SEL
  • Travel Luxury
  • intro
  • Contact

the luxury travel blog

Luxury Cruise, and Overnight Stay, on the Mekong Delta with Mekong Eyes - Vietnam - January 2016

31/1/2016

0 Comments

 
PictureCan you spot Issy & the non la Noir. Dining in the Dark, Saigon gave us?
The night before my luxury Mekong Delta cruise I had dinner in El Gaucho - an Argentinian steak place by the Park Hyatt, Saigon. Krug, Cristal & Dom Perignon champagne were on offer and I was shocked by the size of my eventual bill, mainly caused a mediocre steak that was far too big for me to eat. I had to go to Saigon, Saigon, on the roof of the Caravelle hotel, again for martinis to recover from the shock of this.

I had to be ready at 8am for my Mekong Eyes pick up and the journey to the boat took just over three hours, with a rather nice 20 minute stop at the Mekong Rest Stop 1/2 way for refreshments, I got some postcards I love there.  


Read More
0 Comments

Coffee with the General Manager of InterContinental Asiana Saigon & Tour of the Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - January 2016

29/1/2016

3 Comments

 
I had coffee with James Young (General Manager of the InterContinental Asiana Saigon) because we have a mutual friend who used to work at the German Embassy in Doha.  

I had not intended to write anything in www.sifrew.com about this but James is such a special person, and his hotel such a quality operation, I had to post something. ​
PictureTheir stunning pool reminds me of the one at the Fullerton Bay in Singapore.


Read More
3 Comments

Dinner at Noir. Dining in the Dark, Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - an experience not to be missed - January 2016

29/1/2016

0 Comments

 
PictureThe Noir 'mystery menus', also in braille.
All the great reviews of Noir. Dining in the Dark, Saigon, and the fact it employs blind and visually impaired staff, meant I ignored a friend's moans about the Paris version. Another friend had raved about her Tokyo 'dinner in the dark'.

​Despite having read lots about it, I arrived feeling unsure/nervous. Going down a non-descript alleyway, wondering if I was in the right place, did not help. However, Germ (one of the owners) welcomed me by name and I knew it was going to be an incredible experience.


Read More
0 Comments

Lunch in Hoi An, Saigon - the best Vietnamese food restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - January 2016

28/1/2016

3 Comments

 
PictureHoi An, Saigon's signature dish - cao lau - thin slices of pork, shrimp & crumbled sesame cake pieces over noodles, accompanied by bone marrow broth.
On my third day in Vietnam I decided I must try some 'real' Vietnamese food.  

Hoi An, Saigon is regarded as the best restaurant for Vietnamese food in Ho Chi Minh City, & one of the best restaurants in Asia, and so that is where I went for lunch after seeing the Park Hyatt, Saigon. 


Read More
3 Comments

Tour of Park Hyatt, Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - January 2016

28/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Park Hyatt, Saigon is one of the most luxurious (and expensive) hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and so I decided I must have a look around it.  I also wanted to have a chat with their staff about the rest of my time in Vietnam.


Read More
0 Comments

Etihad Airways Business Class flight from Abu Dhabi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam - January 2016

27/1/2016

0 Comments

 
PictureThe Premium Lounge in Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport, after the hoards left!
After an 8 hour night wait (from just before midnight until 7:35am) in the Etihad Airways Premium Lounges at Abu Dhabi International Airport, I desperately needed my bed on the plane.

From all the people trying to sleep in the Premium Lounge at Abu Dhabi when  I first arrived, Etihad Airways (unlike Qatar Airways) have difficulty scheduling fast connections for their numerous transit customers. 


Read More
0 Comments

Etihad Airways A380 First Class 'Apartment' flight from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi - January 2016

26/1/2016

3 Comments

 
PictureWe 'survived' our first shower on a plane.
Having had dinner with a friend from Shrewsbury School in Gaggan in Bangkok, who had flown in the First Class 'Apartment' on Etihad Airways, where you have a 'living room' and use of a shower on the plane, I decided I had to try their A380.


Read More
3 Comments

Staying at The Dorchester hotel in a Deanery Suite, London - January 2016

25/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
I decided, for my last night in the UK before my two months in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia, I had to stay at The Dorchester again.  

I regard The Dorchester as my present 'London home' - sorry Four Seasons Park Lane but Mr Sharp loves The Dorchester too - and Roland (the General Manager), Janice (his PA), Katarina (from Guest Liaison) and John (General Manager of 45 Park Lane) as friends. 


Read More
2 Comments

Early 2016

19/1/2016

0 Comments

 
PictureThe bar upstairs on an Etihad Airways A380.
Excluding New York, my first big trip of 2016 will be two months in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia.  I will be flying with Etihad Airways on one of their A380s in a First Class Apartment and staying at
The Dorchester on my last night in the UK.

Should be a perfect way to start 2016.

