Now in its fifth year, the Travel + Leisure 500 is the pick of the very best from around the world, as decreed by editors and reporters. The Singita Private Game Reserve in South Africa’s Kruger National Park achieved the highest tally of 97.56. The winner of the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List 2007, [...]
The Condé Nast Traveller Gold List 2007 is out and top of the pile is the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. It scores a perfect 100 in 5 of the 6 categories (rooms, service, food, location and design), “failing” only on ‘activities’ where it scored 97.3, to give an overall score of 99.6 out [...]
Kate Moss and Pete Doherty are rumoured to have married in Thailand, at Amanpuri (from Aman Resorts) in Phuket. Fergie, the Duchess of York, and her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are also said to be staying at the resort. Apparently, all are guests of David Tang, a multi-millionaire socialite who has been hosting [...]
Asia’s Leading Boutique Hotel (according to the World Travel Awards 2006) is The Sarojin in the Khao Lak National Park, owned by Andrew and Kate Kemp. It opened its doors in October 2005, a little later than anticipated due to it being hit by the tragic Boxing Day tsnunami of 2004. But it’s [...]
A new Vogue Resort will open in Thailand next month. The five-star Vogue Resort & Spa Tub Kaek Beach at Krabi will have 44 deluxe rooms, 8 suites, 4 executive beachfront villas and 2 spa suites. All the rooms will have balconies and superb sea views. The resort will also have two restaurants serving both [...]
A cellar in Paris or a sky bar in Bangkok? Effortless Mediterranean white or midnight samba in downtown Rio? Guardian deputy travel editor Isabel Choat on her favourite bars of all time. Those making the shortlist in this Guardian article are: Chez Georges, 11 rue des Canettes, 75006, Paris Mary McBride’s, 2 Main Street, Cushenden, [...]
The 276-room Sofitel Phokreethra Krabi opened this month. It can be found on the white sands of Klong Muang Beach, on the Adaman Sea, a short distance from Ao Nang. Three restaurants, five bars, a 7,000 square metre swimming pool, fitness centre, Turkish bath, spa, childrens playground and conference facilities for up to 350 delegates [...]
The high-end hotel and residence brand of W Hotels looks set to enter the Thai market. W Retreat & Residences-Koh Samui will consist of 70 villas, plus 20 residential villas available for purchase. An agreement between W’s parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Amburaya Resorts, will see the latter manage the resort when it [...]
If you’re in Thailand during November, try not to miss one of the most beautiful festivals of the year. On 5th November 2006, an incredible festival of lights, known locally as Loi Krathong, can be enjoyed throughout Thailand. The tradition is to place hundreds of thousands of ornately-decorated, candle-lit krathong or traditional banana leaf [...]
Dusit Laguna Resort is offering complimentary nights’ stay to the guests who send in the best photos for the Dusit Laguna Snapshot Challenge. There are three categories in the contest – Romantic, Family Fun and Landscape – all of which should reflect the sense of enjoyment while staying at the Dusit Laguna. The photos will [...]
Get your hands on a copy of The Six Senses Cookbook. This beautifully illustrated book has been photographed entirely on location at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili in the Maldives, Evason Resorts and Evason Hideaways in Thailand, and at Evason Ana Mandara Resort in Vietnam by the award-winning photographer Jorg Sundermann. The volume includes some [...]
The Mangosteen Resort & Spa, located in Phuket in the south of Thailand, has become the first Boutique Hotels Diamond Collection Member in Asia. This is the highest of the grop’s showcase collection. The Sapphire Collection describes those hotels and resorts with a ‘distinctive style and décor of locale’, The Emerald Collection is for those [...]
The global spa resource, Spa Finder, has announced its 2006 Readers’ Choice Awards. The crème de la crème of the awards are the six Crystal Award winners, which has one honoree on each continent. And the 6 winners of these hotly-contested awards are: Africa: Santé Winelands Wellness Centre, Paarl-Franschhoek Valley, South Africa Asia: Chiva-Som, Hua [...]
One of Phuket’s new luxury resorts – Indigo Pearl – can be found at Nai Yang Beach on the island’s northwest shore. Situated next to the Sirinath National Park, it is just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport and offers a choice of rooms, villas, pool pavilions and suites, in a design that has been [...]
The new Bangkok International Airport, situated 25 kms east of Bangkok, is scheduled to officially open on 28 September 2006. The Suvarnabhumi Airport’s opening is expected to go ahead as scheduled despite recent setbacks such as last week’s power outage and the recent Hat Yai bombings. The airport currently uses NBK as its IATA airport [...]
More like a private country club than a typical holiday hotel, the Sheraton Pattaya Resort offers upscale travelers the highest standards of service and Thai hospitality. The resort offers 153 comfortable spacious rooms, including 40 exclusive rooms with an outdoor sala (pavilion) and two luxuriously appointed villas with their own private plunge pools. Three beautiful [...]
