Life Change Holidays at Puripunn Chiang Mai

Are you feeling worn out and need to re-charge your batteries? Do you want to enrich your life, improve your relationships and start living the life you really want? The Life Change People and Puripunn Baby Grand Boutique Hotel have exclusive packages aimed at busy people who want to enhance their lives:

Re-Charge Your Batteries and your Life: 3 or 4 night De-Stress Programme

Stress can creep up on us and change our perception of our life, sometimes without us realising it.Before we know it stress has reduced our pleasure in our everyday lives. This programme, offers you the opportunity to unwind in luxury at the 5-star Puripunn Baby Grand Hotel, and to undertake a Change Programme designed to help you understand and manage your stress and achieve a better work/life balance.

Bring Out the Best in Yourself: 3 or 4 night Confidence Kick Start Programme

Does everyone see you as successful and confident, everyone but you? Are you high on your career ladder but with an unfulfilling personal life? This programme is designed to build self esteem and confidence and bring out the best in yourself and your life.

Enrich Your Relationship: 3 or 4 night Couples Programme

An exclusive program for couples who feel that they’ve lost touch with each other and want to find each other and happiness again.

All Programmes run from July 19-Oct 31, 2010 and include:

• A total clinical Personality Profile and feedback report

• Individual coaching, based on recent advances in Motivational Psychology as it applies to your life and experience

• Development of your personal Change Plan

• Two follow up online sessions to help you apply your plan to everyday life

• Private Airport Transfers

• 15% discount on food and beverage for entire stay

• 20% discount on Spa menu for entire stay

• Extra privilege for four-nights stay or more: Puripunn Traditional High Tea

• Special rate for extra session and extended nights stay on request.

• Optional private excursion around Chiang Mai including tasting tour of local food market can be arranged upon request.

The Life Change People

For over 20 years Alex Gunn and Chrissy Richman of the Life Change People, have been helping people make amazing changes. Literally making wishes come true. Now based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, they attract busy successful people, from all over the world, many of whom have successful careers but also lead complicated and stressful lives. Their unique approach effectively overcomes problems and can facilitate change in all areas of life; from weight loss to overcoming stress, increasing confidence to work and relationship dilemmas. Their work is difficult to categorise and in high demand. It is effective, efficient and based upon evidence based interventions combining recent advances in motivational psychology, executive coaching and personality profiling.

For details of these and other packages contact:

Chrissy Richman at info@thelifechangepeople.com, or for reservations: rsvn@puripunn.com

Small Luxury Hotels of the World launches 'Dream Holiday' competition

 Where would your dream holiday take you? Would it be the delights of far-off shores with a shimmering azure sea, or the intoxicating sights, sounds and smells of an exotic, far-flung city such as New York, Beijing or London? Would it be powder-fine, white ski slopes with awe-inspiring alpine views, or driving through picturesque olive groves and vineyards stopping to taste the local delicacies and sip the finest wine? Here's a chance to make that dream come true.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World has just launched a global competition to win a ‘once in a lifetime’ dream holiday. With a choice of over 500 of some of the world’s finest hotels in more than 70 countries, aspirational travellers are invited to put together a customised itinerary for their perfect vacation – whether it is a whirlwind tour of the fashion capitals of New York, Milan and Paris, a leisurely drive through olive groves and vineyards in Italy or island hopping in Malaysia.

 Simply browse through the website and create your own bespoke, fantasy itinerary at www.slh-competitions.com, click ‘submit’ and you could be the lucky winner of their dream itinerary competition and have the chance to make your dream holiday come true. When building your own fantasy itinerary, why not take the chance to browse through other dream holidays for inspiration and vote for your favourite? The more votes your itinerary gets, the better chance it has at winning the fantastic grand prize.

And what are the prizes?

The lucky First Prize winner, will enjoy their own customised dream itinerary holiday, staying in up to three Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties on a 14-night holiday, with GBP£8000 towards travel expenses included. As our runner-up, you will enjoy a luxury 5-night stay at your choice from over 500 of our stunning worldwide properties. You can also win a luxury 5-night stay from our worldwide portfolio if you upload your favourite original holiday photograph.

So what are you waiting for?

About Small Luxury Hotels of the World

The Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) brand is an unrivalled portfolio of some of the world’s finest small independent hotels. Comprising over 500 hotels in more than 70 countries, the diversity of the individual hotels, and the experiences that they offer, is exceptional. From cutting-edge design hotels to palatial 17th century mansions, city centre sanctuaries to remote private islands, historic country houses to idyllic resorts, Small Luxury Hotels of the World offers only the very best.

