BOLD Traveller: Where to Travel in 2023

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Churchill, Manitoba

Photo: Courtesy of Travel Manitoba

Photo: Courtesy of Isla Secas Resort

Islas Secas

A World Of Possibilities

stretches of the Gulf Coast mixed with bright lights and big-city entertainment.

If you seek a truly European escape, long time contributor Anita Draycott’s dive into “La Dolce Vita” (p70), will take you through some of the most spectacular scenery—and food!—on the planet. The iconic romance of Italy’s Amalfi Coast jumps off the page, its pastel villas and stunning coastal cliffs timeless in their appeal to travellers seeking old-world charm.

Looking to fling yourself further? Look to Israel (p38), and its storied Negev desert. With countless historic sites, stunning landscapes, delicious food and some of the coolest places to stay in the region, the country presents a world-class tourism destination.

AS THE FOUNDER of a travel media company, I’m privileged to work in an industry that encourages me to dream of endless possibilities and inspires me to explore the world’s most beautiful places. With so much to see and experience, my foremost challenge remains actually choosing where to go, especially after so many years of travel restrictions and limitations. In hopes that we might make this decision just a little bit easier for you, we’ve whittled down our choices for this year’s The Bold List: Where to Go Next—our annual collection of must-visit destinations for the coming year—to 10 of our very favourites.

Our editorial team reaches out to writers, reporters and correspondents around the world for their top picks of places our travellers should consider in the coming year. The result is a collection of destinations we feel are poised for a moment, whether the reason being a new cultural institution, nature park, culinary offering or a classic worth revisiting.

Let’s start in North America. If you’re interested in Canada’s alluring wildlife and the great outdoors, allow us to suggest Vancouver Island’s wild side (p62). Writer Suzanne Morphet leads us on a compelling safari at sea to nourish the mind and the body, where you’ll cross paths with orcas, spot sea otters and learn about indigenous tourism. Fly (or drive!) across Canada’s border and discover “Detroit: America’s BestKept Secret” (p16). Contributor Dick Snyder spent a few days exploring this wonderful city with an emphatic embrace of art and design and an unmistakable impact on North American culture. Detroit is so much more than Motor City—and it’s ready for its moment. Going further south, beyond the Bayous, Lake Charles (p36), is a place where people live joyously, basking in the timeless appeal of lazy days on the water and

For the hungry reader in search of unforgettable fare, our Senior Contributing Editor Vawn Himmelsbach serves us some delicious foodie experiences from Hong Kong—including dim sum and sustainable dining—in “Yum Cha, Cha, Cha” (p32).

Sometimes we travel to revisit an old favourite. In the heart of Peru’s Urubamba, writer Paul Gallant’s “A Sacred Valley—The Second Time Around” (p76), highlights why Peru is the perfect first step of a journey back in time.

As winter continues, Bold Traveller’s editor-at-large Vivian Vassos makes us want to feel the warm sand between our toes in “Caribbean Dream” (p40), our roundup of five incredible islands sure to inject you with a bit of sunshine and happiness.

Use these suggestions as a starting point, but not a gospel. Go anywhere, and go as often as you can. It’s good for you, and good for the communities you visit. There’s a wide world of possibilities out there and it’s time to celebrate your freedom. Thank you for dreaming with us.

Happy travels, in 2023 and beyond,

Marlon J.Moreno CEO + Editorial Director

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Island Girl by Julien Capmeil

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THIS IS WHAT WELLNESS LOOKS LIKE

Los Cabos is more than just beautiful resorts and pristine beaches — it’s a luxury wellness paradise. Indulge in the healing powers of award-winning cuisine, world-class spas, and tailor-made adventures, all with unparalleled service. Here you can leave your everyday cares behind and let your vacation dreams become reality.

Contributors

For our winter issue, we asked our bold travellers where they dream of going in 2023  CEO + EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Marlon Moreno  ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Catalina Gordon

DICK SNYDER

Detroit, America’s Best-kept Secret (P16)

“A wine region that I’ve not visited yet, such as South Africa, New Zealand or Alsace, Beaujolais or Bordeaux in France. Then again, it’s also time I get back to Newfoundland with the family —perhaps an RV tour is in our near future.” Snyder is a Toronto-based editor, food writer, and a professional wine drinker. @citybites

AMANDA ROSS

Grey’s Anatomy (P50)

“After taking up tennis, it’s the new Sensei Porcupine Creek in Rancho Mirage, California. Its Tennis Optimal Wellbeing program improves your health and your game by dovetailing technology and lifestyle habits around the idea of move, nourish and rest. Hoping the rest is spa!” Ross is a Vancouver-based writer whose favourite drink is Kir Royale. @the_amandaross

DARCY RHYNO

The Power of the Volcano (P62)

“A few years ago, we spent a January in Lisbon and discovered that the mild weather paired with rich culture and culinary scenes in southern Spain and Portugal make them great winter destinations. We’re Seville bound in February.” Rhyno is an award-winning writer and recipient of the 2020 TMAC Awards ‘Best Food & Drink Feature.’ FB.com/darcy.rhyno

SUZANNE MORPHET

The Wild West (P66)

“Antarctica, with Aurora Expeditions on their new ship, the Sylvia Earle. With only 132 guests, there will be lots of opportunities to explore one of the last places on the planet that is still relatively pristine.” Suzanne is a Vancouver-based writer whose favourite food is anything with Lao Gan Ma’s spicy chile crisp. @suzannemorphet

Vawn Himmelsbach

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Liz Fleming, Ruth J. Katz, Jacob Seguin

EDITOR-AT-LARGE Vivian Vassos

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Megan Cronje

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Rachel Cheeks, Anita Draycott, Paul Gallant, Suzanne Morphet, Darcy Rhyno, Amanda Ross, Dick Snyder  PHOTOGRAPHY Tishan Baldeo  WEB DEVELOPER Komodo Innovations Inc.  Rahul Nair

ADVERTISING For Advertising, Promotion, Reprints and Sponsorships inquiries:  publisher@morenoco.com  1.647.780.8082

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Dick Snyder

Amanda Ross

Darcy Rhyno

Suzanne Morphet

THE BOLD LIST

Photos: Detroit Eastern Market Murals by Felicia Byron.Prague

Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square by Tishan Baldeo. The Cathedral of Cartagena de Indias by Juan Nino

WHERE TO GO IN 2023 After so many years of limitations, it’s time to celebrate your freedom to go again. And, although we know you are global citizens, there are a few places that have made their way onto our editors’ Where Next? radar that we just had to share. Some are closer to home; some may still seem a world away. But that’s the beauty of it. Taking a trip can mean a revisit to an old favourite or a discovery of somewhere new that also just happens to be very close to your own backyard—but you don’t have to limit yourself to our suggestions. The point is, go, and go as often as you can. It’s good for you, and good for the communities you visit. For more places to go, visit boldtraveller.ca

DETROIT

America’s bestkept secret

With its emphatic embrace of art and design, and its unmistakable impact on North American culture, Detroit is so much more than Motor City—and it’s ready for its moment.

TEXT BY DICK SNYDER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY FELICIA BYRON

Mystical Bonds Mural by artist Conrad Egyir, located in Detroit’s “The Belt” art alley

Highlands Detroit

East African influences are on the menu at Baobab Fare

On the Downtown Detroit Tour

Candy Bar at Siren Hotel in downtown Detroit, one of the most beautifully designed bars in Michigan

Detroit Auto Show

DDETROIT SURE HAS CHANGED a lot in 15 years. The last time I visited, I did not walk 15,000 steps a day and marvel at an outpouring of art and music every time I turned a corner. Not to mention meeting random strangers and chatting up a storm—at shops, on transit, in cocktail bars and just walking around and looking lost (something I excel at).

Detroit’s decline through the early 2000s and subsequent rise over the past decade or so has been well reported in the media, though I suspect the “rise” is still a bit of a best-kept secret. This is a city that should be on any list of “Top 10 American Cities”—in fact, Time magazine declared it one of the world’s 50 best places to visit in 2022.

And I’ll tell you why.

First of all, the walkability of the downtown core quite surprised me. Isn’t this Motor City? Sure it is, but the city has many designated pedestrian zones, parks and playgrounds (for adults too) in the downtown core—a bold and smart move designed to heighten the liveability and urban culture of the city.

Hang out a bit in the Spirit of Detroit Plaza, just north of the famous installation aptly known as “The Fist” in honour of boxing champ Joe Louis, and you’ll see what I mean. Here you’ll find lunchbreaking citizens enjoying their food-truck finds or indulging in a quick game of “fowling”—a Detroit-invented hybrid of bowling and football in which you throw a football at 10 bowling pins and … the rest is pretty obvious.

The massive Spirit of Detroit bronze monument anchors the scene. To the south, just a few hundred metres across the river, you can gaze from the Detroit River Walk toward Windsor. Note that you are, in fact, looking south-southeast toward Canada. That river continues south to Lake Erie, and then there’s Pelee Island right around the corner.

The monuments, murals and displays of public art tell Detroit’s story—with noteworthy candor—in an urban narrative that makes effective use of outdoor space. Alleys have been transformed into lively gathering places, painted with scenes historical and fantastical, or purely artful. “Rising from the ashes” is a slogan you will read and hear many times, as this city—once 1.5 million in population and now about 700,000—continues its re-ascendance.

Meantime, this is a heck of a fun city. Architecture fans will find eye candy galore, starting with the monumental 40-storey Guardian Building, a fine example of Art Deco magnificence that is the de facto anchor of the downtown core.

The Fisher Theatre, too, makes a bold statement—the opulent 2,000-seater, renovated in 1961, offers a full slate of top visiting performers as well as Broadway shows. It’s located in the 441-foot-tall Fisher Building—“Detroit’s largest art object”—and another of the city’s sky-scraping landmarks. You can treat it like a museum: pop in for a coffee and take in the intricate décor, resplendent in frescoes, mosaics, marble and brass.

It’s thanks to buildings like these—and also an emphatic embrace and expression of art and design—that Detroit was designated as a UNESCO City of Design in 2015. It’s the only city in the U.S. to receive this recognition.

Detroit has the largest population of Black people in the U.S., and the permanent and rotating exhibits at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History tell their powerful story from both a global and North American perspective.

There is almost too much to see and do at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where an overwhelming collection demonstrating feats of human ingenuity are on display, with many interactive elements. History is made real here, and the Rosa Parks bus invites deep contemplation. You can board the bus, take her seat and ponder a not-too-distant past.

On Detroit’s River Walk Tour

As for the city’s impact on North American culture, Detroit’s contributions to music of all kinds cannot be overstated. This means a visit to Hitsville U.S.A.—aka the Motown Museum—is a must for music fans, where a guided tour elicits more than a few goosebumps.

I could enumerate at least two dozen “must do’s” for this city, but space is prohibitive and there are some things best discovered on your own—but just ask any friendly citizen for advice and it will be generously delivered. That’s how I found the delightfully quirky Peoples Records, with its excellent Motown section, adjacent to the city’s famous Eastern Market.

The market is a collection of mostly open-air sheds—massive garages, really—where farmers and food vendors hawk their wares. It’s surrounded by a warren of streets lined with artisan boutiques, restaurants and cafés, making it an outstanding place to while away an afternoon—even when it rains, as there is plenty of shelter. On weekends, catching the outdoor blues revue at Bert’s Marketplace—a music venue and soul-food restaurant—is an unbeatable way to relax, especially with a platter of ribs from the outdoor smoker.

