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Those of you currently enduring sub-zero temperatures might be interested to hear that Tripadvisor has come up with a top 10 list of warm weather escapes. Making the list are the following:
1. Cancun, Mexico
2. St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
3. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
4. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
5. Miami Beach, Florida, USA
6. San Juan, Puerto Rico
7. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
8. Orlando, Florida, USA
9. Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico
10. Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
There is a private palace located in the centre of Barcelona unknown for most of the people; however, it’s a special place available for any kind of events and celebrations, such as New Year’s Eve 2010. The palace is a building of late baroque style with classic influence. It is the only private 18th Century palace in Barcelona that maintains its original furniture and interiors. It is divided into two floors: the ground floor, where the old stables, the old Coach-house and the old coal room were located, and the noble floor. The noble floor has different rooms with original furniture dating from the 19th Century. Some of these rooms have striking paintings of allegories of the zodiac on the ceiling, numerous Baccarat crystal chandeliers and an Erard of Paris Grand Piano.
Celebrating New Year’s Eve in this special venue offers privacy, exclusivity, haute cuisine and artistic beauty, the perfect ingredients for an unforgettable soiree. The menu will be based on cold and hot appetizers, such as Sashimi salmon or king prawn, followed by the starter; lobster salad with tuna tartar and monkfish filet with crayfish and cava cream. The main course can be chosen between honeyed veal with carrot cream or suckling pig. The dinner will be accompanied by the best Spanish red and white wines as well as cava (Catalan Champagne) and all sorts of liquors. The meal will be served with Versailles glassware, Inox Miro’s cutlery, porcelain crockery and Montecarlo chairs.
After the luxurious dinner in one of the main rooms, the ground floor will be converted into a dance floor, where a DJ will help you to welcome the New Year with the best music. Get ready for an excellent private New Year’s Eve soiree in an 18th Century Palace in the heart of Barcelona.
Oscar Goni is the Managing Director at Luxury Trips Spain.
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For travellers and shoppers passing through New York City looking for fun holiday spots to have a festive lunch or a Christmas cocktail, The Wheeltapper Pub at the Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel (141 East 44th Street at Lexington Avenue) is the perfect stop. The pub, which features a huge festively decorated all-season Patio, is having a 12 Beers of Christmas celebration now through Christmas day. These seasonal specialties are $6 a bottle and offer a broad spectrum of flavors:
The Wheeltapper’s sommelier, Patrick Lutz, has also put together some fabulous food pairings from The Wheeltapper menu, including Snow Bound Winter Ale with a Turkey Club ($11), Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout with Four Cheese Macaroni ($15), Cocoa Porter Winter Warmer with a Caramelized Apple Salad($11) or Isolation Ale with the Irish classic Fish and Chips ($19).
If you’ll be in the city for Christmas Day, The Wheeltapper and its sister restaurant The Fitz at The Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel (at 687 Lexington Avenue) will be serving very special Christmas menus featuring such traditional holiday dishes as Roast Turkey and Sugar Glazed Ham with Irish Sausage Stuffing and house-made Irish Christmas Pudding. The Fitz is offering a four-course Christmas prix-fixe feast ($79) and The Wheeltapper is offering Christmas dinner specialties both a la carte and as a prix fixe ($47).
Each year Emirates Palace dazzles its guests and visitors and this fifth year anniversary for Emirates Palace ends on an exceptional high as the only address to celebrate in unique world record breaking style. Aiming for its second published Guinness World Record. Emirates Palace invites you to marvel at the world’s most expensively dressed Christmas tree, bejewelled with precious gems provided by Style Gallery valued at over 11 million USD!
This centrepiece stretching 13 meters high under the Main Dome provides a unique seasonal spectacle for guests and visitors and sets the scene for the New Years Eve Gala Ball and First World Party on 31st December 2010.
Whilst in Singapore recently, we spent a couple of comfortable nights in the Peninsula Excelsior Hotel. Unfortunately we weren’t staying in their executive class accommodation so I don’t have a special feature for you. However, we were able to meet with the charming Ms Corina Teo, who showed us around the Sky Lounge and then invited us for lunch in the hotel’s Coleman’s Cafe!
The Sky Lounge is “for the privileged few” and consists of a 4,000 square feet, two-level executive lounge with outdoor balconies and a spectacular 270-degree unobstructed view of the Marina Bay cityscape and skyline. It’s breathtaking. I can’t imagine how you could get a better view in the whole of Singapore.
The views from some of the guest rooms are quite spectacular too. We had a corner room on the 16th floor and the views were superb! So much so, that one day we even got up at dawn to try to take views of Marina Bay at sunrise. Good views, yes, but you’re looking for something more perhaps?
