by Editor | Sep 26, 2016 | Accomodations
By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox
The Treschers Schwarzwald Romantic Hotel
While visiting the Black Forest Highlands of southwest Germany we spent two spring weekend nights at the popular Treschers Schwarzwald Romantic Hotel, part of the Romantic Hotel Group since 2002. The hotel was on the shores of Lake Titisee in the tourist village of Titisee-Neustad 850 meters above sea level. The main highlight of our lakefront Four Star Superior accommodations, 38 kilometers from Freiburg, was the lake view. We could catch a glimpse of the natural lake from the restaurant dining room, our 27 square meter Classic Double rooms and Titinova, the pool and sauna areas on the opposite side of the hotel.
The weather was cloudy and rainy during most of our stay
A view of the hotel from Lake Titisee
We experienced rainy and chilly weather for virtually our entire stay. From the sunny blue sky we saw briefly one afternoon to the thunderstorm that serenaded us at dinner and the gray fog enveloping the lake the morning of our departure the lake drew my eyes whenever I was near a window. I loved the lake greenery. Lake Titisee, our tour guide explained, was free from over development, and thanks to a ban on motorboats (only rowboats and electric boats were permitted), especially clean. One of my favorite moments was Saturday night, when from the comfort of my balcony, I watched a short fireworks display from a boat in front of the hotel, part of a wedding celebration taking place onsite.
Our Classic Double Rooms had a small balcony and a view of the lake
Marion Moninger, marketing manager, and Michael Moninger, hotel manager
The family hotel, the Hansjörg Trescher Michael Moninger families owned the property, was established in 1887. Although pets were not allowed, children of all ages were welcome. There were many families with well behaved children during our stay. There was a collection of valuable mechanical clocks in the lobby and lounge. I appreciated that some of the reception desk and restaurant staff spoke English. Many staff members were friendly and service oriented, especially our servers, such as Maike, at dinner.
The bathrooms were modern
To reach our rooms, 109 and 119, from the reception and lobby we had to pass through an open style restaurant facing the lake. It was there that we had the buffet breakfast between 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. a la carte dinner between 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Lingering food odors, some of them stale, assaulted my nose as soon as we approached the restaurant entrance. The pungent food smells in the main building and restaurant hung in the air at all hours, reaching into the hallways and rooms of our building. It was unpleasant and disappointing, making it challenging to enjoy our time at the property.
The sauna’s central area
The Himalayan Salt Sauna was a favorite
Hotel facilities included three restaurants (two open during our stay) that emphasized fresh seasonal products and sourced most produce locally, according to a property spokesperson. There were also: Flaschlehimmel piano lounge, fireplace bar, terrace overlooking the lake, Bellezza Beauty Spa, 72 square meter fitness room (with eight Life Fitness, Kettler and Germania machines), indoor and outdoor pools, Finnish sauna with a panoramic view of the Bärental, steam sauna, Himalayan-Salt Sauna, infra-red twin cabin, plunge pool with a waterfall Kneipp Treatment, gift shop and beer garden.
The indoor pool had two levels of seating
The pool bar
Given the foul weather a spa visit was especially in order. Although the hotel spa was fully booked, with the owner’s assistance, I managed to try the San Vino Facial, one of the facility’s signature wine based treatments. My visit was not without challenges as the spa menu was only available in German and the hurried woman at the spa reception spoke no English and showed no signs of wanting to try. On the plus side, my facialist was friendly and welcoming and I enjoyed the gentle treatment.
My therapist was friendly and the treatment was worthwhile
The entrance to the spa featured a display promoting the local wine facial treatment
After making sure I was comfortable, she began the treatment by rubbing a mix of shea butter and grapeseed oil on my hands. She used a cleansing milk and tepid water to prepare my face for the facial, which began with a peeling product. While the mask hardened she massaged my feet. After removing the mask with a warm liquid that smelled of vinegar she applied a day cream followed by eye cream, which for once didn’t irritate my eyes.
