OLTRE - Volume 2: The Barefoot Issue

ÓL·TRE

Wishyouwerehere!

OLTRE is an Italian word meaning “over, above and beyond.” And that’s what travel advisors strive to do for our clients: to go beyond the expected with every trip we plan.

Please enjoy this issue of OLTRE magazine with our compliments. It’s filled with inspiration and ideas for your next trip – so let us know when you’re ready to travel beyond. We have the expertise, advice and connections to get you there in style.

Global Travel Collection

212-755-4550

hello@globaltravelcollection.com

Drew Escriva

Venice, Italy

-

Photo by Steve McCurry

OLTRE VOLUME 2 CONTENTS THE BAREFOOT ISSUE 8

AT A GLANCE

66

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

20

St. Barths

Every issue of OLTRE has its own soundtrack. Our Volume 2 playlist captures the Caribbean island vibe of Sand Bar at Eden Rock resort. Listen now.

BLOCK PARTY

32

Sydney, Australia

This issue’s mini art gallery shines the spotlight on photographer Brad Walls, who found his aerial niche in the contrasting worlds of swimmers and ballerinas.

Maui, Hawaii

The art and craft of bespoke surfboard shaping is alive and well on Maui, and these are the master shapers to know.

Jaipur, India

Rajasthan’s new “it” designer tells meaningful stories with one-of-a-kind dresses, available by appointment only.

HEAD TRIP

54

Hollywood, California

At the most famous pool in the world, swimming is optional, being glamorous is not. Hollywood stories have been made and celebrated here for decades. This summer at the star-studded Beverly Hills Hotel pool will be another to remember.

36

Yucatán and Quintana Roo, Mexico

Caribbean Islands 40

BRINGING IT HOME

Metahara, Ethiopia

Around the World

The vacation doesn’t have to end, as long as you save room in your suitcase for this season’s most fashionable hotel keepsakes.

Mediterranean

We stowed away for the maiden season of the Scenic Eclipse II, which just like its predecessor is sleek, stylish and nimble. Plus: the latest from Crystal, Windstar and more.

THE LEGEND

Around the World

The ultimate spa circuit, plus hot new galleries, restaurants, events and more from Bali, Bangkok, London, Paris, Seoul, Singapore and more.

New York, USA

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

As the scaffolding comes down following a celebratory facelift, The

The world’s great reefs are dying. But it’s not too late to save them. If you dive, here’s how you can help.

Documentary photographer Joey Lawrence spent 13 years focusing his lens on regions of Ethiopia that even the most frequent travelers to East Africa have never seen.

She defined graceful power as a ballerina. Now Susan Jaffe is on a mission to remake the theater company that made her famous.

Copa in Rio de Janeiro is ready for her close-up.

Summer State of Mind

Grammarians may disagree, but the notion of summer as a verb holds a certain allure. It doubles as jet-setter jargon (“We summer in Aspen”) but, more important, it serves as a reminder to be intentional about how we spend our days and not let this ephemeral season slip by. “Summering” is a conscious mindset to actively pursue, even if the pursuit is to do nothing at all.

No matter its definition, summer in the Western Hemisphere calls for a more relaxed approach to living, with longer days, warmer temperatures and, preferably, plenty of vacation dates on the calendar. Our second volume of OLTRE, “The Barefoot Issue,” aims to capture that laidback, sultry vibe and is filled with inspiration on where and how to relax and recharge. Case in point: our massive destination guide to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Editorial director Brad A. Johnson, who once lived in the region, set off on a thousand-mile drive to personally check out the latest developments that are upping the luxury ante there. In the resulting feature, you’ll find insight on the best places to stay, spa, dine and explore, as well as what’s new, what to do and even what to wear. For the latter, design director Devin Duckworth orchestrated multi-day photo shoots, complete with models, extensive

wardrobe changes and at least a couple fully-clothed dips in a villa pool. (Behind-the-scenes from Devin: “A monkey interrupted our photo shoot at the Rosewood Mayakoba bar – apparently he’s a regular there, and his antics were very funny.”)

There’s much more in this issue, so kick off your shoes and dive in. Please let us know how and where you summer at editors@oltremag.com . We’d love to hear from you.

Elaine Srnka

Senior Vice President, Editorial

BY THE NUMBERS:

Our editorial director’s Mexico trip

912 miles driven

4 miles on a bike

8 hotel check-ins

16 photo shoots (restaurants and hotels)

5 chef interviews

3,337 images captured 10 minutes relaxing on the beach

The World’s Most Awarded Safar i O utfitter

A safari is unlike any other experience and Micato Safaris is unlike any other company: For every safari sold, we send a child to school.

Contact your travel advisor for more information.

TEN -TIME #1 WINNER: World’s Best Safari Outfitter, Travel+Leisure

Micato is the only tour company in the Travel+Leisure Hall of Fame

FIVE-TIME WINNER: World Savers Award For Education and Doing It All, Conde Nast Traveler

Cruises

Destinations

Hotel Marketing

Hotel Programs

In-Country Partners

Partner Marketing

Advertising Sales

Beth Butzlaff

Pam Young

Brian Hegarty

Alexandra Rivera

Pam Meehan

Haisley Smith

Stephen McGillivray

Lisa Calderone-Spierings

Laurelei Papajani

Senior Vice President, Editorial Vice President, Publishing

Editorial Director

Design Director

Copy Editor

International Correspondents

Contributors

Elaine Srnka

Laura Sport

Brad A. Johnson

Devin Duckworth

Jennifer Weston

Sara Lieberman (Paris), Kathryn Romeyn (Bali), Chris Schalkx (Bangkok), Laura Schooling (London)

Taliha Abdiel, Addison Bailey, Tripp Bowers, Cecilia Carlstedt, Ella Cepeda, Tanvi Chheda, Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla, Kaelin Dodge, Amber Duarte, Jonja Escorcia, Pavielle Garcia, Martin Giroud, Elaine Glusac, Alejandra Guilmant, Amy Hixson, Malena Ibarra, Anna Kato, Leslie Kirchoff, Kelly McLaughlin, Fran Endicott Miller, Teddy Minford, Jen Murphy, Joana Pozzi, Tahnei Roy, Ramona Saviss, Maile Sur, Gabriel Tesserolli

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Account Management

Marni Becker

Marshall Davenport

Melissa Dobmeier

Dennis Grunden

Catherine Johns

Kim Kearns

Ronald Laing

Sinead O’Connell

Loyde Pires

Jeanne Watters

Danielle Whitmore

Direct advertising inquiries to advertising@oltremag.com

INTERNOVA TRAVEL GROUP

Chief Executive Officer

President, Global Travel Collection

President, Travel Leaders Group

Chief Financial Officer

Chief Information Officer

Select Hotel Rate Key

$ = Under $500

$$ = $500 - $1,000

$$$ = $1,000 - $1,500

$$$$ = Over $1,500

J.D. O’Hara

Angie Licea

John Lovell

Robert Klug

Jeremy Van Kuyk

Categories reflect average midseason rate for standard room. Your travel advisor can secure complimentary Select perks such as hotel credits, breakfast for two, early check-in/late check-out (based on availability) and other extras.

ON THE FRONT COVER:

Shot on location at Esencia Mansion. Photography by Karla Lisker.

ON THE BACK COVER:

Shot on location at Wailea Resorts. Photography by Tahnei Roy.

GTC Marketing

Elizabeth Broehl

Cortney Woody

Jocelyn Acosta

Felipe Castro

Strategic Development

Public Relations

Josh Stevens

Gina Nisi

Executive Vice President, Partner Relations

Executive Vice President, Partner Relations

Senior Vice President, Public Relations

Albert Herrera

Peter Vlitas

Elizabeth Gaerlan

OLTRE is published quarterly by Internova Travel Group, one of the largest travel services companies in the world. Internova brands represent more than 100,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a presence in more than 80 countries. Publisher assumes no responsibility for representations or changes to travel information and pricing described herein, which are subject to change and availability, and restrictions may apply. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written consent of Publisher. Direct editorial and subscription inquiries to editors@oltremag.com and advertising requests to advertising@oltremag.com. Internova Travel Group is headquartered at 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; Internova.com. Copyright © 2023 Internova Travel Group.

HUMANS OF VOLUME 2

Summer 2023

Brad A. Johnson Editorial Director Orange County, California

Devin Duckworth Design Director Los Angeles, California

Effy Betancourt Cover Model Mexico City, Mexico

Cecilia Carlstedt Illustration Artist Stockholm, Sweden

Tanvi Chheda Writer Los Angeles, California

Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla Writer Santa Monica, California

Martin Giroud Field Producer Maui, Hawaii

Alexandra French Makeup Artist Los Angeles, California

Kelly McLaughlin Writer/Photographer Cancún, Mexico

Karla Lisker Photographer Mexico City, Mexico

Kathryn Romeyn Correspondent Bali, Indonesia

Tahnei Roy Photographer Oahu, Hawaii

Ramona Saviss Writer Los Angeles, California

Gabriel Tesseroli Photographer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

There’s no better time than now to make unforgettable memories. Whether on your own or with those you love –we’ve got just the place to do it.

SYNC OR SWIM

DRONE ARTIST BRAD WALLS FINDS SYMMETRY IN AND OUT OF THE POOL.

Midsummer, 43” x 52”

Brad Walls is a fine-art photographer based in Sydney, Australia, who found his drone niche among the company of synchronized swimmers, rhythmic gymnasts and ballerinas, whom he often captures in locations that aren’t always what they seem — swimmers in the sand dunes of Australia, for example, or ballerinas in the salt flats of Utah. His recently published book, Pools from Above , focuses on the abstract beauty and symmetry of swimming pools around the world. bradscanvas.com

WHAT’S ON

SAVE THE DATE: THESE ARE THE EVENTS, CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS ON OUR AGENDA THIS SEASON.

Now - August 28

July 4th – 24

July 5 - 25

Aug. 10 - Sept. 11

Paris, France

Basquiat x Warhol at Fondation Louis Vuitton

Aix-en-Provence, France

The Threepenny Opera at Festival International d’Art Lyrique

Avignon, France

Festival d’Avignon, 21 days of theater, dance, music and more

New York City, USA

Shakespeare in the Park at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater

Sept. 23 - Oct. 28

Birmingham, England

Sinatra the Musical at Birmingham Rep theatre

Sept. 15 - Feb. 11

September 6 - 9

August 18

London, England

“Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion” at London Design Museum

Seoul, South Korea

Frieze Seoul, contemporary art fair in the Gangnam District

Riviera Maya, Mexico

Alejandro Fernández exclusive outdoor summer concert at Mayakoba

Avignon, Christophe Raynaud de Lage; Aix-en-Provence, Despina Galini; Paris, Mikail Deli; New York, Tim Wildsmith; Mayakoba, Brad A. Johnson; London, Mihai Halmi; Seoul, DFY; Birmingham, Georgi Kyurpanov.

A PERFECT SUMMER THREESOME

NEW: THE ULTIMATE SPA CIRCUIT

Just in time for summer, Aman has launched a new wellness circuit that connects three of its Indonesian resorts. The nineday program includes three nights each at Amanjiwo on the island of Java, Amankila on Bali’s eastern black-sand coast and Amandari, the original Bali outpost overlooking the Ayung River gorge on the outskirts of Ubud. It’s an immersive itinerary of spa treatments, Hindu cleansing rituals, reiki and chakra therapies, picnics, waterfalls, spiritual readings and temple excursions. The pijat (Indonesian for “massages”) are themed around the energetic intention paired with each resort: grounding at Amanjiwo, purifying at Amankila and nourishing at Amandari, where the adventure concludes with a traditional blessing ceremony at a private temple by the river.

WRITING: KATHRYN ROMEYN

Details: Three-resort spa circuit, from $12,500. Contact your travel advisor for Select perks and to customize your stay.

