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MARCH 2018

IT LIST 2018: The Best New Hotels in the World

The Hotels Issue The Alpine Charms of FRANCE An Island Paradise in NICARAGUA What’s New in NEWPORT The Adventurous Side of ARGENTINA

Terminal Neige–Refuge du Montenvers, in Chamonix, France.

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SPLASH INTO THE NEW SPECTACULAR

BAHAMAR.COM

When you’re here, you feel it. A new destination is unfolding all around you. Tailored to your perfect blend of bliss and play, chill and thrill, nature and nourish. Designed for the spectacular, with your choice of three celebrated hotels, a tantalizing collection of lounges and restaurants, a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, an ESPA spa, and a stunning ocean view casino. Welcome to Baha Mar, perched on the secluded northern sands of Nassau, where the breathtaking blue of the Bahamian sea will remind you... that life’s too short for anything less.

L I F E S P E C TA C U L A R NOW OPEN

#1 RIVER CRUISE LINE

Did you know? The world’s leading river cruise line is also rated the world’s best ocean cruise line.

vikingcruises.com CST: #2052644-40

#1 OCEAN CRUISE LINE Ship size category: 600-2,199 guests Viking ship size: 930 guests

BY R I V ER & BY SE A Only with Viking, the small ship experts.

E LE G A N T N O R D IC D E S IG N

CULTURAL ENRICHM ENT

SER EN E SPA C ES

A L F R ESC O D IN IN G

SPA C IOU S BAT H RO O M S

Visit vikingcruises.com, call 1-855-8VIKING, or see your Travel Agent. From Travel + Leisure Magazine, August 2017 © Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. Travel + Leisure® and ‘World’s Best Awards’ are trademarks of Time Inc. Affluent Media Group and are used under license. Travel + Leisure and Time Inc. Affluent Media Group are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Viking Cruises.

Contents

40 COUNTRIES 180,000+ MILES TRAVELED 30 WRITERS 42 PHOTOGRAPHERS

MARCH 2018 THE HOTELS ISSUE N

p. 59

London p. 59

County Limerick, Ireland

p. 59 Copenhagen p. 59 Lake Lucerne, Switzerland

p. 98 Newport, Rhode Island

p. 59

Toronto

p. 32 Piedmont, Italy

p. 38

San Francisco

p. 59 Kos, Greece

p. 59

pp. 19, 59, 90

Rome

New York City p. 59 p. 59 Bermuda

Malibu, California p. 19 Scottsdale, Arizona p. 19 Los Cabos, Mexico

p. 59 Oumnas, Morocco

p. 19

p. 112 Jaipur, India

p. 59 Tokyo

Israel p. 80 Chamonix and Megève, France

p. 59

p. 44 Puebla, Mexico

Surfside, Florida p. 59 Phu Quoc, Vietnam

p. 27

p. 59 Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

p. 92 Iguazú Falls, Argentina

p. 59 Kokomo Island, Fiji

p. 59

Ubud, Indonesia

p. 59 São Paulo p. 59

Cape Town

p. 59 Mornington Peninsula, Australia p. 53 Wanaka, New Zealand

DEPARTMENTS

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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REASONS TO TRAVEL NOW

An Israeli cookbook, a cruise ship’s maiden voyage, and more inspirations for booking your next trip. 27

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FEATURES

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EMERGING

Exploring Little Corn Island, Nicaragua’s little-known Caribbean paradise.

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Menswear mainstay Ermenegildo Zegna’s storybook chalet in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.

travelandleisure.com

An easy trip from Mexico City, Puebla has become a must-visit destination.

THE PRIMER Why New Zealand’s Lake Wanaka, the otherworldly filming location for A Wrinkle in Time, is more than just a pretty backdrop.

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UPGRADE

Trending tour operators, tips for trips with kids, and other notes for travelers.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

The off-season pleasures of Chamonix, a French ski capital that does double duty as a summer retreat. 90

THE IT LIST 2018

T+L picks the most exciting openings (and reopenings) in the world, from a private island in Fiji to a design star in the heart of New York City.

HIDEAWAY

CHECKING IN New hotels in San Francisco with an of-the-moment vibe.

LONG WEEKEND

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THE STORY OF W

Since the first W Hotel opened 20 years ago in midtown Manhattan, the brand has rewritten the hospitality rule book.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

A luxury lodge brings more access to Argentina’s Iguazú National Park, where the world-famous waterfall is just one of the treasures hidden in the rain forest.

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THE NEWS FROM NEWPORT

Rhode Island’s historic enclave for the rich and famous is warming up to new influences and a modern spirit. YOUR BEST SHOT

112 The Suján Rajmahal Palace hotel in Jaipur, India, photographed by T+L reader Sabrina Aggarwal. ON THE COVER The Mer de Glace glacier, seen from a guest room at Terminal Neige– Refuge du Montenvers, in Chamonix, France (page 80). Photograph by Martin Morrell.

travela ndlei sure t ravela ndlei sure t ravellei sure t ravellei sure t rave l a n d l e i s u r e t rave l l e i s u r e t rave l a n d l e i s u r e m a g

T+L Digital

ON TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM A lounge at Singita Sweni Lodge, in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, featured on the It List (tandl.me/itlist).

Spring Forward Finally, the winter months are in our rearview mirror. Blue skies and warmer days can mean only one thing: time to travel. We have the tools for planning your first vacation of the season, like guides to the best destinations for spotting new flowers in bloom and the perfect lightweight layers to pack for the inevitable downpour. (It is March, after all!) tandl.me/spring-vacations

Glass Half Full

IT LIST 2018 In this issue of Travel + Leisure, we reveal our annual It List, a compilation of the past year’s most exciting hotels, lodges, and resorts (page 59)—but there are too many fantastic properties to fit in one magazine. Head to tandl.me/ itlist for our full roundup of more than 50 dramatic debuts and lavish renovations. From serene private-island resorts to design-forward stays in global cities, these are the hotels that should be on your radar for 2018.

SUBSCRIBE TANDL.ME/NEWSLETTERS DAILY TRANSPORTER

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DESTINATION OF THE WEEK

UPGRADE

T+L TEN

DEALS

JUST IN

Escape instantly with gorgeous photography features that take you to spectacular destinations.

Travel smarter with need-toknow updates on travel news and trends, plus tips and solutions from T+L experts.

An easy-to-read digest of the week’s biggest, most popular stories—so you can be sure you don’t miss the very best.

Get exclusive access to steeply discounted trips and travel essentials, all handpicked by our editors.

Stay up-to-theminute with our bulletin of the latest stories and images published on traveland leisure.com.

Take a virtual deep dive into one exceptional location per week, with guides, photos, news, and more.

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F ROM L E F T: C OU RTESY OF S I N G ITA ; DAV ID A LEX A N D E R A RN OL D

With harvest season still months away, the tourist buzz is notably absent in wine regions north of the equator, like Napa (above). But this is when grapevines show off their annual budbreak— the beginning of the year’s growth cycle, when the plants burst into spectacular green foliage. With our guides to underrated regions, vineyard stays, and tasting-room tours, T+L has all the inspiration you need for a springtime wine vacation. tandl.me/wine

Operation Vacation

This Month’s Best Deals At Travel + Leisure, our mission is to inspire you to travel more, so we take it somewhat personally that every year Americans leave hundreds of millions of vacation days on the table. Operation Vacation, T+L’s program of exclusive travel deals, is our way of asking you to please not do that. Whether you prefer mountains or beaches, you’ll find dozens of terrific discounts on flights, hotels, cruises, and vacation packages at travelandleisure. com/operation-vacation. Here are three of the best our partners are offering right now.

THE GROUP GOLF TRIP

THE STYLISH BEACH STAY

The Wellness Getaway

THE LODGE AT TORREY PINES, LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

SAVOY SACCHARUM RESORT & SPA, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL

VISTA CELESTIAL, UVITA, COSTA RICA

30 PERCENT OFF

30 PERCENT OFF

30 PERCENT OFF

From its spot on a coastal bluff north of La Jolla, this 170-room lodge overlooks a rocky coastline and the world-famous Torrey Pines Golf Course, making it a favorite of PGA pros and amateur golfers alike. From the moment a kilt-wearing doorman picks up your bags and whisks you into the vaulted, wood-clad lobby, you’ll be transported by the relaxed, rustic ambience. Your guest room is just as homey, with Stickleystyle furnishings and a fireplace. After hitting the links, visit the A.R. Valentien restaurant for California-cuisine offerings like swordfish with cracked coriander. The Details: 30 percent off twonight group stays through June 30. Offer includes accommodation in a luxury suite and adjoining rooms, a private dinner party, a group yoga class, a guided hike, a daily breakfast credit, and transportation to and from San Diego Airport. Suites from $5,250 per night; use code TL2018 when booking at lodgetorreypines.com.

This 243-room resort is on the breezy southern coast of Madeira, the Portuguese archipelago renowned for soaring mountains, lush botanical gardens, and heavenly beaches. It’s a setting best enjoyed from the dramatic infinity pool, with its views of jagged cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean, though you may not want to leave your guest room, which has contemporary décor and a spacious balcony. To make up for all those hours spent lazing on the beach, hit the squash court for a quick workout, followed by a detoxifying Himalayan salt scrub at the spa. Finish the day at the eighth-floor Fly Lounge, where the views come with live music and killer caipirinhas. The Details: 30 percent off four nights or more through April 30. Offer includes accommodation in a double room with sea views and daily breakfast. Doubles from $156 per night; use code Exclusivedeals when booking at savoyresorts.com.

Whether you’re actively seeking a self-care trip or just need a break, a stay at Vista Celestial is sure to help you press the reset button. Spread across 12 acres of rain forest on a mountain above the Pacific, the intimate yoga retreat is beloved for its secluded location and serene vibe. Days start with classes on the open-air platform, where the sights and sounds of toucans and monkeys will complement your practice, and breakfast at the farm-totable restaurant (try a papaya smoothie). From there, wander down to the beach (there are more than 13 nearby) to snorkel, whalewatch, and surf. Or just hang out at the hotel and lounge around your private infinity pool. The Details: 30 percent off three-night stays through March 31. Offer includes accommodation in a villa, a coffee-roasting class, a cooking class with Vista Celestial’s chef, and private dinner for two overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Doubles from $504 per night; to book, e-mail reservations@vistacelestial.com. TRAVEL + LEISURE GREAT ADVENTURES BY BUTTERFIELD & ROBINSON Our editors teamed up with Butterfield & Robinson, the activetravel company, to design a series of getaways around the world. One of the seven journeys: a weeklong trip to Canada combining the urban pleasures of Vancouver with the spectacular scenery of Whistler. For more information, go to tandl.me/butterfield. Seven days from $6,495 per person.

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C O URTESY O F V I STA C E L EST IA L . DATA SO U RC E : P R OJECT : TI ME OF F. I L LU STR ATIO NS BY LU CINDA R O G E R S

The oms come easy at Vista Celestial, a boutique yoga hotel in the Costa Rican rain forest.

World’s Best Awards

Take T+L’s Annual World’s Best Survey and You Could WIN A $10,000 DREAM TRIP FOR TWO [ OR ONE OF THREE OTHER PRIZES ]

Each year, we ask Travel + Leisure readers to share their opinions about the top hotels, resorts, cities, cruise ships, airlines, and more around the globe. Your votes determine some of the industry’s most important rankings and help fellow travelers decide where to go and what to do. So visit tlworldsbest.com now through March 5, 2018, to make your voice heard. To say thanks, we’ll enter you into our giveaway. GRAND PRIZE A $10,000 dream trip for two, to be planned by a Travel + Leisure A-List agent OTHER PRIZES Beats by Dr. Dre BeatsX Wireless Earphones for 15 winners Garnet Hill cashmere wrap for 2 winners Victorinox Lexicon hard-sided luggage set for 1 winner

C H RI ST I A N K E R BE R

Santorini, Greece, has won for best European island 14 times.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. The World’s Best Awards Giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia age 18 or older at time of entry. To enter and view Sweepstakes Facts and complete Official Rules, which govern this Giveaway and provide alternate method of entry details, visit www.TLWorldsBest.com. Only one (1) online entry per person/email address. Giveaway begins at 12:01 AM (ET) on 11/6/17 and ends at 11:59 PM (ET) on 3/5/18. Void where prohibited by law. Sponsor: Time Inc. Affluent Media Group.

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WHAT THE ROAD DEMANDS, THE GS DELIVERS. While you may think of the road as a series of curves and straights, the Lexus GS takes a more detailed approach. Continually analyzing the road’s contours and composition, the GS reacts to its ever-changing circumstances with lightning-fast shifts and an exceptionally agile suspension. Available in F SPORT, the GS 300, GS 350 and GS 350 AWD are ready for just about anything the road sends your way. VARIABLE DRIVE MODES

OPTIONAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE

AVAILABLE 12.3-INCH MULTIMEDIA DISPLAY

EIGHT-SPEED TRANSMISSION WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS (RWD)

lexus.com/GS | #LexusGS

Options shown. ©2017 Lexus

Editor’s Note Left: Borgo Egnazia is inspired by the traditional architecture of Puglia. Below: The olive-tree sculpture in the foyer, dressed up for Christmas.

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outside Locorotondo followed by the most perfect trattoria lunch. We were out and about on our own, but the resort guaranteed our experience would be special. The Hotels Issue of Travel + Leisure is one of my favorites of the year, because I love what great hotels like Borgo Egnazia do for travelers. My end-of-year break was one of the most delightful I’ve had in a long time. We’ve curated a selection of hotels in these pages that promise to deliver similarly for you—not least those featured in the It List, our annual selection of the past year’s top newcomers (page 59). I’m already planning on visiting a few in the months ahead, and I hope you will, too.

@nathanlump nathan@travelandleisure.com

P.S. If you’re reading this before March 5, don’t miss your chance to rate your favorite hotels—as well as airlines, cities and islands, cruises, and more—in our annual World’s Best Awards survey at tlworldsbest. com. And you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $10,000 dream trip for two!

F ROM TOP : N AT HA N LUM P (2 ) ; BR I AN D OB E N

write this note having just returned to New York from Puglia, in Italy, where I spent the final days of 2017. This trip was a luxury for me—a chance to indulge in my favorite things (food and wine, art and architecture) in one of my favorite countries, while disconnecting from the office more than I usually can. And I did something I almost never do: I checked in to a hotel for six nights in a row. Normally my travel schedule means having to move every day or two. But this was a vacation, and I was desperate for some R&R, so for once, I decided to settle in just one place. The hotel I chose for this indulgence was Borgo Egnazia, a 155-room, 29-villa resort that opened in 2010 amid olive groves just a few minutes inland from the Adriatic (borgoegnazia.com; doubles from $299). The place is fashioned after a Pugliese town, so there’s a “big house,” like the farmhouse estates that dot the countryside; a whole “village” with a big central piazza surrounded by stone buildings in the local architectural vernacular; and villas set back on the property’s perimeter, like the country houses that the gentry there used to have. Now, this is an idealized version of Puglia—this town is tidier and more adorable than any real one surely ever was, and naturally the humble villagers of yore didn’t have three pools, a golf course with sea views, or an app to navigate the many daily activities. But I found it easy to succumb to the fantasy. Partly that’s because as a resort, Borgo Egnazia simply works: the décor— think Mediterranean minimal, all rough limestone and chunky linens and 50 shades of greige—is stylish, there’s great food and wine (everything local) at the two restaurants, and the spa is a dream spot to while away a day, as I did, with a Roman bathing circuit and a custom-tailored massage. It was also easy to get lost in the world of Borgo Egnazia because the hotel is so firmly planted in its soil. Nearly everyone on the staff is from the area, and in lieu of a traditional concierge, guests liaise with a small army of “local advisors”—on-site counselors whose job it is to help you get what you want out of your stay and, especially, to help you engage with Puglia. For me and my husband, that meant exploring the area’s towns: pretty Polignano a Mare, clinging to a cliffside above the sea; Lecce, a riot of Baroque style; Alberobello, a unesco-protected village of trulli, the traditional stone Pugliese dwellings with distinctive conical roofs. Every step of the way we were treated to little delights planned by the Borgo team, like a stop to see a winemaker

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18) The Walking Dead © 2018 AMC Film Holdings LLC. All Rights Reserved. ©2018 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. 17-PRO-23516

REASONS TRAVEL NOW MARCH 2018

TO

T+L’s monthly selection of trip-worthy places, experiences, and events.

No.

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Artist Nick Cave is staging a Manhattan takeover.

NICK KNIGHT

This summer, Cave will transform the massive Park Avenue Armory on the Upper East Side into The Let Go, a new sitespecific piece that’s equal parts installation, performance art, and dance party. Plan your trip now to catch the action, which will include a giant polychromatic curtain, wearable sculptures, and shows by community groups from across New York City. June 7–July 1; armoryonpark.org.

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Reasons to Travel Now No.

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A wave of hotel openings is making Los Cabos the place to be.

Unwinding with hydrotherapy at the spa, an over-thetop, 29,000-squarefoot temple of relaxation. leblanc sparesort.com.

Montage Los Cabos May 2018 ROOMS 122 DESIGN VIBE The emphasis here is on indoor-outdoor living: guest rooms open onto private patios, many with beachfront vistas and hammocks. DON’T MISS Learning to tell your añejo from your reposado with a tasting course from a master tequilero. montage hotels.com.

Zadún, a RitzCarlton Reserve Mid 2018 ROOMS 115 suites and villas DESIGN VIBE The hotly anticipated resort takes its cues from nature with earth tones, a park planted with desert botanicals, and ocean views. DON’T MISS Hitting the links at two championship golf courses. ritzcarlton.com.

Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas Late 2018 ROOMS 145 DESIGN VIBE Floorto-ceiling windows, stone floors, and a sandy color palette lend a feeling of barefoot luxury. DON’T MISS Strolling past sailboats and superyachts docked in the private marina. costa palmas.com. — Siobhan Reid

Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos February 2018 ROOMS 145 DESIGN VIBE

Featuring dramatic chandeliers, breezy private terraces, and gleaming surfaces, Le Blanc is all about seaside elegance. DON’T MISS

The Paris suite on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

No.

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The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is unveiling next-level suites. This month, Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express— the luxurious train that’s the setting for one of Agatha Christie’s most famous mysteries—is launching a trio of high-end suites. Named for the historic line’s most storied destinations, the cabins will be equipped for the first time with private en-suite bathrooms. While the rooms will echo the train’s iconic Art Deco design sensibility, each space will have a distinct look, with carved wood and embossed leather in the Istanbul suite, silks and handblown glass in the Venice suite, and a Haussmannian color scheme and Lalique panels in the Paris suite. belmond.com; Grand suites from $7,450 per person.

