Enjoy
Aboard our business class private jet, embark upon a journey perfectly timed for Diwali. Everything has been considered and included, from lavish palaces to revered monuments and exclusive events.
AGRA VARANASI KOLKATA KOCHI UDAIPUR JAIPUR
The Luxury Travel Gold List Awards is the benchmark for travel accolades in Australia and across the globe, recognising the unique and dynamic nature of the Australian and regional luxury traveller seeking to explore the world responsibly and sustainably. With categories spanning from resorts & hotels to cruises and experiences, the Gold List Awards showcase the very best in luxury travel.
Keep up to date with the latest on the 2025 program via our website.
Hotels & Resorts
Recognising the world’s most exceptional stays, from boutique hideaways to grand luxury resorts.
Cruises
on the open seas and beyond.
Experiences
Celebrating unforgettable travel moments, from bespoke cultural immersions to thrilling once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
Travel Agencies & Operators
Showcasing the experts who craft seamless, tailor-made journeys with unparalleled service and insider access.
30 Luxury Travel Products Beautiful items to take on your travels
36 Dispatches
A collection of authentic experiences, outstanding design and sustainable travel initiatives
48 Online Spotlight What’s trending on luxurytravelmag.com.au
54 Sydney’s Grande Dame
Our cover story takes you inside the AU$70-million refurbishment of the So tel Sydney Wentworth, Australia’s fist fie-star hotel
60 High Flyer
A review of Cathay Paci c’s Business Class ying from Sydney to Hong Kong
62 Pause A peaceful interlude
MEMORABLE JOURNEYS FOR THE CURIOUS MODERN TRAVELLER
Highlands to Islands
Exploring the Scottish Highlands in autumn is a colour (and avour) treat
Havana Modern
Meeting the creative souls that make the Cuban capital hum on so many interesting levels
The lo Way
e Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is at once steeped in time and forward thinking. Exploring this laid-back city is a sensory delight
Tennessee’s ‘Music City’ unites culture, boot-tapping tunes, world-class attractions and unbelievable food
109 linger
BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO DWELL FOR THE DESIGN DILETTANTE
110 Splendour on the Rails
Th iconic Eastern & Oriental Express roars with new life through Southeast Asia
118 Heaven on Earth
Overlooking Lake Como, Passalacqua embodies what Italian hotel dreams are made of
126 Soul Session
Bali’s Mandapa is a sanctuary that weaves rhythms of nature, holistic wellness and culture
132 Island Home
Turtle Island delivers unique and genuine Fijian hospitality amid postcard-perfect scenery
140 Urban Sanctuary
e Singapore EDITION’s standout design o ers a multilayered experience in the Lion City
146 Suite Life
Nostalgia, history and indulgent dining unite at Austria’s Hotel Sacher Salzburg
150 Suite Life
‘Local luxe’ is the star of the show at Sequoia Lodge in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia
154 Design Bite
A striking new look for the Olympic Spa Hotel in Di Fassa, Italy
157 savour
A MENU OF INDULGENT GOURMET & WELLNESS EXPERIENCES
158 Tasting the High Country
Flockhill on New Zealand’s South Island deliveres luxe villas and exquisite farm-to-table dining in equal measure
166 Wild Dining
Fine dining , Inuit-fusion style, aboard Quark Expeditions’ Ultramarine
174 Breathe Easy
Hawaii’s Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, o ers a premium wellness experience
180 Eye K andy
Holistic style and ancient wellness at Sri Lanka’s Santani Wellness Kandy
186 Rendez-vous
A beautiful place to gather and dine
188 A Match Made in Heaven
A Q&A with legendary author Elizabeth Gilbert
ABOVE, TOP Cruising the Arctic with fine dining © Jocelyn Pride
ABOVE, MIDDLE Lake Como views from Passalacqua in Italy
ABOVE, BOTTOM Turtle Island’s dreamy beach
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
“From Queensland’s nature-focused luxury lodges to South Australia’s gastro-tourism, I am always impressed by the innovation and quality I see each and every time I check into a regional five-star property.”
Last month I had the pleasure of mingling with representatives from the winners of the 2024 Luxury Travel Gold List Awards over cocktails and canapes. This fabulous evening at the spectacular harbour-view rooftop of InterContinental Sydney Double Bay was not only a celebration of the industry’s best hotels, resorts, cruise lines and more, but also a culmination of the many months of hard work by the team at Indesign Media Asia Paci c, who worked tirelessly to make the 2024 awards program a huge success. It was the perfect way to close the 2024 chapter before we embark on the 2025 Gold List Awards – already underway!
