Kanoo World Traveller_Dec'12

THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE

DEcEMBER 2012

6

great reasons to visit Adelaide Produced in International Media Production Zone

Sri Lanka

The Hot List

The spice of life in glorious Galle

The very best of this year’s new hotels

Welcome to Hollywood

Harriet Walker heads to the hills

Winter wonderlands From seeing the northern lights to skiing the alps;

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A Ke lu m xu pi ry ns w ki ee on ke th nd e Pa at lm

we try this season’s must-dos

With over 60 years experience in looking after our guests, we know the things that really make a difference.

That’s why we’ve created our ‘Authentic Escapes’ offer. When you stay at our InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in India, Middle East and Africa between 1 June and 15 December, 2012 you can enjoy:

This offer is available to book from 31 May 2012 till 12 December 2012. A minimum length of stay is required. Further conditions apply.

See www.intercontinental.com/authenticescapes for details.

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KaNOO WOrld TravEllEr DecemBeR 2012

CONTENTS TRAveL BITeS 07 check in

Snappers take a walk on the wild side, plus KWT revisits 2012’s landmark hotel openings – how many can you tick off?

20 competition

Win a two-night glamorous getaway courtesy of Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah

22 Where to stay

35

Adelaide-bound? Sample the city’s plethora of not-so-humble abodes

24 picture this

Iconic images from around the world to whet your appetite for adventure

70 Visit: London

Pull on your winter woolies and go to the Big Smoke: where better to celebrate the festive season in style?

72 Visit: singapore

Fall under Singapore’s spell with our essential guide to this fast-paced, fun-loving city

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76 suite dreams

Head to the mountains for the Alpina Gstaad’s sumptuous snowy bolthole

FeATuReS 35 sWiss bLiss Stephen Wood makes a beeline for Bern, home of world-class skiing and some rather grizzly locals... Plus, KWT spotlights the other top Swiss slopes

46 arctic circLe

Head north now: there’s never been a better time to catch the world’s most spectacular light show

52 usa

A starry-eyed Harriet Walker samples Hollywood’s hot new hotels

60 sri Lanka

Laura Binder finds solace in glorious Galle, on the island’s southern-most tip

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Sub editor: Hazel Plush

Stefanie Morgner

hazel@hotmediapublishing.com

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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.

Jun-Dec 2012 22,953 BPA Consumer Audit Produced by: HOT Media Publishing FZ LLC

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 5

Armani Hotel Dubai +971 4 888 3888 or email dubai@armanihotels.com Armani Hotel Milan +39 02 8883 8888 or email milan@armanihotels.com armanihotels.com

CheCk in | news

CHECK IN

BE INformEd, BE INspIrEd, BE tHErE EuropE

WILD THINGS

KWT zooms in on the winners of the GDT European wildlife photographer of the year 2012 overall winner stargazer Tommy Vikars, scooped the coveted title for this stirring shot of white-tailed deer in Finland. “There are two brothers in my home village who look after game in the area and feed them regularly in winter,” he recalled of the winning shot. “I buried my sound-isolated camera box in the snow nearby. In my warm hide about 50 metres away, I was ready with the camera’s remote release. l used my other camera and a 300mm lens to check the scene. lt was extremely difficult to see what was going on even though I had exhausted ISO and exposure values to their absolute maximum to give me at least a slight idea when to trigger the camera.”

December 2012 Kanoo World traveller 7

Mammals runner-up Ole Jørgen Liodden, Norway

Mammals highlyrecommended Bouguereau Gregoire, France

“l have photographed more than 100 polar bears around the islands of Svalbard, northern Norway, but in July 2011 came across a truly unique opportunity. A polar bear came close to our expedition ship, and with the landscape, the ice, the shape of the bear and the footprints everything was just right.”

“During the breeding season young Thomson’s gazelles are easy prey. They are also the first prey with which young cheetahs perfect their hunting skills. On that day in Tanzania‘s Serengeti national park, the adult cheetah had caught this fawn, and then let her four cubs finish the hunt...

As luck would have it, I was right in the prey’s path of flight.”

London

Great British Luxury

This month’s opening of The Wellesley in London brings a new high-end hotspot for festive travellers. Manager Stefano Lodi shares an inside look…

“The Wellesley building was originally the entrance to Hyde Park Corner underground station and its distinctive façade has been kept. A previous incarnation of the hotel was as a jazz and cabaret venue Pizza on the Park and the owners were determined to keep that musical legacy by creating The Wellesley’s Jazz Room – an intimate space with just 40 covers, it will host nightly acts and the Resident Artist will be Louis Hoover who is the co-creator and star of West End show, The Rat Pack.

“For 21st century guests there are beautiful design touches throughout the hotel which carry an Art Deco feel – the interior designers 8 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

have been meticulous in their combination of contemporary touches and original art deco features. Some of the furnishings have also been inspired by and recreated from an original 1920s brochure. As well as great style, guests can expect a truly personalised service – including a butler service.

“The Penthouse Suite is the most spectacular space to reserve; housed over the 6th and 7th floors, it has incredible views over Hyde Park, four bedrooms, a boardroom, and state-of-the-art technology. The suite also has its own humidor with a specially selected range of cigars for enthusiasts.” thewellesley.co.uk

More space to be yourself...

More space to be yourself...

Space, luxury, privacy. Each of our wonderfully stylish suites, penthouses and villas offers the ultimate in exclusivity, bringing a touch of European flair to Dubai, for you and your family.

Space, luxury, privacy. Each of our wonderfully stylish suites, We were pleased to be presented with two awards at the recent penthouses and villas offers the ultimate in exclusivity, bringing World Travel Awards, including Middle East’s Leading Penthouse. a touch of European flair to Dubai, for you and your family.

We were pleased to be presented with two awards at the recent Some are too good to keep.

World Travel Awards, including Middle East’s Leading Penthouse.

secrets

Some secrets are too good to keep. www.kempinski.com/palmjumeirah T +971 4 444 2000

CheCk in | news

Hot Hotels 2012

Hazel Plush looks back on the year’s best new boltholes

Middle East

From hip design boltholes to luxurious global brands, the UAE hit the hotel big time this year...

The world’s tallest hotel, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai (marriott.com) is the Emirate’s hottest new destination digs. A stay in one of the high-tech rooms puts you on the doorstep of The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, and with no fewer than 10 in-house restaurants at your fingertips. Jumeirah Creekside Hotel (jumeirah.com), meanwhile, places you in Dubai’s most historic district, with the city’s old trading areas and artistic Bastakiya quarter ripe for exploring. The cool Melia Dubai (melia-dubai.com) has to be the city’s most stylish new opening of 2012. If the designer interiors and zen YHI SPA don’t catch your eye, restaurants by Sanjeev Kapoor and Marco Pierre White certainly will. In the UAE capital, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi (parkhyatt.com) is perfect for a beachy retreat. Its November opening came just in time for the cooler weather – so

guests should head straight for the glorious sea-side Beach House, where fine fresh seafood is served as the sun sets over the Arabian Gulf. The Camp Hyatt kids’ club puts little ones in safe hands while you hone your skills at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara (anantara.com) makes an excellent retreat from urban life: perched on the edge of Abu Dhabi’s precious mangroves, it’s a truly luxurious natural hideaway. When you’re not wallowing in the infinity pool or gazing from the peaceful rooftop terrace, indulge in a signature hammam ritual. Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche (sofitel.com) is the latest addition to the capital’s thriving entertainment district. Bag a sea-view suite and marvel at the azure Arabian Gulf, then tuck in to fragrant Thai curries at the sumptuous Silk and Spice. The St. Regis Doha (stregis.

com) boasts a Remède Spa, 250 metres of private beach, and cuisine by Gordon Ramsay among its charms. Also in the Qatari capital, InterContinental Doha The City (ichotelsgroup.com) features a swimming pool with unrivalled skyline views, a dazzling menu of Lebanese, Asian and Middle Eastern fare, and its very own chocolatier. If you crave beach life, the Hilton Doha (hilton.com), where a private beach and poolside dining await. A stay here also puts you a quick hop away from Doha International Airport.

Arumaila (arumaila.com) is the third hotel to join Souk Waqif’s boutique ranks: here you’ll find traditional Middle Eastern hospitality at its best. The rooftop Al Matbakh restaurant offers splendid views of the Corniche.

Above left to right: Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa; InterContinental Doha The City.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 11

Africa & Indian Ocean Islands

This corner of the globe served up a trio of treats in 2012...

Viceroy Maldives (viceroyhotelsandresorts. com) brought an adventurous edge to the archipelago’s luxury offerings earlier this year. Located in the relatively unchartered northern waters, the resort occupies its own private island – banish aches and strains in the overwater spa, then delve beneath the waves with the on-site dive school, or ride the waves on a private catamaran. Dusit Maldives (dusit.com) blends Thai hospitality with Maldivian charms – and Hanifaru Huraa, a UNESCO-protected dive site, is just a quick boat trip away. Egypt-bound travellers should check in to Rixos Sharm El Sheikh Resort (rixos.com), a lively seaside retreat that offers diving, dining and watersports aplenty. You’ll have a hard time prising the little ones away from the Rixy Kids’ Club – it features a disco, fitness centre, souq and cinema.

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Below left : Rixos Sharm El Sheikh. Right: Bulgari Hotel & Residences, London

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Europe

The continent’s most-loved cities welcomed all-new properties - choose from London, Paris or Amsterdam...

Bulgari Hotel & Residences (bulgarihotels. com), the first luxury hotel to be built in London for 40 years, is among the newest Big Smoke boltholes of choice for Londonbound city breakers. Perched between Harrods and Hyde Park, you’ll find signature silver-trimmed elegance aplenty, as well as pieces from Bulgari’s historic jewellery collection. Across the Channel, W Paris – Opera (wparisopera.com) fuses baroque Parisian style with contemporary couture design. When you’ve finished marvelling at its interiors, head outside for boutiques 12 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

galore on the iconic Rue du Faubourg SaintHonoré, or catch a world-class performance at the nearby Garnier Opéra House. Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa (jumeirah.com), nestled on Mallorca’s rugged coastline, is the latest addition to Jumeirah’s family-friendly European properties. With the Mediterranean Sea and quaint Port Sóller fishing village as a backdrop, it’s impossible not to sink in to the leisurely pace of island life. For a stately city break, Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv (fairmont. com) is a majestic property in the historic quarter of Ukraine’s capital city. There you’ll

enjoy unrivalled views of the Dnipro River and the skyline’s glimmering domes – and inside, palatial perks await. Wallow in an impossibly sweet ‘Chocolate Delight’ body wrap at ElixirSpa Deluxe. Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam (conservatoriumhotel.com) is a new addition to the Dutch capital’s hearty crop of designer digs. Expect arty interiors (design is by Milanese guru Piero Lissoni), quirky spa treatments (the Wellness Center is a holistic hot-spot), and freshly-sourced grub (Tunes Restaurant prides itself on its local delicacies).

