Best Italian Restaurant in India

One of the great joys of Authentic Luxury Travel is wandering off the beaten path and discovering hidden gems.

Actually, I have to confess I didn't really discover Diva, the best Italian restaurant in India. A friend in London told me about this jewel in Delhi - but if I hadn't been traveling independently, I wouldn't have had a chance to follow up on her recommendation. http://www.diva-italian.com/

Owner/chef Ritu Dalmia fell in love with Italian cuisine when she went to Carrera on behalf of her family's marble and granite business.

Subsequently, she introduced Italian wine to India and has become a major importer of vino di Italia. And here's the best news: Some wines that cost $350 a bottle a block from the winery in Italy can be enjoyed at Diva for $180 because the mark-up is lower in India than anywhere else in the world.

Diva's 14-page list also includes wines from France, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, California and - yes - India. Wine Spectator says Diva "offers one of the best lists in the world."

The tony, minimalist restaurant, which opened in 2000, has also won numerous food awards. Some of the dishes come from the wood-fired brick oven visible at one end of the dining room.

We started with sliced crispy duck with white balsamic glaze, rucola, and pecorino shavings. Our next course - porcini risotto - was made without cream so it avoided that common too-rich downfall. John Dory and giant prawns starred in our main courses - and all of the flavors were exquisite.

In addition to Diva, Ritu owns and operates Le Cafe and caters all the meals at the Italian Cultural Center in Delhi.

However, I think the greatest proof of her success was sitting next to us at dinner: an Indian family with two kids, mom in a sari, thoroughly enjoying their Italian meals.

Qantas International Business Now On Sale

If you act fast, you can get a great deal on Business Class tickets to Australia.

Qantas has a special offer that you must book by February 23, 2010. For the details, go to http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/visit-australia-business-class/us/en?gclid=CNi6rNyfnZ8CFQJaagodg0r9Ug

Flights depart from Los Angeles or San Francisco and the sale price is up to 55% off regular Business Class prices. A 50-day advance purchase is required.

If you've been thinking of heading down under - now's the time, mate.

Best Airlines. Do you agree?

Known as the "Oscars of the Airline Industry," the OAG (Official Airline Guide) Awards carry a lot of clout. Since you have choices when you fly, I thought you might like to see the just-announced list of best airline winners:

Airline of the Year: Singapore Airlines

Best Transatlantic Airline: Virgin Atlantic

Best Business Class: Continental Airlines

Best Airline based in North America: Continental

Best Airline Based in the Middle East/Indian Sub-Continent: Emirates

Best Low-Cost Airline: Southwest

Best Airline Based in Central South America & Caribbean: LAN

Best Airline based in Africa: South African Airlines

Best Airline Based in Central/Eastern Europe: CSA Czech Airlines

Best Airline Based in Australia/Pacific: Qantas

For further details (such as a list of all the finalists), visit http://www.oagairlineawards.com/Winners

I'd really love to hear what you think of this list. Do you agree? Think it's way off base? Please share your experiences by posting a comment below.

We're listening.

Photo courtesy Virgin America.

Business and First Class Bargains

Every traveler has their own idea about what constitutes a luxury experience – and yours might be quite different from mine. However, I bet we agree on one thing: traveling in Economy class is not luxurious.

To deal with the high cost of Business and First, I have learned to watch for discounted fares (http://www.johnnyjet.com/ is a good source). In addition, I track the airlines’ special promotions. Top-rated Emirates announces a new deal every Tuesday at www.emirates.com/spotlight. A recent offer was two-for-one First Class tickets to any of their 100 destinations.

Because I am a travel writer, I am deluged with press releases about the latest and greatest hotel and airline "bargains." Most of these I ignore because they really aren't all that exciting, but lately I have been getting news of some amazing airline deals.

Since I want you to know about them ASAP (before everyone else snaps them up), I've decided to post them on this blog as soon as they come in. Unfortunately, I can't predict how often this will be, so I suggest you register for an RSS feed (just click on the "Atom" button on the right). That way, every time I post on this blog, you'll get an email.

Of course, I'll also continue writing about other Authentic Luxury Travel topics.

In the meantime, check out two of my favorite sites: http://www.seatguru.com/ and http://www.bestbeds.com/ and stay tuned for money-saving tips on First Class and Business Class airfares.

Here's to traveling in style!