COMO Hotels and Resorts is giving back to the community with your help! In 2010, COMO partnered with MasterCard for the Purchase with Purpose program which helps raise funds for local community projects. Last year, the project raised $35,580 and COMO has decided to bring the program back for 2011!

For every transaction made with a MasterCard card at a COMO property between 1 October and 31 December 2011, MasterCard will donate $30 to a community project with which the COMO property is closely affiliated. The money raised goes to educational and wellbeing initiatives as well as to local schools to improve nutrition and sanitation. In 2010, the funds helped stock the libraries of Tirta Kumara Kindergarten in Bali and the Maafushi and Guraidhoo schools in the Maldives. The program also helped deliver sanitary essentials to the nuns of Kela Goemba in Bhutan and improve sanitation and cooking facilities in the Wat Bangploeng School in Thailand.

With this program, guests have the opportunity to make a real difference in the communities they visit. As if you needed a better reason to go on vacation!

Pristine beaches, friendly natives, delicious local cuisine, and beautiful weather make Bali and Thailand two of the happiest places on earth, according to author Paul Theroux. On his quest for happiness, Theroux picked both of these locales as the most joy-filled spots in the world. And we’d have to agree!

Bali is known for its enticing beaches, but Theroux urges travelers to find traditional crafts and ceremonies sure to pique cultural curiosity. At Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa, guests can find their own personal Nirvana by enjoying a handcrafted cocktail at the chic Sunset on Six rooftop bar and lounge while watching a burning sun set below the Indian Ocean, or by exploring the rolling hills and local jungle by elephant or Harley-Davidson. If you’re looking for a more holistic approach to finding your bliss, COMO Shambhala Estate is a sanctuary for health and wellness where guests’ individual needs are met with a custom-tailored program of nutrition, exercise, therapies, and activities.

You’ll be all smiles in “The Land of Smiles.” With nine properties in Thailand, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas ensures that wherever you are in this beautiful country, you’ll have the chance to experience Thailand’s wonders for yourself. At Anantara Golden Triangle, the on-site elephant camp offers a rare chance to get up close and personal with these gentle giants while learning from experienced mahouts (elephant trainers) how to ride them. Explore the incredible coral reefs of the Similan Islands—some of the most renowned and best preserved in the world—on a dive excursion during your stay at Anantara Phuket. Or witness the excitement of Thailand’s bustling capital where the Metropolitan Bangkok offers guests both easy access to the hubbub of the city and a chic place to retreat.

The Metropolitan Bangkok created the ultimate survival kit – it’s “Songkran Package” includes bed, breakfast, a welcome drink at the Met Bar, and a complimentary shuttle to the festivities. Guests are given their “Songkran Survival Kit” which includes a water fun and a bottle of water.

Anantara Hua Hin has a luxurious way to celebrate. Tonight, the resort will host a special monk merit ceremony and an all you can eat buffet with noodles, som tum, and kai yang, followed by the infamous “sanook” water fights. Tomorrow April 14^th, aka Family Day, little ones dine for free. On April 15^th, wrap up the holiday at the Sai Thong Beach Restaurant with a lavish seafood barbecue with a live band.

Phang Nga Bay

Sitting at the edge of the picturesque peninsula on the Phang Nga Bay, the new property will have 129 rooms with panoramic views of the cape, the surrounding turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, and the bay’s dramatic limestone islands.  Just 20 minutes from Phuket International Airport, the hotel will be the perfect place to rejuvenate with a short break or indulge in a long stay.  Guests will be able to take a dip in the 328 foot pool or soak up the sun on the private beach.  They will also have the use of the resort group’s signature COMO Shambhala Retreat and its yoga studio, as well as the resort’s two restaurants.

Just like its sister properties, the newest addition to the COMO collection will offer tailor-made experiences.  Guests will be able to easily explore the striking islands of Phang Nga Bay, and golf enthusiasts can take advantage of several courses around the island.  The waters are perfect for snorkeling and diving, and hikers will be able to explore the island’s lush rainforests.

The opening of the Yamu property will mark the group’s second hotel in Thailand, joining the Metropolitan Bangkok.  This expansion of COMO’s portfolio will enable the luxury resort group to showcase both sides of Thailand – the lively, vibrancy of the city, and the serene paradise of its secluded beaches.

COMO Hotels and Resorts was founded by Christina Ong and is known for its handpicked, intimate, and individually tailored properties, including The Halkin in London, two Metropolitan hotels in London and Bangkok, Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos, Cocoa Island in the Maldives, two Uma experience resorts in Bali and Bhutan, and COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali, which is managed with its sister brand in wellness.  Each property embodies COMO’s clean sense of style and spirit of wellness, while reflecting the atmosphere of its surroundings.

Nahm, the chic Thai restaurant at the Metropolitan Bangkok is now open. Beyond the joy of its authentic Thai fare it’s turning heads with its dramatic space that was designed by award-winning Japanese interior architect Koichiro Ikebuchi and is in perfect harmony with the hotel’s contemporary aesthetic. (Ikebuchi is also responsible for Uma Ubud and COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali.)