In this issue, I penned a Suite Life review on one of South Australia’s most impressive properties – Sequoia Lodge (page 150). This eautiful country we live in is home to a raft of luxurious, design-led and culinary-forward boutique hotels, and Sequoia is no exception. From Queensland’s nature-focused luxury lodges to South Australia’s gastrotourism, I am always impressed by the innovation and quality I see each and every time I check into a regional fiestar property.
Hopefully by now you have spent plenty of time perusing the inspiring content on our gorgeous website, which was redesigned and relaunched last year to an incredible reception. And from now on it will be even easier to enjoy the editorial in Luxury Travel’s print edition, written by the country’s best travel writers. You can access a complimentary e-magazine version of each issue, beginning with the last edition, at luxurytravelmag.com.au, ensuring you never miss the latest fistperson accounts of the world’s greatest luxury resorts, or those valuable insider tips on the destinations you’re considering for your next holiday.
Lastly, to stay up-to-date with the latest luxury travel news, events, trending destinations, hotel openings, reviews and more… be sure to head to luxurytravelmag.com.au and sign up to our weekly newsletter. We are also active and engaged on social media, so please say hello on Instagram (@luxurytravel_mag), Facebook (@luxurytravelmagazine), LinkedIn (/luxury-travel-magazine) or Pinterest (@luxurytravelau).
Until next issue, happy and safe travels.
KAVITA LALA PUBLISHER
Publisher Kavita Lala
THE OCHRE LANDS OF THE KIMBERLEY
THE THUNDER OF KING GEORGE FALLS
THE SPRAY OF MONTGOMERY REEF
THE VAST OPEN SPACES OF THE COAST
THE CONNECTION TO ANCIENT CULTURES
Photographs: ©PONANT-Doriane Letexier; Nick Rains
EDITOR’S NOTE
In this magazine, my goal is to showcase the destinations that deserve attention – and I hope this edition steals yours
Even after a decade of globetrotting in the name of a good story, I fid myself regularly bowled over by the natural beauty within our reach. And when a hotelier somehow manages to meet this beauty with a property that does its breathtaking setting justice? Well, that is something truly special.
When, in 2022, I fist saw images of Passalacqua on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como, I thought: “Surely this place is too good to be true?” I can tell you from fist-hand experience (page 118), it’s not.
And Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Bali’s lush Ubud (page 126)? Another master stroke, just like Flockhill on New Zealand’s South Island – during my stay here culinary master Taylor Cullen left a lasting impression via a chef’s table experience cocooned within the magni cent foothills of the Southern Alps (page 158).
Over the last decade luxury hoteliers across the world have been thinking outside the box to deliver on a considered style of hospitality that not only meets but exceeds the ever-rocketing expectations of the modern luxury traveller e properties that have emerged have often been curated right down
to the monogrammed embroidery on restaurant napkins, with the guest experience punctuated by thoughtful moments that surprise and delight from check-in to check-out. It’s precisely in these moments that memories are made, and where a renewed appreciation for this rare, extraordinary planet we live on begins.
This isue is brimming with journeys like these –from Kate Symons’ reset at Hawaii’s Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons Resort, to Paul Ewart’s nature immersion in Sri Lanka’s central highlands and Nannette Holliday’s taste of refiery aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express. We also shine a spotlight on the golden landscapes of Scotland in autumn, Havana’s undying creative spirit and the smalltown charm of Ljubljana in Slovenia, along with Tennessee’s crooning capital of Nashville – just for starters.
In this magazine, my goal is to showcase the destinations around the world that deserve attention – and I hope this edition steals yours for long enough to pique your curiosity. Where will you go next?
