Discover Wanderlust Travel – Your Virtuoso Luxury Travel Advisor

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Intentional Travel. Elevated Experiences.

“Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.” -Anthony Bourdain

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Your Virtuoso Travel Advisor

I’m Carla Chianelli and the owner of Discover Wanderlust Travel, based in Tampa Bay Florida. For me, travel is more than just a getaway or an escape from the everyday, it’s a doorway to connection, discovery, and transformation.

I believe the best vacations aren’t about checking boxes or taking Insta-worthy photos. They are about diving into a culture, tasting something new, and returning home inspired and a little changed. Whether it’s cooking and savoring a meal with a local family in Italy, crossing Drake’s Passage to reach the Frozen Continent, spoting the Northern Lights for the first time, or sipping Glühwein along the Rhine on a Christmastime river cruise, I design trips that go deeper than traditional sightseeing.

It is important to me to take the time to get to know you and learn about your interests, your preferred travel pace, and what drives your desire to travel so that the journeys I design feel personal, effortless for you, and full of meaning.

If you embrace travel as a vital part of your life, I’d love to help curate your next story-worthy adventure. Let’s start planning the experience you’ve been dreaming about. Just pack your bags, and I’ll handle the rest.

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My Services

I take care of everything from destination research and cultural immersion to exclusive perks and seamless reservations so you can travel with confidence, curiosity, and zero stress. Whether you’re planning a milestone trip to Italy with your significant other, a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galapagos, or a wine-centric river cruise with your girl friends, I bring the expertise, connections, and personal attention that booking sites simply can’t offer.

Research & Planning

Deep destination knowledge, curated itineraries, and off-the-beaten-path experiences tailored to you with a keen focus on what is important to you:

  • Your Lifestyle & Hobbies
  • Your Preferences and Tastes
  • Your Aspirations for Your Trip
  • Your Desired Spend
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Guidance & Advocacy

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Expert advice before you go and a dedicated advocate in your corner if anything changes before or during your trip.

When something goes wrong such as a missed connection, a guide that is a no show, or an unexpected closure, the relationships I've built with industry experts around the world mean I can make calls that get results. No online booking platform or warehouse club travel desk comes with that: a real advocate who knows the right people and will go to bat for you.

Reservations & Accommodations

I work solely with tour operators, destination management companies and cruise lines that are well-known, vetted, and trusted in the industry.

  • Escorted and Independent touring
    (private & small groups)
  • Expedition Cruises
  • River & Ocean Cruises
  • Pre/Post Cruise Stays
  • Luxury Rail
  • Villas & Resorts Stays
  • Transfers and Charters
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Exclusive Amenities Available

My affiliation with Virtuoso provides me with access to offer exclusive extras and premium upgrades to elevate your travel experience. These enhancements can be just what is needed to set the right tone for your trip. 

Hotels & Resorts

  • Preferred rates & availability
  • Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Value-added amenities
  • Daily breakfast for 2
  • Early check-in/Late checkout
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
  • Luxury upgrades
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Cruise Benefits

  • Shipboard credits
  • Virtuoso-exclusive shore excursions
  • Welcome aboard receptions
  • Dedicated onboard hosts
  • Private car & driver
  • Specialty dining
  • Pre-paid gratuities
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Destination & Experiences

  • VIP treatment & recognition
  • Custom-tailored experiences & itineraries
  • Private Virtuoso-exclusive access
  • Private and small group intimate touring style
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Air, Auto & Travel Insurance Benefits

  • Exclusive negotiated air fares & upgrades (inc. private/charter)
  • Worldwide car rental discounts & perks
  • Preferred travel insurance rates & prioritized client services
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Hotels & Resorts

  • Preferred rates & availability
  • Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Value-added amenities
  • Daily breakfast for 2
  • Early check-in/Late checkout
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
  • Luxury upgrades
Learn more

Cruise Benefits

  • Shipboard credits
  • Virtuoso-exclusive shore excursions
  • Welcome aboard receptions
  • Dedicated onboard hosts
  • Private car & driver
  • Specialty dining
  • Pre-paid gratuities
Learn more

Destination & Experiences

  • VIP treatment & recognition
  • Custom-tailored experiences & itineraries
  • Private Virtuoso-exclusive access
  • Private and small group intimate touring style
Learn more

Air, Auto & Travel Insurance Benefits

  • Exclusive negotiated air fares & upgrades (including private/charter)
  • Worldwide car rental discounts & perks
  • Preferred travel insurance rates & prioritized client services
Learn more

How it Works

My process is quite simple, and it is designed to ensure a smooth, transparent, and hassle-free experience every time.

1. Submit Travel Inquiry

Submit a brief inquiry form to provide some basic information about your trip.

2. Complimentary Discovery Consultation

We’ll schedule a 20-30 minute call so you can get to know me, and I can learn more about you as a traveler, allowing me to design a unique trip that is personalized for you.

3. Client Service Agreement

I will provide you with my Client Service Agreement and authorization form. Once this is complete, the fun begins. I will initiate the research and planning stages of your trip!

4. Proposals & Booking

I will present you with a beautifully detailed trip itinerary that we can review and refine together. Once you agree, I will begin the process of notifying travel partners and deposits will be taken.

How it Works

Discover our simple process designed to guide you step-by-step, ensuring a smooth, transparent, and hassle-free experience every time.

