6.27.2016

*6 Dream Destinations every Luxury Traveller should Visit*

Santorini
Those of you who have followed my blog long enough will know I love travelling - especially luxury travel. But luxury holidays aren’t simply about staying in a top-rated hotel or visiting a beautiful location. They’re about having an experience that’s completely designed around you, fulfilling your desires and exceeding your expectations from the very beginning. In collaboration with luxury travel specialists, Exsus, we have put together a list of my personal six Luxury Destinations every Luxury Traveller should Visit! This list includes a few of my favourite locations that I have visited in the past, as well as a few of my dream places to visit.

1. SANTORINI: For those who are looking for the ideal post-summer break, there’s Santorini; an island in the southern Aegean Sea around 120 miles southeast of Greece. What makes this island stand out is that it is, effectively, the remains of an enormous volcanic eruption that occurred around 1620 BC. These days, you can see how the whitewashed villages have been built along the caldera, to a stunning effect. For many, it is a top destination to see some of the best sunsets in the world. Santorini is my dream destination for a romantic holiday.

Prague

2. PRAGUE: Prague has become a real favourite amongst travellers looking to sample a rich cultural heritage. While places like Paris are often touted as the most romantic cities on earth, Prague can also hold its own in the conversation. It has a unique history in cinema, music, and theatre and remains a must visit for anyone with an interest in the arts. I've visited this fairytale city once and have been looking forward to returning someday ever since!

3. MOROCCO: Making the trip from Tarifa, the southernmost point of Spain into Morocco may only be 8.5 miles, but it can seem like a complete culture shock once you make the official transition from Europe into Northern Africa. Many luxury travel planners can arrange a tour of the country’s world-famous marketplaces filled with enticing spices, jewellery, and other exotic goods. Unfortunately I have never visited Morocco but it is high up on my travel list.

Bora Bora

4. BORA BORA: Bora Bora is one of small islands that make up the Society Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The region is known for its white sandy beaches, clear blue waters, and range of luxury resorts, which makes it a popular honeymoon destination. Its secluded nature really does give the feel of your own private oasis. Ever since I've discovered the existence of Bora Bora, it has also been on my list of top romantic holiday destinations. The turquoise blue waters look stunning in photos. I can just imagine how much more mesmerizing it would be in person.

5. HONG KONG: The experience of visiting Hong Kong has changed greatly in recent years. It has long been a melting pot of different cultures that made it a joy to visit, but it now has an abundance of top luxury accommodation options as well. Whether you want to go shopping, enjoy the nightlife, relax on the beach, or take in some of the local festivals, there’s something for everybody here. As my family is from Hong Kong, I have been lucky enough to visit several times over the years. As I grow older, I have also grown to love it even more.

Tanzania

6. TANZANIA: I have saved the best for last; going on safari in Africa is my ultimate travel goal. Tanzania is perhaps the number one location for luxury safari trips. Every year, around 1.7 million wildebeest cross over from the Serengeti in what is known as the Great Migration. It’s one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, and you will witness one of the most incredible wildlife experiences on the planet. Ever since I've watched the BBC's Planet Earth documentaries (many years ago), Tanzania has always been a dream of mine..which I hope will come true in the near future!!

*Images Courtesy of Exsus Travel*

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6.26.2016

496. Pompeii

Pompeii sculptures
Visiting Pompeii was one of my favourite days during my Italy trip. Before I went, I didn't know anything about it at all and only decided to go after searching for things to do during my days in Capri. Pompeii isn't in Capri. It took us a bit more than an hour to get there. We had to take a boat to Sorrento (~30min) then a super old train to Pompeii (~30min). Going back to Capri we had to take the train back to Naples then a longer boat ride back to Capri. It was so much fun and I'm so glad we went!! To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy it that much there. I actually thought the 4-hour tour we booked was more than enough time to see everything - to clarify, I thought this before we went. I love history but I thought it would be the type of place only huge ancient history buffs would fully enjoy...but I really loved it and wished we had a few hours more there. Because of the long and hectic journey, it would've been a lot less stressful and better if we stayed a night in Sorrento or at least went there earlier in the morning.

