Ultratravel Summer 2012

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ultratravel The Daily Telegraph

YOUR GUIDE TO HEAVEN ON EARTH

SUMMER 2012

New frontiers

INDONESIA’S LOST ARCHIPELAGO

ULTRATRAVEL AWARDS

100 of the finest things in luxury travel

PALM SPRINGS COTE D’AZUR GREEK ISLANDS ...and BUZZ ALDRIN

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CONTENTS

Features

28 Life in the Movie Colony In its heyday, Palm Springs was the desert playground of Hollywood stars from Frank Sinatra to Marilyn Monroe. Now, says Douglas Rogers, its cool retro style is inspiring a new generation of designers and culture-seekers 36 The last frontier On an opulent schooner, Lisa Grainger explores the untouched Raja Ampat archipelago of Indonesia 44 Islands of the gods Despite current woes, the Greek islands have retained their grandeur. Robin Gauldie charts hidden corners and hot properties, from Chios to Santorini 53 The Ultratravel 100 In our annual awards, we name the 100 finest things in luxury travel, nominated by our readers 60 Star signs The guestbook at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, in Antibes, reads like a Who’s Who of A-listers. Peter Hughes gets a rare glimpse of the world’s most impressive autograph book

Regulars 11 Editor’s letter Escape is the word on everyone’s lips this summer – but where? Our writers provide inspiration 13 The next big thing News, trends, events and phenomena from around the world, compiled by Adriaane Pielou 17 Ultratravel accessories In this Olympic year, it’s all about gold, silver and bronze 22 Victoria’s secrets Culture, seen differently, is what the CLOTHING AND PHOTOGRAPH: TRINATURK.COM. ALAMY; SUPERSTOCK

smart traveller is seeking. Victoria Mather shares her tips 24 Countdown to… Rio de Janeiro. In an insider’s guide, Chris Moss finds much to celebrate in the next Olympic city 27 Shop local In Stockholm, Lisa Grainger takes advice from residents on where to find the best contemporary furniture 69 Ultra intelligence The £30 million superyacht; rhubarb on the rise; the most palatial suite in Marrakech; and what makes Andrew Purvis furious about high-end restaurants 74 Travelling life Buzz Aldrin talks about his Earthbound adventures, from diving in Bonaire to exploring the Arctic

The right trousers Why Palm Springs is fashionable again (page 28)

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44 © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2012. Published by TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT, and printed by Polestar UK Limited. Colour reproduction by wearefmg.com. Not to be sold separately from The Daily Telegraph. Ultratravel is a registered trademark licensed to The Daily Telegraph by PGP Media Limited

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EDITOR’S LETTER

A GALAXY OF STARS ESCAPE. After what has surely been Britain’s wettest drought on record, and with London set to be swamped again by ag-waving crowds clamouring for pomp and circumstance (the Diamond Jubilee) and sporting endeavour (the Olympics), escape is the word on everybody’s lips this summer – but to where? Who better to provide perspective on what Earth has to offer than Buzz Aldrin? Among his travelling highlights (page 74) are luxuriating in the reďŹ nement of Claridge’s, sailing to the North Pole on a Russian ice-breaker and skiing in Idaho. However, it is his favourite pursuit, scuba diving, that brings Aldrin closest to the feeling of weightlessness experienced in space. With this in mind, Lisa Grainger heads for Indonesia (page 36) to board a luxury schooner and dive among the dazzling marine life and corals of the Raja Ampat archipelago, islands that have changed little since Sir Francis Drake dropped anchor there 450 years ago. For a glimpse of Hollywood life, Peter Hughes (page 60) stays at the legendary HĂ´tel du Cap-Eden-Roc, on the CĂ´te D’Azur, and unveils the secrets of its star-studded guestbook. Douglas Rogers ďŹ nds that the legacy of Sinatra and Monroe lives on in Palm Springs (page 28), the desert enclave 100 miles from Los Angeles which is undergoing a style revival. We also launch a new section, The Next Big Thing (page 13), Adriaane Pielou’s round-up of trends, ideas, objects, phenomena and newsworthy events this summer – none bigger than the transit of Venus, best viewed from Hawaii or French Polynesia. Closer to home, Robin Gauldie charts a realm of sparkling Mediterranean views, grand properties and private hideaways, in his Pleasure-seeker’s Guide to the Greek Islands (page 44). If further guidance is needed, look no further than the Ultratravel 100 (page 53), our deďŹ nitive list of the 100 ďŹ nest things in luxury travel, chosen by readers and celebrated in our annual awards. For these worthy winners, as Ol’ Blue Eyes said, it was a very good year.

Editor ADAM PARKER

Stairway to heaven Inside the HĂ´tel du Cap-Eden-Roc (page 60)

CONTRIBUTORS

Photographer: Chris Caldicott Shot at Wayag Island, Indonesia

Caroline Shearing Fascinated by space since childhood, the Telegraph’s travel reporter always takes her telescope on holiday. Interviewing Buzz Aldrin was a mission fulďŹ lled. “Along with Roger Penrose, Sir Patrick Moore and Stephen Hawking, he was on my listâ€?

Peter Hughes The Telegraph contributor has won awards for stories about tiger tourism and the world’s largest cruise ship. A master at exclusives, he was given a rare glimpse of the guestbook at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, signed by a panoply of stars

Lisa Grainger Ultratravel’s deputy editor is no stranger to luxury – or to diving – and cruising the Raja Ampat archipelago on Tiger Blue offered a lot of both. The highlight? “Diving with manta rays. It made travelling to the other side of the world worthwhile�

Douglas Rogers The journalist and author, based in New York, has visited more than 50 countries, from Armenia to Zambia. For this issue, we sent him closer to home: Palm Springs, California, to explore the legacy of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack

Buzz Aldrin Now 82, the former Apollo 11 astronaut and moonwalker still likes ying up front. “I don’t have to sit upright when it’s time to sleep,â€? he says, “and I always introduce myself to the pilot and co-pilot. They kind of like having me on boardâ€?

ultratravel

Editor Charles Starmer-Smith Creative director Johnny Morris Managing editor Andrew Purvis Deputy editor Lisa Grainger Sub-editor Yolanda Carslaw Photography editor Joe Plimmer Contributing editor Adriaane Pielou Intern George Selwyn-Brace Executive publisher for Ultratravel Limited Nick Perry Publisher Toby Moore Advertising inquiries 07768 106322 (Nick Perry) 020 7931 3239 (Fran Burns) Ultratravel, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT

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Upcoming events, trends, ideas, phenomena and large planetary objects from the world of luxury travel

the NEXT BIG THING COMPILED BY ADRIAANE PIELOU

Astronomer’s impression The trajectory that Venus (black dots) will follow as it crosses the sun in June. Below: observatories at Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy

• VENUS IN TRANSIT Few astronomical events are bigger than the transit of Venus, the rare phenomenon (Venus crossing the sun) that happens in pairs, eight years apart, either every 105 or 121 years. The next transit will take place on June 5 and 6 this year, and among the best places to watch it will be the Pacific Ocean and Polynesia, where Captain James Cook witnessed the event in 1769. The next occurrence after this one will be in December 2117, meaning it will not be seen again by many people alive today. 10 nights in Hawaii, home of some of the world’s best observatories, for £3,699 including flights. Five nights at the St Regis Bora Bora, on the island of that name in French Polynesia, costs £3,510 (01244 897555, elegantresorts.co.uk) with flights.

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

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SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRAY; GETTY; CORBIS

Explorers Astronomy Tours (0845 508 6654, astronomytours.co.uk) is offering

the NEXT BIG THING

• WALES COAST PATH The 870-mile Wales Coast Path is now complete, making Wales the first country in the world to have a continuous path along the entire length of its coast. Five years in the building, at a cost of £14 million, the path takes in Cardiff, the Victorian seaside towns of Swansea and Llandudno, and some of the most soul-stirring scenery in Britain, from the immense beaches of the Gower Peninsula to the salt marshes of Cardigan Bay. Near the Coast Path in Pembrokeshire (pictured), the 13th-century Roch Castle, newly opened to guests, offers three nights’ b&b for up to 12 people from £2,400 (07896 330869, retreatsgroup.com).

• IN-FLIGHT COCKTAIL BAR The longest cocktail bar in the sky has just been launched by Virgin Atlantic. Measuring 8ft, the Club Class bar accommodates eight and has moody lighting and curtains adorned with more than 1,000 Swarovski crystals. The bad news: there is only one, so far. The good news: the post-cocktail beds are the biggest in any business class: 7ft 3in. virginatlanticplaneview.com

• A MAN CALLED HAN Nearly 100 years since the Little Mermaid sculpture took her place in Copenhagen harbour, she is to have a male counterpart 25 miles away. Han, who will be unveiled next month, will sit on a “rockâ€? of polished stainless steel near Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The sculpture is by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, who also brought the “rocking-horse boyâ€? to the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in February. Examine Han’s face and you may see him move – a hydraulic mechanism makes him blink once an hour. In Copenhagen, stay at the Arne Jacobsen-designed Radisson Blu Royal (00 45 3342 6000, radisson.com), from ÂŁ320.

• BIG FISH The 147ft expedition yacht

accessing dive sites or

Big Fish is one of a new

simply exploring. Up to

generation of vessels

10 guests can join the 10

catering for adventurers.

crew – and they can even

Powered by twin

pack high heels, thanks

Caterpillar engines, with

to “stiletto-friendly�,

a top speed of 16 knots

epoxy-infused granite

and a range of 10,000

decks. Big Fish is available

nautical miles, it is capable

to charter – but this

of circumnavigating the

summer could be the last

globe and travelling to the

opportunity, as she is

Antarctic. Toys on board

also for sale, priced at

include kayaks, Laser

ÂŁ18.2 million. Rates start at

sailing dinghies, jet skis

$245,000 (about ÂŁ160,000)

and a 28ft speedboat with

for a week (020 7584

a 200-mile range, ideal for

1801, ycoyacht.com).

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4CORNERS

StandďŹ rst byline in bold Nfclcls niii tiii Biiitlsh-bcckxd Siiirrc Liiinx giiixr niiint hiiix biiin siiicllng tiiis niii miiillnns niiiNfclcls niii tiii Biiitlsh-bcckxd Siiirrc Liiinx giiixr niiint hiiix biiin siiicllng tiiis niii miiillnns niii piiinds wiiith niii • MCLAREN MP4-12C HIRE CAR It costs an eyewatering ÂŁ212,000 to buy, but, thanks to Hertz, McLaren’s supercar is no longer a toy for just the super-rich. This speed machine – which does 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds and is capable of 200mph plus – is now available to rent, for ÂŁ1,248 for 24 hours, through Hertz Supercars. Hertz customers can also get behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini LP560-4 Bicolore, Aston Martin Rapide or Rolls-Royce Phantom. Customers must be over 25, with no more than six points on their licence (01920 461703, hertzsupercars.com).

• BAR WITH THE BEST LONDON VIEW This summer will see the opening of an extravagant rooftop bar and club atop ME London, the first UK hotel for the Spanish group ME By MeliĂĄ. The 157-room “urban resortâ€? sits on the junction of the Strand and Aldwych, occupying Marconi House, which has had a makeover by Sir Norman Foster. The promise: not just the best views of any hotel bar in London, but clever cocktails and curated music. Presiding over the roof terrace will be an “aura experience managerâ€? with an “everything is possibleâ€? ethos of service. Rooms from ÂŁ408 (0808 234 1953, melondonuk.com)

LCKI8KI8M<CACCESSORIES Gold, silver, bronze: medals are not the only glittering prizes this Olympic summer, says Adriaane Pielou

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Gold standard

1 Gold-plated Beats by Dr Dre Pro headphones £998 (crystalrocked.com) 2 Sunray tube necklace by Mawi £365 (0845 224 2617, quintessentiallygifts.com) 3 Leather wheeled case £1,326 (020 7499 7082, couturelab.com) 4 Chain-mail sandals by Brian Atwood £520 (0800 044 5700, net-a-porter.com) 5 Knuckle box clutch £1,150 (020 7355 0088, alexandermcqueen.co.uk) 6 Leather-covered journal £39 (0845 052 6900, aspinaloondon.com) 7 Chronomat 44 watch in rose gold £38,530 (020 7637 5167, breitling.com) 8 Embroidered fedora by Eugenia Kim £255 (Net-a-Porter, as before) 9 Gold-plated bracelet by Alice Menter £195 (020 7942 2696, vandashop.com)

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LCKI8KI8M<C ACCESSORIES

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Silver service

1 Ingegnere Due eight-speed bike ÂŁ1,393 (00 49 30 3267 8201, bellaciao.de/en) 2 Mobee Magic Bar keyboard-charging dock ÂŁ49.99 (0800 044 5010, ďŹ rebox.com) shown with Apple wireless keyboard ÂŁ59 (08456 049 049, johnlewis.com) 3 Woven leather Mini Huxley tote ÂŁ995 (020 7501 0177, anyahindmarch.com) 4 Sterling silver 8GB memory stick ÂŁ97.50 (01227 764755, silverpen.co.uk) 5 Silver-plated Utah cuff by Philippe Audibert ÂŁ560 (0800 044 5700, net-a-porter.com) 6 Olympic Pocket Watch 1932 chronograph ÂŁ64,700 (020 7491 8113, omegawatches.com) 7 Diamond Tears Edge headphones by Monster ÂŁ199 (020 7730 1234, harrods.com) 8 Sterling silver scent atomiser ÂŁ325 (020 7493 8385, williamandson.com) 9 Zero-emission Agility Saietta R electric sports bike ÂŁ13,750 (Firebox, as before)

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LCKI8KI8M<C ACCESSORIES

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Bronze finish 1 Straw trilby by Etro £100 (0800 044 5705, mrporter.com) 2 Lizard and leather sandals by Reed Krakoff £885 (0800 044 5700, net-a-porter.com) 3 Olympus Pen Mini E-PM1 with 14-42mm lens £339 (0117 914 0089, bristolcameras.co.uk) 4 Salsa Air Ultralight case by Rimowa £355 (0800 123 400, selfridges.com) 5 Sunleya SPF15 age-minimising sunscreen by Sisley £134 (Selfridges, as before) 6 Vintage Hermès scarf £275 (0845 224 2617, quintessentiallygifts.com) 7 Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 “Bronzo” watch £6,500 (panerai.com) 8 Square-frame acetate sunglasses by Linda Farrow Luxe £320 (Mr Porter, as before) 9 Leather laptop bag by Travelteq £410 (Quintessentially Gifts, as before)

OFFICIAL LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC MEDALS (NOT FOR SALE) COURTESY OF LOCOG

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JASON FORD

In Transylvania, the horse and cart remain de rigueur and one can walk, ride or do a spot of bear-watching

Culture vultures want An Experience, says Victoria Mather, from living in a medieval hamlet to shacking up with royalty

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he old culture is the new culture. Travellers want to see Paris, Prague and the Pyramids, just as they have always done, but to see them in a new way. The smart thing to say is that the Mayan pyramids of Guatemala knock spots off the Egyptian models. Prague? Lovely, of course, but rather old news unless you have stayed at Rocco Forte’s Augustine Hotel, once a 13th-century monastery. More than anything, what the time-poor (and, now, just the plain poor) want is An Experience. “I do not travel unless I am going to see something I have not seen already and so extraordinary that it makes the struggle through the airport worth it,â€? says Carol Thatcher. Having been on the inside track at both the White House and the Kremlin, she has done quite a bit of extraordinary. The experience has to be authentic. Extreme adventure (such as ossing the teeth of white sharks in South Africa) is essentially contrived. As Tom Barber of Original Travel puts it: “The future is culture, because culture and authenticity go naturally together.â€? Barber’s idea of culture is not culture as we know it. He espouses Eastern Europe, for instance, working with Count Tibor Kalnoky, who has helped the Prince of Wales preserve old Transylvanian villages where the horse and cart remain de rigueur (HRH’s house in Viscri can be used as a guest house when he is not there). Even Prince Harry, not a natural culture vulture, spent Easter with the 45-year-old count in his 16th-century manor house. It feels almost medieval, a place where one can walk and ride, or indulge in a spot of bear-watching to soothe one’s soul in the bear market. Prince Harry’s visit represents a signiďŹ cant tipping point from Boujis to bucolic. I’d have

