Lisa’s Luxury Likes- Papua New Guinea Picks

Cultural Diversity in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea is a bucket list best for anyone who wants to explore cultures and nature, not homogenized by chain stores, cookie-cutter tourist attractions, and popular media. Over 800 languages are spoken amidst 300 islands, in a varied realm promoted with the tag “ a million different journeys.”

Known as “PNG” to more savvy travelers, the country lies south of the equator and North of Australia.  Tribal village ceremonies, giant purple clams, and tropical orchids are just part of the alluring diversity.

Amazingly, “remote” and “roughing it” are not synonymous in chosen pockets of PNG. Travelers with a sense of adventure can still enjoy great comforts while gathering indelible memories and authentic mementos, instead of staged photo opportunities and factory made souvenirs.

The Luxury Picks

*The Sepik Spirit Lives up to its claim as “ A floating luxury lodge” that takes people up rivers to remote Papuan villages famed for word carving, Spirit houses, and tribal dancing.  Birders, photographers, art collectors, and amateur anthropologists- sign up now!

*Lissenung Island Resort: A private island with contextually classy R & R–great food, snorkeling, diving and culture.

*Karawari Lodge – A real tropical beauty set on a ridge above dense jungle; a great home base to experience Highland cultures and festivals.

*Malolo Plantation Lodge on the Bismarck Sea – A short paddle from this cozy north shore sanctuary, Tadwai Island offers corral cays, ancient reefs and views of paradise

Click here for more information on travel in Papua New Guinea

Click her for more on high-end PNG tours.

Click here for Check Lists Before going on any International Travel

and for Luxury Travel Mavens top  tips on Long Distance Air Travel 

 

-Lisa TE Sonne, Luxury Travel Mavens

© Lisa TE Sonne

Creative cruising: a mirrored stairwell off the Danube, and self portrait with an iPhone

Renowned underwater photographer and explorer Anne L. Doubilet  shares a first with Luxury Travel Mavens’ readers—her first river cruise, a first rate experience. An Explorers Club Fellow who has traveled the world’s seas for National Geographic publications, a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame,  winner of the PlatinumPro 5000, international lecturer and creator of the traveling exhibit Ice and Coral, Doubilet also shares some of her photo tips– including the value of an iPhone.

What’s your most memorable luxury trip above water?

I recently took a very high-end trip on a riverboat luxury cruise along the Danube River. “Musical Magic Along the Blue Danube” is a specialty tour offered just a few times a year by Tauck. This was a very unusual type of trip for me as I usually go on working expedition trips to remote places in reconverted fishing trawlers where roughing it is the norm.  And usually I am tossing around on high seas in the open ocean behind tightly closed portholes or strapped to the deck so it was wonderful to cruise smoothly along the water on my first ever riverboat trip.  I particularly loved the floor to ceiling sliding glass panels in each cabin that could remain open to the air and sunlight.

The musical splendors of the Danube

We started with two land-based days exploring Buda and Pest—this Hungarian city is divided into 2 sections by the Danube. Embarking the ship we traveled the river lock system ending up 900 feet higher than when we started.  Stops and tours along the river were in Bratislava, Slovenia; in Austria– Vienna, Melk and a cruise through the gorgeous Wachau Valley, Salzburg—Mozart’s birthplace, Linz home of the linzer tart cookie; in Germany the old cobblestoned streets of Passau and Regensburg; ending for two days in magnificent Prague, Czech Republic.

I love classical music and opera, and my travel companion was Hillary Hauser Executive Director of Heal the Ocean —a close lifelong friend who is an underwater colleague of mine and my opera and classical music tutor. The beauty of the underwater world and the music world is something we share together. Many of my working expeditions were with my teacher and mentor, Dr. Eugenie Clark, the Shark Lady which was like a private marine biology course with the world as classroom. Traveling with such knowledgeable personages makes everything come alive!

Cruising the Danube on the Swiss Jewel

What made the trip luxurious?

The Swiss Jewel is a new sparkling, spacious, light–filled riverboat—just one in a fleet owned by Tauk– beautifully and luxuriously appointed throughout from the private cabins and suites to all the public areas—gracious bar and lounge area, main dining room, smaller Lido Bar on the back deck for more informal meals, and the spectacular huge sun deck comfortably furnished with many tables, umbrellas, chairs and recliner. Relaxing on the sundeck (for which we hardly had time because we didn’t want to miss anything!) as the lush countryside gently flows by is like traveling inside a painting. The service and care of the staff onboard coupled with the rich tours on land made this a very special trip.

