Jetsettersblog

The prestigious Relais & Châteaux hotel group has recently added Taipei’s Villa 32 to the 2010 issue of its Guide. This is the first time that Relais & Châteaux has featured Taiwan.

Villa 32 is one of Taiwan’s most stylish and modern spa retreats situated in Beitou, which is often known as Taipei’s scenic hot springs district.

The boutique hotel offers five deluxe Japanese and European-style suites and open-air public baths overlooking mist-covered hills. The property prides itself on its Zen-inspired tranquillity and wide range of spa treatments, which include pools using geothermic water from Beitou’s hot springs.

With the addition of Villa 32, Relais & Châteaux now has an exclusive collection of 480 luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants in 56 countries.

www.relaischateaux.com

Coinciding with Northern Rivers Tourism’s latest marketing campaign, the Rivers of Life website has recently been launched, capturing all the delights of the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Framed by unspoiled sub-tropical rainforests overlooking 300 kilometres of pristine coastline, the region is an enchanting holiday destination. The campaign seeks to target regional and national markets to promote the area and the unique experiences it has to offer.

The Rivers of Life campaign showcases the regional areas of Tweed, Clarence Coast and Country, Ballina Coast and Hinterland, Lismore, Nimbin, Byron Bay, Bangalow, Brunswick Heads and the Rainforest Way, encouraging collaboration between local authorities, tour operators and industry stakeholders.

The campaign aims to reach a broader audience, promoting the region as an idyllic and unique holiday destination.

Information on the region’s innovative art and culture scene, best surfing destinations, health and wellbeing, food and education is just a click away, with comprehensive editorials devoted to each aspect of the Rivers of Life cooperative marketing initiative.

The website’s Hot Deals page features a wide range of packages, with industry partners offering discounts at hotels, restaurants, day spas and events throughout the region.

For those keen to hit the road, the website provides a wealth of local information. Follow one of the suggested trails or take yourself off the beaten track and explore the natural beauty of the region.

Trails cater for beach hopping adventures; sightseeing through the Northern Rivers hinterland; or restoration for the body and soul. For the serious shopper, follow the suggested Treasure Trail, hunting down handmade ceramics, glass, paintings, jewellery and crafts by local artists. Plan your visit to coincide with the renowned Northern Rivers market circuit and experience the abundance of unique local wares; the website will direct you to all necessary information.

User-generated content is essential to the campaign’s success; a ‘Postcards’ section encourages users to share stories from their visit to the Northern Rivers, posting their favourite pictures on the blog.

The Rivers of Life website consolidates all the information you’ll need for your next visit to the Northern Rivers; just a click away at

www.riversoflife.com.au

Sydney’s Featherdale Wildlife Park, has won the Gold Award for NSW’s Major Tourist Attraction in the 2009 NSW Tourism Awards.

Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay congratulated the park for the prestigious achievement.

Some of the other gold award recipients at the awards included:

• Sydney Festival 2009 – Major Festivals and Events
• Jervis Bay’s Booderee National Park – Tourist Attraction
• Blue Mountains National Park – Ecotourism
• Temora Aviation Museum – Heritage and Cultural Tourism
• Newcastle Airport – Specialised Tourism Services
• Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Meetings and Business Tourism
• Nelson Bay’s Moonshadow Cruises – Major Tour and/or Transport Operators
• Broken Hill’s Tri State Safaris – Adventure Tourism
• Sydney Central YHA – Backpacker Accommodation

“Featherdale Wildlife Park is an outstanding sanctuary and showcase of Australian wildlife,” Ms McKay said.

“The Park boasts one of the world’s premier collections of unique native Australian animals and bird life in a natural bush setting, all within just 45 minutes from the centre of Sydney.” Ms McKay said there were close to 150 finalists across 30 categories in this year’s awards, highlighting the world-class tourism product and experiences on offer in NSW.

“These awards reinforce the quality, vitality and diversity of the NSW tourism industry and recognise those businesses that have been the benchmark for best practice across the State,” Ms McKay said.

“This is a peer reviewed award and each winner and finalist should be recognised by the industry for their exemplary service to visitors and residents of NSW.” Presented by the Tourism Industry Council NSW and sponsored by Tourism NSW, the NSW Tourism Awards is the largest and most prestigious event on the industry’s calendar.

