We are very excited to have the gorgeous Naomi Ashcroft, founder of Salt Retreats, with us in the Polkadot Travel Lounge today, talking all things Indonesia! SALT Retreats is a new all-inclusive tropical sanctuary that combines the untouched beaches and vibrant culture of Indonesia’s Seminyak region with organic meals, daily yoga, surfing, spa treatments and luxury sunset yacht trips. I’m sold!

What is your favourite region?

I fell in love with the culture, climate and landscape of Indonesia on my first trip to the region. Once you step outside of the main tourist hubs, Bali is this untouched tropical paradise infused with century old traditions and some of the kindest and most hospitable people you will ever meet.

Top Resort Recommendation?

I created SALT Retreats Seminyak to be the ultimate resort to relax and rejuvenate. It combines the tropical climate and stunning landscape of Bali with luxury accommodation, daily surfing, yoga and spa treatments and an organic menu designed by celebrity chef, Pete Evans. It’s an all-inclusive getaway, so you and your other-half don’t need to worry about a thing – every little detail has been thought of to ensure your week away is complete perfection.

Suggestions for great honeymoon activities.

Honeymoons are a time to spend quality time together, relax and get in touch with both yourself and your partner. At SALT, we provide indulgent couple’s spa treatments and massages, candle lit dinners and tutorials in meditation and yoga – so honeymooners are provided with all the elements of the perfect getaway!

The ideal location for a proposal?

I’m a water-baby, so anywhere by the ocean! Bali has some of the most incredible sunsets I’ve experienced. Tanoh Lot, on the west coast of the country, has a temple built on an island just off the coast, which you can walk to in low tide. The atmosphere there is so spiritual and the vista across the water is stunning – the perfect place for a proposal.

Best kept secret honeymoon location?

I think health retreats in general are the best option for honeymooners. Where else can you get an all-inclusive stay, fantastic relationship building activities, organic, beautiful foods and luxury accommodation? We spoil our honeymooners combining spa treatments and yoga and make sure they end the day with a blissful massage and banquets by the tropical gardens and plunge pool. Bliss!

Wow, thanks so much to Naomi, it all just looks so luscious! To find out more about the luxury on offer at this fantastic location, head to the SALT Retreat website, and lose yourself in Indonesia!

Destinations, Honeymoons | Comments 1

I was recently lucky enough to stay a few nights at the gorgeous new hotel QT Hotel Sydney. With 200 rooms and an offbeat, boutique feeling, this hotel certainly had modern, inner city vibe that was a delightful change from the traditional hotel I am used to.

Located right in the heart of Sydney utilising the old Gowings department store and State Theatre (directly opposite is the QVB and brand new Westfield) the location couldn’t be better and with plenty of reviews already read, we’d decided this was just the spot for our special occasion.

Entering the hotel is fun in itself, the doormen are paid actors (partaking in blowing bubbles and chalk murals) and lovely to boot, escorting us and our very big piles of luggage to the hotel elevators. The lobby is full of statement furniture, suitcase clad walls and by night? Plenty of candle light. The hotel gives  the sense that it is full of secrets – you just have to open your eyes.

The hotel has two main wings, guiding guests through the old Gowings stairwells to the lifts. After a musical serenade (there are some quirky tricks I can’t spoil) long, cosy wooden corridors guide guests to the bedrooms. The King Deluxe room was a stunner – huge New York loft style windows overlooking the QVB building, stained wooden floors and plenty of little details that are surprising and add to that quirky, QT Hotel feel.

Sitting on the mini bar is a Nespresso Citiz and complimentary pods and inside it has everything, from the usual suspects of wine, champagne and chocolate to games and treats. Each room is equipped with free Wifi, workspace, flat screen TV, in room movies, ipod dock, full length wardrobe and king bed.

And then of course, the piece de resistance, the complimentary coffee martini setup,  just waiting for your midnight hankering for a cocktail.

Once you check into the hotel, you can avail yourself of the app-ified concierge- which allows you to call up concierge services right on your phone. Unfortunately I never got this to work during our stay, but I did make use of the fabulous staff at the front desk who whipped up a few off menu surprises for me without any hassle. Room service is available 24 hours a day.

The bathroom is separate from the main room via sliding doors and a colourful art filled wall (which may be a little awkward if you want a little extra privacy), and continuing with the high attention to detail I came to love at QT – everything from the artist inspired drinking glasses (available for sale), the luxury toiletries, the separate deep bath, walk in shower with rain shower head, double sinks and USpa toiletries.

