Friday, March 12, 2010
Rio it's about finding your way to the best of the neighbourhoods
Copacabana and Ipanema must be the most famous neighborhoods of Rio, garnering more than their fair share of international attention. Copacabana, although flooded with both hotels and people (curious fact: Copacabana’s streets could not actually accommodate all its residents should they all leave their apartments at the same time), but its heyday is well and truly over at the moment, no doubt it is set to return in the next years but for now it is best left to those who don’t know any better.
Less crowded and leafier Ipanema has its appeal and today plays home to beautiful boutique hotel ‘Fasano Rio’, but Rio has other neighborhoods that are equally worth discovering. Luxury travel experts Dehouche base themselves in the more exclusive Leblon, which in recent years has surpassed Ipanema in terms of both aesthetic appeal and price, owing partly to the number of ‘novelas’ (Rio’s trend setting soap operas) which have been based here, partly to the concentration of celebrities this has attracted and partly to the increasing number of upscale drinking and dining options that continue to spring up in this exclusive neighborhood.
Most international visitors gravitate towards these beachside areas, yet
Dehouche confess that Leblon does not yet possess a hotel to really meet the needs of the discerning traveler. Take a luxury holiday with Dehouche however and they can help you discover other neighborhoods that can in fact offer even more character and charm and, if you’re looking to escape on your honeymoon, perhaps more importantly, a degree of privacy. Dehouche know the city inside and out, the entire team being resident in Rio some for all their live and other who have called it home just for a few years, so if you’re looking for a unique experience, Dehouche can help you find it.
Rio is celebrated for its incredible juxtaposition of the urban and the natural, but in Ipanema you’re more likely to hear the rush of traffic than the call of a monkey and its easy to forget the incredible environment you’re in. Dehouche work with several luxury boutique hotels, villas and even mansions based in more unusual locations, without compromising on convenience, so whether you want to be close to the action or relaxing in a secluded getaway, Dehouche know the perfect place.
Let Dehouche arrange your luxury boutique hotel and enjoy a whole host of insider tips on where to truly escape from it all on your honeymoon.
Dehouche S.A.,
Leblon,
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
www.dehouche.com
Dehouche Travel, Dehouche, Argentina Honeymoon, Brazil Honeymoon, Honeymoon in South America, Honeymoon in Argentina, Honeymoon in Brazil, IndSEO, Dehouche – Art of Travel, Brazil Honeymoon
Discover the joys of Argentinean wine and steak
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The wines of Argentina have been gradually emerging on the global stage for the past decade (the Argentine wine industry is now the 5th largest producer in the world), but few people have sampled their delights at the source. The Spanish first brought vine cutting to Argentina in 1557, but Argentina’s most famous grape - Malbec - was brought by the French (it was known as Auxerrois at the time). Most of Argentina’s wines are produced at high altitude in areas with low humidity and low annual rainfall, meaning that the Bodegas (vineyards) rarely have to deal with problems such as fungi and mould that effect the crop in other countries; indeed, few pesticides are needed and even organic wines can flourish.
Latin America Travel experts Dehouche can organize part of your tailor made vacation or honeymoon to ensure that you really get to tap into the wine industry and learn from the local experts. You will stay in one of their favorite boutique hotels in the trendy Palermo Viejo district of Buenos Aires, a casual stroll from the city’s best bars and restaurants. Dehouche will arrange for a sommelier to come to your hotel and give you a private tasting session of his favorite Argentinean wines. Once armed with this knowledge you will be flown to Mendoza, one of the world’s 8 wine capitals that nestle in the foothills of the majestic Andes. Here you will stay in an exclusive wine lodge that is on its own bodega, which you will be taken on a tour of; there are also tastings of the produce each evening before an excellent dinner is served. Dehouche will also arrange for their local expert guide to give you a private tour of the best bodegas in the area, with lunch and tastings included.
You will then fly to Salta in the north east corner of the country - a landscape of arid semi desert punctuated by vineyards. You will stay on an old colonial ranch and once again a local expert who is exclusive to Dehouche will show you the best bodegas in the region and ensure that you get to meet the important people in each operation and learn from them. Dehouche will ensure that you return from your vacation or honeymoon as wine experts, brilliantly equipped to wow friends and family and perhaps host dinner parties in your new marital home where the Argentinean steak and grape can be matched to perfection. When combined with other parts of Argentina, such as the Iguacu Falls, and some of Brazil’s tropical beaches, then Dehouche will have created the luxury tailor made itinerary of your dreams.
