Matador Network's Blog, page 455
June 30, 2022
Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa Is the Ideal Base for a Young Family’s First Vacation
Having a baby changes everything. Until little Olivia came along, my wife and I had succumbed to the resort bug on only two occasions, both times along Mexico’s Riviera Maya and both because a close friend or family member was getting married there. But for our daughter’s first time abroad, we wanted a few assurances: a comfortable room, a pool, and an easy experience.
We checked into the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa this May in hopes that we’d have an enjoyable first big trip with her, and came away with a memorable vacation that served as the perfect jumping-off point for future family travels.
We hope you love the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa review! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa: Rooms and family friendly amenities
Photo: Booking.com
At the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, guests can opt for basic room rates (starting at $152 per night) or go all-inclusive (from $330 per night). Room options start with a Garden View king bedroom and rise to ocean view, ocean and pool view, and a variety of suites. The headliner is the Presidential Suite – a veritable palace on the top floor that includes a patio with sweeping views of Banderas Bay, the city, and the entire resort.
A resort fee of about $12 per day is added to all rooms. You can easily offset this cost by taking advantage of what you get for it:
Two welcome drinksSpa access for twoOne free tequila tasting per guest (this includes a sample of two different tequilas)A Mexican cooking classThe resort also includes free use of bicycles, paddleboards, and kayaks. There are tennis courts and an adults-only indoor lap pool (you’re best bet for doing any actual swimming).
We requested a pack-and-play for our infant and it was delivered to the room and assembled while we were out wandering the property after checking in. The resort is very accustomed to young children, and offers a “beach club” for kids that includes a small pool and playground area. While ours was too young to take advantage, we walked by and observed the older kids having a heck of a time at what is effectively a small water park. If you need it, numerous pharmacies and clinics are available in Marina Vallarta, a short walk from the resort.
Then there’s the beach, which is wide open and includes a wedding pier and plenty of space to lounge. But except for guests occupying the row of cabanas, the beach is largely empty. A sign posted at the beach entrance, advising beachgoers to be wary of sharks and crocodiles, does a magnificent job of keeping the vast majority of guests out of the water. I was skeptical of the danger, but my wife did see a crocodile in the water while strolling by the marina one afternoon. While I heard various accounts of similar crocodile sightings, none were near the resort and no one ever mentioned seeing a shark.
What to do at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
Photo: Booking.com
My family visited the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa for six days, including a holiday weekend in both the United States and Mexico. The resort was crowded but at no point felt overwhelmed. We were always seated promptly at restaurants, and while the tequila bar in the lobby tends to back up with drink orders, we never waited more than a few minutes for a drink.
The one exception was at the bar accessible from inside the infinity pool. The scene here resembled the chaotic mess found at all-inclusive beach resorts the world over: loud, obnoxious bros slamming fruity cocktails and domestic beer served by overworked, constantly heckled bartenders. Fortunately, because the all-inclusive crowd here was small on my visit, the raucous crowd was confined to one corner of the massive pool deck.
Hit the pool: My wife and I spent several sessions in the pool each day with our seven-month-old, each lasting no more than 15 minutes due to her pre-swimming age and constant need for distractions. We stayed on the quieter side of the pool where she splashed, squirmed, and giggled in our arms to her heart’s content without interference from the fist-pumping crowd on the other side.
The pool scene appeared quiet compared to what I’ve experienced at resorts along the Riviera Maya, likely because the pool itself is so large. We had plenty of room to roam and lounge as desired in the soaking chairs without having to wait our turn. Poolside, plenty of sunlounger chairs are available with umbrellas. Cabanas and so-called “Bali Beds” (outdoor beds large enough for two, covered by a cabana) are available to rent by the day for about $60. We rented one next to the pool overlooking Banderas Bay and enjoyed the cocktail and food service.
Soak in the views: I’d booked an ocean-view room but upgraded to an ocean-and-pool view room at check-in. This proved the right decision, as each evening we’d have happy hour on our balcony while the baby napped, enjoying the soothing sounds of a reggae band playing on the deck at Nosh Pool Bar + Bites right below us.
Enjoy the spa: Spa service is on-point here. The Ohtli Spa offers full-service massages and facials, a soaking spa, and answers to any question one could have about how the sun, the humidity, the chlorine, or the sea salt will affect their skin.
Dining options at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
Photo: Booking.com
Whether or not you opt for the all-inclusive package at Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, keep this guidance in mind: When near the sea, eat as the seafarers do.
Ceviche & Tequila Bar: Your first stop after check-in should be the Ceviche & Tequila Bar in the lobby, directly adjacent to the concierge (you can redeem your coupon for a free tequila tasting here, as well). Our stay started with a round of Pacificos and a Catch of the Day Ceviche, and there couldn’t have been a better welcome to Puerto Vallarta. The ceviche was fresh and delicious, amplified by spicy peppers, avocado, and onions, and paired with fried corn tortillas and Saladitas crackers. We returned for more on our final night.
La Estancia: A good vacation resort is at least partly defined by its breakfast buffet. This is where the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa shines – it’s home to the best breakfast buffet in Marina Vallarta, so good that even residents are known to come in on occasion. La Estancia is located just off the main lobby area. There are the standard offerings including a hot table with scrambled eggs, meats, potatoes, and salsas; a “carb table” with various breads and bagels; and a cooked-to-order omelet station. Healthy options included egg whites and veggie scrambles. There are fruits and cheeses galore. What puts La Estancia over the top, though, is its chilaquiles. Identifying how to order this popular Mexican breakfast takes a moment, as it comes together at the same station that prepares fried eggs. Ask for a base of chips and chili, with eggs, beans, and cheese on top. I found that it’s possible to order chilaquiles with two eggs, with one covered in red chile and the other in green chili. This creates a buffet version of my favorite breakfast, huevos divorciados.
Mikado: The resort goes Japanese for its high-end offering. This is convenient, as it’s the best spot in Marina Vallarta for a date night. Make a reservation to sit at the Teppanyaki area, which features on-table grills, and let the flamethrowing chef pepper your conversation with seafood prepared right in front of you. Afterward, walk down the resort’s indoor promenade to Champions for a nightcap on the way back to your room.
Las Casitas: I had an excellent seafood burrito at Las Casitas, the resort’s waterside seafood bistro. If you’re a mezcal drinker, this is your opportunity to sip a neat pour of something beyond a cheap espadin. Las Casitas’ bar features an extensive collection of tequilas, a few mezcals, and cocktails built from one or the other.
Deli Los Mangos: The resort’s coffee shop and counter service cafe is dependable for coffee and a late-evening, made-to-order meal. However, I grabbed a pre-made egg wrap for breakfast one morning and found it to be quite dry and, even with a splash of hot sauce, lacking flavor.
