A Glimpse into Hobart, Tasmania

Luxury Travel : Hobart is hot. Actually, most of the year temperatures are mild to warm, but in terms of excitement, energy, creativity and hospitality, the little old city on the beautiful harbour is punching way above its weight.

Hobart is capital of Tasmania, that heart-shaped island between Australia's mainland and Antarctica. A few years back the locals realized they were walking around in a potential tourist paradise, with only a few boxes to check before they could move on to the highest level.Those items included culture, food, accommodation and visitor attractions. It is pleasing to report that all boxes are now checked and hedonistic Hobart has joined the ranks of the world's most exciting destinations.

Even the tyranny of distance has all but disappeared, with easy and relatively cheap access by sea and air. Recent fares from Melbourne, the closest international airport, were cheaper than the taxi to the airport. There's also an overnight sea route on a large ferry called the Spirit of Tasmania, where you can have a private cabin.

In contrast to the ease and economy of getting to this historic city - Australia's second oldest - today there's a growing emphasis on providing the best, almost irrespective of the price ticket. And there's a fierce island pride among most of the tourist facilities down here - wherever possible they stock local produce, from wine to whisky and art to artefacts.

Pride of place on Hobart's waterfront is the splendid Henry Jones IXL Art Hotel, developed just a few years ago from a derelict jam factory, which had become a squatter's haven. Now one of Australia's finest boutique hotels, it has just 56 rooms. Each is unique, from the rugged stones and massive old timbers to the original, local, artworks hanging on the walls. There are many reminders of Henry Jones, Tasmania's first knight, who was the largest private employer and pioneer of Tasmania's tin mining and hydro electricity industries.

The rooms are pure luxury, with vast, translucent glass bathrooms, each with a European elliptical bath, trapeze lighting, and king size beds with exotic silk covers. High-speed internet connectivity is provided together with, in most cases , close-up views of the harbourside activities and distant views of towering Mount Wellington.

Some rooms overlook the intriguing IXL atrium, revealing glimpses of the old jam factory interior. This is a lively meeting point for Hobart, lined with classy boutiques and design studios. At the summit of this high-end hotel are the Oriental Suites and H Jones Suite, with sumptuous, deep, overflowing spa baths by Kohler.

New Singita Ballooning Safaris

Luxury Adventures: Singita has introduced spectacular Balloon Safaris on site in Tanzania's Singita Grumeti Reserves, to present guests with one of the most extraordinary game viewing experiences in the world.

The exhilarating, one hour Balloon Safaris are chartered by professional, commercial balloon pilots from Serengeti Balloon Safaris. Situated in one of Africa's most pristine wilderness areas, Singita Grumeti is renowned for the exclusive, five-star safari experience on offer at its three lodges: Singita Sasakwa, Singita Sabora and Singita Faru Faru. Taking game viewing to another level, balloon flights offer the most awe-inspiring wildlife photographic opportunities imaginable, traveling at tree top level, and up to approximately 1,000 feet above the ground. Here at Singita Grumeti Reserves guests are afforded extraordinary perspectives of the vast and wonderful panorama of this untouched wilderness reserve, scene of Africa's thrilling annual wildebeest migration.

On-site Balloon Safaris are available to four and eight people, with charter options available for larger groups. Pre-requisites are that guests should be over the age of seven and fit to fly.

Balloon Safaris begin at 5:30 a.m. when guests leave their respective camp for a pre-dawn, 20 minute game drive from the camp to the balloon launch pad on the reserve. The large green and gold balloon -- reflecting the colors of the Serengeti plains, is then inflated, while the pilot delivers a short briefing covering different facets of the flight. At dawn, when the winds are most calm, the hot air balloon is released, and, all passengers aboard, ascend skywards, rising with the sun. Here it floats gracefully above the plains, moving in the direction of the wind, expertly controlled by the pilot who is able to regulate the altitude of the balloon. Initially providing guests with a treetop level eye-view of the dense concentration of game, seemingly no more than an arms length below, the balloon is then lifted to 1000 feet, affording an unparalleled view of the sheer enormity of the mighty Serengeti. Astoundingly, the balloon is utterly silent, barring the short intervals when the pilot heats the balloon with powerful whisper burners. Allowing guests to absorb the natural sounds of the landscape below, it also affords a sense of flowing into the natural environment. Depending on the weather conditions, the exhilarating flight lasts for an exciting hour, before touching down in a beautiful clearing for a celebratory glass of sparkling wine. Then it's time to return to camp where a delicious full English breakfast awaits, before embarking on the next thrilling adventure in the wilderness.

