Top ten hotel rooms with a view

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Hotels aren’t the sum of travel, but the right hotel can bring magic to a journey. Friendly employees, amazing furnishings, and great locations can all make a good holiday great. And an exceptional view, above and beyond the rest, can stick in one’s memory forever. Here are ten hotels strewn around the world, each with ridiculously stunning views.

1. Shearwater Resort, Saba. Shearwater’s Cottage Rooms, which overlook the resort’s cliffside pool from an altitude of 2000 feet and sport views of the ocean and several neighboring islands (St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, and Nevis) are in a league of their own. See above for evidence. Shearwater’s owners also recommend the views from their Ocean View Suite. Cottage Rooms from $175; Ocean View Suite from $250.

2. Longitude 131, Ayers Rock Resort, Australia. The tents at Longitude 131 at Ayers Rock feature heart-stopping panoramic views of this most iconic of Australian sights. This is real fantasy territory, with rates well beyond feasibility for most. From A$4080 for two for two nights ($4095).

3. Hotel on Rivington, New York, New York. The corner king rooms at this Lower East Side outpost of extravagance have floor-to-ceiling glass walls affording astounding views of the city. Aim for a room on a higher floor. From $379.

4. Hotel de Crillon, Paris, France. Terribly exorbitant, yes–not sure that a room at this price point should ever be recommended–but the views are exquisite here. Do you best to nab a room with a view over the Place de la Concorde to the Eiffel Tower. From €630 ($875).

5. Sheraton Iguazú Resort and Spa, Iguazú Falls, Argentina. The only hotel inside the Iguazú National Park offers awe-inspiring views of the falls themselves. The Falls View rooms, all with balconies, are perfect for the view-minded. From $255.

6. Campi ya Kanzi, Mtito Andei, Kenya. Campi ya Kanzi lies in a 400 square-mile are of Maasai-run land in southern Kenya. Mount Kilimanjaro is 35 miles away from the camp site, which consists of six tented cottages and two suites. Suites run $1600 for two; single occupancy $900.

7. The Intercontinental, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Stunning Hong Kong Harbor provides the world one of its most exciting skylines, and a harbourview room at the Intercontinental is one of the best places to glimpse it. From around HK$2600 ($335).

8. The Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, Alberta, Canada. The most iconic of Canada’s mountain lodges, the Fairmont Banff Springs is in a league of its own as far as picturesque placement is concerned. Many rooms offer extraordinary views as well. Book a valley view room (not a mountain view room) to take full advantage of the Rockies’ scenic majesty. From around C$439 ($437).

9. Explora, Torres del Paine, Chile. Gorgeous if minimalist modernism features here in the wilds of Chilean Patagonia, courtesy of famed Chilean architect Germán del Sol. Views of Macizo del Paine are drop-dead extraordinary. They’re also most definitely not cheap. Four nights will run $5840 for two.

10. La Haut Plantation, St. Lucia. The least expensive of the options here is this reasonable stunner, which has great views of St. Lucia’s famous Pitons. Even the least expensive Standard Garden rooms here boast incredible views of the Pitons. From $120 in low season.

A list like this one is of course necessarily quite subjective, and my evaluation here is designed to suggest and expose more than it is intended to lay down the law. Have a hotel view in mind that you think belongs on this list? Add it in the comments below!

(Images provided by hotels, except for the view from the Sheraton Iguazú Resort and Spa [Flickr / Tran’s World Productions] and view from the Fairmont Banff Springs [Flickr / dbaron]

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12 historic sites in danger of disappearing

by Kraig Becker on

The Global Heritage Fund has released a new report that lists 200 World Heritage Sites around the globe that are in danger from a variety of threats, turning the spotlight on 12 in particular that could disappear altogether due to a lack of funds, neglect, and mismanagement.

The 12 sites listed in the report include Palestine’s Hisham’s Palace, Turkey’s Ani, and Iraq’s Nineveh. Hisham’s Palace, the remains of a royal winter retreat built in 747 AD and the ancient city of Nineveh are both under threat from encroaching urban development, while Ani, an 11th century city on Turkey’s border with Armenia, finds many of it’s ancient structures literally falling apart on their foundations.

Other Heritage Sites that make the list of “most threatened” include Mahansrhangarh, the oldest archeological site in all of Bangladesh and Mirador in Guatemala, which is a pre-Columbian Mayan ruin which sits in a remote jungle location. Haiti’s Sans Souci Palace suffered damage during the recent earthquakes that hit the country, while the Maluti Temples in India suffer from years of neglect. Kenya’s Lamu Village, Famagusta, located in Cyprus, Pakistan’s Taxila, Intramuros and Fort Santiago in the Philippines, and Chersonesos in the Ukraine round out the list.

The GHF’s report recommends that the countries in which these historic sites are located invest in restoring and preserving the ancient places. While those repairs could cost millions of dollars to complete, the sites could potentially generate that income back through tourist dollars, although UNESCO representatives say that caution should be taken when going down that road, as sustainable tourism is not always an easy thing to accomplish and there are a lot of factors to consider before proceeding.

