by Editor | Sep 1, 2005 | Europe, Italy, Rome, Simon and Baker Travel Review
Although my hotel had recommended other more trendy restaurants and nearby trattorias I hoped to find a spot in a popular restaurant I had visited years earlier. A pleasant young man, Claudio, answered the phone when I called to make last minute reservations for dinner at La Rosetta, one of Rome’s better known seafood restaurant. It was in a historic Roman neighborhood, a 20-minute cab ride from my centrally located hotel. When I arrived at the restaurant later that night, it was nearly empty. I thought Claudio had pulled my leg but as the night aged the dining room and terrace filled up to capacity.
by Editor | Sep 1, 2005 | Europe, Italy, Rome, Simon and Baker Travel Review
Established by famed hotelier Cesar Ritz at the request of the Italian president in 1894, this Roman jewel is said to have its foundation over the Baths of Diocletian. The hotel, built on land belonging to Pope Sistus V, recently underwent a $35 million renovation requiring 450 workmen, including 151 skilled craftsmen and one million man hours of work.
by Editor | Aug 1, 2005 | Amazon, Latin America, Simon and Baker Travel Review
The Reserva Comual Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo is a remote eight hundred thousand acre nature preserve tucked away deep in the jungle of Loreto, Peru’s largest state. Loreto is an area the size of Montana that lies almost entirely in the Western Amazonian rain forest. The Reserve is bordered to the West by the upper Tahuayo River and its tributary the Blanco River. This is a place where seasonally flooded verzea forests and non-flooding terra firme forests meet, making it one of the most biologically diverse environments in the world. It has been the site of several decades of scientific studies that have yielded some of the Amazon’s richest varieties of plans, birds and mammals as well as amphibians and reptiles. Additionally, the villages in the permanent settlement zone adjacent to the Reserve have been at the forefront of community-based management of the natural resources of the Reserve and surrounding areas for over a quarter of a century. This commitment has enabled them to succeed in preserving their traditional way of life as well as their environment. All of these considerations made the upper Tahuayo River a compelling choice of destination for our Amazon rainforest discovery adventure.
by Editor | Aug 1, 2005 | Amazon, Latin America, Simon and Baker Travel Review
One of the most extraordinary things about the Tahuayo Lodge was that this welcoming enclave of comfort should exist at all in the midst of the untamed wilderness of the Western Amazon. Perched high on a bank of the Tahuayo River, the lodge was a sprawling, thatched-roofed complex of large huts linked together by covered bridge-like walkways. Entirely built on stilts, it was distinguishable only by its size and layout from the tidy indigenous villages down river.
by Editor | Jun 1, 2005 | Jamaica, Simon and Baker Travel Review
Our 20-minute mid morning Jamaica Ecstasy flight over Ocho Rios was great fun. After a short drive in our hotel van, we arrived at Island Hoppers and met the captain. He shared some quick pre-flight information and offered us champagne, beer or water. When we were ready, one by one we followed a staff member to the helicopter. Another staff member made sure we were strapped safely in place; had our headset on (so we could hear our captain during the flight) and were comfortable. During the slightly bumpy flight (due to summer pockets of air, our pilot said), which went by all too quickly, we had a bird’s eye view of Ocho Rios. The only helicopter company on the island, Island Hoppers was owned and operated by our colorful and experienced New Zealand pilot and his wife.
by Editor | Jun 1, 2005 | Jamaica, Simon and Baker Travel Review
When we arrived at the Jamaica Inn by boat, the most notable feature was its bright blue color and white trim. After braving the gentle waves that lapped against the shore and climbing a few short steps toward the entrance, we were greeted by Nicole and Terri, two of the hotel staff members. Slowly, as we walked from the jetty through the dining terrace past the bar and library common room, we delighted in its understated grace and quiet. The staff exuded friendly warmth and a welcoming attitude making us feel like we had been there before and were returning after a long absence instead of visiting for the first time.