Details are available on the Singita Web site: www.singita.com

By Gabriele Klink
JustLuxe Contributor
Photo Credit: Singita Grumeti Reserves

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Britain's Quirky Cottages

Luxury Adventures: I'd like to tell you about the time I fought for my life against a huge wild boar with blood-red eyes and tusks like razors, but it didn't happen - apart from in my imagination, that is. But trust me - for one brief, scary, North Yorkshire moment it was pretty real.

The twilight was fading quickly and the ancient stones were merging into the musky woods. I knew the grounds were closed and the rest of the world was locked out, but there came a vague rustle and I sensed I was not alone. You know that Edgar Allan Poe feeling? I made my way a bit faster across the ruined cloisters towards the lights of the Prior's Lodge cottage; whistling in the dark and thinking about ghosts of the monks and laymen who built the great priory more than 600 years ago.

I was also thinking about the wild boars that get around this corner of England and racked my brains for the recommended defence against them.

The sounds of my bête noire headed towards me and intensified; louder now, pounding through the columns and slabs of the ancient church. I still hadn't come up with a defence strategy and then -- dainty, nimble and quick as a flash -- a cute little deer leapt over the rocks and disappeared.

And that was it. As Homer Simpson would say to Julie Andrews: "D'oh! -- a deer, a female deer."

A few seconds later the cottage was bright and welcoming, the complimentary wine even more so, and it didn't seem necessary to relate how Bambi had frightened the tripes out of me.

In a way, I'd asked for it -- we had selected the English Heritage cottage because it was old, remote and quirky, and these days the British hospitality industry gives wonderful quirk.

Heritage has a dozen or so holiday properties; most of them within the grounds of castles, stately homes or ruined religious buildings. By day they are on the fringe of tourist attractions, come evening and you're all alone - apart from whatever your imagination can create.

It's impossible to tell who's been sleeping in your bedroom when that room might be 500 years old. Maybe a couple of kings, possibly the odd revolutionary, perhaps a smuggler or two.

We chose Prior's Lodge for its location -- close to the Yorkshire Dales, the coast around Scarborough, Whitby and York itself. The nearest town is Northallerton which has supermarkets, a comprehensive library and good produce stores; the closest village Osmotherley, which has a couple of excellent pubs.

Driving from London is easy -- just keep heading up the Great North Road for about four hours and when the people on radio sound like bit players in Billy Elliot you're just about there.

On the long laneway to the ruined Carthusian priory you have to give way to ducks and geese and a notice warns that the geese can get nasty. And indeed they looked like tough customers to me, but what would I know? I'd been alarmed by one of the cutest creatures in creation.

The priory is a massive, widespread affair, sheltering behind a large Jacobean country house built from plundered stones. They were pinched when Henry V111 ordered an end to all religious orders that didn't agree with his methods of getting rid of wives -- thus changing the landscape of England for ever.

Prior's Lodge is to the side of the property, between the mansion and the cloisters. The cottage was added to the main house around 1750 and is built of rocks looking suspiciously like bits of old priory. Inside it's all pale timbers, handcrafted furniture and mullioned windows with views of the ruins, the wide Vale of York and the distant Pennines.

It's a long, rambling structure -- I estimated more than 30 metres from kitchen to second bedroom -- with three short flights of stairs, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge living room and a laundry. Everything is newly furnished with rescued timbers; in fact the oldest thing around was the 2004 Languedoc cabernet sauvignon snuggled up to local cheese and bread in a welcome hamper.

The honeyed stones were kissed by the early morning sun as we padded across the lawns between the cloisters; our feet leaving tracks in the dew, our clumsy footsteps startling the dozens of rabbits which evidently kept the turf so short.

There were still three hours before the day trippers would descend on Mount Grace; ample time to explore the old buildings and return to our idyllic cottage to cook breakfast before setting out for the day. When we returned the crowds would be gone; a very fair way of sharing the lovely place, I thought. We had booked the cottage for four days and given ourselves an itinerary based on the compass -- first day east, then north, west and south.

East was the sprawling national park of the North Yorkshire Moors, which run from the boundaries of the priory to the sea at Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Scarb

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Live an Issue of National Geographic - Visit Galápagos!