INTRODUCING YOUR NEXT DESTINATION Book your stay at Hilton Doha and experience style and service taken to new heights.

Enjoy the waterfront, private beach and infinity pool when staying in any of the 309 guest rooms and suites, all offering breathtaking views across the Arabian Gulf. Indulge in the array of dining options at our six exceptional restaurants and bars including Trader Vic’s. Emerge brighter at eforea:spa at Hilton and stay fit at the state-of-the-art gym facilities by Hilton Fitness by Precor®.

For room reservations, please visit hilton.com or call +974 4423 3333

© Hilton Worldwide 2012

The Americas

The USA came up trumps this year with Donald Trump’s latest tower and oh-so-cool Big Apple retreats...

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort (stregis. com) is Miami’s newest luxury address, just minutes from the feted sands of South Beach. All rooms and suites feature floorto-ceiling views of the Gold Coast, as does the elegant dining room of J&G Grill, which serves seafood fresh from that day’s haul.

This year’s addition to the Trump portfolio, Trump International Hotel and Tower (trumptoronto.ca), is an impressive extra on Toronto’s skyline. The 65-floor tower (it’s the tallest in Canada) is brimming with first-class accommodation and amenities, and crowned by the suitably outlandish Presidential Expo

14 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

Suite. Not only does Conrad New York (conradnewyork.com) boast some of the finest suites on Wall Street’s edge, but it’s also home to one of the city’s new favourite lounges: the Loopy Doopy, a rooftop hangout where CEOs and celebrities brush shoulders. The Westin New York Grand Central (westinnewyorkgrandcentral.com) is best-placed for midtown Manhattan, with the Empire State Building and Times Square on its doorstep – and your Heavenly Westin amenities are perfect for post-sightseeing unwinding. Those hunting an escape from the city, however, should book in to Four Seasons

Santa Fe (fourseasons.com). In this luxurious haven perched in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, guest rooms are limited to just 65, each with their own fireplace and private terrace. When you’re not hiking through the wilderness or learning about the local Pueblo culture, be sure to sample a Native American spa ritual in the resort’s wellness centre.

Revere Hotel Boston Common (reverehotel. com) is a truly homegrown bolthole – from funky interiors by local designers to bath bubbles by Boston’s favourite brand Skoah.

Take advantage of your prime location for sight-seeing in this charming city.

CheCk in | news

Australasia

Head down under for a plethora of hotspots, from city stopovers to rural wonders...

QT Sydney (qtsydney.com.au) is a cheeky addition to the city’s boutique offerings: a mix of Gothic, Art Deco and European style, it’s eclectic to say the least, and the quirky-yet-luxurious day spa is already the hottest holistic spot in town. Those in search of more classic surroundings should head to The Langham Sydney (langhamhotels.com. au), a grand city-centre bolthole that marries sumptuous décor with faultless service. We love the rather regal Observatory Suite, with its white marble fireplace and walnut furniture. Elsewhere in Oz, nestled in the Blue Mountain’s picturesque Jamison Valley, Echoes (echoeshotel.com) is perfectlyplaced for a secluded stay on the edge of the wilderness. Each room boasts uninterrupted views of the national park, and you’ll find dining options and relaxation spots galore within the hotel’s cosy confines. On the other side of the country, Fraser Suites Perth (frasershospitality.com) occupies a tranquil spot on the edge of the Swan River. Its sumptuous interiors make the perfect base for city explorations, or a glamorous starting point for a West Coast adventure, taking in the Margaret River countryside and Monkey Mia’s dolphin-rich waters. The Berkeley River Lodge (berkeleyriver.com.au) puts travellers in the heart of the wild-and-wonderful Kimberley Coast. Here, you’ll find white-sand beaches, thundering waterfalls and cave formations brimming with indigenous rock art. Better yet, the resort is only accessible by sea or air – the perfect way to leave city stresses behind.

Opposite page, clockwise from left: St. Regis Bal Harbour; Revere Hotel Boston; The Westin New York Grand. This page, top to bottom: The Berkeley River Lodge; Echoes.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 15

Asia & Indian Subcontinent

KWT looks to Asia for shining examples of hot hotel style with state-of-the-art digs...

Located next to the Zaha Hadid-designed Guangzhou Opera House and Pearl River New City, Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou (fourseasons.com), China, is in glamorous company. A glimpse of the futuristic lobby hints at the uber-modern design to be found in the bedrooms: think floor-to-ceiling windows, luxe furnishings, and the biggest bathtubs you’ve ever laid eyes on. Over in China’s Haitang Bay, The Royal Begonia (starwoodhotels.com) occupies a more serene spot.

Lapped by the South China Sea, the resort is fringed by coconut palms and pristine beach, and boasts plenty of activities for curious folk: take a 30-minute boat trip to Monkey Island (famous, naturally, for its friendly primates), or take a dip in the local hot springs.

Equally tranquil is The Stones Hotel (marriott.com), a secluded resort on the southernmost tip of Bali. Recline on the unspoilt sands, or head off on safari (the locale is brimming with elephants), while thrill-seekers will love the white water rafting and jungle trek trips. Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur (kualalumpur.grand.hyatt.com) puts you right in the heart of the city, with views of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. When not gazing out of the window, you’ll find the biggest bedrooms in the city, a tranquil ESSA Spa, and exquisite Malaysian dining fresh from the ‘show kitchens’ of JP Teres. W Singapore – Sentosa Cove (starwoodhotels.com) is brimming with signature W swagger, and guests and locals alike have already fallen for its myriad charms. Experience the uber-cool AWAY Spa (we love the herbal baths), laid-back W Lounge (perfect for soaking up sunset views), and delectable dining at hip grill house SKIRT. Just across from the Royal Palace Gardens, Palace Hotel Tokyo (palacehoteltokyo.com) will thrill even the most discerning of travellers. Refresh at the peaceful Evian Spa, marvel at the leafy panoramas from your very own balcony, and take afternoon tea Japanese-style at the Amber Palace (the hotel boasts its very own blend).

Top to bottom: Palace Hotel Tokyo; Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

16 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

CheCk in | news abu DhabI

Winter at the St. Regis

Why the world’s highest-suspended presidential suite and hallmark luxury earns the soon-to-be-opened St. Regis Abu Dhabi a top spot on KWT’s travel wish list

Global

December Globetrotting Where else to check in to this month…

le Kaila, France Open on December 15, this five-star boutique is a haven of snug French suites (with snow views) set in chocolate-box Meribel. Off slopes, make the most of one-off boutiques, seasonal fare eaten in its mountain-themed restaurant or post-ski massages in its spacious 600m2 NUXE Spa. lekaila.com

The year was 1904 and the setting New York when John Jacob Astor IV envisioned the ‘finest hotel in the world’ – and the first St. Regis hotel was born. Since then, the brand has been spreading its abundant luxuries (most famously its butler service) around the world and, happily for those in the UAE, its next opening (insiders predict February 2012) will be in Abu Dhabi’s Nation Towers.

General manager Oliver Key tells KWT “we’re aiming to provide an urban hotel experience while retaining a distinctive Arabic identity.”

In terms of décor, this means historic touches galore. “The guestroom design is inspired by the colours of the sand, the food, spices, arts and crafts that flourished in the markets of Abu Dhabi during the 1920s and 30s,” Key reveals. “The reception features chandeliers inspired by Arabian lanterns and a tapestry of a pearl diving scene.”

In a destination where big is most definitely better, the hotel’s Abu Dhabi Suite – tipped as the ‘world’s highest suspended presidential suite’ – is the most-anticipated feature. “The two-storey suite will be an icon at St Regis Abu Dhabi,” says Key. At over 200-metres above ground level, its grand majlis stretches across the skybridge, spanning the two Nation Towers. Unsurprisingly, its interiors sound like a sight to behold too. “Upon entering the majlis, you’ll be greeted by a dramatic atmosphere with cascading strands of crystals, 24-karat gold leaf accents, leather wall tiles and velvet upholstered walls,” says Key. Those who can’t part with enough cash to land a stay in the gargantuan suite will at least be able to indulge in the hotel’s 10 food and beverage ventures – a line-up that includes Gary Rhodes’s a la carte restaurant, Rhodes 44. “Chef Rhodes has rejuvenated British classic dishes such as Bread and Butter pudding,” tells Key. We’ll race you to reservations… stregisabudhabi.com

Radisson blu Strand, Sweden To celebrate 100 years, Stockholm’s first boutique hotel has just opened a sultry Greta Garbo Suite: authorised by the Greta Garbo foundation, it’s one of a kind in the world, and you’ll feel every inch the star sinking into its ebony-hued interiors. radissonblu.se

Zhero – Ischgl/Kappl, austria Design-lovers will fall head-over-skis for this Austrian bolthole, tucked among snow-dipped peaks. For suite-lovers, its 78 stylish rooms include four penthouses (with private butler service), while its indoor pool is flanked by cool design quirks. designhotels.com December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 19

Hot offers

Win a plush stay on The Palm with Kempinski Hotel & Residences THE PRIZE You could be in with the chance of winning a twonight stay in a two-bedroom suite at The Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah. To enter, email your answer to easywin@ hotmediapublishing.com before December 27, 2012.

What is the name of Kempinski Palm Jumeriah’s Italian eatery? a) Bruno b) Brunello c) Brunella Set foot in the expansive, marble lobby of The Kempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah Dubai and you know you’re in for a sublime stay. Every inch of this five-star hotel radiates glamour, from its famed location on Dubai’s palm-shaped island, to its spectacular décor – seen at its finest inside its myriad suites, penthouses and villas, all of which are home to handpicked furnishings and some to blond beach views. There’s plenty to occupy your time here too; make for the hotel’s private stretch of beach for a delicious barbecue, bask by the pool (a swim-up bar will keep you refreshed all day long) or dine in style at the onsite Italian eatery, Brunello, before ending the evening with a quality cigar or tipple at the K-West Bar. Spa-lovers, meanwhile, shouldn’t leave without sampling a treatment at the luxe Cinq Mondes Spa. And as if all of that wasn’t enough, there are extra touches available – how about a chauffeur-driven limousine to take you about town? A wealth of luxury at your disposal…

20 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Prize is valid until 30 June 2013 and dates are subject to availability and black-out dates. This prize is nontransferable and can not be exchanged for cash. Prize does not include flights, spa treatments and purchases; other exclusions apply.

