Travel Itineraries for the Discerning

Soak in The Essence of Japan with JNTO and Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Small Luxury Hotels of the World has collaborated with Japan National Tourism Organisation and local partners through a luxury travel consortium led by DENTSU AD-GEAR Inc. Four exclusive Essence of Japan travel packages lasting between two and five days have been created so that guests can enjoy food, nature, history, and culture of Japan from November 2017 to March 2018. These packages also give you access to prestigious activities that are not usually accessible to international visitors.

From 11 to 12 December 2017, go on a two-day gastronomic journey through Tokyo. There are only eight places on this journey. Guests get to dine at Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten hosted by Chef Jiro himself. This restaurant is only available for reservations by Japanese residents. Tour the Tsukiji market led by a fourth generation sushi chef and a dinner at the two Michelin-starred Tempura Kondo. Guests travelling on this itinerary stay at Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, a recent addition to SLH’s twelve hotels across Japan. Prices for this itinerary start from JPY250,000 per person.

Start booking a three-day cultural and Michelin experience in Nara happening from the 5 to 7 March 2018. Cost per person starts from JPY137,760 per person. Witness the famous “Shunie” festival at the historic Todaiji Temple. A 15-metre bronze Daibutsu or Great Buddha, cast in 749 and the largest in the world, awaits as well as the experience of Otaimatsu where priests run along the corridors showering visitors with fire sparks from huge pine torches, believed to protect from evil. Enjoy a kaiseki dinner at Nara’s three-star Michelin restaurant Wa Yamamura and stay in the luxurious suite at Noborioji Hotel Nara.

Enjoy a five-day natural wonder of Yakushima Island itinerary from JPY810,000 per person based on double occupancy. This itinerary is available until 16 March 2018. Yakushima Island is a subtropical island off the Southern coast of Kyushu. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1993. Explore the ancient rainforest with a guided trek among the 7,000-year-old cryptomeria trees. Discover waterfalls. Regenerate in a Power Spot believed to give visitors healing energy. You’ll stay at the Sankara Hotel & Spa with a butler, world-class spa and ocean views. Opt for private yoga classes, sea kayaking, and diving, or attend craft workshops to make your own bath salts, chopsticks or ceramics.

Kick off a wedding celebration in memorable style at the ‘Palace of the Dragon God’, otherwise known as the Hotel Gajoen Tokyo. The two-day Japanese Wedding Experience package offers the opportunity for a traditional Japanese wedding or couples photo shoot in the hotel’s ornate halls adorned with stunning Japanese heritage paintings and laquerwork or at the hotel’s chapel. The package includes a sumptuous dinner and cultural performance, a professional pampering team who will take care of every single detail and accommodation in one of the hotel’s intricately decorated suites. Prices from JPY387,500 per person based on double occupancy.

To book, please email reservation@slh.com or SLH’s country toll-free number  800 4411404.

Club Med Tomamu Hokkaido To Open in December

Club Med Tomamu Hokkaido is Club Med’s latest ski resort that will open this December. The nearest airport, the new Chitose Airport, is just 90 minutes away by express coach. Tomamu Mountain features slopes with top quality snow. There are 29 extensive ski runs that span a total length of 21.5 km, with 4 ski trail ratings. The resort has contemporary Japanese-inspired accommodation and dynamic snow offerings for all ages.

The resort’s all-inclusive package starts from S$1,808 per adult and also includes non-ski activities such as mountain biking, snowboarding, trekking, and snow sledging. Head over to Mina Mina Beach, Japan’s largest indoor wave pool with warm waters of over 30 degrees between the months of November and April. Or enjoy spectacular views of the Japanese forest landscape at an open-air public bath at Kirin-no YU.

Kids can have fun at Petit Club Med, Mini Club Med, Passworld, Pyjama Club and Snow Garden with ski slopes for beginner and intermediate levels. The resort is closed in April, May and October.

Enjoy After Hours Experiences Within The Vatican

Trafalgar has four new after-hours travel experiences with the Vatican for 2018. It has been offering exclusive access to private dining within the Ethnological Museum for the past two years.

Guests travelling on Contrasts of Italy, Grand European, Best of Italy & Sicily and Rome Explorer will enjoy al fresco dining under Italian summer skies at the Cortile del Giardino Quadrato (square garden) which is outside of the Ethnological Museum. Enjoy the views of the cupola of St Peter’s. Adverse weather contingency is provided in the Bistrot della Pigna, the newly-created dining space within the Cortile della Pigna, also nestled deep inside the historic city walls. Prior to dining, Trafalgar travellers on these four trips also have the opportunity to view the incredible artefacts at the Museo Gregoriano Profano

Holidaymakers choosing Grand Italian Experience or Rome & Tuscan Highlights will absorb the ambience of the city within the Eternal City and enjoy dining with a distinct difference among the artistry of Museo Gregoriano Profano or the stunning surrounds of the Salone di Raffaello of the Pinacoteca, with access to the Museum available pre-dining.

From now until 28 Feb 2018, Trafalgar has unveiled 2018 Europe & The America holidays early payment discounts of up to 15%. Visit www.trafalgar.com or call +65 62956383.

Exotic Wildlife with Secret Retreats

Go on a vacation with close encounters with exotic wildlife from the rainforests of Borneo, Cambodia and Sri Lanka in relative luxury by the Secret Retreats collection of independent boutique hotels, restaurants, and cruises.

WOW Borneo has forged a unique alliance with Dayak tribes giving you insight into Kalimantan’s eco-diversity. The exclusive single cabin sister vessel Ruhui Rahayu and its sister vessels – the 3-cabin private charter Spirit of Kalimantan and the join-in cruise Rahai’I Pangun – explore Tanjung Puting National Park, one of the natural wonders of the world, in comfort. The highlight is visiting orangutans saved from extinction. A new vessel, the KM Sekonyer explores the Katingan River in Sebangau National Park, home to the world’s largest population of wild orangutans, where villagers from Dayak tribes conduct guided jungle tours.

Stay at the lodge Kinabalu Park and encounter a host of wildlife or hike with rangers along the Silau Silau Trail, renowned for Bornean gibbons, slow loris, proboscis monkeys, pygmy squirrels and fruit bats, and home to over half of Borneo’s 518 bird species.

Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris in Sri Lanka brings unique insight into Sri Lanka’s leopards, sloth bears, elephants, deer, birds, reptiles and other wildlife from eco-friendly, movable camps in the buffer zones two national parks Yala and Wilpattu.