Fine Traveling

The underground suite at Sala Silvermine in Sweden is a sight to behold, if you can find the light switch. Once Swedens most profligate, and profitable, source of silver, when the deposits began to dry up, the mine closed down for business. But some entrepreneurial spirits bought up the space to bring travelers a unique accommodation. Why choose such a property? Well, a mine is a terrible thing to waste.  

Beautiful Santa Barbara. Courtesy Toby Keller on Flickr under CC. Head to Santa Barbara this October for epicure.sb , a citywide celebration of good food, drink, culture, and community. Now in its third year, the festival has grown into a month-long culinary event that includes food and wine festivals, cooking classes, winemakers dinners, seasonal menus, food-inspired art exhibits, and plenty of other delicious opportunities to enjoy the best of Santa Barbara .

Now that the Dreamliner has officially taken off on its maiden voyage, CNBC is taking you inside this much-anticipated aircraft with the documentary, Dreamliner: Inside the Worlds Most Anticipated Airline, which airs tonight at 9pm. What does it really look like? Will it change the future of travel? What is so special about the Dreamliner that some think it will revolutionize the aviation industry? Clips from the show can be viewed below:

Leave it to Four Seasons to put together the ultimate globe-trotting adventure: Around the World by Private Jet. This 22-day adventure will hit up Four Seasons destinations in Hawaii, French Polynesia, Australia, Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Egypt and the UK.

When it comes to your honeymoon, its always a good idea to prepare way ahead of time. That way once you get there, all you have to worry about is lounging, relaxing and celebrating your recent nuptials. In terms of destination, the majority of todays honeymooners opt to go to warm and sunny luxury beach resorts. If you fall under that category, youll need plenty of gorgeous swimsuits, cover-ups and accessories to make you feel romantic and sexy. For any honeymoon beach getaway, youre sure to take plenty of photos to remember your trip, so youre going to want to look your best. Read on for all the essentials for a romantic luxury beach getaway. Swimsuits As a rule of thumb, anything white is perfect for a honeymoon. Not only is white the color for brides in many Western countries, but it also symbolizes purity, grace and innocence. Melissa Odabash is one designer who always features gorgeous bikini sets that evoke a sense of romance and sensuality. On the other hand, Brazilian brands li...

Just off the Magnificent Mile, The James Chicago is one of the coolest and most comfortable spots to bed down in Chitown. And for those looking for a quick urban getaway this fall, The James has unveiled newly updated suites...

This just in. We've found unbelievably low rates for the holiday period in San Francisco. Needless to say, we don't often see prices like this at four-star hotels in the City by the Bay.

Beware of some, but not all dogs. Photo by chefjancris It is a known fact that most lone, stray dogs will peel off in the opposite direction when you crouch down to pick up a fist-sized rock. It is also true that crouching down to pick up a fist-sized rock on the sidewalk in Santiago is not convincing (as there are none) and furthermore, rollerblading makes crouching down and picking up something (even something imaginary) more difficult than you would think. I have learned the rock trick through years of bicycling, living and traveling in Latin America, though I used to substitute my U-lock when I lived in Washington, DC, and my pathalogically inconsiderate neighbor would run his pack of feral dogs in the empty lot next the house I lived in. Dogs snarl, approach, start to bark, and you bend down and pick up (or pretend to pick up) a rock (or a lock), which you raise, as if to throw it or hit them with it. You look over their head, and they look from your eye to your upraised arm and ...

Lauren Cicione is an ex-New Yorker (former contemporary art dealer) Italian American who moved to Montalcino, Tuscany two years ago. She knew it was time for a career switch when her foodie tendencies to visit every new restaurant in NYC started taking precedence over her interest in checking out new installation sculpture. Growing up in an Italian American family, she had a long-standing passion for good food and Italian wine with a strong connection to all things local and organic. After spending much time cooking with brilliant renowned chefs, harvesting grapes, working in the vineyard, becoming close friends with many of the top Brunello producers in Montalcino, she started a company called Tuscan Auteur to share with other oenophiles and wine collectors, the fortunate, lush lifestyle she lives there. What is it that you do exactly? Tuscan Auteur is a very specialized concierge service for the town of Montalcino, where I curate innovative itineraries for wine collectors coming to ...

Tripadvisor recently published 10 unique luxury hotels youll never forget. Strangely, its just a list albeit with pictures but with no explanation as to what, precisely, makes each one memorable. For what its worth, though, Ive reproduced their list below. Please post a comment and tell us what hotels you think are unforgettable and, of course, why! 1. Banyan Tree Al Wadi, UAE 2. Goldeneye Resort, Jamaica 3. Six Senses Con Dao, Vietnam 4. Playa VIK Jose Ignacio, Uruguay 5. Borgo Egnazia Villas Hotel Golf Spa, Italy 6. Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris, France 7. The Leela Palace Kempinski New Delhi, India 8. Fullerton Hotel, Singapore 9. W Retreat & Spa, Maldives 10. Kenoa Exclusive Beach Spa & Resort, Brazil 10 unique luxury hotels youll never forget is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

To call The World by ResidenSea a cruise ship may be doing it a disservice, because, in the truest sense, The World is not a cruise ship, but the largest privately owned residential yacht on Earth. The World was launched in 2002 and features personalised 110 private luxury apartments and 88 guest suites. Each of these apartments are owned by those known as the Residents,who collectively own the ship, and because of this, every sailing of The World is effectively sold out. The apartments vary in size from 1,106 sq feet to 4,184 sq feet, whereas the guest suites range from 259 sq feet to 648 sq feet. Each room features the following: Two to six bedrooms each with its own living and dining area A full equipped state of the art kitchen Private balcony with Jacuzzi Huge walk-in wardrobes Fully-featured entertainment system including an audio system, 32-inch plasma fat-screen television with satellite hook-up and DVD player Mobile telephone Personal computer with full time high speed...

