World Traveller Jan'15

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THE REGION’S BIGGEST LU XURY TR AV EL M AGAZINE

January 2015

Complimentary Copy

Issue Eighty One AT ONE WITH

NATURE

FROM RAINFORESTS TO SAFARI PARKS, STEP INSIDE THE WORLD'S MOST SPECTACULAR SPA SPOTS

15 FOR

2015

Produced in International Media Production Zone

TRENDING CITIES YOU NEED TO VISIT THIS YEAR

DUAL

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EDITOR’S

NOTE

ISSUE EIGHT Y ONE, JANUARY 2015

Managing Director

Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director

John Thatcher Business Development Director

Jason Brown Editor

Tracey Scott Deputy Editor

Richard Jenkins Features Editor

Lara Brunt Senior Designer

Adam Sneade Designer & Illustrator

Andy Knappett Production Manager

Chalitha Fernando To contact any of the above people, email firstname@hotmediapublishing.com

Jun-Dec 2013 | 23,167 | BPA Consumer Audit 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 World Traveller. Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494

New year. What does it mean to you? For some, it’s a time to reflect on the previous 12 months (fondly or regretfully). For others it’s a time to set new (achievable or impossible) goals for the coming dozen. For most, it’s a time to plan new adventures. It is the third bloc who we’re most interested in this issue. To kick things off we round-up our must-visit destinations for 2015. From Bali and Bucharest to Cape Town and Chicago, everything you need to know about where’s trending this year can be found on page 18. In a similar vein, we’ve compiled an inspiring list of dual destinations for travellers looking to blend sightseeing with sitting back. Catching the Great Migration in Tanzania followed by some R&R in Zanzibar has got us dreaming (page 44). Whatever type of holiday you’re hankering after, I say it’s time to leave the why nots and what ifs of 2014 behind and, instead, focus on where next and with whom. Happy holiday planning, and happy New Year.

Tracey Scott

4 Molori Safari Lodge, South Africa

TR ACEY@HOTMEDIAPUBLISHING.COM

@WT_Magazine

January // 2015

CHECK IN 6

Check In From foraging experiences to 2015 best destinations, here’s what’s hot in travel.

25

Style & Wellness Charitable retreats plus Dubai holiday residences with standout spas.

DESTINATIONS 33

Home and Away Linda Cookson experiences Essaouira like a local by renting a dar in the ancient medina.

38

There’s Manu from heaven Mike Unwin is enthralled by the colourful wildlife of Peru’s Manu rainforest.

44

33

Dual destinations Get two holidays in one with our guide to the best places for fun, followed by relaxation.

68

52

Iconic California From Route 66 to the Hollywood Hills, the sunkissed state dazzles.

56

Cold Comfort Moscow is a frosty fairy tale in winter, says expert-expat Phoebe Taplin.

WEEKENDS 63

Everything you need to know about short-haul adventures.

38

66

56

Six of the best... New Year adventures to start 2015 with a bang.

70

5

The Taste of the UAE From quirky Dubai dining to the first food truck festival, we sample the region’s best.

74

The Great Escape Win a luxury stay at one of London’s best hotels.

World Traveller

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Be Here Now BA LI, INDONESI A Who hasn’t been caught out in the rain like this little fella? Photographer Andrew Suryono couldn’t believe his luck when he spotted this long-haired primate, native to Indonesia and Malaysia, in Bali. He says: “Just before I put my camera away, I saw this orang-utan take a banana leaf and put it on top on his head to protect himself

from the rain. I immediately used my DSLR and telephoto lens to preserve this magic moment.” It’s just one of the incredible images in the running for the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards. Winners will be announced on April 23, followed by an exhibition at London’s Somerset House from April 24 to May 10. worldphoto.org

Photo: © Andrew Suryono, Indonesia, Entry, Nature and Wildlife Category, Open Competition, 2015 Sony World Photography Awards.

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Be Here Now Dubbed ‘the rainforest of the ocean’, the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s east coast has the unique status of being the world’s largest living organism. Armchair travellers will be pleased to hear that Sir David Attenborough is returning to the reef this year for a new BBC series, almost six decades after i wÀÃÌ w i` Ì iÀi° / i ÃiÀ iÃ]

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expected to be broadcast later this year, will use sophisticated techniques to reveal the reef in completely new ways. Those } Ì iÝ« Ài Ì wÀÃÌ > ` should check in to qualia, located on the northernmost tip of Hamilton Island in the heart of the marine park, which is regularly voted one of Oz’s best luxury resorts. qualia.com.au

Photo: Supplied by qualia.

G R E AT B A R R I E R R E E F, A U S T R A L I A

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Globetrotter The Lowdown

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HOTEL TREND

FIND DINING

NEW GALLERY

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BRILLIANT BAG

SNAP HAPPY i>` } ÕÌ > « Ì Ã>v>À ¶ " Ƃ V> iÀ> L>}Ã] Ài Ü i` v À Li } ÃÌÞ Ã ÞiÌ vÕ VÌ > ] >Ài Ü >Û> >L i iÝV Õà Ûi Þ >Ì Õ v * Ì * Õà ÕL> ° À>vÌi` Ü Ì Ì> > Ì> i` i>Ì iÀ > ` `ià } i` Ì V>ÀÀÞ > V> iÀ>] ÌÜ Ì Ì Àii i Ãià > ` > >«Ì «] / i À ÝÌ ­« VÌÕÀi`® à i ÌÀ>Ûi >VViÃà ÀÞ Þ Õ½ `iw Ìi Þ Ü> Ì Ì L>}° gulfphotoplus.com

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MY CIT Y

Hong Kong Founder of Hong Kong-based jewellery brand Van Eyck, Alon Garty, on his adopted home city’s best spots If I had only 24 hours to explore the city, I would browse the many atmospheric street markets, such as the Flower Market and Jade Market. The exotic birds of Papua New Guinea inspired ÕÀ >Õ}ÕÀ> w i iÜi iÀÞ collection, so I’d stop by the Bird Garden too. Designed in the style of a traditional Chinese garden, the park has dozens of stalls selling colourful birds and beautifully crafted bamboo cages. I’d then hop on the Peak Tram, the city’s historic funicular, to Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, Ì i Þ v>LÕ Õà «> À> V views of the skyscrapers > ` >ÀL ÕÀ° ½` w à vv with an evening cruise of Victoria Harbour on board a Chinese-style boat, which glides past Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay and the neonlit entertainment district of Wan Chai. I’m passionate about photography so I’d recommend keen photographers visit Temple Street to capture its colourful temples and night market,

where you’re bound to see some interesting faces. Hong Kong is renowned for its shopping, so luxury lovers should visit Landmark, home Ì Õ Ã 6Õ ÌÌ ½Ã Ƃà > y>}à « and top-end restaurants with the most Michelin stars under one roof (10 in total), and 2CEKƂE 2NCEG for men’s and women’s fashion and high-end skincare from the likes of La Mer and Nars. Stay at the W hotel, which has very trendy design, and clink glasses at Salon 10, a hip little cocktail bar in Central. For the best dim sum in town, book a table at the Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung in Tsim Sha Tsui, while Tokio Joe in the heart of the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district is my favourite spot for Japanese. For peace and quiet, Hong Kong has plenty of hiking trails including my favourite, Dragon’s Back, which provides stunning views of Tai Long Wan, Stanley, Tai Tam and the South China Sea. I also love relaxing at South Bay Beach, a beautiful and secluded beach about 1.5km walk from busy Repulse Bay.

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Nicki Minaj

THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY

The third studio album from the US rapper includes the hit single Anaconda, plus guest appearances from Beyoncé and Lil Wayne.

Set in 1960s Greece, Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst star as a couple who must trust a stranger to help Ì i yii >vÌiÀ > ÕÀ`iÀ°

Developed in the UAE, this free video concierge guide to Dubai lets you make reservations, redeem vouchers and leave reviews.

Mark Greaney Penned by Tom Clancy’s former co-author, President Jack Ryan is targeted for assassination.

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January // 2014

In

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SPOTLIGHT ON

With over 5,000 restaurants, Canada’s largest French-speaking city is made for gourmands. Here’s where to tuck in‌

MONTREAL Culinary delights

Sights

Farmers’ markets Jean-Talon Market in the Little Italy district is renowned for spices, oils, cheeses, meats and pastries, as well as street food favourites such as crepes and roasted chestnuts, while Atwater Market in Saint-Henri ĂƒÂŤiVˆ>Â?ÂˆĂƒiĂƒ ˆ˜ w˜i vœœ`Ăƒ°

Vieux-MontrĂŠal The historic quarter features cobblestone streets, alleys and squares lined with beautifully restored buildings dating back to the ÂŁĂ‡ĂŒÂ… ViÂ˜ĂŒĂ•Ă€Ăž° -Âœ>ÂŽ Ă•ÂŤ ĂŒÂ…i atmosphere on foot or by Â…ÂœĂ€Ăƒi‡`Ă€>ĂœÂ˜ V>Â?ˆVÂ…i°

Food trucks Vans selling everything from French pastries and bagels to Indian curries and burgers ply the streets of Montreal year-round, although May to "VĂŒÂœLiĂ€ ÂˆĂƒ ÂŤi>ÂŽ Ăƒi>ĂƒÂœÂ˜° ÂœĂ€ ĂŒÂ…i Â?>ĂŒiĂƒĂŒ vœœ`ˆi w˜`Ăƒ] vÂœÂ?Â?ÂœĂœ J-ĂŒĂ€iiĂŒ œœ` / œ˜ /ĂœÂˆĂŒĂŒiĂ€°

Vieux-Port This former trading port has been transformed into a top recreation spot with riverside promenades and Â?>˜`ĂƒV>ÂŤi` ÂŤ>ÀŽÂ?>˜`Ăƒ° /Â…iĂ€i½Ăƒ an ice-skating rink throughout winter and an urban beach in ĂƒĂ•Â“Â“iĂ€°

Fine dining Exceptional Gallic-inspired VĂ•ÂˆĂƒÂˆÂ˜i >LÂœĂ•Â˜`Ăƒ ˆ˜ ÂœÂ˜ĂŒĂ€i>Â?° For contemporary French y>Ă›ÂœĂ•Ă€Ăƒ] LœœŽ > ĂŒ>LÂ?i >ĂŒ i Club Chasse et PĂŞche or Les {ää ÂœĂ•ÂŤĂƒ° ,iĂƒĂŒ>Ă•Ă€>Â˜ĂŒ /ÂœĂ€ÂœÂ?ˆ] “i>Â˜ĂœÂ…ÂˆÂ?i] ĂƒiÀÛiĂƒ Ă€iw˜iĂƒ >ÂŤ>˜iĂƒi‡ Ă€i˜VÂ… vĂ•ĂƒÂˆÂœÂ˜°

Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art Some of the museum’s permanent collection of over 7,600 works by QuĂŠbĂŠcois artists such as Paul-Emile Borduas and international artists like Sam Taylor-Wood are on display in one wing, while the second wing hosts ĂŒiÂ“ÂŤÂœĂ€>ÀÞ iĂ?…ˆLÂˆĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜Ăƒ°

Food festivals Each February, the 11day MontrĂŠal en Lumière combines gastronomy and performing arts, while QuĂŠbec’s best chocolatiers showcase their skills during i ĂŒ½>ˆ“i i˜ VÂ…ÂœVÂœÂ?>ĂŒ° ˜ November, restaurants offer `iÂ?iVĂŒ>LÂ?i wĂ?i`Â‡ÂŤĂ€ÂˆVi “iÂ˜Ă•Ăƒ `Ă•Ă€ÂˆÂ˜} /Ć‚-/ / °

Space for Life This fantastic complex includes a planetarium, insectarium and BiodĂ´me, ĂœÂ…ÂˆVÂ… vi>ĂŒĂ•Ă€iĂƒ wĂ›i `ˆvviĂ€iÂ˜ĂŒ ecosystems under one roof, plus the Botanical Garden, with thousands of species in ĂŽä ĂŒÂ…i“>ĂŒÂˆV }>Ă€`iÂ˜Ăƒ°

The insider...

Josee Choquette from InterContinental Montreal maps out a memorable day

16

Spend your morning at Bota Bota] > yÂœ>ĂŒÂˆÂ˜} ĂƒÂŤ> >LÂœ>Ă€` a revamped ferry anchored in the Old Port with a healthy Ă€iĂƒĂŒ>Ă•Ă€>Â˜ĂŒ >˜` }Ă€i>ĂŒ Ă›ÂˆiĂœĂƒ° Next up, visit Sarah B at our Â…ÂœĂŒiÂ?° >“i` >vĂŒiĂ€ Ă€i˜VÂ… actress Sarah Bernhardt, the lounge bar is renowned for the herb-based spirit that was

January // 2015

popular in Paris in the late ÂŁnĂŒÂ… ViÂ˜ĂŒĂ•Ă€Ăž° /Â…i˜ Â?i>Ă€Â˜ ĂŒÂœ create the Provencal-inspired y>Ă›ÂœĂ•Ă€Ăƒ Âœv ĂŒÂ…i VÂˆĂŒĂž `Ă•Ă€ÂˆÂ˜} > private cooking class with chef Matthieu Saunier from ÂœĂ•Ă€ LĂ€>ĂƒĂƒiĂ€Âˆi] "ĂƒVÂœ°

An island of blissful experiences awaits your

arrival

Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort

Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara

Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Yamm Villa Resort

Just off the coast of Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island is a unique island retreat, long known for its natural and rugged beauty. Be inspired by a range of outdoor activities at Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara. Immerse yourself in Arabian traditions as you enjoy views of the beachfront and lagoons at Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Yamm Villa Resort, or catch sight of bountiful free-roaming animals while trekking to or from the extraordinary Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort. Embark on a journey rich with discovery at anantara.com Call +971 (0)2 656 1399 or crome@anantara.com

United Arab Emirates < Cambodia < China < Indonesia < Maldives < Mozambique < Thailand < Vietnam

Rates start from AED 1,200* per night including breakfast *Rates are subject to 10% service charge and 6% tourism fee. Conditions apply. Rate quoted is for stays at Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara.

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15 PLACES

TO EXPLORE IN 2015

Milan, Italy

Italy’s second city is expected to welcome over 20 million visitors to its food-themed Universal Exposition later this year (May 1 to October 31, expo2015.org). The city is buzzing with new museums like the Museo delle Culture, while the Fondazione Prada V Ìi « À>ÀÞ >ÀÌ Vi ÌÀi à > à ÃiÌ Ì «i ëÀ }° i> Ü i] > ` >À à ÃÕV >Ã Ì i xää Þi>À ` Õ > ` >} wVi Ì Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade have been spruced up, with the latter also welcoming a raft of new store openings.

