Exploding fireworks. Tolling bells. High volume music. Tooting car horns. Sound is omnipresent in Latin America; the vibrant soundtrack of every day life. But from the cozy sling of a hammock on the veranda of a private casita at Hacienda Puerta del Cielo Ecolodge & Spa, it felt as if Nicaragua had gone silent.

It was early December, mid-way through a three-month stay in the nearby Colonial city of Granada where the town had been rocking for days in boisterous preparation of the upcoming Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebration. At the Hacienda, however, perched atop a remote hillside with unimpeded views of tangled jungle, smoldering volcano and glistening lake, there wasn’t even a whiff of noise on the balmy breeze. As if to make the point, soundless butterflies the size of dessert plates fluttered about the resort gardens.

It’s been months since our yacht adventure in Mexico’s nature-rich Sea of Cortés, but the mind-movies surface often– triggered by conversation, photographs, or the sheer joy of conjuring up images of one of our planet’s most amazing places.  

There’s something soul-soothing about a vacation where Mother Nature takes center stage. Where, amidst the wind, clouds, sunrises and unrestrained land and seascapes, the daily drama and media headlines take a backseat to wonder and awe. American Safari Cruises’ voyage through one of the world’s richest marine environments brings Nature up-close-and-personal. 

Wedged between the Baja California Peninsula and mainland Mexico, the Sea of Cortés (a.k.a. Gulf of California) is home to hundreds of species of birds, 3,000 plant species (some of which grow nowhere else on earth), five species of marine turtles, and nine species of whales, including blue, fin, sei, Bryde’s, minke, humpback, and gray.

World-class spas. Healing hot springs. Glamorous hacienda accommodations. Just because you’re eager to discover Ecuador’s rich and colorful past, doesn’t mean you have to forfeit contemporary service, cuisine and comfort. Well, that’s what Judy Carvalhal, founder of Ecuador travel outfitter, Enchanted Expeditions, believes.

Luxury travelers can now discover the Pampered Side of Ecuador on Enchanted Expeditions’ new hacienda hopping package. 

Costa Baja Resort. ©Ellen Barone.I’d been running full throttle for months when my husband, Hank, and I booked a pre-cruise stay at Costa Baja Resort & Spa in La Paz, Mexico. Somewhere between preparations for a year (or more) of nomadic wandering in Central and South America (more soon!) and looming deadlines, I decided that a pre-adventure respite in a luxurious resort would be the perfect place to kick back for a few days. 

There are many who mock a resort stay (too mainstream, not for serious travelers)…for the very seclusion I was hoping to find. There’s something about exquisite service, tranquility and gracious hospitality that soothes a life-exhausted soul.

King Pacific LodgeThe adventure begins with arrival by floatplane right to the dock, and continues with a heli-picnic on a private island with white sand beaches, bounded by turquoise waters. Couples are treated to a private dinner, created by a dedicated chef who customizes every dish; an in-room couples massage; and a private wilderness concierge to assist with planning adventures from kayaking to whale watching. Digs for the stay - 1750 sq ft and two floors of luxury - will be the heavenly Princess Royal Suite, with panoramic views of the ocean, the rainforest and the nearby waterfall.

Beyond hightailing it to the mountains via Denver International Airport, it had been years since I’d visited the Mile High City. But a recent pre-ski city break revealed a hip, oft-overlooked and glitzy inner-city scene that’s channeling that Western charm into new restaurants, upscale boutiques and art galleries.

Winter scenic. Photo by Matthew_Roberts via flickr common license

The latest star in Denver’s upscale vibe is the city’s most exclusive address - the Ritz-Carlton Denver. Just two blocks from the city’s fashionable heart and mile-long café-filled pedestrian promenade, the 16th Street Mall, the luxury hotel is an ideal base for travelers seeking to add a little Town to an up-Country visit.

