Sunday Times Supplement

LUXURY

HOLIDAYS

25.09.2016

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

PARADISE FOUND Eight pages of inspirational experiences, dream locations & super-hot hideaways

CUSTOMISING YOUR HOLIDAY

TWO TRIPS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

POINTS OF VIEW

The ultimate indulgence is getting exactly what you want | p3

You’ll have twice the fun on a dual-destination break | p4-5

Don’t just admire the scenery, be a part of it | p7

LUXURY HOLIDAYS 2 / ON THE HORIZON

W H AT ’S NE W

CARIBBEAN DREAMIN’

Wildlife safaris and tropical retreats are among the hottest new trends HIGH-FLYING OMAN When British Airways starts flying to Oman this October, the sultanate will be ready. In the northeast, the Green Mountains live up to their name, thanks to regular rainfall and ancient irrigation systems, and perched among them, at 2,000m, is the 115-room Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, the Middle East’s highest five-star hotel complex. Prepare for canyon views, a spa with hammam, indoor pool, jacuzzi, steam and sauna, and the opportunity to explore the neighbouring Unesco world heritage site of Nizwa and surrounding villages devoted to growing roses. Combine that experience with the souks and museums of Muscat by staying at the Chedi Muscat, which has a private beach, a 103m-long tree-lined swimming pool and tennis courts.

A seven-night break to both hotels, including flights and B&B accommodation, from £2,269pp with Western & Oriental, 020 3588 2974, westernoriental.com

As high season approaches, the Caribbean is showcasing some fabulous hotels. On Shoal Bay in Anguilla, the Zemi Beach Resort opened its doors in February with a spa, hammam, yoga deck, juice bar serving drinks made from plants growing in its own garden, and pristine beaches.

Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic continues to build its reputation as a versatile Caribbean destination, with nature, history and culture in spades. The luxury hotel chain Aman Resorts, known for its stylish retreats in far-flung places, has opened Amanera on Playa Grande. Its 18-hole golf course features 10 holes that play along the coast — more than any other course in the Western hemisphere.

Punta Cana, at the island’s eastern tip, saw TV kids’ channel Nickelodeon open an all-inclusive family resort in June, with character breakfasts and water parks.

For a child-free getaway, Pink Sand Club, in Canouan Island in the Grenadines, may be more relaxing. Set among 300 acres, this sleek resort has four restaurants, a golf course, spa and superb snorkelling at the nearby coral reef.

A seven-night stay at Pink Sand Club starts at £4,969pp including flights, transfers and B&B accommodation, with ITC Luxury Travel, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk

KENYA’S FOR THE BIRDS

CUBA LIBRE

Next year, Kenya’s birdlife will share the safari spotlight with the “big five” game animals in a new tour with Rainbow Tours. Starting in January, Birding and Wildlife in the Great Rift Valley is an eight-day adventure that starts at Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru, where there are pools of flamingo, heron, stork and egret, while at the Governors’ Camp in the Masai Mara National Reserve you can spot the secretary bird, ground hornbill and seven varieties of kingfisher. Expert-led wildlife viewing takes place on safari drives and walks, boat trips, and the option of a hot-air balloon flight.

From £2,850pp, including flights and transfers, full board on safari, and accommodation, with Rainbow Tours, 020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

American Airlines starts flying from the US to Cuba this month, while Virgin is increasing its service from London, flying three times a week to Havana this winter and adding a route to Varadero in spring. For an atmospheric and individual alternative to the island’s often drab hotel accommodation, try booking a stay in a casa particular. These private apartments and houses give you an authentic experience and the freedom to explore outlying neighbourhoods.

Miami, just 370km away to the south, makes for a perfect second holiday centre.

The city’s South Beach features some of America’s most exciting hotels, not to mention its newest luxury enclave on Miami Beach.

A week’s stay at a casa particular in Havana, B&B, including flights and transfers, starts at £1,399pp, with Western & Oriental.

020 3588 2974, westernoriental.com

DIS COVER TH E CA R I B B EAN Sail aboard The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built™ 13 – 26 March 2017 - Seven Seas Explorer 10 night Caribbean cruise including British Virgin Islands, St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, St Barths, plus 3 nights pre-cruise at The Redbury, Miami • Free, unlimited excursions in every port of call to enhance your cruise

• All suite, all balcony, with one of the highest staff to guest ratios at sea

• Truly all-inclusive, featuring unlimited fine wines, premium beverages and speciality restaurants

• Canyon Ranch Spa Club, Culinary Arts Kitchen, Smithsonian Collection enrichment programme

3 nights room only in a Redbury King Room at The Redbury, Miami and 10 nights all-inclusive in a Veranda Suite on Seven 3 nights room only in a Redbury King Room at The Redbury, Miami and 10 nights all-inclusive in a Veranda Suite on Seven Seas Explorer from £4,475 per person including return economy class flights and private transfers Seas Explorer from £4,475 per person including return economy class flights and private transfers

Call 01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25 All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and transfers, based on 2 adults sharing.

Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm, Sunday 11am - 4pm

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

@ITCLuxuryTravel itcluxurytravel.co.uk 01244 355526

25.09.2016 / 3

SAVE UP TO £515 PER PERSON EXPERIENCE YOUR W&ONDERFUL

Images: Getty, Alamy

A view to savour Enjoy dinner for two in front of the magical Taj Mahal, in Agra, India

SHANGRI-LA BARR AL JISSAH RESORT & SPA, AL WAHA HOTEL OMAN 30% discount on accommodation rates plus a complimentary room upgrade 5 nights bed & breakfast from £1,045 per person sharing a Superior Seaview Room Saving up to £295 per person

THE CHEDI MUSCAT OMAN

Yours for the asking For those who expect five-star luxury as standard, it’s the bespoke touches that count. Sophie Campbell discovers what makes discerning travellers tick

S

o what tickles your fancy… a birthday cake delivered during a game drive? Private access to a fine art collection? Or perhaps a party dress tailored overnight? Luxury means different things to different people, and to those for whom money is no object, hiring a private jet or checking into a swanky hotel is not necessarily special enough.

