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How to Make a South Africa Trip Extraordinary? Go In Winter

Cape Town shuts down in winter—South African winter, that is. At least, that’s what Capetonians will tell you. The popular tourist months here are in South Africa’s summer (December–February). But the weather remains mild through the winter season of May through August—enough to enjoy a lot of what this city by the sea has to offer. Even better, prices drop during the off-season, so you can find better deals and fewer crowds at popular hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

I’m just back from a winter week in Cape Town and the winelands, and here are the five experiences that most made my trip extraordinary. Any of them can easily be tacked onto a trip either before or after a safari. If your goal is the best trip possible, reach out to one of Wendy’s Trusted Travel Experts for South Africa—either Julian Harrison, of Premier Tours, or Dan Saperstein, of Hippo Creek Safaris. (Check out our readers’ reviews of Dan and reviews of Julian, and you’ll understand why we recommend them.)

1. Dine with Cape Town’s culinary stars
In Cape Town, there’s too much food and not enough time. But if you start early, you should be able to manage stuff in a few great meals. For a low-cost breakfast, join the young cool crowd at Jason Bakery for coffee and a house-made croissant or the croissant-meets-donut doughssant, which comes in a different flavor every day. For dinner, take your pick from two notable restaurants at the One&Only Cape Town: the only outpost of Nobu in Africa, and Reuben’s, the second restaurant from Reuben Riffel, one of South Africa’s most famous chefs (he started out in the country’s other food mecca, Franschhoek). At both, you’ll be able to dine for much less than it would cost you in other cosmopolitan cities. At Nobu, a six-course tasting menu with dessert is only $44. At Reuben’s, you can sign up for one of his Wine&Dine events showcasing special menus and local winemakers for about $30.

2. Take pictures with a penguin

boulders beach penguin colony south africa

Boulders Beach penguin colony is a tourist destination, but at the end of May, there were only four people there—including me. Photo: Billie Cohen

Boulders Beach penguin colony is in every guidebook for Cape Town, but it is still so worth visiting. The beach itself is beautiful enough to be worth a visit on its own—blue-green water separated into calm pools by the eponymous boulders. But on top of that you have all those adorable penguins! After paying the very small price of 60 ZAR (about $4.65), you’ll walk down a network of boardwalks leading to the shore, where a colony of about 2,000 endangered African penguins makes their home. Even from the raised platform you’ll be close enough to take great photos, but to get really close, walk down the path to the right of the ticket booth before you actually enter the reserve. Many penguins make their nests against the fence here. Be careful, though: You can get very, very close to these animals through the fence, but you don’t want to touch or try to feed them. Their beaks are razor sharp and they have been known to bite when threatened.

3. Learn to cook with a local

Our cooking teacher Fadelia was a character. She’s been inviting travelers into her home for years, both as a cook and as a homestay host for students. Photo: Billie Cohen

We learned to make samosas and chili dumplings, Malay chicken curry, roti, and honey-and-spice koeksisters. Photo: Billie Cohen

The Muslim neighborhood of Bo-Kaap is one of Cape Town’s most interesting (and that’s saying a lot in a city of interesting neighborhoods); the Malay here are descended from the slaves imported from Malaysia, Indonesia, and other parts of Africa by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Lined with brightly painted houses, the enclave is incredibly colorful—and so was our cooking teacher Fadelia, who’s been inviting travelers into her home for years, both as a cook and as a homestay host for students. She will regale you with funny stories about life in Cape Town (and her love life) as you learn the all-important South African skills of folding samosas, deep-frying chili dumplings, and finding room in your belly for one more honey-and-spice koeksister.

Cape Town Tourism can set this up for you—as can Julian Harrison, one of Wendy’s Trusted Travel Experts for Africa, if you book the rest of your trip through him.

4. Explore an entire neighborhood that’s been turned into a museum

Over the years, artist Juma Mkwela has invited dozens of street artists from all over the world to paint murals in the Woodstock neighborhood. Photo: Billie Cohen

Juma leads walking tours through Woodstock, an up-and-coming artists’ neighborhood. He’s expanded the project to Khayelitsha, which you can also tour with him. Photo: Billie Cohen

Street art is one of my favorite ways to get to know a city. In Cape Town, you can take a walking tour of a neighborhood entirely devoted to providing a canvas for this type of work—led by Juma Mkwela, the local artist who started the project.

