Our first stop was High March girls school, where the dancers did two amazing performances to both the upper and lower houses of the school. The girls loved the music and dancing and also learning a bit more about the Cook Islands from the groups fantastic hosts Emil and Papatua. Although Papatua was hosting the performances we also learnt that he himself had been the Cook Islands dance champion for 7 years running before retiring to work for the tourist board and the current champion was a member of the dance group – we really were amongst the stars of the South Pacific! Having waved goodbye to the girls we carried on our tour to Davenies boy’s school, where the group did another impressive performance of dances and musical pieces, each with a different message or story from the Islands of the Cooks. Much to the delight of the years 8&9 boys the lovely lady dancers chose four boys from the audience to join in one of the performances, dressed in the full attire of Pareo’s, necklaces and headdresses. They were absolutely fantastic and the whole room was tapping their feet to the beat of the tropical drums. Unfortunately the sunny South Pacific weather didn’t quite fit on the airplane along with all the equipment and costumes so we were unable to hold the performances outside, but considering the dancers had bare feet and wearing little costumes, I think they were very happy to be inside! We are hugely grateful to both High March and Davenies for hosting us, it was fantastic to share with the children the wonderful culture of such a fabulous destination.

Sun dances and prayers were shortly answered as the rain began to cease just in time for us to set up for our evening event. In an attempt to change our small English courtyard into a desert island for the evening, palm trees were erected, fire pits lit, tropical flowers arranged and fruity cocktails poured. The atmosphere was buzzing as everyone arrived in anticipation for the group to take centre stage. For the fourth time that day the dancers and musicians delivered a faultless performance, including a traditional welcome dance, drum dances and a variety of dances from the different islands of the archipelago. The stunning performance ended with a few of the audience being asked to go and join the dancers which was fantastic, although I’m not sure anyone will be recruited for the next tour! Hibiscus catering provided delicious desert island canapés followed by mouth-watering banoffee and brownie bites which went wonderfully with the Cooks Cocktails and wine selection from the Beaconsfield Wine Cellars.

It was a truly brilliant day of learning, sharing and fun, bringing Beaconsfield a little bit closer to the culture and traditions of the stunning South Pacific Cook Islands. We are so honoured to have had the dance group for the day and wish them the very best of luck with the rest of their UK tour.

For more information on visiting the Cook Islands, please call one of our specialists now on 01494 687400.

Kia Orana from the Cook Islands to Beaconsfield! is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

The Factory at Hapuku, near Kaikoura

This 100 year old dairy factory is our latest find in New Zealand and we are so excited about it.  Nestled across the beachfront at Hapuku just ten minutes north of Kaikoura, this stunning 3 bedroomed self contained wing of the original Factory offers a truly indulgent stay on the South Island’s East Coast.  With its dramatic views of snow-covered mountains on one side and the rolling waves of the ocean on the other – this luxurious accommodation, with its stylish, industrial chic interiors mixed with 5 star comforts, is the perfect place for couples or families to explore this marine wonderland.  Take a helicopter flight from the grounds and fly for a romantic picnic on top of Mount Fyffe, or wander along the deserted beach front with only a few seals and dolphins for company, or relax in the hot tub and marvel at the views!

Old School Vineyard Cottage, near Nelson

This 1930’s schoolhouse’s former existence may be recognizable from the outside, but the inside has been renovated to create a light and airy space with its open plan kitchen, lounge and dining area, and romantic deck leading out to the panoramic views across the vineyard and out to the Tasman Bay. The Cottage was moved to its current setting nestled amongst the rows of grapevines of Kina Beach Vineyard in 1999 and now offers a lovely vineyard retreat for one couple just half an hour from the stunning Abel Tasman National Park.

The Woolshed, St Leonards Vineyard Cottages, near Blenheim

This spacious 2 bedroom characterful cottage is one of five traditional buildings set within the grounds of the original 1880’s Homestead dating back from when the property was a working farm.  Situated in the stunning Cloudy Bay wine region of Blenheim, these five cottages have been lovingly restored to provide private self-contained retreats set within five acres, with stunning views across the vines, but only 10 minutes from Blenheim town centre.
The Woolshed has been totally re-built but is true to its original location and design (you can still see old tally numbers of sheep shorn on the inside of the front door), but now offers a queen bedroom and a twin room, with a large open plan lounge, kitchen, dining area with wood burning stove.   A large deck area with BBQ offer views to the north to the Richmond Ranges, and a romantic outside private bath is the perfect place to soak and enjoy the panorama.

