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Priority Magazine, SIA, Spring 2010

More recently established, Singapore-based Urbane Nomads offers bespoke travel with a focus on destinations in Asia and the Middle East. Monikered the 'travel mixologists', it tailors itineraries to suit all and any requirements. The company garnered recognition with its Kublai Khan experience. Touted as 'the world's most luxurious trip', the experience attempts to re-create the adventures of Kublai Khan, with equestrianism, falconry and hunting in Mongolia.

With a price tag of US$2 million, tour guides included the likes of film-makers, the likes of Joseph Spaid, and the eagle hunters of Bayan Olgii. The package also includes memoirs at the end of the trip in the form of an oil painting by a famous artist and falconer.

This year's jaw-dropping adventure is the Dive the Wall trip. Most people consider themselves lucky if they get to walk on the Great Wall of China. A select few might view it from the air, but only the elite adventurer gets to dive the Great Wall.

"Scuba sherpas suit you up, take you to the exact spot where the wall dips underwater and guide you to its most dive-worthy parts. Once submerged, you'll come across a few Ming-era stone carvings, some intricate tunnels and a tight-squeeze guard tower." This day is concluded with dinner in a restaurant overlooking the moat of the Forbidden City and a night spent at the trendy Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski.

French Vogue November

Destination : Extrême

Yoga au pied de la Grande Muraille, chasse au faucon en
Mongolie, chef et majordome personnels, yourtes sur
mesure et transferts en jet privé… 100 % Asie, le tout
nouveau circuit imaginé par l’agence singapourienne
UrbaneNomads n’hésite pas à afficher le prix : deux
millions de dollars par personne, pour dix-sept jours et
quinze nuits. www.urbanenomads.com

Brides- July-Dec 2010

Planning the perfect honeymoon is an art form. Hajar Ali, founder of 'travel mixologists' Urbane Nomads, lends her expertise to our readers.

Take your children on a walking safari in remote northern Kenya where they will experience life in a whole new world. Meet warriors who will demonstrate their mastery of survival skills by teaching you interesting tricks such as starting a fire, distinguishing between tracks or extracting honey directly from hives. You can also choose
to travel through Mongolia on horseback from shaman to shaman, an innovative holiday package modelled after the theme of Horse Boy, a
book that narrates the story of an author who travelled the same way in an effort to cure his son of autism.

For the whole collection of holiday packages from Urbane Nomads,
visit http://www.urbanenomads.com
 

Inspire Travel- April-Jun 2010

Jamie Nonis discovers Vietnam through the cultural prism trained on the bustling Ho Chi Minh City and laid-back charms of Danang.

If you're planning a truly unique destination wedding, luxury travel specialists Urbane Nomads can even arrange for you to exchange your vows in the dramatic surrounds of the Imperial Citadel, officiated by a descendant of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last ruling family of Vietnam.

When East Meets Best

Chris Orme recommends visiting the lesser-known Beng Melea and the ornate Banteay Srei temples, while luxury travel company Urbane Nomads offer earthy experiences such as cutting through the lush countryside in an ox cart to hunt for hidden temples, or taking a helicopter to secret spots.

TTG Asia April 2010

Adventure and eco-travel are thriving from new travellers' lust for more meaning in their trips, say operators.

"It is definitely the well-heeled elites as opposed to young travellers who make up the bulk of adventure, cultural and wildlife trips due to factors of time and disposable income."

Frequently, these clients are able to 'rough it out' in exchange for authentic cultural experiences.They could be spending nights in the top hotels at the beginning and end of their stay, but camp in the wilderness in between.

... there are increasingly luxurious options for the adventure traveller, from the various ultra-luxury lodges and private camps in remote parts of Africa, to the luxury mobile tents offered by my company in the Serengeti, the Empty Quarters of Oman and the remote temples of Cambodia.

The organisers of Six Senses Phuket Raceweek (SSPRW), the first regatta in the 2010/2011 Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championship (AYGP), were excited to announce today that both Title Sponsor Six Senses Resorts & Spas and Co-sponsor Jaguar Cars have announced their renewed commitment for the 2010 event.

