With impressive exterior design by Marin Teknik and sumptuous interiors by H2 Yacht Design, ULYSSES is one of the most imposing exploration mega yachts …
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The Most Expensive Luxury Holiday Experiences In The World
Downing 27,321’s in the Sky View Bar at the Burj El Arab
A luxury break can’t get any more luxury than a stay in the world’s only seven star hotel, and with rooms starting at £550 per night, you need to do something spectacular to set yourself apart from the millionaires and celebrities that are often seen frequenting this lavish hotel. The solution is a visit to the Sky View Bar which not only offers panoramic views across the whole of Dubai, but also the most expensive cocktail in the world. The 27,321 is named after its price in the local currency but were the cocktail in England then it would have to change its name to the less salubrious £5,029.00.
Chartering a Private Yacht around the Maldives
The Annaliesse and her sister ship, the Alysia, are the most expensive chartered yachts in the world, and for a mere £85,000 per day, you and up to 36 guests can cruise around the Maldives in some serious style. The Annaliesse comes complete with 34 crew members eager to attend your every whim, and a range of on-board pamper facilities including a marble-faced Roman bath, sauna, steam-room, Jacuzzi, on-board beauty salon, therapy beds and even a massage centre. But even the most pampered princess can get bored from being polished and preened all the time, and if you find yourself needing to take a break from luxury, you can always escape to the yacht’s onboard cinema and library.
Travelling on the World’s Most Expensive Plane Ticket
Your luxury holiday begins the moment that you board the plane, so you probably want your outward journey to be as memorable as your luxury break. The world’s most expensive plane ticket was a $100,000 ticket sold via eBay in 2007 to an Australian man, and his date, for a journey on Singapore Airline’s inaugural flight using the jumbo A380 Airbus. But there’s nothing like a bit of healthy competition in the travel industry and with Boeing having scheduled the first flight on its 787-Dreamliner for July 1st, you may be able to get your hands on a pricier ticket. Best start watching eBay now!
Eating the Most Expensive Meal in the World
The most expensive meal in the world was sold at the Dome Restaurant, Bangkok in 2007. The guest-list was a mere 15 people largely made up of American and Asian gaming and media moguls, and the price of the meal was a gut-busting $300,000. This involved six separate chefs being flown in from separate corners of the world and whilst the eight course meal has now been and gone, you can still enjoy a slightly cheaper meal whilst on your luxury holiday in the hotel’s outdoor restaurant, Sirocco. The restaurant also boasts the accolade of the highest seafood restaurant in the world.
A Holiday in the Rani Resort, Maldives
The Maldives are a stunning destination for a luxury holiday and Rani is definitely one of the most luxurious and most expensive resorts in the world. A night here will set you back around £7,000 but you do get your money’s worth. The four-figured amount gives you several hours use of the resort’s main yacht and unlimited food and drink in the restaurant, as well as spa treatments. However, if you can’t quite justify spending that kind of money on a day’s worth of pampering, then not to worry as the Maldives has plenty of other lavish resorts and boutique hotels that are worth exploring.
Portugal Luxury Vacations By Road And Rail
Portugal luxury vacations come in many forms, but if you are flying to Portugal with most of your travel then being by road and rail, you will want to travel as comfortably as possible. That involves business class flights, first class train tickets and your own private limousine with chauffeur. Whether you can find that or not is immaterial – it is what you will want, and there are travel companies that can provide you with level of comfort in addition to top class hotels and fine cuisine.
Portugal is the most westerly country on the European mainland, so the nearest to the USA after Ireland and the UK. Your flight destination will be the capital, Lisbon, sitting on the River Tagus and Portugal is historically the closest country to Britain with regard to political alliances (their 1373 alliance is the oldest standing in the world). It supported Britain during the Peninsular and Napoleonic wars, and they still regard themselves as being closer to Britain than to Spain.
So much for the history lesson: now for the vacation. The oldest part of Lisbon is the Alfama district, at one time actually comprising the whole city when it was ruled by the Moors, and now a labyrinth of small squares and narrow streets. It contains Lisbon cathedral, and many excellent restaurants that you must try.
Portuguese cuisine is centered on fish, although they also offer many fine meat dishes including piglet sandwiches. Portuguese pastry is renowned the world over, and their wines have been associated with Bacchus since the days of ancient Rome. The main wine area is Douro, although the country is probably most associated with the fortified port wine.
As Jerez in Spain is associated with sherry, so Oporto in Portugal is associated with port, and no Portugal vacations would be complete without a taste of a fine vintage port. Incidentally, the crusted port is not the best, and is generally known as the ‘poor man’s vintage’ port.
The National Palace of Portugal sits atop a hill on Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site due its architecture of the 19th century. It offers fabulous views of the Sintra-cascais Natural Park that includes the Serra de Sintra mountain range and the most westerly point of continental Europe, Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca), also known to the Romans. You will find some craft and antique shops at Sintra, well worth a visit for some Portuguese souvenirs. The Palace itself is also worth visiting, and contains rooms with strange names such as the Room of the Sirens and the Magpie Room. If you like a flutter on the tables, the casinos of Estoril are on the return journey to Lisbon.
