The helicopter lifts, then tilts back, back, back… The trees spin sideways. The bay slips out from under us. The sky comes rushing forward. Clouds. Blue. An eagle… The trees begin righting themselves. We were upside down for only a split second before completing the loop-d-loop. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to weightlessness, and though I want to retain my composure, I can’t wipe the silly grin off my face. We feather toward the lake, landing softly on one of the resort’s three over-water helipads.
Category Archives: Travel: Adventure
Photo of the week: Four Seasons Punta Mita yacht
This is one of my all-time favorite sunsets. I took this during a cruise aboard a beautiful 55-foot yacht operated by the Four Seasons Punta Mita, 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Photo of the week: The Agrarian Kitchen, Tasmania
The Agrarian Kitchen is a literal farm-to-table cooking school in rural Tasmania, 45 minutes northwest of Hobart. Pretty much everything that makes it into the kitchen here comes from the surrounding farm: chickens, ducks, hogs, fruits, vegetables…
Trout fishing — and the yearning for peace — in Kashmir
Death returned to Kashmir this month. A fresh wave of violence erupted after a teenage rebel — a local celebrity on social media — was killed in a shootout with police. More than 70 people have died in clashes in August alone. Five thousand more have been injured, according to various news reports. It is an ominous …
Photo of the Week: San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
Ah, Los Cabos. How I’ve missed you (I shot this photo in 2011), but I will see you again very soon. I just booked my flight. I look forward to photographing the spectacular new Mar Adentro hotel from famed architect Miguel Ángel Aragonés, plus…
This just in: IACP Finalist! NATJA Finalist!
Beef ribs, sausage and brisket at Bad to the Bone in San Juan Capistrano. Notice the tiny ration of sauce. If you want more, you have to get up and request it.
Phat Ky Mi Gia.photo by Brad A Johnson
Banh beo chen at Hue Oi in Fountain Valley. photo by Brad A Johnson
Sunset over the Gulf of Thailand aboard the Crystal Symphony (photo by Brad A Johnson)
Photo of the week: Telluride
Counting down the days until my return to Telluride, Colorado. One of my favorite places on earth.
Australian truffles are in season right now. Get some while you can!
Although it’s summertime here in the United States, it is winter in Australia, where black truffle season is underway. The Australian truffle that grows so beautifully in Manjimup, Western Australia, is the exact same type of truffle (known to truffle geeks and chefs as Tuber Melanosporum) that is famously harvested in Périgord, France. These are far superior in flavor …
Is this the Best Hotel Ad Ever?
I published this a while back but watched it again today and fell in love with it all over. It’s an amazing short film by Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts. I’ve stayed at a few Shangri-La hotels around the world, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Penang, Tokyo, Sydney and Vancouver. Loved every one.
Crystal Symphony: Feast on the High Seas!
Food dictates where I travel. I book restaurant reservations before I buy plane tickets. I choose hotels based on their proximity to where I will eat. I also like cruise ships. But I’ve learned over the years that my passion for food and my love for cruising are not always compatible. I’ve found myself on …
Quick Look: Savor Saigon food tour, Vietnam
I recently traveled back to Saigon. So much has changed since my last visit to Vietnam just a few years before. Most notably, the skyline is quickly going vertical. Fortunately, much of what I fell in love with the first time around hasn’t really changed. The food is incredible and the people are warm, welcoming …
What I’m reading: Daredevils, wine snobs and Mexico’s new high-speed train
Those crazy daredevil Russian photographers are at it again. I don’t know whether to be impressed or offended. I’m leaning toward impressed. Gawker McDonalds has 34,480 restaurants in 119 countries, but not here. NPR Fascinating: How a 45-story boondoggle became the world’s tallest slum. Upworthy High-speed rail in Mexico will link the Riviera Maya with Merida. Mexico …
Moveable Beast: Maiden Flight of the A380
Singapore Airlines flight SQ380—the first commercial flight of the Airbus A380—taxied down the runway of Singapore’s Changi International Airport. I was strapped into seat 26F, in the second-to-last row of business class on the upper deck. I cinched my seatbelt tighter than I normally would, and then I pulled it tighter still. The view was …
Rebirth of Luxury Train Travel: 4 Amazing Journeys
Eastern & Orient Express (Brad A. Johnson)The best way to experience the true soul of a place is to arrive by train. I???m reminded of this after spending several days aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express and disembarking my posh Pullman car at the…
Jungle Book: The Search for Bengal Tigers in Ranthambore, India
An elusive Bengal tiger in Ranthambore ???He???s watching us,??? says the guide, leaning out of our idling Jeep and pointing to the soft-dirt road in the jungle that we???ve been traversing. Monkeys screech overhead, swinging from the Banyan trees. ???He???s …
Going Ape: Tracking highland gorillas in Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest
Moses greets me wearing knee-high rubber galoshes and what looks like a military uniform. His outfit will camouflage him nicely as he and I head out for a private walk through the swamp-lined savannah to sneak up on hyenas and hippos in a remote corner of Uganda’s Lake Mburo National Park. An AK-47 hangs casually …
