Kanoo World Traveller Nov 2009

THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2009

OFFSHORE FUN

A TRIP TO GERMANY’S LITTLE-KNOWN FRISIAN ISLANDS

amazingly 19 affordable luxuries

BUTLERS + HELICOPTER TRANSFERS + FIVE STAR TRAINS + PRIVATE ISLANDS + PENTHOUSE STAYS

BLOOMS WITH A VIEW

A DRIVE ROUND HOLLAND’S FLOWER ROUTE

GO EAST!

Japan Your unmissable guide to plotting the perfect break in the Land of the Rising Sun, from Fuji sunsets to bullet train trips…

London for shopaholics

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Florence for culture buffs

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KWT 6 Cape Town for outdoors types

Your values. For life.

We want the best for our children throughout their life. We hope that they will remember not only the special moments but also the values that we have tried to pass down to them.

At Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana you will find that our alcohol-free environments express the same values you cherish. It’s just like coming home.

Our growing portfolio includes four different property types in over 68 locations.

Treasured Time. Our promise to you.

P.O. Box 43500, Abu Dhabi, UAE. T: +971 (0)2 644 4412, F: +971 (0)2 644 4413, head.office@rotana.com

Boulders Beach, Cape Town

NOVEMBER 2009 KANOO WORLD TRAVELLER

CONTENTS 3 7 9 18

AGENDA All the latest travel promotions, openings and news KNOW IT ALL Our team of holiday experts solve your problems ESSENTIAL SELECTION 19 surprisingly affordable travel luxuries PICTURE THIS A classic ‘Take me there’ travel image

50 FLORENCE Where to stay and what to eat in Italy’s artland

48 LONDON

The Big Smoke beckons - plan your ideal trip with our insider’s guide.

42 FRISIAN ISLANDS

Welcome to a little-known getaway just off the coast of Germany

21 JAPAN

From cherry blossom country to the bright lights of Tokyo ds The Frisian Islan

47 PHUKET 52 CAPE TOWN The local’s recommendations for a trip to South Africa’s coolest city Produced by: Hot Media Publishing FZ LLC May 2009 22,620 BPA Consumer Audit Managing Director: Victoria Hazell-Thatcher Editorial Director: Rob Orchard Publishing Director: John Thatcher Advertisement Director: Chris Capstick Contributing Editor: Ele Cooper Designer: Jenni Dennis

Advertising enquiries chris@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 369 0917 Editorial enquiries editorial@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 364 2876 Cover: Photolibrary Additional images from Getty, iStockphoto and Design Hotels

Top recommendations for what to do when you’re not bronzing on the beach.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from Hot Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. Hot Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in Kanoo World Traveller magazine. ‘Japan’, ‘Florence’, ‘Cape Town’, and ‘Surprisingly Affordable Luxuries’ features reprinted with kind permission of Sunday Times Travel.

AGENDA NEWS

09 KNOW IT ALL 10 DRIVE TIME 13 ESSENTIAL SELECTION 22 PICTURE THIS

AGENDA

WHAT’S IN

WHAT’S NEW

WHAT’S ON

NEW ADDRESS The Address Hotels + Resorts is continuing its speedy rollout with the opening of The Address Dubai Mall, a stunning new property. Alongside the easy, direct access guests get to The Dubai Mall (just step down a corridor from the lobby and you’re there), the hotel boasts a lovely pool, five top class restaurants and lounges, a spa and a ‘Qix Club’ for kids. The perfect spot for a shop-till-you-drop break. addresshotelsandresorts.com

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NEW OPENING

BUY THE BOOK

Looking for some serious inspiration for a train journey holiday? Look no further than this lovely book by Tom Savio. It’s filled with stunning shots of trips including the Indian Pacific, Trans-Siberian and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic, a rail classic in the States.

Fancy zipping through the Khyber Pass, hopping aboard the Al Andalus or steaming your way across Peru?

It’s all here: thrilling descriptions of each trip are included alongside the need-toknow info to help you plan the jaunt.

HAPPY VALLEY Those lucky enough to have stayed at Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa will know how exciting it is that an Australian equivalent, Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, has just opened up between two of the country’s biggest national parks, beneath the awe-inspiring Blue Mountains. At the environmentally focused Wolgan Valley, you can stay in one of 40 secluded suites – each with private indoor/outdoor pool and doublesided fireplace – and observe the incredible wildlife from your verandah while sampling the finest in Australian cuisine. emirateshotelsresorts.com

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DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

Exciting news for football fans: November 14th will see Brazil play England in Doha. The Qatari capital is playing host to the two soccer titans, with the match added extra drama by the upcoming World Cup.

5 OF THE BEST

SKYDIVING DESTINATIONS

Leap from the skies over the most inspiring scenery in the world

2 1

OVER VOLCANOES…

While landing in them is not recommended, the three ancient volcanoes at Lido Lakes in Indonesia (lidolakes.com) make for an incredible view as you scream into the freshest air you’ll have inhaled in a very long time. The surrounding fairytale landscape is strewn with pretty streams, enchanting forests and expansive plateaus, and the locals will more than likely insist that you join them for a coffee once you’ve landed.

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ON TOP OF THE WORLD…

‘Anything you can do, I can do better’ types should head straight to the top – literally – and jump from a tremble-inducing 9,000-metre height. You’ll freefall at 220kph above the snow-topped peaks of Mount Everest and the surrounding Himalayas with a parachute three times the usual size to cope with the air’s thinness. Things don’t get much more extreme. incredible-adventures.com.

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THE FULL WORKS…

Think skydiving in New Zealand’s a bit of a cliché?

You may be right, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it: the West Coast (skydivingnz.co.nz) provides some of the world’s most breathtakingly varied scenery, with thriving rainforests, mountains straight out of Lord of the Rings and menacing glaciers all coexisting within single vantage points. It really has to be seen to be believed.

ABOVE THE TREES…

Just 90 minutes from Manhattan lies Gardiner Valley, where the Blue Sky Ranch (skydivetheranch. com) offers some top skydiving. Visit in autumn when the forest is ablaze with fiery hues, providing a glorious contrast to the placid river and stark Shawangunk Ridge.

As well as the Appalachian Mountains, on clear days you can see the city skyline hunkering down against the horizon..

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INTO THE DUNES…

If simplicity’s your bag, dive at Swakopmund in Namibia (skydiveswakop.com.na) and all you’ll see besides the burnt terracotta sand dunes of the windswept Namib desert are the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, undulating thousands of feet below.

Simply stunning.

AGENDA NEWS

TRAVEL BY NUMBERS

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The length in metres of the chlorine-free pool at the newly-opened Gray Hotel in Beirut. Not impressive in itself, but did we mention it’s perched on the rooftop of the hotel, offering sky-high views across Down Town?

CHILD’S PLAY

Ever felt that your kids weren’t getting enough dedicated attention at the hotels you stay at? The owners of The Athenaeum, a five star spot in London, apparently have – because they’ve introduced a Kids’ Concierge to their roster of services. That’s right, a dedicated concierge whose sole job it is to make sure that your offspring are supplied with their heart’s desires.

Provided, that is that their heart’s desires are limited to snacks, computer games, kites, bikes, popcorn, seeds for feeding birds in the park, kid-sized bathrobes and slippers and milk and cookies at bedtime.

They’ll even check in advance what your child’s favourite comic book is and arrange to have the latest copy in their room.

Sounds like a pretty good start… athenaeumhotel.com

GOING LIVE

Bored of dragging your heavy cases across airport terminals?

Check out these new beauties from Live Luggage, the world’s first power-assisted bags, which come equipped with motorised wheels which kick in when you go over a kerb or up a slope. They also have ‘coloured anti-gravity handles’ – it all sounds a bit Buck Rogers to us, but apparently it means that the handle sticks out at an angle, putting 85% of the bag’s weight over its wheels.

Live Luggage also comes with a built-in umbrella – perfect for rain-sodden trips to the UK. liveluggage.com

TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE As of this month, Air Arabia will be flying twice a week from Sharjah to Samara in Russia. Never heard of Samara? It’s the tenth-wealthiest city in Russia, situated on the Volga River and is blessed with some lovely gothic architecture alongside a welter of museums including the icon-tastic museum of Fine Arts. It’s not been discovered as a tourist centre – so if you’re looking to discover the ‘real’ Russia without following packs of other visitors around like sheep, it could be a fine choice for you.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON DUBAI Looking for a great-value room in Dubai? Check out the Ibis Al Barsha, which has an excellent location along Sheikh Zayed Road, just minutes away from Media City, Internet City, Jebel Ali and the Mall of the Emirates. It offers travellers on a budget the perfect base for exploring the city, as well as top value rates across the year.

The modern rooms are highly comfortable and equipped with WiFi and flat screen TVs. When it comes to relaxation, you’ll love the live Latin music at the ‘Casa Latina’ bar and the international restaurant, ‘Baharat’. With prices starting from just AED 279*, they’re your first stop for an economy stay in the City of Gold…

For reservations, please call + 971 4 399 6699 www.ibishotel.com *Conditions apply

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AGENDA KNOW IT ALL

THE PANEL INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS CORRADO BOGNI Corrado is the head concierge of the flagship InterContinental London Park Lane. He and his network of fellow concierges round the globe can answer dining questions on any city under the sun.

A PEPY visit to a Cambodian school

KNOW IT ALL

ASK THE EXPERTS

Our team of travel geniuses help plan your perfect break...

Got a question? contact them at knowitall@hotmediapublishing.com What do you think it means to be a “responsible traveler” when travelling in developing nations and how can someone act on that?

DANIELA PAPI: I think there are three main elements to truly responsible travelling. The first is learning - in order to be a positive force in the areas we visit on our travels, we need to learn about and from the communities we visit. Learning about the culture before visiting a new place or in the initial phases of your travel will help you to understand the most responsible

Initially, we were taking tours into Cambodia to support development work but now we are taking people there to learn... choices you can make about how you travel and act.

This is a lesson we have incorporated into our tours at PEPY (www.pepytours.com) Initially, we were taking tours into Cambodia to support development work but now we are taking people there to learn. Once we all learn, then we can act responsibly to support the causes we believe in.

The second element is keeping money in the country.

In Cambodia, where I work, the majority of tourist dollars leave the country. Foreign-owned hotels and imported food are much more common than local initiatives or those putting money back into the

country’s development. By doing research and finding tour operators who are supporting local development initiatives, your travel dollars can go a lot further than just providing a great vacation.

The final element is avoiding child exploitation. There is a growing demand for orphanage tourism, and this scares me. When interacting with children, we should consider how we would feel if these were our own kids.

The most responsible schools and orphanages will not let travelers come in to play with children without proper child-protection policies in place.

I’m heading to the UK and looking for some really unique accommodation – what can you suggest?

There are so many fantastic places to stay in the UK. Why not book up a stay in Oxford, at one of the ancient colleges? Check out oxfordrooms.co.uk/colleges/ to see which colleges are available – you could end up with a room overlooking the quads at Balliol College or Trinity College, whose dining hall you’ll recognise from the dining scenes at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

Or how about a séjour in an old railway carriage from the Orient Express, now permanently located in West Sussex (oldstation.co.uk)? Or a nice long weekend in a former lighthouse in Wales (lighthouse-llandudno. co.uk), with uninterrupted sea views from your bedroom window? All top options.

GLOBAL SHOPPING LOUISA COX Louisa is the founder of Shopping Mistress (www. shoppingmistress.com), a unique shopping service aimed at those with the money but not the time to hit the stores. She has expert knowledge of what to buy and where to buy it.

BOUTIQUE HOTELS JAMES LOHAN James is one half of Mr and Mrs Smith, the duo who launched the hugely popular guidebook series of the same name (www.mrandmrssmith. com). He devotes his time to discovering the world’s most exciting boutique hotels.

VOLUNTOURISM DANIELA PAPI Is the founder of PEPY (Protect Earth, Protect Yourself) in Cambodia, a non-profit organisation which organises tours and voluntourist activities in Cambodia - see pepytours.com for more info. .

ADVENTURE AND ECO TRAVEL TIM WOODS Tim is the founder of Car Free Walks (www.carfreewalks.org), leads conservation holidays for the BTCV (www.btcv.org/ international) and is an editor for id21, communicating the latest research on ecotourism and responsible travel in Africa and Asia.

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AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

‘I’ve always wanted to stay in an over-water villa’ Full monty: The cheapest villa at luxury Bora Bora Lagoon Resort in Tahiti (boraboralagoon. com) costs a hefty $1,228 per night.

Too expensive? Make for Madagascar. Hotel Lakana (sainte-marie-hotel.com), on picturepostcard Isle Sainte Marie off the east coast, which has six thatched water villas over the bluest of lagoons from $60, room only

19 SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE LUXURIES

Penthouse suite? Private island? Whatever it is you’ve always wanted we’ve found it. And at a price to suit.

