This is what Earth must have looked like before the human footprint. Immense forests as far as the eye can see. Glaciers advancing and retreating in an endless cycle of rebirth.

An ice-age wilderness, bigger, bolder and more beautiful than you can imagine. Diamond-blue icebergs, rushing mountain streams, waterfalls and flowers of every colour. Alaska’s Inside Passage – we were about to tick a big item off our bucket list.

Discovering Alaska’s Inside Passage has been on our list for such a long time, but we weren’t what you’d call a ‘cruise-holiday’ couple. We long remained conscious of the old saying that cruising is for the ‘newly-wed and over-fed. Along with the prospect of living ‘cheek by jowl’ with 3000 other holidaymakers, and standing in endless queues for the buffet, we had deemed this vacation genre big turn-off.

But we had heard only good reports about the boutique Silversea Cruises and their award-winning, all-suite luxury and trademark intimate ambience. It sounded like we had found the perfect way to see the Inside Passage.

On boarding in Vancouver, we were astounded with the 186-metre, 28,000-ton beauty called Silver Shadow, which was our home for the next six nights. The Alaskan portion of the Inside Passage extends 800 kilometres from north to south and 160 kilometres from east to west.

The area encompasses 1,000 islands, 24,000 kilometres of shoreline and thousands of coves and bays. We couldn’t wait to get started.

The Captain, Cruise Director and Executive Chef greeted us when we boarded. Following a champagne check-in process, we were taken to our suite, where our own personal butler greeted us. The accommodation onboard is everything you would expect from a 5-star hotel: a sumptuous bed, comfortable living area and a full-size bath with separate shower.

Our private balcony was framed with floor to ceiling windows, which framed a sea of China-blue as we steamed out of Vancouver harbour, bound for Alaska.

Once we had settled into our suite, we headed out to explore the ship’s facilities.  The gym was surprisingly well equipped, complete with a running track and a fabulous spa. When we returned to our suite, we were delighted to see that our butler had run us a hot bubble bath and left a chilled bottle of champagne with our invitation to dinner at 7:30pm (outlining the dress required), along with a checklist for the next day’s activities. 

Thirty minutes before dinner, our doorbell rang, and in walked our butler with a tray of canapés and a cocktail made with my usual cranberry juice. What a civilised way to start the evening.

The Native Legacy of Ketchikan

On the second day, Silver Shadow stopped at our first port of call, Ketchikan Alaska. Ketchikan is famous for its colourful totem poles, rainy skies, steep streets and lush island settings – it is a favourite stop for travellers. Some 14,000 people call it home, and during summer, cruise ships crowd its shorelines, floatplanes depart for Misty Fjords National Monument, and commercial fishing boats, laden with salmon, head home to Tongass Narrows.

Each day we chose an activity, one of which was a mountain bike ride around the island. Rich, verdant scenery made many irresistible opportunities for Dani to bring out her new Canon DX1. We can confirm the terrain is steep; after 20 kilometres, it was all over for us and we headed back to the ship for lunch.

At 4:00pm, every one was back onboard and we headed for Juneau, Alaska’s capital city.

Close Encounter with Nature at Juneau

On Day Three we woke with the incredible Mount Juneau filling our vista. Juneau is located on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaskan panhandle and is the second largest city in the United States by area. It is extremely reliant on tourism and has a huge fishing community, salmon being the featured catch, of course, which made it an easy choice for lunch.

The majority of the population works in the city, but everyone has a hand in the tourist trade. Well set-up for tourists, it is not unusual to see six ships at once converge on Juneau with thousands of shopaholics onboard; this is the town’s life-blood for seven months of the year.

Our day was spent out on the channel onboard a patrol-style boat. With Canon in hand, we searched for the local Humpback whales, whose performance of flipping and rolling rendered the term “’trigger happy’ an understatement.

We then came across a pack of sea lions and a bonus Bald Eagle – the area was like a nature park offering up a multitude of National Geographic trophy shots.