0 Comments

Lunch at Renaissance, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK - January 2016

15/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
Having helped to serve the wine at one of mum's lunch parties, I went off for a quiet lunch alone. I decided to try Renaissance,  as mum has raved about their chef's ability.


Read More
2 Comments

Haircut at Royston Blythe, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK - January 2016

15/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
When a haircut is needed in Shrewsbury, it has to be Royston Blythe - The Dorchester's former hairdressers, who used to style HM the Queen's hair and have worked with Christian Lacroix, Katie Price and Katy Perry. 


Read More
0 Comments

Breakfast in Number Four, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK - January 2016

13/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
What do you do on a damp (post-Christmas) day in Shropshire but have a cooked breakfast with one of your best friends from your Shrewsbury School days.

Number Four was the obvious choice, as the best place in Shrewsbury for this.


Read More
0 Comments

Club World (Business Class) Flight with British Airways from New York JFK to London Heathrow - January 2016

7/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
The drive from Manhattan to JFK never seems easy these days.

At JFK the Club World check-in at British Airways Terminal 7 is in a separate area with no queues. 


Read More
0 Comments

Tour of The Mark hotel, New York - January 2016

7/1/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
When you hear a hotel has a penthouse suite that costs US$75,000 a night, you have to visit the hotel. This is the largest suite in America and the most expensive in the world.

I was also interested to see The Mark again, having stayed there a number of years ago. I was so glad I did this on my last day in New York, it is such a special hotel.


Read More
1 Comment

Cocktails in the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Terminal in New York - January 2016

7/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
I had to start my last evening in New York somewhere special and had read lots about the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central and a number of friends had recommended it.


Read More
2 Comments

Lunch at the Oyster Bar & Restaurant in Grand Central Terminal, New York - January 2016

4/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
I always love eating in Grand Central but some poor dining experiences in Michael Jordan's meant I had to find an alternative venue.  

Friends have been recommending the Oyster Bar & Restaurant for years.  I tried to go there on a Sunday night but they were closed.  However, I had more luck at lunchtime the next day.






Read More
2 Comments

Tour of The Peninsula hotel, New York - January 2016

3/1/2016

3 Comments

 
Picture
The Peninsula, New York is not a hotel I usually think about but having had such an incredible time with Carrie at the Hong Kong Peninsula I decided I must take my special Hong Kong teddy bear Peter there and I was glad that I did.


Read More
3 Comments

Sunday Breakfast at The Plaza Hotel, New York - January 2016

3/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Plaza hotel is a New York icon and I decided I must have a Sunday breakfast there.  There is something very special when you walk though that hotel's doors.


Read More
0 Comments

New Year at Four Seasons New York - December 2015

2/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
New York screams New Year and so, despite all my travel in the last few months, I booked Four Seasons New York to see in the New Year in perfect style.




Read More
2 Comments

Breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental, New York - January 2016

2/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental New York shortly after it opened in 2003 and decided to try their breakfast again. It is worth going there for the views alone.


Read More
2 Comments

    The Authors

    Si Frew has lived in the UK, Bermuda, Qatar, Cyprus & the Cayman Islands. During this time he met Whoopi Goldberg (in Claridge's), Mike Tyson (in the Concorde Lounge at JFK) , Gordon Ramsay (in the Doha Four Seasons), Chris Eubanks (in The Dorchester), Cherie Blair (in Bermuda & again in the Doha Four Seasons) etc.  There are funny stories attached to all these interactions, feel free to ask Si about them when you meet him.

    Simon is a banker. He lives in The Barbican in London.  

    He loves Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Dorchester and Veuve Clicquot.

    Issy
    Issy is a Beanie Baby who was a gift from the Founder of Four Seasons' office.  He  is Simon's regular travelling companion & confidant.  
    ​
    He experiences luxury in life and little else.  It is Issy who guides Si through some of his more entertaining adventures.

    Issy dictates and never types.

