Spa Treatment in a Treehouse: Marigot Bay Resort, St. Lucia
You don’t have to be a kid to dream about escaping to a treehouse. At St. Lucia’s Marigot Bay Resort, above, you can get a treatment in their beautiful treehouse, which is surrounded by the island’s lush foliage. Also unlike some treehouses, this one has easy access with a nice set of stairs perfect to descend down relaxed after your session.
Ice Room: The Mulia, Bali
The Mulia is an expansive property and its spa is equally vast with 20 treatment rooms. There’s also a Finnish Sauna where things get so hot that you’ll be dying to get into the property’s ice room. The only one of its kind in Asia Pacific, it showcases an Icefall Crystal Fountain which produces a steady stream of ice that you can rub on your sweaty body to cool off.
It’s hard to get a bigger wow factor than the spa at Huvafen Fushi Maldives (above), the first and only underwater spa in the world. Let the serenity of the deep blue ocean wash over you when you enter this sanctuary beneath the sea. If you’re there with a special someone, you can indulge in an Underwater Rendezvous, a two-hour journey of rejuvenation. You’ll enjoy an anti-aging, revitalizing full-body massage, as well as a deeply soothing foot massage. This session promises to help release issues such as headaches and tiredness, and can even ameliorate your problems sleeping.
Crater Hot Tub: Homestead Resort, Utah
Utah’s Homestead Resort is home to a crater with a geothermal spring hidden within a 55-foot-tall, beehive-shaped limestone rock. Here you can enjoy an ethereal soak in the warm, crystal-clear water, which will recharge your body and help you achieve bliss. The mineral water stays at a constant range of 90 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also kick things up a notch and go scuba diving at the only warm water scuba spot in the United States.
Wine Bath: Entre Cielos, Argentina
Have you ever joked that you love wine so much, you could bathe in it? What if I told you actually could? Argentinian hotel Entre Cielos is located in the Malbec region of Lujan de Cuyo. Featuring beautiful vineyards, the property features a gorgeous spa and hammam, which is where you’ll get to bathe in your drink of choice. The tub is extremely spacious and takes on a nice pink hue while you chill in there. Best of all, you can have a glass of Malbec while you bathe in it.
Your guide to luxury travel—and life's other indulgences.
Gastronomers seek out Michelin star restaurants the way astronomers obsess over the real thing. And while Michelin stars are so coveted, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for a Michelin-worthy meal. In fact, you can enjoy delicious Michelin-star meals for under $50 around the world.
For those who seek a culinary bargain, Traveloka has identified the 50 Cheapest Michelin Meals, featuring one- and two-star restaurants with prices that any traveler can swallow. Based on the company's research, eight of the world’s 10 cheapest Michelin-grade meals can be found in East Asia and Southeast Asia, with some costing less than $3.
The cheapest meal on the list costs $2.20 and comes from Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, above, a street food stall in Singapore. In Europe, the most budget-friendly option on the Michelin list can be found between Barcelona and Valencia, Spain, with a set lunch menu at L'Antic Moli, costing just $16.90. Meanwhile, the USA’s cheapest Michelin-star meal is available at Al's Place in San Francisco for $18, below.
10. Al’s Place, San Francisco, USA
Serving Northern California regional cuisine rooted in the produce and seafood of the Bay Area.
9. L’Antic Moli, El Castell, Spain
Located between Barcelona and Valencia, this cozy spot has daily menus in a beautiful setting.
8. Lao Zheng Xing, Shanghai, China
The oldest Shanghainese restaurant in the city that created classic dishes like fried river shrimp.
7. Three Coins, Taipei, Taiwan
According to Michelin, Three Coins is a classic Cantonese restaurant with Taiwanese touches.
6. Ginza Ibuki, Tokyo, Japan
Said to be a casual kaiseki lunch, stop by Gina Ibuki to taste the grilled fish teishoku.
5. Jay Fai, Bangkok, Thailand
Taste wok-cooked seafood dishes from this Thai street food vendor in Bangkok.
4. Chugokusai S.Sawada, Osaka, Japan
A Chinese restaurant based in Osaka, Japan, that serves multiple courses on their set lunch.
3. Hamo, Seoul, South Korea
Hamo, which means ‘of course,’ serves traditional meals from the Jinju region.
2. Tim Ho Wan, Hong Kong
Ranked the 2nd cheapest Michelin meal, serving Hong Kong’s famous local dim sum.
1. Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, Singapore
The world’s most affordable Michelin meal, serving Singaporean cuisine.
Not all passports are created equal. Americans can enjoy visa-free travel to 186 countries around the world, but even that kind of freedom only ties the United States for fifth place in the latest rankings by the Henley Passport Index. Japan tops the list with access to 190 countries, followed by Singapore, which grants visa-free access to 189 countries.
Here are the top 10 for 2018:
- Japan (190 countries)
- Singapore (189)
- France, Germany, South Korea (188)
- Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain, Sweden (187)
- Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States (186)
- Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland (185)
- Australia, Greece, Malta (183)
- Czech Republic, New Zealand (182)
- Iceland (181)
- Hungary, Malaysia, Slovenia (180)
As with most expensive purchases, size often matters. For those who like to keep score, here are the five largest vessels from the Monaco Yacht Show, which recently concluded.
Kismet
Built under the supervision of the Moran Yacht & Ship new construction team, Kismet, above, was delivered by Lürssen several years ago. It features an Espen Oeino exterior design and a Reymond Langton Design interior. This highly successful charter yacht may be for sale, but since it can accommodate 16 guests in 8 staterooms—with the master stateroom featuring its own private deck complete with a Jacuzzi and access to the helipad—a new owner might not want to share it with charter guests for a while.
With her striking exterior styling by DeBasto Design and sophisticated interior design by Nuvolari Lenard, Dar (above) stands out from the crowd at this year’s show. Built by Oceanco in the Netherlands, this 295-foot-long yacht features a superstructure completely finished in reflective glass. The glass yields panoramic floor-to-ceiling views and her head-turning good looks.
Illusion Plus is the largest yacht that will be making her debut at the Monaco Yacht Show. In fact, this modern 288-footer, above, is largest yacht ever built in Asia. As a result, an owner and guests can choose from 4 interior lounges and 2 interior dining areas to hang out in. Or they can retreat to the spa on the lowermost deck.
Built by Feadship for experienced owners, Air features a fully certified commercial helicopter pad. And since achieving that certification represented a major challenge in terms of styling, the designers at Studio De Voogt worked hard to ensure that Air’s elongated aft deck, above, remains in perfect proportion to the rest of the yacht. Meanwhile, the owners’ observation lounge, with breathtaking vistas over the pool on the main deck, is exactly where you want to retreat to after the helicopter has landed.
It might be hard to find a more luxurious yacht with a better pedigree than the 300-foot-long Aquarius, above, built by the Feadship Shipyard in Holland. She’s simply designed for total relaxation with numerous sun decks and a vast main deck pool. And that space translates beautifully in her well-designed lounging and dining areas, which include a large private owner's deck with private terrace and media room.
Passport by ForbesLife chronicles the latest in luxury travel, drinking and dining, fashion—and life's other indulgences.
