26); Jun: (4-9; 18-23); Jul 23-28; Aug 6-11; Sep: (17-22; 24-29); Oct 8-13
Tuscany E-Biking NEW!
5
R
Signature
$5,295 / $900
Jul 2-7; Aug 20-25
Tuscany Family Adventure
5
E
Signature
$4,895* / $800
Jun 18-23
Vienna to Budapest Biking
5
O
Signature
$5,295 / $500
Jun 4-9; Aug 6-11; Sep 10-15
Vienna to Prague Biking
5
R
Bistro
$3,995 / $400
Jun 18-23; Jul 9-14; Sep 24-29
Vienna to Prague Family Adventure
5
R
Bistro
$3,995* / $400
Jun 25-30; Jul 16-21
Vietnam & Laos Biking NEW!
7
R
Signature
$7,895 / $800
Apr 8-15; Oct 14-21; Oct 28-Nov 4
Vietnam Biking
6
R
Signature
$5,995 / $1,200
Jan 6-12; Jan 21-27; Feb 12-18; Mar 8-14; Dec 22-30
SS = SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: ensures travellers are guaranteed their own room. *Call for kids pricing. ACTIVITY LEVELS: O - Occasional, R - Recreational, E - Enthusiast, A - Avid. All prices in USD.
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PHOTO CREDITS: Awasi Patagonia, Black Sheep Adventures, Ellen Barone, Fogo Island Inn, Glyn Manwaring-Jones, Graham Tingle, Gusmank in Bali for Flytographer (page 2), Ken Kochey, Miki Duisterhof, Paul Sergeant, Phil Haemmerle, Sjoerd Vink, Sonia Ter Hovanessian, Thilo Erhardt, Warren Zelman Being a Canadian company based in Toronto, we reserve the right to spell traveller with two ls, colour and neighbour with a u, and manoeuvre with an o. (We still have a few ticks left over from our colonial past.) That said, we promise never to use the word “eh.” DESIGN & COPYWRITING: KeyGordon.com PRINTING: Andora Graphics Inc. THE FINE PRINT: All of our trips are offered subject to Butterfield & Robinson’s terms and conditions, which are found at butterfield.com\termsandconditions, in our trip materials and by request. Please review these terms and conditions carefully prior to completing your reservation.
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