We were quite lucky that day though as we:
- barely made it on the boat to Sorrento (we had to run on it just before it left and we were the last two on there)
- the train came right away when we arrived, from Sorrento to Pompeii
- the forecast said rain the whole day..but it didn't rain the whole time we were exploring Pompeii. It started pouring though just when we left/got to the train station
- made it on the train to Naples just in time (did a bit of running as well and if the train actually came on time then we would've missed it. I think we were a few min late and the train was a few min later than we were)
- made it on the last boat back to Capri. Otherwise we would've been stuck in Naples for the night

Ah, good memories :D

Actually to add to the list above (though for the night before), I ran around all the shops of Capri at night shortly before they closed to look for a pair of running shoes as I didn't bring any there. I had to get them to visit Pompeii which I now totally recommend. I didn't know just how extreme it would be but they really are all "ruins" there and would be quite difficult to navigate around in any other footwear. Some parts were slippery too so you'd need sneakers with good grip. Anyways, I was lucky to have found possibly the only sportswear boutique in Capri so I bought a pair of Pompeii-appropriate shoes just in time which you can see here:

outfit Pompeii
Pompeii
Pompeii
Pompeii
Pompeii modern sculptures
For those of you who don't know much about Pompeii (like me pre-trip): it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most visited ancient sites in Italy. It has a tragic history. Mount Vesuvius lies roughly 5 miles away from Pompeii and erupted in 79AD. The volcanic ash buried the entire city under a carpet of thick volcanic ash, ranging from 13-20 feet deep. Most people escaped but thousands remained and died. The city was lost and remained buried for over a thousand years. It was only in the 1700s when it was discovered again and excavations began. Today, much of the ancient city still has not been excavated. After the volcanic ash hardened, it left the city mostly intact. What makes Pompeii unique is that it provides a unique source of information and look into the ancient world; archaeologists are able to study their social, economic, religious and political life as the city was so well-preserved.

Those large sculptures you see in the photos above are actually not real. Well they are modern sculptures and actually just a temporary exhibit until Jan 2017. They weren't there during ancient times ;)

Pompeii casts
Pompeii body cast
Pompeii bodies
Bodies were frozen in time and in the exact position of their last moments alive. When archaeologists discovered the bodies, they found human-shaped voids in the hardened ash. The bodies inside had decayed. To preserve the shapes, they poured a liquid plaster inside each to capture the images of the dead.

Pompeii bakery
Pompeii oven
An oven, in a style of which we still use today! Some carbonized loaves of bread were found inside during their excavations.

Pompeii ruins
Here you can see the state of the ruins. We were lucky to go there before peak season otherwise this photo may have been full of tourists. It's also a completely different feeling and experience to walk around a historic site without seeing tons of modern people everywhere. While we were here I actually imagined myself walking back in time lol.
Also if I were to come here during the middle of summer when it's extremely hot and with crowds of people, I would not have enjoyed it as much. There isn't really anywhere to cool down or sit/rest. & there's only one small eating place in the whole site.

ruins of Pompeii
Pompeii Beware of the Dog
The ancient version of the "beware of dog" sign

Pompeii architecture
Pompeii ceilings
Pompeii public baths
streets of Pompeii
Pompeii brothel
brothel bed Pompeii
Inside the famous brothel! It was a small building with several rooms and small uncomfortable-looking beds. There were sexual images all around which served as a menu to order from. As many men who went there didn't speak the same language as the girls, they would point to the picture of what they wanted.

streets of Pompeii
Pompeii Isis temple
Pompeii walls
Pompeii street stepping stones
I found this to be quite fascinating. These are the roads with stepping stones for people to "cross the street", as it was really dirty and full of water, animal manure and waste in there.

Pompeii theatre
Pompeii theatre
view of Pompeii ruins
A final look over Pompeii before we left. Underneath the spot we stood on to take these photos was a part of the city still un-excavated. I hope to visit Pompeii again sometime in the future to see what new discoveries there will be.

