| CIVILIZATION, HISTORY, ART By Maximillien de Lafayette |
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18- Amanbagh
Resort Amanbagh, Ajabgarh, Alwar, India.
Pool Pavilion Bathroom
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19-Salish Lodge & Spa 6501 Railroad Avenue SE, Snoqualmie, Washington, USA.
Snoqualmie Falls is a sacred place. Even in the hustle and bustle of today's world, you can still feel a chill as the sheer power of Mother Nature sends her emerald river over the thundering falls only to disappear into mist hundreds of feet below. It is no wonder that the Snoqualmie Tribe (a subgroup of the Coast Salish Tribe) and other Native Americans of Western Washington considered Snoqualmie Falls a spiritual place of great power. A Salish word meaning "moon," the name Snoqualmie reflects its valley's native inhabitants as they were known as the people of the moon." The first
lodge was built in 1919 as a food and rest stop to meet the needs of the
influx of tourists. Walk into the present day Dining Room to view the
lodge's original fireplace and feast on the same traditional country
breakfast that's been the talk of many area towns for generations. The
building was completely remodeled and reopened as Salish Lodge in 1988.
Construction on the award-winning spa began in 1995 and was opened to
the public on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1996.
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20-Le
Mélézin
Rue de Bellecôte, 73120 Courchevel 1850, France
Le Mélézin is located in the Trois Vallées, known informally as the ski capital of the world with more than 600km of trails and 200 lifts. The four-storey, slate-roof ski resort opens its glass doors directly onto the Bellecôte ski slope permitting guests to literally ski in and out of the resort. Just 200 metres away is the village of Courchevel 1850, with its lively mix of après-ski bars, boutiques and restaurants. A shuttle-bus service from Le Mélézin to the town centre is available till 11pm. There are four Courchevel villages, each named after its altitude in metres and Courchevel 1850 is the highest. Le Mélézin can arrange for a personal ski instructor for all categories, including children and beginners, and ski passes are available on arrival. Mountain guides can be arranged as well. The views from Le Mélézin are to forests of pine and the ski slopes. Head above the village, however, and the vistas open all the way from the French to the Swiss Alps and even Mont Blanc is visible.
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22-
Hotel Diplomat Åregården
Åre, Sweden.
Åre has 100 slopes and 40 lifts that are waiting for you. You can ski on 1274 m over the ocean and enjoy a great view. The longest slope is 6,5 km long. The resort opened in 1895. It is de facto, one of Northern Europe’s most popular ski resorts. Åre’s hosts the World Cup downhill run, and the Alpine World Championships in 2007.
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23-Plaza
Athénée Paris, France
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24- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Queen Room
Suite 25- Hotel
de Crillon
10, Place de La Concorde, Paris, 75008, France.
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Amanbagh sits in isolation
amidst the arid Aravalli Hills near Alwar in northern India. The region is
rich in early Hindu history, dating to the dawn of Hindu civilization;
awash with legend, the epic Mahabharata tells of the five
Pandavas brothers who spent their last years in exile within a few
miles of the resort, over two millennia ago. In the more recent past, the
area was dominated by a group of warrior clans, the Rajputs, who
controlled this region of India for nearly 1000 years. Raided repeatedly
over time by Moghul armies, it was finally conquered in the 17th Century
by the Emperor Shah Jahan, the famed builder of the Taj Mahal. The
topography of the region consists of sandy plains interspersed with craggy
hills and knolls, in stark contrast to the setting for Amanbagh - a lush
oasis. Amanbagh derives its name from the words aman, meaning
‘peaceful' in Sanskrit and bagh, meaning ‘garden' in Hindi. It
lies within a walled compound that was once used by the Maharajah of Alwar
to site his mobile hunting camps in search of the elusive tigers known to
roam the nearby hills. Long since abandoned, the trees and vegetation
continue to thrive due to a reliable water supply drawn from an adjacent
lake. The resort is every bit a modern day “palace,” conceived in the
present, but humbly paying homage to the traditional architecture and
design that has prevailed throughout the past.