Detroit feels like it’s ready for its moment. This is a great time to visit the city—it feels like a best-kept secret that’s about to go, for want of a better term, viral. Travellers who like to be ahead of the curve … you know what to do. visitdetroit.com

Bold architecture features in Downtown Detroit

“The Fist,” in the Spirit of Detroit Plaza, anchors the city’s art scene

Musician Tony Hightower, at Cliff Bells

The speakeasy vibes at Cliff Bells

Meantime, this is a heck of a fun city. And architecture fans will find eye candy galore”

“

22 BOLD TRAVELLER WINTER 2023

A mural at Bert’s Marketplace, chronicling Detroit’s history

TRIP ESSENTIALS

STAY

The SIREN HOTEL is full of turn-of-thecentury boho chic character, and the Candy Bar, just off the lobby, is the place to indulge in late-night boudoirinspired shenanigans. ash.world/hotels/the-siren

The SHINOLA HOTEL (yes, it’s related to the lifestyle brand) is emphatically arty and bluntly hip, with a comfortable lounge chock full of artsy books and tchotchkes. The couches are dangerously comfortable. shinolahotel.com

The historic WESTIN BOOK CADILLAC, built in 1924, occupies pride of place on Washington Avenue, an easy jumpingoff point for downtown exploration. marriot.com

NIGHTLIFE & MUSIC

Catch outstanding local and visiting jazz musicians at CLIFF BELLS, where the potent cocktails and dimly lit speakeasy vibe—and outstanding cuisine (try the seafood chowder)— make it very difficult to leave. cliffbells.com

Fancy a little karaoke with the locals and a real live piano player? SID GOLD’S REQUEST ROOM is the place—and the cocktails are outstanding. sidgolds.com

For serious cocktails and a playlist that ranges from funk to funkier, BAD LUCK BAR is an alley-access speakeasy (bring your phone in case you need to call for admittance) guaranteed to make you feel special—or magically transformed. badluckbar.com

EAT & DRINK

Grab a loaded hot dog at AMERICAN CONEY ISLAND—the perfect grab-andgo snack and a Detroit institution. americanconeyisland.com

Lunch at BAOBAB FARE is an immersion in the cuisine of the east African nation of Burundi, with aromatic stews and delightful service. The Detroit Free Press ranked it as one of the top new restaurants of the year. baobabfare.com

Dinner at TAKOI is a Thai-inspired pan-Asian experience—think coconut milk curries, brightly flavoured salads and delicious cocktails—in a beautifully boisterous atmosphere. takoidetroit.com

TWO JAMES is a distillery and tasting bar in the artsy Corktown neighbourhood—try a classic or seasonal cocktail or a flight of spirits. The Absinthe Verte is a rare treat. twojames.com

Takoi

Old Town Square in Prague

Prague, Czech Republic

TEXT BY VIVIAN VASSOS

WHEN THE LATEST season of Jack Ryan, the CIA super analyst and ex-naval officer whose ongoing mission is to save the world, features Prague as one of its main backdrops, you know something’s up. The Czech capital, known for its “Paris of Eastern Europe” rep, is one of the most well-preserved and gorgeous medieval cities on the continent. But that doesn’t mean Prague—or its surrounding towns—aren’t present in the here and now. It’s a good thing, then, that the city will also see some new hotel openings in 2023, including the Almanac X, on the site of the former Alcron Hotel; W Prague, which will see its debut after repurposing the Hotel Evropa on the storied Wenceslas Square. Throw in the Mozart Hotel, which should open later in 2023, and there will be no shortage of cool places to hang your hat. Of course, there’s always our favourite Czech pilsner on tap. Wenceslas Square will also see the opening of Urquell Pilsner’s visitor centre and experience, which will take beer fans on a tasting tour of one of the country’s favourite brands of suds. If that doesn’t float your active boat, how about Timber rafting? Reviving the ancient tradition of building rafts and navigating them for a float down one of Czechia’s rivers as a form of commercial transport, is now on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Relive this boating tradition in Český Krumlov, about two hours from Prague, where you can stroll these darling streets—used as the set for many scenes in Amadeus. Mozart may not be Czech, but his larger-than-life ghost certainly lives here. visitczechrepublic.com

Photo: Getty Images

The United Kingdom

TEXT BY VIVIAN VASSOS

IF THE LONDON OPENINGS of some of the most luxurious hotels in the world –Raffles OWO and the Peninsula, we’re looking at you –isn’t enough, let’s toss in a stately Scottish stay at Gleneagles Townhouse, smack dab in central Edinburgh. The Crown aside, we’d be royally remiss not to mention a certain Charles having his coronation in London in May (that same month, the Eurovision extravaganza will crown its latest victor in

Liverpool); and a newly minted Prince and Princess of Wales (they lived on the Welsh Isle of Anglesey for three years when William was an air ambulance helicopter pilot) continue to draw well-wishers to Great Britain. Another popular William, as in Shakespeare, celebrates the 400th anniversary of the printing of the Bard’s first folio, a collection of his works released in 1623, seven years after his death. There will be examples on display at The British Library in London, as well as plays, parties, charity events and

A copy of Shakespeares First Folio 1623

The Tower Bridge in London, over the River Thames

Stags and the highlands of Scotland

historical re-enactments around the country and closer to Shakespeare’s home, StratfordUpon-Avon, to mark the occasion. And then there are the Scottish Highlands, the late Queen Elizabeth’s favourite summer escape (her mother, Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, was raised at nearby Glamis Castle, and her sister, Margaret, was born there; and where they spent many childhood summers). The Highlands are also where, at Balmoral Castle, a gift from Prince Albert to her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria,

Elizabeth II performed her last official duties. Both castles are open to the public a few months of the year. Coupled with Outlander and the time-crossed lovers, Jamie and Claire, Scotland continues to capture our hearts and minds. Speaking of television, we’ve laughed and we’ve cried with The Derry Girls, the Netflix show based in Londonderry during the religious-and republic-fueled “The Troubles,” putting Northern Ireland at the forefront of the TV Tourism trend. Visitbritain.com

King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort

Gleneagles Townhouse

Los Angeles

TEXT BY SHARON LINDORES

THERE’S A REASON

stars have been captivated with Los Angeles for decades and still are; the second-biggest city in the U.S. has a creative frisson, world-class art and year-round sunshine.

And it’s the perfect getaway for Canadians who are starting to travel again but might not want to go too far.

The greatest challenge is making the most of your time because there’s simply so much on offer in this vast metropolis. Whether you’re heading out for a change in scenery, or for a date with the stars, here are some recommendations for your stay in the area.

1. For the film buff

It may seem kitsch, but if you really like movies you’ve got to look for your favourite stars on the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard. The sidewalks along this stretch of about 18 blocks have brass-and-terrazzo stars inlaid in them to commemorate everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Daniel Craig.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which opened at the end of September 2021 is the largest museum in the country devoted to moviemaking. You can learn about the early days of film and about Hollywood classics. Everything from Dorothy’s ruby shoes, complete with 2,300 sequins, to Bruce, the last shark made from the original mould used for the Great White in Jaws, is here. Of course, there’s

also a very good gallery on the Academy Awards, which were first held on May 16, 1929.

If you really want to get a feel for what goes into making movies then you should check out a studio tour. Warner Bros. lets you see some of the buildings and sets on its 110-acre studio in Burbank. The tour guides are movie savants who can rhyme off all sorts of trivia about films and shows that have been made here since the studio opened more than 90 years ago. You’ll see the Friends fountain, the café from La La Land and the courthouse where Frank Sinatra sang. Plus, there are lots of interactive exhibits and memorabilia on display inside the museum space, which you can browse at your leisure.

The entertainment capital of the world continues to build on its storied past, while enthusiastically embracing the new and encouraging everyone to dream a little.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Saban Building

The famed Hollywood Sign

Photo: Hollywood Sign by Dylan Schwartz/The Broad Museum by Discover L os Angeles / Chifa Interior by Chifa/Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica by Matthew LeJune /Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Saban Building by Josh White, JWPictures/©Academy

Reimagined

3. For the foodie

You’re really spoiled for choice in this city and there are too many restaurants to mention, but here are a few that are worth checking out: Providence, which has two Michelin stars, is well known for its sustainable seafood. Chifa has a Michelin Bib Gourmand and serves a unique mix of ChinesePeruvian fare. Manzke also draws on cultural intersections with a fine tasting menu and optional wine pairings.

2. For the art connoisseur

The Broad, which opened to rave reviews in 2015, is home to about 2,000 pieces and is considered one of the world’s best collections of postwar and contemporary art. You can see works by household names such as Jeff Koons, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol, alongside less familiar figures making it a great place to enjoy and explore the fascinating art collected by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art features 150,000 objects and is conveniently located on Museum Row, making it easy to take in the Academy Museum, the Architecture and Design Museum and the Petersen Automotive Museum, to name but a few of the attractions in the area. LACMA is home to works by Frida Kahlo, Henri Matisse and Paul Klee. It also has art from ancient civilizations and more. Plus, you can catch concerts and films here.

The Getty is so extraordinary there are two must-see locations: The Getty Center, one of the best art complexes in the world, sits on a hilltop in upscale Brentwood. The gardens and outdoor sculpture alone are worth a visit. You can see pre-20th century European art, furniture and photography here. The French decorative arts from Louis XIV to Louis XVI are renowned. And you can also feast your eyes on the likes of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Monet.

The Getty Villa, perched above the Malibu coast, is modelled on a villa buried by volcanic ash near Pompeii. The setting is beautiful and you could almost imagine you’re in Italy’s Campania region. This is the home of J. Paul Getty’s incredible collection of Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities. You’ll find mosaics, jewellery, sculpture and more on display.

4. For the outdoor types

Runyon Canyon Park, in the Hollywood Hills at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, is a popular place with locals. You’ll see people practising yoga, walking their dogs and running in this green oasis. It’s a great place for people-watching and has a mix of routes for all skill levels. A short, uphill walk offers sweeping views of the City of Angels.

Take in some fresh ocean air in Santa Monica. The nearby coastal city has a sandy, spacious beach that stretches for 5.6 kms. It has a reputation of being a wellness hub and it’s easy to try some outdoor yoga, take a surfing lesson, or cycle along the oceanfront bike path. And if you want to explore the coast some more, Malibu and the scenic Point Dume are about 30 kms to the west. discoverlosangeles.com

Chifa Restaurant

The Broad

Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica

Churchill, Manitoba

TEXT BY VIVIAN VASSOS

BISON, BELUGAS and bears, oh my!

Yes, this is northern Manitoba, a treasure trove of wildlife, both on land and on sea.

Churchill is Canada’s only arctic seaport, historically a centre for trade, and now also for tourism and the cruise industry. From the arctic fox on the frozen tundra to the unicorn-like narwhals navigating the icy waters of Hudson Bay, it’s Canada’s place to see the Manitoban version of the “Big 5.” Here, Caribou take their own great migration, working their way down from Nunavut; the predator wolves, hunting in packs, howl at the night sky filled with a blanket of stars that pierces the darkness; polar bears can be spotted gallivanting with their cubs or stalking their elusive seal prey; snowy owls take to the skies, their wings white as winter; while Belugas breach the waves, and sidle up close and personal to the catamarans that bring humans to their home. The Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights) act like a beacon; a display of natural wonder that leaves you breathless.

The stewards of these lands—and much of the wildlife, as we’d be remiss not to mention that certain Caribou breeds, Beluga whales and the polar bear are endangered or vulnerable—include Inuit and First Nations Cree and Dene. Many tours are owned and operated by locals, giving visitors an opportunity to meet and learn from the people most connected to this remote yet achingly beautiful part of Canada. travelmanitoba.com/churchill/

Photo: Northern Lights, Churchill, Manitoba by Travel Manitoba.

Cartagena, Colombia

TEXT BY VIVIAN VASSOS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TISHAN BALDEO

AVOURY COFFEE and the undiscovered Amazon, electric salsa and sunshiney sandy beaches. In our mind’s eye, this is Colombia, wild and untamed, yet at the same time, hauntingly familiar. This is the country of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, of Fernando Botero, of Shakira and, now, of historic destinations made new, and new discoveries made a reality. Did you know, for example, that Colombia is also one of the world’s most biodiverse, with more than 15 percent

of its eclectic landscape nationally protected, from volcanoes and mountains to rainforests and beaches.

The walled city of Cartagena, which is also protected by its UNESCO World Heritage designation, has seen its colonialist past give way to a deeper understanding of its history; strolling its cobblestone streets, one can imagine Marquez stumbling home as a young man from one of his favourite watering holes among the awe-inspiring architecture. At the Sofitel Hotel Santa Clara, one only wishes these walls could

talk. From its humble beginnings as a convent established in the 1600s, to hosting such boldface names as Marquez and Mick Jagger to Sofia Vergara and Sofia of Greece, there’s no shortage of glamour.

But, if it’s privacy you’re after, check in to Santa Clara’s little sister property, Hotel Boutique Bóvedas de Santa Clara by Accor, just a five minute walk. Got five more minutes? That’s about all it will take to stroll to the sparkling blue of the Caribbean. Go ahead, dive in. colombia.travel/en

Yum Cha Cha Cha!

Photos: Dim Sum Supreme by Ming Court/Chinesology Interior by Chinesology.

TEXT BY VAWN HIMMELSBACH

FROM THE CRAB MEAT dumplings with black truffle to the layered silk tofu topped with gold leaf, the food here is almost too beautiful to eat. But it’s too delicious not to eat. At the Cordis Hotel in Hong Kong’s buzzing Mong Kok neighbourhood, Ming Court—which fuses contemporary Cantonese cuisine with influences from Japan and Europe—lives up to its Michelin star.

