Hotels - Inspired Living SA

Child Friendly Travel, Competitions, International, Romantic Getaways, Travel, Travel Wishlist

Atlantis The Palm Dubai Win a Trip for Two

Atlantis The Palm

On Monday I was invited to Vida e Caffe in Cape Town, to a media morning, to find out about the exciting Atlantis, The Palm resort, in Dubai! Dubai is definitely on my Travel Wishlist, so I was excited to find out more about it.

After all the guests had placed their coffee orders, a very necessary caffeine fix for a Monday morning, the formalities got underway. We were welcomed and bought up to speed on Atlantis, The Palm and all the stunning resort has to offer.Then came the rather exciting announcement! Atlantis, The Palm, in partnership with Vida e Caffè and Dubai Tourism has just launched a very exciting competition! You stand a chance to win a luxurious five night stay at the stunning resort!

Got you excited yet? The exciting prize includes return economy air tickets on Emirates for two people, sponsored by Dubai Tourism. You will enjoy a five-night stay for two in a Deluxe Room at Atlantis The Palm, inclusive of breakfast and dinner for 2 people. You will also have unlimited access to Aquaventure Waterpark and the mythical Lost Chambers Aquarium. The winners are sure to be entertained and treated like royalty.

Please click here to enter and win this amazing holiday! All I know, is that I would love to win a holiday to Atlantis, it looks and sounds amazing.

Atlantis really is the perfect destination, whether it is a romantic trip for two or a family holiday, they have it all! From beautiful accommodation, who would not want to experience an under-water suite, to top restaurants and great activities for the whole family, you really could not ask for more.

More about Atlantis:

Atlantis, the flagship resort on The Palm, was the first resort to open its doors on Dubai’s revolutionary island. Created by Kerzner International Holdings Limited, a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts. The stunning resort welcomed its first guests on 24 September 2008.

With its enviable location atop the crescent of The Palm, the opening of Atlantis was a landmark event. It redefined tourism in Dubai, as the first truly integrated entertainment destination resort.

The resort encompasses a 46 hectare site, with 17 hectares of water themed amusement at Aquaventure Waterpark. There are extensive fresh and salt-water pools and lagoon exhibits, an open-aired marine habitat second only to Mother Nature and a seemingly endless stretch of beach.

You will also find luxury boutiques, numerous dining choices, which include three world-renowned chefs restaurants.The resort also offers exciting nightlife, award-winning ShuiQi Spa & Fitness and 5,600 square metres of meeting and function space.

Dubai is the perfect destination for South African holidaymakers, from families to couples to friends. Not only does it provide endless options for sport and leisure activities, shopping and dining but is easily accessible with daily flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg too.

“Once people experience our city, our home, they inevitably fall in love with it and want to come back,” ~ Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

To find out more about this amazing resort and book a trip visit the Atlantis, The Palm website.

Disclosure Ranking:1

Africa, Exploring the Cape, Local, Travel

Arabella Country Estate

During the last school break we decided to take a road trip up the coast towards Knysna, it has been quite a while since we ventured through the Overberg. We love the area so much and it has lots to offer the avid traveler! Beautiful beaches, breath taking mountain ranges, amazing accommodation and restaurants – not to forget the awesome wine estates!

One of our first stops on our road trip was Hermanus and we were fortunate to be invited to overnight at the stunning Arabella Country Estate. For those of you who have never been, the Arabella Country Estate, is one of Cape Town’s most luxurious golf estates. It boasts panoramic views of the Palmiet Mountain Range, and the tranquil Bot River Lagoon. It really is a piece of paradise!

A bit about the Estate:

The estate is approximately an hours drive from Cape Town and 28 km from Hermanus and 7 km from Kleinmond. It is the perfect retreat if you want to get out of the city buzz but don’t want to drive too far!

The golf estate property spans a total area of 113 hectares and has a 1.6 kilometre front, leading out onto the most breath taking lagoon. The property is located within the Transitional zone of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and the adjacent Bot River Lagoon, which is a designated Buffer zone of the Biosphere Reserve.