Oporto is also known as Porto, and as already mentioned, is the home of port. It is made from red Douro wine which is then fortified with brandy. The brandy stops the fermentation, leaving unfermented sugar in the wine, giving it its sweetish taste. The port is then stored, mainly in barrels, and aged in cellars. Tawny port must be aged at least 7 years, and after that the label can state the wine to be 10, 20, 30 or over 40 years old. Vintage port is the flagship port, being produced from grapes grown in a declared ‘vintage’ year when conditions are favorable for good wines. Crusted port is of lower quality than vintage.
Under European Union guidelines, only port made in Portugal can be labeled ‘Port’, though for reasons of their own (probably due to their own ‘port’ industry, the USA has stated that port from Portugal must be labeled ‘Porto’ or ‘Vinho do Porto’. You must pay Porto a visit, although here, as elsewhere in Europe, you will find only wine made in Portugal to be labeled ‘Port’.
Apart from the wine, Porto offers the Cathedral, the Stock Exchange Palace and many traditional bars and restaurants in the narrow streets close to the waterfront. If you like fish, then this is for you because the fish dishes here are fresh and delicious. There are several port companies in Porto, although one of the better ones is Taylor-Fladgate who market the Dow, Croft’s and Sandeman brands among others. Taylor-Fladgate will offer you a tasting, and they also operate a fine restaurant that is well worth a visit for lunch or dinner. Their cellars are cross the River Douro at Vila Nova de Gaia. Just ask – everybody knows it.
Another excellent wine region is the Minho region, famous for its Vinho Verde, named after the fresh green color of the vine, not the wine (I have never seen green wine!). Like many Portuguese wines, it is excellent to drink with fish, although it is a very young wine, without any significant aging. The albarino grape is ideal for this type of wine, and has a slight sparkle to it a bit like the Franken wines of Germany.
In fact you are not far from Sesimbra here, a small fishing village where you can enjoy some deliciously fresh seafood along with a glass of vinho verde. What a fabulous way to spend a hot summer afternoon! Some perfect squid and fish stew and a glass of chilled wine. Or perhaps the cuttlefish or fresh tuna – that might be even better!
Close to Sesimbra is Coimbra that used to be Portugal’s capital, at least until 1256, and the Duke of Wellington stayed here during the Iberian campaign against Napoleon’s forces. It also boasts one of the oldest universities in Europe, dating back to 1290. This part of Portugal is really beautiful, and the entire country is small enough for you to drive around – particularly if you are not doing the driving! It’s around 350 miles x 135 miles, and you can drive the length of it in around 7 hours at an average of 50 MPH – the speed limits are much higher here than in the USA. However, the rail system is also very good.
That’s Portugal, and Portugal vacations are available in all shapes and sizes, ranging from wine tours to sightseeing. However, by far the best idea is to combine both, and the best way to travel is a combination of rail and road. Particularly if you have somebody to do the driving or have first class rail travel.
Travel Trailers Make A Good Match For Couples
Do you love traveling but don’t think a full size motor home is right for you? Then small travel trailers might be right for you. The small size makes them easy to tow, easy to use, and a great weekend getaway.
Travel Trailers are Perfect for Couples
Who says that once your kids leave you have to have empty nest syndrome? Once the kids are gone, you can pack up your small RV and hit the road. No need to stay in expensive hotel rooms. No need to pack up several tents and load up with sodas. When it is just the two of you, you can jump in your trailer and take off.
Size Does Make a Difference
When you are pulling a lightweight trailer, all you need is a small truck or SUV. You hook it up to the trailer hitch and drive away. Since it is so lightweight and usually only ten feet long, maneuvering is a synch. Not to mention, the smaller trailers are aerodynamic making them good on gas mileage as well.
No Hotel Needed
Although small, these small trailers are perfect for traveling in style. Wherever you go, you take your own bed, kitchen, bathroom and entertainment with you. No more wondering how clean a hotel is or looking for a clean bathroom. You always know that you have a clean place right behind your truck.
Travel trailers come with air conditioning, heating, bathroom, shower, refrigerator and slide out rooms. It is like taking your mini house with you wherever you go. Not to mention, you can find good campsites anywhere you want to go. While you might need to make camping reservations during busy seasons, most of the time you can just show up and camp.
Short Trips, Long Trips, the Travel Trailer is Ready
You might think that you have to stay local since your trailer doesn’t have much room for supplies. However, you can pull up to a local Wal-Mart and restock at any time. Once you reach your campsite, you can unhitch and drive off in your car to purchase more supplies.
If you are gone for extended times, then you can easily unhitch and drive to a laundry mat. Your trailer will be waiting safely back at your campsite while you tour the city or get errands done.
Travel trailers can turn empty nest syndrome into fun filled vacation getaways. They are just the right size for two people to travel in full comfort.
How Indian Luxury Trains Can Make Your Holiday Royal
The visitors in India now have an opportunity to travel popular tourist destinations in a royal manner. India has some world class luxury heritage trains which offer exceptional luxurious facilities. The Indian luxury trains cover the entire Indian cultural heritages while passing through many interesting historical and quaint cities of India. These luxury trains in India are equipped with best of comforts and take you back into history.
