Puglia Traditions Archives

October 9, 2019August 8, 2020Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Luxury Vacation Villas in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

BeeYond Travel is now an Outgoing Tour Operator Puglia

How many of you are familiar with the popular statement: “Nothing good comes easy”? We at BeeYond Travel can surely raise our hand, both hands actually. We had shared for a while now the “We Have Grown” news, but we had to work behind the scenes to make the right implementations before unveiling the new BeeYond Travel!

Growing is what makes us better and as reliable as you would expect when traveling overseas. But what do we mean when we say we have grown? And how did we do it?

Let’s backtrack a bit to 2016, when the first drafts of the villa rental company were drawn. We simply want to be the best Vacation Villa Rental out there. While dreaming with our head up in the clouds, we always kept our feet grounded.

We were aware that for the kind of service we wanted to offer, we needed to pick a small area and become the best advisors for the most discerning clientele. We picked one of the most beautiful countries in the world: Italy. Then one unique region: Puglia. This region offers tourism options all year long. The majority of people travel during the summer months, but there is another large percentage of people who choose to travel off season too. These travelers are not big fan of hot temperatures and dislike crowds; or many other reasons. Puglia, has much more to offer than just beach: history, culture and traditions can be felt everywhere, food it top notch, and we all agree we do not need to wait for summer to eat well.

Once we picked our beautiful corner of world, we literally moved there in 2017 and for 2 years we lived exactly like the locals and we explored every single corner of this amazing region. This was a stretch well worthed. We have met and selected the best professionals to help us out in this incredible journey. Thanks to our alliances, we were able to see the tourist traps and learn how to stay away because authenticity is key to us when delivering a certain level of luxury.

Professionalism is also key. Puglia for instance is packed with beautiful villas, but finding gorgeous villas and owners who can actually run those properties in a professional manner was not that easy. Unfortunately, many people think they can open up a restaurant, and be called Restaurateurs. Or refurbish a beautiful old farmhouse and be called Hoteliers. We know well it is not the case so we made sure we looked at the whole picture before “shaking hands.”

Along the way, our clients kept requesting more than the unique villas we offer. We decided then to offer tailored vacations with villas, transfers, tour guides, experiences, and anything in between that would create an amazing vacation.

BeeYond Travel, based in NY, evolves into Outgoing Tour Operator. After getting the necessary “checks” – insurance, certification, inventory, booking engine, proper staff, etc. – we are now proud to be probably the only Outgoing Tour Operator. Specializing in this small region capable of offering excitement all year long.

While we are in NY orchestrating unforgettable vacations, there is a Team in Italy coordinating the operation. The Team is directed by Paola Puzzovio. We are very humble so we will just say that she is the best local tourism expert in Puglia, a pioneer of enogastronomy, the first one to preach not only about food and wine but enogastronomy as an expression of culture of the local community. She is the person every traveler would want by their side while on vacation. We are so proud to have her on our Team making sure our travelers can experience a vacation in a way that they will remember forever.

The website got a new “engine.” Although it looks very similar to the previous version (we kept it that way because we all love its simplicity), under the “hood” multiple tools, and widgets. It allow us to keep track and manage inventory, reservations and payments all using the strictest encryption to guarantee your data is safe while on our site.

Tour Packages in Puglia by BeeYond Travel

We have added new pages dedicated to Tours and Experiences.

Tour Experiences in Puglia by BeeYond Travel

We have also added a new page dedicated to Cruises. We now offer day sailing excursions in Puglia and just because we like to always bend rules. Even our own, we offer week-long sailing cruises to the Eolian Islands aboard some very unique sailing yachts; one in particular can accommodate up to 12 people; we call it the Orient-Express of the sea! Check out the new page.

Cruise Tours Puglia, Sicily, Eolian Islands — Private Cruises provided by BeeYond Travel

We have changed some numbers but we continue to keep our Italian number to make it easier for our suppliers and travelers to reach us from Italy.

We promise to continue to evolve and we will continue to listen to our guests and suppliers because thanks to them we are who we are today. More tours and more experiences will be added but if you have specific places in Puglia where you wish to go or specific experiences you wish to book, let us know, just send us a request.

We hope you will enjoy the new BeeYond Travel and please keep your feedback coming.

Happy Travels,

The BeeYond Travel Team

March 14, 2019November 20, 2019Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Luxury Vacation Villas in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

Family Reunion, meet up again in Puglia for Vacation

In these first days of spring, if you are lucky, raising your eyes to the sky you can see flocks of swallows that come back after the long winter.

It is a fascinating spectacle that fills the heart with hope: the beautiful days are coming back, let’s get ready.

The return of the swallows is a moment of joy and serenity and we imagine that many of you have experienced this sensation.

No, we are not swallows, obviously, but how many times have we found ourselves looking up while waiting for a plane to land that brings home a family member who works or lives far away?

