Get set to swoon this Valentine’s Day with these three hot tips from boutique hotel experts Mr & Mrs Smith. Impress your paramour with an idyllic island escape near Phuket, a gourmet getaway in Langkawi or an uber-glam Hong Kong city break.

Best for beachside bliss: The Racha, Phuket, Thailand

Style Luxed-up nature
Setting Fantasy Island

For a tropical tryst on a postcard-perfect Thai isle, whisk your Mr Smith away to Phuket boutique hotel The Racha, a romantic resort on Racha Yai, a 35-minute speedboat ride south of the main island. Pared down and eco-chic, this modern oasis has been built in low-rise harmony with its environment, with serene whitewashed villas for clutter-free cool. Suites 101 or 102 are more secluded and have the most spectacular sea views, along with their own plunge pools. Splashing out? The Lighthouse is a five-storey, two-bedroom ‘villa’ with 360-degree island views.

Once you’ve slipped into island time, there’s no need to leave the hotel. Snorkel in pristine, fish-filled waters or pay a visit to Anumba Spa, where treatment rooms for two boast a sumptuous tub, steam room and outdoor shower. After an all-out pampering session, cradle a mojito as you watch the sun set over the sea at the smart Lobby Bar. When hunger hits, there’s a restaurant to suit all moods, including the relaxed Earth Café, poolside Fire Grill and casual Sunset Beach Restaurant. Private dinners are also on the menu – opt for a candlelit dinner on the Star Deck, then hit Ice Bar for a late-night vino, live music and karaoke if you’re game, or the Club del Mar Beach Club for chilled DJ-spun tunes.

Best for laid-back luxe: Bon Ton Restaurant & Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia

Style Rustic Malay restoration
Setting Lagoon-side Pantai Cenang

If a mix of fabulous food, poolside sun-loungers and serene surroundings floats your boat, then set course for laid-back Langkawi boutique hotel Bon Ton Restaurant & Resort. Surrounded by manicured greenery on a former coconut plantation, Bon Ton is home to eight genuine Malaysian stilted wooden houses, most more than a century old. Each of these antique timber homes is unique; five have open-air bathrooms with freestanding wooden tubs that up the romance factor. Palm Villa tops our list with its ornate carved windows and dreamy decor in turquoise and green.

Gourmets will go crazy for renowned restaurant Nam, which blends Eastern and Western cuisine with a dose of spice to create an imaginative and inventive menu. Plump for the signature Nyonya platter of nine Malay and Chinese dishes served on a banana leaf. After dinner, you don’t have far to travel for smart sips. Housed in an antique-filled, 60-year-old Chinese shophouse next to the restaurant is Chin Chin lounge bar, where liqueur-coffees and cocktails are specialities – grab a Short Island Iced Tea to enjoy on the deck.

Best for city slickers: The Upper House, Hong Kong, China

Style Celestial sleek
Setting Admiralty eyrie

Sigh-inducing Valentine’s Day stays don’t all require a passport and a plane ticket, though. For a lavish love-in closer to home, check in to Hong Kong boutique hotel The Upper House. Lord it up over the city skyline from the luxury of your apartment-style abodes – be sure to book one of the Harbour View rooms, which flaunt bird’s-eye vistas of the city’s waterways, skyscrapers and lush green hills from the bedroom, living area and bath. But remember – just as you can see all of Hong Kong as you soak, so can all of Hong Kong see you. Those remote-controlled blinds will come in handy…

Choosing the top table for a tête-à-tête is a no-brainer – simply sashay upstairs to Café Gray Deluxe (book ahead to nab a window seat or intimate booth), where master chef Gray Kunz crafts modern European cuisine in sleek surrounds with jaw-dropping harbour views. Alongside the restaurant, powder-blue curved banquettes and a 14-metre-long marble bar make Café Gray Deluxe Bar and Lounge a suitably showy outpost. Snuggle up for an enticing cocktail from master mixologist Sam Jeveons, or head to the chilled-out Sky Lounge to savour a single-malt over a board game. Don’t feel like fleeing your suite? Dial up room service around the clock – once you’ve raided the maxi-bar, stocked with cookies, chocolates, juices and beer, that is!

To book any Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotel, visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or call the expert Travel Team on 800 905 326. What’s more, BlackSmith membership is now free for life, so sign up today to receive life-enhancing extras and exclusive offers at more than 850 hotels and holiday houses around the world.

Recreating the ambience of ancient Hangzhou, Amanfayun is part of a restoration effort of a Tang Dynasty village to the west of the famous lake, converting a collection of enchanting dwellings into accommodations for modern day Marco Polos. Access into the village is via thick forests and bamboo groves, leading the intrepid visitor into a hidden world of bygone times:  quaint brick, earth and timber houses, topped with clay tile roofs, tranquil courtyards, tea fields, quiet streams, fragrant trees, and stone flagged interiors. Amanfayun forms an integral component of the village community as it stands, and is a part of its living history.