A deli plate including black forest ham and boiled egg was one of my favorite items
Trout with vegetables
Before dinner at the waterfront restaurant, I donned the hotel branded cotton bathrobe and slippers from my room making my way across a long underground passage with automated lights beneath the restaurant to the Titinova on the other side of the hotel, where I spent a short while at the indoor pool, warmed to 31 degrees Celsius, and sauna area. Both had pretty lake views. In the sauna, for adults and children 14 and older, no clothes were worn. There was an ample supply of towels. I started at the Himalayan salt sauna (a favorite) heated to 45 degrees Celsius before moving to the infrared sauna for two heated to 55 degrees Celsius. From there I went to the Finnish sauna, heated to 95 degrees Celsius, before spending a few minutes relaxing on a lake facing lounger. Both had lake views. It was raining and chilly so I gave up my plans to swim in the outdoor pool.
The hotel employed 120 staff and had 155 beds in 82 rooms ranging from Classic to Family Apartments. In June 2016, the property received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. Should we return to Lake Titisee we would consider a stopover at the Treschers Schwarzwald Romantikhotel Titisee (Seestrasse 19, D-79822 Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, +49 7651 8050 / +49 7651 8116, http://www.schwarzwaldhotel-trescher.de, info@schwarzwaldhotel-trescher.de).
by Editor | Jul 11, 2016 | Accomodations
Article and photos by Elena del Valle
My view from the balcony to the right
From my fourth floor Two Bedroom Ocean View Suite at the Blue Haven Resort and Marina (Leeward, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies, +649 946 9900, toll free +1 855 832-7667, www.bluehaventci.com, contact@bluehaventci.com) I had sweeping views of the property grounds, including the man made beach, and the turquoise waters of Providenciales, the most popular of the Turks and Caicos Islands. As a bonus there was an osprey nest across the canal from my balcony. The well appointed and comfortable 1,650 square foot apartment with hotel services was so nice and the hotel amenities so convenient that if it hadn’t been for my desire to discover the natural beaches and explore the island I might have stayed indoors.
The view straight across from Suite 402 at the Blue Haven Resort and Marina
Suite 402, a corner unit on the fourth floor of a five story building, had pretty water views from the balcony, living room and master bedroom. It had two en suite bedrooms, a single space with living, dining and kitchen areas, and a covered balcony facing the front and side of the building. The high end kitchen had wood cabinets, an island and marble top counters. It was equipped with full size modern appliances, including a refrigerator with freezer, oven and stove, microwave, dishwasher, and stacked washer and dryer.
The master bedroom
In the master bedroom a king bed was framed by identical glass topped wood night tables with wall mounted lamps. One had a clock radio with iPod docking capability. Across from the bed there was a glass topped wood dresser and above it, atop a wood wall mounted shelf, was a flatscreen television. Temperature control was via an efficient central air conditioner and ceiling fans (one in each bedroom and one in the living room).
In Suite 402, a single area had the kitchen, dining room and living room
In the dining area, there was a glass topped wood dining table with four armless cushioned wood chairs and a built-in wood cabinet with a marble top beneath a rectangular framed mirror. On the opposite wall there were three palm tree themed glass framed posters. The khaki tile floor complemented the off white wall color. I liked the high ceiling, contemporary comfortable furnishings and small touches like black out curtains in the rooms, and a walk-in closet with an electronic safe in the master bedroom.
The second bedroom in Suite 402
Among the suite amenities there were: complimentary internet connectivity (the speed was slow), fruit bowl, paper towels, two individual load size containers of powder All laundry detergent, shower cap, printouts of daily papers such as USA Today at reception, house brand bottled water, two line phones in the bedrooms, living room, and master bathroom. There were also Sharp flatscreen televisions in the bedrooms and living room, and two cotton bathrobes and slippers per bedroom.
The infinity swimming pool
Facilities included a restaurant, bar, beach, pool, fitness room, and spa and mini-mart (across the parking lot). The Fitness Center had two Precor treadmills, one bicycle, one leg curl and three elliptical Precor machines as well as free weights, multiple use machine, bench, and towels. The Precor machines had built-in Cardio Theater monitors.
Sharick, Keisha, Ramona and Darrel at the front desk, and Beryl Charles, manager, Rooms Division, were friendly and helpful. My suite was serviced twice daily.
