Under the charm of your better half, let yourself be bewitched by the Polynesian spells…

Gauguin, Brel and Paul-Emile Victor never left. Choose the “nomad duo”, a cruise on a 38 foot private catamaran and discover the Iles-sous-le-Vent: Raiatea, Huahine, Taha’a and Bora Bora.

Idleness is guaranteed among these gorgeous landscapes. Diving, swimming and other nautical activities are also available. Another “well-being” bonus being offered is a Tahitian massage. About 6000 euros per person for 10 days and full board leaving from Paris.

Symbol of Barcelona, la Sagrada Família is inseparable from its cranes.

The construction of this spectacular cathedral was started in 1882 by Gaudí on an impulse and should not be finished before 2026, the centennial anniversary of the death of Gaudí, or maybe even 2030…

But visiting this cathedral is still amazing! If you don’t suffer from vertigo, take the spiral staircases that go all the way up to the towers. It is guaranteed that you will have a magnificent view of Barcelona! To follow the progress of the construction, you can stay at the Eurostars Gaudi Hotel, a four star establishment of contemporary design. Another site that must be visited if you are a fan of the Gaudí style is the Parque Güell on the hills of Carmel where Gaudí gave free rein to his imagination and built a vast garden made of curves and wonders.

The Club Med hybrid ship, half liner and half sailboat, is honoring the seventh art during a transatlantic cruise from April 17 to May 2 2008 between Havana and Lisbon.

The cross between the new and old world gives you plenty of free time to enjoy the ship’s movie theater. Between the stopovers in Bermuda and the Azores, your days will be filled with movies to see and enjoy as well as debates and lectures by movie professionals, actors, directors, producers and screenwriters.

You must calculate about 3500 euros for 15 nights and the Paris/Havana flight. For information and reservation: Club Med and travel agencies.

This is a first. If you are a golfer, the Compagnie des Iles du Ponant has thought of you with its cruise “Tee-Time in the Mediterrean”: the itinerary offers the practice of your favorite sport on the golf course of Sperone in Corsica or Pevero in Sardaigna as well as discovering the culture of the region.

The sailboat made up of 32 cabins and designed by the architect du Phocéa will bring you from July 7 to July 15 2008 to Calvi and Bonifacio on the “Beauty Island”, Porto Cervo in Sardaigna, Civitavecchia (Roma), Portoferriao, Elbe Island and even the small but very jet-set port of Portofino on the Ligurian coast.

The small size of the sailboat will allow you to dock between wild coves and steep cliffs as well as have privileged access to five golf courses. Boarding and unboarding take place in Nice. You must count about 3500 euros for an 8 day cruise (excluding flights). For information and reservation: Compagnie des Iles du Ponant.

Of all the American ski resorts towns, Aspen is by far the one preferred by the jet-set.

Each winter on its slopes you can see Calvin Klein, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kevin Costner, Mariah Carey, Paul Simon, Kurt Russel, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffiths or the Clinton family. Jack Nicholson also has a home in Aspen and visits every year.

When visiting, three places are not to be forgotten: first there is the St. Regis Hotel where you go to see and be seen. Then on Aspen’s main street, the Jerome Hotel is part of the historic hotels of this resort town where clients such as Johnny Depp, Sylvester Stallone and Donald Trump have stayed. But if you are looking for a quieter place, choose the “Little Nell” which is Sean Connery’s favorite address in Aspen.

Megève, discreet luxury
The story of Megève is mixed with the story of the Rothschild family. It was in the 1920s that the baroness Noémie de Rothschild decided to make Megève one of her holiday destinations. The resort quickly transformed itself and welcomed royals from the entire world. Today, Nadine de Rothschild is still loyal to Megève which notably houses Michel Sardou and Hubert de Givenchy in a very discreet manner. Between Megève and Chamonix, you must stop and visit the Lavancher village. You will discover the Chalets de Philippe, a hotel composed of 7 cabins decorated by the Parisian agent Philippe Courtines. Some of its distinguished clients have been Kylie Minogue, Michael Moore and Philippe Seguin, president of the Cour des comptes.

