A Luxury Travel Blog

Here at A Luxury Travel Blog HQ, we were recently sent a premium grade medical kit for luxury travellers. Rather uniquely, the MedCallOutfitter Kit™ from MedCallAssist™ comes complete with a one year physician call line for any urgent questions or prescription needs which you can call at any time, day or night. Although produced in the USA, you don’t need to be a US resident to use it – in fact, MedCallAssist™ have many international clients and multi-lingual capabilities.  This offers the user peace of mind and potentially the opportunity to avoid long waits or queueing for a nurse.

The bag itself is a quality item, made by Voodoo Tactical, that comes in two colours (tan or black).  You can just tell by the feel that it would stand up well to rugged environments if your travels took you to such a place.

Once opened, you discover that the bag has three compartments each loaded with a generous supply of medical gear (items such as scissors, tweezers and nail clippers as well as things like gloves, band-aids and tongue depressors) and over-the-counter medications.  On top of that, there’s also a whole host of medication you wouldn’t normally expect to find in a medical kit – items such as a 1mg vial of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) which is used to treat conditions such as cardiac arrest or anaphylaxis.

In short, there’s a substantial amount of kit and medication in just one bag.  And, should you ever be faced with a situation where there is no doctor to hand, the peace of mind that comes with having so much equipment to hand and knowing expert advice is just a phone call away – no matter what time of day it is or where you are in the world – will come as a great comfort to many.  Afterall, it’s critically important that any medication is administered correctly.

Recent users of the service have called with anything from eye infections to urinary tract infections and have been able to take advantage of the advice given without the need to curtail their respective trips. And whilst the service might not replace seeing a doctor first hand, it’s certainly a handy piece of kit to be able to take with you on your travels, particularly if you are heading off the beaten track and medical assistance might be less easy to come by.

The base cost of the kit is $375 with various optional extras at further cost. For example, an auto-injecting epi pen will add a further $115 to the purchase price, or you can even add an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) for an additional $850.

When we arrived at Heraklion Airport one evening last October, our driver told us that it had rained on Crete for the last four days. We had visited at this time of year on several occasions now, though, and always found it to be a very palatable climate – warm enough to be in shorts and T-shirt and yet not so hot that you find yourself forever applying sunscreen – and this visit proved to be no exception.

We arrived in darkness at the five star Aldemar Royal Mare Resort in Hersonissos and, after a warm welcome, were driven from reception to our family suite, Dimitra 1, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and direct access to our own shared, private swimming pool, from where – once we got our bearings the next morning – we could also enjoy a lovely sea view.  Here is a picture of the master bedroom.

The spacious bathroom was tastefully simple and had twin basins, a bath, a separate walk-in shower and Olivia toiletries.

Our children’s room had a sofa bed, so this was a suite that could equally be occupied by couples just looking for more space than you’d get from a standard room.

This room also had its own en suite with a shower.

The convenience of free WiFi throughout the resort was a very welcome addition for us, particularly when trying to keep two businesses ticking over back home.

Being in a suite, we had breakfast at the Candia restaurant situated opposite our accommodation, which doubled up as a Mediterranean gourmet restaurant in the evenings.

We enjoyed most of our dinners, however, at the main restaurant known as Symposio. This appealed to us as the buffet arrangement suited our children really well, allowing them to pick and choose a little from a huge variety of dishes.

There are several other dining options at the Royal Mare that you can also choose from, including El Greco (a traditional Greek tavern) and even a sushi bar. We enjoyed a few lunches also at the resort’s beach bar and restaurant, Albatros, which had a simple but varied menu, including some national classics such as Greek salad and yoghourt with honey.

In addition to its dining range, Royal Mare also has its own thalasso spa centre and beauty centre which, back in 1997, pioneered the way by being the first thalasso spa to open in Greece. It is a multi-award-winning spa and regarded as one of the top 10 thalasso spas in the world. The Greeks were the first to recognise the healing powers of the sea which promises to relieve muscle pains and get your body feeling healthy and vibrant once more.

Additional pools can be found throughout the resort, as well as another indoor heated pool.

For the more energetic, there’s a gym, aqua gym, fitness classes and a watersports centre at the beach where you can enjoy windsurfing, pedalos and catamaran sailing. Tennis and golf are also available.

And just so the children aren’t left out, there’s also minigolf, a kids miniclub and minidisco each evening.  Their main play area has a pirate ship that they can play on, as well as a small pool.

Chess in the kids club… a great way for children of different nationalities to be able to interact!

Locally there is lots of interest for tourists.  We wandered into Hersonissos which is full of history.  As well as being a bustling hub with lots of bars, restaurants and shops, the town has also has a small aquarium and reptile centre.

But the area’s main highlight is its ancient history, being situated on the ancient seaport of Chersonesos.  Numerous remains have been excavated including a temple dedicated to the goddess Britomartis on the eastern outskirts of the town.

In short, there’s something for everyone, whether you enjoy seeing the sights, leisurely ambling around the town or just relaxing back at the resort or beach.

And whatever your preferences, the Aldemar Royal Mare serves as an ideal base and a great place to return to after a not too busy day out.

This is a heads-up on how you can enjoy a luxurious hotel stay without paying five-star prices. It’s “simple luxury”. The concept is that a premium room in a four-star hotel can offer better facilities and services at a price cheaper than a standard room in a five-star. We tried it and here’s how we got on.

The Peninsula Excelsior, which is located in Coleman Street, Clarke Quay, is primarily a business hotel. Spokeswoman Corina Teo explained that in these days of economic recession, many businesses are cutting back on the business travel expenses of their executives. Thus the Peninsula Excelsior is offering a different kind of service. Companies can save money by accommodating their executives in a premium room in a four-star hotel and yet the executives still have a better room and facilities than they would in a basic five-star room.

Despite billing itself as being mainly for business travellers, the Peninsula Excelsior has a lot to offer for luxury tourists too. It’s only a few minutes’ walk to many of Singapore’s best attractions. You have the night-life of the waterfront area, Clarke’s Quay and Robertson Quay where there are lots of restaurants to try, the Raffles City shopping centre is only a stone’s throw away, and St Andrew’s Cathedral is virtually on your doorstep. I don’t usually get excited about cathedrals, but this one is so pristine, so beautiful, and so strange, sited as it is in this space-age cityscape that it almost seems like something from a computer fantasy game. (It’s even better if you get a room on a high floor overlooking the Marina Bay. The Premier Club rooms are on the 19th floor and upwards!) It’s also only a five-minute taxi ride to the Marina Bay Sands casino, Chinatown and the posh shops in Orchard Road, ten minutes to the Universal Studios Theme Park and the Resorts World Sentosa casino, and only 20 minutes’ drive away from the airport.

