One of my fave moments and shots from our recent trip to Thailand and Kata Rocks Hotel.
After a long 4 days shooting our campaigns, we dined as the sun set on another brilliant shoot.
Tag Archives: Summer Everywhere
The Perfect Pouch.
You might have seen these prints on our swimwear already but In the true WAH summer spirit we want you to be organised when you head to the beach, pool, city or simply don’t want to pack a big bag. We’ve turned some of your fave prints into the cutest little neoprene pouches to take your WAH with you wherever you go. Washable, soft and completely unique, you can shop here for a limited time!
4 Planes, 2 buses, a train, a boat, a golf buggy and an unforgettable paradise…
“It’s pronounced Moldeeves…or paradise” was the response I got when I first landed on the island and even though, out of habit I still refer to it with more of a maal and diives, that gentleman was absolutely correct about the second part, paradise it is! All that you know about The Maldives being idyllic & picturesque is absolutely true and then some!
As I sit here and reminisce over our glorious week of ‘workationing’, the first thing I’m struck with, is how much I miss it. But yes of course you’re thinking, ‘why wouldn’t you’?!
Well, we live a few hundred meters away from the ocean, so that’s not that part I miss. What has me wistful is the complete serenity, the total lack of cars, the smiling faces, the rainbow of ocean blues and an unhurried schedule the island moves to. That’s what I miss the most.
In a world that has become so small, and interconnected, the Maldives is still very much uncharted territory by the masses – it retains it’s elusiveness through it’s remoteness. It took us almost 24 hours of traveling to reach Ayada from Sydney, but unlike all the other times I’eve traveled that kind of distance, I woke up to the sounds of the ocean lapping below us, threw open the doors to an endless turquoise and cobalt ocean and shared a moment with a turtle we named Roger, who was not even 3 meters from our (over-sea) hammock. Roger just bobbed his head in a knowing way, while I marveled at all that was before me.
The island of Maguhdhuvaa is located 30KM’s from the Equator and so far from civilization that you can’t help but feel like you’re a modern day Robinson Crusoe. Except where Crusoe had to fashion his shelter, scrounge for food and occupy himself so as not to go mad, at Ayada, your shelter is a 5 star suite or villa with a private infinity pool, the food is varied and excellently prepared and occupying yourself is the furthest thing from your mind.
Traversing the entire island will take you approximately 20 minutes or you could have your butler chauffeur you in a golf cart to and from your meals and massages. We, however, chose for most of our time to ride the island’s simple white bicycles, peddling our way through palm tree lined avenues and down boardwalks suspended over a coral reef teeming with all manner of fish, reef sharks and sea life.
Incredibly, 99% of the Maldives comprises of water and at no point in the Maldives are you above sea level by an average of 1.5m, but I don’t think at any point on our ‘workation’ were we further from the water by that same distance! The azure hues of the water are like nothing any of us had ever seen before, the spectrum of colours are almost like a painting, perfect and clear and never-ending.
When one heads to a tropical island you are generally accompanied by your nearest and dearest, in this case Jem and I we’re joined by four of ours, and having done so we would highly recommend turning this romantic destination on it’s head and making it a friends-in-tow getaway. Where, as a couple you may lounge by the pool, sip your cocktails, read a book or two and just ease into relaxation. We spent a lot of the time laughing together, mastering our jumps off the infinity pools edge (shhh don’t tell Ayada), biking from one side of the island to the other and and topped it all off with couples massages for all at Ayada’s fully equipped spa retreat.
For a couple of days we ventured off the resort and took a jet boat trip over to neighbouring islands and sand banks where we explored rough terrain, met up with Roger’s buddies while snorkeling a reef drop off that spanned at least 3 KM’s. We also got into the spirit of it all and kayaked half the way round the island, well Margo and I kayaked – the boys occupied themselves with taking photo’s of us and everything around us. We also spent some time surfing one of the Maldives infamous over-reef breaks and then back to Ayada in time for a hearty afternoon lunch.
Since arriving home, oddly enough everyone has asked us about the food and we can absolutely say it was plentiful and sumptuous. Tuna is the Maldives 2nd main source of income (after tourism) and happily it is in abundance on the island. The sashimi lovers in our group we’re so spoilt with the freshest tuna we’ve ever tasted! On our last night we had a celebratory dinner at the Mediterranean themed restaurant Ocean’s Breeze, like everything else on the island it’s all focused on the ocean and as we sat on the deck watching the sunset and the lights of the bungalows twinkle onto the water, the food just did not stop arriving – we we’re quite literally drowning in excellently prepared and presented sea fare. The standout was the scallops, they were soft and buttery and, well, simply the best scallops I’ve ever had.
