Machu Picchu by Luxury Train

02. October 2012 · 7 comments · Categories: Destinations, Hotels & Resorts, Peru · Tags: Aranwa Hotels, Inca, Inka, Machu Pichu, Peru, PeruRail

Machu Picchu in the Andes of the Cusco part of Peru

Dateline: Cusco, Peru, 11,200 feet, 11pm

Today I marvelled at the human and natural wonders of Machu Picchu, the Inca’s “Lost City” in the Andes of Peru. Chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of the World in the 2007 global Internet poll, the pre-Columbian destination has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, as “an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization.”

The conquering Spaniards never found Machu Picchu, despite it’s being only 80 kilometers Northwest of Cusco. Now this “Bucket List” destination has to limit the number of visitors each day, so reservations months in advance are advised. Only 2,500 people a day are allowed. Huayna Picchu, the adjacent tall peak that provides great overhead vistas and photos, only allows 200 people between 7 and 10 am, and 200 people between 10 am and 1 pm, according to excellent guide Ruben Tello Velosque of Setours.

Trekkers may walk the Incan trail to Machu Picchu, taking several days to a week over challenging trails. For those who want more comfort and are on tighter time schedules, there’s a one day luxury approach thanks to Orient Express and PeruRail:

Deluxe Train Service begins in the waiting lounge

Take the Hiram Bingham Deluxe Train round trip for stellar service, views, and food, and enjoy a private guide while exploring the Inca’s observatory, agricultural terraces, llamas, and temples.

The waiting area for the Hiram Bingham offers music and Peruvian champagne. Onboard free libations, including a Peruvian specialty, the Pisco Sour, are provided with live music in the lively bar car. Every passenger has a seat at a table with white linen and fresh flower.

The wonderful food and service make it a comfortable way to bookend transportation for a World Wonder, whether you do it in a day or have the luxury of more time. And to enhance the Machu Picchu experience with luxury hotels, a memorable option is to wake up in the Aranwa Sacred Valley (after a superb spa treatment the night before), and go to sleep at the Hotel Aranwa Cusco Boutique.

View of Huayna Picchu from Machu Picchu

The Aranwa bed in my room beckons now, and dreams promise to be rich with the beauties of Peru past and present, and stories yet to come.

Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

All photos (c) Lisa TE Sonne

Luxury sleep in an Aranwa Boutique Hotel in Peru

Cancun: “It’s My Pleasure” The Fiesta, Fish, and Jungle Fun

View from the Balcony of Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort and Spa, a good place to recall a wonderful trip

The lyrical lapping sounds of the Caribbean Sea below are my happy hour soundtrack as I sit on my balcony, overlooking the rich, dark blues of the interconnecting lagoon-like pools of the Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun Resort and Spa and the tiffany and turquoise blues of the sea beyond.

Sitting now feels like a satisfied sigh for my whole body, after a full day that included rappelling into a cenote; ziplining over lakes; canoe-ing in a lagoon; hiking in the jungle with a big black monkey, blue butterflies, and yellow frogs; riding a bike to the main Mayan temple of Coba: and then taking the 120 steep steps up the Yucatan’s highest Mayan pyramid — and down again. I am definitely ready to rest and bask in the memories

I shared the two-hour each-way drive from resort-filled Cancun to the jungle Yucatan Mayan area with eight buff 20-somethings who had travelled from parts of the US and Russia. We were on the AllTourNative ‘s “Mayan Encounter Adventure,” which included 63 copas (speed bumps) on mostly good roads with comedic narrative provided by a guide who kept the activity pace moving whenever we piled out of the air conditioned van.

AllTourNative aims to support the local cultures, economies, and environments by taking

Up the pyramid of Copa in the Mayan Yucatan, two hours from Cancun resorts
Lisa TE Sonne

visitors on memorable day trips that intertwine different degrees of culture, nature, and activity and opportunies to buy local souveners or photos by a local person. Originally, I had wanted their Tulum package, which includes a dramatic Mayan archeological site on the coast, visiting Mayan families and snorkeling in the fantastic-sounding underground river and caves, but it wasn’t offered on the only day I had left in Cancun. So then I intended to be on the Cultural tour of the Coba Mayan ruins, which includes visiting Mayan villages.

Instead I was on the Adventure trip, which falls somewhere between Disneyland rides and true exploration. The bats and tarantula were not holograms or animatronic creations. The winds on the zipline were real, not piped in. But our itinerary was partially a fast line up of quick doses of active things that many people had done before us. Call it designer adventure or an Indiana Jones appetizer menu or channel surfing mini-experiences- rushing to get a rush.

Ziplining in the Yucatan, Photo by Lisa TE Sonne

Now, back in my room, I am feeling no aches, pains, or strains. I am enjoying the post glow of cardio vascular endorphins, pseudo-survival smiles, and some decent photos of new sites and experiences. I think a large reason was the lovely balance of nurturing relaxation and activity that I had enjoyed at Le Blanc during the first part of my trip, and my soothing visit to the Gem spa the night before this busy day.

