Ultratravel Autumn 2014

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ultratravel TheDaily Telegraph

YOUR GUIDE TO HEAVEN ON EARTH

AUTUMN 2014

CASTLES IN THE SAND

The best of the Balearics

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Sailing in volcano country Si Datu Bua, a traditional phinisi, in theKicker waters Caption around Komodo National Park (page 44)

CONTENTS Features

25

34 Golden age Today the Balearics attract high-spending travellers who want style, privacy – and outstanding places to stay. We review eight of our favourites 44 Journey into the unknown Lisa Grainger sails by luxury phinisi to explore the mysterious Komodo Islands, on an underwater and over-water safari 51 Capital places to stay London, Paris and New York have long battled to be the hotel centre of the world. Claire Wrathall evaluates the best of the old grande dames and the high-tech newcomers in all three cities 81 Enjoy the best holidays in the world Bid on 21 lots, from a golfing trip in Gleneagles to a cruise on Cunard’s Queen Victoria, in our silent auction 86 Rising in the East Vietnam is now Asia’s hottest luxury destination. E Jane Dickson taps into its riches, from hip hotels to ancient culture 94 Best bet The Kentucky Derby is known as America’s “most exciting two minutes in sport”. It is also, as Max Davidson discovers, a riotously good party. We also select five of the best race meetings around the world

Regulars

60

11 Editor’s letter Charles Starmer-Smith on the rebirth of the Balearics 14 The Next Big Thing John O’Ceallaigh reports on new superyachts, missions to the moon, an ethically-designed zoo, and the best hotels for a good night’s sleep 19 Little extras Ultratravel experts select the hottest cocktail dresses, explorers’ watches, light gadgets, and the pick from a glittering Parisian jewellery show 30 Up Front John Simpson on the most charming people in the world: the Iranians 33 Mr & Mrs Celia Walden and Piers Morgan live out their fantasies at Hôtel Byblos 101 Intelligence Ferruccio Ferragamo’s Tuscan hideaway, a masterclass in caviar, the hottest hotel app, and arts and crafts splendour in the Cotswolds 106 Travelling life Actress Naomie Harris on her love of family beach holidays, Australian boutique hotels, and Italian and Jamaican food

26

PAGE GUIDE

ULTRA EXPERIENCES

with Abercrombie & Kent

z

Life and soul To see a truly great festival, you have to go India. Ultratravel picks the best ones to visit, while photographer Don McCullin and historian William Dalrymple reflect on what makes an Indian celebration tick z Top that Machu Picchu in Peru is an unforgettable sight, especially if, like Adrian Bridge, you wake up to it in the morning z Feline attraction Why do big cats in the wild hold such a special fascination, and where are the best places to see them? Richard Madden talks to five experts on lion, cheetah, tiger, leopard and jaguar z Win a trip to Myanmar Go on a new river cruise, courtesy of Sanctuary and Qatar Airways

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2013. Published by TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT, and printed by Polestar UK Limited. Colour reproduction by groupfmg.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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T R AV E L INSPIR AT ION A little inspiration can go a long way and our Personal Travel Experts have been around the globe and are bursting at the seams to tell you about this funky new hotel that’s just opened up, this little restaurant tucked down the back streets that does the most authentic cuisine and must-do experiences that will make this the holiday that you’ll always remember. We have won over 170 awards for our holidays and service. Talk to us today to find out why.

Find your nearest store and book an appointment at www.kuoni.co.uk/stores

Call us on 01306 747022

Visit www.kuoni.co.uk for inspiration and to connect with your local destination expert.

EDITOR’S LETTER

THE BALEARICS TAKES SOME BEATING

I

t was the summer of 1995. The year that Nelson Mandela donned the famous Springbok rugby jersey at the World Cup in South Africa, OJ Simpson was found not guilty in America and Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest in Myanmar. I had opted for the delights of Magaluf for my ďŹ rst holiday with friends. As we found our seafront apartment, I remember wincing at the Union Jack-festooned balconies, the pie-andmash pubs and the Sambuca-fuelled bar crawls. But I was a teenager and relishing this new-found freedom. Fast forward a few hours and I stepped out of a bar midway down Magaluf’s now infamous strip and was suddenly surrounded. Beneath the neon lights I caught a glimpse of the purple shirts of Aston Villa – or was it West Ham? I had no time

to check as the blows started raining down. I woke up in the gutter a few hours later beaten, bloody and bruised. My wallet, watch and sunglasses were gone – even the shirt on my back. To cap it all one of my eyebrows had been shaved off – a fact I would not discover until I looked in the mirror the next morning. There were to be no holiday romances on that trip. If someone had told me then that Majorca would feature in the pages of Europe’s most widely-read luxury travel magazine I would have laughed. But the fact is that, a decade on, there are few better bets for September sun than the Balearic Islands. Not only because at this time of the year the nightclubs have closed, the children have gone back to school and the sea is at its warmest, but also because a raft of sleek villas and hotels has transformed the islands. Combine that with Michelin-star restaurants, Philippe Starck-designed marinas, and swanky beach clubs, and my experience of Magaluf seems a distant memory. In this issue we bring you news of Vietnam’s emergence at travel’s top table, of how you can scale the heights at Machu Picchu in style, watch the greatest horse races on earth and High style White jumpsuit,

discover the otherworldliness of Indonesia’s Komodo Islands. Add to that a journey around

ÂŁ1,550, by Roland Mouret (rolandmouret.com).

India’s ďŹ nest festivals with Don McCullin and William Dalrymple and a glimpse into leading

Sunglasses, ÂŁ475, by Linda

wildlife experts’ own big cat diaries – as part of a 26-page special with those ďŹ ne folk at

Farrow (lindafarrow.com)

Abercrombie & Kent – and you have an Autumn travel issue that takes some beating.

Bronze cuff, ÂŁ755, by Annelise Michelson (annelisemichelson.com)

Editor

CONTRIBUTORS

Photographer Joe Plimmer Shot on the rooftop of Cap Rocat, Majorca. Helicopter from Sloane Mallorca (sloanemallorca.com)

FOR THE LATEST IN LUXURY TRAVEL telegraph.co.uk/ luxurytravel

William Dalrymple Writing about his Jaipur Literature Festival, “the Woodstock of the book worldâ€?, the proliďŹ c writer and historian muses about its many highlights, including “an abnormally large number of beautiful womenâ€?.

E. Jane Dickson What surprised this Londoner about Vietnam (page 54), “was the sense of a society on fastforward. I knew it would be beautiful, but I wasn’t expecting full-on, ďŹ ve star glamour and fabulous, new-wave cuisine.â€?

Don McCullin After years photographing wars, capturing the beauty of India, which we feature in our Festivals special, is “tremendously healingâ€? says the great Indiaphile. “Even in the middle of nowhere, people ďŹ nd time for incredible kindness.â€?

Paul Slater The RCA-trained painter has been illustrating stories for more than 35 years. His latest, for our hotel feature on page 47, will be one of the most recent at his retrospective on September 27 at the 1830 gallery in Halifax.

Naomie Harris The Cambridge-educated British actress – whom, she admits, is “the worst packer in the worldâ€? – spends her life traversing the globe making ďŹ lms, from epic James Bond thrillers to the biopic of Nelson Mandela. The one suitcase she never checks in, though, is a hand-made, Italian leather bag by Moncrief. “It’s way too precious.â€?

ultratravel

Editor Charles Starmer-Smith Creative director Johnny Morris Deputy editor Lisa Grainger Designer Alex McFadyen Sub-editor Kate Quill Photography editor Joe Plimmer Contributing editor John O’Ceallaigh Executive publisher for Ultratravel Limited Nick Perry Publisher Toby Moore Advertising inquiries Nick Perry (07768 106322) Andrew Wiltshire (020 7931 3239) Ultratravel, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT Twitter @TeleLuxTravel

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Bossa Nova – Coming Soon

THE ORIGINAL – THE LUGGAGE WITH THE GROOVES BOSSA NOVA – travel in style and do good Out of solidarity with Brazil, this extraordinary range is only being manufactured in the Brazilian factory. And there is another special feature: RIMOWA is donating a proportion of the sales proceeds to the organization Saúde e Alegria, in order to support projects in the Amazon region. www.rimowa.com

www.saudeealegria.org.bra

the NEXT BIG THING BY JOHN O’CEALLAIGH

z MARINE MARVELS

What’s coming up in luxury travel, from eye-opening superyacht designs and trips to the moon to the science of sleep

I

f there is a luxury-travel hierarchy, then chartering a superyacht

customised vessel could contain different facilities, serving perhaps

New waves Top: Blohm+Voss

easily comes out on top for extravagance. This month, for

as a floating garden or beach.

and Zaha Hadid have designed

example, you could choose between spending a week aboard

a yacht enclosed in a mesh-like

the 250ft Reborn for ÂŁ390,000 (through luxury yacht charter

superyacht modelled on an unexpected source: Lego. The versatility

skeleton. Above left: the

company Edmiston) or, say, buying a house.

of the toy bricks inspired the emerging architect to conceive a

X R-Evolution will have

With so much revenue at stake, shipbuilders and designers

modular structure with each floor stacked upon the other like

separate vessels that could be

building blocks.

deployed to serve as floating

are putting plans in place to ensure the world’s richest continue to

employ them in the years to come. To that end, Pastrovich Studio,

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Glass, a design proposal by Lujac Desautel, is a similarly cuboid

Not to be outdone, the established shipbuilder Blohm+Voss has

gardens or sundecks.

a Monaco-based yacht designer, has unveiled its plans for

partnered with Zaha Hadid to revise its approach to superyachts.

Above: Lujac Desautel’s

a superyacht that should attract astonished glances wherever it

Her initial design, a 420ft “mothership� enmeshed in a lattice-like

intriguing Glass superyacht

goes. Ensuring absolute privacy, the 250ft X R-Evolution will hold

exoskeleton, forms the basis for five distinct 295ft “Unique Circle

design, inspired by Lego

a number of vessels that could be deployed should those chartering

Yachts�. Each can be tailored to future buyers’ tastes, but Hadid’s

the yacht want to be separated from the crew, their guests or, as

unmistakable, sinuous framework will ensure her footprint remains

the firm’s publicity material suggests, their children. Each

whatever finessed form they ultimately take.

Tod’s Boutiques: Tel. 020.74932237 - 020.72351321

the NEXT BIG THING z PRIVATE MISSION While Virgin Galactic staggers towards its inaugural flight, Space Adventures is quietly getting on with business. The only company to have sent private individuals into space – seven people since 2001 – it is now preparing to launch the world’s first private mission to the moon. In 2018, two paying passengers and a Russian cosmonaut will travel around the moon and back, flying within 62 miles of its surface and witnessing Earth rise over the horizon. It will be the first time humans have travelled beyond low-Earth orbit in more than 40 years. Space Adventures has yet to confirm the price of this package but it will, of course, be expensive – previous trips have cost tens of millions of pounds (spaceadventures.com).

ONtrend

THE HOTEL SLEEP DOCTOR

I

t now seems de rigueur for luxury hotel rooms to hold enough electronica to launch a tech start-up, but if guests

don’t get a decent night’s sleep then their stay has been a failure and those expensive accoutrements count for nothing. The Corinthia Hotel in London is

z ANIMAL HOUSE

requirement. Its recently launched

Is the traditional zoo under threat of extinction?

Sumptuous Sleep Retreat was developed in

Givskud Zoo in Denmark and the Danish architects Big

collaboration with the renowned sleep

have unveiled their plans to develop Zootopia, a new

expert Dr Guy Meadows, and takes a holistic

kind of zoo that addresses concerns about animals

approach to sleeping soundly. A “sleep

being kept in cramped environments.

menu� features restorative dishes rich in

They intend to keep visitors, rather than animals,

z ULTIMATE BOY’S TOY: THE MILLION-POUND SUB An unexpected adventure awaits at Laucala Island in Fiji. Beginning this month, guests at the luxury resort can explore the surrounding seascapes in a DeepFlight Super Falcon Mark II. The 21ft-long, electricity-powered vessel glides through water silently and ecologically and is among the most advanced submersibles on the market today – as one might assume given its £1million price tag. For less intrepid guests there’s always the island’s 18-hole championship golf course or the organic spa, where treatment ingredients are grown and pressed on site.

ensuring it meets this fundamental

tryptophan – an amino acid that forms the

penned in, enclosed in a central plaza that is encircled

sleep hormone melatonin – and its spa

by wildlife-rich biospheres. To explore these

offers sleep-inducing treatments that go a

surrounding environments, guests will enter small

step beyond the expected. “Polarity balance

motorised, mirrored globes that can sail on water or

bodywork�, for example, counteracts the

be attached to ski lifts. The result will be an ostensibly

negative effects of constant mobile phone

barrier-free terrain where animals have greater

or computer use. At night, guests sink into

freedom to roam and disturbance from man is kept

handmade Hypnos mattresses.

to a minimum (givskudzoo.dk).

The Savoy in London takes its beds seriously, too. The most sensitive sleepers should stay in one of the 38 rooms with Savoir beds. Each bed is handcrafted in Britain; their mattresses are stuffed with Latin American horse tail, lambswool or, in the Savoy’s Royal Suite, Mongolian cashmere. Guests can buy their own Savoir bed through the hotel, with prices from £10,800. Customers of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are also set for a comfortable

z NEW HOTELS

a new range of mattress toppers that

Located in the newly developed Zorlu

prohibition of the sale of alcohol.

change the beds’ levels of firmness. Guests’

Cape Weligama, which opens near

preferences will be recorded so they can

hotel features the city’s biggest spa and

Galle in Sri Lanka in October, will be

expect the same level of comfort next time

its staff includes a dedicated art

similarly laid-back. Many of the 40

they stay in a Four Seasons hotel.

concierge who will offer insider

clifftop villas will have Indian Ocean

Those who still suffer from fitful sleep

information about the ever-changing

views, with butler and in-room spa

might find solace in the Alpine village of

local cultural scene.

services available.

Leogang in Austria. The simple but chic

Also opening in September, but in a

From November, guests will be able to

Forsthofalm hotel is made almost entirely

far less frenetic setting, is Anantara’s

combine their visit with a stay at SujĂĄn

of “moon timber� – wood that is felled

Banana Island Resort in Doha. It

Rajmahal Palace in Jaipur, India’s “pink

between November and January, when

makes an instant impression – guests

city�. This former royal residence, which

trees do not produce sap. The hotel cites

reach it by yacht or helicopter. Balmy

stands in large landscaped gardens, still

medical evidence that shows resting in an

days lounging in the expansive spa or

has plenty of original features; the 20-

all-wood environment slows the heart rate

swimming in the 330ft pool should do

bedroom hotel also has two restaurants.

and induces deep and relaxing sleep.

ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT SHADBOLT; MOKA STUDIO; NASA; DEEPFLIGHT; ALAMY

the body good, as will the island’s

Center, a retail and commercial zone, the

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night’s sleep. The company has launched

Raffles opens in Istanbul this month.

S tyle.E levated. The original ‘Grand Hotel’ has been delighting her guests since 1865. She exudes a timeless elegance, blending a sense of the past with the style of today. She is a legendary hostess that captivates your senses with her engaging fnesse that bears the hallmarks of a rich heritage that spans three centuries. She will conjure memories that will be talked of for time to come.

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

ULTRA fashion

Exotic territory Designers this season have taken inspiration from tribal embellishments around the world, decorating pieces with ethnic embroidery, neon tassels and bold local prints. These trans-continental creations will fit in whichever part of the world you’re in. Pack a fabulous but functional shift for day (right), and a dazzling cocktail dress with a simple clutch for evening (overleaf). Then go forth and sparkle Arabella Boyce

Knee-length dress in burgundy wool crepe with sequin embellishments, ÂŁ1,790, Peter Pilotto (00800 7895 3267; stylebop.com) Antigona small bag in oxblood-red grained leather, from ÂŁ1,190, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci (givenchy.com). Sunglasses, ÂŁ175, Markus Lupfer at Linda Farrow (020 7499 6336; lindafarrow.com). PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE PLIMMER

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ULTRA fashion

Dress in silk with sequin embellishment, ÂŁ9,720, Mary Katrantzou (020 3393 3021; marykatrantzou.com). Wing earrings in 18-carat rose gold, mother of pearl and diamonds, ÂŁ13,275, Noor Fares (0330 022 5701; net-a-porter.com). Intrecciato clutch in knotted snakeskin and satin, ÂŁ1,070, Bottega Veneta (020 7838 9394; bottegaveneta.com). Aztec pony sandal in fuschia, ÂŁ395, Sophia Webster

STYLIST’S ASSISTANT: FREDERICA LOVELL-PANK; MODEL: MARIA@CHARACTER MODELS; HAIR AND MAKE UP: TINE@CHARACTER MODELS

(sophiawebster.co.uk).

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ULTRA watches 1 The case of the new Geophysic watch measures 38.5mm in diameter (slightly larger than the 35mm of the original), making it

2 The simple, uncluttered dial of the

more appealing to contemporary tastes.

watch makes it easily readable in

It still features an inner core of soft iron

difficult weather conditions. A highly

to provide the movement with a high level

luminous coating on the hands and

of protection from magnetism.

on the dots beside each hour marker also makes it legible in gloomy surroundings – and even under water.

3 Although the original watch contained Jaeger-LeCoultre’s military-specification, hand-wound 478B movement, the new version contains the brand’s in-house Calibre 898/1 mechanism, which is self-winding. It features a “stop seconds� function that allows exact time setting..

Let’s get geophysical

4 The back is screwed down tightly to ensure it remains watertight to a depth of 328ft. The original watch was supplied to various scientists, including those aboard the atomic

5 Every Geophysic watch must

submarine USS Nautilus, which

pass its “1,000 hours control�

on August 1 1958 went beneath

tests, during which the cased

the North Pole. A globe design

movements are tested

engraved on the back recalls

continuously for a period of six

that of the original 1958 model.

weeks to ensure they remain accurate in different positions, at different temperatures, at various degrees of atmospheric pressure and shock levels, and under extremes of magnetism.

The International Geophysical Year of 1958 saw 67 nations set aside their Cold War differences to do experiments all over the globe in geophysiological fields from glaciology to solar activity. The same year, the Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre made its Geophysic watch, designed to be one of the toughest timepieces on the market, its hand-wound movements protected from magnetic fields by an inner-case of soft iron. A limited edition of 800 of this collectors’ classic have just been reissued, this time using 21st-century materials and engineering that make them even more ‘exploration ready’ than the 1958 version Simon de Burton

Geophysic Chronometer, ÂŁ6,350 (steel); ÂŁ13,900 (red gold); ÂŁ21,700 (platinum), Jaeger-LeCoultre (020 7491 6970; jaeger-lecoultre.com)

THREE MORE WATCHES FOR EXPLORERS Rolex Explorer, ÂŁ4,300 (020 7493 2716; rolex.com)

Victorinox Inox, ÂŁ329

Zenith El Primero

When Sir Edmund Hillary became the first person

(020 7647 9070;

Stratos Flyback Tribute to

to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 29 1953,

victorinoxwatches.com)

Felix Baumgartner, ÂŁ6,100

he was wearing a Rolex Oyster wrist-watch. To mark

Victorinox marks 25 years

(zenith-watches.com)

the achievement, Rolex launched the Reference 6350,

in the watch business with

Two years ago the Austrian

the first watch to carry the name “Explorer� on the dial.

the Inox – a truly tough

daredevil Felix Baumgartner

The Explorer has been a Rolex stalwart ever since.

timepiece. Prototypes have

jumped from a balloon at

allegedly survived being run

a height of 128,000ft and

over by tanks, falling on to

reached the record speed

concrete from a great height

for a free-falling human of

and being left in sandstorms.

834mph, before parachuting

The quartz-powered watch

to safety in the New Mexico

is also waterproof down to

desert. Strapped around

656ft, capable of operating

his safety suit was a Zenith

in temperatures from -51C

El Primero Stratos

to 71C and is damage-

chronograph; this stainless

resistant to most regular

steel model is the latest

solvents and chemicals.

“Baumgartner� edition.

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YOU ARE WELCOME!

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ULTRA jewels Dior Victoire de Castellane always shines at the Biennale with her fantastical creations. Here she reinterprets Christian Dior’s Fifties cinched-waist Bar jacket as a white-gold bracelet with diamonds, pink sapphires, emeralds, garnets, sapphires, garnets and spinels. POA (020 7172 0172; dior.com).

City of dazzling light

Alexandre Reza Born in Moscow in 1922, Alexandre Reza grew up in Paris and in 1940 took

There is never a bad time to go to Paris but this coming week will be particularly rewarding for jewellery lovers; the city’s Grand Palais is hosting the Biennale Des Antiquaires exhibition of collectibles. The show will include designs from 14 of the world’s finest jewellers, from Parisian favourites to such international stars as Alexandre Reza. Yes, we will always have Paris, but just not in such sparkling form

over the family’s precious-stone business, which his son Oliver now runs. The family’s bold, opulent pieces include these “Farandole� earrings in pink gold with 18 spinels and brilliant-cut diamonds. POA (00331 4261 5121; alexandrereza.com).

Caragh McKay

Piaget Having developed gold-working techniques for its watches, in the Fifties the Swiss watchmaker expanded into the realms of fine jewellery. By the Seventies, it had become a firm favourite of the jet set: a period it revisits here with this 18-carat pinkgold necklace with diamonds and turquoise beads. POA (020 3364 0800; piaget.co.uk).

Boucheron Since it became the first jewellery house to open in the Place VendĂ´me in 1893,

Wallace Chan The Hong Kong

Boucheron has been enticing

designer trained initially as

maharajahs, Russian princes and

a sculptor, and his jewels are

Egyptian princesses through its

extraordinarily exotic creations

doors. Today, the workshop still

that showcase what fine jewellers

turns seemingly impossible ideas

can achieve today. Although this

into beautiful realities, such as

“Gleams of Waves� shoulder

this white-gold, diamond, mother-

brooch, with yellow diamonds,

of-pearl and sapphire water-lily

rubies and pink sapphires, is

ring. POA (020 7514 9170;

somewhat large (4in x 7in),

boucheron.com).

it is made of titanium and is wondrously light to wear. POA (00852 2523 2788; wallace-chan.com).

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ULTRA tech

Mark Wilson, Ultratravel’s gear and gadgets guru, chooses the most innovative compact kit for travellers

1

2

4

3

5 8

6

7

SMALL WONDERS 1 Earin earphones ÂŁ79 (earin.se). These wireless ear buds, which weigh just 5g each, work with any Bluetooth smartphone or audio device and come in a recharging capsule. 2 Senz Smart S Windproof Folding Umbrella â‚Ź25/about ÂŁ20 (0031 15 285 5022; senzumbrellas.com). This foldable version of Senz’s aerodynamic umbrella can withstand 35mph winds without turning inside out, and measures 23.5in when folded. 3 PonoPlayer music player $399/about ÂŁ235 (ponomusic.com). The Pono – designed by musician Neil Young to improve the sound quality of digital music – has enough storage for 5,000 uncompressed songs downloaded from the PonoMusic store. 4 Mod from $250 (mod.thisisground.com). This ingenious leather organiser can be adapted with optional pockets and tags that snap into its magnetic spine. The various holders can carry charging cables, phones and small tablet computers. 5 Leica T ÂŁ1,350, body only (0207 629 1351; uk.leica-camera.com). Leica’s first compact system camera has a 3.2in touchscreen, a 16.3MP sensor and 16GB of memory. 6 Persol PO 714 SM ÂŁ240 (persol.com/uk). These folding sunglasses, made famous by Steve McQueen in the late Sixties, have been reissued in three colours; the light “Havanaâ€? frame features the classic blue lenses. 7 Nokia Treasure Tag ÂŁ30 (nokia.com). Attach this fob to important items such as keys or luggage, and it will notify your Windows, iOS or Android phone when you’ve left them behind. 8 Brooks Dalston Knapsack Medium â‚Ź175 (0121 565 2992; brooksengland.com). This attractive waterproof bag has a sleeve for a 15in laptop, plus three inner pockets, two external pockets and a bottle pouch.