It’s the subtle little touches that make all the difference.

Seventy-somethings Stuart and Angela Bottomley, from Ilkley, West Yorkshire, have averaged two trips a year for the past 15 years and know their luxury travel. “It fits into two categories,” explains Stuart, “meticulous planning and knowledge. We bounce ideas off the travel company, they come up with a programme, we hone it.

The organisation is seamless, so it takes the headaches out of travel for us.”

Stuart mentions flying from Barbados to Mustique with an irritating delay b e t we en f l i ght s t hat m i rac u lou s ly disappeared. “They’d sorted it. Somebody in England talked to the plane company, which talked to the hotel in Mustique.”

Above all, he appreciates the first-hand knowledge. “A member of staff will have been to most places we want to go to. If they recommend a particular room or a dessert on the menu, it’s because someone’s been there and seen or tried it.”

Another regular luxury traveller, Alison Kitney, 43, from Northampton, has fallen in love with the Indian Subcontinent, entirely thanks to her travel consultant from luxury tour operator Western & Oriental. She loves his attention to detail and ability to guess what will charm her and her husband, both hyperbusy and well-travelled. “I love views, so we’re always booked into a room with sensational views. He can do that, because he knows the rooms. We’re always blown away.”

Alison has a shellfish allergy, so their consultant once organised separate, shellfish-free menus to be created for her every night. He had football streamed to their suite when her husband’s team was playing — and when they won, a cake iced with the team’s logo arrived at the door.

“I said, jokingly, ‘Well, what about me?’ and that I preferred shoes to football.

When we got to the next hotel, there was a cake shaped like a Chanel shoe!”

The consultant in question is Nikhil Chhibber. Organising itineraries in the Indian Subcontinent, including Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, he cites preparation as the key. “I always want to know what people want, what really interests them,” he says. “I don’t just listen carefully to what they say, but try to read between the lines. You often learn a lot from what people don’t say.” Luxury, he points out, is quite a confusing thing, and it’s certainly not all about money. His secret weapon

30% early booking discount 5 nights bed & breakfast from £1,419 per person sharing a Serai Room Saving up to £395 per person

LUX* BELLE MARE MAURITIUS Two free nights 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,815 per person sharing a Junior Suite Saving up to £450 per person

Highly des res A luxury hotel in Mustique

is surprise. “I can, of course, charter private planes, or arrange local mobile phones for guests, or wi-fi in the car, or unlimited bottled water, or fresh sheets for overnight train trips — but I always have a surprise up my sleeve.” These include a celebrity chef turning up to deliver a cookery lesson, a royal elephant with a palanquin for a marriage proposal, and dinner for two with an uninterrupted view of the Taj Mahal.

It may sound easy, but behind such experiences and unexpected extras lies a huge amount of work. “It’s all in the detail,” says Nikhil, “I prepare everything, I don’t over-promise — and I’m always looking for that perfect surprise.”

•

Western & Oriental organises bespoke luxury holidays. Call 020 3588 2974 or visit westernoriental.com

CONSTANCE EPHÉLIA SEYCHELLES 30% early booking discount 7 nights half board from £1,879 per person sharing a Junior Suite Saving up to £515 per person

0203 588 2974 or visit www.westernoriental.com/sun25

All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and transfers, based on 2 adults sharing.

Travel dates vary and blackout dates may apply.

LUXURY HOLIDAYS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

@ITCLuxuryTravel itcluxurytravel.co.uk 01244 355526

4 / M U LT I - C E N T R E H O L I D AY S

Two for the price of one Beach or shopping? Make that beach and shopping?

Will Hide explores how multi-centre holidays mean twice the fun next time you head off on your travels CULTURE AND SUN LOUNGER — SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES

Next stop, Nirvana The sitting Buddha statue on the roof of the Golden Temple in Dambulla, Sri Lanka

With its palm-fringed coastline, abundant wildlife, sightseeing opportunities and delicious food, it would be easy to just pass time on Sri Lanka itself. But if you want to perfect perfection, add a 90-minute flight across the Laccadive Sea to the Maldives’ white beaches.

It’s good value to arrange for a private car and driver in Sri Lanka, which will help you make the most of your time. After arriving in the capital Colombo, move on to stay in one of the boutique properties that have sprung up in Galle, the arty centre of the south, whose buildings show the influence of Dutch and Portuguese colonisers.

The story goes that King Solomon once received ivory and peacocks from its port.

Then head into the island’s interior and cool off at a tea plantation near Nurawa Eliya. Perhaps visit a national park, such as Udawalawe, for the elephants and leopards; marvel at the rock fortress of Sigiriya rising out of the plains; and browse the street markets of the cultural capital, Kandy.

Once at your Maldivian resort, you can revel in the art of doing precisely nothing,

rousing yourself to choose between beach or pool; snorkelling with turtles or diving with rays; a massage or stroll? It’s tough, but, trust me, you’ll get used to it.

Seven nights in Sri Lanka and seven nights at the Constance Moofushi resort, Maldives, from £4,499pp, including flight, transfers, with Western & Oriental, 020 3588 2974, westernoriental.com

Choose between beach or pool; snorkelling with turtles or diving with rays; a massage or a stroll. It’s tough, but trust me, you’ll get used to it RAIL AND CITY — ROVOS AND CAPE TOWN

A holiday should be about slowing down.

