The Ultimate Suite Experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest

With a rich history and stunning architecture, Budapest is one of central Europe’s most amazing destinations.

Hungary’s capital city has endless energy, and you’ll find everything from a world-renowned classical music scene to nonstop nightlife. On my latest Hungarian adventure, it was all about the spas and Christmas market as I experienced the winter wonderland that is Budapest.

Looking to treat yourself and fall in love with central Europe? Check out my ultimate suite experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest.

Getting to Budapest

Nestled in the heart of Europe on the Danube, Budapest is easy to get to by train or plane from anywhere on the continent. By rail, it’s less than a three-hour, southeast ride from Vienna, Austria.

We arrived by train and left by plane.

The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest provided a private chauffeured limousine service that picked us up and dropped us off, so transport was super easy.

The Hotel

Offering a breathtaking view of St. Stephen’s Basilica and the famous Erzsébet Square, this five-star hotel is located beside the UNESCO World Heritage Buda Castle.

The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest features 200 guest rooms, a full service spa, a first-class restaurant alongside two lounges, a fitness center, and an indoor pool; it is also within walking distance of some of Budapest’s greatest attractions.

The Chairman Suite

We stayed in the Chairman Suite and fell in love with the property. Our two-bedroom suite featured five-star touches at every corner: a spacious living room and dining area and a furnished balcony with a striking panoramic view of Hungary’s chicest street, Fashion Street.

Staying in the Chairman Suite also meant having a dedicated butler who was ready 24/7 to get us anything and everything we needed.

When staying in the Chairman Suite you get an in-suite dining experience, which was definitely a highlight for us. Our chef and sommelier prepared a four-course dinner with local Hungarian wine pairings. It was super romantic and the perfect introduction to the best of local cuisine (be sure to grab a bottle of Hungarian wine before you leave).

The suite experience also offers exclusive Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge access. This is the place to go for a full breakfast, all-day snacks, and drinks.

A private chauffeur was also included during our time staying in The Ritz-Carlton, Budapests’ Chairman Suite. This was incredibly handy. We only had two days in the city, and having a private driver meant that we could easily get around to much of Budapest in the little time we had.

After a whirlwind tour of the city, we had the rejuvenating spa treatment that was included in the room. I went for the Royal Palace Ritual, which was a 130-minute-long treatment featuring exfoliation and hot stones, while Meyer got the 90-minute deep tissue massage.

The price breaks down to a really good value for a private tour, a five-star, two-bedroom suite, spa treatments, transfers, and lounge access. The spa treatments and meals alone would cost that per day.

Tip: As far as splurges go, The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest Chairman Suite is so worth it. It’s around 1,000 euros per night total. (With two bedrooms, this suite accommodates up to five people, so you could end up paying just 200 euros per night each.)

The Food

The food at the Ritz-Carlton is the ultimate culinary experience. There are four different dining options; the Kupola Lounge for breakfast and tea, the Kupola Bar for happy hour and bites, Cake Stories for baked goods and the main restaurant, Deak St. Kitchen.

Deak St. Kitchen uses the best of local ingredients to create exquisite Hungarian dishes. Accompany your meal with a great selection of Hungarian beer and wines. You can choose to sit in the elegant inside dining room or the relaxed outside terrace.

 

What to Do

 

Check out the view from Fisherman’s Bastion and Gellért Hill. Take a tour of Budapest’s ruin bars. Walk around the city’s public plaza, Heroes’ Square.

From there head to the famous Széchenyi thermal bath! Budapest is famous for thermal baths and this one is absolutely incredible. Admire the architecture at the Vajdahunyad Castle.

Be sure stop at the world famous New York Cafe a.k.a. the most beautiful café in the world for a hot chocolate.

Stroll along the Danube and then finish your day watching the sunset from St. Stephen’s Basilica. When the sun goes down, the christmas markets come out! Stick around for the incredible light show in from of St. Stephen’s.

