BOLD Issue #42 Winter Escapes by BOLD Traveller Magazine

Chasing the SUN

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ISSUE #42

CONTENTS WINTER 2017

F E AT U R E S

EDIBLE ISLANDS Best known for beaches and outdoor adventure, the Cayman Islands is reinventing itself as a culinary destination. Our correspondent Sarah Treleaven pulls up to the table

44 EASTERN PROMISE Touring Eastern European cities like Zagreb, RM Vaughan found charm and solace in places that don’t get so much attention – which is part of the appeal

48 PACIFIC IDYLL Agatha Zarzycki ventures far off the radar to explore the Philippines’ Romblon Island, which is much more than a diver’s paradise (though it’s certainly that)

Some key ingredients for a sunny food adventure in the Cayman Islands.

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ISSUE #42

CONTENTS WINTER 2017

EDITOR’S NOTE

CONTRIBUTORS

AG E N DA 19

DESIGN: Toronto’s Moss & Lam takes on Las Alcobas in Napa Valley

ROAD TRIP: Traversing tiny lanes and cow pastures on Ireland’s Achill Island

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: The historic New Orleans music venue, the resurgence of Scottish gin, U by Uniworld and beauty essentials

CRUISE: Is river or ocean cruising the best option for you?

GLOBETROTTER: Athena Varmazis, vice president of Global Loyalty Programs and Rewards at RBC, shares her travel inspirations

FOOD DIARIES: The life of chef Akira Back in photos

THE SCENE: Athens has dramatically upped its style quotient for both him and her

THE LOOK: Inspired by a hillside holiday spot on Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast

STAY: Hotels that everyone must stay at at least once

T R AV E L N AV I GATO R 53

INTEL: What’s back in full swing after the Caribbean hurricane season

BOLD TRAVELLER: Our Insider’s Guide

UPGRADES: BOLD and Exodus travel present the best of Costa Rica

66 At the Red Rooster Shoreditch Restaurant, CC’s deviled eggs are served with chicken skin aioli and duck jerky.

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to Maui

WORTH TRAVELLING FOR:

Las Vegas’s Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand

E D I TO R ’ S N OT E

IN SEARCH OF SUN… AND SOUL

ately I’ve found myself explaining Canuck travelling habits to puzzled non-Canadians. In many regards, we’re not so different than citizens of other countries. We travel for work, of course, and to experience different cultures, to see new landscapes and cityscapes, to make new friends, to rekindle existing bonds, to unwind and indulge ourselves. Many of us are cognisant of global trends or travel according to our personal passions – an intriguing new hotel in Rome, a blockbuster art show in São Paulo or a fishing expedition in the Seychelles. But a life lived north of the 49 th parallel brings with it a further, sometimes desperate motivation: extracting ourselves, if only for a while, from the Canadian winter. We might take a holiday a year that’s guided by our dreams, and then one that’s guided by our outdoor thermometer. The winter escape might be sacred in this country, but it needn’t be ritualized. We can return to favourite sunny destinations with new approaches, like getting off the beach every second day to explore beyond the resort gates. Or we can experiment with possible new favourites. Our winter escapes needn’t be sunny at all, so long as they are able to offer a reprieve from the long nights at home. In this issue, we warm our bodies on two island destinations that offer sun and sand, as well as vibrant local cultures. One, the Cayman Islands (page 38), is closer to home, while the other, Romblon Island in the Philippines (page 48), is further afield. But author, poet and artist RM Vaughan had another kind of escape in mind when he wandered the smaller cities of middle Europe (page 44) looking for the offbeat and the low key. I’m not sure I’d recommend Ireland’s Achill Island (page 21) for a visit in the dead of winter, but I’m hoping it provides inspiration as something to look forward to when the days get longer. Memories of Ireland’s Western Way, which edges around some of the most dramatic beaches, bays and cliffs in the world, have gotten me through some of the coldest nights of the year.

Paul Gallant Executive Editor

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Photo by Irene Corti

ISSUE #42

CONTRIBUTORS WINTER 2017

ON THE COVER

A young diver gets up close and personal with a stingray.

Marlon J. Moreno CEO + Editorial Director Paul Gallant Executive Editor Magda de la Torre Americas Editor

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

RM VAUGHAN Writer

AGATHA ZARZYCKI Writer

EASTERN PROMISE RM Vaughan’s latest book is Bright Eyed: Insomnia and its Cultures.

PACIFIC IDYLL

Born and raised in Calgary, Agatha Zarzycki is a freelance writer who has written for Where Calgary and the Calgary Herald. In 2016 she moved to Busan, South Korea, where she taught English and travelled around Asia. She now lives in Berlin, Germany.

Victoria Bass • Anita Draycott Liz Fleming • Ruth J. Katz Michael Smith • Sarah Treleaven RM Vaughan • Agatha Zarzycki ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Laura García PHOTOGRAPHY Carlos Bolivar • Tishan Baldeo WEB DEVELOPER Rahul Nair SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN Clare Mulvale PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY Jesson + Company jessonco.com info@jessonco.com 77 Bloor St. West, Suite 1200 Toronto, ON. M5S 1M2 ADVERTISING For Advertising, Promotion, Reprints and Sponsorships inquiries: marketing@boldmagazine.ca CORRESPONDENCE The Hudson Bay Centre 20 Bloor St. East P.O. Box 75075 Toronto, ON. M4W 3T3 BOLD® is published bimonthly by Pulso Media Group Inc. Opinions expressed in BOLD are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the publisher or advertisers. BOLD does not assume liability for content. All prices quoted are in rounded Canadian dollars, unless otherwise stated.

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A World of Possibilities

PROMOTION

TRAVEL LIKE AN AVIONER

For Those Who Prefer to Explore

Avioners aren’t tourists. They’re travellers. They like to wander off the beaten path, just to see what they can find. They seek out experiences that they can live and stories that they can tell when they get back home. And sometimes all they really want is a tasty island meal. According to Athena Varmazis, Senior Vice-President, Cards at RBC, “Avioners don’t settle for mediocre travel plans. They thrive on travel and seek out the experiences that they’ll remember for a lifetime. They’ve

chosen Avion because they want a flexible card that allows them to redeem their points on travel experiences they actually want, when they want.” That’s why the Cayman Islands are perfect for Avioners. In that spirit, we would like to present Avion’s must-have Caymanian food experiences. Blending spices, seafood, and fresh produce these flavourful dishes are shining examples of the Caribbean culinary scene. And the best part? You can do it all, ON POINTS!

Lobster à la Cayman

Breakfast is Served

Here’s Johnnycake

You’ll taste some of the best lobster dishes in the world in the Cayman Islands. Caymanian lobster tails, cooked with hot sauce and scotch bonnet peppers is a must-try. It truly is a delicacy.

Ackee and saltfish, a traditional Caribbean breakfast, looks like scrambled eggs, but this salty Caymanian dish is actually made with a fruit called ackee, and is flavoured with salt cod, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and spices.

Johnnycakes are one of the most beloved dishes on the Cayman Islands. These small, deep-fried dumplings that can be sweet with jam or honey, or savoury with sautéed fish or garlic butter.

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All rewards are subject to availability and are subject to change without notice. Some restrictions may apply. For complete terms, visit rbcrewards.com/terms. ®/™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s). 1 The RBC Rewards app is operated by Royal Bank of Canada.

BOLD EXPERIENCES In partnership with

The globetrotting editors at BOLD have teamed up with the travel experts at Trafalgar for a closer look at some of the world’s best destinations. From mystical lands to storied capitals, these are the hotspots we’re heading to now.

THE DESTINATION EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT:

NORWAY

A land of epic proportions, of fjords, of Vikings, of Norse mythology and northern lights. Not so mythic are the people, who generously share their culture, their art and their architecture with all who visit their Scandinavian home. Norway is often ranked as the happiest country on earth. And it’s no wonder. Fresh breezes that kiss the snow-topped peaks as they flow by fill the lungs with a healthy blast, ancient forests keep one close to nature, while waterfalls, gorges and fjords bring out your inner explorer. These are just a few of the natural wonders you will experience with the Best of Norway itinerary.

As incentive,

BOOK YOUR DREAM 2018 HOLIDAY NOW

SAVE 10% + an additional $75 off per person on the land-portion of selected Trafalgar trips when paid in full by January 11, 2018, by quoting promo code: PPTBOLDTRIPS

Taste

THAILAND

Pad Thai. Satay. Red, yellow, green curry. We want to enjoy every bite, to indulge in the intricate flavours of the renowned Thai cuisine – which is only matched by the country’s hospitality. Here, in this ancient land of smiles, temples and tuk-tuks, you will discover dining is a communal sharing of love and family.

Enjoy

RUSSIA

A land of tsars and imperial palaces, revolution and revelation, of deep traditions and a deeper connection to arts and culture. From The Hermitage, with its masterpieces, in Saint Petersburg, to the candy-coloured wonder that is St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia allows you to immerse yourself in dance, theatre, art and architecture in ways unrivalled by anywhere else.

Unwind

HAWAII

From Oahu to Maui to Kauai, the islands of Hawaii inspire relaxation. Be immersed in a culture unlike any other. Experience ancient traditions like the hula, snorkel the crystal clear waters or just sit back. Be the big kahuna on the Big Island, or discover the still beating heart of Hawaii, its volcanoes.

Meet

CHINA

What could be better than taking tea with like-minded travellers in China, where the art of making it, sipping it and sharing it has been cultivated for centuries? The tradition matches the depth of history and beauty: go back in time with local experts who enlighten you on everything from the empire of Beijing and the Forbidden City to the modern skyscraper metropolis that is Shanghai.

LOVE THE MEMORIES FROM THE MAGIC OF TRAVEL Discover the sights, sounds and sensations of some of the world’s most iconic locations. Only Trafalgar brings your destinations to life while making it effortless! Come aboard to see the world from the inside.

NEW FLAVOURS AND SAVOUR THE LOCAL ZEST FOR LIFE.

THE MOSAIC OF CULTURES, TALES AND FRESH HORIZONS.

AND ENJOY CAREFREE TRAVEL, CONFIDENT IT’S ALL TAKEN CARE OF.

NEW PEOPLE, MAKE LIFELONG FRIENDS AND SHARE STORIES.

Please call us at 1-800-352-4444 or visit our website at Trafalgar.com #SimplyTrafalgar * Terms: Save 10% + an additional $75 off per person on the land-portion of selected Trafalgar trips when paid in full by January 11, 2018. Discounts may be combinable with other brochure discounts where applicable. Valid only on new bookings. Other conditions may apply. Subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Not valid on Costsaver, custom groups or any other offers. For discount availability and other conditions please visit www.trafalgar.com TICO # R50015870.33 Kern Rd., Toronto ON M3B 1S9

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A TALE OF

TWO CITIES DUBLIN. LONDON.

Two cities that share a pride of place. Both are capitals of culture and of standing traditions, yet always have a face turned toward the new.

In Dublin, you’ll walk in the footsteps of the revolutionary Michael Collins, the writer Samuel Beckett and the bon vivant Oscar Wilde. But before these great men, there was a woman. Queen Elizabeth I favoured Dublin, enough so to issue a royal charter in 1592 to build Trinity College, one of the city’s most majestic and epic institutions. A place of knowledge, understanding and of devotion to education, it was, and still is, also an ode to the written word. The Republic of Ireland is a nation of storytellers. Authors, poets, musicians and minstrels have passed on the laments and joys of life on the Emerald Isle for centuries. Her majesty brought a gravitas to the artform, and created on the grounds of the university, a place inspired by England’s Cambridge and Oxford, a place where the likes of Beckett and Wilde honed their craft. The college’s library took precedence from the earliest days, and scholars saw to it that it become one of the most revered collections of books in the world. The Old Library building, dating to the 18th century, houses a particular treasure, one which you will discover with the help of a Trafalgar insider, a Local Expert in the history of this magical place. It is the Book of Kells, a splendidly decorated copy of the four Gospels of the life of Jesus Christ, and a must-see on every art, art history and religious history lover’s bucket list. Housed in a dimly lit room, the manuscripts from the book glow an otherworldly radiance; the texts are illuminated, and the ambient lighting that surrounds the glass enclosures only serves to enhance the pages, which are seemingly touched by a divine light. It is, undoubtedly, Ireland’s greatest treasure and truly the world’s most renowned medieval manuscript.

