Saturday, October 31, 2009

Amankila Resort, Bali - Charming luxury


The Amankila Resort, Bali is set between Manggis and Candidasa village, in Indonesia. Very impressive setting, timeless-styled-villas excellent service and style.
There are various categories of rooms in this 5 star hotel like – “Superior Suites”, “Duplex Suites”, “Duplex Ocean Suites”, “Pool Suites” and “Amankila Suites”. Most of the elevated suites watch over the Indian Ocean and surrounding hillsides.

Each suite features a large bedroom with wide window views, a canopied, king-size bed and a writing desk. In the rooms -TV and DVD players, Air Condition, Minibar and Room Service. Facilities: Spa, library, DVD/CD selection, Balinese art gallery, boutique store, Shopping Souvenir Shop, Bar/Lounge, Beach, Laundry, Babysitting, Tennis, Watersport Equipments.

The Restaurant,located above the main pool and overlooking the ocean, is open for dinner. The menu features a mix of western and Indonesian cuisine.


Everywhere in Bali, the details of the Environment are worth watching, be they created by the hotel, the local people or nature.

Oberoi, Amarvilas, Agra



The location of this hotel is unparalleled. Only 600 m from the Taj Mahal stands the Oberoi Group’s new luxury resort. Influenced by Moorish and Mughal architecture the majestic mansion encircles an impressive colonnade filled with fountains and reflection pools.

The colours of the decor were most unusual with a very vivid turquoise tamed by white. All rooms feature Burmese .Teakwood flooring, a seating area, writing desk with chair, and en-suite marble bathrooms.

Spa includes beauty and body treatments with exotic oils and creams used by royalty five hundred years ago, in addition to a steam room or sauna to rekindle the body and spirit.

Hyatt Regency – Kuantan


The Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort is on the beautiful east coast, just 15 minutes drive from Kuantan Town centre. The hotel is set on the beachfront of Telok Chempedak, with panoramic views of the South China Sea.

The 336-rooms and suites are luxuriously equipped with all the modern facilities. The rooms at this hotel are furnished with all modern facilities to ensure you a comfortable stay in the city. Room Facilities: television, mini bar, refrigerator and tea and coffee maker and private bath.

The hotel of Malaysia houses one of the best restaurants and disco of the city. The Italian Bistro is an award-winning bistro serving exquisite Italian cuisine.

Amenities: Fitness Center, Spa, Swimming Pool, Golf, Tennis, Water Skiing.



Amanusa Bali, Indonesia



Amanusa is Located On Bali’s Southern Peninsula And Overlooks The Indian Ocean And Nusa Dua.Amanusa is only a 20-minute drive from Denpasar airport.

The Hotel consists of 35 beautiful thatched roof suites. All suites feature four-poster beds, a sunken indoor bath and a romantic outdoor shower. Rates: $700-$1,550, including breakfast.

Room Facilities: Alarm Clock, Cable TV available and Satellite TV, Coffee and Tea facilities, IDD line, Electronic key-card, Minibar, Modem Dataport, Smoke Alarms, Fire Sprinkler System, Station’s Telephone

Offering sweeping views of Bali, the terrace serves Thai and Indonesian cuisines for you to enjoy. Overlooking the swimming pool, the Italian Restaurant serves delicious cuisine.

The main swimming pool is like the architecture; monumental and impressive. Beautiful 30m walled swimming pool surrounded by a bougainvillea trellis.

Amanda’s main bar overlooks the pool and the rolling greens of the golfcourse, all the way to the sandy coastline. The Bali Golf and Country Club lies adjacent to the resort and guests can use the facilities here.


Paid activities: 2 restaurants, massage, non motorised water sports, beach club, tennis courts, golf course.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

St Kilda Archipelago


Way out in the Atlantic Ocean, some 66 km to the west of the Outer Hebrides, rises the Kilda Archipelago, with the exception of Rockall, the westernmost of British islands. St Kilda belongs to the National Trust for Scotland, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


The archipelago consists four main islands – Hirta, Soay, Boreray and Dun, which is almost an extension of Hitra, and several magnificent sea stacks. Hitra has the highest sea cliff in the British Isles, and Stac an Armin, just north of Boreray, is Britain’s highest sea stack. In 2,000, marine scientists found that they are all peaks of the same, drowned mountain. Hitra was inhabited from about 5,000 years ago until 1930, when the last 36 inhabitants asked to be evacuated as conditions there had become untenable.