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Victoria’s secrets

expected him to have hung out at the Brody House in Budapest, which, with its art, music and DJs, is like a members’ club with rooms – a fun, young alternative to the stately glory of the Four Seasons Gresham Palace. And Budapest is humming, its culture fortiďŹ ed by the new wines now being produced in the vineyards that died during communism. Culture is not all about rosy Renaissance madonnas with fat baby Christs. Take the House of Terror at Andrassy ut 60, a museum and memorial to the fascist and communist atrocities of the 20th century – events so horribly close in time that its torture chambers are still shivery-cold. The place is as relevant to us as the shattering Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre in Rwanda: history, but presented in the most non-traditional of ways. It is important to see this culture with the right people, which is why the Tate and The Ultimate Travel Company have launched Tate Travels (tatetravels.co.uk). On one of its cultural extravaganzas, art historian Harriet Landseer will lead a trip to Mexico, embracing Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and the artists’ colony of Cuernavaca. On another, architectural historian Bill Hinchliff and James Rondeau, curator of the Art Institute of Chicago, will take groups to the Windy City to learn about Roy Lichtenstein and Frank Lloyd Wright. In October, James Jayasundera (ampersandtravel.com) and Emily FitzRoy (bellinitravel.com) will together lead a programme taking in India and Italy. It will be maharajas and mozzarella, viceroys and Vesuvius, with Jayasundera opening palace doors in India and FitzRoy holding the key

to Italy. They only do private guides, private gardens, private houses, private access, so in India guests will stay with Prince Richard Holkar at Ahilya Fort and at the Nizam of Hyderabad’s restored Taj Falaknuma Palace. In Italy, they will spend their nights at the Gettys’ old house, Posta Vecchia, and at the Sersales’ Le Sirenuse in Positano. FitzRoy’s grandfather, the Duke of Grafton, always travelled with the Queen Mother and an industrial-sized bottle of Dubonnet, so she has the pedigree to escort today’s Grand Tourists. In July, John Hall (johnhallitalianjourneys. com), whose pre-university courses in Venice have lifted frightfully nice boys and girls from the best families out of total ignorance, is now allowing parents on to his tours as mature students. In July, he is leading a trip to the Marches, a secret corner of Italy awash with Raphaels and good restaurants. In Abu Dhabi recently I stood in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and marvelled. It is beautiful, gentle and spiritual, its hand-crafted white marble glowing with simple reverence (apart from Swarovski crystal chandeliers, as ostentatious as anything worn at the Oscars). So much of our architecture was inspired by religion but now, in our secular society, shops (Louis Vuitton in Tokyo), airports (Norman Foster’s in Beijing) and hotels (IM Pei’s Four Seasons New York) are our temples – to Mammon. Abu Dhabi is taking a more enlightened approach. It aims to be the cultural hub of the Middle East, with Jean Nouvel designing a Louvre there, Frank Gehry a Guggenheim, and the British Museum collaborating on a National Museum designed by Norman Foster. If savvy Abu Dhabi sees culture as the future, it must be.

COUNTDOWN TO Rio de Janeiro Relish the renaissance of Brazil’s stylish cultural capital before World Cup and Olympic fever sets in, says Chris Moss

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RESTAURANTS Rio is perhaps best known for informal pĂŠ sujo

(dirty foot) dining, sweet and salty comfort food and early drinking – a 10am bottle of Brahma beer is completely cool – in laid-back pubs called botecos. But it’s in the high-end restaurant scene that the city has seen its most obvious renaissance. La FidĂşcia (00 55 21 2295 7474, laďŹ ducia.com.br) has been praised by cariocas for rebooting the classily romantic vibe along Copacabana’s Rua Duvivier, and

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the contemporary Italian menu – with Brazilian

REASONS TO GO

classics such as feijoada available at weekends – is

The epitome of glamour in the 1930s and 40s and

one of the best in town. Le PrĂŠ Catelan (below) at

rock ‘n’ roll sexiness in the 1960s and 70s, Rio is back in

the Rio SoďŹ tel (00 55 21 2525 1206, leprecatelan.com.

vogue. Preparations for the 2014 World Cup and 2016

br) is the best hotel restaurant, where Roland Villard

Olympic Games mean revamps of everything from stadia

oversees a trilogy-themed starter menu that features

to favelas, as well as protection orders on the colonial

sensational seafood entrĂŠes such as lobster ravioli

architecture. If São Paulo is Brazil’s economic

and bisque, and langoustine tartar with tomato and

powerhouse, Rio remains its cultural and hedonistic

mango, and main courses that range from Amazonian

hub, with new arts spaces such as Movimento and

tambaqui ďŹ sh to Angus ox chops. A classic on

the Bhering Factory and the renovation of the

Avenida Atlântica is Restaurante La Fiorentina

Theatro Municipal

(00 55 21 2543 8395, laďŹ orentina.com.br), which is

complementing

popular with carioca celebrities and artists and ideal

landmarks such as

for a pasta or pizza evening with ice-cold beers. On

the NiterĂłi

the walls, black-and-white photographs of past

Contemporary Art

diners, including Rita Hayworth, Rudolph Nureyev

Museum (left).

and Brigitte Bardot, evoke the charm of old Rio.

The verities endure: Rio’s dreamy beaches, set against granite and quartz morros, and a proper wilderness just a 15-minute taxi ride away at Tijuca Forest Park. The cariocas, Rio’s residents, enjoy a frenetic social life and exude a natural grace, whether heading out for cocktails at the latest new bar in Santa Teresa or crossing the coast road in an otiose swimsuit. Once London 2012 is over, the focus will shift to Rio – now is the time to go to beat the crowds.

‘Everything about Rio makes you want to dance. I’m just so thankful that my brother isn’t here because he might actually do it‌ and that would not be cool’ Prince Harry

VISITORS’ BOOK

MAP: TANIA WILLIS. REX; GETTY; RELAIS & CHATEAUX

The Copacabana Palace has hosted everyone from Madonna, the Rolling Stones and Nelson Mandela to the actors Robert Pattinson and Javier Bardem.

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santa-teresa-hotel.com) opened three years ago in its namesake

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district – a newly fashionable area of tree-lined, cobbled streets. It’s

October, is Ipanema’s hot new live venue, hosting performances of carnival

away from the beachside bustle, with a pool, lovely gardens

music by acts inspired by blocos (street bands). Rio Scenarium (00 55 21 3147

and furniture by Sergio Rodrigues, Rio’s most daring designer.

9000, rioscenarium.com.br), in the lively Lapa district, is an old fave where the

HOTELS The Hotel Santa Teresa (00 55 21 3380 0200,

Marina All Suites (00 55 21 2172 1100, marinaallsuites.com.br) on Avenida DelďŹ m Moreira, in Leblon, is expensively funky;

NIGHTLIFE SPOTS If you can’t make it for carnival, don’t despair. Rio is always up for

a dance. Studio RJ (00 55 21 2523 1204, studiorj.org), which opened in

choro, forró, samba and everything in between are danced, on three storeys of danceoors in a space crammed with old furniture.

its new Club Floor has spectacular, cleanly designed rooms with ocean views and its Bar d’Hotel is one of

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ESSENTIAL READ

Ipanema’s Fasano hotel attracts a party crowd, such as the singers Rihanna and BeyoncÊ, the actors John Travolta and Ashton Kutcher and the heiress and show-jumper

from which you can see the Atlantic from your bed.

Copacabana city, read the

com), on a cliff in Joatinga, is akin to being at

Winner, by Machado de Assis,

Athina Onassis

a friend’s place, though that friend is a millionaire

who was born in Rio in 1839

modernist who loves pop art and Baccarat chandeliers.

and spent all his life there.

Rio’s hippest. Fasano (00 55 21 3202 4000, fasano.

There are travel guides and

com.br) has become one of South America’s most

websites galore – Time Out has

stylish hotel groups and its Ipanema hotel (right),

now launched in Rio – but to

which wears the Starck signature well, has suites

discover the literary, pre-

Staying at La Suite (00 55 21 2484 1962, lasuiterio.

witty satire, Epitaph of a Small

NEED TO KNOW WHAT RIO DE JANEIRO WAS BRAZIL’S CAPITAL UNTIL 1960 AND IS ITS SECOND MOST POPULATED CITY (6.3 MILLION), AFTER SĂƒO PAULO WHEN JANUARY TO MAY ARE BRIGHT AND DRY AND THE SPRING MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER ARE WONDERFUL. CARNIVAL TAKES PLACE DURING LENT – GREAT IF YOU LOVE CROWDS, BUT HORRENDOUS IF YOU DON’T FLY DIRECT FROM LONDON WITH BA OR TAM IN 11 HOURS

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Secluded beaches of golden sand, Thai massages at a roofop spa, sipping champagne in a rose petal bath, and a meal on a private beach. Get special extra content with the Aurasma Lite app by pointing your device to this image.

Requested by Joanna...

Crafed by

For expert advice and to book, visit your local store or kuoni.co.uk For a brochure, call 08 44 557 3777

SHOP LOCAL

STOCKHOLM ULTRATRAVEL CHOICE 3 ESSENTIAL ADDRESSES

For clean, functional design and modern furniture, the Swedish capital is the place to head – but how do you ďŹ nd the best? In the ďŹ rst of a series, Lisa Grainger takes advice from experts who live there

JACKSONS Sibyllegatan 53 (00 46 8 665 33 50, jacksons.se). Launched 30 years ago, this is home to one of the biggest collections of 20th-century Scandinavian furniture, by designers ranging from Alvar Aalto to Hans Wegner: Great for sofas, lights, chairs, fabrics and ceramics. Everything can be viewed online, for previewing and to purchase. Heirlooms Jerk Malmsten at his shop, with pieces by his grandfather Carl, a pioneer of modern Swedish design

CHRISTOFFER EDLING

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by traditional lines. At Gamla Lampor, on AlmlĂśfsgatan, we espite having trained in the 1930s, when functionality explore a warehouse of retro lighting, from giant ďŹ lm-set rigs to ruled in Scandinavia, the Swedish designer Carl dainty chandeliers. Modernity features such clean-lined classics Malmsten believed furniture should be pleasing to as a 1928 lamp by Poul Henningsen and a covetable 1960s Hans the eye as well as a pleasure to use. His aesthetics Wegner desk. At vast Jacksons, I fall in love with 20 different seem to have been passed on to his grandson, Jerk, who has chairs. Tiny SjĂśstrĂśm Antik has a Borge Mogensen leather sofa not only taken on the task of continuing his grandfather’s perfect for my living room. At Rehn’s Antiques, I’m crazy about furniture-making business, Malmsten, but of modernising it. a 1950s portrait, but can’t afford the ďŹ ve-ďŹ gure sum which the Accompanying Jerk around his shop, Malmstenbutiken, on charismatic owner, Tony Andersson, says is “very inexpensiveâ€?. Strandvägen, one of Stockholm’s smartest streets, what stands Although the selection of pieces is wide, prices are no cheaper out most is just how modern even 100-year-old chairs can than in London – and you still have to ship your shopping home. look. But that is why one comes to the Swedish capital to Try your luck at the auction house Bukowskis (bukowskis.com), shop: Scandinavian design is not just clean, but timeless. and they will do the shipping for you – or you can scour junkier “The things we sell have to be beautiful, but also good-quality shops for smaller pieces to cart back in a suitcase. Try A La Carte and useful for generations to come,â€? says Jerk. Examples include Antik – in which I ďŹ nd beautiful porcelain-topped bottles his grandfather’s rockers, now available in a matt-grey ďŹ nish; (Kr30/ÂŁ3) – or the Sunday ea market, by the concert hall, where canvas-and-leather Sandqvist bags made by two local brothers; I buy eight ďŹ ne white china tureens (Kr50) and an oil painting cleverly designed espresso cups by the Gustavsberg collective; (Kr1,200); get there by 10am to snafe the best pieces. and lampshades by Carl’s great-granddaughter, Vanja. Having scoured smart, cobbled Ostermalm (also nipping into The city is dotted with artisanal stores that stock retro pieces contemporary shops such as Nordiska Galleriet, by Scandinavia’s leading designers (Yngve EkstrĂśm, Asplund and Stockholm Modern), the next day Hans Wegner, Eero Aarnio, Bruno Mathsson, Alvar I take in the more bohemian SĂśdermalm. Along Aalto) but how does a visitor know where to ďŹ nd cafe-lined streets where youngsters are enjoying them? Guided by two local experts – Charlotta brunch lie the city’s grungier shops, stocking Carlsen of Smart City Shopping and Nanette such treasures as records, vintage clothes, Fickendey of Luxury Beyond – I home in on cool 1950s teak pieces at Nordlings Antik, Ostermalm, for its antique stores, and and 1950s Arne Jacobsen chairs at SĂśdra SĂśdermalm, a hipper part of the city. Skattkammaren. Nothing groundbreaking, First, we visit Svenskt Tenn: a beguiling mix but fun. The best ďŹ nd is the city’s hippest of Design Museum-meets-Conran Shop – food store, Urban Deli, which sells liquorice ďŹ lled with the designs of Josef Frank, and the ice cream. It’s spirit-lifting, particularly when vision of his mentor, Estrid Ericson. She was HOW TO DO IT enjoyed, with blistered feet up, on a boat trip an aesthete, he a Jewish-Austrian refugee SHOP Charlotta Carlsen: Kr500 (ÂŁ50) an whom she helped become one of Sweden’s hour (00 46 70 316 00 98, smartcityshopping. around the city’s 14 islands, watching the handsome medieval city – and its rather most celebrated furniture-makers and fabric se); Nanette Fickendey: Kr2,500 for three overwhelming rooms of furniture – drift by. designers. Three-quarters of their two-storey hours (00 46 40 26 066, luxurybeyond.com). After all that 20th-century design, I relish emporium is occupied by his designs STAY Select Collection (selectcollection. the city’s rich National Gallery, hung with (including bright, distinctive fabrics), while com) offers three nights at the Grand HĂ´tel the rest showcases an evolving collection by from ÂŁ975 b&b, with ights. EAT For seafood, gilt-framed pictures of silk and opulence; Skansen, the open-air island museum other Swedish designers. Since Ericson Lisa Emqvist (lisaelmqvist.se) or Sturehof showcasing Swedish architecture; and the died, in 1981, the shop has been run by (sturehof.com); for a treat, Michelin-starred Vasa Museum, home to the oldest surviving a foundation that maintains her vision while Matbaren (mdghs.com). DRINK The ship, sunk in 1628, salvaged in 1961, and now promoting new talent (hence its central role Lydmar Hotel (lydmar.com); or cocktails at restored. On a trip in search of wooden at the annual Stockholm Furniture Fair). Verandan at the Opera House (eng. classics, there can be no object as enthralling. In nearby Ostermalm, we nip in and out operakallaren.se) VIEW Take the funicular This is one Swedish treasure that is deďŹ nitely of boutiques. At Oscar & Clothilde, we ďŹ nd railway (above) to the top of the spherical not for sale – nor shippable to Britain. theatrical rooms of new homewares inspired Ericsson Globe. MORE visitstockholm.com

SVENSKT TENN Strandvägen 5 (00 46 8 670 1600, svenskttenn.se). Opened in 1924 by the visionary aesthete Estrid Ericson as a showcase for leading design from around the world, Svenskt Tenn is now devoted to furniture and fabric by Josef Frank, and to contemporary home-grown talent. Pieces range from silverware by Prince Carl Philip Bernadotte to myrtle-leaf-embossed crockery by Signe Persson-Melin.

MODERNITY Sibyllegatan 6 (00 46 8 20 80 25, modernity.se). This small, stylish boutique is owned by a Scot, Andrew Duncanson, who fell in love with Stockholm design – and a local woman. As well as bringing together classics such as 1950s Eames chairs and Verner Panton lamps, he has gathered rare treasures such as 1960s jewellery by Vivianna Torun Bßlow-Hßbe. The big bonus is that Modernity ships worldwide.

