Posts Tagged ‘Style’

Exclusive Boutique Style Bali Hotels

The basic idea is to combine the conveniences of a five-star resort with the cultural richness of a Balinese private home. A Bali hotel experience of a different kind.

Over the years this type of accommodation has increased vastly in popularity with travelers looking for something special and exclusive.

The difference between large hotel chains and boutique hotels is that they don’t provide 100′s of rooms but instead secluded luxury in small and intimate resorts.

A “home away from home” is a bit a stressed expression, but it describes quite accurately what you may find. A really private space in a total different location, thousands of miles away from home. You already could find that easily in many Bali hotels that are always different than big city hotels and even more so in boutique hotels.

All amenities are usually provided in these resorts to make you feel comfortable. Individual service with a personal touch makes all the difference, and a villa with an selection of things you don’t want to miss like a sound system and satellite TV, several cozy in- and outdoor areas for relaxation, and refreshingly different styled bathrooms surely add to the ingredients to make you enjoy your stay.

Some icing on the cake may be a private Jacuzzi, plunge or swimming pool. What would be life in the tropics without it.

A resort in Ubud was ahead of its time and has been copied by newly built ones a several times since then. It’s the Pita Maha, build by a member of the Royal family of Ubud in Bali. The concept of a river view resort with spa is taken from the Tjampuhan hotel and greatly refined through adding privacy by establishing a exclusive luxury villa concept. More about this resort later.

On the ocean side it was Four Seasons in Jimbaran who first successfully introduced the private villas concept within a hotel. Of course they also went to Ubud to build The Four Seasons Sayan. Overlooking the Ayung river it became too small for the demand already and new villas have been added.

The leading resorts in this field try to accomplish a secluded setting of each villa, permitting undisturbed outdoor life with outdoor dining areas. So life within nature can be experienced in Bali style. Some of the villas have outdoor bathrooms and private plunge pools as well.

Many known Bali hotels and resorts are renovating and redesigning themselves to follow this trend. Alam Kul Kul in Legian added boutique elements, The Villas in Seminyak are a good example to fully mature this concept, all villas have a private swimming pool and offer the privacy requested by clients.

In Jimbaran the Jimbaran Puri bali is a good beach side concept and must be booked early. The negative side of Boutique resorts is really the limited availability of rooms. It seems that because of the initially understated expectancy a few years back when the success of small high end resorts wasn’t guaranteed, some of them are maybe build a bit too small.

Now the situation is very much different, travelers looking for that special place to spend a vacation, and are willing to pay for the extra luxury. The Ubud area is leading the way with resorts such as Kamandalu Resort, The Alila or the Natura Resort, one of the better and most convincing additions.

In the meanwhile we saw the opening of many new intimate small Bali hotels over the last few years, it seems a trend unbroken despite the slow down and recent recovery in the Bali tourism industry. Bali is once again the tropical dream location on a small island that currently attracts more individual travelers than mass group tours. Personally I am happy with this development and hope it will stay like this, as it supports space and tranquility for a personal experience in a location that ‘is made’ to be experienced this way.

Christmas Vacation – Island Style

Every year, millions of people decide to spend Christmas and New Years in another state, country, or continent. For those wishing to escape to the sunny south, but still be relatively close to home, spending the holidays in the Bahamas is a great alternative. Out of the seven hundred islands that make up the Bahamas, Elbow Cay, a small island in the Abacos, is a wonderful place to celebrate the season with friends and family.

Christmas and New Years are one of a kind on Elbow Cay. The first thing everyone notices during the holidays is the Hope Town Lighthouse, located in the North-central part of the island. The lighthouse has thousands of lights strung from its observation deck to its base. Every night, the lighthouse is lit up, while its lights sparkle in the night. Many houses and restaurants also prepare for the holidays with lights and decorations – even though it looks a bit strange without any winter white snow.

The holiday season also brings many events such as the annual Christmas musical at the local church. The local children rehearse for months on the play, as well as the many songs they must learn. Tickets are free, although they are limited, and donations are encouraged. Donations are then given to an orphanage in Nassau. There is also a golf cart parade that tours the town. Since most people on the island drive golf carts instead of cars, they decorate them with ribbons, lights, shells, and anything else they can think of. Similar to the golf cart parade, a parade of boats cruise the waters around the islands, and show off their lights and decorations for everyone to see.