Guest rooms offer a little step back into the past, encapsulating – as Aman does best – all the romance with none of the privations. Warm your toes on underfloor heating in the winter, cool off in air conditioning in balmy weather and show off live to your friends with full internet connectivity. Converted as they are from authentic 19^th century houses, no two accommodations are quite alike. Furnishings are inspired by classical Chinese style, but favour light woods that lend a contemporary touch against the darker fittings, accented with artistic calligraphy pieces in an otherwise elegantly minimalist design, and lit with cosy amber lights. Most also have a semi-private courtyard.

Choose from one of the 16 Village Rooms, the more spacious Village and Deluxe Village Suites, or for outstanding luxury, check-into one of the 4 Village Villas:  Camphor, Magnolia, Bamboo and Tea, boasting a duplex configuration with private massage rooms.

For the ultimate indulgence, it has got to be the Amanfayun Villa. Spread over 290 square metres, this is a residence fit for a gentleman scholar of old, surrounding a private courtyard, with a reading area, two en-suite bedrooms, an airy lounge with dining area and twin daybeds, and – of course – a private room for lazy massages.

Wonder out of your village abode into the village, amongst the villagers and monks, and explore the rest of the property while fueling up for the day’s sightseeing. Dining options include the Aman-run Restaurant (serving international cuisine and drinks) and Steam House (an informal eatery specializing in steamed dumplings), but also three independent venues operated by the village. Feast on delectable local cuisine at Hangzhou House, enjoy a home-cooked meal accompanied by aromatic fine brew at the Tea House, or sample meat-free delicacies at the Vegetarian House by Lingyin Temple.

The central focal point of Amanfayun is Fayun Place, a meeting place converted from two stately old residences and exclusive to guests. Here is where you’ll find staff to organize excursions, the Cigar Room and a Library to restock your book list. Erudite guests can also enjoy the series of talks on Chinese culture, from Buddhism, to art, to traditional folk medicine and tea rituals.

After a long day’s adventuring around the scenes of the West Lake, the Aman Spa offers five-star rest and relaxation. Soak weary limbs in their 20-metre heated outdoor pool, or in the privacy of a deep wooden tub in the Bath House, before some serious pampering from their integrative spa menu. One of the spa buildings also houses a dedicated reflexology area, perfect for treating travel sore feet.

Insider tip: Some of the residence courtyards open up onto the main path – make sure you request a room, suite or villa with a private courtyard.

Rates start at USD 650 until 30^th April 2012, and from USD 700 thereafter.

For more information or to make a booking, please contact sassy@quintessentially.com.

As a young female travelling alone, attention from Indian males can take a bit of getting used to. I am not exaggerating when I call it eye rape. Everyone harasses you with the same three questions, ‘What’s your name?’ ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘How long in India?’ Just try to remember that they are harmless and have a good heart!

Upon arriving in Delhi I had a fair idea of the cities I wanted to visit, but no idea how to actually get to them. So first stop was the Tourist Office, who kindly planned my itinerary, organized a driver, booked accommodation and bought train/plane tickets for me. Once introduced to my driver Sanjay we set off for a whirlwind daytrip of Dehli sights, including the Lotus temple, a Sheik temple and the imposing India Gate. I highly recommend getting a driver because they are cheap, know all the best spots to visit, and how to avoid the nightmarish traffic. Delhi is terribly polluted so one day was definitely enough.

The next morning the driver and I began the four hour journey towards Agra, home of the magnificent Taj Mahal. The Taj was built in 1631 AD (and took 20 years to complete) by Shah Jahan as a symbol of love for his wife, and it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Cheesy Princess Di pose in front – check. To go inside tourists have to put on bright red shoe covers, while Indians must go barefoot.  At one point I became something of an attraction myself, with locals queuing up to take pictures with me.  My feeling of celebrity diminished once they discovered Miss Universe India was there posing for her own Princess Di style picture. I joined the crowd trying to catch a glimpse of her.

New day new city, it was off to Jaipur also known as the Pink City because of the plentiful pink sandstone famously exported from the area.  But funnily enough it didn’t get this name until 1856 when the city was given a pink wash in honor of Prince Albert’s State Visit. A few miles from the city my driver dropped me off at the bottom of a hill, something he called the Monkey Temple, and told me he would pick me up at the other end. Under the hot morning sun the temple was coming to life, people were bathing in questionable looking outdoor pools and going about their daily business. I groaned as I looked up at the steep stone path and realized the only way to the other side was over. Luckily the view from the top was breathtaking, the temple overlooked the whole city of Jaipur with its flat roofs and old world charm. Monkeys lined the path, basking in the sun and scratching each other’s backs. They were not fazed by humans at all, although I didn’t dare touch one since I ignored my doctor’s advice to get rabies shots before my trip.

