The Buzz: The Geneva Festival Kicks Off Ten Days of Celebrations
The annual Fêtes de Gèneve kicks off tomorrow drawing an estimated 1.5 million visitors to the banks of the spectacular Lake Geneva for a festive ten days of music, food, socializing, events and entertainment. All along the shoreline in the heart of the city are food stands and street performers, fun fairs for kids, cultural displays and music all leading up to a heart-pumping finale.
The banks of the majestic lake serve as a backdrop for 180-odd outdoor concerts held at four main stages and smaller venues. Acts run the gamut from renowned DJs to musicians of all genres including trip hop, pop rock, funk, jazz and classical.
Sports enthusiasts will delight in the competitive events taking place at the Lakefront Festival – a series of four athletic events on Saturday, July 31st. Our pick is the 5th Aviron Sprint Cup. This exciting rowing regatta pits the skill and precision of rowers on ten different teams against each other in a series of 400-meter races. The sleek wood and carbon fiber boats are a sight to behold, moving at speeds around 30 kilometers/hour.
The younger set heads over to the lively Fun Fair, with 70 rides and attractions. And while the kids are fine with choo-choos and cotton candy, those in the know board the “big tower” for a 52-meter ascension. The view from the gondolas at the top over the city and out over the Alps is not to be missed. Thrill-seekers might opt for the Monster XXL or the plunging Maxximum.
Of course, locals and visitors alike will be eagerly anticipating the main event: the Geneva Festival closes with a bang (literally). On Saturday August 7th Crowds will throng the banks of Lake Geneva for the jaw-dropping Musical Fireworks event. Synchronized music, dazzling pyrotechnics and a kaleidoscope of fireworks will illuminate the city sky during the 55-minute display. Inspired by the festival’s guest of honor, the show recreates a glittering open-air circus. The colorful clowns, regal elephants, aerial arts, jugglers and even big cats sparkling in illuminated gold will have you wondering “How did they do that?”
The festival runs from July 29th through August 8th. Street performances are free and tickets for other major events can be purchased on site.
New In NYC This Week
Whoever said New York is a dead town doesn’t know New York. There is so much happening in this city at any given time, it can be a tad overwhelming. Thanks to our friends at Zagat and Hotel Chatter, we came across two openings that we just had to share with you.
As we count down to the opening of the Eventi Hotel (slated for Friday), Hotel Chatter gives us the scoop on what to expect:
As two out of four folks surmised, the NYC hotel with the Central Park ceiling artwork was the Eventi Hotel—which is now in the home stretch and ready to open this Friday.
We had a sneak peek at the city’s newest Kimpton hotel last week, and saw a lot to like. Starting with the warm, spacious lobby that provides an instant refuge from the hustle and bustle of Sixth Avenue right on Eventi’s doorstep…
This part of New York, south of Macy’s, north of Madison Square Park, and also home to the Ace Hotel, is an odd duck of a neighborhood. With flower vendors and garment district businesses and curry joints and suitcase stores, it seems chaotic in a way like no other part of the city. But it is convenient to many other parts of town, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to get to than Kimpton’s other hotel, Ink48.
For more, click here.
Want to know where the celebs will be dining next? Zagat Buzz has this to say about the newest impossible-to-get-a-table restaurant:
Reservations are bound to be tough at The Lion, a new West Village restaurant open to the public today with Waverly Inn chef John DeLucie in the kitchen and media heavies David Zinczenko (Men’s Health) and Dan Abrams (Mediaite) as backers. A clubbish spot meant to have an old-world ambience, it gets its name from one of the space’s previous incarnations, a 1960s nightspot where Barbara Streisand once performed. Celebs who’ve visited the new restaurant during its preview tastings include Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Mary J. Blige and Jill Hennessy.
Read more here.
Fashion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art with Style Icon Sarah Jessica Parker
We at VoyageInsider are always on the lookout for the newest and hottest events to hit the city. If you’re looking to get some New York culture, check out what we found at of one of our go-to blogs Jaunted:
If you’re missing Carrie Bradshaw’s quirky voice narrating Sex and the City and can’t wait till the second movie comes out later this month, head down to the New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity.” The exhibit, which opens today, features the on-screen and off-screen fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker as its audio guide.
Want to know more? Read the full post here and watch our travel video of The Met on Voyage.tv
What We’re Watching
Here are our Top 10 Programs of the week:
1. Rainforest Adventure – El Yunque, Puerto Rico
2. Panama Hats – El Galpon Shop, Puerto Rico
3. Savor Old San Juan – San Juan, Puerto Rico
4. Jamaican Sundown – Rick’s Cafe, Jamaica
5. Light Delights – The Restaurant at Round Hill, Jamaica
6. The Art of the Cigar – Graycliff Cigar Company, Bahamas
7. A Taste of Jamaica – Bellefield Great House, Jamaica
8. Wine & Breeze – Wine With Me, Jamaica
9. Stir It Up – White Water Rafting & Canopy Tour, Jamaica
10. One Stop Beauty Shop – Spa Chakra, New York City
Click on Voyage.tv to see more of our exciting programming.
