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The Discovery CompassThe Discovery Compass

  • Home
  • Small Group Travel
  • Luxury Travel
  • Experiential Travel
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • More
    • Personal
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Culinary Experiences

Where Hearts Find Home: The Story of Soriano nel Cimino


Why our first location remains the soul of Culture Discovery Vacations Nearly twenty years ago, in a medieval hilltop village that most travelers have never heard of, a dream was born. While everyone else flocked to the famous piazzas of Florence and the dramatic coastlines of Cinque Terre, we discovered something...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 13, 2025
  • 0
Experiential Travel

Small Group Travel Myths Debunked: The Truth About Authentic Cultural Tours


Discover why small group travel myths are wrong! Learn how authentic cultural tours with 14-18 guests offer better value, flexibility, and access than large group tourism. Expert insights from 20+ years in travel.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 4, 2025
  • 0
Culture & Lifestyle

Portugal Tours: Why 8 Days around Porto Beats 8 Cities in 8 Days (A Travel Industry Insider’s Honest Take)


Tired of Portugal tours that leave you empty? An industry insider reveals why 8 days immersed in Northern Portugal offers true cultural connection and lasting transformation, far beyond rushing through 8 cities.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • June 24, 2025
  • 1
Culture & Lifestyle

Unveiling the World of Luxury Experiential Travel


Luxury experiential travel focuses on providing unique and immersive experiences for travelers, allowing them to engage with local cultures and environments in a more meaningful way (National Geographic). And so… it’s time to totally redefine what luxury travel means in travel, moving beyond traditional opulence to...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • March 26, 2025
  • 1
Luxury Travel

Why Small-Group Travel is the Ultimate Luxury Experience


What is “Luxury of Experience” in Small-Group Travel? Luxury of experience is a travel approach that prioritizes authentic connections, unhurried time, and exclusive access through personal relationships rather than traditional luxury amenities. Unlike conventional luxury focused on material comforts, this...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • March 12, 2025
  • 2
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 13: “Two Guys and a TuTu”


As with every post in this series, if you are jumping in here, it is like jumping into the middle of a movie. Please start with Part 1, or this will make absolutely no sense. It’s been a while since I posted an article in this series!  Sorry about that! But to get you in the mood of 1984 and where my...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • April 21, 2023
  • 9
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 3: “Scratch Your Balls 13 Times and never make eye contact with the Witch”


Part 3 of my story of an American that slowly became part of Italian culture.

  • Michael Kovnick
  • July 5, 2019
  • 16
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Culture & Lifestyle
Culture & Lifestyle

4 Italian Summer Recipes to Try


It’s July, that means there is no denying it, it’s officially summer. The days are longer and hotter. You’re probably reading this from the comfort of your air conditioned home or office, but in Italy, most...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • July 1, 2019
  • 1
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Destinations
Destinations

My Favorite Culture Discovery Location – Michael


So the CDV crew has all chosen to write about our personal favorite locations, and me… wow. How do I choose? It kinda depends on what I am looking for at any given moment, or which is my favorite for what reason. To start...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • June 23, 2019
  • 4
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Destinations
Destinations

My Favorite Culture Discovery Location – Alyssa


Does a parent love every kid equally? Or does Mom have one favorite kid and Dad possibly have another favorite? Maybe you just have more in common, or vibe better with one than the others? I don’t know, I only have one kid...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • June 13, 2019
  • 3
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 2: Where are the Walls? and How do I Flush?


So… I left off in Part 1 on my first full day in Italy in 1983. I am at the tip of the boot in Reggio Calabria, suffering severe jet lag, having walked miles and miles for an awful cafeteria meal, and now I am boarding a...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • June 13, 2019
  • 23
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Culinary Experiences
Culinary Experiences

What to Expect on a Culture Discovery Vacation


What makes Culture Discovery Vacations different? You see it all over our website. Family, Family, Family. This is not a marketing term for us. It is the way we operate. It may sound like just a word to some, but it is what makes...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • June 6, 2019
  • 0
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Travel Tips
Travel Tips

Rome Fiumicino Airport: 5 Things to do When You Land


I love Italy, the people, the culture, the food, the coffee, it’s my very favorite country. One thing I will fault Italy for though, is the Rome airport, this airport is not user friendly and nobody is in a hurry to move...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • June 4, 2019
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Culture & Lifestyle
Culture & Lifestyle

Why Pizza is the Best Food


I’ve been trying to think of a blog post to write all day long, and no matter what I did, all I could come up with was one word: Pizza. How do I write a blog post on pizza? Pizza is the best food in the world! Do a I write...

  • Alyssa Saltzman
  • May 29, 2019
  • 4
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Personal
Personal

My Life in Italy, Part 1: “The Warm Table”


“The Warm Table” For years, people have asked me to tell the story of how I ended up with my dual US-Italy life. The reality is that it was a series of somewhat unrelated events that all came together to create an...

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 16, 2019
  • 28
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Personal
Personal

Starbucks digs its claws into Italy, and why that saddens me.


With its massive global expansion, Starbucks has always left Italy alone. After all, how do you open a store in the country you copied your model from?

  • Michael Kovnick
  • May 10, 2019
  • 2
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Small Groups
Culture Discovery Vacations
Leading Luxury Food & Wine Tour Operator
Authentic culinary experiences with Culture Discovery Vacations

Experience the true meaning of luxury travel with Culture Discovery Vacations - the leading small-group culinary tour operator, offering immersive experiences that go beyond traditional opulence.

  • Hands-on cooking classes with local families
  • Authentic all-inclusive pricing with no hidden costs
  • Boutique accommodations with character
  • Exclusive access to family vineyards
★★★★★
5.0/5 from 384+ reviews on TripAdvisor
"We didn't feel like tourists—we felt like family. The cooking classes changed how I think about food."
— Mark S., Tuscany Tour
Discover Our Tours
Italy • Portugal • Spain • Croatia

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  • Discover Portugal Like a Local: A Road Trip Journey – Everything Inc. on Portugal Tours: Why 8 Days around Porto Beats 8 Cities in 8 Days (A Travel Industry Insider’s Honest Take)
  • Drd on Bella vs. Brutta Figura: How Italians Judge You
  • abdessamed gtumsila on My Life in Italy, Part 13: “Two Guys and a TuTu”
  • abdessamed gtumsila on My Life in Italy, Part 13: “Two Guys and a TuTu”
  • abdessamed gtumsila on Unveiling the World of Luxury Experiential Travel

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