Luxury Adventures: Have you ever wanted to snorkel with playful sea lions, kneel beside marine iguanas and marvel at penguins all in one vacation? If so, you'll want to plan a holiday to the Galápagos Islands which provides great opportunities to explore beautiful landscapes and observe incredible wildlife, while relaxing in comfort.

The Galápagos Islands, which are located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, are widely known for their unique wildlife and diverse geography. The first non-scientific travelers visited the archipelago in 1967 with Lindblad Travel and since that time the islands have been delighting travelers. Travelers regularly say that one of the most interesting things about visiting Galápagos is the unique natural habit, which allows travelers to come face to face with wildlife that has never developed a fear of people!

The Galápagos archipelago consists of 13 main islands and six smaller isles, which together embrace some 50,000 sq km (19,500 sq miles) of ocean. With such a vast geography to explore, one of the best ways to visit the islands is to travel by boat. Small-ship expeditions are very popular in Galápagos for good reason. Small ships offer a great balance between comfort and convenience. More information about how to choose a small-ship travel operator can be found at www.expeditions.com/whysmallships.

When looking for a travel provider make certain that you select an operator that offers up-close exploration opportunities. The longest running travel operator in Galápagos, Lindblad Expeditions, features nimble Zodiacs and kayaks that take guests onto the volcanic shores and pristine beaches of the archipelago. Lindblad Expeditions also has an undersea program which utilizes underwater video to bring seldom seen or heard worlds to life. Lindblad Expeditions also works in partnership with National Geographic, which enables travelers to participate in the world of natural and cultural history as engaged, active explorers who care about the planet. And, every Lindblad expedition in Galápagos is led by a team of Naturalists (including an Underwater Specialist), a videographer, and Expedition Leader, providing a multitude of resources for a rich and unmatched understanding of the incredible wildlife and special environment that is known as the "Land of Darwin."

The Galápagos archipelago has been known by many different names, including the "Enchanted Islands," and once you go you will understand why!

Visit www.Expeditions.com to learn how you can join a team of expert naturalists on a small-ship expedition cruise of the Galapagos.

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Affordable Summer Getaways

Luxury Travel: As temperatures begin to rise, so does the anticipation of planning that annual summer trip. Whether you're seeking some much-needed solace, some non-stop action or if you're simply beach-bound, summertime is the perfect season for travel. We know that times are tough, but in today's economy, where everyone is vying for your business, there's never been a better time to find affordable hotel rates and packages. With so many choices as to where to spend your summer vacation, we've helped narrow it down based on the type of getaway your after.




For the Sun Worshiper
While its weather has proved to be among the best year-round, summertime in San Diego, California is exceptionally ideal. Each year, San Diego beaches draw swarms of travelers looking to soak up some rays, ride some waves, and experience the stereotypical Southern California lifestyle. Tourists tend to flock to the bikini-clad beaches of Pacific and Mission Beach, where there is no shortage of shopping, dining and nightlife entertainment. For a more leisurely day on the sand, venture north to La Jolla Shores, a luxurious stretch of sand, set amidst multi-million dollar homes. If you're looking to avoid tan lines altogether, leave your inhibitions at home and head to Black's Beach, a clothing-optional beach in La Jolla. In addition to its sprawling beaches, San Diego offers a vast array of activities sure to please even the most seasoned traveler. Stay in style at TOWER23, a chic hotel along the water's edge, starting at just $299 per night. For more to do in San Diego, don't forget to check out our San Diego City Guide.

For the Over-Worked
If your idea of a dream vacation includes spending some well-deserved "me-time" in the comfort of a plush robe, Cancun, Mexico might be just what the doctor ordered. While Cancun may be a popular destination for spring breakers, its abundance of world-class spas makes it the perfect escape for those in need of a little R&R. Spas in Cancun are known for providing treatments derived from local plants as well as maintaining the ancient practices of its Mayan culture. Indulge your senses at the Zoetry? Wellness & Spa Resort or surrender to ancient healing rituals at Le Blanc Spa Resort.



For the Avid Golfer
Any golf enthusiast knows that Pebble Beach is synonymous with luxury. The coastal community of Pebble Beach is located in Monterey, California and is home to one of the world's finest championship golf courses. Pebble Beach Golf Links has long been a golfers' paradise and has served as a stomping ground of sorts for both celebrities and world-renowned golf champions. The course is scheduled to play host to the 2010 U.S. Open Championship. Luxurious accommodations in Pebble Beach include The Lodge at Pebble Beach, Casa Palmero, and The Inn at Spanish Bay. As a guest of one of these award-winning hotels, you have the option of taking advantage of the Preferred Golf Club program, which provides not only complimentary rounds of golf but also guarantees the lowest room rates available.

