32 and a small q

[trip style = luxe + sun + beach] {more pictures below}

I don’t typically frequent the same resorts as Oprah. Our tastes and budgets are a little different. But recently, I made an exception involving a birthday, a villa with views, mojitos crammed with hand-crushed ice and enough lime and mint to freshen my breath for years, and some of the best cuisine I tasted in Australia. This place was qualia---with a small "q" to underscore the brand of refined and understated luxury served at the lush resort overlooking the Whitsunday Isles.

Visiting qualia marked a special occasion for my husband Nathan. It was his 32nd birthday and we decided to celebrate in style (so in style it will be his birthday present for years to come!). From the moment we rolled down the hill and into the resort's sturdy front gates, I knew this experience would go beyond any version of luxury we'd ever encountered. And it did. Walking the short and shaded corridor leading to the lobby, we were met with two glasses of bubbly and an ocean vista so piercingly blue, I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

The champagne did not stop here; there was a bottle of chilled Veuve Cliquot waiting in our villa. Of course there was---I should probably be used to this by now. As we were getting settled in the room, we were startled by visitors. Not the kind that knock, but the kind that talk. Two cockatoos landed on our balcony and proceeded to fan out their bright yellow mohawks and initiate a serious staring contest with us. The timing was so perfect, I thought they might be mechanical birds sent via remote control to every guest's balcony upon arrival, but when I came face-to-face with the most colourful parrot I've ever seen in town, I realized that's life on Hamilton Island. And quite a life it is.

Each villa came with its own golf cart, so after making small talk with the cockatoos, we donned our beachwear and floored it at 20km/h to the seaside infinity pool. This foliage-filled scene was so soothing and inviting, we didn't want to leave, and in fact didn't until dusk, closing the place down that evening. Pool-party animals? Not quite, since all our smoothies and mojitos were virgin. We just revelled in the opportunity to watch the sundown in such a setting.

I'm glad we saved that bottle of Veuve from our villa, because the next day, it was the perfect complement to our private beach drop-off. Yes, in addition to the visiting birds, golf carts, bottles of champagne, free-flowing virgin bevs and the most sophisticated version of included breakfast I've ever been served at a hotel, qualia also includes daily, off-site, beach drop-offs to guests who want to get away from it all, like they're on a luxury, celebrity version of Survivor.

What to Know

• For a more detailed account of my stay at qualia, read my Trip Advisor review here
• qualia is an exclusive all-villa resort and spa on Hamilton Island
• Villas start at $950 night
• The resort has two types of villas: leeward and winward {winward villas have afternoon sun and private plunge pools}
• Included amenities: wi-fi, daily breakfast, all non-alcoholic beverages, a personal golf cart and private beach drop-off
• Hamilton Island is accesible from major cities in Australia, with multiple flights arriving and departing the island daily. Otherwise, you can take a 30-minute Fantasea Ferry from Shute Harbour in Airlie Beach. Note: if taking the ferry from Airlie, you must set your Hamilton Island arrival point to "Marina" not "Airport".
• Hamilton island has a host of family-friendly and adult-only accommodations
• There are multiple restaurants on the island

Pictures {The pool.}

{View of pool from poolside cabanas.}

{The beach.}

{A cockatoo on our villa's balcony.}

{The villa's sitting area.}

{The villa's sleeping area.}

{The bathroom.}

{Breakfast appetizer.}

{Breakfast main.}

{The beach drop-off.}

{Sunset bevvies poolside.}

{Sun setting at qualia's pebble beach.}

More Australia Month Planning a Trip Up Australia’s East Coast JetSet Jingles :: Australia Spotlight :: Syndey Ultimate Urban Adventures & the Sydney BridgeClimb Heavenly Huts :: Wilson Island Tea, Tim Tams & Tides :: Whitsunday Islands

{all photos by @tripstyler and @nate_fri}

Heavenly Huts

[trip style = glamping] {more pictures below}

Last month I found my heaven, which will forever be my earthly happy place. It's the type of locale you imagine when you're at the spa: you + deserted beach + sparkling water + waves lapping + lush greenery + birds chirping + wind in your hair. I went to this place, and not only extended my time there, but felt sick when I had to leave {but that could have had something to do with the small boat we took---the only way in and out of the island---and the 2-meter swells ravaging us from every direction}.

