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Travel Expertise

Favorite experiences
  • Hiking along the cliff’s edge from Fira to Oia at sunset in Santorini, Greece, for stunning views
  • Camel ride in Morocco’s Sahara Desert to a tent camp to enjoy a feast of food and a beautiful sunrise the next day
  • Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to hear the music and see the colorful costumes in both the Sambodromo and on the streets
  • Hiking in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia among hundreds of stunning waterfalls
  • Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Most recent trips
  • Mexico
  • Italy
  • Argentina
  • Uruguay
  • Colombia
  • Morocco
  • Israel
  • Austria
  • Czech Republic
  • France
  • Fiji
  • Australia
  • Japan
  • Hawaii
  • Charleston, South Carolina
  • Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia national parks
  • Safari in Tanzania
  • Turkey
  • Tahiti/Bora Bora
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • England
Certifications
  • Signature Travel Expert
Awards & Accolades
  • TravelStore Chairman’s Club
  • 2023 Travel+Leisure and ILTM Rising Star Advisor
  • Signature Travel Expert

My fondest memories are from the many places I have visited and the people I enjoyed them with – let me help you create those moments!

Michael Rathauser

Michael's Instagram

Michael's Story

Would you rather spend your time lounging at an amazing beach, or would you rather spend the day experiencing the sights and sounds of a vibrant city? Would you rather explore many places with a fully planned agenda, or do you prefer to stay in one place and feel like a real local? Whatever your combination of preferences is, my goal is to listen to your wishes, help you define them, and turn them into the memories of a lifetime. I hope to take the “work” part of planning a vacation out of your hands, so that you can focus more on the fun and enjoyment.

I became a travel advisor because there is nothing I enjoy more in life than taking trips to different parts of our amazing planet and sharing those experiences with loved ones and dear friends. I have been fortunate enough to visit well over 200 cities in 45 countries on six continents, and each place was special in its own way.

While I cannot remember what I ate at home last Wednesday, I will always remember that first prosciutto and mozzarella dish I had in Florence 20 years ago – or that moment when I woke up and left my tent in the Sahara Desert, mint tea in hand, to watch the sun rise over the sand dunes with the camels in the background. Those are the types of magical, memorable moments that you get from travel and that drive me to want to help others experience their own version of it.

I love the process of planning trips of all kinds, uncovering the best value, finding the most wonderful places to stay, creating the most efficient itineraries, uncovering hidden gems, and always balancing the needs of everyone in the party to make the trip as enjoyable and memorable for everyone as possible. So, whether you are a newlywed couple looking for that special honeymoon, or a family going on that annual vacation, an avid regular traveler looking for the next exciting adventure, or just an overworked person or group of friends who needs to get away from it all, I look forward to putting my travel expertise and research skills to work to create those unforgettable trips for you.

Michael's Travel Journals

Aug 02, 2023 Avatar Michael Rathauser Michael Rathauser

A Tale of Two Tropical Paradises: Tahiti and Fiji

Embarking on a journey to the heart of the South Pacific, I was fortunate enough to experience the best of...

Read more

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