Manama, Bahrain

News that Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is opening in Q1 – in time for the annual Grand Prix (April 17-19) – has got us excited. On a man-made island in the heart of the capital, the 68-storey hotel will boast seven restaurants and lounges, including three by Wolfgang Puck, and one of the largest Four Seasons ë>Ã Þ Õ½ w ` > ÞÜ iÀi Ì i world. fourseasons.com/Bahrain

Taipei, Taiwan

Word is slowly getting out that Taiwan’s vibrant capital is a top destination for foodies. From atmospheric night >À iÌÃ Ì w i ` } establishments to rival Tokyo, Taipei will seriously tempt your taste buds with its fusion VÕ Ã i yÕi Vi` LÞ Portuguese, Spanish and Japanese visitors. Stay at Humble House Taipei, which has over 600 works of art. designhotels.com

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January // 2015

Faroe Islands

Halfway between Iceland and Nor way, this is the place to view the total solar eclipse on March 20, during which the moon totally blocks the sun and casts an eerie glow. With the next eclipse in Europe not due until 2081, now’s the time for budding astronomers to book a four-day cruise with Nordic Experience. nordicexperience.co.uk

Bali, Indonesia Bucharest, Romania Ă•ĂƒĂŒ > ĂŒÂ…Ă€iiÂ‡Â…ÂœĂ•Ă€ yˆ}Â…ĂŒ vĂ€ÂœÂ“ Ă•L>ˆ] ĂŒÂ…i ,œ“>˜ˆ>˜ V>ÂŤÂˆĂŒ>Â? ÂˆĂƒ ĂŒÂ…i perfect place for a weekend away. And with a charming Old Town packed with bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs, get ready to party, too. Top upmarket spots include Fratelli, The Vault and Club Bamboo.

Planning a jaunt to Bali? Make it in Q2, when Alila Seminyak will open along a pristine beach on the southwest coast, the Â…ÂœĂŒiÂ? }Ă€ÂœĂ•½Ăƒ wvĂŒÂ… ÂŤĂ€ÂœÂŤiĂ€ĂŒĂž œ˜ ĂŒÂ…i ÂˆĂƒÂ?>˜`° ĂŒ ÂŤĂ€ÂœÂ“ÂˆĂƒiĂƒ ĂŒÂœ Li > tropical haven with rooftop pools, contemporary rooms and one spectacular penthouse. alilahotels.com/seminyak

Cape Town, South Africa

When Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on ,ÂœLLi˜ ĂƒÂ?>˜`] Â…i often looked across Table Bay at the “>}˜ˆwViÂ˜ĂŒ ĂƒÂˆÂ?Â…ÂœĂ•iĂŒĂŒi of Table Mountain and dreamed of one day returning. February 11 marks a quarter of a century since the anti-apartheid campaigner walked free after 27 years in jail. Expect emotional and joyful celebrations. capetown.travel

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Chicago, USA -ÂˆĂ€ ,ˆVÂ…>Ă€` Ă€>Â˜ĂƒÂœÂ˜ Â?>Ă•Â˜VÂ…iĂƒ Â…ÂˆĂƒ wĂ€ĂƒĂŒ 6ÂˆĂ€}ˆ˜ ÂœĂŒiÂ? ĂŒÂ…ÂˆĂƒ Â“ÂœÂ˜ĂŒÂ… in the Central Loop district. The converted 1928 bank features 250 suitably hip rooms and suites, while the brand’s quirky personality shines through in the dining spaces such as the American diner. A rooftop izakaya and cocktail joint will open in the spring. virginhotels.com

January // 2015

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Barcelona, Spain

Behind a restored 19th century façade on Barcelona’s celebrated Passeig de Colom, history, art and top tech gadgets collide in stylish fashion at The Serras. Opening this month, the 29-room boutique hotel was once home to Pablo * V>Ãà ½Ã wÀÃÌ ÃÌÕ` ° There are oversized rooms (some with Med views) with tiling that echoes classic Barcelonès style, a stylish rooftop terrace and Catalan cuisine from a Michelinstarred chef. Meanwhile, the Picasso Museum and Ferran Adrià’s fabulous tapas bar, Tickets, are just moments away. designhotels.com

Ljubljana, Slovenia Ó]äää Þi>Àà >} ] > , > V ÌÞ V> i` > ÃÌ ` Ì i à Ìi of the present-day Ljubljana. This year, the city sometimes described as a mini-Prague celebrates the anniversary with historical exhibitions, gladiator battles and guided tours of old , > ÕL > >° / i V ÌÞ ÌÃi v à `i } ÌvÕ ] Ü Ì L Õ iÛ>À`à and backstreets full of Baroque and Art Nouveau splendours and buzzing outdoor cafés, plus a picturesque river and 12thcentury castle that hovers quietly above. visitljubljana.com

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Mozambique, Africa

Hot on the heels of the jaw-dropping Anantara Medjumbe à > ` ,ià ÀÌ E -«>] > «À Û>Ìi à > ` Àià ÀÌ Ì i +Õ À L>à Archipelago with dune-fringed beaches and 12 thatched beach villas, comes its sister property, Avani Pemba Beach Ìi E -«>° -iÌ > Ã> `Þ «i ÃÕ > Ì i > > `] Ì i 185-room resort is a perfect base for island hopping and safaris. avanihotels.com/pemba

January // 2015

Valletta, Malta

Maui, Hawaii

Every year from December to April, thousands v >} wVi Ì Õ «L>V Ü > ià q à i as large as 15-metres-long and weighing 35 tonnes – can be spotted on their annual migration from the Arctic to the warm waters of Hawaii to mate and calf their young. One of the best places to enjoy the spectacle is the Four -i>à à ,ià ÀÌ >Õ ] Ü V >à ÓÓ V V iÀ}ià on hand to create a customised whale-watching itinerary that’ll leave you with memories that last a lifetime. fourseasons.com/maui

2015 is a momentous year for Malta’s pint-sized capital, Valletta. Not only will it celebrate 450 years since the Great Siege of Malta with the reopening of Fort Saint Elmo, but it will also welcome a new parliament building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect ,i â * > Ì } Ü Ì Ì i iÜ V ÌÞ }>Ìià > ` > «i > À Ì i>ÌÀi he’s already unveiled. visitmalta.com

Dijon, France

The former capital of the mighty dukes of Burgundy, the historic city has come alive in recent years with revived public spaces, new pedestrianised streets and sleek new trams. The city is a great place to initiate yourself into w i ÕÀ}Õ ` > v `] Ü iÌ iÀ ̽à >ÕÌi VÕ Ã i >Ì ÌÜ V i ÃÌ>ÀÀi` ,iÃÌ>ÕÀ> Ì 7 > Frachot or fresh produce from the sumptuous food market. Book a room at the new Vertigo Hotel, due to open this month, which features monochrome interiors, an indoor swimming pool and a hammam. designhotels.com

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Kyoto, Japan

Home to over 1,000 Buddhist temples, Kyoto is one of Japan’s most traditional cities. For an authentic ryokan-style stay, check-in to Suiran in the Arashiyama district. Scheduled to open in March, the luxurious 39-room inn is just a stone’s throw from the historic Hogonin and Tenryuji temples. luxurycollection.com

January // 2015

In

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Chef ’s TOP TABLES As Judy Joo opens her new restaurant, Jinjuu, in London this month, the KoreanAmerican chef shares her favourite restaurants around the world

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The Lambs Club, New York, USA

Order: Meatballs or the tuna tartare “If you go to Times Square, escape the madness and retreat into Geoffrey Zakarian’s Lambs Club. The art deco interiors and live music set the scene for a cool, relaxing night full of stunning food and V V Ì> ð 9 Õ V> w ` i «>À i` Õ«ÃÌ> Àà in the bar usually, naughtily nibbling on the addictive meatballs, calamari or tuna tartare. I love a place that does cocktails right and > Là `iw Ìi Þ ÃiÌÃ Ì i L>À } °»

Harraseeket, Maine, USA 22

Order: Lobster roll “I am on a lifetime search for the best lobster roll. Maine pretty much wins all the Ì i] > ` Ì Ã v> i` à >V `iw Ìi Þ Ûià up to its name. I am a huge seafood fan and lobster rolls are an obsession of mine. They have to have fresh, large, plump sweet meat; good mayonnaise that isn’t overwhelming; and the bun should be lightly toasted. Harraseeket is a bit pricier than some, but it’s worth it. Mostly because it is so incredibly fresh and the outdoor seating is a plus, too. Go in the summer when the sun is shining and the lobster is the best.“ January // 2015

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Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand

Order: Ma hor º Ûi Ì i V « iÝ vÀ>}À> Ì y>Û ÕÀà v Thailand, and David Thompson serves up the most memorable dining experience in Bangkok with dishes like ma hor (an amuse-bouche of minced chicken, prawns and chilli served on pineapple). His undying passion for his adoptive country’s cuisine shines through in his unique creations with Ì ` i v À y>Û ÕÀð >ÃÌ Ì i Ü>Ã Ì iÀi] i showed me an antique cookbook from the 1800s containing long forgotten recipes that he was reviving and reinventing. Hearing him speak about these lost dishes was so inspiring and his contagious passion translates into an epic and vibrant meal. /À>` Ì > y>Û ÕÀà v / > > ` LÀ Õ} Ì L>V to life by an Aussie in style… and it works Li>ÕÌ vÕ Þ°»

Bicena, Seoul, South Korea

Order: Mandoo (Korean dumplings) “I eat here every time I go to Seoul. It is one of the few places to change its menu seasonally, and you can taste the gorgeous bounty of Korea. Under the direction of Lucia Cho and her father, this stylish venue showcases a refreshing contemporary take on Korean cuisine, yet also manages to capture a true authentic taste. They believe that all food should be beautiful and Bicena literally has the prettiest plates in Seoul. I particularly love the dumplings. Fat, juicy and stuffed lovingly with savoury meat, these plump parcels will bring a smile to your lips. Tip: Ask for Lucia to order for you and she’ll take you on a fun gastronomic ÕÀ iÞ°»

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The Golden Hind, London, England

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World Traveller

The Lambs Club Cod and chips Ma hor Lobster roll

Order: Cod and chips with mushy peas “This little gem is tucked in a corner of >ÀÞ iL i > i > ` Þ V> v À wà > ` chips. I have been going here for almost 10 years and never been disappointed. Flaky moist white cod nuzzled in a crispy golden L>ÌÌiÀ] >««À «À >Ìi Þ y> i` LÞ V >Ãà V] moreish mushy peas and chips. Great tartar sauce on the side for a bit of tang and you’re sorted! It’s simple food done very well (since 1914). The retro décor gives a nod to nostalgia and the BYO policy makes it a V i>« > ` V iiÀvÕ } Ì ÕÌ°»

January // 2015

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ON TREND TR AV EL

Mons, Belgium

Founded on a hilltop in the 7th century, this tiny city in Wallonia, 60km southwest of Brussels, boasts a splendid 16th-century cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritagelisted baroque belfry and a lively main square. But the city is perhaps best known for its war history: the Battle of Mons] Ì i wÀÃÌ > À battle of WWI, took place here in 1914. That’s all set to change in 2015 though, as Mons is one of two cities declared a European Capital of Culture, alongside Plzen in the Czech Republic. The opening ceremony takes

place on January 24, with over 300 events planned throughout the year, involving over 5,000 artists. One of the > À iÝ L Ì Ã Ã Van Gogh in the Borinage: The Birth of an Artist, on show from January 25 to May 17 at the Mons Museum of Fine Arts. / i iÝ L Ì V Õ`ià à i 70 paintings, drawings and seven original letters from the artist, who lived on the outskirts of Mons from 1879nä° > Ì iÀ wÌÌ } ÌÀ LÕÌi Ì Van Gogh, a maze of 8,000 UWPƃQYGTU will take over the Grand Place (main square) for 10 days from July 17 to 28.

̽à ÕÃÌ i v > Õ LiÀ v installations planned for the city’s public spaces, including Spanish artist Alicia Martin’s River of Books, which will see an avalanche of books cascade out a window of the University of Mons (from April 4 to September 21). Ã Ü > à Üi V i wÛi new museums from April 4, including the Arthotèque (art library), which will focus on the heritage of Mons; the Mons Memorial Museum will include the stories of men and women who witnessed the events of two world wars; while the Doudou Museum

I WANT TO...

Inspiring ideas for your bucket list

…sleep under the stars in Wadi Rum

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Known as the Valley of Moon, Jordan’s largest and most iÝÌÀ> À` >ÀÞ Ü>` ] ££x south of Petra, was made famous around the world by Ì i iÝ« Ìà v / >ÜÀi Vi ­ >ÜÀi Vi v ƂÀ>L >® Ì i early 20th century. The desert landscape, with its dramatic sandstone and granite rock formations and changing

January // 2015

V ÕÀÃ] à LiÃÌ iÝ«iÀ i Vi` during an overnight stay in a desert camp, where you can sample Bedouin customs and sleep outside beneath a canopy of twinkling stars. The winter months can be a little chilly, so time your visit for early spring (March and April) or late autumn (October to November).

will introduce visitors to the Ducasse or Doudou, the city’s popular feast and historical pageant. And while Belgium is famous for Ìà Ü>vyià > ` «Ã] à 2015 will have something for everyone, including Souper Mystérieux, a meal for 200 people featuring local produce in a secret location that’s only revealed on the day itself (from July 19 to August 10) and Banquet Dubroeucq, a Renaissancestyle banquet accompanied by an orchestra and choir in a 16th-century castle (October 10 and 11). mons2015.eu

In

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Style&Wellness Look good, feel good

SAY BONJOUR TO 2015

THERE’S MORE: Travel in style with Longchamp’s new Parisianinspired shopping bag, designed to celebrate the opening of its largest boutique in Europe, found along the Champs-Elysées.