We ordered room service once during our stay. While it would be foolish to expect midnight food to be the best meal of the trip, we found the fries and pizza to be soggy and the food appeared to have been prepared in a haste.
What to know before exploring off of the resort
Photo: Booking.com
The Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa has two ATMs onsite, both next to the concierge, one dispensing pesos and the other US dollars. If heading out to stroll the marina or visit the Malecon downtown, take pesos – it’ll save you from having to do the exchange rate in your head constantly (even though its roughly a simple 20:1 conversion at the time of publication) and this allows you to more mindfully donate to street performers and artists and bargain for gifts on the beach.
The resort is about a three-minute drive from the airport and is a few blocks from the main marina square. Marriott does not offer an airport shuttle, so you’ll need to arrange your own transportation. We used Welcome Pickups to take us from and to the airport. It was expensive – about $45 each way, but we wanted to be sure we had a ride with a car seat for our seven-month-old, and they were one of the only companies to offer that option. Were we not with an infant in tow, and thus triple the luggage we’d have brought as childless vagabonds, we could have walked to the resort in about 15 minutes.
If you want to go into the city, a bus stop is located about a 10-minute walk from the hotel just north of Av. Paseo de la Marina’s intersection with Boulevard Francisco Medina Ascensio. The station is directly past a small shopping center with a Subway, a paint store, and a pharmacy. You can eliminate much of this walk by boarding the free bus that picks up just outside the resort and circles the marina area. There are two options to get to Centro (downtown). One takes about 20 minutes and the other over an hour, as it winds through the city’s residential neighborhoods en route. Ask for specifics from the concierge, as finding the right bus to head downtown proved a bit confusing the first time I tried. I spent much of the morning on a grand tour of metropolitan Puerto Vallarta that I hadn’t expected to take part in. 
This Wild Video of Base Jumping From Europe’s Highest Bridge Will Leave You Breathless
When construction of the Millau Viaduct finished in France in 2004, it’s hard to think that workers could imagine people willingly leaping off the side for fun. And yet the tallest bridge in Europe — and the second tallest in the world — draws base jumpers from all over who are looking to make the leap.
@matadornetwork The #ViaducDeMillau in #France is 1125 feet high
@Antony Newton #basejump #bridgejump #basejumper ♬ original sound – Matador Network
The Millau Viaduct tops out at about 1,125 feet tall (the Eiffel Tower, for comparison, reaches 1,083 at the very tip). It’s an impressive sight even if you’re not base jumping. The bridge spans more than 8,000 feet long over the Tarn Valley and has only nine touch points holding the bridge up from the bottom. It’s also an important link: it’s a crucial connection on the route from Paris to the Mediterranean.
Peyre, a village known for its beauty, is nearby, as is the outdoor sports haven of Gorges du Tarn. But it’d be hard to focus on any of that with base jumpers taking the plunge off the edge, parachute at the ready.
A Great White Shark That Attacked in California May Be One of the Biggest in the World
A great white shark recently attacked a man in California, and by some reports it’s one of the biggest great white sharks in the world.
Based off of the bite marks on the man, 62-year-old Steve Bruemmer, the shark may be up to 20 feet long. Bruemmer was bit on his leg, stomach, and arms while swimming about 300 feet out at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, California. He received hundreds of stitches and will recover — in large part thanks to those who rushed to help him shortly after being bitten.
@californian.views Luckily, Steve Bruemmer survived the attack
#california #news #shark #scary #crazy #nature #insane #water #ocean #animals ♬ Cornfield Chase – Hans Zimmer
Two standup paddleboarders reached Bruemmer first and another surfer came to help as well, according to KRON4 news. The bone was showing on his leg, though the biggest damage was on his stomach. The three people who came to Bruemmer’s aid put him on a paddleboard and got Bruemmer to shore for medical attention.
Bruemmer told Fox 59 that bite mark experts estimated the shark to be as big as 20 feet long, though the size was never substantiated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Females typically grow up to 16 feet and males up to 13 feet. Scientists say that’ll be near impossible to identify the specific shark, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and there’s a good chance the shark will never be found to verify if it was truly as large as Bruemmer was told.
The largest great white ever recorded was a 20-foot-long female named Deep Blue.
Despite the headline making news, shark attacks are incredibly rare. It’s even possible to safely swim with the shark species that people typically fear most. Great whites on both coasts of the United States have a particularly rough reputation thanks to their size and tendency to do test bites of potential food (Jaws probably didn’t help, either).
However, when attacks do happen, they can be devastating, which makes Bruemmer’s recovery all the more incredible.
23 Photos That Show What South Africa’s Version of Burning Man Is All About
You’ve probably heard of Burning Man, but you may not know that there’s a smaller, more intimate version held in South Africa. It’s called AfrikaBurn, and it’s one of many regional burns that take place all over the world. Normally about 11 000 people gather in the South African desert for a week, although this past year it was limited to about 7000 due to COVID restrictions.
The event is based on the same principles as Burning Man: It’s a celebration of art, music, and self-expression. Nothing can be bought or sold here, with the exception of ice. Attendees are expected to bring everything they need to survive out in the desert, and more to gift to others. For many, a week living in this alternative, experimental place ends up being a transformative experience.
These 23 photos show what AfrikaBurn is all about.
1. The ilukuluku Temple of Curiousity
Photo: Jessica Devnani
The temporary community of AfrikaBurn is known as Tankwa Town, as the event is held in an area of the Tankwa Karoo desert in the Northern Cape province. Many larger-than-life art installations are scattered about. This particular one is the ilukuluku Temple of Curiosity, a giant, multi-level structure that you could climb and explore. At night, and sometimes even during the day, it transformed into a pumping dance floor.
2. People who give with the expectation of nothing in return
Photo: Jessica Devnani
Gifting is one of the main principles of AfrikaBurn. The idea is that everyone brings something to give and expects nothing in return. It can be a tray of candy, as this man here was offering, or something less tangible, like a workshop or a performance. The feeling of a complete stranger handing you a cold beer or a handmade necklace that then leads to a conversation and possibly a new friendship is what makes AfrikaBurn so special.
3. Modified vehicles that roam the desert
Photo: Jessica Devnani
Mutant vehicles are also a huge part of AfrikaBurn. Several of these modified vehicles can be found roaming the desert. Some have massive sound systems onboard, creating a mobile dance floor wherever they go. This sailboat-like one is known as the Flying DutchMan. Sunset is a popular time when many come out to dance and mingle, before heading back to camp to prepare for the night ahead.
