Under the Holiday Escape promotion, guests booking a minimum twonight stay between February 10 and 25 will be rewarded with daily breakfast, complimentary WiFi, a US$100 dining or spa credit, upgrade to the next room category upon checkin and late checkout to 4pm.

Find out more at MandarinOriental.com.

Samui shares the love

Couples planning a honeymoon will find everything they could dream off with the new Romance Package being offered by Santiburi Samui through December 22.

Room rates range from Bt76,250 to Bt93,125 for a minimum threenight stay in a Grand Deluxe Pool Villa and include daily breakfast, a bottle of sparkling wine in the villa, a candlelight dinner at the beach, a 60minute Signature Couple spa treatment in the villa and roundtrip airport transfer.

Check out the best rates at http://www.SantiburiSamui.com/romancepackagesharetheloveatsantiburisamui.

Great rates for seniors

Royal Orchid Sheraton & Tower introduces a Senior Room package that will save guests aged 62 or older up to 15percent off the best availฌable rates throughout the year.

Room rates start at Bt3,740 for a Deluxe Room with a guaranteed river view. The hotel is the ideal place from which to explore the Thailand Creative Design Centre, new community space Warehouse 30 and Chinatown. A shuttle boat service is available from Saphan Taksin BTS Station to the hotel every halfhour.

Online bookings can be made at http://www.RoyalOrchidSheraton.com.

C’est un vrai bargain!

Travellers flying with Air France can enjoy the Oh La La promotion when bookฌing an economy class seat by January 31 for travel before November 30.

Departures from Bangkok to Europe start from Bt19,415, Bt43,00 for North America and Bt59,900 for South America. Guests will receive complimentary champagne in all cabin classes and French inspired meals and entertainment.

Book a flight at http://www.AirFrance.co.th.

Sails to the wind

The Bay Regatta returns from today through Sunday, making its way across Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi.

Featuring more than 40 sailing yachts and some 250 competitors, the 21st Bay Regatta fleet has six classes – Racing, two Cruising divisions, and Multihull racing and cruising divisions in which curฌrent King’s Cup Regatta champions Henry Kaye’s Thor and John Newnham’s Twin Sharks will renew their battle.

Find out more at http://www.TatNews.org.

ARRIVING SOLO at the brand-new Hurawalhi Island Resort in Maldives, I’m getting some curious looks. The place is billed as a haven for honeymooning couples.

But any feelings of awkwardness vanish when I see the pearly sand beaches and clear turquoise waters. I’ve dreamed of coming back to Maldives ever since my first visit three years ago.

The island-nation is filled with first-class accommodations, romantic settings for dining and, of course, the wonderful underwater world. It offers the perfect holiday escape for everyone, all ages – and not just couples in love.

I’m on a fabulous four-day trip, ready to be sequestered away from hectic life. I’ve had an inauspicious start on landing at Male’s Velana International Airport after a four-hour flight: It’s raining in Paradise.

A resort staff member escorts me to the spacious Hurawalhi Airport Lounge for a welcoming drink and snacks as the first rainfall of the year causes a delay in the seaplane schedule.

You need a seaplane for the 40-minute hop to a pier of on Kudadoo, a private island, where you switch to a speedboat for the quick jaunt to the Hurawalhi Island Resort on the blue lagoon of Lhaviyani Atoll.

You pass beneath a wooden arch to the open-air beachfront lobby, with its sandy floor, rustic wooden ceiling and exquisite lighting fixtures. Surrounded with lush tropical landscaping, the 90-villa resort was designed by renowned Japanese architect Yiji Yamazaki of YYA New York, who’s elsewhere worked with Giorgio Armani, W Hotels, Calvin Klein and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Yamazaki had cedar and pine imported from Canada and filled in the spaces with earth tones and handcrafted blown-glass lights from Bali.

The eco-friendly Hurawalhi Resort produces its own electricity in part from diesel generators but also from solar panels. Seawater is filtered to make it potable and wastewater is processed in such a way that it doesn’t harm the environment.

There are seven types of guestrooms – Ocean Sunset Pool Villa, Ocean Pool Villa, Romantic Ocean Villa, Ocean Villa, Beach Sunset Pool Villa, Beach Sunset Villa and Beach Villas – ranging in size from 105 to 132 square metres.

