THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE
juNE 2011
Produced in International Media Production Zone
Design Hotels
Where to check in for seriously stylish stays
British Columbia
On track through Canada’s gloriously scenic province
Delhi
Fiona Duncan finds a city of rich contrasts in India’s bustling capital
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A AT WE E W SOF KE OR IT ND TH EL ST $1 CA AY 0, IR 00 O 0
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
CONTENTS Travel biTes
feaTures
05 AgendA
73 thirty-second concierge
31 seAttle
We gather travel news from around the globe.
While away sunny days in rural Mallorca.
Mark Jones brushes up on the uSA’s most literate city.
12 Ask the expert
74 city guide: limA
36 cAnAdA
Our pros plug action-packed summer breaks.
Peru’s capital city is back on the tourist trail.
Behold the bountiful surrounds of British Columbia.
14 drive time
76 city guide: AucklAnd
44 nevis
Slow down amid a sea of green in leafy Munnar.
Delight in the hustle and harbours of new Zealand.
Jon Stock experiences the lap of laziness (and luxury)
18 picture this
79 competition
52 delhi
Feast your eys on this month’s top shot.
Sample the height of luxury at the Sofitel Cairo.
Fiona Duncan snaps a picture of past and present.
21 essentiAl selection
80 suite dreAms
58 sloveniA
We round up design hotels for seriously cool stays.
Wake up to the wilderness in South Africa.
europe’s friendliest country? Max Davidson thinks so.
36
31 On the cover: A woman at a fort in Delhi, India. David Davis Photolibrary.
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58
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Managing Director: Victoria Hazell-Thatcher
Features editor: Laura Binder
Designer: Matthew McBriar
Publishing Director: John Thatcher
laura@hotmediapublishing.com
Production manager: Haneef Abdul
Advertisement Director: Chris Capstick
+971 4 364 2877
Sales Manager: Cat Steele
chris@hotmediapublishing.com
Designer: Adam Sneade
cat@hotmediapublishing.com
+971 4 369 0917
adam@hotmediapublishing.com
+971 4 446 1558
Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in Kanoo World Traveller.
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June-Dec 2010 22,620 BPA Consumer Audit Produced by: HOT Media Publishing FZ LLC
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 3
AGENDA Be informed, be inspired, be there
moorishly luxe
four seasons marraKech From June 15, jet-setters can check-in to the new rose-tinged resort and spa from Four Seasons. Go between September and May when the weather’s at its finest and relish 40 sun-soaked acres of Moorish Menara Gardens (or why not let someone else do the leg-work and admire the surrounds on camel-back?). If that sounds like too much effort, though, an exotic spa and hammam serves as the sultriest of spots in which to relax (reserve a VIP spa room for a couple’s treatment), while two restaurants and three lounges serve up sumptuous treats – try Zest at Bleu d’Orange for rooftop drinks supped beneath a star-lit sky and aside Atlas Mountain views... www.fourseasons.com/marrakech June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 5
Summer city break
GLOBAL GOuRMeT
Big Smoke versus Big Apple
Unsure whether to take a city break in London or New York? Take a peek at how the two compare...
Chef Dwayne of At.mosphere in the Burj Khalifa gives us the rundown on must-visit restaurants when in his home country of New Zealand I was born in Lower Hutt and although I have not been back home for a while, I can still remember my favourite spots in which to eat. My first pick is the Soul Bar. Based on the waterfront in Auckland, it’s run by Chef Gareth Stewart who I worked with in London. He has a real passion for sustainable seafood and the restaurant serves the most delicious seafood (as well as a great view of the water). Last time I was there he treated me to fresh oysters and some amazing fresh fish. Another favourite is the Baulcott Street Bistro in Wellington. Not only do the staff serve some of the finest drinks I’ve had at home but it also uses great local food products. Finally, I love Wellington’s Fidels for its fantastic Kiwi breakfast, which is similar to a full English without the fried bread – best eaten sat outside under the heaters on a chilly day.
London, UK
New York, USA
Food London’s restaurant scene has turned from a joke into a jewel and its multi-cultural cuisine means you can eat your way around the globe in one city – and indulge in superb British bites at the likes of Heston Blumenthal’s ‘Dinner’ at the Mandarin Oriental.
Food A New York deli bagel laden with filling can blow London’s sad sandwiches out the water while its todie-for steaks are unbeatable. Despite its culturally diverse population, though, NYC comes second to London’s sheer range of cuisines.
CulTure Visit big-hitting museums and galleries (including the Imperial War Museum, V&A, Tates and National Gallery) for free and make for Theatreland for fab plays and musicals.
CulTure New York has tons of top class museums with free entry – take your pick from the Guggenheim, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of the City of New York. Don’t miss showstopping Broadway, either.
ParKs A ludicrous amount of London is taken up with lush, green space: try Regent’s, Green, Hyde and St. James’ parks for starters.
ParKs With a zoo, museums, boating, live concerts and much more to its name, Central Park is not-to-be-missed.
More? Visit www.visitlondon.com
More? Visit www.nycgo.com
oNe-MINuTe MasTerClass: FreNCH Which is better, the steak-frites or the moules marinières? Quel est le meilleur, le steak-frites ou les moules marinières? Where can I hire a Citroën? Où puis-je louer une Citroën? Bring me your best cheese! Apportez-moi votre meilleur fromage! 6
Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
AgendA | newS
4 WaYs To
1
Get your adrenaline pumping
Tackle the Peak-to-Creek run. Head to Whistler in British Columbia where you’ll find this extraordinary stretch of skiing which takes you from 2182 metres above sea level to 653, passing through a fair stretch of blue run – and then a wickedly tough bit of black.
2
skydive the Fox Glacier. Hook up with Sky Dive NZ (www.skydivingnz. co.nz) and you can enjoy one of the world’s most thrilling and scenic skydives, over Mount Cook and the gleaming Fox Glacier.
3
Cagedive with sharks. Head to Cape Town, where Detour Africa can take you out in a cage while Great White sharks swim around in the nearby waters. If that sounds a bit too scary you can always just view them from the deck of a boat.
4
ride the Kingda Ka rollercoaster. Located at the Six Flags park in New Jersey, uSA, it’s the world’s tallest, and sees you climbing to 139 metres before zooming down at 128 miles per hour.
lite relief
The newlylaunched Samsonite Cosmolite gives you the best of both worlds – it’s the company’s lightest ever luggage but also its strongest. It comes in four different types, all offering 360-degree spin movement, anti-scratch surfaces and beautiful linings. It’s also dashingly goodlooking: the perfect choice for the seasoned traveller.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 7
SQuARe DeAL Exciting news from London’s Trafalgar Square – the beautiful Northumberland House has reopened after a massive renovation. The hotel’s history stretches back to 1887, and as well as having a super-central location (you can tumble out of bed and be viewing pictures at the National Gallery within a mere minutes), it offers grand, high-ceilinged rooms which combine old fashioned style with all the modern trimmings you could wish for, including iPod docks, wifi and ergonomic workstations. Smart travellers will check in to the Club Quarters, where they’ll be able to use the gorgeous Club Living Room. Other hotel highlights include a 24-hour fitness suite and a pair of great restaurants: Boyd’s is the place to head to enjoy a superb breakfast each morning, while Watatsumi is a sleek Japanese spot whose servings taste as good as the venue looks. www.thegrandattrafalgarsquare.com, www.clubquarters.com
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
AgendA | newS
Destination Europe June’s offers from Kanoo Travel and American express Vacations MIlaN, ITalY FroM $1,594 Per PersoN
Discover the sights and sounds of the city of Milan and the scenery in pretty, northern Lombardy. MuNICH, GerMaNY FroM $1,568 Per PersoN
Get to know the beautiful and friendly city of Munich and savour classic German dishes as you do. ParIs, FraNCe FroM $,1720 Per PersoN
This juicy package includes four nights in a 4-star hotel, cruise and illuminations of Paris, and a day tour to Chateaux country.
Capital Gains
Planning a shopping trip to London? Harrods’ premium personal shopping experience By Appointment has added further finery to its offering with the launch of a very private penthouse, hidden away on the store’s fifth floor. Here you can drink, dine and unwind as a specialist team of experts busy around you to provide details of services, products and contacts that’ll make your life that bit better.
A View of the Ka′aba and the Experience of a Lifetime
Tel: +966 2 571 7 888 or Toll-Free: 800 121 7 888 www.raffles.com/makkah Beijing
Dubai
Jakarta
Makati
Maldives Paris
Phnom Penh
Sanya
Seychelles
Siem Reap
Singapore
Tianjin
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 9
agenda | calendar
june
barbecued lobsters, sun-soaked sailing, ladies’ day at the races? summer is most definitely here...