Peach Gully, Hawkes Bay

With the long golden sands of Waimarama beach an easy three minute drive by car, Peach Gully offers peace and tranquility close to nature, and views across native bush to the Pacific Ocean.
Built in 1914, as the gardener’s whare (cottage) and part of the outbuildings of the main homestead, the cottage has been tastefully restored to retain the integrity of the era, yet offer its guests the comfort and convenience of a modern home, with its fully self contained kitchen, intimate fireplace, deep claw foot bath with large overhead shower, and queen sized bed with luxurious Egyptian linen.
The wineries which make this region so famous are 20 minutes away, and the Art Deco delights of Napier only 30 minutes – so after a day exploring the region, unwind with a game of tennis or a dip in the heated pool, or just relax on the traditional porch with a glass or two and listen to the sounds of the ocean.

New Zealand’s Unique Luxury Hideaways is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

Bank Holiday at Poundon House, The Fusion Wedding Fayre is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

For a trip that is this important, planning ahead is crucial – the earlier you get everything organised, the more enjoyable the whole experience will be.

First things first, what do you want from this trip? Are you after some time down in the South Pacific, sunbathing and snorkelling? Or are you looking for more of a culture hit, elephant trekking or the bustling night markets of Thailand? Sit down with a glass of wine and really think about what you’d love to see in the world

Now that you have a bit more of an idea about what you’re after, time to start narrowing down on the destinations. Before you set your heart on any given destination, you must check that it’s the right time of year to visit that country – monsoon season could really detract from the relaxing fortnight of cocktails and beach time you had in mind!

You now know what it is that you want to do, you’ve got the destination picked out….now time do a little more in depth research. The majority of long haul destinations either require a visa and/or vaccinations. Visas often take weeks if not months so make sure that you get this done in plenty of time. It’s also probably worth printing a page of passport photos so that you don’t need to keep on popping to the local chemist and using the photo booth when you’re applying for visas!

Seeing your GP a couple of months before you travel will make sure that you have all the right vaccinations. Some countries require proof of your injections so do keep hold of your vaccine card that the doctor will give you afterwards. In some cases you need to take malaria tablets a few weeks before you go but getting advice ahead of time will ensure you are well prepared.

Obviously this is entirely up to the individual but I find guide books can be very helpful. It’s not necessarily advisable to take every word that’s written in them as gospel because things such as restaurant reviews are completely subjective and can quickly become outdated. That said, they often give plenty of interesting historical, cultural and political background to the country you’re visiting – information which is obviously won’t become obsolete so quickly.

Everything is pretty much organised – visas, passports and you know all about the destination. From personal experience, when spending a long time in one country, it’s really nice to read a book that is based there. Reading novels ‘in context’ will not only will it give you a completely different insight into the country; you will feel like you’re right there with the characters, travelling alongside them.

The Big Trip…a guide to planning perfection! is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

Since 2005 the famous chocolatier company, known for their deliciously mouth watering and innovative chocolates have been refurbishing the 14 acre Rabot Estate in St.Lucia, which dates back to 1975. I was particularly keen to write this blog as the estate was previously owned by the grandparents of our very own Bruce Rose, who has worked at Turquoise for seven years and alongside Brian our MD, for 25 years!

‘Bruce’s memories and stories of the Rabot Estate…’

Nearly 100 years ago my grandmother’s brother was diagnosed (falsely as it late turned out) with TB so decided to move to warmer climes. He purchased 100 acres of lush jungle in St Lucia and set about turning it into a banana & coconut plantation. It just so happened that the 00 acres he brought was set between The Pitons – the World Heritage site for which St Lucia is rightly famous for. When he died my grandmother, who was born in St Lucia, returned with her husband and took over the running of the Estate – now known as Rabot Estate. Their main produce was bananas and cocounts, however after various hurricanes had destroyed most of the trees, they concentrated on cocoa.

As a child, my sister and I had wonderful holidays visiting Rabot, eating whole bunches of bananas, picking mangoes from the trees and dehusking coconuts with the “workers”, climbing the Pitons and exploring the famous Sulphur hot springs, which happened to back onto the estate. However – do NOT pick fresh red chillies – then rub your eyes!!!

Rabot was a great place to visit with an old rundown house, rickerty verandas, the sound of the jungle loud in the air – especially at night – and the fireflies lighting up the tracks through the bush;  and listening to Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers with the local Rastafarians was a 17 year old “punk rocker’s” dream.

