SENSIMAR SAMUI is located on Mae Nam beach, which is 10 km or 10 mins from the airport only. While this is one of the quieter and less built up areas of the islands, it only takes 15 mins to get to Chaweng beach area, where all restaurants, bars, cafes and shops are.
While Koh Phangan is most famous for its Full-moon party, I was seeking a quiet and relaxing escape on my visit there. After having looked through several resort options, I decided to go for one of the islandâs first luxury resorts namely Panviman Resort Koh Phangan.
It was the first time in almost 10 years I visited Ko Samui, and so I wanted to make sure I had a fantastic experience there. Having heard of Tongsai Bay Resortâs great reputation for decades, I decided to make it my home for a few days.
âWith the cheers of merriment and chimes of bells echoing the place, indulge in the full flavours of succulent feast infused with limited Joy of Christmas Tea at TWG Tea this season. Let the festivities beginâĶâ
Defining Glamping: The Original British Colonial Style Safari Camp âSpekeâs Campâ.
In my upcoming post I will be sharing one of my most unique experiences in my life. I and a few close companion travelled to one of the worldâs most famous safari site: Masai Mara National Reserve Park, Kenya. Rather than joining a safari tour group, we decided to go for a private, boutique safari cruise service package.
After bouncing inside a large land cruiser (with no windows) for over 4 hours on gravel road (even âroadâ is an exaggeration), we started to notice a large tent roof set in the middle of no where.
It was Spekeâs Campâour extraordinary home for the next 4 days.
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Stay tuned for my very special post on this unforgettable experience in Masai Mara, Kenya.
Although Phuket is undoubtedly one of the most famous beach destinations in Thailand, a lot of travellers use Phuket as a âbase locationâ to travel to a few famous islands nearby. Among those islands such as Phi Phi and Similan islands, one of my favourite, much much quieter island, is Koh Maiton.
My relaxing afternoon swim in Crystal Bay, Nusa Penida Island, BaliHigh Cliff of Melasti Beach in the morning. Â Not afraid of height but the strong wind made me a little nervous.Kanto Lampo Waterfall in Bali in the eveningâit was much much colder than I expected!
But after a long day of adventure, what we all need is a place with great comfort and style to unwind and relax.  Small, well located, with a touch of luxury and some character, Mayana Villas was my perfect home for the week.  It is situated right in the heart of Canggu (North of Seminyak, a more well-known area in Bali). It is just off the main road but the property is serene and private with only 4 villasâeach with its own private pool and garden!
We stayed in Villa Cinta, a beautiful villa with 2 ensuites on the ground floor, plus a cozy spacious loft room above with a queen bed and a bathroom.  As soon as we walked in, it was like coming home.
This villa has a spacious open-air area with a beautiful high ceiling which allows a good amount of natural light.  The warm, fresh, tropical breeze flowing through the living space really made us feel like we were one with the outdoors.
The living area is beautifully decorated with touches of Bali everywhere. Magnificent hard woods, and stone carvings mix seamlessly with tropical plants and lush green ferns.  The fully equipped kitchen is next to the dining area and comes with a stove, oven, microwave, fridge and all the essentials for home cooking or to be spoilt by an in-house chef.
Villa Cinta has a decent size pool, with shades of teal, giving a tropical, lush green atmosphere.  There are deck chairs as and umbrellas to catch a nap after your swim. The whole area is perfect for a lazy afternoon of relaxation if you decide to stay in for the day.
Villa Cinta āļāļĩāđāļĄāļĩāļŠāļĢāļ°āļāļāļēāļāļāļģāļĨāļąāļāļāļĩāļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļāļāļēāļĢāļĄāļēāļāļąāļ 2-4 āļāļāļāđāļ§āļĒāļāļąāļ  āļŠāļĩāļāļĢāļ°āđāļāļ·āđāļāļāļŠāļĢāļ°āđāļāđāļāļŠāļĩāđāļāļĩāļĒāļ§āļāđāļēāļĄāļĢāļāļ āļāļāļĢāļēāļĒāļĨāđāļāļĄāđāļāļāđāļ§āļĒāļāđāļāđāļĄāđāđāļĨāđāļ§āđāļŦāđāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļĢāļđāđāļŠāļķāļ Tropical Lush Green āļĄāļēāļ āđÂ
The resident Unicorn came with the pool. She never seemed to want to come on ground.