5-6
Telluride’s balloon FesTival colorado, usa Look at the sky over Telluride Valley and you’ll see it fill with with colourful bursts of hot air balloons come June, when a weekend of fun and floatation takes hold. Fancy climbing aboard yourself? Volunteer to get the mighty balloons off the ground and you can ride for free. On Saturdays join the locals who line Main Street at dusk to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the balloon glow. www.tellurideballoon festival.com
1-4 Foire du Trône Paris, France If you like funfairs, you’ll love the whir of merry-go-rounds at this colossal event, whose roots stretch all the way back to the 12th century. As Europe’s biggest temporary funfair it draws some five million thrill-seekers a year and if you make a beeline for Foire du Trône at the Pelouse de Reuilly you too can take in carousels, music, freak shows and gloriously greasy food. www.coloriamoicieli.com
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
3-4
THe derby surrey, uK What better way to spend a summer’s day than with a trip to the races? Make for the picturesque Epsom Downs and you’ll experience the jewel in horse-racing crown: The Derby. Over two centuries old, it’s more popular than ever with racegoers, drawing thousands trackside to to enjoy the races and atmosphere that’s best on Ladies’ Day. www.epsomderby.co.uk
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san Pedro lobsTerFesT san Pedro, belize Like lobster? Then you’ll love this celebratory ode to the mighty, clawedcreature. Street stalls and eateries all partake in this annual festival where fresh lobsters from the Azure sea are cooked in myriad ways (don’t turn your nose up to the lobster pizza til you’ve tried it), quaffed with fruity beverages and to the most upbeat of Calypso tunes. www. sanpedrolobsterfest.com
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TasTe oF amsTerdam amsterdam, Holland If fine food is your weakness, make your way to Amstelpark and you’ll be in culinary heaven: four days of international dishes from the city’s finest restaurants served in idyllic, open-air surrouds. Pick up your own delicacies at the Foodie Market or take little ones to Taste for Kids for interative classes. www. tasteofamsterdam.com
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FêTe de la mer monte carlo, monaco Make for the bay of Monaco and immerse yourself in its annual sea festival; a sundrenched show hosted by the Monaco Yacht Club where amateurs and pros alike partake in sea-soaked activities, from sailing and fishing to motor-yachting and diving before partying Saturday night away Monégasque style (don’t expect to get any sleep). www.yacht-clubmonaco.mc
EntEr a diffErEnt world
harrods.com +44 (0)20 7730 1234
AgendA | trAvel q&A
Ask the expert
Whether you’d rather take to the ocean or stay firmly on dry land this summer, our pros have action-packed holidays planned...
The panel Jessica hudson co-founded The Chic Collection’s travel advisory and is tasked with sampling endless luxury hotels and resorts. Rachel hamilton is a full-time writer and the mother of two young children, Jodie and Dylan, whom she travels frequently with. James montague writes for CNN.com and The Guardian and is the author of ‘When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone’ (Mainstream).
Q
Q
I’d like to take my young children to a working farm to teach them about animals. Are there any you can book a stay at too?
The closest many modern children get to farm-life is repeating a few verses of ‘Old MacDonald’, so your idea is a great way to give your little ones a true taste of country life. Thousands of European farms offer the chance to stay overnight, just be sure to do your research beforehand as standards vary. The UK is a great place to start and a fantastic resource with which to research your dream trip is Farmstay UK (www.farmstayuk.co.uk), which lists hundreds of farms across the country, all of which are tourist board-assessed and carry symbols to indicate the most child-friendly. Two that come well recommended are Manuels Farm (www.manuelsfarm.co.uk) near Newquay, home to the wonderfully kid-friendly Farmer James and his family. The other is Sherbourne Farm (www. sherbournelodgecottages.co.uk) in Suffolk, where children are welcome to get involved in feeding, grooming and mucking out the animals as well as being provided with guides and maps with which to follow nature trails for a less hands-on take on the local wildlife. Rachel Hamilton.
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
Vamizi Island (www.vamizi.com) in Mozambique is perfect for you – it has some of the best diving, fishing and beach life in the world. Named as one of the top ten dive sites on the planet, you can take to the waters with whales, dolphins, turtles and reef sharks and also enjoy big game fishing and salt water fly-fishing on the African Coast. There’s also excellent snorkelling, dhow cruises and kayaking (plus private picnics if you get peckish), while Swahili day beds are perfect for afternoon siestas. For the ultimate getaway, book one of its two new villas (newly opened on June 1) which have a private beachfront and freshwater pool. It’s now easy to reach, too. Fly direct to Dar es Salaam and you’ll be whisked off by private Vamizi flight to the island’s air-strip. Jessica Hudson.
Image: Vamizi Island.
I love water sports and want to book a gorgeous getaway where I can put my hobbies into action. Can you make any suggestions?
AgendA AgendA | RoAd RoAd tRip tRip
Drive time: munnar, india Set oFF At A SnAIl’S pAce And IMMerSe yourSelF In A SeA oF green...
From afar, a drive through Kerala’s hilliest resort town looks like it will be a journey through a tropical wilderness. Head to the popular spot in southern India, though, wind down your window and you’ll behold endless stems of identical leaves – tea plantations. For avid roadtrippers it paves a route coloured with thickets of bright green, interrupted only by the local people who toil the plants which multiply before them in bush-like form. Such a scene first sprouted in the 18th century when British rule of India called for Munnar to surrender itself to tea plant cultivation – and it shows no sign of withering yet. With soaring hills densely peppered with the plants, it’s a engaging sight come spring. For more room on the narrow roads avoid the tourist season (May to August) but remember that even monsoons can make for lush surrounds thanks to wandering streams and rivulets – just make sure your tyres are up to it. Image: Photolibrary 14
Kanoo World Traveller June January 20112011
AgendA | where to stAy
Where to stay
Paris
head to the ‘city of love’ and choose between chic nights a skip away from Champs-Élysées or arty abodes in the boho Left... START
Champs Élysées
OR
Right Bank
Rue de la Paix
OR
Left Bank
Eiffel Tower
Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme
Latin Quarter
Hotel 7Eiffel www.hotel-7eiffel-paris.com For an iconic stay, set up home steps away from the famous Eiffel Tower – for a few nights at least. The epitome of modern elegance, expect gloss white finshes, super-cool art and, best of all, a rooftop garden terrace where you can drink-in Paris at its finest while savouring a fine treat from the hotel’s patisserie.
www.paris.vendome.hyatt.com If shopping on one of the world’s most fashionable streets tops your Parisian to-do list, this five-star Hyatt serves as the most luxurious of spots in which to rest your shopped-out limbs. Wood, silk and bronze form a luxe backdrop to suites while La Spa is the place to truly indulge.
Big
OR
OR
Boutique
Historic
OR
Designer
Le Royal Monceau Raffles
Champs Élysées Plaza
Hotel Le Petit Paris
Hotel le Bellechasse
www.raffles.com Style-concious travellers shouldn’t skip this glam, 1930s venue redesigned by Philippe Starck. Its beautiful La Cuisine restaurant is simply unmissable.
www.champs-elysees-plaza.com Set inside a seven-storey townhouse, stays here come with divine levels of comfort and seriously decadent decor. For fab city views book a rooftop suite.
www.hotelpetitparis.com if you like hotels to have a story, this house dates to Napolean III’s reign, was a hangout for famous artists and the favoured haunt of Jim Morrison.
www.lebellechasse.com With interiors designed by Christian Lacroix, lavish boudoirs look fit for a Moulin Rouge showgirl. Best for top-totoe flamboyance.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 17
Picture this
sunflower field Mandalay, burMa There’s surely no cheerier sight come the summer season than that of these wide-faced, yellow giants. Spot the woman who tends beneath their towering form and you’ll not only gage a sense of how far skyward their trunk-like stems send them but recognise their purpose as a prime crop cultivated in this remote, fertile patch of southeast Asia where a warm, wet climate serves as the most beautiful of breeding grounds. Visit come rain or shine and get snap-happy at the sight of the charming, sunkissed blooms. Magical. Image: Photolibrary
EssEntial sElEction | DEsign hotEls
essential selection
Design Hotels
When you’re booking your next trip, treat yourself to a hotel that prides itself on its outstanding design...
The Library, Koh Samui
Anyone who has been to Koh Samui will have rhapsodised about its beauty to all their friends and family – and will be desperate to go back as soon as possible, especially if you’re booked into The Library. The eco-conscious hotel offers lovely suites and imaginative studio cabins, set on two layers and with a studio upstairs. The hotel’s grounds are extensive and rich with old-growth trees, while inside the design aesthetic is all about nature – allowing the place to appear at one one with its surrounds as well as minimise its impact on the landscape. That’s not to say there aren’t luxury trimmings, though: plasma TVs and rain showers come as standard, and there’s a marvellous library on site for bookworms. Extra cool: The pool is one of Asia’s most unusual – instead of having blue tiles, it has red. The effect is striking – and while it may take you a while to get used to it, in the end you’ll love this idiosyncratic twist.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 21
Fontana Park Hotel, Lisbon
The Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall
While the Portugese capital was previously best known for its coastal resorts, these days the cognoscenti can be found checking in to hip boutique hotels in Lisbon’s cool, winding streets. The Fontana Park Hotel is one such place, a masterpiece of design created from a preexisting building which was stripped back, pared down and kitted out with smart, modern interiors. Rooms offer views over the Fontana park and bustling Saldanha Square while, for traquility, the hotel’s courtyard is the place to relax amid cascading water features and bamboo trees. Come dinnertime, chooce between pan-Asian cuisine at Bonsai restaurant, or classic Portuguese seafood at Saldanha-Mar (pictured). Extra cool: The building was formerly a factory, which used to turn out iron products and today the interior designer has wittily paid homage to this history with quirky tweaks throughout the hotel.
When you dream of English chic, your thoughts may not immediately turn to Cornwall, that seaside rock, bucket and spade county. But that could be because you’re yet to pay Scarlet Hotel a visit. The boutique bolthole is set on a gorgeous sweep of coast and you can stay in one of just 37 rooms, each of which has its own garden terrace, balcony or rooftop space. With strong eco-friendly principles, the hotel was built to maximise light, airiness and, of course, access to coastal vistas. Tear yourself away and head out on a walk (the scenery is superb) before tucking into a much-needed bite at the Scarlet restaurant, an expert in creating delicious dishes from the very best seasonal local ingredients. Extra cool: For treatments with a twist, make for the hotel spa and dive into its reed-filtered swimming pool or log-heated, outdoor hot tubs where you can soak at night beneath a star-lit sky.
