Welcome to my blog. I’m a Traveller of the Continents and a Luxury Travel Advisor. I hope you enjoy my travel reviews!
All in Hotels
Istanbul has been the center of the civilised world for centuries and always at the center stage for the cultural clash of East and West. This results in a plethora of historical sites to behold and a rich culture to experience. This world famous tourist destination offers a lot of hotels for accommodation and this time we chose one of the best, I am sure. Why? Read below.
The prince's Downtown Palace was sumptuous and - while being in the center of everything - it still was a calm oasis. A perfect representation of Dubai today: an old Arabian palace amidst modern skyscrapers.
Directly next to the Burj al Khalifa in downtown Dubai this luxury resort might not be on your point-collector's-list, as it is not part of any international chain ("just" the local Address Hotels and the U by Emaar-program), it is still very well worth your money - especially when you book with a Virtuoso agent: we got an upgrade from the "cheapest" room to a big suite. Let's take a look!
Just one hour South of Dubai you will find the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. This reserve was created to preserve some of Dubai's natural wonders. (and they didn't find any oil, so what else to do with a desert?)
The cool thing about this reserve is that there is a luxury hotel in the midst of it: The Al Maha Luxury Collection Resort & Spa.
When Ian Fleming came to the Seychelles in 1958 he got inspired to write James Bond short stories for his book "For Your Eyes Only". This is also true for dreamers wanting to travel to the Seychelles: only those willing to cash out - this place is not cheap - are allowed to lay their eyes onto paradise. You don't need Bond's platinum card courtesy of Her Majesty the Queen (damn, what would I give for a card like that?), but you should be able to hand over 500 USD per night for accommodation only. Of course you don't have to stay at a Hilton Resort, but then again, why live at all? (and, the Hilton Labriz was one of the "cheaper" options, mind you)
The luxury brand of the Hyatt corporation opened its first Dubai outstation already in 2005. Situated at the quiet Dubai creek with a marina and a golf course this Dubai hotel is different from the downtown options - but is it a viable one? The city is becoming the hotel capital of the world with seemingly more hotels than residential buildings, so the choice is not easy. Let's see how the Park Hyatt fares.
Hygge = Danish word for a feeling of home, comfort, like a hot chocolate sitting by the fire reading a book
You might know Vals in the mountains of Switzerland from the thermal baths: 7132 Therme & Spa designed by famed Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. To finally visit the hyped baths I went to Vals for a weekend and stayed in the wonderful Brücke 49.
Continuing our small trip through the South West of Sri Lanka we are going from Nuwara Elyia to Kandy to see a tooth of a Buddah and an elephant orphanage. Then onto our fantastic finish in the laid back colonial seaside town of Galle with beautiful beaches and fishermen on a stick.
Let me take you to an Arabian palace from times long gone. Actually it was more than just one palace, it was a whole city: the Madinat Jumeirah Resort Dubai. A recreation of an old Arabian town complete with bazaar (the souk), wind catchers and water canals.
If you want to know whether it makes any sense to go to Dubai in Summer, you should read the following review of the Jumeirah Mina A'Salam 5-star resort hotel in the Madinat, as this was our oasis in the heat of July.
Once upon a time the government of Hamburg announced to build the most beautiful concert hall the city has ever seen: the Elbphilarmonie (or Elbe Philarmonic Hall). People would come from far away, Hamburg would have a new landmark with a high cultural value. And people came.
What does Olympia have to do with Jazz?
I made that connection when I stayed in Lausanne next to the Olympic Museum at the IOC headquarters and visited the famous Montreux Jazz Festival not far from there.
The pristine location directly at Lake Geneva, the world's best names in Jazz and some Pop, Rock and R&B stars in the middle make up for a fun and diverse event.