I skipped the Red Forts in Delhi and Agra because my guide was adamant that Jaipur’s Amber Fort was the best and he was right.  The romantic Rajasthani fort/palace sits on a hill and again after climbing many stairs I reached the top. It is possible to ride a gaudily decorated elephant up but I passed on that.  While exploring alone one of the many men sitting around outside befriended me and gave me a guided tour.  He turned out to be super knowledgeable when explaining the rich history of kings and queens who had once lived there, and what each room in the fort was used for. He even gave me a ride back down the hill on his motorbike, showing me a small temple on the way. Jaipur is famous for its cheap gemstones so visiting one of the many jewellery shops is a must, don’t forget to bargain!

My final stop in Rajasthan was Jasialmer, the Golden City. After an 11 1/2hour train ride I arrived in the heart of the Thar desert.  A small and isolated town by comparison, the ominous fort and beautiful Jain Temples are at the center of life here. The fort was once home to the king, but is now inhabited by descendants of his former staff, who have made only a few adjustments for modern life.

The main thing to do in Jaisalmer is go on a camel safari, so the next afternoon I was picked up by an overcrowded jeep of village people and taken to meet my camel driver.  We rode about an hour into the desert before stopping for a late lunch with some other people.  My ears tuned in when I heard them speaking Cantonese, and sure enough I was in the middle of the Indian desert with four Hong Kong locals! Lunch was basic but perhaps the best meal I had in India, a simple potato curry and chapatti made over a small campfire. Although I expected majestic images of riding a camel through the sand dunes at sunset, reality was a bit different. First, the dunes are only in patches, the rest of the time you ride in tussock. Second, camels spit, foam at the mouth and are not the friendliest creatures in the animal kingdom.  But after a few more hours riding we set up camp for the night. After seeing the state of our hut accommodation my fellow HK’ers and I decided to sleep under the stars. The camel drivers played us some traditional Rajasthani music and danced wildly around the campfire much to my delight. They live such simple lives, working the tourist season half the year then surviving the blistering 50 degree heat for the rest. With a life expectancy in the early 50’s my camel driver looked as if he was pushing that with this leathery skin and deep set wrinkles. I was shocked when he told me he was only 32, the dangers of living in the sun I guess.

After the hustle and bustle of these frenetic cities it was time for some R&R in Goa.  Palolem’s Chattai Beach Huts became my home for a week and relaxing was just what I needed after the madness. Palolem beach is located at the Southern end of Goa, about 1 hours drive from the domestic airport. The beach itself is just as beautiful as Thailand but the vibe is totally different. Less harassment from hawkers and more chilled.

Since India is the birthplace of yoga, it was no surprise to find many yoga studios offering classes. I managed to drag myself out of bed one morning for sunrise yoga, a great experience for mind, body and soul.  Days were spent lounging in the sun, swimming and being approached by nice women wanting to sell me henna, massages and jewellery. Every evening there was a different beachfront restaurant to try, my favourite being 8^th Wonder, where new friends gathered and the chef taught me how to make my favourite curry, Malai Kofta.

While I was there Bollywood came to Palolem to film dance scenes on the beach. The apparently well known actors and backup dancers busted their best moves under the blistering sun, even recruiting Westerners to participate. Unlike the other Goan beaches Palolem’s nightlife is rather tame, but the Thursday night Silent Disco is definitely worth checking out. It was a slow start to the night with everyone a bit shy to get on the dance floor with their headphones, but after a few Kingfisher beers and great old school songs it was packed.

Many beaches line Goa’s stunning coastline, and although Anjuna’s wild trance parties might not be your thing, a trip to the area is definitely worth it. The famous Anjuna flea market is a collection of typical tourist souvenirs such as silk scarves, spices, t-shirts and ethnic jewellery spread amongst some unique and innovative products. It is also home to hundreds of hippes, from babies to grandparents, many of whom live here permanently soaking up Goa’s hedonistic lifestyle.  The odd cow can be seen wandering around on the sand and beachfront restaurants pump out good house tunes.

Getting a dodgy tummy was one of my greatest fears heading to India, but it actually wasn’t too bad. The locals seemed quite protective and told me not to eat in certain places, but the combination of heat, exhaustion and eating spicy food three times a day took its toll. The Western food is pretty average, but sometimes it was necessary. India is an awesome place to be a vegetarian. Around 50% of the population does not eat meat so you never have to look far for a meal, plus McDonald’s and KFC make their veggie burgers in a totally different part of the kitchen, ensuring no meat juices contaminate them!

