Climbing to the top of the Snowdon has been an adventure on my UK bucket list for a while before I finally climbed it. I tagged along with some friends initially but dragged more of my own friends in the name of charity, and we managed to raise quite a fair bit of money for the children of Palestine. Albeit a gruelling, exhausting and punishing experience and one of the physically AND mentally hardest thing Iâve ever done, the top was just as expected.
The only way to truly escape from it all is to book a stay on a private island like Gladden, where it will just be you, up to three companions (only if you choose), and a staff thatâs been trained to be invisible while catering to your every whim.
You might not even have to win the jackpot to stay hereâit costs £2,294 per night for two people or ÂŁ2,760 for four, but that includes âall meals prepared by a gourmet chef, all beverages including fine wines, all activities including snorkelling, scuba diving and PADI certification, spa treatments, transfers from and to Belize City.â Which, if you take full advantage of all the offerings, is very nearly a bargain.
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Forget an epic hotel on a private islandâwhat if the luxury hotel itself is the island, for instance the Taj Lake Palace? Built in 1746 to serve as Prince Maharana Jagat Singh IIâs âpleasure palace,â this opulent hotel appears to float in the middle of Lake Pichola. Youâll arrive via boat, and your mere presence will be celebrated with a shower of rose petals, a spread of refreshments, and a guard to escort you under a sequined embroidered umbrella.
Youâll have to share Bedarraâs all-inclusive luxury with a maximum of 17 other guests, as this epic hotel has just ten guest villas, which accommodate 18 people total. The lush island adjoins the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. And while other parts of the Great Barrier Reef have become tragically over-visited, Bedarra is near the outer section of the reef in an area thatâs much harder for tourists to reach. You can feel good about spending over $1,000 AUD (ÂŁ550) a night here, as the resort places a huge importance on environmental sustainability.
Go big in the Big Apple with a stay at the Mandarian Oriental, where the cheapest room on the cheapest night starts at ÂŁ618. Go even bigger at this luxury hotel with a suite, starting at $1,089 a night. (And thatâs not even the most expensiveâthe Presidential Suite doesnât list prices online, lending credence to the old saying that âif you have to ask, you canât afford it.â). Hey, on the bright sideâa full breakfast is included every day (even if you slum it in the ÂŁ622 room).
When five stars just donât cut it anymore on your quest for epic hotels, you need a âPalaceâ hotel, an exclusive rating given to luxury hotels in France that go above-and-beyond the star-rating. Just 16 hotels have earned this prestigious rating, including Le Bristol. Le Bristol is a dream for foodies, as it can claim four Michelin Starsâthree awarded to its Epicure restaurant and one to its Le 114 Faubourg brasserie.
The 13, which is being billed as the worldâs most expensive hotel, isnât open yet, so youâve still got time to save your (trillions of) pennies. Macauâs luxury hotel cost an estimated ÂŁ1.2 billion to build, and will have 200 villas available to book when it opens. Need a ride? The 13 is stocked with a fleet of 30 customised Rolls-Royce Phantoms worth approximately ÂŁ15.5 million, ready to take guests wherever they want to go.
Each room will come with a butler certified by the English Guild of Butlers, and all guests will have access to a private shopping centre, where they can buy exclusive, limited-edition items, in case they didnât spend enough on accommodation.
The Burj Al Arab is probably the most famous luxury hotel in the world. Shaped like a sail, this hotel is also one of the tallest buildings in the world. The hotel is situated on a private island just off the coast of Dubai, and is so exclusive that you canât even cross the bridge to the hotel without being a guest there or having a reservation at one of the restaurants.
Youâll need to book early at Pragueâs One Room Hotel, because as the name implies, this hotel only has one room available. Why? Because itâs located on top of the cityâs famous Zizkov Television tower. As the room sits 200 feet above Prague, youâll have some amazing viewsâand the undivided attention of the hotel staff.
Treehouses donât mean roughing itâat least, not if youâre staying at the Tsala Treetop Suites in South Africa. These 10 suites are more luxury hotel than tree-house (but with all the views and privacy of a tree-top outpost) as they all have private decks, infinity pools, sitting rooms, fireplaces, and plush bedroomsâsituated in the forest canopy.
Rome? Been there. Venice? Done that. Florence? Bought the statue-of-David postcard. While this triumvirate of tourist destinations is a must-do for any first-time visitor to Italy, many of the countryâs greatest charms can only be experienced in small Italian villagesâplaces where you can slip away from the crowds, wander down deserted cobblestone lanes, and get a first-hand look at how the locals live.
The following secret Italian villages are scattered all over the country, from the mountains of the north to the sun-soaked islands in the south.
You wonât find any major sights in the fishing village of Tellaro, but its pastel-coloured buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and sweeping sea views offer their own simple pleasures.
Nicknamed Little Jerusalem, the medieval hill town of Pitigliano was once home to a large Jewish community that settled there in the 16th century. While Pitiglianoâs Jews were nearly all gone by the mid-20th centuryâdue mostly to migration for economic reasons but also due to persecution by the Nazisâyou can still tour the old Jewish ghetto, which includes a restored synagogue, traditional bread ovens, and a small museum.
Also worth seeing are Palazzo Orsini, a 14th-century fortress that houses a collection of historical artefacts; and Vie Cave, a walking path to a series of Etruscan caves.
Where to stay: If youâve ever wanted to experience life on a Tuscan farm, book a stay at Agriturismo Poggio Al Tufo, about six miles from Pitigliano. Surrounded by vineyards, the property features an outdoor pool and a restaurant.
