Luxury Travel Magazine - Issue 67

Page: 040

123 MAIN EVENT

Your VIP access to a Majestic Winter Ball; Singapore’s Formula 1 Grand Prix; and Frieze London art fair.

126 GOLF

We take in Sydney’s formerly exclusive courses and discover there’s plenty on offer for playing on and off the course.

130 WALK

Wander through the Italian Lakes region.

182 SUITE LIFE

A peek at the newly refurbished Ritz Paris and hotel suite reviews of Mandarin Oriental Barcelona, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney and Ovolo 1888.

193 DESIGN HOTEL Katamama, Bali.

194 GLOBAL KITCHEN

Recipes from India.

200 CULINARY TRAVELS

Exploring the wine region of The Grampians in Victoria.

204 EPICUREAN NEWS

The latest from the world of fine food and drinks.

206 CREATIVE TRAVELLER

Opera Australia soprano, Stacey Alleaume.

210 CELEBRITY TRAVELLER Matt Damon.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Susan Borham sborham@magnesiummedia.com.au

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Gary Allen gary.allen@magnesiummedia.com.au

EDITORS

Katrina Holden & Madeleine Stratton

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Belinda Craigie

SUB EDITOR

Kate Symons

STAFF WRITER

Katie Milton

EDITORIAL INTERN

Eliza Sullivan

ART DIRECTOR

Louise Summerton

ADVISORY BOARD CHAIRMAN

John O’Neill

PUBLISHER

Shakira Wood swood@luxurytravelmag.com.au

+61 2 9302 0258

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Leonard Mastapha lmastapha@luxurytravelmag.com.au

+61 2 9302 0259

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES

Ph: 1300 624 278 www.luxurytravelmag.com.au/subscribe

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES

Madeleine Stratton mstratton@luxurytravelmag.com.au

DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES

AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND

Luxury Travel magazine telephone +61 2 9302 0255

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MANAGING DIRECTOR

Gary Allen

DIRECTOR

Scott Venturelli

DIRECTOR

Robin Venturelli

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Susan Borham

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & PUBLISHER

Madeleine Stratton

COVER ILLUSTRATION Guy Shield / jackywinter.com

For our Spring issue we asked our contributors what was on their list of luxury travel experiences that they most wanted to do next.

DEBORAH DICKSON-SMITH

On my long list of luxury travel experiences, next up, I’d like to board a small luxury cruise ship (maybe a private charter?) and head into the Indian Ocean to dive remote coral reefs like Rowley Shoals on the Kimberley Coast, Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling Islands, the Seychelles, the Maldives and maybe onto Rodrigues, Reunion and Mauritius. For our cover story, Deborah reports on the very best dive destinations around the world (page 26).

CLAIRE SCOBIE

An Abercrombie & Kent hosted naturalist journey to Madagascar; another Nomad safari experience in Tanzania (the last one in Kigelia Ruaha was faultless); a luxe weekend in Lisbon. This issue, Claire leads travellers on a literary tour through India (page 106).

JIMMY THOMSON

Right now I am looking forward to leading my Readers and Writers Tour of Vietnam in October (mildrover.com). But if that doesn’t answer the question, my next luxury travel “wish” would be two weeks in the COMO Shambala in Ubud, Bali.

Jimmy heads to the Marquesas Islands aboard the passenger freighter ship Aranui 5 (page 88).

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

Kelly Allen

Amiee White Beazley

Jennie Bond

Elspeth Callender

Deborah DicksonSmith

Kelly Gabriel

Sophie Hardy

Phil Hawkes

Roslyn Jolly

Tatyana Leonov

Katrina Lobley

Belinda Luksic

Catherine Marshall

Rob McFarland

Jessa Melicor

Claire Scobie

Eliza Sullivan

Craig Tansley

Jimmy Thomson

Robert Upe

Kerry van der Jagt

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Who doesn’t want a discount? Well actually, we know from reader surveys that many of you aren’t looking for deals – or more accurately, your destination decisions aren’t motivated by price. But for many others, a really compelling luxury hotel discount will influence your decision to visit a destination. That’s why we’re introducing a new section called Luxe For Less. The editorial team will find really great deals at genuine luxury properties to highlight each issue. This issue we’re doing Australia: so turn to page 22 to see what we’ve found

for you. Then, as you browse the magazine, you’ll find other luxury deals included at the end of some of our features. We’ve also included a dedicated section for Luxe For Less deals on our mobile-optimised website (luxurytravelmag.com.au) and, once a month, we send out a newsletter on all the best deals we’ve found that month. So if you’re in the market for a deal, you should sign up by visiting luxurytravelmag. com.au/newsletters. And then there’s our Luxe For Less Twitter feed. Follow us at @LuxeforLessAU. South Africa has to be one of the best value destinations on the planet, with loads of luxury

in the cities and on safari. In fact, a South African safari is one of the most extraordinary and memorable experiences a traveller can have – and Australian travellers who haven’t already been will be astonished at how relatively inexpensive an all-inclusive luxury safari lodge stay can be. This issue we’ve included a special supplement on South Africa. Whether you’re interested in discounts or not, keep it handy for when you’re ruminating over your next destination.

SUSAN BORHAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

for the best luxury deals on offer, follow @LuxeforLessAU on Twitter

Travel with us

Follow Luxury Travel

WEBSITE luxurytravelmag.com.au / FACEBOOK facebook.com/LuxuryTravelMagazine

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PINTEREST pinterest.com/LuxuryTravelAU

READER INSTAGRAM ON THE ROAD WITH US

Our editor Katrina Holden took off on an @eaglesnest heli adventure in @100%PureNewZealand.

If you are inspired by our story on the Arctic (page 84) you can see more photographs of the animals in their icy habitat on our website.

EXTRA IMAGES PLAN ON PINTEREST

Visit us on Pinterest for travel destination inspiration. Visit boards such as Hot Spots to see our favourite summer destinations from around the world.

Thanks @myownloves for sharing this beautiful pic of @luxurytravelau with your favourite trinkets.

The colours of the UAE landscape served as inspiration for the decor and design at the launch of the new @etihadairways premium lounge at @melbourneairportau.

@nopaparazziman catching up on our last issue along with the finer things in life at @intercondoublebay.

Please share with us your own luxury travel mag moments in exotic destinations. You can copy us in by tagging @luxurytravelau.

We had a specialty Thai cooking class with the head chef @sripanwa.

DISPATCHES

THE LATEST LUXURY HOTEL AND RESORT OPENINGS, REFURBISHMENTS AND TRAVEL NEWS.

NEW OPENING NEW BRANSON LUXURY IN MALLORCA

July saw the opening of Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Limited Edition’s new luxury villas on Son Bunyola Estate on the Mediterranean isle of Mallorca (the largest in Spain’s Balearic Islands archipelago). Sa Punta De S’Aguila is a five-bedroom villa that sleeps up to 10 adults. Designed in traditional Mallorcan style, it features a kitchen, living room and dining area, heated swimming pool and panoramic sea and mountain views. Sa Terra Rotja, positioned near the edge of the estate, is a four-bedroom villa just a short walk from a pebble beach. It also features a heated swimming pool, a terrace for outdoor dining and sleeps up to eight adults. The villas are available for exclusive hire, and bookings at either include beverages (including wine, beer and spirits); breakfast, lunch and dinner; a concierge service; daily housekeeping and WiFi. Rates at Sa Punta De S’Aguila start from €21,825 (about A$32,083) for a seven-night stay. Rates at Sa Terra Rotja start from €17,460 (about A$25,667) for a seven-night stay. You can read more about Virgin Limited Edition resorts on p.176. virginlimitededition.com/en/son-bunyola

NEW OPENING

SONEVA’S NEWEST MALDIVIAN OFFERING

Soneva Jani will open in the Maldives in October 2016, the brand’s newest luxury offering comprising 24 water villas and one island villa. Located on the island of Medhufaru in the Noonu Atoll, the resort is located within a 5.6-kilometre lagoon. Each water villa comes with a private pool and opens to its own stretch of lagoon, with some villas including slides that go directly from the top deck into the lagoon below. A retractable roof in each master bedroom allows guests to view the night sky from their beds. Five dining outlets, a spa, dive centre, observatory, organic garden and silent outdoor cinema (where guests are given Bluetooth earphones to watch movies so as not to disturb wildlife) will also be available. soneva.com

REFURBISHMENT NEW-LOOK PENINSULA BEIJING

The first portion of a $163.7 million renovation was recently unveiled by Peninsula Beijing, which has reinvigorated the central city hotel. With plans for the complete renovation to be completed early next year, the brand has made strides towards this goal by opening the newly updated lobby, public areas and restaurants.

Redesigned rooms are due open for guest bookings during August. The original hotel design had 525 guest rooms; but the renovation has decreased this number to 230 rooms to create suite-style spaces for all patrons and offer the largest

standard rooms in Beijing.

Working with Michael Suh, Executive Director at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Beijing, and designer Henry Leung, the

hotel has incorporated art and luxury materials such as bronze, jade, white marble and rosewood into the new design. Inspiration was drawn from the imperial

REFURBISHMENT SUITE SATISFACTION AT SHERATON MELBOURNE

Anew luxury suite, The Penthouse, has been unveiled at the Sheraton Melbourne Hotel. The suite’s interiors, which feature an elegant black and white palette with gold accents, are the work of design studio Hecker Guthrie. The Penthouse suite comprises three bedrooms with ensuites (include a master bedroom with walkin wardrobe and private balcony), a lounge area and gas fireplace, a designer kitchen and a large open terrace for outdoor dining. Rates start from $7,000 per night. sheratonmelbourne.com

REFURBISHMENT CHANGES IN THE OUTBACK

Longitude 131°, the luxurious outback tented camp at Uluru, has announced a refurbishment and uprade to its guest offerings, due for completion in late 2017. The changes will feature a new Dune Pavilion with separate living space and private plunge pool. A dedicated bar area will be added to the main resort building, Dune House, along with new facilities such as a spa, dune-top bar and deck and horizon plunge pool. longitude131.com.au

buildings of China.

Rates will start from CNY2,200 (about A$440) per night for a superior room. beijing.peninsula.com

OPEN FOR GUESTS STAY AT THE LARGEST PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE USA

CNN founder Ted Turner’s Casa Grande Ranch in Vermejo Park, New Mexico, is now available to the public. The main house has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms and is set on 585,000 acres, making it the largest piece of privately owned land in the United States. Seven smaller guest lodges are also available with two to eight bedrooms. Room rates in the main house start at US$850 (about A$1,119) per night or it can be booked on an exclusive-use basis from US$11,500 (about A$15,135). Smaller guest lodges start at US$2,200 (about A$2,895) a night. vermejoparkranch.com

DISPATCHES

LUXURY SAILING EXCURSION RESORT HOPPING ABOARD A LUXURY YACHT

Athree-part Maldivian discovery by luxury hotel brand, Soneva, is now available. Guests float between Soneva Fushi and the newly opened Soneva Jani on board Soneva in Aqua, a two-bedroom yacht with a glass-bottomed Jacuzzi and a crew of five. Rates start at US$14,833 (about A$19,522) twin share for six nights. Guests can choose to start the excursion from Soneva Fushi or Soneva Jani. soneva.com

HEALTH AND WELLNESS REJUVENATE WITH AMAN

Aman Resorts has launched a wellness concept at its collection of luxury properties worldwide. The initiative will include Individual Wellness Immersions and Group Retreat Experiences, headed by health specialists and with objectives including fitness, weight loss, cleanse or awareness. Spa treatments are included throughout, with meals designed to complement health-based activities. aman.com

MOTORING MASERATI MEETS MONACO

A special package will be on offer until 30 September 2016 at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco, which has created a pop-up suite in partnership with luxury sportscar brand, Maserati. The package includes Maserati transfers to and from Nice Airport; a Maserati GranCabrio four-seater convertible for guests to use for the duration of their stay; breakfast; a cocktail buffet with champagne; and a free cryotheraphy spa session at the Thermes Marins Monte Carlo. Rates start at €3,500 (about A$5,147) twin share for three nights. hoteldeparismontecarlo.com WHAT

TO PACK

mazuswimwear.com

Dive in to your next snorkelling adventure sporting these vibrant swimming shorts from Hong Kong-based luxury swimwear brand Māzŭ. Men's shorts retail from HKD1,200 (about A$203), boys’ shorts from HKD800 (about A$136).

LUGGAGE FINGERPRINT SECURITY A NICE TOUCH

Keep your belongings secure with the new range of smart suitcases from Numinous London. The dark gold metallic suitcases feature biometric fingerprint lock technology, with the option to add up to 100 fingerprints for other users. The new suitcases come in three sizes, with the smallest (‘Cabin’, 20-inches) featuring a Joey power supply for charging electronic devices. The suitcases retail from $679. For Australian stockists visit osabrands.com

NEW VILLA PLUSH NEW MANSION AT LAS VENTANAS AL PARAÍSO

The Ty Warner Mansion is the latest addition to Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. The 2,600-square-metre, bed-to-beach mansion has views over the Sea of Cortez and features dual master suites.

Named for the resort’s billionaire owner, the toy manufacturer and creator of Beanie Babies, the Ty Warner Mansion’s outstanding feature is a 100-metre, glass-bottomed rooftop infinity pool, which stretches over the main bathroom. The pool’s base can be made opaque if desired at the touch of a button. Highlights for guests include optional fireworks displays, a dedicated private chef, a tequila library and a cinema room. Rates start at US$35,000 (about A$45,988) per night. rosewoodhotels.com/en/ las-ventanas-los-cabos/mansion/ ty-warner-mansion.

DISPATCHES & COMING SOON

FOUR SEASONS JAKARTA

Four Seasons has opened a new luxury suite-only property in Jakarta’s business district. Exclusively offering 125 suites, this new property takes cues from Indonesian tradition and modern luxury, blending classically designed interiors with details intended to accentuate Jakarta’s natural beauty. fourseasons.com

QT MELBOURNE

The quirky QT Hotels brand will open its first Melbourne property in September 2016. The hotel will have 200 rooms and suites, including 24 private apartments, as well as a laneway speakeasy-style bar and rooftop bar. qthotels.com.au

CROWN TOWERS PERTH

The highly anticipated Crown Towers Perth is due to open in December 2016, bringing 500 new luxury guestrooms to WA’s capital. The hotel will offer a spa, Crystal Club lounge with views of the Swan River and fine dining restaurant Epicurean. Room rates start at $338. crowntowersperth.com.au

FOUR SEASONS MALDIVES

Four Seasons has announced its first private island property, the five-acre Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah. The resort will be available for up to 22 guests, with access to its own dive centre and 18.9-metre private yacht. It will be located in the world’s only exclusive-use UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Baa Atoll. The island will open in late 2016, priced from US$46,000 (about A$62,322) per night excluding taxes and surcharges. fourseasons.com

AMAN CHINA

Aman Resorts will open its fourth property in China in 2017 near Shanghai. Touted as the luxury hotel brand’s “most ambitious to date”, the property will have a village of restored historic buildings surrounded by a camphor forest. The resort will comprise an Aman spa, six dining venues and a serene garden called Nan Shu Fang. aman.com

MACQ 01 HOBART

A new luxury hotel will open in Hobart in 2017 from Federal Group, the brand behind Saffire Freycinet. The 114-room MACq01 hotel will sit in Hobart’s historic waterfront precinct, displaying a distinctively Tasmanian aesthetic. A restaurant, bar and gym will be available, with entertainment options including cocktail classes and wine tastings. Room rates will start at $475 per night. macq01.com.au

SIX SENSES KRABEY ISLAND AND SIX SENSES FIJI

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has announced two new properties to open in Fiji and Cambodia. Six Senses Krabey Island in Cambodia will have 40 pool villas set on a 30-acre island; while Six Senses Fiji will have 24 pool villas and 66 residential villas, along with a private 650-metre beach on Malolo Island. Both resorts are set to open in 2017. sixsenses.com

FOUR SEASONS JAKARTA

CROWN TOWERS PERTH

FOUR SEASONS MALDIVES

AMAN CHINA MACQ01 HOBART SIX SENSES FIJI

An adventure on the TRUE NORTH is one of Australia’s most revered holidays! Bigger ships cannot go where we go! Extended periods at sea are specifically excluded and daily activities can include scenic walks, fishing, snorkelling, diving, scenic flights in the ship’s helicopter and cultural events. We deploy comfortable expedition boats (not rubber boats) and discover wilderness in small groups. An AUSTRALIAN crew uniquely chaperones every experience. Beware of imitations and discover for yourself why our guests consistently remark “that’s the best holiday I have ever had!”

An adventure on the TRUE NORTH is one of Australia’s most revered holidays! Bigger ships cannot go where we go! Extended periods at sea are specifically excluded and daily activities can include scenic walks, fishing, snorkelling, diving, scenic flights in the ship’s helicopter and cultural events. We deploy comfortable expedition boats (not rubber boats) and discover wilderness in small groups. An AUSTRALIAN crew uniquely chaperones every experience. Beware of imitations and discover for yourself why our guests consistently remark “that’s the best holiday I have ever had!”

The TRUE NORTH’s Rowley Shoals season commences in September. Snorkelling, diving, fishing and simply relaxing amidst a breathtaking coral habitat!

The TRUE NORTH’s Rowley Shoals season commences in September. Snorkelling, diving, fishing and simply relaxing amidst a breathtaking coral habitat!

This is possibly our favourite destination – book now to avoid disappointment!

This is possibly our favourite destination – book now to avoid disappointment!

Telephone: ( + 61 8) 9192 1829

Telephone: ( + 61 8) 9192 1829

Email: cruise@northstarcruises.com.au

Email: cruise@northstarcruises.com.au

Website: www.northstarcruises.com.au

Website: www.northstarcruises.com.au

GOLD LIST AWARDS 2016

35 CARATS OF GOLD

A NIGHT TO TOAST THE FINALISTS AND WINNERS OF THE 12 th ANNUAL LUXURY TRAVEL MAGAZINE GOLD LIST AWARDS.

Now in its 12th year, the annual, reader-voted Luxury Travel magazine Gold List recognises the best in luxury travel operators, properties and destinations in Australia and abroad.

As our publishers raced around presenting our 2016 Gold List awards to winners in their offices, the Luxury Travel editorial team was announcing these and our international winners during an all-day social media event.

The day drew to a close with canapés and champagne as the winners and finalists gathered at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney to celebrate being listed as the best in luxury travel in one of 35 categories.

We’d like to extend a very special thank you to all of our partners for their support of the 2016 Gold List Awards, including: Radisson Blu for hosting the night, Saffire Freycinet for our fantastic voter prize, Best’s Wines for providing the bottles gifted to our winners, and La Biosthetique for its hair and beauty product gift bags.

Reader voting for the 2017 Gold List Awards will open in the last quarter of 2016. Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at luxurytravelmag.com.au/newsletters for updates and our Gold List Awards survey.

If you’d like to become involved with next year’s Gold List event as a sponsor, please contact Madeleine Stratton at mstratton@luxurytravelmag.com.au

L-R: Katrina Holden, Luxury Travel magazine; Stephen Mahoney, Etihad Airways; Emmanuele Attanasio, Visit Italy.

L-R: Katie Milton, Katrina Holden, Belinda Craigie and Elaine Anderson, Luxury Travel magazine.

L-R: Garaonice Garcia, Atout France; Carole Richard, La Biosthetique Australia; Anais Leloup, Atout France and Shakira Wood, Luxury Travel magazine.

Top left, L-R: Adam Davy, Luxury Travel magazine; Diane Patrick, Wiltrans International; Susan Borham, Luxury Travel magazine.

Left, L-R: Shakira Wood, Luxury Travel magazine; Stephen Howard, QT Hotels & Resorts.

Above, L-R: Marika Tanaka and Mariko Tatsumi, Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO); Jo Palmer, Gate 7.

Left, L-R: Leah Greengarten and Lauren Coughlan, Tourism New Zealand; Emanuelle Attanasio, Visit Italy.

Above, L-R: Carole Richard and Claire Chesterton, La Biosthetique Australia.

Left, L-R: Gary Allen, Luxury Travel magazine; Fay Cohen, Travel Phase.

Above left, L-R: Zachary Pittas, PEPR Publicity; Katie Hawkshaw, Radisson Blu Hotel Sydney; Katrina Holden, Luxury Travel magazine; Philip Engleberts, PEPR Publicity.

Left, L-R: Anna Guillan, One&Only Resorts; Ros Hakim, World Travel Professionals; Maya Van de Wetering de Rooy, One&Only Resorts.

Right, L-R: Terry Oomens, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney; Annie Cochrane, Bannisters Mollymook.

HOLIDAY AT HOME

STEP INTO SPRING WITH A DISCOUNTED LUXURY STAY IN SOME OF AUSTRALIA’S TOP PROPERTIES. Katie Milton FINDS GREAT DEALS FOR YOUR ULTIMATE WEEKEND ESCAPE.

Southern Ocean Lodge

For these deals and more, visit our dedicated Luxe For Less section on our website at www.luxurytravelmag. com.au/luxe-less

RIDER DISCOUNT ON THE HIDDEN PEAKS TRAIL

The Hidden Peaks Trail is a fourday/three-night adventure that sees cyclists journey through 110 kilometres of Queensland's beautiful Scenic Rim region. By day, cyclists will ride winding single tracks, rainforest and fire trails, with their nights spent enjoying fine meals and sleeping in relaxed eco-luxury accommodation.

Special: Book for 2016 or 2017 and receive $350 off each rider booked. Inclusions: Accommodation, all meals and beverages, four-day use of a Merida 140 Dual Suspension bike, cycling gloves, glasses, daypack, transfers from Brisbane, luggage portage.

*Use the code HPTLT16 to redeem discount; to book call 13 77 42 or visit hiddenpeakstrail.com Standard terms and conditions apply, cannot be used with any other offer.

OPENING SPECIAL AT THE JOHNSON, BRISBANE

The Johnson is the newest and first property in Queensland

from Australian luxury brand Art Series Hotel Group. Set to open in mid-September, The Johnson features 87 suites, two penthouses and draws its design influence from Australian abstract artist Michael Johnson.

Special: Opening special rates start from $180 per night for a Studio Suite Balcony.

*The best flexible rate is from $200. Offer valid for bookings from midSeptember. See website for full terms and conditions.

FREE NIGHT AT CALABASH BAY LODGE, BEROWRA WATERS

Only accessible by water, Calabash Bay Lodge offers guests a remote, nature-based retreat. Set in Berowra Waters, the

foodie-centric retreat boasts the perfect waterfront escape less than an hour north of Sydney.

Special: Weekend - Stay three nights, pay for two; Midweek –Stay four nights, pay for three.

*Free night valued at $625; full rate $1,250 per night. Available for stays up to 30 September 2016 or until sold out. See website for full terms and conditions.

WEEKEND ESCAPE OFFER AT PRIMUS HOTEL, SYDNEY

At home in a restored 1939 art deco building, the five-star Primus Hotel opened its doors in late 2015. Situated in the centre of Sydney’s CBD, the luxurious hotel features 172 rooms, a grand lobby and a rooftop pool and bar.

Special: Two nights in a Deluxe King or Deluxe Twin Room for $499.

Inclusions: Valet Parking for $45 per night (usually $70 per night), late check-out at 2pm, buffet breakfast for two at The Wilmot, $100 Food & Beverage credit that can be used at all Food & Beverage outlets, access to exclusive rooftop pool and bar, complimentary WiFi.

*Regular weekend rates (inclusive of a buffet breakfast) start at $381 per night.

*Valid now until 23 January 2017. Available for stays on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Subject to availability, minimum two-night stay. See website for full terms and conditions.

GIRLS GETAWAY AT THE BYRON AT BYRON

Set in a sub-tropical rainforest, The Byron at Byron is an idyllic ocean-side getaway. The all-suite resort, connected by aboveground boardwalks, offers complimentary yoga classes, a range of signature spa treatments and a locally farmed dining menu headed by chef Gavin Hughes.

Special: Girls Getaway package, $870 single rate.

Inclusions: Two nights'

Calabash Bay Lodge, Berowra Waters

Primus Hotel, Sydney

Hidden Peaks Trail

LUXE FOR LESS

accommodation in a Superior Suite, full buffet breakfast daily in The Restaurant, a local body product gift pack and chocolates in your suite on arrival, a bottle of Australian sparkling wine, one hour Paperbark Spirit Facial or Deluxe Foot Therapy in The Spa Centre that includes use of relaxation area, spa and steam, late afternoon cheese platter and glass of wine on the second day of your stay, complimentary daily yoga at 8am, complimentary Wi-Fi.

*Full rates for a Superior Suite start at $605 per night. Packages valid until 30 April 2017 unless stated otherwise above, excluding public holidays, and peak periods of 24/12/16-10/01/17 and 13/04/17-18/04/17. See website for full terms and conditions.

FLY FREE TO LORD HOWE ISLAND, CAPELLA LODGE

Less than a two-hour flight from Sydney, Capella Lodge sits above the secluded Lovers Bay on Lord Howe Island. The beachside accommodation features outdoor lounging areas and nine luxurious accommodation options with exquisite mountain and lagoon views.

Special: Fly free to Lord Howe Island and ‘stay seven, pay six nights’ from $4,500 per person, twin share.

Inclusions: Free return flights with Qantaslink to Lord Howe Island from Sydney or Brisbane (direct flights only, weekly), one complimentary night (Stay 7 Pay 6), French champagne in suite on arrival, two $50 Capella Spa credits (maximum value per suite, conditions apply).

*Full rates for a Capella Suite start at $750 per person, per night, twin share. ‘Stay seven, pay 6 nights’ valued up to $2,800 per couple. Valid for stays May 28-30 September

2016, inclusive. See website for full terms and conditions.

REMARKABLE RETREAT PACKAGE AT SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE

Built into the sloping hillside of Kangaroo Island in SA, Southern Ocean Lodge is one of Australia’s most renowned luxury properties. Along with the exceptional cliff-top views, guests can enjoy gastronomic cuisine, wildlife experiences and a signature spa menu that draws inspiration from the serene landscape.

Special: Stay four nights, pay for three from $3,300 per person, twin share. Sophisticated Solo: Single

travellers enjoy all bonuses and pay only the twin share rate

Inclusions: Four nights' luxury accommodation including all dining, premium beverages, in-suite bar, signature experiences and airport transfers, selection of gourmet treats, sourced from the island’s producers, Southern Spa and Bespoke Experience credits to the value of $50 per voucher (maximum value per suite; conditions apply).

* Full rates for a Flinders Suite start at $1,100 per person, per night, twin share. One bonus night valued up to $4,200 per couple. Valid 1 May-30 September 2016. See website for full terms and conditions.

FREE NIGHT AT THE BERKELEY RIVER LODGE

Set in the remote Kimberley region of WA, Berkeley River Lodge is barefoot luxury at its best. This only-accessible-by-air wilderness escape offers guests numerous explorer experiences allowing them to witness the rugged splendour of the Australian landscape by air, on land and in water.

Special: Stay four nights, pay for three in an Ocean View or River View Villa.

Inclusions: Inclusions: All gourmet meals and select beverages, return scenic transfers departing Kununurra and Darwin daily, guest activities including fishing adventures, river cruises, beach and bush 4WD tours.

*Free night valued at $1,650. Available for new bookings for stays in September and October 2016, subject to availability. See website for full terms and conditions.

• For more information on these Holiday At Home deals head to luxurytravelmag.com.au/luxe-less

Southern Ocean Lodge

Capella Lodge

ADVENTURE BY DAY INDULGENCE BY NIGHT

Hidden Peaks Trail is the latest multi-day cycling experience exploring the beautiful, diverse landscapes of the Scenic Rim region, located only one hour away from Brisbane CBD.

Guests will encounter single tracks, road cycling, rainforest and fire trails over the four-day, 110 kilometre journey, while relaxed eco-luxury accommodation awaits each evening, with meals featuring fresh regional produce.

Hidden Peaks Trail is an all-inclusive experience with all meals and beverages, accommodation, cycling equipment and transfers included. Planning your next long weekend escape has never been so easy.

To book call 13 77 42 or visit hiddenpeakstrail.com

UNDER THE SEA

THE DEEP BLUE DELIVERS BREATHTAKING BEAUTY FOR THOSE WILLING TO TAKE A PEEK. Deborah Dickson-Smith DIVES INTO THE SCUBA DESTINATIONS THAT OFFER ABOVE-WATER EXPERIENCES AS MAGICAL AS THOSE BELOW.

s lovers of luxury travel look for more adventurous and immersive experiences, scuba diving and snorkelling are becoming increasingly popular, and these days, you don’t need to rough it to explore some of the world’s best dive sites – you can do it in style.

All over the world, high-end hotels, resorts and cruise companies are responding to the increased demand for scuba diving and the increased demand to reach those pristine – and remote – coral reefs.

From Australia’s Whitsunday Islands to Indonesia’s South Sulawesi and the Yasawa Islands in Fiji, you’ll now find resorts with diving butlers, as well as Michelin star-quality dining and first-class spa treatments.

Here is our guide to the most impressive destinations where diving meets luxury.

QUEENSLAND: THE CORAL SEA, WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS

The Coral Sea, off the coast of Far North Queensland, is home to world-famous dive sites including Osprey Reef, Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs. Cod Hole is famous for its resident family of large potato cod and Osprey is well known for its large population of reef sharks, hammerheads and barracuda.

A favourite with celebrities for its secluded luxury, Lizard Island Resort is in the Coral Sea within a national park covering 1,013 hectares. It has 40 luxury suites, five-star cuisine and an indulgent day spa.

Around 1,000 kilometres south, the Whitsunday’s outer reef is spectacular, but until recently, it’s been largely overlooked in favour of Far North Queensland, which has long positioned itself as the epicentre of the Great Barrier Reef experience. However, the Whitsundays are having a bit of a renaissance, with beautiful resorts opening up in the past few years including qualia on Hamilton Island and One&Only Hayman Island; and unique experiences such as Cruise Whitsundays’ Reef Sleep.

The Reef Sleep experience allows you to spend the night sleeping under the stars with the whole reef to yourself. Wave the day-trippers goodbye, perhaps go for an afternoon dive before enjoying a

glass of champagne as the sun sets. The only noise you’ll hear is the occasional ripple of water as turtles nibble at algae on the pontoon.

NEW SOUTH WALES: LORD HOWE ISLAND

Lord Howe Island is possibly the most beautiful island in Australia, with tall volcanic outcrops reaching almost 900 metres at its highest point at Mount Gower, surrounded by beautiful shallow fringing reef.

Jump in the water at Settlement Beach and you’ll find sea turtles grazing on the seagrass, and over at Ned’s Beach on the other side of the island, trevally and small reef sharks will swim around your ankles and feed from your hand.

At the edge of the lagoon you’ll find a myriad of colourful reef fish and very pretty coral formations. Go out a bit further and you’ll find schools of reef sharks.

Luxury accommodation can be found at Arajilla Retreat and Capella Lodge, with fine dining and world-class day spas.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: THE CORAL COAST AND ROWLEY SHOALS

Ningaloo Reef on the Coral Coast is one to add to the bucket list for that once-in-a-lifetime experience of swimming with whale sharks, but there’s great snorkelling and diving to be found along the entire length of the Coral Coast, from Perth to Exmouth.

Snorkel with sea lions in Jurien Bay, Geraldton and the remote Abrolhos Islands, with dugongs in Ningaloo and Shark Bay, manta rays and whale sharks in Coral Bay and Exmouth, and dolphins at Monkey Mia and Ningaloo.

Nearby resorts include the eco-luxury tented accommodation at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef and

PRIVATE VILLA WITH POOL AT WAKATOBI

“All over the world, high-end hotels, resorts and cruise companies are responding to the increased demand for scuba diving and the increased demand to reach those pristine – and remote – coral reefs”

LIZARD ISLAND, QLD

the award-winning Novotel Ningaloo Resort in Exmouth.

Further north, 260 kilometres west of Broome, is Rowley Shoals, a group of three atolllike coral reefs on the edge of one of the widest continental shelves in the world. Here you’ll find about 600 species of fish, 200 varieties of coral and visibility in excess of 60 metres. This relatively undiscovered divers’ paradise has been named one of the top 10 dive destinations in the world and there’s no better way to explore it than in luxury on a cruise with North Star Cruises aboard the True North.

INDONESIA: BALI, SULAWESI AND RAJA AMPAT

Indonesia is in the centre of the so-called Coral Triangle, the most bio-diverse region on the planet, so as you can imagine, the diving throughout Indonesia is spectacular.

Bali has a plentiful range of luxury resorts, but you might not realise that it also has worldclass dive sites, including the renowned USAT Liberty wreck in Tulamben Bay, an easy shore dive on the north-east coast. The biodiversity you’ll encounter here is incredible – greater than the Great Barrier Reef.

Dive operators such as Aqua Marine Bali will pick you up from your chosen luxury resort, whether that’s the InterContinental Bali Resort, Hotel Mulia in Nusa Dua, or Double-Six in Seminyak. For a real luxury diving experience,

Pulau Luxury Charters runs day trips to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, and longer trips to remote and secluded bays around Lombok. This region is famous for giant sunfish, or Mola Mola, and manta rays. Day trips are typically broken up by lunch at a nearby beach club on Nusa Lembongan and there’s champagne on ice waiting for you to finish your last dive of the day.

Wakatobi, in south-east Sulawesi, was established with the specific objective to create the ‘ultimate dive resort’, after an extensive search to identify the perfect location, in terms of geography, oceanic topography and marine biodiversity. This luxury resort now sits inside the world’s largest privately protected marine reserve and, from shore or boat, you have exclusive access to miles of pristine reefs and dramatic undersea landscapes.

Further east in remote West Papua, Raja Ampat is widely considered the best diving experience in the world. Here you can swim with whale sharks and manta rays, schools of reef sharks, more than 700 species of molluscs and more than 1,400 species of fish. In an area the size of two football fields, scientists discovered more than six times as many coral species as live in the entire Caribbean Sea. Luxury accommodation can be found at the rather exclusive Misool Eco Resort, nestled deep in an archipelago of uninhabited islands with a maximum capacity of 40 guests.

THAILAND: SIMILAN ISLANDS, SURIN AND KOH PHI PHI

Thailand’s Similan Islands and nearby Surin Islands are in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Phang Nga province, north of Phuket, and are ranked as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. The marine reserve is only open from October to May each year due to the monsoon season, and being fairly remote, is largely untouched.

Expect to see pristine coral reefs, schools of colourful anthias, fusiliers, jack fish, snapper, a wide variety of nudibranchs and, if you’re lucky, you might spot a tiny ghost pipefish or the biggest fish in the sea, whale sharks.

The best five-star jump-off point for the Similans is The Sarojin in Khao Lak, an hour’s boat ride away. After a day’s diving, you can join in a cooking class or maybe indulge in a spa treatment before a bit of fine dining.

The island of Koh Phi Phi is just under an hour’s boat ride from Krabi or Phuket, and it’s worth staying on the island if you plan to dive

WHITE-COLLARED BUTTERFLY FISH, THE SIMILANS, THAILAND

A DIVER APPROACHES THE KO TACHAI PINNACLE, SIMILAN ISLANDS, THAILAND

“Raja Ampat is widely considered the best diving experience in the world. Here you can swim with whale sharks and manta rays, schools of reef sharks, more than 700 species of molluscs and more than 1,400 species of fish”

here, to get to the more popular sites before the hoards arrive from the mainland. Zeavola Resort offers barefoot luxury and a very intimate guided dive experience on their luxury dive boat.

MALAYSIA: SIPADAN AND TANKU ABDUL RAMAN MARINE PARK

Sipadan is an oceanic island off Sabah’s continental shelf, the top of an ancient volcano that rises 600 metres from the sea floor. The island was brought to the world’s attention back in the 1980s by diving pioneer, Jacques Cousteau, who made a documentary about the pristine reef and its large population of sea turtles. Here you can expect to see turtles, thousands of colourful reef fish, huge schools of bat fish, barracuda, bump head parrotfish, white-tipped reef sharks and, if you’re lucky, hammerheads.

On the west coast of Sabah there’s also great diving to be found in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP) – a marine park of five islands, just 15 minutes from Kota Kinabalu. If you get your five-star accommodation fix at the Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, after a day’s diving, come home to a spa bath filled with petals on your balcony and champagne on ice.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: MILNE BAY AND KIMBIE BAY

Papua New Guinea is one of the least explored countries in the world – many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in its interior. Being this remote means its surrounding coral reefs are truly pristine, and being located in the Coral Triangle, teeming with marine life.

On the dive sites around Milne Bay, you’ll likely see hundreds of species of fish on a single dive in places like Tawali and further east near Gonabalaba Island, sit on the sandy sea floor and watch manta rays sweep over cleaning stations, so close you could almost touch them. In the tropical fjords of Tufi you can explore WWII wrecks and a wide array of marine life including manta rays and sharks, while in Kimbie Bay, you’ll find more than half the world’s species of coral in a single bay.

Explore these reefs in style on board liveaboard dive boats such as the MV Golden Dawn, or on a small ship luxury cruise with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic or North Star Cruises. The best close-by accommodation can be found at Driftwood Resort in Alotau, Tufi Resort on Tufi Island and Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbie Bay.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

The Solomon Islands were the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during WWII and, as a result, its coastlines and lagoons are littered with wrecks, providing some of the world’s best wreck diving. Off the coast of Guadalcanal you can literally walk off the beach into the water and explore the wrecks of planes, ships and submarines.

Being at the eastern tip of the Coral Triangle, it’s also rich in biodiversity. Snorkel with black-tip reef sharks under the jetty at Uepi Island Resort, explore the reef walls near Munda and beautiful sites such as Grand Central Station in Gizo, so-named for its incredible biodiversity.

The most luxurious accommodation available can be found at Tavanipupu Island Resort in Marau Sound and at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara, both of which have played host to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

MICRONESIA: PALAU AND TRUK

Chuuk Atoll (also known as Truk) in the Caroline Islands is famous for its giant lagoon, the final resting place for more than a hundred ships,

TURTLES SPOTTED AT RAJA AMPAT ISLANDS, INDONESIA

ANANTARA SEMINYAK BALI RESORT

PETE MCGEE, DIVEPLANIT

PALAU ROYAL RESORT

An experience without equal

An experience without equal

At Wakatobi, we take great pride in providing the ultimate in exclusive and personalised service.

At Wakatobi, we take great pride in providing the ultimate in exclusive and personalised service.

Our dive staff and private guides ensure your inwater experiences are perfectly matched to your abilities and interests. While at the resort, or on board our luxury dive yacht Pelagian, you need only ask and we will gladly provide any service or facility within our power. For all these reasons and more, Wakatobi takes top honors among discerning divers and snorkellers.

Our dive staff and private guides ensure your inwater experiences are perfectly matched to your abilities and interests. While at the resort, or on board our luxury dive yacht Pelagian, you need only ask and we will gladly provide any service or facility within our power. For all these reasons and more, Wakatobi takes top honors among discerning divers and snorkellers.

“Simply put you can’t have a better experience! Everything is about service and maximizing your diving and snorkelling. The dives were amazing, and all the staff are first class. At Wakatobi they will accommodate any request, but you hardly need to make any since they have thought of essentially everything.”

“Simply put you can’t have a better experience! Everything is about service and maximizing your diving and snorkelling. The dives were amazing, and all the staff are first class. At Wakatobi they will accommodate any request, but you hardly need to make any since they have thought of essentially everything.”

www.wakatobi.com

Dr. Jim and Laurie Benjamin

Dr. Jim and Laurie Benjamin

planes and submarines, many visible while snorkelling. The warm tropical waters and abundance of marine life has transformed the wrecks into beautiful coral gardens.