WheRe To STAy...

AdelAide

Last month, Emirates commenced direct flights to South Australia’s capital: make it a retreat to remember at one of these bonza boltholes...

START

Great outdoors

Peachy panoramas

OR OR

Country castle

OR

City slickers

Old favourite

OR

Thorngrove Manor Hotel

Fresh face

thorngrove.com.au

Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury

With its playful turrets, quirky artwork and one-of-a-kind interior design, Thorngrove is more fairytale castle than city-break hotel. A short chauffeured drive from the city centre, you’ll find room for just four people – making this one of the most exclusive places to stay in South Australia...

Housed in the former offices of the state treasury, this charming hotel cuts a regal figure against the glass skyscrapers of the CBD. Inside, the interiors are just as grand; we love the serviced apartments, which boast views of the 19th-century courtyard.

Lofty heights

medina.com.au

River views

High fashion

Mount Lofty House

InterContinental Adelaide

Crowne Plaza Adelaide

mtloftyhouse.com.au

icadelaide.com.au

crowneplaza.com

stamford.com.au

With its acclaimed garden-side restaurant and spacious lawns, this boutique retreat offers a slice of blissful greenery a stone’s throw from the city centre.

Boasting sweeping views of the River Torrens, this is a truly picturesque spot. Soak up the best vistas from the lavish King Presidential Suite.

A stay here puts you in the heart of the city, next door to the shopping hubs of Rundle Mall and Rundle Street – perfect if you want to shop til you drop.

Afternoon tea at the Stamford comes with a true Aussie twist: while tucking in to the platters of goodies, you can enjoy panoramas of the rolling surf.

22 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

OR

OR

High tea

Stamford Grand Adelaide

Taj. Forever seductive, forever trusted, forever enchanting. From authentic Indian palaces to landmark city hotels, from dazzling resort properties to pastoral safari lodges, enjoy a thoughtful blend of tradition and modernity in the distinctive and highly personal Taj manner. Fabulous suites, splendid dining, and tranquil Jiva spas await. Discover the Taj difference at over 100 hotels around the world.

For reservations and special offers visit tajhotels.com, email reservations@tajhotels.com, call 800.035.702.467 toll free or contact your travel consultant.

India • New York • Boston • San Francisco • London • Cape Town • Zambia • Dubai • Maldives • Sri Lanka • Langkawi • Bhutan • Sydney • Opening Shortly: Marrakech

Picture this

honokohau Valley Maui, Hawaii

Travellers visiting the paradise island of Maui would do well to take their umbrellas: a whopping 70 inches of rain falls annually on the Hawaii isle thanks to its mountainous terrain. But of course, every cloud has a silver lining. The island is awash with thunderous waterfalls, spectacular cascades which totalled over 20 at last count. Those seeking the biggest, however, (after all, what else is the USA about?) will need to take to the skies. The double-tiered Honokohau Falls tumbles a mighty 335 metres, dropping through a western valley that’s only accessible by helicopter. It may look familiar despite its isolation, though: the cascade took a cameo role in the Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic Park. With rainfall at its highest over the next few months, now’s the time to see this prodigious wonder for yourself...

Image: Corbis / Arabian Eye

Picture this

Þjórsárdalur Valley Iceland

It may be the longest river in Iceland, but Þjórsá is rather a big fish in a small pond: its 230km length is small-time when compared to the larger waters of its European neighbours. But what it lacks in length, it makes up for with spectacle; Iceland’s peerless topography gives this small wonder the winning edge. Flowing from the Hofsjökull glacier in the island’s icy centre, the river creeps through the narrow highland gorges before crashing onto the windswept lowlands. The landscape may be barren, but the waters aren’t unobserved: hiking and walking routes and the island’s famed Route 1 highway run alongside its frothing fringes, allowing travellers to teeter on the edge of oblivion.

Image: Corbis / Arabian Eye

ExpEriEncE nEw luxury A truly spectacular oasis in the heart of the capital yet sheltered from the bustling city, Al Raha Beach Hotel now offers 144 additional reasons to visit! Nestled among blonde sands overlooking the turquoise Gulf, explore our brand new extended bouquet of rooms and suites with uninterrupted views of the shimmering water or sun drenched courtyard.

Book now at Al Raha Beach Hotel and get an exclusive 30% discount* on our best available rate that comes with a delectable breakfast buffet, VIP treatment and free WiFi. Call on +971 2 508 0555 or 800 ALRAHA for reservations *Terms & conditions apply

Managed by Danat Hotels & Resorts, a Division of National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels PO Box 38616, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. | T. +971 2 508 0555 | F. +971 2 508 0444 | E. info.alraha@danathotels.com | www.danathotels.com A Member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts

kwt promotion

welcome to yas island KWT explores the best of the UAE capital’s most exciting location

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 29

yas links abu dhabi yaslinks.com If you think rolling pea-green hills don’t exist here in the UAE, think again – Yas Links Abu Dhabi is home to endless groomed greens and lush mangrove plantations that span the western shore, totalling some 130,000 plants.

Golf enthusiasts will be thrilled to learn that such a verdant landscape also makes up the UAE’s first true links course, designed by leading golf course designer Kyle Philips.

(So good, in fact, it was awarded the title of 24th best course in the world outside the USA by Golf Digest, and ranked number 70

30 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

worldwide by Golf World magazine). But you don’t have to be a golfing pro to make the most of all that Yas Links Abu Dhabi has to offer. The championship course is also home to an award-winning restaurant – Hickory’s (think comfort food with bags of class.) Pull up a pew at the popular all-day dining spot and you can tuck into juicy steaks, Italian pizzas and just-made pies while looking out over the course. And for those who don’t intend to spend every day mastering the 8 coast-facing holes on the Par 72 course

(though we’d hazard a guess that golfers won’t be able to resist...) you can make the most of Yas Links other myriad activities – try kayaking along the marina or taking a sunkissed dip in its sparkling infinity pool.

Those with colleagues, friends or family in tow, meanwhile, should look to the whole host of private events on offer at Yas Links, for 20 people plus, until the end of December – why not try a Private Golf Event complete with juices and buffet for AED399? See the website for details.

kwt promotion

yas Viceroy abu dhabi Hotel yasviceroyhotelsandresorts.com It’s no exaggeration to say that there’s no other hotel on the planet quite like Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi. Better still, this venue’s slick, structural form will place you, quite literally, between the famous Yas Marina Circuit, host to the annual Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the glistening Yas Marina. If it sounds exciting, it is. Get past the hotel’s ultra-modern exterior – its LED grid shell changes colour and can be seen for miles around the island – and you’ll find an equally

futuristic feel pervades throughout. Of its 499 immaculate rooms, the Presidential Suite is the pièce de résistance – overlooking the famous racetrack, it’s home to seriously luxe features, from an elevator and private spa treatment room to its very own lap pool – which appears from behind a wall at the touch of a remote control. But you needn’t spend all your time track-side; the hotel is home to no less than 12 stellar eateries, serving up chances to savour everything

from fresh sushi and sashimi at KAZU to authentic Med and Arabic fare in the scarlethued Atayeb. Make the most of the hotel’s location with a trip to the nearby beach; a shopping trip in the capital’s world-class malls or a turn in treasure-filled souks. And for those who seek retreat from all that Yas Island excitement, make straight for ESPA at Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi and bask in its sublime treatment rooms and soothing relaxation lounge. Bliss.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 31

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi yaswaterworld.com

After an action-packed day out? Funseekers will soon be able to enjoy thrills (and spills) aplenty at the UAE’s first ever mega waterpark, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi. Home to more attractions than any rival of its kind in the Middle East, you’ll find no less than 43 colourful shoots, slides and watercoasters whizzing their way across 15 hectacres of Yas Island’s entertainment complex. Once inside you’ll enter a pearl-diving themed world depicting the tale of The Lost Pearl in 32 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

which an Emirati girl, Dana, sets out in search of a legendary pearl. (Crane your neck and you’ll even be able to spot a planet-sized pearl towering over the attractions.) But there’s so much more to this water world than standard shoots: don’t leave without trying its one-of-a-kind designs, like Bubble’s Barrel, where you’ll surf a three-metre high wave (a real rush); mammoth watercoaster Bandit Bomber which will shoot adrenalinjunkies across some 550 metres; or Liwa

Loop – the first and only looping waterslide of its kind in the region. Speed fiends will be in their element. There’s plenty to keep the kids busy too – Marah Fortress is the ultimate playground, where six slides, water cannons and interactive delights will keep boys and girls splashing around all day. And for teenier tots, Yehal’s trio of tame slides will be just the ticket. We can’t think of a more exhilarating way to spend a day on Yas Island. Open date to be announced later this month...

kwt promotion

Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island crowneplaza.com/abudhabi If you want to be based in the heart of Yas Island, this hotel is a stellar spot in which to stay, located just a 10-minute drive from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Settle in to one of the 428 stylish rooms – each of which harbour turquoise views of the Arabian Gulf or Yas Island. When it comes to how to spend your days, our advice is to make the most of the hotel’s superb leisure facilities. A gym, sauna, steam rooms, squash court, outdoor pool and massage treatments are all on tap

for guests, while those with little ones in tow can send them to the hotel Kids’ Club, sure to keep them occupied for hours. While you’re poolside, lounge around at Sundowner – the pool bar – with a glass of something cool, and whet your appetite with a tasty snack.

Alternatively, save your appetite for one of the hotel’s other four eateries: Barouk is a must-try for lovers of Lebanese cuisine; Jing Asia for international fare; Stills for Europeaninspired pub grub and, for those with a sweet

tooth, Views is a delightful spot to take afternoon tea. And for those who fancy a bit of adventure, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island’s current offer could be just the thing: book an overnight stay for two in a Superior Room (plus complimentary breakfast in Jing Asia) and you’ll get two adult tickets to the fun-packed Ferrari World Abu Dhabi – home to the world’s fastest rollercoaster (so hold on to your seats). Ferrari World offer runs until January 31, from AED799 per night.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 33

34 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

Bear with Bern | switzerland

Bear with Bern

Stephen Wood arrives at the gateway to the Bernese Oberland with plenty of respect for the Swiss slopes – and the city’s ursine inhabitants

O

n my flight to Bern last week, I settled down to read Mostly Mary by Gwynedd Rae, a light classic of children’s literature.

