Healthy Holiday Hopping

[trip style = active & adventure + beach + sun + budget conscious + ski + spa + weekend getaway]

It's hard to stay healthy during the holidays with bonbons and baked goods assaulting us from every direction.

Everyone has different priorities and schedules during the Christmas break. For many, it's the one time of year when everyone has a few days or a week off at the same time. And when the vacation time stars align, so does the opportunity to holiday hop. So why not do the holidays a little different this year with a mind, body and/or soul detox and refresh for 2012?

Sometimes I write for other travel publications. Last month I was working on Healthy Holiday Getaway Ideas for the NY-Based foodie publication, The Daily Meal, and I just found out it published this week! Here are some of the getaway options I wrote about in the article. I hope some of the ideas inspire a one-night, weekend or week-long healthy holiday trip style for you. Bon voyage! Read the full article here!

Surf's Up - Learn to surf like pro rider Kelly Slater, kinda. Where/How - Safari Surf School, Costa Rica or Monty’s Beach Lodge, Nicaragua.

Let It Snow - Escape to a winter wonderland of activity. Where/How - Whistler, Canada and Portes du Soleil, a collection of 12 connected ski resorts in the French and Swiss Alps.

Digi-Fast - Go off the grid, where you can't be reached. Where/How - Wilson Island, Australia; Yelapa Casa, Mexico; Rolling Huts, Washington.

Voluntourism - Travel and do good. Where/How - Travelocity has a section devoted to voluntourism, otherwise, check with your preferred charity for local and international opportunities.

Spa - Ring in the New Year with bliss. Where/How - Scottsdale, Arizona at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Retreat and Spa, the Fairmont Scottsdale or the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale.

The 100-Mile Retreat - Go local and eat local within 100 miles {161km}. Where/How - Search airbnb, VRBO or HomeAway for a vacation rental with a kitchen to cook up a locally sourced feast.

[images sourced online]

The ABCs :: Bonaire {Spotlight}

[trip style = sun + beach + budget conscious + active & adventure]

{Editor’s Note: After a short and sweet intro a few weeks ago, this is the third installment in a four-part series about the ABC islands. Last stop Aruba, today Bonaire, and next up Curacao.}

Wading through knee-deep water the colour of a sparkling sapphire and aquamarine jewel, I decide to order a beer from the beach bar and take a seat on the ocean floor. Covered shoulder-high in seawater the temperature of a hot tub, I sip my beer and spot a pink streak in the sky. It's not a bird or a plane; it's a flock of 30 flamingos!

Seriously? The bartender then offers “yep, it happens like clockwork almost every night at 6pm.” Welcome to Bonaire, a diver’s and windsurfer’s paradise where those seeking an active & adventure and low-key trip style go for it in the day and relax at night.

Over wahoo fish with roasted vegetables and polenta, people linger at dinner recounting the day’s wind intensity, turtle sightings and beach breaks. At the end of the evening you don’t hear thumping and bumping beats like other islands---it’s not the time nor the place. It never is on Bonaire.

The island's main visitors are blond, tanned and sleek-bodied Dutch arriving in daily droves by way of a KLM wide-body jet. Yet Bonaire is a place where locals---Arubans and Curacaoans---go to get away from it all as well. My taxi driver in Aruba mentioned she'd just returned. “It’s quiet, less busy,” she recounted with a smile.

I guess the secret’s out; locals and internationals must have heard about the flocks of flamingos, jewel-toned water and schools of fish in the water below.

Eat The island's sport enthusiasts make dinner a big event in Kralendijk, the island's oceanfront capital. Order nachos at City Cafe and experience the local tradition of pouring sweet chili sauce on top of the cheese! For an all-appy menu, eat in a historic, open-air enclave at Appetite! Under the shade of a tree and a cool beach breeze, fuel up with a traditional brunch at Sorobon Beach Resort's restaurant. A bronzed gentleman sporting a terrycloth sweatband around his head serenades guests on his electronic keyboard with classical favorites.

Do Swim through schools of fish while diving just off the shore at one of 87 official dive spots. Learn to windsurf and ride like the wind at The Windsurf Place, located in Lac Bay, a 1.8-mile salt water lagoon with knee- to waist-deep warm water!

Stay Stay at Sorobon Beach Resort. Clustered around the only natural white sand beach on the island, Sorobon is a casual, tropical hideaway with 30 clay-roofed and whitewashed cottages. We just featured Sorobon in our weekly Roam+Board feature---see pictures and details here!