Hitra’s sheer cliffs just starkly from the sea on three sides, while the fourth has Village Bay, the only possible landing place and the site of main settlement. There are Victorian cottages and manycleits – turf roofed, drystone structures – that were used to store the smoked or wind-dried seabirds. Nearby are numerous archeological sites.

But it’s the birds of St Kilda that are the thing: these are the largest colonies of fulmars, gannets and puffins in Britain. Visually the islands are green but treeless, having no plants growing higher than grass level. Great clouds of birds, unbelievable numbers of them, wheel and shriek in the sky, and clownish puffins whizz up and down the cliffs.

When to go: Mid-May to mid-August. Population: There are small numbers of civilians working on the MOD base, otherwise just a few National Trust volunteers work on Hitra during the summer.How to get there: The best way is to join a National Trust for Scotland working party. Contact the NTS whichever way you want to visit.

Grand Daddy Hotel

Grand Daddy is a very interesting hotel situated in Cape town,South Africa.The Grand Daddy’s big talking point is its trailer park, where a collection of vintage Airstream caravans sited on the rooftop. Each of the 7 two-sleeper caravans have been designed by local artists.

The vintage caravans were designed by studio Whatiftheworld, which tasked local artists with decorating a space with a motif of their choice. They ended with a concept ranged from The Ballad of John & Yoko, adorned with a guitar and simple white interior, to Goldilocks and The Three Bears, which has a quaint storybook feel to it.

The hotel is part of Daddy Long Legs Group. The philosophy is simple, excellent service, clean and comfortable rooms. The hospitable staff of the hotel will help you through the gentle journey about the surroundings of the hotel and the history of the city.

The two-person Airstreams are situated neatly around the rooftop bar, which is open for afternoon drinks to guests and just the plain curious alike.Rooms in the hotel start at 945 rands ($90) and can be booked through Tablet.


Wildflower Hall , Shimla

Wildflower Hall Hotel, Mashobra, sprawls over 23 acres of land and is the most sought after heritage hotel near Shimla. The building occupies only 5% of the property allowing guests ample space for privacy and tranquility.

The hotel has 87 rooms and suites viewing to the cedar forests and mountain ranges. All rooms-are furnished in colonial British style with open fireplaces. Amenities including broadband internet, satellite TV and 24 hour butler service are available for all guests.
Internet services, Interpreter, PC rental, courier services, secretarial services, fax, photocopier and audiovisuals rental.

The Cavalry Bar stocks a large range of fine spirits, wines and cigars. The two restaurants offer the choice of fine international cuisine and traditional Indian cooking or simply relax with a quiet drink in the timeless elegance.

Villa Olmi Resort Florence, Italy


In Bagno a Ripoli, a very short distance from the heart of Florence, an age-old country estate has refound the splendor of a villa and the simple elegance of rural environments. In the greenery of a centuries old park, Villa Olmi Resort is an exclusive example of good living: rare comforts, innovative services, gourmet restaurant, wine bar...

La Villa - 12 proposals among Suites, Junior Suites, Superior Rooms and Deluxe Rooms, in the oldest building of Villa Olmi Resort, La Villa. A careful renovation has maintained and enhanced the historical structure and brought the original 18th century frescoes back to light that decorate each room. Extraordinarily large spaces are furnished with refined taste where the antique furniture and chandeliers in Murano glass give a touch of real class to the rooms. The charming ambiance continues in the bathroom with ultra pleasant jacuzzis and fine marble decor. Plasma television sets, technological connections with the reception, wireless system and all the comforts offered by an exclusive 5 star hotel, complete the hospitality offering at the Villa at Villa Olmi Resort.