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
First impression: forever
View from the Kempinski Mokuti Lodge Namibia
Awaken your senses with an unforgettable stay in the Middle East and Africa. Discover the pleasures of a new destination, relax in sprawling suites, spend precious family moments together and regenerate your body and soul. Take advantage of our exclusive offers up to 15 September and book your stay at www.kempinski.com www.kempinski.com
Please cite the booking code KANOO when placing your booking.
The Mykonos Theoxenia Hotel, Mykonos Buildings in Greece are naturally predisposed to look beautiful. The constant sun, the blue Agean sea and the local materials all come into play to show them off to their best advantage. The Mykonos has traded on such elements to startling effect and added an extra touch, too, in the shape of a playful, 1960s-style makeover, which brings the hotel’s glamour to the fore. Book a room here and you’ll feel like an old world movie star, whether you’re enjoying a delicious dinner of fresh mezze and note-perfect grills by the water’s edge; taking a long, lazy dip in the hotel’s sparkling swimming pool; getting a soothing massage at the stone-clad spa; or just sitting back and drinking-in that Med view as the sun sets. Extra cool: Wander around the hotel grounds and you’ll stumble upon a line of ancient windmills which have been incorporated into the venue’s overall aesthetic. Take your camera with you as night falls when they cut a beautiful dash against the skyline.
Alila Diwa Goa, Goa Beach holidays can often blend in to one another: they’re always enjoyable (provided the weather is good), but unless you’re somewhere truly special, the experiences have a tendency to merge into other sun-and-sand memories. Not so at the Alila Diwa Goa, however, which is located just half-a-kilometre from a beautiful Goan beach, and surrounded by lush paddy fields. The hotel – like all those in the Alila group – aims to ‘send its guests home with spiritual and emotional memories, not just souvenirs’ and is built around one of the country’s most fabulous infinity pools. It’s the epitome of Goan design – lots of lovely verandahs, courtyards and immaculately simple rooms (for a real treat, make sure to reserve a room in the new Diwa Wing). Extra cool: Head for dinner at Spice Studio and you’ll be eating upon an elevated platform beneath the shade of a sweet-smelling banyan tree. Not only that but you’ll find yourself feasting on some of West India’s best coastal cuisine – and can then make your way to the Edge Bar to bask in Indian panoramas over a cold juice.
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
W O R L D W I D E L O C AT I O N S
:
AFRICA
ASIA
EUROPE
L AT I N A M E R I C A
MIDDLE EAST
NORTH AMERICA
Dubai’s original luxury, a haven of elegance. A haven of elegance and impeccable service, the JW Marriott Hotel Dubai is the cornerstone of traditional Dubai. This award winning property, located in the heart of Deira and just ten minutes from the Dubai International Airport, offers a large variety of suites and rooms, along with 12 restaurants, lounges and bars. A dedicated events management team drives the superb convention and conference facilities, while onsite leisure services leave plenty of time to relax and enjoy in this cosmopolitan city. RATES FROM AED 440*++ MINIMUM 3 NIGHTS STAY. VALID FROM 1 JUNE TO 31 AUGUST 2011
For more information or to make a reservation, visit jwmarriottdubai.comor call +971 4262 4444
For more information or to make a reservation, visit jwmarriottdubai.com or call +971 4262 4444. Minimum 3 nights stay. Valid from 1 June to 31 August 2011. Subject to 10% municipality fees and 10% service charge. Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
EssEntial sElEction | DEsign hotEls
AnaYela, Marrakech
The Standard, New York
A trip to Marrakech brings the first-time visitor a whirlwind of sensations – the vibrant colours, the exotic scents, the jostling and banter of the souk, the sun’s sultry rays, the list goes on... But after a day’s sightseeing, you’ll want to retire somewhere that exudes calm, tranquility and beautiful design. The AnaYela fits the bill perfectly: located in the heart of Marrakech’s souk area it still manages to feel miles from the hustle and bustle. With three centuries of history to its name, the former palace has since been restored, overseen by designer Yannick Hervy and with no expense spared. Take your pick of just five rooms, each charmingly-decorated with authentic wooden touches and metallic accents. Extra cool: The outdoor spaces at AnaYela are fantastic: go upstairs to its terrace lounge for a barbecue beneath the stars and gaze across the city, over the Atlas Mountains and beyond. Alternatively, make for the heated pool inside the inner courtyard.
Manhattan’s Meatpacking District has a flood of fine addresses where in-the-know travellers can be put up for stylish nights in the Big Apple. But none has quite the design kudos of The Standard, part of André Balazs’ Standard hotels collection, which also features properties in Hollywood, Downtown LA and Miami Beach. The New York chapter, however, is a beacon for the city’s creatives who flock here to meet, mingle and talk business. Its design is extraordinary: find it floating above the city streets on concrete pillars, with the rooms not starting until 56 feet up. You’ll love your room at The Standard for its view over the Hudson River and New York skyscrapers: but don’t stay too long – the hotel’s restaurant and lounge await... Extra cool: The hotel sits directly on top of ‘The High Line’, an impressive elevated park running up the West Side of Manhattan which was used in the 1930s for freight trains. Today it’s been turned into a fantastic public space with beautiful landscape gardening.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 27
Kube Hotel, Paris When you think of Montmartre, you think of that classic Haussmanian Paris of old – the tiled roofs, the stately stone front, the majestic front door. This is still the façade that greets you at Kube but as soon as you step inside you’re greeted by its standout reception area – a giant see-through cube – and quickly realise that it’s anything but your classic 18th arrondissement hangout. Expect plexiglass and 1960s sci-fi theming throughout, with plenty of so-odd-it’s-cool touches from faux-fur trims and bean bag chairs in your room to 1968 bubble seats (that’s right, the Aeero Aarnio numbers) at the mezannine lounge. As the owners say, ‘The retro-future design concept defines the classical clichés of Paris’. Gloriously over-the-top. Extra cool: Keys? Primitive! Swipe cards? Medieval! At Kube, access to your room is gained by using biometric fingerprint controls: once your dabs have been captured at check-in, you’ll need nothing more than a press of your pinkies to open the door.
El Palauet Living Barcelona, Barcelona It takes guts to open a design hotel in Barcelona – given that the entire city is one metropolis-sized homage to design, with its houses, buildings and Park Güell all designed by starchitect Antoni Gaudí. But when you’ve finished gorging yourself on the gorgeous architecture and had your fill of Míro and Picasso, a fine, high-design option awaits you at El Palauet Living Barcelona on Passeig de Gràcia, one of the city’s best-known and best-loved streets. It’s another small but special spot which has only six double suites, each lavished with a huge helping of care and attention. The design is minimalist, almost monochromatic, but with a sense of grace and beauty that cleverly blends open, uncluttered space with the odd nod to a grander past. Extra cool: For a real treat, book yourself into one of the hotel’s Tibidabo double suites where bathrooms harbour tubs kitted out with colour therapy, and the terrace reveals breathtaking views of the Pompeya Monastery and Tibidabo Mountain.
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
A weekend away or a summer vacation is all about memories and at the 5 star Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, we’ve got you covered. With Dubai’s friendliest staff and an Arabic theme, we know it’s the kids that really count. Stay & Play at the Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel this summer from AED 395 and receive the following benefits: • Dining and shopping discounts and Mall shuttles • Complementary access to the Kids Club • Free Ice cream & soft drinks for the kids *Terms and Conditions apply. Offer valid until 30th August 2011. Rate is per room per night and subject to 10% municipality fees and 10% service charge.
Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel Operated by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts P.O. Box 211508, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Phone +971 4 444 04 40 reservations.ibnbattuta@moevenpick.com
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
Create new summer memories from AED 395
Seattle | uSa
Rain SupReme Seattle has nurtured Starbucks and Microsoft – and a fiercely independent attitude, says Mark Jones.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 31
S
eattle is a good advertisement for the United States. It’s different, tolerant and yet quite bloody minded when it wants to be. This is the most literate city in the US, has the highest number of college graduates and instinctively zigs when the rest of the country zags. It’s a city whose presiding geniuses are Kurt Cobain (the late frontman of Nirvana) and Frasier. Yet before we start portraying the place as a Pacific Islington, remember that it also houses and nurtured two of the biggest forces of global capitalist uniformity: Microsoft and Starbucks. It’s known as the Rain City, among other things, but it wasn’t raining when I arrived, and refused to do so for my entire stay. I felt somehow cheated of the authentic experience. The intense sunlight and crisp breeze I encountered instead came to seem appropriate to a town whose outlook always tends towards the bracing. The route to my hotel took me through low-rise suburbs and high-rise hills. There was no darting between six lanes of 50mph traffic: just an easy and, dare I say, almost European roll down a steep hill to the Alexis Hotel. Nothing European about this hotel, though. It’s one of those sturdy, red-brick, turnof-the-20th-century buildings that sit in American cities like fortresses. The treasury for the
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Seattle | uSa Previous page: 520 Bridge and Mt Olympic at sunset. Opposite page from top: Route 5, Downtown skyline, Seattle; Main entrance sign at the Pike Place Market. This page: Seattle Skyline at sunset.