One of the Indian people’s favourite pastimes is the ritual of drinking masala chai. On every street corner lies a rustic little shop usually housing just a few seats. The sweet tea is boiled with milk and poured into an espresso sized cup. It is drunk at all times of the day and nearly everyone you meet will offer you a cup. Take it! Not only is it polite to do so, but the tea is delicious and becomes something of a comfort for the culture shock.

India is full of surprises and contradictions, and if you are willing to open your mind to new experiences it may just have you hooked!

Best for Christmas in the country: Ellenborough Park, Cotswolds, United Kingdom

Style Fifteenth-century chateau
Setting Postcard-perfect Prestbury

Set on 90 gorgeous green acres, Cotswolds boutique hotel Ellenborough Park offers the quintessential British country Christmas experience. At this grand sandstone manor house, a two-hour drive from London, the festivities kick off on December 24 with afternoon tea in the Great Hall, followed by a chichi champagne and canapé session, and a sumptuous four-course dinner. If you venture out for midnight mass and carols, you’ll be warmed up upon return with mince pies and mugs of mulled wine.

Early morning gift-opening sessions give way to a hearty Cotswolds breakfast. In between feasting, slip into one of seven treatment rooms for a blissful spa treatment, rug up and stroll through the gardens, or work up an appetite in the gym and sauna. Rural pursuits include clay-pigeon shooting, archery, fishing and horse-riding. Before you know it, it’ll be time for the traditional turkey and plum pudding lunch, all washed down with more champagne (don’t mind if we do).

Best for ice-cool Scandi style: Berns Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden

Style Gilded glory
Setting Historic nightlife palace

If you’re after an idyllic winter wonderland, the Swedish capital is as close as it gets to a fairy-tale Lappland vacation. Iconic Stockholm stay Berns Hotel  melds opulent drinking dens and modern dining spaces with 82 cosy yet chic rooms, so you can sip martinis and party with Sweden’s style set before slipping under the covers.

For a classic Scandi-style Christmas lunch, amble over to nautical but nice Stockholm Harbour bolthole Hotel J. Decked out with wreaths, ribbons and baubles over the holiday season, the fireplace-flaunting dining room is the place to go for Julbord, the traditional Swedish Christmas spread that includes gravlax (cured salmon), rollmops (pickled herring), smoked meats, sausages and the wicked potato dish, Janssons Temptation. Shots of schnapps are guaranteed to add to the festive cheer.

Best for a gourmet getaway: Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany, Italy

Style Grape estate
Setting  Verdant Val d’Orcia

Food and festivities go hand in hand, so why not say buon natale this year with an Italian epicurean escape. Luxe Tuscan getaway Castiglion del Bosco, an 800-year-old estate in a Brunello winery, near Sienna, makes for the ultimate gourmet stay. Discover the secrets of cucina Italiana with a Tuscan cooking class, and enjoy a Christmas Eve dinner and decadent lunch in the hotel’s famed restaurants, Il Drago and Osteria la Canonica.

You’ll also have the chance to visit the local abbey and hear soul-stirring Gregorian chants, and any last-minute gifts can be snapped up on a shopping trip to Florence. Back at the estate, there’s a sauna, steam room and enoteca (wine-tasting room) for all-out indulgence.

To book a Smith boutique hotel stay this Christmas, visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or call the expert Travel Team on 800 905 326. What’s more, if you sign up as a Smith member, you can enjoy exclusive offers at more than 850 hand-picked hotels and holiday houses around the world.

Scooters

Upon arrival to Vietnam, my travel partner and I were bombarded by the torrent of scooters flanking all parts of the city. While there may be rules of the road here, they typically aren’t followed, with motorbikes going both directions on one side of the street, families of four people riding on a single scooter, people texting and talking on their phones, and having conversations with other motorists. There are five million motorbikes in HCM — with a population of about 10,000,000, that’s one scooter for every two people! The population of motorists isn’t linked to one type of person either: from grandmas, to 12 year olds, to sleeping babies, to business men in suits, and women in high heels and socks.

Try crossing the street on foot and you’re in for a “Frogger” experience. I was told before arriving to stare the drivers down, look in the direction of traffic, and walk slowly. These tricks worked and with some careful practice, walking across the road was simple…most of the time. Men line the streets asking tourists if they want a ride (aka scooter taxis). And while we didn’t take them up on their offers, my mate and I did take a bike taxi where two men on bikes wheeled us to the zoo on our first day.