I have read it before, but not for half a century.

On first reading, this book and the others in a series about a family of bears living in the bear-pit at Bern had considerable impact on my world view. You could keep your Paris, New York and Berlin; the place I most wanted to visit was Bern, for the bear pit.

On one family holiday we did have a stopover in Bern, but it was too short to

permit a visit to the bear pit (though we did, I recall, have our first encounter with a duvet). Fifty years on, the book isn’t quite so persuasive. But the thought of being in Bern and finally visiting the bear pit remained stirring. After something perilously close to a lifetime, I would see where Mary Plain, Friska and Little Wool once lived. For a generation brought up on Sonic the Hedgehog, Bern will not be such a magnet. But for skiers, the city – or at least its airport – is increasingly appealing as a gateway to the resorts of the Bernese Oberland.

Bern delivers all the delights of a small airport. It’s a three-minute walk to the taxi rank; there are never enough people there to form a queue; you take off without waiting for a slot, and land without ‘stacking’ But size isn’t everything. Its location is an equally-important asset. The time quoted for the transfer from Zurich and Geneva to Wengen and Grindelwald is three and a quarter hours; from Bern it’s 90 minutes. If you’re going to Mürren, the Bern flight saves a further 15 minutes.

Just as accessible from Bern as those traditional favourites is Adelboden. I flew

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 35

to Bern en route to the latter – to which Sir Henry Lunn took what is commonly described as ‘the first British ski package holiday’ in 1903. At first, the drive south from Bern, on a broad plateau, is unremarkable. But at the Adelboden turn-off the road disappears into a tunnel, and then emerges in a deep, narrow Alpine valley.

After the mist that hung above Bern at dawn cleared, the trees and mountainsides of the Kien Valley were as sharp as an Ansel Adams silver-nitrate print. Soon, shafts of sunlight began to illuminate the white peaks above the tree line. As an introduction to Adelboden, it couldn’t be bettered.

There’s a more than decent quantity of ski terrain at the resort. Links to Lenk provide even more skiing, but 185km of pistes and 56 lifts are accessible from Adelboden. But to keep traffic out of the village, the base of the main lift – a three-stage gondola – is in a car park just down the hill, so the skiing day starts with an irritating lift queue for the short descent.

The gondola’s first stop is near the best-known slope at Adelboden, the World Cup racecourse.

The head of the local ski school recommended this for my first run of the day, partly because the poling involved in reaching the piste would warm me up – a frank admission at a resort where downhill skiers are faced with quite a few uphill stretches.

In the event, the poling couldn’t warm me up, and the race piste was much too steep.

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What I had not appreciated, while admiring the view from the back of a car, was the temperature, as low as minus 20°C on the mountain. Excellent snow conditions meant that I could put in plenty of turns, but never enough to keep the wind-chill factor under control. My face ached cruelly.

Two stops further up the mountain, the gondola lands on Adelboden’s showpiece vista. Immediately beyond the top station is a spectacular bowl for which the piste map – struggling to represent the multifaceted slopes – does not prepare you. The mountain falls away and then rears up to the 2,200m Lavey ridge. Most of the skiing here, and indeed across the area, is essentially intermediate, but for experts there is plenty of good off-piste terrain below Lavey.

The slopes were quite crowded because of a Swiss holiday period; so were the mountain restaurants. Mindful of the punishingly high level of the Swiss franc, I bought myself a light lunch; it cost $27, but it was good.

The Cambrian, in which I stayed, which has a remarkable, glass-walled lounge overlooking the Engstligen Valley, is a very smart hotel, and therefore not cheap, but the market which is suffering is the local one. Apparently the Swiss are defecting to Austria for the bargains they can get with their high-priced francs.

Should I ever have any valuable Swiss francs to stash away, I’d put them in a bank in Bern, a place so solid it makes Zurich seem dodgy.

Opening page: Berner Oberland panorama; This page, from bottom left: A brown bear basks in the spring sunshine; Spitalgasse street scene.

Opposite page, clockwise from left: Alphorn blower; Bern’s Zytglogge zodiacal clock; Aerial view of Bern.

‘Bern’s old town is dominated by stocky 18th- and 19th-century stone buildings, their pitched roofs punctured by rather romanticlooking garrets’

Bear with Bern | switzerland

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 37

A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1983, Bern’s old town – in which I stayed at the 150-year-old but completely madeover Schweizerhof Bern hotel, ineffably Swiss despite now being Qatari-owned – is dominated by stocky 18th- and 19th-century stone buildings, their pitched roofs punctured by romantic-looking garrets. The buildings have a little decoration at portico level, where the Stadttheater has some giant urns and the old granary features a scene with bears, nymphs and chartered accountants (OK, maybe not).

The federal government building – which has the national bank very close at hand – is 38 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

more ambitious, but if it is really based on Florentine palaces the idea didn’t travel well.

Generally, it is older elements – the medieval clock tower, and the 100 or so highly theatrical fountains, for example – which are more attention seeking. However, the 15th/16thcentury cathedral, currently wearing a shroud of scaffolding, towers over everything only because of the 100m-high Gothic Revival steeple it acquired in the 1890s.

Personally, I was more taken with plainer things such as the mid-16th-century town hall, with its twin staircases climbing across the façade to meet at the first-floor front door,

This page: The rooftop terrace at The Cambrian.

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: A duplex room at The Cambrian; The view from a room at The Cambrian; The lounge at The Cambrian.

Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Shutterstock; Supplied Text: Stephen Wood / The Independent / The Interview People

‘After the mist that hung above Bern at dawn cleared, the trees and mountainsides of the Kien Valley were as sharp as an Ansel Adams silver-nitrate print’

Bear with Bern | switzerland

the amazing pre-Brutalist Hotel Bern, built in 1914, and two tram-stop shelters: one a classic 1940s design in reinforced concrete, the other a huge mirror-glass sheet slung right across the road.

As Switzerland’s capital since 1848, Bern is heavy with institutions, particularly museums, two of them devoted to local heroes Albert Einstein and Paul Klee (the latter collection housed in a Renzo Piano building). The Alpine Museum was my choice, but as museums do, it closed for major refurbishment on my approach. Still, I did get the chance to see the main building of the ‘museum quarter’, a startling, chalet-style folly dating from 1894.

Bears are an institution in Bern too, the city’s name being derived – at least in legend – from a bear killed by its founder, Duke Berchtold of Zähringen, while out hunting. There are bears all over the place: bear-shaped cakes, carved wooden bears, innumerable bear emblems. In fact, the only place you won’t find one is in the bear pit, despite a tradition of keeping bears there which goes back to 1513 (with an interruption in 1798 when the French army stole the animals). Quite rightly the bears – Björk, Finn, Ursina and Berna – are no longer confined to a pit; they now live in a ‘bear park’, below the pit on a bank of the river Aare.

Did I see them there? No. The weather was much too cold for them to come out. Oh well; next time, perhaps.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 39

swiss bliss | switzerland

Swiss Bliss Been to Bern? Spend ski season elsewhere in the Alps for exceptional days on- and off-piste.

KWT spotlights the best in snow Switzerland is the epitome of chocolatebox pretty – dinky red trains wind through dramatic valleys dwarfed by towering snowcapped mountains, while snow lies thick on the blackened timber roofs of ancient chalets.

Despite the country’s diminutive size, its ski resorts are diverse, ranging from the large and glamorous (St Moritz and Zermatt) to the small and quirky (Andermatt, Villars and Zinal). Fortunately, the quality of Swiss hotels, restaurants and skiing is almost universally excellent and an efficient public transport system ensures that resorts are easy to reach.

Here, Gabriella Le Breton selects the pick of the places to visit.

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F

Openning page: Stunt skiier, Verbier. This page: Suites at Carlton Hotel St Moritz. Opposite page: The terrace at Carlton Hotel St Moritz; Skiers on forest-fringed slopes, Swiss Alps.

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or competent skiers, the grand town of Engelberg, located an hour from Lucerne, is the ideal destination for a short ski break. Engelberg (‘the mountain of the angel’) was founded by a Benedictine monk in 1120 and lies at the foot of the 3,238m Titlis mountain. Of course, the monks who settled in Engelberg’s magnificent monastery weren’t primarily interested in skiing, and the slopes are reached by way of a five-minute bus ride from the centre of town, followed by a three-stage lift journey to the top of the ski area.

However, once on the mountain you will find good intermediate pistes, long vertical descents and world-class freeriding. If you’re desperate for empty slopes, take a midweek break to avoid the Swiss weekend crowds.

St Moritz, meanwhile, has been welcoming the world’s rich and famous for more than 150 years. They come here not just to enjoy the resort’s extensive ski area but also to make the most of its numerous other winter sports activities, such as the International Snow Polo Championships on the lake and the Cresta Run, as well as its hotels, restaurants, boutiques and spas. With Switzerland’s highest concentration of four- and five-star hotels and some of its finest restaurants, St Moritz is one of the world’s most expensive resorts. However, it’s not just glitz and glamour: it also boasts world-class skiing, both on and off-piste, across a sizeable area that incorporates several mountains.

And, although the town itself is fairly unattractive, the views from St Moritz and its slopes are beautiful.

At the base of the Matterhorn you’ll find the charming, car-free village of Zermatt. Horse-drawn sleighs and electric taxis carry visitors to and from plush hotels and gourmet restaurants along the busy main street, which is lined with smart shops.

Zermatt provides access to an extensive, high-altitude ski area that is linked by lift to Cervinia in Italy. The skiing here is some of the world’s best, particularly for intermediate and advanced skiers, and the resort is generally snow-secure. However, for many regular visitors, skiing plays second fiddle to Zermatt’s exceptional dining.

Both on and off the mountain, Zermatt offers some of the finest food of any ski resort: a visit to at least one of its culinary institutions, such as Zum See, Franz & Heidi’s and Chez Vrony, is wholly necessary.

The Val d’Anniviers, in French-speaking Switzerland, is one of the least-known and most beautiful places to ski in Europe. Twelve small villages line the narrow valley, dwarfed by five mountains over 4,000m, including the Matterhorn. Five of the villages provide direct access to four different ski areas (Vercorin, St Luc/Chandolin, Grimentz and Zinal) and are dotted with sun-blackened wheat storage barns (raccards) and ancient chalets dating back some 600 years. Vercorin is the smallest ski area

swiss bliss | switzerland

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 43

‘With Switzerland’s highest concentration of four- and five-star hotels, St Moritz is one of the world’s most expensive resorts...’