Tourism Industry Council NSW Chairman Ken Corbett said the awards recognised the determination, drive and passion that exist in the NSW tourism industry..

“The incredible professionalism and passion displayed by this year’s finalists sets a new benchmark in the quality of our tourism product in NSW, which can only be good for the industry in the long-term.”

Ms McKay said that tourism contributes more than $28.2 billion to the NSW economy and supports more than 162,500 jobs.

“NSW is the gateway to the nation with more than half of all visitors to Australia spending time in NSW,” Ms McKay said.

“The NSW Government is working with the State’s tourism industry to ensure we deliver growth to this important sector of the economy.”

For a full list of award winners at the 2009 NSW Tourism Awards see attached or go to www.ticnsw.com.au

With 15 expert authors devoting a total of 65 weeks on-the-road research, Lonely Planet’s new Australia Travel Guide, released today, gets to the heart of Australia’s diverse culture and extreme geography.

While acknowledging that “Australians have been sold to the world as outdoorsy, sporty, big-drinking, thigh-slapping country folk,” the 15th Edition of Lonely Planet Australia debunks the stereotypes: “Most Australians live in cities, watch a lot more sport than they play and wouldn’t be seen dead in an Akubra hat.”

The Guide’s Coordinating Author Justine Vaisutis also draws a direct parallel between Australia’s cultural identity and the country’s often challenging geography.

“Vulnerable to violent climatic extremes, this savvy landscape learned to manipulate voracious fires, long droughts and desperate floods to carve some of the world’s most dramatic terrain,” Justine says. “These origins, harsh, resilient and beautiful, remain emblematic of the diversity of life Australia has created ever since.”

Justine also says this diversity is reflected in Australia’s cities, outback trails, and everything in between.

“This country hates the generic,” Justine explains, “and so its cities remain distinct: Sydney is a luscious tart, Melbourne a subtle glamour puss, Brisbane a blithe playmate, Adelaide a gracious dame and Perth a free spirit.

In between are coastal villages and spreads, hinterland towns and outback communities defining their own patch of utopia.”

Amidst concerns about climate change and financial uncertainty, Justine concedes in the Guide that “many Australians remain anxious about their future.”

But she also points to the resilience and compassion demonstrated in the wake of the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

“This one example returns us to the beauty and inimitability of Australia.”

Like all Lonely Planet authors, the 15 who spent a total of 65 weeks on the road researching Lonely Planet Australia are passionate, dedicated travellers who do not take freebies in exchange for positive coverage – so their impartial advice is guaranteed.

They travel to popular spots and off the beaten track, discovering new places and personally visiting thousands of hotels, restaurants, trails, galleries and more.

They also speak with dozens of locals to obtain unique insider knowledge. They take pride in getting all the details right, and in telling it how it is.

The suites and bungalows at La Loma, Sir James Goldsmith’s private home at Cuixmala on Mexico’s Costa Alegre, are now available to rent individually at several select weeks in the year.

Goldsmith’s daughter Alix and her husband Goffredo Marcaccini now run the estate, which sits on 25,000 acres of dry tropical forest and agricultural land, lagoons, endless beaches and pristine surroundings.

La Loma is set on a wide swath of beach all within a private nature reserve.

The house offers panoramic views, soaring ceilings and quiet fountain courtyards.

The master suite has its own living terrace with splash pool size Jacuzzi and an ocean view bathroom.

There are three additional deluxe bedrooms suites in the main house plus living rooms, dining room, library, media room and office, complemented by three palapa covered ocean view terraces for outdoor living and dining.

Staff includes butlers, waiters, chefs, maids, laundress, gardeners, pool men, concierge and security.

La Loma’s Master suite is $3,000 per night, deluxe suites range from $1,500-$1,800 per night.

Six oceanfront bungalows are available from $1,500 per night with a presidential bungalow offered at $2,000 per night.

For more information, visit www.cuixmala.com

New Mexico’s first Restaurant Week will offer pre-fixe dinners at more than 60 restaurants at discounted prices. Restaurant Week debuts in Santa Fe on Feb. 28 through March 6, and in Albuquerque from March 7 to 13.

The three-course dinners range in price from $25 to $40 per person. In addition, several hotels are featuring Restaurant Week packages.

