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TRAVEL NEWS + DEALS
Elbow room in S'pore, and sand and suites in Mui Ne
New brands make an appearance in Singapore in time for the Great Covid Escape as Mui Ne (Vietnam) welcomes a colonial gideaway.
In search of shophouse genes
For a bit of 'deconstructed shophouse chic' in Singapore (though this may take a while to digest, if not fully fathom), road warriors can now head to the Mondrian Singapore Duxton (mondrian/singapore-duxton) that joins the city's hostelries March 2023. The 302-key hotel serves up a rooftop pool and a contemporary feel melding a sense of the shophouse district with local art and more. The rooms are homey-modern with clean lines and beige-white tones. There is a minimal feel to things. A Duxton Corner would make a fine pick with rooftop views, large painting, larger flat-screen TV, a rain shower in the bath, Lavazza Coffee Machine and amenities by MALIN+GOETZ (always a good sign if you can't pronounce the name). With 237sq ft of elbow room this place is nothing to sneeze at. A great location on Duxton Hill in a happening neighbourhood. The Mondrian is part of Accor's lifestyle collection.
Oberoi New Delhi (above left, www.oberoihotels.com/),which had a swish makeover recently is serving up its a 'Suite Idea' with daily breakfast, airport transfers in style, butler service and 20 percent off on spa therapies until late March 2023. An Oberoi Suite is priced at Rs48,000 per night. Should you miss this deal, keep checking as this leading Indian business and leisure getaway is bubbling with ideas. Don't forget to sample its excellent inventive buffets at 360. At the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru (www.fourseasons.com/maldiveslg/), a manta ray and whale shark watch deal for marine enthusiasts interested in coral regeneration and sustainable practises. Available from 11 May to 30 November 2023, with a minimum four-night stay. Included are daily breakfast, seaplane transfers from Velana Airport, speedboat safari, dolphin cruise, and one 'personal coral frame propagation' exercise. The resort adds it will "donate US$5" to the Hanifaru Bay NGO on behalf of each guest entering the reserve. Be aware all rates are subject to an additional 23 percent tax and service charge plus a US$6 green fee upon checkout.
Sand dunes and spas in Mui Ne
The 127-room Anam Mui Ne opens 11 January 2023 a stone's throw from Saigon... well, a four-hour drive but faster on a good day when trucks are not trundling down the highway. This opening follows the group's newish Cam Ranh (www.theanam.com/) offering. The Anam Mui Ne conjures echoes of Indochine and a grand villa tradition redolent of a colonial past. Think two sprawling swimming pools, one salt water for older crocs perhaps, a ballroom, conference facilities, yoga, fitness, and a spa with five treatment rooms. Yes, there's a kids' club too. Rooms range from 40sq m to a more than generous 142sq m and seven 142sq m suites offer the added luxury of private pools. Decor is understated and classic all the way down to the clawfoot bathtubs. Mui Ne (Phan Thiet) is a beach strip well known for its sugar-white sand. There are ample distractions in the area including colourful fishing villages and a stretch of sand dunes.
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Mont Azure (above left, montazure.com/en), from the stylish design-driven Twinpalms group on Kamala Beach Phuket, offers both its Twinpalm Residences and the MGallery Residences MontAzure for the investment inclined. The development is a low-rise cubist lifestyle construct on a fine well located and happening beach close to Surin (where the original pathfinding Twinpalms resort is located), saucy Patong, and not too far from the airport. From the Avana Retreat (avanaretreat.com/) Vietnam, a plastic-free experience in 36 luxe private villas and a unique waterfall experience amidst verdant rice fields just a three-and-a-half-hour drive up the hills from Hanoi. As Vu Huy, founder of Avana Retreat, points out, “It’s one thing to build a resort near the wonders of nature but to build it in the midst of all this natural splendor, with a footprint as light as ours, makes for a truly immersive experience.” The villas run from 98sq m to 229sq m. That's a lot of elbow room, enough to swing an elephant by the tail with over 1,000sq ft of space. Expect balconies, a few private pools (for three of the villas), thatched roofs, woven rattan ceilings, and local paintings.
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