January 4th, 2011
Maestro Valery Gergiev will conduct the first-ever World Orchestra for Peace concert in the Arab world hosted by UNESCO Artists for Peace to a sold-out audience tonight. The musicians hail from 62 international orchestras and 30 countries. The concert is a homage to humanity throughout the world.
Songs to be performed tonight include Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Prokofiev’s Symphony No 1, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. The event will be held at the Emirates Palace and is part of the Abu Dhabi Festival 2011 which will feature concerts and performances of acclaimed artists throughout the coming year. We wish we could snag a ticket… both to the concert and Abu Dhabi for the show!
November 18th, 2010
Who wants to pay for a to-go coffee every morning on vacation? When you’re only alternative is the less-than-appealing packets of instant coffee and powder creamers, what’s a traveler to do? A recent article from USA Today observed that hotels are offering a more sophisticated approach to our society’s caffeine addiction with in-room amenities that really make the cut. Stay at an Anantara Hotels, Resorts, & Spas properties in Bali, Thailand, the Maldives, or the UAE, and get the cream of the crop; all 12 have Nespresso machines in each room. Let the buzz begin!
October 22nd, 2010
Image from: egmcartech.com
Race enthusiasts and coaster junkies alike can rev their engines and start the countdown to the new Ferrari World Abu Dhabi opening next week on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates.
The two-million-square-foot indoor park will be home to the fastest roller coaster in the world (with speeds up to 149 miles per hour) and a water ride with a Ferrari 599 V12 engine. VROOM!
In fitting with the auto theme, the park is also located next to the Yas Marina Circuit racetrack, which his home to the annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.
Spend the night at Desert Island Resort &Spa by Anantara on the Sir Bani Yas Island. The resort is set in the middle of a wildlife reserve and is home to thousands of animals and birds. It’s an ideal spot to unwind after an adrenaline-infused day.
For those looking to add another adventure to their Abu Dhabi trip, check out Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara in the Liwa Desert for an out-of-city experience. Set ninety minutes outside Abu Dhabi International Airport in the middle of the expansive desert known as the Empty Quarter, guests can explore the legendary ochre sand dunes by camel or on foot.
August 25th, 2010
There’s the good news, and then there’s the bad news. We’ll get the bad over with first — recent satellite images have shown that the world’s mangroves are disappearing at a faster rate than what was once believed. Approximately 53,190 square miles is all that remains of these precious ecosystems. While that number may seem big, it’s about 12 percent smaller than original estimates, according to a recent report from The Christian Science Monitor. These ecosystems protect both the coastland from storms and young sea life from predators during development. They are sometimes referred to as the ‘nurseries of the ocean’.
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August 17th, 2010
This week’s rendition of AMPR FYI comes from Dena DiOrio. Hailing from the great state of Ohio, Dena has been with AMPR for two years.
Waiting for my flight to board at the Etihad gate at JFK felt like waiting for any other flight, although it was most definitely not. I was on my way to Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East. First time for me to the region, so I was extra psyched. The 13-hour flight was long, but bearable, with all the on-demand movies, music and games one could possibly want while cruising at 36,000 feet above cities like Trabzon, Erzurum, and Shiraz. (more…)
August 17th, 2010
Ramadan officially started August 11th and marks the month-long period where Muhammad is believed to have composed the Quran. In honor of this holy month, Muslims around the world will focus on inner peace and cleansing from now until September 9th through daily fasts during sunlight hours and abstain from any harmful habits that introduce toxins to the body (like drinking or smoking).
Ananatara resident spa guru and unofficial Ramadan expert, Liz Smailes, shared her advice with us on incorporating the relevant messages behind the holy celebration into daily life. (more…)
July 14th, 2010
At the beginning of the month, celebs took a break from their usual red carpet to attend the Elephant Parade charity auction, of which Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is a strong supporter. Stars including Elizabeth Hurley, Goldie Hawn, and Princess Beatrice of York hit the grass to show their support of the protection and conservation of endangered Asian elephants. Despite the rough terrain, fashion did not suffer. Sporting colorful dresses and forever high wedges and heels, these celebs looked almost as good as the painted model baby elephants (all of which were on sale at the event, including Anantara’s own ‘Little Bird’). The auction marked the end of the Elephant Parade in London, which earned over $1.5 million dollars for this great cause!
June 18th, 2010
Remember when we told you about the Elephant Parade, the installation of model baby elephants scattered around London? Run by Elephant Family, the goal of the charity is to raise awareness of the declining population of the Asian Elephant.
