1. HEALTH & HAPPINESS
Aleenta Phuket Resort & Spa offers some of the best holistic medical wellness in the region, and is the perfect place to nurture mind, body and soul. Each suite, villa and residence has its own private pool with views over Natai Beach and sunset views over the Andaman. Book a five, 14 or 21-day retreat at Ayurah Wellness Centre, choosing between mind balance, detoxification and purification, immersive yoga, breathing vitality, weight optimisation and self-love. Once you’re done for the day, you reward yourself with time spent at this pool, touring Phang Nga Bay or with a waterfall and wine picnic. Book a private candle-lit dinner on the beach, then sleep it off in a pool villa or the Grand Villa Satis for pure contemporary chic.
2. SPA-ING PARTNER
The Maldives is always a good idea in our mind, and now the kids are back at school, surely you’re due a reward for surviving the holidays! Book yourself in for the Best of Maldives Experience package at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, with either a four or seven-night stay in a Beach Pool Villa or Over-Water Pool Villa, with half-board consisting of breakfast and dinner at three restaurants and a four-course lunch at SEA. If you book eight or more nights, you’ll also get a Manta ray snorkelling session or dolpin cruise. The epitome of ‘getting away from it all’, the island is the perfect hideaway for detachment and reconnection. To make the most of it, check yourself into the spa, with its six over-water treatment suites, endless ocean views, nail salon, hair and beauty salon, steam room, Shirodhara treatment bed and over-water relaxation deck with cold plunge pool. One thing’s for sure, you won’t want to come home!
3. A POLYNESIAN PARADISE
French Polynesia has something truly magical about it – its endless turquoise waters flanked by undulant green peaks, it offers so much for nature lover and outdoor adventurers. Stay at Four Seasons Bora Bora, a sand-fringed idyll in the shadow of Bora Bora’s Mount Otemanu, where can toast sunsets from your private plunge pool, whilst marvelling at the Tahitian night sky. Swim amongst the colourful corals teeming with exotic sea life, take a private yacht to the hilltop studio of renowned painter Alain Despert to spend an afternoon in his creative company, or board an outrigger canoe to a private white-sand islet and enjoy a three-course sunset champagne dinner. Stay for three nights and you’ll get the fourth complimentary, including daily breakfast in Tere Nui restaurant.
4. IT'S A TALL ORDER
The Shangri-La The Shard is housed in what is now one of London’s most iconic buildings, its vertiginous glass structure a beacon of modernity, soaring 125 metres high above the capital. It’s also the perfect starting point for your escapades in the capital, as it overlooks the River Thames, with beloved landmarks such as the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Borough Market and St Paul’s Cathedral within easy reach. If you’re looking for an excuse to celebrate, book the Celebrations in the Sky package, with a two-night stay in a luxurious room or suite, a bottle of champagne in-room on arrival, a five-course experience menu for two in Ting restaurant, daily breakfast and access to the highest hotel infinity pool and highest hotel bar in Western Europe. That’s something to cheers to, too!
5. MAKE THE MOST OF THE MALDIVES
It’s Manta Ray season in the Maldives, meaning it’s the best time, between now and November, to get up close and personal with the majestic angels of the sea. The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort is one of the best places to witness this marine life movement, as it has one of the best house reefs on the island on a UNESCO reserve in the Baa Atoll. Guests can start young, with their initiation into marine life conservation here too, with talks from the resort’s marine biologist about the underwater world around the reserve. Guests are also invited to hop in a boat and take a short trip to Hanifaru Bay, just 18 kilometres from the resort - to snorkel with these gentle giants. Book the #PlayWell with Manta Rays offer, and you’ll get daily breakfast, a Turtle Snorkel Trip, a Manta Ray Snorkel at Hanifaru Bay, one scuba dive in the resort reef and one in open water and more.
6. A CITY OF DISCOVERIES
Few places in Tbilisi feel as iconic as Freedom Square, so if you can bag a suite overlooking the statue for your Georgian getaway, even better! Make your bed at the Courtyard Tbilisi, literally a stone’s throw from the Georgian National Museum, Rustaveli Theatre, the State Opera House and oodles of art galleries, gardens and attractions. Book a chic and contemporary Junior Suite to have ample space to relax in before setting out to see the city, whilst allowing yourself to fall asleep amid the gentle buzz of Freedom Square’s spirit. There’s much to see, so plan your days well. If you’re visiting with kids, take the funicular up to Mtatsminda Park, which has carousels, water slides, a roller-coaster, and a big Ferris Wheel at the edge of the mountain with spectacular views of the city. For something a little more historical, take the cable car from Rike Park to the fortress of Narikala to see the Mother of Georgia statue.
7. WHEN NATURE CALLS
Before winter kicks in and snow takes over, make one last trip to Switzerland to enjoy its greenery and crisp alpine air. With its focus on nature and nurture, and epic outdoor experiences, Le Grand Bellevue Gstaad is always the perfect place to stay, whether you’re after an authentic alpine foraging adventure or more of a nature-based nurturing and spa escape. When you’re ready to explore, there’s wild swimming, stand-up paddleboard yoga at Arnen Lake, heli-hiking and Qi yoga, and mountain trail running tours. Back at the hotel, you can indulge yourself at Le Grand Spa, watch a movie in the cinema, play tennis on the Swiss Open centre court or take a chauffeur-driven tour in a vintage Bentley. The alpine-chic lodge homes cosy chalet-style suites with wooden beams and lavish split-level spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows from which you can gaze over Gstaad. Offering the longest summer season of any hotel in Gstaad, Le Grand Bellevue is open until October 2, 2022, giving you one last chance at a Swiss-style summer fling.