If you are a Formula 1 fan, then have I got news for you! The Singapore Grand Prix will be held from 23-25 September 2011 and, you’ve guessed it, you’ll have a prime view of the race from the Sky Lounge – or indeed from your room if you get one on the Marina Bay (eastern) side of the building.
The first thing people often might say if you were to ask them about Pemba would be something like, ‘isn’t he the warthog for the Lion King?’ In any case the animal’s actual name was Pumbaa, derived from the Swahili for ‘foolish’, but no, the Pemba I am referring to is of a very different variety.
The Pemba in question nestles just north east of its more famous and larger sister island of Zanzibar in the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. It makes up part of Zanzibar’s eponymous archipelago, a semi autonomous region of the Kingdom of Tanzania and an area that seems to experience a very contradictory relationship with the tourism industry. Despite being only 50km equidistant from the coast of Tanzania and north of Zanzibar, Pemba is a relatively anonymous holiday destination. Having searched through this eclectic blog site I could find only one other reference to Pemba Island so I determined that in this post I might finally shine the spotlight on this rather unassuming little land mass.
So why does Pemba Island deserve your attention? Well in my opinion, it represents one of the few remaining unspoiled areas of Eastern Africa. That isn’t to say the likes of Mozambique, Tanzania or Kenya have become culturally diluted by the tourist influx, but that simply relatively speaking Pemba is a haven for seclusion and intimacy; tourism here in every sense of the word is still in its infancy. Historically, Pemba, which along with Zanzibar and the other constituent islands of the archipelago were referred to as the, ‘Spice Islands’, due to their value as agricultural centres for growing expensive crops and spices. The area was first inhabited by Europeans over 500 years ago with Vasco de Gama’s famous exploration of south eastern Africa and the earliest examples of permanent fortification in the whole of East Africa can be found here at the Mkama Ndume ruins at Pujini Village.
Aside from its history, modern day Pemba is a self sustaining community of friendly but hard working individuals who concentrate their practices mainly on agriculture or fishing, the two major industries on the island. It was Pemba’s rich and fertile landscape that in the past asserted it as the most economically productive and therefore important of the Spice Islands and today the earth is still maintained and cultivated by the people. Unlike the flatter, sandier geography of Zanzibar, on Pemba you can expect to find an astonishing variety of natural features and micro-ecosystems. Thick naturally forested areas, the habitat for an array of endemic animal and birdlife, offer particularly attractive views, especially the Ngezi Forest on the northern peninsula and the smaller Ras Kiuyu Forest Reserve to the south. Dense mangroves also sprawl across large swathes of the landscape, and frequently trail down to the water’s edge but where they retreat from the coast line some of the most exclusive and pristine beaches in Africa are hidden away. Beyond that, beneath the crystal waters, a nursery reef that encompasses much of the island provides a home for a wealth of sea life and vibrant corals. Pemba has in fact become famous for offering some of the most ideal diving conditions in the world and has established itself as a base from which a handful of enthusiasts explore neighbouring islands such as Misali and Shamiani.
Major townships on Pemba include the capital, Chake-Chake, Mkoani and Wete, the most populous community. Though infrastructure remains quite basic the island does enjoy the services of an international airport and the roads are being slowly improved. Most passenger ships will arrive into the port town of Mkoani on the south west coast, although the actual dock is 10km further along in Wesha. A small number of resorts and exclusive hotels are being established on the island to provide the tourists who do find their way here with luxury and comfort; the two properties I would recommend particularly are the Fundu Lagoon resort and the Manta Resort. At both Fundu and Manta you will be reminded of those luxury safari lodges back in Tanzania, traditionally built with a rustic but charming architecture, they seamlessly marry luxury with authenticity.
A jewel of the East Africa, to really appreciate Pemba, you need to get out there and see it! As a private retreat to recuperate from the hectic schedule of an African safari, or as a destination in its own right, Pemba is a wonderful, romantic and undiscovered alternative Indian Ocean hideaway.
Greg Fox is a Director at luxury travel specialists Mahlatini.
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Holiday makers who are looking to experience the vast array of wildlife that Africa has to offer would be hard pressed to outdo Tanzania travel. The country is host to a truly awesome variety of game and bird life, not to mention the local flora. With areas as famed as the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, it becomes clear why Tanzania is considered one of the ‘must see’ African destinations. Many people have visited the country already and know where and when to go, but for those who have yet to make this wildlife pilgrimage we give you:
The where and when of Tanzania safaris
Northern Tanzania is packed full of safari hot spots such as the Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti Loliondo. Lake Manyara and the Arusha National Park are also more than worthy of mention and perhaps a little more quiet in peak travel seasons so as to offer you a little more seclusion, if that’s what you’re looking for. If we’re looking at the sheer volume and diversity of game then the Serengeti is a global contender for the top spot, and it could be argued that there is no better location for it.
