World Traveller Sep'15

THE REGION’S BIGGEST LUXURY TRAVEL MAGAZINE

Issue Eighty Nine | September 2015

La Dolce

Vita

A breathtaking visual tour of Italy's great lakes

NEW YORK How to eat like a Michelin-starred chef

AMSTERDAM Easier to get to than ever, and still just as beautiful

MEXICO

Produced in International Media Production Zone

Fine dining in the gastronome's paradise

Complimentary Copy

There are some moments that pass in a second, but last for a lifetime. It’s these experiences that Â˘Â˜ÂžČ‚Â•Â•Čą ę—Â?Čą Â?˜ĴŽÂ?Čą ÂŠÂŒÂ›Â˜ÂœÂœČą Â?‘Žȹ Š•Â?Â’Â&#x;’Š—ȹ Čą ’œ•Š—Â?Čą paradise of Coco Bodu Hithi; surprising and authentic touches that make your stay a truly Â?Â’Â–ÂŽÂ•ÂŽÂœÂœČąÂŠÂ?Â&#x;Ž—Â?ž›Žǯȹ Â˜ÂŒÂ˜Čą ˜Â?žȹ Â’Â?Â‘Â’ČąÂ’ÂœČąÂ’Â—ČąÂŠÂ—ČąÂŽÂ—ÂŒÂ‘ÂŠÂ—Â?’—Â?ČąÂœÂŽÄ´Â’Â—Â?ǰȹ ‘Ž›Ž contemporary creature comforts blend stylishly  ’Â?‘ȹ Š•Â?Â’Â&#x;’Š—ȹÂ?Â‘ÂŽÂ–ÂŽÂœČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ˜Ä›ÂŽÂ›ČąÂŠÂ—ČąÂŽÂ—Â&#x;’›˜—–Ž—Â?Čą  ‘Ž›Žȹ Â?žŽœÂ?ÂœČą ÂŒÂŠÂ—Čą ›ŽÂ?Â›ÂŽÂœÂ‘Čą Â?‘Ž’›ȹ ÂœÂŽÂ—ÂœÂŽÂœÇ°Čą ›Ž”’—Â?•Žȹ Â?Â‘ÂŽÂ’Â›ČąÂ•Â˜Â&#x;ÂŽČąÂ˜Â?ČąÂ?›ŠÂ&#x;Ž•ǰȹŠ—Â?ČąÂ›ÂŽÂŒÂ˜Â—Â—ÂŽÂŒÂ?ȹ ’Â?‘ȹÂ?Â‘ÂŽČąÂ Â˜Â›Â•Â?Čą around them.

Visit www.cocoboduhithi.com or email info@cocoboduhithi.com for more information

Discover

bountiful nature in the heart of the desert

Set within Sir Bani Yas Island Arabian Wildlife Park, Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort, presents a unique and luxurious retreat from the city. Designed to look like rustic African-style lodges with thatched roofs, each of the 30 villas offer views of the Arabian savannah, while the interiors embrace ultimate comfort. Catch sight of bountiful wildlife against the backdrop of salt-dome hilltops, savour delectable dishes created at the Savannah Grill and wind down from an adventure-filled day in the comfort of a personal plunge pool.

Embark on a journey rich with discovery at

anantara.com

Experience the wonders of a wildlife sanctuary with rates starting from AED 1,.00* per night, per villa, including breakfast for two. *Subject to availability, 10% service charge and 6% tourism fee.

Call +971 (0)2 656 1399 or email crome@anantara.com for enquiries and reservations.

United Arab Emirates • Cambodia • China • Indonesia • Maldives •Mozambique • Qatar • Thailand • Vietnam

September 2015 World Traveller

Editor’s Note Managing Director

Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director

John Thatcher Editor

Richard Jenkins Senior Designer

Andy Knappett Group Commercial Director

David Wade david@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 369 0917 Sales Manager

Lisa Price lisa@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 375 3608

Issue eighty nine September 2015

Who’s feeling hungry? It must have been just before lunchtime when we decided to make this issue a gourmet travel special, and some of the destinations we’ve discovered did little to sate our appetite. Whether it’s a tour of New York’s restaurants with Daniel Boulud (A chef who certainly knows what he’s talking about) or the best places to eat your way around the home of fine dining, France, this issue is stuffed with features to get your gastronomic – and travel – juices flowing.

Elsewhere, as the temperatures start to cool we’ve got beachside fun in the UAE, plus new flight routes to plan out your next adventures.

Enjoy the issue.

Designer

Emi Dixon Illustrator

Richard Jenkins richard@hotmediapublishing.com

Andrew Thorpe Production Manager

Chalitha Fernando Editoral Assistant

@wt_magazine

Teresa Francis

Lake Garda, Italy; Getty Images

Jun-Dec 2014 | 22,920 | 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

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Welcome Contents

Contents

Check In The Sections

8 Be Here Now Scenic Amsterdam and a glamorous boat show in Montenegro will whet your appetite for travel.

Check In News and inspiration from around the world

13 Globetrotter New plane routes to Panama, plus a host of luxury hotel openings to usher in autumn.

22 Chef’s Top Tables Destinations In-depth travel features to fuel your wanderlust

Sarah Al-Hamad takes us on a culinary tour of her favourite eateries in the world.

24 Spotlight On: Stockholm The city of Scandi-cool is breathtaking at this time of year, so plan your visit soon.

Weekends Everything you need to know about short-haul escapes 6

27 Style & Wellness Spa news, plus fashion and luxury accessories to make your upcoming travel more stylish.

September 2015 World Traveller

Destinations 42 The Eaten Track France is the home of fine dining, as a road trip of its most glamorous restaurants proves.

48 Unique Dining Some of the world’s most unusual and memorable places to eat, suspended high above trees or in caves of ice.

52 New York, New York Exalted chef Daniel Boulud takes us through all his favourite places in the city that never sleeps.

58 Totally Mexico Street food only? No chance. Mexican cuisine is as varied and memorable as any in Europe.

Weekends 66 News Hot news from the region’s luxury hotels, plus an engine-revving new experience.

68 Six of the Best: Wet and Wild The weather’s going to get cooler soon – time to get back on the beach with these trendy new activities.

73 The Great Escape Disappear for a weekend at the gorgeous Per Aquum Desert Palm

76 Suite Dreams Sensational views about in sunny, spectacular Sydney.

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Check In Be Here Now

Be Here

Now

Amsterdam, Netherlands With its picturesque canals and worldclass museums, Amsterdam is rightly one of Europe’s top short-break destinations.

And there’s never been a better time to visit the laidback capital than now, thanks to new flight connections and a raft of hotel openings. Launched last month, Qatar Airways operates six flights per week between Doha and Amsterdam, making travel from the region a breeze. And now visitors can check-in to The Hoxton Amsterdam, the hip hotel group’s first foray outside of London. Others set to open later this year include W Amsterdam and Zoku, followed in 2016 by Hyatt Regency Amsterdam and the Sir Adam boutique hotel.

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September April 2015 World Traveller

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Check In Be Here Now

Porto Montenegro The Adriatic bolthole of Porto Montenegro is where the seriously well-heeled will be spending their late summers. From September 4-6, the MYBA Pop-up Superyacht Show puts on a display of the ďŹ nest crafts that will be taking to the waters in late 2015 and beyond. The hotel in Porto Montenegro is a spectacular waterfront property that comprises a mix of hotel rooms and private residences, all designed by Tino Zervudachi from Paris. The terracotta-roofed buildings are inspired by the area’s 400 years under Venetian rule.

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September 2015 World Traveller

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September 2015 World Traveller

Globetrotter Here’s what’s hot in travel this month…

Route finder

A beach Bungalow in Panama

Jet off with one of these great new regional flight routes

Dubai to Panama

Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong

Dubai to Asmara

Starting in February 2016, Emirates will operate the world’s longest nonstop flight, from its UAE hub to Panama City in Central America, a staggering 17 hours and 35 minutes away. This route will open up the whole of Central and South America for visitors from the UAE, and beats the previous longest flight, which was from Dallas to Sydney on Qantas, and took a little under 17 hours.

Launched this summer, the Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong route from Etihad is now flying daily. Greater China is one of the most popular routes for business travel, with the leisure sector catching up quickly.

Taking advantage of the stylish Airbus A330 aircraft, there are a total of 3,620 seats per week between the two cities – plenty of space for families and solo travellers alike.

Capitalising on the growing popularity of Africa as a tourism destination, from October flydubai will add Eritrea to its African network, heading to its capital Asmara. A healthy four flights a week which includes business class seating will land in the Eastern African country that’s also close to Egypt to the north and Djibouti in the south – making it a great base for exploration.

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Check In Globetrotter

Eid Escapes

Jet off to cooler climates this Eid al-Fitr

Pallas Athena Fountain and Austrian Parliament Building, Vienna

Luoping, Yunnan, China

Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Cambodia

China

Vienna

Istanbul

If you’ve missed a bit of rainfall, then in Cambodia in September, you’ll see the flora and fauna in full bloom throughout September, where the moats at the Angkor Temples will be full – but the temples themselves will be clear of tourists.

China is packed with sights, and northwestern Yunnan is a land of mystical snowy mountains and wide grasslands. Autumn is particularly beautiful, as the greenery of the country gives way to snow-capped mountains.

One of Europe’s most cultural cities, nobody can truly call themselves a traveller without stopping over in Austria at least once, calling in at one of its jawdropping opera houses to take in a performance. The weather in September is warm and welcoming.

Blending the style of Europe with the traditions of Asia, Istanbul is without a doubt 2015’s hottest travel destination. If you haven’t yet visited, treat yourself with a trip to see in the end of the year, and enjoy exquisite dining and sightseeing.

Stay at: Melia Vienna Found in Austria’s tallest skyscraper, the Danube City Tower, the views of the city and surrounding countryside can’t be beat at this comfortable and modern urban hotspot.

Stay at: Pera Palace Hotel Located in the vibrant district of Istanbul Pera, this hotel emphasises the mesmerising culture of Pera, where you’re surrounded by history, culture and an elegant ambience.

