A unique small-group tour in the countryside of Provence, France with Kathy and Charley Wood |
A Week in Provence with The Luberon Experience
Recommended in
If this type of vacation appeals to you, you'll enjoy The Luberon Experience, a week-long, small-group tour in the most scenic area of Provence, France. During the past 17 years, we've traveled all over Europe: 20 trips involving 12 countries and over 115 weeks. In 2004 we were fortunate to be able to live in the Luberon for almost seven months, and this area truly captured our hearts. It's the place we find ourselves returning again and again. We love sharing the Luberon with people who are looking for a different, very special vacation experience. Last Minute Opportunity - September 20 - 27, 2008!We had a cancellation and now have one room available at a special price. We could accommodate a couple, two friends, or a solo traveler. If you are interested, please contact us at kdcwood@aol.com or (865) 693-3036. The Luberon Experience in 2009Saturday, May 9 - Saturday, May 16 Saturday, May 16 – Saturday, May 23 (Women’s Week!) Saturday, May 23 – Saturday, May 30 Saturday, September 19 – Saturday, September 26 Saturday, September 26 – Saturday, October 3 The Luberon Experience: A Very Different Kind of TourWe've observed the typical tour groups that visit Provence and other popular European destinations. These groups always travel in a big conspicuous bus, and they change hotels every day or two. The people look at the countryside through their bus windows, make quick stops at the top destinations, eat in tourist-oriented restaurants, and often stay in bland chain hotels. They "see" Provence, but they don't "experience" it. We designed The Luberon Experience as a unique and very different kind of tour. We've always been independent travelers. We wanted this to be the type of tour we'd like to go on. A tour that feels like traveling with knowledgeable and fun friends. A tour that doesn't seem like a tour! Our groups are small, never more than twelve people. We stay in one place for the entire week, a small and beautiful hotel in the picturesque hillside village of Bonnieux, one of the most beautiful villages in France. Each day's explorations focus within a 30 minute drive where the area is rich with discoveries. Our schedule is stimulating and varied, but also relaxed and flexible, including a mid-week "free day" when our travelers can pursue their own interests. Each week's plan can be adjusted based on the weather, the preferences of each group, and an unexpected opportunity like a festival in a neighboring village or an invitation to lunch at a friend's home. Our trip attracts travelers whose style and interests are similar: people who want quality over quantity, who want to do more than sightsee, who want to absorb the culture and beauty around them. We really enjoy the variety of people who join us, ranging in age from early 20's to active seniors. Our groups include couples, friends and family members, solo travelers, and small groups. Over the past three years we've had people from the USA (23 states and counting!), Canada and Australia. We personally lead all our groups, sharing special places we've discovered and have come to love. We eat in small and unique settings, sometimes in the homes of our friends. And our groups travel in two private vehicles, which also gives us more flexibility. We don’t all always have to do the same thing. Take a few minutes to learn more about the Luberon, our approach to travel, and a typical week with The Luberon Experience. News about the Luberon and The Luberon Experience
We've just added an Amazon store to our website. This store shares the books, movies, music and products that most remind us of Provence, along with some travel accessories we've found useful. We personally own everything we recommend in the store. Take a look around!
Kathy and Slow Travel founder Pauline Kenny were at the Vacation Home Expo (April 12-13 in Atlanta). Pauline and I spoke on "Slow Travel ... We're Moving too Fast." Charley and I were at the Slow Travel booth for the weekend, and had fun meeting people and talking about Slow Travel and The Luberon Experience. In addition to her role as a faculty member in the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, each winter Kathy teaches the popular non-credit evening class, "Planning Your European Vacation." With our daughter Kelly, we have also given talks to several area groups about our family travels in Europe. We enjoy encouraging and helping others to pursue their dreams of traveling in Europe. The Luberon was beautifully portrayed on the big screen in the 2006 release A Good Year starring Russell Crowe. Much of the movie was filmed around the village of Bonnieux where our Luberon Experience week is based. Our group has a private tour and tasting at Château la Canorgue, the main setting for the movie. Read about the movie A Good Year. See photos of locations in the Luberon featured in the movie here. The Luberon Experience was recommended by USA Today! (November 3, 2006) The reporter spent a day with us on one of our September trips, and the hard-copy paper included a photo of our group at a wine tasting. Read USA Today’s extensive coverage of the Luberon. The Luberon Experience was recommended by James Martin on the Europe for Visitors website. (October 22, 2006) See the Europe for Visitors story. |
Copyright © 2006 - 2008 Kathy Wood |