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