Meet Collette’s Executive Team: Part V
Meet Melissa Famiglietti Snape, Collette’s Executive Vice President of Product. Here, she discusses her favorite places in the world, thoughts about family traveling together and why she thinks her job is the dream job.
All-Time Favorite Destination: Peru! I’m a product person, so I think every destination is amazing, but Machu Picchu, at sunrise, that is pure magic. And the food in Peru – from ceviche to the wood-fired pizza in the plaza in Cusco, was way beyond expectation!
Favorite Pastime: Seriously? I’m a travel junkie so definitely traveling with my family! I have two young children and my son still loves trains, so we have been on many trains. From the Essex steam train in Connecticut to the absolutely spectacular trip on Via Rail through the Canadian Rockies, we try to do at least one a year. They are always an experience and traveling with your children and your parents, having the whole family together, nothing is better than that for me!
Favorite food experience while traveling? Now THAT is a tough one. It is about a 200-way tie, but I’ll try to pick my top 3. Indulging in a multi course dinner I helped prepare after a cooking lesson in a private villa in the hills of Tuscany. The amazing sushi you can get everywhere – even department stores – in Japan. A burger with an egg on top and acapirina at sunset on Copacabana Beach in Rio is pretty divine. And absolutely every curry I ate in India – I love the food in India! Wait – did I say I would limit it to 3?
Best adventure? Diving in Belize. Driving in the UK (and no, I don’t mean golfing, those roundabouts are tough!) Dining in Provence (where every meal is an adventure waiting to unfold). Hiking up Machu Picchu. Every aspect of fabulous Marrakesh, Morocco…bargaining in the night markets of Malaysia…shall I go on?
Best View? Again, hard to name just one best view but I’d have to say the perfectly pristine lakes and meadows of Montana’s Glacier National Park ranks up there. The pyramids of Giza at sunrise; the Taj Mahal at sunset; Nantucket harbor, day or night; my children’s smiles, anytime—these are all great views, too.
What’s on your bucket list? Africa – I want to see the big 5 in Tanzania, stay in a tented camp in the Masa Mara, witness every drop of Victoria Falls and drink my way along the wine route of South Africa. I want to visit the school the Collette Foundation is helping to build in Kenya. I want to see it all.
Why do I love my job? I can’t imagine doing anything else. I practiced corporate law for 2 years before I came here. Now I get to travel around the world, and spend every day making sure that world comes alive for tens of thousands of people. I get to help make their dreams come true. Wouldn’t you love that job? It doesn’t get much better than this. This is my 13th year with Collette – and every adventure still feels as exciting as the first.
Check out Melissa’s blog entry about a Collette family trip to the Canadian Rockies.
Meet more members of Collette’s Executive Team!
posted by Travel Bug
Nicole Sullivan, Supervisor of Branding & Communications
Collette Vacations
Tags: Collette's Executive Team
2 Comments to “Meet Collette’s Executive Team: Part V”
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My first trip with Collette was to Ireland when my husband retired 13 yrs. ago and then another to England, Scotland and Wales. We were impressed except not enough time spent seeing London and seeing the palace through trees a few streets over.
I am presently researching a trip to Spain with Collette and hope I find something of interest and not too much bus time.
Glad you enjoyed your tours with Collette and thanks for the useful feedback. Customer response plays a huge part in shaping future itineraries.
Keep an eye out for a new tour coming for 2011 – Spain’s Costa del Sol & Portugal’s Riviera. According to the Product Manager, “it’s designed to be much more leisurely paced.”
This tour has less travel between the towns and cites and “includes a high speed train experience.” The time you do spend on the motorcoach includes great highways, beautiful scenery, small towns, olive tree plantations, cork tree groves and farmland. If you’re interested in planning ahead now since the tour begins in May 2011, you can ask a representative about it now at 800.340.5158.
Our Spain Product Manager also recommended our most popular tour to Spain as a must for someone who’s never been – Spain’s Classics He said that while it can have days with more driving time and is a bit more hectic, it’s such a pleasing program full of culture and great experiences that has become a favorite for Collette travelers.