by Editor | Jan 12, 2009 | Luxury Travel, New Articles
Article and photos by Josette King
Hibernian Hall
When it comes to romantic impact, few American cities can rival Charleston, South Carolina. This legendary Southern Belle beguiled me at first glance with the charm of her superbly preserved Historic Downtown District and its timeless gracious hospitality. History and tradition were alive at every turn along the oak-shaded streets lined with regal colonial mansions, majestic churches and public buildings that spoke of a bygone Gilded Age.
My pace slowed to antebellum languor as I meandered around cobblestone alleys, randomly discovering some of the 3,000 historic sites, buildings and museums scattered around the almost two-square mile historic downtown. A one-mile stretch of Meeting Street alone, known as Museum Mile, boasted six museums, five major historic houses, ten places of worship and six historic buildings!
While one of the best ways to explore Charleston was on foot, I couldn’t resist the romance of an old fashioned carriage ride to The Battery at the southern tip of the peninsula, where the Cooper River meets the harbor. The one-hour, thirty block ride took me on a journey back in time to some of the most picturesque areas of the city, past the pastel-colored 18th century Georgian townhouses of Rainbow Row to East Battery Street with its line of towering waterfront mansions ranging in styles from Italian Renaissance to Art Deco.
Fort Sumter
I then enjoyed a different perspective of the spectacular Charleston shoreline during my boat excursion to Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began when Confederate artillery fired on the federal fort on April 12, 1861. Built on a man-made shoal near the inlet to the harbor, the Fort was reduced to rubble during the Civil War. It is now a national monument accessible only by tour boats.
With all this running around on land and sea, I worked out an appetite that constantly had me ready to visit one of the many reputed local restaurant for their scrumptious Low Country specialties rich in shrimps, crabs, oysters and fish freshly harvested off-shore.
There was so much to experience in the endlessly seductive city that my four-day visit felt woefully inadequate to enjoy it all. However, it was sufficient to convince me that I would return to at the first opportunity. Click here for a dedicated feature on Charleston.
by Editor | Jan 5, 2009 | Luxury Travel, New Articles, Spas
The courtyard at the Forest Health Spa at Cybele
The Forest Health Spa at Cybele is a short drive from the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport on the road to the Sabi Sand Reserve and near the famous http://simonandbaker.com/kruger in South Africa. The spa is located within the Cybele Forest Lodge & Health Spa, a secluded “forest” Relais and Chateax property, a few miles off the main paved road.
The spa’s small reception area
Past the security guarded gate a small lovingly built spa within a luxury lodge property awaits visitors who plan ahead. Impromptu visits may be disappointing as the small spa seems to often be fully booked. When our team was most recently in the area they stopped at the lodge for two nights and dedicated half a day to couples treatments and spa indulgence.
The treatment room where we had our Clarins Relax Bath
Inside, the square shaped spa was quiet, offering guests seclusion and a menu of tempting treatment options including the nature oriented Clarins French product line. This was one of few spas in South Africa with Clarins products and Clarins trained therapists. Click here to read a dedicated article about the Forest Health Spa at Cybele.
by Editor | Dec 15, 2008 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel, New Articles
A feisty junior elephant lets visitors know how he feels
A lion at Mashatu
Although many travelers think of the Botswana Delta, the salt pans or the Chobe area when contemplating a game viewing trip to Botswana, there is a little known area in southeastern of Botswana called the Tuli Block which is also worth a visit. Part of the attraction of that area, as with many parts of Botswana, is the possibility of seeing elephants roam freely in their natural habitat, unhindered (mostly) by the increasing land constraints that affect animal movement everywhere in Africa. The Tuli Block, near the Limpopo and Shashe rivers, shares borders with South Africa and Mozambique; this allows elephants to follow some of the seasonal patterns into wilderness areas many of their ancestors walked.
To reach Mashatu from South Africa it is necessary to cross over the Limpopo River in a basket and clear customs and immigration
Our team’s suite at Mashatu Main Camp
For travelers who like a dose of luxury with their game viewing, Mashatu Main Camp offers luxury Botswana style, including exclusive accommodations, Big Five game viewing and an opportunity to discover the remote reserve while sharing it with only 12 other guests in the main area and a few others in the reserve. All inclusive rates include dawn and dusk game drives, three buffet meals a day and suite accommodations.