Stay at: Phum Baitaing Hotel Phum Baitang means “green village,” and is a newly opened luxury resort near Siem Reap.

Set in lush gardens and paddy fields, it’s a gorgeous, tranquil escape.

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Stay at: Hylandia by Shangri-La Newly opened in August, this is the first Shangri-La hotel in its namesake part of the world. It’s a modern, highaltitude interpretation of the caravansaries once found along the Silk Road.

Eid Al Adha family getaways at JW Marriott Marquis Dubai.

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*Room rates are per room per night and subject to 10% service charge and 10% municipality fees. Tourism Tax of AED 20 per room per night is payable upon check-out. ͚͞ ͚͙͘͝Ǥ ơ ơ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ͙͚͙͘​͘​͘ǡ ǡ ȁ ή͙͟͡ ͜ ͙͜͜ ͘​͘​͘​͘ǡ ή͙͟͡ ͜ ͙͜͜ ͘​͘​͙͘ ȁ Ǥ ȁ Ǥ Ǥ ȁ

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Check In Globetrotter

Up in the clouds

Luxury luggage maker Rimowa changes course We know Rimowa as the suitcase brand du jour for celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Bradley Cooper and even Kanye West.

What we didn’t know was that they’d been taking all their aviation knowledge and pouring it into a fully airworthy, rebuilt historic F13 aircraft. Having first taken to the skies in 1919, the F13 revolutionised commercial aviation, before being eventually decommissioned in the late 1930s. Rimowa’s latest luggage campaign takes its inspiration from travel in the 1920s, making this historic craft a perfect spearhead to fuel travel inspiration.

The Great Outdoors

New retreats answer the call of nature Opening in October, the glorious resort of Nihiwatu, located on the beautifully preserved Indonesian island of Sumba, is going back to nature with the launch of Mamole, a brand new, whimsical threebedroom tree house villa concept, designed

by German architect Walter Wagner.

Singita has unveiled a complete redesign of its original lodge, Singita Ebony, in South Africa. This lodge is where the Singita story

began 22 years ago, and completes Singita’s reinvention of its private 45,000 acre game reserve set within the Sabi Sand. In Southern Australia, Kangaroo Island has new adventure tours where the full majesty of Australia’s wildlife can be discovered – from koalas to kangaroos and all manner of marine life. As it’s now Australian springtime, it’s the ideal time to visit before the summer heat kicks in.

Travel Download All the media you need, whatever your journey

Flip-flopping

App Dark Sky

Music Lana Del Rey

Film Everest

Hyper-local weather app that can tell you exactly when it will rain or snow up to an hour in advance.

Ideal if you’re venturing far away.

Honeymoon is Del Rey’s third LP, with lead single High by the Beach a sign that she’s back to her swooning, dreamy death-pop.

Inspired by the incredible events of two attempts to conquer the world’s highest peak that were battered by snowstorms.

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Book The Girl in the Spider’s Web David Lagercrantz takes on the iconic “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series in a thrilling new novel.

New Havaianas Havaianas new Beach to City collection provides comfortable and stylish footwear that offer comfort on the beach, as well as style in the city. This is great news for those that worry whether their choice of footwear will be suitable to travel from the beach to the restaurant at lunchtime, and the range comes in a bright collection of colours, invoking thoughts of vacations to come.

September 2015 World Traveller

Audrey Exhibition

The iconic actress loved London Running until October, now might be your last chance to visit Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The photographic exhibition illustrates the life of the actress and fashion icon as she made the transition from 1950s silver screen ingénue to famed humanitarian, working in impoverished lands around the world. Many of the images will never have been shown before, and come from leading photographers like Cecil Beaton, Terry O’Neill and Norman Parkinson.

Stay like Audrey at these luxe London hotels Claridge’s Famous as Hepburn’s London hotel of choice, Claridge’s is as glamorous today as it was in the 1950s.

The Ritz Audrey wore a stunning Givenchy cocktail dress in the movie How to Steal a Million, which was filmed in the bar of the Ritz Hotel.

The Dorchester After winning an Oscar for Roman Holiday in 1954, Hepburn threw a lavish cocktail party in a penthouse at the Dorchester.

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Check In My City

MY CITY

Lviv, Ukraine

Martine Mariya The Creative Director of luxury luggage maker Aspinal of London shows off her home city Check in to the traditional Grand Hotel to be in the heart of the city and enjoy views of the lively Prospekt Svobody Square, where I love to start my day with coffee and caviar blinis. For those looking to getaway from the bustle after a busy day, the elegant Leopolis Hotel is just around the corner, on a calmer street.

If you’re in town for just a short while, the first place you have to visit is Market Square – located the centre of the city, its buildings showcase architectural styles from the Renaissance to Modernism. It’s also dotted with incredible statues of Greek Mythological figures and fountains. There’s a beautiful Italian Court just off the square that has the best coffee in the city.

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For a cultural fix, head to The Boim Chapel, which is part of Lviv’s old town, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The chapel’s art is of the late Renaissance and contains beautiful ornamental sculptures made of sandstone. One of my favourite spots in Lviv is the Potocki Palace, which houses a branch of the Lviv Gallery of Art. There are more than 60,000 pieces of art in the collection, and the interiors themselves are also really interesting. For stunning views of the city, the Lviv High Castle is located on the top of the Castle Hill and is currently the highest point in Lviv.

An unforgettable place I’ve visited is the Lviv Theatre of Opera And Ballet.

Another one of my favourite places to visit while I’m here, there’s always something mesmerising being held. Built in classical Viennese neo-Renaissance style, it is remarkable both inside and out.

For the fashion forward, look no farther than Lviv Fashion Week. It’s so refreshing to see designers who really have fun with their designs. Some of my favourite Ukrainian designers are Roksolana

Bogutska, Oksana Karavanska and Anna Bublik, all of who are regulars at Lviv Fashion Week.

For those seeking peace and quiet, head straight to Stryisky Park. The largest and most beautiful park in the city, you’ll find a wonderful pond with swans, a glassed greenhouse with tropical plants, and artificial castle ruins.

Don’t miss dining at the coffee shops!

Lviv is the city of coffee and has the best chocolate. For divinely delicious cake, visit Veronika Café on Prospekt Svobody or enjoy European cuisine downstairs in the restaurant. Masoch Café is also great for delectable local Ukrainiain food – you’ll find it on the corner of Market Square.

Clink glasses at the Fashion Club, located in the heart of the city. A downtown restaurant that becomes a upscale disco in the evening, it’s popular with locals and always great fun.

Dubbed as a ‘Mini Paris’, it’s hard not to fall in love with Lviv and its architectural beauty, flirtatious atmosphere and welcoming, friendly people.

Check In Ask The Expert

Lake Pehoe and Towers of Paine, Patagonia

A blackwater creek in the Amazon, Manaus

Ask the EXPERT

Rob Arrow is a product manager at dnata and a self-confessed hotel geek. With nearly a decade of experience in the luxury travel industry, Rob loves nothing more than talking hotels and discovering destinations. His favourite country is Lebanon, his favourite city is Los Angeles and his dream is to own a boutique retreat in the Italian Alps.

Q. I want a true jungle holiday – somewhere I can see amazing wildlife, canoe and get back to nature. Any suggestions?

A. There are a number of jungle lodges opening up around the world and many of them are a long way from the GCC region.

However that means that you can create a full experience of vibrant countries such as Brazil or Peru. If you use the connections between Emirates and Air Portugal you can fly via Lisbon to Manaus and start a true jungle experience in the heart of the Amazon. Trek through virgin 20

View of Sugarloaf and Rio de Janeiro city

rainforest, canoe with the pink dolphins on the Amazon River and really be at one with the tribes of the Amazon. Near here is the unique Ariau Towers Hotel, this is the largest Treetop hotel in the world and is a wonder to explore. Other key lodges and locations in South America include, two fantastic community led lodges one being Sani Lodge in Ecuador, managed by the Sani people and Chalalan Ecolodge in Bolivia.

If the thought of traveling so far across the globe is too much to take in, how about a trip to the Pench National Park in India, famed for the setting of ‘The Jungle Book’.

Here you can experience some of the best wildlife experiences without masses of crowds. Taj Hotels own the most luxurious and wonderful lodge called Baghvan, here you can experience the jungle in true luxury and see tigers, Indian wild dogs and a beautiful array of birds. This is an amazing close to home experience in one of the most luxurious intimate lodges you can imagine.

Q. Where would you recommend starting to explore South America?

A. As the region starts to receive more interest from the GCC area, the Continent is seeing more and more entry points.

At present the most convenient starting points are either Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro. Here alone you will get two

very different Latino experiences. Buenos Aires, sweetly known as BA, is a cultural and gastronomic feast of Spanish/South American culture and glorious icons of a bygone time, all mixed with a very modern forward looking country. BA is well connected to explore deeper South into Argentina and the open expanses of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, but be mindful, the flight is still about three hours. Also BA has the beauty of Aeroparque, which is a regional and domestic airport right in the heart of downtown, avoiding lots of traffic.

BA is also a very easy city and friendly place to start your South American experience, the best hotels are also central with truly luxurious experiences at Four Seasons BA or if you want a modern experience head to Faena in Puerto Madero, all happy to welcome the weary long distance traveller.

If you want to hit the ground in party central and salsa your way around the region then Rio is the place to be, the city is full of icons we have all come to see and be accustomed with Corcovado, Sugar Loaf mountain and of course the wonderful Copacabana Beach. Start your holiday at the Belmond Copacabana Palace to ease you into the wonder that is Brazil and from here you have a multitude of options to explore deep into the Amazon or along to coast to some hidden gems of hotels including UXA in Trancoso.

Check In Chef’s Top Tables

Clockwise from above: Café Sabarsky; Hafez; Cafe Sabarsky; Café Menza; Tabouleh salad

Chef’s

TOP TABLES Sarah Al-Hamad is a groundbreaking Middle Eastern cookbook author whose recipes provided the inspiration for the new date cake range at Caffe Nero.

She lives, works and eats primarily in London.

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Hafez, London, UK Order: Zereshk Polow

Café Sabarsky, New York, USA Order: Beef Goulash

In London where I live, my go-to restaurant it would have to be my home away from home, the Persian restaurant Hafez and their Saturday special - the fragrantly bejewelled Zereshk Polow. This traditional dish is given a new lease of energy by the skilled and delicate chefs at Hafez.

No visit to New York is complete without a meal at the atmospheric Café Sabarsky, in the Neue Galerie, for a taste of old Vienna and my favourites: the beef goulash with spatzle and a slice of Linzertorte. There’s no shortage of places to eat in New York, but I recommend searching this one out.

September 2015 World Traveller

Al-Mayass, Kuwait Order: Tabouleh Salad

Café Menza, Budapest, Hungary Order: Soups

When visiting family in Kuwait, I always stop off at Lebanese restaurant al-Mayass on the seafront for the freshest tabouleh salad and a plate of sweet and sour cherry kebab, which you won’t find anywhere else in town. The tender meats and light salad are a perfect combination.

Recently in Budapest, I got to appreciate Magyar cuisine at Café Menza where I happily indulged my love of soups with their hearty pumpkin soup, topped with a lush glug of pumpkin seed oil and their creamy garlic soup topped with a pouffy fried dough Langos to bulk up the meal.

Le Relaise de l’Entrecote, Paris, France Order: Boeuf and Fries I’m not much of a meat eater but when in Paris I can’t resist Le Relaise de l’Entrecote in Saint Germain. Their green salad, tender strips of beef and perfect frites bathed in tongue-tingling mustard sauce all briskly served up by an army of women is a winner.

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Check In Spotlight On

Spotlight On 6WRFNKROP

The capital of Euro-cool will make you more stylish just by being there

6HH DQG 'R Skansen

(DW DQG 'ULQN Lilla Ego

The world’s oldest open-air museum founded in 1891 is the ideal family day out.

Located in the centre of Stockholm on the bustling Djurgården Island, home to historic monuments and galleries is sure to give visitors a glimpse of Sweden’s culture and wildlife.

Dishes served by two award-winning chefs who feature their love for Swedish cuisine throughout their menu is sure to give visitors an experience of true Nordic style is this snug setting.

Drottningholm Palace One of the city’s finest royal palaces lets visitors walk among the elite, as the palace’s lavish gardens are open to visitors all year round. Experience a historic domain as you unwind in the tranquil greens or visit the Chinese Pavilion built between 1753-1769.

Meatballs for the People A rustic homespun environment where the famous Swedish meatball is the talk of the town. Not only does the restaurant serve up these classic Swedish delights, visitors are able to buy 14 types of them in the restaurant’s shop. Who knew there were that many types of meatball?

Bistro Ruby & Grill Ruby The Vasa Museum From a piece of war to a piece of art, Vasa Museum presents the only 17th century ship salvaged in 1961 from the depths of the Nordic seas. Visitors are able to view this historic timepiece with free admission for children and people up to 18 years of age.

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These sister restaurants each display their own distinctive style in both their décor and menu. Opt for a traditional take on US Southern home-style cooking or a romantic, French dining experience laced with wine and crisp white tablecloth, for a spectacular end to your Scandinavian adventure.

Stay Lydmar Hotel This intimate boutique hotel is situated right on the waterfront in the very heart of Stockholm allowing both atmospheres of the busy city centre and the sumptuous scenery to explore. Lydmar guests are able to indulge at the Nordic Spa and Fitness club just next door to the hotel where you can pamper yourself with a treatment or get fit in the gym.

ç 'RQàW PLVV Known for is renowned music; Fasching Jazzklubb presents local and international talents from all over attracting jazz fans in Stockholm since 1977. A comfortable restaurant is available as well where you can whet your appetite two hours prior to concerts before the excitement gets underway.

September 2015 World Traveller

&

Style Wellness

Holding Back The Years Italy If you’re wondering who the old person staring back at you from the mirror is, maybe all you need is a week away here - the stunning Grotta Giusti. This historic spa hotel in Tuscany has just launched an innovative programme designed to combat ageing. ‘Longevity’ includes blood testing, DNA testing, medical consultations, osteopathic consultations and medical-diet consultations and over a seven day period. Daily thermal mud treatments are also enjoyed, together with steam baths in the millennial thermal cave; Giuseppe Verdi, the famed 19th century Italian composer, was a regular visitor to the villa and regarded the cave and its healing powers as the eighth wonder of the world. ichhotels.it 27

Check In Style & Wellness

Wear To Go One&Only launches its own fashion label One&Only resorts have always been overt in flaunting their fashion credentials. Their in-resort NEO boutiques have long since stocked limitededition designer garb produced exclusively for the brand by a slew of big name designers Matthew Williamson, Charlotte Olympia and Orlebar Brown among them. But in what’s a first for a hotel brand – a one and only occurrence, if you like – its in-house retail director Preston Schroeder (pictured) has launced One&Only’s own fashion label.

Schroeder’s CV lists stints at Gucci and Mulberry, and he also attends the four main fashion weeks to shop for NEO, so in making use of such pedigree the brand hopes Schroeder’s style will be a hit with its guests. The thus far women-only collection includes cotton dresses, kaftans, tops, camisoles and shorts, with a range of menswear and childrenswear to be added this winter.

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Magnificent Running through London’s parks

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(1) Under armour shorts (2) Adidas by Stella McCartney armband (3) Mara Hoffman stretch sportsbra (4) Under the sun leggings (5) Falke Ergonomic stretch-knit running socks (6) Nike Air Max 1 sneakers (7) Nike team training shoe bag. Leggings available at yapparel.com, all other iteams availalbe at net-a-porter.com.

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PREP, SET, GO! UAE If you’re keen to get your body in tiptop condition for your next holiday, take advantage of these short-term spa memberships…

Armani Spa, at Armani Hotel Dubai Monthly spa fitness membership at Armani Spa, Dubai, includes a personalised trainer assessment class, customised fitness programme, a 50-minute spa treatment, and discounts on further spa and fitness sessions. You also gain access to the sequential thermal bath and outdoor pool facilities within the hotel. From Dhs1,500-3,000 per month. 04 888 3828.

VIP Gentlemen’s Tonic Club, at Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi Men, prepare to understand the reason women take hours at the salon. Pamper yourself with a gamut of treatments in the most sophisticated environment, comprising leather chairs complemented by rustic wood elements, in-mirror LED screens and music consoles. Sign up for the six-month membership package which entails spa and hotel discounts, massages, haircut and shaving services, manicures, and beach club passes. 02 690 7978.

The Willow Stream Spa, at Fairmont The Palm A flexible three-month membership is available to both men and women for a wallet friendly Dhs1,890. Unwind with the likes of a hot stone massage, classic hammam, body wrap, or facial. Guests also receive beach pass vouchers – which can be shared with family and friends – pool passes and access to spa facilities, as well as discounts at the hotel’s dining outlets. 04 457 3595.

September 2015 World Traveller

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Get Well Soon#

The Gainsborough Bath Spa, England

The beautiful UNESCO World Heritage city of Bath is as much known for its thermal waters as for its Roman baths, which is why the city’s Ganesborough Hotel (which opened last month) has decided to put them to good use. Set beneath a glass atrium within this 99-room hotel is the so-called Spa Village, where guests get to try out those famous waters via thermal baths of differing temperatures.

There’s also traditional and infrared saunas, a steam room, an ice alcove, and an Aroma Bar where guests can custom-blend their own oils. If you’re not one for sharing your bath water (you’re not alone), the spa’s obligatory VIP Suite has its own private thermal bath.

Try this…

Any treatment that boasts of leaving you in a ‘state of relaxation typically only experienced in the comfort of the womb’ simply has to be tried. That’s the promise of the spa’s ‘Freedom’ therapy, a 45-minute, thermal-water based treatment where a therapist gently stretches your body until you sleep like a baby. thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

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Check In World Traveller Promotion

Kids onYas Island

Give your family a magical, memorable holiday somewhere special For more info visit yasisland.ae Yas Beach

Y

as Island is the place to find amazing experiences that will make kids want to come back again and again.

You want rollercoasters? Tick.

You want the biggest and best waterpark in the region? You got it. How about dozens of great restaurants, cool hotels, shops, fun and surprises around each corner? Yas Island has it all! Whether you’re visiting for a day or a week, here are our picks of the most memorable experiences for kids on Yas Island, for families that love to adventure together.

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Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Already one of the most exciting theme parks to be found anywhere, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has big plans to get even more thrilling. Its current star attractions are the incredible Formula Rossa, the fastest rollercoaster in the world that reaches speeds of 240 kph, and the rubber-burning Karting Academy. Soon they’ll be joined by the “Flying Aces” rollercoaster, which will be the world’s steepest and contain the world’s tallest loop-de-loop.

Yas Beach Yas Beach is a fully licensed beach venue dedicated to serving Yas Island’s hotel guests, as well as the general public for a small admission fee. Parents can lie back and relax, while keeping an eye on younger ones playing on the sand or in the turquoise water.

Watersports and beach games like volleyball are great for the whole family. Meanwhile at Yas Marina every Tuesday, Movie Night moves indoors, where popular kids films are screened each week at 7:30pm.

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi Kids of all ages will adore Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, the temperature-controlled waterpark regularly voted one of the best in the world. Kids under three years old enter and play for free, and have zones like Yehal and Marah Fortress designed especially for them. The park is also great for learning, with Emirati culture like pearls woven into the waterpark’s theme, plus Hamlool, the live Dromedary camel that loves visitors.

September 2015 World Traveller

Eid Offers

Enjoy these fantastic Eid Al Adha weekend offers. Book by calling dnata on +971 4316 6666 or visiting dnatatravel.com

Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi Two nights from USD 180 per person

Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island Two nights from USD 210 per person

Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island Two nights from USD 250 per person

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Summer Offers

If you can’t make Eid weekend, these great offers are still available. Book by calling dnata on +971 4316 6666 or visiting dnatatravel. com

Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island Two nights from USD 173 per person.

