Just Back From: Shanghai

Our close friend, John Ladd, founder of Vitae Collection, recently returned from a visit to Shanghai. John was kind enough to share his feedback with TWIL.

I am excited to share my recent experience visiting the new Capella Shanghai which officially opened in September 2017.

Located in the chic and historic tree-lined streets neighborhood of the French Concession (Xuhui District), Capella Shanghai is a spectacular oasis from the hustle and bustle of the popular tourist areas of the city.  This ultra-luxury urban retreat is perfectly suited for travelers interested in more than just another hotel room in Shanghai… but instead an authentic and exclusive Shanghainese residence living experience.

Capella Shanghai, featuring 55 one, two and three bedroom shikumen (stone-gate) villas ranging from 1400 sq. ft – 2300 sqft. also includes the award-winning Auriga Spa, le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire restaurant and “The Gallery” including la Boulangerie pastry shop and a variety of other boutiques and restaurants facing West Jianguo Road.

Just Back From: Japan

Our close friend, Jessica Rosen,  who represents Destination Asia, recently returned from a visit to Japan. Jessica was kind enough to share her feedback with TWIL.

I was extremely excited to visit Japan when the opportunity came up. Japan is a top destination – with almost 30 million people visiting each year – and I was dying to find out why for myself. I had very high expectations. Now that I’ve been there, I can tell you that it met and exceeded all my expectations!

As soon as the plane landed, I knew that this trip would be spectacular. It started with the Japanese people. Each person I met, including my fantastic guides, were amazingly kind and courteous. Strangers on the street would assist with directions and would go as far as walking me to the locations I needed to get to. The hotel bellman would block the top of the car to make sure I never hit my head entering or exiting a taxi. Even the customs agents apologized for keeping me waiting - this just proves how nice and warm the people of Japan are. I felt safe, humbled and grateful for meeting new people.

I was struck by the Japanese attention to detail, in every walk of life. They treat their food like works of art with the exact placements, and up to 16 different courses at the ryokans! The public transportation, whether it be cars, buses, city trains, or the bullet trains, is clean, sleek, and, most importantly, never late. On the rare occasion when it is late, riders are given certificates to bring to their employers.

During my 10-day trip I visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and the Setouchi region. I absolutely LOVED Tokyo. Tokyo is the ultimate big city with tons of quirks. I spent an afternoon in Harajuko mesmerized by the different cafes, large cotton candies and the oh so fabulous Harajuko girls with their pink hair and eccentric clothing. That night I had dinner at the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku. This was the ultimate night out - think bright lights, robots, and a silly but interesting plot line! I was smiling for 2 hours straight at the outrageousness of the Robot Show.

From Tokyo I moved onto Kyoto where I had perfect weather (in February!!). Kyoto truly combines the old with the new - the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkaku-ji, was a stunning work of art dating back to 1397, and the Fushimi Inari Shrine was overwhelmingly intricate (and gorgeous!) with its 10,000 tori gates!

From Kyoto I took a day trip to Nara. I felt like a true Disney Princess being in Nara. I was surrounded by hundreds of deer (I believe the park has an estimated 1,200) roaming around. Not only does Nara have deer but it is home to the massive UNESCO World Heritage Site, Todaiji Temple. I found a day trip to Nara to be essential when visiting Kyoto and well worth the 35 Minute Shinkansen train ride from Kyoto Station.

Most of my trip was spent it Setouchi, and wow, it was well worth it! I fell in love with this hidden gem in the western-southern part of Japan that is off of the Seto Inland Sea. The Setouchi area consists of 3,000 different islands (Japan has 6,900 total) and it is one of the world’s largest archipelagos.

The first stop in Setouchi was Kobe! I took a 27-minute Shinkasen ride from Kyoto Station to arrive in Kobe. I stayed at the Kobe Merikien Park Hotel which had a wonderful view of the port with the best ferris wheel show I have ever seen

Kobe is known for two famous things – (1) Kobe Beef and (2) Sake! I had the pleasure of going to a group dinner where we all dined on melt-in-your-mouth Kobe beef. The following morning, we visited a Sake Brewery where we learned about the processes of making sake and thankfully got to taste a few different kinds. Just like the rest of Japan, the details and manual labor going into the art of making sake is very intricate. Viewing the processes made me value drinking sake so much more.

