As the holiday season approaches, there is no time like the present to start thinking about your year-end break. With travel having become commonplace again, you may feel overwhelmed for choice with a plethora of exotic havens at your fingertips. If you’re looking to explore the region, we shortlist two special experiences in Bangkok and Bali—both popular destinations with an abundance of history, culture, and of course, delicious food.
If you’re keen to venture further, why not let the experts at new luxury member’s club Quintessentially plan your trip? With uniquely-qualified lifestyle managers dedicated to each member, you can be sure that the sojourn they put together for you will be unlike any other. One thing is for sure—this reflective time of year calls for slow, thoughtful travel that nourishes your soul and prepares you to take on the next chapter.
Capella Bangkok celebrates its second anniversary
The resort-style riverside villas and plunge pools at Capella Bangkok are a sleek oasis along the Chao Phraya River—and there is no better time to book in than for their second anniversary. The Double Happiness package allows for guests to select two perks or experiences to elevate their stay, which includes the likes of a US$100 hotel credit, Thai set dinner for two at Phra Nakhon and a two-hour river cruise. Capella’s Auriga Wellness sanctuary is a sublime experience where you can use your credit—go for the Tok Sen treatment, a massage technique which features rhythmic tapping along the body’s energy lines to relieve pressure. After your treatment, pop over to Phra Nakhon at sunset and order their pad thai, a caramelised wok-fried noodles dish with tamarind sauce and succulent grilled river prawns. Pair it with the crispy Kurobuta pork belly and duck breast red curry for one of Bangkok’s best meals in our books.
The Double Happiness offer is valid for bookings of a minimum of two nights at the hotel’s Best Available Rate, made between 1 October, 2022 and 31 March, 2023.
Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape unveils a creative retreat with Lucinda Law
Amidst the mystifying natural landscape of the Balinese jungle in Northern Ubud, sits Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape—a tranquil, adults-only getaway spot that offers the thrilling, naked experience of being completely engulfed by nature. Post debuting their ‘No Walls, No Doors’ villa concept this year, the enclave has joined hands with local botanical artist Lucinda Law for an exclusive nature-led creative retreat in December—the perfect escape for city-dwellers who wish to unwind and turn inward. Mobilising her own artistic sensibilities, Law will be aiming to help guests settle into a contemplative mood of self-expression using creative tools such as botanical art, travel sketching and poetic expression, as guests immerse themselves deep within the resplendent beauty of mountain peaks and waterfalls found in Buahan.
Book ‘The Beauty of Nature Creative Retreat’ with Lucinda Law from 7 to 9 December at Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape in Bali online.
Luxury member’s club Quintessentially launches new hub in Singapore
In a rapidly digitalising world, nothing is quite as elusive as the human touch. With hubs all over the globe from New York to Dubai, and headquarters in London, luxury member’s club Quintessentially provides its members with a uniquely personalised experience. With highly-equipped lifestyle managers dedicated to each client, these managers invest time and effort into getting to know the ins and outs of their clients’ lives; learning their likes and dislikes. This intimate knowledge combined with cultural expertise allows them to craft customised experiences tailored to each particular client—ranging from reservations at their partner’s favourite restaurant in time for their anniversary, to bespoke holiday itineraries planned from start to end. Now, Quintessentially is expanding its Singapore office to become a new regional hub to cater to a growing population that enjoys the finer things in life. If finding yourself in far-flung destinations you have never heard of, or having a bottle of your new favourite wine delivered to your doorstep right before date night sounds like something you’d enjoy, Quintessentially’s lifestyle managers may have something up their sleeves just for you.
Find out more about Quintessentially at quintessentially.com.
Nespresso collaborates with Pierre Hermé for a festive capsule collection
The year end marks an exciting season—not just for the joy it brings around, but for the fresh crop of festive collections to be expected on all fronts. This year, Nespresso presents their clientele with the gift of joie de vivre through an exclusive collaboration with renowned pastry chef and chocolatier Pierre Hermé. One can expect this new and limited selection of indulgent coffee flavours to unearth as part of the Original and Vertuo collection, where Pierre Hermé’s avant-garde and sophisticated approach to refining the palate will be deepened by the coffee’s complex notes. Alongside the new flavours, the release comes with a series of accompanying gifts—from scented candles dreamed up by master French perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, to this season’s advent calendars which contain all three new coffee flavours.
The Nespresso x Pierre Hermé collection will be available online and at all Nespresso boutiques in Singapore from 3 November onwards.