MADELIN TOMELTY EDITOR
Editor Madelin Tomelty at Passalacqua
Luxury Travel Team
Publisher Kavita Lala kavita@luxurytravelmag.com.au
Editor Madelin Tomelty madelin@luxurytravelmag.com.au
Creative Director
Sylvia Weimer sylvia@spacelabdesign.com
Brand + Partnerships Manager Richard Bunting richard@luxurytravelmag.com.au
General Enquiries media@luxurytravelmag.com.au
Head of Production Anna Carmody anna@indesign.com.au
Production Coordinator
Charlotte Yap production@luxurytravelmag.com.au
Assistant Editor + Sub Editor Natasha Dragun
Contributors
Timothy Alouani-Roby, Natasha Bazika, Claire Boobbyer, Matt Brace, Paul Ewart, Jenny Hewett, Nannette Holliday, Jocelyn Pride, Susan Skelly, Kate Symons
Events Coordinator Roisin Fagan roisin@indesign.com.au
Accounts Vivia Felice vivia@indesign.com.au
Indesign Media Executive Team
CEO Raj Nandan raj@indesign.com.au
Group Operations Manager Sheree Bryant sheree@indesign.com.au
Online Manager Radu Enache radu@indesign.com.au
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Cover image in partnership with Sofiel Sydney Wentworth Delta Rue is one of the innovative dining spaces in the new-look So tel Sydney Wentworth © Nicole England
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CONTRIBUTORS
Some of the talented writers whose inspiring stories feature in this issue
Jenny Hewett is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer who has lived and worked in Dubai and Bali. She has a keen interest in emerging destinations and loves nothing more than being among nature and wildlife. She recently returned from her second cruise to Antarctica and the Subantarctic island of South Georgia, where she was lost for words and nearly moved to tears as she stood before a colony of more than 450,000 king penguins. Jenny penned our Nashville City Guide (page 92) this issue.
Natasha Bazika is a travel and food writer who believes the best way to know a place is through its kitchen. Having lived in New York and Puglia, she’s equally at home in a fastpaced city or a sun-drenched olive grove. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveller, the Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald and more. When she’s not chasing down the best local eats, she’s plotting her next adventure. Natasha traced her roots to Slovenia for this issue (page 82).
Matt Brace is an award-winning travel writer. He is originally from Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK and was a Fleet Street reporter and foreign correspondent for more than a decade – working for Th Guardian, The bserver, Th Independent and The ndependent on Sunday – but decided travel writing was a lot safer. He now writes and photographs for several titles in Australia, Asia, Europe and the UK, and has written fie published books. He returned to his beloved Scotland for this edition (page 66).
Kate Symons is an awardwinning journalist who, for reasons that might be quite obvious, found herself gravitating towards travel writing e shift has allowed her not only to explore incredible destinations, but also to meet and connect with all manner of fascinating people. For this issue, Kate tested out one of the luxe wellbeing programs on o er at Hawaii’s Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort. She’s still Zen (well, by her standards at least). Read her story on page 174.
JENNY HEWETT
NATASHA BAZIKA
MATTHEW BRACE
KATE SYMONS
Around the world in over 150 ways
With travel on all seven continents and 150+ different trips by land, small ship and river, Tauck puts a world of adventures at your feet. You can cruise to Antarctica, meet gorillas in Rwanda, bask in Bali bliss, experience Patagonia, taste wine and olive oil at family-owned Tuscan vineyards, ride the rails into the Canadian Rockies, walk off your riverboat into the heart of Old World Europe, and explore America’s national parks as an insider. Join us and see the world like you’ve only imagined before.
AWE
Millions flock to the Spanish town of Granada every year to visit the Alhambra, that lavishly sprawling hilltop fortress uniting Moorish royal palaces with Nasrid reflecting pools, fountains and Generalife gardens. It’s a wow. Almost as eye-catching – although in total contrast and uber-futuristic – is the DistrictHive Colony Podtel, perched in the Sierra Nevada mountains that envelop the 13th century architectural masterpiece. While off-grid, carbon-neutral and 100 per cent sustainable, this tiny home is completely out of this world. Dramatic setting aside, it is entirely AI powered, which means that a nifty app controls everything from lighting and temperature to concierge services and energy management. But we suggest that you switch off when you arrive and make the most of the photoframe outdoor shower – there’s no one else around for miles, after all – along with the infinity anti-gravity pool and stargazing hammocks. DistrictHive is known for choosing remote and ravishing locations for its eco-exciting pods, from the Azores to Iceland, Mauritius to Rwanda. But start here – the Sierras are sensational.
districthive.com
IN THE KNOW
Travel happenings from around the world
Stevie Mann
RAFFLES SENTOSA SINGAPORE
Arguably the most legendary hotel in Asia, R a es Singapore has been a beacon for the jet-set elite since it opened in 1887. From May it will have a new sister in the Lion City when the R a es Sentosa opens on Singapore’s leisure isle e city-state’s fist all-villa –there are 62 – resort unites low-slung new and heritage buildings, with design by Yabu Pushelberg blending the tropics and R a es nostalgia with modern sophistication. Whether you’re checking into a one- or four-bedroom villa, you’re guaranteed a tranquil private enclave replete with a pool and cabanas, alongside spacious living and sleeping areas. This iland has its fair share of fie-dining establishments, and R a es ups the ante with fie more, covering cuisine that takes you on a journey from Italy to China and Japan, with a speakeasy thrown in for good measure.