Encompassing just 1.6 square miles, Procida is the smallest island in the Bay of Naples, and visitors often bypass it in their rush to see nearby Capri and Ischia. But if you prefer your villages in Italy sans crowds, consider hopping on the Procida ferry from Naples.
With its vibrantly coloured buildings overlooking a picture-perfect harbour, the island is a photographerâs dream. Climb to the Terra Murata, the highest and oldest point on the island, where youâll find crumbling ruins and magnificent views.
Where to stay: The 11-room Albergo La Vigna has a wine bar serving varietals from its own vineyards. One room even features art by a local Procida artist.
What would Venice look like if it were still a traditional fishing port, without the massive cruise ships and teeming tourist crowds? It might look a little something like Chioggia. Accessible by ferry and bus from Venice, Chioggia is built around canals the way Venice is, but it offers a humbler and slower way of life.
Get there early to visit its traditional fish market, then wander through its water-lined streets and stop for lunch at one of its many excellent seafood restaurants.
Where to stay: Hotel Grande Italia has been hosting travellers in the heart of Chioggia for more than 100 years. Rooms are comfortable and modern, with air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi.
As you walk through Locorotondo, youâll constantly be reaching for your camera to snap pictures of pink and red geraniums spilling out of window boxes against whitewashed walls.
One of several white hill towns in this part of Puglia, Locorotondoâs skyline is dominated by the Chiesa Madre San Giorgio, a cathedral whose dome and tower you can see as you approach the town from the valley below. Donât forget to sample the areaâs famous white wine.
Where to stay: You can stay in your own little trullo (a cone-roofed house typical of the region) at Leonardo Trulli Resort. Inside are exposed stone walls; outside is a lawn with loungers where you can relax.
Located about two hours from Rome by train, Viterbo has a walled medieval core thatâs perfect for strolling. The town was once the papal seat back in the 13th century, and you can still visit the impressive Palazzo dei Papi in the historic centre.
But be sure to make time for one of Viterboâs most relaxing attractions: its thermal baths, which have been enjoyed for centuries by locals and visitors alike.
Where to stay: Past guests of B&B Medieval House rave about the propertyâs central location and friendly host. The carefully restored historic building features exposed stone walls and wooden beams in the guest rooms.
Notoâs elegant baroque churches and palaces were built in the aftermath of an earthquake that levelled the original town in 1693.
An ideal day in Noto involves strolling the streets, admiring the cream-coloured architecture, and treating yourself to a sweet treat from one of the historic centre’s many ice cream parlours. Got some extra time? Relax on the regionâs golden sand beaches.
Where to stay: The stylish Gagliardi Boutique Hotel is located in a restored palazzo in Notoâs old town. On sunny days you can relax on the rooftop bar and terrace.
Located near Turin, this is one of the rare Italian towns that see relatively few touristsâbut those who do visit get to enjoy Saluzzoâs handsome historic centre and views over the nearby Alps.
Donât miss the Casa Cavassa, with its colourful frescoes and antique furniture, or the tranquil botanical garden at Villa Bricherasio.
Where to stay: San Giovanni Resort Hotel offers 13 rooms in a restored monastery dating back to the 15th century. Donât miss a stroll through the gardens in the former cloister.
Escape the crowds in Assisi with a visit to one of the regionâs less-travelled Italian villages. Spello is just a 15-minute drive from Assisi but feels a world away as you explore its well-preserved Roman walls and quiet churches.
Spello is also known for a unique cultural event called Le Infiorate, a late-spring festival in which murals made of flower petals are laid out throughout the townâs streets and piazzas.
Where to stay: Once a medieval fort, then a hunting lodge, Agriturismo Il Bastione is now an elegant place to stay just outside of Spello. The grounds have inviting places to unwind, including nature trails and a pool.
This riverfront town in western Sardinia is distinguished by a jumble of hillside houses painted every colour of the rainbow, with a 12th-century castle looming above.
Visitors can enjoy seafood or drinks on an outdoor terrace, snap photos of boats along the waterfront, and ramble down narrow alleys where laundry hangs out to dry overhead.
Where to stay: Located within walking distance of the centre of Bosa, Palazzo Sa Pischedda offers art nouveau-style rooms, some with original fresco paintings.
Located in the mountainous region north of Venice, near the Austrian border, Chiusa (also known as Klausen) offers stunning views in all directions. Charming shops, winding cobblestone lanes, and friendly locals await visitors to this uncrowded medieval town.
Take time for the uphill climb to the Sabiona Monastery, one of the regionâs most important historical sites.
Where to stay: You can enjoy mountain views, hiking trails, tennis courts, a sauna, and three swimming pools at Hotel Gnollhof.
If you spend enough time comparing hotels, flights, and tours, youâll eventually realise that many words have very little meaning in the travel industry. You might think that there would be some sort of common agreement on travel terms across hotels that would define what makes a suite a suite or a deluxe room better than a standard room, but no such agreements exist. I’m often surprised to find that what I booked is not quite what I expected.
Here are some travel hype words you should take lightly, and that might even signal you should do a little more research.
Whether you travel once a year or year-round, youâve probably run into this word over and over again comparing hotels. But do you know what it really means? Across hotel websites, âdeluxeâ is a travel term usually used to up-sell a room that is the same size as a standard room and looks like a standard room, but usually only has one feature that makes it any better.