Despite the craziness of the roads, we decided to be brave and take a scooter tour of the city at night. An American-owned company was listed on Tripadvisor as one of the best things to do while in HCM, so I called them once we arrived and booked a “City by Night” tour. Two ladies dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing picked us up on scooters on Tuesday night. For about 2.5 hours, we rode around the city on the back of a motorbike, dodging traffic, taking pictures and videos, chatting with the local guides, eating Vietnamese food and drinking sugar cane juice. As scary as it was at first and as nerve-wracking as it should have been, this part of our trip was probably one of my favorite things. It was awesome to see the different districts and to be in the thick of the real action of Saigon.

Culture

Vietnam is a country full of history and culture.  On our last day here, we visited the Mekong Delta — a 2-hour drive from Saigon, this area flows along the Mekong River. With stilt-houses, floating markets, and villages lining the river, the Delta is a far cry from Saigon. The life is simpler here and more laid-back which was a great reprieve from the hectic city life. On our tour, we took a motorized boat through the floating markets and to a few villages. Along the way, we were able to try popped rice (instead of popcorn), coconut crisps, and coconut candies. We rode on a long wooden canoe with a local woman rowing us downstream and went to a family’s house for lunch. They entertained us with music and gave us bikes to ride along the path to other villages.

**I must make mention of the fact that I couldn’t make it to the next village because I’ve forgotten how to ride a bike. As the saying goes, “It’s like riding a bike, you never forget.” Well that saying is wrong for my uncoordinated self. I only went about 5 meters down a narrow pathway with mud and water on both sides… needless to say I gave up. Thankfully, though, after about 10 minutes it started pouring down rain and the bikers were soaked. Yes, I did thank my forgetfulness and my uncoordinated legs that day.

We also went to see a Water Puppet Show which depicted early life for the Vietnamese. With musicians on the sidelines and a curtain at the back, puppets danced and flowed through the water at the bottom of the stage, it seemed as if they were floating on their own, but there were actually handlers or puppet masters behind the curtain moving the puppets along rods attached to the puppets underneath the water. It was quite amazing how they made the puppets move from side-to-side, dance, jump, and twirl.

Another feature of Vietnam can also be found in many other Asian cities: bartering, bargaining, and negotiating. The moment we stepped out of the airport, taxi drivers asked us where we were going. Thankfully, I had called the hotel earlier that day to see the best way to arrive to the hotel. They informed me that taxi was easiest, but not to spend more than 150,000VND (Vietnamese Dong; 1 HKD = about 2,700VND, try doing that math in your head!!). This bit of information was crucial to our bargaining because the first taxi tried to say it would charge us 400,000 dong. “Ha!”, we scoffed. How about 150,000? No, so we walked away and tried another taxi. This guy told us 250,000 and when we told them that our hotel said not to pay more than 150, they said that it was last week’s price, but it’s gone up since then! As soon as we started talking to driver #2, #1 came back and said he’d take us for 150,000 (which is about 55HKD for a 20-minute taxi ride). The old bait and hook trick worked yet again!

Bargaining also worked while in the markets.  We went to Ben Thahn market on our first day in HCM and found many interesting cultural pieces including clothing, handicrafts, jewelry, and dishes. Some stall workers would start at 400,000 for something and as soon as you’d walk away, they’d yell 150,000 just to get you to come back, even if it was only worth 100,000.

War

On Monday, we took a bus tour of the city, visiting Chinatown (which was nothing like China or any Chinatown I’ve ever visited, so we waited in a KFC which had a few fans), a couple of tourist traps trying to get you to buy their products, the Imperial Palace or the Reunification Palace which is where government leaders used to live, and to the War Remnants Museum. The latter was the most eye-opening and interesting.

Many Americans to this day have their reservations about Vietnam.  ven my mom said she was a bit worried that I was visiting there and I would guess it’s from the news broadcast during the ‘60s and ‘70s about the Vietnam War. As you can probably imagine, in Vietnam they call it the “American War” and have a much different view of what happened during this time. The War Remnants Museum had a rather skewed version of the events and, while naturally partial to the Vietnamese side, showed many of the horrifying events that took place during the war. With pictures of deformed generations of people from Agent Orange and pictures of the tortures inflicted upon the South Vietnamese, the museum offered many insights us Americans are never privy to living in the U.S. I’d like to visit a Vietnam War Museum in America or in the north of Vietnam to see their point of view. Is there a museum out there without a biased viewpoint? Despite the scary truths and the awful pictures, the museum did explain many of the ramifications still felt even today from the war.

An even more insightful experience was the journey through the Cu Chi tunnels north of Saigon. These tunnels were secret underground passageways that the Vietcong (South Vietnamese army) used as traps, hiding places, and living arrangements throughout the Cu Chi region and “why South Vietnam won the war.” We were able to see how people at this time lived, where and how they hid secret traps, as well as tour through the tunnels. The passageways were approximately 1 meter high so we had to crawl, scoot, and shuffle through them. This area was opened to the public about 10 years ago when the tunnels were widened for us larger Westerners. We only “walked” through them for about 5 minutes, but if you are at all claustrophobic, this would not be the place for you!  It was hot and cramped and after 20 meters, we were ready to emerge if only for a breath of fresh air. Through the demonstrations, it was quite obvious why their enemies would be clueless as to how the Vietcong were “everywhere.”

