When we saw the latest images from Australia’s newest luxury hotel, Saffire, located on the breathtaking East Coast of Tasmania near Freycinet, we dropped our jaws (and our laptops).
The news came from one of the top hospitality PR firms in New York City just to let our luxury loving readers know… Saffire is open for business (and they mean business!)
Considered an iconic development for the Australian tourism industry, Saffire is – in both concept and design – like no other hotel in the country. Capturing the essence of the unique region to connect with the exotic environment, it’s the “culmination of years of market research and careful planning,” says Greg Farrell, Pure Tasmania Managing Director. And, judging by the looks of it, they’ve done a stellar job. Ultra-modern design, expansive windows, beautiful woods, and plenty of natural light, Saffire is delivering a new world-class Tasmanian experience to showcase the best of their sexy island state.
Saffire Suite - Tasmania's Latest Luxury Digs
Set apart by its approach to individually tailored experiences and service; not constrained by traditional five-star ratings and standards, but instead, creating a new direction for holidays and accommodations in Australia, the luxe property features 20 suites, each offering sweeping views of Great Oyster Bay and the Hazards Mountains (hint, hint: with complete privacy from the neighboring suites). Tasmania’s freshest produce and finest wines and beers will be available in their Palate restaurant and The Lounge bar, while lucky guests can pamper themselves in their premium spa or work up a sweat in the gym.
We hear that their Exclusive Signature Experiences have been “developed accessing little-known areas of the Freycinet Peninsula with a range of other activities tailored to suit guests’ desires.”
Finally, a super cute, great smelling travel-sized body care combo that’s perfect for an island retreat!
This set is the perfect gift for LaLicious travelers and fashionistas alike. Airplane approved sizes will get you through the security line in a jiffy and it includes: 2oz Whipped Soap, Sugar Soufflé Scrub, Body Butter, and Body Oil. We reckon it would last about 2-4 jaunts around the globe, depending on how long you’re gone. Scents include all of the best for the islands (like Coconut and Island Guava, to name a few). We also think that little bag you see above can double as a little island handbag. Oh, we likey.
The last in her series on sweet, sweet Asia, Sarah Ivens, Jaunt Magazine Contributor and Founding Editor of the US-version of OK! Magazine, tells us a bit about her out of body, mind, and soul experience in Bali.
Bali-ssimo…
Bali Luxury Hotels - Amanusa
By Sarah Ivens
The tiny green Hindu Island of Bali has been a Mecca for those seeking enlightenment and rest since the 1970s. The hippy centre of Indonesia welcomes healers and artists, writers and doctors to witness its natural beauty and its spiritual traditions and customs.
It’s a place where Ganesh the holy elephant nestles next to statues of Buddha, while ancestors are worshiped and revered and Mother Nature is thanked. You can’t help but leave with your eyes opened and your forehead relaxed. To experience each element of the unique landscape and culture, I travelled the island, staying at three different resorts within the Aman resort group. The five star service and luxurious suites were uniform between all three places but the flavor was spiced up between them, depending on the location and the desires of the 95% local teams running them. By combining the three places, even the short term visitor can get a real sense of Bali and the beliefs of its wonderful, smiling people.
For the mind…
Amandari will challenge your brain in the most soothing way possible. An oasis of green paddy fields, built high above the artistic center of Ubud and designed to look like a traditional Balinese village, this tiny, eco-friendly resort inspires its visitors to seek out their inner creativity. You are encouraged to learn about local music, paintings and poetry while feasting on food you’ve witnessed being harvested at sunrise.
Ubud is perhaps most famous for its medicine men – a gaggle of gurus who guide the locals between right and wrong and who offer sage advice for locals looking for spiritual advice on the fly. The friendly local staff at Amandari can find you an enlightened expert to suit your needs – and even ship you there free of charge in the resort’s air-conditioned fleet of vehicles. If that seems too Western, they can arrange for you to borrow a bicycle. Recover from such prophecies by unwinding in the resort’s extensive library, or take a cocktail into the main courtyard and observe the local art on display. There are only 30 thatched-roof suites so you’ll be free to muse the days away without fear of obnoxious interruption.
For the body…
A Guru Near Amanusa
Amanusa allows the lazy to lounge (if they must) but they prefer the get up and goers, who burst into life at the breaking of dawn and don’t stop until the sun goes down. One of Indonesia’s best golf courses, The Bali Golf and Country Club, sits adjacent to the tree-lined hideaway and proves irresistable for anyone with a decent swing. If hitting the green isn’t your thing, Amanusa also has a 30 metre pool (plus eight of the 35 suites have their own swimming pool), two tennis courts and a private beach club which allows for every kind of water sport you can imagine. Healthy smoothies and fresh fruit cocktails are abundant – the butlers constantly lap the public areas with tray of delicious yet healthy snacks – and you don’t need to worry about one evening in the restaurant undoing all your hard work. Protein-rich, low-fat barbecues are offered by candlelight, and the locally caught fresh fish won’t make anyone fat! You can indulge without the bulge quite easily here.
For the soul…
Bali Holistic Hotels - Amankila
Amankila means ‘peaceful hill’ in Balinese and it’s true, this Cliffside resort tumbles elegantly into the sea with a gentle grace that allows your mind and body to unfurl from any taxing times its recently encountered. Overlooking the Lombok strait, each villa is elevated to make the most of the sweeping ocean views (and the soothing breeze), while above your head is nothing but dazzling stars. Indeed, the most taxing evening activity here is having the butlers set up your bed on an outdoor day lounger so you can fall asleep with a flashlight in one hand and an astrology guidebook in the other. To doze off under a mosquito net with the sweet scent of coconut and frangipani caressing your nostrils is to have died and gone to heaven. Your soul will thank you for it. And it will really celebrate when you book in for a traditional Balinese massage, outdoors on the beach, with nothing to worry about except how you’re going to remember this state of pure bliss once your back at work and in the real world.
JAUNT MAGAZINE 