Dream Destination: Areias Do Seixo - Portugal

When we discovered Areias Do Seixo on our Dream Destination trawls, it literally took our breath away. Less than an hour out of Lisbon yet worlds away from reality, this amazing place is a haven in a wild and dramatic wilderness, where pine trees, dunes and the sea collide to make for a truly spectacular backdrop to this eco-luxury Charm Hotel. It is simply stunning!

Each room is totally unique and comes with gorgeous views, fireplace and terrace deck. There are also the penthouse, with three rooms, living room with kitchen, and those fabulous decks complete with barbecue and jacuzzi. Or the ultimate - the villas - with soaring windows that draw the landscape inside, and private swimming pools. The decor is seriously stylish, with a modern-exotic flair that really appeals to our bohemian side.

Areias Do Seixo also has its own restaurant and bar - Lugar Horta - where earthy decor greets you, and the intoxicating flavours , smells, tastes and colour of the local cuisine can be savoured over long and languid meals. 

But when it comes to real indulgence, just check out that exquisite spa setting! Offering treatments that combine the best of oriental healing therapies, like Ayurvedic treatments and a Turkish bath, with modern therapies like Vichy shower and an outdoor heated pool, this is where guests can come to awaken their senses and find total, sublime rest and relaxation. 

Areias Do Seixo may be luxurious and totally romantic, but it is also a place that embraces nature and ecology, something that is shared through their unique 'Experiences' - their private farm land is there for you to help cultivate with your own hands, where you can spend the morning in the company of their farmers to learn the basic concepts and principles of agriculture and harvesting techniques, before taking your harvest to the chef who will help you to prepare a veritable feast for your lunch. 

We are completely and totally head over heels in love with the idea of experiencing a stay at this place! That's why Areias Do Seixo is this week's Dream Destination. 

Small Luxury Hotels of the World - big on experiences

Want to surprise your partner with a romantic experience they will never forget? Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has revolutionised the tricky task of finding the perfect present with the launch of the new experience-based SLH Gift Certificates that allow guests to choose from a range of themed experience certificates available from SLH, dedicated to Gourmet Experiences, Spa Getaways and Honeymoons. Each Experience Gift Certificate is also available in two price bands, allowing for ultimate choice when picking the perfect gift.

Try the tantalising Gourmet Experience certificate for two which includes two nights luxury accommodation, buffet breakfast and one night of gourmet dining ; or the gourmet experience at The Balé in Indonesia which also includes a candle-light dinner for two in a private villa prepared by the Executive Chef, a visit to a traditional Indonesian market followed by a cooking lesson to really get all gourmet-lovers’ juices flowing! 

Another option is the gourmet Tasmanian cheese and Leatherwood Honey platter on arrival at the magnificent Woodbridge on the Derwent in Australia.

Or for the most special experience of all, why not treat any newlyweds (or not-so-newly-weds!) to a fabulous Honeymoon Romance Experience certificate with three nights luxury accommodation at some of the world's most luxurious destinations. Le Choiseul in France, for example, offers guests a private romantic balloon ride, or delight a loved one with Champagne and strawberries on arrival at the sensational The Chesterfield Hotel in Palm Beach followed by a four-course meal and a romantic Champagne picnic on the beach to watch the sun set.

The Gift Certificates are redeemed directly with each hotel.  To see the full list of participating SLH hotels visit the SLH website. 

Chandra Villas - Seminyak, Bali

Bali's sophisticated hub of Seminyak has no shortage of amazing luxury villas to choose to stay at (and we should know, we've tried the very best of them!). And here is the latest addition to the bunch, Chandra Villas, which is a part of the 8Hotels brand of Australian hotel collections and apartments in Paris. It's recently opened in the Oberoi area, a favourite corner for great restaurants, bars and boutiques, and we're thinking this looks like a hot contender for our next stay in Bali!

Uniquely designed and individually crafted by Bali based architect, Maria Paiva, each villa features luscious greenery, teakwood furniture, contemporary living spaces and luxurious bedding. Each villa boasts outdoor rock showers, freestanding bathtubs, sundecks and private lap pools. A fully equipped kitchen with stainless steel appliances awaits, providing the perfect setting for your very own chef to prepare and serve all meals at your designated time and convenience. You will have your very own concierge service to take care of dining reservations, childcare and nanny services, in room massage and beauty treatments, which are all available via your own private all day butler service. Chandra Villas provide 24-hour private villa security with the very best of Bali’s restaurants and shopping at your doorstep, promising the idyllic island holiday for romantic couples.

Rates from USD490 per night inclusive of all taxes, breakfast and airport transportation. 

Alpine skiing for just $1 .... seriously, be quick!!!

Snow Australia has just launched a campaign to give 1000 people the unprecedented chance to discover snow sports for just one dollar! Be quick to to nab yourself the one day package, which includes use of beginner lifts and a beginner lesson for skiing or snowboarding (not inclusive of equipment hire) redeemable at their eight member ASAA alpine resorts in both NSW and Victoria; Thredbo, Perisher, Charlotte Pass, Selwyn Snowfields, Mount Buller, Hotham, Falls Creek, Mount Baw Baw. One dollar ... seriously people!

