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Top 5 Eco-Resorts in Central America, Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge, Nicaragua

Nicaragua has the largest area of primary-growth rainforest north of the Amazon, hundreds of beaches, six active volcanoes, and plenty of sleepy surf towns. Since 2002, the government has created 76 national parks to protect the country’s wildlife. Think of it as Costa Rica, 20 years, ago before the Pacific coast was built up. One of the best places to spend your money, especially if you want to support the people of San Juan de Oriente and the education efforts of the neighboring rural towns, is to book your cabin at Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge. Located about two hours southwest of Managua, near the surf town, San Juan del Sur, Morgan’s Rock features 15 hardwood cottages overlooking a private beach. Their 4400-acre property includes an organic farm, which supplies the necessary produce to the restaurant and its unique blend of Nicaraguan, French, and Asian cuisine. If you can tear yourself away from the soft white sand, the resort offers excursions to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes that rise dramatically out of Lake Nicaragua. There’s also the chance to hike along the coast, go horseback riding, sea kayak through estuaries, zipline, and get lost in a jungle of sloths and monkeys. Also be on the lookout for yoga retreats, often led by one of LA’s best-known yoga instructors, Sara Ivanhoe.
 

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Travel Like a Local on These Guided Day Trips

If you’re planning to visit New England over the next month to see the fall foliage, it might be wise to get away from the crowded roadways and sign up for one of these authentic day trips with local experts. Authenticity is the buzzword in travel these days, the chance to live and feel like a local, not a tourist. Thankfully, there are many opportunities in New England where you have the chance to go beyond the boilerplate tours and get a real feel for the region while being led by an expert on the subject. These dozen day trips, which I reported for Yankee Magazine, strive for genuine authenticity and hopefully reward you with lasting memories. 

 

Webinars that Have Inspired Us–First Up, Panama

One of the few incentives of this downtime is the chance to educate ourselves about destinations and properties we’ve wanted to learn more about but never had the time. Lisa and I have been sitting in on webinars with gorilla experts in Uganda to boutique hoteliers in Colombia. We already mentioned two of the better webinars we viewed in the May newsletter, Brush Creek Lodge in Wyoming, and one of the villa companies we like to work with, Villas of Distinction. This week, I’ll delve into other destinations we’ve been digging into:

Thanks to the direct flights on Copa Airlines from many of North America’s largest cities, we’ve been designing more and more itineraries to Panama each year. Expect the same wildlife, cloud forest, rainforest, mountains, wildlife, and exotic birds as Costa Rica. Then add the Panama Canal and seven unique indigenous cultures of Panama. Where Panama pales in comparison to Costa Rica is unique properties, but we learned about two of the more recent boutique hotels to open in the past several years. El Otro Lado is located on scenic Portobelo Bay, about a 90-minute drive from Panama City. The five 1 and 2-bedroom cottages immersed in 300 acres are as bright as the scarlet macaws and overflowing with local art created on site. They suggest a 3-night stay to kayak, snorkel, fish, hike, take sunset birding boat rides, join in a mojito making class, create sculptures with local artists, and learn to congo dance.

The second property we discussed was Isla Palenque, located on a private island in the The Gulf of Chiriqui. Fly an hour from Panama City to the airport in David, where you’ll be picked up and driven another hour to the port in Boca Chica. From here, it’s a short 15-minute boat ride to paradise. Humpback whales arrive in July, accompanied by dolphins, rays, and turtles. Clients who have already ventured to Lapa Rios, Arenas del Mar, and Finca Rosa Blanca know the level of luxury, sense of local style, and service the Cayuga Collection can offer. They run the 8 beachfront casitas on this private island. Pricing is all-inclusive, replete with daily yoga and five miles of beach to roam. Want to get away from it all? This is the place. Please contact ActiveTravels and we’ll check availability and pricing.

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Whitewater Rafting Explorer, Richard Bangs, Leads a Trip to Bosnia

Sobek Expeditions, founded by Richard Bangs and John Yost in 1973, almost single handedly put the sport of whitewater rafting on the map. They were the first outfitter to descend Chile’s Bio Bio River and Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River, now considered classics.  In 1991, Sobek merged with Mountain Travel to form one of the premier adventure companies in the world. Yet, Bang, author of Rivergods, a collection of essays on thirteen first descents, refuses to rest on his laurels. He always seems to put together one kick-ass trip each summer and this year is no different. Joining forces with George Wendt, owner of O.A.R.S., Bangs is returning to Bosnia, which he calls the last great authentic place.

