Permanent Honeymoon

Foley House - Savannah

If you read my review on The Gastonian, you might wonder what is a good alternative in Savannah? The answer is The Foley House. Rated one of the ten most romantic Inns by Vacation Magazine (I would second that rating!), the Foley House is located on Chippewa Square in historic Savannah. It is managed by the man who, until recently, owned and operated the 1842 Inn in Macon, which we have visited as well. The common areas of the Foley House are quite unlike those found in other more formal Inns. I felt more like I was in the drawing room of a great British explorer than a place to take high tea. The furnishings are comfortable and arranged for reading, drinking and socializing. Wine is available by the bottle and glass and snacks are served in the evening.

One of the most amazing aspects of the Foley House is the garden. Intimate and beautiful, the garden is situated between the Main Inn and the carriage house. Tables for eating and drinking are surrounded by lush plants and beautiful fountains. While the garden is small, it is tranquil and a nice place to spend a warm Savannah evening. It was a bit cold when we were there (President’s Day), but we still spent a little while alone in the garden.

We stayed in the Essex Room, on the first floor. Usually we try to stay away from the first floor, because of foot and car traffic outside; however, the Essex room is so large (it runs from the front to the back of the Inn), we were not disturbed by the outside world. The Essex room is more formal than the parlor, appointed with French and English antiques and a gas fireplace. There is a sitting area with two chairs and a desk. The best thing about the room is the large, two-person Jacuzzi. The management provides bathing salts and two robes (like all good places should). A relaxing soak makes for a wonderful night. We always look for a Jacuzzi bath and usually recommend more highly those that have nice baths. The bed is king-sized, high and comfortable. There is also a (empty) refrigerator, so if you want to bring your own libations, do (but don’t forget the corkscrew).

Lastly, the service. The staff was highly helpful and gracious. They served us wine quickly and politely. We spoke with the owner of the Inn, who obviously has a passion for inn-keeping. All in all, the Foley House is wonderful and extremely romantic.

The Gastonian

Located on Gaston street in downtown Savannah, The Gastionian is the place that we spent our actual wedding night. The Inn itself is rather formal and has beautiful sitting rooms and furnishings. Drinks and snacks are served in the evening in the sitting room and parlor. The Main Inn has rooms named for famous Southerns, including one named for Juliana’s great, great aunt Juliette Gordon Low. The rooms are generally large and most feature spectacular baths. In one room the bath is bigger than the bed and set in the center of the double room – perfect for lounging lazily in the tub and then sliding on over to the bed for a quick rest (or whatever).

We rented the carriage house, which is a stand alone building in the back of the Main Inn on the alley. Once used to house carriages and horses (thus the name – carriage house), it has been converted into a suite for the romantic couple. Since it separated from the Main Inn by a courtyard it offers more privacy than the Main Inn, but you don’t get a huge Jacuzzi like some of the other rooms. Instead, there’s a red tub for two. When we first visited the Gastonian, it was perfect. The carriage house has a small kitchen and breakfast area downstairs where you are served continental breakfast each morning. Upstairs is a bedroom suite with a gas fireplace, the big red tub and a small bathroom. And the bed. Well, that is problem. On our wedding night, it was the most incredible bed ever. A huge antique Chinese bed, hand carved from hickory (I think) and definitely the centerpiece to an incredible and romantic room. Unfortunately, we returned to the Gastonian several years later to relive our wedding night in the carriage house. The bed is now gone. The Inn has changed management and (I suppose) the original owners took the bed with them. The new owners have replaced the extraordinary with ordinary – a simple white iron Queen sized bed. What a disappointment. The Chinese bed and theme to the carriage house is gone. On top of that, the laundry is in the basement of the carriage house and the maids were washing clothes all the morning after. No hot water and lots of noise. So, although the Gastonian’s carriage house was once a perfect and highly romantic place to spend a night or two in historic Savannah, now it is rather ordinary and much less romantic. Too bad.

If you do decide to stay in the Gastonian, stay in the Main Inn in a room with one of the huge Jacuzzis. Until they replace the bed with one of equal drama and stop doing laundry in the morning, the carriage house is now a bust. However, I still recommend the Gastonian, just not nearly as enthusiastically.

