THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE
DEcEMBER 2010
12
great reasons to
visit Barcelona
Beautiful Bali Why visitors are flocking back to the fantasy island
Produced in International Media Production Zone
the it list
The definitive guide to the year’s hottest hotel openings
WiN five nights in a stunning Presidential Suite Perfect places to see in the New Year total guide
South Africa Experience the colour of the Rainbow Nation
The Light Fantastic
On the hunt for the Aurora Borealis in Sweden’s frozen wonderland
Sample the delights of true local culture, sunny beaches and a fabulous shopping experience at Madinat Jumeirah’s traditional Arabian Souk. As a Middle East resident you can enjoy up to 50% off at the luxurious Talise Spa and up to 10% off our best available room rate (from AED 1,395*) which includes many exclusive complimentary benefits: Buffet Breakfast Sinbad’s Kids Club Complimentary Internet
Wild Wadi Waterpark
Exclusive Beach Access
For reservations, contact your preferred travel partner or call +971 4 364 7555
jumeirah.com/winterbreaksme Terms and Conditions apply*
Life is simply brighter when you add a bit of sparkle to it. Sprinkle some sparkle onto your holiday this winter with Madinat Jumeirah, The Arabian Resort of Dubai.
Kanoo World Traveller DeCeMBeR 2010
CONTENTS Travel biTes
feaTures
07 AgendA
66 city guide: bArcelonA
21 essentiAl selection
Need-to-know travel news for luxury jet-setters.
Lose yourself in fiestas, flamenco and great food.
The year’s hottest hotel openings across the world.
13 drive time
68 city guide: wellington
28 treAsured islAnd
Head to Hawaii for the ride of your life.
James Paul explores New Zealand’s windy capital.
Max Davidson finds serenity on the Indonesian island.
17 Ask the expert
70 the detAils
35 totAl guide: south AfricA
From superb spas to kid-friendly wildlife parks.
Where to go to book your holiday.
From driving the famous Garden Route to gobbling
18 picture this
71 competition
Bobotie and all-things Ostrich, South Africa serves up
The magic of ice-capped Antarctica.
Win a five-night stay in a Presidential Suite.
a wonder of treats for would-be visitors.
65 thirty-second concierge
72 suite dreAms
58 let there be lights
Falll in love with the historic charm of Chewton Glen.
A world of excess awaits you in Las Vegas.
In search of the Aurora Borealis in northern Sweden.
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67 On the cover: The Northern Lights courtesy of Sweden Tourist Board image library.
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24
36
Managing Director: Victoria Hazell-Thatcher
Features editor: Laura Binder
Designer: Matthew McBriar
Publishing Director: John Thatcher
laura@hotmediapublishing.com
Production manager: Haneef Abdul
Advertisement Director: Chris Capstick
+971 4 364 2877
Sales Manager: Cat Steele
chris@hotmediapublishing.com
Art editor: Jenni Dennis
cat@hotmediapublishing.com
+971 4 369 0917
jenni@hotmediapublishing.com
+971 4 446 1558
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. ‘Total Guide: South Africa’ is reprinted with the permission of Sunday Times Travel magazine.
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Jan-June 2010 22,620 BPA Consumer Audit Produced by: HOT Media Publishing FZ LLC
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 5
AGENDA Be informed, be inspired, be there
By royAl ApprovAl
Taj falaKnuma palace, Hyderabad After ten years of loving restoration, Hyderbad’s Falakuma Palace has opened as a Taj hotel, allowing guests to sample its unique splendour once again. The former royal residence of Nizam Mehboob Ali Khan, this palatial home once welcomed the likes of Edward VIII and the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, and today offers 60 stunning rooms and suites amid priceless art and artifacts. It sits in over 30 acres of manicured gardens, where you’ll also find the Jiva Spa – the perfect place to be pampered like a queen. www.tajhotels.com
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 7
agenda | news
seasons’ greeting
Four Seasons opens on London’s prestigious Park Lane You’ll know you’ve arrived at one of the world’s grandest addresses before you’ve even checked in at this stunning property – guests arriving early are whisked off to the 10th floor for a shower, breakfast and panoramic views of the sun rising over London. In fact, fine vistas are a feature of this hotel and we’re particular partial to that on offer in the spa’s Sky Suite – a magnificent 180 degree view of leafy Hyde Park. www.fourseasons.com winter warmers
On the Piste
Embrace the snowiest season with a stay at one of the coolest resorts around; will it be a quirky pod or woodland retreat?
Cathedral Mountain Lodge, Canada miami art fair
Basel brush
250 galleries from 29 countries will descend on Miami come December 2nd for the start of Art Basel, an annual art fair that attracts collectors by the thousands. They come to see – and buy – works that range in price from a few hundred dollars to many millions and are treated to exhibits by some of the world’s best up and coming talents. www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
Whitepod, Switzerland
location Yoha National Park, Canada.
location Les Cerniers, Swiss Alps.
lowdown Cosy log cabins with private decks and a picture perfect stone and timber lodge: all tucked behind a thicket of trees, a stone’s throw from the glacier-fed Kicking Horse River.
lowdown Fifteen eco-pods that double as canvas igloos, each perched on wooden platforms, dotted on the snowy terrains of a private Alps estate. Pop your head out for panoramic mountain views.
decor Woodland chic. Handcrafted cabins mean traditional pine beds, soaring ceilings and patchwork quilts to snooze under.
decor Deluxe explorer. Expect intimate, snuggly surrounds including a lose-yourself bed and wood-burning stove.
HigHligHt The activities: climbing, fishing, horse-riding, rafting and so much more...
HigHligHt Après-ski treats served by a fire at the camp’s 19th century chalet.
details From $169 per cabin. www.cathedralmountain.com
details $312 per pod. www.whitepod.com
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 9
iron lady’s nights New nightspot is this year’s oddest tourist attraction
Vietnam continues to fuel its booming toursim industry, this time with the opening of Six Senses Con Dao, a beautiful all-villa resort housed on a remote, unspolied island. It’s also home to the best coral reefs in the country, making for magnificent diving. www.sixsenses.com
Proof that the wave of nostalgia for the 1980s is now more of a tsunami comes in the form of Maggie’s, a new London nightspot devoted to the decade’s most iconic woman, Margaret Thatcher. Venture into its toilets and you’ll be serenaded by her key speeches.
one-minuTe masTerclass: sWedish Which way is Ikea? Vilken väg är det till IKEA? I’ll have your largest meatballs, please Jag vill ha era största köttbullar tack Which way is the museum? Vilken väg är det till museet? How much does it cost? Hur mycket kostar det?
The best of chimes
four amazing ways to ring in the new Year...
1. in The Wilderness If you’re less the party animal and more the animal lover, there’s no better way to see in 2011 than amidst the open plains of the Serengeti National Park. Book a suite at the wonderful Bilila Lodge Kempinski and you’ll enjoy the wild side of absolute luxury.
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Kanoo World Traveller December 2010
2. as lord of The manor Castle Combe is a charming chocolate-box village in England’s Cotswolds and it’s home to the idyllic Manor House Hotel, where many a lord (29 of them) has lived. Come NYE, the centuries-old building will host a brilliant black tie ball.
3. on The Beach
4. WiTh micKey mouse
Dubai will host hundreds of New Year’s Eve parties but the pick of them takes place at the little known Shimmers restaurant at Madinat Jumeirah. Book an on-the-beach table here and you’ll be privy to the most incredible fireworks display you’ll ever see.
You may think that Mickey and Co would be safely tucked up in their Kingdom come midnight, but on New Year’s Eve the whole of Disney World gets to stay up late and party into the wee small hours – Sleeping Beauty included – as fireworks light up the sky.
agenda | news
We’re all off to sunny Spain…
it’s in tHe bag
If you routinely grown when asked to remove your laptop for inspection at the airport, this new bag from samsonite is the answer. It has a check-point friendly compartment which allows your laptop to be scanned while still packed inside.
This month’s hot offers from Kanoo Travel and american express Vacations
inTerconTinenTal, madrid: sTay 5 nighTs Pay for 4 spain’s capital city is one of the world’s must-see places. You can explore it over 6 days, staying 5 nights at the wonderful InterContinental Madrid, which stands amidst the major sights and attractions for only $852, including breakfast. norTh island, seychelles: sTay for 7 nighTs Pay for 6 enjoy this romantic paradise in the best way possible by staying in the magnificent Presidential Villa on full board basis for $23,350. Be quick, though: your stay must be taken before december 15. la Villa mailloT, Paris: sTay for 5 nighTs Pay for 4 spend 6 days exploring the City of Lights and its stunning sights and stay in a superior room at the lovely La Villa Maillot from only $1,312, including breakfast.
Share the magic of Christmas at Hong Kong WinterFest. Enjoy the dazzling ambience and snap up bargains in the winter sales. Tuck into festive menus and citywide dining offers. And don’t miss the fabulous New Year’s Eve Countdown celebrations. For a winter like no other, in a city like no other, fall in Love with Christmas at Hong Kong WinterFest. FestiveHongKong2010.com
Presents
Dining Delights
New Year Countdown
Enchanting Christmas Ambience
Shopping Spree
ive r the fest Discove of ambience online ng Ko g Hon
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 11
sebastien didierjean, head chef of Souk Al Bahar’s Margaux in Dubai, tells us where he loves to eat when he returns home to the city of Colmar, Alsace. I simply can’t go back without a visit to my family restaurant, Femme Auberge La Graine Johe, where we make the Munster – a famous cheese in the region. In Kayserberg, I always go to the Flammenko Chambare restaurant. There, I like to eat Flammekueche or tarte flambée; a well-known Alsacian speciality. It’s a traditional dish and is somewhat like a pizza, with its thin crust of dough baked in a very hot oven, but it’s topping is primarily made-up of crème fraîche, onions, and bacon. Another love of mine is JYS (Jean-Yve Chillinger), an international restaurant where all the food is divine. Finally, I like to eat at Winstub, a typical Alsacian restaurant where you can try all of the region’s specialties as well as local beverages.
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Kanoo World Traveller December 2010
Though there are numerous hotels that have great stories attached to them, you’d be hard pushed to find one as quirky as that which accompanies Stockholm’s Nobis Hotel. This new (it opens December 1st) gloriously designed abode occupies a former bank where a famous heist gave rise to the term ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, which describes how hostages develop positive feelings (sometimes love) for their captors. We’re sure the hotel hopes for a similar effect on its guests. www.nobishotel.se Images: Design Hotels, Kempinski, iStockphoto, Jumeirah, Art Basel. Four Seasons, Whitepod, Cathedral Mountain Lodge
GLobAL GouRmET
| Road tRip | xxxxxxxxx agenda agenda
Turns ahead
Drive time: Hana HigHway, Hawaii
Bid ‘AlOHA!’ TO All yOu PAss On THis sHORT yeT OH-sO-sWeeT TRiP AlOngside THe PAcific OceAn On arrival in Hawaii, make Maui your first port of call; hire a convertible, let the roof down and feel the warm rays rush over you as you cruise over Hana Highway. The road runs from Pa’ia to Hana, a mere 50 miles of tarmac beneath your tyres, but it offers up phenomenal panoramas. All of the Polynesian exoticism that floats to mind on hearing the word ‘Hawaii’ is evident here – which makes every second of this short trip a splendid one. Reems of bamboo and lush eucalyptus groves by gushing waterfalls pass you on one side, while Pacific waves crash on the other – sights and sounds that satisfy the soul. Travel at a snail’s pace – all the more advisable on its hairpin turns – and you can’t fail to miss the little fresh fruit and juice stalls dotted along the route. What better place to stop and drink in the surrounds? Image: Photolibrary
xxxxx december 2010 Kanoo 2010 Kanoo World World Traveller Traveller 13
agenda | calendar
december
From snow sports to Santa, the last month of the year is an eventful one...
