Recommend December 2013 - (Page 66)
check in with
rainforest alliance
Savvy agents and travelers looking for
sustainable vacation options in Latin
America and the Caribbean can now
find them by visiting sustainable
trip.org. This online search tool, developed
by the Rainforest Alliance,
provides a database of sustainably
ranked hotels, tour operators and
other businesses such as restaurants
or car rental companies. Features are
in-depth profiles for each business
that includes information on amenities
and rates; description of the area and
activities; a Google map of the business'
location; photos and videos; and
actions that the business is taking to
demonstrate sustainability.
Gliding over the treetops in Ecuador.
Agustin (hotelcasasanagustin.com), with 31 rooms, some with
25-ft. ceilings, has rooftop terraces overlooking the domes of the
old town's cathedrals, while offshore on Providencia Island, romantics
have discovered Deep Blue (epoquehotels.com), a beautiful
boutique hotel hideaway with 14 rooms including luxury suites with
plunge pools and 180-degree ocean views.
But no country surpasses Peru nowadays in upping its deluxe
hotel inventory. For example, just opened in Lima's seaside and
artsy suburb Barranco is Hotel B (hotelb.pe), occupying a Belle
Epoque mansion, superbly remodeled to house 17 guestrooms, a
spa and a signature restaurant by Oscar Velarde, while the Aranwa
Hotels, Resorts & Wellness group opened the 41-room Aranwa
Colca Resort & Spa in the Colca Valley this year, and next year its
100-room Aranwa Paracas Resort & Spa (aranwahotels.com) will
debut on the Pacific coast. And Cusco, once the capital of the Inca
Empire, is once again a city fit for kings-Libertador Palacio del
Inca (libertador.com.pe), which incorporates the magnificent Cuatro
Bustos mansion, has reopened its doors as a Luxury Collection
property, while the latest addition to the uber-luxe scene is the 153room
JW Marriott Hotel Cusco (marriott.com), built over the old
16th century Convent of San Agustin.
rivers & rails
From the Amazon to the Strait of Magellan to the Galapagos
Islands, the waterways of Latin America are tailor-made for
adventure, and new river and expedition vessels are increasingly
being upgraded for comfort in the wilds. In October, International
Expeditions (ietravel.com) launched its new 31-passenger river
vessel, La Estrella Amazonica, cruising on the Peruvian Amazon
from Iquitos in a 10-day program. Measuring 220 sq. ft., all cabins
feature river views and private balconies, and public areas include
a 1,000-sq.-ft. observation deck, multimedia lecture room, fitness
center and kayaks. In Ecuador, the 18-suite Anaconda
(advantagecuador.com), the most luxurious river vessel now afloat
66 december 2013
in this corner of Amazonia, made its debut in August, cruising on
3- and 4-night expeditions and visiting both Yasuni National Park
and the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve.
Farther south, the new 42-passenger Santa Cruz, part of
Cruceros MarPatag (crucerosmarpatag.com), is offering its Spirit
of the Glaciers program, navigating on 2-night sailings among
the glaciers-Perito Moreno, Mayo, Upsala and Spegazzini-of
Lago Argentino in Patagonia. The season is October to April, and
boarding is at a private dock 30 minutes from El Calafate. And way
farther south coming round the tip of South America, expedition
cruise line Australis (australis.com) has rebranded its name, previously
Cruceros Australis. There's no change in its two luxury vessels-Via
Australis and Stella Australis-that follow the path of
Charles Darwin between Punta Arenas, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina
from September through April.
Riding the rails, the luxury Tren Ecuador (ecuadorbytrain.com)
is on track for its 4-day adventure program, offering an imaginative,
expertly guided and comfortable way to experience Ecuador:
Traveling between Quito to Guayaquil (including the dramatic
"Devil's Nose" segment), with overnights in traditional haciendas
with meals, visits to colorful indigenous markets, museums, towns,
farms and national parks. During TMLA in Quito, we got to see
the four high-styled, thematically decorated carriages: Spanish
Colonial, Republican period, pre-Hispanic-Andean (handicraft
shop and coffee bar are here), and Coastal Classico (with outdoor
viewing terrace). Accommodating 54 passengers on guaranteed
departures of one to three nights, El Tren offers a mix of lounge
areas for socializing, refreshment and observation of the majestic
landscapes.
sustainably yours
Costa Rica has long been the frontrunner in sustainable tourism
operations: From officially zoning some 26 percent of its land
as protected territory, to supporting a countrywide-hotels, tour
recommend.com
http://www.trip.org
http://www.hotelcasasanagustin.com
http://www.epoquehotels.com
http://www.crucerosmarpatag.com
http://www.hotelb.pe
http://www.australis.com
http://www.aranwahotels.com
http://www.ecuadorbytrain.com
http://libertador.com.pe
http://www.marriott.com
http://www.ietravel.com
http://www.advantagecuador.com
http://www.recommend.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2013
Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Canyon Ranch
Tour Talk: Insight Vacations
17th Annual Recommend Readers' Choice Awards Winners
Cruising 2013
Discovering North America
Caribbean Trends
Anguilla Travel Agent Specialist Program
Asia & The South Pacific in the Rearview Mirror
Mexico 2013
Latin America in 2013 and Beyond
Africa + The Middle East Continue to Make Stides
Nostalgic for Europe
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