4. Vehicles converted into roving mobile dance floors
Photo: Jessica Devnani
The BOOMBOX is one of the most notable mutant vehicles at the burn. This giant mobile boombox has some amazing LED lights timed with its beats all night long.
5. Commemorations for past AfrikaBurn locations
Photo: Jessica Devnani
This was the first year that AfrikaBurn took place on a new piece of land called Quaggafontein. This installation is called the Tree of Stories, and was built to commemorate the old site. A colorful LED light pattern moved up and down the tower at night.
6. Historic AfrikaBurn scenes and memories with an elevated view
Photo: Jessica Devnani
If you ventured inside the Tree of Stories, you’d see dozens of these scenes depicted from the last 13 burns. Each one symbolizes the stories and memories of the past. You could climb all the way up the tower for a closer look at each one. There was also an amazing view of Tankwa Town from up top.
7. People doing aerial acrobatics
Photo: Jessica Devnani
Walk around AfrikaBurn at any time of day and you’re bound to see people doing awesome things. This woman was putting on an amazing aerial silk performance. Afterwards, she instructed passer-byers on basic techniques and simple moves that they could try. Participation is another key principle at AfrikaBurn. Everyone is encouraged to contribute and to try new things.
8. Artwork that changes depending on how you look at it
Photo: Jessica Devnani
This artwork is called Twisted Da Vinci by the Die Brandnetels Collective. The look of the piece changes entirely depending on what angle you are looking at it from, as well as the time of day.
9. There were even dinosaur sightings
Photo: Jessica Devnani
You never know what you’ll see at AfrikaBurn next. One moment you might turn around and find a herd of dinosaurs charging at you. The most random things happen here. Many people also experience synchronicities. The culmination of all these odd events makes you question reality.
10. Dreamy art installationsPhoto: Jessica Devnani
This installation was based on the idea that AfrikaBurn is a place where dreams turn into reality. There is so much freedom, possibility, and creativity here. But everything starts as a dream.
11. Theme camps
Photo: Jessica Devnani
Theme camps are another big part of AfrikaBurn. Le Petit Paris is one of the most well-known ones. They gift c\Champagne and pastis every evening around sunset, along with some groovy beats. This, of course, always draws a huge crowd to the landmark Eiffel Tower. Other theme camps gift everything from pancakes to freshly squeezed juice.
12. Incredible wooden installations that are eventually burned down
Photo: Jessica Devnani
This large wooden installation was known as The Other Thing. The light and shadow patterns it created at night were extremely cool. Near the end of the week certain art pieces were burned down, including this one.
13. Colorful light displays on mutant vehicles
Photo: Jessica Devnani
The BoomiCorn is a mutant vehicle that can be spotted from miles away due to the laser coming out of its horn. This particular night a group with LED balloons were gathered around it, adding some color to the dancefloor.
14. People playing a wide variety of musical genres
Photo: Jessica Devnani
Although a lot of the music at AfrikaBurn is electronic, you can find a wider variety of genres if you know where to go. It’s always a treat to come across a live band performing. Trombonist Mthimkhulu Katlego Stuurman, also known as Umuthiomkhulu, is seen here performing with a band called L8 Antique. They played at various theme camps throughout the week and at times even jammed alongside DJ’s, creating a cool fusion of sounds.
15. An artists take on COVID-19
Photo: Jessica Devnani
This installation is called Corvid by Tundra Dunckley. It explores concepts of disease, death, life, and the afterlife. In the background is a piece entitled R.I.P. 2022. It was created in honor of Antoinette Murdoch, a South African artist who passed away due to COVID. Many of the artworks here have deeper meanings. Attendees are given a booklet called the WTF Guide which gives information on all the artworks, theme camps, and events throughout the week.
16. Art that tells the story from nomadic farming to industrial methods
Photo: Jessica Devnani
This piece is known as Tiers of the Tanwka by the Bergkamp Collective. It is a kinetic mobile installation created from scrap metal found in the Tankwa Karoo region. It is based on how sustainable nomadic farming practices were replaced with more industrial methods. The piece symbolizes the history of the land that AfrikaBurn is held on.
17. Displays of radical self expression
Photo: Jessica Devnani
Radical self expression is a principle of the event and attendees take this very seriously. Almost everyone dresses up in funky costumes. For many, it’s a chance to dress however they want and be whoever they want without judgment. These two futuristic-looking guys are posing in front of The Vaginarium of Dreams, a giant vagina-shaped slide.
18. Scorpion-like vehicles
Photo: Jessica Devnani
At AfrikaBurn you are not allowed to drive in a normal car for safety reasons. All mutant vehicles must be registered and licensed to drive around. This scorpion-like vehicle was just one of many. Seeing the creativity that goes into some people’s rides is definitely a highlight of the burn. Those with a few extra seats are usually happy to give you a lift if you ask.
19. An openness to expressing the full range of emotions
Photo: Jessica Devnani
AfrikaBurn is not all rainbows and sparkle ponies, as they say. A week out here doesn’t come without its challenges. Willem wore this shirt as a reminder for everyone to feel whatever the event brings them. He mentioned how many people experience unexpected emotions, feelings of sadness or loneliness for example, in a place where you’re seemingly supposed to be having the time of your life. AfrikaBurn is about accepting whatever may come.
20. A nod to the symbols of South Africa’s Indigenous people
Photo: Jessica Devnani
The Clan seen here is the central icon and effigy of AfrikaBurn. It is a symbol that has been depicted in ancient rock art of the San people, South Africa’s Indigenous people. Elders of this community have approved of the use of its imagery and have even attended the event in the past.
21. The burning of the wooden effigy
Photo: Jessica Devnani
On the second last night of the event the Clan is burned, similarly to how the Man is burned at Burning Man. The tradition of burning a giant wooden effigy started at the first Burning Man on Baker Beach, San Francisco, in 1986. The Clan burn is the culmination of the week. Many start to run around the fire naked as it burns to the ground.
22. Magical sunrises every morning
Photo: Jessica Devnani
Sunrise is one of the most magical times in Tankwa Town. Many stay up all night dancing, making new friends, and roaming the desert. As the sun comes up, you feel a connection with everyone else around you who has also made it through the night. The light puts a beautiful glow onto everything and you begin to warm up after a night of near freezing temperatures. If you go, you must stay up to see at least one sunrise.
23. The final temple burn
Photo: Jessica Devnani
The temple is a sacred space in what is otherwise quite a hectic place. Throughout the week people leave messages and other significant objects inside. You’ll find everything from messages to loved ones that have passed, to inspiring words of wisdom, to very personal stories of trauma. On the last night of the event the temple is burned. For many, this symbolizes letting go. It’s an emotional time that also signifies the end of a week filled with new connections, lessons, realizations, and growth.