You could fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town in two-and-a-half hours, but you’ll get a much better feeling for South Africa if you see the country at ground level over two-and-a-half days. Well, a few feet off

ONE&ONLY ROYAL MIRAGE

ONE&ONLY THE PALM

ONE&ONLY CAPE TOWN

ONE&ONLY LE SAINT GÉRAN

D U B AI

DUB A I

S OUTH A FRI CA

MAURIT IUS

Up to 35% early booking discount plus complimentary half board

Up to 35% early booking discount plus complimentary half board

One free night

50% discount plus up to complimentary half board

5 nights half board from £1,245 per person sharing a Palace Superior Deluxe Room Saving up to £435 per person

5 nights half board from £1,465 per person sharing a Palm Manor House Premier Room

5 nights bed & breakfast from £2,199 per person sharing a Marina Harbour Room

7 nights half board from £2,365 per person based sharing a Junior Suite

Saving up to £660 per person

Saving up to £265 per person

Saving up to £2,035 per person

25.09.2016 / 5 Images: Getty, Shutterstock

the ground, aboard a coach on the Rovos Rail private train, which sedately clicketyclacks the 900 miles from Pretoria to the “Mother City”, aka Cape Town, swaying just enough to stir the ice in your G&T. On the way you’ll stop at the diamondmining town of Kimberley as well as the Anglo-Boer War outpost of Matjiesfontein.

The sleeper suites are top-notch, as is the food, served with the best wines from the Western Cape. You’ll be royally relaxed by the time you pull into Cape Town.

You’ll want to head up Table Mountain and over to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. Save time to explore Cape Point and the beaches at Clifton and Camps Bay, the botanic gardens at Kirstenbosch and the vineyards surrounding Constantia, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

Nine-day holiday, including two nights on the Rovos Rail and four nights in Cape Town, from £2,880pp, including flights, transfers, with Rainbow Africa, 020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

SHOP AND BEACH — NEW YORK AND BERMUDA

No, Bermuda isn’t in the Caribbean.

It’s just a 90-minute flight from New York. Which makes it a perfect finish to a bite of the Big Apple.

There’s always something new to discover in New York City, however many times you’ve been there. Look beyond Manhattan to trendy Brookyn.

Take the amusement park at Coney Island for several rides, and grab a cone at the Ample Hills ice creamery. Be warned, its salted crack caramel is rather addictive.

Walk the High Line — an elevated section of disused railway track — from north to south and end up at the ever-engaging Whitney Museum of American Art. Once on Bermuda, you can explore the island by bus, taxi or moped, which is easily done as the island is only 24 miles long and a mile wide. You’ll have to stop at one of the gorgeous beaches — some of them really are pink; we love Elbow and Horseshoe Bay — and you’ll come to a grinding halt if you have one too many rum swizzles at the Swizzle Inn in Baileys Bay. Three nights at The Carlyle, New York, and seven nights at Rosewood Tucker’s Point, Bermuda, including flights, transfers, from £2,659pp, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk

Above, see lions at the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania.

Above right, the wine country of the Cape.

Right, New York

SAFARI AND RELAX — TANZANIA AND ZANZIBAR

Oh safari, what fun. The noises from the bush as the day stirs, the sight of a lion yawning beneath an acacia tree. The Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is an animallovers’ paradise. Spend the day spotting black rhino, cheetahs, antelopes and hippos without seeing another soul before returning for a dip in the pool at your bush camp.

Then unwind on the island of Zanzibar, where you can paddle in the Indian Ocean or explore atmospheric Stone Town. Should adventure call, hire a dhow and sail out to the unsettled islands scattered around you.

A 12-day holiday, including three nights in Selous and seven on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, from £3,585pp, including flights and transfers, with Rainbow Africa, 020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

ONE&ONLY OCEAN CLUB

ONE&ONLY PALMILLA

BAHAMAS

L O S CAB O S , M EX ICO

M ALD IVES

Two free nights plus 10% discount on accommodation and receive complimentary breakfast

Two free nights

Two free nights plus complimentary half board and transfers plus receive an extra 5% early booking discount

7 nights bed & breakfast from £2,589 per person sharing a Garden View Room Saving up to £1,655 per person

7 nights bed & breakfast from £3,679 per person sharing an Ocean View Terrace Junior Suite Saving up to £945 per person

ONE&ONLY REETHI RAH

7 nights half board from £3,835 per person sharing a Beach Villa

FIRE AND ICE — REYKJAVIK AND... BEYOND

Iceland is the way to use your long weekend.

Just three hours from London, the drive from the airport will make you think you’re on another planet.

The capital, Reykjavik, is easy to get around. Start at the top of the Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran church, then take a whale-spotting tour on a converted fishing boat. The restaurant scene is booming: head to laidback Snaps in the evening.

Reykjavik is a great base from which to get out into the frozen wastes. Scale glaciers, soak in hot springs and, at the Ranga Hotel, see the northern lights.

Four-day break in Re ykjavik and the Ranga Hotel, from £659pp, including flights and transfers, with Regent Holidays, 020 7666 1241, regent-holidays.co.uk

EMIRATES ONE&ONLY WOLGAN VALLEY AND ONE&ONLY HAYMAN ISLAND 20% discount and $100 resort credit at Hayman Island 3 nights bed & breakfast at Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley and 5 nights bed & breakfast at One&Only Hayman Island from £3,759 per person Saving up to £410 per person

Saving up to £2,440 per person

Call 01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25 All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and private transfers, based on 2 adults sharing.

Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm, Sunday 11am - 4pm

LUXURY HOLIDAYS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

@ITCLuxuryTravel itcluxurytravel.co.uk 01244 355526

4 / M U LT I - C E N T R E H O L I D AY S

Two for the price of one Beach or shopping? Make that beach and shopping?

Will Hide explores how multi-centre holidays mean twice the fun next time you head off on your travels CULTURE AND SUN LOUNGER — SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES

Next stop, Nirvana The sitting Buddha statue on the roof of the Golden Temple in Dambulla, Sri Lanka

With its palm-fringed coastline, abundant wildlife, sightseeing opportunities and delicious food, it would be easy to just pass time on Sri Lanka itself. But if you want to perfect perfection, add a 90-minute flight across the Laccadive Sea to the Maldives’ white beaches.

It’s good value to arrange for a private car and driver in Sri Lanka, which will help you make the most of your time. After arriving in the capital Colombo, move on to stay in one of the boutique properties that have sprung up in Galle, the arty centre of the south, whose buildings show the influence of Dutch and Portuguese colonisers.

The story goes that King Solomon once received ivory and peacocks from its port.

Then head into the island’s interior and cool off at a tea plantation near Nurawa Eliya. Perhaps visit a national park, such as Udawalawe, for the elephants and leopards; marvel at the rock fortress of Sigiriya rising out of the plains; and browse the street markets of the cultural capital, Kandy.

Once at your Maldivian resort, you can revel in the art of doing precisely nothing,

rousing yourself to choose between beach or pool; snorkelling with turtles or diving with rays; a massage or stroll? It’s tough, but, trust me, you’ll get used to it.

Seven nights in Sri Lanka and seven nights at the Constance Moofushi resort, Maldives, from £4,499pp, including flight, transfers, with Western & Oriental, 020 3588 2974, westernoriental.com

Choose between beach or pool; snorkelling with turtles or diving with rays; a massage or a stroll. It’s tough, but trust me, you’ll get used to it RAIL AND CITY — ROVOS AND CAPE TOWN

A holiday should be about slowing down.

You could fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town in two-and-a-half hours, but you’ll get a much better feeling for South Africa if you see the country at ground level over two-and-a-half days. Well, a few feet off

ONE&ONLY ROYAL MIRAGE

ONE&ONLY THE PALM

ONE&ONLY CAPE TOWN

ONE&ONLY LE SAINT GÉRAN

D U B AI

DUB A I

S OUTH A FRI CA

MAURIT IUS

Up to 35% early booking discount plus complimentary half board

Up to 35% early booking discount plus complimentary half board

One free night

50% discount plus up to complimentary half board

5 nights half board from £1,245 per person sharing a Palace Superior Deluxe Room Saving up to £435 per person

5 nights half board from £1,465 per person sharing a Palm Manor House Premier Room

5 nights bed & breakfast from £2,199 per person sharing a Marina Harbour Room

7 nights half board from £2,365 per person based sharing a Junior Suite

Saving up to £660 per person

Saving up to £265 per person

Saving up to £2,035 per person

25.09.2016 / 5 Images: Getty, Shutterstock

the ground, aboard a coach on the Rovos Rail private train, which sedately clicketyclacks the 900 miles from Pretoria to the “Mother City”, aka Cape Town, swaying just enough to stir the ice in your G&T. On the way you’ll stop at the diamondmining town of Kimberley as well as the Anglo-Boer War outpost of Matjiesfontein.

The sleeper suites are top-notch, as is the food, served with the best wines from the Western Cape. You’ll be royally relaxed by the time you pull into Cape Town.

You’ll want to head up Table Mountain and over to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. Save time to explore Cape Point and the beaches at Clifton and Camps Bay, the botanic gardens at Kirstenbosch and the vineyards surrounding Constantia, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

Nine-day holiday, including two nights on the Rovos Rail and four nights in Cape Town, from £2,880pp, including flights, transfers, with Rainbow Africa, 020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

SHOP AND BEACH — NEW YORK AND BERMUDA

No, Bermuda isn’t in the Caribbean.

It’s just a 90-minute flight from New York. Which makes it a perfect finish to a bite of the Big Apple.

There’s always something new to discover in New York City, however many times you’ve been there. Look beyond Manhattan to trendy Brookyn.

Take the amusement park at Coney Island for several rides, and grab a cone at the Ample Hills ice creamery. Be warned, its salted crack caramel is rather addictive.

Walk the High Line — an elevated section of disused railway track — from north to south and end up at the ever-engaging Whitney Museum of American Art. Once on Bermuda, you can explore the island by bus, taxi or moped, which is easily done as the island is only 24 miles long and a mile wide. You’ll have to stop at one of the gorgeous beaches — some of them really are pink; we love Elbow and Horseshoe Bay — and you’ll come to a grinding halt if you have one too many rum swizzles at the Swizzle Inn in Baileys Bay. Three nights at The Carlyle, New York, and seven nights at Rosewood Tucker’s Point, Bermuda, including flights, transfers, from £2,659pp, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk

Above, see lions at the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania.

Above right, the wine country of the Cape.

Right, New York

SAFARI AND RELAX — TANZANIA AND ZANZIBAR

Oh safari, what fun. The noises from the bush as the day stirs, the sight of a lion yawning beneath an acacia tree. The Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is an animallovers’ paradise. Spend the day spotting black rhino, cheetahs, antelopes and hippos without seeing another soul before returning for a dip in the pool at your bush camp.

Then unwind on the island of Zanzibar, where you can paddle in the Indian Ocean or explore atmospheric Stone Town. Should adventure call, hire a dhow and sail out to the unsettled islands scattered around you.