SSPRW 2010 is the platform for Jaguar’s regional launch of the stunning, all-new Jaguar XJ range – with VIP guests invited from throughout Southeast Asia to experience both the regatta and the new XJ. Already confirmed to join Six Senses and Jaguar in the sponsorship lineup are (returning) Tourism Authority of Thailand, Andaman Cabriolet, Asia-Pacific Boating, MyPhuketInfo.com and (first time) Urbane Nomads, Gybe and Movenpick. As discussions come to fruition over the coming weeks, many more of last year’s sponsors and partners are expected to return in 2010.

The Peak Singapore February 2010

Urbane Nomads- Established in 2008, the company offers bespoke travel, with a focus on destinations in Asia and the Middle East. No membership fee is required. Through contacts, they are able to arrange for a visit to a warlord's fortress in Afghanistan, or hold a private concert in a 14th century Mamluk palace in Syria. They are also organizing an adventure with reindeer herders in inaccessible parts of Mongolia.

Se sabe que viajar, conocer lugares con otras culturas, descubrir sitios exóticos, resulta siempre
muy atractivo. Pero tambien sabemos que para viajeros incansables es necesario descubrir otros
puntos de vista diferentes. Por eso elegimos dos lugares para sorprenderse: un enigmático paseo
nocturno por las Pirámides en México y la Muralla China a través del buceo.

Una empresa de turismo de lujo, Urbane Nomads, es
la encargada de recorrer la Gran Muralla China sumergida.

Inbound Asia Jan 2010

Founder of luxury travel company Urbane Nomads, Hajar Ali describes her clients as "wealthy individuals looking for holidays with a difference that allow them to be 'in touch' with local culture but in as much luxury as possible." Self-proclaimed 'travel mixologists', Urbane Nomads' portfolio of off-the-beaten track destinations includes a visit to the remote polo grounds of Pakistan's Shandur Pass. According to Hajar Ali, modern travellers have begun to understand the impact their visits have."There is a greater consciousness of the impact of the tourism dollar, with people realizing that their travel patterns do make a difference and as a result, they are encouraged to spend their money in ways appropriate to maximizing the benefit to the local population".

The Peak Singapore December'09

For the literary minded, tracing the footsteps of Wilfred Thesiger, famed
colonial explorer and travel writer, is an added draw on a trek through the
Arabian Peninsula's Empty Quarter. Urbane Nomads is one company that offers
an itinerary for this area, based on the theoretical shopping list of the
Biblical Three Kings- gold, frankincese and myrrh. A desert stay may sound
forbidding, but on a luxury-soaked journey of tented camps, elaborate Berber-
styled setups and charismatic guides, framed by the splendour of an Omani
sunset, there're not many other places you'd rather be.

Robb Report Singapore November '09- Luxury Preview

Luxury access to lavish hunting expeditions made famous by Kublai Khan will soon be available as part of a new wave of bespoke adventure travel.It’s described as ‘the most luxurious trip
in the world’ by travel company, Urbane Nomads,
and it will take place in the most remote and
inaccessible areas of Mongolia next year.
While some travel will be on horseback—and
even on reindeer—to recreate the eagle hunting
adventures of the 13th-century Mongol Emperor, a
private jet will remain at the travelers’ disposal, plus a private butler, private chef and luxurious, movable
private gers (yurts).

Vang November

chí muốn lang thang trên con đường phố thơ mộng ở Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ, hay ăn

sáng ở Barcelona? Nếu bạn tưởng tượng có thể chơi polo ở Pakistan hay

thư giãn trong một spa ở Sri Lanka, cơ hội đang mở ra trước mắt bạn với

những tour du lịch mới lạ của Urbane Nomads

Icon October '09

Hong Kong Tatler (and all Asian Tatlers)

Smart Travel- Height of Luxury

Tents, eagle hunters and horseback riding- it may not sound like it, but according to bespoke travel experts Urbane Nomads, this Kublai Khan inspired trip is the most luxurious in the world.

Singapore Tatler October'09

Smart Travel- Height of Luxury

Tents, eagle hunters and horseback riding- it may not sound like it, but according to bespoke travel experts Urbane Nomads, this Kublai Khan inspired trip is the most luxurious in the world.

