We had a wonderful stay at the Tanjung Rhu Resort recently, and there was so much to write about I decided to do it over several articles. The first was a special feature about the resort itself. Now let’s look at the dining options.
There are several restaurants at the resort:
The Rhu – this is the resort’s fine dining restaurant with both indoor air-conditioned areas and al fresco dining. The Rhu is open for dinner only. Smoking is not allowed at this restaurant but you can nip across the path and sit on the verandah underneath the Reading Room and the staff will happily bring your wine over for you too. Children are not allowed on the upper floor of the restaurant. There is also a dress code and smart casual clothing is required. There is no dress code anywhere else on the resort – pretty much anything goes (within reason).
We sat outside upstairs and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Andaman Sea waves lapping gently onto the resort’s long white-sand beach. (Hint: book early and nab a table at the front overlooking the beach.) The food is excellent and beautifully presented. Have a look at the menu and see if it whets your appetite. This is a great place for a special occasion or even just to treat yourself because you’re on holiday.
There’s lots of fish and seafood on the menu as well as prime steaks and various other options. Both of us chose fish for our main courses. I had the pan-roasted ocean trout with roast cherry tomato, haricot beans, salmon roe, and citrus beurre blanc. David had the pan-fried kingfish with eryngii mushrooms, parsnip purée, toasted pine kernels, and raisin butter with chives. Despite already having had two delicious starters, we both scoffed it all up. (It’s very unusual for me to clean my plate.) In a way, I’m sorry that we left it to our last evening to dine at The Rhu, otherwise I would most certainly have gone back.
The Saffron – this is open from 11am to 11pm so you can have lunch, dinner, or whatever you fancy in the afternoon. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor dining options and a Mediterranean flavour. They serve salads, pizzas, pastas, fish and seafood, breads and dips, tapas and lots of other things.
The Sands – an all-day dining venue. This is where we had breakfast every morning, choosing from a wide selection of buffet items. There is something for everyone here, with Malaysian, Western, Thai, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine. In addition to their à la carte menu, they also do a set dinner every evening, Indian one night, Thai the next, Chinese the next and so on.
Both the Sands Pool and the Sunset Pool have bars which serve a variety of mouth watering snacks and a full range of cocktails and other drinks.
The Reading Room – this serves speciality teas and coffees as well as snacks and cocktails. They serve an English-style high tea in the afternoons too.
Private BBQ – if you want a special romantic occasion you can order a private BBQ. You can choose either a mixed BBQ or a seafood one and your personal butler will cook and serve for you whilst you sip Champagne.
There is also the option of in-room dining where you can eat restaurant-style food even if you don’t feel like going out. We found that our room’s balcony was a comfortable place to eat.
And now for an insider tip, which I didn’t find anything about on the resort’s website. The Saffron also has a variety of picnic options which you need to order the day before. These picnics are then delivered to Reception or your room at the arranged time and you can take them with you on your excursions (or eat them on your balcony). These come beautifully packaged in a large wicker basket and include absolutely scrumptious food and soft drinks. (Hint: menu 3, which in our opinion was the best foodie option anyway, also includes beer or wine.) We were amazed when we received our picnic hamper. This was quite unlike any picnic I’d ever seen before. It was a feast!
So, there you have it. If you’re planning a visit to Langkawi, and I recommend you do, the Tanjung Rhu Resort offers some excellent dining options.
Australia is famous for its rugged outback, but you don’t hear a lot about the 5 star side of the country. Yes, there are some very wild places all around Australia, but it’s a bit of a waste to miss the real luxuries available.
Luxury, Australian style
Australia doesn’t have to boast about its lifestyle, but not many people realize that the lifestyle is really universal. Australians live better than most. The luxury version of Australian lifestyle is actually pretty close to the famous al fresco “barbie” but with in a different price bracket, and always absolute top quality. Add a 5 star resort and full services, and you get the idea.
The fact is that the choice of luxury in Australian cities is enormous.
Queensland, for example, has an absolutely incredible range of 4 and 5 star resorts, hotels, and beach villas. There are more different types of luxury accommodation in Brisbane alone than most people would expect to find anywhere on Earth.
Luxury also comes in other forms. The executive accommodation is all designer work, complete with full business and convention facilities if you want it. On the water, you can find million dollar yachts and super yachts which are pretty much straight off the blueprints, they’re so new.