In his own words: “The Bosnia we know from images of the war—the bombed and bullet-ridden buildings, the scars from the 1,200-day siege of Sarajevo—has kept from view a Bosnia we don’t know, a place where nature has been bighearted with its gifts. The country hosts one of the two greatest tracks of primeval forests in Europe, unmatched biodiversity, daunting mountain faces yet to be climbed, deep gorges yet to be traversed, wild rivers with water so pure you can cup your hand to drink, some of the highest concentrations of wildlife, and perhaps the last highland tribes of semi-nomadic people on the continent. In many ways, Bosnia today has what the rest of the world has lost. We rafted there last summer—and what we discovered was a stitch of river stretches so unspoiled, so stunning, so exquisite and exciting, that we could not resist returning.” The date is August 25-September 1, 2011, and the price is $2990 per person. Call Carrie at 800-346-6277, ext. 4786 to reserve a space.
 

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Montreal Knows How to Party, Even in the Heart of Winter

Last winter, Montreal unveiled the continent’s first Snow Village at Parc Jean-Drapeau. This was no miniature dollhouse or a series of ice sculptures. No. The Snow Village included a 30-room ice hotel, an outdoor spa, ice bar, ice restaurant, ice chapel for marriages, a maze, slides, and much more. The show’s promoters first encountered the Snow Village concept in Finland and wanted to recreate the idea in North America. Entering its second season, Snow Village Canada will feature a New York theme in 2013, so expect to see the Empire State Building carved out of ice. If you visit in January, you’ll have the additional bonus of checking out Igloofest, a winter outdoor electronic dance celebration drawing up to 10,000 people a night over 3 weekends. 

 
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Adventures in New Brunswick Week—Sea Kayaking the Bay of Fundy

We started the day at low tide at the iconic Hopewall Rocks, sunlight splintering through the sea stacks or flowerpots rocks as the locals call them (many of the formations have trees sprouting out of the top, thus resembling flowerpots). Walking along the beach snapping photo after photo at the picturesque blend of towering rocks, cliffs, and sea, we walked on the rocky beach and clay-like mud that lined the Bay of Fundy floor. Soon we heard squawking of birds only to peer up at one of the rocks and see a majestic peregrine falcon perched high above. We continued south on Route 114 to reach Cape Enrage at the height of high tide, water and wind whipping around us atop a cliff and lighthouse that juts out onto the sea vulnerable to the elements. 

After lunch of fresh pan-fried haddock cakes and a tangy tomato soup, we were energized and ready to go sea kayaking with Fresh Air Adventure on the outskirts of Fundy National Park. Owner Gina was excited to have us try out her new toys, surf skis, slender and speedy 17-foot ocean Epic V7 kayaks that she uses to race in Hong Kong, where she spends half the year. We got acclimated to the kayaks as we made our way down the Upper Salmon River, an estuary, slicing through the water with a paddle so light the stroke felt almost effortless. Then we turned around and went past the handful of fishing boats before making our way out to the Bay of Fundy. We had to paddle against the winds on the way out to open water, looking at Nova Scotia across the bay. The tide was still coming in with a moderate chop as waves spilled into the kayak. I peered at the tall spruce and firs that stood tall atop the craggy rock of the Fundy National Park bluffs before a larger wave swept me up and I found myself swimming in the salty drink. Gina guided me back into the kayak and we turned around to feel the ebb and flow of the highest tides in the world. I quickly understood why they call these kayaks surf skis. You paddle hard atop the crest of the wave and you feel the sudden rush of water surge you forward, like surfing. It was an exciting way to end an exhilarating day. 
 
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New Trends and Rides at America’s Amusement Parks

July 4th weekend might be in the rear view mirror but the summer has just begun. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit one of the hundreds of amusement parks across the country to sample some of their new rides. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the big new trends at amusement parks are virtual reality roller coasters and immersive 4-D attractions. On roller coasters, riders wear specially designed virtual reality headsets as they become part of the adrenalin-pumping storyline. For example, Six Flags Magic Mountain, celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, has added new virtual reality technology to the “Revolution” steel roller coaster, creating “The New Revolution.” Wind, water, and heat are just a few of the sensory elements, along with high-tech sound that ride designers are implementing to help create a 4-D immersive experience. At Epcot in Orlando, “Soarin’ Around the World” is a new 4-D experience that treats guests to an aerial tour of some of the world’s most distinctive landscapes.

 
 

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