Island Resorts Archives - Photo Tips, Creative Photography + Travel Guides - The Wandering Lens

Glamping in the Cook Islands: Ikurangi Eco Retreat

Lisa Michele Burns — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 05:23:47 +0000

Let’s begin with the thought of camping…now add in all the little luxuries you could ever want for a night sleeping outdoors. Furthermore add visions of a tropical island lagoon, lush rainforests and twinkling star filled skies. The place you’re imagining exists. It’s called Ikurangi Eco Retreat on the island of Rarotonga. Waking to the sound of roosters, a gentle sea breeze wafting over the sheets and the smell of fresh pastries outside the tent I thought quite possibly I was dreaming. When did camping get so plush? As the first glamping site in the Cook Islands, Ikurangi has set the bar high up in the coconut palms. There’s no roughing it, here you get to experience all the outdoor magic of camping but rest your head on a soft pillow and queen size bed inside a bug-free glamourous safari tent. The best part? A private outdoor bathroom! Thatched walls and a open air decked area mean you can clean your teeth as the palms sway above and use eco-luxe products made from coconut and vanilla while you shower beneath the stars. Unzipping your tent at the front reveals views toward the mountainous core of Rarotonga as chickens roam freely...

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Singapore Stopover: The W Experience

Lisa Michele Burns — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 21:48:19 +0000

Whenever I see the letter W my mind is immediately drawn to visions of water. Thoughts of long refreshing swims and warm summer weather follows shortly after and it’s not long before I start looking up destinations to visit that all revolve around the letter W. It just so happens that this letter also represents one of my favourite hotel brands. W Hotels wow you with details regardless of where you choose to stay with them in the world. The W Singapore – Sentosa Cove is no exception and is the ideal stopover destination if you’re keen to float around and soak up the sunshine before your next flight. Located on the lush little island paradise of Sentosa, this hotel is a trendy, relaxing haven of all things tropical and water is a key focus! While you can explore the nearby attractions of Sentosa Island and visit the southern most point of South-East Asia at Palawan Beach or wander through Sentosa ResortWorld and the impressive SEA Aquarium, sometimes a stopover should just be about chill time. W Hotels are the concept kings in my opinion when it comes to transforming public areas of their properties around the world. The custom...

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Hayman Island – Photographing Paradise

Lisa Michele Burns — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 23:00:41 +0000

When your room sparkles in the morning with the reflection of tropical waters on the ceiling you know you are waking up somewhere special. Sitting pretty at the northern point of the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland you’ll find a little gem called Hayman Island. Surrounded by postcard worthy beaches and reef brimming with marine life, this is one of those bucket list destinations you’ll wish you visited sooner. Having lived on the island for five years whilst operating my landscape photography gallery, I’ve wanted to share a few secret photography spots on the island for some time. After recently returning to the island and experiencing its shimmering beauty again, there’s no time like the present to let you all in on where to go to capture your own landscape images. With a location amongst the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, the island is a photographer’s paradise offering ocean landscapes, lush rainforests, native wildlife and of course plenty of opportunities to capture the perfect sunset shot. The Tidal Mangrove Trio If you want to take a walk along the shoreline and find a spot rarely visited by others this is it. While you can actually see this spot from most...

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Escape into the world of W Retreat Maldives, Fesdhoo Island

Lisa Michele Burns — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 10:35:14 +0000

Imagine a world where you have a soundtrack perfectly composed to your tropical surroundings, echoing as you float from pool to beach to boat. As my seaplane landed on the turquoise waters at sunrise, the W Maldives Retreat and Spa sat like a beautiful mirage in the distance across the lagoon. Approaching the island shortly after landing the water suddenly turned from a deep ocean blue to a crystal clear aquatic wonderland so perfect I wanted to jump in fully clothed! The W Retreat Maldives is one of the hundreds of island resorts dotted across the coral atolls of this island nation in the Indian Ocean. Based on Fesdhoo Island, the W has its own chilled out vibe, something unique that makes it stand out amongst the rest and that is evident throughout the world of W Hotels globally. It’s simply cool. Each room has a surround sound system allowing the customised tunes to play as you slip into your private pool, bath tub or as you lounge on your rooftop deck. The décor is hip and trendy but still so damn comfy you don’t even need to leave your little oasis. I stayed in the Beach Oasis, a luxurious...

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The Maldives – One&Only Reethi Rah

Lisa Michele Burns — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 09:08:18 +0000

The Maldives. These two words conjure up visions of lush palm beaches and coral atolls. A dream destination infamous for honeymooners, luxe bungalows and more importantly crystal clear water perfect for photography! As my flight from Singapore descended my head was stuck to the window in the hope of seeing one of the 1,190 coral atolls that make up the island nation of the Maldives. A communal ‘oooo’ echoed around the plane as we all saw the shining teal seas glistening upon strips of sand and reef visible for miles. Ahoy, paradise! Malé International Airport (Ibrahim Nasir Airport) is located on its very own island making the transfer to anywhere an exciting first adventure. Ferry boats and seaplanes line the terminal building waiting patiently in the surrounding waters to take honeymooners to the hundreds of island resorts or nearby Male City. I was visiting the country for the first time to photograph at three island resorts, each unique in their styling and location within the atolls. First up was One&Only Reethi Rah, this incredible resort in North Male’ Atoll had been on my radar for a few months and I knew it would be the ideal place for underwater photographs....

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