I spend three nights in an Ocean Villa set out like a homey cottage and complemented with rustic wooden furniture. A vintage-looking fan rotates lazily over the comfy king-size bed as I sit on a sofa sipping complimentary champagne and staring at the vast Indian Ocean.

In the living area are a 48-inch flat screen IPTV with a Bluetooth sound system and 50 Hollywood movies I can watch anytime. Also saving energy, the air-conditioner adjusts according to the weather outside and shuts off when you leave the door open.

The bedstead is attached to a combination vanity and desk with a hairdryer, huge mirror and a multiple electrical outlets. I also have a coffee machine, tea-making facilities, a refrigerator-mini-bar and a full set of glassware.

The spacious bathroom is elegant with white-stone fittings, including two washbasins, a separate rain shower and direct access to the private sundeck.

The deck is my favourite part of the accommodations, a place to snooze on the cosy sofa-lounge or sit admiring the spectacular turquoise lagoon.

After extensive camera practice taking pictures of the blue, blue sky, I’m off on a Sunset Dolphin Cruise. It’s an hour’s excursion, during which the skipper plays local music that attracts a pod of friendly dolphins.

It’s a spirit-lifting scene. The cheery mammals swoop about and jump in the air as if putting on a show, which only comes to an end when the sky is brushed with the golden hues of a photogenic sunset.

Back on land, I head to the Aquarium, one of the resort’s restaurants, and enjoy a delectable meal of Asian fusion delicacies and sweets.

Early in the morning I’m joining a Manta Search with the Manta Trust Marine Biology Centre and a Manta Snorkelling Excursion and Reef Safari. Enthusiastic young biologist Kirsty Ballard leads the exciting three-hour trip to Kanifushi, home to a family of four rays.

“Plankton is their favourite food, and there’s plenty of plankton in this area,” she says. “We need to keep two or three metres away from them while snorkelling.”

It’s an amazing sensation having giant rays swimming around us as they gobble their food. The Manta Trust launched the Maldivian Manta Ray Project in 2005 to establish a country-wide network of dive instructors, biologists, fishermen and tour guides to monitor the ray population. By last count there were 4,400 of the creatures – the largest studied population in the world.

After a nap to recharge my batteries, I’m ready for a five-minute cruise to Dream Island for a private picnic in a small pavilion. I have a panoramic view of the lagoon and the resort on the opposite side. I get another one of those funny feelings, though – like being left alone on a deserted island.

The 5.8 Undersea Restaurant, the largest of its kind in the world, is my next stop. One of five all-glass undersea restaurants in Maldives, it sits 5.8 metres deep and is accessed via a spiral staircase.

The 20-seat restaurant is a tunnel of high-grade glass, made in New Zealand. The dishes are tempting, the wines fine and the mealtime visitors endlessly fascinating.

My delightful seven-course dinner starts with appetisers of Alaskan king crab with watermelon and nuoc cham, yellow-fin tuna with pickled vegetables and wasabi, smoked foie gras, red mullet with cauliflower and pine nuts, and a Maldivian lobster.

I’m already feeling full, but the main course has arrived – Angus steak with broccoli, mashed potatoes and black truffle in Asian barbecue sauce. And dessert is a Pina Colada with passion fruit and vanilla sorbet.

I decide to spend my third day at the resort checking out the facilities. I book a 60-minute Baliness treatment at the Duniye Spa and revel in the rubbing provided by a skilled Indonesian therapist.

There’s also a well-equipped fitness centre with classes in yoga and other forms of exercise, a swimming pool, tennis courts and even a football pitch, plus a place to borrow kayaks, surfboards and snorkel and scuba gear.

The Coco Bar, which never closes, has an outdoor deck overlooking the lagoon and serves a huge selection of enticing cocktails, healthy drinks and wines. It also has a game room and a stage for musicians, the entertainment theme changing every night.

Okay, I’ve got my tan and, unfortunately, it’s time to get back to the real world. I head home, but not before making a promise to myself that, next time, I’ll be bringing family and friends. In Maldives, just like everywhere else, the more the merrier.