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AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

‘I’ve always wanted to be able to afford once-in-a-lifetime souvenirs’

‘I’ve always wanted to holiday like a celebrity in California’ Full monty: Lindsay Lohan, Liz Taylor and Arnie are among the A-listers to have favoured The Beverly Hills Hotel (thebeverlyhillshotel.com) in LA. Doubles start from $632, room only.

Too expensive? Catch a star on the rise at young actors’ bolthole Oakwood Toluca Hills Apartments (oakwood.com; studios from $244 per night), in the hills between Burbank and Hollywood. Over the years, they’ve been home to Hilary Duff, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kirsten Dunst.

Still too pricey? Rub shoulder pads in the heart of LA’s des-res district at the Best Western Hollywood Hills (bestwestern. com; doubles from $168). It’s unlikely you’ll be kipping down the hall from Johnny Depp, but the hotel is tucked beneath the ‘Hollywood’ sign, so you’re mere minutes from the homes of Brad Pitt and Sharon Stone.

Full monty: Tiffany & Co (tiffany.com) sells an 18-carat gold ‘Paloma’s Crown of Hearts’ bangle for $1,630.

Too expensive? The 300-odd stores in Dubai’s Gold Souk (dubaigoldsouk.com) flog bling at wholesale prices. An 18-carat bracelet costs around $440 (taiba.ae).

Still too pricey? Stock up on a few heirlooms. Mumbai’s Oshiwara Furniture Market sells antique furniture from old Indian estates at knockdown prices.

Sample find: a carved-wood chest for $120.

‘I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO HONEYMOON IN THE MALDIVES’ Full monty: At luxury resort Soneva Gili, you’ll stay in a thatched villa on stilts over a lagoon where rays and baby sharks play, but it’ll cost you: a week with flights costs from $6,430pp.

Too expensive? Mod-con Maldivian-style villas with private pools and butler, a spa and two deserted islands for ‘castaway experiences’, the Waldorf Astoria Collection’s first foray in the Maldives – Beach House – opens on Nov 1. It’s not vastly cheaper but it’ll save you a thousand dollars or so.

Still too pricey? Coco Palm Bodu Hithi is a huddle of designer cottages and a spa on a smear of palm-dotted white sand.

Beverly Hills Hotel

‘I’ve always wanted to arrive in style’ Full monty: In Sri Lanka, one-hour helicopter transfers from Colombo Bandaranaike Airport to luxury hotel Amangalla (srilankaportfolio.co.uk) cost $900pp, based on four sharing a flight.

Too expensive? The world’s poshest public transport system runs every 30 minutes from Nice airport to Monaco. Heli Air Monaco (heliairmonaco. com) has one-way chopper transfers from $208pp.

Still too pricey? Share a stretch limo and it becomes surprisingly affordable. London Limo Service (limo reservation.co.uk) will take you from Heathrow to central London from $100pp, based on four sharing.

Not cheap enough? Speeding along Venetian canals in a polished-wood vintage speedboat will make you feel like James Bond. Venice Water Taxi (venicewatertaxi. com) has private transfers from the airport from a paltry $50pp (based on four sharing).

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Coco Palm Bodu Hith i

DUBAI’S NEW HAVEN FOR BUSINESS

The Address Dubai Marina

Introducing

Dubai’s definitive waterside destination: The Address Dubai Marina.

Overlooking the sparkling marina, it offers stateof-the-art meeting and spa facilities, stunning guest rooms and residences, stylish dining and vibrant nightlife. It’s more than a haven for the modern traveller, it’s your first port of call.

This is The Address Dubai Marina.

www.theaddress.com

=HPGMHPG ;NKC =N;:B u =N;:B F:EE u =N;:B F:KBG: u MA> I:E:<> & MA> HE= MHPG u FHGM@HF>KB> =N;:B u <:EE $20* - -+, 1111

‘I’VE ALWAYS WANTED A PRIVATE PLUNGE POOL’ Full monty: A double room with a private plunge pool overlooking the Caribbean at Cotton House Resort (cottonhouseresort.com) on the island of Mustique, costs from $1600 per night, room only.

Too expensive? Money Tree Cottage, a little villa big enough for three, has a grapevine-shaded plunge pool that teeters on a terrace above Corfu’s Nissaki Bay. A week’s stay starts from $1,284pp.

Still too pricey? Beechenhill Farm (beechenhill.co.uk), a sheep’s bleat from Dovedale in the Peak District, lays on impeccable B&B (doubles from $152), with the option of a private, starlit wallow in the organic farm’s wood-fi red Swedish hot-tub, on an outcrop overlooking the Manifold Valley ($40pp for four hours).

Cotton House

‘I’ve always wanted my own fashion stylist’ Full monty Style Struck (stylestruck.com) has experienced stylists who will guide you through the fashion racks in London, Manchester and Liverpool from $800 a day. Too expensive? For more affordable one-on-one service, try Athens Style Therapy (athens-style-therapy. com), which provides wardrobe makeovers from $156 in Athens’ Kolonaki shopping district, home to all the glam brands.

Still too pricey? Why pay for a fashion advisor when you can get a free personal shopper? Book one in most branches of US department store Macy’s (macys.com), or request a Mode Plus shopper to guide you through Paris’s iconic shopping emporium Galeries Lafayette (galerieslafayette. com). Both department stores stock a huge range of labels.

‘I’ve always wanted to stay in the penthouse’

The Audley Rooftop Suite

Full monty: The Audley rooftop suite in London’s Dorchester hotel (thedorchester.com) comes with its own lounge and views to St Paul’s and Canary Wharf. Yours from $5,900 per night.

Too expensive? It’s a minimum seven-night stay at Calico House serviced apartments (chevalgroup.com) in London’s Bow Lane. Book a two-bedroom penthouse with roof terraces overlooking St Paul’s (from $528 per night), and you’ll be in no rush to leave.

Still too pricey? It’s quite a climb up Dubrovnik’s city walls to hostel Fresh* Sheets (igotfresh. com), but worth it for the stunning sea views from the ‘Double Bed Private’ room. At $44pp, B&B, you’ll have plenty of change left to spend at the cliff’s-edge cafés next door.

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‘I’VE ALWAYS WANTED A CHAUFFEUR’ Full monty: The Peninsula (peninsula. com; doubles from $660, room only), Hong Kong’s most glam hotel, has a 1934 Phantom Rolls-Royce with liveried chauffeurs for guests’ use from $232 an hour.

Too expensive? In Rajasthan, the Deogarh Mahal hotel (deogarhmahal. com) has a fleet of vintage cars and drivers for guests.

Jaguars cost $122 per 80km, but a 1959 Impala convertible costs just $42 Rolls Royce at The Peninsula

AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

‘I’ve always wanted a butler’ Full monty: At the Four Seasons in New York (fourseasons.com), the nine room Ty Warner Penthouse has its own butler on call 24 hours a day, and access to a personal trainer and a chauffeur. It’s yours from $42,900 per night.

Too expensive? Bali Villas (balivillas.com) rents idyllic properties in Bali, many with pools and outdoor bathrooms, all with a chef and driver. Most include butler service, too, and free spa treatments. Two-bedroom villas start from $484 per night.

Still too pricey? Court Farmhouse in Bude, Cornwall, offers dinner, a chef and waitress service by prior arrangement from $50 per head. The farmhouse sleeps 12 and costs from $1,800 per week ($22pp per night).

‘I’ve always wanted to ride on a luxury train’ Full monty: The classic London- Paris-Venice four-day route on the Venice Simplon-OrientExpress (orientexpress. com) costs around $6,000pp return.

Too expensive? The California Zephyr (amtrak.com) takes five nights to cross the USA, from Chicago to San Francisco. Splash out $670pp for a First Class ensuite room, or save more with an Economy roomette from $216pp.

Still too pricey? A day trip from London to the Kent coast on the Orient Express is a fraction of what an overnight trip costs. You’ll get all the Agatha Christie atmosphere as well as a five-course lunch for $470pp.

Not cheap enough? The no-frills but nice-enough Austrian Euronight overnights from Paris to Vienna. Rail Europe (raileurope. co.uk) has returns from $236pp.

The California Zephyr

‘I’ve always wanted to drive a classic’ Full monty: Grand Tourist (grand-tourist. com) sells two days at the wheel of a red Ferrari 430 Spider F1 around Tuscany, with three nights’ luxury B&B, from $5,000pp.

Too expensive? Blow your (more modest) budget on 24 hours of carad-worthy driving through Suffolk countryside in the UK. The Grand Touring Club (grandtouringclub. com) will rent you a Triumph Spitfire for $370 a day.

La Sagesse

‘I’ve always wanted my own private beach’ Full monty: The four-bedroom Cove villa on Kamalame Cay in the Bahamas (kamalame. com) has three private beaches and costs from $8,890 per night, full board.

Too expensive? At Cap Jean Marié Chalets (capjeanmarie.sc) on the Seychellois island of Praslin, you won’t need a fence to keep the public out. The two guest chalets (sleeping two, from $386 per night, room only) are utterly alone on a shell-scattered crescent of sand.

Still too pricey? Little-known La Sagesse (lasagesse.com) on Grenada is on its own wild bay, where Atlantic breakers roll and monkeys munch in the mangroves. There are just 12 prettily decorated beachside cabins and delicious dishes in the open-air restaurant.

Doubles are a steal at $140, room only.

‘I’ve always wanted afternoon tea at the Ritz in London’ Full monty: The price of London’s poshest high tea is slightly crackers. At the Ritz (theritzlondon. com; afternoon tea $74), you get freshly baked scones, marble pillars, piano accompaniment and weekend tables that get booked up six weeks in advance.

Too expensive? How did a Japanese chef from Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons end up running the Cotswolds’ best tea-room? Juri Miyawaki’s The Ritz prize-winning three-tier tea at Juri’s (juristearoom.co.uk) in Cheltenham costs $27.

Still too pricey? Tea-rooms don’t come any more regal than the Orangery at London’s Kensington Palace (hrp.org. uk). The hoi polloi is invited into its tall, stuccoed hall overlooking the ornamental gardens. You can order just two scones and a drink for $17. A bargain.

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‘I’ve always wanted a room with a classic view’ Full monty: You’ll get front-row views of the Eiffel Tower from your suite in the Hotel Plaza Athénée (plazaatheneeparis.com), but you’ll pay a heartstopping $10,500, room only, for the privilege.

Too expensive? Every room in Hotel on Rivington (hotelonrivington.com), in New York’s historic Lower East Side, has floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Book a king room on the 9th floor or above (there are 21 storeys), and you’ll be able to see the Empire State Building from bed – no need for TV re-runs to combat jet lag. King rooms from $518, B&B. Still too pricey? Just a five minute meander from Venice’s St Mark’s Square, many of the classic double rooms at Hotel Rialto (rialtohotel.com) look over the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge and cost a reasonable $192, B&B. Not cheap enough? Sydney’s newest hostel, YHA in the Rocks (yha.com.au), opens this month with a rooftop terrace overlooking the harbour, and private ensuites with views from $160, room only.

14Hotel KWTPlaza Athénée

Stylish suites Spectacular view Heart of the city

Africa Americas Asia

Ideally located in Port Saeed, Deira just five minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; walk from the shopping, entertainment complex and Metro station, Deira City Centre and ten minutes from the Dubai International Airport,with specious and modern rooms and suite overlooking the picturesque Dubai Creek.

Europe Middle East New Zealand

For reservation call: +971 4 2094 241 E-mail:reservations@cop-dubai.com Port Saeed, Deira, P.O. Box 119311, Dubai, U.A.E. www.copthornehoteldubai.com

More than 120 hotels worldwide

AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

‘I’ve always wanted my own island’ Full monty: You’ll have a choice of 40 beaches on private Musha Cay (mushacay.com) in the Bahamas, but the island costs $45,258 per night, based on 12 sharing.

Too expensive? There are only six thatched chalets on photogenic Chumbe Island Coral Park in Tanzania, so even if they’re all full, you’ll still feel alone. Four nights cost from $1,334pp, full board, based on two sharing a chalet, including internal (but not international) flights.

Still too pricey? The lodge on Forsyth Island (forsyth. co.nz), near New Zealand’s South Island, sleeps eight and costs from $246pp per night, full board.

You’ll have the beaches and forests all to yourselves.

Muscha Cay

‘I’ve always wanted a night at the opera’ Full monty: Glyndebourne (glyndebourne.com) may be the world’s most glamorous picnic, but culture doesn’t come cheap: you can pay up to $400 for a seat in the centre of the stalls for some operas.

Too expensive? The Rossini Opera Festival (rossinioperafestival.it) takes place every August in pretty Pesaro in Italy’s Le Marche region.

Circle seats from $51.

Still too pricey? Baritone Bryn Terfel’s annual Faenol Festival (brynfest.com) is held on grassy fields not far from the hills of Snowdonia. It didn’t happen in 2009 but will be back in August 2010.

In past years, acts have included José Carreras and Andrea Bocelli (as well as the likes of Girls Aloud). Tickets from around $30.

‘I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY BOND’ Full monty: A double at Jamaica’s Goldeneye resort (islandoutpost.com/ goldeneye) – where Ian Fleming penned the Bond novels – will set you back $800, all inclusive.