© Dominique Corbasson / cwc.i.com

There are many reasons to fall in love with Paris; from the cafés and cobble streets to the iconic structures and museums. For readers planning a trip to the City of Light in 2015, let this latest book by teNeues be your guide. Made up of more than 50 illustrations, Everyone Loves Paris takes readers on a visual tour of the city, ticking off landmarks and Parisian hotspots along the way. Perfect for pre-holiday planning. teneues.com

COMO IN

Finding a place to retreat in the Big Smoke is an arduous task. Not anymore thanks to the Metropolitan by COMO. The Park Lane hotel’s COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa has partnered with Dr. Hauschka on a series of treatments (yes, the only spa in the UK offering a dose of Dr Hauschka). From head-to-toe treatments and holistic facials, there’s good reason Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow are fans of the brand. Bookings open on January 1, so be quick. comohotels.com

From home to home

So you’re renting a holiday apartment over a hotel and need a place to slip off your shoes and sit back? Here’s our pick of holiday residences in Dubai with standout spas on site…

GROSVENOR HOUSE RESIDENCES The serviced apartments here are much like the hotel itself – plush, plentiful and well-appointed. The Retreat Spa can be found in Tower One, while Tower Two is home to B/Attitude Spa. The former offers an all-round pampering experience while the latter focuses more on lifestyle balance and harmony. Take your pick. starwoodhotels.com

World Traveller

THE ADDRESS RESIDENCES DOWNTOWN DUBAI The Spa at this Downtown hotel boasts quite the facilities: 10 treatment rooms, steam and aroma rooms, an ice cave and plenty of relaxation areas. As far as treatments go, there’s Balinese, Thai, Hawaiian, Arabic and Oriental. Should you want to work up a sweat, i>` iÝÌ ` À Ì Ì i wÌ iÃÃ centre. theaddress.com

ANANTAR A DUBAI THE PALM RESORT & SPA

DAMAC MAISON – DUBAI MALL STREET

Few hotels can pull off a spa experience quite like Anantara. Available for guests who book a room at the hotel, or opt for an apartment as a holiday option, the treatments here transport you to Thailand and back again. Spend some time in the wet room pre-treatment – seriously soothing. dubai-palm. anantara.com

Located opposite the famous mega mall (as the name suggests), guests can hop between the luxury sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and ice fountain at Chrysalis Spa before rolling out a Ì Üi >À Õ ` Ì i w ÌÞ pool. The view is worth a shout, too. From the Burj Khalifa to Downtown Dubai, cameras at the ready. damacmaison.com

January // 2015

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CH AR ITABLE

RETREATS

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Here’s how to pamper yourself guilt-free

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THE SPA BY THALGO AT THE SUN SIYAM IRU FUSHI, MALDIVES

MAGNIFICENT 6.

TRAVEL STAPLES FOR 2015 4.

5. THE PRODUCTS (1) Sensi Studio’s Panama hat (2) Givenchy travel bag (3) Eres bikini (4) Chloé sandal (5) Fendi sunglases (6) Valextra passport holder (7) Heidi Klein linen beach dress

A true Maldivian experience can be found here, where the ancient wisdom of local medicine, traditional herbalism and age-old bodywork techniques form the foundations of the treatment menu. Guilt-free why? Part of the proceeds from each traditional Maldivian treatment offered here are donated to local charities, helping to support island community initiatives and sustain the local way of life.

OU T W ITH THE OLD

INIALA BEACH HOUSE, PHUKET, THAILAND

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Swap a yoga retreat for a breathing retreat. Haven’t a clue where to start? Head straight for Lanzarote and check in to Alan Dolan’s

The Villa. With a maximum number of four guests staying at any one time, privacy is guaranteed at this breathe easy coastal spot. Don’t miss:

Alan Dolan will be holding a breath workshop in London on February 1 followed by a ‘breathing cruise’ in June (714). breathguru.com.

NEW OPENING: / ÕÌi` >à ÕL> ½Ã wÀÃÌ ÕÀL> Ìi iÝ«iÀ i Vi] > â Ü Ì Ü ÕL> is sure to attract the cool crowd in 2015. Located along Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, this stylish hangout will serve as a great base from which to explore Downtown Dubai. We say, it’s time to check in in style. vida-hotels.com

January // 2015

The former home of an extrader, this luxury 10-room hotel offers something for everyone. While you relax in the spa, the kids can run À Ì Ì i Ü À `½Ã wÀÃÌ `ý hotel. Guilt-free why? Ten per cent of the room ÀiÛi ÕiÃ] « Õà wÛi «iÀ cent of everything spent on anything from food to massages, goes towards Inspirasia, a Bali-based foundation that funds grants for families in Asia.

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AT ONE WITH NATURE

Naturalists looking to luxe out while surrounded by lush landscapes should head to one of these spectacular spa spots… Where:

Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, Bali Seriously, can you get any closer to nature than this? Set in the hills of Ubud, the spa at this Balinese paradise is located along the river bank and surrounded by rainforest. From a citrus body polish to Ài ÕÛi >Ì } v>V > Ã > ` ÀiyiÝ }Þ] if you book one spa experience in 2015, make this it. mayaubud.com

BEST OF THE REST...

27 The Bush-Spa, Zambia WT recommends: Chillaxing in the al fresco hot tub while listening to the wildlife next door. bush-spa.com

World Traveller

Molori Safari Lodge, South Africa WT recommends: Surrounded by the African bush, roll out a yoga mat on the outdoor terrace. molorisafari.com

Bliss The Spa, Papua New Guinea WT recommends: Nestled in its own botanical gardens, opt for the signature package. airways.com.pg

David Livingstone Safari Spa, Zambia WT recommends: All of it. The spa overlooks the Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls. thedavidlivingstone.com

January // 2015

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brought to you by

UK ME London 4 nights from USD595* per person Special offer: Stay for 3 nights and receive an additional night free in Mode, Energy room types and suites Includes: Stay in a Mode Room with Breakfast daily Validity: January 1-April 6, 2015 *book by 30 March 2015

World Traveller Holiday Offers

Spain Arts Hotel Barcelona 2 nights from USD350 per person Special offer: 20% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with Buffet Breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now ‘til March 25, 2015 *black-out dates apply

Hungary

How to Book 28

You can book these offers by calling dnata on +971 4 316 6666 or by visiting dnatatravel.com. Terms and conditions apply. On the same site you can also sign up to dnata’s newsletter and receive more offers direct to your inbox.

January // 2015

Le Méridien Budapest 3 nights from USD220 per person Special offer: dnata exclusive special launch rate; minimum stay 3 nights Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with Buffet Breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now ‘til March 31, 2015 *black-out dates apply

Sri Lanka Earl’s Regency, Kandy 3 nights from USD330 per person Special offer: 20% room rate reduction plus a complimentary upgrade to Half Board Includes: Stay in a Double Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers. Validity: January 6-April 30, 2015

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Thailand Sheraton Pattaya Resort 3 nights from USD420 per person Special offer: 20% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Garden View Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: January 10-March 31, 2015

Thailand The Peninsula Bangkok 2 nights from USD330 per person Special offer: Stay 1 night and receive an additional night free Includes: Stay in a Grand Deluxe Suite with breakfast daily plus complimentary in room Wi-Fi internet access Validity: Now ‘til March 31, 2015

South Korea Grand Seoul Parnas, An Intercontinental City Hotel 3 nights from USD2,020 per person Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: January 10-March 31, 2015

Malaysia Seychelles Savoy Seychelles Resort & Spa 4 nights from USD675 per person Special offer: Stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free, plus a 1 hour spa treatment and a complimentary dinner on the last night Includes: Stay in a Savoy Mountain View Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: January 12-February 28, 2015

World Traveller

Hotel Novotel Kuala Lumpur City Center 3 nights from USD 185 per person Special offer: 10% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: January 10-March 31, 2015

January // 2015

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TURKEY

ROB ARROW Catches a chill in Iceland

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Often when you think of the word ice, it’s associated with cold, freezing temperatures. However you may be UWTRTKUGF VQ Ć‚PF VJCV VJG EQWPVT[ QH Iceland is far from frosty. From the bubbling lava and geothermal vents to the warmth and hospitality offered by the Islanders themselves, this seafaring country is a fantastic hidden gem to visit any time of the year. The great thing about Iceland is it is small and compact and you really feel you have explored and enjoyed a lot in a short three-day break. Arriving KP VJG ECRKVCN 4G[MLCXKM VJG Ć‚TUV thing that strikes you is there are no high-rise buildings. All around, you see the red tin roofs of the houses CPF QHĆ‚EGU 8GT[ OWEJ C YCNMKPI EKV[ you can stroll the main Laugavegur Street, home to all the exclusive stores of Iceland and also a great place to enjoy the fun nightlife that Icelanders revel in. Just off here is the TjĂśrnin ‘The Pond’. This forms a central recreational area of the city, with all of Iceland’s key historic buildings surrounding the lake including Parliament House, City Hall and the old city. When in Iceland it is important to try the culinary delights that the country has to offer, including albatross, dried shark (this is not for the faint-hearted) and many more FKUJGU [QW YQWNFPoV PQTOCNN[ Ć‚PF elsewhere in the world. If you are looking for something central and with the full Icelandic charm then head to Hotel 101, a meeting point for all of Iceland’s high society. No trip to Iceland is complete without a day exploring the wild parts of the island. Head out to Gullfoss and Geysir and experience two of Iceland’s natural wonders, the former is known as the Golden Waterfall while the latter is a stunning display of water. One last pleasure awaits before returning to the airport: The Blue Lagoon, a huge geothermal pool said to have natural healing remedies. To book a trip to Iceland or further into Greenland, visit your nearest dnata outlet or call +971 4 316 6666.

January // 2015

Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul 4 nights from USD 805 per person Special offer: â‚Ź 50.00 hotel credit for within the mentioned validity period and 20% discount on any treatments at CHI, The SPA.* Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room Atrium View with Buffet Breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: January 14-February 7, 2015 *minimum 4 nights stay

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai

UAE

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai 1 night from USD 585 per person Special offer: 10% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Bedouin Suite with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily plus 2 onsite activities per person per day Validity: Now ‘til March 31, 2015* *book by January 31, 2015 Nestled within a green and verdant oasis amongst some of Arabia’s most impressive dunes, Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa captures the essence of Arabia beautifully. Resembling an ancient bedouin camp, this secluded hideaway offers a personal experience in absolute comfort.

Located between Dolmabahce Palace and Naval Museum on the European side of the Bosphorus, his luxurious hotel features an indoor pool, sumptuous spa and elegantly decorated rooms with modern amenities. The rooms feature contemporary decor with state-of-the-art products. What’s bot to love here?

Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul

INDONESIA

InterContinental Bali Resort 3 nights from USD 360 per person Special offer: 10% room rate reduction plus receive a complimentary upgrade to the next available room category Includes: Stay in a Resort Classic Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: January 10-March 31, 2015

The St. Regis Mauritius

MAURITIUS

Sprawled across 35 acres of tropical landscape, InterContinental Bali Resort is blessed with an endless stretch of white sandy beachfront, ornamental ponds and a winding lagoon. Suspended between sky and the sea, this 417-room resort is Balinese hospitality at its best.

The St. Regis Mauritius 4 nights from USD 1,285 per person Special offer: 55% room rate reduction plus 2 children under 12 years stay and eat free Includes: Stay in an Ocean View Deluxe Room with breakfast and dinner daily plus return airport transfers. Validity: January 8-April 10, 2015 Experience island luxury at its best by booking a room here. The resort’s location, a tranquil beachfront setting on the windward side of the island, allow for a wide range of aquatic activities, including wind >˜` ÂŽÂˆĂŒi ĂƒĂ•Ă€w˜}° Ć‚Â˜` ĂœÂˆĂŒÂ… ĂŒÂ…i ĂƒĂŒĂ•Â˜Â˜ÂˆÂ˜} Mauritian mountains as a backdrop, and spectacular sunsets to while away an evening, what better place to slip off your yÂˆÂŤ yÂœÂŤĂƒ°

InterContinental Bali Resort

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HIT THE ROAD Get 2015 off to the perfect start with a fantastic deal on faster, easier car hire from Hertz

H

it the open road anywhere in the world with Hertz and you can now save up to 25 per cent on the cost of your rental as part of its Winter Wonder Sale. Whether you want to realise your dream of driving through Route 66 in the USA, or experience the thrill of Australia’s Great Ocean Road, you now have the perfect excuse to do so. All you need do is book your rental by January 30 for a minimum of three days and complete your trip before March 31. With the car booked, you can concentrate on planning a trip to remember. Take note: all the super sale rates include theft and damage cover and no hidden fees. For more information, please mail reservations@hertzinternational.ae or call on 04-3166268

Winter Wonder Sale Terms & Conditions U } «iÀ `\ 1 Ì ÎäÉä£ÉÓä£x U * V Õ« «iÀ `\ äÓÉä£ÉÓä£x ΣÉäÎÉÓä£x U Õ ii«\ Î `>Þð Ƃ`` Ì > ÀiÃÌÀ VÌ Ã >Þ apply by country U ,i Ì> à V> Ì iÝVii` £{ `>Þà U "vviÀ V> Ì Li V L i` Ü Ì > Þ Ì iÀ vviÀ] discount or promotion U ÃV Õ Ìà >«« Þ Ì > > `>Ì ÀÞ Ài Ì> V ÃÌà excluding taxes, fees, surcharges, one way drop off fees and optional extras such as child seats, additional drivers and fuel which are charged at normal rates U -Ì> `>À` L >V ÕÌ «iÀ `à >«« Þ U "vviÀ à Û> ` >Ì «>ÀÌ V «>Ì } V>Ì Ã Ü À `Ü `i and on a variety of car groups, but may vary by location and country and subject to availability U Ƃ Ài Ì> à >Ài ÃÕL iVÌ Ì iÀÌâ ÃÌ> `>À` ÌiÀ à > ` conditions U iÀÌâ ÀiÃiÀÛiÃ Ì i À } Ì Ì V > }i À Ài Ûi Ì Ã promotion at any time U iÀÌâ > i > ` `i >Ài }Õ>À> Ìii` Þ ÕÀ Collections in participating countries U iÀÌâ Þ> ÌÞ « Ìà >Ài «>ÀÌ v Ì i ` * Õà Rewards program in participating countries

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World Traveller

January // 2015

Morocco

Home&Away Renting a traditional dar townhouse in Essaouira’s ancient medina puts you right at the heart of local life on the sunny Moroccan coast. Linda Cookson moves in

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Morocco

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shaft of light fell upon the crowded cages from a gap in the roof of the souk. ‘This would be a vegetarian’s worst nightmare,’ said my partner, as a chicken was throttled, plucked and handed to a patient customer. ‘You couldn’t get fresher, though,’ he said. I glanced at him in alarm. Yes, we were trying to live like locals in Morocco, but was that approval in his voice? Settling into a self-catering stay in the beautiful blue-and-white Atlantic port of Essaouira (‘Ess-ow-earuh’), we felt a long way from Sainsbury’s. Here, chickens didn’t come pre-filleted and wrapped in cling film. And neither of us was under any illusion that those snuffling bunnies were here to be sold as family pets. Being a world away from a gleaming deli counter wasn’t something I’d thought through when I’d suggested decamping to Morocco for a sunny winter escape. My partner had been as keen as I was – we both had drawn-out writing projects to finish, and the UK skies were chucking down nasty elements. ‘Four weeks in a hotel, though?’ He was worried about the expense. ‘OK, I’ll look into alternatives,’ I said. Soon came the revelation that affordable self-catering isn’t the preserve of France, Spain and Italy. The Moroccan equivalent of an apartment or villa is a dar, a townhouse hidden behind heavy walls, centring on a beguiling courtyard. Sprawling rooms, space to breathe and work – and all for little more than £250 a week. Since we wanted to relax as well as write, Essaouira was the obvious place: buzzy and picture-book-pretty, it’s laidback – as it has been since its days as a ’60s hippy enclave. ‘Trust me,’ I said, ‘we’ll be at home immediately.’ My words came back to haunt me on the spooky night of our arrival. It was late when our taxi pulled up by a stone gateway. Behind battlements glowing in soupy moonlight lay the claustrophobic alleys of Essaouira’s medina, and all was silent. We knew our dar was somewhere deep within. Where was the person with the keys? Out of the gloom, a figure emerged and jogged across the dusty road to greet us: Fouad, the house manager. Creaking in his wake came an elderly man with a handcart for our luggage. He looked like a woodcut illustration from a fairy story, his face hidden by the dark hood of his djellaba robe. Somewhat nervously, we followed them, clattering down cobbles, past boarded-up shop doorways and groups of huddled figures cloaked in eerie shadow. Then, as we rounded the corner into ‘our’ alley, a blaze of light revealed a tiny cupboard-like workshop full of musical instruments, where a man was finishing a Guembri lute in wood and camel-skin. He grinned. ‘Bonsoir, bienvenue! I am your neighbour.’ January // 2015

Opening page: Bicycle in archway. This page, clockwise from top right: Fishing boats in Essaouira; Souvenirs for sale; Moroccan salad with Argan oil; Local art.