‘Little Bird,’ the baby elephant representing Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, is somewhere throughout London. Now there is a little extra incentive to finding her, as the Director of Elephants at Anantara Golden Triangle, Mr. John Roberts, has announced that he would give out a free dinner to the first person to send in a photograph of themselves with ‘Little Bird’. And that’s not all! Elephant Family is offering the chance to win a vacation for two to none other than Thailand’s Anantara Golden Triangle where the lucky winners will train with mahouts at the resort’s famed elephant camp and learn about these gentle creatures. To enter, visit http://www.elephantfamily.org/how-can-you-help/events/competition/, fill out the petition, correctly answer the questions, and tweet a message to encourage your followers to sign the petition. The competition closes on July 9th, so hurry before it is too late!
The elephants are on the move! As the Elephant Parade comes to a close, 62 of these life-size, model baby elephants will be migrating from their positions around the city and congregating in Leister Square. July 3rd will mark the end of the parade, when these magnificent pieces of art will be auctioned off in hopes of raising over $2 million!
May 27th, 2010
The Elephant Parade officially began in London this month. How will they fit, you might ask?
Well, the Elephant Parade is actually an open air art installation of life-size, model baby elephants positioned around the city. Elephants are painted by artists and celebrities, such as Diane von Furstenberg, Isaac Mizrahi and Lulu Guinness to inspire awareness of the plight of the Asian Elephant. With a current population of only 1,500 in the wild in Thailand (down from 300,000 at the turn of the last century), they face a severe risk of extinction.
Run by the small charity Elephant Family, these efforts require serious support from their patrons, which include Goldie Hawn and Sarah, Duchess of York. Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is a sponsor and champion of this cause, and has a little baby of its own, known as ‘Little Bird,’ placed somewhere around Londontown. All elephants are for sale by auction and Elephant Family aims to raise over $2 million.
This is London’s biggest outdoor art event on record and runs from May to July 2010. If you are hanging out in Trafalgar Square or Green Park, these colorful creatures will be impossible to miss. So, enjoy the exhibit because it may be the only time you see an Asian elephant in London!
May 20th, 2010
We know everyone has been waiting for the upcoming Sex and the City 2 movie, especially since we saw Aiden showing up in the trailer. So when we heard our gals Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha, and Miranda, the forerunners of all things glamorous, selected Abu Dhabi as the new “it” place to go, we couldn’t help but wonder where they might end up. In anticipation of the May 27 opening in theaters, we speculated a few ideas of our own.
For urbanites (the Carries of the world), the opulent Emirates Palace is fit for a Sheikh, an ideal place to escape the desert heat. What’s more, the Anantara Spa is a great place to pamper with rejuvenating body treatments and therapies in a luxurious, Moroccan inspired space.
Sybarites (Samantha-esques) can journey to the majestic Qasr Al Sarab Resort by Anantara, built into the ancient dunes of the Liwa Desert. The “Mirage Palace” creates the perfect setting for a desert romance, with sweeping views of ocher dunes as far as the eye can see and stately rooms intricately designed with opulent Arabian décor. Guests can enjoy gourmet cuisine at the hotel, or go off into the desert for an exotic Bedouin tent dinner under the stars. Sumptuous fruit-soaked tajines and succulent kebabs are prepared over an open flame and Arabic coffees and sweet teas help immerse you into the enchanting desert atmosphere.
If you’re a Miranda type, you will feel right at home on Sir Bani Yas Island, where Desert Islands Resort & Spa is the epitome of island luxury (well, it’s not exactly Brooklyn but close!). Founded as a wildlife reserve for endangered species of Arabia by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (the founder of the United Arab Emirates), this 33-square-mile island is a diamond in the rough. Home to over 30 free-roaming species, Sir Bani Yas Island provides numerous island activities, like kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, and guided game drives in the Arabian Wildlife Park. Back at the resort, guests can relish in luxuriously appointed accommodations, numerous dining options, or at the spa.
And lastly for the Charlottes out there, who don’t want to rough it but still want the experience, we have some good news! Two new luxury lodges are scheduled to open on Sir Bani Yas Island: Al Barari, “Savannah,” will have a safari atmosphere highlighted with roaming wildlife, and Al Yamm Lodge, “The Sea”, will have beach front lodges overlooking a tranquil lagoon with frequent visitors… flamingoes!
So pack up those Manolos, and maybe some flats too, because Abu Dhabi is the place to be! Etihad Airways can get your there, with direct flights from three North American gateways: New York, Chicago, and Toronto.