Around The World in 14 Days ...

... Or nights!

Unusual, exotic holiday breaks at reasonable prices are hard to find. Without going to deepest darkest Africa or climbing the highest mountain, rural holiday breaks haven’t been on top of the ‘have-money-must-travel’ list.

That is, until the idea of travelling around the world in 14 days was created. The discerning traveller can now travel the globe right in the middle of Berkshire by experiencing the most sought after luxurious destinations in the world.

The Crab at Chieveley, a charming boutique hotel, gives travellers the chance to experience some of the world's most exotic locations with their 14 famous rooms, each designed in their own unique style and transports guests to a world of indulgence and romance. Akin to travelling to the most luxurious hotels around the globe, The Crab’s ‘Famous Rooms’ reflect luxury and decadence synonymous with the best in hotel accommodation.

Have you been to Bora Bora? Or slept in a treetop in Africa? Maybe watched birds on an Island or lazed in the tropics of Thailand? Come along and join our tour around the world in 14 days. The journey starts in the world’s most romantic destination – Venice! Michael Winner's number one favourite hotel in the world right on the Grand Canal in Venice, Cipriani is one of the most breath-taking bedrooms at The Crab at Chieveley.

Cipriani seduces guests with a taste of 13th century exploration, when Marco Polo used his mastery of the sea to explore the world and trade in the most precious goods, and leads us to the greatest lover of all time in 18th century Venice, Giacomo Casanova, who worshipped all that is beautiful and romantic.

Like these two Venetian forces, Cipriani weaves a truly magical experience in the Berkshire countryside. Furnished in lavish Venetian fabrics, and decorated in the most sumptuous and elegant colours, Cipriani will make any stay memorable. Created to provide the very best of Venetian hospitality, Cipriani incorporates plush accommodation, attentive service, and the finest cuisine in an atmosphere of calm and seclusion.

Day two and our journey then heads to the ambience and heady aromas of an Indian Plantation. Warmth and amazing light bathe the entire room, while Indian silks adorn every window with full-length shutters to keep you cosy. Even mosquito nets cover the antique teak four-poster bed.

Settle back into a cane armchair with a cup of the finest Indian tea while reading about Tea Trails and panoramic Indian adventures. Teak furniture, antique prints and silk cushions create a sense of relaxed colonial elegance.

Whisked away to paradise on day three our traveller imagines a five star tropical beach hut with every luxury at their fingertips, this is how The Crab has designed Soneva Fushi. The pebbled floor, bed made from driftwood and amazing silks exudes the feeling of relaxing right by the warm lapping waters on the beach of the Indian Ocean. This Maldives Island experience resonates with a Robinson Crusoe style hideaway and is ideal for soothing and refreshing the mind, body and soul.

Jetting over to the orient on day four, a tradition of luxury and grace is born at Raffles. Detail underlines the most memorable and elite travel experiences and here The Crab offers up a jewel of the world.

Ceiling fans, timber floors and oriental carpets, Raffles takes our traveller on a captivating soiree across the orient that permeates a certain colonial feeling. Raffles has an antique Chinese four-poster ideal for intimate moments with our traveller’s partner.

Our fifth day of travelling the globe gives us a well earned rest in a room of the purest design that is stunning in its simplicity. Think Buddhist temples and contemplation. Think Zen.
The bed is so comfortable you just want to float away to paradise and beyond. The Crab offers a testament to minimalist design and the Zen philosophy. Our traveller can meditate on the wisdom of their travels and awaken to continue the global trot.

Day six gives our traveler a taste of tropical Thailand’s Chiva Som, named after Thailand’s famous wellness centre for well-being and happiness. It is without doubt the best spa on earth, voted number one by most travellers every year.

Chiva Som means haven of life and The Crab at Chieveley has created the same haven with a secluded hot-tub lush, tropical garden akin to the island villas tucked away for the ultimate in privacy. Sliding into the hot bubbling tub is reminiscent of the world-renowned crystal-clear waters. Our traveller feels as if they are rambling through nature and discovering the softest white sand.

The seventh day leads our traveller across Thailand and to extraordinary warm seas and striking landscapes where we reach the Banyan Tree, one of the world’s most luxurious hotels. Here we will experience the finest South East Asian paradise.

Bordered by an opulent wall-to-wall marble bathroom, embodying the golden sands and gentle waves of the Phuket island, the Banyan Tree spa bath is more than big enough for two. Symbolising a tropical paradise of exotic natural beauty and exuding seclusion, luxury, tranquillity and romance, it is no wonder Banyan Tree is The Crab’s sexiest room.

Our eight day of travels perches our traveller on the edge of the Seychelles continental shelf in one of the most fascinating places on earth, the authentic Garden of Eden. Bird Island feels as if it is also isolated in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Put it to the test in your own private tropical hot tub garden.

