Mandiri Private Luxury Trip: Unforgettable Vacations

86 The joy of exploring eight cities across Europe is unparalleled for a select few, Dewi Irma writes 87

style hile there is certainly is no place like home, there’s something special about travel. Travel puts smiles on our faces, and it makes our eyes see and appreciate the world that little bit more, too. So, in realising how happy travel can make us, it’s little wonder that travel rewards are a major part of customer loyalty programmes for many brands these days.

Bank Mandiri is one such brand, especially in the private banking sector, which is taking a fresh approach to customer loyalty. In recent years, Mandiri Private Banking has been nurturing its customer base, implementing travel rewards programmes to keep VIP clients happy.

And so it was that in December, Mandiri Private Banking invited its private banking customers to experience a one-of-a- kind luxury European vacation. This programme, named “A Path to Unforgettable Italy-france”, gave its customers the privilege of visiting Italy and France—and a wide range of complimentary perks.

In total, 24 customers joined this trip, visiting eight cities—milan, Monaco, Nice, Grasse, Cannes, Lyon, Beaune, and Paris—over eight days. The participants comprised Widyawati, Mayajanti, Rudi Tanoko, Imelda Gondosiswanto, Lindawaty Sujono Yap, Wahjuhagono, Bonar Sianipar, Melida Hutahaean, Johan Mualim, Erni Simiati, Sulianty Murad, Djamalianingsih Murad, Fenty Mutia Hadiani, Ratih Rahmawati Aji, Hotman Hutapea, Agustianne Sinta Dame Marbun, Iwan Giwangkara Ruswandi, Rina Umar Wirahadikusumah, Riana Rikanti Hakim, Lucca Ariandra Firazzi, Julita Megawati, Tri Wahyuni Budirahadjo, Johan Candra, and Rudy Chandra.

Indonesia Tatler also had the chance to accompany the VIPS on this vacation programme and it was glorious! Here are the highlights.

Inspirational Italy It was December 1 and the temperature lingered at around a cool 6 degrees when our plane touched down at Milan Malpensa Airport. Although some of the participants had already visited some of the destinations on this trip before, everyone was as excited as if it was their first time.

One thing about Milan is that although it’s one of Italy’s most modern cities, it dates back to the Roman Empire. We enjoyed a pleasant walk through the main sights of the city, from the magnificent Duomo Cathedral to Sforza Castle, which was built in the 15th century, not forgetting the Leonardo da Vinci statue right in the middle of La Scala Theatre square and the legendary San Siro stadium.

After we had enjoyed some of Italy’s rich artistic heritage and history, we ended the day relaxing at a multi-level highend mall— Galleria Vittorio Emanuele Ii—which stocked a vast array of designer brands and which was brimming with high-end cafes and restaurants.

When it was time for dinner, we savoured a delicious dish at the Michelin-starred Jade Cafe, located just a few metres away from the Duomo and which specialises in Japanese, Chinese, and Thai cuisine. The evening starting with a warm greeting by the MC Muhammad Farhan, which was followed by Bank Mandiri Retail Banking Director Mr Tardi, who welcomed all participants with a warm speech, and that was day one done.

Marvellous Monaco The following morning, after we had covered up with comfortable boots, shawls and warm clothing to ward off the winter breezes, we took the bus to Monaco and on our arrival, the driver didn’t forget to take us on a spin around the circuit of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Most of us know that Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country (after Vatican City), but as small as it is, there’s something to look at nearly everywhere we go. Our favourites were the picturesque old town, known as “The Rock”, where the Prince’s Palace is located. The Rock is also a great place to take photographs of panoramic views of the sparkling port and yachts, and to shop for some souvenirs or grab a bite to eat.

After strolling around the cobbled pedestrian pathways and taking in the romantic atmosphere of Monaco Ville, we stopped by the lovely and peaceful St Nicholas Cathedral. And of course, we didn’t leave without a visit to the famous casino and all the flashy sports cars, high-end shops, and magnificent gardens to be found there.

One of our favourite moments in Monaco was stopping by the restaurant located in front of the casino, and peoplewatching while we indulged a big glass of gelato. Although we spent only a few hours in Monaco, we couldn’t help but notice that even with all its pizzazz, it still blends in perfectly with the stunning natural beauty that it sits in: Monaco was surely one of the highlights on our trip.

Forever France We arrived in Nice by bus from Monaco on the Friday night and the day was kind of cool because it meant that we had hopped through three cities—breakfast in Milan, lunch in Monaco, and dinner in Nice—all in one day. Nice was a onenight stopover for us, and the next morning we managed to pass along the Promenade des Anglais, which is a beautiful palm-lined seafront, before we headed to Grasse.

Grasse is widely known as the perfume capital of the world, and home of dozens of fragrance companies. We loved touring the Galimard Parfumerie (perfume factory) and discovering the secrets of scents and how they are made during a guided tour. We even sampled and purchased some great-smelling goodies there.

Next, we took a bus to Cannes, home of the Cannes Film Festival, to enjoy a lovely afternoon. We didn’t bump into any film stars, but we did enjoy a day strolling leisurely through the main streets, with all their lush palm trees, high-end boutiques, and beautiful people and beaches, before we left for Lyon.

We stayed in Lyon for one night and the next morning we left early for Beaune, a city in Burgundy famous for its grapes and wines. We explored the Domaine Roy winery with a tour through the cellars and workshops, and to experience authentic wine tasting and to learn about the various steps of wine production. We ended our session in Beaune and ate a local lunch at a small nearby restaurant.

We left Beaune and took a three-hour route to Paris. The glitzy Champs-élysées greeted us on arrival and we headed straight to the Lido Show. This cabaret and burlesque show, with all of its glitz, glamour and fabulous costumes, was also one of the highlights of our trip.

Of course, no visit to Paris is complete without shopping, so the next day was spent indulging in retail therapy. But before that we began the morning discovering the city via a classic car ride—a unique experience, seeing Paris from the vantage point of a vintage vehicle, ending up at the Eiffel Tower to take the mandatory group picture.

Next up: what could be more glamorous than an afternoon with a personal shopper in Paris? We had the privilege of VIP access to Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and its personal services, which include tax registration, the all-important bag carrying, and in-the-know purchasing tips. And just to maintain the theme, we later visited Marne La Vallée at La Vallée Village, an outlet shopping experience with local and global luxury brand names and authentic last-season items at discount rates—this really shouldn’t be missed by luxury travellers. A perfect Paris shopping day!

On our last night, we had a farewell dinner at which the Head of Private Banking Bank Mandiri, Mrs Beatrix Santi Anugrah, gave a speech and information about the travelling programme as a way to engage, build meaningful relationships with, and provide the best value to the private banking customers.

With this kind of programme, customer loyalty takes on new depths of meaning. Most of the participants felt more than fortunate to have spent their time enjoying the wonderful places and experiences with such an amazing group of people coming from diverse backgrounds, businesses and cities. All the participants felt the new bonds that only come with travelling together as a new family of friends. Until next time, bon voyage! For more pictures, visit www.indonesiatatler.com.