Debbie Rackard Travel

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Debbie Rackard Travel Curated luxury travel experiences—custom journeys, cruises & voyages to the places you’ve always dreamed about.

Let’s turn your travel dreams into unforgettable reality!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Virtuoso Luxury Agent and affiliate of Departure Lounge

Here’s a piece of hotel trivia I love sharing with clients: Ritz-Carlton has around 100 hotels worldwide. Fewer than ten...
30/08/2026

Here’s a piece of hotel trivia I love sharing with clients: Ritz-Carlton has around 100 hotels worldwide. Fewer than ten carry the word Reserve. Zadún is one of them.

The Reserve designation is the brand’s most exclusive tier, and it changes the experience completely. At Zadún, in San José del Cabo, that means villa-style rooms built into the desert dunes above the Sea of Cortez, a personal host assigned to your stay, and a pace that feels nothing like a big resort.

The spa, Alkemia, is a destination on its own, and dinner at Humo, the wood-fire restaurant, is one of the best meals in Los Cabos.

Advisor tip: winter brings whales right offshore, and this stretch of coast near Puerto Los Cabos is calmer than the Cabo San Lucas end. Reach out to learn more.

“Is a Nile cruise actually worth it?” I get this question constantly. My answer: on the right boat, it might be the best...
29/08/2026

“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.

If Australia has been on your list for years, consider this your sign. Here’s the geography quirk that trips people up: ...
27/08/2026

If Australia has been on your list for years, consider this your sign. Here’s the geography quirk that trips people up: their summer is our winter.

December through February is Australia’s peak season, and it’s booking right now. The dream version of the trip: Sydney Harbour on a warm evening, the Great Barrier Reef in prime visibility, wine country lunches in the sun, during our coldest months, and the best properties are small enough to sell out nearly a year ahead.

The distances are the other reason to start early. A well-built Australia trip usually covers three or four regions, and the internal flights, island lodges, and reef experiences all need to line up.

August is exactly when this planning should happen. Message me and let’s get started!

"Which Greek island should I pick?" is my favorite trick question. There are over 200 inhabited islands, and the right o...
26/08/2026

"Which Greek island should I pick?" is my favorite trick question. There are over 200 inhabited islands, and the right one depends entirely on who's asking. (And no, the answer isn't automatically Santorini or Mykonos.) Four I keep matching clients with:

Paros: for the traveler who wants the classic Cyclades, but livable. Whitewashed villages and great beaches, plus real ferry connections, a walkable main town, and prices that haven't gone Santorini yet.

Milos: for the geology nerd who doesn't know it yet. The island is volcanic, so its 70-plus beaches come in white moonscape rock, gold sand, and silver cliffs, many reachable only by boat.

Crete: for the traveler who gets bored on beach trips. Minoan palaces, mountain villages, a food culture Greeks themselves rave about, and resorts big enough to swallow a full week.

Corfu: for the one who wants Greece to look different. This is the green island, Venetian architecture instead of white cubes, cypress hillsides, and a run of new five-star openings.

Island-hopping between them is where trips get complicated: ferries, flight connections, and hotels that sell out by spring. Tell me which island sounds like you, and I'll start planning.

Planning Portugal and only thinking about Lisbon? Allow me to make the case for the north.Porto is one of Europe’s great...
24/08/2026

Planning Portugal and only thinking about Lisbon? Allow me to make the case for the north.

Porto is one of Europe’s great second cities, and Infante Sagres is its grande dame.

Opened in 1951 as the city’s first luxury hotel, it has hosted royalty, heads of state, and film stars ever since. The stained-glass staircase alone is worth walking up and down twice.

The location is the other reason I book it: you’re in the heart of downtown, an easy walk to Livraria Lello, the Ribeira riverfront, and the port wine lodges across the river in Gaia.

Insider tip: pair Porto with the Douro Valley, about 90 minutes away, for wine country after the city. Reach out to start planning.

23/08/2026

Give me 24 hours in Paris and here’s exactly how I’d spend them:

Morning: coffee and a croissant at a neighborhood café, then the Musée d’Orsay right at opening, before the crowds fill the impressionist galleries.

Midday: lunch in Saint-Germain, then wander the Marais. Boutiques, galleries, and the prettiest squares in the city.

Golden hour: a private boat on the Seine as the light turns and the Eiffel Tower begins to sparkle.

Evening: dinner at a bistro where the menu is handwritten and the waiter argues with you about the wine. In the best way.

Twenty-four hours or a full week, I’ll make every one count. Get in touch to plan Paris.

I plan trips to the Alps, Aspen, and Japan every winter. So it means something when I say one of the world's great winte...
21/08/2026

I plan trips to the Alps, Aspen, and Japan every winter. So it means something when I say one of the world's great winter stays is in Canada.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise stands directly on the shore of its namesake lake in Banff National Park, facing the Victoria Glacier. No other hotel gets this position, and in winter it becomes something out of a storybook: the lake freezes into a skating rink framed by ice sculptures, horse-drawn sleighs trace the shoreline, and the mountains stay dusted in white for months.

Skiers are spoiled here too. Three resorts are within easy reach, including Lake Louise Ski Resort just minutes away, with some of the most scenic runs in North America and none of the lift lines you'd expect for terrain this good.

Advisor tip: Lakeview rooms are worth every penny, especially in winter when the frozen lake and glacier fill your window. They sell out first, so this is a book-early property. Message me to start planning.

Did you know one of Africa's greatest safaris happens almost entirely on water?Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond property, o...
21/08/2026

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.

“Wait, hotels have Michelin ratings now?” I’ve been asked some version of this a dozen times this year, so let’s decode ...
19/08/2026

“Wait, hotels have Michelin ratings now?” I’ve been asked some version of this a dozen times this year, so let’s decode it.

Michelin Keys: launched in 2024, awarded to hotels rather than restaurants. One Key means a special stay, two means exceptional, and three places a hotel among the world’s very best.

Forbes Travel Guide Stars: the long-standing gold standard for service. Inspectors visit anonymously and grade hundreds of touchpoints. Five Stars is the top honor and genuinely hard to earn.

Here’s my take as an advisor: awards are a useful signal, not the whole answer. Plenty of Three Key hotels would be wrong for your specific trip, and some of my favorite properties fly below the award radar entirely.

The ratings tell you a hotel is excellent. I tell you if it’s excellent for you. That’s the difference. Reach out anytime to learn more!

17/08/2026

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.

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