Ticaboo, UT + Add a trip

Automobiles

Having wheels won't go to waste in this part of the world, as the distances between places is hefty. It's a four-hour drive to Las Vegas.

Planes

Page Airport in Arizona is a 25-minute drive from the resort. Commercial services are operated by Great Lakes Aviation (www.greatlakesav.com) between Page and Denver, Colorado as well as Phoenix, Arizona. Additionally, there's a flight between Page and Farmington, New Mexico.

Trains

Dialing

US country code: +1; Utah: 435.

Reads

The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey; Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child; Wet Desert by Gary Hansen.

Do go / Don't Go

Summer is from June until August, when it's warm (scorching, even) by day and more balmy by night. Spring and autumn have the mildest climate and fewer tourists - September is considered by many the ideal time to visit. Winter is pretty cold, with a chance of snow so wrap up.

Cuisine

Taxis

Ask your concierge for help arranging local transfers.

Tipping

Currency

US dollar ($).

Packing

Sturdy desert boots for clambering canyons; if you're a fan of fly-fishing, take your paraphernalia ready for hitting the Colorado River; layers of clothing for hot days and cool nights.

Arts

For an insight into the human history of the Southwest, Navajo National Monument is a two-hour drive from Lake Powell, and here you'll find three well-preserved cliff dwellings of the Anasazi people. Closer to home in Page, Arizona, at the base of a canyon, you'll find Navajo Village (www.navajovillage.com), where you can get a taste of life on a reservation as Diné families invite you to experience their culture and activities.

And...

Shopping

For a more upmarket boutique experience, the Gallery at Amangiri displays some of the best art, jewellery and handicrafts from the region, as well as a range of destination books and resort wear. Blair's Trading Post (www.blairstradingpost.com) in Page sells a selection of Native American artwork and jewellery.

Viewpoint

A breathtaking dose of this extraordinary landscape comes in the form of Horseshoe Bend, just outside Page in Arizona. Here the Colorado River makes a 300-degree turn 1,000 feet below where you stand. The best time to take photographs is when the sun is at its highest between noon and 2pm. Make sure you don't go too close to the edge: a few over-keen tourists have plunged to their deaths here. For the ultimate look at this dramatic geography, book a 45-minute air-balloon flight over Lake Powell, Navajo Mountain, the Vermillion Cliffs and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Something

This region is rich in traces of dinosaurs: head to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument's Paleontology Center and follow 140-million-year-old dinosaur tracks and pick up their younger (90-million-year-old) fossil specimens. The more eco-minded among you might feel what you find on tour should stay on tour.

Late September Lake Powell Challenge (www.lakepowellchallenge.com) is a benefit fundraiser that Antelope Marina organises, with a scavenger hunt along the water in boats. First weekend of November 30 hot-air balloons launch in Page and float over that striking terrain during the annual regatta.