The spa connoisseur has many choices here in Cancun, a X kilometer region that evolved solely for beach resort tourism. The Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Resort and Spa boasts the largest spa of the almost 200 hotels.
The staff at the 40,000-square-foot Gem spa made me feel like only my two feet (and the body they are attached to) were important. Ixchel (a beautiful Mayan name) introduced me to the hydrotherapy pleasures of the alternating hot and cold treatments route. I had heard some people take five hours to really unfurl their knots and anxieties, but with a departure time of 7am the next morning, I “settled” for shorter immersions.

“The Ice Room,” a cooling complement to the steam room, part of the alternating cold and hot offerings of the Hydrotherapy journey at the Gem Spa, the largest in Cancun. Photo provided by Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort and Spa.

I already felt more relaxed thinking about what I had read on the website: It is the only spa in Cancun and Latin America that provides a complete 10-step hydrotherapy program. You can start in the enormous Sensations Pool, with an amazing view of the Nichupte Lagoon. It caresses the body with thousands of bubbles. Afterwards, you head to an aromatherapy steam, a vigorous shower, clay steam room, ice room, sauna, rain shower, Jacuzzi, polar pool and foot bath.

Ixchel tended to me as if I were royalty, waiting with dry towels and beverages after each water treatment. For the steam room, she offered chocolate mud to pull out the toxins. The ice room was refreshing. Walking on rocks in hot and cold pools prepared my feet for the next treat.

The Gem spa offers various gemstone therapies, but I was looking forward to continuing the water theme of my Cancun trip, going from the biggest fish in the sea (whale sharks) to little fish that nibble off dead cells.

The Garra Rufa are small fish imported from Turkey that eat your upper layers of dead skin cells instead of having them sloughed or scrubbed away. Supposedly they also can help circulation. My husband and I had tried the little guys in Singapore several years before and had actually researched how we might bring them into the United States. They were so funny, novel, and seemingly effective! We could laugh and get smooth skin at the same time. Regulatory mazes in the U.S. were beyond our enthusiasm, though, so it was wonderful to see that top spas in Mexico were offering them as an option.

While I was sitting with my feet in the water, providing a banquet for the little ones, Xchmel started rolling her palms over my scalp. Her massage continued on my arms and hands. Instead of laughing at the nibblers, I closed my eyes and relaxed. My thoughts floated. All of me had been floating earlier that day when I was scuba diving in the world’s second-largest reef. Brightly colored tropical fish still meandered through my mind.

I had also scuba dove around poignant sculptures by Jason de Caires Taylor in the largest underwater museum in the world. Hundreds of human

The Underwater Sculpture Museum
Photo by (c) Lisa TE Sonne

shapes based on real people were beginning to form an artificial reef that would provide meals for future sea creatures. And even as I was sitting on a pillowed throne, offering my feet and calves to the garra rufa, those artful underwater human forms were becoming fish food.

Xchmel gently brought me back to the present and showed me seven different gems lined up. She asked me to select the one that spoke to me. She then told me how each gem corresponded to a different energy chakra and held a different guiding message for the well-being of the person who chose it.

I slept very well that night, and the next morning, dawn did her finger painting on the sky over the lapping waves as I gathered my stuff for a road trip to the jungle and Mayan ruins. The early AM staff at the hotel desk changed money so I could be ready for shopping and tips, and the maitre d’ at the bountiful breakfast buffet (free for Fiesta guests) helped me pack up foods and coffee to make the long drive more enjoyable. In both cases the staff ended our encounter saying, “It is my pleasure” with a cultural sincerity.

Every day I had heard “it is my pleasure” from people who had done something to add to my pleasure. With the exception of one negative dive master, service was very professional and also genuinely warm. People seemed to want to add to the happiness of those around them.

Sitting on the balcony, now, recalling all the vignettes that fed my spirit on this day, my stomach starts to rumble. The Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Resort and Spa offers Isla Conroy, a seafood restaurant, La Joya, for local delectables with Mariachi music, or I could indulge in culinary delights at the five diamond Le Basilic — all for an extra fee at this family-welcome resort that is EP (European Plan or Extra pay for lunch and dinner and certain added services).

On arrival, however, I had been enrolled in what one staff member called the “Double Upper” – the Grand Club plan. I went up the marble stairs to the quiet, private Club lounge with deluxe service, where an artfully laid out array of fresh appetizers and sushi and an open bar always waited with wonderful views of the coast. Well-fed and back in my room, packing for the trip home, I realize I am happily sated this trip, but not done with Cancun. It won’t be Cancun’s 13 signature golf courses, five shopping malls with luxury shops, or dynamic nightlife that would lure me back. It would be cultural roots — the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and seaside Tulum and lesser known archeological sites, the unique way “The Day of the Dead” is celebrated in Mexico, the new curiosity-invoking Positive Pyramid and other events being developed to end one Mayan era and begin a new one

Gracias

Another magnet for return for me would be the opportunities of staying at wonderful resorts and spas as luxurious rejuvenating home bases to explore nature— from the underwater ocean wonders, to the jungle canopies, to getting to snorkel in the underworld’s vast system of rivers and cenotes.

