Portugal Provides Warm Welcome and Rich Content for Personal Travel Manager
Featured photo: Stunning scenery, spectacular food, exquisite wines and superb service: the hallmarks of a great river cruise for TravelManagers’ Rose Febo
Having spent more than 20 years in the travel industry, personal travel manager Rose Febo has spent much of her career feeding her passion for selling boutique, luxury travel. Most recently, she has added a luxury river cruise exploring Portugal’s Douro River aboard the Scenic Azure to her repertoire: an experience which has provided her with valuable, first-hand knowledge of yet another fabulous destination.
Febo, who is TravelManagers’ representative for Hawthorne, QLD, says Portugal has long been on her wish list of destinations to explore, so she was delighted when the opportunity arose to visit via a self-famil.
“I have been longing to visit Portugal for some time as I’d heard such wonderful stories about this country and its warm people and rich history,” she explains. “It was also my first experience with river cruising, which I absolutely loved: the intimacy of the experience and the incredible service every step of the way made it truly exceptional.”
The Douro River’s famous hilltop wine estates (and their equally famous wines) helped set a relaxing and luxurious tone for PTM Rose Febo’s week-long Douro River famil
Having travelled with Scenic previously on a Land Journey encompassing Jordan, Febo had grand expectations for her river cruise which saw her travel the length of the Douro on a round trip from the northern city of Porto. She says the voyage delivered well beyond those expectations, with every day aboard delivering another exceptional experience.
“I particularly loved the personalised butler service that is a hallmark of Scenic’s luxury river cruises, and the destination itself was incredible. The Portuguese people we encountered exhibited a quiet but justifiable pride in their country: they were warm-hearted, modest and welcoming.”
The experience has provided Febo with plenty of rich content for her blog, where she has shared not just her newfound knowledge and insights of the destination but also some spectacular imagery that is sure to tempt her clients into signing up for their own Portuguese escape.
One of her favourite locations was Porto, which she had time to explore at the beginning and conclusion of the cruise.
A visit to Spain’s golden city of Salamanca was among the options available to PTM Rose Febo during her Douro River cruise self-famil.
“With the distinct winding mystical lanes and architecture, Porto has a distinct Harry Potter vibe, so it came as no surprise to learn that J.K. Rowling had lived here,” she notes. “It’s such an eclectic city, with its mythical air and its flavoursome food, wine and port.”
TravelManagers’ Executive General Manager, Michael Gazal, says famils such as the one experienced by Febo are providing PTMs with vital first-hand experience not just of spectacular destinations like the Douro Valley but also of the flight uncertainties and airport disruptions that their clients may experience when travelling internationally in the current
environment: “these are essential tools in providing clients with reliable, up-to-the-minute itinerary planning and advice,” he notes.
“In addition, TravelManagers’ partnership with Signature Travel Network ensures that our PTMs have access to an incredible wealth of luxury travel experiences, and they are relishing being able to experience them for themselves while also sharing them with their clients.”
PTM Rose Febo (right) opted for a tranquil afternoon kayaking on the Pinhao River: one of the many excursions on offer as part of her river cruise with Scenic Cruises.
In addition to her blog, Febo has also created a YouTube video that showcases a compilation of the spectacular scenery she encountered during her time in Portugal: another tool that will allow her clients to experience the destination vicariously before adding it to their own wish lists.
“This was a journey of surprises and delights,” Febo concludes in her blog. “The experience itself as well as the professionalism of all the staff and crew of the Scenic Azure far exceeded my expectations. Their passion and knowledge were exceptional and filled me with wonder, lifelong memories, and a desire to return.”