The reception desk staff at hotel were friendly and helpful
Fire and Ice restaurant
During my stay, I had dinner once at Fire and Ice, the domain of French executive chef Laurent Ajas, a proud member of L’Ordre International des Disciples d’Auguste Escoffier. I ordered two of the house specialty dishes, including the Cataplana (seafood prepared in a copper pot), recommended by my server. The staff at dinner were friendly and helpful. The meal was well presented and delicious.
My tasty appetizer
The executive chef, Laurent Ajas, was a member of L’Ordre International des Disciples d’Auguste Escoffier
My server recommended the Cataplana, a seafood dish prepared in a copper pot
The 15 acre four star (self categorized) property had 40 rooms and 50 employees. Children of all ages were welcome. I saw a number of children, some loud, at breakfast and dinner. While cooling breezes crossed the partially open Mediterranean Influence lobby immediately next to the porte cochere arrival area there were strong food smells in some of the front areas of the building, especially near the workout room. The hotel was voted one of the Top 20 Hotels in the Caribbean in 2016 in the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards.
The hotel’s beach area at the end of the day
Beryl Charles, manager,
Rooms Division
The hotel seen from the edge of the beach
I liked the hotel’s water views, friendly staff, the breeze that flowed through the lobby during the day, the well kept grounds, the spacious and well appointed two-bedroom suite with ocean views, Fire and Ice restaurant for dinner as well as the luxury amenities and facilities, and would return should my travels take me to that part of Providenciales.
by Editor | Apr 25, 2016 | Accomodations, Attractions, Ecotourism, New Articles
By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox
A leopard in a tree near Camp Moremi
On our most recent safari trip to Southern Africa we stayed at six Desert & Delta Safari properties, five in Botswana and one in the Caprivi Strip of Namibia. Traveling to properties within the same company offered advantages. The management similarities provided us an idea of what to expect before arriving at each subsequent property. For example, they all had eco-friendly policies; offered us moist refresher towels on arrival and when we returned from game drives as well as welcome back staff greetings when we returned from our activities; with only one exception, they all served buffet meals of similar styles at shared communal tables; the camps that depended on generators for electricity had battery operated lights for times when the generators were off at night; and most were run by a four-person management team, many of whom were friendly and helpful when asked.
Our pilot bids us farewell after our arrival at Leroo La Tau from Maun to start the adventure
Safari Air had several comfortable Caravan aircraft
Another advantage of traveling to Desert & Delta Safaris properties was their shared charter air service. Since Chobe Holdings Limited owned Desert & Delta Safaris and Safari Air (Desert & Delta Safaris, Private bag 310, Maun, Botswana, +267 6861243, http://www.desertdelta.com, info@desertdelta.com), a non scheduled charter safari airline founded in 1992 and based out of Maun, they coordinated our transfers between the Desert & Delta Safaris properties and between our international arrival and departure airports. The company owned five GA8 Airvan, three Cessna Caravan and one Quest Kodiak. We appreciated the convenience of the well organized and on time service.
The heat drove many poolside in the afternoons
Our stay was hampered in part by a regional heat wave that stretched all the way to South Africa. Four of the six properties ran on generators. Because the rooms remained sealed most of the day they became over hot around the clock. More than once we or our fellow travelers became ill from the heat and dehydration. Thankfully, the game viewing vehicles had partial shade. In addition, wet face cloths and pool dips were helpful in reducing our body temperature.
The wildlife was centered around the Boteti River banks near Leroo LaTau
Leroo LaTau, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi National Park, was our favorite for game viewing and views of the Boteti River from our rooms and the common areas. This was in part because Slade, our guide, was one of the most passionate and engaged of the guides we spent time with on that three country multi week itinerary. We enjoyed seeing a bit of the regional zebra migration and predators such as lions and wild dogs as well as brilliant sunsets over the shallow waters of the river.
Sunset over the Okavango Delta
Time for a drink before dinner at Xugana Island Lodge
In Camp Moremi (see Tented camp offered good game viewing, creature comforts on edge of Okavango Delta) we liked the expansive views from the elevated deck. At Xugana Island Lodge, we delighted in the birding within the island, the sense of remoteness within the famous Okavango Delta, and pretty water setting as well as many boat outings and occasional hippo sightings. Savute Safari Lodge had the prettiest rooms and some of the tastiest and most abundant meals. We especially liked the views of the man made waterholes from the dining area and our tented rooms.
