Welcome to Part 2 of my favorite pools on earth — The World’s Best Hotel Pools. At least the best pools I’ve found so far. As I hope you’ll see, just because this is my Part 2 of the best hotel pools, they are no less magnificent. (If you missed my Part 1 post, click here.) As on my previous World’s Best Hotel Pools Post, my favorite pool picks are not just about the pool, but where the pools are. Whether exotic location or urban rooftops or a hidden oasis in the middle of a bustling city. As always, there are a lot of photos so all my posts are better when viewed on your computer vs. phone. This was such a hard post to
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[ALL OVER THE WORLD] — Okay, this is a fun one. It’s not just about somewhere I went, it’s about the best of all the places I’ve gone. These are my favorite hotel pools in the world. At least, the best hotels in the world I’ve found so far. Some people are golfers. Some people love sporting events. Some people are into concerts. A lot of people are resort people. And people travel all over to find what they love. I’m a Pool Guy. And I work my vacations around great pools. It took me years to figure out that I don’t really like beaches as much as I like being by a pool overlooking a beach. This is Pool Appreciation Post and it’s a
[LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA] — We were on a two day shoot to the Louisiana swamps to get some b-roll footage for a client brand video we were making. We were in the middle of a Louisiana swamp, a boat ramp actually, between two roaring bridges, mirror images of each other and straight as an arrow, disappearing into the distance like railroad tracks. Here are the best things to do in Cajun Country in Louisiana. The boys were setting up their big cinema camera, attaching giant lenses and splaying a heavy tripod. The rhythmic thumping of trucks and cars over expansion joints made us almost have to shout to each other. I was hypnotized at this place — one I’d found by zooming in on in Google
[DORDOGNE & PERIGORD, FRANCE] — Here’s my overview on what to do in Dordogne France. The best things to do in Dordogne that I’ve found. The best villages in Dordogne. Where to stay in Perigord. And some of the best prehistoric sites in Dordogne. It’s not everything there is, just what I found to do one week in western France. _______________________________ The Best Things to do in Dordogne You don’t read much about Dordogne in the U.S. travel press. But the French & English know about it, almost keep it all to themselves. In fact, this was one of the great battlegrounds of the Hundred Year’s War between the nobles of France and England. Now wealthy Brits have snapped up a lot of the incredible houses
[MOUSTIERS-SAINTE-MARIE, FRANCE] — Moustiers in eastern Provence is the gateway to the great Gorges du Verdon, The Grand Canyon of France. (see my post on the Gorges du Verdon here). It’s an Adventureland of fun, with trekking, boating, canyoning, climbing and just plain gawking at all the natural beauty. Here’s my review of Alain Ducasse’s incredible gourmet Michelin-starred hideaway La Bastide de Moustiers in the beautiful town of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, high in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Bathe in Lavender on the Valensole Plateau Driving up from southern Provence, you first drive over the high and flat Valensole plateau, home to some of the largest and most stunning lavender fields in France. Miles and miles of sweet purple flowers, as far as the eye can see. If you’re in Provence
[SINTRA, PORTUGAL] — An overview of Pena Palace in Sintra, the perfect daytrip from Lisbon. Pena Palace in Sintra is the main draw and also the perfect day trip from Cascais. Sintra is not just a single town, but an entire wooded (unusually so in these arid parts) nature preserve about an hour and a half outside of Lisbon. It’s the perfect daytrip from Lisbon or the perfect day trip from Cascais. Definitely well worth the drive and easy to find — all the roads and signs in Portugal are outstanding. Pena Palace is the center attraction. It’s a big riot of color and architecture, surrounded by hundreds of acres of gardens and forests. Plan a half a day, at least, or preferably a whole
[CASCAIS, POTUGAL] — Only an hour or so outside of Lisbon and just 5km and 10 minutes from the sunny Lisbon beach suburb of Cascais, Praia do Guincho. Guincho Beach. Rated as one of the best beaches in Portugal and on top ten beaches in the world, it’s a dream. Strong winds, perfect sand — a contrast to the rocky beaches of France and Italy — large waves and incredible sunsets, it just all adds up. It’s easy to get to, with parking along the road and multiple coves (I’m actually not 100% if there is one single Guincho, or a bunch) you can just drive, park and burn. If you’re staying in Cascais, you can rent a bike and it’s an easy flat ride,