Recharge the batteries, unplug the devices and soak up five-star hospitality on one of Thailand’s most picturesque islands in the Krabi Province, Koh Lanta.
Be it a day of kayaking, snorkelling, island hopping, bird watching or a sunset cruise followed by wine tasting and a cooking demonstration: the ways to get lost with Layana Resort & Spa are endless! Winner of some of the most prestigious luxury accommodation awards including ‘Number 1 Top Hotel in Thailand’ at last year’s TripAdvisor Awards, Layana Resort & Spa is undoubtedly one of the most renowned hotels in Thailand…and very well-deserved!
A visit to Layana Resort & Spa has always been designed around the meaning of Layana in ancient Pali Sanskrit, “A Pause in Time”. The resort enjoys a sought-after location on the island of Koh Lanta Yai, part of Koh Lanta, located in the southernmost district of Krabi Province. The island features more than 40kms of coastline and is famous for its scenic hills, forests and its wildlife.
Accommodation is in 57 luxurious guestrooms and suites including Grand Garden Pavilion Rooms, Garden Pavilion rooms, Beach suites, Ocean Deluxe Suites and ‘La Maison’, all impressing in size, style and comfort. Other facilities of Layana Resort & Spa include a library, fitness room, two pools, a Jacuzzi as well as the award-winning ‘Linger Longer Spa’.
Guests can explore the gourmet pleasures of Thailand at Tides Restaurant where they have the choice of a cool interior venue or an al fresco beachside setting. Sundowners Bar is the name of the resort’s beautiful beachfront bar.
Ever imagined what it must be like way up high in the treetops of the Amazon? This one-of-a-kind retreat is your ticket to the rainforest canopy. Treehouse Lodge is only accessible by boat, so wave goodbye to civilisation and cruise into the heart of the wilderness. Built around ohi, wimba and machimango trees, each of the ten treehouses is furnished with the comforts of home – think cosy king beds, showers and loos. Everything you’d expect, in fact, except walls.
Instead, the sheerest of nets keeps the mozzies away, giving you unparalleled views of the Amazon. Imagine watching chattering monkeys and vibrantly coloured birds without having to get out of bed. Some treehouses come with trapdoors, some offer river views and some are 20 metres off the ground. Whichever one you pick you’re bound to feel just like the Swiss Family Robinson – just with the added bonus of some more modern creature comforts.
There are some amazing sights to be seen in the UK, however Wales often gets overlooked. It shouldn’t. One of the best ways to immerse yourself in Wales’s dramatic landscapes and fascinating Celtic culture is with a stay at Epic Retreats, a new pop-up glamping experience in the country’s northern wilds.
Appearing in two locations – deep within the valley of Llanfihangel y Pennant in the heart of Southern Snowdonia and along the fringes of golden beaches in Llŷn Peninsula – you’ll find eight unique abodes, complete with a luxe bed, ensuite and wood burner or stove. Each one is a winning design created by architects from around the globe, and each features a unique backstory inspired by the ancient mythology and natural beauty of Wales.
There’s the Animated Forest, which draws on the Welsh Poem Cad Goddeu; The Battle of the Trees, with its design resembling a creature making its way through the woodland; and the wide and glassy Dragon’s Eye, offering outstanding views from its circular rotating bed and, when lit up at night, the very image of an eye peering out through the darkness. For stargazers, the Sky Hut, with a ceiling that cracks open to reveal the heavens above – based on the tale of Cadair Idris, a mountain created by a giant warrior poet to best view the stars. There’s also a breakfast tent, communal area and staff on site 24-hours a day.
Depending on your length of stay you can choose to explore the surrounding area at your leisure, or take part in a stack of adventure-filled activities crafted by Cambria Tours that will take you deep into the pages of Welsh history, including learning how to forage in the wilderness, local wine and beer tastings, hiking through Snowdonia National Park and discovering archaeological wonders.
In the evenings settle in around a crackling campfire and tuck into a hot, fresh meal crafted from local produce while being serenaded by your live entertainment as the sun sinks down below the mountains, reminiscing on myths and legends. Now that’s epic.
Open since 2003, Claska has been favoured by design lovers on a budget ever since. There are just 20 rooms in a variety of styles, but each has its own minimalist charm and buckets of natural light. Some are furnished in simple tatami, others have carefully selected art and antiques to add an individual touch, while a few of the rooms have been created by local designers and two feature ample terraces.
Downstairs is Kiokuh, a chic cafe and bar that blends French and Italian influences with local produce, as well as Dogman, a grooming salon for the neighbourhood’s pampered pooches, and a gallery and shop called ‘Do’. Admire the Tokyo Tower and Mount Fuji from the rooftop terrace of the capital’s original design hotel or zip off on one of Claska’s custom-made fleet of Tokyo Bikes and explore little-known Meguro. Or hunker down in your huge bed and Instagram the hell out of this uber hip, multi-purpose complex.
While Arizona lays claim to some rather thrilling rock formations, the American state isn’t the only one. At Wadi Bani Awf, we can assure you this is thrill-seeking of a different kind. Welcome to one of Oman’s most memorable off-road drives. Pick out your 4WD and once you’ve packed your gear – think spare tyre, spanners, water, a hearty picnic and mini barbecue – buckle up and hold on tight as you begin the gravity-defying descent over the precipice and into Wadi Ban Awf. Tackle tough climbs and jagged descents as you power across the 25-kilometre off-road trail, zig-zagging along switchbacks and through majestic mountain passes.
