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Cool Off in a Yucatan Cenote

Drive outside Cancun into the Yucatan Peninsula and you’ll spot numerous sinkholes that dot the landscape. These limestone chambers, often 100 feet below the surface, are called cenotes. One of the finest is Ik-kil, located a mile from the region’s most famous site, the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. Simply descend the stairs into this large well of blue water and go for a refreshing dip. This natural spa is the perfect remedy after a hot day of sightseeing. Next week, I’m headed back to the Yucatan to report live from the new Riu Palace Peninsula. I’ll probably be spending far more time swimming in an infinity pool with swim-up bar this time around, but either one is a refreshing dip. 
 
Have a great weekend and keep active!
 

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Arizona Week—Biking Tucson

Once a kayaking guide on Lake Powell, Jimmy Bultman exchanged paddles for pedals and followed his sweetheart to the southern part of Arizona to open Tucson Bike Tours. The compact size and level terrain of the city lends itself well to biking and Jimmy, a history buff, is the ideal guide to give you an overview on a 2-hour ride. We cruised past the restaurants and bars on 4th Avenue to the University of Arizona campus, where Jimmy pointed out the new memorial dedicated to the men who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Arizona. We biked across Rattlesnake Bridge, a bridge that looks like a rattler, and then made our way to Hotel Congress, the hotel where bank robber, John Dillinger, was captured in 1934. There was a jazz festival going on so after the ride, we strolled back to the hotel’s excellent restaurant, Cup Café, to grab lunch and listen to live music. Jimmy next led us to the colorful houses of the historic neighborhood of the Presidio, past Tucson Museum of Art and near the last standing wall of an 18th-century fort built by the Spanish. Outside the home of Lalo Guerrero, the Chicano music legend, Jimmy used a small speaker to play Lalo’s well-known song about the old neighborhood, “Barrio Viejo.” He’s a guide who goes the extra mile to share his passion about the city. 

 
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The New Seven Wonders of Nature

After a worldwide vote and expert judging, the New Seven Wonders of Nature were announced on 11/11/11. The vote was hosted by the New 7 Wonders Foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland. I was pulling for the Bay of Fundy, but it was beat out by some other excellent choices like the Amazon Rainforest, Halong Bay in Vietnam, and Table Mountain in Capetown. Then there were some questionable choices like Komodo Island in Indonesia. It’s a cool island, home to the komodo dragon, but one of the 7 natural wonders of the world? Why? It’s not nearly as majestic as other islands in the Pacific like Taveuni, Fatu Hiva, or Kauai. Anyway, it’s a popular vote, so the Indonesia lovers were heard in the end. Here are the seven picks: Amazon Rainforest, Iguazu Falls, Halong Bay, Table Mountain, Komodo Island, South Korea’s Jeju Island, and Puerto Princesa River in the Philippines.

 

 

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Tradewind Aviation Now Offering Flights Between Westchester and Boston

Tradewind Aviation, the private charter service, best known for their flights from White Plains to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in the summer, has now expanded their service to Boston’s Logan Airport. The 40-minute flight to and from the White Plains Airport is offered 8 times daily. Shuttle flights depart from private charter FBO terminals with no TSA delays. Arrive just 30 minutes before departure and relax in the FBO lounge. The flights are operated in Swiss-built Pilatus PC-12 jet-prop aircraft flown by two pilots with air-conditioning, a pressurized cabin and plenty of room for luggage. Skiers will want to know that Tradewind Aviation will also begin flights between Westchester and Stowe, Vermont, starting December 11th. 

 
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Top 5 Adventures in the Caribbean, Hiking Dominica

As the leaves fall from the oak trees in my backyard just outside Boston, my thoughts turn to warmer weather. Specifically to my favorite adventures in the Caribbean. For those of you who’ve been reading this blog since its inception, forgive me for continually praising Dominica, but it offers the finest hiking in the region. This island near Martinique has become an affordable haven for the active traveler who yearns to hike through a lush mountainous interior inundated with so much water that around every bend is another raging waterfall, a serene swimming hole nestled in the thick bush, or a hidden hot spring to rest your weary body after a day in the outdoors. Ken’s Hinterland Adventure Tours will take guide you on a 7-hour round-trip hike inside Morne Trois Pitons National Park to the crater known as Boiling Lake. You’ll hike through a dense forest of tall gommier trees, staring at the iridescent purple-throated hummingbirds as they keep you company. Relax your muscles afterwards in the natural hot spring at Papillote Wilderness Retreat. Owner Anne Jno Baptiste first came to the island from the States in 1961. Eight years later, she bought a 7-acre chunk of land enveloped by the rainforest that she would cultivate into a flower-rich botanical garden and one of the Caribbean’s first eco-resorts, using Dominica’s wealth of fruits and vegetables for her meals. Suites start at $115 a night and swimming in the hot springs is clothing optional.  

 
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Top 5 Eco-Resorts in Central America, La Loma Jungle Lodge, Isla Bastimentos, Panama

Increasingly, the small eco-retreat design that made such an imprint in Costa Rica has slipped farther south into Panama. On an archipelago in the northeastern part of the country, a short boat ride from the town of Bocas del Toro, is a four-cabana lodge socked in the middle of the verdant jungle and surrounded by a working cocoa plantation. All of the cabins at La Loma Jungle Lodge were created from fallen trees and inspired by the architecture of the local Ngobe Indians. The employees are also local, including your guide through the rainforest and beach to see sloths, armadillos, small crocs called caimans, and the graceful blue morph butterfly. At dinner, lobster and conch will not be served, as the owners try to use only sustainably harvested fish like yellow jack. Rates start at $100 per person a night, including three meals, the boat ride over from Bocas town, and some of the excursions. 

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Spend St. Patrick’s Day In Ireland and Receive a 10% Discount

Spring is a great time of year to visit the Emerald Isle. The bluebells and daffodils are out, the summer crowds have yet to arrive and transatlantic airfares are low. Vagabond Adventure Tours of Ireland is doing their part to make the destination even more enticing by offering a 10% discount for travelers who book a tour for travel during March and April 2015. Book the 8-day Wild Irish Rover Tour, for example, to the west of Ireland and you’ll celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Killarney in County Kerry. The trip was chosen as one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler magazine and includes sea kayaking, horseback riding, a day trip to the Aran Islands and a castle stay. Price starts at $1,620 per person (with the discount), including all lodging, guides, transport in custom-designed Land Rovers, and breakfasts.

 

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