Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE

JULY 2010

The Real Mexico Immerse yourself in the untouched beauty of the Riviera Maya

KING OF THE CASTLE

The royal residences you can stay at

Produced in International Media Production Zone

INSIDE TRACK Learn to tango in Buenos Aires Haggle in the souks of Syria

TOTAL GUIDE

Croatia & beyond Scrambling around Roman ruins; sailing celeb-style down an island-speckled coast; exploring capital cities…

Want to do it all? This is the region for you

COMPLIMENTARY NIGHTS AT AL MAHA, KIDS GO FREE AT JUMEIRAH... THE GCC’S HOTTEST SUMMER OFFERS ARE HERE

Check out Croatia’s beaches, p29

JULY 2010 KANOO WORLD TRAVELLER

CONTENTS 5 17 26 49

AGENDA The hottest happenings in the world of travel this month ESSENTIAL SELECTION Ever fancied staying in a castle? Now you can PICTURE THIS A travel photograph to make your spine tingle HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS The Gulf’s best summer hotel offers

14 PEAK DISTRICT

80 LONDON

Take a road trip through the ohso-green Pennine Mountains

Enjoy Suite Dreams in the heart of the English capital

29 CROATIA AND BEYOND

Explore all that’s on offer in this region of surprises

70 MEXICO

Discover Mexico’s grown-up side in the Riviera Maya

THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE

JULY 2010

76 DAMASCUS

The Real Mexico Immerse yourself in the untouched beauty of the Riviera Maya

KING OF THE CASTLE

The royal residences you can stay at

75 BUENOS AIRES

Produced in International Media Production Zone

Wander the souks and sample a hammam in this ancient city

Dance the tango, eat world-class steak and drink in the culture

INSIDE TRACK Learn to tango in Buenos Aires Haggle in the souks of Syria

TOTAL GUIDE

Croatia & beyond Scrambling around Roman ruins; sailing celeb-style down an island-speckled coast; exploring capital cities…

Want to do it all? This is the region for you

COMPLIMENTARY NIGHTS AT AL MAHA, KIDS GO FREE AT JUMEIRAH... THE GCC’S HOTTEST SUMMER OFFERS ARE HERE

On the cover: Dubrovnik, Croatia,

by Jan Stromme

Produced by: HOT Media Publishing FZ LLC Managing Director: Victoria Hazell-Thatcher Publishing Director: John Thatcher Advertisement Director: Chris Capstick Editor: Ele Cooper Art Editor: Jenni Dennis Junior Designer: Matthew McBriar

Advertising enquiries chris@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 369 0917 Editorial enquiries ele@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 375 7617 Cover courtesy of Getty Images. Additional images from Photolibrary, iStockphoto, and the Mexican, Croatian and Slovenian tourist boards.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in Kanoo World Traveller. ‘Total Guide: Croatia and beyond’ and ‘Mexico’ features reprinted with the kind permission of Sunday Times Travel magazine.

Jun-Dec 2009 22,620 BPA Consumer Audit

July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 3

AGENDA NEWS

AGENDA WHAT’S IN

WHAT’S NEW

WHAT’S ON

ALL ABOARD On July 9, the Royal Scotsman – one of the world’s most famous trains – is leaving its home country for the first time and chuntering off on a week-long tour of the UK. While you’re not gazing out of the window at the epic scenery of the Scottish Highlands, English Lake District or Snowdonia National Park in Wales, you’ll be clay pigeon shooting, exploring castles, checking out Roman baths and dining at the world-famous Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Who says trains aren’t cool?

From $12,800 per person including all table d’hôte meals, drinks, sightseeing excursions and accommodation. www.royalscotsman.com.

July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller

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AGENDA NEWS

Sharing the love

The iconic Jumeirah Emirates Towers celebrate their 10th anniverary this year – but instead of buying each other flowers and maybe going for a quick meal, they’re treating their guests. Book a stay between now and September 10 and get an airport dropoff, $50 shopping voucher, massage, double Sirius points or dinner at Mosaico for free. www.jumeirah.com

Dash past the ash…

British low-cost airline easyJet (www.easyjet.com) is trialling a radar system which allows planes to detect ash cloud particles within a 100km radius, allowing them time to change course and fly safely around any potentially problematic zones. The system, dubbed AVOID (Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector), should be on 12 easyJet planes by the end of the year. Let’s hope it’s successful and rolls out across the world.

SALE OF THE CENTURIES

Art enthusiasts should hotfoot it to London for Master Paintings Week (www.masterpaintingsweek.co.uk), which runs from July 3-9. It offers a rare opportunity to view – and buy from – unique collections in the heart of London’s St James’s and Mayfair, with 28 collectors, galleries and auction houses showcasing their finest 15th to 19th-century European pieces. There are fascinating stories behind many of the paintings and during this week some of the world’s top experts will be on hand to shed light on them. If, on the other hand, you like to take a rather more active role when it comes to art, head Rome-wards this summer and stay at the Hotel De Russie (www.roccofortecollection.com), where residents can take a two-hour watercolour painting class in the magical secret courtyard garden.

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Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

AGENDA NEWS

Star attraction With several hotels offering guests the use of an iPad for the duration of their stay, it was only a matter of time before airlines followed suit – and Jetstar, the Australian low-cost carrier, has become the first to do so. It’s now possible to hire an iPad loaded with films, TV shows, e-books, music and games for $9 per flight – but sorry Outlook addicts, internet access will be disabled. www.jetstar.com

JET SET, GO Have you ever longed to fly on a private jet but dismissed it as being beyond your budget’s reach? New website www. emptysectors.com allows you to book yourself onto the unused leg of a private jet customer’s journey – i.e. a flight that would otherwise be empty – at up to 75 per cent less than the cost of an ordinary private jet journey. Genius!

CZECH IN

BOOK IT The first Arabic-language travel book on Sri Lanka has just been launched. Sri Lanka: The Most Beautiful Island In The World is written by Emirati author Heba Al Mansoori, who was first inspired to visit when her Sri Lankan-born gardener told her tales of his home country. Proceeds from the 205-page book will go to charity. To order your copy, call the Middle Eastern branch of the Sri Lankan tourist board on +971 4 332 0777.

On July 1 Emirates launched a new route from Dubai to Prague, with a very agreeable 1030 take-off time (landing in Prague at 1450) meaning no disturbed nights’ sleep (the return flight gets into DXB at 0010, so that’s pretty good too). A mere fiveand-a-half-hour stint in the air lands you in average July temperatures of 30°C, making this month the perfect time to visit the fairytale city. www.emirates.com

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Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

AGENDA NEWS

Tall tale

The largest high-rise hotel to have launched in Manhattan since 2002 is finally ready for the public.

The InterContinental New York Times Square opened its doors at the beginning of this month and is brilliantly located in the heart of the Broadway district, on 44th and 8th. Within walking distance are 40 theatres, as well as financial, shopping and sightseeing highlights – and its 38-storey tower cuts an impressive dash on the skyline. With white glass along its Eighth Avenue façade reflecting the bustle of the street and warm granite on 44th Street lending it a classy air, this hotel looks set to become an American Dream. www.ihg.com

I spy with my huge eye

JOIN THE CLUB Upmarket resort brand Club Med celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and to celebrate, it has launched a collection of 40 luxury rental villas. Adjacent to Mauritius’s Club Med La Plantation d’Albion resort on a 12-hectare stretch of beach, 17 of the villas look directly onto the ocean and the 23 garden villas enjoy the lush greenery Mauritius is renowned for. Entry to the resort, which is protected by a coral reef and surrounded by natural woodland, is complimentary to villa residents – so families can take advantage of the kids’ club, while couples can wallow in the infinity pool, get pampered at the CINQ MONDES Spa or play a round or two of golf. Bliss. www.clubmed.co.za 10

Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

Ever wanted to visit Chicago? Well this could provide the impetus you’ve been waiting for: a three-storey, ‘incredibly life-like’ giant eye sculpture is being unveiled in the city’s Pritzker Park this month. Its creator, contemporary artist Tony Tasset, reckons it’s ‘surrealist noir’; whether you agree or condemn it as a sight for sore eyes, one thing’s for sure – you won’t forget it in a hurry.

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AGENDA CALENDAR

The month ahead…

Read on for the lowdown on the most interesting events around the world this July.

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Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

Roswell UFO Festival, Roswell, New Mexico, USA July 1-5 Have you ever wondered whether the truth really is out there? Make for Roswell, the site of an alleged UFO crash landing, and join the conversation at this celebration of all things other-worldly. With guest lecturers sharing abduction stories and field study results, it’s distinctly weird but a lot of fun. www.roswellufofestival.com

Bregenz Festival, Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria July 1-August 22 Opera fans will love watching this year’s headline performance – Verdi’s Aida – as it’s belted out from the middle of a lake. The themes (love, hate, nationalism) are as relevant today as they’ve ever been, and between shows you can stay in the nearby UNESCO World Cultural Heritage City of St. Gallen. www.bregenzerfestspiele.com

Goodwood Festival of Speed, West Sussex, UK July 2-4 This annual hill-climb event is definitely one for petrol heads, combining fast cars and motorsport royalty in the gardens of Goodwood House. From current Formula 1 racers to 19th-century steampowered carriages, you’ll witness majestic motors from every era, all selected by Lord March himself. www.goodwood.co.uk

Rainforest World Music Festival, Sarawak, Indonesia July 9-11 A dream for hippies, the Rainforest World Music Festival unites musicians from around the world with indigenous bands to create unique performances, workshops, ethno-musical lectures and impromptu jamming sessions.

It takes place in the heart of the Bornean tropical jungle. www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com

The Great Mohican Pow-Wow, Mohican, Ohio, USA July 9-11 A genuine Indian pow-wow (North America’s oldest), this fascinating event sees 12 native tribes come together to honour ancestors and renew their traditions and heritage.

The culture is celebrated through dancing, ceremonial dress, the passing down of songs to younger generations and story-telling. www.mohicanpowwow.com

The Dominica Dive Fest, Dominica, Caribbean July 9-18 The longest-running scuba diving festival in the Caribbean makes its 17th annual appearance this month, with a special ‘five pay, six dive’ offer running island-wide. More unusual side events include underwater photography seminars, whale watching trips and opportunities to swim with ‘mermaids’. www.dominicawatersports.com

Cartier International Polo Day, Windsor, UK July 25 The main event on this day, which pulls in all of Britain’s most fabulous society figures, is the afternoon match for the Coronation Cup – England’s opposition hadn’t been announced at time of going to press but you’re guaranteed a fiery contest. Shopaholics will love the high-end adjoining retail village. www.guardspoloclub.com

Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, Oodnadatta, South Australia July 30-August 29 Anyone who’s seen Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 epic Australia will appreciate the incredible beauty of the cattle drive. Now you can experience it from the saddle, riding the notoriously stunning Oodnadatta Track while helping to move the magnificent, docile herds alongside guys who’ve done it all their lives. www.cattledrive.com.au

a boutique of choices in one great city

Located just minutes away from Mall of the Emirates and the business districts of New Dubai, Pearl Coast Premier Apartments offer unrivalled luxury at affordable prices.

Unwind in your own fully serviced apartment with a whole host of dining and leisure activities on your doorstep. For business or pleasure and with the unmistakable hospitality of Dusit International, the choice is yours.

Your own private space in the heart of Dubai.

One bedroom apartment AED250 Two bedroom apartment AED450 Valid until 30 September 2010. Rates are subject to 10% service charge and 10% municipality tax. Rates quoted are per apartment per night, subject to availability. Terms and Conditions apply.

