Reservation for Two

Hello friends, and welcome back!  I have a special treat for you this week.  Usually on Hidden Coves, we explore actual destinations; that's so amateur of us!  As somebody who loves to travel, I nearly forgot one of the most important parts of the traveler's checklist: where are we going to stay?

Have no fear!  This week we aren't going to find just another hidden gem.  Instead, we're going to find several hidden gems that allow us to not only see them, but stay in them.  So pack your bag, but not too heavy.  After all, we still have to travel around the world in order to check in to our reservation!

Poseidon Undersea Resort

Poseidon.  Photo courtesy of jebiga.com

First on our list is Poseidon.  Creatively named after the Greek God of the Sea, Poseidon is set to be the first underwater resort in the world.  Now, before you leave my blog (not that you would EVER do that) and try to make reservations, re-read that last sentence: it is set to be the first undersea resort.  

Poseidon's concept is currently being brought to life off of the Fijian coast thanks to US Submarines, Inc.'s President L. Bruce Jones.  It will be located 40-feet under water and accessible by two elevators.  One elevator will lead to a unit including 24 suites, a restaurant and a bar.  The other will lead to a separate unit that includes a library, a spa, a conference room, a theatre and a wedding chapel.

Photos courtesy of lanewstalk.com and gallivant.com 

If you haven't fainted from either your anxiety or excitement yet, I'm sure this will do just the trick: one week's stay at Poseidon will set you back $30,000.  

Now, if you're still with me, check out this official concept video of Poseidon.  I know that most people cannot afford it, but it doesn't hurt to dream.

Kakslauttanen's Glass Igloos 

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort.  Photo courtesy of weather.com

Moving a little closer to what I would assume is a desired price point, we come to Finland's Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. With prices averaging about $200 per person per night during the high-season, singles, couples and families can live in a glass-roofed igloo with an unbelievable view of the Northern Lights.

Photo courtesy of tourismontheedge.com

Aside from the view, this resort provides guests with many more amenities than most.  Guests have access to PR events being held at the resort, such as top-of-the-line car launches.  Smoke saunas and ice swimming are also included in your stay; both are believed to relieve physical and spiritual stress.  If that isn't enough, you can always rent equipment and clothing to ski or sled.  Afterwards, try out some of the food at one of the many restaurants on-site.

TreeHouse Point

TreeHouse Point's Binbibi treehouse.  Photo courtesy of treehousepoint.com

Calling all inner-children!  Our final hidden hotel this week is TreeHouse Point located right here in the United States.  TreeHouse Point emphasizes the importance of connecting with nature, and what better way for us to experience total peace and tranquility than living in the forest for a night?  

Because TreeHouse Point is inspired by nature, they offer tours as well as yoga sessions three days a week.   For those that are not afraid of group yoga, a drop-in class is only $15, or you can purchase a 5-class punchcard for $60.  You can also schedule a 60-minute, one-on-one session for $75 or even purchase private group sessions.  Prices vary on the number of guests.

There are endless possibilities to connect with the great outdoors.  Today we only explored three of the countless hotels and resorts where you are face-to-face with nature from the moment you arrive.  That's all for this week, come back in two weeks when we reveal the final hidden cove!

The DR Has It All (Literally)

Hello, and welcome back!  Last week we explored Caminito del Rey, the world's most dangerous hiking trail.  This week, I thought we would change things up just a bit.

Usually on Hidden Coves, we explore all of the beautiful and underrated places our world has to offer.  Unfortunately, we never take time to realize that many hidden gems are located right next to places people would never want to explore.

Neighborhood in a typical Dominican city.

Two years ago, I spent two weeks in Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana.  To most, this city would be considered anything but paradise: no beaches, no gourmet food, and you couldn't even drink the water!  Unlike in America, it was rare for the children to have two-parent households (or, should I say hut-holds), and it was even rarer to have a parent that wasn't involved in either drugs or prostitution.

