Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa
Photo Courtesy of Belmond Management Services SARL
There’s nothing quite like June. The weather is beautiful, the days are long, school is out and the anticipation of three long months of fun, sun and fabulous escapes is high. Whether you want to sample snacks from some of the nation’s most illustrious chefs or are hoping to rejuvenate yourself with mountaintop yoga, there is something for everyone on June’s agenda. Here are eight getaways worth booking plane tickets for right now.
Riviera Maya, Mexico
White-sand beaches, clear blue skies and an endless turquoise sea are reason enough to visit Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa, but health, food and fashion lovers will be especially excited by an upcoming program at the resort. From June 18 through 21, Belmond Maroma hosts its second annual Food, Fashion and Fitness Getaway. The experience combines jungle runs and fitness classes on the beach with organic cooking classes and fashion seminars. Each day presents two unique workouts, including a mini-triathlon, followed by spa treatments (the package comes with a 20 percent off services) and time to relax on the beach. Another highlight is a five-course meal crafted by chef José Eugenio Villafaña that features local ingredients and Mexican wine pairings from sommelier Gabriel Cerón. Salud!
Wickaninnish Inn, Photo Courtesy Wickaninnish Inn Tofino
Tofino, Canada
Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Tofino is the picturesque setting of a fantastic little food and wine festival this month. The 13th annual Tofino Food and Wine Festival (June 5 to 7) features three days of culinary adventures. Book a room at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Wickaninnish Inn Tofino and make a British Columbian retreat out of it. Though the headlining Grazing in the Gardens grand tasting (June 6) is already sold out, there are still a few openings that day for the Sunset BBQ, a sweet-smelling demonstration of how the West Coast does smoked meats. Spirits aficionados also should be sure to attend Friday’s Cocktail Show, a lively mixology party that will overflow with local bartending talent.
Las Vegas
The Venetian and The Palazzo, two Four-Star castles of culinary excellence, proudly boast kitchens overseen by some of the most respected chefs in the world, including Daniel Boulud (DB Brasserie), Thomas Keller (Bouchon), Emeril Lagasse (Four-Star Delmonico Steakhouse) and Wolfgang Puck (Four-Star CUT Las Vegas). On June 5, the Carnival of Cuisine tasting party will showcase dishes from these toques’ teams as well as those from a number of other on-property eateries. The beloved Mario Batali (of The Venetian’s Otto Enoteca Pizzeria) will host the event .
InterContinental Hong Kong’s Lobby Lounge, Photo Courtesy of InterContinental Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Have a hankering to do something historic? Head to Hong Kong for the annual Dragon Boat Festival, a tradition that has been celebrated for more than 2,000 years. The annual event takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month on the traditional lunar calendar; this year that falls on June 20. One of the most important customs surrounding the festival is the eating of zongzi (pyramid-shaped rice dumplings). The zongzi custom is being commemorated at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star InterContinental Hong Kong in early June through executive chef Lau Yiu Fai’s new selection of rice dumplings — a trio of mini dumplings that have vegetarian ingredients like Chinese dates, chestnuts and red beans; a larger abalone dumpling with lotus seeds, black mushrooms and an egg yolk; and a slowly poached wagyu and porcini mushroom dumpling wrapped in lotus leaf — that will be available for purchase. Additionally, the chef will reveal some of the secrets behind his zongzi in a “Cooking with the Culinary Stars” class on June 13.
Park City, Utah
While Park City is a huge winter attraction, it also makes for a smart destination in the warmer months this year, specifically from June 18 to 21 for the Soulstice Retreat. This getaway, hosted by the Five-Star Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley, will feature fitness activities, memorable meals and inspiring workshops with New York Times best-selling authors Melissa Hartwig and Stephanie Nielsen. The weekend is meant to rejuvenate the mind and body, and with an impressive lineup of events like stand-up paddleboard yoga in a geothermal spring crater, weightless aerial yoga and a make-your-own-salt-scrub session, it should accomplish that with relative ease. But beyond that soul-cleansing lineup, there are also group hikes, oil painting classes and a welcome basket filled with sunglasses, Stance socks and Albion Fit apparel to look forward to.
Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley, Photo Courtesy of Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley
Toronto
Canada’s largest city comes alive in June with a slew of festivals. We’re looking forward to North by Northeast (June 17-21), the 21st annual music extravaganza features The New Pornographers, Rae Sremmurd and more; the Luminato Festival (June 19-28), an arts festival where Toronto converts its theaters, parks and public spaces into venues for drama, dance, music, literature, film and more; and the TD Toronto Jazz Festival (June 18-27), which brings more than 1,500 musicians into town to participate in 350 performances. Make Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto your base to the festivities and further explore what the city has to offer with its Culture Package, which gives you one of its chic Asian-inspired suites, a CAD$100 (US$80) dining credit at Bosk and two tickets to either the Royal Ontario Museum or — our favorite — the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Aspen, Colorado
Hobnob with some of the nation’s best chefs at the 33rd Food & Wine Classic in Aspen (June 19 through 21). Chefs Jose Garces, Jacques Pépin, Marcus Samuelsson, Michael White, Andrew Zimmern, Rick Bayless and more will be on hand, each giving a special seminar or class during the day and partying it up at one of the invite-only exclusive events at night. A massive tent will be set up in Aspen’s central park and it’ll serve as the home to the festival’s grand tastings, the timed events that allow food and drink lovers to sample bites, wines and spirits from all over the nation. Wine aficionados should note that there is a wide selection of classes to choose from: Mark Oldman teaches “Wines for IPO Billionaires” (a lesson on special occasion bottles); Anthony Giglio highlights the revolution of rosé; and Leslie Sbrocco takes you on a grape-guessing game. The best place to stay for all the foodie fun is The Little Nell, at the base of Aspen Mountain. The Five-Star stunner is also the best place to spot chefs and winemakers enjoying a little late-night revelry.
Quebec City
As we’ve said here recently, Quebec is absolutely stunning this time of year. Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Le Bonne Entente wants you to explore all that the capital has to offer this season with its Mother Nature-approved green package, a deal that includes a two nights’ stay, access to the electricity-powered smart car house vehicle, a picnic lunch curated by a hotel chef and a bottle of rosé. Romantic sparks will undoubtedly fly, but with this offer, you can rest easy knowing that they’ll have no ill effects on the environment.
