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Wizarding Week at Cape Cod’s Ocean Edge Resort During School Break

If the thought of going to the Cape during February break seems absurd, take a look at the weekend weather, where Sunday could top 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s prime beach walk weather in these parts. But even if there’s a blizzard outside, your family will have a blast at Brewster’s Ocean Edge Resort during next week’s school break. Expect pizza pool parties around the two indoor pools, arts & crafts, family movie nights, indoor camping replete with your own teepee, and all the fun associated with Wizarding Week. Meet your fellow witches and wizards, grab your broomstick and wand, and compete in quidditch matches and other games to help win the House Cup. Another added perk is that kids eat free when parents dine for breakfast at Ocean Terrace. 

 

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Top 5 Travels of 2010, Visiting the Maasai at Shompole, Kenya

When visiting another country and booking a room, I always seek out local travel writers or outfitters who know every decent hotel in their country and have a basis for comparison. I’m not going to spend thousands of dollars, only to leave the important decision of where to stay to some stranger commenting on TripAdvisor. More than likely, it’s his first time in this country and it’s all bliss. But I know Africa too well and realize there are hotels that cater primarily to large tour companies from Asia and Europe, delivering the Disneyesque version of being on safari. So I asked Jane and Felix Pinto, owners of the Nairobi-based Micato Safaris, known for their boutique, small group outings, to find me the real thing, an authentic travel experience in the bush. They pointed the way to Shompole.

Less than an hour flight from Nairobi, you land in a grassy valley that feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere. Giraffes and warthogs greet you, along with Maasai villagers dressed in their colorful garb. You look around and find no signs of civilization except for rocky outcroppings that look like rooms nestled into the hillside. On closer inspection, these rooms, less than a dozen, are suites with their own private plunge pools. There are no walls. You’re simply immersed in nature, sleeping in king-sized bed under a mosquito net. You awake to the sounds of tropical birds and the sights of baboons walking across the valley floor.

During the day, Maasai villagers take you on nature walks to show you the natural remedies they use to cure their ailments. I’m sure pharmaceutical companies have sent teams to visit the Maasai to hopefully recreate these cures in pill form at a much more exorbitant price. We also were guests in their small homes and took bush drives to spot lions, Cape buffalo, and pink flamingoes that stand in the shallow waters of Lake Natron, the volcanic slopes of Tanzania seen in the distance. Unlike the Masai Mara, there are no other Jeeps taking people on drives, because there are no other travelers within a 50-mile radius! One night at twilight, the local villagers performed a dance with Mount Shompole looming in the background. Unlike hokey Hawaiian luau dancers that I’m used to seeing, this felt genuine. See for yourself.

Watch the video below, or if you do not see it view it on YouTube.

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A Great Stay at BodyHoliday

The first morning at BodyHoliday I woke up for a 7 am bike ride to Pigeon Island, the conical shaped chunk of land that juts out of the northwestern coast of St. Lucia. We biked along seaside villages and deserted beaches breathing in the humidity-thickened tropical air spiced with a heavy dose of salt. The next morning, I got out of bed early once again to hike up Mount Du Cap, climbing high above the resort for unparalleled vistas of the coastline and the island of Martinique in the distance. I had read about BodyHoliday’s long line-up of fitness classes—Spin, Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, AquaFit—but loved the fact that the resort takes full advantage of its locale to offer activities outside. On Saturday morning, British Olympic Silver Medalist Keri-anne Payne led swimmers on a mile race. On Sunday, you could participate in BodyHoliday’s version of a triathlon by biking to Pigeon Island, running to the fortress atop the island, rappelling down to the sea, and sea kayaking back to the property. 

 
The best reward of all is the daily treatments included in the price. Walk up a short hill to a mega-sized spa where a talented local staff works on your body via massages, wraps, and facials. Restaurants serve fresh fish, grilled meats, all washed down with a good house shiraz. After dinner, with what little energy we had left, we danced to a live band. I’d happily return to this little patch of paradise any time. 
 
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Explora Opens Their First Resort in Peru

On the rugged mountain slopes northwest of Cusco, the Sacred Valley is a beautiful stretch of small villages and ancient ruins spread across a broad plain. The Incas built several of the empire’s greatest estates, temples, and royal palaces between Cusco and Machu Picchu, positioned like great bookends at the south and north ends of the valley. Along with Cusco and Machu Picchu, the Valle Sagrado is one of the highlights of Peru and is really beginning to take off as a destination on its own, rather than just an add-on to Cusco or Machu Picchu. Now it’s home to the latest Explora hotel. I know this resort brand well, having stayed at the first Explora hotel in Torres del Paine, Chile, on assignment for Town & Country magazine. I remember staring out my bathroom window onto the majestic “Horns,” twisted rock formations that rise dramatically from the Patagonian steppe. Daily outdoor excursions are included in the price of a room, so you always have a guide by your side. It’s a worthy addition to the Peruvian landscape, on par with the luxury Inkaterra properties. 

 
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Family Surf Camp in Costa Rica

Peaks N’ Swells, a small family-owned surf camp in Montezuma, Costa Rica, recently announced their line-up of surf camps for 2013. The schedule includes professionally coached Family Surf Camps, Surfer Girl Getaways, and a new Mountain Bike & Surf Adventure. Offered during the spring and over the holiday season (March 19-29; March 29-April 5; April 6-13; April 13-20; December 18-27; December 27-January 5), the Family Surf Camps combine the exciting experience of surfing with your family with seeing the wildlife of Costa Rica. Daily surf and yoga sessions are mixed with plenty of time to hike Montezuma’s waterfall, explore the nearby turtle sanctuary, take a horseback ride on the beach, or relax by the pool. There is no “kids club” at Peaks N’ Swells. Instead, staff will custom tailor activities for each family, from coconut tree climbing competitions and soccer on the beach to Spanish lessons and collecting mangoes from trees on the property. Still not convinced? Here are ten reasons why Costa Rica is one of the best spots in the world to surf. 

 
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Top 5 Paddling Spots in America, Upper Iowa River, Iowa

Don’t worry about crowds on this forgotten run in the glacial-carved valley of northeast Iowa. The Upper Iowa can be paddled for 110 miles from Lime Springs to the Mississippi, but a good 31-mile jaunt from Kendalville to Decorah snakes through cliff-lined gorges below 200-foot-high chimney rocks. Bald eagles frequently soar over the limestone outcrops and deer, mink, raccoon and beaver call the area home. Chimney Rock rents canoes, offers trip planning, and provides a free shuttle. 
 

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A Relaxing Stop in the Berkshires at the Red Lion Inn

After dropping our son off at Cornell last week, we stopped in the Berkshires to dine with good friends and spend a night at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. I haven’t stayed at this classic retreat in over a decade and it turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. As soon as we dropped off our bags off in our spacious room in one of the houses on the lot next to the main inn, we went to straight to the pool and hot tub for a plunge. We then washed up just in time to join the sommelier on the Red Lion’s signature wraparound porch for a tasting of roses and white zinfandels. The next morning Lisa woke up early to use the fitness center, located in the O’Brien House, before a typical August in New England breakfast of wild blueberry pancakes and Mass maple syrup in the main dining room. Happy we made the stop instead of rushing home. 

 

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