My favorite places

As I keep building my blog I thought I'd share also the hotels, lodges or places that most inspired and awed me. This is a "live" compilation of all these places. 

In all cases, I will have been there myself, I don't aim to write about a wishlist or a place I heart of but rather about my own recommendations so, go on, ask me if you want to know more!

AFRICA

1. Elsa's Kopje 

A wonderful lodge in Meru National Park. http://elsaskopje.com/. The views from the hilltop where the resort is into the savannah are incredible and if you get one of the huts with an outdoor stone bathtub perched on the hill you will enjoy one of the most incredible baths you could ever have. The resort has all the great perks of a luxury accommodation in Africa but also beautiful views and open wall huts which are only protecting you from the wildliffe through a mosquite-like net. At night, you will be able to see the bright eyes of a leopard through the net, a memory that will stay with you

ASIA

 
1. Conrad Maldives 

THE place to stay in the Maldives. This is one of those hotels that appear in all the travel lists: "Best hotel in...", "10 hotels to stay in before you die", "The most romantic hotels in the world"... Two things make this place memorable: underwater restaurant/rooms and the beauty that makes the rest of the Maldives an incredible piece of paradise. The restaurant is only a few feet under the water but the marine diversity of the area means that you will be having dinner with sharks and other creatures who roam the shore of the resort. If you truly want to spoil yourself, go for one of their underwater rooms. This is an addition which was not there when I stayed at the resortbut they must have figured the underwater trick brought them more publicity than anything else. I could spend hours watching the fish swim by. It is a dream come true. Aside from the underwater restaurant that would no doubt merit a visit, the hotel is surrounded by a reef teeming with marine life. On the photo you can see a shark, well, the restaurant is only a couple of meters from shore. I did not have my PADI certificate there but snorkelling off the beach was an aquarium like feast to the eyes. The hotel is also equipped with an underground cellar boasting the biggest selection of wines in the Maldives and they offer wine and food pairing dinners completed with a wine session by a sommelier where you are told all the story of the region and wines chosen for the evening. It was very interesting. There is also a teppanaki station under the stars on the beach and a separate island for couples. The infinity pool on the beach is a great place to chill and the sofas on the beach invite you to enjoy a sunset cocktail at the end of the day. They even play chillout Ibiza-style Cafe del Mar music to place you in the right mood. You are guaranteed one of the most incredible holidays. All of this though, comes with a heafty price tag equally unforgetable. The room bookings are expensive (make sure to take one of the overwater villas) and once you are there the meals (dinning under water was almost USD1,000 for a couple), the drinks, the spa and the activities will add up to much more. Plan accordingly