Portraits of
style t r av e l
Portraits of Paradise
TraversBanyan Tree Mayakoba offers a new way to explore Mexico’s Riviera Maya—behind the lens. Alongside National Geographic photographers, guests become the students and capture the enchanting wildlife and white sand surrounds.
written by Alison
Miller
A stillness over the water and intermittent wing flutter define the early-morning hours along the mangrove-thick canals of the Riviera Maya. Cutting the near silence is a paparazzi-like ripple of camera shutters, created by myself and a halfdozen amateur photographers aboard a thatched roof, wooden lancha. We’ve all gathered just north of Playa del Carmen to shadow intrepid National Geographic photographer Steve Winter. As the world’s preeminent big-cat photographer, Winter is more likely to be found in India photographing snow leopards or stalking jaguars in Brazil. Fortunately, he teaches us, with that same zeal, how to observe and capture the natural behavior of the wildlife filling our temporary home—Mayakoba. A gated enclave set in the middle of the jungle, Mayakoba (meaning “city on the water” in Mayan) is a planned beach resort with an 18-hole Greg Norman golf course and a trio of sustainable luxury hotels: Fairmont Mayakoba, Rosewood 2
a t l a n t a h o m e s m a g. c o m M ay. 2 0 1 4
Mayakoba and our home base for the week, Banyan Tree Mayakoba. (An Andaz is set to open in 2015.) The Asian-born property stands out as the all-villa resort of the group, so I’m happy to retreat to my Zen outdoor bath and private pool after the three-hour flight from Atlanta and 40-minute cab ride from Cancun. This spring, Banyan Tree launches Wildlife Photo MasterClass Weekends led by Winter and his esteemed friends, respected wildlife photojournalists Tim Laman (known for his conservation images) and Brian Skerry (an underwater photography pro). Mayakoba’s six miles of crystal waterways and 148 acres of protected mangrove forests—home to more than 200 species of birds— make this patch of Mexico an ideal destination to explore behind the camera. For me, each day with Winter is a lesson in the meaning of “waking up with the birds,” which is nothing a cup of coffee—or better yet, a swig of the house elixir (made of cacti, honey and lemon)—can’t fix. Sailing through the sweet water lagoons, Snowy Egrets, Boat-billed Herons, Limpkins and more exotic birds pause, bathe or take flight within lens distance. By day two, I’ve lost the impulse to shoot rapid-fire and am heeding Winter’s directives to consider aperture and composition with every shot. Each excursion on
water or land comes with one-on-one guidance from Winter, followed by laid-back lectures and a photographic show-and-tell back at the hotel. Though we took the adventure vacation route, Mayakoba is equally fit for the full-on pampering retreat. At Banyan Tree, I experienced a spa first—The Rain Forest Indulgence, a self-guided hydrotherapy walk under a rain shower, aroma steam and rain shower stations, a brine cavern and finally a plunge in the jetted vitally pool. Already a favorite among celebrities including Sofia Vergara and Leonardo DiCaprio, Rosewood upped the luxe factor with its newly constructed villa, Casa Laguna, a three-story jewel with floor-to-ceiling windows, a five-person staff, rooftop deck and private lagoon dock. At the Fairmont, my fearless comrades and I dine on local delicacies—tacos filled with our choice of crickets, worms or grasshoppers. Add to these experiences the option for a getaway within your getaway: It’s only a 45-minute ferry ride to Cozumel or a 45-minute drive to the fashionable hot spot of Tulum. We stop here for lunch and freshly squeezed juice in this sleepy beach town known for its clutch of yoga camps. At the end of the lively three-day workshop, I’m proudly bringing back more than tan lines— my own nature photography, an artful souvenir destined for my walls. banyantree.com
clockwise, from top left The Casa Laguna suite at Rosewood Mayakoba overlooks the picturesque lagoon with floor-to-ceiling windows. A luxurious private outdoor pool in Bayan Tree Mayakoba's Spa Villa. A Roseate Spoonbill bird spotted during the Wildlife Photo MaterClass taught by photographer Steve Winter. opposite Navigating the Mayakoba Canal during a MasterClass. A scenic view of Mayakoba.
