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Top 5 Eco-Resorts in Central America, La Loma Jungle Lodge, Isla Bastimentos, Panama

Increasingly, the small eco-retreat design that made such an imprint in Costa Rica has slipped farther south into Panama. On an archipelago in the northeastern part of the country, a short boat ride from the town of Bocas del Toro, is a four-cabana lodge socked in the middle of the verdant jungle and surrounded by a working cocoa plantation. All of the cabins at La Loma Jungle Lodge were created from fallen trees and inspired by the architecture of the local Ngobe Indians. The employees are also local, including your guide through the rainforest and beach to see sloths, armadillos, small crocs called caimans, and the graceful blue morph butterfly. At dinner, lobster and conch will not be served, as the owners try to use only sustainably harvested fish like yellow jack. Rates start at $100 per person a night, including three meals, the boat ride over from Bocas town, and some of the excursions. 

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Seventh Annual Hotel Week in Manhattan January 5-15, 2018

If you want to visit New York at a discount, then head to the city during their Seventh Annual Hotel Week in early January. Gansevoort Meatpacking, the Refinery Hotel, Library Hotel, James New York, Viceroy Central Park, and Archer New York are just a handful of top-tier properties that will cut their rates considerably during this time. For example, the Paul Hotel NYC will only be $100 a night, more than 50% off their usual rate. Hotel Week NYC™ was created by PR maven Nancy J. Friedman in 2010 to address the occupancy dip most hotels experience after the holiday season. It’s a perfect time to visit Manhattan without the crowds and see the new David Hockney show at the Met. 

 
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The Debut of The Boxer in Boston

Several ski writers who came into Boston last week for the Boston Ski Show mentioned that they loved their hotel, The Boxer. Formerly the Bulfinch Hotel, the Boxer is a nine-story, 80- room boutique hotel housed in a triangular 1904 building that’s Boston’s version of the Flatiron Building. Located on Merrimac Street, not far from the Boston Garden and the North End, The Boxer has a vintage feel, with an old-time room key rack behind the front desk and a circa 1860 map of Boston on the lobby ceiling. Their restaurant, Finch, serves regional fare like New England clam chowder and lobster mac n’ cheese. Rates start at $161 a night. 

 
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Favorite Fall Drives, Highway 29/Silverado Trail Loop, Napa Valley, California

Only an hour drive north of San Francisco, expect the vineyard-draped hillside of Napa Valley to be tinted with crimson and gold come autumn. But the real reason to head here this time of year is to participate in one of the harvest season’s crush parties, where you get to stomp on the grapes. Some of the biggest names in American wine, from Opus One to Stag’s Leap, line Highway 29 north of Napa and the Silverado Trail heading back south from Calistoga. Stock up on cheeses, bread, cupcakes, and other picnic fare at the 40,000-square foot Oxbow Public Market in Napa. Then hit Highway 29 to pick your selection of wine. Have the requisite mud bath in Calistoga at Golden Haven Hot Springs. Andaz Napa is a 141-room boutique hotel located in the center of Napa, a good place to unwind after your day or two of touring. 

 
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Deal of the Month: Winvian in Litchfield Hills, Connecticut

When the Smith family decided to transform their 113-acre estate into one of New England’s most unique and exclusive resorts called Winvian, they spared no expense. In 2006, they hired 15 architects to create “cottages” nestled into the meadows, ponds, and rolling farmland that flanks their circa-1775 Main House. Today, these 18 finished works are rare architectural gems where inside each spacious abode, you’ll find hidden wonders like an intact fully restored 1968 helicopter that now serves as the bar and entertainment center in the Helicopter Cottage. The Treehouse Cottage is a two-story structure 32 feet off the ground, suspended atop a tree. We stayed in the Library Cottage, inspired by the libraries of yesteryear and dominated by double-story shelves of books. A ladder accesses a wraparound second level balcony surrounding a glorious stone fireplace.

 
When not admiring the cottages, you can stroll through the wildflowers to a pond where we spotted a great blue heron or take a much longer hike in the surrounding White Memorial Foundation, a 4,000-acre wildlife sanctuary. Afterwards, opt for a facial or massage at the spa. Winvian is a Relais & Chateaux property as you’ll soon realize at dinner or the exceptional breakfast where I dined on poached eggs carbonara, over a bed of fresh eggplant and zucchini just plucked from their garden. Dinner was a 4-course feast of tuna crudo, rabbit tortellini, and veal cooked two ways. Lisa’s Atlantic halibut was also tender and fresh. After dinner, we played a game of pool downstairs before walking outside and looking up at the shimmering stars in the night sky. This retreat is as close to perfection as you get in a New England country estate. 
 
Winvian reopens Wednesday with the best rates of the year, $399 a night. The rate is only available for stays from March 20 through April 4. So if you need a quick escape at a one-of-a-kind resort, please contact ActiveTravels and we’ll check availability. 
 
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Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel Will Finally Open in June

Already recognized as one of the premier train systems in the world, the Swiss Rail System can easily make its claim as the finest once the Gotthard Base Tunnel opens on June 1st. It has taken 20 years at a cost of $10.3 billion and the lives of 8 men to create the world’s longest tunnel, a mind-boggling 35 miles long. 8,000 feet below the surface of the Alps, more than 2,000 workers excavated some 2 million truckloads of earth. The result is a tunnel where trains will travel over 150 miles per hour, shaving an hour off the current Milan to Zurich run, down to 2 hours and 50 minutes. It’s an incredible feat, especially when you consider the tracks are completely flat under the mountainous Alps. That’s what I call Swiss ingenuity. 

 
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Wildland Adventures Returns to Turkey in September 2012

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Wildland Adventures, founders Kurt and Anne Kutay will return to their roots, personally guiding a fortunate group of travelers to the highlights of Turkey. You’ll start in Istanbul, then fly to Kayseri (where I once had the best Iskendar kebab in the world) to spend three nights in Cappadocia at the Elkep Evi Cave Hotel. Then it’s on to the spiritual city of Konya and the Mevlana Museum, where the great Sufi poet, Rumi, is buried. Next up is a five-day jaunt on a luxurious gulet along the Mediterranean coast, stopping in the seaside towns of Kas and Kalkan (where I celebrated my 28th birthday by getting a shave). See the Roman ruins in Ephesus and then it’s back to Istanbul for another two nights before you depart. If you want to see Turkey in style, this is the trip I’d suggest. 

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