MYANMAR’S beautiful Inle Lake, the famous water feature in the heart of Shan State, is home to the new Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min. The 101-room property, which welcomed its first guests on March 5, features 101 rooms including a selection of studios and suites with some of the waterside chambers looking across the lakeContinue reading “Inle for Myanmar Sofitel …”
Category Archives: Destinations
Hue’s Imperial City …
HUE’S Imperial City is one of Vietnam’s most beautiful corners but because the address sits in the centre of the country, in the region most tourists fly over jetting between Hanoi and Saigon, it often goes unexplored and unappreciated. But on my most recent visit to Vietnam the itinerary includes a stay at the BanyanContinue reading “Hue’s Imperial City …”
Freycinet’s new Pavilions …
TASMANIA’S Freycinet Peninsula is already the place to find some of the state’s most excellent accommodation options with the choice growing more extensive after a cluster of new dwellings was unveiled on March 15. Freycinet Lodge is home to new Coastal Pavilions with nine environmentally-friendly suites hidden in the bush beside Great Oyster Bay. EachContinue reading “Freycinet’s new Pavilions …”
Chef Luke moves up …
VIETNAM Airlines has added favourite Australian chef Luke Nguyen to its register of “global cuisine ambassadors” with the celebrity set to put his stamp on the in-flight menu. During the next three years the author and television host will develop a selection of dishes to be added to the business-class menu on flights between AustraliaContinue reading “Chef Luke moves up …”
Holiday Inn Flinders refurb …
THE HOLIDAY Inn Melbourne on Flinders has received a new look with an extensive renovating changing the character of every guestroom and giving those visiting the city a fresh place to stay in the Victorian capital. The guest room count has been increased to 209 chambers with the building gutted to create a blank canvasContinue reading “Holiday Inn Flinders refurb …”
Trains Europe favourite …
TRAINS are emerging as the preferred mode of transport for Australians visiting Europe in 2018. With wait times at airports increasing – a 2017 study by Airlines For Europe reveals travellers can now spend up to four hours queueing in terminals from Madrid to Paris and Brussels to Milan as security checks and understaffed airlinesContinue reading “Trains Europe favourite …”
Lake Towada …
Where … Lake Towada, near the northern tip of Japan’s Honshu Island. When … Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 3.25pm What … Lake Towada, the largest caldera pond on Japan’s main island, is part of the Towada National Park and marks the border between Akita and Aomori prefectures. It is famous for the “autumn colour”Continue reading “Lake Towada …”
Luang Prabang’s new luxe …
LAOS is shaping up as one of 2018’s hidden holiday gems with travellers now having another option when it comes to booking luxury accommodation. The AVANI+ Luang Prabang opened on March 1 with the 53-room property located in the heart of the northern city steps from the Mekong River, Royal Palace, and Night Market. TheContinue reading “Luang Prabang’s new luxe …”
AVANI’s new hotel brand …
AVANI Hotels & Resorts will add a new brand to the stable with the launch of AVANI+. Each address wearing the AVANI+ name will “tell its own unique story” using architecture and design while also employing technology to help those making reservations explore the locations they are visiting. “We will introduce guests to the destinationContinue reading “AVANI’s new hotel brand …”
The Academy open in April …
THE Academy, YTL Hotels’ new London property, will be completed in April with the first images promising something special. The hotel occupies five Georgian townhouses in the heart of Bloomsbury – the trendy neighbourhood north of the Thames that’s home to The British Museum – with 50 elegant guest rooms as well as a selection ofContinue reading “The Academy open in April …”
The light of day …
THERE’S a beautiful light that seems to settle on northern Africa in the late afternoon. It’s soft and vaguely opaque, with a delicate pearl tone, like sand from the desert dunes is swirling in the air and catching the late afternoon sunbeams as they struggle to reach the ground. With this magical light comes aContinue reading “The light of day …”
Handling travel mishaps …
ON my last visit to Japan I was bounced out of bed at 5am by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake. The epicentre was about 100km from where I slept in a city near the northern tip of Honshu Island and my room on the 9th floor of a sturdy 12-storey hotel swayed from side to sideContinue reading “Handling travel mishaps …”
Christmas 2017 in Melbourne …
SANTA is making his list and checking it twice, presents are being wrapped, the windows on advent calendars are being peeled back, and carols are echoing through shopping centres. Christmas is on its way and those lucky enough to be in Melbourne during the 2017 Silly Season have a swag of options available to getContinue reading “Christmas 2017 in Melbourne …”
Melbourne’s Adina update …
A REVAMPED rooftop pool with a terrace for entertaining, new penthouse suites, and fresh decor in every one of the 155 guest rooms are just some of the highlights of the Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne’s recent renovation. Those in the know say the hotel has “adopted a modern international style” which starts in the newContinue reading “Melbourne’s Adina update …”
Putting on the Ritz in Thailand …
KOH Samui’s newest hotel the Ritz-Carlton officially opened back in October but I just received a stack of photographs snapped around the luxurious Thai property and thought it was worth showing them off. The resort occupies land on the holiday island that was once home to a coconut plantation with the 175 suites and poolContinue reading “Putting on the Ritz in Thailand …”
Paris is always a good idea …