44 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

swiss bliss | switzerland

Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Shutterstock; Supplied Text: Gabriella Le Breton / The Sunday Telegraph / The Interview People

Opposite page: Aerial view of St Moritz; This page: Alpine vistas from Carlton Hotel St Moritz; Dining at Carlton Hotel St Moritz; Chalet-style suite.

while St Luc and Chandolin access the largest, linked area.

Farther up the valley, Grimentz is slightly larger than its neighbour, Zinal, but accesses a smaller ski area. All the villages are linked by free ski bus. While there’s little in the way of nightlife or extravagance, Val d’Anniviers is ideal for families and individuals in search of peace, spectacular high-alpine scenery, uncrowded, predominantly intermediate slopes and fairly extensive off-piste terrain.

Verbier’s cult status as an advanced skier’s resort is well deserved: there are thousands of acres of extreme off-piste terrain and nearly half of the 250 miles of pistes in the sprawling ‘Four Valleys’ ski area are challenging red and black runs Fans of France’s vast and efficiently connected ski areas, such as Paradiski and the Trois Vallées, will find that Verbier’s Four Valleys are disappointingly dispersed and tricky to navigate, but powder-obsessed skiers tend to brush these complaints aside in their determined hunt for the resort’s prized, yet elusive, first tracks. In addition to powder hounds, Verbier lures those in search of glamorous, cosmopolitan nightlife, luxurious chalets and boutique hotels, having carved itself a niche as one of Europe’s trendiest, and most expensive, party resorts.

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46 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

Let there be Lights | arctic circLe

Let There Be Lights A ‘solar maximum’ means that the chances of seeing the aurora borealis are spectacularly good right now. So head north to see the greatest show on earth…

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 47

‘A brilliant streak of green shot up into the firmament. There was a collective gasp: this was what we had come for’

Opening page: Northern Lights at Atigun Pass, Alaska. This page, from left: Northern Lights over a snowcovered forest of black spruce trees, Norway; Northern Lights over Reine, Northern Lights over Iceland.

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W

e had been on the ship for three days, in near permanent darkness, and I was on the brink of giving up hope. Then, at midnight on our last night, we got the call. “The Northern Lights have been sighted. The Northern Lights have been sighted. For the best views, go to deck six or nine.

The Northern Lights have been sighted…”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard an announcement that excited me so much. And what followed was one of the most gripping travel experiences of my life: a two-hour display of dancing lights and high drama that entranced, enthralled and inspired in equal measure.

It began modestly enough with a few wisps of white light scurrying across the night sky as though in search of celestial companionship. Then a brilliant

streak of green shot up into the firmament. There was a collective gasp: this was what we had come for. This was why we had taken a cruise to the northernmost point of Europe in the dead of winter.

That streak was followed by another, and then another. Some of the green waves were fringed by halo-like auras of yellow; some formed themselves into random shapes into which we

Images: Getty Images; Corbis / Arabian Eye Text: Adrian Bridge / The Daily Telegraph / The Interview People

Let there be Lights | arctic circLe

tried to read meaning; some seemed to perform a little jig before falling without trace, their place centre stage quickly taken by another; others glowed brightly, shedding precious light on to the rugged snow-capped peaks that line the starkly beautiful stretch of Norwegian coastline stretching north above the Arctic Circle.

It was easy to see why our ancestors were in awe of this

magisterial display. Cowering lest they be sucked into the skies, they imagined that what they were seeing were the spirits of the dead; they saw warriors with burning swords, shoals of shimmering fish, the reflections of departed maidens. They felt it was dangerous to be outside.

My own sighting of the Northern Lights came towards the end of a voyage on board the Midnight Sun, one of the fleet of

Hurtigruten ships that has been transporting people along this spectacular route for more than 120 years.

I was lucky to see them at all: my trip, right at the beginning of 2007, coincided with what scientists term a ‘solar minimum’ in the 11-year cycle that governs auroral activity. And while I was deeply impressed with what I saw, I knew it could have been so much more.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 49

‘What followed was one of the most gripping travel experiences of my life: a two-hour display of dancing lights and high drama that entranced, enthralled and inspired’

50 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

Let there be Lights | arctic circLe Opposite page, from top: Red and yellow hues above Knik River and Chugach Mountains, Alaska; Northern Lights in Greenland. This page: Hurtigruten cruise ship.

Visitors this year – and indeed in 2013 and the beginning of 2014 – have the huge advantage of travelling at a time of ‘solar maximum’ – a peak in the cycle regulating these forces that should mean that displays, while never guaranteed, are likely to be more frequent, more vivid and more extensive than usual. They will also be visible from much farther afield.

Already this year there have been sightings in Yorkshire, Northumberland and Scotland in the UK, though not yet as far south as Mexico (from where the lights are said to have been visible during the ‘solar maximum’ of 1958). And there are promises of many more to come.

In the traditional places for optimum Northern Lights viewings – the northern reaches

of Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, Canada and Alaska – there have been reports of truly dramatic displays this winter; tops of skies ablaze not just with greens and yellows, but also with violets, crimsons and reds – all visible to the naked eye.

“These are the best displays I have seen in a decade,” said Dr John Mason, an astronomer and lecturer at the South Downs Planetarium and Science Centre in Chichester and occasional lecturer on Hurtigruten’s ships. “I was in Norway last month and for two nights in succession witnessed displays that stretched from horizon to horizon; from dawn to dusk.

There were some magnificent structures: arcs and bands and drapes, twisting and turning; some beautifully complex and

colourful forms. I’ve seen this light show many times and it is always different, always surprising. Even now I hold out the hope that the next one will be even more spectacular.”

With the period of solar maximum due to last for another two years, tour operators specialising in trips to see the Northern Lights are reporting a surge in bookings as travellers try to snap up the opportunity to maximise their chances of catching the greatest light show on earth – and of visiting some of the most remote and inhospitable parts of the globe.

The prospects for a viewing have never been brighter; the range of tours has never been wider. There couldn’t be a better time to go than now. Let there be lights…

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 51

La La Land

Harriet Walker travels to the home of screen glamour: Los Angeles 52 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

La La Land | USa

L

os Angeles may not be a fashion city from the same mould as Paris or Milan, but it has at its heart a stylish sensibility inseparable from the industry that it has grown up around.

To the north-west of LA’s downtown district lies the spiritual heart of the international film industry. ‘Hollywoodland’, as it was first named by developers (the suffix fell out of use in 1949 after the area had become more populated; the sign was originally erected as an advertisement in 1923), has, after all, taught us how to look, how to live, how to dress and how to dream.

Even now that the movie industry has dispersed west and north of Hollywood into Burbank, Santa Clarita and Westside, the district is still used as a figure of speech that embodies the epitome of glamour.

Hollywood costume, from the industry’s golden age to its modern incarnation, is about to be celebrated in a new exhibition at the V&A in London, which brings together some of film history’s most important pieces.

Dorothy’s red slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Scarlett O’Hara’s green velvet dress from Gone with the Wind and the green silk one that Keira Knightley made famous in Atonement. From its roots in the sirens of the Forties and Fifties – when costumes were

designed by luminaries such as Edith Head – to today, where the challenge is to evoke a sense of character without overwhelming the production’s aesthetic, LA has become famed for fairy-tale fashion.

It was obvious as soon as I arrived: hallmarks of the silver screen and those who help to create its illusions are all over the city and the neighbouring Beverly Hills – basically, a city in its own right but tacked on to LA like Robin is to Batman. From the straggling and sometimes seedy Walk of Fame to the Scientology church; from the gleaming windows of the des-res duplexes on Mulholland Drive to the omnipresent Hollywood sign itself, darting in and out of one’s eyeline among the hills.

Of course, to the armchair tourist’s eye, LA is filmic in the same way that all of the US appears lifted straight from celluloid. Whether it’s steam billowing from manhole covers on a Manhattan sidewalk, red dust churning in the empty Midwest or the palm tree-lined Rodeo Drive (made famous in Pretty Woman’s snooty shopping scene), American geography is one great backdrop to so many of us.

But it is in Los Angeles that most of those paradigms were created. Simply seeing the streets signs was enough for me to enter a movieland reverie, but taking a tour round any

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54 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

La La Land | USa

of the studio cities at Burbank (the creative industries hub that is slightly north-east of Hollywood itself) allows you a further peek behind the curtain. At Warner Brothers, downtown New York streets abut a smalltown market square and a suburban street.

There are subway stations to nowhere, doors that do not open, skylines less stable than even the most ambitious starlet’s career.

At Paramount, giant studio warehouses pepper the lots – here the one in which silent film Wings was filmed in 1927, there where Breakfast at Tiffany’s was shot – each one a microcosm of imagination, painstakingly re-created to within an inch of reality behind industrial cladding. Golf buggies rolled past teeming with extras, including mortarboarded teenagers from the finale of Glee; gaffers shouted instructions to each other; and catering staff rolled out temporary barbecues for hungry mouths.

All of this was in sight of Hitchcock’s old office, the side gate through which Katharine Hepburn used to cycle, the main entrance

Opening page: Sunset over LA. This page, clockwise from bottom left: Grauman’s Chinese Theater; Hollywood and Vine street sign; The iconic Hollywood sign; The Road to Hollywood sign. Next page: The Walk of Fame.

– a monolithic arched gateway – where unemployed labourers, dancers, acrobats and wannabes waited to hear the roles available on any given day, and, finally, the car park flooded for Cecil B DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, in which Moses parted the Red Sea. In LA, a car park is never just a car park. There is an element of metatheatre to the city that isn’t easy to shake off.

The ubiquitous Star Tours, which wind through the most exclusive roads in the Laurel Canyon outcrop to show goggling famespotters the gates of Dan Aykroyd’s house, the window of Christina Aguilera’s presentwrapping room, a tile on Justin Timberlake’s roof (there! through those trees!) and Posh Spice’s TV aerial. If it sounds desperate, that’s because it is. But that’s what LA is built on: the idolatry of celebrity and the importance of being recognised.

The etiquette when one does stumble across a star – which happens often here – is more complex. In Hollywood, the actors whose house you have just driven past at 2mph in order to get a squizz through their kitchen window are just ordinary people. So when they’re out and about, people tend not to react, whether it’s Lindsay Lohan getting her nails done in the Sunset Plaza or Johnny Depp browsing in the intellectual hipster hangout Book Soup on West Sunset.