After we headed back to the ship, we decided to take a late lunch by the pool, and although the afternoon sun was beating down onto the deck, we drank in the snowcapped mountains and glaciers.  With my Mambos on by the pool, and as the ship headed north to Skagway, we enjoyed our lunch of a medium-rare salmon and a Caesar salad.

Dinner tonight that night was at the grill. I love cooking, so we looked forward to the Hot Rocks menu of cook-it-yourself eye fillet and huge Madagascar prawns. Having a personal barbeque was perfect, and I ordered a few extras of garlic, onion and fresh chili.  With a squeeze of lemon, some Balsamic, a generous knob of butter and cracked pepper, dinner was ready and cooked exactly how we like it!

After such a fantastic day out on the water, we were keen for a quiet night. We decided to watch a movie in our suite after dinner. Our butler brought hot chocolate to the room and confirmed our rafting expedition for the next day in Skagway.

Glacial River Rafting at Skagway

Our fourth day started at 6:30am, as we awoke with a picturesque view of snowcapped mountains and two other ships docking.  We had to be dockside by 8:00am, ready for a three-mile hike along the Chilkoot Trail to get to our raft waiting at a tidal estuary.

The Chilkoot Trail is one of two main routes to the Klondike that originate in this area. Long before the gold rush in the late 1800s, the trail was established by Tlingit people as a trade route into the interior of Canada. It is an incredible area. While we were rafting, we marveled at the granite walls lining the fjord that rose up steeply, becoming snowcapped peaks serrated by hanging glaciers.

We sat and enjoyed a coffee while watching eagles and seals patrol the mouth of the river for salmon. After we hauled the raft from the icy cold river and loaded the gear into the van to head back to the ship, we had a real sense of achievement that we had experienced rafting down glacial rivers in Alaska!

For dinner, we were invited to join the Captain of the Silver Shadow, Alessandro Zanello, and it was a very pleasant surprise to find he is an Australian-Italian and to hear about his time onboard. We were joined by four other guests, and the night was highlighted by a specially prepared menu by the Executive Chef.

After dinner, we were invited to the showroom where we enjoyed a remarkable operatic performance by the Silversea performers.

The very talented group of six wrapped the night up perfectly with their version of ‘The Prayer’, which received a standing ovation.

After a day that we’d had, it was hard to just retreat to the room, so we walked along Deck 8 to capture a view of the rugged snowcapped peaks and glaciers, which were reflected in the glass-like water. It was hard to comprehend that it was 10:00pm and the sun was still streaming across the Pacific.

The Charming Village of Sitka

Day Five gave us a ‘lazy day’ opportunity to stroll around Sitka as our last real stop before anchorage. Sitka is the only town in Southeast Alaska that faces the Gulf of Alaska head-on, and there are many buildings in this area that remind us that it was ruled by Russia from the early 1800s to 1867.

More recently, Sitka was the backdrop for the 2009 movie, The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock. This quaint little fishing village resembled a true movie set. The main street featured beautifully restored old churches, gift shops, cafes and local identities who welcomed the new influx of tourists.

During the day, six ships had converged on this little village and, as this is the start of the summer season, all the locals were out ready to turn on the charm and show off the pride of Alaska.

This day gave us the chance to make sense of where we were and to fully appreciate the privilege of being here. The significance of global warming is fully realised when one is immersed in the majesty of the environment- to actually see it, breathe it, to raft and hike in it- which creates a certainty that this is the most intoxicating land on earth.

Back onboard, we were in great anticipation for our dinner booked at Le Champagne, the only Relais & Châteaux restaurant at sea.

We were to be joining a small group of only 28 guests to dine there that night.  On offer was an extraordinary six-course dining experience complemented with wine from the world’s most distinguished wine regions.

The regionally inspired dishes were first rate, the service was exceptional and the mood memorable.  Our dinner started with a selection of beautifully presented hors d’oeurvres: porcini cappuccino, King Scallop, lobster medallion and foie gras cones.