The rooms are clean and newly refurbished. The hotel recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation. The process is not yet totally complete but they expect to finish in the first quarter of 2012. Our room on the 19th floor had already been done with new furniture, attractive soft furnishings, large flat-screen TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, a good-sized well-stocked mini-bar, a generously proportioned safe and a large, comfortable bed which we estimated as being at least 6′6″ wide. Broadband Internet access is free, as is the daily shoe shine service, and laundry facilities are discounted by 20 per cent.

One of the main benefits of staying Premier Club class at the Peninsula Excelsior is that you get access to the Sky Lounge on the 22nd floor – from the beginning of your stay to the end, as you get to check in and out there too. Much more comfortable than queueing in reception. I wrote about the Sky Lounge before and am still of the opinion that the view from up there is possibly the best you could find in all of Singapore.

In addition to the spectacular view of Marina Bay (including a clear view of the Marina Bay Sands Skypark, which offers what is considered to be one of the most amazing swimming pools in the world), the Peninsula Excelsior Sky Lounge also has a clear view of the many events staged in this central area of Singapore city. It’s in a prime location to watch the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix every September. If your need for speed is of a more aquatic nature, there’s F1H₂O – the Nations Cup for power boat racing – which is being held in Marina Bay this month (19-20 November 2011). In addition to their usual room stays, the Peninsula Excelsior is also offering daytime packages for guests to watch the action from the Sky Lounge whilst enjoying food and beverages.

It seems there is nearly always something going on here. As with many other hotels, the Peninsula Excelsior enjoys high occupancy levels (they were recently running at 100% occupancy!) so you need to book reasonably early to avoid disappointment. However, you can’t book too far ahead for some of these events, as the government imposes a charge on those hotels which have the privileged vantage points. And the hotels need to know what the service levy is before they can set their room rates. The levy goes towards providing the infrastructure required to stage these events.

Even if your stay doesn’t coincide with a specific event, you can enjoy a nightly light show from the Marina Bay Sands complex. Lights and lasers change the colours of the various architectural features of Marina Bay. It really is a space-age scene and one almost expects to see flying cars and space ships going about their business. Given Singapore’s rate of innovation, perhaps we will see that in a few years time.

The Sky Lounge’s facilities include a complimentary buffet breakfast with eggs cooked to order (you can choose to breakfast in Coleman’s on the fifth floor along with the standard-class guests if you prefer), sundowner drinks with canapés, free WiFi, freeflow tea and coffee all day, and newspapers and magazines. If you need to conduct business, a private meeting room’s available – two hours of complimentary usage per room per stay, subject to availability. Smoking is not permitted in the Sky Lounge, but there is an area set aside for the human chimneys outside on the balcony. I was pleased to note that there is a disabled-accessible toilet in the Sky Lounge and stuck my head around the door for a look. It’s clean, spacious, and fully equipped with grab rails.

There is also a menu for snacks and meals beyond the complimentary offerings. We spent a leisurely evening over a four-course dinner, and couldn’t have wished for more congenial surroundings to eat it in. As for the food itself, the cream of mushroom soup was a tasty affair made with proper mushrooms and cream, with an added herby dimension – far more satisfying than the cappuccino soups that seem to be ubiquitous just now. The Caesar salad was good, with fresh Cos lettuce leaves, crisp bacon, and even crisper croutons. And the main course – a rib-eye steak – was done perfectly medium-rare as ordered, and came with a pepper sauce that was pleasantly piquant rather than bland or overly fierce, as well as gratin potatoes Dauphinoises (which we chose rather than fries) and mixed vegetables. The Tiger beer we ordered to wash it all down with was perfectly chilled, and everything we needed was brought to us by staff that were friendly, polite and eager to please.

If you’re feeling guilty about over-indulging – or if you’re already fit and want to keep that way – the hotel has a gym, a sauna and not one but two swimming pools!

So if you want “simple luxury”, try staying in a Premier Club room in the Peninsula Excelsior rather than a standard room in a five-star. You’ll get a lot more bang for your buck.

The Mandarin Oriental Group of hotels requires no introduction on a blog about luxury travel, as the brand is famous for its prestigious hotels and resorts. The interesting thing, though, is that they are all quite different from one another. Whilst they all maintain standards of excellence, this is a group rather than a chain and each one retains its autonomy and individuality. We dined at Le Normandie in Bangkok recently and were excited to see what the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur had to offer.

We were invited to dinner at their new Mosaic restaurant. The Mosaic was launched in August 2011, and is positioned to become the city’s leading all-day dining restaurant. And you know what? I think they can do it. It’s a superb place; vibrant and very comfortable. The décor is elegant and the interior reflects the “sense of place” and local culture, that of the Peranakan (also known as the Straits Chinese). It was clear that the designers had paid close attention to detail. From the silk hangings on the walls, the Chinese-style woodwork and fretwork in glass screening off the private dining rooms, and the light-shades made of the pewter for which Malaysia is famous, the restaurant oozed style but in a relaxed rather than an ostentatious way.

Well, it was certainly a nice place to be and to admire the surroundings, but what about the food? It was delicious. Absolutely delicious. It was also fun because they have a variety of live cooking stations so you can interact with the chefs while they’re cooking your meal individually for you. Of course you can just order something and have it brought to your table, but I enjoy talking to chefs about their work and creations.

They have all the cooking stations and variety of food one would expect from a restaurant in a five-star hotel offering international cuisine – local (in this case, Malaysian), Indian, Japanese, seafood, salads, Western, and desserts. What I didn’t expect, although I’ve seen it become more popular in the Far East recently, was that they also had a Middle Eastern section. Their hummus was to die for and the babaghanoush likewise, as were the marinated Kalamata olives. Such complexity of flavours in what are essentially fairly simple dishes. I don’t remember tasting anything better anywhere else before. (And I’ve been around quite a bit.)

If you like Middle Eastern food, then don’t miss this place. Actually, if you like Indian food, then don’t miss this place. Do you like oysters? They serve the best. Sushi and sashimi? Perhaps a medium-rare rib-eye steak cooked to order? Don’t miss this place. If you care about the quality of food you eat, then don’t… I guess I’ve made my point by now.

The restaurant also has a good wine list, which includes a variety of wines to suit most budgets. The staff are very friendly and efficient too. I often think that the staff can make or break a place. I really liked the people at the Mosaic. There are some places where you get the impression that it’s not just a job for them and they actively enjoy being there. The Mosaic was one of these places. They were all cheerful and knowledgeable, and happy to talk about what they were doing and show off their skills.

The Mosaic is open 24 hours a day and features live cooking stations including grill, wok, noodle, tandoor, and more. It’s situated in central Kuala Lumpur near to the KLCC complex and has a great view of the beautiful KLCC Park. If you’re planning a visit to KL, then don’t forget to put this restaurant on your travel wish list.

You can visit their website for more details of the menu, dress code (smart casual), and for reservations.