Essaouira was the obvious place: buzzy and picturebook-pretty World Traveller

His English did the trick. My misgivings began to melt. ‘Darsal’, our dar, was on the edge of the medina’s mellah, among dilapidated mansions built for 18th-century merchants and sea captains. Masked by heavy shutters and a solid wooden door, it gave no hint of what lay behind: a salon with a gorgeous enclosed courtyard, where a tiled fountain played. We found meadow-fresh bed linen, crisp towels, a dining space with a CD player, a spick-and-span kitchen with a hob, and an impressive roof terrace. We were on it in a flash, sipping duty-free wine under the stars, gazing over a mosaic of rooftops to the Atlantic. Waves crashed in silvery furls against inky black rocks. Bienvenue indeed. No hotel-desk pleasantries, no bland Euro-breakfasts: early the next morning we stepped straight out into real Morocco. Trollies trundled by, loaded with bottled water and fresh coriander. Kids gathered around a man who had a monkey on his shoulder clad in a djellaba and a pink tasselled hat. We reached the heart of the medina, where last night’s ghostly walkways now rang with chaos. Stalls displayed everything from rows of babouche slippers to jewellery. Yet the hustle was reassuringly relaxed. ‘I’m starving,’ I said, hunger pangs stoked by the scent of cinnamon-dusted croissants and coffee on the air. We went with the flow: to Place Moulay Hassan, Essaouira’s main square. Terraced cafés, splashed with sun, delivered bird’seye views of the photogenic old port, and as our coffees cooled, we watched fishermen steer silvery sardine box-loads towards the open-air grill restaurants. I could feel my pulse slow as I sipped, deliciously adrift and anonymous in this new town, with people to watch and no tour-bus agenda, no guidebook to consult. My partner had other priorities – ‘Time to put the “self ” into “self-catering”’ – so we left to stock the dar’s larder in the souks, set in covered arcades between the port and Bab Doukkala, the medina’s northern gate. The meat souk was grisly, the vegetable souk a delight, glowing with trafficlight piles of peppers and suffused with smells. In the spice souk, a Berber lady beckoned me over, keen to demonstrate how to use siwark (walnut-tree bark) as a lip reddener. A bobble-hatted man, perched like a drummer behind barrels of pungent powders, peered inside our parcel of bloodied lamb chunks and concocted a peppery blend, which he wrapped in a twist of old newspaper and would take no money for. As the week went by, I began to notice more and more acts of kindness while we acclimatised, waking late in the cocooning bedroom of the dar, warming to the novelty of the town’s routines, beginning to make friends. A few words of Arabic and French went a long way.

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January // 2015

Morocco

This page: Circular window in the city wall. Opposite page, clockwise from top right: Dining room at Riad Dar Adul; The cityscape over the moors; Rugs and other merchandise.

WHERE TO STAY ··· There’s a bunch of self-catering options in Morocco to explore. For some expert tips on holidaying like a local, visit your nearest dnata outlet or call +971 4 316 6666. Alternatively, swap self-catering for five-star and head to Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Golf & Spa. Close to Essaouira Beach, this plush hotel offers luxury and Moroccan charm in equal measure.

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January // 2015

Our instrument-making neighbour, to our delight, turned out to be Najib Soudani, a master performer of Gnaoua, the mesmeric rhythms of which the city is famous for. He is a scion of one of Essaouira’s two most renowned music dynasties, with a family tree traceable back 400 years to the music’s origins, among slaves from sub-Saharan Africa. We drank tea with him, dazed: for a Gnaoua fan, it

Along with drinking, eating and shopping, music is the key of life in Essaouira was like finding Prince on your doorstep. By day five, we’d run out of duty-free booze and realised that shops didn’t stock the stuff; nor did the out-of-town supermarket. ‘No problem,’ said the man from the shop where we bought our daily bread. He described a hole-in-the-wall off-licence outside Bab Doukkala. ‘Just look out for people carrying black plastic bags,’ he advised. Once again, Darsala’s fridge gleamed with bottles, so crucial for writerly inspiration (not to mention idle nights on the terrace). Then one morning, just as we were feeling like part of the furniture, came the moment when cultural differences collided. We were down by the port when I decided to take a picture of a fisherman gathering his nets. The man’s face turned purple. He shook his fist. I just shook. Thoughtfully, his younger companion explained the issue: ‘For old Souris, it is not good to have photograph alone.’ These devout Muslims consider it a form of arrogance to knowingly stand out from a crowd. Week two found us knowingly part of the crowd, ducking around backstreets with a confidence I’d never have imagined when we first arrived. Off the beaten track, we stumbled upon the anarchic

World Traveller

theatre of Essaouira’s auction, held early each evening after the third prayer of the day. In La Joutia, a scruffy cloistered square next to the medina’s arcaded grain market, auctioneers circled, holding items nobody could want: pairs of dusty shoes, spark plugs… Sure enough, nobody did want them – they got on with more pressing matters: gossip. We noticed people drifting to ramshackle restaurants off the alleyway Rue El Khabbazine, near the jewellery souk – an area tricky for tourists to find, yet, as would be revealed, tailor-made for cheap tagine suppers. And so, that night we broke the comfy routine we’d developed of repairing to watch plum-red sunsets over preprandials on the upper terrace of the main square’s café Bab Laachour. (It’s cheaper and has better views than guidebook favourite Taros – something we’d not have known without the luxury of local advice, and time.) Result: a riotous night of chargrilled lamb around a brazier with a bunch of musicians. We swayed home merrily – backstreet restaurants don’t officially serve alcohol, but bottles had miraculously materialised and the cobbles were now dancing. What a relief it was to have the keys to a place of our own. Along with drinking, eating and shopping, music is the key of life in Essaouira. By the time we were into our third week, we had a long list of restaurants with live music. So when a British guitarist friend of ours, visiting Marrakech, joined us one night, we took him to buzzy Restaurant Café des Arts

– and in minutes his guitar was out of its case as he joined in a jamming session into the small hours. Did our laptops get any action? I managed a chapter or two, but there was too much to distract us, as honorary locals. Before I knew it, it was our last evening, and we took our usual table at Bab Laachour. Gulls scudded across the square, undersides gold in the sodium lights. Out at sea, clouds of spray billowed over the Iles Purpuraires (Purple Islands). The mood was sad, yet sweet. We met some Souri best friends for a last supper at the Caravane Café, set around a colourful courtyard, lush with vegetation, festooned with paintings. As night fell, musicians were joined by jugglers, acrobats and firedancers. Embraced by the energy, we felt more part of the scenery than ever. Had we finally become locals? Almost, although I never did get to grips with Moroccan chicken. January // 2015

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Peru

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January // 2015

THERE’S MANU FROM HEAVEN IN EASTERN PERU The voices – as ever with the showier birds – are nothing special: a wheezy belching that drifts up through the pre-dawn murk like a chorus of asthmatic frogs. But the singers are something else, says Mike Unwin

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Peru

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t first we can see only colour: disembodied fireballs, bobbing in the forest gloom like lanterns in the ocean depths. Then, as first light filters through, we can make out shape. A dozen or so dove-sized birds, decked out in fluorescent scarlet, are hopping from branch to branch as though to some choreographed routine. Binoculars reveal mad white eyes and bizarre feathered face-fans. These outlandish creatures are Andean cock-ofthe-rocks – Peru’s national bird. Their routine is the “lek”, a communal courtship ritual in which males strut their stuff before watching females, who take their pick from the talent on display. It happens every morning on the same stage and has done so for generations of lekkers. The stage in question comprises two or three moss-laden branches high in the cloud forest of Manu Biosphere Reserve. After 40 minutes, just as we’re beginning to grasp the plot, the show is over. The performers melt away backstage before the house lights turn their Day-Glo outfits into targets for the local predators. A single dull-brown female remains: either she disapproves of this feathered meat market or she just didn’t get lucky. Our seat in the upper circle – a rickety wooden hide – has spared us from the rain that seeps and patters through the forest. Now, clambering back up to the road, we hunch against the downpour. The rain has not let up since the heavens – or their Inca equivalent – opened two days ago above the Andean capital of Cusco. As the cobbled streets turned to torrents, we abandoned our walking tour and scrambled back to the Hotel Siete Ventanas, where the consolation pisco sours seemed especially potent. Perhaps it was the altitude. Cusco has seen worse, of course. Not least in 1950, when an earthquake destroyed many of the Spanish colonial buildings, revealing the sturdier, quakesavvy Inca structures beneath. Inside the cathedral January // 2015

we had enjoyed another snook cocked by the Incas at their imperial masters: a splendid Last Supper fresco, in which the apostles are dining on guinea pig and a baleful Judas Iscariot is depicted as arch conquistador Pizarro himself. By the next morning, as we set out for Manu, the deluge had turned to drizzle. Our minibus dodged overnight rock falls as it ferried us alongside thundering gorges, over a 4,100-metre saddle and down to Paucartambo, where women in bowler-hat monteras sold fruit and vegetables. This ancient trading crossroads marks the gateway to Manu. Soon we were dismounting at the park entrance to sign in and gawp at the unfathomably vast jungle vista below. Then, we piled back on board for the hairpin descent to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. Lek over, we tramp back to the lodge for breakfast. It’s good to feel the place under our feet this morning after a day on the road. And what a place it is. Manu is Peru’s largest national park, comprising some 15,328sq km (50 per cent bigger than the island of Jamaica) of rainforest that extends from the lower slopes of the Andes, at 4,100m, down to the sweaty Amazonian jungle, barely above sea level. Rainforest gets its name for a reason, and today – the start of the wet season – is proving that. The water runs over my wellies and spills down the hillsides in tumbling cataracts. No wonder the plant life around us is so prolific, with every dripping branch a mini ecosystem of mosses, ferns and bromeliads. And it’s not just plants: Manu’s list of some 1,050 birds is more than twice that of Europe’s. As we walk, our guide Ronal Collado (Ronnie) helps me identify golden tanagers flitting through the canopy, a blue-banded toucanet swooping across the track and a bedraggled highland motmot on a bare branch. Ronnie was born and raised in Manu and now works for Crees, a non-profit foundation that conducts research into rainforest ecology and works

Opening page: Manu National Park. Opposite page: Macaws. This page, clockwise from top: Cusco; Lake Salvador, Manu National Park; The jungle at Manu National Park.

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January // 2015

Peru This page: A creek flowing through Cloud Forest of the Manu Biosphere Reserve. Opposite page: A booted racquet-tail, Andean emerals and purple-throated woodstar share a backyard feeder.

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WHERE TO STAY 路路路 Start your Peruvian adventure by dropping you bags at Palacio del Inka, A Luxury Collection Hotel sited in a storied mansion dating back nearly five centuries. Centrally located, in the heart of Cusco, the 203room hotel provides the perfect place from which to start, and end, your wild adventure. For trips and tours to Peru, visit dnatatravel.com or call +971 4 316 6666.

with local communities on sustainable agriculture. Crees manages its own six-square kilometre chunk of forest and has two lodges – one with a bio-garden, where new farming techniques are being trialled. “We’re running out of time,” says Crees Founder and rainforest champion Quinn Meyer, who upped sticks from New York to Manu in 2003. He reels off a grim roll-call of logging and mining interests poised to plunder the park. “We need on-the-ground solutions, not just environmental loftiness.” The next day takes us out of the cloud forest and down to the ramshackle dock at Atalaya. Here, we pile into motorised canoes and swing out on to the Madre De Dios for our transfer downstream to the Manu Learning Centre (MLC), the Crees HQ. The recent rains have turned the river into a raging, Ovaltine-coloured monster. Tree trunks spin and rear across our bows. All is calm at the MLC, however. Our neat cluster of wooden chalets is smuggled discreetly into a forest clearing – the site of an old hacienda. After lunch, I wander the grounds. Hummingbirds zip like remotecontrolled jewellery between flowering shrubs, while a troop of brown titi monkeys checks me out from the canopy. Too busy for wildlife spotting, volunteers and local farmers work side-by-side in the bio-garden.

