American World Traveler Summer 2018 Issue

More documents

Recommendations

Info

56 Luxury Hotels...Grand Resorts...Charming B&B...Opulent Villas...Quaint C The Safari Lodge at Amakhala Game Reserve, South Africa Article by Jennifer Merrick, Photos: Safari Lodge Stay & Play Section Sweet Dreams Around the <strong>World</strong> We couldn’t have asked for a better welcome than the one we experienced at the Safari Lodge on the Amakhala Game Reserve. Less than five minutes after arrival, as we filled out registration forms, we heard someone say. “It’s Norman!” When we looked up, we saw an elephant lumbering up to the watering hole with its big ears flapping as if to wave hello. The animals at Amakhala, a 7500-hectare private conservancy, aren’t usually given a name (it’s not a zoo), but Norman is an exception. This lone bull elephant, pushed out by the dominant male in the herd, has earned a special place in the heart of everyone here, and now mine, too. The reserve, which began in 1999, is a joint conservation effort and has 10 individual lodges each with their own personality, style and comfort level. The Safari Lodge is all about luxury, relaxation and big-five adventure in a comfortable and authentic ambiance. Sleeping 24 in 11 safari suites, its four-star wilderness accommodation features private plunge pools, lounge areas, stocked fridges, four-poster beds covered with mosquito nets (though it’s located in a malaria-free zone so it’s not a necessity) and a large bathtub complete with bubbles and sparkling wine on ice. Though even that couldn’t compete with the view we had of impalas and antelope grazing outside. It takes no time at all to get into the rhythm of safari life: coffee, early morning game drive, full breakfast, relax and enjoy the surroundings, lunch, evening game drivebath with aforementioned sparkling wine, dinner. The game drives were led by professional, knowledgeable guides, and we spotted wildlife ranging from large game, like rhinos, lions and giraffes, to smaller creatures, like African slugs and tortoises. And, of course, we couldn’t forget Norman, who we watched rolling around in the mud, having a grand time, which was exactly what we had, too, at the Safari Lodge on the Amakhala Game Reserve. www.amakhala.co.za/lodges/safari-lodge Hilton Comes to Yunnan Province’s Shangri-La Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La is the 13th location of the company’s mid-market brand in China, and the first to bring the Hilton name to Shangri-La in Yunnan Province. Located in Shangri-La’s city center, it features a Tibetan theme in its style and a mix of modern amenities assisting productivity and comfort in each of its 233 guest rooms. Dining options include a noodle bar, international buffets, and a menu featuring Western, Sichuan, Yunnan, Cantonese, and Tibetan cuisine. A 24-hour gym, self-service laundromat, and 24-hour market are provided for the convenience of guests, as is free high-speed WiFi throughout the premises. Marriott Introduces Fairfield Brand in China Marriott International has opened its third mainland China location of its recentlyacquired luxury brand W hotels, already established in Beijing and Guangzhou, on The Bund in Shanghai. On the property are 374 guestrooms including 35 suites, an indoor/outdoor pool, 5300 square meters of event space with 17 meeting rooms, and a grand ballroom. There will also be five food and beverage outlets, including a contemporary NYC-style bistro, a purveyor of Cantonese cuisine, a destination cocktail bar, and a bar serving the rooftop pool deck, plus a bar that will double as a venue for international DJs on another level of the hotel. New York London Paris Tokyo Hong Kong Bali Rome Thailand Monaco Amsterdam Berlin Ibiza Montreal Tanzania Hawaii Rio Toronto Buenas Aries Manila Singapore Mumbai Chicago Jerusalem Moscow Egypt Bora Bora China Japan Santorini Osaka Los Uganda Banff Guangzhou Casablanca Cairo Iceland Orlando Beverly Hills Melbourne Mallorca San Diego Crete New York Londo
ountry Inns...Luxary Safari Camps...Ecolodges...Ice...Cave...Treetop... Hotels 57 board rentals, and the property's newest addition, the Dip + Slide water play area. Pool amenities include complimentary towel service and full-service poolside lunch and spa services, Conveniently, both pools are open from sunrise to sunset. I had the opportunity to experience a 50-minute Diplomat Signature Spa Treatment, which I must strongly recommend. Be sure to make your spa reservations well in advance as space is limited. Exclusively designed for The Diplomat, specialty cabanas created by fashion designer Trina Turk are available for rent on the lower floor of the pool deck, providing a relaxing and stylish oasis for the day. We ordered lunch from Playa, a Beachfront Nuevo-Latina restaurant and bar featuring an extensive rum and tequila