For the Family
If your summer vacation plans include the whole clan, Orlando, Florida is the perfect place for parents and kiddos alike. With Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World Orlando all at your fingertips, Orlando is no doubt a crowd pleaser, guaranteed to put a smile on any child's face. While the attractions score big with the kiddos, parents will find pleasure in the luxurious amenities offered by many of the surrounding hotels. And with rates the lowest they've been in a decade, a trip to Orlando doesn't have to break the bank. The Crowne Plaza Hotel Orlando-Universal is currently offering rates starting at just $98.

Whatever your upcoming vacation plans might entail, there's never been a b

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Unwind in the Alberta Rockies!

Luxury Travel: From massive glacier fields, dinosaur digs, genuine dude ranches to pure Rocky Mountain streams fed by pristine alpine lakes and mighty trout-filled rivers, Alberta is your gateway to the Canadian Rocky Mountains experience.

Located in Western Canada, Alberta is located much closer than most people think, located a short distance above Montana, just a short flight from many major US cities.


With temperate summers averaging about 70 degrees, Alberta is a great way to enjoy the outdoors in a luxurious atmosphere, whether you prefer indulging in spa treatments in the untouched wilderness of Banff National Park, or want to experience the thrill of a heli-hiking adventure near Jasper. Golfers will appreciate Alberta's array of over 300 courses, including seven of Canada's signature golf courses. Alberta is the place to retreat, push yourself to experience pure solitude or a take on a challenging outdoor adventure.

On your trip to Alberta, visit the world's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex as well as Dinosaur Provincial Park, one of the richest grounds of dinosaur fossils in the world. Alberta is home to a wide array of natural wonders. Majestic mountains and lakes provide a beautiful backdrop for this outdoor playground, the land is home to the world's largest herd of free-roaming bison as well as a multitude of pristine natural parks. Go kayaking, river rafting, sailing or scuba diving. Take a tour by horseback, plane or train. During the winter months, go skiing at Nakiska: home of the 1988 Alpine Olympics.

Alberta is also home of two of Canada's major cities: Edmonton and Calgary. With a population nearing 4 million people, Alberta offers all the hustle and bustle of a metropolis, with the relaxation of the great outdoors right nearby. Take in picturesque music festivals in the Rocky Mountains, a Grand Prix auto race in Edmonton and, the world's top show-jumping competition at Spruce Meadows. During July, Calgary hosts the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth - the Calgary Stampede. Alberta is also home to the world's largest outdoor music festival, The Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose.

If you prefer to stay indoors and shop, Alberta is the home of the world's largest shopping and entertainment complex: West Edmonton Mall. Featuring stores that are international favorites, as well as uniquely Canadian, the West Edmonton Mall offers 800 stores, restaurants, attractions and services as well as its own Chinatown and Bourbon Street. The mall even houses a full-blown amusement park and a full-size water park, offering almost 50 different rides and slides for a variety of ages.

Dining in Alberta is also an adventure, from luxury restaurants to food festivals, like the Taste of Calgary festival in August or the International Festival of Wine and Food held at a luxury hotel every October. Fine dining is certainly not scarce; The Blue Pearl offers local, organic dishes like Honey and Harrisa Spice Glazed Quail or Fila Wrapped Braised Lamb. Four Diamond restaurant The Edith Cavel should not be missed, and Calgary's Mercato offers fine Italian. Other notable dining properties include Café de Ville, Century Grill, The Belvedere and Brava Bistro.

Of all the cities in Canada, Alberta is proud to have the most sunshine, allowing people to enjoy its mountains, rivers, valleys, cities and adventure.

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Journeys to Remember with Wilderness Scotland

Luxury Adventures: This world is filled with so much natural beauty; sometimes it can be hard to know what to see first. And how do you know that you're getting the full experience and seeing all the best that a place has to offer? For many, the Highlands of Scotland and Islands of Scotland rank right up there with the must-see natural wonders of the world.

Truly a breathtaking sight and a place that can only be full appreciated in the flesh. A picture my be worth a thousand words, but seeing the Highlands of Scotland right in front of you is a once in a life time experience that has no words that can describe their flawless beauty with any sort of justice.