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A superluxury ship will soon make its maiden voyage. With the Scenic Eclipse’s debut outing to the Mediterranean scheduled for August, it’s time to book your cruise on the Scenic line’s first ocean-faring ship. The outrageous vessel—whose 114 suites all have private verandas—is equipped with its own submarine and two helicopters, as well as nine restaurants and personal butler service for all 228 guests. scenicusa.com; four nights from $3,395.

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F ROM TOP : C OU RTESY OF B E L MON D ; C OU RTESY OF S C E N IC C R UI S ES

It turns out that the Mexican resort region’s flurry of hotel debuts last year, from the chic Chileno Bay to the vintage-inspired Cape, was just the beginning. With more properties still to come—not to mention relaunches like Viceroy’s Mar Adentro takeover—the sun-soaked tip of Baja is only getting hotter. Here are four newcomers to look out for.

Reasons to Travel Now No.

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Spritzing on this Southwestern-inspired scent is sure to trigger your wanderlust. roenza Schouler’s first fragrance, Arizona (from $75; proenzaschouler.com), recalls the otherworldly landscapes of the Sonoran Desert with notes of torch cactus blooms, orris root, jasmine, and orange blossom. Once you’ve got Arizona permanently on your mind, you’ll want to explore the latest in the state’s buzziest city, Scottsdale. Kick things off with breakfast at Mowry & Cotton (mowry andcotton.com; breakfast entrées $12–$17). Part of the Phoenician hotel’s top-to-toe overhaul, the restaurant puts a modern spin on Southwestern cuisine. Order regional plates like chorizoand-egg tacos with chimichurri potatoes or barley pancakes with pepitas and hibiscusinfused berries. Before it gets too hot, head into the foothills for an easy hike on Shaw Butte. The dramatic terrain is punctuated by saguaro cacti and hundreds of ancient Hohokam petroglyphs. Spend the afternoon experiencing Scottsdale’s vibrant cultural scene. Your first stops:

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A new cookbook will make you want to hop the next flight to Israel. ames Beard Award–winning chef Alon Shaya has helmed some of the best restaurants in New Orleans. Now, after a very public split with the restaurant that bears his name, he’s turned his attention to his new company, Pomegranate Hospitality, and his debut cookbook. In Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel (Knopf, $35), he shares his culinary inspirations—chief among them the country of his birth. Here, the chef reveals his favorite places to eat in Israel.

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Taliesin West (franklloyd wright.org)—Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home—and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (smoca.org). If you’re in town in March, swing by the immersive Celebration of Fine Art (through March 25; celebrateart.com) to watch more than 100 artists at work. Grab dinner at Virtù Honest Craft (virtuscottsdale.com; entrées $21–$36) inside the newly updated Bespoke Inn (bespokeinn.com; doubles from $329). The ever-changing menu might feature cornmeal-crusted quail with mesquite molasses or smoked duck with black plums. Then check in to one of the inn’s eight stylish rooms, like the new Roberto & Suzanna suite—complete with an oversize soaking tub, rustic wood furnishings, and a private patio overlooking a leafy courtyard. — Melanie Lieberman

Mahane Yehuda Market Jerusalem “I go to this market for borekas, flaky stuffed pastries. Eating them there reminds me of when my grandmother would make them.” en.machne.co.il. Falafel Dvora Pardes Hana-Karkur “A falafel sandwich screams ‘Israel!’ My friend Michael Solomonov, who runs Zahav in Philly, introduced me to this place—I’ve been recommending it ever since.” 30 A-Meyyasdim St.; 972-4637-2366. — Hannah Walhout

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From left: Licoriceroot-rubbed orata at Virtù Honest Craft, in Scottsdale; Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, Taliesin West.

F ROM L E F T: R US H JAG OE ; D E BBY WOLVOS ; BR I AN G U ID O

Abu Hassan Tel Aviv “The Arab family that owns this place makes the world’s best hummus—a really bare-bones, classic version.” 14 Shivtey Israel St.; 972-3-518-7196.

This is where lesser sedans get in too deep.

The newly redesigned 2018 Subaru Legacy helps keep you out of trouble ®

when the driving gets treacherous. It comes with road-gripping standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive + 34 mpg.* And, updated SUBARU STARLINK™ Multimedia with Apple CarPlay™ and Android™ Auto integration keeps you connected along the way.

Legacy. Well-equipped at $22,195.† Subaru and Legacy are registered trademarks. *EPA-estimated highway fuel economy for 2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i models. Actual mileage may vary. †MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Retailer sets actual price. Certain equipment may be required in specific states, which can modify your MSRP. See your retailer for details. 2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Sport shown has an MSRP of $26,345.

The World’s +

++

+

+

ONLY STAR LUXURY INCLUDED RESORTS ®

Sandals® offers all the luxuries of a 5-star resort with so much more, because here, the best of everything is always included and always unlimited. Every land and water sport. Exclusive 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining at up to 16 restaurants per resort, and endless pours of premium spirits and Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks® wines. The best beaches and most romantic Love Nest Suites®. Even the tips, taxes, and Sandals transfers* are included. Yet the true beauty of Sandals lies in the endless ways that time spent here can change the way you view the world…and the two of you in it.

VOTED WORLD’ S B EST

LUXURY INCLUDED

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Y E A R S I N A R O W AT T H E W O R L D T R AV E L AWA R D S

®

Sandals has the grandest of pools, most spectacular beaches, extraordinary amenities, and sumptuously appointed accommodations. But it’s the unrivaled 5-star service provided by our staff that keeps our guests coming back time after time.

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UP TO

GOURMET

RESTAURANTS

Per Resort. All Included. All Unlimited. Ingredients that are freshly prepared. Décor as authentic as the cuisine. A globally-inspired menu of culinary delights is created by internationallytrained chefs. This is why our guests savour the difference between dining and a 5-Star Global Gourmet™ experience.

THE MOST EXCLUSIVE SUITES Our 5-star accommodations, called Love Nest Suites®, are ranked among the finest and most romantic in the world. From Overthe-Water Villas to Millionaire Suites, enjoy luxurious amenities, private plunge pools and worldclass concierge and butler service. MASTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CULINARY ARTS

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED

For more information,

visit SANDALS.COM or call 1-800-SANDALS More Quality Inclusions Than Any Other Resorts On The Planet JAMAICA • ANTIGUA • SAINT LUCIA • BAHAMAS • GRENADA • BARBADOS *Visit www.sandals.com/disclaimers/travelandleisure2018 or call 1-800-SANDALS for important terms and conditions.

MORE QUALITY LAND AND WATER SPORTS Than Any Other Resorts In The Caribbean From championship golf* to motorized water sports like waterskiing and scuba diving*, only Sandals includes more quality land and water sports than any other resorts in the Caribbean. It’s all included, all unlimited!

Emerging

JAS ON C H IN N / C OU RT ESY OF Y E MAYA I S L AN D H ID E AWAY & S PA

Yemaya Island Hideaway & Spa, on Little Corn Island.

Small Wonder

A tiny paradise off the Nicaraguan coast, Little Corn Island is one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets. On a visit to its sole luxury resort, Eleni N. Gage enjoys all the pleasures of a beach vacation while embracing the island’s distinctive blend of cultures.

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When we landed at the tiny airport on Big Corn, I saw that Emilio was half right. The Corn Islands are far— but the distance is cultural as much as it is physical. Colonized in 1655 by the British, rather than the Spanish who ruled the rest of the country, Nicaragua’s eastern coast has its own blend of Afro-Caribbean cultures. Its locals speak English, Creole, and native languages, including Garifuna and Miskito, as well as the Spanish they learn in school. On Little Corn, the population hovers around 850, mostly descendants of the slaves freed from the four families who colonized the area. I understood that Little Corn is a world apart from the rest of Nicaragua. It was in the cab to the panga, though, that I began to feel it. “The boat ride will be calm, because they’re not killing lobsters today,” the cabbie informed me. “When you take from the sea, she gets angry.” I’d never heard such romantic assertions over ceviche at Mukul, the most glam seaside resort on Nicaragua’s Pacific shore. Our sailing—accompanied by American honeymooners and a chic French couple, all blond hair and tan limbs— was relatively smooth, and when we stepped onto the sand at Yemaya we were met by staffers bearing fresh juice and chilled washcloths. Yemaya is part of the barefoot-luxe Colibri Boutique Hotels group, whose other four properties are in Tulum, Mexico. Which is not surprising, as Little Corn recalls Tulum before the massive resorts moved in.

C LOC K WI SE FR OM LE FT : S H IK H A K A IWA R; C OU RT ESY OF Y E MAYA I SL A N D H ID E AWAY & S PA ; FL AS H PA R K E R

M

y mother always said, “You don’t just marry a man, you marry his whole family.” When I wed Emilio, I got his entire country—Nicaragua. We go there frequently, so I’ve managed to see most of his homeland’s greatest hits: the Spanish-colonial city of Granada, a handful of dormant volcanoes, and the Pacific beaches loved by surfers. But I’d been married to my Nicaraguan husband for seven years before we made the trek to Little Corn Island, and I’m still a little resentful about that oversight. To be fair, most travelers can’t fit Little Corn— the smaller of the two Corn Islands, situated in the Caribbean 50 miles off Nicaragua’s eastern coast—into their mainland itinerary. “It’s too far,” Emilio always said, what with the hour-long flight in a prop plane from Managua to Big Corn, then a 30-minute ride in an open-air panga boat. Even among his many relatives and almostrelatives—Nicaraguans don’t have friends, they have “cousins”—only a few had ventured out there. But those who had been spoke of Little Corn as the most romantic place in Nicaragua. As one of these so-called cousins said, “I went with a boyfriend, and I came back with a baby.” Hearing her tales of sailing by day and eating lobster dinners at night, I developed a vision of a long weekend spent sunning on white-sand beaches, swimming in turquoise waters, and drinking adult beverages out of coconut shells while my mother-in-law looked after our two children back on the mainland. I decided to pursue my dream by booking at the only upscale property on Little Corn, Yemaya Island Hideaway & Spa (yemayalittlecorn.com; doubles from $250), a collection of 16 eco-cottages dotting the beach.

Clockwise from top: The deck of a cottage at Nicaragua’s Yemaya Island Hideaway & Spa; the resort offers kayaks for guests to use; lobster tails at El Bosque, a beachside dining shack.

RE ID MC N A L LY

At first glance, Little Corn looks like your universal Caribbean fantasy. But as we walked along the one “road,” a cobblestoned path that locals use to roll wheelbarrows from one coast of the 1½-square-mile island to the other, I felt a distinct sense of place. We passed a baseball field where the local team plays its rivals from Big Corn, as well as cottages painted Caribbean pinks, blues, and oranges, from which women sell homemade coconut bread to kids in school uniforms, backpackers in cutoffs, and sun worshippers in caftans. Foot traffic is the only kind there is on Little Corn—motorized vehicles, even golf carts, are prohibited. For me, the island was an ideal blend of quiet, with its spotty Internet and lack of cars, and lively, given the mix of cultures and people. I found the same delicate balance offshore as well. In the morning, as we paddleboarded along the coast, we’d wave at the other early birds bobbing in the warm water—both the human ones and the white crane who sometimes perched on the boulder opposite our cottage. We snorkeled with Barracuda, a Miskito sailor, who would point out the stingrays and nurse sharks floating past. He showed the same cheerful unflappability when we took a sunset sail on his wooden boat the next evening. Emilio and I sipped champagne while Barracuda lay on a long plank extending over the ocean, balancing the boat’s weight. Back on land, we had fragrant facials in the spa huts and did yoga in the open-air studio. We even toured the resort’s gardens, where all the

Pelican Beach, on the western shore of Nicaragua’s Little Corn Island.

We passed cottages painted Caribbean pinks, blues, and oranges, from which women sold coconut bread. greens eaten on site are grown. As we watched a marauding bird steal a papaya, I asked the golden French couple—they seemed to be experts in sustainability and composting— what had brought them to Yemaya. The wife said she had wanted to go someplace far from everything else. Where did they normally live? Paris, where she does PR for the Ritz. The boho-chic Europeans and adventure-seeking honeymooners had me worrying Little Corn might become Tulum 2.0. Yemaya has responded to an increase in tourism with the addition of private pools and the introduction of a twin-engine boat to make the ride from Big Corn more comfortable. But as I sipped my last Coco Loco, I reassured myself that Little Corn will always feel like no place else. It’s inherently hard to get to, and there’s no room for large hotels. None of the beaches are private, so you will always run into backpackers who have come to dive. The Miskito sailors will continue to lie on boards floating over the ocean. When I Instagrammed photos of our trip, Emilio’s relatives commented, from their condos on the Pacific coast, “Where are you? Still in Nicaragua?” “Of course,” I typed back, falling just a little bit deeper in love with the country I’d married. Eleni N. Gage is the author of three books, including, most recently, the novel The Ladies of Managua.

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Always Raising the Bar Orlando is the undisputed theme park capital of the world, and in the heart of this fun Florida city is a place that consistently elevates itself, changing the game and redefining what a theme park is. What was once a pair of world-class theme parks—Universal’s Islands of Adventure (voted #1 theme park in the world by Trip Advisor users in 2015, 2016 and 2017) and Universal Studios Florida – has morphed into a multiday, multi-night must do in Central Florida. Both of those parks are home to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Diagon Alley in Universal Studios is linked to Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure via the Hogwarts Express, so a multi-park ticket is the way to go. A family could spend the better part of two days just exploring those two parks and all the attractions within them. Now Universal Orlando Resort, as the entire complex is called, has what is being billed as a “water theme park.” Universal’s Volcano Bay is a Pacific island-themed experience that mixes thrills with tropical relaxation. Volcano Bay features an innovative wearable that lets guests hold their place in the ride lines and also reveals some neat surprises with just a wave of the wrist.

Connecting the two original parks is Universal CityWalk, a popular dining and entertainment destination that’s home to a wide range of cuisines and one-of-a-kind venues and shops. To meet the demands of an evergrowing fanbase, Universal has been steadily adding incredibly themed hotels to the property, all of which are steps away from the three parks, allowing guests to breeze back and forth between fun and relaxation via water taxis and shuttles. Among the six resorts are Hard Rock Hotel, which boasts an impressive collection of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia; Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, a re-creation of the Italian seaside village; and the latest, Universal’s Aventura Hotel (opening August 2018), a sleek, cool property with commanding views of all three Universal parks. Forget what you know about Orlando theme parks. Universal is changing the game. Again.

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• Access to the American Express Lounge inside Universal Studios Florida™ featuring complimentary snacks, drinks, and a full-time concierge. • Universal’s Savings Guide with up to $150 in food and merchandise savings throughout Universal Orlando Resort™. HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18) ++Terms and conditions: All prices, package inclusions & options subject to availability and to change without notice and additional restrictions may apply. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Universal Orlando and Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations reserve the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, whether such error is on its website or any print or other advertisement relating to these products and services. *Promotional code UNIAMEX valid for bookings through Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations now – 7/31/18 with travel now – 12/31/18. Offer valid when you pay with any American Express® Credit or Charge Card and use promotional code UNIAMEX at time of booking. Fulfillment of the offer is the sole responsibility of the participating American Express merchant. One per package, not combinable with any other offers or discounts. POID GAOZ:0001. **Requires theme park admission. Early Park Admission begins one (1) hour prior to regularly scheduled park opening to either Universal Studios Florida™ or Universal’s Islands of Adventure™ as determined by Universal Orlando and Universal’s Volcano Bay™. Valid at select attractions at each park. Attractions are subject to substitutions without notice. Additional restrictions may apply. Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations is registered with the State of Florida as a seller of travel. Registration number ST-24215. Hard Rock Hotel® Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc. Portofino Bay Hotel TM & © 2018 UCF Hotel Venture. All rights reserved. Sapphire Falls Resort TM & © 2018 UCF Hotel Venture III. All Rights Reserved. Aventura Hotel TM & © 2018 UCF Hotel Venture IV. All rights reserved. Jurassic Park TM Universal Studios/Amblin. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2017 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. 17-30054SG

Hideaway

Haute Comfort

On a visit to the Albergo Bucaneve—a hotel in the mountains of northern Italy run by high-fashion menswear label Ermenegildo Zegna—Simon Willis is surprised to find the ambience more bucolic than blingy.

From left: Slowcooked egg in fondue (top) and raviolini in sugo d’arrosto at the Albergo Bucaneve in Bielmonte, Italy; the hotel’s sitting room.

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F

rom the window I could see for more than a hundred miles. Below me, in the near distance, were tiny villages following a winding road, little rivers of houses meandering down the hill. Beyond them the plains of northern Italy spread out as flat as a tabletop, and farther still were the Cottian Alps on the French border. It was something you might glimpse from a plane while climbing away from the airport. Instead, I was sitting down to lunch at the Albergo Bucaneve. The local landscape informs almost everything about this hotel and spa in Bielmonte, a tiny resort high in the hills of Piedmont about 75 miles northwest of Milan. The Albergo Bucaneve (bucaneve is Italian for “snowdrop”)

sits at the heart of the Oasi Zegna, a 40-squaremile park owned and protected by Ermenegildo Zegna, the Italian menswear company whose factory has been based in the nearby town of Trivero since 1910. But despite its relationship with one of the world’s leading luxury brands, the hotel is more responsive to flora and fauna than to fashion. Opened in 1963, the Albergo Bucaneve was originally conceived as a restorative getaway that benefited the workers in Zegna’s factory. Following World War II, Ermenegildo Zegna, the company’s founder, had built a scenic road into the mountains called the Panoramica and later added the hotel, along with ski slopes, at its highest point. “It was his gift to the local

Photographs by Andrea Wyner

Hideaway

The interiors and exterior of the building echo the old chalets and shepherds’ dwellings that dot the landscape.