All year round the wildlife abounds and the wildebeest migration is a major draw card, along with the amazing natural landscapes. If this catches your eye then try a Serengeti specific information search as the topic is well covered. Another major site for Tanzania tours is the Ngorongoro Crater which is forged from amazing landscapes and a high quality combination of game and birdlife, all contained within its own mini ecosystem. The floral life comes to full bloom during late April and May but the area does tend to be a bit chilled in June and July, so plan your trip accordingly.
If you’re considering a trip to the ever popular Piaya area of the Serengeti Loliondo, then you should take note of the time of year. The area is considered to be at its best from February through to early May and although this time is prone to sporadic rainfall, the abundance of life makes it well worth it. Bear your own schedule in mind but also consider what would be the most rewarding time for Tanzania travel.
Warren Kings is a copywriter for African Travel.
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Radisson Blu hotels – a brand we’ve mentioned a few times on A Luxury Travel Blog in the past – is getting into the festive spirit with the Radisson Blue Quiz – a fantastic opportunity to win a weekend away at one of its hotels, choosing from Milan, Madrid, Berlin, Helsinki or Hamburg. But even if you’re not one of the lucky winners, there are some great incentives to pick up a a Radisson Blu giftcard. There’s one thousand of them up for grabs, too, ranging in value from 20 to 100 euros. The competition is easy to enter, but entrants must be aged at least 18 years old. For the full terms and conditions, see the website.
It’s been a while since I last went on a weekend jaunt to Europe, so this one caught my eye. In fact, out of the cities listed, I’m ashamed to say I’ve only spent any significant time in one of them (Milan). Milan is a great city and one I’d thoroughly recommend. Not only is it widely considered to be both a fashion and a shopping capital, it is also home to some stunning attractions, including the Duomo and the new Museo del Novecentro which was inaugurated last month.
Good luck to all those of you who enter!
xDomaine de Bel Ombre on the southwest coast of Mauritius launches as a major new tourist destination, offering a diverse range of activities, facilities and accommodation options for visitors who want to experience the authentic and natural beauty of Mauritius. Starting at the foothills of the rugged mountains characteristic of the south coast and tapering off into a clear turquoise lagoon, Domaine de Bel Ombre covers over 2,500 hectares of wild landscape dispersed with fishing villages, waterfalls and coastal rainforest making it the ideal choice for active holidays, wellbeing and nature pursuits.
Formerly a plantation estate dating back to 1765, Domaine de Bel Ombre’s history is visible in the small sugar plantations that still operate and in preserved structures such as the 19th century sugar mill or the former grand plantation house turned fine dining restaurant Chateau de Bel Ombre.
Noted 19th Century natural historian Charles Telfair chose to settle in Domaine de Bel Ombre before founding the Mauritian Natural History Museum. Here he made several botanical discoveries and introduced many new flora, fauna and fruit to the island.Today the natural beauty of the area remains in tact and offers tourists an alternative to the classic beach holiday that Mauritius is best known for.
Domaine de Bel Ombre boasts two five star hotels, Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Spa Resort and Heritage Awali Golf and Spa Resort as well as a new luxury villa resort Villas Valriche. Guests can use facilities at all three resorts and enjoy a variety of outdoor activities as well as relax on over 3km of pristine white sand beaches.
For nature and wildlife discovery there is Frederica Nature Reserve. With 1,300 hectares of lush terrain protected by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation it is home to the island’s tallest waterfall, many indigenous flora and fauna and rare wildlife species. Here visitors can participate in hikes, 4×4 night excursions, discovery tours for adults and children, quad biking or mountain biking. For those seeking a quieter set of activities, nature trails with a tour guide, yoga classes, outdoor spa treatments and even organised picnics are on offer to fully appreciate the tranquillity and scenery of the Reserve.
Adjacent to Frederica Nature Reserve is the multi-award winning 18-hole championship golf course Golf du Chateau. Situated on a rolling hillside it stretches out over 100 hectares taking in lakes, streams and tropical trees. The course is both challenging and varied, providing golfers of all abilities with an opportunity to improve their technique and know-how on a course that has a breathtaking panoramic view of the Domaine de Bel Ombre.
