With a weaker pound and presents to buy, it’s time to make your way across the pond to bring London’s glamour to your holiday gifts.

By Karin Tanabe

The Pine Room at the Alfred Dunhill flagship store displays menswear with old world elegance and style.

Overflowing baskets of port and foie gras, kidskin gloves to fight the cold, a cut-to- covet bespoke suit, red carpet-worthy gowns with all the trimmings – that’s what you’ll find this season in London’s fashionable West End when you indulge in a pre-holiday splurge from Regent Street to Saville Row. Beautiful presents will always be appreciated by those on your holiday shopping list, but if you really want your gift to be remembered, consider something with British cachet. Plan now, make those flight reservations, and don’t forget to take along this little guide to the West End for shopping, dining, and a truly wonderful place to stay.

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There’s more to the Caribbean than poolside piña coladas. Hot new resorts, interesting cultural festivals, and celebrity-studded music events fill this season’s jam-packed schedule. Mark your calendar, jump on a plane, and head down to paradise.

By Kelly Fisher

Poolside at the St. Regis Resort

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From man-made islands to the world’s tallest building, it seems anything is possible in Dubai.

By Bridget Manifold

World’s largest mall! World’s only 7-star hotel! World’s tallest building! It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the over-the-top architecture and attractions in Dubai, but underneath all the glitter there is a thriving, authentic culture. Make sure you seek out both to get a full sampling of the surprises this international hotspot has to offer. Here are a few Dubai’s “can’t miss” attractions.

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Six days, two historic properties, and countless ways to experience the best of Ireland from idyllic County Mayo to bustling Dublin

By Michael M. Clements

Ireland is green, but not in the cliché lucky four leaf clover way. Literally, it’s green – everywhere: the trees, the rolling hills, the countryside. The scene is particularly emerald driving northwest from Ireland’s Atlantic Coast gateway, Shannon International Airport, through Galway into County Mayo. Known for its wide-open spaces and dramatic cliffs that extend finger like into the brooding Irish Sea, County Mayo is the ideal location to experience country luxury at its finest, starting with the magnificent Ashford Castle on the shores of Lough Corrib, which cuts like a jigsaw through the heart of the pastoral landscape.

On the northeast shore of Ireland’s second largestlake, Lough Corrib, stands Ashford Castle, the ultimate in Irish country opulence. Presiding formidably at the peninsula where the lazy River Cong meets Lough Corrib, and hidden deep within over 350 acres of wooded parkland, this 13th century castle hotel is a monument to a fascinating history of a bygone age. Once the estate of the Guinness brewing clan, the property opened its doors as an exclusive hotel in 1939 and is currently a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. Read the full story

Discovering the historic sites, art, architecture, and culinary traditions of this extraordinary country is essential to understanding its people and the conflict that constantly threatens to engulf them.

BY Kevin Chaffee

Jerusalem’s old city walls and the Dome of the Rock as seen from the Mount of Olives observation point near the golden onion domes of the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene

Israel is relatively small, so it shouldn’t be too hard to include these carefully considered suggestions throughout a week-long stay. The tourist infrastructure is excellent – hotels and restaurants have dramatically improved in recent years – and it is quite easy to go everywhere by car on the excellent highway system. Despite varying degrees of tension and always-tight security measures (it’s not uncommon to see a fully-armed soldier standing guard at a McDonald’s), your trip here should not only be safe, but a pleasurable and memorable one, too.

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The all suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager sets high standards for luxurious summer cruising in Northern Europe

By Kevin Chaffee

Regent Lines’ Seven Seas Voyager. Length: 670 feet; Beam (width): 94 feet; Gross Tonnage: 46,000: Guest Decks: 9; Cruising Speed: 20 knots: Passengers: 700; Crew 447.