The Monte Marca Hut, a mountaintop café in the Oasi Zegna, is accessible from the hotel by chairlift.

people,” says Anna Zegna, Ermenegildo’s granddaughter, who now runs the Fondazione Zegna, the family’s philanthropic organization. To design the hotel, Ermenegildo chose Luigi Vietti, an Italian architect known for the stylish houses he fashioned for Cortina, a town in the Dolomites. Both the interiors and exterior of Vietti’s building, which has remained largely unchanged since it opened, echo the old chalets and shepherds’ dwellings that dot the landscape. Its bedrooms are cozy spaces lined with the spruce that grows on the hills; the sitting room and restaurant below are decked with the horns of the deer and chamois that roam the mountains. The only addition has been a spa, which was built in 2014 and expanded in 2016 to add a hot tub with a view through a giant picture window. The hotel’s rustic charms draw stressed-out Milanese looking for Alpine renewal. After breakfast there one morning, I headed out with Arturo Ramella, who was born near Bielmonte in 1963 and now works as a guide in the Oasi. The resort is an all-purpose playground for lovers of the outdoors. In winter you can ski down the slopes or through the valleys, or explore the network of paths on snowshoes. In spring and summer you can ride horses, go rock climbing, or admire the wildflowers that bloom all over the hills. But Ramella had a more meditative pursuit in mind for us: he was taking me “forest bathing.” The keepers of the Oasi have an almost hippieish devotion to trees. For centuries the 34

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forests had been exploited for timber, and the land had become denuded. So Zegna replanted more than half a million specimens. Today they are harnessed for therapy rather than fire. Forest bathing, a trend that originated in Japan, involves embracing the silence of the woodland— sometimes literally. As we walked through the valley, surrounded by firs and larches, we saw a set of steps leading to a platform in front of a large beech. A small sign invited you to hug the tree, and sure enough, there was a man in a red hat enjoying a lingering embrace. For anyone who, like me, finds the idea of absorbing a tree’s “energy” mildly ridiculous, the forests hold other treasures. As Zegna’s replanting took hold, animals that had been chased out by the logging came back. For the first time in a hundred years, you can hear the howls of wolves. The landscape is the source of the Albergo Bucaneve’s culinary pleasures as well as the Oasi’s natural ones. That evening I sat down with chef Giacomo Gallina, who is at the start of his first season at the Albergo, following stints in Singapore, Paris, and Milan, and whose food is a reason to visit in itself. Gallina cleaves to a simple rule: he only cooks produce from the land he can see from the window. Happily, he can see a long way. Dinner that night took in the whole terrain, starting with anchovies sourced from Liguria’s fish markets before moving on to veal cheeks from Piedmont, cooked long and slow, that were soft enough to eat with a spoon. I was visiting in December, and as I ate, snow carpeted the Panoramica outside. Cutting into my chocolate dessert, its rich center oozing out and saucing a fan of caramelized pears, I hoped the road would become impassable and I’d be stuck here for a few more days. bucaneve.eu; doubles from $179. Simon Willis is an editor at the Economist’s culture magazine, 1843.

NEXT STOPS

The Albergo Bucaneve is a 1½-hour drive from Milan’s Malpensa Airport. After a weekend stay in the Oasi Zegna, venture to one of these nearby destinations. TURIN 1¾ hours by car COMO 2 hours by car LOCARNO 2½ hours by car CHAMONIX (SEE STORY ON PAGE 80) 2¾ hours by car GENOA 3 hours by car

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Bay Watch

SAN FRANCISCO PROPER HOTEL Mid-Market

HOTEL ZEPPELIN Theater District Kitschy seventies touches like psychedelic wallpaper in the bathrooms and turntables in guest rooms give this 196-room property a playful vibe—one that’s rounded out by a game room outfitted with SkeeBall and shuffleboard. But despite the pops of

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avocado green and mustard yellow, Zeppelin feels fresh and modern. With its affordable price point— not to mention the highenergy Mantel Bar, complimentary bike rentals, and convenient location just west of Union Square— it’s an ideal destination for travelers looking for a place with a youthful spirit. hotelzeppelin.com; doubles from $199.

Reimagined by L.A.-based interior designer Kelly Wearstler, this 114-year-old flatiron building now has remodeled interiors, two restaurants serving globally inflected American cuisine, and a fitness center. The lobby is outfitted with citrushued velvet settees and mismatched wallpaper patterns punctuated with

Cubist-style paintings, while each of the 131 guest rooms has retro gilded accents and bathrooms stocked with Aesop products. The rooftop bar (whose quirky cocktail menu was conjured up by the Trick Dog team, with drinks like a negroni-topped piña colada) has become a sceney gathering spot on this still-scruffy stretch of Market Street, a few blocks from high-profile tech companies Twitter and Uber. properhotel.com; doubles from $350.

F ROM TOP : C OU RTESY OF P R OP E R HOS P ITA LI TY ; D OU G L AS FR I E D MA N

These welcome additions to the San Francisco hotel scene are as diverse as the city itself—which means there’s a place tailor-made for every type of traveler. BY ANNA FURMAN

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Ă€Âˆiv -Փ“>ÀÞ\ Read this information before you start using Xiidra and each time you get a reďŹ ll. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your medical condition or your treatment. 7Â…>ĂŒ ÂˆĂƒ 8ˆˆ`Ă€>Âś Xiidra is a prescription eye drop solution used to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. It is not known if Xiidra is safe and effective in children under 17 years of age.

Âœ Â˜ÂœĂŒ Ă•Ăƒi 8ˆˆ`Ă€>\ If you are allergic to liďŹ tegrast or any of the other ingredients in Xiidra (see “What are the ingredients in Xiidra?â€?) 7Â…>ĂŒ ĂƒÂ…ÂœĂ•Â?` ĂŒiÂ?Â? “Þ `ÂœVĂŒÂœĂ€ LivÂœĂ€i Ă•ĂƒÂˆÂ˜} 8ˆˆ`Ă€>Âś Before you use Xiidra, tell your doctor if you: • are using any other eye drops • wear contact lenses • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Xiidra will harm your unborn baby. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Xiidra passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you use Xiidra. ÂœĂœ ĂƒÂ…ÂœĂ•Â?` Ă•Ăƒi 8ˆˆ`Ă€>Âś Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for additional instructions about the right way to use Xiidra. Use Xiidra exactly as your doctor tells you. • To help avoid eye injury or contamination of the solution, do not touch the container tip to your eye or any surface. • If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using Xiidra and wait for at least 15 minutes before placing them back in your eyes. • Use 1 drop of Xiidra in each eye, 2 times each day, about 12 hours apart. • Use Xiidra right away after opening. Throw away the single use container and any unused solution after you have applied the dose to both eyes. Do not save any unused Xiidra for later.

ÂœĂœ ĂƒÂ…ÂœĂ•Â?` ĂƒĂŒÂœĂ€i 8ˆˆ`Ă€>Âś • Store Xiidra at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). • Store Xiidra in the original foil pouch to protect it from light. • Do not open the Xiidra foil pouch until you are ready to use the eye drops. • Return unused single use containers to their original foil pouch to protect from excessive light exposure. Keep Xiidra and all medicines out of the reach of children. i˜iĂ€>Â? ˆ˜vÂœĂ€Â“>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ >LÂœĂ•ĂŒ ĂŒÂ…i Ăƒ>vi >˜` ivviVĂŒÂˆĂ›i Ă•Ăƒi Âœv 8ˆˆ`Ă€>° The risk information provided here is not comprehensive. To learn more, talk about Xiidra with your health care provider or pharmacist. The FDA-approved product labeling can be found at http://www.shirecontent.com/PI/PDFs/Xiidra_ USA_ENG.pdf or 1-800-828-2088. Do not use Xiidra for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give Xiidra to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. 7Â…>ĂŒ >Ă€i ĂŒÂ…i ˆ˜}Ă€i`ˆiÂ˜ĂŒĂƒ ˆ˜ 8ˆˆ`Ă€>Âś Active ingredient: liďŹ tegrast Inactive ingredients: sodium chloride, sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous, sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid (to adjust pH) and water for injection. Manufactured for: Shire US Inc., 300 Shire Way, Lexington, MA 02421 For more information, go to www.Xiidra.com or call 1-800-828-2088. Š2017 Shire US Inc. All rights reserved. SHIRE and the Shire Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Shire Pharmaceutical Holdings Ireland Limited or its affiliates. Marks designated ÂŽ and ™ are owned by Shire or an affiliated company Patented: please see https://www.shire.com/legalnotice/product-patents Last Modified: 12/2017 S34025

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HOTEL KABUKI

Delight in the Details

Japantown

AUB RI E P I C K / C O URT ESY OF H OT E L K A BU K I

A $31 million renovation added a Japanese-gardenfacing fitness center and yoga studio to this soaring, 16-floor hotel. Nods to the neighborhood’s cultural history are woven throughout: you’ll find shou sugi ban (Japanese charred wood) in the lobby, shibori fabrics in the guest rooms, and a curated selection of Japanese beers, whiskies, and sakes in the bar. The hotel’s proximity to the Kabuki Spring & Spa (where guests have complimentary access), Fillmore Street boutiques, and excellent sushi and ramen bars boosts its appeal. hotelkabuki.com; doubles from $179.

LAUREL INN Pacific Heights

We make your everyday exceptional.

Set amid stately Victorian mansions and within walking distance of the Presidio, the Laurel Inn is a cheerful four-story hideaway in San Francisco’s toniest neighborhood. The blue-tiled 50s-era façade and woodpaneled elevator retain the original building’s breezy California spirit, but the 49 rooms have been renovated with expansive windows, Midcentury Modern furnishings, and a modish pastel color palette. Rare residential comforts— en suite kitchenettes, fresh-baked cookies, full-size Jonathan Adler toiletries, and pet-friendly amenities— make it ideal for a longer stay. jdvhotels.com; doubles from $249.

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WHAT’S NEXT

The Bay Area’s hotel surge hasn’t slowed down yet: the Financial District’s Galleria Park Hotel unveiled its extensive redesign in February, and the 42-room Lodge at the Presidio will open this summer, offering access to 24 miles of trails with glittering views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Later this year, the 194-room Virgin Hotel San Francisco comes to SoMa, with two decked-out penthouse suites.

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TR AVEL PICK

THE ENDLESS WELCOME Come experience the charms of Charleston, South Carolina—a city and sea destination like no other.

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HOSPITALITY From chic boutiques to luxurious Grande Dame accommodations, Charleston offers an array of acclaimed places to stay. FRENCH QUARTER INN Overlooking the historic City Market, this luxury inn is located within walking distance of many local attractions, as well as the picturesque harbor. THE SANCTUARY AT KIAWAH ISLAND GOLF RESORT A grand seaside mansion featuring sweeping ocean views, a unique spa, three pools, and two oceanfront dining rooms. THE VENDUE At the newly renovated inn, 45 guest rooms and elegant public spaces revel in the beauty of art. BELMOND CHARLESTON PLACE This Belmond hotel blends gentility and old-world charm with a leading-edge spa and innovative cuisine. WENTWORTH MANSION A 21-room landmark hotel where heirloom marble and crystal meet Gilded Age glamour. BOARDWALK INN AT WILD DUNES RESORT 150 yards from the beach, this classic coastal hotel boasts a contemporary design balanced with a mix of Lowcountry charm. THE SPECTATOR HOTEL With a blend of Southern charm and socialite elegance, the hotel’s ambience and gilded finishes will leave you captivated.

CHARLESTON S O U T H

C A R O L I N A

HISTORY LOVES COMPANY. In Charleston, the tides tell the time. Dawn dances on the ocean and through the palmetto tree fronds—a glimpse into the day ahead. The past shines brightly on monumental architecture, and cobblestone streets lead to cutting-edge cocktails poured by a new friend. Some call it hospitality. We call it the endless welcome.

@ E X P LO R E C H A R LE S TON @ E X P LO R E C H S

FOR MORE ON CHARLESTON’S AWARD-WINNING HOTELS, GO TO CHECKINTOCHARLESTON.COM

Long Weekend

¡Viva Puebla! Years ago, you might have passed by this remarkable colonial city just a two-hour drive from Mexico City. Now is the time to give it a second chance. BY JEFF CHU

F

The International Museum of the Baroque, designed by Toyo Ito, opened in Puebla in 2016. The huge concrete slabs of the exterior contrast sharply with the ornate 17th- and 18th-century design celebrated within.

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or years, Puebla managed to fly under the radar of most American travelers. This city of 1.4 million people, set in a river valley framed by snow-crowned mountains, has all the charm of San Miguel de Allende and the culture of Mexico City, yet few of the crowds that can choke both those destinations. In many ways, it feels like a living museum of architecture. Well-preserved 16th- and 17th-century Spanish-colonial mansions and churches fill its center, a unesco World Heritage site. You may even know a bit about Puebla’s history without realizing it: Mexico’s outgunned army scored a victory here over the French on May 5, 1862—a triumph still commemorated as Cinco de Mayo. But Puebla, I found, is far from stuck in the past. The strikingly modern International Museum of the Baroque opened in 2016. In the birthplace of mole poblano, new, inventive restaurants are reimagining the dishes that have long made this a center for gastronomy. The city’s first five-star hotels, the Rosewood Puebla and the Cartesiano, debuted last year. And though September’s earthquake damaged some sites, most are open. If anything, the workers you see hammering away at restoration projects testify to a Poblano specialty: honoring the past while innovating for the future. Here’s how to spend three perfect days in Puebla.

Photographs by Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock

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Long Weekend

FRIDAY Domes dominate Puebla’s Instagram-worthy skyline. The grandest, inspired by St. Peter’s in Rome, is at the Catedral de Puebla (Calle 16 de Septiembre), on the Zócalo, or main square. Built piecemeal over almost two centuries, beginning in 1575, the church has an unusual altar and magnificent choir stalls with Moorishinspired inlay. Three blocks north sits the 17th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo (Avda. 5 de Mayo). The main sanctuary is pretty, but I was drawn to the Rosary Chapel, off to the side. Officially, the chapel honors the Virgin Mary. Really, it’s an over-the-top temple to 23-karat gold leaf, which blankets nearly every surface. I suggest skipping the touristy eateries lining the Zócalo and, instead, heading one block south of the square to the hole-in-the-wall Antojitos Acapulco (114 Avda. 5 Poniente; 52-222-2465628), where hand pies called molotes are made to order. After you choose from savory fillings like chicken, cheese, huitlacoche, and mushrooms, the chef presses corn dough into a flat disk, adds filling, folds it, then fries it to crisp perfection. Then she’ll ask: “Salsa verde o roja? Y crema?” Just say “Sí.” One of my favorite bites in town, it costs just a buck. The surrounding blocks feature some of Puebla’s finest colonial architecture. Don’t miss the Biblioteca Palafoxiana (palafoxiana.com). This gorgeous 17th-century library, designed to rival Europe’s greatest, is lined with bookshelves of Mexican cedar and ayacahuite (white pine). Four blocks away is the Patio de los Azulejos (110 Avda. 11 Poniente). The 17th-century building doesn’t look like much from the street, but the tile-lined courtyard within is arguably the city’s most beautiful. Unfortunately, the Patio has no reliable visiting hours (not unusual for Puebla’s historic buildings), and more often than not, the door’s locked. If that is the case, try, as I did, the State Congress of Puebla (128 Avda. 5 Poniente). If the legislature isn’t in session, a friendly security guard may let you into the building

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Clockwise from top left: An artisan paints a piece of pottery at Uriarte Talavera, a workshop in business since 1824; the gold-leaf-decorated Rosary Chapel at the Iglesia de Santo Domingo, built between 1650 and 1690; trout with pipián mole at Augurio, one of Puebla’s top restaurants.

for a glimpse of the gorgeous arabesque tiled walls. Or, wander over to Uriarte Talavera (uriartetalavera.com.mx), a workshop specializing in tile and pottery, a Poblano tradition since the 16th century. End your day with drinks at the new Licorería San Pedrito (16 Avda. 9 Oriente), where the long mezcal menu includes several local offerings (Puebla state was recently recognized as an official mezcal-producing region). Then head next door for dinner at Augurio (fb.com/augurio restaurante; entrées $5–$16), which has won wide acclaim since opening last year. Chef Ángel Vázquez trained in Paris and Barcelona before coming home to reimagine classic Poblano cuisine with dishes such as roast suckling pig in green mole. Afterward, unwind at the Rosewood Puebla (rosewoodhotels.com; doubles from $250). The 78-room property, a compound of four historic buildings centered on a tree-shaded courtyard, preserves original details such as stone walls and wooden beams.

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Long Weekend

From left: A guest room at the Rosewood Puebla, which opened last May in the town center; the hotel’s quiet terrace, where everyone comes to relax after a day of visiting markets and boutiques.

SATURDAY Fuel up at El Mural de los Poblanos (elmural delospoblanos.com; breakfast entrées $5–$10), a Puebla institution where mole poblano is served over fried eggs. Then head toward the historic center’s northwestern quadrant. Walking through this vibrant neighborhood is a kaleidoscopic experience, with vendors hawking everything from socks and toys to freshly roasted ears of blue corn. Bypass the touristy, town-center craft markets in favor of the well-to-do La Paz neighborhood’s upscale boutiques. Casa Petra (casapetra.mx) offers well-curated housewares, including contemporary versions of Talavera pottery and tilework. Upstairs in the same building is designer Denisse Kuri’s women’swear and accessories boutique (denissekuri.mx), where Kuri, a Puebla native, updates indigenous weaving and embroidery techniques with modern lines and unexpected colorways. Two blocks away, La Presumida (95 Teziutlan Sur; 52-222-688-7554) sells an eclectic mix of home goods, including hand-painted guacamole bowls and cushions emblazoned with portraits of Frida Kahlo, who set her table with Poblano pottery. At the Museo Amparo (museoamparo.com), the collection of pre-Hispanic art and artifacts provides a remarkable reminder of the cultures that thrived in Mexico before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s. The rooftop café, with its deck and panoramic city views, is the perfect place to watch the sun set. Afterward, head to Moyuelo (moyuelo.com.mx; entrées $6–$15), where chef Fernando Hernández elevates Poblano street foods like the cemita, an overstuffed sandwich that’s a local staple.

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SUNDAY Take a mole-making lesson with one of the Rosewood’s chefs (one-hour class from $65), or ask if you can take a look at the ancient tunnel beneath the hotel. It’s part of a network of 500-year-old passageways running underground throughout the city. (No one knows the exact reason why they were built, but some historians believe they were used by soldiers or the nobility as an escape route.) Then hop in a taxi and head to the International Museum of the Baroque (mib.puebla.gob.mx). Pritzker Prize–winning architect Toyo Ito’s shining white structure subtly echoes both the curves of Baroque architecture and the lines of the surrounding mountains. Ascend the soaring central staircase to the restaurant Barroco (barroco restaurante.mx; entrées $10–$20), which serves a modern Mexican menu in serene surroundings. Then walk off lunch in the galleries. The clever juxtapositions of 18th-century art, music, and design with modern-day works and contemporary architecture have an almost alchemical effect. Head back into town, to the Callejón de los Sapos (Alley of the Toads). Every Sunday on this street, a lively flea market throngs with stalls selling old magazines, silver jewelry, antiques, and tchotchkes. Next, escape from the chaos into the calm by having a drink at the new Hotel Cartesiano (hotelcartesiano.net; doubles from $300), just around the corner. Built on the remains of a tile factory, the property blends tradition and innovation, featuring tiles salvaged from the workshop as well as modern Mexican art. I fell in love with the design, quintessentially Poblano in its magical fusion of old and new. Jeff Chu, a writer based in Princeton, New Jersey, is a Modern Farmer contributor and the author of Does Jesus Really Love Me?

Left: Casa Petra, a boutique in Puebla’s La Paz neighborhood, sells textiles, pottery, and home goods.