I have recently been lucky enough to acquire a number of items from the FB Collection.  Founded by Harry Brantly and Max Leese in Rio de Janeiro in 2005, this beachwear collection exudes quality and style.  Among the collection are beautiful, brightly-coloured (£85) or patterned (£95) linen beach towels. These towels are so soft and lightweight yet apparently resistant to sand and seawater. At 175 x 140cm, they are still a good size for a beach towel yet won’t take up too much space in your luggage.

Also in the FB collection is a range of men’s swim shorts. These trunks come in two lengths – Transcoco or the slightly longer Leblon line (pictured here in yellow) – both priced at £115.  Alternatively, you could choose from the patterned Copacabana edition (also pictured here), priced at £135. These are ultra-lightweight, made with 100% Italian cotton, and with a distinctive Brazilian tailored cut.

Last but by no means least are the FB Frescobol bats. Hand-crafted from beautiful wood, they come with a  sack that can store both bats and the balls, and that has an outer zip pocket ideal for stowing away your wallet, keys and money safely. The set is a steal at £110 for such beautiful quality and would serve as a great Christmas gift for that special someone who seems to already have everything.

Pictures courtesy of FB Collection.

Please let me get some adjectives out of the way before I go on to give you a more factual report of staying at The Pavilions in Phuket. Amazing, wonderful, fun, incredible, entertaining, educational, friendly, interesting, luxurious, impeccable, beautiful, spacious, different, comfortable, exciting, relaxing. Are you getting the gist of it yet?

The Pavilions is a 5-star boutique hotel that’s a member of the Relais & Châteaux association of luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants worldwide. It has 48 private pool villas with ocean views or hillside panoramas. It’s built on a steep hillside but there’s no problem in getting around. They have plenty of electric buggies (just phone guest services and ask for one) and for the newer hillside villas there’s even a cable car which you can summon at the press of a button. The cable car isn’t anything scary, it’s just a walk-in-walk-out cabin that takes you up or down to wherever you want to go.

We found it a great advantage to be on higher ground at The Pavilions rather than a sea-level resort, because we benefited from the cool sea breezes despite the tropical humidity lower down. The ambient temperature was so comfortable we didn’t even bother with the air conditioner most of the time, even though it was a fairly hot time of year in Phuket. If you’re a beach person, don’t worry because The Pavilions offers a free shuttle service to and from their own private beach just five minutes’ drive away. You can enjoy the best of both worlds this way.

We had an ocean view villa and even though we had the opportunity to look around the other Pavilions properties, which included penthouses, three-bedroom villas and very stylish newer villas, I liked ‘our’ place the best. I don’t want to tell you that Villa 9 is the very best because I’d prefer to keep that as an insider secret.

The Pavilions is primarily a resort for couples. It’s about romance and passion. Children aren’t allowed. (Yippee!)

Passion lies at the heart of what The Pavilions offers. Perhaps you’re passionate about art, music, dance or adventure. There really is something for everyone here. You can create your own perfume with guidance from a Master, ride on an elephant, have a chocolate spa treatment, learn yoga, indulge in body painting, or even learn about primordial sound meditation. The resort has Masters in all of these activities.

Have you ever snorted chocolate? Apparently it’s legal. Master chocolatier Laurent Bernard fed us with some wonderful chocolates, which he’d made himself, and then invited us to try sniffing chocolate. Now that sounds weird, doesn’t it? What you do is to put a little bit of cocoa powder blended with another flavour, such as raspberry or ginger, onto a special gadget that fires it up both nostrils (sniff hard for the full experience!) and having sniffed it, you can taste the chocolate. It was fun but also demonstrates how much your sense of smell is related to your sense of taste. Magnifique!

The food at The Pavilions was always excellent. And I didn’t complain about the fact that they had Champagne on the breakfast menu. Ooh, such decadence. I loved it! I hadn’t realised before how a glass of fizz along with the Eggs Benedict could set you up for the day. Chef Alec Lomas, a Californian and an honours graduate of Vancouver’s Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, is very interested in organic foods. That’s his passion. There’s some controversy around whether organics are better for you and if they really taste better. I won’t go into that argument here. Suffice to say that I ate and enjoyed more food at The Pavilions than I normally would when visiting any restaurant.

The 360° Bar at the top of the hill is a wonderful place. As the name implies, it offers a panoramic view of the hills and valleys of the island of Phuket to the north, east and south and of the sea to the west – which makes it the perfect place to view the glorious sunsets over the Andaman Sea. What the name doesn’t reveal is that you can also order delicious bar meals and tapas from the kitchen and grill, as well as some of the most sensational cocktails around. Both of us loved the Hex Appeal, flavoured with a fiery blend of kaffir lime and chilli. We also tried tequila shooters with chocolate. Hmm, I’ll try just about anything once. As was the case throughout the resort, the staff were very friendly as well as being efficient. They were fun people to be around and this added to the ambience.

The main restaurant is housed in The Pavilions’ Plantation Club. This is perhaps the true heart of the resort as it also houses a colonial-style bar – with complimentary English-style high tea every afternoon – and a library where you can borrow books, CDs and DVDs to enjoy in your villa, or surf the Web (although you can do that in your villa too – there’s free WiFi in all of them). The dining room has views over the hills of central Phuket and Layan Bay. The large floor-to-ceiling windows are actually French windows and can be drawn fully back, so diners don’t have to choose between outdoor and indoor seating – they can have the benefits of both at the same time!

The Plantation Club also has an outdoor stage, located in easy view of both the restaurant dining room and the terrace below, and this was the setting for some amazing entertainment in the evenings too. On the evening of our first full day there, two Chinese drummers held all of us diners enthralled by a dazzling performance of perfectly synchronised rhythms. They were then joined by a Chinese orchestra who serenaded us beautifully through dinner. I’d expected the drummers would be men, but to my slight surprise one of them was a very talented young lady, Cheryl, who for me was the star of the show. You can see her below – she’s in blue, between Tat-Leong Sweeting (PR guru for The Pavilions, in green) and Jean-Christophe Nager (General Manager of The Pavilions).

Afterwards, two Cantonese opera singers sang a famous duet, “The Parting Song of Love”, between a Chinese princess and a warrior from a barbarian state who had rescued her from drowning. The couple fell in love and married, but the princess was forced to leave her husband after the Emperor threatened war with the barbarian state if she did not return to China. Sad, but very beautiful – as were the elaborate costumes and make-up, which we were told took two-and-a-half hours to put on.

We also watched and listened to some flamenco performers – two dancers and a guitarist – the following evening and that was a lot of fun too. A big cultural contrast from the previous evening’s entertainment, but every bit as enthralling!

It was particularly good to be able to have the opportunity to meet and talk with these entertainers after they’d done their performances. And, of course, the entertainment is all linked to the Passions programme, so you can be taught by them too if music and dance are passions of yours.

There are several ways to enjoy Passions at The Pavilions, by joining one of the pre-arranged Passions weekends, or by arranging a corporate event, or even by arranging your own bespoke Passions programme according to your interests.