The Place This place is Wilson Island: a coral cay sitting directly on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. Only six canvas huts dot the remote and tropical paradise found. The removed location lends itself to a body, mind and soul retreat, blending understated luxuries with eco-thoughtfulness. Each oceanview glamping retreat has dark hardwood floors, a simple area to store clothes, a plush king bed, comfy canvas pillow-topped chairs, a wide hammock and a large handmade bowl to remove sand from your shipwrecked feet. The central bathrooms are 50 steps away, but this only adds to the simplicity and low-impact footprint. And if nature calls at night, don't worry, you're in the midst of it.

A Very Important Date Beachcombing, napping, bird watching, reading and snorkeling with sharks and turtles are the day's big adventures. The evening begins with a beachside champagne toast paired with fine cheeses and crudites. This nightly tradition was my favourite time of day because that's when we witnessed fully grown turtles swim along the shoreline like they were 'late for a very important date', and baby turtles hatch just above the beach. Even though you're not supposed to mess with the circle of life, champagne in hand, I made it my mission to watch over the solo baby turtle struggling to make it to the ocean, and protect him or her from hungry, circling seagulls. Mission accomplished, I think...

The Fare Sitting together at a long wooden table with beach shells to keep our napkins in place, every meal was prepared in the central longhouse by Emilio, our enthusiastic Italian chef. Prior to serving, he would announce each course with the pride and intensity of a national leader. The announcements always started the same way: "Today I have created for you..." His selections were reminiscent of fine dining fare, yet he only had one burner, two barbecues, five propane fridges and a lean smattering of kitchen utensils. Some island delicacies that graced our plates were fresh-cut fruit, warm pain au chocolat, avocado terrine, macadamia nut-encrusted barramundi with whipped sweet potato, and watermelon granita. We had access to chocolate and wine whenever we wanted.

Next time I go to the spa, I won't need to piece together my paradise, I've now been.

What to Know

• Getting there: Fly to Brisbane, then to Gladstone via Quantas. Take a ferry {$100 per person, per way} or helicopter {$400 per person, per way} to Heron Island {owned by the same company}, then a final, 30-minute ride in a small boat where you descend a ladder into the shallow water and walk up the beach to your personal paradise.
• Prices from $671 per couple, per night.
• All meals and drinks included.
• Only two staff {who do the work of 10} tend to the island like it's their most treasured jewel. Emilio is mentioned above, calm and caring Gerry is his castaway counterpart.
• One central bathhouse includes three bathrooms and six assigned showers.
• Additional details can be found in my Trip Advisor review.

Photos {Beach arrival at Wilson Island.}

{Trip Style = Glamping.}

{Watching the day go by from the gleaming white hammock on the tent's porch.}

{The idyllic beach.}

{The longhouse.}

{The island's help yourself wine, spirits, water and chocolate storage.}

{Kitchen prep area.}

[images taken by @tripstyler on Wilson Island]

Travel Trends :: Curated Lists

[trip style = luxury]

Recently I've noticed a slight obsession in the luxury travel market for websites that bring together curated, hand-picked hotels and resorts worldwide and promote them to haute holiday-hoppers who think W Hotels aren't that stylish and Sofitel properties are for sissies. These people are in search of unique properties in both commonplace and abstract destinations. Here are some curated hotel collections that will narrow your luxe boutique search when a vacation comes knocking at your door.

Boutique Hotel Collectives Tablet Hotels Tablet is a group of hand-picked, tightly edited hotels in destinations all over the world. The list is created and maintained by anonymous visits from travel experts, reviews by a team with “a low tolerance for boredom" and reviews by guests. There's no room for error either. If a hotel's rating falls below a 15 out of 20, the hotel is no longer part of Tablet.

