Get Your Inner Sultan On

With truly Indonesian hospitality, you will get to feel like a real sultan and be pampered in the same manner they always have been when you stay at The Sultan Hotal Jakarta. Follow your nose to the largest, most fragrant floral garden in the city, see the Javanese traditional wood carving at the Main Tower lobby, or take the uber-exclusive underground VIP travelator to the adjacent Jakarta Convention Center-host to dozens of world-class exhibitions, conventions and jazz festivals throughout the year.

The aforementioned garden sprawls across 13 hectares of prime real estate in the absolute core of Indonesia’s buzzing capital city, and features a jogging track and numerous other fabulous outdoor sporting facilities. Inside, the five-star opulence, regal airs, and spectacular choices for dining in grandiose luxury will amaze you as much as the spectacular guest rooms. As ever, The Sultan Hotel Jakarta offer “Hospitality at its Royal Best”.

Jl. Gatot Subroto PO Box 3315, Jakarta; 62-21/570-3600;
hotel@sultanjakarta.com; www.sultanjakarta.com

Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali

Nestled on a white sandy beach on Bali’s southern coast, the Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali is the ideal luxury getaway. With an excellent array of facilities and a wealth of leisure options, the resort perfectly blends modern technology with comfort to pamper the most discerning travelers.

For a true escape, be sure to book either the Royal Beach Club rooms or one of the Ocean View suites. Both of these premier room types offer impeccable personalized services, the utmost in privacy, and the best views in the resort. In addition to free airport transfers, private check-in, and a host of other benefits, guests here have access to the Royal Beach Club Lounge. This exclusive space is open round the clock serving gourmet breakfast, light lunches, pre-dinner cocktails and canapés, as well as a selection of food and drinks throughout the day. It also has a plasma television, a collection of CDs, reading material, and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

For total relaxation, indulge yourself at the Westin Spa, where treatments pay tribute to the Indonesian archipelago’s botanical bounty by using indigenous herbs, spices, and flowers to heal the body, invigorate the mind, and provide a sustained sense of well-being. Younger guests will love the Westin Kids club, which lets four-to twelve-year-olds get involved in fun-filled activities such as face painting, pizza making, fish feeding, and playing in the outdoor play-ground or on the 12-meter-long water slide at the children’s pool.

Equally tantalizing is the resort’s lineup of sumptuous dining experiences. Ikan Restaurant specializes in fresh seafood and Balinese cuisine, while The Veranda is a cosmopolitan eatery resembling a chic European sidewalk café and serving light meals and delicious wood-fired pizzas. Hamabe Restaurant runs the gamut of fine Japanese cuisine, and Portraits Modern Dining offers a menu of innovative international dishes amid an inviting lounge-like ambiance.

Kawasan BTDC, Lot N3, Nusa Dua, Bali; 62-361/771-906;
Email: reservation.00035@westin.com; www.westin.com/bali

InterContinental Bali Resort

With more than 14 hectares of tropical landscape and an endless stretch of white sandy beachfront, InterContinental Bali Resort on Jimbaran Bay is ideal for business and family travelers. Ornamental ponds, lagoons, and traditional stonework reflect the island’s rich cultural heritage, while in the 418 well-appointed guest rooms and suites, classic Balinese touches are matched with state-of-the-art amenities and contemporary luxury.

Choices of accommodation at InterContinental Bali Resort include the Club InterContinental, a “resort within a resort” concept that occupies a private wing. The Club InterContinental Suite Collection, each of which offers a distinctive style as well as privileges such as late check-out and round-the-clock butler service, also comes with exclusive access to the Club Lounge, where all-day gourmet refreshments can be found alongside cocktails and entertainment as well as reading materials and Internet access. The Lounge also has an outdoor terrace providing fresh air and stunning lagoon scenery.

