New Year's in Phuket, Chedi Club Jimbaran and direct flights to Okinawa
Phuket, it’s 2015!
What better way to wake up in 2015 than in a plush barefoot luxury resort in Phuket? Paresa Resort, which overlooks Millionaire’s Mile (good omens for 2015!) beach against the Andaman Sea, is offering a three-day New Year Celebration package. It includes all things glitter and gold, with a daily sparkling wine breakfast, a deep-tissue 60-minute massage, and a dinner buffet on New Year’s Eve. You’ll also get to attend the countdown party, which features a DJ, cabaret show, and a big, bright fireworks display. Not a bad way to finish off 2014.
Dec 29-Jan 1, 2015. From THB13,500 ($3,183) per package (two people, two nights). 49 Moo 6 Layi, Nakalay Road Kamala, Phuket, Thailand, (+66) 76-302-000, www.paresaresorts.com.
Wake up to 2015 (and this view) at Paresa Resort
In Da Club
The famous Chedi Clubs in Bali are welcoming a new sister come the New Year. Also sprouting up on the popular vacation isle, the new Chedi Club Jimbaran will sit atop Jimbaran Bay—home to a string of famous open-air seafood restaurants along the Indian Ocean. Known for its excellent service and luxurious villas, the Chedi Clubs consistently rank among the top hotels in Bali. The new addition is aiming just as high, with 34 pool villas—each with between one and four bedrooms, round-the-clock butler service, private swimming pools, kitchenettes and massive stone bathtubs. Bali may be cluttered with tourists these days, but it’s precisely properties like Chedi Club that keep us going back for more.
Opening rates TBD. 100 Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia, (+62) 361-704-435, www.ghmhotels.com.
Chedi Club Jimbaran looks like a knock-out
Walk This Way
Is Burma on your bucket list this year? Good news for you: iDiscover City Walks has just launched a new app for Yangon that will guide you from golden pagodas to grand colonial buildings. Not only is it packed with offline maps, but it also has four downloadable self-guided neighborhood walks—each through a special area of the city. You’ll also find tips on bars, cafes, specialty shops and hidden gems that have been hand-picked by local experts. For now, it’s Apple-only, but an Android version is coming soon.
App, first tour free; other tours $15 each.
Psst… It’s about to get a heck of a lot easier to reach the beautiful island of Okinawa. Budget Japanese airline Peach Aviation is opening up a direct link that takes off four times a week starting on Feb 21, 2015. One-way fares $760-3,400 from flypeach.com.
Have a query you need answered or a travel tip you’re keen to share? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @KateSpringer, #hktravels.