The island of Lana’i feels a world apart from the other more developed Hawaiian Islands. Lana’i is a special destination where you’ll find adventure, tranquility, romance and breathtakingly beautiful surroundings.
It is the smallest of Hawaii’s inhabited islands, covering 140 square miles. It was once known as the Pineapple Island because over 20,000 acres were covered with plantations.
Today, Lana`i is considered Hawaii’s most secluded island and the place to go if you want a very relaxed, private vacation. It has a unique and unusual beauty and is the ideal destination for couples that want remote luxury.
Lana’i also offers a range of activities and excursions to keep you busy including amazing hiking trails, biking, world-class golf courses, horseback riding, snorkeling, off-road adventuring and five-star dining.
You can even rent a jeep for the day and drive to beaches that are entirely yours to explore!
When visiting Lana’i be sure to stay at the Four Seasons Lana’i. The resort is perched on top of red lava cliffs and overlooks white-sand beaches, the Pacific Ocean and Hulopo’e Bay, a marine sanctuary that’s a playground to spinner dolphins and humpback whales.
The property features a main building and nine separate two-story buildings housing 213 guest rooms, including 45 suites. The resort was recently redone and the decor is gorgeous!
There is a wide range of luxury suites with panoramic views of the Pacific or the stunning hillside.
Enhancing the grounds are five lush botanical gardens, featuring cascading waterfalls and serene koi ponds.
The resort has gorgeous swimming pools overlooking Hulopoe Bay. There is an adults-only pool that offers a peaceful, lagoon-style setting, complete with whirlpools.
The central pool allows children of all ages. You will be well taken care of while relaxing at the pool, as the staff regularly come around with Evian spritzes, chilled towels, frosty Popsicles, sunglass cleaning, a selection of magazines, complimentary sunscreen and flavored ice water.
There are countless activities to keep you busy on the property. I recommend seeing the island with a UTV tour.
For a unique experience that will provide you with a bird’s-eye view of the island, take a helicopter ride. You’ll get to spend the full day flying over coffee estates, remote beaches, and active volcanoes. Land for a gourmet picnic lunch, hiking tour, or a visit to a local attraction.
Or better yet, sit in the pilot’s seat during a private flying lesson, where you will learn to perform basic maneuvers such as takeoff, cruising and landing.
Also, make sure to also carve out some time for a visit to their spa, Hawanawana. The spa focuses on ocean-based products and their treatments are inspired by the healing powers of the sea and are uniquely tailored to each individual guest.
Finally, there is an amazing selection of restaurants located on the property offering everything from steak to seafood to sushi. My favorite is their Japanese restaurant Nobu, which offers an extensive selection of sakes and traditional Japanese dishes as well as sushi.
Lana’i is a destination not to be missed! If you’d like to start planning your honeymoon or vacation to Four Seasons Lana’i please email me. Not only will you be VIP guests but you will receive complimentary breakfast daily, the best rate available, a $100 hotel credit, plus top priority for room upgrades.
As the saying goes, Bienvenido a Miami! And welcomed you will feel, from the moment that you step foot into this beautiful and vibrant city.
There are so many incredible places to stay within Miami but I recommend making Faena Hotel Miami Beach your home when visiting.
The property is a visual delight that combines bright red velvet hues, gilded columns, colorful murals, tiger prints, beautiful chandeliers, contemporary art and many other bold design details.
Art is literally everywhere and one of my favorite pieces was the nine-foot, gilded skeleton of a wooly mammoth, encased in glass. You can’t miss it!
The property features 169 spacious and beautifully decorated rooms and suites that start at 400 square-feet.
Each room has custom designed rugs, paintings, and luxurious bathrooms.
Every room has it’s own private balcony and some have incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean.
There is a relaxing spa on-site called the Tierra Santa Healing House and it is a 22,000 square-foot sanctuary with shaman-developed healing rituals for the body as well as facial treatments. There is also a gym on property that offers specialized yoga classes.
There are three restaurants at the hotel – Los Fuegos, Pao & Veranda and they all serve inventive cuisines from award-winning chefs.
At the edge of the property is an amazing pool that is just a few short steps away from the Atlantic Ocean.
The beaches in front of Faena are absolutely beautiful and stretch as far as the eye can see with crystal blue water that is perfectly warm year-round. The hotel offers full beach service with lounge chairs, towels and food & drinks. The staff are extremely attentive and will take great care of you while you bask in the sun.
Faena is the place where the beautiful people come to play so be sure to spend one night soaking up everything that the property has to offer! Start with dinner at Pao and savor the delicious modern Asian cuisine crafted by award-winning chef Paul Qui.
From there, head over to the Faena Theatre.
Here you’ll enjoy C’est Rouge, an amazing cabaret-style show that beautifully blends tango, burlesque and acrobatic dance moves.
