Travel Tribe Journeys – Summer Enticements

The days lengthen and warm and we begin to dream of escape. Where to go – spring break to fall – our Clients are plotting & planning – some have already left footprints on sandy beaches and scoured the souks in Marrakech.

Morocco – it is hot, hot, hot! Spring break found many of the five-star hotels sold out, we prevailed for a last-minute request.  We also have May travelers headed to Morocco. We love La Sultana in Marakech and Kasbah Tamadot in the scenic Atlas Mountains, activities include mule trekking to Berber villages. Side car excursions, hot air balloon escapades, Tagine cooking classes, private visits to Yves Saint Laurent home at the Majorelle Garden.

Mustique – Indigo seas and the year around perfect weather combined with an embarrassment of stunning Villas, make this a superb crowd free destination One advantage, our Villa team can offer many properties for 5 nights minimum- some don’t require a full 14 day stay- 5- 8, 10 days – many owners are flexible.

The Maldives, recent booking for two weeks at The Four Seasons Landaa & Kuda Huraa – my faves! Swim with manta rays hovering above and below you, floating in the gentle turquoise seas. Sail away to the spa across the bay, nothing prepares you for the sapphire seas and sugar white sandy beaches. I’m pining to return!

Four Seasons Maldives Kudaa Hura Resort, the Maldives
Four Seasons Maldives Kudaa Hura Resort, the Maldives

Japan – oh my, take a number – you are certain to run into friends at the sacred temples! A plethora of new offerings, innovative exclusive luxurious experiences; gardening with a master designer, with a long lineage of acclaimed gardeners who is currently entrusted with palace and temple gardens. Visit little known private Kyoto gardens. VIP experiences await fans of traditional theatrical performances. A master of Noh, an ancient performing art known for its fantastical masks and flowing robes has created a contemporary and well-designed space dedicated to the craft in a private theatre in the masters own home.  Long list of unique offerings.

Japan Journey

New York, spring fling at The Whitby, in midtown. Kit Kemp’s most recent addition to the city vibrant color and pattern abound!

France, in particular, the iridescent Cote d’ Azure. You may bump into friends at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc or the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel, summer sizzlers! Days spent bobbing on yachts in private coves, followed by exceptional French cuisine.

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel, Cote d’ Azure.
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Cote d’ Azure.

Paris in June- doesn’t it sound dreamy? Le Meurice return guests love their VIP attention.

Le Meurice, Paris Luxury Suite

Oh, a multi generational family of 12 is headed back to The Ranch at Rock Creek – they’ve visited multiple times and can’t get enough of Ranch and Rodeo life, Giddy Up !

The Ranch at Rock Creek
The Ranch at Rock Creek

Peru – Machu Picchu adventure for Spring break- the world-renowned complex, a sublime jewel of Incan civilization, built on a towering ridge of granite and tropical forest. As you enter the Sanctuary see the iconic Sun Gate you will be awed by the imposing and skillful architecture of the Watchtower, the Temple of the Sun, and the royal Inca residences. Adventure awaits. Another smashing stay at Belmond Hotels!

Machu Picchu Belmond Hotels

One lucky dad is cruising with his son, on a Linblad National Geographic Alaska Journey to the Bering Straits wilderness touching coast of Russia Journey. Visit Provideniya, Russian Federation, at the western limit of the rich transboundary area known as Beringia, Provideniya is often called “The Gateway to the Arctic”- no Russia visa required!

One of our VV sophisticated art collectors swooned at the latest gallery collections at the recent New York Art Fairs while luxuriating at The Lowell this week!

The Lowell Hotel New York

Big Five – African Safari for eight friends at the VV best lodges with our private safari team. Our fourth African safari and gorilla trek this year.

Rwanda Gorilla Trek mom & baby & toddler
Kenya Safari endless horizons

The eternal city of Rome will enchant a family of summer travelers, ask about our exclusive activities. Practice The Art of Doing Nothing Italian Style: L’arte di non fare nulla.

Hotel de Russie Roma

Tuscany a romantic Journey of exploration and staying at all three Belmond retreats. These foodies are checking off the top trattorias! A romantic honeymoon encompassing Five Luxury Belmond properties throughout Italy and Sicily – The Ultimate Grand Tour!

Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo Sicily
Belmond Villa San Michele Florence

Amsterdam – always a great add on following Italy, Anne Frank, Van Gogh – private boats to cruise the canals.

We are plotting a fall Munich, Paris, London and Paris Journey for a group of eight friends – in memory of a dear friend and family member, an intrepid traveler who passed away this year. A Toast to a Well Lived Life and Enchanting Travel.

Paris

Last but not least, Punta Mita Four Seasons was chock a block full of our spring break clients!

Four Seasons Punta Mita

The globe is whirling with exotic options – days are lengthening, plan a Journey!

Peruse Peru

We’ve had many travelers ask about Peru, we’ve posted on hiking and this is a reminder that if you have hiking Machu Picchu on your list of must go to locations, advance planning is essential. If you are content to ride the luxurious train to the Sacred Valley, planning is also important, but not as critical as reserving the trekking passes.