24th July of this year marked 100 years exactly since Yale man and National Geographic explorer Hiram Bingham puffed and sweated his way up to the jungle-covered ruins of Machu Picchu. A century later, travelers who want to take in this true wonder of the world arent limited to explorer-style bivouacking; rather, there are now a wide range of accommodations, dining experiences, spas and adventures that rival the best in the world. So, in honor of Machu Picchu, Hiram Bingham and the incredible cultural patrimony of Peru, I would like to show you what a luxury trip to Machu Picchu looks like today. Most visitors begin their journey in Lima. A short stay allows you to soak in the glorious colonial past of Limas central plaza. Palms, tropical-yellow buildings with exquisitely-carved wooden balconies and Spanish palaces sweep you back in time. Before becoming too nostalgic, head for the modern and very hip Miraflores district. Hugging the green cliffs, Miraflores offers visitors an incredib...

Machu Picchu is one of the most spectacular sites in the worlds, so it is only fitting that your trip tothe ancient Incan citadel should compare in class. Luckily, the city of Cusco, where many visitors basethemselves before and after their Machu Picchu tours, is flush in 5-star accommodations. Here are somerecommendations to help you start planning your dream Peru vacation. La Casona The most exclusive and intimate 5-star hotel in Cusco is undeniably La Casona. With only 11 suiteswithin a complex closed to the public, guests are ensured privacy and high attention to detail. Fromarchitecture, to design, to its own history, Las Casona is as colonial as it gets. The building was builtsometime between 1585 and 1700 on the location of the former Inka Pumakurko neighborhood, whichincluded several Incan schoolsthe practice of replacing Inca structures with colonial ones was apopular practice among the conquering Spaniards. La Casona passed through several owners, and at onepoint became part ...

Theres been a lot of media uproar recently surrounding the $16 cupcakes ordered by the US Justice Department. Wed like to take a moment therefore to put this in perspective and introduce you to the $107,000 cupcake. And yep you did just read that right. Back in January of last year, Since1910 in honour of their 100 year anniversary came up with this publicity stunt. The New York based jewellery store commissioned the creation of a $106,794 cupcake (OK, so I exaggerated just a little bit with $107,000 but whats $206 between friends?!). The cupcake came in chocolate or vanilla and was topped with a 5.48 ct round-cut, F color, Si2 clarity diamond, in order to justify its rather hefty price tag. So there you have it maybe the US Justice Departments spend could have been a whole lot worse than it actually was. $16 for a muffin?! Thats a bargain welcome to the $107,000 cupcake! is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

For many people fall and winter vacations arent so much about money, they areabout time and escaping the eternal screech of the smart phone ringer. Some ofthe best fall and winter luxury vacation spots will let you trade in the phone for apair of skis, hiking shoes or scuba gear and come back renewed and revitalized. Three strategies will make any vacation renewing rather than hectic and draining: Timing, avoid high season crowds. Transportation, pay for the best (usually private jets) to get where you want to go in the most efficient manner possible. Safety. Choose places that let you relax without worrying about crime, questionable food or diseases. In the following vacation list these strategies are used to select the best and most rejuvenating North American vacations. 1. Early fall, Yellowstone, hiking. Yellowstone in the fall is miles of empty open space perfect for hiking and reawakening the spirit. The luxury resorts in Jackson Hole and some of the Yellowstone resorts remain...

Winter is drawing in, the nights are getting darker, the temperature is starting to plummet, and Im already starting to think about where Id rather be, and where I can be planning my next holiday. To be honest, anywhere that has sunshine, blue skies and sand as far as I can see is a winner for me, but I am drawn to visit a place I thought I could only ever dream about the Maldives. The islands of the Indian Ocean have always been somewhere I have longed to visit. Images of perfect isles scattered lovingly across the clear blue waters lure me in, and with peace and tranquillity abundant seemingly wherever you choose to lay your hat, that draw gets stronger and stronger every day! Believe me, when you spend your days in the presence of a well-travelled team of luxury holiday experts like I do, your tongue ends up hanging out at the prospect of a trip to an island paradise like this. Top of my personal wish list is Soneva Fushi by Six Senses , a favourite of Madonna with an unbelievably ...

A bottle of Scotch whisky priced at 250,000 Singapore dollars (around 200,000 USD or 125,000) and displayed at a duty-free shop in Singapores Changi Airport, has been sold to a Chinese businessman. The bottle of Dalmore 62 hails from The Dalmore distillery in Alness, Scotland. It is one of just 12 bottles of this 62-year-old single malt ever produced and, at this price tag, a single measure equates to around 12,000 USD. Although this might seem like an awful lot, it could prove to be an excellent investment. This particular malt has risen in value by 100,000 (157,000 USD) in the last 10 years. How much will it be worth in another 10 years, I wonder? The worlds most expensive whisky is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog