Recently, my spouse and I found ourselves at the epicenter of a masterfully orchestrated convergence of three great loves – music, cruises, and of course, each other. The venue was a premium class cruise ship full of dedicated music lovers and a dozen well-known jazz virtuosos. Living in this magical sweet spot of almost continuous concerts, seminars and socializing for seven days proved to be a life changing experience.
First the backstory –
Music-themed cruises …
Traveling to the interior of Central Africa before the advent of the railway was near impossible. On land the journey between Cape Town and Victoria falls could take the better part of four months, on train though, it was just four and a half days. By 1904 the railhead from Cairo had reached the Zambezi and required a bridge to be built to cross the chasm. The bridge was constructed in fourteen months by the …
While many other Caribbean island destinations have become dominated in recent decades by all-inclusive resort and large scale hotel presences, little Grenada has managed to prove that a thriving independent and smaller-sized hotel sector is often much more attractive to the discerning traveler – along with being a long-term sustainable model for the island environment.
With a diverse and still unspoiled coastline punctuated by distinct harbors and marinas, this still tranquil eastern Caribbean island has …
Enjoy Primal Pampering at Surfer’s Beach Playa Bocana
On a recent trip to the remarkable region of Huatulco, Mexico we got to experience a lot of upscale luxury and exciting eco-adventures, but one of our favorite afternoons was the ancient mud ritual at Playa Bocana.
We were staying at Secrets Huatulco Resorts & Spa– an upscale adult- only all-inclusive in its own private cove in Conjes Bay, and though we thoroughly enjoyed their Unlimited Luxury …
Adventurers have found many ways of conquering the legendary Cape to Cairo route – by pedal bike, motorbike, battered Land Rover or fragile aircraft. But if you really want to travel this fabled journey in style, climb aboard the Rovos Rail.
This South African train bills itself as the most luxurious in the world, and for once it isn’t over-the-top hyperbole. The exquisitely restored carriages cocoon you in a world far removed from reality, in …
When I think romance, I think boutique hotel. Give me something intimate and unique any day over some sprawling resort! Here are a few top seductive stays for honeymooners looking for R&R in Spain.
****Wine Country Escapes – Can Bonastre Resort:
Newlyweds will adore this exceptional boutique hotel, just an hour away from Barcelona, Spain, by car. Can Bonastre Wine Resort’s twelve rooms are set within an ancient Catalan masia, or farmhouse, in the middle …
After travelling the length and breadth of the country, Heather (my camera assistant) and I headed out of Windhoek going south. It was long and dusty six-hour drive that took us through one of the most spectacular places in the world: mile high paprika-coloured dunes, lilac mountains, endless golden savannah grassland – all dramatically offset by a big sapphire blue sky.
Our tranquil granite and glass boutique-style lodgings – the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge – was …
People will tell you there are tons of things to do in Mauritius.
Well, the Mauritian people will tell you that, then list dubious attractions like the stamp museum and a dodo skeleton. But trying to lure visitors to this gorgeous tropical island by conjuring up copious activities is missing the point. The point being that Mauritius isn’t the place to go if you want to do stuff. It’s the place to go to do …
Though best known for their colorful Carnival, Aruba has all kinds of cool festivals, annual events, and visitor-inclusive celebrations happening all year round!
Though Carnival lasts for three months, it really doesn’t matter when you visit Aruba as there are all kinds of gala events going on all year-round. And you need never worry about the weather for outdoor festivals: Aruba is outside of the hurricane belt and boasts a balmy average of 85 degrees …
New Zealand is a surprising wine destination, to say the least. Given that cold, rainy islands aren’t usually known for producing great wines (let’s face it, have you ever heard of a British vintage?), Kiwi wines can be shockingly good. For obvious reasons, many of New Zealand’s most celebrated wines are whites, as well as lighter bodied reds, such as Pinot Noir, which don’t require the blazing sunshine of France/Italy/California to mature properly. Likewise, New …
Antigua’s small sister island Barbuda is truly unspoiled Caribbean at its finest, and we were enroute to Lighthouse Bay Resort www.lighthousebayresort.com sandwiched on a thin sandbar that snakes for some 17 pristine, private miles and accessible only by air, (small plane or helicopter) or a long ferry ride (three hours) and water taxi. But we were arriving in high style via Caribbean Helicopters http://caribbeanhelicopters.com/, as complimentary return passage by whirlybird is included with a seven …
In a world where camping lovers and luxury travelers collided, someone decided to do something about it. Glamping combines the best of both worlds for those who love to sleep under the stars, but want to do it in a comfortable bed; or the couple that is torn between one’s desire to pitch a tent and the other’s need to have a comfortable floor to walk on.
The whole idea of glamping is one of …
A-listers seeking to go off-radar are drawn to this awesome oasis in droves…
Though St. Barts might be best known in the Caribbean for attracting the jet set, it also attracts the paparazzi that follow them. But Anguilla is well known among the elite as an idyllic refuge where they can totally escape the global spotlight to relax, kick back, and just be on barefoot holiday. Of course, the 33 glorious beaches of powdery white …
Every summer, Irish Counties such as Mayo, Kerry, and Waterford celebrate the “Pattern,” or their Patron Saint feast days. Ardmore, a sea-side village in County Waterford, upholds the true Irish spirit of its yearly Pattern Festival with full pints and traditional Irish tunes.
Having been settled by St. Declan before the introduction of St. Patrick to the Emerald Isle, Ardmore is said to be Ireland’s oldest Christianised settlement. Aird Mhór, meaning Great Height, has been …