Why would you recommend the trip?

We had our own two maestros (Michael Shaw and Andrew Eggert) accompanying us—both PhDs in either Music History or Opera—to discuss the music we would hear and the historical sites we would visit. It was a magnificent immersion in history from royal times of the 1700s when music and art were part of court life, World Wars I & II with the horror of Nazism, the rise and fall of communism and the present day resurgence of tourism.  The palaces, the museums, the gold leaf, the architecture and of course the MUSIC—Mozart, Liszt, Beethoven, Hayden, Bartok.  We visited the homes of Mozart, Liszt and Bartok.  Ferried around in private vans and educated by local guides, we were treated to private tours of opera houses, palaces, museums, special lunches and dinners with concerts, ballets, and opera performances arranged for us.

Musical Cruise on the Danube included live Maestros and historic composers

What are some favorite memories?

In Vienna, we attended opening night at the Vienna Opera—had great seats—for a performance of Verdi’s Don Carlo; in the Auersperg Palace we sat in on a rehearsal of the Vienna Residence Orchestra (one of the world’s best) with commentary by the conductor; a private dinner at Palais Pallavicini under crystal chandeliers served by choreographed white gloved waiters while entertained by musicians, opera singers and ballet dancers was a royal foray into Austria’s history of music and art and opulence at court!

One of my favorites, the Lobkowicz Palace and Art Museum in Prague will stay with me forever. The music archive contains original manuscripts written by Beethoven and Mozart and the personal Lobkowicz family history is awe-inspiring. Our farewell dinner there –preceded by a private tour of the famous art collections–was storybook worthy.

What tips do you have for travelers to get the best photos?  

Champagne Cruise

An interesting photo situation for me occurred on this trip. Because we had to travel light and because this was not a working trip, I only brought one camera body and a few lenses. On day two in Budapest before we even embarked our riverboat, my one camera malfunctioned with some of the lenses.  After despairing and unsuccessfully looking for a camera repair shop in Budapest wasting valuable sight seeing time, I decided to shoot the whole trip with my iPhone.  I was the subject of a photo-shoot with Annie Leibovitz several years ago and her recent recommendation of the iPhone camera stuck in my mind.

You can see some of the results on my website Gallery– Danube Cruise of Music Magic.  I also made a Quicktime movie of stills in iPhoto using the Origami presentation for a fast moving mosaic of the whole trip.

My three main photo tips are:

  • 1. Don’t forget to always look behind you when shooting.
  • 2. Try for the best possible natural light available which usually means sunset and sunrise. Many times this is not possible due to traveling schedules so if stuck at high noon use a bit of fill-in flash to make the subject matter pop out;
  • 3. Get as close as possible to subject matter with wide- angle lenses and particularly with an iPhone!

What are places you have loved traveling to that you recommend people not miss?

For the very adventurous traveler I recommend Papua New Guinea above water and below and Madagascar

Both are places with disappearing indigenous cultures where the rich biodiversity of the natural world is also threatened. Probably our grandchildren will not see much of what we would there—a very unsettling picture indeed!

-Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

Photographs by Anne L. Doubilet

Doubilet in the waters of Papua New Guinea

From her website bio: Anne L. Doubilet is an underwater explorer, writer and photographer. She has logged thousands of dives worldwide working as a freelance photographer and dive-team member for National Geographic Magazine on 34 stories about the seas.   A member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, Anne has worked in the Red Sea, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Indonesia, Madagascar, Japan, the Galapagos, all around Australia’s coasts, and throughout the Caribbean. She is a recipient of a Platinum Pro 5000 Diver Award from Scuba Schools International. Now officially “bi-polar!” she recently photographed melting and shifting ice in the Arctic and Antarctic. A member of the National Arts Club, she premiered her photography exhibition Coral and Ice there and has traveled it to several locations. Author and contributing photographer of the award-winning children’s book, Under the Sea from A to Z, Anne’s work has also appeared in various National Geographic Society publications and The Explorers Journal. She was featured in Vogue Magazine August 2009 and is an “Ambassador of the Sea” in the book Ocean Portraits published in Fall 2010 from Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge. A Fellow of The Explorers Club–an international organization with a one hundred year legacy of who’s who in exploration– she served on the Board of Directors as Vice President in charge of Lectures and Programs.  Lecturing at various national and international venues, Anne speaks to the issue of oceans in peril as seen through her 40 years of working underwater.