1. Submit Travel Inquiry

Submit a brief form to provide me with some basic information about your trip.

2. Complimentary Discovery Consultation

We’ll schedule a 20-30 minute call so you can get to know me, and I can learn more about you as a traveler, allowing me to craft a unique trip that reflects your desires.

3. Client Service Agreement

I will provide you with my Client Service Agreement and authorization form. Once complete, the fun begins, and I will initiate the research and planning stages of your trip!

4. Proposals & Booking

I will present you with a beautifully detailed trip itinerary that we can review and refine together. Once you agree, I will begin the process of notifying travel partners and deposits will be taken.

Reviews & Recommendations

Highly suggest you work with Carla at Discover Wanderlust Travel! When taking a trip to Italy, I didn't know where to begin, what tours to consider, where to stay, etc. I gave Carla a few key details that we wanted and let her do her magic. Within a couple days we had an itinerary mapped out to tour Rome and the Amalfi Coast, along with transfers to all major spots needed. This was a huge relief to have a pro take care of this for me and she even provided a Mobile App that housed all the details so I had it on the go during my travels. Carla is passionate about travel and the fine details, she'll plan everything you need and guide you along the way. She takes the time planning as though it is her own trip! I even had a SOS call to her while already in Italy to rearrange a transfer situation and she got it done! Couldn't be happier with my first overseas trip and looking forward to the next one she'll help us plan!! Carl is your girl for sure, thank you tons!!
N.S.Off to Italy We Went...Amazing!
We came to Carla with a general idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do, but we needed help with planning the details and making the bookings. Carla was all over it. She had great recommendations for tours and a hotel while in Rome and took all the work out of our hands, ensuring a smooth and fulfilling trip for us!!
E.W.Expert travel planner
She was thorough, efficient, and did a great job. We will be using her on all our trips! Her communication at all times was spectacular!
M.R.Rocky mountaineer trip
We recently had the pleasure of working with Carla to plan our honeymoon, and we cannot recommend her highly enough. From start to finish, Carla made the entire process seamless and stress-free, which was invaluable as we were also juggling the chaos of planning our wedding. Carla’s expertise and dedication was evident as she crafted a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy for us. Despite our busy schedules and the fact that we only finalized our plans three weeks prior to our departure, Carla managed to secure everything we wanted and more. Her ability to accommodate our last minute changes and still deliver a perfect itinerary was impressive and greatly appreciated. Working with Carla was a joy, as she was genuinely invested in making our honeymoon unforgettable. We had an incredible trip that we will cherish forever. We couldn’t be happier with the service we received and are grateful for her role in making our honeymoon so special. Thank you for everything Carla!
M.C.Unforgettable Honeymoon Thanks to Carla
Working with Carla makes us want to travel more & we are! We wanted to travel out West & she found us the Globus tour that was great. It’s so nice to have everything planned out, including things we didn’t initially think of. This was our fourth trip Carla planned for us & we have more in the works right now. We have recommended her to family & friends. So glad we found her!!
K&D A.Another awesome trip planned!
Working with Carla has been amazing. We have booked multiple trips with her now and everything is planned out, timed perfectly and easy to access through the app. You always know your schedule, when you are departing, where your ride is, etc. Everything is laid out in detail and the stress of traveling, especially internationally, is removed. We will continue to use Carla & Discover Wanderlust Travel for all our upcoming adventures!
B.W.Google Review
Couldn't be more pleased with our recent trip to Italy with Carla booking our flights. Excellent transfers to 3 cities to arrive in Lamezia, Calabria with plenty of time to transfer...and 3 flights back to Tampa. Flights all on time, both ways and all luggage transferred perfectly. We will definitely use Carla in our future travels. We just booked a Norweigan Cruise in November with excursions and a Riverboat Cruise in March of 2026 down the Rhine. Carla's attention to detail and her knowledge booking the accommodations are impressive!
T.M.Italy trip
Carla was quite a find in our community newsletter!!! We were ready to get back to traveling. What we were looking for was someone who could pull our ideas together to create an awesome adventure & we found that in Carla. Our next adventure is already in the works!
K.A.Carla is the Advisor we recommend to our friends.
Carla is fantastic to work with! She listens to your ideas & makes them happen. We like how if an issue arises whether before, during or after your trip, she is just a call away & is ready to help get it corrected. She planned a phenomenal trip for our family who are scattered across the country. We have recommended her to family & friends.
K.A.Our best Advisor
I loved working with Carla because she is a pleasant person and very obliging. She will stay with you at the beginning to the end of your trip to make sure all the "T" are crossed, and "i's" are dot. I'm glad that I got to know her as an individual and a travel consultant. I defiantly will be using her to do travel planning in the future!
K.J.Trip to Canada
Working with Carla is a pleasure! She listened to what we wanted & booked an awesome visit to Rome! Every detail was covered & was flawlessly executed. We are working with her for a trip to Ireland & have recommended her to our friends.
K.A.Awesome travel planner
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Submit An Inquiry

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Discover Wanderlust Travel

If you are ready to get started, take a moment to complete my brief trip inquiry form, which will give me a basis of understanding for what your needs and desires are for your trip. I look forward to working with you!

  • (813) 345 8642
  • info@discoverwlt.com
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