Upon leaving Kobe, we headed to the Okayama Prefecture. Our first stop was at the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum. While there, we got to witness a sword master creating a sword by heating metal and hitting it with a hammer. This technique requires three people and over a month of work! I had the pleasure of contributing to this creation.

Next stop, Hotel Ofutei, located in the Hiroshima Prefecture, where I experienced my first ryokan! One of the biggest questions people ask, “Should I stay in a ryokan?” My colleague, Andrew, did an excellent job of answering that, and I agree with his sentiment, Yes, stay in a ryokan!

Hotel Ofutei had breathtaking views, an indoor and an outdoor onsen (hot spring with a bath) that was so remote you got to feel the nature. It was located in Fukyama, also known as the place where they shot The Wolverine movie. Our wonderful guides were very proud of the fact that Hugh Jackman stayed in this area.

Setouchi literally means Inland Sea. Because Setouchi is made of so many islands, the scenery is breathtaking regardless of where you end up. It is a wonderful place to visit and experience nature in Japan. Being in Setouchi and on the Seto Inland Sea, taking a boat ride (or 3!!!) is a must

One of the biggest draws in Setouchi is Naoshima Island,an island in the Hiroshima Prefecture that is an art haven. First, you have the ever luxurious Benesse House Hotel with sleek minimalist rooms. Connected to the hotel is the Benesse House Museum with today’s modern art. The most highly regarded museum on Naoshima Island is the Chichu Art Museum which has artwork by many famous artists,including Claude Monet and James Turrell. For all of your clients who seek out art, Setouchi offers an art show every two years called the Setouchi Triennale. The next one will be in 2019. The Setouchi Triennale was first held in 2010 and it is intended to create Setouchi to be a leading destination for contemporary art. Clients who are passionate about art will be impressed by Setouchi and Naoshima Island.

Visiting Setouchi was a breath of fresh air after spending a few days in the big cities. It is a great addition to any trip to Japan. Whether you just wish to add 2 or 3 days onto your itinerary to see a different side of Japan or if you are returning for a second or third time, and would like to spend a week in Setouchi, you will not be disappointed. Setouchi provides an opportunity for people to experience a more unique and authentic part of Japan. It is a perfect destination for travelers who would like to get off the beaten path.

Based on my brief but jam-packed trip, no matter where you end up going in Japan, you will find kind people, beautiful surroundings, delicious food, and have a great time.

My friend jokingly said Japan is a Utopia, and all joke aside, it just might be.

Just Back From: Petit St. Vincent

We recently had a client return from a fabulous stay at one of our favorite hidden gems, Petit St. Vincent. Her review of the property and overall experience was so spot on, we just had to share it:

We had an absolutely lovely time at PSV - beyond our expectations! The journey there was long but well worth the effort - even the landing onto Union Island was an experience as you come over the backyards and a mountain:) From the moment that we stepped onto the boat launch to PSV until we left, the staff could not have been more incredible and this is really what I think is the ‘gem’ of this property. Matt (the GM) met us as we arrived, gave us a little tour and then to our ‘hideaway’ on the Bluff with your lovely note to welcome us and a bottle of champagne and chocolates. We were left to be as private as we wished or participate in evening activities - dinners on the Beach or in the Main House or in our cottage - we could choose how to spend our day without feeling pressured to ‘go somewhere’ or ‘do something’ and this suited us perfectly. We do tend to be less outgoing when we travel and we like to be on our own agenda as opposed to someone else’s. 

The Island is definitely quiet but we loved this - we walked every day, went to the West Beach several times to spend hours, did yoga, took a snorkelling trip on the ‘Beauty’ to the Tobago Cays, met friends for lunch one day as they were sailing by on a Catamaran cruise and read more books on our ‘to do’ list. We met other couples who have been to PSV 18 times and 11 times - and we can definitely understand their desire to continually return. There is something very special about the peacefulness and serenity - the beauty of the island, the colours of the water, the views, the night sky…….exceptionally unique. 