It’s one of 71 starred restaurants in Michelin’s 2022 guide for Hong Kong. And while that’s an impressive amount of stars, Hong Kong’s street food stalls, dim sum teahouses and Bib Gourmand eateries are equally splendid. In this food-obsessed city, there are more than 17,200 licensed restaurants (as of October 2022) to choose from—up from nine per cent in January 2020.

That means, while many restaurants closed during the pandemic, many more new ones have opened, reshaping the city’s food scene. In Sham Shui Po, for example, new artsy cafés have sprung up, and along Victoria Harbour an array of new restaurants, bistros and ontrend bars have opened their doors.

The growing number of restaurants is a testament to Hong Kong’s resilience—and love of food. The city also continues to advance culinary trends, such as sustainability and the reinvention of Chinese cuisine. From Michelin-starred restaurants and international fare to dim sum and street food, here’s how to experience Hong Kong’s diverse culinary fare:

The Michelin Fan

When it comes to fine dining, the options in Hong Kong can be downright overwhelming. In addition to popular stalwarts, there are always noteworthy newcomers—and this year’s Michelin Guide

Top foodie experiences in Hong Kong, from dim sum to sustainable dining

adds 11 new restaurants to Hong Kong’s roster, including foodie favourites like Chaat, Belon, Mono and Hansik Goo.

But in Hong Kong, a Michelin star doesn’t necessarily mean the restaurant is impossible to get into. There are a range of experiences, from three-starred Caprice, featuring contemporary French cuisine in elegant surroundings with harbour views, to Tim Ho Wan, considered the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant in the world with its authentic—and truly delicious—dim sum.

Bib Gourmand Eats

Hong Kong has a vast selection of Bib Gourmand eateries, a distinction bestowed by the folks at Michelin upon venues that serve high-quality food at moderate prices, as well as street food stalls that reflect authentic culinary traditions. Michelin’s 2022 edition includes 64 Bib Gourmand eateries in Hong Kong.

Worth seeking out are Both Street for its gua bao (stuffed buns) with fusion elements like pineapple spicy fried chicken; Ding Ba, which serves Taiwanese street snacks like crispy oyster omelettes and braised minced pork rice; and Kung Wo Beancurd Factory, known for its made-from-scratch tofu (try the tofu faa pudding).

On The Waterfront

Over the past couple of years, new culinary experiences have emerged along the waterfront, offering views of Victoria Harbour from all angles—day and night. Watch the iconic Star Ferry glide across the harbour over lunch, soak up golden hour in the evening or catch “A Symphony of Lights”—a multimedia light show that takes place at Victoria Harbour every night—after sundown.

Don’t miss Hutong—situated on the 18th floor of the H Zentre with floor-to-ceiling views of the harbour—a refined, modern take on northern Chinese dishes and contemporary dim sum paired with cocktails inspired by Chinese botanicals.

Another notable entrant is Chinesology, which offers views of Victoria Harbour and the Tsim Sha Tsui skyline, while it serves up “new elements to reactive Chinese cuisine without deviating from the manifesto of traditional Chinese culinary art.” Cocktails like Bamboo Punch and Chinese Apothecary pay homage to traditional Chinese herbology.

Raising The Bar (And The Lounge)

Hong Kong’s home-grown talent and world-class mixologists keep breaking boundaries. Opening its doors in July 2021, ARGO—a cocktail bar housed in the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong—made an impressive debut in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022 at 28th place, alongside Mexican-inspired craft cocktail bar, Coa, at 17th place.

ARGO, in a prime location by Victoria Harbour, combines Asian-sourced ingredients with forward-thinking concepts—think: AI-produced gin and molecular-aged whiskey. The World’s 50 Best Bars made note of the Skynet Old Fashioned, with miso caramel, coconut husks and olive oil.

Then there’s the DarkSide cocktail parlour at Rosewood Hong Kong—set above the iconic Avenue of Stars on the Kowloon waterfront. Its terrace offers epic views of the Hong Kong Island skyline while you indulge in rare aged spirits, vintage cigars and classic cocktails to the sounds of sultry live jazz.

Argo Cocktail Bar Interior

Hutong Restaurant Interior

Conscious Dining

Sustainability is a growing trend in Hong Kong’s culinary scene, and some of the city’s top chefs are embracing sustainable concepts in their practice, both on the menu and in the dining experience—from sourcing locally to using seasonal ingredients to creating zero-waste policies.

Chefs like Richard Ekkebus of the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Ashley Salmon of Roganic and Michael Smith of Moxie source locally and regionally as much as possible to reduce their carbon footprint. Some restaurants like Amber at the Mandarin Oriental source sustainably harvested seafood—caught via line fishing or hand diving—and don’t offer seafood vulnerable to overfishing.

These chefs and restaurants are being recognized for their efforts. Roganic, Simon Rogan’s one-Michelin-star restaurant that serves trademark British fare with local ingredients, like New Territories pork with tapioca and shrimp—also has a Michelin Green Star for sustainability.

Taking To The Street

Another can’t-miss experience is Hong Kong’s street food—notably, Michelin added a street food category to its guide that recognizes exceptional local dishes. A dai pai dong is an open-air street food stall, usually accompanied by foldable tables and chairs set up in the street. In Hong Kong, dai pai dong were introduced (and licensed) by the government after the Second World War in an effort to boost the local economy.

In the Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood, the Haiphong Road Temporary Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar has been around for more than 40 years, tucked under a flyover—and though it recently got a makeover, it retains its nostalgic atmosphere with ceiling fans and red lanterns. There are several food stalls to choose from: try Hap Hueng Garden’s satay beef noodles, Wah Heung Yuen’s secret recipe pork chops and Tak Fat Beef Ball’s homemade beef balls.

Dim sum teahouses

Dim sum at a yum cha, or teahouse, is a quintessential Hong Kong experience. Typically a yum cha has an expansive menu with as many as 150 items, including dumpling dishes, steamed buns and other snack-size bites, accompanied by Chinese tea. For a traditional experience, look for a yum cha where waiters wheel carts past your table stacked with dim sum in bamboo baskets.

Popular must-try dishes include siu mai (open-face steamed dumplings with shrimp and pork, garnished with orange crab roe); har gow (shrimp dumplings in a translucent dough wrapper), char siu bao (baked BBQ pork buns) and cheong fun (sheets of glutinous rice wrapped around shrimp, pork or tripe, served with soy sauce).

Plan Your Culinary Journey

Don’t know where to start? (There are 17,200 restaurants, after all.) Book yourself on a foodie tour to discover Hongkongers’ favourite dishes and neighbourhood gems. Or time your trip with one of the city’s many food and wine festivals. To find out more, or plan your own itinerary, visit discoverhongkong.com/ca/explore/dining.html

A traditional dai pai dong

Hweh Muchim (Japanese Snapper) with cho-doenjang (Korean vinegar and soybean sauce)

Lake Charles, Louisiana

TEXT BY JAKE SEGUIN

WITH SPIRITED GUSTO, the “Bayou State” embraces a mosaic of natural and cultural attractions. Beyond New Orleans, Louisiana is home to historic towns and buzzy cities. Take Lake Charles, for example. Here, to the southwest of Baton Rouge, people live loudly and joyously, basking in the timeless appeal of lazy days on the water mixed with the bright lights and entertainment of the big city. Luxury casino resorts mingle with storied family restaurants and venerable music houses. Barbecues sizzle with mouthwatering seafood while migratory birds play their own brand of jazz with their trill notes. The city's reputation as “Louisiana's Playground” is well-earned: this is a place

where the flavours, sounds and scenery of the American South are celebrated and elevated. Energetic Cajun and washboard Zydeco music are two regional specialties, often erupting spontaneously at popular venues like Paul’s Rib Shack and Luna Bar & Grill. Bountiful bowls of jambalaya, gumbo, alligator bites, cracklins and crawfish are spread out atop chequered tablecloths across the city, diverging from the Creole and Cajun culinary traditions of New Orleans in their eschewing of rich sauces. Of particular culinary note is the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail, a curated tour of local eateries that feature the specialty pork and rice-stuffed sausages known as boudin, the area’s favourite finger food.

Speaking of trails, the diverse lands

surrounding Lake Charles deserve their own accolades. Biking, hiking, and boating through some of the most accessible wetlands in the country are a worthy expedition, as is the 180-mile trail Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, which crosses pink-and-orange sand beaches, fens, and stretches of the Gulf Coast. Kayaks and canoes navigate glistening waterways as speedboats cut through marshes teeming with flora and fauna in search of the day’s catch. Sprawling wildlife refuges encompassing coastal prairies and centuriesold rice fields showcase Louisiana’s aquatic and avian populace, serving as home to both endangered waterfowl and the American Alligator. Unspoilt nature, Creole soul, a small-town heart with big-city energy. Let the good times roll. VisitLakeCharles.org.

Photos from left to right: Boardwalk by Lindsey Janies

Photography/Parade by Kathryn Shea Duncan/ Nature Trail by Justin Hoffman/Shrimp Boil by Lake Charles Southwest Louisiana CVB

Lake Charles Boardwalk

Mardi Gras

Shrimp Boil

Birdwatching along the nature trail

Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

TEXT BY VIVIAN VASSOS

CULINARY TRAVEL HAS long been a motivator in our books, but now we’re thinking it’s time to give it some focus. How does tequila tourism sound? Good? We thought so, too. To wit, the Riviera Nayarit on the west coast of Mexico is seeing the growing global fascination of the spirit come home. New and innovative ways to enjoy this made only in Mexico libation go deeper than just tequila. After landing in Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco (said to be the birthplace of agave spirits), we take the 45 minute drive west to Nayarit and Pacific surfside Punta de Mita on the Bay of Banderas. Agave, the mother plant of the distillation, is the base for Sotol, Mezcal, Raicilla and Tequila. Each has its own character, each its own distinct personality. At The Conrad Punta de Mita, which bravely flew in the face of the pandemic and opened its doors to guests in September 2020, you can pull up a bar stool at the Agave Room and Experience. Take a culinary trip, indulging in the hotel’s Executive Chef’s picks of antojitos (or snacks) paired perfectly to reflect every sip’s flavour profile. (conradpuntademita.com)

But why stop there? At Auberge Resorts’ newly opened Susurros del Corazón, also in Punta de Mita, you can get to know the “Roots of Raicilla,” what mixologists are calling tequila’s rebellious little sister. Yeah, we like the sound of that, too. Roughly translated to little root, according to the experts, Raicilla is the Mexican ranchero version of moonshine, a hooch now made legitimate, with its Denomination of Origin designation in 2019, and being favoured by surfers for its clean characteristics for years. The secret’s out. Save me a seat at the bar.

aubergeresorts.com/susurros

Auberge Resorts’ Susurros del Corazón

Taco de Barbacoa

Conrad’s Agave Tasting Room

Susurros del Corazón Agave Infused cocktail

THE BOLD LIST

ISRAEL

TEXT BY VIVIAN VASSOS

ISRAEL IS WHERE the Mediterranean meets the Middle East. A place of arid deserts, lush landscapes, blue on blue coastlines and urban playgrounds that have stood for centuries. Beachside Tel Aviv beckons, with its youthful energy backed by vibrant traditions and diverse culture; the Dead Sea keeps us joyously buoyant; and our spirits may be lifted in Jerusalem, but it’s the mystique of the Negev desert that is tweaking our sense for exploration now.

Miles of weather-worn sand stretch as far as the eye can see, yet there’s an oasis ahead. The nomadic Nabateans, the architects of Petra in neighbouring Jordan, had their start in the Negev, trading on their proximity to the incense routes. The indigenous Bedouin tribes still make the Negev their home, where they share their ages-old way of life with their guests. Yes, we said guests.

Get a better understanding of this desert culture with a truly authentic and personal experience: book a stay in a Bedouin Hospitality Tent. Listen to the stories, share a traditional meal and then sleep under the stars. Yet, for the modern adventurer, this stretch of serenity is less than two hours from both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

And, contrary to its desert designation, the Negev is anything but barren. Geological formations carved by mother nature over thousands of years, may just rival the beauty of the Grand Canyon – and there’s not one, but three wondrous crater phenomena in the Negev where you can hike, be surrounded in the swirls of ochre, yellow and gold, and breathe in the air, untouched by present-day machinery. Surf the dunes on a sandboard, akin to snowboarding; rent a bike or go old school and take a camel ride and hit one of the many trails.