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The Primer The 26-mile-long Lake Wanaka is encircled by mountains.

ou may not know it, but the scenery of New Zealand’s South Island—kingly mountains, ethereal rain forests, and golden ribbons of empty beach—has become famous, thanks to films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Wolverine. On March 9, those otherworldly landscapes return to the big screen in director Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s sci-fi tale A Wrinkle in Time. DuVernay searched for a stand-in for an idyllic planet, and found it in the region of Lake Wanaka—specifically, in the mountains surrounding Lake Hawea, which runs parallel to Wanaka, and at Hunter Valley Station, a 27,000-acre ranch on Hawea’s western shore. These locations lack moviemaking infrastructure, so the cast and crew stayed in Wanaka, a compact township at Lake Wanaka’s southernmost tip (and my home for the past three years). An hour from Queenstown, it’s popular year-round with New Zealanders for its stunning location, variety of outdoor activities, and walkable community that punches above its weight when it comes to food and wine. Here are a few reasons to visit the area beyond its cinematic cachet.

RA D I U S IM AG ES / A L A MY

Y Lights, Camera, Paradise

With its visually arresting scenery, New Zealand’s Lake Wanaka region has taken a starring role in The Lord of the Rings and this month’s A Wrinkle in Time. Carrie Miller reveals why it’s a mecca for adventure lovers as well as movie fans.

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You can experience luxury in the wild. Mahu Whenua (mahuwhenua.co.nz; doubles from $1,300) is a handsomely appointed modern farmhouse, with two suites and two adjacent cottages, located a 20-minute drive from Wanaka. While the rustic-chic interiors are sumptuous (and the property comes with an in-house chef), it’s the surrounding estate, a wildlife sanctuary on 200 square miles of rugged terrain, that’s a true knockout. A stay includes access to a wealth of adventures, from horseback riding to a helicopter trip to the island’s western coast, where you can catch rock lobster for your evening meal. If you prefer to stay closer to the lake, Queenstown-based rental agency MajorDomo (majordomo.co.nz; rentals from $600) offers a wide range of options, from compact apartments in Wanaka to the Piwakawaka Point Villa, an opulent six-bedroom private residence overlooking the water.

Clockwise from top left: Piwakawaka Point Villa, on Lake Wanaka; a swing bridge in the mountains above the lake; pizza making at Francesca’s Italian Kitchen, in Wanaka township.

The wines are world-class. Wanaka is part of the Central Otago wine region, the southernmost on the planet. Located on the 45th parallel, the Pinot-friendly climate mirrors that of Bordeaux and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Rippon Vineyard (rippon.co.nz) has been owned by the same family for four generations and has views of the lake; Maude Wines (maudewines.com), a local (and personal) favorite, runs a tasting room in Wanaka township. Wanaka is a foodie haven. The town may be tiny, but it has a surprising number of excellent restaurants. Francesca’s Italian Kitchen (fransitalian.co.nz; entrées $17–$21) is famous for its antipasti, contorni, and pizza.

The popular Bistro Gentil (bistrogentil.co.nz; tasting menu $85) brings French technique to New Zealand produce—look for such mouthwatering dishes as Cardrona merino lamb served with Jerusalem artichokes and hazelnuts. Cocktail hour comes with a view. At the bar Gin & Raspberry (ginandraspberry. co.nz), an open-air patio surveys Lake Wanaka. Try the namesake cocktail, which was inspired by a drink favored by miners during the 1860s Otago gold rush. The locals are passionate about coffee. At work or play, residents can typically be found with a to-go cup in hand. Tucked down an alleyway, Federal Diner (federaldiner.co.nz; entrées $15–$30) serves high-octane coffee that pairs well with such breakfast treats as grilled banana bread slathered with almond butter. Ritual Espresso Café (18 Helwick St.; 64-3-443-6662) is treasured for its central location and friendly staff—my standard order is Japanese lime tea. The mountains are as spectacular as the lakes. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day trip to Kidds Bush Reserve, a campsite close to the Neck, where Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka nearly

C LOC K W IS E F R OM TOP L E F T: C OURT ESY OF MA J ORD O MO L I MIT E D ; PAUL G R EG G TR AV E L NZ /A L A M Y ; S IM O N DA R BY

The Primer

connect. With its mountain peaks that swoop down to golden-green lawns, it’s easy to see why DuVernay chose this spot to represent Paradise in A Wrinkle in Time. The location has a number of hiking options. Choose the halfmile Kidds Bush Nature Walk for an easy loop through a beech forest, or try the Sawyer Burn Track, one of my regular hikes, a 1½-mile uphill climb that rewards you with solitude and spectacular views of the lake.

C O URTESY O F L A K E WA N A K A TOU RI S M

The landscape looks great from above. One of the best ways to take in the wild scenery is from a bird’s-eye perspective, courtesy of an aerial tour by Alpine Helicopters (alpineheli.co.nz). The 20-minute Southern Lakes Highlights tour includes a high-altitude landing, while the Southern Alps Glacier Discovery flight is an hour-plus journey that gives you a rare view of the area’s hundreds of ice-blue glaciers and secluded mountain tarns. The skiing is rad. Wanaka residents joke about the “powder clause” in their employment contracts—leeway to sneak in a few downhill runs during a long lunch. There are three ski areas within 45 minutes of town: Cardrona (cardrona.com) is a familyfriendly mountain with the biggest terrain park in the Southern Hemisphere; Treble Cone (treblecone.com) appeals to seasoned skiers; and Snow Farm (snowfarmnz.com) is the only crosscountry-skiing area in the country. Even during New Zealand’s winter, which runs from July to September, the temperature in Wanaka remains comfortable, so skiers and boarders often end the day dining alfresco. Order a burger on the patio at Red Star Burger Bar (redstarburgerbar.mobi2go.

com; entrées $9–$12), or grab takeout at Erik’s Fish & Chips (eriksfishandchips.mobi2go.com; entrées $6–$18) and head to a picnic table by the lake.

Above: With its calm waters, Lake Wanaka is ideal for stand-up paddleboarding.

You can shop for the latest Kiwi styles. A stroll along Wanaka’s Helwick Street will take you past 47Frocks (47frocks.co.nz), a boutique that stocks fashions from local labels, including minimalist cotton basics by Kowtow and stylish handbags by Deadly Ponies. A few doors down, Perriam (perriam.co.nz) showcases merino wool with soft blankets and throws, textured dresses, and onesies for infants. There’s no shortage of aquatic adventures. At 26 miles long and 1,020 feet deep, Lake Wanaka is New Zealand’s fourth-largest lake, and is a favorite for fishing, boating, and waterskiing. Take a cruise with Eco Wanaka (ecowanaka.co.nz) to Mou Waho Island, where a tour might include sightings of the flightless weka bird. In addition to kayak and paddleboard rentals, Paddle Wanaka (paddlewanaka.co.nz) offers guided helipaddleboarding expeditions. A 40-minute flight leads to a secluded mountain lake 3,200 feet above sea level. After exploring by paddleboard, you’ll fly back to shore for a gourmet picnic. Carrie Miller is a freelance writer living in Wanaka, New Zealand.

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IT LIST MARCH 2018

THE The Lady Augusta Signature Suite at Adare Manor, one of Ireland's top countryside retreats, which just unveiled a spectacular renovation.

THE IT LIST 2018

TRAVEL + LEISURE’S ANNUAL SELECTION OF

C O URTESY O F A DA RE MA N O R

The Best New (and Reborn) Hotels in the World Over the past year, we crisscrossed the globe in our search for standout properties that, through innovative design, incredible food, and intuitive service, truly transport their guests. We checked in to historic manors, sleek city hangouts, private island resorts, and more to bring you 56 hotels worthy of a place on your bucket list. Here, 20 of our favorites—find the full collection at tandl.me/itlist.

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THE IT LIST 2018

“I found Bisate especially striking at night, with the lights from each villa blinking out of the darkness like alien eyes.”

Safari Trailblazer Wilderness Safaris Bisate Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Rwanda’s postwar transformation into Africa’s destination du jour is truly remarkable, and Bisate, the country’s first luxury safari lodge, continues this rebirth. Its six villas feature 1,000 square feet of space, dramatic conjoined domes inspired by the 19th-century King’s Palace of Nyanza, and balconies that offer grand views of the Virunga Mountains. But the marquee attraction is gorilla spotting. Guests hike into the park's higher elevations to glimpse the endangered apes, before returning for dinners around a communal table to swap stories. wilderness-safaris.com; from $1,155 per person, allinclusive. — Sarah Hepola

COOL KID Broadview Hotel, Toronto Housed in a landmark Romanesque Revival building, this boutique hotel in the ascendant East End is a cheeky mash-up of old and new. Neon art, rotary phones, and brass poles wink to the building’s past as a gentleman’s club; the boudoir aesthetic extends to the 58 rooms, with their red velvet drapes and floral wallpaper. Despite the throwback references, it all feels fresh and youthful—as does the local crowd that comes to knock back craft beers on the rooftop. thebroadviewhotel.ca; doubles from $233. — Siobhan Reid

DESIGN STAR Silo Hotel, Cape Town

ZEN RETREAT Nobu Ryokan, Malibu

For this dramatic repurposing of a waterfront grain silo, superstar architect Thomas Heatherwick added pillowed-glass panels to the exterior, bringing Cape Town’s scenery (Table Mountain and the city on one side, the harbor on the other) into all 28 rooms. The interiors by owner Liz Biden are just as dazzling, and her choice of colorful, contemporary African art befits the hotel’s location above the new Zeitz MOCAA. Don’t miss the rooftop pool, which overlooks Lion’s Head. theroyalportfolio.com; doubles from $1,648. — Lila Battis

The California sun shines a bit brighter where famed restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa chose to build his fourth hotel, the first in the style of a traditional Japanese ryokan. The serene, earth-toned rooms have ikebana arrangements, as well as freshly brewed green tea and senbei rice crackers to greet travelers upon arrival. Soaking in your teak tub while listening to the waves, you’ll begin to see why the West Coast really is the best coast. noburyokan malibu.com; doubles from $2,000. — Krista Simmons

C O URTESY O F B ISAT E LOD G E

— S.H.

Remote Hideaway Kokomo Private Island, Fiji

C O URTESY O F KOKO MO PR IVAT E I SL A N D FI JI

Fiji’s latest private island resort is that elusive retreat that allows you to connect with the location while disconnecting from everything else. Once the barefoot pilot drops you off after a 45-minute seaplane flight from Nadi, you could spend the entire trip hiding out in one of the 26 oceanfront villas or hilltop residences, which have sun-soaked living areas, alfresco showers carved from rock, and heavenly infinity pools. But it’s equally rewarding to get to know the 140-acre isle more intimately, by strolling its hibiscus-lined footpaths and trying the kitchen’s inventive Pacific Rim cuisine (don’t miss chef Caroline Oakley’s kokoda, Fiji’s coconut-inflected version of poke). Off Kokomo, even more adventures await: the staff can boat you to the unspoiled Great Astrolabe Reef, one of the world’s top dive sites, and to villages on neighboring islands to participate in a kava tea ceremony. kokomoislandfiji.com; villas from $2,500, all-inclusive. — Chaney Kwak

“I loved walking to the top of Kokomo’s 230-foot hill, which has sweeping views of the Kadavu archipelago.” — C.K.

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THE IT LIST 2018

After nine years and $564 million, the Bürgenstock Resort—a mini-village of four hotels, restaurants, and bars set high on a forested ridge above the lake—is making a comeback. The centerpiece: this striking hotel, with 102 guest rooms outfitted in Italian marble and Greek quartz. The bucolic setting is perfect for refreshing walks, the massive Alpine Spa has a lake-view infinity pool, and the service is to exacting Swiss standards. burgenstock.ch; doubles from $665. — Sandra Ramani

BOHO BEAUTY Casa Cook, Kos, Greece

Beachfront Flight of Fancy JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, Vietnam Known for its white sands and pristine seas, Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, is now home to an ambitious five-star property by an international brand. This resort’s 244 rooms—many with balconies and views of the private beach—are spacious by any standards. Three pools provide ample opportunity to relax or take an aquatic fitness class, and the Chanterelle spa will pamper you from top to toe. There’s even a promenade lined with boutiques selling local art, Vietnamese coffee, and souvenirs. Most “Entering the lobby, intriguing is the aesthetic. Designer Bill with its gauzy curtains Bensley fashioned the place as an imaginary and shelves of worn, French-colonial campus, right down to T-shirts emblazoned with the fictional leather-bound school’s name; vintage luggage, books, and books, I felt like I was other memorabilia decorate the lobby and stepping into an earlypublic spaces. The resulting vibe is Beaux-Arts 20th-century meets Wes Anderson, a welcome departure French novel.” from the typical resort stay. marriott.com; — L.I. doubles from $390. — Laura Itzkowitz

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Tour operator Thomas Cook’s new effort, on the Greek island of Kos, delivers the same drowsily relaxed vibe as its sister property on Rhodes. Snuggled in a remote spot on the northwestern coast, the beachfront resort resembles a traditional village, but the 100 rooms are on trend with midcentury furnishings. Days are made for lounging by the pool or inside the thatched-roof beach club, where ambient music plays and yoga classes take place on an ocean-facing terrace. casacook.com; doubles from $173. — Julia Brookes

C LOC K W IS E F R OM LE F T : C OU RT ESY OF JW M AR R IOT T P HU Q U OC E ME RA LD BAY R ES O RT & S PA ; CO U RTESY O F B Ü R G E NSTO CK HOTE LS & R ES O RT; G EO R G R O S K E

MOUNTAIN AERIE Bürgenstock Hotel, Lake Lucerne, Switzerland

ŠJ&JCI 2017

Why Jennifer Garner never skips sunscreen, even when it’s cold and rainy. The sun is up there shining 365 days a year. Summer or winter, its UVA rays can pass through clouds, haze, even windows. The more unprotected sun exposure you get, the greater your risk of developing skin cancer. In fact, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Protection and early detection are the key to survival. For sun safety tips and life-saving tools, like a free dermatologist skin cancer screening, self-exam kit, and discounts on sunscreen products, go to ChooseSkinHealth.com

#ChooseSkinHealth

with participation from

THE IT LIST 2018

“Don’t miss out on lounging in Hoshinoya’s sky-high gazebos and sipping a neon-pink dragonfruit smoothie.”

Jungle Showstopper Hoshinoya Bali, Ubud, Indonesia The moss-covered ruins of Bali’s centuries-old canals served as inspiration for this 30-villa resort from Japanese operator Hoshino Resorts, a longtime creator of ryokan-style hotels. The shared Balinese and Japanese values of balance and

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harmony are realized in the Zen aesthetic: earth-hued structures with traditional thatched roofs that blend into the lush landscape. Uncluttered, television-free rooms decorated in miles of wood provide a comfortable yet minimalist feel but no shortage of amenities, from heated Toto toilets to sandals made with Indonesian fabric. Water—a sacred part of many Balinese Hindu rituals—is the centerpiece of the resort, with three long swimming pools modeled after

the island’s ancient waterways connecting bi-level villas that offer salvation from the tropical sun. Executive chef Makoto Miyamaguchi orchestrates Balinese-Japanese fusion at the restaurant: dinner service combines a multicourse kaiseki-style meal with Indonesian flavors—think small dishes of steamed coconut chawanmushi, a Japanese egg custard, and beef rendang rice. hoshinoya.com; doubles from $670. — Kat Odell

C O URTESY O F H O SH I N OYA BA L I

— K.O.

A L IC E GAO

SCENE-MAKER The Ned, London Walking into this grand, heritage-listed building feels a bit like stepping onto the set of a wildly over-budget Baz Luhrmann film. The soaring, 20,000square-foot lobby— home to no less than eight restaurants—is a riot of African verdite columns, parlor palms, and cherry paneling. A tuxedo-clad cabaret singer crooning from a raised dais completes the picture. This isn’t the place for a practical stay. It’s a ballroom for the Instagram age, and a new center of gravity for London’s Square Mile. thened.com; doubles from $343. — Flora Stubbs

WINE BREAK Jackalope, Mornington Peninsula, Australia Set on a vineyard an hour south of Melbourne, Jackalope skips the rustic farmhouse winecountry look in favor of a design that trades in moody hues, clean lines, and whimsical details (see the 22-foot sculpture of a jackalope, a mythical rabbit with antlers, at the entrance). After settling into your artfully subdued room, take a seat at the restaurant to sample chef Guy Stanaway’s modern Australian tasting menu. jackalope hotels.com; doubles from $509. — Carrie Hutchinson

FAIRY-TALE STAY Adare Manor, County Limerick, Ireland One of Ireland’s most beloved properties, this 19th-century manor turned hotel shines again following a nearly two-year-long renovation. The 842acre estate, set in the heart of County Limerick, now has a Tom Fazio–designed golf course, a La Mer spa, and an additional 42-bedroom wing. In keeping with the original style, the rooms and public spaces feature oil paintings and heraldry to satisfy all those time-travel fantasies. adaremanor.com; doubles from $439. — Shivani Vora

Hot Spot Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Surfside, Florida Noël Coward and Liz Taylor used to play at the Surf Club, a haunt for society and celebrity in this quiet enclave north of Miami Beach. Now, the 1930 Mediterranean Revival masterpiece is back as a hotel, one that evokes its mid-20th-century heyday without feeling like a theme park. Richard Meier’s three glass towers form the backdrop. The center one sits above the reimagined club and houses the 72 new rooms. Closer to the beach are five Cabana suites, all with terrazzo floors. Dinner at Le Sirenuse is pure pageantry, from $300-perperson truffle-tasting menus to a restored mural of Bacchus. fourseasons. com; doubles from $595. — Tom Austin

THE IT LIST 2018

STYLISH HAVEN Palácio Tangará, São Paulo

Jet-Setter’s Oasis Berber Lodge, Oumnas, Morocco Marrakesh’s hottest new hotel isn’t even in the city proper, but rather 14 miles south of the center near the village of Oumnas. There, French-Swiss expat Romain Michel-Ménière, the city’s “it” interior designer, has built a minimalist, contemporary version of a Berber village, with low-slung adobe structures and a beautiful 50-foot pool set amid olive groves. For the nine rustic-chic rooms, Michel-Ménière combined the traditional (baked-tile floors, Berber antiques) with the up-to-date (custom wicker and Midcentury Modern furniture) in a way that “Marrakesh is famous feels effortlessly sophisticated. Since it for its lavish resorts opened last spring, the lodge has become a magnet for a fashion-forward crowd— heavy on Orientalist even though the Wi-Fi is spotty at best, fantasy. The Berber making it nearly impossible to post photos Lodge feels much to Instagram. Eventually, the glitterati stop more authentic and taking pictures and just enjoy connecting welcoming.” to the countryside. berberlodge.net; doubles from $205. — Gisela Williams — G.W.