Prepare to lose your breath again as you soak up the incredible limestone cliffs that soar into the sky on either side; feel your eyes pop at the sheer drop into the canyon beside the road, witness bursts of colour from lemon, mango and date plantations; and spot the occasional village ensconced among the shadows of the jebel (mountain). After gawping at the incredible landscape pull up on the side of the road (in a safe spot, of course) and cook up a feast while overlooking the rugged fissures and vast chasms on either side of you. Keen to experience this arid landscape but don’t think your driving chops are up to the task? Consider joining a tour so you can simply sit back and enjoy the scenery, drawing comfort in the knowledge that you can safely keep your eyes shut at the scary bits.
Glamping doesn’t get much more glamorous than sinking into a four-poster bed and listening to the waves of the South Pacific. Set just metres from the ocean, the two canvas abodes at Hidden Cove Eco Retreat make opulence eco-friendly on Vanuatu’s largest island. Timber floors, French doors and a tub for two add an eau de Europe in the Tented Pool Villa, while the second tent sits pretty on a platform in the treetops. The dining pavilion is well-stocked with staples and a barbecue to help make self-catering a breeze, although the option of a candle-lit, in-room, degustation dinner may prove too tempting to forego.
By day, pass your plunge pool and scurry down the ladder into tropical water where coral grows a short paddle away, or kayak the coast and spot turtles and dugongs gliding through the water. The more adventurous can jump on an electric bike and explore the local surrounds, or make like a rom-com protagonist with a sunset horse ride on the beach, while lazy days call for a massage on the deck. By night, hunker down in a kava bar in Luganville or wander the empty beaches and admire the stars.
Celebrating the quirky side of Canada’s City of Design, Nuit Blanche flips the bird at the weatherman and proves Montrealers can party under any circumstances.
From 6pm to 6am revellers let loose across town as galleries throw open their doors, projections dance over buildings and art lurks in dark corners. To work up to the all-nighter, the 11-day Montréal en Lumiére festival precedes the event, but wild Nuit Blanche is the ultimate climax.
Bundle up and hope for snow, swill a cocktail, then try your hand at an art class – after a few tipples you won’t give a damn when your painting resembles a four-year-old’s masterpiece.
Spear a sausage and roast it over the braziers at Place des Festivals, then head to the street stalls selling maple syrup taffy poured into fresh snow. The sugar fix should help you gain top speed while hurtling down the 110-metre ice slide that slices through an open-air dance party, before you shake it to pulsing sound, lasers and smoke while enclosed in a giant glass cube.
Head underground to escape the frost as Art Souterrain (Art Underground) kicks off with live performances and art projects scattered throughout the pedestrian network. Many activities wrap up around 2am but the best parties pump on till dawn.
If, among the comedy, poetry, dance, flicks, karaoke, beer tasting, circus acts, erotic bondage, rock climbing and ice carving, you don’t stumble upon something that excites you, then you haven’t explored enough. Exhibitions change each year – although we’d love the return of Aquart, an underwater art gallery explored with a scuba kit – so there’s always something new to unearth.
If you want to impress travel pals with your local know-how then
this is the place to be. A drinking den that’s hidden behind an unmarked door at the back of a matchstick-box-sized Mexican restaurant, Candelaria basically ticks every box on the hip hit list: the front is a sparsely decorated taco stand, the back a candlelit clandestine bar.
Try authentic tacos and quesadillas, and affordable cocktails from a menu that favours agave spirits, such as mezcal and tequila; wannabe connoisseurs can even dabble in a flight of four for US$35. Those feeling less intrepid should give Al Son de la Batanga (made with Olmeca Altos Tequila Blanco, Amaro Montenegro, fresh lime juice and Chinotto) a whirl, or perhaps La Guèpe Verte (chilli-infused tequila blanco, fresh lime juice, agave syrup, coriander leaves and cucumber). There are even special brunch cocktails on offer at weekends between 12pm and 4pm.
Located in Paris’ quiet 3rd arrondissement it’s perfect for a quick nightcap, but also plenty close to the bustling Latin Quarter and the more suave Le Marais.
Picture this: 16 spacious wilderness tents just metres from white, sugar-soft sands, spectacular coral and rugged limestone ranges. Hidden in the sand dunes of WA’s Cape Range National Park, at a rather enviable spot where bush and sea brush shoulders, Sal Salis offers all the creature comforts of a five-star stay. There’s a springy bed, 100% organic cotton linen, fluffy bath towels, an ensuite bathroom, a bar and top-notch grub – but at minimal impact to the environment. Almost 100 per cent of the camp’s power comes from solar energy, the toiletries provided are all eco-friendly and the toilets are waterless and composting.
This exclusive camp invites total back to basics relaxation, though the surrounds yell “come explore”. From slipping into the cerulean waters to stare wide-eyed at pods of humpbacks and whale sharks, to scrambling across the red earth and scrubland of the vast Mandu Mandu Gorge, Mother Nature has produced some sterling work in this corner of the world.
Travel through the rugged Hajar Mountains to the township of Nizwa, the ancient capital of Oman on a Gray Line tour. Here you’ll have the chance to visit the Nizwa Fort, an incredible example of Oman’s ancient architecture, and the Traditional Souq where you can sample dates, halwa (a gelatinous dessert) and buy spices, jewellery and pottery.
From there you will travel through the deep Wadi Ghul, a vast cleft in the mountains, and arrive at Jebel Shams, “mountain of the sun,” the undisputed lord of the mountains. This is the highest peak of the Jebel Al Akhdar mountain range, and it soars 3000 metres above sea level and looks out over the Grand Canyon of Oman. Take in the spectacular scenery, ancient rock carvings and remote villages before continuing to the beautiful old village of Misfah, which is perched on the side of a mountain where narrow ancient stone pathways lead you into the valley below.
After enjoying lunch in a local restaurant at the top of the mountain, you will explore this ancient labyrinth in the Al Hamra region before your return trip to Muscat, the capital. To experience the Grand Canyon is to experience the very best of Oman.
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