The local workers seemed to really enjoy working there looking after the trees and harvesting the crops. When my grandparents became too old to continue running the estate, they retired to the UK and my aunt and uncle moved out to St Lucia to take over. They continued running Rabot for another 20 years before they too retired. It had been Madeleine’s (my grandmother) wish that Rabot continue as a working plantation employing the local people from Soufriere and the surrounding communities so when Angus from Hotel Chocolat was looking for a working plantation to grow their own chocolate – they discovered Rabot and Madeleine’s wish came true. Rabot today – although revamped and developed – is still (almost) as it was all those years ago, the locals still work there and whilst “tourists” can visit and stay – it is still a working plantation – long may it continue.

Since the refurbishment programme started seven years ago, 13,000 Cacao trees have been planted on the Rabot Estate. Hotel Chocolat have also invested a huge amount of time and money into re training local farmers, in order to restore the agricultural roots of cacao farming which thrived prior to the mid 20th century industrialisation. Due to the industrial and technological advancements which took place in the Caribbean at this time, prices were driven down and the cacao farming industry became both non profitable and non existent.

Everything about this boutique 14 bedroom lodge looks and feels delicious. You will stay in a Cocoa Pod, drink Cacao Bellini’s, eat Cacao cuisine and enjoy CocoaJuvenate, the hotel spa where all the products are made on the estate using local produce and of course, all have a cocoa base. Despite the running chocolate theme throughout this hotel that could be perceived as a little too indulgent, we can assure you there is no need to worry. It has been designed with the upmost subtlety and sophistication.

However, do not fear, there is ample opportunity to indulge, for those that wish! Daily plantation tours are led by the in house agricultural consultant Stan, where guests can explore the cacao orchards and learn how the farmers nurture the blossoms each year to create cacao pods and eventually chocolate! Learning then turns to action as all guests are invited to join the hotel chef and create their very own chocolate bars from the Hotel Chocolat orchard Cacao beans. A perfect memento for anyone back home or a delicious poolside treat!

For more information about Hotel Chocolat please contact the Turquoise chocoholics now on 01494 687400 or email us at enquiries@turquoiseholidays.co.uk

Sweet Sensations in St. Lucia…the first Hotel Chocolat Hotel! is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

Greetings from Thailand! We are currently celebrating Songkran, probably Thailand’s most vibrant…and crazy in nice way…festival. And without doubt Chiang Mai is the best place to celebrate this festival and where better than Rachamankha located as it is within the old city. The festival is celebrated for at least 3days in a unique style of splashing water on your fellow man…and woman…the symbology being one of cleansing oneself or others of the previous 12months bad luck or sins in readiness for a new year. The old city is roughly a square mile and is enclosed by a moat, the perimeter road of which is lined for the 3 days by people throwing water or squirting water with water pistols at each other the essence of which is a blessing; always in good spirits and the typical Thai sense of ‘sanuk’ (fun) underlined with the tradition of merit making. A quite unique, fun, incredible experience. and a very wet one too!

With love from the Rachamanka!

A message from Thailand…Happy New Year! is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

In many parts of Australia, wildlife has suffered massive decline. However, because of their isolation, many of Tasmania’s species remain in robust fettle.

You can’t throw a possum in Tasmania without hitting a wallaby. It is an island where you can see the devil in the flesh (or maybe something else’s flesh) and spot the spotted-tailed quoll. As far as wildlife goes, there is nowhere on the planet like Tasmania.

Before moving to London I managed Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, an animal rescue and wildlife tourism facility near the state capital Hobart. Working there helped me realise just how precious Tasmania is.

Nothing at Bonorong would delight me more than the joy on the faces of guests when they came face-to-face with their first kangaroo. Similarly, I loved the awestruck silence as visitors to the Sanctuary watched a Tasmanian devil, a creature with one of the most bone-crushing jaws on Earth, crawl into a keeper’s lap and commence sucking their thumb.

Most Tasmanians wouldn’t think twice about a wombat taking her evening stroll. But I bet you would.

The reaction of the guests impressed upon me (a life-long Tasmanian) that there was something special about the animals I had grown up with.

I will never forget that lesson.

In Tasmania nowadays many tourism operators are conducting tours based around a sensitive and extraordinary interaction with Tasmania’s wild country and animals.

Here are a few very honourable mentions:

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (www.bonorong.com.au) – Call me biased but I don’t care. Bonorong is a true wildlife sanctuary. In the past two years, 28-year-old Director Greg Irons has established Tasmania’s only 24hr wildlife rescue service. They responded to in excess of 4000 calls for help in the past 12 months. Animals are rescued, rehabilitated and released. The experiences they offer – from day-time feeding tours to fully private night time explorations – will take you closer to wildlife than you will get anywhere else.

