01 Dec 2016

Gather the family for a festive escape with Anantara Hotels Resorts and Spas

Bangkok, December 2016: Making travellers’ Santa wish lists come true in incredible destinations all around the world, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is opening a sackful of seasonal cheer this Christmas and New Year. From colourful African escapes and legendary Arabian sands to private islands in the Indian Ocean and Asia’s cultural gems, this holiday season will be filled with unforgettable experiences and delectable festive feasts.

Celebrate Christmas joy with dazzling cultural celebrations

Pre-Christmas festivities can be enjoyed with a galaxy-gazing journey in Oman on the rim of a great canyon at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort. Revel in the vast night sky with a special movie night under the stars with popcorn and candy canes being served around the fire pit.

Celebrating with the little ones, or the child inside us all, is the centre of attention for Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas during this special time of the year. The Maldivian paradise celebrates Christmas Day with a visit from Santa, appearing from the house reef to play sand balls. Adults can then bask in the glorious sunset on a Champagne yacht cruise.

Asia fuses classic Christmas traditions with alluring exoticism. In Thailand’s glittering capital, guests of Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort step aboard an antique rice barge for Christmas dinner on a moonlight river cruise, gliding past Bangkok’s Temple of Dawn and Grand Palace. A festive family jaunt to the enchanted forests of Anantara Si Kao Resort in southern Krabi reveals festivities with a touch of native spirit with a Thai temple fair. Christmas in Vietnam pays tribute to the monthly lunar lantern festival, with Anantara Hoi An Resort guests being invited to light a candle in a coloured lantern and make a wish as they release it on the river to the sound of carols. Afterwards the riverside setting transforms into a fashion show of intricate Vietnamese costumes, and a sumptuous Christmas dinner ends in roasted marshmallows and chestnuts.

Iconic New Year’s Eve countdowns

In Abu Dhabi, New Year’s Eve is a moveable feast at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara with a ballroom gala dinner erupting into courtyard revelry with DJs, fire artists and fireworks lighting up over the desert of the Empty Quarter. For a uniquely exclusive way to ring in the New Year, Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara is offering the ultimate private party in its luxurious penthouse, which includes a banquet for up to 25 guests and access to the resort’s Pool Deck NYE Party.

Along one of Bali’s trendiest beaches, Anantara Seminyak Bali Resort is going all out on New Year’s Eve with a rooftop dining celebration to acoustic music as the sun sets on rushing surf, magician tricks and fabulous lucky draw prizes, getting party goers in the mood for a glamorous DJ pool party with free flow drinks and a beach bash to beats and fire dancers.

In Thailand’s cultural north, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort pays tribute to its 1920s colonial origins and heritage with a Gatsby New Year’s Eve gala, including Lanna street food and shows by an award-winning indigenous performer. The jungle midnight countdown at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort starts with hilltop cocktails, three country views and a charming indigenous ceremony, leading into a lavish poolside banquet and fireworks illuminating the hills of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. In buzzing Bangkok, Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel’s prestigious choice of steakhouse, Italian, Thai and Japanese dining packages end with late night celebration drinks in the grand lobby to local DJ soundtracks. High above the twinkling capital, Anantara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel’s innovative rooftop dining sashays into a pulsing after-party of live music, fire shows, DJ beats and bubbles, overlooking a 360-degree view of the city on the roof terrace.

Extraordinary New Year’s Day awakenings

New Year’s Day culinary experiences make hangover cures a gourmet treat, inspired by iconic views – from the natural world wonder of Zambia’s Victoria Falls at The Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara, and Bali’s spectacular surf at Anantara Uluwatu Bali Resort, to free roaming Arabian wildlife at Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resorts off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

A Maldivian Seafood and Champagne Feast takes diners into 2017 with a selection of seafood caught fresh from the Indian Ocean and delicious bubbles, while soaking up the wonderful views from across the lagoon at Anantara Dhigu Resort. To help revitalise and start the year well, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort will be offering urban pampering to a whole new level with the advanced technology of Cool Shaping packages for the festive period. On a remote African island at Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort off the coast of Mozambique, thrill seekers can rise to the exhilaration of sand dune boarding, horse riding along powdery beaches to take their steed for a swim in the ocean, and toast the year’s first sunset with cocktails on a dune crest with a jaw-dropping panorama.

Create your ultimate festive escape full of rich culture, refreshing adventure or seasonal treats in your dream location at www.anantara.com/festive-celebrations

For media enquiries, please contact Anantara Group PR Office:  Tel: + 66 (0) 2 365 7500

Rebecca Dowling 
Public Relations Manager 
Email: rdowling@minor.com 

Mark Thomson
Director of Public Relations and Communications
Email: mthomson@minor.com