World’s Best Soaks

Roamancing South Africa – Swimming with Penguins!!!

March 9, 2013 by Megan Ho 12 Comments

Part 2 of Megan Ho’s Adventure Roamancing South Africa. Read Part 1 here: Roamancing South Africa – Shark Cage Diving

The next day, we had yet another wonderful animal encounter, albeit a much lower adrenaline one than swimming with sharks. We headed to Cape Point for the day and stopped at Boulders Beach to visit some African Penguins.

Being quite crazy about penguins already, I could hardly contain my excitement upon seeing a whole colony of them. I had never seen so many penguins at once! We viewed them from the boardwalk, and afterwards hustled down to the adjacent beach to get closer.

Penguin colony

The adjacent beach was open to the public for swimming as it wasn’t the home of the colony. However, some penguins had made their way over by water and were swimming and walking around the beaches. Here, we were able to get up close with the penguins. We couldn’t pet them though. As one member of our group found out the hard way, penguins bite!

African Penguins

The beach was full of people, so we made our way to another, less accessible beach between the colony’s beach and the main public one. We climbed over boulders and waded through water to reach it. At one point, I got hit by a rogue wave and was soaked! When we reached it, everyone dove in to go swimming with the penguins. I had unfortunately forgotten my swimsuit. “But… but… swimming with penguins!” said a little voice in my head. Well, I was already wet, wasn’t I? So I peeled off my clothes and went swimming in my underwear.

It was the best decision. Not only were there penguins swimming nearby, but the water was beautiful and warm. The penguins were so quick in the water and kept darting around and popping their heads up. We swam out to huge boulders sheltering the bay and with a little teamwork, manoeuvred everyone onto them where we looked out towards Antarctica. Afterwards, I didn’t even have a towel, but it was utterly and completely worth it.

Lone penguin swimming

Stay tuned for more adventures roamancing the wildlife and wilds of South Africa!

*Photos by Morris M.

Filed Under: Africa, All Aboard!, Around the World, Beaches, Megan Ho, Our Travelers, South Africa, World's Best Soaks Tagged With: african penguins, boulder beach, Cape Point, Megan Ho, penguins, roamancing, South Africa, south africa penguins, south african penguins, swimming, swimming in my underwear, swimming with penguins

Room With A View In Miami

December 18, 2012 by Brie Mason 3 Comments

The last time I was in Miami, it was to embark on a short cruise to visit a friend who was working on a ship as a dancer. This time, the visit was also with a friend, but to help her out with an event. Totally different experience! Last time, I only had one short afternoon to walk around South Beach. This time, I stayed right on it. Last time, I was sharing a miniature mouse size crew room. This time, I was in a glorious room with a spectacular view that played out many stories.

The View From My Room At The Westin Diplomat

I managed to capture an extremely rare moment where the hotel pool area was empty. This pool was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During the day it was filled with families. I would sit at my window and watch the faces of parents, worn with daily stress of work and life’s challenges, soften to sweet peace as the first minutes of vacation set in. I could see children laughing and screaming, and of course, getting scolded for running on the deck. The spirit was definitely lively down there! Spontaneous games of water tag, races, and hilarious synchronized swimming routines would occur every so often as well. It’s funny how well we can get along with strangers when we’re on vacation. If only everyone could carry this same energy back home.

A little later in the afternoon, the hungover party crowd would start to emerge. It’s not hard to miss them. Pretty much anyone with a slow walk, head down because even with sunglasses it’s too bright, and looking lost and kind of angry that it’s taking so long to find an available chair to flop down, on fits the bill. I understand why they feel the way they do. At night I would see them in full force, hitting the pool after a crazy night in South Beach. The people on the lower floors definitely got a good show!

Since I was in Miami to work, my own indulgence came from soaking in the tub. I loved that there was a ‘window’ to the room and that I could still see the outside sky. I could see a plane with a long banner flying by. I wondered if it was a grand marriage proposal gesture for some lucky girl, or a sign beckoning visitors to happy hour somewhere. I have to say, I don’t enjoy tubs that are confined to tiny bathrooms. It leaves nothing to the imagination!

A Tub With A View

Filed Under: All Aboard!, Around the World, Brie Mason, Down South, Kid Travel, Our Travelers, Tubs We've Enjoyed, US, World's Best Soaks Tagged With: children on vacation, Diplomat Westin, happy hour, hotel pool, hungover party crowd, Miami, parents on vacation, pool open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, South Beach, strangers on vacation, tub with a view, tubs, vacation in south beach, water tag

Soaking up the Nile

June 19, 2012 by Emme Rogers Leave a Comment

After having just spent far too many hours in the land of coding and editing, I’ve decided it is time to indulge with a glass of wine and a column created purely for Brie’s and my own indulgence ~ the World’s Best Soaks. Today’s focus specifically on the branch of ‘Tubs We’ve Enjoyed‘ with the sole focus of taking myself back in my mind to where I wish to be drinking this glass of wine at this very moment, which would be back in my most luxurious of tubs at the Fairmount Nile City in Cairo.