2-4
emirateS airline dubai rugby SevenS dubai, uae See the ‘gentleman’s sport’ in all its glory at this three-day tournament. It exposes 16 of the world’s best Sevens teams and is flocked to by an enthusiastic crowd of 120,000 spectators, who stream through the stadium’s gates on Al Ain Road (often in fancy dress). A rumbustious, social event jam-packed with great action. www.dubairugby7s.com
1-10
cairo international Film FeStival cairo, egypt Movie mania has earnt Cairo the nickname ‘Hollywood of the Middle East’. So, for a taste of the silver screen that doesn’t warrant an airfare to the USA, head to this epic festival; a cinematic tradition since 1976. A line up of controversial flicks mean you won’t be yawning when the credits roll. www.cairofilmfest.com
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4-11
Phuket king’S cuP regatta Phuket, thailand Fancy setting sail? In Asia’s famous yacht race you can feel the wind in your hair as you crash through the Andaman Ocean waves. Its regal feel could be down to its patron – His Majesty King Bhumibol – but a backdrop of beautiful people, prizes, parties and skies aflame with fireworks make it easy to enjoy; sailor or not. www.kingscup.com
Kanoo World Traveller December 2010
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harrodS’ chriStmaS grotto london, uk There’s no better way to achieve a state of festive cheer than with a spot of Christmas shopping at London’s iconic Harrods. Whisk excitable little ones to Santa’s plushest grotto where a moment sat upon his knee and a merry ‘ho ho ho’ will be made all the more memorable by a badge and photo awarded by Mrs Christmas. Magical. www.harrods.com
15-18
audi FiS alPine Ski World cuP val gardena, italy A serious helping of snow and glamour make this definitive ski tournament the pick of the season. Head to the slopes for the men’s events and watch top skiiers whoosh over icy slopes as they compete for an array of awards; the most coveted being the Alpine World Cup Overall Champion. Well worth a watch, hot cocoa in hand... www.fisalpine.com
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carolS in the domain Sydney, australia Australia’s largest candlelit carol service takes place on a hot summer’s night in the Royal Botanical Gardens, where thousands sing their merry way through Christmas classics. Marvel at a star-studded line-up of Ozzie singers, coo over fireworks and don your best smile – it’s televised nationwide. Visit www. carolsinthedomain.com
AgendA | trAvel q&A
Ask the expert
From the tranquil to the wild, our experts highlight their top breaks for adults and little ones...
The panel Jessica hudson cofounded The Chic Collection’s travel advisory and is tasked with sampling endless luxury hotels. tim Woods the go-to man for all things green, is an international project leader for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.
Image: Shutterstock
Rachel hamilton is a full-time writer and the mother of two young children whom she travels frequently with.
Q: My kids are animal mad and I’d love to take them to an amazing wildlife park on our travels next year. Where do you suggest? A: Close to home, Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort in the
Q: I want to end the year with a really relaxing break. Where are the most tranquil spa resorts to do just that? A: Constance Ephelia is the newest spa resort to open
UAE is a fantastic centre that seeks to conserve desert life. Whisk little ones there and they’re sure to be agog at the wild creatures roaming inside. Families can take their pick of guided safaris, where you’ll get close to the likes of gazelles and camels on its Arabian safari and giraffes, rhinos and antelopes on the African journey. There are even lions in residence here, and no ordinary ones at that – its latest newcomers are White lions of Sambona – one of the rarest (and most stunning) creatures on the planet. (www.awpr.ae). If you’re prepared to jet much further afield, SeaWorld in Orlando is the place for children with a love of allthings aquatic. There’s an abundance of Disney-esque shows to keep them entertained, from mighty killer whales to Clyde and Seamore the sea lions. What’s more, there’s an opportunity for them to interact with sealife – sign them up for a ‘Marine Mammal Keeper Experience’ where they can learn all about the creatures from an expert. (www.seaworld.com). Elephant-lovers’ hearts will skip a beat at Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand. All of its residents have been rescued from abuse and it provides a rare chance for youngsters to see the awesome creatures in tranquil surrounds. (www.blesele.org). Rachel Hamilton.
in the Seychelles and is set in a stunnning location on two of Mahe’s most beautiful beaches, overlooking the Port Launay National Park. It boasts one of the largest, most sumptuous spas in the Indian Ocean, Shiseido Spa. Nestled in beautiful tropical gardens, it provides an array of fantastic treatments as well as four swimming pools, a yoga pavillion, sauna and Jacuzzi. I previously stayed in one of its Spa Villas, complete with a private pool, special treatment area and relaxation room and can vouch for its blissful environment. If you prefer a room with a view, though, book its Hillside Villa. Or, for the ultimate indulgence, book the Presidential Villa which comes with its very own private spa, gym and swimming pool. (www. epheliaresort.com). For a more intimate hideaway, The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille in East Africa is home to just four ultraluxurious houses set on 20,000 acres of unspoilt African wilderness – and a stunning spa. There, you can indulge in massages, aromatherapy, reflexology and beauty treatments – all of which use organic products. To relax even more, head to its huge horizon swimming pool or take advantage of the private butler service; making it super easy for you to sit back, relax and feel utterly pampered. (www.ol-lentille.com). Jessica Husdson.
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 17
Picture this
Snow hILL ISLAnD AntArcticA
Winter in the coldest place on Earth looks much like every other season; a sprawling scape of startling bright white (90% of the world’s ice content, in fact). Encapsulating the South Pole, Antartica’s freezing climes prevent humans from ever setting up home here. But, for its yellow-necked residents, winter brings new beginnings: the arrival of chicks. Emperor penguins are the only breed to reproduce at this time of year and protecting their young against the coldest, driest, windiest climate on the planet is no small feat. Fifty days after hatching, the chicks that survive form their own ‘creche’, huddling together as they wait for their parents to return with food foraged from the ocean’s icy depths. Image: Photolibrary
Life is simply brighter when you add a bit of sparkle to it. Sprinkle some sparkle onto your holiday this winter with a fabulous getaway to Dubai and stay at the ideal family destination of Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
Relax and unwind on our sun-drenched beaches, indulge in local traditions or partake in exciting water sports whilst enjoying your stay in total luxury. As a Middle East resident you will receive 10% off our best available rate (from AED 1,260*) which includes many exclusive complimentary benefits:
Buffet Breakfast Sinbad’s Kids Club Complimentary Internet
Wild Wadi Waterpark
Exclusive Beach Access
For reservations, contact your preferred travel partner or call +971 4 364 7555 jumeirah.com/winterbreaksme Terms and Conditions apply*
Hot Hotels 2010
EssEntial sElEction | Hot HotEls 2010
Laura Binder goes globetrotting to round-up the year’s best hotel openings.
AUSTRALASIA
Rare snapshots of natural beauty set the scene for the best new abodes to be found in Australia and New Zealand; be sure to pack your camera before the off... If you love the great outdoors you can’t fail to fall for Quay West Resort & Spa Noosa (www.mirvachotels.com/quay-west-resortnoosa). It’s set on nine hectares of National Park Conservation Sanctuary, which means sprawling seascapes of wild turquoise waters, bordered by the deepest of green forests. Its facilities have made the resort one for couples and families alike; spend your day sprawled out by the lagoon swimming pool, relaxing in its state-of-the-art spa or limbering up for the tennis courts. If you want to feel even further removed from everyday life, New Zealand’s Makaturi Lodge (www.matakauri.co.nz) looks as though it was designed to take you there. This
alpine lakeside retreat is a picture of sheer serenity with its cool colour palette of icy blues, bright whites and dulcet greys against lush greens – and that’s just the scenery. Stay at the lodge and make yourself at home by an open fireplace, peek at those panoramas on your private porch, or lose yourself all over again at its holistic spa – set on the edge of a pine forest, naturally. Saffire (www.luxurylodgesofaustralia.com. au) cuts a stop-and-stare dash on Tasmania’s East Coast where it overlooks the rugged Hazards Mountains, against the unspoilt waters of Great Oyster Bay. Book a break at this natural wonder and you’ll stay in one of just 20 suites – go for the deluxe version and
you’ll bag a complimentary treatment at its brilliant spa, too. Art-lovers won’t be able to get enough of Melbourne’s The Olsen Hotel (www. artserieshotels.com.au/Olsen). Here, suites are decked in the works of Ozzie talent John Olsen – regarded as one of the country’s greatest living painters – but its eye-catching features don’t stop at prints: marvel at murals and sculptures; dive into its glassbottom pool (if you don’t mind waving at the shoppers beneath your bare feet, that is); and tuck into all manner of steaks at Steer – its decor is as enticing as the meat itself. Above, left to right: The Olsen Hotel; Saffire.
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 21
EssEntial sElEction | Hot HotEls 2010
THE AMERICAS
From the sizzling climes of South America to the urban vistas of New York, the Americas have come up trumps with a seriously stylish ensemble of hotels... The Caribbean’s signature powder-white sands set the scene for Viceroy Anguilla (www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com) where would-be visitors can bask on either of its two beautiful beaches or admire the view from one of 166 suites and villas – each with a private pool. For a more South American flavour, head to the Chilean capital of Santiago which is now home to The Aubrey (www.theaubrey. com). It’s set in the bohemian Bellavista and its 1927 mansion exterior gives way to a heady mix of terracotta alcoves, exposed beams and chandeliers. We say, wake up to the designer décor of an Art Deco suite, order a Brazilian breakfast then soak in its glistening
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outdoor pool. Blissful. True city splendour can be found inside The Crosby Hotel (www.crosbystreethotel. com) in New York. Art, antiques and an abundance of charming fabrics make their suites the kind you don’t want to leave, while outside it’s all steel, brick, glass and warehouse windows. Elsewhere, the infamous Soho House Group has spread its uber-cool wings to the sunnier climes of Miami Beach. Soho Beach House (www.sohobeachhouse. com) takes up residence inside an Art Deco building where jet-setters can find all the exclusivity synonymous with its London, New York and Hollywood sisters (yes, membership of the private clubs is as coveted as ever). The
group’s signature Cowshed Spa (a revered beauty retreat around the world) can be found here, as well as an abundance of trendy hang-outs. In fact, you’ll feel every bit the celebrity here – and probably spot a few, too. The Ritz-Carlton Highlands (www. ritzcarlton.com) in Lake Tahoe, California provides one very glamorous mountain lodge from which to absorb the snow-clad sights of Sierra Nevadas. Go in ski season (December to March) and prepare to be pampered on and off piste. Its roaring fireplaces, warm wood details and steam rooms provide the relief you’ll need from the chilly outdoors. Above: The Crosby Hotel, New York.
EssEntial sElEction | Hot HotEls 2010
EUROPE
From city scopes to snowy terrains, the cooler continent made the most of its idyllic landscapes with a whole host of brilliant boltholes; great and small... Austria’s Aurelio Lech (www.aureliolech.com) is a cool and highly cosy chalet-style hotel, with all the upmarket trimmings to make it stand out from the usual ‘ski’ crowd. Roasted pine and leathers form a winter-warming tapestry in its (far from) standard suites, while the restaurant serves gourmet cuisine – dine on the sun deck and drink in the slope views. Italy presented an array of heart-stopping hotels this year, but Castel Monastero (www. castelmonastero.com) in Tuscany takes the biscotti with its location: the resort spans an entire 11th century ‘borgo’ (tiny village). Nestled amid sprawling chestnut groves, the former castle is made for whiling away days shrouded in Italy’s romantic aura.
France’s flashiest offspring St Tropez is now home to Le Kube (www.kubehhotel. com), which follows in the slick footsteps of its Parisian predecessor. It’s a place high on cutting edge cool – you can’t miss the giant glowing cube on the front lawn – but its minimalist style doesn’t mean there’s little to do: find four buzzing lounges, two pools, a spa and restaurant. To experience the kind of splendour you’d imagine Greek high society to bask in, Poseidonion Grace (www. poseidoniongrace.com) is a must-stay. It’s cut a dash on the Spetses Island skyline since 1914 and now sun-seekers can step through its pillar-flanked doors and stand in awe of its seemingly sky-high ceilings and catch-your-
breath sea views (best seen from the Grace Suite’s 100-square-metre terrace). At night, dress in your finest and savour dishes by celebrity chef Vasilis Kallidis: his modern take on traditional Greek dishes are to die for. The people behind one of London’s swankiest spots, The Dorchester, headed out to the English countryside this year to open Coworth Park (www.coworthpark. com). Expect quintessential charm from this Georgian manor house, where you can partake in polo while a kids’ concierge cares for your children. Don’t leave without an organic treatment at its eco-luxe spa. Above: Castel Monastero in Tuscany; Austria’s Aurelio Lech; Coworth Park in Berkshire.
