August
19
2010
By Amy Smithers
We talk a big game here at Trufflepig. But we only boast because we know we can pull off something way more interesting and customized than your average travel agent. Now here is where we prove it.
We understand your skepticism. What's an agent other than a glorified hotel booking service? At Trufflepig we're a lot of things, frankly. A coordinator of complex logistics, for one. A connector, to put you in touch with the people who can really bring life to your trip. And a massive idea generator, to think up experiences you couldn't have asked us for yourself.
This is all talk until you see what we can do firsthand. But for now, enjoy a few examples of our handiwork:
Tuscan Lunching
Authentic Italian history? Our clients got it. We arranged for them to privately visit Villa Centinale, a 16th century villa originally built for Pope Alexander VII. The property is known for having some of the most beautiful gardens in the country, complete with original statues by Mazzuoli. Siena's famous Palio horse race was run on the property before it was relocated to the Piazza del Campo (where it can be seen today). After a tour of the property (and a swim in the pool), our clients sat down to lunch with the owner, Lord Lambton.
Jungle Fever
Last March, a client asked for our help with his trip to Guatemala. This was no simple hotel stay, however—he wanted to visit an archaeological dig in the depths of the jungle... with a large group of his friends. And so we swapped hats and became builders of luxury tents, boating in all of our materials and supplies by river, to create a comfortable haven smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Working showers and toilets in the tents meant there was no midnight run to the outhouse. And custom made canvas from a tent company in New Hampshire meant mosquitoes were put in their place.
Hippos Only
Some want to see the big five, others have a different, more specific safari goal in mind. A client came to us this year wanting one thing only—hippo sightings. With over 2,000 pieces of hippo art in her collection, it was something of an obsession. Our safari experts weren't thrown for a minute. They called up a fantastic guide to be her escort at Varty Camp, and for two full days she sat and watched the hippos do their hippo thing to her heart's content.
Picnic Surprise
"Life's a picnic" was an understatement for a family who just concluded a six-month-long around the world journey. Having thrown fishing nets in Asia, taken private surf lessons in California, walked with a shaman in Peru, and done everything in between, we wanted one last big surprise for the final day of their trip in New York City. After a private historical tour of Central Park, they arrived on a shady hilltop to find a picnic spread out and waiting for them, complete with champagne on ice, sushi, and a frisbee for post-meal entertainment.
We're not your average travel agents, and we like it that way. It's how we keep our clients as happy as pigs in mud.
Amy Smithers is the editor of The Sounder, and the employee who hauled all that picnic food into Central Park while explaining to the NYPD that it was not an "unattended suspicious package." If you crave a little of the unusual for your own travel adventure, get in touch with us. And follow along on Facebook and Twitter to see what our other clients are up to.