In March, Michelin debuted their South America guide. Surprisingly, this is Michelin’s first venture into the Southern Hemisphere! Brazil was the only country on the list, with 16 restaurants featured. Alex Atala’s Sao Paolo based D.O.M. received two stars (equivalent to “excellent cuisine, worth a detour”) and was the highest rank awarded. Rio de Janeiro featured six restaurants; all receiving one star (equivalent to “A very good restaurant in its category”). The restaurants are Lasai, Mee, Olympe, Oro, Le Pré Catelan and Roberta Sudbrack. You can be sure that we will be visiting them on our upcoming tour of Rio...
Traveling on long international flights can expose you to various negative physical conditions. These can be easily mitigated by preparing your body, before, during and after a flight to stay healthy throughout the trip.
Zoom Vacations celebrates in NYC The United States of America adds its name to the list of countries where same-gender marriage is legal throughout the country. It is obvious that discrimination is falling, and the freedom to love and marry who we wish is winning, but which will be the next country? Australia: Same-gender couples who have lived together for more than two years achieve “De Facto” status, which grants many of the rights that marriage provides. This indicates a definite step in the right direction. Slovenia: This is our bet for the next country to legalize same-gender marriage. On March...
While traveling, I learn a lot about great healthy and delicious food while traveling that I like to prepare for friends during summer dinners that is easy as uno, due, tre!. Summer is finally here and two things come to mind: stay in shape so I can take it all off at the beach/pool, and can’t wait for the Zoom summer cruise to the Mediterranean in September. I think about our cuisine aboard the SeaDream Yacht and want to share one of the favorite healthy recipes that I learned onboard. MEDITERRANEAN SHRIMP IN A SHOT GLASS Uno – Ingredients and...
A lot of people ask me if we can really run legal trips to Cuba. My answer is, yes of course U.S. Citizens can travel to Cuba legally. Zoom Vacations has already hosted a few trips to Cuba in the last year alone, permitted by a People-to-People Cultural Exchange license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and is offering a third in October of this year. This program is an exception to the embargo laws banning U.S. Citizens from traveling to Cuba. First offered by the Clinton Administration for a brief period, the Obama...
It has been months since I returned with our group from Cuba, and I have to say that the experience has remained emblazoned on my memory. I can’t seem to forget the wonderful people I met, the unparalleled architecture we saw, and the beautiful cultural performances we witnessed, such as an inspirational choral performance. It is amazing how little our group knew about Cuba when we arrived, and how much insight we gained by our visit. Perhaps it is the gorgeous painting I bought in Cuba (my favorite in my home) hanging over my bed that keeps Cuba forever on...
The US LGBT community and Cuban people have a lot in common. Like Cubans, gay people know first hand what it is like to be oppressed. And it’s not a surprise that Cubans have turned to (visual, culinary and musical) art to express and assert themselves. We visited a privately run restaurant in the beautiful retro home of a gay couple. We enjoyed their hospitality, and enjoyed great conversation. Indeed, Cuban food is best enjoyed in the many private restaurants that have sprung up throughout the country. Privately owned, they strive for fair prices, good service and delicious food....