Above it, on the second floor, the Long Room will continue to take your breath away, with first-edition books and ancient manuscripts lined cheek by jowl, top to bottom. Here, the sight of 200,000 of the library’s oldest books unfurls over 65 metres before you. Spines spiked with raised gold letters and embossed rich leather, worn from nearly 350 years of being handled and read, row upon row. Now, this is a library. But Dublin is more than a reader’s dream. It’s a revolutionary thinker’s hotspot, too. Through its turbulent history, Ireland has fought for its independence. While here, learn about Daniel O’Connell, aka The Liberator, who was a political leader in the early 19th century. It was his life’s work to gain the right of Catholics to sit as members of Parliament in Westminster in London. And, like Elizabeth I, O’Connell wanted to leave a lasting legacy. He created the Dublin Cemeteries Committee in 1828, a trust from which Glasnevin was born. Explore the final resting place of some of Ireland’s most influential citizens, including 20th century revolutionary leaders Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera, with a museum guide. Your guide will have a ghost story or two to tell while walking the grounds where 1.5-million people have been laid to rest over the nearly 200 years since the cemetery came to be. Sculpture, symbolism, architecture, art, religion and revolution all converge in this hauntingly beautiful place, a garden of stone Celtic crosses and green spaces, and your visit helps to preserve it for future generations. O’Connell himself is buried in a crypt under a commanding watchtower. It’s said that if you touch his coffin, it may just bring you a bit of the luck of the Irish. As luck would have it, due west of Dublin, on the Wild Atlantic Way, you can stay at Ashford Castle, a former home of Guinness family that has been standing since the 1200s and, more recently, lovingly restored to its former glory. And no Irish experience with Trafalgar is complete without a signature Be My Guest experience, where you are welcomed into a private home to share a meal or take tea. A local experience like no other.

PARTNER CONTENT

London town. One of the world’s great cities, one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals. The Tower Bridge, Big Ben’s bell tower at Westminster, Buckingham Palace. Icons all. And there’s so much more. Take a tour through the bustling streets of the city, winding your way from The Mall to Trafalgar Square to the Strand and beyond. Take afternoon tea in one of England’s best hotels, a most civilized affair – and utterly delicious. Traditions abound, sandwiches with the crusts cut off, perfectly clotted Devon cream, and scones and cakes fresh from the oven. Head out to a historic neighbourhood pub, and have a pint or two with the locals. Don’t be surprised if you make a few friends while enjoying what’s on tap. The theatre scene is lively, and the chefs are some of the best in the world, innovating and taking advantage of Britain’s lush growing season. Gardens and green spaces for repose can be found around every corner; Londoners are park lovers. Visit Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana, and now the home to her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, along with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and their children. Enjoy a walk through Hyde Park, and into the storied neighbourhoods of Mayfair and Marylebone, once villages, and former homes to the likes of John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and George Frideric Handel, among many others still living there today (fancy a stroll past Madonna’s townhouse, anyone?). On to the famed Piccadilly Circus and the West End theatre district, take an insider’s guided jaunt into the secrets of the streets of London. Soho, Carnaby, Regent, and into Covent Garden, Seven Dials and Neal’s Yard, all brimming with shops and restaurants, as well as artisans housed in architectural treasures that could tell a story or two of what was.

Of course, no visit to London is complete without taking a deeper dive into the city. Your Trafalgar Travel Director will share insider secrets of Westminster Abbey, and connect you with local guides and experts who will regale you with tales of London’s rich history. At the Tower of London, overlooking the River Thames, take a guided tour of this once menacing place where Anne Boleyn spent her last days, and marvel at the glitter and glamour of the Crown Jewels, on display in one of the towers. Another iconic home, that of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is Buckingham Palace. Take in the changing of the guard, a traditional spectacle that has its origins as far back as the late 1600s. But London is not stuck in its past. Here you’ll find some of the world’s best hotels and top rooftop bars for a bird’s eye view, as well as museums that contain great masterpieces and quirky finds – and where entry is free! It is a thoroughly modern, forward-thinking city with a global citizenry that revels in its diversity. Pip, pip, cheerio! From the iconic to the unexpected with Trafalgar’s 10-day Best of Britain and Ireland exploring such city gems as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin and Cardiff.

BOOK YOUR DREAM 2018 HOLIDAY NOW SAVE 10% with early payment discount. BOLD readers save an additional $75 off per person by quoting promo code at time of booking* PPTBOLDTRIPS VISIT

trafalgar.com

* Terms: Save 10% + an additional $75 off per person on the land-portion of selected Trafalgar trips when paid in full by January 11, 2018. Discounts may be combinable with other brochure discounts where applicable. Valid only on new bookings. Other conditions may apply. Subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Not valid on Costsaver, custom groups or any other offers. For discount availability and other conditions please visit www.trafalgar.com TICO # R50015870.33 Kern Rd., Toronto ON M3B 1S9

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INSPIRATION FOR TRAVELLERS 18 boldmagazine.ca

AGENDA W H E R E O U R WA N D E R LU S T I S TA K I N G U S N E X T

A SENSE OF

PLACE

Known for their eye-catching installations, art studio moss&lam has been creating art pieces of all shapes and sizes for some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most luxurious properties By PAUL GALLANT

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AGENDA

[ DESIGN ] Hotel guests, especially at upscale properties, have grown more aware of design and art. “With the ability to create images, everyone’s an artist nowadays, which is fantastic. But meaning and context are important.” Being open to expectations – even if it is for the purpose of upending them – allows Moss to set aside any constraints that confine the studio to a “house style.” The firm’s recent work for Moxy, a new Millennial-focused brand by Marriott, has a brasher, edgier sensibility. “It represents a real 180, which was fun for us, since our personal aesthetic is so different.” The idea of luxury also remains elusive. “Is it shiny, is it gold? Or is it quiet and subtle? Is it a luxury of materials or is it a luxury of the beauty of the concept? Sophisticated clients may not want something ostentatious.” Other recent projects include a restaurant mural carved in plaster, with the theme of a whimsical seaside village, for the Four Seasons Kuwait, and a deep, giant-scale colour gradation (describing moss&lam’s sculptural work in words can be a challenge) for Viceroy Palm Jumeirah Dubai (which has since be declared a FIVE Palm Jumeirah Dubai).

oronto art studio moss&lam have a long-standing reputation for the grand gesture: the Canadianflag ceiling made of paddles for Canada House at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the etching of a jungle-inspired city at Restaurant Clement New York’s Peninsula Hotel, the undulating Wave Wall at the Blue Fin restaurant at W Hotel in New York. Regularly teaming with Toronto design firm Yabu Pushelberg, their work is often large-scale and attention-getting.

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So, in some ways, their work on the new Las Alcobas in California’s Napa Valley was a departure. “We were called in to create the art collection for the hotel,” says principal and creative director Deborah Moss (co-founder Edward Lam passed away in 2013). “That was really fascinating for us because of our background as artists. It was getting into something we personally care about.” Though you’ll often find moss&lam in lively, urban milieus, their work at Las Alcobas, a 68-room resort property in wine country that just opened this summer, reflects a more pastoral, more relaxed aesthetic. “This wasn’t to create an effect. A lot of the more public pieces are something people walk by, or spend five minutes with. This work is in the guest rooms, where people might be spending an evening looking at it more intimately. We wanted to imagine this collection was collected by the owner Sam [Samuel Leizorek, founder, owner and CEO of the Las Alcobas Hotel group]. What are Sam’s interests? Travel. Nature. What are the interests of the guests? The landscape. Relaxation.” Returning guests like to be rewarded by art that seems to change along with them and their perspectives. So, clouds that look like a bottle of wine. A horse with mane aflutter. Vegetation bathed in opaque light. “There’s a dreamy quality because when you’re on holidays, you may be more open to that kind of experience. Strange things can happen,” says Moss.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Hard at work in moss&lam’s Toronto studio. THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Art for Las Alcobas in Napa Valley; art for Marriott’s new Moxy brand; in the studio; an interior at Las Alcobas.

Interior photo courtesy Las Alcobas Napa Valley; all other photos courtesy moss&lam

lasalcobasnapavalley.com; mossandlam.com

[ ROAD TRIP ]

ACHILL BLISS

On the west coast of Ireland, PAUL GALLANT went looking for the most remote spot he could find. And found it

THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Two views of Achill Island’s Keem Bay, one with a friendly local; a classic whitewashed cottage near the shore.

he landscape of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is a natural wonder of the world. The desolate highcontrast beauty of Connemara’s mountains, bogs and beaches has made me shed a tear. Of course, I’m not the only one. The Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula and the Cliffs of Moher are on many bucket lists. Which is how I found myself driving north along Ireland’s west coast to see if I could find somewhere I’d be the only tourist in town. Achill Island in County Mayo, about two and a half hours north of Galway by car, is known for three things. Each fall the island hosts an annual International Harp Festival (Irish communities, it seems, have a particularly competitive spirit when it comes to hosting the most extraordinarily niche festivals). There’s the Deserted Village of about 100 stone cottages, which is said to have been abandoned in the early 1800s, during the time of the Great Famine. And there was a 1951 boating tragedy where four members of a film crew were killed during the making of a documentary about the (now discontinued) local tradition of shark hunting. But I was most interested in the solitude Achill Island might have up its sleeve. I certainly found it, following winding roads through rolling hills, along rivers and around bays, passing whitewashed cottages scattered seemingly at random on rocky mountainsides. At Masterson’s Bar and Restaurant in tiny Dugort, I lunched on seafood chowder, a Guinness and more fresh bread than I could manage. It was just the staff, me and the sheep out front until, just as I was about to pay up, a spiffily dressed French family showed up. Zut alors and daithairne ort! Dugort beach, though, I had to myself for almost an hour, until the light Atlantic mist had soaked me enough that I reluctantly took refuge. Not entirely satisfied – cars had gone by while I was on the beach – I drove down a small road and onto a smaller lane to see where I might end up. This turned out to be a cow path leading further and further into a pasture. I later learned this was the outskirts of the bog that occupies a major chunk of the island’s 148 square kilometres. But in the moment, it seemed like an otherworldly paradise: me, sheep, various shades of lush green and glimpses of the bay across the bog. The sound of the wind and nothing else. Heading back across the bridge to the mainland, a double rainbow appeared in the sky. But I had already found my pot of gold.