Klondike Gold Rush was housed here. Inside, there is oak panelling, chequered floors and an arcade with a rather grand perfumerie. You could be John D Rockefeller coming for lunch with Randolph Hearst. But this is Seattle, so there’s a little teasing nonconformity to the hotel. You look up at the grand chandeliers and they’re white metal doilies. The Bookstore Bar is furnished with old volumes and it felt odd, but pleasantly odd, to be perched on a stool with an aged drink and an even more aged Raymond Chandler while Seattle Mariners fans came and went before the game. On the waterfront, by the crab shacks and chip shops, it was a night of indigo skies, blue mountains over Puget Sound and neon light. This is the colour scheme of Seattle, whose landmark images are the etched skyline on the Frasier credits, with the alien shape of the 1962 Space Needle, and the orange neon coffee cup by the Pike Place Market sign. The rickety walkways of Pike Place Market mark the first venue on most visitors’ itineraries. This is retail as theatre, especially when big fellows in Wellington boots slosh around on icy
( Whisper Again ) let’s hide away
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‘The city is a collection of suburbs all trying to be more independent and characterful than the next’
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floors throwing large fish and insults at each other. Past the fish, through the flowers and you’re into handicraft hell. It’s here that you’re likely to get asked for directions to the original Starbucks. Why do people come on a pilgrimage to the home of frothy latte? In any event, the first Starbucks only sold coffee beans and the original owners sold up years ago. Talking of inexplicable tourist pursuits, I found I developed a thing for Seattle T-shirt shops. You wouldn’t normally go to such places for an instant guide to the genius of a place apart, but Seattle T-shirts are cutting little essays in attitude: ‘I didn’t say it was your fault. I said I was going to blame you’, said one slogan. Another said: ‘Your ridiculous little opinion has been noted. Seattle’. The city is a collection of suburbs all trying to be more independent and characterful than the next. One, Fremont, even
Seattle | uSa issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence. It’s well worth a trip over the Aurora Bridge to The People’s Republic of Fremont, which is half Hampstead 2010, half Moscow 1962. Fremont declared itself the Centre of the Universe in 1991. This takes parish pride a little far, but it is a distinctive borough. There aren’t too many intersections in the US where you see a 15ft statue of Lenin, brought back by an enterprising Fremonter from Slovakia after the 1989 uprising. Opposite, above a chic boutique called Les Amis, is a Cold War rocket they saved from the scrap heap and erected in 1994 to mark the liberation of Fremont. It’s all harmless, kooky fun in this increasingly well-to-do place of leafy hills and boutiques and restaurants with big interior design budgets. But Fremont can claim to have started a food revolution arguably more long-lasting than the coffee shops. The food co-operative, PCC Natural Markets, has been there since 1953 and has been branding itself as an organic and local alternative ever since. It’s here, among the yogatoned and the orthorexic, the fathers with papooses and the mothers with campaigns, that you get a glimpse of real Seattle: an enterprise founded on conviction and principal. And if global megacorps have to come from somewhere, you’d rather it were here. Bill Gates is giving half his money away and his father has written a book on why accumulated fortunes should be taxed. In Dallas or San Diego they could happily sit on their growing mountains of cash. Around here, they couldn’t look the neighbours in the eye.
Opposite page: Fish restaurant. This page: One-bedroom suite Alexis Hotel.
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Peak Performer | Canada
Peak Performer Michael Deacon takes the Skeena train through Canada – a 20-hour trip in which the highlights come right at the end.
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f you come from a poky little shoebox of a country it’s difficult to grasp how big Canada is. Then again, Canadians don’t seem to grasp how big Canada is, either. After a sleepless night I landed at Edmonton, in the south-western province of Alberta, where I had a cab waiting to drive me to my hotel in Jasper. Woozy and jangling, my mind was still stuck in a different time zone, where it was quarter to one in the morning. ‘Jasper far?’ I mumbled to the driver. ‘Oh, no,’ he beamed, squinting in the late afternoon sun. ‘Shouldn’t take more than four hours.’ A few evenings later a publicist for Tourism Vancouver told me that Hollywood producers love to film in her city because it’s “so close to LA”. The two are more than a thousand miles apart. Vancouver is close to LA in the way that Saudi Arabia is close to Belgrade.
Were Canadians to take the Skeena train (which they wouldn’t, because trains in Canada are for tourists or freight), they would probably look on the journey as we would look on a stroll to the mall. To me, though, it might as well have been a trip to the moon. Travelling from Jasper in Alberta to Prince Rupert on the Pacific coast, you’re on the train for two long days. All the same, I was keen to try it, having read about the beauty of the route’s views, and having pictured a Narnia of pines and firs and snow-draped mountains. A woman on the Trip Advisor website wrote that she had glanced out of her carriage window to find bears loping to keep up with the train. I was desperate to have the same experience. Provided the bears didn’t board at the next stop. Although the route takes its name from the language of the native Gitxsan tribe (Skeena means ‘river of the clouds’), the man behind its construction was from the United States: Charles Melville Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The track was completed in 1914, but sadly Hays never saw it. Having visited England to secure financing for the railway, he set
sail for home. His ship was the Titanic. I boarded the train on a warm Sunday lunchtime in early September. Silver, snub-nosed and built in the Fifties, it looked curiously like a Thunderbirds toy, not least because of its ‘panorama dome car’, a carriage with a transparent bubble of a ceiling. Like any avant-garde design, it had an innocent quality: a self-conscious stab at the future that, now the future was here, seemed a quick warning. Even if you have paid extra to travel ‘touring class’ rather than economy, don’t expect the interior to be fancy. It’s fine – crimson cushions, laptop sockets, enough leg room to seat a giraffe – but you will be eating your meals off a tiny beige plastic table that unfolds from your armrest. Don’t expect the meals to be fancy, either. As the train left Jasper we were served lunch. It consisted of a supermarket-standard cold beef sandwich, a tub of rubbery pasta in a squirmingly sweet sauce, and a biscuit from Subway. All the same, I did feel taken care of. In the lavatory was a helpful eight-step guide, with pictures, to ‘effective handwashing’. ‘1) Wet hands. 2) Soap.’ And so on until ‘8) Open door’ (to leave the lavatory). The dozen of us dotted around in touring class were in good spirits. This was in part thanks to the train staff, the booming Tracy and the deadpan Steven, who strode up and down, telling us about the route and what to look out for, and doing jokey little routines. Tracy: ‘Steven, can you blow those clouds away from Mt Robson? These people have paid a lodda money to see it.’ Steven: ‘Oh, just show ‘em the postcard.’ What we saw, apart from Mt Robson smothered in cloud, was the Scottish Highlands. Or rather, a version of the Scottish Highlands stretched in every direction: higher mountains, vaster lakes, broader rivers, thicker forests. My guidebook told me that 50 per cent of Canada is forest. This struck me as a severe underestimate. Drop Britain from a helicopter into a Canadian forest and it would be lost irretrievably. Much of the Skeena route, I soon found, was a 40ft-high
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 37
This page: Mount Robson. Opposite page clockwise from top left: Canadian Elk; National Park Alberta; Grizzly bear on train tracks; Canadian train.
‘The forests of British Columbia, Unesco says, are home to more life per square yard than anywhere else on Earth: elk, wolves, hawks, bears.’
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corridor of trees. Very similar trees, at that. Past the windows they went: fir, pine, spruce, larch, hemlock. Spruce, hemlock, fir, larch, pine. Pine, spruce, larch, hemlock, fir. Within 20 minutes I sensed that I had already seen every possible sequence of these five trees. Still, the view wasn’t monotonously green: a plague of pine beetles had thoughtfully added variety by infesting British Columbia’s forests, causing many trees to turn a fiery red. As we chugged on down the corridor, I had three things on my mind. First: what a feat of stamina it was to lay such a length of track through this mute, prickly wilderness. Second: imagine living out here. Because people do, or did. Not many – whole half-hours heaved by during which the only evidence that man had ever passed this way was the track itself – but now and again we would spot a clearing with a shell of a shack, long deserted, and beside it a neat stockpile of logs that would never be burned. Or, more remarkably, surviving communities, such as Dunster, with its all-in-one general store, petrol station and post office, but no houses I could see to serve, and McBride, which even had a hotel. I tried to imagine what kind of guests it could possibly attract: honeymooning chipmunks, perhaps, or philandering moose. Which brought me to my third thought: where were the animals? Until a coyote at 5.25pm on day one, I saw no creature more exotic than a crow. The forests of British Columbia, Unesco says, are home to more life per square yard than anywhere else on Earth: elk, wolves, hawks, bears. Yet there was barely a bird in the trees. Perhaps it was just my bad luck, or the weather that day: drizzly gloom. Steven told me you often see bears feeding trackside on grain spilt by freight cars; once, a heap of grain had been rained on before any bears got to it, so by the time they waddled out of the woods it had fermented and was giving off boozy fumes. He gazed at them tumbling and lurching as drunkenly as students. As dusk crept over the treetops we pulled into Prince George. You can’t spend the night on the train, so you have to book a hotel here. Prince George, unlike the communities we had seen earlier, is a proper town: a fur-trading post in the 19th century, it is home today to more than 80,000 people. A nice publicist for local tourism took me to dinner and tried valiantly to persuade me of the town’s merits. Unfortunately for her, the next morning I saw the place in daylight. An endless succession of concrete rectangles (the streets all gridded, the buildings all blocks), it appeared to have been designed by some bug-eyed evangelist intent on proving, by the proximity of so much verdant, mountainous splendour, the superiority of God’s creative powers to man’s. Trudging towards the station I looked up to see a colossal yellow sign saying LIQUIDATION WORLD. It sounded like the
Peak Performer | Canada
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 39
‘Mountains, each with a halo of white mist. Between them, a golden sunset draining down the horizon. The river, sharp as a mirror’ 40
Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
Peak Performer | Canada
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 41
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Previous page: Canadian mountain range. This page: Canada’s Skeena train rushes through the landscape.