New years, however, is another story. All the islands in Abaco have their own version of a fireworks display, but Elbow Cay has two! A few nights before New Years Eve, a local company puts on a spectacular fireworks display on the water, nestled between two islands. The best place to view the show is on the most Southern beach on the island. At low tide you can even sit on the islands of sand that form in the shallow waters. On New Years Eve, all the local bars are open, and have special dinners and events. This is the only night of the year that a cover charge is in effect. This is the place to be until midnight, because once the clock strikes twelve, everyone floods the street to watch the second fireworks display. The fireworks can be seen from anywhere in town, although a favorite place to view them is from the deck of any boat in the Harbour. Once the display is complete, Junkanoo begins. Junkanoo, similar to Carnival, is a cultural event in the Bahamas that consist of many native costumed dancers parading down the street while dancing to the drums and whistles of the band. Everyone joins in and dances through the streets while following the parade through town.

After years of traditional holidays at home, spending Christmas in the Bahamas is something that everyone should experience. Celebrating the season on the islands of the Caribbean is priceless.

Starting a Business Philippine Style

DO YOU prefer working regular hours under a reasonable supervisor in a well-established city office? Many people do. A person with such employment may enjoy greater security than one starting out fresh in a business of his own.

In the Philippines, however, there are those who prefer taking the risk. They want to enjoy working hours suited to their needs. There will, of course, be no promotions, no occasional raises in salary and no possibility of receiving a gold watch upon retirement. But this does not particularly concern these individuals. They find satisfaction in making a living by using their own skills and sound business sense. For them, nothing can compare with the opportunity of working with wife and children all day long and counting their blessings together when evening falls.

Filipinos often start a small business right at home. Consider what some of the possibilities are.

What Kind of Business?

Do you have a hobby that could become a full-time job? Perhaps you make toys for your children. If so, could you also make toys for other people’s children? In the Philippine city of Cebu, the production of toy guitars is not simply a hobby but a profitable business. The craftsmen work at home, producing toy guitars, ukuleles, bandurias and even very professional guitars that are sold at airports and music shops. Often at the end of the workday, the hills come alive with the music of thousands of stringed instruments, as family after family plays together.

Industrious Bicol folk produce handbags, slippers and numerous ladies’ accessories from abaca fiber. Deft hands in Bulacan and Quezon provinces weave buntal hats out of the petiole fibers of the buri palm tree. Here, try this on. Cool and dignified, is it not? Here is another one. Why, it makes you look 10 years younger!

Beneath Zamboanga’s lazy blue waters are found the tapering “antlers” of black coral. Craftsmen in Quezon City and Manila fashion the coral into tiepins, cuff links, rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. In the sandy seabeds off Surigao, Samar, Leyte and Panay, one can discover a treasure trove of shells—tiger cowrie, conch, lupo and kapis. Nimble hands make these into curtains, lampstands, windowpanes and chandeliers, which inhabitants of Paris, London or New York city would be proud to display in their homes.

Shoemaking may seem like an unlikely venture. But, in 1884, young Kapitan Moy bought a sturdy pair of British shoes. Back home he got more interested in the shoes. So he took them apart, and then put them back together again. Soon he set up a shoemaking shop and began sharing his new skills with neighbors. Almost a century later, the town of Marikina is going full speed ahead in the shoe-manufacturing business. In many, many homes of this town, grandpas, grandmas, papas, mamas and children home from school, busy as bees, are making the shoes that some of us will probably be wearing tomorrow. “Today,” says the Marikina Shoe Trade Commissioner, “we export shoes to many countries, including the source of Kapitan Moy’s shoes which he bought back in 1884.”

The growth of Marikina’s shoe trade has meant more business for other towns. For example, Meycauayan in Bulacan supplies Marikina with much shoe leather. In turn, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon and other islands keep Meycauayan supplied with hides from cattle and carabaos. They also furnish alligator, goat, pig and snake skins for shoes, handbags and belts.