Gale Anne Hurd produces hit action movies & great dives.

As her professional reputation shoots even higher in the entertainment stratosphere, what does producer Gale Anne Hurd do to relax when she has time? She plunges into the ocean with mask and tank for luxurious exploration.

This month alone, Hurd’s meg- hit television series WALKING DEAD broke all cable records, her movie VERY GOOD GIRLS is in post-production, and her star was placed on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame (between Buster Keaton and Peter Lorre).

At the event, director and explorer James Cameron extolled the intelligence of the Phi Beta Kappa Stanford grad and lauded her talents as one of the “biggest producers in the business.” She helped discover his directing talent when they both worked with Roger Corman.

Part of Hurd’s smarts includes knowing how to do things well, whether she is producing box

Diver Gale Anne Hurd with the star of The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln, and her own Star for the Hollywood Walk of Fame

office hits, overseeing a television series, owning and operating a wine bistro, promoting ocean conservation, or enjoying luxury diving.

The action producer of other worldly hits including THE TERMINATOR movies, the HULK, THE ABYSS and ALIENS shares a passion in her personal life.

Why do you love diving?

To me, scuba diving is the closest I can get to a different universe without leaving planet earth.

How long have you been diving ? Where have you dove? 

I’ve been diving since 1987, when I became certified in advance of producing THE ABYSS.  I’ve completed over 300 dives in the Pacific Ocean, both North and South (from California to Micronesia and Hawaii, Fiji and Indonesia, Tahiti, etc), the Coral Sea off of Australia and Papua New Guinea, the Atlantic off of Florida and the Bahamas, as well as most areas of the Caribbean, including remote areas off of Saba, Dominica, St. Kitts, Barbuda, Belize, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, the Cayman Islands, St. Barths, St Martin, and  Anguilla

Do you have an extraordinary moment that stands out in your diving memory?

A night dive from shore off Madang, PNG to the wreck of the Coral Queen and watching thousands of flashlight fish swarm around us right after sunset, all blinking in unison.  It was like being surrounded by 10,000 Tinkerbells!

“Diving is as close as I’ll come to leaving this world.”

What is a favorite luxury dive experience from a land base?

I made some fantastic dives from the Aman Resort in Moyo Island, Indonesia a number of years ago.  It’s a tented luxury resort on a VERY remote island.  They had an underwater nature trail there that was fantastic.

What  are your favorite live aboard dive trip experiences??

As a former owner of the Palau and Truk Aggressors, I’m a big fan of the Aggressor boats around the world.  They are all fantastic ships in great locations for diving.  I also very much enjoyed the Tiata off of Papua New Guinea, which when I was on board traveled from Kavieng, New Ireland to Rabaul New Britain.  The fish life and invertebrates are beyond compare, and the local tribespeople are fantastic, which makes the experience wonderful on a socio-cultural level as well.

What makes it a “luxury dive” for you ?

To me, safety comes first, a great, well-maintained boats kitted out for divers, and the ability and guest-friendly nature of the crew.  Being ecologically sound by tying up to buoys rather than dropping anchor on coral reefs is essential.  Having comfortable staterooms and good food is important too.

Hurd dives with Sting Rays.

Any tips for other divers to make diving more luxurious?

Buy your own equipment and keep it well serviced; after all, it really is your life support and should be treated as such.  Make sure you have the proper dive skin or wetsuit for the water temperatures you’ll be encountering.

Is there any diving you haven’t done yet, that is still on your bucket list? Where and why?

One day I’d love to dive the Galapagos and also Borneo.  Both are remote areas with sea life I haven’t encountered before — and of course, the Red Sea.  I had hoped to dive the latter when I visited Jordan a few years ago, but I came down with a terrible virus and was unable to dive.

 Why do you think it’s important that we protect the oceans?

We are the Water Planet, and if the oceans become even more unhealthy, all life on the planet will suffer.  It’s a very delicate balance now, and we must take action.

You are on the advisory boards of Heal the Bay and Reef Check. How are they helping our seas?

 Heal the Bay focuses on the health of the beaches and oceans off of Southern California, and monitors the water quality of the local beaches, scoring the safety and health of each one.  Reef Check monitors the quality of seas and sea life in over 90 countries around the world and trains local people who are stakeholders (fishermen, etc.) to dive and monitor their seas, so that they can take the lead in protecting their own seas and beaches.

Hurd at her Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena, California

You founded one of the most wonderful gathering places in Pasadena, California–  VerticalWineBistro. Is there any consciousness to how fish fits in the menu because of your diving? 

We do focus on sustainably caught seafood because of my interest in protecting the seas.  We use the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood list, which is easy to access on line.  I recommend it to everyone!

In pressure filled arenas, you are very successful in your life including producing innovative Oscar-winning films, and developing and heading up the record-breaking television series WALKING DEAD.  Does diving help your professional success?

It’s a great way to relax and escape for me.  When you’re diving, you are completely engrossed in the undersea world and not thinking about work.

 Has diving helped your personal life?

My daughter and I have dived together around the world, and it’s something we love to share.  She was certified on the island of Culebrita, in the US Spanish Virgin Islands, another wonderful and rarely dived site just off of Puerto Rico.  So many of my friends dive, and it’s wonderful to take dive trips with them as well.

 Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

 Photographs provided by Hurd’s company Valhalla Entertainmnent.

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Ahhhh, barefoot luxury in Barbados !

A view from The Crane Residential Resort- a destination since 1887.

The footwear I wore longest my first day in Barbados was fins. I spent enchanted hours in the morning, scuba diving through the coral gardens in 88 degree water with schools of neon blue fish for company, off the western resort lined-and-designed Caribbean side of  the island.

But the rest of the day, I was indulging in “barefoot luxury in Barbados” – The Crane Resort way – on the eastern, more private Atlantic side of this multi-faceted vacation mecca.

I woke barefoot in a big hand-carved four-poster bed with the rhythmic  sounds of the Atlantic surf. The bed, authentic Barbadian furniture,  was similar to those used in the resort since it first opened as a hotel in 1887, triggering more than a century of legacy. Locals say that in the late 19th century, the visiting celebrity “Buffalo Bill” Cody paid for his stay by leaving a watch and the gold chain to his timepiece.  In the 21st century, 252 accommodations offer golden refuge for travelers from timezones around the world.

I padded across the marble floor to open the tall shuttered doors to my spacious balcony, part of my 1,200 square foot residential suite at the Crane Residential Resort.  My refrigerator was already full of fruits and eggs and the makings for great coffee were on the counter. A five-jet shower awaited too.  I was well fortified for a drive across island, and relaxing diving.

Dive Boat

Catamaran dive boat to explore the Caribbean waters on the western side of Barbados

 BEAUTIFUL BEACH

When I returned to my Crane “home” from easy  diving with Hightide Water Sports, my swimsuit was still wet, so I headed barefoot to the Atlantic Ocean that looked so beguiling from my balcony. My toes were tickled as I walked a small part of The Crane’s 40 acres of landscaping (tended by over 20 landscapers) to the cliff’s edge for sweeping views.

The Crane Resort's elevator to the  private beach

The Crane Resort’s elevator to the private beach below the gardens and suites

Both a glass-fronted elevator and steps descend three flights from the cliff perch to powdery sand that massaged my toes.  In certain lights, the sand shimmers pinks.

Barbados is the eastern most inhabited Caribbean island and the Atlantic waters on the island’s eastern side can be boisterous for body surfing and bogey boarding.

Atlantic surf below The Crane Residential Resort

It was fun to frolic in waves that were more than 20 degrees warmer than the ones I had last played in, off the California coast.  I swam past the breakers and floated on my back reveling that no land mass was between me and Africa! Just leagues and leagues of beautiful sea.

To the side, I could see some old steps along the side of the protecting promontory where two boys fished.  I had been told that the steps, dating back to 1769, were a part of a private sanctuary for women who wanted to get around the societal expectations forbidding females to get wet in public. Here, they could enjoy the ocean.

On the beach today, men and women openly swim, body surf, sun on lushly padded lounge chairs or walk with rum drinks served in fresh coconut shells from the beaches’ bar. I was content to gently undulate with the swells on the bathwater warm ocean, my toes pointing to the tropical sky.

POOLS AND BATHS
Options to wash off the sand and salt are many starting with the outdoor showers. The Crane’s grounds have several sets of swimming pools. One set of pools flows over 1.5 acres with cascading connections and jacuzzi.  Many of the Resort’s suites come with individual pools either as part of a front yard or as part of an outdoor upper level. I enjoyed The Crane Beach Pool’s proximity to the ocean sounds and sands.