Mkwela’s muralists come from all over the city and the world, and at this point he’s commissioned more than 50 paintings. During the tour, Juma will show you dozens, sharing stories about the artists and their inspirations—it’s not only a visual education, but a political one as well, as many of the murals reflect the city’s turbulent and complicated past. Meeting Juma is worth the price of admission alone—he’s such an interesting guy. He has recently expanded the mural project into his new neighborhood, Khayelitsha (of which he also leads tours) and launched a youth arts program. The tour cost R200 (about $15.50) and can be booked by emailing Juma Juma.mkwela@gmail.com.

5. Nab a reservation at one of the country’s most popular (and packed) restaurants

in the kitchen of the tasting room franschhoek south africa

Everything served to you during your eight-course meal at the Tasting Room in Franschhoek will be a surprise. Even if you get a kitchen tour, they won’t tell you what they’re making. Photo: Billie Cohen

meal at the tasting room franschhoek south africa

This whimsical dish was called Broccoli, Broccoli, and Broccoli, and it sliced, diced, fried, pureed, and drizzled the vegetable a million ways. It was delicious. Photo: Billie Cohen

The Tasting Room in Franschhoek is an incredibly difficult reservation to score. The small restaurant based at the small boutique hotel Le Quartier Francais is run by award-winning chef Margot Janse, whose team creates a nightly dinner menu that is full of surprises. In fact, no one in the dining room knows what they will be eating—the three-and-a-half hour, eight-course menu is a complete secret, you don’t even get to look at a printed version until after you’ve eaten. The result is extraordinary. There’s a feeling of anticipation that permeates the small room, and you can catch diners openly rubbernecking other tables in an attempt to find some clue as to their own whimsical next course, but Janse has thought of that—no one within your viewing distance will get the same dishes in the same order, and they likely won’t get some of the same dishes at all. Because of the experience and the pedigree, The Tasting Room is frequently fully booked (and an incredible deal at about $100 per person, including wine pairings).

But in South Africa’s winter, seats are easier to come by—and from May through August, Le Quartier Francais offers a special Dine-a-Stay package that includes a night at the hotel, breakfast, and—added in at no extra cost—Tasting Room dinners for two. Be sure to ask to visit the kitchen during your meal so you can meet the magicians at work; few people realize it’s allowed.

Where to Stay:

In Cape Town

Daily afternoon tea at the One&Only Cape Town is a feast: caramel éclairs, cinnamon macarons, tiramisu, scones with vanilla bean cream and strawberry jam, and so much more. Even better, it’s served with floor-to-ceiling view of Table Mountain. Photo: Billie Cohen

I stayed at the One&Only Cape Town, the luxury brand known for its island and beach resorts. The Cape Town property creates that secluded island feel by curving around a small canal and pointing most of its windows (including the floor-to-ceiling ones in the lobby bar) to Table Mountain, the centerpiece of the city. You’re also within walking distance of the V&A Waterfront area, a pedestrian-friendly enclave of shops, restaurants, and views. The Waterfront area is a bit touristy, but the trade-off is that you can stroll out of your hotel at night and wander around; you won’t need a cab, and it’s very safe.

The One&Only Cape Town is “popular with families, couples, and VIP clients,” notes Dan Saperstein, one of Wendy’s Trusted Travel Experts for South Africa, adding this money-saving tip: “A lot of rooms face the harbor or Table Mountain, but we are of the opinion that you don’t need to pay for a good view in your room—you’ll see it all day and you’re only in your room at night anyway.”

Another way to save money: Timing. In peak season (December and January), rooms start at about $875 per night, but in low season (April through September) that price drops significantly to about $450. I’m sure you can come up with some great things to do with that extra money.

In Franschhoek

The boutique hotel Le Quartier Francais looks like a secret garden and provides perks to all guests: free Wi-Fi, free minibar, and good-night notes on your bathroom mirror. Photo: Billie Cohen

The boutique hotel Le Quartier Francais looks like a secret garden outside and provides perks to all guests inside: free Wi-Fi, free minibar, and good-night notes on your bathroom mirror. Photo: Billie Cohen

I stayed at Le Quartier Francais, a small blue-and-white boutique hotel that feels like it belongs in Provence instead of South Africa’s wine country. Although, to be fair, all of Franschhoek looks and feels like Provence. The shop-lined village is walkable and adorable, and the nearby wine farms (which LQF will shuttle you to and from) are impressive for their idyllic atmospheres as much as for their vintages. Depending on which room you choose (they’re all designed differently), rates decrease about $40¬–$100 per night in the winter. Check the hotel website for other winter deals, including packages for the town’s annual Bastille Day Festival.

