I finally made it to the UK! Whoopee!

I stayed at The Capital Hotel in Knightbridge. There were five writers and a variety of room types. My room Karma had kicked in and I lucked up with the two-bedroom flat. It was fantastic! I had my own private entrance, two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a dining/kitchen area, living area, and office area.


What the heck did I do to deserve such luxury? A colleague on the trip, Janis, got real upset with me. She insisted that I always get the "good" rooms. What? All the rooms at this place were good. They were phenom!

All I know is, it was a very nice start for the trip of my dreams. I've always wanted to visit the UK, because that's where my grandmother grew up. She was a War Bride who married an American soldier during WWII. I'll write more on that later.
The Capital Hotel is home to a Michelin 2 Star restaurant. We were treated to a private dinner one evening. The chef is very talented, serving delicious and filling selections from the menu. The wine is Levin, and comes from the hotel owner's winery. Mr. Levin graced us with a short visit. He is a super-nice man. The manager of the hotel, Henrik, is a doll.


Chef Eric, seen here, is full of humor and joking. This man cooks up some serious vittles.

Sexy Pose

Now go ahead and do your SEXY POSE!

Daytona Beach - The Shores Resort

I was invited to Daytona Beach to experience all it has to offer. I have to say, I was slightly surprised at what a nice place it is. I had invisioned Spring Break Party Place, but it really offers so much more.

A group of us stayed at The Shores Resort and Spa. My room was lovely with a four poster bed, sitting area, and all things nice. I had a balcony that overlooked the beach. Oohhh!
Part of the itinerary included a visit to The Daytona International Speedway. I went to Victory Lane and did my best Ricky Bobby impression. Of course, I had to hurry to get my picture taken, there were many others waiting for their turn.
We did so much while we were there, but I enjoyed the visit to Angell and Phelps, a local confectionary. Who could pass up these chocolates?

I had a fun time in Daytona Beach with Georgia and Tangela. Sushi, Champagne, the beach, and new friends. What a hard life!

Saint Tropez

Denise and I toasting at Chateau de la Messardiere, a secluded upscale property in Saint-Tropez. Of course, I have a glass of Champagne. We went the first week the Chateau was open for the season. It was still a bit chilly and I enjoyed that it was a slow time. The Chateau keeps all of its guests information totally private.
We went to the Saint-Tropez Polo Club where Diego, a polo player from Argentina, gave Denise some Polo lessons. I had to drag Denise away from all the horses so we could get to our next appointment.
My room (209) was fit for a princess. I really felt special in such a luxurious room. It was approachable elegance with a wonderful outdoor sitting area that was totally private.

What's a press trip without food? The pastry chef was a god and I wanted to take him home. Look at all that chocolate!

Champagne

I really like Champagne (and sometimes sparkling whites) on press trips. Ahhhh!

Food on Press Trips

All I can say is.....I'm full.

A Beach Wedding Trip

This is a shot of a few of our group before our first dinner. The trip was to a Florida resort and the focus was Weddings and Honeymoons.

This was a fantastic trip that included everything a bridal party would experience, should a wedding be held at this property. It was so good, it makes me want to get married all over again. Not!

WaterColor put together a bridal fashion show with a local shop. The clothes were all Nicole Miller. After the fashion show, there was a mock reception, with locals from the area attending. I had no idea who all these people were, but the champagne was really good.
The brides and bridesmaids were gorgeous. All of the writers had hair and makeup done by local vendors. It was a relaxing research trip and not what I am used to. I could get used to this.

My room overlooked the beach and the bathroom had a shower for two where you can see the Gulf. I sat outside on the balcony when I had the chance and took a few moments to take a deep breath. I love the beach and the way the waves lapping on the shore relaxes my mind.

I ended up covering this for a local television show for Valentine's Day. We even gave away a romantic getaway for two to this property.

New Orleans

This past February I went to New Orleans and stayed at The Hotel Monteleone. Hubs and I stayed in a deluxe room and were glad to have a weekend without the kiddos.



New Orleans tourist areas are just waiting for more tourists to visit. When the city was originally planned, the French Quarter was built on high ground, which saved it from the flooding. Any damage to the French Quarter was from violence in people, not Mother Nature.



The reason why we were in NOLA was for the Bellaonline gathering. I'm the travel editor for Romantic Getaways and have been there since 2003. Each year there is a get-together so all the editors can meet fact-to-face and have a chance for seminars on home business.



We all went to breakfast one morning and tried to get into Cafe' du Monde. Unfortunately for us, but fortunate for the sake of tourism, the wait to get seated was an hour. We opted for a morning meal across the street and right at the edge of Jackson Square.
We sat around the table and discussed taxes, organization, and just making time for getting work done. All the gals were really nice and I enjoyed gettin to know all of them.



