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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