Recommend August 2015 - (Page 48)

latinamerica Checking In: The new Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba in Peru. Latin America carla hunt Any time is a good time for an update on new products in Latin American countries. Why? Check out these figures: Nicaragua continues to be hailed as the "new Costa Rica"; Colombia's good notices are expanding touring beyond Cartagena and Bogota; Ecuador's tourism numbers grew by 14 percent last year; Brazil's by 10.6 percent; and Chile's by 5.3 percent. Peru, meanwhile, is earning accolades for great wilderness comforts and award-winning culinary treats. up in the air The LATAM Airlines Group (latamairlinesgroup.com) continues to expand air service, connecting the U.S. to South America, most recently from Orlando, Florida to Brazil and Peru. The group's TAM Airlines has inaugurated daily flights between Orlando and Brasilia; flights on this route use the modern Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. LAN Peru, meanwhile, introduced daily nonstop flights between Orlando and Lima, operating with Airbus A319 aircraft on the firstever service connecting these two destinations. JetBlue (jetblue.com) plans to launch daily service between Fort Lauderdale and Quito, starting the first quarter of 2016. The carrier will use the 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft on the route. Expanding its footprint in South America, JetBlue will compete with TAME, Ecuador's flag carrier, on this route. Delta (delta.com) has filed for regulatory approval to move its Atlanta-Brasilia service to new nonstop flights between Orlando and Brasilia, beginning Dec. 1. Delta expects to serve the two cities with four weekly flights. Copan, a Mayan city-state in Honduras, and its nearby town of Copan Ruinas, are now connected to the rest of the country by air service into the new Rio Amarillo Copan Ruinas International Airport. CM Airlines (cmairlines.com) is connecting San Pedro Sula, Roatan, La Ceiba and Tegucigalpa to Copan, while TAG Airlines (tag.com.gt) is operating charters from Guatemala. 46 august 2015 tour operator update In 2016, Tauck (tauck.com) is expanding its Earth Journeys partnership with the award-winning nature documentary filmmakers at BBC Earth to include trips exploring Costa Rica: an 8-day Costa Rica Adventure; an 8-day Costa Rica Jungles & Rainforests family trip; and an 11-day Panama Canal & Costa Rica land/cruise journey, including a 6-night cruise aboard the M/V Tere Moana that includes a transit of the Panama Canal. These journeys are included in Tauck's "2016 Exotics" collection brochure. Insight Vacations (insightvacations.com) is headed to South America in 2016 with the addition of its new Luxury Gold itinerary, the 12-day Treasures of the Incas. The tour begins in Lima then heads off to the Sacred Valley, where participants meet with locals during immersive experiences. Machu Picchu is, of course, on the books, as is Cusco. After that, they board the Andean Explorer and traverse the mountains and highlands to arrive at Lake Titicaca. Accommodations are top-notch and include Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, El Convento in Cusco, and Libertador Lake Titicaca. Tara Tours (taratours.com), meanwhile, debuted its 8-day Costa Rica on a Budget tour earlier this year that visits San Jose, Arenal and the Guanacaste area, with accommodations one night at Volcano Lodge, with great views of the volcano. new hotels Brand new to Buenos Aires is the boutique Tango de Mayo Hotel (tango-hotel.com.ar), located down the street from Argentina's executive mansion, Casa Rosada, and within walking distance of the Colon Theater. Built in 1913 and restored to its original Art Deco splendor, Tango de Mayo has 59 themed rooms, including one 590-sq.-ft. Tango Suite, with its own jacuzzi. Guest amenities include complimentary breakfast and WiFi, and the Zoral Restaurant serving Mediterranean-inspired Argentine cuisine. Also in Buenos Aires, the 50-guestroom Anselmo Buenos Aires is now part of the Curio Collection by Hilton portfolio (curiocollection3.hilton.com). The property, which was converted from a portion of a historic mansion in 1906, is situated in the heart of San Telmo and offers upscale restaurant and bar concepts. In Peru, everyone's talking about the new Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba (inkaterra.com), now open in the Sacred Valley of recommend.com http://www.tauck.com http://www.insightvacations.com http://www.latamairlinesgroup.com http://www.taratours.com http://www.jetblue.com http://tango-hotel.com.ar http://www.delta.com http://curiocollection3.hilton.com http://www.cmairlines.com http://tag.com.gt http://www.inkaterra.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend August 2015

Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk: AC Hotels by Marriott
Tour Talk: Cuba Calling
River Cruise Update
AmaWaterways’ AmaCerto
The Girls—& Guys— Just Wanna Have Fun
Martinique Travel Planner
Sint Maarten’s Three All-Inclusive Sonestas
Puerto Rico
Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya
Update on Air, Hotels & Tours
Israel: A Journey of Divine Discovery
Wales
Festival Time: “Step Outside the Ordinary”
Official Florida Travel Industry Education Program–Beaches Course
The Battle Begins: Girls vs. Guys Getaways

Recommend August 2015