Taiwan Tatler October'09(Shanghai, Beijing Tatlers)

Forbes Turkiye October

Hayat Tecrübesi

Hosteltur Lujo October 2009

Pero si de lujo extremo se trata, la agencia Urbane Nomads, ubicada en Singapur, ha querido rizar el rizo en lo que a viajes se refiere y ha lanzado 'El viaje mas lujoso del mundo'.

Action Asia September/October '09

Looking for that cost-is-no-object trip that combines unique adventures with maximum comfort?

Travelling throughour by private jet, guests will be accompanied by a private chef and butler(...)

Further details can be found on:

http://www.urbanenomads.com

TTG Mice September '09

Horseback trek, Pristine Retreat, Leopard Sightings

Pack your group for a horseback trek through Mongolia to visit the summer encampments of the tsaatans (reindeer herders).

www.urbanenomads.com

Harper's Bazaar (UK) Online Edition: Travel: What's New

Urbane Nomads know a thing or two about luxury travel experiences that take you off the beaten track and their latest trip into Mongolia has to be their most spectacular one to date.

Set to recreate the lavish hunting expeditions of Kublai Khan in the west of the country, travel on the ground is by horseback accompanied by experienced film maker Joseph Spaid, whose previous cinematic success includes an award winning film on the tradition of eagle hunting among the Kazakhs in Western Mongolia.

When you are not honing your falconry skills with the eagle hunters of Bayan Olgii, you will be whisked by private jet to each new destination, with a private chef and onboard butler on hand to tend to your every need.

Your experience will then be immortalised in oil paint to form part of an exhibition held in Abu Dhabi on 30th September. And the cost? A mere $2 million - although surely such a once in a life time experience is priceless...

For details of the ‘In the footsteps of Kublai Khan' experience visit Urbanenomads.com. Visit ADIHEX (Abu Dhabi International hunting and equestrian exhibition) for details of the 30th September event.

Blissful Brides July-Dec 2009

Q: My wife to be and I are beach lovers. Besides the usual suspects like Bali, Phuket and Bintan, is there a more exotic location in a similar price range we can honeymoon at?

A: Why not try Sri Lanka? Hajar Ali, founder of Urbane Nomads, says, "Sri Lanka has an amazing selection of boutique hotels, with top notch service and stellar food. Whilst it has something of a reputation problem now (and quite unfairly so as the unrest is rather restricted to the northern and eastern ends of Sri Lanka and Yala), this also means that you'd be more likely to find the entire boutique hotel to yourself and a few others on the beach."

Blissful Brides July-Dec 2009

For something more unusual, Hajar Ali, founder of Urbane Nomads which specialises in personalised travel itineraries, says, "Try the lesser known cruises such as those in Indonesia, travelling to the islands of Borneo to visit the Asmat tribes, famous both for their handicrafts and woodwork as well as for their headhunting practices, which have continued till relatively recently"

On Safari

Fancy walking with warriors and eating honey from hives? Urbane Nomads' Hajar Ali recommends Northern Kenya, which whilst having less wildlife, is similarly characterised by private reserves and game grounds. "The emphasis here is more on the culture of the local people. Safaris are led, not on jeeps but instead feature walking with warriors, learning how to make fire, and learning to distinguish between the tracks and sounds of the different animals"

2-Mag Aug 2009

Creating the Wow Factor

Urbane Nomads turns the typical tourist itinerary on its head by scouring the world for the most unusual travel experiences. They seek out the 'unseen' in every destination, and bundle it with luxury accommodation and unusual travel modes.

This July, for example, the innovative tour operator is organizing a trip to Pakistan to witness a no-rules polo match on what is known to be the highest polo grounds in the world. Another first-of-its-kind is a horseback safari in Tanzania's Serengeti, most famous for the annual migration of over a million wildebeest and about 200,000 zebras from the northern hills to the southern plains. Witnessing this spectacle on horseback- and combining it with a stay in a super-luxurious safari lodge- is a travel thrill that's hard to beat.

