Escape Routes

ESCAPE ROUTES

TRAVEL NEWS | FLIGHT DECK | RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL | CHECK IN

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WHAT’S NEW

Welcome to Oman

Oman may just be the best-kept secret in the Middle East – its unspoiled deserts, ancient tombs, and low-rise cities offer an authentic way to experience modern Arab culture. Stable and international in its outlook, the country boasts pristine white-sand beaches, hidden wadis and small traditional villages where goats roam through narrow streets.

Our specialists can now arrange custommade trips to this often-overlooked destination on the Arabian Sea. As you travel, explore a time-honored livestock auction in the small city of Nizwa, stand at the lip of the Omani Grand Canyon, or climb a desert dune to watch the sunset over the Wahiba Sands.

For more information, contact our Oman specialists on 1-855-838-6430.

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ESCAPE ROUTES

FLIGHT DECK

The latest flight news

JetBlue will be crossing the Atlantic from 2021. The carrier plans to introduce regular flights from New York and Boston to London on its A321LR aircraft. British Airways has also added to its transatlantic product, launching a twice-weekly summer service between Charleston, South Carolina and London Heathrow, starting from this year.

United Airlines will run seasonal nonstop flights to Cape Town, South Africa beginning December 2019. The flights will operate on the 787-9 Dreamliner from United’s Newark hub. Pending government approval, United will become the only airline flying nonstop between the United States and Cape Town.

TAP Air Portugal have just begun flying between San Francisco and Lisbon. The nonstop, year-round flights run five times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday) on new Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.

WHERE TO GO IN…

3 MONTHS

AUSTRALIA

Almost all of Australia, with the exception of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley, is enjoying the last of spring before the summer heat descends. Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef are particularly rewarding to visit at this time of year. Water visibility is good and there’s little wind, making for ideal snorkeling conditions. For more information, contact our Australia specialists on 1-844-250-3450.

6 MONTHS

INDIA

Practically anywhere in India is ripe for visiting. While snow might cause some travel disruption in the Himalaya, the pay-off is views of mountains blanketed in white. Rajasthan’s dry, sunny days and cooler nights make it an ideal time to explore the Golden Triangle, while Kerala is warm with only a touch of humidity – a good time to cruise the backwaters. For more information, contact our India specialists on 1-855-838-8478.

9 MONTHS

NAMIBIA

The summer heat is subsiding – and any occasional rain creates good photo opportunities. The landscape is clinging on to its greenery, complementing the red rock. With less crowds in this season, there is much more choice and flexibility about where to stay. It’s a particularly good time for birdwatching, and you’re likely to have game sightings all to yourself. For more information, contact our Namibia specialists on 1-855-838-0525.

Delving into Delhi at the 2019 Audley Guide Awards

Every year, we host the Audley Guide Awards in Asia as a way to acknowledge, appreciate, and thank our best guides from across the continent. We hand-pick the guides that we use for our experiences – our trips simply couldn’t happen without them.

This year, guides from across the region were invited to Delhi. Aside from the awards dinner, they explored Old Delhi on an Audley walking and rickshaw tour and took part in a workshop to share their experience and best practice.

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CHECK IN

The most exciting new stays

Enso Ango, Kyoto, Japan Enso Ango (pictured) is Japan’s first dispersed hotel – rooms and facilities are spread across five buildings, each with its own personality. With a range of room sizes and comfort levels, you can choose a building to suit, but still use the facilities across the hotel.

Nantipa, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica In the relaxed surf-and-yoga town of Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula, Nantipa sits apart from other properties, enjoying its own stretch of beach. It has an outdoor pool, a gourmet restaurant, and rooms come with hammocks and outdoor showers.

Songtsam Meili Lodge, Yunnan, China What this remote lodge lacks in facilities, it makes up for in views: it overlooks the great white bulk of Meili Snow Mountain. Rooms are cozy affairs with their own fireplace and, in fine weather, you can admire your environs from the outdoor terrace.

SkyScape, Twizel, New Zealand Here, three sides of your room are made of glass, giving you clear views of the heavens. From SkyScape’s secluded spot, an hour from Mount Cook, you can stargaze in bed at this certified Dark Sky Reserve, or from the room’s private outdoor bath tub.

Our charity of the year: ShelterBox

Jenna Hoopingarner from our operations team took part in ShelterBox’s mock deployment training in Texas. She saw how the charity’s response team delivers ShelterBoxes to international disaster zones. Boxes include tents, cooking supplies, and water filters. “My experience helped me see the importance

of Shelterbox’s work, aiding in over 18 disasters each year, where they attempt to reach the most vulnerable,” she said. Since 2000, the charity has helped rebuild the lives of more than a million people. For more information, visit www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/audley-travel-shelterbox

Coming soon: IcelandCruise alongside great Galapagos wildlife

It’s somewhere you’ve been asking us about increasingly often, so we’re excited to announce Iceland as our new destination offering for this autumn. Laura from the team tells us what to expect: “Visiting Iceland is about the landscape and how to enjoy it. There are few places where you could walk into a magma chamber or onto a glacier, especially within easy reach of the capital. It’s also about exploring Icelandic culture, down to their belief in ‘elf villages’.” Stay up to date with our Iceland news by joining our mailing list at www.audleytravel.com.

