Oct 2016 Cover_Passport Cover Mar 2011 9/14/16 4:50 PM Page 1
TRAVEL • CULTURE • STYLE • ADVENTURE • ROMANCE
PASSPORT
THE SPA ISSUE!
ARUBA • SINGAPORE • TULUM • SANTA FE • VERMONT • SIGHTSEEING IN STYLE & MORE!
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One of the Whitsunday Islands near the Great Barrier Reef
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SIGHTSEEING
IN STYLE
by Jimmy Im
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sightseeing in style
n 2009, I spent two weeks gallivanting around Australia where, among
myriad attractions, the Great Barrier Reef fully seduced me. Off the
coast of Queensland, the 1,400-mile-long ecosystem comprising 2,900
pristine, individual reefs is known to be the world’s largest coral reef
system, an actual living, natural thing that can be seen entirely from
outer space. Visitors to the Great Barrier Reef don’t hesitate exploring the
waters, whether in glass-bottom and submersible boats or kayaks and scuba diving. At one point during my visit, I was asked if I wanted to hop on a helicopter to see the reef from above. I declined, believing the most practical way to see
the destination was to actually immerse myself in it completely. After all, the
whole point was being in the actual reef, right?
Passing on the helicopter ride was one of the most regretful travel decisions
I’ve made. Seeing a rare and precious ecosystem in such a remote part of the
world from an aerial perspective can only be a divine moment that can’t be duplicated anywhere else on earth. Even though the Great Barrier Reef is largely visited for its water activities, seeing it from above could have been a unique, breathtaking experience (and imagine the Instagram love!). To see the Great Barrier
Reef from the skies, absorbing the immense scope of the natural wonder would
have been exhilarating. If I have any reason to return, it’s to experience the topography of the magnificent network of reefs from above, like the thousands of visitors who do so every year. Helicopter rides over the attraction are a popular bucket list activity within a bucket list (just getting to the reefs is an adventure in itself).
Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort in Queensland (Port Douglas Road,
Tel: 61-7-4099-5888. www.sheratonportdouglas.com), which just completed
a $40 million renovation is meeting the demand of travelers who want to see the
destination by air. The resort launched airport transfer via helicopter to their
helipad, and now the resort offers several helicopter tours in the area, including
tours to the Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, there is an increase in the number
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View of Hawaii from a Helicopter
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of aircraft the destination now has within their inventory (in 20 years, the number of helicopters have tripled). Great Barrier Reef helicopters have also seen
an increase in popularity due to different tours that are now available, including
Sandy Cay Escape which flies passengers to a private sand island on the Great
Barrier Reef with gourmet picnics.
The Great Barrier Reef isn’t the only place where helicopter sightseeing is
in demand, and helicopters are not the only means of transportation to see the
world off foot. Sightseeing in moving vehicles, from trains to yachts, has
become the hottest way to tour the globe. The debut of new train journeys,
hotels offering new ways to sightsee, and the return of glamour in travel have
warranted renewed interest in travel excursions. Sightseeing in hot-air balloons,
helicopters, trains, and yachts is a multi-billion-dollar industry where both parties (companies and tourists) are rewarded. Here’s a look at various ways to
sightsee in style in amazing places around the world.
HOT-AIR BALLOON
Perhaps the oldest form of sightseeing in the skies, hot-air balloons took
flight in 1783 when the Montgolfier brothers who worked at a paper factory sent a sheep, a duck, and a chicken on an eight-minute flight over
France in their makeshift paper vessel. The hot-air balloon has since
become a gravity-defying (and retro) way to see vast landscapes from a
bird’s-eye view. It’s had such an impactful comeback that even Uber
launched a service in China where users can book hot-air balloon rides (a
service that is expected to eventually roll out in the US). The million-dollar industry has done wonders for several businesses that rely on hot-air
balloon tourism, and many destinations across the globe are specifically
known for stunning rides. Enthusiasts book vacations in Albuquerque,
New Mexico; Cappadocia, Turkey; Bagan, Myanmar; and the Serengeti to
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sightseeing in style
Photo: Andy Davey
Balloons Over Atacama
Sightseeing in hot-air balloons, helicopters, trains, and yachts is a multibillion-dollar industry where both parties (companies and tourists) are rewarded.
take flight and check it off their “basket” list. There’s even a whole
lifestyle around it, where hot-air ballooners celebrate all things balloon at
festivals like International Balloon Fiesta in Bristol, UK or Gulf Coast
Hot Air Balloon Festival in Alabama. And when does a wedding proposal
not happen in flight in a hot-air balloon while on vacation?
