Roam+Board :: Banyan Tree Mayakoba

[trip style = sun + beach + luxury]

Editor's Note: The last scenes of my Expedia storybook were shot at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, a hotel I specifically hand-picked for the project. Once you drool over this styled stay, enter to win it! The contest runs June 24, 2014 - Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014 at noon PST.  

What
The 107-villa Banyan Tree Mayakoba epitomizes the jet-set lifestyle {and it has a treasure trove of Gold-List awards to prove it}. When every room's footprint starts at 3000 square feet and comes complete with its own private plunge pool and Italian espresso machine, the lap of luxury lingers in every moment.

Thankfully, its brand of Caribbean-chic is understated meaning you won't see Saint-Tropez-tanned men clad in white-linen ensembles or women wrapped in bedazzled beach coverups strutting the grounds like resort-wear models. On the flip-side, you will find a tranquil elegance marked with Thai taste and Mexican mi-casa-es-su-casa hospitality. 

I've been eyeing Mexico's Yucatan Banyan Tree since I visited the region four years ago. After taking a gander at the beachfront pool and eating in Tamarind restaurant, Mr. Trip Styler and I vowed we'd one day return.

Our recent stay confirmed our trip styled suspicions. Set beside a series of natural canals meandering between mangroves, the resort has a village-on-water wherewithal nearing mystical realms.

Rooms carry on this aesthetic with celestial-high ceilings—ours was near three stories—private indoor-outdoor living, and bathrooms the size of city apartments. In other words, there's no reason to leave your foxy plot, unless of course you're a beach-, spa- or restaurant-lover. Trip Styler approved. 

Where
Mexico's Riviera Maya, 40 minutes by car from the Cancun {CUN} Airport and 15 minutes from Playa Del Carmen. 

Trip Styler Tip: Taking a cab from the hotel into Playa Del Carmen costs approx. US$23. If you like err on the side of soft-core adventure, consider taking an air-conditioned Colectivo, a fleet of 15-passenger vans that transport people from A to B. To catch one, simply ask the hotel to drive you to the main road, stand on the side in the direction you want to go, and one will stop. They come every 5-10 minutes. {I took one all the way to Tulum!}. That same trip into Playa now costs 30 Pesos or US$2/person. 

When
While 95% of the year is near postcard-perfect along the Riviera Maya—home to the second-largest coral reef in the world—the region does rest on the edge of the hurricane belt. This area *can* get stormy from June to November, with August and September being the worst offenders. However, even during this sometimes-tumultuous period, the weather is still beautiful *most* of the time.

Who/Why
Space and design matter to you. So do beach treats à la lemongrass popsicles, and the option to skinny-dip in your personal plunge pool. 

Cost
Rates start at $365/night—I spotted this price on Expedia in June—and inch up into the $1000+ range in high season. Each stay includes complimentary resort-wide WiFi, twice-daily fruit delivery, bottled water, in-room Lavazza espresso machine, use of stand-up paddleboards or kayaks at the beach, and transfers to the restaurants at the other hotels {Fairmont and Rosewood} on the Mayakoba property, as well as the Banyan Tree beach and pool. If you want to use one of the on-site bikes, that will set you back $6/day. Kids welcome.

Photos

The lobby

Another shot of the lobby, which is set back from the ocean. Boats leave every 15 minutes for the beach (or, you can walk, hail a golf cart or bike}. 

The beach

Our villa's private plunge pool {every villa comes standard with a private pool}

Feather-down beds anchoring a headboard soaring up to the villa's ceiling

Our villa 

The apartment-sized bathroom with Mexi-gorgeous earthenware sinks

Private outdoor bath

More Roam+Board
Painted Boat Resort - Pender Harbour
Villa Samadhi - Kuala Lumpur
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs 
La Gazelle d'Or - Morocco
Mandarin Oriental - Las Vegas
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs
Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay - Lanai
Hotel Lone - Croatia

[photos by @tripstyler taken as a guest of the hotel]

How Carmen Sandiego Fuelled My Wanderlust

[trip style = any]

Editor's Note: Read until the bottom. Our biggest-ever giveaway awaits! 

Pl-ease tell me you remember the computer game/TV show: Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

When I was a kidlet, my dad surprised our family one Christmas with a Macintosh Classic II computer. The magical box' screen was the size of my hand and the keys clicked like crickets. For the late-1980s; this was the peak of at-home technology. 

Along with the Mac, my dad got us Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego, a geography- and adventure-themed computer game for kids following a female heroine {Carmen} as she trekked from Toronto to Tokyo all while wearing her signature wide-brimmed hat and cherry-red trench. 

Looking back, this is my first memory of the world map. Earth was no longer a confusing green- and blue-hued art piece suspended over the green chalk board in my grade three class, but a real place begging to be explored. 

Besides family trips exploring the West Coast or meeting Mickey at Disneyland, armchair traveling with Ms. Sandiego was my first brush with global travel. She fuelled my wanderlust {something I've never been able to ignore}.