The Solaris, a purpose-built expedition boat, is now sailing the Galapagos archipelago as a new addition to the fleet. With chic interiors, the option for triple-occupancy cabins, and no single supplements, she suits all kinds of travelers. Having completed her maiden voyage in March, her sailing routes take you to the volcano-dotted islands of Isabela and Fernandina (whose highlands shelter giant tortoises) or to the remote bird cliffs of Genovesa. For more information, please contact our Galapagos specialists on 1-855-838-8636.

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ESCAPE ROUTES

Eco-safari in Zambia

Ila Safari Lodge in Kafue National Park is leading the way in environmentally friendly safaris in Zambia. The lodge is constructed from locally sourced wood and runs solely on solar power, even operating a solar-powered boat for sunset river cruises and an electric game drive vehicle for nearsilent game drives in the park. The lodge has won awards for its eco-friendly credentials and now its luxurious sister property, Kaya Mawa, on a small island on Lake Malawi, is run in a similarly responsible fashion. Contact our Zambia specialists on 1-855-838-1505.

What to READ

What to WATCH

What to SEE

What to DOWNLOAD

YPM Klaus Wagensonner

Bestselling Frances Mayes returns to Italy with See You in the Piazza, a guide to the sorts of places we love, far from the tourist crowds. She and her husband eat and drink their way through spots that are known and loved by locals, not guidebooks. Out now.

The threat of extinction looms over the new documentary Tigerland, by director Ross Kauffman. He follows the progress of two conservationists as they work to save tigers in India and Russia, but also lingers on the big cats themselves. Available now on Amazon Prime.

Explore artifacts from the cradle of civilization at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History’s exhibit Ancient Mesopotamia Speaks. Displays include tablets with poems by the first named author in human history, Princess Enheduanna. Showing now through June 2020.

The RefillMyBottle app provides an online world map that identifies places where you can refill your water bottle. Using GPS, it gives you directions to your closest refill station, whether it’s a cafe, resort, museum or shop, reducing the need for single-use plastics. Available on iOS and Android.

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ESCAPE ROUTES

Glorious gyoza Learn how to cook these tasty classic Japanese dumplings

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RECIPE

Pork gyoza

By Rory Dent, Japan specialist

While studying in Tokyo, I worked part time as a chef, preparing a menu full of light Japanese dishes. Of all the Japanese delicacies I’ve cooked and eaten, my favorite is gyoza. You can make these dumplings in so many ways, using a variety of fillings. Plus, you can freeze a batch for later.

INGREDIENTS

3 leaves of Chinese leaf lettuce, chopped finely 3 spring onions, chopped finely 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely ½ thumb-sized piece of ginger, chopped finely 3-4 shiitake mushrooms, chopped finely

1 lb. pork 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce 1 ½ teaspoons mirin 1 ½ teaspoons sake Salt and black pepper Gyoza skins (available from most Asian supermarkets) ¼ cup water ½ teaspoon powdered potato starch (from the same Asian supermarket) 3 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil Rice vinegar Soy sauce

METHOD

1. Mix the vegetables and mushrooms in a bowl with the pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sake, salt and pepper. 2. Take a gyoza skin in your hand and place a small ball of the mixture into the middle. 3. Wet your thumb, and run it around the outer edge of half the skin. 4. Fold the skin in half, enclosing the mixture, and crimp the edges with

your fingers. The water should stick the two halves together. 5. Heat a teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil in a pan and add the gyoza, leaving space between each. Fry for a few minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. 6. Add ¼ cup of water with the potato starch to the pan, covering immediately. Cook until most of the water has evaporated. 7. Remove the lid and drain off the water. Add another teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to the pan and swill to cover the base of the pan. 8. Cook uncovered for a few minutes, then remove the gyoza with a spatula. Place them golden-brown side down on a plate. The potato starch, water, and oil should form a thin film that connects all the dumplings, which the Japanese call hane (feather). 9. Serve with a dipping sauce made of one part rice vinegar and one part soy sauce.

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VISIT GREECE

Explore the land of Athena,

Archimedes, and Aristotle. Watch the sun set from white-washed seaside villages, snorkel in the brilliant-blue Aegean, and learn to make a traditional Greek meze meal on Milos.

We’re proud to say that we now arrange customized trips to Greece, the latest addition to our ever-growing European offerings. Our specialists have scoured the country for the best guides, hotels, and immersive experiences that Greece has to offer. Discover what your trip can look like when it’s designed just for you.

Start planning your trip with one of our European specialists. Call us on 1-855-838-8665.

www.audleytravel.com