Wildlife tourism (of the "let's have a look from a distance and try not to disturb anything" variety, as opposed to "big-game hunting", which can't help but get bad press) has been a "go to" travel desire for people from all walks of life for a long time now - gap year students, honeymooners, people on a work break, people flush with a redundancy package, photographers, team-builders - you name it. But with so many options, what's the best way to do it? That's a question answered by our first article this week by @FlyingTheNest as they review some of their favourite luxurious safaris. They provide a ton of recommendations including the Ruaha National Park, where your 'tent' comes with your own butler and silverware and the outstanding Matetsi Private Game Reserve: This doesn't seem like a bad way to live either, for either party. Possibly not the most natural: Next up: Helsinki. I know Helsinki exists, but beyond that, I don't know much about it. If pressed I could reel off a few facts (hosted the '52 Olympics, it wasn't always the capital of Finland - Turku was for a long time, aaaand I'm out). Which is a shame. So thanks @YoungAdventures for enlightening me on how the city surprised you! In particular the depth and breadth of its cafe culture, its introverted nature, the Streat Helsinki food festival and its clash of cultures architecture. Finally, I came across one place I definitely want to try thanks to @okfleming via @TravelLeisure: The Nam Hai in Vietnam, which recently won Mr. and Mrs. Smith's top spa award of 2015. Even Jeremy Clarkson agrees, as he said in 2009: "If you’re passing, it’s worth dropping in. Actually, even if you’re not passing, it’s worth flying over there just so you are". So what's so good about it? Well, I'll let this paragraph do the talking (I haven't even included the paragraphs on the hotel and service): "But the “wellness retreat” itself, designed by architect Reda Amalou, is where the wow-factor really sets in. Described by Mr and Mrs Smith as a place “where Vietnamese chic meets cutting-edge design,” you won’t find your average, run-of-the-mill treatments here. Built according to a precise formula for zen, the spa features eight private relaxation bungalows that float serenely amongst lotus flowers on a koi fish-filled lagoon. Here, you are led through large French doors to an open air relaxation deck that juts out onto the lagoon, where a deep bathtub faces a cushioned daybed for two, and a vast selection of relaxing “rituals” and wellness “ceremonies” are offered. Each treatment begins with an oil-infused milk foot soak, and ends with you never wanting to leave. When Clarkson visited, he believed you could “get so relaxed here that your bones would melt,” calling it “the most astonishing spa in the whole world.” I'll leave it at that. Join the conversation Concierge99 makes it ridiculously easy for you to find ways to treat yourself by finding treats and services while away from home, making it feel more like home wherever you are in the world.
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This week I had the pleasure of chatting with one of our favourite experts in the format of a Twitter interview. That's right: 16 questions and 16 answers all limited to no more than 140 characters. We used the hashtag #concierge99 so others could follow along with the tweets and spent a great hour chatting about all things yoga, London and how Concierge99 customers can benefit from a little bit of me-time during their busy stay in this crazy city.
First let me introduce you to the lovely Emily Halton, who offers beginners, intermediates and pros Vinyasa and Hatha yoga classes in London in the comfort of their own chosen location, be that at home, in a temporary rental or even a hotel room. It's all up to the customer - what suits them best. And that's what Emily is all about: upon chatting with Emily, you immediately pick up how friendly, thoughtful and focussed she is, always thinking of her students, ensuring they are comfortable and relaxed, using humour to keep things light and not too serious. Let's get into the actual conversations we had over Twitter and you can see for yourself what kind of teacher Emily is. #TravelTuesday came flying around this week, arriving quicker than a supersonic passenger plane, with #TTOT (Travel Talk on Twitter) this week asking the travel community for its views on Airlines and Airfares. A nice easy question to start us off, courtesy of @TravelAtWill: Which airline makes economy flights better? How? The team at @aardvarksafaris kicked off with a carrier I haven't flown yet, telling us "@flyethiopian econ has lots of channels & a widescreen to keep you & other people entertained on long haul" Those seats certainly do look comfortable: Next up was @travelphotogiri, who reminded us that often for some flights, it doesn't really matter: "Comfort isn't my #1 priority on a short flight. Cost is." What's the cutoff for you @travelphotogiri? How long does a flight have to be before you look at other factors?
@tommyburson summed up his priorities quite nicely: "@FlySWISS mostly because of the free chocolate. A lot of free chocolate. Because chocolate makes everything better, right?" We agree, so we just planted a tree with @cffigrenada to help! I spend quite a bit of time reading a variety of articles, blogs and opinions on where to travel, why you should travel there and how to do it right. Sometimes they are spot on, other times I couldn't disagree more. I usually end up a little jealous that they were there - wherever it was. I couldn't possibly recount every word I read but what I am going to attempt here is to pick my top three articles, each week or so, and tell you about them so we can all benefit. It might be my three favourite places, or it might just be a particularly well written piece. Alternatively it contains a really interesting story. In any case, I hope it's entertaining and useful! First up is a quick look at Annecy, France - in the words of Brooke Saward: The cutest town in France. When someone says that, you should take notice. It's apparently just a bus ride from Geneva (albeit an hour long one) with trains from Lyon and Paris also available. Which reminds me, I'm overdue my annual trip to Lyon. Next up comes Formentera, Spain as published by Devin Friedman in Travel and Leisure. The opening paragraph:
Finally, I happened on a review of mouthwatering food in Austria. Specifically 15 foods you should try as told by @watchmesee. I've been to Austria but I don't remember writing home about the food. I clearly made a mistake. From Knödel (dumplings) to Brettljause (which, admittedly is just a collection of breads, cheeses, meats and pickles - but seriously what more do you want) to Käsekrainer (sausage filled with cheese), rounded off with some Apfelstrudel and a glass or two of Sturm. Sounds like a great day to me. Thanks to all three writers - they have definitely added three places to my must-see list! What about you? Let us know below, add yourself to our mailing list and join in! Join the conversation Concierge99 makes it ridiculously easy for you to find ways to treat yourself by finding treats and services while away from home, making it feel more like home wherever you are in the world.
One of the best in terms of useful content and enjoyability Twitter Chats we've found to take part in is the #luxtravelchat on Thursdays at 12:30pm EST created by @luxurytravelmom & @mrsoaroundworld. It suits us down to the ground: we love a bit of luxury, we love to hear how others have found luxury on their travels, and the feeling during the chat is that everyone involved wants to spread that love around and make sure others can partake in luxury while travelling. This latest chat was about Luxury Trends and how they affect how we travel around the world: This chat started out by asking:
Millennials like to travel in a tribe, are they the only ones? Who likes to bring the whole gang? @DelightThoughts hit it right on the head by starting out the answers with: "I only like to travel in groups IF everyone agrees that people are free to do their own thing." There was an outpouring of agreement from all sides including ourselves, @concierge_99 and organiser of the chat @mrsoaroundworld, both exclaiming “Amen!” in response! @LuxeRecess clarified how group travel should be done: “I love travel in big groups if we rent a house or villa and make meals events. Otherwise, nah.” And @Aardvarksafaris took it a step further with: “We have 'clans' of families, & the new trend of bringing your friends and family on honeymoon” which caused quite a stir as many felt honeymooning with friends was too much. However, we pointed out that #friendmoons are actually quite popular these days! (Ahem, we had one! :D) |
The AuthorsSiamac and Julieanne are avid world travellers, sun worshippers and enjoy sharing recommendations of treats they've encountered along the way. With this blog and Concierge99's Top 5 Guides, they can help you make the most of your travels, giving you an opportunity to find interesting and unique things to do wherever you are in the world. Join the conversation
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