Transatlantic travel buffs are fiercely devoted to the long ocean passage. Cruising, they say, is merely an annoying interruption of a leisurely voyage (don’t even ask about the “ticky, tacky, tourist traps” along the way). As a seven-time ocean liner veteran who had “crossed” but never “cruised,” I boarded Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ (RSCC) Seven Seas Voyager in Copenhagen for a seven-night sail to five historic Baltic ports with some trepidation. Suffice it to say that I was completely won over by the superb accommodations and public rooms, friendly service, and thoughtful itineraries all along the way.
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Clean, green, and pristine: exploring one of the Caribbean’s hidden gems

By Michael M. Clements

Traveling to Tobago means forgoing all-inclusive over-the-top Caribbean mega-resorts for something more natural and less damaging to the environment. Still, it’s hard to trade luxury for sustainability every night, so my first stop after Delta’s convenient direct flight from Atlanta are the posh Villas at Stonehaven (www.stonehavenvillas.com).

Built into a steep incline overlooking scenic Stonehaven Bay on the leeward side of the island, the property consists of 14 spacious 3,700-square-foot luxury villas built in an 18th-century French Colonial style. All have large living areas, 50-foot covered verandahs, private pools, fully-equipped kitchens (a chef comes each morning to prepare breakfast), and three large air-conditioned bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. When celebrities like Stevie Wonder visit, they stay here. Tip: Book Stevie’s favorite villa, the Eagle’s Nest, located at the property’s highest point. Read the full story

The city of Zen and Geisha co-exists tenuously with the modern: vending machines blink outside temples while funky-haired teens pass shiny-headed priests. Michael M. Clements discovers two worlds during three days in Kyoto.

By Michael M. Clements

The Hanatouro Masturi (Flower Lantern Lane Festival) is held each winter.

DAY 1

The Modern Ancient

It’s a crisp and clear winter afternoon outside the bustling Teramachi-dori covered shopping arcade. It’s a long way from the crowded streets near Tokyo Station where the sleek Nozomi Super Express Shinkansen train departs as the first leg of JR Central and the Japan Tourism Bureau (JTB)’s 3-Day Kyoto Shinkansen Tour. One would assume that as you speed south you would trade Tokyo’s cutting edge for something more traditional, yet every inch of this narrow alley shopping corridor is crammed with fashionably-dressed Japanese teens sporting the de rigueur looks of Harajuku and Shibuya. If Japan is experiencing a graying of society, you wouldn’t know it.

It’s not the fashion-forward urbanite scene that is my first impression of Kyoto – in between the slender boutiques pushing faux vintage t-shirts, retro Nikes, action figurines, and eclectic accessories – like metallic Star Wars lunch boxes transformed into handbags – I spot ancient temples and shrines dating back to as early as the 13th century. Like Ledo Pizza’s on Massachusetts Avenue, vestiges of the Kyoto’s past survive as ancient islands in a sea of modern commercialism.

The amount of history in Kyoto is staggering. This former imperial capital with a population of roughly 1.5 million boasts 103 temples and shrines, 17 of which have been deemed World Heritage Sites. Its 1,200-year history is a window into the forces that have forged Japanese society. In winter, without the crush of the cherry blossom season or hustle of summer, travelers get a purer glimpse into the soul of this ancient town built into the hills and valleys of the Eastern, Northern, and Southern mountain ranges.

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Columbus sailed here in 1493 and mistook the clouds shrouding Nevis Peak as snow. He renamed the island “nuestra señora de las nieves,” our lady of the snows. There is no snow here … just sunshine, history, and lots of low-key luxury.

By Michael M. Clements

It’s neither the chicest nor most buzzed about Caribbean island destination; it’s not the most expensive … nor the cheapest either; it’s simply Nevis – a sombrero-shaped single peak volcanic isle near the top of the Lesser Antilles archipelago whose charm creeps into your soul like the rum in beachside restaurant Sunshine’s (www.sunshinenevis.com) famous Killer Bee cocktails.

