Vacation

All posts in “Vacation”

Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel

The Monastero Santa Rosa hotel, in Italy’s Amalfi Coast, is a five-star haven in one of the most picturesque countries in Europe. If you’re planning to go to southern Italy, this is definitely the place to stay.

Located in a quaint hamlet called Conca dei Marini, which is just west of Amalfi, the Monastero Santa Rosa hotel sits in a fortress-like cloister. The space, originally built for Dominican nuns, overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea. As a result, there are no sidewalks crowded with tourists. In other words, it’s just you, alone, in this beautiful slice of sublime.

The ancient monastery turned vacation spot features 20 guest suites. The space also boasts an original vaulted ceiling and a handful of Italian antiques. Each room offers an elegant residential atmosphere with sweeping views of the nearby sea. The highlight is a four-tier garden, home, previously, to medicinal herbs. Now, the grounds produce organic ingredients for the on-site restaurant.

The eatery, which earned a Michelin star some years back, offers local dishes and wines housed in the hotel’s 400-bottle cellar. Go to the edge of the garden and you’ll find a stone poolside terrace. Here, you’ll come face to face with the scenic panorama of the Amalfi coast, which is breathtaking in every sense of the word.

Vacations, we often forget, isn’t just about frolicking about. It’s also, more importantly, about capturing the sense, the essence, the “feel” of a place. Which is all to say this wee sanctuary in southern Italy will help you have that experience. Hit the link below if you want booking details.

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Photos courtesy of Monastero Santa Rosa

June 25, 2019 / Comments Off

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Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Tour

With HBO’s Game of Thrones officially wrapped up, fans started to wonder what the premium cable company was up to next. The fantasy series did not exactly end on a high note, with fans clamoring for a redo of the ending. However, instead of giving in, a historical drama miniseries quickly followed and became a huge hit worldwide. Thanks to the TV show, the area is seeing a huge spike in tourism as fans want to get an up-close experience. For those who are willing to take a unique adventure, then its time to book your trip for the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Tour.

The miniseries is hardly the first platform to generate a lot of publicity regarding this place. In 2007, Activision released Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which was another entry to its popular first-person shooter franchise. One of the game’s missions takes you through a thrilling and dangerous mission across the city of Pripyat. Players experience tense moments as you avoid areas with high radiation as well as enemy units. Not only will this tour cater to fans of the HBO show, but gamers will likewise have a field day of their own.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Tour is an 11-day expedition will have tourists explore ground zero and the areas nearby. Each group will consist of no more than 12 people as you travel throughout Ukraine. You will be able to view the iconic landmarks such as the amusement park and the nuclear power plant. Other notable stopovers will include the presidential palace, Odessa, the catacombs, and so much more.

Book your trip here

June 25, 2019 / Comments Off

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Costa Rica Treehouse

This three-story nature hideaway, from American firm Olson Kundig Architects, is the perfect retreat if you ever find yourself smothered by summer in Costa Rica. Clad in local teak wood and built with tree-trunk columns plus slatted walls, this surfer hut quenches the outdoorsy heart.

Sitting in a dense jungle near the Playa Hermosa beach, the Costa Rica Treehouse belongs to surfers and passionate environmentalists. The house embodies a “deep commitment to sustainable land management” in the small country, best known for its clutter of rainforests and volcanoes. Oh, and let’s not forget Costa Rica’s visually gob-smacking coastline.

Firm Cofounder Tom Kundig says the house has a light, natural footprint. Both in terms of the location and the materials consisting the structure.

“The project has a relatively light, natural footprint on the landscape, both in terms of the site itself, but also in using available local materials that are helping advance the next level of environmental stewardship in Costa Rica.”

Both teak and cenizaro wood feature predominantly here, as does wood and metal, which make up the roof. That extends beyond the building, providing ample shade and protection come rainstorms.

Wooden screens act as walls, letting in natural daylight and fresh air. In some areas the walls even slide open to break down the boundaries separating abode from the outdoors. The only glass windows here are on the second floor, and even so they feature minimally usage.

The simple, square plan casts an ode to classic treehouse construction. Here, each of the three floors provides a different experience of the enveloping landscape. Which is exactly why we build treehouses in the first place.

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Photos courtesy of Olson Kundig Architects

May 14, 2019 / Comments Off

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Noah Surf House

On the west coast of Portugal, on a wide beach strip, sits this delightfully lush and homey lodging custom-made to please surfers. Even if you’re not a fan of the waves, you can still stay in its rooms.

The place, called Noah Surf House, lies in the small town of Santa Cruz, about an hour’s drive from Lisbon. Right in an area abundant with waves, although less visited than the similar wave-friendly Ericeira and Peniche.

You get an almost post-apocalyptic oasis here, a coastline marked by jagged cliffs facing the Atlantic. There are also a number of point, reef, and beach breaks in the area. Waves for all levels of surfing, perfect for those just starting.

There are just eight guest rooms, with 13 bungalows in total, each modern. There are different accommodations to choose from. If you like views of the ocean, or fireplaces, or outdoors showers, you’ll get them. You can even rent a room with its own private kitchen. Of course, who has time to cook when you’re going to be surfing all day long?

Luckily, those who tire from all the wading around the waves can hightail to Noah’s Restaurant and Beach House. The menu features an eclectic mix of Portuguese and international cuisine, and with fresh local ingredients, at that. In the mornings, you can head to its terrace for a quick sun soak. Or head here before the sun sets for some cocktails. Or some communal round-the-fire jam session. Hit the link below to book a stay.

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Photos courtesy of Noah Surf House

May 9, 2019 / Comments Off

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Snowman Glass World Resort

If Finland is you next destination and you don’t have any plans for lodging yet, look no further than the Snowman Glass World Resort.

Sitting in the quaint and cozy city of Rovaniemi, this hotel shelters adventurers with its plethora of luxury glass igloos. Finland has sort of been leading the charge lately when it comes to winter travel accommodations. Just like the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort that went viral a couple of years past, Snowman Glass World is perfect for folks waiting to witness the Northern Lights.

The winter resort, open just this month in Santa Claus Village, is the most luxurious take on the genre yet. Here, there are standalone Scandinavian-style apartments affixed with modern architecture and furnishings. For each cabin, there’s a living area, a modest-sized kitchen, and an upstairs bedroom. Topping it all off are floor-to-ceiling windows for your full view of the snowy landscape and the Northern Lights.

It’s a bit odd that there are private terraces in the hotels given that you’ll be staying here in winter. But here you’ll find a private hot tub and an en suite sauna. Both should keep you pretty warm and snug during the cold season.

Staying at the glass apartments will run you around €496 per night. That’s a pretty penny to spend on accomodation, of course. It does, however, include Wi-Fi. Plus, you’ll get all-day entrance tickets to Snowman Ice World. And there’s free breakfast in the resort’s Restaurant Ensilumi. If you’re headed to Rovaniemi for vacation, then you really shouldn’t miss this experience.

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Photos courtesy of Snowman Glass World

January 24, 2019 / Comments Off

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