Arabella Country Estate is comprised of 236 freehold lifestyle estate properties, which have been developed to conform with prescribed architectural guidelines. It would really be an amazing place to live, I absolutely adore the beautiful surroundings and love the thought of secure estate living! There is also a Curro Private School in Hermanus, so if you were thinking of relocating {me dreaming} it would be perfect!

The estate is all about tranquility and community living, if you love the outdoors then it is the perfect place for you. As well as an 18-hole golf course, the area boasts mountain bike tracks, hikes and not to forget the amazing wine farms.

Our Stay:

As well as having residential accommodation Arabella Estate boasts a 5 Star Hotel and Spa. The Arabella Hotel & Spa, forms part of the African Pride Hotels brand, a Superior-Deluxe range of hotels, lodges and country houses.

Our accommodation for the night was a gorgeous Suite, with pananoramic mountains and lagoon views plus a bathroom to die for! The highlight for my youngest daughter was a TV above the bath!

Although the weather was a bit miserable when we arrived, we would not let it deter our enjoyment. It did unfortunately mean, that we could not make use of the amazing pool area in the Estate, the water was just a tad too cold! 😉

After lunch my hubby and I enjoyed a tour of the Estate, while the girls enjoyed the luxury of our suite and a snacked on a few decadent nibbles delivered by the staff.

Next on the agenda, for me, was a much need Hot Stone Massage at the hotels spa – HEAVEN!!!

While I enjoyed my pampering my hubby and the girls played a round of mini golf, which they all thoroughly enjoyed.

After a wonderfully relaxing bath it was off to dinner. We decided to eat at the Jamani Restaurant in the hotel, which was a lovely end to a great day!

I would like to thank both Arabella Country Estate and the Arabella Hotel & Spa for great attention to detail and making our stay with them extremely comfortable.

If you would like to find out more about the estate please visit the Arabella Country Estate Website or if you would like to book hotel accommodation you can visit the African Pride Website.

Disclosure Ranking: 4

Hotels, Local, Proudly South African, Travel

Top 10 Hotels in South Africa

South Africa is a stunning location, which serves as the perfect destination for a getaway, whether it is romantic, for the family, involving business, or geared to get your adrenaline pumping. At the end of every day, after hours spent building precious memories comes the time when you need to kick off your shoes, relax, take a deep breath and get some shut-eye. For the discerning traveller, I have put together a list of my Top 10 hotels in South Africa.

My Beauty File – Time To Spa

As a woman and especially as a mom I find great pleasure in treating myself to some sort of beauty treatment, be it a facial or a hot stone body massage – I am generally not too fussy. The only thing I am not too keen on is an Indian head massage – I had one when we stayed in Mauritius and the experience still plagues me; I have a bit of an issue with someone massaging my head for some bizarre reason.

Just the thought of having a full body massage makes me instantly more relaxed and let’s face it in our frantic lives relaxing is not on the top of the list. We really need to take better care of ourselves and what better way to do it, than taking time out and enjoying a bit of R & R.

I have visited various spas in the Cape Town area over the years and I thought I would share a few of my favourites with you. Along with some that I would still like to try.

My Featured Day Spa’s:

I have chosen to feature two day spa’s – the first one, N’rgy Skin Spa, is my local “go to”, whenever I need a bit of pampering or some “me-time”. The second spa, Elements on Kloof, is new to me but I love the vibrant feel of the spa and it is on the top of my list of cool places to try. Which will be sooner than later, as they have very kindly given me a complimentary treatment, I will definitely report back to you afterwards! (Lucky me!)

N’rgy Skin Spa is situated in the Westlake Lifestyle Centre Tokai, surround by beautiful mountains and vineyards, overlooking the Constantia Valley. The spa’s philosophy is simple – they combine the very best of science and nature to provide, you the client, with the ultimate experience of indulgence and relaxation.

They also pride themselves on providing you with a personally formulated treatments, that deliver outstanding results for the face, body and mind – creating an experience which is professional, yet intimate.

They offer a range of therapeutic treatments including their advanced signature facials and hot stone therapies to name but a few. I can also highly recommend their Pedi’s and Mani’s; they use Essie Nail Polish – which is my favourite!