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CREATIVE FORCE Sanders, Copenhagen A welcome arrival in a city light on luxe hotels, the Sanders is ballet dancer Alexander Kølpin’s third property in Denmark, and it overlooks the theater where he used to perform. The hygge vibe begins in the lobby, where even in summer a fire is ablaze. All 52 rooms have beds with rattan headboards, eclectic prints, and spacious bathrooms. The candlelit breakfast is another highlight, as are drinks at the jewel box of a bar (try the Sherry Fizz). hotelsanders.com; doubles from $437. — Kate Maxwell

C LOC K W IS E F R OM LE F T : C ÉC I L E P E RR I N E T L H E RMI T T E ; C OU RTESY OF PAL ÁCIO TA NGA R Á ; CO U RTESY O F HOTE L SA ND E R S

Travelers looking for respite from São Paulo’s busy streets will find it at this palatial resort set in Burle Marx Park, a 27-acre oasis. Wrapped around a showpiece swimming pool, the five-story hotel has the air of a Neoclassical mansion, with 141 rooms featuring balconies and French doors. Also notable: Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant, where his signature French cuisine incorporates local ingredients like rare Amazonian fruits. oetker collection.com; doubles from $380. — Nora Walsh

“The Whitby invites you to look up and around—and not down at your phone. Because you never know what colorful treasure might be hidden in plain sight.” — J.G.

F LOTO + WA R N E R

Urban Fantasy The Whitby, New York City A riot of colors breathing new life into midtown Manhattan, the Whitby is the second New York project from Tim and Kit Kemp, the husband-and-wife team known for London hotels like Covent Garden and Ham Yard. As at its sister hotel, the Crosby Street, Kit has infused every space with her eclectic design sensibility, from the seats in yellow, red, and green leather that line the 30-foot pewter bar to the 86 individually decorated suites, with their scalloped headboards and decorative dress forms covered in bright fabrics. The art makes just as bold a statement: Carla Kranendonk’s marvelous portrait of an African woman hangs near reception, while 40 porcelain sculptures etched with New York landmarks line the Orangery, an elegant space for tea—served on Kit’s custom Wedgwood china, of course. firmdalehotels. com; doubles from $695. — Jacqueline Gifford

THE IT LIST 2018

INDIE DARLING Trunk (Hotel), Tokyo

Seaside Crowd-Pleaser

Tokyo got a jolt of energy last May when Trunk opened its doors on a small lane between the neon blare of Shibuya and the loud costumes of Harajuku. With its frequent retail pop-ups and a convenience store selling local treats, the 15-room property brings the action of the street indoors; a rooftop wedding chapel adds to the charm. Meanwhile, the rooms are like chic private residences with bespoke furniture, retro tiled bathrooms, and balconies with herb gardens. trunk-hotel. com; doubles from $433. — Danielle Demetriou

The Loren, Bermuda

But that’s not all! There are 36 more world-class properties on our 2018 It List. Head to tandl.me/itlist for our full gallery of the year’s top hotels, including: AFRICA + MIDDLE EAST

Asilia Jabali Ridge Ruaha National Park, Tanzania asiliaafrica.com

Bikaner, India narendrabhawan.com

Bulgari Resort Dubai

Ritz-Carlton

bulgarihotels.com

REBORN CLASSIC Hotel Eden, Rome If Fellini could see his former haunt now, no doubt he’d approve. Dorchester Collection spared no expense during a 17-month renovation of this icon, opened in 1889 near the Villa Borghese. The rooms are bigger (the count was reduced) and the revamped lobby still exudes old-world glamour, with polished marble and gold coffered ceilings. Chef Fabio Ciervo is back at La Terrazza, and proves he's still got it with Il Giardino, a casual, health-conscious new spot. dorchestercollection.com; doubles from $833. — L.I.

One&Only Le Saint Gerán Pointe de Flacq,

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Narendra Bhawan

Langkawi, Malaysia ritzcarlton.com

Shangri-La Hotel

Mauritius oneandonly resorts.com

Colombo, Sri Lanka shangri-la.com

Singita Sweni Lodge Kruger National

Warehouse Hotel

Park, South Africa singita.com

Time + Tide’s King Lewanika Lodge Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia timeand tideafrica.com

Singapore thewarehouse hotel.com

Wild Coast Tented Lodge Yala, Sri Lanka

Hotel detroitfoundation hotel.com Hotel Californian Santa Barbara, California thehotel californian.com

Sagamore Pendry Hotel Baltimore

Lympstone Manor Exmouth, England lympstonemanor.co.uk

Orania.Berlin

pendryhotels.com

orania.berlin

Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort

Santa Clara 1728

California alilahotels.com

Lisbon santaclara 1728.com

Beverly Hills, California waldorfastoria.com

Terminal Neige– Refuge du Montenvers

CARIBBEAN

Chamonix, France terminal-neige.com

Waldorf Astoria

resplendentceylon.com

Park Hyatt

SOUTH PACIFIC

St. Kitts park.hyatt.com

Conrad Bora Bora Nui French Polynesia

Paris rosewood hotels.com Hotel Viu Milan hotelviumilan.com

SLS Baha Mar

MEXICO

Habitas Tulum habitastulum.com Rosewood Puebla rosewoodhotels.com

Time + Tide’s Miavana Nosy Ankao,

conradhotels.hilton.com

Nassau, Bahamas slshotels.com

Madagascar timeandtide africa.com

U.S. + CANADA

EUROPE

Adelphi Hotel

Henrietta Hotel

CENTRAL + SOUTH AMERICA

Saratoga Springs, New York theadelphi hotel.com

London henrietta hotel.com

Alvear Icon Hotel & Residences Buenos

Hotel Casa Telmo

Aires alvearicon.com

Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa

Menorca, Spain casatelmo.com

Arizona andaz.hyatt.com

Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel

Mahogany Bay Village San Pedro,

ASIA

Alila Fort Bishangarh Jaipur, India alilahotels.com

Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li capella hotels.com

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Cempedak Riau Islands, Indonesia cempedak.com

Detroit Foundation

Belize mahoganybay village.com

C LOC K W IS E F R OM TOP L E F T: C OURT ESY OF TR U N K H OT E L ; C OU RT ESY OF TH E LOR E N AT PINK B E ACH; LO R E NZO M O S CIA /A R CHIVO L ATINO

Bermuda’s first newly built hotel in nearly a decade is a game changer, beginning with its aesthetic: instead of the traditional British-colonial style still so prevalent on the island, it favors clean lines and a contemporary look. The intimate lobby, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, vases of fresh lilies, and well-stocked library, feels less like, well, a lobby, and more like the living room of a stylish friend. The dramatic views of the Atlantic and secluded Pink Beach continue into the 45 guest rooms, which are spacious (more than 600 square feet) and feature a sophisticated palette of earth tones mixed with hits of silver and blue. Outside, it’s all about the infinity pool, carved into a cliff and so close to the ocean that swimmers get splashed by spray. Don’t be surprised to see Bermudans dining on butter-poached lobster at Marée, the formal restaurant; it’s now the place for special-occasion dinners. The locals know a good thing when they see it. thelorenhotel.com; doubles from $900. — J.G.

Family Organizer

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Costa Rica Natural Paradise 9-Days $1295 Volcanoes, Beaches, Rainforests—Fully guided tour w/ all hotels, meals & activities Your Costa Rica tour is fully guided from start to finish—and all-inclusive—with all hotels, all meals, and all activities. Join the smart shoppers & experienced travelers who have chosen Caravan Tours since 1952. Your Costa Rica Tour Itinerary Day 1–San José Welcome to a wonderful Costa Rica vacation. See exotic birds and wildlife, hike in jungle rainforests, soak in hot springs, view volcanoes, cruise biological reserves, and relax on tropical ocean beaches. Your tour starts in San José.

Arenal Volcano Hot Springs Leatherback Turtle National Park Hanging Bridges

Caño Negro Wildlife Jungle Cruise

Fortuna

Guanacaste

%XWWHUñ \ Garden

JW Marriott Beach Resort Wildlife Monteverde Cooperative Rescue Center

Tarcoles River Cruise ®

Costa Rica:

Daystop

Overnight

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San José Manuel Antonio National Park

San Bada Hotel

Two Nights

Visit Costa Rica on a fully guided Caravan Tour; Call for choice dates: 800-CARAVAN Day 5–Hanging Bridges, Turtle Park Hike on the Hanging Bridges. Enjoy views of majestic Arenal Volcano. Continue to the Pacific Coast. Visit Leatherback Turtle National Park and learn about Costa Rica’s efforts to protect this endangered giant. Continue to the J.W. Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa for a relaxing two night stay.

Day 3–Wildlife Rescue, Fortuna This morning, drive by San Jose’s Plaza de la Cultura, Central Park, and the National Theatre. Next, visit a wildlife rescue center. Here, injured birds and animals are rehabilitated for release back into the wild. Continue to Fortuna in the San Carlos Valley for a two night stay.

Day 6–Guanacaste Beach Resort Free time today to enjoy your magnificent world class beach resort.

Day 4–Caño Negro, Hot Springs Cruise on the Rio Frio River, gateway to the world famous Caño Negro wildlife refuge, home to many migratory birds found nowhere else in Costa Rica. Look for black turtles, whistling ducks, roseate spoonbills, cormorants, anhingas, blue heron, and northern jacanas. Watch for caimans, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, green iguanas, and water-walking lizards. Enjoy a relaxing soak in volcanic hot springs.

Poás Volcano

Aerial Tram

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Day 2–Poás Volcano, Cloud Forest Explore Poás Volcano, and view inside the active crater. Next, hike the Escalonia Cloud Forest Trail, home to epiphytes, ferns, orchids, and tropical hummingbirds. Then, drive through Costa Rica’s famous coffee growing region. Enjoy a guided tour at a coffee plantation. Visit a butterfly garden.

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge

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Day 7–Birding Cruise, Manuel Antonio Morning drive through the cattle ranches of Guanacaste. Stop at the Monteverde Cooperative. Then, cruise on the Tarcoles River. Enjoy bird watching and crocodile spotting. This tropical bird and wildlife sanctuary is a nesting site for the scarlet macaw. Continue to Manuel Antonio. Stay at the only hotel next to the National Park. Day 8–Manuel Antonio, Aerial Tram Explore Manuel Antonio National Park, a natural habitat for the white face monkey, the rare squirrel monkey, and the three-toed sloth. Hike through the rainforest and along spectacular beach coves. Look for toucans and parrots. Then, a thrilling aerial tram adventure. Enjoy views of waterfalls and the Pacific Ocean. Return to San José.

Day 9–San José Your tour ends after breakfast this morning at your hotel. Thanks for vacationing with Caravan—¡Hasta la vista! Detailed Itinerary at Caravan•com Keel-billed Toucan

Choose Your Guided Tour +tax & fees Guatemala with Tikal 10 days $1295 Costa Rica 9 days $1295 Panama Canal Tour 8 days $1195 Nova Scotia, P.E.I. 10 days $1395 Canadian Rockies 9 days $1695 Grand Canyon, Zion 8 days $1495 California Coast, Yosemite 8 days $1595 Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone 8 days $1395 New England, Fall Colors 8 days $1395

Brilliant, Affordable Pricing ” “—Arthur Frommer, Travel Editor

FREE Brochure: (800) CARAVAN, visit Caravan. com

Fully Guided Tours Since 1952

UPGRADE MARCH 2018

Travel Smarter

TA N JA D E MA R ME LS / RE D UX

T R AV E L U P D AT E

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH CUBA?

Just a few years after travel from the United States to the island nation opened up, the federal government has put new restrictions in place. Here’s how to navigate the changes. By Melanie Lieberman

CAN YOU STILL TRAVEL TO CUBA? Yes, with some caveats. As a result of President Donald Trump’s rollback of Obama-era policies, travelers can no longer book their own trips to Cuba. Instead, trips must once again be organized through an authorized U.S. tour operator and fall under the 12 permitted types of travel to Cuba, including educational and religious activities. Straightforward tourism—sunning on the beach—is still not allowed. Once back in the U.S., travelers will need to keep documents that prove their trip to Cuba conformed to the category they declared.

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Upgrade IS IT SAFE? In September, the State Department issued a warning against travel to Cuba. The announcement followed a series of strange “attacks” against U.S. embassy employees—some of which took place in Havana hotels. The incidents, which were described vaguely as sonic attacks and reportedly triggered a barrage of mysterious symptoms, have not been traced to any specific weapon or source. Critics of the warning stressed that none of the occurrences targeted civilian travelers.

PA C K I N G A L E R T

HOW DO YOU GET THERE? Though some airlines have scaled back or halted service, a number of carriers (JetBlue, American Airlines) are still offering regular flights. The cruise industry is introducing new options as well. For example, Tauck offers an 11-day Cuba itinerary that satisfies educational exchange requirements. tauck.com; from $9,990.

THE LOWDOWN ON SMART LUGGAGE

CARRY-ONS with built-in phone

chargers and tracking devices may be gaining in popularity among travelers, but they’re raising serious concerns among airlines. The lithium-ion power

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FOUR HOTEL TIPS FOR FAMILIES With spring break upon us, many families are preparing to trade schoolbags for suitcases. However, traveling with small children can be difficult, especially when staying away from home for the first time. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to make your hotel experience as painless as possible. By Jacqueline Gifford LEAVE THE GEAR AT HOME

For new parents, it’s tempting to throw everything but the kitchen sink in your suitcase, but many hotels and resorts can lighten your load with on-site products. Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana (nickresortpuntacana.com) in the Dominican Republic and 26 Club Med (clubmed.us) resorts have strollers and bottle warmers at the ready. Great Wolf Lodge (greatwolf.com), which operates 15 hotels and waterparks across North America, will even equip your room with a Diaper Genie. (Speaking of diapers, you can always ship a few boxes to the hotel concierge before your stay.) BRING THE CLASSROOM TO LIFE

More and more hotels are offering learning experiences with a sense of place. The Explorer’s Club at Baha Mar (bahamar. com) in the Bahamas immerses children in native marine life. They’ll observe stingrays and nurse sharks, feed tropical fish, and learn about the coral reef system. At Domaine de Manville (domainedemanville. fr), a 250-acre estate with olive groves in Provence, kids can make jelly from fruit grown on site and learn pétanque, a local sport similar to bocce. sources that such bags rely on have long been prohibited in checked luggage, because the FAA and airlines worry about cargo-hold fires. But at the beginning of the year, several U.S. carriers, including Delta, American, and Alaska, barred suitcases with nonremovable

REMEMBER THAT WELLNESS IS FOR KIDS, TOO

Many hotels have been developing mindfulness programming, and some are extending it to children. Niyama (niyama. com), in the Maldives, offers children’s laughing yoga sessions, where young ones chuckle their way through poses on the beach. Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas (sixsenses.com), a pioneer in the field, gets kids involved with nature, a proven stress reducer, through tree climbing and trekking. The company also offers music meditation classes, singing-bowl sessions, and the Grow With Six Senses program, which will debut later this year with new treatments and reflexology for kids. UNPLUG AS A FAMILY

New for 2018, Wyndham Grand (wyndham hotels.com) is giving families an incentive to power down their devices with its Reconnected package, which includes a timed lockbox for stashing tech toys. In exchange for going off the grid, families will receive a blanket-fort kit, backpacks for each kid containing a copy of the children’s book The Nocturnals, a shadow-puppet guide, an Instax camera, and 5 percent off their total stay.

batteries from carry-on luggage as well. Bags with removable batteries are still permitted, but travelers will be asked to carry the battery with them in the cabin should their bags need to be checked at the gate. If your bag’s battery is not easily accessible from the outside, it

may be a good idea to simply remove it before traveling. If you’re in the market for a new piece of luggage, seek out brands like Arlo Skye, whose design allows for the battery to be easily detached from the exterior and used as a portable charger. — John Scarpinato

I LLUST RAT IO N BY R OB BA IL E Y

WHERE CAN’T YOU GO? The Treasury Department recently added more than 100 businesses and companies (including tour operators, shops, and popular accommodations like Hotel Florida and Hotel Ambos Mundos) to a list of Cuban entities U.S. citizens can no longer patronize. Generally speaking, however, travelers will not find their visits meaningfully impacted by these limitations.

T R AV E L I N G W I T H K I D S

Upgrade I N N O VAT I O N

TRAVEL COMPANIES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

A luxury tent at Collective Hudson Valley.

T R AV E L T E C H

GOOGLE TRANSLATE 2.0

With millennials playing a greater role in the travel market, young entrepreneurs are launching brands meant to appeal to their peers’ desire for local flavor and nontraditional experiences— but that doesn’t mean their products won’t appeal to travelers of all ages. By John Scarpinato

Collective Retreats Who It’s For: Outdoor Enthusiasts After a decade working for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Peter Mack started to notice a standardization of hotel rooms across the industry. So he decided to take matters into his own hands: Collective Retreats, which debuted early last year, provides luxe, seasonal tented camps in places throughout the United States that don’t have traditional hotels. Each site is designed to capture a sense of place, with experiences often tied to the landscape. Go fly-fishing outside Yellowstone National Park, ride horses through the Rocky Mountains, or spend the day at the Hudson Valley’s Liberty Farms preparing feed for the resident animals or picking produce for your evening meal. This year, the company is expanding to California’s Sonoma County and Texas Hill Country while introducing other forms of portable accommodation beyond tents. collectiveretreats. com; tents from $400.

Travel Noire Who It’s For: Young Black Travelers In 2013, Zim Ugochukwu couldn’t find images of travelers who looked like her; a Google Images search for “black travelers” returned multiple pages of black suitcases. To address the lack of representation, she started

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Travel Noire, a website dedicated to providing black travelers with a place to connect while also sharing travel tips and fare alerts. Last year, the company began organizing trips, called TN Experiences, for its online community. The tours explore places like Marrakesh, Bali, and Havana. Each excursion stems from what the company calls “essence traveling”— curated experiences that tap into the soul of a location. Participants spend time with locals, cook authentic meals, and learn from area artisans. Additionally, a professional photographer comes on every journey, so attendees receive dozens of striking images each morning to share with friends and family. tnexperiences.com; trips from $1,799.

Nomad Hill Who It’s For: Transformational Travelers Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been to more than 95 countries in the

past 12 off-seasons and constantly encourages his teammates and friends to trade in their usual destinations, like Las Vegas, for immersive adventures around the world. That passion led him to help create Nomad Hill, which focuses on devising lifechanging trips. Simply fill out an online interest form, and someone from the company will be in contact to set up an in-depth interview. During that conversation, a team member will ask questions to better understand where you are in life and what you want to get out of your experience. From there, you will collaborate on an itinerary filled with one-ofa-kind moments that would be difficult to arrange on your own— think sandboarding in Egypt’s Siwa Oasis before dining with a Siwa family in their home. nomadhill.com; trips from $750 per person per day.