Even though the war ended over 35 years ago, the Saigoners have capitalized their tourism around this era. And coming from the American perspective, it was rather interesting to find out what happened through their eyes.

This trip was not only eye-opening, educational, historical, and cultural, it was really fun! With delicious food and locally-brewed beer, beautiful handicrafts, and polite people, Saigon was definitely an adventure to remember!  I can’t say I’d return again because I’ve seen what there is to see, but the rest of Vietnam is definitely on my list of places to see before I leave Asia. And with only a 2-hour flight, you can’t beat it!

Several eager tuk tuk drivers waved us down as we stepped foot out of the Le Méridien and onto Chiang Mai’s main drag. My husband and I proudly wear our “tourist” sign written across our foreheads when we travel. I smiled as I stepped into the tuk tuk and asked the driver “Walled City, how much?” Once we agreed on the price, he was off. Winding through busy streets and narrow alleys I thought to myself… gosh, Hong Kong would be perfect if we had tuk tuks!

Famous for Doi Suthep, the walled city and its night bazaar, Chiang Mai is your “candy store” for those of us who are still kids at heart.

If you are travelling solo, with a companion or two or with your entire family in tow, Chiang Mai is the perfect long weekend getaway and takes you beyond your typical Thailand beach vacation.

I found a problem with Chiang Mai though… there is too much to do! So much so, that one may have a hard time picking and choosing one activity over the other for fear on missing out! You can train an elephant, spend the day in a spa retreat, take in a Thai boxing match, shop, immerse yourself in the local art or just eat your way through…whatever you choose, I guarantee you won’t be bored!

Shortly after landing we started off our long weekend in Chiang Mai with a stroll around the Walled City popping into as many of the 30 temples that still stand. Buddhist monks are available for a conversation and there are plenty of amazing photo opportunities. Strolling through the city can take you as long as a few hours to an entire day depending on what you like to see and do. After a few hours, we were ready to take off, a quick tuk tuk ride and a few minutes later, we were then on a river cruise along the Ping River. I’ll admit the cruise wasn’t very exciting, but it did give us an idea of where to head for a bite! There are several river front restaurants along the Ping, they are all pretty much the same as far as food quality is concerned, so you can’t go wrong with one or the other.  A river view and cold Singha – great start to a great weekend!

Our stay in Chiang Mai was a total of four days, so we had to choose carefully what we wanted to see in do in this limited time. Our pick of poisons included:

• A day in the treetops zip-lining across 2 kilometers of jungle canopies on a Flight of the Gibbon tour
• A day of ATV riding on the outskirts of the city through city streets, tiny neighborhoods and farms and setting my sights on some of the most spectacular views
• Climbing the 309 steps up to the famous Doi Suthep temple and watching as Buddhists from all over the world light incense and walk around the Grand Stupa three times in a clockwise direction for good karma
• Plenty of foot and body massages accompanied by cold beers
• Walking around the night bazaar and bargaining for funny t-shirts.
• Joining in with the transgender cabaret.
•  And let’s not forget the food…oh, the amazing food!!

Our accommodations at the Le Méridien were above and beyond our expectations. The location is right outside the famous night bazaar and is centrally located to all of the major sites within the city. I have found that service is Thailand is always excellent and it wasn’t any different here. The breakfast buffet was outstanding, offering cuisines from many cultures. It was included in our package so every morning we would stuff ourselves silly and just snack throughout the day until dinner. The terraced pool was small but did the job for a cool dip and sip on a fresh young coconut.

I found Chiang Mai to be so much more relaxed and easy compared to that of Bangkok. The people are friendlier (if that’s possible!), the atmosphere is relaxed and let’s not forget about the fresh mountain air!

The Kingdom of Lanna is waiting for you…what are you waiting for?

To read more about Jessica’s travels, check out her fab blog, American Girl in Hong Kong!

Hard to believe that the beauty in Terelj was not far from the crowded, dirty, bumper to bumper traffic, pot hole covered streets, of Ulaanbaatar. 

Ulaanbaatar, or “UB” as the expats call the most populated city in Mongolia, is probably one of the ugliest cities I’ve ever seen. Its overpopulation and underdeveloped infrastructure make for quite a difficult time to maneuver through the city center. Hitchhiking is the norm and minor assaults on the streets (pickpocketing and public drunkenness) are not surprising. In the winter, I hear that the pollution is overwhelmingly bad.  The families who live on the outskirts of UB in their traditional gers, burn coal to keep warm during the below 30 degree Celsius winters. This makes UB not only the coldest Capital in the world, but the most polluted.