And of course there is the warmth of the Mexican personality. I kept hearing and experiencing“ “It’s my pleasure!”

And for me the trip was “con mucho gusto” (with much pleasure.) .

So Muchas Gracias and hasta la vista, Cancun!

Lisa TE Sonne for LuxuryTravelMavens.com

Photos by Lisa TE Sonne, unless otherwise credited. @ExploreTraveler

Enjoy the prequel to this article

Cancun: Le Blanc Wellness & the Whale Sharks

11. September 2012 · 3 comments · Categories: Mexico, Spa & Wellness, Underwater Travel · Tags: aromatherapy, cancun, Fiesta Americana, Five Diamond, French Restaurant, hydrotherapy, Le Blanc, Lisa TE Sonne, Lumiere, Luxury Travel Mavens, Mayan, Mexico, Palace Resorts, pyramid, sea turtles, Snorkeling, Spa Resrot, underwater travel, whale sharks, Yucatan

DSCN1418-CANCUN-Whale-sharks-LisaTE-Sonne-900x300

View from Le Blanc room in Cancun

“Muchas Gracias!” I kept repeating with a big smile, and “June Boutique,” which is what “thank you” sounds like to me in the Mayan dialect near the Coban pyramid.

My four full days based in the resort mecca of Cancun, Mexico were remarkable and relaxing, and filled with pleasures big and small — from snorkeling with giant, 40–foot-long, polka-dotted fish (called whale sharks) that won’t eat you, to soaking with little, one-inch, imported fish (called Garra rufa) that will eat you, munching on your dead skin cells for the latest in organic defoliation and spa treatments.

From climbing the tallest Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan amidst lagoons to helping release just-hatched baby sea turtles, I enjoyed the huge and tiny even more because my big-name resorts had top food and spas, and paid attention to the little details that make for true pampering.

My sweet memories were forged in two varieties of hotel suite plans: First, a world-class, luxury, all-inclusive, Le Blanc Spa Resort; then, at the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach, with the largest spa in Cancun and its highly-regarded “European Plan,” with the Club Plan for extra luxury.

Kudos to each for their execution of a panoply of pampering for well being!

All-Inclusive Leaves Nothing to be Desired

Major Domo Luis Ruiz brings chocolates and specially selected aromatherapy bath salts as he prepares the jacuzzi, part of the “all inclusive” Le Blanc services

Le Blanc (the White) Spa Resort is the first all-inclusive, adults-only resort in Cancun. From the start, you enjoy the little details of this big-vision site that has earned a five-diamond AAA designation and inclusion on many top lists of all-inclusive beach resorts.

The sensual sojourn begins with private check-in, featuring a savory white coconut drink and white flowers. Your Major Domo (butler) greets you by name near the elevator of your suite and asks you to choose from the room’s “Comfort Menu” with options of pillow type, aromatherapy scent for the room, and special blends of bath salts for the double Jacuzzi in your room.

Lumiere, the romantic French restaurant, is part of Le Blanc’s “all inclusive”, but make reservations to secure a table.

The all-inclusive package offers great room service for every meal if you want, or swim-up pool bars with a nearby, outdoor pizza oven, or very fine dining at the romantic French Lumiere. I loved the Lumiere’s 7-course taster special meal, which changes frequently. Culinary options also include the Blanc Italia, which shares good food and la dulce vita, a superb and peaceful Asian restaurant, and a bright intercontinental restaurant with seaside views and luscious buffets.

Daily class offerings of a wellness theme include a 7am yoga session for mind, spirit, and body. The Spa also offers a range of hydrotherapy options and soothing treatments (outside the all-inclusive package).

I melted during a “Mayan-inspired massage” called the KuKulkan. Two masseuses worked synchronously for 80 minutes in one of the most relaxing treatments I have ever enjoyed on any continent.

Before they started, they asked me to think of a memory I wanted to eliminate. They burned some copal resin and fanned smoke made from burning sage, rosemary, and basil to help “purify my energies.”

Then, in an effort to “balance” my spirit, mind, and body, the four hands of this skillful duo imitated the motions of the animals that represent the Mayan kingdoms – the eagle of the upper kingdom, the snake of the middle kingdom, and the jaguar of the underworld.

Do you remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion are all coifed, groomed, primped, patched, and polished to meet the Wizard? I felt as if I had was being beautifully, lovingly prepped to meet the next morning with the wizards of the sea – the whale sharks.

Polka-Dotted Sharks

A snorkeler’s view of a whale shark filter feeding on plankton. Whale sharks are the largest fish on the planet. A remora fish has suction cupped onto the polka dotted shark to hitchhike. (c) Lisa TE Sonne

Seeing eye-to-eye with a polka-dotted shark and having one come at you with its mouth wide open both rank high in great underwater memories I want to keep! These gentle behemoth beauties, which can grow to 60 feet long, are actually the largest fish in the ocean. They are filter feeders and dine seasonally on the nutrient rich plankton near the surface waters off Isla Mujeres, where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea.