*Disclosure: Both One&Only Cape Town and Le Quartier Francais provided me with free stays. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, there was no request for coverage by either property, nor was anything promised on ours.

Is 2015 the Year to Travel to China?

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Is this the year to finally take that trip to China? One of the big findings from TripAdvisor’s 2015 TripBarometer study, the world’s largest traveler and accommodation survey, is that China will see the greatest reductions in hotel prices this year—a year when most countries will be hiking their prices. Half of all properties worldwide—and 59% of U.S. hotels—plan to up their room rates this year (with the biggest increases expected in South Africa, Austria, and Brazil).

There’s value for your dollar in China, for sure, but only if you’re careful. As someone who has spent six weeks of her life road-testing China every which way, I am here to tell you that China is one of those countries where, if you want to avoid unexpected hassles that eat up significant time and money, you’re better off having a China travel specialist orchestrate and book your itinerary. Factors that can foil the best-laid plans include:

* Places that were charming a year or two ago have been overbuilt and overrun with domestic Chinese tourists.

* Things in China change overnight, which means it’s tough to get reliable logistical information or accurate opinions as to which places are still worth seeing and which have been spoiled.

* The ingrained tourism infrastructure inflicts a mass-market agenda that will turn off sophisticated travelers. Without help from the right sources, you can easily get trapped at mediocre sights, with detours for forced shopping, tasteless meals at tourist restaurants, and layers of middlemen extracting cash from you at every turn.

The solution is a stellar China travel specialist with up-to-date intel, reliable taste, special access, and well-trained, flexible English-speaking guides who can get you past the lines and crowds and who understand the difference between authentic, photogenic experiences and tourist traps. My Trusted Travel Experts for China fit the bill. They know this year’s must-dos and must-skips, and they’ve shared that intelligence in their Insider’s Guides (for example, Mei Zhang’s Insider’s Guide to Beijing or Yunnan Province). So, if you’re thinking about China, reach out to me, via Ask Wendy, to find the one who best suits your needs.

Hong Kong viewed from a helicopter. Photo courtesy David Allardice.

I’d love to know: Do you want to travel to China this year? Why or why not?

How to Transform a Disney Trip from Average to Extraordinary

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Just thinking about a vacation at Disney World conjures all kinds of images: Mickey Mouse, princesses, rides, parades, smiles, magic…big crowds, long lines, overtired parents, overstimulated children. Of course, you can have all of the good with none of the bad, but it requires some planning—and a lot of know-how. After a recent trip to Orlando, we’ve got you covered with our own tricks, as well as advice from our Trusted Travel Expert for Disney vacations, Michelle Allen, who can help ensure an all-smiles, no-stress trip with all the best activities and experiences (and oh yeah, she costs nothing to you; Disney pays her fees). Here are five foolproof ways to transform a Disney World trip from average to extraordinary.

After a day at the park, the sleek and sophisticated design of the Four Seasons is a welcome respite from its over-the-top surroundings.

1. Stay at the new Four Seasons

Disney World has a lot of really great hotels at a wide variety of price points, but the newest addition to the lineup really stands apart. The Four Seasons Orlando just had its grand opening this fall, and provides all the luxury and service you’d expect from a Four Seasons property—attentive staff, beautiful rooms, a full-service spa, customized beds—plus all of the official Disney services, thanks to its location inside park boundaries (e.g., free buses to parks and attractions, an on-site desk for tickets and reservations, discounts for Disney-property guests). “It’s still on campus, so you’re not giving up the location that you would have had to in the past to stay somewhere different—it’s really right there within,” Michelle says. “And while Disney does deluxe, this is really luxury.”

