Where to Spend Your Next Vacation
Whether you want to hit the road with your best girlfriends or hole up in a chichi tent, we've found the perfect getaway for you.
By Nicole Alper
Many people skip town just once a year, while others plan an escape every chance they get. Whichever category you fall into, you're looking for active options, good value, healthy food, and a way to reinvigorate yourself. We're with you, so for our second annual healthy travel awards, we assembled a panel of experts (see page 54) to help us identify the hottest new trends and pinpoint who's doing them best. So put away the books, give your fingers a break from surfing the Web, and flip through our guide. Who knows-you may turn into a vacation-every-month kind of girl.
Trend: Women Traveling Solo
Who Does It BestThe Westin Boston Waterfront
When you're on the road by yourself- whether for business or pleasure-you want to stay someplace safe, but you also look for amenities like nice restaurants, workout facilities, and a spa. The Westin offers it all: guided runs, guest rooms equipped with cardio machines, in-room spa treatments, and the new Super Foods program, which features healthy menu options. Plus, public transportation is a breeze-the downtown bus stops in front of the hotel. (Rooms from $189; westinhotels.com.)
Trend: Glamping
Who Does It BestClayoquot Wilderness Resort Bedwell River Outpost
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Glamping, which stands for "glamorous camping," takes the rough out of roughing it. In fact, except for the separate bathroom and shower facilities, the Bedwell River Outpost almost makes you forget you're camping. Set in a remote rain forest, the tents are filled with Adirondack-style furnishings, Oriental rugs, and fluffy robes. Despite the cushy accommodations, you'll want to spend your days horseback riding, mountain biking, kayaking, and whale watching. (Rates from $4,750, Canadian, per person for three nights, including lodging, all meals, and air transportation to and from Vancouver; wildretreat.com.)
Trend: Deluxe Cruising
Who Does It BestCelebrity Azamara Cruises
These new midsize cruises target a niche that's one step down from luxury: travelers who want an elegant experience minus the excessive formality, huge crowds, and exorbitant prices. According to Fodor's editor and Caribbean expert Doug Stallings, smaller ships mean more intimate onboard experiences and land excursions. Azamara's two 700-passenger ships tour the Caribbean as well as off-thebeaten- path destinations in Asia and Patagonia. (Rates from $2,749 per person for a 14-night Caribbean cruise; azamaracruises.com.)
Trend: Green Hotels
Who Does It BestHotel Terra
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The new 72-room Hotel Terra proves that luxury and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. The formula: Upscale comfort (think rough-hewn lumber with steel detailing and a flagstone fireplace set against a wall of deep-red leather tiles) combined with environmentally sustainable operating practices, including energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) carpets and paint, and low-flow water fixtures. The hotel is on its way to becoming one of only five Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified hotels in the U.S. (Rooms from $395; hotelterrajacksonhole.com.)
Trend: Girlfriend Getaways
Who Does It BestThe Old Edwards Inn and Spa
Highlands, North Carolina
This historic property has put a fresh spin on increasingly popular womenonly trips by throwing fly-fishing into the mix. You'll strap on waders and fish for brown and rainbow trout, then indulge yourself at the 25,000-squarefoot spa or work up a sweat in the new state-of-the-art fitness center. (The Fly-Fishing Package starts at $559 per person, including accommodations for two nights, breakfast, an eighthour guided fishing trip, gear rental, and more; oldedwardsinn.com.)