With its yellow, red and green reggae colors, and relaxed open-air space, Sunshine’s is as Caribbean cliché as it gets on here. It’s a local favorite – the Wahoo fish filet is almost double the size and half the price of the island’s more posh eateries, notably those belonging to the Four Seasons Resort Nevis (www.fourseasons.com/nevis) located north on Pinney’s Beach about 10-minutes away.
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In the current real estate market, affluent homeowners find themselves searching for other options to full ownership of a vacation home – including equity clubs, fractional ownership and destination clubs. Which one is right for you?

by Michael M. Clements

Tucker's Point, Bermuda

A connoisseur’s guide to the Queen Mary 2

By Kevin Chaffee

As an inveterate ocean liner buff who fell instantly in love with the three transatlantic leviathans I have boarded (the old Queen Mary, S.S. France and Queen Elizabeth 2), I eagerly anticipated a summer crossing from Southampton to New York on the new Queen Mary 2, touted as the largest (1,132 feet, 148,500 tons), most expensive ($780 million) and most luxurious ship ever built. I admit to a few reservations after friends who had already sailed in her described the pride of the Cunard Line as “too big,” “decorated like a Marriott,” or not having a glitzy enought passenger list.

Yes, QM2 is enormous, and while that meant I wasn’t gently rocked to sleep by the incessant hum of the engines as we plowed through the Atlantic, it also ensured that most landlubbers aboard slept through a powerful maelstrom with Gale Force 11 winds and 33-foot swells. If “too big” translates to extra safety and comfort, to say nothing of an onboard planetarium, a library that a mid-sized town would be proud of, and numerous extra dining options, so be it. Read the full story

The Maharaja of Jodhpur hosts friends of the Freer Sackler in India’s magical state of Rajasthan

By Ann Nitze

The gardens at Rambagh Palace Hotel in the capital city of Rajasthan, Jaipur. The hotel served as the home of the royal family of Jaipur until 1957.

At the invitation of His Highness, Gaj Singh II, maharaja of Marwar-Jodphur, my sister Jane Richards and I had the pleasure of joining a merry group of Friends of the Freer and Sackler Galleries for a unique trip to India led by museum director Julian Raby. Our visit to Jodphur was of special interest, as the Sackler is exhibiting the Maharaja’s family’s collection in Washington in October.

Immediately upon arrival in Delhi, we hurried over to the Imperial Hotel for Sunday lunch with Washington’s favorite India connoisseur Helen Philon and her husband, former Greek Ambassador Alexander Philon and their friends, including Carol and Landon Butler. The Philons were fêted by noted hostess Mani Mann later that evening, where I met the dashing Prince Richard Holkar, who invited us to the annual music festival in his princely state of of Indore. Read the full story

Frégate Island, a private resort in the Seychelles not only hosts Bill Gates, Paul McCartney, and Elizabeth Hurley, but it has become a model for eco-tourism. In fact, Frégate is one of few carbon neutral islands on the planet.

by Katie Tarbox

Voted by Conde Nast Traveller as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world, Anse Victorin on Fregate Island encourages guests to put up a "privacy please" sign and bask in complete seclusion.

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, 115 islands form the Seychelles, one of the world’s most remote and exotic locations. With beautiful beaches planked by over-sized granite boulders, luxury resorts, and even four-leaf clovers, the Seychelles are a modern-day garden of earthly delights.

The smallest of the granite islands, Frégate is home to one of the most exclusive resorts in the world (only accessible by helicopter from Mahe). Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt honeymooned there, as did Paul McCartney. Bill Gates visits every August; most recently, Elizabeth Hurley rented the entire island. Though best known for offering the ultimate luxury (private beaches, world-class spa, and butler service), the island and its owner (a German billionaire whose identity is unknown) have made conservation a top priority. Read the full story

A journey to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro with Abercrombie & Kent

By Katie Tarbox

Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, inspires 25,000 climbers to make the seven-day trek each year.

