Destinations

From guest blogger Jeanne Parrent, Founder of Boom Voyage.

Chase the winter blahs with a visit to Buenos Aires. Posh hotels, wonderful restaurants, the tango, and it’s one place in the world where your dollar can still go farther. Buenos Aires is home to almost half of Argentina’s people. Visitors often describe the city as reminiscent of Paris with its European-style squares, broad streets and lively cafes. There are excellent shopping and great museums by day, and a very active night scene including the city’s famed tango clubs, where you can watch or dance as you fancy.

Of course, one of the best things to do in Buenos Aries is eat. The city is known for its vibrant restaurant scene with more than 3,500 eateries. World-famous Argentine beef is showcased in parrilladas (open fire cooking) and asadors (steak houses). Along with standard steaks are organ meats and sausages, all set off by the traditional chimichurri sauces. Try Cabana Las Lilas for a wonderful and upscale dining experience, but come hungry! While eating here is not cheap, Argentine wines offer excellent value for the price. When you’ve had enough beef, the city also offers lots of ethnic dining options.

This city almost does not sleep. Dining is late by US standards, and dancing and fun go on in the city’s bars and tango clubs until dawn. An excellent and historic tango show is offered at Esquina Carlos Gardel, named for the popularizer of the national dance. Find your own favorite spot to tango among the many clubs in Palermo Viejo.

Where to stay? There are lots of upscale choices, but the undoubted grande dame of the city is the Alvear Palace Hotel, which has reigned undisputed since the 1930s. She has kept up with the times, though, opening a new 8,000 square foot spa last June. There are also excellent Park Hyatt and Four Seasons properties here.

If you want to take in more than just the city of Buenos Aires, consider a visit to one of the many estanchias (guest ranches) within a few hours of the city for a taste of true gaucho life. If you are a nature lover, the Tigre Delta offers islands, beautiful scenery, bird watching, and trails. Finally, take a ferry ride to Uruguay and the city of Colonia (a day trip) or only three hours travel time, but a world away in relaxation, add a stay at the Four Seasons Resort Carmelo in Uruguay. Here you enjoy unmatched privacy, romantic ambience, and a host of activities including spa, golf, horseback riding and pools while you unwind after your urban adventure in Buenos Aires.

Once inhabited by Bedouin traders and pearl divers, Dubai is now the commercial center of the United Arab Emirates, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Here, among the mosques and spice souks, you’ll find prestigious shopping malls and haute couture boutiques. You’ll also find a thriving golf scene. Embark on a desert safari, complete with camels and belly dancers. Take up falconry. Or give sand skiing a whirl. Everything here is larger than life.

Virtuoso-recommended hotels and resorts in Dubai:

Park Hyatt Dubai

• This waterfront hotel enjoys an enviable location adjacent to the world-famous Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
• Spa King Rooms feature private patios and built-in treatment areas for in-room massages
• Each treatment room in the Amara spa has its own garden and rain shower

Burj Al Arab

• The world’s tallest hotel, it resembles the billowing sail of an Arabian dhow
• Guests arrive by helicopter (there’s a landing pad on the top floor) or Rolls Royce
• Every room is a duplex suite, complete with a living room on the lower level, a bedroom on the second floor and two bathrooms featuring Hermes toiletries

One&Only Royal Mirage Dubai

• Dubai’s most stylish beach resort, it commands 65 acres of lush landscaped gardens with water fountains
• The resort offers three distinct properties: the Palace, Arabian Court and Residence & Spa
• Feast on extravagant dinners  from Mediterranean cuisine at Olives to Moroccan dishes at Tagine; in all, you have eight different restaurants from which to choose

Emirates Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa

• A desert oasis just 45 minutes from Dubai this luxe resort resides within an award-winning conservation area where indigenous wildlife abounds
• Resort activities range from camel treks to four-wheeling adventures
• The spa’s signature treatments feature products made from Arabic dates and frankincense

I recently participated in the Dolphin Encounter program at Anthony’s Key Resort in Roatan, Honduras. What an experience! I highly recommend to anyone who has the opportunity.

After a short briefing upon arriving at the lagoon, we waded into the water and met our dolphin, Cedena, and her trainer. As she floated in front of us letting us rub her back and stomach we were told about dolphin behavior and physiology. Cedena was sent out to demonstrate various behaviors and would return for her reward of fish (and more rubs from the guests). After posing for some photos we returned to the beach to don our masks and fins and joined the dolphins for a swim. They often stayed just out of range, seeming to tease us for our inability to match their speed and grace. The seemed to enjoy playing, when we pulled up clumps of sea grass they would speed by to take it from our hands and toss it around before getting bored and moving on to something else. There was something very special about being in the dolphin’s element with them and letting them choose how or if they would interact with us. While these were not dolphins in the wild they are still wild creatures at heart and being able to share a bit of their world is something few of us experience. And, something I’ll not soon forget.