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Flying London to Abu Dhabi, starting December 2014. etihad.com/theresidence

AFICIONADO

DAVID LINLEY FURNITURE DESIGNER Horse-riding in Argentina and Russia, driving an Aston Martin through Italy, and New York libraries all inspire the royal adventurer

A

fter leaving Bedales school, David Linley had no doubt about his future career: he wanted to craft wood. Having studied at Parnham House under the tutelage of John

Makepeace, he began his eponymous business in 1985 with the aim, he says, “of designing and manufacturing furniture of the highest quality�. Today, the Queen’s nephew is one of the world’s most sought-after cabinet-makers, whose clients, such as Oprah Winfrey, Ralph Lauren and David Tang, turn to him for games tables, jewellery boxes and interiors for private yachts and jets. Travel, he says, is in his blood; the car and motorcycle fan has driven himself around much of the world, sometimes in his father, Lord Snowdon’s Aston Martin, and he has ridden horses and fished in some of the world’s most remote places. In 2011, he sold a majority shareholding of Linley (davidlinley. com), although he remains chairman; he is also chairman of Christie’s UK. The designer lives between London, Gloucestershire and France with his wife Serena, a sculptor, and their two teenage children. His latest project is to make wine cases for Penfold’s winery (penfolds.com). Interview by Lisa Grainger

Some of my most memorable meals have been the simplest: like those in a little wooden hut up a mountain that overlooks the whole of the Luberon in France. At the top, you can

I’ve driven round the world, but one of the most fun trips was with my sister in my father’s Aston Martin (left), driving north from Rome through the Mont Blanc Tunnel. The motorbike trips I do every year in north Normandy with some male friends are also memorable, mainly because it is almost always raining and a bike always breaks down.

The best meat I ever ate was in Argentina. I rode horses with an old school friend across the deserts and forests there, carrying a side of a cow that we would cut up and cook on the campfire at night. We also had rods tied on to the horses so we could fish.

For classical architecture, Venice, Rome and Florence are unbeatable, but for Modernist architecture, you have to go to Chicago. Frank Lloyd Wright’s house

watch the sunset to the clanking

(left) is particularly amazing

of goats’ bells – and a rather

because he designed

heady goaty smell – before settling

everything in it, from the

down to a rustic dinner.

building to the furniture. The wildest place I’ve ever been was Tuva in Russia. We arrived by military helicopter and were there, in theory, to catch enormous fish using rats on the

EDDIE MULHOLLAND; THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM; ALAMY; GETTY

end of a line. We didn’t fish in the end, but instead rode out on horses, looking for bears in

Often the most wonderful gems in cities are hidden away, such as the Morgan Library (themorgan.org) in New York. I was there recently and found some incredibly beautiful 5,000-year-old seals (below) from Mesopotamia. I could imagine their designs inlaid on boxes.

a landscape that felt prehistoric: glacier-blue water flowing out of cliffs past cauldrons of fire in the earth that had been burning for thousands of years. Extraordinary. It was pretty chilly, though. Unless you wore thick down One of the simplest places in which I’ve stayed was a ryokan (above) in

over-trousers, your legs froze.

Hakone at the foot of Mount Fuji, whose walls were made of rice paper and whose beds were mats. Totally uncomplicated – unlike the fiendishly difficult puzzle boxes made by the local craftsmen nearby.

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A

ll right, so I’m a travel extremist when it comes to holidays. Don’t come to me with your tales of fortnights in Dubai or the Maldives: it’s Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea that I’m interested in. The first thing I think of, when I hear of trouble in Egypt, is the Valley of the Kings emptying out and being able at long last to get a decent look at Tutankhamen’s belongings. This being the case, though, please don’t simply disregard the country I want to suggest to you for a strenuous but immensely rewarding holiday: Iran. OK, now you’re thinking of seething crowds of angry men and black-wrapped women screaming “Death to” whoever it is this week. Stonings. Glowering ayatollahs. These things exist, just as the danger of being hijacked in South Africa exists, or being randomly shot in America. But they aren’t the norm. They’re just what people like me put in our news reports. So let’s start again, with a clean sheet. Think of a country, largely cut off from the outside world, with a lovely dry climate, sophisticated and charming people, superb archaeological monuments, mountains, deserts, the Caspian Sea. If recent history had been different, it would be the India of the travel business, only without the beggars and the chaos. Iran is, quite simply, the most charming country I know. Until recently, it has been a complete secret. But in the past year or so it has opened up a little. I’ve started reading patronising little mentions of it in travel editors’ diaries. A few discerning people are coming back quite starry-eyed from

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JOHN SIMPSON UP FRONT

In Tehran, you will encounter a genuine delight to see you: a distinctly oldfashioned affection for westerners, who have vanished from everyday life

their visits there. Of course, there’s a definite delight in shocking the neighbours, who have only been to Bali. But after the general intake of breath at the drinks party, yours will be a genuinely fascinating story. What always strikes me in Iran is the normality of it. If you wandered down the street in Tehran – say Dr Fatemi Avenue, where the old and much-loved hotel, the Laleh, stands – you would find it suspended between West and East, between the modern and something altogether older and more attractive: the Persian past. This is not Saudi Arabia: women drive cars, run businesses and often forget to cover their hair as they’re supposed to do. The systems of control exist, but they’re usually discreet. A westerner wouldn’t come into contact with the nastier side of Iranian coercion, as long as he or she behaved and dressed sensibly. What you would encounter is a genuine delight to see you: a distinctly oldfashioned affection for westerners, who have vanished from everyday life in Iran. Eating in a Tehran restaurant can sometimes be a trial: so many people want to greet you and indeed pay for your meal. I first became aware of this affection in the Eighties, when I ventured out to cover an anti-British demonstration in the city. I was a lot younger then, and accompanied by a charming, fatherly cameraman. The crowd pushed and shoved, and shouted “Marg bar Tacher” – “death to Thatcher”. I asked the cameraman to stand on a low wall and film me as I walked through the angry demonstrators. “I really

don’t think you should do this, John,” he said, with a troubled look at the mob. But I’d seen it done before, by an American correspondent. I weaved my way through the crowd, smiling and explaining that I was a Brit, and they opened up a pathway for me, shaking hands and bowing. I finally reached the ringmaster, a professional demonstrator who was beating his chest, the spittle shooting from his mouth in his anti-British fervour. “Welcome, welcome to Iran, sir,” he said, and actually kissed my hand. It went down well on the news that night, I promise you. All right, you’re saying, that was decades ago. But, you see, Iran has been cut off from the West for so long since then that the longing for contact with westerners has actually grown. If you spend an evening wandering round Isfahan, the incomparable city of Shah Abbas on the Zayandeh River, with the distant foothills of the Zagros purple in the fading light, your main problem will be saying no to the kindly people picnicking in the parks and gardens who beg you to join them. “Esfahan nesf-e jahan” the Persians say. “Isfahan is half of the world.” And when you’re there, perhaps drinking a little glass of tea in the courtyard of the Abbasi Hotel, I think you might agree it’s the finer half. You’re probably thinking I’ve been paid by the Iran Tourism Board (if such a thing exists) for saying this. Persians, with their habitual joy in conspiracy theories, certainly would. But I’ve been banned from Iran for five years now, and don’t know if I’ll ever be allowed back. Believe me, the loss is mine.

JASON FORD; MARTIN POPE

Iran, our globetrotter says, is the most charming country on earth, with kind, sophisticated people. It’s just a pity he can’t go back

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THE STORIES BEGIN HERE

NEW YORK CHICAGO GRAND WAILEA THE BOULDERS DUBAI ARIZONA BILTMORE BERLIN JERUSALEM PUERTO RICO SHANGHAI AMSTERDAM BEIJING ORLANDO ROME CAVALIERI JEDDAH KEY WEST PARK CITY PANAMA BOCA RATON EDINBURGH RAS AL KHAIMAH LA QUINTA RESORT & CLUB TRIANON PALACE VERSAILLES THE ROOSEVELT NEW ORLEANS

WA L D O R FASTO R I A .CO M / T H E STO R I E S

MR&MRS MORGAN While he is happiest chewing the fat in Saint-Tropez, she derives her pleasures from decadent daydreams on the Hôtel Byblos yacht

ANDREW CROWLEY; DAN GOLDSMITH/SCOPE FEATURES

I

HE SAYS

sometimes wish I’d married Brigitte Bardot. What’s not to love about a woman who said: “I am greatly misunderstood by politically correct idiots” and “They may call me a sinner, but I am at peace with myself”? But then I recalled her withering assessment of the finer things in life: “I absolutely loathe luxury; it’s the one thing I cannot stand.” And I realised it would never have worked (well, that and the fact she hates men and lives with 300 dogs). Because I absolutely love luxury. And for me, Hôtel Byblos in Saint-Tropez is a towering monument to the fantastical excess that I crave. Ironically, it was built for Bardot. Jean-Prosper Gay-Para, a Lebanese billionaire, was infatuated with the screen goddess and resolved to create a palace worthy of her name in the town she made famous. Bardot put aside her aversion to luxury to attend the launch in 1967 – and a legend was born. Byblos is an exotic cluster of buildings resembling a Mediterranean fishing village. The 94 rooms are of varying degrees of sumptuousness, the best of which overlook the glamorous pool scene, where your wealth appears to be directly connected to the size of your female companion’s heels. It’s here that celebrities, models, tycoons and playboys mingle in the very epicentre of Riviera jet-set life. Christophe Chauvin, the elegant and attentive gentleman who runs Byblos, understands it’s the little details that make all the difference. When I booked lunch at Le Club 55, the iconic beachside restaurant three miles away, he looked appalled when I suggested getting there by taxi. “You must take our yacht, Mr Morgan,” he declared. “Your… yacht?” I repeated, slowly. “Yes, Algandra. It is very nice.” I took his word for it, and an hour later, we boarded a 65ft, 34-knot ocean vessel so gorgeously sleek that Celia emitted an involuntary squeal of joy. We sailed round to Le Club 55. And then sailed back again after lashings of rosé and moules marinière. Christophe was right – it is the only way to travel. That night, we dined in Rivea, the hotel’s new Alain Ducasse restaurant. It was an assault on the senses so insanely gratifying that my body began to spasm with pleasure. My favourite of the endless little dishes that arrived was a sliced white substance that looked like pure fat. “Yes, sir,” confirmed the waitress. “It is lard.” Celia recoiled in horror. I sighed with delight. I’d finally found my gastronomic utopia. As we stumbled back up past the entrance to the Byblos nightclub Les Caves de Roy, my eyes alighted on the drinks menu thoughtfully displayed by the door. A Methuselah (equivalent to eight bottles) of vintage Dom Perignon was €150,000. Perhaps Bardot was right. Luxury is loathsome – when you can’t afford it.

I ‘Yes, sir, it is lard,’ confirmed the waitress. Celia recoiled in horror. I sighed with delight. I’d finally found my gastronomic utopia -PIERS

Piers Morgan and Celia Walden were guests of Hôtel Byblos, Saint-Tropez (above). A double room starts at €340 per night, based on two sharing (0033 4 9456 6800; byblos.com).

SHE SAYS

t’s at moments like this that I wonder if there is such a thing as too much pleasure. I’m lying on a large expanse of macchiato-coloured towelling on the back of the Hôtel Byblos’s yacht, the Algandra (left), watching the faded ochre buildings around the port recede into the distance. Just visible on the west bank is Brigitte Bardot’s waterside home, shaded beneath poplar trees. The Algandra picks up speed and two perfect frills of glittering surf mark our path in the otherwise still Mediterranean – and as the lazy, trance-inducing first few bars of Francis Lai’s Un Homme et Une Femme start up, I feel a deep nostalgia for times I’ve never lived through, experiences I’ve never had. “What in God’s name are you doing with your left hand?” foghorns my husband, shattering my daydreams. We both turn to stare at the offending body part. Caught in the volupté of our surroundings, my hand has been stroking the boat’s lacquered wooden console rather sensuously. Hazily, I decide that there is such a thing as too much pleasure. Saint-Tropez and the Byblos in particular have a special place in my heart. When I visited the world’s most ostentatious fishing village as a teen, I remember being told off by the car valets outside the Byblos as my best friend and I took pictures of one another leaning against the Maseratis and Lamborghinis parked there. I remember us daring each other to walk through the hallowed arch of the legendary hotel’s entrance to catch a glimpse of the Speedo-clad playboys and lithe-limbed supermodels by the pool. And I remember being shown the exit by a staff member who doubtless mistook us – in our Pretty Woman-inspired Topshop micro-skirts – for working girls. It wasn’t until I was married and pregnant that I finally became a bona fide guest. This time, however, feels different. Lounging on the hotel’s preposterously luxurious yacht, fresh from my “Phyto-Svelt Global” body treatment at the Byblos spa, at last I feel like I belong. “Is it rosé o’clock, yet?” I murmur to Piers, who’s still yapping away behind me. He stops for a brief moment to inform me that it’s 11.30am, and there’s a burst of laughter from the crew as he makes some joke about having married Gérard Depardieu. “Don’t worry – we’ll get you a Methuselah at Club 55 if you can hold out for half an hour,” he chuckles. As it turns out, two bottles of iced Château Minuty, followed by a fine burgundy at the hotel’s Alain Ducasse restaurant that night just about hit the spot. Of course, I could still have followed up the day’s drinking with a Methuselah chaser at Les Caves du Roy, but having glanced – and blanched – at the drinks menu by the door on our way home, Piers muttered something about having eaten too much lard and went straight to bed.

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THE ULTRATRAVEL GUIDE

CASTLES IN THE SAND

Once the Balearics were just places for bargain breaks. Today, says Annie Bennett, Spain’s golden isles are among Europe’s most glamorous holiday hotspots, with Michelin-starred restaurants, superyacht marinas and glorious places to stay. Ultratravel checks into eight of the finest pads, from high-tech villas to converted citadels

Golden hour The courtyard of the Cap Rocat hotel, converted in 2010 from a cannon-bedecked fort into a calm Majorcan hotel

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A

decade ago, the Balearics were best known for the relentless beat of their clubs. But that’s history. Today, the Spanish islands throng with well-heeled travellers, many with second homes, others flitting in to take advantage of the long hours of sunshine and numerous hip hotels, sleek villas and world-class restaurants. In the past few years, several of the world’s five-star

hotel chains have invested in Balearic properties – most recently Meliá Hotels, which recently opened ME Mallorca and ME Ibiza. The world’s most expensive set-price meal was just launched in Ibiza (€1,500, or £1,190 a head, concocted by Michelin-starred Paco Roncero). The property market has never been more active, with a quarter of Spanish property sales last year taking place in the Balearics – a third costing more than €5 million – and prices achieved for villa rentals have reached record highs, some reaching more than €100,000 a month. To cope with increasingly wealthy visitors, berths in marinas have been enlarged – more than half at Marina Ibiza now accommodate boats of more than 65ft, and there is space for 300ft vessels – and marinas such as Port Adriano have been redesigned by starry names such as Philippe Starck. Hotels have also added to their services a range of super-luxe transportation; guests at the ME hotel in Ibiza, for instance, can be flown there by private jet, as can guests at the Jumeirah Port Soller, from London, Dubai or Moscow. The islands, as one resident put it, are “the new Côte d’Azur, but with more variety, more privacy and more fun”. Autumn, when the party crowd has left, school holidays are over and waters are still warm, is a blissful time to visit. But with such choice, where to stay? Here, we select a few of our favourites.

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T

R A V E L W I T H U S TO T H E W O R L D ’ S M O S T E X OT I C D E S T I N AT I O N S

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C A P TA I N S C H O I C E . C O. U K

SIMPLY THE FINEST WAY TO SEE THE WORLD

The historic hotel

CAP ROCAT Majorca

I

t must have been quite a feat to dig a fortress into a cliff in the 19th century. In 2010, it was astoundingly

ambitious on the part of Majorcan architect Antonio Obrador to turn it into an extraordinary hotel. At the eastern end of the sweeping Bay of Palma, Cap Rocat sprawls along the coast for more than a mile but is invisible from both land and sea. Crossing a bridge spanning the trench around the structure, you enter a secret citadel enclosed by ramparts and turrets (pictured above). Although 15 minutes from Palma’s centre, it feels very private and remote, surrounded by a nature reserve that chimes with bird song. There are two rooms and 23 suites, most of which are individual structures of golden stone that were originally cannon emplacements. Now, four-poster beds, local fabrics in cool blue and black-and-white photographs of Majorca create a grand yet calm environment. Toiletries, in square carafes with cork stoppers, are made from local almonds and honey. Breakfast, on demand, arrives in hampers and is set up on the terrace or beside daybeds on the cliff so guests can gaze across the bay as they feast. At lunchtime, most drift down to the buzzy Sea Club, overlooking a turquoise cove, for a lunch of Majorcan prawns and salt-baked seabass at chef Víctor García’s smart Mediterranean restaurant, then for dinner head to his inventive Fortaleza in the dramatic courtyard. During the day, guests ride bikes, relax on white leather sunbeds by the saltwater infinity pool (pictured below) or dive off the rocks. Yoga and pilates are available, as are treatments using Majorcan almonds. Staff, in linen tunics, manage always to be close by when a gin and tonic is required without constantly hovering around. They are a mine of great local tips, too, for those who fancy exploring the island in one of the hotel’s classic cars (0034 971 747 878; caprocat.com; suites from £350, b&b).

The post-party crash pad IBIZA GRAN HOTEL Ibiza

A

lbert Adrià let slip earlier this year

hotel-weary people stay here is because

that he and his super-chef brother

everything just works. The suites, in natural

Ferran were negotiating with the Casino de

tones with original artworks and teak

Ibiza about opening a new venture there

terraces, are not over-designed but sleek

next year. This would put the Ibiza Gran Hotel

and extremely comfortable. All have views

(on the same site and also owned by the

across the marina to the Dalt Vila, the

Santandreu family) even more in the media

old part of Ibiza town.

glare than it already is. Until now, the hotel has been the place

Although the food is fresh and inventive in all restaurants, the breakfast buffet is

where DJs and other movers and shakers

particularly appetising, with the chef creating

have chosen to stay when they wanted to

something unexpected every morning, such

get a good night’s sleep but still be in the

as fresh handmade chocolates at breakfast

middle of the action. Located in the same

– not a bad way to start the day. Lunch is

complex as hip places such as the Cipriani

often taken by the pool, or on private

restaurant, and handy for the ever-buzzy

terraces attached to the knockout suites

Cavalli restaurant in Marina Ibiza, it has

and, later, cocktails such as fresh melon

become the fashionable but tranquil

mojitos are sipped in the La Gaia (surrounded

central-Ibiza retreat.

by hip Seventies photographs) and Gee Lounge bars before a night on the town.

Cocktail capital Private terrace at the

hotel, it is far from it. There are 157 suites –

Pachà is just around the corner, so virtually

Ibiza Gran Hotel (top), where drinks often

the smallest is 480sq ft – two pools, a first-

a local for many guests staying here

feature local spices and ingredients (above)

class spa and several bars and restaurants.

(0034 971 806 777; ibizagranhotel.com;

Although it has the feel of a boutique

The reason all those well-travelled,

suites from £235, b&b).

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The private island

TAGOMAGO Off Ibiza

W

ith but a handful of islands strewn like giant boulders in the Mediterranean, the

Balearics aren’t the first place that comes to mind for those considering a private island getaway. But just off the coast of Ibiza, a 100-acre landmass, covered with brushwoods and native scrub, has been quietly developed as an exclusive European hideaway unlike any other. Tagomago is the brainchild of real-estate mogul Matthias Kühn, who has recast the once-forlorn, solitary, Seventies-style dwelling into a rousing whitewashed villa with no fewer than five modernist en-suite bedrooms. It is decorated with designer accoutrements (think furnishings by Erda; lighting by Ingo Maurer; TVs by Bang & Olufsen) and original artworks in vivid reds, blues and yellows, courtesy of designer Olga Ferrer. The airy villa, which also features a large dining and sitting room as well as a gym, sits adjacent to an arrestingly beautiful blacked-out pool and forms the heart of this parched, vertiginous isle. Guests naturally make the most of the pool or can explore one of the many walking trails to a century-old lighthouse at the island’s other end. Or they can head for the turquoise waters of its sheltered cove, where

Away from the clubbing

they can take a dip and where yachts may moor.

crowds Tagomago, on

Whatever they choose to do on the island, disruptions,

which guests land in the

interlopers and trespassers won’t figure in this idyllic

island’s own helicopter

equation. This level of solitude does come with

(top left). Views of Ibiza

a six-figure price per week, but as Kühn says: “You

from a beachside veranda

can’t put a price on Tagomago; it’s like a Picasso”.

(above) and a secluded

(0034 691 858 553; tagomago-island.com; from

outdoor dining area (left)

€100,000 a week). Farhad Heydari

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The knockout villa EL HORIZONTE Ibiza

I

n the southwest of the island, overlooking

precipitous cliff-garden, El Horizonte is better

beauty therapists, who set up their tables by

the pretty cliftfop village of Es Cubells,

suited to older children or a group of friends.

the pool. Most guests request a chef and the

El Horizonte (pictured above) has sweeping

The open-plan living area has a Balinese

kitchen is well equipped, and has a hidden

views across the Mediterranean and the

acacia dining table that is long enough to

prepping area, so any culinary messiness

coastline. Built a decade ago, the white,

seat everyone staying at the villa as well as a

doesn’t spoil the view.

Modernist villa is all space and light.

few guests. With its white furniture, concrete

A reclining Buddha languishes by the 80ft

floors and striking artworks adorning the

just 15 minutes from the airport and 20

infinity pool on the main terrace, one of

walls, the villa feels a bit like a gallery –

minutes from Ibiza town. Es Cubells beach

many Eastern artworks in the property. Steps

although, given the views, eyes are inevitably

is a couple of miles down the road and some

lead through the trees to a shaded dining

drawn to the dramatic scenery outside.

of the most beautiful coves on the island –

area, perfect for a long paella lunch. There

This is a villa in which there is plenty to do.

While it feels very rural, the house is

such as Cala d’Hort, Cala Conta, Cala Bassa

are sunbeds and chillout areas right across

In the evenings, guests can watch movies on

and Cala Tarida – are just a short drive

the front of the villa, so guests can break off

a drop-down screen, if the television just

away. Guests can take their pick of the

into small groups with their own space.

isn’t big enough. A personal trainer will show

beachside fish restaurants nearby or just

up every day (if requested) to help guests

ask the chef to pick up the catch of the day

of which face the sea. Two are in a lower

work out in the outdoor gym – and the best

from the market and serve it under the trees

section of the building and are suitable for

yoga and pilates instructors on the island are

(01799 516971; internationalvillas.net;

nannies as well as guests, although, with its

a phone call away, as are massage and

weekly rental from £25,300).