Breakfast at the Chobe Game Lodge with a view of the Chobe River
At the Chobe Savanna Lodge and Chobe Game Lodge, situated on opposite sides of the Chobe River and in separate countries, we were thankful for the air conditioned rooms. Although the border crossing from Botswana to Chobe Savanna Lodge on the Namibia side of the Chobe River was time consuming, hot and tedious we enjoyed the shady leisurely river rides on the pontoon boat. We particularly liked it when our boat was one of few on the river and we were alone with our local guide. The flat river water and quiet when the motor was off were particularly appealing. At the Chobe Game Lodge, we appreciated the three daily game viewing activities, and luxury amenities such as plated meals at private tables, in-room phones, WiFi internet access, work out room, spa room and its innovative electric safari vehicle.
A hyena in the Chobe Game Reserve
Elephants sharing a waterhole near Savute Safari Lodge in Chobe
Overall we had a fun trip and numerous bird and wildlife sightings of common species such as zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, red lechwe (at Xugana), including elephant, buffalo, leopard and lion from the coveted Big Five. We saw beautiful birds, including the elusive paradise flycatchers, fish eagles multiple times, and particularly remember pairs of fish eagles relatively close to our boat at the Chobe Savanna Lodge. During the trip, we had extraordinary sightings such as wild dogs at Leroo La tau, crocodiles hunting, interactions between lions and elephants and numerous striking landscape and waterscape moments that will linger in our memories for years to come, and draw us back to Botswana and Africa in the future.
by Editor | Apr 11, 2016 | Accomodations, Ecotourism
By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox
Camp Moremi, a luxury tented camp in Botswana, Southern Africa
Our greeting committee was a coalition of lions.
During a recent multi-country safari itinerary we spent three nights at Camp Moremi (Desert & Delta Safaris, Private bag 310, Maun, Botswana, +267 6861243 and +267 6861418, Fax +267 6861791, http://www.desertdelta.com, camp.moremi@dds.co.bw), a luxury tented camp within Botswana’s Chobe Game Reserve in Southern Africa. To reach the property we flew on a small plane from Lerro LaTau, its sister Desert & Delta Safaris property on the Boteti River adjacent to the Makgadikgadi Pans. Our first impression driving from the landing strip through a mopane forest was of the vegetation and color contrast from the dry straw colored patches and scrawny plants of the Kalahari area to the south and the bushier greener area near camp.
A wildebeest watched us briefly before running off into the bush
A wattled crane
Arriving at the camp’s central lawn we heard the cacophony cries of dozens of Burchell’s starlings calling in the midday heat in the tree canopy above us. The game viewing property overlooked the Xakanaka Lagoon to the west and the inland mopane forest and open grasslands to the east. During our twice daily game drives in the reserve on partly open vehicles we saw three of the Big Five and many birds, as well as a number of other fauna. Our guide also identified some flora. Since visits to the park were limited to daytime hours, in the mornings, we entered the park immediately after sunrise and in the afternoons we exited right before sunset. At night, we had to be escorted by a staff member from our tents to dinner and back in case we encountered animals within the camp.
Our breakfast included a cold buffet.
Camp Moremi was established in 1984 and completely renovated in 2012. It had 12 luxury tents on a five hectare generator powered camp with 32 Setswana staff. Bruce Petty was the general manager. While we were there Thuso, Frank, Lydia, and Lettie shared management duties. The property, which had Ecotourism status from the Botswana Tourism Organisation, received a TripAdvisor 2015 Certificate of Excellence.
Thuso, Frank, Lydia, and Lettie managed Camp Moremi
Our accommodations consisted of 5 meter by 5 meter tents atop wood platforms set slightly above the bush. Each of our tents had four distinct areas: a spacious entry foyer with a writing desk and mirror; a bathroom with a walk in shower with hot and cold running water, and a flush toilet; a bedroom; and a covered bush facing deck.