ra es.com
© Georg Roske
THE EVE SYDNEY
It takes a lot to turn heads in the Sydney hotel world. But the freshly minted Eve is doing just that, not only upping the buzz in Redfern’s new Wunderlich Lane lifestyle precinct, but also capturing the essence of the culture, art and design of this inner-city neighbourhood. e who’s who of the design world collaborated on the project, including SJB’s Adam Haddow, 360 Degrees’ Daniel Baffsy and George Livissianis, who united their talents to create a property that juxtaposes serene, leafy spaces with striking communal hubs – look out for standout artworks by Australian creatives like Louise Olsen and Tarryn Gill. First stop? e rooftop garden with its 20-metre infinty pool. tfehotels.com
REGENT BALI CANGGU
Arguably Bali’s hippest neighbourhood – a haven for surfers and foodies alike – Canggu has received a welcome luxury injection with the opening of the Regent Bali Canggu. This lam hotel is the epitome of Indonesian style, from design to service, food and wellness –everything is carefully curated to remind you exactly where you are. e beachfront property’s 150 suites and villas feature high-pitched thatch roofs, commissioned batik fabrics, hand-carved teak tubs and local artworks – some come with private pools, while others have slip-in access to the hotel’s lagoon-style pool, one of six you can cool off in. ere are just as many restaurants and bars, including two helmed by Michelin-starred Irish chef Andrew Walsh: Cure, where the menu is guided by the avours of Scandinavia, and Sazón, showcasing vibrant Spanish dishes.
ihg.com
The 1 Hotel group, whose mantra is ‘Nature is our true north,’ made its debut in 2005 on South Beach in Miami, Florida. Ten years down the track, the sustainably-driven brand is set to make an entrance in Melbourne, bringing rooms and residences to the riverside Northbank precinct from May. Like other properties in the portfolio, 1 Hotel Melbourne is eco-conscious to a tee, incorporating recycled materials into construction and interior design, featuring native greenery throughout, utilising low-energy lighting and temperature controls, and opting for sustainable linens and organic mattresses – there’s also a focus on farmto-table fare across restaurants and bars. Hailing from the UK, the hotel’s Bamford Wellness Spa is equally committed to sustainability via holistic wellness o erings like brown sugar body exfoliations and jade stone massages e best bit? You can bring along your pooch for a pet-friendly stay.
1hotels.com
MONARTO SAFARI RESORT
You no longer have to travel to Africa for an indulgent safari experience: welcome to Monarto Safari Resort, a unique new retreat amid the landscapes of the largest open-range safari park in Australia – and outside of Africa. In the heart of South Australia’s Murraylands, and remarkably just an hour east of Adelaide, the resort (opening 28 May) features 78 rooms and suites, overlooking expansive savannah plains and waterholes where some 500 animals roam free – from southern white rhinos to zebras, lions to hippos. When you’re not out at sunrise or sunset on a jeep safari adventure, make the most of resort facilities including a spa with ice-bath and sauna, and a dreamy pool-with-a-view. Keep your binoculars handy, as two high-end tents are set to open here later in the year.
monartosafariresort.com
MONDRIAN GOLD COAST
The inaugural Mondrian hotel emerged from under Ian Schrager’s wing in Los Angeles in 1996. Today, it’s part of Accor’s lifestyleled subsidiary Ennismore, which is set to make its debut in Australia this year. Given this brand is all about the vibe, it’s tting that the fist Mondrian Down Under will be located on the Gold Coast. e dramatic property occupies a sculptural Burleigh Heads building designed by Fraser & Partners, with 24 oors o ering views over the pine-framed beach and Paci c Ocean as well as the rainforest hinterland. Studio Carter, meanwhile, is responsible for the interiors of the 208 studios, suites and beach houses, nodding to the surrounds via an informed textural and tonal interplay of sugar-white (the sand) and emerald (the palms and pandanus). Look forward to two restaurants as well as a glam pool club overlooking the Goldie’s beguiling shoreline, not to mention a wellness centre replete with a cosmetic clinic and spa. mondrianhotels.com