The view from the tub. That’s the Nile out the window!

The Scene? A glass-walled, walk-in shower and tub room, with a giant soaker tub from which I could look out over my luxuriously comfortable King-Size bed to a view of the Nile, all while soaking in the steamy indulgence of lovely smelling bath salts and bubbles. The only thing that might have made this better? My future fellow (whom I have yet to decide upon) being there to wash my hair, massage my shoulders or rub my feet. Yes, that, and the array of bottles of potions and lotions that Dan and Audrey claimed to have accompanying their tub (cursing them for creating this minor blip in my bubble).

A tub fit to inspire an ode.

*sigh* Might be some time before I return to such a tub. Off to wallow that thought away in another glass of wine.

Not a bad view … not a bad view at all.

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

PS. In Full Disclosure: As always, the opinions and thoughts shared here are our own and honest ones. We are bought out by no one. In the spirit of disclosure, it should be noted that on this trip, our expenses were paid by Egyptian Tourism, as a guest to the country and the UNWTO Media and Tourism Conference.

Filed Under: Africa, All Aboard!, Around the World, Egypt, Emme Rogers, Middle East, Our Travelers, Tubs We've Enjoyed, World's Best Soaks Tagged With: Cairo, Egypt, Fairmont, Fairmont Cairo Nile City, Fairmont Nile City, Nile, tub, World's Best Soaks

Snowy Canadian Flashbacks to the Tub at Le Chamois

January 20, 2012 by Emme Rogers 4 Comments

What is life without indulgence from time to time.

Indulgence can come in many different forms ~ a glass of exquisite wine, a rather scrumptious piece of chocolate, or simply stealing a quiet moment in the sunshine. For me, one of my favourite indulgences is a good soak. I love relaxing in hot water and wallowing all my worries away.

Wallowing away my worries.

It is for this reason and the a bit of Whistler inspiration that encouraged me to indulge in the column ‘The World’s Best Soaks‘.

Tub Bliss at Le Chamois Whistler

The inspiration came in the form of the most incredible tub, and after a rather bruised tail bone from my first snowboarding lesson, I have got to say it was sent from the heavens. The tub in question was this one at Le Chamois in Whistler, BC, Canada. Pure blissful indulgence, that I’ve been having lovely flashbacks to all week, as the beautiful snow has been falling on Canada.

Hoping if I win the Whistler Sabbatical, that I get this tub in a cat friendly room.

For another indulgent Whistler, BC soak, check out Scandinave Spa. Pure bliss!

So curious, where’s your best soak been, whether in a tub, at a spa, or in some hot springs?

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Whistler Hotel Review

Filed Under: All Aboard!, Around the World, BC, Canada, Emme Rogers, Our Travelers, Tubs We've Enjoyed, World's Best Soaks Tagged With: BC, canada, emme rogers, indulgence, Le Chamois, Le Chamois Whistler, scandinave spa, soaks, tubs, whistler, whistler sabbatical, World's Best Soaks

A Silent Sigh of Relaxation at Whistler’s Scandinave Spa

September 1, 2011 by Brie Mason 16 Comments

The ultimate day trip leaves you feeling like you’ve had a complete escape. Sharing that day with Emme Rogers adds a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. The two of us road the Rocky Mountaineer up to Whistler and spent the afternoon at the Scandinave Spa. We left feeling as if we had been gone for a week!

Just thinking back on it now makes my senses relax and I can smell the soul warming soup we started with. There was a bit of a row though as the two of us doubted each other’s ability to follow the rules. Once we entered the hydrotherapy bath area there was to be no cameras, no cell phones and NO TALKING!

Unwinding at Scandinave Spa Whistler

I felt so naked at first without my phone, but then I realized the only reason I would want it would be to take pictures so I could share this experience with others. Being without it forced me to enjoy everything just for myself. It’s too bad they didn’t include a rule to remove all your makeup before entering the hot steam room. I completely forgot that I was wearing mascara, and it wasn’t water proof! When Emme caught sight of my raccoon eyes she let me know that I had something hideous going on. It’s amazing how loud a point and wide open silent laugh can be in an otherwise quite and still environment.

We both fell into a blissful routine of hot, cold, relax…hot, cold, relax…repeat. I had never experienced anything like that before and combined with the breathtaking view, I could barely make my legs work to move myself out the door when it was time to go. Thank goodness I didn’t have to drive! Both Emme and I felt so content after our afternoon at the spa that I think we kept up the ‘no talking rule’ on the Rocky Mountaineer. We just stared out the windows and at each other with permanent grins all the way home.