One thing that everyone agrees on however is that these amazing sites need to be preserved for future generations to visit and explore. Just how that will be accomplished remains to be seen.

[Photo credit: Christian Koehn via WikiMedia]

Discovery Adventures announces new trips for 2011

by Kraig Becker on

Discovery Adventures, the Discovery Channel’s foray into the travel industry, announced a number of new destinations last week, offering travelers several new adventurous options for 2011. Sticking to the themes of their previous excursions, these new itineraries offer cultural and historical immersion in some of the most exotic and spectacular places on the planet.

The company has partnered with Gap Adventures, one of the top adventure travel companies in the world, to help deliver some amazing new trips to such destinations as Japan, Kenya, Greece, Italy, France, Turkey and Indochina. The trips range in duration from 8 to 15 days and include comfortable accommodations and a selection of amenities to choose from, as well as some unforgettable experiences that can’t be found anywhere else.

The new trips include Classic Japan, during which travelers will have the opportunity to visit the Hiroshima Peace Park, explore an ancient Japanese castle, and visit the famous Geisha District. The new Kenya Wildlife Safari visits the Great Rift Valley and the Masai Mara Game Reserve in search of lions, elephants, and the rare black rhino, while the Historic Footsteps Through France tour takes visitors to the beaches of Normandy and the wine country of the Loire Valley.

Additionally, Discovery Adventures has also teamed with the Planterra Foundation, a non-profit organization that looks to have a positive impact on destinations around the globe through a series of voluntourism opportunities. These trips allow travelers to visit some distinct, and often remote, destinations, while working on important community building projects. These trips deliver an amazing cultural experience unlike any others, as travelers get to see the direct and immediate impact of their work on the places that they visit.

For a complete list of these new adventure travel options, as well as their existing catalog of trips, go to DiscoveryAdventures.com, and start planning your adventures for 2011.

Archaeological discovery reveals China’s link to Africa

by Sean McLachlan on

A Chinese and Kenyan archaeological team has discovered evidence that Chinese traders visited Kenya in the 15th century. A coin minted between 1403 and 1424 and a sherd of porcelain dating to the early Ming dynasty were found in the remains of a village. The excavation by Peking University and local archaeologists was searching for clues to the voyages of Zheng He, who led a fleet of more than 200 ships on numerous trips across the Indian Ocean.

The coin was of a special make used by representatives of the emperor and the porcelain may have came from a kiln reserved for the use of the royal family, so these finds are evidence of an official visit.

An article on BBC gives further details, and adds that China is renewing its historic ties to Africa. In 2008 China had $107 billion in trade with the continent, a figure that’s been increasing dramatically every year. This trade outstrips every other nation including the United States. During my trip to Ethiopia I saw Chinese engineers with Ethiopian road crews building highways and bridges, and the Chinese are beginning to build factories too.

In the past few years there’s also been a dramatic increase in Chinese tourists. Ten years ago I never saw a Chinese tour group in Oxford or London; now I see them every day. The face of travel is changing.

While the discovery is big news to Western archaeologists, it only confirms what the Chinese and Africans knew all along–that there have been centuries of ties between the regions. Residents of Lamu, a port near the excavation site, have a tradition that they’re descended from one of Zheng He’s shipwrecked crews. Many have Chinese features. DNA tests show some of the residents do have Chinese ancestry. When I was in the medieval trading center of Harar in Ethiopia I noticed several people with vaguely Chinese features, and Harari coins have been found in China. Perhaps Chinese researchers should conduct some DNA tests in Harar.

[Photo courtesy user Hassan Saeed via Wikimedia Commons]

Tanzania approves new highway across Serengeti

by Kraig Becker on

Despite protests from environmental activists and conservationists from around the globe, the Tanzanian government has approved a $480 million project that will include building a highway through the Serengeti that will pass directly through the route of the Great Migration, a natural annual event that sees millions of animals pass between the country’s Serengeti National Park and Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

The new road is expected to be the busiest in northern Tanzania once it is complete, linking up the towns of Arusha and Musoma. The government has repeatedly said that it is necessary to continue the growth of trade in that area, allowing the nation’s economy to expand. Meanwhile, wildlife experts have expressed concerns from the moment the project was announced back in May, fearing the increased traffic will disrupt the largest animal migration on the planet. As a compromise, the plan has been adjusted so that a 50km section which passes through the migration route will now not be paved all, but will instead remain a gravel road.

The Serengeti is Tanzania’s number one tourist attraction, bringing thousands of visitors each year and generating millions of dollars in revenues for the country. Most come to take in the spectacular wildlife, which includes more than 2 million wildebeests who drive the annual migration. They are joined by thousands of zebras, elephants, and giraffes, as well as predators such as hyenas and lions, as they make a seasonal move that coincides with the changing of the wet and dry seasons, and the shift in location of food and water sources.

Having witnessed the migration first hand and explored the Serengeti personally, I can say that this news saddens me quite a bit. It is one of my favorite places on the planet, and the thought of anything negatively impacting the natural environment there is disheartening to say the least. Hopefully the increased traffic will do little to impact the animals, but I can’t help but think that this is yet another example of man encroaching on one of the last great wildernesses on Earth.