Banjaran Hot Spring Spa …. and A Wine Cellar to Mesmerise You

Nestled in the limestone hills surrounding Ipoh lies a delightful sanctuary where you can relax and pamper yourself. The Banjaran Hot Spring Spa is a 5-star retreat sanctuary consisting of 25 luxury villas offering holistic wellness and spa experiences, unequalled hospitality and distinctive Asian grace. Strategically located 15 minutes from the city of Ipoh, it is just 2 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur and 1.5 hours drive from Penang. It is situated on a 16.59 acre valley fringing a cluster of towering limestone hills and features an amalgamation of natural caves, pristine jungle, waterfalls and geothermal hot springs.

Geology

The thermal springs at The Banjaran are a natural and relatively rare phenomenon. Groundwater flows naturally at the base of the hills at a temperature of 65 to 70°, at a rate of about 3 millions liters per day (approximately 2,000 liters/minute). The water comes from a deep underground reservoir fed by rainwater that has slowly percolated downwards through the limestone hills and the underlying granite. As it makes its way down through the rocks, the water picks up minerals and dissolved ions.The water also warms up on its way downwards. Because of the heat radiation from the earth’s mantle, temperature increases with depth at a rate of about 3 to 4° per 100 meters, referred to as the geothermal gradient. Taking into consideration an average surface temperature of 25° and the fact that the water would have cooled down by about 10° on its way back upwards, groundwater would have reached a temperature of 80° at about 1,500 meters below the surface. Buoyed by dissolved gases and the higher pressure in the subsurface, groundwater eventually travels back to the surface as it encounters a fault or fractures in the rocks and comes out bubbling as a hot spring at the surface. Hot water is captured at The Banjaran to feed the steam room, a natural sauna, to fill the hot lake and to warm up the pool. The amount of carbon dioxide not produced by capturing and using naturally hot water at The Banjaran is roughly equivalent to the carbon sequestered by about 110,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Wining & Dining

At The Banjaran, only the freshest organic fruits and vegetables are used. The Pomelo restaurant serves the freshest premium seafood, meat and poultry that richly enhance the overall flavour and nutritional value of each meal.


Private Wine Cellar

Probably one of the most unique and mesmerising places at Banjaran is the private wine cellar which is located in a large 280 million year palaeozoic cave in one of the nearby limestone hills. Sealed with a large door and grill the entire cave has been air-conditioned and fitted with lights with piped music to create an incredible area for storing wine, hosting dinner parties or meeting at the bar …. all located within the cave. I use the word mesmerise as this was the exact phrase used by one of the waiters who guided us to this feature …. and he was not wrong! The private wine cellar belongs to Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah, the founder and chairman of the Sunway Group but is open in the evening for drinks or you can book dinner here.

The Royal Scotsman

The Royal Scotsman is a Scottish luxury charter train run by Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. The train is composed of nine cars; two dining cars, five state cars, one crew car, and one observation car. The two dining cars are named 'Victory' and 'Raven' with seating for sixteen and twenty people respectively.

Originally launched in May 1985, the train, in its current form, dates from May 1990. The owners put together a set of carriages (all rather different), which were rented in and called The Royal Scotsman, launching in the Spring of 1985. The carriage leases ran for five years and it was a success – the train won the Queen's Award for Export. 

After the initial five-year period elapsed, the decision was taken to purchase outright a different set of carriages, designed to the owners specifications. Working with designer James Park, ten Pullman carriages were subsequently bought and transformed with all the interior woodwork made to specification by a specialist woodworking company in Bournemouth and shipped to the construction site and installed. This second rake of carriages replaced the first in May 1990. The new rake incorporated many improvements – each cabin now had its own private facilities, steam heating was replaced by electric heating, seating for all at the same time in the Observation and Dining Cars and capacity moved from twenty-eight to thirty-two. In 1997, the capacity was further increased from thirty-two to thirty-six.  

The running order of The Royal Scotsman carriages is: Observation Car with verandah viewing platform; Dining Car Number One (Raven); Dining Car Number Two (Victory); State Car number one, two, three, four and five; and a Service Car. The sequence is in running order from the rear so guests can best enjoy the passing countryside.

At one end of the train is perhaps the most distinctive vehicle, the open-ended Observation Car, converted from the Pullman kitchen car, Snipe. Originally built in 1960 by the Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company, it entered service in 1961 as a First Class kitchen car. In 1989, the car was bought from its private owner, Michael Bailiss, and converted it to its current luxury configuration, able to comfortably hold all thirty-six guests at any time.

Adjacent to this is Dining Car Number One, which is still referred to by its former Pullman car name, Raven. Colin Angell, a firm of cabinet makers from Evesham, Worcestershire, won the contract to transform a 1962 second-class Pullman carriage into Raven, with a capacity for twenty guests.

Next in the formation is Dining Car Number Two, known as Victory and so called since it was built in 1945. Victory was built as a London & North Eastern Railway Director's Saloon and acquired from Sir Bill McAlpine. The transformation was completed in a number of weeks - from its bright orange curtains and brushed aluminium fittings to wood panelling, inlaid with intricate marquetry, mahogany veneer cupboards and specially made dining chairs and tables – not to mention a state of the art modern kitchen. Eight marquetry panels with intricate designs of thistles, flowing ribbons and butterflies line the walls and an inlaid frieze of several different woods runs on into the corridors. Victory can accommodate up to sixteen guests, ensuring all guests can dine at the same sitting, across the two dining cars.