WHEN YOU GO Achill Island is a place of family-run B&Bs and small inns. In Dugort, The Old Cottage is, literally, a traditional stone cottage, comfortably appointed, with a fantastic view of the beach. Achill Cliff House is a small hotel with a fantastic view of Trawmore Beach and the Minaun Cliffs. mulrannyparkhotel.ie; oldcottageachill.com

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AGENDA

[ NEW & NOTEWORTHY ]

All that jazz MUSIC

A sign at the back of the stage at New Orleans’ Preservation Hall declares: “Traditional request $5, Others $10, The Saints $20.” The stiff price for the last request is perhaps a way of avoiding wearing out the song, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” that’s most deeply associated with traditional New Orleans jazz. The strategy seems to be working. Founded in 1961 to “preserve, perpetuate and protect” the city’s signature musical style, the French Quarter institution remains as dynamic as ever. Long lines of music fans form along St. Peters Street, just south of Bourbon, to get into one of three or four shows seven nights a week. Each night’s band will be drawn from a collective of more than 100 master musicians, some of them related by blood to the original players, some joined by special guests. To call the venue a hall is a bit misleading, conjuring something with Greek columns, like nearby Gallier Hall. Preservation Hall, which seats about 125 people, is no bigger than a good-sized rec room. It has an equally livedin feeling, with walls covered with drooping vintage wallpaper, chipped paint and stained peg board. Audience members squeeze together on wooden benches and on blankets on the floor; New Orleans jazz should be a truly communal experience. On the night I visited, long-time member of the house band Charlie Gabriel performed with three of his star pupils in their Preservation Hall debut. Though Gabriel was astonishing on the clarinet and saxophone, the next generation weren’t too shabby either. Mission accomplished. —PG

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BEAUTY

HERE COMES THE SUN Escaping winter here means catching some rays there. Protect yourself like a pro. Here, our best and boldest sunny beauty essentials.

DRINKS

COVER FX, Clear Cover Invisible Sunscreen Broad Spectrum, SPF 30

Scottish spirits Whisky may be Scotland’s calling-card beverage, but lately Scotch gin has been hogging more than its fair share of the limelight. Sure, Gordon’s, Tanqueray and Hendricks have been distilled north of Hadrian’s wall for years, but last year alone there was a 50 per cent spike in Scottish gin producers. Part of the credit goes to country’s high-quality junipers and other botanical ingredients. But interestingly the Scotch commitment to quality whisky has been the stuff of a gin revolution. Whisky distilleries like Bruichladdich, which produces The Botanist, have all the equipment and know-how to make the white spirit. And because it can take years to gear up whisky production, newer distilleries start making gin as a

way to generate revenue and build a clientele before the Scotch comes online. While waiting for its whisky to mature, the new Isle Of Harris Distillery, on Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, has been producing their Harris Gin, which, among other ingredients, is flavoured by locally harvested sugar kelp. Located in the village of Tarbert, where the ferries leave for Uig on the Isle of Skye, the distillery has a commanding view of one of the two sea lochs that define the Isle of Harris. Though tours need to be scheduled in advance, drop-by visitors to “The Social Distillery” can sample the product (and check out other locally made goods) in the canteen where the workers take their breaks. harrisdistillery.com —PG

IT’S ALL ABOUT U SET SAIL U from one of the world’s most luxurious allinclusive river cruise lines, Uniworld, is the first river cruise dedicated to the 21- to 45-year-old set for sailing popular rivers across Europe. Why we love it: On board, experiences range from yoga and camping on the top deck to a silent disco party, as well as impressionist painting, mixology and wine classes. Two newly renovated ships feature two rooftop venues, a spa, communal tables for dining on farm-to-table cuisine. Offshore, guests experience immersive excursions such as a panoramic breakfast on a Gastronome bus, a treasure hunt at the Louvre, a secret tour of Versailles and more. U by Uniworld sets sail spring 2018 with nine itineraries on the Seine, Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, with a maximum capacity of 120 passengers. Prices start at US$200 per person, per day. ubyuniworld.com —SOFIA ARIAS

A single skin- and sun-care product in one, it’s formulated with squalane to nourish the skin, and tomato extract to help protect against free radicals. The weightless gel-like textures blends seamlessly into the skin, creating a smooth, non-greasy finish that’s ideal for wearing alone or underneath makeup. $58. sephora.ca

CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ, UV Protective Emulsion For Body, SPF 50+ Formulated with an antipollution ingredient, pearl elements, natural rose, rare orchid, grapefruit, mandarin and peach fragrances, this lightweight, anti-agingcare emulsion provides a protective shield for the body and offers immediate hydration and long-term skin care beneﬁts through continued use. $150. holtrenfrew.com

CLARINS, After Sun Gel Ultra-Soothing, 150ml Concocted with sunflower and mimosa tenuiflora extracts, this invigorating gel immediately soothes and comforts as it helps reduce after-sun redness and calms that feeling of hot skin after too much time in the sun. Skin is rehydrated, keeping it soft and smooth, helping reduce the appearance of fine lines and peeling, while also helping to prolong tans. $34. clarins.ca —SA boldmagazine.ca

AGENDA

[ CRUISE ]

Getting some fresh air on the aft deck of Cunardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RMS Queen Mary 2.

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CRUISING YOUR

DONE

WAY

Whether it’s the food, views or shows, LIZ FLEMING explains the key differences between river and ocean cruises

ruise styles can range from a four-month, round-the-world extravaganza on a ship the size of a small town to a four-day, bare-bones escape on a schooner, with a whole smorgasbord of other possibilities in between. Think a cruise might offer the best way to explore the corners of the world on your must-see list? Here are eight ways to figure out whether an ocean-going ship or a sleek rivercruise version is your perfect cruise this time out. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE VIEW Most river-cruise ship suites feature enormous sliding glass doors, so whether you loll in bed or sip your morning coffee in a comfy chair, the roomwidth expanse of glass will be your portal to life on shore. Slim river ships sail very close to the river banks – so close so you can wave at the people on shore. You’ll never miss a thing.

Desert, Grease, Cats, and We Will Rock You, as well as shows by Cirque du Soleil. Are you a secret groupie? Some lines offer themed cruises a couple of times a year featuring the rock stars of our younger, wilder days like KISS, Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon and Thin Lizzy. GET FRIENDLY With fewer than 200 guests aboard a typical river ship, it’s easy to get to know people, whether you share a table at dinner, meet for a drink in the lounge or sit beside one another during an onboard presentation. After a few days, you’ll recognize almost everyone on board and the staff will greet you by name and remember how you take your coffee.

RAMP UP THE ENTERTAINMENT Ocean-going cruise ships sail far from land most of the time. What you lose in shore proximity, you gain in onboard amenities. Depending on the size of the ship, there might be as many as a dozen different restaurants, some designed and run by chefs whose concoctions you’ve drooled over on the Food Network. Choose a different one every night, drop by the bistro or the poolside grill for lunch and enjoy a gelato or an artisanal coffee anytime you’re in the mood.

ONBOARD FUN Great shore excursions are important, but making the most of your time onboard is equally so. Larger ocean-going ships offer an endless lineup of onboard pools, spas, gyms, libraries, art galleries, climbing walls, mini-putt courses, movie theatres, ice rinks and even full-scale water parks. Love a good thrill? On several Disney ships, the Aquaduck slide sends screaming guests down a clear, water-filled plastic tube that slings them far over the edge of the ship for a uniquely stomachchurning view of the ocean below, before bringing them splashing back into the landing pool. No landlubbing water park can beat that.

IN THE HEART OF THE ACTION River ships are often able to dock near the centre of the towns and cities they visit, so you can walk down the ramp and right into the action of the port without having to board shuttle buses. Shore excursions often begin right on the pier and involve walking or biking rather than driving. You enjoy a more intimate experience of the ports, as well as the ship.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD Choosing to vacation on an ocean-going ship is like choosing to dine out every night in the heart of the most varied and exciting foodie paradise you can imagine. Because guests rank food as being among their top priorities, there’s enormous competition for your dining attention. From outdoor grills to Michelin-star dining rooms, you’ll be treated to taste sensations all day, every day.

ROCK YOUR WORLD If Broadway is your passion, larger ships could really rock your world. While most ships offer main stage musicals every night, as well as bands, singers, dancers, magicians and comedians in other bars and lounges, lines such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are known for treating guests to full-on Broadway productions such as Mamma Mia!, Rock of Ages, Priscilla, Queen of the

SMALL CAN BE DELECTABLE, TOO Although river-cruise ships often have just one dining room and a small specialty dining area that accommodates just a few guests each evening, the cuisine can still be outstanding. Many river-cruise chefs focus their culinary attention on celebrating local cuisine and produce, often shopping on shore daily to ensure the freshness of everything they serve. boldmagazine.ca

Photo by Tishan Baldeo; hair and makeup by Julie Ha; location courtesy of Bisha Hotel

AGENDA [ GLOBETROTTER ]

A RO U N D T H E WO R L D W I T H R B C ’ S

Athena Varmazis As Senior Vice-President, Cards at RBC, Athena Varmazis has a sharp eye for what will excite customers. Sometimes it’s great rewards and sometimes it’s making it much easier to track and use them, like with the mobile app RBC introduced just last year. Their latest innovation is a North American first: a metal credit card with tap functionality. The exclusive RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking credit card adds cutting edge technology to the core features and benefits of RBC’s Private Banking card. Yet Varmazis still manages to find the time to see the world.

Where have you just come back from? I was in Greece for my summer vacation. It was wonderful – great food, great beaches and the weather is always hot and sunny.

Which is your road most travelled? Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway [through Virginia and North Carolina] is spectacular, with many breathtaking views along the way.

Where in the world have you felt happiest? Tough question to answer since I love to travel and experience new countries and culture. I have wonderful memories from many places.

Who is your favourite travel companion? My family. There’s never a dull moment with them around!

Name a place that most lived up to the hype. There is so much to see in the world, so I feel a little naïve answering this question. Within Canada, I’d have to say my trip to Newfoundland blew me away, with its beautiful fishing villages and views. More exotically, a remote beach on the island of Kythira in Greece was very worth the difficult trek. Which is your favourite hotel? When travelling on business, I prefer a full-service hotel with a business centre for any last-minute emergency print-outs. Otherwise I love little boutique hotels with character. I have yet to find one that I would call my absolute favourite. The restaurant or dish that’s most delighted me is.... Eating a spectacular multi-course meal in a castle in France. The food and restaurant was amazing.

Who is the most interesting person you’ve met on your travels? I can’t pick just one! I enjoy meeting locals with a rich knowledge of their region’s history, like a shop owner who has so many tales of a town we are seeing for the first time.

“It’s incredible to think about the industry that once thrived there surrounded by such beautiful landscapes”

Confession time: name one thing you’ve taken from a hotel. I had to take a shoe cloth once from a hotel in the winter. My shoes were getting salty and needed TLC! What’s the one essential thing for making travel more comfortable? A really great pair of noise-cancelling headphones. What’s your guilty pleasure while travelling? Eating way too much food!

What was the most memorable trip you redeemed with Avion? We travelled to Tuscany on points for a wonderful trip to celebrate a milestone birthday. Any tips you can share on how travellers can maximize their points? Book your trip on points and use the money from your travel budget for indulgences such as a spa day, shopping or an adventurous experience. Also, before you go, find out what travelrelated services are available on your credit card, such as hotel upgrades, or a concierge to secure reservations at a gourmet restaurant.

What other lifetime adventure is on your bucket list? There is so much on the list, but I really want to see the Amazon rainforest or the Galápagos Islands. It will be tough to decide which comes first! Which travel experience most changed your worldview and why? I’d have to say seeing the dichotomy between industrialization and nature in the Appalachian Mountains region. It’s incredible to think about the industry that once thrived there surrounded by such beautiful landscapes. The diversity is difficult to absorb.