selection. The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida From the Atlantic coast to the Intracoastal, the reinvented Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida pays homage to the hotel's storied past as a social hub, with a modern take on design and amenities, including a luxurious spa and more than 10 new culinary concepts. Fresh off a magnificent $100 million transformation, this oceanfront, all-encompassing destination resort is now part of Curio Collection by Hilton, a global set of upscale hotels handpicked for their unique character. We stayed in a gorgeous Oceanview Double Deluxe Room with a balcony, providing a beautiful and completely unobstructed view of the ocean. There are no shortage of exceptional dining options here. Let us certainly recommend breakfast at Point Royal, a coastal restaurant also open for lunch and dinner. This is a by Alexandra Cohen large dynamic buffet filled with almost every breakfast option imaginable, from housemade pastries and an inventive cereal bar, to egg dishes, salads and grains Our first dinner was also at Point Royal, part of famous chef Geoffrey Zakarian's approachable <strong>American</strong> cuisine, complete with indoor/outdoor seating and a grand yet modern Raw Bar. From the Diplomat seafood platter, a fabulous yellowfin tuna tartare, roasted Maine diver scallops and must try Black Forest meringue pie, this dining establishment is topnotch. The same can be said for Monkitail (https://www.monkitail.com), which won the top spot for Best Hotel Restaurant in USA Today’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards. The menu is a contemporary take on the classic izakaya, featuring sharable small plates and sushi as well as an array of specialty cocktails and saké. Surrounding an open robatayaki kitchen in the heart of the restaurant is a private dining area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean: hot Hamachi, toro caviar, the big eye tuna special, Edamame dumplings, Robitayaki lobster tail, skirt steak and short rib skewers, a duck scrapple bao bun, a tempura shrimp taco, an aged New York strip and broiled sea bass with aioli and snap peas headline some of the choices to go with the fruit loop ice cream and almond joy for dessert. We were thrilled to discover that The Diplomat partners with the award-winning Boucher Brothers Management to pamper guests during their day on the beautiful Hollywood Beach. We got to spend a day lounging in private daybeds and relaxing on a chaise for a luxurious take on “fun in the sun.” The team from the Boucher Brothers team could not have been nicer in setting us up, and they in fact came back several times over our stay to adjust the umbrellas and make sure everything was okay. Lunch and drinks were available right at our chairs. This service is available daily from 9 am to 6 pm. www.diplomatresort.com In addition to the two beachfront pools, there is also jet skiing, ocean kayaking, paddle- Madrid Cape Town Beijing Sydney Vancouver Ecuador Malaysia Crete Stockholm Maldives Peru Miami Shanghai Tahiti Riviera Maya Las Angeles Barcelona Santiago Washington Jakarta Marrakesh Boston Botswana Copenhagen New Delhi Dubai Sao Paulo Bangkok Auckland B n Paris Tokyo Hong Kong Bali Rome Thailand Monaco Amsterdam Berlin Ibiza Montreal Tanzania Hawaii Rio Madrid Cape Town Beijing S
Page 1:
Greece Malawi Cruise News China Dom
Page 7 and 8: China Crusing section 37 Destinatio
Page 9 and 10: inally a parade ground and the mans
Page 11 and 12: Yet, amid this unstoppable transfor
Page 13 and 14: “Nature was our playground,” Ma
Page 15 and 16: Hidden on an isolated stretch of CA
Page 18 and 19: 18 Good to Go! Great Travel Gear an
Page 20 and 21: 20 Intrepid Travel Launches Vegan F
Page 22: New Zealand’s Gorgeous Glaciers C
Page 26: 26 Going Further With Turkish Airli
Page 29 and 30: of the Taj Mahal sit majestically,
Page 31 and 32: ing our tour with Felicity Sailing;
Page 33 and 34: Surprising first impressions The fi
Page 35: 35 from Zakynthos town, it is more
Page 38 and 39: 38 AmaWaterways Avalon Azamara Carn
Page 42 and 43: 42 MSC Seaside “the ship that fol
Page 44 and 45: It’s All Greek to Me! Sail Greece
Page 46 and 47: 46 A Cool Cruise Never to Forget Ar
Page 48 and 49: 48 Temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel
Page 50 and 51: 50 King Tutankhamun's Mask
Page 52 and 53: 52 built by Ismail Pasha in 1828. O
Page 54 and 55: 54 in the west bank. In addition, y
Page 58: Advertorial Accommodations Puntacan
Page 61: OceanZ Aruba Boutique Luxury At Its
Page 65 and 66: Presidente InterContinental Cozumel
Page 67 and 68: comfortable rooms; 80% of which fac
Page 69 and 70: Nkhotakota became poised as one of
Page 71 and 72: international and local competition
Page 73 and 74: 73 WT Library Image The accommodati
show all

American World Traveler Summer 2018 Issue

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?