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Portraits of Paradise
TraversBanyan Tree Mayakoba offers a new way to explore Mexico’s Riviera Maya—behind the lens. Alongside National Geographic photographers, guests become the students and capture the enchanting wildlife and white sand surrounds.
written by Alison
Miller
A stillness over the water and intermittent wing flutter define the early-morning hours along the mangrove-thick canals of the Riviera Maya. Cutting the near silence is a paparazzi-like ripple of camera shutters, created by myself and a halfdozen amateur photographers aboard a thatched roof, wooden lancha. We’ve all gathered just north of Playa del Carmen to shadow intrepid National Geographic photographer Steve Winter. As the world’s preeminent big-cat photographer, Winter is more likely to be found in India photographing snow leopards or stalking jaguars in Brazil. Fortunately, he teaches us, with that same zeal, how to observe and capture the natural behavior of the wildlife filling our temporary home—Mayakoba. A gated enclave set in the middle of the jungle, Mayakoba (meaning “city on the water” in Mayan) is a planned beach resort with an 18-hole Greg Norman golf course and a trio of sustainable luxury hotels: Fairmont Mayakoba, Rosewood 2
a t l a n t a h o m e s m a g. c o m M ay. 2 0 1 4
Mayakoba and our home base for the week, Banyan Tree Mayakoba. (An Andaz is set to open in 2015.) The Asian-born property stands out as the all-villa resort of the group, so I’m happy to retreat to my Zen outdoor bath and private pool after the three-hour flight from Atlanta and 40-minute cab ride from Cancun. This spring, Banyan Tree launches Wildlife Photo MasterClass Weekends led by Winter and his esteemed friends, respected wildlife photojournalists Tim Laman (known for his conservation images) and Brian Skerry (an underwater photography pro). Mayakoba’s six miles of crystal waterways and 148 acres of protected mangrove forests—home to more than 200 species of birds— make this patch of Mexico an ideal destination to explore behind the camera. For me, each day with Winter is a lesson in the meaning of “waking up with the birds,” which is nothing a cup of coffee—or better yet, a swig of the house elixir (made of cacti, honey and lemon)—can’t fix. Sailing through the sweet water lagoons, Snowy Egrets, Boat-billed Herons, Limpkins and more exotic birds pause, bathe or take flight within lens distance. By day two, I’ve lost the impulse to shoot rapid-fire and am heeding Winter’s directives to consider aperture and composition with every shot. Each excursion on
water or land comes with one-on-one guidance from Winter, followed by laid-back lectures and a photographic show-and-tell back at the hotel. Though we took the adventure vacation route, Mayakoba is equally fit for the full-on pampering retreat. At Banyan Tree, I experienced a spa first—The Rain Forest Indulgence, a self-guided hydrotherapy walk under a rain shower, aroma steam and rain shower stations, a brine cavern and finally a plunge in the jetted vitally pool. Already a favorite among celebrities including Sofia Vergara and Leonardo DiCaprio, Rosewood upped the luxe factor with its newly constructed villa, Casa Laguna, a three-story jewel with floor-to-ceiling windows, a five-person staff, rooftop deck and private lagoon dock. At the Fairmont, my fearless comrades and I dine on local delicacies—tacos filled with our choice of crickets, worms or grasshoppers. Add to these experiences the option for a getaway within your getaway: It’s only a 45-minute ferry ride to Cozumel or a 45-minute drive to the fashionable hot spot of Tulum. We stop here for lunch and freshly squeezed juice in this sleepy beach town known for its clutch of yoga camps. At the end of the lively three-day workshop, I’m proudly bringing back more than tan lines— my own nature photography, an artful souvenir destined for my walls. banyantree.com
clockwise, from top left The Casa Laguna suite at Rosewood Mayakoba overlooks the picturesque lagoon with floor-to-ceiling windows. A luxurious private outdoor pool in Bayan Tree Mayakoba's Spa Villa. A Roseate Spoonbill bird spotted during the Wildlife Photo MaterClass taught by photographer Steve Winter. opposite Navigating the Mayakoba Canal during a MasterClass. A scenic view of Mayakoba.
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