Text by: Mike Unwin / The Independent / The Interview People

The recent rains have turned the river into a raging, Ovaltinecoloured monster

Later, resident zoologist Andy Whitworth tells us how his research aims to establish the conservation value of secondary rainforest – an artificially modified but naturally regenerating habitat. “So far, everyone has focused on primary forest,” he tells us, “but we’re finding that secondary forest supports 80 to 90 per cent of the same wildlife.” He illustrates his point with impressive images of jaguars and giant anteaters taken from camera traps near the lodge. And then, by way of a trump card, produces a live emerald tree boa from a plastic box on a shelf. This beautiful – and extremely stroppy – reptile was captured yesterday. He will release it as soon as he has the requisite data. Collecting data is, of course, what science is all about. If secondary forest proves to be of conservation value, then it may qualify for proper protection – so providing a buffer against further deforestation. But science in Manu also means wrestling with snakes, tracking jaguars and shinning up jungle hardwoods to set arboreal camera traps. Something in Andy’s expression, as he returns the snake tenderly to its box, suggests that this number-crunching scientist is living the dream. After dinner we slip on wellies and follow Andy into the dripping forest on a night walk. No jaguars materialise, though the feeling of being watched is hard to shake. Instead, our torches reveal a pageant of smaller stuff: praying mantises mimicking dead leaves; an impossibly camouflaged horned toad; the gleaming red eyes of a baby caiman cruising a dark pool. Our next port of call is Romero Rainforest Lodge, deep inside the park. This means a westward diversion World Traveller

up the Manu River, where we scan the banks for jaguars. The lodge sits in virgin primary forest. Ronnie leads us along damp trails, hurdling buttress roots and staring up the monumental trunks of ancient ironwoods. Forest sounds filter down: the whistle of saddle-backed tamarins; the hoot of a rufous motmot. Andy enters into an impressive shrieking contest with a black spider monkey, which dangles by its tail some 25 metres above our heads. It’s unclear who wins. The following day we’re back on the everbroadening Madre de Dios, heading east to our final destination, Manu Wildlife Centre. “Tonight, if we’re lucky,” says Andy, cryptically, “we might meet Vanessa.” I wonder who this local celebrity might be. Meanwhile, avian celebrities – scarlet macaws and their blue-and-gold cousins – commute in garrulous pairs across the river. At an oxbow lake near the lodge, we head out on a floating catamaran. Today, the resident giant river otters – the stars of this particular show – are lying low, but Ronnie spies a slumbering three-toed sloth, while prehistoric-looking hoatzins flap about among the cecropias. The primal stillness of the swamp feels intense; even more so when the throaty roar of howler monkeys starts up from the forest. But the distant whine of a chainsaw reminds us that we’re near the park boundary and that nothing can be taken for granted. That night, over a final round of pisco sours, I consider the things that eluded me on my brief visit to Manu: those giant river otters, an anaconda, perhaps even a jaguar. “The big stuff takes more time,” explains Andy. “You’ll just have to come back.” Ronnie interrupts before I can pursue that thought further. “Vanessa,” he hisses. And indeed, our mystery celebrity is standing outside the restaurant scoffing apples and bananas. Vanessa, it seems, is a large tapir. Raised as an orphan at the lodge, she now returns regularly for treats. We walk outside to meet her. She’s tame enough for me to pat her solid flanks and twitching rubbery snout, but wild enough – Andy observes – to bear the raking scars of jaguar claws on her sturdy rump. I wonder whether Vanessa would also still be there if I came back; indeed, whether the cock-of-therocks would still be doing their thing. Like every wilderness, Manu seems timeless. But the deforested wasteland we drove into as soon as we left its boundaries suggests otherwise. Quinn, thankfully, is a glass-half-full man. “In five years’ time,” he tells me, with a decisive parting handshake, “our project will have made a real impact. You’ll see.”

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Dual Destinations

DUAL

DESTINATIONS Get two holidays in one by following WT’s guide to some of the most exciting spots in the world – and the most relaxing places to chill out afterwards

Bangkok to Phang Nga 44

Party in… Bangkok

Thailand’s capital city is a neon rush that has the power to take your breath away – and leave you exhausted. It’s home to a host of incredible nightclubs like Ku De Ta (kudeta.com), which takes up the 39th and 40th y Àà v Ì i Õ}i ->Ì À -µÕ>Ài LÕ ` }° À > Ài laid-back night try Hemingway’s (hemingwaysbangkok. com), which is found in a gorgeous teak mansion. Hang up your party shoes at the Anantara Bangkok Riverside ,ià ÀÌ E -«> q V Ûi i Ì] >ÕÌ i Ì V > ` Ài >Ý } (bangkok-riverside.anantara.com). January // 2015

FLY TO

(1hr 20mins)

Recharge in… Phang Nga

The coastline and islands of Thailand are well known v À Ì i À Ài ÕÛi >Ì } « ÜiÀð i>` Ì Ì i ->À Ìi (sarojin.com), on a sublime stretch of coast in Phang Nga province, near Phuket. The hotel embodies the spirit v Ì i i}i `>ÀÞ >`Þ ->À ] Ì i i `iÃÌ `>Õ} ÌiÀ v > prominent Thai nobleman, who was once mistress of the ÕÃi° / i ÃÌÕ } ->À ÃÕ Ìià i>V >Ûi Ì i À Ü Jacuzzis, perfect for relaxing, while the spa overlooks the lush landscape. Don’t leave without trying the ÌÀ>` Ì > / > iÀL> «ÀiÃà q Õ µÕi Ì Ã>Þ Ì i i>ÃÌ°

Tanzania to Zanzibar

Go on safari in‌ Tanzania

Africa is, of course, the very best place in the world to go on safari, and its Eastern coast is a fascinating travel destination. January is the best time to see the Big Migration, when 100,000 wildebeest and zebras cross the grassland savannah – tracked every step of the way by leopards and lions. dnata offer a range of Ăƒ>v>Ă€Âˆ iĂ?ÂŤiĂ€Âˆi˜ViĂƒ vĂ€ÂœÂ“ ÂŤĂ€ÂˆĂ›>ĂŒi yĂž ÂˆÂ˜Ă‰yĂž ÂœĂ•ĂŒ Ă›ÂˆĂƒÂˆĂŒĂƒ] ĂŒÂœ }Ă€ÂœĂ•ÂŤ ĂŒÂœĂ•Ă€ LĂ•ĂƒiĂƒ >˜` ÂŤÂ?iÂ˜ĂŒĂž Â“ÂœĂ€i LiĂƒÂˆ`iĂƒ° ÂœĂ€ Â“ÂœĂ€i information, visit your nearest dnata outlet or call +971 4 316 6666

Lay back in‌ Zanzibar FE

R RY T O

(2hrs)

The Palms (thezanzibarcollection.com) is the ultimate getaway retreat providing a stunning hideaway for the `ÂˆĂƒViĂ€Â˜ÂˆÂ˜} ĂŒĂ€>Ă›iÂ?Â?iĂ€° -ˆĂ? ÂŤĂ€ÂˆĂ›>ĂŒi Ă›ÂˆÂ?Â?>Ăƒ >Ă€i Li>Ă•ĂŒÂˆvĂ•Â?Â?Ăž designed, creating an atmosphere of relaxed, understated elegance with the most personal attention. ĂŒ ÂˆĂƒ > Ăƒ>˜VĂŒĂ•>ÀÞ vÂœĂ€ ĂŒÂ…ÂœĂƒi ˆ˜ Ăƒi>Ă€VÂ… Âœv ĂŒĂ€>Â˜ÂľĂ•ÂˆÂ?ÂˆĂŒĂž] >˜` ĂŒÂ…i perfect place to stimulate the senses and experience the very best of the magical island of Zanzibar.

Madrid to Mallorca

Explore the art of‌ Madrid

Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a month, the stunning architecture and unrivalled history of Madrid makes for a memorable vacation. The Museo del *Ă€>`Âœ ÂˆĂƒ ĂŒÂ…i VÂˆĂŒĂž½Ăƒ w˜iĂƒĂŒ Â“Ă•ĂƒiՓ] >˜` VÂœÂ˜ĂŒ>ÂˆÂ˜Ăƒ > Â…ÂœĂƒĂŒ Âœv Ă€ÂœĂž>Â?Â‡ÂœĂœÂ˜i` ĂŒĂ€i>ĂƒĂ•Ă€iĂƒ° /Âœ ĂƒĂŒ>Ăž] ĂŒÂ…i -ˆÂ?ÂŽi˜ *Ă•iĂ€ĂŒ> AmĂŠrica Madrid (hoteles-silken.com) was designed by 18 different architects and is a must-see for those who love interesting buildings.

World Traveller

Top up your tan in‌ Mallorca R RY T O FE

(6hrs 30mins)

Ă•ĂƒĂŒ > ĂƒÂ…ÂœĂ€ĂŒ `ÂˆĂƒĂŒ>˜Vi >Ăœ>Ăž vĂ€ÂœÂ“ ĂŒÂ…i -ÂŤ>Â˜ÂˆĂƒÂ… “>ˆ˜Â?>˜` is the island of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearics. It’s got plenty of interesting prehistoric settlements from the Phoenicians and the Romans, but it’s best used as > Li>Ă•ĂŒÂˆvĂ•Â?] ÂľĂ•ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒiĂƒĂƒiÂ˜ĂŒÂˆ>Â? Li>VÂ… iĂƒV>ÂŤi° iÂ?“œ˜` > Residencia (belmond.com) is a fabulous hotel nestled into the mountains, with incredible bay views.

January // 2015

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Dual Destinations

Athens to Santorini

Take a history tour in… Athens v ̽à > Ü> } Ì ÕÀ Þ Õ½Ài ÌiÀiÃÌi` ] Ì iÀi½Ã w iÀ ë Ì Ì > ƂÌ i ð -ÌÀ } «>ÃÌ Ì i «>À > i Ì LÕ ` }à -Þ Ì>} > -µÕ>Ài À Ì i i V >Ãà V> ÃÌÀÕVÌÕÀià v modern Athens, or perhaps the mighty Acropolis, the Greek city is a wonderful place to wear down some shoe leather. Athens Walking Tours (athenswalkingtours.gr) can help you plan a perfect route.

Pamper yourself in... Santorini FLY TO (45mins)

Ƃ {x ÕÌi y } Ì vÀ Ì i > > ` à «>À>` Ãi >ÀÌ q -> Ì À ° / i L >V Ã> ` à > Ài > Ì v Ì i island’s volcanic past, but it’s now best known as ÀiiVi½Ã > ÃÜiÀ Ì ÃÌÞ Ã >«À ° / i -> Ì À *À ViÃà ÕÝÕÀÞ -«> Ìi ­Ã> Ì À «À ViÃðV ® vviÀà Ài >Ý } treatments overlooking the stunning caldera and ÌÕÀµÕ Ãi Vi> ð

Abisko to Stockholm Hit the slopes in… Abisko

Abisko National Park is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled places in the world, where wild animals roam the snowy landscapes. It’s also great for skiing, spotting the Northern Lights and trips to the breathtaking Torneträsk Lake. The Abisko Mountain Lodge (abiskomountainlodge.se) is the closest spot to the slopes and offers a cosy retreat after a day pounding the pistes.

TR

A I N TO

(6hrs 30mins)

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Soak up city cool in… Stockholm / i À> ` Ìi -Ì V ­}À> ` Ìi °Ãi® >Ã been a city institution for over 140 years. Celebrities and bon-vivants have made it their Nordic bolt-hole for ÌÃ ivv ÀÌ iÃÃ -V> ` V > ` «iÀviVÌ V>Ì Ì i Ü>ÌiÀvÀ Ì° / i À` V -«> Ã Ü À ` V >ÃÃ > ` Ã «iÀviVÌ for clearing up any après-ski strains, before some chic shopping along Drottninggatan, the city’s premier shopping street. January // 2015

Sydney to Uluru Surf with the locals in‌ Sydney

What better place to grab some winter sun than -Ăž`˜iޜ Ć‚Ă•ĂƒĂŒĂ€>Â?ˆ> ˆ˜ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞ ÂˆĂƒ ĂŒÂ…i ÂŤiĂ€viVĂŒ ĂŒÂˆÂ“i ĂŒÂœ Ă›ÂˆĂƒÂˆĂŒ] >˜` ĂŒÂ…i ĂƒĂ•Ă€w˜} >˜` Ăœ>ĂŒiĂ€ ĂƒÂŤÂœĂ€ĂŒĂƒ >Ă€i ˆ˜VÂœÂ“ÂŤ>Ă€>LÂ?i° /Â…i best place to board is Bondi Beach, where the experts >ĂŒ iĂŒ½Ăƒ Âœ -Ă•Ă€w˜} ­Â?iĂŒĂƒ}ÂœĂƒĂ•Ă€w˜}°VÂœÂ“Ă‰>Ă•ÂŽ ÂŤĂ€ÂœĂ›Âˆ`i ĂƒĂ•Ă€v lessons. Even if you’ve never set foot in the sea before, these guys will get you up and moving.

FLY TO (3hrs 30mins)

Admire the view of‌ Uluru

Australia’s cosmopolitan cities are great, but one thing the country does better than anyone is jaw-dropping natural beauty. Its most exhilarating experience is Uluru, the spectacular outback icon also known as Ayers Rock. Longitude 131 (longitude131.com.au) is the closest luxury lodging to the site, and is a gloriously peaceful place to admire the majesty of nature.

New York to Turks & Caicos

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Shop ‘til you drop in‌ New York ->ÂŽĂƒ ˆvĂŒÂ… Ć‚Ă›iÂ˜Ă•i] Â?œœ“ˆ˜}`>Â?i½Ăƒ] >Ă€Â˜iĂž½Ăƒo ĂŒÂ…i Â?ÂˆĂƒĂŒ of unforgettable names in Manhattan is endless. New York’s Peninsula Hotel (newyork.peninsula.com) is on ˆvĂŒÂ… Ć‚Ă›iÂ˜Ă•i ÂˆĂŒĂƒiÂ?v >˜` ÂˆĂƒ ĂŒÂ…i ÂŤiĂ€viVĂŒ L>Ăƒi vĂ€ÂœÂ“ ĂœÂ…ÂˆVÂ… ĂŒÂœ indulge in some retail therapy. The hotel is housed in a 1905 Landmark building, and the Grand Luxe Room has oversized windows that are perfect for people watching.

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FLY TO (3hrs)

Laze on the beach in‌ Turks & Caicos Ć‚vĂŒiĂ€ ĂŒÂ…i LĂ•ââ Âœv ĂŒÂ…i ˆ} Ć‚ÂŤÂŤÂ?i] > yˆ}Â…ĂŒ ĂƒÂœĂ•ĂŒÂ… ĂŒÂœ ĂŒÂ…iĂƒi ˆ`ĂžÂ?Â?ˆV ÂˆĂƒÂ?>˜`Ăƒ ÂˆĂƒ …ˆ}Â…Â?Ăž Ă€iVœ““i˜`i`° -iĂ›i˜ -ĂŒ>Ă€Ăƒ Ă€iĂƒÂœĂ€ĂŒ (sevenstarsgracebay.com) has white sands, blue seas and staff to wait on you hand and foot, while the suites truly distinguish it from other oceanfront properties.