Gstaad, the “Beverly Hills of the Alps”
If Liz Taylor, Michael Jackson, Hugh Grant or the former British Prime Minister John major are some of the celebrities that can been seen in Gstaad, this Swiss resort town also has an impressive amount of celebrity residents. Roger Moore has had a secondary residence in Gstaad for many years just like the Italian designer Valentino and Paris Hilton, Mohammed al-Fayed, Ursula Andress, Keanu Reeves, Roman Polanski and Victor Emmanuel de savoir also have a pied-à-terre. Johnny Holiday recently bought a house which caused quite a stir. If you rent a cabin in Gstaad for your holidays, the odds are that you will probably have a famous neighbor!

Crans-Montana, Gstaad’s rival.
When it comes to luxury, Crans-Montana holds its own and has some serious references in the matter. Just this winter this Swiss resort welcomed Prince William of England, Liam Gallagher, James Blunt as well as Carla Bruni and her stepson Jean Sarzozy. Among the loyals of Crans-Montana, Alain Delon is an unconditional visitor of the Grand Hotel du Golf & Palace, one of the best addresses of Crans-Montana and celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The actress Gina Lollobrigida, the composer Michel Legrand and David Hallyday also have their regular hangouts. The Quebec singer Céline Dion has a very particular connection to this resort town since in 1988, when she was still unknown, she resided in Crans-Montana to prepare for the Eurovision contest. She won the competition which really started her career. Since then, Céline Dion has not forgetten Crans-Montana and visits regularly.

At the heart of three valleys is Courchevel, the largest ski resort in the world which spreads out through 5 altitudes. Choose without hesitating Courchevel 1850 with its luxury hotels and cabins. The flagship address of 1850 is the Palace des neiges (which used to be the Byblos).

Lionel Richie is one of this hotel’s best clients. There is also the Cheval Blanc with its 34 rooms decorated with mountain photographs taken by Karl Lagerfeld. “Courch” cannot keep count of its celebrities and Gerard Depardieu, Ewan McGregor, the newsreader Arthur, the king of Morocco Mohamed VI as well as the Beckhams are some of those in love with this resort town. Since 1993, the resort has also welcomed the “Trophée Femmes en or ” which rewards every year in December, exceptional women in nine different categories.

Some of the winners have been: Claire Chazal, Julie Depardieu and Audrey Pulvar.

·         Accommodation: Budget between €400 and €700 per night, per person, with breakfast, if you want to stay in a private villa on the beach or on stilts in the very best resorts on the islands, such as the Four Seasons. At the Anantara, budget around €450 per night in low season for a private 110m2 villa on the beach, and add around another €100 for a beach villa of 165m2 with a private pool. Both prices include breakfast.

·         With package tour operators, a package including boat transfers and three nights with breakfast is often available for between €700 and €1000 (for the cheaper villas), depending on the season and not including flights, for good four-star accommodation. In order to book into a five-star hotel such as the Huvafen Fushi, the Soneva or the Taj Exotica, budget between €1000 and €1500 per night, depending on the season.

·         One night for four persons in the Presidential villa at the Taj Exotica costs between €4600 and €13,800 per night with breakfast, depending on the season.

·         Massages and Treatments: for individual treatments, the price is quoted in Dollars and is usually equivalent to what would be charged in the best spas in the capital cities of the world. At Soneva, for example, a “Spa Journey” lasting ninety minutes would cost $360, and would consist of a facial treatment, foot bath and body massage. Massages (Shiatsu, Thai, Balinese, Swedish etc) cost around $190 for fifty minutes, and ninety minutes of Hot Stone Therapy will cost around $170.

·         Activities for Well-Being: some are free, such as meditation sessions (a free thirty minute course in Dhyana meditation, for example, is available twice a week at the Conrad Rangali). Some other activities cost money (around $20 for a Tai Chi lesson lasting one hour). The five-day programs with a lifestyle consultant, at Soneva Gili and Soneva Fushi (see “Sanctuaries for the body and mind”), expect to pay around 750 Euros, plus accommodation.