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AGENDA

[ FOOD DIARIES ]

No turning back Chef AKIRA BACK may be be based in Las Vegas, but the whole world is his kitchen

former snowboarder who used to shred up the mountains of Aspen, Colorado, chef Akira Back likes to keep things fun and casual. “I love Canada. It’s chill, but not really chill.” Huh? “Like when you go to the beach, you feel relaxed, but when you start surfing, you feel all the energy. It’s a feeling I want to have in my Toronto restaurant,” he tells me during a phone call from his home in Las Vegas, where he oversees two restaurants in a city that’s been on the forefront of celebrity chef culture. The opening this winter of his eponymous restaurant at the luxe new Bisha Hotel & Residences, at Blue Jays Way and King, is just one of a string of openings the chef is overseeing in the next year. Hanoi, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai will all soon get a taste of Back, which means he’s on the road about one-third of each year. His Toronto menu will be identical to the others in his self-named brand (he has six others), with one or two locally inspired custom dishes – perhaps something that references Canadians’ penchant for ketchup potato chips. Best known for his classic Japanese cooking, his broader style could be described as Korean fusion, some of it adapted from his mother’s recipe collection. –PAUL GALLANT

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1. Mariah Carey has eaten at my restaurant in Las Vegas quite a few times. We have a lot of celebrities who are loyal customers. Some people like to keep it really private and she’s definitely one of them. Tiesto’s been there, Paris Hilton. You name them. Some of them I know from back in my Colorado days when I was working in Aspen. In Jakarta, we see a very large chunk of national celebrities. In Singapore, when we opened, we must have had a dozen celebrities for our opening. Of course, celebrities are not our focus; they just come.

2. That’s me and a kinmedai, a golden eye snapper. Seafood is very important for us and something I love to prepare. We’re very specific about the details of how they kill the fish and ship it. A lot of chefs will use a scaler to peel the scale, but we have a technique with a knife that’s more gentle on the fish. You wave up and down, up and down with your knife, carefully slicing the skin between the scales. Eel is fun to cut.

3 3. My dog Teva is one of my best friends and he does a lot of weird things. When he gets excited, he goes totally crazy. I’m always taking pictures when he’s passing out or doing something funny. He’s seven years old. I got him in Colorado, so there are days when he doesn’t like the heat of Las Vegas, so we have to wake up early to take him for a walk or else he won’t go. 6

4. Everybody wants to have organic garden ingredients, so we started planting at home about three years ago, and we eat from it. At our old home, I didn’t take care of it and things died really fast. Vegas is really hot, so it’s growing like crazy, which I didn’t expect. Cilantro, kkaennip, which is a Korean sesame leaf, shiso, which is Japanese mint, tomatoes, squash, spinach and sunflowers. Unfortunately, it’s not big enough to produce stuff for the restaurants. My daughter is five years old and she helps me with watering it. 5. We went camping with our daughter and some of her friends at Zion National Park in Utah, about three hours away from Vegas. It was their first time, so we wanted to show them the traditional ways of doing things. So of course, marshmallows – though no kid really liked them. When I was little, I didn’t like them either, but my parents did. On this trip, I cooked a lot of steaks and hot dogs. It’s very different from cooking in a fully equipped kitchen.

4 6. That’s the first palm tree being planted back in May at my restaurant at W Hotel–The Palm in Dubai, which opens next spring. Being a chef, I love to make really good food and I take it seriously, but I like my restaurants to be fun, with lots of energy. Design-wise, I’m very hands on. All my restaurants have my mom’s art. Even though the customers might not know my mom’s art, I think it makes them feel very comfortable. 7. For Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit magazine last spring, they brought in celebrity chefs from all the hotels, so these are the chefs from MGM Resorts at Caesar’s Palace. My favourite guy in that photo is Michael Mina [who operates his own eponymous Vegas restaurant at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino]. He’s good people. If I have a chance, I try to eat at other people’s restaurants, but as I open more places of my own, I feel I just don’t have the freedom.

For more information, visit akiraback.com; for more pictures and visual stories, explore instagram.com/chefakiraback, twitter.com/akiraback and facebook.com/ChefAkiraBack.

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AGENDA

[ THE SCENE ]

ATHENS IS THE NEW BERLIN By SARAH TRELEAVEN

Bright colours populate the executive suites at Fresh Hotel.

Whether you’re the host of a girls’ night out in search of a place for kicky cocktails or a newlywed shopping for a more tailored look, the Greek capital has upped the ante for stylish offerings

STAY FRESH HOTEL Fresh Hotel was founded by Ada Yfanti when she was just 26. That youthful vibrancy and playfulness can be seen across this “urban resort.” Lovely details proliferate, including furniture by Charles Eames and Philippe Starck and a palette that combines neutral natural materials with bright bursts of colour. Some rooms offer private Zen gardens and even a home cinema. But the real gem is the rooftop terrace, a sun-dappled spot with a clear view of the Acropolis. It’s the perfect place for cocktails at sundown. freshhotel.gr

SHOP PERSEPHONI

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HERS

Peni Giannaki’s baby-soft leather purses are paired with hard-core metal hardware and metallic pops of colour for the ultimate in cool girl accessories. persephoni.com

EAT & DRINK DRINKWORKS This appealing service sends cocktail kits all over town. Try the Kir Royale, Cosmopolitan or Dry Martini mix – delivered to a park or hotel room of your choice. drinkworks.gr ELENA SYRAKA Syraka plays on Greek tradition to create intricate rings, necklaces and bracelets cast in silver and gold and adorned by small, tasteful gems. elenasyraka.com SUN OF A BEACH This homegrown business offers highfashion terry-cloth towels, beach bags and ponchos in appealing patterns, like the iconic “evil eye” – perfect for a trip to the beach or a sitting in any sunlit patch. sunofabeach.com FUNKY GOURMET This two-Michelin-star restaurant by chef-owner Georgiana Hiliadaki focuses on seasonal degustation menus with innovative and playful dishes like cuttlefish Oreos and “silence of the lamb.” funkygourmet.com

STAY NEW HOTEL This fresh new boutique property was once the tired Olympic Palace Hotel. The revival of this modernist building (led by Greek Cypriot art collector Dakis Joannou) focused on innovative preservation, turning old chairs and doors into decorative features in very contemporary spaces. Some of the materials have been recycled into new handmade furniture. Each of the hotel’s 79 rooms is modelled on one of three design concepts based on Greek culture: the evil eye, historic Athens or traditional “karagoiozis” shadow puppets. A top-floor terrace offers terrific views. yeshotels.gr BESPOKE ATHENS This small shop worships the traditional art of handmade clothes, but with highly contemporary style. Stop by for a shirt or suit that fits like a glove. bespoke.gr

SHOP PANTOPOLIO MESOGIAKIS DIATROFIS

HIS

Drop by this gourmet shop to sample high-design classic edible souvenirs, like Greek olive oil, thick honey and spectacularly complex balsamic vinegars. BY THE GLASS In December 2013, this wine bar opened its doors in a magnificently airy 19thcentury building just around the corner from Syntagma Square and became an instant hotspot. The chic blonde wood bar has built-in shelves filled with both Greek and international vintages. bytheglass.gr

DO ROOSTER’S BARBER SHOP This tiny old-school throwback has a terrific hipster vibe and lovely vintage touches (like deep-red leather barber chairs), but make no mistake: here, the shave and a haircut is serious business. twitter.com/RoostersBarbers SALON DE BRICOLAGE This private members’ club mixes classic Soho House vibes with a hint of European broodiness. The venue offers “art apartments” for short-term stays, special chef nights and leather couches for sipping spirits. salondebricolage.gr The New Hotel has a sharp focus on contemporary interior design. boldmagazine.ca

AGENDA

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[ THE LOOK ]

WHAT TO PACK FOR A CALL FROM THE JUNGLE 1.

perfect holiday in Nicaragua should be a little exotic, a little adventurous, but always with a touch of luxury. Balcones de Majagual, an exclusive boutique community of vacation rental homes on the country’s Pacific Coast, is a 20-minute drive from the increasingly famous surfer’s paradise of San Juan del Sur. While close to the beach town’s lively markets, restaurants and bars, Balcones de Majagual provides a private jungle getaway in touch with nature. Located high on a ridge, with views covering roughly 100 acres across the jungle and out over the ocean, the 14 villas range in size in style. Open-concept living spaces, with interior sliding doors, provide a feeling of exclusivity. Most of the furniture and décor is locally sourced, often made of reclaimed wood. Taking a step out onto the balcony means floating in an infinity pool, perhaps with a view of the ocean playground inhabited by sea turtles. The tropical jungle, home to playful monkeys, surrounds visitors in yet another kind of peaceful paradise. A private beach-access road leads guest to indulge in authentic Nicaraguan experiences: surfing, hiking, kayaking, sunsets and, most importantly, quiet time on unpopulated beaches. casasdebalcones.com — Clare Mulvale

5. 4.

1. Palladium metal with blue lens sunglasses, $595, by Cutler and Gross. cutlerandgross.com 2. Defender duffel bag, $418, by FOSSIL. thebay.com 3. Savana Dance maxi beach bag, $1,980, by Hermès. hermes. com 4. Jimmy Choo Man Ice, 100ml, $95, by Jimmy Choo. shoppersdrugmart.ca 5. Special Grammy Edition watch from Bulova’s Precisionist Collection, $1,195. bulova.com 6. Printed cotton jersey T-shirt with macabre elements, $510, by Alexander McQueen. mrporter.com 7. Izmir Hermès men’s sandal in calfskin, $850, by Hermès. hermes.com 8. GENIUS liquid collagen, 30ml, $115, by Algenist. algenist.com

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AGENDA

[ STAY ]

THE

Essentials There are hotels so storied, contributing so much to the very definition of their respective locations, that they are destinations in their own right. The service may be impeccable, the amenities opulent, but it’s the history that’s the real draw of these extraordinary properties.

– Hotel – Adlon Kempinski

t was a mere 20 million gold marks that separated the highly respected Berlin restaurant manager Lorenz Adlon from his dream: opening a city hotel that would be the kind of cosseting property where he would want to hang his own hat and a monarch would want to park a crown. In 1907, after two years of painstaking planning and construction, his vision was realized. When it opened, the Hotel Adlon (today Hotel Adlon Kempinski) was regarded with awe, as it showcased hot and cold running water, gas and electricity, a refrigeration/cooling system linked to the stunning central lobby fountain, and a location on the imperial Unter den Linden Boulevard, adjacent to the majestic, towering Brandenburg Gate. The hotel’s first guest was the Emperor Wilhelm II, who practically considered it home, though it became the fashionable meeting place for le tout Berlin, diplomats, artist, politicians, international dignitaries. Among the mix were Enrico Caruso, Charlie Chaplin, Thomas Mann, Teddy Roosevelt and Greta Garbo (who whispered her famous “I want to be alone” here, while filming Grand Hotel on site). Sadly, this monument to glamour and hospitality burned after the Second World War, with only the fabled fountain surviving. But in 1997, she reopened more grand and glorious than ever. The stately lobby beckons, the perfect see-and-be-seen spot, while the hotel’s famous “Ladies in Red” pamper; every Kempinski has at least one of these super-duper “fixers” or fairy godmothers, magicians who work wonders beyond what concierges do. With just under 400 splendidly appointed rooms and suites, the hotel also features several restaurants of note: the two-Michelin-starred Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, under the whisk of chef Hendrik Otto; Sra Bua by Tim Raue, which features mouth-watering Thai fare; and Quarré, a less formal, but equally tasty eatery. kempinski.com —RUTH J. KATZ