The hotel’s best perk might just be the visual and mental break it provides from its over-the-top surroundings. After a day of crowds and craziness (or instead of one), the hotel’s nearly-mouse-free design, sleek adults-only pool, cocktail-carrying pool staff, and full-service spa are a welcome respite. Not that families are forgotten here—this is Disney World after all, and the hotel is a very kid-friendly home base with a complimentary kids club, two water slides, a lazy river, a zero-entry family pool, a rock-climbing wall, sand volleyball courts, and a splash zone water playground. There’s even a character breakfast.*

The mosaics in Epcot’s Morocco showcase were crafted by master artisans. And since only Allah can achieve perfection, they left a crack or a flaw in every work. Photo by Billie Cohen.

2. Splurge on a VIP Tour

We’re not saying this isn’t expensive, we’re just saying it’s a pretty failsafe way to make your time in Disney World more extraordinary. Hire a VIP guide and you’ll be picked up at your hotel and ushered into the parks of your choice through special back-lot entrances. Once inside, your guide will map out the most efficient way to hit every ride, parade, and snack spot on your wish list, FastPassing you to the front of lines and character meet-and-greets, scoring VIP seating at parades and fireworks, and dropping all kinds of Disney secrets and trivia along the way. Wondering who’s on those portraits in the Haunted House? Why there’s an intentional flaw in EPCOT’s Moroccan fountain? I was repeatedly impressed by how much my guide knew, and her narrative made my day more than just a series of rides. Apart from the fun of all that Disney geekdom, it’s the personalized attention that really makes a VIP Tour attractive: The stress of crowds, lines, far-far-away bathrooms, parking—they are all removed from the equation. At a price, of course: rates range from $1,890 to $3,000 for a six-hour-minimum tour, depending on the season and whether you’re staying at a Disney resort, and that fee does not include park admission. On the bright side, that fee is the same whether you’re one person or ten, so if you’re traveling as a family or two, the cost can be shared…or mitigated another way, as Michelle has seen from her own experience: “There are some people who may stay at a moderate resort and put that money toward a guide instead,” she says.

Pick up a MagicBand and you can leave pretty much everything in your hotel room—even your room key. Photo courtesy Walt Disney World.

3. Embrace technology

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can reserve three FastPass rides before you step foot outside the hotel (or even before you leave home). “It used to be that you had to get to the park before opening,” Michelle recalls. “The rope would drop, you’d get a FastPass, hop on a ride, then run to the other end of the park to get another FastPass. But now you can reserve guaranteed board at Space Mountain between 10:30 and 11, so guess who gets to have a leisurely breakfast? You do.” Guests staying at a Disney resort can also use MagicBand bracelets, which are registered online and then used for various functions, including park admissions, FastPass reservations, Disney PhotoPass accounts, paying for food and merchandise, and even unlocking your hotel room door.

Tying it all together is the My Disney Experience app. From your phone, you’ll be able to check ride wait times, change up your FastPasses, make dining reservations, and find character greeting locations. Plus it has GPS, so you’ll be able to see where you are in relation to that Dole Whip you’ve been craving.

Silhouettes and abstract images of the renowned mouse are hidden throughout the parks and resorts of Disney World. This one is embedded in a giraffe carving at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Can you see it? Photo courtesy Walt Disney World.

4. Go surfing… or backstage

Some of the parks feature special activities that really do make you feel special. Typhoon Lagoon offers surf lessons before the park opens to the masses. At Hollywood Studios, you can dine with a Disney Imagineer. And at Magic Kingdom, the Keys to the Kingdom tour lifts the curtain on the whole Disney show, bringing you to backstage areas, leading you through the secret underground tunnels used by staff to get around without being seen, and pointing out a ton of hidden Mickeys disguised all over the park.

5. Use our Trusted Travel Expert
Yes, yes, we’re tooting our own horn here, but we have no qualms about it. Booking a trip with Michelle Allen won’t cost you a thing, but booking without her most certainly will. You’ll end up paying in time, stress, and yeah, probably dollars because she can not only make sure you get access to great activities, she can also find you deals (and let you know when something simply isn’t worth the price). There’s just so much to navigate, reserve, and organize when it comes to planning a Disney vacation. Why do it alone? Read more about Michelle’s background and her tips for Disney World.<

*Disclosure: Four Seasons Orlando provided me with a three-night stay free of charge, and Disney provided me with a VIP Tour so that I could test it for our readers. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Four Seasons’ or Disney’s part, nor was anything promised on ours. You can read the signed agreement between WendyPerrin.com and the organizers of my trip here.