Amankila, Bali

Amandari, Bali

Amanjiwo, Java

HOT SHOTS:

FIVE-SECOND DISPATCHES FOR TRAVELERS ON THE MOVE

London, England — After decades of wildly popular shows staged at galleries around the world, Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore, renowned for absurdist performance art and living sculptures, have finally opened a gallery of their own: The Gilbert & George Centre, in Spitalfields. gilbertandgeorgecentre.org

Paris, France — Ramdane Touhami, cofounder of the beauty brand Officine Universelle Buly, has opened a cool new bookstore focused on readings, conversations and literary events: La Pharmacie des Âmes pharmaciedesames.com

Cannes, France — Chef Jean Imbert, who already operates noteworthy restaurants at Plaza Athénée in Paris, Cheval Blanc in St. Barths and The Brando in French Polynesia, adds another posh resort to his portfolio: Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, where he has just debuted La Plage, a beach club adjacent to the pier.

Santorini, Greece — Epitome hotel from the Canaves Oia Collection recently launched a fab Greek seafood restaurant, Omnia, by chef Tasos Stefatos, plus a second swimming pool. But perhaps most notably, the property also just unveiled a sprawling fivebedroom villa that can accommodate up to 14 guests.

Venice, Italy — The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond Train, in June unveiled an entirely new category of accommodations, dubbed the “Suites.” The eight spacious compartments feature marbleclad bathrooms and living quarters that convert to double beds rather than bunks.

Newport Beach, California — When Pendry Hotels launches its new California flagship this summer, the Fashion Island property will include the first location of the brand’s Elwood Club, a members-only facility that will occupy an entire wing of the hotel and feature its own exclusive restaurant, cabaret club and screening room.

New Delhi, India — London-based celebrity chef Vineet Bhatia, the first Indian to earn a Michelin star, has returned to the city that has long served as his culinary muse to open Dhilli , a contemporary Indian restaurant inside The Oberoi.

Bangkok, Thailand — The cool kids are flocking to Baan Trok Tua Ngork, a five-story heritage building off Chinatown’s main drag that has come back to life as a collection of pop-up galleries, art shows, cafes and all-around in-the-know hangout spot.

Hong Kong — After a pandemic hiatus, local menswear concept Salvo has moved into a revamped 1970s storefront in Wan Chai, designed by JJ Acuña. The luxurious changing rooms are bigger than most Hong Kong apartments.

Singapore — Chef Zor Tan, a longtime protégé of the Taiwanese star chef André Chiang (who first rose to fame in Singapore), has opened Restaurant Born, a stunning contemporary Chinese venue in a vintage building in Tanjong Pagar that formerly housed a rickshaw garage. Don’t be surprised if this becomes the most talked-about new restaurant in Asia this year.

REPORTING: BRAD A. JOHNSON, SARA LIEBERMAN, KATHRYN ROMEYN, CHRIS SCHALKX AND LAURA SCHOOLING

Born That Way: (Top) George Passmore and Gilbert Prousch outside The Gilbert & George Centre in London's Spitalfields. (Above) Restaurant Born in Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar.

Scenic Route, the Sequel

AFTER A DEBUT SUMMER SEASON CRUISING THE MEDITERRANEAN, THE SECOND SUPERYACHT FROM SCENIC WILL NAVIGATE TO COLDER CLIMES.

Scenic Eclipse II sailed its inaugural cruise in April, three years after the debut of Scenic Eclipse I . And just like the original, the sequel is sleek, stylish and highly personalized, accommodating only 228 passengers, with a guest-to-staff ratio of nearly one to one. The superyacht's dynamic-positioning technology allows it to moor closer to shore than the larger cruise lines, thus offering quick tenders to town centers.

Shore excursions quickly prove rewarding, most notably a 300-meter climb to the top of Kotor’s Old Town City Walls and a kayak row along the shores of Hvar. But a favorite part of the journey is the ship itself. From its nine restaurants and bars to the cushy circular theater, the Eclipse II provides an onboard experience that at times upstages even the most romantic stops along the way. A spacious, central Scenic Lounge is anchored by the grand Whisky Bar and its museum-like display of 160 fine whiskeys, all available as part of Scenic’s all-inclusive format.

Dining never disappoints, either. Lumière showcases French champagnes and wines, served with a caviar amuse-bouche. At Sushi @ Koko’s, the sake is as thoughtfully curated as the sashimi and nigiri. And at the eight-seat Night Market, delicious dinners draw inspiration from Asia, India and the Middle East.

Frolicking dolphins racing alongside the yacht provide the best entertainment, but when the pod eventually peels off, amusement comes in the form of daily trivia, enlightening presentations by a passionate crew of naturalists and evening concerts led by a prodigy of Andrew Lloyd Webber. An onboard helicopter whisks the most thrill-seeking among us to the top of Sicily’s Mt. Etna, while I instead opt for a therapeutic reset in the salt and steam rooms and infrared sauna at the Senses Spa.

Capri, Taormina, Sorrento, Dubrovnik… While the itinerary exceeds expectations, it’s the Scenic Eclipse II itself that ultimately satiates my wanderlust. .

WRITING: FRAN ENDICOTT MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY: NACHO GUTIERREZ ARRIBERE

NEXT UP:

Crystal Cruises is back. The fully revamped 606-passenger Symphony and 740-passenger Serenity will sail again this summer under the new stewardship of Abercrombie & Kent. Serenity disembarks in July with a 12-night program from Marseille to Lisbon (from $6,900) while Symphony debuts in September with a seven-night route from Athens to Istanbul (from $3,500).

Windstar Cruises boasts a longstanding relationship with Formula 1 at the Monaco Grand Prix, and in November, the 312-passenger Star Legend will take the F1 experience even further as the ship deploys to the Middle East and makes a first-of-itskind shore excursion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where guests have access to premium grandstand seats, plus an exclusive cocktail party onboard. (Fares from $3,199; F1 add-on from $1,599)

Speaking of F1, Atlas Ocean Voyages just announced an eightday cruise in May 2024 from Nice aboard the 200-passenger World Traveller (from $10,050) with an excursion to the Monaco Grand Prix. This exclusive cruise, which makes stops in St. Tropez, Cinque Terre and Portofino, is available only through your travel advisor.

REPORTING: ADDISON BAILEY

Details: Scenic Eclipse II itineraries range from 9 to 22 nights, starting at $11,135.

Yacht rocks: Scenic Eclipse II sailing Taormina.

YOU

ASKED FOR MODERN EXPERIENCES .

SO WE INVESTED $ 12B IN LAX , LGA & MORE .

SOUND/BAR

TO CURATE OLTRE’S VOLUME 2 PLAYLIST, WE TURNED TO DJ TITO, WHO SETS THE RHYTHM AT SAND BAR, THE ICONIC BEACHFRONT RESTAURANT AT EDEN ROCK ON ST. BARTHS.

St. Barths, French Caribbean

DAY

01. “Here Comes The Sun” (Francois K. Remix) by Nina Simone

02. “Tomorrow” by Nightmares On Wax ft. LSK

03. “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Horace Andy

04. “Bakara” by Polo & Pan

05. “Sowa” by Fatoumata Diawara

06. “Angola” by Cesária Evora

07. “Mona Ki Ngi Xica” by Bonga

08. “Chega de Saudade - Souvenirs d’été” by Yuksek and Julia Jean-Baptiste

09. “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Walk off the Earth

10. “Vanille Fraise” by L’Impératrice

11. “Natureza” by João Selva

12. “Sonando Contigo” (Tuccillo Deep Mix) by Kiki Navarro

NIGHT

13. “Bielzinho / Bielzinho” (Xinobi Extended Remix) by O Terno

14. “Mi Mujer” by Nicolas Jaar

15. “Jus Dance” (Dennis Quin Remix) by Mr. V

16. “Searchin’” by Andre Lodemann

17. “Each & Every Day” (Rocco Underground Mix) by Jerk House Connection ft. Akram Sedkaoui

18. “It’s Nobody’s” by Guri ft. Eider

19. “Stay” (Manoo Instrumental) by Nutown Soul

20. “Four Walls” (Lost Desert Remix) by Nohan

21. “Landwehrkanal” (Extended Mix) by Nebu Mitte

Eden Rock, St. Barths, French Caribbean

Your travel advisor can secure Select perks, including a $100 credit toward branded beach gear and daily breakfast for two. $$$$

22. “Grapevine” by Travis Emmon, Brett Rubin and Trice Be

23. “Emola” (Ali Farahani Remix) by MoM and ANuT

Sand Bar is the beating — sometimes thumping — heart of Eden Rock. The open-air, all-day restaurant and bar is a vibe, thanks to a rotating lineup of internationally recognized DJs, including DJ Tito, who often spins at Burning Man and regularly animates dance floors from Sweden to Morocco. When he’s on St. Barths, he sets a mellow groove throughout the afternoon, but come nightfall — when everyone’s a little more dressed up — he turns up the heat.

WRITING: BRAD A. JOHNSON

open our playlist in Spotify.

japan.travel/en/us/

Enjoy a trip to Japan following the easing of travel restrictions.

“O k a e r i ”

Re unite in J apan

Come and immerse yourself in spectacular natural wonders throughout the seasons –from powder snow in winter to springtime cherry blossoms in full bloom. Not to mention a vibrant traditional culture and exquisite seasonal cuisine. A warm welcome awaits – now is the time to visit Japan!

CULTURE WARRIOR

Metehara, Ethiopia

Joey Lawrence humanized the Syrian war with his stunning portraits of front-line guerrilla fighters in We Came From Fire: Photographs of Kurdistan ’ s Armed Struggle Against ISIS . For that book, the fearless Brooklyn-based photographer made five trips to the war zone to embed himself and his camera with Kurdish forces.

For his latest book, he’s breaking down barriers yet again, this time traveling through Ethiopia on and off for 13 years.

Ethiopia: A Photographic Tribute to East Africa's Diverse Cultures & Traditions is an unprecedented visual exploration of the country’s varied religions, communities and lifestyles. The book features more than 300 images taken in every region of the country, including territories that are virtually unknown to tourists and travelers but also metropolitan Addis Ababa, where he photographed the city’s famous jazz artists.

The first edition of the book came out in December, but starting in July, a collector’s edition box set will include not just a signed book and brass bookstand handcrafted in Ethiopia but also, most notably, a limited-edition archival print from the series. You might think you know Ethiopia, but you’ve never seen it like this.

WRITING: BRAD A. JOHNSON

Details: The collector’s edition box set, $750, is available exclusively at insighteditions.com.

PHOTOGRAPHER

JOEY

LAWRENCE SHOWS US THE WORLD AS WE WOULD NEVER OTHERWISE SEE IT. HIS NEWEST BOOK IS ANOTHER MASTERPIECE.

Joey Lawrence, from Ethiopa: A Photographic Tribut to East Africa's Diverse Cultures & Traditions

BLOCKPARTY

Jaipur, India

WRITING: TANVI CHHEDA

PHOTOGRAPHY:

GOURAB GANJULI

Each of Injiri’s handmade pieces tells a story. A creamy white ankle-length kurta, or tunic dress, with block-printed leaves and florals, is a nod to the block-printing communities of Amer in Rajasthan. A checkered parrot-green dress with jamdani weaving at the hem originates in the villages of West Bengal. Farooqui founded Injiri with the dream of building lasting relationships with textile communities and supporting centuries-old traditions such as jamdani (a weaving method), bandhani (a tie-dye technique) and chikankari (an embroidery style from Lucknow, in northern India). “Every piece is significant to the location where it comes from,” she notes. “The designs and motifs we use are inspired by the local culture, heritage and landscapes of the regions where they are made.”

AT CHINAR FAROOQUI’S APPOINTMENT-ONLY ATELIER IN JAIPUR, NO TWO PIECES ARE EVER THE SAME.

Catchy Tunic: One-of-a-kind, block-printed dresses from Injiri in Jaipur.

