December 1st, 2010
If the seasonal spirit and décor is calling you to London for a Christmas-Carol-esque holiday, The Halkin and the Metropolitan London have some treats to brighten your stay. Before a day at Harrod’s, take advantage of the Met’s complimentary breakfast to fortify you for your day of shopping. The Halkin is offering “Flights of Wine,” perfect for unwinding after a day of museum-exploration or strolling the Thames. This offer is valid from December 19-January 16 for online bookings.
Make sure to check out the festive lights in the West End when perusing the shops on Oxford and Regent streets.
November 24th, 2010
Celebrate the holidays on the shores of Lake Geneva, with some indulgent pampering, of course. La Réserve Genève is offering a special menu of spa treatments for the holiday season from December 1-January 15. And after a day at the spa, celebrate with Christmas Eve dinner or the New Year’s Eve fete, which turns into a DJ-fueled dance party at midnight. (For the little ones, Santa Claus will also be making an appearance on Christmas day.) Hotel rates from $422.
FOR THE LOVEBIRDS
“Easy Does It” for him and her
Enjoy some intimate relaxation with a sweet grenadine and Barbary fig exfoliation followed by an Asian massage, sweetened with orange flower. Snack on a fruit cocktail with lunch at the Café Lauren spa restaurant and take advantage of full access to spa equipment, indoor pool, steam rooms, sauna, and fitness facilities.
$393 per person (390 CHF)
FOR THE LAVISH
“Full Elegance”
The pure gold radiance treatment with Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold works by slowing down the degradation of collagen and elastin with pure 24 carat gold, making your skin bright, radiant, and firm. Afterwards, enjoy a manicure or pedicure followed by lunch at Café Lauren spa restaurant.
$393 per person (390 CHF)
FOR THE SPA AFICIONADO
“Quite an Agenda” (4 days)
The intensive personalized program is based on a preliminary evaluation of your acid-base, stress level, and concentration, as well as an osteopathic analysis and a breathing and cardiac test. Its goal is to combine nutrition, massage, treatments, and sports activity to cleanse the body, and to adopt new life habits so you head home in top shape.
This includes:
-4 hydromassage baths
-2 personalized body wraps
-1 body exfoliation
-1 skin scrub
-2 La Réserve “Better Aging” body massages (80 minutes)
-2 La Réserve “Better Aging” body massages (1 hour and 50 minutes)
-3 personal training sessions
-1 complete slimming/sculpting treatment (80 minutes)
-Daily sports activities (yoga, do in, stretching, Pilates, aquagym)
-Full board with 3 meals per day at Café Lauren (excluding beverages)
-Access to spa facilities
$3230 per person (3200CHF)
November 23rd, 2010
While the holiday season might mean last minute shopping trips and extended family gatherings for some, see how some of the Swiss will be celebrating for a lesson in true holiday R&R.
Where: Palace Luzerne, Switzerland
What: Another reason to move to Switzerland
Why: Swiss hospitality is extending its courtesies to local parents this Holiday season. The Goose ‘n Wellness package will pick-up Swiss moms or dads in a limousine for a day of spa pampering with an evening make-over for mothers and a ‘manly’ manicure for fathers, while hotel chefs prepare a traditional Holiday meal including roasted goose, mashed potatoes, and red cabbage. When ready to return home (we think it could be hard), the limousine will take refreshed parents home with the perfectly prepared meal back to an awaiting family.
When: December 24-26. 579 Swiss Francs per mother including wellness treatment, glass of champagne and Christmas dinner for four.
November 10th, 2010
Interested in heading to Nantucket for the island’s annual Christmas Stroll this December 1-5? We think it’s a fantastic idea, considering all the buzz Stroll has been getting lately, from Val D’Elia mentioning it on The Today Show and the great article by Annie Copps in the latest issue of Yankee Magazine.
To make the trip extra-special, book the White Elephant Loft for three nights over Stroll Weekend. The Loft is the premiere spot to take in all the holiday action, as it’s located right in Nantucket Town. At over 3,000 sq/ft the Loft has three bedrooms, four bathrooms, ample living space, a full kitchen, and even a wrap-around fireplace; it’s the most comfortable and convenient way to spend a some winter nights on Nantucket.
And, if booked for the three-night Stroll Weekend (either Thursday – Sunday or Friday – Monday), at the price of $6,000 for a total of six people, the price includes breakfast each morning at Brant Point Grill, a Four-Course Chef Tasting Menu served for all six guests in the Loft (any night other than Saturday), and a champagne and hor d’oeuvres reception at the White Elephant Spa on Saturday followed by dinner at Brant Point Grill.
Check out the photo tour of the loft to really get blown away, and call 800.ISLANDS or 508.325.1000 and book your magical stay. It’s a trip you’ll never forget.
November 9th, 2010
Don’t know what to get your boyfriend’s mom? Or your best friend who already seems to have everything? COMO Shambhala’s Holiday Gift Boxes are the perfect present. They’re already beautifully packaged and are filled with signature essential oil blends crafted to calm, relax, detoxify, and rejuvenate. Each package comes with a small card explaining the step-by-step ritual to maximize the benefits of the simple but potent essential oils. Order soon – all orders before December 15 ship for free!
November 5th, 2010
Celebrate the eponymous antihero’s foiled plot to blow up British Parliament to restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. Though Fawkes was executed for his treasonous act, he is celebrated each year with fireworks and bonfires. Tonight and tomorrow night, London has celebrations throughout the city for firework watching and general reveling. Guests at the Metropolitan London and the Halkin can pop over to nearby Hyde Park for an uninterrupted view of the sky. Here are some gatherings if you find yourself in London Town.