I summated at 8:00 a.m. on a Thursday morning. I was hallucinating by the end, having traversed 15,000 to 19,340 feet over the eight-hour hike. I was so happy that I cried; however, it was so cold that my eyes immediately froze shut. The week-long climb was so demanding that I couldn’t even open my mouth. My last rational thought was that I had done something I had never believed possible.

We rode the long, winding dirt roads from the Arusha Mountain Lodge to the Machame Gates in Range Rovers. Motion sickness meant that my eyes were firmly shut for most of the trip toward the 19,000-foot tall mountain. On the flight from Nairobi, upon hearing that the airplane was flying at a lower altitude than the mountain, I began to seriously question my audacity.
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Talk about getting enlightened! Stockholm is the City of Northern Lights and much much more, so let’s get Swedish chic!

By Carolina Furukrona

In Sweden, the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, can, on occassion, be visible as far down as Stockholm.

With a smorgasbord of international celebrities and gorgeous citizens, chic Scandinavian fashion and design, world-class gastronomy, and bustling nightlife, Stockholm has become the winter it capital of the world. So forget visions of red noses, jolly Saint Nic and boring holiday parties. Instead, shake the ghosts of Christmas and New Year’s past and book an über hip trip to the source of Yule tided trendy – Sweden. And, don’t forget to bring along a group of your closest friends. Read the full story

It’s one thing to put the “privacy please” sign on your hotel room door, but what if a resort could drape one over the entire property. Caribbean hotspots Jumby Bay and Little Dix Bay can…

by Katie Tarbox

Jumby Bay, off the coast of Antigua, can only be reached by a private boat.

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Heat up your summer with a trip to Argentina’s remarkably cosmopolitan (and inexpensive) capital.

By Kevin Chaffee

The club at the Alvear Palace Hotel offers guests a heated pool and sauna, fully equipped gym and massage services. Other perks include personal butlers and a breakfast buffet in the skylit Orangerie Restaurant

Argentina’s capital sizzles with style and sophistication. As if that weren’t enough, it’s incredibly sexy, too. Even better – and you are wondering what could be better – it’s almost embarrassingly inexpensive. One of the few places in the world where the dollar is king.

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Shanghai has changed immensely over the past 10 years … actually, it’s probably changed immensely over the past 10 days. Here’s our insider guide so you can stay up caught up.

By Michael Clements

Shanghai's "Bund" as viewed from the Pudong side of the Huang Po atop the 88th floor of China's tallest building, Jin Mao Tower. Pudong,a former sleep yplot of farm land, is a fast-developoing modern city-within-a-city.

1. SPA by day
Recharge at Banyan Tree Spa (The Westin Shanghai, www.banyantreespa.com) considered one of the best in the city. Try the “Feng” 2-hour session tailored to the season you travel (US$145). The Evian Spa (No.5 The Bund. 2/F, www.threeonthebund.com) is a ladies-only contemporary spa with French beauty treatments, Eastern holistic therapies and advanced color and water therapies. The signature Evian Royal Synchronized therapy involves three therapists (60min. US$210). With its spectacular roof top pool, the Four Seasons Spa (500 Weihai Rd., www.fourseasons.com/shanghai) provides an urban oasis (60min. massage US$130.) Dragon Fly Massage (12 different locations, www.dragonfly.net.cn) is a local luxury spa chain preferred by Shanghai’s burgeoning nuevo rich, who tend to shy away from higher-priced hotel spas (1-hour head and shoulder massage, US$7; full-body lavender oil massage, US$25.)
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Private space exploration has become the ultimate vacation for the ultra-wealthy.

by Clay Gaynor

The Soyuz TMA spacecraft readying for launch.

The final frontier was once accessible only to a highly trained, elite few: astronauts and cosmonauts. Vienna, Va.,-based Space Adventures, a commercial space flight group, is changing that. Theoretically, private space exploration is available to anyone; but besides astronauts, it’s still only  available to an elite few: the very wealthy. Case in point: Charles Simonyi, the billionaire former Microsoft engineer who recently spent 14 days on the International Space Station (ISS) during a privately funded mission facilitated by Space Adventures. The company’s next mission is scheduled for fall 2008. Interested?WL tells you what it takes
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A bit of heaven in Mauritius

By Katie Tarbox

At the slate-tiled infinity-edge pool at the One & Only Le Touessrok, butlers clean your glasses before you enter and exit the pool.

