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Welcome to the May 2007 issue of WOWConfidential, Kiwi Collection's exclusive insider's newsletter by Mary Gostelow, editor-in-chief of WOW.travel, our online luxury magazine for discerning global travellers.
Please enjoy this month's WOW.travel. Our Insider is Suzanne Aaronson, the name behind Suzanne's Files, and our My Style subject is Robert Riley, outgoing CEO of Armani Hotels & Resorts. This month Away Night is Eichardt's Private Hotel in Queenstown, New Zealand, and as always we have hosts of exciting entries in both VIP and future events and happenings. Around The World includes tortoise mating and luxury re-vegetation in the Seychelles, medical tourism in Goa, climbing Kilimanjaro, exploring The Cook Islands and touring London's Houses of Parliament.
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The Best of Sicily: Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe
One of the excitements of this last month has been a tour of Sicily. For the first few days, as we drove through the north-east part of the island, it seemed we were continually passing Mount Etna, still snow-capped, as shown in the photo, taken near Taormina.
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Seychelles’ magnificent islands possess unrivalled beauty
Another thrill has been our visit to North Island, one of the 115 islands constituting the Seychelles. No wonder so many friends have raved about this luxury resort. Spotless beaches and magnificently lush tropical grounds, such privacy that you wonder if there is anyone else there, memorable gourmet food (what and where YOU want) and serious conservation make this a must for all luxury experience travelers. Our pre-breakfast hike up Congement Mountain, with South African guide Greg explaining the re-introduction of the island's indigenous forest, will stay with me always. www.north-island.comNorth Island, North Island, Seychelles
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Chic luxury emerges from a dramatic desert landscape at Desert Palm, Dubai
Per Aquum's next resort will be Desert Palm, a green oasis only 10 minutes from Dubai airport (and 20 minutes from Sheikh Zayed Road). At one time planned as an Amanresort, the 26-room property on the 150-acre top polo complex in Dubai opens August 26th in time for the September to February polo season. Some rooms, and Rare restaurant, overlook one of owner Ali Albwardy's four polo fields. The signature Presidential villa has its own pool; hotel architect is Ali Reda, formerly with Kerry Hill, designer is Isabelle Miaja and joint GMs are David and Jacquie O'Hara (photo). WOW factors will include afternoon tea watching polo, visiting the 300-horse stables, and the polo museum. www.desertpalm.ae
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A seamless fusion of design and warm hospitality to be found at Lisloughrey Lodge
Lisloughrey Lodge, on the banks of Lough Corrib (photo) near Cong, in Co Mayo, promises to be one of Ireland's most popular luxury hotels, thanks to its innovator, Ray Byrne, who made his name with Wineport Lodge at Glassan, www.wineport.ie. The 50-room Lisloughrey Lodge, run by Marc MacCloskey and Hilde Stuiver, is close to Connemara and Galway, and it is a haven for salmon and trout fishing and golf. www.lisloughrey.ie
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Malibu Beach Inn to reopen on ‘Billionaires Beach’
Malibu's Carbon Beach - known to many as billionaires' beach - looks set to become even more of a magnet for the A-list. Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, who owns the 21-room Casa Malibu Inn, is about to open a large Japanese-themed Pier View Café, and media mogul David Geffen is re-opening the 47-room Malibu Beach Inn, with private Carbon Beach club, next month. www.malibubeachinn.com
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Solve the mystery of foreign electric connections
Even the most global jet-setter has problems remembering what electric plug works where (no, Australia, not everyone uses that 3-prong Y-shape, although it might work in China) - and if you live in South Africa you will find India is one of the few other countries where your appliances immediately plug in. www.travel-images.com/electric-plugs.html is a site that tells you what works where. Still on staying connected, www.petergreenberg.com has an article on internet connectivity throughout the Caribbean. He praises Barbados (with free WiFi at the airport), Jamaica and Puerto Rico. There is a dismaying lack of connections in the Dominican Republic, Montserrat and the Netherlands Antilles - and forget Cuba and Haiti.
