Leisure Lifestyle Edition 2014

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Special Edition

leisure lifestyle ’s GUIDE TO THE LUXURIOUS WORLD OF LEISURE TRAVEL

LEISURE TRAVEL AWARDS • Milestone trips • Cruise ship executive suites • Island Holidays Family Tours • Kid-Friendly Airports • Driving Tours • Vintage Vacations • Photography Guide

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Destination: Leisure

W

e all have that place in our mind.

The place we escape to when the demands of life are, well, too demanding. Maybe it’s a quiet stretch of shoreline, a quaint hamlet in the mountains or an exotic city buzzing with excitement.

Global Traveler’s Leisure Lifestyle Book celebrates making those great escapes a reality and honors the people and places that have perfected them with our second annual Leisure Travel Awards.

For me, a little daydreaming brings back my father’s romantic tales of growing up in rural Belgium. As a competitive cyclist, my great escape would combine these childhood stories with my love of riding. Yep, I’d head back to Belgium on a two-wheeled adventure, following the route of a great race, the LiègeBastogne-Liège. Referred to as La Doyenne (“the oldest”), more Belgians have raced — and won — this classic than any other nationality. Its 260-kilometer course runs past lush hillsides, quaint country farms, medieval villages and war memorial sites. Perhaps even more exciting than sharing routes so many legends battled on during epic classics is the thought of riding roads my father pedaled on as a child during World War II. That’s my dream, and it’s firmly on my bucket list. My reality isn’t half bad, either. This summer I’ll stay stateside and head to bucolic Burlington, Vt. I’ll indulge in my first B&B experience and explore the bike trails stretching along Lake Champlain north to Canada. I’ll even get in a little fly-fishing.

So whether your mind drifts to beaches, boats or bikes, let the following pages act as a launch pad. You’ll find articles about everything from driving tours to milestone trips, private islands to chic cruise ship suites. And because we know spending time with family ranks high with our readers, we’ve also explored luxury family tours and even kid-friendly airports — and more.

Take a little time this year to make your leisure aspirations a reality — and then drop us a note. We want to hear all about it!

Mark Branle, Advertising Manager

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Publisher/CEO Francis X. Gallagher tel 267 364 5811 ext 200 fran.gallagher@globaltravelerusa.com Executive Vice President Danielle Pitonyak tel 267 364 5811 ext 205 | cell 267 884 1650 danielle.pitonyak@globaltravelerusa.com Senior Vice President Richard T. Evans tel 267 364 5811 ext 203 dick.evans@globaltravelerusa.com Vice President CARLY N. ALLEN tel 267 495 6287 carly.allen@globaltravelerusa.com Advertising Manager MARK BRANLE tel 267 364 5811 ext 210 | cell 215 932 8328 mark.branle@globaltravelerusa.com Advertising Manager Olivia Falcione tel 215 816 8177 olivia.falcione@globaltravelerusa.com Regional Manager, Asia Felix Cheng tel 852 917 67 177 felix.cheng@globaltravelerusa.com Digital Coordinator and Account Executive Robert Setzman tel 267 364 5811 ext 212 | cell 215 301 6869 rob.setzman@globaltravelerusa.com Account Executive Matthew McNeal tel 267 364 5811 ext. 207 matt.mcneal@globaltravelerusa.com

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2014 | Leisure Lifestyle | 3

contents

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EdITORIAL Editor in Chief LISA MATTE lisa.matte@globaltravelerusa.com tel 781 331 5423 Managing Editor KimBerly Krol kim.krol@globaltravelerusa.com digital Media Manager KATIE SKRZEK k atie.skrzek@globaltravelerusa.com Senior Editor JANIcE HEcHT jan.hecht@globaltravelerusa.com Associate Editor/Copy Editor PAtriciA VAnikiotis patty.vanikiotis@globaltravelerusa.com eFlyer Editor/Associate Editor MONIQUE BARRETT monique.barrett@globaltravelerusa.com

ART Art director TRAcEy cULLEN tracey.cullen@globaltravelerusa.com Staff Photographer cHRISTOPHER P. OTTAUNIcK christopher@globaltravelerusa.com

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Special Events Video Editor VANcE PIccIN

COntributOrs DeBrA Bokur

6 Leisure Pursuits

Global Traveler announces the 2014 Leisure Travel Awards winners.

BY KIMBERLY KROL

36 The great Escape At kid-friendly airports,

families get a reprieve from

terminal boredom.

16 Time of Your Life Plan a special getaway to

celebrate a milestone occasion.

BY LOIS FRIEDLAND

22 Suite Indulgence Sweeten your voyage with the

most luxurious and spacious

accommodations at sea.

BY KIM FOLEY MACKINNON

26 Idylls of the Sea On the right private island,

you can cast away your cares.

BY DEBRA BOKUR

40

4 | Leisure Lifestyle | 2014

Behind the Wheel Double the driving pleasure with just the right vehicle for your road trip.

BY RICHARD NEWTON

44 Sentimental Journeys Travel back in time on an

authentic vintage vacation.

BY ILONA KAUREMSZKY

48 Picture Perfect Take your best shot to preserve your travel memories in photos.

32 All in the Family Luxury family tours create

memorable experiences for

every member of the clan.

BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS

BY SUSAN FINCH

BY ELLEN CLARK

COVER PHOTO: Queen Mary 2 in Geiranger Fjord, Mittelnorwegen, Norway Photo: © cunArd Line

IlonA KAuremszky

Ellen clArk

KIM FOLEy MAcKINNON

SusAn Finch

RichArd Newton

Lois FriedlAnd

BARBARA RADcLIFFE ROGERS

For complete bios, visit globaltravelerusa.com

CirculAtiOn Specialists John wroBlewski, louie AtsAves Managers JAyHAwK EVANS, MARK P. FORD, TERESA JAcKSON, ANTHONy “ScRAPS” DIMERA Circulation director Michele ShAnnon Circulation Manager AnnA PudziAnowski Research Consultant ShAron Sterne

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Chairman MichAel DonAhue President cArlos cAppuccio COO MichAel Kiely Treasurer Kevin RyAn Secretary Stephen Doherty Vice President Asia EdwArd Jefferson Vice President Corporate giving JAmes BolGer Vice President Europe wAyne TAllmAn Vice President Latin America/Mexico/Caribbean FrAnk LoVerme Vice President Middle East/Africa GAry OswAld Vice President Special Events and Photography christopher P. OttAunick

COntAct Us general Inquiries/Issue Requests tel 267 364 5811 Subscriptions tel 818 286 3134 | gbtcs@magserv.com Public Relations KimBerly Krol tel 267 364 5811 ext 202 | kim.krol@globaltravelerusa.com Letters to the Editor letters@globaltravelerusa.com Reprints Ed KAne | FosteReprints tel 800 382 0808 ext 31 edk@fosterprinting.com Global Traveler is published monthly by FXExpress Publications, Inc., 310 Floral Vale Blvd., yardley, PA 19067. The U.S. subscription rate is $42 for one year, $79.95 for two years, $121.95 for three years.

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Leisure Pursuits

Global Traveler announces the 2014 Leisure Travel Awards winners.

A

BY KIMbERlY KROl

s the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” GT readers understand the significance of this statement all too well. For intrepid business travelers, work can often overwhelm periods of relaxation, and business duties trump personal pursuits.

Through our independent research, we realized that as much as business puts our readers on the road, they are quick to understand the importance of leisure travel, taking an average of three international and six domestic leisure trips per year. Jack and Jill are dull no longer.

Best ResOrt in tHe CAribbeAn, BerMudA And BAHAMAs: Seven Stars Resort, Turks and Caicos Photo: © Seven Stars Resort

Best IslAnd in MeXicO, CentrAl And SOutH AMericA: Cozumel, Mexico Photo: © Brian lasenby | DreaMstiMe.coM

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Best ResOrt in CentrAl And SOutH AMericA: Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

Best SAfAri destinAtiOn: South Africa Photo: © AnaGraM1 | DreaMstiMe.coM

Photo: © Four Seasons hotels liMited

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Best HiKing destinAtiOn: Hawai’i Photo: © Martinmark | Dreamstime.com

Winners’ Circle Best SPA the Peninsula new york Best SHOPPing hong kong* Best NAturAl AttrActiOns Australia* Best HistOricAl AttrActiOns rome

Ten years ago, we turned to our readers to select the best in travel, looking specifically at their business travel needs. For the second year in a row, we turn to you for input on the very best in leisure travel. What islands do you favor? Which resorts provide the best respite?

Where do you go to indulge in your favorite leisure activities?

All of those answers and more are revealed in the results of our second annual Leisure Travel Awards. We are pleased to announce the 2014 winners. Congratulations to those named the best of the best in leisure travel this year.

WHILE THE HUSTLE and bustle of New York Best SPA: The Peninsula New York City may not immediately bring relaxation to Photo: © the Peninsula new york mind, it can be found in the Big Apple. The Peninsula New York’s Peninsula Spa defines urban oasis, providing a range of treatments combining Asian, European and Ayurvedic practices. Spa cuisine, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a glass-enclosed pool and panoramic views are a few other highlights that propelled the property to a Best Spa win.

Our next two winners are no strangers to the Leisure Travel Awards, both earning their second consecutive wins as Best Shopping and Best Natural Attractions, respectively. From local wares to haute couture, shoppers delight in all that Hong Kong offers. Travelers look down under for Best Natural Attractions, finding the Greater Blue Mountains and the Great Barrier Reef among Australia’s many natural wonders. For Best Historical Attractions, Rome took top honors.

Seeking snow and ski slopes? Visit Utah, voted Best Skiing by our readers. Some of the state’s best spots to ski include Deer Valley and Park City. Seeking sun and sand? The Best Beach Destination is the Hawai’ian Islands.

This island chain offers plenty of beach choices.

If more active pursuits are what you’re after, our expert readers also weighed in on Best Adventure Travel Destination, Best Safari Destination and Best Hiking Destination. The winners? New Zealand, South Africa (for the second year running) and Hawai’i.

New Zealand’s numerous adventure options include bungee jumping, sky diving, caving and canyoning, all amid

Best SKiing utah Best BeAcH destinAtiOn hawai’ian islands Best Adventure TrAvel destinAtiOn new zealand Best SAfAri destinAtiOn south Africa* Best HiKing destinAtiOn hawai’i Best SMAll SHiP Cruise Line silversea cruises* Best LArge SHiP Cruise Line norwegian cruise line Best River Cruise Line viking river cruises* Best LuXury TOur OPerAtOr Abercrombie & kent* Best ResOrt in tHe United StAtes And CAnAdA Bellagio las vegas Best ResOrt in HAwAi’i Four Seasons Resort Hualālai at Ka’ūpūlehu * Second Consecutive Year

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2014 2014| | Leisure LeisureLifestyle Lifestyle | | 77

Best SMAll SHiP Cruise Line: Silversea Cruises Photo: © Silversea Cruises

Winners’ Circle Best ResOrt in tHe CAribbeAn, BerMudA And BAHAMAs Seven Stars Resort, Turks and Caicos Best ResOrt in CentrAl And SOutH AMericA Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo Best ResOrt in MeXicO JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa Best ResOrt in AsiA And tHe SOutH PAcific The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort Best ResOrt in EurOPe Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris Best ResOrt in AfricA Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa Best ResOrt in tHe Middle EAst Taj Palace, Dubai Best IslAnd in tHe United StAtes And CAnAdA Kaua’i, Hawai’i* Best IslAnd in tHe CAribbeAn, BerMudA And BAHAMAs British Virgin Islands Best IslAnd in MeXicO, CentrAl And SOutH AMericA Cozumel, Mexico Best IslAnd in AustrAliA And tHe SOutH PAcific Bora Bora* Best IslAnd in EurOPe Santoríni

Best IslAnd in AsiA And AfricA Bali* * Second Consecutive Year

8 | Leisure Lifestyle | 2014

the idyllic scenery of the country.

For some of the most luxe safari camps in South Africa, check out Kruger National Park, Sabi Sands, Manyeleti, Timbavati, Balule and Thornybush. For a 5-star lodge experience, try Royal Malewane or Singita.