IF YOU GO

>> The Hurawalhi Island Resort sits on Maldives’ Lhaviyani Atoll.

>> Check out the best rates at http://www.Hurawalhi.com.

All aboard!

Starting from Ha Long, Vietnam with the Aphrodite Cruises, luxury is the name of the game. The gracious staff make you feel like a VIP from the moment you step on board, and the lavish meals have foodies swooning. Some of the rooms come with hot tubs and terraces, so you can soak by the sea in utter privacy – otherwise the panoramic views from the deck will have to do.

If you want an experience in Europe, try Houseboat Ms 3 Gebroeders at Amsterdam, the Netherlands where you will enjoy an authentic Amsterdam houseboat life. Smack bang in the city centre, there’s nothing better than escaping the tourist throngs and sipping a drink on the deck. The super-friendly host Monique stocks the fridge with complimentary wine, beer, and snacks, and pairs every breakfast with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Over in Italy, the Bert Venezia is an elegant 30-metre yacht docked in the Marina of Sant’Elena, featuring 6 elegant air-conditioned cabins with views of the Venice Lagoon and Lido, and 3 decks where guests can enjoy breakfast. The yacht is moored just far enough from St. Mark’s Square to ensure that the only sound you’ll hear is the lapping of the sea.

There’s no better way to explore Kerala’s peaceful backwaters than by kettuvallam – a traditional houseboat made out of jack-wood and fish oil at Alleppey, India.

The big, beautiful boats of Xandari Riverscapes float along Lake Vembanad’s palm-lined shores, offering an experience than can only be described as poetic. All meals are included – a real treat, since Booking.com guests raved about the food.

At Sheffield, UK, the warm and welcoming Houseboat Hotels are moored at Sheffield’s Victoria Quays, just a 5-minute walk from the city centre. Each boat has a fully equipped kitchen and can sleep up to four people, so it’s a great option for families – and the kids will love watching the fish and ducks swimming in the canal. Extra touches like a music system, board games, and an outdoor area decorated with fairy lights make this place special.

Docked in Suisun City in the United States, the classic decor of the Barkissimo Yacht Hotel will have you feeling like a ship captain. Think elegant wood furnishings, panoramic views and a daily three-course gourmet breakfast. Guests who are in need of some serious relaxation, can visit the wine bar on the upper deck or cool out at the spa bath available in selected rooms.

In Geneva, Switzerland, the modern rooms of the Floatinn Boat-BnB all come with a porthole facing Lake Geneva, so you won’t miss an inch of the famous Jet d’Eau water fountain. The property offers a sun terrace on the deck and is a favourite amongst Booking.com guests, probably because of the friendly service and the uninterrupted views.

The Family Getaway Experience gives a family of four to six their own private 282sqm two-bedroom luxury pool villa with complimentary transfers by flight and speed boat from Male to the Outrigger in the beautiful south of the Maldives.

“Our Family Getaway and all-inclusive options really allow guests to switch off from their busy lives and rejuvenate surrounded by pristine natural beauty,” says John Allanson, the resort’s General Manager.

On site, parents can fully relax with two hours of baby sitting per day offered by the resort.

There are great activities available. Kids can enjoy beach games, yoga, meditation, “Little” chef and “Teen” chef lessons, paper arts and craft classes, and designing their own t-shirt.

Children eat free in the Blue Salt restaurant on the same meal plan as their parents.

Adults have multiple options such as spa treatments, group yoga, cooking classes, the art of barbecuing, scuba diving, paddle boarding, or jet skiing.

Activities for the whole family include a myriad of wonderful options such as swimming across the equator, family picnic on a remote island, snorkelling trips, dolphin quest, semi-submarine excursions, learning about the stars, and a private family movie night.

Guests can do good while on holiday. They can join resort’s in-house marine biologist and participate in the island’s coral conservation and education activities, part of Outrigger’s worldwide Ozone programme.

Many of the options are included in the Family Getaway Experience. Others involve a surcharge.

The Outrigger in the Maldives has also ramped up its AI offering and created a new AI+ special package. Both let couples and families relax without worrying about extras.