Guests at the Club InterContinental can make use of the private pool and 24-hour fitness center. A choice of four breakfast venues, including the Club Lounge, is enhanced by preferential seating at each restaurant scattered throughout the rest of the resort. For full-body pampering including gender-based treatments and therapies. Spa Uluwatu’s villas and outdoor treatment areas are exactly where to go. Meanwhile, younger visitors can join in the various fun-filled activities constantly ongoing at InterContinental Bali Resort’s children center, Club J.

In addition to the privileges mentioned above, an airport lounge facility – the only one of its kind in Bali – has recently been unveiled specifically for Club InterContinental guests. Upon landing at the airport, guests will be assisted through immigration and customs in an air-conditioned lounge, while a transfer vehicle – a jaguar or helicopter – will be ready to transport you to the resort’s exclusive Jimbaran property.

Jalan Uluwatu 45, Jimbaran, Bali;
62-361/701-888; www.bali.intercontinental.com

Coco Beach Resort

Combining rustic charm with modern amenities, Coco Beach Resort is a “little corner of paradise” nestled on a beautiful private beach on Mui Ne Bay. Featuring 34 one- and two-bedroom bungalows and villas crafted out of fragrant tropical woods, the charming thatched-roof resort is the perfect secluded hideaway. Spend your time relaxing at the swimming pool and its adjacent bar or enjoying other facilities like boutiques, a beauty salon, banqueting and conference facilities, a business center, library, and TV room (guest rooms are not equipped with TV to maintain a relaxing ambience). Champa Restaurant (open for dinner only) serves up excellent French cuisine with a fine selection of wines and cigars. Stylish ethnic décor, soft romantic lights, and panoramic views make this an ideal place for a romantic fine-dining experience. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Paradise Beach Club is a beach bar-cum-restaurant offering a wide range of Vietnamese and Thai specialties, salads, pasta, and seafood. Guests may choose to dine at the bar, at tables, or on lounge chairs facing out to sea, to catch the stunning sunsets over Mui Ne. Additionally, an informal seafood barbecue is hosted here every evening.

58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ward Ham Tien;
84-62/847-111; www.cocobeach.net

Furama Resort Danang

Furama Resort Danang is the gem of Vietnam’s gorgeous China Beach. Its 198 rooms boast a luxurious blend of Vietnamese and French colonial architecture. Meanwhile, guests can also explore this rich destination at the nearby UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites including the former imperial city of Hue, the ancient Silk Road trading port of Hoi An, the spiritual center of the Champa civilization, My Son, and the mystical Phong Nha Caves. Not only does the resort boast first-class conference facilities and play host to many prestigious international events, it has recently relaunched exclusive facilities for an even more invigorating holiday experience. First, the Spa and Health Center sports an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort from which guests can enjoy signature services such as the anti-aging Legendary Furama Facial and the deep-tissue Signature Furama Massage. Best of all is that the spa uses only natural, biodegradable products. Tropical fruits, soothing music, and plush robes complete the experience. Second is the Danang Dive Center, which offers diving and snorkeling tours to the unexplored and unexploited Monkey Mountain Peninsula. For the ultimate in privacy, the center also caters to charters too. All of the tours include equipment, a guide or instructor, food and water, towels, and transfers. Certified courses are also available.

68 Ho XuanHuong, Danang; 84-511/384-7888;

www.furamavietnam.com

Family and Honeymoon packages in Bali

The Nikko Family package at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa (62-361/773-377) or (www.nikkobali.com) gives families holidaying with two children under 12 a host of benefits on a three-night stay. For US$492, the package includes an ocean-view room, daily buffet breakfasts, a day at the hotel’s jungle camp for the kids, and one other free meal for the children. Valid until March 31, 2009.


The Waka di Ume (62-361/973-178; www.wakadiumeubud.com) in Ubud has introduced a Honeymoon package at US$384 net, double, and a Yoga package at US$484, net. Both promotions are for a two-night stay in a villa including daily breakfast, afternoon tea, a one-hour Balinese massage for two, airport transfers, and shuttle services into Ubud. The Honeymoon package also includes daily floral baths, a romantic dinner, and a bottle of wine, while the Yoga package includes two yoga lessons and a spa gift. Valid until April 2009.