To be eligible, you must join the Snow Australia club online, but you only have until the 27th August to enter the promotion for the one thousand numbered vouchers (limited to one per person) which can then be redeemed at ticket offices at each resort for one dollar during the week of Monday 12th – Sunday 18th September. 

Who's coming skiing?

Pack a little bit of LUXE for your travels

Famous for their ultra short, sharp and snappy reviews and highly personal and selective entries, LUXE City Guides have sold well over one million copies - no padding, no maps, no daft pictures and graphics, just super-curated, highly opinionated quickfire speed reads from resident editors and contributors who REALLY know their city, so you can spend time enjoying the city not head down in a book. Packed from concertina cover to cover with snazz, snark and snap, if it's in LUXE, it's IN - enough said.

With 33 city titles to choose from, we love the range of gorgeous LUXE Bespoke Boxes holding 8 or 12 guides, available exclusively online. And if you're considering multiple destinations, choose the LUXE World Grand Tour, Asian Grand Tour, and European Grand Tour box sets, featuring the pick of the world’s destinations –fabulously boxed and ready to go. Love it! 

The perfect travel gift is just a simple click away at LUXE City Guides online store. 

Eco-luxury romance on one of Vietnam's most picturesque bays

Taking the term eco-luxury to a new level of sophistication, the innovative team at Epikurean Hotels, Villas and Hideouts have us taking notice of the recently launched the exclusive and seriously romantic Ca Lam Villas at the luxury resort of An Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas, set on one of Vietnam's most picturesque bays. It would all feel very Robinson Crusoe-esq, were it not for the high attention to luxury detail and indulgence that awaits you!

Nestled a four minute boat ride from the resort and set amongst three palm-fringed beaches away from An Lam Villas in Vietnam’s spectacular Ninh Van Bay, the villas at Ca Lam come with a comprehensive range of all-inclusive guest comforts.

All drinks and meals are inclusive of your stay, as well as unlimited spa treatments from the massage menu (OMG!). The two air conditioned beach villas, accommodating one couple each have indoor/outdoor bathrooms and private pool. Open sided living spaces designed with traditional Vietnamese thatched roofs provide a shady refuge for relaxation, meals, favourite libations and spa treatments. The villas come complete with a personal chef, a butler to serve and a private masseuse. Book me in, right now please!!

The recently opened An Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas is an inspiring resort of just 35 private villas. In addition to the exclusive Ca Lam Villas hide out, An Lam is about to unveil its newest category of luxury accommodation – five stunning lifestyle villas, each with two bedrooms and a host of refinements for the discerning traveller.

And talk about a spectacular setting! Think tropical forest cascading from the bay’s mountainous backdrop down to a lagoon and the South China Sea, massive granite boulders strewn throughout the landscape, and a long sandy beach that is just waiting to be rediscovered.

From arrival at Cam Ranh airport, guest are met and escorted on the 30-minute trip to Nha Trang City. 16 kilometres north of the city is the resort’s welcome sala and departure pontoon. Transferring to a resort speedboat, it is just an 8-minute crossing to An Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas. So all you have to do is turn up, check in and luxe out. Simple, easy access to total bliss!

An Lam Ninh Van Bay Villas is offering an introductory promotional rate of “Stay for 3 nights - Pay for 2 nights” with rates starting from AU$292.00 for a Hillside Villa and from AU$410.00 for a Lagoon Villa per night. Rates are on a per villa basis – double occupancy and are valid until 30 September 2011.

Longer stays benefit from similar discounts - stay 4 pay 3 etc and are valid until 19 December 2011.

A 15% Early Bird reduction applies to stays of 3 nights – or longer when booked 30 days or more in advance. And is combinable with the above offers when booked through Travel Indochina. Contact your travel agent or go direct to Travel Indochina at 1300 365 355 or their website.

Dream Destination: Castello di Vicarello, Tuscany

A romantic holiday in the countryside of Tuscany, staying at an exclusive luxury converted castle, eating delicious and rustic Italian food all day, every day. Sipping on the finest Chianti. Languid days lounging in the sprawling grounds, on an estate that is steeped in history, and as ancient as it comes. That's what Castello di Vicarello offers the luxury traveller. And it's our 'Dream Destination' this week purely for the longing it gives us to look at these images, and imagine just how sublime a stay here would be! 

Sensitively restored and elegantly decorated, the guest suites at Castello di Vicarello are sophisticated examples of old-world charm meets contemporary chic, with a dash of modern exotic thrown in as testament to the owners travels through Indonesia. Four of the suites are overlooking the castle courtyard and three more occupying the outbuildings, surrounded by verdant gardens of white roses, lavender and olive trees. 

There is a natural spa on the grounds, a wooden raft that floats above the terraced olive groves and where you can retreat to indulge in Ayurvedic massage, reflexology, shiatsu and other pampering treatments. You can have a private yoga lesson, or relax in the sauna or the Turkish bath. Or take a dip in one of two scenically-sited fresh water pools outside. 

At Castello di Vicarello, great emphasis is placed on wine and food. The castle has its own organic olive oil press, and much of the food that is prepared in the kitchens here is also grown on site, cultivated according to traditional methods and following strict organic guidelines (they even have their own published cookbook!). 

Naturally, in such picture perfect and ambient surroundings, Castello di Vicarello specialise in weddings and honeymoons. Sounds a little divine, doesn't it?