The entry sitting space with mirror, desk and chair.
At a previous Desert and Delta Safaris property the staff provided a metal container for each of us to fill up with bottled water from a common area cooler. This method was designed to cut back on the number of plastic bottles discarded. Because of the high temperatures (reaching 45 Celsius while we were there) the water in that container heated up soon after filling it up. Our ice buckets were replenished once a day in the morning, but the ice melted within minutes. Refilling our bottles also required queuing up at the single water cooler when everyone was preparing for departure and time was limited. The water chilled from the cooler became warm within minutes. Also, carrying the bottles from our rooms to refill them in the main building was inconvenient, especially during the rest period between activities when it was hot and uncomfortable everywhere and we sought water to lower our body temperature and became thirsty. Although we liked the conservation minded concept behind the refillable non thermos metallic bottles, in practice the idea did not work well at all.
At night, the staff spread mosquito netting around the two single beds set next to each.
The bathroom in the tent had a bush view.
Meals and game drives were included in the nightly rates. Tent amenities included: two cotton bathrobes, Charlotte Rhys Refillable toiletries (conditioning shampoo, shower gel and body lotion), two umbrellas, insect repellent, insect spray, flashlight, and shower caps. There was no soap (only shower gel). There was a dining area with a bar and a library corner that included a popular computer for guest use with a very slow (1 megabyte, 1-100 kilobytes per second) connection, a curio shop, an elevated viewing deck facing the lagoon, and an outdoor pool.
Our best leopard sighting in Botswana
During our summer visit, the 1.5 meter deep plunge pool deck was the most comfortable place in the property in the middle hours of the day between brunch and tea time. The pool area had eight cushioned lounge chairs with rolled up towels on every chair and two large umbrellas. The pool floor was slick, requiring care to avoid slipping. There was also a cooler with bottled beverages although it had no ice so the beverages were almost at ambient temperature.
The pool was the place to find relief from the blistering heat
Our guide Osman in front of our safari vehicle
Our very bumpy game drives were aboard a canvas topped Toyota Landcruiser with three rows that could accommodate two passengers in each of the front rows and three in the rear row. Osman, our Setswana guide, had three years of experience. In his company we saw Kalahari apple-leaf, baobab, jackal-berry, leadwood, marula, sausage trees, blue water lily flowers and papyrus as well as baboon, bushbuck, elephants, giraffe, hippopotamus, brown hyena, lechwe, leopard, lion, banded mongoose, Selous mongoose, vervet monkey, reedbuck, sitatunga, South African ground squirrel, tsessebe, waterbuck warthog, wildebeest, and zebra. We also saw Nile crocodile, Nile monitor and Okavango hinged terrapin. He pointed out hippo tracks and mole rat holes.
A mother lion and her cub
The entrance to our tents was lit at night.
Birds we saw or heard included: arrow-marked babbler, black-collared barbet, crested barbet, bateleur, Southern carmine bee-eater, swamp boubou, reed cormorant, wattled crane, African darter, fork-tailed drongo, white-faced duck, yellow-billed duck, cattle egret, great egret, little egret, slaty egret, African fish-eagle, go-away-bird, Egyptian goose, spur-winged goose, Southern ground-hornbill, grey heron, purple heron, squacco heron, red-billed hoopoe, African hoopoe, African grey hornbill, red-billed hornbill, glossy hornbill, pied kingfisher, woodland kingfisher, yellow-billed kite, blacksmith lapwing, crowned lapwing, Meyer’s parrot, Kittlitz’s plover, broad-billed roller, brown snake-eagle, red-billed spurfowl, Burchell’s starling, Cape glossy starling, black-winged stilt, African stonechat, saddle-billed stork, yellow-billed stork, barn swallow, water thick-knee, hammerkop, wattled crane and golden-tailed woodpecker.
by Editor | Mar 7, 2016 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel, New Articles
A leopard in a tree during a game drive at Rattray’s on MalaMala
The pool at Ratttray’s had a view of the dry river bed
When on safari the repetitive cycle of daily game drives and copious meals can leave us tired without the healthful benefits of exercise. On our most recent itinerary featuring safari properties in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa two lodges stood out for their fitness and pool features. Both lodges, within the Sabi Sand Reserve, a private reserve adjacent to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, had private plunge pools in the rooms as well as a main area swimming pool large enough to swim short laps.