If you’re looking for the ultimate VIP experience at a reasonable price, you have to check out The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest.

More Information

• Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest
• Location: Budapest, Hungary
• Accommodation: Luxury
• Price Range: $$$-$$$$

Shop my Budapest style essentials!

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Thanks to the Ritz-Carlton Budapest for hosting me during my stay. As always, thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Ultimate Suite Experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest is a post from: The Blonde Abroad

from The Blonde Abroad https://theblondeabroad.com/2018/01/08/ultimate-suite-experience-at-the-ritz-carlton-budapest/

Highlights from my November South Africa Photography Tour

I’m so excited to share the highlights and testimonials from my first TBA Escapes Photography Tour in South Africa, sponsored by Fujifilm USA.

My goal with creating TBA Escapes was to curate tours for the adventurous female traveler– the woman who dreams of colorful destinations far from her comfort zone. The “From the Bush to the Beach” Photography Tour in South Africa became just that.

This past November, we took a deeper look at this diverse African country, from the beaches, to the mountains, to the winelands, to the African bush.

I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing group of ladies to join me on the premiere tour — we had so much fun and it was really exciting to share all the photography tips I’ve learned over the years.

It was so rewarding to see these ladies photography improve in just 10 days!

Some of the ladies loaned Fujifilm gear for the trip, and it was so cool to see them all so open to starting (and continuing) to shoot in manual mode. In addition, I was SO happy to have Travis Burke, my friend and award-winning outdoor and adventure photographer, along for the first tour and to help mentor the ladies on his shooting techniques and editing process.

Since November, we’ve filled two more South Africa Photography Tours for March 2018, and are looking to confirm more dates for October and November 2018 very soon.

If you haven’t already applied, join the waiting list now!

Highlights from the 9-day luxury tour through the best of South Africa!

Cape Town

Cape Town kicked off the tour! We spent four nights in a luxury villa (complete with a pool!) in Camps Bay, rented through Cape Town Concierge. Sweeping views of the ocean and the mountain range behind you, pristine white sand beaches, five-star restaurants on your doorstep – it doesn’t get much better than Camps Bay.

Our opening night party included a wine tasting event at the villa compliments of Durbanville Hills and some fun icebreakers so everyone could get acquainted.

Our days spent in Cape Town included an epic Helicopter Tour with NAC Helicopters, a trip to the Woodstock Biscuit Mill, a Street Art tour with Natalie from Tails of a Mermaid, and an over-the-top beach picnic put together by Mel from Truffle Journal. We wined and dined, plus tasted delicious virgin Gin & Tonics by The Duchess.

Lastly, we spent a full day driving the Cape Peninsula and exploring all the stops along the way! We were equipped with all our photography gear, outfit changes, and our K-way windbreakers from Cape Union Mart!

African Safari

Next stop: safari! We drove out to Gondwana Game Reserve from the city for a 2-night luxury safari experience. Gondwana offers the opportunity to see the Big 5 in their natural habitat.

With morning and afternoon safari drives, we had amazing opportunities to capture photos of the wildlife multiple times!

There’s nothing like watching the sun set over Africa with a “sundowner” drink, before tucking into your luxury bush villa for the night. Travis and I hosted an Adobe Lightroom editing workshop so the ladies could improve their process, and continue to take their photography to the next level!

The Winelands

Our last stop on the tour was the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek winelands! We stayed at the beautiful Hawksmoor House, and biked and sipped our way through the beautiful vineyards, with a special afternoon tea at La Residence (complete with peacocks!).

Views for days and award-winning wine!

We also visited my favorite wine farm, Babylonstoren. It’s an eight-acre farm that features an incredible array of fruits, veggies, indigenous plants, livestock, bees, and even a prickly pear maze.

We dined at Babel Restaurant on the property — this place is all about deceptively simple foods. The restaurant takes classic favorites and combines them to create unique and unexpected blends that you won’t soon forget. You’ll find it all here; amazing wine, food and accommodation.