Special offers: 36% room rate reduction, two children under 12 years old stay and dine for free, complimentary Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi ticket for all guests once per stay, extend your stay to three nights & receive the fourth night free Includes: Stay in a Standard room with breakfast daily.

Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015*

Yas Rotana, Abu Dhabi Two nights from USD 145 per person Special offers: Complimentary 2 day Yas Two Park Pass per guest once per stay, children under 12 years old stay and dine for free Includes: Stay in a Family Room with breakfast daily (can accommodate up to 4 adults & 4 children) Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015*

Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island Two nights from USD 177 per person.

Special offers: One child under 12 years old stays and dines for free, one complimentary extra bed, complimentary two day Yas Two Park Pass for all guests once per stay Includes: Stay in a Superior room with breakfast daily Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015*

Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi

Yas Mall Think a mall is just full of shops? Think again. Yas Mall is ready to change your mind when it comes to great kids entertainment. The detective experience at Fun Works where you have to track down a sweetie bandit is a real blast, and for older kids, the airsoft experience at Battlezone is an awesome way to get an adrenaline-pumping skirmish with friends or family. Add to this great restaurants and shops, and Yas Mall is an adventure by itself.

Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi One night from USD 90 per person.

Special offers: Complimentary upgrade to the next room category and late check-out till 3PM plus receive 50% discount on Spa treatments and 25% discount on F&B Includes: Stay in a Marina room with breakfast daily Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015* Yas Mall

*T&Cs apply 31

Check In dnata Offers

WORLD TRAVELLER

Reader Offers

A

A USA Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal

7 nights from USD400 per person Special offer: Stay 6 nights and receive an extra night free Includes: Stay in a Standard King Room with return airport transfers Validity: Now until 17 Dec, 2015 Autumn is the perfect time to visit the East coast of the United States, with the summertime rush gone from the exciting Universal Studios.

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B Italy Mandarin Oriental, Milan

I

Italy Boscolo Exedra Milano

Jordan Kempinski Hotel, Amman

3 nights from USD1,340 per person Special offer: Complimentary upgrade to the next available category at the time of booking Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015.

Blackout dates apply

3 nights from USD445 per person Special offer: Winter promotion - 20% off Includes: 3 nights stay in a Classic Room with breakfast daily Validity: Nov 1-Nov 30, 2015 Booking period: Aug 5-Sep 30, 2015

2 nights from USD198 per person Special offer: 10% room rate reduction + complimentary mobile SIM card and welcome kit on arrival Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Jun 1-Sep 30, 2015

Stylish, chic and sophisticated are three words that sum up this hotel, and Milan itself, which is beautiful any time.

An ultra-cool escape in the heart of the ultra-cool city, the Boscolo Exedra is in the heart of all that's happening in town.

Enjoy the tranquil beauty of Amman and a visit to the famous Dead Sea, where you'll oat weightlessly in the waves.

September 2015 World Traveller

B C D J

H

How to Book

L You can book these offers by calling dnata on E F K

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+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.

E Maldives Kuredu Island Resort & Spa

F Maldives Meeru Island Resort & Spa

Malaysia Shangri -La Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa, Penang

4 nights from USD930 per person Special offer: Complimentary upgrade to All Inclusive Plus* Includes: Stay in a Beach Villa with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and return speedboat transfers Validity: Sep 1-Oct 31, 2015 *Book by Oct 19, 2015.

4 nights from USD695 per person Special offer: Complimentary upgrade to All Inclusive Plus* Includes: Stay in a Beach Villa with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and return airport transfers Validity: Sep 1-Oct 31, 2015

3 nights from USD277 per person Special offer: Reduced rates by 30% Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Garden View Room with return airport transfers Validity: Sep 1-Oct 31, 2015

The weather is spectacular at this time of year, even better at this secluded hideaway.

A bigger Maldivian island with plenty for kids to explore, Meeru Island is the ideal choice for those with larger groups.

Penang is jam-packed with sights and tourism hotspots, but you'll be hard pressed to leave the glorious comfort of this Shangri-La hotel.

H Hong Kong Kowloon Shangri-La

3 nights from USD598 per person Special offer: Reduced rates by 10% Includes: Stay in Deluxe Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Sep 1-Sep 30, 2015 Shangri-La know Hong Kong better than most, and the offering in Kowloon is sensational for those who are looking to get to know the city a little better themselves.

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Check In dnata Offers

Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Le Meridien Chiang Mai

Bab Al Shams

Vilamendhoo Island

dnata’s FANTASTIC FOUR

Exciting Escapes There’s adventure to be found at these incredible destinations I

USA Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort 6 nights from USD1,138 per person Special offer: Stay 4 nights and receive 2 extra nights free Includes: Stay in a Lake View Room with return airport transfers Validity: Now until Dec 19, 2015 Give your family an experience they'll never forget at the glamorous and joyful Walt Disney World resort.

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J

K

UAE Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa

Maldives Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa

1 night from USD90 per person Special offer: 25% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast Validity: Now until Sep 30, 2015

4 nights from USD1,095 per person Special offer: Complimentary upgrade to All Inclusive Plus* Includes: Stay in a Beach Villa with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and return seaplane transfers Validity: Sep 1-Oct 31, 2015 *Book by Sep 14, 2015

With infinity pools stretching off into the desert sands, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is a luxurious haven that's far enough from Dubai to feel like a holiday, but close enough to reach with absolute ease.

September is a great time to visit the Maldives, with plenty of flights available daily.

Vilamendhoo is gorgeous.

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Thailand Le Meridien Chiang Mai 3 nights from USD208 per person Special offer: 10% room rate reduction Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Sep 1-Oct 31, 2015 Thailand is the perfect destination for a holiday out of the GCC region, with its lush greenery and wildlife a world away from life back home. Le Meridien is one of Chiang Mai's premier hotels.

September 2015 World Traveller Promotion

Eid Al Adha

Special

Deals

Why choose Club Med? No two travellers are the same, which is why we offer eight unique ways to explore the world.

For 18-35s only · Expert in all-inclusive family holidays since 1950 · 80 resorts worldwide · Exceptional locations · Premium Accommodation · 60 sports / activities · Kids clubs*** · International full board gourmet cuisine · Unlimited drinks and refreshments · Evening entertainment · Partnerships with renown Spa brands Special offer: Book for minimum 7 nights stay to avail 15% discount

Summer in Turkey Bodrum, Turkey 4 One week from USD1,000 per person Book by: Sep 27, 2015 Validity: Sep 13-Oct 14, 2015 Discount Code: TFSEP Palmiye Hotel, Turkey 4 One week from USD1,140 per

Up to 15% off* on selected resorts || Kids under 6 go FREE**

person Book by: Oct 16, 2015 Validity: Sep 12-Oct 24, 2015 Discount Code: TFSEP

Special offers for Club Med Asia Bali 4 One week from USD1,220 per person Book by: Oct 16, 2015 Validity: Aug 15-Oct 31, 2015 Discount Code: TFSEP2 Le Plantation D'Albion, Mauritius 5 One week from USD1,650 per person Book by: Oct 16, 2015 Validity: Aug 15-Oct 31, 2015 Discount Code: TFSEP2 La Pointe Aux Canonniers, Mauritius 4 One week from USD1,400 per person Book by: Sep 19, 2015 Validity: Aug 15-Sep 26, 2015 Discount Code: TFSEP2 Albion Villas, Mauritius 5 One week from USD8,540 for a two-room private villa

Validity: Until Oct 31, 2015 Discount Code: TFSEP2

Game, set and match in Florida Sandpiper Bay, Florida 4 One week from USD808 per person Book by: Nov 7, 2015 Validity: Aug 29-Nov 14, 2015 Discount Code: ADS01

The above prices include: · Luxury accommodation in a Club Room based on twin share · International full board gourmet cuisine · Unlimited drinks and refreshments

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For more information, please call +9714 316 6666 or email contactcentre@dnata.com 35

Destinations Iconic Italian Lakes

Very Reserved The majestic Legnone Peak overlooks the still waters of Mezzola Lake, in one of Italy’s most scenic nature reserves.

Legnone is the highest point of the Orobie Lecchesi, easily recognisable by its distinctive pyramid shape. Eagles circle its heights looking for prey, and fully preserved WWI trenches can be found in the foothills.

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September August 2015 World Traveller

Iconic

Italian Lakes Peaceful, beautiful and inspiring; the lakes of Italy have been a haven for writers, poets and lately celebrities, whose country houses are a mark of success and glamour

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Destinations Iconic Italian Lakes

A Tranquil Getaway Lake Como is well known - and not just because of celebrity residents like George Clooney or Richard Branson. Its serene landscape includes the aweinspiring Grigna Mountains and the charming town of Bellagio.

It’s a draw for tourists yearround, but late summer is the best time to enjoy the warm weather without the crowds.

Lush Landscapes Lake Lugano finds itself in between Switzerland and Northern Italy, and its Mediterranean weather combined with incredible nearby flora prove it’s gotten the best of both worlds. It is close to

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the San Grato Botanical Park, which boasts some magical views of the Alps, and is home to one of the most diverse collections of flowers in the region, as well as views that would make any number of poets weep.

September 2015 World Traveller

Inspiring Views Situated cloer to the north of Italy, the Boite river boasts spectacular views. It is pictured here with the breathtaking Lagazuoi mountain, one of the highest in the Dolomite region.

It is also the location of Cortina d’Ampezzo, a town whose beauty has been the muse of many a local artist, including author Ernest Hemingway, whose love for the Italian countryside is well documented.

Beautiful Bellagio With a local population of just two hundred, Bellagio is a quaint and cozy haven for those looking to get away.

Rich in history, the town is home of many beautiful churches and old basilicas that

date as far back as the early 12th century.

With stunning views of Lake Como (Bellagio is known as ‘The Pearl of the Lake’) and ferry boats to equally lovely neighbouring towns, Bellagio is the perfect destination for

travellers who want a romantic getaway or a change of pace that favours serenity and peace.

Make the most of your time in this slice of paradise by taking in a walking tour that shows off the most exquisite views of the water and architecture.