The Australian difference
The difference in Australia is that the environments around the country are totally different:
You can be in a tropical paradise in Darwin, watching the crocs from a luxury tour.
You can sail down the Great Barrier Reef for days on a super yacht.
You can see how fantastic the Sydney shoreline is as a place to live.
You can follow the coast south and see the fabulous Far South Coast, Lakes Entrance and the wild coasts of Tasmania, and meet the penguins.
Heading west you can be stunned by the huge size of Port Philip Bay and the extraordinary “ocean lake” environment and Australia’s huge second biggest city.
Further west you can arrive in Adelaide, and see the mouth of the mighty Murray River, one of the world’s giant continental river systems.
You can follow the route of the fantastic desert coast 1000 miles to Perth, the home of the legendary Great White Sharks.
When you get to Perth, you’ll see the fastest growing and one of the most glamorous of Australian cities, the spiritual home of the world’s biggest mining industry companies, Perth, on the fabulous Swan River.
Now you can sail up the coast of Western Australia, meet the dolphins at Monkey Mia, and see an area bigger than Texas covered in wildflowers.
Further up the coast, you can come to Broome and the foot of the Kimberleys, some of the wildest country in the world, quite untamed.
You’ve just done 5000 kilometers of 5 star luxury in ten totally different
environments. You can do this by plane, too, using private luxury jets which can get you anywhere in the country. Fantastic food and entertainment are compulsory.
With the wedding season just around the corner travel agencies are choc-a-bloc with pre-hitched couples looking to make last minute adjustments and tweaks to finalise their wedding fantasies. Once the vows have been exchanged, the bouquets been thrown and some evanescent substance cheered and sipped, it’s time for the newlyweds real journey to take course; I’m not talking about a life time of married life, I’m referring more along the lines of the honeymoon. Honeymoons are the real highlight of wedded life (not raising the children) and in most cases the steeple point of a marriage due to the mesmerising experience of starry eyedly enthralled together by taking the most extravagant holidays you may ever get to experience.
If you’re looking for paradise you’ll most certainly be swayed in the direction of the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean regions as they are both drenched in eternally warm sunshine, heart stoppingly beautiful landscapes, and uncompromised tranquillity which when all accounted for creates an absolute harmonious atmosphere.
Caribbean top pick:
St Lucia has been titled “Honeymooner Bliss” due to its outstanding beauty, minuscule size, and array of boutique resorts and luxurious hotels which fill in the gaps between the rocky veganacious mountainside’s which are world renowned for being flourished in vibrant fauna and swarmed in exotic animals such as parrots and parakeets. St Lucia is undoubtedly the most prestigiously bountiful country in the Caribbean not only due to its fortunate position, but due to its outstanding adorned landscapes which the islanders have taken credit for as they’ve preserved their “little piece of heaven” rather than spoiling the scenery with half built buildings and derelict eyesores which unfortunately have became such a common sore in many of the Caribbean countries, due to this reason and many others, St Lucia has rightfully been crowned with the title for being the most idyllic location for honeymooners favouring the Caribbean.
Indian Ocean top pick:
The Indian Ocean is an emerging holiday region which has only recently (last 20 years) been noted for its unrivalled honeymoon experiences; although an exotic and tropical region similar to that of the Caribbean, the two regions cannot be compared as there’s huge fundamental differences between them both. The Caribbean offers a charismatic and vibrant charm where as the Indian Ocean prides itself, and even boast as a selling point that there’s no corner on the face of the earth where you can compromise the serenity and isolation that you’ll discover on a honeymoon to the Indian Ocean region.
The Seychelles, also known as heaven on earth is certainly a glistening gem of unspoilt nature, compiled from a collection of islets located off the western coast of Africa, the set of islands couldn’t be more fortunately positioned aside of the tropics, they are not too close that they experience arid climates nor too far a field that they overlook the tropical climates… perfectly placed!
Lush rainforests like those of Sri Lanka shroud the islands centres and peaks which softly roll down, eventually merging into palm fringed powder white beaches that are genteelly lapped with glistening blue waters and a ruptured atmospheres. Words seem so feeble when trying to comprehend the tropical brilliance the Seychelles beholds, which is why the decision to label it the top honeymoon position in the Indian Ocean was easily made.
Peter Richards is a Digital Marketing Manager at Tropical Sky.