Voted as one of the best luxury resorts in the world, Jade Mountain is located in the grounds of the old Anse Mamin Plantation, and just 20 minutes away from Nick Troubetzkoy’s organic rain forest farm, the Emerald Estate. With fantastic culinary resources and the exquisite skills of chef Allan Susser, Jade Mountain offers only the best locally sourced produce, presenting exotic and delicious dishes for all appetites.
With gourmet festivals throughout the year, great emphasis is put on Caribbean tastes and flavours at Jade Mountain, introducing specialist tastings and cookery workshops for guests. Now, for the fist time you can take the Jade Mountain flavour home with you, with a variety of chocolates and chutneys hand made and sold on site.
Experience the true taste of the Caribbean with Jade Mountain’s hand made fruit chutneys and marmalades. With tropical fruits and citrus sourced from Anse Mamin and the Emerald Estate these products are produced in small qualities producing the finest quality product. Using the freshest spices and home grown chillies Jade Mountain has produced an explosion of flavours, including Hot Banana and Cinnamon, Passion Fruit and Carambola, Grayham Mango and Black Stap Molasses and Pink Guava and Ginger.
New for 2010, Jade Mountain has also begun production of their first home grown chocolate, using 3rd generation cocoa beans from the Emerald Estate. With in house production, the chocolate making process is fully controlled from growing to fermenting and drying, producing chocolate of exquisite quality and flavour. With a range of products from chocolate truffles, traditional St. Lucian chocolate tea stix, chocolate chip pancakes and chocolate cabernet sorbet, all served in the restaurant and with certain products sold in the hotel gift shop, your experience of Jade Mountain will be choctastic!
Caribtours offers 7 nights at Jade Mountain, Saint Lucia from £2,995 per person staying in a Sky Jacuzzi Suite on All Inclusive (complimentary upgraded from Bed and Breakfast). Price includes return scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic, private transfers and use of a private lounge at Gatwick.
First off… I’d like to apologise. Please forgive the title for it’s completely misleading. There is no free luxury vacation here – this is in fact nothing more than a Twitter experiment. Once published, this blog post will automatically go out on Twitter with the subject line “Please RT to win a FREE luxury vacation!” and I’m curious to see how much people re-tweet material on Twitter without actually reading it.
I have a strong suspicion that this goes on quite a lot and this experiment will hopefully confirm or deny that. Of course, the subject line is deliberately provocative and aims to entice retweets. According to Dan Zarrella who is something of an expert when it comes to retweeting, some of the most re-tweeted words include ‘please’, ‘retweet’ (or ‘RT’ – I used the shorter version with Twitter’s character limitations in mind) and ‘free’.
Watch the Tweetmeme figure in the bottom right hand corner of the post. If I’m completely wrong with my suspicions, then the number of re-tweets will remain at “1″. If instead that figure starts to rise, then it would seem to suggest that a number of Twitter users are ‘guilty as charged’ – unless of course, people are just re-tweeting the post merely because they are interested in the experiment (if that were the case, I’d expect some kind of comment to be added, rather than just an unedited re-tweet!).
I apologise once again for the somewhat misleading nature of the subject line (and it isn’t even my first offence!) but at the same time would urge people not to re-tweet something if they haven’t read it in full first.
EDIT: Tweetmeme is seeming to be slow to update (it’s still showing zero at the time of writing) and I’ve often suspected does not count all re-tweets. In the first few minutes of the post going live on Twitter, this is what happened. I’ve edited Twitter usernames/faces as I’m not looking to humiliate anyone, rather it is here just to highlight the problem. The snag is, those that need to see the message that you should read what you re-tweet, clearly aren’t reading this!
Malaysia has been in the tourism limelight for many years now, having stolen the stage somewhat from its Southeast Asian counterparts. With a tourist footfall of almost 24 million it’ll come as little wonder that there are a range of holiday experiences to be enjoyed. That said, however, it’s easy to forget amongst all the hustle and bustle that luxurious and relaxing stays are very much part of Malaysia’s holidaying fabric. Here we guide you through a few activities a bit different to the ever popular adventure trip!
1. Indulge yourself in Malaysia’s traditional cuisine. Distinctive Malaysian dishes are prized for their use of flavoursome herbs and spices including lemon grass and a range of different chillies. The nation’s food also benefits from strong Indian and Chinese influences, both of which are ever popular in the West. Arguably Malaysia’s signature dish is ‘Nasi lemak’, which marries the beautiful tastes of rice, curry and anchovies. Malaysia’s street food is safe and delicious, and I always especially recommend the seafood hawkers of Penang. If noodles are your thing then Laksa is sure to delight!