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 23
EssEntial sElEction | Hot HotEls 2010
ASIA & INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
A hotel has opened to accommodate the tastes of virtually every would-be visitor here, whether you prefer the bright lights of Hong Kong or the traditional bamboo groves of Bali. Offbeat touches at The Mira Hotel (www. designhotels.com/the_mira) in Hong Kong bring a playful edge to the 492-room city hotel. Our favourites include its indoor infinity pool (the poolside lounge comes alive at night) and the hotel’s vintage London cab – use it to explore the city’s sights. Its dining options are plentiful too, from its chocolate café CoCo (artisan treats galore) to delectable French cuisine at Whisk (rustled up by celebrity chef Justin Quek) and the ridiculously cool Vibes; a garden lounge with open fires, water features and cabanas. For all-out opulence, The Peninsula in Shanghai (www.peninsula.com/shanghai) takes some beating. Its opening delivered
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Kanoo World Traveller December 2010
all the ‘wow-factor’ you would want from a high-class hotel. You’ll particularly enjoy the heart-tugging views from your room and the decidedly decadent afternoon tea, served in the lobby to the sound of a string quartet. For a more authentically regal experience, India’s atmospheric Leela Palace Kempinski (www.theleela.com) is the place to stay, and those who do can’t fail to fall under its spell. Set in Udaipur by Lake Picchola – which you’ll cruise across to get to the hotel – it’s a spellbinding vision of Mogal architecture, with breathtaking mosaics inside, and the grandest of gardens out. An altogether different taste of India can be had at RAAS (www.raasjodphur.
com), Jodphur’s first boutique hotel. The property stands inside an ancient walled city, overlooking the greatest of India’s desert forts, Mehrangarh, and blends such age-old style with 21st century finishes. If you want to leave all traces of city life behind, Bali has the answer: the recently opened Fivelements Puri Ahimsa (www. fivelements.org). It’s an eco-conscious healing centre with one pursuit; rest and restoration. Guests stay in one of five ‘sleeping suites’ which open out onto a private deck with a bathtub ripe for a soothing dip as you soak up sights of the Ayung River. Magical. Clockwise from top left: Jodphur’s RAAS; Majestic Suite at The Peninsula; The Mira Hotel.
EssEntial sElEction | Hot HotEls 2010
AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS From the purest stretch of sands to the African wilderness – this part of the world has unleashed hotels of every ilk over the past 12 months... Tribe (www.tribe-hotel.com) opens its boutique doors to reveal the kind of décor you’d expect from a glam, city haunt – if it weren’t for the tribal carvings and traditional artefacts which bring you wistfully back to Africa. Similarly, its restaurant (named ‘Epic’ for good reason) presents fine unpretentious fare in the most striking of ways. A sprawling slice of South Africa sets the scene for The Homestead at &Beyond Phinda (www.andbeyond.com); a private game reserve that’s been artfully spun from natural stone, thatch and wood. Here, al fresco dinners served under a blanket of stars come as standard. Another coveted safari spot to throw open its doors to the wild this year was
Fairmont’s Zimbali Resort (www.fairmont. com/zimbaliresort). Picture rolling green hills as far as the eye can see, reflected in sparkling blue seas and you’ll be a step closer to the stunning natural vistas to behold here. If holidaying on a desert island is more in keeping with your dream getaway, the Maldives’ Moofushi Resort (www. moofushiresort.com) has all the deluxe offerings would-be islanders could want. Its water and beach villas dot pristine sands and come with verandahs and hammocks or loungers, where you can bask in the sun’s rays. If you fancy spending your time in a more active way though you’re in luck; the resort’s setting on the South Ari Atoll places
you in one of the best diving spots on the planet. Flippers at the ready... Across the waters in Mauritius, a little piece of paradise can be found nestled beneath swaying palms: Trou aux Biches (www.beachcomber-hotels.com). This idyllic hideaway is packed to the rafters with highend tropical charm and owes its ‘village style’ to thatched-topped pavilions. Beachfront suites (complete with a private outdoor pool and shower) make it all the more easy to immerse yourself in the island – step barefoot from your terrace and you’ll be on sprawling white sands in a heartbeat. Above: The Homestead at &Beyond Phinda.
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EssEntial EssEntial sElEction sElEction || Hot Hot HotEls HotEls 2010 2010
MIDDLE EAST
The flow of five star hotel openings may have slowed to a trickle in 2009, but this year has seen the Middle East come back with a bang as Dubai leads the way once more. Dubai’s seaside promenade, The Walk, provided the setting for not one but three hotel openings this year. Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach (www.sofitel.com) displays the brand’s signature French style, with the pièce de résistance being its Imperial Suite – there’s arguably no better spot in the city from which to drink in sea views than its huge terrace. Amwaj Rotana (www.rotana.com) cuts a similar dash on the strip and the only dilemma it seems to present guests is where to eat; you have the pick of six decent dining spots. Mövenpick Hotel Jumeriah Beach (www.movenpick-hotels.com) meanwhile, is awash with chic marble finishes and boasts a brilliant pool which overlooks the ocean. Just across town, Mövenpick also opened the imposing Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel (www. movenpick-hotels.com), the standout feature of which is its exceptional suites, each
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inspired by the 14th century travels of the Arabic explorer, Ibn Battuta. The Palm Jumeirah finally saw its second hotel opening when One&Only The Palm (www.thepalm.oneandonlyresorts.com) swung open its doors to reveal beautiful rooms, the best poolside cabanas in town and a handful of restaurants fronted by a three-Michelin-star chef. Elsewhere in the city, Pullman Mall of the Emirates (www. pullmanhotels.com) opened as the crowning glory of the mall’s expansion and fashion icon Giorgio Armani cut the ribbon on his supremely stylish (naturally) Armani Hotel. Jumeirah also added another property to its stable of stars with Jumeirah The Meydan (www.jumeirah.com), a unique hotel aside the world’s most talked about racecourse. Along the Sheikh Zayed Road in Abu Dhabi, the Grand Millennium Al Wahda
(www.millenniumhotels.com) houses over 800 rooms and direct access to Al Wahda Mall (perfect for sweltering summers). But its finest feature is undoubtedly its spa – the city’s grandest. Further indulgence can be had in Ras Al Khamiah, where the unveiling of Banyan Tree Al Wadi (www.banyantree.com) revealed a desert oasis of Arabesque-inspired villas, each with their own private pool. Just don’t be surprised to see a gazelle skip by as you soak – they’re quite nosey. The stunning Makkah Clock Royal Tower (www.fairmont.com/makkah) now looms over the Holy City of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. At 76 stories and 577 metres high it’s one of the world’s tallest buildings and features a 40-metre clock – that’s five times the size of London’s Big Ben’s. Clockwise from top left: One&Only The Palm; Sofitel’s Imperial Suite; Amwaj Rotana; Pullman.
Themed from the travels of 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta, this five-star luxury hotel in the heart of New Dubai offers superb breaks for couples and families alike. Just minutes from Dubai’s beaches and a host of other leisure activities, and next to Ibn Battuta Mall with its shopping opportunities, it is the perfect gateway to leisure. With our special opening room rate, and a 50% discount for a second night (Wednesday, Thursday or Friday), why not make a weekend of it? To find out more or to make a reservation, please contact the hotel direct on: +971 4 444 04 40, hotel.dubai.ibnbattuta@moevenpick.com or contact your travel agent. Call toll free from: the UAE 800 4934, Bahrain 8000 1991, KSA 800 124 2929, Kuwait 2 225 3228, Qatar 800 2001 and quote ‘Weekend Value’. *Terms and conditions apply.
Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel Operated by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
Stay for AED 695* and enjoy a 50% discount.
See you at the gate Children enjoy free access to our Kids Club Children under 12 eat for free at the weekend
Treasured Island
Bali might have been shaken in recent years by terrorism, but the calm – with confidence – is back, says Max Davidson To love Bali, you have to love silence. I am sitting in a taxi at a crossroads in a small Balinese town in the heart of the island. We have not moved for the last five minutes and, by the look of things, we are not going to move for the next five. Traffic is gridlocked, there are no traffic lights and, as the sun beats down and three weedy-looking policemen flap six ineffectual arms, not a vehicle moves. A bus driver shrugs his shoulders. A woman on a moped adjusts her make-up. A brown dog wanders across the street and cocks his leg against a vegetable truck. Hens scrabble in the dirt. But of angry horn-hooting, there is not a murmur. Try imagining such restraint in Riyadh or Bangkok or New York. You can’t do it. But witness it in Bali, most serene of tropical islands, and your heart gives a little leap of pleasure. No wonder so many visitors have fallen under the spell of this gentle, hassle-free place. Not all that long ago, after the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005, the visitors were staying away. But, even though tight security measures remain in place and have recently been stepped up, the sense of returning confidence is palpable. In the main tourist area, the three-mile strip of coast that stretches from Kuta to Seminyak, the streets teem with urgent life. Shop after shop is doing a roaring trade, whether it is in local crafts, mobile phones or designer clothes. The cafés are hopping. Flash modern hotels sit cheek by jowl with makeshift stalls selling soup and satay. And almost everyone, tourists and locals alike, is smiling. Away from the hot-spots, stylish new properties, of the type that would not have been built four or five years ago, are proliferating at a rate of knots. The latest must-visit hotel is the Alila Villas Uluwatu, to the south of the island. It has such a light, airy setting, perched on a clifftop, that as you wallow in the infinity pool you feel
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as if you are floating on a cloud, high above the cares of the world.Stage left, a lone butterfly flutters through the shoots of bamboo. Stage right, there is a sizzle of prawns and a gust of ginger and turmeric, as lunchtime looms. It is the kind of place you never want to leave. Just ask Stefan, the head chef, originally from the Netherlands. He has married an Indonesian woman – on a beach, naturally – become a father and now spends his evenings in a hammock staring up at the stars, drink in hand. “You see life differently in Bali,” he says, with a note of awe. Next morning, before breakfast, he takes me to the local fish market. Colourfully painted boats line the beach. Fishermen mend their nets under palm trees. Women haggle over mahi-mahi and red snapper. It is not quite a timeless Eden. Refrigerated trucks transport the plump yellowfin tuna to where it will fetch the best price. A lot of it will end up in Japan, Stefan tells me. But there is an unhurried serenity to proceedings that tugs at the heartstrings. The waves tiptoe up the beach so slowly that you hardly notice them. Nobody rushes. Nobody shouts. Beyond the market, there is a tiny building festooned with flowers, where an old man is putting the finishing touches to a statue, bent over his chisel. Two schoolgirls on a moped weave through the shoppers, their hair streaming behind them. A three-legged dog limps across the street, making for the shade of a furniture shop. There is a sea breeze, taking the edge off the sun, and a tang of salt. Alila Villas has a sister property at Soori on the west coast, also blessed with unfailingly courteous staff. The villas are stretched along a mile-long beach and, as the sun dips into the sea, and the villagers stream on to the sand for their evening walk, like figures in a Lowry painting, a great peace descends. But then Bali is that sort of place. You think you have found your own little corner of paradise, but you only have to travel a few
indonesia | bali
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Previous page: Paddy fields. This page, clockwise from top left: Amankila’s welcome girls; Mount Agung; Alila Villas; Amandari’s swimming pool; Amankila’s pool at dusk .