January // 2015

Dual Destinations

The Cotswolds to London Take a hike in… The Cotswolds "ÛiÀ` i Ì `ÕÀ } Ì i viÃÌ Ûi «iÀ `¶ - i Vi bracing walks will soon get you back into shape. The Cotswolds, a beautiful area in southern England, is one of the world’s best places to strap on a pair of boots and head over hill and down dale. The luxurious Dormy House (dormyhouse.co.uk) has just undergone a £10 million refurbishment and makes a beautiful base for an energetic trip.

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A I N TO

(2hrs)

Let the world drift by in… London

Just off bustling Knightsbridge, the Mandarin Oriental ­ > `>À À i Ì> °V É ` ® >à > ÃÌÕ } ë>] ÃiÌ ÛiÀ ÌÜ y Àà > ` ëiV > à } iÝÌi à Ûi i>Ì > ` water therapies. WT would heartily recommend the stunning Relaxation Pods that will gently remove any stresses from your body, before taking in one of the all-day wellness experiences that include foot rituals, sessions in nearby Hyde Park and aromatherapy facials.

Rome to Sardinia Sightsee like never before in… Rome

The Eternal City has got so many landmarks that it’s >À` Ì ii« ÌÀ>V ° / i *> Ì i ] Ì i -«> à -Ìi«Ã] Ì i /ÀiÛ Õ Ì> ] > ` v V ÕÀÃi Ì i ÃÃiÕ q each one of these would make a trip worthwhile on its own. Check into the Grand Hotel de la Minerve ­}À> ` Ìi `i > iÀÛi°V ®] > wÛi ÃÌ>À ë Ì Ü Ì Ìà own history – it’s stood since the 1600s.

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Eat like a king in… Sardinia

Apart from sights, the next best Italian experience is Ì À Õ} Þ ÕÀ ÕÌ ° Ƃ ->À` > v ` Ì ÕÀ ­Ã>À` > tours.com) over the little island allows you to try all of Ì i >Ài>½Ã ÃÌÕ } ëiV > Ì iÃ] i À>Û w i` Ü Ì Ì] }À i` > L] > ` ->À` > } VV Ü Ì Ã>ÕÃ>}i meat and saffron. And of course, a few glasses from the vine to help wash it down. January // 2015

Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi

Have a city adventure in… Kuala Lumpur

The capital of Malaysia is a buzzing, cultural hub with plenty of sights. The iconic Petronas Twin Towers stand at 88 stories high, and are the tallest twin buildings Ì i Ü À `° À Ì i `iÀ Ì Ì i > V i Ì] Ì i Mahamariamman is the oldest Hindu Temple in Malaysia. Book a stay in the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur (intercontinental-kl.com) to be close to the action.

Hit the beach in… Langkawi FLY TO (1hr)

Langkawi, an archipelago of around 100 islands, is a jewel that sits in the crystalline waters off the western à Àià v > >Þà >° / i w iÃÌ « >Vi Ì i Þ > Üii or two of relaxation is the Langkawi Lagoon resort (langkawilagoonresort.com), which offers three types of >VV `>Ì q > Li>V vÀ Ì Ìi ] -i> 6 >}i > ` " L> 6 >ð À>L > L ] Ì Ì i Li>V > ` V>ÌV some rays in peace.

Chengdu to Xishuangbanna

Visit panda bears in… Chengdu

They’re one of the most endangered animals in the world, and also one of the most adorable. There are few places in the world to see giant pandas up close > ` Ì i *> `> -> VÌÕ>ÀÞ i }`Õ ­«> `>° À}°V ® Ã one of them. Tours can be booked to visit the giant and red pandas in a habitat which closely mimics their own, and also explore the city of Chengdu and its wide and peaceful river.

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FLY TO (2hrs)

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Enjoy five-star luxury in… Xishuangbanna

Tucked away in the primeval forests of Yunnan Province, Ƃ > Ì>À> 8 à Õ> }L> > ,ià ÀÌ E -«> ­Ý à Õ> }L> >° anantara.com) sits in a region of astonishing natural beauty. Nestled on the banks of the sweeping Luosuo River, the hotel’s grounds contain lush tropical gardens and a phenomenal spa. There’s simply no better spot for Ài >Ý>Ì Ì i >À >ÃÌ°

January // 2015

Dual Destinations

Abu Dhabi to The Maldives Set sail in‌ Abu Dhabi

The UAE’s capital has a famous sailing heritage. You can get up close and personal with the waves by taking sailing lessons >ĂŒ ĂŒÂ…i Ć‚LĂ• Â…>Lˆ ->ˆÂ?ˆ˜} E 9>VÂ…ĂŒ Club, or simply enjoy watching the boats on the water from the Corniche. Right on the waterfront is the glamorous -Â…>˜}Ă€ÂˆÂ‡ > ÂœĂŒiÂ? +>ÀÞ>ĂŒ Ć‚Â? iĂ€Âˆ ­ĂƒÂ…>˜}Ă€ÂˆÂ‡Â?>°VÂœÂ“Ă‰>LĂ•`Â…>LˆŽ] a bewitching space with traditional Arabic dĂŠcor and an emphasis on luxury.

Book This Trip Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi Special Offer: Book a Deluxe Room for USD178 per person, per night and receive complimentary buffet breakfast, upgrade to Executive Garden ,œœ“ >˜` Ă“ä¯ `ÂˆĂƒVÂœĂ•Â˜ĂŒ œ˜ -ÂŤ> treatments. Validity: Now ‘til May 15, 2015. Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa Special Offer: -ĂŒ>Ăž vÂœĂ€ 3 nights and receive 1 extra night free. Incudes breakfast and stay in "Vi>˜ 6ˆiĂœ 6ˆÂ?Â?>] 7>ĂŒiĂ€ 6ˆÂ?Â?>] /Ă€ii ÂœĂ•Ăƒi] i>VÂ… 6ˆÂ?Â?> ÂœĂ€ /ĂœÂœ i`Ă€ÂœÂœÂ“ i>VÂ… 6ˆÂ?Â?>° Validity: >˜ £ä‡ iL £™] Ă“ä£xÆ iL Ă“n‡ iV £™] Ă“ä£x° ÂœĂ€ LœœŽˆ˜}Ăƒ] ÂŤÂ?i>Ăƒi Ă›ÂˆĂƒÂˆĂŒ ĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ nearest dnata outlet or call +971 4 316 6666.

FLY TO (5hrs 30mins)

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January // 2015

Get away from it all in… The Maldives - > }À >½Ã 6 } ,ià ÀÌ E -«> Ã Ì i >ÃÌ Ü À` > ` Û > luxury, as it’s also one of the most sheltered, making it the best place for a secluded escape. It, too, has the only private airport in the Maldives, > ÝiVÕÌ Ûi Ƃ À« ÀÌ° 6 } also has the only 9-hole golf course in the Maldives, so you can work on your swing while unwinding. Oh, need we mention the fabulous CHI spa > ` Ó£ iÌÀi «À Û>Ìi Þ>V ̶ ­ÜÜÜ°Ã > }À >°V É > iÉ villingiliresort)

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January // 2015

Iconic California

Evoking images of cross-country road trips, convertible Cadillacs and endless stretches of romantic highway, US Route 66 is probably the most famous road in the world. As far back as the 1930s, Route 66 was a major path for families migrating west during the Dust Bowl, and since then has become the physical embodiment of the American dream, as countless citizens head to Hollywood to make it big.

Iconic

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World Traveller

January // 2015

Iconic California

Possibly the most recognised sign in the whole of the USA, the sign was originally erected in 1923 as advertising for a local real estate company - when it read “HOLLYWOODLAND.” It’s been a beacon for celebrities ever since.

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Big Sur is renowned for its 90-mile stretch of coastline where the Santa Lucia Mountains plunge into the Pacific Ocean. In the early to mid-20th century, the area’s isolation made it an attractive retreat for artists and writers like Jack Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson. One of Kerouac’s famous novels, Big Sur, is based on his experiences there, and he also wrote poetry about the sounds of the ocean.

January // 2015

Santa Monica is one of California’s more upmarket destinations, and is home to countless Hollywood celebrities and executives. The Santa Monica Pier was built in 1909 and holds a wealth of tourist attractions from arcades and rollercoasters to the La Monica Ballroom, once the largest in the US. Santa Monica is also home to the famous Muscle Beach.

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World Traveller

January // 2015

Moscow

Cold comfort Don’t be put off by the temperature. Dress up warm and the Russian capital’s a frosty fairy tale. You just need an expert-expat steer – meet Phoebe Taplin

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January // 2015

inter is what Moscow is famous for: cross-country skiing through frosty birch trees; skating on Red Square; ice-breaking, perhaps, on the frozen river. Festooned with fairy lights, spiked with snowy monuments, the city glitters in the glacial air. The architecture is at its best in winter, too: all those Gothic skyscrapers, domed churches and wooden cottages are beautiful under blankets of sundappled white. Pull on a good coat, hat and gloves and, despite the cold, winter here is nothing to be scared of. Since half the year is generally spent just below freezing, it’s always cosily heated inside. There are bars and cafés to thaw out in, ballets and operas to brighten the nights, and museums to explore when the temperatures plummet towards the minus 20s. This is also a season of heartwarming festivals, from fireworkfuelled New Year and Russian Orthodox Christmas around January 7, to the weeklong, pre-Lent Maslenitsa pancake festival in February or March: then, sleigh rides and snowballing, bonfires and blinis symbolise the return of sun to the wintry land. Get there before the sun does, though, and let your perfect winter weekend play out something like this…

FRIDAY

If you haven’t been to Moscow before, Red Square is the place to start – cameras ready for the kaleidoscopic sea-snail domes of St Basil’s; the Saviour clock tower, topped with its red star; the temple-like ziggurat tomb where Lenin still lies, embalmed and waxily expressionless; and the towering walls of the Kremlin. Everywhere you look, relics of imperial and Soviet history lean over you, intimidating yet irresistible, as you breathe icy plumes under your justbought furry hat. Atmospherically, from December to March, speakers blare Russian classics outside GUM, the hulking old State Department Store facing the Kremlin. Stop to watch lovers circling the huge ice rink, where a giant fir tree soars (gum. ru/projects/rink). Then head for breakfast in GUM itself, where a band serenades shoppers from an ornate balcony. With its designer décor and Italian chef, Bosco Cafe (bosco.ru/restoration/ bosco_cafe) is nice (if pricey for Moscow), with Red Square views and omelettes with spinach and mozzarella. Come also on wintry evenings for homemade tiramisu, among

fur-clad Muscovites and lens-toting tourists. Now for a little culture. There are dozens of world-class museums within walking distance of GUM. The State Historical Museum – look for its bristling brick turrets punctuating one side of Red Square – has nearly 50 lavishly decorated halls and four million exhibits (shm.ru/ en). You can wander from a Neolithic boat, hollowed out of an oak tree with stone axes, to a field kitchen from the Napoleonic wars, and beyond. Even more impressive, the Kremlin Armoury has one of the world’s biggest collections of imperial treasures, weaponry, coaches, costumes and miniature Fabergé eggs (kreml.ru). In a vault in the same building, the hardto-find Diamond Fund is the publicly accessible portion of the Finance Ministry’s treasure hoard and contains the last Russian Crown Jewels (almazi. net). The Orlov Diamond (Europe’s largest cut diamond) on the sceptre was once the eye of a Hindu deity in a South Indian temple; stolen by a French deserter in 1747, it was later bought by Count Orlov

in Amsterdam as a present for Catherine the Great. In need of a warmer? Fifteen minutes’ walk away, close to the river, glass-walled café Akademiya brews up spicy ginger tea with lemongrass and cloves (academiya.ru/ content/5/eng-news.php), while delivering splendid views of the gold-and-white Christ the Saviour Cathedral. Demolished by Stalin, rebuilt in the early Noughties, it glimmers in the weak winter sun, the tallest Orthodox church in the world. The views from the bridge behind the huge cathedral are among the best in the city – left along the frozen Moscow River to the gold-domed Kremlin, or right towards distant Sparrow Hills. The viewpoint at Sparrow Hills itself, in front of the towering Moscow State University, is only four stops away using the super-warm metro, following the oldest underground line in Moscow. Your embarkation station, Kropotkinskaya, underneath the cathedral, was designed as an entrance hall for the huge Palace of the Soviets, which was going to replace the cathedral. When the metro commission objected that architect Alexey Dushkin’s plans looked like an Egyptian temple, he replied: ‘Their palaces were for pharaohs, but ours are for the people’. If you don’t fancy a sunset walk up through the snowy trees to Sparrow Hills, get off one stop earlier, at Sportivnaya, for a proper celebrity graveyard. The Novodevichy Cemetery is chock-a-block with poets, pianists and politicians. A huge rippling Russian flag marks the final resting place of Boris Yeltsin; elsewhere locate Chekhov’s white arch. As the sun sinks, the quirky, veteran restaurant U Pirosmani, where the likes of Bill Clinton and Yoko Ono have dined, welcomes with Georgian cuisine (upirosmani.ru). Focused on grilled meat, nuts and aubergines, it’s one of the delights of eating out in Moscow, best enjoyed with an invigorating gargle of Armenian cognac. Night still young? Get some heat in your veins at the Red October chocolate factory (redok.ru), for which you’ll need to head back to Kropotkinskaya and cross the bridge. It’s home to one of Moscow’s coolest clusters of clubs, cafés and galleries. Joys Bar (barjoys.ru) will warm your cockles with a house cocktail of orange juice with Aperol, apricot brandy and sparkling grape. Meanwhile, at Wunderbar (wunderbarmoscow.ru), you can neck apple punch with caramel syrup to send you to bed.