planet’s bleakest museum, but instead turned out, no less bleakly, to be a discount chain store, flogging goods from shops that had been shut down. By 8am we were back on board. Tracy and Steven had been up for two and a half hours, preparing our breakfasts and tidying the train. Our final destination was a further 13 hours away. This, mind you, was nothing to Tracy. ‘My first job on the trains?’ she boomed proudly. ‘1981. Dishwasher, 18 hours a day, six days a week, five months straight.’ I have never declared war on a sovereign nation, but if I ever do, I’m appointing Tracy my general. The train panted on. I slouched in the dome car, scanning the glum marshes, the khaki rivers, the lakes discoloured an alien turquoise by glacier silt. At intervals stood fishermen in waders, an abandoned tractor rotting in a field, a pair of deer, an ancient Indian village with totem poles hard to glimpse through the trees. By this point you may be under the impression that a lot of the Skeena route is hypnotically repetitive, and that therefore it isn’t worth doing. In the first case you would be right, and in the second you would be wrong. The Skeena route is a test. A test of your resilience, your patience, your ability to hunker down and sit tight till something wonderful turns up. And it does. Over the two days, you will be on the train for a total of 20 hours. And all the most spectacular sights will come in the final two. Suddenly the corridor of forest is gone. In its place is sheer disorientation. Mountains, each with a halo of white mist. Between them, a golden sunset draining down the horizon. The river, sharp as a mirror. You lean out of the window and feel the cold bright air whistling past your face. It’s a rush. The photographs you take will not do it justice. This won’t be your fault; the landscape is mischievous. You aim at some astonishing peak or a swerve of the river, then examine the screen on the back of your digital camera. A rogue, blurring tree has dived across like a goalkeeper to block your shot. The sky seems bigger than you have ever seen it. Almost unnoticed, night descends. The train rattles on through the gathering black. Tracy, doling out dinner, leads the carriage in a chorus of ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’. Wind whooshing through your hair, you stand at the window, as stupidly euphoric as a dog sticking its head out of a car. Eventually, your senses overloaded, you feel the train slow as you close on your destination, the port of Prince Rupert, a looming silhouette of cranes tacked with red lights. As you clamber down on to the platform, you stumble as clumsily as a calf. ‘You feel like you’re swaying?’ barks Tracy cheerfully. You nod. ‘Same here, every time,’ she says. ‘Even in my hotel room after, I stand there and I feel like I’m swaying.’ Still, she’s used to it. She’s done this trip 180 times in the past six years. You might not manage to match her. But you will want to do it again.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 43
Images: Shutterstock; Photolibrary. Text: Michael Deacon / The Daily Telegraph / The Interview People.
Peak Performer | Canada
Laze of Glory During a stay at a former sugar plantation on the island of Nevis, Jon Stock perfects the art of taking it easy.
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Nevis | CaribbeaN islaNd
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 45
I
t was two days into our stay on Nevis when the mountain began to call. Wherever we went on the island, which admittedly wasn’t far, Nevis Peak was never out of sight, tempting us with its rich rainforests and volcanic summit. We knew that the views of the surrounding Leeward Islands would be worth it, that the four-hour round trek would be physically and spiritually rewarding. But by the end of our five-day break on Nevis, the younger sister of nearby and more glamorous St Kitts, my wife and I were so chilled out that we simply couldn’t muster enough enthusiasm to swap our poolside limin’ (a local term for serious relaxing) for an energetic hike. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ said Timothy Hoffman, the owner of Montpelier Plantation, where we were staying. ‘I have been living here for eight years and still haven’t made it up there.’ So what do you do on Nevis if you are not keen on walking up its 3,231ft volcano? Like many people who visit the Caribbean, we were keen to soak up some sun. Nevis didn’t disappoint. It was windier than we had expected, but civilised and unspoilt. The island attracts a certain kind of Caribbean crowd – people who aren’t interested in nightlife or all-inclusive seaside resorts. The beaches aren’t up to much; on some the sand is volcanic black. There are no direct flights, so you have to fly to St Kitts or Antigua and take a boat or a short connecting flight. As a result, Nevis is a sanctuary. There are no highrise hotels, for example. One of the main tourist sites is the botanical gardens, which claims to be the foremost in the Caribbean. Other activities include guided walks through the rainforest or star-gazing on the beach. It’s that kind of place. We arrived after a week at Curtain Bluff in Antigua, where we had relaxed on its picture-perfect beach all day. At Montpelier Plantation, 754ft up in the hills, we discovered that many of the other guests had done the same, mixing a more rarefied week on Nevis with seaside resorts elsewhere in the Caribbean. We also met members of the ‘Montserrat diaspora’ – people who had taken their holidays on the neighbouring island for years until its volcano erupted in 1995. It’s still belching out ash so regulars have turned to Nevis for their island fix. Until a fateful night in October 2008, many tourists stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel on the west of the island, but a storm surge from hurricane Omar flooded rooms that had been built on the beach. ‘The owners forgot that the
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‘Activities here include guided walks through the rainforest or star-gazing on the beach. It’s that kind of place.’
Nevis | CaribbeaN islaNd Previous page: Deck leading to Nevis. Clockwise from top left: Four Seasons Hotel; Holidayers cycle the island; Green Vervet monkey; Windsurfer; Four Season’s terrace; Beach villa.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 47
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Nevis | CaribbeaN islaNd
sea likes to rant and rave and misbehave,’ one islander told us. Though the Four Seasons is now reopen, its closure was a blow to the local economy – more than 500 people lost their jobs – but it has been an opportunity for other hotels. Many of the best are former sugar plantations in the interior. The Hermitage is a fascinating collection of heritage houses that can be rented for a night or longer. The main building dating from 1700, where guests eat and drink, is thought to be the oldest wooden construction in the Caribbean. Montpelier Plantation used to be owned by an English couple, the Milnes Gaskells, who styled it as a Cotswold country house. The Hoffman family from the United States bought the hotel and surrounding 600-acre estate in 2002 and have sensitively transformed it into a more contemporary destination. Timothy Hoffman is a fan of Babington House in Somerset, England, the private members’ club, hotel and country branch of Soho House
in London, which gives a clue to his ambitions. The dark furniture has gone and abstract art adorns the walls. There is Wi-Fi throughout the hotel but there are no televisions in the rooms. And the exquisite modern cuisine, utilising fresh local ingredients wherever possible, has made the terrace restaurant a dining destination for people staying elsewhere on the island. The atmosphere is now less formal than a country house but it avoids being self-consciously cool. Two Labradors lie at the poolside, where guests, who are mostly British, play Scrabble and sip Earl Grey. In the evenings, guests walk through the richly planted grounds or mingle over pre-dinner mocktails in the Great Room. It sounds like an excruciating house party, but it works. Despite the Hoffmans’ modern touches, there has been no attempt to ignore the island’s rich if troubled history. Nevis was nicknamed the Queen of the Caribees in the 17th century because its sugar cane plantations, owned by British planters and run by
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 49
Previous page: Nevis tropical garden. This page: Montpelier Plantation’s restaurant.
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slaves from Africa, were so profitable. Disused mills still stand throughout the island, an eerie reminder of Nevis’s colonial past. (Nevis, along with St Kitts, was finally given independence from Britain in 1983). On our last night, we ate à deux inside Montpelier Plantation’s restored 300-year-old mill building, our solitary table lit by flaming lanterns on the heavy stone walls. The night before, a honeymooning couple from Alabama had dined there. It was a romantic setting, but I wondered if anyone ever baulked at the idea, given the appalling conditions in which slaves once worked here? ‘It’s not an issue,’ Hoffman said. ‘We can’t deny the past.’ As we dined on delicious mahi-mahi and drank bubbly we glanced up at the mountain, wondering if we should finally scale it the next morning. In the event, we took a pre-breakfast tour of the nearby botanical gardens, seven acres of shaded orchid terraces, water-lily pools and palms. Along the way, we passed a plaque commemorating another role Nevis played in Britain’s history: in 1887, Horatio Nelson married Frances ‘Fanny’ Nisbet on the estate. We also managed to make it to the beach. On our first day, we had briefly visited Montpelier’s private strip of sand, a 10-minute drive away, only to realise how spoilt we had been in Antigua. This time, we headed for Pinney’s Beach, reportedly the island’s finest. It wasn’t great, either: tatty and windblown. We should have stayed by the pool. But then we walked farther down the sand and came across Sunshine’s Beach Bar and Grill, a palm-thatched shack that used to be popular with celebrities staying at the Four Seasons. The place was lively, serving its famous Killer Bee punch and fish salads to the crews of yachts moored nearby. The host, Sunshine, is a national treasure, running from the kitchen with plates of food in between hugging regulars, including a retired British admiral and his wife who were staying at our hotel. Our favourite place for lunch, though, was the Golden Rock Inn, a former sugar estate on the far side of the island, where we feasted on lobster sandwiches and took in the views of the island from the outdoor terrace restaurant. Brice and Helen Marden, artists from New York, have recently become co-owners and have renovated the inn. Even better, there’s a nature trail that winds up from the car park into the foothills of Nevis Peak. So we finally got our fix of rainforests and wildlife – banyan trees and green vervet monkeys – but as we drove to the airport, the mountain still called. We’ll be back.
Images: Photolibrary; Shutterstock; Four Seasons Nevis. Text: Jon Stock / The Daily Telegraph / The Interview People.
‘On our last night, we ate à deux inside Montpelier Plantation’s restored 300-year-old mill building, our solitary table lit by flaming lanterns on the heavy stone walls’
Ti mes of i n di a In 1911, George V made Delhi the country’s capital. A hundred years on, Fiona Duncan finds the city’s past blurred by a multi-layered present.