Fairmont Goes to The Dogs

Otherwise known for thoughtful and welcoming service, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts now offers a distinctive service at select hotels with resident hotel dogs known as Canine Ambassadors. Travellers missing their own furry friend or looking for a companion while taking a walk can bring along the resident Fairmont dog for extra security and the comfort of home. 


The summer of 2009 saw four new hires: Smudge, a Golden Labrador Retriever who works at The Fairmont Algonquin in New Brunswick; Jordy, a Black Labrador Retriever at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in Quebec; Sonny, a Yellow Labrador Retriever who was brought on at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise as Director of Pet Relations; and Golden Labrador Gracie, who joined the staff at the Fairmont Tremblant. The dogs, all trained by The Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, began by meeting and greeting guests, going on scheduled walks and runs, and serving as community liaisons. And the newest member of Fairmont’s Canine Ambassador team is Zeus, a handsome Chocolate Labrador who oversees interactive guest appreciation at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California.


They join their other four-legged colleagues as official members of the hotels’ Guest Services Teams. Catie, a Black Labrador originally trained as a guide dog with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in New York, changed careers to become the famed Canine Ambassador for The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston. Endearingly called Catie Copley, she's a community liaison participating in story hour at the South End branch of the Boston Public Library and has spent time with guests who are ill. A delight with children, Catie has even been the star of two children’s books, the second of which includes her colleague Santol, the Canine Ambassador at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. The new book, Catie Copley’s Great Escape, is a follow up to 2007’s top-seller Catie Copley, and follows the adventures of Catie as she takes her first trip to Canada to visit Santol.


At Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club in Kenya, two-year-old Labrador Golden Retrievers Volga and Ducia stay in the courtyard during the day so guests can simply pick them up for a walk over 100 acres of the resort’s property. In Vancouver, you can meet Holly, a Yellow Labrador and Golden Retriever mix at The Fairmont Waterfront and Mavis – Holly’s half-sister and also a Lab/Retreiver mix – and Beau, a Yellow Labrador, at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The Fairmont Waterfront was the first hotel in the company to introduce a K9 Ambassador – welcoming Morgan, a Black Labrador, in 2002, and now enjoying his dog days of retirement.


Guests can stay in touch with their furry friends, by sending "ani-mail" either by snailmail to the hotel or via email. For more info on these Canine Ambassadors, click on http://www.fairmont.com/promotions/canineambassadors 

Mumm's The Word on Bubbly

 Here’s a stylish way to give your bottle of bubbly the chills. From the venerable House of G.H.MUMM comes the limited edition Mumm Cooler, a portable champagne ice bucket that will keep your bottle of Mumm Cordon Rouge cool, whatever the occasion.Its sleek, golden-grooved design featuring the famed label’s red sash, brings a sense of occasion to life’s little celebrations without spoiling their spontaneity. Easy to carry with its built-in handle, the Mumm Cooler can be used anywhere. Simply place a bottle of Cordon Rouge in the cooler, then fill with water and crushed ice. The bottle will remain perfectly chilled for as long as you take to enjoy it. To enjoy champagne in style, it should be served in style too. And that’s says the company is the Mumm way of thinking! 

The Mumm Cooler is available at Marketplace and Wellcome Superstore in Hong Kong for HKD $358. Or you can contact them at info@pernod-ricard-hongkong.com

Super Tuscan Wine Dinner

May 27th @ La Scala, The Sukhothai Bangkok

Explore the flavour-filled world of Tuscan cuisine with a dinner specially paired with top wines from renowned Tuscan wineries.For one night only, Chef Maurizio of La Scala presents a virtuoso six-course menu of classic and creative Tuscan dishes. Selected wines rated by Robert Parker include the 95 point Ornellaia 2004; 93 point Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia 2004; 93 point Antinori, Solaia 2005; and 91 point Antinori, Cervaro della Sala "Castello della Sala" 2004.

Baht 7,200++ per person


Here is the menu that will be served at the dinner

The Brotherhood of the Golden Sabre invites you to join them

The Confrerie du Sabre d’Or (Brotherhood of the Golden Sabre), a prestigious society that promotes the noble art of sabrage and the enjoyment of champagne around the world, will meet for the Second Bangkok chapter on the

8^thApril, 2010 at the Rembrandt Hotel and Towers, Bangkok. 

