all the dish that’s fit to print
elephant tales from the polo pitch
Thailand is trumpeting the news of Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa’s annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament , coming up March 22-28. Be sure to stake out your spot on the polo pitch as these two-ton players go head-to-head (and trunk-to-trunk!) to win the coveted King’s Cup Trophy.
In just eight years, the tournament has grown from a small two-day affair to a week-long extravaganza featuring international competitors, making it Thailand’s sixth largest tourist event. It has raised over $250,000 for the National Elephant Institute, which provides medical care, sustenance, employment, and mahout training for Thailand’s elephant population. Proceeds from the 2009 event helped fund the world’s first ever elephant therapy program, Thai Elephant Therapy Project (TETP), a partnership with Chiang Mai University and the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC) that investigates the benefits of using elephants as an alternative treatment for children with autism. This year’s event proceeds will go towards the continued funding of this groundbreaking research.
Reserve your seat and contribute to the cause by booking a Special Spectator Package. The offer includes one night of accommodation at Anantara Golden Triangle in a Deluxe Room or Anantara Suite, daily breakfast buffet, lunch buffet at the Polo Pitch, and transfers to and from the pitch. Package rates for a Deluxe Room start at $335 single occupancy, and $493 double occupancy, per night, inclusive of tax and service charge. Guests staying four nights or more will also receive a complimentary round-trip transfer from Chiang Rai to the resort.
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all you need is love (and anantara veli)
In search of some last-minute loving? Who needs pink champagne and chocolate truffles when you can whisk away to dreamy Anantara Veli Resort & Spa for some real romance in South Malé Atoll. The resort has garnered the #4 spot in this year’s “Most Romantic Hotels in Asia” Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.
Reserve your secluded over-water bungalow to share with that special someone and spend the day sun bathing together on your private terrace. Take a more active stance with a private windsurfing lesson on the lagoon and a colorful market stroll through Malé.
Then head to the beach for a private Valentine’s Day degustation, Sand & Sea, sweetened by a palm-fringed view, white sand between your toes, and fresh Maldivian lobster. Or craft your own menu wish list with Dining by Design and enjoy noshing alongside the resort’s master chef!
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picture perfect sir bani yas island
Picture this: you’re kneeling in the fading twilight with camera in hand, eye-to-eye with an African ostrich. Sound wild? Make this your reality with Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara’s exclusive Stay and Click photography course, March 18 – 21. Set amidst the rugged beauty of the Royal Nature Reserve on Sir Bani Yas Island, this three-night, two-day landscape and wildlife photography class brings both novice and experienced photographers close to nature with cameras and critiques. Students have a chance to photograph the more than 20 different free-roaming species that grace Sir Bani Yas’ shores, including Arabian oryx, antelope, and gazelle.
Join famed photographer Ira Block, who has worked with National Geographic Magazine and National Geographic Books, as you hone your skills and explore the rich wildlife and landscape with your lens.
What’s more, in celebration of the hotel’s one-year anniversary, Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara is giving away one free spot in this exclusive course! Simply submit your favorite desert or wildlife image by uploading it here by Sunday, February 28. Ira and Anantara will announce the winning picture on the website on Sunday, March 7.
Not the winner? Not to worry, you can still reserve a space in the class! Individual rates start from AED 6,550++ ($2,052 inclusive of tax and tourism charge), double rates from AED 8,600++ ($2,716 inclusive of tax and tourism charge). Package includes the two-day photography course, three nights of accommodation, breakfast, lunch, and dinner in The Palm restaurant. Photographers participating in the two-day course must have a digital SLR camera, lenses, and all necessary cables along with a laptop computer and editing software.
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afternoon tease at the metropolitan london
Thank you, thank you, thank you. That’s what your significant other is sure to say upon your return from the Metropolitan London’s latest version of afternoon tea – Cour-tea-san De-light. The hotel’s sophisticated Met Bar has teamed up with lingerie brand The Modern Courtesan to host a monthly sass-filled “Seduction Class.”
Participants can sip champagne and Modern Courtesan cocktails, and nibble a selection of treats from the aphrodisiac-inspired Afternoon De-Light menu – chili and chocolate macaroons, ginger muffins, and strawberry cupcakes.
Top industry experts, including best-selling authors, burlesque performers, erotic photographers and filmmakers, adult gift purveyors, and courtesans, will be on-hand to provide guests with their naughtiest know-how. Before rushing home to test out those sultry skills, stop by the ‘Seduction Boudoir’ to pick out a weapon of mass seduction or two.
Tickets are £50 per person and must be purchased in advance. Available dates are January 16, February 6, February 13 (just in time for Valentine’s Day!), March 13, and April 3. For further information please contact 020 7447 1025.
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infinity sunset parties on phuket
Looking for ideas to beat the winter blues? How about sipping Mekhong mai thais while jiving to ambient house music, with a backdrop of a brilliant sunset over the Andaman Sea? To celebrate the upcoming high season, Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa along Mai Khao beach is hosting a series of nightly parties held around its fiber optic infinity pool. Appropriately dubbed Infinity Sunsets, the parties feature José Padilla of Ibiza’s Café Del Mar fame on the decks, international mixologists serving up sultry concoctions, and beachwear fashion shows provided by Jim Thompson silks. Debuting December 3, Infinity Sunsets run nightly through April 2010. For rates and resort information, check out http://phuket.anantara.com/.
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autumnal activities on nantucket
Are you lucky enough to be on Nantucket this weekend? If you are, do yourself (and the island) a favor and take advantage of one, or ALL, of the great events happening on island.
- Pork & Beer Tasting Tour at Cisco Brewery in honor of Hogtoberfest- Savor grilled sausage, bacon and other pork basics with beer pairings while touring Cisco Brewers, the region’s first micro- distillery.
- The 2009 Scalloper’s Ball at the Nantucket Yacht Club- Each year this hugely popular annual event on Saturday night draws all sorts of people looking to sip Cisco Brewers beer while noshing on local bay scallops, mussels, quahogs, striped bass, seafood stew and a raw fish bar all caught, cooked and served by Nantucket fishermen. Great music and a live auction (don’t forget to bid on that winter rental slip at the Nantucket Boat Basin!) keep this event jumping all night.
- Sunday’s Annual Chowder Festival- Almost every restaurant on Nantucket has clam chowder on their menu. It is New England after all! This Sunday, island restaurants will vie for the bragging rights of winning “Best Chowder on Nantucket.” Fill your Sunday afternoon (and warm your belly) with exceptional New England clam chowder.
- Golf Sankaty! – This is the first weekend of the season that non-members have access to Sankaty, one of the few true world-class golf courses. The famous Sankaty Head Lighthouse looms over the front nine and still shines brightly over the Atlantic Ocean, making golf on Nantucket truly spectacular. http://www.sankatyheadgc.com/
- Last call for the Farmers and Artisans Market– Quick, this Saturday is the last weekend of the year to wander over to the Nantucket Farmers & Artisans Market. Pick up locally grown vegetables, berries, and flowers, as well as, hand-crafted pottery, jewelry, crafts and more.
Need a place to rest your head after all this fun? Check out the Fall Special Rates at the new White Elephant Hotel Residences. http://www.whiteelephanthotelresidences.com/
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suite jams from nigo and park hyatt tokyo
Park Hyatt Tokyo gets some street cred for hooking up with Nigo, the Japanese bad-boy DJ, producer, and fashion entrepreneur, to compile a CD to celebrate the iconic hotel’s 15th anniversary. Known to rub elbows with the likes of Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, Nigo taps into his knowledge of Tokyo’s cultural mash-up and weaves underground hip-hop beats, house and lounge beats, and vibes from the late 80’s/early 90’s Japanese artists on the tracks inspired by his time spent chilling in the Tokyo Suite on the 50th floor.
No word on whether he made use of the baby grand piano in the 2,368 square-foot suite, but no doubt he enjoyed the jaw-dropping views, paintings by Yoshitaka Echizenya (he’s a modern art fan and collector), the 50-inch plasma TV, and the marble whirlpool and sauna.
Nigo is also known as the founder of the funky urban clothing line, A Bathing Ape® (called BAPE by those in the know) and he’s been credited with transforming Tokyo’s street style. You’ll be able to snag a copy of the TOKYO SUITE CD when it drops on November 25 at BAPE stores worldwide. It will also be available at the Park Hyatt Tokyo’s gift shop, and Bape’s US online store.
U.S. STORES:
BAPE STORE NEW YORK
91 Greene Street
New York, NY 10012
BAPE STORE LOS ANGELES
8001 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
oldest u.s. capital city, new reasons to visit
When a city-wide celebration and an amazing deal collide, it’s the recipe for a perfect getaway. From October 25, 2009 to February 28, 2010, the charming Inn on the Alameda becomes even more enticing. In honor of its 24th year, guests can get the third consecutive night of their stay for just $24! Located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, but tucked away behind thick adobe walls, the Inn on the Alameda provides the calm we’re always craving, but is just steps from the action. And there’s action to be had this year, as the city is commemorating its 400 year legacy since being declared a Spanish villa in 1610.
The 400th Anniversary events calendar is full of theater productions, live music, history and children’s programs and an arts and lecture series. Be immersed in the rich heritage of Santa Fe’s Native American, Spanish, European and African-American cultures while staying at a cozy inn that prides itself on capturing this multi-faceted spirit.
beyond the bunny slope at park hyatt beaver creek
Labor Day has passed and we’re switching into cold weather mode, which means one thing out West – ski season. Park Hyatt Beaver Creek just announced the details of its annual Technique Weeks packages. Returning “Ski Ambassador” Chris Anthony leads the three weeks (dates and details after the jump) and promises to have you swooshing down those black diamonds with style and grace. (more…)
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nantucket’s farmers & artisans market
Courtesy of Nantucket Farmers Market (via Flickr)
Find yourself on Nantucket some Saturday morning? Lucky duck.
Do yourself (and the island) a favor and wander over to the Nantucket Farmers & Artisans Market, happening each Saturday through October 17 from 9 am to 1 pm. Cambridge and North Union Streets, right by the Starlight Theater, are closed to cars for the market.
Spotted this past Saturday was Karin Sheppard of Island Weaves, with her beautiful blankets of alpaca, silk, and mohair, David Berry of Nantucket Honey Bee Company with his light and dark honeys (the color changes depending on whether the bees are pollinating summer or fall flowers), and Dylan Wallace and Claudia Butler of Nantucket Native, with their organic fruits and vegetables – and chocolates. There were plenty more stands, all full of locally made and grown goodies.
A tip for those who wander in unprepared: there’s an ATM around the corner, on the bottom of Main Street.
If you want to book a trip to the island this fall (one of the lovelier times to go), check the Nantucket Island Resorts website for the latest “Hot Dates, Cool Rates” offers.
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