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am standing on the roof of a tall, narrow house, high above the seething interior of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. The house is home to seven families, including an ex-mud wrestler, Mohammed, who is exercising his precious flock of thoroughbred pigeons, dosing them with his secret brew of spices and raisins, and commanding them with hoots and whistles to fly or return. His dearest wish is to tempt the pigeons of rival kaboortarbaaz (pigeon fliers) away from their flocks; we can see them, along with many eagles, wheeling in tight arcs in different parts of the city sky. In a city built and destroyed seven times and filled with a multitude of historic ruins, I visit the great monuments of Qutub Minar, the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Humayun’s Tomb – the equal of the Taj Mahal – and Rajghat (site of Gandhi’s cremation and memorial). I hear their stories and gradually piece together a picture of Delhi’s warrior inhabitants, whose varied faces, whether watchmaker or beggar, car-part vendor or spice-seller, cloth merchant or street-food cook, speak of a centuries-old fusion of different, far-flung peoples. Later, I play with bouncing children at a charity-run school and health clinic, the Hope Project, and plunge into the colour-soaked,
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pilgrim-choked all night bazaar around the Dargah (mausoleum) of Nizamuddin. The ancient stepwell may be full of holy water, but it is also full of sewage, the only outlet for the surrounding neighbourhood, deeply impoverished but engrossing, filled with pilgrims, revered tombs, busy markets and devotional singing (if you are lucky you will catch, as I did, Sufis singing qawwalis, designed to raise the listener to a state of spiritual trance). I experienced all these things, and so much more, in just three days. Most visitors to India only have days at their disposal before pressing on to other parts of the country, but often want to discover something of the ‘real’ Delhi with the trappings of a spoiling holiday. With the help of private guides, that can be achieved and sprawling, confusing, impenetrable Delhi becomes instead a many-layered, unforgettable collage of colour and sound, startling beauty and troubling truth. It was a guide, himself an extraordinary man, an academic and poet who speaks 11 languages and withdraws to a cave for three months each year, who led me onto the rooftops and into the maze of alleys and bazaars in Old Delhi; and it was a guide who took me beyond the firmly closed gates of the President’s Palace in New Delhi.
Delhi | inDia
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 53
Exactly a century ago, at that British Raj extravaganza, the 1911 Delhi Durbar, King George V was anointed Emperor of India and announced the shift of capital city from Calcutta to Delhi. Soon after, Sir Edwin Lutyens set sail from England and began work on creating New Delhi and its viceregal, now government buildings, along with fellow architect Herbert Baker, with whom he later quarrelled. It is Lutyens whom we have to thank for the broad, tree-lined avenues and roundabouts, for imposing India Gate and, above, all for Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President’s Palace that crowns Raisina Hill. Lutyens and Baker fell out over the gradient of the approach to the palace at the point where it is flanked by Baker’s twin Secretariat buildings: here Baker made the slope so steep that Lutyens’s palace suddenly, fatally, disappears from view. ‘I met my Bakerloo,’ Lutyens, famed for his oneliners, later quipped. In the same vein, the nearby diplomats’ bungalows, designed by Baker rather than him, were written off as ‘bungle-ohs’. Climb Baker’s notorious slope, reach the delicate gates of the palace, and content yourself with peering through the wrought
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ironwork at Lutyens’s masterpiece of clarity and proportion in the distance, with its equally harmonious, rational and beautiful Mughal Gardens hidden beyond. Or, alternatively, choose a top hotel whose concierge will, as mine did, secure in advance the special permissions necessary for the privilege of a private tour of both palace and gardens. The luxurious, gracious hotel to which I was able to retreat and take stock each afternoon was the Leela Palace, purpose built in the style of Lutyens and recently opened, with a much-envied central location in the Diplomatic Enclave. An airy, delicate, Mughal-pretty haven of marble and glass, with touches of pink and gold, it has four restaurants; an intimate library bar; flower-filled terraces and gardens; a secretive, labyrinthine Espa spa; and elegant, superbly equipped bedrooms and divine bathrooms that I could not fault, as well as gentle, attentive, personal service. Each morning, I set out from Leela Palace for another adventure and a constant slide show of never-to-be forgotten images. A painted eunuch begs at one set of traffic lights, a child contortionist at another; women in glittering saris perch side saddle behind their
Delhi | inDia
‘Each morning, I set out from Leela Palace for another adventure and a constant slide show of never-to-be forgotten images’
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 55
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
Delhi | inDia
Images: Photolibrary; Shutterstock. Text: Fiona Duncan / The Sunday Telegraph / The Interview People.
‘With the help of private guides, sprawling, confusing, impenetrable Delhi becomes instead a many-layered, unforgettable collage of colour and sound’
husbands on tooting scooters amid whirling traffic; families of four sit in rows astride motorbikes; streetfood is ladled from vast urns or scooped from deep ovens; astonishing, intricately carved Mughal façades and arches punctuate ramshackle alleys; goats devour plastic and leap onto cars; chickens in cages and groups of little uniformed schoolchildren in carts are towed behind rickshaws; a barber cuts hair beneath a tree, mirror nailed to the trunk; teenage girls and boys slyly eye each other up from the rooftops where the pigeons fly. But somehow, of all these images, it’s my visit to neglected, almost forgotten Coronation Park that remains most fixed in my mind, especially in this New Delhi centenary year. It was here that the Durbar of 1911 was held in all its elephant packed pomp and the king made his declaration that Delhi would become India’s capital. Now reduced to a scruffy playing field for impromptu games of cricket, Coronation Park is set around an obelisk declaring George V as Emperor of India. In a locked garden, poking up through the tangled overgrowth, stands a semicircle of huge marble statues on plinths, including those of George and Queen Mary, the last in a long line of conquerors now consigned to Delhi’s blurred and distant history, leaving the people to roll on, apparently accepting their lot.
Previous page clockwise from left: Juma Masjid, Old Delhi; Peanut Stall; Jama Masjid at Sunset; Lahore Gate, Red Fort. This page clockwise from left; Flower market; Fruit and veg market stall; Local fabric seller; Dried chili.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 57
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
SmileS ApArt | SloveniA
SmileS ApArt Max Davidson is seduced by the human warmth and the scenery in picturesque Slovenia
I
s there a friendlier country in Europe than Slovenia? The man at passport control greets us like long-lost relatives. The policeman in the baggage hall is grinning from ear to ear. And the man at the car-hire desk is so pleased to see us that he insists on buying us a cup of coffee. For the first-time visitor to Slovenia, the uncomplicated warmth of the welcome makes an indelible impression. Like Ireland, like Estonia, it is a small country with a big heart. Ljubljana, the capital, is a few architectural gems short of being a Prague or Kraków. Shopping options are limited, particularly on a Sunday when half the city closes down, but head for the old town, pull up a chair at one of the cafés – teeming with people – beside the river and you will not be disappointed. The afternoon sun falls on cobbled streets, dainty bridges, beautiful old buildings shaded by spreading trees. The river glides so quietly that you hardly notice it, but the human pageant is incessant: backpackers; feral teenagers; businessmen clutching briefcases; babies in pushchairs; old men in berets; very large women walking very small dogs. It is people-watching heaven – with a fabulous dinner to follow. They like their food here: hearty meat dishes are succeeded by equally hearty desserts, packed with walnuts, poppy seeds and other goodies. But Ljubljana, though charming, is not Slovenia’s trump card. The best of the country is to be found in the unspoilt rural areas, particularly in the mountains abutting the Austrian border. Slovenia is the
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 59
third most wooded country in Europe, after Finland and Sweden, and you get a sense of that as you drive north from the capital, with the scent of pine needles in your nostrils and one gorgeous forest blending seamlessly into another. The tallest mountains still have snow on them, but the meadows are a riot of colour: crocuses, dandelions, forget-me-nots, even the odd wild strawberry, peeping through the lush grass. Thrillingly clear rivers wind through dappled valleys, past fields of cows that look so happy you expect them to burst into song at any minute. We spend the night in the medieval city of Radovljica, eating like kings in the panelled dining room of the Pension Lectar, a rabbit warren of wooden beams, mullion windows and creaky staircases. The hotel doubles as a gingerbread factory and in the basement you can watch women in long white dresses crouched over their work benches producing exquisitely decorated delicacies, as they have been doing for hundreds of years.
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
‘They like their food here: hearty meat dishes are succeeded by equally hearty desserts, packed with walnuts, poppy seeds and other goodies’
SmileS ApArt | SloveniA
Previous page: Slovenia from afar. Opposite page: Trzic high street. This page, clockwise from bottom right: Classic Slovenian street; Woman in folk dress; Pension Lectar hotel; Prešeren Square; Riverside cafes; Ljubljan restaurant.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 61
Clockwise from top left: Local cows; Lake Bled; traditional farmhouse, Slovenianvalley.