Rajasthan’s “it” designer trained as a visual artist before moving to textiles. She and her team meticulously draw and determine the weaves (which means deciding on the placement of each thread, thickness of the yarn and color combinations) as well as the final silhouettes of each piece. The easy, breezy look and lightweight cotton fabric of Injiri’s threads are well suited for India’s hot summers as well as getaways to warmweather locales across the globe.

The new summer collection is aptly named Rasa, a Sanskrit word that translates to the sentiment or feeling that an aesthetic, creative piece evokes. The beauty and intricacy of Injiri’s pieces, indeed, evoke awe and appreciation, as well as a deep gratitude for the hands it has passed through.

The interconnectedness of the wearer with the weavers creates a sense of community, Farooqui believes. Injiri’s next collection is inspired by the spice plantations around the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu, in south central India. .

Details:

Dresses range from $350 to $1,000. By appointment only at 1/29 Kanakpura Riico Industrial Area, Sirsi Rd., Jaipur 302034. Schedule by email at shop@injiri.co.in.

Stay:

The 71-room Oberoi Rajvilas revels in maharaja-style splendor, sprawled across 27 acres of lushly landscaped gardens. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including a $100 resort credit and daily breakfast for two. $

Glam-o-Rasa: Injiri’s summer “Rasa” collection is crafted from breezy lightweight fabrics.

Summertime is all about protecting and showing off your skin. This summer, I’m traveling to Île de Ré, France, and these are the essentials I’m bringing with me for a fresh, hydrated look:

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream keeps my skin happy, healthy and hydrated.

True Botanicals Chebula Extreme Cream Extreme Cream is a year-round favorite.

Weleda Skin Food Ultra-Rich Cream is a more budget-friendly version of Chebula and can be used on the face and body. I love this stu ff.

HEAD TRIP

ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S LEADING MAKEUP ARTISTS SHARES HER MUST-HAVES FOR SUMMER TRAVEL SKINCARE.

Alexandra French is an Emmy Award-winning makeup artist in Los Angeles, best known for her work on Euphoria Season 2, creating viral looks that became as closely watched as the characters themselves. Through creative exploration of color, texture and shapes, she has quickly become the go-to artist for captivating editorial looks designed to be worn well beyond the TV screen. We asked French to share her best tips for keeping our faces looking fresh during our summer travels. Here are her recommendations.

BEAUTY ADVICE: ALEXANDRA FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHY: LESLIE KIRCHOFF

protect

Sunscreen is arguably the most important step in a beauty routine. If you have sensitive skin, don’t worry. These products won ’ t cause breakouts.

ELTAMD is my favorite sunscreen brand. It ’ s not just sunscreen. It ’ s skincare. And it’s budget-friendly.

CCC Cream is a color-control and change cream. It’s a multifunctional primer and foundation that does it all, with SPF 50.

COOLA Classic Organic Sunscreen Mist, SPF 50. This mist is an easy way to reapply your sunscreen throughout the day. They also have a makeup-setting spray that I cannot live without.

conceal

For summer, I like to let my skin shine, so I don ’ t use much makeup. I prefer a lightweight foundation, or just a concealer to cover up blemishes and under-eye circles. These are my favorites:

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer works well with all skincare and foundation formulas.

Glossier Stretch Concealer gives good coverage while looking natural, with a nice glow.

KOSAS Revealer Concealer is somewhere between NARS and Glossier, with a great shade range. It’s perfect for cleanbeauty girls.

glow-up

Cream products will keep your makeup and skin looking natural and glowing. If you use blush, liquid and cream blushes are a must for summer.

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush is a line of cream blushes that last a lifetime. The colors are beautiful and keep your skin glowy.

Youthforia BYO Blush is a color-changing blush oil that works with your skin’s PH levels to create the perfect color.

NUDESTIX Nudies Blush Sticks have an incredible range of colors. These can be used on the lips as well.

show-off

Since summertime for me is peak skincare time, I must have a waterproof mascara to make sure my lashes stay up and curled instead of melting all over my face. My favorites:

Maybelline Skyhigh Mascara has been my go-to for years. I have super-short lashes, so this keeps them curled all day. And it’s waterproof, so it doesn’t melt with my skincare/sunscreen.

MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara is waterproof but gentle and washes off easily. The packaging is so cute. I love this stuff.

Lancôme Monsieur Big Waterproof Volume Mascara is perfect for big and chunky lashes. I wear this when I’m in the mood to go out.

Reefer Gladness

THE WORLD’S GREAT REEFS ARE DYING, BUT IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SAVE THEM. IF YOU DIVE, YOU CAN HELP.

Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean

Basket of Adorables: (Above) A Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire staff member carries a crate of nursery-grown staghorn coral to be outplanted at Yellowman, off the coast of Klein Bonaire. (Opposite) Outplanted patch of staghorn coral at Jeff Davis, off the western coast of Bonaire.

How to Get Involved:

Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire diving classes cost $220. Reef Renewal Foundation also has affiliate programs in the Cayman Islands, Florida Keys and on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Meanwhile, in Hawaii, the like-minded Coral Conservancy also educates divers in monitoring and planting coral.

The first rule of diving – scuba or skin – is don’t touch the corals. The colorful marine invertebrates grow in reef-building colonies that are vulnerable to human handling. Nonetheless, here I am, 15 feet below the water off the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, sanctioned to manhandle a nubby antler of staghorn coral as I zip-tie it to a bamboo frame in the sand that will form a newly seeded reef.

Outplanting coral is the third and final dive in a reef renewal certification offered with scuba diving’s administrative body PADI and the nonprofit organization Reef Renewal Bonaire to train divers to tend coral nurseries and build new reefs with seedlings.

The most diverse habitats on Earth, coral reefs make up just one percent of the ocean while supporting nearly a quarter of all ocean species, including fish, lobsters and sea turtles. As natural breakwaters, they protect coastal communities. As research subjects, reefs have produced biomedical breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer. They also supply food to commercial fisheries and sustain tourism economies. (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that 60 percent of Hawaii’s tourism income derives from visitors to its reefs.)

Yet pollution, warming waters and the cascading effects of climate change threaten reefs everywhere. In the Caribbean, elkhorn and staghorn coral populations have plummeted 90 percent in the last 25 years. Conservation organizations globally, including Reef Renewal Foundation International, whose worldwide network includes the Bonaire branch, aim to restore reefs and demonstrate that it’s not too late to help them.

Divers around the world have heeded their call. My class for the day-and-a-half-long training includes a pair of novices from Norway and a master diver from Austria. We discuss the science of coral reproduction in a classroom before plunging into a nursery less than 30 feet from shore. Here, submerged trees fashioned from vertical pipes sprout plastic branches hung with fragments of coral shed from existing reefs to float as they grow. With wire brushes and scrapers, we scrub the structure of algae, carefully modulating our buoyancy and underwater currents to ensure we aren’t “wrecking balls in the nursery,” in the words of one of our instructors.

By our second dive, we are hanging the trees in elkhorn coral shards, running fishing wire around their shallow bowls, clamping the lines tight with metal crimps and threading them onto branches, as though trimming a submarine Christmas tree.

On the final dive, I’m technically proficient enough as a reef gardener to appreciate my surroundings, a healthy hardscape of staghorn thickets and boulder coral populated with schools of pale blue tangs, sinuous yellow trumpetfish and raccoonmasked butterfly fish, accented by sponges in bright orange patches and purple stovepipes.

I can return as often as I like to volunteer in the nursery or, with a little training in local methods, use my skills abroad. For now, I leave one small Caribbean island a little better off than when I arrived. .

David Fishman

WRITING: ELAINE GLUSAC

A PENTHOUSE RENDEZVOUS

THIS NEW SUITE IN TRIBECA GIVES FRESH MEANING TO THE WORDS “BABY, WE NEED SOME SPACE.”

New York, New York

Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s New York , New York City USA

This is the first U.S. outpost of the France-based, family-run brand. Penthouse from $25,000 per night, with a two-night minimum. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including a $100 spa credit and daily breakfast for two.

Date night in Manhattan just got a lot sexier. The stunning penthouse at Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s New York makes it easy to indulge in a romantic night on the town without ever leaving the property.

The ultimate suite at this 97-room, eight-story hotel, which opened late last year, spans 2,400 square feet across the top two floors. The space exudes romance at every turn, with playful contemporary art, colorful furnishings and handpainted wallpapers.

The biggest dilemma you’ll face might be deciding where to enjoy your first drink. You have your own lavish bar — not merely a cabinet, but a proper, fully stocked bar. Since it’s summer, you’ll likely want to take your Champagne outside to one of the suite’s three outdoor living spaces, perhaps snuggled into a fireside loveseat, taking in a sparkling panorama that spans from the Hudson River to a fishbowl view of Tribeca. And here’s why that’s such a dilemma. You might also be tempted to start the night with an aperitif at the hotel’s newly opened, wisteria-draped rooftop bar. You’ll also want to eat. For that, Paris-based Pierre Gagnaire’s famed French brasserie serves updated takes on beef tartare, escargots and sole Meunière. The red banquettes and classic menu will transport you straight to the Champs-Élysées.

Before wandering back upstairs to cocoon in your lavishly appointed master bedroom — and the freestanding soaker tub that comes with its own skyline view — consider sneaking into Titsou, a vintage-inspired, velvet-bedecked speakeasy hidden behind a lobby bookcase. This hotel is full of surprises. .

WRITING: TEDDY MINFORD

TO KEEP THE VACATION ALIVE, SAVE A LITTLE ROOM IN YOUR SUITCASE FOR THIS SEASON’S MOST FASHIONABLE HOTEL KEEPSAKES.

WRITING: KAELIN DODGE

ILLUSTRATIONS: CECILIA CARLSTEDT

Each time a trip comes to an end, we’re met with that moment of, “Would it be so wrong to stay one more night?” Sometimes we give in, but for those instances when an extra day isn’t possible, we opt for the next best thing: We stuff a piece of the experience into our suitcase and bring it home. These are our favorite mementos this summer.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL x AQUAZZURA

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has extended its exclusive collaboration (first announced in 2021) with luxury footwear brand Aquazzura. We love these collectible satin slippers crafted in Italy. Each version features a different striped pattern and unique detailing across the upper, including oversized pom-poms or more subdued tassels.

ONE&ONLY REETHI RAH x MISSONI

One&Only Reethi Rah has partnered with Italian knitwear brand Missoni to bring the designer’s Resort Club — which first popped up in Portofino — to the clear blue waters of the Maldives. While the collaboration can be seen throughout the resort, with designer Alberto Caliri’s reimagination of the fashion house’s iconic patterns strewn across loungers and umbrellas, guests have the opportunity to shop the pieces exclusively at the resort, including a keepsake chevron beach towel, tote bag and steel-cast water bottle.

EDEN ROCK ST. BARTHS x OFF-WHITE

At Eden Rock, you can explore a home collection crafted by the late American designer Virgil Abloh. Before his death in 2021, the former Louis Vuitton artistic director and founder of the streetwear brand Off-White embarked upon an exclusive, beach-ready home collection for the Caribbean hotel. The now-available line, inspired by an island vibe, features pillows, towels and more, donning a new iteration of Off-White’s iconic logo, pairing illustrations of and inspired by the hotel with the brand’s signature “X.”

RITZ PARIS x FRAME

Although launched a couple years ago, the collaboration between Ritz Paris and the American brand Frame remains one of the most fascinating hotel/designer partnerships of late. It was the first venture into merch partnerships for the hotel, and we can’t stop obsessing over it. But given the success of the first, and Frame founder Erik Torstensson’s love for the Ritz, the two have embarked upon a second capsule collection. The new season spans from T-shirts to jeans and varsity jackets. Each piece is crafted in the U.S. and designed for longevity.

