We had the pleasure to spend a few days at The Dusit Thani Maldives, in the unique BAA Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. 

Fine white sand beaches, turquoise waters full of colorful fish, an island core of lush tropical greenery were the backdrop for our bleisure trip.

The resort offers a total of 94 spacious villas either at the beach or overwater, almost all offer a pool either at the beach, on the terrasse or in the open roof backyard bathroom. The design focuses on wooden materials and light colors with colorful accents here and there. Even though our villas were super cozy and we would have loved stay in our private pools we had a schedule full of meetings and workshops to get to know the property upside down.

In between, of course, we were dying to try the numerous activities from yoga, tabata to thai cooking class, chefs garden, nature walk, backend tour or sunset cruise.

After a pre-registration, many of the activities can be enjoyed free of charge. Our dear butler Suri had a tough time with the coordination of our business agenda with all the leisure activities. 

But she did an amazing job! 

Of course, a few snorkeling expeditions in the house reef as well as to other underwater hotspots not far from the hotel were not to be missed. 

In addition to turtles, we were lucky enough to see manta rays. Between May and October, you can swim with these majestic animals. 

Thanks to the “Manta on Call" service, where you get a call once the rangers of the protected area spot the mantas, you have an almost 100% guarantee to see the herbivores.

This way, we were able to attend a ballet of about 30 manta rays that swam around us like they wanted to play with us. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

We also got the chance to enjoy all the culinary delights Dusit Thani Maldives has to offer.

The hotel features three restaurants, a buffet with fresh juices, a la carte and buffet breakfast options and a daily changing theme night, a grilled specialty and an Asian restaurant for lunch and dinner. 

It is also during dinner time when you get the chance to meet our new German General Manager Reinhold Johann, who comes around every evening after office work is done to chat a little with his guests. 

A visit to the Deverana Spa was not to be missed! In addition to the Signature Massage Deverana, a full-body massage with mint-lemon oil, we also tested the Thai massage, an active stretching and pressure point massage. 

It is a mystery to me how the small, tiny and super kind Asian ladies managed to give us so much releasing pain, but we can only highly recommend trying one of the treatments. 

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end too fast, and we had to leave Dusit again. The stunning views from the seaplane over the beautiful little Maldivian islands on our way back to Male International Airport helped us to forget the sadness about the end of our trip. Thanks to the private pick-up service offered by the Dusit team from the seaplane airport and assistance with our luggage right until immigration we had a smooth and still relaxed trip until the very end. With the opening of the new airport in Male Dusit will even offer their own lounge for even more convenience. We cannot wait to come back and check it out!

If you would like to visit the Dusit Thani Maldives yourself, please contact us!

In December Tine had the privilege to visit HeritageLeTelfair with a small group of 6 luxury tour operators. We had an amazing stay in Heritage Bel Ombre and the change to explore 

everything the domaine has to offer, the Unesco Biosphere Reserve with its unique nature, the amazing Chateau Golf Couse, Chamarel Geo Park and we did a fantastic relaxing Boat ride to the dolphins with Kiteglobing. Of course, it also gave us a chance to test many of the 12 restaurants, the fun evening in BOMA, extravagant cuisine in Le Chateau Bel Ombre, very delicious food in GinJa just to mention a few.

We also found time to attend a flower art class and a great sunset yoga. All in all, it was a fantastic trip with a very nice group.

Thanks to the team of Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort as well as the team of Heritage Bel Ombre and Mautourco who drove us around for the great hospitality and for taking so good care of us.

Mit vier Top-Luxus-Reiseveranstaltern ging es für Simone und Pamela für drei Tage in das Zulal Wellness Resort direkt am Sandstrand von Katar. Das Haus wird vom renommierten Unternehmen Chiva-Som betrieben und bietet seit Ende 2020 individuelle Gesundheits- und Wellness-Behandlungen durch qualifizierte Therapeuten zur Erneuerung der mentalen sowie körperlichen Gesundheit auf aller höchstem Niveau. 