In fact, almost every restaurant or bar owner in LA will have his or her anecdotes to tell you about the famous faces they have once met or served, but they tell them like low-key neighbourhood gossip. It’s this sort of feeling that the V&A’s guest curator, the costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis, has tried to re-create in the exhibition, which opens to the public on Saturday: a sense of conversation between characters, letting the clothes do the talking – be they Indiana Jones’s fedora and bullwhip or Maggie Thatcher’s suit from The Iron Lady.

Next door to Hollywood proper is the mini-city of West Hollywood (or WeHo), LA’s epicentre of fashion and fun. It’s young and varied, bohemian and brash. Punctuated with on-the-beaten-track music venues, such as the Viper Room (River Phoenix died outside in 1993) and Whisky A Go Go, which once boasted The Doors as its house band, it’s also the site of some of the city’s coolest new spots. The Soho House group has opened an outpost here, while a cluster of new hotels December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 55

‘Los Angeles is like a theme park, a whirlwind trip through the lives of the rich and the famous’

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La La Land | USa

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This page, from bottom left: Malibu surfer; Beverly Hills street sign; Working out on Santa Monica Beach.

Opposite page, from top left: the pool at Morgans Hotel; Suites at Morgans Hotel.

their clothes are stocked. Because of that, it’s a fertile hunting ground for personal stylists, as well as forward-thinking actresses such as Kristen Stewart and Cameron Diaz, and will reward as much time as you’re prepared to spend there flicking through rails and poking through the separate (but just as wellstocked) shoe outhouse to the rear.

Los Angeles has much to offer the nosy: with its singular feeling of inclusivity as A-listers mix with civilians on a daily basis, it’s like a theme park, a whirlwind trip through the lives of the rich and the famous. You’re not so much pretending it’s yours as trying it on for size. In that way, holidaying here is a bit like borrowing the dress of your dreams for an awards ceremony. It’s pure Cinderella territory – although instead of a glass slipper, you’re more likely to be wearing one of Dorothy’s ruby-red court shoes.

Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Shutterstock; Supplied Text: Harriet Walker / The Independent / The Interview People

on Sunset Boulevard includes the luxurious and hip Mondrian, favoured by pop stars and models, as well as The Standard – a trendy New York import that took over the premises of a former retirement home and now hosts bright young things and fashion designers.

All have stunning hillside views over the city and are within walking distance (but who walks in LA?) from the infamous Chateau Marmont – backdrop to works by F Scott Fitzgerald, Jay McInerney and Sofia Coppola, and to the deaths of John Belushi and the photographer Helmut Newton.

On the same stretch is West Hollywood’s most iconic hotel, the Sunset Tower. The Art Deco building was rescued from disrepair in the late Eighties and remains one of the city’s finest architectural examples. Since its opening in 1931, it has played host to Howard Hughes (who kept several mistresses within its plush walls), Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Errol Flynn. Truman Capote once called it ‘posh’.

These days its Terrace bar is as respectable as you could wish – and was Scarlett Johansson’s first port of call, during my visit, after a busy day inaugurating her Walk of Fame star.

Down the hill from Sunset Tower lies LA’s latest fashion hot spot, the avant-garde boutique Opening Ceremony. It’s worth a look even if you don’t have an A-list budget, with its seven rooms of up-and-coming designers – some so niche that this is the only place

La La Land | USa

‘A cluster of new hotels on Sunset Boulevard includes the luxurious and hip Mondrian, favoured by pop stars and models, as well as The Standard – a trendy New York import…’

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 59

Southern Belle There’s more to Sri Lanka than tea leaves, finds Laura Binder on a seasonal sojourn to its southern-most tip...

60 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

southern BeLLe belle | Sri sri Lanka lanka SouThern This page: Weligama Beach, fishermen on stilts.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 61

This page, clockwise from top left: Galle Fort lighthouse; A fishing boat on the beach; Wild gray langur monkey; Amangalla’s entrance; Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in southern Sri Lanka.

“

Sri Lanka. It’s all tea leaves, right?” Well, yes, there are tea leaves (it’s one of the best places in the world to brew up, I’d venture – and I’m British) but that’s not all Sri Lanka has to offer. That was my pitch to my questioning partner – a seasoned traveller in Sri Lanka who, as we tried to organise a long weekend away, ventured he’d seen all there was to see. “Have you been to the deep south?” I asked. “No...” I rest my case.

It could have been the rain that deterred him, I reasoned as we booked our break: when we made for the lush, emerald green-dipped island in June it was officially ‘rainy season’. Now – from December to March – is actually the best time for jet setters to descend on the southern-most region, thanks to constant yet sympathetic sunshine – and from the UAE you can be there in just a few hours (in our case, four from Dubai to Colombo).

Coming from the parched UAE, though, a few blobs of rain were fine by me. Pre-travel tiffs resolved and bags packed, we made for the first of our two planned stops on Sri Lanka’s southern tip.

A little lazily (we do spend most of our time rushing round Dubai, after all) it’s a location we picked partly to scrimp on travel time – after stepping off the plane into bustling Colombo, you can expect something of a road trip before reaching most Sri Lankan destinations due to an ‘underdeveloped infrastructure’. Mercifully, November 2011 saw the completion of the Southern Express Highway (all 126km of it), a motorway that slices through the land with such precision it cuts the usual journey time from Colombo to the south in half, from four hours to two (and I can vouch for the road’s smoothness – not a buttockclenching bump in sight).

With a solid route and our short sojourn in mind, the southernset Fort Galle sounded like an intriguing alternative to the muchpublicised tea plantations. A Unesco World Heritage Site, I’d heard the 400-year-old Fort Galle wistfully described as a crumbling historic port town, teaming with tales. Better still for luxury seekers (for anyone accustomed to Dubai’s glam and glossy hotels, a backpacker hostel just isn’t going to cut it) an Aman Resort hotel, Amangalla, stands like a beacon of luxury at the fort’s heart, setting up home in a colonial, cream manor that once served as a Dutch governor’s private mansion (and, later, in 1863, the New Oriental Hotel).

Setting foot onto its lofty veranda, we felt as though we were indeed guests in an aristocrat’s private residence: the verandah sets an idyllic scene for indulgent afternoon teas; inside, soaring ceilings and period 62 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

‘It felt as though time had stood still within Fort Galle’s walls...’

southern belle | sri lanka

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 63

64 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

southern belle | sri lanka

Opposite page, clockwise from bottom left: The veranda at Amangalla; Ladies in local dress; An Amangalla bedroom; The view of Galle from Amangalla. This page: An Amangalla butler.

furniture sent us back in time; 1920s tunes tinkered in the background.

Its period charms (of which there are many) echoed from every crevice.

Those who have grown a little too used to the UAE’s doting levels of service (not me, obviously…) will relish having their very own butler too. Ours, Prasanna, managed to appear before we could so much as jingle our chamber’s vintage bell. Having not lifted a finger since we arrived, we were ready to do something for ourselves – an unassisted turn about the ramparts.

The best way to do so, Prasanna told us, is on foot. When the first thing to pass us was a bullock-led cart, it felt as though time had stood still within the fort walls. And we weren’t far wrong: its narrow

streets took us past food carts and twee shops, smartly-dressed school children; old spice warehouses, the Governor’s house… Hugged by ancient walls (with the Indian Ocean on the other side), it’s a foolproof town to navigate (and for the truly useless, your butler will provide a delightful illustrated map – as he did for us…).

History buffs will welcome tales of how the fort dates to the 1600s, when the Dutch built its still-sturdy walls to protect it from other colonial powers (Portuguese and British, I mean you) poking around its precious gems and countless resources. Today the town’s crumbling centuries-old houses (whitewashed and pastel-hued) and red gambrel rooves also shelter quaint shopfronts: boutiques, antique shops and jewellers whose glass windows showcased timeless treasures.

‘Sri Lankan stones’ at Laksana, ‘Bulgari-style copy’ at MM Ibrahim, ‘moonstones’ at Sandhaken, ‘teapots, spectacles and weighing scales’ at The Mansion House Museum Shop, the list went on. In fact, it was near impossible to leave the labyrinthine area empty-handed, after all precious gems are a speciality here – as I explained to my partner (it’s the truth and I’m sticking to it).

One characterful shop owner, his dark skin crumpled by the sun, told us he had worked in the same shop for 30 years, the glass-topped cash deck before him a proud showcase of business cards from visiting customers, from diplomats and journalists to CEOs and entertainers.

“You see, we have the most beautiful stones in town!” he beamed at me. True or not, I left with one pair of peridot earrings, their stones Sri Lanka green and encircled in diamonds. A lasting way to remember this ancient town, I thought. As, I’m sure, did their buyer – my partner.

Some Sri Lankan rupees lighter, we made our way back to Amangalla, pausing to ponder the crashing waves and a decaying lighthouse through a gap in the fort.

When evening fell we found the food at Amangalla to-die-for (Sri Lankan curries eaten by candlelight on the veranda; a three-tiered afternoon tea served on vintage silver, to name but two meals), but the passing sound of tooting tuk tuks was a ride we felt obliged to take up. Asking Prasanna for his advice (he really is a font of knowledge, that man), we made with the wind in our hair for nearby Unawatuna – a coastal village in the Galle district where we could catch sight of the kind of blond beaches and crashing waves that have surfers flocking to its coast. There, winding roads lined with shops and cafés and surfers’ B&Bs (perfect for those on a budget) gave way to beachside eateries where, all shopped out (or, rather, in my partner’s case, all spent out) we settled upon the Kingfisher. There we took up plastic pews on the beach, perched within a wave’s break of the sea, and tucked into our pick of fresh fish – served whole, grilled and with a chunk of lemon: simple, modest, and utterly delicious.

Having immersed ourselves in all-things Dutch colonial for two nights, we made further south still. Not just to prove a point to my “been there, done that” partner, but to see just what Sri Lanka’s ‘deep south’ had to offer. After all, with Galle tinkering on the tip of the southern coast, how much further could we go?

“Tangalle’s the fourth biggest town in the southern province,” my partner proclaimed, looking at his iPhone during our two-hour drive.

True, we had agreed to leave modern city life behind in Dubai, but I had heard of a scene beyond the town’s buzz – of palm-fringed bays, lush countryside and coconut groves; a sleepier way of life under Sri Lanka’s December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 65

‘The shores were unspoilt, the sands palm-fringed and, as our battered body boards testified, the waves a force to be reckoned with’

66 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

southern belle | sri lanka

Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Shutterstock; Supplied

These pages, clockwise from bottom left: Surfer on the south coast; Maya Villa’s garden view; The palms at Amanwella; A Maya Villa suite; Sri Lankan spices; Fresh fish ready for the grill.

balmy sky. Once through the hubbub of the main town that’s exactly what we found in nearby Aranwella, the site of Maya Villa – a revamped 19th-century walauwa and our boutique digs for the duration. As our car rolled through the villa’s high gateway we saw near luminous-green paddy fields unravelling beyond its red-topped façade.