Inside, there are seven bedrooms, three

The converted palace

HOTEL CAN ALOMAR Majorca

S

ome hotels sit so naturally in their neighbourhood that you just assume they have been there for

years. This is certainly the impression given at Can Alomar in Palma (above), which opened in May and is already one of the smartest addresses in town.

The luxe resort JUMEIRAH PORT SOLLER Majorca

Chic locals meet for evening drinks at the terrace bar, and tables at De Tokio a Lima, this season’s hot new

B

uilt into the hillside overlooking the

restaurant, have to be booked well in advance.

curving bay of Port Sóller on the

The Passeig del Born boulevard is becoming

northwest coast of Majorca, framed by the

Palma’s premier shopping street and Can Alomar

Tramuntana mountains, the Jumeirah has an

occupies a prime spot on the corner with San Feliu,

extraordinary location. Had it not been built

a lane lined with galleries and boutiques.

on the site of a previously failed project,

This is the third hotel in Palma opened by

there is no way this two-year-old property

entrepreneur Miguel Conde Moragues and his architect

would have been given planning permission

wife Cristina, following Can Cera and Calatrava. The

– particularly since the Tramuntana coast

elegant 19th-century building now has 16 large rooms

was awarded Unesco World Heritage status

and suites with cool, pared-down decor in shades of

three years ago.

the palest grey, green and taupe with striking paintings

The hotel snakes along the cliff edge for

and sculptures; the couple are keen art collectors and

about a mile, its 120 rooms making up a

each of their hotels feels like a gallery.

string of interlinked buildings on different

Up on the roof, with views of the cathedral and

levels. Some have wet rooms with panoramic

the Mediterranean, there is a small pool and

windows so guests can take in the views as

sunbathing area, as well as a turret, which is a lovely

they shower, as well as beds facing the sea.

spot for a glass of cava before dinner. The menu at

Paintings by Majorcan artists soften the

De Tokio a Lima is a zingy fusion of Majorcan, Japanese

classic style, which emphasises comfort

The spa also has an outdoor Jacuzzi in which

local, which is all that most diners seem

and Peruvian influences, with dishes such as

rather than designer gimmickry.

to loll in bubbles following a relaxing Natura

concerned with as they dig into their famous

scallop, octopus and seaweed ceviche. Breakfast

Bissé spa treatment.

Sóller prawns alongside their croquetas.

is a buffet with a small but well-chosen selection,

The two-level Lighthouse Suite occupies a watchtower-like structure and has a huge

The restaurants serve up remarkably

Both the bright lights of Palma and the

with eggs cooked to order and excellent just-brewed,

terrace with a Jacuzzi, while the 1,700sq ft

good local food given they are in an

airport are only around half an hour’s drive

Observatory Suite has private access and is

international hotel. The new chef, Jenö Friedl,

away, while Deià and a string of tiny coves

equipped with a telescope for a spot of

who previously worked in Hong Kong and

are a short drive around the coast. Taking a

and curated shopping can all be arranged prior to

stargazing. The infinity pool right at the top of

Shenzhen, has introduced Asian dishes

boat is far more relaxing than driving there,

arrival, so guests can make the most of their time

the complex (above right) is where couples

alongside the tapas in Es Fanals, the less

and something that the hotel can, of course,

on the island from the moment they arrive

meet for cocktails, while the lower-level

formal restaurant by the infinity pool. It

organise (0034 971 637 888; jumeirah.com;

(0034 871 592 002; luxuryboutiquehotelcanalomar.com;

Sa Talaia pool is where families congregate.

may seem an odd mix, but the produce is

doubles from £320, b&b).

doubles from £172, b&b).

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full-flavoured coffee. Restaurant reservations, sailing, vineyard visits

The foodie hotel

TORRALBENC Menorca

I

t doesn’t take long to feel relaxed at Torralbenc. No sooner have most guests sunk into a linen

armchair and breathed in the scents of rosemary and lavender than they have drifted off. Others might take a massage with herbal potions to help them on their way. In spite of being just 10 minutes’ drive from the airport and 20 minutes from the capital Mahón, in the south-east of the island, Torralbenc is very rural, surrounded by countryside and with tremendous views of the Mediterranean from its hill-top position. Traditional Menorcan dry-stone walls and olive trees enclose a former farmhouse and outbuildings, transformed last year by architect Antonio Esteva into 22 airy rooms with beamed ceilings, chestnut furniture and sandstone floors. For those who want a bit more privacy, there’s a cottage with its own pool; for everyone else, there is an 80ft pool, alongside treatment rooms and a small gym where yoga and pilates classes take place. Paco Morales (below), one of Spain’s most interesting young chefs, oversees the kitchen and is present on a regular basis, despite being busy setting up his own place, Noor, which opens in Córdoba next year. Guests can choose between his innovative cuisine – for which he gained a Michelin star at his previous restaurant – or opt for something simple but delicious, such as just-picked salad with local fish. The à la carte breakfast is either served on the restaurant terrace or delivered in baskets on to guests’ terraces.

The boutique retreat SON NET Majorca

I

n Majorca, treehouses are not just for

and L’Occitane products in the vast marble

El Gazebo restaurant’s terrace might be

children. The one just constructed at Son

bathrooms. Despite the odd suit of armour,

a lobster and avocado salad, or ibérico ham,

Net, a grand pink 17th-century mansion

the overall feel is neither old-fashioned nor

patatas bravas and a cold beer.

it will be a few years yet before guests can drink from

above the village of Puigpunyent in the

stuffy, with contemporary furniture in the

Torralbenc’s own bottles, they can go down to the

Tramuntana hills (above), is a very grown-up

sprawling lounges, liberal use of Majorcan

Guests generally find small spaces in which

cellar and taste wines on the excellent list (0034 971

affair – and, thankfully, accessed via a spiral

fabrics and vibrant art on walls, including

to relax around the property, in shorts and

377 211; torralbenc.com; doubles from £144, b&b).

staircase rather than a ladder. As romantic

works by Frank Stella and David Hockney.

flip flops or floaty dresses. There are enough

dinner locations go, it takes some beating,

Lying by the 100ft pool in the privacy of

spa treatments to keep most guests amused

The proprietors also own the renowned Rioja winery Remírez de Ganuza, so it is not so surprising that vineyards have been planted around the hotel. While

although it’s a sublime spot for cocktails, too.

This isn’t a place for posing around a pool.

bottle-green canvas cabanas, guests might

for at least a week, and several top golf

feel as if they are staying in an art-collector’s

courses and a handful of beaches within

though. Each of the 31 individually designed

country home rather than a hotel. A stroll

easy reach. With Palma and the airport only

rooms and suites is sumptuously furnished,

around the hillside reveals a helipad as well

20 minutes away, Son Net is the perfect base

with four-poster beds, antiques and refined

as a vineyard and vegetable garden, which

for a lengthy, and leisurely, stay in the

upholstery beneath beamed ceilings, and

provide much of the produce for chef Sergio

Balearics (0034 971 147 000; sonnet.es;

fresh citrus-fragranced Antica Farmacista

Olmedo’s Oleum Restaurant. Lunch on

doubles from £125, b&b).

This is a hotel that does things differently,

ULTRA BASICS HOW TO GET TO THE BALEARICS IN STYLE IBIZA

private jets to the islands include Private

to ME Ibiza, staying in suites, with private

British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com)

Fly (01747 642 777; privatefly.com; from

chefs, yacht trips and speedboat

flies from Heathrow to Ibiza four times

£8,262 return, for four, in a Citation

transfers, from £25,000 per person for

a week from March until late October,

Mustang from London Luton to Palma).

six nights. Sloane Helicopters in Majorca

from £272 return in Club Europe. It also

Departures from other airports can be

(0034 971 794 132; sloanemallorca.com)

flies from Gatwick and London City.

arranged, flight times are flexible, pets

offers sightseeing and heli-dining tours,

MAJORCA

can travel in the cabin, and passengers

from €549 (about £430) for 30 minutes.

BA has Club Europe seats on flights

can arrive 15 minutes before departure.

Money £1 = €1.26

departing from Heathrow and London

Jet ME (0034 971 330 051; me-by-melia.

More information ibiza.travel/en;

City to Palma. Charter companies offering

com) offers six-night private-jet packages

seemallorca.com; majorca-mallorca.co.uk

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ULTRA ADVENTURE

BEAUTY & THE BEASTS The Komodo Islands in Indonesia are renowned for their terrifying giant lizards, but their volcanic landscapes and underwater wildlife are as fascinating and strange as any real-life ‘dragon’. Lisa Grainger travels by luxury phinisi around islands that remain in prehistory

There be dragons Si Datu Bua, a traditional Indonesian yacht, sailing in the waters around the Komodo Islands

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n the walls of the admissions office in Loh Buaya, on Rinca Island, splatters of blood on a wall attest to the ferocity of the creatures that have put Komodo and its neighbouring Indonesian islands on the map. “Dragons can smell blood from three miles away,” says our guide Suleiman Oman, a disconcertingly delicate man armed only with a forked stick that he claims will repel a charging carnivorous creature. “Not so long ago, a big dragon came into our office and attacked our warden’s leg. He managed to climb up to the window and escape, but it was a very bad bite. He was lucky; a few years ago a nine-year-old boy from our village was killed. The dragons took his guts out.” Looking at five of the prehistoric-looking beasts basking just inside the entrance to the national park, their scaled faces lifting occasionally to eyeball us as we cluster nervously behind Suleiman, none of us doubts the ferocity of the Komodo dragon. The world’s largest lizard can grow as long as 10ft, from its prominent nostrils to the end of its long muscular tail, and weigh up to 150lb. Its leathery skin is made up of grey chainmail-like scales. From each of its toes extends a long curved claw. And its tongue is the stuff of horror stories: long, pink and yellow, forked and extended vigorously every few minutes to test the air for blood. Watching them, it becomes perfectly understandable why Steven Spielberg came to these islands to find inspiration for his film Jurassic Park, or why the story of King Kong has its origins here. These beasts are a living link with the Jurassic age, the very embodiment of fear. But then nothing in this strange environment is like anywhere else on earth. Komodo is one of Indonesia’s 17,508 islands that spread from west to east over 700,000sq miles: an extensive necklace of land-blobs that separate the Indian Ocean in the south to the Pacific in the north. Geologically, the country is extraordinary, too. It’s here, miles below the earth’s surface, that three of the planet’s eight tectonic plates meet, their collision creating seabed fissures more than four miles deep, as well as causing extreme volcanic activity. The area’s 167 active volcanoes often spew hot lava into the air, filling the equatorial skies with clouds of grey ash; once, apparently, in 1815, the clouds from the biggest eruption known to man, of Mount Tambora, caused red skies all over the world and in Europe the legendary “year without summer”. Flying east from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta (a destination that, this month, will be much easier to reach thanks to Garuda’s new non-stop flights from London) to the island of Flores, the scenery is almost as spectacular from the skies as it is on the ground. Looking down, emerald forests stretch to the horizon. Tiny islands dot the seas — little blobs of green surrounded by white sand and turquoise seas. Volcanoes spew smoke into the skies, or lie dormant like brown corpuscles on a skin of grey, ash-

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Dragon boat A menacing Komodo dragon on the prowl for meat, top. Far left: the sumptuous deck of Si Datu Bua, and left, Gede, the ship’s ever-smiling butler, with a tray of fresh juices

strewn earth. And as we head east, the drier savannah islands appear: their once-molten, smooth surfaces now carpeted with a layer of dry golden grass. In the waters surrounding the island of Flores, just off the little fishing town of Labuan Bajo, my friends and I join the boat that is to be our home, and our transport, for the next four nights. Si Datu Bua – or “Beloved Princess” — is a wooden phinisi: one of the traditional south-east Asian schooners that for centuries carried spices between Africa, India, the Middle East and China. Except, unlike those workhorse cargo ships, Si Datu Bua is a luxury vessel, built locally two years ago by Patti Seery, an American textiles enthusiast who fell in love not just with the Indonesian islands, but also with their people, and wanted to help resuscitate their boat-building industry by constructing one of the most beautiful vessels the country had ever seen. Having spent four nights on it, and sailed alongside its larger, older sister ship, Silolona, I cannot believe there is

IT IS NO SURPRISE STEVEN SPIELBERG CAME HERE TO FIND INSPIRATION FOR JURASSIC PARK

another phinisi anywhere that is as elegant or comfortable. There certainly isn’t one whose creation can have been conceived with such love. Seery has chartered boats most of her adult life, and studied their make-up, so she knew precisely what she wanted from this sailing princess: a wide girth to ensure a comfortable voyage, a strong body made from Indonesia’s most beautiful trees, and décor and comforts that couldn’t fail to seduce. The 130ft-long boat is crafted from the finest local hardwoods, from dark ironwood to golden teak, polished like fine furniture and embedded in her prow and stern with gold and diamonds. (“She’s a woman and in these islands that’s what female ships demand,” Seery explains.) The guest accommodation consists of three capacious, air-conditioned double cabins, with proper bathrooms, king-sized beds made up with super-soft cotton-bamboo sheets and walls hung with exquisite antique fabrics, maps and indigenous objects. Up on deck, loungers and banquettes are strewn with cushions for sunbathing, while shaded sofas and dining tables are ideal for poring over Seery’s collection of books and antique maps (including one showing Sir Francis Drake’s voyages into this area). And in smart uniforms are 13 crew – more than two per passenger – who are always there, smiling and ready the minute you need them, and otherwise invisible, off creating lobster feasts and beach barbecues, preparing cold lemongrass-infused towels and fresh-pressed tropical juices, washing your dive gear and preparing the double-masted schooner to set sail on its seven rust-coloured sails or its 450hp engine. The beauty of this ship – and Seery’s other phinisi

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INCREDIBLE OFFERS TO MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY SOAR Holidays are precious. That’s why we strive to make every moment of yours special. And with our new Up, Up & Away ofers, including a free Ocean View to Balcony stateroom upgrade and free fights to Europe on selected staterooms and sailings, you’ve even more reason to look forward to your next Celebrity cruise. FREE UPGRADE From an Ocean View to Balcony Stateroom

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Silolona, which sleeps 12, and has hosted guests such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Tony Blair and a Saudi princess who left the crew a $30,000 tip – is that they can go pretty much where you want, when you want, for as long as you want. Many guests, apparently, come for 19 days; some taking the small ship, some the large, others both, to sail around Thailand, Malaysia, the Andaman Islands or Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua from October to March; the rest of the year, they cruise around Komodo where, particularly in March, April, September and October, seas and winds are relatively calm. What we wanted was both an underwater and an overwater safari that would allow us not only to understand why great 19th-century naturalists such as Alfred Wallace had sailed to these islands, but also to explore the richest marine environment on earth: waters that hold more than a third of the world’s sea life. This area forms part of the “Wallace Line”, where cool currents from the south meet the warmer ones from the north, resulting in species from both Australasia and Melanesia, from manta rays and whale sharks below the water to cockatoos and Komodo dragons above it. “Just when you think you’ve seen the most incredible creature you’ve ever imagined,” says Seery, “another one comes along. We’ve had all sorts of marine experts on these ships who’ve found things no one’s ever seen before.”

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Beautiful creatures Swimming with whale sharks, above, and below, from left, clown fish, a comatula starfish on coral, and diving in clear water

WHEREVER WE LOOKED IN THIS SEA OF CREATIVITY, A PERFORMANCE WAS TAKING PLACE

cocktails on a sandbank; on another a beach barbecue with a guitarist; the final night the whole crew serenaded us on board under the moon. There were tears from guests on several occasions on this trip, all of joy. It wasn’t just the islands’ beauty that overwhelmed us, or the sweet nature of the people, but the warmth of Seery, who has spent 10 years creating these ships and dreaming up bespoke journeys for travellers of all kinds, from families to serious divers. Having spent decades exploring the islands herself, she knows all the best spots: the most sheltered beaches for barbecues (Banta Island, where we stopped to roast lobsters in the moonlight); waters where manta rays come to be cleaned (near Bugis); beaches where the sand is pink with shredded coral and littered with head-sized shells (Padar Island). As a textiles expert, she knows which tribes make the most exquisite batik and ikat fabrics, and which island is particularly well-known for its beautiful women (Savu). She’s known on these islands as “Ibu”, or mother, welcomed wherever she goes, and clearly adored by her crew. Sailing with her on her dream ships, it’s not hard to see why. Original Diving (020 7978 0505; originaldiving.com) offers tailor-made sailing and scuba-diving trips to the Komodo National Park from £6,600 per person, including six nights on Si Data Bua in a shared cabin; one night stop-over in Bali staying at Karma Kandara; international and domestic flights with Garuda Indonesia and transfers. For private charter, Si Datu Bua accommodates up to six guests in three cabins from £7,800 per day, fully inclusive, excluding alcohol.

TIM SIMOND; NEILL GOSH; LISA GRAINGER; GETTY

S

ailing for four days around the protected islands and seas of the Komodo National Park, stopping to anchor at night in sheltered bays, we saw extraordinary creatures in abundance. It made perfect sense why Sir David Attenborough came here so early in his career – in 1956 — for his Zoo Quest series. In fact, having seen smoking volcanoes oozing molten lava, dinosaur-like lizards and swirling flocks of bats flooding the skies at night, it was hard not to believe we, too, were on a film set or had been transported into a Joseph Conrad book. If we were on earth, it was not the planet we knew, but some place more exotic, more ancient, and infinitely more primeval. Everywhere we stopped there was something strange and wonderful to see. One morning, kayaking beside mangroves in a calm bay just off Komodo Island, clouds of flying foxes suddenly erupted into the air, screeching and soaring on their rust-coloured wings before coming to hang from branches just above our heads. Another day, walking in a rare forested area, we spotted cockatoos, golden orioles and luminescent emerald doves. We saw a pair of sea eagles hunting for fish in the evening light, “hopping” sea fish that could both lie on rocks and then leap into the water, and pods of dozens of dolphins that played in the boat’s wake as we sailed. If, on our over-water safari, the creatures appeared to be remnants of a prehistoric age, on our underwater expeditions they were like circus performers — clad in striped, spotted and frilled costumes, painted in the most lurid iridescent shades imaginable, and given ludicrously inventive masks, some with oversized eyes or lips, others with fringes of tentacles. Wherever we looked in this great sea of creativity, a performance was taking place. Above our heads, balletic manta rays flitted in the sunlight like giant acrobats, alongside a corps de ballet of thousands of synchronised yellow-striped fish. Below, weird performers – the transparent ghost pipefish; the fluttering but deadly lionfish; the frilled yellow-and-purple nudibranch; the terrifyingly over-familiar blue sea snake – flittered and fluttered by. And on seafloors and rock walls, fan-shapes and brain-shapes and mushrooms of luminous, multicoloured coral gleamed and glowed in the clear water, as yet untouched by global warming or the devastating hand of man. Having to ascend when our air ran out was always a disappointment – apart from the fact that we knew that the minute we stepped on board there would be a smiling man waiting, with fresh towels and hot chocolate, and the promise of yet another surprise. One night it was

Moment The Team Members of LUX* help people to celebrate life with the most simple, fresh and sensory hospitality in the world.

M AU R I T I U S R E U N I O N M A L D I V E S C H I N A U . A . E ( 2 0 1 6 ) | L U X R E S O R T S. C O M

ULTRA TREND

GAME OF THRONES

ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL SLATER

As Paris, London and New York compete to be hotel capital of the world, the grandes dames establishments are being challenged by new properties with an emphasis on cutting-edge design and innovative service, says Claire Wrathall

he past decade has seen an unprecedented number of grand hotel openings in London, New York and Paris – the latter being arguably the global capital of grande-dame establishments. As recently as 2005, there were just six self-styled “palace hotelsâ€? in the French capital. But then France’s Competition Authority accused them of exchanging conďŹ dential information that they used to keep their rack rates artiďŹ cially high. Each was ďŹ ned. Since then their woes have been compounded by the opening of a succession of newcomers, each aspiring to palatial status – the loosely deďŹ ned qualiďŹ cations for which were a historic setting, opulent decor, a gastronomic restaurant worthy of a Michelin star and lead-in rates of around â‚Ź1,000 a night – and threatening to eat their lunch. Nine years on the Crillon is closed, pending its transformation into a Rosewood: the Hong Kong Chinese-owned, Texas-based management

company that owns, among other properties, New York’s venerable Carlyle, as well as the new Rosewood in London. The Ritz is closed too, for the ďŹ rst time in its 116-year history, while it undergoes a root-andbranch refurbishment and expansion scheduled for completion next Easter. Le Meurice’s sister hotel, the Plaza AthĂŠnĂŠe has just reopened. Meanwhile, the peerless Bristol has undergone a gradual programme of improvements over the past few years: a new restaurant, a splendid new La Prairie spa with a banya to keep its Russian guests happy, as well as some new signature suites, notably an enďŹ lade of rooms tucked under the hotel’s mansard roof with seven balconies, Eiffel Tower views and auspiciously numbered 888, the better to appeal to Chinese visitors. The reasons for this rush to improve are obvious. Of course, none of the old guard wants to look shabby or tired in comparison with the newcomers – let us call them belles ďŹ lles, even if some of them are

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dressed like dowagers – especially those that had their pride pricked further by the introduction in 2011 of an ofďŹ cially sanctioned better-than-ďŹ ve-star “palaceâ€? distinction. This deliberately excluded the Ritz, the Crillon and the Four Seasons George V (since promoted) in its ďŹ rst announcement, but accorded the honour to the all-American (and excellent) Park Hyatt. Worse, the palace distinction has been swiftly bestowed on many of the newcomers, not least the huge Hong Kong-based brand Shangri-La Paris. Next came Le Royal Monceau, operated by the Singapore-based Rafes group; then the Mandarin Oriental. Rosewood and the Ritz will be praying the honour is swiftly forthcoming once they reopen. Especially as they will be facing stern competition from Peninsula, another superlative Hong Kong brand, which ďŹ nally opened in August. Aside from its Cantonese restaurant LiLi, the hotel’s look and feel is essentially European art deco, in keeping with the heritage of the hotel. Where the old guard retain their edge is in their location. Traditionally, the concentration of prime hotels has straddled the ďŹ rst and eighth arrondissements, an area delineated to the north by the Ritz, the west by the Four Seasons George V, the east by Le Meurice and the south by the just reopened and refurbished Plaza AthĂŠnĂŠe. The new kids have had to strike out further from the centre. The Peninsula is out in the 16th on Avenue KlĂŠber, three blocks west of the Champs-ElysĂŠes in what was the Majestic, the ďŹ rst Parisian hotel to offer ensuite bathrooms. The Shangri-La is yet a further half-mile south, on the right side of the Seine but only just and rather too close to the TrocadĂŠro. Mon dieu! Admittedly, its Eiffel Tower views are terriďŹ c, but there’s not much else to recommend the neighbourhood. The building, though, is very splendid indeed: the former Palais d’IĂŠna, built by Prince Roland Bonaparte, a grand-nephew of Napoleon. Shangri-La spent four years and â‚Ź180 million restoring it to its dazzling former glory, and you can see where the money was spent. Its Grand Salon is almost worthy of Versailles, a Galerie des Glaces writ small. These new hotels are also raising the game in terms of thoughtful extras. Thank you, Mandarin Oriental, not just for the Lesage-embroidered bedheads in the suites, but for clothes steamers stored in the wardrobes: so much less arduous than ironing, so much faster than calling housekeeping. At The Peninsula you’ll ďŹ nd touchscreen tablets for controlling the air conditioning, blinds and televisions, as well as panels on the walls that gauge the outside temperature, control the thermostat, or summon your valet (butlers are old hat). A similar story is unfolding in London, where The Lanesborough on Hyde Park Corner is shut while a redesign by the Paris-based Alberto Pinto studio reworks its interiors in readiness for Peninsula’s eagerly awaited London debut practically next door at 1-5 Grosvenor Place. Historically, however, the preferred hub for London’s best hotels has tended to be Mayfair, a trend set by Brown’s, the oldest in London, when it opened on Albemarle Street in 1837, and cemented by Claridge’s when it morphed from a lodging house into a hotel on Upper Brook Street in 1854, and later by The Connaught. The trend continues to this day. When the modish London restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King open their ďŹ rst hotel, the Beaumont, next month, it will be on Brown Hart Gardens, just off Duke Street. But lately a prodigious number of openings combined with a shortage of suitable real estate has, as in Paris, prompted some diversiďŹ cation. Take London’s ShangriLa, which peers down on London Bridge station from its eyrie in the Shard. Not simply an outlier when it comes to location, its dĂŠcor marks a turning point, too. For just as the wine list in its Ting restaurant features Chinese wines to complement its “modern Europeanâ€? cooking,

