In 1832, sailors from Peru landed at San Juan Capistrano Mission and made their way to San Luis Rey de Francia Mission to the south. They brought with them pepper tree seeds and shared some with the Friars there. This is a photo of the tree that grew from those small seeds - still vigorous and alive after some 280+ years later! Needless to say, it's certified as the oldest pepper tree in the State!
I have made it a recent habit to spend my birthdays somewhere outside of NYC, ideally traveling to a far away destination. Luckily, my day is at the end of May, generally a great time of the year to visit many places. On this particular celebratory day, I found myself on a farm in the tiny village of San Antonio do Leite, a stones throw away from Ouro Preto, in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil. My hosts were a Portuguese-only speaking couple who loved to laugh and entertain. And laugh I did as we tried to communicate over a home-cooked dinner and drinks - they in their thick accented tongue, me in my broken Spanish. But somehow we did manage to have a conversation and somehow I did manage to get roped into the next mornings cow milking routine. So there I was, 4am in the morning, relieving a few lovely ladies of their swollen udders. In a sleep-deprived fog I tugged and tugged for the better part of an hour, finally amassing just one single pailful of milk.
I love the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, near the Limpopo River and the opportunity to witness the 25,000 hectares reserve by bicycle or foot, are things that rarely happen on a safari. You can arrange morning and late afternoon walks with one of their phenomenal rangers and still stay in the comfort of camp in the evenings, or you can opt to head out on 3 or 4 day adventures on foot while camping. Either way, you'll soon be among the elephants, giraffes and other beautiful animals in their element.
I love the Australian outback, it's a big place but in and around it are small pockets of human existence and history. Parachilna or 'patajilnda' to use the Aboriginal word is no exception. Surveyed in 1863, and located on the railway line and road between Port Augusta and Leigh Creek, today it's claim to fame is the Prairie Hotel. All that remains of the town is a derelict railway station, a dirt airstrip and a few buildings. It's a great spot to stay if you want to explore the Flinders Ranges National Park which is literally at it's doorstep, as well as Arkaroola and the Gammon Ranges, the Leigh Creek coal mine and Lake Torrens which are close as well. At night you can sit in front of a blazing fire in an old oil drum plonked in front of the hotel and surrounded by a odd collection of chairs, logs and other places to sit. The sunsets are magnificent, the company jolly and the hotel food, famous for it's Road Kill platter, which is excellent. This view, from the front of the hotel, looks past the old station out toward the west.
The popular shopping center in Nice is at the Place Massena. You will know you arrived there when you stepped on the checkered tiles. From there, you can explore the near by streets for more stores as well. The better part is that the tram goes through the place, so you will never be lost.
Luxury boutique hotels really have the power to charm and enchant, as they’re intended to provide a more intimate and personalized experience than luxury chains. But the problem is that it’s usually a hit or miss. During this past weekend, while attending a travel conference in the city, I had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, nestled in the heart of Toronto. This hotel was certainly a hit overall, with a few minor qualms that could be overlooked by the high levels of customer service and stylishly modern decor. From the front desk to the concierge to the bell boy, the service was fantastic and I would highly recommend it to a friend looking for an upscale boutique hotel in the center of the city. It's literally moments away from the Toronto Convention Center so that's always an advantage if you're headed there for business.
On returning from a very eye opening trip to Robben Island, I decided to stop at one of the nearby restaurants for a quick drink before heading back to the apartment. The sunsets are amazing anywhere in Cape Town, but the V & A Waterfront is such a great place to experience this daily occurrence because you have a good variety of restaurants and drinking spots to choose from should you decide to continue into the night. And if you need to do a spot of shopping, you can do that too from one of the many stores inside the adjacent mall.
Stay in one of the 37 artist designed rooms at the Gladstone, Toronto's longest running hotel, and you'll be feeling the design vibe by morning. The Snapshot room incorporates vibrant images of Toronto's High Park and gives a treehouse feeling to this small space. Each room is as unique as the last and artwork is found throughout the public spaces of the hotel. The renovation of the Victorian architecture incorporates the best of the past with modern amenities. Sustainable hotel practices include a commitment to local products and food, a living green wall and roof system and strong support of contemporary culture in the city.
We are budget travelers most of the time. We only get luxury rooms if they have a special offer but we never had anything like this. Our agency booked us here, at Hotel Grimsborgir Luxury Rooms and Apartments, and when we arrived there were almost no guests so they upgraded us from what the agency got us to this amazing 4 bedroom house. Equipped with all that you could need, even a hot tub outside on the patio. It was an amazing stay and the staff was excellent. Icelandic cuisine based on locally sourced ingredients is served in Grimsborgir’s restaurant. Freshly baked pastries and homemade bread are available every day. In summer, guests can enjoy their meals out on the patio.