LE SIRENUSE HOTEL x KOIO

The Amalfi Coast’s iconic Le Sirenuse hotel joined forces with the sustainably minded footwear brand Koio to bring the vision of Italy to a shoe. Koio’s cofounder, Johannes Quodt, found inspiration in the curved architecture of the idyllic retreat, with the sneaker featuring a white exterior and red accents — representative of the hotel’s façade — and Le Sirenuse’s logo printed on the insole. The partnership includes the classic sneaker as well as a poolside slide inspired by the hotel’s Don’t Worry Bar. .

an AMIRI beach bag.

WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER

AT THE MOST FAMOUS POOL IN THE WORLD, SWIMMING IS OPTIONAL, BEING GLAMOROUS IS NOT. WE LOOK BACK (AND FORWARD) AT THE STAR-STUDDED TIMELINE OF THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL POOL.

Beverly Hills, California

WRITING: RAMONA SAVISS

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAVIELLE GARCIA

BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL POOL: (Opposite) Model Amy wears a Roksanda dress and sandals. Taliha (seated) wears a Jacquemus top and skirt, Tigra Tigra beaded adornment top and robe (hanging on chair) and Tory Burch sandals. Tripp wears a Palm Angels hoodie, swim trunks and sandals with

It seems inconceivable today, but The Beverly Hills Hotel didn’t have a pool when it opened in 1912. That was two years before the city itself incorporated. “It’s what the city was built around,” says Robert S. Anderson, the hotel’s official historian and the great-grandson of the late founder/hotelier, Margaret Jane Anderson.

The Spanish revival hotel didn’t add a pool until 1938, when it debuted The Sand and Pool Club. One side of the new recreation area was filled in with tons of sand imported from Arizona. “It was meant to feel like a true beach club,” says Anderson. But it wasn’t functional and didn’t last very long. The pool has undergone lots of nip/tucks and reinventions over the years, including another one just this summer. This is the summer of Dior, a season-long takeover featuring Dior-branded cushions, umbrellas and cabanas along with the installation of a new spa cabana that has its own treatment room and mini lounge.

ALMOST FAMOUS: Poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel, model Amy wears a full look by Forte_Forte. (Opposite) Taliha wears a full look by Stella McCartney, and Tripp wears an AMIRI top, shorts and bucket hat with Palm Angels sandals.

(Left) Morning calm at the pool.

The pool early on became a runway for emerging talent — Johnny Weissmuller, Raquel Welch and Robert Evans were all discovered poolside. The cabanas, meanwhile, provided both refuge and inspiration for those who had already made it. Leonard Bernstein came up with the idea for West Side Story in Cabana 3, the same spot where Yves Montand and Marilyn Monroe used to rendezvous.

Some of Hollywood’s most iconic photographs were snapped here: Rita Hayworth posing by the diving board, Lucille Ball walking the perimeter, or Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. sipping cocktails alfresco.

“The cabanas, meanwhile, provided both refuge and inspiration for those who had already made it. Leonard Bernstein came up with the idea for West Side Story in Cabana 3, the same spot where Yves Montand and Marilyn Monroe used to rendezvous.”

PRINTS CHARMING: The hotel's iconic palm leaf umbrellas with palm trees in view. (Opposite) Taliha wears an Altuzarra top and skirt with a Forte_Forte belt and Schutz heels. Tripp wears an AMIRI top and shorts with Palm Angels sandals.

Rex Harrison showed up with a new self-made bathing suit almost daily. George Hamilton perfected his famous tan here. The hotel’s paging system became a form of social currency for rival studio execs, whose clout was measured by how often they were publicly paged at the pool. “It became a battle of who got the bigger names calling them,” says the hotel’s guest relations director, Steven Boggs.

The water in the pool stays heated to a balmy 82ºF, even in summer, and music is piped through underwater speakers. And if you need your sunglasses cleaned, they’ve got someone here who takes care of that for you.

CASTING LOUNGE: (From top) The hotel's classic stripes. Amy takes a phone call wearing a Forte_Forte suit with a THEMOIRè handbag and Manolo Blahnik heels. (Opposite) Lounging poolside in a Chloé top, skirt and handbag with Schutz heels.

ONCE UPON A POOLSIDE

REWINDING SOME OF THE POOL’S MOST STORIED MOMENTS

1956

1957

Swimming pro-turned-actress, Esther Williams had a clause added to her contract with MGM that gave her the right to swim laps daily at the hotel’s pool.

1963

Dean Martin, Carol Burnett and Elizabeth Montgomery filmed at the pool for Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed? Doris Day and James Garner also filmed at the pool for Move over Darling

2005

After another refresh, the hotel reopened and this time debuted The Cabana Cafe. Although then just a poolside snack shack, the café has over the years become one of the most exclusive cafes in Beverly Hills.

1964

With hordes of fans outside, The Beatles snuck in — disguised in wigs, fake beards and mustaches, oversized clothing and top hats — through a back way to the upper deck cabanas after they performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. It wouldn’t be their last time to sneak, either.

2018

Robert Evans kicked off his illustrious career as an actor and producer when he was discovered by Norma Shearer. Just a budding actor at the time, Evans caught Shearer’s eye on the high board, says Boggs. “The pool had both a high dive and a diving board. Actors would walk down and make a big show.” Shearer tapped him for the role of her late husband, Irving Thalberg, in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) and from there, his career snowballed.

1977

Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall starred in Designing Woman, which included scenes shot poolside.

Spring 2023

the pool and remained an Oscars tradition for more than ten years. Original hosts included Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, Halle Berry and Eric Benét, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Pauletta and Denzel Washington and dozens of others. “We would cover the pool, build an entire platform over it, and turn it into a giant outdoor living room,” adds Boggs. Hot spots such as Spago and Mr. Chow served food.

Nicole Kidman filmed scenes from Bewitched at the hotel and pool.

Spike Lee paid homage to the famous Faye Dunaway photograph by posing with his own trophy after winning for BlacKkKlansman

Jamie Lee Curtis won an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once and made an appearance at the hotel the morning after to snap her first win shot by the pool.

Summer 2023

The Dior summer, which includes a pop-up boutique on the pool’s upper deck.

Faye Dunaway won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Network The following morning, she posed poolside for photographer Terry O'Neill, whom she later married.

Sweeping More Than Views

From crystal blue waters to vibrant coastal cities, we set sail to a myriad of landscapes around the world. Over 100 destinations are at your fingertips when you board the lady ships that swept the 2023 Cruise Critic Cruisers Choice Awards. Let our luxurious cabins, Michelin-starred chefcurated menus, and brilliant service show you how transformative sailing with us truly is.

The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, California

The pool is open daily until 10pm. 210 rooms and villas. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including a $100 resort credit and daily breakfast for two. $$$$

THE WORLD’S MOST UNFORGETTABLE POOLS

Everyone loves a good hotel pool, so we asked some of the world ’ s top travel advisors about the pools that left a lasting impression. These are the ones they’re still thinking about.

ART DIRECTION & STYLING: DEVIN DUCKWORTH

HAIR STYLIST: AMBER DUARTE

MAKEUP ARTIST: ANNA KATO

MODELING: AMY @ FREEDOM, TALIHA & TRIPP @ VISION LA

PHOTO ASSISTANT: BRIAN KENDALL STYLING ASSISTANT: JORDAN JIMENEZ

“The infinity pool at Caruso, A Belmond Hotel in Ravello, Italy, has amazing views of the Amalfi Coast.”

—Sherry Barson

“The heated infinity pool at Bürgenstock Resort at Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, is stunning. It dangles over a cliff with panoramic views of the lake.” —Torey

Edgcomb

“I love the suites at historic Castello di Velona in Tuscany, Italy, that come with their own thermal pools. It’s the ultimate indulgence.” —Gina Lux

“Nothing beats swimming at Singita Boulders Lodge, South Africa, while watching elephants play right in front of you.” —Rachel

Barone

“Swimming early-morning laps at the pool at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand, is magical.”

—Sammy

Rabin

“The pool at Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel in Portofino, Italy, is an icon. That view!”

—Vanessa Sawtell-Jones

“Montage Kapalua Bay in Lahaina, Maui, has an adults-only infinity pool with stunning ocean views. The sound of running water plus the privacy makes it sublimely tranquil.”

—Stephanie

“

Serino

La Casa de la Playa by Xcaret in Mexico’s Riviera Maya has a striking 131foot swimming pool that stretches out over the sea.” —Maggie Stein

POWER LUNCH: At the poolside Cabana Cafe, Tripp wears a Jacquemus top and shorts with Palm Angels sandals while Taliha sports an Etro dress and Comme des Garçons tights with Manolo Blahnik heels.

Full of well-being

photo by hrvoje serdar

THE SHAPE SHIFTERS OF MAUI

WHETHER THEY LIVE TO RIDE A LOG OR A FINELY TUNED SHORTBOARD, SERIOUS SURFERS GO BESPOKE. AND ON SURF-OBSESSED MAUI, THESE ARE THE MASTER SHAPERS TO KNOW.

Maui, Hawaii

A surfer’s most important relationship isn’t with their board. It’s with the person who shapes their board. A great shaper will get to intimately know your riding style, the types of waves you like to ride, and the skills you want to master. They translate that knowledge into a custom board that will take surfing to the next level, whether you’re a beginner or a pro. The process of taking a blank — a large piece of foam that serves as a shaper’s canvas — and using tools like hand saws and planers, sometimes aided by complex computer programs, to transform it into something that feels like an extension of your feet is a labor-intensive art. On Maui, an island synonymous with watersports innovation, a handful of shapers spanning generations are devoted to not just preserving but advancing the specialized art of shaping. Their commitment to cultivating the surfer-craftsman bond means they are constantly refining and reimagining designs and, as a result, pushing the boundaries of the sport.

WRITING: JEN MURPHY PHOTOGRAPHY: TAHNEI ROY

JEFF TIMPONE

Timpone Hawaii

Few shapers have the versatility of Jeff Timpone. He can build anything from a kneeboard to a 12-foot gun (a style specific to big waves) and guarantee it will perform for the rider. The California native draws upon more than 50 years of experience. A stint as a boat builder helped refine his work with resin and fiberglass (key surfboard materials), and he honed his sanding and shaping skills under the legendary crew at Russell Surfboards and Brotherhood Glass in Newport Beach. “I was taught that I had to be able to do everything and do it well,” he says. At 74, he’s still energized by the challenge of creating new designs, handcrafting around 200 orders a year. And his son, Nick Timpone, 36, has ushered in a more sustainably minded manufacturing process. “I’m not chasing the shortboard market or trying to get pros on the tour to ride my boards,” he says. “I’d rather help someone catch more waves by making them an unusual, one-off design.”

Contact: @timponehawaii on Instagram

Pony Up: Jeff Timpone’s 12-foot gun employs a plant-based epoxy, with hemp and basalt reinforcement fabrics.

MATT KAZUMA KINOSHITA Kazuma Surfboards

If the surf is up, you’ll find Hawaiian Matt Kazuma in the lineup before dawn, catching waves and coaching others before he heads to his shaping factory and showroom in Haiku. A former pro surfer, Kazuma, 52, is one of the lucky few who learned to hand-shape under the tutelage of the late master, Ben Aipa. He has dedicated the last 33 years to perfecting what he calls the “Aipa Method.” He’s sought out for his performance boards, like his Jaws Mega Gun, each of which he personally tests, paddling out at the island’s notorious big-wave spot. Contact: (808) 575-7510

Haiku Master: Matt Kazuma’s performance longboard with classic Hawaiian fabric inlay.

SEAN ORDONEZ

SOS Shapes

Against the frothing 40-foot face of a wave at Peahi (aka Jaws, Maui’s storied big-wave break), it’s easy to detect a neon speeding bullet shaped by Sean Ordonez. The former pro windsurfer builds every imaginable water toy from kiteboards to eFoils, but his deeply saturated, resin-laminated guns are the boards of choice among big-wave surfers like Matt Meola, Kai Lenny and Ordonez's life partner, big-wave surfing queen Paige Alms. He designed the Jaws-specific Sushi — which combines elements of a longboard nose-rider, a gun, a windsurfing board and a towboard — to allow Alms to have more style and finesse on massive waves that most surfers simply charge. Ordonez, 54, has adopted a 3D shape computer program but also still shapes and glasses a couple hundred boards a year. “My philosophy is: Make it look sexy and it will work,” says Ordonez. “When a board has beautiful symmetry and geometry, it functions well.”

