In a previous article – before the war, before Sars – I suggested business travelers use jetting opportunities to heighten cultural awareness. I wrote that gaps between business meetings could be filled with side trips to local museums and architectural sites, city walks, even shiatsu massages. A little research, a convo with a hip concierge, a good map and a little imagination and presto, you’re an executive culture vulture with fresh material for the national conference cocktail circuit.
As I write this – en route from LA to Delhi on a near empty plane – I reluctantly submit that things have changed. Seeking capital by targeting financial capitals near the best tropical beaches or Manet opening just isn’t so easy to justify these days.
Never mind. If you have been following my column, you are bound to have collected a nice stash of air miles. With all of our favorite airlines going bankrupt, it’s high time you use them. And let’s face it: there’s little you can do right now to get that stock price moving anyway.
For most of us it’s summer and high time for that long-postponed vacation. ‘With all that’s happening?’ you wonder. Yes indeed. With all the weak-hearted sidelined, airplanes and airports are nearly empty. (Business class is a wasteland on this flight; my IR magazine ‘travel writer’ credentials, admittedly not exactly the New York Times, actually bumped me up a class.)
The trend has consequences right along the chain. Resorts and hotels are offering steep discounts and special packages. Cruise ships will practically pay you to come aboard. Those droves of tourists who make vacations so annoying are nowhere to be seen – there’s not one American tourist in Paris. Magnifique!
Here are a few my favorite escapes:
Bay of Fires Walk, Tasmania, Australia
Pristine, remote and unusual, Tasmania is a unique island off the coast of Oz. On the east coast, in the midst of a nature reserve, an experienced guide will take you on a walk that culminates at an eco-resort perched above the sea. Day one you walk till late afternoon. That evening, your guide cooks dinner, complete with local wine. Sleep under the stars or in a simple barracks at ‘base camp’. At the end of the next day, you arrive at the main lodge, where your room, a well-needed hot shower, five-star food and great Tasmanian wine await. Offshore, whales spout and dolphins jump. Onshore, plenty of kangaroos.
Rome, Italy
The city that gave romance its name, Rome is the ultimate destination for historians, epicureans, vintners and aesthetes. Pack a picnic lunch and start your morning with a tour of Domus Aurea, up above the ancient city. Nero burned a good swath of the city to clear the way for his palace and a clear view down to the lake below. After his fiddle was silenced, subsequent emperors drained the lake and build the Coliseum. Take a tour and then hike up the Palatine Hill for your picnic. After, take a walk through the ancient forum, and visit the world’s oldest museum collection at the Capitoline museum. For breathtaking views of the city, visit Vittoriano. Make dinner reservations near the Trevi Fountain, so you can toss a coin in and wish for a speedy return to Rome.
Clayoquot Resort, near Tofino, Vancouver Island, Canada
Fly to Tofino from Seattle to avoid the Vancouver Sars scare. From here, take an hour-long boat trip to the floating lodge, where the less adventurous stay. Here they’ll suit you up like an astronaut and take you out by boat to the Outpost. This collection of canvas tents with wood floors, oriental carpets and remote-controlled heaters overlooks some of the most beautiful and unspoiled scenery in North America. Camp guides will take you mountain biking in the sludge or galloping on one of their fine horses. Massages and five-star meals are included in the package.
Santorini, Greece
We took a Royal Olympic Cruise on a ten-day trip around the Greek islands to get a taste of each. Our favorite was Santorini. Legendary Icarus was supposed to have flown too close to the sun and fallen into the nearby sea. The high cliffs of Santorini make the myth seem plausible. The island is actually one bit of the edge of a giant old volcano, which some believe may once have been the island of Atlantis that disappeared in an eruption, perhaps causing the mysterious destruction of Minos on Crete with tidal waves and debris. There’s plenty of history here for Bronze Age buffs. And whitewashed houses, painted white for hundreds of years, gleam in the hot sun. The water, clear blue and warm, invites below. Sit at the edge of the cliff in the pool at the Perivolas Hotel – one of the world’s most famous pools – and feel your worries fade away.