Kiwi Collection Kiwi Collection hotels is a curated list of properties aimed at 'people who care where they stay' with options that veer more towards luxe than boutique hotels, with properties like Shanghai's recently redone Fairmont Peace Hotel or the Viceroy Anguilla Resort. Similar to Tablet, if a hotel's rating falls below a pre-determined threshold, the hotel is out, a perk I appreciate given a terrible hotel stay I just had in Sydney {not part of the collection}. With 2,200 hotels in 128 countries, I'm sure you'll find something to suit your fancy and trip style!

Mr and Mrs Smith For this selection, I need to give credit where credit it due: while I was in Australia, my third stop took me to Wilson {my review here}, an island at the base of the Great Barrier Reef with only 6 tents, gourmet food, secluded beaches, baby turtles and friendly reef sharks {more on this May 20th}. While there, I had the pleasure of meeting two couples from the UK who both mentioned a boutique hotel finder they'd used to find the stylish shipwrecked island.

Mr and Mrs Smith is a boutique and luxury hotel finder with a particular focus on Australia and Euro properties. They say it was created for romantic and swanky couples escapes, but I think anyone can be inspired by its hundreds of listings worldwide. For those of you who are most interested in the North American options, there are 85 with well known indi-popular properties like the Ace Palm Springs and Portland, Clift San Francisco, Chateau Marmont LA, Calistoga Ranch Napa Valley, Delano South Beach, and so on.

Join one of their three membership tiers to take full advantage of what a relationship with Mr and Mrs Smith has to offer!

An App For That StayHip is a boutique hotel finder that mixes budget conscious and luxe boutique options in 400 destinations worldwide. Perfect for when you're lying in bed staring at your iPhone or you're on the go.

{Note that I've put this trip style as 'luxury' because unless you're staying at the reasonably priced Ace in Palm Springs, boutique properties are usually on the more expensive side of travel.}

Related Content Shh It's {Semi} Private :: Private Travel Sale Sites Big or Boutique Hotels? Get a Room :: The World's First Hotel Room Search

[photo by @tripstyler taken of Qualia at sunset. Qualia is part of Mr and Mrs Smith's listings for Austraila.]

A Royal Honeymoon Hideaway

[trip style = uber luxe + royal]

Yesterday morning when I read initial, what almost seemed like leaked reports about Kate and Will's honeymoon I was disappointed. I know they are the hottest Royals since Shy Di, meaning cameras and opinions follow them e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, but after sharing their wedding with an estimated audience of 2 billion, couldn't people just give them a break? Just for a few days?

Initial Reports Yesterday morning, reports indicated someone from tourism Seychelles {an Indian Ocean archipelago off the east coast of Africa and a destination on my travel bucket list}, confirmed The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were indeed returning to the destination, albeit not likely to the same resort, where they vacationed post break-up in 2007. At this point, I can't tell if the initial info leak was a big no no {and someone's gonna get it}, or if it was all part of the plan. Either way, now that the cat is out of the bag, will a bazillion paparazzi storm each of 115 islands in the Seychelles in search of the pair? I hope not, though I suspect US weekly and OK Magazine will post honeymoon bathing suit shots, like, asap!

Why If I'm so keen on the couple having a media break, why am I writing about it? Since the story's out, and is timely and relevant to aspiring jetsetters, I felt I could talk about it. After all, I'm sure we all want to know what constitues trip style = royal!

Trip Style = Royal Where does a Prince and Princess honeymoon? Prior to the wedding of the century, speculations swirled about destinations such as Kenya {where Will proposed}, Necker Island {Sir Richard Branson's vacation home island}, Jordan, the Caribbean and Lizard Island in Australia {a place we almost stayed, though I think they would have been more secluded here}.

At the time of writing, no one knows exactly where they are honeymooning, but here's what Canada.com reports: "the couple are said to have chosen an exclusive private island {in the Seychelles}, with only a handful of secluded 4,000-a-night villas. Described as a "Robinson Crusoe" island, each villa has its own personal chef and butler." USA Today thinks this masked island might be Fregate, a private, eco-minded retreat 4-degrees south of the equator with only 17 villas.

A Prediction Over the next few weeks, the Seychelles will suddenly reappear on every travel editor's hot and must-go destination list. There will be ''royal" vacation packages, t-shirts and an endangered animal will likely be named after one of them. Would you splurge on an uber-luxe royal-esque retreat in the Seychelles?