This was followed by a cold entrée choice of red tuna carpaccio, marbled foie gras terrine, lobster salad or oscietra caviar. A choice of hot entrée followed with pan-fried rougie foie gras, grilled King Scallops, dover sole or lobster tail with truffle essence. 

We could then choose from two spectacular main course options of rack of New Zealand lamb or breast of forest pigeon with artichoke and truffle ragout. A choice of desserts followed: soufflé au Grand Mariner Centenaire or Suzette a ma facon, finally finishing with a decadent trilogy of Valrhona chocolate.

The Breathtaking Hubbard Glacier

On Day Six, we awoke at 7:00am to the noise of passengers scrambling to the top deck. There had been much anticipation throughout the ship the previous night as we all knew we would see, for the first time, the famous Hubbard Glacier in the morning.

We joined the other passengers on the top deck and there it was. At near freezing temperatures, the impressive sight mesmerized all 190 passengers who were located on the various decks around the ship, oblivious to the cold. Cameras were working overtime, as no one wanted to miss a single vision of this unbelievable natural creation – we were all totally spellbound.

It takes about 400 years for ice to traverse the length of the glacier, meaning that the ice at the foot of the glacier is about 400 years old. Where the glacier meets the shore, most of the ice is below the waterline, and newly carved icebergs can shoot up quite dramatically, so that ships must keep their distance as they ply their way up and down the coast. 

The glacier carved off an iceberg the size of a ten-story building right before our very eyes, and with booming sound like canons firing, sheets of glacier ice, some 100 meters high, sheared off into the sea. As the ship departed the Hubbard Glacier, and guests left the various vantage points around the ship, it felt like the last few hours had taken only moments.

The Silversea farewell party was scheduled for later that afternoon, so we had some time to visit the gym and work off some of the calories from our dining extravaganzas.

The Grand Finale was as expected, thoughtful and moving, with all crew members (300) and the entire guest list (190) together for the first time.  A montage of images and memories were played across multiple screens, at the same time serenading us with Bocelli.

Before we knew it, we were sitting at our usual table enjoying the last supper. We ate together in the absence of major conversation, enjoying the unspoken knowledge that again we had experienced a life-changing time together.

Time to Depart

Our day of departure started at 6:00am, as our ship had made its way into Seaward Harbour.  Showered and packed, we then enjoyed our last breakfast onboard.  It was with reluctance that we left our beautiful suite.  Within 50 meters of the gangway was the Luxury Dome Top Train, which transported us four hours to the airport. 

We felt like school kids heading home from camp as we settled in on the train, some still catching the postcard scenery, seeking a shot of a wild mousse or burly grizzly bear.  One wouldn’t expect anything less from nature’s own backyard.

The entire product from start to finish was first-class and for those of you, not unlike me, who have shied away from cruises and the masses, check out their website and let a whole new world of luxury adventure open up.

The Address Dubai Mall is housed within the stylish 42-story elliptical Emaar Tower, and located in the exclusive Downtown Dubai area. Bolted onto the world’s largest shopping destination, the Dubai Mall, this Address property has cornered the market in providing the ultimate shopping and luxury accommodation destination I have ever seen to date.

With 244 signature rooms and suites offering three upbeat restaurants and lounges, a luxurious spa and wellness facilities and convenient business amenities, The Address Dubai Mall offers a quintessential luxurious experience.

The contemporary entrance proudly embraces its Arabic culture featuring stunning marble floors, decorative Arabic wall geometrics, high ceilings and luminous candlelit lanterns. However, fashionistas from around the world might consider the real jewel in the crown to be the direct entrance to Bloomingdales.

It was like an open invitation to King Solomon’s cave luring you into a mystical shoppers heaven … very clever!

Our efficient check-in was made more enjoyable thanks to Dubai’s friendliest receptionist, Mary, who treated us like long-lost relatives. Her vibrant and enthusiastic manner was infectious as she proudly escorted us up to our Premier Suite and gave us a detailed rundown of our schedule over the next two days and of the hotel’s facilities.