Travelling as a group is better than alone. Planning a trip as oneself is always confusing and might be not enjoyable as well as time confusing. If oneself who want to travel alone and don’t have any idea then travel agency is good option for it. In India there are many beautiful places available for planning a trip. You can divide India such as four regions East, West, North and South and each of these four regions nurture cultures that are unique and have different traditions. And you can choose any one of the regions for travelling according to your suit.
How to choose where to go:
Travel agencies are always good for planning your holidays. They suggest best places according to the nature which one is best place for travelling. In the travel industry, the travel operators are most skilled and knowledgeable people. They are provided with different resource material, training and education so that they can offer best service with the highest quality. The Travelling in Indian luxury trains, gives you a unique experience to explore the Indian panorama. The Indian Railways along with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation provides a wide range of Indian luxurious trains tour. There are four tourist trains and three categories of superfast passenger rail services availed by the Indian railways.
For a luxury travel, there are several options available for tourists to choose the Indian luxury trains appreciate the travel experience and enjoy Royal journey for a long time. Luxury trains in India like the Maharaja Express, the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Palace of Wheels, Fairy Queen, Deccan Odyssey, and The Golden Chariot etc. offers a real majestic experience of comfort in a board. The all modern comforts and facilities available in the coaches of all these luxuries train.
Popular luxury trains in India:
The Maharaja Express Train operated by the Indian Railways, 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations from North-West and Central Indian states. The luxury train of Maharaja Express was voted as “The World’s Leading Luxury Train” trice 2012, 2013 and 2014 awarded as World Travel Award.
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is also Indian luxury train which is operated by the Indian Railways. This train moderate in Palace on Wheels and running in Rajasthan areas. There is a great tourist places are available in Rajasthan.
The Golden Chariot Train started in 2008 by Indian Railways and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC). Golden Chariot Train is going through the beautiful sites of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala & Tamil Nadu as well as Pondicherry. It is all depending by the selected itinerary.
Deccan Odyssey is also an Indian luxury train based on the model of Palace on Wheels. This train includes beautiful sites of Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Goa, Kolhapur, Pune, Nasik, Ajanta-Ellora etc. This train is operated by Indian Railways and Maharashtra Government. The Deccan Odyysey train design based on world class luxury coaches and gives an all modern amenities including 5 star hotels on wheel, modern restaurants and bar, business centre and other amenities.
The Indian luxury trains offer similar majestic facilities and services to all customers. Great hospitality, excellent services and supports, appearance and quality of the coaches in Indian luxury trains gives you the feel of being treated like royal.
Denis Island in Seychelles voted as Varum Sharma's Favourite Dive
UK Travel journalist, Varun Sharma has voted the Denis Private Island in the Seychelles as his favourite dive of the year so far.
In October last year, The Sunday Independent highlighted scuba diving in the Seychelles saying: “The Seychelles is one of three destinations in the world reputed to offer the best snorkelling sites.”
Varun Sharma, from the Inside Luxury Travel show, seems to agree with this after recently taking his scuba diving holidays to the beautiful island in the Seychelles and exploring the magnificent underwater world.
The popular travel journalist created the Inside Luxury Travel TV show which is broadcast on the Travel Channel across the world and into 500 million homes. Sharma’s travel expertise and knowledge allows him, together with his award-winning production team, access into some of the most exotic and most private destinations in the world.
Denis Island is one of those exotic destinations and is situated in one of the best scuba diving destinations in the world; the Seychelles. The surrounding sparkling azure waters of the coral island are protected and teeming with marine species such as triggerfish, clownfish, parrotfish, manta rays, sea turtles, white tip and reef sharks, sailfish, tuna, dolphins and whales.
The colourful coral reefs and gardens are fantastic for snorkelling and scuba activities and once divers have explore the beauty underwater, they can head back to the island to discover its breathtaking natural landscapes comprising white sand beaches, lush green forests and palm trees.
Denis Island is an idyllic retreat for tourists seeking tranquil surroundings for romantic escapes, weddings, honeymoons, family holidays, wellness breaks and scuba diving in the Seychelles.
The luxurious Indian Ocean resort boasts a selection of accommodation options including Beach Villas, Family Villas, Beachfront Spa Cottages, Deluxe Beach Cottages and Beach Cottages. Each villa and cottages offers fresh decor and wooden furnishing and a selection of modern amenities including iPod docking stations, wine chillers, mini-fridges, air conditioning, telephones, hairdryers, and open-air bathrooms with al fresco showers. The villas and cottages also feature private decks with daybeds, sun loungers and chairs.
Facilities at the island resort include a spa with natural and rejuvenating treatments, a library, tennis courts, swimming pool, wine cellar and gourmet restaurants.
CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Alain St.Ange, was thrilled with this vote of confidence by Varum Sharma.
“We always knew that our diving is one on the very best and that a swim in the turquoise blue seas of the Seychelles remains like swimming in an aquarium, and we are thankful to Mr. Sharma for bringing one of our unique selling points to the world at large,” he said.