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Belmond Reid’s – PALACE –

lue, anyone? Colonel Mustard on the terrace with a scone. You might be tempted to think about dying from pleasure while taking tea on the balmy, blackand-white tiled verandah at Belmond Reid’s Palace on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Far better known across the pond than in North America, this stately dowager has been the go-to paradise for more than 125 years for Europe’s literati and glitterati. The raspberry-sorbet-toned empress is perched on a rocky outcropping – the panoramic headland provides endless Kodak vistas – 150 feet above the Bay of Funchal. George Bernard Shaw came to learn to tango; Sir Winston Churchill wrote his memoirs and painted watercolours; Gregory Peck lived here while filming Moby Dick; and the beloved Austrian Empress Elizabeth I retreated here to mourn the suicide of her son, Crown Prince Rudolf. Some 400-plus miles off the coast of Africa, the hotel is set on 10 lush acres, with more than 500 intoxicatingly dazzling species of flora. So many British peers decamped to Reid’s Palace that one of the dining rooms was referred to as the House of Lords. The hotel opened in 1891, created by Scotsman William Reid, who first arrived here in 1836 at age 14. Sadly, he did not live to see his project to completion. Reid’s reflected the kind of world the Brits colonized, but the starchiness and the aristocratic heritage (could one die from terminal good manners?) have loosened up and guests enjoy sports (even snooker), spas and off-premises thrills, like hiking the vast ribbons of 1,350 miles of levadas (former irrigation channels) and even tobogganing, just as Ernest Hemingway did, when he was here. And, oh, and did we mention the Michelin-starred William restaurant? And the three swimming pools, one with heated salt water? belmond.com —RJK

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AGENDA

[ STAY ]

– THE – Hôtel Royal

he town of Evian-les-Bains has been a venerated spa destination for the health-conscious and bons vivants since the discovery of its glorious mineral waters in 1790. One habitual visitor was England’s King Edward VII, for whom the Evian organization (currently, the entire town is under the aegis of Groupe Danone) ultimately built a hotel that would be worthy of him: The Hôtel Royal, sited on a lush 47-acre campus, flanked by pristine Lake Geneva and the snowblanketed Rhône Alpes. While the hotel was neglected after the war, she underwent a $125 million renovation which restored her former elegant patina, reopening in 2015; a year later, she received the prestigious Palace designation, from the national tourism organization Atout France, a distinction shared by a mere 23 hotels in France. The lines of the building – both curvy and rectilinear – merge Art Nouveau and Art Deco sensibilities with a soupçon of the Baroque; her grand structure houses majestic pubic interiors with spacious vaults, impressive domes and a soaring rotunda, all perfectly suited to royalty, as her name connotes. Over the years, she has hosted her fair share of news-making bold-face names – potentates, nabobs, luminaries and superstars – including Queen Elizabeth II, the Shah of Persia, King Faisal I of Iraq, Igor Stravinsky, Errol Flynn, George V, the Aga Khan III and Edith Piaf, among so many others. Today, her 150 elegantly appointed rooms and suites are surpassed in grandeur only by the seven deluxe suites on the top floor, designed for guests seeking the ultimate in privacy. But you will feel like royalty wherever you are on the property, whether surrounded in the dining room by the restored Neo-Baroque frescoes by Gustave Louis Jaulmes, or in the Spa Evian Source, with its extensive menu of exotic international treatments, or after-hours in La Grange au Lac, the astonishing concert hall on the property built for Mstislav Rostropovich… and for your pleasure. hotel-royal-evian.com —RJK

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London Calling: The never-gets-old and the new

– THE – Savoy

hat is it about hotels that are simply known, simply revered, by one word? The Ritz. The Plaza. The Savoy. Is it because, with the power of a singular moniker, there’s power in its individuality, its oneness, its ne plus ultra? The Savoy, in London’s historic Strand, certainly fits the bill. This Fairmont-managed property has held court in its location on the lip of Covent Garden, anchoring the north bank of the river Thames, since 1889. It’s been a go-to for those who we’d also recognize with one word: Chanel, Churchill, Bogart, Marilyn, Liza…. Of course, even the most splendid of us must concede to a makeover in keeping with the times and, more than 120 years after its founding, the property was shuttered and given a head-to-toe lift that would make plastic surgeons in Brazil envious. Every inch was reimagined, from the bars to the 260-plus bedrooms, with a nod to maintaining the Edwardian and Art Deco styles, yet lightened up. In the fall of 2010, the grand dame reopened to much pomp fitting of a £220 million spend (in today’s currency, that’s about 365 million loonies). In 2016, the hotel tapped its latest GM, Philip Barnes, formerly of the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver. The Brit-born (but very comfortable in Canada) Barnes took the reigns at the Pac Rim in 2011 and quickly created a destination for Vancouverites and travellers alike that was more than just a place to sleep. The local hangout vibe took hold, and the powers that be took note. Since arriving on the Strand, Barnes has taken his “unstuffy” approach to The Savoy, infusing the landmark with a casual-meetselegant vibe that, frankly, a long-term stint in the Canadian West would no doubt have influenced. The American Bar, one of the oldest still-standing bars in London, is new again; during this year’s London Cocktail Week, it was named as the Best Bar in the World, by The World’s 50 Best Bars and Tanqueray. No surprise, as the team headed up by Erik Lorincz is constantly shaking up his vision of fresh takes on classics, as well as taking that quintessentially British sensibility as inspiration to the evolving menu and elevating it without over-the-top theatrics. And, with a world that seems to be rife with drama, isn’t it nice to know there’s an oasis – a hip, hot, happening oasis, albeit – in a city that’s had quite a few dramatic closeups of its own, particularly in recent times? Cocktail hour can’t come soon enough. fairmont.com —VICTORIA BASS

– THE – Curtain

rooftop pool in London? A hip non-hipster hotel in Shoreditch? Well, if it’s a rooftop pool at a smart new hotel in a once-slightly-edgy-gonefashionable neighbourhood, by Gansevoort Group’s Michael Achenbaum, then yes. Achenbaum is known for seeking out just-on-the-cusp-ofcool locales to build his properties; his Gansevoort Meatpacking in NYC was the first luxe sleepover in, yes, the meatpacking district in lower Manhattan. For The Curtain, he had been looking to tap into the burgeoning IT community that makes Shoreditch its home. Artists, musicians and a history of Londoner’s weekend market-day pursuits – the Columbia Road flower market, Old Spitalfields market and Brick Lane are all found in this part of East London – keep it real. And, speaking of real, The Curtain has maintained the building’s industrial low profile, which suits Achenbaum’s aesthetic just fine. He tasked his designers with creating a NYC industrial chic meets Brit Wit, by mixing clean-lined rooms with English eccentricism. Walls in the halls and the 120 guests rooms are decorated with rock ’n’ roll photos by famed lensman Mick Rock; you can spy Bowie, Iggy and Prince, along with Banksy graffiti, and admire them all while lounging around on overstuffed furniture, resplendent with fuchsia tartans and forest green leathers. Achenbaum has also enlisted a bit of NYC street cred in the form of super chef Marcus Samuelsson, the Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised mind behind Harlem’s famed Red Rooster. Like Achenbaum’s The Curtain, Red Rooster Shoreditch is Samuelsson’s first foray across the pond. And it looks good on them both. thecurtain.com —VB boldmagazine.ca

edible

HOW THE CAYMAN ISLANDS, A COUNTRY WITH A TINY AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT, IS MAKING LOCAL FOOD ONE OF ITS MOST ATTRACTIVE PLEASURES. BY SARAH TRELEAVEN

RBC AVION PRESENTS: CAYMAN ISLANDS Â®

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OPPOSITE PAGE: A few key ingredients are ready to make their appearance at the Cayman Cookout food festival. ON THIS PAGE: The islands come alive with colour and music during during the Batabano Carnival.

islands boldmagazine.ca

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Golf Association.

When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re this close to the sea, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to say no to artisanal ceviche.

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t Brasserie, an elegant restaurant in Grand Cayman’s George Town, Chef Dean Max is introducing us to his fish at a rate of about 100 miles a minute. Giant coolers are filled with yellow fin tuna, wahoo and snapper, all pulled in by two dedicated fishing boats whose workers are on salary. “We used to pay them by the fish, but they would get a bunch of money and head to Little Cayman for a week of drinking and partying and then we’d be screwed,” says Max, clearly amused at this local spin on supply chain troubleshooting. When Max, who oversees seven restaurants in a diverse range of locales, first came to the Cayman Islands a decade ago, he says that most of the agriculture was dedicated to growing flowers, not food. The Cayman Islands, just south of Cuba, are comprised of three islands: Grand Cayman, the largest and well populated by beach resorts; Cayman Brac, popular for diving and fishing; and Little Cayman, which is small and wilder. They’re both a highend tourism draw and a major tax haven, incentivizing both the spending and storing of buckets of cash. In addition to local fish, Max has a coop with chickens that produce 200 eggs a day. He hosts tasting menu dinners in the pretty garden attached to Brasserie, and guests can stroll and sip cocktails (mine involved fresh sorrel boiled with cinnamon) as they admire the beets, Jamaican gooseberries and hanging pots of ripening tomatoes.

“I think we have the best local food movement in the world,” says Max, who also keeps an apiary. “Of all of my restaurants, this is the closest to being completely sustainable”

In self-branding as “the culinary capital of the Caribbean,” the Cayman Islands have set a high bar. The cornerstone of this project is the growing locavore emphasis, a surprising focus for a country where 90 percent of food and consumer goods are imported. (According to the CIA Handbook, the island’s top export is “turtle products;” agriculture makes up less than one per cent of the economy.) But the Cayman Islands’ combination of food festivals, celebrity chefs and gourmet food trucks is working hard to turn around the region’s beans-andrice reputation. Champagne brunches remain popular, but the trend is towards establishments like Le Soleil d’Or, which offers a “sea-to-table” menu at a remote boutique hotel. At the new Camana Bay complex, an upscale outdoor mall near popular and pristine Seven Mile Beach, there is a weekly farmers’ market that sells sun-ripened fruits, free-range eggs and the islands’ popular artisanal sea salt. A documentary series sponsored by Dart (a massive real estate and investment company), called Made in Cayman, showcases locally made goods, from house-made hot sauce to smallbatch beer. Even food trucks, a relatively new phenomenon, have embraced food localism: The Swanky Stop juices just-picked fruits and vegetables and Gabriel’s Grill offers Caribbeanstyle “farm-to-street” foods like lobster mac and cheese and roast breadfruit salad. The main foodie event in the Cayman Islands is the Cayman Cookout, a multi-day event hosted largely at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman and showcasing celebrity chefs like Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. The next event, which runs from January 10 to 14, 2018, marks the cookout’s 10-year anniversary. The cookout spans multiple venues where guests can eat and mingle – stopping to graze at stations serving up conch ceviche, pitas filled with goat and sweet peppers or rum cake topped with mango salsa – and occasionally participate in more explicitly educational events, like wine tastings and cooking demonstrations.

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A private cabana at Le Soleil dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Or, a new boutique property on Cayman Brac.

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he cookout is a highly exclusive event, and tickets are both pricey and hard to come by. (The Ritz-Carlton is presently offering a package for US$1,169 per night for a minimum of four nights, which only grants access to a handful of events.) The establishment culinary turnout is impressive and coveted. In his role as MC, Bourdain once jokingly referred to the cookout’s star power as a security problem: “God forbid something should happen, no one would ever eat again in New York.” He also took a nice little swipe at downmarket chef Guy Fieri’s populist fusion food, remarking, “I’m pretty sure God doesn’t want anyone to put BBQ pork in a nori roll.” The crowd loved every minute of it. The intimate, insider vibe captured by the Cayman Cookout is pervasive throughout the Cayman Islands in general. The country has a private club feel – a place where people of certain means can relax in privileged company. Wages are relatively high even in the service sector – the Cayman Islands have one of the world’s highest standards of living – and there’s little of the extreme economic stratification that can briefly burst a privileged bubble in less affluent locales. Back at Brasserie, Chef Max compares Grand Cayman favourably to the Bahamas, where he has another restaurant. “Everyone there thinks that you need to charge $40 for an entrée for fine dining,” he says. “To justify that you need to serve duck and foie gras, which isn’t exactly local.” I am seated next to a very nice woman with a giant diamond on her hand, and we exchange mutual admiration of Chef Max’s simple but elegant dishes. She appears to define the key demographic in the Cayman Islands: late middle age, well travelled, affluent and very interested in high-quality cuisine.

