Viajes / Travel

Thu07Feb2013

Ancient bath therapy reborn

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Darren Ballegeer Print Email

Photos of Hammam Baths, Athens. Photo: Courtesy of TripAdvisor

A healing and history lesson at a modern bath house --- 

Most tourists and locals in Athens, Greece discover the Hammam Baths by chance – only a relatively small (but growing) number of people are aware of hamam, either in word or concept. It is not something that people search for, but it should be.

A hamam combines the functionality and structural elements of the Roman baths with the Central Asian Turkic tradition of steam bathing, ritual cleansing and respect of water. Hamam is also known as a Turkish bath, and naturally so –

Sun28Oct2012

Five star sweat: The luxury of experiential travel

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Darren Ballegeer Print Email
One of Mexico’s most honored and oldest rituals is the temazcal, a pre-Hispanic sweat lodge used in ancient Mesoamerica as part of a curative ceremony to purify the body after battle or aid the sick.

What is the difference between tourists and travelers? Tourists want an easy, relaxing trip focused on basic needs of accommodation, food, drink, and perhaps recreational activities. Travelers seek experiences and people that define a destination – they seek the essence of a place. Directly experiencing the traditions and rituals of the local culture is one of the best ways to learn about a place and its people. Such experiential travel is a luxury of its own whether you spend a lot or no money on a certain experience.
Fri02Mar2012

Adobe, sand, and surf

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Elena Miramar Print Email

The attraction of eco-living and eco-tourism--- 

There are still many places in Mexico that are unspoiled and untouched by tourist development. Foreigners and Mexicans who value un-crowded places where nature still dominates are attracted to places like Cabo Corrientes, which is South of Banderas Bay in the state of Jalisco. Driving two hours from Puerto Vallarta, our destination was a unique eco-resort in the Cabo Corrientes region.  
Tue04Oct2011

Gourmet experience supreme

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Elena Miramar Print Email


A first-class international culinary tour in one evening ---  

Dining at a four diamond restaurant is something that most people don’t do very often - dining at three fine restaurants in the same evening is something most people would not imagine doing, so it was really a rare experience when I got the opportunity to enjoy a special dining tour called Gourmet Experience. Organized by several of the top restaurants in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, Gourmet Experience tours guests through a six-course dinner at three upscale restaurants. Each restaurant prepares two courses and pairs it with wine from Casa Madero, the oldest winery on the American continent.
Mon01Aug2011

Rebound in Mexico: Real estate market still enjoys unique advantages

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Darren Ballegeer Print Email
New development in Bahia de Banderas 

Americans, Canadians, and other foreigners are still buying homes in Mexico’s popular beach destinations – they’re just not buying as many as they did two or three years ago. And they’re not buying nearly as many as Mexicans, who as a group are buying about half of all new properties currently sold in popular regions such as the one anchored by Puerto Vallarta.

The real estate market in Mexico was hit hard by the housing bust in the U.S., though home sales in Mexico have been supported somewhat by a strong Canadian economy and by
Thu28Apr2011

Five-star service at a three-star rate? An express stay with Holiday Inn

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Darren Ballegeer Print Email
Bentley sedan parked in front of the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Portugal.
 
There is a black Bentley sedan parked in front of the Holiday Inn Express hotel. The $200,000 luxury car seems out of place at a Holiday Inn property but it’s a reminder of the purpose of my stay here:  to see how far up market the American hotel chain has moved since I last stayed with them many years ago. The Bentley and I are at the Holiday Inn Express in Lisbon, Portugal, a city that is one of my favorite value destinations in Europe.  My stay at this hotel is less about this particular location and more about assessing the chain’s level of service and comfort regardless of country or location. Could Holiday Inn Express become one of my favorite value hotels?