Shades of turquoise and blue warm, soft sunny yellows and white sand traps our traveller in a green island of vegetation, colourful tropical fish and a magical holiday experience. Endless stretches of fine white coral sand beaches give a true 'castaway' feeling. It is a true retreat from today's busy world.

Day nine and our traveller escapes over the rolling Pacific surf and surrenders to the liberating luxury unmatched on Bora Bora. The waters in this South Pacific paradise are the purest azure you will ever see as they merge seamlessly with the blue horizon. The Crab bathes Bora Bora in stunning magenta and white with bamboo, woven baskets and rich cottons.

Our traveller is elevated in the excitement of this mystical island with its necklace of white-fringed coral islets. Immersed in ultramodern comforts and the spirit of French Polynesian hospitality our traveller embraces operatic sunsets over the island’s primeval peaks and introduces their family to the seafood delights of restaurant extraordinaire, The Crab at Chieveley.

All too quickly it is day ten and our traveller is spirited away to the haunts of the rich and famous. Sandy Lane tempts our five star traveller with a Caribbean lifestyle as the private garden with a large hot tub conjures up images of serene style in a classic elegant setting, preferred by royalty, celebrities and many of the world’s leading businessmen ... a treasured hideaway for the discerning traveller.

Flying over the Atlantic on the eleventh day, our traveller lands in the wonders of the Masai Mara and a wild game reserve. Treetops is a simply stunning room with a huge leather bed adorned with faux animal furs. African artefacts and tribal shields are scattered across the room and mood lighting sets the scene of a vast open land where the safari was born.

Our traveller experiences the sandpaper tree, which is a symbol of peace. The Maasai have many uses for this tree including edible fruit, useful timber for bows and special walking sticks used by elders during significant rites of passage.Set on a wonderful rocky promontory, overlooking the sweeping plains and raging rivers, our traveller dreams up panoramic views in a gorgeous wilderness area teeming with wildlife. Treetops is an inspired oasis of beautiful decor with African wooden statues nestled amongst woven baskets, earthy masks and animal prints.

Our traveller imagines trees attracting an abundance of wildlife and birds, vast sweeping plains meeting an indigo African sky. They imagine exchanging stories of the wild in a traditional boma bush camp over a sumptuous meal. Our traveller struggles to leave on the twelfth day but is quickly warmed by the evocative ambience of Morocco as La Mamounia instantly mesmerises the senses.

Winston Churchill once said that Marrakech was one of the loveliest places in the whole world. Our traveller joins Churchill’s sentiments as they embrace a private garden adorned with tropical plants and an eight-seated hot tub with its own gazebo. La Mamounia manages to combine the Moroccan architectural tradition with the very latest in Art Deco design and decoration.

Day thirteen and our traveller stops at Hacienda named after the Na Xamena Hotel Hacienda in Ibiza, which has a unique setting 80 metres above sea level on the cliff of a mountain in the north of the island. The Crab has combined ethnically influenced Arabic decoration fashioned into a magical Spanish Hacienda to harmonize with natural beauty: streams and waterfalls, patios, porticos, galleries with the traditional whitewashed architecture of Ibiza.


Our traveller’s journey is almost at an end as day fourteen dawns and the beauty of the Scottish Highlands beckons. Gleneagles combines rugged mountainous regions with wide open lochs steeped in folklore. A wee dram, an antique four-poster intricately carved wooden bed, leather sofas and rich, deep colours welcome our traveller.

A tradition of luxury and grace is born at The Crab with global aspects of history, rich architecture, international culture and tradition, as well as elements of understated exotic elegance.

Simply put, The Crab’s Famous Rooms boasts a style that never shouts, but beautifully sings. Our traveller arrived as a guest, left as a friend and will return as family.

Why not start your journey around the world in one of the Famous Rooms at The Crab at Chieveley? Browse http://www.crabatchieveley.com/ or call 01635 247550 for more information.

Size Matters

Even though the old saying ‘Size does not matter’ has been chronicled for decades, recent advertising states that size does matter. Products themed around ‘size’ have advertised everything from footballers long locks to cars small enough to fit into tiny spaces.

Seafood restaurant extraordinaire, The Crab at Chieveley, is one believer. Most certainly when it comes to a crab, size does matter! King Crab Legs are sought-after the world over for their flavour and the density of the sumptuous meat found inside their huge legs.

The Crab at Chieveley has had its own share of giant crabs. Dave Horridge, Executive Chef says: “The king crab is an exotic animal with sweet succulent flesh. There is nothing better than King Crab Legs! Succulent, and served steaming-hot, there is no other meal I would rather have!”

Now The Crab at Chieveley is on the hunt for the largest crabs eaten or found in the UK. So far, the prime catch seems to be a monstrous crab caught in early July this year when a dive, Paul Worsley landed the largest edible crab in British waters weighing in at eight kilograms and measuring up to a foot in width!