Among them are the El Corazon Residences, the El Rey Inn, the Encantado Resort & Spa, the Hotel Santa Fe, The Inn & Spa at Loretto and the Santa Fe Sage Inn in Santa Fe; and the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa and the Hotel Andaluz in the Albuquerque area.

The event also includes cooking classes at several restaurants, as well as at the Santa Fe School of Cooking.

The classes range in price from free (“The Art of Making Caesar Salad” at Osteria d’Assisi in Santa Fe) to $35 (“Foods of the Americas” at Epazote Restaurant in Santa Fe). Space is limited, and advance reservations are highly recommended.

In addition, clients who visit the event’s website can sign up for the Restaurant Week Sweepstakes.

Prizes include hotel-and-dinner packages at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa and at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, as well as dinner for two at several restaurants, redeemable after Restaurant Week.

For more information, call 505-847-3333 or visit www.nmrestaurantweek.com

Five Mandarin Oriental hotels were recently awarded the prestigious2009 Forbes Five Star Spa Award out of only 13 hotels worldwide.

MandarinOriental hotels in New York, Miami and Hong Kong, who had been awarded inprevious years, were joined this year by The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, HongKong and Mandarin Oriental, Boston.

In addition Mandarin Oriental Washington DCwas honoured as a Forbes Four Star Spa. These awards are further confirmation that Mandarin Oriental spas are continuingto set the bar in terms of design and service, and have been added to a growinglist of trophies that have been won throughout the year.

In the US, SpaMagazine’s Silver Sage Awards for Best Spas 2009 went to Mandarin Oriental, NewYork (for north and north east USA), Mandarin Oriental, Miami (for south andsouth east USA), Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong (for the Far East) and MandarinOriental, Bangkok (for south east Asia).

In addition, AsiaSpa Magazine recently honoured Mandarin Oriental Hotel Groupwith the Baccarat AsiaSpa Award for best therapist team and placed MandarinOriental, Sanya as the Best New Spa of the Year for Asia. Mandarin OrientalHotel Group was also honoured for the fourth time as Best Wellness & Spa Groupin the Asia Pacific Crystal Awards that salutes the best in the industry, whileThe Landmark Mandarin Oriental was awarded Best Hotel Spa. Andrew Gibson, Group Director of Spa, said,

“We are delighted to have beenhonoured by so many awards, which are testament to the hard work and consistencyof our spa teams around the world. The launch of Mandarin Oriental’s signaturetreatments and brand of products this year has helped to underline our spaphilosophy of delivering authentic and holistic experiences.

“We also remainingfocused on providing a consistent level of service excellence to our guests.”

Mandarin Oriental spas are also open to non-residents providing the ideal venuein which to experience superb therapeutic massages and excellent skin care programmes.

Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some ofthe world’s most prestigious hotels, resorts and residences.

Mandarin Orientalnow operates, or has under development, 41 hotels representing over 10,000 roomsin 25 countries, with

17 hotels in Asia,
14 in The Americas
and 10 in Europe andNorth Africa.

In addition, the Group operates, or has under development, 13Residences at Mandarin Oriental, connected to the Group’s properties.

‘At the Top, Burj Dubai’ will be an adrenaline-rush experience

Introductory tickets priced at AED 100 for adults and AED 75 for children

At the Top, Burj Dubai, the world’s highest observation deck on Level 124 of Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building, will open doors to the public from January 5, 2010.

Tickets are time stamped at 30-minute intervals, on specific days, in order to carefully manage the daily rush of sightseers. Introductory ticket price is AED 100 for adults and AED 75 for children up to 12 years. For those who simply cannot wait, immediate entry is AED 210 per person, subject to availability.

The entrance to the experience At the Top, Burj Dubai is at the adjoining The Dubai Mall’s Lower Ground level, conveniently situated among a parade of tempting restaurants. Banks of LED screens displaying Burj Dubai’s distinctive three-core design in red and black greet visitors.

The reception area features a fiberglass model of the tower illuminated in blue light. Soft music plays in the background, from a score composed especially for Burj Dubai by Katia Makdissi-Warren, a Canadian artist noted for her fusion of Western and Arabian styles.

The interactive feature ‘Burj Around the World’ allows visitors to view Burj Dubai on the skyline of other famous cities. Two multimedia presentations, ‘Burj Dubai Among the Greats’ and ‘Tallest Among the Tall’, introduce other iconic tall buildings from around the world, forming as they do the inspiration for Burj Dubai.