Yours truly snorkeling with whale sharks in Cancun. Photo by Danny Heilprin Photography. His wonderful video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uwJhPaVpro&feature=youtu.be Thanks to Gabriel the guide and Gabriel the boat driver of Solo Buceo for the memorable experiences.

Some whale sharks seem to tolerate curious snorkelers, approaching with their long bodies undulating, swishing in sinewy curves through the sea, carving the liquid gracefully. From May to mid-September the whale sharks have become a major attraction for Cancun visitors. Some days, as many as 200 can be seen swimming and eating within a half-hour boat ride from Cancun. We were in one of only two boats on the scene when we arrived, but almost 20 boats had gathered by the time we left.

After nearly two hours of underwater enthrallment, whale sharks had certainly made a joyful impact on me, but I found myself wondering about the

Snorkeler’s view of Whale Shark’s eye and closed mouth (c) Lisa TE Sonne

impact so many of us humans might be having on these gentle giants. I wanted an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of the region’s magnificent underwater habitat.

That night, Le Blanc had a turtle release. One of the clutches of eggs rescued weeks earlier had hatchlings. I took a two-inch, green sea turtle baby – its limbs flapping like wings – and put him on the sand to return to the sea. Le Blanc is part of the Palace Resorts, and according to its Foundation report, “Every year, over 120,000 baby endangered sea turtles are released as part of one of the Palace Foundation [programs].”

I walked on the powdery white sand under the stars toward my Le Blanc suite, where I would immerse in a Jacuzzi bubble sea, thinking how wondrous a single day can be!

Cancun Boat dock, launch area for boat trips to the Whale Sharks

And my short trip was only half over. It was hard to leave the nurturing tranquility and wonderful staff and services of Le Blanc, and so tempting to go out and watch whale sharks again. Yet ahead still lies the fantastic Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Resort, with its 40,000 square foot Gem Spa, including water features and “fish therapy,” the world’s largest underwater museum, the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan, a Mayan shaman, yellow frogs, jungle zip-lining, rappelling into a cenote, a fresh water “Mayan portal to the underworld,” monkeys in trees, and blue butterflies.

Muchas Gracias and “June Boutique” for large and small delights!

Lisa TE Sonne for LuxuryTravelMavens.com

Cancun: Le Blanc Wellness & the Whale Sharks

11. September 2012 · 3 comments · Categories: Mexico, Spa & Wellness, Underwater Travel · Tags: Yucatan

View from Le Blanc room in Cancun

“Muchas Gracias!” I kept repeating with a big smile, and “June Boutique,” which is what “thank you” sounds like to me in the Mayan dialect near the Coban pyramid.

Kudos to each for their execution of a panoply of pampering for well being!

All-Inclusive Leaves Nothing to be Desired

Major Domo Luis Ruiz brings chocolates and specially selected aromatherapy bath salts as he prepares the jacuzzi, part of the “all inclusive” Le Blanc services

Lumiere, the romantic French restaurant, is part of Le Blanc’s “all inclusive”, but make reservations to secure a table.

I melted during a “Mayan-inspired massage” called the KuKulkan. Two masseuses worked synchronously for 80 minutes in one of the most relaxing treatments I have ever enjoyed on any continent.

Polka-Dotted Sharks

After nearly two hours of underwater enthrallment, whale sharks had certainly made a joyful impact on me, but I found myself wondering about the

Snorkeler’s view of Whale Shark’s eye and closed mouth (c) Lisa TE Sonne

impact so many of us humans might be having on these gentle giants. I wanted an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of the region’s magnificent underwater habitat.

I walked on the powdery white sand under the stars toward my Le Blanc suite, where I would immerse in a Jacuzzi bubble sea, thinking how wondrous a single day can be!

Cancun Boat dock, launch area for boat trips to the Whale Sharks

Muchas Gracias and “June Boutique” for large and small delights!

Lisa TE Sonne for LuxuryTravelMavens.com

The Luxe of the Irish- Five Top Hotels near Dublin, Ireland

The Shelbourne’s Constitution Room

Travelers can enjoy of the luxe of the Irish, choosing the finest places while travelling the ancient footpaths and modern favorites of Dublin and environs in South East Ireland. For some high-end hotel hopping, Lisa’s Luxury Likes include a weave of city, country, seaside and garden luxury: The Shelbourne, Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, Dunbrody Country Home, The Cliff House, and Barberstown Castle.

Shelbourne Dublin

In the heart of Dublin, the Shelbourne shines for deluxe treatment, rich historic atmosphere, and delightful location. Suites overlook St Stephen’s Greens, the renowned Victorian gardens. The concierge will greet you by name when you return from the Abby Theater or Temple Bar. Five minutes away, you can walk in the footsteps of Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and Jonathan Swift at Trinity College and see the Book of Kells, or head over to

The charms of Grafton Street Dublin, a five minute walk from the Shelbourne

peruse the nearby pulse of picturesque Grafton shops and street artists.

First opened in 1824, and now a Five Star Alliance Renaissance Hotel, the well-restored sanctuary shares memorable dining, more than 500 pieces of Irish art, and the “Constitution Room,” where Michael Collins oversaw the drafting of the Irish Constitution.