Houston’s Sugar Land Suburb Is One of the Most Diverse, and Exciting, Places To Eat in Texas
Increasingly over the past decade, Houston, Texas has become known as a haven for people who love to eat well. The city offers much more than just barbecue and Tex-Mex, although, let’s be clear, the barbecue and Tex-Mex are fabulous. However, there’s one specific suburb that deserves the spotlight: Sugar Land restaurants reflect a community of immigrants with impressive culinary chops.
Sugar Land is located Southwest of Downtown Houston, and it’s named for the sugar plantations nestled into the banks of the Brazos River that eventually gave way to the now-defunct HQ of Imperial Sugar. It’s the largest city in Fort Bend County, which, per the 2020 census, is the most ethnically diverse county in Texas. It experienced a 41 percent growth in population over the 10 years prior, adding tens of thousands of largely white-collar residents.
Restaurateurs have found the community, which is situated around a bustling Town Square, to be a welcoming environment. Houston is home to a growing number of James Beard winners and chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants boasting cuisines as diverse and particular as Malaysian, West African and region-specific Indian – and you’ll see much of that diversity (and excellence) reflected in Sugar Land restaurants, too.
As Houstonians moved to suburbs like Sugar Land to score more square footage and larger yards during quarantine, many still craved the gourmet and trendy food found in the heart of town. Meanwhile, the booming Asian population in Sugar Land — around 40 percent and still growing, according to the 2020 census — is weaving important threads in the area’s culinary and cultural fabric.
And much of Houston’s Vietnamese population — which is the second-largest in the country — is concentrated in Sugar Land. The success of family-run Sugar Land restaurants like Pho Ben is rooted in the oft-cited search for opportunity; the husband-and-wife owners moved to the States during the Vietnam War, and experimented for decades before coming up with the pho broth for which their restaurants are now known.
Sugar Land’s diversity and growing population combine to create a flourishing food scene full of fusion and flavor — and it’s yours for the tasting. Here are nine Sugar Land restaurants that serve the full culinary gamut.
The best Sugar Land restaurantsB.B. Italia Bistro & Bar
Photo: B.B. Italia
The newest addition to Sugar Land’s Town Square, B.B. Italia opens this summer from restaurateur Ben Berg. Known best for his steakhouse-slash-butcher-shop B&B Butchers and B.B. Lemon on Houston’s Washington Corridor, Berg previously opened B.B. Italia on the west side of town, but it closed during the pandemic. Patrons are delighted at its reimergence, and are counting down the days until the pizza oven is burning once more.
In Sugar Land, Berg will continue to do what he does best: create twists on classic dishes, like short-rib-stuffed ravioli and chicken parm.
What to try: A hefty slice of the 20-layer lasagna will surely hit the spot — but it’s arguably even better to order a whole one to-go, and feed the whole family at home.
Where: 16250 City Walk Drive, in Town Square, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479
Madras PavilionView this post on InstagramA post shared by Madras Pavilion (@madraspavilion)
Longtime restaurateur Michael Shah moved his existing Madras Pavilion concept from Chicago to Houston back in 1996. He’s since expanded it to Austin and San Antonio. Madras serves food from six different regions of India, thanks to a team of chefs hailing from all over India, but pays the most attention to North Indian cuisine. It’s a sprawling place, a popular venue for large-scale events and includes a patio overlooking a verdant yard and waterway.
What to try: Don’t leave without a sweet bite of the gulab jamun cheesecake.
Where: 16260 Kensington Drive, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479
Mahesh’s Kitchen
Photo: Michael Anthony
For Indian cuisine that tastes true to the owner’s roots, new Mahesh’s Kitchen in Town Square is an upscale option, with art-adorned walls and swinging seats hanging from the ceiling. Husband-wife pair Neelesh and Shubhangi Musale opened the restaurant in 2021 in memory of Shubhangi’s late brother Mahesh, who passed away shortly after he began culinary school. The elevated fare, made with organic ingredients and spices regularly imported from India, includes whole pomfret with garam masala and gunpowder masala; and pani puri with a sweet and spicy chutney.
What to try: Happy hour, available from 5-6:30pm nightly, means $3 off signature cocktails like the cardamom mojito, and deals on tasty snacks like kebabs and samosas.
Where: 16019 City Walk Drive, in Town Square, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479
Mala Sichuan
Photo: Heng Chen
A full decade after opening its original location on Bellaire Boulevard in Houston’s Chinatown, the owners of Mala Sichuan opened this outpost in Sugar Land. Like the original, this Mala is next to a Jusgo Supermarket, and the two businesses share a convenient and mutually beneficial relationship. Both the menu and the interior design harken back to the owner’s childhood in Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province in China. Mala is known for its uninhibited use of the tingling Sichuan peppercorn in dishes like the Three Pepper Beaten Duck.
What to try: The section of the menu dedicated to Sichuan street foods is not to be overlooked. The pork-filled Red Oil Dumplings and the Mung Bean Jelly coated in bean-curd sauce are especially tasty.
Where: 3412 Highway 6, suite P, Sugar Land, Texas 77478
State Fare
Photo: George Paez
Five years following its tasty debut in West Houston, State Fare arrived in Sugar Land Town Square — smack in the middle of a pandemic. But the lengthy menu of comfort-food favorites seemed to be exactly what the area needed to help the medicine go down: Find Creole and Tex-Mex flavors atop, infused, and stuffed in everything from chicken wings and pork chops to hushpuppies and frito pie.
The health-minded “Lighter Fare” section of the menu offers options like vegan spaghetti and a poke bowl — but generally speaking, State Fare isn’t the place to go if you’re vegan. Case in point: the pulled-pork-topped Akaushi beef burger slathered in ancho-honey barbecue sauce.
What to get: Brunch brings plenty of chicken-fried goodness, and there’s also the steak and eggs served with a cathead biscuit with whipped butter and housemade jam.
Where: 15930 City Walk Drive, in Town Square, Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Vino & VinylThis charming spot evolved from a record store to much, much more over the past few years. The Town Square restaurant aspires to be something like an intimate supper club, accompanied by a soundtrack of vinyl-spun tunes and a glass of chilled California wine. Sommelier and music aficionado Paul Killingsworth has made it his life’s mission to help folks find what works for them.
Club Vino gives patrons an opportunity to discover sustainably produced, small-batch wines from across the globe — at an accessible price point. For example, someone who selects the Enthusiast membership receives four bottles of wine — all red, all white, or two and two — for just $100 per month.
What to try: A reverse happy hour runs from 10-11pm Wednesday and Thursday; 10pm-12am on Friday and Saturday; and all day on Tuesday.