This is the second nahm restaurant – the flagship is in London at The Halkin and was the first Thai restaurant in Europe to be awarded a Michelin star. Chef David Thompson’s Michelin-starred cooking skills are abundant in both locations with such innovative dishes as cured fish and pork simmered in coconut cream with prawns, and grilled catfish and red quail curry with peanuts, ginger, and holy basil.

Ikebuchi’s design for nahm is modern and elegant with a warm, honeyed glow throughout the restaurant and local touches such as decorative wood carvings, weavings, and murals inspired by the Thai Ayutthaya period. The understated Thai references give the restaurant a distinct personality, with rusty-red brick-stepped columns, a gold-leaf wall, and reclaimed Thai teak wood used as flooring and in handcrafted wooden screens.

Throughout, Ikebuchi has combined his use of high-quality finishes with an emphasis on locally-sourced and hand-crafted materials. The low-level screens diffuse a soft light throughout the restaurant for a cozy ambiance. Even the tableware fits into the unique aesthetic, with a handpicked selection of Benjarong bowls from Thai artisan, Pinsuan Benjarong, and Celadon plates from the local Thai manufacturer, Mengrai Kilns. The variety in the shape, height, width, and size of the tableware reflects the diversity of textures and flavors in Chef David Thompson’s cooking.

There are so many wonderful travel destinations in the East – but sometimes the only thing holding you back is that inconvenient (and expensive!) airfare ticket. But now it’s time to grab your passport because now through the end of the year Etihad Airways is offering up to 40 percent off fares to popular travel hubs, including: Bangkok, Kuala Lumpar, Frankfurt, Munich and London.

Where to go? Qasr Al Sarab Resort by Anantara in the Lima Desert, Metropolitan Bangkok in Thailand or Uma Paro in Bhutan are all now much more reachable with this great offer. Plus, there’s no rush, travel is valid through March of 2011.

Do the recent rumblings of a double-dip recession have you fearful to plan your next big trip? We come with good news – not only is travel a great stress reliever, but Lonely Planet just released a list of their favorite cheap countries for travel… and we have some insider information that won’t cause any harm on the NYSE.

If you’re interested in traveling off the beaten path and truly interacting with locals, then tour Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas with Shakti Tours.  Set in a region known as ‘Little Tibet,’ travelers can tour monasteries, participate in cooking lessons, and go rafting on an eight-day, seven-night excursion for $3,535 per person, based on two to three adults, and that price includes everything you’ll need for the week! 

Jet set to Bali for some fall color of your own. Uma Ubud is offering several deals from now until the end of the year that will allow guests to receive first-class treatment, but not have to pay for it (completely).  Between October 1 and December 19, guests that book four nights will only have to pay for three.  Four nights not enough? We understand. Book at least seven nights in a Terrace Room between those same dates and pay only $195/night.

Don’t forget the original destination for great, wallet-friendly travel: Thailand.  Tour the capital and stay at Metropolitan Bangkok for a special city rate of $85/night through the end of the month. You can totally swing a last minute ticket with that price. If that feels a little too rushed, book two nights and stay free for a third anytime through the end of October. Also, don’t miss Thailand’s famous clear water and beach-front villas.  Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa on the island of Samui is offering a Best Available Rate deal through the end of October, which includes all rooms and villas at discounted prices starting at $200/night. The deals found throughout Thailand will make this splurge do-able… plus, you can rest assured it’s still not full-price.

Green Clean Juice (one serving)

2 apples
6-8 stalks celery
2 cups spinach
1 inch ginger
1 peeled lemon
1 green pepper
½ cucumber
1 bulb fennel
1 tbl macadamia nuts, optional
1 tbl sunflower seeds, optional
1 tsp spirulina powder

Juice the first 7 ingredients. Blend with the nuts, seeds and spirulina powder

Enjoy

Escape the bustling city for an evening of Thai beauty by checking out Pichet Klunchun Dance Company’s Chui Chai. The dance combines contemporary moves with Thai khon, a royal palace style.  The women, beautifully composed in ornate headpieces and shimmering gowns, flow gracefully around Pichet Klunchun, who shows off his perfectly sculpted body by only wearing jeans.

Through dance, the performers convey stories from the Ramayana, which is a religious Hindu text that explores human nature and the existence of dharma. The story follows Rama, an incarnation of the Supreme god Vishnu, who loses his wife to Ravana, the evil demon king of Lanka. Chui Chai, which The New York Times calls “gorgeous from start to finish,” truly captures the emotional journey of Rama as he tries to save his captured love.

The performance takes place July 24th & 25th during the Lincoln Center Festival at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College. Find yourself wanting more after the show?  Check out some of the special promotions offered at Anantara properties throughout Thailand, or the Metropolitan Bangkok’s Bouncing Back promotion.

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