Inspirational Travel Moments
That Will Stay With You Forever
Everyone has a moment that defines their travel experiences, a place, an adventure or an encounter that lingers long in the memory. Imagine a light show of lanterns lighting the skies of northern Thailand. Swimming among mantas during their annual migration in the Maldives. Or celebrating love and life on a sunset-shrouded beach in Malaysia.
Wherever you are in the world, we've selected some travel moments to inspire you until you're ready to travel again.
Encounters with Mantas – Maldives
WHAT: Get up-close-and-personal with manta rays at the world’s largest natural manta feeding region in the Maldives from June to November. This is a rare opportunity to swim, snorkel or dive with these gentle giants. With a wing span of up to four metres, manta rays congregate at Hanifaru Bay during the southwest monsoon season. Mantas often swim within centimetres of snorkellers, drawing near and, incredibly, avoiding contact at the very last moment – a primal, heart-pumping moment. On any given day, you’ll see anywhere from a couple of mantas to more than 40, depending on plankton levels.
WHERE: Surrounded by nothing but turquoise and sapphire blue waters, our Maldives resorts are idyllic havens of luxury in the most inspirational setting imaginable. Choose from Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Anantara Veli Maldives Resort and Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort. Savour the luxury of space in your private pool beach or over water villa. Snorkel with mantas, stargaze at night and revel in nature’s most amazing playground.
Light Shows of Wonder – Thailand
WHAT: Watch as thousands of rice paper lanterns glitter in the night sky during Chiang Mai's Yi Peng festival, which is celebrated alongside Loi Krathong, Thailand’s floating lights festival during the full moon of the 12th lunar month, usually in late October or early November. In Buddhist culture, releasing a floating lantern into the sky represents optimism and new beginnings, while the floating of lights on rivers and ponds signifies the release negative energy.
WHERE: Located on the banks of the Mae Ping River, the elegant Anantara Chiang Mai Resort is a luxurious gateway to the northern capital’s ancient temples, Lanna heritage, artisan villages and mountain hill tribes. Its riverside location makes it a wonderful location to witness the magical lightshow of Loi Krathong.
Surfing the Impossible – Bali
WHAT: Since the early 1970s, surfers have travelled from across the globe to surf the famous waves of Indonesia. Uluwatu is the epicentre of surfing in Indonesia and Impossibles, one of the most instagrammable waves on planet earth, is a temperamental, dreamlike reef break that comes alive in the dry season. From May through to September, when powerful swells hit the south coast of Bali, Impossibles produces powerful barrelling waves with unforgettable hollow tubes.
WHERE: Anantara Uluwatu Resort is set on a dramatic cliff overlooking Impossible Beach. Terraced architecture offers spectacular Indian Ocean views from every angle. Dine, swim and ride Indonesia’s most impressive wave.
Luxury by Locomotive – Vietnam
WHAT: Indulge in the epic romance of rail travel on a memorable journey between Hoi An and the picturesque shores of Quy Nhon. The Vietage train journey is slow travel at its most atmospheric, an unhurried montage of moments as you witness endless mountainscapes, white cranes drifting across azure skies, water buffalo grazing in dense green paddy fields and bright bursts of frangipani. This enchanting experience is accompanied by delightful gourmet dining inspired by French cuisine and the rich flavours of the locale.
WHERE: The Vietage offers the perfect way to travel between very different but equally luxurious Anantara destinations – Anantara Hoi An Resort and Anantara Quy Nhon Villas.
The Spirit of the Desert – United Arab Emirates
WHAT: Sleeping in a Bedouin-style tent deep among the dunes of the Empty Quarter, with just a thin canvas between you and the stars, should be on every travel bucket list. Your desert journey includes a camel ride, a rare sighting of Saluki hounds hurtling through the desert, and majestic falcons soaring in the sky. As night settles over the desert you’ll embark on a sensory celebration of Bedouin culture and cuisine. Morning brings breakfast cooked over wood fires, archery challenges, sand-boarding and horse riding.
WHERE: For mystical sand-dune vistas under an inky star-filled sky, this experience at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort By Anantara is a must. Expect miles and miles of uninhabited desert, stargazing, Arabic storytelling and exclusive tented rooms overlooking the dunes.
A Moment in Time – Malaysia
WHAT: Sharing a wonderful meal with a loved one can be a truly momentous occasion. It’s even better when the venue happens to be unique sand seating in a beautiful beachside location. Indulge in this enchanting private dining experience, offering a choice of six connoisseur menus coupled with the discreet services of your own personal chef and butler, on the golden shores of Desaru in southeast Malaysia.
WHERE: Located along a pristine 10-mile beach, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas is perfect for those who seek a Malaysian beach idyll that can be as adventurous or laidback as you want.