Many Filipinos open small stores or operate stalls in the public markets. Family members usually take turns tending these stalls in the markets of Kamuning, Cubao, Tondo and elsewhere. Divisoria Market in Manila is said to be the biggest market of its kind in the Philippines. It is not one vast supermarket owned and run by a single individual or company, but consists of thousands of small family stores under one roof. Haggling over prices here is an art honed to perfection.

The Government Lends a Hand

Aware of the potential of “cottage industries,” the Philippine government offers some aid to enterprising Filipinos. There are free seminars on various crafts. A course is even offered on raising mushrooms.

Government assistance is also provided to help people to improve the quality of their products. In Albay, for instance, many have advanced from making clay pots to the study of ceramics. In Ilocos Norte, people are learning how to make bricks and tiles.

The Philippine Daily Express, in an August 17, 1974, editorial, reported that the National Science Development Board has sent food-training experts to 39 Philippine provinces, “propagating different methods of food processing, so that items like coconut water, excess vegetables, seasonal fruits and small fish may be put to commercial” uses. This has resulted in the formation of “18 cottage industry cooperatives.”

Cooperatives? Yes, these are formed when several small businesses join together for mutual protection and profit. They are duly registered with the proper government bureau. The government encourages the establishment of cooperatives by granting them tax exemption and various forms of protection. These cooperatives enable the group to buy at factory prices, to sell at lower prices than they could individually and then mutually to share the profits.

For people who still prefer to be in business on their own, help is offered through the National Cottage Industries Development Authority (NACIDA). This agency gives valuable pointers on making Philippine handicrafts. The government also grants a five-year tax exemption for those registered as having their own “cottage industry,” enabling many to continue in operation and to prosper.

Financing the Business

But where do people get the money to start in business? Actually, very little may be needed. For example, a young man sold a ring. With the proceeds he started a small jewelry business. Today he can also sell, not only jewels, but even the dust in his workshop for good money. Why? There is gold in every pinch of it!

Another man discussed the matter with his in-laws. They liked his project and provided some 200 pesos (about $30, U.S.) each. Now his coral craft brings in a sizable income, and all share in the profits.

Some banks maintain lending offices in public markets to assist stall holders financially. Wise Filipinos avoid unscrupulous money lenders whose high cumulative interest rates can quickly gobble up not only profits but the entire business capital as well.

Is It for You?

Going into business for yourself has some advantages. A person is usually freer to make his own daily schedule for work and recreation. He is not responsible to any supervisor and he may have more time to relax with his family. By choosing the type of work that appeals to him, he avoids being tied down to a boring job just to make a living. He can also enjoy the challenge to his ingenuity that his business provides.

But there are risks. A person can lose his capital through bad management or unforeseen problems. Competition or inflation could cut profits. Then there is the anxiety about being successful, since running one’s own business may lack the security of being in someone else’s employ. It may be, too, that more time has to be spent in caring for the business than had been anticipated.

The Top 7 Luxurious Places To Lose Weight Shed Off Those Excess Pounds In Style

When you go on vacation, you usually end up eating a lot and overindulging in alcohol â?? although you do go back to work looking healthy, tanned, well-rested â?? although you could be a tad overweight.

But how would you feel if there is a place like a luxurious spa wherein you will feel like you are on vacation?

However, it is minus the overindulging in food and alcohol [Avoid holiday weight gain]. This is exactly what you will get when you visit one of the top 7 luxurious places to lose weight.

What to Look for in a Weight Loss Camp, Luxury Health Spa?

Before revealing the top 7 luxurious places where you can shed off those excess pounds in style, here are a few factors that you need to consider when looking for such a place.

Whether itâ??s a high-end weight loss camp, a luxury health spa or an exclusive club which has a week-long program to help members lose weight the healthy way â?? these are a few things that you should keep in mind:

Make sure to choose the right spa

It could be a luxury health spa, a destination spa or a resort spa.

What these facilities do is have a weekend, week-long or even a continuous program where clients will come in with the sole purpose of losing weight the healthy way.

Naturally, there should be healthy cuisine served, plenty of exercise classes that you can join and a really effective and healthy program that will help you reach your weight loss goals.

Ask whether there are in-house nutritionists

Most luxury health spas help clients count the calories on the food that they consume by having in-house nutritionists.