Rob Pennicott Wilderness Journeys (http://www.brunycruises.com.au) – I can’t say anything about Rob’s boat trips that hasn’t been said before. They are award-winning, exhilarating adventures around one of the most spectacular coastlines on the planet crowded with seals, dolphins, whales and eagles. Plus Rob just devoted three months of his life to sailing around Australia in order to raise $275,000 to cure polio – what a bloke.
Tarkine Trails (www.tarkinetrails.com.au) – The Tarkine is Australia’s real undiscovered jewel. Covering half a million hectares, the sheer enormity of this remote wilderness is daunting. Tarkine Trails will take you right into its heart. And you’ll do it in style, luxury guided walks through one of the world’s great ancient rainforests. Tarkine Trails is an absolutely hot tip for those who want to do something a little off the beaten track. They are also help to save the Tasmanian devil via the Save the Tasmanian Devil Project.

This is a little taster of the huge range of eco-tourism experiences Tasmania has to offer. They are generally exceptional. However, there is one thing they all have in common – passion.

And I’m sure they would tell you the same thing I will tell you. It is the look on the faces of our guests that keeps us going.

It is you guys that remind us how special our island is and you guys that help us to keep it just the way it is.

So, on behalf of all Tasmanians,

Thanks for coming.

Karl

‘You can’t throw a Possum in Tasmania without hitting a wallaby’ is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

We have a delightful turtle story that we like to share with you. After a year in Landaa Giraavaru’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre recovering from a nasty head injury, Olivia the Olive Ridley turtle was finally released back into the wild in February 2012, equipped with a satellite-tracking device mounted on her carapace.

She’s loving her second lease of life, having covered a staggering 510 kilometres in her first month alone, and travelled into the middle of the Indian Ocean! But there’s much more to our monitoring than just seeing how far Olivia has swum. With so little research into Olive Ridley turtles, Olivia is a pioneer for her species, contributing to valuable research into the movements of the world’s smallest sea turtles.

Landaa’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is part of the Maldivian Sea Turtle Conservation Programme, a series of projects initiated by Four Seasons Resorts Maldives to protect, monitor, relocate, release, rear and rehabilitate Maldivian sea turtles.

Since 2010, the Rehabilitation Centre has nurtured and cared for nine severely injured turtles, seven of which have been successfully released back to the wild. Its current patients include Sally, a young female Olive Ridley found suffering from multiple lacerations and buoyancy problems, and Clover, a young male Olive Ridley with deep lacerations around his neck.

Olivia was the Centre’s longest-staying resident to date. Now – thanks to her tagging device – she’s set to become its most famous! Watch the video of her emotional released here:  http://youtu.be/r-V258pQ7ls after 12 months in our care, then follow her whereabouts via our regularly updated
‘Olivia-link’: http://g.co/maps/5z2uy .In addition, we’ll be sure to keep you notified of any interesting developments in her epic journey of discovery.

Currently, there are two other turtles, Sally and Clover, that are been nursed in our Turtle Rehab Centre. We’ve just received fantastic news that another of our kind-hearted guest has offered to sponsor a satellite tag for either one of them. We are looking forward to expanding our team of turtle marine researchers in the very near future!’

A lovely story about a turtle named Olivia… is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

Clifftops Retreat is one of those places that when I first visited, I really didn’t want to leave as it oozes style, sophistication and just jaw dropping vistas!!    The warmth and comfort of this 1100 sq ft luxury cottage just envelopes you as you enter, so much so you just want to kick off your shoes and curl up on the sofa with a glass of wine before deciding whether you should have a romantic shower in the glass walled bathroom overlooking the pond and private garden, or plunge into the spa pool set right on the cliff edge overlooking the ocean and glittering lights of Nelson beyond.

 With its secluded 5 acres of park like gardens, this architecturally designed, modern cottage offers everything you need for a few nights escape – with its fully stocked kitchen, including local oils, herbs from the garden, plentiful breakfast provisions, the amazing nespresso machine for a  caffeine fix, as well the little touches such as fresh fruit and flowers and a chilled bottle of wine, to the full entertainment system with Sky TV, a CD & Video library and free Wi-Fi, and some first class restaurants only a short drive away.

