A villa at the Txai Resort, Itacare, Brazil.
Photo: Txai Resort

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Frankvanveenendaal:

"For a family reunion, I am looking for a villa, bungalow, or B&B rental accommodating 16 to 18 people next summer (2009) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, at or close to the beach. Any suggestions?"

There aren't a whole lot of villas in Brazil, Frankvanveenendaal, but our South American experts came up with a few ideas for you. Salvador is a big city, so Augusto Simas of Travel Place in Rio de Janeiro recommends that you choose a smaller town along the coast. He likes the Txai Residences, four-bedroom villas at the Txai Resort, in the seaside village of Itacare (about a two-hour fly-and-drive from Salvador). By renting a resort-owned villa, you'll have access to the property's pools, restaurants, spa, and activities. Summer 2009 prices aren't yet available, but you can expect to pay around $2,500 per night for each villa -- and your group will need two.

Read on for more ideas . . .

Stand back, Buenos Aires:  Here comes Gene.  Should he check out the tango dancers in front of the Galerias Pacifico?  You tell us!
Photo: Michael Lewis, Corbis

by Wendy Perrin

Been to South America lately?   Then perhaps you've got restaurant, sightseeing, nightlife, or other tips for our Dream Trip winner and guest blogger Gene Pembroke.  Over the next month Gene will be hitting:

*Buenos Aires and Posadas in Argentina
*Iguazu Falls on the Argentine-Brazilian border
*Rio (for a second time)
*Manaus and the Brazilian Amazon
*El Callao (for Carnivale), the Orinoco River, and Caracas, all in Venezuela

Where's Gene at this moment?  Camping in Torres del Paine National Park, in Chilean Patagonia. So, you may well ask, why is his latest dispatch from Rio just before New Year's?  The reason is the lack of Internet access in Antarctica:  Between Rio and Patagonia, you see, there was Gene's Antarctica cruise, where he couldn't blog because he couldn't get on the Internet.  Instead of having Gene report from Rio and then leave us all hanging for two weeks until his cruise was over, we decided to have him start blogging once he was back on land, post-cruise. This way you can get a new post from him daily, with no annoying absences.

Now we want to hear from YOU. If you've got tips for Buenos Aires or any of the other destinations listed above, or if you're thinking of traveling to South America and would like Gene to check out a place or two for you, just click on "click to post a comment" at the end of this post.  Can't wait to hear your advice!

Marine iguanas, indigenous to the Galapagos, are the world's only seagoing lizards.
Photo: Paul Souders, Photodisc, Getty Images

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Kgoodin:

"I am a senior journalism student in college, and my school is offering a 10-day trip to Quito, Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands for about $3,700. The problem is that I am graduating in December and I really need to start repaying my loans...but I really want to go on the trip as well, as it seems like a golden opportunity! If you were me, would you go on the trip?"

I think you are the only one who can make that decision, Kgoodin, and I certainly wouldn't want to be responsible for any financial hardships! But maybe some other Perrin Post readers have some advice. What do you all think? Should Kgoodin take this opportunity to see Darwin's playground, or hold off until the loans are paid off? Post a comment below and help Kgoodin decide what to do.

That's me with Vanessa Heitner, founder of travel company
Limitless Argentina, at Esquina Carlos Gardel in Buenos Aires for
a tango show, September 20, 2007.

by Brook Wilkinson

If you've noticed that I haven't posted much in the last few weeks, I have a good excuse: I was on assignment in Argentina. I'd been a little concerned about what a vegetarian like me would eat in possibly the only country in the world more obsessed with beef than the U.S. (Argentines eat almost 150 pounds of beef per person per year). Two weeks later, I'm happy to report that I ate, and ate well. Here are some highlights:

Let's start with breakfast, which for an Argentine means a three-bite media luna (after all, they just finished dinner not too long ago). Media lunas (the name means "half moon") come dry, as shown above, or shellacked in sugar. Delicious.

