In our weekly series, we bring you the latest in luxury news from around the world. This week’s highlights: experience private tulip estate visits by Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam, IWC launches a racing-inspired edition of its Big Pilot’s Watch, New York City marks the return of the ‘It’s Time for Culture Program’ with nearly 100 cultural offerings, and more.
IWC Launches Racing-Inspired Edition Of Its Big Pilot’s Watch
The Big Pilot’s Watch collection is a classic from luxury Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen. Recently, the brand launched a racing-inspired edition as a testament to their long-standing connection to motorsport, including establishing their own classic racing team. The Big Pilot’s Watch IWC Racing Works features a lightweight grade 5 titanium case, a blue dial, and a matching blue calf leather strap. Powered by the IWC-manufactured 52110 calibre, it boasts a 7-day power reserve. Priced at US$15,300, the watch is limited to only 500 pieces and will be available exclusively at IWC’s flagship boutiques in Zurich, Dubai, and Shanghai.
Experience Private Tulip Estate Visits By Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam
As Amsterdam approaches peak tulip season, guests at the Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam can choose from a collection of curated bespoke itineraries designed in partnership with flower experts at Tulip Experience Amsterdam. With a private tour, which includes luxury limousine transportation from the historical part of the city where the hotel is located, visitors are whisked to the Tulip Experience Amsterdam’s estate outside the city, featuring vast tulip fields and a show garden. Guests will also have the garden carpeted in eye-popping shades to themselves, with an option to enjoy a private Champagne lunch catered by Anantara chefs and served by an Anantara butler.
Tulip tours are offered from now until mid-May, with private, semi-private and group itineraries available starting from €599 for two.
Quark Expeditions Launches New Greenland Itinerary With Helicopter Rides
Specialising exclusively in expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, Quark Expeditions has now launched a new Greenland itinerary for both thrill-seekers and casual holidaymakers alike, featuring the technologically-advanced Ultramarine ship and its two twin-engine helicopters. Guests can explore the scenic landscapes and remote ridges as they experience heli-hiking, heli-landing, and stepping foot on the island country’s Ice Sheet. There will also be opportunities to immerse in the local culture, such as camping in style on the shores of Tasermiut Fjord with local hosts.
The 11-day Greenland Explorer: Sail and Soar the Alpine Arctic will launch in 2024 and starts from €9,397. Guests who book now get 20% off, plus an additional 10% if they pay in full at the time of booking.
Paraphrase; Part I At Contemporary Art Gallery A+ Works Of Art
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Showcasing contemporary Southeast Asian art, A+ Works of Art will be presenting a two-part group exhibition involving works that have been shown from off-site exhibitions by artists they have worked with over the years and to introduce new works by new and existing artists represented by the gallery. Ranging from dioramic installations to large-scale maps, the exhibition was curated by Denise La,i and will feature works by Ahmad Fuad Osman, Alvin Lau, Chong Kim Chien, and more. Part I of the exhibition will run from 6 to 27 May while Part II will begin on 3 June. Visits by appointment by Instagram message only.
Royal Selangor Introduces Drinkware And Cigar Accessories
You may already dress impeccably, but a way to truly impress your companions during a night of poker and drinks is to have the right accessories. Inspired by Victorian-Edwardian decorative motifs and striking geometry associated with the American Wild West, Royal Selangor has now expanded Ace, its stylish collection with an elaborate visual flair. For this launch, the collection includes a stunning array of drinkware and accessories for cigar aficionados. Essentials include the Ace Humidor, featuring a cedar-lined interior fitted with humidifiers to maintain and display your cigar essentials, and the Ace Shot Glass Quartet, with beautifully sculpted pewter pips so you can be the one who calls the shots.
Ace is available at Royal Selangor stores, authorised dealers, and online from 12 May 2023 onwards.
World’s Best Female Chef Pía León Presents New Restaurant At Palacio Nazarenas
Palacio Nazarenas, A Belmond Hotel, Cusco, a high-end all-suite hotel set in a former 17th-century convent is now home to Mauka, a new restaurant by Chef Pía León. Hailed as the World’s Best Female Chef in 2021, León now acts as Culinary Director with a vision to preserve Peruvian culture and to enable diners to experience the true root of Andean cuisine. Named after an endangered Incan root vegetable, Mauka is an ode to the bounty of Cusquenian cuisine and its diverse produce, from the Andean mountains to the Amazon rainforest. Here, diners can immerse themselves in a pleasant dining experience, surrounded by a sensory understanding of the place, landscape, and people of the Peruvian Andes.
Autumn In Ballarat, Victoria
This autumn, head Down Under and meander through magnificent streetscapes strewn with autumn leaves in Ballarat, Victoria, and enjoy brisk afternoons filled with enriching experiences. Admire the city’s Victorian and Edwardian buildings, parks, gardens, and statues on a self-guided heritage walk. With Ballarat’s stunning Victorian architecture as the backdrop, check out the Ballarat Heritage Festival, which runs from 19 to 28 May 2023. This annual festival highlights the city’s golden past and evolving future through an inspiring 10-day programme that includes Candlelight Ballarat, a multi-sensory musical experience on 26 May.
NYC Marks Return Of It’s Time For Culture Programme with Nearly 100 Cultural Offerings
This 9 to 21 May, discover the vibrant cultural scene of New York City with the return of the ‘It’s Time for Culture’ program, with offerings at nearly 100 cultural organisations across five boroughs. Enjoy a variety of experiences at The City That Never Sleeps with the unofficial start of its summer cultural season featuring seasonal events, concerts, tours, classes, family-friendly programs, and more. Soak up the culture with Friday Nights at the Whitney after closing hours, as you enjoy the Whitney Museum of American Art’s exhibitions along with drinks at the Studio Bar and sunset views on the terraces. Then, on 18 and 19 May, sip and savour spring at Daffodil Hill, New York Botanical Garden during the wine-lover’s weekend with wineries from the Hudson Valley, Brooklyn and Long Island.