After the performance, stop by the Living Room lounge and enjoy a glass of wine and live music.
And finally, end your night at the Saxony Bar. This intimate space has a Great Gatsby vibe and serves time-honored cocktails. The line to enter can be long but because you’re a hotel guest you can bypass the wait. From start to finish, you’ll have had the perfect Miami night and without ever having left Faena!
Miami Beach is one of the few travel destinations within the United States that has such a rich and unique culture, it almost feels as if you’ve left the country. It’s definitely not to be missed. When you’re ready to book your stay at Faena Hotel Miami Beach please email me. We will make sure you that you are well taken care of!
Earlier this fall, I traveled to South East Asia and explored a handful of places including the beautiful country of Cambodia! While it’s slightly off the beaten path, and somewhat less visited than it’s neighboring country Thailand, it is a destination not to be missed!
History enthusiasts will no doubt fall in love with Cambodia because it is home to the Angkor complex, an archaeological site filled with temples dating back to the 9th century. You can spend hours and even days exploring the different sites and really tapping into your inner Tomb Raider!
Within the complex you will find more than 1,000 temples all of which are in various conditions. Some have been immaculately preserved and restored.
While others are crumbling or completely overgrown by trees.
Angkor Wat is the main temple within the complex and is one of the largest religious monuments ever constructed. It is truly stunning in both its grand scale and incredible detail. Wat, Bayon and Banteay Srei are two of the other very popular temples within the complex. Make sure to carve out enough time to visit all three!
When visiting Cambodia I would highly recommend making Amansara your home. Amansara is located in a tranquil suburb of the bustling city of Siem Reap.
It is set amongst beautiful gardens and was previously the guesthouse of King Sihanouk but in recent years it was completely restored and updated. Amansara’s location is ideal for visiting the Angkor complex as it located near the archaeological park.
Amansara offers unrivaled luxury, with twenty-four suites that have an open-plan living with finishes in terrazzo and timber.
All of the rooms have a very calming decor with light colors, private courtyards and state-of-the-art amenities.
Twelve of the suites also come with their own private pool.
When staying at Amansara you have private guides to take you to the temples. They know the best times to visit each place and how to best experience every location to have the least amount of crowds. We were the very first ones to the top of Angkor Wat which was such a highlight!
The resort has two swimming pools; an eighty-two foot lap pool and a twenty-five foot curved swimming pool with a sundeck. There is also a delightful roof garden and terrace, which is the ideal spot to unwind after a long day of exploring the temples.
Amansara has one of the most luxurious spas in all of Cambodia so make sure to carve out a day for relaxation and pampering.
Running parallel to a reflection pool, the spa is a tranquil sanctuary, where therapies make use of traditional Cambodian techniques and natural products. The spa offers many holistic therapies ranging from Reiki to energy rebalancing. Treatments also include a yoga session at sunrise, which makes for a complete and perfect day or relaxation.
There is an on-site restaurant serving Cambodian-centered cuisine and their menu changes daily with a focus on simple flavors, using organic produce directly from the local markets. For a unique experience, private dining is available at the resort’s rustic Khmer house at Angkor, where meals are prepared over charcoal to the sounds and sights of village life. Picnic breakfasts and lunches are also available at locations throughout the countryside as well as on the water. And finally, private dinners can be arranged inside one of the temples, accompanied by live musicians and dance performances.
Cambodia is a destination not to be missed and one that I am looking forward to returning to! If you’d like to start planning your honeymoon or vacation to Amansara please email me. We will make sure you that you are well taken care of!
When you are searching for a destination that offers stunning views, an element of romance, and great food & wine – Italy is usually one of the first places that will come to mind. And while there are many amazing coastal destinations to explore throughout the coast, no place attracts more visitors than the beautiful Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast is a postcard perfect destination, offering one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in the world. Combine the delicious food, the unique coastline, the historic villas and the warm hospitality and you have the makings of a great Italian love story!
The Amalfi Coast has some of the most beautiful properties that you’ll find anywhere in the world and they continually attract the most sophisticated and refined of travelers. With so many amazing options, it can be overwhelming selecting a hotel but one of my personal favorites is Palazzo Avino. I have been lucky to personally stay there on two occasions and absolutely loved each visit!
I have also sent many clients to Palazzo Avino for their honeymoon and I always receive the most incredibly positive feedback!
Palazzo Avino is a family-owned, five-star boutique hotel in the charming town of Ravello. Originally built in the 12th century, the property was once a private villa for an Italian noble family. Some of the original rooms still remain. It only opened as a hotel in 1997 and since that time it has been continually rated one of the world’s best properties.
The hotel is perched high on the cliffs, 1,000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea and it gives you the feeling that you are floating in the sky.