         A tradition that dates back 200 years, sabrage is the technique of opening a properly chilled Champagne bottle by using a sabre to hit the glass ring at the top of the bottle just below the cork and at the weakest point along the glass seam in the bottle. The technique does not specifically involve extracting the cork, but actually removing the whole top of the bottle: glass collar and cork. To see how it is done, watch this video How to Sabre a Champagne Bottle .

The Confrerie du Sabre d’Or started in France over 25 years ago and currently boasts 30,000 members in 12 different countries. Initiates move up the ranks first becoming a sabreur, then a Chevalier, Officeur, and eventually a Commandeur.

         Come join the brotherhood for a fantastic evening of food prepared by our Executive Chef Eric Lecras accompanied by Champagne and wines specially selected by Quentin Fougeroux. Guests can learn and test their skills in the noble art of sabrage and be knighted as a sabreur.

         The Bangkok Chapter will also welcome members of the brotherhood from France, Germany, and other neighbouring countries at the event. The evening will begin with a ceremony where guests will be introduced to the noble art and can enjoy a few glasses of Champagne. This will be followed by dinner.

The prices for the event is:

 Ceremony and dinner – Bt5,600++

Ceremony, dinner and investiture as a Sabreur – Bt6,600++

Ceremony, dinner and investiture as a Chevalier Sabreur – Bt12,100++

For those attending from out of town, the hotel is offering a special room rate of Bt1,600 net.

Hurry limited seats remain.

Waiter, there’s a pig’s ear on my plate

Few people in Asia, if any, may have heard of Fergus Henderson, let alone know that he is a chef. But he does have legions of fans elsewhere who subscribe to his philosophy of “nose to tail eating” and flock to worship at his chopping board in the Michelin-starred St John Bar and Restaurant in Smithfields, London.

            Opposed to wasting any part of plant, fish, bird or animal, he advocates using offal and everything from nose to tail, transforming the blood-curdling bits and pieces into gastronomic delights. He once declared, “It’s only polite really if you knock an animal on the head to eat it all: tripe, heart, feet, ears, head, tail. It’s all good stuff.”

This philosophy resulted in two culinary tomes, the foodies’ classic, The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating, in which the bygone rural tradition of using the whole beast is enshrined in recipes that are not for the weak of heart, like the ‘Blood Cake and Fried Eggs’, ‘Crispy Pig Tails’, and ‘Fried Squirrel’. Nor are ‘Warm Pig’s Head’ or Soft Roes on Toast that requires delicate white sacs of herring semen, particularly suited for the weak palate. But he is not all shock and awe; forgotten and tamer recipes also make the cut: ‘Mussels Grilled on a Barbecue’, ‘Deviled Crab’, and ‘Green Beans, Shallots, Garlic, and Anchovies’.

            Maverick chef Anthony Bourdain in his introduction to the book said Henderson’s cooking was an “outrageously timed head butt to the growing hordes of the politically correct, the PETA people, practitioners of arch, ironic Fusion Cuisine, and all those chefs who were fussing about with tall, overly sculpted entrées of little substance and less soul.” Calling him the “most influential chef in the world”, Bourdain also named St John his favourite restaurant in the world, saying he wanted Henderson’s signature roast bone marrow and parsley salad as his “death-row meal”.

         A sequel, Beyond Nose to Tail: More Omnivorous Recipes for the Adventurous Cook, Part 2, was co-written with Henderson’s pastry chef, Justin Piers Gellatly, and helped rustle up more delectable offal classics like ‘Fennel and Ox Tongue Soup’, ‘Pressed Pig’s Ear’, ‘Burnt Sheep’s Milk Yogurt’ and ‘Goat’s Curd Cheesecake, among others.

         On March 26^th, Fergus will showcase his “nose to tail” recipes including ‘Pot Roast 1/2 Pig’s Head’ and ‘Roasted Bone Marrow’ in Singapore at a one-off Masterclass and tasting menu at 25 Degrees Celsius, a bookstore dedicated to all things culinary.

Details: 26 Mar (Fri) | 7.30 pm | S$95 nett per pax, which includes a copy of Beyond Nose to Tail (worth S$51.3), the workshop and tasting portion of food. Limited seats available and bookings can only be made through 25 Degrees Celsius at +65 6327 8389 or ask@25degreec.com