Pearl Coast premier Hotel Apartments managed by Dubai international P.O. Box 124964, Al Barsha, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 4289999 Fax: +971 4 4289900 E-mail: pearlcoast@dusit.com, Website: pearlcoasthotelapartments.dusit.com

AGENDA DRIVE TIME

DRIVE TIME

Planning a trip to the UK? Make sure you save at least a day to explore the Peak District.

Buxton’s handsome neo-classical Crescent provides the starting point of this quintessentially British road trip. Once you’ve had an amble around the friendly Roman spa town, head out on the A6 in the Stockport direction, shrugging off fellow motorists as you turn onto the A623 – the artery that pumps you straight into the heart of the Peak District National Park.

This rugged land could look desolate, but somehow it avoids this, instead exuding an impression of serene sturdiness in the face of the unrelenting winds that pounds it day-in, day-out. As you follow the road, which snakes seductively around the curves of the Pennine mountains, it can be tempting to slip the cruise control on and 14

Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

drive all day – but a cockle-warming climb up Mam Tor provides rich reward in the form of soaring vistas which take in an Iron Age fort and miles of verdant landscape.

Back in the warmth of the car, follow the valley to Castleton. There are no prizes for guessing the main attraction here, although it’s in a somewhat sorry state these days, with nothing more than mossy ruins commemorating the once magnificent Norman landmark.

But no matter – plough on to Speedwell Cavern, set high above the village, and disembark once more. You’ll be led down 105 underground steps into a small boat, which sails down the silent, 200-yearold passageways of a lead mine before

emerging into the Bottomless Pit – a vast subterranean lake.

Ensconced in the car once more, retrace your path through the valley and make for Hathersage – rumoured to be the final resting place of Little John, Robin Hood’s crony. Follow the B6001 southwards through dense forest to Eyam, a chocolatebox gorgeous village. Having lost two thirds of its inhabitants to the plague in the 17th century, it has a fascinating (if sobering) museum set in the manor house and farm buildings. As you rejoin the A6 and wind your way back through the peaks to Buxton, it will be impossible not to marvel at what these proud, immovable mountains must have witnessed in their time.

AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

ESSENTIAL SELECTION

CASTLES

Want a holiday fit for a king? Look no further, with Ele Cooper’s pick of the world’s 10 best castle hotels.

BLAIRQUHAN CASTLE, SCOTLAND Extensive grounds and sympathetic modernisation make this dovegrey Regency lodging the ideal bolthole for castle connoisseurs (and movie makers – The Queen was filmed here). Up to 26 people can sleep in the main building, but if your entourage is more substantial, make use of the cottages scattered throughout the grounds, which can accommodate 36 more guests – it’s quite the party pad. The estate was designed by Sir David Hunter Blair in 1803, his most inspired touch being the 5km approach, which follows waterfalls crashing into the River Girvan before swinging around a corner to reveal the castle. www.blairquhan.co.uk July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller

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AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

CASTELLO DI GALEAZZA, ITALY Climb the 122 steps to the terrace of the tower this year and you’ll see rolling hills, the parapets of the castle rooftops, maybe even the Alps on a clear day – but no such serene sight greeted Galeazzo Pepoli on April 29, 1379, when he led his troops into a fierce battle. Luckily for him (and the modern day guests of the lavish property) he won, and his estate is as beautiful now as it ever has been – in fact more so, following the 19th-century amendment which unified all the scattered buildings into one cohesive structure, protecting an inner courtyard and forming an impressive gateway to the park (which is 40 minutes north of Bologna). Meals, which are generally of the traditional Italian persuasion, are eaten – and prepared – by guests, so you need to be willing to roll up your sleeves and get involved. It’s great fun. www.galeazza.com

CHÂTEAU DE BAGNOLS, FRANCE It’s hard to imagine, but less than 30 years ago, this five-star haven was deserted and derelict. Fortunately for us, in 1987 it was snapped up

by Lady Hamlyn, who made it her mission to rescue and painstakingly restore it to its former glory. Entered via drawbridge, the 13th-century château is surrounded by a dry moat, built in gorgeous honey-coloured stone and surrounded by the rolling hills of the Beaujolais countryside.

Foodies will be pleased to note there’s an onsite Michelin-starred restaurant – the Salle des Gardes – but if you’re all about the bedroom, you’ll be wowed by the Renaissance frescoes (revealed during Lady Hamlyn’s refurbishments) adorning many of the ceilings. As if it weren’t atmospheric enough, the tower rooms peek onto the grounds through arrow slit windows and feature beautiful antiques. www.chateaudebagnols.co.uk 18 Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

Begin your adventure on Sir Bani Yas Island with a bird’s eye view.

Fly directly from Abu Dhabi International Airport and indulge yourself at the Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara.

Join our guides on a 4x4 nature & wildlife drive, hiking, snorkelling or mountain biking adventure as we share our working wildlife sanctuary with you.

To book your stay at Abu Dhabi’s own Desert Islands, visit www.desertislands.com or call +971 2 801 5400.

AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

CROM CASTLE, IRELAND Up to 12 of you and your best (and suitably regal) friends can stay in the award-winning accommodation of Crom’s West Wing which, although classed as self-catering, can come with a personal chef if you so wish – although even if you use it for nothing more than warming your hands, you’ll love the Aga; oh-so country kitchen. Presiding over the rest of the castle are Lord and Lady Erne, whose ancestors built it, but don’t worry, your wing has private access and a terrace so you needn’t end the fantasy that the five-star property is all yours. Overlooking the life-affirmingly lush landscape of Co. Fermanagh, Crom Castle is surrounded by Lough Erne – one of Europe’s longest inland waterways in Europe don’t you know. Despite it having provided the location for some mightily bloody Jacobean battles, you’ll struggle to find a more peaceful setting nowadays. www.cromcastle.com

‘Eastnor Castle is surrounded by a deer park, lake and breathtaking arboretum’

EASTNOR CASTLE, ENGLAND Set in the beautiful Malvern Hills, Eastnor Castle is surrounded by a deer park, lake and breathtaking arboretum bursting with ancient cedars and towering conifers. The property has been in the Hervey-Bathurst family for 200 years, construction having started in 1810 under the jurisdiction of the First Earl Somers, who was keen to impress his wealth and social standing upon visitors through the size and grandeur of his estate. (This not-insignificant task was painstakingly executed by 250 hard-working minions over the course of six years.) His present-day descendants – comprising a large family and friendly dog – have opened up their home to luxury travellers and they delight in showing guests around the historic home, which features a fabulous Gothic drawing room designed in 1849 by Pugin, who also remodelled the House of Lords.

Stay in the State Bedroom and you won’t be disappointed: from dark wood panelling to regal four-poster bed, it’s got all the classic castle touches. Stunning. www.eastnorcastle.com July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller

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AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

PALACE BUSSACO, PORTUGAL Lying in the heart of a woodland nature reserve in Bussaco, this exquisite palace offers five-star luxury, with azulejos – tiled panels depicting historic events – and stuccoes adorning the staircases and rooms, and palatial décor in the bedrooms. Take a stroll through the landscaped gardens and stop for a refreshment under the ornate archways sheltering the terrace, which also provide an atmospheric evening meal setting.

If it weren’t for political wranglings, the palace’s fate could have been different – at one point it was set to become a royal residence for Queen Maria Pia, wife of King Luís I – but when that fell through, it was decided that the property would become a hotel. With its combination of spectacular architecture and mod cons including helipad access, you’d be hard pushed to call this anything other than a fortuitous decision. www.palacehoteldobussaco.com

SCHLOSSHOTEL ROSENAU, AUSTRIA History buffs may already be familiar with the name of this castle, as it’s a former Freemasons meeting place and now houses a fascinating museum dedicated to the secret society. But if you’re not into the cloak and dagger thing, there’s plenty more to entice: worldclass hospitality is provided by Margit Zulehner, the award-winning landlady, and the Renaissance castle is so beautiful that Mozart is said to have taken a detour during a journey to Prague just so he could stay there.

Situated close to Zwettle, in the province of Lower Austria, Rosenau offers a bedroom choice of kitsch chintz or sleeker, modern design, plus an array of suites with sumptuous four-poster beds and private Jacuzzis. www.schlosshotel.rosenau.at 22 Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

AGENDA ESSENTIAL SELECTION

TAJ LAKE PALACE, INDIA This white marble and mosaic palace is truly beautiful, much like the surrounding scenery, which comprises the majestic Aravalli Mountains and a smooth, placid lake on which its island rests. Having been built in 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II, who was part of the royal dynasty of Mewar, it is distinctly Taj Mahal-esque (but minus the thousands of ant-like tourists swarming around it). Each of its 66 rooms and 17 suites exudes opulence, with luxuriant swathes of fabrics opening onto panoramic views of the Udaipur landscape, and the Jiva Spa offers all manner of indulgent treatments. An evening at Neel Kamal, the delectable fine-dining spot overlooking the lily pond, will leave you in no doubt that the life of an Indian monarch must have been very pleasant indeed. www.tajhotels.com

XARA PALACE, MALTA Xara Palace provides the perfect combination of history and luxury: located in the Medieval, fortified city of Mdina, it was built in the 17th century by the Knights of Malta, a ruling class of warriors. The British gained control of it during the Second World War but in 1949 it became a hotel. Unusually for this type of property, the rooms are unfussy and modern, although some concessions to history are made in the form of grand old antique furniture and gorgeous beamed ceilings. A stay here wouldn’t be complete without dinner at the de Mondion, the gourmet restaurant that’s set into the bastion walls – it doesn’t get much more atmospheric than this. www.xarapalace.com

WASSERSCHLOSS LEMBECK, GERMANY Though the glittering moat encircling this castle lends it a fairytale air now, it originally served a much more sinister purpose, its impressive breadth warding off impostors back in the 12th century. The sandstone castle that stands today was extensively renovated back in 1692, hence its Baroque appearance, though thankfully the hotel wing was worked on somewhat more recently by Countess Catherine of Merveldt. Lembeck is located in the fictitious-sounding Münsterland, a region rife with similar fellow castles (100 nowadays, though they used to number 3,000) looming from the middle of manmade lakes. www.schlosshotel-lembeck.de 24 Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

PICTURE THIS

DHOFAR, OMAN It’s green – and it’s in the Middle East. Welcome to Dhofar. Located in southern Oman, this extraordinary region is blessed by the annual khareef (monsoon) from August to September. Tightly swaddled in a shroud of fog for much of the season, the mountains come alive in a symphony of emerald, moss and lime greens almost as soon as the rains arrive – and with the precipitation comes a blissful respite from the scorching heat, with temperatures dropping to an average 26°C.

KWT

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IMAGE: PHOTOLIBRARY

KWT

CROATIA AND BEYOND

TOTAL GUIDE

Croatia & beyond There’s a corner of the Mediterranean that’s still magically marooned in the past…

PAGE 30 Pick ’n’ mix: three spectacular sights to get you salivating (and sorting your perfect summer getaway!). PAGE 34 Bloc party: these Balkan capitals match culture with carousing. Grab our guides and go this weekend. PAGE 38 Plain sailing: celebrities do the Dalmatian Coast in super-yachts – but there’s a cheaper way… PAGE 41 Perfect 10: history or hedonism? Bargain or blowout? Whatever your holiday bag, you’ll score here.