Equipped with aircon, the two double en-suite bedrooms are comfortable with just the right amount of natural light during the day, but warm and cozy in the evening.
āļŦāđāļāļāļāļāļāđāļāļ§āļīāļĨāļĨāđāļēāļŦāļĨāļąāļāļāļĩāđāļĄāļĩāđāļāļĢāđāļāļļāļāļŦāđāļāļāļāđāļ° Â āļŦāđāļāļāļāđāļģāļāļ°āļĢāļąāļāđāļŠāļāļāļĢāļĢāļĄāļāļēāļāļīāļāļēāļāđāļāļāļēāļāđāļāļĢāđāļāđāļŠāļāļāđāļēāļāļāļ āļāļģāđāļŦāđāļāļāļāļāļĨāļēāļāļ§āļąāļāļŦāđāļāļāļāļđāļŠāļ§āđāļēāļ āļŠāļāļāļ·āđāļ Â āļāļāļāļāļāļāļĨāļēāļāļāļ·āļāđāļŠāļāđāļ Warm Light āđāļāļŦāđāļāļāļāđāļāļģāđāļŦāđāļĢāļđāđāļŠāļķāļāļāļāļāļļāđāļāļāđāļ°
Above images: bright and airy Second En-suite during the day and night
Below images: warm and cozy Master En-suite in the evening
We also got a chance to have a tour of their larger Villa Keluarga, which features 3 fully sized air conditioned bedrooms with king sized beds and en-suite bathrooms (and, of course, a pool).
āļāļĩāđāļāđāļĄāļĩāđāļāļāļēāļŠāđāļāđāļēāđāļāļāļąāļ§āļĢāđāļāļđ Villa Keluara āļāđāļ§āļĒ āļāļķāđāļāđāļāđāļāļ§āļīāļĨāļĨāđāļēāļŦāļĨāļąāļāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļāđāļāļĩāđāļŠāļļāļāđāļ āļĄāļēāļāļēāļāļēāļ§āļīāļĨāļĨāđāļē āļŦāļĨāļąāļāļāļĩāđāļĄāļĩāļŦāđāļāļāļāļļāļ En-Suite āļāļļāļāđāļŦāļāđāļāļķāļ 3 āļāļļāļ Â āđāļĨāļ°āļŠāļĢāļ°āļāđāđāļŦāļāđāđāļāđāđāļāđāđāļĨāļĒāļāļĩāđāļāļĩāļĒāļ§ āļāļđ Walk-in Tour āļāļēāļĄāļ§āļĩāļāļĩāđāļāļāđāļēāļāļĨāđāļēāļāļāļĩāđāđāļāđāđāļĨāļĒāļāđāļ°
The staff came in to cook us a fresh breakfast every morning in our villa kitchen. Delicious ripe tropical fruit was prepared and served right before we were seated at the breakfast table.  They also went the extra mile and made us special packed breakfasts for the days where we had to leave very early in the morning for our Bali adventuring!
When you are looking for a place to stay in Bali, the sheer range of options and possible locations can leave you overwhelmed. Â We could not have wished for a more perfect place to be stationed for our time in Bali than in Mayana Villas.
They are reasonably priced and great value for a group. The location is ideal for being close enough to hit all the best spots while still having a quiet retreat after a day of adventure. Â Lastly, the range of amazing cafÃĐs and restaurants in Canggu alone is enough to keep anyone satisfied!
Hong Kong is widely known as a busy, vibrant and upbeat hub of Asia.  Usually when I visit, I would pick a hotel right in the centre of the hustle and bustle of the city near âthe escalatorâ.  However, this time I decided to break the habit and went for a very new and unique hotel in a less central area: TUVE Hong Kong.
The Entrance to TUVE. Â No signposts, no big light-up signs, no nothing.
Located in Causeway Bay, TUVE is said to be Hong Kongâs newest, stylish and âhippestâ 4* boutique hotel.  The raw cutting edge design not only features bare concrete and metal bars painted in black (as one would guess) but also oxidised iron here and there. Â