There's a large Italian influence in Argentina -- as many Italians emigrated there as to the U.S. -- so you can find an abundance of pasta and pizza, both of which are typically on the menu at parrillas, which specialize mainly in grilled meats. Just be sure to order the right size: Though the price of a pizza on most menus (about US$10) would lead you to believe that it's a single serving, what you actually want is an even cheaper pizzeta (at left). Ah, the joys of traveling to one of the few places where the dollar is still strong!

For more of Argentina's finest meat-free flavors, read on.

by John Oseid

All it took was an afternoon to get me hooked. I headed up to Connecticut last weekend for the Final Match of the 2007 Veuve Clicquot Cup. Puffy cumulus clouds floated over the Greenwich Polo Club and the field was greener than a stack of benjamins. Why had I never checked this out before?

Players with polo-tastic names like Naco, Challo and Gaston were introduced and art collector (and husband of model Stephanie Seymour) Peter Brant's White Birch team hoofed it out against the Heathcote Farm team. At halftime, I marched across the field with hundreds of spectators in the traditional divot-stomp. And with that, I was no longer a polo neophyte.

If you have a budding passion for polo like me, read on for some upcoming events worth traveling for:

Ica, the answer to April's Where Are You? contest

By John Oseid

Devoted Where Are You? players tell me all the time how much they enjoy picking up arcane geographic and historic tidbits as they track down my clues each month. Very often as I research the images for hours, I end up falling in love with sites I've never even visited.

One such place is the Peruvian region of Ica, the location of the sandboarder hurtling down a dune in our April 2007 contest. Many readers no doubt realized from mid-August news reports that Ica was the epicenter of the magnitude 8 earthquake and powerful aftershocks caused by the collision of the Nazca and South America plates.

A few days ago I was watching the news on the Spanish language channel Univision...okay, so maybe I was really peeking at a telenovela...anyway, I noticed they periodically ran appeals for donations to the Cruz Roja, which you might know better as the Red Cross. The spots, which featured Don Francisco, the famous Chilean host of the zany variety show Sabado Gigante, made me realize that the English language media have fallen silent on the relief effort and that agencies are still sending out appeals for aid three weeks after the terremoto. I decided that I'd look--as soon as my telenovela wrapped up--into resources for those readers who would like to help.

The Lapa Rios Ecolodge now gets its power from kitchen grease.
Photo: Lapa Rios

by Brook Wilkinson

The Lapa Rios Ecolodge in Costa Rica, already an environmental and social do-gooder, has just announced that it will be converting to biodiesel. Those of you familiar with the biodiesel debates in this country may pooh-pooh this news, as I did (corn-based biodiesel, the type manufactured most often here, takes more energy to produce than it can generate). But Lapa Rios has it right, according to the eco-geeks over at Treehugger, who've kindly explained that the lodge's biodiesel will come from its own used kitchen grease, and will in fact reduce its carbon emissions by 75 percent.

Lapa Rios has already earned plenty of praise from Conde Nast Traveler: It's the only property in the world ever to be named to both the magazine's Gold and Green Lists, the former for its sumptuousness and the latter for its eco and social sensitivity. Now we've got confirmation from a trusted source that it's continuing to lead the way for ecotourism innovations. The next time you're at a hotel, ask where its energy comes from. If the source isn't already an alternative one like biodiesel or solar, tell them to talk to the folks at Lapa Rios.

Hurricane Felix makes landfall in Central America.
Photo: noaa.gov

by Brook Wilkinson

If you're worried about friends or family who have been vacationing in Central America, along the path of Hurricane Felix, you can rest easy. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the locals.

As Hurricane Felix was bearing down on the Central American coast on Monday, Grupo Taca Airlines came to the rescue, running free flights for stranded tourists from Roatan, Guanaja, and other popular Caribbean vacation destinations to the relative safety of the mainland. Kudos to the airline for stepping up during an emergency.

However, left behind to ride out the storm were thousands of native villagers, many of whom were sheltered by nothing more than wooden shacks. Felix hit the coast as a Category 5 storm early yesterday morning, pounding northern Nicaragua and drenching Honduras.

