The Magazine
In This Issue

Spring /Summer 2011 Issue

High Five
Where to kiss in Paris

Love in a Cold Climate
Chasing the northern lights (and Santa) in Finland

Global Traveller
Places to go, people to see, things to do around the world

Chile's Stunning Treasures
This tiny South American country punches above its weight when it comes to awe-inspiring holidays

Jewels of the Indian Ocean
The Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Zanzibar

Spa Focus
Follow your spa bliss to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect

Resort Report
An update on havens of luxury

Into Africa
Join a Kenyan safari with a luxurious twist

From the Editor:

First, an admission. I’ve left this letter to the last minute but I do have a good excuse - I’m in Europe - amazing, incredible, romantic Europe!

As I sit here enjoying the sun and a glass of bubbles on the French Riviera, it seems appropriate to be introducing one of our major features for this issue - Paris, the City of Love. We started with a small idea; find the five best Parisian hotels for couples covering a range of personalities and budgets. We then decided that if you are going to Paris you will be walking - a lot - so we have a range of interesting Parisian walks we think couples will love as they’ve been personally road-tested by our feature writer, Natalie Bannister who recently took her first trip to Paris and says she fell in love! We know you’ll want to share some romantic kisses while you’re here so to make sure you find the most romantic spots to stop for a cuddle we’ve also highlighted some of the city’s more famous ‘kissing spots’.

Matthew Brace has written about another fabulous European destination for you in this issue - Luosto, inside the Arctic Circle in far northern Finland, where he and his wife had a romantic break enjoying cross-country skiing, log fires and hot chocolate. It looks like such a fun place for a winter sojourn it touched the inner child in me when I read it. We also travel to South America to discover Chile’s stunning treasures and further north our writers have a ball in Mexico. Dave Cauldwell shares his adventure honeymoon in Tropical North Queensland with us and Craig Tansley pops into Vail for a snowy good time.
Turn to page 42 for our fabulous Indian Ocean Islands feature. We’ve got the usual suspects, the Maldives and Mauritius for example, but if you’ve been to these two incredible island destinations already and are looking for somewhere different, how about Zanzibar or Sri Lanka?

While talking about a trip to the Indian Ocean, did you realise that a popular option is to stop into Mauritius before or after an African safari? Imagine – it would have to be one of the ultimate trips, a holiday or honeymoon of a lifetime combining an exciting safari with a luxury island beach holiday. Well, we have a competition that will help make part of this dream come true!

I’ve saved one of our biggest projects to last. Destination Weddings – the idea of holding your wedding in an Australian region a few hours from home or further afield on an exotic island or tropical location just keeps gaining popularity, and with the average wedding costing many tens of thousands of dollars, it makes sense that some couples choose to have a boutique destination wedding with just close family and friends sharing this precious time.

Then there is the idea of renewing vows for those of us who have been married for some time and want to signify how the commitment to each other is as strong or stronger than the day we first married. Regardless of whether you are planning your dream wedding or toying with the idea of renewing your vows, you’ll find all you need to know with our special ANNUAL GREAT DESTINATION WEDDINGS SUPPLEMENT or visit www.greatdestinationweddings.com.au

Enjoy this issue,

Tanya