According to Merriam-Webster, the official definition of âdeluxeâ is ânotably luxurious, elegant, or expensive.â When it comes to travel, though, it could mean anything from bed sheets with a higher thread count to the addition of a coffeemaker. So when it comes to selecting a âdeluxeâ room, the only part of that definition you can really count on is that itâll be slightly more expensive.
Before deciding to upgrade to anything deluxe, make sure you understand exactly how much more youâre paying for. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a hefty margin for a fancy word.
While itâs not as vague and thrown-around as often as âdeluxeâ is, âsuiteâ is another word that doesnât seem to have a concrete meaning. For some, a suite might mean multiple bedrooms, or at least a separate living room and kitchen area. However, when youâre comparing different hotel suite options, they can range in size and layout dramatically.
Even hotels that market themselves with the word itself in their names, such as Candlewood Suites or Comfort Suites, often have vastly differing opinions on what the word means. At Candlewood Suites, accommodations can be a bit basic, but there are multiple rooms and a full kitchen. Suites at Comfort Suites donât necessarily have multiple rooms and extra amenities, but may be a little bit bigger than your standard hotel room with a few âdeluxeâ touches thrown in.
Let me start by saying that I adore boutique hotels. I love their small-scale attention to detail and that each one has a distinct look and design. That being said, âboutiqueâ is a relatively new and trendy word that gets thrown around far too often, and few people know its true definition. Some people say that a boutique hotel can only be considered such if it has fewer than 100 roomsâbut if that were the case every truck-stop motel across the country could slap the word âboutiqueâ above the vacancy sign.
If you really want to experience a boutique hotel, look for something petite and artsy. A boutique hotel should feel like an independent hotel with its own distinct, locally focused styleâeven if itâs owned by a bigger hotel conglomerate. For example, MGallery is a boutique hotel brand owned by Accor Hotels. In Melbourne, Hotel Lindrum pays tribute to the buildingâs history as a pool hall. In Prague, the Century Old Town Hotel is an homage to Franz Kafka, the cityâs most famous author. True boutique hotels use design to evoke a historical connection to their location.
Whatâs the difference between a five-star hotel and a four-star hotel? It depends who you ask. When youâre looking for hotels across booking sites like Expedia or Travelocity, itâs not uncommon to see different âstarâ ratings on the same hotel. Depending on the source, hotel star ratings are based different things: Expedia, for example, takes into account âhotel amenities, media reviews, customer experience, and professional benchmarksâ to come up with a rating. Meanwhile TripAdvisor simply displays an average of customer reviews.
You could spend hours trying to compare all the different ratings of one hotel to decide how good it is, but should you? Probably not. Ratings are arbitrary and the rules are constantly changing, so itâs better to do your own assessment of what you need in a hotel, and how well it will suit your needs.
Having typed in many hotel Wi-Fi passwords for access to lagging Internet, I feel comfortable saying that the phrase âhigh-speed internetâ is one common travel term that doesnât mean anything. With fluctuating numbers of guests, hotel internet is notoriously finicky and vastly unreliableâespecially when travelling abroad or to rural areas.
If you need a fast connection on your trip, donât ask the hotel about its Internet speed. Instead, check out Hotelwifitest.com which collects Internet speeds of hotels across the globe. Do a quick search before you book if youâll need fast Internet, and if youâre unfamiliar with internet speed measurements, run a quick test from your home connection for comparison. This will give you a good idea if the hotelâs Internet will be better or worse than what youâre used to.
Nobody really expects a whole lot from the hotel fitness centre, do they? Personally, if thereâs a treadmill, some weights, and a yoga matâIâm happy. While itâs not uncommon for fitness rooms to be on the small side, some are seriously claustrophobic excuses for a âfitness centre,â and the equipment can be pretty basic. Also, keep an eye out for fitness rooms that arenât necessarily located in the hotel: Many hotels, especially in large cities, have a deal with nearby full-service gyms that allow hotel guests to use their facilities. While itâs nice to be able to use a real gym, you might not be as motivated to work out if itâs located a block or more away from where youâre staying.
For those who hike the Appalachian Trail, âwalking distanceâ means from Georgia to Maine. For those of us who are running late to dinner downtown, however, walking distance better mean under 15 minutes. Probably one of the most subjective travel terms in the industry, never take âwalking distanceâ at face value, and always consult Google Maps.
Like walking distance, âaccess to public transportationâ can mean just about anything. If youâre relying on public transportation to get around, itâs more helpful if your hotel is located on a major stop than if you have to walk 20 minutes to get there. Similarly, this phrase could mean the hotel is near a bus line that will take you to another bus line that will finally connect you to the main subway, when you really only want to buy a pass for the subway. If deciphering bus schedules and managing transfer tickets isnât your idea of a good time, make sure to map out the routes youâll take before you make the booking.
Iâve spurned too many sad displays of near-stale white bread to ever feel contented by the phrase âcontinental breakfast.â So what is a continental breakfast? The term has British origins, originally referring to the light breakfasts of mainland Europe, and Merriam-Webster officially defines continental breakfast as âa light breakfast (as of rolls or toast and coffee).â But when modern travellers, especially Americans, hungrily approach a hotel breakfast spread, we want options and, at the very least, a waffle maker. If access to a quick yet substantial breakfast is important to you, call ahead to see what the hotel really offers in their continental breakfast. If you donât think that will be enough food for you, scout out some nearby cafes or brunch spots instead.
While this may be a fine word for a historic bed and breakfast or inn, be wary of any hotel describing itself as âquaint.â It might just be old. If scratchy sheets, peeling paint, and musty smells arenât your idea of âquaint,â you might want to shop around for a more modern hotel.