Palau is a small oceanic group of islands, surrounded shallow reefs, deep drop-offs, vertical holes and horizontal caves. Expect to see large schools of snapper, barracuda and jack fish and large pelagic creatures including reef sharks and manta rays. It’s also famous for its Jellyfish Lake, an enclosed lake full of harmless jellyfish that you can snorkel through.

The best accommodation can be found in Palau’s capital Koror at the Palau Pacific Resort and the Palau Royal Resort, but the more remote islands of Micronesia are best explored in style on board a luxury cruise ship such as those operated by Silversea, which offers a range of itineraries through the region.

FIJI: TAVEUNI, SAVUSAVU AND THE YASAWA ISLANDS.

Fiji is the soft coral capital of the world. Nowhere else will you find such beautiful soft coral formations, and they’re usually teeming with

equally colourful reef fish. In the north, there are seemingly endless meadows of soft coral in Bligh Water and Taveuni, and south, in Beqa Lagoon, the opportunity to watch shark feeding frenzies in perfect safety.

Snorkel with manta rays and reef sharks, dive uncharted, unspoiled reefs and enjoy luxury accommodation and fine dining at resorts such as Yasawa Island Resort and Spa. In the Mamanucas, Vomo Island Resort Fiji offers a bespoke diving experience with a PADI-certified dive centre and your own diving butler and at adultsonly Likuliku Lagoon Resort, snorkel directly beneath your over-water bungalow before indulging in five-star dining.

Further north in Savusavu, you’ll find beautiful coral gardens and higher-end accommodation at Jean Michel Cousteau Resort; and in Taveuni, home to world-famous dive site, the Great White Wall, secluded luxury at Taveuni Palms Resort. The Great White Wall is part of Fiji’s Rainbow Reef and 10 minutes from here is Remote Resort, where diving on the reef can be arranged for all levels of experience.

In the north east of Fiji, Laucala Island has a PADI certified dive centre, allowing guests to

get up close with hawksbill turtles and angelfish. The luxurious private island recently added a DeepFlight Super Falcon submersible to its water toys (for those that don’t want to get wet) – one of only a handful of these submarines in the world.

VANUATU

Vanuatu is most famous for the enormous WWII wreck off the coast of Espiritu Santo, the SS Coolidge. Explore the cargo holds, with jeeps and tanks still in place inside, and in the evening, the amazing spectacle of flashlight fish.

The best accommodation can be found at Ratua Private Island and Lope Lope Lodge on Espiritu Santo, and on the main island of Efate at Iririki Island Resort.

NEW CALEDONIA

Situated in the world’s largest lagoon, the second largest barrier reef and one of the world’s largest marine reserves – covering more than 1.3 million square kilometres protecting around 450,000 hectares of coral

“Fiji is the soft coral capital of the world. Nowhere else will you find such beautiful soft coral formations, and they’re usually teeming with equally colourful reef fish”

LITTLE DIVERS CHECK OUT THE LOCAL MARINE LIFE AT JEANMICHEL COUSTEAU RESORT, FIJI

A GREEN SEA TURTLE SWIMS IN NEW CALEDONIA

THE FAMED JELLYFISH LAKE IN PALAU

reefs New Caledonia is a diver’s delight.

It’s famous for its spectacular pyramid reef formations, including the breathtaking L’aiguille de Prony (or Needle of Prony) at the southern end of the main island, the swim-through at Damien Reef in the North Province and the Garden of Eden on the Ile des Pins.

Accommodation can be found in Nouméa (the capital city) at Le Meridien Nouméa, which combines European chic with Pacific Islands ambience; and in Bourail (a small town on the island of Grande Terre) at the Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort & Spa.

TAHITI AND FRENCH POLYNESIA

Having one of the world’s largest shark sanctuaries (an area covering 3.9 million square kilometres), the South Pacific archipelago of French Polynesia is famous for its healthy population of reef sharks. There is great diving to be found across most islands in French Polynesia, with sites around Tahiti (the largest island) ranging from the shallow lagoons such as The Aquarium, to the incredible 40-50 metres high reef walls of Papa Whiskey and St Etienne Drop-off.

Tahiti has plenty of luxury resorts to choose from, with the epitome of luxury perhaps The Brando, former home to Marlon Brando,

reached via a 20-minute private flight north of Tahiti on the exclusive island of Tetiaroa.

THE COOK ISLANDS

The Cook Islands (an archipelago of 15 isles southwest of Tahiti) established a shark sanctuary adjacent to that of French Polynesia at the same time in 2012. This one covers an area close to two million square kilometres, so you can expect to see lots of reef sharks here as well.

In the shallow lagoons of Rarotonga (the largest island) and Aitutaki (to its north), you’ll find pretty coral gardens and giant clams, while on the ocean side of the barrier reef, you’ll discover giant hard coral formations, schools of eagle rays, reef sharks and turtles.

Luxury accommodation can be found at Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa, and Pacific Resort Aitutaki and on Rarotonga (site of the capital city Avarua, known for its white-coral churches), Pacific Resort, Rumours Rarotonga, or the beachfront Seachange Villas.

GALAPAGOS

The Galapagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean – more than 900 kilometres off the western coast of Ecuador –incorporating 18 main islands, three smaller islands and 107 rocks and islets.

Earlier this year, Ecuador’s president Rafael Correa declared a third of the Galapagos Marine Reserve a complete ‘no-take zone’, so you can expect to see incredible vibrancy and biodiversity here for years to come.

The new Darwin and Wolf Marine Sanctuary include the region’s most famous sites – Wolf, Gordon and Darwin Rocks – where you can expect to see large schools of hammerhead sharks and swim with iguanas and penguins.

Being so remote, the islands are best explored on board a luxury small ship cruise such as those operated by Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic or Silversea.

PHILIPPINES: PALAWAN, BOHOL AND CEBU

Snorkel with whale sharks off the coast of Cebu, dive with thresher sharks in Malapas-

“You can expect to see large schools of hammerhead sharks and swim with iguanas and penguins”

MICHAEL S. NOLAN

GALAPAGOS IGUANA

SWIMMING WITH TURTLES IN THE MALDIVES

PINK SKUNK CLOWNFISH SPOTTED IN NEW CALEDONIA

cua, chase dugongs in the shallow lagoons of Palawan and search for pygmy seahorses in the pristine coral gardens of Anda, Bohol.

In Cebu, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa is the best luxury option and northwest of Palawan Island on its own private island, the ultra-luxurious Amanpulo has one of the most beautiful white beaches you are likely to see and easy access to the pristine coral reef in its self-declared marine park.

INDIAN OCEAN: MALDIVES

The turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and over-water bungalows of the Maldives are everybody’s idea of a desert island paradise. In the shallow lagoons of the Maldives you’ll find pretty coral reefs, teeming with colourful reef fish and plenty of turtles, and in deeper water, dolphins, manta rays, eagle rays and a variety of sharks –including whale sharks.

Anantara’s Naladhu Maldives Resort has 19 colonial-style ‘houses’, each with a private swimming pool, and 13 ocean houses with a private sundeck extending over the Indian Ocean. The resort now offers a PADI-certified free diving centre.

LUX* South Ari Atoll resort has 62 private villas with infinity pools, seven restaurants, six bars and a five-star PADI dive centre which offers tailored programs for divers of all abilities and interests.

The best way to explore the more remote reefs of the Indian Ocean is on an Indian Ocean Odyssey cruise with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, which takes you to the Maldives, the Seychelles and Sri Lanka, visiting pristine dive sites including the spectacular Baa Atoll.

See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

BLUE HOLE UNDERWATER IN THE MALDIVES

ollowing a forced closure earlier this year due to landscaping and decorative damage resulting from Cyclone Winston, Laucala Island is now welcoming guests to its premier private Fijian retreat.

A private island refuge in the South Pacific, Laucala unites dramatic rainforestlaced landscapes and white sandy beaches with unparalleled levels of luxury and privacy. Set upon 3,500 exclusive acres on its own island in the archipelago of Fiji, Laucala Island brings a new meaning to the term “all-inclusive resort.”

No expense has been spared at the special tropical hideaway, where 25 Fijianstyled luxurious villas are set amid coconut plantations, beside deserted beaches and atop the island’s volcanic mountains, overlooking fertile coral reefs and endless jungle.

Experience a variety of activities; diving in a unique underwater world, rainforest tours, horseback riding, surfing and golfing on the 18-hole PGA championship course.

DESTINATION

OUR WRITERS TAKE IN : THE TIP-TOP LUXURY OF THE NORTH ISLAND IN NEW ZEALAND / TRAVEL THE WAY WE DO ... AND SEE CULTURE AND SPIRITUALITY IN BHUTAN / WE GUIDE YOU AROUND THE CHIC CITY HIGHLIGHTS OF PARIS / GO OFF-THE-BEATEN-TRACK IN THAILAND / EXPERIENCE MONACO'S HIGH-END LUXURY / ANCIENT HISTORY AND CULTURE IN PERU / PREMIUM EXPERIENCES WITH FRENCH FLAIR IN NEW CALEDONIA

DESTINATION BHUTAN_ A LUXURY TRAVEL MAGAZINE ITINERARY

THE RISE OF BHUTAN

SINCE OPENING ITS BORDERS TO TOURISM, THE BUDDHIST NATION OF BHUTAN HAS REVEALED THE GENUINE BEAUTY OF ITS PEOPLE AND PLACES WHILE REMAINING FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF ITS TRADITIONS. WORDS AND IMAGES BY LUXURY TRAVEL MAGAZINE EDITOR Katrina Holden.

Clockwise they move around a tall god flag. A steep flight of white-washed stone steps stand like a wall before your eyes, forming a backdrop to the colourful national dress of locals as they climb with a mix of ease and eagerness to the most important fortress in Bhutan. Women in bright striped kera dresses down to their ankles – some with babies in slings on their backs, others in heels – make their ascent. Men wear the traditional gho dress with betel leaves stashed in their large pockets. Monks of all ages in blood-red robes rise the narrow treads with agility to the warriors guarding the entrance. Two young monks spin the large cylindrical golden prayer wheel, emerging from behind the giant drum arm-in-arm and laughing. This is the land of happiness after all and the people are gathered at the annual Punakha Tsechu (festival) at Punakha Dzong to celebrate.

The Kingdom of Bhutan stands almost as a last frontier to the world’s most curious travellers. Sandwiched between India, China and Nepal in the central Himalayas and dating back to 2000BC, Bhutan has managed to evade invasion and has never been colonised – though Tibet has tried. A Buddhist nation, the Bhutanese are proudly independent and fiercely loyal to their King and royal family, enjoying life in a land where the King has decreed it’s more important to measure the Gross National Happiness of the people rather than Gross Domestic Product. Since 2008, the country has been a democratic constitutional monarchy with present King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the government making it a priority to preserve the country’s culture and environment.

The country has only been opened to tourism since the 1970s, making it a still relatively untouched and exotic destination. Tourism growth is restricted, with a controlled tourism and development policy. Visitors are welcome – but they have to pay for the privilege. A fixed US$250 (about A$335) per day tariff automatically limits

the number of tourists. Additionally, no independent travel is allowed. Visitors can only gain an entry visa with a pre-planned, prepaid, guided package tour or custom designed travel program with an officially approved tour operator.

This policy is inviting to the avid, exploratory luxury traveller as the standard of hotels is high, attracting only those who can afford to stay. Official tourism figures show that 155,121 visitors went to Bhutan in 2015 – of which 1,833 were Australian. Travellers staying in three-star hotels have all their food, accommodation, transport and guides included in the daily US$250 (about A$332) tariff, which is still beyond the usual budget of party-hard backpackers (the Bhutanese don’t wish to follow the path of an over-developed Kathmandu in Nepal). Visitors staying in four and five-star hotels are luxury travellers, as they pay the tariff in addition to the hotel’s own nightly room rates.

While it may take some time to arrive (my trip was 29 hours from wheels up in Sydney until touchdown at Paro Airport), the effort of the journey is unquestionably worth it, knowing that once you’re here, you will feel like you’re in another world as noisy bars, hawkers, laminated menus and youth hostels are nowhere to be seen. Booking with a luxury travel destination specialist is the only way to go here and if you’d like to Travel the Way We Do, we recommend luxury specialist Australian agent Executive

Edge Travel + Events who, along with the Tourism Council of Bhutan, helped us put together this sample itinerary.

It would be perhaps naïve to think that time and development won’t have any impact. At the Punakha Tsechu, where there were thousands of locals and nomads in beautiful dress gathered in the fortress to watch performances and honour Buddha, I saw monks taking selfies. More hotels are scheduled to open (Six Senses has five hotels under construction around the country) and the capital Thimphu is apparently the fastest-growing city in the world. After seeing the natural riches and meeting its gentle people, one hopes change will continue to be measured by the government, but our tip is to go there as soon as you can to discover for yourself this magical kingdom. Roads can be rough in parts – extensive roadworks are in progress now. Depending on your itinerary, some drives between towns can be long (three hours plus) along winding roads, quite bumpy and hair-raising in parts (I spotted one overturned truck and a car that was being winched back up from the bottom of a cliff!) –but to get to the very best little pockets of Bhutan, it’s an absolute must and the King himself also travels these roads by car. The government does run a helicopter service and though the priority for the choppers is reserved for local emergencies, they can be chartered for private transfers for travellers, subject to availability.

TRAVEL THE WAY WE DO

This is a first-person account of the six nights I spent in Bhutan, giving a taste of the best sights, hotels and moments of my trip. A customised and catalogued version of this itinerary that we recommend for our readers, designed by Executive Edge Travel + Events, follows this article.

Day 1

The pilot on the flight into the international airport at Paro casually announces to those on the left-hand side of the plane that the big mountain they can see out their window is Mt Everest (take note, ask for a seat on the left). Only eight pilots in the world are qualified to navigate the descent into Paro, which literally weaves and bumps its way through the wind

“While it may take some time to arrive...the effort of the journey is unquestionably worth it, knowing that once you’re here, you will feel like you’re in another world”

currents of enormous mountains.

I’m met by my guide Araya Dewa who drapes a white welcome scarf over my neck that features the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism. Driving to the capital Thimphu, we curve along a road overlooking glacial rivers, forested mountains with clusters of blue pine trees and 15th-century monasteries dominating the mountaintops marked by flapping colourful lungdar (prayer wind flags).

In Thimphu, I visit the National Memorial Chorten, a temple for remembering the deceased. Locals of all ages move in rhythmic, clockwise motion around the large stupa, a round monument said to contain the relics of past Buddist monks or nuns. Pigeons flap overhead as Bhutanese officials serve bowls of rice and the national favourite, chilli and cheese, to the crowd. At the busiest intersection of the capital, traffic is expertly controlled by a white-gloved male traffic controller. Hearing noise coming from the large stadium, we head downhill to investigate. A man wheels closely past on a scooter at pace and politely calls in Bhutanese, “Excuse me, I don’t have any brakes!”. Inside, hundreds of school children are rehearsing a concert for the King’s 36th birthday. We have lunch at Babesa Village Restaurant in one of the few remaining traditional houses in the city, built in the 15th century. I clamber up two flights of extremely

steep and narrow timber ladders to the dining room where I’m treated to a traditional feast of Bhutanese favourite dishes – with potatoes and chilli, buckwheat pancakes, dried turnips, and chilli and cheese. We drive on to Punakha, about a three-hour drive around winding roads, stopping at a road-side vegetable market beneath a waterfall. As the sun is setting, I arrive at the remote and private Uma by COMO, Punakha (read more on p.45).

Day 2

Having dined with the manager of Uma the night before, he has convinced me to rise early and go for a walk to the mountaintop behind us. We meet at 6am and set off in the dark for what Roy promises will be “fantastic”. We walk along the riverfront to the sound of the streaming water. As the sun rises, we reach the school at the very crest of the hill and I wonder how easily children navigate that climb every day. “We build our schools at the top because children soon learn that in life, you have to work hard,” explains Roy, adding that if I want my shoes cleaned back at the hotel, his staff can take care of it.

After breakfast by an open fire on the terrace, we head to the annual Tsechu at Punakha Dzong, built in 1637. It’s a saturation of colour, tradition and religion, and I barely know which direction to look as I want to

absorb every vivid moment. Hundreds of Bhutanese file past me, in vibrant colours of their finest dress; children stand or sit calmly to watch the show; monks offer trays of betel leaves; warriors wear rather frightful monkey masks. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder to get a glimpse of the main stage before reluctantly, we must depart.

On the path to the Fertility Temple, giant phallus paintings decorate the sides of houses – dots of white paint oozing from the head have not been overlooked. Wooden phallus carvings are erected over doorframes. Gift shops sell phallus handicrafts. In Buddhist Taoist culture, my guide explains, the phallus is seen as a symbol of fertility and capable of warding off negative powers. Many couples having fertility issues and those praying for the health of their children visit the temple in honour of the Divine Madman, a Buddhist master from the 15th century. The studying monks here are on a break – some play soccer; we play a coin game with them, while others are watching a Bollywood movie.

On the way back to the hotel, I ask to stop at the riverfront to collect stones. My guide and I walk along the river spotting stones that literally shimmer like glitter thanks to the high mica content. Two local boys begin to help, handing me smooth beautiful stones and wanting nothing in return. With a few favourite rocks in my hat, I return to the warm comfort of Uma by COMO, Punakha.

Day 3

It’s three hours by car to our next destination high in the mountains at Gangtey. Dusty roads carved into the cliff have, at times, a concerning proximity to both the towering escarpment of mountain above, and the sheer cliff drop to the valleys below. There’s only one main road through the centre of Bhutan and it’s busy today and being widened. A road worker is sleeping on an enormous rock jutting out from the road and forming a small, precarious platform over the valley – his face covered by his jacket and oblivious to the spray of dust from passing wheels. My guide quips that I’m getting a “free chair massage” from the bumpy drive and it's true, at times the journey is anything but smooth. But seeing eagles soaring over deep pine tree-covered mountains that in spring time are covered in flowers, watching flowing rivers running at the bottom of the gullies, and passing through

From lar left: Taktsang Palphug Monastery (Tigers Nest); intricate interiors inside Thimphu temples; crowds at the Tibetan-style National Memorial Chorten, Thimphu.

tiny villages where young children play by their parents side reminds me that I’m travelling through the heart of the land.

We reach Gangtey Gompa Monastery, built in 1613, that stands atop a majestic hill. My guide turns each prayer wheel towards the entrance as crows shrill and bells chime. We quietly enter the colourful monastery, shoeless, where the various depictions of Buddha adorn the walls and offerings of money, food and butter lamps have been placed before Buddha.

On the drive from the monastery we spot my next lodging, Amankora Gangtey – resembling, from the distance, a curved amphitheatre flanked by towering trees.

Day 4

I’m already awake when I hear the unique squawk of the black-necked crane birds that migrate to this valley in the winter season. After a breathtaking breakfast on the lawn, my guide and I take the nature walk through the valley, which is, thankfully, downhill. There are longer, uphill hikes for those so-inclined but today, my instinct is to head down, not up.

We pass down green hills with towering trees. My guide Araya points out the various species of wildflowers, including some of the

46 types of rhododendron that thrive in Bhutan in the spring and summer. We cross little streams and pass farmhouses, eventually ending in a quiet forest that could be straight from the set of The Lord of the Rings. A lone cow passes us on the path. My guide leans to pick up a colourful feather. I ask us to stop for a moment and just stand quietly, lost in the silence. We pass only one other tourist and guide on the track, before coming to a lookout viewing area over the wetlands to watch the revered black-necked cranes, which the Bhutanese call Birds from Heaven. At 1.5 metres tall, they glide in packs throughout the skies, soaring to great heights and we’re treated to a mesmerising aeronautical display by several flocks. We learn more afterwards at the Crane Centre which has been set up to continue research and funding to help protect the beautiful species, with more than 450 visiting the region this season.

I also popped into the newly opened 12room Gangtey Lodge that has a beautiful outlook and retains a strong sense of place with its monastic design enhanced with luxury touches. The lodge is co-owned by an Australian and interiors were brought to life by a Sydney-based interior designer. Giant comfy

floor cushions were scattered by an open fire on my visit.

Day 5

After a departure blessing by the monks at Amankora Gangtey, we set off for our long drive to Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu. We stop at Buddha Point where the Buddha Dordenma Project is, at 51 metres, the world’s largest and tallest Buddha statue. It overlooks the city and houses 125,000 gilded gold Buddha statues. In Thimphu, a craft market and stalls line the street that runs behind the Taj Tashi Hotel where I will rest my head for the night, just a few weeks before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge do the same at this hotel. After a greeting and blessing by a monk, I was shown to my room. All guests have the opportunity to experience a fitting in the local costume. I buzz reception and within minutes I have a female staff member in my room helping me to dress in the kera outfit where the long skirt and fuchsia pink silk jacket make me feel like an elegant Bhutanese lady for the evening.

Day 6

This morning we head to Paro for the pilgrimage that most visitors to Bhutan undertake

“I ask us to stop for a moment and just stand quietly, lost in the silence”

the climb to Taktsang Palphug Monastery, also known as Tiger’s Nest. From the base, the monastery appears but a dot of white paint rising high in the clouds at 3,120 metres clutched to a sheer cliff-face. The ascent raises 900 metres above the Paro Valley floor and it takes me two hours in total to reach the top (but depending on pace, it can take up to four hours). Guides travel at all different speeds to suit their group. As we walk up the steep but peaceful path surrounded by blue pine trees, Arya picks up rubbish that hasn’t made it into the bins along the way. It’s Bhutan’s most visited site but despite this, there is an air of calm and serenity as one climbs closer to the top, passing prayer flags and stupas. Near the top, a waterfall, bridge and a final 800 steps brings you to the entrance of the monastery where afterwards, we sit still overlooking the valley and the heights we have overcome, looking over the green valley crests and folds, the donkeys waiting for tourists resembling little ants at the base – this moment feels like pure truth.

See more on this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

BHUTAN l STAY HERE

Uma by COMO, Punakha

Arriving feels like entering a secret kingdom in this subtropical enclave of Bhutan. The 11-room property opened in 2013 and has the feel of a contemporary but homely lodge with pine wood and river-bed stones throughout the main lobby and lounge area. All meals are prepared fresh by Chef Arsa from Indonesia. The Spa overlooks the flowing river and is tucked away in a beautifully scenic position. Rates start from US$600 (about A$829) per room per night. comohotels.com/ umapunakha

Amankora Gangtey

Amankora Gangtey is perched high on the hill overlooking the surrounding valleys. Views to the Gangtey Monastery create a mystical sense of wellbeing and reverence. The design of the hotel is in keeping with Aman’s style of minimal fuss but quality furnishings and fittings that make the most of the environment. If weather permits, take your breakfast on the lawn – it’s truly a magical feeling to be dining in the crisp air at such high altitudes. Rates start from US$1,100 (about A$1,529) per room per night plus taxes. Aman also offers seven-night packages throughout its five Bhutan properties in Punakha, Gangtey, Paro, Thimphu and Bumthang. Rates for double occupancy on a seven-night Amankora Journey start from US$14,450 (about A$20,092) plus taxes inclusive of a guide and driver, all transfers within Bhutan, all meals, house beverages including select wines and spirits

and complimentary laundry. aman.com/resorts/amankora

Taj Tashi, Thimphu

Opened in 2008, Taj Tashi in the capital of Bhutan has the renowned Taj Hotels service and hospitality locked down, in a key location. Taj Tashi plays host to dignitaries and government officials from all over the world including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their recent royal visit to Bhutan. Four luxury suites occupy the four corners of the hotel. Staff will personally fit and dress guests in their rooms in traditional kera (female) and gho (male) Bhutanese costume. Rates start from US$300 (about A$414) per night. taj.tajhotels. com/en-in/taj-tashi

Uma by COMO, Paro

This hotel makes a great base from which to explore the stunning Tiger’s Nest monastery. The COMO health and wellness focus is evident throughout with a small gym with bikes, treadmills and fitness balls; a beautiful indoor heated pool (I’m told the only one in Bhutan); a traditional bath treatment house and an in-house Indian yogi master. Guests staying in the villas have a private butler who will pack or unpack for you. Rates start from US$480 (about A$661) per night. comohotels.com/umaparo

l GET THERE

The writer travelled with Qantas on a direct flight from Sydney to Bangkok. Connections on Bhutan Airlines into Bhutan’s international airport at Paro depart Bangkok at 6:30am, 7:45am, 8:15am and 9:55am –therefore passengers travelling from Australia are advised to stay

overnight in Bangkok. qantas. com.au; bhutanairlines.bt

For extreme convenience and five-star comfort, we recommend Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel. Within moments from the terminal, you’re transferred to this hotel (limousine by arrangement) avoiding the congested drive into Bangkok. The hotel has a swimming pool, a VOUS spa, fitness centre with sauna, steam room and jacuzzis, an executive lounge, six restaurant and bar options and 24-hour room service. The hotel has recently introduced ‘24 Hours Flexi’ and ‘Flexi Meal’, which means guests can arrive at any time and check out 24 hours later. novotel.com/SuvarnabhumiAirport

l KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

With Bhutan located in the Himalayas, altitude sickness is possible at such levels above sea. Altitude sickness is brought on by gaining altitude too rapidly, which doesn’t allow the body enough time to adjust to reduced oxygen and changes in air pressure. It can be fatal in extreme cases. Acute altitude sickness can arise after at least four hours spent at an altitude above 2,000 metres. Heights of 2,500 metres and more can trigger a range of symptoms including headaches, nausea, lethargy, insomnia, breathlessness and vomiting. Altitude sickness can affect men and women of all levels of fitness. The best way to prevent altitude sickness is to ascend slowly. Speak with your doctor about the necessary first aid items to pack in the event of altitude sickness. Drink plenty of water, more than usual (up to seven litres per day) and avoid cigarettes and alcohol.

l BEST TIME TO GO

In summer (June to August) the country is very lush and green and rhododendron and magnolia flowers bloom in the valleys and forests. In spring (March to May) the colder weather gives way to a pleasant spring chill, and peach blossoms paint the landscape pink. Winter (December to February) offers crystal blue skies and a cooler temperature ideal for hiking in the woods. The Bhutanese celebrate their traditional new year ‘Losar’ in February and the country comes alive with festivities.

From left: local food at the Tseche Festival at Punakha Dzong; exterior of the six-storeyed Punakha Dzong; painted prayer wheels.

Below right: minimalist courtyard entrance at COMO Uma, Punakha.

EXPLORE BHUTAN WITH EXECUTIVE EDGE TRAVEL + EVENTS A Luxury Travel magazine itinerary

THE ITINERARY

Day 1

Thimphu

Arrive at the only capital city in the world with no traffic lights, yet so contemporary with a mix of traditional customs.

Stay: Taj Tashi

Meals included: Dinner.

Days 2-3

Gangtey

Hike through clear nature trails to the beautiful open valley of Phobjikha, home to the rare blacknecked cranes.

Stay: Amankora

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner for both days.

Days 4-5

Punakha

Witness fine Bhutanese architecture in Punakha, Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lakhang.

Stay: COMO Uma Punakha

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner for both days.

Days 6-9 Paro

One simply cannot miss the majestic Taktsang Monastery hike when in Bhutan. The following day, explore the vast natural beauty that Paro town has to offer via hikes or mountain bikes. Experience a customised reading on astrology, based on your place and date of birth.

Stay: COMO Uma Paro Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner for all three days.

Itinerary includes Arrival/departure transfers, accommodation, all specified meals, sightseeing tours and transfers by air-conditioned private vehicle with Englishspeaking local Bhutanese guide, Bhutan Visa fee, tourism development fund and Bhutan entrance fees, astrologer meeting, half-day cycling in Paro.

Itinerary excludes Airfares, travel insurance, alcoholic beverages, personal expenses, meals not specified.

When to go

The best times to visit Bhutan are from mid-September to November and from March to May.

Cost

The cost for this 8 night/ 9 day package is US$7,170 (approx. A$9,521) per person (based on twin-share and 2017 travel).

For a detailed version of the Luxury Travel magazine / Executive Edge 'Explore Bhutan' itinerary, visit luxurytravelmag.com.au/ itineraries or call Executive Edge Travel + Events on +61 3 9519 7777

CHIANG RAI SURPRISE

ONCE SYNONYMOUS WITH THE OPIUM TRADE, THAILAND’S NORTHERNMOST PROVINCE IS SLOWLY EMERGING AS A LUXURY CULTURAL DESTINATION, AS Belinda Luksic DISCOVERS.

From the balcony of my Deluxe Three Country View Room at Chiang Rai’s luxury boutique Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, the spectacular confluence of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand is shrouded in diaphanous beauty. It’s dreamy, as if someone has smeared Vaseline on a camera lens. Sky disappears into ether and the misty landscape of dense greenery, busy Mekong River and gorgeous cornflower-blue mountain range appears in soft focus.

While everyone is off getting massages in the hotel spa, I wait for nightfall to engulf everything in pitch darkness. It is then I am rewarded with a chorus of jungle song: fluttering wings and trees rustling, birds screeching and the insistent bellow of elephants far below. It’s magical and exciting, and leaves me feeling worlds away from any civilisation.

A short 80-minute flight from the heat and

bustle of Bangkok, Chiang Rai province sits at the remote, northernmost tip of Thailand. Once the opium capital of the world, today it is a languid, peaceful and predominantly rural area.

Rice paddies and large tracts of farming land, milky green rivers, thatched huts and bright orange and yellow temples pepper a positively halcyon landscape framed by hazy, hulking mountain masses.

It’s up in these hills, overlooking Doi Tung mountain, we come upon the ornamental Mae Fah Luang Garden. This 10-acre temperate garden and arboretum, once an opium plantation and important stop on the illicit drug trail, was revitalised in the early 1990s as part of the Doi Tung Development Project. The project was set up by Thailand’s late Princess Mother (the current King’s mum) to quash the opium trade.

It’s pretty. Shady paths of overhanging shrubs, palms and towering pines lead to or-

nate gardens bursting with florescent hyacinth, dahlia, orchids and roses. Within a maze, I reach a dead end only to find a sweet garden of heart-shaped flowerbeds carpeted in pink blooms. There’s a local art installation too; a hillside village of thatched bamboo huts framing a pond. A treetop walk is scheduled to open next year.

“This mountain area is all sustainable agriculture,” says Mim, our guide, with a flourish of her hand; orchids and crops of coffee, macadamia nuts and various fruit having replaced the opium. In Mae Fah Luang Garden alone, more than 400 local villagers are employed.

Café DoiTung, a fair-trade venture within the gardens with lollipop parasols, outdoor seating and excellent barista-quality coffee, uses locally grown sustainable coffee beans that are available for sale, along with sustainably grown macadamia nuts and cookies.

“I am rewarded with a chorus of jungle song: fluttering wings and trees rustling, birds screeching and the insistent bellow of elephants far below”

LOBBY

This is not to compete with the world’s most unique and expensive coffee, the appropriately named, Black Ivory, which we sample at our resort as part of an aromatic tableside serving experience. That coffee is made from Thai Arabica beans ‘naturally refined’ of bitterness after being digested by the elephants at the Elephant Camp.

Back in the city, we discover Art Bridge and Chiang Rai’s burgeoning art scene. The work of a local artist collective, this wonderfully modern pavilion set in a funky sculpture garden on the outskirts of town, has two fantastic contemporary galleries and an artist studio. The terrace restaurant and café overlooking the water and lush rice paddies is pretty lovely too.

We visit Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), a stupendously flashy, bright white temple sparkling with inlaid mirrors and glass, the work of Thailand’s neo-traditional master, Chalermchai

Kositpipat that is said to represent a glimpse of heaven. “More like hell,” I joke, as a loudspeaker crackles into action for the umpteenth time and yet another busload of tourists arrives.

Yin to this yang, and somewhat quieter, is artist Tawan Duchanee’s Baan Dam (Black House), a neoclassical masterpiece of bleached bones, animal skins and twisted animalistic sculptures.

On our final day, we stop for lunch at Chivit Thamma Da, a gorgeous colonial-style café and day spa on the banks of the Kok River. It’s divine. A meal of sustainable and mostly organic salads and curries arrives, along with goblets of icy cold mint and coconut water. For those after something a little stronger, there is a good wine and spirits list and, surprisingly, Cuban cigars.

Of course, if harrowing tales of the 5,000year history of opium and its illegal trade in the Golden Triangle is your thing, the exceptional

Hall of Opium Museum, a 10-minute stroll from our hotel, is well worth a visit.

Room after room of brilliantly conceived, sophisticated multi-media, interactive video and dramatic display tell a cautionary tale of drugs and remind us that, until the late 1990s, this was Chiang Rai.

Like a Phoenix, though, this sleepy province has risen from its dark and dangerous past and is slowly redefining itself as a luxury destination. It’s not entirely there yet, but that’s very much a part of its charm.

l STAY HERE

Rates at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort start from $1,238. goldentriangle.anantara.com

See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

Clockwise from top left: Anantara Suite; traditional Thai herbs; looking out over the pool to the wilderness beyond at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp.

THE RULE OF THREE

Katrina Holden VISITED THREE OF NEW ZEALAND’S BEST LUXURY LODGES, SET AMID THE ENDLESS BAYS, BEACHES AND GREEN FIELDS OF NORTHLAND - ON THE TIP OF THE NORTH ISLAND.

Northland – a pretty pocket of New Zealand’s North Island just a short flight, helicopter or boat ride from Auckland – has all the makings of a luxury getaway you’ll never forget.

In a few short days, I was kayaking to private picnic spots, sailing on a catamaran as enormous dolphins dived alongside our boat, fishing off the edge of a wharf, teeing off at a world-class golf course, listening to a Māori song in front of the largest Kauri tree in New Zealand, landing in helicopters on the tip of rock formations jutting dramatically out of the sea and swimming in rockstar-style infinity pools with 300-degree views over the majestic Bay of Islands.

The subtropical Northland region encompasses the Bay of Islands, the Kauri Coast, the Far North and Whangarei. The coastlines of Northland can be quite contrasting, with the west coast offering rugged beauty and a wild edge; while the east coast offers a more urban and refined atmosphere.

The New Zealanders appear to have luxurious hospitality down to a fine art. In this northern paradise, I lodged at three of the country’s fin-

est luxury lodges that each varied in style, aesthetic and personality. They each individually have their own appeal and all make the most of their magical locations.

KAURI CLIFFS

The drive from Kerikeri Airport to Kauri Cliffs in Matauri Bay, a Relais & Châteaux property, took me through green hills dotted with cows and Manuka trees.

Arriving at dusk, the plantation-style property was twinkling with lights as a setting sun melted into the seas of Cape Brett and the Pacific Ocean. Drinks with the manager in the drawing room were welcomed before dinner, with the calming sommelier Valeria taking our order and canapés of pork belly and hapuka fish were devoured as I took in the priceless art collection on the walls, and enjoyed the tunes of the piano in the lobby and the views offered from the verandah across the 18-hole golf course to the ocean.

The lodge, sprawling over 6,000 acres, was built in 2000 and has 22 guest suites and a twobedroom owners’ cottage – the most luxuri-

ous of the accommodation options here, with two separate wings. In the dining room, as our waiter tonged wedges of lemon or lime into our glasses of sparkling water, we perused our fourcourse degustation menu. Valeria was on hand to talk us through the wine list – 90 per cent made up of New Zealand wines.

As Northland produces just one per cent of the country’s wines, other regions such as Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Canterbury and Central Otago are well represented across such brands as Felton Road, Esk Valley, Church Road, Craggy Range and Villa Maria. The owner of Kauri Cliffs too has his own wine brand, Dry River, naturally also available to guests. The wine list is organised by grape variety, north to south of the country, and then oldest to youngest wine.

The next morning, I teed off on the golf

“Arriving at dusk, the plantation-style property was twinkling with lights as a setting sun melted into the seas of Cape Brett and the Pacific Ocean”

DINING ROOM AT KAURI CLIFFS

OVERLOOKING CAPE BRETT AND KAURI CLIFFS

When it

beachfront luxury,

Infact, we’ve been voted the number one hotel in Palm Cove and one of the top five hotels in Australia by Tripadvisor.

But that’s not surprising, because Alamanda at Palm Cove is one of the only places in Far North Queensland to offer direct beach access, as well as luxurious beachside suites, the critically acclaimed Nu Nu restaurant and our multi-award winning day spa. And if that’s not enough, we also cater for families with extra-large apartments, a family pool zone and games room.

So no need to search TripAdvisor to find the perfect Palm Cove luxury accommodation, come straight to us.

Book at palmcove@alamandapalmcove.com.au or call 07 4055 3000

www.lancemore.com.au/alamanda

comes to

we’re way out in front.

course overlooking the bay, guided by one of the golf professionals on staff. A few mis-driven balls later, we headed off in our golf caddies, stopping at the numerous holes with the most jaw-dropping views.

Afterwards, I ascended through a Totora forest track of ferns and dense foliage to the Kauri Cliffs Spa for one of the most memorable spa experiences I’ve had. For those seeking a more action-packed day, staff at the familyfriendly property can organise quad biking, salt-water fishing, scenic flights or horse riding. During my stay, I was also treated to a private picnic at Pink Beach. As our Relais & Châteaux chef prepared the barbecue of fish, meats and other local delicacies, I headed onto the sand with a glass of wine in hand and discovered why it’s called Pink Beach, as thousands of pink and peach-coloured shells crushed beneath my soles.

Wow factor

The incredible golf course that overlooks the ocean and the views offered from tee to green. Best suits

Those that appreciate fine cuisine and service; and elegant, traditional furnishings. It’s also perfect if you happen to love your golf.

Rates

Rates start from NZ$775 (about A$747) per person, per night. Rates include pre-dinner drinks with canapés, à la carte dinner and breakfast. kauricliffs.com

THE LANDING

I departed Kauri Cliffs via helicopter with helicopter company Salt Air, heading to the Waipoua Forest, home of the largest Kauri tree in New Zealand, Tāne Mahuta. Flying over Hokianga Harbour, it felt as though the thickly dense valleys and azure coves would go on forever. On approach to Purererua Peninsula, our helicopter pilot pointed out our next destination, a collection of luxury residences and a conservation property called The Landing – given that name because it’s the site where European missionaries first landed. The private residences are the vision and work of New Zealand entrepreneur Peter Cooper, founder of New Zealand private investment company, Cooper and Company.

Four residences are available for rent at the 1,000-acre farm, The Landing. Each of the four residences offers something different; but all are architecturally designed to the highest standards and are aesthetic wonders.

The Vineyard Villa is the newest property in the collection. The three-bedroom villa is nestled in the group’s own vineyards where award winning wines labelled The Landing are produced.

The Vineyard Villa has enormous hardwood sliding timber doors that open to let the outside in. Recline on the deck and feel as though you’re sitting in the vines; or soak in an egg-shaped bath.

The Gabriel Residence, sleeping eight, is a popular choice for families or large groups with its four king-sized bedrooms and four self-contained indoor living areas. My residence during my visit was The Boathouse – right on the water’s edge at Wairoa Bay. The uninterrupted views of two private islands and the lapping of the shore as you relax by the outdoor fireplace make The Boathouse, which sleeps four, very special indeed.

The largest property in the compound is The Cooper Residence – where the owners stay when they visit. It is available to rent upon application. Five luxurious bedroom suites sleep up to 12 people with 360-degree views of the surrounding ocean and countryside. An enormous library, impressive bar, a glossy wooden bathtub and access to The Landing’s tower and underground wine cellar give this property a special wow factor.