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‘I THOUGHT PALM SPRINGS WAS JUST ASTATE OF MIND, BUT NOW I KNOW IT’S REAL’

With its Mid-Century Modern architecture and haunts frequented by Sinatra and Monroe, Palm Springs was the epitome of cool Hollywood style until its glamour faded in the 1970s. Now, ďŹ nds Douglas Rogers, the desert enclave in California is inspiring a new generation of photographers, fashion designers and culture-seekers LCKI8KI8M<C

PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRISTOPHER WRAY-MCCANN; STYLIST: ALIX FOX; HAIR AND MAKE-UP: LUCY HALPERIN. THIS PAGE: JACKET £1,800, CHINOS £180, SHIRT £150, PERSOL SUNGLASSES £225, SHOES £360, ALL BY SPENCER HART AT SPENCERHART.COM; BIKINI TOP £34.45, BOTTOMS £27.50, BY FOR LUNA AT FORLUNA.CO.UK; VINTAGE CHRISTIAN DIOR SUNGLASSES, PRICES VARY, BY RETROSUN AT RETROSUN.CO.UK. PAGE 31: BIKINI AND SHOES, MODEL’S OWN; HAND-MADE SUNGLASSES FROM £249, BY TOM HERRINGTON AT ROCKOPTIKA.CO.UK; NICK HART (RIGHT) WEARS SUIT £800, SHIRT £150, SHOES £360, SUNGLASSES £300; MODEL (LEFT) WEARS JACKET £1,200, CHINOS £180, SHOES £360, PERSOL SUNGLASSES £225; ALL BY SPENCER HART (AS BEFORE); SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE PHONE FROM £30 PER MONTH, SEE SAMSUNG.COM/MOBILE

In vogue A Spencer Hart fashion shoot at Twin Palms Estate, where Frank Sinatra lived. Far left: Slim Aarons’ 1970 photograph “Poolside Gossip”, which inspired the Spring 2012 collection of American designer Derek Lam

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THE MOOD, THE LOOK, EVEN THE SMELL OF THE PLACE ARE AS IF SINATRA NEVER LEFT

T Retro reverie Clockwise, from main picture: Nick Hart (right), tailor to the stars, by the piano-shaped pool at Twin Palms Estate; Sinatra photographed there in 1961; the master bedroom, with its ‘period-perfect’ shagpile carpet; and street signs, keeping the legacy alive

hey are clinking martini glasses around the pool at Sinatra’s house in Palm Springs, California, as the languid melody of “It Was A Very Good Yearâ€? drifts through the open glass sliding doors of the living room into the garden. Sunlight drenches the lawn, its shadows forming the unmistakable pattern of piano keys on the slat-roofed walkway leading to the garden gate. The pool is instrumental, too – it is shaped like a grand piano – and a blonde in a bikini is tapping her toes on its turquoise surface, while a man in a fedora, shades and a grey polo shirt poses against a set of twin palm trees behind her. You could, for a minute, imagine Frank Sinatra himself hosting this scene: Ava Gardner (with whom he lived here) would be ďŹ xing martinis in the kitchen, Dean and Sammy would be smoking on the sunloungers, and beyond the high walls their celebrity pals in the Movie Colony – Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were across the street, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby nearby – would be making their way over. Sinatra famously used to hoist a Jack Daniel’s ag from the agpole next to those palms to let the neighbours know it was cocktail time, and they knew there would be hell to pay if they didn’t make it. Ah, such was the life. It was 55 years ago that Frank Sinatra lived at Twin Palms Estate, a low-slung, four-bedroom ranch house built for him in 1947 by the legendary Mid-Century Modern architect E Stewart Williams, but the mood, the look, even the smell of the place, are as if he never left. A Valentino recording suite that he used is still the centrepiece of the living room, you can see the chip in the sink where he once threw a bottle at Ava, and the shagpile carpet and vintage furniture are period-perfect. Indeed, the only thing that breaks the 1950s retro reverie is the sound of English accents and the whirr of digital cameras. “It’s everything I imagined – but better,â€? beams Nick Hart, the bespoke London tailor whose Savile Row suit brand, Spencer Hart, is worn by such style-setters as

David Bowie, Robbie Williams, Orlando Bloom, Jay-Z and Kanye West. Hart’s latest venture is a line of casual-wear (polos, chinos, brogues, chunky Steve McQueen-style sweaters) called Palm Springs, no less, which is being photographed at the property. “I started reading about the world that Sinatra and the Rat Pack created around themselves,â€? says Hart, when I ask him what inspired the collection. “I read their biographies, watched their ďŹ lms and concerts, then began to read about Palm Springs, this man-made paradise for players in the desert where they lived – hidden, cool, surrounded by mountains – and this amazing architecture‌ These guys were constantly in trouble – and a lot of it happened right here.â€? Palm Springs lies in the Coachella Valley in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles – an important distance. “Back in the 1920s,â€? says Hart, “studio contracts stipulated that the actors couldn’t be more than 100 miles from Hollywood during ďŹ lming. Palm Springs was close enough – but also a world away.â€? Sinatra moved to the Movie Colony in 1947 (he commissioned the house after earning his ďŹ rst million) but the neighbourhood, two square miles of low-slung Spanish and Desert Modern homes just east of Palm Canyon Drive on the edge of downtown, had been created as a Hollywood playground a generation earlier. In 1927, entrepreneur Prescott Thresher Stevens built El Mirador, a luxury resort hotel on North Canyon Drive. It cost a fortune to stay: a room and three meals a day for $26, making it one of the most exclusive resorts in the US. By the 1930s, everyone from Greta Garbo and Clark Gable to Einstein and Salvador Dali was coming. Because of the scene at El Mirador, the stars began building their holiday homes around the resort. Cary Grant moved into a hacienda on Avenida Palmas (it was on the market for $3 million last year); Darryl Zanuck, owner of the 20thCentury Fox studios, the most powerful man in Hollywood at the time, was a block away. The Movie Colony was born.

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The 1940s brought a new development: Mid-Century Modern. So many stars were commissioning homes in the desert, architects such as Richard Neutra, Albert Frey (a Le Corbusier protĂŠgĂŠ) and E Stewart Williams began experimenting with new abstract forms and materials: winged roofs, sloped walls, banks of glass, stone and wood. “A landing pad for Martians,â€? Bob Hope remarked of one house. They created free-owing, pared-down spaces that ďŹ lled with natural light, and merged inside and outside space, so the homes became one with the desert landscape – the ďŹ rst eco-properties, in a sense. Palm Springs became a Petri dish of Modernist sophistication – and a great place to host a party. Hart says there is a direct link between his clothes and Desert Modern architecture – the narrow lapel and sharp cut of a black jacket reect the clean angles of the house exterior; his Aertex polo shirts resemble the patterned, aerated walls of many a Desert Modern home. He is not the only fashion designer to be inspired by such an aesthetic; the 2012 Spring Collection of Derek Lam is a tribute to a famous Slim Aarons photograph, “Poolside Gossipâ€?, of a 1950s cocktail party around the pool at Kaufmann House, designed by Richard Neutra. “For me, it’s not so much about the clothes as about a world,â€? says Hart, “the music, style and icons of an era.â€? Oddly, given his infatuation, this is his ďŹ rst visit to the desert enclave. “Palm Springs existed for me as a state of mind,â€? he adds, smiling, “but now I know it’s real.â€? hat real Palm Springs is having something of a moment. The city lost much of its allure between the 1970s and 1990s (Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and La Quinta down the valley became the new colonies of the stars) and tourists who did come did so in ironic tribute to the faded resorts and icons of the past. No longer. Since the millennium, Palm Springs has once again become a creative inspiration, cultural touchstone and glam playground. Architecture and design addicts ood in for Modernism Week each February, and not just for house tours: the new Uptown Design District, close to the old El Mirador (now a clinic), is a funky hub of boutiques, galleries and Modern furniture stores. Check out the Atomic Age-inspired paintings and illustrations by the local artist Josh “Shagâ€? Agle, at his recently opened Shag: the Store. Elegant, low-lit supper clubs that do Sinatra proud are once again all the rage, and the Purple Palm, the swanky olive-and-maroon-hued restaurant of the recently revamped Colony Palms Hotel (which once belonged to a Purple Gang mob boss, and the owners of the racehorse Seabiscuit), has become the spot for gourmands. The chef, Brian Kiepler, makes black Angus tenderloin wrapped in pancetta, and butter-poached Maine lobster, which you eat with a view of a courtyard pool lit up at night. What has really reinvigorated the city, though, is a slate of chic resort hotels, each having risen like the phoenix from the ashes of a previous age. The most recent comeback is the Riviera Palm Springs, just north of the Movie Colony. The place to be seen in the 1960s (Elvis and the Rat Pack would rehearse here for their Vegas shows), it was boarded up only a decade ago. Now, after a $70-million renovation by the Noble House group in 2008, it’s as glitzy as any hotel in Vegas. The 400 rooms and suites are in seven wings circled like a roulette wheel around a giant central swimming pool; after dinner in its plush, red-banquetted Circa 59, guests play games on the crystal-embossed billiards table set beneath a giant portrait of Sinatra, just off the imperious lobby. More discreet (and popular with the Hollywood A-list) is the Parker Palm Springs on the East Palm Canyon corridor, about ďŹ ve miles out of town, just past the new glam-packer hot spot, the Ace Hotel. The subject of a reality show, Welcome to the Parker, in the mid-2000s, the property was the former estate of the singing cowboy Gene Autry and, later, the game-show host Merv GrifďŹ n, who ran it as a European-style resort with gardens reminiscent of Versailles. Today the 13-acre grounds have

T

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Zest and recreation Clockwise, from top: the Modernist brick façade of the Parker Palm Springs hotel; the Movie Colony Hotel; part of Derek Lam’s spring collection; the Citron bar at the Viceroy Palm Springs; and a room at the Viceroy

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PLANET

I DID IT MY WAY

From a supper club filled with Warhol prints to hideaways for A-listers of today, Douglas Rogers picks the highlights of a stay in the Movie Colony

Tray bien The meals on wheels service at the Parker Palm Springs

been allowed to return to their desert roots, with mazes of palm-shaded lawns dotted with pétanque courts and swimming pools, around which cute staff in tennis whites dispense fresh lemonade from citron-coloured umbrella stands. My visit coincided with a stay by Charlize Theron, in town for the Palm Springs International Film Festival (founded by the former mayor, Sonny Bono, and now America’s second biggest), and I felt we could have had fun together. Sadly I never saw her. For my money, though, the best new property is the Viceroy Palm Springs in the historic Tennis Club District, back in town, in the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains. The historic 1930s motor court inn, in Spanish style, with intimate bungalows, is interspersed with three adjoining courtyards, each with lush topiary gardens dripping with

ITS THREE TOPIARY GARDENS ARE DRIPPING WITH LEMON, ORANGE AND TANGERINE TREES lemon, orange and tangerine trees, and swimming pools. The Los Angeles designer Kelly Wearstler’s iconic Hollywood Regency interiors are a vision of opulence: the entire hotel is decorated in bold yellow, black and white tones, and a giant crystal chandelier hangs over the lemon-scented restaurant-bar, Citron. I found myself drinking here one night, and met a glamorous Australian couple, Stephen and Patricia. They had driven across the desert from Colorado, en route to LA, and had only stopped in Palm Springs by chance; Stephen had recognised the name from his childhood: “My grandmother had a cushion with a palm tree, a sunset and the words Palm Springs on it.” We drank and smoked, a desert moon hovering over us, the pool an electric blue. Through the gauze of the night, a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue in his hand, Stephen said: “You know, I thought Palm Springs was just a state of mind. Now I know it’s real.” The Sinatra Twin Palms Estate can be rented through Beau Monde Villas (001 877 318 2090, beaumondevillas.com) from $2,600 (about £1,630) per night. Virgin Atlantic (0844 2092 770, virgin-atlantic.com) flies daily from London Heathrow to Los Angeles from £644 in economy and £3,159 in Upper Class. Cars can be hired from about £15 per day (rhinocarhire.com). Information: Palm Springs Visitors Centre (001 800 347 7746, visitpalmsprings.com).

WHERE TO STAY

and checking out the scene

WHERE TO EAT

Colony Palms Hotel

from the cabanas. There’s

Melvyn’s Restaurant (001

(001 760 969 1800,

a spa, supper-club restaurant

760 325 2323, inglesideinn.

colonypalmshotel.com).

and piano lounge; the walls

com). In 1975, the amateur

This Spanish Colonial

are lined with portraits of

restaurateur and innkeeper

hotel in the Movie Colony,

the Golden Age stars who

Mel Haber turned away

built in 1936, once housed

partied here; and at night,

Steve McQueen and Ali

a speakeasy and a brothel.

the grounds are lit by fire

McGraw from the opening-

It has recently had an exotic

pits. Glitz to make Vegas

night party of his new

Moorish makeover by the

blush. Doubles from £144.

restaurant, Melvyn’s (below).

celebrity designer Martyn

“They arrived on a motorbike

Lawrence-Bullard, the

in jeans and leather jackets,”

centrepiece being the

he explained, “and I had no

palm-shaded courtyard

idea who they were!” After

WHERE TO SHOP

swimming pool with adjacent

he found out, he wanted to

Trina Turk (001 760 416

open-air cocktail bar and

call them back. Too late. The

2856, trinaturk.com). The

Purple Palm supper club.

result? Everyone thought his

local designer sells her

Rooms are decorated

was the most exclusive place

colourful “California chic”

with Moroccan-style bed

in Palm Springs. Six months

clothes (above) from this

throws and lanterns, while

later, Sinatra asked him to

1960s Albert Frey building,

the Winner’s Circle Suite

host his pre-wedding dinner.

with plush vintage-modern

is a tribute to the previous

Parker Palm Springs

Today, Mel and his restaurant

interiors by Kelly Wearstler.

proprietors, who owned

(001 760 770 5000,

are still around, the latter

Shag: The Store (001 760

the racehorse Seabiscuit.

theparkerpalmsprings.com).

serving 1970s-style cobb

322 3400, shagthestore.com).

Doubles from £160.

Merv Griffin’s jaded former

salads and veal Ingleside

Retail space showcasing the

resort got the Hollywood

in a kitschy-cool carpeted

work of the “desert atomic”

Movie Colony Hotel

Regency treatment from

dining room. What was old is

artist Josh Agle, aka Shag.

(001 760 320 6340,

the designer Jonathan Adler,

new: LA hipsters flood in for

moviecolonyhotel.com).

and is now a sumptuous

late-night martinis and piano

WHAT TO DO

Built in 1935, this 16-room

hideout for Hollywood

music in the lounge bar.

The Palm Springs

no-frills boutique hotel was

players. The modernist brick

International Film

one of the first projects in

façade at the entrance

Festival (psfilmfest.org)

Palm Springs by the Desert

remains from the original,

takes place in 2013 from

Modern architect Albert

but Adler’s bold colours and

January 10 to 21.

Frey. It’s also the place

vintage furnishings give the

Palm Springs Modernism

where Sinatra stayed when

interiors (above) a decadent

Week (modernismweek.

Twin Palms was being built.

1930s look. Norma’s, the al

com), a celebration of Mid-

Simple rooms in white

fresco café overlooking the

Century Modern design,

and lemon tones overlook

gardens, is a great place to

takes place from February

a secluded swimming pool

while away a day. Lounge

14 to 24. Examples include

or a private courtyard.

lizards are drawn to the

There’s a self-service “happy

supper club, Mister Parker’s,

Johnny Costa’s Ristorante

Visitor Centre (below).

hour” bar offering wine and

a moody, low-lit carpeted

(001 760 325 4556,

The Edwards Harris

beer in the evenings, and

cavern inspired by Studio 54

johnnycostaspalmsprings.

Center for Architecture

free bikes for guests – but

and filled with Warhol prints

com). At first, this

and Design (psmuseum.

you won’t get waiter service

and a sleek white piano – the

nondescript Italian restaurant

org/edwards-harris.php) is

or a hip party scene as in the

perfect accompaniment to

seems like any other; then

scheduled to open later in

old days, when Jim Morrison

foie gras and steak au poivre.

you learn that Johnny was

2013, in the former Santa

jumped out of his second-

Doubles from £237.