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    Categories

    All
    1 Lombard Street
    45 Jermyn Street
    45 Park Lane
    4th Of July
    50th Birthday
    A380
    Abacus
    Aberdeen Social
    Abu Dhabi
    Afternoon Tea
    American Airlines
    Amman
    Angkor Wat
    Annabel's
    Anne-Sophie Pic
    Antoni Gaudi
    Argentina
    Arles
    Aromatherapy Associates
    Avignon
    Baccarat
    Baccarat Hotel New York
    Bahamas
    Bahrain
    Bali
    Bangkok
    Bangkok Airways
    Banking
    Banking Consultant
    Bank Of England
    Barbary
    Barcelona
    Battery Park
    Beirut
    BelleRive Boutique Hotel
    Belmond
    Belmond Copacabana Palace
    Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas
    Birthday
    Bloom For Budding Artists
    Bob Dylan
    Bo.lan
    Bollinger
    Brazil
    Breakfast
    Breakfast At Tiffany's
    Brighton
    British Airways
    Brown Lloyd James
    Brunch
    Buckingham Palace
    Buenos Aires
    Bullet Train
    Burger Joint
    Burgundy
    Burj Khalifa
    Business Class
    Calypso Grill Cayman Islands
    Camana Bay Flavour Tour
    Cambodia
    Cambodia Angkor Air
    Campbell Apartment
    Captain Marvin's
    Caravelle Hotel
    Cartier
    Casa Cavia
    Catch
    Cathay Pacific
    Cavalry & Guards Club
    Cayman Airways
    Cayman International Film Festival
    Cayman Islands
    Chanel
    Chef Paul Walsh
    Chiang Mai
    Chichester
    Chinese New Year
    Christian Lacroix
    Christian Louboutin
    Christmas
    Cimboco A Caribbean Cafe
    Citi
    Claridge's
    Concert
    Coq D'Argent
    Coronavirus
    COT
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Creed
    C Sons
    Cuba
    Cyprus
    Dachshunds
    Da Fish Shack
    Daniel Humm
    Darwin's Kitchen
    Davies And Brook
    Diane Von Furstenberg
    DIFC
    Dior
    Dirty French
    Dishoom
    Doha
    Dom Perignon
    Dorchester Collection
    Dubai
    Easter
    Eating Tarantulas
    Eat Out To Help Out
    Edinburgh
    Edinburgh Fringe
    Elbow Beach Bermuda
    Eleven Madison Park
    Elizabeth Taylor
    Emirates
    Energie Fitness
    Eric Ripert
    Etihad Airways
    Eva Air
    Everyman Cinema
    Executive Floors
    Face Mask
    Fasano
    First Class
    Flagship First Dining
    Flashpacker
    Flowers
    Foam Party
    Fortnum And Mason
    Fortune Teller
    Four Seasons
    Four Seasons Amman
    Four Seasons At Park Lane
    Four Seasons At Ten Trinity Square
    Four Seasons Bahrain Bay
    Four Seasons Buenos Aires
    Four Seasons Doha
    Four Seasons Downtown
    Four Seasons George V
    Four Seasons Hong Kong
    Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
    Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
    Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo At Marunouchi
    Four Seasons Madrid
    Four Seasons Midtown New York
    Four Seasons New York
    Four Seasons New York Downtown
    Four Seasons Private Members' Club
    Four Seasons Resort Dubai At Jumeirah Beach
    Four Seasons Sao Paulo
    Four Seasons Seoul
    Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square
    Four Seasons; The Surf Club. Miami
    Frette
    Gardens
    Geisha
    Gin
    GMH Hotels
    Godson
    Golden Cross
    Gordon Ramsay
    Grand Cayman
    Grand Central Terminal
    Grant Achatz
    Gray's Inn
    Gucci
    Guy's Hospital
    Hakkasan
    Ha Long Bay
    Hamleys
    Hampshire
    Hanoi
    Harrods
    Harvey Nichols
    Havana
    Hawksmoor
    Heal's
    Heathrow
    Helix Restaurant
    Hello Kitty
    Hencote
    Hilton
    Hilton Pattaya
    HIX Oyster & Chop House
    HM The Queen
    Ho Chi Minh City
    Hoi An
    Hong Kong
    Hotel Plaza Athenee
    Hotel Threadneedles
    Houston
    Iberia
    Icon Klub
    Iguassu Falls
    Iguazu Falls
    Imperial Hotel Tokyo
    InterContinental
    IPhone 8
    James Bond
    Jardine Matheson
    Jason Atherton
    Jet Blue
    Jimbaran Bay
    John Scanlon
    Johns Hopkins Medicine International
    Jordan
    Kaviari Caviar
    Kempinski
    Kimono
    Kimpton Seafire Resort
    Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa
    Koh Samui
    Kuala Lumpur
    La Dame De Pic London
    La Grande Dame
    Landmark Mandarin Oriental
    Laos
    La Prairie
    Lebanon
    Lego
    Le Pont De La Tour
    Le Sirenuse
    Ligne Roset
    London
    Louis Roederer
    Luang Prabang
    Luca
    Ludlow Hotel
    Lufthansa
    Lung King Heen
    Luxury Business Emporium
    LVMH
    Lyon
    Madrid
    Manama
    Mandarin Grill
    Mandarin Oriental
    Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