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miles to find another corner, just as pristine, just as seductive. In fact, it is so easy to find a verdant away-from-it-all retreat that there is a danger of staying snugly put, not leaving your hotel, not exploring the rest of the island. But miss the Balinese hinterland, the sleepy rural areas that have largely survived the coming of tourism, and you will miss Bali. At Amankila, a gorgeous boutique hotel on the east coast, I am tempted out of the infinity pool and on to a rusty bicycle. It is not normally my favoured mode of transport and, after an hour, my buttocks are screaming, “Get back to the pool!” But with encouragement from my guide, Budi, who has devised a route that seems to be 90 per cent downhill, I push my body through the pain barrier, and am rewarded with an afternoon of rare enchantment. With a volcano for a backcloth, its summit wreathed in wispy clouds, we pedal through the paddy fields along roads still muddy from overnight rain. A banana grove flashes past, then a tiny pig farm, then a scruffy village. “What’s that?” I ask, seeing a knot of villagers gathered in a circle. “Cock-fighting,” Budi says sheepishly. Even paradise is not perfect. Feminism has not reached rural Bali. We pass one middle-aged woman carrying a vast stack of sugar cane on her head, while her husband walks behind empty-handed, smoking
a cigarette. But the sense of community, people looking out for each other, sharing chores, sharing child-minding, is ubiquitous. The one statistic that you always hear quoted when you visit Bali is that the Balinese spend 50 per cent of their income on festivals. It sounds incredible, but it is easy to believe as you pass through beautifully decorated villages. Ceremony follows ceremony in endless procession, whether it is a wedding, a thanksgiving, or just a chance for children to horse around in a dragon costume. Back in the Sixties, when almost as many hippies flocked to Bali as to India, the place to head for, sporting the regulation sarong and sandals, was Ubud, an arts-and-crafts village in the wooded interior. The village is now a town, and the hippies have got BlackBerrys, which misses the point. But Ubud still exerts its magic. You won’t get bargains in the shops today. Those exquisite paintings and wood carvings will set you back serious money. But it is still a bohemian retreat, a place of nooks and crannies, packed with surprises: wide-eyed children eating rice on a bed of banana leaves; an old woman smoking a hookah, eyes tight shut; a painter with a cat in his lap, listening to the radio; an enormous bat hanging upside down from a drainpipe, like a prop in a horror film. In some holiday destinations, you can sense an underlying friction between the locals and the tourists. Not
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in Ubud. In fact, my hotel, the Amandari, on the outskirts of the town, prides itself on how well it has integrated itself with the local community, allowing villagers right of way through its grounds and playing host to Balinese festivals and dance evenings. The most memorable experience of my stay is a pre-breakfast trek through the densely wooded valley at the back of the hotel to the paddy fields beyond. The muddy hills seem too steep to sustain agriculture, but there is hardly an uncultivated square yard of land. Here a plot growing sweet potatoes; there a thicket of banana trees; there some plump cocoa pods, ripe for picking; there a row of tapioca plants, speckled with poppies. Wizened farmers make busy with machetes. Two fly-blown cows skulk in the shade of a tree. An apology for a scarecrow – just a torn handkerchief flapping from a stick – keels over at a fantastic angle. Naked children bathe in the muddy river. A solitary white
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‘It is so easy to find a verdant awayfrom-it-all retreat that there is a danger of staying snugly put, not leaving your hotel’
bird swoops through the valley, then disappears into the tall trees. It is not yet 8.30am, and already the sweat is pouring down my face; the humidity is through the roof and there is not a cloud in sight. But any feelings of discomfort are offset by feelings of wonder at this timeless rural world, impervious to change. Only a fool would rule out the possibility of further terrorist incidents in Bali. But in an uncertain world, the charms of the island have never seemed more compelling. The people may smile and smile, but they have steel in their soul: they are not going to be deflected from their traditional lifestyle by outside forces. One image of my visit will linger. A very old woman, 70 if she is a day, is plodding home from the paddy fields. She is wearing a crooked sun hat, a grubby sarong and, incongruously, a bright red T-shirt. And on the T-shirt are inscribed two words: F--Terrorists. I want to hug her.
Images: Photolibrary, Shutterstock, Design Hotels, Leonardo. Text: Max Davidson / The Daily Telegraph / The Interview People
Left: Women work the paddy field in a small village. Below: Traditional Balinese face mask.
In the heart of Dubai’s historic and most culturally diverse quarter, Mövenpick Hotel Deira is ideal for guests wanting to explore Deira’s vibrant winding streets. With stylish and comfortable suites, superior rooms and themed restaurants offering delectable Asian flavours, the new Mövenpick Hotel Deira is where you’ll discover the real Dubai. For information or reservations, please contact us on +971 4 444 01 11 or e-mail hotel.deira@moevenpick.com
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
Modern comfort
discover the real Dubai.
total guide | SoutH aFRiCa
TOTAL GUIDE
SoutH aFRiCa
From brilliant beaches to the Big Five, South africa’s got it all. Find your perfect holiday here… Page 36 WINDOW SEAT Cameras at the ready for a tour of the country’s most stunning scenery Page 43 CAPE CRUSADERS Local heroes on where to shop, sightsee and sunbathe in the city Page 46 GAME PLAN Safaris for everyone Page 50 OLD SPICE The country’s best meal – and not a Michelin star in sight Page 54 OYSTERS, MODELS AND THE SECRETS OF TIME TRAVEL Rolling back the years on a Garden Route roadtrip
November December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 35
Window seat
take the train, drive your car, ride an ostrich – you don’t need to trek for days to see South africa’s spectacular vistas, says Amanda Hyde. Just sit right back and enjoy the views.
SEE THE SPECTACULAR SUNSETS OF THE KAROO
land in vicious battles. Now, this inland basin is the stuff of screenplays:
There’s empty and there’s really empty – whistle in this 400,000sq km expanse between Cape Town and Johannesburg and it’ll come back to you 1,000 times, echoing along the scorched earth until it hits some lonely farm or dust-tracked village. Until the late 18th century, only the Bushmen and Khoi tribes lived here, sharing space with cohorts of wild zebras grazing the plains. Then, in 1899, the Anglo-Boer War hit, and the Karoo became a casualty as the two sides carved up the parched
one-horse towns stand in crumbling, Colonial splendour; slow-turning turbines silhouetted against sunsets the colour of tomato juice; and pioneering safari-lodge owners reintroducing baby leopards and lions to the landscape. You can do it by car, but then the landscape becomes a hot and bothering chore, rather than the series of glorious photo opportunities it should be. Instead, take the overnight train from Cape Town to Johannesburg, which hits the Karoo in time for the spectacular
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dusk. If you have $1,500 to blow on the 24-hour trip, take the Blue Train – South Africa’s poshest – which comes with wood-panelled cabins, five-course dinners and even a turn-down service. But a tighter budget won’t restrict you one bit. You can board the Purple Train, a slightly diluted version that’s one tenth of the price: the lengthy meals and splendid cabins remain, minus a few oil paintings and leopard-print soft furnishings (and ensuite bathrooms). And this choo-choo has a bonus all of its own. While the Blue Train is the ivory tower of rail travel,
its cheaper cousin is met by running children selling food and drinks at every station, alongside grizzled farmers making conversation with passengers through the open windows. Basic Afrikaans comes in handy here – if one of them calls you ‘bokkie’, you’ve pulled. A journey on the Blue Train from Cape Town to Johannesburg costs from $1540pp, allinclusive (00 27 214 492672, www.bluetrain.co.za). The Purple Train’s official name is ’Premier Classe’, and it costs from $150pp, all-inclusive (00 27 117 744555, www.premierclasse.co.za).
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GET TO KNOW THE LOCALS IN OUDTSHOORN
eccentric kind of place, a town at the end of the southern Cape where
Pity the ostriches in this picture – they’re probably destined for the dinner table. It wasn’t always thus: back in the 19th century, the little town of Oudtshoorn grew rich on feathers, as fashionable European ladies demanded them for their hats. There was a rush on the big birds, with mating pairs reaching $1,500 at auction. But with every boom comes a bust and, though trade briefly revived just after the AngloBoer War, the plumes soon lost their prestige. Now, Oudtshoorn is an
the Garden Route runs out, still embellished with the ‘feather palaces’ that sprang up more than a century ago. Their filigreed stoops and trellises, coupled with the searing heat and burnt-ochre landscape, lend the place a Wild West mystique that’s great for family holiday stop-offs. And though they were once the height of fashion, some of the ostriches have been relegated to entertainment: at a handful of farms littering the peaks and troughs of the local countryside, you
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can cuddle the friendliest birds, ride the most athletic, feed them and watch them hatch; anything, in fact, but eat them. For that, you need to check in at one of the working farms around town – many still housed in gaudy feather palaces – for bed and scrambled-ostrich-egg breakfast served up by no-nonsense farmers’ wives. Ask nicely and they’ll grill an extra-special steak for dinner too – though you may want to avert your eyes when you pass the paddock the next day. The best way to get to Oudtshoorn is to drive from Cape Town. If you’ve already done
the Garden Route, or fancy a glimpse of South Africa away from the tourist trail, you can take Route 62. Passing remote vineyards and sleepy Cape Dutch towns, it crosses Oudtshoorn en route to the coast at Port Elizabeth. See www.route62.co.za for more details. The best of the feather palace B&Bs are Pictures (00 27 442 726751, www. picturesoudtshoorn.co.za; doubles from $150) with its plush rooms and views of the Swartberg Mountains, and working farm Thylitshia Villa (00 27 442 727814, www.thylitshia.co.za; doubles from $150).
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SOAR ABOVE THE CLOUDS AT BLYDE RIVER CANYON How many times have you truly felt on top of the world? Blyde River Canyon will do that to you. Not only does this gigantic gorge have nothing above it but wide blue sky, but looking at the landscape below is like staring down at Earth from a satellite; no wonder one part of this enormous crater is called God’s Window. Despite its credentials – it’s the third largest canyon on the globe after the Grand and Namibia’s
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Fish Eagle – this place is remarkably devoid of visitors: most are busy ticking-off Cape Town or the Kruger National Park. It makes touring the 20km stretch seem like trekking into your own Jurassic Park adventure. Cliffs soar 800m upwards, blanketed in bobbly green undergrowth; waterfalls the temperature of freezer compartments tumble into electric-blue pools; monkeys and birds screech from the trees. You can wind your way around the hiking trails that lace the emptiness, or
total guide | SoutH aFRiCa
paddle by white-water raft through the rapids far below. Or you can just get in the car and drive it, windows open to the hairdryer breeze. The canyon is part of the Panorama Route, a dramatic road that zigzags up and down the Greater Drakensburg Mountains, past hutted hamlets in dusty basins and along the tops of jagged passes that fall away treacherously at 90º angles. At the very end of this trail you’ll arrive at the edge of the Kruger National Park – and the start of your next
adventure. The nearest airport is Johannesburg and the drive to Blyde River Canyon takes around six hours along the N4, with plenty of stops at lilac-fringed towns en route. Stay at Blyde River Canyon Lodge, with its resident impala and cosy rooms (00 27 157 955305, www. blyderivercanyon.co.za; doubles from $153), or rent your own treehouse at Zuleika Country Cottages (00 27 157 955063; from $41pp). The Kruger National Park is 40 minutes away by car.
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| calendar adverTisemenT agenda feaTUre
get on track
all aboard for the launch of dubai’s rail europe office…
There are few finer ways to see a country than through the windows of a train carriage as it winds its way across land. In fact, some of the world’s most incredible journeys are undertaken on tracks and the opportunity to experience one is now easier to realise thanks to the opening of Rail Europe’s Middle East office in Dubai. It’s headed up by industry
expert Waleed Ahmed and serves the entire Middle East region, spreading detailed information on train journeys in more than 45 countries and helping make 2010 a record-breaking year for train ticket sales in the Middle East region. One of the most popular trains it sells tickets for is the super-fast TGV – it hits speeds of 186km – which operates out of France and connects passengers to fantastic cities like Brussels, Stuttgart and Geneva, meaning you can start your day with coffee and a croissant on the Champs Elysees and end it by strolling through Stuttgart’s stunningly pretty Rosensteinpark. TGV also gives you a chance to explore and enjoy France to the fullest, with
For further information on these amazing offers, including routes, terms and conditions, visit www.raileurope-gcc.com
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Up to
60%
off fa r e
s
convenient connections to 150 of its cities and towns – the likes of Lyon should be high on the must-visit list of any in-theknow traveller. Back onboard, the train’s facilities are outstanding: first and second class carriages pack in all manner of comforts for both business and liesure travellers, while there’s a designated area for families and another specifically for babies. There’s also an onboard restaurant serving up fine food throughout your journey. And if that isn’t enough to entice you to ride the rails, Rail Europe is currently offering an incredible 60% off the price of certain tickets if you book before December 29th 2010. We’ll see you onboard…
total guide | SoutH aFRiCa
Cape crusaders
Want a super way to see Cape town? let Lynette Botha’s band of local heroes look after you… WHERE TO PADDLE Surfer Luke Meyer gives the lowdown on Cape Town’s best beaches. I love long Beach in Noordhoek – not only for its great surf waves but also because it’s a nice quiet spot for weekends away with my son. It’s half an hour from the city, uncrowded, unpolluted and it stretches for miles. We pile the dogs into the car and while away days on the sand, choosing from the dozens of beachside cafés for dinner. We often stay at laid-back Buren Cottage, with its seasidey décor (00 27 21 789 1848, www.burencottage. co.za; from $160 per night for a family of four, self-catering).The sands to see and be seen on are at Clifton. It’s actually made up of four beaches, all separate little pockets of bliss, divided by boulders. First beach is the smallest and has the best waves, but Fourth is the most popular. Try to get there early: in the summer the sand fills up by 10am and you won’t find a spot for your towel if you come much later. Frequented mainly by surfers, Glen Beach, near Camps Bay, is small but doesn’t get overcrowded. That’s surprising because it’s within walking distance of the Camps Bay ‘strip’, which is home to the city’s coolest lounges and restaurants. If you’re going for an early surf, stop off first for the best coffee in town at Vida e Caffè (5561 Victoria Road); finish up later with a drink at hip Café Caprice.
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total guide | SoutH aFRiCa
WHERE TO STROLL Yoga teacher and runner Darden Lotz suggests sensational routes to hike or jog. To get a feel for the Cape Town coast, walk or run along the promenade from Mouille point to Camps Bay, taking in crashing waves, low-key neighbourhoods and the city’s best beaches. If you’re visiting Cape Town you have to hike up Table Mountain – taking the cable car just isn’t the same. There are various trails through the scrub and forest of Table Mountain National Park (see www. sanparks.org), but I like to walk up from the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (have lunch in the tearoom first). An easier route is the ‘Pipe Track’, a picture-perfect wander along the mountainside, with stunning views of the Twelve Apostles and out to sea. When you’re tired of the city, escape to Tokai Forest on the eastern slope of the mountain. It’s covered in pine and eucalyptus trees, and you’ll see kites, buzzards and sparrowhawks, too.
WHERE TO GO AT NIGHT Owner of local radio station 2oceansvibe, Seth Rotherham reveals the top night spots. It doesn’t get more glitzy than Café Caprice in Camps Bay (www.cafecaprice.co.za): it’s all beautiful people and a backdrop of palm trees, sea and sand. There’s always something going on here; in the past, Robbie Williams has played, Paris Hilton’s popped in, and it hosts regular beach volleyball competitions. The Sky Lounge on the roof of the five-star Cape Royale Hotel in Green Point (www. caperoyale.co.za) often puts on pool parties Previous page: Beach houses near Cape Town. Clockwise to centre from top left: Table mountain; Adderley Street flower market; Calimari at Foodbarn; Surfers at sunset; Kalk Bay harbour; Annex courtyard at Kalk Bay Hotel; Cafe Caprise at night; Kalk Bay Books.
ll of perfectly formed Capetonians by day. But it’s at its best at sunset – sit by the pool and drink in the fantastic view: Cape Town stadium in the foreground and the ocean behind it, all watched over by towering Table Mountain. The drive along Chapman’s Peak, from Hout Bay to Noordhoek, is one of the world’s most dramatic coastal journeys, and I tell everyone who visits to do it. Reward yourself at the end with a drink at The Toad in the Village (www.thetoad.co.za): a classic timber-countered South African lounge, where you’ll usually find ex-Springbok rugby team captains.
‘The Pipe Track is a picture perfect wander along the mountainside, with stunning views of the Twelve Apostles and out to sea.’
WHERE TO SHOP
WHAT TO SEE
Fashion designer Olive du Plessis spills the ‘bargain-hunting’ beans. The Afraid of Mice stall at The Old Biscuit Mill market (375 Albert Road, Woodstock; Saturdays 9am-2pm) has the best secondhand clothing around – sourced from America by two dedicated sisters. You’ll find every kind of designer bargain here, from Chanel to Marc Jacobs. Second Time around (196 Long Street) is another wonderful vintage shop: a hotchpotch of bags, costume jewellery, dresses, shoes – everything you can imagine. I can lose myself in there for hours. Bric-a-brac browsing is best in laid-back Kalk Bay, on the other side of the mountain to Camps Bay. It’s very boho, with an organic market, tin-shack bars and lots of little galleries and arts and crafts boutiques. My favourite store is the antiques-filled Railway House (7975 Kalk Bay), with its old movie props and grand piano. When you’re finished browsing, drive onwards away from the mountain to Boulders Beach, where the local penguins hang out.
Menswear designer Willem Jacques goes beyond the guidebook sights. The Adderley Street Flower Market in Cape Town City Bowl has been going for more than 100 years, and the flower-sellers are as known for their humour as for their beautiful blooms. The market’s a good introduction to Souuth Africa’s weird and wonderful plantlife, from spikey protea flowers to the colourful fynbos (wildflowers). Take a walking tour from Burg Street Visitor Information Centre (00 27 21 426 4260). Cape Town’s oldest square is the Grand parade, where the city’s founder Jan van Riebeeck built his old fort in the 1650s. I often walk around there to get a feel for where the city started – and browse the stalls. Right in the city centre, Woodstock has an up-and-coming, arty feel. The Whatiftheworld Gallery (208 Albert Road) is one of Cape Town’s most exciting, showing innovative pieces from South Africa’s rising stars. Last time I visited, there was an element of audience participation – we needed passports to get in.
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game plan South africa’s got safaris to suit everyone – first-timers or Big Five veterans, says Gavin Bell. From romantic tents for two, to ‘sleep outs’ in the bush, here are eight camps he rates…
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total guide | SoutH aFRiCa
1. BesT for: compleTe calm Samara PrIvaTe Game reServe
2. BesT for: DramaTIc encounTers Tanda Tula
Framed by an amphitheatre of empty mountains, this reserve sprawls across 28,000 hectares of expansive plains in the Great Karoo. It’s so quiet that it can feel as though you’re the only ones left in the world – especially if you indulge in one of the camp’s romantic private dinners, in foothills overlooking the whole spectacular scene. An ambitious game-reintroduction programme has seen the return of zebras, wildebeest and springboks. Rhinos and giraffes wander across the veldt, and cheetahs rule the roost as top predators after more than a century of near-extinction. Creature comforts are assured in two main properties: a restored farmhouse with a trio of cottages, and a stylish Manor House with sumptuous suites. And, if your nerves need calming after those big-cat encounters, you can wind down in the spa with an African potato mud wrap. Big thrill: cheetahs – and it’s all thanks to samara’s excellent conservation programme. www.samara.co.za
Picture a dozen plush, East African-style tents, with Victorian baths and private timber decks overlooking a seasonal river. That’s Tanda Tula, bordering the Kruger National Park. Safaris here come concentrated: guests embark on two game drives and a bush walk per day in order to maximise the chance of spotting something dramatic – ‘sleep-outs’ can be arranged in a hide about two kilometres from camp for anyone who really fancies immersing themselves (do it, even if it’s only the once). In addition to the Big Five, you’ll see cheetahs, jackals, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and maybe even a lion kill. Then it’s home to Tanda Tula for dinner around the campfire – enjoy medallions of kudu with mushrooms and cheese (best try to forget you’ve just seen their relatives in the wild). Big thrill: seeing the rare white lions of timbavati up close – pale in colour, they stick out like a sore thumb against the dark hues of the bush. Good for you, bad for them - it means it’s particulary hard for them to survive so catching sight of one might not be an option forever. www.tandatula.co.za
Left: Evening pool view at the Samara Private Games Reserve. Above: Tented suite at the Tanda Tula.
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 47
3. BEST fOR: fAmILIES JacI’S SafarI lodGe
4. BEST fOR: BuSH & BEAcH Thanda PrIvaTe Game reServe
5. BEST fOR: ROmANcE GaronGa SafarI camP
There’s no need for pills at this child-friendly camp, as it’s in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, north of Johannesburg near the Botswana border. Some lodges can be sniffy about little ones, but the activities here revolve around them – those over five can on game drives with their parents to spot the Big Five (in specially designed family vehicles), while juniors get ‘jungle drives’ to discover wildlife more their own size, such as beetles and ‘toothbrush’ plants. The 10 suites, complete with thatched roofs, are guaranteed to make kids feel as though they’re camping (they’ll also love the Flintstones-esque openplan bathrooms with rock baths and outdoor showers). Excitement levels will remain high, even when there are no activities planned, thanks to a private viewing deck at the camp’s entrance, overlooking a small stream where animals and birds come to drink. Big thrill: Insects! Younger kids tend to get more excited about them than all the Big five put together.
Want sun, sand and safari, without having to bother with planes, trains and automobiles inbetween? Just 15 minutes’ drive from the Indian Ocean, Thanda (it’s Zulu for ‘love’) is a private game reserve where guests can combine wildlife-spotting with sunbathing – without succumbing to a tiring ‘two-centre’ break. All the traditional safari activities are on offer: game drives follow predators reintroduced in a major rehabilitation project (including a breeding pack of wild dogs), and bush walks to get up close to birds, insects and smaller mammals. If safari fatigue sets in, there’s an impressive roster of seaside activities, from feeding crocodiles at a local sanctuary to diving with manta rays and turtles at Sodwana Bay. Coming back to your tent at night offers big thrills too: there are just four here, 25 minutes’ drive from the nearest camp, and a lack of electricity means it’s lit up by hundreds of candles come dusk. Big thrill: Get your life sorted by a sangoma, a traditional Zulu healer. www.thanda.com
The honeymooners come in two by two – to be spoilt rotten in wildly romantic surroundings. Set in the Makalali Conservancy, west of the Kruger National Park, Garonga’s 12 tented rooms are made for love, with huge draped beds, outdoor showers and swinging hammocks on their decks. Each overlooks a dry riverbed that attracts grazing impala by day before knockout sunsets. Game drives and wilderness walks take guests into the domain of lions, rhinos and wildebeest-hunting cheetahs. Back at camp, an in-house therapist is on hand for soothing sensual treats – including a ‘honeymoon couple instructional massage’, where you’ll learn a few DIY techniques. For newlyweds who just want to be alone, there’s a ‘bush bath and sleep out’, where you camp overnight on a deck high above the veldt, with only a radio for company. Big thrill: Catching a glimpse of an elusive leopard – the camp has a great record for sightings. www.garonga.com
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6. BEST fOR: SERIOuS LuxuRy SInGITa SabI Sand
7. BEST fOR: RESPONSIBLE SAfARIS !xauS lodGe
No question of roughing it here – the poshest of the private lodges in the Sabi Sand Private Reserve, on the edges of the Kruger National Park, comes with one of South Africa’s best spas, Relais & Chateaux-approved food – and even game-spotting from the comfort of your tent’s deck: all the lodges are unfenced, so elephants, buffaloes and antelopes wander right past your door to graze on the banks of the Sand River. Choose from antiques-filled suites with private pools, a cosy stone-andthatch farmhouse, or dramatic designer suites with infinity pools and floor-to-ceiling views of the bush. It’s all so spoil-yourself superb that you might find it hard to leave camp at all, but the excellent guides should be able to lure you out – pointing out the Big Five alongside zebras, hyenas, giraffes and the occasional cheetah. This is a twitcher’s paradise too – with a checklist of more than 400 bird species. Big thrill: Snapping the whole thing from a bubble-filled bath. www.singita.com
This camp in the Kalahari Desert is a rarity in the safari world in that it’s run by local bushman communities – its unusual, exclamation-marked name means ‘heart’ in the local language, Nama. Staying in the lodge’s dozen wooden chalets is by no means ‘roughing it’, but you will feel closer to nature here than at some of the grander lodges. Each room has a deck overlooking a vast saltpan and waterhole, and there are guided walks through the red dunes to learn about the medicinal uses of bush plants. On game drives, guests can see leopards, cheetahs and jackals, while the life of local communities is explained in a recreated village. Make sure you’re not tired come dusk though – one of the biggest draws is the star-spangled night sky, best enjoyed from the observation deck with a chilled juice. Big thrill: Spotting the rare black-maned lions of Kgalagadi, so-called thanks to their black-tipped, yellow-rooted manes that resemble cheap dye jobs.
