Archive for September, 2022

Sizzling Eastern Asian Cities to Visit in 2022

Thursday, September 29th, 2022

Now that travel is back, we’ve got some making up for lost time to do. Step out of your comfort zone and try the road less travelled. Eastern Asia is one of the trending destinations for 2022, and we’re about to reveal five of the best cities to visit. Before you book your luxury villa rental, be sure to read this first!

Tokyo, Japan

Food, fashion, and futuristic vibes – Tokyo is a city you can’t help but fall in love with, if only for its originality and sheer brilliance. After all, anywhere that paints smiley faces on buses, and offers private karaoke pods for one, is a city worth visiting! Showa Memorial Park is a good place to get a feel for the lay of the land  and appreciate it’s natural beauty, especially its full blossom. This is a city of skyscrapers, so make the most of it from any of the towering city bars, including at the Four Seasons for all the views. When in Tokyo, you simply must try the wagyu beef, and where else than Gonpachi. If it’s tiered seating looks familiar, that’s because it’s straight out of Tarantino’s Kill Bill movie – the beef isn’t bad either!

Seoul, South Korea

Ever since the explosion of K-pop, the world has gone crazy for South Korean culture. This new and exciting world is ready to be discovered, and Seoul is the perfect gateway to it all. Shake off the jetlag with a barefoot walk around the serene and pretty Changdeokgung Palace as you find your bearings. Next, the N Seoul Tower is a must – this iconic building towers 774 metres into the clouds and is the place to go for selfies. A visit to Seoul would be incomplete without experiencing its bustling food scene. Start at Gwangjang market and sample a wide variety of local food and ingredients you’ll be sneaking back to your villa rental to rustle up. For a totally different vibe, two hours away by train is Gyeongju – an open-air museum of historic relics and artefacts that you won’t have seen anywhere else. In all, Seoul is a fascinating city, and with it being so undiscovered, now’s the perfect time to visit.

Taipei City, Taiwan

Named as one of the top cities of 2022 by Lonely Planet, Taipei is the East Asian trending city of the moment and it deserves your full attention. From fascinating religious traditions to a sizzling food scene, you’ll be most surprised with its ever-changing terrain. Spend the morning on the beach, and the evening in the mountains, so vast is its picturesque landscape. A photographer’s paradise, you won’t go a moment without wanting to capture its raw beauty.

Beijing, China

Home of this year’s Winter Olympic Games, Beijing is one of the more popular cities for travel to East Asia, especially for business. Here you can experience traditional Chinese culture within accessible surroundings. For instance, it’s famous tea culture and lesser known opera scene, are all worth sampling. Perhaps though, what makes Beijing so compelling to visit is the contrast between old and new and how they’re interwoven in every sense. From its youthful versus ageing population, to its modern luxury villa rentals alongside maze-like huntongs – nothing can prepare you for the such stark contrasts.

Kyoto, Japan

Sitting on the island of Honshu, the tranquil setting of Kyoto will have you reconnected to the world in no time. Adorned by some 2,000 temples and shrines, as well as geishas and quaint wooden houses, it’s like something out of a fairy-tale. It’s like you’ve stepped into another world and escaped the rat-race forever, in this peaceful, ethereal and serene setting with religious architecture at every turn. Be sure to complete your stay with a visit to Higashi Hongan-ji, where you can hear the faint chant of monks throughout its landscaped gardens. The less crowded and more affordable alternative to Tokyo, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

Best Activities to Enjoy in Turks and Caicos

Wednesday, September 14th, 2022

Gwyneth’s a fan, Oprah’s a fan, even Drake’s a fan. But who wouldn’t be with 350 days of sunshine and 230-miles of some of the world’s best beaches. It can only be the Turks and Caicos islands…
 
If you’re planning a visit to this breathtaking archipelago of islands, then it’s time to book your Turks and Caicos luxury villa rental and get ready for the trip of a lifetime, here’s the lowdown on the best activities.

The best of beach life
Surrounded by nothing but turquoise waters and stretches of soft white sand, this is the place for beach life at its best. There are so many idyllic coastlines to choose from, but Grace Bay Beach and Parrot Cay are noteworthy crowd-pleasers.
 
Not content with just basking in the sunshine? There’s plenty of water-based activities to inspire. Head to The Bright Reef and Smith’s Reef in Providenciales for a memorable underwater experience snorkelling amongst the coral reef. Take it up a notch at West Caicos Marine National Park- welcoming to both snorkelers and divers with 397 hectares of protected land to explore. Accomplished divers should make the time to visit French Cay. Here you can experience drops of over 6,000 feet and reefs with an abundance of fish, rays, sharks and when in season – even Humpback whales.
 
If you’re better above sea level, then a favorite tourist attraction is jet-skiing around ‘La Famille Express’. This decaying shipwreck is quite the draw, and afterwards you can jet over to Dellis Cay to marvel at giant-size star fish – the kids will love it.
 
For a more luxurious experience, there’s plenty of private yacht charters to see the island in style. If you have a private dock, some of these will even collect from your Turks & Caicos villa rental. Tailor the trip to your preference, be it visiting the local beaches, reefs or islands – it’s a delightful way to spend a day.

Explore the island
This is the perfect landscape for exploring nature in all its extremes. Start with Conch Bar caves in Middle Caicos, this is the largest non-submerged cave system in the Bahamas and an unusual place to tour – look out for low-flying bats and prehistoric ruins!
 
Be at one with nature at East Bay Islands National Park. This stunning vast land is home to flocks of wildlife, bird life and mangrove wetlands – a soothing backdrop for boat trips and kayaking its lagoon-like waters.
 
Finish the extreme tour with a bird’s eye view of Grace Bay. There’s a number of reputable parasailing companies that will take you up to 500 feet for incredible views of the beach, the barrier reefs and the large sea animals below.

A foodies paradise
Whether you’re entertaining friends in your Turks and Caicos villa rental, or being entertained in one of its many five-star establishments, the food scene here is sizzling. Local cuisine is fragrant, filling and joyously healthy. Boiled fish and grits, conch fritters, and grilled lobster tail are popular dishes, with an unmistakable Caribbean kick.
 
The iconic Da Conch Shack is a great place to sample local staples, especially its namesake conch. There’s live music on Wednesday-Sunday evenings, making it a lively and inviting spot for kicking back and having fun.
 
In South Caicos, The Great House is a romantic clifftop retreat, with panoramic views across the Atlantic Ocean and a first-class fine dining menu – the jerk chicken is a must. Nestled away in the Providenciales, Grace’s Cottage is a gem of a find – this bijou homely setting offers creative seafood dishes with world-class cuisine. As one of the most famous restaurants on the island, be sure to book in advance.
 
Finally, a favorite with the jet-set elite, Coyaba at Grace Bay offers a sophisticated setting for dining alfresco. Using fresh seasonal produce, the tropical setting is popular with couples and foodies, under the helm of Chef Paul Newman.
 
Villazzo leads the way in luxury villa rentals in the most desirable destinations throughout the world, including Turks and Caicos.