The enhanced All Inclusive package now includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at The Deck and Pool Bar as well as the main Blue Salt international restaurant. It includes a great selection of wines, beers, cocktails, teas and coffees from any outlet from 11am daily.

With a new and generous meal and activities credit system, guests can experience an array of themed dinners at Driftwood, enjoy Japanese dining in Nala Rah, have private in-villa dining or have a barbecue on the beach.

For US$99-plus per person per night, experience freedom with AI+ which gives all of the above benefits plus minibar refills, great discounts on private destination dining, reductions on spa treatments and full enjoyment of the chef’s premium dining experiences at the Deck, Blue Salt, Driftwood and Nala Rah (Japanese cuisine).

Guests also enjoy exceptional discounts on private yoga and gym sessions and on the sommelier’s premium wine selections.

“Families can create their own private luxury world in the azure Indian Ocean at the Outrigger,” says Allanson. “Unmatched luxury is just a step away with our Family Getaway and all-inclusive options.”

For further information and bookings, email reservation.konotta@outrigger.mv or call 684 7771.

The mountain resort, just two hours from Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train and two hours from Niigata airport by car – boasts four hotel buildings with 257 rooms, four lifts, one gondola, 11 slopes, 10 off-piste areas, a hot spring, swimming pool, and banquet hall.

It’s perched high on Mt Okenashi, which is usually covered in powdery snow and from which, when the weather is fine, you can see the ocean, Ideal for everyone from beginners to expert skiers, the resort offers 1.57 million square metres of ski runs over 5.2km, 11 slopes, and 10 off-piste areas. From a sledding slope for children to an advanced course, which begins at 1,280m above sea level, visitors can take advantage of a variety of facilities. The long ski season is open from December to May and customised ski lessons are provided by former members of the Australian national ski team.

Niigata is often referred to as the Three Whites, – snow, rice and sake – and the resort itself is home to various kinds of restaurants. The food court serves ramen and curry made with pork aged in snow, Hoshizora Winery offers a taste of more than 40 kinds of seasonal wine specially selected from all over Japan, the cafe pours drip coffee hand-made from coffee beans stored in snow and there’s also an Italian restaurant, bakery, and bar.

After skiing, you can soothe tired muscles in the hot spring that draws water from 1,750m underground. Containing metasilicic acid, which is known to be good for keeping the skin moisturised, Lotte Arai Resort’s hot spring is perfect for maintaining beauty and health.

The longest zip tour in Asia at 1,501 metres allows you to enjoy the beautiful scenery while feeling freedom of flying. There is also the longest tubing course in Japan (192m), bouldering, Fun Wall and a professional trampoline, which can be used throughout the year.

The ski package offers accommodation in a superior room, choice of Japanese or Western style breakfast for two, one-day economy lift pass for two, and access to the hot spring. The package starts at 38,519 Yen (Bt11,100) for a superior room and there is an additional charge of JPY 2,000 yen on weekend stays.

Find out more at http://www.LotteHotel.com/arai/.

 This once-in- a-lifetime experience gives guests the chance to enjoy the high energy atmosphere all day and into the night, retreating to their deluxe orange room, complete with a private bar. Since its conception in Barcelona ’92 when it was simply a venue for Dutch athletes, their families and friends, the Holland Heineken House has quickly grown into the hottest ticket in town for fans from all over the world to celebrate unforgettable moments. Known for hosting international sports stars and  celebrating heroic Dutch medal winners, this unique place to stay has all the facilities a thrill-seeking traveller could wish for, and more!

Heineken is encouraging fans to live it up like never before and go for gold with this exclusive holiday

home for two. Reservations will become available on Booking.com at 9am GMT today (January 27)

Guests will experience the ultimate Orange fever, with performances from iconic Dutch artists including Van Velzen, André Hazes Jr. and Di-rect, a behind-the- scenes tour and a visit to the TeamNL Lounge. “Heineken is proud that Holland Heineken House represents over 25 years of Heineken’s commitment

and support to the Games. We are thrilled to bring the House to life this year in an innovative way with

Booking.com to give fans a new immersive experience,” says Hans Erik Tuijt, Global Sponsorship

Director, Heineken.