US, Irish, and European electrical sockets are all available, but the real energy of this cosmopolitan treat are the wonderful people who make you feel five star.

EXTRAS: Ask for the Princess Grace Suite, if you want to rest where royalty dreamed.

If you want to learn about own personal Irish history, book a session with the Shelbourne’s Genealogy Butler service that helps guests find their Irish roots.

For a day trip of time travel, arrange to visit the fascinating prehistoric monument of Newgrange.

The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt

Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, Ireland

Near Irelands’ east coast, in the woodlands of County Wicklow, Powerscourt Gardens: The Ritz-Carlton is a grand scale, upscale country retreat. Play at the gentry life with horseback riding, shooting, fly fishing, and hiking in the region where scenes of Brave Heart and Excalibur were filmed. Garden lovers can stroll acres of magnificence at the Powerscourt Gardens.
For those who love eponymous luxuries, don’t miss the Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt dining experience for culinary highs, and swim laps over the 160 Swarovski crystals that light up the twenty-meter indoor pool, part of the ESPA spa facilities.

Touch pad controls for lights and curtains at the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt

You can feel like a modern Lord or Lady of the manner in palatial-sized suites, with touch pad controls for lights and curtains, and sweeping curved balconies over the expansive grounds with views of Sugarloaf Mountain.

EXTRA: The Spa is pioneering good luck “shillelagh” massages. Hand carved from wood in the nearby Shillelagh forest, the sticks have a history as ancient tools. Now they are being used in artful massage to un-do knots and tensions.

The Cliff House

For seaside luxury, don’t miss The Cliff House, a Relais and Chateaux gem and Five Star Alliance hideaway on the Irish Sea. The bedrooms are aesthetically rich and original with creative Irish arts and comforting amenities.

Sit on your seaside balcony to savor the twilight before indulging in the delectable at The House Restaurant, a Michelin one-star treat on the ground floor. The stellar inside pool offers saltwater views. Walkers can explore the churches in the nearby town, comb the seashore, or stumble upon an ancient healing well just down the row.

The lovely staff and setting make it hard to leave.

EXTRA: All the senses can be sated.

The Dunbrody Country House Hotel

Irish Countryside Outside Dublin

For memorable culinary lessons, inviting grounds, and the pleasures of country life like in the movies, relax at Dunbrody House: A Georgian Manor built in the 1830s that sits on more than 200 acres near Arthurstown, this once-private home shares charming intimacy.

Three floors offer a total of 22 rooms, each wonderfully unique. Original fireplaces and deep soaking tubs provide cozy pampering. The range of antiques make you want to see every room.

Across the way, the Dunbrody Culinary School offers lessons and tips for guests using fresh foods from the grounds and local sources, thanks to Irish celebrity Master Chef Kevin Dundon.

For day excursions, stroll the Viking towns of Wexford and Waterford. Take the Waterford Crystal Factory Tour to see masters at work turning glass into elegant ware and art.

EXTRA: Even those who don’t think they can cook can help make great Irish soda bread and take the recipe home.

Barberstown Castle

Fine dining at the Castle built in the 13th century

If you want your Hotel to be an experience, as well as a cushy accommodation, Barberstown Castle beckons. Built in the 13^th century with modern sections added more recently, the Kildare County castle welcomes exploration, and is just 40 minutes from Dublin. Once owned by Eric Clapton, the Hotel now has suites that are each named after distinguished guests through the century, including the Eric Clapton Suite. Each room is unique with antiques and special touches.

You may enjoy great conversations with the owner, meet musicians who come to play during the champagne hour, or enjoy an unforgettable six-course meal in the oldest part of the medieval castle. Barberstown Castle

EXTRA: Stroll through the colorful village of Kilkenny and take a lesson, fun to beat, on the Irish Bodhran at the Kyteler’s Inn, (established in 1324) or

Saunter the Castle grounds. and Candy, the dog, may walk with you through the gardens.

——

Special thanks to Tourism Ireland for making this trip possible. To enjoy additional ideas for planning your own itinerary, you can check out www.TourismIreland.com for things to see and do all over Ireland.

Happy Travels and Good Luck finding your own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Lisa TE Sonne for LuxuryTravelMavens.com

Photos by Lisa TE Sonne

Which of the five top luxury hotels appeals to you the most?

Luxury Adventure Trips in South America & Africa: Q & A with Jacada Travel Founder Alex Malcolm

21. August 2012 · Comments Off · Categories: Adventure, Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador (Galapagos), Kenya, Peru, Safari, South America · Tags: Adventure, Africa South America, Alex Malcolm, Amazon, Atacama Desert, Brazil, Colca Valley, Galapagos, heli-ski, JAcada Travel, Lisa TE Sonne, Luxury Adventure Trip, penguins, Peru, Romantic Getaway, safari luxuryadventure travel, Travel Designer

Malcolm looks to the future of Luxury Travel

Alex Malcom in Africa
Photo provided by Jacada Travel

Heli-surfing in Chile? Private picnics above Angel Falls in Venezuela? A tailored-to-you luxury safari honeymoon in Africa? Jacada Travel prides itself on originality with its luxury adventure trips. The founder, Alex Malcolm, started life in Oxford in the United Kingdom, but found his passion for unique travel in Brazil. Since founding Jacada Travel in 2008, he has aspired to share some of the best of South America and Africa with personally crafted trips. He shares recommends and trends in this cyber interview with Luxury Travel Maven Sonne while he was in the Amazon.