You can see the city is trying though, and you have to give it credit for that. An eyesore stands tall in the middle of the central square, the latest property development called the Blue Tower juts out of the  surrounding communist era style building blocks like a sore thumb. Across the way, an out of place Louis Vuitton store stares directly into the eyes of the Chenggis Khan statue in Sukhbaatar Square. Peace Avenue hosts a plethora of eateries, I recommend sticking to Chinese and Korean as they seem to have mastered these two cuisines in UB due to the heavy tourism coming from these two countries. There is not one hotel with four star accommodations, but they are working on it. Apparently a Shangri-La is in the works, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Some of the best cashmere in the world is here in UB. Go to the “Gobi” factory outlet just a few kilometers outside of the city center, any taxi driver or hotel concierge knows where this is located. Prepare to spend some money because most items are 100% cashmere, but to me, this is definitely worth the cost.

Getting back to the beauty, it only takes about an hour by jeep to get outside of UB and into miles and miles of rolling green hills, rivers and valleys as far as the eye can see. Since 2.5 of the 3 million Mongolians live in UB, you have a pretty good chance of getting away from people and being one with nature if that is your goal!

We only had one day to experience life outside of the city where we hiked, rode horses, hung out with a Mongolian family, and had an afternoon coffee in a traditional ger. This was an experience of a lifetime rolled up into just a matter of hours. My favorite and most memorable part of the trip was spending time with the Mongolia family. The father led us on a 17km horseback riding trip with his 3 children. The eldest daughter is a professional jockey and seemed quite smitten with us. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day…so much beauty surrounded us that afternoon I wish I could have stopped time to have allowed us to stay longer.

I couldn’t have been happier with the Tour Company that set this day up for us. Nomads can coordinate a week to two week tour of Mongolia and give you and your family a unique experience.  If what they did for me in a day was the experience of a lifetime, I’m sure a week would change my life forever.

What I learned on my quick trip to UB is that life is pretty tough for those families stuck in the middle of their nomadic traditions and the growth of an emerging country. What their instincts are telling them and what they actually have to do to survive are at a constant conflict. The country is mineral-rich which means prospecting and loss of beautiful land is almost imminent. Someday I hope to return to see more of the country before it becomes too overdeveloped and the Mongolian traditions are lost.

To read more about Jessica’s travels, check out her fab blog, American Girl in Hong Kong!

Take, for instance, the Thai beachside resort of Hua Hin. Packed with Bangkok locals from January to May, pay a visit when the temperatures are cooler and you’ll have the entire stretch of beach almost to yourself. In between the occasional cloudy moments, the sun shines and burning is a definite possibility (as our peeling noses can attest!).

The Hyatt Regency is a gorgeous, traditional South East Asian resort. About 2.5 hours’ drive from Bangkok, the gorgeous gardens feature a sprawling lagoon pool, koi-filled lakes, open-air reception and restaurants – it’s the perfect respite from the city.

We recommend the Regency Club rooms, which have recently been renovated and offer fantastic value for money. Breakfast and happy hour drinks and canapés are included and the rooms enjoy access to the private Regency Club pool.

Opt for a Club Deluxe room and you’ll also enjoy a daily one-hour massage at The Barai Spa, possibly one of the best spas we’ve ever been to and certainly the highlight of our stay. The service is top notch and the spa itself gorgeous. The spa’s expert therapists will smooth out every knot of tension in your body, before ending the treatment with a cup of delicious rosella tea and morsels of dried fruit.

The spa complex features a beachfront colonial restaurant and bar called McFarland’s house. Serving light, healthy and most importantly delicious food and drinks, come here for sundowners as you overlook the bay.

We love the low season.

Rates vary – currently from THB 8,700 (HKD 2,300) per night in a club deluxe king room in October. Exclusive benefits include a 60-minute massage for one person per night at The Barai and access to the lounge serving continental breakfast, evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

http://huahin.regency.hyatt.com

Offering 24/7 lifestyle assistance in over 60 cities around the world, Quintessentially is the world’s leading luxury lifestyle group and concierge service. With a truly global network, Quintessentially creates unique experiences and provides personalised solutions to practical problems anytime, anywhere.

For more information on how to become a Quintessentially Member or to book this hotel, please visit www.quintessentially.com, call +852 2540 8595 or contact sassy@quintessentially.com. 

Going to Tibet isn’t easy; foreigners cannot reach Lhasa without a special travel permit in addition to a Chinese visa. This can only be obtained by joining a tour group and applying in advance. The ‘group’ can be just you or you and your friends, but on paper you need to be part of one and have a guide. Tour companies are a bit hit and miss, so do your research. I chose to go with the Tibetan owned and operated Snowlion Tours. They were slightly more expensive than most but I wanted to support a Tibetan company.