One of the Crane's pools

One of The Crane’s swimming pools with Ocean view

SERENITY SPA

My next barefoot foray on this deliciously naked toe day was the Serenity Spa, one of the Crane’s nurturing niches.  I received the “Travelers Paradise Express” which weaves together Swedish, Lomi-Lomi (Hawaiian) and Deep Tissue very effectively with talented Lashawn also rehydrating my dry post-airplane skin with almond lotion. I particularly liked – of course – the foot rub part!

It’s enjoyable to try massages that are signature for their geographic and cultural context like a Mayan themed treatment in Cancun, Mexico, or an amber massage in the Baltics, so I had been hoping for some kind of Barbados rum massage or pink sand defoliation (I made those up), but the actual eclectic Serenity blend of massage techniques worked wonderfully and does suggest Barbados’ international legacy. For centuries, Barbados was a key portal for the trade of goods, people, and ideas between the Americas, and Africa and Europe.

My feet were quite glad to receive three kinds of massage blended.

 

A Zen dinner in the Tatami room. Shoes are parked outside and our legs rest below floor level while we enjoy great Japanese and Thai food without leaving The Crane.

ZEN TIME

How could this barefoot day get any better?

Answer: Dinner in the Tatami room of the fantastic Zen restaurant on the Crane grounds, a Zagat’s favorite for Barbados. Shoes were parked outside the private room as new friends – travel writers and tourism experts – bared soles and souls with stellar sushi, sashimi, and lots of laughs.

After a day of Caribbean diving, Atlantic ocean play, pools, foot massage, and Zen repose, I returned to my suite with its own  jacuzzi bathtub, lounge chairs for star gazing and tradewinds on the balcony,  and the luscious four poster  bed.   What a welcoming sequence  to enjoy  barefoot luxury in Barbados – the Crane way!

 

PS: The next two days, I did don shoes when I left  the Crane, ironically to check out the big rich history of the little Island that influenced the world and the first President of the United States.  I say ironic because for  a key period,  barefoot slaves helped drive the economic prosperity of Barbados. Now it’s liberated barefoot visitors who help fuel Barbados’ top financial engine – tourism.   I am happy to kick off my shoes,  and the Barbados Tourism folks  can help you plan your own footprints in the sand.

 

-Lisa TE Sonne for LuxuryTravelMavens.com

 Photos by Lisa TE Sonne

Follow her adventures: @ExploreTraveler

Cancun

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.

cancun trip

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

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

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

Cancun

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

Whale Shark, Sonne

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

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

© Photos by Lisa TE Sonne .

 

 

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

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

Cancun

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

Whale Shark, Sonne

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

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

© Photos by Lisa TE Sonne .

 

 

Snorkeling may be the easiest entry for traveling underwater — home to some of the greatest destinations, attractions, and wonders.  Snorkelers stay in the upper layer of water, where sunlight dances and the full array of colors are still visible for memories and photography.  Floating gently on the sea and peering down at nature’s life force in motion is soothing meditation, relaxing exploration, and privileged access.Scorpion Fish of La Paz, Mexico

I am passionate about scuba, small submersibles, and the emerging infrastructure of underwater tourism, but I would never give up the basic joy and beauty available through snorkeling.

Some of my favorite snorkeling memories are in the Sea of Cortez, the Galapagos, Palau and Papua New Guinea. Just getting to be there is a luxury – and then there’s snorkeling!

Baja’s Sea of Cortez

To see sea lion pups twist and twirl in a 360-degree aqua-ballet around you, head to the rookeries in the Sea of Cortez, “the world’s aquarium.” This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve is a long finger of water between the Mexican mainland and the skinny peninsula below California known as “Baja,”  The Sea of Cortez was made famous by writer-biologist John Steinbeck and oceanographer Jacques Cousteau.

North of Cabo San Lucas, and less than a two hour flight from Los Angeles, the city of La Paz (The Peace) is Baja’s historic and modern capital and a wonderful departure port for water lovers.