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Kanoo World Traveller June 2011
SmileS ApArt | SloveniA
Next we drive on to Lake Bled, probably the best known tourist attraction in Slovenia, dominated by an 11th-century castle, which perches on a rocky outcrop like a brooding bird of prey. You can walk around the lake in an hour, but we take nearly three-and-a-half, stopping at a café, then taking a boat across to the island in the middle of the lake, where a flight of steps leads to the tiny Church of the Assumption. There is a wedding just finishing and, as the bells toll across the lake, even the bride finds time to flash us one of those ubiquitous Slovenian smiles. After a stop at an arboretum and a drive through the majestic Logarska Dolina, a glacial alpine valley, we spend our final night at a tourist farm at Robanov Kot. We have been feeling a bit dubious about this part of the itinerary. Will we be expected to milk the cows in the morning? You never know with these one-time communist states. But our fears are quickly assuaged by our jovial hostess and her large extended family, who are up half the night singing folk songs to celebrate a first communion. We are tempted to join in, but realise, to our shame, that we don’t know the words of any folk songs. Would they fancy a few verses of Sweet Caroline? Or a Beatles medley? Probably not. So we tiptoe upstairs to bed, with the music still ringing in our ears. The next morning, after a large breakfast, we take a walk along the valley, hugging the banks of the river, which tinkles amiably in the background. All around us, in the tumbledown farmhouses, with their pig sties and painted beehives and carefully tended vegetable gardens, there is a vivid sense of an unchanging rural community, rooted in family life. The mountain scenery is glorious, but the human landscape, or what we can glimpse of it, also tugs strongly at the heartstrings. As a middle-aged couple in anoraks approach, hiking in the opposite direction, we know, before they have got within a hundred yards, that they will greet us with earto-ear smiles. Slovenia is that sort of place.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 63
Images: Photolibrary; Slovenian tourist board; Lectar Hotel. Text: Max Davidson / The Sunday Telegraph / The Interview People.
‘Thrillingly clear rivers wind through dappled valleys, past fields of cows that look so happy you expect them to burst into song at any minute’
spa for the course The Czech Republic is renowned for its natural beauty, scenic landscape and salubrity. The world famous spa town of Karlovy Vary lies in a green valley of the river Teplá and its setting alone gives it an atmosphere of beauty and peace. Whether you go to Karlovy Vary to relax your mind, find a cure or admire the architecture, you will enjoy visiting this elegant city. PacKage DescriPTion DETOXICATION AND SLIMMING
DuraTion
ValiDiTy
sar
BHD
aeD
Qar
oMr
14 NigHTS
29/5-14/7/11 31/8-30/9/11
6345
647
6160
6160
647
15/7-30/8/11
7009
715
6805
6805
715
Cost includes: 14 nights at the Spa Hotel Richmond Karlovy Vary, full board slimming diet (1,000 Kcal), basic medical examination, 6 x therapeutic gymnastics (in group), 4 x hydro-jet, 4 x classical partial massage, 4 x pearl bath, 4 x lymphatic drainage (lymfoven), 2 x face lymphatic drainage, closing medical examination, drinking cure, swimming pool and sauna. ANTI-AGING TREATMENT AND AGE PREVENTION
7 NigHTS
25/4-30/9/11
3337
341
3240
3240
139
Cost includes: 7 nights at the Spa Hotel Richmond Karlovy Vary, full board dietary regimen, 3 x individual face treatment ALCiNA (1 x peeling, 3 x digito-pressure; 2 x face and décolletage massage; 1x eyes massage; 3 x face pack), 3 x paraffin pack for hands, 2 x classical full-body massage, 2 x herbal bath;,2 x hydroxeur, 2 x therapeutic gymnastics (in group), drinking cure, swimming pool and sauna. ANTI-STRESS
7 NigHTS
29/5-14/7/11 31/8-30/9/11
2992
305
2905
2905
305
15/7-30/8/11
3305
337
3209
3209
337
Cost includes: 7 nights at the Spa Hotel Richmond Karlovy Vary, full board special dietary regimen on request, basic medical examination, 2 x aromatherapeutic partial massage, 2 x pearl or herbal bath, 3 x physical training (in group), 3 x oxygenotherapy, 2 x underwater massage, drinking cure, medical report, swimming pool and sauna. SAR=Saudi Riyal; BHD=Bahraini Dinar; AED=UAE Dirham; QAR=Qatari Riyal; OMR=Omani Riyal.
All prices are per person based on twin sharing basis in a standard double room and subject to change without prior notice. The rate at the time of reservation and confirmation will prevail. Kanoo Holidays terms and conditions apply to all bookings. • Validity 31 October, 2011 • Single, child and extra night rates are on request and will be available as required.
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Kanoo World Traveller May 2011
033CZ0511SA For more information call or contact any Kanoo Travel or Kanoo Holidays office.
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e all love to shop on our travels, and if we can pick up exquisite designer wares for a fraction of the recommended retail price, all the better. Chic Outlet Shopping ® redefines the outlet shopping experience. Its nine stunning Villages are each designed to reflect the culture, architecture and traditions of their surrounding area. But it’s the calibre of the brands and the scale of the price reductions that combine to attract over 26 million style-savvy shoppers every year. Not only does each Village feature dozens of international fashion powerhouses, but many of the boutiques are one-offs – for example Alexander McQueen at Bicester Village, Antik Batik at La Vallée Village and Loewe at La Roca Village. Local labels also get a respectable look-in, meaning you can pick up pieces that your friends back home are unlikely to be wearing themselves. Many of the Chic Outlet Shopping ® Villages are just a stone’s throw from fashion-forward European cities – London, Milan and Paris to name but a few – and with reductions of up to (and sometimes above) 60 per cent*, it’s well worth the short trip from the city centre. So next time you’re in Europe, stop at a Chic Outlet Shopping ® Village before you leave and you’ll end your trip on a very stylish high.
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9 Villages, 9 Destinations LONDON Bicester Village | MiLAN/BOLOgNA FiDeNzA Village | MUNicH iNgOLstADt Village | DUBLiN KiLDAre Village | BArceLONA LA rOcA Village | PAris LA VALLée Village | MADriD LAs rOzAs Village | BrUsseLs/ANtWerP/ cOLOgNe MAAsMecHeLeN Village | FrANKFUrt WertHeiM Village
Bicester Village, London
B
icester Village is a haven for anyone seeking designer shopping for less in a quintessentially English setting. The complex, which comprises 130 elegant outlet boutiques, is deep in the Oxfordshire countryside, and has been designed to resemble the quaint surrounding villages. British supermodel and global trendsetter Kate Moss was spotted shopping there last year so you can be sure that the fashions are cutting-edge, and if you don’t fancy taking the dedicated Shopping Express coach service from various central pick-up points, hop aboard the train from London Marylebone for the hour-long journey in comfort and style.
Brands include
Vivienne Westwood, Michael Kors, alexander McQueen, anya Hindmarch, Matthew Williamson, Temperley london, dunhill, smythson, dKnY. WHaT To see and WHere To sTaY
Bicester Village is 20 minutes from oxford. The city is perhaps best known for its university, which consists of several stunning colleges whose spires dominate the skyline. The best way to see them is from the water: hire a punt and spend an afternoon drifting past lawns and ancient architecture. The most exclusive place to stay is undoubtedly le Manoir aux Quat’saisons, set in the village of Great Milton. With 32 boutique-style guestrooms, it also boasts one of england’s finest Michelin-starred restaurants, headed up by raymond Blanc.
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Kildare Village, Dublin
T
he only luxury outlet shopping destination in Ireland, Kildare Village is in the heart of Ireland’s horse-racing country, just an hour from Dublin. The complex boasts 60 stylish boutiques and has been cleverly designed to capture the charm and scale of the region’s stud farms. With discounts of up to 60 per cent off the recommended retail price at a host of fabulous stores, it’s well worth making the trip from Dublin, which you can do via train from Dublin Heuston station, by coach from Dublin city centre or, if you really can’t wait, straight from the airport. Brands include
anya Hindmarch, cath Kidston, Hackett, Molton Brown, louise Kennedy, Thomas Pink, Tommy Hilfiger.
Fidenza Village, Milan
A
ny fashion-lover worth their salt will be aware of Milan’s international style cachet – but you won’t need to break the bank to keep up with the city’s uber-chic residents when you next stay there. Just an hour from Milan is Fidenza Village, an outlet shopping haven where you can secure up to 70 per cent off designer goods all year round. Being Italian, the Village has been flamboyantly designed, with many of the boutiques resembling opera stage sets. While shopping you’ll also be able to indulge in some exquisite Italian cuisine at one of the many cafés.
Brands include
duvetica, Frette, Pinko, armani, Versace, Furla, Paul smith, swarovski, Missoni. and wHen you’re noT sHoPPing...
Bologna is the closest town, and its arrow-straight streets have been there since roman times. car buffs will be in their element at the Ferrari Museum near Modena, while foodies absolutely must sample the regional delicacies of nearby romagna. if you’re staying in Milan, the gothic duomo and la scala opera house, conveniently linked by the 19th-century iron and glass masterpiece that is galleria Vittorio emanuele ii, will be top of your to-do list. For five-star indulgence, book into the Hotel Principe di savoia, where the luxury and service are quite simply unrivalled.
and wHen you’re noT sHoPPing...
while dublin has traditionally been known for its graceful georgian buildings, these have now been joined by breathtaking contemporary architecture which has no doubt contributed to the city’s popularity as a holiday destination. The birthplace of oscar wilde and Jonathan swift, dublin is a unesco city of literature, and its cultural excellence is furthered by the newly opened grand canal Theatre and the Millennium wing of ireland’s historic national gallery. For gracious style and exceptional service, the five-star Merrion hotel is unbeatable. its light, spacious rooms and classic design are complemented by an enormous indoor pool and Tethra, a luxurious spa.
La Roca Village, Barcelona
T
ravel 40 minutes from Barcelona to La Roca Village and you’ll instantly recognise it as a special spot in which to shop. This is not least due to the number of local (but internationally renowned) labels it stocks, which include, naturally, Custo Barcelona. However, foreign designers are also represented in the 100-plus boutiques, which offer reductions of up to 60 per cent. Designed like a turn-of-the-century Catalan town, La Roca Village makes the most of the Mediterranean’s beautiful climate, spreading itself along an open boulevard and staying open late into the night during the balmy summer months. Brands include
Las Rozas Village, Madrid
D
custo Barcelona, lupo, Hugo Boss, Kipling, guess, spazio dolce&gabbana, Hoss intropia, camper.
esigned to reflect the international flavour of nearby Madrid, Las Rozas Village comprises an eclectic collection of 100 luxury outlet boutiques, all offering up to 60 per cent off the recommended retail price. A large range of Spanish brands are present, as are leading international labels, with sumptuous fabric stores, home décor specialists and fashion powerhouses sitting between cute cafés and sun-kissed terraces. There’s a play area for the kids and if you’re travelling with a pampered pooch in tow, you’ll also be relieved to know that there’s complimentary dog kennelling.