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LONDON

1 The Shangri-La in the Shard 2 Berners Tavern at Edition, in a previously unfashionable area near Oxford Street 3 The Mondrian on the revamped South Bank 4 Ham Yard Hotel in buzzy Soho 5 Brown’s, the oldest city hotel 6 Claridge’s, in Mayfair

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7 The elegant bar at The Connaught, also in Mayfair

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NEW YORK 1 French-inspired design at the Baccarat in Midtown 2 The Park Hyatt, the city’s tallest residential tower 3 The SLS Hotel Park Avenue, designed by Philippe Starck 4 Clubby comfort at The Carlyle in the Upper East Side 5 The ornate Pierre, also in the Upper East Side 6 Classic elegance at the New

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York Palace in Midtown

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PARIS

1 The bar at Le Royal Monceau 2 The view from the Shangri-La 3 An Eastern vibe at the Mandarin Oriental 4 The Four Seasons Georges V 5 A suite at the Ritz 6 The restaurant at Le Meurice

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so its rather plain rooms might as well be in Pudong. No prizes for guessing which market it has in its sights. At least if you’ve paid the premium for a room on the front, the views are unmistakably London – and great. If you’ve opted for one at the £450 lead-in rate, however, you may find yourself looking across the unlovely roof of Guy’s Hospital towards Brockwell and Dulwich. Whether the world’s premium-hotel dwellers are ready to trade Mayfair for Bermondsey remains to be seen. The Marriott-managed Edition has ventured further north than some would countenance, to the dreary wrong side of Oxford Street, though its Yabu Pushelberg-designed rooms go some way to compensate. And Fitzrovia is tipped as the next Marylebone, site of the hysterically over-subscribed André Balazs-owned Chiltern Firehouse. The forthcoming Mondrian – the first European outpost of Morgans hotels and, like the Edition, another design-led US brand created by Ian Schrager – occupies the former headquarters of Sea Containers House on the Thames. The downside is it’s in Southwark, handy for Tate Modern and the Festival Hall, but not much else. Whether or not Firmdale’s latest offering, Ham Yard, improves an insalubrious part of southern Soho also remains to be seen, but the brand has a fan base for whom its whimsical interiors, residents-only roof terrace and basement bowling alley will be a draw. Meanwhile, Rosewood London is having an impact on hitherto unlovely High Holborn. Its £85-million restoration of the former headquarters of Pearl Assurance has transformed it into the lodgings of choice for American A-listers and actors, not least because of its courtyard entrance, which means the paparazzi and teenage fans can be kept at bay. There have been calls, not least by Boris Johnson, to rebrand this part of London Midtown, sitting as it does midway between the West End and the City, and echoing the name applied to the stretch of Manhattan running south from 59th Street to about 30th. Certainly, the higher reaches of New York’s Midtown have long played host to such hotels as the recently revamped St Regis and glitzy 900-room New York Palace, even if the real grandes dames – The Carlyle, The Surrey and The Mark – are clustered on the Upper East Side. And the competition is set to intensify now that Park Hyatt has opened its first Manhattan property in the 90-storey One57 building, the tallest residential tower in the city. Too bad its 210 rooms, designed by the tireless Yabu Pushelberg, occupy the bottom 25 floors. Later this year Baccarat, the French crystal and glass company founded by Louis XV, opens its first hotel, again in Midtown, this time opposite the Museum of Modern Art on 53rd and Fifth in a 45-storey tower designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier, the Parisian husband-and-wife design team, are keeping details of its décor firmly under wraps, but the smart money suggests it will be understated, beautiful and quintessentially French. Hot on its heels will come the 190-room SLS Hotel Park Avenue (at no 444), a part of Midtown now being marketed as NoMad (for North of Madison Square Park), but a property worth keeping tabs on, because it will be designed by Philippe Starck, his first New York hotel project since he revamped the Paramount (for Ian Schrager) in 1990, and in so doing more or less created the “design hotel”. All of which may yet presage unease in the competition: perhaps it’s not enough now simply to have your property renovated. It needs to be the work of a French designer or, at least, in light of Alexandra Champalimaud’s recent $140 million makeover of the New York Palace, one with a French name. For though Paris’s hotel scene may have undergone something of an upheaval lately, its grandest grand hotels continue to set the standard to which the rest of the world aspires.

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ULTRA EXPERIENCES

26 PA G

E GUIDE

ULTRATRAVEL + ABERCROMBIE & KENT

CHARLES FRÉGER

MACHU PICCHU HIGHS DON MCCULLIN’S INDIA BEST BIG CAT SAFARIS PLUS WIN A HOLIDAY TO MYANMAR

Oruawharo Beach, Great Barrier Island

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

GETTY

the NEXT BIG LAND ADVENTURE

OFF-ROAD DRIVING THROUGH MOROCCO . . .

T

here are few other desert roads that traverse such magnificent scenery as the one from Marrakesh to Essaouira - and few more thrilling ways to explore it than in a convoy of Land Rover Discovery 4x4 vehicles. The distinctive colours and variety of the rural landscapes along the road from the Moroccan city are justly celebrated. The Atlas Mountains, which separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines in North Africa from the Sahara Desert, are a corridor of ranges covered in forests and punctuated with dramatic, fertile valleys – and alongside them lies some thrilling terrain to explore, including mountain passes and desert dunes. A new adventurous overland tour explores the countryside, with detours into the Atlas Mountains, accompanied by guides who can help travellers to get the best out of these high-performance vehicles – from mastering the challenging off-road conditions to navigating the tangle of Marrakesh’s streets. Although it is an ideal break for experienced off-road drivers, the range of terrain means drivers of all abilities can have a go behind the wheel. Accommodation includes Sir Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot – a palatial Moorish-style hotel set among landscaped gardens in the foothills of the Atlas.

A six-day, self-drive itinerary with Land Rover instruction and guided visits to Marrakesh, the High Atlas and Essaouira, costs from £3,995 per person, excluding flights, through Abercrombie & Kent (0845 415 4757; abercrombiekent.co.uk). Land Rover adventures are available in 2015 in Iceland,

. . . OR BIKING IN NEW ZEALAND?

Botswana, Morocco, Tanzania and the United States.

Two wheels can sometimes beat four, especially in a country like New Zealand, which has superb terrain for cyclists of all abilities. A two-week trip, taking in the North and South Islands, incorporates mountain biking in giant redwood trees and the wine country of Napier and Blenheim. This is a food-lover’s holiday, with tastings of some of the country’s notable produce, and stays at gourmetfood retreats, including The Farm at Cape Kidnappers. A 15-day A&K tour costs from £9,945 per person, including flights.

Float on air Your spacious Club World seat gives you your own private space to stretch out and relax. Busy schedule ahead? Recharge with a long and peaceful sleep in your fully fat bed. For the ultimate travel experience, fy First. Enjoy dedicated service, delectable dining and when it’s time to sleep, sumptuously soft bedding in your fully fat bed. To make a reservation or fnd out more, call Abercrombie & Kent on 0845 485 1215 or email info@abercrombiekent.co.uk

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

ALAMY

the NEXT BIG SEA ADVENTURE

CRUISING THROUGH THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE . . .

S

ailing through the Northwest Passage is one of the world’s great sea journeys. For centuries explorers and traders sought a navigable path that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the inhospitable Arctic archipelagos. The freezing environment was so treacherous that a route was not navigated successfully until 1906 by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Next August, travellers can retrace part of Amundsen’s route on a 20-night expedition cruise from western Greenland to Russia’s eastern coast. The voyage will pass several impressive fjords and glaciers en route, including the huge, Unesco-protected Ilulissat Icefjord, one of the most active glaciers in the world, which calves around 22 cubic miles of ice a year. Zodiac trips, accompanied by lecturers, are offered throughout the voyage; particularly moving are those around Beechey Island, Somerset Island and Gjoa Haven, where Arctic explorers took refuge in freezing conditions to wait – sometimes for two years – for conditions to improve. There is exceptional wildlife viewing throughout the cruise, from 100 species of bird, and grizzly, black and polar bears, to one of the largest populations of beluga whale, which spend much of the year in the the fog-bound Beaufort Sea.

The 22-day Northwest Passage expedition on board the luxury, all-balcony Le Boreal takes place from August 20 to September 12 2015. It costs from £19,680 per person, based on two sharing, excluding international flights, through Abercrombie & Kent (0845 482 0707; abercrombiekent.co.uk).

. . . OR CHARTERING A SUPERYACHT? The exclusive Australian island of Orpheus is just across the water from Townsville in Queensland. Flit across by helicopter, and take over a beach-front villa, before chartering the private, fully crewed 130ft Flying Fish yacht (with its own helipad and helicopter, and berths for eight) to view islands, wildlife and the blue expanse of the Pacific. A 14-night A&K trip, including 10 nights on Orpheus Island and private charter of the Flying Fish superyacht for four nights, costs from £21,200 per person, all-inclusive, including flights.

Sarah Collins, July 10th

Pacific Coast | British Columbia

We met a lovely couple today on our travels.

Luxury British Columbia, Ranches & Wilderness. From

ÂŁ

5,875

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

*

per person

8 nights. Terms & conditions apply. Email info@abercrombiekent.co.uk for more information.

www.abercrombiekent.co.uk/ultracanada

*Price is based on two people travelling, sharing a double room, 9 days 8 nights, 5* plus wilderness lodges. Price includes Economy international flights, transfers, select activities, all meals and local drinks at Siwash Lake Ranch and Sonora Resort. Price excludes bear viewing and wilderness activites at Sonora, meals in Vancouver. Credit card fees may apply at time of booking. Valid for travel from 02 Jun 15 – 25 Jun 15. Offer is subject to availability and can change without notification due to fluctuations in charges and currency. ABTA 72314. Price correct at time of going to print. For more information, please call Abercrombie & Kent on 0845 322 0429, email info@abercrombiekent.co.uk or visit www.abercrombiekent.co.uk

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

4CORNERS; AP; CORBIS

the NEXT BIG AIR ADVENTURE

FLYING BY PRIVATE JET TO THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS SIGHTS. . .

A

private jet, chartered to fly to long-haul destinations, makes air travel thrilling again, rather than merely exhausting. That’s especially the case when the aircraft has seats that recline into fully flat beds. From next September, travellers can take a round-theworld tour on board a luxury private Boeing 757 with 50 fully reclining seats that each have more than 6.5ft of leg room. The trip, which lasts 24 days, is a whirlwind tour of some of the world’s most memorable sights. It begins in Peru with a visit to Machu Picchu, before flying on to Easter Island in Polynesia to see the enormous stone moai: mysterious, monolithic figures that were abandoned before completion. The flight goes on to Samoa, followed by a stop in Sydney (with dinner and a private performance in Sydney Opera House) and then to Siem Reap in Cambodia to see the largest religious monument in the world, the great Khmer temples of Angkor Wat, which date from the 9th century. From there, the flight heads west to India to visit the Taj Mahal at Agra. Private tours of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, followed by a night camping under the stars in the Sahara Desert and a tour of Marrakesh in Morocco, complete a journey packed with celebrated sights. Best not forget the camera for this one.

A 24-day Wonders of the World by Private Jet tour, departing on September 17 2015, costs from £67,500 per person, double occupancy, through Abercrombie & Kent (0845 485 1518; abercrombiekent.co.uk). Private Jet Journeys are offered to destinations around the

. . . OR HELI-TOURING IN CANADA?

world, from the Amazon and Africa to India.

Time-poor adventure junkies can hop in a helicopter to tour the wilderness of British Columbia, Canada, in just four days. The trip goes across glaciers, forest, lakes and remote hot springs, and stops for activities such as rafting, fishing and wildlife watching. Gourmet meals are served at a chalet resort, where soaks in outdoor hot tubs help the body to unwind at the end of a satisfyingly exhausting day. The four-day A&K tour costs from £6,965 per person, including flights, transfers and three nights at Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort.

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

FESTIVAL FEVER

No country on earth enjoys showing off its culture as joyfully or colourfully as India. In a celebration of seven of its greatest festivals, the acclaimed photographer Don McCullin reflects on his life-long love affair with the subcontinent, while the historian William Dalrymple explores the rewards of setting up a festival from scratch

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

Don McCullin celebrates 40 years of visiting Indian festivals, during which he’s photographed camel-markets, lepers – and Mark Shand arriving by elephant

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he thing I possibly love most about India is that it’s always joyful. It’s impossible not to have your spirit lifted there, or to be moved. Of all the countries in the world I’ve visited – and there have been many, given that I’ve been travelling since I was five years old, when I was evacuated from London – it is India that has stolen my heart. It’s not just the landscapes and colour, but the people. They have such soul, and they’re curious; they always want to learn. Also, if you’re cross with them, they will always forgive you and make out that it’s their fault, which is very charming. They’re incredibly patient, too; at festivals like the camel fair at Pushkar there are now more tourists than camels, and yet, even when dozens of people are pushing cameras in the traders’ faces, they always remain placid, selling their animals and getting on with business. In England we’d tell people to get out of our away, but they don’t lose their cool. I spent so many years as a war photographer – as people like to call me, which I don’t particularly like as it’s like being called an executioner or hangman – capturing people’s pain. Whereas, India is all about healing. It’s not about war or famines or revolution or death; it’s about life and beauty. Going to a festival, I’m instantly on a high, happy to be among the nicest people on earth. I first went to the Sonepur Mela, the great elephant fair, in 1987 with my [late] friend Mark Shand, and Tara, the elephant he crossed 600 miles of the country on. I joined him on the last 60 miles, and when we got to the Mela, we put up tents in a little enclosure made of colourful Indian drapes that became our little fiefdom. To me, having my own tent was very luxurious. I am a real traveller, and can sleep anywhere on earth; I could sleep on broken glass if I had to – not that I want to now. I’m 78 and my legs aren’t as strong as they were. In the past four decades that I’ve been travelling to India, I’ve been to three festivals, several times: Sonepur Mela, the elephant and animal fair; Pushkar, the camel fair; and Kumbh Mela, at Allahabad on the Ganges, which I went to last year with one of my sons, and in 1965 with the travel writer Eric Newby. The scenes are almost Biblical: millions of Indians in white dhotis crossing the Gandak River, and then setting up camp. In this sea of humanity, not every person can take the smells of elephant dung and human excrement and food, and smoke from a million fires. But it’s full of such spirit and life that you can’t help but be swept up in it all: the masses doing their pujas [ritual prayers] in the river; the mahouts bathing their elephants and scrubbing them with a pumice stone which the creatures love; the medieval-

looking people. Every part of society is there: men in beautiful turbans, farmers, sadhus, lepers being pushed around in carts, cooks stirring soup in vats the size of cars. It would be difficult to take a bad picture first thing in the morning, even if you were blindfolded. The light is like a Monet. Once the sun comes up, and music starts to blast out of speakers, it’s impossible to sleep, so you have to get up. Life starts early here, with pilgrims burning the onerupee of straw they’ve bought to sleep on, to try to get some warmth into their bones, and then cooking and bathing. India is at its most beautiful when it’s waking up and going to sleep: seeing people in golden light taking their animals to drink, in a sea of smoke, which softens everything. Sometimes on prints, these images seem slightly chocolate-boxy, but actually being there and seeing them with your own eyes is magical. I’ve tried to take each of my sons on a trip to India; I hate the word

INDIA IS AT ITS MOST BEAUTIFUL WHEN IT IS WAKING UP AND GOING TO SLEEP. THE LIGHT IS LIKE A MONET Morning rituals Photograph taken in the Eighties by Don McCullin of a dawn scene in which festival-goers bathe with an elephant and its mahout

JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL JANUARY 21-25 2015

The historian and writer William Dalrymple on the birth of his annual Indian book celebration: now the biggest free literary festival in the world

DON MCCULLIN

I

bonding, but I want them to create a lasting memory and India is a place you can’t forget. Last year I took my eldest son to the Pushkar Camel Fair and the Kartika Purnima, which is the night of the full moon. It’s a bit touristy now, and camels are the most unpleasant animals, as I discovered by travelling on them when I covered the Eritrean war. They suffer from syphilis, and the foam from their mouth gets all over your clothes. Elephants, by comparison, are wonderful creatures. People really worship them; they are the physical representation of the god Ganesha, and to get near one is hugely exciting. When I went with Mark, we were the only westerners and there were about 120 elephants; last year, sadly, there were only about 20, as elephants are now very expensive to keep. But there’s still a lively market for horses and cows, and a theatrical event, where girls dance with bits of their clothing removed. The men are often so

desperate to catch a glimpse of thigh that there are huge crowds, pushing and trying to get near; the girls have to perform behind barbed wire to protect themselves. India has changed enormously in the time I’ve been visiting it. There’s more noise now, and plastic, and western dress. But festivals are still places to see its beauty, its traditions: at Pushkar, the handsome Rajasthanis with their Sinbad trousers, pointed shoes, cummerbunds, turbans and glorious big moustaches, or the Gujaratis in their colourful saris. Or the sadhus, who come to be fed and housed and looked after. In India, I love going to bed in winter and finding a hot-water bottle and being woken with bed-tea. Even at festivals, in the middle of nowhere, people find time for such kindnesses. I don’t idolise many people, but I do idolise the Indians. Interview by Lisa Grainger

n 2004, 10 days after I moved my family to a new life in India, I gave a reading at a small palace on the edge of Jaipur. Fourteen people turned up, of whom 10 were Japanese tourists who had got lost. The next year, I helped organise a modest literary programme of 18 authors. Two failed to show up, but with the aid of my co-director, Namita Gokhale, we gathered a respectable audience of nearly 100 people. Festivals, like children, have their own lives. As a festival director, you do all you can to make your offspring flourish: choose the best location and time of year, plan the food and the drink and the lighting, design beautiful tents, fill them with the bright, the brilliant and the beautiful from across the world. But at a certain point you have to let go, and look on with hope as your baby makes its own way into the world. I have, and eight years later, the Jaipur Literature Festival (jaipurliteraturefestival.org) has become the largest free lit-fest in the world. Today my colleagues have to wrestle with staggering logistics. Last year, they cooked 14,700 hot meals, booked 1,800 hotel nights for 240 participants, sold 10,000 books and hosted 75,000 people a day, adding up to around quarter of a million punters in all. And that’s not counting the evening music programme which gathered similar-sized crowds. One reason for our success is Jaipur itself, one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and one that has a rich literary and cultural tradition of its own, as well as the most wonderfully benign late-January climate. My heart always lifts as I leave fog-bound Delhi and hit the Jaipur highway. Within a couple of hours you find yourself amid sunlit mustard fields, camel-carts and Rajasthani turbans of bright, primary colours. By the end, you are driving past the bastions of the Amber Fort and city walls improbably running near-vertically up the Aravalli mountains. One of the joys of the festival is that it is a properly festive festival. The buildings are festooned with bunting, there are hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts milling around (including an abnormally large number of students and beautiful women), we let off fireworks at night and after 6.30pm the writers have to shut up and give the stages over to music and dancing. My favourite review last year was from Time Out: “It’s settled. Jaipur is officially the Woodstock and Live 8 of world literature. Frankfurt and the Booker are like watching the Pope sleep compared to an ambience that can best be described as James Joyce meets Monsoon Wedding...� One thing we have always insisted on is that the festival is completely free and open to all. Anyone can turn up – we are completely egalitarian. WHERE TO STAY The Jai Mahal Palace (tajhotels.com/ jaimahalpalace) was once the home of the Prime Minister of Jaipur and is set in 18 acres of Mughal gardens.

THE SEYCHELLES. PARADIS E FO UN D. 3° 48’ 19.1844’’ S 55° 40’ 3.2736’’ E

DENIS P RIVATE ISLAND On the northern edge of the Seychelles lagoon lies this tiny jewel of an island, 375 acres of lush vegetation hugged by pristine beaches and surrounded by crystal clear waters. Boasting only 25 guest cottages, here you can be certain to leave the outside world far behind. Tis stunning retreat ofers an authentic island experience; a world of exploration, world class fshing, diving and so much more. ‘Experience Denis Private Island…Experience barefoot Luxury’.

4° 39’ 20.4840’’ S

CONSTANCE EPHÉLIA

55° 24’ 17.816’’ E

Nestled between two of the best beaches on Mahé, Constance Ephélia has something for all. For families there are activities galore including: zip-lining, climbing walls, tortoise park and endless water-sports. For honeymooners, the privacy of the Spa and Hillside Villas is unbeatable. For everyone else, there are two fantastic beaches to choose from, the largest spa in the Indian Ocean, world-class food and wine, plus a variety of suites and villas to suit diferent budgets.

4° 17’ 57.5808’’ S

CONSTANCE LÉMURIA

55° 40’ 45.019’’ E

Welcome to paradise and a ‘Leading Hotel of the World’! Set on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (fact!), Anse Georgette, Constance Lemuria, Seychelles, ofers luxurious suite and villa accommodation, the only 18-hole golf course in the Seychelles, fne-dining, and divine beaches, not forgetting the award winning Shiseido spa.

FLY EMIRATES FROM A CHOICE OF 6 UK AIRPORTS TO THE SEYCHELLES. ENJOY WORLD-CLASS SERVICE, MULTI-COURSE GOURMET CUISINE AND UP TO 1,800 CHANNELS OF THE LATEST AWARD-WINNING ENTERTAINMENT.