Some hotels are appealing because of their convenient location; others because of staff who go above and beyond to create a memorable stay. And then there are the beautiful hotels that take your breath away the moment you see them.
The following list features the most beautiful hotels around the globe, from a restored 11th-century palace in Italy to a mountain lodge in New Zealandâs spectacular Southern Alps.
Itâs not easy for a hotel to live up to the beauty of Italyâs glittering Amalfi Coast, but the Belmond Hotel Caruso pulls it off. The hotelâs piece de resistance is the infinity pool, dramatically perched on a cliffâs edge high above the sea. First built as a palace in the 11th century, the hotel is surrounded by terraced gardens fragrant with roses, lemon trees, and herbs. Rooms feature spacious marble bathrooms and balconies overlooking the gardens or sea.
Thereâs no shortage of dreamy riads in Morocco, but Riad Fes Maya is a real showstopper. From the moment you step into its soaring inner courtyard, where seemingly every inch of space is covered with colourful Moorish tiles and exquisite wood carvings, youâll feel as though youâve stepped into a magical piece of Moroccan history. The rooms are equally enchanting, with stained glass windows, intricately carved headboards, and elaborate wooden ceilings. You can relax in the on-site hammam (traditional steam bath) and spa.
Located on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by the snow-capped Southern Alps, Blanket Bay enjoys a location that will take your breath awayâand the inside of the lodge is nearly as beautiful. All rooms and suites are lavishly appointed and feature floor-to-ceiling windows to let you savor the mountain views. Grab a book and settle in front of the massive stone fireplace in the great room, or take in a sunset over the mountains from the outdoor terrace.
Itâs tough to choose the most beautiful spot to relax at this secluded Thai resort: the seven-mile private beach, where crystalline waters wash up on stretch of white sand? Or the expansive outdoor pool, lined with open-air cabanas and surrounded by trees? The good news is that you can split your time between both, with breaks to grab cocktails at the beach bar or take a cooking class. Rooms feature teak floors and decor in calming neutrals; upgrade to enjoy your own private pool for two.
The most gorgeous part of this luxury eco-lodge is its setting, with hills of lush cloud forest stretching in all directions. Wander through the hotelâs nine-acre grounds and youâll discover a waterfall, a vegetable and herb garden, and a sun deck where you can relax with views of a serene spring water pond. You donât have to leave nature behind when you retreat to your room for the evening; all guest rooms and suites are furnished with natural hardwoods and feature balconies or terraces overlooking the cloud forest.
If you set out to design the island escape of your dreams, it would probably look a lot like Kamalame Cay, one of the most beautiful hotels in the Bahamas. The resortâs bright, airy rooms and villas are decorated like upscale vacation homes, complete with views over the shimmering turquoise sea. Some of the most spectacular views are from the spa, which juts out over the water. During a massage, you can look down through the glass floor and watch the tropical fish flit through the water below.
Looking to explore the rolling green hills and terraced vineyards of Portugalâs Douro Valley? Base yourself at this 19th-century manor house, now transformed into a luxe Six Senses property overlooking the Douro River. Its gardens and outdoor swimming pool are perfect spots to take in the vineyard views, while the Wine Library & Terrace serves up local vintages and tapas.
The rooms are soothing contemporary retreats, many with large windows and stone terraces from which you can look out over the endless green valley.
When you stay at the Oberoi Amarvilas, your experience of the famous Taj Mahal isnât limited to a daytime visit. Once you return to the hotel each evening, you can admire the monumentâs famous dome and minarets right from your room. Even better: Upgrade to a room with a private balcony, where you can enjoy dinner for two overlooking this monument to true love.
The hotel itself looks like a palace; its courtyard entrance is full of gushing fountains, and the pool area features neatly landscaped gardens, Mughal-style architecture, and that unforgettable Taj Mahal view.
Travellers looking for a desert oasis need only drive about 45 minutes outside of Dubai to Al Maha, where you can stay in your own Bedouin-style tent amidst golden sand dunes. Donât let the word âtentâ worry you; these are upscale suites complete with king-size beds, handcrafted antique furniture, modern bathrooms with soaking tubs, and your own private infinity pool overlooking the desert. The resort is located on the grounds of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, which means you might spot a gazelle or antelope as you relax on your sundeck.
Built as a summer home by a wealthy American in 1900, Manoir Hovey occupies 30 acres of lakefront property in Quebecâs Eastern Townships region. All of the innâs rooms are individually designed and feature crisp linens and bright, contemporary country-style decor. Upgraded rooms also have amenities like marble bathrooms, fireplaces, and balconies overlooking Lake Massawippi. Manoir Hoveyâs landscaped grounds are gorgeous in any season, whether theyâre blanketed in winter snow, surrounded by fiery autumn foliage, or blooming with spring and summer flowers.
Honorary mentions include Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, have a look at my next post for places I’d visit if I won the lottery!
Have you been to any of these? I want to hear, let me know. Any others I should add to the list?
Dreaming of a holiday but donât want to wait until the summer, like me? No problem.
February is the purrrrrrrfect time to go somewhere exotic for a dose of much-needed vitamin D or stay a bit closer to home and see parts of Europe at their most beautiful (aka blanketed in snow). It also happens to be a month full of parties. Dry January will be over so why not get back into the festivities at Rioâs Carnival, New Orleansâ Mardi Gras, Beijingâs Chinese New Year or Veniceâs annual Carnevale di VeneziâŚ
With cheap, direct flights from London and the promise of winter sun – Marrakesh in late February is a no brainer. Temperature highs can reach 20 degrees and itâs one of the best times of the year to explore the Medina, the new Musee Yves Saint Laurent and practice your haggling skills at the souks without the stifling heat that comes in Spring.
