Aman heaven again- Amanoi Vinh Hy, Vietnam

View from Amanoi Outdoor Dining.- Vinh Hy, Vietnam
Aman heaven again. And you will be too!
Aman is a Sanskrit-derived word for peace and Noi means “place”
This property personifies that ethic.
With the launch of Amanoi, Amanresorts adds Vietnam to its Southeast Asian circuit, with Amanpuri in Thailand, Amantaka in Laos and Amansara in Cambodia already on everyone’s must travel list
Impossible to describe the serenity, sense of place, and spectacular decor.
A fabulous spot to wind down after a tour of SE Asia, Amanoi is perfect for a honeymoon and divine for a destination wedding.
The designer, Jean-Michel Gathy also did the spectacular Amanyara in Turks &Caicos
Not a “palm tree” resort. Amanoi is set on the coast in beautiful Vinh Hy Bay in the middle of the Nui Chua National park. Vegetation is subtropical, and incredible rock formations are everywhere. There is a wonderful beach with unusual shells and a darling fishing village on the other side of Vinh Hy bay. Landing in Na Trang, the drive is about an hour and 15minutes on an amazing coastal drive. The good news is that the car has WIFI so you can catch up on emails or track your progress on google maps.
Food was fabulous. Beef was flown in from Australia, all vegetables and fruits are local and organic, seafood was right out of the local waters. Couldn’t be more fresh.
I want to move into our villa- it is that comfortable. The beyond fab Spa has the only Pilates equipment and set up in Vietnam. They also boast hydrotherapy equipment.

Sea View Villa – Nam Hai Hoi An, Vietnam

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Sea view Villa

Our view from the Nam Hai – Hoi An Vietnam

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Danang Bay

Main Lodge- Nam Hai, Hoi An Vietnam

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Entry building Nam Hai

Hong Kong Skyline

Hong Kong At Night

Impossible to capture the magic of Hong Kong in lights. You have to see it for yourself!

Cool Hotel in Hong Kong- Upper House

Upper House – COOL hotel in Hong Kong Central.
There is a special type of client looking for cool new slick spaces – You know who you are.
Upper House is going to fill the bill in Hong Kong. Minimal, contemporary, intime and totally cool.
Three room types: Peak view 70 CM/Harbor view 70CM and harbor or peak view suite 80CM
A great addition to the services of Upper House is that they allow early arrivals. So if your flight arrives in the morning, they will move you right into your room. They check you in there. No lines -No waiting. image
Upper House’s restaurant is Café Gray Deluxe, a 21st century ‘grand café’, located on the 49th floor overlooking Victoria Harbor, marks the return to Hong Kong of Chef Gray Kunz and his cuisine – a unique style of European classics and signature dishes from a lifetime leading the very finest kitchens in Europe, Asia and America.
Hotel facts:
The hotel’s 117 rooms (including 21 suites and 2 penthouses) start at 730sq ft – the largest in Hong Kong. They feature wonderfully spacious bathrooms and dressing areas, and offer either scenic harbor or island views. Calming and contemporary, the rooms are designed to provide a sense of relaxation, warmth and understated luxury. Room features Luxury down bedding Complimentary in-room bar Dual temperature wine fridge Complimentary espresso machine and selection of teas and infusions LCD TV with 2.1 surround sound with simple connectivity for PC, camcorder and MP3 Interactive hotel information, music and games via in room iTouch Complimentary wired and wireless high speed internet access Spacious bathrooms with TV, dressing area, walk-in rain shower and limestone clad bath

Chi Lin Gardens -Hong Kong

Chi Lin Gardens - Hong Kong

We are looking for new sites in Hong Kong and my friend Devin suggested we see Chi Lin Nunnery and Gardens. Just opened a year ago, the gardens are a beautiful depiction of a Tang Dynasty garden and has amazing replicas of Tang Dynasty structures, built in teak wood. A beautiful oasis smack in the middle of Kowloon. If you are in Hong Kong, you should add it to your list.

Ode to Devin Gwie

Devin

A Tour Guide professional for over 20 years. Devin has personal connections in every city and country in SE Asia. He knows every top restaurant, hotel, hidden shops you might want to know about, the best tailors, jewelry makers, pearl sources, who is reputable, etc,etc,etc. He can untangle any red tape, get you Into to places you can’t, handle high maintenance clients from famous entertainers, to the wife of presidents, to royalty -in a word the man to know in SE Asia. And he is exceptional with groups. The ultimate professional, with a wonderful sense of humor – my favorite guide, Devin Gwie.

Spectacular FS Club Lounge – Hong Kong

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Situated on the top floor of FS Hong Kong, the Club lounge serves breakfast privately in the morning and drinks and snacks/drinks all day. Complimentary to all suites.