    Mandarin Oriental Barcelona
    Mandarin Oriental Doha
    Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
    Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
    Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur
    Mandarin Oriental New York
    Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid
    Mandarin Oriental Taipei
    Manicure
    Manolo Blahnik
    Marco Pierre White
    Marriott Autograph Collection
    Martini
    McQueens
    Mekong Delta
    Mekong-eyes
    Melia
    Mercado De San Miguel
    Merrythought-teddy-bears
    Miami
    Miami International Airport
    Michelin Stars
    Miss
    Miss Ly Cafe 22
    Moet
    Morgan's
    Morgans Hotel Group
    Museo Sorolla
    Nahm
    Nam Hai
    Negroni
    New York
    NHS
    Nicosia
    Noble Isle
    Nobu
    Noir
    NoMad Hotel
    North Face
    North Korea
    Nuffield Health
    Number Four
    Nurture Landscapes
    Okura Hotels
    Okura Prestige
    Osaka
    Oystermen
    Oz Clarke
    Panama
    Pan Pacific Hotels
    Paraguay
    Paris
    Parker New York
    Park Hyatt
    Parkinson's
    Parsons
    Paternoster Chop House
    Pattaya
    Paul Smith
    PDT Bar Hong Kong
    Pedicure
    Perrier
    Perth
    Petra VIP Lounge
    Phnom Penh
    Photos
    Piazzolla Tango
    Plaza Athenee
    Pollen Street Social
    Polo Club
    Pont Du Gard
    Porsche
    Prestfelde Prep School
    Preview
    Provence
    Punta Del Este
    Qatar
    Qatar Airways
    Q Bar
    QE2
    Raffles
    Railway
    Republic Of Korea
    Restaurant
    Rhone River
    RHS Chelsea Flower Show
    Rio
    Rio De Janeiro
    Ritz
    Ritz Carlton
    Ritz-Carlton
    Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman
    Ritz-Carlton New York
    Ritz-Carlton Osaka
    River Oaks
    Riviera Travel
    Rolls-Royce
    Rosewood
    Royal Jordanian
    Ruinart Champagne
    Rules Restaurant
    Saigon
    Sake
    Salvatore Ferragamo
    Sanderson
    San Pellegrino List
    Sao Paulo
    Scarfes Bar
    School
    Scott's Restaurant
    Searcys
    Seoul
    Seven Mile Beach
    Shangri-La
    Shopping Leblon
    Shoreditch
    Shrewsbury
    Shrewsbury School
    Shropshire
    Siem Reap
    Si Frew Consultancy Services Limited
    SihanoukVille
    Silent Pool
    Simon Frew Interview
    Singapore Airlines
    Sir Terence Conran
    Smith & Sinclair
    Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
    Sofitel London St James
    Sofitel So
    Sofitel So Bangkok
    Song Saa Private Island
    Sothy
    South Korea
    Spa
    Spain
    Steiff
    Stingray City
    St Martins Lane
    St Paul's Cathedral
    St Regis
    Suhring
    Sukhothai
    Sunday Lunch
    Sunday Times Wine Club
    Swiss Army Knife
    Taipei
    Taiwan
    Tanners Wine Merchants
    Tan Son Nhat Airport
    Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls
    Teddy Bear
    Temple & Sons
    Terrorism Financing
    Test Match
    Texas
    Texas Family Ranch
    Thailand
    The Admiral Benbow
    The Aviary NYC
    The Balmoral
    The Barbican
    The Berkeley
    The Betterment
    The Blue Box Cafe
    The Brooklyn
    The Chedi
    The Club At The Ivy
    The Connaught
    The Dorchester
    The English National Opera
    The Farmers Club
    The Gherkin
    The Glenlivet
    The Global Steakhouse
    The Golden Cross
    The Goring
    The Guildhall
    The Ivy
    The Libertine
    The Lighthouse Cayman Islands
    The Mark
    The Market Hall Shrewsbury
    The Ned
    The Ocean Club
    The Peninsula
    The Plaza
    The Reverie
    The Savoy
    The Savoy Grill
    The Shard
    The Sunday Times
    The Sunday Times Wine Club
    The-three-fishes
    The Wall Street Journal
    The-westin
    The White Company
    The Wolseley
    Threadneedles-hotel
    Thums Up Cola
    Tiffany-co
    Tiger Cub
    Tokyo
    Tom Booton
    Torres Bermejas
    Tower 42
    Truefitt And Hill
    Truffles
    Turnbull & Asser
    Turtle Farm
    UAE
    Ubud
    UK
    Uruguay
    Veuve Clicquot
    Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old
    Veuve Clicquot Rich
    Vietnam
    Vietnam Airlines
    Vilebrequin
    Vina Eden
    Vineyard
    Virgin Active
    Virgin Active Barbican
    Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
    Virgin Australia
    VIROFORMULA
    Wallace Collection
    Western Australia
    West Indies Wine Company
    Westin Grand Cayman
    Westminister Attack
    Wheeler's Of St James Oyster Bar & Grill Room
    Will Lyons
    Wine
    Wolfgang Puck
    Worldwide Readership
    Yara
    Yayoi Kusama
    Year Of The Earth Pig

    RSS Feed

  • Travel Luxury
  • intro
  • Contact