My absolute MUST Have products – Daily Microfoliant, (to exfoliate exfoliate and exfoliate again!) The Multivitamin Capsules pumped full of Vitamin A used as a powerfirm serum and then the Agesmart Dynamic skin Recovery SPF30 Day cream to avoid sun damage. Always in my handbag is the Multivitamin Hand and Nail Cream (age spots on my hands???? NO THANK YOU!) All Dermalogica.” – Dawn Alexander from N’rgy

N’rgy Skin Spa would like to offer all my Cape Town blog readers a Free BT treatment (worth R220) with every facial booked in the month of November. The BT treatment is the latest in skincare technology using a micro-current and ultrasound technology to increase product penetration, exfoliation and resurfacing. PHENOMENAL!!!! To claim this offer please quote: “Super Mom – Time To Spa”, when booking your facial.

Click here for the contact details for N’rgy Spa.

Elements on Kloof in Kloof Street, Cape Town, is situated below Table Mountain, away from the hustle and bustle of Kloof Street. The décor in the spa draws inspiration from the magnificent flora and fauna in the Western Cape – wood and stone, off-set by tones of sage and moss; further enhanced by plush velvet textures.

Elements is a skin-care clinic dedicated to touch therapy and they aim to provide an experience which focuses on wholeness of body and harmony of mind and soul. They offer a wide range of skin-care treatments, as well as touch-intensive treatments such as Hot Stone Massage, Aromasoul and Indian Head Massage.

Our most popular treatments at Elements on Kloof are Spa Pedicures, Brazilian Waxing, Spray Tan, Massages from around the world and Non-Surgical face-lifts.” – Kelly Bawden from Elements

Don’t miss out! Tomorrow I will be announcing an exciting giveaway sponsored by Elements on Kloof and Super Mom!

Destination Spa’s

Where the experience is about more than just the spa, it is about the whole package – relaxation, luxury and complete indulgence! Sounds amazing!

The Angsana Spa at the Vineyard Hotel in Claremont is definitely among one of my favourites if not my favourite. The serenity of the beautiful garden setting is wonderfully calming for the soul.

It is designed to be a sanctuary for the inner self, to refresh and rejuvenate mind, body and soul. The spa prides itself on privacy and tranquillity which affords you the opportunity to shed your worldly cares while you are being pampered.

My hubby and I enjoyed a couples treatment there a few years ago, which I found amazing and I actually fell asleep which usually never happens to me but I guess it was true relaxation!

My favourite treatment would have to be a full body massage, followed by a pedicure – it feels like the tension just drains from your body.

Arabella Spa at the Arabella Hotel situated in Kleinmond, Hermanus, is another gem. The spa is approximately an hour’s drive from Cape Town and well worth the visit, why not make a weekend of it and book a room in the Spectacular hotel. The hotel optimises grandiose luxury, with a balanced mix of modern and traditional décor.

The spa is home to the world-first “African Rainforest Experience”, which my hubby treated me to, for our 10 year wedding anniversary. WOW what an amazing experience – it is a two hour sensory water and steam treatment, using African products and inspired by African rains. This is a definite must if you have not tried it yet.

We have our 15 year anniversary coming up next month so I have been dropping hints, not such subtle hints, as to where I would like to spend a night or two!!!

Camelot Spa at the Le Franschhoek Hotel in Franschhoek is located in one of the most beautiful settings, nestled beneath the magical Franschhoek Mountains. Needless to say that Franschhoek is one of my favourite places to stay, so we usually make a weekend of it – giving yourself time to enjoy the complete sensory experience – relaxation, luxury and beauty.

The spa boasts various innovative signature treatments including a Grecian Liquid–Sound Flotation Room (with sound in the water and a starry ceiling to enhance the experience), the Moulin Rouge Colour- Therapy Room (where you experience your treatment bathed in the chromo-therapeutic benefits of colour) and my favourite the Deluxe Double Treatment Suite.

My favourite treatment at the Camelot Spa was a full body hot stone massage – Heavenly!

There are so many Spa’s that I have not mentioned and would still love to try! I would love to hear all about your spa experiences and get some recommendations on which are your favourites!