Instant translation may sound like a futuristic fantasy, but technology is already making it a reality. The most advanced contender: the new Google Pixel Buds (store.google.com; $159), a Bluetooth headphone set designed to offer—among other things—advanced inear translation of a foreign speaker. The two earpieces, connected by a thin cord, can be paired with the Google Pixel smartphone to communicate easily with people around the world, whether they speak French, Hindi, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, or any of the other 40 supported languages. While one person wears the earbuds, the other speaks into the smartphone. A translation is immediately streamed to the listener. Although the technology is far from perfect—the translation is not always spot-on, and noisy environments will challenge the microphone—the language gap has never felt easier to bridge. From taking a taxi to ordering a meal, the potential uses while traveling are endless.

F ROM L E F T: C OU RTESY OF C OLL ECT IV E R E T R E ATS ; C OU RTESY OF G OOG L E

The company’s new earbuds promise realtime language translation, which could be a game changer for travelers. Jessica Plautz puts them to the test.

Escape Ordinary.

Outrigger Resorts Signature Experiences immerse you in an array of locally-inspired programs and amenities that help connect you to the cultures of Outrigger Resorts throughout the world. Find out at Outrigger.com/escapeordinary

H AWA I I FI J I T H A I L A N D G UA M M AU R IT I U S M A LD I V E S U P CO M I N G : V I E T N A M

See your travel agent or call 800.688.7444

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P H OTO C R E D I T TE E K AY

ABOVE AND

Though they’re most often associated with skiing, the French Alpine villages of Chamonix and Megève are reinventing themselves as summer playgrounds. After taking in meadows full of wildflowers and plates of melted cheese—along with some other, more hair-raising mountainous moments— Rosecrans Baldwin finds himself converted.

BEYOND Photographs by Martin Morrell

Hiking on Le Signal Forbes, one of the mountains surrounding the Terminal Neige–Refuge du Montenvers hotel in Chamonix, France.

“ WA I T, WHERE DO I PUT MY FEET?” The question went unheard by my guide; he was too far above me, forging his way up the cliff. Around us blew a soft breeze. A green valley lay far below. Beyond it, a patchwork of forests and fields rolled away into the distance. And between my shoes was a sheer drop of slick limestone, with no apparent footholds. The few who know Chamonix in the United States are mostly die-hard adventure types. Home to Mont Blanc, Europe’s tallest summit, this village in the French Alps hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924 and has been a world capital for cold-weather sports ever since. Ice climbing. Steep skiing. Winter mountaineering. Chamonix is the sort of town that attracts the wilderness-ambitious, a place where you can wake up to falling snow, go out and do something very dangerous and very challenging, and be back in time for a lunch of raclette, otherwise known as melted cheese. But if any leisure industry is threatened by climate change, it’s winter sports. Just across the border in Switzerland, the ski season is a month shorter than it was four decades ago. The Mont Blanc glacier is retreating at a record pace. Winter towns, from Whistler, British Columbia, to St. Moritz, Switzerland, are investing in what the industry calls “weather-independent attractions.” Chamonix itself has spent millions of dollars on new snowmaking equipment while also promoting summer attractions for X Games types, like whitewater rafting and ultra-running. I never considered myself an alpinist. I love mountains, and being around them brings me a sense of peace. But I’d rather read about a polar 82

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expedition than take one myself. About a decade ago, when my wife, Rachel, and I were living in Paris, I started to hear from friends that Chamonix had a more bucolic, less extreme side. They talked about fields stuffed with wildflowers. Restaurants reached by hiking trails. Properties and activities around the region that have been developed to appeal to a broader group of travelers—people looking for a feeling of old Europe, mixed with some hearty leisure and good wine. It became a dream of mine to see the Alps in summer. Rachel and I now live in one of Los Angeles’s densely settled urban canyons. There came a moment, last summer, when we had both been working too much. It had been years since we’d taken a trip together, just the two of us. So we decided to do it, setting off for the airport with the mind-set of a pair of 19th-century tuberculosis patients, hopeful that a dose of

Left: The busy town center of Chamonix, with the Alps beyond. Opposite, from top: A guest room at Terminal Neige– Refuge du Montenvers, a historic building in Chamonix; cows grazing in the pastures of Megève.

restrained mountain activity would do us good. And then somehow I found myself trailing a half-goat-half-man up a rock face, with no idea what to do with my feet. CHAMONIX IS PART OF FRANCE’S Haute-Savoie region,

which borders both Switzerland and Italy. At Geneva Airport, a British shuttle driver met us by the baggage claim. He explained he’d come to Chamonix nearly 10 years earlier to ski; it proved too good to leave. “The summers are my favorite time of year,” he said. We’d decided to ease into the region by spending two nights in Megève, a quiet village about 45 minutes west of Chamonix. Megève represents the area’s more rural side. It’s a wealthy ski-resort town, dotted with farms, chalets, and the occasional designer boutique. When we pulled in through the gates of our

hotel, Les Fermes de Marie (or Marie’s Farms), it was obvious that the place was agrarian in name only. The property is the very definition of rustic-chic. It consists of a clutch of nine chalets, each built from parts of old barns that had collapsed nearby. There were beamed ceilings everywhere, and oil portraits of goutylooking men. In between the buildings were plum trees, apple trees, and a spa of many pools, around which sun-crisp French vacationers lay reading paperbacks and wearing robes. A chicken coop had each bird’s name written on a chalkboard (Mélanie, Claire, Lydia, Florence). For dinner that night we ate a delicious local river fish, though he was served nameless.

Guests at Les Fermes de Marie, in the Alpine village of Megève, stay in one of nine chalets. Opposite: Eggs and mountain bacon at the restaurant of Terminal Neige– Refuge du Montenvers, in Chamonix.

Sometimes when I can’t sleep I like to picture a European breakfast. There’s just something soothing about a big spread of muesli and charcuterie and five kinds of yogurt. On our first morning, our jet lag got us up early—to encounter the breakfast of my dreams. Three types of bread. Four kinds of local cheese. An assortment of brioches and viennoiserie that included fresh pains au chocolat and pains aux raisins. Not to mention the best omelette Rachel had ever tasted. (From the eggs of Mélanie? I wondered. Or Florence?) After such a feast, it seemed vital to expend energy. We’d signed up to take a hike that evening into the mountains, for stargazing, but it had been canceled because of an impending storm. I explained to the concierge my interests: a good hike, a spot for lunch. “Here’s what we’ll do,” he said, whipping out a topographical map and highlighting it like a cavalry officer. He then launched into 60 seconds’ worth of rapid-fire instructions to remember, starting with, “Take the lift.” Before we’d left for France, I’d spoken with the American novelist Pam Houston. She codirects the Mont Blanc Writing Workshop, a local English-language seminar that runs for two weeks each summer. “What’s so particularly wonderful about Chamonix as a place to go hiking is the ski lifts,” she told me. Many of the resorts run their gondolas and lifts in the summer because the terminals connect with popular trekking paths. That way you don’t have to spend hours toiling up the mountainside before you reach the good stuff. “You start hiking in the pinnacle of beauty, and you stay there all day,” Houston explained. “And there’s often a place to get lunch that’s got the most glorious lamb stew, or crêpes with Swiss cheese, or the most amazing salad you’ve ever had.” She sighed wistfully. “You’re in France, and you’re sipping wine on a deck clinging to the side of a mountain, and it’s amazing.” Following the concierge’s instructions, Rachel and I rode the Télécabine du Jaillet, a tiny gondola made for two, up into the hills. I had been worried about my orienteering skills, but there were signposts everywhere. And the views were extraordinary. One moment the trail would lead us through a meadow, then into a forest, then out again into the open countryside, looking out over an entire valley. We passed fields full of cows with clanging bells around their necks. The French are polite hikers; everyone said bonjour as they walked by. Forty-five minutes later, a signpost directed us to Chalet de la Vieille, our lunch spot. We emerged from the trees to find an old barn on a hill; next to it was an earthy cottage. There were half a dozen wooden tables in the yard with colorful umbrellas and views of a snow-covered Mont Blanc. Each of the tables had a slip of paper, held down by a stone; one had my name on it.

(Thank you, concierge.) A few minutes more and we were drinking rosé by the goblet, eating delicious salads and omelettes savoyardes— a local style, with cheese and bacon—followed by house-made blueberry tarts. We toasted the cows. It was hard to imagine the moment improved in any way. MONT BLANC LOOMS over Chamonix like a

pending emergency. From the northern side of the mountain, a glacier lolls down into town like a giant tongue. More than 15,000 feet tall, the mountain seems almost Himalayan up close, if only because it’s virtually rooted in the town square. At twilight the sun banks off its flanks so that they glow. I felt stunned when I saw it from the taxi as we arrived in town. But Mont Blanc isn’t the first thing you notice when you get to Chamonix: that would be the paragliders. All day long in summer, a dozen colored parachutes wheel in broad circles over the town. And you know that tethered to

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A lounge area at Les Fermes de Marie in Megève, a resort town near Chamonix. Opposite: A paraglider soars past a gondola cable in the mountains outside Chamonix.

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The train to the Mer de Glace and the Terminal Neige– Refuge du Montenvers. Left: Mountain guide Maxime Turgeon, with the peaks surrounding Chamonix behind him.

each one is some tourist harnessed to a local expert, who’s whispering French in her ear, Just a few more minutes, my terrified little cabbage. The air had a chill when we arrived. Clouds came and went. Chamonix is nestled between dramatic peaks called aiguilles, or needles, that tower over both sides of town. The tiny village consists of several busy streets, hotels with deep window casements, outfitters selling fluorescent athletic wear. In front of us an older man and woman walked along together as if on their way to the market, only the woman had a climbing rope slung around her neck. Chamonix is home to about 10,000 people, but it receives several million visitors a year. I asked our cab driver whom he drove in the summer. “Mostly it’s the French. People who enjoy the calm of the mountains. They do a week at the beach, then they come here.” When you ask about things to do in Chamonix, everyone tells you to visit Montenvers, a site about 3,000 feet above town. Once there, you can walk on the Mer de Glace, or Sea of Ice, a large, historic glacier; take a hike to the Aiguille du Midi, the tallest needle; or just absorb the view. One pleasing complication is that Montenvers is

inaccessible by car. Instead you take a little red train that chugs right up the mountainside. We boarded the train and it slowly clattered its way up the mountain. Many of the other passengers on the train wore boots; more than one had a baguette sticking out of an old backpack; several held axes in their hands. That’s one weird thing about Chamonix: seeing ordinary people carrying mountaineering axes around like walking sticks. (A PSA we saw in one gondola read: thank you for holding your ice ax in hand.)

We rode over viaducts, passed through tunnels cut through rock. When we turned the final corner, people gasped. The immensity of the landscape in front of us was stunning. Waterfalls cascaded down the mountains with a roar. A glacier the size of a freeway wound down between them. And amid it all, surrounded by peaks, a tall granite hotel, pocked by small windows with red and white shutters, beckoned us with a terrace set for lunch. Terminal Neige–Refuge du Montenvers has housed mountaineers since 1880. The hotel was reopened last summer, completely refreshed, renovated with an aesthetic principle that feels like a stylish mash-up of old-school European hospitality and high-end glamping. It’s a miracle the place hasn’t found its way into a Wes Anderson film yet. In our room, both the views and the bathtub were majestic. Light fixtures hung from climbing cord. It all felt purposefully chic and storied and rustic. I wouldn’t have been

shocked—or disappointed—to have been served some good champagne from a leather bota bag. We ate lunch on the terrace of the hotel restaurant, facing the Aiguille du Dru, one of Chamonix’s most photographed mountains. It rose like an enormous pyramid above our heads. We drank beer, then ordered a “peasant omelette” for Rachel and, for me, a melted round of écorce de sapin—a regional cheese, served with potatoes and ham. Hikers began to appear, shrugging off their sweaters. Maybe no one had told them about my system: to eat hugely first, then consider exercise. The main reason we had traveled up the mountainside in our little red train, though, wasn’t the lunch, but the Mer de Glace just below the hotel. Travelers have visited it for almost 300 years—though nowadays they are probably struck more by the effects of climate change than by the glacier’s extraordinary scale. Since 1850, the Mer de Glace has retreated by more than a mile—changing from a vast frozen river that reached down into the village to a field of ice that’s rapidly shrinking back up into the high mountain cold. After lunch, we walked (Continued on page 108)

SWITZERL AND

FRANCE

Megève

Chamonix Mont Blanc

ITALY

HOW TO DO CHAMONIX AND MEGÈVE Pursue these summer activities in the French Alps at your leisure, in whatever order you wish. There’s no pressure— that’s part of the reason you come here.

GETTING THERE Fly direct to Geneva Airport from New York or Washington, D.C. From there, the drive to Chamonix takes less than 90 minutes. STAY Alpaga Hidden away near the center of Megève, this hotel’s traditional chalets

deliver an elegant, understated take on rustic-chic. The spa has views of Mont Blanc, while a Michelin-starred restaurant awaits your post-hiking appetite. alpaga.com; doubles from $542. Four Seasons Hotel Megève Most of the

walnut-paneled rooms at this new 55-room hotel come with a chimney butler to take care of the wood-burning fireplaces. In winter, the ski-in, ski-out property also offers direct access to the 130 well-groomed runs of Mont d’Arbois. four

seasons.com; doubles from $1,550. Les Fermes de Marie This secluded clutch of Megève chalets has the feel of an upscale farm. There’s also a pool and a lush garden that provides ingredients for the hotel kitchen. fermes demarie.com; doubles from $566. Terminal Neige– Refuge du Montenvers Use the stylish relaunched property—accessible by Chamonix’s historic Montenvers railway—as a base for hikes and visits to the famous Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) glacier. montenvers. terminal-neige.com; doubles from $277. DO Trekking Chamonix is crisscrossed with hiking trails. Try the Grand Balcon Sud, where you can see the streams and wildflowers of the high mountains

without too much strenuous climbing. Via Ferrata Ascend high above the valleys without all the risk while safely attached to this “iron road,” a protected climbing route. Head out with Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, the oldest and most reputable service in town. chamonixguides.com. EAT & DRINK Café Comptoir Alpine cuisine gets a modern makeover in this converted chalet in Vallorcine, where the menu includes seasonal dishes made with regional French, Swiss, and Italian produce. lecafe comptoir.com; entrées $20–$37. Comme Chez Soi Right in the center of Megève, this cozy little wine bar also sells a wide variety of hard-to-find regional bottles. 23 Rue du

Clos des Rennes; 33-4-50-55-95-81. TOUR OPERATORS Backroads This active-travel company, ranked one of the top tour operators in the 2017 T+L World’s Best Awards, offers walking and hiking itineraries through Chamonix. backroads.com; six-day trips from $3,898 per person. Globe Bleu The French Alps itinerary from this luxury travel agency includes a breathtaking ride on the Aiguille du Midi gondola and a stop for traditional fondue near the summit of Mont Blanc. For bespoke options, consult Bob Preston, featured on T+L’s annual A-List, our roundup of the best travel advisors in the business. globebleu.com; four-day trips from $1,975. — R. B.

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It’s been 20 years since the first W Hotel opened in midtown Manhattan, bringing with it a riotous mix of celebrity, nightlife, and high design. STEVEN KURUTZ looks back on the brand’s two fabulous decades and reflects on how it changed our ideas of what a hotel should be.

Grand Entrance Though the first W (left), launched in 1998 on New York’s Lexington Avenue, was not architecturally remarkable, it helped define the modern hotel-nightlife complex. Cindy Crawford (right) and her husband, Rande Gerber—who ran the hotel bar Whiskey Blue—were fixtures.

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W H E N T H E W H OT E L opened in New York City, in

December 1998, the event had a buzz more befitting of a Hollywood premiere. It had a movie-style tagline—“Come to your senses”—and an opening-night party overflowing with celebrities, models, and style influencers such as the design and retail legend Terence Conran, who was spotted taking photos with a tiny camera. The showbiz vibe was appropriate, because the hotel industry was about to witness the arrival of a new, theatrical era. Much like the movies more than half a century earlier, it was about to explode into glorious Technicolor. One visitor described that first W as “like being on hotel acid.” The property was perception-altering, both visually and in the way it reframed the guest experience. Who had ever seen a hotel lobby with a two-story hammered stone fireplace and voluminous leather banquettes that summoned people to hang out, whether they were staying at the hotel or not? Or ground-floor windows of rippled, colored glass that let in light from the street but softened and distorted it, as if through a scrim?

Fresh Ideas Created by David Rockwell, the first W’s Living Room (left)—a space that has appeared in every W since—established the brand’s fondness for whimsical high design. The W New York–Union Square (right), opened in 2001 in a Beaux-Arts tower, was another W that brought contemporary chic to a classic building, a strategy adopted by Ace hotels and many others.

FR O M LE FT: J O E B U G LE W ICZ /R E D U X; NE W YO R K DA ILY NE WS A R CHIV E /G E TTY IM AG ES ; CO U RTESY OF W HOTE LS WO R LDW ID E (2 ); B E R ND J O NK M A NNS /L A IF/R E D U X; CO U RTESY O F W HOTE LS WO R LDWIDE ( 3)

THE STO

ORY OF W “The windows were inspired by a Richard Diebenkorn painting,” said David Rockwell, the architect hired by Starwood Hotels and its founder Barry Sternlicht to transform a tired conventioneer’s inn at Lexington Avenue and 49th Street into the flagship of a new boutiquehotel chain. Sternlicht’s directive was “to merge highdesign elements with high levels of service and comfort.” There had been similar hotels before—notably, the Royalton and the Paramount, both Manhattan properties opened by Ian Schrager and designed by Philippe Starck. But the W refined and commercialized the concept. Now, business travelers could check in to a sexy hotel and still get their boss’s faxes (it was the 90s, after all). Brothers Scott and Rande Gerber ran the hotel’s bar Whiskey Blue—for a time the city’s hottest nightspot. This was another revelation. “Who ever heard of a cool bar in midtown?” Scott Gerber said, laughing. But the lounge was packed every night with Park Avenue suits, young creatives, and boldfaced names like George Clooney, Cindy Crawford (Rande’s wife), and Derek Jeter, who was so impressed by the bed-size ottoman and the beautiful

Brand Evolution The lobby of the W New York–Union Square (left) reflected the brand’s notion of the hotel as a stylish, all-day hangout, even for nonguests. After W began expanding overseas in 2003, it brought along its trademark design sensibility, as seen in this guest room at the W Shanghai–The Bund (right).

clientele that he was reprimanded by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for being out too much. Just a year after the W’s launch, the Standard and the Ace debuted—both taking the W’s democratization of interior design as their guiding principle. In the years that followed, all three brands saw rapid growth across the U.S. As hotels popped up in cities like New Orleans; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Portland, Oregon, it seemed as if each location became instantly anointed as desirable and cool. The W has since expanded to 22 other countries, with 40 more hotels in development, from Marrakesh to Xiamen, China. Meanwhile, 15 original Ws in the U.S., including the first midtown location, are slated for renovation—or rebranding. As the W has grown, it has become, in some ways, a victim of its own success: its breakthroughs have become so ubiquitous, they’re now considered standard amenities. Reflecting on the original W’s legacy, Rockwell said: “A hotel where you would go to hang out and get a coffee, even if you weren’t staying over—the W was the beginning of that thing. It was this explosion of energy.”

