We Love Travel
30 January 2006
All Business Class Flights
A couple of companies have come into the market place in the last 12 months, Eos and MAXjet, who offer flights to New York and now Washington, which are totally comprised of business class seats. There's no longer 'turning left envy' as you board the plane. With 102 seats as opposed to 200, 60 inch seat pitches, great food, proper cutlery and a fantastic selection of movies - you won't actually want to get off the plane. The best bit of all is that at the moment MAXjet are offering return flights to New York and Washington for less than £1,000.
02 January 2006
Whitepods
Located in the heart of the Swiss Alps above the skiing resort of Villars in the Vaud Canton is Whitepod, a totally original ‘wilderness-style’ skiing concept. There are no cars, no buses, no hotels and it can only be reached by skis or on snowshoes. Based on the safari model, the cost includes flights, transfers, three meals a day, the service of guides throughout and ski passes. The only thing not included is ski hire. Whitepod consists of 5 pods modelled on the traditional igloo shape, pitched on raised wooden platforms around a traditional Alpine chalet. Each pod serves as a bedroom, designed for double or single occupancy. Heated by a wood burning stove and insulated with the latest technology, they are wonderfully warm day and night. Huge windows facing the bed offer breathtaking views to wake up to. Soft lighting by petrol lamps, organic bedding and throws - all enhance the sense of physical and spiritual well-being that Whitepod seeks to nurture. Each pod is even equipped with an i-pod for your entertainment. The pods are located around a central chalet housing a dining room, library, sitting room with open fire and two guest bathrooms. Meals are prepared from fresh and organic products by the resident chef.
28 November 2005
Caviar Overdose
Fur, caviar and champagne - how much more decadent can you get? Exeter International, a newly established tour operator in London, are organising wonderful weekends away in St Petersburg this winter. St Petersburg is undoubtedly Russia's most elegant city, with stunning architecture, fantastic art and beautiful waterways, and what better time to visit it than when you can wrap up in fur and wander the streets lost in Doctor Zhivagoesque fantasies as the snow-covered buildings glisten in the clear winter sunshine. Exeter International will organise your entire weekend away, which culminates in the most decadent Sunday brunch of them all, where unlimited caviar is on offer.
14 November 2005
Race Training
Did you ever sit in front of Ski Sunday dreaming of tearing down the piste clad in a figure-hugging lycra catsuit to the sound of cowbells? No, maybe it was just me then! Now you can learn how to race like the professionals - Emma Carrick-Anderson, Britain's top female skier for a decade, and her husband Phil Smith run race training courses in Tignes throughout the autumn and into the middle of January. They teach you how to carve properly, control your skis at speed and take a racing line - which all culminates in a race at the end of the week. You don't need to be a dedicated racer - the training does wonders for your skiing anyway - as they also offer a range of other courses from all-terrain (moguls, off-piste and ice) to back-country and dedicated off-piste. However, if you have ever wanted to wear lycra on the slopes, this is your best shot!
24 October 2005
Vegas Baby, Vegas
THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay is one of Vegas' finest - like the Four Seasons down the road it doesn't actually have a casino in it - which, if you've ever been to Vegas, is actually a blessing. Home to one of the city's finest bars and restaurants - Mix - the Ducasse restaurant's interior design is staggering, while the views from the bar's terrace, 43 floors up, over the strip are breathtaking. A sophisticated spa, comfortable and elegant suites and not an elasticated-waist-band in sight makes this the place to stay in town. Now if only i could beat the odds at the craps table... Oh, and make sure you stay at THE Hotel and not Mandalay Bay itself.