After breakfast, we took a walk around the Quarter and glanced through The French Market. This is the place to get souveniers of all kinds to take home.





We were hoping to catch a glimpse of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but it just wasn't meant to be.

I really enjoyed my evening in NOLA with my husband and the chance to meet other BellaOnline editors. It was also nice to see people in New Orleans again.

Proboscis Borneo Lodge

Jared and I were scheduled to fly to Sarawak, but the radio tower was down at the airport. Our flight was cancelled, and since I was only to be there for one night, we had the option to stay at Proboscis Borneo Lodge for the night.
The lodge has three different room types, Longhouse, platform room and these rooms. Jared wanted air conditioning, so I had to stay in the same area of the lodge as him. We were the only people staying there for the night.
That night we took a boat down the Klias River. There were fireflies in the trees that lit up like Christmas. Thousands of them dotted the trees and the sky was clear and starry. It was a fitting end to a wonderful trip.

Mount Kinabalu

We took a trip to Kinabalu Park at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu. Jared opted to sit in the van and work on some editing. I didn't travel all the way to Malaysia to sit in a van, so I took the canopy walk. It was raining, so there weren't any other visitors. Philip, our guide, came along with me. It was so quiet and peaceful in the canopy.
On the drive back, Mount Kinabalu cleared up for a few minutes. It was just long enought to snap of few pictures of the highest peak in SE Asia. I'd love to hike to the top one day.
This Santa Clause Orchid is one of thousands of orchids found on Borneo.

Monsopiad Cultural Village

Jared and I took an afternoon to visit Monsopiad Cultural Village. Monsopiad was a Kadazun warrior and headhunter. The cultural village is run by his descendants, who want to teach visitors about their culture and history. A visit is started with rice wine, the traditional welcome. Jared didn't want his, so I drank his (I didn't want to offend our hosts).
The cultural village is a private entity, relying on visitors and donations to keep it running.
Traditional dances are performed, with blow gun demonstrations. Blow guns were used to paralyze people and animals during the hunt. People who were captured had their heads removed. Monsopiad had more than 42 heads in his House of Skulls. The Kadazan perform a ceremony each year to honor the spirit of the victims.
Most of the skulls are still intact and visitor can view them with a staff member. Only one person in the tribe is allowed to touch the skulls, and then only when he has permission from the skulls.

Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu

Jared and I flew to Kota Kinabalu on the Island of Borneo. We stayed at Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu and barely had time to take a breath before we were scheduled to do a site visit of Shangri La Rasa Ria. I really wanted to see the Orang Utan sanctuary for my website, but all the hotel did was walk us around. We finally got to the sanctuary, but the Orang Utans were put up for the day. I don't even know why we went, as we didn't get to see what we were supposed to. I did get to see the beach......for five minutes. And people think travel writers lay around drinking umbrella drinks.
My room at Le Meridien was fantastic. Everyone I met there was so nice and helpful. The hotel has a pool on site, a spa, workout facilities, bar, restaurant, business center, and conference facilities. Housekeeping was also on top of things. I had no complaints about this hotel.
From my window I could see the Philipino Market and Floating Village.

Eye on Malaysia

The second night in Kuala Lumpur, all the travel writers were gathered at a hotel for a buffet dinner. Then, we were ushered into our vehicles for a police escort to the Eye on Malaysia unveiling. The locals had been there all day enjoying the festivities. The media was brought to a seating area for a concert and performance. The Prime Minister was ro make an entrance later. Every time someone mentioned the Prime Minister of Malaysia, I snickered inside as thoughts of Zoolander entered my mind.
Costumed girls made their procession through the crowds. I was waiting for someone to throw me some beads, but then I remembered I was in Malaysia, not New Orleans.
The concert and performances began, as did the rain. I was seated next to Jared and behind the Dublin ladies. We started chatting and then the Australian gang joined us. Behind me was the editor from the Seoul Times who was pleasant to converse with. All the Malaysian superstars were singing on stage, but everyone sat in their seats. The Dublin Ladies and I started dancing while we giggled at the Saudi writers who were so excited to be able to dance and listen to music. There were new crews from all over and I think I was one television in 10 different countries that night.

After the festivities, the Australians and Dublin Ladies invited me for some grog. Jared was ready to get back to the hotel, so the driver had to go with him. I piled into the Australian van where we went to Legends Bar for a beer. We all had a nice chat, with me explaining that "No, Jared is not my husband," and exchanged cards, promising to email. The Dublin Ladies shared a cab with me back to the hotel. Such nice people.