A 12-day holiday, including three nights in Selous and seven on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, from £3,585pp, including flights and transfers, with Rainbow Africa, 020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

ONE&ONLY OCEAN CLUB

ONE&ONLY PALMILLA

BAHAMAS

L O S CAB O S , M EX ICO

M ALD IVES

Two free nights plus 10% discount on accommodation and receive complimentary breakfast

Two free nights

Two free nights plus complimentary half board and transfers plus receive an extra 5% early booking discount

7 nights bed & breakfast from £2,589 per person sharing a Garden View Room Saving up to £1,655 per person

7 nights bed & breakfast from £3,679 per person sharing an Ocean View Terrace Junior Suite Saving up to £945 per person

ONE&ONLY REETHI RAH

7 nights half board from £3,835 per person sharing a Beach Villa

FIRE AND ICE — REYKJAVIK AND... BEYOND

Iceland is the way to use your long weekend.

Just three hours from London, the drive from the airport will make you think you’re on another planet.

The capital, Reykjavik, is easy to get around. Start at the top of the Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran church, then take a whale-spotting tour on a converted fishing boat. The restaurant scene is booming: head to laidback Snaps in the evening.

Reykjavik is a great base from which to get out into the frozen wastes. Scale glaciers, soak in hot springs and, at the Ranga Hotel, see the northern lights.

Four-day break in Re ykjavik and the Ranga Hotel, from £659pp, including flights and transfers, with Regent Holidays, 020 7666 1241, regent-holidays.co.uk

EMIRATES ONE&ONLY WOLGAN VALLEY AND ONE&ONLY HAYMAN ISLAND 20% discount and $100 resort credit at Hayman Island 3 nights bed & breakfast at Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley and 5 nights bed & breakfast at One&Only Hayman Island from £3,759 per person Saving up to £410 per person

Saving up to £2,440 per person

Call 01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25 All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and private transfers, based on 2 adults sharing.

Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm, Sunday 11am - 4pm

LUXURY HOLIDAYS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

@ITCLuxuryTravel itcluxurytravel.co.uk 01244 355529

6 / BEAUTIFUL BARBADOS

SAVE £340 PER PERSON

THE WESTIN RESORT COSTA NAVARINO GREECE Receive complimentary heat and aqua spa access 7 nights bed & breakfast from £849 per person sharing a Deluxe Garden Resort/Garden View Room Saving up to £50 per person

PUENTE ROMANO BEACH RESORT & SPA SPAIN Save 20% on accommodation rates 7 nights bed & breakfast from £979 per person sharing a Double Room Saving up to £255 per person

THE RITZ-CARLTON, ABAMA TENERIFE One free night plus 10% early booking discount 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,045 per person sharing a Deluxe Room Citadel Resort View Saving up to £290 per person

LA MAMOUNIA MARRAKECH Receive a complimentary room upgrade plus early check in and late check out 7 nights on a room only basis from £1,335 per person sharing a Superior Room Saving up to £340 per person

01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25

All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and transfers, based on 2 adults sharing. Travel dates vary and blackout dates may apply.

25.09.2016 / 7

Room in a view

Another day in paradise

SAVE £2,219 PER PERSON

Images: Getty, Alamy

SHANGRI-LA’S HAMBANTOTA RESORT & SPA SRI LANKA 30% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,475 per person sharing a Deluxe Room

Beach walks at dawn, cocktails at noon and fun-filled pursuits till long after dusk. On Barbados, every minute is magical, finds Christina Cook

Saving up to £200 per person

SONEVA FUSHI RESORT MALDIVES

S

unrise may mark the most difficult decision of the day: where to go for your beach stroll — the east coast with its dramatic Atlantic rollers crashing into the cliffs, or the west coast, lapped by the hypnotic ripples of the Caribbean Sea? For the former, Bathsheba’s white sand and striking rock formations hewn from ancient coral reefs is unbeatable, while Mullins Beach is the best in the west: azure sky, golden sand and glittering sea.

Breakfast: with paradise on your doorstep, why decamp? ITC’s concierge can magic a silver-service bacon and eggs right to your palm tree. But if it’s Sunday, rouse yourself for brunch at Lancaster Great House in St James. This historical plantation mansion set among mahogany trees lets you eat your way through the West Indies: Jamaican ackee and saltfish, Barbadian pickled cucumber and Martinique coconut flan.

Morning pursuits: burn off your plantain fritters with a coastal walk from Animal Flower Cave, the wild anemone-filled sea pools at the island’s most northern point; or head to the forest shade and the otherworldly Welchman Hall Gully where green monkeys dart between the trees. Then

The sky’s the limit The Amangiri resort, in Utah, America. Right, the northern lights over Hotel Ion, Iceland

detour to the Tyrol Cot Heritage Village, once home to Grantley Adams and his son Tom, the island’s first and second premiers, and hitch a Tardis ride back to the 1920s with a wander through its traditional chattel houses and rum shop.

Lunch: nowhere has perfected the art of the long lunch better than The Atlantis Hotel on Tent Bay — just ask locals such as rock legend Robert Plant who can’t get enough of its goat curry. Since its A-list facelift, The Sandpiper has become the spot on the west coast to pull up a chair. Its thatched Harold’s Bar is perched on a heaven-sent stretch of beach and serves delicious chillimarinated roasted shrimp. Afterwards, you can cool down in its 60ft lap pool.

Afternoon diversions: where’s the most likely place to spot Rihanna, Simon Cowell and Gwyneth Paltrow? Answer: the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, which is packed with big-name designer stores such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton. After retail therapy, it’s time for some beauty therapy and nowhere on the island does indulgence better than Sandy Lane. Its pampering palace spreads over three decadent floors, with 11 rooms, hydrotherapy pools, a rhassoul and a spa garden. Batteries recharged, take a sunset dip with the turtles in the bath-warm water off Cobblers Cove.