The beauty of a stay at The Landing is that absolutely everything is customised to what the guest desires. If you would like resident chef Jackie to come in and cook for you each night, that is seamlessly arranged. If you’d like to be left completely alone for a week during your stay and remain fully self-contained, no problem.

During my stay, we went for a nature walk through the property’s protected wetlands at night in a respectful search of kiwi birds. During construction on the farm, four million plants were planted on the property. I took a tour of the extensive kitchen garden, herb garden and

LOUNGE AREA AT THE GABRIEL RESIDENCE, THE LANDING

orchard with chef Jackie, who collected eggs from the chickens, plucked pears from the tree and fresh, juicy pink figs for us to taste on the spot from the 150-year-old fig trees.

I also took a tour of The Landing’s vineyards with 9.5 hectares under vine. We tasted the flagship wine, The Landing Chardonnay, at a private tasting in the hallowed underground cellars, accompanied by a magnificent cheese plate from Jackie.

Directly out the front of my room at The Boathouse, we took a kayaking trip across to one of the private islands for a picnic lunch that had already been set up, timed for our arrival. The resort’s guest services manager can also arrange paddle boarding, bird watching, scuba diving, water skiing or a skippered fishing trip on The Landing’s 28-foot rigid hull inflatable, Protector. Leisure facilities onsite include a tennis court, gym, steam room and a yoga and pilates deck. In case you didn’t get enough of a golf fix back at Kauri Cliffs, you can take a five-minute helicopter flight back

there for another round.

On my final night at The Landing, I sat in a beanbag on the jetty with a glass of The Landing Rosé casting a line. I felt like I’d certainly “landed” in a very special place.

Wow factor

The scale of the property and its vast amenities and the high quality of the finishes and architectural attention to detail to bring the stunning outside indoors.

Best suites

Those who crave privacy and a fully immersive holiday – you can be fully self-contained.

Rates

Peak rates start from NZ$4,000 (about A$3,727) per person, per night for The Boathouse or Vineyard Villa (excluding meals).

thelandingresidences.com

EAGLES NEST

I departed The Landing from its private jetty onboard a 54-foot catamaran Cool Change with salt-of-the-earth skippers Don and Marilyn Logan. Cruising through the Bay of Islands Maritime Park, we sailed past white limestone rock formations and secluded beaches where we could drop anchor.

We were soon joined by a large pod of dolphins that splashed about, oblivious to our gasps of awe. We disembarked Cool Change in the quaint town of Russell, the first permanent European settlement of New Zealand. After lunching at the historic The Duke of Marlborough Hotel on the waterfront, founded in 1827, we were collected by the private concierge cars from our next lodging – Eagles Nest.

Sprawled across 75 acres, Eagles Nest has five exclusive villas all with views over the Bay of Islands. I stayed in the jaw-dropping Rahimoana Villa – which translates to “sun god over the ocean”.

The floor-to-ceiling glass windows, sleek white interiors and minimalist design ensured there was no distraction from the 300-degree views of the bay. As we sipped on Louis Roederer Champagne, overlooking the large 25-metre infinity pool and Jacuzzi and feeling like we were on the set of a James Bond film, that atmosphere

“An enormous library, impressive bar, a glossy wooden bathtub and... underground wine cellar give this property a special wow factor”

DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN AT THE COOPER RESIDENCE, THE LANDING

VINEYARD VILLA, THE LANDING

KATRINA HOLDEN

KATRINA HOLDEN

FREE-RANGE HENS AT THE LANDING

l RECOMMENDED READING

AFTER THE FALL by Charity Norman

was only amplified as an approaching helicopter landed, on cue, on the lawn right next to our villa to collect us.

We were escorted on board for a private tour with a local Māori guide to experience The Hole In The Rock, sitting strikingly in the sea at Cape Brett, thanks to a newly-created helipad on the crest of this rock formation that features a circular 18-metre-high ‘hole’ at its base on the sea formed by years of erosion.

Our helicopter landed us safely back at our sleek pad, where we settled in for the night. Guests at any of the Eagles Nest villas can be treated to dining in your villa, as resident chefs arrive to prepare a gourmet meal to your liking. While the chefs were busy in the kitchen, we were free to use the villa’s gym, sauna, watch a movie from the large ceiling drop-down screen or take a soak in our bath or in the pool to watch the sun set over the bay.

The Rahimoana Villa has four double ensuite bedrooms with a large lounge area that leads to granite balconies from which to soak in the hues of nature. And just like any good Bond-style pad, the villa has a pathway and steps among the native landscaped gardens that lead down to a private beach, exclusive to guests of this villa.

Wow factor

The streamlined and minimalist design that emphasises the superb views over the Bay of Islands. Best suits

Those who appreciate contemporary, minimalist architecture and design with glamorous touches. Rates

Rates for the entry-level villas at Eagles Nest start from NZ$1,295 (about A$1,249) per night. eaglesnest.co.nz

In the quiet of a New Zealand winter’s night, a rescue helicopter is sent to airlift a five-year-old boy with severe internal injuries. He’s fallen from the upstairs veranda of an isolated farmhouse, and his condition is critical. At first, Finn’s fall looks like a horrible accident: after all, he’s prone to sleepwalking. Only his frantic mother, Martha McNamara, knows how it happened. And she isn’t telling. tripfiction.com/books/after-the-fall

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

“Guests at any of the Eagles Nest villas can be treated to dining in your villa, as resident chefs arrive to prepare a gourmet meal to your liking”

INFINITY POOL AT RAHIMOANA VILLA, EAGLES NEST

GREEN BEDROOM AT RAHIMOANA VILLA, EAGLES NEST

SALT AIR HELICOPTERS OVER THE BAY OF ISLANDS

For the of your life...

JOIE DE VIVRE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

WHITE SANDED ISLETS, TRANSPARENT WATERS TEEMING WITH REEF LIFE AND LUXURIOUS VILLA-STYLE ACCOMMODATION, AS Belinda Craigie AND Jessa Melicor DISCOVERED, ARE ALL AVAILABLE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD, JUST A FEW HOURS BY COMMERCIAL PLANE FROM THE EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA.

New Caledonia, a Franco-Melanesian nation in the South Pacific, is a convenient option for Australian luxury travellers seeking a flop-and-drop holiday. But it also offers experiences for those wanting adventure, cultural encounters and a taste of France – minus the long-haul flight.

Consisting of the main island of Grande Terre; the Loyalty Islands of Lifou, Mare, Tiga and Ouvea; and the distinctive Ile des Pins (Isle of Pines), New Caledonia is also home to a reef-fringed, World Heritage-listed lagoon, which is the world’s largest.

We encountered these distinctive natural and cultural attractions from the moment we exited La Tontouta International Airport in Nouméa and were welcomed by Wececa (wheychay-cha), a group of singers clothed head-totoe in traditional Melanesian dress. It’s the beginning of a varied Pacific Island experience visiting the laidback capital city of Nouméa, the other-worldly Isle of Pines, and a secluded luxury resort in the Bourail region on the west coast of Grande Terre. All these destinations offer something different, while providing an authentic experience of New Caledonia’s French influence and Melanesian roots.

BELINDA CRAIGIE

EXPERIENCE

With its expansive lagoon and barrier reef (second largest only to Australia’s), New Caledonia is a water-lover’s playground, with opportunities for boating excursions, snorkelling, scuba diving and swimming at virtually every turn.

In Nouméa, I boarded a private catamaran to explore the islets surrounding New Caledonia’s capital city. My noticeably sun-kissed, barefoot guides were originally from France and had clearly become accustomed to the laidback New Caledonian way of living. While they steered the boat around the harbour and out to sea, I was left to recline in the sun, taking in the surroundings. Around midday, I was served a tasty picnic lunch of fresh prawns, cold meats, salads and desserts and shortly af-

ter, we reached the small, picture-perfect islet of Goéland, translating to “Seagull Island”. The islet was near empty, save for a local family picnicking under a blue beach umbrella and my guides left me to explore with my camera (Instagram-worthy is an understatement) while they went spearfishing for dinner. For those who prefer to be at sea rather than in the air, chartering a yacht is an unbeatable way to appreciate New Caledonia’s expansive lagoon and its white-sanded islets from different angles, all while luxuriating onboard.

The following day, I boarded a smaller speedboat in the stunning Ile des Pins, arguably the pièce de résistance of New Caledonia and named by Captain James Cook for its distinctive native Columnar pine trees. Departing in search of turtles, the excursion first took me to the powdery-sanded Nokanhui Atoll for a spot of exploring, then to Moro Island – perhaps one of the most polaroid-

worthy experiences I had in New Caledonia. Through a clearing in the island’s bush were shaded picnic tables, hammocks, swings and a near-empty beach. I was served a specialty Melanesian lunch of lobster and ‘bugs’, papaya salad, freshly caught fish and yams. After lunch, I tried snorkelling the clear waters. It’s quite incredible how clear they were, a testament to the island’s renown for a great diving experience. If you’d rather stay dry, you can recline in one of the shaded hammocks or on the white-sanded beach. And while I didn’t encounter any turtles, I didn’t leave disappointed when I spotted a pod of dolphins frolicking around our boat with an enthusiasm mirrored by all onboard.

CULINARY TRAVELS

New Caledonia’s food offering is a mix of locally grown and sourced ingredients (think

seafood and venison) coupled with imported goods from New Zealand, Australia and primarily France (wine, cheese, dairy).

After touching down in Nouméa, I sampled a host of different New Caledonian specialties. First was a fresh and sizeable meal at Au P’tit Café, which has a rotating chalkboard menu of authentic, gourmet French-style dishes and wine list to boot. The cheesecake a la passion, salade de fruits frais (passionfruit cheesecake with fresh fruit salad) is the café’s signature dessert and thankfully one of the few items available all year round – as this is a dessert I’d want to go back for.

The following morning, I headed to the local markets, an interesting way to start the day for those wanting to experience how the locals live.

The next stop on my itinerary was Chocolat Morand, the famed creation of artisan and master chocolatier Patrick Morand.

“The following day, I boarded a smaller speedboat called Julius in the stunning Ile des Pins, arguably the pièce de résistance of New Caledonia”

Clockwise from left: Oro Bay views from the gardens at Le Meridien Ile des Pins; fusion New Caledonian cuisine served at Le Meridien Ile des Pins; a barefoot luxury lunch experience on Moro Island, starting with tropical cocktails.

BELINDA CRAIGIE

Patrick, a French native with more than 10 years running the boutique in Nouméa, explained his passion for chocolate and his ongoing journey to create new flavours inspired by local New Caledonian ingredients like vanilla bean and passionfruit. I sampled a delicious vanilla bean French macaron and an assortment of his famous chocolates, the most notable of which was a mint-flavoured dark chocolate – the explosion of fresh mint with the sweetness of the outer casing was très bon.

Drinks-wise, there’s local institution Domaine du Faubourg, a specialist premium wine and spirits bar. Opened in December 2015 by three childhood friends from the south of France, this hidden gem has a selection of 500 wines and spirits by the glass with new arrivals every week. Co-owner Roman poured a selection of French wines to taste, including a delicious Château Fombrauge 2013 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, one of four Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés

from renowned wine magnate Bernard Magrez.

Back at my hotel, Le Meridien Nouméa, I decided to try in-house, fine-dining restaurant L’Hippocampe for dinner – an experience that’s not to be missed. Met with impeccable service by manager Thierry, the evening completes my very tasty foray into Nouméa’s fine cuisine. As I savoured the last morsel of smoked duck foie gras, it was as clear as the waters off Nouméa’s shoreline that the food and wine culture here is certainly worth exploring.

ART & CULTURE

At every turn in New Caledonia there are visible influences of both French and Melanesian cultures reflected in the architecture, music and cuisine. Aside from enjoying the relaxing South Pacific beaches, coupled with the urban elegance of France, I discovered there are day trips available to experience

New Caledonian art and culture just 10 minutes from central Nouméa at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, where you can learn more about indigenous Kanak music, art, theatre and dance.

Heading northwest to the Bourail region, near the Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort & Spa, you’ll discover cultural tours providing an insight into the rich Kanak traditions. If you are travelling during the film festival season in July, head off the beaten track to the town of La Foa, with a boutique and quaint movie theatre that hosts the annual La Foa Film Festival – showcasing around 20 international feature films, along with short films by local filmmakers.

New Caledonia’s blend of culture, as I found, is more than meets the eye.

Read more about New Caledonia at luxurytravelmag.com.au/new-caledonia

JESSA MELICOR

Clockwise from top left: sail around the lagoon aboard a catamaran; open-air lobby at Le Meridien Ile des Pins; "Welcome to Moro Island" greets guests on a luxury desert island experience in Ile des Pins.

BELINDA CRAIGIE

BELINDA CRAIGIE

l STAY HERE

NOUM ÉA

Le Meridien Nouméa

Set in the midst of beautifully landscaped gardens, the recently refurbished Le Meridien Nouméa has some of the best views of (and direct access to) Anse Vata bay and is just a 10-minute drive from central Nouméa.

I enjoyed my stay in a colourful Superior Room with panoramic views from a private balcony of New Caledonia’s World Heritage-listed lagoon. A lagoon-view room is a must to really appreciate the aweinspiring location.

Le Meridien Nouméa offers several dining options, the highlight of which is fine-dining L’Hippocampe restaurant. The service is excellent and the food the most exceptional of all the cuisine I experienced during our visit to New Caledonia.

However, the indulgence doesn’t stop there: Le Meridien Nouméa has massage and beauty treatment services at its Deep Nature Spa; as well as an outdoor pool, tennis court, fitness centre and hot tub. Complimentary outdoor activities include canoeing, windsurfing and the use of snorkelling equipment. The hotel is 200 metres from Promenade Pierre Vernier, a coconut tree-lined waterfront promenade popular among joggers. Room rates start at XPF23,750 (about A$295) per night. lemeridiennoumea.com

ISLE OF PINES

Le Meridien Ile des Pins

Le Meridien Ile des Pins is the most luxurious option on

Ile des Pins and is set on the picturesque shores of Oro Bay. The property recently underwent a renovation and offers 48 rooms and suites, spread around 4.5 hectares of dense, tropical vegetation. The central pavilion acts as the base of the resort, housing the reception, guest lounge with fireplace, bar, restaurant, billiards rooms and library.

La Pirogue restaurant serves French/Melanesian-inspired cuisine using local products where available. The menu includes Melanesian specialities like Bounga, which consists of meat and vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and stewed in coconut milk; and Isle of Pines escargot (snails), stuffed with parsley and garlic butter.

Le Meridien Ile des Pins offers all the usual five-star trimmings that enable a carefree flop-and-drop holiday – a fine-dining restaurant, massage and spa services, infinity swimming pool – but also encourages guests to explore the stunning natural surrounds. Just a five-minute walk from the property is a natural pool, which I ventured to on foot, though I saw others kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding. Snorkel gear is available for viewing the area’s abundant marine life, whether it be snorkelling in the natural pool or in Oro Bay.

For those wanting to go further afield, the resort can organise boat, scuba and snorkelling excursions.

Room rates start at XPF33,868 (about A$421) per night. lemeridieniledespins.com

BOURAIL

Sheraton New Caledonia

Deva Resort & Spa

Sheraton New Caledonia

Deva Resort & Spa is a luxury hideaway in the Deva Domain, a two-hour drive north from the capital of Nouméa and one of New Caledonia’s newest luxury properties. Consisting of 60 Melanesian-style bungalows, as well as 120 rooms housed in apartment-style buildings, the property also has an 18-hole golf course. Alongside two dining options and a bar, the resort also features: a pool (the largest pool in New Caledonia); a Deep Nature Spa with massage and beauty services, Turkish hammam and Swedish sauna; and a fitness centre.

Guests are transported around the resort on golf buggies – or alternatively, can wander the shallow shores of the lagoon that directly adjoins the resort. I did just this on my final night in New Caledonia, to catch a beautiful sunset and listen to the splashing of numerous fish wrestling for their dinner.

Rates start at XPF21,000 (about A$258) per night. sheratonnewcaledoniadeva.com

l GET THERE

Aircalin, the international airline of New Caledonia, operates 12 flights per week non-stop from Australia to Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia. Flights take less than three hours from Sydney, under four hours from Melbourne and two hours from Brisbane. aircalin.com

l RECOMMENDED READING

The South Pacific island of New Caledonia is home to many expats including Melanie, a young English woman who is suddenly –and totally inexplicably – abandoned by her husband. Based on a true story and set in the 1960s, in the days of stiletto heels and the Beatles, the reasons for Melanie’s loss slowly unravel… an award-winning novel. tripfiction.com/books/french-sand

FRENCH SAND by Catherine Broughton

SHERATON NEW CALEDONIA DEVA RESORT & SPA

LE MERIDIEN NOUMÉA

ORO BAY VIEWS AT LE MERIDIEN ILE DES PINS

ALL THAT GLITTERS

Catherine Marshall EXPLORES MONACO, SAMPLING THE LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATION AND FINE MONÉGASQUE FARE OF THIS CÔTE D’AZUR JEWEL.

There’s a model draping herself across a silver-plated mirror in the lobby of the famous Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo. She teeters on a replica Louis XV comfort couch, flaunting her silken gown, fluttering her eyelashes at the photographer crouched before her.

Guests come and go, oblivious to the sequence unfolding nearby. For glamour is as commonplace as air at the Hôtel Metropole: it wafts through the gilded spaces, brushing up against its surfaces, infusing them with a subtle but unmistakably luxurious scent.

If opulence is indeed the theme of this fashion shoot, then the Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo – redesigned in 2004 by architectural and interior designer Jacques Garcia – provides the perfect backdrop. Its chequer-tiled Princes’ Salon and conciergerie are filled with neo-classical pedestal tables, black basalt stone vases from Egypt, a striking, empire-style chandelier in the entrance, doors upholstered in lush, 18th-century Cordoue leather and vases modelled on those gifted by Napoleon to his darling Josephine.

Though every surface here begs to be touched – gilt, satin, velvet, marble, glass – there is nothing stuffy about this grand old dame. Thanks to Garcia’s vision, she’s kept up with the times –and is just as much at home in modern Monte-Carlo as she was when she came of age here during the fabled era of the Belle Époque (1870-1914).

I could spend my entire Monaco sojourn cocooned here at the Hôtel Metropole, for contained within it is a superfluity of fine eateries (including the two-Michelin-starred Joel Robuchon Monte-Carlo and Robuchon’s very first Japanese restaurant, Yoshi), a spa that combines modern techniques with ancestral therapies, and a heated seawater swimming pool set within an outdoor, haute couture concept area designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

From the hotel’s perch on Monaco’s Golden Square, I can breathe in the view of the surrounding principality: the Grand Casino and the Hôtel de

Paris Monte-Carlo, the palace perched upon The Rock, and the Mediterranean Sea, glittering in the distance – quite appropriately – like diamond-studded carpet.

But there’s too much to do here, too many things to sample: on my first night, I cross the square – past tourists loitering outside the Grand Casino in the hope of catching sight of a celebrity or two – to the Hôtel de Paris. Here I enter a hallowed space: Louis XV, Alain Ducasse’s famous three-star Michelin restaurant. It’s enough to just sit here, absorbing the atmosphere of this newly-refurbished institution: the aura evoked by the creamy-lemon colour palette, the silken string curtains strung from the windows, the simple dome lights that anchor each of the restaurant’s round tables.

The meal is a piece of theatre, conducted from a structure set in the centre of the restaurant and named The Office. As the evening progresses, The Office opens and closes like a stage-set to reveal the bread service, cheeses, an oil selection, liqueurs, chocolates and coffee. Waiters present our table’s six-course degustation in a carefullytimed ballet, revealing as they go such delights as: papyrus-thin bread painted with pictures of vegetables; morsels of raw fish set upon pebbles in a glassand-brass cloche and steamed before our very eyes; and tea made from bouquets of fresh herbs wheeled past our table on a trolley.

It’s hard to digest – in the emotional sense – a dinner as memorable, and as brilliantly executed as this. But in Monaco, one must quickly make space for the next exceptional experience. For me it’s reclining on a waterbed at the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo Luxury Spa, and being thoroughly encased in an algae wrap. As I settle back on the heat-and-light-infused bed, contemplating the warm, fishy tang that’s settled upon my skin, I wonder absentmindedly about the people I spied, through the porthole window, dancing on the rooftop of the Yacht Club de Monaco next door.

Clockwise from top left: balcony view from the Suite Carré d'Or at Hôtel Metropole MonteCarlo; casino interiors; Alain Ducasse's Le Louis XV restaurant at l'Hôtel de Paris; sun deck at the Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo; a casino-view room.

“Waiters present our table’s sixcourse degustation in a carefullytimed ballet, revealing as they go such delights as: papyrus-thin bread painted with pictures of vegetables; morsels of raw fish set upon pebbles in a glass-and-brass cloche and steamed before our very eyes”

Though the club is open to private members only, I’m able to admire its patrons’ sleek yachts moored in Port Hercule a short while later as I sip champagne at the Wine Palace MonteCarlo. If it weren’t for the club’s Norman Foster-designed expansion in 2014, I wouldn’t be sitting out here: the development reclaimed a strip of land and opened a whole new street for the tiny principality; today it’s filled with wine bars, restaurants and local youngsters whizzing past on roller blades and skateboards.

There’s shopping to be done later in Le Métropole Shopping Centre, conveniently located adjacent to my hotel. But that evening I return to the

Hôtel Metropole and take my seat at the chef’s table at the warm, unprepossessing Joel Robuchon Monte-Carlo.

Veuve Clicquot flows ceaselessly. The kitchen pulsates with activity beneath the watchful eye of chef Christophe Cussac. The menu is fresh, simple, modern: purple artichoke with fresh squid and a touch of chorizo; quail stuffed with foie gras; a cart offering an impossible selection of desserts.

It’s a short walk through the magnificent salon and conciergerie to the lift that will take me to my suite. The fashion model draped across the mirror is long gone, the cameras packed away. But the luxury still caresses me like a warm and familiar shawl.

“Veuve Clicquot flows ceaselessly.

The kitchen pulsates with activity ... the menu is fresh, simple, modern”

Clockwise from top: Salon Touzet at Monte-Carlo SBM; Gamberoni; Homard bleu, myrte et gingembre served at Alain Ducasse's Le Louis XV; délicate gelée, caviar served at Le Louis XV; relax by the pool at Hôtel Metropole MonteCarlo; serving up fine cuisine at Le Louis XV.

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN MONACO

OCEANOGRAPHY MUSEUM

Discover the surprising role that Monaco’s successive princes have played in preserving the world’s oceans at the Oceanographic Museum, founded in 1910 by Prince Albert I. Today it contains an aquarium, shark lagoon and thoughtprovoking exhibitions on local and foreign aquatic creatures.

GRAND CASINO

Learn about all the colourful characters –gamblers, courtesans, aristocrats – who inhabited the Grand Casino during its Belle Époque days via a private tour with Fatou Froissart’s local tour company Fair and Fairy. fairandfairy.com/en

MONTE-CARLO BEACH CLUB

Rent a cabin or a tent at the exclusive Monte-Carlo Beach Club. Order from Les Cabanas restaurant and have lunch delivered right to your tent. monte-carlo-beach.com

PALACE TOUR

Watch the changing of the guards, then take a tour of the ‘Pink Palace’ with its state apartments, Italian Gallery, main courtyard – recognisable from those royal weddings – and the surprisingly intimate throne room.

MICHELIN STARS

Book a table at one of Monaco’s six – yes six – starred restaurants. Apart from Alain Decasse’s Louis XV and Joel Robuchon Monte-Carlo, there are the Yoshi by Joel Robuchon at the Hotel Metropole, The Vistamar at Hotel Hermitage, Le Blue Bay at the Monte-Carlo Bay and Elsa at Monte-Carlo Beach.

l STAY HERE

The Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo’s junior suite experience starts from €980 (about A$1,432) per night for two people in a deluxe junior suite, including breakfast daily and return helicopter transfers from Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport. A minimum stay applies. metropole.com/en/home

l GET THERE

Emirates flies to Nice from Sydney via Dubai. emirates.com/au. Monacair offers door-todoor helicopter transfers between Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport and Monaco starting at €160 (about A$234) per person, one way. monacair.mc/en

See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

PIERRE MONETTA

PIERRE MONETTA

PIERRE MONETTA

HOTEL METROPOLE MONTE-CARLO

INCA GOLD

The van stops and starts as we weave our way along the windy road from Cuzco to the Sacred Valley. It’s a bumpy journey, and although I do my best to stay awake and watch the locals go about their business, eventually the movement lulls me to sleep. When I open my eyes, I’m met with one of the best views I’ve ever witnessed: a patchwork of lush greens and soft browns glisten in the afternoon sun. “That’s Valle Sagrado,” our driver declares. “That’s where we are heading.”

The Sacred Valley (also known as Urubamba Valley) is a striking expanse of quaint villages, ancient ruins and verdant countryside spread across a broad plain at the foot of the Peruvian Andes. Many travellers whizz through the region, focusing on spending most of their time in Cuzco and Machu Picchu; but the picturesque valley is definitely an attraction in its own right.

Dramatic landscapes make for some of the most scenic trekking opportunities in Peru; friendly Quechua communities offer a glimpse into a life not yet ruled by selfies and hashtags; and that’s not to mention loads of well-preserved Inca archeological sites well worth dedicating plenty of time to. There’s a lot more to this area than just Machu Picchu! Which is why I’m here for three days and three nights staying at the brand new explora Valle Sagrado.

An explora is not just a hotel; it’s an exploration company with a number of plush properties in remote locations. The concept is that guests come to submerge themselves in the natural surrounds and the properties serve as comfortable bases; explora Valle Sagrado is the first opening outside Chile.

The focus points at every explora are the “expeditions” – and here there are 20 on offer (half-day and full-day options), spanning everything from hiking and biking to visiting Machu Picchu (by train and bus). The concept encourages flexibility of choice and there’s no need to pre-book activities – guides sit down with guests each night to go through the choices for the next day.

Although explora offers a Machu Picchu excursion (which includes the train, bus and

Tatyana Leonov DISCOVERS THE WONDERS OF PERU’S SACRED VALLEY FROM THE IDEAL BASE AT THE LUXURIOUS NEW EXPLORA VALLE SAGRADO.

guide), I opt to take the legendary (and a little more extravagant) Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu instead – for a dose of supreme luxury. Named after the American academic and explorer who rediscovered the Inca marvel, the train can carry up to 84 passengers in true elegance.

I’m greeted with a flute of champagne as I step into an elegantly-appointed 1920s Pullman-style carriage and then enjoy a lavish theecourse meal (white tablecloths, leather menus, silver cutlery and all the fancy trimmings) while marvelling at the Andes as the train knits its way along the narrow track. Before I know it we’ve arrived at Aguas Calientes, the access point to Machu Picchu (you can hike up or take a bus), where we meet Luciano, our guide for the day.

Luciano sure knows his way around this phenomenon and is clearly thrilled to share his insight with us. He chaperons us around the historical sight, offering plenty of information

Left: a local woman leads a carrier donkey; below: exploring ancient structures in Peru's Sacred Valley.

about the Incas as we clamber up and down the mammoth stone stairs. The Incas were physically small people (when their skeletal remains were discovered it was initially thought they were a predominantly female population because of the size of their frames), but even I find the chunky stone stairs somewhat challenging to navigate.

Luciano points out stunning temples and colossal stone gates, typical Inca three-walled constructions (called wayrana) and niftily-assembled doors. And although the site feels immense, Luciano explains that we can essentially only see around 30 per cent, with the rest of this ancient empire veiled in dense foliage.

We hypothesise as we roam around, dissecting various historical theories about this forward-thinking civilization. Which structure was the guard’s house? Why did the Incas build so many cavities within the walls? Was the Intihuatana stone (a distinctive sculpted granite rock) a

solar clock or calendar? One thing is for sure: the Incas were indisputably well ahead of their time.

The next day I join an explora hike to Salinas de Maras (the salt pans of Maras) – another example of the Incas' progressive and sophisticated thinking. The Sacred Valley has many Inca archeological treasures (including the citadels of Pisac and Ollantaytambo), but the salt pans are considered one of the most striking attractions.

We drive to the town of Maras to begin our hike, first strolling through the charming village to acquaint ourselves with the locals. Although the Incas originally built the salt washing and extracting pans, the residents of Maras continue the work today and the salt manufactured here is legendary across Peru for its superior quality.

Before we get to the salt pools however, we hike past Moray, yet another testament to the brilliance of the Incas. The terraced platforms are set in a spherical formation in a large bowl-

“Why did the Incas build so many cavities within the walls?

Was the Intihuatana stone … a solar clock or calendar? One thing is for sure: the Incas were indisputably well ahead of their time”

KARA ROSENLUND

like depression, covered in abundant grassland typical of the fertile Sacred Valley.

Abel, our explora guide, explains there are various theories about why the Incas created this mammoth cropping area, but one of the common beliefs is that the terraces were designed in this layer-like formation so the Incas could cultivate an assortment of crops at varying temperatures. As we loop our way down towards the salt pools, I’m able to appreciate the view from various angles and grasp the sheer scale of the venture.

When we do get to the salt pans, my wonder for the Incas once again emerges. Twinkling in the dappled sunlight, the white and ivory salt pools stand out against the backdrop of jagged emerald peaks. We linger here longer than anticipated, admiring the pastel pink and auburn hues that dusk brings.

By the time we get back to explora Valle Sagrado, it’s pitch black and the bar is buzzing; so I join the fun, order a pisco sour and sink into a sofa next to another smiling face as we share the tales of our day’s adventures.

Casting an eye over tonight’s menu, alpaca (a local favourite) is one of the options; I decide I’ll order the slow-roasted alpaca shoulder and a Peruvian Malbec –

I’m all about sampling the local produce. As my thoughts drift to my last day, a guide materialises beside us to discuss tomorrow’s exploration options: There’s a 33-kilometre biking escapade that traverses the valley on the south side of the Rio Urubamba – a scenic pedal passing cornfields, farmland and ancient manor houses. There’s a van adventure that takes in Qoricocha lagoon, Valle De La Papa and includes a stop at a textile-manufacturing workshop. There are plenty of hikes on offer too.

There’s only one way to decide. I order another pisco sour and contemplate the options. If only I had more time…

See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

l RECOMMENDED READING

TURN RIGHT AT MACHU PICCHU

by Mark Adams

l STAY HERE

Opened 1 July 2016, explora Valle Sagrado comprises 50 sustainablydesigned rooms featuring valley, cornfield or mountain views, as well as large common areas (bar, dining space and lounge room) for travellers to mingle pre- and post-adventures. The focus is on luxury of the essentials, with days spent outdoors and evenings spent planning the next day’s explorations over exceptional food and wine. The rooms are tastefully appointed, with large comfortable beds, rain showers and spa baths. However, if you’re after room service and a TV this sanctuary is not for you.

The hotel was constructed in partnership with the Peruvian Institute of Archeology and throughout the process Inca terraces and ancient walls were unearthed and restored. The Pumacahua Bath House (the hotel spa) is one of the property’s most notable historical features. Due for completion in October, it’s housed in an ancient colonial house that has been designated as a Cultural Heritage site.

Guests are advised to book three, four or five-night stays; with accommodation, transportation, meals, alcohol and explorations all included. A standard double rate for a three-night stay is US$2,376 (about A$3,147) in high season (1 July to 31 October) and US$2,160 (about A$2,861) mid-season (1 November to April 30). explora.com

l GET THERE

LATAM Airlines is the leading carrier to and from South America, with the largest network and unparalleled connectivity throughout the region. LATAM Airlines operates seven onestop flights each week from Sydney to Santiago, the capital of Chile, with onward connections to Cuzco, the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

LATAM also offers non-stop flights between Sydney and Santiago four times per week in codeshare partnership with oneworld partner airlines. Call 1800 126 038 or visit latam.com

Mark Adams became interested in the story of Hiram Bingham after it was discovered that Bingham wasn’t actually the first to discover Machu Picchu. He then decides to follow in Bingham’s footsteps and follow his original trail. Essentially a travelogue that explores Adam’s’ journey, with reference to Bingham and is reflective about the learning and the experience. tripfiction.com/books/turn-right-at-machu-picchu

Above, L-R: the striking Machu Picchu; endless salt pools.

KARA ROSENLUND

KARA ROSENLUND

Hosted Small Group Journeys with a Difference

For over half a century, Abercrombie & Kent has been a pioneer in the world of luxury travel. Using the expertise of over 52 offices and 2,200 staff worldwide, we’re pleased to announce our new portfolio of Hosted Small Group Journeys. This series of small group journeys is creatively designed with educational elements that broaden the mind and foster an in-depth knowledge of the destinations, their people, wildlife and culture. Group sizes are from 14 - 24, with your tour hosts entertaining and charismatic travelling companions.

Following a successful 2016 tour, Claire Scobie returns to host this exciting literary journey, with two days at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

13 Days | From $12,695 per person twin share

Experience the breathtaking landscapes of Puglia and Amalfi on foot whilst sampling bountiful cuisine along the way.

11 Days | From $10,995 per person twin share

Combine the highlights of northern Chile with the extraordinary Bolivian salt flats and high altitude wonders of Lake Titicaca and Cusco.

17 Days | From $16,395 per person twin share

Immerse yourself in the culture of Japan visiting stunning gardens as well as samurai villas, mountain villages and the Takayama Festival.

15 Days | From $16,695 per person twin share

Plot a course through Iran’s unique heritage discovering a vast and fascinating country with a 5,000 year old history.

16 Days | From $11,350 per person twin share

Discover why Colombia is Latin America’s best kept secret when you explore this fascinating country in the company of Bogotá expat, Richard McColl.

11 Days | From $8,295 per person twin share

Your Luxury Guide To...

AUTHOR OF THE GUIDEBOOK PARIS PRECINCTS, Donna Wheeler INVITES YOU TO WANDER THROUGH THE ARRONDISSEMENTS* OF THIS CHIC CITY TO FIND THE BEST SHOPPING, DRINKING AND DINING HAUNTS. HERE WE’VE COMPILED SOME SELECT EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK WITH A FEW ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR THE LUXURY TRAVELLER.

Shop.

l BEST FOR FASHIONISTAS MONTAIGNE MARKET

57 avenue Montaigne, 8e 01 42 56 58 58 montaignemarket.com

Open Mon–Sat 10.30am–7pm Metro: Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau, Franklin D.Roosevelt

Despite having clients that include one-name models (Kendall, Gigi) and conjoined-name celebs (KimYe, aka Kim Kardashian and Kanye West), there’s no need to fear the shop assistant snarl at Liliane Jossua’s multibrand fashion shop: it has some of the most welcoming staff in luxuryland. Two floors house more than 100 clothing, accessory and jewellery labels, making for a heady shopping experience indeed. That’s some good breadth, but there’s also a good amount of curatorial nous on display (note Jossua’s penchant for

black, more black and white). Coo over Azzedine Alaïa leather and Lanvin lace, and don’t miss trying on the Leetha cashmere pieces and Reiss tees.

hippy silver, while drawers secret a cache of 18th- and 19th-century pieces, rare Scandinavian work and exquisite items by cult Parisian designers Claude Lalanne and ‘the poet of metals’ Line Vautrin.

l BEST FOR VINTAGE FINDS ATELIER

FLORENCE LOPEZ

18 rue du Dragon 06 60 44 33 75

florencelopez.com

Open by appointment

Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Saint-Sulpice

l BEST FOR FAMILY-FRIENDLY

FINDS BONTON

5 boulevard des Filles du Calvaire 01 42 72 34 69 bonton.fr

Open Mon–Sat 10am–7pm Metro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart

Irène Cohen, from the visionary retail family behind Merci and children’s label Bonpoint, wanted to create a family destination rather than just a shop. Indeed, Bonton, her rambling three-floor emporium, feels like a celebration of childhood itself. Shelves and baskets brim with beautiful toys, party things, kids’ bracelets and necklaces, jewel-coloured bed linen and little people’s cookware. There’s even a photo booth and children’s hairdresser. Then there’s the relaxed

playful clothes, from newborn to size 12, which come in rich, earthy toned cotton, linen and wool – they are so wearable and so delightful that parents have been known to shed a tear when their littlest finally outgrows the range.

l BEST FOR BAUBLES AND TRINKETS

QUIDAM DE REVEL

26 rue de Poitou

01 42 71 37 07

Open Tues–Sat 2–7.30pm

Metro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart

Antiquarian Philippe Harros and his art historian partner Emmanuelle Chesnel have been a source of byappointment-only beautiful vintage clothing for costume designers, stylists, fashion houses and canny Parisians over in the 10e for almost two decades. This glittering little shop houses their couture jewellery collection. Most of the pieces are from iconic design houses – Lanvin, Schiaperelli, Yves Saint Laurent –and are museum-quality. Bold, gold ‘80s chokers face off with ‘60s haut-

While there’s a great amount of pleasure to be had stumbling around French brocante markets hoping for a pulse-quickening find, a far more, well, Parisian way to source antique and vintage pieces is to engage an expert. Antiquarian and interior designer Florence Lopez has one of the most sought after eyes in the business, and the who’s who of haute-bourgeoisie and cool-kid clients (just between you and me, these might include actor and musician Charlotte Gainsbourg and one of the Daft Punk duo). Her studio, where she presents her seasonal collections, is an airy 1920s atelier daubed in her signature hues of deep green, blue and grey. If you’re in the market for extraordinary 20th-century pieces, from vases, mirrors, sculptures and prints to sofas and sideboards, visits are by appointment.

l BEST FOR BOOKWORMS

SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY

37 rue de la Bûcherie 01 43 25 40 93

shakespeareandcompany.com

Open Mon–Sun 10am–11pm

Metro: Saint-Michel, ClunyLa Sorbonne

George Whitman, Paris’ great expat literary patron and friend to writers like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, bequeathed his Left Bank English-language bookshop to daughter Sylvia after his death in 2011. Apart from some gentle modernisation, it remains the rich, rambling, bohemian hub that’s nurtured, nourished and often housed writers and readers since the Beat era. Mythological back story aside, there are books to be browsed and bought here. The thoughtfully curated section on Paris – including history, food, politics and city life – should be your first stop, followed by the endless shelves of fiction where you’ll find every novel you’ve ever wanted to read. Don’t miss the antiquarian collection next door too; with its first editions by the likes of D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce, as well as more affordable treasures. It’s a bibliophile’s delight.

l BEST FOR DINNER AND A DRINK

BACHAUMONT AND NIGHT FLIGHT

18 rue Bachaumont

01 81 66 47 50 (restaurant), 01 48 58 56 23 (bar) hotelbachaumont.com

Open Mon–Sun 12–3pm & 7–11pm (restaurant); Mon–Sun 5pm–2am (bar)

Metro: Sentier, Étienne Marcel

l BEST FOR

SUMPTUOUS SCENTS LES SALONS DU PALAIS ROYAL SERGE LUTENS

142 Galerie de Valois, Palais Royal

01 49 27 09 09 sergelutens.com

Open Mon–Sat 10am–7pm

Metro: Bourse, Pyramides

Serge Lutens, one of France’s most original perfumers, came to scent after careers as a designer, stylist, photographer, filmmaker and consultant to the likes of Christian Dior and Shiseido. Established in 1992, this salon was one fo the first new shops in the Palais Royal. Its décor, a glowing violet and black cocoon of friezes, panelling and infinity mirrors, is a wonderful way to encounter

Lutens’ unconventional, complex and story-filled perfumes, like the classic, unisex Gris Clair – a medicinal lavender fragrance warmed by amber and tonka bean and deepened with smoky incense. Keep an eye out for limited editions that are released yearly, only available at the salon – snap one up and, for added luxury, have your initials etched onto the bottle.