You can read more about the Passions programme on The Pavilions’ website:
http://www.thepavilionsresorts.com/phuket-passions/

The prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel contains several restaurants offering different cuisines. All are renowned for their excellence and Le Normandie is world-famous for its classical French fine dining. Opened in 1958 by Germain Krull, Le Normandie has produced the height of French gastronomy for more than 50 years. The restaurant provides a stunning view of Bangkok and an unbeatable view of the Chao Phraya river.

We were delighted to be invited to sample the food at Le Normandie, which was a real feast for the eyes. I’ve never before seen such exquisite presentation.

The Maitre D’ asked us what kind of wine we liked and, given our food choices, we decided that a crisp, dry white would be appropriate. He suggested a white Bordeaux. Crisp and dry as requested and very enjoyable.

There was a great array of different breads available, including brioche, crusty French bread with salt, black olive bread, four-grain bread, and a very little mini-baguette. The butter dish was like a mini cloche, which rather amused us. (I want one of those!)

We started with an amuse-bouche of pike dumpling with morchel (morel) mushrooms and a gratinated sauce. The pike dumpling was interesting – it had a texture a bit like tod mun pla (Thai fish cakes). The mushrooms were gorgeous and the cheese was salty and cheesy and enjoyable.

Next, David had foie gras with cassis sauce. As any gourmand will know, foie gras is about 90% fat so it’s quite rare to see it without an accompanying puddle of grease. Le Normandie’s version was superb. It was very crisp on the outside and held its texture well.

I had the other starter which was on their then current menu. It consisted of tiny little brunoises of pork, wrapped in air-dried ham and little crunchy rings holding the lot together atop a slice of raw tuna.

Let me say again how the very intricate presentation was a delight.

We moved on to the vegetable soup, which was bright green and foamy on the top and garnished with little brunoise croutons. The best way I could describe it would be that it was like a cappuccino of asparagus which was tasty and fresh.

We also had seafood cromesquis. We weren’t sure what fish these were made from but guessed at sardines. This came with a nice white wine sauce.

We tried two different main courses, one chicken and one fish, both of which were accompanied by interesting sauces. The fish came with a sort of chocolatey, lavender sauce which was quite a revelation. (If you read my previous reviews you’ll see that I’ve been eating a lot of flowers recently.)

Mr Somkid then served our desserts. Again, we were impressed by the absolutely beautiful presentation. To call it art isn’t an exaggeration. I wondered what he was doing prior to serving from the dessert trolley, but the results of his endeavours were quite stunning. He’d painted some very elaborate flowers in the sauce. It was beautifully done, and if you didn’t know that the plates were going to be washed afterwards you might think it was a shame to destroy it by eating it, but you might as well enjoy the flavour of the sauce too. (Isn’t ephemeral art a very Zen thing?) Meanwhile the mascarpone-based dessert was very nice and not too sweet.

We had espressos with petits fours afterwards. They came on a little chocolate stand with a mirrored surface and also a little compartment underneath containing dry ice, so that it was put down in a swirl of ’smoke’. Once again, the presentation was very exciting!

There were also beautiful floral arrangements around the restaurant and on each table. There was a gigantic hydrangea flower on ours.

Sorry, there aren’t photographs for this special feature, but for the comfort of other diners photography is discouraged in the restaurant.

If you want to visit a world-renowned restaurant, and this one had certainly been on my wish list for a long time, then where better to choose than the prestigious Le Normandie?

Last weekend we stayed at a lovely self-catering cottage in the north-east of England. Available through luxury holiday home specialists Crabtree & Crabtree, Lake Cottage at Middleton Hall in Northumberland provides the ideal retreat for families looking for a little peace and quiet.

We arrived in the darkness of night, after a rather difficult journey through driving rain but were quickly able to feel at home. The fire had been lit in anticipation of our arrival, the cottage was warm and cosy, and we were generously supplied with a bottle of Champagne, a local newspaper and provisions such as milk, orange juice, bread, bacon, eggs, biscuits and chocolates.

The property can sleep up to 6 people in three bedrooms: two doubles and one twin with a nautical theme, ideal for children.

An open plan living area, dining room and kitchen serves as a sociable space for families to relax in. The kitchen was well equipped with everything you would need, as well as oven, hob, microwave, toaster, kettle and even an electric wine cooler.

The next day we expected more of the same weather we’d experienced at the end of our journey the night before, but were pleasantly surprised by a glorious morning as we ambled around the grounds. Owned by Brian and June Morton for three years now, this secluded part of Northumbria is clearly a peaceful retreat whatever the season and has also been the film set for a number of Catherine Cookson novels. The hall, which dates back to 1871, serves as a venue for family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings or corporate events. It is Grade 2 listed and has luxurious accommodation for up to 36 people.

Also on site is a private fishing lake as well as another self-catering property, The Boathouse, which sleeps 2 people on the shore of the lake.

The grounds are also a haven for wildlife, with otters, kingfishers and red squirrels for those lucky enough to spot them.

Returning to Lake Cottage, we found it to be very well suited to families, and particularly to young families. It comes with its own enclosed garden with swings, slide and a Wendy house.

Inside, there are plenty of children’s games, DVDs and even a wardrobe full of costumes for little ones to dress up in. Next door is Swinhoe Farm Riding Centre for those who enjoy horse riding. We opted instead for a short trip to nearby Holy Island, a tidal island also known as Lindisfarne, and home to Lindisfarne Castle.

On the next day we visited Alnwick Castle – the residence of the Duke of Northumberland – which was thoroughly enjoyable, and complete with broomstick flying lessons. (Alnwick Castle was used as Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter films.)

It’s worth getting a combined ticket that gives you access also to the equally impressive Alnwick Gardens. It is hard to believe that this site was derelict just 10 years ago (it opened in October 2001), but today it is home to beautifully landscaped gardens, a poison garden, bamboo labyrinth, multiple water sculptures and the Grand Cascade water display pictured below.

So, Lake Cottage is not only a wonderful hideaway, but it is also within easy reach of some superb attractions and places of interest, including the likes of Bamburgh Castle, Chillingham Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle and Howick Gardens. For golfers there are courses at Alnwick, Alnmouth, Bamburgh, Berwick and Seahouses, and for anyone just wanting to enjoy the beaches, there’s Holy Island, Cheswick Sands, Lowmoor Point, Budle Bay, Bamburgh and Beadnell.

Last week we stayed at the beautiful Bix Manor for a family celebration – my 40th birthday to be precise. Situated in the Thames Valley, and just 2 miles from Henley-on-Thames, this 17th Century manor house proved to be the ideal getaway for a large family get-together and can sleep up to 12 people.

With 6 generously-proportioned bedrooms, some that can be configured as twins or doubles to offer a little more flexibility for your requirements, and 5 bathrooms, the house also comes with two living areas, a kitchen and dining room. Here’s a selection of photographs to give you an idea of the tasteful décor and style of the interiors.