Sundowners: the Fairmont Royal Pavilion in St James has nabbed one of the sweetest stretches of the Platinum coast. Right next door is Ju Ju’s Beach Bar where the ambience is casual, the

drinks are ice-cold and the customers always thoroughly chilled.

Dinner time: For a romantic evening a deux, it’s difficult to beat The Cliff in St James. Its torch-lit decks overlook a floodlit cove where, between courses, you can watch stingrays glide through the water. More memorable still is its white chocolate cheesecake, which is

Nowhere on the island does indulgence better then Sandy Lane with its hydrotherapy pools, rhassoul and spa

Stargaze on deck

For an unforgettable stay at the luxurious NIZUC resort in Mexico, book a night on its catamaran. You’ll sail the coast of the Mayan Riviera with your own crew before mooring in a deserted spot for a four-course dinner and a night surrounded by nothing but stars and sea.

Six nights from £7,559pp, including flights, transfers and a night on board a luxury catamaran, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk

Sleep with lions

In addition to luxury tents, Loisaba Lodge in Kenya has four-poster beds that can be rolled onto a raised platform,

On a SeaDream Caribbean cruise departing from St Barts you can spend a night in a double bed set up on deck with no distractions but the sounds of the ocean and the light of the moon.

Seven-night cruise via Guadeloupe, St Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica, from £3,135pp, including flights and transfers, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk If you’re brave enough to climb a series of ladders and cross a hanging bridge in Peru’s Sacred Valley, you can spend a night in a transparent pod dangling from the rock face, 400 metres above ground.

A 10-day tour of Peru with a night in a Skylodge Adventure Suite, from £3,230pp, including flights and transfers, with Rainbow Tours,020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

Dream in the desert

•

Ditch the cabin

Overnight in the air

worth the flight alone. If you can’t bear to leave the beach, tuck into truffle fries and jerk pork fillet at The Lone Star, also in St James.

One last drink: if it’s the end of the week, the only place for a postprandial rum is Oistins, a little fishing village in the south that turns into party central every Friday night. In truth, the beachside bartenders are happy to revisit the carnival vibe any other night, too. This is Barbados after all.

A seven-night Sandy Lane Spa package, from £4,525pp, including flights, transfers, and three 60-minute massages, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk

giving you all-night access to the sights and sounds of Africa, without the worry of ending up as dinner.

Three nights each at Loisaba Lodge and Kicheche Mara Camp plus one night in Nairobi, from £4,995pp, including flights and transfers, with Rainbow Africa, 020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

Carry on glamping A luxury tent at Losaiba Lodge

Day beds at the Amangiri resort in Utah double as futons for the night, so the only thing between you and your tally of shooting stars is your ability to stay awake.

Four nights at the Phoenician in Scottsdale plus three nights at Amangiri, Canyon Point, from £3,375pp, including flights, with Western & Oriental, 020 3588 2974, westernoriental.com

7 nights half board from £3,699 per person sharing a Crusoe Villa Saving up to £2,219 per person

Sometimes, a window won’t do. When you’re staying somewhere truly spectacular, you don’t just want to admire the scenery, but be part of it, says Leah Beswick Shore thing Rockley Beach, on the south coast of Barbados. Below, a fellow swimmer

Two free nights, plus book 90 days or more in advance and receive complimentary half board

KANUHURA MALDIVES Sleep among the aurorae

The trouble with the northern lights is that they don’t appear on demand, which can mean several shivery hours of waiting in the snow. Unless you stay in a room immersed in the action…

At the Arctic TreeHouse hotel in Lapland, due to open in December, futuristic pod-suites balanced on stilts in the treetops combine cosy Scandi design with a glass wall overlooking the snow-sprinkled landscape and neon night skies.

Or perhaps you’d prefer to kip inside a transparent igloo? You can at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, also in Lapland. For something more substantial, book a night at the boutique-chic Arctic Panorama Lodge in northernmost Norway. Watch nature’s spectacle unfold around you through glass walls, drawing the aurora even closer.

Alternatively, Hotel Arctic in Greenland sits on a rock by an ice fjord with uninterrupted views of the sky. And in Iceland, you can you can look out for the lights while nursing something warming in the bar at Hotel Ion which has floor-toceiling windows. Book the above breaks through Regent Holidays.

Four-night northern light packages from £659pp, B&B, including flights, with Regent Holidays, 020 7666 1241, regent-holidays.co.uk

20% discount plus book 90 days or more in advance and receive an extra 10% discount 7 nights bed & breakfast from £4,125 per person sharing a Beach Bungalow Sunrise Saving up to £1,550 per person

GILI LAKANFUSHI MALDIVES One free night plus book 90 days or more in advance and receive complimentary half board 7 nights half board from £5,499 per person sharing a Villa Suite Saving up to £2,155 per person

01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25

All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and transfers, based on 2 adults sharing. Travel dates vary and blackout dates may apply.

LUXURY HOLIDAYS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

@ITCLuxuryTravel itcluxurytravel.co.uk 01244 355529

6 / BEAUTIFUL BARBADOS

SAVE £340 PER PERSON

THE WESTIN RESORT COSTA NAVARINO GREECE Receive complimentary heat and aqua spa access 7 nights bed & breakfast from £849 per person sharing a Deluxe Garden Resort/Garden View Room Saving up to £50 per person

PUENTE ROMANO BEACH RESORT & SPA SPAIN Save 20% on accommodation rates 7 nights bed & breakfast from £979 per person sharing a Double Room Saving up to £255 per person

THE RITZ-CARLTON, ABAMA TENERIFE One free night plus 10% early booking discount 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,045 per person sharing a Deluxe Room Citadel Resort View Saving up to £290 per person

LA MAMOUNIA MARRAKECH Receive a complimentary room upgrade plus early check in and late check out 7 nights on a room only basis from £1,335 per person sharing a Superior Room Saving up to £340 per person

01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25

All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and transfers, based on 2 adults sharing. Travel dates vary and blackout dates may apply.