The amenities in the hotel include the expansive lounge, the Gowings Restaurant & Grill, SpaQ – the onsite day spa complete with an old school barber shop, Gilt Lounge, Parlour Lane Roasters and the conveniently located hidden lounge bar off the lobby – working on an honesty system, with luscious armchairs, the most decadent blue velvet ottoman you’ll ever lay eyes on and plenty of laptops to hook up to the internet. The lounge bar is a quiet spot to relax and toast with a glass of champagne (both of which we availed ourselves of).

After seeing so much raving online about the new QT Hotel Sydney, I was delighted that my experience lived up to the hype! Minor annoyances (the concierge app & Ipod dock both wouldn’t work for the duration of our stay) were insignificant when compared against the attentive service, attention to detail and downright interesting decor the hotel had to offer. I just wish we could have spent more time and tried out more of the facilities of this grand Sydney hotspot!

All images courtesy of Ms Polka Dot

Destinations, Honeymoons | Comments 0

We spoke with newlywed Benjamin Harris on the biggest surprise of all – his honeymoon. This charming groom decided to surprise his lovely bride-to-be Naomi with a secret honeymoon destination… Bora Bora!

How did it come about that you would plan the surprise honeymoon destination?

I wanted to really treat Naomi, and I had a few possible locations in mind. I think it just worked out that in all of the wedding preparations I’d “take care” of the honeymoon. It started that way but then turned into a surprise (because I wasn’t completely sold on a destination) but I really wanted to spoil my bride!

Apart from the obvious beauty of the location, what made you decide on Bora Bora?

I wanted to really spoil Naomi with somewhere that we would absolutely love. We both prefer tropical destinations and I was thinking of a few possibilities. I’ve always wanted to go to Bora Bora and after looking through the glossy catalogues that the travel agent gave me, I was sold! We stayed at the Le Méridien Bora Bora – that decision was easy – they have a turtle sanctuary where you could swim with the turtles and Naomi LOVES turtles!

So you now have an incredible honeymoon planned, how hard was it to keep this secret?

It was incredibly hard!!! I was so excited about the destination and I knew Naomi would love it, and I love to share everything with her so it became increasingly hard to keep it a secret. Plus, I’d told pretty much all of my friends and family, so there were heaps of people who knew as well. It actually slipped out of a friend’s mouth once, however he covered it up and I think Naomi was listening to another conversation, so luckily she didn’t pick up on it!

Packing can be hard enough without having no idea as to where you’re headed! What clues did you give so that Naomi could pack without giving away the destination?

I told her “think tropical” – I gave her that much info, and figured that wouldn’t be enough to give it away. Plus we both had our hearts set on a tropical honeymoon.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall the moment you told her – what was her reaction?

I told her on our wedding night – that was always the plan. Her reaction was shock to begin with. The travel agent who booked it was great and she had tied a big bow around our travel documents so I gave them to Naomi when we got to our hotel on our wedding night. She opened it and then I told her we were going to Bora Bora. I showed her pictures of the resort from the internet (on my phone) and that’s when she got really excited!

You successfully pulled off a massive secret and planned a dream honeymoon, so what top tips do you have for other grooms wanting to surprise their brides?

• Go for it! Obviously know what your girl likes to do in her down time, what her ideal holiday is, and get creative.
• Use a travel agent like I did which made life incredibly easy – she organised everything.
• Keep it a secret – don’t do what I did and tell everyone. I think I was incredibly fortunate that she didn’t find out earlier!

I think Ben certainly deserved to put his feet up after his great efforts!

Images taken by Benjamin and Naomi Harris

Destinations, Honeymoons, Location South Pacific | Comments 2

Lara and Michael

I think the thing I love most about destination weddings is the thought of friends flying in from all over the world to a location that is as much a holiday as someone could ask for. Michael is Australian, Lara is German and together they chose Berlin for their wedding day.

Michael tells,”We met at a cafe. A delightful French Bistro in Los Angeles. Lara worked there, I would go there to work on my screenplays. One day we met – sparks flew … It turned out we lived in apartment buildings right next door to each other. In fact, it turned out Lara was stealing my wireless internet for 8 months before we even met. Lara relocated to Berlin. We’d write each other long missives detailing our days – our love story developed here, thanks to modern technology and a commitment to stay in touch. And then, by chance I had to be in Berlin for business and … sparks flew again … Following a stint at the Cannes Film Festival, I had to be in Paris for two days. I took the bull by the horns, called Lara up and asked her to join me for a romantic escapade in Paris. We’ve been inseparable ever since. We were engaged a year later in St. Tropez. And married a year after that in Berlin on May 5, in Lara’s home town, surrounded by family and friends who had traveled the world to share the day with us.”

The fun and fresh photography of today’s wedding comes from Rachel Marsden .