Ayada offers a varied array of accommodation, from a beachside villa or suite and of course the quintessential over water bungalow, and having now experienced this slice of bungalow life, I don’t know how I will ever be able to stay in a villa that doesn’t’t have a glass bottom lounge room to watch as the underwater world swims by, or for that matter doesn’t have an infinity pool that stretches over and into an endless blue. I have been totally spoilt by the vistas and serenity of Ayada.
Every suite and villa island-wide has a private pool (of course) and so we found that through the day most of the guests chose to vacation in their secluded spaces – who wouldn’t’t! Which left the main pool area, swim up pool bar and restaurant, well, quiet – which is an absolute first for any resort I’ve ever been to and we relished the opportunity to do some lazy laps and partake in a couple of in-pool cocktails!
As the term ‘workation’ implies it wasn’t all long lunches, sashimi, cocktails and working on our tans. Our team we’re there to shoot our Pre Fall campaign, which will be released in Mid-May and I say without hesitation that it is the best campaign yet. So much so, we’re having a very tough time choosing from the thousands upon thousands of images we created, but this is the best problem to have after any campaign shoot.
The Ayada team went above and beyond and catered to all our needs, and then some, our model Margo celebrated her birthday with us on the island and the the staff marked the event with a cake and a song! There’s one thing for certain, besides the tan lines and endless memories, the Maldives has left an indelible mark on us all.
Enough Said.
From our recent trip to the Maldives. Seriously? You don’t need a description….
Port Douglas Paradise
Paradise is so much more than palm trees, white sand beaches and sipping cocktails while the sun sets – it’s a feeling. Paradise comes in so many shapes and forms and is different for everyone. What ties everyone’s version of paradise together is goodness. GOOD views, air, food, weather, activities – good everything, the feeling of good. No matter what your idea of paradise, if you’re surrounded by goodness – you’re there.
We recently had the good fortune to return to the majestic Port Douglas in our homeland’s Far North Queensland (when we first met we explored it for a few days and so it holds a special kind of magic for us) and under the guise of heading up for a wedding, we took a few extra days to really get back into it and find enjoy more of what makes Port Douglas really tick.
This time, thanks to our friends at QT Hotels we stayed in the QT Resort in Port Douglas, an open plan boutique hotel that caters for well, anyone. The tropical layout and surroundings, in-lobby waterfall, koi pond and the rustic nautical themed decorations throughout the QT – that GOOD feeling is instantly induced from the minute you arrive.
With year round temperatures rarely requiring a jumper, the bulk of the resort surrounds the pool – which complete with waterfall, swim up bar, day bed islands (pictured above), spa and even a bridge – means you’re always in the presence of the water.
As we found out very few of Port Douglas’ hotels/resorts are located on the beach itself (potentially because of crocodiles) and so QT’s efforts to bring paradise into the resort doesn’t go unappreciated.
If it’s possible for a place to feel both fast and slow paced at the same time QT Port Douglas is it. The main buildings are all open, airy and fresh – the reception lead seamlessly into the games/relaxation area and onto the bar (which, truth be told might just have the music up a little too loud most of the time.A little change in pace from the pop/house that stream from it’s speakers into the bar, pool and restaurant is sorely needed – but it’s not make or break) and then out onto a sunny grassy sitting area and finally onto the pool with a wooden walkway connecting them all to the restaurant aptly titled Bazaar.
Often the word resort isn’t associated with good food, QT Port Douglas however takes that thought and absolutely dispels it. Katinka in the past couple of years has gone on a buffet tasting tour, where there is a buffet on offer you’ll find her and she rated the experience at QT in her top 5 of all time! The team of chefs prepare a range and assortment of meals that will have even the most fussiest of eater heading back for seconds, each and every meal. The time and dedication that the staff put into is definitely conveyed in the superb quality and flavour of each meal.
As a part of the anything goes – we’re all just here to have fun in the sun vibe of the resort, the staff are dressed somewhat fancifully in printed skirts and shorts, colourful shirts and flat-caps for the porters. Smiles abound and it seems no request is too small (or big) to be accommodated with a staff member bouncing into action at your request.
The rooms are comfortable, well laid out and self-contained – all with air-cons which is a must in Tropical North Queensland’s heat and humidity. The bed was huge, pillow-topped and topped with heaps of pillows and so GOOD.
The resort is situated about 10 mins drive from Port Douglas’ Main St, marina, shops, pubs and eateries – or a wonderful little 20 min bicycle ride using one of QT’s easy riders – supplied to guests free of charge – and getting around Port Douglas on two wheels is highly recommended. Four mile beach is a popular destination for bikes as well, with enough hard sand by the water to make riding a breeze. In the breeze.