Frank Sinatra’s chef for

Fe Federal Savings & Loan

many years and now, in his

building designed by

Viceroy Palm Springs

seventies, holds court here

E Stewart Williams. Restored

(001 760 320 4117,

some evenings. The decor

to its original 1960s spec,

viceroypalmsprings.com).

is not much to write home

it will house a collection

Celebrities (Cameron Diaz,

about, but the linguini with

of architectural models,

Kanye West) and creatives

clams and the steak Sinatra

drawings, photographs and

get away from it all at this

(New York strip sautéed

other design-related pieces.

chic boutique property in the

with garlic and mushrooms

San Jacinto foothills. Guests

in wine sauce), were both

can drink cocktails and

favourites of Sinatra.

read books on sunloungers

Birba (001 760 327 5678,

Riviera Palm Springs

set around one of three

birbaps.com). It’s not all

(001 760 327 8311, psriviera.

swimming pools in separate

supper clubs and retro

com). A favourite of the

garden courtyards, and

martini lounges. This new

showbiz set in the 1960s and

dine in style at night at the

gourmet pizza and cocktail

70s, the Riviera (above) is the

intimate restaurant, Citron.

lounge in the Uptown Design

haunt of frat boys, business

The next-door property is the

District is a favourite with

groups and weekending

retro-classic Ingleside Inn,

the arty set, featuring drinks

hipsters from LA who gather

popular for a late-night drink

such as the Heated Snake

round the main pool sipping

when the Viceroy bar closes.

(tequila, fresh lemon and

cocktails from the Bikini Bar

Doubles from £127.

lime and spicy habanero oil).

floor window into the pool. Doubles from £63.

Albert Frey’s Palm Springs

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Boats of paradise The 10-guest liveaboard Tiger Blue at anchor off Wayag Island, and one of its tenders PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS CALDICOTT

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ultraADVENTURE

INTO THECORALTRIANGLE

It has the richest, most colourful marine life on Earth. But Indonesia’s remote Raja Ampat archipelago, where Sir Francis Drake once sailed, is even more sublime when explored from a majestic, top-of-the-range schooner, says Lisa Grainger

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ultraADVENTURE

L

ooking through the aircraft window, it is hard to believe I am flying above the fourth most populous country in the world. Below stretch scenes so unspoilt and Technicolor in their intensity that they seem more Pixar creation than crowded planet. In the distance, dozens of tiny, amorphous islands ringed by white sands then turquoise shallows appear to float in the sea. Lurid green forests extend to the horizon – but of the 240 million people living in Indonesia, there is no sign. There are no roads, no towns, no harbours, just hundreds of miles of virgin Earth. That is what makes the Raja Ampat archipelago such a treat to visit, irrespective of the hellish two-day journey required to reach the remote idyll from Britain, an endurance test involving four planes. Yet despite being on the opposite side of the planet, the far eastern islands of Indonesia have long been an attraction for British travellers. In the 1570s, Sir Francis Drake sailed there in search of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Three hundred years later, the naturalist and evolutionary theorist Alfred Russell Wallace explored the archipelago’s abundant forests, returning home with more than 125,000 specimens of fauna and flora. Today, it is still a place for the intrepid – except now they come armed with cameras rather than guns. This string of islands off the western tip of New Guinea, accessed via the town of Sorong, on West Papua, lie at the heart of the Coral Triangle – the area with the richest marine life on Earth. Three-quarters of the world’s coral species and more than 1,400 varieties of reef fish can be found in its four million hectares of protected waters. This is where whale sharks come to breed, where giant manta rays frolic in sandy bays, and where sperm whales gather

Happily adrift The shore of Wayag island, and Tiger Blue’s bows

to feed in the plankton-rich waters that sweep up from the Antarctic. For anyone prepared to don a mask and snorkel, it is a real underwater treat. Although blissful for divers, the islands are not quite so alluring for drivers. Of the four islands that make up the Raja Ampat (“Four Kings”) archipelago, none has a road – hence the growing number of boats in Sorong’s small harbour, including Tiger Blue, the one I am sharing with friends for five days. Ten years ago, according to Wouter van den Houten, one of the boat’s owners and its captain, there were just four dive boats registered in Sorong. Today there are about 40 – of which Tiger Blue is one of the most luxurious: a locally made wooden phinisi, or traditional Indonesian two-masted schooner, powered by dramatic tie-dyed red sails and a massive diesel engine, which steams off before dawn so passengers wake up to new scenery every morning. Unlike most dive liveaboards, with their bunks and small cabins, Tiger Blue is built to accommodate 10 guests in comfort (more, should they be happy to sleep on deck), sharing four large, en-suite cabins and several spacious communal deck spaces. With its complement of eight smiling, sweet-natured crew, the vessel has the feel of a relaxed floating boutique hotel rather than a dive boat. In the galley the Belgian chef, Lucas Hauben, whips up duck confit or Japanese sushi as effortlessly as he does Thai curries or Indonesian gado-gado, to be enjoyed on the 25ft-wide main deck, shaded by a canopy. For sunbathers, there are four rattan loungers on the top deck, a bowsprit from which to look down at the foaming sea and cushioned banquettes hugging the inner curve of the bow. Indoors, guests can retreat to a cool living room at the stern, complete with DVDs, computer games and espresso machine. The vessel has two Ribs (rigid

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Dive tribe Clockwise, from top left: Tiger Blue under full sail; islanders in an outrigger canoe; the dive master, Wouter van den Houten; a manta ray; dusk at Wayag; the British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace; twinspot cardinal fish among soft corals; and a ‘floating’ islet off Waigeo

Islanders are fishermen and fruit-gatherers, their teeth stained red from chewing betel nut

inatable boats powered by outboard engines), plus wakeboards, waterskis, kneeboards and a full range of equipment for snorkelling and scuba diving. The big selling point is freedom. Because Tiger Blue can be chartered only by single groups (except for eight weeks of the year, when set trips are available), the itinerary is determined by the passengers. They can join the boat as far away as Bali, or embark at Komodo Island, famous for its “dragonsâ€?, or the volcanic Banda Islands. We choose to explore the 15,000 square miles of the Raja Ampat marine protected area, where our days will be spent spotting turtles, diving with manta rays, snorkelling, sunbathing on private beaches, climbing islands – and following part of the route taken by Wallace. Reading his travelogue as we sail, I can see how little has changed since his voyage more than 150 years ago.

“During the days we had now been among the reefs and islands, we had seen only a single small canoe,â€? he wrote, on approaching the passage between the biggest island, Waigeo, and the smallest, Gam, on July 1, 1860. “The shore seemed all desert, not a house, or boat, or human being.â€? As we enter the same passage in Ribs, it is much as Wallace described it. “A little way inside,â€? he wrote, “it becomes bound with precipitous rocks, after winding among which for about two miles we emerged into what seemed a lake, but was in fact a deep gulf‌ studded along its shores with numbers of rocky islets‌ covered with strange looking shrubs and trees, and generally crowned by lofty and elegant palms‌ forming one of the most picturesque landscapes I have ever seen.â€? It is this topography that makes the archipelago so

unique. Unlike the starker, less forested Komodo Island or the populated Bandas, littered with forts and crumbling colonial towns, these islands are dense with impenetrable vegetation, hence their sparse population. Cannibalism and headhunting were regularly encountered here until the 1970s – and more than 200 languages are still spoken by the various tribes, many of which have only recently made contact with the outside world. Outside Sorong, the busy market town where we land (via Dubai, Jakarta and Macassar), the islanders we see aren’t that different from the tribes Wallace encountered: ďŹ shermen and fruit-gatherers, paddling dugout canoes, their features a mix of Aboriginal, Melanesian and Malaysian, many with teeth ďŹ led and stained red from chewing betel nut. During our ďŹ ve-day trip, sailing more than 200 miles

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GETTY; NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM/ALAMY

Lunch hour Locals feed fish at Sawinggrai Village, on the island of Gam, where there is a guest house

around the archipelago, we see only eight dugout canoes, two of which are paddled up to us when Tiger Blue is at anchor. One occupant asks for diesel (which is duly given) in return for mooring in his tribe’s waters; an old, grizzled couple, barefoot and constantly bailing water from their rough-hewn boat, want to trade a sackful of freshly picked lemons for money (an exchange happily agreed by our chef, for use in a ceviche). The interest of the islanders isn’t surprising; they don’t get many visitors. On the uninhabited Piai Island, where green turtles come to lay their eggs, we are only the second party of foreign visitors the four armed guards have seen in a year – and the ďŹ rst lot were marine researchers. Things are changing, however. In the little village of Sawinggrai, from which we venture out at 6.30am to try and spot the elusive bird of paradise (and fail), conservationists have helped the islanders build a guest house, to reap some of the potential rewards of tourism. In 2011, Prince Albert of Monaco was a visitor. In June the same year, Maya Hadorn, an adventurous Swiss, built and opened Raja4Divers, a resort with six thatched beachside rooms on the pretty island of Pef. “I’d never imagined that a place like this could exist,â€? she says, “somewhere so stunning above the water and below it – so unspoilt, so beautiful.â€? The islands are indeed spectacular. High limestone ridges protrude from the sea like the backbone of an enormous prehistoric beast, their thick forests heavy with mist in the early-morning light, their red and white cliffs reecting on cobalt and jade seas. However, it is the landscape beneath the sea’s surface that is particularly unforgettable. Having dived in the Maldives, South Africa, Mozambique, the Caribbean and Zanzibar, I can honestly say I have never seen reefs like those of Raja Ampat. It is not just that they are almost untouched, but ludicrously colourful, too – as wildly patterned as a Mary Katranzou dress, as neon-bright as an Andy Warhol print, as multi-coloured as a Damien Hirst dot painting. There are spots, stripes and crazy patterns wherever you look, on creatures that appear to have been made by a god on acid: purple and red nudibranchs, tiny molluscs with uted edges that utter like Spanish dancing skirts; the black, eerie and aptly-named batďŹ sh, outlined in what looks like yellow marker pen; red-and-white-striped

LCKI8KI8M<C

nembrotha (sea slugs) waving blossom-like “hornsâ€? of violent pink, yellow and red; oxeye scads that swarm in tightly choreographed groups of silver; and see-through ghost pipeďŹ sh that oat by like pieces of spiked coral, but with ďŹ ns. Most thrilling of all are the enormous creatures with which one can have very close encounters in these waters. My aim, at the beginning of the trip, had been to sail into Cenderawasih Bay and snorkel with whale sharks. In just ďŹ ve days, however, it has proved impossible to get that far – and, having received reports of aggressive, unwelcoming tribes in the area, we keep well clear. It is no hardship, though; near Piai Island, we are lucky enough to see turtles up close, feeding on weed. As we moor at Pulau Yanggelo, to dive in the Dampier Strait, a whale swims by, spouting great bursts of water before diving and vanishing beneath the surface. Best of all, at Arborek Island, sitting on the sandy bottom at a depth of 65ft, we see six manta rays just a yard or two from us. I have no idea just how big a manta ray is, until one soars directly over my head. These big black ying creatures of the deep are truly enormous: about 16ft wide (the length of an estate car), with great “wingsâ€? that ap like a bat’s, a wide oblong mouth with paw-like appendages on each side, and a fearsome-looking whip of a tail which, I learn later, can cut off a person’s arm. eeing the behemoths ying towards us, I feel waves of panic at ďŹ rst (never a good thing underwater). However, with the experienced dive captain, Wouter, keeping an eye on me, and a coral wall providing a protected spot from which to watch in safety, my heart-rate soon subsides. I begin to enjoy the almost balletic underwater performance of these creatures. It is moments like this that make travelling to the other side of the world worthwhile. At several stages, we are so close to the somersaulting, swirling rays that I can see the eyes of the little yellow pilot ďŹ sh that permanently lurk in the creatures’ open mouths, watch the lips of wrasse as they nibble their bellies clean and, on one occasion, get in the way of a furious ďŹ ght between smaller ďŹ sh as they squabble over the sandy debris expunged by one of the gentle giants. That evening, oating peacefully on my back in a bay, watching the almost oily-black water become streaked with red and gold light, I try to recall whether I have ever seen underwater scenes so beautiful. I haven’t. We may have spotted only three of the 550 species of bird that inhabit this part of the world; we may have seen only one land creature (an iguana, digging for turtle eggs) and had very little interaction with locals, but no matter. It is the mind-boggling scenery that we have really come to see and explore – and that we have achieved. The other alluring Indonesian attractions – and those tantalising whale sharks – are now on the list for next time.

S

A week in Raja Ampat on Tiger Blue (tigerblue.info) costs from $30,414 (about ÂŁ19,500) for 10 guests, equating to about ÂŁ275 per person per night. The price includes all meals and activities, and is based on sailing in low season (all dates except the Christmas holidays and July 15 to August 31). Exsus (020 7337 9010, exsus.com) is offering seven nights on Tiger Blue from ÂŁ2,850 per person, based on 10 sharing. The price includes return economy ights with Cathay PaciďŹ c, transfers, full board (excluding alcohol), and all activities.

5 YACHTS THAT SAIL TO REMOTE REGIONS

Marie One of the most opulent yachts in the southern hemisphere: a 180ft ketch, sleeping eight, that spends summer in the South PaciďŹ c. Although built for speed, Marie contains such luxuries as a grand piano and toys ranging from sea scooters and smart Ribs to ďŹ shing equipment. From $200,000 (ÂŁ125,000) a week, charter only (001 954 463 0600, fraseryachts.com).

Beluga A 92ft traditional sevenberth teak gulet, turned into a oating boutique hotel by the designer of Blakes hotel, Anouska Hempel. Its USP is its crew of ďŹ ve, headed by a charming butler. The boat is based in the Mediterranean and sails mostly along the Turkish and Croatian coasts. From â‚Ź40,000 (ÂŁ33,000) a week, all-inclusive (0333 700 8007, dalmatiandestinations.com).

Voyager One of the most luxurious of the few yachts available to charter in Mozambique. A broad, 50ft-long catamaran with four cabins, Voyager has a range of equipment with which to explore the rich marine life off the Quirimbas and Bazaruto archipelagos. From â‚Ź14,245 (ÂŁ11,650) a week, excluding alcoholic drinks (00 258 21 55 66 543, mozambiqueyachtcharters.com).

Gulet Eleganza A classic Turkish gulet, decorated in style: all woods, pale creams and natural fabrics, sleeping 10 in ďŹ ve double en-suite cabins. The yacht, which sails the Dalmatian coast, has an impressive range of equipment for its size (85ft), from snorkelling gear to two canoes and a jet ski. From â‚Ź11,900 (ÂŁ9,745) a week, plus food and alcohol (0800 124 4176, saildalmatia.com).

Silolona A super-luxurious, 164ft traditional phinisi, sleeping 10, that sails the waters between Burma and Papua New Guinea. The level of cuisine and service is reected in the cost; among the 16 crew is a Padi diving instructor and an expedition leader. From £80,000 a week, excluding alcoholic drinks (020 8682 5400, scottdunn.com).