Notes from Production: Back to Bermuda!
For those who can’t get enough of our Bermuda signature programming, we have some exciting news. This January, Voyage.tv returned to the beautiful island of Bermuda to shoot a brand new series, Golf Bermuda. Our challenge included 1 Golf Pro Host, 1 Crew, 7 courses and 4 days!! From the sprawling fairways of the Port Royal Golf Course (which recently underwent a major $15 million renovation), to the sun-drenched, rolling greens of Mid Ocean Golf Club, we covered every nook and cranny of golf in Bermuda – an island that flaunts more golf courses per square mile than any other place in the world.
This year’s Bermuda Open Golf Championship boasted the first ever female competitors since its inception in 1966, and we were there to get exclusive interviews with some of the players about their experiences. We also sat down with Terrett West, President of the Bermuda Golf Association, to talk golf.
As always, the people of Bermuda – the entire golf community included – welcomed us with open arms, and provided us with lots of great content for the series. It was a busy and successful week, and it was hard for us to leave!
While you anticipate viewing our Golf Bermuda programming in the coming months, take a look at some behind-the-scenes photographs straight from the green:
Insider’s Kingston: A Guest Blog From Our Jamaica Resident Editor
Our Jamaica Resident Editor, Kaili McDonnough, gives us the inside scoop on one of the island’s latest buzz-worthy hangouts.
Every couple of years Devon House goes through a renaissance of sorts. For those of you who have never visited Jamaica before, Devon House is a restored plantation house owned by the government and located right in the heart of Kingston. Over the last year Devon House has reestablished itself as one of Kingston’s hotspots with the opening of Bin 26, a wine bar catering to a very hip and trendy crowd. Wine connoisseurs flock to Bin 26 to indulge in its wide selection of bottles and enjoy its cool, comfortable ambience and efficient staff, which is a cut above the rest.
Devon House is also home to the popular restaurant Norma’s on the Terrace, which features the cuisine of Jamaica’s most critically acclaimed chef, Norma Shirley. Norma was once dubbed by Vogue as “Jamaica’s answer to Julia Child,” and her food pretty much speaks for itself. Dinner on her terrace is the ultimate in Jamaican haute dining.
As if a hip wine bar and a restaurant helmed by a celebrated chef weren’t enough, Devon House also boasts the flagship store I Scream, which sells what is arguably the best ice cream on the island, as well as Chocolate Dreams (a local chocolate shop), Wassi Art (a small gallery carrying a wide variety of art produced by Jamaicans) and several other souvenir stores. It’s a great place to hang out on a weekend, because this one-stop locale really does have it all! –Kaili McDonnough
Introducing Our Jamaica Resident Editor
Before the New Year we introduced you to our Bermuda Resident Editor here at Voyage.tv, David LaHuta. For those of you who missed that post, a RE is an expert located in the field that keeps us informed on what’s new and hot in his or her area and answers any travel related questions you may have, offering a unique perspective you can only get from a local.
Now we’d like to introduce you to another one of our experts, Kaili McDonnough, a journalist based in Kingston, Jamaica. Before she moved to Kingston she spent a decade living in New York City where she worked for the New York Post. Currently, in addition to working with us, Kaili is a contributing writer for several Caribbean publications including The Jamaica Observer, MACO and Skywritings. “I love everything about travel writing,” Kaili says, “and I love being a journalist because I am constantly meeting new people and going on exciting adventures.”
Some of those adventures include traveling around the world with our production crew to host some of our original signature programs, from Island Hopping in Turks and Caicos to discovering Wearable Desserts in her hometown of Kingston.
Since moving to Jamaica she’s started a successful open-air market (Kingston’s answer to Brooklyn Flea or London’s Portobello Road) called Market at The Lawn. Here vendors sell the best of what Jamaica has to offer in terms of arts, crafts, furniture, fashion, food and jewelry.
Check out Kaili’s insider’s perspective on Jamaica at Voyage.tv! –Lisa Bonarrigo
What We’re Watching
Here are our Top 10 Programs of the week:
1. Best Tressed – Devachan Spa, SoHo
2. Style Icon – Nicole Miller, Midtown
3. Haute Chocolate – MarieBelle, SoHo
4. The Art of the Cigar – Graycliff Cigar Company, Bahamas
5. Village Underground – Hotel Griffou, New York City
6. Aruba on Horseback – Rancho Notorious, Aruba
7. Bermuda En Vogue – Cecile, Bermuda
8. Panama Hats – El Galpon Shop, Puerto Rico
9. Island Indulgence – Elbow Beach Spa, Bermuda
10. Mountain Majesty – Jade Mountain, St. Lucia
Click on Voyage.tv to see more of our exciting programming.