Q: How do you define luxury travel?

A: Where one has space and time. Settings and experiences which take us far from the everyday as such to renew and replenish us. The ability to experience something completely unique and beyond the reach of the crowds.

Q: How is South America different than other continents for discriminating travelers?

A:I am a great fan of the landscapes of South America. There’s such variation, even within each country. However, what I think really makes South America stand out as a destination is how one can really interact with people and the cultures of the area. The people of South America really are open to outsiders, so it’s a great place to engage with the local people.

Q: What are the unique luxuries in South America for travelers?

The variety of experience, being able to stand atop a glacier one day and to be in a tropical rainforest the next. Remote private lodges tucked between mountains where one can experience true solitude.

The remote Atacama Desert in South America
Image provided by Jacada Travel

Q: What shouldn’t be missed in South America?

A: Taking a more private experience of Patagonia and visiting the glaciers where the crowds don’t visit. Experiencing the unique atmosphere of Trancoso in Brazil, or flying over the Amazon by hydroplane to reach your luxury riverboat deep in the pristine rainforest.

Q: What are some of your favorite luxury memories in South America?

A: Watching the sunset in the Colca Valley of Peru on my own with not a sound around me. Flying over the amazing landscape of the Pantanal wetlands in Brazil, a lattice of green and blue with brilliant white light shimmering on the top.

Q: What are some of your favorite luxury moments elsewhere In the world?

A: Outside of Latin America, it has to be my time in Africa. Lying in my large tent in the Okavango Delta listening to the sound of the elephants right outside of the tent or watching the sun set from a coppice in the Samburu area of Kenya, joined by the local Samburu people as I relaxed and took in the landscape.

Q: What’s still on your dream list of luxury experiences in the world?

A: I would really very much like to get up close with the gorillas.

Q: What does Jacada offer that other travel services don’t?

A: An amazing attention to detail, from start to finish. We’ve all lived in the places that we work with, so we have a unique insight into the way the country works and how to genuinely get the best out of your time there. It’s very much like plugging into a vast network of friends.

We’ve always felt that travel is a very personal experience so we listen well and ensure our guests have the trip they are looking for. We hand pick our guides and select the right guide for the right client. We know many of the lodge/hotel managers personally and are in touch before the arrival of every client to ensure they get a special welcome on our behalf.

Galapagos Penguins are the only penguins that live in the wild north of the Eguator. Image provided by Jacada Travel.

Q: Your company sent out a press release predicting that your Travel Designers will be the future of luxury travel. What is a Travel Designer?

A: We put together a complete experience from an intimate, personal knowledge of the area the guest will be travelling to. There’s so much detail involved, from choosing the correct guide, to selecting a restaurant you will like for your trip. Or even adding in little touches and surprises.

Q: How is it different than a travel agent?

A: First of all we are not selling an “off-the-shelf product” and are really not just a booking service. The knowledge and the depth of planning that is involved from our end is exhaustive. We go the extra mile to ensure our guests have a trip that is perfect for them and it is something that we can personally vouch for on a first-hand basis.

Q: What do you predict is a trend in South American and African luxury travel?

A: We are trying to push the boundaries ourselves for our clients, creating brand new ways of experiencing the most remote, pristine, and beautiful areas away from the crowds for a privileged few.

Q: What will be offered within five years that isn’t now?

A: I think more “experience-based” properties are likely to spring up in remote locations, where clients can experience comfort in a unique, pristine environment.

Q: What are the three most popular Luxury Jacada trips?

A: In South America

Luxury Peru Explorer, which takes in the Amazon, Machu Picchu and Cusco
Luxury Argentina Explorer, which takes in Patagonia, the wine Region, and Buenos Aires

In Africa

Safari Wine and Waterfalls Tour, which takes in Cape Town, Wine Lands, Safari and Victoria Falls.

Q: Do you have any stories to share about how a Jacada trip changed someone’s life?

A: We had a couple on their honeymoon in Argentina. They were actually lodge managers of a safari lodge in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. After their trip, they enjoyed Argentina so much that they moved there!

by Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

Photographs provided by Jacada Travel

Rhinos in Africa

Luxury Adventure Trips in South America & Africa: Q & A with Jacada Travel Founder Alex Malcolm

21. August 2012 · Comments Off · Categories: Adventure, Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador (Galapagos), Kenya, Peru, Safari, South America · Tags: Travel Designer

Alex Malcom in Africa
Photo provided by Jacada Travel

Q: How do you define luxury travel?

Q: How is South America different than other continents for discriminating travelers?

Q: What are the unique luxuries in South America for travelers?

The remote Atacama Desert in South America
Image provided by Jacada Travel

Q: What shouldn’t be missed in South America?

