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Bali wedding villas with stunning sea views

Published on December 11, 2017 in Weddings by Elite Havens

Romantic and exotic Bali is an inviting island for destination weddings, where dreams of saying ‘I do’ with an ocean view come true.

These luxury Bali villas set on dramatic cliff-tops and exclusive beach-fronts are the best sea view event venues you’ll find.

Sohamsa Ocean Estate

Perched on the towering cliffs above Pandawa Beach on the southern tip of Bali, Sohamsa Ocean Estate is coveted by brides-to-be for its contemporary style and sweeping sea views.

With a grand entrance, spacious courtyard and gorgeous backdrop, this pair of villas is perfectly set up for an idyllic outdoor wedding.

At Villa Soham, the view is complimented by a 22-metre infinity pool and cliff-edge balé pavilion which works as a covered dining area, lounge or dance floor.

Next door Villa Hamsa is as convenient as can be for VIP guests to stay on-site, but in their own separate villa. It can also serve as a lavish behind-the-scenes dressing room on the big day.

Five-bedroom Villa Soham and four-bedroom Villa Hamsa host 50 people for seated events and can accommodate up to 22 overnight guests.

The multi-tiered property is landscaped with tidy lawns, lotus ponds, lush greenery and understated blooms to create an unbelievably romantic setting for a ceremony and reception. Adding your own wedding flowers and event décor is of course welcome.

Dusk heralds a ‘magic hour’ for photos in the villa’s indoor-outdoor spaces (and picturesque white sand Pandawa Beach is only a two-kilometre drive away, so zipping down to the beach for some shots there is an option too).

Weather remains sultry into the evening, and the whole venue is beautifully lit at night. Additional party lights and sound equipment can be brought in as needed. Both villas have high-speed WIFI, PABX room-to-room phone system, Sonos sound system and behind-the-scenes staff areas.

We can recommend expert event organisers, florists, decorators and caterers, so you can focus on relaxing and celebrating with your guests.

Before and after your special event, a personal team of villa staff are on hand to help ensure that you enjoy a worry-free wedding. Another bonus of staying at Sohamsa Ocean Estate for your wedding are its wellness facilities – a large gym,

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What to expect in a Maldives villa

Published on November 13, 2017 in Destinations by Lucy Douglas

When is a villa not a villa? When you’re booking a luxury Maldives getaway, it can be hard to know exactly what it is you’re booking. Villa, suite, bungalow, residence, condo, resort… everywhere you turn someone is using a different word to describe the same thing, or what you thought you were looking turns out to be something different.

So to help you out, here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you choose.

Resorts

Being made of up of more than 1,192 islands, the Maldives is rich pickings for private resorts from the big hotel brands. On the larger islands, you’ll find them lining private stretches of beach, only accessible to guests. More exclusive resorts take a smaller island to themselves, so the only people you’ll see on the island are other guests or staff of the resort.

Either way, they’ll offer a full service with restaurants, a bar and facilities for guests, plus a range of rooms, from hotel style blocks to free standing suites.

Bungalows & water villas

This is usually resort-speak for watertop, stilted suites. It’ll usually include a spacious, en-suite room, plus a balcony with stunning views across the Indian Ocean. More premium suites might feature a separate living space or dressing room as well. Some resorts may use this lingo for detached suites on the shore with a private pool.

They’re still part of the resort, so the accompanying dining options will be the resort’s house restaurants and bars.

Residences

What you might identify as a villa (if you’re European) or a condo (if you’re from North America). The Amilla Beach Villa Residences are four-, six-, and eight-bedroom properties, with their own stretch of crystal white sand beach and private pools, and fully self-sufficient with kitchen, bar and facilities.

The Amilla Beach Villa Residences are on a tiny swathe of land in the Baa Atoll, to the north of the Maldives archipelago. There are eight villas in the collection: six with four bedrooms, the six-bedroom Amilla Villa Estate, and the eight-bedroom Great Beach Villa Residence. The expansive pool-side terraces lead down directly on to each villa’s private stretch of pristine beach.

Each villa is run by a team of staff, headed up by the katheeb (or housemaster) who’s responsible for overseeing guests’ stay at Amilla’s residences,

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Koh Samui with kids

Published on November 8, 2017 in Culture/Destinations/Families/Recreation by Elite Havens

Koh Samui, Thailand is not a big island – it’s just under 230 square kilometres, and much of that is still pristine forest-covered hillside – but it offers a wealth of fun and interesting things to do with kids.

_{CASUAL OUTINGS}Our list of child-friendly activities in Koh Samui begins with five easy excursions for the whole group. If a relaxed family holiday is what you want, you got it. If you’re up for anything, and looking for the best attractions and accommodation, keep reading ’til the end.

1. Kids will love the Dusit Deva Cultural Centre, a slightly eccentric garden filled with creatures from Buddhist and Hindu myths.

2. Treat the family to a poolside Sunday brunch. Although there are several family-friendly restaurants in Koh Samui, our top picks for a gorgeous sea-view brunch with kids are the Four Seasons and Beach Republic.

paradise park koh samui

3. Take a trip to the petting zoo at Paradise Park Farm Samui in Lipa Noi, where you’ll also encounter exotic birds and other wildlife.
^{(IMAGE FROM FACEBOOK)}

4. Visit nearby Nathon Walking Street Night Market on Tuesdays or the bigger Fisherman’s Village Night Market in Bophut on Fridays.

