Rambling over the natural terrain in the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico's
Yucatan Peninsula and looking very much like a typical thatched roof Mayan
Village is the Grupo Posadas' newly opened Explorean soft adventure resort. Soft
adventure is one of the fastest growing segments on the vacation agenda of the
Grupo Posadas Hotel Company, and it is pioneering this alternative vacation
concept in the midst of the splendor of one of the oldest pre-colonial centers
of Mayan civilization, Kuhunlich. Under the Grupo Posadas umbrella are more than
50 hotels in Mexico, the U.S. and South America. They are the Caesar Park,
Fiesta Americana, Fiesta Inn and the Explorean.
In this highly romantic setting in the heart of the mysterious Mayan area of
Kuhunlich, the 40-villa Explorean offers the exciting combination of physical
challenge and physical comfort. On the exclusive 28-hectare property, the guest
is surrounded by dense tropical jungle far away from the noise of drive-by
traffic or the usual hubbub of nearby hotels, and all its one-story villas are
designed to preserve the area's natural setting. They are constructed with
materials from the surrounding countryside, and the decor is enhanced with the
richness of Mexican folk-art and pre-colonial Mayan reproductions.
Each villa also has its own private terrace with large built-in sofa,
handcrafted chairs, hammock, outdoor ceiling fan and mood lighting. The garden
off the terrace is a vast, serene expanse of forest growth. There's nothing
quite like swinging in the slow rhythm of the hammock in the quiet of the
evening with that wild garden as background. In the mornings, no matter how
early the riser, the guest will find a basket of fresh orange juice, coffee or
tea, and sweet rolls waiting on the terrace table, quietly brought by a member
of the staff, unseen and unheard.
In keeping with this careful attention
to detail, the hotel wishes to promote a feeling of home away from home. In its
multilevel, al fresco living room the guest may relax in big cushy chairs or
sofas by the reflecting pool and play dominoes, cards or Backgammon overlooking
the swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Sometimes the Backgammon or Domino games can get
quite spirited as the fun of competition takes over and no challenge goes
untested. Also in the living room, for the guest's convenience, is an open stock
premium bar and helping oneself is the order of the day.
Justyn Jones, general manager of Explorean says, "We are very much in contact
with nature. Here, our guests have the opportunity to experience the physical
challenges of kayaking on a blue lagoon, trekking through jungle trails that
surprisingly open on to amazing archaeological sites, or building confidence by
rapelling down a 90-meter limestone face. At the same time, we also are involved
in exploring the inner world by meditating on a fiery Yucatan sunset or sunrise
or in sharing with a loved one, the wonder of a full moon or a night ablaze with
countless stars. Basically, that is our concept of soft adventure."
Mr.
Jones adds, "The challenge we have is to position our hotel so as not to be on
the extreme of adventure or the extreme of luxury. We are looking for a midpoint
in order that people who come to visit will have experiences that will place
them in natural surroundings where they can assert their natural abilities." Mr.
Jones would like the guests to think of the hotel as a base camp for their daily
vigorous exploring. After a day of athletic fun and working up a good sweat, the
guest will return to luxury, comfort, good food and first-rate personal
attention.
A select group of hotel adventure guides certified in eco-tourism are
knowledgeable about the area, largely because they and their families have lived
there all their lives. Many are descendants of the ancient Mayans and still
speak one of the many Mayan dialects. They are capable of teaching, assisting
and watching over guests who may be hesitant in their outdoor pursuits and will
lend a hand in the planning of additional personalized excursions. Some of the
many offerings of the Explorean are: kayaking, jungle treks, visiting
archaeological sites, nocturnal safaris, bird watching, mountain biking (day or
night rides), cliff rapelling, swimming in natural cenotes, trail exploring
around the resort, visiting a Zapote Plantation, Museum of Mayan Culture, an old
Spanish fort and sojourns to the Calakmul biosphere reserve.
Manager Justyn Jones has a few surprises up his creative sleeve, as everyone
soon discovers. After a morning's adventure in the fascinating ruins of a Mayan
city, the guest might find that lunch is waiting on the flowering
Bougainvillea-covered porch of the ranger's hut at the very edge of the ruins.
Or, after kayaking on a still lagoon after dark, the kayakers discover that
Explorean has transported chef, tables, linens, and china to the waterís shore
for romantic candlelit dining under the stars.
For guests wanting a break from the vigorous activities and to relax those weary
muscles, there are the spa, steam bath and sauna inviting one for soothing
massages, and facial cleansing with mud masks. There is also an interesting
pre-Hispanic cleansing tradition of Temazcal to try, where the body is wrapped
in natural clay, the air is redolent with aromatic herbs and the enclosed
surroundings are conducive to meditating.
Explorean is an all-inclusive
hotel, and this begins the moment the guest is met at the airport by the
Explorean's expert personnel. At this point all cares are left behind and the
relaxed mode takes over. From now on it's shorts, sunscreen and no worries. Mr.
Jones profiles his guest with these words, "Since our recent opening, our
customer base has been mostly couples who are well traveled. They know the top
luxury resorts, the fine lodges in Africa, diving in Indonesia and Australia,
and are familiar with the eco-tourism approach of Costa Rica. They appreciate
our understanding and care for the environment." Though there is much of
interest to do and see at Explorean, there are no schedules and no hassles. This
attitude is evident in the relaxed approach to the serving of meals each
day.
Exploreans dining room is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. with no set times
for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Rather, the guest dines when he is hungry as he
would at home. International chefs are happy to prepare anything, from venison
filet in pineapple sauce, wild boar in wild berry sauce to a favorite hamburger
or club sandwich, just for the asking. Master Chef Gerardo Martin del Campo is
prepared to give a cooking lesson to those who are interested. He makes it look
so easy. Good choices to practice on are the delicious salsa of the house, or a
torched Crëme Brulée .