Precision is a theme of the tower and it governs the experience awaiting visitors to At the Top, Burj Dubai. Past an airport-style security gate, visitors are immersed in the history of Dubai as they are escorted along a 65-metre travelator.

A multimedia display, ‘Dubai Then and Now’, explores the emirate’s humble beginnings as a pearl diving and trading hub and traces its emergence into a world centre for tourism, commerce and finance.

A new musical passage, again by composer Katia Makdissi-Warren, accompanies the historical narrative, and her composition proceeds to change in mood and tempo as new sections of the tour are revealed.

The travelator gently deposits visitors at the ‘From the earth to the sky’, through which they view the tower’s spire at a near vertical angle and its observation deck on the 124th floor.

Pausing at the ‘From the earth to the sky’, one can also absorb the ‘legend’ of Burj Dubai, which interprets the personality and aspirations of the world’s tallest building as though it were an individual.

“I am the heart of the city and its people,” the legend reads, “the marker that defines Emaar’s ambition and Dubai’s shining dream. More than just a moment in time, I define moments for future generations…”

An almost spiritual ambience permeates this stage of the tour. As soothing music plays in the background, futuristic back-lit glass panels display the styling cues for the tower’s unique design, including its inspiration from the natural world, a freshly cut flower from the beautiful desert lily, Hymenocallis.

The next leg of the journey, ‘From Vision to Reality’, delves deeper into the architectural and engineering complexity inherent in the world’s tallest building. A multimedia presentation tracks the evolution of the project, from the design phase through to final construction, revealing as it does so the numerous challenges the Burj Dubai’s engineers overcame to deliver what will soon become a living community for as many as 12,000 people.

The final ascent to the 124th floor is by a double-deck elevator, each deck carrying up to 14 people and travelling at an amazing 10 metres per second directly to Level 124. The smoothness of the ride and the captivating effects of the elevator’s interior LED screens, means one barely perceives any movement at all.

In less than 60 seconds, the elevator reaches the observation deck, the world’s only public observation deck with an outdoor terrace at this height.

The view from At the Top, Burj Dubai is like that from a plane. But while an airborne passenger must observe the world below through a tiny cabin window, visitors to the Burj Dubai experience a vista through 360 degrees.

Sheikh Zayed Road is miniaturised to the scale of a matchstick model; cars and people appear ant-size. The entire city is revealed, Dubai Creek to the north, Abu Dhabi to the south, Palm Jumeirah and The World islands to the west, and the desert to the east.

Computerised telescopes, meanwhile, allow visitors to zoom in on goings on at street level, and picture the scene through the viewfinder at night or during the day, thanks to the technology’s built-in memory, regardless of the time of their visit.

An invigorating taste of Dubai air 124 floors above ground can be had from the outdoor terrace.

Visitors are allowed to admire the view from At the Top, Burj Dubai for as long as they like. And when they decide to return to terra ferma, they are likely to be tempted to buy an item of official merchandise from the At the Top Retail Boutique as a keepsake.

The return to ground level, back to the point where one enters the At the Top, Burj Dubai experience, presents a cavalcade of additional fascinating facts, engineering feats, architectural firsts, and memorable images and photographs.

On leaving, visitors will be occupied by one thought – regaling friends and family with impressions of the experience at one of the highest manmade points on earth.

After a visit to the 124th floor of the Burj Dubai, it is an understatement to say that the expression ‘feeling on top of the world’ gains a whole new meaning.

Armani Hotel Dubai, the first hotel to open under the collaboration between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties PJSC, will be officially launched on March 18, 2010, it was announced.

Exclusively housed in the distinctive Burj Dubai tower, the world’s tallest building, the Armani Hotel Dubai is the first of a series of hotels, resorts and residences designed by Giorgio Armani to be opened around the globe and marks fashion maestro Giorgio Armani’s debut in to the world of hospitality. Defined by its unique location, highest standards of aesthetics and service excellence, the Armani Hotel Dubai will be the most exclusive destination in the city.

The online bookings for the Armani Hotel Dubai will go live late January 2010, and prospective visitors can register online at www.armanihotels.com to receive further details about the hotel.