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September 2015 World Traveller

Gourmet Travel Special A world of fine dining at your fingertips

42 Eating through the heart of France 48 Unique dining experiences worldwide 52 Daniel Boulud’s guide to New York dining 58 A Mexican food adventure

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Destinations France

Off the Eaten Track Sally Howard and her partner search for the heart of France, and ďŹ nd that the best way there is through the stomach

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September 2015 World Traveller

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Destinations France

B

etween bites of baguette topped with oozing triangles of Reblochon, my boyfriend, Tim, is trying to make a point. We’re on the sunny terrace of Le Rostand, an archetypal Parisian cafe on the Left Bank. On neighbouring tables, face-lifted Parisians pet yappy lapdogs and gingerly part lips over apéritifs, while agegap couples moon over demi-verres of 1664.

Across the road, the deep greens of the Jardin du Luxembourg peek through curlicued gates and a street performer careers about on stilts, dressed top-to-toe in tinfoil, whistling an out-of-tune Marseillaise. Tim swallows appreciatively and continues: ‘Do you remember that episode of The Simpsons where they’ve been exiled to France? Homer is tucking into a cartoon sized coq au vin, and says, “What I love about France is that back home I’m just a fat jerk. Here, I’m a gourmand!” That Gallic attitude to food is the reason we’re here. Tomorrow we’ll set off on a road trip through the epicurean heartlands of La France profonde, or ‘deep France’: first the orchards of the Loire Valley; then the Rhône, where locals thrill for nibbles in the shade of the Massif Centrale; and on, to the lavender fields of Provence and the waterfront bistros of the Côte d’Azur. It’s a journey we could achieve in a day via France’s sleek autoroutes: eight hours from Paris to Nice. Instead, we’ve decided to do it the slow way, dodging the tolls and taking in countryside — not to mention the best of France’s regional cuisine — on a stretch of blacktop that predates those scything autoroutes by half a century.

Our route, if little-known to us Brits, is legendary to the French: the Route Nationale 7 or ‘Route des Vacances’.

Formed in the 19th century from stretches of Roman road, the N7 ran uninterrupted some 1,000km from the ‘zero point’ of all French roads at Notre Dame, down to

Our first night on the road is spent at the Auberge des Templiers the Italian border, via Lyon, Cannes and Nice. Fame hit this A-road in the mid-20th century when post-war wealth, paid holiday allowance, and the arrival of family cars lured many Parisians to head south to the soleil and beaux rivages of the Côte d’Azur.

Many became ‘gastronomads’: indulging in six-course menus de dégustation at the elite restaurants that flourished along the route. By the ‘50s, the National 7’s routiers (trucker pitstop cafes), grand old hotels, and restaurants recommended in annual guide books first published by the Michelin French tyre company in 1900 became central to the experience of les grandes vacances.

But there’s little in the way of holiday spirit as Tim drives us south out of the Paris suburbs the next morning. I’m navigating the old-fashioned way — with a roadmap the size of a chaise-longue. I’m not known for my navigation skills, so it’s 44

September 2015 World Traveller

only after a handful of wrong turnings that we finally breach Paris’s concrete collar.

Then, gloriously, the Fontainebleau forest opens out: 25,000 hectares of dense oaks and Scots pines that inspired Monet’s paintbrush and the romantic trysts in The Scarlet Pimpernel. The scent of the air is herbaceous, the scenery dark green against blue skies, and suddenly I can imagine how those pioneering holidaymakers felt: free from the grime of the city, the open road ribboning ahead, the sun-soaked coasts beyond.

In Nemours, a pretty commune straddling a tributary of the Loire 70km south of Paris, we stop off for lunch. The commune’s centrepiece is a turreted 12th-century castle, and here a medieval summer festival is in full swing — so we buy paper plates of ratatouille and frites from a food stall; pick our way through knots of locals in habitsand-hose; and sit on a grass bank beside the river. Eating with fingers, we watch mallards bobbing on the waters, and a local witch — dressed in a wimple, smock and designer sunglasses — trying to save her tankard of beer as she’s ducked.

‘Goodbye Parisian hauteur, eh?’ I say, and Tim laughs as he polishes off his snack.

Our first night on the road is spent at the Auberge des Templiers in tiny Boismorand, 65km beyond Nemours: a cluster of cottages in gardens that started life as a bolthole for the Knights Templar hiding from the Inquisitors’ flames and stakes. In the ‘40s, the ambitious family Dépée bought the rundown timbered buildings, installed antique four-posters and a Parisian chef, and began catering to the better-heeled among the motorists plying the Nationale 7. Today Yoshihiko Miura, a Japanese grand chef

who arrived via Paris’s and Tokyo’s finest kitchens, mans the Templiers’ Michelinstarred restaurant. It’s a sign of a new, relaxed attitude in the French dining scene that fusion food has made it out of Paris and into rural restaurants such as this.

Ravenous after a hard day’s navigating, we tuck into Miura’s fine Franco-Japanese creations, such as a featherlight red mullet with miso broth.

Back on the road next morning, we revel in smashing vistas: skies wide blue flecked with white, and the N7 clinging to the river as we descend into the south Loire valley.

Late morning, vintner Florian Roblin meets us for a tour of his terroir, a service he offers to any passing visitors who are prepared to take the short detour off the N7 to the town of Gien.

We picnic on local produits prepared by Florian’s inn-keeping aunt Nicole, feasting on pâté enriched with local chestnuts, Loire goat’s cheese specked with chives, Orléans mustard and a velvety potato-and-herb pie.

It’s a moment that sums up that thing the French do so well: elevating a humble eating experience to the sublime.

Onwards, the route serves up more delicious scenes: poppy fields patched with vines, plump hay rolls, and fluttering cabbage butterflies — as it takes us to the town of Bourges (50km from our overnight in Chavignol), and our lunch at another Michelin-starred haunt. We’re dining at Le Cercle, a restaurant in a 19th-century mansion. Here, chefs and childhood friends Pascal Chaupitre and Christophe Lot cook in the manner of star DJs, each riffing on an ingredient on the same plate: Jacquin à Chambon, snails two ways; Chavignol, goat’s cheese, served hot and cold.

Destination Dish Panna cotta Panna cotta is a traditional Italian dessert, which French chefs have elevated to perfection.

The name literally means “cooked cream” and is thought to have been originally invented in the early 1900s in Hungary.

Opening pages: A busy street cafe in Place de l’Odeon.

Clockwise from top left: White peaches at the market in Valence; Lavender fields near Sault, Provence-AlpesCôte d’Azur; Auberge des Templiers; a typical French brasserie in Provence-AlpesCôte d’Azur; Reblochon cheese.

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Destinations France Clockwise from right: Auberge des Templiers; the Luxembourg palace in the Jardin du Luxembourg; chef Michel Troisgros who owner of the La Maison Troisgros, Roanne; Auberge des Templiers.

Where To Stay Auberge des Templiers For a rustic gastrosensation, this charming five-star hotel is on the doorstep of the Loire Valley and the Sologne, just one hour from Paris.

The charming pink brick and half-timbering is a foretaste of the charm of the former coaching inn.

For more information visit dnatatravel.com or call +971 4 316 6666.

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Rain falls like nails onto the windscreen of the car the following morning. Our fourth day on the road, we leave the Loire for the Auvergne region — but soon we’re hopelessly lost. We’re fast discovering that the N7 is a tease — she wends and winds, she temporarily changes her name (to the A77, theRD701, the RD6007 and others), she disappears for long stretches, then pops up with gorgeous lengths of asphalt flanked by sunflower fields.

Eventually, two hours late, we pull up at the Hôtel de Paris in Moulins, a venerable joint — all high ceilings, cornices and obsequious service — where Paris’s great and good used to put up and party en route south. We fall onto a high damask-dressed bed heaped in pillows.

‘Two things I’ll never understand in France,’ says Tim, voice muffled by bed sheets, ‘are the bidets and the scatter cushions. These two are the size of postage stamps. And the normal pillows are in the wardrobe! Why is that?’ Later, we haul ourselves out to the rain-wetted street for another world-class meal of flambéed prawns in an unassuming bistro, La Petite Auberge.

As we leave Moulins, the grey skies brighten to blue over a view of clustered Medieval hamlets and green fields dotted with biscuit-coloured cows. Roanne, an otherwise unremarkable town in the Rhône-Alpes region, is home to the much-Michelin-garlanded third-generation family restaurant La Maison Troisgros (which first made its name catering to the N7 gastronomads in the ‘30s), as well as one of theworld’s finest chocolate-makers, François Pralus. Pralus is, like his father, a pâtissier and chocolatier who produces own-brand chocolate for luxury brands such as Fortnum & Mason from his factory at Roanne. We nibble bestselling Barre Infernale — a 75 per cent Madagascan cocoa layered with almond pralines — in his flagship shop. A picture of François reclining in hair wax and a tight black turtleneck beams down at us from a screen above a counter staffed with perfectly formed blondes.

‘Look at that guy,’ says Tim, sotto voce. ‘He looks like a mid-career Tom Jones. A smalltown chocolate-maker as a pop-star... Only

in France!’ On the approach to Valence, on our sixth and final day on the road, life and landscape begin to look different.

The lavender fields and purple shutters of Provence put in an appearance. Houses wear a sepia wash and dusty roadside stands sell bags of brilliant little cerises and pêches. The slogan for our final pitstop en route south claims: ‘C’est à Valence que le Midi commence!’ ‘Le Midi’ being the colloquial name for southern France.

Our hotel at Valence is the fabulous Maison de la Pra, an elegant backstreet townhouse. The final gourmet experience of our road trip will be at Le 7: a bistro and restaurant run by star French chef AnneSophie Pic. Pic is the third generation of a family of Valence restaurateurs and a woman who’s revolutionising the notoriously macho French haute-cuisine scene. With its plexiglass chairs and a menu styled like a fold-out roadmap, Le 7 was set up in 2006 in tribute to the Route Nationale 7. My chilled pea-and-lime soup is dressed with edible flowers, with a substrata layer of pannacotta, and Tim’s risotto is ‘silky, deeply savoury’.