With only birdsong piercing the air, I confess, my partner and I did exchange a ‘what the heck do we do now?’ look. Maya Villa really is the epitome of ‘getting away from it all’ – only for city folk, all that peace and quiet takes a bit of getting used to. Thankfully, further exploration (that is, us scooting around the serene house and its rolling grounds like a couple of curious kids) presented plenty of ways to keep busy: we spent the next few days cycling on Maya Villa bikes around the village, picnic in basket; wildlife-spotting in the groomed gardens; taking Ceylon tea and just-baked chocolate cake by the ink-blue pool; playing cricket in the gardens (yes, I was useless, but it is a Sri Lankan pastime); board games played to the sound of the rain.

“It’s amazing how easy it is to wind down”, I reflected, swaying in the garden’s hammock, whilst patting the resident dog, Patch. Each night we feasted at the villa’s open-air dining table on which sublime homecooked fare was served: green papaya salad with smoked beef; whole scar fish in coconut lime sauce; chili, cinnamon and chocolate pudding...

Chef Darshana quickly became our favourite person. (Patch couldn’t possibly compete.)

We had heard the nearby beaches were the south coast’s main draw – from December onwards you can watch marine turtles nesting by nightfall, while elsewhere you’ll find yourself in one of the world’s best spots to watch blue and sperm whales and spinner dolphins. Dragging ourselves away from the cocoon of comfort that is Maya Villa, we took a day trip to Tangalle’s multitude of coves. The shores were unspoilt, the sands palm-fringed and, as our battered body boards testified, the waves a force to be reckoned with.

To our surprise, Aman Resorts had followed us to Tangalle in the form of Amanwella – a show of floor-to-ceiling glass windows that peered through an elevated coconut grove and stared out to sea. In sleepy Aranwella, it gave us a superb excuse to shed our battered beachwear, don our finest holiday outfits and indulge in a dinner date – one kicked off with sundowners, sipped to the sight of a pink sun dipping behind the sea.

While we succumbed to Ceylon tea on a daily basis, my partner gave credit where credit’s true: there is indeed life beyond the tea leaves Sri Lanka is famed for (as tasty as they are). And, while it’s certainly not grim up north, with unspoilt beaches, historic sites and stellar boltholes, it is completely splendid down south. Go, while the roads are still smooth…

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 67

ConCierge | opener

ConCierGe

rio de Janeiro | london | sinGapore | sT moriTz

the 30-second concierge

Cassiano ViTorino, CopaCabana palaCe

Submerge yourself in the carnival spirit of Brazil! KWT finds out how from the chief concierge of one of Rio’s most famous, and historic, hotels...

Copacabana Palace is an iconic landmark in Rio... since its doors swung open in 1923 it has been welcoming the rich and famous, and the property offers a glamorous and vibrant atmosphere. Guests can relax by one of the largest swimming pools in the city, indulge in a treatment in the spa or play on the rooftop tennis court.

For the very best views in the city... I would recommend one of our seven Penthouse Suites; each with a private terrace, they enjoy wonderful beach vistas. All have been decorated with works of art, exotic carpets and French fabrics to create the best in elegant comfort.

For an alternative sightseeing trip... the Jeep Tour of Tijuca forest and

Botanical Garden is great fun. Guests travel by open jeep to the Tijuca Forest, the largest urban rainforest in the world, where they can admire the variety of species at the Botanical Garden, from huge water lilies and redwood trees to more than 500 types of orchid in the greenhouse.

To experience the true spirit of Brazil... dine in Pérgula Restaurant overlooking the hotel pool. Saturday lunch is very popular with guests and locals, and it attracts an energetic crowd as our head chef serves Brazil’s national dish: feijoada, a hearty bean and meat stew.

My parting tip... is to note that Rio is a casual city, so there’s no need to pack your jacket and tie. copacabanapalace.com December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 69

visit

London

Images: Getty Images; Corbis / Arabian Eye; Shutterstock

Nowhere celebrates the festive season quite like Britain’s Big Smoke; pull on your winter thermals and join the frosty fun...

V

isit London during December, and the festive season will never be the same again. After all, where in the world can match the gift-wrapped treasures of Harrods? Or Oxford Street’s dazzling lights? The mere mention of the festive season in Britain’s capital is enough to inspire a misty-eyed smile in all who’ve experienced it. Yes, the crowds can be tiresome, and you’ll need an armour of woollens to keep the cold at bay, but nowhere is quite as magical as the Big Smoke on a crisp, cloudless day. Scrooges should most certainly stay at home: the city shrugs off its drab grey jacket for a

70 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

cloak of twinkling lights, and tuneful carols (as well as a few cheesy festive hits) put a spring in the step of even the weariest of shoppers.

And leave that diet behind, too; steaming mince pies, syrupy hot chocolate and vast turkey feasts will banish chills and fuel those icy explorations. But London’s love affair with the festive season doesn’t end there: the season of goodwill famously replaces that infamous London scowl with a wintery grin (even bigger this year, thanks to the Olympics triumph); catch this rare phenomenon now – because it certainly won’t last beyond the January sales.

London | uk

MUST-DOS

oxford Street (4), the capital’s famed shopping boulevard, becomes a glittering display of festive cheer as soon as night falls (which, at this time of year, is around 4pm). Snowflakes, pine trees, candy canes… the twinkling effigies offer a cheerful dose of serenity above the sea of clamouring shoppers. Harrods (5) (harrods.com) offers a more upmarket range of stockingfillers, but arrive early to avoid the frenetic masses. If you’ve got kids in tow, the festive grotto is an essential stop, with a real pine tree bedecked in baubles and glittery goodies galore. The Real Food Market (6) (14-16, 20-23 Dec, southbankcentre. co.uk) is the city’s best place to stock up on seasonal treats. Held on the banks of the Thames, the market features the finest of British fare: think artisan chutneys, jams, chocolates and cakes, plus mouthwatering pies and enough hot turkey and cranberry baguettes to last you until next Winter. The Designers/ Makers Market runs alongside, so you’ll be able to stock up on hand-crafted presents too. City Cruises (7) (citycruises.com) puts you right on the Thames –

Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park (1) (hydeparkwinterwonderland. com) marks the start of the festive season in the capital – a glittering celebration of all-things seasonal. Wrap up and head to the park on a crisp afternoon for a stroll around the icy Serpentine river, shopping at the German market, and all the pretzels and hot chocolate you can possibly stuff yourself with. Somerset House (2) (somersethouse.org. uk) boasts the city’s liveliest ice-rink: by day, it’s a busy skate school with kids’ activities and festive arcade, and when night falls it’s transformed into an exclusive hangout, with live entertainment and a lounge area. When you’ve wobbled your way around the rink, rest those Bambi legs with a sashay through Valentino: Master of Couture (until 3 March) in the nearby Embankment Galleries.

The Tower of London (3) (hrp. org.uk), one of the city’s finest historical treasures, celebrates the season in medieval style.

Step back to the winter of 1284, with court entertainers, the knights of the palace, and even a visit from King Edward I himself.

all while enjoying a traditional festive supper. On a dinner cruise, sample juicy roast turkey and winter pudding as you drift past the lights of Westminster and the London Eye. What better way to see the city’s most iconic sights in cosy comfort?

wheRe TO STaY The Goring (8) (thegoring. com), located on the edge of the Buckingham Palace grounds, has hosted well-heeled guests for over 100 years. There are few finer places to celebrate the season, and if you’re in town from 24 December the magical festive package offers a threenight extravaganza of fine food, parties and winter cheer.

The Cavendish London (9) (thecavendish-london.co.uk) is in the heart of the West End, making it the perfect base for shopping and theatre-hopping when the city’s at its busiest.

When your explorations are over, tuck in to turkey with all the trimmings served in the cosy Petrichor dining room.

wheRe TO eaT

London City of London

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6 Southbank

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knightsbridge

LOnDOn’S beST… SeaSOnaL ShOwS Slava’s Snowshow (slavasnowshow.co.uk) This festive tale is brimming with circusinspired antics; see slapstick-comedy and stunts performed by a troupe of clowns, with audience participation and pretty floating snowflakes aplenty.

Scrooge

The dorchester (10) (thedorchester.com) boasts one

4

Mayfair

of the finest afternoon teas in town – and the special festive tea is no exception. Sip quintessential English blends while nibbling finger sandwiches, freshly-baked scones and wintery cakes, under the twinkling lights of the hotel’s gigantic pine tree.

Café Royal (11) (hotelcaferoyal. com), the newly-opened Regent Street hotel, will be serving up festive fare in Ten Room, its sumptuous brasserie – with crackers and figgy pudding for a truly authentic experience.

5 8

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Festive fun in the heart of the city; Selfridges at Christmas; The courtyard of Somerset House turns into an ice rink; Harrods lit up at night.

(londonpalladium.org) Inspired by the seasonal classic by Charles Dickens, this family-friendly musical delivers a timeless message of goodwill – essential viewing if you’ve spent the day battling the cold and the crowds.

Aladdin (theo2.co.uk) Nothing warms up winter nights more than a dash of pantomime, and the British sense of humour comes to the fore in this technicolour tale of the genie’s magic lamp.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 71

visit

Singapore

This Asian outpost has long bewitched travellers and traders; prepare to succumb to its myriad charms, warns Hazel Plush

I

t may be famed for its pristine streets and glittering monoliths, but don’t be fooled by that slick exterior: Singapore is the East’s original good-time gal. The jewel in the crown of the British spice route, the tiny isles were once a hive of traders, sailors and expats; business was thriving, cash was plentiful, and the bounteous playground was open for all. 200 years later, the party’s long since moved on – but there’s still a twinkle in Singapore’s eye. Now, the city-state is a pioneer in the global business world, but it plays as hard as it works: alongside the glittering skyscrapers and stately Civil District, you’ll 72 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

find the delightfully ramshackle Chinatown, where you can haggle for treasures and trinkets galore. It’s the historical centre of town, too, and the Chinatown Heritage Centre charts the city’s rise and fall since long before Sir Stamford Raffles arrived on shore. The infamous masses may have moved on, but Singapore remains an international hub, and the intoxicating Little India district is testament to the city’s open-armed welcome. It’s little wonder the city state has seduced travellers and traders alike; immerse yourself in its charms, and you’ll likely fall under its spell too…

singapore | malaysia Opposite page clockwise from top left: City Skyline; Bustling street of Chinatown; The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay; Swimming pool and Singapore Skyline on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands Resort. This page: Hari raya malay rahmadan food

Singapore’S beSt… Shopping

10 Botanic Gardens

Sim Lim Square

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This is the place to pick up electrical goods, with prices usually 10-20% cheaper than in other markets – and some retailers will knock off a little extra if you pay in cash.

