Marieke's Art of Living

Thank you for the most sublimely divine experience of Rajasthan with beautiful Durga as our inspiration, guide, protector. His sense of humour and passion will never be forgotten. I loved Every moment of your tour. Food, camping, amazing hotels and textiles along with amazingly diverse, humbling and surreal India.
Thank you for your friendship and sharing in this fantastic trip. Dorothy Gilmour

Kashmir Holiday - It was a trip like no other. The opportunity to stay close to the local Gurjar people and experience their environment as they have lived for perhaps hundreds of years. Little or no technology with magnificent, pristine, wilderness landscapes makes for that rare connection with a way of life we have long left behind. To me this is what made this trek around Aru in Kashmir so amazing and enlightening. On returning home my memories of the mountains and all I experienced have flooded my dreams. Quiet reflection on the daily life we were privileged to be immersed in has heightened my appreciation of this very special tour. Johnny our guide was so passionate and dedicated to the beauty and cultural heritage of Kashmir, he could not help but leave us with a new found love for his people and his land.

Of course the food was delicious, the company excellent and your co-ordination and support exemplary.

Thank you for it all Marieke - a challenging holiday with meaning, warmth, companionship and immense educational value. It will live on in my memory for all the years to come.

We have had a wonderful and easy holiday in Sri Lanka, thanks to Marieke's Art of Living thoughtful planning.

Indika was not only kind, courteous and a good and safe driver but knowledgeable and always helpful. We got on with him very well.

Some of the lunches were real highlights - the lunch prepared by village women at Ailya, at Ena Da Silva’s house, with Jacques Soulie, who was an entertaining host and at Lunuganga. The boat trip at KK was terrific and the surprise afternoon tea with china and linen in splendid isolation on the island was a treat. The dinner at Jetwing Vil Uyana was an enjoyable experience.

We loved staying at Tintagel, Ellerton Estate, KK and Fort Bazaar. Ellerton was faultless and Luca and Iromi were delightful hosts. We could have stayed there for a week. The accommodation at KK was very stylish and the food was excellent. Again we could have stayed there longer.

We loved the train trip and being able to catch it from Gampola Station which had not changed since the days of the Raj.

We felt the trip was very well organised with a good mix of sightseeing and free time.

Travelling in India during the pandemic is not for the faint-hearted, and there were many occasions I was grateful I had chosen Marieke’s Art of Living and her Indian ground company as my travel agent. They double-checked every time I had to cross a border to make sure we knew the latest public health requirements and that I could satisfy them. I felt I was in safe hands. On the plus side, India without foreign tourists was magical. I had mapped out a rough itinerary I wanted to take across Southern India and Marieke’s Art of Living smoothed it out, using their knowledge to suggest more days here, fewer days there. They suggested a car and driver rather than the train for one leg and organised inexpensive domestic flights for me, including dealing with the hassle of on-line check-in. In fact nothing was too much trouble, even advice on real estate when I got very enthusiastic in Fort Kochi! From the Andaman Islands, to Bangalore, to Hampi, to Mysore to Kochi the hotels chosen for me were superb. There is nothing like a great hotel in India, and Marieke’s Art of Living knows them all. As well as the itinerary, Marieke’s Art of Living provided me with notes on where to visit, eat and shop. These were travelling treasures.

Marieke does so much more than seek out the most exquisite accomodation and sites. In Sri Lanka, she manoeuvres her travellers to front row seats to witness age old temple rituals, finds the stalls in the market with the ripest mangoes and brings them back to your hotel for sunset cocktails. If she could, she would spot you the leopard on safari. Nothing is too much trouble. Her knowledge is deep, broad and always up to the minute. Her quest for the best is relentless. She has a sixth sense for when her guests want more and when they need less. She shares their enthusiasm for watching a herd of elephants grazing almost within reach, or their pleasure relaxing by an exclusive pool or watching them inhale the aroma of freshly rolled cinnamon bark on an island or visiting a private garden lush with memories of past revelries. She can find you the perfect gemstone and the place to set it, the length of hand dyed cloth you have to have, the recipe for the yummy eggplant dish at dinner, the best place to see a kingfisher at dawn or a peacock in the rice paddies. Once you have travelled with Marieke, there is no going back. Without her, a country is a paler version of itself.