Canaima National Park is home to the infamous Angel Falls, but more people are able to visit its little brother Alto Sappo (or Sappo Falls) where you can get an even up close and personal look by walking behind it. Admire the table top mountains around the area and you'll truly feel being in Jurassic Park.
Even though it’s located in the center of town, Tamarind Village is still quiet and it has excellent service, and is reasonably priced. The property has 42 rooms and three suites, as well as a very nice spa. The staff are happy to arrange excursions to nearby national parks, temples, or villages. Try eating the exemplary phat si ew noodles at Yok Far Pochana, which is right near the hotel’s entrance on Ratchapakinai Road. —Andy Ricker 50/1 Ratchadamnoen Rd., Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai, 66/(0)53-418-898.
Modern bi-level wooden lofts nestle between vineyards and oak trees at La Subida, a small country inn run by vinegar maker Joško Sirk and his family. A Michelin-star restaurant serves gnocchi with plums, cherry strudel, and the famed Gravner orange wines, which get their copper hue from leaving the skins on the white wine grapes. From $145. 39/0481-60-531. Photo courtesy of La Subida. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.
Traveling in western Sichuan is an awe-inspiring spiritual experience, but can sometimes become a wearisome experience. Thanks awesome accommodations like Khampa Cafe and Arts Center in Tagong, English speaking travelers have a great resource for travel guides, warm accommodations and delicious meals in western Sichuan. The guesthouse also runs a tour company, Chyoger Treks, which is owned and operated by Djarga Mira and his spouse, Angela Lankford, who is fluent in Tibetan. Angela (who carries a small resemblance to a young Meg Ryan) grew up in a Colorado ranching community on the east side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. During our stay, we were treated to delicious yak burgers and homemade Chai after a four-day horseback riding trip with local nomads. All of their treks focus on getting to know local people, including the opportunity to live with nomads in their tent homes (eating homemade yak butter) and living in a local monastery with monks in training. It is truly a once-in-a lifetime experience. LIving with the nomads was definitely the highlight of my western Sichuan travels. All in all, Khampa is a one-stop shop for expert and novice travelers in western Sichuan looking for a place to stay for as little as $16 a night. Stay and travel with Khampa if you are looking for a unique and truly authentic Tibetan experience.
The Great Barrier Reef advantages are vast even with a little rain. Stand up paddle, glass bottom kayaking. View huge clams and the beauty of the under water life. Staff is also appealing to watch at Lizard Island.
Want to see this from your private room terrace? No problem. Make a reservation at The View Hotel and you will get it.
Half way between Chinatown and the Harbour, Wild Saffron is a great place to stop for lunch if you've had your fill of seafood and are looking for another Canadian staple: comfort food. The restaurant is part of a hotel and brewhouse (complete with nightly live music).
The small town of El Chaltén in southern Patagonia has been called the trekking capital of the world due to its proximity to Mt. Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, two of South America’s most rugged peaks. It’s also the jumping-off point to reach Aguas Arriba Lodge, a new six-room mountain cabin in a nature reserve next to Glaciers National Park. From El Chaltén, you follow a gravel road along Las Vueltas river to the emerald green Lago del Desierto, then take a short boat ride across the lake. If you’re more hard-core, put your luggage on the boat and hike three hours through the forest to reach the lodge. Photo courtesy of Pablo Castagnola/Anzenberger/Redux. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.
To obtain the air angels breathe, you must go to Tahoe (Mark Twain). One of the most amazing places on Earth, Lake Tahoe - Try the bike ride around the lake, and if you want to stay in the finest lodge, consider Sunnyside and explore the restaurants and places around (Squaw Valley, Truckee, Tahoe City). Keep Exploring...
Traveling with researchers from the N/a’an ku se Foundation, we visited the Solitaire Guest Farm Desert Ranch where they have stationed the Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre. Cheetahs, like the fierce female you see here, as well as leopards are rehabilitated and released into the wild. Visitors who stay at the ranch have the unique opportunity to track the wild cheetah and learn about conservation. The scenery is golden grass and gently rolling rocky hilltops in the distance. These daytime golden hues yield sunsets of blazing color and vistas where you can see for miles.... and in those miles are cheetah, leopard, hyena, zebra, oryx, springbok and more. As for this fierce cheetah, she was protecting her sister, and her shady spot. Do not mess with a cat's shady spot on a hot day!