Getting There Insel Air and DAE fly to Bonaire daily from Curacao. If you depart from Aruba, you’ll need to transfer in Curacao.

Related Spotlight :: Aruba Spotlight :: Curacao Roam+Board :: Sorobon Beach Resort {Bonaire} Roam+Board :: Kura Hulanda {Curacao} ABCs {An Intro} Jetset Jingles :: The Caribbean

[Windsurfing photo by Kontiki Beach Resort and all remaining photos by @tripstyler, taken in Bonaire two weeks ago]

Roam+Board :: Sorobon Beach Resort

[trip style = sun + beach + active & adventure]

{Editor's Note: In observance of the Canadian national holiday (Remembrance Day) on Friday, we will be publishing Roam+Board today, and taking tomorrow off. See you Monday.}

What Thirty clay-roofed and whitewashed oceanfront chalets {aka chalet-looking duplexes} are clustered around a white sand beach overlooking a knee- to waist-deep sandy bay that goes for three kilometers in each direction. The beach bar of your dreams serves as the central hub of activity, complete with bar stools, wooden banquettes with multi-coloured throw pillows and white triangular sails to shade from the sun. The basic rooms have everything you need for the tropics: a hammock, air conditioning, big fan, door and window screens, and to top it off, an outdoor shower that spouts water out of a conch shell. Life is good at the Sorobon Beach Resort, and having just stayed there, it is Trip Styler approved!

Where Bonaire. Sorobon is only 10 minutes from the Island's main airport, Flamingo International. The resort will pick you up if pre-advised of your arrival time, or you can take a taxi which costs $20. Getting into Kralendijk, the country's capital city, takes 13 minutes by car. Only European carriers have direct flights into Bonaire, so to get there from North America you must transfer through Aruba or Curacao, then take Insel Air or DAE {the two largest carriers bookable online} into Bonaire.

When The weather in Bonaire is inviting all year, but when you go will depend on why you're going! Bonaire is typically known for diving, which can be done anytime of year. Windsurfers love the island in June and July when the wind is strongest. The rainy season is in November, and this also happens to be when the mosquitoes are worst. You don't notice them in the day, but unless there's a big wind at night, dining al fresco can result in polka dot effect. Mosquitos are the least present January to March.

Who/Why Your idea of the perfect getaway is bringing more bathing suits than clothes, walking 10 steps from your cabin to the ocean and sitting at a beach bar with a bottle of Bright {The ABC Islands' local beer} watching the sun go down.

Cost Beach chalets start at $120/night on Kayak.com. Includes free wifi in the open-air lobby area as well as free parking. Note, the rooms have fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms, but you must bring your own soap!

{Trip Styler Tip :: Most people rent cars in Bonaire in order to drive to dive sites (with more than 87 official sites scattered throughout the island), go to restaurants and get groceries.}

More Roam+Board Kura Hulanda – Curacao Hotel Kakslauttanen – Finland The Met – Vancouver Custom Hotel – LAX Bitter End Yacht Club – BVI Sleep On The Water – London A Woodsy Hideaway – Big Sur, CA

[photos by @tripstyler]

TS's Experience Whistler :: F&B

[trip style = ski + weekend getaway + sightseeing]

{Editor’s Note: Until noon PST today, enter to win two nights at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and two Scandinave Spa Whistler bath passes. Takes less than one minute to enter. Good luck!}

----------------------- After ziptrekking at 80km/h over Fitzsimmons Creek and dipping into therapeutic waters in the name of Nordic wellness, we've worked up an appetite. In the last of a three-part Experience Whistler series, exploring the resort's food and beverage marvels should fit the bill {pun intended}! -----------------------

Whether it's an intimate affair or big bash, there's a fete happening in every bar, lounge and restaurant in Whistler. It's a resort; festivities come with the territory. Beyond Whistler's world-class cocktails and cuisine, here are some unique experiences perfect for epic or everyday celebrations!

Bubbly Why pop the bubbly when you can saber it like Napoleon? You and your party are ushered down a narrow stairway to a 20,000 bottle wine cellar to strike the 'lip' off the bottle of Champagne with the blunt edge of a sword! Where: Bearfoot Bistro Cost: There is no fee for this, just buy a bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine {which start at $50} and request to saber it!

Take Flight Don a $1,000 Canada Goose down parka and fur hat with ear flaps, and step into an arctic chill known as the Belvedere Ice Room. With 50 vodkas from around the world, the petite ice bar plays host to flights in a -18 degrees Celsius room! Bring gloves. Where: Bearfoot Bistro Cost: One shot is $20, a flight {4 shots} is $48.