25.09.2016 / 7

Room in a view

Another day in paradise

SAVE £2,219 PER PERSON

Images: Getty, Alamy

SHANGRI-LA’S HAMBANTOTA RESORT & SPA SRI LANKA 30% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,475 per person sharing a Deluxe Room

Beach walks at dawn, cocktails at noon and fun-filled pursuits till long after dusk. On Barbados, every minute is magical, finds Christina Cook

Saving up to £200 per person

SONEVA FUSHI RESORT MALDIVES

S

unrise may mark the most difficult decision of the day: where to go for your beach stroll — the east coast with its dramatic Atlantic rollers crashing into the cliffs, or the west coast, lapped by the hypnotic ripples of the Caribbean Sea? For the former, Bathsheba’s white sand and striking rock formations hewn from ancient coral reefs is unbeatable, while Mullins Beach is the best in the west: azure sky, golden sand and glittering sea.

Breakfast: with paradise on your doorstep, why decamp? ITC’s concierge can magic a silver-service bacon and eggs right to your palm tree. But if it’s Sunday, rouse yourself for brunch at Lancaster Great House in St James. This historical plantation mansion set among mahogany trees lets you eat your way through the West Indies: Jamaican ackee and saltfish, Barbadian pickled cucumber and Martinique coconut flan.

Morning pursuits: burn off your plantain fritters with a coastal walk from Animal Flower Cave, the wild anemone-filled sea pools at the island’s most northern point; or head to the forest shade and the otherworldly Welchman Hall Gully where green monkeys dart between the trees. Then

The sky’s the limit The Amangiri resort, in Utah, America. Right, the northern lights over Hotel Ion, Iceland

detour to the Tyrol Cot Heritage Village, once home to Grantley Adams and his son Tom, the island’s first and second premiers, and hitch a Tardis ride back to the 1920s with a wander through its traditional chattel houses and rum shop.

Lunch: nowhere has perfected the art of the long lunch better than The Atlantis Hotel on Tent Bay — just ask locals such as rock legend Robert Plant who can’t get enough of its goat curry. Since its A-list facelift, The Sandpiper has become the spot on the west coast to pull up a chair. Its thatched Harold’s Bar is perched on a heaven-sent stretch of beach and serves delicious chillimarinated roasted shrimp. Afterwards, you can cool down in its 60ft lap pool.

Afternoon diversions: where’s the most likely place to spot Rihanna, Simon Cowell and Gwyneth Paltrow? Answer: the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre, which is packed with big-name designer stores such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton. After retail therapy, it’s time for some beauty therapy and nowhere on the island does indulgence better than Sandy Lane. Its pampering palace spreads over three decadent floors, with 11 rooms, hydrotherapy pools, a rhassoul and a spa garden. Batteries recharged, take a sunset dip with the turtles in the bath-warm water off Cobblers Cove.

Sundowners: the Fairmont Royal Pavilion in St James has nabbed one of the sweetest stretches of the Platinum coast. Right next door is Ju Ju’s Beach Bar where the ambience is casual, the

drinks are ice-cold and the customers always thoroughly chilled.

Dinner time: For a romantic evening a deux, it’s difficult to beat The Cliff in St James. Its torch-lit decks overlook a floodlit cove where, between courses, you can watch stingrays glide through the water. More memorable still is its white chocolate cheesecake, which is

Nowhere on the island does indulgence better then Sandy Lane with its hydrotherapy pools, rhassoul and spa

Stargaze on deck

For an unforgettable stay at the luxurious NIZUC resort in Mexico, book a night on its catamaran. You’ll sail the coast of the Mayan Riviera with your own crew before mooring in a deserted spot for a four-course dinner and a night surrounded by nothing but stars and sea.

Six nights from £7,559pp, including flights, transfers and a night on board a luxury catamaran, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk

Sleep with lions

In addition to luxury tents, Loisaba Lodge in Kenya has four-poster beds that can be rolled onto a raised platform,

On a SeaDream Caribbean cruise departing from St Barts you can spend a night in a double bed set up on deck with no distractions but the sounds of the ocean and the light of the moon.

Seven-night cruise via Guadeloupe, St Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica, from £3,135pp, including flights and transfers, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk If you’re brave enough to climb a series of ladders and cross a hanging bridge in Peru’s Sacred Valley, you can spend a night in a transparent pod dangling from the rock face, 400 metres above ground.

A 10-day tour of Peru with a night in a Skylodge Adventure Suite, from £3,230pp, including flights and transfers, with Rainbow Tours,020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

Dream in the desert

•

Ditch the cabin

Overnight in the air

worth the flight alone. If you can’t bear to leave the beach, tuck into truffle fries and jerk pork fillet at The Lone Star, also in St James.

One last drink: if it’s the end of the week, the only place for a postprandial rum is Oistins, a little fishing village in the south that turns into party central every Friday night. In truth, the beachside bartenders are happy to revisit the carnival vibe any other night, too. This is Barbados after all.

A seven-night Sandy Lane Spa package, from £4,525pp, including flights, transfers, and three 60-minute massages, with ITC, 01244 355526, itcluxurytravel.co.uk

giving you all-night access to the sights and sounds of Africa, without the worry of ending up as dinner.

