Get to know Bella Vita Travels, part 2
This month, we’ve been introducing you (or, for so many, reintroducing you) to the faces and people behind your dream vacations at Bella Vita Travels. We are excited to introduce you to the remaining team members this week. These are the people crafting your unforgettable journeys.
Through a series of questions, we’ll help you get to know the passionate individuals behind the scenes who bring your dream holidays to life. Read more as we share their stories, insights, and some special travel tips!
Megan McCaffrey-Guerrera
Bella Vita Travels Founder & Luxury Travels Specialist, CTA
Megan spent 15 years in the event marketing & promotion business before making the big move to Italy and starting Bella Vita Travels. Megan oversees sales and marketing and the “big picture” of business development/strategy for the company. Additionally, she has written for such guidebooks as Fodor’s, Frommers, and DK Eyewitness and received her “Travel Associate” certification from the prestigious Travel Institute. She is considered a top Mediterranean travel expert.
where did you grow up? where do you live now?
I grew up in the idyllic, southern California town of Laguna Beach and spent my young adult life in LA until I made the whimsical move to Italy in 2004. I’ve lived in the charming seaside town of Lerici ever since.
What is your favorite hotel (hotels if you want) for your travels?
Two icons and one in the making: Grand Hotel Tremezzo – the best word to describe it is a “celebration” – of travel, style, beauty and service. Experience one breakfast there, and you’ll understand. Hotel du Cap Eden Roc – it’s the closest thing to perfection when it comes to a hotel. It’s mastered class, sophistication and elegance without being stuffy. Cali Mykonos – just 3 years old and on its way to being a world class resort, a piece of my heart and soul remains there.
Where you are dying to go (destination)?
Marrakech and finally doing it this September! Also, Lapland in winter – fingers crossed for winter 2026!
What’s the best or most memorable trip you’ve ever been on?
The list is long so here are just a couple that stand out over the past couple of years include a week in the Loire Valley and Normandy. Also, exploring Mykonos and discovering Cali!
What is your best or “secret” travel tip?
Alway pack an extra day of clothes/toiletries in your carry-on bag. You never know when you won’t make that connecting flight or your luggage doesn’t arrive.
What is your favorite book?
I read them decades ago, but loved An Inconvenient Woman by Dominick Dunne (shame about the movie though) and LA Confidential by James Ellroy (movie did the book justice). During lockdown, I read Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid which was so cleverly written and a fun story (thumbs up on the series too). Just this fall, I really enjoyed a simple but well done story called The Island Villa by Lily Graham which takes place on the Spanish island of Formentera.
What is your favorite thing to cook?
Honestly, my love for cooking has waned over the years so my favorite to make is hard to say. What I make well is Chicken in the Magic Pan (secret receipt lol), banana bread and chocolate chip cookies.
Christine Mitchell-De Fina
Digital Marketing Manager & Travel Specialist
Christine’s love for Italy started at a young age. Of Calabrian descent, she fell in love with her grandparents’ homeland on her first visit. Christine has a MA from New York University in Food Studies and Culture with an emphasis on Italian gastronomy and is finishing her Italian sommelier certification. She also has a master’s certificate from the Alta Scuola di Turismo Ambientale in sustainable tourism. Christine is our marketing guru handling our social media, blogs, newsletters, and research.
Where did you grow up? where do you live now?
I’m from northern New Jersey, a small town called Waldwick right in the suburbs of New York City. For the past 15 years I’ve called Monterosso al Mare in the Cinque Terre my home.
What is your favorite hotel (hotels if you want)?
I always stay at Relais Christine in Paris (and it is not just because I am partial to the name)! The Six Senses in Douro Valley in Portugal, the Hassler in Rome… I’ve been incredibly lucky to have stayed in some really amazing properties.
Where you are dying to go (destination)?
I have been wanting to visit Jordan and Oman for so long now but the trip just keeps escaping me. Hopefully, this year I will be able to visit the country of Georgia, which is another destination I’ve been dying to go to for its gastronomic and wine destinations. Sri Lanka and Vietnam are also on my list!
What’s the best or most memorable trip you’ve ever been on?
Several years ago I went on a trip around the world. Our travels took us from Milan to Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara), then to New Zealand, the French Pacific island of New Caledonia and then back through Hong Kong to Italy. This was a 2 month trip. After 10 days in Italy we flew through to New York, then Antigua, back to New York, then to Los Angeles and finally 2 weeks in Hawaii. It was a crazy idea but it was really incredible to have seen so many places. I loved Japan so much I’ve been back since that trip. Ouvéa in New Caledonia was a dream, but I don’t know I can fly 26 hours again, especially now that I have a 6 year old!
What is your best or “secret” travel tip?
Learn to crochet. Yarn and a needle have gotten me through lots of flying anxiety. I sadly have become quite a nervous flyer over the past several years, and a podcast and scarf-making is by best way to calm down. Also, wine helps.
What is your favorite book?
I’m a really fast reader so lots of times on long flights I turn to books that are kind of junk food for the brain, lots of Jodi Picoult, genres like that. However, a classic favorite is The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I can reread this “kids” book over and over again.
What is your favorite thing to cook?
I love to cook, so this is the hardest question for me. I’ve spent over 30 years working in the restaurant industry and I’ve met so many people and learned so many recipes along the way, along with what I’ve learned and tasted while traveling. Ingredients are my souvenirs from my travels, so lots of things I cook at home are not typical “Italian” food. I love to make ramen for my daughter. She also loves classics from my Italian-American upbringing, like chicken with lemon and capers (chicken piccata) and also meatballs (but not with spaghetti! We eat them on their own as a separate course).
Bella Vita Travels, the faces behind your dream holiday
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