The town is storybook pretty: narrow streets lined with quintessentially charming cottages and a main drag filled with every manner of boutique, café, coffee house, inn, and restaurant. Add to that the seaside charm of waves crashing on rocks and soft sand beaches that tempt you to linger longer, and it’s hard not to find serenity and peace around every corner. This is Carmel-by-the-Sea, a wonderful central coast village that shouts romantic retreat, arm-in-arm walks on the beach, and quiet candlelit dinners.
For a true one-of-a-kind getaway with your significant other to this gem of a town, consider booking one of the popular “packages” before offered by many of the stately old hotels in town. There are spa, golf, dining, kayaking, wine tasting, and horseback riding retreats, private whale watching charters, and special weekend offerings that encompass one of the region’s signature events, such as the Carmel Bach Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, golf tourneys, and more. And happily, many of the Carmel hotels even allow you to create a mix-and-match vacation tailored to your exact wishes.
If you’ve never been to Carmel — or if you’ve never been there with your better half — nothing beats starting with the obvious. Dig your toes into the sand at the foot of Ocean Avenue, pop open a bottle of local vino, or snag a custom-designed picnic basket from the one of the many nearby restaurants. You can also take a walk or—if you have access to a car—a cruise along Scenic or 17-Mile Drive. Another great trek is to head down the path that weaves through the forested canyon to San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission, where you can take a tour or simply wander through the beautifully restored 18th Century buildings.
Of course, nothing quite beats just window-shopping through the one square mile of downtown, especially if you’re an art lover. The village’s past and present incarnations as an artist colony imbue it with a dignified yet slightly Bohemian aura. Pop into one of the French cafes tucked unobtrusively between quaint inns of a side street, or indulge in an extraordinary wine experience by visiting any number of tasting rooms scattered around town.
For the serious romantically inclined (or romantically-challenged as the case may be), sunset brings a whole new sensibility to Carmel, and it’s impossible not to be swept up in all the possibilities. From sipping cocktails in front of the roaring outside fireplace at Mission Ranch to happy hour jazz on a patio overlooking Carmel River Beach and the surrounding meadows and towering pines, this is couple-time at its best.
Miss the days of snuggling up in front of movie? The Forest Theatre offers a great lineup of new and classic films on their outdoor screen. Grab a blanket, some snacks, and a bottle of wine and settle in amidst the hulking redwoods and cypress trees or fireside. Thankfully, the theatre is as easy walk from both downtown and the beach — just imagine a moonlit stroll through the sand post-movie time.
No matter how you choose to fill-out your romantic retreat to Carmel, you can rest assured that finding ways to make the getaway truly special is infinitely easy. You’ll fall in love over again—not just with each other, but also with Carmel itself.
With teNeues’ new travel apps, luxury travellers can quickly navigate through a curated selection of trendy restaurants, bars, hotels, shopping and highlights in metropolitan cities. There are three ways to explore: choose to search by category or district or be located on a map to see what is around you. The apps are based on the recently redesigned and bestselling COOL CITIES print guides and are image driven so it is easy to determine if the atmosphere will suite your style.
The first two apps to be released are specifically for New York City and Berlin, Germany with many more major cities to follow. Cool New York and Cool Berlin (available for the iPhone/iPad/ iPod Touch) will be launched this month with a retail price of $5.99 and 4,99 EUR respectively, but look out for special launch prices, with Cool New York selling for $.99 and Cool Berlin premiering for free.
For the discerning traveller, diver or not, who has money to spend and wants the very best, these six destinations offer an incomparable level of service, style, and of course diving. So dream awhile, and casting all financial concerns aside, enjoy that lottery moment and consider which are the most spoiling and amazing destinations where you can have sensational diving at the same time as staying in even more sensational accommodation. Here are my top picks:
Frégate’s full title is Frégate Island Private with the emphasis is on the last word; from your own private beach and even private diving. In fact if you want to dive with more than just you and your instructor you have to ask. The resort can be found on a truly stunning island, a tiny part of which has been turned over to the resort, crammed with every eco and organic intent. Just 25 amazing rooms with private infinity pools and spectacular views, a beach voted the best in the Seychelles and for that you could possibly read ‘the world’ and you get to reserve it just for you, telephoning in your lunch order from your shady (or sunny) perch. Spectacular and private in everyway but also wonderfully low key.
