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A Virtual Visit to Hacienda Bambusa in Colombia

The Spanish colonial city of Cartagena might get all the hype, but if you asked ActiveTravels members who have visited Colombia, the majority would say the highlight of their trip was their time in Coffee Country. Take the 45-minute flight from Bogota to Armenia and you’ll be picked up by your hosts from Hacienda Bambusa for the 30-minute drive to their hidden oasis on a 500-acre farm. Drop your bags off in one of their 8 rooms and then go play. Take a stroll around the farm, go birding with a naturalist, visit a working cocoa farm, hike in a massive bamboo forest, go rafting, horseback riding, even hot air ballooning. Owners Olivier and Diego can arrange all activities and serve tasty authentic Colombian fare outside on a serene patio.

They recently added another property to their expanding portfolio, Casa Yahri, a private villa in the Colonial town of Barichara. Located in the mountains, a 4 ½-hour drive from Bogota, Barichara is one of those towns straight out of a movie set, with narrow cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings, and red-tiled roofs. It’s the perfect place to unwind and roam the streets checking out all the local handicrafts the region is known for, like papermaking and ceramics. Nearby adventures include hiking, biking, canyoneering, and whitewater rafting. Afterwards, head back to one of the 4 suites and lounge in the infinity pool. Sounds pretty good right about now.

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New Hotel Openings in New England

Two press releases that came across my desk this past week caught my eye. Opening in May in the heart of P’town is the 15-room Salt House Inn. The guestrooms evoke a Cape Cod beach-cottage appeal and the gourmet breakfast is served at a communal table in the garden. The inn is co-owned by David Bowd, who knows how to create a stylish getaway, working as managing director of the Ian Schrager Company and currently chief operating officer at Andre Balazs Properties. Also opening in May in Burlington, Vermont, is a 125-room property called Hotel Vermont. The hotel will feature a Vermont favorite, the second Hen of the Wood restaurant, nominated for a James Beard award in 2011.

 
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Marriott Plans to Open New Hotel in Haiti

Good news out of Haiti last week when Marriott Hotels announced that they will build a new 173-room in Port-au-Prince, set to open 2014. The news was revealed by former President Bill Clinton, whose Clinton Foundation worked diligently to make this happen. The move will not only add a supposed 175 jobs, but could help to bolster a travel trade that has vanished as a result of oppressive regimes and the devastating earthquake of January 2010. Haiti shares the same island with the Dominican Republic, which certainly has its own share of poverty, but has seen incredible growth in the travel trade these past two decades, especially with the emergence of Punta Cana. Let’s hope Haiti can find its own Punta Cana in the upcoming years, one that world travelers would be happy to support.

 

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Canadian Rockies/Alaska Combo

Vacations by Rail, the Chicago-based travel company, has just announced a phenomenal 16-day vacation that combines train travel on arguably the best train in North America, Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer, with an Alaskan cruise on Holland America, ending with an Alaskan railroad jaunt from Anchorage to Denali National Park. Coined the Rocky Mountaineer and Alaska by Sea and Land package, board the Rocky Mountaineer and get ready for a soul-stirring train ride through the snowcapped peaks and cobalt blue glacial waters of the Canadian Rockies. You have two days in Vancouver before you board the ms Zaandam for a weeklong cruse on Alaska’s Inside Passage, stopping at Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay before arriving in Anchorage. Spend a day and night in town, before taking your last train on to Denali, home to 20,157-foot Mount McKinley, and your final destination of Fairbanks. 2013 departures are available May 21, June 18, July 16, and August 13 and 27 and prices start at $3,579 per person based on double occupancy.
 
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Aman New York to Open in 2020

Fans of the ultra-sybaritic Aman brand will be happy to know about its latest undertaking, the refurbishment of the iconic Crown Building overlooking Central Park in Manhattan. Set to debut in 2020, the property will feature 83 guest rooms and 20 residences in the circa-1921 Beaux-Arts building, once the original home of the Museum of Modern Art. This will be Aman’s third hotel in the US and only the second in a major city, after Tokyo. Located on 5th Avenue and 57th Street, Aman New York will feature an Aman Spa that will span 22,000 square feet on the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors and include an 80-foot indoor swimming pool surrounded by daybeds. The wraparound Garden Terrace, located on the 10th floor, will offer guests a panoramic view of Central Park, a restaurant, and a cigar bar. The hotel also plans to open a piano bar in the Sky Lobby, Wine Library for tastings and events, and a subterranean Jazz Club. 

 
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Get Cozy at a Maine Inn this Winter

A number of Maine inns offer a warm winter welcome for those in need of a weekend getaway. Start with The Danforth Inn in Portland’s Arts District. This boutique property offers stylish and comfortable bedrooms, roaring fireplaces and the Southeast Asian cuisine of the Tempo Dulu restaurant. At Among the Lakes Bed and Breakfast in the Belgrade Lakes region, not far from Colby College, a winter’s day is best spent with a good book in the Parlor Library or heading out on the x-c ski and snowshoe trails that lead from the house’s back door. Pampering is the rule at the legendary White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, where the treatments at the Spa and dinner at the restaurant can elevate a stay from a mere getaway to an ultra-sybaritic weekend. Lastly, avoid the summer crowds at Acadia National Park by heading there in winter. If you make the wise choice to stay at The Maples Inn in Bar Harbor, you’ll wake up to stuffed blueberry French toast before hitting the spectacular trails. For more suggestions, check out the list of inns at Visit Maine.
 
I’ll be back next week with some of my favorite local outfitters around the globe. Have a great weekend and stay active! 
 
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Tiny House Resort Debuts in the Catskills

Bob Malkin, owner of the SoHo retail store, Think Big! is now thinking small. He has just created a resort in South Cairo, New York, that features 7 Tiny Houses, created by ESCAPE Home Design. Inspired by the Prairie-style cottages found at Canoe Bay in northwestern Wisconsin, each ESCAPE Home offers a panorama of windows, queen size bed, full-size appliances and luxury bathrooms, as well as a private patio complete with outdoor dining table and seating, Weber grill and fire pit. Think Big! Tiny House Resort is situated on 28 acres with over half a mile of water frontage and perched on a cliff overlooking the Catskill Creek, a year-round wonder of waterfalls and pristine swimming holes. Saturday morning yoga and kayaking are offered as well as the services of a personal raw food chef who can prepare meals for guests using produce from the resort garden. 

 

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