Archives for February 2015

Lets Do The Time Warp Again: Cuba Travel Tips (part 2)

February 23, 2015

The second and final collection of Cuba Travel Tips from my trip to Cuba in December 2014. To view the first part, click here. Cuba is the country evolution forgot. Time gobbled it up in the 1950’s and spat it out as a fascinatingly dilapidated preview of it’s former self. Roads lead to rundown remnants of a once glitzy heyday – an era where the rum ran cold and US ties were tight. A period that for varying reasons, was never going to last. But last it did, sort of. Havana’s grandly disheveled buildings with their rusted-raw metal and multicolored pastel paint peeling off like semi-healed scabs are constant reminders of those opulent pre-Revolution days under the corrupt pro-America Batista government (you can read about the pre and post Cuban Revolution here). The catchy Cuban beats, dusty streets and lack of Coca Cola remind you this country has seen a lot these past 60 years. Its citizens have been pulled like rag-dolls from one commercial extreme to the communist other. But what they haven’t seen is the Internet. Weird? Slightly. No matter how many times I told myself I wouldn’t be able to Google or check my emails, I still had trouble getting used to it when I was there. How do these people find good places to eat in Havana? Turns out, there’s really only one. How do these people know when salsa festivals are on? Apparently they pick-up-the-phone and spread the word. How inherently simple…how old-school. And yet for Cubans, being completely disconnected from the outside world is a way of life. I suppose it’s rather liberating, really. Confronting, yet liberating. It leaves you with plenty of time to kill. And what do Cubans do in their free time? Congregate on the streets for Salsa-dancing and party in their Casa Particular’s with Cuban music blaring. Which is awesome fun until it’s midnight on a Monday and you want to catch some shut-eye but you can’t because your next-door-neighbors are singing at the top of their lungs! For me, all I can say is thank you Lonely Planet (and the couple of rare English-speaking locals I hung out with after meeting them on my first night when I was aimlessly walking the streets) – I don’t think I would have made it without you. But Lonely Planet didn’t tell me everything I needed to know before I went. The…

Let’s Do The Time Warp Again: Cuba Travel Tips (part 1)

February 20, 2015

Cuba Travel Tips Cuba is the country evolution forgot. Time gobbled it up in the 1950’s and spat it out as a fascinatingly dilapidated preview of it’s former self. Roads lead to rundown remnants of a once glitzy heyday – an era where the rum ran cold and US ties were tight. A period that for varying reasons, was never going to last. But last it did; sort of. Havana’s grandly disheveled buildings with their rusted-raw metal and multi-coloured pastel paint peeling off like semi-healed scabs are constant reminders of those opulent pre-Revolution days under the corrupt pro-America Batista government (you can read about the pre and post Cuban Revolution here). The catchy Cuban beats, dusty streets and lack of Coca Cola remind you this country has seen a lot these past sixty years. Its citizens have been pulled like rag-dolls from one commercial extreme to a communist other. But what they haven’t seen is the Internet. Weird? Slightly. No matter how many times I told myself I wouldn’t be able to Google or check my emails, I still had trouble getting used to it when I was there. How do these people find good places to eat in Havana? Turns out, there’s really only one. How do these people know when salsa festivals are on? Apparently they pick-up-the-phone and spread the word. How inherently simple…how old-school. And yet for Cubans, being completely disconnected from the outside world is a way of life. I suppose it’s rather liberating, really. Confronting, yet liberating. It leaves you with plenty of time to kill. And what do Cubans do in their free time? Congregate on the streets for Salsa-dancing and party in their Casa Particular’s with Cuban music blaring. Which is awesome fun until it’s midnight on a Monday and you want to catch some shut-eye but you can’t because your next-door-neighbours are singing at the top of their lungs! For me, all I can say is thank you Lonely Planet (and the couple of rare English-speaking locals I hung out with after meeting them on my first night when I was aimlessly walking the streets) – I don’t think I would have made it without you. But Lonely Planet didn’t tell me everything I needed to know before I went. The rest I picked up along the way… Cuba Travel Tips: Cuba Travel Tip 1 – Cuba Isn’t Cheap… I hate to…

The Rise Of The Pop-Up Hotel

February 12, 2015

I’ll admit the whole pop-up thing is pretty done. We’ve seen enough boutiques, eateries and even galleries randomly sprout-up into the urban-stratosphere it’s lucky we’re not allergic. But what about a pop-up hotel … now there’s a concept fairly new to the scene. I’m not talking about the portable ‘glamping’ tent villages haunting music festivals like Splendour, but rather, a new breed of designer lodging offering unique stays in interesting places. Aimed at creative travellers, a pop-up hotel is usually housed in unique spaces around the globe like warehouses, shipping containers and even resorts that already exist and, unlike temporary fashion shops designed solely to pawn threads, they offer a fleeting glimpse of what it’s like to fall asleep in unusual locations like public parks and harbours. According to Design Hotel Founder, Claus Sendlinger, a pop-up hotel is “designed as a shifting hub, they provide an open platform for creatives to gather and shape meaningful moments.” More often than not these experiential lodgings are born from a collaborative partnership between artists and designers, with the odd cutting-edge hotel chain thrown in for good financial measure. They are typically conceptualised to leave a light environmental footprint, which makes for interesting eco-chic spaces; plus they’re easy on the wallet too. “This concept [also] seems to make sense from a business perspective,” says Reena Jana of Smartplanet.com. “Hotel developers can try out locales, experiment with design ideas, and test out the market for guests without a huge financial commitment. Some hospitality companies are even making new business bets on the pop-up approach.” So just how long does a pop-up hotel last, you ask? Many only stick around for a few days in a single location; others for a few months, but some are so popular they’re still lingering today. One thing’s for sure though, the pop-up hotel phenomenon is only getting started and we can expect to see the boundaries being pushed even further in the future. Here are three examples of cool little transient hotels from around the world. Check them out before they checkout. The Rise of the Pop-Up Hotel The Papaya Playa Project Tulum, Mexico With its cabanas and slightly more luxurious casitas practically floating on the crystal clear Caribbean ocean, Papaya Playa Project opened in December 2011 to much hoo-haa from the global hotel community. It was, after all, the first real designer pop-up of it’s kind and forged the…