Amazingly this is still a real secret. Occupying its own private island and surrounded by a sensational and scarcely believable fine white powder sand beach, one of the beauties of this island is that virtually whatever the weather, one side of the island is calm enough to dive. Typical Aman style: acres of space, total privacy, unbeatable food in amazing locations, capacious bedrooms and bathrooms sprinkled up a hillside or on the beach and pristine waters, this is simply the most wonderful resort, so very different from anything else in this archipelago, some of which leaves much to be desired.
The main course here is a boat preceded by an unusual starter, a real oddball in the Aman portfolio, a tented resort that redefines the meaning of the word ‘tent’ set on the edge of the Banda Sea and supported by all that Aman stands for. And what a main course it is, 5 nights on Amanikan, a modern day version of a traditional timer Phinisi that is incredibly spoiling, luxurious, purpose built and hugely stylish. It does not matter whether you snorkel, dive or just want an amazing holiday in the pristine surroundings of this lost world where you can get up close and personal with the infamous 12ft Komodo dragon only found in this remote island group.
A ‘see before you die’ island with the most evocative name imaginable, sufficient on its own to make you start packing. With a view you can never tire of whether it is from the luxury of one of the Four Seasons’ renowned beds, or the vast picture windowed bath, either choice is perfect. Perched over the pristine turquoise lagoon, a mere drop away from sensational swimming, this resort has a spa to die for, sensational and oft changing food and some of the best guaranteed shark diving you can find. This is heaven for families or couples, the endless facilities providing careful separation. Twin this with a visit to the shark heaven of Rangiroa or one of the more remote outer islands and you will have a truly amazing holiday.
Just 10 rooms and two villas share this idyllic 2,200 acre island stuffed with wild deer, goats, horses and pigs set in a coconut grove echoing to the call of stunningly hued parrots. And as to the diving, superb and pristine and, given that it is included in the rate, Wakaya would easily earn the distinction and title, somewhat unfairly, of being the world’s best dive resort! And yet it is so much more. Pristine beaches giving onto the multi-hued and evocatively titled Koro Sea, total privacy, and every single facility you could want including a private 9-hole golf course and croquet lawn set amongst a majestic palm plantation. Utter peace and privacy, food to remember and all backed by the inimitable Fijians, truly the friendliest nation on earth for whom nothing is too much trouble.
A 5 ‘bedroom’ timber built Phinisi that sails to all the best the Far East can offer, especially if you are a diver. From Raja Ampat to Komodo, the Mergui Archipelago to Papua New Guinea there is simply no better way to visit these distant and difficult to get at lands than a cruise on this 150ft of canvas sailed luxury. If you don’t dive, then take advantage of the owner’s endless contacts through her years of experience in this evocative part of the world and enjoy all the fascinating off beat cultural history it has to offer. So if you want to visit some of the very best diving the planet has to offer in ultra stylish luxury and dip your toes in the local culture, there is simply no better way.
With a desire to offer a refreshing new definition of the luxury beach bungalow experience, Casas del Sol has officially opened on the island of Koh Tao, Thailand. Created by Australian Interior Designer, Christina Saenz de Santamaria, Casas del Sol are five individually designed beach villas that offer self-catered accommodation in an ideal location of the island that is both central and convenient yet private and tranquil.
Each two-bedroom villa offers views of the open ocean, island and sunsets, and four of the five villas have a private swimming pool on the terrace. The fundamental design of the villas was inspired by the tropical climate of Thailand that blends both the indoor and outdoor environments together with the use of an outdoor terrace and open-plan living. Natural ventilation was an important element for cooling in the tropical heat with high ceilings, windows and large terrace doors.
A major style influence to the villas was the Mediterranean culture due to villa ownership from Spain. The crisp white walls and use of polished concrete is a direct echo of the modernised fincas of the Spanish Balearic Islands. However care was taken to incorporate local Thai elements such as native timber details and products.
The destination of Koh Tao itself is for the indulgent and adventurous traveler, with the small island offering a myriad of activities ranging from diving to yoga, rock climbing to water sports, Thai boxing and Thai cooking classes, as well as relaxation at the beach and massage parlors.
Koh Tao is accessible by a one-hour flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui, followed by a two hour high-speed ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Tao. Being an island that is accessible only by water means that Koh Tao has preserved a natural and refreshing charm unrivalled by other islands in the Gulf of Thailand.
With regard to the unusual weather pattern recently in southern Thailand, the untimely storm did bring torrential rain and floods but the weather pattern has greatly improved with flat seas and sunshine, and tourism has resumed on the island of Koh Tao.