Fast-forward to my first job post-university. After tasting Ms. Sandiego's globetrotting lifestyle in study-abroad classes at school, it became crystal clear my faux-wood desk would never grow jet propulsion engines or dole out fresh-baked croissants, so I quit and went to Paris. Twice. A stint working on a cruise ship followed. Finally, my travel dance card was inching closer to Carmen status.

In early 2014, Expedia.com launched "storybook", a campaign centred around turning travel ideas into reality. In the opening video a mom reads her son fantastical fairy tales and shows him it can all be real in a trip uncovering vast kingdoms, castles and villages on water. In partnership with this, as one of 12 Expedia Viewfinders in North America, I was asked "What's your travel storybook"? Or, what fuelled your fire for travel?

I thought about the answer for a long time—even toyed with recreating the scene when I fell in love with Mr. Trip Styler on the Great Wall of China {no joke!}. Then it hit me. I have to give credence to Carmen; she played an early role in my wanderlust.

Realizing a story touching multiple coordinates on the map had to be visual, I made a video {including my own signature twist on Carmen's classic chapeau}:

This short reel recreates my early years of "Carm-chair travel" and follows my recent trip styled quests to San Francisco, Napa, Cannon Beach, Seattle, Canada's Sunshine Coast, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Bali and Mexico. 

While travel has a different impact on each wanderer, if I distill my cross-cultural adventures into one personal truth, it's this: Carmen-style curiosity is not quenched in a single country or trip, but in the stories we live along the way.

To my parents: Thank you for asking Santa to skip the neon scrunchies I asked for in 1989. The magical box ended up doing magical things in my life.

Trip Styled Travel: A Giveaway
The last scene of the video is shot in Mexico's Riviera Maya at one of my favorite hotels, the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, an all-villa resort where each abode comes with its own plunge pool {see my hotel photos + profile in TS' latest Roam+Board feature}. Having had my eye on this chic stay for the past five years, I wanted to share the TS love with the world explorer in all of us in our MOST EPIC trip styled prize package ever:

A three-night stay at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba, and a US$750 flight credit toward your trip from Expedia.com {a value totalling more than US$2500}. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest Details
1/ You must be 18 or over and a legal US resident to enter. {To my Canadian friends: This is because the giveaway is in partnership with Expedia.com.} 
2/ The contest is open from Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014 at noon PST. 
3/ The winner, chosen at random by Rafflecopter, will be announced and contacted by 5pm on Wednesday, July 2nd, and has 48 hours to make contact once we email you with the good news. If we don't hear from you, we will do a second draw. 
4/ The Banyan Tree voucher is valid from May 1, 2014 – May 1, 2015 (excluding Christmas, New Year, Easter and Holiday periods). The US$750 flight credit from Expedia.com is valid July 1, 2014 - July, 1, 2015.

[Thank you to Expedia for making this project and this giveaway possible.]

A Tulum Teaser

[trip style = sun + beach]

Editor's Note: On Tuesday, I'm announcing something really big. Stay tuned! 

I just got back from Tulum, Mexico's eco-chic getaway hanging at the South end of the Riviera Maya. Think: Jungle-meets-beach with a dash of wellness, a smidgeon of boho and simple hotels that double as Swiss Family Robinson abodes.

While I plan on bundling a trip styled guide to the area—eat, sleep, shop—in the coming weeks, here's a teaser, plus some visual hints why every major travel and fashion magazine are including Tulum in their must-visit hit list.  

Tulum Ruins, about 3km from the hotel zone {entry cost: 59 Pesos which can ONLY be paid in cash}

Trip stylin' at the Ruins {complete with a beach for swimming/cooling off}

Flora and fauna

Staying at Papaya Playa Project

Swiss Family Robinson-style abodes

Cool beach bar-in-the-making

Hartwood, one of my Tulum restaurant muses

Drinks at Gitano, another one of my top-pick restaurants in the area

Walking up from the icing-sugar-consistency beach 

Because it's always good to end on a beachy note, si?

More Mexico
Hola Huatulco
Mexican Wine Country --> Hotel  // A Guide
Find your calling {San Felipe, Mexico}
Spotlight: Puerto Vallarta

[photos by @tripstyler]

Top 10 Instagrams to Fuel Your Wanderlust

[trip style = any]

When you need a mental vacation, the easiest place to turn is Instagram, where you can scroll through the gorgeously filtered feeds of modern nomads traveling from the Yukon to the Yucatan. Let's call it living vicariously, no passport required.

And when it's time to go from living vicariously to living out of a suitcase, Instagram is still the best place to turn for travel tips and inspiration. You should see my photo stream—it's primarily screenshots of must-visit, bucket-list locales across the globe. 

Check out the feeds of 10 Instagrammers who may inspire you to hop a plane, ride a bike or buy a van and simply go, passport—and camera—required.

@colerise
followers: 960,000+
Self-described escape artist—and Instagram user no. 75—Cole Rise will make you want to escape to the destinations captured in his beautifully photographed and filtered feed.