Bix Manor is a mere 30 minutes from Heathrow Airport and an hour from London, making it accessible to many.  The grounds of the house are extensive (7 acres to be precise) and include a knot garden, rose patio, large lawned areas, a herbeaceous walk-through, arched yew topiary and Italian water garden, all within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The house itself is also extremely well equipped with everything from every kitchen utensil you could imagine, to bathrobes and Molton Brown toiletries. We were also provided with a generous supply of provisions for our stay.  On arrival, there was even a delicious chicken pie awaiting us, which simply needed to be put in the Aga at our convenience, making our first night’s stay as hassle-free as could be.

The fridge was also very kindly stocked with bottles of Champagne to help the celebrations along, as well as breakfast items – eggs freshly collected from the chickens in the garden, bread, milk, bacon and much, much more.  We had the option for breakfast to be cooked for us each morning (not something you’d normally expect from self-catering), but instead preferred to opt to do our own so that we weren’t pressured to be up and about for a particular time, and could also stagger breakfast times to suit everyone in the party.  Of course, a catered breakfast would probably be very much welcomed by a wedding party, making their lives much simpler on a special weekend when so much is going on.

We tended to have our breakfast at the less formal dining area just off from the kitchen and our evening meals in the 30-foot main dining room (and oldest part of the house).

Talking of food, Bix Manor is in a great location if you enjoy good food, with no less than 9 Michelin starred restaurants within a half hour drive.  As an anniversary treat, we dined at the nearest of these – Luscombes at The  Golden Ball – which is just a mile and a half away.

I chose the tender Cornish squid with a honey and mustard dressing and fresh coriander and my wife went for the light cheese soufflé with an apple and celery salad and walnut dressing. For my main course I had the seared aged fillet steak, cooked to my liking (rare), with Girolle mushrooms, smoked potato purée, wilted spinach and Madeira jus.

After such a lovely dinner, it would have been rude not to try a dessert so we shared a dark chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream.

The chef, Stephen Luscombe, came to our table towards the end of our meal, and we chatted with him briefly. Originally from Devon, Stephen has an impressive track record, having worked under Marco Pierre White in London as well as two spells at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire.

In addition to there being an abundance of good restaurants locally, there’s also plenty to see and do.  There are lots of walks from the doorstep at Bix Manor – indeed, I nearly got lost jogging through extensive National Trust woodland opposite the house one morning!

During our stay, we also ambled along the River Thames in Henley, let the children have fun and explore the park and adventure playground at Mill Meadow, and hired a motorboat from Hobbs of Henley who seemed to have something of a monopoly on boat trips on the river.

We also visited the River & Rowing Museum where the children were treated to a Wind in the Willows exhibition. Kenneth Graeme was no doubt inspired by the River Thames as he spent much of his childhood – and indeed his later life – on its banks, doing what the characters in his book do – namely, “simply messing about in boats” as one of his famous phrases puts it.

On our last day, we also visited Warburg Nature Reserve which, since its reputedly the premier nature reserve of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, you would have thought might be easier to find!  We got there in the end but it was down a road without any signage and one that wasn’t even marked on either our satnav systems (we had to go in two cars).  If you’re ever planning to visit, the secret is to take the road to Bix Bottom and turn off from there.  Once there, we had a picnic and took a short stroll through open grassland and mixed woodland, before returning to the house.

Bix Manor had proved to be the ideal house for a birthday celebration, but would be equally suited to a wedding party or any other similar gathering.  The friendly and charming owners Gary and Louise Hall are only too keen to make you feel welcome and at home. They can be found on site should you need anything and are happy to arrange all sorts of interesting activities, should you wish, ranging from fitness and beauty packages to floristry demonstrations through to wine tastings and photography days. Special events can be catered for in the Great Tithe Barn which is also on site.

We have just returned from an utterly unique and memorable stay on the remote Scottish island of Jura.  Our first glimpse of the island and its three Paps was just before touching down on our flight from Glasgow to Islay. From there, it was a short drive and a ferry crossing before reaching Jura.

We were blessed with weather not usually associated with Scotland but, for the week we have been away, we have enjoyed glorious sunshine and blue skies more reminiscent of a holiday in the Mediterranean than the west coast of Scotland. Furthermore, we had the privilege of staying in the beautifully stylish Jura Lodge, next door to the Isle of Jura Distillery in Craighouse.

The moment we arrived on the island, after the 5-minute ferry crossing from Port Askaig to Feolin, we were greeted by three red deer peering down upon us as we travelled along what must surely be the UK’s bumpiest A-road.

After a short drive along this single track, we reached the island’s only significant settlement of Craighouse, home to the island’s one shop, one distillery, one hotel (and pub/campsite/petrol station) and one very unique lodge.

Jura Lodge is lavishly adorned with antlers on the walls and with various quirks, from the unlucky 13th step to the wooden seagull in one of the bedrooms that, if you rub it, will bring you luck for the duration of your stay. And, if that wasn’t enough, there’s also Archie, the resident suit of armour in the living area, and purportedly a ghost underneath the farmhouse dining table in the kitchen. In short, the accommodation is perfectly in keeping with the island.

On the first floor of the accommodation there are four double bedrooms, all en suite. The master bedroom offers beautiful views over the bay at Craighouse, as do the two living areas on the second floor above. From here you can marvel at the ever-changing colours over the sea as the sun rises or sets.

Most views from the property look out over Craighouse, its jetty and towards a cluster of islands in the Souind of Jura known collectively as the Small Isles.

On our arrival, after a warm welcome from Catriona, we were thoughtfully provided with all the basics we might initially need, from bread and milk, to a basket of fruit, bottles of wine, Jura whisky and breakfast for the next morning (the breakfast, not the wine and whisky). Housekeeping are at your beck and call should you need them. You can arrange a daily housekeeping service or request special deliveries of fresh seafood or seasonal game – the kind of service that goes above and beyond what you might normally expect from self-catering.

Jura Lodge would serve as an ideal getaway for writers seeking inspiration. Indeed, it was on Jura that George Orwell wrote the classic novel 1984. And the Jura Whisky Writers’ Retreat progamme devised by the Scottish Book Trust with the help of the Jura Distillery has built on that heritage with the publication of ‘Spirit of Jura‘, a compilation of fiction, essays and poems from Jura Lodge.

As well as writers Jura is also a haven for walkers and lovers of wildlife. The three Paps are arguably Jura’s most significant features and are a challenge even to experienced walkers. Those looking for something less arduous could take on the Evans Walk (as we did) or the 15-mile circular walk to a viewpoint for Corryvreckan, the third largest whirlpool in the world, and where Orwell once nearly drowned.

As far as fauna is concerned, deer outnumber people by approximately 30 to 1 on Jura, and seals, otters and other wildlife are all plentiful. The island is also home to golden eagles, sea eagles, buzzards and other bird life, making it and the neighbouring island of Islay something of a birdwatchers’ paradise.