And who returns, does not feel a little like a small swallow who finally returns home, to find the nest he had left?

Airports and stations are places that could tell millions of these stories, tears of joy and long hugs.

Summer is the time when those who return home do not do it for a simple vacation, they want to embrace their origins and recharge their batteries.

In Puglia, the Family Reunions, are a real village festival: Everybody is called: cousins, second and third degree uncles, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All ready to have fun, tell old anecdotes, stories of past lives.

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to even meet in another part of the world, a place that no one has ever seen and live it together, like a family?

Obviously, our advice is, also in this case, to choose Puglia: the BeeYond Travel villas have numerous beds and ensure the necessary privacy and tranquility that these moments deserve.

Waking up together, having breakfast, going to the beach, and then in the evening enjoying a barbecue in the moonlight: all these elements would make any family reunion unforgettable.

There are experiences that can be made here in Puglia that would strengthen ties that maybe the distance has weakened: gathering fresh fruits and vegetables and preparing them for lunch, perhaps after having learned to make orecchiette, the classic Apulian pasta. And then excursions in wonderful cities of art or in small villages, where you can lose yourself in the intricate streets and meet again in the only square of the village, perhaps led by the band that plays in honor of the Patron Saint.

No, it’s not a dream.

Now we understand why swallows always come back: they are doing well in Puglia and you and your family could say the same thing if you chose all this beauty for your holidays.

November 9, 2018August 8, 2020Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

BeeYond Travel at the BuyPuglia 2018: looking for authentic experiences

Here we are, we are back.

Yes, we had to “disappear”, but we believe we are completely justified.
When we decided to embark on the adventure called BeeYond Travel, we were certain of one thing: the Region Puglia that we would have proposed to our customers is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Unfortunately, however, this is not enough since we strive for tourism done in an impeccable way.

We need to plan, stay up to date, live the territory we “sell”, and fall in love with its flavors and its authenticity: this is the only way to create new and unique itineraries, capable of giving tourists an unforgettable experience.
For this reason, between 22nd and 26th October 2018, BeeYond Travel was present as Buyer at the 6th edition of the BuyPuglia 2018. The event, of international scope, attracts 120 buyers coming not only from the countries connected with direct flights to Puglia as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Russia and Turkey, but also from new market areas: Brazil, China, India, Argentina and America (here we are).

The goal is precisely to create new markets, with high development potential, in which to invest and to make known our beautiful Puglia.
The regional agency Pugliapromozione, the creator of the event, has put together for us buyers an intense program, but very constructive.
Three days of Educational Tour were waiting for us and then a day dedicated to the direct pre-scheduled meetings with the Apulian sellers.

We arrived in Bari on October 22nd and we got to explore the capital city of the Region at sunset, and then get lost in the streets of Bari Vecchia (the old historical town) with the evening lights on and when the historic center comes to life. Here, we spent the evening among street food, like the legendary sgagliozze (polenta´s fritters) made in Bari, open fruit and vegetable markets until late and the findings of the Museum of Santa Scolastica.

Second day: direction Valle d’Itria.
Martina Franca is always a pleasant surprise, but the funniest experience was that of improvising cheesemakers in a mozzarella and producing delicious dairy products. Ok, maybe not exactly perfect like the ones from the Maestro Casaro (master cheese maker), but the thrill of creating something with your own hands always gives a lot of satisfaction. Our travelers could do so if they choose one of the BeeYond Travel villas combined with our experiences for the next holidays …

We then wandered around the area to discover Ostuni, Cisternino and Locorotondo.
“But where do you go cycling?”

No, we are not crazy, it’s just that the Cycle Tour among the Trulli of Alberobello, UNESCO World Heritage makes us want to sing.

Biketour Locorotondo - BeeYond Travel — Biketour Locorotondo – BeeYond Travel

In the afternoon Taranto and the MARTA – National Archaeological Museum where the famous golds (“gli ori di Taranto”) are kept: here we have breathed the history of this Region and of a city that was the only Spartan colony of Magna Grecia and that since then has a timeless charm.
The last day we left the port of Taranto in search of dolphins, yes, you got it right, there are dolphins in Puglia.

This region never ceases to amaze us.

October 26th was the day of B2B, meetings with tourism operators from Puglia with whom we discussed business, we shared ideas and we created contacts. We made sure our voice was heard letting them understands what your needs are because meeting and exceeding those needs is the first requirement for future collaborations.
We have met many a lot of valid Providers but we have realized that often they had very little clue on how to handle our Travelers. We also tested their English and sadly not everyone was up to par. This experience made us understand how important it is to be picky when selecting our providers and how important it is to stay always in sync our travelers’ mind, how important it is to empathize with them, understand their needs and build new experiences based on all these factors.
We have also reinforced our concept that it is impossible to do all this by ourselves: we need to network and during the BuyPuglia we have started friendships with serious and competent professionals.