@jedidiahjenkins
followers: 35,000+
Inspirational and often amusing account of American traveler Jedidiah Jenkins, currently cycling from #oregontopatagonia.

@tuulavintage
followers: 963,000+
Australian style blogger Jessica Stein's account documents wanderlust and wardrobe as she travels the globe, making every place look sunny and idyllic.

@muradosmann
followers: 1,155,000+
Russian photographer and producer Murad Osmann's #followmeto series, shot with his girlfriend Nataly, will inspire you to get off your phone and onto a plane.

@ouropenroad
followers: 69,000+
Colorful feed of a California family adventuring around South America in a Westfalia and expecting their second child any day now.

@fosterhunting
followers: 904,000+
If one account about living out of a van isn't enough for you, follow Pacific Northwest native Foster Huntington's #vanlife on the road because #homeiswhereyouparkit.

@8ruecaffarelli
followers: 5,000+
Paris is always a good idea according to Pinterest and American in Paris Christine Kim's dreamy feed.

@mariannehope
followers: 72,000+
Simple and stunning shots from a Norwegian photographer based in Holland, traveling around Europe with her family.

@maurice
followers: 81,000+
You'll never forget to look up after scrolling through Vancouver-based photographer Maurice Li's feed.

@wheresandrew
followers: 24,000+
Explore faces and places around the globe with National Geographic columnist and digital nomad Andrew Evans.

BONUS: Are you following @tripstyler on Instagram? It's the best way to find out where we're trip styling right now. Spoiler alert: this week Editor-in-Chief Trish and Mr. Trip Styler are in Tulum, Mexico!

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

[photos via instagram]

Fresh and Foraged on the Sunshine Coast

[trip style = food & wine + weekend getaway]

On a recent trip style = weekend getaway on BC's Sunshine Coast—one of the most gorgeous stretches of coastline in Canada—I was taken by a food tale I had to tell.

It's not everyday you eat so local that your food is sourced from the nearby forest and ocean floor.

Every year between May and September, THE Restaurant at Painted Boat Resort—a hotel we recently featured in our Roam+Board series—opens its ocean-facing doors to the landlubbing and seafaring public. {While you can reach THE Restaurant by car or foot, you can also paddle or sail upto its deep-water marina and stop in for dinner.} Carved into the water's edge and suspended over a secluded cove, the sunset views rival some of the most sultry skies I've seen in my travels.

Though this savory stunner is more than just a fabulous facade. It has substance too. With deep ties to local suppliers like the butcher five minutes away, a nearby organic produce farm and BC-caught Ocean Wise* seafood, Head Chef Michael Riley doesn't just wax on about sourcing close-by cuisine because it's de rigueur or it looks good in his bio. For him, fresh is best and he has the foraging know-all to prove it.

*Ocean Wise is a designation given to fish caught in local waters via ethical and sustainable practices. 

Mirroring the coast's tradition of "getting out of the city and getting back to the land", Chef is an outdoorsy guy whose regular kayak excursions and hikes pair well with his culinary skills. Curious about foraging—something I've never done though free food is literally in my backyard—I accompanied him on a tranquil mission in search of sea asparagus sprouting from the ocean floor. We not only found it and cut a small bounty with kitchen scissors, we ate a few sea-salted sprigs right off the beach while doing so.

Oyster mushrooms were also in season, so en route home we stopped by a nondescript trail barely visible from the main road. Less than 500 meters into the woods, his eagle eyes spotted the right kind of mushroom. Truth be told: while snipping the foraged fungus off the trees, the urbanite in me had a quick and silent freak out wondering if we were somehow picking the right mushroom. Michael immediately calmed my fears, telling me the exact shape he was looking for, including its color, texture and age characteristics. Freak out averted. 

While you won't spot oyster mushrooms or sea asparagus on the main dish list at THE Restaurant, you will see the latest foraged find as a menu accoutrement. And while basking in the end-of-day glow with a glass of BC wine and spot prawns caught in the surrounding sea, you'll be tempted to stage a sit-in and eat all night long.    

THE Restaurant at Painted Boat Resort 

Greens from Henry Reed Organic Farm on the Sunshine Coast

Seared Ocean Wise halibut in a butternut squash puree with ricotta gnocchi 

Visiting the world's only organic sturgeon caviar facility near THE Restaurant. This world-class product will soon be featured on the menu.

Heading out to find sea asparagus with Pedals and Paddles kayaks

Cutting sea asparagus with kitchen scissors {PS. They're uber-crunchy and taste like a young, briney asparagus}

In search of oyster mushrooms with Chef Michael Riley

Oyster mushrooms in the wild

Foraged oyster mushrooms breaded, pan-fried and served with yuzu sauce and local greens

Our foraged sea asparagus, sautéed and added to Mr. Trip Styler's sablefish 

Do this: Pre-dinner, sunset drinks at THE Restaurant's outside bar
 

[photos by @tripstyler, taken as a guest of the hotel]