Too expensive? The Grandhotel Pupp (pupp.cz), in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, is better known to Bond fans as Hotel Splendide – the sprawling pile where Daniel Craig stayed during the cards game in Casino Royale. Doubles from $538, B&B. Still too pricey? Breakfast like Bond in Switzerland. Ride the cable car to the summit of Mount Schilthorn (schilthorn.ch.en), one-time HQ of Bond’s arch nemesis Ernst Blofeld in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The Piz Gloria revolving restaurant has fine coffee, scrambled eggs and views over the Bernese Alps, which Bond once escaped down on skis. Cable-car pass and breakfast buffet from $70.

‘I’ve always wanted a helicopter ride’ Full monty: An afternoon chopper ride for five people from Las Vegas into the Grand Canyon, with picnic by the Colorado River, costs $2,056 ($410pp) with Papillon (papillon.com).

Too expensive? Book into Paradigm (discoverparadigm.com), Mark Weir’s plush, barn-converted holiday cottages in the Lake District in the UK, and you can ride with him for free on his spectacular daily commute. He pilots a helicopter across the Lakeland fells to his office at Honister slate mine. Cottages sleep four and cost $1,200 for a three-night weekend.

Goldeneye Resort 16

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PICTURE THIS

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY

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IMAGE: PHOTOLIBRARY

Lights twinkle in the picture postcard perfect town of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Veneto in the Dolomites. Nestled in a valley between soaring peaks, it is much loved for its skiing and its flawless good looks have seen it feature in numerous films, including a James Bond movie (hint: think Roger Moore being shot at on skis). As well as skiing, the valley town is known for its high end fashion boutiques and attractive alpine architecture.

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TOTAL GUIDE

Japan

Big on Japan? Here’s your definitive guide to the land of the rising sun 28 IT’S RAINING YEN Tokyo on a shoestring? It can be done 32 THE FAB FOUR Far Eastern fantasies from Fuji sunsets to sumo bouts.

36 CHAIN GANG A string of Pacific paradise islands make the perfect family foray into Japan

40 THE INN CROWD In need of some serious relaxation, with all the Japanese hospitality you’ve imagined? Stay for tea in a traditional ryokan inn - your futon awaits 44 BITE THE BULLET For a speedy snapshot of Japan, take the fast train across the nation.

Japan feature reproduced with permission from the Sunday Times Travel

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It’s raining yen…

Good news - Tokyo’s getting cheaper. And it’s still the karaoke capital of the world, says Katie Bowman

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t was a flawless plan. We knew exactly which karaoke song we’d each sing on our first night (me, Nutbush City Limits; Anna, my friend, Total Eclipse of the Heart). We knew the coffee to order at Park Hyatt’s rooftop lounge – where Bill Murray charmed Scarlett Johansson during Lost in Translation. We even knew in what sequence we wanted to experience Japan’s eccentric cuisine, in order to prepare our digestive tracts for shabu-shabu on the last evening.

What we didn’t know was that Anna’s boss was also making plans: redundancies across the company, or (for the lucky ones) a wage cut. Anna was one of the lucky ones.

Suddenly, our trip to Tokyo would have to be more tin-pot than top-dollar. But Tokyo can be done on a budget – and I’ve got the leftover yen to prove it. In fact, the Japanese capital puts others like London to shame – from tube trips to hot dinners. International restaurant guide Zagat reports the average meal out in Tokyo costs $70, as against $80 in London. Likewise, a city-centre subway trip costs $2 in Japan; you can multiply that by four if you’re a tourist in the Big Smoke.

And London’s hotels, meanwhile, are the 12th most expensive in the world; Tokyo’s come in a measly 29th.

All just as well, considering Anna’s predicament… Our on-a-shoestring trip began over a cold juice. Izakaya are Japanese pubs – cheap, authentic, rowdy places to eat, and the only eateries likely to be open late (most Tokyo workers dine straight after work, so chuck-out time can be as early as 8pm). They’re not easy to find, though: powerful rain had forced us into a sketchylooking shopping centre in the manic Shibuya neighbourhood, and we’d taken shelter

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beside stacked washing machines and a guitar shop.

Then Anna smelled food, the waft of garlic and starchy rice. We walked further in, past a second-hand clothes shop and out back to where an open fire escape overlooked rail tracks. To our right, a handful of Japanese twentysomethings queued outside a low door covered by a curtain (designed thus to make diners bow as they enter). This was Shirube – one of the best izakaya in Tokyo; not that you’d know it from the location. We sat at sunken tables and consumed blow-

“The next evening we discovered another hidden eaterie called Shabu-sen, in Ginza – the Knightsbridge of Tokyo” torched mackerel, brought raw to our table, then set alight by a barman in safety specs, and ebi chilli (fried prawns with mayonnaise).

The next evening we discovered another hidden eaterie called Shabu-sen, in Ginza district – ostensibly the Knightsbridge of Tokyo, but riddled with affordable cafes and restaurants if you know where to look. We didn’t, so we went shopping. Then, between the shoe department and womenswear, we spotted the inconspicuous entrance to Shabu-sen. Here, in her best sign language, the waitress showed us how to eat shabushabu. We later learned that Shabu-sen is the more modest sister to Zakuro, where the food is identical but the prices have an extra ‘0’ attached. This is all The riotous cityscape of Tokyo

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Clockwise from this image: karaoke, Park Hyatt, ferris wheel, The Tokyo Tower

“I know what you’re thinking: how do you find these places in a city with no street names and taxi drivers who get lost?” down to facade: while Zakuro has a grand entrance, Shabu-sen is in a shopping mall – and if you’re a salaryman taking your boss to dinner, you don’t want him to have to arrive through ladies’ hosiery.

Again, we’d struck gold. But I know what you’re thinking: how do you find these places in a city with no street names and taxi drivers who get lost on a daily basis? Tokyo can be an impenetrable metropolis, where it’s more-than-a-little tempting to chuck the map and eat at McDonald’s, or to throw money at the problem and dine at your hotel.

Don’t. Get to know a few key eating spots and stick to them: izakaya are everywhere 24

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and you’ll never pay more than $10 for a dish (look out for a white paper lantern hanging at the door); yakitori bars are stand-up kiosks selling grilled kebabs of chicken – around $2 per skewer – and prolific across the city (look for red lanterns this time); depachika is the nickname given to all department store basements, where they sell a mind-blowing array of takeaway food – it’s ideal picnic territory, where a bento box of katsu curry and rice can cost $4. And with plastic food on display in the window of every Japanese restaurant, you can always smile and point if you get truly lost.

So, how to spend your days? Some of Tokyo’s best experiences cost less than a London tube ticket. On our first morning, we made the most of our jet lag and woke early for Tsukiji Fish Market – its tuna auction, a ritualistic affair where local chefs bid for frozen fish the size of grown men, starts at 5am. This free spectacle might just be your most memorable in Tokyo. Afterwards, walk through the market, where red snapper flap

about in polystyrene boxes while sea snails poke their heads out of crates (though never long enough for you to take a picture). It’s part horror show, part beauty pageant, and later, the same fish are served for breakfast in the market’s sushi restaurants – if you can stomach it.

After breakfast, take a wander through Hamarikyu Gardens, the secret green space Tokyoites would rather you didn’t know about. A mere $5 gets you into the former Imperial Palace grounds, where emperors used to hunt duck (spot the consolatory duck grave, built to pacify the spirits of angry birds past). There’s a pretty peony garden frothing with white butterflies, and an ancient family shrine. But the most beautiful sight is Nakajima teahouse, built over a lake and reached by a bridge sheltered with drooping willows. Within, ladies in kimonos serve tea to elderly walkers, courting couples, and the odd overcome tourist – helpfully, they have a copy of English instructions for the tea ceremony, from how to drink it all in three

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Tokyo on the cheap Five more thrifty tips

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TAKE A FREE TOUR: The Goodwill Guides Association can set you up with a local Japanese volunteer guide (email edo.tokyo. guide@gmail.com at least two weeks before you go). Your tour guide might be a student or housewife and they’ll show you around your preferred neighbourhood for about three hours.

There is also a free English-language walking tour of the Imperial Palace East Garden – the only part open to tourists – every Saturday from 1-3pm (www.freewalkingtour.org).

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SPY ON A JAPANESE WEDDING: Meiji Jingu shrine in Harajuku is one of Japan’s most beautiful, and a lovely picnic spot, too. Entry to the grounds is free and it’s a fantastic place to catch a traditional Japanese wedding, in which the bride – shrouded in a white hood and sheltered by a giant red paper umbrella – is followed by a grand outdoor procession of family, friends and Shinto priests.

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sips, to holding the cup with the pattern facing your companion.

Next, it’s time to shop. Anna and I were lured by familiar signs such as Muji and Uniqlo, where the clothes are even cheaper than in the UK. But the dangerous money was spent at Tokyu Hands and its downmarket equivalent, Loft. These six-storey emporiums sell everything you didn’t know you wanted to buy: running machines for dogs; wind-up plastic sushi pieces; neverrun mascara; and, in the flagship Ikebukuro branch of Tokyu Hands, an entire level devoted to pets, including a corner where pet-less workers can stroke kittens in their lunch hour. We left with seven bags but struggled to spend a hundred dollars.

Come nightfall, you’re spoilt for choice: kabuki is the traditional Japanese theatre, in which white-faced women wail over lost love and white-faced men wail over lost money (be aware that the art form’s ancient home in Ginza closes permanently in April 2010; after that, plays will be performed on a

newer site). A day’s ticket can hit thousands of yen, but you can queue to see just one act of 45 minutes for $9. Or, if you must have that rooftop coffee, be savvy: the Park Hyatt waives its extortionate $26pp cover charge before 7.30pm, while other cloudskimming cafes are just as good. Try the Imperial Hotel, frequented by Japanese, and where the cover charge is just $12pp.

But Anna wasn’t to be placated with glamour alone. It was our last night, and she wanted a microphone and a chance to belt her heart out. We scoured the streets of Ginza for an affordable karaoke bar (some are so swanky, they have private Jacuzzis and cost up to $100 an hour) and found Big Echo, the Starbucks of karaoke: ubiquitous, accessible and only $36 for an hour in our own booth, with waiter service, a phone book of English-language pop songs, and ‘props’. Funnily enough, Anna chose not to sing Bonnie Tyler that night, but instead went for a rather moving rendition of I Will Survive.

CATCH A HOME RUN: Baseball is big business in Japan – it’s the nation’s favourite sport. Tokyo’s two teams are the Yomiuri Giants and the Yakult Swallows – the former being the city’s answer to the New York Yankees, thus they play in the huge Tokyo Dome stadium. However, tickets to see the Swallows are much cheaper and you’ll be sitting alongside hardcore fans (see giants.jp or yakult-swallows.co.jp; tickets, from $16, can be bought on the day).

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PAMPER YOUR PINKIES: Japan is an excellent – and cheap – place to have a pedicure, probably because it’s considered such an essential part of the grooming regime. You’ll find salons in most department stores and malls; a 45-minute pedi can cost as little as $36, compared to around $80 in London.

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GO MAD FOR MANGA: The Tokyo Anime Centre in Akihabara is a mini museum dedicated to Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga) over the decades. There are life-size manga dolls and a super gift shop. There’s also a small theatre where the real actors behind the anime characters’ voices read out the script to a small audience (11am-7pm; animecenter.jp).

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The fab four

Japan’s quartet of iconic experiences are easy if you know how. And local girl Danielle Demetriou does…

Conquering Mount Fuji WHEN TO GO: July and August.

HOW TO TACKLE IT: Standing at a cloudskimming 3,776m, the snow-capped triangle Mount Fuji is among the most iconic of images in Asia. Immortalised through centuries of poetry, paintings and now mouse mats, the country’s tallest peak – known reverentially as Fuji-san – is as magisterial close-up as from a distance.

But the act of climbing this mystical mountain is not to be taken lightly: sturdy shoes, stamina, emergency sugar fixes and an English-speaking guide are all musthaves.

July and August are the ‘official’ climbing months, so don’t expect to be alone: some 200,000 people make the ascent every year. Four routes wind up from the base of the mountain, the most popular being the Yoshida path lined with historic shrines 26

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and teahouses. If you have limited time (or energy) however, you can drive up to the ‘fifth station’ – the name given to the halfway point on all four routes, after which the track is for walkers only. The trickiest part? Not necessarily scaling the mountain – which can take anything from three to eight hours – but timing it to arrive for sunrise from the highest point in Japan.

Your best bet is to walk with a guided group. They will organise a stop at one of the mountain huts along the route, and you’ll camp for a few hours. Then you set off at midnight to reach the apex and catch the stunning sunrise.

The descent, via the ash-covered Subashiri and Gotemba routes, takes considerably less time – from two to five hours. Stop off at Lake Kawaguchi for that perfect Fuji-san shot.

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WRESTLING WITH SUMO WHEN TO GO: January, May and September in Tokyo; March in Osaka; July in Nagoya; November in Fukuoka.

