Nice Carnival 2018!

Its coming to that time of year again when the world famous Nice Carnival takes place from February 17 to March 3, 2018!

Attracting nearly a million visitors of all nationalities from around the world, the two weeks of festivities is not to be missed.

Since the carnival’s inception back in 1873, every year comes with a different theme and this year is no exception with a theatrical space odyssey of a lifetime with “King of Space”.

King of Space will capture the imaginations of many from the early tales of Jules Verne all the way to the most recent real-life events that made the news in 2017, such as the science and education mission led by French astronaut Thomas Pesquet of which he is revered.

And as a bit of trivia, did you know that the local Nice observatory is responsible for the highest number of new planets discovered over the past century?

This is a wonderful gay-friendly carnival full of life to be enjoyed by everyone and this year there will be 17 gigantic character floats decorated pertaining to the Space theme that will parade to the rhythm of street art and musical bands along with flamboyantly dressed individuals from all around the world in a colorful and festive atmosphere.

Along the carnival route it will be easy to spot the costumed models on flower-covered floats who traditionally throw a hail of flowers to the public. The flower parade represents a unique show renowned on the French Riviera.

As an emblematic carnival venue, Place Masséna will be the starting point for the carnival route which will turn around the Albert 1er gardens in a loop. On the square, visual entertainment will be relayed on giant screens for the delight of spectators of any age.

This is an exciting time of year to come enjoy the city of Nice, the surroundings and meet people from around the world under the winter sunshine and evenings filled with activities.

The Bigger, The Better in Monaco

You’ve got to hand it to Monaco, besides being the second smallest country in the world and one of the richest. It definitely puts thoughts and words into action.

One in every third resident is a millionaire, lured to the area by its lenient fiscal policy where income tax was abolished in 1869 along with the principality being one of the most secure and safest places on earth.

Monaco has a population of just over 38,000 residents that all live within an area of less than one square mile of land (2.02 square kilometers), a rate of practically 0% unemployment and daily an additional 40,000 people come in from neighboring France and Italy as a strong part of the work force.

Needless to say, housing is at a long time premium in terms of requirements and price so as in past decades, Monaco is once again looking at the sea.

Bit by bit since the 19th century, Monaco has gained an additional 100 acres which accounts for 20% of its territory.

Development options over the last few years have come across the table in deciding where and how much of an extension can be done with some fascinating designs available to be seen publicly in an exchange of ideas.

In the past number of months, the approved construction has begun near the Grimaldi Forum to extend the natural contour of Monaco’s coastline a further 15 acres into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea at a cost of 2 billion euros.

The new eco-friendly district once completed in 2025 will be named, Portier Cove. Designed to fit into the current landscape, it will include luxury apartments and villas for up to 1000 residents, an underground parkade able to hold 600 cars with the ground level neighborhood being completely for pedestrians, with commercial areas, public spaces such as a park, a seafront promenade, a 30 yacht port and a small marina.

There is a highly ambitious target of sustainability and environment protection that has been in place since the start of this project. Prior to construction, protected plant species in the area were relocated to nearby marine reserves and yet to compensate for the inevitable loss of natural habitats, the construction company, Bouygues, plans to install a wide variety of artificial habitats in horizontal and vertical ecological corridors. Water quality is also continually monitored by a team of independent scientific experts.

It is intriguing to witness this process come to fruition in the Principality of Monaco with what is sure to be a stunning outcome.

Photo credits: Valode & Pistre

Luxury LGBT Group Travel in France

As each summer comes along, it seems more visitors from the around the world in the LGBT community continue to discover the beautiful French Riviera.

Perhaps it’s the endless days of sunshine, the Mediterranean sea, the chic and casual way of life here but it just seems easy to meet new people when coming to the region for a vacation.

Another notable difference is in the way people are spending their holidays in the French Riviera.

Besides the variety of beaches up and down the coast, the restaurants, designer shopping and nightclubs to suit every taste and desire. Through my local luxury travel business there has been a remarkable increase in the number of group travelers coming together wanting to Experience The French Riviera.

For us, before first time visitors arrive to the Cote d’Azur, in conversation we will sometimes be told that when they think of the area what comes to mind is a jet set crowd, glamorous events, magnificent villas on gorgeous estates, and tons of beaches where one can go swimming in the clear blue Mediterranean sea with numerous extravagant yachts floating nearby.

To a large extent, especially in the summer months that can be true, even just going for a seaside walk at sunset one can’t help but pause to take in the combination of the social scene gearing up for an evening out surrounded by both architectural history and nature.

With us, a strong segment of our clients want to have that high end experience, and many times this is where the group travelers come in and why not? This stunning part of the world deserves to be discovered by everyone around the globe and truth be told, it’s not only for the rich and famous.

When people tell us they are looking for that luxurious feeling of the region, it tends to include a vacation stay at one of our 245 plus villa rentals in France, plus yacht charters, tickets to various events such as the Cannes Film Festival (and the after parties) and Monaco Grand Prix with an ever growing list of other possibilities available.

Instead of wishing to live the life as seen on TV and magazines, now as a group of friends or LGBT business owners are finding it more economical to get what they want out of a holiday by traveling together as one to experience how the other half live and we couldn’t be prouder to make these dreams come to fruition.

We don’t see this as a growing trend in the luxury market anymore, but more so a smart way of taking advantage of what is available in the travel industry.

This is the time of year to get everyone you think may be interested together to leverage the opportunity to enjoy the best the gay-friendly French Riviera has to offer as there are few better ways to make memories of a lifetime.

Right now is also one of the prime windows of the year for options on villa rentals, charter yachts and at the most competitive prices before the summer season heats up and stock starts to get low.

As always, let our love and passion for this part of the world shine through as we work on your behalf to find exactly what you require for your vacation or business trip, we are extremely well connected in the region as part of a shared economy and nothing excites us more than the thrill of the hunt.

Make the summer of 2018 your best ever!