January 7th, 2011
This Valentine’s Day 30 lucky couples will learn all about the importance of body heat. Igloobase is open each winter as an idyllic winter wonderland escape and is partnering with Victoria-Jungfrau Collection to make February 14 a little more special (and memorable!).
Couples will enjoy romantic poem readings, musical performances, and a fire show before taking part in the action with waltz or a tango lessons on the frozen Lake Hinterstockensee. After working up an appetite, participants will enjoy an intimate meal at the Panorama Restaurant at the top of the mountain (at 7,185 feet) before returning down to the valley for an overnight stay at Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa. The “Fire & Flame” package for two is 260 Swiss Francs (about $270) and includes transfers, dinner, and the shows. The best reason we’ve encountered to brave the cold!
January 4th, 2011
Don’t you want to kiss that friendly face? Visit Shakti 360° Leti to taste the culinary creations from resident chef, Yeshi. The former Buddhist monk trained under Australian food celebrity, Christine Manfield, and now prepares both authentic Himalayan cuisine like momos, jholi, and bal mithai and Western comfort foods for guests daily.
In addition to preparing celebratory meals, he can also preside over traditional Buddhist ceremonies for guests. Two birds, one stone!
January 3rd, 2011
The holiday blizzards and residual slush have us longing for a tropical respite. Get a taste of the Caribbean when the Jolly Boys come to New York. This mainly septuagenarian mento band has been playing since its start at Errol Flynn’s parties in the 40s. They just released a CD of covers featuring an amazing rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab.” (See the youtube video to get a feel for their totally unique style.) There are two chances to catch the band while in NYC, so crack open a Red Stripe, close your eyes, and pretend you’re in Jamaica.
When and Where:
January 8, 2011 at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
January 13, 2011 at the Hiro Ballroom
December 23rd, 2010
Anantara’s artist-in-residence Christopher Hogan led local orphans in arts and crafts lessons this week at Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa in the Maldives. As part of the company’s ongoing collaboration with the local community, ten children created works that will be sold at the resort over the holidays. All profits will be donated to the Children’s House, the best kind of souvenir!
December 22nd, 2010
While headlines may be predicting doomsday airline fee hikes for 2011, Continental Airlines is bucking the trend and will be offering great rates to Albuquerque all year! As long as tickets are booked at least two weeks in advance, one way tickets are $99 for all travel (no blackout dates!) through November 3, 2011.
Visit the city with 300-days of annual sunshine and some 30 events and festivals annually and catch the view from Hotel Parq Central’s rooftop Apothecary Lounge. Or plan ahead (New Year’s resolution!) and experience the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, to be held October 1-9, 2011, known as the world’s most photographed event!
December 22nd, 2010
You can’t consider yourself a true jetsetter until you’ve caught sight of a Whale Shark on its annual circumglobal path. The gentle giants swim in tropical and warm temperate seas (rich in plankton) – for geography junkies, usually between latitudes 30° N and 35° S – and for laymen anywhere from Australia to Belize, and the Maldives to Madagascar.
December 10th, 2010
When planning a vacation, it’s sometimes hard to know if you’re really getting the best deal or seeing the most authentic ‘non-tourist’ spots. It’s even more difficult when traveling to a destination for the first time! If India is on your must-see list (for the first time, or a return trip), don’t board the plane without consulting with Lucy Davison of Banyan Tours & Travels.
Not only does Lucy have clout with India’s top hotels—translating into superior availability during peak travel times—but she has personally selected the best rooms in the palace hotels and will reserve only those rooms for her clients. Her goal is to bring clients into cultural moments ordinarily off-limits to travelers—weddings, school speech days, obscure festivals with costumed cows—and loves to arrange surprises based around her clients’ personal interests: a private Sufi music performance for an aficionado, for instance.
December 8th, 2010
While it is confirmed that the first 300 US audience members for Oprah’s Australian taping have touched down, sources remain tight-lipped about Oprah’s personal plans for her visit down under. All that is known: she will be in Sydney on December 14 to record two shows at the ”Oprah House”, and access to the surrounding area will be blocked. In fact, local bus schedules have been changed and there will be a maritime exclusion zone imposed.
The leaked filming location dubbed the “Oprah House” sounds a little too much like the “Opera House” – the iconic setting in Sydney Harbor and just across the water from Park Hyatt Sydney. If you’re lucky enough to be in Sydney to enjoy its warm Southern Hemisphere weather… and chance an Oprah sighting… visit Park Hyatt Sydney before transportation is too restricted and gawk from the rooftop pool that overlooks the harbor. There have also been reports Oprah will be staying there as well!