2. Relax on the beach. Malaysia’s beaches have a strong individual identity for many reasons. Not only are they secluded and idyllic but many are set against a backdrop of dense jungle merging into white sands and crystal waters. Throw in a pleasant climate and you have a truly wonderful beach holiday. A special mention has to go to Langkawi too whose beauty has been recognised by UNESCO. The islands off Terengganu’s shore are also divine and largely quiet. Whilst diving would normally be associated with an adventure trip, there are many relaxing beginner courses in and around Terengganu certain to please the luxury traveller.
3. Shopping for traditional goodies. Malaysia has been referred to as a shopper’s paradise for several reasons over the years. Not only are goods exempt from duty in areas like Langkawi and Labuan but Malaysia’s currency (the ringgit) trades at a very affordable price. There are many multi storey shopping malls to be enjoyed, but if this evokes the stresses of home then maybe traditional market shopping is for you. Keep an eye out for Batik – a beautiful Malay silk fabric used for clothing, accessories and homes. Malaysia has a strong history in wood carving so you’ll find many intricate and beautiful souvenirs to take home with you. Terengganu and Kuantan are especially recognised for their craftsmanship and wood work.
Malaysia is about so much more than high rise buildings and complexes; in fact to the discerning traveller it can represent a truly authentic experience. Transport links are good making the states of Peninsular Malaysia very accessible, particularly from Kuala Lumpur. Set up base in a location that takes your fancy then start to enjoy the friendly locals, delightful cuisine and gorgeous beaches!
Sandeesh Mahedvan is a local writer for the Malaysia Explorer.
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Are you still wondering about what to get your wife or girlfriend who already has everything this Christmas? If so, then spare a thought for the BagPod which has been Highly Commended by the Giftware Association. It’s the brainchild of Swedish born Marianne Sparrenius-Waters of RedDog Design Ltd., based in Abergavenny, Wales, UK. It’s essentially a bag that fits snugly inside a handbag.
Now, before you start wondering “why on earth do you need a bag inside a bag?”, picture this scenario: you’re about to go out for the evening; you’ve got dressed and it’s time to go – only all your ‘things’ are inside the handbag you were using during the day and now you’re wanting to go out with a different handbag. Of course, you find yourself desparately rummaging around for the items you want with you.
The idea of the BagPod is that it holds all your key essentials already, whether that be your glasses, your keys, your iPhone, your lipstick or whatever. Anything that you always want with you, you put in your BagPod and the rest of the handbag can be used for other, less essential items. So, instead of all that rummaging, you just take out the BagPod and transfer it from one handbag to another, and you’re good to go.
So simple, yet one of those ideas you wished you’d come up with yourself! The BagPod has a total of 10 separate compartments, one of which is zipped, and a leather strap/keyring to keep your keys secure. It also comes in a multitude of colours so it can match or contrast with a range of different coloured handbags. It can be bought with a canvas or leather finish but we recommend the luxurious leather which comes in 3 sizes (small, medium and ‘business’) and with a lovely, soft velvety finish inside.
Prices for the leather version start from £69.95 and a list of stockists can be found here.
The sky is blue… the water is inviting… the drinks are cold… and the people as warm as always… welcome to Jamaica!
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples after 25 years of impeccable service is offering some great Silver Anniversary deals for this holiday season. Naples is proud to lay home to this Five Star, Five Diamond resort and the Ritz is giving back to its fellow Neapolitans by offering hundreds of dollars in savings off a variety of packages.
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples features fantastic views of the Gulf of Mexico as well as a plethora of other amenities including a world-class spa, high tech entertainment lounge, eight exciting restaurants, and a pool for every member of the family. You can latch down a Coastal View guest room for only $125/night during the holiday season (November 28 through December 22.) Use promo code “RCNRCNA” when booking.
In desperate need of a spa get away? They are also offering a “Silver Spa Celebration” from November 2010 through April 2011 where you can get a 50 minute Ionic Facial for only $150, or a sparkly Silver Express Mani & Pedi for only $75. Check out the Silver Anniversary press release for more tantalizing spa specials.
The Ritz-Carlton has long been a family name that has served the likes of families to business travelers. The world class amenities, unprecedented service, and amazing hotel locations are what make the Ritz a world-renowned phenomenon.
Nicole Henderson is a dedicated travel professional writing for the Milwaukee Examiner.
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Learn about the stunning variety Auckland – situated on New Zealand’s North Island – has to offer with this promotional video from Tourism Auckland.