Contact: @sos_shapes on Instagram

SOS Shapes: Sean Ordonez crafted this Jaws-specific Sushi competition board (pictured) for pro surfer and partner Paige Alms.

KELY-BOY RODRIGUES

Manuela Shapes

“Surfing is all about self expression,” says Kely-Boy Rodrigues. The Maui native values style, not size. He’d rather walk toes to nose, riding a 2-foot wave, than drop into a 20-foot bomb. A self-described “surfer who shapes,” he crafts designs that reflect his love of old-school log riding. “You’re dancing on the water, completely one with the ocean,” he says. A log is a heavier, single-fin board of at least nine feet in length used for nose riding. “Logging is like Barry White,” says Rodrigues, who sprinkles his Instagram posts with Henry Miller-esque quotes. “You have to wine and dine and take your time. Shortboarding is more like Tinder.” His other signature shape, the fish, he calls the log of shortboards. Short and thick with a swallowtail, this is his go-to board when the waves are too big to nose ride and he wants to easily catch waves and make turns. Rodrigues, 37, makes around a hundred boards a year and remains dedicated to shaping by hand. “I go by feel,” he says. “After a conversation with a customer, I know in my heart what to do and just let it happen.”

Contact: @manuelashapes on Instagram

Beauty on the Beast: Kely-Boy Rodrigues specializes in The Log, a heavier, single-fin longboard of at least nine feet.

DUANE IGNACIO D i Surfboards

Duane Ignacio’s first orders came from people who would see him riding his own creations on Maui’s West Side. A middleschool woodshop teacher and hobbyist fisherman and flytyer, the 55-year-old, self-taught shaper understands the art of patience. “Creativity cannot be rushed,” he says. “The real art is in the details.” Ignacio is best known for his shortboard designs. Even when he occasionally uses a CAD program, he can take hours fine tuning.

Contact: @d_i_surfboards on Instagram

Fast Times: Duane Ignacio’s twin-fin fish, a high-performance shortboard.

BOB “OLE” OLSON Ole Surfboards

To own an Ole longboard is to own a piece of surf history. The ultimate craftsman, Bob “Ole” Olson has shaped more than 10,000 surfboards by hand. And at 93, he’s still taking custom orders (though just a handful a year). Originally from California, Ole started surfing in the 1940s and shaping in the late 1950s. His unwavering devotion to the art of hand shaping has inspired generations of future shapers and helped keep the soul of surfing alive.

Contact: (808) 661-3459

Smoothie King: A custom longboard by Bob “Ole” Olson.

PRODUCTION: MARTIN GIROUD

MODELING: MAILE SUR PHOTOGRAPHED AT WAILEA BEACH

Details:

Most of Maui’s surfboard shapers don’t keep regular business hours but rather work at private or semi-private studios and take new commissions by appointment only. Each shaper’s output varies. Some are prolific while others, like Ole, produce an extremely limited supply. Prices range from $650 to $1,500, or more. Orders can take three to six months.

Stay:

Grand Wailea, Waldorf Astoria

Aquatic paradise with nine pools and water park on 40 acres, 777 rooms. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including $100 resort credit and daily breakfast for two. $$

Fairmont Kea Lani Maui

Adjacent to Polo Beach. Destination Willow Stream Spa. More than 450 suites and huge family villas. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including $100 dining credit in addition to daily breakfast for two. $$$

Four Seasons Maui at Wailea

This 383-room hotel played the leading role in the HBO series White Lotus. Private surf lessons. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including $100 dining credit in addition to daily breakfast for two. $$$$

Montage Kapalua Bay

Intimate luxury overlooking Namalu Bay. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including $100 resort credit and daily breakfast for two. Sunset luau, 70 rooms, 24 acres, incredible spa. $$$$

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

The 466-room grande dame of Kapalua, perched above D.T. Fleming Beach, recently unveiled a resort-wide $100 million nip/tuck. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including $100 resort credit and daily breakfast for two. $$$ .

Immerse yourself in EXPLORA

JOURNEYS

The newest and most stylish European lifestyle brand that is redefining ocean travel for the ultimate ocean experience.

Relax in spacious ocean-front suites, penthouses, and residences designed to create a home away from home, and delight in diverse global flavours at one of our fine dining restaurants, poolside, or on your private terrace. Join us and discover a new standard in luxury ocean travel. The Explora Journeys team looks forward to welcoming guests on EXPLORA I from July 2023.

CONTACT YOUR PREFERRED TRAVEL ADVISOR FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK YOUR JOURNEY

PARAÍSO en la PENÍNSULA

THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO VISIT MEXICO’S SPRAWLING AND DIVERSE YUCATÁN PENINSULA, WHERE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR COLLIDE WITH BAREFOOT MINIMALISM.

Yucatán and Quintana Roo, Mexico

“We have a monkey,” the hotel manager nonchalantly blurts out as she leads me through a lush jungle pathway to my glamping tent at Our Habitas Tulum. “He’s been very busy the past couple of days, but don’t worry, he’s harmless,” she says. “Just don’t try to feed him.”

Gravel crunches beneath our feet as we wind our way into the thicket. A palm leaf slaps my face as I move with my head turned sharply upward, looking for any signs of the animal that might come calling in the middle of the night. Something squawks. Was that a bird? The monkey? Our footsteps stop grinding when we reach the tent, and I now hear the soft rumble of tribal house music coming from the direction of the beach. My view is still completely obscured by jungle foliage.

Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has developed dramatically since the days when I briefly lived in Cancún decades ago. The road to Tulum then was still made of caliche dirt, and a marketing whiz hadn’t yet coined the term “Riviera Maya.” The airport didn’t have jet bridges. It’s been fascinating — and at times disheartening — to see things change. But it’s also been exciting to watch as the arrival of each new resort brings another level of glamour and luxury, from the ever-evolving Mayakoba to the spectacular new mansion at Esencia, or the emergence of Chablé, Auberge Resorts, St. Regis, Our Habitas, Waldorf Astoria and a new offshoot of Banyan Tree, plus the transition of The Ritz-Carlton into Mexico’s first Kempinski, lest we forget about the still-unrivaled all-inclusive standard set by Grand Velas. And can we talk about the restaurant scene now?

Despite unstoppable growth, it’s comforting to know that millions of acres — lagoons, jungles, beaches, wildlife, reefs, ancient ruins — are being protected and preserved. Yucatán’s abandoned sisal plantations are being rescued and restored. Mangroves are no longer trampled and foolishly destroyed the way they once were. Pretty much the entire Kanai development (next door to Mayakoba), where St. Regis and Etéreo will be joined by Edition and a still-unnamed fourth luxury resort, sits on stilts above the vegetation, for example. And there’s an entirely new frontier emerging in Bacalar, where the peninsula borders Belize.

Construction of the tracks for the Maya Train, whose Gulfto-Caribbean circuit will connect Cancún with Bacalar, Mérida and Campeche, is well underway. Test trains are already rolling on short stretches of rails between Playa del Carmen and Mérida. (If driving, expect minor delays on the tollway this summer.) The train’s official launch has been scheduled for December 1. Meanwhile, that long-touted new airport that was supposed to open in Tulum a decade ago looks to be opening for real in 2024 — if recent press releases from airlines are to be taken seriously.

“We have a monkey.” Although I never saw the monkey, those words keep haunting my mind. For all the massive growth and advancement in creature comforts in this region over the years, the recently opened Our Habitas Tulum poignantly captures that original spirit of the Mexican Caribbean that first drew me here all those years ago. Full circle complete.

WRITING: BRAD A. JOHNSON

PHOTOGRAPHY: KARLA LISKER & BRAD A. JOHNSON

THE PARK: Model Effy takes in the breeze at Esencia Mansion wearing a Ciao Lucia dress with Bonnie Clyde sunglasses.

MAYA INGÉNUE: (Clockwise from top) Hacienda Xcanatun by Angsana in Mérida; OLTRE’s editorial director relaxing at his casita at Chablé Yucatán in Chocholá; a 19th-century fountain and architecture at Chablé Yucatán. (Opposite) At Rosewood Mayakoba’s Zapote Bar, model Alejandra wears a Tory Burch top with Forte_Forte trousers and sandals, Loro Piana belt, and Laura Lombardi earrings while Effy wears a BITE dress with Tory Burch sandals and SO earrings.

ultimate hideout the

WRITING: BRAD A. JOHNSON

PHOTOGRAPHY: KARLA LISKER

Hotel Esencia helped define luxury in the region when it opened decades ago in Xpu Há. It’s one the area’s original hideaways, with 52 rooms and villas sprawled across 50 acres of beachfront wilderness between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Refusing to be left behind by so much development up and down the coast, the property has leapfrogged back into the limelight with the fabulous new Esencia Mansion.

The 10,000-square-foot, Spanish-revival villa (which starts at $8,400 a night) boasts four bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three pools and a rooftop deck with wraparound views of the jungle (and sunset) to the beach (and sunrise). The entire third level is devoted to the master suite, which sports its own indoor/outdoor plunge pool and a private fitness studio. The other bedrooms aren’t paltry. All are junior suites with private terraces.

You’ll probably spend most of your time marveling at the owner ’ s art collection, which includes multiple Picassos, or just hanging out at the villa’s main pool that’ s tiled with meticulously hand-painted ceramics by contemporary artist/ filmmaker Marcel Dzama. Another good option: lounging downstairs in the underground, fully stocked speakeasy, which can be staffed with a bartender or self-serviced.

Shrouded in a thicket of palms and mangroves behind the hotel, the mansion is an easy walk to the beach and other common facilities, including the new helicopter pad. Oh, yeah — forgot to mention: Esencia recently launched its own private helicopter service, which can come in handy, given all the construction on the highway of late.

TO THE MANOR REBORN: (Top) In the sitting room of Esencia Mansion, Effy wears a Proenza Schouler White Label dress and Tory Burch earrings and shoes. Jonja wears a Reese Cooper jacket and shorts with an Issey Miyake shirt. (Above) Exterior stairs to the rooftop. (Below) On the kitchen balcony, Effy wears a SelfPortrait top and jeans with Bonnie Clyde sunglasses. Jonja wears Reese Cooper trousers and RC x Thierry Larsy sunglasses.

THE NEW ESENCIA MANSION IS THE RIVIERA MAYA’S QUINTESSENTIAL PRIVATE VILLA — WITH ALL THE PERKS AND SERVICES OF A BOUTIQUE HOTEL.

MODELING:

ART DIRECTION: DEVIN DUCKWORTH

STYLING: ELLA CEPEDA

BEAUTY: MALENA IBARRA

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN: (Above) On the stairs inside Esencia Mansion, Effy wears a Roland Mouret dress. (Top) The mansion’s primary bedroom. (Right) Effy and Jonja wear Olivia von Halle silk sets in bed.

EFFY @ IN THE PARK MGMT & JONJA @ NEW ICON

PHOTO ASSISTANT: JOSUE TORRES

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: BRITTNEY TUPA

WINDOW DRESSING: In the mansion’s family room, Effy wears an ETRO dress with Tory Burch heels. Jonja wears a BODE top and shorts with RC x Thierry Larsky sunglasses.

VELVET UNDERGROUND: Secreted away in the mansion’s speakeasy, Jonja wears a Reese Cooper top and Bonnie Clyde sunglasses, and Effy lounges in a Self-Portrait dress.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR

THESE FOUR CHEFS REDEFINING MEXICAN FOOD IN THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA

AREN’T MERELY THE BEST CHEFS IN THE REGION — THEY’RE SOME OF THE BEST CHEFS IN THE COUNTRY.