[photo by Fregate Island of Fregate Island Villa, Seychelles}

Going Up Down Under

[trip style = luxe, beach, sun, urban, sightseeing, glamping, cruise]

Australia is... - a country I've never tasted or experienced - a place I'm going April 19 - a destination I know I'll love and am already conspiring to return - the trip I've been dying to take for years - #2 on my bucket list

As I prepare to fly 15.5 hours from Vancouver to the land of Oz, I've been a busy bee trip styling like a mad woman in preparation for my trip. The irony is, I'll be going up while Down Under---or making my way North in a land that sits down and under the equator.

Having put so much work into planning this trip, I wanted to share some tips and opportunities you may want to explore when you decide to throw a few shrimps on the barbie in Australia.

Getting There From Vancouver, Air Canada is the only airline to fly direct, with Air New Zealand code-sharing the same flight. One- or multi-segment flights, usually connecting through San Francisco or LA, cost about $300 less. I checked prices out of Seattle to see if there was a significant savings, but there wasn't, so YVR is your best bet. Flights from Vancouver to Sydney cost $700 - $2500, with a realistic range between $1000 - $1600.

Choosing What To Do When you only have a short time on the ground---in my case 2 weeks, which I think is pretty typical for a cross-ocean visitor---it's best to choose your trip style first, and where you want to go, second. Australia looks small on a map, but to put it in perspective, a flight from Sydney to Cairns is like flying from Vancouver to Regina, or Vancouver to San Diego. With this in mind, trying to do too much on the ground can feel un-vacation-like, so we've opted to immerse ourselves in part of the East Coast: Sydney - Whitsundays - Great Barrier Reef - Hamilton Island - Sydney. Though I feel like I'm not even scratching the surface, I look forward to returning many times over to do the rest of Oz.

My Itinerary {& Tips} We've decided to divide our trip into 3 major parts.

Sydney {trip style = urban + sightseeing + luxe} STAY We decided on the Sofitel Sydney but I would not recommend it based on my experience. Here are some other hotels for your consideration: - The Establishment {luxe boutique} - The Taj Blue Hotel {waterfront} - Shangri-la {harbour views + free wifi, I also stayed here, highly recommended} - Park Hyatt Sydney {undertaking biggest reno in its history, re-opening November 2011} - The Westin Sydney - The Blues Point Hotel {budget hotel option just outside the city, with a bar featured in design blogs serving $3 champaign on Friday nights} *Note that most upscale 4- and 5-stars in Sydney range from $175-500/night.

HOW TO BOOK The best resources we found for booking Sydney hotels are: - booking.com - lastminute.com.au - hotels direct

Island Time in the Great Barrier Reef {trip style = luxe + glamping} STAY We decided to stay at: - Heron Island {family-friendly, all-inclusive located on one of the world's best dive sites} - Wilson Island {close to Heron, a tiny "shipwrecked in style" island with only 6 tents} - qualia {ultra-luxe retreat on Hamilton island} Other luxe options: Lizard Island, Hayman Island*, Bedarra* & full list of GBR islands + prices ranges here... *Resorts re-opening in summer due to damange from cyclone yasi **Note, staying on islands in the Whitsundays or near the Great Barrier Reef can be expensive. Budget $150-$2000/night. For budget conscious options, companies like Virgin Blue offer great flight and stay packages near Airlie Beach from $600 for three nights.

HOW TO BOOK - Resorts direct

Cruising the Whitsundays [trip style = cruise] BOAT There are hundreds of ships sailing in the blue-sequened waters surrounding the Whitsunday Islands. Most leave from Airlie Beach and last 1- to 5-nights. Some boats are 30-person tall ships and others are small catamarans. We were looking for a boat catering to an active crowd, with a small number of guest rooms and a deck where we could relax. We found On Ice, a 46ft catamaran with room for 8 guests and 2 crew.

HOW TO BOOK Booking a Whitsunday cruise is really confusing, but here's a good place to start.

[photo by dbearth]