Recommend May 2011 - (Page 70)

a quartet of COuRSeS continued from page 68 The Black Pearl Golf Course at Pristine Bay Resort in Roatan, Honduras. brazil golf x2 Golf course designer Dan Blankenship also designed the Comandatuba Ocean Course on Ilha de Comandatuba, a 30-minute flight from Salvador to Ilheus. Golf Digest named Comandatuba Brazil’s best course in 2003. The golf course shares the private-island resort with the deluxe Transamerica Hotel, represented in the u.S. by The Leading Hotels of the World. rooms. Included in the price of the room is a full menu of activities from watercolor-painting and yoga classes, to games and events for kids. THE SCENE: At no additional cost, guests enjoy the great outdoors on mountain biking tours, guided health walks and birdwatching trips, tennis and archery. Seasonal activities include windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, alpine trekking and climbing. At additional cost are fishing (November through April) and skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Catedral (mid-June to mid-October). The main dock hosts boat trips to Isla Victoria and the Bosque Arrayanes, as well as day cruises through the fjords around Puerto Blest. THE RATES: The resort’s Stay & Play Longer package, is priced from $265 pp dbl per day in the low season, and $385 during the high season, on a minimum 3-night stay. Included are buffet breakfast, daily happy hour, two greens fees per room per stay, all recreational and children’s club activities, health club access, transfers to the Mt. Catedral Ski Center and use of hospitality lounge (July/August). trancoso (state of bahia), brazil THE PROPERTY: Club Med Trancoso lies four miles south of Trancoso village, built on the cliffs above the Atlantic, overlooking gorgeous beaches and surrounded by the Atlantic Rainforest. The resort worked hard to minimize its footprint on the land, with architecture and layout modeled after a traditional Brazilian fishing village. Classified in the hotel group’s premium resort class, this property has 250 rooms grouped in two quarters within nature reserve surroundings. Accommodations occupy eight, 2-story, brightly colored bungalow-style buildings with thatched roofs. Rooms have mini-bars, cable TV, and turndown service. 70 may 2011 THE GREENS: Although making its debut in 2004, the Terravista Golf Course has already found a place on the top 100 list of courses in South/Central America, and is considered one of the continent’s most beautiful. The 18-hole, par 72 course was designed by Dan Blankenship, and golfers play two distinctly different golfing environments. The front nine is played amidst the landscapes of the Atlantic Rainforest, while the back nine offers dazzling views of the beach with four of its holes perched high on ocean cliffs. Facilities include a clubhouse, pro shop, rental equipment, and individual and group golf lessons. The Terravista Golf Course is a 15-minute walk from the Club Med resort. THE AMENITIES: Club Med facilities include three bars and two restaurants—the main one featuring lavish buffets is divided into five environments, and the one for gourmet dining—evenings only—is Le Lua (the Moon). There are two pools, one of which is reserved for the MiniClub Med, saunas, lighted tennis courts, archery, volleyball, and a good spa. Transportation is provided to the beach, where there are parasols, beach chairs, showers and a beach bar. This is a child-friendly resort, with babies, kids and teens divided by age group into age-appropriate programs. For golfers, Club Med has its own golf school, with private golf lessons and play (at additional cost to its basic all-inclusive vacation plan) at the neighboring Terravista Golf Course. THE SCENE: Club Med Trancoso sits along the gorgeous beaches of the southern coast of Bahia in a region called the Discovery Coast, for it was here that the Portuguese first settled in Brazil. Discovery still means flying to Porto Seguro via Salvador or Sao Paulo, to reach Club Med, part of the upscale development of low-key Trancoso, an enclave for Brazilian trendsetters. At low tide, guests can walk (one hour) along continued on page 72 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Autograph Collection by Marriott
Tour Talk: Avanti Destinations
10 Amazing Golf Resorts
Dominican Republic Greens
Tee off, Barbados-Style
Teeing Up in Bermuda
Mexico Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Planner
A Quartet of Courses
Portugal & Spain Serve Up a Banquet of Great Golf
Touring the U.K. With Rail Europe
Uniworld's New "Super Ship" Antoinette
Savoring Exotic Asia
Coming Back to Egypt

Recommend May 2011