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10 of the best ■ romantic escapes
Get away 10
With the royal wedding in mind, here are our suggestions for 10 of the best romantic escapes – from the Indian Ocean to Australia and the Caribbean 1. Seychelles: Desroches Island The romance factor: An exclusive private island where Prince William and Kate Middleton rekindled their relationship after their split in 2007, it is one of the world’s ultimate romantic destinations and is only accessible by plane. The hotel: A 40-minute flight from Seychelles capital Mahe, Desroches boasts over seven miles of white-sand beaches, luxury villas complete with private pools, invilla dining and butlers. Options include secluded picnics, side-by-side massages, sunset cruises and private candlelit dinners on the beach. Stay: Seven nights’ all-inclusive stay in a beach suite costs from £3,827 per person from May 1-December 23 with Elite Vacations (www.seychelleselite.co.uk), including return flights from London and inter-island flights. www.desroches-island.com
Lizard Island
2. Australia: Lizard Island The romance factor: An idyllic retreat fringed with pristine coral reefs, crystal-clear waters and 24 powdery-white beaches, it offers a magical setting right on the Great Barrier Reef. The hotel: There are 40 villas and suites, with the Sunset Suites giving glorious sea views and The Pavilion offering complete privacy, panoramic views, expansive deck and private plunge pool. Couples can enjoy a seven-course degustation private dinner on the beach and gourmet
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Lizard Island
of the best: romant i escape c s
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Seasons in Africa/Michael & Vanessa Lewis
2 picnics on hidden beaches, a double spa treatment and snorkel together right in front of the resort. Stay: Lizard Island starts from £412.50 per person per night, including all meals, champagne and premium Australian wines. Flights to Cairns cost from £1,339 with onward flights from Cairns to Lizard from £189 each way. Book through Tailor Made Travel (www.tailor-made.co.uk). www.lizardisland.com.au
3. Thailand:The Sarojin The romance factor: Tranquillity is guaranteed at this luxury resort, with 55 guest rooms set amid 10 acres of gardens on a seven-mile beach in Khao Lak – and no children under 12 allowed. The hotel: Each guest residence features its own private garden and “sala” sundeck, couples’ baths with waterfall
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showers, and plunge and relaxation pools that blend into the natural habitat. Among free facilities are a fitness centre, mountain bikes, catamarans and sail boats, sea kayaks and windsurfing boards. Stay: A six-night Royal Sensations package, costing about £2,875 for two, includes a private spa and lunch on the beach, an exclusive sunset cruise, a private candlelit jungle waterfall dinner by chauffered elephant, all day a la carte breakfast with sparkling wine and private airport transfers from Phuket. www.sarojin.com
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Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort
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Tanjung Rhu Resort
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WhiteKaps Resort Company Limited
10 of the best ■ romantic escapes
The hotel: Tanjung Rhu is fronted by a 1.5-mile stretch of beach and features three swimming pools, the restaurants, water sports, a spa, nature trails, sunset cruises and mangrove river boat trips. Rooms have balconies and some have a Jacuzzi. Stay: Seven nights costs from £1,315 per person with Key2Holidays (www.key2holidays.co.uk) and from £1,595 with Thomson Tailormade (www.thomsontailormade.com), both on a B&B basis including flights and transfers. The resort’s Romance Package offers a private sunset beach barbecue, star gazing with a computercontrolled telescope and a couples’ spa treatment. www.tanjungrhu.com.my
5. Malaysia:Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi The romance factor: Set on an otherwise-deserted white sand bay at the northern tip of Langkawi, lapped by the warm waters of the Andaman Sea and surrounded by mangroves, this five-star resort is perfect for couples seeking a luxurious, secluded escape.
