Friday Fantasy Vacation: The Serai

Anyone who’s seen this site before has probably picked up on the fact that I have a real soft spot for luxury camping; all the great things about being close to nature without the lumpy ground to sleep on. It doesn’t really get more luxe than the Serai near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. A Relais & Chateaux property that describes itself very accurately as “a luxury desert camp and spa”, it’s set on 30 acres in the Great Thar Desert and really couldn’t be more romantic and serene if it tried. I don’t doubt that a goodly portion of the other “campers” here would be honeymooners but the 14 tent suites are private enough that it should hardly matter. The fact that you can dine anywhere you desire on the property also helps alleviate any problems you may have sharing your private space with snuggly newlyweds. And there are plenty of excursion possibilities to keep one occupied such as Jeep or camel safaris, historical tours of the ancient fortress city of Jaisalmer or plain old pampering spa treatments. But enough talk, let’s take a look at all this beauty.

More information at Relais & Chateaux

Also available through i-escape

Photos curtesy of Relais & Chateaux

Wine Trip: Monaci delle Terre Nere

While doing some research on a Sicilian winery at work, I came across this amazing hotel on the slopes of Mt. Etna, surrounded by orchards and vineyards and all around gorgeousness. There are currently 6 rooms, but 12 are planned in the future after restorations are complete on some outbuildings. As if I needed another reason to want to visit Sicily!

MONACI DELLE TERRE NERE:

Photos curtesy of Welcome Beyond

Friday Fantasy Vacation: Sliding House, Nova Scotia

I’ve never been to Nova Scotia, and maybe October isn’t the ideal time to go there, but then again maybe it is. I’m picturing blustery afternoons curled up by the window with mugs of tea and playing cards with my family while the wind blows sea spray up on to the porch. This area looks beautiful and when you’ve got the option of being holed up in a great vacation house like this, who cares if you go outside or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available through Boutique Homes

Last Chance to Camp

I don’t know where you live, but where I am it’s about to turn cold and rain. A lot. While this change of season doesn’t make camping impossible, it does make it a lot less desirable. It is, however, the perfect season for luxury camping. I refuse to use the word “glamping” if only because it sounds like something someone does while sick with the flu, but also because I feel that it cheapens the experience of a real luxury camping experience. The setting is beautiful, nature is at your door and when it pours rain, you can retreat to the interior of an actual structure and snuggle in a real bed. There are often restaurants on-site and while you may or may not have to share a bathroom with your fellow “campers” you are almost always guaranteed a breathtaking view. Below are a few places I would love to visit during this in between season, if only to get in one last camp before winter.

Longitude 131°, Ayers Rock, Australia

Available through Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia: travel@voyages.com.au

Le Camp, Midi-Pyrénées, France

Available through Welcome Beyond: welcomebeyond.com

Dunia Camp, Serengeti, Tanzania

Available through Asilia Camps/ Lodges/ Safaris:  www.asiliaafrica.com

Treebones Resort, Big Sur, California

Available through i-escape: www.i-escape.com

Dolphin Beach, Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka

Available through Makara Resorts: reservations@dolphinbeach.lk

Elqui Domos, Elqui Valley, Chile

Available through Welcome Beyond: www.welcomebeyond.com

The Serai, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Available through Relais & Chateaux:  serai@relaischateaux.com

Hotel Highlight: Rough Luxe, London

I’ve been meaning to feature this hotel for a long time and have no idea why I haven’t until now. As much as I adore the regular version of “luxe”, I really adore the philosophy behind the Rough Luxe concept, that “luxury should be an enriching personal experience and not simply the ownership or utilisation of an expensive object”. You are entreated to act as a guest in this home. You will be served delicious breakfast, but there is no restaurant and no hip club attached. Your room may be small or larger and it is highly likely that whatever wallpaper may exist there will be peeling, but the “luxury” is in the details like high quality sheets and an artist in residence. It’s a concept that seems to have grown over the last few years as most places have struggled to find a way through a new economy, and it’s one that I think resonates well beyond your vacation time. Finding bits of luxury in your normal life can seem impossible until you realize that things like time and a good bottle of wine can add that bit of luxe to an ordinary life.

Photos curtesy of Rough Luxe Hotel

Friday Fantasy Vacation: Ca Maria Adele, Venice

Ahh, Venice. And, yes, I do take every opportunity I have to quote Indiana Jones, but the real point is that Venice is an amazing place. It really shouldn’t even exist given the lack of actual land and centuries of water lapping on to stone. But luckily for us, it does. There are many gorgeous places to stay in Venice, but this hotel really grabs me. I love that it’s almost over done. The fabrics, furnishings and baroque details are just piled on and the effect is fantastic. It seems like the sort of hotel you stay at when you want to pretend you are someone else. It’s a fantasy and that’s what the best hotels do for me: make me feel like I’m living in the fantasy.

 

Ca Maria Adele

- for photo credits, click on photo

Hotel Highlight: Sacred House, Cappadocia, Turkey

Perhaps it’s the barrage of news lately about religious zealots, insulted prophets and intolerant fear-mongerers that is making Sacred House all the more appealing to me. A renovated 250 year old mansion once belonging to a Greek aristocrat, this boutique hotel sits amid 1000 year old cave dwellings in the magical Cappadocia, Turkey. Each of the 12 rooms are decked out in antiques, gothic lights, medieval drawings and a blend of Christian icons and Islamic art. It’s managing to do what much of the world is not lately: blend east and west into a calm and beautiful environment. If only…

Photos curtesy of Sacred House unless linked to other source.