Going Global The brand also exported its pop-culture bona fides, recruiting stars like musician Mark Ronson (left), who attended the opening of the W Paris–Opéra in 2012. With the introduction last year of its latest property, a resort in Goa, India (right), W is in 23 countries worldwide.

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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE Iguazú Falls, one of Argentina’s most cherished attractions, is finally getting a hotel that lives up to its dramatic setting. Jacqueline Gifford checks in, only to discover that even more natural wonders await. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOÃO CANZIANI

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Iguazú Falls, the world’s largest waterfall system, spans the Iguazú River between Argentina and Brazil.

O

Oddly enough, it didn’t smell like rain. The sky had turned from blue to silver to a deep, dark gray as our trio of kayaks explored a remote stretch of Argentina’s Yacuí River, a tributary of the larger Iguazú. With its milky green waters and banks lined with the towering palmito and palo rosa trees of the Atlantic Forest, the Yacuí, set in the northeastern province of Misiones, is about as far from the cosmopolitan streets of Buenos Aires as you can get. We’d driven 90 minutes due east from the town of Puerto Iguazú, on the unpaved Route 101 that runs along the border of Iguazú National Park, to reach this remote location. After clambering down a makeshift pier,

Standing on your private deck, you’re surrounded by nothing but rain forest and sky and creatures. we’d dropped our kayaks in the water and begun paddling upstream, with no end point in mind—our destination was the magical rain forest that straddles the river, once a vast wilderness that covered more than 100 million acres of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. My Argentine guides, Paula and Pancho, noticed the darkening sky too, but I told them to press on. The metallic tang I’ve always associated with an approaching storm was missing from the air, and after coming all this way I wasn’t about to give up. 94

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Then raindrops the size of quarters started falling fast and thick. The shallow seat of my kayak began to fill with water. All three of us made a swift turn for the pier. “Are we there yet?” I shouted ahead to Paula, wiping the rain from my face. “Almost!” she replied, poised and unflappable, even as lightning flashed in the distance. Behind me, Pancho looked equally cool and confident in his Ray-Bans and wide-brimmed hat. I knew my question sounded childish. But I was ready for dry clothing and a drink, and I knew we were in for a long, wet drive home. Home in this case was the new Awasi Iguazú, a 14-suite Relais & Châteaux lodge just outside Iguazú National Park that provides a luxurious new base from which to explore a region that has long lacked great hotel options. Covering some 170,000 acres, the park draws 1.3 million visitors a year, most of whom come to see one thing and one thing only: Iguazú Falls, a series of 275 cascades that run 1.7 miles across the border between Argentina and Brazil. An Instagrammer’s paradise, Iguazú is at the top of many people’s South America bucket lists, right up there with Machu Picchu and the Galápagos. The Brazilian side may have only 20 percent of the falls, but it does lay claim to the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, a colonial-style property awash in old-world luxury. Argentina has most of the falls—and a complete network of trails and walkways that allow you to see them from various perspectives—but Puerto Iguazú, the closest city, is filled with midrange inns and hostels, all of which attract their share of bus tours. Awasi, by contrast, consists of 14 freestanding pine cabins—13 of which are 1,076 square feet, with the 14th clocking in at 1,650—standing in three discreet rows, each reachable by winding stone paths cutting through the jungle. All have private plunge pools and blend seamlessly into the environment. Standing on your deck, you’re surrounded by nothing but rain forest and sky and creatures. Some of the animals you Opposite: One of the may see, others you only hear: coatis, 14 private cabins at Awasi Iguazú. All have crickets, even the stray ocelot. patios with lounge The low-slung main lodge, the chairs, and many have focal point of the property, is where sunken living rooms.

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guests gather for meals or to sip a glass of Malbec at the striking bar, hewn from petiribí, a native tree. Elements like marble and brass would feel out of place here, so the Buenos Aires–based designers Patricia Diedrichs and Eugenia Choren looked instead to woods, linens, and muted colors, especially beige and soft green. Choren knows how to bring style to the wilderness: for seven years, she designed farms and cottages in the Corrientes province in northern Argentina for noted conservationist and North Face founder Douglas Tompkins. At Awasi, tasteful pencil drawings of native flowers and birds by the artist Elba D’Arino, Choren’s mother, hang on the walls of the public areas. Colorful baskets woven by members of a nearby Guarani tribe rest on the tables. And a seven-piece light installation fashioned from 40 layers of fishing line illuminates the dining area, where your multicourse meals might include pillowy mushroom ravioli or a delicate ceviche of surubí, a local freshwater fish.

My guide spotted two chestnut-eared aracaris, a type of toucan. The whole place manages to feel organic and earthy—but not too earthy. It reminded me of renowned safari properties like Singita Boulders Lodge, in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve, and Abu Camp, in Botswana’s wild Okavango Delta, where the design feels elevated yet not out of touch with its environment. This is the jungle, after all, the most biodiverse part of Argentina, where most days the humidity hovers between 75 and 90 percent. I quickly learned that there was no point in fighting the heat, bugs, or damp, or Misiones’ rich red soil, which quickly stained my shoes and clothing. You’re not here to be holed up in an air-conditioned palace. To that end, Awasi follows the safari model when it comes to meals, drinks, and outdoor activities: everything is included. But it one-ups the safari experience in that each cabin comes 96

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with a personal guide (in my case, Paula, with help from Pancho) at no additional cost. That white 4 x 4 Ford Ranger is for you alone. Want to rise early for a jog along the back roads? Sure thing. How about a bird-watching excursion away from the crowds? That’s fine, too. With a staff of 75, including 16 guides, catering to a maximum of 28 guests, the Clockwise from top left: Awasi Iguazú offers hotel puts service first. kayaking excursions on the “For most travelers, everything Yacuí River; a rural outside of the falls is secondary. road leads to the hotel’s kayak launching site; We want the secondary stuff to the staff prepares for lunch shine,” says Virginia Contreras, the in the main dining room; operations manager for the Awasi the patio at the main lodge.

BRAZIL

PARAGUAY

Iguazú Falls

ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires

YOUR GUIDE TO SEEING IGUAZÚ FALLS With the debut of the Awasi Iguazú, the Argentinean side now has a luxe place to stay. Here’s all you need to know about getting there and getting around. GETTING THERE The best way to reach Iguazú Falls is to fly to Buenos Aires, then take the two-hour connecting flight to Puerto Iguazú. I flew both LATAM (latam. com) and Andes Airlines (andesonline.com), a local low-cost carrier; Aerolíneas Argentinas (aerolineas.com.ar) also offers nonstop service. WHERE TO STAY The Awasi Iguazú (awasi iguazu.com; doubles from $1,000 per person, all-inclusive) has 14 large villas. Numerous excursions, including visits to the falls, are part of the price. The Awasi guides will pick you up on arrival in Puerto Iguazú.

Iguazú as well as two older Awasi properties (also in remote locales—the Atacama Desert and Torres del Paine National Park, both in Chile). Ten years ago, it would have been risky to expect people to stay three nights and go beyond Iguazú’s star attraction. Nowadays, when so many travelers want to go deeper, explore further, and see things few others have seen before, there’s a built-in audience for a place like this. When I visited the falls I was impressed, but the experiences I didn’t even know were coming turned out to be just as memorable. Like the sunny morning when, with the sky a robin’s-egg blue, I piled into the truck with Paula, Pancho, and a last-minute tagalong guide, Bernardita, for a road trip—three hours each way—to visit (Continued on page 106)

CROSSING THE BORDER Many travelers try to see Iguazú Falls from both Brazil and Argentina. Each side has its merits, though Argentina’s network of trails is longer, and 80 percent of the falls lie on its side of the border. If you do want to go to Brazil, keep in mind that, for Americans, visas cost $160 and can take up to five business days to process, so you have to plan in advance. Argentina does not require a visa. If you want to stay in Brazil, the Belmond Hotel das

Cataratas (belmond.com; doubles from $284) is the best accommodation near the falls. WHAT TO PACK December through February is peak summer, when temperatures can climb to 90 degrees. Spring and fall offer milder weather. No matter the month, the humidity is ever present. Bring a bathing suit and flip-flops, in addition to quick-drying clothing, comfortable walking shoes, and several hats. Be prepared for your clothes to get dirty, as the soil easily stains. BEFORE & AFTER You’ll likely want to spend time in Buenos Aires before and/or after your visit. The Four Seasons (fourseasons.com; doubles from $605) has a great location in Recoleta. The rooms are spacious, but you’re really there for the outdoor pool, overlooking the property’s garden and Beaux-Arts mansion, and for the lobby bar, which embraces the polo aesthetic (think plenty of leather and wood) and serves excellent wines by the glass. — J.G.

NEWP THE NEWS FROM

A surfer arrives for an afternoon session at Sachuest Beach, a.k.a. Second Beach, a local favorite. Opposite: Guests at Castle Hill Inn, a historic Newport estate, take in the view of Narragansett Bay.

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ORT Beyond the Gilded Age mansions, a playful, bohemian spirit is stirring in this storied Rhode Island seaside city. Marisa Meltzer Ubers around town, discovering the many ways the destination is moving beyond its 19th-century heritage and diving into the present day. PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN W. FERRY

Everyone says the best way to see Newport is by boat, and less than two hours after arriving in town, I was invited onto one. Not one of the luxury yachts I associated with this famously tony summer destination, but a 21-foot center-console fishing boat belonging to Tom McGowan, one of the owners of a local gluten-free vodka brand called Keel. I’d met him through his girlfriend, Jill Rizzo, a florist whose boho arrangements might be described as Dutch Masters meets farmhouse. It was August, and the more than a century ago. sun was just beginning to But Newport is more than set as we opened up a bottle a well-preserved relic. of Prosecco and cruised Beyond the touristy fudge around Narragansett Bay. shops and T-shirt stores “There’s Harbour Court, on Thames Street, there’s the summer outpost of the a city with real personality New York Yacht Club,” waiting to be discovered, McGowan yelled over the one with chic bistros, craftmotor, pointing at a cocktail bars, and the same rambling stone manor kind of authentic blending fronted by an expanse of of surf and fishing culture immaculate grass. Just for which Montauk, on the to the left, built over a eastern tip of Long Island, limestone ledge a little has long been known. ways from shore, was the “Don’t tell me Newport clubhouse of the Ida Lewis is trendy now,” groaned Yacht Club, named after Camilla Hammer, a friend Out on a fishing boat on Narragansett Bay. a Victorian-era lighthouse who grew up summering Opposite: Floral designer Jill Rizzo of keeper famous for how there, when I told her I Studio Choo prepares an arrangement at one of Newport’s historic estates. many people she rescued. was writing a story about Farther along was the Forty the city. Perhaps not 1° North, a gracious luxury hotel cofounded by yet, but Newport is becoming an increasingly the late Campbell Soup heiress Dorrance “Dodo” appealing Northeastern beach alternative Hamilton, and the 19th-century spire of St. to the overcrowded Hamptons or Cape Cod. Mary’s Church, where in 1953 John F. Kennedy That’s thanks in part to newcomers, like married Jacqueline Bouvier. McGowan, who’ve set up businesses in Newport History in Newport is ubiquitous—and after being drawn in by the natural beauty and enjoyable. The identity of the little New England quality of life. There are also plenty of native town, beyond the beaches and the lobster Newporters who’ve returned after getting burned shacks, has long been tied up with its Gilded out by big-city life—like Rizzo, who brought Age mansions, its fancy boats and cars. People home Studio Choo, the flower shop she cofounded come here to gawk at how America’s elite—the in San Francisco. Rizzo grew up in the Fifth Ward, Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Morgans—lived a working-class Irish neighborhood where 100

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Clockwise from top left: The greenhouse and garden at Newport’s Castle Hill Inn, where many of the restaurant’s vegetables are grown; a display at Farmaesthetics, a beauty shop on Bellevue Avenue; the view of Narragansett Bay from a room at Gurney’s Newport, on Goat Island; seared yellowfin tuna, one of the entrées at the restaurant at Castle Hill Inn.

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many of the domestics who worked in the great mansions settled in the 19th century. When she was younger, the city felt alive to her only during summer, when it filled with visitors who came for events like the celebrated annual jazz festival. “Now it’s a year-round town,” she told me. Given Newport’s Montauk vibe, perhaps it’s not surprising that an actual Montauk business has recently arrived in town. Last spring, Gurney’s, the hotel and spa known for its brand of carefully disheveled luxury, opened a second location here. It’s in a former Hyatt on Goat Island, which is connected to downtown Newport by a short bridge and was once inhabited by, yes, goats. I got there by taking a train to Kingston, Rhode Island, followed by a short car ride, though high rollers can access the property via seaplane from Manhattan in less than an hour. When I arrived, two couples in the lobby were sipping Aperol Spritzes and snacking on avocado tartines while debating the finer points of the Bruce Springsteen catalogue. After getting settled in my room, which had a view of the harbor and Newport beyond, I went on my sunset boat trip with McGowan and Rizzo before making my way back to Gurney’s for dinner at Scarpetta. This is another New York import, the sixth outpost of the sophisticated Italian restaurant with locations in Manhattan and Montauk. I sat outside and let the charmingly bossy Italian waiter talk me into a tasting menu that included tuna crudo with preserved-truffle oil, seared scallops with English peas, roasted beet salad with ricotta, and spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil. The next morning I woke up early to meet up with Rizzo on Bellevue Avenue, Newport’s fashionable main thoroughfare. She was tending to the floral arrangements at La Forge Casino Restaurant. A Newport institution that overlooks the grass courts of the neighboring International Tennis Hall of Fame, it is undergoing its own transformation. “New owners took over here a few months ago and started replacing the dusty tchotchkes and pink tablecloths and frozen food,” Rizzo explained. The menu has gone from nachos and quesadillas to burrata from Narragansett Creamery and locally grown

squash blossoms stuffed with house-made ricotta. Rizzo was combining some big, architectural monstera leaves with a bouquet of gladiolus and sunflowers grown on a flower farm just north of town. Rizzo’s penchant for loose arrangements and unexpected combinations—instead of the hydrangeas and rose balls that were once de rigueur in a place like Newport—has proven popular. Because the town is one of America’s premier wedding destinations, she’s especially busy in summer, but she is in demand all year long. From La Forge Casino, we walked a few doors down to the Audrain Automobile Museum, another of her clients, which showcases some of the rarest and most precious cars on earth. (Another automotive palace, the Newport Car Museum, opened last summer in a former missile factory.) While Rizzo went to work, I crept around the museum before it opened, checking out the collection. There was a 1963 Corvette with a glittery copper-and-silver exterior customized by George Barris, who designed the Batmobile from the 1966 Batman TV show; a 1930 Duesenberg Model J that belonged to the mother of Doris Duke; and a 1953 Ferrari Europa that David de Muzio, the museum’s director, later described to me as “the queen of the collection.” Rizzo’s next stop was a 15-bedroom Georgian Revival mansion on six acres owned by a private client. (She made me promise not to reveal his name or the name of the estate.) There she worked out of the flower pantry, a room off the kitchen lined with hundreds of vases. As we made our way through the ground floor, replacing flowers and picking up fallen leaves, I noted the embroidered bathroom towels, the lawns mowed in perfect lines, and the hurried house manager in a polo shirt who spoke in hushed tones and didn’t seem all that comfortable with my presence. So I took an Uber back to Bellevue Avenue. On the way, my driver casually mentioned that he winters on a 4,000-acre ranch in Texas. Only in Newport, I thought. My next destination was the retail location of Farmaesthetics, a local

I heard a guy in a seersucker suit casually ask the bartender if a yacht called Where’s Waldo? was for sale. ‘Every yacht is for sale,’ said the bartender. travelandleisure.com

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Just after sunrise at Ruggles, a popular surf spot located in front of the Cliff Walk, a trail that runs along Newport’s eastern shoreline and past several of the town’s historic mansions. Opposite: The lobster roll at Newport Lobster Shack.

natural-beauty line whose chlorophyll-infused Vapor Bath Elixir I had picked up at Saks and fallen in love with. Owner Brenda Brock opened the shop eight years ago. She’s a seventhgeneration Texan who was living in New York and acting on the soap opera One Life to Live when she visited Newport for the first time: “I remember coming over the bridge and taking a deep breath of salty air, and I was completely moved,” Brock said. She met a Newport native, a mechanical engineer and designer, whom she dated long-distance until they bought and restored a farmhouse and then married. That was 26 years ago. In a sense, Brock is the godmother of Newport’s next generation of lifestyle entrepreneurs. But even after all this time, she doesn’t feel like she completely fits in. “If you weren’t born here, you’re not a native, no matter how many businesses you start or kids you have here.” She said this without frustration. “Everyone is really supportive of the new businesses, new blood, new restaurants. It’s not just the Top-Sider set. I love the blue blazers and tennis clubs, but it all exists together here.” 104

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Back at Gurney’s, I changed into a cocktail dress to meet Rizzo and McGowan at a fund-raiser for the local Boys & Girls Club at the Newport Shipyard, the hub of Newport’s legendary regatta circuit. Women in floral palazzo pants and men with Hermès pocket squares sipped spiked punch and toured the yachts while a band played a steeldrum cover of “I Shot the Sheriff.” I heard a guy in a seersucker suit casually ask the bartender if a yacht called Where’s Waldo? was for sale. “Every yacht is for sale,” said the bartender with a tinge of heard-it-all boredom. “But I don’t know the listing price.” Several, I learned, could be chartered for around $50,000 a week. After wandering through the leatherupholstered galleys and past the master suites and hot tubs of a dozen yachts, I began to feel a little exhausted by all the ostentatious displays of wealth. I walked through town, past Cardines Field, one of the oldest baseball stadiums in America, where Babe Ruth and Satchel Paige both played, and the White Horse Tavern, which claims to be the oldest in America. Just off Broadway, home to a strip of restaurants and

RHODE ISL AND

Newport

NEWPORT, OLD AND NEW Part of the joy of the city right now is its mixing of the traditional and the fresh, of rarefied luxury and everyday pleasures. Be sure to take in a bit of everything. WHEN TO GO Newport is most vibrant during the summer season, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but this is also when the crowds are thickest and the hotel rooms most expensive. The town is increasingly a year-round destination, one that’s also quite wonderful in early spring or October, when the leaves change.

bars beloved by locals, I went into a casual burger joint called Mission (named after a speakeasy that operated in town during Prohibition) and ordered a slaw dog. I sat down outside to eat it with Newport native Anna Jenkins Burnley, who cofounded the restaurant with her identical twin sister, Julia Jenkins Hoffer, after returning home following stints living in California and New York. Their husbands are, adorably, the co-chefs. I explained that I was wearing silk because I had just escaped a gala. She giggled. “We call them the yachty la-di-das,” she said. She espouses a more populist view of her town. “It doesn’t matter what class you’re in,” she went on. “Everyone wants a burger. People come to see the wharf and water and mansions, but I push people to come to Broadway and see places run by people born and raised here. We get university students, ship workers, seasonal employees, young kids out at the bars.” Inside, as if to prove her point, a pair of Navy officers were making small talk with a middle-aged couple who looked like NPR listeners. (Continued on page 107)

LODGING Castle Hill Inn Stay in the Shingle Style 1874 mansion or one of the newer beachfront cottages. Stop in for dinner to sample the excellent dishes made with vegetables grown on the property. castlehillinn.com; doubles from $355 in the off-season, $835 in summer. Gurney’s Newport The hoteliers behind the original Gurney’s in Montauk, New York, transformed an old Hyatt into a comfy resort with terrific coffee, an outpost of the Italian restaurant Scarpetta, and Porsche Cayennes available to ferry guests around town. gurneysresorts.com; doubles from $149 in the off-season, $700 in summer. FOOD Belle’s Café Head to this brunch spot at Newport Shipyard for fluffy pancakes or a sandwich with the catch of the day, plus a view of the marina. Closed in winter. newportshipyard.com/ bellescafe; entrées $6–$22. La Forge Casino A Newport cornerstone since 1880, the restaurant serves classic, seafood-focused New England comfort food done right. laforgenewport.com; entrées $16–$32.