5. Samui Football Golf is a unique physical activity and all ages can share in the fun.

_{WATER FUN}It’s not a tropical holiday without some wet n’ wild fun for the whole family.

koh samui na muang waterfalls

6. Samui has a number of spectacular waterfalls. We love the Na Muang Falls where there’s a an inviting pool. For younger children, Lin Had Waterfall is most child-friendly. Please note both are not recommended during the rain season Oct-Nov.

7. Go island hopping in Ang Thong National Marine Park, which encompasses a cluster of islands. The heavily jungled islands are carefully controlled to keep them in pristine natural condition. A trip to them is a must.

Koh Samui water park

8. Splash and slide in the sun at Pink Elephant Samui Water Park in Maenam.
^{(IMAGES FROM SAMUIWATERPARK.ASIA)}

_ADVENTUREOlder kids and athletic teens with energy to burn have an opportunity to experience some thrilling sports in Koh Samui.

9.

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Elite Guide to Phang Nga Bay

Published on November 1, 2017 in Tips by John Stephens

Between Phuket Island and Krabi on Thailand’s mainland is a remarkable 400-square kilometre inlet known as Phang Nga Bay. Named after the indigenous people (pangan) of the Malay Peninsula and its surrounding islands, the province of Phang Nga is rich with stories of pirates, sea-gypsies and Malay fisherman dating back hundreds of years. Many people of Phang Nga still maintain the humble, traditional way of life of their forefathers, pulling fresh lobsters from the sea to sell in Phuket, whilst others have embraced the area’s growing tourist trade and now work as guides.

While Phang Nga Bay is rich in folklore, it is most widely famed for the hauntingly beautiful limestone karsts that jut out of the sea, many resembling unfinished clay vessels upon a potter’s wheel. These colourful islets with their toupees of lush tropical vegetation were carved out over millions of years, and now host some of the world’s most spectacular sea caves, along with Thailand’s largest mangrove reserve.

SIGHTS

The unbelievably emerald-green waters of Phang Nga Bay are a delight to explore in a traditional long-tailed fishing boat, canoe, kayak or speedboat. Here are some of our personal favourites for when it comes time to plan your visit to this natural wonderland.

James Bond Island

^{Featured in the James Bond films, The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), the sight commonly referred to as ‘James Bond Island’ is also called Koh Tapu.}

Here one can pace the twenty steps made famous by the suspenseful duel scene starring Roger Moore, or venture along a shaded path past an enormous limestone fissure to a smoothed-out sea cave that opens to breath-taking views of the Andaman Sea. Two small beaches line its shores and offer a great place to burrow in the golden sands while oohing over the marvellous scenery.

Limestone Caves and Hongs

Many tour operators provide the opportunity to explore the countless limestone caves and hongs (rooms) of Phang Nga Bay. The best way to witness these extraordinary natural wonders is by canoe, where local guides leisurely paddle one into vast cave systems littered with stalagmites and stalactites. These skeletons, created by a build-up of calcium carbonate, are visually stunning, especially when contrasted with the lush tropical backdrops that glow during the day.

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Baby Turtles Hatching on Lombok

Published on October 25, 2017 in News by Elite Havens

More than 50 tiny Hawksbill sea turtles recently hatched at Elite Havens’ Villa Sepoi Sepoi on Sira Beach.

the most incredible experience

Many beaches throughout Indonesia are known nesting sites for the endangered sea turtle, which goes by the local name Penyu Sisik (and in Latin Eretmochelys imbricata). There were two clutches of over 100 eggs buried on the villa’s private beachfront grounds on the north shore of Lombok near the Gili Islands, and the patient team of villa staff did an outstanding job of welcoming these unexpected guests.

_{MEET THEM NOW:}

The world’s population of Hawksbills is critically low because these special sea turtles were hunted for hundreds of years. They are considered a delicacy to eat and their shells are the best natural tortoiseshell material. Now, harvesting this species of turtle is outlawed in most countries, but they need our help to avoid extinction.

Hatchlings usually emerge from the sand during the night and instinctively crawl to the safety of shallow waters, guided by the reflection of the moon. Sadly, many hatchlings do not survive the journey from their birthplace into the water without help from humans, especially if they are born during daylight, because they fail to crawl in the right direction toward the sea or get eaten by seabirds and crabs.

The staff at Villa Sepoi Sepoi helped many of the baby sea turtles by pointing them toward the ocean and keeping another 52 from the two hatchings safe and secure on the private villa grounds. Once their shells become hard, the turtles are introduced to safe shallow pockets of the sea around the villa, and after approximately one year they are released into the wild.

There are some local organizations dedicated to the protection of Hawksbill sea turtles, and the local government also encourages individual conservation efforts. As a bonus, many of the villa guests enjoy joining in the excitement.

_{HERE ARE SOME OF THEIR REVIEWS:}

“It was an unforgettable moment with you at the Sepoi Sepoi Villa! Marceau and Rosalie will always remember the little turtle, Sixtine and Victoire will keep the last of Made’s amazing pancakes and Laurent and Caroline have these awesome massage before the sunset. Thanks to all the staff for your smiles, friendships, we felt like we are at home.”

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