King Colin reigns at the Oscars

Colin Firth may be an Oscar winner for The King's Speech but to many he will always be Mr Darcy ... http://bit.ly/b7RWYI

Flying food from Zug

                                      

Stefan Meier, chef de cuisine at the Rathauskeller restaurant in Zug, has created a number of exclusive Central Swiss specialities for First and Business Class guests on SWISS International Airlines in the latest instalment of the airline's Taste of Switzerland inflight culinary programme. The meals will be available on selected flights from 2 March to the beginning of June. Meier has been heading up the kitchen of the Rathauskeller for the past 28 years and picked up a 16 point Gault Millau rating along the way;so he knows what he is doing. http://www.swiss.com/ 

SLH 20th Anniversary plans

Small Luxury Hotels of the World knows how to make use of social media. The Luxury Travel Bible are already fans of their iPhone App and the very entertaining Melissa Vinelli blog. Over a cup of tea with TLTB in London's The Capital Hotel SLH CEO Paul Kerr revealed the 20th Anniversary plans which will integrate social media. To celebrate the group will be holding an exclusive online Gold Coin Competition for their many loyal fans.

Twenty 20th Anniversary SLH Gold Coins will be hidden in and around the pages of the SLH website. To help fans clues will be available via the SLH blog, Facebook and Twitter.

120 room nights and 10,000 pounds will be up for grabs and there will be at least 10 winners through the year.The competition begins 21st March and runs until 31st December 2011. Let the hunt begin! SB

Luxury link: www.slh.com/ blog.slh.com

A Charitable Prince in the desert

UPDATE: Prince Harry has postponed his trip to Dubai due to unrest in the area. We will keep you updated when the charity event has be rescheduled.
The Luxury Travel Bible will always love a Prince in the desert, especially if it is one who is there for a charitable cause. H.R.H. Prince Harry is set to visit Dubai on 19th March and will take part in the second Sentebale Polo Cup in aid of his charity, Sentebale.

The Sentebale Polo Cup will be played each year to bring attention to orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho. This exclusive annual event will be touring the world to 'direct money and attention to a cause in critical need of help, support and exposure". The event was launched in January 2010 at the Apes Hill Polo Cup in Barbados.

As well as raising funds and awareness the cup will celebrate traditional Basotho culture through polo, a game of skill and bravery played on horseback. To many the Basotho horsemen are the only indigenous horse culture in Sub-Saharan Africa and said to be fast and fearless riders. The Basotho pony is renowned as brave and having great powers of endurance. Prince Harry is also, arguable, one of the most famous amateur polo players in the world.

Sentebale was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to continue the legacy of their late mothers' charity work with children. Meaning 'forget-me-not' in Sesotho the name 'Sentebale' was chosen as a reminder never to forget the victims of poverty and of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Prince Harry recently received the 'Golden Heart' award in particular recognition of his work with Sentebale. SB

http://www.sentebale.org/

TLTB recently lunched with...

Lunched with two owners of two wonderful privately-run hotels. There is something special about properties owned by great hotel dynasties and when the hotels are in Italy and members of LHW so much the better. More on Le Sirenuse in Positano and the very Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento soon. HD

Virgin to Abu Dhabi

Virgin Blue Group of Airlines launched its inaugural V Australia flight to Abu Dhabi last night, becoming the first Australian carrier to operate to the Middle East in 20 years. The new V Australia Abu Dhabi service is a key part of the partnership between Virgin Blue Group of Airlines and Etihad Airways which will see the airlines offer a total of 27 weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Australia. On board were EtihadAirways CEO James Hogan, Virgin Blue CEO & MD John Borghetti and swimmer Ian Thorpe who will train for the Olympics 2012 in Abu Dhabi.

www.virginblue.com/, www.etihad.com/

Prince Harry to visit Dubai

H.R.H Prince Harry will visit Dubai on 19th March on his first visit to the United Arab Emirates. Throughout the day the Prince will undertake engagements and will also take part in the second Sentebale Polo Cup which will be held in association with Royal Salute. This will be the second Sentebale Polo Cup match after Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho launched the event at the Apes Hill Polo Club in Barbados in January 2010. The royal visit will wrap up a week of Polo in Dubai including the Dubai Polo Gold Cup on March 11 and the Princes' Cup Middle East which will stage the British Polo Cup to celebrate the heritage of Polo on March 18.

http://www.sentebale.org/ http://www.dubaipologoldcup.com/, http://www.britishpoloday.com/

UPDATE: Prince Harry has postponed his trip to Dubai due to unrest in the area. We will keep you updated when the charity event has be rescheduled.