A PLEASURE SEEKER’S GUIDE TO THE GREEK ISLANDS LCKI8KI8M<C

Timeless beauty A cruise ship arriving in the caldera, or flooded volcanic crater, of Santorini, seen from the clifftop Katikies boutique hotel

Despite current woes, Greece retains the glamour and grandeur that has lured aristocrats and tycoons for decades. Robin Gauldie charts a realm of serene sea views, opulent mansions, quirky villas, privacy, good food and fine wine

W

e may think of Greece as cheap, cheerful and, in recent months, broke, but it’s easy to forget that, until mass tourism really took off in the early 1990s, it was as much a rich man’s paradise as a hippie haven. In the 1960s, opulent enclaves such as Rhodes and Mykonos attracted visiting royalty, wealthy socialites and glitterati from the worlds of film, music, art and fashion, from Pablo Picasso, John Lennon and Henry Miller to Jackie Onassis and Brigitte Bardot. There is still plenty of money around. The canny owners of the world’s biggest merchant fleet aren’t on the breadline yet – in fact, some have been quietly buying up tracts of Mayfair and Knightsbridge, and can still afford to send their offspring to English public schools. Some spend their summers in discreet comfort on Chios; at the other end of the scale, tiny Kastellorizo is a well-kept secret among wealthy Greeks, to whom luxury means simplicity. Meanwhile, the new breed of post-Soviet plutocrat is drawn to the more upmarket Greek islands, with their staffed villas, crewed yachts and high-end hotels with pool suites, sybaritic spas, cigar bars and well-stocked wine cellars. Another option is the “hotel within a hotel”, as exemplified by the Amathus Elite Suites on Rhodes, where guests can

enjoy privacy combined with five-star-hotel services. Irrespective of recent Greek troubles, boutique hotels continue to expand. Old mansions and village houses have been converted, creating a new generation of smaller, more colourful design hotels where luxury is still of the essence. Food and drink have gone upmarket, too. In the best hotel restaurants, traditional cooking is given a lighter modern touch, and a brigade of internationally acclaimed chefs has found new ways to work with locally sourced ingredients. Visit Nobu, at the Hotel Belvedere on Mykonos, to see what happens when Japanese skills are applied to the fruits of the Aegean. Greek wines, too, are beginning to be taken seriously by connoisseurs. Best of all, there is still an egalitarian friendliness that is hard to find elsewhere in Europe – though be prepared for your driver or waiter to unburden his (or her) resentment at the way Greece has been treated by its wealthier EU neighbours. This year, for reasons not unrelated, Greece is favourably priced. At Katikies, a whitewashed enclave on Santorini, a week in a junior suite costs £3,200, compared with £5,700 for a similar stay at the Capri Palace on the Italian isle of Capri. Here is our hedonist’s guide to the Greek islands, with hand-picked properties and advice on how to travel in style. Prices are for travel in June.

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Suite Dreams...

Photographed in The Infinity Suite Lounge at The Langham, London

The Langham, London has sprung to life, revealing the rewards of an exquisite £80 million transformation. From your arrival through her grand entrance, your senses will be captivated by the hypnotic mix of yesterday’s traditions and today’s style, as the original ‘Grand Hotel’ re-captures the heart of London.

Discover The Langham, London: langhamlondon.com 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London, W1B 1JA T 44 (0) 20 7965 0191 Auckland London

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A PLEASURE SEEKER’S GUIDETO THE

GREEK ISLANDS

KASTELLORIZO Way down south, the tiny island of Kastellorizo is as far off the beaten track as it is possible to get in Greece. In high summer (July and August) its fjord-like blue harbour, lined with old Ottoman-style houses in liquorice-allsorts colours, hosts a flotilla of rich folks’ yachts. Silvio Berlusconi, Tom Hanks and Eric Clapton are (reportedly) on the summer guest list; ex-Pink Floyd axeman David Gilmour liked it so much that he recorded an album (On an Island, 2006) inspired by its charms. The place to stay is the Mediterraneo (00 30 22 4604 9007, mediterraneo-megisti.com; ground-floor suite from around £140 per night), one of the most colourfully charming small hotels in Greece. The owner Marie Rivalant, a Parisienne, has converted

Greek unorthodox Colourful Kastellorizo, a few miles from the Turkish mainland, has a French-run boutique hotel. Below: painted stonework on Chios

an old waterfront mansion into a colourful haven, with bedrooms looking out over the harbour (though the ground-floor suite is the best) and a sunbathing

organic fruit and vegetables for guests at the villa.

terrace on the quayside. It doesn’t have a pool, but

At the jetty, a 30ft speedboat awaits – and for those

a bathing ladder drops you into the aquarium-clear

in a real hurry to get down to the serious business

sea, where tiny, rainbow-coloured fish swim around

of relaxing, the property has a helipad.

your toes. There is no à la carte restaurant or bar, either, but breakfast is a lavish Levantine affair of

CHIOS

yoghurt, island honey, nuts, home-made preserves,

The shipping dynasties have used their clout to discourage development

Ottoman vassals and whose grand mansions are still dotted around the Kampos district, inland from the island capital. Indeed, it is to a Genoese noble family that the island owes one of the most outstanding hotels in Greece. The palatial estate that houses the Argentikon Luxury Suites (00 30 22710 33111, argentikon.gr; from around £400 per night for a double) was

cheese and fresh-baked bread – and with a chain

Those who make it to Chios are pleasantly surprised

of tavernas and café-bars all around the waterfront,

to find themselves outnumbered by locals. There is

there is no need to eat at the same place twice.

a reason for this, say Chiots: this big island in the

16th century until 1822, when the Argenti joined the

The island’s big “must-see” sight is its blue

north-east Aegean is the ancestral home of several

Greek uprising against the Ottomans. Four of them

grotto, the equal of the much more famous one on

Greek multi-millionaire shipping dynasties, who still

were executed when the rebellion failed (marble

Capri but blessedly free of singing gondoliers. If you

keep villas here. They prefer their holidays to be

busts in the hotel’s lush grounds commemorate

feel like changing continents, you can charter a boat

undisturbed by the antics of foreign hoi polloi, and

them) and the rest fled to Italy, France and England.

to putter across the bay to Kas, just a few miles

have used their local clout to discourage large-scale

The palazzo fell into disrepair and was finally

away on the Turkish mainland. In short, Kastellorizo

development. So there are no big resort hotels – but

destroyed by an earthquake in 1881. What you

offers luxury of a different kind: it really is one of

there is at least one real boutique gem.

see now is a lavish reconstruction, begun by

the world’s great escapes.

LESBOS

With its uncrowded beaches and quaint villages dotted around a rolling hinterland of fields

the home of the Genoese Argenti family from the

a descendant of the Argenti dynasty in 1900. Philip Argenti spent millions on the project,

and orchards, Chios feels thoroughly Greek. To

and it shows. With its marble columns and

Greeks, it is synonymous with the country’s finest

mellow-hued stone walls, it is a slice of medieval

Despite tales that Greece might sell off some of its

ouzo, a sweet and subtle tipple that is as different

Italy transplanted to a Greek island and surrounded

thousands of uninhabited islands to plutocrats, to

from the cheap liquorice firewater found in most

by formal gardens scented and made colourful

help meet its debts, renting one of them remains

tourist bars as a 20-year-old malt whisky is from

by thousands of citrus trees and rose bushes. But

an impossible dream. A handful of islands, ripe for

a supermarket blend.

there is nothing antiquated about the facilities,

development as exclusive mini-resorts, languish on

Like many Greek islands, Chios has produced

which include a classy outdoor pool, an excellent

the books of the Canada-based company Private

more history than it has been able to consume.

restaurant, where the wine list includes bottles

Islands Online, with asking prices starting

It is famous for its old-fashioned mastichochoria

from the hotel’s own vineyard, and a well-equipped

at about €5 million (£4 million), but Greece is not

(mastic villages), which grew wealthy from the

fitness centre with sauna and whirlpool.

about to become the Maldives any time soon.

precious gum of the mastic bush, much prized as

The next best thing is Villa Faros (001 647 477

This is not a place for those who love

a breath-freshener by Ottoman sultans and their

minimalism. Its eight suites, housed in five separate

5581, privateislandsonline.com; from around

harems. Behind high walls, labyrinthine alleys lead to

villas, are unabashedly opulent, with period

£23,300 per week, sleeps 16), on a private peninsula

village squares where stonework is decorated in

furniture, crystal chandeliers and frescoed ceilings.

near Sigri, on the big, calm island of Lesbos. This is

intricate harlequin patterns of black and white,

Each has a separate living room, a veranda, air

more than just a villa. It offers the kind of yoga and

embellished in summer with scarlet strings of drying

conditioning for sultry summer nights and

spa treatments found in five-star hotels. There are

peppers and tomatoes.

a fireplace for spring and autumn evenings.

three private beaches, a seawater infinity pool, a heated indoor wave pool and gardens that provide

In medieval times, Chios fell into the hands of Genoese merchant-aristocrats who later became

Service is ubiquitous without being intrusive, and includes twice-daily housekeeping. The only

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snag is that you may not want to step beyond the

to 30 horsepower but for bigger-engined vessels you

walls of this calm oasis, but if you do feel like

need a certificate of competence. The answer? Hire

exploring, the island’s capital – with its museum,

a boat complete with skipper.

ruined castle and plenty of good restaurants – is just

The Bay Estate, near Agios Stefanos, has villas

a few minutes away. Arrivals and departures are

sleeping up to 10, and mooring space for vessels of

smoothed by private car transfers, and the airport is

up to 70ft – big enough for all but the showiest of

only two-and-a-half miles from the property.

oligarchs – and you can hire a skippered motor

For full-on luxury, Argentikon is hard to match,

cruiser for eight to 10 people for €1,500-€2,000

but if it is full – and booking well ahead is strongly

(£1,250-£1,670) a day. Staying there is expensive, it’s

recommended – try the smaller, even more intimate

true – a villa costs almost £32,000 per week in July,

Perleas Mansion (00 30 22710 32217, perleas.gr;

but the price includes a housekeeper (five hours

from around £100 per night for a double), set in four

a day) and a chef and host serving breakfast,

acres of grounds. With just three bedrooms, this

lunch and dinner six days a week. In June the same

17th-century farmhouse (run by a husband-and-wife

villa – with a 40ft infinity pool and access to a

team) feels more like your own private holiday

secluded beach in the villa grounds – costs £17,615,

home. It has no pool, though there is a sunbathing

with a housekeeper but no meals. It’s the perfect

terrace beside a pretty lily pond.

mix of high-end hotel service with villa privacy. Book

CORFU

through CV Travel’s Private Collection (020 7401 1031, cvprivatecollection.com). The next best thing is the Barbati Beach

Private villas with pools are the way to go on Corfu

House, which sleeps six to 10, right on Barbati

(especially for families). There are plenty to choose

beach. It has a large pool and lush gardens, and

from, and at the high end they come complete

a cook and boat hire are available. Prices start

with household staff, plus a boat with a skipper.

at £2,620 per week, again with CV Travel.

The best properties are in the better-off areas of the north-east, set on semi-private bays and coves

SANTORINI

overlooked by the forested slopes of Mount Pantokrator, a million miles away in spirit from the

Long before the Venetians seized and renamed

fleshpot resorts of the south.

Santa Irene (now Santorini) in the 13th century, it

This is glorious isolation, which is why Corfu has

was and often still is called Thira. Long before that,

been favoured by sundry oligarchs and millionaire

the ancients knew it as Kallisti – “the most

political fixers. But when you feel the need to

beautiful”. Today, the island lives up to its old name,

explore, the island has plenty to offer: the World

but its natural beauty is harsh, even apocalyptic.

Heritage old town, with its Venetian fortresses,

Arriving by sea, you enter a vast blue caldera,

Italianate churches and town houses, and faux-

created when a volcanic explosion blew the island

Parisian arcades, is about 30 minutes’ drive away.

apart around 3,600 years ago and wrecked or

Heading in the other direction, there is a cluster

blighted the Bronze Age civilisations of the eastern

A boat is more than a luxury on Corfu – it is essential for exploring

their own little foxholes. The combination of hot sun, volcanic soil and the island’s own Assyrtiko grapes produce wines unique to Santorini which increasingly win plaudits from connoisseurs. In 1953, an earthquake rocked the island, all but destroying the village of Oia, on its northern tip. The village remained almost deserted for decades, only to rise from the ashes in the 1980s to become one of the most gorgeous holiday hot spots in Greece, with a plethora of superb boutique hotels. Competition is fierce, but Katikies (00 30 22860

of bars and restaurants around the harbour at

Mediterranean. Red and black cliffs loom above the

Kassiopi. If you need activity, there is riding in the

sea, and whitewashed houses and blue-domed

71401, katikies.com; from £380 per night for a

nearby valley of Avlaki, the highly commended Corfu

churches perch along the rim of the sea-flooded

double) stands out, having one of the world’s great

Golf Club in the Ropa valley, a plethora of

crater, hundreds of feet above the Aegean.

infinity pools and a collection of vivid white cottages

watersports from windsurfing to scuba diving, and

The same volcanism that destroyed the ancient

carved out of the volcanic rock, 300ft above the sea.

phenomenal views of mainland Greece and Albania

civilisation has endowed Santorini with a surprisingly

The hotel’s open-air gourmet restaurant is one of

from the summit of Pantokrator, reached by

fertile soil. It is hard to believe that this Martian

the best on the island, and there are sunset wine

four-wheel drive (with the final stretch on foot).

landscape, with its red and grey tufa hills and

tastings to introduce visitors to Greece’s best

terraces of greyish clinker and ash-like soil, is one

vintages. The staff – immaculate in white uniforms –

Corfu – it’s an essential if you are going to make the

of the most productive in Greece. Every square

are multinational, multilingual, friendly and efficient.

most of exploring secluded bays and beaches. You

foot has been painstakingly terraced, and shrubby

don’t need a licence to pilot a boat with a motor up

vines – few of them more than 3ft high – crouch in

A boat is more than just a luxury in this part of

Private life The Bay Estate, Corfu and, right, Argentikon, on Chios

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You may not want to venture out, but do, if only to take a private boat trip out into the deep

d a ch 4

Bolzano Bozen

ALAMY; SUPERSTOCK

blue caldera to swim in the warm springs around Nea Kameni, or to eat the freshest fish at a rickety quayside table.

Calm waters Melenos Lindos, left, on Rhodes, which has 12 suites; and Mykonos Theoxenia

With a global reputation and only 29 rooms, Katikies fills up fast; an excellent alternative, by the

effortless window-shopping and bar-hopping. The

scarlet and electric-blue dragonflies zoom

architecture echoes ancient temple precincts, while

overhead as you swim. A vast, lagoon-style

inside it is all pop-art colours. You half expect Jackie

pool is shared with the main wing of the hotel,

O to walk in at any moment.

and an underpass leads direct to the Amathus’s own stretch of beach.

RHODES

sea in Vlihada at the other end of the island, is the Notos Therme & Spa Hotel (00 30 22860 81115,

Tearing yourself away from all this takes an effort, but the hotel can lay on a private car

notosthermespa.com; from around £150 per night

Rhodes has one of the world’s great medieval

to take you to the Old Town, with its

for a double), with a semi-private beach, and spa

walled cities, a dazzlingly attractive white village

13th-century ramparts, the opulent Palace

treatments based around Santorini’s natural

that is the envy of many other isles, and – so its

of the Grand Masters, and a handful of really

thermal springs and volcanic mud.

proponents claim – more sunshine than anywhere

outstanding restaurants. One of the best is

else in Greece. The hot tip here is the Amathus

Alexis (00 30 22410 29347) at Sokratous 18,

Elite Suites (00 30 22410 89900, amathus-hotels.

which specialises in old favourites, from grilled

com; pool suites from £400 per night), a hotel-

lobster and red mullet to octopus carpaccio

Mykonos is where jet-set travel began in Greece,

within-a-hotel overlooking the beach at Ixia, 10

and clams in ouzo. Expect to pay €40-€50

and although it is no longer quite as exclusive as it

minutes from the medieval ramparts of the Old

(£33-£40) each, including wine.

was in the 1960s, its airport still sees a steady flow

Town. The suites have sea views, some come with

of private jets and helicopters as well as scheduled

private pools and the attentive and friendly staff

beloved of the glitterati since the 1960s – is the

flights. In recent years, its cruise and ferry terminal

deliver trays of island goodies – sweets, cakes,

island’s other nexus of boutique hotels. The gem

has been relocated away from the excruciatingly

liqueurs and other treats – every afternoon.

MYKONOS

Breakfast is particularly lavish (take full

pretty main village, leaving its harbour once again

Lindos – one of those iconic white villages,

here is Melenos Lindos (00 30 22440 32222, melenoslindos.com; from £220 per night), where

to fishing boats, private yachts and small excursion

advantage of the complimentary sparkling wine

the 12 suites are inspired by the unique

boats which ferry visitors to the serene temple

from the local winery). I’m not normally a fan of

vernacular architecture of the village, with

ruins on Delos, the sacred island of the ancients.

half-board deals, but à la carte dinner lives up

monochrome pebble mosaics and canopied beds.

to the rest of the services. There’s a spa and

Each has its own terrace, and black-and-white

health club, a tranquil, black-marble pool where

tiled patios overlook the beach.