If you're a foodie, get ready for delicious. Enterprising farmers and winemakers have

found ways to bring water to the crops, using computerized drip irrigation systems that are a mix of science and ancestral desert magic to grow an abundance of vegetables and fruits, making it a farm-to-table experience unlike others. Vegetarians will delight in Israeli dishes rich with dates and lentils and eggplants, parsley and garlic, doused with a generous dollop of buttery olive oil and accompanied by a local wine. If it’s not enough to simply have a seat at the table, take part in the area’s well-developed agritourism by booking a farm stay. The community welcomes its visitors with open arms and there’s always a way to immerse yourself and live like a local.

This is the land of the communal kibbutz, after all, and the “Zimmers,” the Israeli word for a local bed and breakfast. Once the hard work is done, reward yourself with a 5-star stay in Eilat, Israel’s resort city on the shores of the Red Sea. Snorkel, scuba dive, swim, recharge. negevtour.co.il; goisrael.com

Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert in Israel

Photos: Ramon Crater + Marina in Eilat by Dafna Tal/Food Spread by Itamar Grinberg Tel Aviv Beach by Yoav Aziz/Floating on the Dead Sea by Robert Bye.

“

hike, surrounded in the swirls of ochre, yellow and gold”

Marina in Eilat

Traditional Israeli lunch

Riding along Tel Aviv beach

Floating on the Dead Sea

Bird’s eye view of the stunning Orient Beach, St. Martin

Photo: Rajvinder Singh

CARIBBEAN Dream

Fun in the sun? Check. Gourmet cuisine? Check. Top resorts, with unmatched hospitality? Check and check. Here, the ultimate guide to chasing the sun.

TEXT BY VIVIAN VASSOS

Anguilla

THIS CORAL AND LIMESTONE gem in the northern Caribbean may be diminutive, but it’s big on chic places to stay, delicious food, a thriving watersports culture and more than 33 beautiful white sand beaches to explore.

Villa Real

Long known for that private island feeling—no wonder superstars like Jennifer Aniston are fans—Anguilla is a leader when it comes to living the villa lifestyle. But private doesn’t mean remote: many properties are just a short walk away from the action and come with housekeeping, butlers, chef services and drivers. Alkera, a five-bedroom architect’s dream, overlooks Shoal Bay East. Take a dip in the home’s infinity pool and enjoy the view.

Other villa properties of note include Cé Blue Luxury Villas, with its eight, five-bedroom villas resplendent with all the bells and whistles, perched high above Crocus Bay, reopened in November under new management. Santosha Estate is living like a local, whether you choose the main house, a guest house or a private apartment; stroll the gardens, hit the surf with a kayak or just sit back and relax.

Santosha Estate

Photos: Courtesy of Anguilla Tourism

If a hotel is more your thing, there are plenty of fabulous choices: Quintessence Hotel, one of the island’s favourite boutique properties, has added three luxe-for-less guest suites above Long Bay Beach, which they’ve called Quinn.

Sunny Days and Fairways

If a great round of golf tops your vacation itinerary, Aurora International Golf Club Anguilla has got it covered. Even better, the club, which offers the island’s only golf experience, has players who want to hit the links but also still make the most of a Caribbean holiday in mind. With the opening of its nine-hole Avalon Links, a world-class short course created by Greg Norman Course Design, complete with views of Rendezvous Bay, you can get your game on and still play in the sand and the surf.

Need another reason? D Richard’s Steakhouse, in the golf club, is serving up steaks for dinner—and cocktails, naturally. That’s a holein-one in our books. Also of note is Tokyo Bay Japanese restaurant, which opened in December 2022 under the direction of acclaimed Executive Chef Joe Richardson. It features the island’s largest collection of Sake!

Get your Limin’ (and Dining) On:

There are many new ways to experience some of the best food in the Caribbean: Go barefoot on the beach at Sandbar, perched on the beach at Sandy Ground. It’s helmed by island restaurateurs Carrie and Jerry Bogar of Veya restaurant fame. Also at Sandy Ground, local fave chef Dale Carty has expanded, adding an al fresco cocktail and dining spot he’s called Tasty’s POV, a nod to the panoramic vistas from almost every table. Look for laid-back vibes at Vincy on the Beach from chef Vincia “Vincy” Hughes, right next to the iconic Johnno’s beach bar.

Mead’s Bay will see the relaunch of Ocean Echo, with a menu that focuses on local flavours—mahi mahi, crayfish and conch all make an appearance on the menu. If you’re up for a party (and who isn’t?) while you’re at Mead’s Bay, check out Savi Beach, which brings Euro club Nikki Beach to mind; toss in a Japanese-inspired menu, and a location not far from the Four Seasons and Barnes Bay, and let’s go.

Go Local

See Anguilla through the eyes of an Anguillian with these locally-led excursions. Book Quest Experiences, run by a pair of Anguillians for an off-the-beaten-path perspective; volunteer to help out with the National Trust’s endeavours to conserve the turtle population and Anguillian heritage. Last but certainly not least, there’s music everywhere. Bankie Banx, the godfather of the island’s scene, is known for his eclectic mix of reggae, folk, jazz and R&B. He launched the annual Moonsplash reggae festival in 1991 at his bar The Dune Preserve; the festival takes place March 10 - 12 this year.

Get there

Anguilla can be reached from three major gateways: Miami, FL (MIA), Puerto Rico (SJU), and St. Martin, (SXM), and by private air. ivisitanguilla.com

Spiny Lobster at Sandy Island Restaurant

Quintessence Hotel

Scrub Island Cave

Antigua & Barbuda

THESE SISTER ISLANDS offer two distinct vacation experiences in one amazing destination. Antigua, the largest of the Caribbean’s Leeward Islands, covers 240 square kilometres, while its diminutive partner, Barbuda, clocks in at 160 square kilometres— but is also home to a 17-mile stretch of pristine pink sand beach.

Sail Away

If you’re a boating enthusiast, Antigua should be on your must-visit list. Its world-renowned Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, which started as a friendly show-off in the 1960s, takes place this year, from April 19 to April 24, while a few days later, beginning on April 29th, the country’s annual and world-renowned Sailing Week begins.

What a Racket

Pickleball, the suddenly popular again racket sport also from the 1960s, is played all over Antigua, but nowhere as avidly as St James’s Club and Villas and Hammock Cove. Both resorts have updated and added more pickleball courts, giving the island the unofficial title of Caribbean Capital of Pickleball. In the wake of celebs like George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio playing a few sets, it’s always best to be prepared for a chance celebrity meeting.

It’s a Festival

Unlike many other “carnivals” that centre around Mardi Gras, in Antigua, the carnival is a summertime affair, taking place the first week of August this year. The multi-day street party and parade is a celebration of Antiguan culture and Caribbean music, filled with local food and colourful costumes.

Past Meets Present

If you’re a history buff and need a break (as if!) from the beautiful beaches, book a room at The Admiral’s Inn and Gunpowder Suites

As one might gather from the intriguing name, the boutique hotel is a page out of history, with architecture dating to the 18th century. With a stunning view of English Bay, the property is only a stroll away from Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fun fact: The dockyard is named after British admiral Horatio Nelson, who lived at the Royal Navy Dockyard in the 1780s.

For The Birds

Along with the unique pink sand beaches (Bahamas and Bonaire can also boast about this rarity), Barbuda is also where the western hemisphere’s largest sanctuary of Frigate Birds is located. And, with its sister Antigua, there are 365 beaches to explore.

visitantiguabarbuda.com

Photos: Antigua and Barbuda Tourism

BAHAMAS

onboard chef. The luxury is that you can sail into secluded bays, swim off the side of the boat, hit a deserted beach for a picnic, and have the captain mix up a tray of sundowner cocktails while the chef takes the best of local ingredients, for meat eaters and vegans, alike.

Tiger (Woods, That Is)

If playing a round or two at Albany’s par-72 Championship Golf Course isn’t enough, it might make it even more brag-worthy knowing that one of golf’s biggest stars, Tiger Woods, relaunched his annual HERO World Challenge here, an exclusive golf tournament he hosted in The Bahamas in November 2022. Be on the lookout for dates in 2023.

Bimini Really Is The Best

E’VE ALL HEARD IT: ‘It’s Better in the Bahamas’ and, when it comes to world-class Caribbean culture, its 16 beautiful destination islands, including Grand Bahama, Bimini, Eleuthera, Abaco, Long Island, Cat Island, Inagua and Andros, among more than 700 islands and 2400 cays, live up to the hype. Here are six reasons why we agree:

It’s Always Paradise

… and there’s always something new or notable happening at Atlantis Paradise Island. In 2023, foodies will have even more reasons to book. Michelin-starred Chef Michael White will make his resort debut with his new restaurant Paranza, featuring the chef’s innovative Italian cuisine.

Yachts, Please

The Moorings Luxury Yacht Charter Company has returned to sailing The Abacos after a three-year hiatus. Locals call The Bahamas a boating capital, so why not experience it all from the water? Charter your own catamaran or book one that comes with a captain and

Resorts World Bimini celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. But, long before this milestone—in the 1930s to be exact—Bimini was on every fisherman’s bucket list, and still is today, with the catch of the day varying from marlin to yellowfin. The writer (and also an avid fisherman) Ernest Hemingway immortalized the island when he set his novel Islands in the Stream here; Papa Hemingway also called Bimini his summer home.

Join The Club

The newly opened Club Med Columbus Isle on San Salvador island has that traditional all-inclusive offering that you’ve come to expect, but with a Bahamian backdrop of sun, sand and blue-on-blue sea and sky. The resort features 20 different activities from snorkelling and scuba to spas and nature getaways. Add the spacious, bungalow-style accommodations and, although children are welcome, the minimum age is 11.

Junkanoo

The pandemic may have kept us down, but not out. To wit, Junkanoo, the national cultural festival and street parade, made its return in December 2022 to downtown Nassau after a two-year break. It happens annually on Boxing Day, and the party continues for a week. Festival goers are immersed in a celebration that represents the rich heritage of the African diaspora, a colourful tradition our friends in the Bahamas say speaks to the strength and resilience of the Bahamian people. bahamas.com

Photos: The Bahama Tourism Board

ST. MARTIN

WHEN IT COMES

to island style with a soupçon of European flair, we say mais, oui to St. Martin. If you’re in need of a few French Caribbean lessons, may we suggest you start with these five ways to get your magnifique on.

Dual Citizen

The beauty of St. Martin is its double life, French on one side, Dutch on the other; the Atlantic on one coast; the Caribbean on the opposite. And, although it’s the smallest territory to be shared by two nations, covering a petite 88 square kilometres, it punches well above its weight, especially when it comes to culture and cuisine.

French Flair

Ooh la la, gastronomy! From bistros to the South of France cafe vibes, we’re here for it. Dubbed the most romantic restaurant on the island, La Cigale has served up French

fare for 25 years. Take a seat on the beach at Nettle Bay Lagoon, toes in the sand, with the ocean as your soundtrack. Not far is La Samanna, a Belmond Hotel, and L’Oursin, its culinary entry into all things français. Simply merveilleux.

Beach Bebe

We’ve all heard of a signature colour or a signature fragrance, but a signature beach? Yes, St. Martin has one of those, too. Orient Bay and its namesake beach have been likened to the French Riviera, but without the formality. Stretching more than two kilometres, it’s popular with the surf—from jet skiers to parasailers—and the turf set (belly up to seaside bars such as Bikini Beach or Kontiki Beach).

Do Your Duty (Free)

Most people say yes when asked if they include a bit of shopping in their vacation itineraries. Bonus: In St. Martin, the shopping is also duty-free. Marigot, the

island’s capital, offers up luxe brands along with local specialties at Le West Indies Mall, but also, it’s one of the prettiest places, with pastel-hued homes and seaside views. You won’t mind carrying an extra bag or two when you’re surrounded by such loveliness.

Take a Hike

Pic Paradis, on the French side of St. Martin, is a hiker’s haven. The trails are wellmaintained but still fairly challenging. The average hiker can take about 45 minutes to an hour to climb steep terrain from Loterie Farm to the peak, but you can also drive until the road runs out, and hike the rest. Speaking of Loterie Farm, there’s an active adventure to be had at this former sugar plantation and current nature sanctuary. Play among the treetops, crossing rope bridges and overlook platforms. Other curated hikes start at Pic Paradis, and end up in places like Orient Bay and Concordia Hill, but all feature breathtaking views. st-martin.org

Photos: St Martin Tourism + La Samanna, A Belmond Hotel

Bonaire

IT MAY BE THE B in the ABC islands, but Bonaire is A-List all the way when it comes to coral reefs, culinary cool and a hint of European edge. It’s also one of the fastestgrowing destinations of choice in the Caribbean. Let’s take a tour:

Going Dutch

As a part of the ABC Islands, Bonaire is a slice of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. Bonaire is a former plantation island that was under the rule of the Dutch West India Company, one of the world’s biggest trading companies of the 1600s, but the first settlers were an offshoot of Arawak Indians from Venezuela—who have inhabited the island for more than 1000 years.