Travis also hosted a night photography workshop in the winelands to capture the city lights and stunning landscape!

TBA Escapes South Africa Photography Tour Testimonials

The tour was everything I expected and more!  Kiki is even more lovely in person and I loved every second of an American showing me the most beautiful spots in my own country.  I wish I could do it all over again!

Ilana R., Check out her Instagram!

I loved doing the first TBA Escapes tour with Kiki and everyone else. First of all, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world (I might be biased) and seeing new to me secret spots was really special. Everyone in the group was so friendly, I feel like we were all almost instant friends, which is great.  I feel like I learnt so much about photography, and I definitely see improvement from the beginning of the tour to the end, which is great. I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to improve their skills, even if its just for personal use, like myself, since the photos we took and will be taking on future travels now just move our memories to the next level.

Deidre R., Check out her Instagram!

Joining the TBAescapes photography tour was a once in a lifetime experience! I met and networked with some incredible people and learned so much about photography, while simultaneously enjoying a dream vacation.

Cindy A., Check out her Instagram!

The South Africa photography tour was truly a life changing trip. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, met lifelong friends, and experienced the magic and beauty of South Africa.

Claire H., Check out her Instagram!

Whether you’re learning the basics or you’re more advanced, this trip helps you grow as a photographer. Everything about this trip was incredible – keeping my fingers crossed for new TBA Escapes locations in the future!

Kayt Z., Check out her Instagram!

This trip was absolutely the trip of a lifetime and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested. The Blonde Abroad and her team brought us to all around South Africa hitting the major tourist destinations and hidden local gems perfectly capturing the beautiful country of South Africa in a short amount of time. The ability to learn from Kiki, Natalie, Meyer and Travis on the trip was incredible and my photography and editing skills definitely improved. I left this trip with new best friends, amazing photos, a love for a foreign country, a renewed travel bug and memories I will never forget.

Ashley V., Check out her Instagram!

The TBA Escapes Photography tour was both a spectacularly out there and truly real way to get to see a beautiful part of South Africa. I love traveling to places where I have a friend to show you the true character and culture of a place that is sometimes difficult to penetrate as “just” a tourist. Opening that door and giving us that experience is exactly what Kiersten did with this tour. Kiersten (and Natalie and Meyer) fostered an atmosphere of openness and fun, where even though most of us did not know each other before gathering at the airport, it felt immediately like you were meeting up with a group of friends. But not only did I meet an interesting group of people who also love travel and photography, I was able to absorb all of their photography knowledge and inspiration – from learning how to pick some of the best photo spots and make interesting compositions from Kiersten, to how to perfect my night photography settings from Travis, to the best ways to incorporate the human element from my fellow travelers. It was truly a an unforgettable trip.

Andrea S., Check out her Instagram!

TBA Escapes was like a waking dream, each day kept getting better and better. 12 girls, helicopter rides, Pinterest perfect beach picnic, and my first Safari game drives. Coming face to face with lions, rhinos, and elephants is something I will not soon forget. The trip was jam packed with adventure and photo opportunities, with mentors to help every step of the way. I loaned a Fujifilm camera (plus lenses) and learned how to shoot in manual, something that has been on my wish list for a long time. I was blown away by South Africa – far more modern than I expected – with some of the best landscapes and biodiversity I’ve seen on my travels. Other highlights included a sunrise hike up Lion’s Head, a sunset cable car ascent up Table Mountain, wine and chocolate pairings (um, hello? heaven!), a bike ride through Stellenbosch, High Tea at LA Residence, storybook gardens at Babylonstoren, a cooking lesson in the Bo Kaap, and of course every moment at Gondwana Game Reserve. Read more about my experience on this review for Real Clear Life. 

Sally S., Check out her Instagram!

Learn more about upcoming TBA Escapes South Africa Photography Tours!

