Mix a killer line-up of electronic music with 600 party-loving punters. Shake until frothing with excitement and pour onto a Fijian island. Garnish with ivory sand, blazing sunsets and top with Polynesian fire dancers. The result is a serve of Oceania’s freshest island event: Your Paradise festival.
Taking over the shores of Malolo Lailai, a short boat ride away from the city of Nadi on the main island, the boutique festival is gaining momentum year after year.
As well as sets on beaches and boats cruising the islands, decks grace a sandbank that rises above the azure water for just a few hours a day before it’s swallowed by the swell. Go surfing and snorkelling and refuel between acts with barbecue and beer. Drink deeply when the kava bowl is passed around and let that warm buzz carry you through the night.
Fab accommodation in Fiji isn’t hard to come by; there are more beachfront bures (huts) than you can poke a kava root at. But often they come with hordes of raucous tourists. Step from the seaplane at Paradise Cove Resort and you’ll discover a tropical sanctuary. Located about 70 kilometres north of Nadi, the resort is one of the newest arrivals in the Yasawas.
Nab a beachfront paradise suite with plunge pool and hanging day beds, and contemplate one of travelling’s great first-world problems: swim first, or siesta? Throw in snorkelling with manta rays, a picnic on a deserted beach and sunset drinks at the lookout and your holiday just got complicated.
Forget nightclubs with their blaring music, sticky floors and people packed in as tight as sardines. Set in the trendy Flatiron district, this parlour oozes sophistication and rates comfort and conversation over crowds.
Luxe booths, soft lighting and the lilting croon of a three-piece jazz band exude a vibe that’s both exclusive and laid-back, but the whisky is the true star.
Boasting more than a thousand concoctions, the Flatiron ensures everyone – from connoisseurs to first-time whisky drinkers – will feel spoilt for choice. Swill, sip and savour a glass of the smooth velvety drop or, better still, ask to have your favourite tipple put aside in the bottle keep to enjoy at your leisure. There’s no such thing as standing room here and the venue fills up fast, so be sure to make a reservation or you’ll miss out.
The inconspicuous vintage Coca Cola machine in one corner of Shanghai sandwich shop The Press hides something much more exciting than cans of fizzy drink.
For those in the know, the vending machine swings open to reveal a secret passageway leading straight to one of Shanghai’s best-kept secrets: Flask, a swanky cocktail bar with an effervescent atmosphere.
Step down a hallway of black-painted bricks into a lounge area accented by leather upholstery, copper fixtures, dark wooden floorboards and bare concrete walls. Out-there art, light sculptures and fish-eye mirrors complete Flask’s rarefied air. Recline on a vintage sofa or take a seat at the bar, where some of the city’s top mixologists will shake up something just as special as your surroundings.
With an open-air bar that looks like a giant gleaming bathtub floating 34 storeys above the bustling streets of Mumbai, Aer is one sexy lady. Ease into the curvaceous white furniture that sparkles like constellations against the Arabian Sea, and gulp down the extraordinary views. Order the signature cocktail – Afterglow (gin, cucumber, coriander and grapes) – and peruse the tapas menu with seductive offerings like goat’s cheese and pistachio truffles. This Four Seasons gem is such a stunner that the hotel imposes a US$37.50 cover charge on Friday and Saturday nights.
Located in the young, hip 11th arrondissement near the Place de Bastille, this nightclub-cocktail bar hybrid is the perfect place to get in sync with the beating heart of Parisian nightlife.
Badaboum has made a name for itself hosting top international techno DJs in the intimate, 350-person floor space, where stark industrial decor and geometric neon light installations give the place a psychedelic air.
If the club scene is not your thing, the bar alone is worth a visit. Kick back with an expertly crafted cocktail and a plate of tapas in the cosy, warmly lit downstairs area, or get comfy in the lounge-inspired Secret Room upstairs.
In a former life, the A38 was a Ukrainian stone hauler used to transport gravel across international waters. Today it has transformed into the ultimate floating bar and music venue, and is permanently moored on the banks of the Danube in Budapest.
A hall that once stored mounds of rocks now pumps out rock ‘n roll, former equipment bays boast art exhibitions, a selection of bars tempts thirsty revelers, and there’s even an on-board restaurant that serves hearty Hungarian fare.
While it no longer sails to distant waters, the ship still pulls a worldly crew with international acts thrashing its stage and DJs hitting the decks. For something more cultural, check out the program of film screenings, literature readings and food and wine festivals.
Satisfy all your senses at a one-of-a-kind Berlin cocktail bar. Fragrances, the crowning jewel of the city’s Ritz-Carlton, is the first watering hole in the world dedicated to combining cocktails with perfume.
Each drink is inspired by a unique fragrance from renowned brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani and Guerlain. “At Fragrances, we want our guests not only to enjoy their drinks, but to experience them,” explains cocktail creator and bar manager Arnd Heissen.
Instead of poring over a traditional cocktail list, patrons are invited to choose their favourite fragrance and let their nose lead them to a matching cocktail. The bar also runs workshops where guests can create their own personal scent under the guidance of a perfume expert.
Shake your thang at this dance institution in Cali, Colombia’s capital of salsa. Surrounded by retro decor, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve shimmied back in time a decade or two, but what Tin Tin Deo lacks in gloss and glamour it makes up for with a sizzling dance floor.
Even if you have two left feet, it’s well worth stopping by to watch the unspoken competition of twisting hips and fancy footwork, but it’s even better to give it a go yourself. Rustle up a partner and show off your skills, or grab a drink and play wallflower beneath pictures of salsa supremos. The establishment is popular with locals and travellers alike, so arrive before 11pm to claim some space. But remember, this is South America, so play it cool and stay scarce until at least 10pm.
When you want to explore the famous Sacred Valley while enjoying the finer aspects of life, check in to one of Sol Y Luna’s 43 casita-syle rooms, built from local materials and splashed with Federico Bauer’s colourful artwork.
Explore 10 hectares of lush gardens brimming with butterflies and hummingbirds, before heading to the property’s edge. Here you’ll find the stable complex, home to Peruvian Paso horses that can be taken out for a ride, but also perform for guests enjoying a meal at the Wayra restaurant.
Stroll into the village and visit the lively market, organise a trip to Salineras de Maras (the local salt mines) or catch the train from nearby Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.
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