Families with young children will expecially enjoy exploring Jura’s many beaches. Even the adults will, too, particularly at the remote community of Inverlussa at the far end of the road where ‘Tea on the Beach’ is served by a local resident via a walkie-talkie system.

Jura is one of those places that has to be experienced in order for it to be truly appreciated. It is also one of those magical places that, once visited, you are never likely to forget. And the ultimate place to stay on the island is of course Jura Lodge. Stays at the lodge are available from £2,500 per night, with a minimum stay of three nights.

The most popular tourist destination in Cambodia is the vast complex of temples at Angkor Wat. This is really a fascinating place to visit, but surprisingly it’s not on the usual lists of Wonders of the World. It should be! It is, however, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In my opinion the best way to see Angkor Wat is to hire a remorque-moto (more commonly referred to these days as a tuk-tuk), a passenger carriage towed by a scooter and ideal for jumping in and out of to take photos. Just in case any of you have been on a different planet for the last decade, perhaps it’s also worth mentioning that this is the location of the film Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie in various tight outfits.

Angkor Wat is right on the doorstep of Siem Reap, Cambodia’s second city, so if you want to visit the temples, most likely that’s where you’ll stay. There are plenty of options for travellers with limited budgets and a few rather more upmarket places for luxury travellers. The Hôtel de la Paix is one of the top hotels in Siem Reap and is an excellent place to stay for several reasons.

As well as being the perfect base to visit the ancient temples, the Hôtel de la Paix is also very conveniently situated for the city’s other attractions. It’s literally across the road from the Central Market, and within walking distance of the Old Market and Pub Street. As you’d expect, Pub Street is where you’ll find the nightlife with its numerous bars and restaurants.

The Hôtel de la Paix has 107 rooms and suites. We stayed in a duplex spa suite, which is top of the range and very spacious – 108 square metres to be precise. Downstairs you’ll find the beautifully furnished sleeping and living area as well as a WC and shower cubicle. Upstairs, via a spiral staircase, consists of two spa beds indoors and a large rooftop terrace with a table and chairs and an oversized bath. Privacy is ensured by the high walls surrounding it so you don’t need to worry about anyone looking on if you do decide to have a bath outside. The rooftop terrace is also a good place to go and have a puff if you are a smoker. Plus there is free WiFi throughout so you can use your computer up there too.

The hotel also has a specially adapted suite for disabled travellers, which is particularly suitable for wheelchair users. Both the WC and shower have easy access and grab bars, and the spacious living area has plenty of room for manoeuvre.

The hotel has a number of dining options: Meric (contemporary Khmer cuisine); Café de la Paix; and the Arts Lounge. They also own the AHA restaurant near Pub Street. We were invited to try the degustation Khmer dinner at Meric. This was right up my street! I love trying new things and a seven course tasting menu certainly appealed. The first course was described on the menu as “deep fried baby corn with natang sauce”, which didn’t sound too exciting, but when it came our eyes opened wide with surprise and delight. It was actually a tempura dish and included tempura of frangipani flowers! Frangipani? I didn’t know you could eat them. They taste as good as they smell, and we certainly suffered no ill effects. The rest of the dinner was also a thrilling experience of trying new things. I would definitely recommend you try this tasting dinner if you’re visiting Siem Reap.

The Arts Lounge doubles as the hotel’s reception lobby. But it’s a lobby with a difference! Apart from the comfortable seating where you can relax with a welcoming iced tea and a refreshing cool towel while the check-in formalities are completed, it’s also an art gallery where all sorts of exhibitions are staged. The art extends throughout the hotel – much of the artwork that adorns the corridors and lobbies is for sale.

Other facilities at the hotel include their award winning Spa Indochine, which offers a variety of relaxing treatments such as massages, scrubs and facials.

And then there’s the outdoor swimming pool on the first floor where you can swim among flowerbeds, then relax in one of the chillout alcoves along the wall.

The Hôtel de la Paix also caters for events from small gatherings to large corporate happenings, and whether for business or celebration they have the venue for you.

As well as being a top class luxury hotel, the Hôtel de la Paix has a philosophy of giving back to the local community. They are very active in working closely with community projects. These, of course, are not tourist attractions. However, we were very privileged to be invited to visit two of them.

The first was a sewing centre where disadvantaged women are trained in sewing skills, learning English, and given basic training in setting up and running a small business. On completion of the ten-month course, the women are given a start-up package including a sewing machine and some materials so they can return to their villages and set up their own business. I was very impressed by what I saw at the sewing centre and urge you to help with this project. There are various options to donate including purchasing a sewing machine ($85) or buying a push bike ($45) as the women need such transport to travel between the centre and the house they share.

We were also taken to visit the Sangkheum Centre for Children. The word “sangkheum” means “hope”, and these children who otherwise might not have any prospects in life are well cared for and given education and training. Again, donations are very welcome. You could sponsor a child for a whole year ($480) or even just donate toys, clothes or toiletries.

You can find out more about the Hôtel de la Paix’s involvement in community projects on their website. If you are interested in donating or becoming involved with any of these projects, visits can be arranged by appointment.

Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia, but responsible tourism is very helpful for the people. There’s also lots to do and see in the vibrant little city of Siem Reap. And with these amazing temples only about twenty minutes away by tuk-tuk, it’s so easy to get around. I suggest you put Siem Reap on your travel wish list if it isn’t already on there.

If you would like a special feature on A Luxury Travel Blog, please contact us.

Last week we stayed at the thousand year old Stoke Park estate in Buckinghamshire. The estate has an illustrious history with prestigious owners that have included Elizabeth I in the late 16th Century and the Penn family in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Thomas Penn, son of William Penn (who founded Pennsylvania) purchased the estate in 1760 and pretty much governed his lands in the USA from Stoke Park over the next 15 years. In 1775, the estate was inherited by John Penn who is responsible for much of what you see there today, including the Mansion (below), designed by James Wyatt.

Here’s a view of the building from the rear. It is here where the original hotel can be found, as well as the Dining Room, Stoke Park’s formal dining option.

We had interconnecting rooms 105 and 106, one of which is a Junior suite and the other was made up as a twin. These rooms are on the first floor of the Pavilion Hotel, a short walk from the Mansion, and where the spa and gym is also housed. Unlike the main hotel which is more traditional in style, the Pavilion Hotel is very contemporary.  Here is a picture of our room.

On a bed this large and comfortable, you are assured of a good night’s sleep!

The bathrooms had a shower/wet room area, bath and twin basins, and were stocked with the hotel’s own SPC brand of skincare products.

We looked out over part of the 350 acres of estate grounds, including the 27-hole Championship golf course designed by Harry Shapland Colt in 1908.

After a light lunch at the hotel’s San Marco Restaurant, I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the mansion. This included a sneak viewing of the Pennsylvania Suite which is also the bridal suite. The eagle-eyed among you may even recognise it from the film Bridget Jones.