I LOVED this little apartment located in the center of Ísafjörður which one of the oldest towns, in the oldest part of Iceland. The owner is a really nice lady that helped us with anything that we needed. The apartment has a small kitchenette but perfect for light cooking, en-suite bathroom and the bedroom fits 4 people very comfortable, the beds were really cozy and comfy. The house was built in 1780 - one of the oldest houses in Iceland - and was completely refurbished but they did keep parts of the old walls as decoration inside. It was so beautiful and full of character, I would stay there again.
Palermo is an eclectic neighbourhood of BsAs. Immortalized by the poet Jorge Luis Borges who spent his childhood in Serrano Street, and the tolerant ambiance brought in cafes, jazz clubs, upscale and innovative eating places. So one should not be surprised to find a boutique hotel in Palermo, within walking distance of everything in Palermo.. oozing with friendliness and an eagerness to help that is reminiscent of the Poetry of JLB.. The rooms are as well appointed as one would expect at a boutique hotel, one gets an undisturbed sleep, to descend to a cooked breakfast or the usual breakfast with good coffee BsAs is well known for. I had a chance to chat with Marcelo Kohen the young owner of the establishment with years of experience in the hospitality industry. What was amazing to me that EVERYONE was friendly and attentive..and gregarious to boot..Claudio with his immense knowledge of things that a tourist needs such as the train to the delta, bus times and taxi fares and recommendations for a place to eat. Angela the manager sought me out after i had forgotten to retrieve my passport from the safety box after i had checked out,very accommodating Natalia and Julia at the Cafe and smiling Victoria 2 made it difficult for me to leave the hotel. If you go to their website www.minehotel.com you would see the non refundable deal of the day which is reasonable considering the galloping inflation in Argentina. I highly recommend this boutique hotel and its friendly staff
For us here in California, this is an ancient building! The paintings around the archways were done by the Luiseño people - the locals who lived there for eons before the Europeans showed up. It was fun seeing the entire grounds on its annual open house anniversary day celebration.
What a great experience this was. I had never seen a geyser before and this was just WOW. The day was not the best of day. It was very windy, cold, raining but people were still there waiting patiently for it to explode. And what an explosion, very loud. We were all waiting there with camera covered in plastic, ready to get the moment. It's happening so fast that a few times I missed it. We traveled with kids and we made sure they were stuck to us. Not a kid friendly place but not dangerous if you are paying attention. Across the street from it there is a restaurant, gift shop and a hotel.
If you want to get away from the crowds in Santorini, try Megalochori - one of the prettiest, quietest little villages on the island. The town's location further inland, away from the caldera cliffs, removes it from the typical tourist itinerary. A beautiful bell-tower archway frames the entrance as you drive into town, which is easily accessible by a short car, taxi or bus ride from any part of Santorini. Megalochori features a maze of extremely narrow cobblestone streets passing by hundreds of traditional white-washed houses and churches with accents of bright blue. Let yourself get lost. At the the center of Megalochori is a sleepy town square, with two tavernas and bougainvillea-covered patios. Sit in the welcome shade and order a vibrantly-hued Santorini tomato salad, grilled souvlaki and sesame & honey-coated feta. Try Restaurant Raki (above) in the town square, where the locals go. (Live Greek music at night.) And since Megalochori is the heart of Santorini's wine industry, be sure to visit a winery, where you can meet the local vintners and sample their goods. If you are looking for a very quiet village and a low-key, relaxing day, this is a wonderful place to visit. Sometimes a really lazy day is just what the doctor ordered. www.santorini.com/villages/megalochorivillage.htm
if you like roller coasters - you have to try the fastest in the world - visit Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. Keep Exploring...
The avant-garde design of Refugia Lodge somehow fits its setting on the largest island in the Chiloé archipelago, just north of Patagonia. Hike the island’s primordial evergreen rainforest and then visit UNESCO World Heritage−designated wooden Jesuit churches in the hotel’s private boat, Williche. Local shellfish, meat, and potatoes star in curanto, Chile’s version of a clam bake. The owners sought out local artisans to create items such as wool slippers (which guests take home as a gift) and art found throughout the hotel. The picture windows look out on the Andes and Reloncaví Sound. From $530, all-inclusive. 56/(0) 65-772-080. Photo courtesy of Refugia Lodge. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue. .
This park gives you the opportunity to hike to see five majestic waterfalls that will soak you and make you feel liberated even if you're the world's greatest worrier. On the way, butterflies might sit on your shoulders, you can feed a toucan, and a tiger may paw at the glass between you in a friendly gesture. A taste of tamales and agua dulce come included in your visit. The peace you feel with nature through the journey gives new meaning to the name of the park. If one day of such delights isn't enough for you, you can stay at the Peace Lodge, where rooms come with jacuzzi tubs and overlook natural wonders such as the Poas Volcano.
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