Bikini-top – Victoria’s Secret. Straw bag – H&M Home. Paleo – Tallulah & Hope. Necklace – Monica Vinader

“Well this is perfect”, I said – the minute we stepped into Soma Bay’s La Résidence des Cascades lobby – in a voice best sounding like my father. Then I gave my apple-scented e-cigarette a long drag and tottered around patting my beer belly. You see, my father’s a classic Korean middle-aged man who keeps an emergency golf club in his trunk – not for roadside mischief or helping the neighbour’s boy retrieve his basketball from under the car – but for practicing his downswings in the car park before the next meeting. One of the larger hotels on the Soma Bay strip, the Cascades, in its terracotta-orange walls and latticed-corridor goodness overlooks a vast 18-hole par-72 championship golf course. It’s dad heaven. Don’t ask me what those numbers mean because for the past fifteen years I’ve waved off golf lessons for club sandwiches.

Top – Mango. Leather shorts – H&M. Bag – L.K.Bennett Rosamund. Watch – Larsson & Jennings. Rings – Monica Vinader.

It’s a classic fly-and-flop destination, especially when drab-coloured midwinter skies of London is your origin and a fiery red sunset is the destination. For those who, like me, think ‘18-hole’ is something to do with a nice big donut, will probably choose to appreciate the abundant Egyptian sun, Red-by-name-but-very-blue Sea, and a rather vigorous (?) dip in the Thalasso-tonic Hydrotherapy pool. Also if you’re travelling with buddies like Carrie and Abi you may end up spending the whole afternoon horsing off in the pool with the entire hotel’s balconies as audience…

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Thalasso-tonic Hydrotherapy pool containing 830 m3 of sea water

Great for: family fun, golfing, and overflowing breakfast buffet.

Park & Cube was a guest of Soma Bay, all views and opinions are my own.

Hat – Hoss Intropia. Top – American Apparel. Floral shirt – Zara shirt worn as skirt.

Blazer – Zara (similar). Culottes – ASOS. Shoes – Gianvito Rossi. Belt – Vintage LV

Necklace – Amulette de Cartier

Necklace – Cartier. Top & Trousers – Louis Vuitton Icon. Scarf – Zara. Bag – L.K.Bennett. Shoes – ASOS.

Necklace – Cartier.

Above: Hat – Chanel. Sweater – Zadig & Voltaire. Necklace – Cartier. Watch – Larsson & Jennings. Heels – Malone Souliers

There’s an urban myth that flight attendants look for neatly-dressed passengers in Economy to upgrade into Business class in order to balance the weight of the plane when the flight is under-booked. That, of course, is not the reason I wear heels when I travel. I am the passenger that has breadcrumbs all over her chin and sweater before take-off because I genuinely believe that I will starve and die before they bring out the food trolley. I’m also the passenger that is virtually invisible because she’s reaching under the seat for a fallen Skittle.

ANYWAY. I may have briefly touched up on this before, but the more I travel, the more I realise how much I’m addicted to the first 24 hours of a journey: the flurry of packing, pre-flight jitters, and the view out the plane/train window, then finally landing on foreign soil and cataloguing new scents and sounds into memory. From a certain point I started to dress up for it, like I would to any anticipated event, like a good show – figured I’d be sitting for hours in the plane anyway. While I don’t think I’ve yet fully mastered the art, so far these tricks have worked for me: Frothy cashmere, a great pair of heels you can easily slip out from, and single, fuss-free jewellery like the Amulette de Cartier that won’t bring down the entire airport.

In Collaboration with Cartier; photography by KrisAtomic; Location: Booking Office at the Renaissance Hotel.

Navy bag – L.K.Bennett. Scarf – Johnstons of Elgin. Wheely suitcase – Samsonite

If you’re like me and spend more alone-time with your suitcase than with the significant other, this might be for you. Because last time I checked you can’t win a tattooed Ryan Gosling off the internet, let alone password protect him with a TSA-approved lock. Clever luggage got even cleverer, yo. I’ve teamed up with Fashiolista and Samsonite this month to give away a handsome limited edition roller suitcase from their Cosmolite range, just follow the instructions here and cross your fingers it’s yours before the bells jingle.