DID you see the picture of Barack Obama in the November 17 edition of Time with his feet up on the table? The soles of his shoes were worn because, as the caption noted, he had been “pounding the pavement” campaigning for votes in the days before the US election. After just a couple ofContinue reading “Paris is always a good idea …”
Do South-East Asia in 2018 …
WHEN Aussies daydream about getting away it’s destinations around Asia that often provide the backdrop for holiday fantasies. Empty beaches, ancient temples, bustling cities, lush rainforests, hectic markets and serene islands promise something to satisfy every appetite, but where to go when new resorts, tours, experiences and destinations pop up every day? Escape chats withContinue reading “Do South-East Asia in 2018 …”
AVANI new for Thailand’s Hua Hin …
HUA HIN, the beach-side settlement that’s long been a favourite with the Thai royal family, is home to the newest AVANI hotel. The AVANI Hua Hin Resort is a block from the beach but boasts lush tropical gardens with each of the 196 guest rooms, suites and villas looking across the vast lagoon-style pools thatContinue reading “AVANI new for Thailand’s Hua Hin …”
Celebrity bound for the Galapagos …
CELEBRITY Cruises has commissioned a new ship dedicated to exploring the Galapagos Islands with the Celebrity Flora set to join the fleet in May 2019. The vessel, which has been designed to carry 100 passengers, will boast “anchorless technology” to help the crew maintain the ship’s position in areas where it’s necessary to protect theContinue reading “Celebrity bound for the Galapagos …”
Emirates 777 cabin update …
NOVEMBER has been a big month for the airlines with a second carrier unveiling an innovative cabin upgrade. First Singapore Airlines previewed the four cabin categories that will be introduced next month when the brand starts upgrading its A380 fleet, and now Emirates has wowed the aviation community with a new-look interior for its 777s.Continue reading “Emirates 777 cabin update …”
Crowne Plaza to open big in Fiji …
WHEN the Crowne Plaza Fiji Wailoaloa Beach opens its doors in 2020 it will be the South Pacific holiday haven’s biggest hotel. The new-build address, which will boast ocean views and direct beach access, will feature 453 guest rooms and two swimming pools as well as a selection of places to drink and dine. “AsContinue reading “Crowne Plaza to open big in Fiji …”
Deposited in Ms Duras’ Sa Dec …
SOMETIMES moments of great symmetry happen during travels. Like reading a great work of literature set in the bygone French Indochina while floating along the waterway that features in the story. From my armchair on the deck of a colonial-style riverboat, floating along Vietnam’s Mekong River somewhere between the Cambodian border and South China Sea,Continue reading “Deposited in Ms Duras’ Sa Dec …”
Singapore’s A380 cabin upgrade …
SINGAPORE Airlines has set a new standard in sky-high comfort by unveiling the next generation of “cabin products”. The airline, known as an innovator when it comes to aircraft interiors, has invested four years in designing the new passenger spaces that will feature across all four cabin categories in the A380 after a fleet refurbishmentContinue reading “Singapore’s A380 cabin upgrade …”
Cruising the Australia coast …
AUSSIES are infatuated with cruising our coastline and it doesn’t look like the affair will end soon. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reports Australia will welcome “an unprecedented number’’ of passenger liners this cruise season — about 60 — and they’ll make more than 1000 port visits before the end of April. CLIA Australasia’sContinue reading “Cruising the Australia coast …”
Anantara Angkor’s super suites …
A FRENCH explorer and renowned silk merchant have inspired two grand new guest villas at Siem Reap’s Anantara Angkor Resort. The jewel in the hotel’s crown is the sprawling Henri Mouhot Suite — the serene space celebrates the intrepid naturalist and adventurer credited with uncovering the lost Angkor ruins back in the 1860 — andContinue reading “Anantara Angkor’s super suites …”
Tourism booming in 2017 …
THE United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released its numbers for the first half of 2017 with the statistics signalling another year of strong growth. During the first six months of this year international tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 6 per cent, compared to the same stretch in 2016, with 598 million travellers temporarilyContinue reading “Tourism booming in 2017 …”
Sydney’s swanky new Sofitel …
THERE’S a new star on the Sydney hotel scene after the official October 4 opening of the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour. The address, which boasts 590 guest rooms including 35 spacious suites, is the first new-build hotel wearing an iconic luxury brand to open in the capital’s CBD in more than 15 years and isContinue reading “Sydney’s swanky new Sofitel …”
INSIDER – PARIS
RENTING AN APARTMENT IN PARIS THE first time I went to Paris I stayed in a hotel and it was a lovely place, quaint and comfortable, on the corner of Rue Vaneau and Rue De Sevres a kilometre past the Musee d’Orsay. There was a metro stop down the street, a mini-mart across the road, aContinue reading “INSIDER – PARIS”
SQ183 sunset …
Where … Flying on a Singapore Airlines’ 777 from Saigon to Singapore When … Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 9.09pm What … A delayed departure from Saigon, and a command from Singapore air traffic control to slow down by doing lazy circles in the sky while flying south along the Malay Peninsula, put my planeContinue reading “SQ183 sunset …”
HOTEL – MERCURE MALDIVES KOODDOO
Situated on the lush Kooddoo Island within the southern Gaafu Alifu Atoll, we are only 50 minutes domestic flight from Male International Airport, with no other speedboat journey. Which means direct access from the domestic terminal to your villa. Mercure Maldives Kooddoo website MALDIVES NEW MERCURE THERE’S now another option for mid-scale accommodation in theContinue reading “HOTEL – MERCURE MALDIVES KOODDOO”
Far Near Or Here 