Whole Travel Blog

We have covered some interesting architecture projects at Whole Travel, but this one deffinatly takes the cake!  Morris Architects has made designs for a luxury resort based upon retired oil rigs.  The Rig Resort’s aesthetics evoke an ocean reef with modern flair. Views include ocean vantages – even through the lobby’s glass floor – as well as of the roof-top white sand “beach” and infinity pool beyond.

Rig Hotel

Like other projects we have covered, The Rig will be partially prefabricated from containers.  The guestrooms will be prefabricated modules built to withstand the harsh open water conditions.  Energy will be generated using a variety of sustainable methods.

Rig Lobby

Enjoy wine tasting? Heading up to Napa? There are so many places to stay and wineries to visit while you’re there, it can be overwhelming to make a decision. We’ve found a great hidden gem - the Mountain Home Ranch - a secluded country-style bed and breakfast in the heart of California’s beautiful Sonoma and Napa Valleys. It’s an informal and relaxing spot with no televisions and no telephones so you can really enjoy the wineries, historic sites, spas, excellent restaurants and charming shops without any distractions.

Mountain Home Ranch

The property has more than 300 acres of hiking trails, two swimming pools, and even a labyrinth! The owners are great stewards of this beautiful land, keeping the Mountain Home Ranch as eco-friendly as possible through a long list of sustainability initiatives that I’ll spare you in this blog post. Definitely get up to Napa and Sonoma this year and try the amazing wines of California, and drop by the Mountain Home Ranch and say hello.

Recently, I’ve been looking at a little summer getaway to the Sea of Cortez down in Mexico. I met a guy who charters boats from local families - La Paz Fishing Charters - and employs native crews from La Paz and the surrounding areas. They practice catch-and-release fishing for local bill fish, and for all other sport fish they encourage you to only take what you will eat. Even better, you’ll be able to enjoy a very comfortable stay on an amazing yacht while having a very authentic, local experience.

The Mariana, La Paz

The Mariana, La Paz Fishing Charters’ flagship yacht, is crewed and maintained by one of the oldest maritime families in Baja California Sur. The Abaroa family has owned and operated complete marine facilities in Baja since 1898, and they and their friends have lived in and around La Paz for more than forty years. They are very proud of this special place and can get you up close and personal with the local ocean life.

I know that I’m looking forward to my trip to La Paz at the end of June, and even more so now that I’ve found a great charter company that will hopefully be providing great fishing expeditions for generations to come.

A great way to travel sustainably (and cheaply) is to visit your local parks.  This weekend Whole Travel is visiting the Channel Islands National Park, off the coast of California.  The park consists of five islands each with its own distinct character.  More than 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found within the park and three mammals are endemic to the islands.

Channel Islands Park

To plan the trip we used a new exciting service.  Nileguide.com offers iternary making tools that makes the whole process a breeze.  NileGuide uses content from third-party sources as well as their own Local Experts, they combine content and a clever way of finding and personalizing your trip with filters such as “Lively”, “Romantic” or “Kid Friendly”. Ultimately, NileGuide enables travelers to create their own free custom guide to take-away in PDF form or soon via iPhone.

First Step: Select Destination

Step 2: Discover and select your activities, restaurants, and lodging options

Step 3: Plan itenerary

Step 5: Print and share your trip!

To view our trip to the Channel islands click here!

Working in travel you come across a number of great online products.  TheTravelEditor.com is a source of insider travel tips and recommendations for discerning travellers looking for inspiration and memorable experiences.  They have taken a very hands-on approach to developing their content.  Reviews are written by professional travel journalists, many of whom have actually lived in the destination they are covering.  It is an interesting concept which goes against the popular trend of user generated content.  The argument is user reviews lack authority and editorial quality and the sheer number of them can make them difficult to glean anything useful.  You type in your hotel and get 100 reviews: 50 love it, 50 hate it, and who are these reviewers anyway? 

Thetraveleditor.com is independent, objective and they tell it like it is.  Their articles ranging from sustainable skiing in the Alps, to London’s Top Indian Restaurants are always informative and insightful.

Great Travel Site