HIR-05Here are a few notes on traveling to Peru/Machu Picchu.  We recommend a marvelous collection of hotels in Peru, as well as the luxurious Hiram Bingham train which runs from Cusco Poroy Station to Aguas Caliente at the base of Machu Picchu. Full guiding and reservations are offered.

In particular, we have seen an increase in families traveling to Peru to share the amazing experience of Machu Picchu but also discovering many other family-fun activities along the way.  Primarily, in the Sacred Valley, there are many great options for families including hiking, horse back riding, ATV riding, fishing, and rafting.

Arrival into Lima from USA/International – 1 or 2 nights. Stay at one of our favorite hotels, the Belmond Miraflores Park (there is a great culinary scene in Lima so worth spending a night or two). Take some time to explore the city: from museums, galleries and archaeological sites to its colorful markets and cutting-edge restaurants. RSG-EXT-09Morning flight to Cusco and transfer to the Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado – where the altitude is about 9,500 feet.  Overnight 1 or 2 nights.  Located  in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, among verdant fields and towering mountains, lies Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado. Set on the banks of the rushing Urubamba River, this luxury hotel is built of natural materials to resemble an authentic Andean village.  Situated at a lower altitude than nearby Cusco, the hotel provides the perfect environment in which to acclimatize, and is an ideal base to explore the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

Savor fresh produce in the restaurant, enjoy a local Sacred Valley massage or spend a few soothing minutes feeding the hotel’s baby alpacas. Slip into the spirit of Peruvian life.

Midday, board the luxurious Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Aguas Caliente/Machu Picchu – Machu Picchu is at a lower altitude at around 8,000 feet. Overnight 1 or 2 nights at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge. The hotel is the only property adjacent to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. It offers its guests exceptionally easy access from early morning to late afternoon, when most of the day visitors and buses have left.

Relax on the delightful terrace and revel in the exotic Peruvian cuisine prepared with produce grown in the Lodge’s own garden plot; this delightful hideaway is the ultimate place to de-stress and unwind in the shadow of the Lost City.  The magnificent gardens at the Lodge boast stunning views across Machu Picchu, are teeming with a near-countless variety of flowers and birds that populate the region.

Evening return to Cusco on the Belmond Hiram Bingham train – transfer from Poroy Station to the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas in Cusco. Overnight 1-2 nights.  Note that Palacio Nazarenas has oxygen pumped into all rooms through the ventilation system to help with the altitude adjustment.  In Cusco, you are at 11,000 feet and this additional oxygen really helps the body to adjust.  Set in a tranquil plaza behind Cusco’s main square, this former palace and convent emerged from years of restoration to become one of the city’s most exclusive hotels.NAZ-EXT-008This intimate urban retreat has just 55 suites, each enriched with oxygen and with its own private bar where guests can create drinks accented with fresh ingredients grown at and around the hotel.

Step past walls of Inca stones and into a cloistered courtyard with an ancient fountain at its heart. Then be surprised as contemporary Cusco comes to the fore: the Trainulous spa, the city’s first outdoor pool and stylish restaurants serving cutting-edge local cuisine.

By starting your time in the Sacred Valley, where it is a bit easier to acclimate, then going to Cusco at the end, the body is better able to handle the 11,000+ feet of the Cusco area.

When is the best time to visit Machu Picchu?
Peru is a large country with many climates which is why it would be difficult to define a good time to visit several places. However, we believe that the best season is from June to September. For the tour to Machu Picchu, the warmest time is from November to March but also corresponds to the rainy season. We think it is nice to have a sunny day but cold instead of a hot day but rainy. That is why it is preferable between April and October. Rain and fog is possible, but you have the best possibility to appreciate all its beauty at the fullest. Machu Picchu is open every day of the year (7 days a week, including holidays).

If you want to have the opportunity of see a glimpse of one of the Seven Wonders of the World as it is in the photographs, then you will have to travel during the dry season. You will be able to see all the variety of green areas and orchids in its all splendor.

The busiest time runs from June to August. In this period of the year there are crowds of tourists making it a little harder to move around in some parts of the Sanctuary, even large lines are formed at the entrance. Most of the travelers choose the hardest, and at the same time, the most exciting path to get to Machu Picchu by the Inca Trail hike.

The rainy season is from November to March. At this time rains almost a minimum of 3 days a week, and the Inca trail path is closed. February is excluded because the Inca Trail is closed for maintenance.

April, November and December, a good balance between a warm temperature and a pleasant climate. May and October, offer a pleasant climate with fresh temperatures. The best time to trek is from April to October; however it is possible for rain at any time of the year.

Lima Restaurants:

Central Always at the top of the foodie lists!  http://www.centralrestaurante.com.pe/en/default.html

Malabar http://malabar.com.pe/

Amaz run by Pedro Schiaffino, Malabar was his first restaurant, is ranked in the 100 of the world’s best restaurants and at Amaz he focuses entirely on Amazonian food. http://amaz.com.pe/

Astrid Y Gaston http://www.astridygaston.com/

Maido Fusion cuisine – Peruvian and Japanese cuisine is not a novel idea. In 1899, the first Japanese migrants sailed to Peru and soon created their first restaurants. http://www.maido.pe/en/

Sonia‘s http://www.restaurantsonia.com/en/index.php