Hiking options abound on every Hawai’ian island at any experience level, but a good place to start is Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, with more than 150 miles of trails.

Best LArge SHiP Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Line PHOTO: Norwegian Cruise Line

WHEN IT COMES to sailing the seas, Silversea Cruises was again named Best Small Ship Cruise Line, a title it took in our inaugural awards last year. The cruise line recently christened its third expedition ship, Silver Discoverer. The smaller-sized ship will allow passengers to access some of the world’s most secluded and remote regions of the Pacific. Up to 120 guests will enjoy 62 all-ocean-view suites as well as a full menu of onboard programs.

New to the list this year is Norwegian Cruise Line, voted Best Large Ship Cruise Line. NCL recently announced its 2015/2016 itineraries, which include Eastern Caribbean sailings on the cruise line’s newest and largest ship to date, Norwegian Escape. Throughout Europe, Norwegian will offer itineraries from Barcelona; additional cruises are available in South America, the Panama Canal, the Mexican Riviera and the Bahamas and Florida.

For the second consecutive year, Viking River Cruises claimed the honor of Best River Cruise Line.

Obviously exceling at river cruises, the cruise line is looking to the high seas, unveiling plans for its first ocean cruise vessel, Viking Star. The ocean itineraries will include Scandinavia and the Baltic as well as the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.

To make the most of their time away, many travelers opt for organized tours. And when they want to do so luxuriously, they choose Abercrombie & Kent, the Best Luxury Tour Operator for the second year in a row. For a truly one-of-a-kind experience, the company offers the “Africa: Across the Continent by Private Jet” tour, available Feb. 20–March 10, 2015. Over 19 days, 40 guests will travel to seven African countries on a privately chartered jet. globaltravelerusa.com

BUT WHERE TO STAY? Our readers offer several possible answers with their picks for the best in resorts around the globe.

Perhaps best known for its fountain shows, Bellagio Las Vegas will now also be known as Best Resort in the United States and Canada. As a standout on the Las Vegas strip, the Bellagio offers just about anything a traveler desires — grand accommodations, a spa and salon, a Cirque du Soleil show, nightlife, Best ResOrt in tHe United StAtes And CAnAdA: Bellagio Las Vegas restaurants, shopping, casinos and meeting and event space.

Photo: © littleny | DreAMstiMe.coM Two Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts make appearances on this year’s list of winners. Four Seasons Resort Hualālai at Ka’ūpūlehu is Best Resort in Hawai’i, and Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo is Best Resort in Central and South America. Set along Hawai’i Island’s Kona-Kohala Coast, the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai at Ka’ūpūlehu’s 243 guestrooms, two-story bungalows, evoke the Hawai’i of the past.

Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo perfectly appeals to eco-conscious travelers; the accommodations’ furnishings include comfortable rattan and bamboo pieces, local artwork, indigenous materials and stone finishing.

Personalized service is a hallmark at the Best Resort in the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas winner, Seven Stars Resort, Turks and Caicos.Its personalized pre-arrival services include customized sightseeing itineraries, grocery shopping and reservations; upon arrival, other amenities include complimentary buffet breakfasts, twice-daily housekeeping, a children’s program, complimentary WiFi and babysitting.

White-sand beaches and turquoise waters beckon guests at JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa. Any number of details could have earned it the title of Best Resort in Mexico. Private balconies, club-level accommodations, a Mayan-inspired spa, a location in the heart of Cancún’s Hotel Zone — we’re guessing these are just a few of the reasons.

Whose image of true paradise doesn’t include Bora Bora’s sublime and private overwater bungalows? Nothing says relaxation more than watching the sun set over the water from the seclusion of your room at The St. Regis Bora Bora, 2014 Best Resort in Asia and the South Pacific. Aside from rejuvenating, available activities include jet skiing, Jeep safaris, shark and ray feeding, sailing, diving, hiking and cruising.

Paris is the city of romance, the perfect destination for a leisure trip with your love. The perfect accommodation for the excursion? Le Royal Monceau, Raffles. From here, guests can indulge in excellent gastronomy or sumptuous spas and take in some of Paris’ best sites from its location near the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and Parc Monceau.

The Seychelles is garnering major buzz of late, and the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort provides the No. 1 spot for experiencing the destination. Dubbed Best Resort in Africa, the property, located among the hills and coves of Beau Valley Best ResOrt in MeXicO: JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa Bay on Mahé, features picturesque views, a spa Photo: © Jw MArriott CAncun Resort & SpA and fine dining.

Opulence and elegance reign in Dubai. For luxurious leisure, check in at Taj Palace, Dubai, where generously sized rooms and suites are only some of the perks. Others include a spa, club-level accommodations and top-of-the-line amenities.

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Best IslAnd in EurOPe: Santoríni Photo: © Freesurf69 | Dreamstime.com

THe MetHOd Voting for GT’s Leisure Travel Awards took place May 1–Dec. 31, 2013, online at globaltravelerusa.com/ leisureawardsballot. Each category included a number of nominees as well as an option for voters to fill in and vote for their favorite. Global Traveler surveys receive thousands of responses yearly. Employees of FXExpress Publications, Inc., and affiliated members of the travel industry were not allowed to participate.

WHAT’S A RESORT without an equally gorgeous environment to call home? Any place you choose to stay on these award-winning islands is sure to be exquisite.

A huge draw for the Hawai’ian island of Kaua’i is its diverse landscape. From a rugged and breathtaking coastline to Waimea Canyon and all the lush vegetation and beaches in between, one can easily guess why Kaua’i was named Best Island in the United States and Canada for the second consecutive year.

The best known of the British Virgin Islands’ more than 60 islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke and Anegada. But with such a selection and an array of landscapes and options, there’s guaranteed to be something to please any type of leisure traveler in the island nation named Best Island in the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas.

Cozumel’s rich history dates to the year 300, when the Mayans settled the island. Today, the archaeological wonder, winner of the Best Island in Mexico, Central and South America title, remains rich with the magic of the ancient world and modern with activities galore — adventure pursuits, shopping, golf, restaurants, spas, scuba diving and more.

Bora Bora is often referred to as the most beautiful island in the world; for the second consecutive year, another lofty

12 | Leisure Lifestyle | 2014

title joins that claim: Best Island in Australia and the South Pacific. Let this island enchant you; for many it also epitomizes romance.

A perennial contender for the most beautiful island in the world title is Greece’s Santoríni, voted Best Island in Europe.

The name immediately conjures those iconic images of white buildings with bright blue roofs lining the precipitous cliff side. It offers a mental picture that should be a reality for any leisure traveler seeking peace and relaxation.

A warm Balinese welcome awaits travelers to the 2014 Best Island in Asia and Africa. The most well-known of the Indonesian islands and in the middle of the world’s largest archipelago, Bali also claimed this honor in 2013. While diving, snorkeling, trekking, rafting and surfing attract many tourists, the island’s unique Hindu culture is another facet of the island travelers should explore.

Close your eyes and feel the sand between your toes, allow your mind to escape to that favorite place of leisure, and join us in raising a frosty, frozen cocktail in celebration of our 2014 Leisure Travel Awards winners. Congratulations!

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OutstAnding CustoMiZed ServiCes:

OutstAnding SoCiAl AWAreness: Delta Air Lines

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts

Photo: © Delta Air lines

Photo: © hyatt hotels & resorts

OutstAnding EnvironMentAl INITIATIVES: InterContinental Bora Bora

Resort & Thalasso Spa

Special Achievement Awards

Photo: © intercontinental hotels Group

For the first time in 2014, the editors at Global Traveler opted to recognize the Leisure Travel Special Achievement Awards, highlighting three brands that go above and beyond to cater to the environment and to society.

The Outstanding Social Awareness recognition goes to Delta Air Lines, whose Force for Global Good is committed to five pillars of support: Supporting global diversity, expanding global health and wellness, sustaining the environment, advancing education, and promoting arts and culture.

Through the program, the company and its employees contribute time, energy and millions of dollars to a host of causes. Employees volunteer in a number of ways, including building homes for Habitat for Humanity; donating blood to the American Red Cross; giving monetary contributions to United Way and many other organizations; spending time with children through programs like Junior Achievement, KaBOOM! and the YMCA; and working with environmental causes, military-related organizations, food banks and the Children’s Miracle Network.

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts’ new Women’s Experience program earned the corporation the Outstanding Customized Services honor. After an 18-month analysis of female travelers, Hyatt found they are looking for clean guestrooms, ongoing conversation with the property, an easy way to obtain items forgotten at home, ways to maintain health and well-being on the road, and high-quality bath products. In response, Hyatt offered a

number of initiatives — communication cards, the Hyatt Has It service offering a number of travel essentials, new menus featuring smoothies and create-your-own options, and amenities from brands such as June Jacobs and Aromapothecary.

The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa maintains an environmentally friendly unique seawater air-conditioning system. A primary circuit of seawater flows through a titanium thermal exchanger, transmitting the cold to a freshwater secondary circuit. This system air-conditions the entire property; the seawater is released back into the ocean. This groundbreaking technology, as well as the property’s respectful approach to the pristine nature surrounding it, earned the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa the Outstanding Environmental Initiatives award.

SPeCiAl ACHieveMent AWArds OutstAnding SoCiAl AWAreness Delta Air lines

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OutstAnding CustoMiZed ServiCes hyatt hotels & resorts

OutstAnding EnvironMentAl InitiAtives intercontinental Bora Bora resort & thalasso spa

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UP CLOSE: Many a bucket list includes an Alaskan expedition.

Photo: © lAwrence Weslowski Jr | DreAMstiMe.coM

Time of Your Life Plan a special getaway to celebrate a milestone occasion.

BY LOIS FRIEDlAND

What’s a milestone trip? Quite simply: a special vacation to commemorate a special occasion.

D

o you have one of the “0” birthdays coming up, perhaps a 30th or a 60th? Is your 50th wedding anniversary approaching? Perhaps you have a child or grandchild graduating college. How are you planning to celebrate? Is it time for a milestone trip?

What’s a milestone trip? Quite simply: a special vacation to commemorate a special occasion. Major birthdays are popular triggers for milestone trips. Of course, there are anniversaries, honeymoons and even the growing-in-popularity

16 | Leisure Lifestyle | 2014

“babymoons.” Special religious occasions such as bar or bat mitzvahs, college reunions, family gatherings and “just because we want to” group trips are all reasons to explore the world.

No matter where you choose to go, often the best milestone trips are wrapped around memorable events. Abercrombie & Kent put together many of these, including such extravagant trips as a private tented safari for 11 members of the family of a Fortune 500 CEO. The luxury travel company arranged for a dinner on the maharani’s private barge on Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India, followed by fireworks for another group. But trips don’t have to be extravagant to be unforgettable. Maple Leaf Adventures’ expedition cruises in Alaska are a popular “bucket list” choice for anniversaries. Raft trips, such as running the Cataract Canyon out of Moab, Utah, make great adventures for families celebrating graduations. globaltravelerusa.com

PICKING A LOCATION for a milestone trip may not be as easy as plucking a journey from your personal bucket list. While that’s a tempting option, if the trip will celebrate your spouse’s 60th birthday, his bucket may be filled with other countries and activities. Maybe you want to ski in Colorado, but he dreams of hiking the whiskey trail in Ireland. Even though you’d love to sit on a beach in Hawai’i, if he likes lots of activity during a vacation, keep in mind this trip is for him.

“It takes away the element of surprise perhaps, but the most successful trips are when everyone is on board. You can then have fun with the travel counselor working out all of the surprises during the trip,” says Richard Harris, senior vice president, product development and operations, Abercrombie & Kent.

There are lots of choices. Perhaps bring the entire family or your best friends on a cruise in the Galapagos Islands. Isolated from the mainland, this is a perfect milestone locale. Up-close encounters with unique species are just one of the many special experiences that await milestone memory makers. Or take one of those “fly around the world on a private jet” trips. Take a package trip to a country you’ve always wanted to visit or a river cruise.

Spend a few days on your own in a special setting and plan a special celebratory meal.