I’ve never been a fan of people who talk about beach vacations with hyperbole. My beach heaven is simple – a margarita, powdery sand I could run my freshly-pedicured toes through, my iPod, a book and a pristine view of the ocean. The accoutrement of cold-water sprays and tropical fruit popsicles at luxury resorts are nice, but a beach is a beach. At least, that’s what I thought until I visited a Mauritian beach.

Mark Twain once wrote, “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.” Considering my 24-hour journey to the small island off the coast of Madagascar in the middle of the Indian Ocean, I am floored Twain even managed to make it to this Eden. For almost 100 years, tourism has been the linchpin for the Mauritian economy, and the two One & Only properties, Le Saint Géran and Le Touessrok, exemplify Twain’s celestial incantations. Meanwhile, the eco-conscious traveler will be pleased to know that both resorts earned their Green Globe Certification (the environmental worldwide benchmarking program for the travel industry) in 2000.

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On safari in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

By Katie Tarbox

Male lions roam alone in the Kruger National Park, which has frequent "big five" viewing

My dream of traveling to Africa began, strangely enough, at a doctor’s farm in Poolsville, Md. There I sat sipping champagne looking at a stuffed lion and lioness similar to the creatures that I had been enchanted by at the Museum of Natural History. There wet bar was furnished with a rhinoceros foot ice bucket with an elephant foot umbrella holder leaning against the wall and zebra rugs all over? all souvenirs from a recent Africa hunting trip. In rare form, I was actually quiet while I listened to the doctor and his wife relay tales of hunting on big game safaris. I found it to be thrilling ? to me Africa represented the wild and the untamed. It was a forbidden fruit; an unknown territory for me. I wanted to go.

“Africa?” my friends questioned with a sense shock as we sipped cosmopolitans. “Yes, Africa, and I want you to join me,” I retorted. After a few quizzical looks, and a few more drinks, my excitement and enthusiasm was enough to coax two of my friends, Ashley Taylor and Katherine Kennedy, to join me on my dream. So after, we booked our two and a half week trip.

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Pull yourself from your five-star luxury accommodations during your long weekend in Hong Kong and experience one of Asia’s most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities.

by Michael Clements

The Hong Kong Island view as seen from from Kowloon.

1. Re-member Me
For the trendy-minded, ask your concierge to book a table at member clubs KEE Club or Cipriani. KEE’s Italian master chef Gianluigi Bonelli trained at El Bulli on Spain’s Catalan coast and London’s Fat Duck. The nightlife is an elegant and eclectic mix of DJs, strong colors, African masks and Picassos. The private emerald-green room is a must. Cipriani Hong Kong is the sister club of its famous namesake in London. Kee Club: 61F 32 Wellington St, Central +852-28100-9000; Cipriani Hong Kong: 12/F Old Bank of China Building Bank Street, Central +852- 2501 0222.

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A special toast to Virginia wines in celebration of the commonwealth’s official wine month, October. We’ll show you where to go (and where to stay) to enjoy its entire splendor.

by Christina W. Wilkie

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Surviving and thriving at Baron Baptiste’s Personal Revolution Bootcamp in Tulum, Mexico

By Nancy Reynolds Bagley

Baron Baptiste in crow position.

I heard the questions…
1. “Are you ready to unlock your body’s limitless potential, balance your emotions and master your diet?” …Well, yes.
2. “Are you committed to reaching a new altitude of physical and spiritual strength?” … Sure.

There I was in the back corner of class, holding on to whatever it is inside that gets you through something like this. My thighs were shaking, as I wavered on one leg in a pool of my own sweat — what am I doing here? And how am I going to make it through the rest of this week? … It was 9:30 a.m. and I was only thirty minutes into my first class of bootcamp. Yes, yoga bootcamp.

