oberoi

The Luxist Awards for the Best in Summer Travel

The Yachts of Seabourn's Fabled Far East Cruise

Now that summer is coming to a close, it is not too early to think about making travel plans for summer 2011.

Luxist readers nominated and voted for the destinations that they believe are the best-of-breed around the world. Below, are their favorite destinations within such categories as Best Adventure Getaway, Best Beach Hotel, Best International Summer Destination, Best Luxury Family Vacation and Best Summer Cruise.

Best Adventure Getaway
The first nominee offers an unforgettable trekking experience in Bhutan while the second offers an unparalleled safari in East Africa. The third nominee is located in one of the world's finest unspoiled havens, while the fourth features elephants in their natural habitat. The final nominee, located in the Montana Rockies, is known for its outdoor sports, from fishing to horseback riding.

Amankora Resort: Trekking in Bhutan
East African Safari with Abercrombie & Kent
Phinda Private Game Reserve
Savute Elephant Camp by Orient-Express
Montana's Triple Creek Ranch (Winner)

Best Beachside Hotel
The first nominee is where to go when in search of a peaceful sanctuary while the second nominee is a tropical haven with a relaxed pace. The third nominee is located in a secluded natural sanctuary while the fourth offers an award-winning beach. The last nominee offers a beachside location that is idyllic and unspoiled.

Amanpuri Resort, Phuket, Thailand
Four Seasons Resort, Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos (Winner)
The Oberoi, Mauritius

Best International Summer Destination
The first nominee is one of the world's most glamorous destinations while the second one was once the home of the Ottoman Sultans. The third nominee is the premier hot spot on the Amalfi Coast while the fourth offers chauffeured-driven tours of the Tuscan wine country. The final nominee offers a once-in-a-lifetime trip from Venice to Istanbul aboard one of the world's most luxurious trains.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi Coast
Kempinski's Ciragan Palace, Istanbul
San Pietro di Positano, Amalfi Coast (Winner)
Tuscany Wine Tours
Venice Simplon Orient-Express Train

Best Luxury Family Vacation
The first nominee offers a luxurious barge cruise through Burgandy while the second offers an armchair safari suitable for the whole family. The third nominee is where families go for Scottish outdoor pursuits from falconry to golf. The fourth nominee is considered to be the jewel of Maui while the final nominee is unplugged and unpretentious.

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise in Burgundy
Ebony Lodge, Singita Game Reserves
Gleneagles, Scotland
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel, Maui
Kona Village Resort, Hawaii (Winner)

Best Summer Cruise
The first nominee offers an unforgettable cruise through the fabled Far East while the second nominee is the way to experience the Greek Isles and Turkey in complete luxury. The third nominee is an expedition to see the ice bears upclose while the fourth nominee takes its passengers down the Nile in style.

Fabled Far East Cruise by The Yachts of Seabourn
Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise by Sea Cloud Cruises (Winner)
Land of the Ice Bear Cruise by Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic
Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser: Down the Nile in Style
Mediterreanean Luxury Cruise on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Aman Resorts, awards-main, Cunard, four seasons hotel, Grace Bay Club, Grace Bay Resorts, Kona Village Resort, Lindblad Expeditions, luxist-awards, Oberoi, Orient-Express, Orient-expressHotels, San Pietro di Positano, Sea Cloud, summer travel, triple creek ranch

Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser: Cruise the Nile in Style

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

In the play Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare likens Cleopatra's barge to a burnished throne burning on the water. For modern travelers with an eye for Egyptian opulence, there's no need to look farther than the Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser---a Luxist Awards' nominee in the Best Summer Cruises category.

The eight-day voyages depart from Luxor and terminate in Aswan, or vice versa, giving passengers a taste of 5,000 years of history along the way. English-speaking Egyptologists are always available on board, and one accompanies each group of guests in the small luxury coaches that transport them to sightseeing stops onshore.

Gallery: The Oberoi Zahra, Luxury Nile Cruiser

Highlights of the trip include stops at the twin temple of Komombo, where one side is dedicated to the falcon god Haroeis, the other to the crocodile god Sobek, creator of the world; the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs from Ramses to Tut are buried; and the West Bank of ancient Thebes.

Perhaps the best part of the trip is the ship itself. The Oberoi Zahra boasts elegant cabins with wide windows, a gourmet restaurant and the only in-boat spa on the Nile. The spa includes four therapy rooms, each with a private shower and steam room-clearly facilities that Cleopatra would have demanded on a modern-day take on her barge.

Reservations can be made online, by email at reservations@oberoigroup.com, or by calling its toll-free line at (800) 562-3764.

Vote for the Summer Cruise that you think is the best of breed. The winner will be announced on September 1st.

Tags: Awards-Main, Best Summer Cruise, Cruise, Luxist-Awards, Luxury Nile Cruiser, Nile River, Oberoi, The Oberoi Zahra

The Oberoi Mauritius: Idyllic and Unspoiled

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Oberoi Mauritius is known for its beautiful beach

The idyllic island of Mauritius with its unspoiled beaches and azure waters offers a unique experience of European, African and Asian cultures. The Oberoi Mauritius on Turtle Bay captures the spirit of the island in a resort that combines its abundant natural beauty with refined luxury. The resort, which is nominated for a Luxist Award for Best Beachside Hotel, is located in 20 acres of beautiful sub-tropical gardens with a 600 meter oceanfront.

The resort offers a range of water sports and recreation like wind surfing, water skiing, diving and sailing. The Spa at the The Oberoi Mauritius is a sanctuary where guests find peace, harmony and a new sense of well-being. State of the art facilities include a beauty parlor, sauna, steam bath, gym and individual spa suites with private jacuzzis. Traditional Mauritian treatments are featured, using natural local oils and fruits star alongside conventional therapies; one example is the blissful coconut husk body brush, followed by a deep massage with freshly ground coconut.

Gallery: The Oberoi, Mauritius

The resort offers 71 rooms and suites, each featuring a romantic four-poster bed. Wooden slatted ceilings and wall-to-wall restful neutral tones contribute to a feeling of relaxed grandeur. The hotel Villas, each with its own lush gardens and dining gazebo, most of them overlooking a private swimming pool with, views of the sea make an exclusive and luxurious retreat for those seeking privacy.

Rack rates range from 1,020 Euros for a luxury villa with a private garden to 2,400 Euros for a Royal Villa with a private pool.

Reservations can be made online or by calling its toll-free number (800) 562-3764 in the U.S. More information is also available by email by contacting reservations@oberoigroup.com.

Vote for the Beachside Hotel that you think is the best of breed. The winner will be announced on September 1st.

Tags: Awards-Main, Best Beach Hotel, best beaches, best beachside hotel, Luxist-Awards, Mauritius, Oberoi, Oberoi Group, Oberoi Mauritius

Explore India's Golden Triangle by Private Plane

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Greaves, the tour company which specializes in India, is running a rather good deal on a private plane package now. Spend a week touring India's "Golden Triangle" -- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, stay at super-luxey Oberoi hotels, and do all of your traveling in between via a Beechcraft Super King Air B200 plane.

The package includes all sorts of nice extras, like a horse carriage ride to the Taj Mahal, a cycle rickshaw ride around Old Delhi, a cooking demo at The Oberoi Rajvilas, as well as multiple opportunities for spa treatments and yoga classes along the way. The price is $5,100 per person, based on four people traveling together -- although you could always bring a bigger crowd, the plane seats up to eight. Travel through December 15th, 2010.

Tags: India, oberoi, private plane, taj mahal, TajMahal, tours