It would be even better if the weight loss camp or luxury health spa can create a personalized food program for you so that you can reach your target weight more quickly.

Check if there are exercise physiologists

Since you will most probably be paying a premium price for your stay in a weight loss camp or a luxury health spa, you might as well what your money is worth.

The establishment that you will visit should have exercise physiologists who can help analyze your current weight and create an exercise program which is suitable for you.

There could be one-on-one sessions or exercise classes that you can join â?? whatâ??s important is that you are doing what youâ??re supposed to do at the weight loss camp or luxury spa â?? which is to shed off the excess pounds that you have.

One final note: Before getting yourself into a program offered by any luxury spa or weight loss camp, make sure to check with your doctor first â?? especially if you have underlying problems.

There are times when too much exercising or a particular diet may cause complications to your health â?? so itâ??s better to be safe and consult your doctor first.

Enumerating the Top 7 Luxurious Places to Lose Weight

So where exactly can you go if you would like to enter a detoxification program, or a diet-and-exercise program that will help you realize your weight loss goals? Take a look at the top 7 luxurious places for you to lose weight:

1. H3i or the Hilton Head Health Weight Loss Spa

The main office of the Hilton Head Health Institute is in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. For more than three decades now, this weight loss spa succeeded in helping overweight adults get fit and live a healthy lifestyle.

They offer the luxurious and comfortable accommodations that the Hilton hotels have been known for â?? and some interesting aspects of the program include the Spa Cuisine, Yoga and Tai Chi classes, spa treatments, healthy cooking classes â?? and of course, the personal weight loss plan that they have.

2. The Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa

Situated in a lush tropical setting at the Turnberry Isle Yacht Club in Aventura, Florida, there is no better and more luxurious place to lose weight than here. The magnificent building is just part of the weight loss package that they offer.

When you first pay the facility a visit, you will have a talk with a Pritikin doctor about your health and medical history. Using your medical information, the doctor will then create a personalized exercise and nutritional program for you and would even monitor your progress during the week.

Cardio exercises, aerobic workouts and resistance training are interspersed with visits at the Pritikin Longevity Spa where you can get a massage after a morning workout.

3. Cal-a-Vie

This luxurious health spa encourages healthy living and relaxation. Itâ??s set amidst a 200-acre property north of San Diego.

A typical day starts with a refreshing hike through the hills, followed by cardiovascular exercises.

Expect your lunch portions to be controlled â?? and aside from the exercise and diet, therapeutic treatments and meditation are also taught at Cal-a-Vie. Interestingly enough, there are also abs and jabs class that the more active spa goers can participate in.

4. The Greenhouse Spa

The main offering of the Greenhouse Spa is their one-week Fat Flush Program. Unfortunately for men, this is a women-only spa. If youâ??re planning to shed weight and have a few thousand bucks to spend for it, then you can enroll yourself and probably a friend or two at the Fat Flush program where you will be served low-calorie gourmet meals.

No alcohol and caffeine here, though. If you want to have a break in between exercising and your spa sessions, you can go on a chauffeured shopping trip. Howâ??s that for the ultimate weight loss luxury?

5. The Canyon Ranch Resort & Hotel

This destination spa has three locations: Tucson, Arizona; Lennox, Massachusetts; and Miami Beach, Florida. Just like many other luxury spas, the management at the Canyon Ranch Resort & Hotel believe that you should enjoy a sumptuous gourmet â?? although still healthy meals after a hard dayâ??s workout.

The caloric, fat and fiber content of each dish are listed so that you can make a healthy eating decision for yourself.

6. The CuisinArt Resort & Spa

This luxury resort and spa is situated on the stretch of Anguilla beach at the British West Indies where you can stay at scenic beach-front rooms.

The 93 luxurious guest rooms and suites have access to the Venus Spa which is a full-service spa, salon and fitness center. The mouthwatering dishes that you will eat here come from the unique hydroponic farm and organic garden maintained by the resort.

7. Green Valley Spa & Weight Loss Clinic

As the name implies, this is both a spa and a weight loss clinic which is dubbed as being one of the top three spas in the world by Travel and Leisure.

What makes this mid-sized spa a standout is the Green Valley Spa Weight Loss Program which is proven to be virtually 100% effective. The program guarantees that you will lose at least one pound a day.