HOW TO TACKLE IT: With a ceremonial toss of salt and purifying splash of water, two giants come face to face, stamp their feet and the contest begins. Watching two nearly-naked overweight men try to knock one another over is an integral part of Japan’s cultural heritage – and witnessing the national sport first-hand can be as effortless as it is electrifying. There are six annual 15-day Grand Tournaments in cities across Japan, and you can join the enthusiastic crowds for $50 in an arena seat, or sit on the floor in an open fourseat masu box for $120pp.The amount of time spent wrestling is blink-and-you’llmiss-it-short – bouts rarely last more than a minute. So make sure you enjoy the

spectacle that surrounds the event: the rainbow-hued banners that flutter at the entrance to Tokyo’s circular-tiered Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium, the arcane rituals and purification ceremonies between bouts, and of course the cushion-throwing.

(When a high-ranking wrestler is defeated by a lower-status competitor, crowds traditionally fling their seat cushions towards the ring.)

If you want to scratch beneath the surface of the sumo world, you can also visit a sumo ‘stable’, known as a dojo, in a historic quarter of the capital. Visitors witness early morning training – and the brave can even try their hand against wrestlers in the ring, before joining them for the weight-gaining sumo lunch known as chanko nabe: a hearty meat and vegetable broth.

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TAKING IN THE BLOSSOM WHEN TO GO: Late March to early April.

HOW TO TACKLE IT: Could there be a more Japanese experience than sitting beneath a sea of pink sakura cherry blossoms?

Probably not, but forget any notions you might have of quietly respectful families admiring the view; it’s all about having a rollicking good time. As the delicate pink flowers burst into bloom, crowds of salarymen and women, Harajuku teens and pensioners all head to cherry-tree-filled parks, where they cover every patch of grass with blue tarpaulin before indulging in flower-appreciation picnics known as hanami. The advent of cherry blossom is a thrilling time throughout Japan; armies of forecasters obsessively examine trees in the run-up to their arrival, before the authorities officially declare the start of one of the prettiest periods in the Japanese calendar: sakura season. The cherry blossom front moves from the southern

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tip of Okinawa to the northernmost island Hokkaido, and the flowers are as fleeting as they are beautiful, lasting only around two weeks in each location. (All you can do is book your flights for the end of March and hope.)

Those on the cherry-blossom trail should not miss Kyoto, though. Here, the trees flower among ancient shrines and Zen gardens. Visit the beautiful weeping cherry tree at Maruyama Park before ambling wide-eyed along Tetsugaku no Michi, the flower-lined Philosopher’s Path canal.

Meanwhile, the most hedonistic way to experience hanami is to join the crowds in Tokyo parks, such as Yoyogi, Sumida or Inokashira. Buy some bento boxes and mingle with neighbouring picnickers. After the sun sets, head to Ueno Park or Meguro River, where atmospheric lanterns light up the cherry blossoms for a nocturnal flowerloving experience.

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MAKING THE TEA CEREMONY WHEN TO GO: Year-round.

HOW TO TACKLE IT: Tea drinking is a serious business in Japan. While mastering the art of the ceremony takes several decades, those with slightly less time on their hands could try a crash course in Japanese aesthetics in the cultural capital, Kyoto. Dodge the tourist crowds with a visit to 82-year-old tea master Sawada and his daughter Moriya, who conduct tea ceremonies in a beautifully restored wooden machiya townhouse on a quiet Kyoto lane. In a simple tatami-mat

room, the tissue-delicate layers of rules that govern the tea ceremony are slowly unwrapped. These range from the way the water ladle is held and the number of shuffles it takes to reach the end of the room, to the precise origami-esque folding of the tea cloth and exactly how the ceramic cup should be sipped. Kimonoclad assistants serve traditional sweets, precisely heat the water, and whisk the green matcha tea powder into a vivid froth before the fruits of the ritual are – eventually – consumed.

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Chain gang Kids? Japan? No problem: Waldemar Januszczak and his young family go island-hopping across Japan’s secret Pacific archipelago Beach lovers often seem completely uninterested in visiting the tropical islands of Japan. We’ll go to Thailand and Malaysia and even Vietnam. But when was the last time you met someone who had swum in Ishigaki or Iriomote? Or, for that matter, Okinawa?

Some of this reluctance can be put down to fiscal terror. Prices for everything in Japan may have dropped dramatically in comparative terms over the 20 years that I’ve been going there, but it is still perceived to be a scarily expensive destination.

I suppose the language is an issue, too. But none of that seems to stop masses of gaijins (foreigners) crowding into Tokyo and Kyoto. So why aren’t they sunning themselves under the palm trees of Okinawa? Perhaps it’s because they don’t think there are any palm trees left on Okinawa. Although the largest of the 57 tropical islands that are strung out over 1,000km from the southern tip of Japan’s mainland to within touching distance of Taiwan, Okinawa is perhaps the only place in the country with a sorry reputation. In a country as famous for its fabulous new things as it is for its fabulous old things, Okinawa is uniquely perceived to be too new to be interesting.

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Whare Kea Chalet

“Our next stop was Ishigaki, 370km south of Okinawa... if there is such a thing in the world as a perfect climate, Ishigaki seems to have it.”

The Americans levelled the island with vengeful completeness in the final months of World War II, and most of Okinawa had to be rebuilt from scratch. So what ought to be, according to its latitude, the Hawaii of Japan, a picturebook tropical paradise with white sands, leaping dolphins and turquoise waters, is more often imagined as an islandsized concrete new-build bobbing about in the Pacific. Half of Okinawa does indeed feel like a busy, thrusting, sign-encrusted slab of modern Japan. The island capital, Naha, offers all the urban joys that any large Japanese city offers, but with much better weather. I adore urban Japan. And can’t get enough of it. But it’s not what I demand most from a tropical island.

So we hired one of those boxy Japanese automatics similar to the one Postman Pat drives – but ours was yellow – and headed north into the bits of Okinawa the Americans didn’t bomb. Long and skinny, the island measures nearly 100km from top to toe, so there’s plenty to explore. My kids wanted to see the world’s largest fish tank. But I was after the Okinawa Rail, a comic-looking jungle bird with extra-large feet that lives in the island’s northern forests and nowhere else. I’m glad I listened to the kids. The Churaumi Aquarium turned out to be a heroic example of supersized Japanese engineering, with a tank so roomy that three full-size whale sharks, six metres long, can circle it, then lose themselves in the gloom.

I tried to follow suit, heading further north into Okinawa’s wilder corners. The top half of the island features a mountain range covered with jungle, to which a perilous beach road nervously clings. As you drive along this northern coast, the jungle keeps 32

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parting and confronting you with secret coves hiding sandy beaches. It wasn’t hot enough to swim on our visit, but it was perfect for messing about in rock pools and tripping over Pacific conch shells the size of a prize Yorkshire marrow.

You’ll want to know if I saw my rare bird.

Actually, I did. Not, however, in the dense mountain jungle into which we gamely drove, and through which I dutifully skulked for a few luckless hours. The kids got fed up, so we drove back down to the coast, to one of those handy golf courses where you can play all the holes with one club.

Suddenly, an Okinawa Rail bird leapt out of the undergrowth behind the 18th tee and jumped on to the hedge in front of us.

Okinawa turned out to be surprisingly delightful, but I was after something rarer even than the indigenous Rail bird – something so rare in Japan that many will tell you it doesn’t even exist. Real wildness.

Proper remoteness.

With so many to choose from, the thing to do on the Japanese tropical-island necklace is to hop, Greek-style, from one to another.

You can attempt it on ferries between the closer destinations. Or you can make bigger leaps on the Pokemon-coloured aircraft operated by the national carrier, ANA. Our next stop was Ishigaki, 370km south of Okinawa, but considerably warmer and much less developed. If there is such a thing in the world as a perfect climate, Ishigaki seems to have it. The atmosphere of the place is altogether lazier, sunnier and more nautical than Okinawa. It is ringed with white-sand beaches in the Pacificpostcard style, and if the ones here aren’t deserted enough for you, then jump aboard a ferry and find some that are. We spent a day lazing around on Taketomi beach, an exciting 10 minutes by boat from Ishigaki.

Taketomi is renowned for its star-shaped sand, a phenomenon made famous, apparently, by a Japanese hit song in the ’70s. To this day, everybody dreams of having some. And, as you sit there on your secluded beach, the occasional van-load of chattering Japanese tourists turns up to

Clockwise from this iamge: diving, the Okinawa Islands and shorefront, Churaumi Aquarium

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grab handfuls of star sand, then flees.

Our lunch on Taketomi consisted of grilled octopus and green-tea ice cream – perfect.

But Ishigaki still wasn’t odd or wild enough for me. I had my eye on Iriomote, the southernmost of the Japanese tropical islands. Ninety per cent of Iriomote is untouched jungle – which is why it provides the only home in the world to the Iriomote wildcat, the yamaneko. Discovered in the ’50s, it is distantly related to the leopard.

But, as you know, Japan specialises in miniaturisation, so its leopard is not much bigger than a domestic tabby. It has spotted fur, a very bushy tail and beautiful eyes, green enough to be Irish. Japanese travel brochures call Iriomote ‘the Japanese Amazon’. And as you chug up one of its short but spooky rivers, you could easily be east of Manaus. An impenetrable jungle comes right down to the water’s edge, and tries to go further. You can hear so many things squeaking, growling and tweeting in it.

But, like all jungle trips, the boat ride down the Jamazon doesn’t deliver nearly as much in the way of actual sightings. So, no, I didn’t see the Iriomote wildcat. There are only 100 or so left alive. And that’s 100 good reasons to come back.

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The inn crowd Stay in a ryokan and the room rate includes Zen-like serenity, exquisite food and very possibly the oddest bath(s) you’ll ever take.

By Danielle Demetriou

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have never been cleaner. My toes are wrinkled, my skin is deep pink and my hair is dripping wet – hardly surprising, given that I am taking my fourth bath in less than 24 hours. Keeping oneself obsessively clean may not sound like the most entertaining of holiday pursuits, and a week’s worth of ablutions in a day is undoubtedly at the more zealous end of the hygiene spectrum. Unless, that is, you find yourself in the heart of the Japanese countryside at a hot springs – or onsen – village. Here, there is one focus and one alone: getting wet.

Japan has a near-obsessive passion for taking a dip in the plentiful onsen – a happy consequence of Japan’s volcanic island geography. And the best place to experience a Nippon wash-a-thon? In the serene confines of a traditional ryokan guesthouse, more than 60,000 of which are scattered across the country. Ryokan inhabit a parallel universe from the concrete jungle of skyscrapers, neon lights and packed trains more typically associated with Japan. Instead, a microcosm of traditional aesthetics is distilled within its walls, from tatami-mat floors and paper lanterns to sliding screens and calligraphy scrolls. That said, these peaceful retreats can be found right in the heart of cities, too – Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto – but it is when you combine both ryokan and onsen, that the quintessential Japanese experience is complete.

It’s hot water, anyway, that makes the world go round in Shuzenji, an onsen village on the Izu Peninsula, a two-hour train journey from Tokyo. My destination is Asaba ryokan. A split curtain with a simple

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blue wave motif hangs above the pebbled entrance, where shoes are swapped for slippers – and the exterior world is forgotten in a blink. The decor? Perhaps best described as chic gallery space meets sanatorium: a solitary blue flower sits in a simple ceramic vase; rows of natural straw slippers line the doorway.

The only sound is the trickle of water, and rays of sunlight stream through the back of the ryokan, which overlooks its most enchanting highlight: the lake.

Here, among bamboo forests, maple trees and wisteria vines, floats an ancient wooden stage created 300 years ago for performances of traditional Japanese masked Noh dramas. Airi-san, a petite young woman with a face as flawless as a geisha’s, wearing red lipstick and an immaculate grey suit, tells me about her ryokan: ‘I’m the 10th generation of family behind the inn,’ she says in a near-whisper.

‘I spent my childhood growing up here.

Yes, it is very beautiful – though it can be a difficult place for a child. You have to stay very quiet all the time.’

After tea, she leads me along serene white lantern-lit corridors, where kimonoclad staff silently pass with a bow of the head. I remove my slippers at the threshold of my room, and a wooden door slides open to reveal two large tatami-mat spaces overlooking the gardens. Inside, the only furnishings are a low table, hanging scroll, flower arrangement and two wicker chairs perfectly placed for meditation. Yet, even amid the Zen minimalism, signs of the 21st century remain. Lurking behind a sliding screen, I find a symbol of modern Japan – a multi-tasking techno-loo with 12 buttons of incomprehensible functions (most baffling

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Onsen need-to-knows The onsen baths are for soaking, not cleaning, so you must be spotless before getting in. Sit on one of the low wooden stools beside the baths and wash yourself thoroughly from top to toe, including your hair, with the shower heads, shampoo and soap provided.

Once all soap suds are removed, pick up a small wooden pail, scoop up some water from the hot springs and splash it over your body to prevent any temperature-shock mishaps – some onsen are at near-boiling temperature.