This year Carnival in Rio de Janeiro will take place between the 9th and 14th of February and there are few better reasons to make the trip to Brazil for.
Famous throughout the world, Brazilian dancers with the most incredible costumes move throughout the city and tourists and locals alike bring in the early hours of the morning at street parties, known as blocos, and at costumed balls called bailes.
Who doesnât have seeing the Northern Lights on their bucket list? This February head to the Arctic Circle – Svalbard in Norway to be specific- a gentle nod towards my all time favourite movie The Golden Compass.
An archipelago situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole – you essentially canât get more Northern than this. If youâre really, really lucky you may even see polar bears roaming around too.
No one heads to Beijing in February for the weather but it is one of the best cities in the world to experience Chinese New Year.
The biggest holiday of the year for the city, youâll see temple dances, eat at banquets, watch million-pound firework displays and see the streets lit up with show-stopping light installations.
Once the celebrations are over, you can explore the city, tick the Great Wall of China off your bucket list (itâs located just an hour and a half outside of the city) and if you have time, carry on your holiday in Shanghai – itâs only a two hour flight away.
New Orleans Mardi Gras is hard to beat. Taking place each year in February, the festival sees 1.2 million tourists descend on the French Quarter and surrounding streets ready to party, hard.
Experience it for a few days and then get to know the rest of Louisiana’s largest city. With a history steeped in Voodoo, be sure to take a graveyard tour. Eat turtle soups during a traditional âFriday Lunchâ at one of the century old restaurants, shop in the achingly trendy Magazine Street, listen to live jazz and donât leave without spotting alligators in one of the swamps located on the outskirts.
Tourists have long been flocking to Angkor Wat, Cambodiaâs awe-inspiring temple and one of the wonders of the world. But its magnificent, unspoilt coastline has remained relatively untrodden compared to neighbours Thailand and Vietnam. With a number of new, luxury hotels including the The Six Senses resort on Krabey Island and Alilaâs eco-resort on Koh Russey, itâs hard to think of a more idyllic place to get your vitamin D hit.
If you want to do European winter properly, you wonât get much more of a snowy paradise than Switzerlandâs Bern.
Not only was it voted the most Instagrammable winter city in the world (beating Aspen..) in 2017, the cityâs whole old town is in fact a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can ski in the surrounding slopes, ice skate on The Schwarzsee mountain lake which completely freezes over and then come nightfall take refuge in a genuine igloo.
Venice in February is cold but it rarely looks more beautiful under the dimly lit, silvery winter sun.
Aside from the obvious perks of less tourists and fewer gutter smells, a major pull for visiting in February is that this is when you can experience the unique Carnevale di Venezia.
A traditional carnival that has been celebrated all over Italy for centuries, participants use it as an occasion to indulge before they undertake the Christian practice of Lent when people give something up for 40 days until Easter Sunday.
Each year entertainers bring alive the canals and alleyways through dance, costume and performance and if youâre into Venetian masks, this is the best time to see them in all their glory.
If youâve overlooked Canada in favour of America, youâre missing a trick. Canadaâs landscape looks particularly beautiful during the winter and if youâre an adventurer February is when to go.
Banff National Park with its craggy peaks and glinting glaciers and Whistlerâs world famous ski slopes make it the perfect country for winter sports enthusiasts. If youâre a city-goer though – the countryâs major cities hold their own during the colder months too.
You can see the annual festival of lights in Toronto, skate at one of the many outdoor rinks in Vancouver or see the ice sculptures, watch a hockey tournament or experience snow-shoeing in Montreal.
If youâre time-poor and/or donât have the budget to go halfway across the world this February, an excellent option for holiday sun is the Canary Islands. Just four hours from London, the islands offer high temperatures, warm blue seas and quaint towns and villages full of small restaurants and pretty squares.
Tenerife is the coldest of the islands during this time (average temperature of 16 degrees) but there are good deals to be had. Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria will all be hotter with average temperatures of 18°C, and highs of 21°C.
There is no better way, in my opinion, to spend celebrating an occasion than with the ones you hold near and dear. The little adventurer I am, we decided to celebrate with a bonanza of activities – Part 1 was in Dubai, you’ll read about Part 2 soon but we had so much fun out there, that I got lots of people asking what I did and how we managed to do so much in such a short period of time. Well now you have it… my 72 hours in Dazzling Dubai!
Dubai has become an almost imperative city to visit in any ambitious travellersâ âmust-seeâ catalogue and certainly a one-stop shop for wanderers alike. It doesnât help that the Emirates Airline covers most of the world and uses its home country as a transit point, so at one time or another, almost everyone everywhere will stop in Dubai, and ultimately get allured in by the luxurious gold and futuristic ambiance of the city.
Itâs the very hub of business and pleasure for the world and links the East with West seamlessly. For 72 hours, On the 19th November, 5 friends and I stopped over in Dubai on our way to Thailand and it was the first time Iâd been back since 2012 â although then it was only a 15-hour transit with family. Does that even count?
I tend to travel for pleasure whenever I can, which admittedly isnât often due to workload and demand (thatâs changing this year :D), but I was in Dubai to enjoy what the city had to offer and grab a few things for family and friends. We stayed at the 4* Carlton Downtown on Sheikh Zayed Road, Deira in their twin Deluxe Room. I think they upgraded us in all honesty, the room was way too good to be just a Deluxe.
