Something different in Miami

Miami has so much to offer and plenty of sightseeing. It is fantastic place to visit for a holiday with many sights including the Wynwood Art District. 

So much to see and do in Malta

Discovering Malta

Hidden Greece

Whether you choose deserted beaches, fabulous local food, walking or ferry-hopping itineraries, we have the Greek Islands well and truly sorted.

Hiking in Amorgos, Cyclades

As well as the azure bays and its role in Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, Amorgos is also renowned for it's hiking trails, which not only connect the island’s villages but also provide access to ecclesiastical and natural landmarks. Start at Hora, the capital of the island, and walk towards the landmark of Amorgos, the Greek-Orthodox monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa. Built by Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus I in the 11th century, this whitewashed monastery is wedged into a cliff face 300 metres above the sea. Climb the nearly 300 steps, walk through the low marble doorway and take the staircase that leads to the chapel where treasures and icons are kept. You will be rewarded with a vertiginous yet panoramic view of the Mediterranean, complimentary rose-flavoured loukoumi (Greek Turkish delight) and psimeni raki (raki with honey and spices) offered by the monks. From there, descend towards the pebble beach of Agia Anna. Here the waves splash against a rock which a chapel of the same name is built on. It’s then time to dive into the deep blue Aegean.

Karpathos, Dodecanese

The largest Dodecanese island is largely unknown to Brits. You can fly there but not directly from the UK. Better to take the ferry from Rhodes or Crete as we did and head for Diafani, where getting around is mostly by boat or on foot. We were enchanted by the lack of tourist trappings as local life carried on around us. As visitors we found ourselves welcomed with gifts of pomegranates, just-caught whitebait and freshly baked bread. While we were drinking coffee at a cafe on the water’s edge, a local fisherman invited us onto his caïque and took us on a spectacular journey to a beach where we found ourselves alone and surrounded by undisturbed centuries-old ruins. As we swam, our boatman fished for octopus, then barbecued it for us, having first shooed the goat from the stone table. Inland we visited Olympos, courtesy of the free loan of our hotel owner’s car. The remotest village on the island, and only recently accessible by road, it’s a place where traditional costumes and customs still persist, and time seemed, like its iconic windmills, to stand still.

Kastellorizo

Kastellorizo, a mile off the Turkish coast, is a colourful and picturesque island with a tumultuous past. Originally colonised by the Dorian Greeks, the island was later occupied by Egypt, Italy and the Ottoman empire, all of which is evident in the capital’s rich architectural legacy. Pastel-coloured Anatolian-style houses are arranged around a small fishing harbour lined with tavernas. Dotted on the hillside are a church and a cathedral, an Ottoman mosque, monasteries and castles. The ruins of an ancient acropolis lies on the western outskirts of town. A promenade on the steep streets and lanes provides abundant delight and surprise as well as breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. A small family-friendly beach west of the harbour is excellent for swimming. The island’s remote location on the fringes of the Dodecanese has left it relatively undisturbed by tourists, making it an ideal getaway centred on food, recuperation and culture. The island is easily reached by boat from Rhodes or Kas.

Abandoned sulphur mines of Milos, Cyclades

There can be no more breathtaking backdrop to a dip in the Aegean than the abandoned sulphur mine of Milos. The stunning bay of Paliorema can be accessed via a dirt road, although the scramble down the cliff to the golden shingle is not for the faint-hearted. Hire a 4x4 to get as close as possible. Once at the beach, you can wander freely around the abandoned buildings, where it appears the miners may be back at any moment to start work. Follow up your visit at the Mining Museum in Adamas, which includes a video about workers in the sulphur mine before it was permanently closed in 1978. Milos’s charms are only enhanced by the fact that it has not relied on tourism for survival like some of its better-known neighbours.

Donoussa, Cyclades

Donoussa is the quietest of the smaller Cyclades islands, hidden behind much larger Naxos. Traditionally described as off the beaten track, it has reinvigorated itself in recent years as younger people move back from Athens to work in family businesses. There are some great new restaurants, such as To Auli in the main (small) village and an organic beach bar at nearby Kedros bay. An excellent new walking guide (in Greek and English) opens up the hills, while a minibus service will carry you back from the other side of the island on the only road. There are regular ferries from Athens but arrive on the local Express Skopelitis from Naxos for the best experience – this ferry also offers lots of short-journey, island-hopping options.

Let us help you discover the world, contact us discover@allworldjourneys.com 

Kudadoo Private Island in the Maldives opening soon

Kudadoo Private Island by Hurawalhi  and opening soon is set to be the most exciting opening in the Maldives this year, designed by the world-renowned Yuji Yamasaki. This adults-only private island will bring house just 15 super luxurious and expansive over water villas with one or two bedrooms, complete with world class amenities and only 40 minutes by seaplane from Male.

The blissful spa and endless activities on offer mean everyone will be kept entertained and guests have access to all the amenities at the nearby Hurawalhi Island Resort, a five minutes’ boat transfer away, including Hurawalhi’s undersea restaurant, ‘5.8’ – the World’s largest all-glass undersea restaurant. 

www.kudadoo.com

Baglioni Maldives

Opening in March 2018, the Italian luxury hotel group's first tropical island venture

Located on the remote island of Maagau in the Dhaalu Atoll, the eco-friendly resort will boast 96 elegant, whitewashed villas that blend classic Italian elegance with a breezy island vibe.

New Hotels opening in 2018

 

Amanyangyun, Shanghai

Villas at this astonishing new Aman boutique are set in Qing and Ming-dynasty dwellings, saved from demolition and painstakingly reassembled ancient brick by brick. The big draw of this ambitious heritage property, located deep in a relocated forest of sacred camphor trees just outside Shanghai, is the spa. It will host bathhouses and a banya, and offer a cutting-edge range of treatments, from a body healing therapy inspired by Russian cosmonaut technology, to energy boosts by way of quantum medicine-inspired laser beams. Six dining venues include a Chinese restaurant overlooking a bamboo grove and a Japanese eatery.

Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Andaman Islands

The first luxury hotel comes to one of the world’s final great unmolested beach destinations – an archipelago of 300 islands in the Bay of Bengal, all bristling jungle, twisting mangroves and champagne-coloured sands. The hotel has been built on stilts inspired by indigenous Jawara huts. Its villas, billowing with white linen, boast private plunge pools. The spa floats on a lake. Jungle trekking, underwater photography and rare turtle-spotting expeditions are among the standard activities. A fine dining restaurant fusing Bengali with south-east Asian flavours, and an eatery specialising in coastal curries cooked using catch from the Andaman Sea, should keep foodies equally satisfied. 

The Langley, Buckinghamshire

The Duke of Marlborough’s vast, stucco-stencilled, Georgian country estate has been transformed into an all-dancing, gold-foil-spattered, Baroque-fireplaced country house pile. The former hunting lodge – just 40 minutes from London – is targeting weekend spa-seekers, with its cutting-edge cryotherapy treatments, women’s-only thermal areas, VIP suites with dip pools and Matt Roberts gym. Rooms have rolltop baths; some are set in a converted brewhouse, where the owners used to make their own ale. Guests can also look forward to an Art Deco cognac and cigar bar, and afternoon teas served in a courtyard overlooking the lake.

Six Senses Bhutan

This pearl string of five luxury lodges will offer a unique lodge-hopping journey across the Bhutan’s scabrous landscape, taking in ancient fortresses, icy rivers and oxe-and-scythe fields.The experience starts at ‘Palace in the Sky’ Thimpu lodge, overlooking forested mountains scattered with ancient monasteries. Punhaka lodge, with its traditional farmhouse vibe, stares down on a patchwork of rice fields and pine trees. From Paro, guests can drink in vistas of 12th-century ruins and sprawling barley crops. Gangtey clutches at the Black Mountains in an area that is home to endangered black-neck cranes. The final destination is Bumthang, set in a pine grove, and made completely from recycled wood. 

