220 278
TRAVEL
220
April15
Hot destinations & great places to stay
WHAT’S NEW
ELITE STYLE
White, stylish and ever-so-slick: those are the characteristics that define this
four-bedroom, private-pooled colonial villa, located along the best street of
Bali’s hippest area, Seminyak. Hot off the press and new to the portfolio
of luxury villa rental group
Elite Havens
, this property – think sassy
Hamptons style meets tropical Balinese chic – will be booked out before
you blink, so grab it for the high season and walk to absolutely everything
that’s happening in town.
Photo: Christopher Leggitt.
elitehavens.com
A NEW AMAN
Good news for lovers
of luxury getaways: the
Aman Group recently
opened its third property
in China (after Beijing
and Hangzhou),
Amandayan
, set on
a hillside above the
UNESCO-protected
Old Town of Lijiang.
The resort consists of
traditional courtyard
buildings and 35
spacious suites with
views of Lijiang, the
surrounding countryside
and distant snow-
capped mountains. A
preserved palace dating
to 1725 is located on the
property, and features
ornate carvings and
colourful paintings; it
was once the location
for scholars entering the
Chinese civil service to
do their examinations.
Amandayan is a great
base for taking in
the region’s natural
attractions, including
Tiger Leaping Gorge.
amanresorts.com
SWIMMING
WITH (WHALE)
SHARKS
Western Australia’s whale shark season is underway, with sightings of the world’s largest
fish near Exmouth in the State’s Coral Coast region. More than 19,300 people visited World
Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef last year to view these gentle giants of the sea, who migrate
to WA’s coastline between March and August each year to feed on plankton and krill. Whale
shark swim tours are available from Coral Bay and Exmouth from now until August, allowing
visitors the opportunity to have a face-to-
fin encounter with the animals, which can
grow up to 18 metres in length. The annual
Ningaloo Whale Shark Festival will celebrate
the season with all kinds of family fun from
21 to 24 May. Exmouth is a two-hour flight
from Perth.
Photo: James Morgan.
westernaustralia.com |
ningaloowhalesharkfestival.com