Cubes Singapore Aug 2009

Into the Wild

At Lemarti's Camp, guests check straight into the majestic Kenyan landscape.

In the wilderness of the banks of the Ewaso Nyiru river, Trzebinski defined her own kind of Kenyan civilisation.(...) But Lemarti's camp, as it is called, is not quite a luxury holiday entirely. It may offer more treats than what ordinary safari packages give, but the point of the camp is still about getting close to the land and immersing yourself in the culture and life of the local people.

Lemarti's Camp is represented by Urbane Nomads.

For bookings, call (65) 67288614.

Amica Singapore July 2009

Bespoke Luxury Travel

"Increasingly, the high-end market is looking for more value-added features during their travel," says Hajar Ali, a partner of Urbane Nomads, a high-luxury bespoke travel management company that handles destination planning from Thailand to South Africa."It's no longer about staying at the best hotels or flying first class but about a memorable, spectacular once-in-a-lifetime experience, except that for these people the spectacular becomes ordinary.

Ali would know. Her company specializes in catering for more eclectic itineraries and accommodation options. "I crafted an itinerary for a traveler to Syria that combined stays in the top suites of the best (and most atmospheric) boutique hotels in the region with a practicing monastery in the Syrian hills. I also arranged for a guide in Palmyra (famous for the legend of Queen Zenobia), who was conversant in Aramaic, the ancient language spoken by Jesus Christ.

Asian Journeys, July 2009

Let's Go Glamping! Madame Figaro, June 2009

En Afrique Les circuits d’Urbane Nomads s’apparentent à de véritables immersions dans la culture locale : campement mobile à dos de cheval en Tanzanie, safari à pied accompagné par des guerriers de Laikipia dans le nord du Kenya, hébergement à la belle étoile pour une expérience 100 % « Out of Africa ».

East & West Magazine March 2009- Cover Article

We'd come with a list of what we think are the best destination hotels in Asia. Some, like the Six Senses Ninh Vanh Bay and Amanpulo- virtually

tourism, drawing upon the immediate community for much of its staffing

Singapore Polo Club March 2009-

The study of horse cultures throughout Central Asia, so intertwined with the nomadic lifestyle and an analysis of man’s interaction with horses, is analogous of how and why we travel.

Tropical March 2009-

Kep City and the Knai Bang Chatt

Overshadowed by Sihanoukville is a beach destination as yet undiscovered by the legions of tourist buses, Kep City is some 2 and a half hours drive from the main city of Phnom Penh.  A quiet seaside town whose charms are all the more appreciated (and its inefficiencies easily forgiven), Kep has amongst its attractions the nearby island of Koh Tonsay, the tragically beautiful ruins of Bokor and the 6th century temple-within-a-cave, Phnom Chngauk.

Harper's Bazaar, UK Online Edition

For the ultimate exotic Valentine, niche Singaporean travel agency Urbane Nomads is offering exclusive tailor-made retreats in Saigon, Hanoi and Mai Chau this month. Create your own dream Eastern romance from options such as re-visiting the Saigon landmarks recounted by Marguerite Duras in The Lover, wondering through the romantic city of Old Hanoi, motor biking through the Mai Chau hills by night or visiting the famed Love Market  in Sapa. To begin creating your journey visit www.urbanenomads.com or call (+65) 6728 8614.

8 Days, Valentine's Day Issue

...do yoga or meditate in a cave formerly used as an arms repository during the Vietnam War. Go moonlight horse-riding in Sumba...which practised human head-hunting until recently. Or pretend you're Lost on the private island of Taprobane...

Sutra Feb 2009

Kembara Asmara

Kerana cintanya pada kembara yang mendalam, Hajar menubuhkan syarikat pelancongan, Urbane Nomads, sejak Ogos tahun lalu, menawarkan destinasi melancong di Asia, Latin Amerika serta Pakistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan dan Antarktika dengan menawarkan satu pengalaman eksklusif.

Pukka Magazine Jan'09

Myanmar , having been relegated to the dumpster of tourist destinations due to the bad rep suffered by its government, bears all the marks of a country threatened by isolation from the rest of the world.