July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 29

Pick ’n’ mix Peerlessly photogenic, endlessly varied – the Balkan Peninsula is home to some of the Med’s most glorious Kodak moments. Here are a few of our favourites…

ZLATNI RAT, BOL, BRAC ISLAND, CROATIA Think you’ve seen it before? You probably have, even if you’ve never visited Croatia: with its supermodel good looks, the natural spear of Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) has graced many a brochure spread and advertising hoarding. Stretching into the neon-blue Adriatic from the south side of Bra island, the largest among the Dalmatians, it’s like an index finger pointing to the horizon.

But its bone-white shingle is constantly in motion, kneaded by the Adriatic as if it were dough in the hands of a pastry chef.

It’s always been a sanctuary, anyway: lilylivered Romans treated Zlatni, and the town of Bol, as a refuge, and the spine-like Vidova Gora mountain range completely baffled the Croats attempting to advance from the mainland. In later centuries, pirates would stash their spoils here, while enjoying wellearned breaks from their pillaging. Today Zlatni Rat is pure gold for beach lovers, with its breezes, baby-bath-warm waters and sunny rays. You need to stake your claim on the beach early, before the Adriatic sun is high in the sky. First, though, grab a breakfast of Croatian börek (filo pastry filled with cheese) in Bol harbour. Then amble west along Put Zlatnog Rata, a pleasingly shaded promenade, cutting west through the sweet-scented pine forests that overlook the Cape. You’ll pass the pretty cove of Potocine, popular among local bronzers; then, 20 minutes or so later, Zlatni unfurls dazzlingly. In summer, from 11am onwards the Cape is sprinkled liberally with bathers in various shades of golden brown. But although it’s busy, the atmosphere is always convivial, with kids tottering over the smooth pebbles of the seabed. You can disappear 30

Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

easily from the crowds, too: simply continue west, beyond Paklina, and claim a rocky cove for yourself. Make sure you pack your flip-flops for the hike.

• The bedrooms at Hotel Kastil (www.kastil. hr), a former Ottoman fortress, deliver beautiful sea views. From $90 B&B.

ROMAN RUINS, BUTRINT, ALBANIA Virgil immortalised it in ‘The Aeneid’, painter Edward Lear sketched its rugged romanticism, and 19th-century antiquarian William Leake thought that its legendary resemblance to Troy was like ‘comparing Monmouth to Macedon’. Tart observations aside, the strategic Adriatic port of Butrint – ancient Buthrotum, in southwest Albania – was settled by practically every Med colonialist, from Roman to Hellenic to Ottoman. Twenty thousand people lived here during its fifth-century heyday, and today monumental reminders from each period remain, just metres apart. After it went into decline in the 14th century, this historical mille-feuille was almost lost to goats and moss – its unlikely saviour was Mussolini, whose paranoia at French interest led him to dispatch the archaeologist Count Luigi Maria Ugolini with his trowel to stake Italy’s claim. The glamorous young historian oversaw excavations of most of the city as seen today, including a Greek theatre, a Roman forum and a Byzantine baptistry with a mosaic floor. His greatest discovery was a line of huge and well-preserved statues – among them those of Emperor Augustus and Agrippa.

• The Butrinti Hotel (www.hotelbutrinti. com) is a luxurious retreat complete with spacious swimming pool and fitness centre. From $170, B&B.

CROATIA AND BEYOND

‘The natural spear of Zlatni Rat points into the neon-blue Adriatic like an index finger’

July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 31

CROATIA AND BEYOND

LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA Named after the swaggering, big-nosed Roman emperor, the Julian Alps are Slovenia’s melodramatic mountain frontier with Italy. Tucked glassily among them is Bled, a beauty that looks as if it was shaped by a deity with a sharp eye on the tourist buck. It’s all here, you see, and in such eye-pleasing proportions: a Medieval castle clings to a craggy cliff like a desperate lover; the red rooftops of Bled town huddle, picture-perfectly, beside a thicket of blurred grey-green forest; and beyond, the strident 32

Kanoo World Traveller July 2010

peaks of the mountains prick the horizon.

But all that’s just the warm-up act for the main event: the unwrinkled expanse of Lake Bled. In summer, the waters are the purest emerald-green, deepening in intensity as autumn closes in with clouds. By winter, ice has crept over its surface with the stealth of a cat, and it looks like a white antique dress.

The thaw begins with the new year, and by late January/February, although the water is still near-freezing, the preposterously healthy Slovenians are ready to jump in for their rousing, traditional winter

constitutional. Only the hardiest and most sprightly among them make it to Bled island, marooned in the middle of the lake like a nouvelle-cuisine morsel on a particularly generous plate. It’s a ritual among newlywed couples to make the trip here to confer luck on their union – traditionally the groom carries his bride up the island’s 99 snaking steps, and she is expected to remain silent as he huffs his way up.

• The lakeside, five-star Grand Hotel Toplice (www.hotel-toplice.com) has rooms from $210 B&B.

Bloc party Their names hogged ’90s news bulletins; in 2010, these Euro-capitals are making new waves. Cheap, cultural, utterly stag-party-free – now you can really go to town.

BELGRADE, SERBIA CITY SNAPSHOT: It ain’t what you think – 15 years after monster Miloševi and civil war, Belgrade is young, party-mad and home to some of the hippest cafés in Eastern Europe.

MUST-SEE SIGHTS: Get the bigger picture from Belgrade’s fortress, where the Sava and Danube rivers meet. If you’re into ’70s kitsch, don’t pass up Tito’s mausoleum (part of the Museum of May 25th; Botieva 6; $3). Gift-shop postcards of the leader with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton make perfect souvenirs.

Make sure you save time for the sprawling royal compound, which bestrides Dedinje hill.

AFTER-DARK ACTION: For a rollicking night out (and plates of tasty grilled meat), make your way to Dva Jelena (00 381 11 323 4885; mains around $10) on Skadarska Street, where diners seemingly hired from Balkan Central Casting join singalongs helped by glugs of firewater. Now do the cafés of Strahinjia Bana Street. Club scene updates can be downloaded from Belgrade in Your Pocket (www.inyourpocket.com).

REST YOUR HEAD: The Zira Hotel (www. zirahotels.com; from $165 B&B) is nicely central. Near Parliament, the Hotel Excelsior (www.hotelexcelsior.rs; from $150 B&B) has refurbished rooms and welcoming staff.

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA CITY SNAPSHOT: Nowhere in Europe stirs the soul quite like Sarajevo, capital of BosniaHerzegovina. The scars of the ’90s siege are still there, but so are hundreds of years of history and a riveting little town that staples together east and west, with a wired café scene, great local food, and fun, fashionable residents who know how to party.

MUST-SEE SIGHTS: Downtown is dotted with markets, mosques and cafés. Nearby are 34

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the scruffy ateliers of the old Ottoman area, Bašaršija: cobbled lanes and a little tourist tat.

To feel the cruel forces of recent history, cab it to the Zetra Arena (entry free). Torvill and Dean skated a perfect 10 to Boléro here in the 1984 Winter Olympics; a decade later, the war dead of the Balkan conflict were being buried in shallow graves. On to the Butmir Tunnel by the airport (15 minutes by taxi from the centre; around $3), a precarious underground lifeline that brought food and hope to the besieged city. Come for the annual Film Festival in late July (www.sff.ba) – the balmy outdoor screenings cost peanuts – and get up close to the stars (recent guests have included, among others, Kevin Spacey and Willem Dafoe).

Unforgettable is a day-trip to the 15th-century town of Mostar, a two-hour drive away. Divers dramatically launch themselves off the Stari Most bridge as you lunch.

AFTER-DARK ACTION: Start the evening with a 10-minute cab ride into the hills for wowing panoramic views from Kod Bibana restaurant (00 387 33 232026): their uštipci (deep-fried savoury doughnuts served with cream cheese) and evapi (sausage-like kebabs served with flat bread and chopped onions) are treats at about $6. Back in town, candlelit Inat Kua (00 387 33 447867; mains around $11) has filling soups and stews, and views from the terrace across the river to the almost Moorish-looking National Library.

REST YOUR HEAD: The Kandilj (www. kandilj.com; from $85 B&B) is small, very friendly, family-run and five minutes’ walk from downtown. Modern-history buffs will favour the Holiday Inn (www.holiday-inn.com/ sarajevo; from $145 room only) – its oncebullet-scarred, garishly yellow exterior was a fixture on news bulletins in the Balkan war years of the early ’90s.

CROATIA AND BEYOND

‘At the 15th-century town of Mostar, divers launch themselves off the Stari Most bridge as you lunch’

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SKOPJE, MACEDONIA CITY SNAPSHOT: Don’t be put off by the grim Yugoslav-era architecture south of the 15thcentury Stone Bridge (Kamen Most): cross it and you’re in an Ottoman-flavoured city quite as atmospheric as Istanbul. The white-domed mosque and looming fort are as treasurefilled as the nightlife – Skopje’s jazz and rock scenes are legendary – and the food (try ajvar, a sweet, spiced pepper sauce).

MUST-SEE SIGHTS: The Ottoman past still permeates the Caršija quarter, home to gold and silverware shops, Turkish restaurants – Destan (Ul 106, 4) does succulent kebabs for $2.50 – and Muslim tea houses busy with diplomats. Locate the onion domes of the Daud Pasa baths (www.skopje.mk; $2), once the biggest Turkish baths in southern Europe,

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now a modern Macedonian art gallery with brilliant oil paintings. Later, scale the Ottoman Tvrdina Kale fortress for wraparound city views and a peaceful sunset over snowpeaked mountains.

AFTER-DARK ACTION: Slake thirsts at Pivnica An (1472 Kapan An), a café in the courtyard of an ancient Turkish bazaar (the Caršija), with a fountain and a shady, centuries-old oriental plane tree. On to Papu (www.papu.com.mk; mains around $5): Macedonian-style rustic, with exposed stonework and a sizzling grill.

REST YOUR HEAD: Anything but ditzy, Hotel Bimbo (www.hotelbimbo.com.mk; from $53 B&B) has airy rooms and a snug breakfast nook. Tradition comes with mod-cons and terrace views at Hotel Aristocrat Palace (www. aristocratpalace.com.mk; from $100 B&B).

CROATIA AND BEYOND

Mirogoj Cemetery.

ZAGREB, CROATIA CITY SNAPSHOT: It’s not a Prague-style bighitter, but if fairytale cities do it for you, you’ll fall for the Croatian capital. It’s friendly, it’s walkable, and it doesn’t stint on art, culture or great, affordable nightlife. The old town is hilly and timeless, the new town flat but grand – all avenues and immaculate parks.

MUST-SEE SIGHTS: Ride the funicular to the Medieval Upper Town for sweeping, red-tiled city views – just beware the noonday gun that booms atop white-walled Lotršak Tower.

Amble into Pinocchio-pretty Radieva Street,

with its pastel façades, outdoor cafés and decent art galleries. The Lower Town is a neatly planned grid of fine Baroque buildings around a horseshoe of parks, statues and public buildings: among the easy-tick-off sights are the Arts and Crafts Museum, the Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters, and the exquisite Art Pavilion café. On Sundays, wake yourself up Zagreb-style in a café on Ban Jelai Square – or visit Mirogoj Cemetery: through the domed entrance, you’ll find a haunting place of loggias and a sculpture park spread amongst the gravestones.

AFTER-DARK ACTION: There’s ramped-up rusticana at Dva Goluba (00 385 1232 8950; mains around $11): pigeon and mushroom soup is the renowned speciality, and there’s plenty of outdoor seating on balmy nights.