A Day in Athens: How to Spend Your Cruise Shore Excursion

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Today we kick off our series on cruise shore excursions, in which we curate your best options in port cities worldwide when you’ve got only eight to ten hours before your ship sets sail for the next port. We’ll be asking local experts in the world’s popular cruise ports to recommend efficient sightseeing itineraries and how to make the very best use of your time. Today we start with Athens, Greece, where we spoke to the experts at Context Travel, who have sussed out the best walks in the world’s cultural capitals.

The challenge with Athens: How to get the best feel for the cradle of Western civilization in just one day—and actually enjoy yourself. The solution: two suggestions—one, a day on your own; two, a guided walking seminar. Each takes about eight hours, including transit time from the port into the heart of Athens and back. Remember that from spring through autumn Athens can be very hot, so factor in rest time, as well as a recuperating lunch break.

Getting into Athens

The city of Athens is served by the port of Piraeus, itself a city, located about ten kilometers away—though due to urban sprawl the boundaries between the two are increasingly blurred. Piraeus is a huge port serving international traffic as well as many domestic services to the Greek islands. The Metro line number 1 (green line) runs regular, high-speed trains between Piraeus and the center of Athens, but depending on where in the port you are, it can take 20 to 30 minutes on foot to reach Piraeus Metro. A single ticket costs €1.40. Though you may need to allow about an hour to get into town on public transport, the journey itself is a historical adventure, especially for engineering enthusiasts. The Piraeus-Kifissia Electric Railway began life as Athens’ first steam-powered train service in 1869 (today the railway is fully modernized). Alternatively, a taxi can get you into central Athens in about 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic. Make sure you take a cab from an official taxi rank and that the driver uses his meter. Expect to pay €20 to 30 one-way.

Acropolis Museum exterior in Athens Greece

The beautifully renovated Acropolis Museum has a postmodern design that contrasts starkly with the ancient classicism above. Photo courtesy Context Travel

Excursion Option 1: A Day On Your Own

The obvious attraction is the mighty Acropolis, but bear in mind it is hugely crowded in cruise season (spring through fall), and there is a 20-minute hike to the top of Acropolis Hill before you can even join the back of the queue. One alternative is to skip that part entirely and head straight to the beautifully renovated (and air conditioned) Acropolis Museum, whose contemporary postmodernist lines contrast starkly with the ancient classicism above. You’ll need at least an hour to explore the layers of history within those walls, from the statues in the Archaic Gallery to the Parthenon frieze. Don’t miss the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis, with its vertiginous transparent floor revealing the archaeological excavation below. The gallery is home to artifacts discovered in archaic sanctuaries on the side of Acropolis Hill, as well as from everyday life in Athens.

Afterward, rather than visit the main attraction, explore the many other impressive archaeological sites just a stone’s throw from the Acropolis Museum. Around the corner from the Museum, for example, lies the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which took 600 years to build. Though only fragments of the Temple remain, you can still feel the scale of the colossal structure if you stand beneath its towering columns. Sadly, the temple fell into disrepair after an invasion in the 3rd century A.D. Nevertheless, it’s still a breathtaking remnant—one that stands out all the more thanks to a relative lack of crowds.

Also nearby is the Theater of Dionysus, on the south slope of Acropolis Hill. Though it’s not in as good shape as the Acropolis’s other theater, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, this one is historically more important, having once played host to more than 17,000 spectators.

A combined ticket to all of the archaeological sites of Athens costs €12 and can be purchased at any of the entrances. Entry to a single site (excluding the Acropolis) is €2 (Agora €4).

When you’re finished with the historical sites, you should have time for a stroll through the winding streets of Plaka. Yes, it’s touristy, but Plaka still holds a special charm. Just behind the Theater of Dionysus you’ll find the diminutive district of Anafiotika, with its ancient abodes that seem to be carved into the hilly landscape. Like a cute little village from one of the Greek Islands, Anafiotika has been known to draw a crowd, but there’s an authenticity here that should excite even jaded travelers.

Getting there: Take the M1 metro to Monastiraki and walk (15–20 minutes) around the foot of Acropolis Hill to the Acropolis Museum.