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True luxury is embodied in calmness and relaxation at the Kempinski Grand Heiligendamm
Kempinski Grand Heiligendamm, on the Baltic, has resident yoga master, Vijay Vyas, who came from Ananda in the Himalayas. The 225-room year-round resort, right on the beach, also has a Michelin star and a spa with La Prairie and Ligne St Barth's products, and a complimentary three-floor kids' club. High-speed ICE trains start services to Berlin and Hamburg next month - but avoid early June as the entire neighborhood will be closed for the G-8 meeting June 5-7. New hotel GM is Martin Kolb. www.kempinski-heiligendamm.comGrand Hotel Heiligendamm, Heiligendamm, Germany
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Tantalize your taste buds at Pure, a restaurant with a focus on only organic ingredients
Organic food is making great waves in India, as evidenced by Pure restaurant in Taj Land's End Hotel in the Bandra district of Mumbai (among the many top Bollywood stars who lives a few minutes away is Shah Rukh Khan, face of the TAG Heuer brand in India and host of KBC's Kaun Banega Crorepati, Who Wants to be a Millionaire). The 57-seat restaurant, designed by the Montreal hot-pair, Yabu Pushelberg, features foods by top US chef Michel Nishan, and onsite chef is enthusiastic Californian Josh Kemper. Try such dishes as Cochin courgette flowers filled with mushroom puree, pumpkin and sage gnocchi with no-fat carrot miso sauce, and imported salmon on crystallized cauliflower. All suppliers are certified organic. www.tajhotels.com
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Classified Food Shop – Designed for those who love food
Hong Kong's Classified speciality gourmet shop, run by GM Matthew Siegel, received a rave write up in Time Magazine. The brain child of Alan Lo, Arnold Wong and Altaya Wines importer Paulo Pong - who work as AAP Investments Ltd - Classified and its adjacent siblings, The Press Room restaurant and MINT club, attract the increasing number of younger high-achieving gourmets. The humidity-controlled Classified offers Ardrahan and Stinking Bishop cheeses, Joselito hams. www.thepressroom.com.hk
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The Four Seasons Hotel, Boston offers a truly luxurious and unique package
Million-dollar mums are all going to hope someone has bought them the unique package offered by The Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, on May 12th. As well as Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL transport, and a full-time butler in the hotel's Presidential Suite, she gets an 85.91-carat Lazare Kaplan square emerald cut diamond necklace, a Mario Russo hair-do, a Heath Robbins commemorative photo, dinner in Aujourd'hui and brunch for ten in the Suite dining room. www.fourseasons.com/boston
Four Seasons Hotel Boston, Boston, United States
See other hotels in Boston (12)
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Rite of Spring Festival to take place in Reykjavik, Iceland
Balkan musician Goran Bregovic (photo), who pairs a gypsy brass band with curious Bulgarian polyphonies, is one of stars at Iceland's second Rite of Spring festival in Reykjavik, May 17-19. Focusing on such cutting edge Folk, Jazz and World Music, others playing will be the Scottish/Latin folk fusion Salsa Celtica, Brazilian bossanova guitarist Ife Tolentino and Icelandic pioneers and jazz – funksters Mezzoforte. www.riteofspring.is
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The Sani Gourmet Food Festival offers Mediterranean flavors that honor pure ingredients
Sani Gourmet Food Festival, Halkidiki, Greece is scheduled for May 19th – 26th. Consultant is Apostolos Trastelis, owner of the Michelin star restaurant The Spondi in Athens, and this year's visiting chefs include two with two Michelin stars, Eric Frechon, Hôtel Le Bristol, Paris, and Maurizio Santin, Antica Osteria del Ponte, Milan. The festival will also feature wine tasting and book signings from renowned cookbook author Epikouros. The Sani Art Gallery will feature displays from the Design Museum in Thessaloniki and an exhibition of bottle openers from the Gerovasiliou private collection. www.saniresort.gr
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‘Cartier: Innovation Through the 20th Century’ exhibit opens
Moscow's elite will think and breathe Cartier on May 23rd, www.cartier.com. This is the launch of the Kremlin Museum's exhibition, Cartier, Innovation Through the 20th Century, www.kreml.ru. Following the official opening, the director of Cartier Russia, Tatiana Torchillina, is hosting a gala dinner. Cartier global management, including President/CEO Frederic de Narp, will be flying in from many countries: official incoming travel agency for the event is Greozy Travel. www.greozy.ru
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The streets of Monaco are to host the Formula One Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix takes place May 23-28 - last year's was won by Fernando Alonso in a Renault. The course is 77 laps around the narrow, winding streets of Monte Carlo. Tickets are overseen by the Automobile Club de Monaco (This summer, by the way the Fairmont Monte Carlo has a Grace Kelly Years package, with complimentary tickets to The Grace Kelly Years exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum - HRH opened the hotel in 1975, www.fairmont.com). Also on the automobile front, the USA's circuit, Nascar Inc, holds its race at Charlotte NC May 24-28.
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Crystal Cruises is offering luxury hotel and rail options
Crystal Cruises is taking guests deep into Europe’s interior in 2007, a departure from the typical pre- and post-cruise hotel stay. Via four- and five-night luxury hotel programs from Venice and Rome, Crystal guests can enjoy extended stays in Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg and Lake Como. Crystal Cruises is also offering luxury rail travel options aboard the Orient-Express, www.crystalcruises.com. (Villa d'Este, one of the finest European luxury hotels, is right on the shores of Lake Como and it has now re-opened for the summer season. www.villadeste.com)
Villa d'este, Lake Como, Italy
See other hotels in Lake Como (2)
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Discover ‘The Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings’ exhibition
There is still time to see London's Royal Academy exhibition The Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings, which closes June 10th (shown is Waterloo Bridge, c. 1901, Claude Monet, owned by Triton Foundation, the Netherlands). The exhibition, sponsored by Bank of America, includes scenes Monet executed at Etretat on the Normandy coast in the early 1880s; the series of Views of the Thames, begun on his trips to London between 1899 and 1901; and the water-lily panels of the late 1910s, which stem from line drawings in sketchbooks inspired by his water gardens at Giverny. www.royalacademy.org.uk
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Park Hyatt Dubai is a hidden treasure for globe trotters seeking relaxation
With all the rushing around today's globe trotters notch up, last minute relaxation before going to the airport is a perfect stress reliever. Until the above-mentioned Desert Palm opens, the nearest country-set luxury hotel to Dubai airport is Park Hyatt Dubai, also ten minutes' away. The perfect relaxer is a swim in the palm-set pool and a Carita facial or massage in one of the eight indoor-outdoor treatment rooms. Come back up to your room and look across Dubai's famous Creek to the cable car, the high-rises of the city beyond, and the setting sun. www.dubai.park.hyatt.com
Park Hyatt Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
See other hotels in Dubai (19)
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Coming up in June
Coming next month, we have Insider Bernard Lambert, who runs SBM in Monaco; Away-Night is the Trident Hilton Gurgaon, near New Delhi, and we suggest Seven Sensational wine cellars in which you can dine. Note: if you have not yet signed up for our complimentary emailed newsletter, I invite you to do so now. Have a great month!
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