Fashiolista x Samsonite x Park & Cube

Angry midget grandpa: Laetitia

‘Bacon’

Evil-looking cat enduring a surprisingly nice petting session.

Wearing: V-neck wool cardigan – Gap. Cord leggings trousers – Gap. Dress – Stylenanda. Hat – Hoss Intropia. Bag – L.K.Bennett. Rose-gold watch – Guess. Leather knot bracelet – COS (similar). Boots – Zara. Cashmere scarf – Johnstons of Elgin. Thank you Kit for the outfit snaps!

I love days like this, when one very early morning meeting brings you to the other end of town and you end up spending the day in a very foreign surrounding. You poke at the Twittersphere for some recommendations in the area and ask whether or not they use a different currency/language here, and BAM you land a breakfast date with a friend you never see because, well, she lives at the bloody other end of town. The next thing you know, you’re digging through a mountain of bacon and the smell of it all invites a friendly pooch to sit at your feet, who you eventually end up naming ‘Bacon’. We still don’t know who its owner was and where it came from… although we’re pretty sure its real name is either Bacon, or Bread, or Tuna sandwich, considering that it pootled over to the next table once he saw no more bacon on my chin. And we thought it loved us.

Also, wearing what is probably the most comfortable outfit ever. I mean, cords and a chunky cardigan… it’s like my mother dressed me. Or my father, actually, come to think of it. All with a tiered dress-thing that actually very effectively covers up the junk in the trunk, and boots so comfortable I can jog in. This is the first of a little style series I’m doing with Gap and a couple of their knitwear/cord classics for the Styld.by platform. Make sure to check back for more of what I’m sure will be comfortable outfits championing the Park family genome, aka Pyjama family.

Outfit: Park & Cube x Gap Styld.by

A little peek at what’s in my carry-on!

Sunglasses – Carrera by Jimmy Choo

Coat – Mango. Jeans – James Jeans. Shoes – Zara. Bag – L.K.Bennett. Rolly bag – Longchamp

(Rollover to activate numbers ↑)

Rosamund, the gentlewoman that has been accompanying me on many flights of late. Has a soft suede heart, and capability of holding many stories (by way of Kindle) and secrets.

A cashmere scarf that fits in tight corners and folds out into a creamy cloud around your neck, should you wish to hide that double-chin on your snooze. Alternative to the U-shaped flight pillow I never remember to buy.

Carrera by Jimmy Choo – ready for landing, for that rockstar moment when you step out of the airport in a sunny country and you find yourself sporting two more carry-on’s under your eyes.

‘Shut up, I’m fabulous’ rose-gold headphones by Frends. Perfect for NOT hearing the We’re boarding announcements and being that ‘fashionably late’ passenger that gets all the attention in the world. Clever.

Limousine for key items for any trip: the Louis Vuitton Mon Monogram travel wallet – does not come with a mini-fridge with champagne, but does have compartments for different currencies. As if I’m going on more than one destination at a time, pffsh.

Airport pouch by the geniuses (geniusi?) at Muji – mine’s a small version but they come in larger sizes (within airport regulation) for shorter trips where you don’t wish to check-in one lone shampoo bottle.

Fences and Windows by Naomi Klein, amazing read – but sometimes used as alternative to sleeping pill on longer flights. Must’ve read the same sentence in that on chapter about five times now.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 S Pen only comes out above 10,000 ft – highly practical when re-thinking your life and writing down life goals that you’ll never read again. Also partner in crime for item .

Snacks – Because somebody is always too impatient for the food trolley to roll by. Plus, I’ve never seen a flight offer Coconut Water (more potassium than four bananas – try taking four bananas on board), and until that day, I will insist on bringing one aboard.

Trusty Casio on my wrist. I don’t want our plane to crash because I turned on my mobile to check the time, thank you. BECAUSE THAT’S A THING APPARENTLY.

Mulberry envelope pouch I got for £25 in Bicester Village, used as foreign currency wallet, or what is now a mixture of Yens, Euros, Dollars, Pounds and Wons, and a game of is this your country’s money at checkout.