Tour Host Pick of the Month
by Sheri Leigh

Martin Randall Travel LTD has been a leader in cultural tourism for over 13 years. Its outstanding reputation is based on its knowledgeable lecturers and attention to detail. All lecturers are professionals in their field; academics, writers and curators whose mission is to enlighten and stimulate, not merely to inform, thus assuring an enjoyable trip for both the well-informed and the novice.

Its scheduled musical offerings include the major festivals, such as Prague, Aix and Wexford, but also include less known events and specifically designed trips, such as programs on Russian Culture, Handel in Halle and Haydn in Eisenstadt. Each trip is limited to 22 passengers but averages only 15, providing travelers with an intimate group and exceptional individual attention.

In a notably distinct service not offered by most travel companies, one of its divisions, Martin Randall Music Management, creates festivals exclusively for its clientele. These festivals range in size from a maximum of 150 persons on its cruise programs, The Rhine Valley Music Festival and The Austro-Hungarian Music Festival, to 300 in  city events, such as its Rome: A Festival Of Music. By designing not only the travel itinerary, but also the concerts and inviting the musicians, Martin Randall makes itself a unique travel and culture provider.

With its inventory of more than 140 trips to 35 separate countries and covering history, architecture and, of course, music, the company's wide selection guarantees that even the most demanding traveler can find a satisfying trip.

The Martin Randall website offers a lot of detailed information on its trips, including brief histories of the music and the venues where you'll be hearing it, as well as in-depth biographies of its lecturers.