The experts at Wilderness Scotland know all there is to know about Scotland's vast outdoor happenings. Wilderness Scotland provides their clients with a totally unique and innovative way of exploring Scotland. Since its founding in 2000, Wilderness Scotland has been the leader in specialty travel companies and continues to expand and raise the bar for unique luxury journeys.

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Discovering the Magical World of Beatrix Potter

Luxury Travel: Long before there was Harry there was Beatrix, and more than sixty years after the old girl died, Beatrix Potter is still the biggest drawcard in one of the most beautiful corners of Britain. The business of being Beatrix was given a tremendous boost by the Renee Zellweger/Ewan McGregor film Miss Potter, and now it seems that unless you can dream up a Potter angle for your B&B, pub, restaurant or tourist attraction the Flopsy and Mopsy fans will twitch their noses and scamper on by.

England's Lake District, taking up most of the county of Cumbria in the country's top left hand corner, is a ravishingly beautiful region of mountains, rivers, valleys and lakes. This is where Wordsworth wandered lonely as a cloud until he saw his host of daffodils - but it seems the poet doesn't have the pulling power of a few rabbits, mice and piglets.

More than 16 million people visit this National Park and its fringes each year. That's double the population of London cramming into 2292 square kilometres - around one third the size of our own Alpine National Park.

Fortunately, they're not all there at the same time, and you can still find Wordsworth-style loneliness in remote areas. But not in Potter Land, a rural swath of villages, pubs, cottages and farms in the region around Windermere and Coniston Water.

Today's landscape owes much to the author, who fled a life of intense boredom and isolation in London to build a property portfolio of 14 farms and many more cottages, bequeathing most of her estate to the National Trust to preserve the better elements of early 20th century Cumbrian agriculture. Fans of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin and her other creations like to start their tour in busy Bowness, a bustling little tourist honeypot on the shores of Windermere, England's biggest lake. Here, in what was the town's laundry, is the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.

It's a magical little show, with music, squeaks, and other sounds recreating the world dreamed up by one of the world's most successful authors. Illusions - even smells of farmyards, freshly mown grass, flowers and coal fires - evoke the usual oohs and aahs from the punters. There's a souvenir shop - of course - and the Tailor of Gloucester Cafe, where you can take tea with Simpkin the Cat and nibble lunch with an army of mice. The shop has soft toys, books and clothing representing the writer's 23 books.

The crowds get to you after a while - time to move out of busy Bowness and head across or round the lake to Sawrey, the little Lakeland village that Miss Potter made her own. Here she lived at Hill Top, an old farmhouse that served as her Lake District getaway until marriage in middle age to the lawyer who helped her turn her publishing royalties into almost 2000 hectares of farmland. If you're planning to take the car ferry from Bowness to Sawrey be prepared for a long wait - it can carry only about 20 vehicles. The alternative is to drive either north or south around Windermere, which in heavy traffic can take almost an hour.

You don't escape the crowds at Hill Top; a dark little place with a nice line in cottage gardens and a throng of tourists who wait for their number to be called so they can potter around the Pottery. If you have been to the Louvre and tried to get up close to the Mona Lisa you'll recognise the sensation of being on a human production line.

Fortunately, there's a terrific little pub nearby, as is often the case in rural England. The Tower Bank Arms, mentioned in several Potter books, pays very little homage to the author; relying on its welcoming nooks to draw its patronage. Most of its patrons are long-suffering men who have had just about enough squirrels, ducks and rabbits to last a lifetime and simply want to get on the outside of a pint. Hill Top is not the idyllic cottage of the Miss Potter film - that's Yew Tree Farm, a couple of kilometres deeper into the hills. Seems the producers wanted to create something a little more chocolate box, and were gleefully welcomed by Yew Tree's owners, who are now doing big business on the strength of the movie. Here you can have a Beatrix Potter tea before a Beatrix Potter B&B and take home some vacuum-sealed beef and mutton bred, butchered and packed on land once owned by Miss P. She bought the 212-hectare farm in 1930 to save it from inappropriate forestry plantation development.

If you're still anxious for more pottering, the next logical destination is the Beatrix Potter Gallery in nearby Hawkshead, near the top end of Windermere. This was once the office of her husband, William Heelis, and exhibits many of the watercolours and sketches

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The Road to Whisky Island: A Scottish Adventure

Luxury Travel: According to Confucius the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This one begins with a single malt.

There is a square foot of peat bog in the windswept western isles of Scotland that has my name on it, figuratively speaking. I have seen it, stood on it and collected my rent - a dram of the doings.