Hotel entry. Photo courtesy Ritz-Carlton Denver

Listed below are a few of my favorite discoveries and reason enough to add a Denver City Break to your next Colorado vacation.

The movie became one of the inspirations for one of the hottest travel trends this season, Luxe Home Swap where luxury homeowners can get the most out of their vacations by swapping in style. Whether you fancy skiing in the Rocky Mountains or winter sun in the Caribbean, Luxe Home Swap is the savvy traveler’s way to holiday in style and blend in like a local.

My husband, Hank, and I are big fans of home exchanges and have been able to enjoy extended stays in exotic locales, for little more than the cost of staying home, as a result. And while home exchange websites have been around for decades, Luxe Home Swap has come up with a model that levels the playing field for swappers with style.

Luxe Home Swap is the brainchild of entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow, who came up with the idea when she was thinking about booking a winter vacation away for her and her family.  Debbie was sick of spending 80% of her travel budget on a hotel, where she still wouldn’t feel like it was a home away from home.

“I took a look at the main home exchange sites out there, put my home up on a few of them and found that there was a real problem. When I listed my funky home in Marylebone, Central London on a few of the sites, I was bombarded with 30 to 40 messages a day from people with properties that didn’t match with mine asking me to swap,” says Wosskow. “I then looked for other nice homes, and there were some there but they were really difficult to find. Plus the existing home exchange sites looked horrible and obviously had been built a long time ago. Clearly it wasn’t the same glossy experience as booking through a travel agent. So I came up with the idea for Luxe Home Swap – a stylish home exchange site for people with homes they’re proud of that lets you holiday like a local

We’ve all been there. Dazed and confused after hours, or days, of travel. Barely functioning and in desperate need of a warm welcome and a pillow-top bed. Gone are the days when I could arrive and hit the pavement running. Instead, I’ve taken to landing for a couple nights in a cushy retreat and easing into the local time zone. 

With 30 travel hours behind me, the Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens proved to be exactly the respite I’d hoped for and more. From the moment I stepped into the fire-warmed reception lounge and greeted with a soothing dram of whisky, I felt like the favored house guest of a gracious host. 

Located in a Victorian terrace in the fashionable West End of Glasgow—with monumental stain-glassed halls and room décors that range from opulent suites to a discreetly elegant style—the luxury boutique hotel is spread out internally over five three-story town houses.

We moved to New Mexico from the East Coast a dozen years ago and have explored more of it than many native New Mexicans, but it still feels exotic and slightly alien, another world altogether. More than its legendary land and sky, New Mexico is an ancient, mystical place that seems to bypass my head and go straight to my heart. 

Tamaya, known as “a quiet and special place,” is a small Pueblo with a rich history dating back more than 1,000 years. Today, the old Pueblo of Tamaya lies on the north bank of the Jemez River on the Santa Ana Pueblo, nine miles from the resort. 

Savanna Private Game Reserve / South Africa / Sundowners
South African Airways Vacations is offering a package fit for royalty, with nine days of 5-star luxury stays in Cape Town with tours, plus a safari and flights on South African Airways, Africa’s most awarded airline. The “Safari Royale” package features four nights at the 5-star Cape Royale Luxury Hotel and Residence, a lavish enclave in the heart of Cape Town’s metropolis. Its intimate and relaxed atmosphere will serve as a regal retreat after days filled with excitement experiencing all the spectacular attractions that Cape Town has to offer. A full-day Cape Peninsula Tour and a half-day Winelands Tour included in the package will ensure that guests get to experience the must-see vistas of the Cape region.

Cape Royale Luxury Hotel & Residence / South Africa / Pool
After time spent at the “Fairest Cape,” guests will jet off to the Savanna Private Game Reserve at Mpumalanga in Kruger National Park. Situated in the famous Sabi Sand Reserve area of Kruger, a stay in the lodge’s 5-star luxury suites, plus outstanding safari cuisine and game drives with exceptional opportunities to view the Big 5