Let Dehouche arrange your luxury boutique hotel and enjoy a whole host of insider tips on where to truly escape from it all on your honeymoon.
Dehouche S.A.,
Leblon,
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
www.dehouche.com
Dehouche Travel, Dehouche, Argentina Honeymoon, Brazil Honeymoon, Honeymoon in South America, Honeymoon in Argentina, Honeymoon in Brazil, IndSEO, Dehouche – Art of Travel, Brazil Honeymoon
The best Argentinean beaches are of course in Uruguay!
There’s little contest between Brazil and Argentina when it comes to beaches. However, fortunately for Argentinean sun seekers, this does not mean they are obliged to patronize the neighbor they love to hate so well when the holiday season arrives. Heading instead to Argentina’s other, slightly smaller neighbor to the East, Uruguay.
Want to know where in Uruguay those who like the finer things go? Then let luxury Latin America travel experts Dehouche direct you: Pass the once glamorous, aesthetics obsessed and now overdeveloped Punta del Este; letting the gossip drift on the breeze as you accelerate past the yacht choked harbor and the faded glory of the Miami cityscape fades into the distance. Continue on past brash la Barra and leave the bland high rises behind as you head somewhere altogether more exclusive.
35km later, you finally arrive at the fantasy playground of the rich, famous and downright brazen. If Búzios is Brazil’s answer to St Tropez, then Jose Ignacio is Argentina’s answer to Búzios. Dubbed the ‘Hamptons’ of South America, this secret destination of the bohemian jet set, is these days graced by the likes of Naomi Watts, Gisele Bundchen, Mario Testino and Shakira and boasts whimsical houses belonging to the likes of Martin Amis.
The problem is that this place is still so undiscovered; it’s difficult to know you’ve arrived at all. Refreshingly unspoilt and unassuming, with the wild backdrop of the Uruguayan Pampas and not an ATM or visa sign in sight, you may be wondering exactly how the wealthy dispose of their cash here and just why you’ve travelled so far.
Electricity only arrived in Jose Ignacio in the 1990s, but the international visitors were quick on its heels. For just two months a year, this once sleepy fishing village is now turned into a whirlwind of exclusive parties. Want to know the only time to go? You’ll just have to ask Dehouche .
Jose Ignacio may be discreet, but it’s unashamedly snobby and private parties are just that. Social networking on the beach during the daytime is essential if you don’t want to spend the evening sipping overpriced cocktails alone. With most of the social action taking place behind closed doors, there are still just a handful of restaurants to wait on the moneyed elite who frequent the resort and getting a table at the sole seafront lunch destination ‘La Huella’ is quite a feat. If you want to mingle with the well-heeled clientele, ask Dehouche to help you make a reservation. Equally, if you fancy dining barefoot in the sand, surrounded by torches at ‘secret restaurant’ Dehouche can tell you how and where.
As Jose Ignacio continues to grow in popularity with cash laden Americans, Europeans and Brazilians, it’s difficult to say just how much longer it will retain the low key charms which attracted so many in the first place, especially with the imminent opening of both Fasano and Setai resorts. Dehouche recommend making an appearance before Jose Ignacio becomes the new Punta Del Este.
Let Dehouche arrange your luxury boutique hotel and enjoy a whole host of insider tips on where to truly escape from it all on your honeymoon.
Dehouche S.A.,
Leblon,
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
www.dehouche.com
Dehouche Travel, Dehouche, Argentina Honeymoon, Brazil Honeymoon, Honeymoon in South America, Honeymoon in Argentina, Honeymoon in Brazil, IndSEO, Dehouche – Art of Travel, Brazil Honeymoon
Washed out in Rio? Pick up the phone!
Think of Rio and you probably think of days of endless blue skies, taking refuge from the blisteringly hot sun beneath your parasol, whilst you sip on refreshingly cool coconut water.
Imagine your surprise then when you arrive on you sumptuous hotel at the start of your perfect honeymoon in Brazil and you are greeted not by sunshine but a torrential downpour – it is a tropical country you remind yourself, but still this is almost inexcusable. Fear not, luxury travel specialists Dehouche will come to the rescue! Dehouche have been based in Rio for a few years now and they can tell you that though Rio enjoys an extremely generous number of sunny days per year, it is by no means immune to a rainy one. If you’re truly unfortunate, you may find that one of the days you choose to spend in Rio, is one such day.