Stretch it Out

Better get your downward dogs and sun salutations in shape, as the island will host its first annual Yoga Festival during the month of June. Bindu, a holistic wellness centre, has also just opened its doors in Bonaire’s capital, the port city of Kralendijk. Sorobon Beach Resort is also now offering morning ocean yoga sessions. Namaste.

Feeling Blue

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Bonaire is the world’s first “blue destination.” The Bonaire National Marine Park, also the world’s first when it was established in 1979, was only the beginning. The designation indicates that a destination makes sustainable use of ocean resources for growth, well-being and jobs, while protecting the health of the ocean ecosystem. Clearly, it’s working, as Bonaire has

some of the healthiest coral reefs and diving ecosystems on the planet. To wit, Courtyard Marriott Bonaire Dive Resort has just opened the WhatSup WaterSports Center for a splash or two of fun.

Multi-Tasking

We love a place that combines more than one activity but makes them equally easy to enjoy. Take the “Snacks of Bonaire” tour with H2O Visions Bonaire, where you combine island history and local neighbourhood life with stops at small, open-air spots for snacks and drinks; or hop on Bee Caribe’s The Street Art & Street Food Tour: an emissions-free electric scooter experience where you learn about local food and the Street Colors Project at your own pace.

Rest Your Head

The Art Hotel Bonaire has just opened its 14-room property in Kralendijk; next up is Belnem House Bonaire, a new boutique hotel with apartments, terrace suites and penthouses, also in Kralendijk.

Sip, Sip, Hooray!

After the success of the island’s first rum festival in the summer of 2022, the powers that be have decided to make it an annual event. Bonaire Rum Week returns in June 2023, but in the meantime, stop in at Cadushy Distillery, where award-winning rum and other spirits, including its proprietary Bonaire Liqueur—distilled from cactus— and its special Jubilee edition release, can be had at the distillery in Bonaire’s second city, Rincon. If you’re there on a Sunday, head to the local’s favourite lunch spot, Cactus Fence. Order the goat stew and salted fish. You’ll be happy you did.  bonaireisland.com

Photo: Elliott Howel

The Outsiders

In this excerpt from Still More Stubborn Stars, a novel by Paul N. Gallant, a young Roger Niese and his family arrive at Stanhope Beach on Prince Edward Island’s North Shore, their first outing since moving to the Island from Ottawa for a new job for Roger’s father Raymond. His mother Sarah has already lost interest in trying to fit into the “Island way of life” and Roger is not yet sure what to make of the Island.

BY THE TIME THEY GOT TO STANHOPE, the late afternoon air was pulling heat from land. Raymond Niese parked the car on the road that ran along the backside of the dunes. The family marched up the park’s wooden walkway. From the deck at the top, the cool-white beach swept out in front of them. Roger was mildly resentful of his exhausted state; it had taken so long to get here. The beach was busiest near the walkway from the parking lot.   Couples and families and groups of young people drinking beer were scattered like tribes between the dunes’ peaks and the edge of the slate-blue water. The Nieses pitched their modest camp not far from a large family gathering whose territory was marked by an assortment of tents, blankets, depleted food stations, drink coolers, sandcastles, and beach toys. The family made a show of how close it was. Granny passed a beach ball to a three-year-old, who threw it to the German Shepherd puppy who dropped it at the feet of a middle-aged man who stuffed the ball under a blanket on which a baby sat kicking its legs.

Sarah lay on her back on the bedspread she had brought, a woman on an examining table waiting for a doctor’s cold

hands. Allan immediately fell asleep beside her. Raymond sat primly on the corner of a brown bath towel, looking in the direction of the family gathering. His ears were cocked for stray phrases that would provide him with an opening conversational gambit.

“Not too far, boys,” he called out at David and Roger. His sons were already out of earshot, walking quickly and calmly so as not to trigger more warnings. Their decorum soon gave way to a footrace, then a shoving match. The dunes got larger as they headed west. There was no one on this part of the beach. They kept to the waterline looking amongst the rocks and faded lobster shells for more exciting treasures.

“Be a seal! Walk on your hands!” David ordered Roger. “Do it and I’ll feed you fish!”

David’s bossiness was much less threatening under all that blue sky. The same blue sky that was over Africa, Malta, Antarctica, and China, places Roger had seen on TV, places he was sure he’d visit someday.

Roger made a run for it.

He sprinted up the beach and would have clapped his hands with delight if he could have seen the sand shooting out from under his feet, like jet-bursts from a rocket. Roger zipped past an old lobster trap, orange Styrofoam buoys, and some plastic oil containers. David’s yells crumbled in the sunlight. >

Six Days in Rome

BY FRANCESCA GIACCO

IN THIS “STUNNINGLY COOL and stylish debut,” Emilia, a young artist, travels to Rome—on what was supposed to be a romantic getaway— to heal her broken heart. As she wanders the city’s narrow streets and wide piazzas, the music, art and beauty of Rome colour her dreamlike experience.

But when she unexpectedly meets John, an American expat, she’s soon navigating an intriguing connection and finding herself transformed in ways she never expected. While this novel is a meditation on self-discovery, it’s also a visceral celebration of the Eternal City.—Vawn Himmelsbach

Book Lovers

BY EMILY HENRY

IN THE LATEST FROM Emily Henry— star of the summer beach read— comes the story of one summer, two rivals and a plot twist they didn’t see coming. Nora Stephens is a cutthroat literary agent in New York City whose ‘leading man’ leaves her for greener pastures. So when her pregnant sister Libby suggests a girls’ getaway in Sunshine Falls, a picture-perfect town in North Carolina, she agrees. But Nora keeps bumping into her rival—a bookish brooding editor from back in the city—and it starts to unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve both written about themselves. This is a tale, both heartfelt and hilarious, about writing your own love story.—VH

The Paris Apartment

BY LUCY FOLEY

FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author comes a new ‘locked room’ mystery set in a Paris apartment building, where every resident has something to hide. Jess is broke and alone, but surely everything will come up roses in Paris? Her half-brother Ben, a British journalist, agrees to let her crash at his apartment—though he doesn’t sound too thrilled about it. When she arrives at his posh, but rundown apartment, he’s nowhere to be found. As Jess starts to look for answers, she meets an eclectic bunch of neighbours: the socialite, the nice guy, the alcoholic, the girl on the verge. In this whodunnit mystery, every neighbour is a suspect.—VH

The brothers, for once, had not been instructed to stay together. Roger splashed in and out of the freezing shallow water as he ran, the smooth, flat rocks pressing painlessly into his bare feet. David did not have to be obeyed.

When Roger ran out of breath, he turned around. David was a mere matchstick in the sand, head barely discernible from his shoulders.

That also must be how Roger looked to David.  Unrecognizable. He ran further. The dunes swept on.  He ran past a massive piece of driftwood, grey and twisted. And then, there it was. Partly hidden from view by the log. It

took a moment to figure out what it was and what its being there meant.

It was the same colour as the log, waterlogged grey. Dry and wet. Sand and clay clung to its fur. What must have been sad, stuffed-animal eyes—fodder for anti-fur campaigns— were closed. Roger was thankful. Otherwise, he would not have been able to do what he did. It was still fat. It was still breathing, very slowly. The seal was a long way from the high-water mark.

Reprinted with permission from Acorn Press. ©2021, Paul N. Gallant.

GREY’S ANATOMY

One woman’s journey from defiance to dealing with her silver strands at the salon

TEXT BY AMANDA ROSS  | ILLUSTRATION BY OLGA ZUBTSOVA

at me. Wasn’t I in my prime? I was a young Mom. I couldn’t help but feel my growing grey skunk line was a relentless existential reminder that I was on the back nine of life—maybe not yet on the 18th hole, but arriving soon on a careening golf cart. I wanted to stay hermetically sealed here forever with my kids who would shortly leave my nest. I wanted to preserve it in amber— or better yet, Clairol #R4-131. I wasn’t ready to be old and die, I thought.

I did, however, want to die the next week when the cashier at Shoppers Drug Mart asked me about the seniors discount. “Excuse me?” I said, assuming her mask had muffled the question. “Do you want the seniors discount? You can save 20 percent.” My existential crisis and my vanity collided with such brute force that I hit the hair dye aisle faster than she could say, “Optimum points?”

Yet life marched on despite my best efforts to cling to it. The pandemic waned, my youngest left for university and the endless cycle of covering my greys every three to four weeks loomed large for the next few decades. I was faced with either the emptiness of the back nine again or the excitement of this game we call life. I chose the game, but on my terms.

WHEN THE SALONS SHUTTERED at the start of the pandemic, I took it as a sign to smash the patriarchy. I launched a rallying cry to 50-yearold women everywhere: this was our chance to boldly go where few women had gone before…now was the time to let our grey hair grow. With no access to salons or root touch-up stylists, we would now make our move without

social censure, without personal shame. If we were to be confined to our houses indefinitely, let that confinement be on our own terms. We were prisoners, but we would not be held prisoner to the impossible cultural ideal that men can age, but women cannot.

Things went swimmingly… until the first greys sprang free from their pigmented shackles. Each day I looked in the mirror, I increasingly didn’t recognize the older woman staring back

There are few grey haired role models for middle-aged women, so I would have to navigate solo. “What about Helen Mirren?” my mom asked. I reminded her I wasn’t 76. “Andie McDowell?” she ventured. Stunning, yes, but again 63. My mother, who still colours her hair in her late 70s, had exhausted her potential role models. With her full head of dyed hair (“A woman never talks about how old she is, darling!”), she’s unwittingly part of the cultural machine that colludes to keep women ageless. It’s our biggest open secret: we want women to look young, but we don’t want them to look like they’re trying to look young. It has to be unnaturally natural looking. We tacitly applaud the static looks of Jennifer Aniston and JLo, but not Renée Zellweger. All of them have had work to keep them looking preternaturally young, but only two look

like they haven’t while one has. Likewise, that skunk line on my head is a screaming beacon to all that I have dared to age. Get thee to a salon and hide that hideous reminder that a woman’s body will soon be barren.

“We’ve seen a lot more women deciding to embrace their natural grey hair since the start of the pandemic,” says Canadian celebrity hair stylist Cindy Duplantis. “A lot of clients have told me that embracing their natural grey colour has been freeing.” I booked in with my stylist with express instructions to avoid making me look like the Wicked Witch of the West—a tough call when you’re between 30 percent and 40 percent grey. I couldn’t help but wonder whether George Clooney ever worries about looking like a warlock. We opted for some intentional grey streaks on the side, platinum pieces at the front and then the rest a mix of light and dark. “It’s so dramatically different,” said my husband when I arrived home. “It’s almost as if you’re dressing up for Halloween and sprayed grey in your hair.” By next morning, he’d progressed to, “I think I actually love it.” My daughters—via Facetime—loved it too. “You do look a tiny bit older, but in a good way,” they both said. As it turns out, grey hair on women can be a good thing.

It’s true: one raven-haired woman in her mid-60s stopped me recently and begged for the name of my stylist. “I’ve always wanted to let my greys come in, but I’ve been too afraid of looking old!” Conversely, some found my new look jarring. One friend’s husband—with a full head of grey hair—laughed, “I know it’s bad to say this, but we don’t love it when our wives go grey!” His wife, with her full head of dyed hair at 60, stayed silent.

“Sometimes men like their wives to look younger because they’re going through their own issues with aging,” explains stylist Kyle Gould from Vancouver’s legendary Suki’s chain of hair salons. Which begs the question: why, then, are we validating ourselves through their eyes? Or through the cultural institution originally built by them? I muse about this as I sit at the salon sink; Kyle turns on the water. “Put your head in my hands and lean back,” he says. Suddenly, I feel nothing but support.