HIGHLIGHTS

With a daily gym workout always high on the agenda, we decided to check out the facilities. As we approached the gym reception, a welcoming “Good morning Mr Phil!” came echoing down the hallway. The brief to the staff was to ensure nothing was left to chance for our visit, as our photo was placed at every check-in area.

The gymnasium was more than impressive with an extensive range of technogym equipment including their treadmills, ellipticals and free weights.After a challenging cardio workout, we adjourned to the upper deck to soak in some much needed sun and plunge in for a swim at the striking Olympic-sized pool.

DINING

Dinner at the fabulous Al Fresco Cabana Restaurant was booked for 7:00pm and we invited close friends Sarah-Jane and James to share an evening ‘under the stars’. Upon arrival, we were escorted out to the pool and then lead to a magical oasis in our own private cabana, set exquisitely for four.

A stunning environment topped off with views of the awesome Burj Khalifa.

Dessert continued the theme of a true degustation style menu and we enjoyed a sublime deconstructed Pavlova accompanied with soft pink marshmallow, marzipan, fresh cream and berries. Superb evening!

MUST DO

Walking past the private entrance to Bloomingdales every day, one can’t help but feel the irresistible pull to visit the Dubai Mall.  We succumbed and set off to explore Dubai’s Fashion Mecca, with the first stop, of course, being Bloomingdales, which was the first store to open outside of the USA in 2010. 

With an incredible number of iconic international stores all under the one roof, we were tempted with the latest men and women’s fashions, featuring designer brands including Alexander McQueen, Salvatore Ferragamo and Tom Ford.

With an abundance of beauty products, perfumes, accessories, shoes, handbags and homewares, there truly are many opulent choices here. And retail therapy isn’t the only thing on offer; we also checked out the Dubai Aquarium (one of the largest tanks in the world at 51 metres high), the ice-skating rink, toured the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building) and finally lunched at our favourite Italian Restaurant, Eataly!

There’s a buzz around town following the recent announcement of Expo 2020 being staged in Dubai.

The host venue for the event (currently under construction) stretches from Dubai Trade Centre to Jebel Ali, and is a 438-hectare site that includes a dedicated gated 150-hectare Expo area and a surrounding residential, hospitality and logistics zone.

As the city gears up to receive some 300,000 Expo visitors, we wanted to highlight in this edition some of the Emirate’s luxury hospitality and high-end accommodation destinations on offer.

One of Emaar’s five award-winning properties is Vida – meaning ‘life’ in Spanish – and this property is nestled in the Old Town precinct of Dubai. With its mantra being ‘freedom, intuition, inspiration and responsibility’, this trendy property has an unprecedented level of urban sophistication targeting the new younger generation of business executives, entrepreneurs, and hip leisure travellers.

Renowned for its commitment to innovation, Vida’s first impression is a good one. The impressive lobby lounge featured oversized chairs and sofas in a neutral palette, a stylish hi-tech internet bar, cascading double-height floor to ceiling cream silk curtains and entire wall features displaying antique maps and vintage travel paraphernalia.

This was all offset with the fresh scent of exotic flowers adorning the crystal chandeliers, with the end result making us feel instantly alive and inspired.

The Vida Downtown property offers 156 deluxe rooms including 10 premier suites, each with a fresh neutral, yet calming interior. Spacious in its design, the rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi and 42-inch flat screen hotel interactive TVs. Located on the lower floor are four meeting rooms, which can host up to 180 delegates, and a tranquil breakfast and dining area.

Not wanting to miss a thing, our two-day visit to Vida was jam-packed with reviews, interviews, tastings, gym workouts and, of course, treating ourselves to the hidden oasis of tranquil four-poster day beds with a cocktail or two down by the pool.

DINING

After hearing many ‘whispers’ about Vida Downtown being Dubai’s latest ‘in’ place, we were very interested to see what the dining experiences would be like.  We booked into Le Serre Bistro and Boulangerie. Le Serre is encased in a beautiful two-story glass facade, and offers a traditional Parisian boulangerie on the ground floor and a bistro on the first floor.