Marina Café & Pub Get a strong drink and snack on quality bar food at this hideaway on Goat Island with views of the marina and the city beyond. Closed in winter. marinacafepub.com. Mission Visit this casual joint in the Lower Broadway area for burgers, dogs, handcut fries, and house-made ice pops. missionnpt.com; entrées $4–$9. Newport Lobster Shack This classic New England lobster house is owned by a collective of fishermen who get their lobsters, crabs, and conch from the waters around Aquidneck Island. newportlobstershack.com. SHOPPING & ACTIVITIES Audrain Automobile Museum A collection of luxury vehicles housed in a beautiful 1903 building downtown. audrain automobilemuseum.org. The Breakers If you’re going to see just one mansion in town, it should be this former Vanderbilt estate. Between the museum-worthy paintings and billion-dollar views, you’ll get a true taste of that Gilded Age lifestyle. newportmansions.org. Farmaesthetics Pick up the Vapor Bath Elixir, a concentrated green blend of chlorophyll and essential oils that’s a lifesaver after a long workout (or a late night out). farmaesthetics.com. Sachuest Beach Locals swear by this spot, better known as Second Beach, that’s a short drive from downtown Newport. Sachuest Point Rd., Middletown. Studio Choo East Floral designer Jill Rizzo is available by appointment; you can also sign up for one of her seasonal workshops. studiochoo.com. — M.M.

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enter your

comfort zone GRAND OPENING RATES AS COMFY AS $119*! (Iguazú Falls, continued from page 97)

TASTY TREATS

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PANAMAJACK RESORTS.COM *Savings up to 60% off of the published rate. Rates may vary by date and are per person based on double occupancy. Offer valid for new bookings made by March 20, 2018 for travel through December 20, 2019. Blackout dates may apply. Offer might be changed or withdrawn at any time. Not responsible for errors or omissions. Other restrictions may apply. ©2018 Panama Jack. ©2018 Playa Hotels & Resorts is the owner and exclusive operator of Panama Jack Resorts. All rights reserved. PLA07850118

San Ignacio Miní. I’m embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of this unesco World Heritage site, one of four remaining Guarani-Jesuit missions in Argentina, located 155 miles south of the falls. The journey sounded daunting, but I was game for an adventure. The ride was a straight shot down a rural highway lined with dense forests of pine and eucalyptus, with the occasional ibira pita tree— recognizable by its gorgeous yellow flowers—breaking up the sea of green. We passed farms and fruit stands and listened to an endless mix of Coldplay. By the time we turned onto a small paved road, I was ready to stretch my legs. Nothing—certainly not my hasty Google Images search—could have prepared me for how magnificent San Ignacio Miní would be in person. Massive stone walls towered in orderly rows around a grand lawn that fronted the remains of a red stone church, its archways covered with elaborate Baroque motifs. At its peak, in the early to mid 1700s, the mission housed a handful of Jesuit priests and more than 4,000 Guarani, who were moved here, tribe by tribe, to live in stone dwellings and made to sculpt, play music, and study Catholicism. The Guarani—not the priests—were responsible for the carvings. After the Jesuits were expelled from Spain and its territories in 1767, the mission was abandoned and

lost to time, the trees and plants eventually covering it wall by wall. It was restored in the 1940s and again in the 1990s. “Imagine this huge town in the middle of the rain forest,” Paula said. But my brain couldn’t fathom it. I suddenly was overcome by a feeling of sadness, thinking of the Guarani who were forced to move and adapt to a foreign culture. Though the journey to San Ignacio Miní and back was long, I never found myself minding, which is a testament to the friendliness and intelligence of the Awasi guides. All hail from Argentina, Chile, or Brazil and have diverse interests and specialties, from geology and botany to photography. Paula’s passion is ornithology, something that became clear during the two days we spent visiting Iguazú Falls. The Awasi is just 20 minutes from the park’s entrance, a surprisingly small-scale affair. On our first outing, we hiked 1½ miles along the Green Trail and the Lower Circuit, which consists of pathways that wind through the rain forest and eventually, closer to the falls, give way to a series of suspended footbridges that afford panoramic views. Paula spotted two chestnut-eared aracaris, a type of toucan, hopping between branches, while Pancho pointed out cicada exoskeletons lined up in tidy rows along the trunks of various trees. Families carrying coolers and pushing strollers passed us, oblivious to nature’s hidden details. I was so focused on the forest that my first glimpse of the Devil’s Throat—the U-shaped gorge on the western end, which as much as half of the river thunders over—crept up on me. Then I became just one of the horde, with nothing else on my mind but taking in the spectacular show. We quickened our pace, snaking over the metal footbridges as the water grew louder and the rainbows

Content in this issue was produced with assistance from Albergo Bucaneve; Awasi Iguazú; Berber Lodge; Bisate Lodge; Borgo Egnazia; Broadview Hotel; Bürgenstock Hotel; Cartesiano Hotel Puebla; Casa Cook Kos; Ermenegildo Zegna; Explore, Inc.; Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club; Gurney’s Newport; Hoshinoya Bali; Hotel Eden; Hotel Kabuki; Hotel Zeppelin; Jackalope; JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa; Kokomo Private Island Fiji; Laurel Inn; Les Fermes de Marie; The Loren; Nobu Ryokan Malibu; Palácio Tangará; Rosewood Puebla; Sanders; San Francisco Proper Hotel; Silo Hotel Cape Town; Terminal Neige–Refuge du Montenvers; Trunk (Hotel); and The Whitby.

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multiplied. Eventually, from our viewpoint about midway between the river and the top of the gorge, we could appreciate the breadth of the cascades. As the spray hit me at the Bossetti Falls, on the opposite side of the Devil’s Throat, I stood transfixed— with so many questions. What was that emerald plant that stuck to the rocks? Podostemon grass, Paula answered: it thrives despite the pounding water. Why Bossetti? He was an Italian explorer (first name Carlo). The fact that I seemed to be the only person with a private guide wasn’t lost on me. It felt decadent, but otherwise I’d have been tapping away for answers on my smartphone and missing so much. To get closer to the Devil’s Throat, we waited until late in the afternoon of the following day. The air was a humid brew, so we opted for the train, a faster, easier way to get to the 3,609-foot bridge that brings you to the gorge. This walk, as opposed to the footbridges of the Lower Circuit, took us above the Iguazú River itself. The water was murky—something I’d learned was due to the iron-rich soil and extensive plant growth, not pollution. Catfish swam below the bridges, side-necked turtles sunbathed on rocks, and all appeared calm, until we were about 50 yards from our final destination. Though you can get a pulled-back view of Devil’s Throat from Brazil, its scale and power are best appreciated in Argentina. The drop point, from which the water begins to fall some 270 feet, bisected a landscape of blue sky and white water, the top half cloudless and serene, the bottom a chaos of rapids and mist with no end in sight. It’s amazing what the force of 450,000 cubic feet per second can do. This was hardly the guides’ first rodeo. I asked Pancho whether he ever tired of coming here. “No,” he replied. “The light, the crowds, the atmosphere—it’s never the same.” I believed him. As we walked away, I caught a glimpse of a rainbow arcing over the Devil’s Throat, its reds and yellows and greens fractured by the mist. Jacqueline Gifford is travel director for Travel + Leisure.

enter your

comfort zone (Newport, continued from page 105)

Jenkins Burnley admitted that one thing she’s never done in her town is tour the Breakers, the historic Vanderbilt mansion. I went to see it the next day. On the way, I passed great homes with names like the Elms, Marble House, and Chepstow. Some are now inns, some schools, and some, like Rosecliff and the Breakers, museums. I had signed up for a new tour called “Beneath the Breakers” that took a cue from Downton Abbey to show how the mansion was actually run, winding through the tunnels the servants used to keep the 70-room house functioning. The tour paid surprisingly close attention to the various pipes and fittings used, which fascinated the structural engineer in my group, but after a while I decided to explore on my own. I love a really over-the-top estate, like Graceland or Hearst Castle, and this one did not disappoint. There were John Singer Sargent paintings, ornately carved settees and screens, dining rooms with fresco-covered ceilings, and everywhere a relentless kind of opulence. From the Breakers, I continued on to Castle Hill, another great home from the late 19th century; it’s now a Relais & Châteaux inn and restaurant. After a glorious massage in the spa, I walked to the garden, where Lou Rossi, the young executive chef, was picking radishes and turnip greens for dinner. A Massachusetts native, Rossi did a stint in the kitchen at Per Se in New York before returning to New England to cook. The garden is his pet project to bring sustainable flair to the menu. “Get the loose ravioli with sweet corn and tomatoes,” he told me. “They’re really good right now.” I took his advice, then tried the seared tuna with

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(Newport, continued from page 107)

enter your

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sambal sauce, followed by the clams and fennel. The couple at the table next to me ordered champagne. They toasted each other and then invited the staff and me to have a glass with them. When I remarked on what an idyllic summer evening it was, the wife replied, “You should come in the winter. The fireplace is lit. It’s really intimate.” The next morning, I braved the very strong fish smell in the air at the Newport Shipyard to go to Belle’s, a café with excellent coffee and organic eggs and a view of the harbor. Afterward, I walked past the colonial homes of the Point neighborhood just across the street. Most are wood and were built in the 18th century and painted black, slate gray, or pastel shades. Some had carvings of pineapples, a symbol of prosperity popular in that era. Others had plaques that identified them as things like prayer shop under a grant from king george ii. I hadn’t yet had a proper beach day, so I took an Uber to Second Beach, which I’d heard was far nicer although a bit farther out than First Beach. I swam for a while, then sketched a group of teenagers hanging out nearby. When I got hungry, I headed back into town to the Newport Lobster Shack, which is collectively owned by local fishermen who grew up catching crab and lobsters off of Aquidneck Island. The lobster roll and chowder were fresh, and the whole experience was heightened by sitting outside on a bench, sniffing the salty air, looking at the wooden houses and seagulls and watching boats bob on the water in the harbor. I began walking slowly over the bridge to Goat Island one final time, smiling at a father and son who were fishing off of it. And then a young couple on a vintage metallic-green Vespa zoomed by me and parked at Gurney’s. They took off their helmets and headed inside, just two more newcomers eager to find out what Newport is all about. Marisa Meltzer has written for The New Yorker and T: The New York Times Style Magazine. She contributes regularly to Travel + Leisure.

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(Chamonix, continued from page 89)

up to it by a long staircase of several hundred steps; previously, climbers could step straight out onto it from the hotel. Still, the experience was striking. At the bottom you pass through an “ice cave,” a tunnel that’s been drilled through the blue ice of a glacier that’s much, much older than you. I felt totally awed. That evening, we ate dinner in the hotel, in a dining room walled by windows, so as not to spoil the view. The meal consisted entirely of Alpine specialties. Chicken roasted on a spit. Fondue to feed an army. Afterward, the bartender wasn’t shy about pouring digestifs, but we decided to retire early for two reasons: Rachel had been admiring our massive bathtub, and I needed to prepare for the following morning’s excursion. All the food, wine, and gentle meadow walks had been exactly what I’d been looking for in the Alps, but I was beginning to experience pangs of guilt. It seemed a shame to visit Chamonix and not throw in a little adventure. VIA FERRATA MEANS “IRON ROAD”

in Italian. It’s a way of ascending mountains that’s not often seen in the U.S., though it has long been popular in Italy, and lately in France. A steel cable runs along the route, bolted into the rock every couple of yards. You wear a harness that’s clipped to the cable so you can’t fall far. “Via ferrata is the next level up from hiking,” mountain guide Zoe Hart explained to me, “but it’s still not climbing. It’s for anybody.” Hart is an American climber who lives in Chamonix with her husband and two children. She’s an accomplished alpinist, only the fourth American woman to earn International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations status, the

highest credential for professional guides. We’d met at a small café on my first morning in town, chatting over coffee as one of her kids chewed on a sugar crêpe beside us. She echoed exactly what I’d experienced about the region’s appeal in summer. “It looks extreme here, but it’s actually a great place to start as a beginner. You can access the high end of the mountain, but as a low-end hiker.” It was Hart’s idea that I try via ferrata, for some safe-ish thrills. So it was that on our second morning at Terminal Neige, I was met by Hart’s husband, Maxime Turgeon, and together we boarded the family van. He’s also a guide— in fact, their wedding was held up at the Montenvers refuge. We drove to the nearby town of Passy, hiked to the base of the climb, then strapped on harnesses. Turgeon assured me he’d recently guided his mother-inlaw on the route we were about to do—“and she’s not sporty at all.” Turgeon tied a rope between us, then showed me how the system worked. There were two carabiners attached by webbing to my harness. At all times, they’d be clipped to the cable along the route, except when I came to a bolting point, where I’d unclip one, attach it to the next segment, then do the same with the other and carry on. Turgeon started up and I followed shortly after. In the beginning, it all went according to plan. Then, 10 minutes later, the rungs ran out. I tried my shoe on a shelf and the toe slipped; the rock was wet with morning mist. My nerves did a flutter. I told myself not to freak out, that I just needed to keep going until

I reached the next ladder segment. I tested my footing, grabbed some rock, thrust myself up. This time my shoe held. After doing that a couple of times, I reached the next set of holds, and a couple of minutes after that, I started to relax. Up and up we went. All sounds died away. Paragliders cruised by like colorful birds. We tightropewalked over cable bridges and wooden beams. We stopped on a ledge at one point, overlooking the valley, to eat sandwiches and take pictures. Beneath us lay a wide-open panorama: Mont Blanc, jagged peaks, distant church steeples. We finished the route soon after, topping out after a steep climb up the final cliff. My nerves were gone by that point; in their place was simple exhilaration. I thought, Maybe a little part of me is an alpinist after all. The next morning, Rachel and I packed our bags and rode the train back down to Chamonix. We were the only people on board. At one point, we passed another train going up crammed with passengers, all of them craning their necks to get a better look at the mountains ahead— families with kids, solo travelers, amateur trekkers. All of them off for a day in the Alps, whatever their pleasure. They were about to discover what Rachel and I learned for ourselves: whether you’re a mountaineer or a picnicker, one way or another the mountains call to everyone.

enter your

comfort zone

OUTDOOR FUN

GOOD VIBES

Rosecrans Baldwin regularly contributes to GQ. His latest novel, The Last Kid Left, was listed as one of NPR’s favorite books of 2017.

CAMP JACK Travel + Leisure (ISSN 0041-2007). March 2018, Vol. 48, No. 3. Published monthly 12 times a year by Time Inc. Affluent Media Group, 225 Liberty St., New York, NY 10281. TRAVEL + LEISURE is a trademark of Time Inc. Affluent Media Group, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Subscription: 12 issues, $45.00; in Canada, $57.00 (publisher’s suggested price). Single copies $5.99. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Publications Mail Commercial Sales Agreement No. 40036840 (GST #129480364RT). Publications Mail Agreement 40036840. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Travel + Leisure, P.O. Box 134, Stn. Main, Markham, Ontario L3P 3J5. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright ©2018 Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Member of the Alliance for Audited Media. Subscriber Services, U.S. and Canada Direct all inquiries, address changes, subscription orders, etc., to Travel + Leisure, P.O. Box 62120, Tampa, FL 33662-2120, or call 800-888-8728. Editorial Office, 225 Liberty St., New York, NY 10281; 212-522-1212. Subscribers If the postal authorities alert us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within two years. Your bank may provide updates to the card information we have on file. You may opt out of this service at any time. Postmaster Send change of address to: Travel + Leisure, P.O. Box 62120, Tampa, FL 33662-2120. Occasionally, Travel + Leisure makes portions of its magazine subscriber lists available to carefully screened companies that offer special products and services. Any subscriber who does not want to receive mailings from third-party companies should contact the subscriber services department at 800888-8728 or write to TCS, P.O. Box 62120, Tampa, FL 33662-2120. The magazine assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork, or other material. To order back issues, call 800-270-3053. To order article reprints of 500 or more, call 212-221-9595.

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Your Best Shot

“The Suján Rajmahal Palace hotel in Jaipur, India, is endlessly photogenic. I spent hours shooting its bright colors and ornate details, but I was especially happy to capture this striking waiter at the Colonnade restaurant. He had never been photographed before, so he hesitated when I asked if I could take his picture. But he eventually warmed to the idea and even asked me to send him a printed copy to show his family. Looking at his portrait, I’m reminded of his kind and humble nature, and how beautiful the hotel and India are. It makes me ache to return.” sujanluxury.com; doubles from $1,038. — Reader Sabrina Aggarwal on her photograph, shot with a Canon EOS 60, January 2016.

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Sabrina Aggarwal was a semifinalist in our 2016 photo contest. Submit your best shots at travel andleisure. com/photography for the chance to be featured on this page in a future issue.

Switch to GEICO and save money for the things you love. Maybe it’s a serving of sturgeon roe. Or a few ounces of white truffle. Amazing food is what you love – and it doesn’t come cheap. So switch to GEICO, because you could save 15% or more on car insurance. And that would help make the things you love that much easier to get.

Auto • Home • Rent • Cycle • Boat geico.com | 1-800-947-AUTO (2886) | local office Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Homeowners and renters coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. © 2017 GEICO

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