Celebrity Life

Whisky lovers rejoice, Glenmorangie House has been given the Fife Arms treatment, and it looks and tastes magnificent

There’s nothing that breaks up a long, dark and cold winter quite like a vacation. While 2020 and even 2021 saw many travelers head into the countryside, or to more remote spots. However, as the world is (hopefully) on its way to opening up once more, the city break is back in a serious way... View Article

The post The Best Destinations for a Winter City Break appeared first on Elite Traveler.

Hikari Sushi Bar 光 Queenstown review Queenstown is full of wonderful food, spoilt for choices and world cuisines. After our day out in Arrowtown, it was time for dinner. We…

Here are a few tips that will help you stay within your budget while enjoying the beauty of Thailand.

The post A Few Tips For A Luxury Thailand Getaway On A Budget appeared first on LUXUO.

A new year means new opportunities. With nationwide and global lockdowns easing up, more and more people are getting ready to travel once more. You’re probably one of those people itching to visit the new place you’ve been eyeing online during the pandemic.  After a year or two of staying solely at home, you might have already forgotten how to pack for a big trip. Sure, you’ve got your clothes and toiletries all tucked in your trusty luggage bag, but what else are you missing? A neck pillow, of course! Travel neck pillows are available almost anywhere and come in prices fitting any budget. So, you have no reason not to have one. Here are the advantages of carrying a travel pillow with you during your travel: #1 No More Neck Pain You may have gotten out of shape being stuck at home, and your upcoming trip might be your first chance to get some movement. Whether you’ll travel by land, air, or sea, your body will still have to adapt to some changes after a lockdown. Anyone who has traveled a lot knows how difficult it is to get enough rest during the journey. Fatigue is no one’s best friend. […]

Roman poets and philosophers felt most connected to their surroundings (and to their own souls) during a time of reflective repose, which they called otium. An abstract term, otium refers to well-earned leisure time. For early Romans, that might have meant a fruitful retirement spent following one’s bliss, whether soaking in thermal baths, gobbling grapes... View Article

The post The Best New Cruise Ship Journeys for 2022 appeared first on Elite Traveler.

Take note of these glamorous revamps, game-changing resorts and new holistic safaris, these are the new retreats to check out

BLINK Design Group’s Roku Kyoto connects people, culture and nature with a modern twist on traditional Japanese culture.

The post Roku Kyoto | Hot Spot appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Shanyan Fok Koder and Richard Bassett explain how a Hong Kong art entrepreneur joined forces with a former special-forces soldier to launch a health and mental wellbeing app, Mentor360.

"Mental health and mental fitness are universal concerns," says Shanyan Fok Koder. "And regardless of your demographic, social status, your job or your age, it’s something everyone has to deal with."

Shanyan Fok Koder & Richard Bassett on Mental Health App Mentor360

The Mentor360 app dropped on World Mental Health Day in October, the cumulation of the last 20 months of work and conversations (usually across continents over Zoom) between former military man Richard Bassett and worldly art advisor Koder. A month later, I’m sitting with both in a North London café talking over slices of pizza.

Their app, they hope, offers everyone a holistic 360 guide and framework to “finding your formula” for mental and physical wellbeing. It uses a hybrid approach, with a core layer of clinicians and professional Mentors and then celebrity Ambassadors (who’ve publicly shared meaningful life stories) critical for building noise and momentum.

"I’d been in the military for a long time. And there were a couple of incidents in my life that made me want to create something," Bassett, the CEO, explains. "Firstly, it was my father committing suicide. Then my son had a bit of misdirection. And several of my friends in the military had PTSD issues or adjustment disorders."

"The biggest issue is why people wouldn’t come forward and say they’ve got a problem?” he asks.

“Unlike some apps, we’re not trying to get people hooked. Come on to it when you need it”

— Richard Bassett

The answer often lay in culture, lack of education or concerns about privacy that prevent many from seeking help. With that came Bassett’s idea of creating an app that functions as a “non-judgmental toolkit” with content validated by experts – who include coaches, performance psychologists, mental health-specialising nurses and a clinical psychologist.

Basset’s link with Koder came when his best friend, ex-special forces colleague and TV star Jason Fox, sat next to a pregnant Koder at a charity fundraiser for Born (which researches to prevent premature birth) in late 2019. As the pair talked about their passions for mental health and children’s wellbeing, the connection to Bassett’s idea became quickly apparent.

"Foxy told me that I have to meet his friend, Richard, who’s building this app," Koder recalls. "I was always wanting to support things that are very meaningful and close to my heart … and now Jason is actually our key mentor. The partnership between Richard and I was almost like two parts of a jigsaw puzzle come together."

Although some might go to the app for help with stress, trauma or even resources to help with suicidal feelings, Mentor360 is designed specifically as a three-dimensional offering that will also encourage fitness, workouts, performance and meditation or more clinical matters.

"We wanted to maintain the human factor as a constant throughout. So it feels like somebody has given you some advice rather than some process-driven machine learning," Bassett adds.

The co-founders might come from two different worlds, but the unlikely partnership speaks to the ubiquity of the issues at hand. Bassett’s 25-year military career saw him being appointed the first ever Command Sergeant Major within the UK Special Forces military group. "It was at that stage where I was asked if I wanted to run defence,” he says. “At that point, I thought, I’ve kind of had my fill of the military now, it’s time to move on."

