|

For All the SuperShe’s Out There

Guest Post by Amy Perry Basseches

My daughter Sophie, recently sent me a link to SuperShe Island, and said, "You should go to this, Mom." I laughed and said, "Sure, I’m a SuperShe." Well, it turns out to be a real thing. "Have you ever wanted to run away to a deserted island, breathe fresh air, swim naked in the sea, and sleep under the stars?" That’s what SuperShe founder Kristina Roth had in mind when she bought a private island, hidden-away in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, one hour from Helsinki. The 8.4-acre island is home to four newly renovated cabins equipped with fireplaces, and it also has spa amenities, Finnish saunas, and facilities for women-only retreats. Vacations here include daily wellness activities such as yoga, kayaking, hiking, swimming, meditation, cooking and fitness classes, plus farm-to-table dining. Finnish beauticians are boated over for facials and massages. Not too shabby, although caffeine and alcohol are banned…A mere 4000 Euro for a week, at latest report. 
 
If you are interested in a health and wellness vacation anywhere in the world, let ActiveTravels know. We are currently assisting a member with one in Costa Rica!
 

Similar Posts

|

Cruise Lines Help with Evacuations and Aid to Puerto Rico

Nearly a week after Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico, many residents are in critical need of supplies. Food, water, and medicine are dwindling and the island is expected to be without power for several months. The international airport in San Juan continues to operate on limited emergency power with fewer than ten commercial flights to the US each day. Instead, Puerto Rico is relying on cruise ships to bring resources to the devastated island. Royal Caribbean Cruises cancelled its Adventure of the Seas cruise to utilize the ship for evacuation and humanitarian efforts. The ship arrived in San Juan yesterday, before heading to St. Thomas and St. Croix to aid in the evacuation and donate critical supplies to each destination. Adventure of the Seas will bring evacuees to Fort Lauderdale before returning to San Juan on October 6. Carnival, the world’s largest cruise line, also has been helping with the aid effort. Carnival ships are currently traveling to destinations in the Caribbean that have been impacted by both Hurricane Irma and Maria. 

 
|

This is the Year to Finally Paddle the Allagash

Mention the Allagash River to a canoeist and his eyes suddenly become moist and dreamy as he inevitably responds, “Yeah, I’d like to go there someday.” The river has somehow attained legendary stature. Perhaps it’s the way the blue streak of water slips off the map of America’s northern fringes, remote and isolated, hundreds of miles from the nearest metropolis. Or maybe it’s the legacy of writer, philosopher, and inveterate traveler Henry David Thoreau, who ventured down the waterway a mere 152 years ago, waxing lyrically about the last great frontier in the East in his book, The Maine Woods. Whatever the reason, the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway continues to lure 10,000-plus paddlers to its shores every summer, turning farfetched dreams into reality.
 
2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway by the people of Maine. So there’s no better time to experience this serene paddle. Chip Cochrane, third-generation guide, will be making his 150th descent down the river this summer with Allagash Canoe Trips. Or join another legend of the river, Gil Gilpatrick, who will be leading a Mahoosuc Guide Service trip down the river September 6-11. Expect to spot many moose slurping the shallow waters at sunrise and sunset. 
 
|

The Hard Work of Social Media Marketing

We always ask new members of ActiveTravels how they found us. As we enter into our fifth year of business, more and more clients are saying that they came upon us in a Google search. Very few things make me happier than having complete strangers from around the globe ask us for our travel expertise. Sure, we love referrals, but there’s something terribly exciting about getting an email or call from the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand, and across the US from someone out of the blue. I mentioned this to our social media guru, Ross Lasley, owner of the acclaimed Internet Educator, and it resulted in one of his columns. I came across it recently and I was flattered. Ross understands that nobody finds you on Google by luck. It comes from years of hard work, getting your business out there through all channels of social media. I’ve been blogging regularly since 2009, probably the same I time I joined FaceBook and LinkedIn. The Twitter account came in 2011, Instagram this past year. It’s a steady stream of content, not unlike the hundreds of articles I wrote the 20 years prior. Build it and through hard work they will come. 

 
|

New Holland America Cruise from Boston to Greenland in 2021

Holland America just announced a new cruise departing from Boston to Greenland the summer of 2021. Three 17-day Greenland, Newfoundland & New England Discovery cruises aboard the Rotterdam will depart in July and August and sail roundtrip from Boston to the remote shoreline of Greenland and Newfoundland. Ports include Paamuit, Qaqortoq and Nanortalik, Greenland; St. John’s, Red Bay, St. Anthony and Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Bar Harbor, Maine. If you book a suite on any of the 2021 Canada and New England itineraries by February 28, 2020, they’ll throw in free drinks, free dining package, and free gratuities. Please let ActiveTravels know and we’ll check availability and pricing. 

 
|

The Sniders, Hotel Owners Who Give Back to the Community

This past Saturday on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, the circa-1913 Capawock Theater reopened for the first time in years. Soon to reopen in less than a month is the historic Strand Theater in Edgartown. The person to thank for this monumental effort is Mark Snider, founding director of the newly formed Martha’s Vineyard Theater Foundation. He recently persuaded singer Carly Simon to join his board and help finish raising the $1 million needed for renovations. 

 
Snider and his wife Gwenn are known on both Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket for their philanthropic efforts. As owners of The Winnetu Oceanfront Resort in South Beach, they always insisted that clients pay an extra resort fee that goes to a local hospital. On Nantucket, the Sniders purchased the dormant shell of the circa-1894 Point Breeze hotel in 2012 and converted it into an upscale property now called The Nantucket Hotel. A bigger gift to the locals, however, is the 20,000 square foot expansion of the Boys & Girls Club set to open this summer. As president of Stanmar Inc., an athletic-facility design and construction firm based in Wayland, Snider, 58, knows a thing or two about building a gym. I’ve had the good fortune to meet the Sniders while penning stories on their properties over the years and they’ve always been incredibly passionate about their latest projects at their resorts. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they want to give back to the islands they cherish. 
 
|

Two Premiere Properties on the Swiss Riviera

The Lake Geneva region is often referred to as the Swiss Riviera, trying to match the tres chic atmosphere of Antibes and the French Riviera. Walking the esplanade of Vevey, lined with cafes and patisseries on one side and the stupendous vista of the Alps across the Lake Geneva waters, it’s easy to understand the comparison. This is especially true if you stay at two of the most upscale properties in the region, Lausanne Palace and Spa and Vevey’s Grand Hotel du Lac. 

 
Centrally located, within easy walking distance of the 12th-century Gothic church and the numerous bins selling local cheese, fruits, and flowers at the Saturday market, Lausanne Palace offers spacious rooms and opulent bathrooms, some with patios overlooking the lake. Breakfast every morning was a treat, with a large buffet featuring eggs, lox, herring, saucisson, cheese, and sublime croissants and pain au chocolat. The spa is also heavenly, with lap pool and spacious Turkish hamam, the perfect place to unwind after a day of walking. 
 
Grand Hotel du Lac boasts a prime waterfront setting overlooking a narrow portion of the lake in Vevey. A fresh plate of chocolate and muffins arrives daily in your room and the best way to devour the offerings is on the patio staring at the massive mountain motif. Dinner was excellent, offering top-notch French food like venison with wild mushrooms paired with a Swiss pinot noir. Both resorts feature exceptional concierge service, going out of their way to answer any and all questions. Choose either of these two properties and you certainly will feel like you’re on the Riviera. 
 

Leave a Reply