The five State Sleeping Cars follow. These cars, like the Verandah car, were originally built as Pullman Cars in 1960 by the Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company.

The sleeping cars provide fourteen twin, two double and four single State Cabins, beautifully fitted out in rich marquetry. All cabins have fixed, lower beds, dressing table, full-length wardrobe, individually controlled heating, cooling ceiling fans, opening windows and cabin service call button. Each cabin has its own private facilities with shower, wash-basin and toilet and a constant supply of hot water.

Barneys New York

This advertisement on the side of a building really stood out and made a good impact. Barneys is a chain of luxury department stores centred in New York. The chain owns large stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and smaller stores in other locations across the United States.

Brands sold include Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin, The Row, Fendi, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Maison Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Prada, Jil Sander, Dries van Noten, Diane von Furstenberg, and Burberry Prorsum, as well as Barneys private label merchandise. The New York and Beverly Hills stores also have restaurants that are operated by third parties.

Hotel Ibah

The prestigious Bali resort, steeped in Royal heritage, consists of 17 uniquely designed villas and suites in a spectacular location on the gently sloping valley of the Campuhan River. Situated on two hectares of crown land in the heart of Ubud, Warwick Ibah Luxury Villas & Spa is created from a dream of Balinese Royalty. A hotel built to share the rejuvenating qualities of this special place with visitors of other cultures. 

You will find Warwick Ibah at Campuhan, a place where two rivers meet, in the cultural and artistic center of the island.< This classic Bali resort is located 5-minutes walking distance to Ubud’s main shopping area, and about 45-minutes drive from the airport, offers a truly unique experience. Enjoy the rejuvenating qualities of ancient holy grounds and share in the spirit, the beauty and the culture of Ubud Bali.

Burj Al Arab Luxury Hotel

The Burj Al Arab (Arabic "Arab Tower", also known as "Arab Sail") is a five-star hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 m (1,053 ft), it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) out fromJumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure whose shape mimics the sail of a ship.

The beachfront area where the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach. The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach Hotel. The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tankers on the site.

The old name persisted after the old Hotel was demolished in 1997. Dubai Chicago Beach Hotel remained as the Public Project Name for the construction phase of the Burj Al Arab Hotel until Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the new name.

Hotel De Tuilerieen

This is the bar at Hotel de Tuilerieen in Brugge, Belgium and was always a welcome relaxing and rehydration spot after a hard day's tourism and prior to evening dinner. The hotel is wonderfully situated in central Brugge right on the canal so it's easy to walk out and see all the sights or take one of the canal cruises. It belongs to the exclusive group of hotels called "Small Luxury Hotels of the World".

I was wondering who the characters were in the paintings but unfortunately the barmaid didn't know. Whoever they were, they didn't exactly look very happy!

Hotel Metropole, Brussels

The Hotel Metropole, Brussels is a beautifully preserved world of 19^th century splendor and opulence, set beneath a sea of glittering chandeliers. Situated in the midst of the city’s historical center, this superbly renovated Brussels luxury hotel captures the imagination with Corinthian columns, sumptuous furnishings, and an extravagantly rich attention to detail. Experience the vibrant “heart of Europe” from the most celebrated Brussels luxury accommodation, and embrace the lavish elegance of days gone by. 

The Hotel Metropole, built in 1895, is the only nineteenth-century hotel in Brussels still in operation today. The hotel has 298 rooms and 15 suites. The hotel was originally built as an afterthought—a brewer's family added a hotel to their Place de Brouckère café in an effort to promote their selection of beers. 

The Hôtel Métropole benefits from a superb location right at the heart of the historical center of the European capital - only a few steps from the famous UNESCO world heritage site of the Grand Place, the Bourse and la Théâtre de la Monnaie, and near the city’s most exciting shopping thoroughfare. Just in front of the hotel are the "De Brouckère" metro and bus stations, with connections to all of Brussels’ major train stations.

The Metropole is famous for having hosted the first Solvay Conference in 1911. The International Solvay Institutes for Physics and Chemistry, located in Brussels, were founded by the Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay in 1912, following the historic invitation-only 1911 Conseil Solvay, the first world physics conference. Just check out some of the names of the famous physicists in the photograph above which can be found in the lobby of the hotel - Planck, Lorentz, Madame Curie, Rutherford and Einstein!

It is also the birthplace of the Black Russian cocktail, which was created in 1949 by barman Gustave Tops for the United States ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta.

And of course nothing to beat relaxing for lunch and some nice Belgium beer in the Cafe' Metropole.

Balinese Baths

Bali has a large number of luxurious hotels and this one in Ubud is in an idyllic setting with a wonderful swimming pool reminding me of some ancient Roman baths.

Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort

Here are some selected images of the Le Meridien Resort in Chiang Rai, Thailand where we stayed for 4 days. The resort, situated along the Mae Kok River, is moments from the town of Chiang Rai, the former capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom founded by King Meng Rai.

The resort features a blend of activities, including therapeutic treatments at the spa, refreshing swims in the pool, and hearty workouts in the gym. Outdoors, guests can embark on hill tribe visits, elephant trekking, and river tours.

The resort comprises 159 modern rooms and suites in five wings. Guest can revel in the expansive rooms, as the smallest measures 53 square metres. Views from the balconies overlook a private lake, lush lawns, and the Mae Kok River.