Avoid the urge to jump, dive, or splash into the onsen. Instead, slip in sedately, feet first, until the tips of your shoulders are submerged.

Make sure your little white flannel (also known as a ‘vanity towel’) does not go in the onsen water. However, feel free to follow the old tradition of wetting the towel in the shower, then placing on top of your head.

You can get in and out of the tub as many times as you want. Some public onsen also have cold baths so that you can cool down between dips.

Speak quietly in an onsen – bathing is considered a relaxing experience – and never be tempted to take photos. Unsurprisingly, it is forbidden.

It may sound obvious, but just in case – never pull out the plug.

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“Drenched in sunlight is a deep Japanese nutmeg-wood bath with views over the gardens. This is my own private onsen bath, filled with waters straight from the hot springs” of which is the one that seems to show a bottom sitting atop a tree).

A clue to what lies ahead is found in the bathroom. Drenched in sunlight is a deep Japanese nutmeg-wood bath with views over the gardens. This is my own private onsen bath, filled with waters straight from the hot springs. After swapping my clothes for a simple white ryokan-issued yukata (cotton kimono), tied with a wide beige obi belt, my transition from harassed city dweller to relaxed resident is complete.

First mission? To wash away all traces of Tokyo. Following strict onsen protocol, I head to the indoor ladies’ baths, where one young woman with a wet towel on her head is sitting alone in the steaming water. Fortunately, she doesn’t bat an eyelid as I self-consciously slip my kimono into a basket, wash at the taps (you must be clean to enter onsen waters) and sink into the pool. First (but not final) wash accomplished, I slip back into my own clothes to explore the village of Shuzenji, thankful for the beautiful paper umbrella staff gave me to protect me from drizzle.

Wandering past quiet bamboo-lined lanes and over red-painted bridges, I visit local sights and traditional sweet shops while clocking the public onsen (if you’re not staying in a ryokan, you can pay for a dip in these communal baths – an experience in itself). With the rain now heavy, returning to the ryokan is as comforting as slipping into a warm bath – which is exactly where I find myself once more, this time in the privacy of my own bathroom. My inter-bathing hours are filled with tea drinking, reading, lake gazing and counting the minutes before it is deemed acceptable to take my clothes off once more and slide beneath the watery 36

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surface. Just when I’ve reached my limit, there is a knock at the door. At 7pm on the dot, Yoko, a woman in a purple kimono, bustles into the room with a flurry of bows and smiles. I feel a little awkward as she gestures for me to kneel at the table and presents me with a handwritten calligraphic menu. This indicates that my 12-course kaiseki banquet has just begun.

Amid a volley of bowing (I do so instinctively, if clumsily, whenever she does), she serves photogenic food, adorned with leaves and flowers, in an assortment of delicate ceramics, lacquerware and bamboo containers: from melt-in-themouth conger-eel sushi wrapped around black rice, to vegetable broth and sautéed lobster. The food is exquisite but often unrecognisable – prompting Yoko to stifle giggles as she notices my confusion. She helpfully points out which flowers to eat (and which to admire) – and when a whole fish appears before me, proceeds to gut it in a brisk maternal way.

After the feeding frenzy, there is only one place to head: the baths. Beside two middle-aged women sitting with their thoughts, I watch fireflies dance in the pitch-black sky. By the time I return to my room, a futon with a crisp duvet has been laid out on the mats and, against a soundtrack of flowing water in the garden, I slip into watery dreams of bathing. A day later – it seems like years – it’s time for me to return to the city, where reality awaits.

I change out of my kimono and into my jeans, feeling like a convict who is reunited with her bizarre bell-bottomed flares after 30 years in prison. They look and feel alien to me. Am I ready to join the manic throngs of Tokyo? Not even close – but I am spotlessly clean.

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Ryokan need-to-knows Take your shoes off just after you’ve stepped inside the front door, but before you enter the main room (you will notice everybody else’s shoes on a rack nearby). This rule goes for visiting any Japanese home.

The slippers you see lined up are for guests to use around the ryokan. However, don’t wear these slippers in your own tatami-mat bedroom.

You should slip them off again and wear socks or go barefoot.

If you want your shoes back when you go out, staff will have them lined up by the door – or you can borrow wooden sandals (geta).

Ryokan usually have a strict check-in time of 3pm and check-out time of 10am. You won’t be allowed to check in early or check out late.

Ryokan also have curfews, so adhere to these to avoid being locked out! This might be as late as midnight or as early as 9pm.

Make sure you put your yukata kimono on with the left panel overlapping the right. Wrapping it the other way is how the Japanese swaddle the dead.

Your room will likely have a tokonoma (alcove), where there may be a calligraphy scroll. This is reserved for artistic appreciation so do not step inside or store your luggage there.

When eating, never pass food to another person with chopsticks. Again, this is something done only at Japanese funerals and can cause offence.

Don’t be surprised when your bedroom has no bed. A futon will be made up on the tatami mats by staff while you eat dinner.

A friendly tip: don’t call ahead with lists of food dislikes or intolerances. You will miss out on the real kaiseki experience and some fascinating food.

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Bite the bullet Think you need a month off work to do Japan justice?

Not so, says Katie Bowman. Two words: bullet train

Last night I ate Kobe beef for dinner. In Kobe. I could do this – eat the most gratuitously flash meal of my life, that is – because Kobe was just 13 minutes away by bullet train. It takes longer than that to walk to my local pizzeria and wait for a Quattro Stagione. So, I did it. Why not?

It had been the same with Osaka – this time a paltry 14 minutes from Kyoto, or as long as it takes to grind past three bus stops in central London. I never dreamed I could see off-the-beaten-track cities such as Kobe and Osaka on a week’s trip to Japan, but here I am, still picking the meat out of my teeth.

The shinkansen (bullet train) travels across Japan at 300kph. It is never late. If you have only limited time in which to see the country, this is how to travel. Thus, in a week, I squeezed in the mania of Tokyo, the tranquil sights of Kyoto, the urban grit of Osaka, the restful hot springs of Kinosaki, and the fine food of Kobe. Here’s how…

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JAPAN

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TOKYO AND KYOTO Singing toilets and the geisha trail Three days in Tokyo flashed before my eyes as they say life does when a speeding car is heading right for you. Every day was a whirl of new experiences (rockabillies, amusement arcades, rainy shrines, noodle bars, singing toilets) and by bedtime, the same morning seemed like a fortnight ago. Serendipitously for time-strapped travellers, Tokyo has no real ‘sights’ as such. Instead, I made the most of my time by ticking off those must-do moments: getting lost in the subway; exploring department stores the size of English counties; and plucking sushi off a conveyor belt as if it were the most natural t hing in the world.

Then, before I knew it, it was time to move on. I knew to sit on the right-hand side of the train as it pulled out of the station to Kyoto – on a (rare) clear day, you can see Mt Fuji. I didn’t, of course, but sitting nose-to-the-window spiced up the journey nonetheless. With just two days in the city, I needed to make every second count, so I asked my tour operator to provide a guide: ‘Toby’ (Toshiro Sugihara).

Toby was sushi chef first, tour guide second. He’d learned English by watching re-runs of Dallas and Kojak, and his pronunciation – not to mention Japanese history – was flawless. First, we went to the 8th-century Fushimi Inari shrine: mile upon mile of serene red-lacquered Shinto ‘Torii’ gates that climb up Mount Inari on Kyoto’s eastern outskirts. I made a donation and wrote my wish on a wooden block, before tying it alongside hundreds more. It was day four of my Japanese adventure but I knew at Fushimi I had seen the most beautiful sight of the week.

Toby and I hurried on to Nanzenji, a towering but plain affair in the Zen style.

But Toby was distracted and wanted to show me something else: Tenjuan gardens, sitting meekly to Nanzenji’s right If it hadn’t been pointed out, I’d have walked straight past. Yet we found a koi-fi lled 40

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“We taxied about from Kinkakuji – a 14th-century pavilion that seems to float on water – to demure Yasaka shrine, to Kiyomizu, the glamour model of these edifices, with garish red and green pagodas...” pond crossed by an idyllic stepping stone bridge; the giant pebbles represent a dragon’s back, carrying you over the clouds (the water). It packed in every Japanese horticultural emblem in a 10-minute meander: bamboo as tall as scaffolding, immaculate raked gravel, lichen-covered boulders, and grapefruit-pink maple trees.We taxied about from Kinkakuji – a 14th-century pavilion that seems to float on water – to demure Yasaka shrine, to Kiyomizu, the glamour model of these edifices, with garish red and green pagodas and crowds of tourists posing beneath paper parasols.

Now we were in Gion, Kyoto’s ancient district of teahouses, cobbled alleyways – and geisha. Most visitors, though, are hoping for a glimpse of maiko, for it is these apprentice geisha who are adorned with the most brightly painted faces and

colourful kimonos. (Once fully fledged, geisha wear more subtle colours and make-up.) There are only 71 maiko and fewer than 200 geisha in Kyoto – compared with almost 700 in the ’50s – so a sighting is rare. But I was no ordinary tourist; I was with Toby. He took me further and further into the backstreets of Gion. And then we heard it: the click-clack of wooden geta sandals on the cobbles. She came from nowhere and had us frozen on the spot like starstruck groupies. Only when she passed did I think to take her photograph, by now, the obi musabi ‘knot’ at the back of her kimono was disappearing into the distance…

OSAKA AND KOBE Ferris wheels and octopus balls Osaka is not so much a day trip from Kyoto as a quick commute: 14 minutes.

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The city doesn’t feature on most packaged itineraries – its sight count is low and its concrete high. But I loved it. It’s a brash place, a city in the truest sense: Osaka’s residents are the fastest walkers in the world (at 1.6kph), and the city has its own Cockney-like community who speak ‘Kansei-ben’ slang. It’s also home to the world’s largest Ferris wheel, built out on a limb on the cheesy Harbor Village complex alongside Osaka Aquarium.

But the detour was worth it, as was the long wait to jump on the wheel’s only glass-floored pod (the others have metal bases). Between my toes I could see Osaka’s spacecraft-style swimming baths, and tankers leaving by the Yodogawa River. But where other Japanese cities do concede to Osaka’s superiority is on the food front. Okinomiyaki (meat and cabbage omelettes doused in a syrupy version of Worcestershire sauce) and takoyaki (doughy balls filled with

octopus) lure visitors from far and wide.

Next stop in Osaka: Amerika Mura, or ‘America Land’, a bona fide, non-ironic district based entirely on an American neighbourhood. Here, kids show off dyedblonde hair and Britney Spears tans over brunch at the Sunny Side Up cafe, which plays Justin Timberlake and gangsta rap.

The smell of those burgers and hot dogs made me hungry, which was the moment I realised I fancied a steak… which was the moment I realised I was only 36km from Kobe… which was the moment I realised I could go there for dinner and still be in bed for 10pm. So I flashed my Japan Rail Pass, and that’s exactly what I did.

KINOSAKI And relax…

The 10.34am shinkansen pulled out of Kyoto station not a second early, not a second late. I was disappointed to be facing the wrong way on my journey to Kinosaki,

until the bowing conductor showed me that every row of seats can be swivelled around to face backward or forward. He was not the fi rst (or last) to see my ‘Isn’t Japan amazing?’ face.Kinosaki is a coastal hot-springs, or onsen, town three hours northwest of Kyoto. In onsen resorts, the Japanese have their down time: no traffic, no deadlines... My ryokan landlady kitted me out with a yukata (cotton kimono) and off I went – wandering the streets of Kinosaki, stopping whenever I fancied a dip. Kinosaki has seven public onsen, my favourite being Goshono-yu, where the baths continue out to the open air, sheltered by muscly maple trees and a thick bamboo forest. Between baths, I clattered along the street in my noisy geta sandals – the only Westerner – and nodded happily to young mums and old men.

At night the village turns into a period film set. Diversions include old-fashioned shooting galleries and retro pinball rooms.

Along a stream, firefl ies play after dark, made all the more magical because local residents turn off streetlights. I tottered back to my ryokan after a fi nal dip (onsen stay open till 11pm) and slept for 12 hours.

Six hot baths in four hours will do that to you.The train journey back to Tokyo flew by in a series of takeaway bento boxes and blurred stations. I felt like I’d been in Japan for seven weeks, not seven days.

As I wheeled through Tokyo Airport station, I realised my Japan Rail Pass still had three days’ use left. I fished around in my bag to find it at the bottom – glinting up at me: a world of possibilities in shiny cardboard format. A lady, just arrived from the US, looked like the perfect candidate, so I offered her my prized pass: ‘If you go soon, you can get to Osaka and back on this ticket – they make the best octopus balls in the country!’ I enthused.‘Thank you, but no, dear – give your card to someone with more time. I’ve only a month in Japan.

There’s no way I’ll get to Osaka.’ And then she trundled off to the taxi rank.

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Frisian Season

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Tim Woods revels in the fresh air and fresh fish of Germany’s Frisian Islands…

here would you head for the perfect European holiday?

Glitz and glamour on the south coast of France? Sun, sea, and sand on Spain’s Costa Brava? Island hopping in Greece or Croatia?