Food provenance has become, at least in much of North America, a key class divide. To follow the footprint of your dinner, to witness a snapper being hoisted out of the clear waters or pull a ripe mango directly off the tree, is now a marker of prosperity. As the well-heeled Cayman Islands continue to attract affluent vacationers and well-compensated expats, the appetite for thoughtfully prepared local food will only grow. On a small and remote chain of islands in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, could anything be more indulgent?

WHEN YOU GO STAY Le Soleil d’Or is a new boutique property on pretty little Cayman Brac, with a specialization in farm/sea-to-table food. Expect baskets of fresh product left outside your room, visits to the hotel’s nearby 20acre organic farm and a private white-sand beach club. lesoleildor.com EAT/DRINK The Cracked Conch, an unfussy but idyllic waterside spot in West Bay, Grand Cayman, offers local seafood, like conch ceviche, seared snapper and local pest lionfish. Just down some stairs, sister establishment Macabuca is an oceanfront tiki bar popular with divers and snorkelers looking for a Dark & Stormy. crackedconch.com.ky DO The Cayman Cookout is the culinary event of the year, and 2018 (January 10-14) marks the 10-year anniversary. Buy packages (accommodations and events) or tickets to single events, including cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, beach BBQs and opportunities to hobnob with celebrity chefs. caymanislands.ky/eventsoffers/ caymancookout.aspx

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Eastern Promise

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Photos by

Jorge Franganillo

IN MITTELEUROPA, WRITER AND ARTIST RM VAUGHAN FINDS THAT DISCOVERING LOCAL CULTURAL QUIRKS IS A FINE SUBSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL MONUMENTS

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Z. “In Zagreb,

you spend a lot of time negotiating with elderly women for sweet treats”

A merchant in Dolac Market keeps a close eye on one of her customers.

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ZAGREB IS A MELANCHOLY-LOOKING CITY full of cheerful people. At the end of winter, it rains every day. The residents hide in the open air coffee shops that surround the public squares, resigned to the drizzle and braving it out under the city’s signature carmine red umbrellas. Locals are so used to the constant rain that one of the most popular trinkets on offer is a tiny red wooden umbrella under which stands a little pink-faced man and a little pink-faced woman. If you can’t beat it, ornamentalize it. Nobody complains about the grey skies. Everybody smokes and talks. Zagreb’s citizenry loves to chat. Beginning in Prague on the week of my 50th birthday, I’ve spent the last two years exploring Central Eastern Europe. So far I’ve been to Warsaw and half a dozen smaller Polish cities, Bratislava, Tallinn, Ljubljana, Budapest, Sofia, Klagenfurt and my new favourite, Zagreb (the last place visited is always the new favourite). Friends ask me, Why do you go to Eastern Europe so much, when Madrid, London, Paris, Vienna await you? Because, I tell them, even if you’ve never been to Paris, you have been to Paris – Western Europe is over-documented. But that’s just flippancy on my part. There is a deeper reason: as I grow into my 50s, I don’t want necessarily want top museums, restaurants and hotels. At 52, I can wander a small and still relatively under-capitalized city like Zagreb, Wrocław or Bratislava, and feel at ease while I do touristy things, certain that nobody is staring at me and wondering, as they would be in, say, Paris, why a single, middle-aged man is waiting in line for the Eiffel Tower with all the backpack-hauling twentysomethings.

ZAGREB IS A MARKET TOWN. The Dolac market in the city centre sells fresh produce and “naïve art” wood crafts in the open air, and below that, in the cavernous underground market, meat, spices, the fabled white truffles – bits of which are added to anything edible you can imagine – hard, bricksized loaves of peppery black bread, wine, coffee (excellent, by the way: Zagreb is a coffee town, having once been occupied by Austrians) and dried wild herbs, assorted for their medical values by chipper elderly ladies. Istrian stew, made from beans, potatoes and pickled turnip, is sold in bowls by large men who appear to spend their days chopping vegetables, smoking and arguing over sports. Zagorski Štrukli, a baked pasta dish served with sugar or sour cream (your choice, but never both) is for dessert, but the men are not trusted to make it. In Zagreb, you spend a lot of time negotiating with elderly women for sweet treats. The Cvjetni trg (Flower Square) market sells cut flowers, dried flowers, flowers for graves and weddings, enormous red glass candle holders (also for graves), cards and the national herb, lavender, in bulk or in embroidered sachets. The gloomy nearby Orthodox Catholic church also smells like lavender. Trešnjevka market specializes in clothing and fast food. Nobody is squeamish about buying their underwear from a stall also selling pickled beets. Dubrava (Yellow Market) sells carving knives and pots. Britanac is an antique hunters’ picking ground, with the added bonus of dark, frothy coffee sold table to table by darting waiters. The point of all this commerce is to get outside and see people, and to take your time doing so. Whatever you buy is secondary to the conversation. I stumbled on a pop-up market (and noticed the frowns of passing senior Zagrebites, who do not approve of anything

temporary), a windowed tent selling products from a remote island off of Croatia’s Adriatic coast – sea salt, more lavender, and moisturizers made from wild flowers. I didn’t buy anything, but I was in there for over an hour, talking. This would never happen in a place used to visitors. Zagreb has its sights as well. The entire Old Town, the neatly preserved historical zone full of religious and military monuments, the daffy Museum of Broken Relationships, which is more fun than it sounds, and the tiny but packed Museum of Mushrooms, the fruit (fungi?) of one mycologist’s lifelong mania to find and freeze-dry every mushroom species on the planet. At every one of these strange stops, I was either the only paying guest or one of a small handful. Conversations, naturally, ensued. If you want to get away from people and social connections, don’t go to Zagreb. London will be happy to ignore you. Sandwiched between the palatial central train station, which looks more like an opera house, and Zagreb’s densely planted, shadowy Botanical Garden sits the posh, fitness- and wellness-centric Esplanade Hotel, the stolid white stone façade of which would have looked old fashioned on the day it was opened in 1925 to serve the Orient Express crowd. The Esplanade is not the kind of place I stay in, because I fear ghosts (all those murders on the Orient Express!), but the hotel is fronted by an outdoor café that is Zagreb’s one concession to international chic. I couldn’t help staring: the fashionable woman sitting three tables away from me in the café’s narrow centre, the woman basking in the (shortlived) sunlight while casually throwing a very pricey looking fur-trimmed jacket over her chair, so strongly resembled Charlotte Rampling, the fabled actress/icon who embodies everything European and calmly sophisticated, everything knowing and smart. And here, I thought, am I. I know some things, I am smart sometimes. And this is what I have earned: the right to sit here, among the informed and well dressed, content in my adulthood and secure in my sense of being well travelled, of the world. This is what travelling in the so-called “secondary” cities in Europe grants you – the keen awareness that you have nothing to prove, no Eiffel Towers to climb or London Eye rides to endure. You’ve done all that.

WHEN YOU GO STAY Hotel Dubrovnik, first opened in the 1920s, offers International Style rooms at Croatian prices. Chic, calm and right in the centre of town, the Dubrovnik sits on the south end of busy Ban Jelačić Square like a sleepy gendarme watching over the proceedings. The view from the rooftop lounge goes nicely with a nightcap. Rooms $175/night. hotel-dubrovnik.hr EAT Given that Croatian cuisine tends to mix meat with everything, Vegehop, one of a small handful of vegetarian/vegan restaurants in Zagreb, stands out not

PREVIOUS SPREAD FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: A view of Zagreb’s cathedral and the acropodium of the city’s statue of the Virgin Mary; an outdoor café in Zagreb’s Kaptol area; the imposing Art Pavilion was established in 1898.

only for its outsider status but because the vegan treats are made with flavourful expertise. This is not the standard coldlentils-on-iceberg-lettuce meatless bistro. vegehop.hr DO The Museum of Broken Relationships must have been started as a gag. Now it is a growing art empire, with a second outpost in Los Angeles and shows perpetually on tour. The premise is simple: bring something to the museum that represents the end of a romantic relationship, and they might put it on display. Share your pain. Silly and sad. brokenships.com

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Photo by Warren Camitan

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Pacific

Id y ll The Philippines’ Romblon Island might be the most beautiful tropical paradise you’ve never heard of (unless you’re a serious diver)

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am out one afternoon strolling past guava trees and small clustered flowers known in the Philippines as Dalaga Amanghot (or “girl in the jungle,” which is how I feel at the moment) when I notice giant clam-shell fossils on the ground around me. The size of a bicycle wheel, these impressive relics are grown over with grass and fern. Despite the disguise, they remind me that a million years ago, the land I am walking on, here on Romblon Island, was deep underwater. I follow my guide five minutes further on until we arrive at Apunan Point Lighthouse, on the remote southern tip of the island. The keeper cranks open the oval door and we climb up 78 feet of ladder rungs. At the top, I find what I’ve come all this way for: a view of the blue vastness of the Sibuyan Sea in front of us and the dense green mountains behind us. Far off the radar of most tourists, Romblon Island might be the most tranquil Pacific paradise you’ll ever come across. Unlike more popular destinations in the Philippines, Romblon is able to provide deep connections to the land and local life. With a population of less than 40,000, the community is close-knit and friendly. The beaches and mountains are breathtaking, and the types of exotic sea creatures off its bays and harbours may outnumber the locals and visitors combined. These virtues, and many others, give it a special place in the hearts of divers, snorkelers and others seeking an unspoiled retreat. Romblon takes a while to reach. Near the end of the 14-hour ferry ride from Batangas City, I find myself gliding past pastel-coloured homes, many nestled on lush green hills, before arriving in the capital, Romblon Town. My friend and I find our tuk-tuk driver, who’s smiling and holding up a sign with the name of our resort. Although I’m not a diver, I have accepted an invitation to tag along my friend’s diving expedition. Many visitors come to discover unique marine life difficult to find elsewhere. In the past, huka divers would go deep under water, breathing through a hose connected to a compressor in a boat engine in order to explore Romblon’s diverse underwater ecosystem. Huka diving was phased out about 30 years ago because it was considered dangerous, but present day divers still come here to explore the sea’s depths. Romblon boasts more than 40 dive sites, each with something different to offer, ranging from the colourful corals at Bonbon Block

