November 7, 2009
Maldives
November 1-3
My first stop in the Maldives was the Beach House, a former Relais & Chateaux hotel and soon-to-be member of the Waldorf Astoria Collection. The 68-villa property is located in one of the most Northern Atolls – the lagoon-ringed Haa Alifu Atoll – on Manafuru island. As expected, arriving to the remote hotel [...]
Continue reading about The Beach House – its All about the Over Water Villa
October 30, 2009
Amsterdam
October 28th, 2009
Okay, so its not exactly ‘off-the-beaten-path’ or an obscure find in the middle of the city, however, I still prefer to consider the Dylan Hotel in Amsterdam a Hideaway based on its size, setting and distinct style. With just 41 rooms, all totally different, and a tucked back location complete with intimate inner [...]
Continue reading about The Dylan: the two-time ‘Netherlands Leading Hotel’ by WTA
Amsterdam
October 27th, 2009
As with every city I visit (and now reside in), I’m always curious about the hotels and moreover, which one will provide the best overall recommendation for friends and family. Of course, all travelers are different and recommendations are best when tailored. For instance, I would never think of suggesting a hotel without [...]
Continue reading about Hotel Hunting in Amsterdam’s most charming neighborhood: the 9 Streets
October 21, 2009
Amsterdam
October 18th, 2009
My mom and her friend came to visit this past week and as a result, I was treated to a restaurant tour of my new, adopted city. Our first night was spent at Christophe, one of Amsterdam’s top spots and well lauded with one Michelin star. The cuisine is French and the decor [...]
October 15, 2009
Newsstands everywhere
The November Issue
The feature is on the superlative Molori Safari Lodge in South Africa, which I visited last November. The photo spread in the magazine looks beautiful and clearly illustrates the elegance of this Bush oasis.
Many thanks to the fabulous editors at Town & Country. Below are some of my own pics from my [...]
Continue reading about Molori Safari Lodge- Article in Town & Country
October 4, 2009
Lake Taganyika, Tanzania
October 4th, 2009
After the glorious (and very real) safari tour in Tanzania, my last stop was to Lupita Island Lodge, a private island located in the middle of the world’s second largest lake; Lake Taganyika. A fresh water lake with a maximum depth of over a mile, Lake Taganyika is a skinny sliver [...]
October 1, 2009
GRUMETTI RESERVE, SERENGETI, TANZANIA
October 1, 2009
If time travel were possible, this would be the closest thing to making you feel transported back to colonial (with some modern decadence, of course) Africa. I was starstruck from first glance. And while the cool towel and yummy lemon/lime drink attempted to root me to the moment, the sheer [...]
September 29, 2009
Grumeti Reserve, Tanzania
September 28th, 2009
Our first overnight in Tanzania was by far the most formal and least intimate with nature’s nighttime creatures (bugs, reptiles, monkeys, etc.) of the entire trip. Oh the things I would have better appreciated had I known what was coming. However, despite Sasakwa’s formality, California-desert style exterior, and hilltop location, it’s [...]
June 6, 2009
JUNE 2009
BOULDERS LODGE
SABI SAND RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA
I must admit I had considerable expectations for my visit to the famed Singita Lodge. I was quite familiar with the lodges, having read countless reviews and listened enviously to friend’s tempting travel tales and from what I had ascertained, Singita was the bar [...]
FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY