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Kay Gojanovich, Senior Travel Specialist

Interests & Specialties:
European travel, specialist in Great Britain, certified Australia specialist, Spain specialist, World cruises, luxury cruising and custom tours. Certified specialist for Cunard, Princess, Oceania, Regent and Silversea.

Expert Bio:
Kay was born and raised in Great Britain. As an adult, she has lived in several European countries including Spain, Holland and Belgium. Kay particularly enjoys creating custom European trips and has traveled extensively visiting new and interesting places.

My Recent Trips:
Queensland and Sydney, Australia.
We flew non stop from Los Angeles to Brisbane and our first stop was Dreamworld. Whether you want to cuddle a koala, wink at a wombat, smile at a crocodile or roam with the 'roos, you won't want to miss Dreamworld's Wildlife Experience deep in the heart of the theme park. The Wildlife Sanctuary is home to the second largest colony of koalas in the world, more than 100 native animal species and some rarely exhibited native animals including Saltwater Crocodiles and Tasmanian Devils… all displayed in their natural habitats.

We then took a yacht to the Gold Coast and stayed at the Palazzo Versace Hotel, which has a private Marina so you can dock your boat right at the hotel. This is the first hotel that the designer Donatella Versace designed. Just 30 minutes drive from the hotel is the Hinterland, known as the ‘green behind the gold’. Visitors may explore the lush rainforests, mountain villages, wineries, craft galleries, charming teahouses, museums and historic buildings. Much of the area is a World Heritage National Park with excellent walking trails.

The next day we went by coach to Port Douglas and stayed at a wonderful resort called Peppers Bale. The accommodations are actually homes and guests can choose from a range of beautiful 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom sanctuaries homes all with private plunge pools, poolside pavilion, and full kitchen, lounge and dining facilities. The resort has a wonderful restaurant and spa and is on a golf course.

Our next journey was also by private coach to the domestic airport in Cairns for our one hour flight to Lizard Island on a small plane. The views of the Great Barrier Reef Islands were spectacular. We stayed at the Voyages Lizard Island which was the only resort on the island. Voyages does not accept children under the age of 15 and is very popular with honeymooners. We spent two glorious days on the island and then flew back to Cairns where a highlight there was visiting the Daintree rainforest just north of Cairns in the Tropical Far North of Queensland. This area is home to the largest range of plants and animals on earth, and all are found within the largest chunk of rainforest in Australia - an area spanning approximately 1200 square kilometers.

Our trip ended with a visit to Sydney which has a lot to offer for all ages, from a walk over the bridge, touring the Rocks area and of course attending a show at the Opera House. We had dinner at a restaurant called 306 Bar and Dining which revolves to give you an excellent view of the whole of Sydney.

Unfortunately my stay was too short and I am ready to go back to see m ore of this vast wonderful country.

Recently I had an opportunity to return to Spain where I lived for several years. Because of my knowledge of this diverse country, I have arranged different types of travel for our clients from deluxe train tours on the Al Andalus Express through Southern Spain to the El Transcantabrico train through northern Spain. From skiing in Sierra Nevada Mountains of Granada to golf and spa packages in Marbella. This trip I decided to experience Spanish Paradores in the south of Spain. Paradores are hotels that were once fortresses, castles, convents, palaces and other historical buildings. They are mostly 4 star properties and have wonderful restaurants serving local cuisine. Every Parador offers food that is a specialty of the area and serves a large selection of excellent regional Spanish wines.

Our first stop on our 7 day journey was at a 14th century Arabic fortress called Alcazar del Rey Don Pedro high on a hill above the town of Carmona about 30 minutes outside the city of Seville. The views were spectacular. The town of Carmona is quite hilly with narrow streets and is typical of the whitewashed villages in Andalucía.

Next stop we toured Seville, set on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. Seville is a beautiful and captivating city and legend has it that it was discovered by Hercules over 2,500 year ago. We toured the Jewish Quarter, the Maria Luisa Park and the enormous Giralda cathedral which was built between the 10th-15th centuries. Seville has a variety of cuisine to fit all tastes.

We continued our journey to a town called Ubeda where we stayed in a 16th century Renaissance Palace which is in the main square of the town. Although very plain from the outside the giant wooden doors opened up to a beautiful inner courtyard with tall columns and colored tile walls and ceiling. The food specialty here was peppers stuffed with Partridge and Oxtail in red wine. The hills around Ubeda have approximately 80 million Olive trees. This area of Spain produces more olive oil than any other country in Europe. The views were spectacular as we climbed the hills to the town of Jaen where we stayed in a 13th century Moorish fortress perched on the highest hill of Jaen and built to protect the town. The food specialty here was white garlic soup, Jaen-style spinach and a delicious cheesecake.

Our next stop was Granada high in the Sierra Nevada’s. Unfortunately the Parador there was being renovated. It’s a 15th century convent right in the gardens of the Alhambra.The Alhambra palace also sits high above the city and its gardens are magnificent and not to be missed. The Parador will be a 5 star property when it reopens..

The last stop was Cordoba; the Parador there is modern but built on the ruins of the summer palace of Abderraman I, at the foot of the Cordoba mountain range. The Mezquita which is a combination of a Mosque and Cathedral is amazing.

I would be happy to arrange a similar parador tour for you either as part of a group or a private tour which can be tailored to your tastes and interests…whether it be history, art, culture or food and wine. The possibilities are endless!

Last year I enjoyed traveling back to Great Britain and visiting my old home town where I always liked visiting the Waterford/Wedgewood Factory and Royal Doulton China Factory. Other stops included London, Stratford Upon Avon and Warwick Castle and the medieval town of Chester.