What We’re Watching
Here are our Top 10 Programs of the week:
1. Rainforest Adventure – El Yunque National Rainforest, Puerto Rico
2. Wine & Breeze – Wine With Me, Jamaica
3. Jamaican Sundown – Rick’s Cafe, Jamaica
4. A Study in Spirits – Brandy Library, New York City
5. Panama Hats – El Galpon, Puerto Rico
6. Oceanside Oasis – Willow Stream Spa, Bermuda
7. Healing Blends – Fern Tree Spa, Jamaica
8. Stir It Up – White Water Rafting & Canopy Tour, Jamaica
9. Rum Shack Baby – The Pelican Bar, Jamaica
10. Savor Old San Juan – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Click on Voyage.tv to see more of our exciting programming.
Brand New Signature Programming from Turks and Caicos
Since we are never done bringing you new and exciting segments, now we’re taking you back to Turks and Caicos.
In Fruits de la Mer, you’ll get an exclusive look at O’Soleil Restaurant at The Somerset on Grace Bay. Go inside this urban-style restaurant right in the heart of Providenciales, with its modern white-on-white décor, soaring ceilings and low-lit chandeliers providing an intimate and romantic ambience. Here you’ll meet executive chef Lauren Callighen, who tells us about her Canadian roots and simplistic, yet innovative style of Mediterranean-Caribbean cooking.
Follow Callighen into the kitchen where she whips up some of her favorite specialties in an O’Soleil Trio, including a pistachio-crusted seared sea scallop, a spin on the classic Caesar salad with plantain croutons, roasted pumpkin soup with tamarind and braised oxtail ravioli. Next up she prepares a filet of red snapper straight from the waters of South Caicos, paired with coconut milk and mango risotto.
Don’t forget to check back to catch the latest segments on Voyage.tv.
Introducing Our Las Vegas Resident Editor
This week we’d like to introduce you to our Las Vegas Resident Editor Michael Martin.
Michael is a travel and lifestyle journalist covering everything from the newest hotel hot spot on the Las Vegas Strip to the latest LA eatery to shutter on the West Coast.
“I’ve always loved to travel, even as an awkward 11-year-old when I would scour the AAA Hotel Book looking for coupons to use with my grandma for a getaway to Carmel,” Martin says.
Before joining Voyage.tv, Michael was a nightlife and entertainment columnist for AOL followed by broadcast work on ITV and BBC, “on shows far enough away from America to never be seen by friends or family,” he says. His work has appeared in Blackbook, InStyle, ELLE, RED Magazine, NPR, and Angeleno. He’s currently a featured contributor at JetSetReport.com, where he writes a syndicated column that leads readers from one global hot spot to the next.
“I’d like to be able to fly without a plane,” he says when asked about his future travel ambitions. ” I think one day we’ll look back and think of how archaic it was to fly in a steel-tube surrounded by kerosene while eating warm nuts.”
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
Now Playing: Even More New Programming from New York
Just when you thought we were done revealing new signature programming from New York, we launched two new programs to Voyage.tv this week that we know you’ll enjoy.
If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind Manhattan locale to sip pre- or post-dinner drinks, be sure to watch A Study in Spirits. Here we take you inside Tribeca’s Brandy Library to meet the owner and the spirit sommelier, who show us the venue’s selection of over 1,500 amber liquors and the sizeable menu of curated cocktails. And the excitement doesn’t stop at the vintage labels and whiskey samplings—they also give us a taste of the Brandy Library’s notable gougères, gourmet cheese selection and foie gras, all paired with carefully chosen spirits.
In One Stop Beauty Shop you’ll go inside Spa Chakra on 5th & The Pipino Salon in Midtown, where 20,000-square-feet of pampering awaits worn-out New Yorkers and tired travelers in need of rejuvenation. You’ll get an inside look at the expansive facilities including a rooftop garden and pool, and discover ways to fight the seasonal elements with age-defying hydrating facials and fresh new looks from celeb hair stylist Ric Pipino himself.
View these and other signature programs from New York now at Voyage.tv! –Lisa Bonarrigo
Wanderlust – St. Maarten
Our VP of Marketing, Libbie Rice, recently took a trip to St. Maarten over the holidays. She shares with us her favorite rainy day activity and some memorable food finds.
A week in St. Maarten between Christmas and New Years was the perfect way to decompress after frantically trying to cram in holiday visits to both sides of the family (who happen to live on opposite coasts) with two preschoolers in tow. I was exhausted by the time we landed in St. Maarten.
The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa was exactly as the pictures displayed, and had all the high-end amenities one expects of the Westin brand. The enormous pool was loved by all, and two huge children’s pools could be easily monitored from a lounge chair.
We did several day trips that were worthwhile. The first was spending a drizzly afternoon at the famous Airport Beach (where the incoming aircraft buzz right overhead before touching down on the runway across the road). The first couple of planes were small ones from neighboring islands, but then suddenly an American Airlines 757 was descending upon us. My son jumped up and waved it in, and after that the fun began. Most of the U.S. and European arrivals are between noon and 3 p.m.—the highlight is the Air France arrival, which, depending on the day, is a gigantic 747. But the even crazier thing is to witness a take off. The plane’s tail faces directly back towards the beach and people stand behind it waiting to be blown over into the water (and pelted by sand) from the engines. Conveniently there are bars on either side of the small beach to pass the time while watching the planes land and take off.