Now I know that you may be thinking, "why is Hannah's Hidden Cove this week so depressing?"  Just hang in there!  I promise I have a point.

For 12 of the 14 days I was in the Dominican, I stayed in this city with these kids.  We made crafts and sang together every day.  I played street baseball when I had free time.  I ate food prepared by the locals.  I knew these kids and their stories.  They lived anything but the "American dream" that we all are comfortably living today.

When we think of a third-world country, these are the images that typically come to mind.  We picture children playing on the streets and UNICEF commercials asking us to donate money.  Yet we rarely realize what's happening just down the street from these communities.

Resort in the Dominican Republic.  Photo courtesy of cheapcaribbean.com

For the final two days of my mission trip, we stayed in an all-inclusive resort.  We drove only an hour away from the poverty-stricken community in which we were staying beforehand.  To me, it's absolutely crazy to believe that, after driving only one hour, we were able to switch from a third- to a first-world community.  The Dominican Republic really has it all.  

The resort my mission team stayed in.

So, in today's blog, I'm switching it up.  I believe that the hidden gem in the Dominican Republic isn't the resort which I stayed in.  Although the resort had multiple gourmet buffets, swimming pools with cabanas to swim to and drink, and the Atlantic Ocean as its backyard, that is not what I considered paradise.  To me, paradise was seeing the children smile as they learned the words to a new song and created a new craft.  

So, friends, that is why this week's hidden cove is Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  I challenge you to find the beauty that is hiding under a coat of dust.  I know that when I found it, it stuck with me much longer than the photographs of a beautiful ocean or castle did.  

That's all I have for you this week.  Remember to come back next week as we reveal another hidden cove!  Have you visited anywhere that stuck out?  Comment below and let me know.  Who knows, maybe your hidden cove will be featured!

(No Longer) The Most Dangerous Trail in the World

It's not every week that I get to share a hidden gem that is what one might consider "newsworthy," but this week is different!  Two days ago, Caminito del Ray, known for being the most dangerous trail in the world, reopened its entry points for tourists.  Grab your hardhat and hang on tight, this week's hidden cove might make your heart skip a beat!

Caminito del Rey, photo courtesy of Reuters. 

Caminito del Rey is a five-mile path along the walls of the El Chorro gorge in Southern Spain.  Originally constructed between 1901-1905, the walkway was used as a connection road between two hydroelectric plants.  It was then named Caminito del Ray, or "King's Little Pathway," by King Alfonso XIII in 1921.  

The pathway was closed for good in 2000 when many tourists fell to their deaths.  The entryways were destroyed; anybody caught trespassing would be fined a minimum of $6,500.  

Photos courtesy of Reuters. 

The trail reopened this week after undergoing a $5.8 million restoration project.  Unfortunately, the trail is no longer considered the most dangerous one in the world, but I think anybody would agree that being a little safer is much more worthwhile than having a catchy title.  

The renovations included rebuilding or reconstructing a majority of the walkways.  Wood and steel walkways now hover just above the original walkways, as seen below.  Before the renovations, handrails did not exist in the park.  

Photo courtesy of Reuters. 

Tourists will still consider this walkway "dangerous" and "risky," for many of the pathways are still very narrow and over 300-feet above the ground.  Luckily, a new protocol for this route is that all hikers must wear a hardhat - provided by the groundskeepers.  There is also now a minimum age requirement for the trail, eight-years-old, as well as restrictions for handicapped tourists.  As they say, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Tickets can be purchased online for tourists preparing to walk the trail.  Groups of 50 depart every 30 minutes, and park officials expect about 600 tourists will complete the trek each day.  Tickets are already booked up until late June.

If you aren't one for experiencing heights, this trek may not be for you.  Hey, that's OK!  We are bound to find another hidden cove that will give you the same sense of adrenaline without the height, narrowness, and spine-chilling sensations that come with the Caminito del Ray package.  

Remember to come back next week as we explore the world and find hidden gems together.  Until then!