The storm has disrupted the vacations of thousands of cruise passengers: According to USA Today's Cruise Log, Carnival and Royal Caribbean have had to change some of their ships' itineraries to avoid mighty Felix, as they did a few weeks ago for Dean.

The couple that tans together, stays together:
Charlize and her main squeeze, boyfriend
Stuart Townsend.
Photo: AP/Mark J. Terrill

by Beata Loyfman

The always on the ball TMZ recently photographed Charlize Theron celebrating her 32nd birthday in Belize. What a coincidence! The September issue of Conde Nast Traveler (on sale Tuesday, August 21) has a story on Belize and five other Central American countries lining the Caribbean coast. The accompanying Places & Prices section has detailed grab-and-go guides of the entire region, so you'll know exactly where to eat, sleep, swim, and party.

Newsflash for Charlize: You didn't have to spend $600 a night for a villa in Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge (TMZ claims it was $2,500, but that price doesn't exist at Blancaneaux). For less than half that amount, you could have stayed at a lovely Gardenview Cottage in Turtle Inn, Coppola's other Belizean property. The rooms have an Indonesian decor, and the Italian food is out of this world.

For those who don't require a hotel owned by an Oscar winner/winemaker, check out our affordable picks in Belize after the jump.

My mother and me, having just hiked part of the Inca Trail. We woke up in beds and took hot showers that morning. To find out how, read on.

by Brook Wilkinson

There was an article in Sunday's New York Times about a network of lodges that have just opened on a route to Machu Picchu. This solves one common problem, offering travelers a cushier alternative to camping during their hike to the ruins. But it's not going to make everyone happy. Because as I learned while researching my Iconic Itinerary for Peru last year, many travelers want the cachet of having hiked the "official" Inca Trail. No substitute trail, even one trod by ancient Incas, will do.

Here's the good news: I came up with a solution. So you wanna tell your friends that you hiked the Inca Trail, but you're past your days of sleeping in tents. Take the train from Cusco toward Aguas Calientes (the town at the foot of Machu Picchu), but get off at KM104. From there, you can hike up to meet the Inca Trail and follow it to the Gateway of the Sun, the best spot, bar none, for your first panoramic view of the ruins. Have a picnic lunch there, make your way down to the ruins, and then take the bus down to the Inkaterra Machu Picchu, the finest hotel in the area. Return the next morning to the ruins, and then hop the train back to Cusco that evening or the following day. The "official" Inca Trail without camping? Mission accomplished. Call Tom Damon of Southwind Adventures to hire a guide and procure permits.

Don't invite this guy to the wedding, but he might be welcome on the honeymoon. Travel agent Nina Wennersten caught him yawning while we were in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Lbriand:

"I read your recent article on travel specialists and need some advice. I am planning my honeymoon for summer 2009 to either Africa or the Galapagos, with a focus on wildlife while still having some time alone to relax. Is there one specialist you could recommend to give us options for both trips, or is it best to talk to two different agents? We are also on a mid-range budget, so we need someone who is mindful of that."

First of all, Lbriand, you're wise to start planning to far in advance. For a special trip like this, it's never too early.

The specialists recommended by Conde Nast Traveler have earned this honor by specializing in niche markets -- a particular destination, perhaps, or a type of travel. For this reason, you should have an initial conversation with two different agents in order to narrow down your destination, and I've got just the right specialists for you to contact, both of whom I've had personal experience with:

The dress code is stylish but casual at Brasserie Petanque, in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Photo: Lisa Limer, Conde Nast Traveler

by Brook Wilkinson

More questions from reader Jedesiree:

"You solved my electrical emergency for my upcoming trip to Argentina, but I still don't know whether it's worth taking a computer with me, since I'm always wary of the advice you get from concierges -- they tend to send you to safe, luxe spots rather then everyday real places. I also need some advice about what is worn in Buenos Aires in the winter. I had the impression that B.A. has retained its urbanity and people continue to "dress." Is this true? Will I want to wear skirts for dinners, or do I not worry and just take jeans and leather jackets?"