Q: What are some of your favorite luxury memories in South America?

Q: What are some of your favorite luxury moments elsewhere In the world?

Q: What’s still on your dream list of luxury experiences in the world?

A: I would really very much like to get up close with the gorillas.

Q: What does Jacada offer that other travel services don’t?

Galapagos Penguins are the only penguins that live in the wild north of the Eguator. Image provided by Jacada Travel.

Q: Your company sent out a press release predicting that your Travel Designers will be the future of luxury travel. What is a Travel Designer?

Q: How is it different than a travel agent?

Q: What do you predict is a trend in South American and African luxury travel?

A: We are trying to push the boundaries ourselves for our clients, creating brand new ways of experiencing the most remote, pristine, and beautiful areas away from the crowds for a privileged few.

Q: What will be offered within five years that isn’t now?

A: I think more “experience-based” properties are likely to spring up in remote locations, where clients can experience comfort in a unique, pristine environment.

Q: What are the three most popular Luxury Jacada trips?

A: In South America

Luxury Peru Explorer, which takes in the Amazon, Machu Picchu and Cusco
Luxury Argentina Explorer, which takes in Patagonia, the wine Region, and Buenos Aires

In Africa

Safari Wine and Waterfalls Tour, which takes in Cape Town, Wine Lands, Safari and Victoria Falls.

Q: Do you have any stories to share about how a Jacada trip changed someone’s life?

by Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

Photographs provided by Jacada Travel

Rhinos in Africa

Cool Summer Getaways: A Cave, A Cruise, & A Country

14. August 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Adventure, Un-Cruise Adventures, Uruguay · Tags: American Safari, Andrea Rotondo, Arizona, cave, Caverns, cool, cruise, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Motel, Lisa TE Sonne, luxury adventure, Luxury Cruise Bible, Uruguay

Looking for the coolest luxury ways to beat the heat and humidity? Here are three unique ways:

Sleep in a Luxury Cave
Take a cruise in America’s fiords — in northern latitudes where sweaters are required
Try Uruguay, your way

Luxury Cave

Luxury Cave Sleeping at the Grand Canyon Cavern Suite

Not far from the Grand Canyon is a grand underground retreat where it’s 56 degrees year round with little to no humidity! Guests take an elevator down 22 floors to sleep in what is billed as the “oldest, darkest, deepest, quietest, and largest suite room in the world. “ This special luxury addition to Arizona’s Grand Canyon Motel has been a tourist attraction by day for decades, but now is an exclusive sanctuary by night.

My husband and I celebrated a birthday with the cave all to ourselves — both our sleeping suite (with flatscreen tv, mini-kitchen, record player, comfy bed, and a true cathedral ceiling- more than 200 feet up!) and the other “rooms” of the cave, which we explored by flashlight.

Our “room service” included special delivery by Nadine of a birthday cake to go with our champagne. Not far away, a replica of an 11,000 year old sloth made us feel quite young!

Cool Cruises

I recently enjoyed the waterfalls, wildflowers, and whales of Alaska, along with the icebergs and glaciers that kept us wonderfully cool, while triple

My cool summer vacation in Alaska (c)Lisa TE Sonne

digits were burning away at home. American Safari’s small cruise yachts keep the creatures and the creature comforts coming amidst rich scenery of forests and fiords. The company’s Alaska offerings run through September, and Pacific Northwest River cruises are also available. These “Un-Cruises” to unwind are also available in Hawaii and the Sea of Cortez for people who prefer warmer waters.

If you want to consider other cruise lines for cool summer Getaways, Luxury Travel Mavens includes years of expert cruise reporting from Andrea Rotondo’s distinguished Luxury Cruise Bible. Have fun comparing summer fantasies for high life on the high seas as you click around the “Cruises and Yachts” section of this site.

South America Luxury

Winter wonders await below the equator, where the seasons are opposite the northern hemisphere. Every continent (Africa, Australia, South America) has cool things to do, including skiing. Check out the destinations section of Luxury Travel Mavens. For something memorable that even well- seasoned travelers may have missed, I recommend Uruguay.

Uruguay Resort (c) Lisa TE Sonne

For a fun way to enter Uruguay, you can fly into fabulous Buenos Aires in Argentina, and take the ferry across the widest river in the world, La Plata. Then enjoy the wonderful arts and nature of Uruguay, an under-discovered country that ranks high in peace and prosperity and low in crime and pollution (according to the indices that keep track of those things).

At sunset, locals and visitors stop to enjoy wonderful vistas and raise a glass. The organic beef and wines, the seafood, and the dynamic markets provide great eating. The beaches, mountains and estancias (ranches) entice nature lovers, and the delightful galleries and museums are just a strand of the art in this creative culture.

You!

Do you have favorite caves or underground destinations you can recommend? What is your favorite “cool” summer cruises? What is a “don’t miss” for a trip below the equator when it’s summer in the northern hemisphere? Please email me: Lisa@LuxuryTravelMavens.com.

Or add a comment here! (See comment option near the title of the piece)

Happy Take-offs, Landings, and Cool Times Between!

—Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

Photos by (c) Lisa TE Sonne

Cool Summer Getaways: A Cave, A Cruise, & A Country

14. August 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Adventure, Un-Cruise Adventures, Uruguay · Tags: Uruguay

Looking for the coolest luxury ways to beat the heat and humidity? Here are three unique ways:

Sleep in a Luxury Cave
Take a cruise in America’s fiords — in northern latitudes where sweaters are required
Try Uruguay, your way

Luxury Cave

Luxury Cave Sleeping at the Grand Canyon Cavern Suite

Our “room service” included special delivery by Nadine of a birthday cake to go with our champagne. Not far away, a replica of an 11,000 year old sloth made us feel quite young!

Cool Cruises

I recently enjoyed the waterfalls, wildflowers, and whales of Alaska, along with the icebergs and glaciers that kept us wonderfully cool, while triple

My cool summer vacation in Alaska (c)Lisa TE Sonne

South America Luxury

Uruguay Resort (c) Lisa TE Sonne

You!

Or add a comment here! (See comment option near the title of the piece)

Happy Take-offs, Landings, and Cool Times Between!

—Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

Photos by (c) Lisa TE Sonne

Alaska's Inside Passage: A Luxury American Safari

07. August 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Adventure, Alaska, Safari, Un-Cruise Adventures · Tags: American Safari Cruise, birds, cruise, kayaking, Lisa TE Sonne, luxury adventure, otters, wellness, whales, zodiaks

Traveling between the fjords and islands of Alaska’s Inside Passage, American Safari certainly lived up to its name last month for a luxe summer vacation that was cool in temperature and memory. Unlike African safaris, there were no lions or tigers here. But bears? Oh, my! Yes!

Whales? Yes! Minks? Yes! And otters, eagles, seals, moose, puffins and a myriad of other birds in spectacularly beautiful settings.

American Safari’s yacht, the Endeavour, carries up to 86 passengers and 35 crew who make sure the human wildlife is happy long before the happy hour. Life on this yacht features jacuzzis, massage rooms, a sauna, a well-stocked bar with creative cocktails of the day, and delicious surf, turf or vegetarian food options. Unpack once and settle in for wonder, and choices of adventure and relaxation.

The Endeavour also transports a small fleet of two kinds of kayaks for maneuvering in the rougher Pacific ocean or in the calmer inlets, as well as between icebergs. Paddling over to a luscious waterfall, we saw this bear munching on highly nutritious sedge grass. Soon the salmon will be running, and the bear will reach for the fish.

The wildlife came to us the first morning of the cruise as the Endeavour headed to the Glacier National Park. Humpback whales blew columns of spray, then headed for the yacht, rewarding the early risers. Several of us who showed up in the stern for the 6:30 yoga class stopped our own deep breathing to witness the beauties go under and along.

Another day while on shipboard, at a further distance, whales were in the front of the boat and on both sides. Photographers didn’t know where to turn. Here’s one image of a mother and baby breaching together.

Every morning and afternoon, passengers were offered choices of activities — usually different levels of hiking, kayaking or being taken out in Zodiac boats with a guide who knew how to seek animals.
At meals, people shared their experiences. One group got very close to a moose. Another had dozens of sea otters play near their kayaks. Others were thrilled by the eagle spottings—watching the majestic birds swoop down on the water and sometimes carry away a fish. There were those who looked in vain for Big Foot, and plots were even hatched to create a big foot. But no Yeti yet.

A new animal sighting for me came by surprise. The captain of our Zodiac pointed toward the high tide mark of an island where a patch of bubble kelp littered the ground. At least, that’s all I saw. Then people started to murmur quietly, but excitedly: “Oh how cute!” “There it is!”

Finally, the foot-long creature moved, and I followed the motion. A mink! She seemed curious about us, too, and would stop and stand up like a periscope to take a look.

So much about Alaska is big. We saw dozens of thousand-foot waterfalls, tons of whales (literally), and even other cruise ships 20 times larger than ours. But to see this little furry thing boldly staring at us was delightful.

Even the landscape is wildly dynamic. Long glaciers over a 100 feet high, crack loudly and calve, sending tons of ice splashing, making waves, and thrilling those of us who had been watching and waiting.

If you ask my husband about our trip, he would tell you about all the food and drink options onboard. (In fact, he intends to do just that in an upcoming guest-column.) To my friends who care about “wellness,” I describe a very healthy, happy journey. (Stay tuned for more on that, too.) But we both agree that it was the wildlife that really made this a truly American Safari.

—Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

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Luxury Adventure Trips in South America & Africa: Q & A with Jacada Travel Founder Alex Malcolm

Luxury Adventure Trips in South America & Africa: Q & A with Jacada Travel Founder Alex Malcolm

Cool Summer Getaways: A Cave, A Cruise, & A Country

Luxury Cave

Cool Cruises

South America Luxury

You!

Cool Summer Getaways: A Cave, A Cruise, & A Country

Luxury Cave

Cool Cruises

South America Luxury

You!

Alaska's Inside Passage: A Luxury American Safari

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