On a better weather day, we took a day trip to Anguilla to visit some friends. It’s a short 20-minute ferry ride from Margot (be sure to arrive with 15 minutes to spare to pay the local departure tax and clear through passport control). It’s also possible to visit St. Bart’s for the day, but we decided to save it for another trip.
We had some wonderful gastronomical adventures in St. Maarten—not surprisingly, they were on the French side of the island. Just down the street from the Westin Hotel is the “border,” and suddenly the food choices change. One of our favorites for a quick bite (especially with hungry children) was Mama’s Pizza on the main road in Oyster Pond.
But the hidden find was the town of Grand Case—about a 20-30 minute drive from the Westin. The town consists of a strip of hip restaurants and bars. We went with a friend’s recommendation and ate at Le Cottage. The food and service made us feel like we’d been whisked away to France for the night. We were the only Americans in sight. Our children decided to put away all their preconceived notions of “yucky” food and tried everything. My son declared that the lobster bisque was heavenly and swore that he would start eating salad if I could make it the French way.
It was sad to leave paradise for snowy New York, but we know we’ll be back again soon. There are nonstop flights from New York (and other East Coast cities), so it’s an easy destination for a long weekend. –Libbie Rice
What We’re Watching
Here are our Top 10 Programs of the week:
1. Rainforest Adventure – El Yunque National Rainforest, Puerto Rico
2. Panama Hats – El Galpon Shop, Puerto Rico
3. Savor Old San Juan – San Juan, Puerto Rico
4. Best Tressed – Devachan Salon and Departure Lounge, New York City
5. Jamaican Sundown – Rick’s Cafe in Negril, Jamaica
6. Aruba on Horseback – Rancho Notorious, Aruba
7. Village Underground – Hotel Griffou, New York City
8. Relax Roman Style – Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
9. Inner Glow – Julian Wright Skin Spa, New York City
10. Grade A Gourmet – Harry’s at the Waterfront, Bermuda
Click on Voyage.tv to see more of our exciting programming.
Unveiling Our Newest New York Signature Programs
If you’re eager to discover even more New York programming from us here at Voyage.tv, you’re in luck. This week we’re excited to bring you two new signature programs straight from the heart of Manhattan.
In Village Underground our production team ventured to the West Village to duck inside Hotel Griffou, a cozy speak-easy style restaurant plating up seasonal French-inspired dishes and mixing inventive cocktails. With our inside look you get to hear from the owners themselves who share with us the restaurant’s history as a 19th-century boarding house where famed artists and writers of the day used to gather to exchange ideas over drinks. We take a peek inside themed dining rooms like The Salon, The Library and The Palm Terrace where varied lighting and decor create an ambiance to suit any mood. Hotel Griffou’s executive pastry chef recommends some of her favorite sweets from the menu, and the bartender reveals the nightspot’s creative drink blends, mixing up the aptly named Writer’s Block Tonic.
Next up, our production team headed to Devachan Salon and Departure Lounge in SoHo to film our Best Tressed video, a must-see for all curly girls out there. Here owner Lorraine Massey gives us the lowdown on her inspiration for the hair salon and spa, familiar with the woes of taming unruly locks as a curly girl herself. In this original video she shares all the salon’s innovative tips and technique’s for cutting, washing, coloring and styling both straight and curly hair, and our host Paula Garces even gets to take part in the “curl-volution” with her own hair makeover. (Take a look at our Production Manager Jessie Warner’s behind-the-scenes post for even more details on this segment.)
Check out these brand new signature programs at Voyage.tv today! –Lisa Bonarrigo
What We’re Watching
Here are our Top 10 Programs of the week:
1. Savor Old San Juan – Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
2. Panama Hats – El Gapon Shop, Puerto Rico
3. Spa and Sea – The Caves Spa in Jamaica
4. Jamaican Sundown – Rick’s Cafe in Negril
5. Aruba on Horseback – Rancho Notorious, Aruba
6. The Art of the Cigar – Graycliff Cigar Company, Bahamas
7. Village Underground – Hotel Griffou, New York City
8. Tuscan Market – Salumeria Rosi, New York City
9. Bermuda En Vogue – Cecile, Bermuda
10. Island Indulgence – Elbow Beach Spa, Bermuda
Click on Voyage.tv to see more of our exciting programming.
What We’re Watching
Here are our Top 10 Programs of the week:
1. Rainforest Adventure – El Yunque, Puerto Rico
2. Spa and Sea – The Caves Spa in Jamaica
3. Swim with the Fishes – DePalm Island, Aruba
4. Panama Hats – El Gapon Shop, Puerto Rico
5. A Taste of Jamaica – Bellefield Great House, Jamaica
6. Jamaican Sundown – Rick’s Cafe in Negril
7. Savor Old San Juan – Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
8. Join in the Junkanoo – Junkanoo Carnival, The Bahamas
9. Scent of a Woman – Bermuda Perfumery, Bermuda
10. Two if by Sea – High Seas Private Excursion, The Bahamas
Click on Voyage.tv to see more of our exciting programming.
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