Lunch and breaks: For a well-earned lunch, try Attikos Greek House, which offers that rare combination of spectacular Acropolis views and a credible smattering of locals. For a quick revitalizing break, head to Syntagma Square, where you can join locals in an iced coffee, also known as the Greek frappé. This typically consists of instant coffee with added cold water, whisked up to a foam with a couple of ice cubes dropped into the glass. No milk, but add as much sugar as you like. Pro tip: Syntagma Square has a metro station with its own archaeological collection of artifacts discovered during its construction.

Excursion Option 2: The Guided Day

When you’ve been to Athens before and are happy to avoid the heat and crowds and admire the archeological sites from afar, or you simply prefer to enjoy the city as the locals do, then make food the theme of your day.

Retsina is a sweet Greek white wine made with the resin of a local pine species. Photo courtesy Context Travel

Food culture in Athens revolves around the busy Central Market, or Varvakios Agora. Here, nut vendors vie with butchers and fishmongers for the attention of passersby. On the surrounding streets, you’ll find honey, cheese, and pastry specialists who offer a fantastic array of snacks that demonstrate the intricacies and complexities of Greek cuisine. Again, take the M1 Metro from the cruise port to Monastiraki; you’ll emerge within a few steps of the action.

Foodies and culture vultures interested in an authentic taste of Athenian life can join an Athens chef and food journalist for an in-depth and immersive walking tour with Context Travel. Called Beyond Feta, the tour traces the development and character of Athenian cooking from farm to fork. One of the stops, for instance, is Dyporto Wine Shop, in a basement beneath the markets of Monastiraki Square. The shop has been owned by the same family for more than four generations. They produce and serve a special Greek wine called retsina—a sweet white made with the resin of a local pine species. Greek president Karolos Papoulias reportedly stopped by unannounced last year for a meal with some aides, and current owner Dmitri will proudly show you a photo of himself with Francis Ford Coppola. After sampling some of the wine, you’ll get to try a traditional Greek lunch in the cool wine cellar.

After the tour, you’ll likely still have time to explore the charming streets of Plaka (see above) before heading back to the port (allow one hour for your return). And don’t worry about getting lost: the Acropolis is always looming above as a way to orient yourself.

Getting there: For more info on this food tour and where to meet your guide, contact Context Travel.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Bannerman Castle, built in the early 1900s, as it stood on July 4, 1961. Photo: Douglas Labounty/Courtesy of the Bannerman Castle Trust

A Surprising Day Trip from New York

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When visitors come to New York, they usually think: Empire State Building, Central Park, Broadway. They probably rarely think: kayak to the ruins of a castle in the Hudson River. But they’re missing out. Last week, I joined a kayak tour in Cold Spring, NY, a charming Hudson Valley town about an hour outside NYC packed with antiques shops, cute restaurants, and a few great hiking trails. Our destination was Bannerman Castle, a somewhat dilapidated manse built in the early 1900s on Pollepel Island, a small circle of rock in the middle of the Hudson.

The view from my kayak, looking north up the Hudson River to Pollepel Island in the distance. Photo: Billie Cohen

The castle has an interesting and quirky history. Not surprisingly, it was the summer residence for a wealthy New York City family (the Rockefellers, FDR, and railroad tycoon Jay Gould also had mansions in this region). But the main reason the Bannerman family purchased the island in 1901 was to store all their ammunitions: guns, cannons, bayonets, and other military paraphernalia stockpiled after the Civil and Spanish American wars.

The castle’s owner, Francis Bannerman, was born in Scotland and came to Brooklyn as a toddler in 1854. He worked with his father there, collecting scrap from ships in New York Harbor to sell at auction. As an adult, Frank grew the resale business so well that he eventually started to purchase surplus government stock—including military gear from various wars. But where to put all those ammunitions while he waited for new buyers? It was too dangerous (and against the law) to keep them in the city. So when Frank’s son David spotted Pollepel Island on a canoe trip in 1901, the family bought it up and started construction of an arsenal. To give you an idea of what the Bannermans were holding, a tour guide told us that the family had so many weapons in their possession that some of the ornaments on the arsenal buildings and the nearby residence are stuck on with bayonets, set inside the walls instead of I beams.