Where To Eat and Drink In Tulum

February 4, 2015

Where To Eat and Drink in Tulum With it’s laid back bohemian vibe and eco-chic retreats, Tulum may not be a club-goers reverie like Playa del Carmen or Cancun (thank god) but it’s certainly not lacking in the food department. Word all over the globe is it’s fast becoming a foodie force to be reckoned with and travellers are responding in droves. Whatever happened to the Tulum of old, you ask? The off-the-grid spiritual mecca where your safest bet for a meal was a fresh-caught fish taco at the local yoga retreat? Well the tacos and shamans are still around, they’re just a little bit more… shall I say, designer. The good news is you still can’t flush your toilet paper down the toilet. The bad news is there are now such things as restaurant waiting lists. And for good reason, some internationally renowned eateries are popping up with expat chefs serving dishes like Bee Honey and Chile Habanero Sauce Lobster and other scrumptious fare with far-flung tongue-twisting names. Whether you like it or not, Tulum is growing up (and that debate is for an entirely different post). You can be for or against its swift debut into commercial adulthood but one thing’s for sure, the village is a melting pot of authentic fresh cuisine and the food movement is only going to get bigger. Hartwood If you’ve been living in an alternate reality for the past couple of years then you may not have heard all the chatter about this eatery opened by a New York couple driven to create a restaurant with experimental locally sourced food and a tiny environmental footprint. But the rest of us who haven’t been inside a culinary-bubble will be lining up waiting ever so patiently to get a table (no bookings). Yes, more often than not said line can be over two hours long, and yes sometimes you get lucky when peeps not 100% committed lose interest and try their luck elsewhere. My advice is to stick it out; you won’t regret it. The concept is pretty unique: the only source of power for the restaurant is the solar panels on the roof and the only electrical appliance used is a blender. Everything else is either mashed or thrown on the grill or in the wood-burning oven. The menu varies daily according to the produce Cheffy Eric Werner can get his hands on…

Hotel Jashita Tulum: A Palm Labyrinth Leading Into The Blue

February 3, 2015

Hotel Jashita is about as close to Robinson Crusoe perfection as you’ll get on the Yucatan Peninsular. But for those of you not too keen on spearing your own fish or thatching your own palapa never fear, the deserted island type experience comes with some luxurious offerings. In fact, the intimate 14-room boutique hotel has everything you could ever want right in front of you. From the labyrinth of swaying palms leading into the blue abyss to the sleek and sophisticated rooms with an impressive array of amenities like Italian bathrobes, snorkeling equipment and gorgeous Frida-inspired beauty products, it’s easy to understand why many guests don’t actually leave the hotel at all, unless of course they feel like taking a break from the coral reef and on-site beach palapa restaurant and hightailing it ten minutes down the road to the slightly more upbeat yet still chilled beach bars of central Tulum. Sure, the aim of the game at Hotel Jashita is to unwind, de-stress and be at one with nature, but the relaxed yet contemporary shipwreck-chic décor lets you ground yourself in style. The peaceful seclusion of the hotel (there are no other resorts within a 5km radius) facilitates a true disconnection from the hustle and bustle of reality. The straw loveseats and hammocks on every balcony make it easy to quite literally get into the swing of things amidst the palms and the calm of the sky and sea. Standard rooms face the garden, but all larger-than-average suites are oceanfront with airy bathrooms and comfy king-size beds. Hotel Jashita Tulum: The Lowdown Vibe Shipwreck Chic Think The Blue Lagoon meets Architectural Digest Sound The Beach Soundtrack Crowd High-profile New York execs trying to lay-low and switch off, artists and honeymooners. Highlights – Gorgeous and helpful front-of house staff. They offered some fantastic pointers on where to eat, drink and be merry, always conversing with a big smile on their face!-The recently opened spa with . Just delightful!- Mini Snickers Bars on the bed with the turndown service!! -The palm-tree jungle leading to the beach – The view of the ocean from my suite. I’ve seen some pretty amazing views before but this had a rustic and deserted, sort-of other-worldly beauty to it. It was like a picture out of the jungle-book with the emerald green palms meeting the sapphire blue sea. Lowlights -Usually booked 3-months in advance-…

Archives for February 2015

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