Having travelled extensively over the last 30 years, solo and with some very good operators, none can come close to the intimate knowledge and ability to take you on a stunning journey of discovery as Marieke does. India is her heartland and she does it brilliantly. I've been on many other trips with her but my exposure to that extraordinary land through her eyes remains indelible.
All my other trips with her, including Northern Spain, Turkey, Normandy and the South of France had the same marvellous intimacy of small groups and great places to explore.

It's been a wonderful trip and I can't thank you enough for all your thoughtful suggestions and excellent organising; we've felt in good hands all the way.

JLF was one of the most marvellous events I've ever attended; the mix of intellectual and cultural stimuli was a heady brew and not something I will ever forget; it's what memories are made of.
Our reading group was extremely happy and satisfied - and believe me that's a huge compliment as it's not all that easy pleasing 8 strong willed women. But I think you knew that already.

Travelling with you is always such a joy.so much fun!
Your research and careful planning were in evidence yet again - a marvellous mix as always: traditional and contemporary, culture, food, architecture, landscape, art and the simpler pleasures of wandering off the track in some truly magical places.not to mention a cooking class with someone from Master Chef!
I can never quite explain to others what it's like travelling with you - Is it like travelling with your family? - but without all the terrible family dramas! Or is it like travelling with friends? - no.because that can be the beginning of the end of friendships if someone gets upset about the wrong hotel or restaurant or.
And yet i'ts not like travelling with strangers either because Marieke you always draw together people of like mind who, after a week or so travelling together, find so many shared pleasures and interests.
I always know it will be fun and I love the fact that I don't know exactly what we are going to do. Putting yourself in someone else's hands requires trust - and you always repay that trust in spades!
You brought us the traditional and the surprising, the cutting edge and the quaint, the sophisticated and simple, the amazing layers of history and some 21st century wonders, the picturesque and the rugged.all in this extraordinary part of France!
That afternoon at Chateau La Coste just blew me away - I can't stop telling people about it! So.a thousand thank yous to you Marieke.yet again.

Some of the best experiences of my life have been travelling with Marieke on tours in India and in Australia. No one curates an itinerary better than Marieke, with every guest showered in hospitality and personal care. From the exquisite boutique hotels, culinary experiences and daily itineraries through to the knockout cultural moments, vistas and sensory joys. Marieke has an unrivalled contact book to ensure impeccable guides, local knowledge and entrees to the best hospitality and travel experiences on the planet – allowing a deeper connection to place, to landscape, to culture and local communities. Her depth of research, lifetime of travel and passion for what she does is reflected in everything she does. She is sensitive to all ages, abilities and interests, always delivers incredible value for money and creates perfect small group experiences. Tony and I cannot wait to book another trip with Marieke.

Marieke, thank you for facilitating a marvelous adventure.   We all benefited from the depth of your knowledge about our destinations and your expertise in designing a carefully curated itinerary. Guided by you, Muza and Dorji, access and immersion in the unique cultures of Kashmir and Bhutan was made possible. Beyond the knowledge acquired about Bhutan and Kashmir I learned so much from you about a myriad of subjects including food, literature, good health, yoga and travel to other places.   This trip was stellar, and will be the one to which all future trips will be compared.

I am grateful Marieke took the time and expended enormous amounts of energy to enable all of us to experience Saras grace and wisdom in our five day yoga retreat.
My week held such treasures all gentle and informative.
To acknowledge my journey over these very recent years of toil and application so as to allow my self time to rejoice and acknowledge the work completed. Before I continue my deep and prosperous journey inward to my true self.
Saras created with your help a space of immense kindness and possibility a massive task as I can attest.
You enabled a wonderful study event to unfold in a beautiful surrounding chosen as always with your discerning eye and appreciation for equanimity.
I am so glad that I was free to attend it - meant a great deal to me to see you flying in the context of this relatively new path. You are unquestionably in the right place doing exactly what you are meant to be doing enabling others to find the light. Such a precious offering in this life.
I loved my time with you = always fills my knowledge and curiosity on a raft of subjects.
Thank you for the beautiful meal and the welcome that you always provide, deep loving sitting in my heart.

Although the outside needs someone maintenance and it's not 5 star, we loved our stay. The beds are super comfy, the place is spacious and homely. Our big dog settled in quickly and loved the outdoor space. Our host Tim was available and extremely helpful. We felt at home and we'll be back