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to night diving at Bangug Island. I can see the attraction of finding a creature so unusual it may even be unnamed. Twenty of the local dive sites are known for rare critters. At Logbon Sanctuary, divers have a 90 per cent chance of seeing Phantom Nudibranch, a transparent sea slug with a distinctive white pattern. Other sought-after critters include butterfly sea slugs, pygmy seahorses, the pug-head pipefish (related to the seahorse, but more snakelike in appearance), as well as chocolate shrimp, peanut shrimp, sashimi shrimp and upside down shrimp. Heading out on the water, the boat leaving a foamy trail behind us. I have brought along my snorkel gear and my curiosity. Fabia, a diving instructor from Switzerland, tells me about her early unsuccessful endeavours to find upside down shrimp. Her face lights up when she tells me about seeing one for the first time on Romblon. Fabia works with The Three P Holiday & Dive Resort, currently the only diving company on the island. The Three P was originally founded as a family restaurant by a FilipinoGerman couple when they retired here from Dusseldorf. Their sons, Patrick, Peter and Philipp, transformed the business into a dive centre. Yet even those who like to stay dry can occupy themselves on Romblon. A five-minute stroll along a sandbar at low tide brings you from Bonbon Beach on the mainland to tiny Bangug Island. Or you can relax under talisay trees – tall, with emerald lance shaped leaves – on the mainland’s Tiamban Beach. One evening at Tiamban I share the beach with a local family, watching with them as pink and violet hues light up the sky. Two women push their father’s wheelchair to the shoreline and hold his hands until the islands ahead fade to dim outlines. To see other smaller islands, visitors can book an islandhopping tour on a private boat with a local guide. The triangular Banyaga Rock juts out of a sea teeming with angelfish, clownfish, goldfish, parrotfish and starfish. I dip my face into the cool clear water and kick my flippers, my friend and I giving each other hand signals so neither of us miss the exotic fish that flutter around us. Our guide, Atoy, takes photos of us from the boat. On nearby Alad Island, palm and talisay trees provide shade from the sunlight illuminating the sea. We only meet one other person, a local man who unexpectedly appears from the jungle and offers to climb a palm tree for us, so my friend and I can have some coconuts. There are no cafés, chairs nor umbrellas. I memorize the moment: Atoy’s boat floating near the shoreline, the salt in my hair, the sound of my breath. Romblon is not entirely idyllic. The marble capital of the Philippines, the island’s mountains are a resource for more than 90 colours and patterns of marble. Through a city tour, visitors can check out the local marble quarries, where artists chisel marble into life-sized sculptures and furniture. Oscar, my guide, pulls his tuk-tuk over to show me a workshop on the roadside. Cloth and bamboo tarps cover a small cleared section of jungle. Varied sizes of marble are scattered across the ground. It’s quieter than I expected, as a couple of artists clink their mallets into giant blocks of marble. Romblon Town, with a population of about 4,000, provides the hub for eating, shopping and socializing. Its market overflows with local seafood, fruits and vegetables. Its restaurants are among the friendliest I’ve been to. I show up for a late dinner one evening, not realizing the town’s sleepy state past 9pm. A woman motions for me to come inside her closed restaurant. Holding my hand, Denia, the restaurant’s co-owner, guides me to a table and hands me a menu. “You’re in luck,” she says, “I stayed late to bake a pie.” My tuk-tuk driver joins me at the table; he wants to make sure I have a ride back to my resort. I leave feeling full in more ways than one. The feeling of connectedness I feel in Romblon stays with me long after I’m gone.

WHEN YOU GO Romblon’s peak diving season is from October to June. For sailing, paddleboarding and kayaking, March and April are ideal for calm winds, with the strongest winds from October to February. Philippines Tourism: tourism.gov.ph ARRIVAL Resorts on Romblon usually offer pickup from the Manila airport and ferry arrangements. There are three ferry companies available. 2GO Travel is one of the largest and leading sea-travel providers in the Philippines. travel.2go.com.ph STAY The Three P Holiday & Dive Resort is a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride from Romblon Town. Last January, the resort refurnished their restaurant and added four eco rooms. Rooms from $52/ night. the-three-p.com EAT Owned by Marzio, a chef from Milan, and his wife Denia, a baker from Romblon, JD & G Pizza & Italian Cuisine serves up breakfast, and a variety of Italian and seafood dishes. DO Anchor Bay Water Sports rents water sports equipment, including snorkel gear, kayaks, paddleboards and a Hobie Cat Getaway catamaran (sailing lessons can be arranged in advance). anchorbaywatersports.com

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Photo by Thom de Villa

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TRAVEL NAVIGATOR O U R T I P S A N D T R I C KS TO N AV I GAT I N G T H E WO R L D

Weathering the storm After a brutal hurricane season in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, MICHAEL SMITH surveyed the region’s travel destinations to check on the damages and the recovery efforts

ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA GARCÍA

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[ INTEL ]

ith a series of hurricanes battering so many sunny destinations this year, you might be hesitant about booking a trip down south. But not all of the Caribbean and southern United States was equally affected; in fact, some spots were virtually unscathed. BOLD checked in with some key destinations about their readiness to take on Canadian visitors this winter. Here’s an overview of what we found, which was accurate at press time. Destinations lucky enough to have been completely bypassed are not included here. Before travel, we also recommend checking updates at federal government’s travel advisory page and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s website. travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories; caribbeantravelupdate.com

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Anguilla After Irma, Anguillans breathed a sigh of relief as Hurricanes Jose and Maria largely bypassed the island. The Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) reopened quickly. Resorts were conducting damage assessments with many looking to reopen as soon as December, though some will not be ready until spring.

is a two-island nation, with Antigua hosting 98 per cent of Canadian tourists. The effects of Hurricane Irma on the island of Antigua was minimal,” said Colin Skerritt, tourism director for Canada with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

Dominica Up to 70 per cent of homes lost their roofs, including the Prime Minister’s residence when Maria hit causing what he called “mind-boggling” devastation. Most resorts here have not announced reopening dates.

Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua is open for business after a “brushing” from Hurricane Irma. The V.C. Bird International Airport quickly reopened for all flights, while Antigua’s hotel properties were largely unscathed. Barbuda and its 1,600 residents were severely impacted by Hurricane Irma, which passed directly over the small island. About 95 per cent of buildings were destroyed or extensively damaged. But with less than 100 hotel rooms on the island, tourism is not widely affected. “It is important to note that Antigua and Barbuda

Most resorts in the area are working on reopening quickly, but at press time few had set hard dates. Electricity was an issue in some areas into November.

Puerto Rico The British Virgin Islands BVI was fortunate to have been spared a direct hit from Maria, though the area of Tortola was hit hard by strong winds.

Maria caused extensive damage, flooding and complete power failures when it hit Puerto Rico. But the United States territory has been making progress; by mid-November, an estimated 75 per cent of hotels had reopened and were launching various promotional deals.

U.S. Virgin Islands Hurricane Maria significantly affected St. Croix and worsened conditions in the district of St. Thomas-St. John, which includes Water Island, which had already been battered by Irma. The Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility pier in Frederiksted, St. Croix’s deep water, cruise ship facility, withstood the barrage of wind and storm surge. While some properties had reopened by December, the focus was still on humanitarian relief and fully restoring the power grid.

St. Barts The hotels that have supplied updates are still assessing the damage with no dates given for reopenings.

hotels in Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria, the most affected areas, had reopened by early November. “Recovery from Irma is proceeding much faster than we had envisioned, in large part due to the continued support of our Canadian partners and the larger travel community,” said Eloy Govea, director for Canada for the Cuba Tourism Board.

Irma hit the world famous Princess Juliana International Airport hard, as well as the resorts on the two-nation island. Many of resorts advised they will not be open in 2017; some have given dates of April 2018.

Dominican Republic Julio Almonte, vice minister of tourism for the Dominican Republic’s Northern Zone, said that the region’s hotel infrastructure “has not suffered any damage and that electricity and water services are working. The roads are operational and Gregorio Luperón Airport was not affected.”

Cuba Havana and Varadero have been operational since September 13. All international airports in Cuba are operating flights normally. Most

WORRIED ANOTHER STORM EVENT IS ON ITS WAY? HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO EASE THE ANXIETY.

Orlando The No. 1 travel destination in the United States bounced back within days of Irma hitting, with all its famous parks opened.

Miami Miami and the Beaches are open following minimal impact from Irma. Live webcam feeds provide reassurance for those who want to see it for themselves. miamiandbeaches.com

St. Petersburg and Clearwater

Sint Maarten and St. Martin

WEATHER-PROOFING YOUR VACATION

The area was largely spared from Irma’s worst. Within just a few days, hotels, restaurants and businesses were back to business as usual.

Kissimmee “Business as usual within two days,” according to Denise Graham at Experience Kissimmee. The damage from Irma was minimal with no flooding reported.

Booking with a travel agent can give you an added level of protection. Having an agent also gives you a contact that can help with many situations you might find yourself in.

Booking with a package tour operator like Air Canada Vacations, Sunwing or Transat connects your hotel with your airline. When Irma was approaching, the operators were using hotels as a contact point with customers. If you book separately, it will mean you will need to contact the airlines yourself and they might struggle to locate you.

Florida Keys The island chain was hit hard by Hurricane Irma, but recovery was quick. The area reopened to tourists on October 1, with the first cruise ship arriving back and The Key West and Marathon airports reopened.

Houston By late September, 95 per cent of Houston hotels had reopened following Hurricane Harvey, said Rosalyn Hunter, PR director for Texas Tourism.

Many tour operators offer an add-on that protects you from weather events. Air Canada Vacations offer StormGuard for vacations to Mexico and the Caribbean. Costing $49 per adult and $35 per child, the add-on provides the flexibility to reschedule your trip before a storm turns into a hurricane. If the US National Hurricane Center declares a tropical storm warning for your destination within 72 hours of your departure, simply call to postpone.

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BOLD TRAVELLER

Our Insider’s Guide to

MAUI

The second largest island in the Hawaiian chain, Maui is regularly ranked as one of the world’s most loved islands. Maui inhabitants are justifiably proud of their slice of paradise, which has beautiful beaches, wonderful hikes and excellent dining. Our writer ANITA DRAYCOTT reports that you’ll often hear locals brag, “Maui No Ka ‘Oi” (Maui is the best).

STAY EAT SHOP SEE & DO

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BOLD TRAVELLER Maui

STAY OUR FAVOURITE HOTELS IN THE ISLAND

SUITE SLEEPS The Fairmont Kea Lani, a confection of Moorish and Mediterranean architecture, sits on 22 acres of tropical gardens and pools leading to Polo Beach. Hawaii’s only all-suite and villa oceanside luxury resort was recently named Hotel of the Year by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, following a $70-million renovation. From US$460. fairmont. com/kea-lani-maui

CROWD PLEASER Montage Kapalua Bay offers multi-bedroom suites, gourmet kitchens, laundry facilities and huge lanais – ideal for families or small groups. Enjoy modern Hawaiian cuisine in the Cane & Canoe restaurant or have your meal or nightcap delivered to your suite. From US$1,145. montagehotels.com/kapaluabay

PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ Celebrate the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua’s 25th anniversary and join one of Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment programs. Explore the underwater world of corals, fish and algae on an interpretive snorkel adventure and capture the memories with an underwater digital camera. From US$400. ritzcarlton.com

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EAT WHERE TO DINE IN MAUI NOW

KAHUNA OF THE KITCHEN

Star Noodle has a casual vibe, but the Asian food is seriously delicious. Garlic noodles and Pad Thai top my list of favourites. Be sure to ask about the “cocktail of the day” or experiment at the sake bar. starnoodle.com

SUNSET AT THE BANYAN TREE

For a meal deal, head to The Banyan Tree at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. The Sunset Experience Menu includes a glass of bubbly, the chef’s amuse-bouche, appetizer, main and dessert. Garden-to-glass cocktails venture far beyond your basic Mai Tai. ritzcarlton.com

PAU HANA AT LUANA

Hawaiians celebrate each day with a pau hana, a time after work reserved for relaxing and socializing, typically with a cocktail. The Fairmont Kea Lani’s Luana lobby bar offers a nightly happy hour with 50 per cent off select tropical cocktails. fairmont.com/kealani

DINNER IN A CANOE?