Nitro As you can probably tell from the last two experiences at one of Whistler's finest and highly acclaimed restaurants, the Bearfoot Bistro is as much about the food and beverage as it is about the show. For those who like a sweet and frosty finish to their meal, complete the culinary adventure with a simple, yet flashy dessert. A wooden trolly arrives bearing the gift of cream, sugar and nitroglycerine. Churned right in front of you, this high-end take on build-your-own sunday dazzles the eyes and delights the sweet tooth. Where: Bearfoot Bistro Cost: $15 per person, minimum two people.

Lounge Hands down, one of Whistler's favourite spots for après-ski and après-dinner is the Mallard Lounge. Anchored by an oversized fireplace stretching into vaulted ceilings, this open-concept lounge is ski- meets hunting-lodge chic. Weekend entertainment {Thurs - Sun in high season} only adds to the atmosphere. All the artists are excellent. Ask if Colin Bullock is playing; his medleys of popular Coldplay and Tracy Chapman songs, as well as his own singer-songwriter tunes will turn you into a night owl. Where: Fairmont Chateau Whistler Cost: A single malt and glass of wine start at $10.

{Trip Styler Tip :: Don't miss out on Fairmont Fridays, $5 beers and cocktails await. And with the help of Fairmont's exec chef and sommelier, learn to cook the quintessential festive meal and select the best wine pairings for Holiday Cooking 101 (nov 18 - 20).}

Crêpe Crêpe Montagne is a small French crêperie tucked away near Whistler's Celebration Plaza. The crêpes are as authentic and delicate as the design with fresh flowers on every table and bright blue banquette seating. Visit during the holidays when the bistro sparkles. A giant branch towers over guests with gazillions of silver bobbles catching the dim winter light from every twig. Where: Crêpe Montagne Cost: Crêpes start at $5. Open breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don't miss the fondue and raclette!

{Trip Styler Tip ::  Avoid the midday cafeteria rush while skiing Whistler Blackcomb and overlook the ski-scape below with full service dining at Christine's.}

[photo credits in order of appearance: bearfoot bistro (1-3), tripstyler, fairmont chateau whistler, heatherlovesit]

{Disclaimer: Though I wish I had a lifetime Champagne bottle sabering pass to the Bearfoot Bistro, I have no affiliation with any of the businesses listed above. More about our editorial policy.}

Roam+Board :: Hotel Kakslauttanen

[trip style = glamping + active & adventure + sightseeing + ski]

What
There's the Arctic Circle and then there's 250km above it. With a suitcase full of thermal underwear and down-filled jackets, today's Roam+Board is traveling towards polar bears and polar dips. With 40 log cabins Hotel Kakslauttanen is open year-round, but if you're going to travel to the ends of the earth, you might as well trip style = glamp in an igloo! Open December/January---whenever it gets cold enough---to April, the Igloo Village has 20 thermal glass domes {read: that don't frost over or fog up} and a snowball fight's worth of snow igloos to give guests a frigid, first-hand experience.

Where
Finland. Hotel Kakslauttanen is 1085kms away from Helsinki. If you want to get there quickly, fly from Helsinki to Ivalo {via finnair or norwegian} and take a 35km {$33} transfer to the hotel. If you've got time and want to see the Finnish landscape---saunas and all---ride a train/bus combo.

When
During the Aurora Borealis viewing season {late August - April}. Though it's never guaranteed you're going to see the night skies flow like Joseph's technicolor dreamcoat, the hotel rings a signal bell when the Northern Lights are visible.

Who/Why
You're a modern-day Christopher Columbus, exploring the earth's far reaches in search of a green and pink-hued night sky and the world's largest smoke sauna.

Cost
Two people can stay in a glass igloo for $477 and a snow igloo for $472 in winter. Add $36 per person/day for breakfast and dinner. Don't worry, for this price, they won't leave you out in the cold, every glass igloo is equipped with a toilet, sink and luxury beds. Plus, in the words of the hotel: "on every evening a hot sauna and a refreshing ice hole are waiting for you." Hmm, ice hole. I can handle cold plunges, but polar dips are another story!

Trip Styler Tip: Most people choose to stay in a glass or snow igloo for one night and in a cabin, starting at $338/dbl occ, for remaining nights. Why? All cabins have showers and personal saunas...

More Roam+Board
The Met - Vancouver
Custom Hotel - LAX
Bitter End Yacht Club - BVI

[photos assembled by @tripstyler via Hotel Kakslauttanen]