On tour in Borneo – Gaya Island Resort
The words “only accessible by boat” can mean only two things for holiday goers; 1. A tropical island paradise the likes of which you’ll not soon forget or 2. A nightmarish freezing cold, sickening, rickety boat ride where you come to believe your last piña colada was truly your last. Fortunately for us, the first destination on our Asian tour was the former -though that’s not to say we haven’t (a few times) experienced the latter…
Just off the coast of Sabah in Malaysia lies a group of tiny islands at the foot of Borneo, one being Gaya Island and home to the brand spanking new resort of the same name. As soon as we landed in Malaysia, we knew this was not only a spectacular place but a very special people as well.
Gaya Island resort had been open around 6 months – enough time for the staff, grounds, monitor lizards and cheeky monkeys to settle in, whilst still feeling new in every sense of the word. Accessible only by a short boat ride from Sabah, and of course – greeted with fresh aloe face towels and guava juice – the first time you see the resort is from the long pier that leads you from your boat to the reception building. And it’s spectacular.
The resort is backed up into the lush jungles of Borneo and fronts a beautiful white sand beach – palm trees, blue-green water and all. A setting unlike any we’ve experienced. Straight away, the one thing that hits you is silence. No cars, no noise of any kind. Awesome.
Getting to our room upon arrival (even at 11pm) was a trek, but the good kind – I mean, we ARE in the jungle. After a warm reception in the building appropriately named ‘Reception’ we we’re shown through the long pavilion which fronts onto the massive daybeds IN the pool that’s right – in! The swim up bar (Katinka’s favourite), the queen size cabanas with proper beds, fans and curtains – WHAT!! From there, past the library, fitness centre all with water views of course and through the main restaurant, across a lantern-lit bridge and boardwalk and finally up a winding path to our digs – 4 stories up in the jungle and facing out to what became a spectacular sunrise over the water and Mount Kinabalu – Malaysia’s biggest mountain.
Our days at Gaya were spent lazily. Swims & naps, snorkelling right off the resort’s beach on a fantastic reef, a Malaysian cooking class, a picnic on a private beach – and this is a good place for a handy travel tip: Don’t kick sand in a monkey’s face. EVEN if he’s advancing slowly toward your picnic basket. EVEN if he bares his rabies ridden fangs and beady little death eyes – as it turns out, sand in the death eyes only makes him stronger!! At some point someone – I really hope it was Tinka – yelped like a girl and two of the resort staff came running, brandishing rocks and yelling something in monkey which saved our lunch and our lives. Phew.
Of course, on an island such as Gaya activities abound, but what about relaaaaaxing? What about a day spa so grand, so lush in surroundings and so luxurious it’s called Spa Village? Well that’s there too, and through our signature 80 min treatment (tea, foot scrub, massage, relaxation and more tea) as well as our private yoga session, we experienced the full gamut of what Gaya Island Resort is all about – serenity.
Serenity, however, means something different to everyone. As evidenced by a young English twosome who we affectionately named ‘Adventure Couple’ who, in between 30 second bouts of relaxing by the pool, peppered their serenity with runs on the beach, stand up paddle boarding, canoeing, guided treks through the jungle, snorkelling, running, weights and push ups in the gym, and even seeing who can eat breakfast the quickest – it was always him. We didn’t quite think it was all that relaxing – but each to their own, right?
What really stood out about Gaya though, was the staff. On a vacation that you don’t leave the resort – at all – the people you interact with are paramount to the quality of your stay, and Gaya’s staff made our stay absolutely fantastic. Familiar faces in the restaurant and the swim up bar made an effort to call us by name “Welcome back, Miss Katinka, another piña colada?”
Willing to assist with whatever we needed – either in the room “Would you like that piña colada delivered, Miss Katinka?” or even on our private beach picnic “I’m afraid piña coladas aren’t on the picnic menu miss Katinka, but we’ll see what we can do”. The staff truly made us feel welcome, at home and like we were kings on holiday and, in all seriousness, those piña coladas were excellent.
If you’re thinking of going, head over to our friends The Luxe Nomad. It’s a fantastic site if you’re looking at going to Gaya Island or anywhere in Asia!
Photo of The Day
Somewhere in Sardinia, Italy
Phoenix – Bankrupt!
One of our favourite bands – Phoenix – have just released their fifth studio album: Bankrupt!
We’re so excited to share it with you we havent even listened to the whole thing yet!
You can stream the whole thing HERE on Spotify or HERE on iTunes if that’s what tickles your fancy!
We’ll have a full review up in the coming days – but expect this to be one of THE albums of summer.
Sweet Dreams.
Are made of these.