Pool – Four Seasons Hong Kong

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One of the two pools at Four Seasons. I noticed they have special bathrobes for children – darling. Overlooking Hong Kong Bay

Four Seasons Hong Kong – one of the Best!

View from my room Four Seasons Hong Kong

View from my room
Four Seasons Hong Kong

Opened in 2009 with not one but two Michelin rated restaurants, the Four Seasons Hong Kong lives up to it’s impeccable reputation. An example of attention to detail: we arrived at midnight and found in our room a mound of finger sandwiches with a card saying “in anticipation of your late arrival we prepared a light snack for you”. I left my camera on the desk and when I returned, the cleaning service had left a packed lense cleaning cloth. Everyone seemed to know our name. Adapters in each nightstand. Little details that mount to flawless service. At 399 rooms, 54 of them suites, the hotel did not come off as a large hotel, there was a sense of space and peace. Located on the Central side of HKG the location was convenient and easy to reach for walking. We sampled their amazing Cantonese Restaurant, Lung King Heen and agreed it deserved it’s stars. The hotel has 2 pools and a club level on the top(45th) floor- Club lounge is open to all who book a suite.

Dispatch Hong Kong

Peking Garden Hong Kong

Peking Garden Hong Kong

Back in one of my favorite cities: the divine Hong Kong. Ever changing, the city seems to be thriving- cranes and bamboo scaffolding everywhere. Still retaining it’s soul of exotic British outpost, it is delightful to be poking into my old haunts. I am checking out the fabulous Four Seasons Hong Kong. I also visited the spectacular Upper House. Reviews to follow.

Dock entry to LPI- a little bit of heaven

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Dock to LPI
Situated on 5.5 Acres of private island, in the lower Florida Keys. It is about 40 minutes from Key West Airport. You are taken to their main admission Lodge, then transferred by boat to the Island. It is a favored enclave for luxury travelers. 15 thatched roof bungalows, featuring 30 suites-ranging from 550 SF to 1000SF -offer ultimate privacy and romance. The island is never inhabited by more than 60 guests.

View from Little Palm Island

Sunsets from the Keys are dynamite!

Sunsets from the Keys are dynamite!


Sitting at the bar with a nice glass of champagne- ahhhh…

Another Small Resort Gem- Little Palm Island

Easy jump to paradise

Easy jump to paradise

The flight from Atlanta took an hour and a half. Poof! Before I knew it, I had landed in another bit of paradise. Tropical bungalows, recently updated with a Caribbean Colonial feel- lots of shutters – were a haven. Breezes blowing, palm fronds moving gently in the wind, I couldn’t believe how quickly one could just stop, kick back and relax.

Spaghetti with Pomodoro Sauce – just like my Sicilian Grandmother’s

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There is no denying that the cuisine of Dubrovnik is heavily influenced by their Italian neighbors across the Adriatic. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of Croatian cuisine. A beautiful influence of Italian mixed with their proximity to the sea makes for a high level of quality and innovative offerings.

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Two of Pucic Palace’s fine staff, Sanja and Nermin. The tone is set by their terrific manager Mirjana Kovacevic and all members of the staff I came in contact with were above par. From darling Pia the guest relations manager, Alem the day duty receptionist, Zrinka the night duty receptionist, and Stribor the guest doorman. Enthusiastic, engaged and always helpful. They made my stay a memorable experience, and I want to visit again.

View from my window – Pucic Palace, Dubrovnik Croatia

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Set in the middle of Old Town Dubrovnik, Pucic Palace is a little gem. They have 19 rooms and suites decorated in a traditional style. A divine restaurant provides an imaginative menu and wine list with both indoor and outside seating.

Old Town Dubrovnik

Old town Dubrovnik

Perfect place for a special celebrations, family travel or destination weddings. The city lends itself to easy planning. Hotels are accommodating, food is very special and the location is captivating.

Agrigento

Agrigento

Modern Agrigento used to be the Greek city of Akragas, a colony of settlers mainly from Rhodes and Crete who, having initially settled in Gela, decided to move west, partly because the land in the area was ideal for cultivating olives, and grapes. The city, founded in 582 BC, soon became prosperous and, in its glory days, was one of the most important and most culturally-advanced Greek cities in the Mediterranean. Considered the 4th largest city in the ancient world.

Agrigento

Agrigento

Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world.

Sites to Visit near Verdura in Sicily

What a thrill to see!! Spotless site, beautifully cared for.

What a thrill to see!! Spotless site, beautifully cared for.

Traveling with Children?

Rocco Forte Verdura Resort hosts a Junior Soccer Camp.
Coaches from the prestigious Juventus Football Club– part of Italy’s top-flight first division, two-time winners of the Champions League, and arguably one of the best professional soccer teams in the world– have taken up summer residence at the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily. Offered during the summer, the coaches will offer daily training sessions for young guests (5 to 16 years of age) to hone their soccer moves. Not only that, but matches take place at the resort, every five or seven days. Families are offered second rooms for half price to accommodate their families. They also offer junior golf instruction. Rocco Forte Verdura is extremely family friendly.