Pepijn Rijvers, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com, adds, “Nothing beats the adrenaline and excitement of watching world-class athletes compete at such an inclusive and captivating sporting event. We are excited to be partnering with HEINEKEN on this exhilarating celebration of Dutch pride while empowering our customers to experience the world by adding this once-in- a-lifetime stay to our already epically diverse spectrum of accommodation choices”.

This will be the 14th edition of Holland Heineken House and its first time in South Korea. The brand as organised the national house on behalf of the NOC*NSF at every Summer and Winter Games since the 1992 Games in Barcelona, where it was the first national house. It has since grown into a popular meeting place for thousands of Dutch and international visitors.

For more information, visit http://www.booking.com/hotel/kr/hhh.html.

Saudi Arabia will soon begin issuing tourist visas, opening up one of the last frontiers of global tourism — a sector touted as the desert kingdom’s “white oil” — as it steps up diversification efforts to wean itself off its crude oil dependence.

But the conservative country, notorious for sex segregation and its austere dress code, is seen as an unlikely destination for global tourists aside from Muslim pilgrims visiting holy sites in Mecca and Medina.

Now in the midst of historic social change, the kingdom is seeking a place on the global tourism map by promoting sites such as the Al Wahbah crater, widely unheard of even within Saudi Arabia with the near absence of local tourism.

On a warm winter weekend, Amr Khalifa, a private tour operator, brought a group of first-time Saudi campers to hike to the bottom of the crater.

Clutching hiking poles, the hikers picked their way through the slippery, boulder-strewn path to the salt pan.

“I told my friends about Al Wahbah,” said Jeddah-based corporate banker Mohamed Bahroon. “They had no clue.”

The little-known crater, barely a four-hour drive from the western city of Jeddah, is a remnant of volcanic activity — local folklore, however, has it as having been formed when two mountains were so passionately in love that one uprooted itself to unite with the other, leaving a bowl-shaped depression in its place.

In recent months, authorities have built roads and markers to the site and erected picnic shelters around the rim of the crater.

“The key challenge is to make such tourism sites accessible,” said Khalifa, adding that he only had one camping group at the site that weekend.

‘Big treasure’

Tourism is one of the centrepieces of Vision 2030, the blueprint to prepare the biggest Arab economy for the post-oil era, which was conceived by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In August the kingdom announced a multi-million dollar project to turn 50 islands and other pristine sites on the Red Sea into luxury resorts.

It also plans to develop historic sites such as the centuries-old Mada’in Saleh, home to sandstone tombs of the same civilisation which built the Jordanian city of Petra.

The kingdom aims to nearly double the annual number of tourists it attracts to 30 million by 2030, with the sector projected to become one of its top revenue earners.

Tourism chief Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz told AFP last month that preparations were afoot to launch electronic visas in the first quarter of 2018 to “all nationals whose countries allow their citizens to visit” the Gulf state.

“The kingdom is a very big treasure,” Prince Sultan said, describing its stunning landscapes. “We’re not just oil traders.”

In an effort to change perceptions, Saudi Arabia has relaxed some of its most rigid rules — lifting a cinema ban, allowing gender-mixed sporting events and announcing that women will be allowed to drive from next June.

But its absolute ban on alcohol still makes it a hard sell for many global tourists, experts say.

Rumours have swirled about plans to create exclusive resorts for foreign tourists, which, similar to many expat compounds in Riyadh, would have more relaxed norms.

But Prince Sultan said the kingdom, home to Islam’s holiest sites, would not permit alcohol as “we do not want to give up our culture and our local values”.

“Given the sensitivities of opening up to large numbers of non-Muslim tourists, I’d expect the authorities to focus more on encouraging local and regional visitors in the first instance, while the tourist infrastructure is developed,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in the United States.

“And then cautiously start to market the kingdom to the wider world.”

‘Travel breaks down barriers’

But global travel agencies such as Britain-based Steppes Travel are already planning to offer packaged tours.

“There is a lot of potential for Saudi tourism — we know this not least from the pent-up demand we have within our own database,” Justin Wateridge, managing director of Steppes Travel, told AFP.

“There is interest in those that know and understand Saudi Arabia and not much needs to change other than the issuing of tourist visas. Travel breaks down barriers and prejudice.”