Eat.

l BEST FOR THE FAMISHED

SATURNE

17 rue Notre-Dame des Victoires

01 42 60 31 90

saturne-paris.fr

Open Mon–Fri 12–2.30pm & 8–10.30pm

Metro: Bourse, Sentier

There’s obviously a thrill in the chase for 20-somethings Sven Chartier and Ewen Lemoigne, Saturne’s chef and sommelier respectively. Their daily menus and natural wine lists highlight rare and often highly unusual ingredients – ancient vegetables and herbs, rare breeds of beef or lamb, foraged seafood – and many cult producers. Set menus and well-chosen wines by the glass relieve what-to-choose stress, and the Scandinavian simplicity of the glass-roofed space is also soothing, the restraint enlivened by a few subtly idiosyncratic Parisian touches like the Serge Mouille wall lights. Despite the quest for novelty and on-trend kitchen techniques, dishes have a straightforward rusticity and set new heights for the term ‘produce driven’.

* Throughout this story, Paris' arrondissements (administrative districts) are styled, for example, as 8e (eighth arrondissement).

The booming but hotel-starved 2e has finally got a destination hotel in the Bachaumont. With its restaurant and Night Flight bar care of Experimental Group … it’s definitely not just a place to stay. Highly regarded interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon has a penchant for pattern: her plum-toned marble-printed textiles pop against the sober navy and grey of the restaurant’s classical interior. Joyfully light-filled by day and candlelit by night, come here for brasserie favourites like slowcooked lamb or prime rib with purée (mashed potato). Night Flight is a wood and velvet mood piece with the Experimental cocktail kings working their magic, and DJs and live sets creating the mood.

PARIS PRECINCTS

By Donna Wheeler

Published by Hardie Grant Publishing. RRP: $39.95

www.exploreaustralia.net.au/ bookshop

SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY

MONTAIGNE MARKET

ATELIER FLORENCE LOPEZ

Stay, see & relax.

l BEST FOR ACCOMMODATION WITH A TWIST HÔTEL PARTICULIER MONTMARTRE

23 avenue Junot, Pavillon D 01 53 41 81 40

hotel-particulier-montmartre.com

Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt

Montmartre might not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking luxury Paris bolthole. Still, we think it’s worth the wander up the butte to the secluded idyll of Hotel Particulier Montmartre. Crisscrossed by network of vertiginous cobbled streets, secret staircases and big, wide views, there’s a fairy tale quality to this little corner of the 18e and checking in indeed feels like embarking on a mythical quest, your goal guarded by gates, passages and Montmartre’s mysterious rocher de la sorciére – the witch’s rock. Set in a stunning Directoire mansion with just five suites spread across three floors, you’re also surrounded by the largest –and lushest – hotel garden in the city. Each suite is gently, wittily themed and makes the most of their generous scale and lovely bones with opulent classical decoration and noteworthy contemporary

pieces. Staff, under the fabulous GM Oscar Comtet (who can sometimes be seen pruning the bushes in the garden, other times joining local 30-somethings for a cocktail in the hotel’s oh so sexy, plant-fringed cocktail bar Le Très Particulier), are warm, no-nonsense and ever attentive.

l BEST FOR DESIGN INSPIRATION

GALERIE PATRICK SEGUIN

5 rue des Taillandiers 11e +33 (0) 1 47 00 32 35 patrickseguin.com

Mon-Sat 10am-7pm

Ask any stylish Parisian their go-to for extraordinary design pieces and they’ll nod in unison: Patrick Seguin. Hidden behind a ramshackle façade just off the 11e’s busy rue Charonne, France’s most passionate champion of 20th-century design exhibits and sells stunning collections of five masters: Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Jean Royère. The 300-metres-squared space itself is a fabulous example of another French great, the Pritzker Prize-winning Jean

Nouvel, whose contemporary objects and furniture are also Seguin constants. While you’ll need to be seriously committed to take anything on display here home – these are museum quality pieces with matching price tags – it’s at least an exhilarating ride considering it. There’s a calendar of exhibitions, sometimes contemporary art along side a particular designer, or something from Seguin’s precious Prouve archive. An inhouse editorial line features beautiful monographs, most recently, boxed sets dedicated to Prouvé’s demountable architecture.

l BEST FOR REJUVENATION LE SPA DE LA REINE

Le Pavillon de la Reine 28 Place des Vosges, 3e 01 49 20 19 19 pavillondelareine.com

Paris’ palais hotels are known for their miles-of-marble spas, but this gem is a little more discrete. In the basement of Le Pavillon de la Reine, Marais’ loveliest hotel and a long time favourite with super models and fashion photographers, you’ll find a simple series of hushed treatment rooms along with a fitness room, hot tub and bijou hammam. What the spa menu lacks in gimmicks and glam, it makes up for in French precision: Carita is the country’s leading anti-aging range with facials and body treatments targeting sagging, dull skin and dehydration with the latest actives and techniques (all those super models can’t be wrong). It’s also a lovely spot for a travel emergency manicure, pedicure, wax, with touchups to full treatments offered, along with blow-drys and cuts. Retire for tea or a round of Champagne in the hotel’s moody library in winter or out in the pretty sandstone courtyard when it’s warm. You may be a few steps from the Marais frenzy, but here you are totally at peace.

CITY GUIDE PARIS

Paradise

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ICE & ISOLATION

Kerry van der Jagt HEADS TO THE LAND OF POLAR BEARS ON AN EXPEDITION CRUISE OF ARCTIC SVALBARD, THE NORWEGIAN ARCHIPELAGO BETWEEN MAINLAND NORWAY AND THE NORTH POLE.

It is past midnight, yet the sun is still hanging high above the horizon, its rays illuminating every strand of hair on the polar bear below us. As we lean over the bow the huge male raises his head, sniffing the array of scents coming from our expedition ship National Geographic Explorer.

I’m in Arctic Svalbard, one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas and one of the best places on the planet to see polar bears – on ice, in their natural habitat. For more than hour we watch the King of the Arctic as he saunters about – leaping across ice floes, rolling like a labrador, standing on his hind legs and staring quizzically up at us. After only two days at sea, as part of Lindblad Expeditions' 10-day ‘Land of the Ice Bears’ itinerary, I’m rewarded with a wildlife experience that surpasses anything I’ve seen before.

LONGYEARBYEN

From Norway’s capital city Oslo, a three-hour charter flight brings me to Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of Svalbard. Known as the world’s northernmost city, this frontier town is surrounded by two magnificent glaciers, snow-capped mountains and timber houses painted in colours that mimic the summer tundra.

It is June and the start of summer, when 148 passengers and an expedition team of National Geographic photographers, naturalists and ice experts board the

National Geographic Explorer for a seven-night expedition cruise Since 2004, Lindblad Expeditions has partnered with National Geographic, an alliance that is a bonus for the environment and passengers.

Finding luxury on an expedition ship is also a bonus. My elegant cabin boasts a queen-size bed, two large windows, spacious bathroom, desk, flat-panel TV and plenty of storage space. Thirteen of Explorer’s cabins feature private balconies with large sliding glass doors; several offer living room-style areas. Staff are warm and attentive, happily taking care of every wish, while a spa and fitness centre take care of the body and a well-stocked Global Gallery (part shop, part gallery) takes care of retail therapy requirements.

But for me the greatest luxury is travelling with highly-trained naturalist guides, each experts in their own fields; improving my photography skills alongside National Geographic photographers; and spending time in the bridge (which is always open), chatting to the captain about receding glaciers, changing sea ice and the latest national soccer results.

SPITSBERGEN

On our first day we explore Krossfjorden, skimming over sea ice in zodiacs before going ashore at Stephan’s Garden. I join the fast walkers (slow and medium hikes are also offered) with naturalist guide

THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER SURROUNDED BY PACK ICE.

From top: housekeeping tending to the upper deck cabin that features a balcony with a view; polar bear playtime, Svalbard Arctic Norway.

Doug Gualtier. Like all of the naturalists, Doug has a university degree (and a Masters in conservation biology) and loves nothing more than sharing his knowledge with guests – pointing out anything from clumps of 200-year-old mosses to pods of beluga whales.

As if white beluga whales aren’t enough, the delights continue as we push further north – kayaking through a slushy of ice, marvelling at icebergs, riding in zodiacs alongside cliffs engulfed by a blizzard of birds. We see walruses swimming – their twin tusks looking like giant toothpicks – watch arctic foxes slinking across the tundra and listen to ‘white thunder’, the sound glaciers make as they calve and topple into the sea.

Meals are a highlight, with menus designed in collaboration with chef Serge Dansereau, owner of Sydney’s ever-popular The Bathers’ Pavilion at Balmoral Beach. While lunches include casual buffets, light meals in the library or impromptu barbecues on the back deck, dinners are more elaborate. The à la carte menus range from baked fillet of Arctic charr to seared duck breast, pan-seared king salmon to grilled lamb racks. Afternoon tea is served daily at 4:00pm and the evening talks kick off with cocktails and canapés in the spacious lounge.

Even though there’s no set itinerary – cruising on the whim of the ice and weather – the daily operations are

seamless. Each evening we are given an outline of what might unfold the following day, while updates are posted on the in-room television or broadcast throughout the ship.

THE FAR NORTH

It’s 9:30pm and I’m just finishing dinner when I hear the update I’ve been waiting for: “We have a bear, make your way to the bow. Quietly”. Pulling on my boots and beanie I dash outside, where I spot my first polar bear ambling towards us across the ice floes. “They might be ferocious predators, but they are as inquisitive as children,” whispers Doug.

After watching the bear for an hour, Captain Kruess pushes on through the ice, eventually taking us beyond 81°. Over the course of the week, the tally on the whiteboard grows to eight polar bears, including a huge male with a fresh kill, a female swimming and a mother bear playing on the ice with her cub.

During it all, our knowledge of sea ice and climate change grows. A talk by polar ecologist Andrew Clarke teaches us about the domino effect of increased temperatures – when spring melt is hastened and winter freeze delayed, bears remained land-locked (and hungry) for longer during the summer months.

WESTERN EDGEØYA ISLAND

To complete our circumnavigation of Svalbard, the last two days are spent cruising alongside the Austfonna iceshelf, hiking through a narrow canyon at Diskobukta, watching walruses at Kapp Lee and taking to kayaks and zodiacs in Hornsund fjord. On our return leg to Longyearbyen, we are followed by a platoon of humpback whales.

Standing on the deck, I realise it doesn’t matter how many National Geographic documentaries I’ve watched, nothing beats seeing this fragile environment for myself. In the end we only protect what we love, and we only love what we understand.

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

A Luxury Travel magazine itinerary

LAND OF THE ICE BEARS AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF ARCTIC SVALBARD WITH LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS

THE ITINERARY

Days 1-2

Oslo

A combination of free time, included tours to the Vigeland Sculpture Park and Fram Polar Museum, and a welcome cocktail party. On day two depart Oslo on a charter flight to Longyearbyen and embark on the National Geographic Explorer

Stay: Thon Hotel Bristol

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Day 2

Days 3-8

Arctic Svalbard/ Lindblad Expeditions cruise

This is a true expedition, with daily spontaneity and flexibility depending on ice and weather conditions. Each day the captain and expedition leader decides on the cruising route amid Svalbard’s many islands, but it can be altered at any moment. The main focus is the search for wildlife – polar bear, reindeer, walrus, seals, Arctic fox, whales and birdlife

– while cruising the calm fjords and enjoying the icebergs, wildflowers and glacial geology. Stay: on board the National Geographic Explorer

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 9-10

Oslo

Disembark and explore Longyearbyen before flying back to Oslo. Stay: Radisson Blu Airport Hotel Oslo Meals included: Breakfast and lunch on Day 9, breakfast on Day 10

When to go

Travel dates are during the Arctic summer (May and June).

Cost

The 10-day Land of the Ice Bears itinerary costs from A$12,780 per person to A$23,610 per person.

Rates for the 16-day Norway’s Fjords and Arctic Svalbard itinerary cost from A$20,710 per person to A$37,880 per person (all prices exclude international flights).

For a detailed version of the Luxury Travel magazine / Lindblad Expeditions 'Land of the Ice bears' itinerary, visit luxurytravelmag.com.au/itineraries or call Lindblad Expeditions on 1300 361 012

CARGO COMFORTS

SHARING A CRUISE SHIP WITH POLYNESIA-BOUND FREIGHT DOES NOT MEAN SACRIFICING THE USUAL LINER LUXURIES, DISCOVERS Jimmy Thomson

There’s a first time for everything, especially on the maiden voyage of a new ship. For me, a journey on the Aranui 5 was the first time I had been on a cargo cruiser, a vessel delivering freight as well as carrying tourists.

It was also the first time I had ever heard anyone complain that a cruise ship was too luxurious. But suggesting that a level of discomfort is to be expected on a cargo ship, even a hybrid like the Aranui 5, ignores the expectations of modern travellers.

Rather than the hammocks and bunk beds you might expect on a cargo ship, the Aranui 5 has staterooms and suites with lounges and balconies that would not be out of place on the largest of ocean liners.

With 80 per cent of its income coming from the 240 passengers, the Aranui 5 is a cruise ship that takes freight rather than a freighter that takes passengers. Most importantly, she provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the remote Marquesas Islands between Tahiti and Peru.

Top, from left: approaching Tahuata, the smallest of the inhabited Marquesas Islands; the spacious Premium Suite on board.

Middle, from left: lime green chairs bring vibrancy to the lounge; all meals on board are served in the main restaurant; experiencing the culture of Ua Pou.

Bottom: Polynesian night on the Aranui 5.

DANEE HAZAMA

DANEE

JIMMY THOMSON

DANEE HAZAMA

DANEE HAZAMA

And yes, it is luxurious. While the ship was purpose-built in China, the classy timber-lined cabins were designed and constructed in Italy.

There was no over-eating on this cruise. Meals were simple, three-course affairs, often with a sample of local produce and dishes. The poisson cru (raw fish) cured in lime juice and coconut milk is worth the journey in itself.

Everyone received the same meal (except for those with special dietary requirements) and the food was unfussy, with portions adequate rather than over-generous. However, freshly baked baguettes and copious amounts of French wine filled any gaps.

There are two main bars. The more formal Skybar, just below the bridge, overlooks the holds and cranes on the foredeck. Nothing enhances a holiday quite like watching other people working.

The service was efficient, friendly and pleasantly informal, which suited most of the passengers who were predominantly middle-aged but ranged from 20-somethings to one couple in their 90s.

Although the focus of the cruise is the islands, not the ship, there is plenty to do on board, including talks on the history of the Marquesan people as well as dance and ukulele classes. These culminated in a Polynesian night, with a massive banquet of local food after which the passengers joined the crew to show off their newly acquired moves.

Once in the Marquesas, we were at a different port every morning, often disembarking on to a substantial dock, other times being ferried ashore by sturdy tenders with large, muscular, tattooed men helping the unsteady on and off.

Each of the six inhabited islands held its charms and occasional challenges. On Fatu Hiva there were demonstrations of traditional crafts followed by a 17-kilometre hike up the side of a volcano. Elsewhere there was horse riding, and 4WD explorations to remote ma’ae (temples). In the pristine waters there was scuba diving, snorkelling and game fishing.

There were culture shows, of course. The plaintive welcome song that greeted us will remain in our memories, I’m sure, and there’s a cheeky sexuality about Marquesan dance.

On a more pragmatic front, to arrive on shore at the same time as crates of goods and produce, and see the locals descend, is to appreciate the significant role the Aranui 5 plays in the community.

On the way back to Tahiti, after 10 days of island hopping, we dropped anchor at Rangiroa, the largest coral atoll in the Pacific. Some passengers were bussed to the Tahitian black pearl farm while scuba divers went off to encounter sharks.

Our final day at Bora Bora – the coral island probably best known for the over-water bangalow hotels on the fringes of its lagoon – offered a multitude of activities, from snorkelling and feeding stingrays, to a road trip around the island.

On the last night, as the Aranui 5 loped homewards to Papeete and the crew sang and danced the miles away, I realised luxury means different things to different people.

For this traveller, being a small part of the lifeline delivery of goods and chattels held a magic all of its own, and I had no complaints.

THE CRUISE

The Aranui 5 departs Papeete, Tahiti, every three weeks for its 14-day cruise. Various packages, including airfares and overnight accommodation in Tahiti, are available. Rates start at about $9,000 per person twin share in a stateroom (no balcony) to just under $14,000 per person for the Presidential Suite. aranui.com

See more on this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

JIMMY THOMSON

French Polynesia

EMBARK ON A VOYAGE TO THE MOST REMOTE ISLANDS IN THE WORLD, THE MARQUESAS ARCHIPELAGO, ONBOARD THE NEW PASSENGER FREIGHTER, ARANUI 5.

Follow the paths of Paul Gauguin, Robert Louis Stevenson, Thor Heyerdahl and Jacques Brel on a 14-day cruise as it links the remote Marquesas and Tuamotus with Tahiti and provides one of thefew remaining authentic cargo ship experiences.

Aranui 5 offers a window into the lives of local villages as it delivers essential goods during the 3,800 km journey from Papeete. This adventure will leave you with an indelible imprint of French Polynesia’s allure.

Highlights:

14 day cruise with all meals (French and Polynesian), onshore picnics and BBQs

Cruise to nine islands with 17 ports of call

Maximum 254 passengers

All exterior cabins, over half with balconies

Guided excursions to archeological and cultural sites, ancient tikis, local villages and historic churches

Local multi-lingual tour guides (English, French and German)

Visit Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel museums (entrance fee additional)

4WD sightseeing tour and hikes

Meet local artisans; visit handicraft studios and a working pearl farm

Traditional dance performances

MODERN HULLS PROVIDE SPECIAL ANCHORAGE

Luxury French cruise company PONANT will release four new expedition ships in 2018 and 2019 – specifically designed with a smaller hull to access parts of the globe where large-sized fleets cannot anchor. The vessels will have just 92 oceanview staterooms and suites, each with a private balcony, and each will carry a maximum of 184 guests attended by 110 crew members. Guests can explore life beneath the surface via an underwater observation lounge, or by donning some of the on board scuba gear. The first ship to be deployed in 2018 will go directly to the Kimberley region of WA and remain in Australasia and Southeast Asia. The other three ships will cover the Arctic and Antarctic, the Caribbean, Northern Europe, archipelagos of the Pacific, as well as South America, Asia and South Africa. ponant.com

QM2 REFURBISHMENT 50 NEW CABINS & A WINE ACADEMY

Long-time Luxury Travel magazine Gold List favourite, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 (QM2), has had a refurbishment, taking inspiration from the original Queen Mary launched in 1934. Features include revamped Queen and Princess suites and Grill restaurants, a refurbished Grand Lobby, a transformed Kings Court Buffet and a complete repaint of the ship’s exterior. A new specialty restaurant has been added, along with 50 new cabins.

Passengers can also take advantage of the Cunard Wine Academy, which hosts master classes and tastings. A cellar of 450 fine wines includes the California Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon (US$4,500 per bottle) served by the glass for the first time. During the 25-day dry dock refurbishment, 55,200 square metres of luxurious new carpets were laid, with new soft furnishings and artworks also added.

Australians can experience the new-look ship when QM2 graces our shores in February 2017 where she will visit Sydney; as well as embarking on maiden voyages to Tasmania and Kangaroo Island in SA. cunardline.com.au/cruise-ships/ queen-mary-2

GREAT SOUTHERN LAND

ABOARD THE GHAN, THE ICONIC TRAIN JOURNEY THROUGH THE HEART OF AUSTRALIA, Jennie Bond DISCOVERS THE EXQUISITE BEAUTY OF NOTHING.

It was one of the train's knowledgeable young attendants who summed it up best.

"The first time I made the journey," said Nick, in his fetching Ghan uniform of khaki Akubra hat and trousers, “I was in total awe of the complete nothingness out there."

It's a strange thing to set out to enjoy – mile upon mile of complete nothingness – but that's exactly how it was for my husband, Jim, and I as we boarded The Ghan to cross Australia, north to south, on the train trip of a lifetime.

It was a steaming hot March day in Darwin when we found ourselves on this iconic train for the 49-hour journey south to Adelaide.

The first thing that strikes you is that it's a veritable beast of a train. It sits, all gleaming hot metal, wearing an impressive red livery with huge red lettering declaring its prowess as ‘The Ghan’.

And it's not only the lettering that's huge. The train itself stretches, it seems, forever. In reality, it's almost a kilometre long, with 37 coaches arranged in varying degrees of space and luxury to accommodate 300 passengers.

We chose a platinum cabin, of which there are just 10, each housing 20 people in considerable style. We were welcomed aboard by George, in his smart uniform and Aussie hat, who immediately presented us with a glass of chilled pink champagne. It wasn't even 10am, but it seemed the perfect way to start our outback adventure.

George escorted us to our home for the next two days and we weren’t disappointed. Our cabin oozed class, coolness and comfort. It was reasonably spacious, with big picture windows on either side. The large sofa was great for watching the world go by and, each night, while we were at dinner, it was miraculously transformed into a wonderfully comfortable double bed.

There was a small, wooden table and a stool, and just enough storage for the luggage we’d taken on board for the journey.

Enjoying a shower in our bijou ensuite and climbing into bed to find a thoughtfully placed glass of fine brandy at my side (not to mention my dear old husband at my other side) was sheer bliss! And all the while there was the excitement of knowing we were riding through

the awesome nothingness of the Australian desert.

There was plenty to explore on board The Ghan. The wood panelled corridor that runs the length of the train led us quickly to the lounge, for the exclusive use of platinum clients. It was a great place to relax, with the double attraction of the free bar and big, landscape windows. There, several of our fellow travellers were beginning to socialise.

I discovered that a few were escaping the British winter, but quite a number were Australian. One couple from near Perth told me that The Ghan experience had been at the top of their bucket list as soon as they retired: "And we were damned if we were going to do it any other way than first class," they added as they sipped their champagne.

The far end of the lounge car is a swish dining room, where we were soon invited to lunch. As there were only 20 of us, we could opt for a table for two or choose to share.

The entire menu sounded so good I could have eaten the lot!

But I plumped for grilled goldband snapper, steamed asparagus; and orange, cranberry, parsley and papitas couscous with saffron aioli. It was superb.

I skipped the passionfruit, lemon aspen and coconut cake dessert in favour of the even more exotic cheeseplate comprising Woodside Vesuvius Goat on a Hot Tin Roof cheese, seasoned with paprika and pepperberry, and served with almonds and lavosh.

It was impossible to resist and tasted great. I wasn't surprised, as I'd been told food aboard The Ghan was excellent, but what I hadn't expected was the chance to get off the train and venture into the outback itself.

Shortly after lunch, we came to a halt at a town called Katherine, where it was a scorching 36 degrees. I certainly hadn't imagined there would be a complex river system running through this apparently desolate region. But here we were, being offered the choice of a cruise down the Nitmiluk Gorge, a cultural tour or a helicopter ride over the Katherine River and its huge limestone cliffs.

“The first thing that strikes you is that it's a veritable beast of a train”

We chose the cruise, which turned out to be two wonderful boat rides down two of the 13 gorges that have been carved by the river over 23 million years.

It was a fascinating outing, but it was heaven to get back to the coolness of the train, where George was waiting to welcome us with cold flannels and delicious iced tea.

We shared sundowners – unlimited and delicious – with our fellow travellers before a dinner, featuring kangaroo and crocodile.

And so to our comfy bed and brandy. We fell asleep to the gentle rhythm of the train, after assurances from Nick that the only thing we'd be missing overnight was mile upon mile of complete nothingness.

We woke early and opened the blinds to a stunning sunrise. At 7am Nick brought me a steaming hot latte and a green tea for Jim, and we lay in bed watching the great outback zoom by. It was such a perfect viewing platform that I was tempted to stay there all day. But breakfast beckoned, quickly followed by our second excursion; this one in the legendary town of Alice Springs.

Once again there was a choice of outings and we opted for the Desert Park tour. We were thrilled to see wild wedge-tailed eagles soaring high above the peaks of the MacDonnell Ranges as we watched captive birds swoop and perform for us in a shady clearing.

After a couple of hours of pretty sweaty walking around the park, we returned to our palace-on-rails much wiser about the flora and wildlife of the region – and more than ready for George's cold flannels and iced tea.

By now, the train had become our home, our haven, after each foray into the heat and dust of the outback.

We quickly settled back into our comfy routine of eating, drinking and watching this strange world go by.

We had one last treat before turning in for the night. Ahead of us, we could just make out the light of a bonfire in the pitch black of the outback. It had been lit to welcome us to Manguri, a rail siding near the opal fields of Coober Pedy.

There we were invited to indulge in a spot of stargazing in the balmy night air, as trays of chocolates were handed around. And so to bed, and the final leg of our journey to Adelaide. After breakfast – I chose corn and saltbush brioche fresh out the oven, served warm with Harris Smokehouse salmon, chives and lemon infused crème fraîche – I spent the final couple of hours of our adventure looking for kangaroos. It was a total failure, but it didn't matter. We'd enjoyed every minute of our journey through Australia.

If you have the time, it's a brilliantly rewarding way to see the country.

From top: Continental breakfast service in the Platinum Cabin; dining in Platinum Club on an all-inclusive gastronomic menu; in-cabin Platinum service accompanied by an outback view.

2016/17 rates on The Ghan between Darwin and Adelaide start from $1,999 per person, for a Gold Service Single Cabin in the low season. greatsouthernrail.com.au

ARCTIC TOUR THROUGH ‘LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN’

Golden Eagle Luxury Trains is introducing a new rail journey that takes passengers to the Arctic Circle in search of the ‘Midnight Sun’ phenomenon, which occurs in the summer months north of the Circle when the sun remains visible for 24 hours a day. The Land of the Midnight Sun tour begins in Moscow, travels through Norway to the Arctic Circle, before concluding in St Petersburg. During the 12-day tour, guests can experience local attractions and cultural experiences like a private folk performance, a guided king crab fishing expedition and an optional ballet or opera performance at the end of the tour in St Petersburg. The Land of the Midnight Sun tour departs in June 2017. Silver class twin cabins start at US$11,995 (about A$15,793) for the trip.

goldeneagleluxurytrains.com

PERUVIAN ANDES FROM CUSCO TO TITICACA

Luxury rail and hotel company Belmond has announced a new train in the Peruvian Andes – the Belmond Andean Explorer – set to launch in May 2017. The new luxury train will traverse one of the highest rail routes in the world from Cusco to Lake Titicaca, while accommodating 68 guests in a range of different cabin layouts, each with its own ensuite. The train will also have two dining cars, an observation car with an open-air deck and a lounge car. Chefs at Belmond Hotel Monasterio in Cusco will create on board menus using local, seasonal produce. Four journeys will be available; with fully inclusive prices starting at $462 per person for the overnight journey. belmond.com

Live the dream

FIND OUT WHAT’S ON IN MONACO

HIGHLIGHTS IN THE SOCIAL CALENDAR 2016- 2017

2016

• Summer concerts at the Princely Palace in July & August 2016

• Monaco Yacht Show

28 September –

1 October 2016

• e-Rally Monte-Carlo

12-16 October 2016

• Prince’s Day (Monaco’s National Day)

19 November 2016

• Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival

November 2016

2017

• International Circus Festival

19-29 January 2017

• 85th Automobile Rally

16-22 January 2017

• 20th Historic Monte-Carlo Rally

25 January –

1 February 2017

For more information about Monaco please contact: Monaco Tourism and Convention Bureau Australia www.visitmonaco.com

• Rose Ball

19 March 2017

(date unconfirmed)

• Spring Arts Festival

March – April 2017

• Monte-Carlo Rolex Tennis Masters

15-23 April 2017

• Monaco e-Prix

12-14 May 2017

• Monaco F1 Grand Prix

25-28 May 2017

• Monte-Carlo Television Festival

June 2017

• Monte-Carlo International Show Jumping Competition

June 2017

• International Firework Contest

July August 2017

• Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival - live music festival

July – August 2017

NEW TRAIN

When Monaco opened the famous Hotel de Paris and the Grand Casino in 1863 the legendary Monte-Carlo was born. From this point onwards the social calendar of events have continued to attract the royals of Europe and well-heeled visitor’s from around the globe to Monaco throughout the year.

HIGH FLYER

WE SHOW YOU HOW TO FLY FLAT ON POINTS + HIGH FLYER REVIEWS OF ANA AND CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS BUSINESS CLASS + ALL THE LATEST NEWS ON PREMIUM AIRLINE OFFERINGS

ETIHAD ADDS LUXURY AT MELBOURNE & ABU DHABI

Etihad Airways continues to set the standard in premium flying experiences, with upgrades to its flagship Abu Dhabi First Lounge and the addition of a new Premium Lounge at Melbourne International Airport. The 800-square-metre Melbourne lounge has capacity for 133 guests, with a dedicated dining space serving à la carte or buffet cuisine. A sculptural bar is the centrepiece of the lounge, with a drinks list developed alongside beverage consultancy Fluid Movement. The cocktail list features bespoke drinks created specifically for the airline, with destination and aviation-inspired names like Melbourne, Sydney, Paris and Los Angeles. Both the new Melbourne lounge and the refreshed Abu Dhabi First lounge have a dedicated private space for passengers travelling in The Residence. The Abu Dhabi lounge also offers facilities like a Six Senses Spa, a Shave & Style area and a beauty bar, with complimentary treatments for guests. etihad.com

LUXURY CLOSE TO SYDNEY TARMAC

Pullman has added its 15th Australian property with the opening of Pullman Sydney Airport – the first internationally branded five-star, new-build hotel to service the airport. With 229 rooms, the hotel spans 12 floors and is located on O’Riordan Street at Mascot, just 600 metres from the domestic terminal and three kilometres from the International Airport. Hotel facilities include an executive club lounge, open-plan restaurant and bar, and 24hour gym. Room rates start at $214 per night. pullmanhotels.com

FIVE-STAR AIRPORT HOTEL PULLMAN

LOUNGE UPGRADES

ETIHAD'S NEW LOUNGE AT MELBOURNE AIRPORT

Cathay Pacific has opened its newly refurbished business class lounge at The Pier, Hong Kong International Airport. The lounge occupies more than 3,300 square metres of space, with a capacity for 550 people, making it the largest lounge in the Cathay Pacific network. Dining options include: the airline’s signature The Noodle Bar; The Food Hall, a self-service kiosk option with a coffee cart serving barista-made brews; and the first Cathay Pacific Tea House, offering a selection of teas served by a ‘tea specialist’. Fourteen shower suites are available alongside a relaxation room kitted out with lounges and footstools for those wanting to unwind. The new lounge is accessible to passengers travelling in first and business class, Marco Polo Club members holding Silver or above status, and oneworld member airline passengers holding an Emerald or Sapphire status. Cathay Pacific has also recently introduced a new route between Hong Kong and Madrid, which operates four times a week. cathaypacific.com

SKYTEAM NEW VINTAGE-INSPIRED ALITALIA UNIFORMS

Italy’s national airline and Etihad partner airline Alitalia has released a new uniform created by Milan-based haute couturier Ettore Bilotta. The uniform takes inspiration from Italian fashion in the 1950s and 1960s, with uniform components made by artisans from around the country, including fabrics made in Tuscany, silk in Como and premium Italian leather accessories like gloves from Naples. Uniforms are being gradually introduced and worn by the airline’s 5,700 cabin crew and ground crew, including check-in and lounge staff. alitalia.com

STAR ALLIANCE

UNITED BEGINS POLARIS BUSINESS SEAT ROLLOUT

Those flying between Hawai’i and mainland North America on Hawaiian Airlines now have the option of bidding for a business class upgrade. The new Bid Up program sends an email notification to eligible guests 10 days prior to departure, inviting them to bid for available seats in First Class, which is Hawaiian’s version of business class on domestic flights. Successful bidders will be notified 48 hours prior to departure. Those flying on Hawaiian’s new A330 aircraft can take advantage of the airline’s new Premium Cabin, which includes a newly adopted, 193-centimetre lie-flat seat. The Premium Cabin has 18 of the new seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, with 68 Extra Comfort seats also available as a response to the growing demand for a premium economy option. Hawaiian is rolling out additional new cabins from August 2016 through 2018 on its A330 aircraft, which service the majority of its North American and international routes. hawaiianairlines.com

United Airlines is due to begin rolling out its new Polaris business class offering in December 2016. Newly designed business class seats will offer direct aisle access, 180-degree flat beds, one-touch lumbar support, a 16-inch entertainment screen and electronic privacy dividers for those in central cabin seats. Passengers will have custom-designed bedding created in conjunction with Saks Fifth Avenue, slippers and pyjamas on flights of 12-hours or more. In-flight dining has also had an overhaul, with new seasonal menus and wine lists, a dessert cart and mid-flight snacks on longer journeys. United will also open a new network of United Polaris business lounges at selected airports in the US, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong and London Heathrow. united.com/polaris

LATAM LAUNCHED IN AUSTRALIA

The newly rebranded LATAM Airlines has launched in Australia, bringing together the company’s two South American airlines LAN and TAM. New livery, airport facility designs and staff uniforms are part of the new look, with more than 50 aircraft expected to be rebranded by the end of 2016 and the process finalised across the entire fleet by 2018. latam.com

FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMS

AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CABIN

Virgin Australia has introduced its new international business class cabin, The Business, on its retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER. The cabin includes 37 business ‘suites’ in a 1-2-1 configuration, each with: 203-centimetre, lie-flat seats; luxe bedding, including a turndown service with memory foam mattress toppers; and 18-inch HD touch-screen entertainment units. Three new service enhancements include cocktails and canapés offered prior to the first meal service, a new business class bar and lounge, and continental breakfast available at the bar prior to the first breakfast service. Virgin Australia has also updated its premium economy option, which has 24 seats with increased legroom, a plated meal service and luxury amenity packs. virginaustralia.com.au

Each issue we flight test airline loyalty programs on a specified route, flying business class on points. This issue, we examine if you want to travel from Sydney to Singapore and lie flat, what is the best way to do it on points? We compare the frequent flyer points needed on several airline loyalty programs.

Fly flat with our points comparison SYDNEY TO SINGAPORE / BUSINESS CLASS (ONE WAY)

BOARDING PASS BOARDING PASS BOARDING PASS

Note: Emirates has a non-stop flight SYD-SIN, but can’t be booked on points.

Provided by Steve Hui, The Points Whisperer, CEO of iFLYFLAT.com.au. Use points to fly business class at less than half price.

EVERY DAY, A NEW STORY

Explore the iconic and magnificent Arctic regions of Norway, Iceland and Greenland on a voyage with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. With 50 years of expedition experience, a Lindblad-National Geographic voyage is an immersive adventure you will remember forever. Join us on a discovery of the region’s fjord-carved coast, vast tidewater glaciers, follow the history of polar exploration and early Vikings to modern day explorers; spot whales and rich birdlife. Venture high into the Arctic archipelago between Norway and the North Pole, Svalbard, to search for the very symbol of the Arctic–polar bears in their natural habitat, on the sea ice. Call now to request a brochure–spaces are strictly limited. Quote ‘MAGLUX’.

AIRLINE: CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS

FLIGHT NUMBER: CX162

AIRCRAFT: A330-300

ROUTE: HONG KONG TO SYDNEY

SEATING: BUSINESS CLASS

FLIGHT TIME: 9 HOURS, 10 MINUTES

SKYTRAX AIRLINE STAR RATING: 5 STARS

REVIEWER: GARY ALLEN

THE CABIN

The space around the cabin and seats was fine. With the seat configuration of 1-2-1, it means everyone has aisle access, which also means no climbing over anyone (there’s nothing more annoying).

CHECKING IN

Check-in was very quick as I was early for the flight. The staff seemed to manage it so well – the on board service seemed to start right then and staff were polite and courteous. A staff member changed my original seat for me at her suggestion, which was great. The window seats are highly recommended.

LOUNGE

I visited The Bridge lounge in Hong Kong. It’s a beautiful lounge –

spacious and comfortable. It’s split by the large desk at the entrance with the main food area to the right with seating and lounges. There were plenty of food options such as dumplings, soups, curries, pizzas and salads. The Portuguese egg tarts are so good that I took some with me for the flight.

THE SERVICE

Always outstanding, very attentive and polite. Parting words are always “please enjoy”.

MEALS

After visiting the business lounge in Hong Kong, The Bridge, where the food was excellent, I made the mistake of looking at the in-flight menu. Even though I was already full, I wanted to try the slow cooked, five-spice beef cheeks by

One Harbour Road restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, which specialises in traditional Cantonese food. I’m glad I stayed up for that. It was excellent –tender and very flavoursome. Breakfast was nothing special but sufficient with an English breakfast egg dish and some yoghurt and fruit.

SPACE

I love the Cathay seats – they are really comfortable with plenty of room. The settings are basic, but work easily and quickly. The flat bed is very long and comfortable with a pillow and blankets. It was a relaxing experience. There was plenty of room for storage and a large arm rest/table. The seats are configured at an angle so it still feels quite private and separated from your neighbour.

AMENITIES KIT

The amenities kit is like most others out there – the usual items including ear plugs, eye mask, socks, toothbrush and paste and Jurlique products of lip balm, hand cream and a day cream; plus a pen. Everything you need.

PYJAMAS OR NOT

No pyjamas were provided on the flight.

ENTERTAINMENT

There were plenty of options on the screen with a handful of recently released movies. It was adequate, though I always have plenty of reading material on me when I fly so that I don’t have to rely on the entertainment.

QUALITY OF HEADPHONES

The large headphones are housed in a small convenient compartment and are already plugged in. No looking for the

plug here. Large and comfortable noise cancelling headphones with plenty of cushioning.

BATHROOM

The bathroom seemed as if it was always maintained to a high standard throughout the flight. Each time I went in it was clean and dry, pleasant smelling without any rubbish on the floor. Jurlique products are available in the bathrooms in the form of a face wash, lotion and spray mist.

BAGGAGE

Passengers in business class are allowed 30 kilograms of checkedin baggage and 10 kilograms of cabin baggage. If you’re a Silver or above member of the Marco Polo Club rewards program, you will qualify for extra baggage allowances.

LOYALTY PROGRAM

Cathay Pacific’s loyalty program is the Marco Polo Club, with four tiers; Green, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Passengers earn club points whenever they fly in eligible fare classes with Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, or any of the oneworld alliance airlines. Travel benefits also extend to all oneworld airlines, and passengers can extend their benefits on the ground with any of Cathay Pacific’s hotel and car-rental partners. Marco Polo members also get automatic Asia Miles membership, meaning they can accrue miles at other outlets (like hotels) while they travel.

GRIPES

If you choose a seat towards the back, mealtime means you may not get your choice if the service doesn’t offer pre-requests. cathaypacific.com

AIRLINE: ANA

FLIGHT NUMBER: NH879

AIRCRAFT: BOEING 787-900 DREAMLINER

ROUTE: HANEDA (TOKYO) TO SYDNEY

SEATING: BUSINESS CLASS

FLIGHT TIME: 9 HOURS, 20 MINUTES

SKYTRAX AIRLINE STAR RATING: 5 STARS

REVIEWER: ROB MCFARLAND

THE CABIN

The 48 business seats are in a staggered 1 x 2 x 1 configuration so everyone has an aisle seat and some privacy.