Roy Yamaguchi is one of Hawaii’s most famous chefs. At Roy’s Kaanapali, located in the Kaanapali Golf clubhouse, try the Dim Sum Canoe for Two, containing pork and shrimp lumpia, baby back ribs, ahi poke, shrimp sticks and chicken pot stickers. Leave room for the signature Melting Hot Dark Chocolate Soufflé. royshawaii.com

CULINARY THEATRICS, JAPANESE-STYLE

At Teppan-yaki Dan, you and new friends gather around communal tables outfitted with a central grill. Your chef will dazzle you will some juggling feats using his knife and spatula as he sizzles lobster, steak, chicken, volcanic onions and more. Enjoy the “fireworks.” kaanapaliresort.com

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BOLD TRAVELLER Maui

SHOP HOPSCOTCH ACROSS THE ISLAND FOR BEACH-THEMED MEMENTOS AND ONE-OF-A-KIND NATURAL PRODUCTS

ALOHA WEAR Head to Hilo Hattie’s in Lahaina for the most flamboyant Aloha shirt you can find. This Hawaiian emporium is your one-stop shopping spot for souvenirs, including chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and island coffee. hilohattie.com

BRANDED ON THE BEACH You can stroll along a beach path from Kaanapali beach resort to Whaler’s Village for some retail therapy. The shopping complex has high-end boutiques and other delights for visitors, including surf gear. whalersvillage.com

PURPLE HAZE Alii Chang grows 45 varieties of lavender on his Alii Kula Lavender Farm located in Maui’s Upcountry region. Come for a tour and some tips on using the aromatic herb and shop for all sorts of products made with it including tea, honey, soaps, shampoo, sachets and gourmet seasoning. aliikulalavender.com

NEARBY LANAI Only 29 kilometres long by 20 kilometres wide, Lanai has a fascinating history. It’s been home to Hawaiian chiefs and a handful of owners. In 1922, James Dole bought the entire island and turned it into a pineapple plantation. In 2012, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison bought Lanai and orchestrated a multi-million dollar renovation of the Four Seasons Resort Lanai and Manele golf course. Book the Love Lanai package and enjoy unlimited resort activities including golf, whale watching, scuba, snorkeling, horseback riding, archery, skeet shooting, tennis and mountain biking. Room rates start at US$1,300 for two. Or board the 45-minute Expeditions passenger ferry from Lahaina on Maui’s west coast. With luck, you’ll be escorted by a school of acrobatic spinner dolphins. fourseasons.com/lanai; go-lanai.com

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SEE & DO THREE PLACES TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN MAUI CULTURE

HOP ON THE KAANAPALI TROLLEY Home to several world-class hotels, condominiums and vacation club resorts, a beachfront shopping complex, 36 holes of championship golf and what has been called “the best beach in America,” there’s probably something to suit everyone at Kaanapali. Once the playground of Hawaiian royalty, Kaanapali was the first planned resort community in Hawaii. kaanapaliresort.com

PAMPERED IN PARADISE From the folks who gave us The Heavenly Bed, Kaanapali’s The Westin Maui Resort & Spa boasts the world’s first Heavenly Spa by Westin. Their Pamper Me in Paradise body ritual begins with a full-body sugar scrub, followed by a hydrating wrap with passionfruit and pineapple potions, mini facial, scalp and foot massage. Heavenly! heavenlyspamaui.com

DRUMS OF THE PACIFIC

Capitol Hill photo by Geoff Livingston

The Drums of the Pacific Luau at the Hyatt Regency in Kaanapali includes a welcome lei, open bar and generous buffet with island fare such as Kalua pork, lomi lomi salmon, ahi poke, taro, salads and desserts. Following the ceremonial lighting of the torches, you will be entertained by talented dancers and musicians. Don’t be shy about stepping onto the stage for the hula lesson. drumsofthepacific.maui.com

An early morning runner outside the Capitol building.

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LUXURY DESTINATION WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS

WINTER ISSUE 2018 62 boldmagazine.ca

PARTNER CONTENT

U PGRADES E X P LO R E . D I S C OV E R . E X P E R I E N C E . I N D U LG E .

WELCOME (back) to the JUNGLE For both the initiated and first-timers alike, Costa Ricaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerald rainforests, pristine waterways and playful wildlife mean there is always something new to discover and a new secret to unearth.

PRESENTED BY

REMAIN AT BAY

osta Rica has long been popular with travellers looking to get in touch with nature. It’s no wonder it’s Central America’s most visited nation. But if you think the country is been-there-done-that, think again. There is almost no end to the biodiversity and adventure just waiting to be discovered. Boasting coasts on both the Pacific and the Atlantic, and bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica’s stability, safety (it is one of a few sovereign nations in the world without a standing army) and Englishspeaking residents have made it a popular destination for decades. With five per cent of the world’s biodiversity – an astounding figure given its size – and 25 per cent of its land under preservation, the country is home to some of the planet’s most rare and fascinating creatures. We will have the chance to see vibrant scarlet macaws, majestic humpback whales and transfixing sloths. Over 13 days, we visit some of the area’s unrivalled wonders: Drake Bay, the remote gateway to some of the best wildlife vantage points; Corcovado National Park, the most biologically intense place on Earth; and Costa Rica’s famous Sloth Sanctuary!

On the coast of southwestern Costa Rica is a small bay, known as Bahía Drake, or Drake Bay. But don’t let its size fool you – Drake Bay is home to a mind-boggling wealth of wildlife. It’s named after Sir Francis Drake, the 16th-century sea captain, and it is perhaps the location of some long-lost pirate treasure! The rough terrain on the way can make for a bumpy ride. And we have to access the bay by small motorboat. All this is what makes it such an incredible place to visit: off the beaten path for many visitors, getting there is part of the fun. We board the boat on the Osa Peninsula just outside the town of Sierpe, riding through the mangrove swamps lush with underwater life. And once we arrive, there are ocean views from almost every angle, as well as the area’s striking rocky terrain rolling far into the distance. Twelve nautical miles away, we find Caño Island. Here, we witness migrating humpback whales and friendly dolphins frolicking in the blue waters offshore. If you’re lucky, you can even see orcas here at certain times of the year. With just 1,000 permanent residents in the area, and only a handful of lodgings, it’s easy to enjoy Costa Rican splendour in all its tranquil glory – making it hard to leave. But we’re just getting started.

PARK & RECREATION Costa Rica has four species of monkeys swinging from its trees: squirrel, howler, white-faced capuchin and spider monkeys. And there is one place that gives us a chance to see them all: Corcovado National Park. At 422 square kilometres, the park covers about one third of the Osa Peninsula. It has been hailed as the “most biologically intense place on Earth,” according to National Geographic. And it’s only 30 minutes away from Drake Bay. San Pedrillo Ranger Station is our entry point into the park. Inside, we see 13 different eco-systems, including montane forest, cloud forest, freshwater swamp and mangrove, each brimming with wildlife. While our chances of seeing any big cats are slim (they are notoriously shy and stealthy), just knowing that jaguars, ocelots, margays and pumas are lurking in these woods is a thrilling prospect. The area is so densely populated that this park alone accounts for half of Costa Rica’s species, amongst them tamanduas (more commonly known as the anteater), two- and three-toed sloths (more on these guys later), peccaries, tapirs and countless reptiles.

PARTNER CONTENT

TAKE IT SLOW

By far, Costa Rica’s most famous and beloved creature is the sloth. And with good reason: the notoriously slow mammals are as adorable as they are peculiar. There is no better place to get an up-close-and-personal encounter than the Aviarios del Caribe, the Sloth Sanctuary (featured on a 2013 episode of Animal Planet!) Located on the Atlantic Coast (on the opposite side of the country from the Osa Peninsula), it opened in 1992 as the first sloth rescue centre in the world. Here, scientists conduct research into sloths and work to release them back into their natural habitat. And while we’re not allowed to handle the sloths (the priority here is to protect these delicate creatures; handling by many people can cause stress and introduce foreign microbes), we do get to see them playing (very slowly!) and the sanctuary’s team interacting with them. Over the two-hour visit, we learn all about these fascinating animals and how the sanctuary is working to protect them. We also take a boat tour along the riverbanks, which are a great chance to spot monkeys, butterflies, birds and, yes, more sloths!

COSTA LIVING For your chance to experience what Costa Ricans refer to as “pura vida,” or the simple life, book your trip at exodustravels.com

CALL 1-800-267-3347 VISIT WWW.EXODUSTRAVELS.COM

WORTH TRAVELLING FOR

Joël Robuchon

t may sound extravagant to plan a trip around a single restaurant, especially in a city like Las Vegas, one of the most important food capitals of the world. Almost every celebrity chef has at least one shop in Vegas, including Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay, Nobu Matsuhisa and Giada De Laurentiis, just to name a few. But what if the restaurant was the creation of the highly regarded Joël Robuchon, whose Michelin stars light up a constellation of restaurants from New York to Bangkok? Nestled within the famous MGM Mansion, and masterfully decorated by the French luxury interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, Joël Robuchon Restaurant features traditional French cuisine in a setting reminiscent of Paris of the 1930s: a luxurious Art Deco townhouse with an entrance of checkered black-and-white marble, a dining room in beige, purple and black with several gorgeous Lalique vases, abstract paintings and a beautiful Swarovski chandelier. Add in the lush garden terrace, with its green wall, and you have an extraordinary place, even by Las Vegas standards. The kitchen, designed by Robuchon himself, is led by the executive chef Christophe De Lellis and his exceptional team. You will come across worldwide stars taking refuge in this quiet cocoon to enjoy “la cuisine de Joël Robuchon.” The menu reads like a canon of Robuchon’s greatest hits, including L’Œuf de Poule, a crispy soft boiled egg in light Comte cheese sauce, with Iberico de Bellota ham; La Langoustine, truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage; and Le Poulet Fermier, farm chicken and foie gras, made with Château Chalon, chestnuts and black truffle gently simmered in a cocotte. The three-hour, 18-course meal that’s made the place beloved promises to be one of the finest of your life. If you decide to do a wine pairing for an additional US$495, you’ll be served the superlative grand crus from Burgundy and first growths from Bordeaux. Some of the priciest selections include a US$27,000 bottle of 1927 Cheval Blanc and a US$10,000 bottle of 1982 Château Pétrus from Bordeaux. You can consider this visit money well spent. —MARLON MORENO

Eighteen-course tasting menu, US$445/person À-la-carte dishes, US$127–$250

joel-robuchon.com

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Contact your travel agent • aircanadavacations.com Subject to availability at time of booking. Subject to change without notice. Offers expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date indicated. Flights operated by Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. For applicable terms and conditions, visit www.aircanadavacations.com. Holder of Quebec permit #702566. TICO registration #50013537. BC registration #32229. ■ 1New bookings only made between September 6 and December 15, 2017 for departures between September 6, 2017 and December 15, 2018. Valid for the wedding couple for travel up to 13 months after the original group travel date. This travel credit is non-refundable, non-transferable and has no cash value. Valid on groups of 30 or more passengers. 2Non-refundable deposit for the wedding couple is required ($300 per couple). Air Canada Vacations will hold a maximum of 30 seats, 15 rooms with no deposit for 90 days or up to 120 days prior to departure. Any additional rooms or seats will require full deposit and will follow regular conditions. Not applicable when the hotel requires special group contract. Restrictions apply. 3Valid for groups of 50 or more. Subject to availability. Applicable to generic seat selection only. 4Valid for groups of 20 or more. 5Valid for a 3-day duration and refundable on the group invoice. 6Valid for groups of 50 or more. 7Restrictions to free rooms and flight can include, but are not limited to: type and size of group, booking and travel periods, minimum number of nights, age restrictions, room category restrictions, availability and number of passengers. Contact our Groups Department for details. 8Minimum 15 rooms or more required for a 7-night stay, or a minimum of 105 room nights. Valid for travel between January 1 and December 23, 2018. ■ ®Aeroplan is a registered trademark of Aimia Canada Inc. ®Air Canada Vacations is a registered trademark of Air Canada, used under license by Touram Limited Partnership, 1440 St. Catherine W., Suite 600, Montreal, QC. 16637

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