We hadn’t been to Langkawi island before, although we’ve been to Malaysia many times. Langkawi is an amazing place and the Tanjung Rhu Resort is ideal for getting away from all the stresses of modern life.
There are several ways to get to Langkawi. We tried two different methods of coming and going. First we flew into Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur – the flight takes about an hour. At the end of our stay we left by going on the ferry to Penang. The small catamaran was absolutely fine for us but I’d not recommend it for anyone who gets seasick. The journey takes about three hours and if the sea is a bit choppy, which it was on the day we travelled, then be prepared for a bumpy ride. The resort was very efficient about organising transport for our pick-up from the airport and drop-off at the jetty.
The Tanjung Rhu Resort is situated at the north east of Langkawi, where the island’s best beaches are. And Tanjung Rhu has more than two kilometres of private beach! Most of their beach is tranquil but they also have an area set aside for activities such as volleyball and soccer. There’s so much going on at Tanjung Rhu that their activities merit a separate article.
On arrival, we were greeted and shown to our room for check-in. It’s so much nicer doing the check-in process in your room rather than at a hotel reception desk. We were given cold drinks and there was also a bowl of fruit for us. The bowl was replenished every day, and also every evening the turn-down service provided us with luxury chocolates.
The room was spacious and very well furnished with a comfortable sofa, coffee table, a big flat-screen TV, a DVD player, and a bed of course. The bathroom was huge, with an oversized bath, two wash hand basins, a separate shower cubicle, and a WC cubicle. The toiletries provided were beautifully presented in environmentally friendly packaging.
There was also a small balcony with two chairs and a table. This was very comfortable both for snacking and for being able to use our computers outside. The resort offers complimentary WiFi throughout so this was very handy indeed, as it enabled both of us to go online at the same time. For those who don’t take their own computers everywhere with them, the resort also provides two private booths where guests can go online using the resort’s computers, which are equipped with printers in case you need to print anything out.
During the check-in process we were given an attractive map of the resort to help us get oriented. As well as the guest accommodation, there are several public areas for guests to eat, drink, and play, or just sit quietly enjoying the superb views of the white sandy beach facing the Andaman Sea.
The resort has three swimming pools:
Sands Pool – an ozonated (chlorine free) 50-metre swimming pool for adults only
Sunset Pool – a 60-metre designer pool facing the horizon
Lagoon Pool – a salt water pool shaped to emulate a natural lagoon
There are also three restaurants: The Sands – an all-day dining venue; The Saffron – a trendy Mediterranean style eatery; and The Rhu – the resort’s fine dining restaurant. Again, the options for eating at the Tanjung Rhu deserve a separate article.
For those who like being pampered there is the award-winning Jiva Rhu Spa, which offers a wide variety of treatments. “Jiva” is the Sanskrit word for “life” and the treatments leave you relaxed and ready for everything life offers. Most of the treatments are derived from traditional Eastern traditions dating back thousands of years and given a contemporary take. You can choose from Thai, Malay, Balinese, and Ayurvedic treatments as well as reflexology and aromatherapy.
The resort also has a Reading Room where you may sit quietly and read over tea or coffee, or borrow DVDs from their library to watch back in your room. The Reading Room has big picture windows offering the most perfect sea view.
As you can see, the resort has everything for those seeking tranquillity and, as you’ll also see from my next articles about leisure activities and dining at the Tanjung Rhu, there’s lots to do. However, it’s worth a mention that the resort does not only cater to holidaymakers. You can also do business in this amazing environment. The Pavilion Meeting Room can accommodate from 45 to 100 people and offers teleconferencing, as well as state-of-the-art audio and video facilities. There’s also a lounge, which is a good place to have pre-meeting drinks. What a fantastic way to do business.
Finally, it’s definitely worth mentioning the staff. The staff were truly excellent. They did everything they could to ensure the comfort of their guests, and I really couldn’t praise them highly enough.
All in all, if you’re planning a luxury holiday in the Far East I suggest you look a bit further than the usual well-known haunts and give the lesser-known Langkawi a try. And if you do decide to visit Langkawi, then where better to stay than the Tanjung Rhu Resort?
eWaterways has expanded its luxury cruise portfolio with the addition of five-star river yacht Royal Crown. The luxury cruiser renowned for its private members’ club feel will begin a new European sailing programme with eWaterways this month that includes a unique opportunity to see André Rieu, the internationally renowned Dutch violinist and composer, perform an intimate concert at the Vrijthof Theatre.