CHECKING IN

Check-in is smooth and painless with gracious, smiling staff. 9/10

WHICH LOUNGE DID YOU VISIT ON DEPARTURE

ANA’s lounge at Haneda Airport is spacious with plenty of seating and a wide range of food and drink options. 7/10

ALCOHOL

Last year ANA upgraded its wine selection and we are

offered Henriot’s Brut Souverain Champagne before take off and a choice of two whites and two reds during meals. There’s a chardonnay from Bogle Vineyards in California, a sauvignon blanc from Castelo de Medina in Spain, a 2011 Bordeaux from Chateau de Lugagnac and – my favourite – a delicious cabernet sauvignon from 14 Hands Winery in Washington, USA. There’s also a good selection of premium spirits, sake, shochu and even a plum wine.

MEALS

Due to the late scheduled departure time of this flight (10:10pm), there’s no formal dinner service, just a selection of snacks. Options include

vegetable soup, steamed Wagyu buns, mixed nuts and a cheese plate. After sampling the pork cutlet sandwich, which is underwhelming, I’d recommend eating in the lounge beforehand. Breakfast is better – fruit followed by a tasty omelette with sausage and potatoes. 6/10

SPACE

The seats are well-designed and pod-style with plenty of storage, converting to a fully-flat 189-centimetre-long bed. Even with the supplied mattress, I found the bed on the firm side but it was comfortable enough for a few hours’ sleep. The Dreamliner’s quieter cabin makes sleep a much easier proposition and the increased humidity is claimed to reduce jetlag. The seat width is 49 centimetres, increasing to 64 centimetres when converted into a bed.

AMENITIES KIT

Basic L’Occitane amenities kit with toothbrush, eye mask, lip balm, hand cream and ear plugs.

PYJAMAS OR NOT

No pyjamas but slippers are provided.

ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment is delivered via an 18-inch (46-centimetre) touchsensitive screen. There are 351 programs in total but many are in Japanese and only a handful of the 32 movies classified as New Release genuinely are. There’s a reasonable selection of music channels and documentaries, plus three live news and sports channels, but oddly no Western comedies. There is also a multi-adapter power socket, a USB and iPod port and WiFi packages starting at US$6.95 for 30 minutes.

QUALITY OF HEADPHONES

Comfortable Sony noise-cancelling headphones are provided but the quieter cabin on the Dreamliner means there’s very little background noise to block out. 8/10

BATHROOM

Spotless, spacious bathrooms complete with a window should you wish to admire the view. 9/10

BAGGAGE

Business class passengers can take two bags up to 32 kilograms each, plus one carry-on item up to 10 kilograms. A third bag of up to 32 kilograms can be checked in for US$100.

LOYALTY PROGRAM

ANA Mileage Club. Passengers can also earn points towards other Star Alliance membership programs.

GRIPES

The seatbelt sign is left on for extended periods so the bathrooms are off-limits even though there’s no discernible turbulence. Also, the number and frequency of announcements are excessive for an overnight flight. ana.co.jp

HOW TO : TRAVEL THE WAY WE DO AND TOUR ITALY; PLUS LITERARY TRAVELS IN INDIA / WE VISIT BRITAIN TO COMMEMORATE SHAKESPEARE / PREMIUM GOLFING EXPERIENCES IN SYDNEY, NSW / WALK THE ITALIAN LAKES DISTRICT / DRIVE IN STYLE THROUGH PORTUGAL & PLAN YOUR NEXT LUXURY SKI TRIP USING OUR ANNUAL TRAVEL PLANNER

A LITERARY TOUR OF INDIA

Claire Scobie HOSTED A MAGICAL 12-DAY TOUR COMBINING MANY OF INDIA’S FAVOURITE AUTHORS AND HISTORIC LANDMARKS.

Aroyal welcome awaited us at Diggi Palace in Jaipur. Owner Thakur Ram Singh stood at the arched entrance greeting the first guests to the world’s largest literary event, the Jaipur Literary Festival, held in his rambling palace grounds. It marked another fairy-tale arrival on our 12-day Abercrombie & Kent special interest tour visiting Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, with Udaipur and Mumbai still to come.

I was hosting a group of 15 Australians who all shared our distinctive baked-earth sense of humour even when faced with Indian traffic jams. From the first night at the plush Imperial Hotel in Delhi, where we enjoyed Asian fusion fine-dining in the Spice Route restaurant, I knew there would be plenty of laughs ahead.

The tour itself was a fusion of the unmissable sights of northern India, starting with a bicycle rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, and tailored literary events. The first ‘special author day’ began in Moghul Delhi, visiting Humayun’s Tomb, and ended with tea with acclaimed Indian author Rana Dasgupta, whose biography of the city, Capital, had the group riveted.

The following morning we drove to Agra and the world’s most famous monument, the Taj Mahal. En route, Suryaaveer Singh Shaktawat – or for short, Sunny – our tour guide, entertained us with stories of being a professional cricket player and the intricacies of an arranged marriage.

Abercrombie & Kent is known for its expert guides and Sunny, originally from Udaipur, was no exception. I was astounded by how seamless he made our journey. There were no hold-ups between locations; and check-in was done before we arrived at each five-star Taj or Oberoi hotel, which became progressively more luxurious the further west we travelled. I saw how easily you can become accustomed to royal treatment – and India does pomp, pageantry and ceremony better than anywhere else.

Sunny steered our group between the crowds at the Taj Mahal. For such a solid marble structure, it seemed curiously untethered. The next morning we left the

opulent Oberoi Amarvilas, with its view over the pearly central dome and four minarets, and drove into Rajasthan.

Next stop was the pink city of Jaipur, famous as the world’s gemstone capital. But before shopping started in earnest, the highlight of our trip awaited us at Diggi Palace.

Since it started in 2006, the Jaipur Literary Festival has attracted a galaxy of international and Indian authors. My tour group dived right in, eager to soak up the words of Man Booker Prize-winner Margaret Atwood, who gave the opening address. Author talks were held in the 200-year-old Durbar Hall and the Rajasthani food provided for delegate guests, like ourselves, was cooked by the Diggi Palace chefs. The curries were homemade; chapattis freshly cooked; the rose petal ice cream divine.

With writers as diverse as Scottish novelist Alexander McCall Smith and economist Thomas Piketty wandering through the grounds, the atmosphere was electric.

Above: the grandeur of the Taj Mahal.

Right: intricate design details in India.

“Our tour guide entertained us with stories of being a professional cricket player”

Rajasthani dancers twirled; chai wallahs did a roaring trade.

After two days at the festival, we enjoyed sight-seeing in the city famous for its ‘Palace of the Winds’. Then Professor of English at Delhi University, Mala Lal, entertained us with stories from Rajasthan’s well-known folklorists. The setting itself, with elephants wandering by, added to the exotic experience. “That was fantastic!”, “Brilliant!” exclaimed the guests as we waved goodbye to the elephants and camels, both typical sights of Rajasthan.

Our last stop in this desert state was Udaipur, famous for Lake Pichola in the centre of the city. Ever since Roger Moore shot the James Bond film Octopussy there in 1983, it’s been on India’s tourist map. We arrived at Oberoi Udaivilas and rose petals rained down as we entered the marbled foyer.

The following day we toured the City Palace, renowned for its exquisite miniature paintings, had a brush with fame in the same textile shop where Judy Dench

bought pashmina scarves when filming The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and took tea with Sunny’s family who live in a 400-year-old haveli (a traditional Indian mansion). It’s always a privilege to be invited into a local’s home when on holiday, especially one that has a black-and-white photo of Sunny’s late father, also a cricketer, with Don Bradman.

Udaipur proved a favourite with the group, who sat back and relaxed during the dreamy sunset cruise on the lake and enjoyed a local tour of the markets before taking the short flight to Mumbai.

From the Moghul ruins of Delhi, through Rajasthan where the medieval runs in parallel with the modern, fastpaced international Mumbai made a perfect full-stop to our journey. There was time for sight-seeing and a visit to the Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest outdoor laundry; and lunch at Leopold Café, made famous by David Gregory Roberts’ novel, Shantaram, before our crowning author event in the Sea Lounge at the Taj Hotel where we were staying.

For our last afternoon, award-winning Indian author Kiran Nagarkar, regaled us with tales of 16th-century courtly life, Bollywood and contemporary Indian politics.

Out of the window, India Gate reared up as the sun sunk into the Arabian Sea, and all around me, the group sat captivated. That night, after our farewell dinner, we were all reluctant to say goodbye – a sign of a memorable holiday, or as one participant Sarah Hender told me later, “a trip of a lifetime.”

It’s no wonder I’ve already put up my hand to host Abercrombie & Kent’s literary tour through India next year. From Salman Rushdie to Shantaram, India’s unforgettable characters and vast historical canvas beckon me back. I just wonder who will join me on the next unfolding story. See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

Above left: Amber Fort, Jaipur; inset: Professor of English at Delhi University, Mala Lal.

A Luxury Travel magazine itinerary

INDIA & THE JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL WITH CLAIRE SCOBIE WITH ABERCROMBIE & KENT

THE ITINERARY

Day 1 Delhi

Arrive into the Indian capital to a warm A&K welcome and a transfer to your historic hotel.

Stay: The Imperial

Day 2

Delhi

Stroll through the alleyways of Old Delhi ending in the colourful spice market – a sensory experience. Tonight a treat is in store with an introduction by Claire to the literary feast ahead and then a superb Indian welcome dinner at the Imperial’s Daniell’s Tavern.

Stay: The Imperial Meals included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 3

Delhi

Journey from past to present starting with a visit to Humayan’s Tomb.

Continue to the beautiful Lodhi Gardens and over lunch be regaled by tales from a local author, then stop at the bookshops of Khan Market with time to browse the stores.

Stay: The Imperial Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 4

Delhi

- Agra

Travel to Agra where a privately guided tour of the vast Agra Fort reveals breathtaking views over the Yamuna River towards the Taj Mahal. Enjoy an introduction to Taj literature by Claire in the grounds of the Oberoi Amarvilas followed by a visit to this splendid monument at sunset.

Stay: The Oberoi Amarvilas Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5

Agra - Jaipur

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before driving to the 16th-century sandstone fortress of Fatehpur Sikri. Stop for lunch and arrive at Jaipur late this afternoon.

Stay: The Oberoi Rajvilas Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Days 6 & 7

Jaipur

Two days to experience the Jaipur Literature Festival with your host. From Nobel laureates to local language writers, every January a collection of authors come together for five days of readings, debates and discussions at the beautiful Diggi Palace in the Rajasthani capital. Includes special access to the VIP delegate and author area.

Stay: The Oberoi Rajvilas Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 8

Jaipur

After breakfast Claire has arranged an exclusive literary experience with a special talk by a local Rajasthani author. Following this, visit the spectacular 500-year-old red sandstone and marble Amber Fort and discover Jaipur’s City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal, then this afternoon is at your leisure.

Stay: The Oberoi Rajvilas Meals included: Breakfast

Day 9

Jaipur - Udaipur

Fly to Udaipur this morning. Spend the morning on a privately guided exploration of the streets and colourful markets by foot. This afternoon and evening is at your leisure.

Stay: The Oberoi Udaivilas Meals included: Breakfast

Day 10

Udaipur

Visit Udaipur sites including the City Palace complex, the Sahelion-ki-Bari Gardens and the Crystal Gallery Museum. Enjoy an exclusive sunset cruise on Lake Pichola followed by a talk from Claire on Rajasthani literature as well as important works in preparation for your visit to Mumbai.

Stay: The Oberoi Udaivilas Meals included: Breakfast

Day 11

Udaipur - Mumbai

Fly to Mumbai. This afternoon explore the colourful Crawford markets, the Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai’s unique outdoor laundry), pass the chawls (tenements) and Malabar Hill, followed by a sunset stroll on Chowpatty beach.

Stay: The Oberoi Mumbai Meals included: Breakfast

Day 13

Mumbai

Start at the Gateway of India and from there stop for a coffee at Leopold Café in Colaba before heading to Mani Bhawan Museum. Continue to Churchgate Station and hear about stories from the other side of the tracks and end with a drive along Marine Drive. Over an intimate lunch, be entertained by a local guest author. A farewell dinner is arranged at Ziya, one of Mumbai’s finest restaurants.

Stay: The Oberoi Mumbai Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 14

Depart Mumbai

This morning transfer to the airport where your journey ends.

Meals included: Breakfast

Itinerary includes:

Domestic economy class airfare Jaipur/ Udaipur/Mumbai; all accommodation as detailed on a double/twin share basis with private facilities; meals as specified; bottled water during transfers and touring; airport welcome; assistance with luggage and transportation by private air-conditioned vehicle; services of English-speaking guides during all sightseeing; services of a local A&K tour escort and special tour host Claire Scobie; all entrance fees, two days VIP delegate entrance tickets to the Jaipur Literature Festival, planning, handling, operational and communication charges; all tipping excluding A&K tour escort.

Itinerary excludes:

International flights; any meals not specified; visas; insurance coverage of personal loss, injury, illness or damages incurred during your trip; items of a purely personal nature such as drinks, laundry, dry cleaning, internet, fax, or telephone charges and transfers/ sightseeing or meals not specified; excess baggage charges; tipping to A&K escort. Tipping is not expected or required for guest host.

Cost:

A$12,695 per person twin share for travel from 14 to 26 January, 2017.

For a detailed version of the Luxury Travel magazine / Abercrombie & Kent ‘India & The Jaipur Literature Festival’ itinerary, visit luxurytravelmag.com.au/ itineraries or call +61 3 9536 1800

A cat prowls the cobblestone streets.

LA DOLCE VITA

ITALY IS RENOWNED FOR ITS KALEIDOSCOPE OF SUPERLATIVE SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND FLAVOURS. AS Katrina Loble y DISCOVERS, EXCLUSIVE ACCESS AND VIP TREATMENT ENHANCES THIS CELEBRATED DESTINATION EVEN FURTHER.

The Rome skyline at sunset.

Almost 50 million international tourists descend on Italy each year, and it’s no wonder. The country offers an exquisite feast of culture, food and landscapes that hooks its visitors, and leaves them longing for more.

Travel the Way We Do and take advantage of insider knowledge and luxury touches. Here is our account of Insight Vacations’ 12-day Ultimate Italy Luxury Gold Tour.

ART AND HISTORY

At times, it doesn’t seem fair. How can one country be home to so many of the world’s great masterpieces? In Rome, there’s Michelangelo’s awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel and, in Florence, crowds flock to see his towering statue of David as well as Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. But who wants to spend all day queueing to see them?

Not us. Luckily, we’re on a coach tour that comes with a luxurious twist: we can jump the queues everywhere from the Vatican in Rome to Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, where we’re also

treated to another VIP experience. Few visitors get the chance to step inside the kilometre-long Vasari Corridor (its unmarked door is opened only to reserved groups). This private elevated passageway across the Arno River, built for the Medici family in the 16th-century and featuring a window enlarged for Hitler’s viewing pleasure in the 20th, is lined with paintings, including a collection of self-portraits by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Delacroix.

We swan into other places, too, as though we’re something special. Hello, express entry into Rome’s Colosseum and Venice’s Doge’s Palace, home to the world’s biggest oil painting –Tintoretto’s final masterpiece, Paradise. Really, one could become used to this.

Our tour also includes art and craft of a more modern kind. In Perugia, we visit the textiles workshop of Marta Cucchia, who continues a long family tradition of weaving on antique looms. In Venice, we watch a glass-blower at work. In Rome, there’s free time to see modern masterpieces such as William Kentridge’s

Triumphs & Laments, a half-kilometre-long mural trailing along the Tiber’s travertine walls that portrays 80 key moments – mythological, factual and cinematic – from Rome’s extraordinarily long history.

WINING AND DINING

Perhaps the only thing more pleasurable than gawking at masterpieces old and new is eating your way around Italy. After settling into our Tuscan home-away-from-home, Villa Le Maschere, we tuck into a rustic dinner – handmade pappardelle with duck, wood-fired pizza and more – at Rivasud, a cosy stone barn a few kilometres away.

We also taste our way through the region’s wines at an outdoor lunch at Ristorante Le Maschere, just across the road from our villa. My favourite drop is the strawberry-coloured rosé –Il Poggione’s Lo Sbrancato – that makes a terrific match for a trio of soft cheeses (ricotta crowned with walnut, pecorino with prune and a disc of goat’s cheese skewered with tomato).

There’s more wine to be enjoyed during a cooking class at Villa Dianella where we also tour the wine estate’s barrel room. There are plenty of laughs as we make pasta from scratch and chop vegetables for the bolognaise sauce that will later become part of our in-house dinner. The menu also includes peposo – a peppery Tuscan beef stew.

Our tour wraps up in Venice with a memorable dinner on the fisherman’s island of Burano. Our arrival is perfectly timed to catch the sunset glowing on the multi-coloured, picturepostcard houses. As a finale, fisherman Mario ‘Bepi’ Bressanello sings us songs of the sea.

LAZY DAYS

With hotels in excellent locations, we make the most of free time built into the tour. In Rome, the Baglioni Hotel Regina sits on the serpentine Via Veneto – a hop and a skip from the Trevi Fountain and Via Condotti, the famous fashion street that could put a serious dent in your credit card. In Tuscany, the 16th-century Villa

Le Maschere is 32 kilometres from Florence. There’s time to explore the 18-hectare property with two outdoor pools and walking trails.

Venice’s Bauer Palazzo features a waterfront terrace that is the perfect spot to sip a bellini –the cocktail invented at nearby Harry’s Bar. If you have a hankering for a secret garden, take the hotel’s speedboat across to sister property, Bauer Palladio, on Giudecca island. There’s no hint from the former convent’s austere façade what lies beyond: a garden that’s a little bit wild and just as stunning as Venice itself.

See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

l STAY HERE

BAUER PALAZZO

There’s no more desirable address in Venice than one on the Grand Canal. The waterfront Bauer Palazzo is a minute or two’s stroll from St Mark’s Square (past high-end boutiques such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton).

The glamour begins with a speedboat arrival. Rooms facing the side canal, Rio di San Moise, come with an added benefit: throw open the windows and catch a few tunes and much chatter floating up from the gondolas below. Prices start from €500 (about A$745). bauervenezia.com

l FAST FACTS ABOUT ITALY

• Pope Francis holds a papal audience on Wednesdays in St. Peter’s Square when he’s in Rome.

• A half-hour daytime ride in a Venetian gondola costs 80 euros.

• Italy’s long-lunch tradition means many stores close for several hours in the afternoon.

• Florence is considered the cradle of the Renaissance.

• With about 48.5 million international tourists a year, Italy is the world’s fifth most visited country.

Clockwise from top left: authentic cuisine at a boutique artisan pizzeria in Rome; the exterior of Villa le Maschere, Barberino Di Mugello; gazing upward at the masterpieces of Florence; a specialty deli in Rome; the 18th-century Temple of Asclepius in the grounds of Villa Borghese; Giuseppe Momo’s spiral staircase in The Vatican Museums.

Opposite page: a traditional gondola ride through the romantic Venice canals.

“We can jump the queues everywhere from the Vatican in Rome to Florence’s Uffizi Gallery”

ULTIMATE ITALY LUXURY GOLD TOUR WITH INSIGHT VACATIONS A Luxury Travel magazine itinerary

THE ITINERARY

Day 1

Welcome to Rome

You will be met on arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport and transferred to your elegant five-star hotel on the Via Veneto. There can be no better introduction to the Eternal City than an evening of authentic food and wine at a boutique artisan pizzeria.

Stay: Regina Baglioni, Rome

Meals included: Welcome reception and dinner

Day 2

Rome and the Vatican in style

Enter the Sistine Chapel before it is open to the public for a private tour without the crowds. After contemplating Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling, continue into St. Peter’s Basilica, then visit the Colosseum where the gladiators once prepared for battle.

Stay: Regina Baglioni, Rome

Meals included: Buffet breakfast

Day 3

Pompeii and The Isle of Capri

Journey to the ill-fated town of Pompeii, frozen in time when it was engulfed by an eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. Next, board your hydrofoil bound for the sun-drenched Isle of Capri. Transfer to open-top taxis to ride to your exclusive hotel in style. Once the day-trippers have returned to the mainland, you will be offered a selection of discerning restaurants on your ‘Dine-Around’ evening.

Stay: Capri Palace Hotel & Spa

Meals included: Buffet breakfast, Dine-Around

Day 4

Explore the Isle of Dreams

(Relaxed Start) Relax on-board a cruise around the island. See the white grotto and spectacular cliffs, before ascending to Capri town by funicular. Cool off with a refreshing lemon granita before walking with your local expert to the Gardens of Augustus to view the Faraglioni rocks. Lunch will be served at Il Riccio – a Michelin-starred restaurant famous for its sparkling waterside setting.

Stay: Capri Palace Hotel & Spa

Meals included: Buffet breakfast, Michelin-starred Highlight Lunch

Day 5

Into the green hills of Umbria to Assisi and Perugia

Follow the Highway of the Sun north to the winding, cobbled streets of Assisi for a guided visit inside the imposing Basilica of St Francis. Move on to the Umbrian capital of Perugia. Ascend from the lower town through the maze of medieval streets to your five-star deluxe hotel.

Stay: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia

Meals included: Buffet breakfast

Day 6

San Gimignano and Tuscany

(Relaxed Start) Walk with a local expert along Perugia’s Corso Vannucci to the main square. Afterwards, visit a workshop to see how the art of hand-weaving textiles has been passed down through the generations. Continue to hilltop San Gimignano, famous for its medieval towers. Ascend serpentine alleyways to taste the award-winning gelato of Sergio Dondoli. Journey on through the vines, olive groves and cypresses of the Chianti hills for a delicious exploration of the regional wines.

Stay: Villa le Maschere, Barberino Di Mugello

Meals included: Buffet breakfast

Day 7

Renaissance Florence

Meet an art historian for an insider’s guide to Florence. Admire Michelangelo’s original Statue of David in the Academy Museum before strolling to the cathedral, the Gates of Paradise and the open-air gallery in Signoria Square. Make an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the Uffizi Gallery and a private viewing of the Vasari Corridor. The afternoon is free to enjoy Florence at your own pace before a delicious dinner with wine in delightful Barberino Di Mugello.

Stay: Villa le Maschere, Barberino Di Mugello

Meals included: Buffet breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Day 8

Pisa and Tuscan Cooking Class

(Relaxed Start) Head to Pisa and view the splendid Duomo, baptistery and gravity-defying bell tower. Experience authentic Italian cooking at a hands-on culinary masterclass with lunch.

Stay: Villa le Maschere, Barberino Di Mugello

Meals included: Buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9

Exploring the Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera

(Relaxed Start) Journey west towards the Mediterranean, and continue along the coast to the Cinque Terre. Join a local expert in the picturesque fishing village of Manarola then cruise along the rugged coast to explore Monterosso’s medieval quarter and popular sandy beach. After free time for lunch, board the train bound for the resort of Rapallo. Stay: Grand Hotel Bristol, Rapallo Meals included: Buffet breakfast, dinner

Day 10

‘Fair’ Verona and on to the Islands of Venice (Relaxed Start) Cross the fertile Po Valley to Verona, home of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers. Stroll past the

well-preserved Roman Arena and through a maze of elegant squares to stand beneath the balcony said to have belonged to the Capulet family.

Stay: Bauer L’Hotel, Venice

Meals included: Buffet breakfast

Day 11

The Magic of Venice (Relaxed Start) A local expert will introduce you to the joys of Venice. Admire St Mark’s Basilica and see the lavish pink-marbled Doge’s Palace with its Bridge of Sighs. Take your seat in a traditional gondola for an enchanting ride through the romantic canals. In the evening, cruise to the idyllic fisherman’s island of Burano for a celebratory dinner.

Stay: Bauer L’Hotel, Venice

Meals included: Buffet breakfast, Celebration Dinner

Day 12

Arrivederci Venice

Your Luxury Gold journey will come to an end after breakfast with a private boat transfer to Venice Airport for your onward flight.

Meals included: Buffet breakfast

Itinerary includes 11 nights' accommodation and 11 buffet breakfasts, six evening meals, a Michelin-starred lunch on the Isle of Capri, a Tuscan cooking demonstration, an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the Uffizi Gallery and Vasari Corridor in Florence, and access to the Vatican City before it opens to the general public. Also included are VIP door-to-door private airport transfers in Italy, sightseeing and the services of a professional Travelling Concierge throughout.

Cost

From A$7,325 per person twin share.

For a detailed version of the Luxury Travel magazine / Insight Vacations 'Ultimate Italy Luxury Gold Tour' itinerary, visit luxurytravelmag.com.au/ itineraries or call Insight Vacations on 1800 001 782

HOSTED TOUR TO JEWELS OF COLOMBIA

Abercrombie & Kent has added Colombia to its extensive destination list with a new 11-day hosted tour of the country’s highlights with Bogotá expat and foreign correspondent Richard McColl. Excursions include a trip to Bogotá’s Gold Museum, a visit to the colonial Villa de Layva, the hip city of Medellin and Cartagena, situated on the Caribbean. Guests will learn about historical Colombian figures including author Gabriel García Márquez and artise Fernano Botero. The Jewels of Colombia tour starts at $8,295 per person, twin-share and runs 12-22 May 2017; and 24 November –4 December 2017. abercrombiekent.com.au

BIKE TRAIL ALONG QUEENSLAND’S ‘HIDDEN PEAKS’

Anew four-day cycling trail has been launched along the Scenic Rim region in Queensland. The Hidden Peaks Trail, launched by the Spicers Group, which also manages the Spicers Retreats portfolio of boutique properties, covers 80 kilometres of cycling trails against a backdrop of World Heritage-listed national parks and the Great Dividing Range. Guests have a Merida bike and stay at three eco-luxury properties along the way, with luggage transported between the properties. Picnic lunches are provided, as well as a gourmet lunch on the last day at Homage restaurant at Spicers Hidden Vale. The three-night, fourday Hidden Peaks Trail departs every Friday for groups of a maximum 10 cyclists. Prices start at $2,290 including accommodation, bike use, gourmet meals and beverages, transfers from Brisbane and daypacks for the trip. hiddenpeakstrail.com

TOUR ANTHOLOGY

EXPLORE JAPAN’S WORLD HERITAGE-LISTED KUMANO KODO

Experiential walking tour company Walk

Japan has launched a new unescorted tour that explores the World Heritage-listed Kumano Kodo, an historical route aligned with Japan’s spiritual myth of creation Kojiki. Beginning in Kyoto, the walk follows Kumano Kodo’s Nakahechi route in rural Japan to the Kumano Sanzan – a collection of three sacred shrines. The path is lined with oji sub-shrines and other historical monuments, with striking mountain ranges, tea fields and views of the Pacific Ocean along the way. While guests won’t be staying in high-end luxury – accommodation is mostly in family-run inns –the walk makes the most of authentic Japanese experiences, with one night at one of the most famed hot spring villages in Japan, Yunomine Onsen. The seven-day, six-night, self-guided Kumano Wayfarer tour is designed for up to six participants and is priced from ¥180,000 (about A$2,242) including accommodation, breakfast, two lunches, five evening meals, train transfers to and from Kyoto, 24-hour emergency support and selected tour supplements and booklets to assist travellers on the route. walkjapan.com

FIELD NOTES

NEW PAVILIONS AT BOTSWANA SANCTUARY

l CONSERVATION FIJI IGUANA RESCUE PROGRAM

Likuliku Lagoon Resort in Fiji has announced it will host a new Iguana Rescue Program. Researcher Adam Clause (pictured below right) from The University of Georgia will undertake a three-month research project including surveying, DNA testing and the use of electronic tagging and releasing of iguanas. Clause will also develop a tropical dry forest restoration plan at Likuliku and train staff to continue conservation work on completion of the project. The initiative follows discovery in 2010 of an injured Brachylophus vitiensis at the resort; the species was previously considered extinct. Seven of the iguanas are currently held in captivity at the resort for research and breeding purposes. ahuraresorts.com

Sanctuary Retreats has reopened its flagship Botswana property Sanctuary Chief’s Camp with 10 new pavilions that have tripled in size from the previous camp, and a new 620-square-metre suite – the Geoffrey Kent Luxury Suite, named for the safari pioneer of luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent (owned by the same holding company as Sanctuary Retreats). The main lodge area has a new library. The camp also has a new solar farm to increase use of renewable energy. sanctuaryretreats.com

Luxury experiential travel company andBeyond has also reopened its nine-tent Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp in Botswana, which features reconfigured interiors to make the most of the views over the Okavango Delta. Two of the tents have been converted into an interconnecting family suite to cater to multi-generational travellers. andbeyond.com

GEAR & GADGETS

YOU CONTROL EXTERNAL NOISE VOLUME

Bose has released new wireless, noise-cancelling headphones: the QuietComfort 35 around-ear headphones and QuietControl 30 in-ear headphones. The QC30 in-ear headphones include a new feature that allows users to adjust how much external noise can be blocked out, while the QC35 around-ear headphones have a battery life up to 20 hours. The new headphones are priced from A$399 for the QC30 (available from September) and A$499 for the QC35 (available now). bose.com.au

WIRELESS EARPHONES & BUILT-IN MAGNETS

Beoplay H5 is a new, compact wireless earphone from Danish luxury audio company, Bang & Olufsen. Users select a sound profile – for instance “commuting” – using the Beoplay App on their smartphone or Apple Watch to alter the tonality and sound staging they’re listening to.

Beoplay H5 comes with a magnet built into each earpiece so that

the earphones can be ‘clicked’ around the user’s neck, which also prolongs the headphones’ fivehour battery life. Beoplay H5 is available at Bang & Olufsen stores nationally and is priced at A$389. bang-olufsen.com

l WIRELESS HEADPHONES

l WIRELESS HEADPHONES

Art History Luxury

MuseumHotel.co.nz | Hippopotamus.co.nz

Museum Art Hotel, 90 Cable Street, Wellington, New Zealand

THIS BLESSED PLOT

THE 400 th ANNIVERSARY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S DEATH HAS FURTHER BUILT ON THE ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT’S RICH LEGACY, WRITES Roslyn Jolly

Holy Trinity Church, England is home to the grave of William Shakespeare.

“He was not of an age, but for all time!” The eulogy for William Shakespeare by his fellow playwright Ben Jonson rings as true today as it did four centuries ago. Worldwide enthusiasm for the writer known simply as ‘The Bard’ is at an all-time peak. Each year, Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s hometown in the English midlands, sees nearly five million visitors, all hoping to learn more about the elusive man behind the famous plays.

Celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death this year have left a permanent legacy in the opening of two newly restored historic properties. Together, “Shakespeare’s Schoolroom” and “New Place” represent the greatest development in the Stratford-uponAvon visitor experience since the opening of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1932. The town has been revitalized as a destination for literary travellers, with the new heritage sites providing a more direct and authentic connection with Shakespeare’s life than has ever been available before.

My guide to Shakespeare’s Schoolroom, a large half-timbered room on the upper level of Stratford’s 15th-century Guildhall, is its project director, Lincoln Clarke.

“This is Stratford’s great untold story,” he enthuses. “No place would have influenced Shakespeare more than this building. It’s very exciting to be able to share it with the public for the first time.” He explains the layout and furnishing of the room, the rhythm of the Elizabethan school day and the kinds of learning that took place there. I’m thrilled to imagine how the young Will Shakespeare learned the basics of his trade here, as a wordsmith and storyteller.

Professor Sir Jonathan Bate of Oxford University, one of the world’s

leading authorities on Shakespeare and his writings, is in no doubt about the importance of the Schoolroom for dispelling myths about the authorship of the plays. “Shakespeare was not a unique genius who came from nowhere,” he tells me. “He was the product of a specific system of Tudor grammar school education,” a system that produced many “high achievers” in literature and government. Against those who continue to argue that Shakespeare was a country bumpkin who could not have written his own plays, Professor Bate points out that “the grammar school curriculum maps quite precisely onto the workings of his imagination.” In particular, Shakespeare’s schooling would have emphasised the process of expanding and embellishing stories from myth and history, which was exactly his method of composition. The schoolboys also put on plays, giving the young Shakespeare his first exposure to dramatic performance.

And there’s more. At Shakespeare’s Schoolroom, you can also see the space where troupes of travelling players would perform when they came to Stratford. They needed daylight to stage their plays, so performances took place during the school day. While the schoolboys recited their Latin texts on one side of a partition, the actors declaimed their lines on the other. This building is, in more ways than one, the place where Shakespeare gained the knowledge and inspiration to become the world’s greatest playwright.

As a heritage attraction, the Schoolroom is all about authenticity. The Guildhall, in which it is housed, is the only building in Stratford that Shakespeare would actually recognise if he came back today. Restoration has been carried out with meticulous standards of historical accuracy, using local craftsmen wherever possible.

A different approach has been taken at New Place, the second

The restored interior of Shakespeare’s old schoolroom.

Shakespeare's Schoolroom and Guildhall, Stratford.

SARA BEAUMONT SARA BEAUMONT

new Shakespeare site to open in Stratford this year. Part of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust portfolio of historic properties in Stratford-upon-Avon, New Place was the house Shakespeare bought with his earnings from the London theatre. He retired there a wealthy man, making it his home for about six years before his death aged 52. Unfortunately, the owner of the house in the 1750s be came so irritated by the number of tourists coming to look at Shakespeare’s last home that he had it demolished! Today’s custodians of the site thus face a unique heritage challenge – how to preserve, honour or commemorate what is no longer there.

The Trust’s solution has been to commission a “re-imagination” of the site, using the recreated 17th-century garden as the setting for a combination of archaeological finds and modern art installations. With an emphasis on “retelling rather than rebuilding”, historians and designers have aimed to engage visitors with a previously neglected part of Shakespeare’s story, his mature years as a successful writer and eminent Stratford citizen. By juxtaposing quotations from the plays and poems with objects relating to the author’s life, they’ve also created a space for reflection on the achievements of this local boy turned all-time literary megastar.

When I asked Professor Bate about the significance of New Place for understanding who Shakespeare really was, he straightaway identified it as part of a story of upward mobility also told by Stratford’s other Shakespeare heritage attractions. Much grander than the house in which Shakespeare grew up, New Place is clear evidence of the playwright’s economic success. In fact, the property’s location within Stratford, on the way from Shakespeare’s Birthplace to his Schoolroom, suggests a schoolboy’s dream of using his education to climb the social ladder. The young boy would have passed this, the second-finest house in Stratford, every day as he walked to school. Perhaps the idea of one day owning it helped spur him to his extraordinary achievements?

With the opening of these historic sites in 2016, the visitor journey

at Stratford now offers a complete cradle-tograve Shakespeare experience. You can begin your day at the Birthplace, move on to the Schoolroom, explore New Place, then see the writer’s grave at Holy Trinity Church. Top off your visit with an afternoon or evening performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, where The Bard’s theatrical legacy is continuously reinterpreted for today’s audiences. After all, “the play’s the thing”, as Hamlet said. Yes it is, but with the new heritage properties at Stratford we can also understand better than ever before the man who made these masterpieces.

l STAY HERE

Ettington Park Hotel, situated 10 kilometres outside Stratford-uponAvon, offers fine dining and luxurious heritage accommodation within a quintessentially English landscape of gardens, farmland and woods. Deer regularly roam the property and staff will happily supply gumboots for country walks. Room rates start from £148 (about A$292) with suites from £202 (A$398) per night. handpickedhotels.co.uk

l GET THERE

Unicorn Cars provide a luxury chauffeur service between Ettington Park Hotel and all locations in Stratford-upon-Avon. Airport transfers are also available. unicornscar.co.uk

l THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and New Place are open daily. shakespearesschoolroom.org; shakespeares-england.co.uk/shakespeares-new-place

The Royal Shakespeare Company offers personally hosted VIP theatre experiences from £165 (about A$325) per person. rsc.org.uk/vip-theatre-experiences

For more information on things to do in and around Stratford-uponAvon, including older attractions such as Shakespeare’s Birthplace, visit shakespeares-england.co.uk

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

Ettington Park in the springtime.

Below: Desks in Shakespeare’s old schoolroom where he was first introduced to theatre.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre dedicated to the English playwright and poet.

MAIN EVENT

HERE’S HOW TO GAIN VIP ACCESS TO THE WORLD’S BEST SPORTING AND CULTURAL EVENTS.

In the Blue Mountains on Sydney’s western fringe, the winter solstice is marked by an annual celebration. As the frost settles over the azure mountain range, the streets fill with costumed mythical characters and The Winter Magic Festival parade envelops the main street of Katoomba.

Not far away at Medlow Bath, inside the opulent walls of the 112-year-old Hydro Majestic Hotel, a much grander winter celebration takes place.

Initiated in 1980 by one hotelier who recreated ‘White Christmas in July’ for a group of homesick Irish

visitors, the tradition of Yulefest has been adopted and carried on by numerous hospitality venues throughout the Blue Mountains. For the past two years, the Hydro Majestic has produced the pinnacle of the Yulefest celebrations: The Hydro Majestic Winter Ball.

Designed by world traveller and retail baron Mark Foy, the hotel originally opened in 1904 as a hydropathic establishment (the health and wellness properties of the 20th century). Despite the initial interest, visitor numbers dwindled due to the ‘no smoking’ and drinking regulations; so Foy

l

CELEBRATE HYDRO MAJESTIC WINTER BALL WINTER 2017

Above: The Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath;

Right: a range of beverages served in style at the Hydro Majestic Winter Ball.

rebranded and The Hydro Majestic went on to become a renowned party palace in the roaring ‘20s.

The Winter Ball sees the same glamorous spirit return to the recently refurbished property. Dressed in glittering finery and black tuxedos, no more than 200 guests gather in the grand ballroom for this annual cultural event. Entering beneath the magnificent dome, which Foy had prefabricated in Chicago and shipped to Australia, attendees parade down the infamous corridor Cats Alley and into the grand dining room for cocktails and canapés.

At this year’s event, guests sipped rum flips and enjoyed fig and blue cheese arancini and smoked chicken and leek tart with goats curd whip beneath the decades-old barrel vault ceiling. On exhibition was a series of Blue

Mountains landscape paintings by plein air painter Warwick Fuller, who went on to speak about his work and his time as official tour artist for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, during their tour of Australia. Among other VIP guests were the NSW Tourism Minister, Stuart Ayres; Federal Senator, Marise Payne; and a descendent of the first general manager of the Hydro Majestic Hotel.

Upon announcement of the lucky draw prize, guests filed inside an elegant white marquee adorned with glittering chandeliers and bathed in a soft blue light. The evening of old-world extravagance was complemented by a gourmet two-course meal, a surprise marriage proposal and the largest classical music performance ever held

in the Blue Mountains. Not two metres away from the dining tables, the Metropolitan Orchestra treated guests to a program of O’Boyle’s Rhapsody on a theme of Mendelssohn, Horn Concerto no 1 by Strauss, Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Symphony no 4 Italian by Mendelssohn.

For the complete VIP experience, book a room at the Hydro Majestic Hotel and spend the weekend exploring the historic grounds and gazing out over the spectacular changing blue hues of the Megalong Valley. All-inclusive tickets for the 2016 event were priced at A$150 per person. Ticket enquiries for the 2017 Winter Ball should be directed to the Hydro Majestic Hotel. hydromajestic.com.au

KATIE MILTON

HYDRO MAJESTIC WINTER BALL

GETTING AROUND

Take a vintage car ride around the various Blue Mountains lookouts with Blue Mountains Vintage Cadillacs. bluemountainsvintagecadillacs. com.au

Upon returning to the Hydro Majestic Hotel enjoy a high tea in the Wintergarden Restaurant featuring panoramic views over Megalong Valley.

STAY HERE

Parklands Country Gardens and Lodges, Blue Mountains. Rates start from A$249 per night for a bed and breakfast package in a Loft Room. parklands.com.au

Lilianfels Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains. Rates start from $329 per night for a bed and breakfast package in a Deluxe Resort View Room. lilianfels.com.au

L-R: a Grand Majestic Suite bedroom at the Hydro Majestic Hotel; a musical performance at the Winter Ball; guests enjoy dessert at the Winter Ball.

FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

Since its inaugural season in 1950, Formula One has positioned itself as the premiere motor racing competition in the world. The 2016 season features 19 championship races across six continents, with Singapore the first (and still one of the few) to host a purely night event. Run on public roads around the Marina Bay area, the Singapore Grand Prix is the only street circuit in Asia and features a track illuminated by sophisticated lighting systems that replicate daylight conditions.

Exclusive GP offers a range of bespoke VIP Singapore Grand Prix packages. The Fullerton Hotel package features exclusive access to the five-star hotel’s viewing gallery that overlooks the track’s high action hairpin turn or Formula One Paddock Club privileges such as pit lane walk passes and VIP access to the Singapore Circuit.

FRIEZE LONDON

Frieze London – one of the world’s most influential art fairs – returns to Regent’s Park for its 2016 edition this October. The annual event showcases art from ancient to contemporary, with booths by almost 300 of the world’s leading galleries. As much a social event as an art fair, Frieze week is accompanied by an exclusive program of openings, cocktails, dinners and talks drawing an esteemed crowd of collectors, curators, artists, gallerists, critics and celebrities.

Since 2012 the event has expanded to simultaneously

host Frieze Masters, a specialist showcase of art from the ancient era to the Modernists of the late 20th century, as well as individual focus sections on emerging artists and performance art. This year’s edition will see the introduction of a new section The 90’s curated by Nicolas Trembley, which will revisit seminal exhibitions of the decade. A limited number of tickets are released each year, with the event often selling out. Frieze Bespoke offers select visitors VIP introductions and a tailored tour of the fair.

KATIE MILTON

When: 16- 18 September

2016

Where: Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore

Price: SGD $16,900 (about A$16,623) per person twin share.

Includes: Four nights accommodation at the Fullerton Hotel in the Courtyard Room, Mercedes airport transfers, three-day ticket, VIP access to the Singapore circuit, beverages, pastries and canapés, open bar, four-course gourmet meals with fine wine and silver service waiting staff, pit lane walk passes, access to the Formula One Support Race Paddock, Official Race Programme and a pair of ear defenders, entertainment, driver interviews, celebrity appearances, viewing position directly above the pits, and one VIP car parking pass for every three guests. exclusivegp.com

When: 6-9 October 2016

Where: Regent’s Park, London

Price: Rates start at £350 (about A$613) per group

Includes: Entry into the fair for two people; visitors are matched with an independent art world professional who takes them on a tailored tour (dependent on interests and budget), introducing them to both the art and the galleries. Each tour lasts approximately two hours and includes up to four people.

friezebespoke.com/#book

Left: Santo Tolone, Salvatore (Orange Ceiling), 2015.Wood, fabric, 200 x 143 x 31cm.

Image courtesy: The artist and Limoncello Gallery, London, UK.

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa races at the 2008 Singtel Singapore F1 Grand Prix.

ON SACRED GROUND

THE LUXURY GOLF OPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE IN SYDNEY SUIT Craig Tansley TO A TEE.

To any golfer who’s ever lugged a golf bag around the country, what’s happening in Sydney right now is a kind of bliss on a par with draining an eagle putt.

After landing at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport, I have walked straight past the oversize luggage collection area to a sleek, black LuxGolf Porsche Cayenne waiting just outside the door for me. It’s already loaded with a new set of Callaway Legacy golf clubs and is ready to take me to Bonnie Doon Golf Club. One of the country’s top courses, Bonnie Doon is located on the edge of Sydney’s CBD, but feels miles from any town, let alone Australia’s largest city.

On arrival, I’m escorted to the first tee, given drinks, snacks, Callaway balls, a Callaway glove and a golf cart with a GPS. Normally, prestigious Sydney courses like Bonnie Doon are inaccessible to non-members, and membership waiting lists can take decades to work your way through.

But LuxGolf Australia has changed all that. It is the first luxury golf tour company in Australia to provide special access to the most exclusive golf clubs in the country.

With all the hard work seemingly done, I tee off down the first fairway on this cloudless, windless Thursday morning. It’s in the milliseconds after my driver connects with the ball that I realise others can only do part of the legwork. Yes, they can get the average suburban hacker onto the best

private courses in Sydney, but they can’t assist your game. These courses didn’t earn their reputations for nothing. They’re some of the world’s toughest courses. Bonnie Doon Golf Club – just like its close and very illustrious neighbours, New South Wales Golf Club and St Michael’s Golf Club – provides an exercise in golf ecstasy and agony. And for your average handicapper, that agony comes in generous servings.

The course is set beside a national park and each fairway is lined with hectares upon hectares of coastal bush. While it’s just a couple of kilometres to Sydney’s world-famous coastline, you don’t need to leave the course to find the sand. Most fairways are littered with bunkers. I’m only midway down the first fairway and I’ve already found one.

This is one of Sydney’s prettiest courses. Its naturally undulating terrain leads me to elevated tee-boxes where I can see Sydney’s striking skyline in the distance. Close by though, there’s barely a single building to spoil the rural landscape. When the wind blows – and it does here often –this course famously bears its teeth. Luckily, I have it on a benign late-Spring morning and the only thing holding me back is my complete inability to thread my way between the banksia shrub lining the tight fairways.

It’s a glorious day out all the same. My frustration is countered by the views of Sydney’s prettiest coastal bushland and the fact that I’m fortunate enough to be on the

THE LANGHAM SYDNEY

From top: the LuxGolf Porsche Cayenne; after golf head to Aria for dinner overlooking the Harbour Bridge and Opera House; when you're not golfing set sail on Sydney Harbour.

course at all. At the 18th hole, I’m met by my LuxGolf Australia host and, after a beer in the clubhouse, I’m taken back to my hotel by Porsche without even needing to lift my clubs from my cart.

This is the sort of golf experience never previously offered to high-end travellers visiting Sydney. While our hospitable neighbours in New Zealand and across the Timor Sea in Bali offer unlimited access to some of the world’s top courses (with all the trappings), Sydney has lagged behind with strict rules on membership and access. Until now.

Tomorrow I will have my choice of private courses with New South Wales, St Michael’s and The Lakes golf clubs on my shortlist. In Melbourne, expect to play the likes of Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and Huntingdale golf clubs.

Back to Sydney where my luxury experience extends beyond the green. After my round, I am driven to the Langham Hotel, set among the cobbled streets of The Rocks. My room looks out across Sydney Harbour to ferries plying their way across the water, delivering commuters to pretty bays and peninsulas. In the evening I walk to dinner, strolling slowly through Australia’s oldest precinct, past the buskers and ferry docks at Circular Quay, and then to celebrity chef Matt Moran’s Aria Restaurant. I eat my favourite dish – sourdough crusted barramundi fillet with silverbeet, smoked eel and horseradish – while looking out over the Sydney’s iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

It is these off-course attractions that position Sydney as a unique high-end golfing destination. When I tire of having my game bent out of shape by some of the trickiest Links-style courses in the country, I take a chartered yacht tour right across Sydney Harbour. I am even handed the steering wheel on a 12-metre yacht under full sail as we duck and weave between the Manly ferries, and sail right under the Harbour Bridge. You try doing that on a golf trip anywhere else around the world.

l GOLF TOURS

LuxGolf Australia offers golf tours of Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, New Zealand and Hawaii’s best courses, including luxury transfers, golf balls, refreshments and motorised golf carts. luxgolf.com

l STAY HERE

The Langham, Sydney offers six room and suite types. Rates start at A$510 per night. langhamhotels.com

l OTHER ATTRACTIONS

Eat at Aria Restaurant right beside the Sydney Opera House. ariarestaurant.com/Sydney

Enjoy a chartered sail and seafood lunch on Sydney Harbour. eastsail.com.au

For more information on the city of Sydney, visit sydney.com

A DROP OF HEAVEN IN THE ITALIAN LAKES

Amiee White Beazley SET OUT ON FOOT TO EXPLORE THE SAME ITALIAN LAKES VISITED BY THE LIKES OF BYRON, NIETZSCHE AND HEMINGWAY.

It was the third straight day of rain. The cobblestone streets of Orta San Giulio, in Italy’s Lake District, were slick, slowing our walking pace as we ensured our feet were connected to the ground with every step. The hood of my rain jacket impeded my vision as I looked to my right and left, taking in every church, gelateria, and pizzeria. It was a downpour and there was no end to it in sight; but it was raining in Italy, which makes all the difference in the world.

The plan from the start was this: explore three of Italy’s five great lakes – Orta, Maggiore and Como – by foot, connecting local hikes and walks (with a few car and boat rides here and there).

To do so, I joined Vermont, USA-based Country Walkers for a guided walking and hiking tour of the region: eight days, three lakes and several routes in between that would wind us through forests, small villages and along the historic paths that wind their way along the border of Switzerland.

THE LAKE OF ARTISTS

Our first stop was two hours north of Milan and the wisteria-lined shores of Lake Orta. If you haven’t heard of Lake Orta, don’t despair, neither had I. It is one of the smallest of the Italian Lakes, but it may very well be the most ethereal and charming.

Lake Orta is where artists once, and still, go to get away and ‘into their heads’. Writers like Byron, Nietzsche, de Balzac and Browning, among others, have come here to escape the hordes of people and the societal jockeying of other European resorts.

We stayed on the eastern shore of Orta San Giulio at the island’s four-star, lakeside Hotel San Rocco, once a 17th-century convent. From here it is easy to access the small alleyways, Nonna-run pizzerias and the baroque church of St. Chiesa dell Assunta.

On our first day in Orta San Giulio, we were led by our guides past this church to a mountain-top shrine called Sacred Mount, home to 20 chapels dedicated to the life

of St Francis of Assisi and built between 1591 and 1700. There are dozens of similar shrines around Italy, visited by pilgrims for centuries; but this is the only one dedicated to someone other than Jesus himself. The construction of these chapels was an amazing act of religious devotion, and one could spend the day admiring the architecture, the sculptures inside and the stories that unfold at each stop, but Sacred Mount is just a fraction of this special town.

Orta San Giulio is filled with small shops and restaurants that, not surprisingly, specialise in seafood plucked from the waters on which it rests. Boats and water taxis criss-cross the water, taking locals and visitors to locations nearby, including the Isola San Giulio, which is a small island dominated by basilica and an abbey of cloistered nuns, giving the island its nickname, the “Island of Silence.”

Above: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees; Opposite page: a rare, white peacock keeping a watchful eye over the gardens of Isola Bella.

It is also a popular summer destination for a small number of Italian families. A highlight was a walk around the island following “The Way of Silence,” which, when followed in the other direction, becomes “The Way of Meditation.”

WHERE HEMINGWAY WAS INSPIRED

It is no secret Ernest Hemingway was connected to Italy and A Farewell to Arms was written in part while convalescing on the shores of Lake Maggiore, his “home away from home.”

This is one of the more developed lake regions, with grand old hotels in Stresa like the Grand Hotel Des Iles Borromees where Hemingway himself slept. Like Hemingway, we made our way to the island of Pescatori, and the green-shuttered, 12-room Hotel Verbano.

The rain did not let up, so our guides made the call not to hike. Instead we were given the chance to explore Isola Bella, which is entirely occupied by the Palazzo Borromeo and its spectacular Italian gardens. Built in the 17th century for the Borromeo family (which still owns the property, opening only selected state rooms to the public), this splendid summer palace features a wealth of paintings by Lombard artists, sculptures by Canova and Flemish tapestries. This is the same palace where Mussolini tried to stop World War II before it began at the Conference of Stresa in April 1935 and the where Napoleon famously made himself at home with his entire entourage for several nights in 1797.

After inspecting every allowable nook and cranny of this jaw-dropping home and garden – the latter is structured as a secession of 10 terraces filled with 17th-century sculptures, magnolias, oleander, cedars, laurel trees and white peacocks – the skies cleared just long enough for us to gather in the garden for a glass of prosecco from the Piedmont region and boat back to Isola Pescatori without a duck and cover.

We were greeted by Hotel Verbena staff with

an afternoon apertivo, another glass of fantastic prosecco, and bites of small Italian cookies. Before dinner, we lingered in our rooms with the French doors thrown open to the terrace, allowing the breeze from the lake to enter and providing views of nearby Isola Madre, plus the sound of boats passing and birds swooping in on the catches local fisherman. Dinner at Hotel Verbano was one of the best of the entire trip. I chose a thoughtfully crafted entrée of risotto with fillets of perch fresh from the lake.

WHERE REPUTATION DOESN’T DO JUSTICE

Of course, the best known of the three – and perhaps all of the Italian lakes – is Lake Como. It was here we travelled to the small but internationally renowned “pearl of Lake Como”, Bellagio.

There we stayed at the incomparable Hotel Belvedere, just a short walk away from town. Hotel Belvedere has a storied history with international travellers and while there we were privy to the hospitality shaped by the five generations of women in the same family,

who have owned and operated Hotel Belvedere since 1880.

The mountains around Lake Como rise strikingly from the shore, which makes for excellent hiking, mountaineering and cycling. Our time in Bellagio was highlighted by a rainy hike from the village of Tremezzo to Lenno along a trail used by generations of Italians. It wove us through small towns, gardens and farms until the end at which we had the meal of the trip at Restaurante Plino. After five hours on the trail, the awaiting carafes of house wine and housemade pappardelle were only outdone by the hands-down, best tiramisu of my life. If not for our local guides, who were with us every step of the way, small gems like this would have been overlooked – and Restaurante Plino is most definitely an osteria (and hotel) worth seeking out. Bellagio and Lake Como have been so built up by their reputation for attracting celebrities and other glitterati, I almost had prepared myself to be let down. Perhaps it would be too crowded? Too touristy? Too perfect? On the contrary, I found a community of real people in a very real place with history and culture layers deep.

Because of the weather, we did fewer hikes than planned throughout our tour of the Italian lakes region. But when that door closed, another door opened – like the one to Villa Carlotta, once a stop for wealthy English on the Grand Tour, and to Villa del Balbianello, Villa Melzi, to Hotel Belvedere’s spa and my favorite Bellagio enoteca for a glass of nebbiolo, Cava Turracciolo.

And when we did hike, amid the sound of bells hanging from the neck of cattle and the curious call of cuckoos in the trees, we retraced the steps of generations of men and women who have worked the hills, fields and mountains of this spectacular region. With every step you create an intimate appreciation for the life of these people, their culture and the stunning landscape they call home – in any kind of weather.

l WALK THIS WAY

The seven-night ‘Italy: The Lakes’ guided tour is run by Country Walkers. Rates start from US$4,748 (about A$6,344) per person. countrywalkers.com

See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

l RECOMMENDED READING

MY BRILLIANT FRIEND by Elena Ferrante

The first of four books set in Naples – and just like Donna Leon for books set in Venice – Elena Ferrante capture the era and feel of this Italian city. This is a modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, it is a rich, intense and generous hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. tripfiction.com/books/brilliant-friend

“Our time in Bellagio was highlighted by a rainy hike from the village of Tremezzo to Lenno along a trail used by generations of Italians. It wove us through small towns, gardens and farms until the end at which we had the meal of the trip at Restaurante Plino”

Opposite page, clockwise from left: beautiful scenery of the Italian lakes region; opulent interiors at Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees; the colourful houses of Lake Como. Above: Road leading from Orta San Giulio to Sacred Mountain shrine honoring St. Francis of Assisi.

AMIEE WHITE BEAZLEY

EXPLORING PORTUGAL’S HEART & SOUL

A 10-DAY ROAD TRIP ACROSS PORTUGAL’S ALENTEJO REGION ALLOWED Phil Hawkes TO DISCOVER THE GROWING NETWORK OF POUSADAS - HOTELS AND RESORTS CREATED FROM THE REMNANTS OF HISTORIC PALACES, CASTLES AND MONASTERIES.

W“atch the gutter,” my wife warned as we exited the Avis depot in Central Lisbon. Heavy roadwork had exposed deep sharp kerbs... but too late, the front bumper touched the concrete. Minor damage, but it reinforced one golden rule: make sure you’ve taken out Super Cover insurance with zero excess.*

It was not a propitious start to a road trip that took us to and through the Alentejo region south-east of Lisbon, right to the Spanish border and back.

But after navigating the busy city streets thanks to the car’s TomTom GPS – another essential – we headed across Europe’s longest bridge, the 17-kilometre Vasco da Gama crossing the Tagus (longest river on the Iberian Peninsula). The sun dappled the river’s broad expanse and we began to relax and enjoy Alentejo, Portugal’s largest province – surprisingly overlooked by tourists, who head mainly for the Algarve in the south or the Douro/ Porto region in the north.

Alentejo is different – almost like parts of Australia, with agriculture and viticulture prominent, but featuring olive and cork trees and gnarly ancient vines. There are storks with babies in their nests on poles everywhere and, of course, constant reminders of Portugal’s rich history – with castles and forts peer-

ing down as we drove along near-deserted highways. No traffic problems or fast-and-furious Italian drivers here, which means driving on the ‘wrong side of the road’ is not as daunting an experience as you might expect.

There’s another major difference, and that’s the reason to visit. Portugal has a growing network of pousadas – hotels and resorts created from the bones of historic buildings such as palaces, castles, convents and monasteries.

These pousadas are the real joy of travelling and overnighting in small villages and regional centres around the country. In Alentejo alone, there are now nine from a total of 33 nationally and they represent the best luxury hospitality Portugal has to offer. We managed to find reasons to visit or stay in six of them during our 10 days exploring the region.

First stop was Flor de Rosa, a small village near Crato in the north of the province. We checked in at the imposing Pousada Mosteiro de Crato, a “castellated monastery” dating back to the 14th century and expanded in subsequent centuries. Over time, it developed three different architectural styles: a castle, a monastery and a palace. Today, it shows what can be done to transform a crumbling ruin into a luxury hotel with creative modern architecture and engineering, while retaining much of the original exterior – including the church tower and beautiful ceilings

Clockwise from top left: courtyard at Pousada Mosteiro Crato; Duke’s Room at Ducal Palace, Vila Vicosa; intricate detailing at Pousada Convento Arraiolos.

Below: fresh cuisine at Pousada Convento Arraiolos.

in the cloister. There’s a large resort-style pool for those hot summer days (sometimes over 40 degrees), a fine restaurant and rooms with every modern convenience.

We had to tear ourselves away from this tranquil place to travel on to Arronches for lunch at the Santo Antonio Hotel, where genial host Jorge introduced us to typical regional dishes such as pig ear salad, chicken giblets in oil and herbs and black pig chorizo. It’s a very ‘porky’ area, and not for vegetarians.

Another day we visited one of Portugal’s tourism gems, the city of Elvas. It’s a World Heritage site dating from the 10th century, later serving as a frontier garrison town with extensive fortifications and a 16th/17th century aqueduct stretching for seven kilometres. It’s an incredible sight when driving into the city for a walking tour, giving a good excuse to enjoy a delicious lunch of Portugal’s famous bacalhau dourada (cod fish mixed with potato and egg) in the restaurant where it was invented, the Santa Luzia Hotel.

Next it was on to Vila Vicosa, a pretty town with nice bars and restaurants but more impor-

tantly, the palatial Paco Ducal (Ducal Palace) of the Braganza family who ruled Portugal from 1640 until the proclamation of the Republic in 1910. The palace and museum is a treasure trove of history, and conveniently next door is the Pousada Convento de Vila Vicosa – a beautifully restored convent with luxury accommodation and a fine dining room. The large rooms and poetic transcriptions around the hotel were hard to say goodbye to, but another experience awaited just a short distance away.

This was the Pousada Castelo de Estremoz, a towering castle-like palace overlooking the busy market town of Estremoz. We were lucky to arrive on market day (Saturday) in time to watch the passing parade of farmers, housewives and typical groups of men who gather for their weekly social. Secret men’s business, indeed.

TOP 10 TABLES IN THE ALENTEJO REGION

1 Mercearia do Gadanha (Estremoz), merceariagadanha.pt

2 Botequim da Mouraria (Évora)

3 Restaurante Adega Velha (Mourão)

4 Restaurante Tasca do Celso (Vila Nova de Milfontes), tascadocelso.com

5 Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira (Évora)

6 Restaurante Mil-Homens (Fronteira)

7 Restaurante Arte e Sal (São Torpes)

8 Restaurante A Escola (Alcácer do Sal)

9 Restaurante O Fialho (Évora), restaurantefialho.pt

10 Restaurante Sal (Comporta), restaurantesal.pt

NICOLE TUJAGUE

NICOLE TUJAGUE

NICOLE TUJAGUE

This pousada is a classic example of what can be done to transform a 13th-century castle and palace into a carefully planned and workable hotel with all mod cons. It’s adorned with paintings and antiques, and the fine restaurant spills out onto a pretty courtyard for al fresco dining and a hearty breakfast.

Possibly the most authentic Alentejo fare we found was at a small bistro-type place in the centre of Estremoz called Mercearia Gadanha, with fresh grilled sardines in season, and local delicacies like goat cheese and pear salad. Delicious! And inexpensive too, by Australian standards.

The following day we found ourselves at the Pousada Convento de Arraiolos – another transformed convent from the 16th century, with arguably the finest restaurant of all the hotels visited on this trip. This was five-star dining and it’s worth looking up their menu to see what creative Alentejo cuisine looks like.

Next on the touring agenda was the famous city of Evora, with its Roman baths and other ruins still intact – and even now, more treasures being excavated.

Our final stay took us to Alcacer do Sal, a town where rice is grown in the river flats and salt is still mined near the Atlantic coast of Alentejo –yes, the region has beaches as well. The impressive Pousada Castelo de Alcacer reigns supremely over the town, and here we spent two nights enjoying the luxury of the hotel as well as the waterfront cafes and bars - and trying another version of bacalhau which we found irresistible, together with the fresh local wines.

In all, we covered nearly 1,000 kilometres on freeways and minor country roads without any problems before returning across the Vasco da Gama bridge to Lisbon. Of all the European countries we visited, Portugal and the Alentejo region in particular have every ingredient for a fascinating road trip with wonderful pousadas to stay in, great food and wine in abundance and dramatic scenery to photograph.

*If you so much as scrape a bumper bar, there’s a minimum fee of €200 to pay; so the ‘Super Cover with nil excess’ is a wise choice.

l STAY HERE

Rates at Pousada Mosteiro Crato start from €120 (about A$176) per night during low season (from November to March, excluding New Year’s Eve and Easter) and €190 (about A$279) during high season (from April to October). pousadas. pt/en/hotel/pousada-crato

Rates at Pousada Convento Vila Vicosa start from €90 (about A$132) per night during low season and €160 (about A$235) during high season. pousadas.pt/en/hotel/pousada-vila-vicosa

Rates at Pousada Castelo Estremoz start from €110 (about A$161) per night during low and €180 (about A$264) during high season. pousadas.pt/en/hotel/pousada-estremoz

Rates at Pousada Convento Arraiolos start from €110 (about A$161) per night during low season and €190 (about A$279) during high season. pousadas.pt/en/hotel/pousada-arraiolos

Rates at Pousada Castelo Alcacer do Sal start from €100 (about A$147) per night during low season and €200 (about A$294) during high season. pousadas.pt/en/hotel/pousada-alcacer

l GET THERE

Emirates offers the only one-stop flights via Dubai to Lisbon; from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Business Class is true luxury with flat beds, five-star cuisine, Bulgari toiletries and ICE (Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system). emirates.com

Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It

In the ten years since its electrifying debut, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love has become a worldwide phenomenon, empowering millions of readers to set out on paths they never thought possible. In this candid and captivating collection, nearly fifty of those readers – as diverse in their experiences as they are in age and background – share their stories.

Eat Pray Love helped one woman to embrace motherhood, another to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and a third to find peace with not wanting to become a mother at all. One writer, reeling from a divorce, finds new love overseas; another leaves a seminary, embraces his sexual identity, and forges a new relationship with God. Some face down illness and crippling fears, and others step out of their old lives to fulfil long-held dreams of singing, acting, writing and teaching.

The journeys they recount are transformative – sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but always inspiring. Entertaining and enlightening, Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It is a celebration for fans old and new.

SKI WHISTLER, BC, CANADA

ANNUAL TRAVEL PLANNER: SKI

Australia

Season: June to October

Best time to go: July & August

THREDBO ALPINE VILLAGE

Thredbo is home to the longest top-to-bottom run and has the most vertical terrain in Australia, promising entertainment for skiers of all levels. thredbo.com.au

● STAY HERE

Thredbo Alpine Hotel

Rates start at $510 per night for a standard king room. thredbo.com.au/ accommodation/thredbo-alpinehotel

FALLS CREEK ALPINE RESORT

At Falls Creek the real wonder is the snow-making equipment, used to ensure ski-in, ski-out conditions for 70 days of the season. fallscreek.com.au

● STAY HERE

QT Falls Creek

Rates start at $700 per night for a one-bedroom apartment. qthotelsandresorts.com/ falls-creek

Thredbo

New Zealand

Season: June to October

Best time to go: July & August

THE REMARKABLES

PERISHER

Perisher has seven mountain peaks with four villages, making it one of the most expansive resorts in Australia. Skiers can extend their time on the slopes with night skiing or turn in early for après-ski. perisher.com.au

● STAY HERE

Perisher Valley Hotel

Rates start around $700 for a king room with breakfast and dinner included. perisher.com. au/perisher-valley-hotel

MOUNT HOTHAM

Mount Hotham’s 320 hectares of terrain has 13 lifts to ensure no one spends too long in a lift line, plus 18 bars and restaurants and a spa when you need to unwind. mthotham.com.au

● STAY HERE

Zirky’s

Rates start at $818 for a two-night stay in a guest room. zirkys.com.au

The Remarkables ski area tends to receive around three metres of natural snowfall annually, which creates a base that is supplemented by snow-making. Defined areas for skiers of different abilities maximise the smaller size of the resort. nzski.com/ queenstown/the-mountains/ the-remarkables

● STAY HERE

Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown Rates start at NZ$665 (about A$622) double occupancy for a lodge room. matakaurilodge.com

Eliza Sullivan LOOKS AT THE BEST TIME TO GO SKIING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES AND WHERE YOU CAN STAY IN LUXURY WHEN YOU GET THERE.

QT Falls Creek

Matakauri Lodge

DO THIS ANNUAL TRAVEL PLANNER_ SKI

TREBLE CONE

Treble Cone is one of the larger ski fields in Central Otago and its 700 metres of vertical terrain are serviced by lifts that can accommodate 4,500 people per hour. The resort has both groomed trails and back-country terrain for more advanced skiers.

● STAY HERE

Wanaka Haven

Rates start at NZ$395 (about A$369) per night for a superior king room. wanakahaven.co.nz

HELI-SKI THE SOUTHERN ALPS

One of the best ways to ski New Zealand is to heli-ski out of the adventure sport capital Queenstown. Providers like Alpine Heli-Ski or Harris Mountains Heli-Ski offer trips for intermediate and expert skiers who aren’t afraid of powder for days. alpineheliski.com; heliski.co.nz

● STAY HERE

Azur Lodge

Daily winter rates start at NZ$1,200 (about A$1,122) +GST. azur.co.nz

USA

Season: late November to April

Best time to go: January through March

ASPEN SNOWMASS (COLORADO)

Aspen does luxury skiing better than many other areas, with great accommodations and conditions – the slopes receive an average of 7.62 metres of natural snow a year. aspensnowmass.com

● STAY HERE

The Little Nell

Rates start at US$386 (about A$513) plus taxes for a town-side guest room. thelittlenell.com

TELLURIDE (COLORADO)

Telluride is a popular resort for skiers of all abilities, with trail distribution that allows everyone to enjoy the sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains. tellurideskiresort.com

● STAY HERE

Inn at Lost Creek

Rates start from US$683 (about A$907) for a junior suite. innatlostcreek.com

DEER VALLEY (UTAH)

For avid skiers, Deer Valley is a haven free from snowboards. That’s right – the resort is strictly ‘ski-only’. The service at the resort is consistently ranked among the best, making for a great guest experience. deervalley.com

● STAY HERE

St. Regis Deer Valley

Rates start at US$1,094 (about A$1,454) for a superior room. stregisdeervalley.com

PARK CITY (UTAH)

Park City has a town that balances luxury with a homey atmosphere and a piste network so big it would take days to explore it all. Snowfall averages nine metres each year from skies that are otherwise always clear and blue. parkcitymountain.com

● STAY HERE

Washington School House

Rates start at US$925 (about A$1,230) for a 16foot ceiling king room. washingtonschoolhouse.com

Canada

Season: November to April

Best time to go: January through March

WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB (BRITISH COLUMBIA)

Whistler receives 11 metres of natural snowfall in an average winter, which covers its 8,000 acres of terrain. The sheer size of the resort makes it worth visiting, and the quality of the terrain ensures an exciting ski vacation. whistlerblackcomb.com

● STAY HERE

The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler Deluxe Studio Suite from CA$563 (about A$577) per night. westinwhistler.com

BANFF (ALBERTA)

Banff is actually made up of three ski resorts in the heart of the Canadian Rockies: the Sunshine Ski Resort, Lake Louise Ski Resort and Mt Norquay. Tri-area lift tickets allow visitors to ski all three peaks. skibig3.com

● STAY HERE

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise King room from CA$339 (about A$347) per night. fairmont.com/lake-louise

SKI PLANNER

Park City

Azur Lodge

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Whistler

Japan

Season: December to April

Best time to go: January and February

NISEKO

Niseko is considered one of the best ski resorts in Japan. Each year it receives upwards of 15 metres of snowfall to cover the mountain, which has 30 lifts and three gondolas. niseko.ne.jp/en

● STAY HERE

Kasara

Townhouses start from JPY173,376 (about A$2,176) per night. kasara.com/nisekovillage

Switzerland

Season: Year-round, in small corners like Zermatt

ZERMATT

Best time to go: January to March

Home to the famed Matterhorn Mountain, there are areas of Zermatt that are often skiable in the middle of summer. The highest ski resort in Europe is best visited in the winter months, but has a tiny area that remains open all year. zermatt.ch/en/skiing

● STAY HERE

Mont Cervin Palace

Rates start at CHF755 (about A$1,023) per night for an alpine classic room. montcervinpalace.ch/en

ST. MORITZ

Best time to go: February and March

St. Moritz is one of the bestknown ski mountains in Europe, but keep in mind that it caters more to an intermediate and expert field of skiers than beginners. stmoritz.ch/en

● STAY HERE

Badrutts Palace Hotel

Rates start at CHF660 (about A$893) per night for a superior single room. badruttspalace.com/en

France

Season: December to April

Best time to go: February and March

CHAMONIX-MONT-BLANC

The ski area at Chamonix is divided into four sections, each of which promises the same variety of slopes for differing abilities, sweeping views, and snow covered trees that make it a worthwhile ski destination. chamonix.com

● STAY HERE

Hameau Albert 1er

Rates start at US$349 (about A$465) per night for a double room. hameaualbert.fr/en

MÉRIBEL

Méribel’s great skiing is parallel by incredible views of the surrounding French Alps, making skiing there both a sport and a sight-seeing expedition. The areas are accessible for all skiers and a pass allows you to ski all areas. french-alps.meribel. net/ski-france-2011.html

● STAY HERE

Hotel Le Kaila Méribel

Rates start at €630 (about A$929) per night for a signature room. lekaila.com/fr/le-kaila OR

Rent a luxury catered chalet from Meriski. meriski.co.uk

Austria

Season: December to April Best time to go: January through early March

LECH ZÜRS AM ARLBERG

Known as one of the best villages in the alps, an Arlberg lift card gives avid skiers access to cable cars in all five Arlberg resorts and 200 kilometres of high Alpine runs. lechzuers.com/skiing

● STAY HERE

Thurnher Alpenhof

Rates start at A$780 for a double room. thurnhers.com

Luxe For Less

WHISTLER SKI DEAL

Earlybird savings of up to 30 per cent on accommodation at Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, plus up to 54 per cent off lift passes and kids under 13 ski/rent free. travelplan.com.au

ZERMATT SKI DEAL

Book a stay from 15 October to 27 November 2016 to get on the snow earlier by testing new ski packages in Zermatt’s SkiTest. zermatt.ch/en/ accommodations/Packagesspecial-offers/Skitest

PERISHER SKI DEAL

Book any five-day lift ticket for Perisher at the Buy Early and Save price, and pay only the price for four days. perisher.com.au/tickets-passes/ prices/5-for-4

Thurnher Alpenhof

Badrutts Palace

WE VISIT LUXURY PROPERTIES ACROSS THE GLOBE IN TASMANIA / NEW ZEALAND / BALI / SRI LANKA / CHINA / THAILAND / NSW & SUITES IN PARIS, BARCELONA AND SYDNEY.

THE TASTE OF TASMANIA

THE CULINARY DELIGHTS OF THE APPLE ISLE TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THIS CELEBRATED LUXURY LODGE, WRITES Elspeth Callender .

I’ve called Tasmania home since the heart-shaped isle was barely known beyond its Overland Track, shrieking devils and forbidden fruit; since the East Coast-site now home to luxury lodge Saffire Freycinet was covered in caravans. Yet Saffire and I were only recently introduced.

When I sit down for my first meal and scan the list of contributing local farmers, growers, bakers, delis and roasters, I see some familiar favourites of my own. Seasonal foraging is a way of life in this state and there are ingredients from Saffire’s garden, a local’s beehives and the bushland and shorelines of Freycinet Peninsula. In fact, Saffire turns out to be so genuinely Tasmanian flavoured, I have the easy sense we’ve met before.

Just as Saffire’s architecture frames, highlights and amplifies this peninsula’s natural beauty, executive chef and assistant general manager, Hugh Whitehouse, and head chef, Simon Pockran, are responsible for doing the same with the foodstuffs of the island. Or, on occasion, with some insanely exotic edible

flown in from elsewhere on a wildly extravagant whim. Although Whitehouse has always been the central creative force, his entire staff is culpable.

One of Saffire’s chefs, Jay Whitfield, walked and talked me through the kitchen and lunchtime drill earlier in the day. It’s clear to me he loves what he does and appreciates being trusted to create what feels, smells, looks, tastes right. He also flashes me lists of information about guests; intelligence channelled into the kitchen so every visitor’s dining experience can be subtly customised. The data is so much more comprehensive than allergies and intolerances that I suspect they know whom I voted for in the last federal election and where I’m most ticklish.

My first meal is a six-course dégustation with matched wines served by Patrick and Ashley. These two young Tasmanians have such classic style and grace it’s only the sight of the sunset-pink Hazards that reminds me I’m not in an EM Forster novel. Patrick is unflappable, while Ashley does have to fight to hide his excitement

once or twice when introducing us to his favourite European wines.

Dinner begins with a spring salad of pickled and fresh seasonal vegetables, quinoa and milk curd. This is followed by an eight-grain congee with scallops, green lip abalone and smoked eel that my dining companion finds so inexplicably delicious he nearly laughs the first mouthful back onto the plate. A second seafood dish is miso-caramelised hapuka with hand-picked spanner crab, fine seaweeds, oyster cream and shitake. The strip of Rangers Valley beef – one of just a few ingredients imported from ‘the mainland’ – is eye-rollingly tasty. Mango, tapioca pearls, mandarin granita, ginger cream and sheep's milk yoghurt sorbet arrives after a cheese course of 18-month cloth-matured Pyengana cheddar with pickled walnuts, dried fruit and nut bread.

The menu changes every day and Saffire’s charming general manager, Justin King, tells me they will occasionally set up the whole kitchen for groups en plein air if the weather and vibe are right. We like to nod first, he tells

Clockwise from far left: Picturesque views of the landscape from the Luxury Suite; an afternoon visit to Freycinet Marine Farm; fresh oysters, lime and sunshine.

ELSPETH CALLENDER

ELSPETH CALLENDER

me, then nut out the logistics second.

That this attitude, innovation and energy can be found on a fairly isolated peninsula of a remote island off a far-flung country is no great surprise to me. Places that offer space to move and room to think – they are usually geographically extreme with a well-preserved natural environment and low population density –have a tendency to encourage particular personalities to reach their full potential.

The next day, even though I’ve had Whitfield’s succulent slow-roasted goat with selfserve salads for lunch (because Saffire knows too much formal dining gets tedious), I’m peckish by mid-afternoon having already been conditioned by the hotel to eat something sublime every two hours.

So, I’m soon ankle-deep in mud and thighdeep in seawater in Greater Swanport river estuary. Activity guides talk us through oyster farming in a nutshell before we slurp down Pacifics pried open within sight of their own breeding racks, and wash them back with lime and local bubbly or chardonnay. It’s a windy day but warm in the bright sun and my faded green

waders insulate me from the cool water. Not surprisingly, this activity appears on the Saffire schedule every day of the week.

I squeeze in a cocktail mixology class before dinner and learn how to make what I now know is my favourite cocktail – an Eastside, with fresh mint from the kitchen garden. Cooking demonstrations, which I run out of time to fit in, are also available, given by either the sous or head chef.

Something else to come back for is the socalled wine and vine adventure, which alternates between tours of Freycinet Vineyard and Apsley Gorge Vineyard. The latter’s owner, Brian Franklin, was a crayfisherman who pursued a Frenchwoman all the way to Europe. He came home sans the girl of his dreams but avec a barrelful of her family’s winemaking knowledge. Or so the story goes.

In small insular populations, like Tasmania’s,

people often develop a broader set of skills and transfer their knowledge and abilities between diverse occupations. Saffire’s devil wrangler is also a wildlife artist. The co-owner of Freycinet Marine Farm, specialising in mussels and oysters, was a sheep farmer a decade ago. Whitehouse has also fallen fairly far from the tree having been raised on a farm in NSW. When I ask Jay, at the end of the kitchen tour, if he’s interested in working his way up to executive chef, he just grins and tells me he’s off next month to join the commandos.

All-inclusive rates at Saffire Freycinet start from $1,950 per night for a luxury suite. Further information about complimentary experiences can be found on Saffire’s website. saffire-freycinet.com.au

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

“That this attitude, innovation and energy can be found on a fairly isolated peninsula of a remote island off a far-flung country is no great surprise to me”

EMBRACE RELEASE

There are many sides to The Islands of Tahiti. Yet they are all connected by Mana. Mana is a life force and spirit that surrounds us. You can see it. Touch it. Taste it. Feel it. And from the moment you arrive, you will understand why we say our Islands are

To discover Mana for yourself, visit Tahiti-Tourisme.com.au

Not many major cities can boast an idyllic island getaway a mere 35-minute ferry ride away. So if you’re spending time in Auckland, make a point of hopping on the ferry and heading across to Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. With world-class wineries (about 30 vineyards in total), olive oil estates, beautiful beaches and a lively art scene, you won’t be disappointed.

Originally a hippie hangout, Waiheke attracts international celebrities, artists, writers, poets and regular folk who come to experience the quiet, laid-back vibe of a small town, while still offering the comforts of great food, wine and wonderful hospitality.

If you enjoy an intimate setting with stunning ocean views, personal service and fabulous food, then your itinerary should include a couple of nights at Delamore Lodge. Only one kilometre from the Matiatia Ferry Terminal, the lodge can arrange to pick you up or, alternately, you can opt for the more adventurous helicopter ride from Auckland

city (10-15 minutes flying time lands you right at the doorstep). I decided to rent a car to explore the island, but there are also plentiful buses, taxis, electric bicycles and tour shuttle buses.

Once you enter the iron gates of Delamore Lodge, you may want to give a silent thank you to owner Roselyn Barnett-Storey for sharing this incredible spot. Her original plan was to build her private home here; but fortunately for guests of the island, this special spot is now available for our enjoyment. The curved walls of the Mediterranean-style lodge, with its structural timber beams, Italian-inspired outdoor fireplace and olive and citrus trees, give the place a real Tuscan feel.

The positioning of the infinity pool, set at the front of the property, allows you to enjoy the biggest drawcard of the lodge – the expansive view over Owhanake Bay. For extra relaxation, there is also a central courtyard with water features and a cave-like area that houses a large spa tub and sauna. Spa treatments can also be arranged on site.

The lodge itself is open plan, with a sweeping staircase that leads to a large lounge area, kitchen and fireplace. There are several seating areas, both inside and outside, with oversized leather couches and chairs. You can mingle with other guests or choose a more intimate corner and enjoy your privacy. There are four suites facing north across the bay, plus a two-bedroom apartment ideal for a family or couples travelling together. The suites are decorated in neutral earthy tones and the bathrooms have open showers with river rock floors. All rooms also have private

“The curved walls of the Mediterraneanstyle lodge, with its structural timber beams, Italian-inspired outdoor fireplace and olive and citrus trees, give the place a real Tuscan feel”

WHARENUI PAVILION

patios, perfect for enjoying tea in the morning or a glass of wine in the afternoon.

Beach bags and towels are conveniently provided, so take a stroll to the beach below or head into town and choose from Oneroa or Little Oneroa beach – both are suitable for swimming and kayaking. Enjoy lunch in town and head back in time for pre-dinner wine and canapés in the central lounge. There are plenty of dining options in the village; but of course there is always the option to dine-in at the lodge in front of the fire, and we were happy that we did. Chef Eddie is talented beyond his years. A young local with a passion for food and a desire to please, he went out of his way to make sure we were well taken care of. Our meal included roasted eggplant with pomegranate, goats' cheese and Moroccan spice, and a beautiful pan-seared John Dory. Other options included seared local duck with pomegranate jus, apple and fennel salad, prime Wagyu beef with a roasted smoked paprika and duck fat potato. Capping off the delicious meal was the house-made dessert –a deconstructed lemon curd tart paired with raspberry vinegar, goji berries, crystallised rose petals and salted caramel ice cream.

There is no set structure to the breakfast menu; instead, the chef is happy to accommodate your preferences. We started out with fresh fruit, pastries, yogurt and granola, and then ordered poached eggs and mushrooms. If you get peckish during the day, there is always the tea station in the lounge area with a selection of refreshments and delicious homemade cookies.

The owner has managed to create a space which draws inspiration from the cultural history of the surrounds. Using the traditional Māori fish hook – called a hei matau – as the basis for the lodge’s architectural design. Roselyn has not neglected her ability to command the attention of many people –once living the life of a corporate CEO, she now chooses to focus that same energy and commitment on guest satisfaction.

Rates at Delamore Lodge start from NZ$944 (about A$901) per night for a suite accommodating two people. delamorelodge.com/reservations

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

THE PAVILION

RELAX WITH BOOKS AND GAMES

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN TRANQUIL LUXURY

PROUDLY BRANDED AS A “TROPICAL HOTEL ON THE ISLAND OF THE GODS”, THE INTERCONTINENTAL BALI RESORT IS DESIGNED TO BLEND LUXURIOUS MODERN CONVENIENCE WITH TRADITIONAL BALINESE ARCHITECTURE, REPORTS Sophie Hardy

As we drive through the palatial gardens of InterContinental Bali Resort, the sounds of birds eclipse the beeping horns of Bali’s capital, Denpasar.

This could well be paradise. The resort claims prime real estate along the white shores of Jimbaran Bay, a small alcove at the start of the Uluwatu Peninsula. Red hibiscus and frangipanis line the walkways that weave in and around the lush gardens, past rows of crisp, white sun lounges pointed out to sea.

With current travel trends focusing on tree-houses and glamour-tents, it’s easy to forget the sheer indulgence of a classic resort: the ease and comfort of everything you need and want under one (Balinesethatched) roof.

We’re met with wide smiles and a glass of champagne as we enter the Club Lounge for our private check-in, before being shown to our room.

It becomes apparent that this will be a place you don’t need – or want – to leave as we pass the

Uluwatu Spa, the gym and two of the three restaurants (Japanese, Indonesian and Italian).

In a private wing of the hotel, our Club InterContinental room has a separate pool (there are six in total), where we retreat from the heat.

Before I even glance at a poolside cabana, a member of staff lays down a towel. Even with 417 rooms to administer, the service at the resort is exemplary: a glass is never empty; a need is always anticipated.

We claim our spot, throwing down a stack of books before the first of many swims. We spend the day in and out of the pool with pages of my book rapidly consumed at a similar rate to fresh coconuts. I reassure myself that tomorrow I’ll “do” something, but not today.

As the sun recedes, Happy Hour begins. Club guests enjoy complimentary cocktails from 4:30pm to 7:30pm, and we wander barefoot to the Sunset Bar and Grill, aptly named for its uninterrupted views of the horizon.

Here we soak up the last of the day’s light, fading to the sound of crashing waves before some traditional Indonesian fare (think satay, sambal and seafood) at Jimbaran Gardens, the hotel’s casual restaurant perched by the pool.

The next morning we walk along the beach towards The Villa Retreat – tucked away in the northern end of the resort –for our private yoga class.

The Villa Retreat is all about R&R: Romance and Relaxation. Specialising in

pampering for couples, it has three selfcontained villas – each decked out with its own treatment room, garden courtyard and swimming pool.

Here – in an open-air pavilion - a friendly, flexible yogi in flowing white linen guides us through an hour-long hatha class which, despite the ocean breeze, escalates quickly into hot yoga.

We reward our sun salutations and downward dogs with a languid breakfast in the Club Lounge, where a grand piano

and mahogany bar are flanked by tables set with fine china and white orchids. In the company of hot coffee, poached eggs and the newspaper, we are perfectly content.

No Bali holiday, though, would be complete without a couples' massage. We follow the wooden boardwalk back to the Villa Retreat, disappearing into a cool, dark room before re-emerging 90 minutes later shiny and transcendent: a true sign of relaxation.

As the sun sets on our final day in Bali, we bow out in style with dinner at Bella Cucina, the InterContinental’s fine dining Italian restaurant. I even wear shoes.

Open only for dinner, it’s a magical seaside setting with red lanterns dangling from frangipani trees – backdropped by the starlit sky.

The soft light and starched napkins evoke an elegance that is confirmed by the menu. It’s classic Italian interspersed with ingredients such as truffles, burrata cheese and foie gras, and matched by Italian wines and fine champagnes.

This is the kind of restaurant you would drive a long distance to enjoy, so the fact our room is less than 150 metres away makes our tiramisu even sweeter.

We toast the weekend over a bottle of Barolo, acknowledging how refreshed we feel after just two days. Maybe it’s the massage oil, but we are definitely glowing.

It’s easy to let our fast-paced, organised lives seep into our holidays. But this trip has reminded me that the biggest luxury is giving yourself permission to have no fixed timetable.

Sometimes when you go half as fast, you experience twice as much. The InterContinental Bali Resort is the perfect place to do just this.

Rates start from US$184 (about A$249) per night for a King Resort Classic Room and US$1,568 (about A$2,119) per night for a two-bedroom Jivana Villa with pool. bali.intercontinental.com

See more images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

From top: master bedroom in the Club Jivana Villa; Club Jivana Villa private outdoor pool.

“We toast the weekend over a bottle of Barolo, acknowledging how refreshed we feel after just two days. Maybe it’s the massage oil, but we are definitely glowing”

Pure Journey

TAKE AN AUSPICIOUS STEP TO BLISS WITH OUR LUXURY ESCAPES

For your own tailor made Pure luxury itinerary around India and beyond, call us today on 1300 793 010 enquiry@pureindiacollection.com.au www.pureindiacollection.com.au

WALLTO-WALL ALLURE

In Galle, Sri Lanka’s burgeoning cosmopolitan capital, salty sea-winds freshen the air and the average temperature rarely falls below 26 degrees Celsius. This ancient coastal city on the country’s fashionable south coast retains its old-world charm within the historical walls of Galle Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage site and an impressive example of Dutch-colonial architecture.

Right in the heart of Galle Fort is Ambassador’s House, a restored 17th-century grand villa that was once the family home of a Sri Lankan Ambassador. With five ensuite bedrooms and a private rooftop terrace, the villa is set among Galle Fort’s restaurants, cafes and boutique stores, and is a 10-minute drive to nearby beaches.

Upon entry, the villa opens out into an expansive living room that leads onto a double-colonnaded veranda. The first floor bedrooms are spacious; the alfresco feel emphasised by high ceilings and four-poster beds veiled in white mosquito netting. Two single beds occupy the twin room, while the master bedroom features a king-sized bed, a lounge area and a white

terrazzo bathtub. The three bedrooms on the ground floor are furnished with king-size four-poster beds and wooden shutter doors that open directly onto the rectangular pool area.

Guests can relax in the downstairs paved courtyard or watch the sunset and enjoy a glass of wine on the dual-level roof terrace. Alternatively, an air-conditioned living area sits opposite the pool terrace and includes a movie library, satellite TV and numerous games for all ages.

There are several staff on hand during stays, including an in-house chef and a housekeeper. Guests are able to choose from a selection of Sri Lankan and Western dishes. While guests are required to cover the cost of the food, the preparation and service of the meals is included in the rental cost.

Ambassador’s House sleeps a maximum of 10 guests. Rates start from US$600 (about A$821) per night for exclusive use. ambassadorshouse.com

You can view this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

From top: The patio and garden area at nightfall; Airy master bedroom on the first floor; Guests can lounge on day beds in the reading room.

STAY IN AMBASSADORIAL ELEGANCE IN SRI LANKA’S HISTORIC GALLE FORT.

BY Katie Milton.

AMBASSADOR’S HOUSE_ GALLE, SRI LANKA

FROM TEA TO SEA

Eliza Sullivan REPORTS ON A TRULY RESPLENDENT SRI LANKAN RESORT.

The luxurious Cape Weligama resort, on the south coast of Sri Lanka, sits across 12 acres of cliff-top land with sweeping views out over the Indian Ocean. Guests stay in large rooms that range in expanse all the way up to a two-floor residence.

The resort is the vision of the family owners of the famous Ceylon Tea Trails properties: a series of colonial bungalows with wide verandahs, set in the lush, inland Sri Lankan tea country; where butlers serve cucumber sandwiches and guests wander fragrant gardens, play tennis and croquet and visit tea factories to learn tea connoisseurship. Cape Weligama addresses a previously unmet demand from visitors to the Ceylon Tea Trails to extend their stay and have other Sri Lankan experiences.

During a stay at Cape Weligama, guests can choose from a variety of activities to fill their days – if lounging by the infinity pool isn’t enough. The main pool overlooks a 40-foot drop to the Indian Ocean, with only the occasional palm obstructing the views. At the resort itself, PADI-certified scuba diving is offered and beginners can start in a dedicated pool before heading out to the reefs. There’s also whale watching, surfing, fishing excursions, kayaking and of course spa treatments – which are administered in a guest’s residence by expert technicians. Short drives can deliver guests to the nearby historic Galle Fort or to Uda Walawe National Park to see sloth bears, elephants and crocodiles.

Dining at Cape Weligama is exceptional in quality and variety. Like the Ceylon Tea Trails bungalows, the resort has met the high standards required to merit the Relais & Châteaux badge. All dining venues offer different cuisines inspired by fresh ingredients. Guests can visit the De Mauny Dining Pavilion for fresh seafood, Rogue for traditional steakhouse fare or Misaki for high-end Japanese. Those looking for an authentic Sri Lankan dining experience can visit Kumbuk, a Sri Lankan village-style restaurant where they eat with their hands, or the Taylor Pavilion for a Ceylon high tea.

The guest rooms, suites and residences offer spaces that open onto covered terraces where guests can relax and dine. Even the smallest room still provides guests with 130 square metres in which to relax – more than double the size of hotel rooms in the city. All rooms come

From top: living pavilion with sea views; authentic village-style dining; deepsoaking bathtub for pure relaxation in your room.

“Cape Weligama addresses a previously unmet demand from visitors to the Ceylon Tea Trails to extend their stay and have other Sri Lankan experiences”

equipped with their own steam room, save the Cape Weligama Residence, which instead has its own private infinity pool and sundeck.

Resplendent Ceylon – the parent company of both Cape Weligama and the Ceylon Tea Trails bungalows – offers a Tea & Sea package for guests to experience both the seaside luxury of Cape Weligama and the unique Tea Trails property further inland. It is a seamless itinerary that includes stays at both residences and seaplane transfers between each.

Cape Weligama rates start around US$275 (about A$368) per night for a pool-view junior suite bed & breakfast package; while a fully inclusive stay in a Master Room 150 starts at around US$582 (about A$779) per double per night, including all meals, afternoon teas, minibar usage, house spirits and wines, laundry, WiFi, and a complimentary daily activity. resplendentceylon.com/capeweligama

l LUXE FOR LESS

By booking travel in September, October or November by 31 August 2016, you can stay at Cape Weligama and the Ceylon Tea Trails for less. You’ll receive an extra night when you pay for four nights in full at the time of booking.

l OPENING SOON

The Resplendent Ceylon collection will introduce a new property in May 2017, the Wild Coast Tented Lodge. This new lodge will offer 28 tented luxury suites along the beach only one kilometre from Yala National Park. Guests will able to experience the wonder of spotting leopards, elephants and bear before returning to their luxurious tent –complete with a plunge pool and 55 square metres of living space.

“All rooms come equipped with their own steam room, save the Cape Weligama Residence, which instead has its own private infinity pool and sundeck”

ON THE WATER'S EDGE

RIDING THROUGH THE SRI LANKAN COUNTRYSIDE

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

THIS SUPERB SPA AND RESORT MARRIES ANCIENT CHINESE VALUES, CONTEMPORARY LUXURY AND EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES, WRITES Gary Allen.

The city of Guangzhou (population 14 million) is growing rapidly and becoming more cosmopolitan by the day. As the hub for China Southern Airlines and a stopover from Sydney on the route to Europe, Guangzhou and its surrounding region is attracting more attention from travellers. A one-hour drive outside the city on freshly-built highways is Conghua District, a region largely undiscovered by Westerners but appreciated for centuries by locals as a place of lychees, clean fresh air, mountainous countryside and therapeutic hot springs.

Nestled in the foothills of Conghua’s Phoenix Mountain is Imperial Springs, an oasis in a league of its own, and the perfect stopover to make best use of China’s short stay visas. From the moment we are met at the airport by our driver and butler, we are made to feel like very special guests. Having arrived from Sydney in the evening, we're asked if we would like something from the menu waiting for us in our room for when we arrived. A short drive later and we pass through the guarded gates and into the resort.

Imperial Springs is run primarily as an exclusive club membership and hasn’t been heavily

marketed to consumers; you may have the resort to yourself without many other guests around. If you are seeking privacy, it’s yours to enjoy, with staff always on hand. You may have the dining room to yourself or if you prefer, dine in your villa.

The architecture and decor at Imperial Springs is a harmonious blend of classical Chinese and contemporary design. Suites and villas are modern and expansive, decorated in an art deco style with a Chinese twist with rooms that are airy, bright and very comfortable. Bathrooms are huge, each with a large square Jacuzzi tub, steam room, sauna and massage room. Each villa has its own pool fed from the hot springs, as well as a large lap pool. Each has a separate lounge room/ pavilion for TV, entertainment and dining. Your butler is a phone call away and available 24/7. Call for a buggy to take you anywhere across the resort’s sprawling 246 hectares – only buggies are allowed.

High tea is offered at the hotel in the Imperial Lounge lobby bar overlooking the Phoenix Mountains. The blue-tiled roofs against the bright green landscape paint an incredibly beautiful picture. July is lychee season and at Imperial Springs you will find arguably the best lychees

A true piece of paradise

Bentota, Sri Lanka +94 34 720 0334 / resv@samanvilla.com www.samanvilla.com

Saman Villas, a true piece of paradise. Immerse yourself in the style and sophistication of one of the most luxurious boutique hotels on the island. Walk on the pristine beach, take a relaxing dip in the sea, discover inner harmony with a pampering spa session or lose yourself in gourmet delights. At Saman Villas, luxury comes as standard and ‘getting away from it all’ takes on a whole new meaning.

anywhere in the world. The trees are everywhere and guests are free to pick.

The 27-hole golf course designed by Colin Montgomerie is very challenging. Luckily, our caddie was extremely knowledgeable and she definitely took some numbers from my score. The course is beautifully maintained and a lot of fun to play. It even has automatic navigation, driverless carts. Your cart follows you as you walk up the fairways while it stays on the pathways. The clubhouse is 28,000 square metres and just incredible with everything you could want in a clubhouse. It’s a great day of golfing and enjoying the outdoors surrounded by the beautiful countryside.

On site is the Kingold Museum, with more than 20,000 pieces of precious antiquities

– porcelain, bronze, jade, painting and calligraphy – some more than 5,000 years old. The collection is on par with the very best of New York, Paris or Rome. We were met by the head curator who personally guided us through various artifacts drawn from throughout China’s history. It is one of the largest private collections of antiques and treasures in China and one could spend days taking it all in. Absolutely amazing.

Be sure to take the local village tour to Qiangang. Escorted by your resort guide, step back in time as you wander through this ancient village, and its meandering lanes of timber houses. Stop off at one of the little cafés for a local tea or coffee and a sweet snack and watch the life of the villagers go by.

In stark contrast, the Imperial Springs spa is expansive and lavish. Indoor and outdoor pools, hot and cool pools, and outdoor hot springs are set across 6,500 square metres of quiet, blissful oasis. Six pools are all distinctly landscaped and are very private. Seven treatment rooms and three spa villas are available – the traditional Chinese massage really hits the spot after a round of 18 holes.

Suite “A” rates start at CNY4,000 (about A$800) per night twin share. Villa “A” rates start at CNY13,800 (about A$2,760) per night twin share. imperialsprings.com/en

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

“Suites and villas are modern and expansive, decorated in an art deco style with a Chinese twist”

OUTDOOR POOL KINGOLD MUSEUM DETAILS ART DECO MEETS CHINESE STYLE

IMPERIAL SPA

IN-VILLA DINING

BORN AGAIN

DROP OUT, TUNE IN AND REJUVENATE IN THIS AWARD-WINNING WORLD-CLASS SPA IN A LUSH TROPICAL THAI SETTING. Gary Allen REPORTS.

The term “Health and Wellness” has well and truly replaced the familiar “health spa” and so has the makeup of the clientele. Health spas mostly catered to a female market; mothers, wives, and professionals detoxing and getting some well-earned respite from kids, husbands, and jobs. Today’s health and wellness offerings target a broader, unisex demographic.

Consider Koh Samui’s Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa. During my stay at Kamalaya I opted for the Comprehensive Optimal Fitness program, designed for regular exercisers looking to “balance intense exercise, relaxation techniques and stretching, optimum nutrition and a healthy lifestyle”. It entails plenty of workouts with weights and exercises, tailored individually for you and your capabilities, all undertaken with your personal trainer. It’s a program designed to appeal to both women and men. Kamalaya offers programs to suit a wide variety of per-

sonal needs, from detox to healthy lifestyle.

Two-time winner of Luxury Travel magazine’s Gold List Award for Best Overseas Health & Wellness Property, Kamalaya is set in lush tropical jungle, punctuated with bubbling streams that emerge onto a secluded private beach. It’s the perfect backdrop to retreat and reassess emotionally, physically and spiritually. This is one resort where going solo can have its own pleasures and advantages. Time for time out, for solitude and at Kamalaya there are plenty of guests doing just that. If you choose, the solitude can be relieved by the communal atmosphere. All meals can be enjoyed at a community dining table and we did join a few nights, which was great fun meeting and hearing about everyone’s experiences. Many opt for in-room dining and early night to ensure they wake up fresh and ready for the busy day ahead.

On our first day I was met by a nurse who checked my blood pressure and recorded

weight, height and other measurements. I was then hooked up to a device that electronically measures bio-impedance body composition analysis (BIA), recording body mass index (BMI), hydration levels, energy and cell integrity – a snapshot of how your body is functioning. Report in hand, I meet our nutritionist and discuss what I want to achieve from the program and define a schedule. It’s going to be a busy seven days.

Next I met with Robin, my personal trainer, who again made an assessment, checking posture and movement, laying out a workout program. Each day I had a different workout and different exercises, all done in less than 45 minutes and a total body workout. Yoga is also part of the daily routine, and numerous massages are included in the package – different techniques of massage are available, from traditional Thai to Aruveydic, all nurturing in their own way, delivered by skilled therapists who are so knowledgeable, describing the

treatment and its benefits beforehand. After a day or two of this regime, workouts, yoga and massage, you can already feel body and soul drawing benefit.

Food at Kamalaya is integrated into your program. With the physical activity of the Comprehensive Optimal Fitness program, protein needs to be on the plate. Grilled ostrich or fresh fish every day supplemented by amazing salads and side dishes fits the bill. Menus are creative and healthy with a wide choice. At breakfast, an array of fresh fruits and vegetables is displayed with nametags advising whether or not the item is suitable for the detox program. Fresh-baked breads and nut spreads, jams, soups, porridge and granola are all labelled gluten-free or sugar-free, so you can decide. Detox or no detox, you can also order eggs your way and so many other creations from the chef.

Central to Kamalaya is its holistic approach to wellbeing: your body, mind and spirit. Tak-

ing time to think about mind and spirit; taking time to relax and be more aware of the body. My program included several personal mentoring sessions. Rajesh, once a banker, is now a monk and a mentor. In our first session we just sat and talked about life for an hour, which leaves the mind refreshed. In session two, I learned to meditate, embarking on a journey to a refreshed mind and elevated spirit; an amazing experience and life changing in so many ways. Kamalaya is a great program for any man or woman who may be in need of an adjustment to their lives or is at a personal crossroad. For many it will bring a whole new outlook to your life and that is difficult to put a price on.

Before you go, consider collecting blood, stool and urine sample results for the nutritionist to analyse. It will enable Kamalaya to adapt the program for optimal body results and function for the week and beyond.

While focus is on wellbeing, one is cocooned

in comfort in sumptuously appointed accommodation, ranging from hillside villas to seaview suites and penthouses, priced accordingly.

Kamalaya is a retreat for adults looking to focus on their wellbeing. It is not recommended for children, and while children can stay, there are no concessions, facilities or services offered to cater for them.

l STAY HERE

Kamalaya’s luxury accommodation starts with Sea-View Suites at $466 per night for singles, $600 double for low season (April-October). There is a minimum stay of three nights throughout the year excluding peak season; minimum stay seven nights during peak season from 20 December to 15 January every year. The Comprehensive Optimal Fitness program costs $6,141 for a seven-night stay and $8,349 for 10 nights. A three-night Introduction to Detox costs $2,230. kamalaya.com

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

Clockwise from left: oceanside views; twobedroom Beachfront Pool Villa; hang drum musician.

GARY ALLEN

BY NAME, BY NATURE

A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE NEW SOUTH WALES NORTH COAST, HALCYON HOUSE STAYS TRUE TO ITS MONIKER, WRITES Kelly Allen .

THE HALCYON HOUSE BICYCLE FLEET

Pulling into Halcyon House at Cabarita Beach, you might wonder if you are in the right spot. From the outside, it portrays a retro motel, the casual, white three-storey complex is not your usual sprawling luxury accommodation. But don’t let the facade fool you. As you peek around the corner, you are guaranteed to be surprised and impressed by what you find.

The chic elegance of Halcyon House is balanced with a casual vibe of beach club standards. Enjoy a welcome drink of homemade sparkling minty lemonade in the lounge area while you realign your initial thoughts on this luxe spot. You may find yourself staring at the walls, floors… in fact, the entire space, all decorated with intense shades of blues and white, in all kinds of unique patterns and shapes. Then it’s off to your room where you will again be amazed at the décor. Each of the 21 rooms and two suites are tasteful, bright and individually designed and decorated, keeping to the blue-and-white theme. Designer Anna Spiro has

captured the casual, beachy feel of Cabarita perfectly, from the fantastic floor tiles on the balcony and in the bathroom (handmade in Byron Bay), to the beautiful fabric panels that cover the walls. Despite the smaller size of the rooms, they have everything you need, including a mini bar stocked with local beer and cider and sweet treats delivered to your room in glass mason jars. Being only footsteps from the beach, a brisk walk and swim made for a perfect afternoon before our evening at the in-house restaurant, Paper Daisy. Since opening this year, Paper Daisy has definitely made a name for itself in the small beach town. It’s bustling on the weekends, but don’t worry, guests get first preference so you’re sure to get a spot.

In the evenings, the area is transformed from daytime poolside bungalow to elegant dining spot. The lights are dimmed, the candles lit and Frank Sinatra is playing in the background. With head chef Ben Devlin on board, the menu is exquisite and playfully creative. Smoked oysters

Clockwise from top left: The outdoor pool with Halycon’s signature striped daybeds; the Master Suite features a private furnished balcony with expansive ocean views; playful prints give the hotel a quirky character; fine dining at the on-site restaurant Paper Daisy; airy interiors emphasise the idyllic coastal setting.

served on a bed of hot rocks, homemade bread with cultured kefir and macadamia butter, and local fish cooked on charcoal and wrapped in smoky paperbark; each dish was delightfully savoured. We were definitely full, but who can resist a dessert menu like this one? With dishes like caramelised white chocolate with Jerusalem artichoke and wattle seed; or spring honey ice cream served in a shell of beeswax with freeze-dried strawberries, we had to try a couple. I couldn’t decide whether the artichoke dessert was sweet or savory, but the flavours were unique and it was an experience to say the least.  To start the day right, take out one of the complimentary retro cruiser bikes and explore the area, head to the beach for a surf lesson or a swim, or enjoy a game of bocce or croquet on the back lawn. Halcyon House is your relaxed beach bungalow getaway.

Room rates start from $550 per night. halcyonhouse.com.au

THE KING’S CASTLES

WHAT STARTED AS A LUCKY BARGAIN HAS BECOME A LUXURY PROPERTY PORTFOLIO FOR ENTREPRENEUR RICHARD BRANSON. BY

Robert Upe .

In 1978, a young man wanted to impress a girl he was madly in love with, so he flew her to the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean to inspect an island for sale.

But the young man – he was 28 then – was short on money and couldn’t come up with the US$6 million asking price for the island with lush green hills, white-sand beach, flamingoes and turquoise water.

In fact, his best offer was an embarrassingly low US$100,000.

A year later, no one else had made a bid on Necker Island, and the young man bought it for US$180,000.

That was the start of British entrepreneur

Richard Branson’s luxury property portfolio, the Virgin Limited Edition.

There are now nine boutique properties in Branson’s exclusive resort group, as well as a 32-metre catamaran that sails in the Caribbean.

The properties include a tented safari camp in Kenya that takes glamping to unimaginable levels, a chalet in the Swiss Alps, and an Arabian retreat in Morocco.

The latest addition to this enviable collection, which opened in July, is a Spanish estate.

The Son Bunyola Estate is on the northwest coast of Mallorca on 280 hectares with sea and mountain views, in a Mediterranean landscape of vines, citrus, almonds and olive trees.

There are two villas – a third is expected to be available early next year – that have been built in traditional Mallorcan style with exposed beam ceilings and terracotta tiled floors.

Each villa has its own heated swimming pool and there is a tennis court. A pebble beach is a short stroll away from where you can set off on coastal walks along one of the world’s best seascapes.

“Virgin Limited Edition is not your average cookie-cutter hotel group,” says the brand’s London-based public relations manager Charlotte Dollin.

“Each property within the collection is truly unique with its own personality and soul. All

the properties operate with the aim of creating amazing experiences.”

The tented safari camp in Kenya, Mahali Mzuri (meaning ‘beautiful place’ in Swahili), offers an experience like nowhere else.

The camp is in the Maasai Mara ecosystem and is in the path of the great migration.

This migration, comprising millions of wildebeest and zebra moving from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to the green pastures of the Maasai Mara, is a spectacular annual event that has been the focus of documentary makers from around the world, including naturalist David Attenborough.

There are 12 ensuite tents at Mahali Mzuri, set on a ridge with views. Each has real beds, a lounge area with designer furniture, timber floors, outside decks, and luxurious bathtubs with running water.

Game-viewing drives, community tours to visit Maasai tribes, hot-air ballooning, and sundowner drinks (a gin and tonic, perhaps), are among the experiences on offer. If you don’t feel like venturing out, there are on-site spa treatments with eco-friendly Africology beauty products.

You can trade your safari suit for an experience of a totally different kind in Verbier, Switzerland, where Branson’s nine-bedroom chalet sits snugly in the snow.

Put on your ski suit for a day on the worldrenowned slopes and follow up back at The Lodge with canapés, dinner, a hot tub, spa treatment and evening drinks in front of the fire.

The aforementioned Arabian escape is the Kasbah Tamadot in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Other properties include the Mont Rochelle hotel and vineyard in South Africa, the Ulusaba safari lodge in South Africa, and The Roof Gardens in London.

Branson, who is a regular visitor to the properties, says they are like his private homes and each is very different in what it offers.

Needless to say, though, the amazing locations and sense of incredible style are a common thread.

Among them all, Necker Island remains closest to Branson’s heart. “I love all the properties, but I think my favourite has to be Necker Island,” he says. “I have travelled all over the world and I really do think it’s the most beautiful spot on earth.”

The island is usually booked exclusively for one group of up to 34 adults at a time. There is

From top: dinner of the roof terrace at Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco; leisurely pool time at Moskito Island; Arabian charm in a guest room at Kasbah Tamadot.

Opposite page: an aerial view of Necker Island.

the Great House with nine bedrooms and six Bali Houses dotted around the island.

The Balinese-style Great House has views of the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean.

There are floodlit grass tennis courts, infinity pools and a hot tub on the beach. If you want action, there’s diving, snorkelling, sailing, water skiing, and windsurfing. There are also hammocks between the palm trees.

A team of 100 staff, food and drinks (including alcohol) are included in the nightly cost of US$78,000 (about A$104,369).

Not far from Necker Island, Branson recently opened an eco resort at Moskito Island. There are three villas there, taking up to 22 guests, with similar luxurious trappings and surrounds of Necker Island, plus a sensational wraparound infinity pool, and a swim-up bar.

Projects to help local people, sustainability and conservation are an essential part of Branson’s property group.

Water and energy conservation programs are in place across the properties, along with efforts to reduce waste, to recycle as much as possible, and to obtain food from ethical and sustainable sources.

Meanwhile, Virgin Limited Edition is a partner of Virgin Australia’s Velocity Rewards program, so passengers can earn miles towards a free stay at some of the properties in the portfolio, including Necker Island.

And if you’re curious to know what happened to the girl Branson took to Necker Island in 1978, he ended up marrying her there 11 years later.

virginlimitededition.com

Clockwise from top right: a giraffe stands among a herd of zebras at Mahali Mzuri camp in Kenya; a guest room at Ulusaba safari lodge in South Africa; private dining experience at Ulusaba safari lodge.

Helping you plan a lifetime of extraordinary trips.

Helping you plan a lifetime of extraordinary trips.

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We travel differently.

Out and About Travel creates one-of-a-kind travel experiences. Tell us about the trip you’re dreaming of taking—we’ll make it a reality. The world is endlessly beautiful, and seeing it is one of life’s greatest privileges and pleasures. At Out and About Travel, we believe the best and most intimate way to see it is on a travel tour designed just for you.

Out and About Travel creates one-of-a-kind travel experiences. Tell us about the trip you’re dreaming of taking—we’ll make a reality. The world is endlessly beautiful, and seeing it is one of life’s greatest privileges and pleasures. At Out and About Travel, we believe the best and most intimate way to see it is on a travel tour designed just for you.

It’s not about one trip of a lifetime, it’s about a lifetime of extraordinary trips.

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agencies and advisers are Virtuoso.

Describe the Pullman traveller:

The Pullman traveller is a global nomad, hyper-connected, extremely mobile and very demanding. They are constantly blending their worlds of work and life. The Pullman brand offers guests the option of combining work – thanks to a particularly innovative and modern business events service – and relaxation with spaces that have been redesigned as lively venues for socialising and meeting. Pullman guests are sophisticated and well-travelled

PULLMAN HOTELS AND RESORTS

LUXURY ‘PULLMAN EXPERIENCE’ AND THE BRAND’S RECENT EXPANSION THROUGHOUT THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.

and are looking for a new take on luxury that is modern, vibrant and not too fussy.

To what do you attribute the recent growth of Pullman Hotels in the AsiaPacific region?

Pullman Hotels has grown quickly since being launched and this can be attributed to the fact that the brand has immediately shown its appeal to today’s sophisticated traveller looking for something distinctive but resolutely modern. Today’s upscale and luxury travellers

are looking for a brand that breaks the traditional codes of hospitality, and Pullman Hotels have become social hubs in their cities and a place to relax and unwind in resort destinations. The brand sits below the traditional luxury brands, and offers a way for guests to experience the finer things in life at a more accessible price.

What facilities do Pullman Hotels and Resorts offer that set them apart from their competitors?

The design of a Pullman hotel or

resort goes far beyond that of its physical features, although those are of course important. The approach goes a step further in helping guests – these global nomads, constantly orbiting their worlds of work and life – achieve what they need to during their stay.

We believe that feeling accomplished is a matter of being able to stay in-touch, on-track, connected and disconnected. While that might seem like an obvious statement, Pullman is working with experts in their fields to ensure that: access to

Katie Milton SPOKE WITH MICHELLE DYER (left) , GLOBAL BRAND MANAGER OF PULLMAN HOTELS AND RESORTS, ABOUT THE

PULLMAN PHUKET PANWA BEACH RESORT

technology is easy and at your fingertips; healthy food that helps you perform is a reality; and the motivation to keep up with your fitness routine – whether that’s hard-core cardio or yoga, strength and stretching – is not hard to find. At the same time, those things which help you relax, indulge and enjoy are also there.

One way Pullman is keeping up with the pace of today’s travellers is by reinventing its lobby spaces. What were once thoroughfares to move in, through and out of, will become multi-functional: spaces reimagined for where people come together, sit alone, work, talk, drink, flirt, read, connect, brainstorm, be still, eat, cross paths, stare sideways, stare into space. Spaces in which to perform and also to just ‘be’. This makes the experience more dynamic and more closely

connected to each destination, its vibe and its people.

The Pullman brand has a rich history. In the 19th century, Pullman sleeper trains revolutionised rail travel and allowed voyagers to sleep and dine in an atmosphere of luxury, conviviality and comfort. Today the Pullman brand continues to revolutionise travel and constantly evolves to help travellers navigate the globe with a greater sense that they are understood – because we get them and we’re with them.

Pullman enlists designers to create special objects and furnishings for their hotels and resorts. What is the importance of such distinct interiors when establishing a new Pullman hotel?

Pullman Hotels are centred around arts, style and design. We have enlisted a talented group of

“…. Pullman is …. reinventing its lobby spaces. What were once thoroughfares to move in … will become … spaces reimagined for where people come together, sit alone, work, talk, drink, flirt, read, connect, brainstorm, be still, eat, cross paths, stare sideways, stare into space. Spaces in which to perform and also to just ‘be’. This makes the experience more dynamic and more closely connected to each destination, its vibe and its people.”

interior and fashion designers to create signature design elements to give our guests a sense of the world in which they are travelling. Our signature ‘giant globe’ - found in many of our lobbies - symbolises travel in an artwork by Mathiew Lehanneur. It is a symbol of Pullman’s cosmopolitan nature. Other iconic objects might include an armchair inspired by train carriage seats that hark back to Pullman’s railroad origins or video artwork installations that symbolise the brand’s modernity. These elements are important because guests want to be inspired and surprised when they travel.

How is the Pullman brand aligned with sustainable development?

We have committed to ensuring all new Pullman hotels will be built using sustainable materials and

renewable energies. Our Pullman hotels participate in AccorHotels’ Planet 21 program, which includes several commitments to the environment, the planet and its people. We have also committed to reducing food waste by 30 per cent across the network, including Pullman hotels, and we are planting urban gardens at many of our Pullman hotels to ensure the freshest possible produce with the smallest environmental footprint.

Are any exciting new Pullman properties opening soon? We have many Pullman projects in the pipeline. Some of the more exciting ones include Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, opening in 2016, Pullman Mandalay Mingalar in Myanmar and Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa in Fiji.

AccorHotels is a global hotel group on the move. The group has recently purchased FRHI, the holding company of luxury brands such as Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel, with renowned names like Sofitel and MGallery already well established in its portfolio. Accor’s Pullman Hotels and Resorts brand distinguishes itself with a strong emphasis on design and innovation. Catering to business and leisure travellers, the growing brand currently has 100 four and five-star hotels spread across capital and regional cities on six continents. pullmanhotels.com, accorhotels.com

PULLMAN PHUKET PANWA BEACH RESORT

HOTEL PULLMAN SAIGON CENTRE

COCO CHARM MEETS RITZ GLITZ

The Coco Chanel Suite at the recently reopened Ritz Paris is a chic highlight of the hotel’s impressive four-year, multimilliondollar restoration. The suite – named for the French fashion designer who lived at the hotel for 34 years – is distinctively refined in its design, with a colour palette and furnishings said to reflect the designer’s love for Asian lacquer, gilded mirrors and the pairing of black with white.

The Coco Chanel suite is one of 15 Prestige Suites that are named for the elite writers, artists, designers and nobility who have all been guests (or lived) at the hotel in the years since its opening in 1898. Originally a palatial residence built in the early 18th century, the

famed hotel – located in Paris’ First Arrondissement on the Place Vendôme – needed updates to its infrastructure and technology, and closed in July 2012 for a refurbishment.

French architect and designer Thierry W. Despont revived the classic property while retaining its original, elegant character. Furnishings have been restored and new antiques and trinkets added to differentiate each guest room and common area, with exquisite effect.

Ritz Paris has also introduced the world’s first and only Chanel spa.

BELINDA CRAIGIE

Rates for the Coco Chanel Suite at Ritz Paris start from €25,000 (about A$36,526), per night. ritzparis.com

WHY STAY HERE?

This is a quirky, heritage-listed hotel with a vintage industrial feel, featuring original timber beams and exposed brick. As the name suggests, the building hails back to 1888 when it was originally a wool store. With its great location in Sydney’s Pyrmont, the hotel is a short walk from Chinatown, Star City, the Sydney Fish Market and Darling Harbour. Hotel highlights include wonderfully comfortable beds, free happy hour drinks for hotel guests, flexible check-out times and loaner iPads.

RISE AND SHINE BREAKFAST TIME

As soon as I saw my two favourite breakfast options, Sonoma bread and T2 tea, I was sold. There is also homemade granola, pastries, fruit, cheese, yogurt and an

Suite: Junior Suite

OVOLO 1888 DARLING HARBOUR Sydney

Size: 35 square metres

Price: Rates start at $509 per night.

Website: ovolohotels.com/en/hotels/sydney/ovolo-1888-darling-harbour

Review by: Gary Allen

optional hot breakfast. With The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel playing in the background, we were happy to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

There is no on-site restaurant, but several dining options nearby. Guests can frequent Lo Lounge throughout the day for finger food and refreshments, and share platters can be ordered for groups.

TIME OUT

There is no spa at the hotel. All bookings include free 24-hour access to the nearby Snap Fitness gym in Pyrmont.