November 6
Roundwood Park. Gates open at 6:45 p.m. Show starts at 8. Free admission.
Ravenscourt Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. Bonfire lighted at 7:15. Children’s show at 7:30, main show at 8. Five years old and over, £6; under 5 free; tickets available online.
Battersea Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. Bonfire at 7:30; main show at 8. Since this will be one of the largest of the firework displays in London there are numerous gated entrances, some of which will not be open until late evening. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. tickets will be available at: Albert Gate, Chelsea Gate, Rosery Gate, and Sun Gate. Starting at 6 p.m. tickets can be purchased at: Albert Gate. Alexandra Gate, Beechmore Gate, Chelsea Gate, Ethelburga Gate, MacDuff Gate, Rosery Gate and Sun Gate. Adults, £6; under 10 years, £1.
Morden Park. Gates open at 5:15 p.m. Bonfires at 6:30 and 8:15; shows at 6:45 and 8:30. Sixteen years old and over, £7; under 16, £5; under 4, free; family ticket (two adults, two children), £20.
November 5th, 2010
image from: belgravecoop.org.uk
While Americans are counting down the days till turkey time, people on the other side of the globe are celebrating their blessings and harvest today with the Diwali festival. Dawali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Fiji , and Suriname. The annual holiday gives a chance to spend time with family and friends and give thanks. Much like Thanksgiving, the origins of the holiday are believed to be a celebration for a successful harvest.
The festival begins at sunrise with family reunions and the swapping of treats, and continues throughout the day as families perform traditional games and activities together. Another traditional custom is the placement of lights outside of houses, which has gotten more elaborate over the years – much like the Macy’s Day Parade floats!
November 3rd, 2010
We are still following the wedding bell trail of Katy Perry and Russell Brand as they continue their nuptial celebration in another of our favorite locales, the Maldives. Unfortunately, it looks like the couple is off to a bumpy start with paparazzi stalking and spider bites as they island hop.
We suggest if the happy couple wants to lose the cameras, Anantara’s Naladhu offers the best retreat. The nineteen houses are on a private island in the South Malé Atoll and the resort is the most intimate of Anantara’s Maldives properties. After a few days of total privacy, the couple can add some adventure to the mix with Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa’s PADI Dive Center or on the resort’s Whale Submarine for an excursion 130 feet below the surface. (Guests can hop between all Anantara properties in the Maldives).
Given the lifestyle of the rich and famous leaves plenty of playtime, stick around until January for the opening of Anantara Kihavah Villas which will feature 82 spacious overwater and beachfront villas furnished with private pools, wooden sundecks, outdoor showers and over-sized bathtubs built for two. The resort’s signature restaurant, Sea.Salt.Fire.Ice, will feature a salt sommelier and, the best yet, the restaurant and wine cellar are underwater. (reword, sounds funny)
There’s a reason the Maldives is the spot for matrimony merriment.
November 3rd, 2010
Residents across Thailand will look to the sky this month in anticipation of the first full moon in November (which will shine November 21) for the celebration of Loy Krathong. The festival honors the Goddess of Water and is celebrated with floating rafts and incense.
Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa along Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand will celebrate with a special Siam Thai BBQ on the beach front. The BBQ festivities will feature live cooking stations, traditional Thai dancing, a Beauty Contest and fire artist show, and a chance to float a Krathong into the sea. Check back to see the beautiful images just before Thanksgiving!
Tickets for adults are $47 and $23 for children ages 4-11. If you’ll be in Thailand for the festival, don’t miss Anantara Lawana’s magical setting.
November 2nd, 2010
Craving a quiet night at home to relax with a glass of wine and curl up with a good book, but getting hung up on the good book part? Shakti’s and Banyan Tours and Travels’ founder, Mr. Jamshyd Sethna, (who, by the way, is also a photographer, book reviewer, psychoanalytical therapist, world traveler, art collector, and culinary savant, to name a few pastimes), gives a few titles that would make for a great read during holiday travels or a thoughtful gift for someone on your list.
For the inquisitive mind…
The Book of Tea, by Anthony Burgess
The work is the most complete guide to the history and pleasures of one of the world’s most popular beverages. The beautifully written text is only surpassed by the well chosen photos, paintings and images.
For the outdoorsmen and women…
The Nanda Devi Affair, by Bill Aitken
The book chronicles Mr. Aitken’s love and appreciation for the Nanda Devi (India’s second tallest mountain) and the history the summit has played in India’s religions for millennia. The account provides cultural insight and testaments to native’s interaction with the peak – equally as interesting for mountain enthusiast as it is for those interested in Hinduism.
For the history buff…
Smash and Grab: Annexation of Sikkim, by Sunanda K.Datta-Ray
Learn the unique history of the least populated, second smallest, landlocked state of India. Sikkim has 11 official languages and is the only state with a Nepalese majority. Sikkim also has the only open border between India and China.
And while we may not be professional book reviewers, we thought we’d throw in a few of our favorites, too:
For spiritual enlightenment…
Nine Lives, by William Dalrymple
The book tells the story of nine of India’s many labourous paths to the divine and reveals nearly surreal juxtapositions between the old and the new. Dalrymple sets each vivid profile within an intricately drawn history of the ancient and now-endangered tradition each devotee is dedicated to preserving in the escalating battle between holiness and hustle that is transforming India.
For the classicist…
Passage to India, by E.M. Forester
The novel from 1924 recounts a portrait of India during the time of British Imperialism and the fate of two protagonists caught between the great political and cultural conflicts of the time. We can’t give away much more, but promise there’s a reason for being a classic!