Russia Trip Report

I just returned from a spectacular journey to Moscow and St. Petersburg. April in Russia can be a little chilly, but perfect for avoiding the heavy cruise crowds that descend upon St. Petersburg June-August.

I first want to rave about Singapore Airlines non-stop service from Houston to Moscow which made this destination an easily accessible one.

In Moscow I stayed at the Ritz Carlton, a perfect location from which to visit the Kremlin, Red Square, Pushkin Gallery and the breathtaking Bolshoi ballet. A little off the beaten path is the Museum of Cosmonautics and the Park of Fallen Sculptures.

From Moscow you can now travel leisurely by train to St. Petersburg. I stayed at the aptly named Grand Hotel Europe. This elegant grand dame of a hotel has generously sized rooms, 5 spectacular restaurants and impeccable service. You can easily spend a week in this safe, beautiful city, exploring the Hermitage, Peter Paul Fortress, city palaces such as Stroganov and Yusupov, the Museum of the Siege and taking day trips to Peterhof and Pushkin to visit Catherine and Pavlovsk Palace. You can fill your evenings with cultural performances from the ballet and symphony to the circus.

Expedition Dining!

One of my favorite experiences abroad comes at dinnertime. New ingredients, flavors, and customs are the perfect finale for a day of family adventuring – and let’s face it, at the end of the day, who doesn’t crave a hot meal?

Seeking out the perfect eatery can be both challenging and exciting, depending on how adventurous your palette. A city’s best food can be hard to call between refined, gourmet dining and that little hole-in-the-wall that only the locals know about. Either way, culinary exploration is a quintessential experience when it comes to knowing the heart of any culture.

For some restaurants, however, the quality of the food is only the tip of the iceberg. Have you considered what it would be like to eat under water, or up in a tree? These folks have!

- Ithaa Undersea Restaurant offers a menu of fine Maldivian-Western fusion cuisine and panoramic views of the ocean – literally. The first-ever underwater restaurant, Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, is located in the Maldives 16 feet below the surface of the ocean. Boasting 180° views of life beneath the surface, this is one meal you will surely never forget.

- For the warm-blooded, jet over to Finland’s Snow Village, and specifically to their IceBar. Constructed completely from natural snow and ice (and accented with ambient colored lights and candles), IceBar offers frosty cocktails in ice glasses as well as an á la carte menu sporting Lappish delicacies. Don’t wait too long, though – Snow Village is open December through April of each year before the warmer months melt the ice!

- Sometimes it’s hard to get away from the hustle and bustle of the day, especially in popular Thailand. Fortunately the Soneva Kiri by Six Senses hotel has found a solution to this problem with The Dining Pod. Climb into your tree pod – rigid frames covered with woven rattan fabric – and be lifted nearly 20 feet into the air where you shall be served fine Thai cuisine via flying waiter (zip lines). Talk about a bird’s-eye view!

- If heights aren’t your thing, go underground instead! Playa del Carmen’s Alux Restaurant & Lounge offers beautiful, contemporary décor and Mediterranean specialties set against the stalactites, stalagmites, and rock formations of a natural cave. Said to be home of mystical beings and guardians, the “aluxes,” Alux Restaurant & Lounge may enchant more than just your taste buds.

An Arctic Christmas

While some people like to avoid the cooler months at all costs (like me!), others embrace wintertime as a welcome relief from the summer heat. There are certainly plenty of picturesque locales around the globe to choose from, each with their own sparkling version of a holiday wonderland. However, for families looking for something a little different this year, considering checking off your seventh continent!

Antarctica is a totally unique experience in every way. Uninhabited save for a few thousand semi-permanent researchers and scientists, the white desert plays host to a variety of wildlife including penguins, whales, seals, and more. It is the coldest and driest continent on Earth, accessible by a typically rough sea crossing aboard ice-strengthened vessels and, recently, via air. During Antarctica’s summer months there are 24 hours of sunshine, and, conversely, 24 hours of darkness during winter. It is a land of extremes, but is also breathtakingly gorgeous, and invaluable to understanding the Earth’s ecological balance and history.

Don’t be dissuaded by our frosty continent’s challenging environment, however – there are several options for a comfortable, luxurious experience while still embracing all the adventure Antarctica has to offer:

- For a more relaxed pace, Abercrombie & Kent offers five-star cruising out of Buenos Aires aboard the Le Boreal. Activities aboard the continent are always tailor-made to the unique opportunities of the day, as well as guests’ needs and desires. Spend your cruising days getting pampered in the on-board spa, or take a swim in the heated outdoor pool. Upon arrival at Antarctica, embark on zodiac trips around giant blue icebergs, visit research stations, and snap photographs with fuzzy seal pups. At the end of each day, return to your warm cabin and an al fresco meal.

- Feeling a bit more adventurous? By far one of the most established organizations to explore the Antarctic with is Lindblad Expeditions. Aboard the National Geographic Explorer, a state-of-the-art marine expedition vessel, enjoy more modest accommodations in exchange for staff scientists and experts, National Geographic photographers and videographers, and on-board exploration technology. From the moment of embarkation, you become a part of the exciting investigation of Antarctica and its waters. Upon arrival, you will have the opportunity to kayak through berg fields, identify penguins, and trek with famous explorers and researchers such as Peter Hillary, John Evans, James Balog, Roz Zavage, or Rick Hauck.

For an economical yet equally unique experience, consider the opposite end of the Earth: the North Pole. While Antarctica is far-removed and rare, the Canadian Arctic is a vastly underappreciated land of equal awe and beauty... and far less tourism.

- Arrive at your arctic safari camp via plane—luxury heated tents on the ice—and greet your Inuit guide. Arctic Kingdom Polar Expeditions offers small groups (up to 12 people) the opportunity to explore any and every possible activity in land-based excursions. Learn to build an authentic Igloo, observe curious polar bears and pods of narwhal and beluga whales, or dine in view of the northern lights. Have you ever wondered what the Arctic looks like from above? Find out during a hot air balloon tour over the glaciers. If you can imagine it, Arctic Kingdom Polar Expeditions can make it happen!