Stomachs lined, descend into the excellent BP Club (Nikole Tesle 7). Weekenders are welcomed here with toe-tapping live jazz.

REST YOUR HEAD: The Hotel Regent Esplanade (www.regenthotels.com; from $160 room only) is the city’s best address, built for Orient-Express passengers of old, and still swish.

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Plain sailing Superstars do it in yachts – but Andrew Eames has a scintillating time cruising the Dalmatian Coast by ferry.

T

he crowd on board was quite an assortment: all nationalities, ages and dress codes. There were excitable Croatian families in fake designer gear, businessmen with briefcases, and a group of dishevelled twentysomethings who looked as though they’d come straight from a rock festival.

You’d have been hard-pressed to tell what we had in common, but we shared a few things: glazed serenity, sun on skin, salt in hair…

And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one feeling smug. Here we were, cruising the Dalmatian Coast with the glitterati for a fraction of the price. Leaning over the rail of our ferry – the Marko Polo, an enormous beast – we gazed down on their yachts and cruisers, which were performing what looked like a dance: pirouetting to port, sashaying to starboard. We were far too big for the dance-floor, so they all simply got out of our way, and on we chugged.

Along most of its length, the coast seems unable to make up its mind whether to be land or sea. For 480km it shelves into the deep Adriatic, then further out it pops up again, and again. The result is a confetti of more than 1,000 islands, with old stone villages clustered around peaceful anchorages, and some of Europe’s best waters for messing around in boats. These islands can, at first sight, seem barren – take Pag and Rab, where Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson swam in 1936 – yet they often harbour secret gardens. Some are unpronounceable, like Prvic and Krk, a sound pitched between Sean Connery saying ‘kirk’ and a dog coughing. No two are quite the same. From a distance the Marko Polo has the elegant shape of a cruise ship, but up close the white paint is granulated by decades of rust. All the same, it’s a lifeline for anyone who wants the buzz of island-hopping, only

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on a budget. Because of its size, the ferry only stops at more popular destinations, yet it passes the entire chain of islands on its 21-hour run north to Rijeka from Dubrovnik (pictured) – twice a week in each direction.

The décor may be worn, but who cares? By 10am, most of us were out on the sunny deck.

The flat sea was shimmering, and land forms rose then fell like slumbering beasts as we passed, occasionally smudged with ochre where the trees stood back to reveal a village at the water’s edge. All around us, boats waited idly for the afternoon wind to fill their sails, and bow-tied waiters were busy refreshing the tablecloths in the à la carte restaurant. No time for lunch, though. We were nearing Korcula, edging in alongside the Medieval walled town at the water’s edge.

It was my first jumping-off point, and before I knew it, I was among quiet, stepped streets prettied by pot plants, ambling past houses decorated with scrolls and lions – symbols of the Venetian republic. Korcula is said to have been the birthplace of the Marko Polo’s namesake navigator, so I climbed through the (mostly ruined) Polo house and up to the tower where the great man is supposed to have gazed down the straits – just in time to glimpse my ship’s departing rear end. It felt exhilarating being marooned, although if the stories are to be believed, Marco Polo couldn’t wait to get away.

Once I’d found a guesthouse, I ended up atop another tower, Zakrjan, its summit terrace the gathering point for sunsetwatchers. Korcula’s town is the biggest single attraction, but I preferred the more laidback Vela Luka, at the western end of the island.

And I made sure I took a ferry trip to Mljet, a forested neighbour cradling two saltwater lakes. The shallower of them was so warmed by the sun, it felt like a hot-water spa.

CROATIA AND BEYOND

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The City of Korcula.

Right: Diocletian’s Palace.

After an idle three days, I was ready to rejoin the Marko Polo. Once we’d navigated the narrows between Korcula and the mainland, we were out into what felt like open sea, distant shapes purple in the haze.

You could only speculate on their identity, but Hvar was clear enough: its long ridge drew steadily nearer, and soon our ship was playing ‘dodge’ with local ferries, which bounce between the islands like pinballs.

From Hvar’s port, Stari Grad, I took a bus to Hvar Town, in the southwest, to find a fabulous Venetian-built harbour where Gothic and Renaissance buildings tumbled to the quayside. In the evening, its amphitheatre filled with a glamorous crowd, drifting from terrace to terrace in cocktail dresses and linen suits. In polished wood and chrome, yachts and motorcruisers lay hull-to-hull, uniformed crewmen keeping the inquisitive at bay while attracting enough attention that, when the onboard celeb decided to emerge, there’d be sufficient onlookers to make them feel the charter fee had been money well spent. Word on the quay was that Michael Schumacher was in town. If he was, he never showed, and after three days I was back aboard my faithful friend, ploughing the straits.

This morning there was palpable fatigue among the passengers, a fragility caused by too much partying. But there was plenty of chugging traffic to wave at, and it intensified as we neared the mainland. Destination: 40

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a slick of spilt paint that materialised as Split. Croatia’s second biggest city may be overshadowed by Dubrovnik, but it radiates charisma – particularly the part presided over by Diocletian’s crumbly old waterside palace, founded by the Roman emperor as a retirement home in 295AD. Adapted over the centuries, it’s still the functioning, inhabited heart of the city, steeped in an aura of imperial Rome and Arab medina. Diocletian had it built out of Brac marble; today the tangle of lanes within the old walls is pungent with fish restaurants, echoing with conviviality.

All it lacks is affordable hotels, so I stayed on nearby Trogir island – a Unesco-registered site home to family-run places – and commuted to Split on a local boat.

When I next picked up the Marko Polo, on its northward trudge out of Split, it was late evening. The ship crossed the Kvarner Bay overnight, so the likes of Lošinj, Krk and Cres were slumbering forms in the dark and, for once, it was deserted outside as deck-class passengers set up camp in lounge seats for the night. The restaurant grew busy, and the venue managed a roaring trade, but nobody ventured onto the dance-floor of the tiny disco – at least they hadn’t by the time I retired to my cabin. Disembarking the next day in Opatija, I found a magical last port of call: a town of Rococo villas, built by Viennese nobility in the days of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

These waters were the nearest stretch of the

Mediterranean to Vienna, and in its heyday it was a hit among the aristocracy. I ended my journey eating cake in Viennese-style tea rooms wreathed in nostalgia, and suddenly missed my trusty, rusty friend, making new acquaintances somewhere beyond the horizon. Dry land was making me feel lonely – what I really wanted was to be all at sea.

Get around The Marko Polo departs Dubrovnik at 10am on Sun and Thurs, and returns from Rijeka at 8pm on Mon and Fri. From $39 one-way; www.jadrolinija.hr.

Where to stay KORULA: Apartment Rakocevic (www. rakocevic.info) has uninterrupted views of the Pelješac channel from $99 per night, self-catering (sleeps two).

HVAR: The Apartments Tanja (www. tudor-hvar.com) are in a family house five minutes’ walk from the town, from $102 per night, self-catering (sleeps two). SPLIT: Self-catered apartments and studios sleeping two to four people range from $23-$60pp a night. TROGIR: Hotel Fontana (www.fontana-trogir. com) has rooms from $93 B&B. OPATIJA: The grand old Hotel Kvarner (www.liburnia.hr) has a great location right on the shore from $95 B&B.

CROATIA AND BEYOND

Perfect 10 Whether you’re into partying or pampering, budget breaks or back-to-nature, we’ve scoured the region to find you the ideal holiday. See how these score…

THE SUPER-LUXURY ONE: DUBROVNIK, CROATIA WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Byron’s ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ is a swooningly elegant town, where lazy, blazingly hot afternoons merge into fiery red sunsets and thumping nightlife. As water-taxis from the islands tie up for the day, order a drink at your seaview table at the Hotel Excelsior’s terrace and let the sunset do the rest. After dark, visit Nautika (www. esculap-teo.hr), by the floodlit city walls, for fresh-from-the-water fish and seafood – best enjoyed at a table on the outside terrace. As for laying your head, Villa Agave (pictured) is a slice of inspired design and easy living: a 17thcentury summerhouse and a Medieval chapel, five minutes from old Dubrovnik. It’s like staying in a fashion shoot: you glide from one

antiques- and art-laden room to the next, past oriental silks and billowing chiffon to terraces where the pool has views of sea and sky.

‘Seafarers collected seeds and saplings for the garden on their voyages’ DAY TRIP TO REMEMBER: Two years after Columbus crossed the Atlantic, a nobleman began laying out a botanical garden to reflect mankind’s expanding horizons. He asked seafarers to collect seeds and saplings on voyages so that the world’s exotica could be collected in a single place. It survives, 20km north of Dubrovnik, on a clifftop

overlooking wooded islands. The Trsteno Arboretum (www.trsteno.hr; $5.50) is a Renaissance stunner: landscaped parkland surrounding a 15th-century manor house, filled with colourful, sweet-smelling trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs from old and new worlds alike. Pride of place belongs to two giant 500-year-old Asiatic plane trees; equally remarkable is the nearly complete recultivation of woodland damaged by a Serbian bombardment in 1991. With its streams, pools, fountains and tumbling terraces, it has a refreshing informality. Visit in autumn and you might have it to yourself.

GET ME THERE: Accommodating six in three rooms, the Excelsior Hotel & Spa’s Villa Agave (www.hotel-excelsior.hr) costs $6,030 per night.

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THE BACK-TO-NATURE ONE: DHERMI, DRYMADES AND HIMARE, ALBANIA WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: The virgin beaches of Albania’s Ionian coast are about a five-hour bus-ride south from the capital, Tirana. But they’re worth it – as is the journey, through low clouds and flocks of sheep clogging the road in the Llogaraja Pass National Park.

As you descend, forests populated by bears and wolves yield to tame Mediterranean shrubbery, where donkeys graze among the flowers. And below brooding mountain peaks the lapis-lazuli sea is spectacular, lapping the white beaches of Dhërmi and Drymades villages. In July and August,

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the former is growing popular among Italians and weekenders from Tirana, but Drymades is beautifully quiet thanks to its isolated location. Peaceful Himarë has lovely rocky beaches, a curious Ottoman old town and fine Greek taverns, thanks to a multi-cultural population. As for laying your head, choices of accommodation range from luxury hotels (Himarë) to homey B&Bs (Dhërmi) to hippy beach huts (Drymades).

DAY TRIP TO REMEMBER: A drive up the Llogaraja Pass is a stunner – stop off for mountain-style spit-roast lamb at Hotel Andoni (00 355 6824 00929), or descend to the coast for a late picnic, having stocked up on bulging tomatoes, cucumbers and

sheep’s cheese at local shops, and have a quiet snack at the first beach you pass: an isolated spot at the foot of the pass. If you want a whole day of sunning it, start with coffee in a Dhërmi beach café then retreat to tranquil Drymades. Or head for a stretch beyond Himarë: the best is Porto Palermo, a pristine bay with a relaxed fish tavern and an Ottoman castle.

GET ME THERE: In Dhërmi, stay at Hotel Luciano (00 35 569 209 1431, doubles from $25), right on the beach, with simple rooms and a fish restaurant dishing up fresh catch each night. Himarë’s Rapos Resort (www. raposresorthotel.com; from $190) is one of Albania’s best.

CROATIA AND BEYOND

Gornje Celo.

THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY ONE: KOLOCEP ISLAND, CROATIA WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: The 20-minute boat ride from the Dubrovnik harbour of Gruz to this island could have been dreamed up

by Noël Coward: a gentle, pootling ferry, with views of the blue Adriatic from its whitewashed deck, bound for a stretch of southern Europe coast practically undiscovered by sun-seeking crowds. (It’s also just a short hop, so your nippers won’t be wriggling.) Of the 14 sparsely populated islands in the Elafiti archipelago, Kolocep

is the nearest and best, with empty pebble beaches, crystal-clear coves and pineshaded footpaths guarded by wild fruit trees drooping with citruses and figs – easy pickings for small fingers. Choose a private cove for the perfect family day: kids can pad over rocks to watch silver schools of sardines in the shallows before chomping on grilled snapper and sunset views from the restaurant in Gornje Celo, one of Kolocep’s two pint-sized hamlets.

DAY TRIP TO REMEMBER: Kolocep’s main road – northwest to southeast through the forested heart – is best explored before the

casserole heat of afternoon. Have breakfast on the terrace of Hotel Villas Kolocep (Donje Celo; 00 385 2075 7025), the island’s only hotel, before striking off north along the narrow, car-free road. At this hour it’s cool, blanketed in pines, cypresses, aloe and cactus, and is a manageable walk, even for little legs. Lunch at Gornje Celo, or have a picnic in one of the coves on the north coast, then – after a swim and a dry-off on a rock – head back, to a soundtrack of crickets.

GET ME THERE: The stunning properties at the Hotel Villas Kolocep (www.kolocep.com) are available from $95 B&B.

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The historic town centre of Ohrid.

THE NOSTALGIC ONE: OHRID, MACEDONIA WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Like one of the pearls in its pristine lake, the town of Ohrid is a rare beauty, hidden in southwesternmost Macedonia (itself the southernmost republic of the former Yugoslavia). Off the beaten track, the place packs a mighty atmospheric punch, at the crossroads of East and West, Yugo-nostalgia-meets-Ottoman heritage.

The Medieval fortress of Tsar Samuil sits like a broken crown atop the town, dwarfing the Roman amphitheatre below; but the real stunners are the monuments, especially Sveta Sofija and Sveti Jovan Kaneo, high on 44

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a cypress-clad lakeside cliff. Lose yourself browsing in the old bazaar, snack on roast chickpeas, buy an Ohrid-pearl necklace, and see one of Europe’s two surviving Gutenberg presses – the world’s first mechanical ones – at the Workshop for Handmade Paper (60 Tsar Samuil; www.ohridpaper.com.mk; free). Wind up at the photogenic Robevski House (64 Tsar Samuil; $1.25) to see how the bourgeoisie lived, before coffee among Roman ruins at the Lapidarium next door.

DAY TRIP TO REMEMBER: At four million years, Lake Ohrid is the oldest in Europe.

And the most timelessly serene day out is at Sveti Naum beach, on the Albanian

border, 40 minutes’ drive south. Icy springs gush into the warm waters – you can swim under the cascades – and overlooking the beach is the frescoed 16th-century Sveti Naum complex, with its peacocks, terrace restaurant over the lake, and Saint Naum’s coffin, through which you hear his ‘heartbeat’ (in fact, water dripping in the foundations). It’s a ritual to stop for a drink at one of the low-key beach shacks lining the lakeside road back to Ohrid.

GET ME THERE: Surrounded by pine forests and nestling on the shores of Lake Ohrid, Inex Hotel Gorica (www.inexgorica.com.mk) has rooms from $190 B&B.

CROATIA AND BEYOND

THE PAMPERING ONE: TERME OLIMIA, SLOVENIA

THE BUDGET ONE: TREBINJE, BOSNIA WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: It has all the allure of Dubrovnik, 20 minutes across the Croatian border – pavement cafés, courtyards shaded by quince and plum trees – but what a difference to your budget. Straddling the glassy Trebišnjica River, the town is about inexpensive pleasures: strolling the ninthcentury walls; swimming in the lake; and exploring the mosques of this richly historical corner of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Oven-baked pizzas the size of a lorry-wheel are a couple of dollars. Take a seat in a café on the wornto-a-shine cobbled streets of the Old Town,

and enjoy being, as one of the few expats puts it, ‘in Provence before the tourists arrived’.

DAY TRIP TO REMEMBER: Stock up on picnic grub – fleshy tomatoes, cheese and bread for a fraction of Middle East prices – at Trebinje market (Mon-Fri). Now for a half-hour walk into the hills, riddled with Austro-Hungarian forts – look out for the ruins of Medieval fort Mievac. Up here, you’re rewarded with views of lakes, the rooftops of Trebinje and soft hills all the way to the Adriatic.

GET ME THERE: Rooms at the Hotel Platani (www.hotelplatani.com), which marries historic architecture with modern interior design, are available from $155 B&B.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: The thermal waters that pulse beneath Slovenia’s hills and mountains have helped create some of the most spectacular spa resorts in the world. Among them is Terme Olimia (www. terme-olimia.com), in the Podetrtek region, two hours east of the capital, Llubljana. It’s a luxury complex of hotels and separate spa facilities. Sleek looks dominate, from the linear frontage of the upmarket Hotel Sotelia to the glass walls and granite floors of the recently opened Orhidelia spa complex. Soak in 2,000sq m of mineral-rich swimming pools fed by springs below, steam out toxins in its sauna complex, cleanse your system with a hammam ritual at the Termalija spa or try a scented bath at Sotelia’s Spa Armonia.

Termalija, Armonia and Orhidelia spas are open to all guests.

DAY TRIP TO REMEMBER: The region is renowned for its vine-clad hills. The hamlet of Olimje is around 10 minutes’ drive from the spa, with a well-preserved 16th-century castle. Wander the grounds, popping into the old apothecary, with remedies produced from the 160 herbs grown in the botanical garden. Lunch at the Amon Lodging House (www.amon.si) in Olimje, a farm where game, cheeses and puds are served. Take one of the marked routes from Terme Olimia for anything from a light one-hour stroll to a strenuous day-long walk.

GET ME THERE: A three-night, half-board package at Wellness Hotel Sotelia (www. terme-olimia.com) starts at $225 per person based on two sharing.

Terme Olimia Spa.

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THE HISTORICAL ONE: KOTOR, MONTENEGRO WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Set back from a cinematic stretch of coast, Kotor is a living museum of its 18th-century heyday when, sheltered from storms and pirates, it ranked among the world’s great ports. The town lies at the end of a broad inlet that winds between steep, wooded slopes. In one of the world’s youngest countries (born 2006) it’s surprising to find impeccably preserved Medieval and Baroque architecture at every turn, marbled streets reflecting the sun so intensely it hurts your eyes. Seeking shade, you duck down an alleyway, dodging the cats, to discover cool Italianate piazzas, where mimosa sprouts from ancient crevices. By the water’s edge at

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Boka Kotorska Bay, a ruined sea-captain’s house has been transformed heroically into the Palazzo Radomiri, a boutique hotel of

‘A ruined sea captain’s house has been transformed into the Palazzo Radomiri’ great warmth and charm. Way above, at the top of 1,500 steps, the Venetian ramparts are set on a rocky crest, presiding over the Adriatic, as if looking out for long-gone sailors on their homeward voyages.

DAY TRIP TO REMEMBER: From the coast, take an hour-long drive to Lake Skadar,

a glassy expanse 25 times the size of Windermere that stretches deep into Albania.

Home to the rarely seen Dalmatian pelican and hundreds of other species, Skadar attracts bird-watchers, but there’s plenty for lazier visitors: in the lake-head village of Virpazar, find shorefront Hotel Pelikan (www.pelikan-zec.com), and dally over lunch (sure to feature lake-fresh carp, sometimes garnished with plums). Later, take a boat trip to one of the lake’s numerous deserted beaches or to one of its many islands. You’ll feel a million miles from the glitzy fleshpots of the coast.

GET ME THERE: Kotor’s Palazzo Radomiri Hotel (www.palazzoradomiri.com) has rooms from $147 B&B.

Home for the holidays It’s time to embrace the staycation with our guide to the GCC’s hottest summer offers

OF H DS ORT N SA S’ W GS U O AR VIN E! H T LL SA ID DO OF INS

InterContinental Dubai Festival City THE DESTINATION Set on Dubai Creek, the sail-like shape of the InterContinental Dubai Festival City makes it a very modern landmark, and its proximity to the airport, the souks and the Burj Khalifa lend it a convenient edge. Interiors are sleek and ultra-modern, and the hotel is also home to Reets Par Pierre Gagnaire, the restaurant of three-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire, which dishes up unique, innovative fare and has won numerous awards. The spa is designed with Arabian air and uses JUST PURE organic products; golfers should check out the adjacent Al Badia course, with 18 holes spread across lush green fairways.

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THE DEAL Children aged under 16 become members of the VIK (Very Important Kids) Club, which means free bed, free meals and free pizza and ice-cream all day long. VIPs (Very Important Parents) also get complimentary shopping and dining vouchers worth up to $80, two cinema tickets, one bowling voucher for two people and a 50 per cent spa discount.

THE DATES Valid until September 30. www.ichotelsgroup.com

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InterContinental Jeddah THE DESTINATION It’s the best of both worlds here, with a glorious location overlooking the Red Sea but just five minutes from the downtown and commercial districts. If you’re keen to get out and about, take your pick from the boutiques of Tahlia Street and the excellent scuba-diving; in the hotel complex itself there’s a beautiful outdoor pool and numerous restaurants.

THE DEAL Book a five-night stay and you’ll get two additional nights’ accommodation free of charge.

THE DATES Valid until September 30. www.ichotelsgroup.com

Crowne Plaza Jeddah THE DESTINATION Overlooking the stunning Jeddah Fountain, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Jeddah is situated just off the Corniche Road and offers high levels of privacy and elegance. Stylish décor, marble bathrooms and 32-inch LCD televisions are all standard, and foodies will love Sakura Japanese Restaurant and the Arabic fare at Yasmin.

THE DEAL Book a five-night stay and you’ll get two additional nights’ accommodation free of charge.

THE DATES Valid until September 30. www.ichotelsgroup.com

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InterContinental Abu Dhabi THE DESTINATION Situated on the glittering coastline of the UAE capital, the InterContinental Abu Dhabi is less than 10 minutes from the bustling downtown area. Explorers will be able to check out Heritage Village, the Cultural Foundation and Lulu Island, all of which are close by; shoppers will be keen to snap up the numerous sparkly bargains available at the Gold Souk. Have a game of tennis and then cool off in the indoor plunge pool, then spend an evening gorging on the fabulous barbecued meat in Brazilian restaurant Chamas.

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THE DEAL GCC residents can book a room from just $135 per night (including service and tax), with kids under 12 staying for free in your room or with a 25 per cent discount in an additional room.

THE DATES Valid until September 18. www.ichotelsgroup.com

CAPITAL COASTLIN E

InterContinental Hotels Group, Oman THE DESTINATION Oman is a country of many landscapes – dramatic wadis, stark mountains, tranquil coasts and white-washed cities. No matter which of these appeals to you, you can rest assured there’ll be a beautiful hotel nearby. Sheltered by mountains is Al Bustan Palace Muscat, a breathtakingly beautiful complex comprising lush green gardens and a huge infinity pool from which you may spot dolphins frolicking in the sea; if you’d prefer to be closer to the action of Oman’s capital the InterContinental Muscat could be the answer, with its combination of expansive grounds and proximity to the business and commercial districts; the Crowne Plaza Muscat meanwhile is situated on the tip of Qurum Beach and boasts panoramic views of the Gulf of Oman. If, having read ‘Picture This’ (p26), you’re feeling inspired to enjoy the greenery brought about by the summer monsoons of the Dhofar region, the Crowne Plaza Salalah will be just the ticket. Further north is Sohar, traditionally a fishing town but now the second-most

developed city in Oman. The Crowne Plaza Sohar is the hotel of choice here, offering unhindered views over a vast nature reserve.

