Tagged: asia travel

Mountain Island Villas

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X2 Samui Villas by Design in Thailand.

On Thailand’s island of Samui, the luxury travel trend is pool villa resorts.

One of the latest resorts is X2 Samui Villas by Design under the Centara Boutique Collection.

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Villa bedroom.

Samui has Khao Pom, a wild mountain jungle.

These villas though are located at Hua Tanon Beach, a quiet area on the southeast side of the island.

X2 (pronounced “cross-to”) has 27 villas, all with private pool or garden areas, set on five acres of gardens with direct beach access.

Villa amenities include flat-screen TV with international satellite programs; iApple TV; radio and in-house music; DVD player; mini-bar and refrigerator and wireless Internet.

The resort restaurant on the beach serves international, European,Thai and Asian dishes.

X2 guest relations will arrange activities such as mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving.

Images courtesy of Centara Hotels Resorts

Along Ceylon Tea Trails

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Dilmah Tea’s Ceylon Tea Trails in Sri Lanka has become a member of Relais & Châteaux.

Recognized for its “unique character, gourmet cuisine and outstanding service”, The Tea Trails is the first Sri Lankan property to belong to the association.

Four hours from Colombo and 4,000 ft above sea level, the property features colonial plantation bungalows with turn-of-the-century period furniture.

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The four bungalows have their own manager, chef and butler and 24-hour service.

Guests can participate in popular activities including hiking, mountain biking, croquet, tennis, spa treatments and high tea.

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For mountain travelers, The Tea Trails Bungalows can be an ideal base for climbing the Adam’s Peak holy mountain and Kandy and Nuwara Eliya.

Guests dine on traditional Sri Lankan and tea inspired dishes such as Earl Grey tea-infused, cured Atlantic salmon.

Established in France in 1954, Relais & Châteaux is considered the hallmark authority on luxury and unique establishments around the world.

For more info, visit the Ceylon Tea Trails site.

Images courtesy of Ceylon Tea Trails

3 Classic Mountain Trips

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Trekking on the Great Wall of China.

Fancy classic mountain trips?  Global trekking and adventure holiday company World Expeditions offers classic mountain trips in Africa, Asia and South America.

The company features 500+ itineraries from small group active adventures and expeditions to cycling and walking tours to cultural journeys.

Here are 3 classic mountain trips from World Expeditions:

  • Inca Rivers Trek (16 days). “The route follows a remote mountain traverse between two sacred Inca rivers – the Apurimac to the west and the Urubamba to the east. Between these rivers lies the great Vilcabamba Mountain Range, the last stronghold of the Inca Empire… The trek continues to the Inca site at Paltallacta, which provides a stunning and rarely seen view of Machu Picchu.”
  • Great Wall Trek (10 days).  “This innovative itinerary takes in a remote section of the Great Wall outside Beijing in Hebei Province. Hosted by local families, you will camp in comfort in exclusive locations and explore the Great Wall trekking between villages.”
  • Kilimanjaro – Shira Route (10 days). “From the forest and moorland to the caldera of Shira volcano, you will explore the rock formations on the Shira plateau before traversing beneath the southern ice fields of Kibo. Enjoy early morning views of Kibo and spent time in the rarely visited Lent Hills, a highlight before you join the main route to the summit of Uhuru Peak (5,895m) on the crater rim.”

For more mountain trips, check out the World Expeditions site.

Image courtesy of World Expeditions

The Glass House In Japan

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The Glass House in Niseko.

Fancy staying in a luxury home in Japan’s Niseko Ski Resort?

Travelplan Ski now offers The Glass House in Niseko for rent.

Travelplan Ski is an Australian operator of snow holidays to some of the world’s great ski resorts.

On the western coast of the island of Hokkaido, Niseko has one of the most consistent and biggest snowfalls in Japan.

In Niseko Ski Resort, Travelplan Ski offers extensive in-resort services.

The program is run by local bilingual Tina, Saoka and Mari, who know Niseko and ensure guests have an excellent Niseko experience.

One of Japan’s top luxury homes, The Glass House was designed by Hikohito Konishi.

The spacious home features three bedrooms; three bathrooms; a kitchen; open plan living and dining areas and a double garage.

Panoramic windows open to Mount Youtei and Niseko’s main river which winds through the countryside to the south.

For more info, visit the Travelplan Ski site.

Image courtesy of Travelplan Ski

Yoga, Elephant & Spa Holidays

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Feel like a jungle yoga, elephant and spa holiday?

Thailand’s Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa now offers a new yoga, elephant and spa package.

The resort designed the wellness holiday with a tranquil elephant trek, energising yoga class and deeply relaxing spa experience.

Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, with its on-site Elephant Camp and Anantara Spa, is known for its scenery of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos and Mekong River.

“Elephants have long held a place in ancient ritual and meditation for both the Brahmin and local Buddhist traditions due to their calm nature, rhythmic pace and unhurried breath,” says the resort.

