Travel

Uruguay’s Punta del Este is often thought of as a destination for the jet set but it’s much more than an expensive playground for the famous and glamourous. It is located on a peninsula jutting into the ocean, with the wild Atlantic to the east and the calmer Rio de la Plata to the west and its name lends itself to the wider area embracing the communities of La Barra, José Ignacio and Manantiales. These sleepy, secluded communities retain that famous Latin-American laid-back vibe with dirt roads and hand painted road signs.

Waking up covered completely with a fluffy, white duvet in a cosy, warm flat I groaned and pulled the cover over my face and tried to flick the alarm off with as little effort as possible. It was 7am and the phone case prevented stopping the alarm that penetrated my sleep and shot me into the waking world with little remorse. I had no excuse, I was supposed to be up to catch the best snow and enjoy whatever powder lines were still intact from the previous night’s snow.

It was a bitterly cold morning in the southern Bulgarian ski town of Bansko and the instant coffee on the balcony had chilled at an alarming pace. In the distance the vague plumes of steam could be seen coming from the figure of a muscular brown horse pulling a cart. On top of the cart was a man with a dark complexion holding the reigns loosely and bobbing up and down as the cart moved forward. The snow was thick with a slight crust on the surface as it had rained a little the previous night.

Dawn was just breaking in Yerevan, Armenia and the sun was starting to filter through the high rise buildings in the centre illuminating the mish mash of streets and buildings. The only people walking the street at 5.30 am were the unlucky few. Those who have early morning shifts at the hospital, the parking conductors, the cigarette venders or those heading towards the numerous construction sites across the city. Yerevan in the early morning is much like any other city, the rich and poor, the young and old and the pace of life are all very similar to say London, Paris or Milan.

Top Luxury Travel Destinations In A Hunton Yacht
Think of James Bond’s gadgets and it does not come much bigger than a yacht. A luxury yacht is the ultimate style icon, be it from sailing a 54-foot yacht up Venice’s Grand Canal as in the movie remake of Casino Royale, to navigating through the British Virgin Islands or coasting around the Cote d’Azur. The world’s your oyster as top destinations go for sailing a coveted luxury yacht to paradise and mooring up.

Yves de Contades jetted off to Miami, one of the top luxury destinations in the world. The mind whirled with endless glamourous connotations, Miami Vice, beach ball, beautiful models, Scarface, Latin Cuban dancing and the Rat Pack. Miami shares with New York that certain frisson when you arrive; like Monaco, it exhibits some serious wealth and like Rio, it promises a party.

Yves de Contades flew over to San Antonio to see why it attracts 26 million visitors a year, Yeehaa. San Antonio is a vibrant modern city that fuses the old West, Mexico and modern American hospitality perfectly. Forget everything you think you know, this is one modern, art strewn, historically rich, musical, foodfest of a city.

International eXcellence Magazine, as the name suggests, is about all that is excellent from around the world, experiences in business and/or pleasure where one's expectations have been truly surpassed. Excellence can be experienced in so many different ways - customer service that goes that extra mile, the latest bespoke supercar or motorbike, a once in a lifetime adventure, the sublime design of a beautiful watch or piece of jewellery, an exquisite meal, a staggering piece of art or theatre.