It’s unlikely that many people will suggest Germany as their coastal destination of choice.

Tourists flock here each year, of course, but for very different attractions – snowy Alpine peaks, romantic castles along the Rhine, or the bustling urban settings of Berlin and Munich. But the Frisian Islands, which sit along Germany’s northwest coast, can match their Mediterranean counterparts on all fronts. Breathtaking scenery, a buzzing nightlife, and, on the island of Sylt, the longest stretch of beach in Europe – 40 kilometres along the west coast.

Sylt is a place where people come to refresh themselves – a reviving mix of fantastic local food, fresh sea air, and activities ranging from a relaxing sauna to exhilarating water sports such as windsurfing and sailing. A healthy getaway was my aim, too. The schedule, planned

by German parents-in-law who have visited regularly since childhood, was packed with cycling trips and brisk hikes in the sand dunes 42

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– no chance of a lazy week sipping coffee in the beachside cafes.

Despite its many attractions, Sylt doesn’t have a huge international reputation – and some visitors want to keep it that way. This is where the country’s rich and famous come to play, sweating in the health clubs and saunas before hitting the stylish restaurants and boutique shops – Hermes, Cartier, and their kin all have outlets here. The antics of the assorted footballers, pop stars and actors regularly feature in the country’s gossip pages; it’s not known as ‘Germany’s St Tropez’ for nothing. If their palatial houses tend to be hidden away from view, the numerous gleaming yachts in the harbour are a tell-tale sign that these opulent part-time residents are around.

Our budget didn’t quite stretch to a Lürssen, so we took the train over the Hindenburgdamm causeway and headed on to our cottage, just north of the main town of Westerland. Traditional Frisian cottages such as ours are a relic from a time when fishing and farming were the main industries on Sylt. These elegant buildings, with their densely thatched roofs, are found all over the island, many now rented as luxury holiday homes.

The long journey north had left me in need of a cup of tea, and I fancied enjoying some of

Wildlife in the Wattenmeer Be honest; did you know Germany had islands? The Frisian Islands archipelago stretches right across north Central Europe, from the north-west of the Netherlands, across Germany, and up to the west coast of Denmark. In Germany, they are part of the Wadden Sea National Parks, an area of tidal mud flats that is rich in wildlife.

Sylt, the largest of the North Frisian Islands, is perfect for wildlife lovers. Numerous resident bird species feed on the exposed mudflats of the Wattenmeer at low tide, and these vast areas also act as important resting grounds for several migratory species, including Eurasian Widgeon and Dunlins. The heath-covered dunes are home to over 600 butterfly species and a large population of the endangered Natterjack Toad. Seals reside in the harbour areas, while Harbour Porpoises breed nearby.

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Pictures taken by Tim Woods

“The first thing that strikes you on the beach is not the brightly coloured wicker chairs scattered about, like the leftovers from a giant’s tea party” the famous Frisian air from the deckchair in the perfectly kept garden. “Shall we go for a walk along the beach?” enquired my co-travellers. It seems the healthy lifestyle begins upon arrival in Sylt.

The first thing that strikes you on the beach is not the celebrities or the sand dunes, but the brightly coloured wicker chairs scattered about, like the leftovers from a giant’s tea party. These are Strandkorbs – meaning ‘beach baskets’ – and evidence that not everyone comes here for a workout. I persuaded my companions that it would be rude not to partake in this key aspect of local culture, so we found some empty spaces and sat back.

The beach-going population seemed evenly split between those seeking exercise, and those enjoying the comfort of the Strandkorbs.

Horse riders bounded along the beach while windsurfers sped across the waves, and the more peaceful visitors sat back with a strong, black coffee to watch the fishing boats heading south to the ports of Cuxhaven and Bremerhaven.

There’s one thing everyone comes for, though – the food. Sylt packs over 200 eateries into just under 100 square kilometres, ranging from Michelin award-winning international restaurants to homely cafes. All pride themselves on serving tasty local produce, with seafood, naturally, a speciality. We settled on Sansibar, near Hörnum, which is something of a local institution. This bistro restaurant combines first class food with spectacular views out to sea – perfect for watching the sunset as we feasted on grilled fish and potato salad.

The sun was up long before us the next day, warming the air to perfect beach-going temperature – some hardy souls were even braving the ice-cold North Sea. We set off to explore the island via the paths that weave between the beaches and villages.

A short distance from Westerland, we found ourselves deep within a maze of sand dunes that bristled with life. Godwits and plovers swooped in and out of the heather that covers the outer dunes, and numerous species of butterfly flittered silently about in the tussocky grass. As we crossed over to the wide open beach, the fine sand appeared almost white in the midday sun.

A few metres out to sea, a large black shape appeared briefly amid the surf, then disappeared out of sight – was it a seal or a Harbour Porpoise?

These secretive creatures come in to the shallow, fertile waters around Sylt to breed, before heading back out to sea.

Time passes easily on Sylt; we wandered for miles along the beach, which seemed to continue into the horizon unendingly. It’s not uncommon for an enthusiastic hiker to walk the full 40 km in one long, and no doubt tiring, day. Our ambitions were set a little lower, and we headed for a beachside cafe near List, the most northerly settlement in Germany.

“Moin”, called the owner cheerfully, hurrying over as we took an outside table. This Frisian greeting is heard repeatedly in the shops, cafes and restaurants across Sylt. In some destinations, such unrelenting friendliness could appear a little forced for the benefit of tourists. But after spending a few days on Sylt, it’s not hard to understand why the locals have such a naturally sunny disposition; if all that fresh air and fine food makes you feel better after a week, then a lifetime of it must be a real tonic.

More information The best place to start planning a visit to Sylt is: http://en.sylt.de. This excellent website (available in German and English) has information on accommodation, eating and drinking, activities and shopping.

Fine dining in the Frisians It’s easy to spend the whole day eating while on Sylt – in the high season, over 200,000 bread rolls are baked on the island each day.

Fish dishes are naturally popular, but lamb is another Sylt speciality – the local sheep thrive in the Frisian climate just as much as the tourists. At the opposite end of the culinary spectrum is the local snack of Fischbrotchen – a bread roll stuffed with any type of marine produce. These are sold from tiny kiosks all along the seafront, providing a tempting distraction as you wander.

The most famous place in Sylt to eat fischbrotchens, as well as more sophisticated seafood, is the Gosch restaurant, in List. This is a business with humble beginnings; the founder, Jürgen Gosch, started out by selling eels on the beaches of Sylt. Nowadays, the restaurants that bear his name are found all over Germany, and extremely popular among those with a passion for seafood. Many enthusiasts make regular trips to sample the delights back where it all began, in List, and visiting seafood lovers should not miss out on this trip.

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Tourism Authority of Thailand Dubai & Middle East Office 133 Sheikh Zayed Road Appartment # 1804, Dusit Thani Dubai P.O. Box 450019 Dubai-UAE Tel: +971-4-3250184-5 Fax: +971-4-3250187 E-mail: tatdubai@tat.or.th W eb: www.tourismthailand-middleast.org

CONCIERGE THAILAND

CONCIERGE THAILAND

LONDON

FLORENCE

CAPE TOWN

THE 30-SECOND CONCIERGE

CHEDI PHUKET, THAILAND

Image courtesy of Design Hotels™

So what will I do in Phuket?

Swim, eat wonderfully well, enjoy spa treatments, take part in water sports – basically just relax yourself from head to toe.

And what if I start to get a bit bored of just chilling on the beach?

There are some wonderful Wats to visit, for a flavour of the local culture. You can also do something extraordinary and go elephant trekking, a real one-off experience. Or if elephants are a little too scary, head to the Butterfly Farm on the outskirts of Phuket Town, which is also home to a tropical aquarium.

And are there any sites to be seen?

Yes, it’s worth dropping by Phuket Town, where you can do some sightseeing. Phuket Zoo is an interesting place to visit – don’t miss out on a trip to the tiger enclosure. And if you fancy a show, take a trip to Fantasea at Kamala Beach, a huge cultural song and dance show.

And what if I want to get active?

There’s a big list of options – golf, bungee jumping, cycling, trekking in the rainforest – and of course shopping… ghmhotels.com

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U.K

The Houses of Parliament

Visit London

ASK THE LOCAL Penny Taylor is a restaurateur in Camden When I get time off from the restaurant, I like nothing

Ready for a trip to the Big Smoke? Here’s the key addresses you need for your visit...

Whether you’re a first time arrival in the Big Smoke or a seasoned visitor, there’s always more to uncover about London, that most vibrant and exciting of cities.

It’s perfectly geared up for luxury getaways make sure you stay in the smartest hotels, shop in the coolest boutiques and dine at the latest and greatest Michelin-starred restaurants. That’s all before getting to grips with the city’s architecture, history, art and music – stopping off only to take in a show, stroll through a market or pick up gifts for your friends back home.

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WHERE TO STAY The Dorchester. thedorchester.com Immaculate suites and a stunning art-decostyle spa alongside the excellent Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester restaurant: to top off your stay in style, book The Krug Room for dinner. It’s the original chef’s table, having opened in the 1940s, and remains one of the most sought-after tables in town.

The Hempel the-hempel.co.uk A gorgeous property housed amid a lovely garden mere minutes from Hyde Park and

more than to head down to Borough Market and the leafy Notting Hill.

And if its location offers visitors a break from the norm, its suites are utterly unique. How about booking into the Lioness’ Den? It’s a wooden-floored, wicker furniture-scattered space where the bed is suspended from the ceiling.

Brown’s brownshotel.com London’s very first hotel, and the building in which Alexander Graham Bell made the first ever telephone call. Expect sumptuous suites and culinary charms, with an awardwinning afternoon tea served up daily and

browse the incredible selection of gourmet food.

The cheeses, meats, pastas and baked goods are outstanding. Up in North London, I like to pick up a takeaway salad from Reason to Eat on Camden High Street and then spend an afternoon in Regent’s Park.

And when it comes to live music, you can’t beat Koko, just next to Mornington Crescent tube station, where acts both big and small are on every night. a restaurant – The Albemarle – offering the best of British.

51 Buckingham Gate 51-buckinghamgate.com Formed of three individually-designed buildings, 51 is home to Quilon, a restaurant with Michelin-starred chef and the fabulous Spa at 51. Located in central Westminster, it’s near Green Park,

one of the capital’s finest. Get a suite in the King’s building, complete with a view of the the House of Commons.

St Martin’s Lane stmartinslane.com A Phillipe Starckdesigned hotel which is home to the art-strewn Asia de Cuba, where all dishes are made to share.

CONCIERGE LONDON

Clockwise from this image: Maze, Brown’s hotel, The Wolseley, Liberty, Westfield

WHERE TO EAT The Ivy the-ivy.co.uk London’s number one haunt for starspotting. The food on the international menu remains impressive and affordable - naturally enough, there’s caviar and lobster on offer, but you can also opt for an Ivy burger at $22.

Le Gavroche le-gavroche.co.uk Opened by brothers Michel and Albert Roux in 1967, Le Gavroche became the first spot in the UK to receive three Michelin stars, and some of the country’s most famous chefs, including Gordon Ramsay and Marco

Pierre White, have worked in its kitchens.

At $96 the three-course lunch menu is a big saving on the evening à la carte menu.

Hakkasan hakkasan.com A Michelin-starred eatery and creation of Alan Yau, who gave the world the Wagamama chain – but don’t expect simple bowls of noodles here. We’re talking stirfried jellyfish, steamed eel and soft-shell crab; exciting modern Chinese dishes.

The Wolseley thewolseley.com Perfect for special occasions.

If you can’t get a table for dinner, when the menu

focuses on French and German food, it’s worth considering breakfast here. As well as the full English ($26), they offer birchermuseli and caviar omelettes.

Maze gordonramsay.com/maze Maze is regarded as Gordon Ramsay’s best London restaurant; a contemporary, cool and stylish set-up where the food – rather than the outspoken owner – does all the talking. At $56, the set lunch offers superb value for money - don’t miss the red mullet bouillabaisse.

SHOPPING Westfield uk.westfield.com/london An incredible array of stores – 265 in total, including 16 you won’t find anywhere else in

the country – await you at the beautifullydesigned Wesfield London. It’s the sort of place you could happily spend a whole day, browsing the likes of established fashion heavyweights Louis Vuitton and Burberry mixed with more cutting-edge options like Zadig & Voltaire.

And don’t miss out on a trip to UK favourite L.K. Bennett. When you stop for a bite to eat you’ll be overwhelmed by the choice – make a beeline for the 13 restaurants of the Southern Terrace (which include the fantastic Wahaca, a note-perfect Mexican).

Harrods harrods.com From traditional and classic lines to pieces created by more cutting edge young

British designers, you can immerse yourself in rack after rack of the very latest styles here. Alternatively, head to Harrods BY APPOINTMENT on the store’s first and lower ground floors, where a team of expert shoppers are on hand to trawl the store for you.