8. BEST fOR: BARGAIN GAmE SPOTTING elePhanT PlaInS This affordable family-owned lodge in the Sabi Sand reserve, in the Kruger National Park, overlooks a waterhole that guarantees a daily procession of wildlife. The Big Five are all here, and rarer predators such as cheetahs and wild dogs also prowl the plains. You wouldn’t know this was the bargain option: guests stay in thatched-roof bungalows with canopied beds and polished concrete floors, and there’s a Honeymoon Suite with its own plunge pool. The view – over the Manyeleti river which glows molten pink with every sunset – is priceless. It’s a small place, so you’ll soon make friends with the one ranger and tracker, as well as the other guests, who gather round a campfire for evening meals. Big thrill: The sheer numbers of elephants you’ll get to see. www.elephantplains.co.za Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Dining at Goronga Safari Camp; Bedroom at same camp; Lodge at Elephant Plains. Centre image: Suite at Thanda Game Reserve. This page, clockwise from top left: Balcony at same reserve; Encounter with a lioness; An African elephant.
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 49
Old spice
The tastiest meal in South Africa is its pungent traditional comfort food, says Amanda Hyde.
T
he best meal I’ve ever had was eaten in a hire car by the kerbside in Cape Town. We were parked in Bo-Kaap – the old Malay quarter of Cape Town destroyed during Apartheid and now a glitzed-up heritage area. At the time, it was just finding its stride again after years of neglect. ‘It’s very cool there,’ a taxi driver had told me earlier, when he heard my plans. But I was with my father, who remembered the place rather differently. Born in South Africa when Apartheid was a way of life, he grew up in the leafy middleclass suburb of Claremont, resisting the system by spending his evenings in unlawful jazz clubs in District Six (before the area was bulldozed and its inhabitants driven out of town), and teaching illegally in the townships, where anything more than basic education was outlawed. Back now, decades later, he wasn’t craving contemporary cool, but rather the comfort food of his youth. For all South Africa’s professed new equality, the white ghettos remain: the upmarket seaside suburb of Camps Bay, and the mansionheavy greenery of Constantia and Wineberg. It’s here that ever more boutique hotels spring up, while the rest of the city goes on with its business. But for real South African food, you have to venture a bit further, which was how we’d ended up by the pavement in Bo-Kaap, shovelling mouthfuls of takeaway bobotie into our salivating mouths. Signature dish of the Cape Malays – descendants of Javanese slaves and exiles – this mincey meal is nursery food gone mad: a spicy beef pie, flavoured with fruit chutney and topped with eggy bread. It shouldn’t work, but the fruit takes the edge off the heaviness, turning
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it into a kind of supercharged cottage pie. There are glammed-up versions of this dish on every gourmet restaurant menu in town, but, like fish and chips, bobotie works better when it’s boiling hot, cooked by someone’s mum, and eaten on the hoof. One of Dad’s old friends had told him about Zorina’s on Loop Street, a teeny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant frequented by in-the-know scoffers. With only a handful of plastic tables, it is almost impossible to eat in (and, really, it’s so scruffy you wouldn’t want to). Our only option was to take our cartons of bobotie back to the car and watch Capetonians going about their business. Just 10 years ago, Loop Street was dangerous, and it still Left: Diners at Cafe; Inside and outside of a Grand Daddy trailer; Traditional bobotie. Next page: Bo-Kaap.
Take me there Where to stay Doubles at the Grand Daddy (00 27 21 424 7247, www.granddaddy.co.za) start at $137, room only; you can also stay in an Airstream caravan on the roof for the same price. In Bo-Kaap, the Dutch Manor Antique Hotel (00 27 21 422 4767; doubles from $162, B&B) has six four-postered rooms restored to their 19th-century glory. Where to eat Zorina’s is at 172 Loop St; bobotie around $8 a head. If you want to branch out, try a Cape Malay curry – a fruity cross between Indian and Southeast Asian flavours. For slightly posher Cape Malay meals, head to Bo Kaap Kombuis (7 August St; www. bokaapkombuis.co.za; meals around $16).
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carries a hint of downtown LA, down-at-heel buildings clogging the skyline and busy three-lane roads busy with cars. But, the previously unregarded city centre (and Bo-Kaap) are becoming the places to be: boutique hotels abut dodgy jewellers, and trendy cafés sit side by side with fabric stores. Down the road, Grand Daddy is Cape Town’s coolest lodgings, housed in a building that’sw been a hotel off and on for as long as anyone can remember. ‘I used to go there for drinks when I was about 17,’ Dad reminisces. ‘Once, I put a tea towel over my arm, pretended to be a waiter, and walked out with a bottle in a bucket.’ ‘We could try it again?’ I suggest. But we’re entering he bobotie coma – the fit of doziness that hits after this carb-heavy dish. There’s nothing for it but to head home to bed.
THE BEST OF THE REST
South Africa’s finest food, and where to find it…
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MICHELIN STARS
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPS
FAIR GAME
Franschhoek is the self-proclaimed ‘foodie capital’, its main road full of restaurants-with-rooms serving pricey set meals of elaborate but perfectly balanced dishes. Of these, Reuben’s (00 27 21 876 3772, www.reubens. co.za) and Le Quartier Français (00 27 21 876 2151, www.lequartier.co.za) are most highly regarded. Further down the road is the much-lauded Terroir, which serves up unstuffy cuisine such as quail pie in the surrounds of the Kleine Zalze vineyards (00 27 21 880 0717, www. kleinezalze.co.za). Alternatively, book a spot of lunch at La Colombe (00 27 21 794 2390, www.constantia-uitsig.com).
Legacy of the Boers, South African fry-ups are the breakfast of champions. Alongside boerewors (a large spicy sausage), you’ll get the usual eggs, tomatoes… oh yes, and a big steak. Locals make a day of it by fuelling at the Tea Room (00 27 21 797 4883, www. ktr.co.za), in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, before hiking its surrounds. In Knysna they swear by the all-day brekkies at East Head Cafe (00 27 44 383 0933, www.eastheadcafe.co.za). If you’re driving from Johannesburg to the Kruger, punctuate the journey with a Full African at Country Corner (00 27 13 254 0812) in Dullstroom.
Devouring the local wildlife might not be to everyone’s taste, but South African meat is something else. Make for the ostrich capital, Oudtshoorn where you’ll find the only restaurant in the world to specialise in big bird dishes. Headlines (00 27 44 272 3434) serves ostrich every which way: pâté, soup, omelette and fine fillets. Or, try Carnivore (00 27 11 950 6000), just outside Jo’burg, for its open fire sizzling with crocodile, zebra, giraffe and more. At Punda Maria Rest Camp, The Zebra Restaurant (00 27 21 422 3111) dates back to the 1930s – don’t miss out on its no-nonsense grilled game; superb.
Kanoo World Traveller December 2010
Passage to India and beyond Amazing offers at affordable prices
GOLDEN TRIANGLE – INDIA
(7 Days/6 Nights) - USD836 per person on twin sharing basis Includes: • Full day city tour of New and Old Delhi. • Visits Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, The Amber Fort in Jaipur.
BEST OF SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES
(7 Days/6 Nights) – USD924 per person on twin sharing basis Includes: • Stay at Adaaran Club Rannalhi Resort, Maldives. • Visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. • Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. • Enjoy a city tour of Kandy. • Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory. • City and shopping tour of Colombo.
SRI LANKA HILL COUNTRY AND BEACH STAY
(7 Days/6 Nights)-USD1,011 per person on twin sharing basis Includes: • Visit the Temple of the Tooth and late evening witness a cultural performance.. • Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens.
• Visit the arts and crafts workshops and the bazaar. • In Nuwera Eliya, visit a tea plantation to see how tea is plucked and a factory to witness the processing of the raw green leaf to the final graded product.
BEST OF BANGKOK AND PHUKET
(7 Days/6 Nights) - USD600 per person on twin sharing basis Includes: • Three nights in Bangkok in Superior Room at Amari Boulevard (4*) hotel with breakfast; airport-hotel-airport transfers by coach. • Three nights in Phuket with breakfast; airport-hotel-airport transfers by coach. • Twilight cruise by June Bahtra. Terms and conditions: • Rates are valid till 9th January, 2011. • Hotel rates are valid subject to availability. • Please note Christmas and New Year’s Eve supplement will apply, which will be advised at the time of reservation. • All prices are subject to change without prior notice. Kanoo Holidays terms and conditions apply. See page 70 for booking office contact details.
August 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 13
Oysters, models and the secrets of time travel
Flitting back through the decades to the holiday spots of his youth, Douglas Rogers finds beautiful people eating beautiful seafood on a drive along the Garden Route.
G
rowing up on a farm in Rhodesia – soon to be Zimbabwe – in the ’70s, we had the ocean only three hours’ drive away, across the border in Mozambique. But Mozambique was at war for all of my childhood, and so when we went on holiday to ‘the seaside’, we had to drive for two days to my grandmother’s home in Knysna, a sleepy lagoon town on the South African Cape coast’s Garden Route, 1,600km south of our farm. We would make this trip every two years, and the tortuous journey to Johannesburg and then on through the parched Cape Karoo interior only seemed to add another year to the wait. But once we were at the seaside my sisters and I were in our element. My gran’s house was on Leisure Isle, a perfect pearl-shaped residential island in the middle of the lagoon, accessed by a narrow concrete causeway. Brackish water lapped a few metres from Gran’s front porch, turtledoves cooed in her garden, and in the distance the lush peaks of the Outeniqua Mountains reached for the skies. Legend had it that the biggest elephants on Earth roamed the Tsitsikamma Forest on the slopes of those mountains – not that anyone had ever seen them. I recall the salty rhythm of those holidays as though they were yesterday. Dad would wake me early most mornings to go fishing in our wooden boat on the lagoon, and for lunch we would either braai (barbecue) our catch in the backyard at Gran’s, or go to scrape mussels off the rocks at The Heads, two giant boulders that formed the mouth of the lagoon, waves from the
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Indian Ocean crashing between. Whenever the mood took us, we would pack the station wagon with towels and beach bats, and drive up the coast for 20 minutes to Plettenberg Bay. Plett, as we called it, was a laid-back resort on a high bluff, where we would find a place on the sand at Robberg, the finest beach on the Garden Route, and watch dolphins corkscrew though the waves. I used to bore my schoolfriends senseless with tales of those holidays. But times change. In the early ’90s, after Gran died, Dad sold the Knysna house and invested the proceeds in a backpacker lodge and game farm in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe was sitting pretty back then, while South Africa was tiptoeing along a cliff edge of uncertainty. Nowadays Knysna is home to the priciest real estate in Africa, while Zimbabwe is, well, you know that story… As for Plett, it’s now billed as the ‘St Tropez of Africa’, popular with millionaires, supermodels and polo-playing playboys, and filled, I’d heard, with some of the hottest restaurants and hotels in the country. I say ‘I’d heard’ because, until recently, I’d not been there for years. But on a trip from my home in New York to Cape Town for a book launch last December (a book about my parents’ struggle to hold onto that Zimbabwean game farm, as it happens) I made a flying visit to my childhood playground to see what all the fuss was about. Best of all, I landed in Cape Town and made the three-hour drive down the Garden Route, thus avoiding that interminable journey of my youth. The Garden Route is famous now, rightly
regarded as one of the great ocean drives on the planet, and I like it best just before Wilderness, a windswept beach town 20 minutes from Knysna, where the road hugs the side of steep cliffs and tormented waves assault the shore below. Until 2007 you could take a heart-stopping vintage steam train – the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe – along these cliffs, but a devastating storm damaged the tracks, and the train no longer navigates this section of the Garden Route. I arrived in Knysna at noon, and although it was the height of the season, it still seemed strange to be stuck in traffic on Main Street: I didn’t recall the town even needing traffic lights. Unable to move, and it being lunchtime, I decided to park up This page: Oteniqua choo-tjoe crossing the Kaaimans River. Next page: The Pezula by day.
