Tracy Stevens

A Round of “Finish the Sentence” with Tracy

1. Talk about exclusive access, I once arranged an experience for my guests to…

Celebrate a Bar Mitzvah atop a sacred mountain used by Kenya’s Samburu tribe for centuries for their “coming of age” ceremonies. Two generations of the family climbed to the flat plateau at the peak while the grandparents helicoptered in by special permission from the tribal elders. They spent an evening with the Samburu, telling stories, laughing, dancing, and sharing a meal. The Bar Mitzvah boy taught the Samburu warriors the Jewish Horah in one of the most unique cultural exchanges imaginable.

2. One of the coolest special surprises I have set up for a guest was…

A woman celebrating her 70th birthday who thought she was going to tick off the last item on her bucket list alone. She told her sorority sisters at their last reunion that she was planning this journey and due to declining health, wouldn’t be doing any more long-haul travel. Her friends contacted me and arranged to meet her at her lodge in Volcanoes National Park as a surprise. After lots of hugs and tears, early the next morning, they went trekking together. This has become her most cherished memory and she calls me once in a while to relive it. We both cry every time.

3. Food glorious food. One meal my guests will never forget was …

A couple of my favorite super-active guests wanted to go to Scotland. I’m Scottish by birth and did my best to prepare the guests for the four seasons in a day that characterizes the weather there. After a full day walking the heather-clad hills and a stop to fish for salmon with one of the Queen’s former ghillies, they arrived at two trailers in the wilderness. One was set up as a mini-spa with a steaming hot bath and dinner attire. The other was manned by a Michelin-starred chef who whipped up a spectacular meal (salmon included) that the guests enjoyed by candlelight with only Highland cows for background noise.

4. I love to work on complex itineraries. I once created a trip with…

Sometimes, long weekends are more challenging than months’ long journeys. I designed a trip for a group of golf buddies who combined the final day of the British Open in Royal Portrush with playing two top courses each day in Scotland, Ireland and France from a borrowed chateau in the Loire Valley. With the help of several long-range helicopters, golfboards, and a schedule that required military precision, they did it!

5. Have a passion and need an experienced guide? One time I arranged a…

A guest was planning a trip to Sicily and Lake Como with her family. She shared with me that she had written her Ph.D. thesis on the frescoes in Florence’s Brancacci Chapel. We added two nights in Florence so she could spend a full day in the Chapel with one of the world’s leading experts on the painter, Masaccio, who we flew in for the occasion. After her day with the expert, we closed the Museum/Chapel and brought in a choir so she could experience the full glory of the “Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance” 30 years after she wrote her thesis.

6. One of the craziest requests I have ever fulfilled is…

In the middle of a two-week safari, a couple decided to tie the knot on their final day in Africa, atop Victoria Falls. Their wedding was scheduled for a few weeks later in the U.S., but they decided to seize the moment. In less than 72 hours, we had the bride’s dress (and parents) flown in from Philadelphia, a photographer, hair stylist, makeup artist and priest at the ready. The hardest part was getting the ring bearer, the couple’s lab Bobo, the necessary permits!