The location is ideal because everything within the town of Ravello is a short and easy walk away including the beautiful Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Definitely carve out some time explore these historic villas and enjoy their stunning views.
There are 30 rooms and 11 suites at Palazzo Avino, all of which are decorated with hand made Vietri tiles, antique carpets and furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries. The rooms also come with all of the modern amenities that you would need.
Be sure to book one of their suites with a balcony and sea views. Trust me, it’s worth it!
The property has a 65-foot, heated outdoor pool that is beautifully situated within the gardens, boasting amazing views of the sea and the mountains.
There is also a full-service spa located next to the pool offering a wide array of treatments.
There is an outdoor gym that is also located in the gardens with great views.
And, if you’re looking to end your day with a beautiful sunset and a glass of Prosecco, be sure to visit the solarium on the rooftop. There are two whirlpools and it’s the perfect spot to relax and unwind.
For dining options, you can enjoy a candle light dinner served in their award-winning restaurant, Rossellinis or a more casual meal at Terrazza Belvedere. Both restaurants have amazing traditional Italian food. I recommend going to the lobster & martini bar before dinner to enjoy the incredible views of the sunset.
Finally, Palazzo Avino has a beautiful Clubhouse by the Sea that is exclusive for hotel guests. It is located right on the water, a short fifteen-minute drive from the hotel and there is a complimentary shuttle to take you. The Clubhouse is the perfect spot for a relaxing day of swimming. Be sure to try the delicious pizza from their pizza oven!
The Amalfi Coast is a destination not to be missed! If you’d like to start planning your honeymoon or vacation to Palazzo Avino please email me. We will make sure you that you are well taken care of!
Sustainable travel means more than just reusing hotel towels. Sustainable travel is about the long-term impact that travel will have on a particular part of the world. As a destination becomes more popular with tourists, the place can see both a positive and negative impact. So, it’s important to always support the positive and try to minimize the negative.
Ever After Honeymoons has had the privilege of traveling to every corner of the world and so we wanted to take a moment to praise two luxury resorts who are supporting sustainable travel and really doing their part to give back!
NIHIWATU – The Property
Nihiwatu is a remote, luxury resort on the island of Sumba in Indonesia. It is a short flight from Bali and in 2016, Travel + Leisure readers voted it the number one hotel in the world! Nihiwatu is not only a beautiful resort but it is also a property that continually gives back and it is a great example of a sustainable resort that is supporting it’s local community.
NIHIWATU – Giving Back
Nihiwatu emerged from a vision to create a resort that would preserve and share the breathtaking beauty of Sumba. To achieve this goal, the Sumba Foundation was founded in 2001 and now a portion of the resort’s profits are repatriated into the organization. Guests are educated about the foundation’s efforts through an impactful presentation and short film and many of them become benefactors to the foundation.
Over the last fifteen years, the Sumba Foundation has been able to setup 4 medical clinics and a malaria training center. They’ve also developed over 100 wells and water stations. In addition, the organization currently feeds 80 small children in its malnutrition program and provides school lunch for 1,100 children, twice a week.. They have also refurbished 15 primary schools, that they continue to support.
THE BRANDO – The Property
The Brando is a unique luxury resort located on French Polynesia’s beautiful private island of Tetiaroa. The property consists of 35 stunning villas on an island surrounded by a sparkling lagoon. The Brando considers themselves stewards of Tetiaroa, and they believe that they have the responsibility to treat it with the highest level of care and respect. Almost all of Tetiaroa is being protected and preserved in its natural state.
The resort was the dream of Marlon Brando, who first came to Tetiaroa while filming a movie and immediately fell in love with the island’s rare beauty and the sense of peace it gave him. Brando was passionate about preserving Tetiaroa’s natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural richness and was determined to find a way in which it could be a center for research and education and a model of sustainability. Since then, The Brando has continued to have an impressive roster of celebrity donors and supporters including Leonardo DiCaprio.
THE BRANDO – Giving Back
Inspired by the late Marlon Brando’s vision, the Tetiaroa Society was founded. The Tetiaroa Society is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to preserving the precious biodiversity on Tetiaroa. The scientists and volunteers there are working on several projects, including a sustainable fishing program, a fish replenishment program, and an atoll conservation plan.
Their efforts also include monitoring, preservation, and restoration programs related to plants and agriculture, as well as the preservation of the island’s cultural heritage. The research conducted here serves as a living case study, where the lessons learned can be implemented locally as well as applied to places across the globe.
Nihiwatu & The Brando are both beautiful resorts that are doing an amazing job giving back to their local communities. If you’d like to visit one of these destinations, please email us so we can start planning your vacation. We will make sure you that you are well taken care of – and you can enjoy your vacation knowing that you are supporting sustainable travel!
