Over the worst of the jet lag, I summoned all my stamina for a day of site inspections of the top Hong Kong hotels we use on a regular basis– a total of seven were planned which is ambitious to say the least, but so important for advising clients. Some cities in the world, (Copenhagen, St Petersburg, Rio de Janeiro,
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We flew one hour north on one of Yangon Airways’ two ATR-72′s to Heho, and then an hour’s drive through fertile farmland to Inle Lake. We disembarked into a totally different climate — 10 degrees cooler and 50% less humid — a welcome change indeed. At last in the countryside, we feasted our eyes on fascinating aspects of daily life.
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We awoke to clear skies—our first lovely day of the trip. Of course it figures that I’d spend most of it in a meeting! We started off with a private cruise in a rice barge on the river with breakfast served en route. Fresh squeezed orange juices, lattes and cappuccinos made to order, smoked salmon, fresh papaya and a selection
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We checked out of Tambo del Inka and traveled back to Ollantaytambo to meet our very early train to Aguascalientes scheduled at 6:40 a.m., allowing us to maximize our time at Machu Picchu. The deluxe Inca Rail train was very comfortable and we had the VIP car to ourselves where we enjoyed breakfast and refreshments. The train ride is about 90
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After an awesome breakfast at Tambo del Inka, we traveled downstream to the massive fortress city of Ollantaytambo. This formidable stone structure that climbs massive terraces reaching the top of a high peak was the valley’s main defense against Inca enemies and was their greatest victory against the Spanish during the wars of conquest. Constructed of rose colored granite, this
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Our one hour flight on LAN Airlines left on time as we headed west and a little south to the mountain city of Cusco. Our first sight of the Andes Mountains came through the plane window and the snow-capped peaks were impressive. It was clear that we were no longer on the coast. Cusco is 11,200 feet in elevation. Flying
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The Galapagos Islands, an archipelago roughly 600 miles west of the South American mainland, is today part of the country of Ecuador. Its location on the equator affords the islands days and nights of roughly equal duration throughout the year. Ocean currents give the land two distinct seasons. The rainy season, roughly December through May, is characterized by warm, humid
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A one hour, ten minute flight took us to the much-fabled Maasai Mara (“mara” is a local word that means “land dotted with trees” and that’s exactly what this looks like — a vast plain rimmed by a rocky escarpment with clusters of trees). After a brief mango cocktail on the runway, we were off to check out a lion
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The last stop on our day of flying was Lewa Downs in the north of the country. Landing at 6000 ft., I was struck by the cooler climate and it sure felt good after the hot sun of the south. Our destination was an A&K Mobile Tented Camp which would be home for the next two nights. It was a
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Mollie Fitzgerald will be heading to Kenya for a whirlwind weeklong safari in conjunction with the annual Abercrombie & Kent Advisory Board Meeting. Highlights include: Amboseli National Park, located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest peak); two nights in a mobile tented camp at Lewa Downs, located on the remote Laikipia Plateau; and two nights in the Masai
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