Having never been to Argentina myself (though I'm dying to go!), I asked travel planner Vanessa Guibert Heitner, of Limitless Argentina, for some advice. Wendy and I have named her to Conde Nast Traveler's annual list of the world's best travel planners. Here's what she told me:

The incomparable duo of Julio Bocca and Alessandra Ferri performing the "Carmen Pas de Deux" at American Ballet Theatre's May 2005 Gala.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor

by Beata Loyfman

If you're traveling to northern Argentina or southern Brazil this August and you happen to be a ballet aficionado like yours truly, then you're in luck (and I'm envious). Not only will you experience fantastic sights, and steaks that'll knock your socks off, but on August 24th you'll have the chance to see the final performance of one of the world's biggest ballet superstars, Julio Bocca. The Iguazu Grand Hotel in Iguazu Falls, on the border of Brazil and Argentina, will set the stage for Bocca's final bow. Honestly, after seeing Bocca dance "Manon" in New York's Metropolitan Opera House last year, I'd probably give up ice cream and my left pinky toe for the chance to see him again en vivo.

However, if you're not that into ballet (gasp!), this is probably a good time to mention that Bocca won't be doing the classical tights-and-tutus stuff. Instead, he and a small troupe will burn up the Cafe Magic stage with the fiery Bocca Tango, a sexy tango-infused dance choreographed by Bocca's Oscar-nominated fellow Argentine, Ana Maria Stekelman. A word of advice: This ain't the Nutcracker, so unless you're OK with the kids seeing (tasteful) on-stage nudity, make it an adults-only evening.

Tickets for the show run from $95 to $238 and can be purchased by calling the hotel's sales department at 54-3757-49-8050. Die hard fans should ask Iguazu's Guest Services to arrange a personal introduction to Bocca after the show. Just don't be surprised when you have to bend down to shake his hand -- though he seems larger than life on stage, he's pretty short in person. 

by Brook Wilkinson

A word of warning if you're heading to Ecuador in the next few weeks: Your flights within the country might look like a Victoria's Secret catalog come to life (see photo at left). That's because domestic carrier Icaro Airlines is hosting lingerie fashion shows on several of its most popular routes, according to a Reuters report (and a tip from Gridskipper). Not even Hooters Air, which flew from 2003 to 2006, had such skimpily clad employees. And you can be sure that all of the models are women. So much for equality in the skies (though at least flight attendants don't have to diet to keep their jobs anymore).

Icaro's promotion isn't the only recent example of sexism in the skies. There's also a pole dancer painted onto a field on the approach to London's Gatwick Airport:

This flower-shaped sculpture in the United Nations Plaza in Buenos Aires, Argentina has petals that open during the day and close at night.
Photo: James Sparshatt, Corbis

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Lila:

"Do you have any advice for travel to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls in Argentina?"

I'm dying to get to Argentina myself, after talking to Vanessa Guibert Heitner about her ancestral and now part-time home, and reading David Ebershoff's article about the city in the February issue of Conde Nast Traveler. Vanessa runs Limitless Argentina, and is among Conde Nast Traveler's top travel planners. I asked her for a few tips for your two destinations, and here's what she suggests:

"Buenos Aires is a huge, layered city that sits at the head of a country that has experienced tremendous fluctuations in its social, political, and economic well-being. I strongly recommend that visitors take at least one day early in their visit to tour the city with a very knowledgeable guide -- this really helps when it comes to understanding the city's many quirks. Buenos Aires requires at least a 3-day visit, if not 4-5 days.

"In addition to the city's great attractions, there is a quieter and very beautiful Buenos Aires that is expressed through its public art and small museums and galleries.

This skull was found at an archaeological site that only a few non-scientists -- including Conde Nast Traveler readers -- can visit.
Photo: The New York TImes

by Brook Wilkinson

The skeleton of the earliest known gunshot victim in the New World was just uncovered in Peru, as reported this week by The New York Times. There's a good chance a Conde Nast Traveler reader might have been there to see history being made.

