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Hello from Berlin, Germany, where Kiwi Collection leaders have gathered from all over the world for the biggest annual travel fair, ITB. Yes, we are here to find out what and where is worth YOUR time…
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The world's first Sensai Spa revealed!
VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Grand Hotel & Spa, Interlaken, Switzerland, unveiled its Sensai Spa (photo) – a world first - January 23rd, 2010 (and yes, I have been there, to learn about Koishimaru royal silk). You enter a raw silk fiber wonderland designed by Tokyo retail specialist Gwenael Nicolas of Curiosity. You start with a Koishimaru foot wash, and the massage also includes shiatsu pressure points. Your skin feels like silk, for days.
VICTORIA-JUNGFRAU Grand Hotel & Spa, Interlaken, Switzerland
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Experience the spectacular new Yas Hotel
And, of course, also ahead of the game, WOW.travel was among the first to visit the sensational Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi (we were shown around by Kate Midttun).
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Attlia at the Metropolitan Opera House
Head to New York’s Metropolitan Opera House before March 27th, 2010, to see Russian Ildar Abdrazakov star in Verdi’s Attila, dressed by Muiccia Prada. Off-stage, the Ufa-born bass wears Ermenegildo Zegna: he is ambassador for Zegna & Music.
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FASHIONmiami is making an appearance in the Design District this month
The first FASHIONmiami is March 10-13, 2010. It will be held in the Design District (this photo captures the artistic vibe of the district) just north of downtown Miami. Check out all our luxury Miami hotels.
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Neil Perry hosting Great Wines of the World dinner
International Australian food leader Neil Perry was with his Malaysian counterpart Poh on her ABC television show Poh’s Kitchen, February 10th, 2010. This month, Perry hosts a Great Wines of the World dinner, March 21st, 2010, Rockpool Bar & Grill-Highland Dining Room, Melbourne.
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Check out all Sydney has to offer (including the famous Opera House)
Sydney is booming right now – in the last month, Sir Cliff Richard and The Shadows, and Whitney Houston and Gay Pride Mardi Gras, have been and gone. Jorn Utzon’s 1957-design Opera House, and the Botanic Gardens and much else remain to tempt you. Book ahead, with some of our best hotels in Sydney.
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Red Bull energy drink really does give you wings!
Hangar-7 at Salzburg Airport, Austria, is owned by Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz (he keeps his private aircraft collection there, and you can visit free). Eckart Witzigmann oversees the restaurant, Ikarus – like the James Beard House in New York, it hosts visiting chefs, and this month the star is Heiko Nieder, of The Dolder Resort, Zurich.
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The Dolder Grand to host the BNP Paribas Zurich Open
The Dolder Grand hosts the BNP Paribas Zurich Open March 9-13, 2010 (will include Michael Chang, Henri Leconte, John McEnroe et al who find time for the leaf-shaped indoor pool and the outdoor heated vitality pool – and will they, too, have La Prairie Beauty Express facials with the so-capable Gayle?
The Dolder Grand, Zurich, Switzerland
See other hotels in Zurich (5)
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Vancouver, British Columbia was the place to be this month!
Discerning global travelers love Shangri-La. Here, peeping above the clouds, is the stunning 61-floor Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver, the city’s highest building. We adored the Pacific halibut with sautéed spinach and garlic mash in MARKET by Jean-Georges (Vongerichten), the hotel’s Lexus hybrids and the views of the two Lion mountain tops from suite 1502. Note: the Winter Paralympics are March 12-21, 2010.
Shangri-La Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
See other hotels in Vancouver (9)
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Sail the Nile in Style
The way to sail up the Nile in style, on Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser - Read the full story.
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Visit the sacred site of Machu Picchu
Now is the time to book your trip to Machu Picchu, Peru – the famous rail link between Cusco and Aguas Calientes, main stop for Machu Picchu, is set to reopen April 1st, 2010.
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The National Cherry Blossom Festival is in full bloom
Washington DC’s fantastic National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place March 27– April 11, 2010, celebrating the 98th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees from Japan, (take a bike tour).
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Russia art is in the spotlight at TEFAF
This 1904 Fabergé pendant (photo) will be at The European Fine Art Fair TEFAF, Maastricht MECC, The Netherlands, March 12-21, 2010. The insatiable appetite for Russian art is being fed by former City professionals Canadian-Russian William MacDougall and his Russian-born wife Catherine, whose London-based MacDougall’s Auctions – 2009 turnover £20 million - now has offices in Kiev, Moscow and Paris.
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Planning a honeymoon? Why not visit Latvia
Newlyweds may want to check out Jurmala for their honeymoon, with miles of beautiful beaches just 30 miles east of Riga. Try the romantic Hotel Bergs (photo) or the sophisticated Grand Palace Hotel, both set in the historical center of Riga (which happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site).
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A truly blissful experience awaits you at the one-of-a-kind Shanti Ananda Maurice
And for more stunning beaches head to Mauritius. The 36-acre Shanti Ananda Maurice, in the somewhat-remote south-west of this Indian Ocean island, is managed by former Belgian lawyer Paul van Frank (whom I first met at Ananda in the Himalayas). I loved Bill Bensley’s gardens, the 25-room spa with Ayurvedic doctors and the wine list – and next time, finger painting and horseback riding on the beach.
Shanti Ananda Maurice, Chemin Grenier, Mauritius
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Enjoy the elegant mid 20th century surroundings of Mandarin Oriental Barcelona
One of our favorite GMs, Luis Marcó, says he might start a nightclub with swinging old-time hits: at the so-wow Mandarin Oriental Barcelona (photo), Spain, which he opened a year ago. He handed it over to another great hotelier, Gérard Sintès.
Mandarin Oriental Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
See other hotels in Barcelona (13)
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More from WOW.travel...
As always, WOW.travel has a unique wealth of ideas for you - how about that sumptuous and massively-educational cruise on the Nile? (photo - pool deck of Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser).
By the way, why not vote for YOUR favorite travel companies via our .travel partner, www.ultra.travel? You can vote for the Ultratravel100 (JIM, SIC), and the winners in 20 categories will receive their ULTRAs – Ultimate Luxury Travel Related Awards – at a lunch at The Dorchester, London, in May. You need to cast your vote by March 19th, 2010, latest. Have a great month.
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