After the tour, I headed to the spa – with its 13 treatment rooms – for a 55-minute SPC Men’s Energising Massage. Having competed in the Edinburgh Marathon just 10 days earlier, this provided the perfect tonic for relaxing those weary leg muscles.  The spa itself has a string of impressive accolades including Top 10 British Spas (Tatler Magazine), Top 100 Best Spas in the World (Harpers Bazaar), Four “Must Visit” Spas in the World (Vanity Fair) and Top 10 Spas in Britain (The Daily Telegraph).

This was followed with a swim in the hotel’s indoor swimming pool, also housed at the Pavilion building. There’s also a gym, fitness studios and kinesis areas.

And it’s not only golf that’s high on the agenda at Stoke Park. It’s also a popular venue for tennis. During our stay, the outdoor grass courts were being prepared for The Boodles Challenge which has attracted big name players such as Murray, Djokovic, Henman, Agassi, Davydenko, and Roddick, prior to the Wimbledon Championships.

And the hotel has its own indoor tennis facility, too.

After our day’s exertions (which, to be honest, were rather minimal!), we made our way back to the Mansion for dinner in the 2 AA Rosette restaurant led by Executive Chef Chris Wheeler who joined Stoke Park in 2003 but has an impressive background, having been right hand man to Jean Christophe Novelli.

We began proceedings with a mint ice cream on a tomato bavarois…

…and then I went for the pan-fried scallops with cauliflower purée, crispy pancetta, port reduction and caviar.

For the main course, it was a toss-up between the grilled fillet of sea bass with pomme purée, sea beet, ragout of clams and Teign mussels and a Martini cream sauce, or roast tenderloin and belly of pork with black pudding mash, savoy cabbage, baby turnips and cider jus. I plumped for the latter and wasn’t disappointed.

For dessert I opted for the highly recommended milk chocolate and salted peanut parfait with hot butterscotch sauce. My waistline probably didn’t thank me for it, but it was delicious nonetheless!

A nice touch was that when we returned to our room after dinner, there were two gingerbread men in our boys’ room, each with their names iced on them. It’s these little extras that can somehow really make a difference sometimes; it shows thought and a real care towards guests.

Stoke Park really does in fact appeal to a wide range of guests. As already mentioned, it can offer rooms that are either traditional or contemporary in style. It will appeal to business people, golfers, couples looking for a little R&R, tennis players and so on. And, as in our case, families. We were there with young children and, since the hotel is situated just 20 minutes from Legoland Windsor, we might not have been forgiven if we didn’t go!

This was our first visit to Legoland but we had ‘read up’ beforehand and picked up a few tips on how to best do justice to the day, particularly given the attraction’s popularity during the school holidays (it was the May half term week). The first important thing to do is to arrive early. Rides don’t start until 10am, but it opens at 9.30am and it’s best to aim for then if you don’t wish to begin your day sitting in traffic. Secondly, once in the park, make sure you go for the Q-Bot which is a ‘fast pass’ system for the rides. It costs more but it’s really the only way to do things if you don’t wish to waste the day queueing. And thirdly, go on the big rides at the beginning and end of the day (particularly if you don’t use Q-Bot) as that is when the queues are at their greatest.  12pm-3pm, when the place is at its busiest, is the best time to take some time out from the adrenalin-fuelled rides and explore the Lego model village.

There was quite a gathering outside Buckingham Palace…

…and on closer inspection we could see why! Rather topically, the model had been updated to include the newly-weds, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Legoland Windsor – which has added a new £8-million ’submarine’ ride this year – more than lived up to our children’s expectations, as did Stoke Park for Mum and Dad. Whether you’re staying in the area with family, or for any other purpose, we’re confident you’ll enjoy it too.

If you would like a special feature on A Luxury Travel Blog, please contact us.

Last weekend we stayed at the Rutland Hotel in the heart of Edinburgh but not in one of their rooms; instead, we were just a short way down the road from the hotel in the beautiful Rutland Apartment which offers so much more than a hotel room.  We were warmly welcomed by Liz who made a fuss of our two boys before showing us to the accommodation. Pictured below is the living area of the apartment.

And just off from the living area is a small kitchen and breakfast bar with everything you’d need if you wanted to cater for yourself rather than eat out.

The apartment has two bedrooms, beautifully decorated with bright colours and bold wallpaper print, both with a flatscreen TV, and both pictured below.

Space is of a premium in Edinburgh City Centre so it comes as something of a surprise to find that the Rutland Apartment even comes with its own small garden, perfect for those summer evenings where you can relax with a glass of wine before ambling up the road for the dinner.

On the Saturday morning we had breakfast at the hotel and both opted for the Eggs Benedict on a bed of ham, spinach and muffin.  The eggs were cooked to perfection and provided ample fuel for the day ahead.

Later in the day, after a little retail therapy, we ventured into Edinburgh and had lunch at The Hub, a historic Grade A listed building and a bustling café very close to Edinburgh Castle. You would need to reserve a table in advance if you don’t wish to queue on arrival.

After a hearty brown seeded roll with prawns, lemon, dill mayonnaise and an avocado salsa, and having ‘done’ Edinburgh Castle and the Camera Obscura on our last trip to Edinburgh a couple of months ago, we decided to head to Our Dynamic Earth. It sounded like the perfect attraction to take our inquisitive children to… and it didn’t disappoint!  First we were taken in a ‘time machine’ which took us back through the ages…

…we learnt about volcanoes, glaciers, evolution and more. Since I have a PhD in glaciology, I can’t say I learnt too much about glaciers that I didn’t already know(!) but it was nevertheless engaging and enjoyable, especially for children, and with some great effects thrown in.

There were plenty of hands-on exhibits and some interesting insights into how we know about certain subjects such as ocean currents.

There was even a simulation of a rainforest towards the end, as well as a 4D film experience.

Back at the Rutland Apartment, we went out for dinner at the hotel restaurant which offered a menu created by head chef David Haetzman and his team. I was due to run the Edinburgh Marathon the next morning so the choice for me was easy… I was going for pasta.  So, after a starter of mussels steamed with cider, leeks and cream, I chose the homemade tagliatelle with fresh peas, broad beans, courgette, peas and crumbled goats cheese… which tasted as good as it looks.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Rutland Apartment and would recommend it to anyone visiting the city – particularly families or guests travelling on business who appreciate a little more space, privacy and independence.

Sadly, I can’t say I enjoyed the marathon quite as much!  The views on the way out of Edinburgh were lovely, as we passed a number of picturesque beaches which I hadn’t realised existed so close to the city.  But by mile 22, having turned back into a horrible headwind on my way back towards Musselburgh, my legs decided they had had enough!  At one time it had looked like I could have been on for a personal best but instead I struggled to the finish in a time of 4 hours and 8 minutes.  On the plus side, though, I did raise around £600 for the British Heart Foundation!