It’s easy to feel disillusioned when you wake up to see the view from your balcony all but obliterated by low hanging grey cloud. What on earth did you leave home for and what is there to do in a city where life revolves around the outdoors; from sashaying up and down the beachfront in your sexiest outerwear, to scaling plinths of rocks in search of the stunning views this city can afford. (On a clear day).
Take a tailor made trip with Dehouche however and you won’t find yourself short of inspiration on such a day. If you wake up on rainy morning and can’t find the 20 pages of tips they sent you before your holiday, you can simply call your Dehouche concierge (free and exclusive to Dehouche clients) for suggestions and they’ll be happy to assist. Whether that means rescheduling your helicopter flight and booking a massage at one of the city’s most exclusive spas or providing up to date listings for Rio’s many cultural centers, Dehouche are just a phone call away. Need last minute lunch reservation? Phone Dehouche and they’ll book you their favorite table. Decide to leave the sunset views from Pão de Açúcar for another day and want to know where Rio’s latest Samba sensation is playing instead? Do we need to tell you who to call?
Let Dehouche arrange your luxury boutique hotel and enjoy a whole host of insider tips on where to truly escape from it all on your honeymoon.
Dehouche S.A.,
Leblon,
Rio de Janeiro ,
Brazil.
www.dehouche.com
Dehouche Travel, Dehouche, Argentina Honeymoon, Brazil Honeymoon, Honeymoon in South America, Honeymoon in Argentina, Honeymoon in Brazil, IndSEO, Dehouche – Art of Travel, Brazil Honeymoon
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Marvellous Rio has order and progress!
It may be known as ‘A Cidade Maravilhosa’ (The Marvellous city) to its residents, but Rio de Janeiro has long suffered from bad press, both nationally and internationally.
The loss of status as the nation’s capital to purpose built Brasilia in 1960 led to a decline in confidence, coupled with an increase in destruction of the once splendid surrounding natural environment. The once glamorous capital seemed to be entering a downward spiral and this did not go unnoticed abroad. Rio started hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Nevertheless, Rio never stopped attracting international visitors and several years ago luxury travel experts Dehouche made Rio their home, seeing a city of world beating beauty and many clear reasons to be optimistic about the city’s future.
Certainly, on October 2nd 2009 the city entered a new phase in it’s development as a loud roar even greater than that during a football cup final, swept through the city shaking the Dehouche office with the announcement that the underdog Rio, would in fact play host to the Olympics 2016. Soon after followed a flood of promises from the government; the city would be cleaned up; there would be investments in infrastructure.
Though the ‘Cariocas’ Rio’s residents may be the butt of national jokes; more often than not it’s the Cariocas themselves who are making the jokes, lamenting the perceived deficiencies of their city. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that many of these jaded residents were quick to dismiss these as yet more empty promises. However, with the long awaited opening of new metro stations, work beginning on the revitalisation of Rio’s port and fish swimming in the lagoon once more, some are beginning to be persuaded that perhaps there will be lasting changes this time.
As Rio residents themselves, Dehouche are excited about the positive effects on the city and they are not alone. According to a recent survey commissioned by ‘Veja’ magazine, ‘Cariocas’ are more optimistic than ever about the future of their city and this is thanks to seeing these promises gradually being fulfilled. Life for residents in the favelas of Rio’s zona sul is certainly changing, with the installation of police units and a general clean up taking place.
On the 1st of March Rio was 445 years old and its maturity gives reason to celebrate. With so many changes abreast and a sense of promise in the air, Dehouche will tell you there hasn’t been a better time to visit this city and indeed bookings for their tailor made luxury family holidays and Honeymoons in Brazil were on the increase right through the economic gloom of 2009 up on every year and up again in Q1 2010 – Rio is on the rise and this time for good!
Let Dehouche arrange your luxury boutique hotel and enjoy a whole host of insider tips on where to truly escape from it all on your honeymoon.
Leblon,
Rio de Janeiro ,
Brazil.
Dehouche Travel, Dehouche, Argentina Honeymoon, Brazil Honeymoon, Honeymoon in South America, Honeymoon in Argentina, Honeymoon in Brazil, IndSEO, Dehouche – Art of Travel, Brazil Honeymoon
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