Three nights each at Loisaba Lodge and Kicheche Mara Camp plus one night in Nairobi, from £4,995pp, including flights and transfers, with Rainbow Africa, 020 7666 1257, rainbowtours.co.uk

Carry on glamping A luxury tent at Losaiba Lodge

Day beds at the Amangiri resort in Utah double as futons for the night, so the only thing between you and your tally of shooting stars is your ability to stay awake.

Four nights at the Phoenician in Scottsdale plus three nights at Amangiri, Canyon Point, from £3,375pp, including flights, with Western & Oriental, 020 3588 2974, westernoriental.com

7 nights half board from £3,699 per person sharing a Crusoe Villa Saving up to £2,219 per person

Sometimes, a window won’t do. When you’re staying somewhere truly spectacular, you don’t just want to admire the scenery, but be part of it, says Leah Beswick Shore thing Rockley Beach, on the south coast of Barbados. Below, a fellow swimmer

Two free nights, plus book 90 days or more in advance and receive complimentary half board

KANUHURA MALDIVES Sleep among the aurorae

The trouble with the northern lights is that they don’t appear on demand, which can mean several shivery hours of waiting in the snow. Unless you stay in a room immersed in the action…

At the Arctic TreeHouse hotel in Lapland, due to open in December, futuristic pod-suites balanced on stilts in the treetops combine cosy Scandi design with a glass wall overlooking the snow-sprinkled landscape and neon night skies.

Or perhaps you’d prefer to kip inside a transparent igloo? You can at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, also in Lapland. For something more substantial, book a night at the boutique-chic Arctic Panorama Lodge in northernmost Norway. Watch nature’s spectacle unfold around you through glass walls, drawing the aurora even closer.

Alternatively, Hotel Arctic in Greenland sits on a rock by an ice fjord with uninterrupted views of the sky. And in Iceland, you can you can look out for the lights while nursing something warming in the bar at Hotel Ion which has floor-toceiling windows. Book the above breaks through Regent Holidays.

Four-night northern light packages from £659pp, B&B, including flights, with Regent Holidays, 020 7666 1241, regent-holidays.co.uk

20% discount plus book 90 days or more in advance and receive an extra 10% discount 7 nights bed & breakfast from £4,125 per person sharing a Beach Bungalow Sunrise Saving up to £1,550 per person

GILI LAKANFUSHI MALDIVES One free night plus book 90 days or more in advance and receive complimentary half board 7 nights half board from £5,499 per person sharing a Villa Suite Saving up to £2,155 per person

01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25

All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and transfers, based on 2 adults sharing. Travel dates vary and blackout dates may apply.

LUXURY SAVINGS

UP TO

WAVES HOTEL AND SPA

BY ELEGANT HOTELS

£1,230 PER PERSON

BLUE WATERS

NIZUC RESORT & SPA

FAIRMONT ROYAL PAVILION

AN TI G U A Up to 30% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,529 per person sharing a Superior Hillside Room Saving up to £430 per person

MEXICO Two free nights plus complimentary spa experience 7 nights room only from £1,559 per person sharing a Garden Suite Saving up to £515 per person

B ARB ADOS Up to 50% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,569 per person sharing an an Oceanfront Deluxe Room Saving up to £1,020 per person

HALF MOON

SUGAR BEACH, A VICEROY RESORT

RENDEZVOUS

PORT FERDINAND

JA M A I CA Up to 25% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights room only from £1,765 per person sharing a Deluxe Room Saving up to £410 per person

S AI N T L U C I A One free night plus complimentary breakfast 7 nights bed & breakfast From £1,779 per person sharing a Sugar Mill Luxury Room Saving up to £630 per person

S AI N T L U C I A Up to 40% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights all-inclusive from £1,835 per person sharing a Premium Garden View Room Saving up to £950 per person

B ARB ADOS Up to 35% discount plus complimentary transfers and breakfast 7 nights bed & breakfast from £1,839 per person sharing a One Bedroom Luxury Harbourside Villa Saving up to £985 per person

CARLISLE BAY

BODYHOLIDAY

SPICE ISLAND BEACH RESORT

HERMITAGE BAY

A NT I G UA Up to 40% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights bed and breakfast from £2,079 per person sharing an Ocean Suite Saving up to £1,065 per person

S AI N T L U C I A Up to 40% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights all-inclusive from £2,299 per person sharing a Luxury Room Saving up to £1,230 per person

G R E N AD A 10% discount plus complimentary room upgrade 7 nights all-inclusive from £2,825 per person sharing Sea Grape Beach Suite Saving up to £955 per person

AN TIGU A Free international flights and transfers 7 nights all-inclusive from £3,485 per person sharing Garden Suite Saving up to £760 per person

BA R BA DO S Up to 40% discount on accommodation rates 7 nights all-inclusive from £1,479 per person sharing a Standard Room Saving up to £635 per person

WEST INDIES

vs

ENGLAND

3 March 2017

5 March 2017

9 March 2017

First ODI – Antigua

Second ODI – Antigua

Third ODI – Barbados

Watch just one or all three One Day Internationals between England and the West Indies whilst enjoying a stay on the beautiful islands of Antigua and Barbados on a tailored ITC Sports Travel holiday. Call us on 01244 355 529 or visit www.itcsports.co.uk

Call: 01244 355 526 or visit www.itcluxurytravel.co.uk/sun25 Opening hours: Monday – Friday 9am – 7pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm and Sunday 11am – 4pm All offers are subject to availability and include return economy class flights and are based on 2 adults sharing unless otherwise stated.

Travel validity dates vary and blackout dates may apply. Please call for full details. Calls may be recorded.

ITC Luxury Travel Group Ltd, ABTA, V2359, ATOL protected 2786.