Es ist mit 28 Hektar das größte Wellness-Reiseziel des Landes, das erste Wellness-Resort im Nahen Osten und das weltweit erste Zentrum für traditionelle arabisch-islamische Medizin (TAIM). 

Eine weitere Besonderheit ist das Familienkonzept, welches Paaren mit Kindern erlaubt, eine Wellnessauszeit mit der ganzen Familie zu nehmen. Neben dem Familienbereich Discovery bietet das Hotel auch einen Abschnitt nur für Erwachsene genannt Serenity.

Unsere Gruppe bezog den Serenity-Bereich und ging nach persönlicher Wellness-Konsultation auf individuell zusammengestellte Wellness-Journey. Simone kämpfte anfangs auf ihrer Detoxreise mit grummelndem Magen und Erschöpfung, Pamela durfte bei Strand-Pilatis und Massagen entschleunigen, unsere vier Veranstalter probierten das Taste of Zulal-Angebot, welches ein ausgewogenes Programm aus Beauty, Entspannungs- und sportlichen Aktivitäten bietet. Die Einzelbehandlungen konnten durch weitere Gruppenaktivitäten von Pool Boxing, Lesungen und Teezeremonie über Gute-Nacht-Ritual ergänzt werden. Zu den Mahlzeiten wurden gesunde mehrgängige Wellness-Menüs vom Feinsten serviert. Dazu wurden Mocktails und frische Säfte gereicht.

Unsere Gruppe stellte begeistert fest, dass Zulal der perfekte Ort ist, um vom hektischen Alltag abzuschalten und sich den persönlichen körperlichen sowie geistigen Belastungen zu widmen. Die hervorragende Qualität der Anwendungen und Therapien begeisterten alle gleichermaßen. Dank seiner Lage genießt man dabei noch ganzjährig angenehm warmes Klima und Sonne.

Karibische Lebensfreude, unberührte Landschaften und traumhafte Sandstrände – genau das und vieles mehr haben wir auf Grenada vorgefunden! Grenada gehört zu den Kleinen Antillen und ist bekannt für aromatische Gewürze wie Muskatnuss, Zimt oder Nelken und für biologisch angebaute Schokolade. Mangroven, Regenwald und Plantagen prägen die unberührte Landschaft der grünen Insel. Traumhafte weiße Sandstrände, atemberaubende Wasserfälle und unvergessliche Tauchplätze erwarten die Besucher. Das Klima ist angenehm tropisch mit geringen Temperaturunterschieden und das türkisfarbene Meer durchschnittlich 27°C warm.

Die englischsprachige Bevölkerung gehört zu den freundlichsten in der Karibik und die lebendige Kultur und Gastfreundschaft begeistern Reisende. Spuren der reichen und farbenfrohen Geschichte sind bis heute sichtbar – von der georgianischen Architektur bis hin zu den wunderschönen historischen Forts und den alten Rum-Destillerien.

Grenada bezaubert nicht nur mit unberührten Landschaften und einem nachhaltigen Tourismuskonzept, sondern auch mit einer Vielfalt an Unterkünften. Vom einfachen Hotel wie dem Siesta Hotel bis zur Mietvilla mit Privatpool des The Point oder LaLuna Hotels reicht das Angebot. All-inklusive-Resorts wie Royalton oder Sandals sorgen für das Rundum-Glücklich-Paket.

Zum Schnorcheln ging es für uns mit Dive Grenada zum weltweit ersten Unterwasser-Skulpturenpark. Grenada gilt übrigens als „Wrackhauptstadt der Karibik“! Nur zu gern hätten wir noch die Zeit für einen Tauchgang zur "Bianca C" gefunden, auch bekannt als die „Titanic der Karibik“, das größte Schiffswrack der Karibik.

Die Schwesterinsel Carriacou hat uns mit „Bake and Saltfish“, dem lokalen Fischbrötchen, paradiesischer Aussicht auf der Terrasse des „Kayak Kafe & Juice Bar“ sowie entschleunigtem Inselflair auf der Sandy Island, einer vorgelagerten Insel aus Puderzuckersand und Palmen, begeistert.

