About gbooks

Our luxury travel service puts the ultimate touch on Journeys reflecting a unique experience of a lifetime; we design Legacy Travel for our clients. Our focus on bespoke Journeys entails more than a creative idea and a few reservations. We hand select our land teams, guides, behind the scenes experts - all who reflect our passion for excellence and personalized service. I’m passionate about travel and unique experiences; interested in meeting local people,studying architecture, discovering and learning as much as possible about every city I visit. I adore Paris, yearn to see more of Africa, a recent visit to Istanbul reminds me that there is much more to see in Turkey. A passage to India allowed me to explore the rich and diverse culture, and I barely scratched the surface of this amazing country. Love to sail, discover music and indigenous food of each region, seek out the best markets and design, and of course dine at the local restaurants. I particularly love roaming Africa, recently explored Argentina and India, which deserve another visit. A devoted Francophile, love all things Parisian, world music, excellent wines & champagne.

Four Seasons Santa Fe – Hot Kivas, Prickly Pear Margaritas and Pueblo Festivals!

So many reasons to visit Santa Fe – cultural activities, endless blue skies filled with puffy white clouds, countless fine art galleries, delicious dining, hiking, and spa visits.

I hadn’t visited in a few years, so I included a stay at newly refurbished Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado – so happy I headed to the hills! The hotel is tucked in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just outside of downtown Santa Fe. The resort is a luxurious oasis of privacy, serenity and calm. New Mexico is known for its mystical energy and the resort and spa are designed to incorporate wellness and rejuvenation.

I’ve been to the resort many times for dinner. One awesome addition since the Four Seasons took over management is the on–site Adventure Center, offering bike rides, guided tours of Taos and Georgia O’Keeffe Country to hiking excursions.

Every morning, a local guided hike is offered by the hotel naturalist, take off from the lobby and be high above the resort in minutes, the dramatic views are amazing. Walk past the adobe home of the original Ranch owner, Betty Egan. The property was once a 57-acre dude ranch and gathering spot for western movie stars practicing their horseback riding skills. If you’re a western buff, the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado proudly displays Betty Egan’s saddle, right next to the bar. There is also a wall display of eclectic western riding gear; John Wayne was a regular and good friend of the original owner; an old tale suggests that he gave Betty his favorite horse. She apparently christened the property with the name “Enchanted Ranch”.

Floating SUP Yoga in the pool. Take your yoga practice to the next level with an invigorating one-hour open-air experience on a paddleboard. The teacher will guide you through a thoughtful and light-hearted flow, allowing you to cherish the inspiring views of the Sangre de Cristo foothills. Please wear your swim attire and bring an open mind and a playful spirit.

SPA At the Spa at Four Seasons Santa Fe, indulge in the unique experiences in the spa or on your outdoor terrace. Retreat through a guided journey of peace and enlightenment to purify and restore from the outside in. Begin with a sage smudging ceremony, clearing unsettled energy. Reduce the visible signs of aging with a Chocolate Truffle Body Wrap. The active ingredients – cocoa, macadamia nut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, ginseng and lecithin – offer antioxidants to help refine your skin’s appearance, plus a boost in collagen production for deep hydration.

Relax and reset with a detoxifying activated charcoal body scrub that will nourish and renew your skin followed by a skin hydrating body wrap, rejuvenating scalp massage and black pearl eye mask to purify, balance and promote well-being.

Casitas and suites – Perfect for family vacations or getaways with friends, the two luxury Suites deliver rustic luxury in a secluded setting, with separate living, dining and sleeping areas that combine effortlessly with sweeping mountain views. Casitas are large and cozy yet minimalist with wood burning adobe Kiva fireplaces, soaking tubs, and terraces. It all feels very private and spacious. I enjoyed breakfasts and a massage on the terrace and fires each night. There’s nothing quite like an adobe Kiva, for me it was the cozy star of the room. One afternoon was spent in the fabulous Four Seasons bed with Kiva burning all day while I read and wrote in my journal. If you haven’t slept in a Four Seasons bed, you must – I think they are the best beds in the world, and you can purchase them on line.

Prickly Pear Margarita Four Seasons Santa Fe

Dining at Terra – Begin outside at the Terra Bar with dramatic views and sunset sipping! Experience an array of favorites, choose from an array of Santa Fe Queso, Green Chili Chicken Wings, Spanish Cheese Board and Encantado Shrimp Tacos. Sip on a selection of tequilas and do order the special, Prickly Pear Margarita Cocktail, Yummy!

The restaurant menu draws on local techniques and organic seasonal produce, utilizing the finest ingredients to create memorable regional cuisine. Arrive early for a cocktail and enjoy the sunset before heading to dinner. In my case, lightening slashed the dark sky, thunder pounded like a drum, all in the distance, as a yellow ball of sun dipped below the thunderclouds.  A dramatic evening finale!

Terra Bar Four Seasons Santa Fe

Situated in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, at over 7,000 feet, Santa Fe is known for year-round outdoor adventure, a vibrant arts scene and rich Native American history. The art and sculpture dotting the public spaces and rooms provide a strong sense of place.

On my last night after dinner, the security guard saw me waiting in the cold for a buggy back to my casita. He said if you don’t mind the truck, I’ll take you back. Ok, I’m fine with a little truck! After stopping for the full moon photo, he built a fire in my casita Kiva, and gave me a little s’more package with a stick!

He then told me about his Native tribe… and their Pueblo… I’m fascinated by local culture and always thrilled to hear personal stories! It’s what makes Travel worthwhile. He invited me to bring my friends to a Feast, every July 14, in his Pueblo, the Corn Dance. All the grandmothers prepare food, there’s singing and dancing… come with your friends!

Making friends, a new story for my Journey!