Built in 2013, the hotel is home to 357 rooms and suites and whole bunch of extra amenities, including dining and lifestyle venues, spa, fitness centre, tennis court, swimming pool and 23 fully equipped meeting rooms for conferences and events. Preeeeetty cool. Carlton offers a range of entertainment options including Jimmy Wickets Sports Bar & Lounge and Zephyr, the highest AL fresco rooftop lounge in Dubai. We opted for Breakfast included in our stay of course, because honestly, who wants to be looking for places to get decent breakfast first thing when you wake up in the morning.
Room 2112 is pretty high up, on the 27th floor. The room had the most amazing views of the cityâs skyline and faced onto Sheikh Zayed road. It towers way above the buildingâs opposite, so we got views of the Arabian Gulf in the distance. The room is slap bang in the middle of the suns path throughout the day and meant our rooms were constantly bathed with direct heat from the sun.
We, unapologetically and totally unmatched to the rooms below, got to soak up the breath-taking full views of sunrise and sunsets and crystal-clear azure blue skies. The views were fantastic. Iâd booked it through a friend who like the Hyatt, had given us dirt cheap discounts on the room and had told them we were VIP, so the room was probably one of the best they had and rightly so, we were.
Youâd think it would get pretty loud with the longest highway in Dubai so close, but being so high up with triple glazed, solar controlled windows means itâs virtually sound proof from the outside world.
You donât hear much overhead noise, or horns, or the rush of the constant lengthy traffic that seems to be the cities norm. Check-in was smooth in the grand foyer; the receptionist was this mid height arab/Iraqi/Moroccan young man, maybe mid 20âs but honestly- and I mean this in a total good way – looking like heâd just hit puberty… a very youthful and welcoming smile.
He got us checked in swiftly, and Joseph â the Filipino bell boy (or rather, man), greeted us to take our bags up. If you visit, just ask for Joseph really. Like, Iâll keep it that simple for you. His knowledge of the city, best places to avoid and the âcool kidsâ hangoutâ areas saved us a lot of time, and quite frankly we needed it. He was open, relatable and pretty prompt come to think of it. And he was never too far when we needed him.
My room didnât have an iron or ironing board, nor did the shower tap turn when I got in. Called Joseph and in no time, he was tugging away… I couldâve done it in all honesty, but I wanted to see him work his arm muscles real good. They bulged. A girl can dream đ
Our room was ready by 11. No lie, the most spacious hotel rooms Iâve ever been in. hands down. We were given a whole 42 sqm of land to live on, and as if that wasnât enough, we had a work desk and wardrobes, with at least 5/6 small cabinets dotted around for storage and off-loading, and even a couch. We had enough room in there to fit at least 10 adults with luggage comfortably sleeping on the floor, or if you had a little class, perhaps a solid 5 people comfortably in the space for 2 theyâd given us. It was amazing. The interiors combine sleek, modern dĂŠcor with everyday functionality, highlighted by airy finishes and humungous landscape windows. You know them royal houses you see in movies, where even Peter Crouch couldnât touch the ceilings if he stepped on the bed, this room was the same. The windows are very nearly floor to ceiling, except for a knee-high window seat that overlooks the city. We made good use of this, often spending every waking minute in the rooms perched on here. Whether we were watching the city whizzing beneath us, or having karaoke sessions screaming to our hearts content at the skies or watching the world in silence as night fades into darkness, it served more than its purpose for us.
Breakfast is served in the BaĂżty restaurant on the 3rd floor of the building, between 6AM and 10AM. The buffet-style food served hails from both authentic Arabian and international cuisine and quite frankly, has everything your heart desires.
You want traditional English toast and beans? Here you go. French Toast with dripping syrup but your weird and add avocados to yours too? Here you go, take it. Fresh fruits? Here. Or a full-on Egg Fried Rice with Mushrooms, Sweet potato and Shrimp? They had a whole section for you too, boo. Safe to say most of us got a second round every morning. The staff are accommodating, chefs are at every stationâs kitchen to keep food piping hot or readily stocked.
My French toast was a rock to my disappointment, it had been sitting under the heat for too long. I only realized after I had sat down, wiped down the cutlery and put the napkin on my lap. Super frustrating. I opted for Nutella and fresh toast but when your hearts set on something⌠the disappointment doesnât go away.
Everything else was good though- the fruit stored in ice, the beans piping hot, the juices a variety. We missed the special theme night dinner buffets though, featuring live cooking stations with orders prepared to my specifications.
Thursdays are Seafood nights, with fresh lobster, crabs, oysters and even tiger shrimp cooked right infront of you.
Fridays are Surf and Turf nights and for the steaks, and lambs and chickens and lobsters and high rollers and big spenders. My type of people. Your looking at roughly ÂŁ30-ÂŁ50 per meal on one of these nights… but you can get it sent to your room or onto the rooftop terrace and enjoy a meal on the 47th floor of the building instead.
Probably my second favorite place in the whole hotel was the Zephyr Rooftop lounge and swimming pool. It is one of Dubaiâs highest outdoor restaurant and lounge, playing chilled house music and donning stunning views of Dubai and the Burj Khalifa.
Weâd spend most times between activities lounging in the sun here, in the pool or grabbing some downtime before bed. Itâs a well-known fact now that I canât swim (yet), so I kind of bobbed up and down in the water for a few hours at a time.