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6 6. England: Langtry Manor, Bournemouth The romance factor: Built by a prince for the woman he loved, this historic small, luxury hotel will waft you to a bygone era with its Edwardian-themed suites and dreamy four-poster beds. The hotel: The perfect hideaway, the hotel is set among pine trees on Bournemouth’s East Cliff. It was built in 1877 for socialite and actress Lillie Langtry by Edward Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, and combines Edwardian elegance with mod cons including Jacuzzi rooms, free wi-fi and flat-screen LCD TVs. Stay: A romantic weekend break, from £188 per person, includes a champagne cocktail with Friday night candlelit dinner, a six-course Edwardian Banquet fit for a king served by staff in period dress on Saturday night, with a live performance of The Life of Lillie, and a lavish breakfast each day. www.langtrymanor.co.uk
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Langtry Manor
The romance factor: Stay in a red-roofed villa in 60 acres of exotic gardens with a romantic beach, just as celebrity guests including Claudia Winkleman and Richard and Judy have done. The hotel: Styled after picturesque Mediterranean villages, the resort’s villas, many with private pools and terraces, have been refurbished to commemorate the resort’s 21st birthday. Guests can enjoy a romantic island cruise, candlelit dinner for two, in-villa spa treatments and beach massages, or share more exhilarating experiences such as water sports, jungle excursions, zip lining and horse riding. Stay: A four-night honeymoon package from May 1December 20 costs from US$3,120 for a premium suite and includes all food and drinks, a couples massage, champagne and flowers on arrival, in-suite dining one night and airport transfers. www.windjammer-landing.com
Langtry Manor
4. St Lucia: Windjammer Landing
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Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa
Cove Haven Entertainment Resorts
10 of the best ■ romantic escapes
7. Bermuda: Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa
The romance factor: With its four pink-sand beaches, secluded cottages and pool suites, candlelit beach dinners, couples spa treatments and optional clothing sunbathing deck, this adults-only resort is intimacy personified for loved-up couples. The hotel: Located on the western end of Britain’s oldest colony, just a seven-hour flight away, Cambridge Beaches is set on a 30-acre peninsula and has 94 cottage-style rooms and suites, each with its own décor, plus private coves and beaches, a spa and private marina. Stay: Prestige Holidays (www.prestigeholidays.co.uk) offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast, with direct British Airways flights and private transfers, from £1,565 per person. www.cambridgebeaches.com
9. USA: Cove Haven Pocono Resort, Pennsylvania The romance factor: Kitsch for some tastes, perhaps, but its lavish four-level suites complete with seven-foot champagne glass whirlpool bath for two, heart-shaped pool, log-burning fireplace, sauna and massage table certainly make an impression. The hotel: Cove Haven nestles on a cove of a manmade lake in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Pocono Mountains. Once you’ve had fun playing in your suite, try the indoor, year-round ice skating rink, water sports, indoor tennis and health club and spa. Stay: Cove Haven is all-inclusive. A two-night honeymoon package in a Champagne Tower suite costs from $1,070 and includes free champagne, rose petals, fire log, bubble bath and candles, private dining, a carriage ride or horse riding and an “aphrodisiac treat”. www.covepoconoresorts.com
8. Morocco: Riad El Fenn, Marrakech The romance factor: Sumptuous décor, hanging gardens, quiet corners and a rooftop swimming pool and sundeck close to Marrakech’s bustling souks and colourful Djemaa el Fna square. The hotel: Vanessa Branson, sister of airline tycoon Richard, has created a romantic boutique escape featuring traditional architecture and modern art, with facilities including hammam spa, private cinema and library. Stay: From £360 per person for three nights in a standard room, with daily breakfast, Moroccan afternoon tea and cakes and airport transfers. Room 19, from £495 per night, has brown leather floors, a wooden ceiling, walls adorned with Antony Gormley ink studies, an outdoor colonnade and fireplace, a cast iron bath and sitting room, and stairs to a private terrace. Its heated plunge pool has a glass bottom, giving views to the sitting room below. www.riadelfenn.com
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10. St Lucia: Sandals Regency La Toc The romance factor: Feel like king and queen of the castle in a Millionaire Suite, the height of luxury set at the resort’s summit with outdoor terrace, infinity pool and Jacuzzi, 24-hour butler service and 180-degree Caribbean views from your bed. The Honeymoon and Romeo & Juliet suites are equally romantic. The hotel: Situated on a 210-acre tropical estate, La Toc is one of the Caribbean’s most glamorous resorts, fronting a half-mile crescent-shaped beach and offering eight restaurants, nine bars, tennis and free water sports. Stay: Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) offers seven nights in a Millionaire Suite on an all-inclusive basis, including flights and transfers, from £3,053 per person in August for bookings made by April 30, 2011. 10 www.sandals.co.uk
Do you know of a more romantic escape? Tell us on tlm’s Facebook page: http://bit.ly/tlm_facebook – and see our suggestions for 10 of the rest.
Sandals Resorts
Riad El Fenn
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Spring 2011