To make a reservation or to fnd out more, call Abercrombie & Kent on 0845

322 0432

or email info@abercrombiekent.co.uk

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

RIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL OCTOBER 8-12 2014

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ome sundown, the typical fortress in Rajasthan – and there are plenty – is cleared of visitors by

guards and watchmen. Bats return to roost in their arched pavilions; quaint cupolas and near empty citadels stand as compelling monuments to another martial age. Yet for a few days in autumn during the brightest full moon, Jodhpur’s huge Mehrangarh Fort, which looms over the city on a stark hillside, embraces a unique event starting just before dawn and continuing well into the night. Backed by the Maharajah of Jodhpur, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) showcases singers and musicians drawn mainly from Rajasthan and elsewhere in India. Some are well-known on India’s music scene; others have rarely performed outside their own communities and, in this respect, RIFF is helping to reinvigorate a centuries-old yet long-faded tradition of artistic patronage. It’s not just an Indian groove. An international dimension is lent by a range of foreign artists – for example a Nordic folk trio, Anglo-Caribbean

PUSHKAR MELA

O

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 6 2014

nce every year, the hamlet of Pushkar – a

the oasis, with all their herds around them. For

and live bands. The mela reaches a crescendo

remote collection of cobalt blue buildings,

five days and nights this is the biggest livestock

when, under the rising full moon, the chanting

edged with whitewashed temples that fringe the

fair in India, attracting snake-charmers,

pilgrims launch butter-lamps on tiny leaf-boats

blurs musical boundaries: expect fusion, impromptu

shore of a tranquil lake in the Thar Desert of

storytellers, acrobats, conjurers, mystics, snake-

into the sacred lake, then take a ritual dip in the

multi-ethnic jams and late-night clubby sets in a

Rajasthan – erupts into a cacophonous frenzy of

oil sellers, tourists and traders of paraphernalia

waters to cleanse themselves of sin.

medieval courtyard beside the royal gardens.

colour, music, prayer, incense, magic and

to do with camels. Wandering minstrels sing for

WHERE TO STAY Green House Resort

WHERE TO STAY Raas Jodphur (raasjodhpur.com),

madness. By the night of the full moon of Kartika

their supper as they move between the

(thegreenhouseresort.com), an eco-retreat ten

Jodphur’s first boutique hotel, has spectacular views

Purnima (October/November) a quarter of a

thousands of camp fires. There is a funfair with

minutes’ drive from Pushkar, is an idyllic base

of Mehrangarh Fort.

million semi-nomadic Rajput camel and cattle

giant ferris wheels, camel races, food stalls,

from which to explore this holy city.

AMAR GROVER

herders have set up camps in the desert around

moustache-twisting and turban-tying contests

CHRIS CALDICOTT

electronica or a Spanish flamenco troupe. Last year’s high-profile guest was Manu Chao. RIFF deliberately

LADAKH FESTIVAL

NAGAUR WORLD SUFI SPIRIT FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 20-26 2014

L

FEBRUARY 9-12 2015 adakh, India’s so-called “Little Tibet�, is a

T

hauntingly beautiful Himalayan region watered

by the Indus River. Among its craggy mountains and myriad valleys veined with hiking trails stand

romantic setting of Ahhichatragarh Fort, is a

serious music festival. It embraces every genre of Sufi

picturesque villages and hill-hugging Buddhist

music, poetry and dance, from the hypnotic rhythms

monasteries. As the summer tourist season winds

of Pakistani qawwali to dreamy Persian ghazal love

down in mid-September, the government-organised

songs, Punjabi kafi poetry, the haunting harmonies of

Ladakh Festival lends Leh, the Ladakhi “capital�,

itinerant Bengali Bauls, the Andalusian Arabic

a final flourish of colour.

instrumentals of Moroccan Nubas and the

Partly because much of the region’s cultural life

mesmerising twirling of whirling dervishes.

normally occurs in winter, it promotes aspects of

Performances start early in the morning and go on

Ladakhi culture that visitors might not otherwise see.

until very late at night, and are held at different

Amid clashing cymbals and thudding drums, bleating

locations around the vast grounds of the magnificent

flutes and honking horns, it starts with processions of

hilltop fort; you will hear music in ornate garden

various regional and ethnic groups in traditional

pavilions, on open-air stages under the moonlight and

clothes. Many women come adorned with eyecatching peraks – headdresses encrusted with chunks of turquoise – brocade cloaks and felt shoes with up-turned pointy toes. Apart from music, folk dancing and archery CHRIS CALDICOTT; AMAR GROVER; 4CORNERS; ALAMY; LAIF/CAMERAPRESS; GETTY; REX

his annual festival, held since 2008 in the absurdly

competitions, one of the festival’s main attractions are

DURGA PUJA

F

within intimate candlelit courtyards. SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 4 2014

It’s a strictly residents-only affair, and thus has the friendly atmosphere of a private party, with meals

antastic chaos – of colour, crowds,

carried away in vibrant processions to be

included and a mobile cocktail bar set up each night

noise, processions, artistry – pervades

immersed in the Hooghly River.

in a different part of the fort. Guests can choose

Bengal at the start of autumn with Durga

Although the festival is devoted to Durga,

between an Indian version of glamping in the

polo matches played in a dusty ground framed by the

Puja. Dedicated to the great mother

over the past couple of decades it has

former royal palace and stark rocky ridges. Teams like

goddess Durga who protects mankind and

become as much about the pandals

even more glamorous Ranvas Nagaur.

the “Ladakh Scouts� and “Animal Husbandry�

destroys evil, the festival reaches the zenith

themselves, and most visitors go “pandal-

WHERE TO STAY Ranvas Nagaur (ranvasnagaur.

compete for the Ladakh Festival Cup – up here it’s a

of flamboyance in Calcutta, where it takes

hopping� to admire the creations, which

com) is a restored former Mughal residence of the

rougher game thanks to the locals’ gung-ho attitude.

place over five days.

range from traditional-looking temples of

Queens of Jodphur, set in Ahhichatragarh Fort.

bamboo and jute cloth to wonders

CHRIS CALDICOTT

But for most, elaborate cham dances are the

The high-octane jamboree is celebrated

luxurious Royal Camp in the castle grounds, or the

highlight of the festival. Monks sporting lavish

with so much energy that it often leaves

modelled out of Styrofoam. Highlights of

multicoloured robes and fearsome masks depicting

visitors with sensory overload. At least

this colourful display of spirit and artistry

Abercrombie & Kent (0845 485 4752;

demons and spirits turn and twirl, duck and wheel

2,000 elaborate pop-up temples, or

include an exhibition at a mini Pompidou

abercrombiekent.co.uk) can tailor-make tours

about as if possessed. For Ladakhis it’s a form of

pandals, are devised across the city, each

Centre with all artworks, of course,

incorporating these festivals. Itineraries include

meditation and spiritual instruction. For tourists it’s a

of which contains images of Durga – who

featuring the goddess Durga.

a 14-night trip to India, taking in Jaipur, Delhi,

great spectacle. And for both it’s great entertainment.

traditionally has a divine eye in her forehead

WHERE TO STAY The Oberoi Grand

Agra, Udaipur, and both the RIFF festival and

WHERE TO STAY The Golden Dragon hotel

and many arms to signify might, dexterity

Calcutta (oberoihotels.com), a heritage

Pushkar Camel Festival in Rajasthan, from ÂŁ4,395

(thegranddragonladakh.com), Leh, sits in a

and protective qualities. Amid much beating

hotel in the heart of the city that fuses

per person, with British Airways flights, local

spectacular location with views of the Himalayas.

of large dhak drums, the images are revered

Victorian and traditional Indian styles.

transfers, and b&b accommodation.

AMAR GROVER

in the pandals for several days and then

HARRIET O’BRIEN

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

The haunting, spiritual beauty of the ruined city of Machu Picchu seduces even the most seasoned traveller. Adrian Bridge discovers the most inspiring way to experience the highs of this 15th-century Inca city, from arriving by Pullman train to seeing the site from a private pool

T

he gods of the mountains keeping watch over Machu Picchu have such a delicious sense of humour. Take the case of Mick Jagger. The perennial rocker wanted to see the sacred site without the attentions of the paparazzi, or the distractions of hoi polloi. And the gods – or the apus as they are known in these parts – granted this long-standing fan of Peru his wish, allowing him the very rare privilege of private access to the wonders over which they are custodians. But at the appointed hour of the viewing – so legend has it – the heavens opened and those magical, mystical ruins were obscured by cloud. Poor old Sir Mick. Some people just can’t get no satisfaction. I was reminded of this tale as I lay awake in bed listening to the wind and the frequent flurries of rain in the night preceding what I had hoped was to be the indescribably uplifting experience of watching the sun rise over Machu Picchu. A great deal of time, trouble and expenditure had been involved in the build-up to this moment. My wife, celebrating a significant birthday

Natural mystic Machu Picchu, which sits 7,970ft above sea level, held a profound religious significance for the Incas. It was mysteriously abandoned in the 16th century, only 100 years after construction

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U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

(I wouldn’t dream of revealing which one), had been harbouring a deep desire to go to Machu Picchu ever since it had been the subject of a project at her primary school; I, too – like many – counted it among the handful of sights that simply had to be seen. It looked as though our moment of magic, too, was going to be a damp squib. But then something rather wonderful happened. As dawn drew close, the rain became less insistent and the magnificent mountains slowly regained their contours. It got better. As we entered the site on the dot of 6am (the earliest anyone – other than very, very important people – can get in), it felt as though we were walking in the midst of clouds. Mist surrounded us, weaving its way playfully up the fern-filled hillsides. Then, thrillingly, a little gap would appear, revealing the beautifully jagged tops of the mountains in the distance; finally, there were flashes of the sacred stones themselves; intimations of that cluster of buildings and temples and terraces that, for their architectural genius and the aesthetic beauty of their setting, have rightly come to be viewed as one of the true wonders of the modern world. It may have been a little drizzly, but there was something mesmerising about this now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t game that was being played. Our imaginations were free to run wild; it was‌ indescribably uplifting. Having decided that this was a trip of a lifetime, we certainly weren’t going to risk all on the randomness of what the weather would be like on any one particular day – or indeed afternoon, the time allotted to the many who travel here on a day-trip excursion from the ancient Inca capital of Cusco. We were also thankful that we’d made the trip when we did, given that the governor of Cusco is considering opening the site until 8pm, which will allow double the number of visitors to visit. We had waited a long time for this – and wanted to treat ourselves to the luxury of time to enjoy it: time to savour it from many different angles and perspectives and times of the day. We wanted to be transported back to the 15th century when Inca power was at its zenith and to be able to absorb some of the facts – and myths – about the people who lived and worked here. We wanted to be able to marvel at the exquisite precision of the brickwork and a drainage system that is still perfectly functional. We wanted time to stop and take stock. We wanted time, too, to be able to leave the site when we felt we’d had enough and return later, refreshed. We also wanted to do it in style (after all you don’t turn 29 every day), spending one night in the Belmond (formerly Orient Express) Sanctuary Lodge Machu Picchu, the only hotel located right beside the entrance to the site, and two nights in the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Aguas Calientes, the small settlement on the Urubamba River about six miles below the ruins and a great spot in which to immerse yourself in the flora and fauna of the cloud forest. We also decided that, tempting though a four-day hike along the fabled Inca Trail sounded, our own pilgrimage to Machu Picchu would be by the Belmond Hiram Bingham – the luxuriously appointed train named after the American explorer who, in June 1911, discovered the site – untouched since it was abandoned mysteriously by the Incas at some point in the mid 16th century. That first sighting of Machu Picchu (“old mountainâ€? in the Quechua language) did not disappoint. It was a brilliantly sunny afternoon (we had spent the morning travelling from Cusco in the splendour of an art-deco, polished-wood Pullman carriage and had been wined, dined, serenaded and pisco-soured splendidly along the Sacred Valley); the hillsides were a vivid green; llamas roamed freely. Yes, there were lots of other tourists, but it’s a big site and when we finally turned a corner and set eyes on the citadel, framed by the unmistakable form of Huayna Picchu, the “young mountainâ€? behind it, my wife had to ask the guide to spare us the history for a few

Journey to the interior The Hiram Bingham Pullman train, top, winds its way through the Sacred Valley. Above: a vividly coloured Andean cock-of-the-rock. Below: a bedroom at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge Machu Picchu

MIST ENVELOPED US; THEN, THRILLINGLY, A GAP APPEARED, AND WE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THE SACRED STONES

moments as we took in the magnitude of the scene before us. There are some world-famous sites that don’t quite live up to the hype. Machu Picchu is not one of them. As we walked, we were given a potted history of how this extraordinary settlement came into being. It had been built in the 15th century during the reign of the greatest of all Inca emperors, Pachacuti, by teams of labourers drawn from all parts of an empire that, at its peak, stretched from Ecuador in the north to Argentina in the south. It had a practical function – the protected terraces were for the cultivation of crops – and a deeply spiritual one, as seen in buildings such as the Temple of the Sun and the Sacred Plaza. Although inhabited for just a few decades, it was reserved for the elite of Inca society: royals, intellectuals and astronomers, some of whom would have been entitled to the attentions of the “Virgins of the Sun�, the women who, from a young age, were set aside to serve as concubines to the powerful and even, in some cases, to be sacrificed to the gods. We reflected on all this later with Marc Yeterian, the genial Frenchman who manages Belmond Sanctuary Lodge and who took us on a tour of the orchid garden behind the lodge, the hot pool (with partial views of the citadel) and the matted area overlooking the mountains, which must be the most inspirational place in the world from which to practise yoga. “In addition to enjoying the luxury of being right next to the site, we want people to appreciate the incredible natural environment here,� said Marc. “We want them to tap into its spiritual energy.� In a previous incarnation, Marc was employed in Aguas Calientes in the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, the place to which we retreated after our second day of exploration of the site. That was a mist-filled, cloud-swept day, which, in its own way, proved equally magical and included a climb to the top of Huayna Picchu (steep, slippery and sensational) and a stroll up to the Sun Gate, the point at which those who have trekked the Inca Trail get their first sighting of the citadel. After such exertions, the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel was a perfect place in which to unwind – and to wake to the sound of humming birds. Set in 22 acres of lush cloud forest, this pioneering eco-chic lodge offers nature walks (there are 372 types of orchid in its grounds), an encounter with the Andean spectacled bear and a twilight walk to learn about ancient myths and gaze at the stars of the Southern Cross. Here, too, you can enjoy massages involving Andean hot stones and eat quinoa pancakes and eucalyptus ice cream for breakfast. Mick Jagger stayed here during that fateful, rainsoaked private visit to Machu Picchu in 2011. Gimme Shelter, he must have pleaded, and again his prayers were answered.

ULTRA GUIDE TO SEEING MACHU PICCHU IN STYLE WHERE TO STAY

yourself to a stay in the Inkaterra Villa:

Luxury tip To get to Machu Picchu

Belmond Sanctuary Lodge

two beautiful adjoining suites, each with

you will probably fly into Lima. Instead

The only hotel right next to Machu

a plunge pool and butler (inkaterra.com).

of heading straight to Cusco, check into

Picchu, Sanctuary Lodge offers direct

HOW TO GET THERE

the funky Hotel B boutique arts hotel

access to the site, enabling you to be

The Belmond Hiram Bingham train

(hotelb.pe) in the bohemian district of

among the first to enter at 6am. The hotel

Although, at just 57 miles, the journey

Barranco. Soak up the art and sign up

is nothing special to look at, but the

by train from Cusco to Machu Picchu

for a foodie tour with chef Penelope

location is unbeatable and it comes

(or Aguas Calientes) is hardly epic, it

Alzamora and learn how to make the

into its own once the day trippers have

does involve going through spectacular

finest ceviche in Lima.

left (belmond.com).

landscape – gorges, rivers and forests –

Abercrombie & Kent (0845 485 4752;

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

against rugged mountain backdrops.

abercrombiekent.co.uk) offers an eight-

This pioneering eco-tourist venture has

Enjoy the view over cocktails and a three-

day journey to Peru including all flights,

85 whitewashed casitas in the lush

course lunch. A three-piece band plays

b&b accommodation, train tickets and

surroundings of the cloud forest. Take

popular classics – not the most stylish

private guided tours of Machu Picchu

a leaf out of Mick Jagger’s book and treat

experience, but fun (belmond.com).

and Cusco from ÂŁ3,800 per person.

TOP CATS U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

There is no creature more thrilling to see in the wild than a big cat. Richard Madden speaks to five leading wildlife experts to find out what makes the lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah and jaguar so compelling to watch – and where best to see them

Mane event A lion prowls close to a safari vehicle. Male lions live short, violent, intense lives, while their female counterparts can live around six years longer PHOTOGRAPH Dana Allen/Wilderness Safaris

LION JONATHAN SCOTT is a zoologist, wildlife writer and photographer, and presenter of the BBC’s Big Cat Diary

“L

ions are not just a symbol of Africa. For

lions is that they’re the only truly sociable big

centuries flags have been emblazoned

cats. If you find one in the wild, you’ll probably

with them – the very flags that have led people

find 10 or even 20 in the rest of the pride.

into battle. And for good reason, as lions are the

The Marsh pride, for example, in the Maasai

ultimate warriors. You only have to watch a male

Mara, which I have followed since 1977, is now

lion sniffing the air and gazing out over its

made up of three different groups of females in

kingdom with its mane blowing in the wind to

different stages of their life. You can watch a

see it and feel it.

pride of lions for hour after hour and never get

But what most people don’t realise is what

bored. There’s always something going on.� Where to stay Sanctuary Olonana, Kenya

a short, intense life a male lion often lives. They may be the king of the beasts, terrorising almost anything, even elephants, and armed to the

you’re nothing in lion society. It’s a brutal world. And once dominant, a lion has to fight

is a luxury tented camp on the banks of the Mara River and a superb place to see lions, as

teeth. But life for lions is ruled by the threat of

constantly to stay dominant. Just one breeding

are camps in the Okavango Delta and other

violence or exercising violence. There’s a lot

cycle, and three years as a resident male in

camps in the Moremi Game Reserve.

of roaring, threatening and cuffing without their

a pride, is a good run. A male lion that reaches

An eight-day Kenyan safari, with three

claws completely out, but they will fight to the

12 years old is an absolute star, whereas females

nights at Sanctuary Olonana, watching

death over access to territory with a group of

can often reach 18 years.

Mara lions, costs from ÂŁ3,475 per person,

females they can control. If you don’t breed

But for my wife, Angie, the best thing about

through Abercrombie & Kent.

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

COURTESY OF ANJALI AND JAISAL SINGH, SHER BAGH, RANTHAMBHORE

‘THE TIGER IS THE LARGEST BIG CAT AND THE ULTIMATE PREDATOR’

Burning bright Dinner is served, top, by the pool at Sher Bagh, near Ranthambore National Park in India, one of the best places to see tigers, left. Sher Bagh offers colonial-style decor and personal service, right, in its peaceful, spacious tented accommodation

TIGER BELINDA WRIGHT is the director and founder of the Wildlife

Protection Society of India (wpsi-india.org), which focuses on anti-poaching

“F

or me, tigers are the most mesmerising

a good source of food and water. But they also

of all the world’s mammals. When you see

need protection or they will not survive in the wild

them out in the open they are outrageously

as they’ve now become walking cash registers for

patterned and coloured, almost flaming, but when

organised wildlife criminals who bribe villagers to

they reach the jungle their camouflage is so good

give them information on a tiger’s location.

they simply vanish. They are the largest of the big cats and the

Half of the world’s remaining tigers live in India (around 1,500). But they are very elusive creatures

ultimate predators. To survive they need to be

and the best places to see them are where they

supremely fit as they can’t depend on a pride, like

are most used to tourist vehicles, like Ranthambore

lions, but are very solitary and secretive. Their

National Park. For a more private viewing I would

favourite prey are wild boar and deer and they

suggest the mangrove forests of Sunderbans Tiger

spend hours stalking. Even so, only about one in

Reserve in West Bengal or Bandhavgarh National

10 pursuits ends in a kill, so it’s hard work.

Park in Madhya Pradesh.�

When they mate, a male can smell a tigress is in

Where to stay Oberoi Vanyavilas

oestrus and grabs her by the neck and their mating

or Sher Bagh, both of which offer luxury tented

is very noisy and looks very aggressive. Then they

accommodation and are on the borders of

will mate constantly for a few days, many, many

Ranthambore National Park.

times. Tigresses mate with more than one partner

A 14-day Rajasthan trip, with three nights

so all the competing males think her cubs are his

at Sher Bagh and guiding with a tiger

and then won’t kill them.

specialist, costs from ÂŁ3,840 per person

Tigers breed well if they have enough space and

through Abercrombie & Kent.

U LT R AT R AV E L + A B E R C R O M B I E & K E N T

CHEETAH DERECK and BEVERLY JOUBERT are award-winning film-makers (wildlifefilms.co) who have dedicated their lives to saving big cats. They are both National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence

“T

he contrast between the cheetah’s

or with a kick, so when the cheetah closes

Feburary when the grass is short. Big cats

fragility and efficiency and its ‘tender

its eye, a black line hides its position.

are not just symbols; they are also the glue

killer’ aura is what fascinates us most. Their

They don’t have fully retractable claws like

that holds the fabric of ecosystems together.

JAGUAR ALAN RABINOWITZ is head of Panthera (panthera.org), which campaigns for endangered big cats. He set up a jaguar sanctuary in Belize

“T

he jaguar is the ‘Tiger of the Americas’ and the

speed sets them aside, but also their habit of

other cats, so when they are in full chase

If you want to understand Africa, you have

climbing up large termite mounts or fallen

their claws perform the same function as a

to understand the big cats. They’re in real

trees to get a better vantage point. This

sprinter’s spikes. This is particularly important

trouble – we’ve lost 95 per cent of them in

stocky like a sumo wrestler. It’s a stalk-and-ambush

means that, as a photographer, you can

when chasing after prey that is running in

50 years. Cheetah now number under 8,000

predator that can grab and crush its prey. While other

‘read’ them when they’re on the move and

zigzags, making the cheetah turn as well.

and we’re really worried about them.�

big cats go for the neck, jaguars kill their prey with

have a better chance of getting into position

Bigger cats often lose their prey when an

Where to stay Tswalu Kalahari (above)

a crushing blow to the spine or the skull.

for a great image.

animal does this.

in South Africa’s Kalahari, or Sanctuary

One key factor about cheetah is that they

Cheetah prefer open grasslands. The

third-largest of the big cats. It’s actually not very

fast, but it keeps low to the ground and is massive and

But even though it’s such a fearsome killing

Kusini in Tanzania, which has a Serengeti

machine, I call the jaguar the ‘reluctant warrior’ of the

are small. They have spots, not rosettes like

Maasai Mara in Kenya is superb for viewing,

Cheetah Project.

cat family because it’s the least aggressive. Lions, tigers

leopards. But most notably they have these

but private conservancies such as Olare

A 12-day safari through Tanzania,

and leopards have been responsible for thousands of

black teardrop-shaped facial markings. They

Motorogi, where there are fewer vehicles,

including three nights at Sanctuary

human deaths, but jaguars never attack humans. In

evolved these marks to confuse prey that

are even better and the cheetah density is

Kusini, costs from ÂŁ5,195 per person

some communities in South America people live

might want to stab at their eyes with horns

higher. The Serengeti is also amazing in

through Abercrombie & Kent.

alongside 500lb jaguars; no one is frightened of them. They can survive in numerous different habitats from the Sonoran Desert in Mexico to the pampas of northern Argentina, but they thrive best in wet jungle and rainforest and have an affinity for water. They’re

LEOPARD DAVE VARTY is a conservationist and the owner of Londolozi Game Reserve

(londolozi.com) beside Kruger National Park in South Africa, which specialises in leopard viewing

“W

amazing swimmers and can cross major rivers. The size of their territory varies depending on the size and availability of their prey. If the prey species are large, like in the Pantanal in South America, a jaguar’s

atching wild leopards is like

territory can be up to 60sq miles, whereas in Belize,

watching poetry in motion. They’re

where they hunt smaller prey like armadillo, it’s more

incredibly self-sufficient, powerful and

like 10-30sq miles.

majestic, and a real thrill to watch. Probably

Although they are still endangered, jaguars are doing

their most noticeable characteristic is the

better than all the other big cats, but they are

way their eyes appear to see right through

mysterious and secretive animals. However, the

you. But they’re also very solitary animals and

Pantanal in Brazil during the latter half of the dry

highly adaptable, so you can see them in

season (August to October) is the one place where you

many different habitats. It’s finding them in

are almost guaranteed a sighting. The fishermen on the

the wild that’s the tricky part; it’s really up to

Cuiabå River don’t hunt them and when you are

them whether they choose to be seen or not.

watching them from a boat, they don’t run away. Then,

Their incredible agility when they’re in

at night, you can follow them with a spotlight and even

trees is unique among the big cats. They can

see them hunting. And that’s an incredible sight.�

lift two-thirds of their own body weight into

Where to stay Pousada do Rio Mutum, an

the highest of branches if necessary, and

eco-lodge, or the simpler Porto Jofre, where guests

their hunting technique is explosive and very

sightings was a young leopardess catching

there are no guarantees of seeing these

almost always see jaguar.

exciting to watch. Their adaptability gives

an impala by dropping out of the branches of

elusive cats and the best sightings are when

A 13-night Brazil trip, with five nights at Porto

them a vast range of prey – from small

a marula tree.

the animals are relaxed and have learnt to be

Jofre, and an expert jaguar guide in the

at ease around safari vehicles.�

Pantanal, costs from ÂŁ5,995 per person through Abercrombie & Kent.

rodents all the way up to a nyala [large

It’s always wonderful to see them in the

antelope], which a large male leopard is quite

open savannah or resting in the branches of

Where to stay Nsefu Camp, started

capable of taking down. I would say their

an ebony tree in the Sabi Sand Game

by Zambian guide Robin Pope in the

favourite prey species would be impala.

