|

The Debut of the Setai Tel Aviv

Monday was the official opening of The Setai Tel Aviv, the first property in the city to be designated a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Located at the entrance to Jaffa, overlooking the Mediterranean, the property was initially constructed as a fortress in the 12th-century. The five-building complex was conquered and then inhabited by the Crusaders, Turkish-Ottoman Empire, and the British, until being used as a police station until 2005. The original buildings and stone corridors that wrap around an inner courtyard have been meticulously restored over an extensive preservation process that was spearheaded by the Israel Antiquities Authority and preservation architect Eyal Ziv, who is responsible for the design of several iconic Tel Aviv structures, including the Alhambra Theater. The property features 120 guest rooms, rooftop infinity pool, spa and gym, and JAYA, a restaurant that celebrates the best of Israeli food while also honoring the culinary heritage of Jaffa and the property’s Turkish roots.
 

Similar Posts

A Staycation at YOTEL Boston

With plans to meet friends in the Seaport district last Saturday night for dinner, and snow on the way, we made the wise move to spend a night at the YOTEL Boston. Smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood’s exponential growth, it’s hard to top the YOTEL’s location, within easy walking distance to all restaurants, bars, movies, and Boston’s contemporary art museum, the ICA. We dropped our bags off in the room, just big enough for a cozy bed, flat screen television, and full bathroom with rainforest shower and view of the Boston harbor. Then we headed across the street to watch 1917 at a wonderful new cinema with deluxe seating and impeccable sound. We had just enough time for a pint of Super Juicy New England IPA at Hopsters, before strolling over in the snow to the new Woods Hill Pier 4 restaurant. Situated in the same spot as Anthony’s Pier 4 restaurant, the only reason to head to this neighborhood before the Seaport became the fashionable zip code to live, the latest incarnation of dining features tasty local seafood and veggies, many grown on the owner/chef’s farm in nearby Concord. We started with small plates of tender scallops and charred broccoli before moving on to a lobster/crab ragu and crispy lamb ribs. The food was perfectly paired with the magical scene outside, snow falling onto a nearby park surrounded by water, and popular with dog walkers and families. We slept well on our comfy mattress that night, woke up to a hot shower, and took a long walk along the harbor waters early Sunday. An ideal getaway, and considerably cheaper than buying a condo in the neighborhood.

|

5 Favorite Travel Days in 2013, Snowmobiling from Maine to New Brunswick

Last January, I flew to Presque Isle, Maine, the northern tip of the state to pen stories for The Boston Globe and Men’s Journal on snowmobiling from Maine into New Brunswick. Aroostook County, Maine, is the largest county east of the Mississippi River, known by avid snowmobilers as one of the top locales in the country to sample the sport. Potato farms connect with long dormant railroad corridors, seemingly endless logging roads through dense forest, and iced-over lakes and rivers to create a mind-boggling 2300 miles of snowmobile trails. But that’s not all. Simply bring a passport and you can cross into the province of New Brunswick to add another 4,000 miles of trail, half of which flows through state forests and parks. That was too good a story angle to pass up. 

 
In the morning, I met Kevin Freeman at his sled shop in Presque Isle. Freeman, a former professional snowmobile race, has logged more than 250,000 miles on snowmobiles in the region so he knows the routes like the back of his hand. He hooked me up with a 110 horsepower Ski-Doo, insulated snowmobile pants, jacket, helmet, and panniers so I could bring a change of clothing for an overnight in Canada. On a 250-mile weekend jaunt, we headed west to Portage Lake to have lunch at Dean’s, a favorite snowmobile stop known for their fish and lobster stews. Then we hit ITS 105, leading northeast from Washburn to Stockholm, a narrow and level railroad corridor where you can easily reach speeds of 75 miles per hour. 
 
At Hamplin, I went through Customs on snowmobile. The Canadians didn’t blink. But when I returned the next day into America, the guy was asking me questions for 20 minutes, like I was some sort of snowmobiling smuggler. “How come your passport is filled with stamps to Israel, Kenya, Ecuador?” “I’m a travel writer.” “Step aside from the snowmobile, please.” 
 
On the New Brunswick side, I snowmobiled with Ross Antworth, general manager of The New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs. He led me across a long suspension bridge that glides above the St. John River. Then we made our way to the New Brunswick interior on logging roads past mills and on railroad beds where snowed-over balsams stood like spectators at a marathon. We spotted deer and the rare white ermine that call this forest home. 
 