The bones were found by Peruvian archaeologist Guillermo Cock in an Incan cemetery outside Lima. Last year, Conde Nast Traveler featured a visit to Cock's site and laboratory in our "Fabulous 50," a list of the world's rarest travel experiences. A cemetery might seem like a morbid place to go on vacation, but to me, these experiences represent the best of travel: seeing things you'd never see at home, meeting people who can introduce you to an entirely new way of thinking, and getting out of your comfort zone.

Think you can't afford something so out-of-the-ordinary? The guided tour with Guillermo Cock costs just $220. You can find 100 such experiences, involving special access to people, places, and events, in our 2005 and 2006 Fabulous 50 lists, and read options 101 through 150 in Conde Nast Traveler's upcoming December issue.

Cocos Island, 300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica, is a conservation success story, according to Alexandra Cousteau.
Photo: Undersea Hunter, copyright Avi Klapfer

By Brook Wilkinson

Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the renowned underwater explorer Jacques, just came by the Conde Nast Traveler offices to meet with me. She and her brother Philippe are carrying on their family's three-generation-long commitment to the "water planet," as Alexandra explained it. Alexandra and Philippe run Earth Echo International, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading the word about the importance of preserving our natural surroundings. You can read on the Cousteaus' blog about how carbon emissions are not just warming the planet, but also raising the acidity of the oceans.

When I brought up the Galapagos, Alexandra told me about another island that has just as remarkable an array of wildlife but far fewer visitors, and no human settlements: Cocos Island.

 
Swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. Photo: Lindblad Expeditions

By Wendy Perrin

Question from reader rebeccaweller:

"I'm hoping you can recommend a place for my family of 5 (kids age 2, 4, and 7) for 8 days in late March. We are pretty intrepid travelers. I've been researching the paradors of southern Spain, for example, but am realizing that something a bit warmer like South America might make more sense so we can get in some swimming. We are definitely not looking for a stay-on-the- beach-all-day place. We'd like music, adventure and, of course, good food. Brazil? Antigua, Guatemala? Thanks!"

Those are both great destinations (and jet lag wouldn't be an issue for the kids, as you're not changing time zones much). But Rio de Janeiro requires an awfully long plane trip, and Antigua, while colorful and fun, has greater appeal to adults. Have you considered Costa Rica? Or the Galapagos Islands? Both have plenty of beaches, animals, and nature-oriented adventure activities.

By Wendy Perrin

Question from reader drtomdixon:

"I'd like the name of a South America travel specialist or tour company that is not as high-end as Blue Parallel.  We're traveling to Brazil, Argentina, and Chile in September. Companies like Abercrombie & Kent and Travcoa are asking $500 to $600 per person per day. Seems awfully high. We want small-group or independent travel with 4- or 5-star lodgings."

A more affordable option for the three countries you mention is Ladatco Tours, and the person to talk to there is Michele Shelburne.

By Wendy Perrin

Question from reader elra2@aol.com:

"We are cruising to Lima, Peru, and Quito, Ecuador, in April and would like to arrange for a private car and English-speaking guide. Can you suggest who we contact?  Thank you!"

Did you book your cruise through a travel agent?  Normally a cruise passenger would book private English-speaking guides and cars through his/her travel agent.  That's why I always recommend booking cruises through a cruise specialist who has access to the best guides and drivers worldwide. I can only assume that your travel agent, if you used one, does not strike you as qualified to book land excursions and thus I need to point you elsewhere.

Machu Picchu
Photo: Lisa Limer, Conde Nast Traveler

By Wendy Perrin

Conde Nast Traveler readers have bragged to me about the nifty deals they've gotten through Luxury Link, so when its president, Diane McDavitt, asked to stop by my office to introduce herself, of course I said yes. Luxury Link auctions off posh travel packages for up to 40% less than what they'd cost if you were to buy the components separately.  Sometimes the offers are cruises and villa rentals, but more often they are hotel and resort stays where the property throws in a bunch of extras (e.g. meals, spa treatments, golf).

How to win a Luxury Link auction?  If there's a package you want, submit a bid so that you're in the loop and will be notified of what others are bidding. Then don't bid again until literally the last minute:  Auctions are always extended to five minutes past the last bid.