THE DEAL Book two nights at Al Bustan Palace Muscat, InterContinental Muscat, Crowne Plaza Muscat or Crowne Plaza Salalah, and enjoy a third for free, with early check-in and late check-out, free bed for a child, and free room upgrade. Book a stay at the Crowne Plaza Sohar from $180 per night, including accommodation, breakfast and dinner at The Restaurant for two adults and one child, one hour’s bowling and a 50 per cent discount on a half-hour massage.

THE DATES All offers valid until September 30. Crowne Plaza Salalah exempt between July 15 and August 11. www.ichotelsgroup.com

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Banyan Tree Al Wadi THE DESTINATION Standing a short, arrow-straight drive out of Dubai amid sprawling red sand dunes and little else, Banyan Tree Al Wadi makes a real feature of its natural habitat – don’t be surprised to see a gazelle ambling past your front door or an eagle flying high overhead.

Here you can hole up in your villa of choice – all boast outsized pools, though the number-one abode is arguably the tentedroofed Al Khaima – or choose from an exhaustive list of activities which includes golf on the nearby championship course at Al Hamra or a sunset horseback ride through the dunes. Come nightfall, the sound of crickets fills the air as flaming torches lead the way to the resort’s restaurants. The top table (quite literally) can be found atop a watchtower, where you can enjoy a private meal for two beneath a blanket of stars.

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THE DEAL Book a two-night stay and you’ll receive one additional night free of charge. The stay includes breakfast, welcome drinks for two, use of the hydrotherapy spa and a choice of a dining, massage, golf or falcon show experience for two.

THE DATES Valid until September 28. www.banyantree.com

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa THE DESTINATION Set in 225km² of pristine, dramatic nature reserve, this exclusive resort is paradise for wildlife enthusiasts and luxury lovers alike. The 42 suites, which overlook the rolling dunes, all come with private, temperature-controlled swimming pools providing absolute privacy (and an ultra-convenient cool-down solution) as well as your own dedicated guest relations coordinator. But while non-stop basking holds a certain appeal, the activities on offer are too exciting to ignore: observe the majesty of the UAE’s favourite bird during falconry displays; mount a camel for a desert trek; hop into one a 4x4 for a fascinating wildlife drive or put an Arabian horse through its paces with an exhilarating desert ride.

THE DEAL Book a two-night stay and get a third free. All rates include fivecourse dinners at Al Diwaan or on your private terrace, plus two nature-based activities per day.

THE DATES Valid until September 7. www.emirateshotelsresorts.com

NATURA PARADIS L E

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Raffles Dubai THE DESTINATION Set in the stunning pyramid building, conveniently close to the airport, Raffles encapsulates the luxury Dubai is renowned for.

Located next to Wafi, the exclusive lifestyle complex offering extensive shopping, leisure and dining opportunities, the hotel also has its own botanical gardens and indulgent RafflesAmrita Spa. Rooms blend Middle Eastern beauty and European simplicity, offering awesome views of the city skyline, and the restaurants on offer are among the city’s best: Asiana is set within the glass capstone at the pinnacle of the pyramid and dishes up delicious far Eastern cuisine; Fire & Ice serves some of the best cuts of meat in the city while entertaining you with jazz music in a relaxed, intimate setting.

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THE DEAL UAE residents can book a Signature Room with breakfast for two and late check-out until 4pm for $211 plus service and municipality fees.

THE DATES Valid until September 8. www.raffles.com

Cove Rotana Resort, Ras Al Khaimah THE DESTINATION Nestling into an inlet lapped by the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf, this resort has something for everyone, with 204 hotel rooms catering to convenience-seekers and 76 one, two and threebedroom villas great for families and those who like to maintain a little privacy. Water babies are spoilt for choice, with enormous infinity pools for wallowing and the sparkling sea for watersports, while parents can take advantage of some downtime in the Jacuzzi or steam room knowing the little ones are safely playing at the Flipper’s Kids’ Club. Just 10 minutes’ drive from the resort stand two golf courses – the Ras Al Khaimah Tower Links and Al Hamra Golf Club – where you can work up an appetite for the fantastic Mediterranean fare served up at Basilico.

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THE DEAL GCC residents can book a week-night stay from $108 per room per night (plus 10% service charge); weekend-night stays start from $163.

THE DATES Valid until September 8. www.rotana.com

GREAT FOR WATER BABIES

Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts THE DESTINATION This one’s a double-destination package, incorporating the city thrills of Jumeirah Emirates Towers and the desert peace of Jumeirah Bab Al Shams. The former comprises Dubai’s most famous couple – the iconic towers located close to the financial centre, and halfway between the action-packed old Dubai and modern glitz of the marina. But if you need a break from all that excitement, there’s a fabulous open-sky swimming pool plus top-notch cuisine at Vu’s, too. Jumeirah Bab Al Shams, meanwhile, provides a welcome dose of tranquility in the heart of the Arabian desert, with exquisite bedrooms and a sumptuous spa complemented by the five-star hospitality Jumeirah is famed for.

THE DEAL The Ultimate Dubai Experience package provides (deep breath): two nights at Jumeirah Emirates Towers and two nights at Jumeirah Bab Al Shams in a Deluxe Room, breakfast at Mosaico,

Dhs200 voucher to use in The Boulevard, five-course dinner at Vu’s, limousine transfer from the first to the second hotel, breakfast at Al Forsan, sunset drinks at Al Sarab Rooftop Lounge, Jeep Defender desert experience, dinner at Al Hadheerah desert restaurant, a 50-minute spa treatment at Satori Spa and limousine transfers from and to Dubai Airport (all for two people). The total cost of the package is $1,300. In addition, GCC residents booking a stay at any Jumeirah hotel are entitled to 10% off the best available rate plus entry to Wild Wadi; kids aged under 16 can also eat and stay in any of the properties for free based on two adults staying at least three nights.

THE DATES Ultimate Dubai Experience package valid until September 30 for arrivals on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. GCC residents offer valid until September 9; kids go free until September 30. www.jumeirah.com

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Atlantis The Palm THE DESTINATION It opened with an almighty bang and hasn’t quietened down since: with 1,373 rooms plus 166 suites, it’s no surprise there’s enough entertainment to sink a city at this enormous luxury resort, located at the crown of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah. As well as white-knuckle waterpark Aquaventure (which includes a 27.5m-drop through a shark-infested lagoon), there are numerous entertainment options for kids and big kids alike – there’s a PADI five-star Dive Centre, opportunities to swim with dolphins and the excellent Lost Chambers, an atmospheric aquarium with thousands of fishy friends. Gastro types will hardly know where to start, with an array of 17 restaurants to choose from including the internationally renowned Nobu, Catalan-inspired Ossiano (which looks through to the aquarium), Parisian chic at Rostang and sophisticated Italian fare at Ronda Locatelli.

THE DEAL Get one night’s accommodation, one complimentary day at Atlantis Kids Club (for little ones) or Club Rush (for older kids), unlimited access to Aquaventure and the Lost chambers, and a guided back-of-house tour, all starting from $245 per room per night (excluding service and municipality fees).

THE DATES Valid until September 8. www.atlantisthepalm.com

FAB FOR FAMILIES

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Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina THE DESTINATION An impressive neoclassical-style complex stretching along the beach, the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi offers 294 luxurious rooms and suites and top-class gym. Guests can make the most of the 1.2km of private shoreline, trying their hand at everything from wakeboarding to yachting, or stick to the Horizon pool, lap pool, rock pool and Jacuzzi. The Heavenly spa offers a huge range of sumptuous treatments; gourmets meanwhile will be in their element with the hotel’s extensive dining options. Blue Orange is a crowd-pleaser, dishing up cuisine from all over the world; Bussola offers the finest in Italian hospitality; at Hunters Room & Grill it’s all about the grain-fed beef while Spice Emporium specialises in sensational Thai food.

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THE DEAL GCC residents can book a room for $270 (plus service and municipality fees) including breakfast and lunch or dinner for two at Blue Orange (brunch not included); kids under 12 eat free when a Queen Room is booked. Quote UAEPROM when booking.

THE DATES Valid until September 8. www.westin.com

Sofitel Jumeirah Beach THE DESTINATION The Sofitel is one of the newest additions to the oh-so-stylish Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence, enjoying a fabulous coastal setting as well as being in the heart of the people-watching action. Inside, the dimly lit lobby is an atmospheric, striking space dominated by a towering tree offset with quirky star-shaped lanterns; by contrast the bedrooms are light and airy, all with gorgeous sea views. Rococo, the hotel’s signature Italian restaurant, is a definite highlight, dishing up classic dishes with a twist, although fans of French fare will want to check out AOC French Brasserie too. If you like soaking up the sun pool-side, you’ll be excited to learn that the hotel’s luxurious swimming pool will open for the first time this month – so you can be one of the first to dive in.

THE DEAL UAE residents can enjoy 15% off the best available rates, which start from an already-very-reasonable $155 (plus service and municipality fees).

THE DATES Valid until September 15. www.sofitel.com

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Desert Palm THE DESTINATION Set in lush green grounds and looking onto polo fields, Dubai’s Desert Palm offers a combination of opulence and Per AQUUM chic, drawing on Middle Eastern architecture for inspiration. This exclusive complex has just 26 guest suites and pool villas, each uniquely designed with tasteful art on the walls and top-of-therange technology including Bang & Olufsen sound systems.

Animal –lovers will want to check out the riding school and stables, which house beautiful Arabian horses, and the host of exotic birds that populate the gardens. Rare, the onsite restaurant that serves wood-fired steak and game, has garnered much critical acclaim and is a hit with all that visit it.

THE DEAL Book the LIME package and you’ll get three nights in a Pool Villa, daily breakfast, one afternoon tea for two and a 150-minute East Meets West spa treatment for two, all for $2,600 (including service and municipality fees).

THE DATES Valid until September 9. www.desertpalm.ae

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MEXICO

It’s got the supermodel looks of a paradise island, and the culture of an ancient empire. Shane Watson gets the best of both worlds on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

M

y ambitions are sunbathing and swimming. There are others, of course, but not as far as this trip goes: once every couple of years I feel the irresistible draw of a tropical island holiday, a place where the only initiative that will be required of you is to hire a Jeep and find a restaurant with a different view. And this is one of those years.

When I was single, persuading a girlfriend to head off for some Caribbean R&R was far from impossible. Now that I’m married there’s the man factor: my easily bored, easy-burn husband. How to beat these twin problems and have one’s cake at the same time? If I were to say ‘try Mexico’, it may conjure images of not-so-discerning US tourists in Day-Glo shorts disgorged from cruise ships, and travellers with dreadlocks shuffling along under their tortoise backpacks. Isn’t that a gap-year destination?

Or an extension of Miami Beach? Or the place Lindsay Lohan goes to party within earshot of the surf? All the above are correct, but that Mexico, the Mexican Riviera – a three-hour flight from San Francisco and a short cruise-liner haul from LA – is on the Pacific west coast. It’s principally North American in style, from the hotel chains to the all-you-can-eat Tex-Mex outlets.