Reserve, for example, but I would also

Luangwa, or Zarafa Camp in the Selinda

recommend Luangwa National Park in

Reserve in Botswana.

All trips can be tailor-made by Abercrombie

hunting under cover of darkness. Having said

Zambia. Zarafa Camp in Botswana has some

A nine-night safari to Botswana and

& Kent (0845 485 1576; abercrombiekent.

that, I have seen them hunt during the

wonderfully special sightings and our own

Zambia, including four nights at Zarafa,

co.uk) and are inclusive of flights and

middle of the day, taking opportunities as

Londolozi Game Reserve is one of the best

costs from ÂŁ7,995 per person through

private guiding.

they arise. One of my most memorable

areas to view leopards in the world. However,

Abercrombie & Kent.

They’re very solitary creatures and prefer

Walk on the wild side ‌ Deep within Africa’s fnest game reserve, Four Seasons Safari Lodge, Serengeti offers sanctuary of comfort. Get up close and intimate with wildlife and Maasai culture, yet always feel safe and pampered. With refreshing Four Seasons care, our Safari Lodge promises a luxurious respite amid your Africa adventures. To make a reservation or fnd out more, call Abercrombie & Kent at 0845 485 1282 or email info@abercrombiekent.co.uk Photo by Nick Garbutt

AP

WIN A LUXURY RIVER CRUISE IN MYANMAR

Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent, Sanctuary Retreats and Qatar Airways THE PRIZE

THE DETAILS

Abercrombie & Kent is offering a seven-night itinerary in Myanmar

The prize is a seven-night cruise

on the luxurious river yacht Sanctuary Ananda. Custom-built by local

for two people sharing a suite,

shipbuilders, the riverboat has been designed specially with a shallow

and includes international flights

draft so that it can cruise both the Upper and Lower Ayeryarwady and

with Qatar Airways, private

Chindwin rivers, and access remote villages and temples. Inside, the

transfers, excursions, meals

boat is far from traditional, featuring 20 spacious cabins with five-star

and selected drinks. The prize

comforts such as monsoon showers and air-conditioning; elegant

is valid from January 10

dining rooms with Burmese and international cuisine; and on-board

to December 15 2015 (excluding

facilities such as a pool and spa. The river yacht – which launches this

the April 4 departure) and

November – is by far the most comfortable way to explore the

is subject to availability.

country’s beautiful temples, rich culture and welcoming population; the seven-day itineraries are from Mandalay to Bagan, or Bagan to

HOW TO ENTER

Mandalay, return, and include on-board musical performances,

Simply go to telegraph.co.uk/

lectures and cultural demonstrations, and Qatar Airways flights.

myanmar. You will need to leave your name, address, telephone

ABOUT MYANMAR

number and a valid email

Myanmar – formerly known as Burma – is a fast-evolving Eastern

address. All entries must

destination, offering glorious landscapes, a Buddhist culture in which

be received by midnight on

music, arts and craftsmanship thrive, and towns unspoilt by modern

October 9 2014. For full

tourism. Once a final frontier of adventure travel, the country has

terms and conditions see

flourished under the gradual influx of tourists; visitors come for the

telegraph.co.uk/myanmar.

culture and architecture, but their memories are usually of its graceful, warm people, verdant landscapes and vibrant towns. Buddhist temples abound – with Bagan’s 4,000 stupas a rival to many of the world’s most famous religious sites – and much of its population still wears traditional dress. It also has an abundance of

New way to see Burma The Sanctuary Ananda (centre) has been

ancient sites to visit, from temples dotted across hundreds of miles of

built to transport guests in great comfort; on-board extras include

countryside to a “Golden Rock� which teeters at the edge of a chasm.

a pool and a spa (above). Top: Monks walk amid golden stupas

Grey Glacier, Torres del Paine Valle del Elqui, Atacama

If you can imagine being in a place where mountains are made of water, come to Chile. if not... come to Chile.

For more information about a tailor-made trip to Chile, please call:

Abercrombie & Kent on 0845 485 1137 or email info@abercrombiekent.co.uk

LOT

15

BID FOR A LIFE-CHANGING HOLIDAY

At our Ultratravel 100 awards in May, John Sankoh received a standing ovation after an inspiring speech about his work with young people in Sierra Leone. Here, he explains why bidding for a luxury holiday in our Silent Auction could not just enhance your own life next year, but transform the lives of children and youths around the world for ever

“W

hen I was invited to speak at the Ultratravel 100 awards in London, I was thrilled. Not only was the event a wonderful celebration of travel, but it also gave me a chance to talk about an exciting international development agency that this year will benefit from the awards’ annual silent auction, in which we hope you will bid. Restless Development, one of the most incredible global development agencies to emerge in recent times, is unlike any other organisation because it is led entirely by young people on the ground. It specialises in training young people in all sorts of fields so they can first help themselves, and then use their skills to transform their communities. The work they do changes not just a few lives, but that of hundreds of thousands of children and young people around the world. Whether leading post-conflict development in my home country of Sierra Leone, tackling HIV in Zambia or training thousands of unemployed young people in Uganda so they can find work, Restless Development creates opportunities for young people so they can create change. In the past 28 years these young people have developed into a network of 17,000 young adults, who have reached out and helped more than seven million children

Working for change John Sankoh at the awards; editor Charles Starmer-Smith with Alex Polizzi; Restless Development volunteers in Sierra Leone

and youths in Africa and Asia. Growing up in Sierra Leone, I have seen the good that they do first-hand. When I was a child, the country was being devastated by conflict. For 10 years my family had to run and take shelter wherever we could. When, finally, in 2002, one of the most vicious wars that Africa has ever seen came to an end, I was 16. Only then could I at last believe that things might be a bit more “normal�: that I wouldn’t have to sleep under my bed every night, or at bus stops, as I did during the times we had to keep moving for fear of being killed. While many charities failed to listen to young people, Restless Development did, working with us and empowering us to lead the peace process and the development of our own country. Together we have created extraordinary change. Today, though, we are up against yet another challenge. The country is dealing with something we’ve never had to face before: the worst Ebola outbreak in history. Restless Development is being called on to support the communities that have been affected, and lead the response to try and stem this terrible disease. At the moment our work is not only life-changing but life-saving. You can help to raise funds for our work by bidding for a holiday. So please bid generously. Thanks and good luck.�

HOW TO BID We are inviting you, our readers, to bid for the 21 lots listed on the following page, erring, please, on the generous side. To take part, send your bid, stating clearly which prize and lot number you are bidding for, how much you are bidding, and your name, address, email address and telephone number, to ultrabids@restlessdevelopment.org The winning bid for each lot will be the highest received by Restless Development by midnight on Sunday October 19 2014. The highest bidder for each lot will be contacted and asked to send payment within two weeks. On receipt of the cheque, each winner will be sent the prize vouchers by registered post. Rooms and flights are subject to availability and, unless otherwise stated, all flights are economy class. Each holiday is for two, and is subject to separate terms and conditions, in addition to those published overleaf; these are available at telegraph.co.uk/ auction or by emailing conditions@ restlessdevelopment.org For more about Restless Development, please see restlessdevelopment.org

LCKI8KI8M<C

LOT

2

LOT

LOT

11

1

THE LOTS ON OFFER Lot 1 A week in the

at The Boma, one Vulture

London, voted by Ultratravel

Three nights’ b&b for two in

Lot 15 A stay at Sir

a Bungalow with plunge pool

Best Hotel in the World

Culture Lunch at MaKuwa-Kuwa

readers as the best new hotel

a Suite at the Kempinski Grand

Richard Branson’s safari

at Huvafen Fushi Maldives,

Donated by Jumeirah Hotels

Restaurant, and airport

in the world.

Hotel des Bains St Moritz.

camp in Kenya

including return transfers

& Resorts and Emirates

transfers from Victoria Falls.

Minimum bid ÂŁ500

Minimum bid ÂŁ800

Donated by Virgin Limited

to the island from MalĂŠ

Five nights’ b&b, for two, in

Minimum bid ÂŁ2,000

Edition

International Airport by

Lot 7 A stay in Bangkok

Lot 12 A stay in Istanbul

Four nights for two at Mahali

speedboat. Minimum bid ÂŁ500

at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai –

Lot 4 A stay in the

Donated by Kempinski

Donated by Kempinski

Mzuri safari camp, including all

voted by Ultratravel readers

Best Hotel in Europe

Three nights’ b&b for two in

Three nights’ b&b for two in

meals, drinks, daily game drives

as the best hotel in the world –

Donated by Four Seasons

an Executive Suite at the Siam

a One Bedroom Suite at the

and return road transfers from

Lot 19 A stay at Niyama

and Business Class flights

Hotels and Resorts

Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.

Ciragan Palace Kempinski

Mara North Airstrip.

Maldives

from the UK.

Two nights’ b&b, for two, in

Minimum bid ÂŁ800

Istanbul.

Minimum bid ÂŁ2,000

Donated by Per Aquum

Minimum bid ÂŁ8,000

a Deluxe Room at the Four

Minimum bid ÂŁ800

Seasons Hotel George V, Paris –

Lot 8 A stay in Abu Dhabi

Lot 2 A seven-night

voted by Ultratravel readers as

Donated by Kempinski

Mediterranean cruise

the best hotel in Europe.

Donated by Cunard

Minimum bid ÂŁ500

Seven nights, for two, in a

Resorts and Spas Lot 16 A week in St Lucia

Two nights’ b&b for two in

Lot 13 A stay in the

Donated by Anse Chastanet

a Beach Studio at Niyama

Three nights’ b&b for two in

Maldives

Resort

Maldives.

a Khaleej Suite at the Emirates

Donated by Banyan Tree

Seven nights’ half-board for two

Minimum bid ÂŁ400

Palace Abu Dhabi.

Hotels & Resorts

in a Premium room at Anse

Minimum bid ÂŁ800

Five nights, full board for two,

Chastanet Resort on the

Lot 20 A stay in Dubai

in an Oceanview Villa at Banyan

Caribbean island of St Lucia.

Donated by Per Aquum

Minimum bid ÂŁ1,500

Resorts and Spas

Brittania Balcony Stateroom

Lot 5 A stay in the Best

on board Cunard’s Queen

Hotel in the Americas

Victoria. The prize includes all

Donated by Four Seasons

Lot 9 A stay in Berlin

Tree Vabbinfaru, including

on-board meals, entertainment

Hotels and Resorts

Donated by Kempinski

airport transfers in the Maldives

and use of the spa. The cruise

Two nights’ b&b over a

Three nights’ b&b for two in

– a 20-minute speedboat ride

Lot 17 A stay in a luxury

a Palm Deluxe Room at the

departs from Venice, Athens

weekend for two in a City-View

a Suite at the Hotel Adlon

from MalĂŠ International Airport.

villa in the Maldives

Desert Palm Dubai.

or Rome. Return UK flights

Deluxe king room, in the Four

Kempinski in Berlin.

Minimum bid ÂŁ2,000

Donated by Park Hyatt

Minimum bid ÂŁ250

are included.

Seasons Hotel New York, voted

Minimum bid ÂŁ800

Minimum bid ÂŁ3,000

by Ultratravel readers as the

Lot 3 A safari at

One night’s b&b for two in

Maldives Hadahaa Lot 14 A golfing holiday

Five nights’ half-board for two

Lot 21 A stay in Provence

best hotel in the Americas.

Lot 10 A stay in Vienna

in Scotland

in a Park Villa at Park Hyatt

Donated by Hotel Crillon

Minimum bid ÂŁ500

Donated by Kempinski

Donated by Gleneagles

Maldives Hadahaa.

le Brave

Three nights’ b&b for two in

Two nights for two at

Minimum bid ÂŁ1,500

Three nights for two in a Deluxe

Victoria Falls Donated by Victoria Falls

Lot 6 A stay in the Best

a Palais Suite at the Palais

Gleneagles – the home of the

Safari Lodge

New Hotel in the World

Hansen Kempinski Vienna.

2014 Ryder Cup – including

Lot 18 A stay at Huvafen

room at Hotel Crillon le Brave in Provence, including breakfast,

Four nights’ b&b, for six, in a

Donated by Rosewood

Minimum bid ÂŁ800

breakfast, gourmet dinner

Fushi Maldives

a bottle of Billecart-Salmon

three-bedroomed Safari Suite at

London

and two rounds of golf for

Donated by Per Aquum

champagne, a picnic for two

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in

Two nights’ b&b for two in a

Lot 11 A stay in St Moritz

each guest.

Resorts and Spas

and use of the hotel’s tandem.

Zimbabwe – including a dinner

Premier Suite at Rosewood

Donated by Kempinski

Minimum bid ÂŁ600

Two nights’ b&b for two in

Minimum bid ÂŁ500

TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1 All lots are subject to their own separate terms and conditions. Please familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions for each lot, which will be posted at ultra.travel/auction. 2 This auction is open to residents of the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man aged 18 years or over, except employees of Restless Development, Ultratravel and Telegraph Media Group Limited, their families, agents or anyone else professionally associated with the auction. 3 Details of how to participate form part of the terms and conditions. By submitting a bid in this auction, participants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. 4 The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 5 Bidders may bid for more than one lot, but may make only one bid for each lot. Once submitted, bids may not be withdrawn and you acknowledge that once the Promoter has confirmed you are the highest bidder, you have entered into a legally binding contract to buy the lot you have bid for from the Promoter. 6 Bids must be above the reserve listed for the lot being bid for; in pounds sterling; and received by the Promoter by midnight on Sunday October 19 2014. 7 Successful bidders will be notified within seven days of the closing date of the auction. 8 Late, illegible, incomplete, defaced or corrupt bids, and bids below the reserve for the lot being bid for, will not be accepted. 9 The successful bid for any one lot will be the highest received by the closing date. If two or more bids equal the highest bid, the lot shall be awarded to the bid received first. 10 Successful bidders must remit their payment for the relevant lot within 14 days of notification. 11 If the Promoter is unable to contact a winning bidder within seven days of the closing of the auction, or if the payment is not received within 14 days of a winning bidder being notified, the Promoter reserves the right to award the lot to the next highest bidder. Should there be two or more bids equalling the next highest bid, the lot shall be awarded in accordance with Condition 9, above. The Promoter reserves the right to carry on awarding the lot to the next highest bidder until the reserve is reached. 12 If the Promoter is not able to award a lot for any reason, the Promoter reserves the right to withdraw the lot from the auction. 13 The lots as described are available on the date of publication and are subject to availability. 14 Lots are not transferable and there are no cash alternatives. 15 All holiday vouchers must be used within one year of the successful bidders being notified and are subject to their own separate terms and conditions available at telegraph.co.uk/auction. 16 Events may occur that render the auction impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the Promoter; accordingly, the Promoter may at its absolute discretion vary or amend the auction and the entrant agrees no liability shall attach to the Promoter as a result. 17 Ultratravel is responsible for the publication of this auction. All aspects connected with the provision of the lots are the responsibility of the Promoter: Restless Development, 7 Wootton Street, London SE1 8TG. Registered charity No 1127488. For full details of the Promoter’s terms and conditions, please email conditions@restlessdevelopment.com

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STEVE DUNLOP

a one-bedroom Duplex Suite

SMALL SHIPS – BIG EXPERIENCES WITH NOBLE CALEDONIA

Islands of the Indian Ocean Explore the Maldives and undiscovered islands of the Indian Ocean including Aldabra aboard the MS Island Sky 11th December 2015 to 5th January 2016 Escape the British winter and enjoy the warmth and beauty of the Indian Ocean aboard the MS Island Sky as she undertakes exactly the type of itinerary that suits her many talents best, exploring the islands and atolls of the Maldives and Seychelles, two of the world’s most pristine and picturesque archipelagos. With our purpose built Zodiacs we will land on otherwise inaccessible beaches, explore vast lagoons and coral reefs and encounter some of the most extraordinarily beautiful tropical scenery to be found anywhere in the world. To many travellers this region is without equal, having remained largely free from the ravages of mass tourism. Obviously, such beauty and serenity is best enjoyed with a small number of travelling companions. After all, it would be disappointing to fnd yourself in the company of hundreds on what was a deserted beach. The MS Island Sky is the ideal vessel, and with a maximum of 114 passengers she offers all the comforts of a larger vessel, but with the added luxury of a small number of passengers.

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ne of the many beautiful islands we visit is Aldabra, the world’s largest coral atoll and a World Heritage site. Totally untouched by the modern world, Aldabra has been described by Jacques Cousteau as ‘the last unprofaned sanctuary on this planet’. Being one of the most diffcult places in the world to access and a lack of freshwater has saved Aldabra from any tourism development. There is no landing strip and the only viable means of reaching this untouched region is by ship and the MS Island Sky is one of only a handful of vessels allowed to call at this unique atoll. Aldabra is the last breeding ground of the giant tortoise and in addition to seeing some of these endearing creatures you should encounter dolphins, turtles and whales as well as countless birds including the fightless rail, the last fightless bird in the Indian Ocean. Leaving the Seychelles we will make for the Comoros and the French island of Nzwani and then on to Mozambique, one of the world’s best kept travel secrets. Sailing north along the African coast, we shall then reach Tanzania. Both countries offer exceptional national parks along their coastlines. The last island on our odyssey will be Zanzibar where we will explore its labyrinth of

serpentine alleyways lined with charming Arabic dwellings and flled with the treasures of the East that established its fame; cloves, cinnamon and vanilla. We have many years of experience in operating the vessel in the region which combined with the expertise of our onboard expedition team will result in a truly memorable voyage.

The Itinerary in brief Day 1 - London to Male, Maldives. Fly by

hope to include visits to Meemu, Gaafu and Kaafu Atolls. Our onboard expedition team will be on hand to lead guided walking tours to explore the birds and wildlife on land whilst our snorkel master will take us to some exceptional reefs.

Days 8 to 10 - At sea. Three days at sea to relax onboard as we cross the Indian Ocean to the glorious islands of the Seychelles. Attend the daily lectures and a host of other activities which will be arranged onboard.

scheduled indirect fight.

Day 11 - Mahe, Seychelles. After breakfast Day 2 - Male, Maldives. Arrive this afternoon and transfer to our hotel for an overnight stay.

join the island drive to the nation’s capital of Victoria with its own ‘Big Ben’, the Botanic Gardens and the ruins of a Capuchin mission.

Day 3 - Male, Maldives. Enjoy a relaxing morning using the hotel facilities either enjoying the beach or pool area. This afternoon we will transfer to the MS Island Sky.

Days 4 to 7 - Maldives. We spend four days exploring the beauty of the archipelago. This vast area of ocean is scattered with staggeringly beautiful dots of land surrounded by a cerulean sea. It offers some of the fnest lagoons, beaches and coral reefs in the world. Our day to day schedule will be left in the capable hands of the Captain and Expedition Leader, but we

Day 12 - Aride & La Digue, Seychelles. Sail at frst light to the islands to the north of Mahe. Our frst call will be at Aride one of the fnest and most important seabird islands in the Indian Ocean. Over one million seabirds breed on the island including tropical shearwater and roseate tern and also fve species unique to the Seychelles such as the Seychelles warbler and Seychelles magpie robin. We will enjoy a walk on the island amongst the native woodland. Sail during lunch to nearby La Digue. There is a hint of Henry Moore in the huge granite boulders

that lie like giant sculptures on the brilliant white beaches of the island. Tour the forested nature reserve and the L’Union Estate, a superbly restored 19th century colonial house.

Day 13 - Praslin & Curieuse, Seychelles. Spend the morning on Praslin. We will explore the ‘Vallee de Mai’, the last remnant of the original high-canopied Seychelles palm forest and home to the coco de mer. We will walk its paths looking out for the rare black parrot and enjoying its natural beauty which so overpowered General Gordon. Sail over lunch to Curieuse a rugged island which is an important nesting site for Hawksbill turtles.

Day 14 - St Joseph, Seychelles. We will spend the day exploring the island of St Joseph, an ideal spot for some beachcombing, nature walks and bird watching. In the island’s lagoon there is a huge population of stingrays, healthy numbers of turtles and giant blue mud crabs.

Day 15 - Alphonse, Seychelles. Wake up on Christmas morning in the Alphonse group of islands located directly south of the Amirantes. We will call into Alphonse regarded by many as one of the most beautiful of all the 115 islands in the Seychelles. Its circular lagoon offers perfect

Call us today on 020 7752 0000 for your copy of our brochure.

BOOK EARLY AND SAVE £500 PER PERSON

snorkelling and on an island walk we hope to spot the extremely rare magpie robin.

Day 16 - Farquhar. We spend the day anchoring off Farquhar where we will use our Zodiacs to explore the sparkling lagoon of this remote atoll ringed island of coconut and casuarina trees. The island is a haven for many species of migratory birds providing us with a delightful afternoon of bird watching or snorkelling.

Day 17 - Cosmoledo, Seychelles. Arrive this morning at Cosmoledo where a huge ring of twelve islands circle a lagoon. Many of the atolls are still to be surveyed and we shall explore some of them by Zodiac. This is an important bird area with all three species of booby found in the Seychelles, sooty tern and great frigatebirds. We may also spot the green turtles, skinks and the Madagascar banded lizard. Day 18 - Aldabra, Seychelles. Go ashore to the islands referred to by Sir Julian Huxley as “One of nature’s treasures and should belong to the whole world”. Aldabra is unique and we are privileged visitors by kind permission of the Seychelles government. Every time we call at what is believed to be the world’s largest atoll we fnd something new of interest. Sightings have been made of the extremely rare Whitethroated rail, and indeed whilst exploring by Zodiac it is diffcult to know in which direction to look. The clear blue seas abound with colourful life, the skies are alive with varied birdlife and ashore giant land tortoises forage.

Day 19 - Assumption, Seychelles. Close to Aldabra is the island of Assumption. Early in the 20th century the island was ruthlessly plundered for its vast deposits of guano. Happily, peace has returned to the islands and the wildlife of rare birds and green turtles are once again in abundance. Day 20 - Anjouan, Comoros. This afternoon fnds us in Nzwani, better known by its French name of Anjouan. It is an incredibly picturesque island with forested hillsides and rivers tumbling down to the sea. An island drive will include some beauty spots.

