SUNLIGHT FILTERED through the treetops as I surrendered my body to the harness. It would soon be time to drop back down to the forest floor, but for now I stayed put, spinning in a slow circle and marveling at the explosion of epiphytesmoss, lichens, and ferns in every shade of green that surrounded me.
I was dangling from an enormous tempisque tree at Savia Monteverde, a 17-acre private reserve in the Costa Rican cloud forest. Savia is the latest project by the owners of Hotel Belmar, the oldest continually operated ecolodge in the town of Monteverde, and my home for the first few nights of a 10-day journey through Costa Rica's Puntarenas province.
The Belmar family designed Savia as a forest immersion: part ecology lesson, part meditation session, part thrill ride, and a tranquil alternative to the high-speed ziplines that scream through the canopy elsewhere in the region. "When we are in the trees, we are in an environment that is not our own," said Savia's cofounder, Andrés Valverde, as he dangled beside me in his own harness. He gestured to the sea of bromeliads that had taken root on the tempisque's mossy branches. "It is like being in a coral reef." On another limb we spotted a cluster of micro-orchids with flowers so small they can only be pollinated by a particular species of tiny, metallic-green bee.
As I began my descent, a blue-throated mountain-gem hummingbird darted into the foliage in an iridescent blur. In the distance, sheaves of mist swirled through the treetops. "We use awe as a catalyst for change," Valverde said. He must have seen the look of wonder on my face. "With seventeen acres, I'm not saving the world. But if every person who passes through here feels that connection, I think they will do something for conservation."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023 - January 2024-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure US.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2023 - January 2024-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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The Luxury of Silence - Grieving a dissolved marriage, Nora Walsh seeks peace and compassion at a meditation retreat in California.
My decade-long marriage to a man I deeply love had dissolved, and I had come to the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, in the secluded hills of Marin County, north of San Francisco, to steady myself. Led by the author and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer, the seven-day silent retreat focused on the four brahmavihāra, or Buddhist virtues: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
Family Values - Gay father and blogger Jonathan Bailey shares his proudest moments of traveling with his partner and daughters.
My partner and I grew up in families that didn't travel a lot, so we've always had a sense of wanderlust. Before we had kids, we traveled together, and it was life-changing-travel opened our minds to different ways of life.In 2000, Triton and I decided to have kids. At the time, my mom had terminal cancer, and we were all about connecting with family. We wanted to adopt, because we felt like there were so many children in the world who needed love and a good home. In 2002, my mom passed away, and Sophia was born two weeks later. We welcomed our second daughter, Ava, in 2004.
Back to Sri Lanka - The past few years have not been easy on this alluring South Asian island. But on a return visit, Prasad Ramamurthy finds a place-and a people-on the upswing.
I was at the end of a five-day journey that had begun in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Galle Fort, in southwestern Sri Lanka, and taken me across the southern tip of the island to the leopard reserve of Yala National Park. In between I had taken in the dramatic coastline of Weligama and had stopped for some beach time in Hiriketiya. Sri Lanka is a country I'm particularly fond of, so when I was asked to revisit to report this story, I seized the opportunity. Yes, I was dying to go back, but I'd had another motive for coming: I wanted to see if the island nation was ready to welcome international visitors again.
Experiences: Hands On - Single-malt whiskies and triple-cream cheeses are the stuff New York's Hudson Valley is made of.
The Hudson Valley has long drawn New York City dwellers in search of clean air, spectacular hikes, and upstate culture. Now a budding community of artisans-young farmers, bakers, vintners, distillers-is turning the region into a modern breadbasket.It is a tightly woven ecosystem that also extends to restaurants and hotels. At Tenmile Distillery, in the town of Wassaic, for example, the grain used to make whiskey comes from a farm in Tivoli, 30 miles away, while the gin and vodka it produces are served at stylish addresses like the Troutbeck (doubles from $580), a hotel in Amenia, and the restaurant Stissing House (entrées $22-$155), in Pine Plains.
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DEEP DIVE
Go for a swim with sperm whales, and you may find yourself hooked. Maggie Shipstead journeys to the Caribbean island of Dominica, where these giants of the deep are making a big splash.
AMERICAN VINTAGE
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Take a Hike
A beloved Malibu spa renowned for embracing the outdoors makes its way to the East Coast. Jess Feldman takes an inside look.
Just Dive In
The most nautical Four Seasons has to be this scuba-centric ship, which sails a rarely visited corner of the Pacific.
The Next Frontier
With deep pockets and mighty ambitions, Saudi Arabia is building a high-end resort area with serious green cred.