Where: 15977 City Walk Drive, in Town Square, Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Williams Smokehouse BBQ and BluesView this post on InstagramA post shared by Williams Smokehouse (@williamssmokehousebbqandblues)
As of this summer, the heart of Town Square will soon boast a Creole-modern barbecue joint dubbed Williams Smokehouse BBQ and Blues. Sugar Land native and experienced pitmaster Kennis Williams and his pal Furrest Greenwood dreamed up a restaurant that fused the smoke from a blues-blasting nightclub and that coming from pecan-burning barbecue pits. The family-friendly restaurant will feature traditional Texas barbecue and Creole-tinged dishes like dirty-rice-stuffed turkey legs with a side of live music.
What to try: Anything with homemade sausage.
Where (Coming Soon): 2105 Lone Star Drive, in Town Square, Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Japaneiro’sView this post on InstagramA post shared by Japaneiro's (@japaneiros)
Japanese food meets Latin cuisine at Japaneiro’s, one of the first hot spots to open in Town Square 17 years ago. Here, plantain chips and yucca fries share menu space with steamed dumplings and tempura-fried avocado, and the ceviche is made with sushi-grade snapper. Specialty sushi rolls are served family-style on large-format platters called Nirvanas, so it’s easy to fill up fast — but it would be a mistake not to save room for dessert. Tempura-fried tres leches, anyone?
What to try: Japaniero’s does an excellent churrasco-style main dish, marinated in incredibly smooth chimichurri and grilled to each diner’s specification.
Where: 2168 Texas Drive, in Town Square, Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Pho BenA number of restaurants in Sugar Land promise to deliver tasty Vietnamese food, but Pho Ben wins raves reviews from locals for its elevated and thoughtful interior design and delicious soups. It recently opened a second location, also in Sugar Land, which goes to show just how popular it is. The vermicelli bowls and banh mi sandwiches are can’t-go-wrong classics, while the savory vegetarian pho comes with a delicious excess of fresh herbs and bean sprouts.
What to try: The tightly wrapped spring rolls are a great app, and are also available as giant party trays.
Where: 3613 Highway 6, Sugar Land, Texas 77478; 1912 Westcott Avenue, suite 238, Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Visitors To Niagara Falls Can Get a New, Never-Before-Seen View From a 100-Year-Old Tunnel
Niagara Falls has long been one of the most iconic destinations for travelers in the United States and Canada. On the Canadian side, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport has been preserving and protecting the area since 1885. But despite the longevity, there’s a new view of Niagara falls that tourists have never seen before.
Starting July 1, the Tunnel at the Niagara Parks Power Station will open with an expanded guest experience. As the location and name suggests, it was once part of a generator. The Tunnel was how water would travel back to the Niagara River after being used by the power station. Now it’ll be used by people.
Photo: Niagara Parks
A Niagara Tunnel experience starts with a 180-foot descent into the generator hall in a glass-enclosed elevator. Then there’s a 2,200-foot-long path to get to the light at the end of the Tunnel. Here, there’s a new viewing platform that looks out over the river and a panoramic view of Niagara Falls and the lower Niagara Gorge that, previously, only washing water was privy to.
“With the opening of the Tunnel, the incredible transformation that has taken place over the past two years to restore the power station and transform it into a one-of-a-kind visitor attraction is officially complete,” Niagara Parks Chair April Jeffs said in a statement. “This is truly a landmark achievement and one that has and will continue to draw the interest and adoration of a global audience while preserving this heritage building for future generations of Ontarians.”
Photo: Niagara Parks
To see the sight for yourself, all you need is a regular admission ticket ($28 for adults) to the Niagara Parks Power Station. More information and to pre-purchase tickets head to the Niagara Parks site.
A music road trip in Mississippi
Forget Los Angeles, never mind New York. You can trace the roots of America’s music straight to Mississippi. From the Delta to the Gulf Coast, the Magnolia State has fostered pioneers of the blues, rock n’ roll, and hip-hop as their sounds were forged into styles recognized around the world today.
That’s why the state is considered hallowed ground by Grammy winners and industry giants — here, the story of America’s music is on full display. For travelers searching for firsthand encounters with that unmistakable American sound, the journey begins in Mississippi. Here’s how to find it.
Ride down the Blues Trail
Photo: Shutterstock/Jose Carlos Castro Antelo
Legend speaks of a hot summer night when little-known Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson made his way to a Clarksdale crossroads and struck a deal with the devil to master the guitar. In a few short months, Johnson went on to become one of the most influential guitar players in history — he still holds a top-100 position on Rolling Stone’s list of all-time greats. Clarksdale continues to be influential for blues players, such as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, a young Grammy-nominated musician who hails from the area.
Today, the Mississippi roads that Johnson and fellow Delta bluesmen like Furry Lewis, Big Jack Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, and Howlin’ Wolf traveled are part of the Mississippi Blues Trail, some 1,400 miles connecting revered sites in blues music history. Start in Memphis in the lobby of the legendary Peabody Hotel and head south on Highway 61 to follow the ghosts of the blues to Clarksdale, Greenwood, Indianola, and Jackson. Just remember, the slower the pace, the better. You could spend days in Clarksdale alone, dining on catfish at Hooker Grocer and gumbo at Levon’s, followed by late-night shows at Red’s Blues Club and Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club. This is definitely one trail made for wanderers in no hurry.
Bow to the Kings
Photo: Daniel Ridge/Shutterstock
Before he became the “King of Rock n’ Roll,” Elvis Presley was just a church-going kid in Tupelo. Presley spent his early years here, absorbing gospel hymns and the echoes of the Delta blues before recording his debut single “That’s All Right” on the heels of fellow Mississippian Ike Turner’s “Rocket 88.” And while Turner is credited with creating the first rock n’ roll song, it was Presley who rode that rocket to unprecedented levels of global stardom. The modest home Presley was born in and his childhood church are both on display in Tupelo at the Elvis Presley Birthplace.
While Presley was making it big in Memphis, a young Riley B. King was busy cruising down Southern highways on bias ply tires and running through reels of Sun Studio tape. Better known by his stage name, B.B. King — along with his Gibson guitar, Lucille — became an international sensation behind hits like “The Thrill is Gone,” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” and “Sweet Little Angel.” Today, King’s legacy is unquestioned. His moniker “King of the Blues” stands alone amidst a pantheon of greats. Though he unfortunately passed away in 2015, visitors can learn more about his life and visit his grave at Indianola’s B.B. King Museum.