Day 21 - Pemba, Mozambique. This afternoon we will reach Africa and the coastline of Mozambique. We will arrive at Pemba which is located on an enormous turquoise bay ringed by groves of Africa’s botanical icon, the baobab tree. Enjoy a stroll in town with its Portuguese history. Tonight we will welcome in the New Year as we cruise the Mozambique Coast.

MS Island Sky The MS Island Sky is one of the fnest small ships in the world. With a maximum passenger capacity of only 114, the all-suite vessel has the beneft of unusually large accommodation, public areas and spacious outside decks. All suites feature a sitting room area and some have a private balcony. The feeling of luxury is enhanced by the wood panelling and brass, which predominates throughout the vessel conveying the atmosphere of a private yacht. The spacious and fnely decorated public rooms include a lounge, elegant bar, library and a single seating dining room. Outside there is a rear sun deck where meals are served in warm weather under shade, a bar and comfortable deck furniture. On the top deck there is a further observation and sun deck. The atmosphere onboard is akin to a private yacht or country hotel. A little music in the lounge or bar after dinner, talks from the onboard speakers, informative port briefngs from our Expedition Leader and of course good food which may be enjoyed leisurely in the attractive dining room, all contribute to making any voyage aboard the MS Island Sky a memorable experience. After a day ashore you will return to the comfort and peace of a well-run and exceedingly comfortable ship.

Day 22 - Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozambique. Travelling north along the coast we enjoy a day in the Quirimbas National Park, a coastal park set aside recently with assistance from the World Wildlife Fund and one of Mozambique’s most biologically diverse regions. We hope to make an expedition stop to view extensive reef and islet complexes offering outstanding snorkelling amidst 400 species of fsh. We may also visit Ibo, a former Portuguese island of once-elegant palatial mansions. The colony owed its wealth to 18th-century slave and ivory trading. The battlements of the pentagonal main fortress house renowned silversmiths today. Local guides will escort us around the fort and for the ‘birders’ a separate walk will be arranged.

Day 23 - At sea. A fnal day of leisure and time to relax onboard as we sail to our penultimate port of call, Zanzibar.

Day 24 - Zanzibar, Tanzania. Here the colourful harbour will be crowded with dhows, very much setting the scene for our visit to the Arab style city with its long narrow streets, bazaars, houses with overhanging balconies and intricately carved doorways. On a morning tour soak up the timeless atmosphere of Stone Town. The afternoon is free to relax and explore independently or join an optional tour to a spice farm.

Day 25 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to London. Disembark after breakfast and return to London by scheduled indirect fight.

Prices and Inclusions Special offer prices per person based on double occupancy range from £10495 for a standard forward suite to £12195 for an owner’s balcony suite. Suites for sole use from £14695. Price Includes: Economy class scheduled air travel, overnight hotel accommodation in Male on breakfast only basis, 22 nights aboard the MS Island Sky on a full board basis including wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner onboard, shore excursions, expedition team, transfers, port taxes, gratuities onboard and whilst on excursions. Not Included: Travel Insurance, visas, optional excursion in Zanzibar. NB. Ports and itinerary subject to change. Flight schedules have not been released at the time of going to print and therefore the itinerary is subject to change on their release. All special offers are subject to availability. Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations.

Alternatively view or request online at www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

As well as a rich indigenous culture and glorious landscapes, Vietnam today has gourmet restaurants and boutique hotels as

Urban high The hip Chill Sky Bar overlooking Ho Chi Minh City Photographs by Aaron Joel Santos

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METROPOLIS NOW

lavish as any other country in the East. E Jane Dickson travels with local experts to get under the skin of Asia’s new luxury hotspot

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TRAVELIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Eastern elegance Clockwise from top left: the Hotel Metropole; Fusion Maia in Danang; crab in chantilly cream at Hanoi’s La Verticale; Hanoi’s old quarter

team rising from vast kettles of pho, the fragrant noodle broth that fuels Vietnam, gives a wavy, hallucinatory edge to street life in Hanoi. Pavement cafés are no-frills affairs – a scatter of plastic stools no higher than an upturned bucket. Crouched, knees to chin, I am doing my best to convey noodles, slippery as elvers, from bowl to mouth with chopsticks. “What age are you?” asks the café proprietor, a grandmother who stirs soup, semaphores to customers and ushers children out of the way in one graceful movement. Clearly, she thinks she has a giant baby on her hands and kindly takes time to demonstrate the rapid stirand-schloop technique required for safe ingestion of pho. The scene swirling about me in the Vietnamese capital is so various, so densely packed with incident, that it seems the life of five cities has been squeezed into a single, jaw-dropping spectacle. Scooters, impossibly laden with great cantilevered piles of produce, choke the narrow streets in a solid, honking stream. A farmer sputters past on his way to market with a pig carcass riding pillion. A coffin wobbles on the back of a trishaw. There’s a hawker staggering under the weight of a shoulder pole hung with

votives for ancestor worship. And then, as if choreographed by Rodgers and Hammerstein, a blur of moving foamy pink blossom forms into a phalanx of schoolchildren bearing peach trees to celebrate the lunar new year. Although it’s just 50 years since “the American War” brought Vietnam to its knees, its recovery has been spectacular. The liberalising effects of doi moi, the economic reforms implemented in 1986 to create a “socialist-oriented market economy”, are everywhere apparent. And while it is a funny kind of socialism – there is, for example, no free education – free-market competition is joyously embraced. (A shop front advertising “High Class Laundry” is trumped by its neighbour: “High, High Class Laundry”.) I’m privileged to spend a morning at the granite acropolis where the communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh has lain in state since his death in 1969 with Dr Nguyen Huu Ngoc, a distinguished historian who fought French colonialists and American aggressors alongside “Uncle Ho” and later became his official translator. “Ho Chi Minh,” Dr Nguyen tells me, “was essentially a nationalist, a man of the people. But he

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didn’t believe in class struggle. And he would have hated that mausoleum.” What Uncle Ho — whose army marched on flip flops made from motor tyres – would make of the queues outside the Hanoi branches of Gucci and Christian Louboutin is anybody’s guess. Vietnam has effectively transformed from a centuries-old agrarian economy to a service-based economy in the space of a generation. This rapid social and economic change – per capita GDP has doubled in four years – has created an elite hungry for luxury. Owners of Bentleys and BMWs are proud to sit calmly behind their wheels in the sea of scooters. Bridal parties, shiny with hope and hand-sewn sequins, arrange themselves for wedding pictures on the marble steps of western-style shopping malls. And, significantly, the new spirit of openness has sparked a radical overhaul of tourism; the lifting of “movement regulations” in 1997 allowed visitors to travel freely within the country and, more recently, the ministry for tourism has concentrated investment in the “lavish sector”.

beach strip is Lang Co, a six-mile curve of pink-gold sand at the base of the Truong Son mountains. For anyone harbouring a From Here to Eternity fantasy of rolling surf and misty peaks, this is the place to indulge it. In the neighbouring village of Cu Du, a fisherman sculls me across a smooth, jade lagoon in a wicker coracle to inspect the venerable mangrove that is said to ensnare souls in its woody tentacles. By mid-afternoon clouds are boiling up the valley like steam from a giant wok; I’m driven up the aptly named Sea Cloud mountain, slamming around hairpin bends to Hai Van, Vietnam’s highest pass. An immense, faded billboard showing proletarian heroics and crumbling, bullet-pocked pill boxes are reminders that this was the official frontier between communist North Vietnam and the American-controlled South. At the summit, Vietnamese visitors take me for an American. Ho Chi Minh, they tell me, always said that ordinary US citizens were opposed to the “American war”. They seem to believe it. If the political border between North and South Vietnam has been effaced, cultural differences remain distinct. Travelling south, the food is hotter, the mindset more laid-back. And the weather is incomparably better. Ninh Thuan Province, the region with the least rainfall and most sunny days in Vietnam, is also the least developed, but the broad corniche along its spectacular, rugged shoreline suggests it’s gearing up to be the Vietnamese Riviera. For the moment its wildness is part of the attraction – jaguars can still be spotted in Nui Chua National Park and green sea turtles appear almost luminous in the clear waters of the adjoining marine

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nce the preserve of gap-year backpackers and specialist trips for US Army “vets”, Vietnam now boasts five-star hotels and resorts to rival the most luxurious destinations in Thailand or Malaysia. Infrastructure in less visited parts of the country is still rudimentary, but a growing number of bespoke travel services have opened up Vietnam’s 1,900 miles of coastline, unspoiled tropical jungle and ancient heritage to a new wave of upmarket travellers. China Beach in Danang, capital of the South Central region, was once the preserve of US troops on R&R. Now it’s planted with parasols and boasts a Colin Montgomerie golf course, a Michel Roux restaurant (La Maison 1888 at the Intercontinental), and flop-and-relax resorts. Spas offer guests “VIP suites” and caviar facials. Along the streets, hawkers sell handbags with faux European luxury labels and price tags that are a fraction of the real things. Not all of the coastline, thankfully, is as international as Danang. Just 40 minutes’ drive away, in Quang Nam Province, is a world in which water buffalo pull geometrical plough-lines through lime green paddies, and where life goes on as it did 100 years ago. Here, at the celebrated Red Bridge Restaurant, on an inlet of the Thu Bon River, I join a Vietnamese cookery class. It’s something of an eye opener to see the skill and dexterity that goes into fashioning the humble spring roll. Our tutor, Thanh, cuts no corners – we are required to make our own rice paper, steaming thin layers of batter on stretched muslin – but he cheerfully accepts the limitations of his fumbling students. “One Vietnamese minute,” he says, tapping his watch, “that would be about two hours in European time.” Rising, dreamlike, from the waterlands, the former trading port of Hoi An was effectively marooned in the 19th century by the silting of the Thu Bon River. Now a Unesco World Heritage Site, the town is a perfectly preserved architectural cache of pagodas, temples and merchant dwellings strung along the estuary. Immaculate shop fronts and pedestrianised streets seem almost Disneyfied after the chaos of Hanoi; an extravagantly moustached shopkeeper shrugs charmingly when I find him sprinkling the dust of ages on “antique” ceramics. Only yards from the main drag, however, life goes on as it has for centuries. In the 17th-century Fujian Assembly Hall, a shy couple prays before the goddess of fertility and her 12 midwives. Traditional meeting houses are filled with the distinctive click and swipe of mah-jong tiles. Hoi An is famed for its express tailoring and punters are sized up, literally, at a glance. Before I can say, “Let me think about it”, I’m pinned and pleated into shimmering silk. The workmanship is superb and the finished garment can be collected the same day, although it might be a good idea to bring along a favourite piece as a template; local style works a flouncy, Eighties vibe. The South Central Coast’s most secluded and exclusive

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AN ELITE IS HUNGRY FOR LUXURY. OWNERS OF BENTLEYS AND BMWS SIT CALMLY IN A SEA OF SCOOTERS

Sensual pleasures From top: the Red Bridge Restaurant and Cookery School in Hoi An; fine food at Le Beaulieu restaurant in Hanoi; rice terraces in North Vietnam; the exclusive 54 Traditions gallery in Hanoi

reserve. At Po Klong Garai, a pilgrimage site for the Cham people, the salt breeze has softened the edges of fantastical sandstone towers. A few miles down the road, I stop at a Buddhist pagoda under construction, where prefabricated concrete dragons have flashing electric eyes. Workmen, untroubled by health and safety, allow me to climb to the top of the unfinished building where I share Buddha’s view of the countryside, a patchwork of paddies, salt pans and shining carpets of dried shrimp (the main ingredient for the region’s famous fish sauce). In contrast to this hard-hacked region, the Mekong Delta is a kind of tropical Eden, an allegorical illustration of fecundity. Swapping the river boat for a bike, I explore a lacework of tributaries bordered by orchards where unfeasibly large jackfruit hang across my path. Ho Chi Minh City (old Saigon) is the exclamation mark at the end of my odyssey, a sky-scraping city crackling with entrepreneurial energy. There are eight million people and four million motorbikes; all of which, it seems, turn out for the nightly “fast living”, a kind of petrolhead passeggiata, where the young and the restless zoom round the boulevards, just because they can. Crossing the road feels like a senseless act of bravado (the trick is to walk out and trust they’ll drive round you; dither and you’re dead). Far more fun to tour the city on the back of a Vespa. With a thrilling rev and a small yelp, I join the strobing slipstream of red tail lights. Vietnam right now is having the ride of its life. It’d be a shame to miss the action. A nine-day all-inclusive journey with Brown & Hudson (0203 358 0110; brownandhudson.com) exploring the length of Vietnam, staying in luxury hotels (see overleaf), costs from £15,300 per person, including business-class flights, transfers, activities and specialist guides in each destination.

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Including flights, AVIS car hire, Kaikoura whale watching cruise & 17 nights 4-5★ accommodation

Including flights, 10 nights accommodation & 12 meals

Including flights, 16 nights accommodation & 27 meals

11 days/10 nights from £3,349

18 days/17 nights from £2,349

17 days/16 nights from £4,499

Prices are per person, based on 2 people sharing. Valid for selected Mar - May 2015 departures, and subject to availability.

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THE ULTRA GUIDE TO VIETNAM HANOI

contemporary art scene. Photography,

philosophy and a restaurant bursting

Park Hyatt, Ho Chi Minh City

WHERE TO STAY

paintings and sculpture, frequently with

with healthy options make pampering

(0084 8 3824 1234; saigon.park.hyatt.

Sofitel Legend Metropole

a political edge.

feel oddly virtuous.

com; doubles from ÂŁ158). Traditional

(0084 4 3826 6919; sofitel-legend.com;

WHERE TO EAT

WHERE TO EAT

deep comfort in the city’s best location.

doubles from ÂŁ111). An independent

La Verticale (0084 4 3944 6317;

Red Bridge Restaurant and

A female-only floor is popular with

state of orderly luxury in the chaos of

verticale-hanoi.com). Didier Corlou,

Cookery School, Hoi An (0084

women travelling alone.

Hanoi. Charlie Chaplin honeymooned

former head chef at the Metropole,

510 393 3222; visithoian.com).

WHAT TO DO

here, and Joan Baez sang through

celebrates Hanoi’s French influences in

Light, fragrant local food with produce

Vietnam Vespa Adventures,

1972’s “Christmas Bombing� in its

an extraordinary fusion of Vietnamese

sourced from its organic garden.

Ho Chi Minh City (0084 122 299

underground bunker. It has offered

flavours and Gallic savoir faire. An

La Maison 1888, Intercontinental

3585; vietnamvespaadventures.com).

colonial high luxury since 1907, with

11-course tasting menu includes foie

Sun Peninsula, Danang (0084 511

A knowledgeable guide to whizz you

immaculate service and imaginative

gras with lemongrass, lobster with

393 8888; danang.intercontinental.

around the city’s points of historical

extras, such as a chocolate buffet

green rhubarb and vanilla sauce, and

com). Michel Roux’s new, classic

interest, including Gustave Eiffel’s

showcasing Vietnam’s “grand cru�

black sesame ice cream.

French restaurant is run by head chef

soaring Post Office and the moving

chocolate varieties.

Don’s Bistro (0084 4 3719 2828;

StĂŠphane Colliet, formerly sous chef

memorial to Thich Quang Duc, the

WHAT TO DO

dons-bistro.com). Laid-back brasserie

of the Waterside Inn. It’s set in a

Buddhist monk whose self-immolation

Temple of Literature Quoc Tu Giam

with award-winning food on the

colonial-style house overlooking the

shocked the world in 1963.

St, Dong Da District. A well-preserved

shores of the West Lake. Enjoy

sea; open for dinner only.

Chill Sky Bar, Ho Chi Minh City

11th-century Confucian university

jazz and Cuban cigars on the

– the country’s first – which honours

rooftop terrace.

ÂŁ470). Brand new beach resort with

THE SOUTH

Twenty-seven floors up, Saigon’s

Vietnam’s finest scholars and literary

Bun Bo Nam Bo (67 Hang Dieu).

a commitment to “sustainable luxury�.

WHERE TO STAY

hippest cocktail bar offers unbeatable

greats. The pagodas, which seem to

By popular consent, the best street

Fabulously romantic at night, and an

Amanoi, Vinh Hy (0084 68 377 0777;

views across the city at sunset.

float amid incense, are surrounded

food in town. Try the sinus-clearing

emphasis on privacy by day. Beach

amanresorts.com; doubles from ÂŁ537).

WHERE TO EAT

by ponds and gardens fragrant

noodle broth with beef, peanuts,

pavilions have timber decking with

For now, Amanoi feels like a pioneer on

Blanchy Street, Ho Chi Minh City

with frangipani.

fresh mint and lime.

pools, hot tubs and canopied day-beds.

Vietnam’s wild frontier. Curved grey

(0084 8 3823 8793; blanchystreet.com).

Fusion Maia Danang (0084 511 396

roofs of enormous pavilions disappear

Chef Martin Brito, formerly of Nobu,

Thanh Chuong Viet Palace (0084 4

(0084 8 3827 2372; chillsaigon.com).

2991 2970; http://thanhchuongartist.

THE CENTRAL COAST

7999; maiadanang.fusion-resorts.com;

into the granite-strewn landscape;

London, has his own distinctive take

com.vn). Vernacular buildings brought

WHERE TO STAY

doubles from ÂŁ280). Clean lines and a

swimming pools sit within natural rock

on Japanese cuisine. The wagyu beef

stone by stone from across Vietnam

Banyan Tree, Lang Co (0084 54 369

serene atmosphere at this small spa

formations. A sleek little beach club

with truffle teriyaki is terrific; the sushi

and set in beautifully planted gardens

5888; banyantree.com; doubles from

resort. First-rate massages, a holistic

has kayaks for exploring sea caves.

is the best in Saigon.

by artist-curator Thanh Chuong. The water-puppet theatre is a great hit with children. WHERE TO SHOP 54 Traditions (0084 4 3175 0194; 54traditions.com.vn). This boutique sells museum-quality antiques and indigenous crafts from Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. They’re pricey, but profits help to support development in rural communities. Art Vietnam (0084 4 3862 3184; artvietnamgallery.com; by appointment only). Art dealer Suzanne Lecht has turned her home into a stunning exhibition space for Hanoi’s flourishing

LCKI8KI8M<C

A new light Lamps in Fusion Maia Danang, top. Far left: Chef Don Berger, of Don’s Bistro in Hanoi. Left: the pool at Amanoi

Unbridled passion The racecourse at the Kentucky Derby, right. Elaborate hats and brightly coloured dresses are de rigueur for women, far right

LCKI8KI8M<C

THE RACIEST PLACE IN AMERICA The Kentucky Derby is more than just one of the world’s great race meetings – it is a joyous, life-affirming party and a celebration of southern American hospitality. Max Davidson declares it a winner

L

ong before the horses canter down to the starting gates for the 140th Kentucky Derby, roared on by thousands in the grandstands, the excitement has been mounting. The build-up to America’s most famous horse race is so protracted that it seems to affect everyone and everything. Even our flight to Kentucky from Chicago has been delayed, and for the most bizarre reason: so many Derby-bound women are clutching so many hat boxes that there is no room for them in the overhead lockers. Horses’ faces stare out from every newspaper and television screen. In the hotels, in the bars, on the streets, the conversation is of little else. Will the pre-race favourite, California Chrome, live up to its billing? Or is there an equine superstar lurking among the outsiders? Dance with Fate, perhaps? Or Vicar’s In Trouble? Americans call the Derby “the most exciting two minutes in sport” and, if you are lucky enough to have a ringside seat, you can see why. It is like Royal Ascot and the Grand National rolled into one. Royal Ascot because everyone gets out their glad rags; the Grand National because half the country has a bet on it, even if it is the only bet they place all year. But there the similarities stop. The razzmatazz and the hoopla surrounding the race have no parallel in the UK. Only the Melbourne Cup in Australia – “the race that stops a nation” – is fit to be mentioned in the same breath. The Derby is run at Churchill Downs, on the outskirts of Louisville, on the first Saturday in May, and for Kentuckians and non-Kentuckians alike, is the focus of attention for days, if not weeks, beforehand. Kentuckians, as a rule, are a modest breed. They prize common sense above extravagance and will tell you that Abraham Lincoln, who was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, embodied the no-nonsense values

LCKI8KI8M<C

G OODWOOD H O RS E R ACING CL UB Become a Member of the world’s most beautiful racecourse

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of his home state. “We love rivers, mountains, old people, pretty horses and fast women” jokes a poster in a café window in Frankfort, the state capital. It is a beguiling little town, full of quirky craft shops and gracious tree-lined streets, and by the time we have had a sumptuous supper at Serafini, a chic new Italian restaurant, we are starting to get a taste of Kentucky hospitality that goes way beyond fried chicken. For anyone wanting to combine a visit to the Derby with a fly-drive holiday in the area, there is no shortage of options. Julian Unthank and his wife, from Hampshire, whom we meet in a café in Frankfort, are going to the Derby, but not before they have visited a few bourbon distilleries, another of the state’s top tourist attractions. “We drink a lot of bourbon at home, so it is fascinating to explore the history of Jim Beam and the other famous brands,” says Unthank. About 90 per cent of the world’s bourbon comes from the state, and the rickety old distilleries, tucked away down side roads like guilty secrets, form an entire sub-culture. For connoisseurs, there is a special Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which sounds like a glorified pub crawl, but actually showcases a rich slice of American heritage. The Bluegrass State – as Kentucky is known because of the richness of its pastures – is the horse capital of the America, a place where pedigree counts and tradition is everything. It is not one of the biggest American states, but it feels big. Generous highways sweep past areas of dense woodland, before winding up into the mountains or crossing big rivers such as the Tennessee and Ohio, which border Kentucky. But you don’t have to drive far before seeing a horse out of the car window. In the central belt, around Lexington, you pass horse farm after horse farm, with the thoroughbreds of the future cavorting around fields demarcated by white picket fences. One of the most prestigious establishments, Gainsborough, is owned by Sheikh Mohammed, the prime minister of Dubai, and when you start totting up the cost of all the horse flesh on display – stud fees are well in excess of $500,000 – your head starts to spin at the unbridled extravagance of the sport of kings. But the beauty of the Derby, like all the world’s premier sporting events, is that it transcends class and wealth. This really is the people’s race, watched live by nearly 170,000 spectators and by millions on television. High and low alike get swept up in the party atmosphere, from the celebrities attending eve-of-Derby gala balls, posing for photographs on the red carpet, to the ordinary punters holding impromptu picnics in the sprawling car parks that seem to cover half of Louisville. Our own

never-to-be-forgotten day at the races – on the Governor’s special Derby Train from Frankfort – couldn’t be more luxurious. From the comfort of our Pullman car, sipping mint juleps, we watch the Kentucky countryside glide past: clapboard farmhouses, buckled with age; cows grazing beside a stream; a man in blue dungarees on a tractor, with his dog beside him; golf courses; cemeteries; neatly trimmed lawns; a tiny Baptist church, brilliant in the sun. Behind us in the observation car, there is a band playing bluegrass music, each song cheesier than the last. “I knew I was lucky, ’cos I was born in Kentucky…” But we wouldn’t want Bach or Beethoven. This is America at its folksy best, one of the most heart-warming places on the planet. Every twang of the banjo is a joy. Louisville is the biggest city in Kentucky and probably best known as the home of Muhammad Ali, the Louisville Lip. The downtown, a maze of skyscrapers, could be any busy American conurbation. But the outlying suburbs, with their detached houses, spruce lawns and spreading magnolias, have the elegance of an earlier age. Our train deposits us half a mile from the course, and we catch a bus to our final destination, Millionaires Row, a grandstand packed to bursting with hospitality suites, each more exclusive than the last, and each offering superb views of the course. Who is that down in the paddock, shiny pate gleaming? Rupert Murdoch, no less, chatting to Rand Paul, a Kentucky senator and rising star of the Republican Party. Where better to combine business and pleasure than at this party of parties? Purely as a fashion parade, it takes some beating. The women’s hats alone – from simple fascinators to pinkand-black creations that look like elaborate sculptures – are worth the price of admission. A day at the races in Kentucky is far more leisurely than any British equivalent. There is a full hour between each race, which gives us time to linger over one of those epic American lunches that do so much harm to the waistline. Next to us at the lunch table is Jason Dufner from Alabama, one of America’s top golfers, and his fashion-model wife, looking ridiculously beautiful in an electric blue dress and matching hat. “What d’yall fancy in this race?” asks Jason. I plump for Midnight Lucky, on the rigorously scientific principle that it rhymes with Kentucky. It wins! In the next race, I go for Global View because that’s what I like American presidents to have. It also wins! Jason and his wife look at me as if I am Einstein. The betting system is slightly different from that in England. You back

Horse play Frankfort, the gracious capital of Kentucky, above left. This year’s winner, California Chrome, ridden by Victor Espinoza, top, and celebratory cocktails, above

IT’S AMERICA AT ITS FOLKY BEST, ONE OF THE MOST HEARTWARMING PLACES

LCKI8KI8M<C

a horse for a win, a place (first or second) or to show (first, second or third). And the race track itself – dirt rather than grass – takes a bit of getting used to. After one race, we go down to the paddock and take snaps of the returning jockeys, in their bright silks, their goggles splattered with sand. And now it is nearly 6pm, and the Derby itself, scheduled for 6.24pm, is nearly upon us. As the horses appear from the bowels of the grandstand, to roars you could hear in Chicago, everyone stands to sing My Old Kentucky Home, another great Derby Day tradition. “Weep no more, my lady…Oh, weep no more today… We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home…. for the old Kentucky home far away…” Why are there tears welling in my eyes? My home is nowhere near Kentucky. I am a stranger in these parts. Because that’s what sport, and the rituals of sport, do to you. The newspapers the next day will record that the favourite, California Chrome, romped to victory, powering past the field in the home straight like an equine Ferrari. But they won’t convey the pent-up excitement, the yells of encouragement, the fist-pumping, the tsunami of emotion. After the race, in yet another tradition, the winning

ULTRA GUIDE THE WORLD’S TOP 5 RACE DAYS PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE, PARIS

person. The price includes club house

DUBAI WORLD CUP

October 4-5 2014

seats and lunch in Sirona’s restaurant at

March 28 2015

British racegoers flock to Paris for

Santa Anita Park.