There was a time not that long ago when finding a good Mexican restaurant in the tourist corridors of the Yucatán Peninsula proved impossible. Excellent Italian food was everywhere because much of Playa del Carmen in the early days was developed by Italians, not Mexicans. And Mérida, the most cosmopolitan city in the region, just couldn’t break from its deeply entwined European ties. It’s taken a while, but the Yucatán is officially having a Mexican-food moment. The peninsula’s high-end restaurant scene is now one of Mexico’s most thrilling. Although the choices are plentiful, four chefs in particular deserve a special detour.

MIGUEL BALTAZAR

Itzam, Riviera Maya

At Itzam, the signature open-air restaurant at Auberge Resorts' new Etéreo at Kanai, Miguel Baltazar doesn’t like to think of his cooking as Maya, mostly because he is not himself Maya. He’s proudly from Michoacán. He came of age as a chef in Zihuatanejo (Capella, Thompson), Baja (Auberge) and the Caribbean (Aman). But just about everything he serves comes from nearby, sometimes from the hotel’s own garden. The pork belly that he sears and glazes with a Yucatán-style salsa chicharrón and serves as tacos comes from heritage pigs raised on a farm near Mérida. The glorious woodfired prawns slathered with recado blanco and salsa criolla get delivered daily across the jungle from the fishermen of Campeche. He learns from the locals, he says, noting that “this is by far the best kitchen crew I’ve ever had.” But he doesn’t copy. He puts his own stamp on everything, like the rosemary-smoked bone marrow with caramelized short rib, or the creamed esquites (corn) with spiny Caribbean lobster, or even a Basque-inspired burnt cheesecake baked with local sheep’s milk cheese. Etéreo, Paseo Kanai 16, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo; dinner nightly from about $65.

Playing with fire: (Center) Chef Miguel Baltazar at Itzam, the signature indoor/outdoor restaurant at Etéreo in Kanai; (top) rosemary-smoked bone marrow with ancho-rubbed short-rib barbacoa, shallot-habanero marmalade and radish emulsion; (above) braised pork belly from Tetiz, Yucatán, with recado rojo, chicharrón pico de gallo and spicy toreado bean jus.

WRITING AND PHOTOGRAPHY: BRAD A. JOHNSON

JORGE ILDEFONSO

La Mata, Mérida, and Casona Los Cedros, Espita

Jorge Ildefonso first rose to acclaim at Viceroy Riviera Maya before abandoning this coast for the St. Regis Punta Mita. But he couldn’t resist the call of the Yucatán and soon returned. He opened La Mata in May, and it has quickly become the hottest thing in Mérida. He also runs the kitchen at the two-year-old, totally under-the-radar Casona Los Cedros in the rural pueblo of Espita, two hours east, basically in the middle of nowhere. If he’s not in one of these kitchens, he’s in the jungle, tagging along with a Maya grandpa, picking wild berries or leaves (“Can I eat that? Let’s find out!”), or on a boat, fishing and making ceviche at sea. He isn’t formally trained as a culinary anthropologist, but I’ve never met an actual anthropologist who spends more time on culinary deep-dives into the wilds of nature than this guy. He always finds something new to get excited about, be it a long-lost Maya herb or walnutsized water apple from the lagoons of Bacalar. He hands me a tostada at La Mata and watches as I bite into it. It’s the size of a small street taco, not made with a tortilla but some sort of green leaf. It is stiff and crunchy, fried in tempura batter and topped with venison tartare, habanero aïoli and foraged herbs. It tastes grassy and earthy, a flavor I’ve never experienced. “It’s an avocado leaf,” he says, excitedly. “They’re normally not edible. But when they’re young, and you fry them, turns out they’re delicious.” He makes taquitos that are as black as charcoal, rolled from local heritage blue-corn masa, stuffed with a tartare of sweet shrimp from the waters of nearby San Felipe. He fries the heads, sashimi-style, and stuffs them on the end. Visually, they look a little bit Japanese, but the flavors are distinctly Mexican, inherently Yucatán. Meanwhile, at Casona, his food embodies a slightly more rustic ethos, but it is equally stunning, especially a ceviche of sea bass that arrives beneath a wreath of crispy white cucumber (a surprisingly fat and hollow vegetable) and shaved wild-green plums discovered in the surrounding countryside. La Mata, Calle 62, 298C, Colonia Centro, Mérida, Yucatán; dinner nightly from about $60. Casona Los Cedros, Calle 26, 199, Espita, Yucatán; lunch daily from $25, dinner from $45.

Split Personality: (Top) Chef Jorge Ildefonso at La Mata in Mérida; (left) blue-corn flautas stuffed with San Felipe shrimp tartare at La Mata; (right) ceviche of snapper with heirloom tomato ceviche, mint and olive oil at Casona Los Cedros in Espita.

JOSE LUIS HINOSTROZA Arca, Tulum

A native of Southern California, Jose Luis Hinostroza trained in some of the finest restaurants in the world, including Alinea in Chicago, El Celler de Can Roca in Spain and Noma in Copenhagen. And when Noma’s renowned chef, René Redzepi, launched his head-spinning pop-up in downtown Tulum in 2017, he asked Hinostroza to join his wide-ranging Mexico-based research and development team. Less than a year after that $600-per-plate outdoor event, Hinostroza opened Arca, his very own outdoor, forage-based, wood-fire restaurant just down the road, under the canopy of a mature palm grove. Gravel underfoot. Smoke in the air. As the sun begins to set, waiters stroll through the dining grove carrying gourds filled with smoldering copal, a Maya tradition to remove negative energy from a space. And there is no bad energy here as David Bowie, The Cure, Wild Fire and Johnny “Guitar” Watson blare from the speakers hung high in the trees. The chef uses hoja santa leaves instead of tortillas for tacos filled with soft-shell crabs fried in amaranth batter. The eight-year-old house sourdough is fermented with pulque, a spirit made from maguey sap. Local octopus is turned into a gorgeous terrine with recado negro (a sort of pesto of burnt tortillas, garlic and chiles) and red chile oil. “You might want to sip this slowly and save it for dessert,” says the manager when she delivers a cool, sweet cocktail made with Mexican gin meant to pair with a dish of smoked bone marrow. And she’s right. When all the dishes are cleared, I don’t want to let go of this gin. Carretera Tulum Boca Paila Km 7.6, Tulum, Quintana Roo; dinner nightly from about $85.

Clearing the Air: (Top) Chef Jose Luis Hinostroza’s wood-fired Campeche prawn with chile morita and plantain vinegar; (above) copal cleansing of Arca's outdoor dining room at the start of dinner service.

LUIS RONZÓN Ixi’im, Chocholá

When I first met Luis Ronzón eight years ago, he was the righthand man of chef Jorge Vallejo at Quintonil in Mexico City. It was about a year later when Chablé, a new luxury resort in Chocholá — “Where?” everyone asked — announced that Vallejo would steer the new luxury brand’s culinary program. The celebrity chef immediately dispatched Ronzón to launch the hotel’s new restaurants. He didn’t expect to stay forever but now can’t imagine leaving. “It’s amazing here,” Ronzón tells me. “There’s such an incredible energy in the Yucatán. It’s hard to describe, but you feel it, too, right?” The resort’s signature restaurant, Ixi’im, occupies the former mill of a 19th-century henequenera (sisal plantation) on the outskirts of Mérida. Although he works under the distant eye of his mentor, the menu at Ixi’im is entirely his own: raw kampachi dusted with tortilla ash and habanero cream, or tiny masa puffs inspired by traditional Yucatán salbutes (puffy tacos) made from nixtamalized local corn, plus an upscale twist on cochinita pibil (the region’s famous pork roasted underground) with a miraculously crispy skin, and an extraordinary chocolate tamale wrapped in banana leaves. The tequila selection here might be one of the biggest in the world, and they also make their own. Chablé Yucatán, Tablaje #642, Chocholá, Yucatán; Tuesdays-Sundays, lunch and dinner from about $75.

Hacienda Heights: (Clockwise) Luis Ronzón at Ixi’im at Chablé Yucatán; tortilla ash-crusted yellowtail tostada with guajillo chile and citrus peel; roasted heirloom tomato atop almond “cheese” with espelon beans and recado negro vinaigrette, finished with sikil (pumpkin seed powder).

¡PLAYA

a-go-go!

FRESHLY RENOVATED AND REIMAGINED, MAYAKOBA’S BEACH CLUBS RULE THE DAY — AND THE NIGHT, TOO.

Stick your toes in the sand and order a margarita. Not necessarily in that order, those are the top two priorities of most people who visit the Riviera Maya. And if there’s a collective stretch of sand where those two goals can best be accomplished, it’s the sprawling beach clubs of Mayakoba, three of which used the pandemic downtime to rebuild and refresh. Here’s what’s new:

ROSEWOOD

The revamp here actually started the year before the pandemic when the resort unveiled a $20 million transformation of 129 suites, including the addition of eight new loft-style wellness-themed suites with private salt-therapy pools and dedicated wellness butlers. These were followed last year with a 16,300-square-foot presidential villa. But the biggest news of all was probably the launch of Zapote, an open-air cantina devoted to tequila and mezcal, which has very quickly become one of the hottest venues in the region.

BANYAN TREE MAYAKOBA

Banyan Tree invested $50 million in a revamp that included an all-new Sands Beach Club, which now offers a larger oceanfront pool, a new restaurant and adjacent raw bar, a beachfront lounge and, for the kids, a larger interactive Rangers Club. The Banyan Tree Spa also launched new beachside massage rooms that bring its signature treatments out into the fresh air. And maybe best of all: the resort just unveiled seven new two-story floating villas on a lagoon

MAYAKOBA

just steps from the beach.

SEE AND BE SCENE: (Above) Enjoying lunch at Rosewood Mayakoba’s Zapote Bar, Effy wears a Silk Laundry top and skirt with Bonnie Clyde sunglasses and Tory Burch sandals. Alejandra wears a Self-Portrait top and shorts with a Laura Lombardi ring and Bonnie Clyde sunglasses. (Right) Alejandra wears an Esteban Cortazar dress and Effy wears a Solid & Striped dress. (Below) A cozy nook at Zapote Bar.

WRITING: BRAD A. JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY: KARLA LISKER

FAIRMONT MAYAKOBA

Fairmont relaunched and rechristened its sprawling beach club as Maykana, which is now one of the largest in the region, with a brand-new infinity pool and cabanas. The rejiggering of restaurants and the complete restyling of signature outlet Brisas — RIP, gorgeous old Brisas, but hello, all-new even-more-gorgeous Brisas — made way for five different beachfront dining options, including Hix, the only rooftop, beach-facing bar (although not directly on the beach) in Mayakoba. Still, that view!

ANDAZ RIVIERA MAYAKOBA

The only Mayakoba resort that didn’t completely revamp its beach club recently is Andaz, which still feels new, having just opened in 2016 (replacing the defunct Mandarin Oriental that had been sitting empty for years).

ART DIRECTION: DEVIN DUCKWORTH

STYLING: ELLA CEPEDA

BEAUTY: MALENA IBARRA

MODELING: EFFY @ IN THE PARK MGMT & ALEJANDRA @ NEW ICON

PHOTO ASSISTANT: JOSUE TORRES

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: BRITTNEY TUPA

RAISING THE ROOF: (Above) Soaking up some sun on the Fairmont Mayakoba rooftop, Effy wears a Tigra Tigra dress with Tory Burch earrings and Bonnie Clyde sunglasses. Alejandra wears a Tigra Tigra dress with Laura Lombardi earrings, Bonnie Clyde sunglasses and Tory Burch heels. (Left) Alejandra wears a Casa Jaguar bikini with a Sandy Liang skirt.

FRINGE BENEFITS: (Above) In a cabana at Fairmont Mayakoba’s Maykana Beach Club, Effy wears a Casa Jaguar bikini top under a Forte_Forte top with Río Tulum trousers and Bonnie Clyde sunglasses.