The André Rieu Journey is a 6-day river cruise along the Rhine and the Meuse from which guests will be able to explore the landscapes at leisure, enjoy the popular café culture on the waterfront or take city tours charting the historically rich cities of Cologne, Nijmegen, Roermond and Amsterdam.
The highlight of the cruise is undoubtedly Maastricht and the evening’s musical event. Arriving in the famous city at sunrise, guests can spend the day sightseeing on an official tour or discover the traditional market and the sophisticated shopping district before experiencing an unforgettable open air concert hosted by André Rieu and his orchestra.
At full capacity, Royal Crown caters for just 88 guests in a total of 44 luxuriously appointed cabins with flatscreen TVs and other mod cons to promise a memorable and refined cruise holiday. Often described as an “Orient Express on Water”, the river yacht exudes 1930’s glamour and style with Art Deco design, fine dining and bespoke butler service. The 52-strong team caters to each individual’s needs with every comfort onboard considered, from the choice of pillow to a favourite drink, everything is taken care of. The traditional ambiance and décor is propelled into the 21st century with modern facilities including a deluxe spa, golf putting area, well-equipped fitness room and 24-hour multimedia business lounge.
Antwerp is a lovely location to go to for a quick weekend getaway. Even though the city is relatively small and has no major landmarks, the small streets full of charm, the cool shopping boutiques and the wine and dine culture, all give us some good reasons why we should go and visit.
During your stay in Antwerp there are few things you will learn quickly about the locals: they like to enjoy life, they dress very fashionably and they are very nice and humble people. Unlike other European cities that are over-populated with tourists, here you won’t feel like you get ripped off with everything you purchased and you will not have the need to push people in order to go through the busy streets. You will also always feel welcome and well treated as the Belgian people like to have visitors in their country. Here are some tips on where you should go out at night, what is the best sushi restaurant in town and which clothing shop you simply cannot miss:
Birds Market
Theaterplein, Antwerp 2000
This is probably the number one attraction in Antwerp. Every Sunday this famous and extremely popular market takes place in the city center. All the local people love to go there and browse through the different stalls for unique things and also simple groceries. The reason for this bizarre name, (“The Birds Market”) is because this market was initially started in order to allow people buy not only birds, but also dogs, cats and more animals every Sunday. Today, (probably due to some animal rights protests) the market mainly offers different foods, cheap clothing and shoes, DVDs and toys. For those of you who are still interested to experience what the original market was like, just walk around till you reach the animal row where you will find chicken, birds and parrots for sale.
This amazing restaurant is a highly recommended for every type of traveler: It is perfect for young people who want to eat and party right after, (thanks to its separate cocktails bar) it is pleasant and relaxed for couples and families, (during lunch time the place has a very chilled-out atmosphere) and it also nice for those of you who just want to have a coffee and cake in the afternoon, (their deserts are just amazing!). The delicious food and trendy design are not the only reasons why customers come back here time after time; the service in the Appelmans is the main factor why this place is so high standard. All the employees at Appelmans are not only super professional and nice; they are also helpful with giving tips on where to go and what to do, even after their working hours. Make sure to eat a lot during dinner as the cocktails in the bar are very strong!
After you have some shopping in the Birds Market and have had a lovely meal at the Appelmans Brasserie, it is time to party! Velvet Lounge is the perfect place for people who love good music, trendy vibe, quality drinks and beautiful crowd. This hot spot is the most popular club in Antwerp at the moment and from what is seems, it will manage to keep its title for a very long time. The velvet lounge is famous for its amazing finger food, groovy tunes and super stylish interior design. It is defiantly the place to see and be seen so pay attention on what you will be wearing before going out there. As you learned before, dressing up in Antwerp is something people love doing that is why you should respect the place and the culture and put on your best outfit!
Roji Sushi
Historisch Centrum, Oude Koornmarkt 26, 2000 Antwerpen, 03/296.61.33
Roji Sushi is located in what used to be old monastery from the 13th century. The place’s interior design is so amazing and romantic that it is worth coming here even if you don’t like sushi. The old stone walls, huge chandeliers, fire place in the middle of the restaurant and candles on every table, make a simple dining experience to be a totally unique and exciting one. Aside from the stunning decoration the Roji is also known as the best sushi place in town. If you wish to enjoy this luxury as well, you will need to book your table at least 3 weeks in advance. Aldo most of the chances you will not recognize the local celebrities sitting there, some of them are great artists, painters and musicians.
Luxury elephant tours in southern Thailand are in jeopardy after local government officials have declared that elephants may no longer foul the main routes used for tourist treks as it is “hazardous to human health”. Instead, elephants will have to do their business on specially-designed toilets scattered along the main tourist trails. We spoke to local elephant keeper Wotsvat Pong who said the custom-built toilets were a real eyesore and expressed concerns at the new restrictions, saying that it would take months to “potty train” all his elephants. He fears that the penalties imposed for fouling the trails are too severe and could put him out of business. He went on to add: “The whole thing is just one big mess.” Government officials were unavailable for comment.
Should elephants be allowed to do their business when and where they want, or are govenment right to intervene? Please log your thoughts with us by posting a comment below.
Earlier this month, you may recall we reviewed The Chester Residence in Edinburgh’s West End. News just in is that the hotel has been named ‘Luxury Accommodation of the Year’ and ‘Serviced Apartments of the Year’ at the Scottish Hotel Awards 2011, held at the Thistle Glasgow Hotel. Graham Wood, co-owner with his wife Gillian, was presented with the awards at the ceremony attended by hundreds of hoteliers from across Scotland. These latest accolades back up Tripadvisor’s endorsement last year when it named The Chester Residence as one of the Top 25 hotels in Europe by the leading global travel website Trip Advisor.
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Australia is famous for its rugged outback, but you don’t hear a lot about the 5 star side of the country. Yes, there are some very wild places all around Australia, but it’s a bit of a waste to miss the real luxuries available.
With the wedding season just around the corner travel agencies are choc-a-bloc with pre-hitched couples looking to make last minute adjustments and tweaks to finalise their wedding fantasies. Once the vows have been exchanged, the bouquets been thrown and some evanescent substance cheered and sipped, it’s time for the newlyweds real journey to take course; I’m not talking about a life time of married life, I’m referring more along the lines of the honeymoon. Honeymoons are the real highlight of wedded life (not raising the children) and in most cases the steeple point of a marriage due to the mesmerising experience of starry eyedly enthralled together by taking the most extravagant holidays you may ever get to experience.
The town is storybook pretty: narrow streets lined with quintessentially charming cottages and a main drag filled with every manner of boutique, café, coffee house, inn, and restaurant. Add to that the seaside charm of waves crashing on rocks and soft sand beaches that tempt you to linger longer, and it’s hard not to find serenity and peace around every corner. This is Carmel-by-the-Sea, a wonderful central coast village that shouts romantic retreat, arm-in-arm walks on the beach, and quiet candlelit dinners.
For the discerning traveller, diver or not, who has money to spend and wants the very best, these six destinations offer an incomparable level of service, style, and of course diving. So dream awhile, and casting all financial concerns aside, enjoy that lottery moment and consider which are the most spoiling and amazing destinations where you can have sensational diving at the same time as staying in even more sensational accommodation. Here are my top picks:
With a desire to offer a refreshing new definition of the luxury beach bungalow experience, 
There are several ways to get to Langkawi. We tried two different methods of coming and going. First we flew into Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur – the flight takes about an hour. At the end of our stay we left by going on the ferry to Penang. The small catamaran was absolutely fine for us but I’d not recommend it for anyone who gets seasick. The journey takes about three hours and if the sea is a bit choppy, which it was on the day we travelled, then be prepared for a bumpy ride. The resort was very efficient about organising transport for our pick-up from the airport and drop-off at the jetty.
Antwerp is a lovely location to go to for a quick weekend getaway. Even though the city is relatively small and has no major landmarks, the small streets full of charm, the cool shopping boutiques and the wine and dine culture, all give us some good reasons why we should go and visit.
Luxury elephant tours in southern Thailand are in jeopardy after local government officials have declared that elephants may no longer foul the main routes used for tourist treks as it is “hazardous to human health”. Instead, elephants will have to do their business on specially-designed toilets scattered along the main tourist trails. We spoke to local elephant keeper Wotsvat Pong who said the custom-built toilets were a real eyesore and expressed concerns at the new restrictions, saying that it would take months to “potty train” all his elephants. He fears that the penalties imposed for fouling the trails are too severe and could put him out of business. He went on to add: “The whole thing is just one big mess.” Government officials were unavailable for comment.