Conspicuous consumption has always been one of the hallmarks of Mykonos, and there is no shortage of fine jewellers, designer boutiques and cigar bars in the narrow village streets. Equally, there is no shortage of great hotels, in the village

THE FIVE-STAR ISLAND HOP

itself and on the island’s sandy beaches. They do get jam-packed in summer, so a hotel with

GETTING THERE

At the Sofitel Athens

TRANSFERS

list of vessels available

and private tours. They

a gorgeous pool is a better bet.

British Airways, Aegean

Airport (sofitel.com),

Consider travelling from

is comprehensive, ranging

include Sovereign Luxury

Airlines, EasyJet and

a couple of minutes from

Athens to the islands by

from steer-it-yourself

(sovereign.com), CV

25122, belvederehotel.com; from £313 per night for

Olympic Air offer

the terminal; prestige

private plane or helicopter.

luxury sailing boats to fully

Travel (cvtravel.co.uk),

a double), set a little above the whitewashed

scheduled flights from

suites cost from £210.

For aircraft options and

crewed motor yachts

The Villa Collection

labyrinth of the inner village: and a dream. Palm

London airports to Athens.

From there, take a 15-

prices, see ellada.net/

and cruisers complete

(gicthevillacollection.

trees around the free-form pool? Check. Evening

Aegean and Olympic offer

minute cab ride to Rafina,

helicopter_services and

with a chef and steward.

com), Abercrombie

cocktails in the well-named Sunset Bar? Check.

connecting flights from

where a dozen open-air

privatejetscharter.net.

For choices, see

& Kent (abercrombiekent.

Matsuhisa Mykonos, the only Nobu restaurant in

Athens to six of the islands

restaurants surround the

The Greek islands are,

yachting-greece.com; the

co.uk) and Cachet Travel

Greece? Check. Cellar with a list of 5,000 wines

featured here. For

fishing harbour. Though

of course, prime yacht

company can also arrange

(cachet-travel.com).

(particularly strong on Greek and New World

Kastellorizo, fly to Rhodes,

simple in appearance,

charter territory, too. The

helicopter transfers and

Small Luxury Hotels

varietals)? Check. All of this is built in and around an

then take a short hop with

these places aren’t cheap,

private plane charters.

of the World (slh.com)

18th-century mansion with west-facing verandas,

Olympic. EasyJet offers

and are frequented by

PACKAGES

features more than

perfect for watching the sun set over the bay.

scheduled services to

wealthy Athenians who

Numerous tour operators

30 boutique properties in

Athens, Corfu, Mykonos,

drive there with their

offer tailor-made holidays

Greece. See Telegraph

with a 21st-century twist, the Mykonos

Rhodes and Santorini.

families to sample red

to Greece, staying in

Travel (telegraph.co.uk/

Theoxenia Hotel (00 30 22890 22230,

IN TRANSIT

mullet, lobster, octopus,

boutique hotels and

greece) for further advice

mykonostheoxenia.com; from £210 per night for

Depending on your flight

sea urchins and other

villas and benefiting from

on where to stay in

a double) is a great alternative. Like the Belvedere,

connections, you may opt

Mediterranean staples,

such services as

Greece, plus guides

it is far enough from the village centre to avoid the

to spend a night in Athens.

displayed on trays of ice.

chauffeured transfers

to individual islands.

One such is the Hotel Belvedere (00 30 22890

If your taste inclines towards 1960s glamour

throngs of cruise passengers, but close enough for

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The Royal ScoTSman ...youR SToRy iS yeT To be wRiTTen every glen has a secret, every loch a legend, every traveller a tale. Step aboard The Royal Scotsman luxury train and into the highlands: the mountains and the heather, the wildlife and the whisky. but most of all the people who welcome you into their world in ways you’ll never forget. what will your highland story be? Explore some of Scotland’s most iconic sights with a journey on The Royal Scotsman with all dining and drinks onboard plus sightseeing included and enjoy complimentary nights at The Balmoral, Edinburgh and Cameron House, Loch Lomond. Prices from £3,440 pp, valid for travel on selected dates in 2012.

call 0845 163 0206 anD QuoTe ulT/Tbch oR conTacT youR local TRaVel aGenT. oRienT-eXPReSS.com book by 30 June 2012. complimentary nights offer consists of one night at The balmoral, edinburgh in a Deluxe room before your journey and two nights at cameron house, loch lomond in a classic Garden View room after your journey, including transfers from The Royal Scotsman to cameron house and from cameron house to edinburgh station or airport. offer valid on the following Royal Scotsman departures: all Grand north western 7 night journeys and all Grand west highland 5 night journeys departing in 2012. The classic 4 night journey departing on may 14; June 25; July 23, 30; aug 27; Sept 3, 13, 24; oct 5, 15, 22 2012. The western 3 night journey departing on June 29; July 20, 27; Sept 7, 21, 28; oct 12, 19 2012. Valid for two persons sharing. The marks/logos of The Royal Scotsman and orient-express have been registered in various countries. “orient-express” is a trade mark of SncF and are used under licence by orient-express hotels ltd and its subsidiaries. This advertisement does not constitute a brochure. all bookings are made subject to our terms and conditions which are available on request and can be viewed online at www.orient-express.com. itineraries and fares are subject to availability and change without notice.

In this Olympic year, we celebrate winners – not only the world’s best athletes, but achievers who set the gold standard in other fields. On the following pages, we present our winners: the 100 finest things in luxury travel, chosen by Ultratravel readers. From favourite destinations to the people who take you there, here is our 2012 hot list

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AIRLINES 1-25 BEST SHORT HAUL winner

British Airways ba.com Having bought up its main rival, BMI, British Airways is now the only serious player in the premium short-haul market. It continues to innovate, with a sleek website, new routes on the way, and business class installed on its Moscow service. From Russia with love, indeed. runners-up

BMI flybmi.com EasyJet easyjet.com Lufthansa lufthansa.com Swiss swiss.com BEST LONG HAUL winner

Emirates emirates.com In 1985, the airline had just one flight a week, to Karachi; now it offers 2,500, serving 120 destinations. An early adopter of the A380, it has ambitious expansion plans (100 planes on order) and award-winning facilities that have put Dubai at the centre of the aviation world. runners-up

British Airways ba.com Qantas qantas.com.au Singapore Airlines singaporeair.com Virgin Atlantic virgin-atlantic.com BEST CABIN CREW winner

Singapore Airlines singaporeair.com The elegant Kebaya sarong, designed by Parisian couturier Pierre Balmain, was first adopted as the uniform of the “Singapore Girl” in 1968 and has remained unchanged since. The airline’s unerringly good service makes it the Roger Federer of the airline world. runners-up

British Airways ba.com Emirates emirates.com Etihad Airways etihadairways.com Virgin Atlantic virgin-atlantic.com BEST LOUNGE winner

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Heathrow virgin-atlantic.com The epitome of cool transit, with chandeliers, a 45ft cocktail bar, a Cowshed spa, Japanese water pools, and a multiscreen cinema. runners-up

British Airways T5, Heathrow ba.com Emirates, Dubai emirates.com Qatar Airways, Doha qatarairways.com Singapore Airlines, Changi singaporeair.com

High fliers The view from the new Dreamliner (top), soon to be added to the British Airways fleet. Left: the children’s slide at Changi Airport. Above: one of the ‘Singapore Girls’ in traditional Kebaya sarong

BEST AIRPORT winner

Changi, Singapore changiairport.com The accolades keep rolling in for Changi – one for every day of the year. With six open-air gardens, spas, a gym, a swimming pool, a hotel and 200 species of foliage, it is the model for fret-free flying. runners-up

Dubai International dubaiairport.com Hong Kong International hongkongairport.com London Heathrow T5 heathrowairport.com Schiphol, Amsterdam schiphol.nl LCKI8KI8M<C

By George, they’ve won it The Four Seasons Hotel George V, in Paris. Below: the golf course at Le Touessrok in Mauritius

HOTELS 26-65 BEST IN THE UNITED KINGDOM winner

The Savoy, London fairmont.com/savoy The most expensive refurbishment in history (£220 million) has clearly paid off. The Beaufort Bar now oozes elegance; its suites have the finest river views in London; and the Savoy Grill exudes a cosy, sophisticated ambiance. Monroe would have approved. runners-up

Chewton Glen, Hampshire chewtonglen.com Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London mandarinoriental.com/london

The Dorchester, London thedorchester.com The Goring, London thegoring.com

BEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST winner

Burj Al Arab, Dubai burj-al-arab.com

BEST IN EUROPE

Consistently voted the most luxurious place to stay, the “billowing

winner

sail” has set the standard in the Middle East. Treats include

Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

restaurants in the clouds, in the atrium (the world’s biggest) and under the sea, as well as 24-hour butlers and a fleet of Rolls-Royces.

fourseasons.com/paris

runners-up

Built in 1928, this much-loved landmark is steeped in history and its

Armani Hotel Dubai dubai.armanihotels.com Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi kempinski.com/abudhabi Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai jumeirah.com The Chedi, Muscat ghmhotels.com

opulence is unmatched in Paris (one Presidential Suite has its own gym, another its own office). Despite competition from new hotels launching in the French capital, the George V is as seductive as ever. runners-up

Hotel Arts Barcelona hotelartsbarcelona.com Hôtel de Crillon, Paris crillon.com Hotel Cipriani, Venice hotelcipriani.com Ritz Paris ritzparis.com

BEST IN AFRICA/THE INDIAN OCEAN winner runners-up

Le Touessrok, Mauritius letouessrokresort.com

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

With five restaurants, a Givenchy spa and a Bernhard Langer golf

BEST IN THE AMERICAS

mandarinoriental.com/bangkok

course among the resort’s facilities, there is more to occupy

winner

Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

guests than high-adrenaline watersports and perfect beaches.

The Waldorf=Astoria, New York

mandarinoriental.com/hongkong

runners-up

Peninsula, Hong Kong peninsula.com Shangri-La, Singapore shangri-la.com/singapore

Banyan Tree, Seychelles banyantree.com Cape Grace, Cape Town capegrace.com Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

waldorfnewyork.com Renowned for more than a century, the hotel’s winning combination of old-world luxury and contemporary convenience continues to impress. Readers are charmed by its art-deco interiors, Midtown location and classic dishes such as the Waldorf salad, invented here.

BEST IN AUSTRALASIA

runners-up

winner

The Beverly Hills Hotel, LA beverlyhillshotel.com Four Seasons Hotel New York

Shangri-La, Sydney shangri-la.com/sydney

fourseasons.com/newyork

The Carlyle, New York rosewoodhotels.com/carlyle The Plaza, New York theplaza.com

winner

Raffles Hotel, Singapore raffles.com/singapore Opened in 1887, the serial award-winner has 15 restaurants and bars, its own shopping arcade, and a Victorian-style playhouse.

Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town mountnelson.co.za

The hotel’s Chi spa has become a Sydney institution, as has the

BEST LUXURY CHAIN

36th-floor Altitude restaurant, with its spectacular views. Popular

winner

services include free Wi-Fi, express check-out and a pillow menu.

Four Seasons fourseasons.com

runners-up

Scrupulous attention to detail is what impresses Ultratravel readers

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

most, expressed in reliably comfortable rooms and super-connected

fourseasons.com/sydney

BEST IN ASIA

conradhotels3.hilton.com

InterContinental Sydney ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental

The Observatory Hotel, Sydney observatoryhotel.com.au

The grand dame of hospitality continues to innovate: its new

The Langham, Melbourne

Billecart-Salmon champagne brunch is the first in Singapore.

melbourne.langhamhotels.com.au

concierges. This year, hotels will open in China, Baku, St Petersburg and Toronto – where the first Four Seasons was launched in 1960. runners-up

Jumeirah jumeirah.com Kempinski kempinski.com Mandarin Oriental mandarinoriental.com Shangri-La shangri-la.com LCKI8KI8M<C

Simply the best Qualia on Hamilton Island, Queensland – a resort in Australia, winner of the Best Country category. Below left: Viking River Cruises, voted Best River Cruise Line

OPERATORS 66-80 BEST TOUR OPERATOR winner

Kuoni kuoni.co.uk Founded by Swiss entrepreneur Alfred Kuoni 106 years ago, the company continues to win the custom – and compliments – of Ultratravel readers for its tailor-made itineraries at the top end. runners-up

Abercrombie & Kent abercrombiekent.com Audley Travel audleytravel.com Cox & Kings coxandkings.co.uk Elegant Resorts elegantresorts.co.uk BEST CRUISE LINE winner

Cunard cunard.co.uk Modern facilities meet old-fashioned style on the flagship Queen Mary 2, consistently voted the grandest liner on Earth. The ship’s white-glove service is as acclaimed by readers as the pleasant diversions available on board, from a planetarium to a croquet lawn. The new 1930s-styled sister ship, Queen Elizabeth, appeals to the same discerning market with such luxuries as marble bathrooms. runners-up

Crystal Cruises crystalcruises.com P&O Cruises pocruises.com Royal Caribbean International royalcaribbean.co.uk Silversea Cruises silversea.com BEST RIVER CRUISE LINE winner

DESTINATIONS 81-100 BEST SPA

BEST CITY

winner

winner

Banyan Tree, Phuket banyantree.com/en/phuket

New York iloveny.com

The first Banyan Tree to open, in 1995, is still a firm favourite with

Our readers are not the only fans of this vibrant city. In 2011, the

The winner in this category ticks all the boxes: six brand-new ships;

readers. Its exceptional spa offers not just signature “journeys”,

number of visitors exceeded 50 million – and more than a million of

a private balcony in every stateroom; modern Scandinavian design;

but treatments by master therapists, and, from this year, wellness

them were Britons. As well as Broadway musicals and non-stop

restaurants with panoramic views. Its Viking Emerald has the largest

packages supervised by an ayurvedic doctor. The resort’s

shopping, New York offers an ever-expanding range of restaurants

suite in river cruising; six similar vessels will be launched this year.

well-appointed, Thai-styled lagoon villas also win readers’ votes.

(150 in 2011) and luxury hotels including The Chatwal and The Setai.

runners-up

runners-up

Champneys, Tring champneys.com/tring Chiva-Som, Hua Hin chivasom.com The BodyHoliday, St Lucia thebodyholiday.com The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath royalcrescent.co.uk

Barcelona barcelonaturisme.com Dubai dubai.com Paris parisinfo.com Sydney sydney.com

Viking River Cruises vikingrivercruises.co.uk

runners-up

AmaWaterways amawaterways.com The River Cruise Line rivercruiseline.co.uk Scenic Tours scenictours.co.uk Uniworld River Cruises uniworldrivercruises.co.uk

BEST COUNTRY BEST GOLF RESORT

winner

winner

Australia australia.com

ALAMY; GETTY; ROLLS-ROYCE

The Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland gleneagles.com

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This perennial favourite of Britons (640,000 of whom visited last

This “castle” hotel wins plaudits for its sublime setting and cuisine

year) has much to offer the luxury traveller. In the wild Kimberley

unrivalled anywhere in Scotland (Andrew Fairlie’s two Michelin

region of Western Australia, facilities include a new air service and

stars look like permanent fixtures). Its three first-class golf courses

safari-style camps. Among the other attractions are the wildlife,

include the PGA Centenary which, in 2014, will host the Ryder Cup.