Lara found her dress at a small store in LA, her bridesmaids wore their own gowns.

Lara and Michael married at Berliner Dom.

Lara walked down the aisle to Bach’s Arioso.

“For both of us there was a constantly strange and disconcerting feeling to look around the faces of those people we know – from our lives in Los Angeles or Australia or Germany and see them all gathered in one place … in Berlin. That was the real magic of the day – and so many of the moments were captured beautifully in Rachel’s lens. ”

“The city of Berlin with it’s majestic architecture, which gave us the perfect backdrop for our wedding and is captured in the photos, giving them their timeless look. But one detail we’ll never forget. We found out the day before that the church was not going to close during the wedding – that it would be open for the public. We were instantly nervous about this. However, as it is with weddings, we were fortunately facing AWAY from everyone. When we turned there were our 70 guests and perhaps another hundred on-lookers, all snapping away, cheering and applauding. When we stepped outside, the pavements were lined with tourists stopping to cheer us on. It is so touching that random strangers can be so moved by a wedding that they’ll stay and watch and in some small way be part of the ceremony.”

“This was a truly international affair. An Aussie marrying a German girl, both of whom live in the US, with guests arriving from three continents. With such a commitment from everyone just to be there, we felt the need to make this a day we – and they – would never forget. We had our Rehearsal Dinner in the oldest restaurant in Berlin, built in 1621. We were married in the magnificent Berliner Dom, one of Europe’s grandest churches. We walked with our party by the Spree River between the historic buildings of Museum Island and through the Saturday markets to our boat and then cruised the canals of Berlin for 5 hours with food, wine, music, laughter and love. Unforgettable.”

Of their photographer, Lara says, “When we were looking for wedding photographers the google search engine led us to Rachel. We were taken by her photos and excited to discover she was a young Aussie photographer pursuing her art in Berlin. As Michael heralds from Australia, we took it as a good omen for the wedding and contacted her immediately. We never looked back. Her images captured the classic, nostalgic, floating quality of our day – the mix of people, the passion of the city and our old souls. Her images tell a great story.”

Lara and Michael held their reception aboard the Stern und Kreissfahrt River Cruises who also catered the wedding and the wedding cake.

For their first dance, Lara recalls “The final few days had been such a time-crunch that we hadn’t rehearsed or even decided what we were going to do. Only that we were dancing to “Smoke Gets in your Eyes” by the Platters. Moments before the dance was due to start in front of all and sundry, I started roping in my mates to get up and dance with us before the song ends. PLEASE! HELP ME! But as it happens, as the song started and I took Lara in my arms, we did what came naturally – and it was magic.”

Congratulations on your marriage Lara and Michael! Thank you for sharing your story with us! Thank you also to Rachel Marsden for sharing your photographs with us today!

Honeymoons, Inspired Destination Weddings, Inspired Weddings | Comments 2

Planning a trip overseas can feel tedious at times, especially when figuring out the finer details of the trip – which I am discovering with my planned trip to Europe at the end of the year. However one of the places I am most excited to step foot on is Turkey; where the east meets the west.

Turkey truly has magnificent places that hold historical value dating back to the Byzantine Empire, combined with vast natural landscapes to explore, including the alluring presence of the Mediterranean Ocean.

Not far from the city of Kas, is the bustling harbour town of Fethiye, where the Mandarin Boutique Hotel is only a bus drive away.

This is certainly the place to soak up some quality R&R time on your Honeymoon, but if you happen to be  the adventurous types and want to take in the sights, the Mandarin Hotel has got you covered!

With eight rooms making up the Mandarin Boutique Hotel and situated around rural surroundings, it creates an atmosphere that is personal and peaceful, perfect for couples that just want to unwind on their Honeymoon.

For the food and wine lovers out there, indulge in traditional Turkish cuisine for dinner and take a sip of one of the carefully selected range of organic wine from some of the country’s leading producers.

Or if you’re a real foodie and want to try your hand at cooking some of the local cuisine, the Mandarin offers cookery lessons led by the hotel’s chef during Turkish Cuisine Week starting from the 21^st October 2013 to the 28^th October 2013.

If you’re like me and enjoy sightseeing and going on nature walks, then the Mandarin’s location is filled with natural wonders to explore. For couples that might want to try hiking, the Mandarin is located along the Lycian Way, a well-known long distance hiking trail.

Personally, I like to join a group when sightseeing; it’s a great way to meet new people. But if you prefer to explore at your own pace as loved-up newlyweds, the Mandarin has the facilities to accommodate to your needs!

For more information or to book your stay, visit the Mandarin Boutique Hotel’s site.

Photos courtesy of Mandarin Boutique Hotel.

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