Wer nun Lust hat, unsere Reise nachzuerleben, für den gibt es gute Nachrichten! Ab November bis April, also wenn uns in Europa das Schmuddelwetter so richtig auf die Nerven geht, fliegt Condor von Frankfurt aus direkt ins Inselparadies!

VisitOman invited to Oman

What a fabulous trip with German luxury tour operators to this wonderful country full of diversity!We visited the Jabal Ahkdar Mountains and ancient mountain villages, enjoyed the wonderful Alila Jabal Ahkdar Hotel, swam with turtles on the Damaniyat Islands, saw the sunset at Desert Night Adventure Camp, Wadi bani Klalid, were well accommodated at the W Hotel Muscat and enjoyed the beach at the new Jumeirah Muscat Bay Hotel, followed by a sundowner cruise on an old Dhow. So many impressions, such a beautiful country!

Discover Oman with VisitOman!

Speakers Ulrich Köhler, Managing Director of Trendbuero, Germany's leading trend and innovation consulting firm and Simone Rösel, CEO of Eyes2market GmbH  talked about the travel trends resulting from new post-COVID values, new aspirations, new requirements which are specifically important for German travellers.

This inside information shared by Trendbuero are aimed to be food for thoughts and inspiration to leisure hotels worldwide to better attract the German travellers. You can watch the Interview here.

A five person big group of journalists, a photographer and bloggers had the pleasure to #VisitRwanda on a press trip through the country in the beginning of November. In cooperation with RwandAir Rwanda Development Board invited the journalists to visit the beautiful country in East-Africa.

The tour through the country included a visit to the Genozid Museum in Kigali, a Game Drive in Akagera Nationalpark with sighting of a lion family. An overnight stay in the newly opened Wilderness Safaris Magashi Camp located directly at Lake Rwanyakazinga, where you fall asleep to the sound of the hippos.

A trek to the Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Nationalpark and of course chimpanzee trekking was also part of the program in Nyungwe. The group spend to nights in Kamembe at Lake Kivu directly on the border to DR Congo. Especially for the photographer the early morning views on the lake was a treat.

On the way towards Volcanoes Nationalpark we stopped at the Rushel lodge located next to a coffee plantation between Karongi and Rubavu another beautiful location at Lake Kivu.

The highlight of the tour was of course the gorilla trekking in Volcanoes Nationalpark, a once in a lifetime experience. To enjoy the fantastic views of the volcanoes we drove to the Virunga Lodge for the sunset view of the volcanoes and the beautiful Twin Lakes. The last trekking activity was a Golden Monkey trekking, another amazing experience to see these endemic primates so close by.

The last activity was canoeing on the Mukungwa River another great activity to watch birds and just enjoy the lush countryside.

Five German luxury tour operators were invited to #VisitRwanda on a 10-day long trip through the country. The group flew from Brussels to Kigali on the RwandAir flight and arrived early in the morning in Kigali. The tour included a game drive in Akagera Nationalpark, trekkings in Nyungwe Nationalpark and of course the highlight a gorilla trekking in Volcanoes Nationalpark.

The tour operators also visited various hotels on their tour through Rwanda.

Heritage Resorts invited six German tour operators to visit Heritage Bel Ombre. They experienced the full range of activities offered in the beautiful authentic South of Mauritius.  

The activities included a day on the sea on a speedboat cruising the South-West coast and the bay of Tamarin. 4x4 drive in the Heritage Nature Reserve including a fantastic picnic at the river, wine tasting in Heritage Le Chateau, quad biking in the nature reserve, Stand-Up paddling with the team of Kite Globing and of course testing of the various restaurants Heritage Bel Ombre has to offer.

In between there was also time to enjoy a spa treatment in Seven Colours Spa, chill on the beach in the new designed  or simply enjoy the spacious rooms in Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort.

On the 05th June we had been at the Travel Impressions roadshow for our luxury LHW hotel Nobu Miami Beach meeting luxury trade and MICE partners.