Where to stay A night at Pezula in Knysna (00 27 44 302 5332, www.pezula.com) starts at $847, b&b, including one spa treatment per person. For a more down-to-earth experience, try Bamboo (00 27 44 384 0937, www. bambooguesthouse.co.za; doubles from $121, b&b), an animal skin/tribal printfilled guesthouse with a pool and posh rooms. In Plettenberg bay, Emily Moon (00 27 44 533 2982, www.emilymoon.co.za) has doubles from $205, b&b, including the use of bicycles and river canoes. Or try The Plettenberg (00 27 44 533 2030, www. plettenberg.com; doubles from $322, b&b), a five-star right on the water
| uSa | iReland tOtaltOtal GuideGuide SOutH ROad aFRiCa tRiP
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 55
and find some oysters. Knysna is famous for the slippery suckers, first cultivated here by a retired merchant, in 1948. My parents’ favourite oyster shack was Jetty Tapas, a rustic sea-shanty of a restaurant on a barnacled jetty in an industrial section of the lagoon shore. After half an hour, unable to find it, I asked directions from a toothless fisherman carrying an octopus. I got a confused look. ‘Tapas burned down in 1999, boetie,’ he said. ‘Catch a wake-up, hey.’ It had indeed burned down, and a swanky marina development complete with yacht club, condos and a boutique mall – Knysna Quays – had gone up in its stead. I was devastated. It felt like losing a limb. Fortunately, you could still eat bivalves there, so I made my way to The Oystercatcher, one of several restaurants in the Quays, and ordered a dozen – salt, lemon, no frills. I’m glad to report that they’re as good as ever. On the table next to me, a tourist couple insisted on having theirs baked with bacon, cheese and who knows what else on top. I channelled my parents and gave them my most-horrified look. The fanciest development in Knysna is Pezula, a sprawling 78-room hotel, spa and golf resort built on a high bluff above the
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eastern head of the lagoon, sweeping views of the ocean in front. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, I thought, and I checked in. The place is billed as ‘a sanctuary of privacy and indulgence’, and it made a name for itself recently when it hosted the French football team during their notorious implosion at this year’s World Cup. The French sports minister had criticised their accommodation as ‘too flashy’ before their unceremonious exit. The place is decorated in lavish Balinese style, with lots of imported wood and spacious, stand-alone villas with private plunge pools that light up at night. My room was connected to the main complex by a raised wooden walkway, and a golf cart came to pick me up for dinner. I ate sublime Karoo lamb chops at Zachary’s, its flagship restaurant – but Pezula could not have been more out of keeping with my image of Knysna if it had been built out of moon rock. The following day I drove to Plett, keeping an eye on the lush forest on either side of the road for signs of those elephants. No luck. Plett was transformed, too, but to my mind for the better. If not quite St Tropez, parts of it had the posh elegance of the Hamptons.
‘The fanciest development in Knysna is Pezula, a sprawling 78-room hotel, spa and golf resort...’ Known as the polo capital of Africa, it has no fewer than six polo estates tucked into its Tsitsikamma foothills. The most opulent among them is Kurland, a gigantic place owned by the South African diamond magnate, Clifford Elphick, who hosts a much-fêted England vs South Africa match here each December. Down on Robberg, my old beach haunt, the sand was as gorgeous as ever, but it was hard to find towel space among all the bronzed holiday crowds. That said – and perhaps I was too young to notice before – if any international modelling scouts are looking for the next hot young thing, they might give southern Brazil a break and try here instead. As there was no chance of keeping up with the body beautifuls, I
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Kalahari Desert Dullstroom GAUTENG Pretoria MPUMALANGA SWAZILAND
NAMIBIA NORTH WEST
Images: Photolibrary, Shutterstock, Samara Games, Thanda, Garonga, Elephant Plains, tanda Tula, LA QUARTER FRANCIOS, Blue Train, Pezula.
FREE STATE
decided to embrace going to seed with renewed vigour. I took a late lunch at Emily Moon, a lodge and restaurant that sits in laid-back luxury overlooking the squiggles of the Bitou river as it runs haphazardly into the bay. I ordered grilled calamari on the pool deck and checked out the decor: deer-hide rugs, African tribal masks, wood carvings, sepia photographs of the owner – and I almost choked on my drink to discover I knew him. He was Mark Valentine, an African art dealer who, when I was a kid, managed the farm next to my parents, and briefly dated my sister. A dropped name or two later and word soon came through that, as I was a fellow Zimbabwean, the calamari and drinks were on the house. I had put it off, but back in Knysna, as the sun set, I knew it was time see Leisure Isle. My parents had warned me that Gran’s house had been knocked down years ago, no doubt replaced by some unsightly wedding cake owned by a Johannesburg millionaire, and I was braced for the worst. So I was surprised to find a beautiful new Cape Dutch bungalow with adobe walls and a sweeping front window that must have filled the rooms with light. I stepped out of the car and stood at the front gate. Gran’s garden was as beautiful as ever, and I even heard a turtledove coo. Memories flooded back. I remembered hitting cricket balls against the stinkwood tree; posing for a photo on the lawn, aged six, with a fish I’d caught that was bigger than me; playing Leap Frog with my sisters. I must have been in a trance, for it took me a second or two to realise that the owner of the house, an elegant woman with a rope of pearls around her neck, was at the gate asking me what I wanted. What did I want? I told her I was lost and got back in the car. Some things are best left to memory.
Bloemfontein NORTHERN CAPE
KWAZULNATAL
LESOTHO
Durban
Port St Johns EASTERN CAPE
Great Karoo
East London
WESTERN CAPE Cape Town
Knysna
inDian ocean
Port Elizabeth
atlantic ocean
AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA get around By PLANE Mango (00 27 11 359 1222, www.flymango.com) flies between Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg; flights from Cape Town to Johannesburg start at $70, one way. 1Time (00 27 11 928 8000, www.1time.aero) flies between Cape Town, Durban, East London, George, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth; flights from Cape Town to Johannesburg start at $90, one way. Kulula (00 27 11 921 0111, www. kulula.com), SA Express (00 27 11 978 9905, www. flyexpress.aero) and BA Comair (00 27 11 921 0111, www.comair.co.za) also
fly to destinations across South Africa.
By CAR Alamo (0871 384 1086, www.alamo.co.uk) has a week’s car hire from Cape Town or Johannesburg airports from $262. Avis (0844 581 0147, www.avis.co.uk) offers the same from $214. Or, try Sizwe (00 27 11 390 2340, www. sizwecarrental.co.za).
By TRAIN Shosholoza Meyl (00 27 11 884 4555, www. shosholozameyl.co.za) is the main train company in South Africa, and its long-distance lines are a good way to see the
countryside in relative luxury. Sleeper trains cost around $54 for the 26hour journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg. A plusher option is Shosholoza’s weekly Premier Class train, with one-way tickets from $238. Passengers get twice the space as in the standard intercity and use of the Blue Train lounges at Cape Town and Johannesburg airports (contact details as above). The ultraluxurious Blue Train (01403 243619, www. bluetrain.co.za) runs from Cape Town to Pretoria, takes 27 hours and costs from $1,518 for what is a fantastic experience.
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 57
Let There Be Lights Teresa Machan enjoys husky sledding, ice fishing and a moose safari, as she searches out the Aurora Borealis in the windswept wilderness of northern Sweden. “Nice pair.” This puerile phrase, loved by British builders, is not one I’ve used before, but then I don’t often fondle four-feet antlers. Framed by the bull’s trademark points, the velvety horns were a thing of undisputed beauty and, for the detached part of a dead animal, surprisingly tactile. We were defrosting in the kitchen of our guide, Mats, after a two-hour moose safari on horseback. Although he’d spotted a couple of moose, sauntering ghostlike through the snow-bleached forest, the morning’s blizzard had largely kept these majestic beasts at bay. Besides a few hoof prints, droppings and bite marks, the antlers on the wall were probably the closest I was going to get to the real McCoy.
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| northern | northern aurora aurora borealis borealis sweden sweden
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 59
Sweden is home to 2,300 Sami reindeer herders and, while reindeer is on menus all across the Arctic Circle, having a moose in your deep freeze is something not to be sniffed at. As she plated up salmon soup and sautéed reindeer in her cosy kitchen, Mats’ partner Kerstin explained that you can’t just go out willy-nilly shooting any old moose. Hunters, even those descended from a long line of Sami herdsmen like Mats, must abide by strict rules. The moose licence handbook is so thick it could probably concuss a moose from a distance of 20 paces. So I was glad when Mats popped the antlers back on the hook and lunch was served. Swathed in forest and festooned with lakes, Sweden is an adventure playground all year round, but head north of the Arctic Circle and it comes into its own. Most international visitors enter Swedish Lapland via the town of Kiruna, home to Sweden’s Sami parliament and a springboard to the mountain resorts of Abisko, Björkliden and Riksgränsen, and Sweden’s highest mountain, the Kebnekaise massif. Where Sweden’s northernmost town ends, the wilderness – made up of two national parks, six nature reserves, 6,000 lakes and six rivers – begins. Come November and miles of marshes and windswept tundra, glinting lakes and
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mountain streams are transformed into an Arctic Eden. What Sweden lacks in big name ski resorts (Are is perhaps the only exception), it more than makes up for in deep-freeze derring-do. Ice fishing, husky and moose safaris, reindeer encounters, icebreaker tours, ice diving, snow shoeing, snowmobile tours and Northern Lights safaris are all on the agenda, while in the nearby village of Jukkasjärvi the Icehotel is rebuilt each year from the Torne River. One month the river is riddled with fish, the next its frozen hunks are being hewn and sculpted into whimsical ice suites. If you’re nearby, one night on the icy slab is a must. Although the mercury can plunge to -45C (-49F), a relatively balmy -13C (-9F) is the December average. Besides, it’s not difficult to embrace winter when you’re slip-sliding between the frosted firs by husky-driven sled or doing handbrake turns on a frozen lake. If you’re going to go to ice-driving school, the home of Saab is surely it. As I peered at the plate-glass lake from behind the wheel of my ‘Snow Silver’ Saab I became possessed by the spirit of Daisy Duke. But, fun though it is to realise your Dukes of Hazzard car-chase fantasies, the point of the three-hour course is to graduate a safer driver, with the confidence to handle a real ice encounter.
aurora borealis | northern sweden
‘After 20 minutes without a bite and the wind gathering strength I realised we were more likely to catch pneumonia than supper’ As we purred our way onto the frozen terrain it was almost impossible to tell where tarmac stopped and ice began. The lake’s surface has a light dusting of snow and a purpose-built race circuit complete with slalom courses on which to get to grips with Saab’s ABS (anti-lock braking system) and ESP (electronic stability programme). “If you get stuck we have a tractor to pull you out,” said our instructor, Jesper Erkki, as he ran through the first exercise. At the end of a fairly successful ESP slalom rally I went and ruined it all by ploughing through a pile of cones into a snow bank. It took two attempts by ‘’tractor man’’ to tow me out. By my third rescue, following a particularly frenzied loop around the skid-pad, he was grinning and waving like an old friend as his fat tyres trundled toward me across the frozen tundra. Next morning, under a feeble winter sun, I found myself in snowshoes at the edge of another frozen lake, in search of a self-caught supper. Lake Santos was once part of the Tobacco Trail – an icy, inhospitable frozen thoroughfare of lakes, rivers and marshland that stretched from Russia through Finland, Sweden and Opposite page: A fisherman drills for a hole in which to dangle his rod. Above: A reindeer takes a break from pulling its sleigh.
Norway. A sign points toward Finland, 149 kilometres away. “You can do it in two days,” said Gabriel, my icefishing companion, slinging the drill bit over his shoulder and placing a racqueted foot in the direction of what looked like Siberia. Fishing boats, stripped of their souls until the thaw, littered the lake’s petrified foreshore. I shivered and shuffled on to it, following Gabriel for a good half-hour before he deemed the ice thin enough to drill. It was -15C (5F) with the wind chill but within minutes he was shedding outer layers and we took it in turns to drill… and drill, until the deeply sunken bit (all two feet of it) had brought Gabriel to his knees. Finally, water exploded like a geyser, and we cast off using reflective bait. “Hopefully a really big trout will see it,” said Gabriel optimistically, as water droplets froze like magic on the rod. A word about ice fishing: it’s not for wimps. After 20 minutes without a bite and the wind gathering strength I realised we were more likely to catch pneumonia than supper, so when Gabriel produced coffee and cake from his backpack I could’ve hugged him. Who needs trout when you have lingonberry cake? In the spring, apparently, when you can lie on a reindeer pelt catching the rays, one hand tugging on the bait, ice fishing is a hoot. “The water is crystal clear
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 61
and you can spot fish just a few centimetres below the ice,” he enthused. Home comforts are never more than a flat-pack away: apparently it’s not uncommon for keen fishermen to head off on safari trundling a portable shelter behind their snowmobile. Replete with television and microwave, the huts come with a ready-made hole through which to cast a line. I made a mental note to look for one in Ikea. Later that afternoon I strolled down Jukkasjärvi’s solitary road, past banks of pure, thick snow, in the direction of the Sami Museum. Separating two rows of paint-swatch houses (so you can find yours in the snow), the road soon runs out at a diminutive wooden building, the oldest in Lapland. The body of a Sami bride was found buried under the floor, and the ‘Jukkasjärvi pattern’ in her knitted mittens is still used today. Later that evening I’m disturbed by one of the Icehotel’s staff. “Quickly, the lights are here!” she says. and I leg it to the lake behind the hotel, Defiantly cloudy for three days, the sky has cleared to reveal her prize, the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.
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Images; Sweden Tourist board; ICEHOTEL; Photolibrary. Text: Teresa Machan / The Daily Telegraph / The Interview People.
Clockwise from bottom left: Inside the magnificent ICEHOTEL, which is rebuilt each year.
| northern | northern aurora aurora borealis borealis sweden sweden
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 63
concierge hampshire | Barcelona | Wellington | Las Vegas
The 30-second concierge
Alison chenet, chewton Glen, hAmpshire Can you tell us a brief history of the hotel? The origins of the hamlet of Chewton can be traced back to the time of the Normans and documents detailing land and premises known as ‘Chewton Glen House’ were drawn up in 1732. Over the years many changes and additions have been made and at the beginning of the 20th century the then owner – Colonel Edward Tinker – totally remodelled the façade in brick. Between 1947 and 1966 the property had three different owners, and it was the Duval family who first made it into an hotel. It now has 23 suites and 35 bedrooms. Which three activities would you recommend as must-dos for visitors? If you like outdoor activities you’re frankly spoiit for choice, but my top
three suggestions would be a pony ride through the New Forest, a round of golf at one of the fabulous courses in the area or, back at the hotel, a civillised game of croquet on the front lawn. If I have dinner here, which dishes make up the perfect meal and why? Start off with the Chewton Glen Double Baked Emmenthal Soufflé. It has been a signature dish for almost 30 years and is just delicious. Move on to the Jurassic Coast Veal, which fuses the best local ingredients, and end with the Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brûlée – an indulgence, but one that you should definitely not miss. If you have room, our English farmhouse cheese board is an award-winning medley. www.chewtonglen.com
December 2010 Kanoo world traveller
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SPAIN
Visit BarceLona
Magical modernism meets ancient charm in this vibrant city of contrasts; Laura Binder brushes up on her Catalan...
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arcelona has managed to skip the stereotypes her mothering Spain still struggles to shake. As Catalonia’s capital, she’s steeped in a 2,000-year-old history yet grabs modern day design with both hands. For visitors, it makes for an ancient ambience, felt amid a bold cityscape where the locals’ Catalonian identity (and language) remains intact. Stroll through the streets and stand agog at Gaudi’s enchanting architecture, head to one of its many galleries to marvel at the works of Dali and find passion in fiery flamenco, fiestas, food and edgy street life (just try and resist the waft of waffles or ignore the spirited performers). Alternatively, you can make for the beach and bask in warm climes, savouring the sound of animated chatter from olive-skinned señors and señoritas. Barcelona is perhaps best off-season, when you can avoid a hive of tourist activity; she’s simply lovely between late September and November when temperatures dip to a breezy 19 to 23 degrees celcius. But with so much to do, who really cares about the weather? 66
Kanoo World Traveller December 2010
concierge | Barcelona
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Opposite page, clockwise from top: View of Barcelona from Park Guell; La Rambla; Barceloneta; A street performer. This page, clockwise from top left: View from the Mandarin Oriental roof terrace; Fiery Flamenco dancers; Fresh fare at La Boqueria market.
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Images: Mandarin Oriental Hotel; Shutterstock; Photolibrary.
Don your shades and take a stroll along the boardwalk at Barceloneta (1). All soft, sandy beaches and urban sights, the cafes that line its length make fab spots for lunch, too. See Gaudi’s work in all its glory at Park Guell (2), a weird and wonderful space created for aristocracy that’s full of magical stone structures and explosions of colour. Take a snap of the mosaic dragon at its entrance and head to the terrace for sprawling city sights. If you’re on a family trip, how about a day at Barcelona Zoo? (3) Live dolphin shows will have little ones mesmerised, plus its beautiful location in Parc de la Ciutadella offers more ‘to dos’ – we say, hire a boat on the lake and soak up the surroundings. Have a fling with Flamenco. The Festival de Flamenco de Ciutat Vella stomps its wellheeled feet through the city in May. Or, book a table at El
Tablao de Carmen (4) where dancing stars take to the stage. Picasso regarded Barcelona as his creative muse so it’s only right that art-lovers visit the Museu Picasso (5) which records his formative years. Fundacio Joan Miro (6) will have you awestruck too; it’s home to over 400 paintings and sculptures by the Spanish surrealist. Eat ‘churros y chocolate’; there’s no better winter warmer than these fat, doughnut-like fingers dipped in hot cocoa. Go to La Granja (7) for the frothiest of forms in a quaint setting. Take a walk down one of the world’s most famous boulevards; La Rambla (8). It’s bursting with artists, dancers, candy-coloured flower stalls and more. While you’re there, buy tasty treats at La Boqueria market. Night owls should tread the narrow streets of the El Born district (9); for the coolest of lounges. Go off track and discover pockets of social gems.
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SIESTA TIME: Most restaurants and cafés shut for siestas between 4pm to 8pm, so plan your meals accordingly. HEAT WAVE: locals leave the city in august when it can get too hot to handle so. Do likewise if you don’t want to be caught in a tourist trap.
where to stay Mandarin Oriental (10) Passeig de Gracia, 38-40 www.mandarinoriental.com The hotel takes up residence in a 20th century building on the fashionable Passeig de Gracia and its interior pays homage to Barcelona’s love affair with Modernist style. Close the door on city life with a spell in its oasis of a spa. From $538. Neri Hotel & Restaurante (11) C/Sant Sever, 5 www.hotelneri.com If you’re after wow factor this fairytale hotel, overlooking the Gothic quarter, has it in abundance: an 18th century palace with exposed brick and decadent details throughout. Packed to the rafters with romance, it’s a must for boutique hotel lovers. From $309.
where to eat Les Quinzenits (12) Plaza Real 6 www.lesquinzenits.com Sample classic three-course Catalan cuisine at this tasty haunt. The ‘catulayan’ is a musttry – a Spanish créme brûleestyle dessert dripping in dark chocolate sauce, served with handmade nougat ice cream. Arrive early to beat the queues. Mains from $12. Arola (13) Hotel Arts, Barceloneta www.arola-arts.com Michelin-star chef Sergi Arola is the mastermind behind the mouthwatering menus here – which means you’re in for a creative, culinary experience, eaten against the Hotel Arts’ oh-so-cool pop-art décor. Mains from $14.
December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 67
NEW ZEALAND
Visit WELLINGTON
Natural charm abounds in New Zealand’s windswept capital, where you’ll also find the country’s best restaurants, galleries and museums. James Paul takes a trip to the land of the All Blacks.
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ew Zealand’s capital was obviously a favoured child of Mother Nature. It’s surrounded by beautiful green-tinged hills, sits aside a stunning natural harbour and offers outdoor enthusiasts the most thrilling of al fresco playgrounds. But beyond the beach, hiking trails and waterways, there’s also a vast amount to love about Wellington’s other attractions. These include a buzzing arts and culture scene – the city is jam-packed with great galleries and inventive museums – and an array of independent fashion boutiques where you’ll find racks of mint-condition vintage gear. It’s a city that cherishes its past and you get a real feel for this as you walk around the lovingly resorted suburb of Thorndon, the country’s oldest district, and Petone, where European visitors first settled. Just remember to hold on to hat when you visit – it’s nicknamed Windy Wellington for a reason.
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WEllington must-dos There’s no better way to see Wellington than from Mount Victoria’s Lookout (1). From up here you get a bird’s eye view of the natural beauty laid out before you, watching as boats sail in to the harbour and planes descend for landing at the nearby airport. If that doesn’t satisfy your head for heights, catch a ride on the famous Wellington Cable Car (2), which will whisk you from the city centre to the Carter Observatory (3), home to a brilliant planetarium. If you’re a movie buff, a visit to The Weta Cave (4) should be at the top of your wish list. Weta is
Peter Jackson’s (he of Lord of the Rings fame) film company and this building offers a behind-thescenes look at Jackson’s movie making process. Away from Gollum and the gang, The National Museum of New Zealand (5) – Te Papa is a true treasure, housing myriad exhibitions and interactive activities that chart the history of the country and its people. For a memorable shopping trip, walk the length of Cuba Street (6), stopping off at its myriad boutiques to check out what New Zealand’s best designers have to offer. Trust us, you’ll like what you see.
concierge | wellington
Opposite page: Wellington’s mountain-ringed harbour. This page, clockwise from top left: The city’s famous cable car; Old Bank shopping avenue; The Bee Hive parliament building; Suite at Ohtel; Butternut squash ravioli; View from Mount Victoria Lookout.
SOUTHERN COMFORT wellington is the world’s southern most capital city. it’s also the world’s windiest. COUNTING SHEEP though there are 10 times as many sheep than people in new Zealand, you’re unlikely to spot a single one in wellington.
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where to eat Matterhorn (9) 106 Cuba Street, Wellington www.matterhorn.co.nz On the most fashionable street in town you’ll find this multi-award winning eatery. It’s home to a Michelin-starred chef and the dishes he serves up – created from the pick of local produce – are exceptional. Take a table by the roaring fire and tuck into our favourite, the heartwarming butternut ravioli. Mains from $25. Martin Bosley’s (10) 103 Oriental Parade www.martin-bosley.com There’s no better place to sample morning-fresh seafood than when sat aside the very ocean your fish was plucked from. It also helps if the view from your table takes your breath away. It’s little wonder, then, that by offering both, Martin Bosley’s nearly always tops the list of the country’s best restaurants. What to order? Splash out for the superb degustation menu. Mains from $33.
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Images: Photolibrary, Shutterstock & iStockphoto.
where to stay Ohtel (7) 66 Oriental Parade www.ohtel.com If you like your hotels run through with style, this beautiful boutique property has it in abundance. It has just 10, art-strewn rooms inside, but what it lacks in size it makes up for by boasting stunning harbour views and close proximity to Wellington’s buzzing entertainment district. Rooms from $209. InterContinental Wellington (8) 2 Grey Street www.intercontinental.com/ wellington A fine location is also the main attraction of InterContinental Wellington; book a room here and you’ll be a short stroll from the waterfront, national museum and cable car station. We suggest a Club InterContinental room, which gives you access to a luxurious lounge and your fill of complimentary drinks and snacks. Rooms from $195.
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concierge | book your trip
,
win A five-night stAy in A presidentAil suite With this being the final Kanoo World Traveller of 2010 we thought we’d save our best prize till last, which means you can win the opportunity to end the year in absolute style at Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat. It sits at the foot of beautiful mountains aside a sparkling ocean and amid landscaped gardens and talcum powder-soft sands. It also packs in some of Oman’s finest restaurants – we strongly recommend trying the freshfrom-the-ocean fish at Beach Pavillion, where you’ll be serenaded by the sound of waves lapping at the beach. Perfect. ThE prizE We have a five-night stay (including a buffet breakfast) for four people in the hotel’s best room bar none – the stunning Presidential Suite – to give away to one very lucky reader. To have a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply email your answer to the following question to easywin@hotmediapublishing.com before December 31st.
Q. In which city will you find Al Bustan Palace InterContinental? a) Muscat b) London c) New York TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Prize must be claimed and used before January 25th 2011.
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December 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 71
concierge | nevada
Suite dreamS
It’s said that in Las Vegas, no matter what your social standing, you’re only as big as the size of your suite. That’s why this hip-hop themed Crib Suite is just the ticket if you’re aiming to roll high. Spread over an eye-widening 2,000 feet and designed to look like the kind of nightclub Jay Z frequents, it’s the ultimate hangout if you have $4,000 to spare and like to party till dawn. Here you can shoot pool, crank out tunes from its fully-equipped DJ booth and play the night away in its own video-game lounge – we’re talking more of a personal arcade – before retiring to your hydraulic bed when the sun rises. That’s only after you’ve drunk in the jaw-dropping views of a glittering Vegas skyline below, of course. www.thepalms.com
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Image: The Palms.
Palms Hotel, las vegas