The menu is the creation of flamboyant Nigerian-born chef, Izu Ani. With our close friends, Mark and Zoe, joining us for the evening, the Bistro Manager, Brad Warnock, escorted us to our table where we were to be taken on an unforgettable French dining experience.

The ambience of Le Serre is elegantly chic, with an abundance of white and cream upholstered furnishings and walls, which are offset by a rich chocolate floor – probably not a place to take your children with dirty fingers. Our menu was left completely up to the discretion of the chefs, who bedazzled us with their creativity.

Our entrees, a feast of many, began with lentils mixed with a combination of roasted hazelnuts, carrots, onions and a fabulous lemon dressing, which converted me to a lover of the usually boring lentil. Then came the fresh garden peas with garlic croutons and a white balsamic dressing, a pizza with cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and delicious caramelized onions, caprese with mozzarella (to die for!) and a sublime tuna carpaccio.

If it were even possible, our main meals ramped up the taste sensations with succulent veal chops, hand-made fettuccini with lobster, grilled Chilean sea bass and slow cooked beef ribs. As Le Serre’s boulangerie is so well regarded, we could not pass up the opportunity to try the desserts, but after such a feast we decided to share only two selections.

That was not to be, however, and out came lemon meringue, baked apple tart, passion-fruit cheesecake, crème brûlée and the most mind-blowing baked chocolate mousse I have ever tasted. Fully sated and hardly able to move, we managed to escape to the lounge for an espresso and to talk through the French culinary masterpiece we had just enjoyed.

Our experience overall was extraordinary, and we agreed that Le Serre is arguably Dubai’s finest French restaurant.

Recommendation

Friday’s Urban Picnic Brunch: On arrival you will receive your very own picnic basket, blanket and complimentary glass of champagne. Enjoy a selection of fresh salads, wraps, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, pizza and mouthwatering desserts!

Be adventurous and spread out on your blanket on the grass around the pool area – you won’t be disappointed! Every Friday from 1:00 – 5:00 pm.

Every golf course in the world claims to have all the components to qualify themselves as ‘world-class’. Whether that’s true depends on who you speak with. 

Club members usually have a bias for their own club, and truly seasoned golf nuts can be quite esoteric about what makes a course ‘world-class’.  The truly great golf courses are not determined by how fast the greens are running, or whether bent grass is more superior than 328 – who cares?

For my money, the truly great courses are those that deliver the total experience.

Here’s where the Address Montgomerie in Dubai comes in.  At this venue you’ll find the region’s most highly respected golf-coaching academy – The Academy by Troon Golf, as well as the spectacular US $24 million clubhouse, which includes a boutique hotel on-premise.

These are located with a stunning championship golf course designed by Colin Montgomerie OBE in association with Desmond Muirhead. The 18-hole par 72 course covers 265 acres, which consist of 123 acres of turf, 49 acres of man-made lakes (a total of 14 lakes), 93 acres of landscaped gardens and is scattered with 81 large bunkers.

On 26 January 2014, we selected ‘the Monty’ for our Australia Day Qantas Classic Golf event and invited our top 120 customers to attend. Whilst the venue and all it has to offer is superb, what made the experience world-class was the staff.  We were impressed by the eagerness of the team to ensure all guests had a day to remember.

What added the real icing on the cake was the delicious taste sensations served up by Executive Chef, Neeraj Pyaneeandee and his team. The Monty has it all – 5 star accommodation only 75 metres from the first tee, meeting rooms, a business centre, wellness spa and a fully equipped gym. This made running the event very easy, as we didn’t need to transfer guests from their accommodation to the course, and their every need was catered for in the one location.

The Australia Day Qantas Classic Golf Day ran exactly as expected, with the weather a lovely 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

The 120 happy golfers played around the course in four and a half hours in the morning which was perfect, as Dubai can become a touch warm as the day gets on. Everyone agreed that the Monty was a great course to play – that’s a bonus!