Pay homage to Southern hip-hop
Photo: Alessandro Lucca/Shutterstock
Any worthwhile history of modern hip-hop must recognize Mississippi’s contributions to the genre. Sitting at a crossroads between Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Houston, the state’s capital is an integral part of hip-hop’s roots. The 1979 single “Get Up and Dance,” by Jackson funk group Freedom, has been sampled more than 50 times by artists from Grandmaster Flash to Wu-Tang Clan, John Legend, and Black Eyed Peas.
Though he might be synonymous with Miami today, hip-hop mogul and Maybach Music Group founder Rick Ross got his start in his hometown of Clarksdale, just like those who fostered transformative music a generation before him. Ross owns an incredibly unique Wingstop restaurant located in the city’s old Greyhound bus station — from where countless local musicians once took to the road — on Issaquena Avenue. Savvy fans know his go-to flavor is lemon pepper.
David Banner’s “Mississippi: The Album” was a big deal in the early 2000s, rising to the top position on Billboard’s Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 9 on the Billboard 200 on the heels of its hit single, “Cadillac on 22’s.” (I ain’t did nothin in my life but stayed true.) But the Central Mississippi native’s legacy in hip-hop extends much further than this. Banner’s production catalog includes hits from Chris Brown, Yung Joc, and Lil Wayne.
Celebrate the state’s hip-hop legacy with a night out at Jackson’s largest nightclub, Freelons Da Groove. The club is a sensory overload with projector screens, booming audio, a kaleidoscope of lighting, and annual events that welcome not only Banner but other Mississippi natives like Mystikal. And make sure to swing by one of Banner’s favorite restaurants, E & L Barbeque, for classic Mississippi BBQ or Gloria’s Kitchen for soul food.
Groove on the Gulf Coast
Photo: Tammy Chesney/Shutterstock
Imagine a Gulf Coast sunset and it’s nearly impossible to paint the scene without a light beer in hand, toes in the sand, and the music of Jimmy Buffett wafting through the ocean air. Buffett has spent a lifetime writing and singing about a laid-back way of life found along America’s “secret” coast.
Buffett got his start near the resorts and casinos in Biloxi, playing for tips (see “The Pascagoula Run” and “Biloxi”) in the city’s bars. Recently, a signature Margaritaville resort opened in honor of his musical beginnings. Guests will encounter a playground for families that includes a volcano-themed rock climbing wall, ropes course, arcade, and bowling alley. His tunes can, of course, be heard flowing out of Margaritaville’s speakers as well as at LuLu’s, a nearby restaurant owned by his sister, Lucy.
Mississippi is a state steeped in music legend. Typically leading to destinations with an outsized impression on America’s music, its roads have an almost mystical quality. Whether you’re driving through the Mississippi Delta at night, cruising the Gulf Coast at sunset, or spiriting off to enjoy Jackson’s nightlife, the Magnolia State is for the traveler who revels in the raw energy of a place. And there’s no place quite like Mississippi.
This Luxury Lodge in Kruger National Park Is One of Africa’s Best Safari Destinations
Within half an hour of arriving at the tranquil Singita Lebombo Lodge in the heart of South Africa’s Kruger National Park, I sat with guide Solomon Ndlovu and tracker Andrew Mathebula in Landcruiser surrounded by a pride of hungry lionesse.
Photo: Andrew Thompson
“We’ll just have to switch off the engine and see what happens,” Ndlovu said in a loud whisper. “We don’t want to interfere with the hunt.”
Most of the pride, who moments after our arrival on the scene had taken an interest in a herd of unassuming upwind zebra, were now strategically crouched around our open vehicle. Some fanned out and disappeared into the neighboring bushes and others remained still as mimes with eyes fixed on the middle distance.
Photo: Andrew Thompson
Photo: Andrew Thompson
Photo: Andrew Thompson
As each of us collectively held our breath, we had little choice but to heed Ndlovu’s advice and wait until the pride had caught dinner.
“How’s that for an introduction to Lebombo?” Ndlovu said through a broad grin from behind the steering wheel. “I think it’s now time for a sundowner.”
Ndlovu was referring to the South African safari tradition of finding a scenic location at which to toast another successful day — or, in this case, arrival — in the bush.
At a scenic cliffside location overlooking Singita’s private concession, Ndlovu and Mathedbula laid out a sunset spread. And with gin and tonic in hand, I stood in silence surveying the land that would be home for three days of unbeatable wildlife sightings and a once-in-the-lifetime safari adventure.
Photo: Andrew Thompson
Photo: Singita
It’s a curious thing when visiting a luxury safari lodge that, most often, the first and most highly anticipated thing you do is to leave and explore. The allure of the Big Five living in the surrounding wilderness is hard to resist — but in the case of Singita Lebombo, returning to the lodge is also a central part of the experience.
Singita’s Lebombo Lodge is a dramatic cliffside sanctuary located above the gurgling N’Wanetsi River. The lodge has exclusive rights to traverse a private tract of land. There are no fences dividing the Singita’s properties, and African wildlife is free to roam throughout.
The properties manager, Daniel Zents, explained to me that the design of the lodge was inspired by the eagles’ nests built into the riverside cliff face.
“It’s an incredibly tranquil place to live and work,” Zents says. “And you’ll see how the rooms and common areas were built in such a way to place you directly into nature. Without sacrificing any of the luxuries, of course.”
Photo: Singita
Photo: Singita
Photo: Andrew Thompson
Photo: Singita
There are 14 loft-style suites at Lebombo that sleep between two and four guests, and a large villa that sleeps eight. And with each spaced out across the cliffside and nestled among the trees, privacy and exclusivity are a given.
Each elevated suite capitalizes on its location in the South African bush, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to let in light, fresh air, and the breeze. And whether relaxing on the sofa, on the bed, in the bathtub, or on the balcony, you’ll find expansive panoramic views of the river below and the distant Lebombo Mountains after which the lodge is named.
Rooms have a fully stocked coffee station and minibar, an oversized bathtub, an indoor-outdoor shower, and a king-size bed. And if you’d prefer to sleep under the stars, the team will make up a balcony daybed, complete with mosquito net and plush blankets and pillows.
Of course, there’s as much attention to opulence, comfort, and luxury in the lodge’s common areas.
Photo: Andrew Thompson
The main bar and lounge also resemble an eagle’s nest, albeit a particularly giant one. And nearby is a library, two lap-style pools, spa, boutique and gallery, and a tranquil dining area where most guests take their meals.
And, despite being hundreds of miles from the nearest supermarket or liquor store, the food and wine plays a central role at Singita Lebombo.
Photo: Andrew Thompson
Photo: Singita
Given that most guests leave early for game drives, and have snacks and coffee before departure and at designated scenic stops, it makes sense that Lebombo offers an all-day brunch option.
