Several members of the Ker & Downey family recently returned from a trip to the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. Our regional sales manager Wazha Dube recalls his journey and the luxury properties that welcomed him along the way. On my most recent FAM trip I spent two weeks enjoying the opulence, thrills, and adventures that exist in Dubai and South Africa. Arriving in Dubai, I spent my first two nights at the Armani Hotel located in the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. The modern hotel’s minimal opulence in design and bare tones offer a distinct but discreet […]

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Experience exciting thrills and restful moments in true seclusion when you travel to South Africa with Ker & Downey. Set off to see the Splendors of the Cape on Ker & Downey’s South African luxury travel adventure, named one of the Top 50 Tours of a Lifetime by National Geographic Traveler magazine. This unbelievable 15-day tour offers unique experiences not found anywhere else on the planet – the very definition of experiential travel. A highlight of our amazing South African journey is the exclusive Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. Hidden amidst fynbos and milkwood trees on Walker Bay, Grootbos blends breathtaking […]

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The Land Down Under is a land full of wonder, with national parks, remote wilderness experiences, bustling modern cities and quiet beach retreats making up the diverse country. Get a taste of it all with Ker & Downey’s Escape Down Under – a 13-day experiential travel journey through the best and brightest of Australia. Start by spending two nights in the Park Hyatt Sydney, taking in incredible views of the famous Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House from your hotel window. The outback is next at Ayers Rock in Australia’s central red heartland. You will stay in one of […]

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La Residence In the 1990s, fashionista-turned-hotelier Liz Biden and her husband Phil left the South African fashion industry to turn one of their vacation homes into an opulent bushveld hotel and safari experience. After earning accolades from this first endeavor, the pair expanded two more of their homes to form the Royal Portfolio. Their award-winning offerings consist of luxury hotels Birkenhead House, La Residence and Royal Malewane. Royal Malewane Each of the Royal Portfolio properties is famous for its distinct identity and intimacy. Royal Malewane, the Royal Portfolio’s debut property, comprises only six suites amidst an isolated private reserve on […]

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The Galapagos Islands are widely known for being the subject of Charles Darwin’s landmark work, The Origin of Species. Notably, the islands’ fauna display a characteristic known as island gigantism, which is a biological phenomenon whereby the size of animals isolated on an island increases dramatically over generations. The Galapagos Islands first appeared on maps in 1570 when Dominican bishop Fray Tomás de Berlanga mistakenly landed on one of the islands after attempting to sail to Peru to settle a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and his lieutenants after the conquest of the Incan Empire. The islands were mostly forgotten until […]

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One generally wouldn’t think that the words Africa and tropical vacation spot would go together, but then you wouldn’t be familiar with the Quirimbas Archipelago. Situated off the northern coast of Mozambique from Pemba to the Ruvuma River, which is the natural border in between Mozambique and Tanzania, the area includes 32 islands. The few resorts on the string of islands, including Vamizi Island, are first class, private resorts that give you the feeling that you are on your own little tropical oasis. Outside of a few lodges on the islands, the islands have never been fully developed, leaving you […]

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