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Oh, the places you’ll go

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Times Staff Writer

Need a getaway? Never mind the packaged 10-day Caribbean cruise or the condo in Maui. Misty Ewing, right, of travel network Virtuoso says affluent vacationers today are all about doing something different. (Think dinner on the Great Wall of China or after-hours tours of the Louvre.) Virtuoso’s travel agents plan trips for Fortune 500 CEOs and owners of professional sports franchises. Here are Ewing’s suggestions for adventurers willing to flash the cash:

$55,950

I’m leavin’ on a jet plane. No security lines, no revolting airplane food, no middle seats. Instead, circle the globe in 25 days on a private jet -- go four-wheeling through the Serengeti, climb the ruins of Machu Picchu, dive the Great Barrier Reef. All this and more for $55,950 a person.

$18,800

Baby, you can drive my car. Turn heads in Monaco behind the wheel of a Ferrari 360, then see how the prince of Monaco’s collection of classic cars stacks up. The car may embolden a wager at the Casino de Monte Carlo, but don’t worry; two nights in a deluxe suite at Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat are included. $18,800 for two.

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$10,000

There’s a place called Kokomo. Actually, it’s called Rania -- a lush private island in the Maldives surrounded by crystal-clear waters. Feeling trapped like Gilligan? No worries; the island comes with access to an 86-foot yacht, the deep-diving Whale Submarine and a private seaplane. There’s also a team of chefs, private butlers and an impeccably kept villa. Starts at $10,000 a night per couple. Friends can tag along for extra.

$9,840

Red, red wine, you make me feel so fine. Harboring a desire to ditch that desk job and pretend you’re Robert Mondavi? Head to Calistoga for two nights and shadow master vintner Nils Venge for private tastings at several Napa Valley wineries. He’ll help you blend, bottle and cork a case of your own vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Starts at $9,840 a person.

$32,500

On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. Toss out the Chef Boyardee and join 15 chefs with a combined 40 Michelin stars for a 15-course meal at Versailles. Only 60 guests will eat food prepared by the likes of Alain Passard, Pierre Gagnaire and Charlie Trotter, below. Sip wine from Baccarat crystal, savor dessert from Christofle silver spoons. A Chopin recital and a fireworks display cap off the evening. $32,500 a person.

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Big Spender looks at the big business of catering to those with cash to burn. See more at www.latimes.com/bigspender. Send ideas to bigspender@latimes.com.

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