Our last stop before we leave the final extant stretch of the N7 and join the imperative torrent of traffic on the A7 autoroute to Nice (250km further) is La Musée de La Mémoire de la Nationale 7 in Piolenc, outside Orange. We reach the museum — a quaint operation run by enthusiasts — 10 minutes beforethe 2pm opening time to discover a queue of middle-aged French tourists. Doors opened, we pour in to marvel at the chassis of ‘40s Paris-Rhône cars, Rexine picnic sets and black-and-white videos of ‘50s traffic jams.

The visitors walk around looking happy and nostalgic, and I can see why.

The old, slow road had much to recommend it. We’ve had a wonderful time charting the route, sometimes elusive, of the old gastronomads. We’ve avoided the traffic and the autoroute tolls, and we’ve been fed as if there’s a conspiracy to slaughter us for our fattened foie at Nice. Importantly, we’ve remembered how pleasurable European road travel can be, and why French cuisine is world renowned. I turn and smile at Tim, who’s busy parping an electric car horn. A bonne vacance indeed.

September 2015 World Traveller

As we leave Moulins, the grey skies brighten to blue over green ďŹ elds

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Destinations Unique Restaurants

The

World’sMost Unique Dining

Destinations A meal at one of these quirky restaurants guarantees the food won’t be the only talking point

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September 2015 World Traveller

Soneva Kiri, Thailand Childhood fantasies of treehouses meet spectacular views of tropical rainforests and calming waves at the Soneva Kiri in Thailand. Their treepod dining experiences involves diners being hoisted up into the ancient Koh Kood rainforest inside spacious bamboo pods, while waiters zipline to serve food - you’ll be amazed at the dexterity serving drinks 30 feet in the air can take. soneva.com 49

Destinations Unique Restaurants

Clockwise from bottom: Ice Restaurant; Dinner in the Sky besides the London Eye; Robot Restaurant Tokyo; Ali Barbour Cave Restaurant

Arctic Snow Hotel, Finland Inside the Icerestaurant and Icebar at the Snow Hotel in Finland, you don’t need to take off your coats. Serving local and Lappish delicacies, the restaurant is fully furnished in ice. At the bar, a popular menu item includes drinks in ice shot glasses - that’s certainly one way to keep cool, even if the rest of the food is served piping hot.

You can sleep off your meal at the hotel, which surprisingly enough is also made of ice. arcticsnowhotel.fi 50

September 2015 World Traveller

Dinner in the Sky Pictured here in London, Dinner in the Sky is a global group who’ve hosted events in over 45 different countries including Belgium, Spain and Morocco.

Specialised ‘sky platforms’ that have been engineered for safety lift diners up in the sky and suspend them there while haute cuisine is served. Delicious food can be served with a breathtaking view of the city, and the next meal is scheduled for Vienna, Austria, in mid-September. dinnerinthesky.com

Robot Restaurant, Tokyo, Japan

Ali Barbour’s Cave, Diani Beach, Kenya

In the Kabukicho red-light district of Tokyo, visitors flock to the famous Robot Restaurant, where one hour live shows include robot cabaret, flashing lights, ninjas and techno music.

An entry ticket also includes a drink of choice. A unique experience that is as fun as it is eclectic, which no visitor to Tokyo should miss. The city is known for its high-tech futurism, so robots serving dinner was the logical next step. shinjuku-robot.com

About thirty kilometres away from Mombasa, Ali Barbour’s cave restaurant is surrounded by a series of interlinking chambers that are between 120,000 to 180,000 years old, and for the most part untouched by its owners. It serves international cuisine specialising in seafood, with unrivalled ambience. A dining experience here is one that’s sure to fuel happy memories for many years. alibarbours.co 51

Destinations New York

Bites Big Apple of the

Cosmopolitan New Yorkers are spoilt for choice when it comes to eating, says Daniel Boulud. The celebrated chef gives us a guide to his favourite restaurants and delis in the city

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September 2015 World Traveller

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Destinations New York

M

ention New York and the images that spring to mind are of bright lights, skyscrapers and broad avenues crawling with yellow taxis. Yet the city has its Arcadian side, too: at Greenmarket, the largest and most diverse farmers’ market in the United States, produce from 230 family farms and fishermen reminds visitors that the city is surrounded by some of the most fertile agricultural land in the world, as well as abundant ocean.

These provide the prime ingredients for a dynamic restaurant scene that is spreading from the opulent centre into formerly no–go areas such as the Meatpacking District, Flatiron and the Garment District. Here, new restaurants are opening all the time, showcasing the work of inventive chefs who draw upon the rich multicultural heritage of this city of eight million inhabitants.

Whether you want Korean or Keralan, Indonesian, Irish or Iraqi, you can find it in New York – and at every price point, from neighbourhood deli to Michelin–starred fine

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diner with epic waiting lists.

It was this richness, diversity and opportunity that drew Daniel Boulud from his native Lyon to New York, where he worked as executive chef at the acclaimed Le Cirque between 1986 and 1992.

The following year he opened his eponymous restaurant, Daniel, immediately rated among the top 10 in the world by the International Herald Tribune. A host of accolades followed, culminating in three Michelin stars in 2010.

Other New York restaurants cemented Boulud’s reputation, including the one– Michelin–starred Café Boulud. Nor was it long before other cities felt his influence – including London, where his Bar Boulud occupies the basement of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.

A regular on television, in 2013 Boulud published his lavish cookbook Daniel: My French Cuisine. Despite his Gallic affinities, he remains an ardent fan of New York, its ingredients and its food culture. Here is his advice on how to make the most of them.

September 2015 World Traveller

What makes the cuisine special?

Opening page: New York’s Meatpacking District. This page, clockwise from top left: Oysters; Street preserves, Maine lobster; City street market.

New York has an amazing history of farming and fishing that goes right back to the Pilgrim Fathers. At its core are the four seasons, which are distinct, well– established and similar to those in Lyon, where my family lives: when it’s snowing in New York, a week later it will be snowing there. I can’t conceive of cooking in a sunny place like Florida because my motivation comes from the changing seasons. That’s why I decided to live in New York.

In the springtime we have softshell crab from Maryland, which I’d never had until I came to America. In the summer and early fall we have striped bass, “stripeys”, which come all the way up the Hudson River but mostly gather in the sound at the tip of Long Island, off Montauk. It’s a firm, lean fish which I bake whole on the bone with herbs, lemons and cracked pepper.

Fall is also the game season, and we have wonderful venison, wild boar and squab.

At Greenmarket, midtown by 14th Street, you’ll see pumpkins, nuts, root vegetables and apples from orchards along the Hudson.

We get veal from Vermont, and scallops from Nantucket. You can source produce from eight states, maybe nine if you go up to Maine.

New York is also a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. In the Bronx you have the southern Italians, in Queens the Greeks, Koreans and Chinese, and in Harlem the Hispanics – all with their own markets. In Lyon, cardoon is a big thing and I managed to find it in the Bronx where there’s an Italian community. I was also able to get capretto, baby goat, and the best baby lamb I’ve tasted. The variety of cultures makes for a fascinating fusion of cuisines, and with a little exploration and experimentation you can find your own perfect meals.

What dish sums it up?

A clambake in summer, which is a pilgrim dish using classic New England ingredients.

You make a fire, heat some stones, put two whole lobsters on top, some littleneck clams, mussels, shrimps, corn, potatoes and seasonal vegetables, then cover the whole lot in seaweed and let it steam. I also do a stove–top version with bacon and bratwurst sausage to lend a smoky flavour. It’s ideal for a Fourth of July party – or Bastille Day, when the weather is hot.

Destination Dish Hot dog The ubiquitous New York street food is one of its most famous dishes - along with pretzels and bagels.

Traditionally served with mustard, onions and sauerkraut, the humble “dog” gained popularity with manual labourers in the 1930s, and now comes with a bewildering amount of topping options.

What else should we look out for?

Fried chicken has made a big comeback. It’s “premiumised”, with organic chicken and beautiful batter; we do it at Café Boulud on a Thursday and people just dig in.

My favourite is in Harlem, at the Red Rooster. Americans also love to barbecue: they cook meat for up to 48 hours, very slowly, with low smoke and low heat. Then there are cherrystone clams which are fantastic in stuffings. Oysters are very New York, too.

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Destinations New York

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September 2015 World Traveller

New York in five courses

Where Daniel Boulud would enjoy...

A typical brunch Frankies Spuntino in Brooklyn is a great American bistro that opens at 11am and serves brunch specials at weekends: Lancaster County farm–fresh eggs, thick–cut bacon, two types of frittata – prosciutto, potato and red onion, or wild mushroom with pecorino. The lunch menu has salads, sandwiches, home–made pasta, cured meats and classics such as meatballs with pine nuts and raisins. It’s not a steakhouse but they do a very good slow–roasted rib–eye. If you’re in that part of town, it’s definitely a place to try.

Lunch If you’re on a budget, Sweetgreen is a new chain of salad bars that are very good but inexpensive. You choose from a menu or customise your own, with some protein, a healthy salad and a great dressing.

The ingredients change with the season and they work with local farmers; I like the one at the NoMad hotel.

The Meatball Shop is another chain that’s very trendy. They do chicken, and beef meatballs with different sauces, and there’s one on the Lower East Side. For a real New York experience I’d go to Katz’s Deli for a sandwich. It’s where they filmed the “I’ll have what she’s having” scene in When Harry Met Sally and it looks like a Fifties cafeteria. They do hot sandwiches with brisket, corned beef, turkey and knoblewurst [beef sausage].

Dinner We’ve had a lot of young chefs from Korea in the past 10 years, learning in the New York cooking schools and working with some of the best chefs.

They’re all opening their own restaurants now. I like Momofuku Saam Bar. It’s fun, and people go back again and again. They do steamed buns which are very good, in soft bread, Chinese–style. They have wonderful seafood and spicy dishes as well. I also love Il Buco Alimentari in NoHo, a spin–off from the long–established Il Buco on Bond Street. They make their own salumeria [charcuterie] and do great Italian food.