Alaskan Blue King Crabs, amongst the largest crab in the world, are known for their proportionally giant claws and often weigh more than 8 kilograms.

However, the Alaskan Red King Crab, caught in the waters of Bristol Bay and Norton Sound, is the most prized species of crab in the world. Alaska's crop of red king crab is fished over two or three months and nets millions of pounds of snow-white and red streaked red crabmeat.

Despite popular belief, Alaska does not harvest the largest crabs in the world. The Japanese Spider Crab, Macrocheira kaempferi, is the largest known living arthropod, which can reach a leg span of almost four metres (13 ft) when fully grown, with a body size of up to 37 cm or 15 inches, and a weight of up to 20 kilograms (44 lb)!

The Spider Crab, which can live up to 100 years, lives on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean around Japan, some 300 to 400 metres deep, and gets their name from their likeness to a spider. They have rounded bodies covered with stubby tubercle projections and long spindly legs.

Paul Worsley’s true monster of the deep was lurking in the wreck of an old battleship 49 meters (160ft) below the surface called the ‘Empress of India’ ten miles off Lyme Bay in Dorset. The giant crab had claws the size of a man's hand. Careful to avoid its fearsome claws, Mr Worsley had ‘claws for concern’ when the giant put up a fight, but his determination to land his stunning prize won the battle.

King crab hunting used to be for the more discerning fishermen, but now travel expeditions offer festivals with deep sea fishing safaris and the possibility for tourists to catch a king crab.

One such destination, The Varanger Fiord, has huge groups of king crabs with the biggest crab caught measuring in at 1.8 metres from tip to tip and weighing 14 kilograms.

To celebrate the delicacy, The Crab at Chieveley invites seafood lovers, and crab connoisseurs in particular, to taste the delicacy these unique creatures provide with a ‘Crab Experience’. The nautical ambiance invites guests to partake in an explosion of tastes with their luxurious selection of seafood. As well as an award-winning seafood restaurant, The Crab at Chieveley also boasts an enviable reputation both locally and nationally for its unique boutique hotel.

Let ‘The Crab Experience’ go ‘claw in claw’ with a stay in their famous rooms, some of them featuring private hot tubs. The Crab Experience is not to be missed! If you know of a crab bigger than the monster found in Lyme Bay, contact The Crab at Chieveley. Browse www.crabatchieveley.com or call 01635 247550 to enjoy your own ‘Crab Experience’.

Around the world in 14 days ...

Or nights!

The Crab's famous rooms gives you the chance to experience some of the world's most exotic locations. Have you been to Bora Bora? Or slept in a treetop in Africa? Maybe watched birds on an Island in the Seychelles or lazed in the tropics of Thailand.

The Crab’s Famous Rooms, each designed in their own unique style, transports you to a world of indulgence and romance.

Travel the globe right here at Chieveley!

Seafood is the Most Romantic Meal

According to a recent survey, carried out by seafood restaurant extraordinaire, The Crab at Chieveley, men and women believe that a seafood dinner is the most romantic meal of all time! Men may be from Mars and women may be from Venus, but the two sexes definitely agree a special occasion is the most romantic time to propose marriage.

A survey by The Crab at Chieveley revealed that, by far, adults believe a seafood dinner, and in particular lobster, crayfish and crab, is the most romantic meal and Valentine’s Day is the most romantic holiday or special occasion for a marriage proposal.

The survey discovered that February 14th is the best time to “pop” the question. More than 50 percent of men and women say that Valentine’s Day is overwhelmingly the most romantic holiday or special occasion to propose, followed by Christmas, coming in just under 20 percent, a birthday at 12 percent, and New Year’s Eve a mere 11 percent. Here is one the girls won’t believe - men, more than women, think Valentine’s Day is the most romantic holiday or special occasion to propose.

The survey revealed that men, nudging in just under 60 percent, are more likely than women to think that Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day to ask “Will you marry me?”

Another winner for romance at dinner is Oysters, which are deemed to be one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs. Just how certain foods come to be seen as aphrodisiacs are typically a matter of folklore rather than fact. The psychological impact of believing that oysters are aphrodisiacs is sometimes strong enough to produce greater desire for a loved one. The Crab at Chieveley combines the arousing qualities of oysters with decadent caviar in their new ‘Oyster Bar’ with dishes such Beluga and Oscietra Caviar, traditionally garnished with Shallot, Caper, Egg, Parsley, Chorizo and Melba Toast.

All in all, The Crab’s most unique features, seafood and romantic rooms with candlelit hot tubs, make a powerful combination for romance. For more information on The Crab at Chieveley, browse www.crabatchieveley.com or call 01635 247550 to experience your own romantic meal.

Read the full article on the award-winning Seafood Restaurant website.