The corn dance takes place on July 14th at Cochiti Pueblo as part of the annual St. Bonaventure Feast Day.

And an indication of Four Seasons service: an unexpected buggy ride, moon photo, kiva fire, s’more’s and a personal story! Grateful. Highly Recommend!

Why Take Kids to Africa? Malaria Free Africa with Kiddos – Tswalu.

My first safari was over 30 years ago. One lasting memory is the vast wide-open blue skies and the infinite horizons. The seemingly edge of the earth thrusting itself up to graze the pale sky. The sky in Africa always seems bigger than anywhere else in the world, an endless horizon stretches forever. Occasionally peppered with billowing pristine white clouds, it’s like IMax scenery!

My first Journey to South Africa felt life changing; where have you visited that makes you feel you’ve been here in another life? The Magic of Africa is in everything you encounter: the kind welcoming nature of the people, the stunning diversity and beauty of the landscape, the rawness of the realities of local lives living amid wild creatures, one feels disconnected from everyday life in the bush, and there is a magical sense of connection here. Africa is an addictive drug; I’ve been enchanted by this continent and each of my twelve visits.

Tswalu Kalahari – Motse

Taking children to some regions in Africa require Malaria meds; honestly, after Covid and the vaccination concerns it raised, finding a property that is in a Malaria free region is a blessing! Tswalu in South Africa is such a place and has an entire section of the website devoted to families on safari!

Children of all ages soon become immersed in the outdoor classroom that is Tswalu, in a malaria-free region of South Africa, making it extra safe for a family safari with a baby or young child. There are three Motse Family Suites, the Tarkuni Villa, and two two-bedroom Loapi homes to accommodate any and all needs for a multi-gen family.

A family safari is a great shared adventure, and an opportunity to strengthen family bonds and create lifelong memories. Whether learning the art of tracking, identifying animals, or finding the Southern Cross in the night sky for the first time, a safari with children is very special. Young eyes are opened to a completely different world, where the realities of sharing space with wild animals necessitates taking certain precautions and learning about bush lore. Children of all ages soon become immersed in the outdoor classroom that is Tswalu, where the guide and tracker become the teachers and learning about the importance of conservation is not only educational but great fun. The advantages of having a private safari vehicle, guide and tracker are particularly relevant for families, and children of all ages are welcome on game drives.

Days on safari are individually planned for each family, from drives and walks to dining and down time. The duration and scope of each activity, on and off the vehicle, will depend on the age and special interests of your children. Other activities include bush walks, picnics, horse riding, pizza making and cookie baking. Their Junior Ranger programme includes archery, spoor identification and casting, and learning how to track animals.

Your African adventure begins in one of three luxury safari camps, overlooking the wide, open spaces of the southern Kalahari. Whether you choose the Motse, Tarkuni or Loapi, luxury accommodation and generous South African hospitality set the scene for a deeply private wilderness experience. With the lowest guest footprint in South Africa, at Tswalu there is space to breathe out and reconnect with nature, truly one of the best reasons to go on safari.

Tswalu Kalahari – Tarkuni

Whether dining together as a family in the main camp or preferring to dine privately in your legae, the chefs are on hand to make meal times easy and relaxed. Like everything else about your Tswalu safari, their approach to family dining and wellness is very personal. The chefs can make almost anything, especially if ordered in advance, from fresh fruit and vegetable purees for babies through to homemade burgers and fries and pizza for older children.

SAFARI EXPERIENCES. With wildlife conservation at its core, Tswalu offers privileged access to unique safari experiences in South Africa’s biggest privately protected wildlife reserve. A private safari vehicle, field guide and experienced tracker are guaranteed with every accommodation booking. With this comes the exclusivity to plan deeply immersive days on safari, both on and off the safari vehicle.

Tswalu offers a true wilderness experience on the southernmost edge of the Kalahari, and privileged access to the largest privately protected area in South Africa. From the landmark Korannaberg mountains to the southern Kalahari’s typical arid savannah and iconic ochre dunes rippling away to the horizon, days on safari are unscripted and unhurried.

With guaranteed access to a private safari vehicle, guests have the freedom and flexibility to explore the remote reaches of the reserve in their own time and at their own pace. Besides game drives, safari activities include habituated meerkat encounters, nature walks, tracking, horse riding, stargazing, star-bed experiences, and meeting visiting scientific researchers and resident artists.

Tswalu is first and foremost an ambitious conservation project, sustainably safeguarding vital habitat and the restoring biodiversity. Offering a private and exclusive safari experience for a maximum of 40 guests in one of three luxury safari camps, the ratio of guests to wilderness space is one of the lowest in South Africa. This low footprint, sustainable model of nature-based tourism is vital to supporting the conservation work that is at the heart of Tswalu’s purpose to leave the world better than how it was found.

Taking kids to Africa instills the significance of the natural world and the need to protect it, once you learn about conservation tourism, as a force for good.

Most lodges tend to have a minimum age of six years old, but I’ve seen younger kids travel with their agent parents. Tswalu provides unique animal viewing such as pangolin, aardvark, aardwolf, African painted wolf/wild dog, desert black rhino, black-mane lion, 240 species of birds, myriad antelope, the adorable habituated meerkatsand so much more.

Multiple tent or private lodge options, Tarkuni homestead is the ultimate private sanctuary, with a maximum of 10 guests in 5 suites, and includes a private spa, pool, fire pit, boma, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, and more.

Bush Dining, Nothing Better!

Loapi has 4 one-bedroom and 2 two-bedroom private tented homes for the ultimate exclusive-use accommodation with endless spontaneity, as each comes with a private chef and butler.

Tswalu in South Africa is the perfect destination for a first family safari.

Highly Recommend!

All photographs courtesy of Tswalu.