The opening of the Armani Hotel in Dubai will be followed by the launch of the Armani Hotel Milano. Other properties underway include the first Armani Resort, planned for Marrakech, and the first Armani Residences villas, for Marassi in Egypt. Further Armani hotels, resorts and residences will open subsequently in key international destinations such as New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and London.

Armani Hotels & Resorts was established in 2005 under an agreement between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties, with the objective to develop, own and operate an exclusive collection of hotels, resorts and residences in the world’s most important cities and holiday destinations. Armani Hotels & Resorts plans to open at least ten hotels and resorts within the next ten years.

Giorgio Armani Group is one of the leading fashion and luxury goods groups in the world today with over 5,000 direct employees and 13 factories.

It designs, manufactures, distributes and retails fashion and lifestyle products including apparel, accessories, eyewear, watches, jewellery, home furnishings, fragrances and cosmetics under a range of brand names: Giorgio Armani Privé, Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ | Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange, Armani Junior, Armani Teen, Armani Baby and Armani Casa.

The exclusive distribution network of the Group comprises 75 Giorgio Armani boutiques, 19 Armani Collezioni shops, 166 Emporio Armani shops, 165 A/X Armani Exchange shops, 17 AJ | Armani Jeans shops, 8 Armani Junior shops, 10 Giorgio Armani Accessori shops, 2 Emporio Armani Accessori shops, 27 Armani Casa shops and 14 Emporio Armani Caffés in 46 countries around the world.

Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer with a significant presence in key markets world-wide.

Besides building residential and commercial properties, the company also has proven competencies in shopping malls and retail, as well as in the hospitality and leisure, education, healthcare and financial services sectors. Emaar inaugurated Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building and free-standing structure on January 4, 2010, and has opened The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination.

In Saudi Arabia, Emaar is developing King Abdullah Economic City, the region’s largest private sector-led project, featuring a Sea Port, Central Business District, Industrial Zone, Educational Zone, Residential Communities and Resort District. Emaar has joined with Giorgio Armani to strengthen its presence in hospitality. The company is also opening educational institutions and healthcare centres in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the Subcontinent. Emaar holds 30 per cent equity in Dubai Bank, focused on retail and commercial banking. Emaar is also the largest shareholder in Amlak Finance, UAE’s leading Islamic home financing company.

For more information visit www.emaar.com

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Three precious gifts from the wise men found in the Sultanate of Oman.

Top quality frankincense is only harvested and sold in Oman. You can hardly go anywhere without being reminded of the country’s famously fragrant history.

The heady aroma of frankincense or ‘pearls of the desert’ permeates nearly every corner of the nation. It was once more expensive than gold, now it costs £80 a kilo.

And, you can now discover it yourself on THE FRANKINCENSE TRAIL.

“perfume – my life would be a desert without it”

Earlier this year, BBC2′s Kate Humble hit the Frankincense Trail – an epic 2,000 mile journey across the Middle East, following the ancient trade routes which connected the Arab world with the West.

It smells heavenly. The smoke, a symbol of healing in prayer, is supposed to ward off jinn (evil spirits). Others drink the resin or crystals in water for good health (studies in the US show it prevent arthritis). Ancient Egyptians used it against ageing.
Alexander The Great even planned to invade Arabia to control the point of origin, but he died beforehand.

“its smoke is a pathway to heaven in many faiths, sacred for thousands of years”

Oman’s Frankincense Trail – How to do it

” Drive ten hours south to Salalah from the capital, Muscat. Or fly direct from Muscat to Salalah. From here, you pick up the trail ten miles from the Hilton Salalah, the Crowne Plaza. Or the new Marriot Mirbat

” Visit Salalah’s Frankincense market

” Book a day’s tour (any hotel will arrange), costs about £50 pp
” Go to the trees and tour the beautiful countryside in Wadi Dawkah

” Go to the site of the ancient caravan route

” Tour the ancient stores at Sumharan, to the west of Salalah

” See the tomb of Job the prophet

” Relax on the beach near the blowholes

Fast Facts to Frankincense

” The Gum or tree resin is collected from tree bark

” It can be bought in any souk, but the Haffa Souk in Salalah, the south of Oman is the best.

” It is burned in colourful little clay pots

” It is wafted underneath robes as a welcoming gesture

” It is associated with the Yogic chakra, centre of energy in the forehead ‘the third eye’

” The lighter the colour, the better quality, best price in Salalah souk, about £2.50 per bag