But there is another Mexico: the Riviera Maya. Just a subtle difference linguistically, it’s actually a whole landmass away, unravelling south from the Yucatán Peninsula. On the Caribbean side, it’s the stretch of coast between Cancún and Tulum. For years it has been a smart secret (it’s hard to name a fashion editor who hasn’t shot in Tulum and then returned here on honeymoon). Hotel chains line the main east-coast highway, with those marble-slab frontages that look like monuments to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, but here there hasn’t been the same

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wholesale conversion to Yankee aesthetics and standards of hospitality. If you want a spotless, rustic cabana on the beach (without electricity), you head to the low-key, ramshackle little town of Tulum.

But the Riviera Maya also has the kind of discreet luxury that epitomises exclusive hotel brands: lots of white, lots of space, lots of quiet – and fellow guests who keep themselves to themselves.

Round here, the beaches are just as lovely, of course, but there’s culture and history on tap, too – try finding that on your Maldivian resort island. The Yucatán Peninsula has the second-biggest reef in the world, so the snorkelling and diving here are phenomenal.

I particularly loved the nature – iguanas dozing on sun-warmed rocks, racoons snuffling around at night, sometimes even a baby alligator lurking in a lagoon. Even more exotic, in towns such as Playa del Carmen, mariachi bands prowl the streets after dark in search of willing audiences. And how about dabbling in a little history circa 1000AD while you’re here? There are magnificent Mayan ruins littered about the place, and not just the postcard-famous ones at Chichén Itzá (pictured on the previous page). At Tulum we stumbled upon the photogenically weathered (and completely deserted) ancient remains of a once-glorious city, looking wistfully out to sea. Satisfyingly solid structures stretch out along the cliffs above a truly phenomenal jade-green coast. After wandering around the site, musing on human sacrifice, the beach below beckoned enticingly – a pocket-sized cove of dazzling white sand. Time to plunge into the water.

Tulum was about the luxury of space, peace, as few people and fiddly trappings as possible, and the sense that the world has stopped – simple beach-hut living. We fell for a restaurant called Ana y José (www. anayjose.com), where they’ll set you up with a double sunbed and awning and bring guacamole and drinks until you decide what 72

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MEXICO

‘After dark, 1,000 candles light the gardens, which give onto a milky swathe of sand’

Clockwise from here: An underground sinkhole in the heart of the jungle; Ana Y Jose boasts a gorgeous setting as well as delicious dishes; Diving in Mexico is out of this world; Atmospheric dining at the Moroma Restaurant; Mayan ruin overlooking the beach at Tulum.

you want to do next. Our to-see list included the Indiana Jones-worthy Mayan city of Cobá, several kilometres inland and entwined by steamy jungle, and the vast expanse of lagoons at Xel-Há that make up the world’s largest natural aquarium. And somehow, knowing that it was there if we wanted it was enough. We knew we weren’t trapped, the way you might feel on a bland paradise island. So we relaxed. And sipped our drinks.

And relaxed a little more…

Too soon, we realised it was time to shake the sand from our beach towels and move onwards – and upwards. We had booked ourselves in for a dose of luxury at the Maroma (www.maromahotel.com), roughly 30 minutes south of Cancún. The grande dame of the area at eight years old, this boutique hotel (as in a preciously paltry 65 bedrooms) is owned by the swish OrientExpress group. It’s where Tony Blair stayed when he visited, and we were quickly seduced by its old-school elegance and authenticlooking adobe architecture. After dark, staff lit 1,000 candles in the gardens, which gave onto a milky swathe of sand. The outside lounge, with its high, thatched roof and waiters in cream dinner jackets, made it one of the most romantic beach settings I can remember.

But after a couple of days here – this time having the sand shaken from our towels for us – we were becoming a little restless, and ready for more exploring. We’d already ticked off ruins, reefs and beaches. What more did Mexico have in store? Plenty, as it turns out. We’d overheard some tourists talking about the Yucutan’s mysterious ‘cenotes’, freshwater sinkholes hidden in the jungle (the whole peninsula is made of porous July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 73

MEXICO

Luxury comes in spades at the Mandarin Oriental.

limestone and riddled with caves and caverns, like a vast subterranean Swiss cheese). And so we set off in search of them, snorkels and flippers at the ready. Back down towards Tulum, we followed signs to the ‘Carwash’, a placid lagoon fringed by dense vegetation. The water was refreshingly cool and astonishingly clear. Donning masks, we ogled eerie underwater rock formations, as bubbles rising from the blue-tinged depths signalled scuba divers far below us. At Gran Cenote, another pool close by, we floated above spindly stalagmites and through spooky caverns, emerging, dripping, to find a justwed bride in full regalia with her tuxedo-clad groom, posing for wedding snaps.

That evening, still slightly soggy, we arrived at our last hotel of the holiday. More low-key than the Maroma, but just as plush, the Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya (www. mandarinoriental.com), near Playa del 74

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‘It’s hard to name a fashion editor who hasn’t shot in Tulum and then returned here on honeymoon’ Carmen, cuts an impressive 1.5km wedge through the dense mangrove from the entrance (which is notably easy to miss) down to the sea. It excels in the sort of understated luxury that means you can check in carrying still-wet snorkels, sporting beach hair, and nobody bats an eyelid. Make no mistake though – this place oozes elegance.

Freshwater lakes dot the grounds; courtyards induce intimacy; there’s a huge spa, a rooftop lounge and a restaurant, and 128 rooms.

But it’s all arranged in such a cunning way that every guest would assume they had the place all to themselves. There are rooms

curled round lagoons, suites tucked away in their own gardens (with plunge pools and outdoor baths), and six gleaming white beachfront casitas. The latter are simple Modernist boxes, each with an infinity pool and a wooden sun-deck. Once checked in, even my husband found it extraordinarily hard to venture out again – we were glad we had done our sightseeing stint beforehand, and could stretch out in the sun, guilt-free. But the spa was a must. It has the atmosphere of a peaceful retreat, the layout of a harem and the sort of treatments that you know Madonna would insist on.

We’d wanted a tropical island experience with bells on, and we’d found it. The evidence was in our digital camera, filled with enough snaps (lazing-on-a-lounger moments, arty shots of ancient ruins) to persuade friends we’d been away for far longer than a week.

Maldives eat your heart out.

CONCIERGE BUENOS AIRES

CONCIERGE

BUENOS AIRES COPENHAGEN DAMASCUS

THE 30-SECOND CONCIERGE

MANSIÓN VITRAUX, BUENOS AIRES Where in the city are you located?

We’re in San Telmo, commonly thought of as the bohemian quarter. It’s the haunt of radicals, painters and poets – in fact, the house next door used to belong to the urban hero Esteban de Luca, who took in the ‘criollos’ – local people who resisted the British invasions – back in 1806 and 1807. Nowadays, the eclectic neighbourhood is bursting with street markets, art dealerships and antique shops hidden in cobbled side streets. We like to think it’s the hippest area in Buenos Aires.

What’s there to see and do there?

Firstly, you must walk: the old colonial streets are beautiful and you won’t get a true feel for the city until you’ve explored it on foot. The maze-like Cementerio de la Recoleta is fascinating –

it’s the final resting place of Evita, among others. However, if that’s too morbid for you, I highly recommend a tango lesson.

The Confiteria Ideal (www.confiteriaideal.com) offers various taster classes and it has hosted countless celebrities since its inception in 1912.

Is the food good in Buenos Aires?

Of course! Argentina is known for its beef, and the steaks are world-class. Head to La Brigada (www.labrigada.com) for an authentic experience, with football memorabilia covering the walls and non-stop bustle; alternatively eat in-house at our restaurant, where the trio of gifted chefs will dish up imaginative, fresh fare like Patagonian lamb medallions (and, yes, steak!). www.mansionvitraux.com

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SYRIA

Umayyad Mosque.

Right: Azem Palace.

Visit Damascus

Sophie Osman enjoys all that Syria’s historical capital has to offer.

When compared with its gregarious siblings – Cairo, Beirut – Damascus may not be the most commonly talked-about Middle Eastern holiday destination, but that’s because the ‘City of Jasmine’ is a well-kept secret. Its raw beauty, not yet touched by hordes of tourists, does for the imagination what a day at the spa can do for the body: the chance to lose yourself in its sights and sounds will leave you feeling relaxed, well-fed (and in possession of an enviable photo album).

Of most interest to visitors will be the ‘Old City’, best described as the historical heart of 76

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the capital due to the myriad interesting sites within the area (‘New’ and ‘Old’ are divided by a 2,000-year-old wall, which also provides a handy navigation point).

A colourful labyrinth of souks, mosques, street-stalls and bath houses, the Old City is lent an air of mystery by its endless alluring alleyways. Old buildings lean against each other like elderly married couples, fused together over time and shared histories. Adorning them are large, decorative wooden doors hiding beautiful open courtyards, which form the centrepiece to many traditional houses in Damascus.

A chic handful of these residences have been converted into boutique hotels, offering guests a relaxed ambience combining Arabic furniture, beautiful mosaics and jewelcoloured lamps (see ‘Where to stay’). When it comes to dining, Damascus not only offers some of the best Arabic food in the Middle East but also allows you to feel the warmth of the renowned Syrian hospitality. Meals can go on for hours as you lie back on the cushioned seats and enjoy the courtyard setting: in fact whether you’re there for a

modest coffee and shisha or a full fivecourse feast, the entire experience will be shrouded in a haze of tranquillity – a perfect reflection of the Syrian approach to life.

Energetic explorers The jewel in Damascus’ crown is the beautiful Umayyad Mosque, which is considered to be one of the holiest in the world.

The main entrance is separated from the busy Souk al-Hamidiyya by a square humming with people. The vast courtyard is arresting by virtue of its sheer size, with visitors stopping in their tracks to gaze up at the minarets.

Take a glimpse at one of the most impressive Damascan courtyard homes with a visit to the Azem Palace (near Souk al-Bzouriyya, Old City), which provides a striking example of the region’s black and white striped stonework.

Built in 1749, palatial rooms with beautiful painted ceilings are complemented by the exterior spaces.

After all that walking, even the most sprightly explorer will need to kick back and relax.

A visit to one of the hammams in the Old City will leave you feeling as good as new, and ready for your next adventure. Check out the Hammam az-

CONCIERGE DAMASCUS

Clockwise from here: Local dessert; Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque; Courtyard at the Old Vine; The hotel’s luxurious dwellings; Beit Rumman.

OLDIE BUT GOLDIE: Damascus is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world – records show it could have been lived in as early as 6300BC. SAY A LITTLE PRAYER: Damascus is said to hold a whopping 2,000 mosques. BUS-Y CITY: The main form of transportation is minibus – there are over 100 lines, but no schedule and few official stops, so be sure to shout when you need to hop off.

Zahariyya, close to the Umayyad Mosque, which has been getting people squeaky clean since the 12th century.

Souk-a-holics Directly opposite the Ummayyad Mosque is Souk al-Hamidiyya.

Bustling and energetic, this corrugated-ironcovered area is shady and dim – except where sunlight enters through the bullet holes left in the roof by French enemy planes in 1925. The entrance to the souk from the mosque side will have you rooting for your camera as you try to take it all in: countless women haggling with shopkeepers, extended

families meeting and greeting one another, tea-sellers propping their bicycles up to support the hot urns, and tourists weaving their way through the madness, guidebooks in hand.

