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Sanya, Mandarin Oriental

Chinese St.Tropez! Combining contemporary design with laid-back beach chic, Mandarin Oriental, Sanya is an idyllic five-star hotel on Hainan Island. With a tropical setting, acclaimed dining and a wonderful spa, we offer five-star luxury infused with effortless style. Sanya enjoys a balmy year-round climate, stunning facilities and a good location on a private bay. Nice for a few days relax if you are in Hong Kong, for instance.

Moroccan Rose Festival

Famous Rose Festival at KELAÂT M’GOUNA each may, crowds descend on the town of Kelaât M’Gouna in southern Morocco to celebrate the harvest of Damask roses from the nearby Dadès and M'Goun valleys. The roses are not farmed in fields as you might see in the south of France around Grasse, but are simply hedgerow plants that bloom once a year. French essential oil producers descend on the area at harvest time and set up stills in the fields. Every year thousands of tons of petals of rosa damascena are distilled in the big copper pots. Rosewater is the main product, but it's the essential oil, in fact a byproduct of the process, that is so valuable. That's taken back to France and sold to perfume and cosmetic houses; it's extremely expensive. The retail price of just 3ml, or half a teaspoon, costs over 150 Euros. The essential oil is extremely difficult to find in Morocco, and simply isn't available in El Kelaa M'Gouna at all. But you can find rosewater and lots of pink face and body creams. In countryside homes, it's not unusual to see whole rooms knee-deep in rosebuds and petals that are left to dry. Moroccan women use rosewater on their faces (it's great for combatting wrinkles!), and the dried buds can be mixed with ghassoul (clay) in facial and hair products. It's also used in flower water shakers at celebrations, and spice merchants add dried buds to ras el-hanoot, used in cooking. Rosewater from El Kelaa M'Gouna is available everywhere in the Fez Medina and is very cheap (around Dh10 for a 200ml bottle). Moroccans make their own rosewater at this time of year, when you can see shops selling nothing but rosepetals, and small zinc stills are widely available.

French summer camps for teenagers!

The CMEF is located in the South of France, at the heart of the French Riviera, between Nice and Monaco - Monte Carlo. Its 15 min walking distance to the beach. It is an international language school with a long tradition on French language courses: teenagers summer camps; French courses for teachers; language and educational stays for middle and high schools or University groups all year round; cultural and artistic programs. The all-in formula: Accommodation, language courses, meals and evening activities are all held in the same place : the Centre ! Private 3-hectare area devoted to student premises is unique within the region. Safety and experience! The accommodation structure is created according to the French security rules. Access to the Cente is restricted by an automatic gate. Students can freely and safely walk within our park. At night: one of the leaders sleeps in a bedroom next to the students and is always ready to warn the CMEF Directors if there is any kind of problem. The school holds prestigious accreditations, such as state FLE, teaching conventions with the local education office of Nice and the University of Nice, and TV5 Monde/DELF certificate for our teachers. Our teaching staff is made up of professionals with the best training in French teaching at schools: almost 3,500 international students attend the courses every year.

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