At one point, I looked up and couldâve sworn the sky looked like something out of a cartoon… one of those road runner episodes in the desert with scorching heat and a dry, baked earth. It was hot.
My favorite place ever though, has to be the Citrus Spa- a femaleâs health & leisure facility with jacuzzi, steam room and spa facilities. I mean, when on earth do i ever get time to go and delight in the pleasure of a whole jacuzzi?!
Iâm telling you, this stuff is the beez kneez. Itâs the real shizzle.
I regret not spending a lot of time up there, but itâs on the 45th floor of the building and open daily 10am to 10pm. My friend surprised me with some treatments, and I opted for a Deep Tissue massage and a full body scrub. Came out feeling like a whole new slippery woman.
Shamefully, at my big age, it was also the first time Iâd ever been to a spa that didnât involve my siblings practicing their skills on me, so admittedly, my scope of comparison is limited. It was amazing.
KFC is a few doors down, so snacks werenât too hard to get ahold of. Dubai International (DXB) airport is 12.3km away, a short 7-minute drive. The closest metro station is the financial centre station which is within view of the hotel, a mere 0.3km away and the property allows for a free shuttle service to the beach and shopping centre as well as the airport.
The hotel forever has a swarm of valet parking attendants outside the hotel, opening taxi doors for you and greeting you upon arrival, and are super useful should you decide to rent out a vehicle during your stay.
The hotel check-in time starts at 2PM and ends at 3AM and check out time is at noon.
One thing we shouldâve known really but totally forgot what that they require a deposit on the room (incidental charges) when you arrive. Before you even go upstairs, theyâll require you pay 500 AED for anything used or taken from the room. A little frustrating, since weâll only get the AED back once we check out and then theyâll be no point spending it on our way out⌠but we negotiated he take ÂŁ100 GBP instead from us, roughly translating to 468 AED. Close enough. We could then at least have the GBP safe during our stay and use it for later.
Tourism fees are of course charged as well, which they later just took out from the room deposit. The city imposes a fee of 15 AED (ÂŁ3.25) per night- a total of 45 AED for us, translating to ÂŁ9.65 in total.
The location, rooms and service at this hotel was fantastic. The rooms stayed clean 24/7 and it was definitely great value for money. The facilities available to you are abundant in number, and if you ever find yourself bored in your room… you donât search far to find something to do- something I rarely see in hotels.
The food was a little disappointment, but perhaps a slight one-time oversight and not regular for their chefs. The interior of the building synchronizes with Dubaiâs famous gold motifs and makes you feel boujee on a budget. Iâd recommend this hotel over and over, make sure you at least spend a night here to get a taste of Dubai.
What a year. I wrote this a while ago but never posted it, so although 4 days late.. I’ll get it out on time next year. Today, Iâd like to recap and share my highlights, failures, successes and biggest life lessons of 2018. Itâs been the best year so far but that doesnât mean everything was going my way.
I was in Phuket, Thailand, to celebrate a whirlwind of a year in 2018 with a friend of mine. Weâd arrived the day after my 24th Birthday and stayed at the magnificent Hyatt Place Patong Beach Hotel. Iâd like to believe and call myself a frequent flyer, but although recently occasional, Iâm super nosey and explore everything and anything I can to milk my moneyâs worth. If you listen carefully to the wind, you can already hear my friends saying âAinât that some truthâ haha!
We booked a Superior Twin Room with Ocean Views at a hugely discounted (I mean, chunk change) rate through a friend of mine. It was recommended as one of the best rooms in the hotel, aside of the Royal Specialty King Room which to be fair, we didnât really need the whole separate living area. This put us on the highest floor of the hotel, in room 2552, with the most scenic panoramic views Iâve ever seen of an ocean, in all the hotels Iâve ever stayed at.
The windows are all floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, the flat screen is a 42â HDTV and we have our own snug cosy corner to melt into should we choose. The room is roughly 26 sqm, and I cannot lie to you, it was a lot smaller and a little packed in for the star rating the hotel has. Should we have been very messy and untidy people, the room would have very quickly looked like something out of a pigsty or George Butts American rendition of Hoarders.
The room is big, but because of the size of the bed (not complaining!) and the storage and bathroom space (again, not complaining!), the walkway becomes one-way. Not the end of the world, but definitely a noticeable red flag for me and so different from Carlton Downtown in Dubai that we had just left.
To make up for it, Hyatt Place offers impressive angled sliding doors that entirely open up the room to the most enviable view of the Andaman Sea. If you look over the balcony, the room overlooks the outdoor swimming pool and the greenery planted abundantly everywhere in the hotel.
We can also see the breakfast bar in the distance down below, but not close enough to see what people are eating or who they are. Proâs to this is that your well away from the main road, so youâre not disturbed by noise of busy streets and local bars. In fact, the hotel itself, if you choose to drive, is almost certainly somewhere youâll miss if a local doesnât show you where it is.
Hidden between cobbled streets of local laundry shops and dry cleaners, the very grand and contemporary hotel is on a hilltop, constructed amongst buildings made of dusty bricks and dated design. Dare I say, itâs even in a poverty neighbourhood. It did look quite odd to have a stylish building in the midst of such contradictory milieu, to anyone else it would.
It was cool for us to see though, it meant we got to see the lifestyle of natives at our doorsteps, without having to trek too far to find them. You shouldâve seen the friendly smiles on their faces, watching us stroll up and down from a totally different life, and yet theyâre still waving with passion and authentic beams. They looked happy- sitting on brick balconies at late hours in the heat; men in cotton shorts and soot-covered vests conversing with women sitting at sowing machines, talking, laughing wholeheartedly. They looked genuinely happy. Enviously happy.
