A cow glances at the foreign kayak in the land of the Masai in Africa.

This is the week I hope to be kayaking in a lake with the world’s only fresh water sharks, amidst volcanos, islets, and prolific birdlife as part of Austin-Lehman Adventures’  compelling flagship tour in Nicaragua. To prepare, I contacted fellow Explorer’s Club member Alan Feldstein who teaches kayaking in the Pacific waters of Los Angeles, and leads a company that offers customized water safaris via kayaks in Tanzania, Africa—Infinite Safari Adventures(More on Feldstein’s other colorful ventures below.). He shares some tips and trips with me and Luxury Travel Mavens readers:

What is “luxury kayaking”?

Feldstein: “Most kayak trips, which I have done and love to do, involve paddling to a remote site with your gear in the boat, setting up camp, and then paddling the next day.  Us aging boomers are less into camping so the better way is to paddle to a lodge or paddle to and from a comfortable wonderful lodge with nice beds, hot showers and great meals.”

What does it take to be a kayaker?  How does it relate to health?

Feldstein: “Kayaking is a great sport for active people who do not want high impact.  Anyone can kayak and our trips are offered with no experience necessary.  General good health is all that it takes.  You use your core and are not putting stress on knees, hips and other joints.”

What are your five best tips for “good” kayaking?

Feldstein: “Have good equipment, have guides who are certified and know what they are doing, eat and hydrate well before paddling, and remember ‘the journey is the destination’ so go out and enjoy, and do not worry about how far or fast you paddle.  It is that Zen rhythm you get into when paddling that I enjoy so much.”

How do you recommend someone prepare for a kayaking trip? Any advance physical training? Anything special to pack?

Feldstein: “If you have never kayaked before, it would be if possible to take a lesson or introductory course.  Otherwise that is one of the great things of kayaking – anyone can do it. There are techniques to learn but anyone can paddle with out them.  We provide everything so the only thing you will need is a pair of waterproof shorts, shirts and shoes, a hat, some sunglasses and sunscreen, and a desire to have fun!”

How is kayaking different than canoeing or rowing? Why do you prefer it?

Feldstein: “I tease my friends who are rowers that they look at where they have been.  We look to where we are going!  Canoeing is similar, but I feel more comfortable in a kayak, because I am more connected with my boat.”

What inspired you to start a safari company and include kayaking?

Feldstein: “My story of how I started my safari company, which has now expanded beyond kayaking, and offers traditional wildlife safaris as well as other adventures including climbing Kilimanjaro, scuba diving in Zanzibar and tracking chimps, is born from my love of Africa and kayaking.

In 2000, I made my first trip to Tanzania. It was during that trip that I fell in love with Africa and everything about it – the people and their culture, the animals, the natural beauty. The first time a giraffe bent her graceful neck to peer into the vehicle window – well, she had me at jambo (Swahili for hello).

The trip left quite an impression on me. I dreamed about returning. In 2005, I made another trip to Tanzania to try new adventures — climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and tracking wild chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains. While “chimping” at Mahale, I met Steve and Teena, who managed the beachfront lodge where I and my wife were staying. Steve and I discovered we shared a passion for kayaking, and much to my surprise, Steve produced an aging boat and makeshift paddles so I could go for a paddle on Lake Tanganyika.

A few years later, I brought my children to Tanzania, and they too fell in love with Africa. Steve organized our safari. I wanted to include kayaking on the trip, but there were no kayaks available in Tanzania, so Steve custom built two beautiful fiberglass boats. He and I became the first to paddle the warm waters of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania.

During that trip, I thought about what makes a safari a great one from a good one.  I also thought about how to incorporate kayaking, and much more. I believed that many other adventurers from around the world would enjoy the same exceptional experience. From that dream, Infinite Safari Adventures was born.”

When are your upcoming trips?

Feldstein: “We only do custom trips, so they can be done anytime people are ready to do them!”

Any good kayaking related stories from past trip?

Feldstein: “My last trip was a family of 11 – grandparents, adult kids, 2 grandkids, and an 80-year-old friend from Japan.  I loved the fact that we took the grandfather, his son and granddaughter on a paddle one day.  She was so proud of kayaking with the adults (she did great), and it was a great bonding experience for the whole family.”

What’s your personal favorite “luxury” trip that you have been on?

Feldstein: “Of course my favorite are my trips, but my next one was paddling in Halong Bay in North Vietnam.”

What is on your bucket list for future “bucket list” Luxury travels (with or without a kayak)?

Feldstein: I spend so much time traveling to Africa.  If I had time, I would like to go to South America – anywhere.

Pampered Paddling

Thanks Alan!  I would also love to try kayaking just about anywhere beautiful on every continent. In North America, I’ve savored kayaking while on American Safari Cruises (now Un-Cruise Adventures). They lower kayaks off their yachts for memorable paddling and pampering experiences in the Inside Passage of Alaska, Hawaii, and Sea of Cortez, Mexico.

Now I head to the largest country in Central America to dip into Lake Nicaragua!  I will remember to stay hydrated, and hope to see and photograph monkeys on the islands, the world’s only freshwater sharks, and the volcanic landscapes, but will remember that phrase “the journey is the destination.”

For more on kayaking (and ashboarding?) in Nicaragua, you can “follow me” at @ExploreTraveler  and other adventurers @AustinLehman.  To plan your own paddling journey in Africa, you can contact Feldstein via his website.

 —Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

-Photographs by Alan Feldstein, except for the one of him.

Alan Feldstein, Founder, Infinite Safari Adventures

 

Feldstein’s bio, provided by him: In addition to paddling and teaching kayaking, Alan Feldstein has paddled all over the world, including California, Baja, British Columbia, Cape Cod, Hawaii, Turkey, The Hudson River, Vietnam, West Africa, Lake Tanganyika, and was one of the first people to kayak and explore the coast of Tanzania. Alan is also an avid nature photographer whose work has appeared in Wavelength Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the paddling.net calendar.  In addition, Alan has traveled extensively throughout the world.  He is a member of the Adventurer’s Club of Los Angeles and Southern California Chapter Chair of the Explorer’s Club.  He also sits on the board of Trustees of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Most importantly he is the Owner and Founder of Infinite Safari Adventures.

 

 

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

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

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

–photos by ©Lisa TE Sonne

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

–photos by ©Lisa TE Sonne