6 1 8 4

Singapore

Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Shutterstock

MUSt-DoS The national Museum of Singapore (1) (nationalmuseum. sg) should be your first port of call to brush up on local lore; it’s the home of national treasures galore, as well as an ever-changing programme of art exhibitions. The neo-classical architecture was built as the Raffles Library and Museum in 1887, with the modernist wings added recently to make the space the largest in the country.

Chinatown (2) is the cultural heart of the city, with a charming collection of shops, terraces and traditional buildings in various states of decay and disarray. It’s a hypnotic hang-out; there’s no better way to touch the old city than by immersing yourself in the melee of traders, calligraphers and foodstalls. Chinatown Heritage Centre (3) features faithful recreations of shops and abodes from the late 19th century. It’s fascinating stuff, and a hands-on way to explore Singapore’s history that will keep the kids entertained. The wall of shiny skyscrapers, a couple of blocks away, is a surreal backdrop. The Civic District (4) is brimming with colonial-era

Pearl’s Hill City Park

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government grandeur. Entry restrictions apply to many of the buildings (see yoursingapore. com for details), but a marked art trail runs from the Civilian War memorial to the National Museum, with sculptures and installations by local artists aplenty. Little india (5) is a bustling Tamil enclave that couldn’t feel further from the slick modernity of down-town Singapore. Stock up on Hindi film music, banana leaf curries and spices; a stroll around the incense-scented streets is almost enough to transport you to India itself. Chinese & Japanese gardens (6) offers a picturesque glimpse of traditional Chinesestyle gardens. Wander through the pavilions, browse the penjing (bonsai) displays, and climb to the top of the seven-storey pagoda to take in views of the city. The quirky Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum can be found within the grounds too. esplanade (7) (esplanade.com), a striking glass-panelled obelisk on the edge of Marina Bay, is the city’s newest cultural venue.

This month, catch the Singapore Symphony Orchestra headline The Proms.

Marina South

Where to StaY The ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore (8) (ritzcarlton.com) is no ordinary city bolthole; adorned with museum-quality artwork from all over the world, this hotel’s public gallery boasts creations by Warhol, Hockney, and Henry Moore. Book a private tour at check-in. raffles Singapore (9) (raffles. com) has been Singapore’s favourite elite hangout for over 125 years. Get up-close in one of the characterful Personality suites; our favourite pays tribute to one of the hotel’s first celebrity guests, Rudyard Kipling.

The high-street hub of the city, this is the place to stock up on favourite brands from all over the world.

Haji Lane Local fashionistas love this little lane; the chic pop-ups and oddball boutiques are fast becoming some of Singaporean shoppers’ hottest retail haunts.

Where to eat Cherry garden at Mandarin oriental (10) (+65 6885 3538) is the place to sample the choicest of Cantonese signature dishes, including the likes of wasabiaioli prawns and oven-baked sea perch, plus a vast menu of Chinese teas.

Halia restaurant (11) (+65 6476 6711) is tucked away in a lush enclave of the heart of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Roasted rack of lamb in Javanese spice is a must-try.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 73

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74 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

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Kanoo Travel King Abdul Aziz Street, Al Bahr, Yanbu +966 4 391 2508 +966 4 322 1087 Kanoo Travel Tabuk Garden Village Compound Tabuk +966 4 428 1746 +966 4 428 1020 Kanoo Travel Ummal Qura Street Makkah +966 2 545 8263 +966 2 548 0646 Kanoo Travel Abboobakker Siddik St Medina +966 4 824 1028 +966 4 822 4240 Kanoo Travel Jamjoom Building Jeddah +966 2 643 2287 +966 2 643 4209 Kanoo Travel Beside Pizaa Hut, Al Jaish Street Taif +966 2 736 4372 +966 2 736 4211 Kanoo Travel Khamis Mushayat Khamis +966 7 222 3608 +966 7 222 3624 Kanoo Travel Opp.Rabigh Prison Main Road, Rabigh +4232807 +4232785

EaSTErn PrOvinCE Kanoo Corporate Al Khobar 31952 Al Khobar +966 3 882 4534 +966 3 849 8700

Kanoo Travel Aramco, Rastanura

31941 Rahima +966 3 667 3591 +966 3 667 0388 Kanoo Travel Dammam 31411 Qatif +966 3 851 4001 +966 3 851 4300 Kanoo Travel Hofuf 31982 +966 3 586 4155 +966 3 586 3823 Kanoo Travel King Fahd Int'l Airport Dammam +966 3 883 7490 +966 3 883 2660 Kanoo Travel Kanoo Airline Center Al Khobar 887 0128 +966 3 849 1823/+966 3 849 1824

U.a.E

KT Fujeirah Sea Port Fujeirah +971 9 228 2298 ktfuj@eim.ae +971 9 228 2295 KT Sharjah Rolla Street Sharjah +971 6 561 8655 trvlshjmgr@kanoo.ae +971 6 561 6058 KT Corporate Corporate Office Dubai +971 4 392 0240 ktdxb3@kanoo.ae KT Dubai Internet City Dubai Internet City no.12 (Oracle Bldg) Dubai +971 4 390 8671 ktadic2@emirates.net.ae +971 4 390 1990 - 994 KT Karama Holidays Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Dubai +971 4 334 7944 holidaysmgruae@ kanoo.ae +971 4 334 1444 KT Jebel Ali LOB 16 Ground floor Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai +971 4 881 6095 ktajbfz@emirates.net.ae +971 4 881 5050/8816350 KT Bur Dubai Khalid Bin Walid Street Bur Dubai Dubai +971 4 393 1545 ktdxb7@kanoo.ae +971 4 507 2467 KT Burj Burj Dubai Business Centre, Bldg no. 1, Ground floor Dubai +971 4 365 3268 Ktdxb10@kanoo.ae +971 50553 9431 KT Al Ain Emirates Commercial Complex Khalifa Street, Al Ain +971 3 764 4811 sales1@kanoomussafa.ae KT Abu Dhabi Al-Najda st. P.O. BOX 245 Abu Dhabi +971 2 678 1766 trvlmgrauh@kanoo.ae +971 2 678 0400

UK

UK Kanoo Travel 34 Union Street, Birmingham,

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KWT DeTails | hoT offers

hot offers

Festive escapes

This month’s trio of deals brought to you by Kanoo Travel and American Express Travel

Kashmir treasures

Polynesian Perfection

cool Kathmandu

5 nights, 6 days From $348 p/p

10 nights/9 days From $3,743 p/p

4 nights/5 days From $470 p/p

This Indian odyssey commences in the magical city of Srinagar, famous for its picturesque lakes upon which a houseboat will be your floating home for the night. Back on dry land, you’ll explore the beautiful Shalimar Gardens and Hazratbal Mosque at your leisure, before commencing the enchanting drive to Gulmarg.

This mountain resort boasts the highest golf course in the world, and the country’s finest ski resort – so bring your thermals! Next stop is Pahalgam, a forested paradise on the banks of the Lidder River. Known as ‘Valley of the Shepherds’, this is an idyllic spot to get back to nature and soak up the views of snowclad mountains and rolling green meadows. The final day takes you to Sonmarg, another rustic retreat that features deep-cut rock gorges and the trout-rich waters of Sindh River.

If you fancy fleeing the festive season, look no further than this ten-night tour of French Polynesia.

Taking in three of the tropical islands, the relaxed itinerary will let you leave your city stresses behind. Every day is free to spend at your leisure, so you won’t be rushing around with a hurried guide. Instead, you’ll arrive at the palm-fringed Tahiti Nui Hotel, a beach-side retreat where you can tuck in to fine local fare (it’s home of the islands’ most celebrated restaurant) and sample a traditional massage. After two nights you’ll transfer to the charming Hibiscus Moorea, where divers will love exploring the thriving coral reefs. Finally, a fournight stay at Maitai Polynesia Bora Bora, a lively resort with over-water bungalows for bedrooms, and a dazzling array of watersports. A truly tropical retreat.

This adventure begins before you even hit the ground: the flight to Pokhara takes you over the beautiful mountains and lakes that surround Kathmandu – what better introduction to the incredible Nepalese countryside? Once you’ve checked in to the boutique hotel, take in the International Mountain Museum, explore the Gupteshower Caves, and try your hand at rowing on the serene Phewa Lake. An early morning drive will transport you to the pilgrimage village of Sarangkot in time for a refreshing hike to the highest point to watch the sun rise. The rest of the day can be spent exploring at your leisure, with the evening spent back in Pokhara. The following day, you’ll fly back to Kathmandu, and spend the day sightseeing at the city’s UNESCO heritage sites, shopping and meeting the resident monkeys.

December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 75

SuiTe dreamS

The alpina gSTaad, SWiTzerland

When the fir pine doors to the Alpina Gstaad open this month, luxuryhunting snow bunnies the world over will breathe a sigh of relief. Few will be privvy to the most exclusive of stays, however; the height of extravagance is reserved for the Panoramic Suite, pictured, an elite bolthole atop the resort’s uppermost floors. Boasting peerless views of the mountains and alpine meadows, the three-bedroom apartment is the perfect retreat from city rigours. Soak up the vistas from a 76 December 2012 Kanoo World Traveller

steaming in-room Jacuzzi, curl up in front of a log fire in the cosy wood-panelled living room, or indulge in a Six Senses spa treatment in your own private sanctuary. With pine panelling and natural touches throughout, the décor is inspired by the fine Swiss surrounds, as is the decadent gastronomic fare. Dine on hearty fondues and raclettes rustled up by a private chef in the suite’s own kitchen; there truly is no finer home away from home... thealpinagstaad.ch

wonder at the sky

The best time to

Finally, the night sky was the colour of his imagination. All he could think was whether he’d seen anything more magical. The bold bright reds and pinks dancing, twirling with the sparkling yellows. It wasn’t just fireworks that lit up that DSF night. It was the wonder in his eyes.

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