Back to the point. The hotel was the only modish thing nearby. If youâre after immersing yourself in abit of rich Thai culture, this hotel is the one. Its not so much in a secluded location that you canât walk down the hill to the main road. Perhaps 5 minutes from leaving your hotel, you come to a roundabout with a gigantic sculpture, leading you to the entrance of Patong Beach. The roundabout has three exits, follow the road round in towards the city and youâll find massage parlours, restaurants, spas, art exhibits, currency exchanges and masjids. So, no fear- youâve got everything at your fingertips. The hotel is secluded enough for privacy but in the most perfect location to have everything at your fingertips.
We ate breakfast at the hotel- an array of colourful options every morning. We had dinner and lunch outside every day, and there is no shortage of halal restaurants and diners. We ate somewhere different every night, and all within walking distance too. Dinner is also available here but we only ate here when on our last day. Make sure to let the chef know your only eating halal- the waiter forgot to mention it and they made the mistake of adding bacon to my order without seeing who i was. Simon saved the day.
We met an expat called Simon, who as soon as we walked in, gave us the âd-lowâ on the best places to get halal food, directed us to places we didnât know about and advised on how to get about the safest and best way. Totally unprovoked, we didnât even need to ask. He made sure we had a good room, our bags were taken upstairs before we got there, arranged for portable chargers when reception staff refused to give us some.
Knowing you have an ally in a hotel, in a foreign country, who knows the city well and can understand the Thai language, is one of the most gratifying feelings in the world. A lot of the time, he really went over and beyond and made sure our stay was without issue. Heâd spend some time with us during breakfast and ask us about our colourful night out, give us tips, places to try before he moved onto another table. Heâd be the first to sort any request we had and drop everything until it was done. He was a legend. Turns out this whole time, he was also the General Manager and never mentioned it once or made it a big deal. He was hands on, stuck in and available to everything we needed- a perfect example of putting us first.
Another honourable mention is my homeboy, my favourite driver and the nicest bellhop ever- Bank. Ask for him, ask about him. Just a legend.
The distance from the airport to the hotel is gruelling though. I wish someone had told us beforehand. Already extremely hot and sweaty, we landed during the cities peakiest hour and got into a cab from the airport. Weâd booked a few excursions from the airport for the next day, which additionally offered free rides to our hotel as a benefit. Once we got in, the driver, understanding no English at all, started driving. The journey, which shouldâve been 32 minutes, took 1 hour and 12 minutes to get to our hotel- a road distance of 32.8km. No motorway, no dual carriageway, no freeways. Just weaving in and out the busy city streets on a Thursday afternoon.
They wouldâve charged us around 800 baht, which translates to roughly ÂŁ20. The private transfer car was spacious & had a clean and fresh cream leather interior with white crosshatch stitching. Looked good in all honesty. As we drove, listening to some foreign language with the bass up high, we went up and down what seemed like mountains, narrowly showing us glimpses of the sunset on the Andaman Sea.
We noticed other luxury resorts pretty close by, and market stalls of rich Asian cuisine. Bangla Road is a short 6-minute ride away and the north entrance to Patong Beach is at your doorstep. Taxi journeys for the whole stay to get from or to the hotel from anywhere averaged to 250 baht, translating to 6 British pounds. All in all, good location and fairly cheap.
We didnât watch much of the TV, so I canât comment on the quality of the options one is given. The mattresses *satisfied eye roll*, the MATTRESSES THOUGH. Honestly felt like it was being changed every day- instead of the bed-sheets. Its much softer than the Dubai bedding, and super easy to just knock out when you get in. My friend is a testament to this- Iâm not sure if she was just tired or liked the bed, but every chance she got she was napping. And she doesnât do this normally. It didnât feel like anyone had ever slept on the bed, which felt amazing.
The pool downstairs is just as it appears in the photos on the website. Itâs a fibreglass pool, with plenty of deck chairs. I am disappointed however, that it doesnât come much with a view. Unless you are sitting in a particular deck chair, your only view is minimised to other peopleâs balconies on all four corners. It wouldâve been perfect if the block of buildings just below the pool werenât towering over you, but lucky the buildings height didnât come close to our room floor. Your better off just waddling down to the beach but even then, locals charge 100 baht (ÂŁ2.50) for an hour on the deck chairs.
Unless youâre staying with a loved one or a good good good friend, the bathroom might be a problem. The room we stayed in seems to not have a door for the bathroom. Although quite good in size, the shower is glass without any means of discretion, and there is no door. Advice- donât do a dump if the other persons in the room. Theyâll smell it. The room also has no means of a wardrobe, just a wall-mounted clothes rail to hang some clothes on withâ I kid you not- just 10 hangers. Youâll quickly realise this isnât enough for two people.
Even though the shampoo and conditioners werenât great, and the swimming pool didnât have much of a view, the overall standard of the hotel and exceptional service of the staff was second to none and nothing short of amazing from the moment we arrived till the moment we left. Leaving was truly the hardest part. The hotel is beautiful, rooms are great, and service is outstanding. I will certainly be staying here again- if not for Bank and Simon alone. Very highly recommended!
Check out the time-lapses I managed to capture on my phone, from our enviable balcony window!
Sunset on 25th November 2018
Sunrise on 24th November 2018
Sunset on 23rd November 2018
