MANDARIN ORIENTAL MAYA RIVIERA

A Worthy Wonder

Km. 298.8 Carretera #307 Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77710  +52 (984) 877-3888

 

Considering Chichen Itza, one of the new seven wonders of the world, is located just a couple of hours from Playa del Carmen, it may be blasphemous to claim that a stay at the Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya itself is worth the trip to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.  But once you’ve been privileged enough to stay at this luxurious hotel, voted one of the world’s Top 30 New Hotels by Travel and Leisure, the gushing accolades are easily justified.

 

The resort, sprawling over 36 acres of lush, tropical jungle and white sandy beaches along the Riviera Maya, incorporates its surroundings reverently, creating the ultimate retreat for world-class travelers seeking cultural exploration without compromising luxury.  Protected mangrove reserves, a breathtaking sacred cenote (deep freshwater lake), lagoons and streams, Mandala gardens with medicinal plants and 6 mesmerizing art courtyards – all help create an unparalleled setting for the world-class yoga from resident instructor, Rishi Bharadwaj and an unadulterated experience of nature.

 

While it is impossible to make a poor choice, each of the 128 breathtaking guestrooms range from modern-styled bungalow to two-story villas and are replete with plasma TVs, state-of-the-art I-pod sound systems, and stunning views of either the sacred cenote, tranquil lagoons or the azure Caribbean Sea.  Many of these spacious, artfully decorated guestroom also come with individual plunge pools on the terrace or rooftop and an outdoor bathtub where you can take a relaxing aromatherapy bath in the moonlight as long as you request the concierge to draw your bath while you’re feasting at one of the alluring restaurants.  Did we mention the 24-hour room service in case you get too attached to your haven?

 

When you can manage to tear yourself away from the tranquility of your villa, there’s an impressive choice of indoor and al fresco dining options.  These include the Ceviche  Bar, located right on the beach, and Aguamarina, where the infinite ocean and sensual live music provide a romantic atmosphere to enjoy chili and salt-rimmed cucumber margaritas and an impressive variety of surf and turf. 

 

At Ambar, the sleek, signature restaurant perched on the edge of the lagoon and fringed by mangroves and jungle, Chef Igancio Granda del Gallego creates Latino-Asiatica cuisine using fresh fish and local and organically grown products.  Gallego, a native of Spain, was trained at the Culinary School of Madrid and named Sous Chef of the highly recognized restaurant Taberna Del Alabardero (Madrid) when he was just 23 years of age. A lavish, signature five or nine-course menu can also be customized to “spa” and vegetarian needs.  A copper dome-shaped roof, sky-high ceilings, rich teak floors, views of the water, and the emphasis on an onyx color palette delivers a stunning ambiance. At the center of Ambar, an exclusive, elevated dining room table for 12 on a floor of glass gives new meaning to ‘see and being seen’ and makes even the most pampered salivate.

 

Indian-born Rishi Bharadwaj comes from a family of yoga experts that have been teaching it for almost 15 years, and is the other indisputable asset of the resort.  Whether it’s a customized practice you seek or group training, Bharadwaj imparts his expertise with patience and charm, cajoling even the most reluctant into congratulatory poses and breath.  The yoga retreat begins on a Thursday with an informal dinner with Bharadwaj and group members and continues through the weekend with sessions in Asana and Pranayama yoga, diet and nutrition instruction, meditation and candid discussions.  The inexperienced have nothing to fear.  Bharadwaj’s calm, attentive style finds a way to harmonize students with varying levels of expertise and make a believer out of the most skeptical.

 

(See Spa review on Spa Page)

 

--Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla

 

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INDIE SPIRIT Saving Marriage

 

We at IndulgeMagazine.com support the rights of every human being to equality and fair treatment.  The abhorring passage of Prop 8 in California is something we are vehemently against.  It’s tragic that the subject of same-sex marriage can still ignite such vociferousness.  That’s why Saving Marriage, a powerful and often touching film showing an accomplished community still trying to obtain equal protection under the law, is vital to audiences. Described by some as the Holy Grail of gay rights, this is a Human Rights issue that touches all of us and proves that a long and difficult fight lies ahead. Directors Mike Roth and John Henning have done a superb job documenting what it is like to live in a society where the mere act of loving another person is considered a crime.

www.savingmarriagethemovie.com

 

-Victor Riobo

 

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PAGES

 

UTOPIA’S DEBRIS Gary Indiana (Basic Books) An essayist with a bite as big as the one on his jacket, Indiana’s musings include everything from the Menendez Brothers to Schwarzenegger.  Acerbic and funny, the author has already received critical praise and New York Magazine even named one of his works in their “Best Novels You’ve Never Read” list in 2007.  Here’s hoping Debris will be the one book everyone does.
ENCHANTRESS OF FLORENCE Salman Rushdie (Random House) Only Rushdie, buoyed by his seductive prose can lead you through an outlandish story rooted in magical realism.  If you can digest Emperor Akbar, with his infinite harem, being in love with an imaginary queen who in turn addresses readers in her own voice, then you’ll stay with what is one of Rushdie’s more accessible novels and find the ribald, gory and entertaining gems.
THE WASTED VIGIL Nadeem Aslam (Knopf) Aslam is the Kiriyama-award winning author of the spellbindingly beautiful Maps for Lost Lovers.  In this poignant and informative novel, Marcus, a British doctor mourns the loss of his family and hand to the Taliban in war-torn Afghanistan.  The cast of characters also includes a Russian woman searching for the truth behind her brother’s death and a former CIA agent searching for Marcus’ grandson.
KEITH HARING (Rizzoli) The hefty tome incorporates more than a decade of research and a trove of unpublished photographic and written material ranging from chalk drawings to subway murals and the famous body painting of Grace Jones.  A major, well-deserved tribute to the late artist, this handsome offering is a fan’s dream-come-true and just in time for Christmas gifting.

 

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SOUNDS

MARILYN SCOTT Every Time We Say Goodbye (Venus - Import) An acoustic jazz album done the good old way – with the singer and musicians all together in the studio.  Marking the 30th anniversary of Scott’s recording career, the collection of 10 songs has a smoky, midnight feel and includes such standards as the namesake, “I Got Lost in His Arms” and “Detour Ahead.”
BOMBAY DUB ORCHESTRA 3 Cities (Six Degrees) The U.K.-based duo of Garry Hughes (Björk, Sly & Robbie) and Andrew T. Mackay (VAST, Annie Leibovitz) unleash a lush, haunting and sensual collaboration with a 28-piece Indian orchestra.  The album is a boon for Buddha Bar fans and anyone who yearns for music with unforgettable melodies.
BEFORE THE RAINS Mark Kilian (Lakeshore) Kilian’s score to the latest Merchant-Ivory epic boasting stellar performances from Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Linus Roache and especially Jennifer Ehle, will give you goose bumps, thanks to the haunting vocal improvisations of Satya McGarry and flute music of Deepak Ram.  This is an evocative 19-track CD that is worth having even if you haven’t seen the gripping film.  Can also be sampled and downloaded on I-tunes.
THE CHANGELING Clint Eastwood (Varese Sarabande) The director now renowned for making award-winning art-house films for the masses becomes infallible as a music composer of great sensitivity and mood.  The lush, jazz-inspired score for the fact-inspired case of police corruption involving a missing child in 1920’s Los Angeles is a gem from start to finish.