 

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Highlights from my November South Africa Photography Tour is a post from: The Blonde Abroad

from The Blonde Abroad http://ift.tt/2E65OQW

Staying at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge and Treehouses

There’s nothing like getting away from it all. Whether it is for a digital detox or a chance to reconnect with nature, sometimes you just want to sleep under the stars.

There is no better place on the planet to appreciate the incredible beauty of nature than South Africa. With breathtaking scenery and stunning wildlife, this is one country that you can’t miss out on.

Ready for the ultimate glamping experience? Here’s what it’s like staying at the Lion Sands Ivory Lodge.

Getting to Lion Sands

Located in northeastern South Africa, Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is at the heart of Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest game reserves.

Airlink operates daily flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town to Skukuza, which is the capital city of Kruger National Park.

We flew from Cape Town to Skukuza, which is about a two-and-a-half-hour flight. From there, Lion Sands transferred us over to the Lion Sands Ivory Lodge and the treehouses. It was an easy trip with remarkable scenery.

Lion Sands Ivory Lodge

Lion Sands Game Reserve is home to 4 lodges– each with a different flair. The River Lodge is a stunning riverside lodge. The Tinga Lodge is an elegant masterpiece. The Narina Lodge is a contemporary classic safari. And, the Ivory Lodge, where I stayed, is a five-star bush boutique hotel!

While the Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is remote, it’s far from roughing it. In fact, this place is truly five star. With only eight single villas and one double suite villa, it offers luxurious touches at every corner.

These gorgeous accommodations have a master bedroom with an en suite bathroom, private pool, and an oversize lounge area with a fireplace.

The Treehouses at Lion Sands

You can choose between staying in the villas or treehouses. If you opt to book a treehouse, you also get a room at camp. Just pack an overnight bag then plan for one night under the stars.

The friendly folks at the lodge will take you out to your treehouse at sunset then bring you back in the morning. It’s perfect for those of us who love the idea of disconnecting but don’t actually want to go for days without electricity.

I stayed in the Chalkley Treehouse and loved it! Like all of the treehouses at Lion Sands, it had an unforgettable view of the vast South African bush from its elevated platform.

For a more luxe experience, you can upgrade to the Kingston Treehouse in Sabi Sand for full bathroom and shower facilities or the Tinyeleti Treehouse, which accommodates two adults and two kids.

Fall asleep counting shooting stars while you listen to wildlife!

The Food at Lion Sands

There are so many culinary treasures to discover in South Africa, and the Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is the place to do it. You will find fresh seasonal ingredients, and best of all, the staff is so accommodating.

Whether you’re looking for vegetarian dishes, healthy cuisine, or endless indulgence, you’ll be covered.

The Lion Sands Ivory Lodge offers three amazing meals per day plus snacks. And the bush dinners in the wilderness are a one-of-a-kind experience, so bring your camera!

Activities at Lion Sands

You can customize your Lion Sands experience for an adventurous getaway, a wellness escape, or a bit of everything.

Go on game drives (available twice a day) or walking safaris to get up close and personal with the Big Five: lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos, and elephants. The expert field guides and trackers will guide you through the South African bush. We had a blast and followed it up with sunset cocktails at the lodge.

To unwind, you have to check out the on-site Africology Spa, with a wide range of body, skin, and grooming treatments. South Africa’s best natural, eco-friendly spa and skincare brand, Africology is a must-try.

When you need to revitalize, the yogis at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge are always ready for a session.

More Information

• Hotel: Lion Sands Ivory Lodge and Treehouse
• Location: South Africa
• Accommodation: Lodge, Treehouse
• Price Range: $$-$$$

Shop my South African styles!

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Thanks to Lion Sands for hosting me during my stay. As always, thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Staying at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge and Treehouses is a post from: The Blonde Abroad

from The Blonde Abroad http://ift.tt/2ECyzWp