December 2nd, 2010
Shakti offers private, guided walking tours through three distinct regions of the Indian Himalayas
Travelers to India know well the guidebook “circuit” of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Mumbai, staying in familiar five-star hotels and barreling from one destination to the other by car or train. What is missing from these itineraries is a chance to comfortably see the most remote and staggeringly beautiful Himalayan region of India’s North. It’s now possible to do that with Shakti, which offers transformative village-to-village walking experiences in three distinct awe-inspiring regions: Sikkim, Kumaon, and Ladakh. Guests overnight in village houses that have been adapted for Western comforts, sleeping under Egyptian cotton sheets, wrapped in cozy wool throws, and enjoying delicious, freshly prepared meals from a personal chef. While all the modern conveniences are in place, the real luxury is in the very simplicity of these experiences and the chance to engage with the homeowners, monks, and other village locals. Take advantage of the opportunity to unplug from the technological matrix and relish the downtime to read and meditate.
The expertly guided journeys, tailored to the individual or group, are offered in:
Sikkim: breathtaking virgin forests aflutter with prayer flags, colorful monasteries, and the hulking presence of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain. Orchids, anyone? Sikkim is home to over 400 species. 4-night stays start at $1,880 per person, based on two to three adults.
October 1 – April 30
Kumaon: stunning views that include the snow-tipped twin peaks of Nanda Devi, India’s second highest mountain. Walk through forests of grey pine, cedar, and rhododendron, and pass through villages and by small shrines to Hindu gods. 3-night stays start at $1,245 per person, based on two to three adults.
October 1 – April 30
Ladakh: known as ‘Little Tibet,’ a bastion of Buddhist calm amidst a dramatic moon-like landscape. Stay in village houses, camp out under stars, learn local customs, and experience Himalayan mountain life up close and first hand. 7-night stays start at $3,535 per person, based on two to three adults.
May 15 – September 30
Rafting through the Shayok River valley is also available as a three-day, two-night camping expedition that can be added on to the Ladakh village experience (August – September only).
Prices for the Shakti village experiences are inclusive of all taxes, accommodations, meals and beverages, activities, English-speaking, well-educated local guides, porters, a private chef, and vehicles when necessary. Prices depend upon the specific itinerary and number of travelers in the group; flights are not included.
Additionally, Shakti runs a four-room hotel, Shakti 360˚ Leti, at 8,000 feet in the Kumaoni foothills surrounded by rhododendron forests, soaring vistas and snow-capped peaks. The region is so remote that guests must hike the final 90-minutes to reach the hotel. Shakti 360˚ Leti is available to guests from October 1 – April 30. There is no Internet, no cell coverage, and only solar power — a real opportunity to unplug and reconnect with nature. A minimum stay of three nights is required for Shakti 360˚ Leti, and a 3-night, 4-day package starts at $1,825 per adult, based on double occupancy. Rates include accommodations, all meals and beverages, activities, English-speaking guide and porters, and all taxes, and return transfers between Shakti Kumaon Village Experience and Shakti 360˚ Leti. Flights are not included.
See more of India with Shakti’s sister company, Banyan Tours & Travels, that can arrange onward travel throughout the rest of India and Sri Lanka, with their expert consultants and travel specialists making every effort to customize the itinerary to a traveler’s specific interests.
Founded by visionary and seasoned traveler, Mr. Jamshyd Sethna, Shakti was created from Sethna’s passion to share his beloved Himalayas with travelers looking for authenticity within luxury. With his love for nature and the mountains, Sethna created an experience far beyond the luxury hotel circuit, finally making it possible for travelers to venture into unexplored territory in total comfort. He is also the owner and founder of Banyan Tours & Travels.
December 1st, 2010
As we’ve reported, the infamous DJ Charles Schillings will be spinning at Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa this Saturday evening. But what we didn’t tell you was that his show will coincide with the first North Phuket Culinary Arts Festival.
The culinary celebration will kick-off this weekend, running Friday evening through Sunday and will feature a table over 980 feet long running between SALA Phuket Resort & Spa and Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa. Be sure to check out the BBQ Party at Anantara Phuket while grooving to DJ Schillings as he lays down hot tracks.
If you need yet another reason to celebrate Phuket this weekend, don’t forget the long-standing King’s Cup Regatta, kicks off Saturday as well! First started in 1987 to celebrate His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 60th birthday, the Regatta is now an annual tradition with 106 ships entered to race this year.