Fine dining

Le Bernardin.

New York has some of the world’s best seafood, and I have two favourite places to enjoy it, one Japanese, one French. For Japanese, I love 15 East, which has one Michelin star and does sushi and sashimi à la carte, from tuna, salmon, eel and octopus to squid, shrimp, crab and clams. There’s a starter of 11 varieties of Japanese seaweed and a main course of cherry–wood–smoked duck, shiitake mushrooms and satsuma yam.

The other place would be Le Bernardin, the legendary seafood–only restaurant with three Michelin stars, where Eric Ripert is the chef. The tasting menu has dishes such as “barely cooked scallops” with brown butter dashi, and a lobster lasagne with celeriac and truffle butter. It’s a New York institution for very good reason.

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Destinations Mexico

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September 2015 World Traveller

Mexico Totally

The spiritual home of the country’s independence movement, San Miguel de Allende, is fast becoming a chic gourmet getaway, writes Amy Jenkins

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Destinations Mexico Opening page: Colourful street scene in Guanajuato.

Clockwise from right: Woman carrying flowers in San Miguel de Allende; Cobbled street looking towards the parish of San Miguel; Sopas in San Miguel; Aperi chef Matteo Salas; A cafe in San Miguel d Allende.

A

smart, contemporary interior, an onsite bakery, mouth-watering artisan bread, free wi-fi and an “all day lounge”; this is café Cumpanio in San Miguel de Allende, three hours’ north of Mexico City and it’s a home-from-home as far as I’m concerned.

I sip my honey latte and eye the couple at the next table. They are so cool and good looking – although unostentatious in well-worn black casuals – that I wonder if they’ve been hired by the café owner to give the place cred. He has a little man bun. She has smokey, almond-shaped eyes. When they catch me looking I ask what I should have for lunch and they advise me to have the pasta in perfect, although accented, English. I thank them kindly, deciding rather wildly that they must be in town on a fashion shoot, taking time out to treat themselves to a croque monsieur over their iPads.

Outside Cumpanio’s plate-glass window is a small clamorous Mexican town of steep hills, high marble pavements, cobbled streets, bustling tree-lined squares – and colour, everywhere. Elegant haciendas and colonial buildings crowd in upon each other in yellow, ochre, plum and ruby. There are boutiques touting a rainbow of wares and bohemian eateries at every corner, not to mention the odd elegant deli, painted Ladurée green, selling organic chutney and expensive Baja wine. Above it all, the sky is high and bright and an utterly intoxicating blue. In fact, the weather here at this time of year is perfect. Hot under the sun in the day but cool enough after sunset that a blazing log fire might be just the thing.

The typical colonial hacienda is garlanded with bougainvillea and has barely a window to the street. Thick walls exclude noise, bustle and heat so that you step through the front door as if into a silent grave. Your pulse plunges, cool air rises from stone and painted tile and perhaps you hear the calm plip-plop of a fountain and ornamental pond in an internal courtyard with palm fronds, camellia and lemon trees. You feel the kind of deep-in-the-bone chill you only get where the sun has never been. There may be a colonnade with armchairs and a fireplace, open to the elements on one side.

A wide, winding stone staircase with iron balustrade may well lead up to spacious bedrooms each with a private terrace. The 60

overall effect is a glamorous, seductive gloom.

This kind of elegant living is partly why San Miguel was “discovered” and recolonised by expatriate American and Canadian artists in the 1950s. As well as the glorious weather and the excellent light, it was a romantic, unspoilt and cheap place to live within easy reach of Mexico City.

And it is still unspoilt – now protected by Unesco as a World Heritage Site – although the expatriates these days are US retirees rather than artists.

There’s a saving grace, however. San Miguel’s real claim to fame, and the reason it will never truly fall to the incomers – or to tourists – is the role it played in the Mexican War of Independence. The town was the birthplace of Ignacio Allende. He was a captain in the Spanish army, who became one of the founders of the independence movement and, eventually, its leader – meaning that San Miguel became the first town to declare independence from Spain in 1811.

Above it all, the sky is high and bright and an intoxicating blue For this reason, Mexicans hold San Miguel close to their hearts and there is a healthy influx from the capital at the weekends, not to mention the excellent chefs and restaurateurs who have recently made San Miguel their home.

There is even talk of the city becoming the new gourmet capital of Mexico – and with good reason. The best restaurant in town is Aperi at Dos Casas, a stylish boutique hotel, on the corner of Quebrada and Canal.

The food here is the kind that makes little colourful islands of deliciousness on the great white expanse of your plate. Chef Matteo Salas used to be at the now-closed Oca in Mexico City but has set up on his own here with great aplomb. Calling his new place Aperi for good reason, Salas welcomes diners in for a four-course tasting menu. Adorable and talented, he talks diners through the principles of his cooking while making magic with his flaming pans; a “kitchen supper” of great class.

The sea bass, suckling pig and chocolate extravaganza were highlights.

September 2015 World Traveller

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Destinations Mexico

Another mustvisit eatery is La Mezcaleria

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Clockwise from right: Looking up at the Parroquia Cathedral, San Miguel de Allende; A woman prepares street food, San Miguel de Allende; A street in San Miguel de Allende at dusk; Sunset over San Miguel de Allende.

September 2015 World Traveller

Destination Dish Taco A corn or wheat tortilla wrapped around a minced meat and salad filling, this is the epitome of central American street food. The earliest settlers used to fill theirs with small fish, something still found in Mexico today.

As for Dos Casas itself, the hotel is Seventies-chic-meets-urban-cool; all leather sofas and textured rugs contrasted with immaculate wet rooms and Nespresso machines, but done with soul. It somehow manages to be cosy and fashionable at the same time. Many of the rooms have a large private terrace, some with a dramatic view of the Parroquia church, floodlit at night, and the sounds of fiesta drifting up from the lively streets. It’s the kind of space that makes you immediately want to throw a party.

Another must-visit eatery is La Mezcaleria which turned out to be run by those “models” in the bakery. They are a couple: Monica and Alexander (he’s Swedish, she’s Mexican) who have recently arrived from Monterrey. Their stylish, simple restaurant on Correo goes in for small plates of such deliciousness that to call them tapas doesn’t convey the gravitas of their culinary ambitions or the generous portion size.

Grilled vegetables sound boring but they were quite the opposite – each vegetable singing out – and the pork ribs were divine.

Grasshoppers are offered as a starter (I didn’t dare) – a Oaxacan speciality and quite popular, it seems.

The decor here wouldn’t be out of place in New York or Los Angeles. The groovy, functional furniture turned out to be designed by my our multi-talented hosts.

Early evening it’s the expatriate crowd, later on (at weekends) young Mexicans appear from the city in sleek black quilted jackets and designer shades. Monica and Alexander often oversee the tables themselves, drifting about looking interesting and rather mournful and serving delicious cucumber and coriander margaritas that may or may not bridge the divide between their two very different types of client.

Of course, there’s more to recommend than boutique hotels and restaurants. There are several historic churches in the town, a botanical garden, Ignacio Allende’s house

and a wonderful craft market. However, a personal highlight was taking a taxi out to the “private museums” a short drive north into the countryside near Atotonilco.

Museo de Arte Popular and Galleria Atotonilco have been lovingly curated by elderly Americans who have been living in San Miguel since the first wave of arrivals from the US in the Fifties and Sixties. In love with the place, they have travelled around Latin America collecting wonderful examples of the indigenous art, some of which is for sale. At Galleria Atotonilco, you can see excellent examples of the traditional carved and painted Tree of Life as well as colourful carnival masks, carved Day of the Dead skeletons dressed as Frida Kahlo, paintings, costumes, sculptures, pottery and silver work. You make an appointment, turn up, and your host will show you round or leave you to browse. To my surprise, I spotted Gloria Steinem perusing the store.

For the more adventurous, there’s horse riding in the countryside or driving to the stunning university hill town of Guanajuato, where Diego Rivera lived.

There’s also the charming Rancho La Trinidad only a 10-minute drive out of town.

Here, De Temporada organic farm and shop is attached to a relaxed restaurant which serves inventive, fresh-out-of-the-ground organic salads and home-made lavender ice cream.

San Miguel de Allende doesn’t have the Caribbean beaches of the Mayan Riviera or the glamour of Puerto Vallarta or Los Cabos, nor does it have the buzz of Mexico City. It is like visiting an Italian hill town, but 5,000 miles away. It’s for those who like wandering the streets, sitting in cafés, browsing the craft market – going out to eat in a different restaurant every evening and generally lapping up a vibrant culture at the same time as getting some sun. And if you’re wondering why Gloria Steinem – it turns out there was a literary festival going on.

That’s San Miguel for you.

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See theatworld

Expo Milano 2015

September 2015 World Traveller

Weekends

H Resort Beau Vallon Beach, Seychelles

Two days is still plenty of time to travel 66 Top tips for a thrilling weekend 68 Six of the Best Wet and Wild Adventures 73 The Great Escape 74 Reader Offers

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Weekends News

DUBAI DINING Media One Hotel, Dubai

Hotel Bites News from short-hop luxury hotels

Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Serene getaways await at the luxury villas at The RitzCarlton, Bahrain. Tucked away behind lush greenery and overlooking Manama Bay, each of the 3-bedroom villas enjoys access to a secluded lagoon. For a late summer stay, there’s really nothing more relaxing.

Above : Coxinha with Romesco Sauce at Spirito Below: Dishes from Crab Tavern

Riva Beach Club, UAE From September 1, supercool Riva Beach Club will be extending its spectrum of watersports to include wakeboarding and wake surfing. Sessions will be taken by qualified experts, and can last from 20 minutes to as long as a full day.

Raffles Singapore To mark the 100th anniversary of the famous Singapore Sling drink, Raffles Singapore and Raffles Dubai are coming together for a joint celebration with promotions to encourage visits in both directions.

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As the summer draws to a close, more and more restaurants will be opening to try and draw sunbaked diners out of their homes.