The exercise room at Rattray’s
A white rhino during a game drive at Rattray’s
In the Mala Mala Reserve, Rattray’s on MalaMala had a dedicated fitness room for guests with exercise equipment and a few weights. Next to the fitness room there was a sauna. In front of the fitness room there was a swimming pool. Both had expansive views of the lawn and dry river bed. In addition, there were private plunge pools on the river facing deck of each spacious room.
The main pool at Chitwa Chitwa Private Game Lodge faced a dam
From the pool deck we observed elephants visiting the dam
Chitwa Chitwa Private Game Lodge, in the northern end of Sabi Sand Reserve, also had a dedicated workout room with electric exercise machines. The art filled sunlit room with glass walls was adjacent to the property’s dedicated spa treatment room. Guest rooms had private decks with bush and dam views as well as plunge pools. In the main area, there was a rimless swimming pool facing the property dam.
The exercise room at Chitwa Chitwa
A lion seen during a game drive at Chitwa Chitwa
by Editor | Feb 22, 2016 | Accomodations, Luxury Travel
Article and photos by E. del Valle
The main building at La Residence
I had breakfast with Edward Morton, general manager of the hotel
I spent my final day in South Africa at La Residence, a serene, elegant and stylish farm estate in the village of Franschhoek, one of my preferred wine and gourmet areas of the country. The property and the setting were as pretty as I remembered from previous visits (see La Residence Hotel and Villas and La Residence).
Vineyard Suite 3 seen from the garden
I stayed in Vineyard Suite 3, a 40 square meter room with a private garden that faced the vineyards and mountain in the family section of the 30 acre estate with 85 employees. That part of the property, built in 2010, had five Family Suites. The farm grew grapes, olives, plums, quinces, black and green figs, pomegranates and lemons.
The interior of my room, Vineyard Suite 3
There was a bathtub in the center of the bathroom
The room, the smallest of the Family Suites, was lovingly decorated with fine fabrics, a large and beautiful fresh flower arrangement, original oil paintings, and comfortable and colorful furnishings. The four poster bed, with crisp white linen sheets embroidered with the brand initials and fluffy feather pillows, was so far off the ground there were three rung wood ladders on either side of the bed to climb up, not a favorite.
The hotel, situated in the middle of a vineyard, had pretty mountain views
Randall looked after me with warmth and attention to detail
A high ceiling and three chandeliers added to the sense of space. Throw rugs atop the stone flooring made it homey as did the ample closet space. The sunlit bathroom too was spacious and inviting, housing an oversize door-less shower, separate bathtub, a room for the toilet, and twin sinks, one on either side of the bathroom.
I especially enjoyed breakfast, a combination of a cold buffet, including skim and full cream milk, freshly harvested honey comb, seasonal fruit, locally sourced cheeses and homemade muesli, and made to order hot dishes. I also liked that staff were attentive and guest oriented. Randall, who looked after me, was friendly, helpful, and clearly knew the area well. He reconfirmed my airport transfer and my rental car pickup, and handled the check-in for my domestic flight with ease and efficiency.
I found chilled sparkling wine, fresh fruit, and flowers on arrival in my room
Liz Biden, co-owner and designer of La Residence, part of The Royal Portfolio
There were many complimentary amenities such as laundry, transfers within the village, a well stocked minibar, quality snacks and WiFi. Although I was able to go online, I was unable to send emails or connect to a VPN. There were some minor signs my room was due for a soft renovation. I appreciate the property’s elegant yet welcoming ambiance, farm setting with mountain views, comfortable and stylish decor, Villa Suites, and noteworthy service. La Residence (La Residence, Elandskloof Private Road, Elandskloof Farm, Franschhoek 7690, +27 21 876 4100, fax +27 21 876 2030, www.laresidence.co.za, info@laresidence.co.za, reservations@trp.travel), part of The Royal Portfolio owned by Liz and Phil Biden, remains among my favorite Franschhoek properties.