Several new destinations are feeling the hot-air buzz, like the Atacama
Desert. For decades, San Pedro de Atacama has been known for its magnetic, starry night sky. Considered to have the clearest skies in the world due
to its little light pollution and elevation, the constellations are unreal. People also keen to see the desert landscape by day, where visitors can take
flight to view the lay of the land before sunset. Launched in August 2016,
Balloons Over Atacama by Eastern Safaris (www.easternsafaris.com)
offers daily hot-air balloon rides to experience the desert’s spectacular
topography that sprawls with rugged canyons, geysers, volcanoes, salt
lakes, and plenty of wildlife like flamingos. The flight lasts approximately
45 minutes, and there’s no better way to see the unobstructed sunrise over
the desert landscape. LGBT travelers love the rustic-chic Alto Atacama
(Camino Pukara, Suchor, Ayliu de Quitor, Tel: 56-229-12-3945.
www.altoatacama.com), a terrific boutique hotel that recently underwent
major renovations, including the expansion of their pampering spa. The balloon rides can be booked with Alto Atacama.
HELICOPTER
While Uber (www.uber.com) takes over the globe with car services, it also
offers food delivery and pharmacy pick-up. The latest feature? Uber recently partnered with Airbus for helicopters on demand. UberCopter in São
Paulo, Brazil offers flights for as little as $20 a ride. Even before Uber came
up with this concept, Gotham Air took the Big Apple by its choppers, offering shared helicopter flights from JFK and Newark International Airport to
Manhattan, not only cutting travel time from two hours to six minutes, but
giving passengers the exhilarating thrill of flying over Manhattan.
Uber’s not the only business looking to the skies for profit. Start-up company Chopper (www.flychopper.com) in Orlando offers on-demand helicopter
rides in Orlando, West Palm Beach, and Miami, going to and from airports,
resorts, and restaurants. Chopper offers affluent locals and tourists a way to get
from point A to point B in style, and it’s creating more than 100 jobs in the state.
While the helicopter-taxi concept may be a glimpse of the future, the helicopter ride is a fancy sightseeing option from the past. Helicopter tourism is all the rage
in metropolitan cities and vast country locations, and there’s a spike in demand
(tour flights in Manhattan now leave 14 times every hour during the day). Helicopter tourism is responsible for 30 million tourism dollars in NYC alone.
Among the popular places known for helicopter tours, Hawaii is the most
famous with flights over rain forests, beaches, cosmopolitan cities, small towns,
volcanoes, and more. The new Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina (92-1001
Olani Street, Tel: 808-679-0079. www.fourseasons.com), which opened this past
summer, is the first hotel in the state to offer helicopter-ride airport pick-ups, where
guests marvel at breathtaking coastal views. Some of the best helicopter rides are
in the Big Island, where helicopters ascend active and dormant volcanoes and even
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Ghoast Cheese Maker Full
sightseeing in style
Photo: Belmond
Belmond Grand Hibernian Ireland Train
venture to some waterfalls deep in the rain forest you can’t reach by foot.
For a thrilling city adventure, take flight with Chicago Helicopter Experience (2420 South Halsted Street, Tel: 312-967-8687. www.chicagohelicopterexperience.com) in Chicago. These unique choppers are virtually all
window so you feel like you’re literally floating in the sky (many helicopters
take flight without doors!). It feels daredevil, but it’s safe and exciting.
Halfway through the ride, the tour pauses at the John Hancock Tower, so close
you can see the tourists inside taking photos of you. Talk about reaching great
heights! Book it with Ritz-Carlton Chicago (160 East Pearson Street at
Water Tower Place, Tel: 312-266-1000. www.ritzcarltonchicago.com),
which recently unveiled new suites and a brand-new Club Lounge.
More hotels are offering helicopter tours than ever before, whether smart
packages or in-house choppers. Kimpton Hotel Marlowe (25 Edwin H Land
Blvd., Cambridge, MA. Tel: 617-888-8000. www.hotelmarlowe.com) in partnership with Kimpton Taconic Hotel (3835 Main Street, Tel: 802-362-0147.
www.taconichotel.com) in Manchester, Vermont offered a package this past
fall where guests could book a chartered helicopter ride from one resort to the
other to see the golden colors of New England’s fall foliage. Four Seasons Las
Vegas (3960 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Tel: 702-632-5212. www.fourseasons.com/lasvegas) partnered with Maverick Tours for private helicopter rides
to remote locations in the Grand Canyon and Valley of Fire.
Overseas, helicopters are in high demand, especially in simply sublime, rural
places like Evian, France. The century-old, five-star Hotel Royal, a member of
Luxury Hotels of the World (960 avenue d Leman, Tel: 800-745-8883.
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www.evianresort.com), which just completed a massive, $100 million renovation, recently begun offering helicopter rides over the Alps. From the hotel’s private helipad, guests are mesmerized by the landscape and are dropped off in a gorgeous picnic area, surrounded by captivating views of Mont Blanc.