Occupying the ninth floor of

Media One Hotel are two such eateries, who have got an early advantage over their rivals.

Crab Tavern is an upmarket yet relaxed place for incredible ribs,

seafood and fries, while Spirito provides Brazilian flair and a really exotic menu packed with Brazilian flavours and superior samba style.

Sweat it out Bab Al Shams Bikram Yoga Retreat, UAE Due to the success of the first weekend Bikram Yoga retreat and in response to guest demand, Bab Al Shams Resort & Spa has extended the retreat for two more months. A real first of its kind in the region, the healthy getaway consists of a two-day program, which will take place on 8- 10 October.

Bikram Yoga utilises heat as well as vigorous stretching movements to help Yoga enthusiasts work up a sweat. meydanhotels.com/babalshams

September 2015 World Traveller

Drive Time

Waldorf Astoria, UAE The global launch of the Waldorf Astoria Driving Experiences took place in 2014, where guests at 12 of the brand’s 26 hotels and resorts had the chance to drive new-model Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and McLaren supercars. From October the experience will be available in the UAE, at

Waldorf Astoria The Palm Dubai, and also in Ras alKhaimah. There are a variety of driving packages to pick from, where the beautiful vehicles can be put through their paces around some of the region’s most beautiful routes and landmarks. waldorfastoria.com/ drivingexperiences

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Weekends Six Of The Best

SIX OF THE BEST

WET AND WILD ADVENTURES Get back on the beach with these intense ideas

1.

W Retreat & Spa, Maldives Snorkelling is a fantastic way to enjoy the water, and flippers help you push through the water with ease – but the SeaBob changes the snorkelling game entirely. The under-andoverwater rocket is straight out of a James Bond film and opens up the ocean for exploration.

So simple a child could operate the Controlgrip that regulates the speed, SeaBob is just one of the great underwater activities presented at the glamorous W in the Maldives. starwoodhotels.com

1.

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September 2015 World Traveller

2.

Ghantoot Marina, UAE We’ve seen hoverboards – so it’s time to check out a jetpack.

The celebrity watersport du jour is undoubtedly the JetLev Flyer, which literally is a jetpack you can use over water.

Two shoulder-mounted water cannons blast jets of water downwards, propelling the wearer 10 metres into the air at 40kph. Much easier to master than the Flyboard, you’ll feel like a superhero as you rocket around the water after just ten minutes of training. ghantootmarina.com

2.

3.

3.

Waldorf Astoria, Ras Al Khaimah Flyboarding is the closest we’ve yet come to a hoverboard, and it’s just as much fun. With a little practise, you’ll be hovering

some ten metres above the sea, as two powerful jets of water propel you into the air. Expect to fall over backwards several times before mastering it, and it takes even more expertise to

perform some of the swoops and forward-dips that the experts can achieve. The only thing we need now is one that doesn’t have to connect to a jetski. waldorfastoria.com 69

Weekends Six Of The Best

4.

Shangri-La’s Bar Al Jissah Resort, Oman The Sultanate of Oman is an increasingly popular tourism destination, and it has long been a bolthole for dive fanatics. It’s one of the only places in the world where divers can get up close and personal with the biggest species of shark in the world, the mighty (yet benign) whale shark. In the cooler months at Lima Rock’s two dive sites, divers can encounter these incredible beasts, as well as schools of other colourful fish. shangri-la.com

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September 2015 World Traveller

5.

6.

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Taking off and landing on the sea, in a boat the size of a sofa? Sounds pretty intense, and it is. A microlight aircraft is connected to a small RIB (Rigid-hulled inflatable boat), which takes off quickly, and soars above the sea. Amateurs can’t pilot this one, so skilled pilots are on hand to take people up in the skies one by one. Riders must be over the age of 14 and weigh less than 85kg, and WT heartily recommends a sunrise flight for incredible photo opportunities. marjanislandresort.com

The new watersports experience at Rixos The Palm, Dubai takes in a ride in the Seabreacher, which is a fully-submersible two-seat watercraft that happens to look like a realistic Great White Shark. The Seabreacher can either skim along the surface of the ocean at speeds of up to 100kph, or dive beneath the waves for a look at the ocean floor. It’s also capable of some pretty nifty spins and banks, so you can scare yourself as much as anybody else in the water. wateradventure.ae

Marjan Island Resort, Ras Al Khaimah

4.

Rixos The Palm, Dubai

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Check In Abu Dhabi News

On the HUNT ADIHEX is this month’s cultural highlight in Abu Dhabi The Abu Dhabi Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) runs from September 9-12, and is the Arabian Gulf’s most renowned hunting and equestrian exhibition where visitors can enjoy camel auctions, saluki and falcon beauty contests, art and coffee-making competitions as well as a variety of traditional hunting and equestrian activities. Visitors can catch an array of traditional Emirati handicrafts, falconry flight and handling displays, folkloric dances and sample traditional coffee in the dedicated Abu Dhabi destination village. adihex.com 72

September 2015 World Traveller

September 2015 World Traveller

The

Great

Escape Per Aquum, Desert Palm Dubai

seeking adventure. Polo lessons, a ride on horseback through stunning green fields, a hot-air balloon ride that boasts an incredible view of the cityscape, cooking tutorials and wine tastings are all great ways to unwind while being engaged.

There’s also a fitness centre, tennis, and squash court for sportier guests.

So where is this hotel?

It’s located on Al Awir Road heading towards Oman or Hatta, close to Dragonmart. A fifteen-minute drive from Dubai International Airport, it’s a little away from the bustle of the city, perfect for those looking to get away to some relaxation and peace.

lush green courtyards, infinity pools, incredible contemporary architecture and their Epicure buffet teeming with various pastries and desserts and are just a few of the things you can expect to greet you once you arrive. If that isn’t enough, a specialised massage at their spa should be enough to unwind!

Sounds great, but is it worth the travel?

Are there any other recreational activities?

Most definitely. Polo fields and

There’s plenty to do for guests

What other dining options do they offer?

Epicure offers delicious buffet for all meals, as well as an a la carte menu. Jewel Afternoon Tea overlooks the beautiful polo fields while serving high tea, and two other bars and three different restaurants that serve contemporary cuisine focused on the freshest ingredients ensure you’ll never be out of options.

At a

GLANCE Fast facts about the Per Aquum, Desert Palm Dubai ç Every villa at The Great Escape has its own personal grape fridge with a deep selection to choose from

ç There are 6 LIME spa rooms overlooking the green polo fields of the estate

ç The polo estate is 160 acres long, among the biggest in the UAE

ç The hotel’s olive groves contain trees that are centuries old 73

Weekends dnata Offers

WORLD TRAVELLER

Weekend Reader Offers

InterContinental Muscat

The Residence Maldives

Rosewood Abu Dhabi

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

Maldives The Residence Maldives 4 nights from USD1,490 per person* Special offer: Stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free, complimentary upgrade to Half Board and complimentary return domestic ights Includes: Stay in a Beach Villa with breakfast daily Validity: Sep 1-Sep 30, 2015

Oman InterContinental Muscat 1 night from USD130 per person* Special offer: 30% room rate reduction and late check out until 16:00hrs Includes: Stay in a Mountain View Room with breakfast Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015 (weekends only) 74

Qatar Melia Doha 1 night from USD87 per person* Special offer: 30% room rate reduction, complimentary upgrade to a Premium Room, plus an early check in at 12:00hrs and a late check out at 17:00hrs Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast Validity: Until Sep 20, 2015 The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

UAE Jumeirah Zabeel Saray 1 night from USD165 per person* Special offer: 30% room rate reduction plus complimentary breakfast Includes: Deluxe Arabian Sea View Room Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015

UAE The St. Regis, Abu Dhabi 1 night from USD98 per person* Special offer: 20% room rate reduction, complimentary upgrade to Superior Sea View Room, complimentary upgrade to half board, 20% discount on

spa treatments plus extend your stay to 6 nights & receive the 7th night free Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast Validity: Until Sep 30, 2015 *Eid blackouts or supplements may apply for these offers.

September 2015 World Traveller

WIN! JW Mariott Marquis, Dubai The imposing JW Marriott Marquis is the tallest hotel in the world, and also the UAE’s largest in terms of rooms – with 1608 guest rooms and suites.

It’s also home to 14 restaurants and the sublime Saray Spa, ideal for letting worries melt away. We’ve got a two night stay in a Deluxe Room with dinner for two in Rang Mahal

by Atul Kocchar (to the value of AED 700) to give away.

To be in with a chance of winning, just answer this question: How many guest rooms and suites are in the hotel?

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Weekends Suite Dreams

Suite Dreams

What: Sydney Suite Where: Park Hyatt Sydney About: Despite only appearing on the fourth floor, the Sydney Suite at Park Hyatt Sydney still manages to fit in jaw-dropping views of some of the city’s most famous landmarks. The harbour with its bobbing boats can be enjoyed from the suite’s private outdoor terrace, and the iconic Opera House and bridge are visible from both the eight-person dining room, pictured, and the master suite – there are two bedrooms in total. The suite also hides a dry sauna and steam room, plus a real fireplace and round-the-clock butler service. As summer in Australia is just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to visit. sydney.park.hyatt.com 76

THE HAPPENING PLACE TO BE!

Mubadala World Tennis Championship

Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

Abu Dhabi Food Festival

Qasr Al Hosn Festival

JANUARY 2015

FEBRUARY 2015

FEBRUARY 2015

Red Bull Air Race

ITU World Triathlon

Abu Dhabi Festival

Al Gharbia Watersports Festival

FEBRUARY 2015

MARCH 2015

MARCH - APRIL 2015

APRIL 2015

Abu Dhabi Summer Season

Liwa Date Festival JULY 2015

Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex)

Abu Dhabi Classics

JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2015

Formula 1速 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Art

Taste of Abu Dhabi

National Day Celebrations

NOVEMBER 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015

Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival

Al Ain Air Championship

Al Dhafra Festival

Liwa International Festival

DECEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015

DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

JANUARY 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015

OCTOBER 2015 - MAY 2016