You can start your brunch journey at any time with a selection of local cheeses and charcuterie, or jump straight into a diverse menu of superb breakfasts, fresh salads, or more substantial meals. Fresh ice creams and sorbets follow, and if you’re starting early, there’s a selection of cocktails and wines selected to pair perfectly with the meal, with which to celebrate your morning’s game viewing.
Singita procures more fine wine than many other businesses in South Africa, and after aging these to perfection they transport them to lodges throughout Africa. At dinner each evening, a sommelier does the rounds to ensure that guests are fully versed in the available wines, and to recommend a varietal based on a specific dish.
The lodge is also home to an in-house culinary school, overseen by one of the country’s top chefs and restauranteurs, Liam Tomlin. The school upskills and trains unemployed youth from surrounding communities, with the aim of producing around ten internationally qualified commis chefs each year. Guests can chat with the students, and even participate in some activities with them — but for most, the food experience takes place in the dining room.
Photo: Singita
A stay at the lodge includes all meals and beverages, including premium wines, craft beers, spirits, and liqueurs. And a large hinged case of Cuban cigars awaits anyone who wants to indulge further after their fine-dining meal.
There aren’t many boxes left unchecked by the experience at Singita Lebombo. But if there’s one criticism to level against a stay there, it’s that a typical holiday doesn’t feel long enough to appreciate everything on offer.
Staff, who know your names from arrival and cater to your every need, walk the perfect line between comfort, class, and familiarity to make a stay at Lebombo instantly welcoming.
The retort, therefore, may be to skip over some of the morning and evening activities. But with award-winning guides like Ndlovu delivering fascinating twice-daily game drives, these excursions are near impossible to turn down. Still, with so much luxury, peace, and tranquility at the lodge itself, I’d recommend soaking up a few additional hours in what may be one of the best safari lodges in Africa.
June 29, 2022
Scientists Taught a Robot To Hike. Here’s What That Means for Future Adventure Travel.
In an exciting announcement published earlier this year, scientists and engineers at ETH Zurich, a university in Switzerland, announced they created a fully autonomous robot that’s able to hike. The implications may be a bit frightening to some, but they’re also super-exciting, as they may have extremely useful implications for what hiking and national park trips look like 20 or 30 years into the future.
Researchers first created a four-legged robot (not a human-like, bipedal robot) called ANYmal, and outfitted it with the tools it needed to survive in rugged environments. That includes contact sensor “feet,” a protective case for a battery, a laser scanner to “see” its surroundings, and joints that allow its legs to move in all directions. Then, they subjected it to various hiking, elevation, and terrain conditions, eventually leading ANYmal to learn to use its visual sensor to read objects like rocks, roots, and loose scree fields. Based on its readings, ANYmal can appropriately gauge where to step, how hard to step, where to balance its weight, and make other on-the-fly decisions that can cause even experienced human hikers to trip. ANYmal even has a sense of touch to distinguish different types of terrain.
Here’s a video from the researchers with the basics:
How skilled is this hiking robot?Try not to be jealous, but ANYmal is pretty talented — and not just for a hiking robot. Researchers put ANYmal to a real-world test on a hike up Lake Zurich’s Mount Etzel, and it covered the 400-foot, roughly one-mile hike in 31 minutes. That’s four minutes faster than the average hiker. But more importantly, ANYmal did it without any trips, falls, missteps, or ankle rolls. Researchers said in the published study that they expect ANYmal to get faster as it continues to learn how to read terrain.
What are the future implications for hikers and adventure travel?
If you haven’t seen “Black Mirror,” season 4, episode 5….maybe don’t. Photo: ETH Zurich/Takahiro Miki
There are plenty of potential scenarios for the near and eventual future. It may not be all good news if you’re afraid of a robot uprising, but it turns out having hiking robots around may be an overall good thing for human hikers.
ANYmal could help make rescues faster
Photo: astarot/Shutterstock
One of the tricky things about getting rescued from precarious spots — especially if you’ve fallen or gotten lost and aren’t on the actual trail — is getting the rescue team to you. Rescuers are humans too, and can only cover so much ground in a single day, especially if they’re carrying medical or emergency supplies. But that’s not a problem for robots, who can not only carry heavy loads but also hike 24 hours a day without getting fatigued. Sending a team of robots in advance of a human team would allow the hiking robots to quickly pinpoint your location, relay the information back to emergency teams, and get life-saving treatment to you quicker than ever.
Hiking robots, in theory, could also have superhuman hearing and vision, enabling them to hear even the weakest of “Help!” calls in the distance. And getting found faster is a key to surviving hiking accidents.
Hiking robots could reopen trails faster
Photo: Peter Gudella/Shutterstock
Most parks patrol seasonal trails before opening them to the public, especially in areas where heavy snowfall and wild winter weather can leave trees blocking trails or cause rockslides and mudslides. But since hiking robots can hike in more dangerous conditions than humans, they can be sent out earlier and more frequently to patrol trails. The robotic rangers could send back digital images and data of the trails, automatically marking everything from ready-to-fall trees to broken bridge supports to rare flowers that need to be marked and protected from foot traffic.
Researchers also point out that hiking robots could be sent in after natural disasters like earthquakes or human-caused disasters like chemical spills, relaying key data from environments too dangerous for humans to enter.
ANYmal could help prevent wildfires or help humans fight them faster
Photo: J.Emilio Flores/Shuttertsock
One of the biggest challenges of fighting forest fires is the lack of enough firefighters. Current-day wildfire fighters work incredibly long shifts, sacrificing their home lives, time, and safety to help protect the forests and towns we love most. But sending in robot forest fighters, especially if they can be produced at a cost where they’re easily expendable, could completely change the game. No longer would fire management officials have to make guesses about how and where to allocate valuable human staff, potentially allowing states to fight every forest fire at 100 percent immediately after they start rather than waiting until the fires become a threat to humans or property.
But if you know anything about forest fires, you know that forest management before fires begin is a hugely important part of reducing the number and size of fires. Researchers could potentially program hiking robots to take 3D images of wildlands and automatically label areas that are high risk for fires. That could include areas with significant piles of dead brush, areas where dead trees are clustered, or areas where fire breaks (clearings of forest intentionally cleared to slow fires) are overgrown and need to be retrimmed. The possibilities are endless, especially if you take into account a hiking robot’s potential ability to report danger in real-time. Some rescue and backcountry GPS devices can do this already, but they still require a human to operate.