When we visited, Anouk and I hired a private tour guide just for the both of us which would be one of my top recommendations if you are planning a trip there. We learned a lot and it really added to the experience. Normally when visiting anywhere, I would prefer to explore on my own without a guide (for example cities or museums) but for an ancient city like this I feel it is necessary because otherwise you're just walking around without knowing what you're looking at. Unless you studied it I guess. We booked our guide from a company called Emiliano's Archaeological Tours. We had a 4-hour tour but I would recommend at least 6 hours if you have the time, and maybe visit the neighbouring city of Herculaneum as well which is apparently more well preserved than Pompeii.

My other major recommendation would be to not visit during the peak summer season due to the crowds and heat. We came in April and it was perfect. Yes, I am very behind on this post hahah.

This is quite a longer post than I expected to make and it took me several hours. I don't expect you to have read everything as it's quite long but if you did..I hope you found it interesting and informative!

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6.14.2016

495. Milan | Snapshots Part 2

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
Here are some more photos from Milan. This is inside the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It really is stunning inside. It is one of the world's oldest "shopping malls". Construction was completed in 1877. It's really well maintained though as the tiled flooring and everything still seems quite new. All the major fashion designer boutiques can be found here, along with several restaurants and cafes.

Looking back on these vacation photos makes me want to travel again really badly. I'm at the point in my life now where money (to travel) isn't the biggest issue. Well, not as much as before but now I mainly lack the time. Even though my work is luckily very flexible, since I work remotely, I usually spend a lot of time working even when I go on vacation. I should be less busy after the summer though. So I will most likely go somewhere again in the fall.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
Italy gelato
Louis Vuitton windows
Milan Duomo
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
Piazza del Duomo
Milan staircase
Milan Duomo
spaghetti
My table for 1 at a restaurant patio in Piazza del Duomo (best spot for people watching and overlooking the Duomo). The most difficult thing about travelling alone for me is eating at restaurants. I always cringe a little inside when I have to ask for a table for 1 lol. Every solo vacation it takes me a day or two to get comfortable in the city before I can eat at a restaurant alone. This meal I had here was my first that trip. After that I was totally fine with it.

Piazza del Duomo Milano
Givenchy Antigona bags
Givenchy shopping
Givenchy Antigona light blue
So happy about this purchase!! The Small Givenchy Antigona in light blue. I don't think this colour is available to purchase in Toronto anymore. I know our Saks Fifth Avenue never got this colour and I think Holt Renfrew had it for a short period of time (now it's sold out though), so I'm very glad I was able to get it there. It gets dirty pretty easily though so I have to be more careful with it. I kind of want another one now in the medium size and a darker colour (navy blue or black?) which would be a lot more versatile.

chocolate shoes
La Rinascente food hall

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6.10.2016

494. Rome | Snapshots Part 2

Piazza Navona
I am finally back after my unintentional 2-week hiatus from blogging & social media. My life suddenly got extremely busy these past few weeks and I literally had no time to blog or anything. I can't believe I'm still not done with these Italy posts lol. A lot happened in my life since then which I'd normally post about in my Recent Life posts but I haven't even had time for those. I will do them again soon as I'm sure you are getting bored with these vacation photos. Here is a quick post with some snapshots of Rome. These first ones were taken at Piazza Navona. Probably my favourite Piazza in Rome I visited so far.

Piazza Navona fountain
Piazza Navona
Rome fountains
Rome gelato
Piazza Navona
Italy magnets
I remember it got really cold that evening so I kept going into little souvenir shops to warm up, on my way back to the hotel.

Rome
Pizza in Italy
Pizza Italy
Rome
Rome
Rome
Spanish Steps
Spanish Steps
Piazza di Spagna
Piazza di Spagna
streets of Rome
Piazza di Spagna
I posted a quick video of this a few weeks ago on my Instagram!

Piazza di Spagna Rome
Rome
Rome souvenirs
Rome magnets

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