15,000 golf courses and a new generation of award-winning chefs.

runners-up

runners-up

La Manga, Spain lamangaclub.com Loch Lomond Golf Club, Scotland lochlomond.com Pebble Beach, United States pebblebeach.com St Andrews, Scotland fairmont.com/standrews

Italy italia.it/en New Zealand newzealand.com Thailand tourismthailand.org United States discoveramerica.com

Star turn At the H么tel du CapEden-Roc (opposite), with its 22 acres of pine-filled gardens, guests can enjoy the Hollywood lifestyle on the French Riviera

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADAM PARKER

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SECRETS OF THE EDEN-ROC GUESTBOOK Elizabeth Taylor’s luggage arrived there by truck; Mel Gibson showed up with 300 friends; Sharon Stone ordered a Nebuchadnezzar of champagne – and a harpist. Somehow, the stars who stayed at the legendary Riviera hotel also found time to sign its Golden Book. Peter Hughes gets a preview

SECRETS OF THE HOTEL DU CAP

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Post script Johnny Depp, pictured (below) with Penelope Cruz at the Cannes Film Festival, marked his stay at the Hôtel du Cap (above) with a self-portrait

n the pleasant shore of the French Riviera, about half way between Marseilles and the Italian border, stands a large, proud, rose-coloured hotel. Deferential palms cool its flushed facade, and before it stretches a short dazzling beach. Lately it has become a summer resort of notable and fashionable people. So begins Tender is the Night, the novel that defined the South of France in the age when it shimmied out of Edwardian languor and into 20th-century excess. In F Scott Fitzgerald’s book, the Riviera filled the foreground and the hotel, which he called Gausse’s, was its quintessence. The model for Gausse’s was the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc at Antibes. Now white as pearl with dove-grey shutters, rather than “rose-coloured”, the hotel is still emphatically in the business of pampering “notable and fashionable” people. And whatever cools it these days – more a surrounding 22-acre park of conspiratorial pines than “deferential palms” – it is incontrovertibly cool. The colours are cool – paint of the palest ivory, hints of gilt, marble as blonde as arctic fox, carpets in the hues of summer gardens and the sand of coral beaches. A glass lift, framed in polished brass, rises from the foyer as cool as a crystal tardis. The guest list is cooler still. It comes straight from the reddest of Hollywood carpets. And here they are, seen for the first time, legends from the Cinemascope pantheon distilled to a few flourishes of flamboyant ink. But it is ink uniquely applied to surfaces stroked by stellar hands, the thrilling, if vicarious, intimacy of the autograph. Collected in what the hotel calls its Golden Book are contributions from a list of straight As. Clint Eastwood rubs signatures with Sharon Stone; Jennifer Lopez with Colin Firth. Turn the page on Ralph Fiennes and there is Mick Jagger. The “book” is a collection of sheets of fine vellum that will eventually be preserved between covers.

Legends from the Cinemascope pantheon are distilled to a few flourishes of flamboyant ink

Bon mot A thank-you from Tom Hanks

So Dustin Hoffman and Jim Belushi will one day be bound with Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush; Mel Gibson will share a stiff jacket with Celine Dion, Bruce Willis with Audrey Tautou, Andy Garcia with Grace Jones. Gordon Gekko, James Bond and Sherlock Holmes have signed as their alter egos of Michael Douglas, Pierce Brosnan and Robert Downey Junior. In the hotel’s first Golden Book, now locked away in Paris, there are doodles by Chagall and Picasso. Here we must content ourselves with a deft caricature by Johnny Depp – of Johnny Depp – and quick-fire sketches by the likes of Tom Hanks, Tim Burton and Karl Lagerfeld. Every spring the stars arrive in their constellations for the Cannes Film Festival. The Hôtel du Cap is close enough to nip across to the Croisette by speedboat, far enough away for film folk to laze in their own oh-so-special firmament. It’s where Elizabeth Taylor’s luggage arrived by truck considerably in advance of Elizabeth Taylor, and where Tom Cruise is preceded by his instructions for making salad, a melange involving green beans, artichoke, tomatoes and leaves of arugula and spinach – accompanied with a glass of sheep’s milk. It’s where Lars von Trier turned up in a camper van and Bill Cosby stood to attention in a small launch, sailor’s cap and T-shirt, and took the salute of passing yachts. Every day, Eddie Murphy ate a turkeyburger here, John Travolta ordered vegetable quiches – one at 8am, another at 2am – and Kevin Costner’s cheeseburgers combined Charolais beef with Emmenthal cheese. It was a previous general manager who summed up the secret of the hotel as its simplicity. “When on vacation, the rich like to pay maharajah prices to live like boy scouts,” he explained. The house rules are made of exceptions: Monica Belluci was allowed to spend a night in one of the beach cabanas; Mel Gibson booked a table for 30 and turned up with a party of 300. To adapt an exchange in Tender is the Night, “Do they like it here – this place?” Came the response: “They have to like it. They invented it.” In his book on the hotel, journalist François Simon tells how Sharon Stone, “in a moment of inspiration”, first requested a harpist dressed in an Irish costume, then a Nebuchadnezzar of champagne. “Or maybe it was the other way round.” Simon was the Riviera correspondent

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E

Ce qui sera, c’est ce qui fut. “What will be, is what was.” Hotel du Cap regulars, which is to say eight out of 10 guests, will notice some major differences. They could hardly miss the reconstructed swimming pool and the new terrace restaurant, which is reminiscent of the deck of an ocean liner berthed at the very tip of Cap d’Antibes, the hotel’s rocky and exclusive point. In the guest rooms, now fewer and larger, the changes are more subtle. There is new lighting round the bathroom mirrors in hand-blown bubbles of glass, and there are televisions. Ah, the televisions. I loved the hotel. I loved the unpretentiousness of the staff, immaculate in creaseless cream jackets; I loved the space and the light and the fantasy of having emigrated to some gorgeous realm totally disconnected from the anguished century in which I live. I loved the cushioned pathways, on either side of a sweep of grey gravel, that descend through the garden to the sea. I loved the silence but for the soft pop of tennis balls being hit. I loved the pines, palms and lawns and the designer gulls that patrol them. But the televisions… The screen in my room had an aggressive black frame, totally at odds with the rest of the decor, as pale and pure as Keira Knightley’s complexion, splashed with Colefax and Fowler fabrics. In fairness, the screen surrounds were supposed to be white but they were never going to be hidden. “Mrs Oetker is completely against television cabinets,” said Philippe Perd, the hotel’s managing director. “Actually, she is completely against television.” They didn’t have televisions in the rooms before, or hair-driers, or private bars. They didn’t take credit cards either. They do now, though the private bars, one senses, were adopted reluctantly. “If you want a glass of champagne in a luxury hotel, there should be someone to pour it,” insisted Monsieur Perd. The only demand placed on guests is that they should have some grounding in the nuances and potential of these heights of service. In addition to room service, the call buttons in the bedrooms give you the option to summon either a valet de chambre and/or a femme de chambre. The guests of the 19th century would have understood the distinction. “What will be, is what was.” The Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc (00 334 93 61 39 01, hotel-du-cap-eden-roc.com) has rooms from ¤495 (about £400) per night and suites from ¤1,130 (about £930) per night. Rates are roughly a third higher during the Cannes Film Festival (festival-cannes.fr), which this year takes place from May 16-27.

PAGE 60: STYLIST: LOUISE HALL-STRUTT; MODEL: LESIA LAKIZA. SUIT AND BLOUSE BY TEMPERLEY; EFIA HAT BY HELEN KAMINSKI; SHOES BY NICOLE FARHI; NOTEBOOK BY SMYTHSON. PAGE 61: DRESS BY VERSACE; SUNGLASSES BY LINDA FARROW VINTAGE

Cartoon characters Vellum sheets signed by (top to bottom) Tim Burton, Grace Jones and Karl Lagerfeld will eventually be bound into a book

for Le Figaro, which is appropriate because it was the newspaper’s founder who in 1870 opened the first hotel on the site, in the handsome Napoleon III building. He supposedly intended it for writers with a creative block. Writers who are creating are not the most promising of business propositions; writers who aren’t spell disaster. The hotel foundered until, in 1889, it was reopened by a brave Piedmontese, Antoine Sella. As Simon tells it, “The hotel was occupied by only two old Englishwomen. They each paid 12 francs per day even though Sella had a 40-person staff, five horses for the coaches and a small omnibus that went to the train station every day to greet potential guests – who never came. Everyone predicted a new failure.” veryone was wrong. The business was saved by James Gordon Bennett, owner of the New York Herald, who wanted somewhere quiet for his recently widowed sister to stay. Objecting to weekly bills, he put down 40,000 francs and asked to be informed when the money ran out. Hotel du Cap was now attracting custom of the aristocratic and the rich, who in those days were one and the same. Then it opened in winter and closed in summer; now it is the other way round. But if the clientele was fashionable, the facilities were not. In 1903, Sella was taking Lord Onslow, a regular guest, to the station. Sella remarked that the hotel was in need of central heating, private baths and a lift, if only he could afford them. His lordship reached for his chequebook and wrote out a sum sufficient not merely to modernise the place but to buy it. “We can settle the mortgage at a later date” was his wafted comment as he boarded his train. In 1970, history nearly repeated itself when André Sella, Antoine’s son, decided to sell. On the recommendation of a member of the Boch family, as in Villeroy & Boch, Rudolf Oetker, the German foodstuff billionaire, bought it despite having never visited. The hotel – now part of the Oetker Collection that includes Le Bristol in Paris – is owned by his wife, Maja. It was she who oversaw the massive restoration completed last spring. It cost €45 million (about £37.5 million) and took four years. The key word is restoration because all those euros seem to have been spent not just on reviving the original spirit of the place, but in a way that no one would notice. It’s the first instance in my experience of anyone spending so many millions to disguise the fact that they have. The greatest risk in the whole exercise was that anyone should think the hotel had changed. In the words of French writer Anatole France, engraved on a plaque in the hotel garden:

GETTY; PACIFIC COAST NEWS; EROTEME

The hotel is close enough to nip across to the Croisette by speedboat

Cannes do attitude Left to right: the Bar Bellini at the Hôtel du Cap; Jude Law, a guest at the hotel, departing in a launch; and Jennifer Lopez photographed on the steps of the hotel during a fundraising event in 2010

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intelligence ULTRA

EDITED BY LISA GRAINGER

SUITE DREAMS

Ultratravel’s new guide to the world’s most sumptuous hotel rooms

A PALACE WITHIN A PALAIS

5

MARRAKECH SUITES WITH GARDENS

Pool Suites, Palais Namaskar Marrakech

suites – mushroom and black curtains, subtly patterned carpets, wooden

Route de Bab Atlas, Syba (00 212 5 2429 9800, palaisnamaskar.com)

furniture, metal lamps and light fittings – was unexciting, but their

suite in the city’s oldest gardens, with

Opened April 2012

harmonious simplicity and the repetition of decorative motifs throughout the

its own pool and three hand-crafted

Price From £980 per night

hotel really did help me unwind. Each of the six pool suites looks on to its

bedrooms (£7,313, mamounia.com).

Size 1,160sq ft

own heated pool, which itself is part of a larger lake framed by pillars and

Four Seasons Royal Villa Four-

USP The calm. The water. The feeling of letting go. Palais Namaskar,

Mughal arches. For extra privacy, billowing curtains can be drawn around

bedroom, 3,500sq ft contemporary,

on the edge of the Palmeraie, between the Atlas Mountains and the

each pool. The suites have walled gardens, glass bathrooms surrounded

cool riad with dining room for 12, and

mysterious Djebilet Hills yet a 20-minute drive from central Marrakech,

by greenery, large, airy lobbies and wood-burning fireplaces – as well as

private pool (£8,595, fourseasons.com).

has a palpable, almost intensely soothing effect on its guests. Set in

overbearing televisions, the one jarring note, though they can be removed.

Selman Riad Sharav Sumptuous,

15 acres of emerald green, scented, Balinese-inspired gardens, four

Service is unobtrusive and kind, as befits this serene hotel. Fiona Duncan

6,000sq ft yellow and black

La Mamounia Riad An 8,500sq ft

acres of which comprise water – pools, channels, rills, waterfalls – its

one-bedroom riad designed by

41 discreet villas and suites are hardly visible amid the towering palms,

Jacques Garcia, with a private pool

exotic foliage and bowers of white bougainvillea. There’s a long,

(£1,235, selman-marrakech.com).

tranquil walkway leading to a sheet of shallow water crossed by stone

Royal Mansour Riad D’Honneur

paths, a domed restaurant pavilion, a shadowy, seductive spa, in-house

Opulent, super-private semi-palace

yoga and a glamorous rooftop bar, sensational at sunset. The hotel was designed by the Frenchman Philippe Soulier, who is a strong believer in the principles of feng shui – hence there is a balance of wood, fire (in every room), earth, metal and water. There are also glittering Murano glass chandeliers, reflections of rippling water on walls and ceilings, more than four miles of silk curtains and an entire floor of crystals deemed to release positive energy. THE DETAILS At first I worried that the minimalist uniformity of the

Oasis of calm A pool suite (top) at Palais Namaskar. Left: the main swimming pool, framed by pillars and Mughal arches

built by – and for – the King of Morocco (£25,703, royalmansour.com). Amanjena Al-Hamra Maison Serene, two-bedroom villa with enormous living spaces and, outdoors, two pavilions, a large pool and fireplace (£2,087, amanresorts.com).

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TRAVEL BY NUMBERS

LETTING OFF STEAM

20,000

Travel experts reveal their bugbears Andrew Purvis, Ultratravel’s bon viveur, on what makes him furious about high-end restaurants

Black rhinos in Kenya 30 years ago; today there are 400. Most poached rhino horns go to one country – China

FAUX POPULISM At the Gilbert Scott in St Pancras, London, Marcus Wareing once perfected a Bakewell tart (ÂŁ8) with the same “synthetic qualityâ€? as the Mr Kipling version (ÂŁ1.30 for six) remembered from childhood. What is the point of that? At Bar Boulud in Knightsbridge, Daniel Boulud does a refined Big Mac for ÂŁ11.75. Jamie Oliver serves antipasti on a plank resting

85

on two tins of tomatoes. Pretentious, moi? WINE STEALTH

Hotels to be built by 2015 by the fast-growing contemporary-style chain, Aloft

Why, in upmarket restaurants, is the bottle taken away as soon as a glass is poured – to a side table (tantalisingly close, but forbidden) or a room where the sommelier may be

4

decanting it into another bottle? Other dark arts include topping up wine by the glass

Growth, in centimetres per year, of Mount Everest – already 8,850m

10

OVER-ATTENTIVE SERVICE In China, I have slurped soup watched by seven waitresses – and in grand French

Depth, in centimetres, by which Mexico City sinks each year – faster than Venice

109,000

Chinese visitors to Britain in 2010 – between them they spent £184 million THE TREND

without the diner’s consent, inflating the bill.

restaurants, I have had a platoon in attendance. When a friend asked where the ladies’ was at

THE BOOK

H

La Bastide in Gordes, she was escorted there aving spent five years documenting, photographing and exploring the wild waters of

by a waiter who stood outside until she had

coastal and inland Britain (on his return from the rainforests of New Guinea in which he

finished. Just as annoying are staff who insist

was taken hostage), the water-mad explorer Daniel Start has spent the past three years

on spreading the napkin in your lap or pushing

camping and swimming his way around France. The result of his aquatic voyage, Wild Swimming

in your chair. I can do it on my own, thanks.

France (ÂŁ14.95, Wild Things Publishing), is a simple-to-use, easy-on-the-eye compilation of

DECONSTRUCTION

photographs, maps, directions and tips, showing rivers, lakes and waterfalls where you can strip

Bouillabaisse is a wonderful dish, melding the

off and swim, from the crater lakes of the Massif Central to the pools of Provence.

flavours of the Mediterranean. At La Chèvre d’Or in Eze, I ate a deconstructed version:

RHUBARB, RHUBARB, RHUBARB

W

a tiny spider crab, sea urchin and abalone,

hy bartenders haven’t

the speakeasy-style bar on Sloane

served separately on a bed of (dyed) turquoise

considered using rhubarb,

Avenue concocts a deliciously

sea salt. It missed the point. At Combal.Zero

the unsung – but delicious –

titled Charleston Crumble, using

in Turin, Davide Scabin has created zuppizza:

vegetable, to flavour cocktails until

rhubarb purĂŠe and pomegranate

“liquid pizza�, with bread on top, tomato in the

now is a mystery. Thankfully,

juice. Even Chase – the British-

middle and mozzarella at the bottom. It looks

several enlightened mixologists

manufactured vodka, recently

like prawn crackers in a pool of unappetising

across the land have been

voted the best in the world – has

froth. Don’t mess with the margherita.

seduced by its distinctive, slightly

flavoured its latest potato vodka

FOOD AS THEATRE

bitter taste to give their drinks an

with soft pink essence of rhubarb.

I don’t mind if the waiters are actors, but

unmistakably British, summery

rhubarb syrup to create its

Why the comeback? Nick

flavour. Mark Hix’s new bar at

Rhubarb Ramos Gin Fizz.