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A luxury guide to health and wellness resorts: Sea Island, Canyon Ranch, and Palmetto Bluff

The iconic Cloister Hotel, which hosted world leaders when President George W. Bush hosted the 2004 G8 Summit at Sea Island.

Health, fitness and wellness don’t always start at home. This summer, treat yourself to a vacation and kick start that “healthy lifestyle” you’ve been talking about since New Year’s. To be sure, it’s going to take dedication and commitment ? both of which become a whole lot more manageable when surrounded in luxury. If only staying in shape could be like this all year round…

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Rediscovering New Orleans…while New Orleans rediscovers itself

By: Michael Clements

Night descends on Bourbon Street.

Is it back? It’s a question travelers to New Orleans will be asking for some time. For most, memories of floodwaters and scenes of survival linger like the high-water marks, which stain the region’s some 276,000 abandoned homes. Yes, the devastation is real; yes, it is tragic; but, through its music, its food, and its rich cultural heritage, the Crescent City is bouncing back and regaining its mojo.

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 New Developments in Luxury Living.

Members staying in Peninsula Papagaya, Costa Rica will experience dazzling views of the Pacific and the surrounding forest treetops.

Our Participants:

DONN DAVIS has served as a senior executive at Time Warner, America Online, and Tribune company for the last decade. After co-founding Revolution LLC with Steve Case, he now serves as CEO for Exclusive Resorts.

JOHN LETHAM as senior vice president of business development with Orphalese Global Strategies (OGS), Letham’s principal duties include the selection and oversight of partnership companies and their progress towards completion of shipboard services, public relations, and sales program.

MARK GREGG serves as managing partner and president of Penrose Financial Services, which provides mortgage banking, strategic corporate real estate and property management services.

Luxury living reaches new heights through three unique ventures: Developer Mark Gregg brings Canyon Ranch Living to Bethesda with private residences adjacent to an exclusive wellness center, hotel and high-end retail; Steve Case and Donn Davis lead the luxury destination club pack with 300 residences worldwide available through Exclusive Resorts; and luxury cruise line developers Don Allen and John Letham allow you to purchase a second home on the good ship Orphalese, which travels the world from exclusive event to event while providing all the comforts of home and a five star hotel. WL moderator and Real Estate Weekly publisher Mark Bisnow leads the discussion.

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Escaping never seemed so close…or fun

by Nancy Bagley and Clay Gaynor

An aerial view of Bermuda

Bermuda lies 500 miles off the North Carolina coast, and in places, this island of pink-hued beaches and turquoise waters seems like a world away. In other ways, it feels like home…

Bermuda, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, has long been a seasonal retreat for America’s bluebloods–American tourists began visiting the island to escape the winter in Victorian times. Known for its outstanding golf courses and 17th-century architecture, Bermuda remains a preferred getaway for vacationers like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Getting there is easy, with U.S. Airways running direct flights (2 hours) from National Airport. But before you leave, don’t forget to pack the official uniform of this British Commonwealth country: Bermuda Shorts.

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Sunshine, sand and pampering should be part of every couple’s wedding vows.

by Nancy Bagley

Barbados and Petite St. Vincent

Whether for  a weekend jaunt, extended vacation or honeymoon, Barbados and the nearby private isle of Petite St. Vincent have a range of options for travelers looking for peaceful and serene, jet-set chic or loud and electric.

Barbados and Petite St. Vincent (PSV to locals) occupy the same stretch of windward Caribbean sea space; both have tranquil beaches, and average eight to nine hours of sunshine a day; both offer ample opportunity to snorkel, scuba dive, fish, and/or sun and spa the day away.  But the similarities stop there.  In fact, for being so close geographically, the two islands couldn’t be farther apart in the types of holiday experiences they offer travelers.  If you’re lucky enough to be vacationing in either destination, here are a few things you should know.

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