 

One & Only Gorilla’s Nest, Rwanda

Set in the curling mists of the Virunga volcano range is this exciting new base for face-to-face encounters with the world’s last mountain gorillas. A three-day stay at this grass-thatched traditional Rwandan lodge will guarantee an hour-long encounter with one of the eight local families of gorillas in their natural habitat. Simple en-suite bedrooms have hot showers and rustic furnishings. The restaurant will use produce grown in the lodge’s garden, and the spa promises to draw on African traditions for its treatment menu. A nine-hole golf course offers an unlikely way to relax after a morning stalking endangered primates in the African foothills.

COMO Uma Canggu, Bali

Surfing is at the heart of this hip new resort on the onyx-black volcanic sands of Bali’s southern coast. Calmer waves and expert coaching from luxury provider Tropicsurf should appeal particularly to novices. Penthouses boast private pools on creeper-clad rooftops. Think minimalist interiors with Japanese screens and perspex chairs; architecture is all swooping oceanic curves. Fish caught just across the archipelago will crackle on wood-fired grills at the beach shack, and living enzyme smoothies will be up for grabs in the 'Glow' bar. Daily yoga sessions should help unwind mind and muscles after a hard day’s surf.

Rosewood Baha Mar, Bahamas

Aspiring to be an instant classic, with imposing colonial architecture, and languorous afternoon teas served in the chandeliered splendour of the library. Villas right on the beach have their own private pools, and couples can enjoy romantic dinners in a private rum bar. Restaurants include a seafood outfit and nautical-inspired bar serving up craft cocktails and sharing plates. Buildings may look like something out of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel, but bedrooms are firmly set in the era of Pinterest: minimalist black four-poster beds, corner couches, retro chairs and pepperings of baby blue furnishings.

Baglioni Resort Maldives

2018’s biggest luxury hotel opening in the Maldives, set on the bone-white sands of Maagau island in Dhaalu atoll, a 40-minute seaplane from capital, Malé. All the suites are ocean-facing; some are over-water villas, snaking out towards the mottled blue sea. An al-fresco Japanese joint serves up fresh sushi under the stars. Guests can burn off cocktail calories in the yoga pavilion or the beach gym, and the dizzying daily array of activities range from kayaking to topcat sailing and pedalo rides. A dive centre with resident marine biologist offers child-friendly scuba experiences too.

Raffles Singapore

This historic haunt of Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin and Joseph Conrad aims to recapture the age of razzmatazz following a multi-million-pound refurbishment. A new range of Residence suites are themed around local cinemas. The interiors of the legendary Long Bar have been freshly exfoliated – though the tradition of throwing peanuts on the floor while sipping a Singapore Sling will be diligently preserved. A new lounge in the lobby will host afternoon tea and the Writers Bar has been refashioned into a trendy cocktail joint. A spanking new spa and history gallery are also set to feature in the hotel’s revamped shopping arcade. 

London

Great Scotland Yard, the formal Whitehall HQ of the Metropolitan Police is having a £50 million makeover to create 3 restaurants and 153 five-star rooms. Opening summer 2018

Paris

The Experimental Cocktail Club's Hotel des Grands Boulevard is accessed via a secret passageway. Its 50 rooms will channel Marie Antoinette extravagance, with canopied beds and televisions hidden in mirrors. Opening January 2018

New York

Freehand New York will have 358 rooms with a trendy rooftop bar overlooking Gramercy Park. Opening February 2018

St Kitts

Park Hyatt has ousted opened in the wonderful Christophe Harbour with 126 rooms, 3 restaurants, private rooftop plunge pools and Miraval treatments available in the incredible spa