by Editor | Aug 1, 2004 | Florida, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, an 83-acre haven for nature lovers in a ritzy residential neighborhood, was one of our choice places to visit in Miami. Well managed and populated by rare and striking tropical and subtropical plants from all over the world, the Garden was visitor friendly. Young and old alike were made welcome through tram, audio and walking tours, classes and tropical plant themed festivals such as ginger, mango, orchid, palms and many others. New and popular features included a butterfly garden (a favorite with children), a bird watching section, the Victoria pond with its four Amazon water-lilies, and a tropical fruit tree pavilion. There was also a 13-acre palm collection, a green house with orchids, bromeliads, palms aroids and ferns, and the only outdoor tropical rainforest in the continental United States .
by Editor | Aug 1, 2004 | Florida, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
: We cherished our stay at the Mandarin Oriental Miami. It featured a winning combination of customer oriented, friendly and efficient staff in a beautifully designed, and luxurious waterfront property, just steps from downtown Miami . Sail shaped, the Mandarin was reminiscent of the orient though inside there was a definite Latin flavor. Almost every staff person we encountered was of Hispanic heritage. This made it easy for staff members to interact with the many guests we heard speaking Spanish in the common areas. More than once we saw staff members switch smoothly from English to Spanish and vice versa.
by Editor | Aug 1, 2004 | Products, Safari Gear, Simon and Baker Travel Review
When we are in the African bush we take mosquitoes very seriously. Being bitten is cause for concern. Some types of malaria, a disease transmitted by certain mosquitoes, are hard or impossible to treat effectively. As a result, mosquitoes become not a small annoyance but a life threatening menace. The first time, several years ago, we treated our clothes with insect repellent in preparation for a trip to a malaria zone; we had to dip them using a special container, which we later disposed of. It was a big production and the clothes felt slightly stiff after they dried. The Sawyer spray was much easier and practical to use. Our clothes remained intact after we sprayed and air dried them. There were no unpleasant odors, no damaged fabrics or other side effects that we noticed; nor were we bitten by any insect while we wore the clothes we had sprayed, even after they had been washed several times at the African camps and lodges we stayed at.
by Editor | Aug 1, 2004 | Products, Simon and Baker Travel Review, Travel Luggage
For those of us who wear two pairs of eyeglasses, this well designed and handsome case provided a convenient and lightweight way to carry them with minimum fuss. Made of handcrafted glove-tanned cowhide, it had two pouches with space for a pair of glasses in each one at the same time. It was the first and only double eyeglass case we found. We love it.
by Editor | Jul 1, 2004 | Products, Safari Gear, Simon and Baker Travel Review
We were preparing for a bush trip to Africa when we first heard of the new Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, registered Buzz Off pretreated insect repellent line. We loved the idea right away. It meant we didn’t have to dip or spray our safari clothes in permethrin. The safari color (khaki) Buzz Off clothes were ready to wear, odorless, designed to wick off moisture, washable and a good value for money, especially when compared with the chore and cost of purchasing regular clothes, spraying them with permethrin, and then leaving them to dry for hours before we could pack or wear them.
by Editor | Jul 1, 2004 | Products, Simon and Baker Travel Review, Travel Comfort
Sassybax, an alternative bra designed by TV star Amanda Horan Kennedy to fight visible bra lines, was comfortable and practical enough for travel. Though none of the promotional materials recommended Sassybax for travel, they did say it was more comfortable than traditional under wire and sports bras. We tried it on a roundtrip transatlantic flight and during the trip.