Your hiking guide could be a robot
Photo: Igor Kyryliuk/Shutterstock
New hiker? Not sure of exactly which turn to make? Well, how about letting a hiking robot be your guide? Though it would take a while before we’d trust a hiking robot to be able to make the complex safety and navigation decisions required for challenging hikes, we could see hiking robots guiding guests along easier, shorter trails. They’d be like an updated version of an interpretive trail — only instead of stopping to read signs, you could ask a robot questions in real-time. Theoretically, robots could also help you spot rare animals or zoom in on unusual birds that may be nearly impossible to see with mere human eyes.
And, bonus for Mother Nature: robots could theoretically admonish guests in real-time when they step off trails or try to cut across protected areas, effectively helping to curtail the bad hiking behavior people tend to exhibit when they think no one’s around. Robots could even be used to catch poachers at parks and preserves for endangered species.
Park rangers’ time could be better used
Photo: Jim Parkin/Shutterstock
While spending some days hiking and patrolling trails may be one of the more fun parts of being a park ranger, many parks have strapped budgets and overtaxed employees. But if all (or most) of the trail patrolling efforts could be made by robots, human employees could be reserved for more qualitative and service tasks. That would help parks save money on staffing and ensure park employees are allocated where they’re needed most. And hey, it would be kind of fun to have your backpacking permit scanned by a hiking robot in a park ranger hat.
Wildlife observation and management could be far more accurate
Photo: Michelle van Dijk/Shutterstock
Wildlife observation and marking and protecting ongoing and seasonal habitats and dens is a taxing effort for teams of scientists, let alone one person. But it may be an easy task for a hiking robot, since that robot will never get tired, need a break, or suffer from the pain of forgetting to put on enough sunscreen. Robots could be dispatched to certain habitats and report back, potentially in real-time, about the locations of dens and nests or migration and feeding patterns. Theoretically, robots could “scan” all the tagged animals within a given range in mere seconds, reporting back on everything from population sizes to the number of newly born animals. That technology could be especially useful for species that tend to avoid or hide from humans. Think of them as the future version of a wildlife camera.
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The Rosewood Mayakoba Is the Perfect Mix of Luxury and Wellness Near Playa Del Carmen
A visit to Rosewood Mayakoba’s wellness suites is, to put it lightly, incredibly resorting. The resort perfectly fuses wellness and luxury in its location just outside of Playa del Carmen. While some properties offer either tent-style or very outdoorsy aesthetics to represent wellness resorts in Mexico, the Rosewood Mayakoba eschews glamping or mosquito nets for an elegant blend of nature and modern touches.
The connection to the region is immediate upon arrival with an outdoors front desk that allows guests to take in the elements, breathe in the air, and look out over the water. And even better? After checking in I was escorted down a flight of stairs and welcomed onto a boat where I received a welcome non-alcoholic beverage.
As we journeyed through the property and to my room, I could see that a great deal of the suites had a dock to enter and exit. My boat taxi driver maneuvered through the natural landscape of the area, allowing me to focused in on the moment for a very meditative experience. But the best was yet to come.
The Wellness Suite
Photo: Rosewood Mayakoba
In the wellness suite, both floors have floor-to-ceiling windows. Natural sunlight is everything to me, and the surroundings of trees and wildlife brought a level of tranquility I needed. I was greeted by a big lizard and a private plunge pool that adjusted to both hot and cold. There was a bowl of bath salts and a seating area completely quartered off by trees.
The downstairs area has a full dining room and living room area, which come equipped with a minibar, dining room table, couch, an indoor woven chair swing, and a full bathroom with a shower. The view is serene and partners well with the modern rustic aesthetic of the decor. There were many moments when I would just sit out on the dock and take in the fresh air or lay adjacent to the plunge pool when the sun was setting.
On the second floor, a door leads to a walk-up entrance with bicycles for guests to use (yes, the wellness suites have two entry and exit options: the front door walk-up and the downstairs boat dock).
My room had an amazingly comfortable king-size bed and also had hand-made essential oils for a diffuser that lay on the table. When I walked to the bathroom, I immediately thought to call my husband and let him know I’d never be returning. A standalone bathtub is my weakness, and I will not feel ashamed. In addition, there was a shower and an enclosed toilet, and the bathroom had another entrance leading to an area of the most beautiful brightly colored flowers and plants, a stone walk-up to a pre-rolled yoga mat, a sink area, and an outdoor shower.
Photo: Rosewood Mayakoba
Other suite optionsThe Rosewood Mayakoba isn’t a stranger to luxury options. In addition to the wellness suites, they have more than 129 suites and private residences. These options include:
Lagoon SuitesOceanview SuitesBeachfront SuitesSignature SuitesLagoon VillasBeachfront VillasThe amenities are aplenty and only increase what is offered to the guests. The private villas offer you a home away from home with multiple room options and full kitchens (while still having the convenience of continental breakfast and butler service, of course). For all of the suites, dare to indulge in complimentary mezcal, butler service, and a private outdoor deck with a plunge pool.
The suites range from $900 per night for a lagoon studio king suite up to nearly $10,000 per night for a beachfront presidential suite.
What to do at Rosewood Mayakoba
Photo: Rosewood Mayakoba
Rosewood Mayakoba’s makes it a point to connect guests with nature, themselves, and, importantly, the rituals of the people who live in Mexico.
Make your own essential oils: You can make your own essential oils in the sensory garden called Kuxtal. The experience centers around choosing two scents that speak to you most and learning about the characteristics of people who typically choose those scents. For me, it truly described my current stage in life.
Water yoga: I got to completely embarrass myself by taking up water yoga – highly recommended. The area where the water yoga takes place is absolutely serene and green, with plant life all around. The experience involves a flat stand-up paddleboard to stand on top of while doing standard yoga movements, but on water. At first-glance, the boards look sturdy. I felt like my lack of coordination wouldn’t be a problem because they were connected by ropes to the pool. And although I literally took a dive or three into the water, it was absolutely just what I needed to relax my mind and let go. Because I had to focus so hard on the task at hand, everything else that cluttered my mind got evicted and I immersed myself in the practice.
Photo: Rosewood Mayakoba
Take part in a Mayan ritual: Rosewood Mayakoba offers a version of an ancient Mayan ritual that the resort calls the “Marry Oneself” ceremony, led by Shaman Fernanda. The ritual focuses on four pillars of ancient wisdom through spiritual rituals, meditative practices, and healing treatments to explore the depths of your inner self. To say that I felt restored would truly undersell the moment of reflection and the ocean of tears.
How to get to the Rosewood Mayakoba
Photo: Rosewood Mayakoba
Fly into Cancun International Airport, where you’ll have a driver waiting for you with fresh-made juices, water, and candy, as well as hand sanitizer and face masks if you need them. The ride from the airport to the property takes less than a half hour.
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