MASTERPIECE THEATER

THE ST. REGIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT NEW HOTEL TO OPEN IN THE RIVIERA MAYA IN YEARS. IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT.

The 124-room St. Regis is the second of four resorts to open in the Riviera Maya’s long-delayed Kanai development, which sits halfway between Maroma and Mayakoba. Etéreo by Auberge Collection came first. Edition comes next, and a fourth, still-unnamed brand is being negotiated. The St. Regis’ avant-garde architecture is stunning. Designed by Mexico City-based Edmonds International (the firm responsible for some of Mexico City’s most beautiful skyscrapers), it’s a lowrise modernist compound that stands out from anything else in the region, a glistening white motif of incomplete intersecting circles inspired by Maya astronomy and the natural geometry of the mangroves and canals, above which the entire compound rises via stilts. “Look out for the crocodile,” says my driver as our electric buggy passes over a small bridge in the mangrove. “He’s just a baby, for now, and this is his favorite place to swim.”

The resort features a chic indoor/outdoor steakhouse, Toro, by chef Richard Sandoval, plus Jack’s Club, a sort of speakeasymeets-sports club with hammocks and a plunge pool. And of course there’s also a tropical twist on the familiar St. Regis Bar, where the signature Bloody Mary involves vodka from Oaxaca. There are two beach clubs, each with its own pool and restaurant. One side is reserved for adults only and feels very exclusive. The other is family-oriented and vibrant with an adjoining kids' club.

Every room has a view of the sea, and the standard rooms are among the largest in the region. The suites are incredible, especially the ones named after the Astors. (If you like outdoor baths, you’ll want to book the Caroline Astor Suite.) In classic St. Regis fashion, butlers are on-call 24 hours a day.

WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY: BRAD A. JOHNSON

Jungle Modern: St. Regis Kanai

The breathtaking Bacalar Lagoon, also known as the Lagoon of Seven Colors, lies at the remote southern end of the Yucatán Peninsula. This is where Mexico borders Belize. The community of Bacalar is a rustic outpost, a well-kept secret much like the Tulum of 30 years ago. For now, it’s a trek: a five-hour drive from Cancún, or else catch a connecting flight to nearby Chetumal. But when the new 99-mph Maya Train debuts later in the year, everyone will be talking about this place. Bacalar and Chetumal are the train’s southernmost stops on its Caribbean route, making this corner of Mexico much more accessible from Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum or even Mérida.

As a follow-up to its first property in Tulum, Our Habitas — an emerging brand based in Mexico focused on sustainability and unpretentious barefoot luxury — is the first serious outfitter to stake a claim along the lagoon’s peaceful shore. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed into Our Habitas Bacalar

THE NEW OUTER RIM

with a copal ritual to cleanse and reset their energy before exploring the jungle trails that lead to one of 34 private A-frame cabins. Built with minimum impact on the ecosystem, both the jungle and lagoon-side cabins blend seamlessly into the natural surroundings and offer simple yet elegant furnishings with modern amenities, including air conditioning and fast Wi-Fi. The on-site restaurant Siete serves dishes made with fresh, local ingredients and traditional Mexican flavors — not a new idea but certainly a new way of thinking for this corner of the peninsula.

The adults-only resort offers activities ranging from daily yoga and meditation to kayaking or stand-up paddling in the lagoon. Plus, of course, spa treatments are available, as is simply relaxing in a hammock by the shore, the restorative benefits of which should never be underestimated.

WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY: KELLY MCLAUGHLIN

BACALAR MIGHT FEEL LIKE THE BOONDOCKS NOW, BUT THAT’S ABOUT TO CHANGE. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL, THE PENINSULA’S SOUTHERN BOUNDARY IS THE NEW FRONTIER.

Summer Glamp: Our Habitas Bacalar

THE LIFE OF WATER

It’s almost impossible to find a luxury resort in the Yucatán Peninsula that does not have a great spa. Some are small; some, grand. Some are exotic; others, modern. And we’re especially excited about the upcoming Guerlain spa at Maroma, which opens at the end of summer. But if we had to pick an all-time favorite, it might be the SE Spa at Grand Velas.

Lots of spas like to boast of their water journeys, but this is the OG hydrotherapy circuit. It’s got an ice room, sauna, jacuzzi, color-therapy steam room, scrub room, waterfalls, hot/ cold plunges, neck jets, water-bubble beds, and a huge warmwater pool. And that’s just the water cycle, a mere warm-up for massages, body treatments and facial therapies.

The signature bacal (corn cob) massage starts with an exfoliation using honey and dry corn to detoxify the skin, followed by a rubdown with essential oils applied with cobs. The umbal shawl massage has its roots in pre-Hispanic methods whereby shawls are strategically wrapped to facilitate stretching, and fresh lemons are used to create pressure and to generate natural aromatherapy.

Warning: Reading the spa menu here can be exhausting. You’ll want to start studying the options days before arrival. Otherwise you’ll never get past the pool, which wouldn’t be so bad. There are just so many options, and every single one sounds incredible. You could probably come here every day for a year and never repeat the same treatment. If you really want to go overboard, consult the resort’s “wellness alchemist,” who can plan your exercise and dining journeys as well.

WRITING: BRAD A. JOHNSON

PHOTOGRAPHY: KARLA LISKER

STOP. BREATHE. QUIT STRESSING AND GET TO THE DAMN SPA.

INSIDER ADVICE: THREE ULTIMATE RUBS

We spoke with travel experts to get their advice on the best spa treatments in the Yucatán Peninsula. These are their top indulgences:

“I love the Life Balance Ritual at Chablé Yucatán , which is a three-hour immersive experience incorporating Mayan traditions with exfoliation and precious stone massage.”

—Tiffany Bowne, travel advisor

“Sana at Etéreo, an Auberge Collection resort, is a beautifully designed spa overlooking the mangroves. There’s a cenote-like pool and Mayan cleansing rituals to promote healing.”

—Carrie Hoffman, travel advisor

“If you’re looking for a spiritual or detox experience, consider a private temazcal ceremony at Our Habitas Bacalar . It takes about two hours as guides lead you through five “doors” in pitch-black tents, which get progressively hotter. ”

—Jack Berger, Global Travel Collection

ART DIRECTION: DEVIN DUCKWORTH

STYLING: ELLA CEPEDA

MODELING: ALEJANDRA @ NEW ICON

PHOTO ASSISTANT: JOSUE TORRES

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: BRITTNEY TUPA

HYDRO BOOST: Wandering around the SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Alejandra wears an Olivia von Halle silk set with a Permare belt and Tory Burch sandals.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

JUST SOUTH OF TULUM — AND NOT ON MOST PEOPLE’S RADARS — SIAN KA’AN OFFERS AN OFF-THE-BEATEN-TRACK IMMERSION IN BOTH NATURE AND HISTORY.

Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is an unspoiled paradise hiding in plain sight.

Protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the late 1980s, the biosphere encompasses multiple ecosystems across more than 1.3 million acres. This tropical wilderness is home to the endangered jaguar, plus manatee and sea turtles and several types of monkeys, not to mention thousands of species of plants, 379 species of birds, more than 500 species of fish, 318 species of butterflies… the list goes on. Visitors can explore vibrant coral reefs, pristine beaches, a complex maze of mangroves and canals, plus 23 known sites of Mayan ruins within the eco park’s sprawling footprint. It is wild and wonderful terrain.

Sian Ka’an means “where the sky is born” in Maya. And when you’re here, it can often feel as if you have the entire park to yourself. There are two main access points to the preserve. Enter near the Tulum hotel zone via the rustic coastal road to Punta Allen for an unbelievable beach and reef encounter. An alternate access route from the jungle brings you through the Muyil Mayan ruins to turquoise lagoons and canals surrounded by lush flora.

Your travel advisor can arrange a guide (and personal boat driver) to give you the full experience. There are also great Jeep trails if you like adrenaline. No matter the route, make sure you wear a swimsuit because you’re going to want to get out of the boat (or Jeep) and swim in the crystal-clear channels. You might also want to bring some snorkeling gear. And maybe a fishing rod.

Sian Ka’an is the best-kept secret in the Mexican Caribbean.

WRITING: KELLY MCLAUGHLIN PHOTOGRAPHY: BRAD A. JOHNSON

INSIDER ADVICE THE FULL TOUR

“The Riviera Maya has so much beauty and history, it’s hard to imagine not getting out and exploring to get a full sense of place. I love taking a catamaran trip to see the area by water, and snorkeling at a reef nearby. I also highly recommend visiting the nearby ruins.”

—Rachel Barone, travel advisor

Ancient History: Maya ruins in Sian Ka’an.

Hotel Directory

CANCÚN

Kempinski Hotel Cancún

Cancún’s original grande dame recently changed its banner from The RitzCarlton to Kempinski and bought some new furniture. Little else has changed. Posh as ever. Lovely beach. The art collection alone is worth a tour. $$

Le Blanc Spa Resort

Adults-only, all-inclusive, 259 rooms, destination spa, floating yoga pads. $$

Nizuc Resort & Spa

Tucked into a semiprivate cove that previously housed a vacation home for the Mexican president. 274 villas and suites, many with plunge pools. Swim-up bar. Outstanding Mexican restaurant. $$

Waldorf Astoria Cancún

Modern glamour on the outskirts of Cancún with 173 ocean-facing rooms, all featuring outdoor tubs on the balconies. Easy airport access. $$

RIVIERA MAYA

Andaz Mayakoba

Where the cool kids play at Mayakoba. Great Mexican restaurant. 214 rooms and suites. See-and-be-seen pool scene. $

Banyan Tree Mayakoba

It’s like Koh Samui with a Mexican accent. 159 rooms, stunning pool suites and brand-new, two-story floating lagoon villas. Sexy beach club, destination spa. $$

Chablé Maroma

Inspired by the Yucatán original. 70 casitas with private pools and indoor/ outdoor showers. Superb dining. Fab little cocktail bar. Blissfully hidden. $$$

Eteréo, Auberge Resorts Collection

Intimate, tropical, craftsman-made with highly personalized service. 75 rooms, many with pools. One of the best chefs in Mexico. Ridiculously cute beach shack and bar. $$

Fairmont Mayakoba

Get around the nearly 600 acres on bikes, buggies and boats. 401 rooms, multiple pools, restaurants galore and one of the biggest beach clubs in the region. $

Grand Velas Riviera Maya

This is the standard-bearer for allinclusive luxury. Exquisite dining. Top spa. Opt for a Grand Class suite. $$$$

Hotel Esencia & The Mansion

One of the area’s original luxury hideaways. 51 suites and villas, plus the

new baller-lifestyle mansion. Helicopter. Masterful sense of place. $$$$

La Casa de la Playa

Adults-only boutique hotel with 63 superluxe rooms between Playa del Carmen and Xcaret. High ceilings and plunge pools. Forty-meter cantilevered infinity pool. Ocean-view spa. $$$$

Maroma, A Belmond Hotel

One of Riviera Maya’s original resorts will soon re-emerge from a full-scale revamp with a new Guerlain spa and a Curtis Stone restaurant. 72 rooms. The anticipation mounts. $$

Palmaï, the House of AÏA

All-inclusive, vegan-inspired yet carnivore-friendly resort with 234 rooms in the jungle of southern Playacar. Holistic spa. Yoga retreats. $$

Rosewood Mayakoba

Exclusive. Elegant. 129 suites and 11 residences, including a two-story, 16,300-square-foot Founder’s Villa. Six pools. Exquisite gastrobar adjacent to the beach club. $$$

St. Regis Kanai

Stunning modern architecture appears to float above the mangroves. Beautiful spa. Excellent steakhouse. Two beach clubs and pools. Round-the-clock butlers. Huge rooms. Oh-so-romantic Astor suites. $$

Thompson Playa del Carmen

Two hotels in one: The Main House on Quinta Avenida, 92 rooms, adultsonly day club. The Beach House directly on the sand, 27 rooms, family-oriented. $

Unico 20°87°

All-inclusive, adults-only. 448 rooms, some with direct access into the pool, others with outdoor tubs. $$

Viceroy Riviera Maya

Rustic jungle romance. 41 villas with plunge pools, daybeds, hammocks and outdoor showers. Temazcal. $$

TULUM

Casa Chablé

Tucked into a coconut grove on a remote islet that cradles the Sian Ka’an Biosphere, an hour south of Tulum. Five private bungalows, plus five suites in the main house. Blissfully empty beach. Exclusive, intimate. $$$

Jashita Hotel

Understated elegance. Shabby chic, 30 rooms. Open-air dining, plus a beach bar with swing seats. $

Our Habitas Tulum

Déjà vu. The old-ways Tulum is alive and well. 42 glamping tents, some with sea views. Outdoor bathrooms. Music festival vibes. Excellent mixology. Wild monkeys. $

BACALAR

Our Habitas Bacalar

This is where North America meets Central America at the end of the peninsula. 34 A-frame glamping tents surrounded by tranquil jungle lagoons. The ultimate chill-out zone. $

MÉRIDA

Chablé Yucatán

Restored 19th-century sisal plantation in rural Chocholá, an hour outside of Mérida. 40 lavish pool casitas, plus three palatial family villas. Destination dining. A world unto itself. $$$

Hacienda Xcanatun by Angsana

Sister brand of Banyan Tree in the suburbs. Choose your style: 18 historic hacienda quarters or 36 brand-new contemporary suites. Weekly cochinita pibil burials and feasts. Wild anteaters roam the gardens. $ .

* Pictured

INSIDER ADVICE TOP STAYS

"At Nizuc in Cancún, the Pool Pavilion Villas offers the ultimate in privacy. Each of these villas has a completely secluded outdoor pavilion with an infinity pool and waterfall.”

—Rivkah Tuttle, travel advisor

“I like to combine Chable Yucatán with Chablé Maroma, as the hotels will arrange transportation between the two.”

—Georgia Schley Ritchie, travel advisor

ALSO CONSIDER

Your travel advisor can access Villas of Distinction ’s full inventory in the Yucatan Peninsula to find a perfect private stay for groups of any size.

Your advisor can secure Select rates, resort credits and VIP perks at these hotels.

THIS IS WHAT WELLNESS LOOKS LIKE

In Los Cabos, the pristine blue waters of the Sea of Cortez meet the desert and mountains creating the perfect backdrop for relaxation and adventure. From blissful walks along stunning swimmable beaches to luxurious afternoons at world-class spas, Los Cabos has something for everyone. Experience ultimate wellness, personalized adventures, elevated gastronomy, and unparalleled service, all surrounded by the vibrant energy and natural beauty of this unique destination.

VisitLosCabos.Travel

PALACE INTRIGUE

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

She’s as captivating as ever. As I stand on the balcony of Copacabana Palace, sipping a caipirinha and taking in the sweeping view of Rio’s legendary beach, I’m struck anew by her beauty. I’ve been coming here for years, but this time feels different.

It’s hard to believe this fairy-tale hotel was once just a dream in the mind of then-President Epitácio Pessoa. French architect Joseph Gire originally designed the property to commemorate Brazil’s Independence Centenary. He modeled his vision from the Mediterranean style of Hotel Negresco in Nice and The Carlton in Cannes. The result: a stunning white palace with signature stucco façade and wrought-iron balconies. As she turns a century old this year, she still exudes an air of timeless elegance and glitz.

WRITING: GHALIB SHIRAZ DHALLA

PHOTOGRAPHY: GABRIEL TESSEROLLI

MODELING: JOANA POZZI

“The Copa,” as the Brazilians fondly call it, has hosted some of the most glamorous people in the world, including Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot, Madonna, Princess Diana, Tom Cruise, the Rolling Stones and, now I’m made to feel, me. Not content to rest on its laurels, the diva icônica has taken time to rebuild and refresh. Following a brief hiatus during the pandemic and then some, Belmond recently unveiled a stunning renovation overseen by architect Michel Jouannet, who was also responsible for face-lifting the Ritz Paris and Hôtel de Crillon. I'm enamored with the Copa’s pool, which features new tiling and marble surrounds and serves as an oasis to relax and soak up the sun when the beach, which is oh so close, feels just too hectic — or when I’m sensing another caipirinha might be in order.

The hotel’s 239 rooms and suites have all been updated with new furniture and fixtures while remaining faithful to its elegant, traditional style. And then there’s the spa, which has been expanded to boast a new sauna and steam room, and where an aptly called “Bossa Nova Indulgence” works miracles to erase all signs of jetlag and impart that vacation glow to my face.

Brazilian Max: (Opposite) Interior courtyard and pool at Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro and (inset) inside a penthouse oceanview suite. (From left) Pérgula restaurant and lobby of the hotel.

AS THE SCAFFOLDING COMES DOWN FOLLOWING A CELEBRATORY FACELIFT, THE LEGENDARY COPA IN RIO DE JANEIRO IS READY FOR HER CLOSE-UP.

Never just a place to rest my head, The Copa to me has always been a destination for dining, sparing me the stress of having to make reservations and rush around the city. At Mee, the only PanAsian restaurant in Rio to be awarded a Michelin Star, we relish exquisite omakase and sake. At Cipriani, where Tuscan chef Nello Cassese holds court, Italian fare is osculated with a contemporary touch; and finally, not to be overshadowed, the poolside haven of Pérgula lures with Brazilian fare and its famous Sunday brunch of traditional feijoada — a hearty stew of beans, meat, and vegetables with rice served like nowhere else in the city.

I watch the sun dipping beyond mountains that rise from the ocean like voluptuous hips and buttocks. The Atlantic, as it lazily turns from turquoise to cerulean. The sands, refusing to give up the bronzed bodies and blooming umbrellas. And I feel some profound saudade — that uniquely Brazilian feeling of nostalgia and longing. There couldn’t be a better vantage point than The Copa, for it is a microcosm of Rio, fusing a gloried past with an ambitious future. It’s a reminder that even as we move forward, we should never forget the beauty and history that came before us. .

Refuge Status: Serenity on the terrace of a penthouse oceanview suite at Copacabana Palace, overlooking Rio de Janeiro’s famous Copacabana Beach. (Opposite) After being closed for 30 years, the hotel’s intimate Copacabana Palace Theatre has been restored and reopened.

Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 239 rooms. Your advisor can secure Select perks, including $100 spa credit and daily Brazilian breakfast for two. $$

IN BALLET, SUSAN JAFFE DEFINES GRACEFUL POWER

She served as principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre for 22 years before stepping offstage, happy and satisfied. “People would ask, ‘Oh, don’t you miss the stage?’ And I’d say no. ‘Don’t you miss the applause?’ No, I never even heard the applause.”

After leading and choreographing other companies in recent years, Jaffe returned to ABT in December as artistic director, bringing with her a hyper-focused mission to diversify the program. One of her first projects was to stage Laura Esquivel’s Mexican love story, Like Water for Chocolate. It was a bold new direction for ABT, but she was determined “to level the playing field.” She understood such a move could not to be undertaken lightly, but also that a change was overdue.

“You’ve got to seriously do your homework in order to create a story about another culture that is absolutely accurate,” Jaffe says.

When the famed ballerina retired from dancing in 2002, she was 40, and “that was a different era,” she says. “We were thinking about great ballets, great technique, great interpretations. It never occurred to us that there were problematic things [in the storylines].”

Being an insatiable traveler helped her evolve her own appreciation of culture and diversity. When she first joined the company at 18, she immediately started traveling. “We went to Paris, Spain, Buenos Aires, Japan.” Her first tour, with Bolshoi Ballet’s Alexander Godunov in the South of France, made an indelible impression.

“I woke up in this beautiful, quaint hotel, and I could hear cowbells outside. I ordered room service, and in came a café au lait and pain au chocolat. I remember tasting the milk and how different it was and tasting the pastry and thinking, ‘I could die now and be perfectly happy.’”

She’s been traveling for food ever since. She’ll never forget that first bite of chorizo from a Puerto Rican food truck. She also travels for architecture, languages and art. “In the ’80s, my friends and I would go to the castles in Umbria, to look at art, hang out on a mountain and eat and walk and explore.”

Now that she’s lost track of how many countries she’s visited, the ballerina that defined graceful power for generations to come is now confident in one thing: There is still more magic to discover.

THE OLTRE Q&A

What’s the best souvenir you’ve ever taken from a hotel room? I hate to say this but I used to smoke, so an ashtray, from a hotel in Paris.

How many pairs of shoes do you bring on a two-week trip? Too many! Sometimes I bring an entire suitcase just for my shoes.

Earliest memory of travel?

I was 10, on an airplane for the first time, going to Costa Rica. I tried to get up from my seat with spaghetti on my tray table, and the spaghetti landed all over my lap.

Do you wear sweatpants on airplanes? No.

A favorite hotel?

I was just at the Shangri-La Toronto. What a gorgeous hotel. Everywhere you turn, it’s beautiful.

What is the one trait you cannot tolerate in a hotel? A bad hairdryer.

SUSAN JAFFE

Which foreign country have you visited the most?

Japan, 14 times. I love the food. I love the aesthetics of it all. I love how polite people are.

Most embarrassing travel moment?

When my suitcase broke at the airport and my clothes were exploding.

Most common request of room service? Breakfast. I like to order eggs in hotel rooms.

What has been your most meaningful trip?

The most amazing and magical trip I ever took was to Morocco, to Essaouira, Taroudant and Marrakesh. We were driving up the Atlas Mountains, and there were these beautiful women on donkeys with gorgeous, colorful clothing.

When and where were you happiest?

I would have to say Negril, Jamaica, 1987. I was dancing, and I was married at the time, and my husband and I went there and just relaxed on the beach under coconut trees, eating the local food. .

WRITING: KATHRYN ROMEYN

Evolutionary Movement : (From left) Susan Jaffe in Don Quixote by MIRA and in Swan Lake by Paul Kolnik.

INSPIRING. REFLECTIVE. REFINED.

A Pioneer in Luxury. After 50 legendary years, Regent ® Hotels & Resorts joined IHG ® Hotels & Resorts to set in motion a new era of luxury travel. Once more, Regent pushes the boundaries of modern luxury for the world’s most discerning travelers.

CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR TO BOOK

Regent ® Porto Montenegro

Regent ® Hong Kong

Carlton Cannes, a Regent ® Hotel

Rest, relaxation and rejuvenation: That’s what this issue of OLTRE is all about. Whether you envision being footloose on the beach, at the spa, in a pool, or tucked into a romantic urban suite, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in these pages. And when you’re ready to take your next trip, our travel advisors can make it happen.

Global Travel Collection

212-755-4550

hello@globaltravelcollection.com

VOLUME 2: THE BAREFOOT ISSUE

THE GUIDE: MEXICO’S YUCATÁN PENINSULA

THE GUIDE: MEXICO’S YUCATÁN PENINSULA

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SPLASH! THE MOST FAMOUS POOL IN THE WORLD

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SPLASH! THE MOST FAMOUS POOL IN THE WORLD

ST. BARTHS SOUNDTRACK: OUR DJ-CURATED PLAYLIST

ST. BARTHS SOUNDTRACK: OUR DJ-CURATED PLAYLIST

BRING IT HOME: DESIGNER HOTEL KEEPSAKES

BRING IT HOME: DESIGNER HOTEL KEEPSAKES

SURF’S UP: MAUI’S MASTER BOARD SHAPERS

SURF’S UP: MAUI’S MASTER BOARD SHAPERS

HOTEL SPOTLIGHTS: NYC AND RIO

HOTEL SPOTLIGHTS: NYC AND RIO

PLUS: CRUISING THE MED, JAIPUR FASHION AND MORE

PLUS: CRUISING THE MED, JAIPUR FASHION AND MORE