Tourism is still a “new concept” for Saudi Arabia, said Khaled Batarfi, a Jeddah-based writer.

“Serving others in our tribal heritage is unacceptable, except your own guest,” he wrote in the Saudi Gazette newspaper, calling for the need for professional training.

Back at Al Wahbah, that seems to be changing.

When the hiking group emerged from the crater, guide Khalifa swung open the boot of his SUV to remove tents, folding chairs, firewood and platters of meat to set up camp near the rim.

“When Saudis go camping they take their full house with them,” he said as the group settled in for the chilly night.

“That needs to change.”

Minnie will celebrate her favourite season by inviting her pals to a surprise celebration for Mickey in a heart-warming projection show called “We Love Mickey!”, which will be held every evening at the park. This celebration features larger-than-life night time projections on the Main Street, USA buildings that pay tribute to Mickey’s major milestones. The artistic experience features Mickey’s memorable moments, his full-colour heyday, and a crazy kaleidoscope of Mickey in modern styles. These iconic images of the much-loved mouse will be played out over four chapters and then Mickey will appear to thank everyone for the big surprise.

More than 30 Disney Friends will show up for the popular Disney Friends Springtime Processional. Disney characters will appear on a flower-decorated train for the high-spirited processional every afternoon. Duffy, Shellie May, Gelatoni and StellaLou — all wearing their spring outfits—will be joined by Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Judy and Nick from “Zootopia”, Alice and the White Rabbit from “Alice in Wonderland”, Marie from “The Aristocats,” the Seven Dwarfs, and Tigger and Piglet.

From February through April, Moana and Marvel Super Heroes Black Panther and Groot will be on standby at the park to save the world while Judy and Nick from Zootopia lead a new journey at the Adventureland. In Tomorrowland, Spider-Man will return from April to June and young visitors can enjoy playing several interactive games at the new African-themed Karibuni Marketplace, which is set to open in March.

At the Royal Princess Garden, young visitors can get a magical makeover at the park’s first beauty salon, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and enjoy dream-come-true meetings and photos with beloved Disney Princesses in an exquisite garden area.

A sumptuous range of mouth-watering snacks and drinks will also be on offer. Guests can sample Duffy and ShellieMay Sweetie Rings and StellaLou Purple Potato Mousse at the Market House Bakery along with character cookies or participate in the DIY cupcake sessions at Fantasyland’s Royal Banquet Hall.

Guests staying overnight at the fairytale Disney resort can take advantage of different arts and crafts workshops and the Easter Magicarnival, which offers engaging outdoor games and activities from March 30 to April 8.

Early birds booking online at either Disney Explorers Lodge, the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Hollywood Hotel can save up to 15 per cent and get a free room upgrade plus an Attraction Priority Admission Pass.

Xin welcomes the Year of the Dog with fortuitous hot dishes that can be ordered as part of its traditional hot pot buffet, for both lunch and dinner.

Highlights include Braised Pig Feet and lotus root with sea moss symbolising abundance, Wok-fried prawns with Sichuan-style represents perennial joy and Braised Lamb Shank with bamboo shoots and black mushroom brings you happiness. The Auspicious Hotpot Buffet is priced at MOP258 (Bt1,025) for lunch and MOP488plus for dinner.

Xin also offers a compact Fortune Poon Choi Set designed for two to four persons to share. Priced from MOP888+ to MOP1288+, the auspicious dish includes the quintessential dried oysters and sea moss, as well as a lavish selection of Japanese scallops, Boston lobster, fresh abalone and Botan ebi.

Bene’s festive Prosperous Brunch Buffet invites diners to celebrate with Italian renditions of Chinese New Year favourites including a Crispy suckling pig and cappellacci stuffed with abalone in arabbiata sauce. baked giant grouper in salt crust, lemon caper sauce and turbot roasted with potatoes, capers and cherry tomatoes. The Chinese New Year Sunday Brunch is available on February 18 and costs MOP488plus.