The sheer logistical aspects of timing the trip can be daunting, especially if there’s a large group involved. “If you want to bring extended family along, you should plan it at least a year in advance,” says Maureen Gordon, Maple Leaf Adventures. Adults will need to book vacation time. If the children are in school, you might have to plan the trip during their vacations. If you’re

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planning a milestone vacation with friends, make sure in advance that everyone gets along well and will do so while traveling since you’ll be spending so much time together.

Once you’ve zeroed in on a location, find a travel advisor or consultant who knows the location well. The first question to ask: How well does he or she know the country and how often has he or she been there? Does the company have operators on the ground in the country you want to visit? If you want to go on a

WHEELS And WInE: DuVine Cycling tour of France Photos: © Duvine cyclinG & Adventure

2014 | Leisure Lifestyle | 17

safari, for example, work with an African specialist, whether it’s a company that only does safaris or a major company that employs safari specialists. If you want to take a bike trip through the vineyards in France, work with a company such as DuVine Cycling, which only handles bike trips. If it’s a country that’s new on travelers’ radar, consider contacting Zicasso Handcrafted Travel. You’ll fill out a brief form online and get responses from specialists who really know the destination well.

Milestone trips come in an intriguing number of styles, costs and locations. Some require hours of working with skilled travel consultants, while others are totally planned on the Internet. Others require just a phone call or two. Decide which approach works best for you, then act on it.

RESORTS ARE A POPULAR CHOICE for large gatherings because you never have to leave the property. Personal concierges at resorts and high-end hotels excel at creating special experiences. At The Broadmoor in Colorado, for example, a couple celebrating an anniversary flew by helicopter to a private location on a golf course and enjoyed a gourmet dinner on an elegantly set table. For a college reunion, the resort once redecorated one of its luxury cottages with furniture reminiscent of the year friends graduated.

Denverite Dan Leeth and his wife, Diane, decided to celebrate multiple major events with friends on a yacht. He was turning 65 and she was turning 60 and retiring from a 30-year nursing career. They asked two couples they’d traveled with before, who also had major birthdays, to join them. Skilled in researching online, they scouted for companies renting yachts and picked The Moorings, a choice backed up by recommendations from several people who had used the company. They’ll cruise in the Caribbean for a week on a four-bedroom catamaran with a crew.

“It’s close quarters,” Leeth says, “but we all get along with each other.”

Seeking more active adventures? Biking through French vineyards, skiing in Switzerland and hiking are popular choices. Coloradan Mona Mesereau wanted to do something physical for her 50th birthday, so she and her husband collected a group of friends to hike in the Grand Canyon. After hiking to Phantom Ranch at the base of the canyon and staying for two nights, then hiking back up, she says, “We all had a real sense of accomplishment.”

Guest ranches are a good choice for multigenerational trips centered around special celebrations, such as the grandparents’ major anniversary, because you’ll gRAnd CELEBRATIOn: Hiking the Grand Canyon is a popular milestone trip.

Photo: © DesiGnpicssuB | DreAMstiMe.coM

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CAPTURE THE MOMEnT: Vista Verde Guest Ranch cattle drive (left), and a photographer taking pictures during a bar mitzvah celebration at the Western Wall in Old Jerusalem (below) Photos: © vistA verDe; © AntonellA865 | DreAMstiMe.coM

find activities for varying age levels and degrees of athleticism. At the Vista Verde Guest Ranch in Colorado, for example, some guests can go horseback riding while others go fishing, hiking or on photo tours with photographers

Abercrombie & Kent abercrombiekent.com

Maple Leaf Adventures mapleleafadventures.com

Aleenta Hua Hin – Pranburi Resort and Spa aleenta.com/huahin

The Moorings moorings.com

The Broadmoor broadmoor.com Charleston Place charlestonplace.com duvine Cycling & Adventure Co. duvine.com Israel Ministry of Tourism www.bar-and-bat-mitzvah-in-israel.com

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Phantom Ranch grandcanyonlodges.com The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua ritzcarlton.com vista verde guest Ranch vistaverde.com Zicasso Handcrafted Travel zicasso.com

while the kids are in camp.

Hotels are coming up with creative packages for milestone events.

At the beginning of a marriage, have your wedding at a Ritz-Carlton anywhere in the world and you’ll get special rates on a honeymoon package at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. The wedding coordinator will work with the Kapalua hotel to set up your Hawai’ian honeymoon.

If the romance is over, Thailand’s Aleenta Hua Hin has a break-up offer for any traveler who wants to get over an ex.

Cruises work for people who wish to explore parts of the world but don’t want to move from lodging to lodging during the trip. For that special celebration, choose a more luxurious cabin or suite on the ship, or pick a more upscale cruise line.

For faith-based trips, work with companies who specialize in this type of travel. For example, several companies arrange trips to Israel to celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs that could include a service at the Western Wall in Old Jerusalem and activities such as participating in an archaeological dig. The Israel Ministry of Tourism lists companies on its website.

People who travel for a living may want to stay close to home.

The fiancé of Sharon Lieb, a writer who has traveled to more than 40 countries, simply booked a suite at Charleston Place, a luxury Orient-Express property in her hometown, Charleston, S.C. The next morning, a dozen of her best friends showed up for a surprise brunch for her 60th birthday.

Let your imagination run wild when deciding where you want to go and what you want to do. But always keep in mind careful planning is a key to creating a successful milestone trip. “You really need to get the basics right before you set out to impress,” says Abercrombie & Kent’s Harris.

Ann Alba, reservations manager, The Broadmoor, sums it up: “Some of the most special milestone trips are ones that people have waited a lifetime for. You can’t afford to make a mistake on these special occasions because you can’t redo them!”

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gRAnd dESIgn: The two-story Grand Duplex Suite on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 bedroom (top), and living area (bottom) Photos: © cunArD line

Suite Indulgence

Sweeten your voyage with the most luxurious and spacious accommodations at sea. BY KIM FOLEY MACKINNON Whether you desire more space, more privacy or more one-of-a-kind experiences, there’s a ship — and a suite — waiting for you.

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two-story penthouse pad, whirlpool baths, an extra-large veranda with stunning views, a 24-hour on-duty concierge to book reservations and a butler at your beck and call. If this sounds like the description of a dream apartment in the big city, think again. These are all perks available on various cruise ships for those who book the most luxurious accommodations afloat. As more and more cruise ships become destinations in themselves, cruise lines are not only stepping up offerings like zip lines, ice-skating rinks and celebrity chef-designed menus, they are also making their suites bigger and better. Whether you desire more space, more privacy or more one-of-a-kind experiences, there’s a ship — and a suite — waiting for you.

OF COURSE, SIZE MATTERS. Consider that on some cruise ships an inside cabin might cover less than 150 square feet. Then consider some

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In THE SPOTLIgHT:

The Radio City cocktail at Park Hyatt Tokyo’s New York Bar Photo: © PArk HyAtt Tokyo

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luxury suites are 30 times — or more — larger than that. It’s like comparing a studio in New York City to a Hollywood actor’s Beverly Hills mansion. Here’s a look by the numbers at some of the biggest suites.

If bigger means better in your book, then set your sights on the Garden Villa suite in The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pearl, where a palatial three-bedroom, 4,500-square-foot suite awaits. Norwegian calls The Haven a “ship within a ship” because this area is reserved just for those in the same class. Perks include access to a private courtyard with a pool, a hot tub, a fitness center and dining areas.

The two-story Grand Duplex Suite on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 comes in at 2,249 square feet, complete with an oversized deck and a large master bedroom accessed via a curved staircase. Still not impressed? Book the adjacent suites and bump your footprint up to 9,000 square feet.

Coming in at a pretty comfortable 2,000 square feet, the owner’s suites on Oceania Cruises’ Marina and Riviera ships are large enough to house a baby grand piano, a private workout room, his and hers walk-in closets, indoor and outdoor lounging and dining areas and a whirlpool on a private wrap-around deck.

ANYONE WHO WANTS A LITTLE air or sun without having to leave the cabin books a stateroom with a balcony, but maybe two deck chairs and a table just aren’t enough.

Many suites offer more space to roam around outside, not to mention privacy to sunbathe and room to entertain.

The two-deck Royal Loft on Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas offers a wrap-around balcony with an open-air whirlpool, while the Presidential Family Suite (which requires a minimum of eight people to book) has a balcony that’s almost 500 square feet with whirlpool, dining area and bar.

The Grand Suite on the Regent Seven Seas’ Voyager features a solarium with a hot tub, plus binoculars to check out the view. On the Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest, passengers in the Wintergarden Suite also have their own glass-enclosed solarium with a Jacuzzi and daybed. Guests get their own private garden with a hot tub when they book the Garden Villa suite on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pearl.

IT PROBABLY GOES WITHOUT SAYING that most passengers booking suites get priority boarding, a bottle of Champagne and fresh flowers waiting in their staterooms. They can also expect complimentary items like tote bags with the ship’s logo and top-of-the-line amenities, but some cruise lines take it to another level entirely.

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 Queen Grill Suites, which come in a variety of sizes and configurations, all have one thing in common: unparalleled service and amenities. It’s a long list, but some of the highlights include 24-hour butler and concierge service, personalized stationery, a selection of pillows and duvets to suit your preference, exclusive access to the Queens Grill Lounge and fresh flowers and fresh fruit delivered daily.

Regent Seven Seas’ all-suite, all-balcony Voyager and Mariner ships offer a slew of ameniglobaltravelerusa.com

In And OUT: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pearl Garden Villa (top), and Oceania Cruises’ owner’s suites (bottom) offer plenty of indoor and outdoor space.

Photos: © norweGiAn cruise lines; © OceAniA Cruises

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ROYAL TREATMEnT: The Queen Grill Suite on Queen Mary 2

ties, including in-suite complimentary personalized full liquor bar setup and minibar; a welcome bottle of Champagne; and 24-hour room service, with dinner served course by course. Book a penthouse suite and you get free round-trip business-class airline tickets on select European voyages, butler service and an iPad to use while on board.

Passengers in suites on Oceania Cruises’ Marina and Riviera who find the room service menu lacking can book an in-suite dinner from any of the gourmet restaurants, served course by course by their personal butler (who is on call 24 hours).

Photos: © cunArD line

GUESTS NEED NOT WORRY whether their mobile devices will be compatible with whatever the ship happens to offer or if they feel like providing their own live music rather than listening to someone else’s. Topof-the-line sound systems, pianos (yes, pianos) and more are available in some suites.

An en-suite Bose entertainment center with a CD/DVD library is standard for guests on Norwegian Pearl’s The Haven Garden Villa, while a Bang & Olufsen audio system (plus free Internet and phone service) are nice perks for passengers staying in the upper-tier suites on the Silversea line of ships.

A large entertainment room with a 3D movie system plus an ebony baby grand piano come with the owner’s suites on Oceania Cruises’ Marina and Riviera. A WiFi-enabled iPad is yours to use as well. There’s also a baby grand piano and panoramic views through a two-deck wall of glass in the Royal Loft on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.

IF YOU’RE STAYING in a suite that’s bigger than some people’s homes, there’s certainly room for the whole family. Games, toys, movies and other appealing perks for the young (or young at heart) are becoming more standard.

On Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, passengers in the Royal Concierge Suites can enjoy their own media library with Blu-Ray/DVD players and an extensive collection of music and CD and DVD titles (yes, Disney movies galore). There’s also a selection of board games, and parents will appreciate that the private veranda (with its own Jacuzzi) comes with childproof locks.

On Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, passengers staying in the Royal Loft suite can still enjoy family game night by having Mattel board games delivered upon request. Kids in the Queens Grill suites on Queen Mary 2 play on the suite’s Xbox games console to their hearts’ content or enjoy board games.

BATHROOMS CAN BE BORING, but not all are created equal. Whirlpools, stunning views, televisions and other amenities may make you want to linger.

The Reflection Suite on Celebrity Cruises’ Reflection has a pentagonal glass shower that actually juts off the side of the ship, offering views far below. On Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa 2, the Spa Suite has an ocean-view whirlpool tub, a rain shower with steam sauna and a television in the mirror. The Crystal Penthouse on Crystal Serenity has an ocean-view Jacuzzi in the master bath, plus a television. There’s also a private fitness space.

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PERSOnAL SPACE: Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Grand Suite (left), and Viking River Cruises’ Explorer Suite (below) Photos: © reGent Seven SeAs cruises; © VikinG river cruises

Avalon Waterways avalonwaterways.com Celebrity Cruises celebritycruises.com Crystal Cruises crystalcruises.com Cunard Line cunard.com disney Cruise Line disneycruise.disney.go.com Hapag-Lloyd Cruises hl-cruises.com norwegian Cruise Line ncl.com

LUXURIOUS SUITES ARE NOT LIMITED to giant cruise ships plying the seven seas. Many river cruise companies are upping their game with innovative balconies, butler service and other deluxe touches. In years past, a balcony on a river cruise ship probably meant you had what’s called a “French” balcony, or floor-toceiling sliding glass doors that you could open but had no deck to walk out upon. But newer ships are accommodating cruisers’ wishes for more room.

Scenic Cruises calls its fleet “Space-Ships” because of its innovative balconies that transform into solariums. Like shutting a window in a car, you can press a button to convert your private, full-size balcony into a weatherproof sanctuary. This indoor lounge allows you to always enjoy the view regardless of the weather. Passengers staying in a Royal Suite get extras like a $300 onboard credit, a complimentary bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, top-shelf beverages and unlimited laundry services.

Several of Viking River Cruises’ Longships have Explorer Suites, which come in at 445 square feet and boast 270-degree views with private wraparound verandas. The bedroom has a French balcony, and roomy bathrooms boast double sinks globaltravelerusa.com

Oceania Cruises oceaniacruises.com Regent Seven Seas Cruises rssc.com Royal Caribbean International royalcaribbean.com Scenic Cruises scenictours.com Seabourn seabourn.com Silversea Cruises silversea.com

and premium bath products.

The Panorama and Royal suites on the Avalon Waterways ships don’t have balconies in a traditional sense, and the company boasts about it. It designed rooms that stretch to the edge of the ship and made the wall an 11-foot-wide window, which can open up seven feet, converting your room into the balcony. There’s enough space to sit at a table and eat dinner or enjoy a drink and take in the views.

Considering how luxurious and comfortable these suites are, cruisers might have to remind themselves to explore the ship and ports of call every once in a while.

viking River Cruises vikingrivercruises.com

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Idylls of H the Sea

On the right private island, you can cast away your cares.

BY DEbRA BoKUR

Now that you’re all grown up, you can actually have an island of your own — even if you do have to eventually give it back.

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istorically speaking (at least from the perspective of a fictional television series), it’s safe to say Gilligan missed the boat completely when it came to island choices. Foliage and crowd-free beaches, yes, but — as anyone who remembers those leaky, palm frond huts and monotonous buffets of coconut and banana entrées can attest — sorely lacking in indulgent perks.

There’s something about islands that tickles our collective imagination, whether it’s the lure of fabled and forgotten kingdoms from childhood or the idea of a space set apart from the rest of the world where anything might be true. Now that you’re all grown up, you can actually have an island of your own — even if you do have to eventually give it back. If you’re after extreme luxury, elegant seclusion and warm seas rippling in a multitude of turquoise blues, here’s where to chart your course.

LOCATED OFF THE NORTHERN coast of Viti Levu, the private 13-acre retreat of Dolphin Island rises like

RISE And SHInE: Dawn at The Hilltop Sleep-out Bure, Dolphin Island, Fiji Photo: © Dolphin IslAnd

a lush garden from Fiji’s azure seas. Four elegant bures, positioned in pairs around a main pavilion, easily accommodate up to eight people. En-suite bedrooms feature solid timber floors; king-sized beds decked out with down-and-feather pillows; large dressing rooms; air-conditioning and ceiling fans; and bathrooms finished with stone tile floors, free-standing tubs, shell and coral mirrors, and both indoor and outdoor showers.

There’s also the option to fall asleep counting stars in a romantically appointed sleep-out bure on a small hillside. A combination of lanterns and candles seductively illuminates the thatched, open-air sleeping room.

The team of New Zealand interior designer Virginia Fisher and Auckland landscape designer Suzanne Turley thoughtfully enhanced the island’s innate natural beauty.

Island host Dawn Simpson and her hospitality team provide discreet, personal service, including arranging globaltravelerusa.com

ISLAnd LIFE: kava ceremony and snorkeling at Dolphin Island (above), and wakeboarding at Motu Teta, French Polynesia (right) Photos: © Dolphin IslAnd; © Motu TetA

dining and activities. All meals and standard bar items are included, along with the use of a Hobie Cat catamaran and sea kayaks to explore nearby locales. Water activities include snorkeling, tank diving, sailing and swimming. On dry land, guests can visit nearby villages to participate in cultural activities such as a tapa cloth-making class or kava ceremony; to shop and sightsee in traditional villages; or even visit the tomb of Udreudre, Fiji’s last cannibal chief.

There’s even more: trawling trips to fish the outer reefs, adventure excursions to go bamboo rafting and guided world-class diving in Bligh Waters surrounding the island. Back at the bures, massages, facials and other spa treatments are also easily arranged.

Private vehicle transfer from Nadi International Airport on Viti Levu brings visitors to Rakiraki, about a 2.5-hour drive. From here, guests travel by private launch on a half-hour voyage to the island. Dolphin Island has its own helipad, and both helicopter and seaplane transfers can be arranged for an additional fee.

MOTU TETA’S HUES of blue reflect enough variety to make even the keenest of island devotees swoon with pleasure. Part of the Rangiroa atoll in French Polynesia, the tiny islet of Motu Teta offers a magnificent opportunity for an exclusive Tahitian experience. The main villa, carefully designed to incorporate a true sense of its tropical setting, includes two master suites and a guest bedroom. Should you decide to share your island with others, there’s additional space in Bungalow Royale consisting of one double and one king-sized bed, a bathroom en suite and separate private deck with bar.

Glistening hardwoods, open beams and luxury fabrics blend seamlessly with modern amenities that include flat-screen televisions and a fully equipped kitchen. Not that you need to know where the kitchen is: Your stay includes gourmet meals provided by island manager and chef Celine Oopa, a Tahitian native trained in classic French cuisine. In addition to a full-service globaltravelerusa.com

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staff, stays include beverages and alcohol and a robust selection of activities and excursions. Close to your doorstep choose from kayaking, kiting, spear fishing, wakeboarding, snorkeling, water skiing, lobstering and windsurfing. Unique to Motu Teta, there’s also a small, protected resident population of fascinating coconut crabs, the world’s largest living arthropod.

Since you’ll have both an experienced guide and a fleet of boats docked and ready (ranging from a 16-foot Hobie Cat to an 18-passenger motorboat), you can also head farther from shore for deep-sea fishing, picnics on nearby uninhabited islets, excursions to Ote Pipi village, or diving on guided jaunts arranged with local diving centers Raie Manta Club Rangiroa and Blue Dolphins Diving Center.

After arriving at Papeete on the main island of Tahiti, guests take a 45-minute inter-island flight to Rangiroa Airport and then a 1.5-hour water crossing to Motu Teta by private boat.

SECLUSIOn: Bali Buah house, Necker Island, British Virgin Islands Photo: © necker islAnD

BY THE TIME YOU’VE wiggled your toes in the beach sand of Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private island escape in the British Virgin Islands, you’ll have a full-blown case of island fever. This treasure of an island has enough lodging choices to bring friends and family without ever actually having to see them.

Altogether, the property comfortably accommodates 30 adults.

The six private, air-conditioned Bali Houses — Bali Hi, Bali Cliff and Bali Beach on the cliffs overlooking the sea; and the centrally

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located Bali Buah, Bali Kukila and Bali Lo — offer a heady blend of luxury and seclusion.

The main structure, appropriately dubbed the Great House, rests atop Devil’s Hill. Designed as a luxurious Balinese villa, it includes an infinity pool, a rooftop terrace, expansive outdoor space with hammocks and sofas and a shortcut to Turtle Beach below via a zip line.

The two-level, 3,800-square-foot Beach Pavilion overlooking the tennis courts features dining space and a state-of-the-art media center with cinema and bar. Further amusement includes a bespoke spa treatment, sailing, kite-surfing, windsurfing, water skiing, power boating, fine-tuning your tennis game with a pro, or slipping off-island for a round at Mahogany Run Golf Course or Carambola Golf Course.

You’ll be sharing the island with resident Madagascan lemurs, soldier crabs, flamingos and red-footed tortoises. Fees include private transfer from Tortola, activities, entertainment, up to 70 full-time staff and all food and drinks including wine and Champagne. Resident chefs are happy to cater to your specific culinary desires or create meals for you that can be served formally with crystal and china, or informally by the pool — or in a shady spot of your choosing.

The closest international airport is on Virgin Tortola (Beef Island). Necker Island is about 30 minutes from Tortola and about 10 minutes from Virgin Gorda by boat. There is a helipad on the island, and those arriving by yacht can anchor offshore.

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Benefits that take you places

Whether it’s an overnight trip or a once-in-a-lifetime experience, more than 4,700 IHG properties worldwide offer the perfect hotel for every occasion. And with IHG® Rewards Club, you have unparalleled opportunities to earn and redeem points, no blackout dates for Reward Nights and points that never expire.

Free Internet for members will roll out at all properties globally during 2014.

Fast track to Elite status by staying across three or more IHG hotel brands.

Reward Nights that count toward Elite status.

Roll over extra nights earned toward Platinum Elite status to the following year.

Explore more great benefits at ihgrewardsclub.com

©2014 InterContinental Hotels Group. All rights reserved. Most hotels are independently owned and/or operated. See complete terms and conditions at www.ihgrewardsclub.com/terms.

ROMAnTIC EvEnIng: Private overwater dining at Cayo Espanto, Belize Photo: © caYo espaNto

Cayo Espanto aprivateisland.com dolphin Island dolphinislandfiji.com Motu Teta yourdreamisland.com necker Island neckerisland.virgin.com Tavanipupu Private Island Resort tavanipupu.com

ON THE CENTRAL AMERICAN island of Cayo Espanto (“Spirit Island”) in Belize, the staff-to-guest ratio is two-to-one, and each of the six villas comes equipped with a private pool, a walled-in tropical garden, a sundeck or veranda and a personal houseman. Practical amenities include Yves Delorme linens, plush Turkish robes, mahogany wood details, wide hammocks, air-conditioning, WiFi, extensive CD libraries and a personal yoga mat. Fitness equipment is available for the asking, and add-ons range from massages and bird-watching tours to trips into the jungle and visits to nearby Mayan ruins.

Enjoy the included three meals a day along with unlimited access to the chef ’s pantry. Chefs create new menus daily, catering exclusively to your requests and showcasing a vast selection of local fruits, seafood and other fresh ingredients.

The island itself is a mere four acres in size, but the vibrant blue seas stretching away from its shores encompass the secondlargest barrier reef on the planet. The waters are renowned for bonefish, tarpon, barracuda and parrotfish. Snorkel, swim and kayak to your heart’s content; or arrange for additional activities from choices such as scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, golf and chartered fly-fishing.

From Miami or Houston, Belize City is about a two-hour flight. From Belize City, it’s a short flight to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, and then about eight minutes by private boat to Cayo Espanto. Helicopter transport can also be arranged.

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ONCE YOU’VE ARRIVED at Maura Sound’s tranquil shores, the stage is set for a slice of otherworldly serenity. Created in the 1970s by British interior designer Dennis Bellote and partner Keith Paske, Tavanipupu Private Island Resort in the Solomon Islands can be rented in its entirety, with space for up to 30 guests (or just two).

Accommodations among the coconut palms are Robinson Crusoe-perfect, with thatched roofs and canopied four-poster beds. Live the lagoon life with leisurely swims, snorkeling the crystal-clear waters, sea kayaking or lounging on the whitesand beaches. There’s even a small spa with a full selection of massages and tropical-themed body therapies.

The variety of pastimes and diversions extends to charter fishing tours, cycling adventures on the bush tracks located on the Guadalcanal mainland, boating forays to nearby deserted islands, deep-sea fishing and cultural trips to native villages.

In the dining room, the focus is on fresh seafood, bounty from the island’s own organic gardens and just-laid eggs from the carefully tended brood of Tavanipupu chickens. A private chef prepares meals, and there’s a full-service bar and extensive wine cellar.

Tavanipupu Private Island Resort is located about 25 minutes by plane from Honiara, the Solomon Islands capital.

From there, Solomon Airlines provides small-craft service to Marau Sound. globaltravelerusa.com

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With Hertz Gold Plus Rewards,® you get a Carfirmation® — we’ll send you an email or SMS the moment your plane lands, confirming both the vehicle and stall it’s waiting in. You can even change the car you’ve already reserved into another one. Right from your phone. No lines. No waiting.

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION: At participating locations and subject to availability and other restrictions. Requires enrollment in complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Message and data rates may apply. ® Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. © 2014 Hertz System, Inc.

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All in the Family Luxury family tours create memorable experiences for every member of the clan. BY BARbARA RADClIFFE ROGERS

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family vacation is more than just taking the kids along. It’s all about shared experiences, and nobody “gets it” better than luxury tour operators who cater to busy executives. They understand this should be a vacation for every member of the family, carefully curated and expertly guided to assure everyone gets the most fun from their adventures. They take the devil out of the details.

Luxury family tour experiences include culture, nature, adventure or kick-back trips that range from dinosaur hunting and storm chasing to gladiator lessons and game tracking. Designed for different activity levels and interests, trips cater to all ages, from preschoolers to young adults, their parents and grandparents, in any combination. Many provide supervised activities for kids while adults enjoy some private time — perhaps candlelight dining or a private wine tasting.

Group trips work well for a single child or several children of widely differing ages, as they are likely to find others their age; bespoke itineraries might be best for larger or three-generation families.

Family tours can take you almost anywhere in the world, from your 32 | Leisure Lifestyle | 2014

WATER PLAY: A family touring Indian Creek (top), and O.A.R.S. rafting on the Lower Salmon River in Idaho (above) Photos: © western River EXpeDitions; o.A.r.s.

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own backyard to Europe, the African bush or remote Bhutan. Austin Adventures’ 2014 itineraries include several multigeneration-friendly trips in the American West, including Yellowstone experiences for children as young as 5. Family tours include an extra guide and van, kids’ equipment and specially selected guides who engage with young explorers. Guests on the Montana Great Western Adventure live the tales of Custer and the Wild West at Little Bighorn; hike; ride horseback; and watch for wolves, bears, bison, elk and antelope in Yellowstone.

O.A.R.S. encourages families with young children to learn the joys of river rafting on the Lower Salmon River in Idaho, a wide and meandering waterway with beautiful river beaches. Activities include stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, with plenty of whitewater thrills and a 10,000-year human history that includes Native American rock art. Ages 10 and up are welcome on Moab Adventure Center’s Family Multisport Adventures in Utah, where the four-day Cataract Canyon rafting journey combines exciting whitewater with the magnificent scenery of Canyonlands National Park.

Families explore Alaska’s pristine wilderness on an eight-day adventure with Abercrombie & Kent’s Luxury Small Group Journeys, with bear-watching, rafting, a flightseeing tour landing on a glacier, salmon and trout fishing, a whale-watching cruise and kayaking in the Denali region. Three-night stays at each destination minimize packing and unpacking, and activities are child-friendly. With groups of no more than 24, children meet and share experiences with other young travelers.

While any travel broadens a child’s horizons, some trips have special educational focus, such as Frontiers Elegant Journeys’ Walking with Dinosaurs Tour in the Canadian Rockies. Developed by BBC Earth insiders and paleontologists, the exploration takes families into Canada’s dinosaur country, visiting dig sites of leading dinosaur discoveries to understand how dinosaurs lived and behaved. Guests participate in fossil identification, experiment with green-screen technology and dinosaur animation and spend evenings at Canada’s largest living history museum and the Calgary Zoo. Like western Canada, Belize is English-speaking, giving children a taste of another culture but in a language they can understand. New this year is JOURNEYS International’s Belize Jungle Discovery Week, one of a number of family trips it offers around the world. Seven-day itineraries include guided explorations of abandoned Mayan sites, paddling down an underground river and close-up encounters with rainforest birds and wildlife, with accommodations at ecolodges.

While International Expeditions doesn’t earmark departures especially for families, its Amazon and Galapagos voyages are popular with multigenerational travelers. Amazon expedition cruises carry no more than 31 guests into pristine jungles where families visit a local village and school, travel in dug-out canoes, kayak, go piranha fishing, learn to play Peruvian instruments and take a cooking lesson.

On International Expeditions’10-day Galapagos cruise, families come face to face with animals that have little fear of humans, allowing for close-up photographs, playing with sea lions and even a picnic with giant tortoises.

AdventureSmith Explorations sails select cruises in the Galapagos geared toward active children on board three 20-passenger ecofriendly yachts, with naturalist guides, nature hikes and snorkeling. nATURE AdvEnTURES: Horseback riding in Yellowstone (top), and International Expeditions’ Galapagos tour (left) Photos: © MirekDeml | DreAmstime.com; © InternAtionAl EXpeDitions

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CLOSE EnCOUnTERS: A gondola ride in Venice (left), and a Cox & Kings safari (bottom) Photos: © DArwin lopez | DreAMstiMe.coM; © CoX & kinGs

Ecuador’s first carbon-neutral cruise operator, AdventureSmith offers two eight-day itineraries which can be combined into a 15-day cruise. Shore excursions include hiking lava fields, snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking, plus encounters with prehistoric reptiles, ocean creatures and unusual birds from penguins to massive waved albatross.

Walking trips offer a relaxed active vacation, and English Lakeland Ramblers will design itineraries for families in England and Scotland. Or teens can join a regularly scheduled tour. Childfriendly itineraries include one that visits the home of Beatrix Potter and the setting for her stories, or one exploring Emperor Hadrian’s Wall and its preserved Roman forts and settlements.

The Neolithic Castlerigg Stone Circle, the precariously balanced Bowder Stone and a boat ride on Derwentwater are other highlights.

Family tours in Ireland are made easy with Sceptre Tours’ Villa vacations, escorted tours that include lodging in a 5-star villa in Limerick and chauffeur-driven tours each day to explore Blarney and two other castles, one with a medieval feast and the other with interactive exhibits within its 13th-century walls. Another day’s tour circles the Ring of Kerry, with the soaring Cliffs of Moher.

Europe overflows with experiences for all ages, and nowhere offers more engaging options than kid-loving Italy. Zicasso Handcrafted Travel family tours include Rome, Venice and Florence, with interactive learning in mind. After a gondola ride, families visit Venice’s last gondola builder, then learn about carnival traditions while making their own masks to take home. Florence includes climbing a 13th-century tower, touring a gelato shop (with tastings) and shopping in a farmers’ market for ingredients before joining a hands-on family cooking class to prepare a Tuscan meal. In Rome, they learn how to make hand-tossed Roman pizza.

On the Tuscany Family Biking tour, Butterfield & Robinson takes families through the Tuscan hills by bicycle, stopping at luxury hotels and villas where children — ages 12 and up — learn to make pasta and pizza, and parents sample Chianti with an expert.

Stops to swim in lakes, taste gelato or sample homemade prosciutto intersperse with van-supported rides tailored to different ages. A local art expert guides a tour of medieval Sienna. Separate children’s evening activities are supervised, and all equipment (including helmets) is provided in the all-inclusive trip. The company offers similar itineraries in Normandy and the Loire Valley.

Immersion into local culture is the goal of most luxury family tours, and Artisans of Leisure’s nine-day private tour of Japan features both traditional culture and contemporary Japanese pop style. While visiting Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto and Hiroshima with a private guide and driver, families stay in luxury hotels and an exclusive ryokan with a private hot spring. Between visits to the Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace, museums and other cultural sites, families explore neighborhoods of cutting-edge youth culture, trendy teen fashion streets and an anime museum; watch sumo wrestlers; or attend a Japanese baseball game — even take private martial arts or anime drawing lessons. Lunch at a Buddhist temple, a private tea ceremony, calligraphy lessons, guided hikes or cooking at a private home are all possible, depending on individual interests.

Perhaps the ultimate family tour is an African safari. Cox & Kings offers itineraries in Namibia and Kenya, or multifaceted 34 | Leisure Lifestyle | 2014

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trips such as their private 12-day Cape, Safari & Mauritius tour. Beginning in Cape Town with a stay at the child-friendly Cape Grace, the trip continues to a luxury lodge for “Big Five” wildlife before flights to the tropical beaches of Mauritius. A private 14-day tour of Madagascar includes nature reserves known for lemurs, chameleons, bright-colored tree frogs and iridescent birds, as well as the beaches of lush Sainte-Marie Island. &Beyond’s new children’s program, WILDchild, creates safari experiences led by rangers trained to spark enthusiasm, and their strong conservation message forms connections between children and the land, animals and local people. Throughout the safari, the family’s ranger helps children fill a scrapbook with notes, drawings, stickers and badges for completing age-appropriate bush activities. At &Beyond Klein’s Camp in Tanzania, children might learn to shoot with a bow and arrow or to build a fire as the Maasai do. At Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, they can learn tracking skills with a local Zulu tracker or go fishing in the Mzinene River.

Hands Up Holidays’ 2014 family programs add another dimension, enabling children to give back by volunteering. Families stay in sustainable, environment-friendly luxury accommodations and lend a hand to disadvantaged communities or help conserve environments and wildlife.

New this year is a tour in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan with stays at Aman Resorts, hiking, visiting monasteries and helping to renovate a school, a cultural immersion where children get to know the Bhutanese people. In Cambodia, guests can help build a house for a needy family between bike rides through the Angkor temples, spotting Irrawaddy dolphins and relaxing at Song Saa Island’s luxury resort. globaltravelerusa.com

&Beyond andbeyond.com Abercrombie & Kent abercrombiekent.com AdventureSmith Explorations adventuresmithexplorations.com Artisans of Leisure artisansofleisure.com Austin Adventures austinadventures.com Butterfield & Robinson butterfield.com Cox & Kings coxandkings.co.uk English Lakeland Ramblers ramblers.com Frontiers Elegant Journeys frontiersej.com Hands Up Holidays handsupholidays.com International Expeditions ietravel.com JOURNEYS International journeys.travel Moab Adventure Center moabadventurecenter.com O.A.R.S. oars.com Sceptre Tours sceptretours.com Zicasso Handcrafted Travel zicasso.com

WILD THINGS: &Beyond’s WILDchild children’s program (top), and lemurs spotted on a Cox & Kings tour of Madagascar (left) Photos: © &Beyond; © Cox & Kings

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The Great Escape

At kid-friendly airports, families get a reprieve from terminal boredom. BY SUsaN FINCH

D

CHILd’S PLAY: Kids on the Fly playground at Chicago O’Hare Photo: © chicAGo Dept. oF AviAtion

elayed flights, long layovers and jet lag struggles are enough to drive adults to the edge, let alone young travelers. Sitting idly at an overcrowded terminal is a formula for disaster with little ones in tow. Airports have finally taken notice that happy kids benefit everyone, from harried families to the solo business traveler looking for some quiet and relaxation.

With a rise in play areas, video game stations and more open spaces, kid-friendly airports are a welcome reprieve from the standard sit-and-wait terminal.

As kids burn off energy at play areas while happily remaining out from underfoot, the hope is that by the time they get on

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the plane with a captive audience, their adrenaline subsides and they’re ready to quiet down with an in-flight movie or a nap. Some airports are more amenable to young travelers than others, with a handful cornering the market on family-focused amenities and service. Here’s a tour of 10 of the world’s most kid-friendly airports.

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM of Chicago designed an interactive playground at Chicago O’Hare International Airport appropriately named Kids on the Fly. Located in Terminal 2 past the security checkpoint, the aviation-themed exhibit lets kids fuel up a cargo plane, climb into a fantasy helicopter cockpit and man the air traffic control tower. The area also offers plenty of LEGOs for hours of creative brainstorming and building.

Families can stroll through O’Hare to see one of the world’s largest mounted dinosaurs, the Brachiosaurus. It stands four stories high and is on loan from Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. There’s also a World War II F4F-3 fighter plane replica in Terminal 2 and a hydroponic garden with 26 plant towers to provide a little nature fix. globaltravelerusa.com

ZÜRICH AIRPORT offers its Family Services in departure areas A and E, complete with playrooms stocked with toys, tables and activities to keep kids happy. Older kids can park at the PlayStation to kill time with video games or for a spirited playoff over at the foosball table. There is also a craft workshop for more creative-minded kids who want to work on something to commemorate their trip.

Kids are bound to get banged up now and again, and Zürich Airport is ready to assist with minor issues like getting a BandAid or arranging for medical assistance if needed. Family areas house changing tables for infants, some baby care products and rooms to grab a quiet nap or breastfeed. And parents who need a place to prepare a snack can set up shop in the kitchenette to use the microwave and grab some cutlery and supplies.

performances, the airport also thought ahead to subdue noise by covering nearly two-thirds of its building in carpet, not just for comfort but to dampen the sounds. That adds up when there’s a building full of kids ready to start a mad sprint.

A WAITING ROOM resembling one from the 1930s greets nostalgic travelers at San Francisco International Airport’s Com-

FAMILY ZOnE: Zürich Airport’s Family Services in departure areas A and E Photos: © zÜrich Airport

WIDE-OPEN SPACES where kids can run around and stretch welcome families at Orlando International Airport, including the Hyatt Regency Hotel atrium in the Main Terminal. It also showcases a water fountain with changing flow patterns, palm trees, real plants and natural light. In the airport’s food court, kids cluster around a 3,000-gallon saltwater tank, measuring nearly 8 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter, filled with tropical fish.

Orlando is Disney country, and the airport didn’t get overlooked. Area amusement parks infiltrate the airport with 3D interactive displays from Disney, Universal, Sea World and Kennedy Space Center. Throughout the year, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orlando Ballet and jazz bands provide live entertainment. While music may fill the terminals during

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JOY OF KOI: Changi Airport’s Orchid Garden Photo: © chAnGi Airport

mission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum.

Admission is free for travelers and spreads over 11,500 square feet of the main hall in the International Terminal. Note the exhibit is open only from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is closed on Saturdays and major holidays.

The airport’s SFO Kids’ Spot entertains with a weather-themed playscape complete with interactive colors activated by sound, along with plenty of crawling and climbing areas. Over in Terminal 1, three aquariums furnished by the Steinhart Aquarium and California Academy of Sciences feature a colorful array of curious fish. And for families on a long layover, take the self-guided, educational tour culminating with a small prize from the Information Desk.

SEATTLE–TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT designed a special 1,400-square-foot kids’ area between its Central Terminal and Concourse A outfitted with a padded play space, toy airplanes and cars. There’s also a private nursery with rocking chairs to help soothe babies or unwind in between flights. One small feature, albeit a charming one, is the talking water fountains over on Concourse B that gurgle when you drink.

Restless families can embark on a self-guided, half-mile Sea-Tac Art Walk exploring 16 permanent art installations and rotating temporary exhibits. Kids who aren’t interested in the art can still have fun locating the displayed QR codes guiding parents through each piece and finding information on the artists. Teenagers wander

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over to the airport’s music program with curated videos and discover regional artists with the overhead music displays.

AMSTERDAM AIRPORT Schiphol values its quiet areas designed as relaxation zones with sofas and easy chairs illuminated by faux fireplaces. It’s perfect for teenagers who want to hang out with their tablets and gadgets, or parents who want to recharge after kid-wrangling at one of the play areas. Older kids can also head over to Amsterdam’s famous Rijksmuseum with a branch right in the main terminal. Admission is free for travelers. After a tour through the museum, head next door and sit down with a book from the library.

Located beyond passport control on Holland Boulevard between Piers E and F, Kids’ Forest at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a great place for children to let off a little steam. There’s an open-air observation deck perfect for plane-watchers, and kids run themselves ragged in a forest-like setting complete with tree houses and playground favorites.

CHANGI AIRPORT Singapore charms kids and adults, too, with the world’s first airport Butterfly Garden trimmed with flowering plants and a 20-foot grotto-waterfall. It’s easy to forget you’re even in the airport when you get to Terminal 3, where the garden is home to more than 1,000 butterflies. Travelers can also soak up some fresh air and sun at the airport’s open-air rooftop Cactus globaltravelerusa.com

Garden and Sunflower Garden and stop by the koi pond in the Orchid Garden.

For more serious playtime, head to the children’s playgrounds with climbing structures and slides in terminals 1, 2 and 3. Older kids enjoy the Xbox Kinect Room, watch music videos at the MTV booth or see a movie at the airport’s 24-hour theater. The latter shows the latest blockbuster flicks and offers kid-appropriate options. Changi also holds the distinction of being home to the world’s tallest slide in an airport. Towering at four stories, its spiraling descent reaches speeds of nearly 20 feet per second.

TWO KIDPORT AREAS in terminals A and C at Boston Logan International Airport offer climbing structures, a replica of the airport’s control tower and slides to keep the kids busy while parents browse nearby concessions. Terminal C also showcases vintage airplane climbing structures and carpet that mimics the look of an airfield, along with handpainted walls featuring sky and clouds. Beyond playtime, Boston Logan is peppered with rocking chairs to relax or cuddle infants and sleepy toddlers. Designated rooms for nursing mothers, family restrooms and kid-friendly concessions are also nearby.

MINNEAPOLIS–ST. PAUL International Airport features

two children’s play areas on Concourse C at Terminal 1-Lindbergh and Level 2. Kids can play on the mock airplane and air traffic control tower with slides. Adult seating areas with electric outlets are nearby for chaperoning parents who want to plug in for a few minutes and unwind. The airport even has a vending machine in Terminal 1 near the children’s play area stocked with diapers and wipes and other necessary baby items. Nursing mothers can find a quiet spot in the nursing room to bond with their babies in private.

For travelers based in the Minneapolis area, the Navigating Autism program is designed to help guide families with children with autism through the steps of an airport visit all the way to finding their seats on a plane. Parents can register for one of the program’s events by visiting the airport website.

OREGON’S PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL Airport may not be one of the world’s busiest, but it keeps families with kids in mind. Head to the play areas prior to security near concourses D and E, and beyond security in Concourse C. A jungle gym with padded surfaces, slides, toy telescope, play cars and children’s TV channels keep kids busy. The airport also makes it easy to sneak into the city for a quick ride on the light rail before heading back to catch a flight.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol schiphol.nl Boston Logan International Airport massport.com/logan-airport Changi Airport Singapore changiairport.com Chicago O’Hare International Airport flychicago.com/ohare Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport mspairport.com Orlando International Airport orlandoairports.net Portland International Airport portofportland.com San Francisco International Airport flysfo.com Seattle–Tacoma International Airport portseattle.org/sea-tac Zürich Airport zurich-airport.com

PLAYSCAPE: Children’s play area at Portland International Airport Photo: © Port oF PortlaND

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Behind the Wheel Double the driving pleasure with just the right vehicle for your road trip. BY RICHArd NEWTOn

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hich comes first, the road or the vehicle? Will your trip be about scenery or about the pure pleasure of being behind the wheel?

The world is full of great roads. They’ll take you along picturesque coastlines, winding up through high mountains and between idyllic towns and villages. Often a functional rental car will suffice; the main joy of the journey is the unfolding view.

But in some exclusive locations, the success of the trip can hinge on choosing an appropriate car. Is it better to drive through France’s Côte d’Azur anonymously in a Toyota or in a head-turning Ferrari?

The upscale rental company Europe Luxury Car Hire has offices in several European countries, including Monaco, the spiritual home of the supercar. From $800–1,700 per day, you can rent a Ferrari or Lamborghini. The high roads around Monaco offer spectacular driving, but why rent an expensive car if you’re not going to make the most of being seen in it? Monaco has the most glamorous traffic

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WAY TO gO: A luxury car in front of Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco Photo: © rostislAv Glinsky | DreAMstiMe.coM

jams in the world. So put the top down, rev the engine and savor the attention from passersby as you inch your way around the streets of Monte Carlo.

Iceland offers the other extreme of matching a vehicle to an environment. The rugged, volcanic interior represents some of the least vehicle-friendly terrain on Earth. You certainly need an SUV, but not just any SUV. It must be modified to cope with snow and ice, rocks and raging rivers.

The Nissan Patrol Arctic features reinforced suspension, higher ground clearance, a toughened drive system and a roof-mounted snorkel exhaust. This highly specialized vehicle is available for rent from Geysir Car Rental from $275 per day or $1,780 for a week. In contrast to most rental companies, who specify that their vehicles can only be driven on paved roads, Geysir expects you to tackle the remotest, roughest tracks.

All too often when we pick up a rental car, we set off as soon as we complete the paperwork and have the keys in hand. And yet, in unfamiliar countries, in strange vehicles, it is essential to spend some time preparing for the local conditions and getting to know the vehicle. If you’re going to drive a stick shift vehicle in left-hand globaltravelerusa.com

traffic, it’s worth plotting a route that won’t plunge you directly into a downtown rush hour.

Driving on the “wrong” side of the road is the most obvious adjustment traveling drivers might have to make. Countries that drive on the left include the United Kingdom, Ireland, most of South and East Africa, much of the Caribbean, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Other local driving laws are less apparent, though ignorance is not accepted as an excuse. Visiting drivers are required to know, for instance, that in France it is mandatory to carry in the vehicle two roadside warning triangles, a breathalyzer kit, spare headlight bulbs, a fire extinguisher and a high-visibility jacket. In Spain, it is illegal for drivers who wear prescription eyeglasses not to have a spare pair with them. In Thailand, it is an offense to drive without a shirt on. In Sweden, it is compulsory to drive with your headlights on, even in daylight. And in Saudi Arabia, if you are a woman, you are not allowed to drive at all.

The U.S. Department of State provides advice for Americans driving overseas on its website. Adhering to local laws is just one consideration. More importantly, the website points out hundreds of American citizens are killed or injured on foreign roads each year. Road conditions are often hazardous, and driving standards can be below the level you are used to.

South Africa is one place in which the rewards of self-driving compensate for the risks. Although the country has one of the

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highest rates of carjacking, rental vehicles are seldom targeted. The high accident rate is more indiscriminate (208 fatalities per 100,000 vehicles, compared to 15 per 100,000 in the United States), with alcohol often a contributory factor. It is advisable to avoid driving at night and to minimize journeys on the weekends.

Cedarberg African Travel provides a range of self-drive options in South Africa. The biggest draw for self-drivers is the famous 140-mile Garden Route along the south coast, from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay. The scenery is spectacular, with lagoons, whitesand beaches, ancient forests and tracts of countryside carpeted in wildflowers. The area’s popularity with tourists ensures there is no shortage of things to do and places to eat and stay along the way.

For all its beauty, some visitors may be disappointed that the Garden Route does not meet their preconceptions of Africa. It is lush and temperate, and many of the towns and villages feel distinctly European. For a stronger flavor of Africa, drive east across the Highveld from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park, an area of protected wilderness the size of New Jersey. Here drivers must cope with a new danger: wild animals. Kruger’s elephants have been known to turn vehicles over, so visitors should always approach with caution and be prepared to make a quick getaway if an elephant charges.

Animals also present a hazard for self-drivers in Australia. Kangaroos often bound into the path of passing vehicles, sometimes crashing straight through the windshield. That aside,

South Africa is one place in which the rewards of self-driving compensate for the risks.

ROAd BLOCK: A giraffe stands on a road in Kruger Park, South Africa.

Photo: © uros RAvBAr | DreAMstiMe.coM

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COASTAL ROUTE: The Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia (above), and a view along the Great Ocean Road (left) Photos: © Bo li | DreAMstiMe.coM; © JF123 | DreAMstiMe.coM

much of Australia offers a relatively easy driving environment, with excellent roads on the main routes and relatively sparse traffic outside of the cities.

One of the driving highlights is the Great Ocean Road, a 150-mile coastal route in the southern state of Victoria. The most famous landmark, a collection of offshore limestone stacks known as the Twelve Apostles, is steadily being whittled away by the power of the Southern Ocean. Following the most recent collapse in 2005, only eight of the stacks remain standing.

Drivers face a much tougher challenge on the 2,000-mile Savannah Way, which crosses the Outback of northern Australia, coast to coast from Cairns to Broome — a journey that shouldn’t be approached lightly. With appropriate preparation and a suitable SUV, one of the world’s greatest driving adventures takes you along remote roads on which you will often drive for hours without seeing any other vehicles. Alternatively, opt for an escorted tour on the eastern section of the Savannah Way, from Cairns to Normanton, with local company Wilderness Challenge.

South America offers a wide spectrum of self-drive options,

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from expeditions through the deserts and mountains of Chile and Argentina (the backdrop for the world’s toughest vehicle race, the Dakar Rally) to a sedate meander through Chile’s beautiful Lake District. Chile Discover covers all options with its self-drive itineraries.

Brazil is less amenable to self-drive tours. In cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, only über-confident drivers should consider renting a vehicle. The traffic is often exceptionally heavy, and the local driving style tends to be aggressive. One exception is the wine region of Rio Grande do Sul around the southern city of Porto Alegre. Brazil Ecojourneys offers a three-day self-drive tour based in a rural hotel and visiting local wineries.

In Europe, one of the most daunting aspects of self-driving is the prospect of having to find your way through the medieval streets of ancient cities, often while battling unrelenting traffic. Fortunately, most rental cars now come with a GPS navigator, helping to unravel the impenetrable mysteries of European one-way systems.

Autotours Europe offers self-drive tours throughout the continent, with itineraries based in a single country (for example, an eight-day tour of Portugal) or the option to cross through several countries (for instance, a 15-day tour visiting Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Vienna). If you prefer undemanding roads, you can confine yourself to the Low Countries (Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg), driving through flat, open countryside. By contrast, a tour of Austria and Switzerland will take you through the Alps, on switchback roads traversing snow-covered mountain passes.

Perhaps the ultimate European driving destination is the Scottish Highlands. The roads are generally quiet, wending through brackencovered hills from one glassy loch to the next. You can stay overnight in castles and take advantage of the superb fly-fishing in crystalline mountain streams. All you need to lift the trip to perfection is a fitting car.

The Scotland-based tour company McKinlay Kidd can help you with that. They offer a range of itineraries with cars to match. You can cross the country in a Mini Cooper; visit a succession of 5-star hotels in a Ferrari 360 Spider; or take a tour of locations from James Bond movies in an Aston Martin DB9, overnighting on a private island.

Motor vehicles are not simply a mode of transport. They can be so much more. In the right vehicle, in the right place, nothing can beat the thrill of getting into the driver’s seat, starting the engine and hitting the open road.

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Perhaps the ultimate European driving destination is the Scottish Highlands. The roads are generally quiet, wending through bracken-covered hills from one glassy loch to the next.

THE HIgH ROAd: A view of the Quiraing Mountains, Scottish Highlands Photo: © MArtin MolcAn

Autotours Europe autotourseurope.com

geysir Car Rental Iceland geysir.is

Brazil Ecojourneys brazilecojourneys.com

The great Ocean Road visitgreatoceanroad.org.au

Cedarberg African Travel cedarberg-travel.com

McKinlay Kidd seescotlanddifferently.co.uk/touring-scotland

Chile discover chilediscover.com

The Savannah Way savannahway.com.au

Europe Luxury Car Hire europeluxurycarhire.com

U.S. department of State travel.state.gov

garden Route gardenroute.co.za

Wilderness Challenge www.wilderness-challenge.com.au

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Sentimental Journeys

Travel back in time on an authentic vintage vacation. BY ILONA KAUREMSZkY

U

p at the crack of dawn, ready to roll down the highway for the annual family vacation — remember when everyone packed into the car, the folks up front and the pillow-toting kids slumbering in the backseat because Dad insisted an early start would get you to the destination sooner?

Back then, vacations meant old-timey log cabins tucked in a wooded area by a lake. By night, fireside chats with the occasional raccoon sighting made for great bedtime stories. By day, hikes and lake dips became fodder years later for nostalgic dreams.

Today there’s a growing trend of capturing the essence of distant memories and perhaps a simpler time. Many iconic destinations have held mass appeal since President Teddy Roosevelt first walked the secluded swath of Yellowstone National Park.

Most of these haunts haven’t changed much, save for a nip or tuck here and there and, of course, a bow to modern amenities. Plenty of these experiences cross niche markets like experiential or senior travel.

Grandparents head back with their grandkids while executives head out on nature retreats. Personalization is huge, and so is the demand for authenticity.

ACROSS AMERICA, VINTAGE has huge street cred. Just take a look at the roster of annual fairs, flea markets and authentic street festivals as vendors and collectors unite.

For the great outdoors, the U.S. National Park Service maintains a host of spots to turn back the clock. Xanterra Parks and Resorts, the biggest operator of lodges and concessions in national parks like Yellowstone National Park and Zion National Park, joined the “made in America” movement. Find nationally produced traditional gift shop items and set your smartphone clock by Old Faithful. Most park buildings post prediction times of the historic geyser’s eruptions.

For sleep, nothing beats the iconic American Airstream camper trailer. Check out a cluster of them at The Shady Dell trailer park in Arizona for a mid-century slumber.

KOA rents out a bunch of the iconic chrome four-wheeler rigs at specified campgrounds across the country. Retro campers can’t get enough at state parks, either. Kentucky is home to a slew of river stone-faced gems, many located in the Daniel Boone National Forest with BYOL (bring your own linen) at some lodgings.

Think camping extraordinaire in the tree-lush Adirondacks. Once owned by the Vanderbilts, Lake Kora’s historic lakefront property is a classic throwback with lodgings mired in nature but offers plenty of luxury for the modern-day camper, including a gourmet chef on the premises. Connect with the company’s BeautifulPlaces concierge to arrange the dream-come-true vacation.

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OLd RELIABLES: The Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone National Park (above), and an Airstream camper (left) Photos: © Joseph HelFenBerGer | DreAMstiMe.coM; © ChArlotte LeAper | DreAMstiMe.coM

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“Bookings are up for this type of camping as people really want off-the-grid getaways,” says Arlene Winnick, communications director, BeautifulPlaces — who adds that VIPs particularly crave privacy and luxury.

On the posh side, industrialists of the day demonstrated their love of nature. Among the Fortune 500 companies, Laurance Rockefeller of the Rockefeller oil and banking dynasty created a fabulous bungalow seaside haven inside Virgin Islands National Park, a park he established on St. John. Unplug in the ultimate nature sanctuary — no phones, no televisions and accessible only by boat. Immerse in Mother Nature at Caneel Bay and watch the surf roll in on Hawksnest Beach. The fabulous ’50s architecture meshes seamlessly with the recreational activities: tennis, hiking, water sports and, of course, the sumptuous sundown candle-lit dinners.

At Colonial Williamsburg, watch history unfold as interpreters re-enact the olden days. Kids can dress up and participate in activities such as planting seeds and learning traditional salutes. Sip tea with a costumed interpreter, play the piano and spend hours wandering the massive site housing countless buildings like the Governor’s Palace. This fully restored living museum, another project with a Rockefeller connection (Laurance’s father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., restored one of the nation’s treasures), casts its spell on the history buff ’s imagination and remains a favorite destination for young and old.

The Leave It to Beaver cast would probably approve walking the streets of historic Palm Springs, sprawling in mid-century homes and manicured lawns.

Sign up for a walking tour, dine at the renowned Melvyn’s Restaurant, order a dry martini Rat Pack-style and hit the golf greens once graced by funny man Bob Hope, legendary in these parts along with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood greats.

Retro amusement park hubs like New York’s Coney Island are swinging back post-Hurricane Sandy. Roller coasters, Nathan’s famous hot dogs and the lively midways are Americana classics in this vivid pop culture landscape. Watch for the return of the legendary Thunderbolt roller coaster at Luna Park at Coney Island this year.

By the Wreck Bar at Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, visitors sight mermaids in a thrilling underwater swim show called the MeduSirena, staged since the 1950s, and organizers report there’s no shortage of them. Expect a vintage act on Friday and Saturday nights.

Lovers of Annie Oakley and Sitting Bull head to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Wyoming to rekindle the Western era. Crowds flock here for powwows, museum treks and family programs. For Old West fun and cowboy re-enactments in Yuma, Ariz., groups dress up as cowboys and replay gun-toting skills at the annual Gathering of the Gunfighters held at the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park.

Empty-nesters rekindle the old days in a throwback trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Not just budget- and family-friendly, high luxe meets its match. Overnight at the posh Marina Inn at Grande Dunes, a AAA 4-diamond award-winner, and rewind time along Myrtle Beach’s 60 miles of yesteryear. Peaches Corner, Myrtle Beach’s oldest eatery, serves its famous burgers and shakes on the boardwalk; and Fat Harold’s offers free shag dancing lessons on Tuesday nights.

Door County, Wisc., is synonymous with nostalgia. Old-fashioned crowdpleasers — like a family-run vintage drive-in movie theater — bustle in summer as the family-packed vehicles line up for a spot. By day, cycle across the quaint towns and take a break at one of the cafés or ice cream shops that dot Green Bay and the Lake Michigan shoreline. globaltravelerusa.com

LIvIng HISTORY: A shopkeeper at Colonial Williamsburg Photo: © AviahuisManphotoGraphy | DreaMstiMe.coM

BRITANNIA ALSO RULES for old-fashioned fun. The Downton Abbey TV craze translates into some doozy holidays; in the United Kingdom, you can act like a laird or enjoy refined relaxation like actress Maggie Smith’s dowager countess.

Scotland’s been vintage vacation territory for TV’s Crawley family and even Queen Elizabeth. Seemingly around the bend from the royal summer home of Balmoral Castle in Cairngorms National Park deep in the Highlands is another wondrous locale, the Strathspey Estate, also located in the park. While the house was built in the 18th century, expect comfy lodgings big on tartan carpets, roaring fires and fabulous river-view nooks. With the country promoting Homecoming Scotland 2014, dare to vacation like the Scots. The Highlands exude pure bliss.

The Historic Houses Association represents 1,500 homes, castles and gardens sprinkled across Britain, many owned by dukes and duchesses, boasting modern amenities and sumptuous settings. About 300 HHA houses are open to the public for day visitors.

Pick any major city across the U.K. and find classic vacations that tug at the heartstrings. London’s huge roster of attractions includes some fabulous, inspiring old haunts. Head to the Grosvenor House for afternoon tea and later enjoy a shaken-not-stirred martini at Dukes, where James Bond creator Ian Fleming was a regular. The former earned “The Tea Guild Special Award of Excellence 2013” for its exceptional experience, while high-brow publications laud the latter as “The hotel bar which some say concocts one of the world’s best martinis.”

On Burgh Island off England’s south Devon Coast, a posh hotel aptly named after the isle has attracted glitterati like Edward and Wallis Windsor since the Roaring Twenties. Sit in the Palm Court at the Peacock Bar for cocktails and classic tales. Suites bear the names of pre-War guests — Noel Coward and Agatha Christie among them — and the modern menu changes daily.

Quintessentially English, the Cotswolds revs up its vintage tours with the Best of Britain on four favorite routes. Rent bespoke vintage wear, get behind 2014 | Leisure Lifestyle | 45

RETRO-FIT: Canadian-based Porter Airlines’ flight crew sport 1950s-inspired uniforms.

Photo: © Porter Airlines

Buffalo Bill Center of the West centerofthewest.org Burgh Island Hotel burghisland.com Caneel Bay caneelbay.com Colonial Williamsburg history.org Coney Island coneyislandfunguide.com Cotswolds Vintage and Modern cotswoldsvintagetours.com Discover America discoveramerica.com Door County Visitor Bureau doorcounty.com Dukes London dukeshotel.com Fat Harold’s Beach Club fatharolds.com Gainsborough Bath Spa www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk 46 | Leisure Lifestyle | 2014

the wheel of a classic car and roll out the map to pick your classic road trip.

Health spas kick up the options, too. In Jane Austen country, Bath (the city synonymous with Roman baths and the U.K.’s No. 1 spa destination) prepares to welcome Britain’s first natural thermal spa hotel, the 5-star Gainsborough Bath Spa, which will open this year in the heart of Bath, an ideal spot for city sightseeing.

WITH VINTAGE VACATIONS, getting there is half the fun. Some companies foster elegance in their classic approach to travel. Airlines in the fashionable ’50s saw passengers and crew dressed to the nines.

Porter Airlines, a Canadian company, looks to regal haute air travel as cabin crew — donned in 1950s-inspired wear designed by Canadian fashion house Pink Tartan — dish out snacks and offer libations for their short hauls.

The ultimate river cruise harks back to a time when indulging in leisure meant a long, slow journey sailing past breathtaking scenery. These days, time-starved travelers still wish to cruise but without the long voyages. Splurge on shorter jaunts to match memorable discoveries.

Ever since Thomas Cook took passengers on a magical cruise down the Nile River in the 1800s, travelers have had a love affair with Ancient Egypt. The stretch between Aswan and Luxor passes ancient temples, the wondrous desert and Bedouin villages clinging to the riverbanks.

U.S.-owned Sonesta Collection’s Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya offers an unparalleled luxury cruise experience. Find bow-tied dining service, gourmet cuisine and customized day excursions with an Egyptologist. The traditional small vessel reminiscent of luxury cruises in the 1920s is furnished in teak with Occidental themes. It’s the classic Nile Gathering of the Gunfighters Peaches Corner Café River cruise at its best. gatheringofthegunfighters.com peaches-corner.com In Europe, Uniworld River Cruises, the awardwinning U.S. company offering boutique luxury Grosvenor House Porter Airlines cruises along legendary waterways, continues to marriott.com flyporter.com push the envelope in its flawless portfolio and fleet.

Expect white-gloved dinner service, exceptional The Historic Houses Association Scotland National cuisine, the finest wines and custom-made furhha.org.uk Tourism Organization nishings that mirror the haute living. visitscotland.com Kentucky State Parks Rail travel once held huge glamour, too. Pasparks.ky.gov The Shady Dell sengers clad in their Sunday best marveled at the theshadydell.com new steam engine technology as they peered at KOA the storybook countryside from plush cabins. The koa.com/unique-accommodations Sonesta Amirat Dahabeya Orient-Express from Paris to İstanbul was the sonesta.com/nilecruises Lake Kora highly sought-after ticket of the day before World beautiful-places.com Strathspey Estate War I. Lovers of Agatha Christie’s iconic novel www.strathspey-estate.co.uk Murder on the Orient Express are in for a treat.

Marina Inn at Grande Dunes Recreate the ambience on a classic British Pullman marinainnatgrandedunes.com Uniworld River Cruises or Northern Belle and embark on a shortened rail uniworld.com route aboard the Venice-Simplon Orient-Express.

MeduSirena Those stainless steel, streamlined rail cabins medusirena.com Venice Simplon-Orientfrom the 1950s are fabulous when traveling VIA Express Melvyn’s Restaurant Rail Canada’s The Canadian. The cross-country vsoe.com inglesideinn.com rail journey features an exceptional dining car VIA Rail and a glass-roofed vista dome car ideal for critterNational Park Service viarail.ca watching in Banff and the Rockies. nps.gov With the abundant collection of yesteryear Xanterra Parks and Resorts Palm Springs journeys, that trip down memory lane doesn’t xanterra.com pswalkingtours.com sound old-fashioned after all. globaltravelerusa.com

GT Tested Awards Ballot

Please write in your personal favorites, based on your own experience, on the line next to each of the following categories.

PLeAse MAiL tHe COMPLeted survey tO: kevin ryan, citrin cooperman & company, llP, 1800 JFk Blvd., 20th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 | or FAX to 215 545 4810 | or vote online at globaltravelerusa.com/gt-tested-awards-ballot

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OtHer Best overseas Delivery Program ______________________________________________ rental car company____________________________________________________ tourism Destination_____________________________________________________ Mice city _____________________________________________________________ (Meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) wiFi service___________________________________________________________ wireless Phone service in the world______________________________________ noise-canceling headsets_______________________________________________ luggage Brand_________________________________________________________ travel App_____________________________________________________________ travel camera__________________________________________________________ Credit Cards Best overall credit card_________________________________________________ credit card rewards Program____________________________________________ Frequent-stay Affinity credit card ________________________________________ Promotions________________________________________________________ Benefits___________________________________________________________ redemptions_______________________________________________________ Frequent-Flyer Affinity credit card________________________________________ Promotions________________________________________________________ Benefits___________________________________________________________ redemptions_______________________________________________________ Best cruise line Affinity credit card______________________________________ *Brunei, cambodia, laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, singapore, thailand and vietnam

Picture W Perfect Take your best shot to preserve your travel memories in photos.

BY ELLeN CLARK

gREAT gEAR: DSLR cameras offer the most options.

Photo: © DAniel rAustAdt | DreAMstiMe.coM

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hether it’s a family vacation to Disneyland, a Caribbean cruise, a honeymoon in Paris or a trek through the Andes, chances are you’re going to take photos. The advent of smartphone and tablet cameras means more travel photographs are being taken than ever before; but while snapping a photo is a no-brainer, taking well-composed and engaging images requires some thought, a little basic knowledge and practice.

With the death of film and the rise of digital, it’s ridiculously inexpensive to take photos. Back in the day, you’d think twice about shooting oodles of rolls of film because not only did each roll cost money, processing the resulting shots also came with a price. This tended to discourage overshooting. Today, since there’s almost no initial financial output except for the camera itself and no processing fees after the fact, people are often seen wildly taking shots of anything and everything with little regard to the finished result. Consequently, while there are more travel photos than ever before, there are also more bad travel photos than ever before — just take a look on various social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

The kind of equipment you use to take travel photos depends on what results you’re looking for, how much you

want to spend and what you plan to do with the images after the trip is over. If all you want to do is record your trip, then a smartphone or tablet is fine.

If you are interested in taking more thoughtful photos and having a little more flexibility, there are a plethora of “point-and-shoot” cameras on the market. They cost anywhere from under $50 to more than $500, depending on the quality of the lens, the number of megapixels and other options.

More serious photographers are probably going to want to go with a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera. This is the most expensive option, but it also offers the most flexibility. With a DSLR, you view the scene through the lens, which means you see exactly what you are taking, which is not the case when you view it on a screen. Another big advantage is being able to use interchangeable lenses.

I’m of the opinion good photographs can be taken regardless of whether you’re using a smartphone or an expensive DSLR. Granted, the more sophisticated the equipment, the more options, but the age-old saying remains true: It’s not the camera that determines the quality of the photograph, but the person in back of the camera.

It comes down to the photographer’s ability to create a globaltravelerusa.com

well-composed and interesting image. Some people just seem to be born with this talent, but even those to whom this does not come naturally can greatly improve the quality of their images by adhering to a few simple rules.

Watch out for what a photographer friend of mine calls “Centeritus.” Ninety percent of the time you will wind up with a pretty boring photo if the main subject is dead center. Which brings us to what might possibly be the most famous principle of photographic composition, the rule of thirds. Basically it amounts to visually splitting your potential image into three even segments both vertically and horizontally, making nine squares. The theory is that by placing principle points of interest in the intersections or along the lines, the photo will be well-balanced and more pleasing to the eye. As with any rule, there are exceptions, but especially for beginning photographers, it’s a good rule to remember.

Be sure your photo has a definite point of interest. Many amateur photographers try to get the whole panorama into one photo. By focusing on the most interesting part of the scene, the viewer will be drawn into the photo, rather than madly scanning it for somewhere for the eye to land.

Focus on details. Sometimes shooting a detail of something or someone can produce the strongest image. An architectural detail of a famous building or just the hands of a person can frequently produce a striking and thought-provoking image.

When you’re shooting an iconic image like Buckingham Palace or the Golden Gate Bridge, look for a different angle; have something interesting in the foreground or concentrate on a detail that will still let the viewer know where it was shot.

Don’t always shoot the photo at eye level. Vary your vantage point by crouching down or shooting from above. And remember to look above and below eye level for objects to shoot. By fully surveying an area, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the interesting things you find to photograph that would be completely overlooked if you’d just breezed along looking straight ahead.

Watch your backgrounds. A cluttered, distracting background detracts from the main subject. If the primary subject is a person, if possible have the person move somewhere with less going on.

Avoid photographing people in direct sunlight. This can create unwanted shadows and bright spots. Move your subjects into some open shade, where the lighting is softer and more even.

Also make sure there isn’t a tree, power pole or something else that appears to be growing out of their heads.

The thought of approaching an interesting-looking person in a foreign country and asking to take his or her photograph can be overwhelmingly intimidating, particularly to inexperienced shooters. This explains why you will see so many people trying to “sneak” a shot. It definitely takes some practice, and initially a SHOOTIng STRATEgIES: The rule of thirds applies in this photo of Wellington, New Zealand’s iconic harborfront sculpture (top); shooting people out of direct sunlight prevents unwanted shadows (middle); and shooting from a crouching position creates an interesting vantage point (bottom).

Photos: © ellen clArk

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little nerve, but approaching your potential subject, smiling and indicating you’d like to snap a photograph will pay off enormously where the final result is concerned. I do this a lot, and I have to say at least 90 percent of the people I approach are willing to have their picture taken. Sometimes the initial pose is too stiff, but by establishing a sort of mini-rapport, they usually loosen up and I get the shot I’m looking for. If they refuse, I thank them and move on.

Creativity and looking beyond the ordinary is what separates an average travel photo from an exceptional one. There are literally trillions of travel images out there — just check the Internet — and most are of subject matter that’s been done to death. When you’re in an area swarming with people taking photos, such as the Eiffel Tower, for example, take the shot if you must and then move on.

Head down a neighborhood street and keep a lookout for interesting details like doors, windows, shadows or slices of Parisian life — such as a woman carrying a fresh baguette or a young couple dressed in denim and leather walking hand in hand by centuries-old buildings.

Carrying creativity one step further, walk on the wild side and take some pictures with your camera tilted at some wonky angle, or photograph people or things in motion. Most of these will probably wind up being deleted, but you just might get one shot that’s amazing.

So you arrive home with a phone, tablet or memory cards full of travel photos — now what?

Guaranteed no one is going to want to see hundreds of anyone’s vacation photos, yet we’ve probably all had to wait patiently while a friend or family member scrolls through dozens of shots, saying, “Just a second, it’s here somewhere. It’s such a cool photo.”

I know people who never sort through their photos, never delete the crummy shots — and trust me, everyone, pros included, have crummy shots — and just jam up their electronic devices with never-to-be-seenagain photos. They’re missing an opportunity to have a wonderful reminder of the trip for years to come.

I download all my photos into a file on my computer. Then I delete the bad or multiple shots and make a folder of my favorites. I go online and make a photo book, which is the 21st century’s answer to a photo album, only less labor-intensive.

Scores of online companies have easy-to-use templates that can be understood by even the most computer-illiterate person. These books vary in size, number of pages and quality, and the price can start from as little as $10. I use Blurb, which has lots of options, produces good results and is reasonably priced. If instant gratification is your thing, there are photo centers in pharmacies and retailers where you can make a book and have the finished project in your hands in an hour. As far as I’m concerned, a photo book is about the best souvenir you can have of that once-in-a-lifetime trip, and it’s a perfect tool to show off your best photos in a way your friends and family will enjoy.

CreAtive APPrOACHes: Wonky angles in Venice, Italy (top); a Mongolian horse and rider in motion (middle); and a photo book created through an online service (bottom) Photos: © ellen clArk

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