SATURDAY

For a hangover-busting blast of the real Russian winter wonderland, head to Serebryany Bor (‘Silver Forest’), a wooded island in the Moscow River – take the trolleybus or a taxi from Polezhaevskaya metro station, which goes over a bridge onto the island. The little lakes and January // 2015

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Moscow

inlets among the pines attract swimmers who dip in cold-water swimming pools hacked out of frozen ponds. The morzhi (‘walruses’), who do it regularly, insist it is great for health. Around January 19, the Orthodox Epiphany, there are also supposed to be spiritual benefits. As if in a Breughel painting, people stroll, ski, sledge, cycle and even push prams across the broad, white expanse of the rock-solid Moscow River. From the island, you can walk, shiveringly, across it westwards to explore Troitse-Lykovo, the village where reclusive novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn spent his final years. The painted wooden cottages and elegant churches form a strange oasis among the surrounding tower blocks. Back on the island, you can see the beautiful Trinity church, designed for the Naryshkin family, relatives of Peter the Great, in the soaring, Baroque style they favoured. And on the island’s tip, you will find an ice rink (and ice slides) and the Pomestie restaurant (pomestie-park.com). A fancy, riverside dacha summerhouse, all silk cushions, it serves the freshest bread and is a good place to defrost with cabbage pies, mushroom soup or mulled grape. Another must-tick-off winter wander is through rolling Kolomenskoye Park, which rises on a wooded incline beside the Moscow River in the city’s southern suburbs. Kolomenskoye, built on the site of the oldest inhabited settlements in Moscow, is now home to a museum of wooden architecture, including a Tardislike cabin that belonged to Peter the Great. Peter’s father, Tsar Alexei, created a rambling, asymmetrical palace in the mid-17th century, employing armies of carpenters, painters, gilders and carvers. In 2010, former mayor Yuri Luzhkov reconstructed this palace, famous in its day as an ‘eighth wonder of the world’. Here, on the imperial estate, snowy orchards, stone lionesses and domed wooden churches loom out of the mist rolling off the icy river as you approach the hilltop Ascension church. Tsar Basil III built this meringue-like, white spire in 1532 to commemorate the birth of his son, the future Ivan the Terrible. Nearby, log-built cafés serve moreish honey mead and Turkish coffee. Back in town, exhilaration awaits – in the winter months, Moscow’s theatres and concert halls burst into life, following summer hibernation. See an adaptation of The Master and Margarita in the house where Mikhail Bulgakov once lived – his erstwhile flat next door is now a museum (dombulgakova.ru). Or an ethereal production of Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard in the Moscow Art Theatre, where it premiered in 1904 (mxat.ru/english). Too much like hard work? Now might be the moment to immerse yourself lazily in another great Russian tradition: the steamy banya. One of the soul-nourishing compensations for Moscow’s bitter winter

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January // 2015

Opening page: St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square. Opposite page, top to bottom: Palace Square; Patriarshy Bridge; View over the city. This page, top to bottom: Komsomolskaya metro station; Russian Cabbage pie.

is the ritual of bathing in hot and cold pools, steam rooms and saunas. For opulence, try the Sandunovsky Baths (saduny.ru). In the heart of town, it’s all gilded columns, like a Vaudeville public baths; but there’s also the slightly cheaper Krasnopresnensky bathhouse near 1905 Goda metro station (baninapresne.ru). Perverse as it may sound, bathers partnerup to whip each other with bundles of birch twigs to boost circulation and rid the body of toxins. You feel great afterwards, glowing, as you venture out in the chilly dark.

Now might be the moment to immerse yourself in another great Russian tradition: the steamy banya

SUNDAY If you wake to winter sunshine, stride (or slide) through the Muzeon sculpture garden and Gorky Park. The two form one riverside landscape, renovated by Roman Abramovich, of Chelsea Football Club fame. From November to March each year, the smooth expanses of Gorky Park become Europe’s largest ice-rink (parkgorkogo.com). The park is floodlit after dark, when thousands of lights, embedded in the ice, turn it into a glimmering lilac galaxy. Toddlers, teenagers, grannies and figure-skating clowns glide past as you cling to the edge of the mile-long ice roads. Grey skies and slush? Duck in to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts (artsmuseum.ru), with its war-loot collection of Impressionists: Millet’s moonlit haystacks, Degas’ dancers, or Monet’s lily-pond bridge. The rooms are pure colour therapy for winter: Van Gogh’s fiery vineyard and striated landscapes contrast with Cezanne’s ochres or Gauguin’s Tahitian beauties. Sated with art? Potter towards the Kremlin through the atmospheric Alexandrovsky Gardens to Ploshchad Revolyutsii (‘Revolution Square’), to browse the annually set-out souvenir World Traveller

January // 2015

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Moscow

The Bolshoi Theatre

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January // 2015

WHERE TO STAY ··· Avoid the winter chill and head straight for the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow, a hop and skip from Red Square. Pick from 206 rooms and 32 suites, and dine at one of its five restaurants and bars. It’s the heated indoor pool that’s got our vote. The nearby Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow is a great place to catch forty winks while touring the city. If the stunning architecture fails to lure you, the rooms certainly will. For information visit dnatatravel.com or call +971 4 316 6666.

stands, take a ride in an old-fashioned fairground swingboat, and snap selfies with the ice sculptures. Now nip into Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro; among the 76 bronze statues here is a guard dog, its nose polished gold as thousands of passers-by touch it for luck. Time to souvenir-shop: travel five stops to Partizanskaya for the Izmailovsky craft market (kremlin-izmailovo.com). Stalls creak with quirky gifts, from Simpsonsthemed matryoshka dolls (the ones stacked inside each other) to lacquer boxes. The upper section has fine antiques, but remember you can’t export hand-painted icons or anything more than 50-years-old without a licence. In the afternoon aim north to the Avenue of Cosmonauts (VDNKh metro station), its titanium Monument to the Conquerors of Space glinting in winter sun. Flee the cold in the Cosmonautics museum beneath the monument (spacemuseum.ru), home to Belka and Strelka, the (now stuffed) dogs who survived their space trip in 1960. The Soviet exhibition

For a last-night treat, take a river cruise to see wintry Moscow close-up

grounds next door, all gold fountains and pavilions, are lovely on snowy days, with their cosy tearooms. Here, each year, icesculptors from around the world create a new gallery of themed fantasies, preserved by sub-Arctic temperatures. For a last-night treat, take a river cruise to see wintry Moscow close-up, minus the shivers (radisson-cruise.ru): the icebreaking yacht passes major landmarks (St Basil’s, the hulking Ukraina Hotel, UNESCO-listed Novodevichy Convent, the former Lenin Stadium and more), as you sip fizz and dine. Out of the snow-flecked bleakness come the sloping woods of Sparrow Hills. The riverside Andreyevsky Monastery is overshadowed by the towers of the Academy of Sciences, topped by abstract copper cubes. Stealing the show, the many-domed Kremlin cathedrals rise above the floodlit walls and towers, as the boat sails through the heart of town, into Moscow’s snow-swept night… World Traveller

January // 2015

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THE LUXURY OF A HOTEL WITH THE COMFORTS OF HOME Enjoy panoramic views over the sparkling coastline and stunning cityscape at Fraser Suites Dubai. With award-winning service and extensive gold-standard facilities including swimming pools, steam & sauna, Kid’s Kid d’’ss Club, llub, ub, u b, tennis en ennis e nnis nn n nis squash h courts, conference rooms ooms oo o om om mss that can cater up to 200 de d delegates; e relaxed d diinin dining ng g in Aqua Café and the he exclusive he exxccclus clu llusi usive us u ssive iive ve Awazen Awa Awaze A wa aze zen zen Spa Fraser Suites uites u ites Dubai Dubai has ass it a it all.

FRASER SUITES DUBAI - Sheikh Zayed Road, Media City, Dubai, UAE Reservations: +971 4 440 1400 Email: reservations.dubai@frasershospitality.com

Weekends

Everything you need to know about short-haul escapes

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Spend 48 hours in cultural Cairo

Six of the best New Year Adventures

The UAE’s most unusual dining spots

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World Traveller

January // 2015

WEEKENDS

48 HOURS IN...

The historic capital of Egypt has extravagant riches to explore

CAIRO FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Morning With thousands of years of history, there’s plenty to pack in during a weekend in Cairo. Wake up early and see the sunrise over the Pyramids of Giza, one of the man-made wonders of the world. The huge structures were used as tombs for pharaohs and were built by an army of workers tens of thousands strong.

Morning Time for a history lesson at the Saladin Citadel, a i` iÛ> Ã > V v ÀÌ wV>Ì on the eastern edge of the city. Home to Egypt’s rulers for 700 years, the complex contains several mosques and palaces. Famous for its fresh breeze and grand views of the town, now it’s somewhere you can get lost in the bazaars and join the locals for a coffee in a café.

Afternoon While you are in the area, the next stop is to visit the famous and mysterious Sphinx. With its lion’s body and man’s face, this emblem of the city has captivated visitors for centuries – there is still great debate over why and when it was built, although it is commonly believed to bear the face of the pharaoh Khafra.

Afternoon The Kempinski Nile Hotel has a beautiful spa on the £äÌ y À] vi>ÌÕÀ } wÛi individual treatment rooms and offers an all-natural spa experience, drawing on the changing seasons to retain body balance. Or get arty at the brand new Arts-Mart Gallery, the online art gallery formed in 2009, which has just «i i` Ìà wÀÃÌ « Þà V> ë>Vi in Cairo.

Evening Follow the glamorous young crowd to Sequoia on Zamalek island. The swanky Nileside lounge is known for its fabulous cocktails and relaxed vibe. Lounge on comfy cushions under the white marquee and feast on Egyptian-style mezze and grilled meats. Then do as the locals do – puff on a shisha pipe and watch the world go by.

Evening Finish your stay in style with a Nile river dinner cruise. The two-hour experience aboard the elegant Nile Maxim includes an à la carte menu of local and international dishes, along with live music, belly dancing and traditional Tanoura dancing, a whirling folk dance usually performed >Ì -Õw viÃÌ Û> °

Where to stay

InterContinental Cairo Semiramis (ihg.com) 7 Ì > ÌiÀÀ wV V ÌÞ Vi ÌÀi location right next to the Egyptian Museum and the bazaars of Old Cairo, this is a great spot for modern luxury. Its highlights include spacious rooms, all with private balconies offering city or Nile views, a huge rooftop pool, and 12 restaurants including Birdcage, regarded as the city’s best Thai.

World Traveller

Ask a concierge

Concorde El Salam Hotel ­wÛiÃÌ>À> > Vi°V ® Located in the upmarket suburb of Heliopolis, this is a luxurious haven for those wishing to explore Cairo without spending their nights in the city centre. Built in the style of a huge manor house, Ì i Ìi iÝÕ`ià > Àiw i`] discreet sense of style. It sits wÛi >VÀià v > `ÃV>«i` property, making it a beautiful place for a moonlit walk.

Ahmed Ismail, from InterContinental Cairo Citystars, picks three sightseeing must-dos. I always recommend visitors to go to Al Fishawy café in Khan El Khalili. The café claims to have never closed ÌÃ ` ÀÃ Ã Vi Ì wÀÃÌ «i i` in 1773. Its mint tea is really special. Visitors should not miss the Tannoura Shows in Wakalet Al Ghouri, which is

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a performance similar to the whirling dervishes, with music and other elements. Finally, Al Moez Street offers a }Ài>Ì Ì ÕÀ Ü iÀi Þ Õ Ü w ` beautiful buildings – it is like walking into history.

January // 2015

WEEKENDS

SIX of the BEST

NEW YEAR ADVENTURES January is the perfect time to try out something new. Dive into 2015 right now

1. Crossing Oman by mountain bike

Oman’s mountainous trails are perfect for mountain biking, and the cooler weather of January is the best time to get out and explore this exciting and varied terrain. For those with a competitive edge, the TransHajar Mountain Bike Race takes place from January 30 to February 3, and is the Middle East’s premier multi-day stage race. It’s welcoming to both professional and amateur riders, and this year’s race is an entirely new route starting at the base of Sun Mountain. transhajar.com

WHERE TO STAY: Nizwa is the closest town to the race base. Check in to the Golden Tulip (goldentulipnizwa.com) to be as close as possible to the action.

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2. Surfing in the Seychelles

With swells up to six feet and beautiful blue water, the island v Ƃ Ãi >ÃV>ÀÃ Ã > ÌiÀÀ wV place to catch some waves in the early part of the year when the beaches are less busy. But

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with 115 islands to choose from in the Seychelles, some totally secluded, even if you’re a total Li} iÀ Þ Õ½ w ` à iÜ iÀi to practise away from the eyes of the seasoned pros. Many Ìi Ã Ü vviÀ ÃÕÀw } iÃà à as part of a package, and

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have a resident expert on-site. tropicsurf.net

WHERE TO STAY: Get access to many different islands with a stay at the centrally located Four Seasons (fourseasons.com/seychelles)

3. Hiking in the Maldives

When most people think of a trip to the Maldives, they imagine a relaxing vacation, sprawled on pristine white sands and only moving to order another drink. What they don’t know is that it’s possible to hike the Maldives, with a favourite trek being the 35km and 103 islands that make up the rim of Gaafu Dhaalu, one of the world’s largest natural atolls. And after all that hiking, you might as well do some relaxing too. walkmaldives.com.mv

WHERE TO STAY: The stunning Residence resort (lhw.com) is on Gaafu Dhaalu, the ideal spot to start your adventure.

January // 2015

WEEKENDS

4. Diving in the Red Sea

The Red Sea has plenty of ëiVÌ>VÕ >À Ü ` vi Ì w ` under the waves, and a lot of interesting man-made things besides. Why not search out The HMS Thistlegorm. which lies underwater off the coast of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Sunk in 1941, the British Merchant Navy ship is a hugely popular diving destination for beginners, as the top of the ship is only 40 feet below the surface. Dive down to the ship’s cargo at 100 feet to catch a thrilling glimpse of the machinery of war, like trucks, ii«Ã] L Ýià v À yià > ` iÛi two locomotives. The water inside the holds is eerily still, as if WWII has just been put on hold. cameldive.com

WHERE TO STAY Kempinski’s Soma Bay hotel (kempinski.com) offers wonderful luxury right on the coast of the Red Sea.

5

January // 2014

4

6. Skiing in Turkey

Sick of the sight of the Alps? There’s plenty of piste to be found in Turkey, notably in Uludag, a short ferry ride from Istanbul, and a snowy playground for the city’s wellto-do. Fresh snow piles up over the winter months, and the runs range from gentle to fearsomely fast. What skiing in Turkey really offers is a chance to hit the slopes in a cultural hotspot. skiingturkey.com

WHERE TO STAY The Baia (baiahotels.com) is a big, stylish spa hotel that’s right next to the daily ski-lifts.