Bannerman Castle in the Hudson River New York 1905

Bannerman Castle was built as a complex to house the Bannerman family’s military resale business, which they advertised in gigantic letters on the side of the arsenal, shown here in 1905. Photo courtesy of the Churchill / Bannerman Family/Bannerman Castle Trust

As you’d expect, this wasn’t the safest of residential complexes. And in the 1920s, an arsenal building exploded. Another fire in August 1969 did further damage, and most recently, a storm in December 2009 tumbled several walls of the main arsenal, known (in Scottish style) as Crag Inch Tower. The façade of the family’s residence is in better shape, though visitors are not allowed inside either building.

This is what the Crag Inch Tower looks like today; you can see these ruins from the mainland shore and from the Metro-North train. Photo: Billie Cohen

The Bannerman’s residence on Pollepel Island. Photo: Billie Cohen

The ruins are currently in the care of the Bannerman Castle Trust, a nonprofit organization that has stabilized the arsenal and is trying to raise money for more preservation efforts across the island. During the spring, summer and fall, the Trust offers tours and other fun events—including a nighttime photography workshop coming up on August 23, and a five-course gourmet meal prepared by Hudson Valley chefs on September 13—and since the island is accessible by boat or kayak only, the Trust works with specific companies to organize those tours. Take note: Anyone who paddles up to the island of their own accord is prohibited from landing; you have to go with a licensed group.

My visit last week was arranged through Hudson River Expeditions. I took the Metro-North commuter rail right from Midtown Manhattan and had to walk only a block to get to the launch point, where I met our two guides and six other guests. After some instruction, we paddled for about 90 minutes from Cold Spring, then landed on the island for lunch and a guided tour (the day’s fee included the meal, bottles of water, and a donation to the Trust). We ran into a few other groups that had arrived by passenger boat, but I’d recommend the kayak route. This part of the Hudson River is beautiful; you’re not that far from the concrete and noise of the city and yet all you’ll see are low green hills lining the shore and maybe a bald eagle or two. In general, I’m a fan of kayaking as a way to see a place from a new perspective, so even if you don’t make it to Pollepel, it’s worth getting on the water to look at NYC from sea level—you can even kayak for free in the city proper at one of several coves run by the Downtown Boathouse. The best part: You don’t need to be some special athlete for these tours; all you need is a little paddling experience and a sense of adventure.

My Best Travel Mistake: Climbing Mount Sinai for the Sunset

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We’ve all been through travel nightmares that over time have turned into fond memories. Maybe you were lost for hours in a maze of back alleys in some gritty Beijing hutong where nobody spoke English but you eventually found your way back to your hotel. Maybe a flight cancellation stranded you on a remote Pacific island for three days but you ended up making great friends and learning how to boil kava.

My biggest travel mistake happened in Egypt. Tim and I had driven across the Sinai Desert to see St. Catherine’s Monastery—the sixth century cloister at the foot of Mount Sinai—and had decided to climb to the top of the mountain for the sunset. The path was rocky and precarious, but after about two and a half hours we had made it up the 7,500 feet. We were virtually the only people at the summit at sunset. It was one of those perfect travel moments.

Until the sun disappeared behind the mountain and we realized there was no light anywhere in the desert. We somehow had to get all the way back down that mountain in the pitch dark. The descent was treacherous, and the only reason I’m alive today to tell the tale is that I was wearing sturdy shoes and Tim happened to have a Mini Maglite flashlight in his pocket.

A friendly Bedouin

What turned this ordeal into a cherished memory was what greeted us when we finally reached the bottom. It was like we had landed in Lawrence of Arabia. A blanket of stars had come out, and beside the ancient cloister, crouched around a flickering campfire, was a group of friendly Bedouin and their camels, making dinner and telling stories in an incomprehensible but mesmerizing tongue. We were, again, the only travelers around. That movie-set finish to our day is seared in my memory, and somehow over time that harrowing Mount Sinai descent has turned into one of the highlights of my travel history.

Mount Sinai after sunsert

Three lessons learned:

1. The next time I climb to the top of a mountain, it will be for the sunrise.

2. No matter what time of day, I’ll be carrying a Mini Maglite.

3. Don’t let State Department travel alerts cause you to misperceive the real risks. As is often the case, the risk of death by violent human attack or explosive device is far less than the risk of death from simply wearing the wrong shoes.

St. Catherine’s Monastery

The Sinai Desert

What was your worst travel mistake that turned into an amazing memory? I just might collect the best stories and share them with everyone.

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