To top it off, when I returned to Presque Isle, I went out that night with an incredibly talented photographer, Paul Cyr, who’s made a name for himself shooting the northern lights and wildlife. In typical Maine fashion, he humbly insists he’s an amateur photographer. Yeah, and Hendrix is an amateur guitarist. Check out his magnificent work online and then read my story. 
 
|

An Important New Book for Bird Lovers

85 years young, Theodore Cross has had more than his fair share of success. He’s worked in the White House, helping to spur on African-American economic development, served as governor of the American Stock Exchange, worked as a real estate lawyer, and twice bought and sold publishing houses geared to Wall Street investors, bankers, and accountants, earning many millions of dollars. Now, with the release last October of his large coffee table photo book, “Waterbirds,” he’s been referred to as John James Audubon with a camera. Harvard University’s great naturalist, E.O. Wilson described the book as “a masterpiece.” For the past 40 years, Cross has been obsessed with photographing birds around the globe, from spotting a Ross’s gull in Siberia to snapping a red-tailed tropicbird in Christmas Island. The 344-page epic published by W.W. Norton & Company is also heavy on egrets, herons, and another Cross favorite, the roseate spoonbill. It’s requisite viewing for both the casual backyard bird lover and the avid bird watcher. 

(Photo of the masked booby by Theodore Cross)
 

|

Greece Week with Heritage Tours: Boating to Delos and Paros

The main town in Mykonos can be swarming with people in the daytime when thousands of passengers from cruise ships disembark. The reason why we recommend clients staying on the island visit the town at night for dinner and shopping. All the stores are open late and the cruise ship passengers have departed. It’s best to hit one of the majestic Mykonos beaches during the day or take a private boat like we did with Heritage Tours to the neighboring islands of Delos and Paros. The birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, Delos was a thriving community in ancient Greece. You can still walk the narrow cobblestone passageways (not unlike Mykonos today) and see the remnants of homes, temples of worship, even a synagogue. 

We continued on to the island of Paros, a highlight of the week. Unlike Mykonos and Santorini, which can be swarming with travelers due to its justified popularity, Paros has no cruise ships descending on the island and retains that authentic Greek charm. Fishermen return from their morning at sea to dry their octopus and fish on the docks. We tasted their wares at Barbarossa restaurant near the docks for lunch before roaming around the towns of Naoussa and Parikia to look at the artisanal shops and whitewashed homes. Parakia is also home to a wonderful church, The Monastery of Panagia Ekatontapiliani, first built by Constantine in 4th century AD before being updated by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It has a similar dome to Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, which was built during the same time period. Evidently Constantine’s mother was shipwrecked in Paros on her way to Israel so her devoted son decided to build her mother a church in her name. I’d like to be shipwrecked in Paros for several weeks, preferably in a villa with my extended family. These are the Greek islands you dream about.
 
|

Spend Thanksgiving in the Azores

One of Amy’s Dream Days of 2017 was her stay on the Azorean island of Sao Miguel. She had the pleasure of staying at Quinta Minuvida, a small eco-friendly, historic home turned hotel, run by the husband and wife pair of Joao and Rimi. At least five of our clients at ActiveTravels have followed in Amy’s footsteps and all have loved the experience. Now Quinta Minuvida is offering an Azorean Thanksgiving package that includes a 5-night stay in a double suite (either Camélia or Taro), breakfast, an "Azorean Thanksgiving" dinner on Friday night, guided hiking trip including lunch, 2 to 3 yoga classes with Rimi, and optional guided morning meditation twice during the week. Cost is only 550 Euros for the package. Car rental and international flight are not included. 
 
|

Vetted House Rentals with Villas of Distinction

With the popularity of Airbnb and VRBO, more and more clients are requesting apartment and house rentals with us. For apartments in residential neighborhoods of European and American cities, we enjoy working with OneFineStay. Someone meets our clients at the residence the first day, goes over the apartment, and then gives them a concierge list of restaurants, shops, and sights to see in the neighborhood. For house rentals, especially on the beaches of the Caribbean isles of the Turks & Caicos and St. Barts, it’s hard to top the Villas of Distinction. Each house is personally visited and inspected before being added to the list. It also helps to know the Director of Sales, who ActiveTravels will often call to ensure that the one particular property we like for our clients is indeed fantastic. Try getting the personal lowdown with VRBO. Not happening. 

 

Leave a Reply