Serondella Lodge - South Africa

Africa has long been to dream of adventurers and pioneers, still a place of mystery, of the unknown. Africa has always been a dream of mine, ever since I was a little girl watching national geographic specials, fantasizing of being Jane Goodall or Dian Fossey. When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it, although I have to admit daunted by the fact that along with my husband and myself, we would take our four children: a twelve year old, our seven year old twins and our year-old baby.

Africa has many types of safari to offer. There are tented safaris, which move from place to place via small planes. There are private safaris where you set the agenda (again tented and with the use of small planes). There are lodges, both large and small. Each offers its own advantages. For example, if you have unlimited funds, you might choose a private safari, or even a tented safari; however, which with small children, I was hesitant to undertake either of these. We chose a small lodge, which can accommodate only eight people at a time.

Our lodge Serondella (which means “place of the elephant”) was perfect for us. At the time, we were there we were the only guests, securing attention unparalleled. We stayed in a family boma, a traditional round house with thatched roof. The three bedrooms were luxuriously appointed with comfortable beds, mosquito netting (a necessity), showers and a living area with a fireplace. There are no telephones or TVs neither of which were needed. We had a small terrace for sitting outside when the weather cooled a bit. We were awaked each morning by the barman at 5:30 am, with a tray of tea and biscuits, and then we were off on our morning game drive.

Our open land rover offered unparalleled views of the “Big 5″ – lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino”. In addition, we saw impala, zebra, giraffe, crocodiles, hippos, wild dog, baboons, and warthog. Our ranger Donny and tracker Thimba provided a wealth of knowledge on all these creatures and gave a running commentary on our rides. We even made a side trip to the Hoedsprit Cheetah Reserve, where these majestic animals are being kept in captivity for protection and breeding purposes. (more…)

Jaguar Reef Belize

Three words remote, remote, remote. If you really want to get away from it all, this is the place. But it takes travel, and if you don’t like little prop planes, bring a handful of Xanax (as I did) or forget it! You arrive at the international airport on a big jet (OK, no problem) however then you board a tiny prop (we’re talking a 6 seater here) which flies you to the “city” of Dangriga. Don’t get me wrong the flight was perfect, these guys do it all day long, but it was the thought of one propeller keeping the plane airborne that spooked me. The Dangriga “airport” is literally a swath cut out of the coastal bush, a wind sock and a shack. This is the third world make no mistake. We were met promptly by an employee of Jaguar Reef who took us on a 40 minute odyssey on the dirt “highways” of Belize. The ride was bumpy but made quite pleasant by the stories our driver told us. Belize is very poor, although you would never know it from the attitude of the Belizean people. Some might be shocked by the shacks and the seeming abject poverty these people live in, but one experiences no rancor from the locals – and no, I’m not on a “happy native” kick – it’s only that I have been places where this sort of hospitality did not exist.

Upon arrival at the club we were stunned by the beauty of the place. Landscaped amongst the sand are beds of tropical flowers. The roofs of the cabanas and the main house are thatched as is the Belizean custom. The few cottages are clustered around the main house in a semicircle. You are greeted and checked in with great expediency (they know you are coming). We did not actually stay on the resort property but in the Na Balum beach house about a 5 minute walk down the beach. We stopped at the bar to pick up the requisite rum punch (this is still after all the Caribbean) and wandered out onto the small open air dining room. About 15 simple tables all afford a glorious view of the Caribbean Sea. We checked out the swimming pool (small but functional) and then wandered down to the beach here they have beach chairs shaded by palms from the burning sun and double hammocks to while the day away. We then made our way down the beach to Na Balum – what a perfect spot.

The house has two rental levels, we had the bottom, with a living room equipped with a futon couch, a full kitchen with bottled water, simple bathroom and a bedroom with a double bed, alarm clock (as if you’d need it!) and a sliding glass door that opens to the sea. Since there is virtually no crime in Belize we slept with that door open every night, lulled to sleep by the sound of the lapping waves. Just in between Na Balum and the Jaguar Reef is a tiny inn with 4 rooms run by Canadian ex-pats. I recommend taking most of your meals there as the food is far tastier and cheaper than at the lodge – their pizza is to die for. We did take several meals at the lodge and they were fairly ordinary, with a few Belizean dishes thrown in – nothing to write home about, although the service is perfect. (more…)