Part of our group in Sicily

Fab group!!

Fab group!!

Theresa and Ellen. Loved spending time with them.

Ocean View Suites at Verdura- Sicily

One could ride a bike in the room- huge!

One could ride a bike in the room- huge!

40sm with a living room, separate bedroom, a bathroom with a tub I could swim in, a terrace, a patio, my view was the ocean with golfers playing the 12th green. I am ready to move in!!

Tomatoes from the Verdura Garden

Used making a sauce in cooking class - indescribable

Used making a sauce in cooking class – indescribable

Everything cooked at Verdura is Garden to Table. The freshest and most flavorful I have ever had the pleasure to taste.
In our cooking class we made a pasta dish with tomatoes and eggplant. Lots of champagne, we were hands on!

Our Host at Verdura- Angelo Piraino

Aptly named, with a face like an angel.

Aptly named, with a face like an angel.

Wow, Wow, Wow! Rocco Forte Verdura Golf Resort and Spa

Palms by the Ocean

Palms by the Ocean

The resort is set over 500 acres of stunning landscape with 1.8km of private coastline, yet has just 203 rooms and suites, giving a true sense of space and privacy. All rooms have private terraces and sea views. There are two 18-hole championship golf courses and a 9-hole, designed by leading architect Kyle Phillips; six tennis courts; a full- size football pitch; a 60m infinity swimming pool; a fully-equipped gym and running trails which meander through the olive and lemon groves.The resort’s restaurants and bars celebrate Sicilian cuisine with menus created from fresh organic ingredients complemented by a superb wine list. With its beautiful location on Sicilys southern coast and unique range of five-star facilities, Verdura Golf & Spa Resort is a very special venue for meetings, conferences and incentive programs.

Doorway Sciacca

Doorway Sciacca

Such a beautiful village.

My Grandmother’s Basicilca Sciacca Sicily

Sciacca Sicily

Sciacca Sicily

Lobby Art Hotel de Russie – Rome

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Our delightful hosts in Rome

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Guisy Guarracino Senior Sales Manager, Hotel De Russie and Samara Doucette – Rocco Forte Hotels Global Senior Sales Manager

Hotel De Russie

Hotel de Russie

Formerly the Italian residence for aristocratic Russian citizens – including Czar Nicholas and his family, Hotel de Russie is beautifully situated on the edge of Piazza Popolo. Via Babuino, considered one of Rome’s hottest shopping streets, begins at the Spanish steps and ends at Piazza del Popolo.
Angel and Demon fans will recognize the church Santa Maria Del Popolo across the square.
The De Russie has a garden atmosphere with a glorius courtyard in the center if the hotel .
Part if the hotel gardens were formally with the Borghese gardens – directly above. Contemporary in style, the hotel is filled with ancient artifacts and Italian art. Crisp and welcoming, the hotel is one of my top choices for clients.
All Rocco Forte hotels are child friendly, and hotel de Russie is no exception. De Russie offers small bathrobes, children’s menu, toys aimed at the age level. Hotel staff customize excursions that are child friendly walking tours that are geared towards kids – scavenger hunts, pizza making classes, etc,etc.

The Unusual Musical Focus at Amanyara, Turks & Caicos

New Years Celebrations at Amanyara are spectacular events. This year they had Grammy Winner Nile Rodgers, another year it was Mary J. Blige, 2012 it was Bryan Ferry and 2011 they had the ever fabulous- one and only – Prince! Make your reservations early for New Years 2015, they sell out quickly!

Dinner Amanyara

Serenaded by Sally Greenwood – a Nora Jones sound alike. Perfect!!

Sunset -Amanyara

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Our Most Gracious Hosts at Amanyara

Marko Frank – Fab Amanyara GM, Ana Fonseca-Aman Resorts, Tony Franzini – Island Destinations. Thank you all!!

Mode of Transportation -Amanyara

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Our Villa Butler – Crystell

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Turks and Caicos

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Amanyara Beach

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Amanyara Beach rocky side

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Pond Pavillion Amanyara, Turks and Caicos

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Amanheaven

After weeks of 20 degree deep freeze, I flew down to the most divine resort in the Turks and Caicos, Amanyara. I am in heaven!!  Clear water in a spectrum of blues, I am blissfully enjoying warm sea breezes. Amanyara is situated on the edge of the West coast in the North West Point National Park. No other buildings, cars, or people. Peaceful, peaceful quiet on top of the normal Zen quality that Aman lovers come to expect. all one hears is the crash of the waves on a white powder beach or the breeze wafting through the trees.  I forget how clear and blue the waer can be. 

 

AMANHEAVEN

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