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S24 • THEEDGE SINGAPORE | DECEMBER 3, 2007

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Losari Coffee PlantationWhere: Central Java, IndonesiaWhy go: This resort which sits 800m above sea level is surrounded by volcanoes, including the active Mount Merapi. Most of the 32 villas, which are old houses col-lected from all over Java, offer a commanding view of the volcanoes. The organic coffee farm at the foot of the resort dates back to 1830 and was owned by the Dutch. It was later abandoned until Gabriella Teggia, an Ital-ian biologist and the former developer and co-owner of Amandari in Bali, stumbled upon it. Don’t miss: Rise early to see Borobudur, the ninth-cen-tury Buddhist monument, at the crack of dawn. You will be served organic coffee, made from beans harvested from the resort’s coffee plantation.What’s happening for X’mas: Expect cocktail parties and festive menus. The New Year Holiday Programme includes a heritage train tour.How much: Rates for the festive period start from US$400 ($578) per person for two nights. www.losaricoffeeplan-tation.com

Bon Ton ResortWhere: Langkawi, MalaysiaWhy go: It’s a resort like no other: Australian Narelle McMurtrie transformed eight age-old kampung houses into cool villas. A 10-minute drive away is LASSie, an animal shelter for the 150 cats and 100 dogs she rescued from the streets. One of the best things here is staying up late at night, chatting with the spunky 54-year-old who takes great pains to get to know all her guests. She’s one reason her guests always return.Don’t miss: Bon Ton’s Nam restaurant serves some of the best cakes and Nyonya dishes on the island. Also, don’t miss the sunset; better still, charter a yacht for sunset cocktails.What’s happening for X’mas: Festive, vegetarian and children’s menus are available. McMurtrie says: “Last Christmas Eve, we had three puppies dumped here, which turned out to be the best activity for the children of our dinner guests. The kids played with them for hours while their parents had time to enjoy a leisurely dinner.”How much: Rates for the festive period start at RM590 ($255) a night. www.bontonresort.com.my

X’mas in the tropicsJoan Koh lists six holiday spots that can be reached in less than six hours. And the best thing is, there is no need to pack winter coats or snow shoes for a stay at these gems.

Sweet Escapes

THEEDGE SINGAPORE | DECEMBER 3, 2007 • S25

Sheraton Dameisha ResortWhere: Shenzhen, ChinaWhy go: There’s no reason why you should be in Shenzhen if work doesn’t bring you there, unless you’re heading for Sheraton Dameisha, located on what the locals dub the “Gold Coast of Shenzhen”. The five-star, dragon-shaped oasis located 45 minutes’ drive from the frenzied city centre is sand-wiched between a glorious beach and a string of hills (all 386 spacious rooms offer a splendid view of the ocean). During winter, the city remains blissfully sunny as temperatures hover at a cool 25˚C. Don’t miss: Yantian, where this family-friendly resort is located, is a sea-food haven. A seafood strip 10 minutes’ drive away from the hotel offers cheap seafood (Shi Gong Hui is the restaurant to go to).What’s happening for X’mas: The wonderful Capri Italian restaurant will host a party on Christmas Eve (on other days, try to snag a table at sunset).How much: Rates for the festive period start at 1,100 renminbi ($214) a night. www.sheraton.com/dameisha

Joan Koh is a freelance travel and wellness writer

The BaraiWhere: Hua Hin, ThailandWhy go: Where does Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej vacation? At the idyl-lic beach town of Hua Hin, where his summer palace is located. Right by the serene Gulf of Siam is Hyatt Regency and its latest offshoot, The Barai. There are eight lavish villas (where the 2m wide beds are undoubtedly the star), a stunning Lek Bunnag-designed spa with 18 treatment rooms and a seaside cafe serving delicious, wholesome food. Don’t miss: Make wellness your priority at The Barai. Have an in-depth consultation at the spa and book private yoga sessions at the seaside Tran-quility Court. You’re guaranteed to fly home recharged.What’s happening for X’mas: Festive menus are available.How much: Rates for the festive season start at 32,900 baht ($1,523) a night. www.thebarai.com

The yacht SilolonaWhere: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand or MyanmarWhy go: Indonesia’s remotest islands aren’t that inaccessible if you travel with long-time In-donesia resident, Patti Seery. The American is the owner of a posh schooner that will sail to Komodo Island and the Spice Islands (located between Sulawesi and Papua in eastern Indo-nesia), and to Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar if you so desire. The yacht has five state-rooms decorated with her collection of native art and crafts, and the food is astonishing. Expect sugar-cured Tasmanian salmon and Australian beef tenderloin with sweet potato pan-cake and ginger tomato vinaigrette.Don’t miss: If you’re chartering Silolona for a trip to the Spice Islands, you can trek up a vol-cano and dive beneath one. The reward: stupendous views and a sumptuous meal after a day of roughing it out. What’s happening for X’mas: Expect feasts on board and at unexpected locations.How much: Silolona will sail around Phuket and Langkawi during the festive period, de-pending on guests’ requests. Prices are from US$1,350 per person per day for the Langkawi- and Komodo-based cruises and US$1,650 for the Papua-Banda and Myanmar area cruises. www.silolona.com

RayavadeeWhere: Krabi, ThailandWhy go: You can’t beat the sense of seclusion — the only way to get to Rayava-dee is by boat and the 104-villa resort is ringed by soaring limestone cliffs and bordered by three National Parks. In the backyard of this resort are Railay and Phra Nang, among Krabi’s best beaches. It’s the most luxurious place to stay in Krabi, and the best location to soak in the beauty of the island. Plus, you don’t need to leave the resort if you don’t want to — there are four restaurants, a good spa and well-equipped fitness and watersports centres.Don’t miss: Have pristine Railay and Phra Nang beaches all to yourself before 9am and after 5pm, when the day-trippers who descend in droves during the day are back on the mainland.What’s happening for X’mas: Expect festive menus and cocktail partiesHow much: Rates for festive season start at 35,000 baht ($1,607) a night.www.rayavadee.com

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