It’s worth stopping for a few moments to watch the crowd fight tooth and nail to enter Bakdash (Souk al-Hamidiyya) – a shop selling cones of ice-cream rolled in pistachio nuts. You won’t miss it; just look out for the huge mountain of ice-cream in the window. It’s well worth braving the crush for this sweet treat.

If it’s edible wares you’re after, visit Souk

Al-Bzouriyya (just off Straight Street, Old City) and pick up a selection of famous Damascan sweets: biscuits, nuts, nougat, pistachio – you name it, it’s here. The air is infused with the scents of spices and warm bread mingling with strong coffee; you’ll be snapping them up (and haggling like a local to get them) in no time at all.

WHERE TO STAY NO EXPENSE SPARED Old Vine Hotel 92 Ammara Jouaniyeh, Ammara, Old Damascus (www.oldvinehotel.com).

A luxury boutique hotel with just nine beautifully appointed suites and rooms, centred around

a relaxing courtyard in the heart of the Old City.

From $150, room only.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Beit Rumman 72 Qishleh St, John the Baptist intersection, main road of Bab Toma (www.bietrumman.com).

Friendly, warm and welcoming, this traditional boutique hotel is nothing short of spectacular, with comfortable rooms, helpful staff and delicious food. From $100, room only.

WHERE TO EAT NO EXPENSE SPARED Leila’s Restaurant and Terrace Souk al Abbabiyya (+963 11 544 5900).

With unrivalled views over the Umayyad Mosque, this glittering rooftop haunt dishes up lentil kibbeh, mixed grills and an excellent sweet cheese dessert called ‘mamoul’. Get there early though – this is a popular spot.

Main meals from $10.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD Bab Sharqi Sharia Bab Sharqi.

One of the city’s best (and most in-demand) people-watching spots, this little pizzeria is a hit with hip students and offers a terrific ‘toshka’ (Armenian-style toasted meat and cheese sandwich) as well as hearty Italian fare.

Main meals from $3.

July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 77

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

QATAR Museum Street Old Al Salatta, Doha Tel. 441 3441 Corporate Centre Al Hithmi, Doha Tel. 448 3777 Salam Tower West Bay, Doha Tel. 483 7826, 483 7297 Ras Laffan Commercial Complex Ras Laffan Tel. 474 8772 / 4

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

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

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

Gulf Air Jubail Tel. 03 363 0982/ 84 / 85 /86

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

Kanoo Holidays, Wholesale Airline Centre, Khobar Tel. 03 8821626 / 1851 / 8820161 Hertz Khobar Tel. 03 882 2005 / 5597

Kanoo Tower King Saud Street, Damman Tel. 03 833 9793

Umalquara Street Hayfer Makkah Tel. 02 544 7741 Kanoo Travel Sharafiya Tel. 02 643 9426 Kanoo Travel Taif Tel. 02 736 4211 Kanoo Travel Rabigh Tel. 02 423 2785 Kanoo Travel Medinah Tel. 02 263 3040 Air India Jeddah Tel. 02 668 0303 / 669 6571 Gulf Air Jeddah Tel. 02 668 0303 / 669 6571 / 646 Singapore Airlines Jeddah Tel. 02 657 9898 Srilankan Airlines Jeddah Tel. 02 263 2959 Air Canada Jeddah Tel. 02 263 2996, Ext. 190 Kenyan Airways Jeddah Tel.02 263 2959 Ext. 108 Philippine Airways Jeddah Tel. 02 263 2959 Ext. 100 / 122

Airport Office Dammam Tel. 03 883 2660 / 2660 British Airways Khobar Tel. 03 882 2000 British Airways Dammam Tel. 03 835 5714 British Airways Jubail Tel. 03 362 1069 Air India Khobar Tel. 03 882 2478

King Khalid Street Khobar Tel. 03 864 7471 47th Street Rahima Tel. 03 667 0388 Al Quds Street Qatif Tel. 03 851 5009 City Centre Al Mahoob Buidling Hufuf Tel. 03 586 3823

Air India Jubail Tel. 03 362 3454

Kanoo Building Corniche Road Jubail Tel. 03 362 2340

Qantas Khobar Tel. 03 882 3711 / 2467

Municipal Street Al Khafji Tel. 03 766 0045

United Airlines / Air Canada / Singapore Airlines / Swissair / Austrian Airlines Tel. 03 882 1518/ 2962 / 2602 / 03 882 4477 / 4442 / 4890 / 4533

CENTRAL PROVINCE Kanoo Tower King Abdul Aziz Road Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228

Srilankan Airlines Khobar Tel. 03 882 2789 / 2675 / 2792

King Faisal Foundation Al Khairia Complex Riyadh Tel. 01 463 4454

Gulf Air Khobar Tel. 03 896 8496 / 9393 / 8493

Wazir Street Al Azizea Building

Gulf Air Dammam Tel.03 835 4194 / 4917 / 4952 Gulf Air Qatif Tel. 03 852 9384 / 854 5240

Khamis Abha Main Road Khamis Mushayat Tel. 07 222 3624

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

Prince Sultan Street Gizan Tel. 07 317 4285

EASTERN PROVINCE

Gulf Air Rastanura Tel. 03 667 8041/ 7972

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

Gulf Air Hofuf Tel. 03 585 3358 / 4080 / 2252

Aboobacker Al Siddiq Street, Medina Tel. 04 823 9120

Dhahran Street Damman Tel. 03 833 7694

Riyadh Tel. 01 411 4780 Batha Riyadh Tel. 01 403 0368 Al Kubaih Street Buraidah Tel. 06 325 0888 Airport Road Hail Tel. 06 543 0430 Sharjah Street Hotat Bani Tamim Al Hotah Tel. 01 555 0304

CONCIERGE WHERE TO BOOK

EASY WIN!

Silsilah Road Onaiza Al Qassim Tel. 06 362 0080 Main Street Al Khamseen Wadi Ad Dawasir Tel. 01 784 6500 Kanoo Travel Naseem Tel. 01 232 8519

Green Community Mall Jebel Ali Road Dubai Tel. 04 885 3321 Kanoo Travel – American Express Hermitage Building Al Karama Tel. 04 334 9219 Najda Street Abu Dhabi Tel. 02 678 0400

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

Kanoo Holidays Dubai Tel. 04 334 1444 / 315 6624

Gulf Air Olaya, Riyadh Tel. 01 461 0589 / 462 4902

Marine Travel Services Dubai Tel. 04 335 1314

United Airlines / Air Canada Kanoo Tower, Riyadh Tel. 01 477 2228 Ext. 289, 290

Airport Office Dubai Tel. 04 393 1963

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

UAE Jebel Ali LOB 16, Ground Floor Jebel Ali Free Zone Tel. 04 881 5050 Karama Al Fathooi Centre Dubai Tel. 04 334 1222 Kanoo Building Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street, Bur Dubai Tel. 04 507 2242 Dubai Internet City Building 12 Tel. 04 390 1992 Deira City Centre Dubai Tel. 04 294 1481 Kanoo Building Al Orouba Street, Sharjah Tel. 06 561 6058

Kanoo Travel Corniche, Abu Dhabi Tel. 02 631 3900 / 631 8187

UK Birmingham American Express Bank House. 8 Cherry Street Tel. 0121 644 5514 / 0121 644 5560 Bournemouth American Express 95A Old Christchurch Road Tel. 0787 260 0528 / 01202 780 752 Brighton Amex House Implant American Express Ground Floor Amex House Edward Street Tel. 01273 525 041 / 040 Bristol American Express 74 Queens Road Tel. 01179 065 107 / 105 Cardiff American Express 3 Queen Street Tel. 02920 649 305 / 02920 649 301 Coventry American Express 5 Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre Tel. 02 47 622 5511 / 0787 260 0528 Croydon American Express 2-4 High Street Tel. 0208 256 0808 / 0805 Edinburgh American Express 69 George Street 0131 718 2508 / 0131 718 2505 Essex Lakeside Bureau American Express Lakeside Shopping Centre West Thurrock Way West Thurrock Grays Tel. 01708 890 654

Glasgow American Express 66 Gordon Street Tel. 0141 225 2905 / 08 Guildford American Express 38-40 High Street Tel. 01483 551 607 / 01483 551 605 Leicester American Express 1 Horsefair Street Tel. 0116 242 1808 / 05 London Haymarket American Express 30 – 31 Haymarket Tel. 0207 484 9674 / 0207 484 9600 London Credit Swiss, First Boston American Express Travel Office C/O Credit Suisse One Cabot Square Canary Wharf Tel. 0207 888 4196 London Holborn Bureau American Express 156a Southampton Row Tel. 0787 260 0528 / 0207 837 4416 London Kensington High St. American Express 84 Kensington High Street Tel. 0207 795 6703 London Knightsbridge American Express 78 Brompton Road Tel. 0207 761 7908 / 7900 London American Express 1 Savoy Court, The Strand Tel. 0207 240 1521 Milton Keynes American Express 670 Silbury Boulevard Tel. 01908 608 877 Manchester American Express 10-12 St Mary’s Gate Tel. 0161 833 7301 Nottingham American Express 2 Victoria Street Tel. 0115 924 7705 / 01 Plymouth American Express 139 Armada Tel. 01752 502 707 / 702 Sheffield American Express 20 Charles Street, Sheffield Tel. 0114 263 9308 / 05 Southampton American Express 99 Above Bar Tel. 02380 716 808 / 805 York American Express 6 Stonegate Tel. 01904 676 505

LIFE RESORT DA NANG, VIETNAM

Vietnam has been hotly tipped as the new Thailand – and it’s loved by in-the-know holidaymakers for having all the natural beauty with just a fraction of the tourist numbers. The Life Resort Da Nang (www.life-resorts.com) provides the perfect respite for intrepid travellers seeking a luxurious retreat at the end of each day’s exploration. Set in four hectares on the Bac My An beach, the resort has a stunning infinity pool overlooking the white sands and tranquil green waters of the South China Sea beyond. Rooms are blissfully stylish and simple, with dark woods and breezy white furnishings, and those interested in Vietnamese cuisine will love watching it being prepared in the show kitchen at Senses Restaurant.

What with the newly opened fitness centre, tennis courts, watersports and bike rental facilities, active types won’t know what to try first; pampering fanatics meanwhile won’t need to think twice before making a beeline for the Nang Spa. We’ve got a three-night stay for two on a B&B basis to give away to one lucky reader – and all you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer the following simple question and email it to us at easywin@hotmediapublishing.com.

Q. What is the name of the beach on which the Life Resort Da Nang is based? a) Bac My Aunt b) Bac My Ban c) Bac My An TERMS AND CONDITIONS Entries must be submitted by July 31, 2010. Prize cannot be taken between December 24, 2010 and January 2, 2011.

Prize cannot be transferred to a third party or exchanged for cash.

July 2010 Kanoo World Traveller 79

CONCIERGE SUITE DREAMS

SUITE DREAMS GLOUCESTER PARK, LONDON

When staying just round the corner from Buckingham Palace, it’s only fitting that you book yourself accommodation fit for a queen (or king) – enter Gloucester Park serviced apartments. Guest privacy is awarded the utmost importance through tight security and discreet service, and the light, airy apartments have fully equipped kitchens complete with Villeroy and Boch cutlery and gorgeous walk-in showers bursting with Molton Brown goodies. People-watchers should opt for an apartment with balconies looking onto the bustling streets below and London skyline beyond, while serenity seekers will love the rear rooms which afford views of the lush private garden. www.chevalgroup.com

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Kanoo World Traveller July 2010