Aswan, Luxor and Giza, Egypt
Is it safe to go back to the Middle East? The Egyptian Tourist Authority hopes you’ll think so. Friends who just returned note the best hotels and archeological sites are ‘wonderfully uncrowded.’ Ancient Egyptian culture remains as compelling as ever, as are the imperial hotels built to accommodate you. We flew to Aswan and stayed at the Old Cataract Hotel. Taking a train to Luxor, we spent two days exploring the Valley of the Kings and the ancient capital. We ended up in Giza in the Mena House, overlooking the Great Pyramids. Just tell them you’re Canadian and the Egyptians will show you the hospitality for which they are famous.
Ranthambhore National Park, India
A quick flight from Delhi and a bumpy jeep ride bring you to the only park in the world where the tigers come out in broad daylight. This photographic safari yields spotted deer, sambar, monkeys, peacocks and crocodiles. But the main prize is the king cat of India: the tiger. We saw four over our weekend visit. The thrill of seeing these great cats swagger, unafraid, supremely confident, is one you’ll never forget. And as for accommodation, the marble-walled tented complex of Vanyavilas – an Oberoi resort – is worth the trip alone.
Loreto, Mexico
Avoid redneck Cabo San Lucas and head to less-known Loreto. At the Hotel Posada de las Flores, you can kick back in the rooftop pool and have that margarita you deserve. Then head out for sea kayaking on one of Baja’s most dramatic coastlines. On the next day’s agenda, you can either join the whale-watchers or rent mountain bikes and head off on one of the hundreds of trails. Or rent a car for a drive up into the mountains and explore one of the many ancient Spanish missions.
Walt Disney World, Florida, US
Go ahead and laugh, but few family escapes can match the value of a trip to Walt Disney World. And as you may be Niri conference-bound this month, it makes sense to provide some insight as to how to manage this. First, stay on the monorail path or on the Bay. That is, at the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge Resorts. Avoid the second-tier bus-connected resorts like the plague. Also, focus on the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and the water parks – either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. Avoid the MGM Theme Park – yawn! – and Epcot Center. Magic Kingdom pleasers include the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain. Early admittance ought to mean you avoid long lines. At Animal Kingdom, don’t miss A Bug’s Life.
Where to stay
Tasmania
Bay of Fires Walk
Tel: +61 03 6331 2006
[email protected]
Rome
Casa Howard
Tel: +39 06 69 924 555
[email protected]
Vancouver Island
The Outpost
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
Tel: +1 250 726 8235
[email protected]
Santorini
Perivolas Traditional
Houses Hotel
Tel: +30 22 860 71308
Aswan
The Old Cataract Hotel
Tel: +20 97 31 6000
Luxor
The Old Winter Palace Hotel
Tel: +20 95 380 422
Giza
The Mena House Hotel
Tel: +20 2 383 3222
[email protected]
Ranthambhore
Vanyavilas
Tel: +91 7462 223 999
[email protected]
Loreto
Hotel Posada de las Flores
Tel: +52 613 13511 62
[email protected]
Walt Disney World Resort
The Wilderness Lodge
Tel: +1 407 824 3200
Lagniappe*
For me, the other side of paradise isn’t the fear of being in a Bali dance club on the wrong night, but rather the dread of spending half my trip doubled over with a bad tummy. In a lot of countries you should drink only bottled water and avoid ice, any fruit you can’t peel yourself, salads and uncooked food. Bring power bars for those days when you’re off the beaten track. That little restaurant in a remote village may seem cute and clean, but don’t let your sense of adventure eclipse your common sense. Before leaving home, many adventurers get a prescription filled for the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (‘cipro’) in case of bacterial battles like severe traveler’s diarrhea, though it’s useless for viruses or parasites.
*Lagniappe: A French Creole word that means ‘a little extra’