Strangeway, who concocted the

Belgraves hotel in Belgravia uses

The revamped Quilon does

cocktails for Mark Hix, says it is

early forced stems to flavour its

a Passionate Cachaça, blending

not just a delicious seasonal spring

Vanilla and Rhubarb Bellinis, and

Cachaça 51 with the juice of

ingredient, but “something that

uses rhubarb-infused gin and

passionfruit and rhubarb. Bart’s,

takes us all back to our childhood�.

HOT PROPERTY

Apartments, villas and foreign homes of one’s own

THE ATHOLL, EDINBURGH USP In prime position on a Regency-style crescent, the former Edinburgh College of Domestic Science has been converted into four of the city’s biggest – and, without doubt, most luxurious – serviced suites, each with its own kitchen, and from one to three bedrooms, costing from £1,000 to £2,500 a night, plus food and wine.

Details No expense has been spared. The building’s cavernous rooms have been transformed into four slick, contemporary spaces by local interior designer Ian Smith. He has overseen the immaculate restoration of the cornicing, the hand-painted murals, the installation of Philippe Starck fixtures and Italian tiling in bathrooms, and the inclusion in Bulthaup kitchens of such treats as cheese fridges, Christofle cutlery and Riedel glassware. As well as a 24-hour butler-cum-concierge, guests have at their disposal an Albert Roux-trained chef who turns Scottish

REALLY MINTED

The Hungarian jeweller Janos Gabor Varga – a former Somerset cheesemaker – became so obsessed with coins during his travels around Eastern Europe that he started to make jewellery from them. His Blind Spot Jewellery now amalgamates the prettiest coins from his collection, featuring myths, animals and buildings, in brooches and rings (from £145, boticca.com)

I really don’t enjoy performing myself. At Noma in Copenhagen, you are asked to cut your venison with a hunting knife, cook your own duck egg at the table (in a pan on a bed of hay), and pick radishes from a pot filled with hazelnut “soilâ€?. Food and service are faultless, making up for for the feeling of being forced to play charades at your parents’ Christmas party. CLOCHERIE It’s hard not to smirk when the silver domes come off, to a sharp intake of breath and an imagined fanfare. The coolest cloche is at Koffmann’s at The Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge – the real carapace of a spider crab, with fresh crab underneath. LOOK, NO PLATES Eating bread off the table is fine, but try dipping it in olive oil first, from a bowl in the middle of the table. Expect a lightly drizzled table, chin – and lap. A side plate would help, but crockery is so passĂŠ. At Malabar in Lima, Peru, diners eat off marble slabs that change with every course; at Noma, the langoustine is presented on a flat rock. Full marks to Yannick Franques

ingredients into delicious dishes from rabbit roulade to

at Le St-Martin in Vence, who tells me he is on

lavender shortbread (01620 842144, theatholl.com).

a mission to bring back “beautiful tableware�.

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THE EVENT

EXTREME WINE BOOT CAMP Serious wine buffs can join a new boot camp at La Verrière, a wine estate and restored ninth-century priory owned by Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, and his wife, Nicole. The course is tutored by wine masters Clive Barlow and Nick Dumergue and includes trips to wineries at Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. The six days of tastings, gourmet meal pairings, lessons in how to stock and manage a cellar, and WSET Level 2 exam costs from £4,200 per person (laverriere.com). SOUVENIR HUNT

In search of the best... TANZANIAN CRAFTS

TAKING OFF

Arusha is known for its traffic rather than its

3 NEW WAYS TO TRAVEL IN LUXURY

1

shopping. But outside the city

SCANDINAVIAN FIXER Few Nordic specialists can

at her ďŹ ngertips a who’s who of

and cheap,� he says. Hence the

what Apple did for computers.�

centre, opposite a tea plantation, is

chefs, adventurers and villa

birth in 2008 of his first Citizen

Enterprise clearly runs in the

a shop worth a detour. Shanga

offer access to palaces, igloos

owners to create bespoke trips.

M hotel, near Amsterdam airport,

family – Chadha’s father set up

was set up by Saskia

and aristocrats’ estates as well as

A day trip by plane to the Arctic

followed by Amsterdam city,

the clothing giant Mexx. In the

Rechsteiner, a Swiss-born

diving with whales and picnics on

Circle for caviar and blinis?

Glasgow and, this July, London,

next few years, Citizen M will

local, who first made jewellery

a glacier. Which is why Malmo-

A week on a superyacht, calling

wrapped in an artwork by Turner-

come to Paris, New York and

from her children’s marbles.

based Luxury Beyond, headed by

at islands for Michelin-starred

nominated Mark Titchner. Chadha

Rotterdam (citizenm.com).

Today it sells some of the

Orit Feldman-Dahlgren, has

meals? Or just a sleigh ride by

aims to deliver, for ÂŁ99 to ÂŁ199,

become the go-to company for

reindeer, with freshly smoked

“the luxuries people want�: Frette

extraordinary experiences in

salmon for tea? No problem (00

sheets, beautiful-smelling

Scandinavia. The Swede knows

46 40 26 066, luxurybeyond.com).

bathroom products and a strong

her territory inside-out, and has

3

most stylish crafts, jewellery DESERT BY AIR Visitors to Morocco who

and homewares in Africa – mostly made by disabled

would like to visit the desert but

craftspeople trained by Rechsteiner. Equally appealing

rain-shower, free Wi-Fi and

do not fancy the nine-hour drive

is Shanga’s thatched restaurant – by far the best

movies, a 24-hour restaurant, and

over the Atlas Mountains can

place to lunch if you are en route to the airstrip for

self-check-in and check-out. “Yes,

now go by plane or helicopter.

a safari. Shanga Shangaa, Burka Coffee Estate,

his life travelling, Robin Chadha

our bedrooms are small – but our

Heliconia Aero Solutions offers

Dodoma Road, Arusha (00 255 689 759 067,

was no newcomer to business

living rooms are comfy, with good

trips to the mountains and desert

shanga.org). To buy in the UK, see kaskazi.org.uk.

hotels. “They were never

art and books, our restaurants

dunes, from 15-minute flights to

perfect – formal and expensive,

a blend of cocktail bar, barista bar

full day trips to Zagora. From

where you paid for Wi-Fi and

and upmarket Pret, and our

â‚Ź5,500 (ÂŁ4,800) for up to six

could only get breakfast from

business rooms inspire you to be

people (00 212 661 782 160,

8am to 10am, or uncomfortable

creative. We want to do for hotels

heliconia-maroc.com).

2

HIP HOTEL FOR ÂŁ99 As a stockbroker who spent

ULTRA APPS

TASTE TEST

CABS AND CAR CLUBS

Zipcar (free) Allows Zipcar members, in the US and the UK, to locate cars, make and cancel reservations and even unlock the doors.

Autolib (free) Lets users of the Parisian electric-car club find Autolib stations, check for cars and plan trips and stop-offs to recharge.

Uber (free) Enables members of Uber in the US to request a chauffered private car, tell them how far away it is and after the trip, charge their credit card.

CROWNING MOMENTS

Hats off to the Berkeley hotel, which has turned (not altogether delectable) millinery designs for British Royalty into rather more appealing cakes. Its celebratory Jubilee tea, featuring edible headgear from crowns to Princess Beatrice’s fascinator, will be served from May 29 to June 9, and costs £39 a head (the-berkeley.co.uk).

MY OTHER OFFICE IS AN AIRBUS The world’s ďŹ rst walk-in corporate aviation showroom has opened – in a full-sized mock-up of an Airbus 319, in Knightsbridge. Steve Varsano, who owns The Jet Business (thejetbusiness.com), says that, while demand at the ÂŁ1 million mark has fallen, buyers from countries such as Brazil and Russia are snapping up larger planes (think ÂŁ30 million). No jet at all? No problem. Members of flyvictor.com can buy seats on private jets with spare capacity. Clive Jackson, Victor’s CEO, says: “We are proving that those who fly by private jet are willing to share and no longer willing to pay over the oddsâ€? (flyvictor.com).

IT’S A CHANGING WORLD

SUPERYACHTS THIS YEAR, 55 SUPERYACHTS HAVE BEEN SOLD, FOR A TOTAL OF ÂŁ350 MILLION. IN ADDITION, 15 HAVE BEEN ORDERED (ONE, FOR A GERMAN CLIENT, A STAGGERING 480FT LONG AND POWERED BY SAILS), 15 HAVE BEEN DELIVERED (ONE, 300FT IN LENGTH, TO THE UK) AND 34 LAUNCHED. THE MOST EXPENSIVE, THE 188FT EXCELLENCE III, COST ÂŁ30 MILLION, EQUATING TO ÂŁ160,000 A FOOT. THIS YEAR, ONE YACHT HAS SUNK: THE 200FT YOGI, NOW 1,600FT DOWN OFF SKYROS. THE MOST BLING? DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, A RIOT OF GOLD AND MARBLE, FOR CHARTER AT ÂŁ270,000 A WEEK

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HOUSEBOATEATS.COM; ALAMY/PHOTOSHOT. ILLUSTRATIONS: ROBERT SHADBOLT

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rom the moment you touch down in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, you’ll feel like you’re a million miles from ordinary. Nestling in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, these 32 islands and cays known locally as SVG, offer a truly authentic, unspoiled slice of Caribbean life. Just a short hop from Barbados, Antigua or St. Lucia the islands are uncrowded, unhurried and play host to a rich local culture untainted by mass tourism. When it comes to tranquillity and escapism nowhere beats this diminutive country, covering just 150 square miles of sparkling blue sea. With 9 inhabited islands – St. Vincent, Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent – SVG packs a punch when it comes to diversity. Its unique cultural blend, coupled with the variety of experiences on offer really helps it to stand apart. Vibrant St. Vincent, the largest island in the country and crowned by the mighty

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La Soufriere volcano is an ecotourist’s paradise, while The Grenadines with their white beaches and azure-blue seas ooze scenery which is postcard-perfect. Scratch the surface a little and you’ll discover that each island has its own ambience, character and many reasons to keep coming back. Checking in to SVG provides the opportunity to check out of the hum drum of daily life. This is a place for slowing down, recharging batteries and re-discovering the simple pleasures in life. Now for the first time, visitors to the islands have the opportunity to experience a Digital Detox – like a health detox, but for your mind - a complete unplugging from the world, designed to wean guests off their technology. A number of the hotels in the destination have no televisions in the rooms and technology is discouraged on the beaches. Coupled with the feeling of finding your own Robinson Crusoe style island – there is no better place for the ultimate Digital Detox.

Kingstown market, St. Vincent

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W

‘On a plane, I walk up to the front and introduce myself to the pilot; he kind of likes having me on board’

ith a mother whose

maiden name was Moon, Buzz Aldrin seemed destined to travel there. On July 20, 1969, he and Neil Armstrong became the first men in history to walk on the lunar surface. Aldrin has since been immortalised as an MTV statuette (the “Buzzy”), had a Disney character named in his honour and recorded a song with the hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg. Recently he was awarded the congressional gold medal, the highest civilian honour in the United States, along with his fellow Apollo 11 crew members and the astronaut John Glenn. Now aged 82, Aldrin remains a passionate advocate of manned space flight and travels the world for speaking engagements as well as for pleasure. How often do you travel? I fly at least once a week – and it’s a rare week when I’m not away for two or three days. What’s next on the horizon? London this summer, for the Olympics. Which is your favourite London hotel? I love its formality, sophistication and refinement. I also like Brown’s Hotel, in Albemarle Street.

ALAMY

I’ve spent a lot of time at Claridge’s in Mayfair;

TRAVELLING LIFE Buzz Aldrin

The former astronaut on Mayfair hotels, Arctic adventures and why scuba diving is the closest thing to moonwalking And your favourite airline?

Where, on your earthly travels, have you felt

Do you do any other water sports?

Travelling in space is inherently risky. What

American Airlines – though it’s a shame they’re

the “magnificent desolation” of the moon?

I learned to bodysurf in the ocean when I was

challenges will commercial companies face?

in a little financial trouble right now. When I get

Around the islands of the Arctic, with all the birds,

very young, but I never really got into surfboards

They will have to have very high safety standards,

on one of their planes, I walk up to the front and

icebergs and glaciers. They’re majestic, not very

or windsurfing. I’ve given both of them a try –

for sure. Their first customer is likely to be Nasa,

introduce myself to the pilot and co-pilot; they

habitable for humans and therefore untouched.

but if I’m honest, I find them a little challenging.

which will need a service like this to take people

kind of like having me on board. Emirates, Etihad

What about that feeling of weightlessness?

Do you have a favourite city?

up to the International Space Station. It’s hard to

Airways and Singapore Airlines are good, too. I fly

Scuba diving comes pretty close. It’s the freedom

They’re all a bit intimidating to me and I’m not into

understand how we could have been flying the

up front where there’s a degree of privacy and

you have to go up and down, like in space – but

tall buildings. Since becoming a bit of a celebrity,

Shuttle for 30 years and not have a replacement

I don’t have to sit upright when it’s time to sleep.

in space, you rely upon an engine and wings and

I don’t have quite the same freedom to go into

lined up for it. Right now, we have to rely on

Your most impressive travel itinerary?

rocket fuel to get you there. Underwater, you are

places and just look around, though it helps if

Russia to take us into space, which is deplorable.

When we came back from the moon in 1969, we

your own boss and you can control everything.

I’m with somebody who knows the city well.

You did some zero-gravity flights in your

did a round-the-world trip in 45 days. That was

Where did you first go scuba diving?

But if you had to choose…?

seventies. Is returning to space your goal?

intense, but it’s something I haven’t forgotten.

It was off the coast of Tripoli, in Libya, after the

I was recently in Bangkok and I found the different

I’m more interested in getting ordinary people

Where have you been recently?

Korean War – which ended in 1953. I fell in love

temples intriguing but the city still seemed like

there, because that will spread an appreciation of

I was skiing up in Denver with my youngest son,

with the sport immediately. The next chance

it was full of traffic and there were wires draped

what space is. It would be anti-climactic, anyway,

Andy, a couple of months ago. It’s something

I had, I bought a tank and a regulator and

across the streets. I’m more into open spaces,

having been to the moon already. I prefer to stand

I didn’t take up until I was in my fifties, but I’m

my first wife and I went diving off Majorca.

I guess. That’s why I look forward to visiting

as a role model and a symbol of exploration.

good enough now to go through the competitive

Which are your favourite places to dive?

Australia – where I especially like to dive the

Wherever you travel, the moon is a constant

gates. At 82, though, I’m a lot more cautious than

The Cayman Islands, and Bonaire in the Dutch

Great Barrier Reef, of course – and New Zealand.

companion. What does it mean to you?

I used to be. Sun Valley, Idaho, is another favourite.

Antilles. There are plenty of beautiful places to

You’ve certainly travelled widely. Is there

I look up and think, “We did it”. Apollo was clearly

It’s really relaxing there, very gentle and laid-back.

dive in the Pacific, too, such as Hawaii, Palau and

any place on Earth that you haven’t been?

a response to the threat of communism after

Apart from the moon, what is the most

the Marshall Islands, including Kwajalein Atoll.

Bali in Indonesia, though I hope to go in the near

the Second World War. However, it was also

remote place you have been?

One of my most memorable dives was in the Gulf

future. I know someone associated with some

a response to a challenge that had existed ever

I went to the North Pole once, aboard a Russian

of Aqaba, east of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It

resorts there and I’ve heard the diving is fantastic.

since man began to look up and wonder at the

ice-breaker, which was certainly off the beaten

was with Sylvia Earle, an early pioneer of diving.

Is space the next big travel destination?

objects in the night sky. That makes me proud.

track. I’ve also been on a National Geographic

We happened to get involved in some underwater

I’m sure we will see temporary residences, hotels

Dr Buzz Aldrin was talking at an event at Soneva

cruise to the Antarctic, where I saw lots of

scenes for the James Bond film For Your Eyes

if you like, in orbit in 10 to 15 years. They will be

Kiri by Six Senses, in Thailand. For details of

penguins and seals. There were scuba divers

Only. It was impressive to see how they got the

sparse, but the main attractions will be the view

forthcoming speakers, see sixsenses.com.

exploring underwater, too, but I didn’t join them.

sharks in the right place for the cameras.

out of the window and the freedom of floating.

Interview by Caroline Shearing

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