24 Saturday Jun 2017
Posted in Amos_phere loves, Responsible Luxury, Reviews, Spa & Wellbeing, Travel, Writing
We carry our travels with us long after we have returned and the tan has faded. A straightness of spine developed from daily rituals of guided Surya Namaskar, a seashell bracelet wrapped around our wrist which will remain until worn away by saltwater, or a silk printed scarf faded to perfection. But Alila Diwa Goa is a memory to carry for life.
05 Sunday Jul 2015
Posted in Adventure, Amos_phere loves, Responsible Luxury, Reviews, Travel, Writing
10 Sunday May 2015
Posted in Adventure, Responsible Luxury, Travel, Writing
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There are few better ways of understanding a country than jumping on a train. Sri Lanka is no exception and this beautifully compact island nation with its contrasting countryside and coastline is perfect for exploration by rail. Ceylon Government Railways launched its first carriages in 1864 during the colonial period, and today, a century and a half later, Sri Lanka is a patchwork of train routes, operated by government and private companies. We were taking the grandly named Rajadhani Express which we had booked for less than a fiver for a ticket on the Colombo Fort to Matara branch which we were reliably informed would not only be the ‘most comfortable train journey you will ever take in Sri Lanka’ but crucially would drop us just a stone’s throw from where we were staying in the fishing town of Koggala.
03 Tuesday Mar 2015
Posted in Adventure, Amos_phere loves, Travel, Writing
Tags
adventure, Alila, authenticity, Jabal Akhdar, luxury, Mountains, Muscat, oman, sustainability, Travel
Why visit … because there’s something magical about Oman. Whenever I think of the sultanate, punctuating the images of sunsets, mountains and souks, my head spins with the heady scent of Frankincense.
When … you feel the need to see generous sunsets and sip Bloody Mary’s overlooking a sweeping vistas stretching beyond the horizon a mere 2,000 metres above sea level it’s time to head out past Muscat and upwards to the mountains and beyond.
Why not ...join Alila Jabal Akhdar’s Leisure Concierge on a climb to discover the local ‘mirage’. Sarab, an abandoned village is just a few miles from the resort and is the original home of the local community, many of whom work for Alila or are producers for the resort. Head off after breakfast before it gets too hot, and take a packed lunch.
04 Tuesday Nov 2014
Posted in Amos_phere loves, Out & about, Reviews, Spa & Wellbeing, Travel, Writing
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It’s cold. It’s dark. Here are five excuses to hole up and drink
cocktails especially if it involves the chance to escape to far flung shores.
My personal favourites include ….
The happiness-helping Vitality Boost by Amba Valayten of One&Only Le Saint Géran, Mauritius, who’s mixed up a storm for royalty.
One & Only Le Saint Geran
The disease-defeating Saffron Sunset by Kritsana K of rooftop bar Vertigo, Banyan Tree Hotel, Bangkok.
Vertigo & Moon Bar, Banyan Tree Bangkok
Read more: http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/nutrition/happy-hour/2047/healthy-cocktails#ixzz3PTzibA6R
Women’s Health
06 Monday Oct 2014
Posted in Adventure, Amos_phere loves, Responsible Luxury, Reviews, Spa & Wellbeing, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing
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Just a couple of hours away from Abu Dhabi, but a million miles away in pace, Banyan Tree Al Wadi is a gorgeous sanctuary hidden away in the vast, dusty Al Wadi Nature Reserve – Ras Al Khaimah’s first managed protected area.
Spanning 100 desert hectares across a wooded valley within Wadi Khadeeja, the reserve is home to a herd of endangered Arabian Oryx often found wandering around the resort, or drinking at the Saffron Watering Hole.
After a magical few days of horse riding, stargazing and a camel caravan across the sandscape exploring the rust coloured sand dunes which seem to drift for miles, my sister and I retreated to the rainforest. A rainforest in the desert? I hear you ask….
23 Sunday Feb 2014
The thing about winter in the UK is that it is cold. Freezing cold. On the spur of the moment after trudging through the snow to my London office I booked Exodus’ Week in Jordan. It sounded so perfect. Only five hours away from the UK, yet 15 degrees warmer. Jordan has history and culture in bucket loads and the itinerary meant I could really get under the skin of the country in a short time, and without having to fly halfway across the world.
The trip began in the Greco-Roman city of Jerash, 30 miles north of the capital, where we spent several hours exploring well preserved monuments including the Temple of Artemis and Temple of Zeus. Buried under sand for centuries until being rediscovered in 1806, Jerash was famed as one of the ten wealthy self-governing cities of the Decapolis. With a long and colourful history, Jerash enjoyed a golden age with luminaries including Alexander the Great and Emperor Pompey amongst the visitors to this great city.
Posted by Natalie Amos | Filed under Adventure, Reviews, Travel, Writing
25 Wednesday Dec 2013
Tags
Caribbean, Ecohotel, Jade Mountain, luxury, organic, St Lucia, sustainable, Travel
Christmas time always makes me think of the sun-drenched beaches and my family and friends in St Lucia. A couple of years ago my sister Dawn and I visited Jade Mountain for a travel feature for the Christmas special of The Spectator. Soaring over the Caribbean Sea with breath-snatching views over the Pitons, the Sanctuaries at Jade Mountain are accessed via a sky bridge. Once inside you are completely wowed by the infinity-pools which are designed to make you feel like you are floating across the sky towards the mountains. With just three walls, you are exposed to the lightest Caribbean breeze.
16 Monday Dec 2013
Travel trends and predictions for 2014
Read my contribution to TTG Luxury MENA Winter 2013 about the top trends in luxury travel for 2014. Below are my predictions in full for 2014. What an exciting year it is set to be!
1. Bespoke travel
Reports from our clients and from the market intelligence available suggest that luxury travel will continue to thrive and attract high-net-worth individuals in search of bespoke experiences. In 2014 expect to see an increase in hotel groups and tour operators catering to ultra-luxury travellers with personalised itineraries, private guides bespoke tours and concierge services.
Posted by Natalie Amos | Filed under Out & about, Writing
16 Monday Dec 2013
Posted in Spa & Wellbeing, Writing
Sign me up! My reaction to being asked by the lovely Amy Grier at Women’s Health Magazine to write a feature about gorgeous cocktails from some of the world’s best bartenders. My goal was to provide proof (literally!) that cocktails can be good for you. My journey to research the piece took me from London’s 69 Colebrooke Row to learn from award-winning mixologist Tony Conigliaro, to New York speakeasy Apotheke. In pursuit of the perfect medicinal mixologist, I detoured via Vertigo at Banyan Tree Bangkok, to One&Only Le Saint Geran in the Indian Ocean and back to London to the iconic American Bar at The Savoy. Read and enjoy. Bottoms up!
Women’s Health
Amos-phere 