The Green Valley Spa has sub-facilities like the Eden Medical Center, the Bridge Health Recovery Center and they also offer Turning Leaf seminars. Their packages include the Total Health Package and the Core Wellness Package which includes access to stress-melting treatments, fitness lectures, wellness classes and daily hikes to Utahâ??s scenic backcountry.

When spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a short stay at one of these luxury health spas, make sure that the personnel at the establishment where you plan to lose weight does not offer an unrealistic diet plan.

If you have a lot of excess pounds to shed, itâ??s better to take things slowly, lose weight the healthy way and take home with you the type of proper exercising techniques and healthy eating lifestyle that you will learn at these establishments.

After all, maintaining a healthy weight should not be a one-time deal. Instead, itâ??s a lifetime commitment that you need to see through so that you can be 100% satisfied with your weight and more importantly, learn how to properly care for your health.

If the nudism is your style

If you are a nudist, it doesn’t mean you will be welcomed in every country you decide to spend your holidays. There is still a prejudice or sometimes intolerance against this style of sun bathing and swimming. Some counties are more or less tolerant but if you’re looking for a completely different vacation idea this year, why not try a nudist holiday?

Every nudist knows that real nudists are very nice people. What makes nudist especially nice remains a vagueness. Perhaps nudism attracts the enjoyable individuals in the first place, or maybe the practice of nudism somehow improves people. Who knows? And really, who cares? Let’s just enjoy the situation.

If the nudism is your style, Croatia is a country considered the naturist friendly destination. History of organized naturist vacations in Croatia goes back in 1930′s.

The island of Rab is appropriately referred to as the pioneer of naturism on the Croatia Adriatic . The month of August 1936 is frequently mentioned as the official beginning of naturism in Rab, when the English king Edward VIII stayed there and the Rab authorities allowed him and his wife to take a nude swim in the bay of Kandarola. That’s why this bay is nowadays sometimes called “English Beach” or “Engleska plaza”.

Croatia was the first country in Europe to start with the concept of commercial naturist resorts, when in other European countries naturism was limited to member clubs only. Real naturist expansion started in 1960′s when first naturist camps were opened in Istra and Dalmatia. In those days more than 100.000 naturists spent their vacation in Croatia each year. The oldest naturist resort in Croatia is Koversada and in 2001 celebrated its 40th anniversary. Koversada is in fact a small islet and today it is connected by a small bridge with the mainland. The story says that famous adventurer Giacomo Casanova was the first one who took a nude swim in Koversada.

In 1961 Koversada became officially opened for naturist tourists. As Koversada was becoming more popular. In 1972 Koversada hosted Naturist World Congress. In the course of years Koversada grew to modern and one of the largest and the most popular naturist resorts in Europe.

Soon after Koversada, other resorts opened its doors to naturists as well: Valata naturist resort (opened in 1968), Monsena (in 1988 hosted Naturist World Congress), Solaris and many other.

Naturist beaches in Croatia are marked as “FKK”. This is abbreviation for German word “Freikörperkultur” (Free Body Culture). The FKK sign is ever-present all along the Croatian coast.

Besides of official naturist resorts and beaches, there are also many so called free beaches. Those are unofficial naturist beaches, sometimes controlled and maintained by local tourist authorities and sometimes not, that can be found everywhere on the coast. Croatia with more than thousands islands offers practically countless small bays and coves for naturist lovers.

Nudist cruising along the Adriatic coast, hoping from one to another island or hidden caves , has become very popular in last years.

Whether you are a romantic couple, a family, single, or a senior who enjoys the freedom of nudist bathing, the warmth of the sun and water, the naturist cruising with wooden old timers (gullets) will be a new experience.

With its quaint villages, old historic stucco houses with red tile roofs, and small stores to browse in, you will enjoy your time off the beach as well. The beauty of this coast and country alone is enough reason to make you decide to plan your next nudist cruising vacation in Croatia.

With this nudist background and natural beauties, Croatia is a right place to join the nudist sailing offer. Let’s just enjoy the situation. Be a nudist in Croatia, a Mediterranean as once used to be.

Source: Croatia nudist beaches and scuba diving paradise by Milos Pero