That square foot overlooks the road running along the east coast of Islay (pron. Eye-La), the "whisky island" that sits in the sullen sea beyond Scotland. To the north is the rugged outline of Jura, south is Ireland, east is the long neck of Kintyre and west is the icy coast of Canada.

Follow the road and you'll reach the distilleries of Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. Elsewhere dotted around Islay you'll find whisky being made at Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila and Bunnahabhainn. This is a highly alcoholic little island and maybe that's why they have funny names.

My own pilgrimage to the altar of fine whisky began when somebody gave me a bottle of Laphroaig. There should be more people like that around. Thirsting for more knowledge I visited the company's web site and found that for the sake of an email I could become a Friend and thus be granted free title to a square foot of land so long as I might live.

Land for nothing appealed, as did the deal - I was to receive a free dram of the stuff each year by way of rent. Only problem - a minor one - was that I had to stand on the plot to drink it.

The thousand-mile journey - give or take a few miles - began with a hire car in London and started to get interesting once I had left Glasgow behind. Here the road to the isles runs through some of the finest scenery in Scotland - the bonny banks and braes of Loch Lomond.

Top Destination Choice - The Tropics

Luxury Travel: What is your top destination choice? Do you enjoy a quaint log cabin, surrounded by magnificent mountain views, in world class ski locales? Or are you the Avid golfer who likes to spend time mastering the most challenging courses across the world? Maybe you live for the excitement of city life found in some of the world's greatest metropolitans. Over the years, after growing our portfolio to nearly 50 destinations world-wide, our yearly member surveys have told us that most members prefer to the tropics for their getaways.

It is easy to see why Members of Destination Clubs choose beaches and shores as their number one destination choice. Vacationing in the world's most desired tropical paradises offers travelers a true getaway from everyday stress - with secluded beaches, endless activities, and local fare. Below are two of the favorites from Ultimate Escapes Members and some tips from their last vacation.

Nevis, BWI - British West Indies:
Named Dulcina, or "Sweet Island," by early British Settlers, Nevis remains an intimate Caribbean island where relaxation is the rule and beauty is abundant. With the regal heights of Nevis Peak to the depths of the clear blue Caribbean, there is so much for families to explore on this secluded paradise. Charter a boat for a day and snorkel in the crystal blue water while discovering the local marine life or scuba dive directly into the sea life and explore sunken ships and natural reefs! Other activities to enjoy include horseback riding on the shore, a hike through the rainforest, a historical tour of sugar plantation ruins from the late 1800's, or simply calming walks on the beach.

"If there is a heaven, then it must be like Nevis -- we can't wait to go back"- Susan Mansfield, Ultimate Escapes Member

*For more information on these tips Contact the Nevis Island tourism Board.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
As one of Mexico's top resort destinations, Cabo San Lucas is a perfect combination of luxury, adventure and exotic history. It is considered by Ultimate Escapes members as the ideal vacation destination for kids and grownups alike. ATV Tours through the desert and to the beach, Sunset beach tours by horseback, deep sea fishing in a destination nick-named "Marlin Capital of the world" and catching the end journey of a 6,000 mile migration of the gentle giants of the Sea of Cortez, The Gray Whales, are just a short list of the endless number of activities and adventures our members suggest.

Be sure to enjoy the local fare - there is a restaurant to experience for every meal of the day. Enjoy Breakfast at The Office, Lunch at Cabo Wabo Cantina, and Dinner at Ruth Chris. For those who enjoy cooking, visit the local markets and pick up some of the local specialties and put together an enjoyable meal for you and your family. There is nothing better than enjoying delicious local cuisine in the beautiful setting of Cabo San Lucas.

"From your accommodations combined with the local attractions to the lure of the ocean, Cabo San Lucas cannot be beat!"- Danette Stewart, Ultimate Escapes Member

*For more information on these tips contact the Los Cabos Tourism Board.

Article by: Honora Mastriacovo
Freelance writer with Ultimate Escapes Luxury Destination Clubs
www.ultimateescapes.com

Related Topics: Adventure

Southwind Adventures: Galápagos La Pinta Yacht

Luxury Adventures: One of the latest adventures in eco-friendly travel is the new addition to the Southwind Adventures, a luxury yacht named La Pinta that takes travelers to the Galápagos Islands.

While in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, travelers can relax and learn about the archipelago's living laboratory of wildlife and geology.

On an 8-day land and sea adventure led by naturalists certified by the Charles Darwin Research Station, travelers can: