There is a world of things you wish you could take back home from Istanbul. Wouldn't it be great to have the Grand Bazaar and all its Turkish delights, or some delicious baklava wherever you are heading to? Not to mention the Bosphorus itself, so your home would be overlooking an earthly heaven? Istanbul is breathtaking, except for its one notorious feature: the traffic. However, "where there's a will, there's a way." If you set out in time with the right crew, don't worry. There will always be a short cut that will save you from the traffic jams, helping you explore the attractions you’ve been dreaming of, or to make i...Read more

“ Wine is the most civilized thing in the world and one of the natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range of enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing which may be purchased. ” – from ‘Death in the Afternoon’ by Ernest Hemingway Hemingway was an avid writer and observer and during his time in Spain, he readily embraced the magnificence that it had to offer. The country's varied terrain permits the cultivation of a wide range of grapes varieties to flourish, which in turn produces an impressive selection of...Read more

What indulgent secrets did the Turkish sultans safeguard behind closed doors? How do you unwind after a day of imperial stress? This is one secret too good to be kept, so grab your towel or peştemal. The purifying Turkish hammam therapy kicks off. The Turkish hammam, considered to be a kind of a sauna or steam bath, has always stood for much more than just that. More than a wellness retreat, the local hammam was a spot for social gatherings, where marriage proposals were made to young maidens by elderly ladies on behalf of their sons and where men talked shop and cut business deals. Hammams were also a testing ground for young archite...Read more

Once is never enough. You’ve been to Marbella before, so you've checked the five-star hotels and Michelin star restaurants off your to-do list. But have you really experienced it like a local? Enjoying the best in Spain is about digging deeper, making connections and experiencing luxury from a new perspective. To live Marbella like a local you need to skip the hotel, and make a private villa with pool and ocean view your base for the next few days. Just imagine what this will be like: when you arrive at your new home away from home, you'll find the refrigerator stocked with all your favourites, the champagne chilled, and yo...Read more

Bebek is widely regarded as Istanbul’s poshest neighbourhood. Once a humble fisherman’s village dating back to the days of early Christianity. Developing from such distant origins, Bebek’s popularity increased rapidly from the early 18th century, when commerce brought new vigour to the area. Ottoman records from the time paint Bebek as a lively neighbourhood with Turk, Greek, Georgian, Armenian and Jewish residents, all of whom owned numerous yalı (seaside mansions) built to look on to the picturesque Bebek Bay. The area continued to serve as an ideal location for summer homes until the mid-1900s, when ferry service...Read more

Dubai boasts some of the best fitness centres and wellness spots to indulge in treatments . Its boutique health and fitness centres offer members all the best resources to reach personal goals for both the mind and body. Set within aesthetically appealing and innovative modern design structures, Evolve, U-Concept and SpaDunya specifically promote programmes designed to increase physical strength and mobility along with a healthy diet and mental wellness. U Concept, a unique fitness centre Power couple Nick and Delphine Watson first established U Concept in 2003 in response to an overwhelming demand from the UAE’s ...Read more

When it comes to a fashion capital like Milan , we can say with the utmost conviction that you have not shopped, until you have shopped here. This issue we put the spotlight on boutiques that have pushed the envelope, creating unique experiences and stocking everything from must-have brands to hard-to-find goodies from around the world. So read on and we’ll fill you in on where to go. 10 Corso Como is one of the hottest modern concept boutiques on the planet, owned by art, fashion and design enthusiast, Carla Sozzani (sister to Vogue Italy’s longtime Editor-in-Chief). This space forever changed the face of sho...Read more

A jetset lifestyle that takes us from London to Hong Kong or Milan to Paris can make us expert reductionists. With so many places to go and people to see, time for gift shopping can be understandably low, so we run the risk of coming home empty handed or settling for unoriginal duty-free solutions. So we’ve devised a list of the top retail destinations around the globe that have the best their cities have to offer in the way of fashion, gift ideas and stylish souvenirs, all under one fabulous roof. First stop, LONDON LONDON Liberty Regent Street, main entrance located on Great Marlborough Stre...Read more

Duty-free and tax-free have long been familiar terms in the world of tourism. The basic concept behind these methods of saving money on purchases is that goods to be exported are not subject to tax, because otherwise the goods would not be able to compete with those from other countries. Either the goods are exported without tax (duty-free) or taxes can be claimed back after they have been exported (tax free shopping). Duty-free was abolished for travel within the European Union in 1999, but it still applies for travellers whose final destination is outside the EU. There are some special member state territories within the EU but outsi...Read more

When we are travelling, we leave behind our cherished home and office environments and depart for new experiences, bringing a small but essential survival kit with us. This survival kit is our luggage. Here are a few tips to ensure that your luggage and your packing don't risk ruining your trip! (Below, Ursula Andress at the Rome Gucci store, courtesy of Gucci). Weight While first-class travel deals with luggage transfer in most situations, there will always be times at which you have to handle your luggage yourself. Ideally you should be able to carry all your luggage yourself – and remember that it's likely to get hea...Read more

The Luxos online hotel booking system is offering an exclusive 7% discount for bookings made between 15 December 2010 to 9 January 2011. To use this discount, visit the Luxos hotel booking engine by clicking on the link, follow the booking procedure, and key in the discount code LUXOS121 at the check-out stage in the hotel booking engine. Please note that this is a Luxos exclusive discount, and it can only be used with the Luxos booking engine. Terms & Conditions of Promotional Codes : 1. Promotional code is valid from 15th December 2010 to 9th January 2011 23:59 GMT for stay dates until 30th June 2011. 2. Promotional ...Read more

Luxos habitually works in partnership with about 300 hotels offering hotel booking solutions in some of the most important cities of the world: from luxury accommodations in Florence to innovative design hotels in Barcelona. For each of these hotels, the Luxos web pages present the hotel with comprehensive information, extensive photographs, and a link to the hotel's own booking engine. In order to offer our readers a complete service, we have entered into a partnership with Splendia, a website that has selected over 5,000 luxury and character hotels worldwide. To reach these pages, just select "Hotel bookings" from the pull-d...Read more