A historic Italian palazzo in Bangkok? Yes, it does exist. You can even sleep here and have breakfast on the river next morning. What you don’t know is the massive labour of love it took for a young widow to transform this former pile of rubble into the lovely hotel you see today… Bangkok is not a…
Glamping Maharajah-style, at Vanyavilas luxury tented camp, Ranthambore Tiger Preserve, India
I saw a lot more than the Big Cats at this former royal hunting ground that is now the world’s most fabulous tiger preserve. It’s strange that I’ve been to India so times, yet not to Rajasthan. At least, not the Rajasthan that most people know. Most visitors head straight to the famous desert fortresses and…
Chiva-Som International Health Resort – a fat-fighting week at Asia’s most glamourous spa
People are always curious about world-renowned Chiva-Som Health Resort, located at the Thai royal beach resort of Hua Hin. It’s the most famous health resort and spa in Asia, thanks to its celebrity clientele of supermodels, pop stars, royalty, and Hollywood glitterati. I’ve enjoyed a few stays there over the years and while there were…
A Powerful Yoga Healing Retreat at the Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
Ask me to name the most luxurious hotels in Thailand, and the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai is right there at the top of the list. It’s a fantasy world of northern Thai Lanna and Burmese architecture. The architecture alone is another story in itself (and the hotel has even published a lovely coffee table book…
Kidding Around in Bali – family travel play book
Eliza says she’s not good at stalking. But happily, she found me on the internet and sent me this wonderful activity book that she and her husband wrote about things for kids to do in Bali. I’m a doting aunt and my maternal instinct goes all soft and gooey when I see adorable kiddie toys, clothes, shoes,…
Get a Glimpse: Six Cool Design Hotels in Asia
Does unique hotel design help you decide where to stay? For many travellers, a beautiful interior is just as important as a room with a view. A fabulous space can affect your whole mood and alter your whole travel experience from unmemorable to unforgettable. When I wrote the Contemporary Asian Home series of interior design books, showcasing contemporary Asian interior design…
Dwarika’s Hotel – Sleeping in Kathmandu’s Heritage Haven
Historic architecture fascinates me and I love the way staying in antique hotels connects me to the culture of a place. There isn’t much in the way of historic hotels in Nepal even though you see ancient buildings in Kathmandu that have housed generations of the same family for centuries. While walking around the city…
Raw Energy: Q&A with Diana von Cranach, Asia’s Top Raw Food Chef, Author & Culinary Consultant
Diana von Cranach is a Cordon Bleu trained chef who hated every minute of having to follow the rules, and forged her own culinary path in Asia, inspired by her love of Asian flavours. She’s an internationally acclaimed raw food chef, cookbook author, health cuisine consultant, and boutique resort owner in Bali, where she’s lived for many years and…
Where holistic therapy beats shopping therapy – Peppers Seminyak Spa, Bali
I wasn’t thinking about juice fasting or any kind of deprivation when I headed for the stylish social scene on Seminyak beach, Bali. I arrived on the island with a different idea of fun, anticipating my first stay in Seminyak, Bali’s most glamorous beach – renowned for its beach scene, luxurious designer hotels, chic boutiques,…
SRI LANKAN GOTHIC – historic hotels evoke past grandeur and the furniture evokes high anxiety
I love, love, love old colonial style. And I found it alive and well in Sri Lanka, where Asia’s oldest hotels evoked the grandeur of the past, and the furniture evoked high anxiety. When I first started travelling in Sri Lanka, the country was still in a state of civil war. I’m not afraid of Tamil Tigers,…
Creative by Nature: Q&A with Bill Bensley, Asia’s Top Luxury Resort & Spa Designer
What does Asia’s top resort and spa designer do at home? He turns it into a fantasy private resort of course… American resort designer Bill Bensley is known for creating gorgeous spas for the Four Seasons, Anantara Resorts, JW Marriott Resorts, and countless other luxury hotels and resorts around the world. Spectacular design is what creates the wow…
Where Massage is the Room Service – The Plateau Spa, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
It was the day that refused to end, starting at dawn on an island in Thailand and ending late night on top of a skyscraper in Hong Kong. Thank goodness there was a luxurious massage and steamy bath awaiting in my luxury residential spa suite to recover from all that. One of my favourite spas in Hong Kong is…
Pune’s Soul Sight – The Ashram Tour
I’ve been to India many times but only once to an Indian ashram. In fact, I’m not even sure it was a real Indian ashram as I didn’t actually do anything there other than be led by the nose on a controlled guided tour, which is probably not the way one is supposed to experience an ashram. I’d never heard of…
My Top Thai Wellness Where-To’s for Sacred Lifestyle Magazine
As an author of many books about travel and wellness, I’m often interviewed in international magazines on favourite places to travel, spa, eat, shop, sleep, meditate or whatever. People like to know where the “best” places are, or where are the places I like best. Where do I like to go for a wellness lifestyle in Thailand and Southeast Asia? That’s…
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