CANADA’S LARGEST independent producer of high-end hair products, AG Hair, is sold in more than 10 countries around the world thanks to its ethical approach to crafting its premium line—no parabens, gluten, or testing on animals. The AG Sterling Silver Mask harnesses shea butter and Abyssinian oil to add shine and softness while antioxidants like sunflower seed extract, marigold and red clover fight free radicals and guard against UV rays. (148 ml, $28) Available at Chatters.ca

Every French woman’s long-held secret is their beloved pharmacy, the Holy Grail for all things beauty. Klorane’s Shampoo with Centaury for grey, white or platinum blond hair neutralizes yellow tones and revives shine by way of organic centaury, a plant-based pigment with bluish undertones, all with 100% traceability. (200 ml, $13) Available at Well.ca

Japanese makeup artist Shu Uemura got his big break when he transformed actress Shirley MacLaine for the role of My Geisha in 1962. His eponymous cult-fave beauty products later expanded to haircare including the Shu Uemura Yubi Blonde Nourishing Shampoo, an intense deep purple gel cream that neutralizes unwanted yellow tones with Japanese white peony. (300 ml, $57) Available at Sephora.ca

Technology and ingredients form the backbone of luxury hair line Oribe, including the Silverati collection featuring 100% sulfate-free shampoo that not only banishes brass, but brightens grey, silver and white shades and softens too. With a mix of mix of watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower extras, Oribe Signature Complex protects hair from oxidative stress and the breakdown of natural keratin. (250 ml, $57) Available at Holtrenfrew.com

This year French brand Kerastase introduces the Blond Absolu collection featuring Blond Absolu Huile Cicaextreme, a strengthening oil for damaged, over-processed hair. Formulated with Edelweiss and sunflower seed oil, the lightweight serum is designed to restore coloured hair fibre from the inside out from water, light and friction from over-styling. (100 ml, $62) Available at Sephora.ca

FACE-OFF

What’s the deal with serums? Should you, or shouldn’t you, add another item to your skin care routine?

We ask an expert to break it down

SKIN CARE ROUTINES are a lot like workouts: There’s always a desire for faster, better, longerlasting results. The latest complexion-boosting serums might just fulfill that perpetual yearning, with high-tech formulas designed to ramp up the performance of your existing moisturizers. Sometimes, however, it can feel like you need a chemistry degree just to figure out what various skin care

solutions actually do. As it turns out, serums can help tackle a number of skin care concerns. Wondering what all the hype is about and what makes them any different than moisturizers?

We sought the expertise of Dr. Jennifer Pearlman, Medical Director at Pearl Rejuvenation in Toronto, and a leading expert on women’s health and wellness, who also knows serums inside out. Here, editorial director Marlon Moreno sits down with the expert and

gets her take on why it might be worth adding this potent product to your routine. pearlrejuvenation.com

BOLD Traveller: In plain language, what is a serum?

Jennifer Pearlman: When it comes to skin care, there are four factors that determine how effective a product will be: the active ingredients, the vehicle (cream, ointment, serum or patch), the dose, and the frequency/schedule of use.

A serum is a lightweight, thin-viscosity topical product designed to deliver a high concentration of active ingredients. Serums tend to be less comedogenic (pore clogging) than creams and ointments, therefore better for oily or acne prone skin.

BT: What is the role a serum plays in a skin care routine?

JP: The serum is a key player, delivering higher doses of most active ingredients such as antioxidants and skin brighteners such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid; retinols or vitamin A derivatives; and skin-renewing actives like hyaluronic acid.

BT: Why do you need a serum in addition to a moisturizer and/or facial oil?

JT: Serums will deliver the most bang for their buck, so to speak, because of the higher concentration of active ingredients, and the lower risk of side effects like breakouts. Some serums will increase moisture (but a cream as opposed to a serum will typically perform better as a skin humectant by trapping hydration in the skin with a thicker heavier layer). Daily use of facial oils are typically not recommended, i.e. outside of their use during facial treatments or massages. There is a much higher risk of congestion of pores and many botanical ingredients can cause irritation or adverse reactions.

BT: What are the different categories of serums?

JP: Skin serums can be categorized by the type of active ingredients they contain and the treatment indications, ie. the skin types or problems they are designed to treat. Antioxidant skin serums brighten the complexion and

Photo: Delmaine Donson

reduce the appearance of fine lines. These contain weak antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic, green tea extracts, etc. Depigmenting serums contain stronger actives that can fade brown spots and sun damage like arbutase, kojic acid or hydroquinone. Rejuvenating serums contain actives that target the common signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles. These include hyaluronic acid and vitamin A derivatives like retinol. Regenerative serums contain bioactives like growth factors, peptides and exosomes. Acne Serums contain ingredients that dry out acne lesions, reduce pores and congestions and breakouts. These contain salicylic acid, glycolic acid, niacinamide and retinoic acid. Sensitive or red-prone skin serums contain active ingredients that decrease redness and facial flushing, like azelaic and lactic acid.

BT: What are the benefits of an eye serum, and why should or shouldn’t you use a regular serum around the eye area?

JP: For the thin, delicate skin of the eye, serums are a perfect approach. The frequency and formulation depends on the goals of each patient: Is there pigment, fine lines, dry skin, etc? The under-eye area is the thinnest skin on the face so skin thickening and renewal can be stimulated with serums containing growth factors and hyaluronic acid exosomes.

BT: Are there any side effects of common ingredients (ie. photosensitivity) to be aware of?

JP: Yes! Most antioxidants, including vitamin C and retinoic acid, will photosensitize (react to UV light). Niacinamide can cause flushing and certain acids can over stimulate predisposed patients in a way that leads to increased pigmentation.

BT: What is the best way to apply a serum?

JP: Almost always, serums are used before the application of other routine skin care products. Their use can also be seasonal. Use a dropper to apply a pea size amount in seven areas; the forehead, the nasal bridge, each cheek, the chin, the angle of the jaw and the lips.

BT: What are blue-light serums and how are they different from others?

JP: Emerging research suggests that blue light emitted from electronic devices like a phone can accelerate the aging of the skin. Exposure for even an hour can have harmful effects. Like certain mineral and chemical containing products shield from ionizing and aging UV light, the same will occur with blue light protection.

BT: Thoughts on serums for pregnant women?

JP: Depends on the actives! Retinols and derivatives of vitamin A are not recommended.

Serum Essentials

“A personalized and comprehensive consultation is where we start each patient’s journey.” Dr. Pearlman has developed Pearl Skin Care, her own line, and one of her bestsellers includes the Clarity CE Ferulic Serum, which is said to soothe and brighten skin with ingredients such as vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid. But serums aren’t just for the face. Here, we list a few more favourites to try, from head to toe.

Scalp

1. GUERLAIN Abeille Royale Scalp & Hair Youth Oil in Serum, $194

FABLE & MANE SahaScalp™ Amla Soothing Serum, $48

Eyes

2. SKINCEUTICALS Aox + Eye Gel - Under Eye Serum, $106

LA MER The Lifting Eye Serum, $385

Face

3. SULWHASOO Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum, $275

DR. RENAUD Radiance White Pigment Corrector Serum, $110

Lips

NATURA BISSÉ Diamond Lip Booster Serum, $80

4. AMOREPACIFIC Dual Nourishing Lip Serum, $54

Neck

DERMALOGICA Neck Fit Contour Serum, $116

5. NÉCESSAIRE The Neck Sérum, $75

Body

6. CLARINS Renew Plus Body Serum, $75

MOROCCANOIL Night Body Serum, $68

Feet

7.OLIVE & JUNE Foot Serum, $25

TEXT BY RACHEL CHEEKS

Photos: Prada Virtual Muse by Prada/The Gold Glass Dress NFT designed by Dolce & Gabbana

YOU ARE WALKING the breathtaking streets of Paris after having a freshly baked croissant, with your café au lait in hand. It is a gorgeous day to get some muchneeded Parisian window shopping in some of France’s most luxury boutiques, and maybe pick up a little gift or two. Because you deserve it. The first store you stop at is Dior Beauty. As you enter, the soft yet alluring music draws you in with excitement and curiosity, while the magical lighting and creative imagery immerse you in the experience. There are several different Dior displays that catch your eye but you move towards the pink and graceful energy of Miss Dior’s section, where you look at several of her fragrances, ultimately falling in love with and excitedly purchasing the exclusive Charmed by Dior.

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Guess what, this purchasing experience didn’t even happen in Paris, it was done in the comfort of your own home, through what is known as the Metaverse and is what many are predicting will soon become the new norm of how people shop for and experience luxury brands.

In 2021, Dior partnered with British luxury department store Harrods to create an immersive virtual pop-up boutique called Atelier of Dreams, where customers had 24/7 global access and free movement around a magical winter garden space where shoppers can book private showings, explore exclusive content and click to purchase.

Other luxury brands have been very active in the Metaverse as well. Gucci partnered with gaming platform Roblox in 2021 to host the virtual Gucci Garden where visitors could try on and purchase Gucci products using their avatars. Louis Vuitton came out with Louis the Game, a mobile game where users collect 200 candles and try to find 30 LV non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Dolce & Gabbana sold a nine-piece, fully digital collection called Collezione Gensi on a digital marketplace for $5.7 million dollars.

Although physical stores and in person shopping aren’t going anywhere

any time soon, the fashion industry is in a time of disruption and how you currently experience shopping is likely to evolve into a more digitally driven experience.

Here are four digital trends you are likely to see with luxury fashion in 2023:

Digital Collections

This is the year that you will become more familiar with seeing the launches of digital only collections of clothing and accessories. The first Metaverse fashion week took place in March 2022, where collections from top luxury brands and new players were modeled on the virtual catwalk and attendees had the ability to purchase digital items while having the physical twin shipped to their homes.

This is just the beginning for virtual clothing, as Mark Zuckerberg predicts we will be wearing virtual fashion in the Metaverse, for such things as virtual in-person office meetings and other social gatherings; with Morgan Stanley estimating the virtual fashion market could be worth more than $55 billion by the year 2030.

Virtual Shopping

Similarly to the virtual shopping experience of Dior, virtual shopping is set to become more common over the next

year. It really started to pick up during the Covid-19 pandemic when stores were closed, where virtual shopping appointments became prominent and has now quickly grown into immersive shopping experiences that allow shoppers to virtually feel what stores have to offer (try on, fit, sizing) without leaving the comfort of home. It has grown from simple virtual shopping appointments to AR fitting rooms, virtual retail stores and Metaverse Fashion Weeks.

Influencer Marketing

As digital clothes become more prominent and sustainability at the top of brands’ minds, influencer marketing is on the brink of a major shift. Currently, influencers are sent millions of dollars in gifted products a year as part of brand and marketing deals, not only being highly costly for brands—$15 billion annually—but also resulting in large carbon footprints.

Farfetch was one of the first major brands to dress influencers in digital clothes to promote a launch, in partnership with digital platform DressX.

Going even further than just digital clothes, are digital influencers. In 2021, Prada Introduced “Candy,” an influencer and brand ambassador who isn’t physically real. Candy appears in Prada campaigns in addition to having her own social media accounts where she can interact with her followers.

New Digital Only Brands

Imagine if one pair of jeans could fit anyone who wore them, like the ones in Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants This is quickly becoming a reality with new luxury brands making headway in the fashion world, leveraging 3D software programs to create realistic digital clothing that anyone can wear. One notable new player is Republique, a trendy digital only fashion brand that focuses on sustainability and ethical practices. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing new, future focused digital only brands popping up keeping the timeless brands we all know on their toes.

POWER OF The

Going with the flow, Darcy Rhyno practices the art of healing in Costa Rica

the VOLCANO

View of Arenal Volcano

MY WIFE AND I step into a shallow pool heated by the volcano looming over us, I let out an involuntary sigh.

“It’ll wash your worries away,” says an older gentleman already in the pool. The water flows slowly and steadily over my weary muscles. We’ve chosen this, the five-star Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort, because of its renown as one of Costa Rica’s first and finest thermal spas. “At least temporarily,” concludes our new friend as he reclines on an underwater bench until the current reaches his chin.

We’ve just returned from a day of horseback riding through a cloud forest of trees laden with orchids and a guided hiking tour over recent lava flows on the slopes of the Arenal Volcano in central Costa Rica. These are just some of the excursions available near La Fortuna, a town named for its survival of the 1968 eruption that buried three other villages. Today, this is the second most popular tourism region in the country with dozens of hot spring resorts, restaurants and activities such as spelunking, waterfall rappelling, rafting, zip lining and kayaking.

Tabacón got its start in the 1980s when Costa Rican architect Jaime Mikowski happened upon the opportunity of a lifetime – the Tabacón River trickling in mineral-enriched rivulets down the side of Arenal. Some of the water was naturally heated. Some flowed cool and refreshing down from the cloud forest. Following his dream, Mikowski built his resort on a wild 350 hectare property, redirecting the waters so the cold and hot streams mixed to form Costa Rica’s largest network of thermal mineral springs, pools and currents ranging in temperature from 24C to 37C. These streams meander through lush, tropical gardens and over small falls, all of it beneath a canopy of native forest. Quiet pathways and short, arching bridges criss-cross the streams as they divide, wander and join again to flow into one large pool with a swim-up bar at the edge of the resort.