YACHTING AND BOATING
As history proves, there’s nothing more glamorous than setting sail on a
yacht. A typical day for a CEO, celebrity, or millionaire on vacation
involves champers at sea, proving wealth brings the good life—and some
stunning, seaside views to boot.
Boating in America is highly lucrative. The US recreational boating industry
rakes in $35.9 billion annually, and boat sales are on the rise. According to
National Marine Manufacturers Association, an estimated 238,000 new powerboats were sold in 2015, an increase of 8.5 percent compared to 2014. Boat sharing is also starting to gain speed in the nautical market. Peer-to-peer boat rental
companies and boat clubs are becoming more popular, making boating more
accessible (especially for millennials) with companies like Freedom Boat Club
and SailTime. Also, Discover Boating (www.discoverboating.com), a national
campaign to get people on the water has helped the nautical movement.
In tradition of sumptuous living, sailing on a yacht is becoming a standard at
luxury hotels across the globe. More hotels and resorts are touting their own masterfully designed vessels to take guests out for a sail in beautiful destinations,
where sightseeing the coast is as unforgettable experience.
One of the gay-friendliest destinations in the world, San Francisco is
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amazing gay-friendly vacation rentals
COMO Hotels Cameron Yacht
known for its bay, where traversing the waters is a must when visiting.
While most travelers will cram into a touristy boat ride, the historic Casa
Madrona (801 Bridgeway, Tel: 800-288-0502. www.casamadrona.com)
in neighboring Sausalito is the best launching point for the serene waters.
Sausalito is known for its sail culture, and plenty of private boats for hire
await. Casa Madrona has terrific ties with the best captains, and their exclusive partnership with Freda B (www.schoonerfredab.com), a massive,
luxury schooner, is a privileged way to experience the bay. Food is served,
views of the Golden Gate Bridge are up-close and personal and, best of all,
you don’t have to share the boat with other visitors.
In Venice, Italy, the entire city is a network of romantic canals where visitors
must cruise the waters to navigate. While historically the means of travel was in
a gondola with a dapper boatman paddling away, most luxury resorts have taken
canal cruising to a whole new level by featuring posh, private yachts for sightseeing. The historic The Gritti Place, a Luxury Collection Hotel (Campo Santa
Maria del Giglio, Tel: 39-041-794611. www.thegrittiplace.com) is the grand
dame of the canals, where celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Angelina Jolie
have made it their Venetian playground. The hotel recently debuted a private boat,
Riva, costing half a million dollars, that tours the canals.
Over in the Maldives, COMO Hotels and Resorts (www.comohotels.com)
recently introduced Cameron, the brand’s new 68-foot Hatteras yacht, which provides seamless, luxury-drenched nautical access between COMO Cocoa Island
and COMO Maalifushi. The live aboard vessel, equipped with resident marine
biologist and surfing instructors, is available for multi-night itineraries where
guests can sleep under the stars.
Meanwhile, Four Seasons (www.fourseasons.com) Maldives allows
passengers to stay aboard as long as they like with Four Seasons Explorer, the first hotel-on-water concept where guests can embark on three-,
four- and seven-night cruises aboard an elegant, three-deck catamaran.
TRAIN TRAVEL
Nothing conjures centuries-old, stylish sightseeing like train travel. In the
19th century, railways were the only way to travel between long-distance
destinations, where riders were awe-struck with immense landscapes, foreign cultures and met likeminded travelers. Train travel (with luxurious
sleeper compartments) is still popular today, and it’s considered the only
means to travel well through some exotic destinations like Mongolia, India,
Switzerland, and Scandinavia. It’s even a rite of passage for college students
who want to see Europe (Eurail), or check out the Pacific Coast Highway
(via Amtrak).
Now, luxurious train travel is making a solid comeback thanks to Belmond (formerly Orient Express, which perfected luxury train travel).
Belmond (www.belmond.com) recently debuted Belmond Grand
Hibernian in Ireland, the country’s first luxury touring train that features
unforgettable land and train experiences. The journey, inaugurated in
August, traverses the country’s very-green landscapes like in Cork,
Kilarney, Galway, and Westport, with tours and activities that include
behind-the-scenes at Jameson’s Whiskey distillery, kissing the Blarney
Stone, and private access to Blarney Castle Gardens. For those on a timebudget, the two-hour tour from Dublin to Belfast and Portrush take visitors to the magnificent Giant’s Causeway and Old Bushmills Distillery.
The highlight, of course, is the comfortably elegant carriages that reflect
the colors of the tartan, two dining cars, an observation car, and wellappointed, decorative cabins.
Come May 2017, Belmond will introduce Belmond Andean Explorer,
South America’s first luxury sleeper train that traverses the Peruvian Andes,
from Cusco to Lake Titicaca and Arequipa. The Explorer will accommodate 68
guests in refined, en-suite cabins and offer fresh, seasonal Peruvian menus created by the chefs at Belmond Hotel Monasterio in Cusco.
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