Liberty liberty.co.uk Shopping at London landmark Liberty is not really about the level of choice on offer – the brand selection is more restricted than you’ll find in the bigger stores – but about quality. Liberty has recently developed its own brand offering, featuring its famed and quintessentially English Liberty print - think discreet florals and harmonious paisleys.

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ITALY

The rooftops of Florence

Visit Florence

History and hot chocolate: Renaissance HQ doesn’t have to be hard work, says Sean Thomas…

It may seem strange to compare a city to a movie character, but Florence resembles nothing so much as Robert De Niro’s Jake La Motta in Raging Bull.

Both are Italian. Both are one-time world champions, running somewhat to fat. Both are looking back to a glorious past, with all its passion and violence.

Both are reduced to selling their memories to willing punters. But what memories… There is probably more firstclass art per square metre in this Tuscan city than anywhere else in the world. Here’s what to do when you’re not looking at it.

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WHERE TO STAY NO EXPENSE SPARED Grand Hotel Piazza d’Ognissanti 1 (starwood.com).

If you like your hotels to resemble the Titanic, minus the iceberg, this is the place: obsequious waiters, glittering ballrooms, haughty countesses and showy staircases. Doubles from $600, room only.

Hotel Savoy Piazza della Repubblica 7 (roccofortehotels.com) Sumptuous yet cosy, plutocratic yet amiable, the Savoy manages to be a top-class hotel – without too much fanfare. Fabulously

decadent bathrooms.

Doubles from $500.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Riva Lofts Via Baccio Bandinelli 98 (rivalofts.com) Transformed by Claudio Nardi, the architect who designed stores for Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana, these artist workshops-turnedstudios punch high in the style stakes. Rooms from $360, B&B. Antica Dimora Firenze Via S Gallo 72 (johanna.it).

Warm yellow walls, rust-red tiled floors and a cup of coffee welcome you to this small guesthouse. You’ll feel

like you’re staying at somebody’s home.

Rooms from $200, B&B. WHERE TO EAT NO EXPENSE SPARED Enoteca Pinchiorri Via Ghibellina 87

(enotecapinchiorri.com) One of the most expensive restaurants in Italy is presided over by a French lady whose lobster fricassée is unfathomably beautiful.

Degustation menu $400 (seven courses).

ASK THE LOCAL Morris runs an industrial espionage company (seriously) When I want to escape the crowds, I go to Fiesole, a little Roman village just 15 minutes’ drive out of town.

Florence can be unbearably muggy in summer, but up there, you get lovely, fresh breezes. If you don’t have a car, take the number seven bus from the city centre. For a more adventurous jaunt, go to the Mugello, a valley about 40km north of here. It’s where Leonardo came from. It’s very beautiful and largely unspoilt. Stop for a picnic: head to the stall at the 31 Piazzale di Porta Romana for a plump, delicious sandwich.

CONCIERGE FLORENCE

Clockwise: One of Florence’s grand old buildings, Grand Hotel ballroom, Florence’s skyline, Hotel Savoy, Grand Hotel royal suite

$200 BUYS YOU: Some locally crafted silver or gold. You can see the workshops themselves if you wander around the Oltrarno, the ‘other (south) side of the river’. LOCAL LORE: After a visit to Florence, Jean Cocteau said, ‘A Frenchman is an Italian in a bad mood’. YOU CAN’T SAY YOU’VE REALLY BEEN TO FLORENCE UNTIL: You’ve nearly been run over by a laughing local youth on his scooter. HOW TO DRINK COFFEE LIKE A LOCAL: Cappuccino at breakfast,

historical centre.

Sit under the ivyclad pergola in the garden and enjoy regional specialities, such as zuppa toscana, a creamy barley soup.

Mains around $30.

macchiato at lunch, espresso at dinner. CAN’T MAKE IT TO FLORENCE THIS YEAR? You could always try Edinburgh. The drizzly Scottish capital is – bizarrely – twinned with this sensational Italian city.

Alle Murate Via del Proconsolo 16 (allemurate.it) If you like eating beneath 17th-century frescoes, then dining in this former Palace of the Art of Judges and Notaries is a natural choice. Pigeon with red chicory and chestnut cake rules the menu.

Mains around $60.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Antico Noe Volta di San Piero 6 (00 39 055 234 0838) Locals enthuse about this bustling joint, which sits somewhere halfway between being a sandwich bar and a chophouse. It comes into its own during truffle and artichoke

season, when the bargains on the very short, very select menu defy belief.

Mains around $26.

I Tozzo di Pane Via Guelfa 94 (osteriatozzodipane.it) When you’ve had enough of the crowds, head to this cosy osteria on the outer edge of the

SHOPPING Gucci Via de Tornabuoni 73.

Gucci is the premier Florentine fashion house; family antics may remind you of soap operas, but the handbags still rock.

Costs are roughly the same as at home, but there’s more variety.

Artpell Coke Via dei Neri 23.

A very suave boutique

of locally made leather goods, which are something of a Florentine speciality.

L’ippogrifo Via della Vigna Nuova 5.

If you want a souvenir that isn’t edible or wearable, try this pleasantly musty bookshop, which has a fine collection of rare first editions.

Lisa Corti Home Textile Emporium Piazza Ghiberti 33.

Stepping inside, you’re surrounded by colourful, patterned soft furnishings, kaftans, kidswear and objets inspired by Corti’s travels around the world. Lovely.

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SOUTH AFRICA

Table Mountain

Visit Cape Town

South Africa’s coolest city can be nicely neighbourhoody – even if you’re a first-time tourist, says Will Hide Maybe it’s the climate, but it seems all Capetonians are naturally, enviously laid-back. Whether you see them hanging out in a hip cafe on Long Street, catching rays in Clifton, or downing an après-surf coffee or two in Muizenberg, you will soon observe that the uniform of the place they call ‘the Mother City’ is shorts, flip-flops and T-shirt, designer shades, a big grin, a warm welcome (‘howzit?’) and talk of the next party.

There’s a real excitement to Cape Town you’ll be hard-pushed to find elsewhere on Earth.

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WHERE TO STAY NO EXPENSE SPARED One&Only Dock Rd, V&A Waterfront (oneandonlyresorts. com).

Walk into the lobby and Table Mountain is framed through the huge glass windows in front of you. There’s dinner at Nobu or Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, a spa on its own island, huge bedrooms (even the smallest) and the V&A Waterfront nearby.

Doubles from £540, B&B. Table Bay Quay 6, V&A Waterfront (suninternational.com).

You’ll find all the bells and whistles you’d

expect from a five-star, with good dining at the Atlantic Grill, a small outside pool and an enviable location, joined to the V&A Waterfront’s shops by a passageway.

Rooms from $620.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Villa Zest 2 Braemar Rd (villazest. co.za).

There’s an airy Californian feel to this new little hotel – the designer/owner hails from San Diego. It has lovely chill-out roof and garden zones, and it’s in Greenpoint, near the football stadium newly built for next year’s World Cup. Rooms from $240, B&B.

ASK THE LOCAL Roger-Michael Raad is art director for a local fashion magazine At the weekend, I take my dog Toska for a walk in Newlands Forest – it’s up by Table Mountain, and although it’s popular, it feels peaceful. Next, breakfast at 29 Caturra Cafe (39 Regent Rd), in Sea Point: its New York coffee-shop vibe is unique. Then I’ll pick up fruit and veg at Saturday’s 30 Neighbourgoods Market – it’s a great way to mingle with the community. I’ll browse the vintage finds at 31 Hello Again (44 Bloem St), then sunbathe on Glen Beach – less pretentious than Clifton. For dinner, I like 32 Boo Radleys Bistro (62 Hout St), a ’30s-flavoured real Capetonian place.

CONCIERGE CAPE TOWN

Clockwise: abseiling, cable cars, Balcony at One&Only, Maze at One&Only, Villa Zest

Grand Daddy 38 Long St (granddaddy. co.za).

If you want more of an ‘urban vibe’ and proximity to the cafés and shops of Long Street, book one of the seven designer Aero trailers hoisted by crane onto the roof of this city-centre hotel.

Trailer for two from $236, room only.

WHERE TO EAT NO EXPENSE SPARED Five Flies 14 Keerom St (fiveflies. co.za).

Housed in an 18thcentury Dutch colonial building (part of the

original cobbled street runs through the middle), Five Flies serves a greatvalue three-course menu, featuring grilled kingklip and prawns with bean, lentil ragout, confit fennel, lemon beurre blanc and squid ink. Three courses $36.

Buitenverwachting Klein Constantia (buitenverwachting. co.za).

Taxi both ways – nobody will want to drive after a trip to this estate on the other side of Table Mountain, with outstanding views and food to match.

Go local with pumpkin-

encrusted pan-fried ostrich, oriental sauce and a chestnut-potato ‘samoosa’. Mains around $22.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Round House The Glen on Kloof Rd, Camps Bay (www.ther oundhouserestaurant. com).

In the hills overlooking Camps Bay, finding this former hunting lodge calls for good directions. Take lunch (sensational potato wedges) on the terrace on a hot day. Mains from $12.

Miller’s Thumb 10B Kloof Nek Rd

(dining-out.co.za).

This is a fun, nononsense place with a good mix of Capetonians and tourists. Expect local takes on international dishes, which include springbok carpaccio and chilli con pesce.

Mains around $10.

Origin 28 Hudson St (originroasting.co.za).

The owners and baristas really know their stuff at this artisanal-coffee cafe.

Birds Boutique Cafe, 127 Bree St. A mother-daughter duo owns this simple

yet stylish cafe, which is open for breakfast and lunch. The chicken pie is the stuff of local legend, and dishes reflect the owners’ Namibian heritage.

Mains around $6.

SHOPPING Spring Leap 11 Regent Rd (esquaredfashion.co.za) Interesting T-shirts from $28.

Heath Nash 2 Mountain Rd (heathnash.com) Beautiful homeware from recycled household objects.

TALK THE TALK: ‘Hello’ is ‘Howzit?’ and ‘Ciao ciao’ is ‘See you later’. WHAT’S IN A NAME? Cape Town is known as Kaapstad in Afrikaans and iKapa in Xhosa. A RIGHT GRILLING: Prior to his release in 1990, security forces planted bugging devices in Nelson Mandela’s prison barbecue. $20 BUYS: Afternoon tea at the landmark Mount Nelson Hotel: cheesecake, carrot cake… Or try the lighter morning tea ($15).

JUMBO JUNIOR: Bizarrely, the small Table Mountain rock dassies – which look like overgrown guinea pigs – are related to elephants.

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Feeling excited about your holiday? Check through our list of the most popular Kanoo Travel offices, find one near you and head down or call up to turn your getaway dreams into reality...

BAHRAIN Abu Obeidah Avenue Wroad No. 302 Manama Tel. 17 576950 Mahooz Tel. 17 828754 Awali Branch Sitrah Avenue Road No. 4522 Awali Tel. 17 756487 Al Moayd Tower Manama Tel. 17 220220 Kanoo Holidays Mahooz Tel.17 828802 Kanoo Travel Refinery Tel. 17 755012 Airport Office Bahrain Tel. 17 321325 Egypt Air Manama Tel. 17 220747 Lufthansa Mahooz Tel. 17 828763 Air India Manama Tel. 17 220788 Cyprus Airways Manama Tel. 17 220 849 British Airways Manama Tel. 17 220701 Qantas / Jetabout Manama Tel. 17220743 Thai International Mahooz Tel. 17 828771 Air Canada / Austrian Airlines / Polish Olympic Airways / Sudan Airways / Sas / Swiss Int’l / Tunis Mahooz Tel. 17 828770

EGYPT Alexandria Booz Allen 1 Youssef El-Shazly Street Roushdy, Alexandria Tel. 002 03 5459265

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Alexandria 14 May Str, Sayadlia Building Symoha Tel. 020 03 424 1050 Aswan Abtal El-Tahrir Street Corniche El-Nil Tel. 002 097 2306983 Heliopolis Business Travel Centre 33 Nabil Elwakkad St Heliopolis Cairo Tel. 002 02 4130375/6 Cairo Halliburton C/O Halliburton Overseas Ltd Kilometer No 10 Land No 30 Ein Sokhna Road North Kattamia Cairo Tel. 002 02 27591690 Cairo 07 Dr. Kamal Hussin Heliopolis Cairo Tel. 002 02 26251307 Cairo Schlumberger C/O Schlumberger Zeiny Tower 25 Misr Helwan Road Maadi Tel. 002 02 7684700 Ext..