“Such peaceful attributes create a serene and prestigious start to the Jungle Yoga & Elephant Experience.”

Guests leave their elephant ride to attend their yoga class surrounded by rice paddies. Following the yoga session, they ride back to a relief massage at Anantara Spa.

For more info, visit the resort site.

Image courtesy of Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa


Japan’s New Green Leaf

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New lobby of Green Leaf Hotel in Niseko Village.

Green Leaf Hotel in Japan’s Niseko Village is undergoing a luxury renovation by YTL Hotel Group.

Nestled at the south base of Mt. Miseko Annupuri, Niseko Village is considered Japan’s premier, year-round mountain resort.

The resort is comprised of the Green Leaf Hotel, the Hilton Niseko Village, 2 resort golf courses and the Niseko Village skifield.

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Onsen, natural volcanic hot spring.

The 200-room Green Leaf Hotel will be unveiled as ‘The Green Leaf Niseko Village, a YTL Lifestyle Resort’.

Renovation of the ski-in, ski-out hotel is slated for completion by December 1, 2010.

Champalimaud Design has designed the resort’s guest rooms with elements of European mountain chic and Japanese aesthetic.

Each room will showcase forested winter landscapes by Japanese artist Soichiro Tomioka (1922-1994).

Says YTL Hotel Group:

“The Green Leaf Niseko Village is designed to meet the needs and expectations of a cosmopolitan and discerning clientele. Furthermore, the hotel is a prime year-round mountain lodge with an array of seasonally changing landscapes for activities ranging from powder skiing to two 18-hole championship golf courses.”

The resort’s traditional therapies will include massages, manicures, pedicures and soaking in onsen, natural volcanic hot spring.

For more info, visit the YTL Hotels site.

Images courtesy of YTL Hotels

 

Bali’s Eat, Pray, Play

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New tropical alcohol and drug free resort Sober Haven Bali has opened for people in recovery.

Founded by Brian H, Sober Haven Bali, whose motto is “Eat Pray Play”, is not a treatment centre.

The resort is a “safe cultural, spiritual, gourmet and temptation-free vacation resort” for people in recovery and 12-step programs.

All staff, from the tour guides to the surf instructors, are members of 12-step programs themselves.

On the West Coast of the island, Sober Haven Bali is situated in the village of Seminyak.

The resort features varied comfortable accommodation with tour packages including activities like surfing, biking, yoga and hiking volcanoes.  Its Eat, Pray, Love tour retraces Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey on the island.

Resort chefs prepare menus focused on organic and sustainable meals made from locally grown food and wild-caught seafood.

Images courtesy of Sober Haven Bali

In Search Of Exotic China

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Asia specialist Bamboo Travel has launched two new exotic China tours in the south west province of Yunnan.

“The Burma Road & Tropics of Yunnan” tour will explore the historic town of Tengchong in the western corner of Yunnan province.  Located on the old Southwestern Silk Route, this area is known for volcanoes, hot springs and volcanic lakes.

The tour will feature a visit to the Gaoligong Mountains Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its biodiversity.

The “Yunnan’s Passage to Shangri-la”tour will travel overland from Yunnan’s capital Kunming to the fabled land of Shangri-La then to Deqin.  In the corner of China bordering Eastern Tibet, travelers will see Buddhist holy mountain Kawa Karpo, one of the most sacred mountains in the Himalayas.

Image courtesy of Bamboo Travel

Ski Korea Travel Deals

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Skimax now offers skiers a new ski destination in the northern hemisphere.

The company has announced new accommodation and lift pass packages to ski Yongpyong Ski Resort on the east coast of Korea.

Known as ‘Korea’s Ski Mecca’, Yongpyong is attracting international skiers because of its fresh powder snow and great facilities.

The resort has hosted international events including the winter Asian Games in 1999 and Interski Congress 2007.  It is a selected candidate for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Accommodation options range from premium hotels to traditional Korean-style accommodation (Ondol rooms).

For more info, visit the Skimax site.

Image courtesy of Skimax

Retreating In Thailand

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In the mountains of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai’s Tamarind Village can be a welcome retreat to travelers.

The hotel’s 42 rooms and three suites are centred around a series of garden courtyards.

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The interior decor reflects the ethnic diversity of northern Thailand with fabrics and patterns from the region’s hill tribes.

Called an “oasis of tranquility”, the hotel is named after a 200-year-old Tamarind tree that shades the property in the courtyard.

The hotel’s restaurant, Ruen Tamarind, features a classic Thai menu and northern Thai favorites in a poolside setting.

Tamarind Village’s Village Spa offers a range of relaxing and therapeutic treatments.

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Currently, the hotel is featuring The Early Bird Offer, valid until December 20, 2010, based on a minimum two-night stay.

For more info, visit TamarindVillage.com.

Images courtesy of Tamarind Village