Something to keep in mind when travelling to Tibet is that you may experience altitude sickness. It affects everybody differently, so arriving by train is ideal because it gives you time to acclimatize slowly. The trains are clean, have a Western toilet in the soft sleeper section and are pumped with oxygen. Although they seem rather slow, the train from Xining went through the most amazing snow covered mountain and past the world’s highest lake. Chinese herbal or Western medicine can help alleviate the symptoms of Altitude Sickness, but for me the only difficulty was walking up stairs. Despite trekking slowly up to the Potala Palace, I still felt like I was going to have a heart attack!

Lhasa is like no place on earth, a peaceful melting pot of people surrounded by so much natural beauty. It was disappointing then to see the Tibetan Quarter occupied so heavily by armed Chinese soldiers. They are stationed at every entrance, on the roofs around the Jokhang Temple and they patrol the streets in groups of five or six, 24 hours a day. Security has been stepped up since the attempted uprising in 2008, but all of this seems unnecessary. My guide was quick to inform me that I could not take any photos of the soldiers and if they caught me photographing them they would confiscate my camera.

Although most people speak Tibetan or Mandarin, the language barrier is not really an issue for foreigners. The Tibetan guides speak a good level of English and a simple ‘Tashi Delek’ (Tibetan greeting) will get you a long way.

Monks are synonymous with the pureness of Tibet, so I was surprised when my guide told me that the government now pays them. He also informed me that there are very few working monasteries in Tibet and from what I witnessed this has lead to an erosion of the Tibetan culture. Nowadays monasteries are mostly tourist attractions, flooded by large groups of Mainland tourists who disrespect the rules of the monastery by smoking and speaking loudly in the most holy of places.

Arguably the most famous monastery is the Potala Palace, built by the fifth Dalai Lama and home to the current Dalai Lama before his exile in 1959. Perched on a hill overlooking Lhasa city, it is instantly recognizable as the former political and religious centre of Tibet. Unfortunately it is a shell of its former self, with only 14 monks living there and many areas off limits to tourists. Still, I got my ticket the day before and arrived at 8.20am for the first viewing session. Guides are only allowed to be inside for 1hr with their group so I agreed to walk through alone at my own pace. Visitors cannot take photos as they walk past the tombs of the previous Dalai Lamas and stroll through the ornate meeting rooms of the former Tibetan government.

I also visited Lhasa’s famous Sera Monastery in which you can see the monks debating Buddhist philosophy. On the sunny afternoon I visited, I watched with amazement as one monk sat on the ground while another stood over him asking questions. If he cannot answer satisfactorily the monk standing takes a step forward and makes an almighty clapping sound with his hands. The debates can become rather aggressive and are exciting to watch despite my not understanding the language.

By far my favourite thing to do in Lhasa was to sit back in the Himalayan sun, sip tea and watch the pilgrims walk clockwise around the Barkhor Street market. Carrying prayer beads and prayer wheels they walk with purpose, chanting mantras to display their devotion to their religion.

Nestled between never ending mountains covered in prayer flags and stone offerings to the gods, about a 2 1/2hour drive from Lhasa, lies the stunning Yamdrok Lake. The water is the most amazing turquoise colour and although it is freezing, dipping your feet in is essential. On your way there you will see the usual tourist traps, but one I couldn’t pass up on was riding a yak for 10RMB. The hairy beasts are smaller than a horse and are seen everywhere throughout the Tibetan region.

A special part of this trip was being able to visit the nomad people in the Amdo region to see how they live. The most basic white tents have dirt floors covered with a few blankets and a fire in the middle. Men spend their days tending to their yak herd while the women make yak butter and do chores. The children I met had dirty faces and no toys, yet were happy-go-lucky and curious about me. Although it is one of the hardest lives you could ever imagine, the people were hospitable and kind.

Like most places in China, the toilets in Tibet are generally horrific squatters so be prepared to hold your nose and provide your own tissue. The food is a mix of Tibetan, Chinese and Nepalese — it is a good idea to stay away from any attempt at Western food, you will only be disappointed. So instead I ate the most amazing Muslim inspired soupy flat noodles and the Yak meat momos are also a local specialty. In fact Yak meat is used in pretty much everything. I also tried the traditional Tibetan butter tea, which is definitely an acquired taste, I much preferred the sweet tea, which is like the Indian chai.

Tibet is not for the faint hearted but is definitely worth the effort, just don’t forget to pack your sense of humor!

Getting there: Fly through Chengdu or Xining
Train from Beijing/Shanghai or Chengdu