In addition to sighting elephants and the attraction of and off the beaten location, magnificent star filled skies, optional elephant and predator educational drives with on site research staff, and volunteer opportunities are some of the attractions of this well managed property owned and run, in part, by the owners of the famous Mala Mala Reserve in the Sabi Sands Reserve near http://simonandbaker.com/kruger in South Africa. Click here to read about our Simon and Baker team’s impressions when they visited Mashatu Main Camp earlier this year.
by Editor | Dec 8, 2008 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel, New Articles
The pool area at Singita Lebombo was spacious and attractive
The guest lounge
For most of its existence Kruger National Park, one of the largest and best known game viewing parks in the world, was limited to basic camp accommodations and day visits. Eventually, the park began allowing private companies to build accommodations and luxury lodges within the confines of the park. This has expanded the game viewing opportunities for visitors and multiplied manifold the income potential that helps sustain the park and its fauna and flora treasures for generations to come.
Our team’s suite at Singita Lebombo had a stunning view of the river
The most luxurious of the park’s lodges is also one of the most remote. Singita Lebombo Lodge, a Relais & Chateax property and part of the expanding Singita portfolio, is near the Mozambique border on Kruger’s eastern boundary. A Simon and Baker team visited the property in 2004 shortly after it was first opened and again earlier this year. They were impressed with Singita’s ability to offer exclusive luxury suite accommodations, stylish decor, game viewing and fine dining in a remote bush setting within the http://simonandbaker.com/kruger. Click here to read a dedicated article about Singita Lebombo.
by Editor | Nov 24, 2008 | Luxury Travel
By Gary Cox
Tightwire, one of the Corteo acts
Corteo Duo Strap, one of our favorite acts
Wonderful! Corteo, Cirque du Soleil’s Italian themed traveling show, was a pleasure to watch. We enjoyed a Saturday matinee during the show’s visit to Miami, Florida. It was a harmonious and well staged performance with elegant and colorful costumes, melodious music, humor, and an enthusiastic troupe. From our premium seats in the section nearest the stage we had an outstanding view.
Corteo reminded us of the first Cirque show we saw which filled us with a sense of excitement, fun and wonder. From a visual point of view it was like looking at a Renaissance painting come to life with angels, elegant clowns and period costumes in elaborate detail. The acts were a mixture of acrobatic feats, Cirque’s characteristic live music performance, and striking images. These included: Acrobatic Duet, Bouncing Beds, Chandeliers, Cyr Wheel (a favorite), Duo Straps (a favorite), Helium Dance, Juggling, Ladder, Paradise, Puppet Artist, Teeterboard, Tightwire and Tournik.
The Corteo Clowness, Little Clown and Giant Clown
Beautiful violin and classic guitar passages, Italian words throughout the show and a whimsical performance involving whistling, water glasses, crystal and musical instruments were some of Corteo’s distinctive highlights.
We parked in the designated area on the grass ($20 per vehicle). This required us to walk about four city blocks to reach the Cirque tent entrance. We saw a few ladies in high heels struggling to get through the uneven grass. There were long lines to the rest room and for snacks and merchandise. Corteo will remain in Miami through December 21, 2008. Next stop: Japan.
Corteo was designed to represent a festive parade imagined by a clown and located somewhere between heaven and earth. As the show unfolded the clown pictured his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by angels. The creators set out to contrast the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic, the perfect with the imperfect. The show strives to highlight the strength and fragility of clowns and their wisdom and kindness while illustrating “the portion of humanity that is within each of us.”
Photos: Marie-Reine Mattera and Richard Termine Cirque du Soleil, Inc. 2005
by Editor | Nov 17, 2008 | Accomodations, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel, New Articles
By Chester Godsy
Green Inn on the River from the outside
The lodge great room at Green Inn on the River
Our room at Green Inn on the River
During a two week trip to Canada this summer we spent a delightful three day break at the Green Inn on the River, a remote property located in the Canadian Yukon. We especially liked the opportunity to relax while enjoying a healthy organic lifestyle and excellent meals, hiking, canoeing as well as the company of our hosts and other travelers. Click here to read a dedicated article on Green Inn on the River.