5. Yoga in India

Rishikesh Yog Peeth is a non«À wÌ > } À}> Ã>Ì founded in the year 2006 by a group of young, motivated Rishikesh residents as an initiative to spread the eternal message of yoga in a way that is contemporary and accessible to all. It uses Vedic wisdom in the form of Yoga and Ayurveda to provide awareness of holistic living, on the banks of the holy river Ganga. For a crash-course in getting to know your body and mind, it’s a stunning way to start the year. rishikeshyogpeeth.com

WHERE TO STAY The Lalit Chanidgarh (thelalit. V ® Ã > wÛi ÃÌ>À Ìi > Ã ÀÌ drive away from the retreat.

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January // 2015

Weekends WEEKENDS

The TASTE of the UAE Ahead of the upcoming Dubai and Abu Dhabi Food Festivals, WT highlights why these cities are a must-visit for foodies

The inaugural Abu Dhabi Food Festival is set to delight taste buds when it makes its debut from February 5-21. Running across the capital, the festival will be split into three mouthwatering sections: Gourmet Abu Dhabi First launched in 2009 and now part of the Abu Dhabi Food Festival, Gourmet Abu Dhabi aims to raise the standard of food and beverage and promote Emirati hospitality traditions, and will run for the entirety of the festival. Many of Abu Dhabi’s leading hotels will be hosting events and activities like master classes and themed dinners throughout the festival’s run.

Emirati Kitchen Running from February 5-7, this special occasion celebrates the authentic dishes of the UAE. The menu is made up of 25 traditional modern Emirati recipes prepared by the country’s most noted chefs. Emirati cooking workshops will take place alongside the event, with retail store Dukan offering visitors the chance to purchase Emirati kitchen utensils and spices to take away.

StreetFeast / i Ài} ½Ã wÀÃÌ iÛiÀ StreetFeast will be run on consecutive weekends (February 12-13 and 19-21), and will see food from a range of countries and cuisines served up from a colourful caravan of food trucks. Quick to spot the growing food truck trend, Abu Dhabi Food Festival will be delivering on its goal to offer the world on a plate.

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For more information, please visit AbuDhabiFoodBest.ae January // 2015

Dubai Food Festival (February 6-28) will be bringing its own share of eccentric edibles to the city. Here are some dates for the diary... FEB 12-12: TASTE OF PERU

The smash hit of last year, Taste of Peru returns to the Madinat Jumeirah Amphitheatre to celebrate the nearly 500-year-old melting pot of cuisines that make up Peruvian food.

Dubai is also known v À ÌÃ w i ` }] but it’s still got some seriously quirky spots to grab a bite. Here are some of the most unusual.

FEB 14: HIGH FLYING DINNER TOUR

This night starts with a limousine pickup from anywhere in Dubai, and takes in dinner at a fivestar hotel as well as a suite tour. A helicopter then flies guests to their final destination for the last course and dessert.

Noire, Fairmont The Palm The thrill of dining in the dark is explored at this exciting eatery. The three-course gourmet menu is paired with select beverages, and the taste is heightened by the fact that the meal is served in total darkness. Guests are led to their table in a private restaurant by servers wearing night vision goggles, and for the next 90 minutes can only rely on smell, taste, touch and feel to enjoy their meal. Innovating

FEB 14-29: STREET FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

World-famous food snapper Penny De Los Santos shows off a selection of mouthwatering images from her travels around DFF and beyond. FEB 17: FROM ONE CHEF TO ANOTHER TOUR

Rating 5/5 MUST-ORDER: The featured menu, specially tailored to taste great in the dark.

Award-winning chef Tomas Reger takes you to meet the best chefs in the city to discuss high-end food, and of course taste a few of their best dishes.

Frankie’s Italian Bar and Grill, Jumeirah Beach Residence The powerhouse combination of jockey Frankie Dettori and Michelin star-collector Marco Pierre White is one of Dubai’s w iÃÌ ÀiÃÌ>ÕÀ> ÌÃ] > ` Ì iÞ >Ûi a unique offering this January, when a special menu based around olive oil will be available. Four courses include an olive oil crème brulee, pasta buttons stuffed with olive oil and much more. The menu is available from January 18, so book fast.

Innovating Rating 4/5 World Traveller

MUST-ORDER: The four-course olive oil menu. It’s healthy and delicious.

Ossiano, Atlantis The Palm 7 Ì Ü À ` V >Ãà wà ` à ià on your plate, it might be quite disconcerting to look up and see the real live versions swimming just metres away from your table. Happily at Ossiano,

the effect merely heightens the sensation of being in an underwater paradise. The restaurant is walled in by the Ambassador Lagoon, home to over 65,000 marine animals.

Innovating Rating 3/5 MUST-ORDER: Butter roasted

ÛiÀ à i q i wÃ Þ Õ Ü ½Ì see swimming in front of you.

FEB 20-21: STREET NIGHTS

Hundreds of local and international artists get together in Al Quoz to celebrate community art and food, when over 20 food outlets offer “street” versions of their normal cuisine. For more information visit dubaifoodfestival.com January // 2015

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Advertorial

Wet and Wild

SPORT ON YAS

January is the perfect time to have fun and get active on Yas Island

Yas WaterWorld Abu Dhabi is an amazing spot to try y ÜL >À` }] > Ìi Ãi Ü>ÌiÀ activity that involves riding a board over the world’s largest Ü >ÀÀi £ä ÕL i - iiÌ 7>Ûi , `i] ÕLL i½Ã >ÀÀi ° / à ÃÕ«iÀ ë ÀÌ Ü iÝV Ìi > Þ i°

Get Watercooled

Watercooled is the UAE’s premiere watersports operator and at Yas Marina they offer an extensive range of the latest activities including wakeboarding, waterskiing, Ü> i ÃÕÀw }] ii L >À` } and mono skiing plus SUP yoga, >Þ> }] > ` Ì Üi` y>Ì>L ið Instruction and courses are available from the top-class, vÀ i ` Þ ÃÌ>vv°

Tee Off 9>à à ƂLÕ >L Ã Ì i wÀÃÌ links-style course in the Middle >ÃÌ] > ` à > ÌÀ Õ « v `ià } ° The unparalleled visual glory is augmented by the course that takes golfers around 18 challenging holes, each Ü Ì Ã«iVÌ>VÕ >À Õ v Û iÜð January has many great events, including Ladies’ Mornings on Wednesdays, and the Yas Links Back Tee Stableford Challenge À `>Þ Óΰ

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Get CrossFit / iÀi½Ã Lii > wÌ iÃà ÀiÛ ÕÌ in Abu Dhabi that started last August and shows no sign of Ã Ü } ` Ü ° 6 }Õi Ì iÃà E

À ÃÃ Ì ÛiÀ Ã Ì i ÃÌÕ } 9>Ã >À > À Õ > " i ÀVÕ Ì] > ` wÌ iÃÃ v> >Ì VÃ >Ài Û } Ì i À ÃÃ Ì «À }À> i Ì >Ì will help shed the Christmas iÝViÃÃ > vÕ > ` iÝV Ì } Ü>Þ° January // 2015

Catch the Train

Every Tuesday night, Yas Marina Circuit hosts its popular Train Yas nights, where holidaymakers and members of the public can get three hours of exercise and fresh air on the race track itself vÀ È « ° ,Õ iÀÃ] Ü> iÀÃ and cyclists are encouraged to blow off some steam, and Wednesday is ladies’ night, for Ü i Þ°

ÇÎ

Sport on the Sand

Yas Beach, Yas Island’s only private beach club, is a fully «iÀ>Ì > ] wÛi ÃÌ>À «>À>` Ãi° À Ì i >VÌ Ûi `>Þ > iÀ] Ì i championship level volleyball court is more than enough to get families up and moving, or maybe just a jog beside the lapping waves is all you’ll need Ì }iÌ Þ ÕÀ i>ÀÌ À>Ìi Õ«° World Traveller

January // 2015

WEEKENDS

Travel Essentials For…

SAFAR I

Off on an animal-spotting adventure? These will see you right...

THE

GREAT ESCAPE

The Style OLIVER SPENCER LINEN SAFARI JACKET This British brand’s jacket is light enough not to overheat you, but sturdy enough to withstand most weather. mrporter.com

CORINTHIA HOTEL, LONDON Another luxury hotel in London? Ah, but the Corinthia is so much more than just a hotel. It represents the very beating heart of London itself, combining an intricately restored grand hotel with 21st century touches that make it one of Ì i V Ì޽à w iÃÌ°

BOTTEGA VENETA SHORTS A mixture of pleated cotton and linen, these mushroom shorts are totally on trend for a jungle adventure. netaporter.com

ESQUIVEL LEATHER AND CANVAS ANKLE BOOTS Good footwear is essential for a safari, and these rock-solid boots have a rugged, utilitarian feel with a side-zip fastening. esquivelshoes.com

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The Tech SAMSUNG NX1 This high-tech camera can take 15 snaps per second, and is designed for use outdoors. Perfect for blinkand-you’ll-miss-it animal shots. samsung.com

January // 2015

21st century touches like what? For starters, its two world-class restaurants and bar. Garry Hollihead, winner of Michelin stars at three different restaurants, is at the helm of The Northall, and the Bassoon bar is musically inspired and serves cocktails with molecularly-engineered ingredients. It’s `iw Ìi Þ > Ì>ÃÌi v Ì i vÕÌÕÀi° I’ve heard the hotel has its own ESPA? That’s right. The same award-winning spa company that has its home in Abu Dhabi’s luxury Yas Viceroy can also be found here. Set over an amazing four y ÀÃ] Ì Ã >} wVi Ì Ã«> vi>ÌÕÀià £Ç treatment rooms, a private spa suite, nail studio, indoor pool, vitality pool, amphitheatre sauna, ice fountain, marble heated lounges, private sleep pods, a state-of-the-art gym and Daniel Galvin hair salon. Ok, that does sound pretty futuristic. You haven’t heard the half of it. The hotel has harnessed the power of science with its new initiative, The Power of Sleep. This initiative encompasses all aspects of a stay at the hotel, including a Sleep Ritual at ESPA Life, a Sleep Menu designed by nutritional therapists and executive chef Garry Hollihead, and rooms which are fully designed to let you get the best 40 winks possible.

Win!

Our friends at Corinthia Hotel London are offering one lucky reader and a guest the opportunity to win two nights at the hotel, which includes breakfast on both days and a complimentary dinner at The Northall. To enter, just answer this simple question: The hotel bar takes its name from which musical instrument? A) Guitar B) Bolivian Nose Trumpet C) Bassoon Email your answer to easywin@ hotmediapublishing.com before January 31. Terms and conditions apply to the prize.

brought to you by

World Traveller Weekend Offers UAE

Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas 1 night from USD180 per person Special offer: 30% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Park Room with Breakfast daily Validity: January 3-March 26, 2015 The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai 1 night from USD185 per person Special offer: 45% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with Breakfast daily Validity: January 5-February 13, 2015 Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah 1 night from USD210 per person Special offer: 35% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Skyline Sea View room with breakfast daily Validity: Now ‘til February 15, 2015

Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas

Manzil Downtown Dubai 1 night from USD155 per person Special offer: 30% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast daily Validity: Now ‘til January 25, 2015

InterContinental Muscat

OMAN

The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai

InterContinental Muscat 1 night from USD130 per person Special offer: 30% room rate reduction plus complimentary WI-FI access Includes: Stay in a Mountain View Room with breakfast daily Validity: January 1-31, 2015 *Min stay 2 nights – valid only on weekends: Thursday, Friday and Saturday

YAS ISLAND Crowne Plaza Yas Island, Abu Dhabi 1 night from USD130 per person Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast daily and 2 Yas Park Tickets Validity: Now ‘til March, 2015

World Traveller

ITALY

Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah

Gran Meliá Rome 3 nights from USD445 per person Special offer: Stay for 2 nights and receive an additional night free Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with Breakfast daily Validity: Now ‘til until March 31, 2015 January // 2015

75

WEEKENDS

SUITE DREAMS

A Japanese treat with all the requisite mod cons What:

Guest Suite Where:

Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills

About:

Tokyo has been adding several KORTGUUKXG Æ‚XG UVCT JQVGNU VQ KVU KEQPKE UM[NKPG KP TGEGPV OQPVJU CPF QPG QH 96oU HCXQWTKVGU KU VJG #PFC\ 6QM[Q 6QTCPQOQP *KNNU 0GCT VJG

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January // 2015

5JKPDCUJK CPF )KP\C CTGCU VJG JQVGN QXGTNQQMU VJG EKV[oU IKCPV TGRNKEC QH VJG 'KHHGN 6QYGT YJKEJ CEVWCNN[ GENKRUGU KVU 2CTKUKCP EQWPVGTRCTV KP JGKIJV 6JG JQVGN JCU TQQOU CPF GKIJV URGEKCNV[ UWKVGU YJKEJ CTG soaked in Japanese cool. If you’re

C DWUKPGUU VTCXGNNGT KP VQYP HQT C PKIJV VJGTG UKORN[ KUPoV C RNCEG CU EJKE CU VJKU VQ TGUV [QWT JGCF 6JG JQVGN JCU ITGCV CEEGUU VQ )KP\C UJQRRKPI CPF VJG DWUKPGUU CPF GPVGTVCKPOGPV CTGCU QH #MCUCMC CPF Roppongi. tokyo.andaz.hyatt.com

ABU DHABI CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON

OCTOBER 2014 - MAY 2015 PERFORMANCE CALENDAR FEBRUARY 17th 2015

APRIL 29th 2015

MAY 28th 2015

Staatskapelle Dresden and Christian Thielemann

Orchestra Accademia Teatro alla Scala: Opera Gala

Bertrand Chamayou : Solo Piano Concert, The Wanderer

8:00pm Pre-concert Talk at 6:00pm

8:00pm Al Qattara Arts Centre, Al Ain

Emirates Palace Auditorium

Fort, Fo ort, rt, A All A Ain in

FEBRUARY 18th 2015

MAY 12th 2015

BOOK NOW!

Staatskapelle Dresden and Christian Thielemann

TCA Abu Dhabi Classics Music Awards

Tickets are available now from Ticketmaster.ae

8:00pm pm p m

7:30pm

For more information visit abudhabievents.ae

Jahili hiilili Fort, Fo F ort, o rt, A All A Ain in

Emirates Palace Auditorium

APRIL 28th 2015

MAY 27th 2015

Orchestra Accademia Teatro alla Scala with Mikhail Tatarnikov (conductor) and David Fray (piano)

Bertrand Chamayou : Solo Piano Concert, Global Encounters

8:00pm Pre-concert Talk at 6pm

8:00pm 8:00 8 ::00 00p 0 0pm

Emirates Palace Auditorium

Audito A Auditorium udit uditorium u ditorium ditorium

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