Prestigious restaurant and refined wine bar.wi-fi coverage inside and outside the facilities

La Fattoria - The heart of Villa Olmi Resort, La Fattoria together with the Limonaia house 38 rooms (31 Classic Rooms and 7 Junior Suites including 5 with private garden) and the Resort's public spaces and rooms: Restaurant, Bar, Wine bar, "Le Volte" meeting room and the pool framed by the hortus conclusus, the lovely vegetable garden - garden of the estate. The structure of the rooms and Junior Suites recaptures the classical elements of the architecture typical of Florence (ceilings in wood and terra cotta, limestone plaster and floors in Impruneta terra cotta) and simple elegant furnishing of aristocratic country homes, enhanced with authentic antiques. The bathrooms decorated with fine marble all have a Jacuzzi, and a wonderful complementary toiletry line with scents for the jacuzzi. Bed linens are made of pure linen, while those in the bath are in long fiber Egyptian cotton for a touch of real class for a luxury hotel.

Children under the age of 2 using a crib and staying in the same room as their parents are free of charge.Heated pool in the garden - garden of La Fattoria with beach umbrellas and deck chairs.

La Colonica - Once the house of farmers and to shelter Villa Olmi's animals, La Colonica has refound the real rural ambiance of Tuscany in its Impruneta terra cotta floors, chestnut doors, windows and furniture and limestone plaster. Three apartments with four bedrooms, each with private bathroom, are the hospitality solution at Villa Olmi Resort dedicated to families who wish to spend a few days in the peace of the estate a short distance from Florence. The comforts are those of a 5 star hotel: plasma TV, pay TV, adjustable air conditioning and heating, telephones, etc. On the first floor the large arches overlook the garden creating a very pleasant portico where there is a large open kitchen with a corner with wood burning stove for informal banquets and fun pizza parties.



Sunday, October 25, 2009

Quadra Island

Quadra Island lies between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia and is the largest and most populous of the Discovery Islands. A short ferry ride from Cambell River takes you through whale- and dolphin-rich waters to this island of ancient temperate rainforest.

With its rich woodland, diverse topography, and plentiful wildlife, Quadra Island has become a huge draw for outdoor enthusiasts. There is an extensive system of lakes and rivers for kayaking and canoeing and many paths and trails for hiking and mountain biking. Guided bird watching and fishing charters run during the summer months, as do seaborne whale and bear watching trips. Its lakes are home to an incredible variety of wildlife, including black-tailed deer, river otters, harbour seals, sea-lions, cormorants, snowy owls, the great blue heron and the rarely seen peregrine flacon.

Its remoteness at the top of the Strait of Georgia helps this island community retain an idyllic charm. Aboriginal and European people live side by side, and whilst tourism is growing it is not overwhelming.

When to go: All year round although the ferries can get crowded in the May to August period.Population: 2,650. How to get there: By ferry from Campbell River or Cortes Island.

Four Seasons Hotel, Tokyo

The Four Season Hotel is placed in the Marunouchi central business district, adjacent to TOKYO Station. The hotel offers a striking, contemporary setting within the landmark glass-clad tower of the prestigious Pacific Century Place.

The Four Seasons hotel boasts the most convenient location in town. For first-timers leery of traveling between Narita Airport and Tokyo Station, the hotel offers a unique “greeting” service at the airport to assure a seamless transition all the way to the hotel (cost: Â¥5,250/$44/£22).



This property offers the ultimate in service, privacy, and exclusivity, with a well-trained staff that goes out of its way to make guests feel welcome (including special amenities and services for children).


Guests are accompanied to rooms by guest-relations officers, and with good reason, as rooms are so high-tech it’s almost impossible to figure out even such mundane tasks as double-locking the doors or engaging the bathtub stopper.

At 44 sq. m (474 sq. ft.) and larger, the attractive rooms are tremendous by Tokyo standards, with such standouts as wall-mounted 42-inch plasma-screen TVs with Internet connections, hookups for MP3 players with surround sound, leather-covered desks, bathrooms with separate tub and shower areas, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The ultimate comfort!


At Four Seasons, you enjoy a unique vantage point from which to explore the sights, sounds and experiences around you.
As well as the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi is part of the 31-level Pacific Century Place, a prestigious office and retail development neighbouring Ginza shopping district and Tokyo’s train and subway stations

It’s wonderful because Tokyo offers four defined seasons with comfortable temperatures throughout. Cherry trees blossom in springtime before temperatures reach 30°C (86°F) in summer months. The vibrant colours of autumn paint a memorable image, amidst crisp temperatures. Relatively mild winter temperatures rarely fall far below freezing.