WOW FACTOR

What really stood out in the Junior Suite was a bold, large-scale artwork by local artist Jasper Knight. That, and the suite’s three-metrehigh ceilings, great bed and complimentary mini-bar with boutique beers, snacks

and sweets made for a very enjoyable stay. And it was very cool to see the original signatures on the suite’s windowsill from the 1920s.

I WOULD LIKE AN UPGRADE

Book the Shaken suite, a 49-square-metre, split-level space with private entrance from the street that has a king-sized bed upstairs, a downstairs living area suitable for up to eight guests and a cocktail bar and cellar fridge. Or the Stirred suite features floor-to-ceiling windows with a view over the city, a lounge area and cellar fridge, a walkin rain shower with natural light and a rooftop patio with views of Darling Harbour and Pyrmont (59 square metres including patio). Rates for either option start from $699 per night.

JUNIOR SUITE AT OVOLO 1888 DARLING HARBOUR

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCES

Experiences that create memories that last a lifetime

As a luxury traveler, it’s time to experience the world of yacht chartering. Every moment and every detail is designed specifically for you. From family time to private time, from pure relaxation to breathtaking adventure, chartering a yacht provides all of this and more.

The Caribbean based Breakaway Motor Yacht, with her four staterooms, has all the luxuries and extravagances at your fingertips, from scuba gear, to stand up paddleboards, snorkel, fishing and surf gear, skis and towables, two additional small ships, and a crew of four trained to meet your every need.

breakawaymotoryacht.com

TIME OUT

MANDARIN ORIENTAL Barcelona

Suite: Premier Suite

Size: 123 square metres

Price: Rates start at €3,500 (about A$5,165) per night.

Website: mandarinoriental.com/barcelona

Review by: Gary Allen

WHY STAY HERE?

The fact that this is a Mandarin Oriental hotel is more than enough reason to stay; but in addition, the location is perfect. The beautiful hotel, once a bank building, is right in the heart of Barcelona on the famous Passeig de Gràcia, but still far enough outside the popular tourist neighbourhoods of El Born and Gothic Quarter to avoid the crowds – it’s walking distance to Barcelona’s main tourist attractions.

RISE AND SHINE BREAKFAST TIME

Breakfast was served in the sunlit courtyard Mimosa Garden. There was a full hot buffet on one end with homemade pastries, artisanal breads and international dishes from Middle Eastern, Asian and Western cuisines. A large area in the middle was set up with freshly squeezed juices, local yogurts, fruit, muesli and a menu of à la carte selections. A brilliant idea for parents with

young children is the kids dining area, adjacent to the main room with child-sized tables and chairs and a buffet with kid-friendly food (watch out for the chocolate fountain). There was also an area for the kids to watch a movie after eating (allowing lucky parents to linger over coffee and the newspaper).

WHAT’S FOR DINNER ?

The hotel offers dining at six restaurants and bars. Moments is a two-Michelin-starred restaurant featuring Catalan cuisine; BistrEau features an à la carte seafood menu; and La Mesa offers a seafood tasting menu in the evenings. For a drink, there’s Banker’s Bar, Mimosa Garden and the rooftop Terrat for cocktails and Peruvian cuisine by Gaston Acurio; when we stayed, Chef Gaston made us some of his amazing ceviche and sushi for a special lunch.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Barcelona – located at the base of the hotel – has eight treatment rooms, a steam room and a 12-metre spa lap pool. Guests can indulge in aromatherapy treatments, traditional Chinese medicine or a pedicure at Bastien Gonzalez’s Mani:Pedi:Cure Studio.

WOW FACTOR

The wow factor is in the suite interiors by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola. The suites are spacious and contemporary; ours had a wall of glass doors leading to the balcony. The suite featured an abundance of timber, was accented by a wall of upholstered fabric, and was furnished with colourful, comfortable chairs and lounges to relax on. To add to the wow factor, there’s also a huge ensuite with a free-standing tub, a walk-in closet and an elevator (separate to the main hotel elevator) just for suite access.

COULD DO BETTER

A larger hotel lobby – as when it’s busy with large groups or several people checking in or out, the hotel’s small lobby doesn’t leave a lot of room to stand.

I WOULD LIKE AN UPGRADE

The biggest suite is the Penthouse Suite which, at 236 square metres, occupies the entire top floor and affords guests views over the Passeig de Gràcia. The suite (which comes with private butler service) boasts a master bedroom with its own living room, dressing room, bathroom and terrace; plus a second bedroom with ensuite; and a large living and dining area and private kitchen. Rates start from €18,000 (about A$26,476) per night.

BATHTUB-WITH-A-VIEW

LOBBY ATRIUM WITH SKYWALK

FINE DINING

RADISSON BLU PLAZA HOTEL Sydney

Suite: Studio Spa Suite

Size: 52 square metres

Price: Rates start at A$493 per night.

Website: radissonblu.com/en/plazahotel-sydney

Review by: Gary Allen

WHY STAY HERE?

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney is housed in the former offices of Fairfax newspapers, a sandstone building steeped in history (circa 1856) on the corner of Pitt, O’Connell and Hunter Streets in Sydney’s CBD, making it an ideal base from which to explore the city, as it’s walking distance to many hot spots like Circular Quay and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

RISE AND SHINE BREAKFAST TIME

A full breakfast buffet of Continental, Northern European and American dishes is available each morning at the Lady Fairfax Room in the hotel.

For guests who choose to upgrade to Business Class Lounge, breakfast is also served there (plus evening drinks and canapés) daily. For busy guests, there is also the option of a Grab & Run take-away breakfast.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

The ground floor of the hotel houses Bentley Restaurant & Bar (which operates independently). The Bentley features an innovative menu and has both a lower bar area (with a casual menu) and an 80-seat dining room. Chef Brett Savage was named Chef of the Year in 2015 by The Sydney Morning Herald and the restaurant was awarded two hats in its Good Food Guide 2016. And for a drink (whether something caffeinated in the morning or a little stronger in the evening), there’s The Fax Bar, located in the hotel lobby.

TIME OUT

Active guests won’t need to skip a beat in their normal fitness routines – the hotel has a gym, steam room and 15-metre indoor pool and spa.

WOW FACTOR

July saw the finishing touches completed on a 13.5-million-dollar hotel redesign at the hands of interior architects Bates Smart. The 336 rooms and 28 suites, including Studio Spa Suites, now feature a new look that includes contemporary furnishings, Italian metallic wallpaper and touches of Radisson’s signature metal-blue throughout the designs (including in the sumptuous velvet lounges).

I WOULD LIKE AN UPGRADE

For a bit more room, try the One Bedroom Spa Suite, which offers a bit more room at 56 square metres and provides a separate sleeping space from the lounge, plus an extra deep bathtub. Rates start from about A$593 per night.

GUEST ROOM AT RADISSON BLU PLAZA HOTEL SYDNEY

Escape the everyday Delamore Lodge at

Tucked away in the secluded Owhanake Bay on picturesque Waiheke Island, Delamore Lodge offers stunning luxury accommodation with the utmost privacy, five-star facilities and spectacular panoramic views of the Hauraki Gulf, all just a short journey from Auckland city.

Whether you need a weekend away or a base from which to explore the beautiful Auckland region of New Zealand, Delamore Lodge will ensure you have a memorable stay.

TRAVEL

Lifestyle + Wine + Food + Design

THIS ISSUE : DESIGN HOTEL IN BALI / CULINARY TRAVELS IN THE GRAMPIANS, VICTORIA / GLOBAL KITCHEN – RECIPES FROM INDIA / CELEBRITY TRAVELLER : MATT DAMON ON HIS TRAVEL EXPERIENCES / EPICUREAN TRAVELS WITH THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF FINE FOOD AND DRINK / CREATIVE TRAVELLER : AUSTRALIAN OPERA SINGER STACEY ALLEAUME

A BALINESE BEACHFRONT BEAUTY

From the people behind Bali’s popular Potato Head Beach Club, the latest addition to Seminyak’s most fashionable beachfront, Katamama, is a 58-suite boutique hotel that puts artisanal Indonesian arts and crafts at the forefront of its design.

Designed by Indonesian architect Andra Matin, and with strikingly beautiful interiors by the owners in collaboration with Singapore-based Takenouchi Webb, the hotel is composed of Balinese bricks, teak, handmade tiles from Java and terrazzo made on-site. It mixes contemporary design with curated artwork, vintage or handcrafted furniture and collectibles inspired by the early to mid-20th century. All suites have

an outdoor space, in the form of either a balcony, secluded garden, or private pool.

The designers have flouted hospitality convention by including nothing as boring as a lobby or reception area. At Katamama, guests are escorted via a buzzy library/bar area straight to their suites, where check-in takes place at a groovy mid-century desk – but not before the super helpful staff member talks guests through the cocktail bar, complete with everything needed to make a complimentary welcome cocktail… or have it made for them.

As the crowds gather early at the entrance to Potato Head, Katamama guests simply wave their room key and glide past the queues

to take up specially reserved day beds in the front row at the beachfront. But if the groovy beach club scene is not for them, back at the hotel there’s a 130-square-metre swimming pool with a poolside bar serving the tastiest snacks, as well as Akademi (a ‘centre of mixology’). Melbourne’s renowned MoVida restaurant also now has a Balienese presence at the hotel, serving fabulous, inventive Spanish tapas-style dishes.

BELINDA CRAIGIE

KATAMAMA

l STAY HERE

Room rates start at IDR3,074,960 (about A$312) per night, excluding taxes and surcharges. katamama.com

CHILLI AND SPICE (AND ALL THINGS NICE)

LONDON-BASED FORMER STYLIST AND WRITER Amandip Uppal DEMYSTIFIES INDIAN CUISINE IN HER NEW COOKBOOK INDIAN FOOD MADE EASY, WHICH INCLUDES OVER 140 RECIPES COVERING EVERYTHING FROM FRAGRANT CURRIES AND BANQUET DISHES TO CHUTNEYS, PICKLES AND DELECTABLE DESSERTS. HERE SHE SHARES SIX RECIPES THAT, COMBINED, MAKE FOR AN INDULGENT INDIAN FEAST.

GLOBAL KITCHEN

l RECIPES AND IMAGES

FROM INDIAN MADE EASY BY AMANDIP UPPAL (MURDOCH BOOKS) $39.99 AVAILABLE NOW IN ALL GOOD BOOKSTORES AND ONLINE.

CREAMY PEAS AND MUSHROOMS

SERVES: FOUR AS A SIDE

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

rich and satisfying dish, it is pretty quick to make and doesn’t require or need any onions or chillies. It is wonderful as part of any family meal or a simple brunch dish – just serve on thick slices of toasted bread. Fry the mushrooms and peas with spices in advance, then when ready to serve, stir in the cream, stock and gently simmer.”

FRESH

3 tbsp light (single) cream

l WINE RECOMMENDATIONS BY OUR GUEST SOMMELIER

JACQUIE LEWIS

Jacquie is a sommelier and wine consultant at Sydneybased Wine Construct.

During her time working in the wine industry, Jacquie has contributed to wine lists for properties like Bannisters in Mollymook, NSW, and Lake House in Daylesford, Victoria. Internationally, her expertise has seen her as sommelier at the renowned One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius, including at Alain Ducasse’s Spoon, where she became the group’s topselling sommelier worldwide. Jacquie also worked as head sommelier at the renowned Zuma group, based in Dubai.

8–9 fresh curry leaves

3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

200–250g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters

115g cooked peas

1cm piece ginger, peeled and cut into julienne

SPICES

Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp black mustard seeds

¼ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp paprika

1 tsp cracked black pepper

½ tsp garam masala

PANTRY/LARDER

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp coconut milk powder

1 tsp salt, or to taste 100ml vegetable or chicken stock or water

OPTIONAL GARNISH

finely chopped coriander, spring onion, and green or red chilli

PREPARATION

“AMustard Garlic

1. Mix together the single cream, coconut milk powder and nutmeg and set aside for later.

2. Heat the oil in a heavybased frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and, once they start to crackle and pop, add the garlic and mushrooms. Turn up the heat slightly and fry, stirring frequently for five minutes, or until the mushrooms are a rich nutty brown.

3. Next, add the peas, turmeric, paprika, pepper, garam masala and salt, and cook, stirring for one minute.

4. Now pour in the reserved cream paste and the stock or water. Turn down the heat and gently simmer for four to five minutes. Stir in the ginger and serve garnished with coriander, spring onion and chilli.

l drink CHARTERIS ‘THE WINTER VINEYARD’ PINOT NOIR

Central Otago, New Zealand.

RRP $67

“This Pinot Noir from Central Otago is much lauded, and it’s no wonder with the winemaking pedigree of PJ Charteris. Having spent 12 years as head winemaker at Brokenwood in NSW, as well as stints everywhere that is anywhere overseas, PJ finally decided to return to his home and bring us his very own label, Charteris.

The Winter Vineyard Pinot Noir is the stunning result of hand-picking and plunging, basket pressing and the best French oak. Intense yet somehow restrained, delicious layers of exotic spice complement the nutmeg and turmeric backbone of this dish, whilst the meaty notes and silky tannins are stunning with the mushrooms.”

TARKA DHAL WITH SPINACH AND FRESH TOMATO

SERVES: FOUR

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

“Aclassic, mixed lentil dish cooked with whole cumin and ground spices, then garnished with smoky burnt garlic and crispy curry leaves, ginger and chilli. Easy and quick to cook, this is perfect for friends or family for supper.”

FRESH

¼ onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

3 large handfuls of baby spinach, chopped

1 tomato, finely diced

SPICES

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp garam masala

PANTRY/LARDER

100g yellow mung beans

50g masoor dhal

50g toor dhal

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 tablespoons oil

Ghee, for drizzling

PREPARATION

1. Wash the mung beans and both dhals together thoroughly. Put them into a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a large spoon, remove any white scum or residue.

2. Add the turmeric and salt and continue to simmer for a further

10 minutes, stirring occasionally and pressing the beans and dhal against the pan with the back of your spoon. Cook until they are soft and creamy (add a little boiling water if too thick). Turn off the heat.

3. In a separate frying pan, heat the oil over a low–medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for two to three seconds. Turn up the heat slightly; add the onion and fry for three to four minutes until golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 20 seconds.

4. Add the garam masala and fry for one minute, then pour in a ladleful of mung beans and dhal, swirl around the pan and pour it all back into the large pan of cooked dhal. Simmer the dhal over a low heat for 8–10 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat, add the chopped spinach and tomato, drizzle with ghee.

l drink BRASH HIGGINS ‘GR/M’ McLaren Vale, SA. RRP $37

“Brad ‘Brash’ Higgins came to us from New York City, where he was wine director for renowned, two Michelin star chef David Bouley. Seeking something more than writing lists, this bright-eyed, full of life wine guy fell in love with our very own McLaren Vale and set up shop to craft his own wine from his own vineyard.

This wine is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, a typically southern French Mediterranean-style blend of grapes. Bio-dynamically farmed and made entirely by hand, this highly perfumed wine brings plenty of warm spice from the Mataro and juicy fruit from the Grenache that work perfectly with the cumin and turmeric spice profile of this dish. They are indeed the perfect exotic partners in crime!”

TARKA DHAL WITH SPINACH AND FRESH TOMATO

CHICKEN PULAO

SERVES: FOUR

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: one hour

FRESH

6 garlic cloves

2.5cm piece ginger

2 tbsp natural yoghurt

½ large onion, thinly sliced

PANTRY/LARDER

450ml vegetable or chicken stock or water

2 tsp salt, or to taste

3 tbsp oil

Wonderful, simple and satisfying, chicken pulao never fails to impress at a casual lunch with friends or a family dinner. Unlike a biryani where the meat and rice are cooked separately, in a pulao dish the rice and meat or vegetables are cooked together in one pot.”

“

1kg skinless chicken on the bone, cut into pieces

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

SPICES

6 cloves

5cm piece cassia or cinnamon stick

4 bay leaves

2 black cardamom pods

6–8 green cardamom pods

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin, plus extra for sprinkling

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground turmeric.

250g basmati rice, thoroughly washed

SERVE

1 lime, cut into wedges

NOTE

Chicken on the bone releases a more intense flavour to the dish.

PREPARATION

1. Using a mortar and pestle, make a fine paste with the garlic and ginger. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the yoghurt and stock or water. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a low heat. Add the whole spices and fry for 20 seconds, then add the onion and fry for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn up the heat, then add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for one to two minutes.

4. Add the chicken, ground spices and salt and mix together well. Cover with a lid and cook for eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add half the yoghurt stock, stir through, bring to the boil, cover and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Now add the rice and coriander and the remaining yoghurt stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 16-18 minutes, or until the rice liquid has evaporated and the chicken and rice are tender. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for five to seven minutes with the lid on. Sprinkle with ground cumin and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Cinnamon

l drink FIGHTING GULLY ROAD ‘AQUILA’ CHARDONNAY/VIOGNIER/ PETIT MANSENG

Beechworth, Victoria. RRP A$25.00

“This unusual, southern French inspired blend of white grape varieties is brought to us by Fighting Gully in Beechworth. The small, sustainable focused producer is making this wine with great care from tiny plots of land. No insecticides, natural yeasts and natural mulch are all a part of their farming philosophy.

The Aquila is beautifully textured and exotically spicy, a superb match for the complex spice profile that the dish carries, whilst a judicious amount of time in oak ensures enough weight for the chicken and yogurt components.”

CHICKEN PULAO

BAKED SALMON WITH CRÈME FRAÎCHE AND COCONUT

Lime

SPICED COCONUT AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE FOR FISH, CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

SERVES: TWO TO THREE

Preparation time: 10–15 minutes

“This marinade is best smeared over salmon steaks, a whole chicken or baby eggplant (aubergine) sliced in half and all roasted. Flake or slice any leftover salmon, chicken or eggplant, mix with good-quality mayonnaise or just a drizzle of oil, squeeze over a lime or lemon, then finish off with finely chopped spring onions and coriander. Season with coarse black pepper and sea salt. Now you have an excellent ‘next day’ sandwich filler.”

FRESH

BAKED SALMON WITH CRÈME FRAÎCHE AND COCONUT

SERVES: TWO

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

“Arecipe kindly shared by an unconventional cook, Jeeva Jeyaseelan. This is a simple preparation that is packed full of flavour, but still delicate. The crème fraîche, lime juice and coconut all together form a delicious and light sauce, and will work well with any fish, either fillets or as whole fish for more people.”

FRESH

1 quantity Spiced Coconut and Crème Fraîche Marinade (see below)

2 salmon fillets

¼ wedge of lime

PANTRY/LARDER

2 large sheets (A4-sized) of baking paper

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Rub the marinade equally into the two pieces of salmon.

3. Place one salmon fillet on each baking paper square, then squeeze lime juice over each fish and finish off

by sprinkling two to three teaspoons of water over each fillet.

4. Bring up the sides of the paper and pinch together, then seal the edges tightly to form a loose parcel.

5. Place both salmon parcels on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 12–15 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillet.

NOTE: Open the parcels very carefully as the steam that will escape will be very hot.

Any leftovers can be made into mouth-watering fishcakes.

l drink

JIM BARRY ‘LA FLORITA’ RIESLING

Clare Valley, SA. RRP $45

“Jim Barry is a true pioneer of the Clare Valley wine region, with roots deeply planted in its history. Overseen today by his son and grandchildren, the family name and pursuit of excellence continues with strength. The Florita, from historical vineyards in the home of Riesling in Australia, does not disappoint. The beautiful floral nose entices, and its laser focused acidity, purity and fresh lime juice are perfect to balance the richness of the salmon and crème fraiche. The wine shows great complexity but is deliciously elegant and won’t overwhelm the delicate nature of the fish. A match made in heaven.”

1½ garlic cloves

2 tbsp crème fraîche

SPICES

½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground cumin

PANTRY/LARDER

¼ tsp salt, or to taste

1½ tbsp coconut milk powder

1½ tbsp oil

PREPARATION

1. Begin by pounding the garlic and salt together using a mortar and pestle. Next, add all the spices and coconut milk powder to the crushed garlic and salt paste and pound together gently.

2. Slowly drizzle in the oil, and stir in until the marinade comes together and makes a thick paste.

3. Finally, stir in the crème fraîche and use immediately. Alternatively, omit the crème fraîche and pour into a sterilised jar, seal with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. Use within two days. Stir in the crème fraîche when ready to use.

PISTACHIO KULFI

SERVES: FOUR

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Freezing time: at least six hours

“Whis is a quick version of a classic Indian ice cream. Alternatively, replace or mix the pistachios with finely chopped dried or fresh fruit and/or mixed nuts. It is delicious on its own or serve with griddled or barbecued tropical fruit.”

FRESH

600ml double or whipping cream

SPICES

2 pinches of saffron threads, soaked in a little warm milk

2 pinches of green cardamom seeds

1 tsp kewra water (optional)

PANTRY/LARDER

600ml condensed milk

600ml evaporated milk

2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk.

2. Add the soaked saffron with its soaking water, cardamom seeds and kewra water (if using) to the milk mixture and combine.

3. Finally, add most of the chopped pistachios (setting a spoonful aside for the decoration) and stir until the mixture is well combined. Pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container.

4. Freeze for at least six hours. Remove five to 10 minutes before serving and decorate with the reserved pistachios.

NOTE: Stir the ice cream once halfway through, so the nuts don’t settle at the bottom. It can also be frozen in individual moulds.

l drink

SORELLE PALAZZI VIN

SANTO RISERVA

Tuscany, Italy. RRP A$59

“Vin Santo is something of a wine for ‘those in the know’ here in Australia, and this is a spectacular example from a relatively young producer fast gaining cult status.

Vinified from dried Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes in oblong 120-litre vessels, and aged for six years, this is a complex dessert wine unlike anything you have tasted.

The production processes result in a wonderful smoky nuttiness with a honey-like sweetness and hints of orange and herbs that will pair wonderfully with the Mediterranean flavour of the pistachios, whilst having enough sweetness and bright acid to balance the condensed milk flavours.”

PISTACHIO KULFI

GOURMAND GRANDEUR IN THE GRAMPIANS

ON A VISIT TO VICTORIA’S GRAMPIANS REGION, Katrina Holden DISCOVERED SOME OF THE BEST WINE AND FOOD.

In The Grampians, one of Australia’s most picturesque and under-rated regions just two and a half hours northwest of Melbourne, you’ll find the modest, red-gum slab cellar door and homestead of Best’s Wines.

The curios at the cellar door – from vintage maps to pianos – leave me feeling I’m more in a museum than a winery. But when the winery has been producing wines for 150 years, one should expect a proud display of archive material.

Best’s Wines has been owned by just two families since it was founded in 1866 in the Great Western wine region of Victoria: the Best family and, since 1920, current owners the Thompson family. The first vines were planted in the late 1860s by Henry Best, who experimented with countless grape varieties.

Visitors to the cellar door can take a tour to view the handiwork of miners who, from the 1860s, hand-dug the cellars. More vintage treasures await, including old riddling racks,

vintage doors with etchings from the World Wars, copper pot stills and a wooden toy truck that belonged to Viv Thompson – now in his 80s – who completed no fewer than 50 vintages at the family-owned winery. Viv’s son Ben Thompson is now the managing director.

The winery attracts 12,000 visitors a year who come to try its 20-plus current release wines and back-vintages at cellar door. This year is a celebratory time to visit, as 2016 marks the winery’s 150th birthday.

Despite their longevity, dedication and successes – including winning Australia’s most coveted wine award, the Jimmy Watson trophy in 2012 for the Best’s Great Western Bin 1 Shiraz 2011 – you won’t find too many airs and graces here. Amid all the medals, the real treasure and luxury of a visit to Best’s is the chance to chat with this generous and hard-working family, who are not only dedicated to the future sustainability of the Australian wine industry but also to their beloved Grampians region.

For a fantastic overview and an aerial per-

spective of the beauty of the region, head skyward in a chopper with Grampians Helicopters.

Over lunch at his dining table in the family home – where Viv and wife Christine raised their four children – Viv explained his thoughts on aged wines.

“I tend to think wines are a bit like people", he declared. “They go through ‘stages’ of childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and middle age. A lot of people now don’t see a lot of aged wines. I try and get people to understand aged wines in this way. I think with a lot of old wines, it’s a matter of respect.”

WHAT TO TRY

There are three ranges of wines to try: The Icon Range, The Concongella Collection and The Great Western Range. Their flagship wines include the Thompson Family Shiraz and Bin O Great Western Shiraz – both have been designated ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Excellent’ respectively by Langton’s Auction house.

THE GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK ACCESSED FROM HALLS GAP

To commemorate the 150th anniversary, winemaker Justin Purser kept aside small parcels of grapes in the past few years to make a limited release collection that became available in May 2016. The range includes 2013 The Concongella, 2014 PSV 141 Pinot Noir, 2014 Sparky’s Block Shiraz and 1999 FHT Shiraz Museum Release – all priced at $150 per bottle. bestswines.com.au

WHERE TO STAY

The most luxurious accommodation in the region is the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, at the base of Mt Sturgeon in the southern tip of the Grampians National Park.

Not your average rural hotel, it’s come a long way since it first opened in 1855 as a bluestone inn. Historically, the town of Dunkeld provided a vital link to the western district for the Cobb & Co Royal Mail Service –the current name of the hotel is a nod to its past. The hotel was modernised in 1997, with the goal to retain its historical significance. Local Grampians sandstone retained part of the original structure and the distinctive curved green roofline makes a striking entrance among lush vegetation.

Staying on a Saturday night, the formal res-

taurant Dining Room and the more casual eatery Parker Street Project (launched in March 2016) were both brimming with a crowd to rival patronage at any Sydney or Melbourne hot-spot. The Dining Room, run by executive chef Robin Wickens, was awarded two Chef’s Hats by The Age Good Food Guide in both 2015 and 2016.

Many guests were settling in for the hotel’s signature experience – an eight-course Chef’s Tasting menu, served Wednesday-Sunday evening, with matched wines from the extensive cellars compromising some 26,000 bottles. Each dish, though there can be a little wait between courses, is proudly presented on stone plates like works of art.

During my stay, I took a tour of the kitchen garden, a complimentary experience with the chefs that guests can book during their stay. Said to be one of the largest kitchen gardens in Australia, the scale is certainly impressive. The fully organic garden boasts zucchini, melons, artichokes, pumpkins, 28 varieties of tomato and 800 varieties of seeds – with its own ducks to eat all of the bugs.

“If it’s not regional, we don’t serve it,” explained Kylie Schurmann, Royal Mail Hotel marketing manager.

l WHEN TO GO

The region offers stunning National Parks, rolling hills and historic villages for a cosy and relaxed getaway from city life. During the annual Grampians Grape Escape – a month-long wine and food festival – the townships are buzzing with food and wine enthusiasts. The 2017 festival will culminate in the 26th annual Grampians Grape Escape weekend on 6-7 May. grampiansgrapeescape.com.au

During the summer peak, when the garden blooms, the restaurant can source 80 per cent of its ingredients from the garden, explaining why the chefs visit up to three times per day.

Up to 120 guests can be accommodated at the hotel, in a mix of garden rooms, mountain rooms, apartments, cottages and homesteads.

In my room, a timber deck with a perfectly positioned low-slung chair overlooked the Mt Sturgeon range. Contemporary fixtures and neutral tones of earthen and grey colours ensured the star of the show was the view, and the accompanying sounds of nature.

All accommodation options include breakfast, which you won’t want to miss before heading out on a day exploring the mountains, wildlife or local wineries. Fortify yourself with Pepe Saya butter on a range of breads, locally made honey, house-made muesli, Grampians pure sheep yoghurt or free-range eggs.

Rates at Royal Mail Hotel Dunkeld start from $195 in off-peak season and $245 in peak season. royalmail.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA HOLDEN

See images from this story at luxurytravelmag.com.au

From left: delicate dishes and Best’s wine at the Dining Room at The Royal Mail Hotel; behind the cellar door.

MAIN EVENT

GOLD LIST AWARDS 2016 HIGHLIGHTS

BLURB REQUIRED TO EXPLAIN THIS SECTION.

SPICERS RETREATS

Finalists in categories for: Best Australian Boutique Property: Villa or Lodge; Best Australian Property (within driving distance of the city); and Best Australian Romantic Property

TURTLE ISLAND FIJI RESORT

A finalist in the Best Overseas Family Resort category

ITEL MELBOURNE ON COLL

A finalist in our Best Australian Hotel category

ABERCROMBIE & KENT

A finalist in the category for Best Luxury Tour Operator

MIRAGE PORT DOUGLA

A finalist in our Best Australian Resort category

VOMO ISLAND RESORT FIJI

A finalist in our Best Overseas Resort category, and winner of Best Overseas Family Property

To see more on our Gold List Awards, go to luxurytravelmag.com.au/gold-list

HACIENDA AT PULLMAN QUAY GRAND SYDNEY HARBOUR

Sydney Harbour will get a taste of Cuban culture with the opening of a new bar, Hacienda, in late August. Taking design cues from retro 1950s Miami hotels and eclectic Cuban architecture, the vista bar will be the latest addition to the Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour hotel. The beverage menu will feature classic Cuban drinks, American whiskey and signature Tropicana cocktails, while the food offerings will range from buttermilk fried chicken to pork neck mojo and a Cuban Reuben. haciendasydney.com.au

VERMOUTH FROM THE HUNTER

If you’re heading up the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, stop in to the award-winning cellar door and restaurant at Margan – with the familyowned operation this year celebrating a successful 20 years in business. Around 90 per cent of the menu at Margan restaurant is sourced from the family’s own one-acre kitchen garden. At the cellar door and once through the 300-year-old antique French gates sourced in Morocco, you can try a range of the innovative wine styles that Margan pioneers in the region including its Breaking Ground Albarino and Barbera. To celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, Margan has released a new vermouth ideal for use in a Negroni. It’s made from a semillon grape base and 22 home-grown herb and spices as aromatics including orange peel, star-anise and bergamot, the majority of which are sourced from the one-acre Margan Restaurant kitchen garden. You can purchase the Margan Vermouth at cellar door or online for RRP $50. We recently visited Margan – for our full story, go to luxurytravelmag.com.au

KATRINA HOLDEN

TAYLORS’ NEW COLLECTIBLE CABINET

l EVENT NEIL PERRY + EMIRATES ONE&ONLY WOLGAN VALLEY

This November will see award-winning chef Neil Perry host an exclusive dinner at Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains. The five-course degustation, set to feature locally sourced ingredients, will be prepared by Perry and his renowned team of executive chefs and sommeliers. The experience is exclusively available to MasterCard holders as one of the company’s Priceless Cities offers. To book a seat at the table, a package is available for travel dates of 11-13 November that includes the dinner and two nights' accommodation in a twin-share villa at Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, with rates starting at $5,454 for two guests. priceless.com/en-au.html

South Australia’s Taylors Wines has celebrated its 2015 release, The Pioneer Shiraz, with a luxurious artisan wine cabinet. The Clare Valley-based winery has launched just five of these handcrafted cabinets for purchase, each housing an imperial bottle of the shiraz. The cabinets, designed in consultation with award-winning Adelaide-based furniture designer Andrew Bartlett, have each been carved from a single piece of Tasmanian blackheart sassafras wood, and feature brass finishings and Taylors’ signature seahorse emblem on the polished brass plates on the external sides.

Available through the Taylors cellar door and select duty-free retailers, the exclusive cabinets retail for $8,000. taylorswines.com.au

STACEY ALLEAUME

STACEY ALLEAUME IS AN AUSTRALIAN-MAURITIAN SOPRANO ARTIST WITH OPERA AUSTRALIA. Belinda Craigie SPOKE WITH STACEY ABOUT HER OPERATIC EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD, WHERE SHE GOES TO RELAX AND HER MOST MEMORABLE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES.

In your opinion, what is the opera capital of the world?

If I had to choose one, I am going to say New York – the Metropolitan Opera

What was it like working at the Music Academy of the West in California with [famed mezzo-soprano] Marilyn Horne?

Marilyn was very inspiring and she’s just such a wealth of knowledge. It’s not often you get to meet and work with some of the great artists of that generation, especially one that has had such a long, successful and celebrated career…overall, a fabulous experience.

How did you find California?

Santa Barbara is so beautiful. We were so lucky to be there for eight weeks and have the beach right there at our doorstep.

What is the most memorable opera performance you’ve seen and why was it so fabulous?

At the Metropolitan Opera in December 2014 I saw La Traviata, and it was just fabulous. The production was absolutely amazing…rapturous applause and so much excitement. It was just the whole experience. You walk into the auditorium and it’s 3,800 seats

with gorgeous chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling and there’s a certain ambience about the opera house. Knowing how many great artists have performed on that stage and just the building itself – how much it’s heard and seen through the years that it’s been there. I think all that together is quite amazing.

Tell me a little bit about what you did in Italy and how you found the experience.

Certainly different living to Australia. I spent a month in Florence, I was studying Italian

there. So every morning I would spend four hours learning Italian and then I would have the afternoon free to go and explore and practice the language. There’s so much history and it’s so beautiful. In Gianni Schicchi, [the character] Lauretta actually talks about the Ponte Vecchio in Florence and wanting to jump off into the Arno River. She’s pleading with her father to give her the money to buy a ring so she can marry this guy. To be there and make reference to those things that you sing about in opera, I think that’s really cool too. And then to actually have an

experience that you can connect to, rather than just seeing a picture of what it is or looking at it in a book.

How did you find Italian? Can you speak it quite fluently now? Not fluently! I was only there for probably two months in total. You have to be in the country a bit longer, and be practicing every day, to become fluent. I have basic skills and I can go back there and still be able to order a coffee and talk about clothes and sizes and all that kind of stuff, which is nice. You’ve just got to persevere through the hurdles and the painfulness of feeling like you’re speaking like a two-year-old.

Do you think it’s something you might continue to pursue, in terms of improving your Italian?

Yeah for sure, because there are so many operas in Italian. So we’re constantly trying to improve our language skills.

How do your travels influence your work?

We can draw on the inspiration from the architecture and the history and the scenery. Until three years ago, I had never experienced snow, and it’s amazing how many arias or songs make reference to snow or snowflakes falling. We were in Florence and decided to take a day trip to San Marino. The weather forecast had predicted “light snow.” I was with my husband at the time and I thought: ah this will be good, how romantic “light snow”. It’s so magical it’s going to be like a winter wonderland; anyway we get there

and, I am not kidding you, it was a blizzard. The visibility was probably about five metres, there were such strong winds we could barely see and my feet were frozen. I thought I was going to lose a toe!

So you gain more of a sense of what you’re singing about?

Yeah you really do. And you can bring that into your performance as well. It’s the colours that you can create, by having those experiences. That is quite unique.

Are there any festivals or events internationally you could recommend to opera lovers?

I haven’t been myself, because I haven’t been to Italy in summer. But there’s a festival called the Arena di Verona It’s an outdoor amphitheatre and in summer they hold opera performances. In ancient times these amphitheatres would house 30,000 people, but now it’s probably about half that. It just looks absolutely spectacular. It’s in Italy, it’s summer, it’s beautiful and you’re outdoors in this gorgeous and amazing historic, iconic amphitheatre.

Can you tell me a bit about your Mauritian background? Both my parents are Mauritian. It’s a really small island; you could drive from the north to the south in about an hour-and-a-half.

So have you been there?

My first trip and our first entire family holiday was in 2014. I learned that my dad’s grandfather was the mayor of Port Louie, the capital of Mauritius, in 1916. When we got there, dad was telling me about the buildings and they let us into [the City Council] and they had the plaques of all the mayors on the wall. My dad’s uncle was

the curator of the opera house in Mauritius. Unfortunately, the opera house has been closed since 2008 for renovations so that was kind of heartbreaking to not be able to see inside. But just to see the family history, and being with my dad and mum showing me where they grew up, that was really special.

That’s a shame about the Opera house…

I really hope they can restore it, because years ago they used to have travelling troupes. When my parents were growing up, people from France would come and perform at the opera house. Music used to be quite a big part of Mauritius, especially opera.

What’s the most luxurious travel experience you’ve had?

Luxurious is a term that everyone sees differently. But at the very end of our Italy trip we went to the Amalfi Coast and stayed in a hotel that overlooked the coastline... surrounded by lemon groves. On New Year’s Eve we...celebrated with the entire town. I’m not kidding you, the whole town was dancing and playing live music, dancing with their instruments down to the coastline where they had fireworks. The next morning we woke up and had breakfast with Italian coffee overlooking a gorgeous view. So for us that was a really beautiful trip and a memorable experience.

Stacey will perform in Sydney Opera House – The Opera (The Eighth Wonder), which charts the history of the creation of Sydney’s most iconic building and will be held on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House – the first time the Opera House steps have been transformed to an opera stage – from 28 October-5 November 2016. opera.org.au/steps

“I spent a month in Florence ... studying Italian ... every morning I would spend four hours learning ... then I would have the afternoon free to go and explore and practice the language”

STACEY ALLEAUME PERFORMING IN THE PEARLFISHERS

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO – WAY OF ST JAMES

MATT DAMON

A "BOURNE" TRAVELLER, OSCAR WINNER MATT DAMON TALKS TO LUXURY TRAVEL ABOUT HIS FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS, HIS PASSION FOR WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND HIS SCARIEST TRAVEL MOMENT.

How do you connect to the local communities when you’re travelling?

I was in Zambia in 2006 on a trip that [U2 lead singer] Bono put together. He does these trips for people who want to study these issues of extreme poverty, and each day has a different learning focus. It was fascinating; it was like going back to college. It was really great.

And one of those days, the focus was water. I ended up having an interaction with a 14-year-old girl who I went on a water collection with. In talking to her – it’s a very rural village in Zambia – I said, “Are you going to live here when you grow up?” And the translator asked her and she smiled, and she said, “No, no, no. I’m going to move to the big city of Lusaka, and I’m going to be a nurse.”

I had this great connection with her, because I remember being 14 and me and Ben Affleck saying, “We’re going to move to New York, to the big city, and we’re going to be actors.” And I remembered that feeling, and I really connected with this girl.

Where did you travel to film for The Martian?

For the Mars backdrop we filmed at Wadi Rum in Jordan. I was in awe

of that place. It was really, really special. One of the most spectacular and beautiful places I have ever seen, and like nothing I’ve ever seen anywhere else on Earth.

Would you ever consider commercial space travel yourself?

I’m glad there are those types of people already but I think it would be tough for me to do. I will let Space X and those guys get out there for maybe 20 years or so before I go on a flight.

I have done a lot of space travel in the last couple of years on screen and you have to be a certain type of person, like the pioneers were, who crossed Death Valley in a wagon. It takes a special type of person who wants to push the envelope, to find where the very edge is and go there, and that is how we evolve and that is why we are here on the [American] West Coast.

What’s your favourite destination?

I love it in India. I’ve been to Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai. I love meeting people in those communities and hearing their stories –it’s incredible.

What does luxury mean to you? Eating all the local food, that’s luxury for me. When I’m in India, I eat nothing but Indian food – I love anything that’s curried, I love spice. I like it a bit hot.

Can you give us one interesting travel story?

When I was doing the film Syriana, they arranged for my wife, Lucy, and me to go up to watch the sunset over the Arabian Peninsula from the top of that seven-star Dubai hotel that’s shaped like a sail, the Burj Al Arab. So we go to the very top – 60 storeys or something – we’re given champagne, and we go, “Oh my God, this is great.” But as I started

to walk toward the edge, my legs locked up. I was absolutely frozen. I completely jumped my neocortex and went straight to this primal, full lizardbrain fear state. Lucy was walking all around the edge, while I was about to collapse from fear. She thought it was hysterical.

CELEBRITY TRAVELLER

Matt Damon

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