I’ve been back to the Address Montgomerie since that event and spent a couple of days there.  It is such a pleasure to play a round of golf in the morning, and enjoy the spa treatments in the afternoon.  For dinner I caught up with Chef Neeraj at Nineteen, where we sat and enjoyed the amazing views and chatted about the menu prepared in their show kitchen.

Chef Neeraj had prepared a magnificent five-course degustation menu which featured beautifully flavoured cranberry infused foie gras, a piece of crispy skinned Australian glacier fish, a 200-gram rare portion of Aussie rib eye with a magical port-reduction, and finished with a freshly made frozen yogurt and a deconstructed lemon meringue tart.

Even if you aren’t a big fan of the flying Scotsman, Colin Montgomerie, you must congratulate him and Desmond Muirhead on their signature layout. Along with The Address Hotels, this course shows what it truly means to be world-class.

With a stunning waterfront location, staying at the Address Dubai Marina places you amongst luxury yachts, hip restaurants and lounges, a shopping mecca and Dubai’s gorgeous beaches. 

The waterfront lifestyle is a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle and bright lights of mid-Downtown but there’s action aplenty here.

The hotel features 200 guest rooms and suites offered over five categories. All have brilliant views of either the city or the marina.  The rooms are beautifully furnished and have a calming and sophisticated décor. Complimentary WiFi, gourmet tea and coffee and a fully stocked mini-bar are also available.

The beds are very comfortable and come with a selection of pillow choices by Müehldorfer. The ensuites are first class and stocked with handpicked Charlotte Rhys toiletries, making it a comfortable place to stay.

After we checked in and dealt with some emails in the Business Centre, we grabbed a light lunch by the pool.  This is a pretty special place to be – the 50-metre long outdoor infinity pool is located on the fourth floor and is constructed in an elevated position.  Lunching on the pool-deck, we enjoyed a spectacular view of the yachts in the marina and beyond.

The Address properties are renowned for their spa facilities and the spa at The Address Dubai Marina stepped up to the plate.  We could choose from a complete menu of signature treatments offered in their 12 treatment rooms; all feature luxurious shower facilities and peaceful views of the marina. We opted for an 80-minute unforgettable Thai massage.

On Thursday and Friday nights, the hotel’s pool-deck becomes standing room thanks to the popularity of the hotel’s restaurant, Shades. 

We were keen to check out what the fuss was about and spent a couple of hours on a very cool lounge devouring our own personal BBQ of prawns and eye fillet, whilst enjoying the view of the city’s lights.

The other dining options at the hotel included the lounges: Kambaa (where light lunches and afternoon tea are served), Blends (which is not only a lounge, but also has a dedicated cigar room and a stylish cocktail area) and the Club Lounge (which is an exclusive lounge for Club room guests and provides all day dining).

DINING

We booked in for dinner at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Mazina. The sweeping views of the marina, the rich timbers, high ceilings and statement lighting created a stunning impression, but it was the food that took centre stage. The bustling show kitchens serve an eclectic variety of Asian, Arabic and European dishes, all cooked in front of the guests. 

We met up with Chef Trevor Green, who devised a very simple and delicious meal for us of fresh prawn, crab and avocado salad, followed by a main course of succulent veal chop.  At his insistence, and with very little resistance from us, we ended the meal with a sensational chocolate fondant and freshly baked apple tart.

Other Things To Do

The hotel is directly linked to the Dubai Marina Mall – with 160 stores, making it a shopper’s paradise.

It’s a short stroll away from the Marina Walk at Jumeirah beach, which is perfect for swimming and water sports.

Charter a yacht from the Dubai Marina Yacht Club.

Grab a frozen yogurt and take in a movie.

From check-in to check-out, we were very well looked after by the staff.  Tranquil by day and electric by night, alongside the white sand beaches of the Arabian Gulf, the Dubai Marina is a place where shopping, dining, entertainment and nightlife flow at an exciting pace.