Eva LaRue is best known for her roles as Dr . Maria Santon on All My Children and Det . Natalia Boa Vista on CSI : Miami . A passionate luxury travel enthusiast , Eva shares her adventures on her luxury travel blog and tweets regularly from exciting destinations . She is Dot Luxury ’ s Luxury Travel Ambassador and is joining a panel discussion on Developing a Sense of Place at the ILHA ’ s conference in Croatia this March .
You describe yourself as a “ selfconfessed luxury travel addict ”. Where does that come from ? What inspires and motivates you ?
My first trip out of the country was at 18 years old to shoot a movie in Italy for three months . The movie was thoroughly forgettable , but the trip sparked in me a lifelong passion to see the planet ! I am so motivated and inspired by the world ’ s diverse cultures , the people , languages , foods and spices - the buzz and bustle of the cities , the mesmerizing , man-made sites and the awe-inspiring reverence of the God-made ones .
I believe you have created a luxury travel bucket list of top trips for 2017 . How did you compile this list ?
I created my luxury travel , top trips , bucket list for 2017 , but it needed some sort of parameters , so I limited it to my top 10 ( though I can ’ t help myself , I secretly add to it all the time !). I compiled the list based on gorgeous hotel / resorts I ’ ve had my eye on , countries and cities I ’ ve been dying to see , and amazing experiences that tweak the adventurer in me .
Can you give us a glimpse of some of your luxe picks ?
• A stay in a few of the five
Amankora resorts of Bhutan - especially The Paro , which is the closest jumping-off spot for visiting the famous Tigers Nest .
• The Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge in Rwanda , for the phenomenal gorilla trekking adventure .
• Torn between many loves with the incredible , luxury resort offerings of the Maldives ! I don ’ t even know how I ’ ll make the choice when the time comes !
• Riding the rails in the Palace on Wheels , Orient Express train through 6 cities in India and a stay at the Oberoi Vanyanvilas , Rathambhore luxury tents near the Tiger Reserve .
We ’ ve been talking about how travelers are looking for really
Cappadocia
unique , personalized experiences . How do you think brands can connect with their guests to find out what they are looking for ?
Because luxury travelers are looking for really unique , personalized experiences , I think a great way for 5-Star brands to connect with their guests is through the specialized activities , excursions and amenities they offer . Individualized service , experiences and a “ can-do ” Spirit , create brand loyalty . I love that more resorts are adding extensive activities and excursion pages to their websites , even from offsite companies , which are often times more detailed and inventive than even the best travel agents know about . Like an overnight trip to the Moroccan desert in a tented camp , with camel rides to watch the sunrise over the dunes , private
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