The Dubai World Cup has established itself

Arc weekend (below right), which is

as a premier day of international racing

highlighted by Europe’s most prestigious

MELBOURNE CUP

with the richest races in the world; total

THE PAPERS CAN’T CONVEY THE PENT-UP EXCITEMENT, THE TSUNAMI OF EMOTION

and valuable race, the Prix de l’Arc de

November 1-4 2014

prize money is more than £17million,

Triomphe. As well as the Arc there are

The Melbourne Cup is the most famous

including the Dubai World Cup, which is

seven other Group 1 races on Arc Sunday.

and richest handicap race in the world,

worth nearly £6million. Meydan

Horse Racing Abroad (01244 355 580;

run over a gruelling two miles. It takes

Racecourse (above), which has a capacity

horseracingabroad.com) offers three

place on the first Tuesday of November

of 60,000, was built for the event. As

nights at the Four Seasons Hotel George V

and has long been referred to as “the

you would expect, race day is super-glitzy.

in a deluxe room, including return tickets

race that stops the nation”. Melbourne

Emirates (01625 445 200; emirates.com)

on Eurostar from King’s Cross St Pancras,

becomes a carnival city and the

can arrange flights to Dubai and four

from £2,569 per person. The price includes

Australians party as only they know how.

nights b&b at the Address Downtown

horse is draped with a blanket of red roses, while the winning owner is presented with a trophy of solid gold. More hoopla, more cheering, more flashing cameras. Then, finally, the Derby is over for another year. There are still two more races on the card, but the vast crowds start to filter away, tired but happy. I have never seen so many smiles in one place – and that is before we board our train back to Frankfort and yet another round of mint juleps and dancing and back-slapping. The day after the Derby, we find ourselves in Bardstown, Kentucky, one of the prettiest small towns in America, every street immaculate, every house a picture. When Stephen Foster, often called the father of American music, wrote My Old Kentucky Home, it was Bardstown he had in mind. The handsome 19th-century mansion where he lived, now a museum, could be a backdrop for Gone With the Wind, flanked by tall trees swaying in the breeze. After the mayhem at Churchill Downs, Bardstown is an oasis of tranquillity, with people pottering around craft shops. But a little of the excitement still lingers. Outside one shop, there is a handwritten sign that sums up the charm of America’s greatest horse race. “Trot on in,” it reads. And, underneath: “364 days to the Derby”.

a four-course lunch in a private room

The event has become a four-day festival

Dubai from £1,445 per person.

on Arc day and a grandstand seat in the

(starting on November 1) of horse racing,

HRA Pavilion.

entertainment, fashion and culture.

L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE,

Bridge & Wickers (020 3411 0711;

CAPE TOWN

BREEDERS’ CUP, CALIFORNIA

bridgeandwickers.co.uk) can tailor-make

January 10 2015

October 31-November 1 2014

a Melbourne Cup package from £2,289

South Africa’s answer to Royal Ascot is a

The finale to the flat season, the Breeders’

per person. The price includes an eight-

swish affair held at Kenilworth Race Course

Cup brings together some of the best of

night stay in a club deluxe room at the

in Cape Town. The dress code for men and

the world’s thoroughbred horses from

Park Hyatt (15 minutes’ drive from the

women is strictly blue and white, with

America, Europe, UK and the Middle East

course), Qantas flights from Heathrow

prizes given for the best outfit. The race is

for 14 races over two days — Saturday

and transfers.

sponsored by Anthonij Rupert Wines,

is the big day. The event began in 1984

whose L’Ormarins wine estate gives its

and horses run on turf and dirt for prize

name to the race, although it was first run

money in excess of £15million. The Cup

in 1861 in honour of Queen Victoria. Enjoy

moves around American racetracks, but

a day of top racing and people watching –

this year will take place at Santa Anita Park

this is a glam, sun-bronzed crowd.

in Arcadia, California, for the third year

L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (0027 71 100

running. With big bets being placed, this is

5329; lqp.co.za) offers a Chef’s Table day

a place to show off.

for R2,500 (£138) which includes exclusive

Horse Racing Abroad (01244 355 580;

dining near the rail, private tote and

horseracingabroad.com) has five nights at

bar facilities, and access to the Style

the Westin Pasadena with British Airways

Lounge Village post-race party.

flights from Heathrow, from £2,450 per

SIMON HORSFORD

Packages in VIP grandstands

from £9,145 per person, with

centre; the best room is the

0783; 610.magnolia.com) is

Louisville mansion. The five-

are the only way to avoid

entertainment, tickets to

Rooftop Apartment.

the most prestigious Louisville

course dinner menu is $65,

queues and crowds; they

Millionaires Row, Kentucky Oaks

The Brown Hotel, Louisville

restaurant for Derby weekend

exclusive of wine.

offer guaranteed tickets, food,

and Derby, business-class

(001 502 583 1234; brownhotel.

dinner. The six-course dinner

drink and shelter from the

flights with Delta to Louisville

com; doubles from $279).

menu costs $95.

GETTING ROUND IN STYLE

sun and rain.

and five nights at the Galt

Originally built in 1923 in an

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

R & R Limousine (001 502 458

House Hotel in Louisville,

English Renaissance style, a

on West Main Street (001 513

1862; rrlimo.com) offers luxury

HOW TO BOOK

including soft drinks and

Muhammad Ali Suite,

784 1200; jeffruby.com) is

transport, from private jets to

Derby Experiences (001 888

gourmet food buffet, VIP Fast

containing signed Ali

where the beautiful people

stretch limousines. Mint Julep

384 7088; derbyexperiences.

Access Pass, and tour of two

21cmuseumhotels.com;

memorabilia. Three-night

eat the juiciest steaks in stylish

Tours (001 502 583 1433;

com) and America As You

bourbon distilleries.

doubles from $239/£140).

packages over the Derby start

surroundings. Dinner from

mintjuleptours.com) offers

A 90-room boutique hotel

at $4,800 for deluxe doubles.

about $100 per person.

tours of the state, from bourbon

Corbett’s (001 502 327 5058;

country and Kentucky’s horse

Like It (0208 742 8299; americaasyoulikeit.com) offer

WHERE TO STAY

incorporating a contemporary

packages, from day excursions

The 21c Museum Hotel,

art museum, award-winning

WHERE TO EAT

corbettsrestaurant.com) offers

farms to the buildings of

at £470 to three-day packages

Louisville (001 502 217 6300;

restaurant and cultural civic

610 Magnolia (001 502 636

elegant dining in an historic

historic Louisville.

LCKI8KI8M<C

ALAMY; AP; EYEVINE; GETTY; ISTOCKPHOTO

HOW TO DO THE KENTUCKY DERBY IN STYLE

ÄąntellÄągence ULTRA

EDITED BY LISA GRAINGER

A LITTLE PLACE I KNOW Il Borro, San Giustino Valdarno, Italy

W

hen the Italian fashion magnate Ferruccio Ferragamo – son of the famous shoemaker Salvatore – discovered Il Borro in 1985 while hunting in Tuscany, he had no intention of buying a medieval hamlet. The hillside village, once owned by the Savoy dynasty, was in a severe state of disrepair and, in spite of being surrounded by

fertile land, its inhabitants were struggling to make a living. “I fell in love with the landscape; and the village, which dates back to 1039, is utterly

Ageing beauty The infinity pool at Il Borro, top. Clockwise from left: the restored hamlet; chef Andrea Campani and his team; the grand entrance to the neighbouring villa and estate

charming,â€? he explains. In 1993 he bought not just the semi-derelict medieval hamlet, but its neighbouring grand villa that had been half-destroyed during the Second World War and 1,730 acres of estate. In the past decade he has spent much of his life restoring it, and last year he opened the entire property as a Relais & Chateaux hotel. Il Borro is unlike any other hotel, though. For a start, its rooms are not in one block, but spread throughout the estate. For families, or those who want privacy, there are three villas (one is the grand manor house, sleeping 10, with its own pool and Italianate gardens) and five farmhouses, surrounded by vineyards. The other 25 suites are housed in the medieval village on top of a hill – linked to the estate by a stone bridge – which has been restored piece by piece by local craftsmen. Walls have been rebuilt in stone and fine brick; floors laid in oak and terracotta; ceilings created using enormous beams; windows shaded by wooden shutters. There are even eight shops housing artisans – from a shoemaker to a jeweller – and a church, presided over by the same priest since 1941, who is now busier than ever, conducting weddings. While the village’s exteriors look authentically medieval, Ferragamo has gutted the interiors to provide the sort of 21st-century luxuries that visitors expect of a high-end property. As well as handsome Italian antique furnishings, rooms have airconditioning, mini-kitchens with espresso-makers and fridges, and mosaic-walled bathrooms with standalone baths and Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries. Best of all, the town has two restaurants, run by one local chef, Andrea Campani, whose Osteria del Borro (osteriadelborro.it) has already become a gastro-destination, serving such sensational local dishes as smoked rabbit pappardelle, pea-and-goat’scheese soup and espresso brĂťlĂŠe, accompanied by the “Super Tuscanâ€? Il Borro red wine. The estate also offers horse-riding, golf, tennis, mountain-biking and cultural excursions (Florence, Siena and Arezzo are less than an hour away). Il Borro, San Giustino Valdarno, Italy (0039 055 977 053; ilborro.it) has rooms from

FOR THE LATEST IN LUXURY TRAVEL telegraph.co.uk/ luxurytravel

â‚Ź320 (ÂŁ256) per night, and villas from â‚Ź1,500 per night, breakfast included.

LCKI8KI8M<C

TRAVEL BY NUMBERS

ÂŁ25,000,000,000 The amount of money now spent on travel by the over-50s in Britain

67

The number of enquiries veryfirstto.com received for the world’s first £1 million pound holiday, a two-year luxury trip visiting 150 countries

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

Residents on One Foot Island, in the Cook Islands. Visitors must leave at sundown when they hear a drum beat

90

The amount of pounds per square inch of pressure in an uncorked champagne bottle – about three times that of a car tyre

attentive staff, including a housekeeper and

There is also a tray set with jars of rich biscuits,

Broadway, Worcestershire (01386 852711;

a charming butler. Courses in yoga, painting and

a Nespresso coffee machine; a tablet loaded

foxhillmanor.com)

history are offered on the surrounding estate,

with local information and maps; a Ruark radio;

FROM ÂŁ3,500 per night, b&b, for the house,

and can be arranged privately in the house.

free Wi-Fi; and a pantry on the landing filled

plus ÂŁ1,500 on food and drink for 2-16 guests.

THE DETAILS Situated on the ground floor, the

with snacks and drinks made in local villages.

USP The 753sq ft Oak Suite is without doubt the

Oak Suite doesn’t have the views of those

most romantic of the eight capacious rooms in

upstairs, but overlooks pretty formal gardens

room seating 20 and a lively, bright media room

Foxhill Manor in the Cotswolds, which has

and is enormous, with its own dressing room

piled high with games, high-tech gadgetry and

glorious views of forest and countryside and

lined in dark oak and floored with antique

numerous beanbags to lounge upon.

the quaint town of Broadway from its hilltop

parquet. The focal point of the living space –

position. The imposing Arts and Crafts Grade

with open fireplace – is the king-sized

House, is a few minutes’ drive away, and the

I-listed house was built in 1908 for the Maudslay

four-poster, covered in a quilted white cotton

Manor’s guests have access to its slick,

family, whose son Henry was one of the pilots

throw and piled high with big puffy pillows clad

spacious spa, with infinity pool, sauna and

killed in the Dambuster raid during the Second

in rich cotton. But it’s the baths that are the

steam rooms, and Veuve Clicquot nailbar,

World War. Its current Danish owners, the

knockout feature: a pair positioned just in front

where fizz is dispensed to help dispel boredom

Sorensen family, have spent more than

of the original leaded windows with a table

during pedicures. Rising-star chef Jon Ingram

ÂŁ2 million converting it from estate offices into a

between them set with an iced silver

oversees the neighbouring Garden Room

grand villa, with a ballroom big enough to seat

champagne bucket and glasses, and aromatic

restaurant, where locals regularly return for

80 people, pretty Japanese gardens, and

Temple Spa toiletries.

such specialities as light-as-air rhubarb soufflĂŠ.

MASTERCLASS

ULTRA APP

LESSONS FROM GLOBAL EXPERTS CAVIAR

Elsewhere in the manor is a ballroom, dining

Foxhill Manor’s sister property, Dormy

SOUVENIR SEARCH

Top10.com

The Moscow-born food writer Anya von Bremzen is the author of the acclaimed Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking What is caviar? Unfertilised salt-cured fish eggs from sturgeon — some 26 species. No other fish qualifies.

A slick new app that lets travellers find a hotel room wherever they are. Select dates, location and hotel type – such as luxury, budget or boutique – and the app will quickly select the best 10 hotels that meet those criteria and list the best online deals available. Picture galleries, a full list of amenities, maps and reviews make choosing and booking a cinch.

Where does the best caviar come from?

Is there any difference between farmed

Historically, from the Caspian Sea (either Russia

and wild caviar?

or Iran), but much of the sturgeon fishing there

Because of overfishing and the various bans, I’d

is no longer sustainable, so one has to look

only recommend sustainable, farmed varieties.

elsewhere. Galilee Caviar from Israel is highly

The best way to eat it?

prized, and California also produces great stuff.

We Russians eat it on good white bread with a

What is the difference between the

bit of butter or on blini and use mother-of-pearl

Noble soles

different varieties?

or glass spoons, nothing metallic. And no onion,

In the 1800s, the Scheer family were

Size, colour, mouth-feel and salt level. Beluga

lemon juice or trimmings that mask the taste.

made shoemakers to the Hapsburg

is the most expensive and prized, but I love the

What drinks best go with it and why?

court, in charge of cladding the feet of

greyer nuttier, milder ossetra. Sevruga tends

Champagne is traditional, but I’d recommend a

Austrian and German emperors and

to be cheaper and brinier.

clean-tasting, high-grade chilled vodka, such as

European kings. Today, the seventh-

Why is some so much more expensive?

Beluga. Again, nothing that masks the taste.

generation shoemaker Markus Scheer

It depends on the exact sturgeon species and

Restaurants famous for caviar?

has Hollywood, as well as politicians,

its availability, as well as the curing, aging and

The Caviar Bar at Grand Hotel Europe in St

coming into his wood-panelled

fish maturity. The best eggs are large, glossy,

Petersburg has wonderful caviars from trusted

boutique to have lasts made, from

buttery, smooth-tasting, but also complex. The

suppliers, with sumptuous interiors to match.

which he crafts shoes with leather from

cheaper stuff tends to be darker and saltier.

The best places to buy it online?

stingray to buffed Austrian cowhide.

Caviar is now farmed in the UK – will it be

London Fine Foods (londonfinefoods.co.uk)

Pairs cost from ÂŁ3,000; parents in

any different from Russian?

and Imperial Caviar (imperialcaviar.co.uk).

search of gifts for children might

Much of the Russian caviar I’ve had recently

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking:

consider the shop’s ingenious gold

was of a poor quality, so I’d try domestic farmed

A Memoir of Food, Family and Longing is

shoe polish (scheer.at).

varieties, such as Britain’s Exmoor Caviar.

published by Black Swan, ÂŁ8.99.

LCKI8KI8M<C

ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT SHADBOLT; ALAMY

0

OAK SUITE, FOXHILL MANOR,

Three hours, 30 nautical miles and one underwater cavern ago, she questioned his sense of adventure. The Continental. For more information, call 0845 689 1607 or visit www.TheLuxuryOfSpontaneity.com. #Continental #GTV8S Continental GT V8 S fuel consumption in mpg (l/100 km)*: Urban 18.4 (15.4); Extra Urban 36.7 (7.7); Combined 26.8 (10.6). CO2 Emissions 246 g/km. *Fuel consumption fgures subject to Type Approval. The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2014 Bentley Motors Limited. Model shown: Continental GT V8 S

‘I love Jamaica’s humid heat, its smells that remind me of my childhood, and the food that nourishes my soul’

aomie Harris, 38, was educated at Cambridge University and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She played Winnie Mandela in the film adaptation of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom to great acclaim, and was the first black actress to take the role of Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film Skyfall. Other well-received performances have included Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean and Selena in 28 Days Later. Next year she will star opposite Ewan McGregor in Our Kind Of Traitor, based on the novel by John le CarrÊ. How many holidays do you take a year? For a long time, I didn’t take holidays abroad. Because I travel so much for work, a holiday to me meant having time at home in London, pottering about the house and visiting friends. Now I have proper holidays about three or four times a year. I particularly love going to Italy; its food is so delicious. Where next? Hopefully Thailand, as I’ve heard the Thais are gentle and kind, the food is great, and it’s so beautiful and peaceful. Do you travel light? No, I am the worst packer in the world. Given how much I travel, I should be a pro, but it takes me a whole day to pack. I always want to take

TRAVELLING LIFE Naomie Harris everything just in case. I’m always the person

counter, where I could watch the chef, Luke Dale-

Luxurious things you love?

of our crew couldn’t leave his hut for a few hours

at check-in paying for excess baggage.

Roberts, prepare my food and chat to him about

I adore being pampered, so for me no holiday is

as a leopard had been spotted on his roof.

Any specific luggage?

what inspires him. An unforgettable experience.

complete without a trip to the spa for a shiatsu

Do you like adventure holidays?

One of my friends, Caroline Evans, owns a

If you could have supper anywhere in the

massage and reflexology.

I’m more of a beach person. But, while I was

luggage company, Moncrief, that I’m obsessed

world where would it be?

Simple things you love?

filming Long Walk to Freedom in South Africa,

with. Each bag is handmade by artisans in Italy

Jamaica. I love the humid heat, the smells that

Great food that hasn’t been fussed with too much,

I went on safari to the Black Rhino Game Lodge

and takes a month to make. They’re so gorgeous

remind me of my childhood trips there and the

which is why I love the fresh, pure tastes of Italian

(blackrhinogamelodge.com). I loved the incredible

that I only ever take them as hand luggage; they

food, which nourishes my soul and connects me

cuisine. A restaurant I recommend is Osteria della

sunrises and sunsets.

are way too precious to put in the hold.

to my roots.

Brughiera in Bergamo. You start dinner in the wine

The roughest way you’ve ever travelled?

Your favourite city for a weekend away?

What’s your idea of a perfect break?

cellar tasting exquisitely smoked hams and wines

A journey across Ghana on a camel’s back.

I’d rather be in the English countryside than

A good book, sun, beach, massages on tap and

(although I don’t drink, so I skip the wine). Then

It was the most uncomfortable way to travel.

abroad for a weekend. There are so many

my family and a bunch of friends in tow.

you are taken into a charming courtyard covered

Favourite things you have brought abroad?

gorgeous places to visit within a couple of

Favourite holiday spots?

with fairy lights and antique rugs. The owners treat

Shopping is my least favourite activity, which is

hours of London – and that saves all the hassle

I went to Australia recently, and stayed at Byron

you like family and bring out plate after plate of

tough on my family as they never get souvenirs.

of flying. But there are a couple of places I love

At Byron. It is a gorgeous boutique hotel

gorgeous food.

The best airline in the world?

in Europe, like Barcelona for its architecture and

(thebyronatbyron.com.au), with some of the

The most glamorous room you have stayed?

Emirates, which is the most glamorous and

museums, and Ibiza for its year-round sun,

warmest service I’ve ever experienced.

For the Dubai International Film Festival my family

luxurious way to travel.

nightlife and tranquillity, as well as beautiful sea.

The most romantic hotel you’ve been to?

was given a luxury villa at the Madinat Jumeirah

The best places to stay in the UK?

Favourite restaurants abroad?

I am sure that heaven won’t look that dissimilar

(jumeirah.com), with our own private pool, butler

Champneys Tring, the spa in Hertfordshire

Without a doubt The Test Kitchen (thetestkitchen.

to Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali (alilahotels.com/

and rooms the size of football pitches.

(champneys.com). Whenever I need a break

co.za) in Cape Town. Its eight-course tasting menu

uluwatu). It’s perched on the edge of a cliff, has

The most remote place you’ve travelled to?

I head there and spend a few days in a fluffy

was the best meal of my life. Because it is one of

an incredible infinity pool and the staff wander

A basic lodge in Kenya called the Masai Lodge,

bathrobe, having treatments and wandering

the top 50 restaurants in the world there’s a long

around in white and make your life impossibly

where we stayed while filming The First Grader.

around the grounds, and I’m renewed.

waiting list, but I got lucky and had a seat at the

easy and relaxed. I cried when I had to leave.

There were baboons outside my window and one

Interview by Lisa Grainger

LCKI8KI8M<C

PAMELA HANSON/TRUNK ARCHIVE

The British actress on her love of beaches, pampering, simple Italian food and why she cried when leaving Bali

www.chanel.com

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