We loved our cottage and the location on the bluff gave us great views and privacy. The flag system works! So fun to use and never any waiting for service! The food was good - the dinner menu changed every evening so, even though we were there for 10 days, we did not have the same meal twice. As we settled into the Island life, we felt like part of a secret family of people - the staff are so amazing and Matt and Ani have created an exceptional team of people who really made us feel comfortable. Meeting their children, their teacher, the dive team, the boat captains - all gives a perspective of how much work it takes to keep this property exclusive but not pretentious. 

I can’t say that there was anything to be critical of - we felt that 10 days was long enough but we were rested and ready to return to our lives (though not the cold!) The weather was beautiful - a bit of rain each evening and the last days were overcast and windy but that all adds to the atmosphere. There was more boat traffic in the area as the Caribbean was recovering from their hurricane damage, but that was interesting too. 

In our North American expectations, we were a bit unsure of the ‘no Boarding passes’ etc for Grenadine Airways but all was in order and there were no difficulties at any point. 

Thank you, Ilana, for the perfect recommendation - many have asked us how we ‘discovered’ PSV and we can only give you the credit! 

It is definitely a place that we will return and remains a special memory for us. 

**All photos are compliments of Petit St. Vincent**

Just Back From: BodyHoliday Resort, St. Lucia

One of our fabulous clients just returned from a trip to Body Holiday with her two adult children and had some incredible feedback to share:

Rooms:

The oceanfront junior suite was a great choice as it was on the third floor with an amazing view. We were lucky enough to have no one above us. The room was definitely renovated and was significantly nicer than the regular oceanfront rooms. Our children were in the ocean view rooms and they were perfect for them. There room was close to ours as it is not a huge resort.

Sports:

Body Holiday has a stellar fitness and gym program. We were able to take advantage of the yoga and spinning classes offered. Classes were all very busy, not in a bad way, just seemed like everyone was there for fitness.

Water Sports & Beach:

It was fantastic to have paddleboards, kayaks, sailboats and waterskiing all included. We arranged snorkeling and scuba days through the hotel and both were excellent. The beach is beautiful and completely private. There are cliffs at both ends which ensured that no one is walking from other resorts or soliciting.  

Spa:

The spa was really fantastic. We did included service every day, there was no need to pay for the premium services. We would suggest booking them prior to arrival as it does get very busy.

Food:

The food was one part than just didn’t quiet hit the mark. It was adequate but not stellar. Wine and drinks were great. House wines were totally fine and everyone drank them instead of ordering premium bottles.

Entertainment:

There was really good live music, local and otherwise, every night. Both Christmas and new years was memorable. There were huge fireworks the on New Years Eve.

Just Back From: South Africa

We just had two wonderful families return from the trip of a lifetime in South Africa.  They started their trip off in the bush, where they enjoyed incredible wildlife viewing on safari (witnessing a Leopard Kill and a live wildebeast birth within 24 hours!!), then made their way to Cape Town, where they spent close to a week exploring the beautiful sights, enjoying the weather, eating their way through the very best culinary spots, and partaking in just a few of the heart pounding activities available (paragliding, and hiking Table Mountain, they opted out of Great White cage diving!).

Following Cape town, a trip to South Africa is not complete without time spent exploring the winelands, where the families visited some of the Cape’s top wineries, which boast stunning grounds and landscapes, in addition to delicious wine varietals.

Last, but not least, our families concluded their African Adventure with a stop in Zambia, where they rang in the new year in style, glamping it up along the banks of the Zambezi River, where they spent their last few days in Africa visiting Victoria Falls (including Devils Pool), game viewing on land and river and exploring the local community and culture.

Both families returned home having made lifelong memories of their time in Africa and could not have been more thrilled with the experience. We just wanted to share a short video tribute they created upon their return.