1014 Cairo U.N.D.P C/O U.N.D.P., 4th Fl, World Trade Center 1191 Cornich El Nil Tel. 002 02 25804491 Cairo Kasr El Nil 15 Kasr El Nil Street Down Town Tel. 002 02 25747991 Cairo Nile Hilton Nile Hilton Hotel Down Town Tel. 002 02 25785001 Cairo 1 Wahib Doss Str. Office No 9 Maadi Tel. 002 02 27513930 El Areesh Mfo C/O Mfo Northern Sinai Tel. 002 068 3502868 Luxor Winter Palace Hotel Tel. 002 095 2378333

FRANCE Foreign Exchange 11 Rue Scribe Paris 75009 Tel. +33 1 5300 9897 Foreign Exchange 11 Cours de I’Intendance Bordeaux 33000 Tel. +33 5 5600 6336 Bureau de Change Kanoo Printemps Dept. Store 64 Boulevard Haussmann 75009 PARIS Tel. +33 1 4282 4181

Umalquara Street Hayfer Makkah Tel. 02 544 7741 Kanoo Travel Sharafiya Tel. 02 643 9426 Kanoo Travel Taif Tel. 02 736 4211 Kanoo Travel Rabigh Tel. 02 423 2785

OMAN

Kanoo Travel Medinah Tel. 02 263 3040

Kanoo Travel LLC PO Box 75 114 Jibroo, Muscat Tel. +968 24700249

Air India Jeddah Tel. 02 668 0303 / 669 6571

QATAR

Gulf Air Jeddah Tel. 02 668 0303 / 669 6571 / 646

Old Al Hitmi Street Museum Street, Doha Tel. 04 441 3441 Conoco Phillips Salam Tower Al Corniche Street, Doha Tel. 04 443 7595

SAUDI ARABIA WESTERN PROVINCE Kanoo Centre Medina Road, Jeddah Tel. 02 661 4950 Bab Makkah Jeddah Tel. 02 644 9030 Bamaroof Centre Hail Street, Jeddah Tel. 02 653 0541

Singapore Airlines Jeddah Tel. 02 657 9898 Srilankan Airlines Jeddah Tel. 02 263 2959 Air Canada Jeddah Tel. 02 263 2996, Ext. 190 Kenyan Airways Jeddah Tel.02 263 2959 Ext. 108 Philippine Airways Jeddah Tel. 02 263 2959 Ext. 100 / 122

Khamis Abha Main Road Khamis Mushayat Tel. 07 222 3624

United Airlines Jeddah Tel. 02 263 3021 / 2959 Ext. 196 / 197

Prince Sultan Street Gizan Tel. 07 317 4285

EASTERN PROVINCE

Aboobacker Al Siddiq Street, Medina Tel. 04 823 9120

Airline Centre King Abdul Aziz Street Al Khobar Tel. 03 882 2206

Al Nawa Commercial Centre Al Sinnaiyat, Yanbu Tel. 04 321 3607

Kanoo Holidays, Retail Airline Centre, Khobar Tel. 03 882 2206 / 2601 / 2249

Albishar Commercial Centre King Abdulaziz Street Al Bahar, Yanbu Tel. 04 322 1087

Kanoo Holidays, Wholesale Airline Centre, Khobar Tel. 03 8821626 / 1851 / 8820161

Hertz Khobar Tel. 03 882 2005 / 5597

Dhahran Street Damman Tel. 03 833 7694

Airport Office Dammam Tel. 03 883 2660 / 2660

King Khalid Street Khobar Tel. 03 864 7471

British Airways Khobar Tel. 03 882 2000 British Airways Dammam Tel. 03 835 5714 British Airways Jubail Tel. 03 362 1069 Air India Khobar Tel. 03 882 2478 Air India Jubail Tel. 03 362 3454 Qantas Khobar Tel. 03 882 3711 / 2467 United Airlines / Air Canada / Singapore Airlines / Swissair / Austrian Airlines Tel. 03 882 1518/ 2962 / 2602 / 03 882 4477 / 4442 / 4890 / 4533 Srilankan Airlines Khobar Tel. 03 882 2789 / 2675 / 2792 Gulf Air Khobar Tel. 03 896 8496 / 9393 / 8493

47th Street Rahima Tel. 03 667 0388 Al Quds Street Qatif Tel. 03 851 5009 City Centre Al Mahoob Buidling Hufuf Tel. 03 586 3823 Kanoo Building Corniche Road Jubail Tel. 03 362 2340 Municipal Street Al Khafji Tel. 03 766 0045 CENTRAL PROVINCE Kanoo Tower King Abdul Aziz Road Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228 King Faisal Foundation Al Khairia Complex Riyadh Tel. 01 463 4454 Wazir Street Al Azizea Building Riyadh Tel. 01 411 4780

Gulf Air Dammam Tel.03 835 4194 / 4917 / 4952

Batha Riyadh Tel. 01 403 0368

Gulf Air Qatif Tel. 03 852 9384 / 854 5240

Al Kubaih Street Buraidah Tel. 06 325 0888

Gulf Air Rastanura Tel. 03 667 8041/ 7972 Gulf Air Hofuf Tel. 03 585 3358 / 4080 / 2252 Gulf Air Jubail Tel. 03 363 0982/ 84 / 85 /86 Kanoo Tower King Saud Street, Damman Tel. 03 833 9793

Airport Road Hail Tel. 06 543 0430 Sharjah Street Hotat Bani Tamim Al Hotah Tel. 01 555 0304 Silsilah Road Onaiza Al Qassim Tel. 06 362 0080 Main Street Al Khamseen Wadi Ad Dawasir Tel. 01 784 6500

CONCIERGE WHERE TO BOOK

THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE

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SUMMER LOVING

Take a gourmet tour of Croatia, find a countryside hideaway in Turkey, and discover the coolest spa in Cyprus…

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Kanoo Travel Naseem Tel. 01 232 8519

Najda Street Abu Dhabi Tel. 02 678 0400

Air India Kanoo Tower, Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228 Ext. 295 / 296

Kanoo Holidays Dubai Tel. 04 334 1444 / 315 6624

Gulf Air Olaya, Riyadh Tel. 01 461 0589 / 462 4902 United Airlines / Air Canada Kanoo Tower, Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228 Ext. 289, 290 Qantas Kanoo Tower, Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228 Ext. 288, 305 Srilankan Airlines Kanoo Tower, Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228 Ext. 292 X 293 Philippine Airlines Kanoo Tower, Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228 Ext. 237 X 238 Air India Buraidah Tel. 06 324 6514 / 325 0888 Gulf Air Hail. Tel. 06 532 0280 Gulf Air Buraidah Tel. 06 324 6514 / 325 0888 Singapore Airlines Kanoo Tower Tel. 4734102 / 4734103

UAE Jebel Ali LOB 16, Ground Floor Jebel Ali Free Zone Tel. 04 881 5050 Karama Al Fathooi Centre Dubai Tel. 04 334 1222 Kanoo Building Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street, Bur Dubai Tel. 04 507 2242 Dubai Internet City Building 12 Tel. 04 390 1992 Deira City Centre Dubai Tel. 04 294 1481

Marine Travel Services Dubai Tel. 04 335 1314 Airport Office Dubai Tel. 04 393 1963 Kanoo Travel Corniche, Abu Dhabi Tel. 02 631 3900 / 631 8187

UK Birmingham American Express Bank House. 8 Cherry Street Tel. 0121 644 5514 / 0121 644 5560 Bournemouth American Express 95A Old Christchurch Road Tel. 0787 260 0528 / 01202 780 752 Brighton Amex House Implant American Express Ground Floor Amex House Edward Street Tel. 01273 525 041 / 040 Bristol American Express 74 Queens Road Tel. 01179 065 107 / 105 Cardiff American Express 3 Queen Street Tel. 02920 649 305 / 02920 649 301 Coventry American Express 5 Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre Tel. 02 47 622 5511 / 0787 260 0528 Croydon American Express 2-4 High Street Tel. 0208 256 0808 / 0805 Edinburgh American Express 69 George Street 0131 718 2508 / 0131 718 2505

Kanoo Building Al Orouba Street, Sharjah Tel. 06 561 6058

Essex Lakeside Bureau American Express Lakeside Shopping Centre West Thurrock Way West Thurrock Grays Tel. 01708 890 654

Green Community Mall Jebel Ali Road Dubai Tel. 04 885 3321

Glasgow American Express 66 Gordon Street Tel. 0141 225 2905 / 0141 225 2908”

Kanoo Travel – American Express Hermitage Building Al Karama Tel. 04 334 9219

Guildford American Express 38-40 High Street Tel. 01483 551 607 / 01483 551 605

Leicester American Express 1 Horsefair Street Tel. 0116 242 1808 / 0116 242 1805 London Haymarket American Express 30 – 31 Haymarket Tel. 0207 484 9674 / 0207 484 9600

TAKING STOCKHOLM

A YEAR OF EVENTS IN SWEDEN’S COOLEST CITY SHORT-HOP BREAK

HEADING HOME TO THE BEAUTIFUL INDIAN OCEAN

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INCLUDING...

London Kensington High St American Express 84 Kensington High Street Tel. 0207 795 6703 London Knightsbridge American Express 78 Brompton Road Tel. 0207 761 7908 / 7900, London American Express 1 Savoy Court The Strand Tel. 0207 240 1521 Milton Keynes American Express 670 Silbury Boulevard Tel. 01908 608 877 Manchester American Express 10-12 St Mary’s Gate Tel. 0161 833 7301 / 0161 833 7301 Nottingham American Express 2 Victoria Street Tel. 0115 924 7705 / 0115 924 7701 Plymouth American Express 139 Armada Tel. 01752 502 707 / 01752 502 702 Sheffield American Express 20 Charles Street, Sheffield Tel. 0114 263 9308 / 0114 263 9305 Southampton American Express 99 Above Bar Tel. 02380 716 808 / 805 York American Express 6 Stonegate Tel. 01904 676 505

OMAN

KATHMANDU

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CYPRUS THRILL

A GRAND TOUR OF THE MEDITERRANEAN GEM

BRAZIL NUTS

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BHUTAN

EGYPT

FANTASTIC EVENTS FROM RIO TO BELEM

Korea Advice

Last minute Eid options

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Wizard in Oz

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12 MONTHS OF FUN DOWN UNDER

London Credit Swiss First Boston American Express Travel Office C/O Credit Suisse One Cabot Square Canary Wharf Tel. 0207 888 4196 London Holborn Bureau American Express 156a Southampton Row Tel. 0787 260 0528 / 0207 837 4416

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Locals’ tips on Madrid

Your total guide to blissful Kiwi experiences, from trout-fishing in Lake Tarawera to helicopter hiking on the Hump Ridge Track...

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Cultural fun in Vilnius New Orleans bounces back

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Where to stay in Vienna

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Did you know…

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That Kanoo World Traveller magazine has a BPAaudited circulation figure of

22,620

*

…and has the largest BPA-audited circulation in Saudi Arabia, reaching 14,460 readers in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman? …and that the magazine also distributes 8,160 copies across the UAE, Bahrain and Oman? …reaching corporate clients as well as consumers, with distribution into companies such as BAE, GTS Aramco, Investcorp, Philip Morris, Ford Motors, IBC, Siemens and Sun Microsystems?

To get involved with the magazine, contact Chris Capstick on +971 50 456 9938 / +971 4 369 0917 / chris@hotmediapublishing.com

* Issue of May 2009 KWT

55

CONCIERGE SUITE DREAMS

SUITE DREAMS Raffles was always a name to conjure with – in its original Singaporean form, the hotel was one of the classic colonial hangouts, and its Dubai incarnation has all the swagger and style of its famous forebear.

The Egyptian-themed, pyramid-shaped property is immaculately decorated, from the hieroglyphic-bedecked lobby with its grand atrium and tinkling water features to the thick carpeting of the vast Landmark Suite. Large enough to get lost in, the Landmark is dominated by an open-plan dining/living/study area, with its own bar where you can make a fresh espresso or crack open one of a dozen assorted exotic

RAFFLES, DUBAI

snacks (the spiced macadamias are a particular hit). The bed is comfier than marshmellow slippers and the bath is equipped with Jacuzzi jets, candles and its own built-in TV for serious lazing.

The whole suite is ringed by a series of wide balconies – it would be criminal not to catch the sunset over a chilled drink as you snuggle into the sink-in wicker armchairs. Once you’re done, make your way to dinner at the Noble House, a stellar Chinese restaurant where we enjoyed a first class meal on the terrace with the hyper-modern Dubai skyline (surreally interspersed with the illuminated pyramids

of the Wafi shopping centre) in front of us and the strains of a live band rising up from the rooftop café below. Do not on any account miss the two-flavoured prawns (the wasabi-laced one is a particular gem), the tender Peking duck or a cup of tea poured by an acrobatic waiter armed with a super-spouted pot. We rounded off our visit to Raffles with a hyper-relaxing hot stone treatment in their elegant spa and a few laps of the rooftop pool, where waiters bring chilled drinks and towels and you only register time passing by watching the goldplated water clock. A real class act and a diamond choice for a Dubai stay. Raffles.com

Morocco, a place of fun for the entire family.

MOSAIK

Welcome to Morocco, the land of contrasts. Vibrant and enchanting, where shadows meld with sunlight, and sky and sea kiss at the horizon. A land that for centuries has been romanticized by storytellers in their books. Weaving tales about its natural beauty, the warm hearts of its people and the elegance of its architecture. Not to mention its lazy beaches crawling on the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, its snow-covered peaks, water springs and thick forests, as well as the stunning beauty of its old cities. Come, discover Morocco today. travel for real

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