Bene also hosts the New Year Family Set Dinner, where chefs will serve up a Chilled seafood platter, Maialino croccante (slowroasted suckling pig, roasted new potatoes with rosemary), Spaghetti nettuno (mixed seafood spaghetti, fennel broth, saffron) and Bollito di manzo (sixhours poached beef with vegetables, salsa verde, mustard seed candied fruit).

The New Year Family Set Dinner is available from February 15 to 20 for tables of four and more guests and is priced at MOP400plus per person.

Over at Feast, meanwhile, diners can enjoy every from fresh seafood and sushi to pizzas and a live waffle station, suitable for large groups or fickle foodies. Additional highlights for dinner include a 24month naturally cured live pata negra; tandoor marinated baked whole salmon; stuffed pork loin with kai lan and char siu; and Xinjiang roasted leg of lamb.

The New Year Buffet is priced at MOP298 per person for lunch and MOP458 per person for dinner and is available from February 15 to 20.

Palms Cafe and Bar offers a Prosperous Afternoon Tea Set from February 15 to 20. The menu features creative twists on all-time favourites, such as Parma ham rosettes, pear and gorgonzola chutney; hokkaido scallop, black pudding and apple jam; and Mini Breton tartlets with almond cream and apricots. The set starts at MOP398 for two.

Find out more at http://www.SheratonGrandMacao.com.

HORYUJI TEMPLE in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan, holds organised hikes twice a year in which participants walk the “Taishimichi” – routes with historical ties to Prince Shotoku (574-622), a tireless promoter of Buddhism during the Asuka period.

Each of the two events – held on February 22, the anniversary of Shotoku’s death, and November 22 – takes participants along a different route of about 20 kilometres. The autumn hike starts at Horyuji temple and ends at Tachibanadera temple in Asuka, the prince’s likely birthplace. Shotoku is said to have commuted along this route between the palaces of Ikaruganomiya and Oharidanomiya as part of his official duties. The winter hike travels from Horyuji temple to the prince’s mausoleum in Taishi, Osaka Prefecture. This hike follows what is believed to have been the route along which the prince’s coffin was carried during his funeral procession.

Participants walk along the Taishimichi, a route with a historical tie to Prince Shotoku.

I joined about 80 other trekkers for the November event and it kicked off promptly at 8.30am led by people carrying a statue of the prince on their shoulders. Along the way we listened to lectures by Masahiko Okada, a Nara prefectural government official specialising in cultural heritage and preservation.

“The Taishimichi is designed to connect Ikaruga and Asuka via the shortest distance by cutting diagonally across the land. Traces of the Taishimichi can be found in the current roads and irrigation ditches,” Okada told us.

Upon entering the Byobu area of Miyake, Nara Prefecture, we were greeted by about 50 kindergarten-aged children playing Japanese drums to welcome us. Byobu’s name is said to have been chosen from an anecdote in which locals accommodated the prince by setting up a byobu folding screen. Osamu Inuida, a chief of the community association, proudly told us: “This area is the birthplace of omotenashi [Japanese traditional hospitality].”

Meanwhile, at Tomondokitsuki shrine in the neighbouring Tomondo area, locals honoured us with a traditional dance called tenpyonomai.

I was taking part in the 42nd iteration of an event that began in 1997. Mie Omura from Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, was participating for the second time. “I feel like I’m breathing the same air that Prince Shotoku did,” she said.

During the stroll, Genmyo Ono, the chief priest of Horyuji temple, explained to us about “Wakodojin”, an expression used by Prince Shotoku. It means “hiding one’s inherent light in order to interact with and save people in the physical world.” Ono said, “Please find the light of Buddha or a deity along the route.”

I was starting to stiffen up well before we reached Tachibanadera temple but a view of the sunset peeking out over Amakashinooka hill eased my pain, and I managed to continue toward the goal. Perhaps I had seen the “light” that Prince Shotoku was referring to.

IF YOU GO

>> The hike from Horyuji temple to Prince Shotoku’s mausoleum in Taishi, Osaka Prefecture, will be held on February 22. Participants must be physically fit and 69 years old or younger. The fee is 1,000 yen (about Bt280).

>> Applications must be submitted by February 10. For details or to apply, call Horyuji temple at |(+ 81 745) 752 555.

>> Nara is easily reached by train from Osaka. Journey time is just over 40 minutes.