Some Tabacón visitors are seniors. At the falls closest to the changing rooms, the water flows in a long, narrow ribbon. Bathers sit beneath the falls along a ledge, ducking in and out of the flow for a natural massage. On our first day, I watched as frail, elderly bathers were helped into this pool to benefit from the water’s therapeutic effects.

AS“He had this vision,” Mónica Sanabria, spa manager, told me of Mikowski. After he built Tabacón, other thermal resorts sprung up beneath Arenal, but, said Sanabria, “Tabacón was the first with the idea of using the water in treatments.” Thermal health spas have been around for thousands of years in other parts of the world, but they’re relatively new in Central America. Sanabria herself gained much of her expertise from spas in Spain. “We want to use the waters as they have to be used, in treatments for pathology such as arthritis.”

On the other hand, Sanabria told me, “It’s also a very romantic place. Most visitors are under 35. People are looking for adventure and natural places, even though it’s their honeymoon.”

Tabacón is a sensual feast. One reaches a level of calm euphoria that has to be experienced to fully appreciate. The gardens blend with the surrounding jungle so one feels lost and safe at the same time. For some, I’m sure Tabacón evokes the Garden of Eden, but Mikowski had another Earthly paradise in mind. One of the many pathways ends at the back of the property where arched bridges lead to Shangri-la, a sequence of pools and streams around a shaded terrace equipped with a bar and curtained cabanas piled with pillows. A discreet sign reads, “No children allowed.”

So for our last Tabacón indulgence, we choose a couple’s massage. At the end of an especially remote jungle pathway, we arrive at the spa. Inside, a fountain splashes into a pool set amid decor that evokes Balinese retreats, but with a Buddhist vibe. We slip into billowing bathrobes and wait with avocado smoothies. A Tico woman guides us to an open bungalow in the jungle beside a burbling stream where twin massage tables await. Two more Tico women arrive, both highly trained and much experienced in massage. One introduces herself as Andrea and invites us to remove our robes and take our places face down beneath sheets.

Photos: Courtesy of Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa

Thermal Springs

View of the resort pool

Cocktail from Caña Brava Bar

“

AT TABACÓN, ONE REACHES A LEVEL OF CALM EUPHORIA”

I close my eyes. The stream chuckles past. Birds warble in the distance. The tropical air feels glorious on my bare skin. I catch aromas of cherry, cinnamon and musk. Andrea asks which scent of massage oil I prefer. I choose musk because it blends with the surroundings. I feel a breath of air in my ear, a whisper. “Is there any part of your body I should not touch?”

Throwing caution to the wind, I reply, “Um, no.” Perhaps I feel so free to surrender myself to this woman’s hands and ignore the faint feeling of infidelity because I can reach out and touch my wife as she sinks into the same sensual experience. Andrea’s touch is sure and deft as she places hot towels on my neck, oils my body and massages every muscle right down to my fingers. When she reaches my upper thighs, I understand her earlier question, and I’m glad I consented. My muscles ache in ways and places that surprise me.

An hour later, I resurface as Andrea gently extends my arm until my fingers brush my wife’s. We emerge from wherever our minds have flown to greet each other with a lethargic smile. As Andrea presses our hands together, she recites a poem in Maleku, the local indigenous language, then in Spanish and English.

With the power of the volcano,

The warm caress of the river  And the melody of the wind,  Renew your bonds of love.

Capture this feeling for eternity.

Our two masseuses start a Jacuzzi and disappear. The most romantic and physically pleasurable experience of my life has an epilogue. We slip our naked, oiled bodies into the thermal waters. At last, we’re revived enough to pour two glasses from a bottle of bubbly and toast Tabacón. Here’s to the most romantic experience on the planet, a couple’s massage in a jungle hot springs spa at the foot of a tropical volcano. tabacon.com

View of Tabacón Solar Panels

Ceviche from Ave Restaurant

The Wild West

TEXT BY SUZANNE MORPHET

A safari at sea nourishes the mind and the body

Photos: Maple Leaf Adventures

HALES AT 1 O’CLOCK!” someone shouts excitedly. A dozen heads swivel, binoculars raised, to focus on a pod of orcas breaking the surface close to where we’ve just spotted a humpback whale and calf. Since boarding the 138-foot catamaran Cascadia a few days earlier we’ve all become fluent in mariner’s shorthand for giving directions on the water.

We’re off the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, where spotting whales, sea lions and sea otters is just part of the fun on a week-long safari-at-sea. But this time, something’s different. “It’s my educated guess they’re hunting the humpback,” says ship’s mate Sarah Powell, referring to the half-dozen orcas. “Trying to separate the calf from its mother.”

The drama ratchets up a notch when expedition leader Kevin Smith adds that the lone sea otter we saw moments earlier “might try and take shelter on the ship.” Even though otters aren’t a target food

of orcas, the whales could use him “as an instructional tool” while teaching younger orcas about predation.

Thankfully, perhaps, we don’t learn how the orca hunt ends, nor the fate of the sea otter. Such is nature. But what we do learn, from the moment we weigh anchor in Port Hardy near the northern tip of Vancouver Island our first morning, to when we sail into Coal Harbour on our final day, is that the island’s northwest coast is remarkably wild and wonderfully remote. It’s as far as you can get – in every respect – from, say, Butchart Gardens at the very southern end of Vancouver Island, with its manicured flower beds and busloads of visitors fresh off a cruise ship from Alaska.

“We’re going to the true West coast,” Kevin emphasized earlier, where “we put ourselves in the path of magic.” With no scheduled ports of call and no roads, when weather and wildlife sightings determine what we do and where we go, and with an expedition

leader who knows this coast like the back of his sun-freckled hand and says things like, “you can’t hold me to an itinerary, ever,” magic seems entirely possible.

After driving to Port Hardy from Victoria (you can also fly), we’re welcomed aboard Cascadia, the newest – and most luxurious – addition to Victoria-based Maple Leaf Adventures’ small fleet of expedition-style ships. Accommodating 24 guests in 12 comfortable cabins, each with ensuite, it feels like we’re on our own private yacht with friends.

When one of the ship’s two chefs appears to tell us what’s for lunch the first day (Salt Spring Island mussels and chorizo with pasta), I’m delighted to see it’s Mara Jernigan. Mara founded the first field-to-table cooking school in western Canada and became a leader in the slow food movement in North America.

Vancouver Island’s Wild Side is Maple Leaf Adventures’ newest

SPOTTING WHALES, SEA LIONS AND SEA OTTERS IS JUST PART OF THE FUN”

itinerary. And true to the style of expedition cruising, every day is filled with new experiences. Sometimes we explore quiet inlets by tender or paddle kayaks along shorelines studded with starfish. We walk wild, windswept beaches with not another soul in sight. Come evening, we enjoy dinner paired with BC wines, followed by lectures in the lounge, games or reading.

For most of us, wildlife is a daily highlight and before this trip is over one of us will have spotted coastal wolves on a beach while enjoying the hot tub at sunrise, and we’ll all be thrilled to see a Blackfooted albatross. Kevin and the captain pick a calm day to round Cape Scott, one of the most feared capes for its often-stormy weather. On this day, a Minke whale feeds in the shallow water, while a flock of rhinoceros auklets takes flight before us. The naturalist on board gives us a tip for spotting whales. “Watch the birds,” says Dave, who’s paddled this whole coast by kayak.

One night we anchor off Mquqwin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park, then continue south, past Cape Cook and Solander Island, where raucous sea lions and stubby winged puffins compete for our attention.

Later, deep inside Nesparti Inlet, we marvel at the calm and quiet. “That’s classic Marbled Murrelet habitat,” says Kevin, pointing to mossy, old-growth Sitka spruce the seabird prefers when we go ashore. “This is as far away as you can get from roads,” he adds. “It’s just wild, wild, wild.”

So wild, in fact, that we don’t see another person until we reach the First Nations community of Kyuquot, once a nation of whalers. After European explorers introduced smallpox the population of about 1,700 plummeted to probably fewer than 100 people.

We meet four generations of one family on Spring Island, where we go ashore for a salmon roast. While Lana cleans two fresh Chinook, Lucy demonstrates how to weave strips of cedar, Christine tells us stories about her life, and Tessie teaches us how to pronounce words in Nuu-chah-nulth, a language spoken by so few people that it’s likely to become extinct.

Sea otters nearly suffered that fate already after being over hunted during the frenzied fur trade that began with Captain Cook’s expedition here in 1778. But the otters have rebounded. A few decades ago, 89 were brought down from Alaska and released in Checleset Bay. Today, they number about 7,000, enough that kelp forests are recovering, providing nurseries for fish and preventing coastal erosion.

On our last evening, a rainy one, we’re anchored in Quatsino Sound when a few of us decide to go explore by tender. Soon we spot a mother otter and pup. The mother is diving for food, likely sea urchins, while the pup floats on its back, padded paws sticking up in typical otter style. When the mother surfaces again, she senses danger – us!

We’re still far enough away to need binoculars, but she swims to her pup, grabs it and hugs it to her chest. It’s otterly endearing. Knowing it can’t get any better than this, we turn to head back to our mother ship and – wow! A rainbow has appeared, framing Cascadia perfectly under it.

Pure luck or magic? Either way, it’s been a trip.

mapleleafadventures.com

LA DOLCE VITA

Living the high life on the Amalfi Coast

TEXT BY ANITA DRAYCOTT

THE CORNICHE OF HAIRPIN turns from Sorrento to Ravello has to be one of the most giddying, toe-clenching drives in the world. A series of vertical cliffs, rising as high as 300 metres, plunge into an impossibly blue Tyrrhenian Sea as the seaside towns cling to the hills among a landscape of terraced olive and lemon groves. Flaunting some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, the Amalfi Coast attracts swarms of visitors, especially in summer, but the crowds will never spoil it. All of the engineers in Italy couldn’t widen the serpentine road – which, at some switchbacks, requires a three-point turn.

Photo: Positano village by Louise Krause

View of Positano Village

Sorrento Boardwalk

Photo: Sorrento boardwalk by Thomas Bormans

IT IS IDYLLIC, WITH TERRACED GARDENS, LEMON GROVES AND THE SEA”

I am convinced that the best way to travel along this coast is via the SITA bus system or ferry. For example, the cost for a bus ticket from Amalfi to Ravello is €1.30; the taxi fare is €50. The bus gets you there just as fast as a car and the drivers are experts armed with very loud horns.

Serenity in Sorrento

Just 39 kilometres from traffic-congested, riotous Naples, sleepy Sorrento is the ideal spot to start soaking up the Amalfi atmosphere. And what better place than on the terrace of Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria with a Bellini cocktail where the hazy outline of Mount Vesuvius looms on the horizon.? Five acres of lemon-scented gardens and white-glove service recall the bygone days of the Grand Tour, for which this Grand Dame was built in 1834.

Take a leisurely wander through Sorrento’s medieval heart around Piazza Tasso, then stroll along the seafront promenade at Marina Grande where lots of eateries line the shore. I recommend O’ Puledrone, owned by a family of fishermen, for spaghetti alle vongole “spaghetti with clams”, or whatever the catch of the day.

Posh Positano

Just a few kilometres and countless perilous turns down the road, you’ll reach Italy’s most vertical town, Positano, with its pastel villas spilling from the corniche. I doubt they sell many Stair Masters in horizontally challenged Positano, so best you leave your stilettos in your bag. Wind your way through the maze of boutiques and cafés down to the Santa Maria Assunta church crowned with a green and yellow majolica dome and cupola, then head over to the Spiaggia Grande (main beach) where you’ll find some of the town’s best restaurants. Chez Black is a favourite. Another option is to wave down the boat with the red fish on the mast at the main jetty. It leaves in the mornings for Da Adolfo, a laid-back trattoria a few coves away. Plan to spend an indulgent afternoon enjoying the house specialty, buffalo mozzarella grilled on a lemon leaf, followed by seafood spaghetti. Enjoy a siesta on a shaded beach bed, then sip white wine spiked with peach nectar until sundown.

Perhaps John Steinbeck summed up the experience when he penned. “Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”

Idyllic Amalfi

Next stop is tiny, exuberant Amalfi, one of Italy’s most powerful trading ports back in the 9th century, which explains the Moorish architecture of the Cathedral of Sant’ Andrea that dominates the main square. Treat yourself to lunch in a lemon

Spaghetti Alle Vongole

garden at Pizzeria Donna Stella. Shop for lemon souvenirs (soap, liquors, candies, pasta), as this coast is famous for its fragrant Sfusato Amalfitano variety.

Later, join the locals in their passeggiata, a traditional evening stroll around the central piazza to socialize and perhaps enjoy a spritz cocktail at La Caravella of Amalfi restaurant established in 1959 and the first awarded Michelin-Star in Southern Italy during the 1960s.

I think you’ll be inclined to agree with the inscription on a plaque under the town’s Porta Marina that bears the inscription, “The judgment day, when Amafitans go to Heaven, will be a day like any other.”

Heavenly Ravello

Ravello is where I’d like to have my ashes sprinkled when judgment day arrives. Perched 1,100 feet above Amalfi, Ravello has been described as closer to heaven than the sea. The town’s two must-see garden glories are the Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo. Author and one-time resident Gore Vidal opined that the panorama from Villa Cimbrone is the “most beautiful view in the world.” Indeed, from the Belvedere of Infinity, a stone parapet adorned with stone busts overlooking the entire Bay of Sorrento, it’s mesmerizing.

The cloisters of the Villa Rufolo were Richard Wagner’s inspiration for Klingsor’s Garden in his opera Parsifal. The clifftop aerie is now the setting for a summer concert series where the stage

Ravello’s main piazza

View from Villa Cimbrone

View of Tyrrhenian Sea

Photos: Ravello’s Main Piazza by Sterling Lanier/Villa Cimbrone by Victor Martin/ View of Tyrrhenian Sea by Colton Jones/View from terrace by Kevin McMahon/ Chez Black by Chez Black Restaurant

is suspended over the sea.  My Ravello highlight was my day at Mamma Agata’s Cooking Class. Mamma, one of seven children, was born in 1942 when post-war times were tough. At age 13 she landed a job as cook for a wealthy American socialite who often entertained the rich and famous in her villa. Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire and Jackie Kennedy all swooned over Mamma’s traditional dishes. Eventually, Mamma started offering cooking classes in the family home.

These days Mamma has passed her wooden spoon onto her daughter, Chiara.

The setting is idyllic. The patio overlooks terraced gardens, lemon groves and the sea below. Classes start at 10:30 with cappuccino and Mamma’s famous lemon cake (Bogart’s favourite). Then we head into the kitchen where Chiara warns “you will taste a massive amount of food.” She makes a “mother” tomato sauce that will be the base for eggplant Parmesan. Next is a Bolognese ragu that simmers for three hours. For her cherry tomato marinara sauce Chiara drops thin garlic slices into olive oil creating what she calls “Prosecco” bubbles and an aroma of “Italian Chanel” fills the kitchen. Next, she demonstrates how to make meatballs “as light as clouds.”

By mid-afternoon lunch is served. I can honestly say that each dish was the best of its kind that I have ever tasted. We toasted our feast with house-made limoncello dubbed “Italian Viagra.”   Viva La Dolce Vita

View from terrace to Tyrrhenian Sea

Chez Black Restaurant Exterior

A Sacred VALLEY

—the second time around

In the heart of Peru’s Urubamba, Paul Gallant discovers it’s just the beginning of a journey back in time

Photo: Misty Machu Picchu by Pedro Lastra

PEOPLE COME TO PERU from all over the world, often at great expense, to be able to say they have been to the legendary archeological site of Machu Picchu. But here we are, on chilly, arid mountain pastures almost 4,460 metres above sea level, and we can’t pull ourselves away from the alpacas. There are dozens of them. Hundreds maybe. They are everything. They’re frolicking on the side of the road and our little group is frolicking around them with our cameras. Besmitten. Bewitched. Beguiled. We have to be coaxed back onto the minivan by our guide so we can continue on our intended mission: a hike to thermal hot springs near the town of Lares.

Our group, 12 visitors from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, does this all the time. We even do it the next day, when we finally arrive at Machu Picchu for the culmination of our G Adventures Wellness Tour to Peru’s Sacred Valley. There are 15th-century Incan ruins all around us, spectacular valley views beyond that, but our group can’t stop taking pictures of a hungry llama, who shows up out of nowhere the moment I set down a banana peel (on top of my backpack for disposal later – silly me). Lost City of the Incas? Pschaw. It’s perfectly clear that the star of the day is the naughty brown llama who sticks his or her nose into pockets looking for more snacks.

The whole point of a bucket-list destination is ticking off places, declaring them “done” and then making plans to tick off the next place on the list. There is something almost obligatory about it. No do-overs. But I am back in Peru, and back at Machu Picchu, after almost 12 years. It wowed me the first time, both the country and especially the archeological site, which I, like many people, had fantasized about visiting since I was a child. Though I am covering much of the same territory, I am finding that the second time around is also a remarkable adventure. I’m better able to absorb and understand what I’m seeing, better able to see the difference between my unique visits and what’s “eternal” about the place. With my high expectations already met more than a decade earlier, I am better able to take real pleasure in the sights, sounds and flavours of the Sacred Valley.

The valley is defined by the Urubamba River, the traditional heartland of the Incan empire that surrounds Machu Picchu and contains more Incan ruins – and cultural practices dating back to the 1200s ascendency of the empire – than Peru’s most famous postcard. I feed off the pleasure of my fellow travellers who are seeing the wonders for the first time. My eyes are, much to my surprise, as fresh as theirs. I’m less impatient, less goal-oriented and more open to my sense of wonder than the first time.

Misty Machu Picchu

Partly it’s the pace of the tour company’s itinerary, which has a more humanistic approach to sight-seeing. We eat at more local, sustainably-oriented restaurants, including the G Adventure-backed farm-to-table Parwa Community Restaurant, and engage in more “touchy-feely” activities than typical bucket-listers. Our very first endeavour is paddleboarding on Piuray Lagoon, about 62 kilometres as the crow flies from Machu Picchu. A fun introduction to the high-altitude geography (we can see snow-capped Salcantay Peak in the distance), paddleboarding is also an interactive way to loosen up socially, get to know each other and laugh about how the wetsuits fit. The wellness theme, it seems to me, attracts travellers who are more open and kind. Over our week together, we take turns walking with the 79-year-old Australian lady who sometimes has trouble with the steep, rocky terrain.

“I wouldn’t have done it if I knew what we were doing,” says Debbie, a 61-year-old American visiting Peru for the first time after her one-day hike of a portion of the Inca Trail. It’s about 12 kilometres of hiking – Debbie doesn’t hike. Her friend has arranged the trip for them, and Debbie had mostly just said yes to everything proposed to her. “But I’m so glad I did.”

Although everyone on our tour tells me that Machu Picchu was mandatory for them, our other Sacred Valley adventures add context and delight – it seems silly that so many visitors make a beeline from Cuzco, the city most visitors fly into, to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. The ruins at Ollantaytambo would, if history had unfolded differently, be a candidate for Peru’s flagship attraction. It certainly has the benefit of being less mysterious than Machu Picchu – we have a better sense of why it exists. Its spectacular terraces and ceremonial structures were built by the Inca emperor Pachacuti around the mid-15th century, and during the Spanish conquest of Peru, it was fortified by the Incan resistance. Atop the complex, we look across the valley to another mountain and see the qullqas, storehouses designed to use the valley winds to keep produce cool. They’re up so high – we’re up so high – it’s impossible to imagine the ingenuity and determination it took to build all the structures we can see.

But our incredulity soon gives way to playfulness. As members of our group wander from terrace to terrace, chamber to chamber, we start to laugh as one traveller or another photobombs our attempt to capture Instagram-worthy images. At one point, one by one, we end up in the same ancient room, perhaps where an Incan king sought advice from a general, and hide, waiting for the next member of our group to show up. It’s like a surprise party. And why not? Bucket lists should never be serious business.

View of Machu Picchu from a temple

Mountain view with full moon

Photos: View of Machu Picchu by Seiji Seiji/ Mountain with Full Moon by G.Adventures/Resting Alpaca by Barbara Zandoval

Sacred Valley Essentials

While the beautiful and well-appointed city of Cuzco is the typical starting point for a visit to Machu Picchu, it’s worth staying in the Sacred Valley somewhere along the Urubamba River. TAYPIKALA HOTEL VALLE SAGRADO, on the outskirts of the town of Urubamba, has an enviable location right on the riverbanks. The infinity pool and the onpremise spa are perfect for unwinding after a day of hiking. taypikala.com

All the tourist-trap restaurants in Aguas Calientes can put you off. So fill up at MASHUA RESTOBAR in Urubamba, which has excellent, affordable local dishes and great cocktails. facebook.com/ mashuarestobar

Kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, PARWA COMMUNITY RESTAURANT, in the village of Parwa on the Urubamba River, has delicious locally sourced meals. Take a walk through their herb garden before or after your meal. Handicraft alert. planeterra.org

Signing on to gourmand obsession with Peruvian cuisine? Cuzco’s NUNA RAYMI is authentic and refined, sustainable and creative. Chef Cristian Orgoña Brojas works wonders with Andean ingredients. Quinoa away! nunaraymicusco.com

Resting Alpaca

Magical Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Incan ruins abandoned in the 1530s, is up there with the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower among famed world attractions. But it’s much more out of the way than its rivals, and there are many methods for visiting it – none of which include flying or driving there directly. Usually starting from the city of Cuzco, visitors must hike (the Inca Trail requires a permit, though there are other options) or take the train (there are many classes to choose from) to Aguas Calientes, a tourist-oriented city at the foot of the mountain. From Aguas Calientes, it’s a 20-minute bus ride or sweaty two-hour hike up to the main archeological site.

The number of visitors to Machu Picchu has been rising steadily since it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. More than 1.5-million people visited in 2019, more than 4,300 people per day. That number could double in the next decade.

In order to manage crowds and lessen the impact of visitors on the site, authorities have lately been doing a lot of rejigging of the rules and pricing –your visit may not be exactly like the one your friend had a decade ago. A few years ago, they introduced timed-entry tickets and have created a cordoned circuit for visiting the site; no more freeroaming. Those wishing to visit Huayna Picchu, the steep little mountain at the north end of the site that features in most photos, now have to book ahead; the number of climbers on its “stairs of death” is limited to 400 daily. No drones, no selfie sticks, no plastic bottles.

Majestic Mountain Views

I am back in Peru, and back at Machu Picchu, after almost 12 years. It wowed me the first time, both the country and especially the archeological site, which I, like many people, had fantasized about visiting since I was a child”

“

Photo: Female Traveller by G.Adventures

POSTCARD FROM

Islas Secas Reserve and Lodge, Panama

THOSE SEEKING TO COMMUNE with nature off the beaten path may want to consider the warm waters of the Gulf of Chiriqui. There, about 32 kilometres off the Pacific coast of Panama, they’ll find the 14-island archipelago of Islas Secas. Once known as Panama’s “Lost Coast,” it’s the perfect place to get truly, deeply, intimately, swooningly lost.

Along with various rays, turtles, dolphins, whales, tropical fish, birds of prey and Rufous-tailed hummingbirds, the archipelago is home to Islas Secas Reserve & Lodge. First founded as a no-frills fishing lodge, the hotel was

reinvented and reopened in 2019 as a luxury property with room for just 18 guests in nine thatched-roof casitas.

The reserve is all inclusive, and fortunately, guests don’t need to anywhere else to eat. Terraza restaurant, designed by award-winning Colombian architect Simón Vélez, serves sophisticated sea-to-table cuisine. “Islas Secas provides the chance to cook with the freshest fish from the Eastern Pacific,” says Saul Umaña, chef and culinary director. “I love discovering the local and endemic ingredients like Darian Rice, heart of palm and guandu bean.”

Luxury means off-the-grid, with the eco-conscious and marine-focused

traveller in mind. Think solar power, sustainable wood and other materials, reclaimed water and 100 percent food composting. Billionaire conservationist Louis Bacon, the man behind Tordrillo’s Mountain Lodge in Alaska, has set aside 75 percent of Islas Secas for conservation in perpetuity in order to safeguard the diverse marine ecosystem.

How to pass the time when not merely relaxing? Islas Secas offers marine safaris and immersive natural experiences on land and on sea. The best luxury of all: You don’t have to be an expert to try your hand at scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing or whale watching.

Islassecas.com —Marlon Moreno

ADVENTURE IS ON THE HORIZON

Plan your next Nicaraguan adventure at VISITNICARAGUA.US

SANDBOARDING, CERRO NEGRO VOLCANO