We hired a car from Nelson Airport and took the very scenic drive along the Coastal Highway passing through the picturesque and historic village of Mapua (spare time to grab a beer at The Golden Bear – a local brewery and highly recommended, before browsing some of the great art stores and shops such as Coolstore Gallery and Forest Fusion Art or enjoy a relaxing lunch at The Appleshed Restaurant perfectly positioned overlooking the water on Mapua Wharf.
On our arrival at Clifftops Retreat we were greeted very enthusiastically by the gorgeous Pebbles and Frankie (two beautiful Golden retrievers) along with their owners Bob and Anne Haswell.   Bob and Anne have over twenty years experience in the hospitality industry and Clifftops was  ‘born’ from their knowledge of owning and running their own luxury lodge at Lake Rotoroa, and from their own experiences and needs from travelling the world.   They are the most hospitable of hosts – completely unobtrusive but at hand if you need anything.    Despite our reluctance to tear ourselves away from the 5 star comforts of the cottage, Anne’s recommendation of seeing the Abel Tasman National Park was highly rewarded.   We spent the day with Rod Stuart (no not a typo nor the ageing rocker) but a very knowledgeable local who runs the best charters into the National Park.  We had an awesome day enjoying the amazing scenery, as well as spotting so many sea birds, seals and even a couple of orcas frolicking in the waters near the Park.  We returned to the cottage at Clifftops that night with a little colour in our cheeks, exhilarated and   amazed by what we’d seen and done that day and decided the perfect way to end it was a relaxing spa with a glass of wine watching the twinkling lights of Nelson in the distance and talk about planning our next trip here.

Escape to Clifftops Retreat, Nelson, New Zealand is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.

 Lizzie, I spent much of the eighties (how old do I sound!) travelling in and around South East Asia but at that time, both Vietnam and Cambodia were pretty much off limits, so I jumped at the chance to finally get to see what I knew were really fascinating countries. And it was genuinely exciting for me.

On arrival in Vietnam you stayed in Da Nang, one of Vietnam’s major Port cities, just 100 Kilometres from several UNESCO world heritage sites. Did you manage to travel and see any of them? I hear Hoi An is a cultural gem with gorgeous beaches.

 I don’t want to appear disrespectful to either city but Da Nang reminded me slightly of Birmingham. It has a very ambitious mayor who recognised the enormous tourism potential of the surrounding area, if not necessarily the city itself! I explored both Hoi An (by bike – the only way to do it!) and Hue, which is the old imperial capital with many beautiful landmarks but still a vibrant working city. Hoi An on the other hand is a delightful old cultural relic with many original buildings and many streets that have been completely pedestrianized to give you a more authentic  feel  of what things were once like.

How easy was the connection between Vietnam and Cambodia? Would you recommend the two countries as a multi-centre holiday idea?

There are a number of direct flights between both countries with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City having the bulk of connections into Cambodia. I actually flew directly from Da Nang straight into Siem Reap which took just under an hour. Definitely a great twin centre combination because both countries and their people are hugely welcoming and yet quite different.

Cambodia is world famous for its temples in Angkor near Siem Reap; did you visit them? Have you got any advice for people of when to go?

I imagine they can get very overcrowded which may ruin the experience. Yes, an absolute must; one of the great archaeological sites of the world. Of course they do get crowded but our guides in Cambodia really appreciate that swarms of tourists from all over the world can seriously hamper your enjoyment. Their whole approach to your visit is about crowd avoidance. This means a very early start and careful planning of which temples to visit (there are over 100 of them) and more importantly, at what time of the day. Their help will prove invaluable.

Rumour has it you stayed at Cambodia’s hottest new retreat…Song Saa Private Island. Does it live up to everyone’s expectations?

It looks stunning in the photos! Ah Song Saa. The whole ambitiousness of the project is quite breath-taking. Rory and Mel Hunter, the founders and owners, have just about thought of everything to try and create the little piece of paradise. They have a really strong desire to promote the conservation aspect of the venture with a small army of full time conservationists whilst simultaneously trying to create a unique luxury experience, the likes of which Cambodia has not previously seen. Of course there have been teething problems in the early stages but there is a huge will (and pretty deep pockets) to overcome all of these issues to ensure this will be a huge success. Get in early and be some of their first guests!

I have to ask about the food! Did you try any local delicacies?!

How about the local tree frog curry on Song Saa, created by their head chef Neil Wager, formerly head chef at North Island in the Seychelles, where you-know-who had their honeymoon (Will & Kate!!). Come to think of it, it doesn’t sound very conservationally minded but I am assuming there were plenty of frogs to go around! Actually I was really, really impressed with the food in Vietnam – so many unusual tastes, delicious salads and food that felt really light and healthy but very satisfying. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Finally, where next Brian?

Actually, shortly off with the whole family (wife and three teenagers) to Borneo for a bit of orangutan action. We have seen a surge of interest in Borneo recently and especially from families. It seems only right to do my own bit of research, doesn’t it? I’ll keep you posted, Lizzie!

Asian Adventures…An interview with Brian! is a post from Turquoise Holidays, experts in luxury holidays and honeymoons.