My dearest friends,

I am just about to pop out of the villa and head to the beach.  The thing is I need to wait for the butler to finish placing my bottle of Rosé in the ice bucket. This minor delay is completely my doing.  When I arrived this morning, early, I had time to unpack and unwind, then had lunch at The Deck. I was quite comfortable feeling the breeze, sipping my rosé and gobbling up all the traditional Mexican snacks, until the urge to hit the beach came over me. So what did I do?  Headed back up to the villa and just so happened to mention to my butler, who is seated only a few feet from my front door, that I absolutely loved the wine I had with lunch.  Two questions later (in which restaurant did I dine and was it a white, red or rosé?) and I smiled and slipped into my room to change into a swimsuit.  In the back of my mind, I felt like he might have a bottle sent to my room, but I had no real idea. Royal Hideaway Playacar is an adults only all-inclusive hotel, so I figured it was just the beverages I had stocked in my refrigerator that were part of the plan. I was proven wrong in that assumption. Before I could slip on my cover-up, there was a gentle tap on the door and like an angelic sommelier, my butler was there with wine in hand and ice bucket ready to receive the bottle of pink goodness. Some parts of the world may only experience three to five months of pink-wine weather, but here in the Caribbean…I indulge whenever I want.  The weather is always perfect for sipping on this.

Having winessed the bottle cozy up to the ice cubes, I skipped out of the villa and down to the beach, happy to know I would be coming home to a perfectly chilled elixir if I somehow needed a magical potion to cure me of anything that inflicted me on the enviable stretch of white sand upon which the beach butlers had set up my covered seating. As highly unlikely as that seemed, knowing it was there waiting gave me sense of security. Speaking of which, this place has the security game down pat.  The Riviera Maya has long prided itself on guest safety and security but here at Royal Hideaway Playacar, there are an additional two, visible, layers to that security, allowing me to relax even more deeply. Today there’s a saxophone player playing at the pool behind me.  The breeze carries his music to my ears and I feel a drink order coming on. I’m in Mexico, so tequila comes to mind as a first option, but I am already attending the tequila tasting upstairs in Spices in only a few hours.  I don’t want to spoil that experience, so Piña Colada it is.

That will be enough until the tasting because there’s a long night ahead and I only arrived today.  Four more days to explore the resort and head to Tulum for an afternoon should reset my spirit and prepare me for the summer ahead. That preparation needs to include long walks on the beach and some time in the gym because I fully intend to take part in dining at each of the six restaurants here at the hotel. I am especially looking forward to the intimate Chef’s Table, where I am to be seated directly in the kitchen in a glass encased dining room outfitted with cameras and a flat screen television to showcase the detailing that takes place as each dish is plated for my enjoyment. I am having a ball here.

Come to Royal Hideaway Playacar.

Besitos,

Gina

Good day,

This trip has been everything we anticipated. We planned on vacationing in an authentic Zulu style camp and Shambala hit the nail on the head.  Now we are only three hours from Johannesburg, set within a 10,000 hectare, Big Five reserve in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains. Standing in awe on our terrace, we see the hippos returning from the bush to wallow in the river. They look happier than pigs in…you know. It’s the perfect prompt for us to schedule a little self-care ourselves. Time to avert our gaze from the flowing river below and slip out of our thatched cottage to the spa. The streams from the river run through the camp, keeping us close to the flow of nature at all times. Our butler guides us to the spa and as we wend our way through the eight chalets, through his capable guidance, we are distracted by the luxurious comfort with which we are able to enjoy this authentic and holistic experience. The birdcalls echoing off the water bring us back to the present moment, being amidst this camp is a gift only few can give themselves and we are grateful to be here.

The spa is within our sites now. Inspired by its African bushveld surroundings and remarkable flora and fauna, the spa provided us with the perfect oasis. We know that tomorrow we will be back. After a day of game drives we will again indulge in what the spa specializes in offering; truly African therapies including its signature ‘Kalahari Facials’. After today’s Shambala Signature Journey massage, we already know what thetreatments will be for the next day. The Baobab Vitamin C Facial for me with its ultra-firming, anti-ageing approach, it’s also rich in organic Vitamin C and essential antioxidants. My cohort is diving face first into the Honey Bush Facial.

Honey Bush Facial which is a combination of effective African plant extracts and oils that nourish dull and dehydrated skin. Rejuvenated and ultra-hydrated, we are ready to take on the next adventure on offer, a bush picnic. Fret not, we will be accompanied by professional game rangers as we get romantic and fancy in the wild. Next time we promise to send more pictures.

Bahle,

Gina

www.shambalaprivategamereserve.co.za

Hello there,

Let me start by saying, phew! I was scouring the web looking for an appropriate hotel for my upcoming combo business/vacation trip. Completely excited for my first trip to Cartagena, I checked in with friends who had been to Colombia before and asked them what they thought my best options were. I had always heard of the area called Boca Grande, but had heard even more about the historic city, the walled city of old Cartagena De Indias. Since most of my business happenings were taking place outside of that part of Cartagena, I opted to keep things simple and stay in Boca Grande at the InterContinental Cartagena De Indias. This was the place that offered me a great location, access to my business meetings and then when my friends arrived, we had everything we wanted just steps away and what wasn’t was easily reached by short taxi ride.

Plaza Bolivar was an urban oasis for me after meetings as I took a stroll back to the hotel. This park is surrounded by the brightly painted facades that are typical to the city. Filled with locals taking a break from their routine, or maybe this was part of their routine, I felt I was gaining some insight into their way of life, rather than being a mere tourist. When my friends arrived, my business obligations had all been taken care of and we took evening strolls. One night I showed them “my park” and to all our delight, there were hordes of people gathered in different corners of the public green, listening to live music. This was out of a movie for us. Normally at this time of year, hanging outside in a park means being bundled up in scarves and caps and coats, so hilling in shorts and light shirts made things that much cooler.

The areas that surrounded the hotel were exactly our vibe; very hip and full of Colombian culture and history. The InterContinental suited us perfectly. It is enclosed by the palace, churches and museums, it offered us a stunning view over the bay. We hardly ever left the place. We had private beach access for when we weren’t hitting up the swimming pool or jumping into the spa for some bonding time over shared experiences of getting all the kinks worked out. There was one day that we decided to spread our wings and do the proverbial touristy thing. We took a taxi into the walled city and shopped for gold, straw hats, ate fruit on the street and had the mandatory ceviche stop when we got puckish. That was a great day. When we came back to the hotel in Boca Grande, we spent the evening on the rooftop watching the sun set and called it an early night. Flights were being taken the following morning so a late night was not in the cards.  We saw a lot here and know there is a ton more to see. We will be back.

Promise,

Anthony