The sister resort, Explorean Costa Maya, is
located 200 miles from Cancun on the site of the Banco Chinchorro, one of the
world's largest coral atolls. Most of the adventures offered in this resort are
water-based: world-class diving, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and
canoeing. There are many land activities as well. Guests are encouraged to try
both resorts while on the same vacation, spending part of the time in the Mayan
tropical forest of Explorean and the other part on the historic pre-Colombian
Caribbean shores of Costa Maya. These soft adventure vacations are the perfect
answer for those who want to really participate in their vacation instead of
simply lolling on a beach all day no matter how wonderful that beach might
be. This is what makes the Explorean concept so unique: exploring one's
physical abilities, no matter at what level, in an exotic and stimulating
environment, and then ending the day in maximum comfort.
TM
Rambling over the natural terrain in the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico's
Yucatan Peninsula and looking very much like a typical thatched roof Mayan
Village is the Grupo Posadas' newly opened Explorean soft adventure resort. Soft
adventure is one of the fastest growing segments on the vacation agenda of the
Grupo Posadas Hotel Company, and it is pioneering this alternative vacation
concept in the midst of the splendor of one of the oldest pre-colonial centers
of Mayan civilization, Kuhunlich. Under the Grupo Posadas umbrella are more than
50 hotels in Mexico, the U.S. and South America. They are the Caesar Park,
Fiesta Americana, Fiesta Inn and the Explorean.
In this highly romantic setting in the heart of the mysterious Mayan area of
Kuhunlich, the 40-villa Explorean offers the exciting combination of physical
challenge and physical comfort. On the exclusive 28-hectare property, the guest
is surrounded by dense tropical jungle far away from the noise of drive-by
traffic or the usual hubbub of nearby hotels, and all its one-story villas are
designed to preserve the area's natural setting. They are constructed with
materials from the surrounding countryside, and the decor is enhanced with the
richness of Mexican folk-art and pre-colonial Mayan reproductions.
Each villa also has its own private terrace with large built-in sofa,
handcrafted chairs, hammock, outdoor ceiling fan and mood lighting. The garden
off the terrace is a vast, serene expanse of forest growth. There's nothing
quite like swinging in the slow rhythm of the hammock in the quiet of the
evening with that wild garden as background. In the mornings, no matter how
early the riser, the guest will find a basket of fresh orange juice, coffee or
tea, and sweet rolls waiting on the terrace table, quietly brought by a member
of the staff, unseen and unheard.
Justyn Jones, general manager of Explorean says, "We are very much in contact
with nature. Here, our guests have the opportunity to experience the physical
challenges of kayaking on a blue lagoon, trekking through jungle trails that
surprisingly open on to amazing archaeological sites, or building confidence by
rapelling down a 90-meter limestone face. At the same time, we also are involved
in exploring the inner world by meditating on a fiery Yucatan sunset or sunrise
or in sharing with a loved one, the wonder of a full moon or a night ablaze with
countless stars. Basically, that is our concept of soft adventure."
A select group of hotel adventure guides certified in eco-tourism are
knowledgeable about the area, largely because they and their families have lived
there all their lives. Many are descendants of the ancient Mayans and still
speak one of the many Mayan dialects. They are capable of teaching, assisting
and watching over guests who may be hesitant in their outdoor pursuits and will
lend a hand in the planning of additional personalized excursions. Some of the
many offerings of the Explorean are: kayaking, jungle treks, visiting
archaeological sites, nocturnal safaris, bird watching, mountain biking (day or
night rides), cliff rapelling, swimming in natural cenotes, trail exploring
around the resort, visiting a Zapote Plantation, Museum of Mayan Culture, an old
Spanish fort and sojourns to the Calakmul biosphere reserve.
Manager Justyn Jones has a few surprises up his creative sleeve, as everyone
soon discovers. After a morning's adventure in the fascinating ruins of a Mayan
city, the guest might find that lunch is waiting on the flowering
Bougainvillea-covered porch of the ranger's hut at the very edge of the ruins.
Or, after kayaking on a still lagoon after dark, the kayakers discover that
Explorean has transported chef, tables, linens, and china to the waterís shore
for romantic candlelit dining under the stars.
For guests wanting a break from the vigorous activities and to relax those weary
muscles, there are the spa, steam bath and sauna inviting one for soothing
massages, and facial cleansing with mud masks. There is also an interesting
pre-Hispanic cleansing tradition of Temazcal to try, where the body is wrapped
in natural clay, the air is redolent with aromatic herbs and the enclosed
surroundings are conducive to meditating.
Exploreans dining room is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. with no set times
for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Rather, the guest dines when he is hungry as he
would at home. International chefs are happy to prepare anything, from venison
filet in pineapple sauce, wild boar in wild berry sauce to a favorite hamburger
or club sandwich, just for the asking. Master Chef Gerardo Martin del Campo is
prepared to give a cooking lesson to those who are interested. He makes it look
so easy. Good choices to practice on are the delicious salsa of the house, or a
torched Crëme Brulée .
The sister resort, Explorean Costa Maya, is
located 200 miles from Cancun on the site of the Banco Chinchorro, one of the
world's largest coral atolls. Most of the adventures offered in this resort are
water-based: world-class diving, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and
canoeing. There are many land activities as well. Guests are encouraged to try
both resorts while on the same vacation, spending part of the time in the Mayan
tropical forest of Explorean and the other part on the historic pre-Colombian
Caribbean shores of Costa Maya. These soft adventure vacations are the perfect
answer for those who want to really participate in their vacation instead of
simply lolling on a beach all day no matter how wonderful that beach might
be.