Change Your Altitude with Alexis

Change Your Altitude with Alexis Travel Designer with Change Your Altitude LLC

“What should I do after safari?” I’ve answered that question the same way for years: the winelands, and this estate in p...
09/08/2026

“What should I do after safari?” I’ve answered that question the same way for years: the winelands, and this estate in particular.

Delaire Graff belongs to diamond dealer Laurence Graff and crowns the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, with just 16 lodges facing the vineyards, each with a heated pool and terrace. The trophy shelf here is genuinely absurd: two Michelin Keys, and the top prize at the global Best of Wine Tourism awards, which effectively named it the world's finest wine stay.

What makes it singular is the collection. One of South Africa’s most important private art collections is displayed throughout the property, alongside two standout restaurants, a serious winery, and a spa with those same valley views.

Stellenbosch deserves more than a rushed tasting day. Reach out, and I’ll help balance the lodge, the wine, and the rest of South Africa.

A shift I’ve noticed in this fall’s bookings: clients are choosing the culture first and the destination second.Seeing t...
09/06/2026

A shift I’ve noticed in this fall’s bookings: clients are choosing the culture first and the destination second.

Seeing the landmark is easy. Understanding what you are looking at is the part that changes the trip. A temple ceremony in Bali, a festival in Mexico, and a market or fortified village in Morocco each ask something different of the traveler. Timing, local context, etiquette, and the right guide turn a colorful stop into an experience that makes sense.

This is why cultural travel cannot be reduced to a list of famous places. I plan around what is happening, how clients want to participate, and how much time the destination deserves. Some days need a guide. Others need a free afternoon after the introduction.

If there’s an art form, a tradition, or an era you love, that’s a trip. Tell me what moves you, and I’ll start planning.

The Mediterranean has been mapped, cruised, and photographed within an inch of its life. Somehow, Malta still flies unde...
09/02/2026

The Mediterranean has been mapped, cruised, and photographed within an inch of its life. Somehow, Malta still flies under the radar. Here's what to know before everyone else catches on.

Valletta is Europe's smallest capital, walkable end to end in twenty minutes, and its cathedral holds Caravaggio's largest painting, the only one he ever signed.

Mdina, the walled Silent City, clears out when the day-trippers leave. A single small palazzo hotel lets you sleep inside the walls.

Gozo is a 25-minute ferry away, with temples older than the pyramids and dive sites serious divers cross Europe for.

And the logistics are a gift. Everything is about thirty minutes from everything else, English is an official language, and Valletta's old palazzos are being restored into small, characterful hotels one by one.

Malta won't fly under the radar much longer. Message me and get there first.

08/29/2026

Want three trips for the price of one flight? That’s Thailand.

Bangkok first: rooftop dinners, riverside hotels, street food that outperforms restaurants triple the price.

Then north to Chiang Mai for temples, artisan villages, and ethical elephant encounters in the hills.

Then the islands. Powder beaches, limestone cliffs rising out of green water, and some of the best beach resorts in Asia.

The routing between regions is where a trip gets made or broken. That’s my job. If Thailand is on your list, message me.

“Is a Nile cruise actually worth it?” I get this question constantly. My answer: on the right boat, it might be the best...
08/25/2026

“Is a Nile cruise actually worth it?” I get this question constantly. My answer: on the right boat, it might be the best hotel in Egypt. And it moves.

Historia Boutique Nile River Cruise sails between Luxor and Aswan, designed around the glamour of 1920s river travel with a fully contemporary interior. Around 40 cabins, floor-to-ceiling windows facing the water, a rooftop pool deck, and a spa on board.

The real luxury is the format. You unpack once, and the temples come to you. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, then Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae, each visited with expert Egyptologist guides while the boat handles every mile in between.

Advisor tip: itineraries run three, four, or seven nights, and the direction you sail changes the pacing. I’ll help you pick the right one. Let’s start planning.

08/22/2026

Where would I send you in 2027? So glad you asked. Four places at the top of my list, and why the clock is already ticking on each:

Luxor and the Nile, Egypt. The Grand Egyptian Museum is finally open, and on August 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse crosses Egypt. Nile sailings around that date are selling out now.

Bhutan. Daily visitor fees keep the kingdom uncrowded, and its lodge circuit is world-class. Go while it still feels like a secret.

The Okavango Delta, Botswana. The camps here hold 8 to 12 tents each. Prime season availability for 2027 is already moving.

The French Riviera. Summer on this coastline books out a year ahead, and the legendary hotels fill first. Locking in now means choosing your property instead of settling.

The best trips of 2027 are being booked in 2026. Message me to plan yours.

The whole family, one roof, zero hotel hallways. Private villas are how my favorite families do the festive season, and ...
08/19/2026

The whole family, one roof, zero hotel hallways. Private villas are how my favorite families do the festive season, and the best ones are booking right now.

A villa solves what hotels can't for multi-generational trips: everyone together under one roof, a private chef instead of restaurant reservations for twelve, space for the grandparents to nap and the kids to run.

Where I'm sending families this year: jungle villas in Costa Rica with monkeys in the trees, catered chalets in the Alps with ski-in access, staffed oceanfront estates in Cabo, villa compounds in Hawaii where three generations can spread out, and private safari villas in South Africa with their own guide and vehicle.

Festive villas require the longest lead time of anything I book. The question worth asking at the dinner table this month: where does the whole family want to wake up this holiday season?

Flown recently? Then you’ve felt it. Record passenger volumes, tighter ID requirements, and construction at major hubs h...
08/17/2026

Flown recently? Then you’ve felt it. Record passenger volumes, tighter ID requirements, and construction at major hubs have changed the math on getting to your gate. Here’s how I protect my clients from all of it:

I build realistic buffers. Tight connections that worked five years ago don’t work now, especially through the busiest international hubs.

I arrange fast-track and VIP services. Many airports offer expedited security, private escorts, and lounge access that most travelers never hear about. I book them routinely.

I watch your flights. Delays and cancellations get handled while you’re still in the air, not after you’ve landed and joined a rebooking line of 200 people.

And a reminder for U.S. travelers: REAL ID is now required for domestic flights, so check that license before your next trip.

The airport is part of the trip. I plan it like one.

Did you know one of Africa's greatest safaris happens almost entirely on water?Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond property, o...
08/13/2026

Did you know one of Africa's greatest safaris happens almost entirely on water?

Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond property, occupies a private island deep in the Okavango Delta, one of the most remarkable ecosystems on Earth: a desert that floods every year into a maze of channels, lagoons, and islands teeming with wildlife.

The safari itself is unlike anywhere else in Africa. Gliding through the reeds in a mokoro, the traditional dugout canoe. Boat safaris through papyrus channels. And the lodge's signature: helicopter flights over the Delta with the doors off, which clients consistently call the highlight of their entire trip.

Water, wildlife, and almost no one else around. Reach out to start planning.

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