Wanderlust – Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Photos by Edith Mehiel
From Johannesburg to the Phinda Private Game Reserve it was just under a two-hour flight. As we descended we had our eyes peeled looking out for wildlife, but quickly laughed at the idea that with nearly 60,000 acres to romp on, animals would linger near an airstrip. Not 45 seconds off the plane, however, and two Wildebeests galloped by. On the drive from the airstrip to our lodge we spotted an elephant gloriously bathing at a watering hole, monkeys, a couple female giraffes, warthogs, zebra, and several variety of antelope (otherwise known as ‘fast food’ for the big cats).
Phinda (one of several &Beyond properties in Africa and India) had five different hotels, and we were booked at the Phinda Mountain Lodge, which had gorgeous views from the open-air main lodge, and individual bungalows scattered throughout housing the gorgeous guest rooms. The king-size beds were deliciously comfy, the rooms were really spacious (sunken living rooms, huge closets), and the bathrooms were divine (think modern, freestanding tubs, glass showers, separate WCs, and a sliding glass door leading out to the private deck with an outdoor shower and plunge pool).
We quickly settled into a daily routine: up and out at 5 a.m. for amorning Game Drive, back at around 9:30 a.m. for breakfast and midday siesta (swimming, lounging, getting a massage, etc.); out again for an evening Game Drive after tea-time at around 4 p.m. and back for dinner at around 8 p.m. in the traditional Boma dining room. While we would have a goal on each Game Drive (to track and view leopard, elephants, lions etc.) we would invariably stumble upon countless mammals, reptiles, birds, plants, and even bugs that weren’t on our “to do list.” We had booked a 7 Wonders package which included a couple of other activities like a sunset boat cruise (breathtaking!), Flight of the Fish Eagle (a birds-eye view of the property and out to the Indian Ocean for Whale Shark Spotting), and a night drive on the beach looking for rare sea turtles laying eggs. Some of us more adventurous types also opted for a few bush-walks, something that’s not recommended for younger guests.
All in all each and every day was packed with mind-blowing activities and sights, but what made the trip really memorable were our incredible, knowledgeable and lovely Rangers. They were veritable encyclopedias and had stories and info on every shrub, insect and bird call we would throw at them. It got to the point where we were trying to find something they didn’t know…but try as we might, we failed. By the end of the week we had unleashed our inner bird-nerd, rhino-tracker, insect-expert and botanist. Leaving was tragic; but my only consolation was knowing that I have several other incredible &Beyond destinations to add to my bucket list. –Erika Mehiel
Wanderlust – Cape Town, South Africa
Photo by Edith Mehiel
Voyage.tv brings together travel enthusiasts from all walks of life, not just our viewers, but also all of us employees. I work in the Editorial Department writing articles about all the fabulous hotels and unique places that we cover, so hopping on a plane is just another day in the office!
Over the New Year holiday I spent two weeks with my family in South Africa, first in Cape Town before making our way to The Bush. We flew business class on South African Airlines. This was a delight for those of us in rows one through four, but a bit less so for those in rows 15 and 16 (on airlines where the business class is separated into two sections, always opt for the front of the plane. It’s serviced by a dedicated galley, so there’s no heavy foot traffic to the back of the plane, and the temperature control is separated from coach, so you won’t be freezing with the masses).
We stayed at the gorgeous Cape Grace hotel in Cape Town, right in the marina, where the sea lions tanning on the docks were our first animal sighting. We only had a few days, but covered a lot of ground renting a car (mostly stick shifts, and left lane oriented). A drive down the west coast to Cape Point for a hike and back up the east coast was a great day trip. (Watch out for hungry baboons along the way!) Heading out to the wineries is another day well spent – we visited the Spier Wine Estate, which has not only a grand property but also an incredible cheetah rescue project (you can pet cheetah cubs!), an eagle rescue project, and a gorgeous restaurant serving authentic South African meats, stews, vegetables, and fish in a really magical outdoor setting (picture richly draped tents, fire pits, romantic tree houses and live music).
On our final day in Cape Town day we hiked Table Mountain, an incredible rock formation that towers over the coastal city. As the name suggests, the top is flat, but getting up there is pretty steep. There’s a cable car that runs up and down, as well as a multitude of hiking trails with varying degrees of intensity, and each requiring different amounts of time. We opted for a two-hour, near-vertical ascent that definitely had us winded, but left us with an incredible feeling of accomplishment. The views were spectacular, the flora on the way up was almost Seussian (maybe it was the endorphins), and the ride back down in the cable car was well earned! I’ll get into the Bush in my next post. Bon Voyage! –Erika Mehiel
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