Koder meanwhile grew up in Hong Kong and the UK as the daughter of Li Ka-shing’s "right-hand man" Canning Fok, carving out a career in the arts and taking over her family’s impressive collection. As a female art entrepreneur and mother, her challenges would be different.

"When I had the misfortune of losing three babies to miscarriage and dealing with that emotional fallout, it led me to want to support this as a cause," Koder divulges. "If there’d been something like this app available to me, I don’t think I’d have suffered as much as I did emotionally. It’s a topic that’s still very taboo, even in this day and age … and while you eventually find your own community, at the very beginning, you do feel very alone."

Both were clearly driven towards the app through deeply personal experiences. Bassett saw first-hand how soldiers who’d done several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan suffered – his best friend, Fox, had left the forces with PTSD. Perhaps machismo or fear of institutional repercussions meant that the issue was often ignored or hidden in the military – but he hopes that Mentor360’s holistic approach can gently lead people to explore mental fitness alongside physical performance too.

The male-female perspectives of the pair offer a well-rounded, powerful tool. And while the wellness space is already crowded, Mentor360 stands out by being so broad, human-focused and non-prescriptive.

There’s been exciting traction too. Since its launch, the app has been downloaded in more than 176 countries, with the UK, the US and Australia leading. British schools have reached out and it’s one governance board away from being trialled within the National Health Service (NHS), which means added clinical risk management in the app. That has been an important validation, says Bassett, "especially when an institution like that has picked it out from a huge spectrum of apps on the market today."

Covid-19 and lockdowns have helped throw light on mental health, taking the conversation more mainstream. The timeliness has hit home; as Bassett says, “there’s a lot of people now struggling with the transition between Covid and normality”.

Koder tells us that the plan is to serve individuals but also institutions such as the NHS and the military. There’s also the option of “white labelling” it, so the app can be packaged and tailored to certain industries or corporate employees. In the future, might they look more global, with different languages and translations? Absolutely, the pair say, but they’re taking it “slow and steady”. There’s been interest from American corporations and Koder says that she’s keen to push into Asia very soon. Although going truly global might mean translating for languages, cultures and tone, as well as working with diverse psychologists, it remains a future ambition.

Mentor360 may be extra helpful in cultures where mental health is still relatively taboo. As Koder says, "I think, coming from our Asian culture, it speaks volumes to me – so much of our culture is about still performance or hiding a lot of what you’re feeling."

"Unlike some apps,” Bassett adds, "what we’re not trying to do is create a hook or get people hooked. Come on to it when you need it, and if you don’t need it for a while because you’re good, you can just put it away … We’re starting to see those patterns in the trend analysis."

To get a little personal, I ask what works for them individually to keep a healthy mind and body. Bassett’s formula revolves around daily exercise, time with the family, dogs and good sleep – even the occasional glass of wine on the sofa in front of a crackling fireplace. Koder’s happiness hacks centre around motherhood, being content and at peace in her skin, and looking at life with a certain romanticism: "I always love to see the poetry in my day,” she says, "and I think it’s important to just pause throughout the day, check-in and acknowledge that I’ve achieved these things and I should be proud of myself, rather than just rushing on to the next thing."

The post 6 Things You Need to Know About Krabi and Phang Nga’s Blue Zone Sandbox appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

If you and your spouse are certified foodies, then your honeymoon getaway should include visiting destinations that will require you to bond over food and discover new and exciting delicacies. Thankfully, you will find many incredible honeymoon destinations in the world that offer a truly mouth watering vacation, so planning your trip should be easy. Whether you’re hoping to take part in a food tour of Provence, chow down at the street food stalls in Vietnam, or dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Tuscany, consider these luxury honeymoon destinations for foodies. #1 Provence  If you love everything about food, then Provence makes for a great destination for your honeymoon. With the lush inland farms producing the freshest ingredients and the bounty of the sea to tuck into Côte d’Azur, Provence offers the best of French cuisine, whether you’re heading out to eat at some fancy restaurants or rustling something up at the kitchen of your holiday villa. When exploring the food scene of Provence, join an immersive gourmet food tour. During the tour, you’ll hear exciting stories about artisan products, such as truffles, tapenade, and olive oil. Experience the charming atmosphere of a farmer’s market and discover local cuisines. With […]

[Travel & Dining] Lunar New Year At Four Seasons Hotel Singapore Welcome the Year of the Tiger and new beginningsContinue Reading

Travel cards are your best buddy no matter where you’re going, whether it’s to a far-flung tropical island or a gorgeous American city. If you utilize your travel card wisely, it might make your trip easier and less stressful. Using cash is a recommendation by some financial gurus. They claim that the concept of prudent travel card use is a myth. To avoid overspending since you’re using plastic and always paying interest on your travel cards, you should stick to a budget and not overspend. Miles can now be earned by utilizing credit card services from several institutions. However, what distinguishes Standard Chartered from the rest? With the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard, you can take advantage of the best Mile deals. If you’re planning a trip and need a travel card, Cathay Mastercard is the best option. Reasons to Use a Travel Card When Booking Travel  Additionally, if you utilize your Cathay mastercards wisely, you may even come out ahead financially. Using a Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard instead of cash to pay for goods and services or book flights and hotel accommodations provides many advantages for responsible cardholders.  #1 Convenience  Paying in cash necessitates that you keep a sufficient amount of […]