Puglia as a therapy: a land that welcomes and that hardly lets go without having changed at least a little who lived and experienced this wonderful region even for just a few days.
BeeYond Travel wants to make you part of this therapy. You choose us, we orchestrate the rest.

August 30, 2018August 8, 2020Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Feasts in Puglia, Luxury Vacation Villas in Puglia

Taranta Night – Where cultures come together to the rhythm of music

Last Saturday night, August 25th, in the small town of Melpignano, a few kilometers from Lecce, the flame of the taranta was rekindled and its heat managed to unleash and entertain around 200,000 people who poured into Piazza San Giorgio to spend the night to the rhythm of the music.

The magic we are talking about comes from the great event La Notte della Taranta (Taranta Night), now in its 21st edition.

BeeYond Travel and Taranta Night Melpignano Puglia

In a single night, Melpignano becomes a crossroads of cultures that meet and intertwine, creating an imperceptible border between peoples apparently distant and yet very close.

And, during the evening, the great artists who performed on stage, such as the Italian-American LP, the rapper Clementino and the concert teacher Andrea Mirò, have repeatedly raised a prayer for communication and integration between different peoples, very current topic in the historical period we are going through.

But what is this infamous taranta that causes thousands of people to unleash and for which world-wide events are planned that move the economy of this territory?

The term taranta recalls the ancient phenomenon of tarantism. According to popular belief, tarantism was a disease caused by the bite of the tarantula (Lycosa tarentula), which manifested itself especially in the summer months (harvest period) and which caused a state of general malaise – abdominal pain, state of catalepsy, sweating, palpitations – in which music, dance, and colors represented the fundamental elements of the therapy that consisted, in fact, in a musical exorcism.

Music is, therefore, the fundamental element of this therapy of other times, we could easily say this was the first form of music therapy.

Today there are no more spiders to be chased away and diseases to be exorcised, but the music has remained.

And it has become a real symbol of Puglia. Thousands of people come from far away to live a crazy and unforgettable night.

Next year this event will be repeated. We have our villas ready to welcome you so you can experience this special, sometimes mystical experience. We are tirelessly working to increase our portfolio and add amazing properties. More properties will come soon.

Continue to follow this blog and the poetry of our Puglia will always be at your fingertips.

August 9, 2018August 8, 2020Experiential Tourism in Puglia, Feasts in Puglia, Unique ways to enjoy your vacation

Partying Snails – The Sagra of the Munnicchedda in Cannole (LE)

Last week, we listed all the August events in Salento, we left you with a bit of mystery about one of the most important summer holidays in the hinterland of Lecce.

We are talking about an event of great resonance (the small village in question can accommodate up to 70,000 people), which starts from a tiny being, but extremely cute: the Munnichedda?

Right, maybe the slang name does not tell you anything … Okay, how about snails?

Yes, that’s right, in Cannole (LE) between August 10th and 13th is the Munnicchedda Festival, the snail festival.

Maybe for someone, the idea of eating small crawling animals is not very exciting, yet the snail, the one from Cannole has a truly unique and inviting flavor.

The dishes based on this delicious gastropod were already known in pre-Christian times. Hesiod called the snails “portacasa (house-carrier)”, perfect name if we think that these animals actually carry their shell everywhere.

There are about 4000 species in the world of snails, not all edible. In Italy, there are about 400 species, of which only 15 can be eaten. The best known in the gastronomic field is perhaps the French escargot, a large snail seasoned, cooked and sold in the finest restaurants across the Alps.

The Cannole snail is much smaller, it has a delicate and tasty meat. According to folk medicine, it is believed the consumption of snails has powerful digestive benefits: it is believed “the more you eat, the more you digest,”.

To find out if all this is true, just go to Cannole next weekend. You will not only find the snails: there are many events that animate the town. Concerts, Dj Set, gastronomic tastings of typical Salento dishes and a lot of pizzica, to go wild until dawn.

As always, the ideal is to stay near Cannole, in one of our luxury villas, from where you can leave in the evening to the Munnicchedda Festival and experience a real summer weekend in Puglia.

All this must be done slowly, like snails. The festivals are the strength of that slow tourism that we often talk about in our blog and in which we firmly believe.

Let’s take life as snails do. But perhaps you do not need to take the house behind: here in Salento, BeeYond Travel’s villas are waiting for you.

Tag: Puglia Traditions

BeeYond Travel is now an Outgoing Tour Operator Puglia

Family Reunion, meet up again in Puglia for Vacation

BeeYond Travel at the BuyPuglia 2018: looking for authentic experiences

Taranta Night – Where cultures come together to the rhythm of music

Partying Snails – The Sagra of the Munnicchedda in Cannole (LE)

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