Compendium Volume 9 English

5 CHILOÉ TERRA

5 CHILOÉ TERRA INCOGNITA New seaplane services are making it easier for adventurous travellers to reach this remote Chilean island, splashing down right in front of the 24-room Tierra Chiloé, a sustainably built boutique hotel with architecture that echoes the island’s traditional palafito stilt houses. Fifty-minute amphibious Cessna transfer flights connect Puerto Montt’s El Tepual Airport and the hotel’s jetty, from which guests can also hop on scenic seaplane tours for island, fjord and volcano views. For those who prefer to remain on terra firma, the hotel’s new guided nature-bathing walks create a connection to the scents, sounds and textures of this mystical land, home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, including forests of bamboo, myrtle and hazelnut, rare marsupials and the tiny, shy pudú deer. PHOTO © TIERRA HOTELS 26

6 PALAU ECOLOGICAL TREASURE PHOTO STOCKSY The more than 300 islands that make up this remote Micronesian archipelago have long been under-the-radar draws for adventurous divers lured by its clear waters. But it seems like the secret may soon be out. After two decades sailing through the Maldives, the Four Seasons Explorer, the hotel group’s 11-cabin catamaran, now makes Palau’s lagoons home, offering underwater explorations from its onboard PADI dive centre and cultural excursions around the islands. Across the destination, there is a serious focus on lowimpact tourism: a Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee is included in every airline ticket to the island nation, and you’ll also be expected to sign the Palau Pledge – a commitment to protect the natural environment and respect local traditions – on arrival. 27