A luxurious way to enjoy the Isla Espiritu Sea Lion Colony is to indulge in an American Safari Baja Un-Cruise  for a week full of memorable wildlife opportunities with comforts for all your senses. After playful encounters with the big-eyed pups, the crew greets you with towels, drinks, and snacks, followed by hot showers or Jacuzzi soaks while looking for whales and dolphins, then a gourmet brunch.Sea Lions at Play

If you are enjoying La Paz and Baja from a land base, Fun Baja offers a delightful daytrip. I enjoyed the shady boat, international group of fellow snorkelers, and the fresh-fish lunch they made for us on a secluded cove of the island of Espiritu Santo.

Humans are the minority among the hundreds of barking and diving pups and parents in the sea lion colonies. The curious playful ones may even grab a fin.

Galapagos

The underwater wildlife of the Galapagos is as wondrous as the topside of the islands. The island group straddles the equator 600 miles from South America. Snorkeling is wonderful year round, although a wetsuit helps, since the cold Humboldt current sweeps down to this part of the Pacific to make for rich biodiversity.

Snorkelers can see swimming marine iguanas, fur sea lions, and even the famed Galapagos penguin! Penguins don’t normally live in the northern hemisphere, but the delightful Galapagos penguin is an exception.  After following the antics of sea lions and even a prowling reef shark, I lifted my head to get my bearings- and there was a little penguin debating whether to jump in the water!

Ecoventura’s one-week, ecofriendly “expedition cruises on 20 passenger yachts” island-hop to the highlights and are a great platform for snorkeling. Once the gear is fitted for you, including wetsuits, it’s “yours” for the week. Naturalists are onboard and underwater to help identify great creatures – blue-footed boobies on the trail, and schools of surrounding fish in the sea.

On one outstanding day, I saw large sea turtles in the morning and then an Ecoventura guide arranged for me to get close to Giant Tortoises on land in the afternoon.

Papua New Guinea

Cultural Diversity in Papua New GuineaPNG has some of the greatest cultural diversity on the planet – more than 600 languages are still spoken there. It’s hard to pull away from visits to tribal river cultures, shopping for the hand-carved masks displayed in working Spirit Houses, and witnessing the dances and festivals in the Highlands. But the hundreds of islands of Papua New Guinea, north of Australia, are surrounded by beguiling waters with their own alluring diversity.

The private South Pacific island of Lissenung resembles a sweet movie set – a paradise dollop you can walk around in an hour. Just off the Island of New Ireland in the Bismark Sea, the Lissenung Island Resort is set up for divers, with a thatched dining hall and hammocks hanging into the water, but I enjoyed some of the best snorkeling I can remember. A treasure found - to be photographed and returned.

The consistently warm waters and huge range of healthy corrals attracted fish of many colors to Lissenung, and I also enjoyed wonderful snorkeling off the North Coast of Madang. My souvenirs include photos of scorpion fish, corals and a memorable shell.

Trans Niugini Tours can help you plan your trip and indelible dips.

Palau

Stingless Jelly Fish

The Republic of Palau is an incredible Micronesian archipelago of  small tropical islands, touted as one of the top dive locations in the world. The snorkeling is also spectacular.

Hike inland on Eil Malk Island in Palau to the world-renowned “Jellyfish Lake,” where the pulsing orbs of jellyfish have evolved without the notorious stinging touch. Instead, snorkelers who brush against them feel a gentle softness. To get a sense of the other worldliness of their realm, you can see a video and piece I did for National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel.

The lake jellies are unique, but don’t miss the oceanic treasures either. Giant clams, colorful tropical fish, and Gorgonian corrals may be enjoyed by simply walking from your resort into the water with a mask.Japanese Zero on seabed off Palau

Palau has also declared itself a shark sanctuary to protect them from slaughter, so snorkelers may be treated to the sleek behavior of one of the food chains most intelligent creatures.

For wreck lovers, remnants of WWII Pacific battles litter the sea bottom, sometimes in shallow waters, like this Japanese Zero Plane.

More…

Still ahead, I am looking forward to sharing with readers of Luxury Travel Mavens great warm-water places to snorkel with whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, and with manatees, the mammal rumored to be mistaken for mermaids.

For more adventure, there’s night snorkeling to see the wonders of glowing bioluminescence or the swoops of manta rays, those glorious winged creatures called both angels and devil fish.

And for those who want to don a “dry suit,” unforgettable snorkeling awaits in Alaska.

—Lisa TE Sonne for Luxury Travel Mavens

All photos © Lisa TE Sonne except for jellyfish © Sharon Spence Lieb (travel writer/photographer)