If you’re ever thinking of a trip to Edinburgh, log on to This is My Edinburgh for information on how to get there, things to do, etc.

If you would like a special feature on A Luxury Travel Blog, please contact us.

Self-catering is often overlooked as a luxury option, in favour of hotels and resorts, but really it shouldn’t be.  Over the last decade, the bar has risen once again when it comes to the self-catering (aka vacation rental) sector, and we are just back from a very relaxing break in the Peak District, staying at a lovely self-catering property called The Music Mill in the pretty village of Hathersage where this is perfectly exemplified.

This property, once a mill and reputedly the first place in the UK to make needles for record players, has been converted into beautiful accommodation with an airy, open plan living area.  Despite sleeping 6/7 people, the dining table and well-equipped kitchen would allow you to easily entertain up to 12 guests for a meal should you have friends or family that live locally.

The accommodation has three tastefully-decorated bedrooms – two on the ground floor level and a third up a spiral staircase reclaimed from St. Pancras station.

This former mill sits next to a tributary to the River Derwent, close to an imposing viaduct and with views of open fields.  Footpaths and cycle paths abound here and you can enjoy walks from the doorstep of the property.  Our children enjoyed perfecting their cycling skills just outside the door, as trains rushed by overhead!

The property had a small area of privately-screened outdoor space where you could sit out and enjoy lunch or a glass of wine.

We were lucky with the weather and on one day walked from the property up to the famous local landmark of Stanage Edge.  Our route took us past North Lees Hall, believed to be the inspiration for Thornfield Hall in the classic Charlotte Brontë novel, Jane Eyre.

Once at Stanage Edge, our children enjoyed trying to find Robin Hood’s cave, thought to be used by the man himself when hiding from the Sheriff of Nottingham. It was well hidden but, with some perseverance and a little local assistance, we got there in the end!

Other landmarks of interest in the area included Surprise View.  And a short drive away, there’s lots more to see and do.  Hathersage is a great location for days out to Chatsworth, as well as being handy for Haddon Hall.  We opted for the former, taking in not only the house, but also the gardens (including the maze pictured below) and the farmyard and adventure playground.

The Music Mill is in a great location, particularly for outdoor enthusiasts, but there’s also so much to see and do should the weather not be all that favourable.  The local caverns are definitely worth a visit and we ventured out to Treak Cliff Cavern which can be found at the only hill in the world where you can find Blue John.

There are also lots of interesting towns and villages to visit and explore, including Bakewell, Buxton and Matlock.

Returning to the accommodation, everything we could possibly want was to hand, from a well-equipped kitchen to books to an iPod docking station and even a Playstation. The fridge was stocked with milk and butter prior to our arrival and a Spar was just around the corner in Hathersedge should we have needed anything. There are also ample opportunities to eat out in Hathersage from simple pub food to George’s which has two AA rosettes.

On our first night, the whole of Hathersage and nearby villages experienced several short powercuts.  We were very lucky – we had gone to The Scotsmans Pack pub for dinner and had ordered just in time, having been served just prior to the first power cut.  Other diners weren’t so lucky and unfortunately had to be turned away.  Back at the accommodation, we made sure we had what we needed should we be faced with a night of darkness, and soon discovered two torches, and a plentiful supply of candles and matches.  As it turned out, the power was soon back on and there was no problem, but it just went to show that everything had been thought about, and nothing overlooked.

In addition to the milk and butter supplied, there was even a box of complimentary goodies, including extra virgin olive oil, coffee and tea. This all came courtesy of Sheepskin who you can book the property through.  Rates start from £813 for a 3-night stay.

Sheepskin goes the extra mile that you don’t normally get when renting a self-catering property.  In addition to providing you with bathrobes, they’ll even ask you what your personal interests are at the time of booking, and create a custom guide to the property and the local area that is tailored specifically to your needs.  It’s that extra level of service which sets properties such as The Music Mill aside from the rest.

If you would like a special feature on A Luxury Travel Blog, please contact us.

After our visit to the Tanjung Rhu Resort, I wrote about the resort itself. What I omitted from that article was information about all the activities on offer, because there is just so much to do that it wasn’t possible to squeeze them all into the original article. You’ll see what I mean if you read below. I also wrote about dining at the Tanjung Rhu.

Now let’s have a look at the activities on offer.

Given Tanjung Rhu’s location on a beautiful beach, it’s no surprise to find that there are watersports aplenty, including windsurfing, sea kayaking, hydrobiking and more. Other marine activities include fishing, island hopping, yacht cruising, snorkelling and scuba diving. If you prefer to be on land then there’s mountain biking, beach soccer and volleyball. There are also tennis courts on the resort and a nearby golf course. There are Happy Hours each evening and indoor games challenges for pool and darts.

If you want to explore further than the resort itself you can visit the Bat Cave. No, not the one where Batman hangs out – this one is more correctly called The Cave of Bats. You can discover nature with a mangrove river cruise, enjoy a luxury yacht cruise, go eagle spotting, or explore local scenery and villages.

The resort also runs a shuttle service to Kuah, the main town of Langkawi. It’s a fairly quiet town but it’s handy for picking up odds and ends that you might not be able to buy at the resort itself, although there is a gift shop on the resort which sells cards and souvenirs.

By the way, I almost forgot to mention that there is also a Kids’ Club with special activities such as balloon twisting, show time, drawing fun and beads decoration.

Every day the resort publishes a “Highlights” leaflet. This consists of all the activities for the next two days and is delivered to your room each evening along with luxury chocolates. There’s so much to do that it’s quite mind-boggling – archery, necklace-making, kite-flying… Whilst many of the activities are available all the time, some of them change daily, such as the supplementary activities in the Artisan Hut.

The Artisan Hut is where you can pop along pretty much any time during the day and learn batik painting and wood carving, alongside other activities. I absolutely loved the batik painting and when we subsequently went to Penang we visited a batik gallery where I was able to buy the special pen required to draw the wax outlines for a batik painting.

I confess that when I saw all of this on offer it made me think of a 1960s holiday camp on steroids. But this was a very wrong initial impression. Yes, it’s true that you are absolutely spoiled for choice if you want to be active, go places, and do things. But if you just want to relax in a tranquil environment, then there are many options for you too. As well as their beautiful private and quiet beach, which is more than two kilometres long, one of their three swimming pools is for adults only. There’s also the Reading Room, which is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the view of the Andaman Sea.

Most importantly, if it’s relaxation you’re looking for the resort also has the Jiva Rhu Spa, which offers a wide variety of treatments.

So as you can see, whatever your preferences are for a holiday, whether it’s being active or just relaxing quietly, the Tanjung Rhu Resort really does has something for everyone.

If you would like a special feature on A Luxury Travel Blog, please contact us.

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.

The menus for all these are on the Tanjung Rhu website’s dining section.

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.

If you would like a special feature on A Luxury Travel Blog, please contact us.