Brands include
armani outlet, Bvlgari, gstar raw, cH carolina Herrera, Karen Millen, Michael Kors, Versace company store, Burberry, Zegna outlet store. and wHen you’re noT sHoPPing...
Madrid is well known for its ‘golden triangle’ of museums: the Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Reina Sofia (host to Picasso’s Guernica), and the Prado, where you can see Velazquez’s las Meninas. save time for a flamenco show – corral de la Moreria is one of the best venues, having been visited by JFK and Picasso himself in days gone by – and a visit to the unesco world Heritage cities of segovia and Toledo, both easy day trips from the capital. when it comes to choosing a place to stay, The westin Palace, in the heart of the city’s cultural district, provides a chic setting in which to rest your shopping-weary head.
and wHen you’re noT sHoPPing...
Barcelona is one of the most cosmopolitan – and architecturally astounding – cities in europe. countless buildings throughout the city were designed by antoni gaudi but it’s his sagrada Familia that creates the most lasting impression, despite the fact that it’s still not finished 85 years after his death. after visiting that, relax on the beach or stroll the medieval passageways of the gothic Quarter. Barcelona is awash with five-star hotels but travellers in the know head to the aBac, with 15 super-stylish rooms decked out with sweeping drapes, chaise longues and rain showers.
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Maasmechelen Village, Belgium
T La Vallée Village, Paris
W
hen it comes to fashion, Paris is one of the most influential cities in the world, and this is beautifully reflected at La Vallée Village. Its 95 luxury outlet boutiques allow you to save at least a third on the recommended retail price, and countless French and international designers’ collections are on offer. While there, you can take advantage of a personal shopper service and visit art gallery L’Espace La Vallée. Located in Ilede-France – and just five minutes away from Disneyland Paris – the Village is connected to the capital by a dedicated coach.
his is a truly international outlet shopping village, as it’s located at the crossroads of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands and easily reached from Brussels, Antwerp and Cologne. The elegant surrounds of Maasmechelen Village were inspired by the artisan architecture of Limburg, and its 100-plus boutiques include renowned Belgian designers like Sarah Pacini. There’s also a wide selection of restaurants in which to refuel, from Brasserie Musette, where you can sample Belgian delights like mussels and waffles, to Gastronomia Cellini, which has been rated one of the top ten Italian restaurants in the country.
Brands include
essentiel, olivier strelli, scapa, sarah Pacini, BcBgMaXaZria, Bjorn Borg, Karen Millen, desigual, Marlies dekkers.
Brands include
agnès b., antik Batik, armani, Bally, diane von Furstenberg, Jimmy choo, Paul smith, Tommy Hilfiger. and wHen you’re noT sHoPPing...
after an obligatory trip up the eiffel Tower, check out the 35,000 works of art on display at the louvre before heading to see a performance of Moulin rouge – the ultimate cabaret show. The next day, wind down with a hammam at the Paris Mosque and browse the book stalls that line the river seine. while you’ll be spoilt for choice when searching for a luxurious pied-à-terre, it really doesn’t get much better than the world-famous Four seasons Hotel george V, right next to the champs elysées.
and wHen you’re noT sHoPPing...
recently opened, the Magritte Museum in Brussels showcases some of rené Magritte’s best-loved surrealist works, while the Belgian comic strip centre is another popular Brussels attraction. Belgium is also famous for its chocolate, and you can make your own at Zaabar’s chocolaterie, where you can also tour the factory. some of the most sought-after beds in Brussels are to be found at the Hotel amigo, a rocco Forte spot adjacent to the grand Place, which is one of europe’s loveliest squares. a tongue-in-cheek touch is added to the amigo’s bedrooms through pictures of Hergé’s Tintin.
Ingolstadt Village, Munich
S
tocking top international and German brands, Ingolstadt Village is a must-visit for anyone staying in Munich. Reached in 50 minutes if you use the Shopping Express coach service, the Village’s design reflects the late-19th-century industrial heritage of the area, when textile mills abounded. Ingolstadt Village’s relaxed vibe will make you feel a million miles from the city, with over 110 outlet boutiques offering everything from glamorous eveningwear to ski clothes – which could prove useful if you’re planning to head into the nearby mountains. When you get hungry, check out the hearty Bavarian cuisine at Stifl restaurant.
Brands include
aigner, Bogner, Bench, McM, desigual, escada, Fossil, Gant, lindt, lloyd, Tumi, wolford. and when you’re noT shoppinG ...
Munich is a thoroughly charming city, a fact reflected in its reputation as one of the world’s best places to live. Visit in the summer and you’ll likely witness one of the many film and opera festivals hosted by the city, while a winter trip is equally enjoyable if you take time to browse through the myriad festive markets. Those interested in art should save time for the pinakotheks, which showcase everything from 14th century european masterpieces to cutting-edge, 21st century works. accommodation-wise, the opulent sofitel Munich Bayerpost is one of the city’s finest hotels.
Wertheim Village, Frankfurt
J
ust 50 minutes from the buzzing city of Frankfurt lies the medieval town of Wertheim, which forms the gateway to the Romantic Road, an ancient trade route featured on many ‘great road trips’ lists. Wertheim Village is designed to look traditionally Franconian, with more than 110 boutiques lining an immaculate open-air boulevard. On your visit there you can hire a personal shopper, indulge in hearty Franconian favourites such as ‘Apfelkuchen’ apple cake at Ferry’s Bistro and even collect Lufthansa Miles & More points on your purchases.
© Munich, TAM_B Römmelt
Brands include
aigner, Bally, escada, Fossil, Gant, Guess, Belstaff, Furla, longchamp, samsonite, Timberland, Triumph. and when you’re noT shoppinG...
Frankfurt may be a financial hub complete with requisite sky scrapers, but it’s also a flourishing artistic centre and horticultural haven. The city centre is brought to life with the Mediterranean-themed nizza garden, while the banks of the river Main are lined with world-class museums – the German Museum of architecture’s permanent exhibition ‘From the prehistoric hut to the skyscraper’ is well worth a visit. when it comes to Frankfurt’s hotels, The westin Grand Frankfurt is definitely the place to head if you want to recieve a warm German welcome, richly decorated rooms and excetional amenities.
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Shop for Summer The hottest picks this season For Him
Bally, Wertheim Village
Paul Smith, Fidenza Village
Ermenegildo Zegna, Bicester Village
Giorgio Armani, Fidenza Village
David Clulow, Bicester Village
Bally, Las Rozas Village
Missoni, Fidenza Village
Tods, Bicester Village
Max Mara, La VallĂŠe Village
Alexander McQueen, Bicester Village
Anya Hindmarch, Kildare Village
Bonpoint, Las Rozas Village, La Vallee Village, Las Rozas Village
Bonpoint, Las Rozas Village
Petit Bateau, Maasmechelen Village
Ermenegildo Zegna, Bicester Village
For Her
For kids
Bonpoint, Las Rozas Village, La Vallee Village, Las Rozas Village
How to get to us we’ve made it simple for you to shop at the Villages, you just have to choose how to arrive.... LONDON Bicester Village
MILAN / BOLOGNA Fidenza Village
DUBLIN Kildare Village
SHOPPING EXPRESS
SHOPPING EXPRESS
SHOPPING EXPRESS
A return daily luxury bus service from centrally located pick-up points in London to Bicester Village, seven days a week. To book your Shopping Express bus tickets online, visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com shoppingexpress
BY TRAIN
Chiltern Railways – regular services from London Marylebone and hourly services from Birmingham Moor Street to Bicester North Station. Ask for a “Bicester Village through train ticket”. A regular shuttle bus service meets trains arriving at Bicester North station and takes visitors directly to Bicester Village. For enquiries and reservations, Call: +44 (0)8456 005 165www.chilternrailways.co.uk
BY BUS
A return daily luxury coach service from centrally located pick-up points in Milan to Fidenza Village, seven days a week. Daily departure at 10.00 from Piazza Castello, Milan, and leaving Fidenza Village at 17.15. To book your Shopping Express coach tickets online, visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com/shoppingexpress
BY TRAIN
60 minutes from Milan and Bologna to Fidenza. Free return shuttle every 40 minutes from Fidenza train station to the Village.
BY CAR
A1 Motorway, Fidenza / Salsomaggiore Terme exit. Drive time: 60 minutes from Milan and Bologna city centres.
Stagecoach daily service every 30 minutes from Magdalen Street in Oxford (outside the Randolph hotel). Call: +44 (0)1865 772 250 www.stagecoach.com
BY CHAUFFEUR
BY CAR
AIRPORTS
Carey Italy Mattiazzo Service infoweb@careyitaly.it Call: +39 041 241 12 13 Fax: +39 041 241 44 06
M40 Motorway, junction 9. Drive time: 60 minutes from London city centre.
Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Bologna G. Marconi and Parma G. Verdi.
BY CHAUFFEUR
OPENING HOURS
Carey Worldwide Chauffeured services, www.carey.com
AIRPORTS
London Heathrow / London Gatwick, London Stansted / London Luton, Birmingham International and Nottingham East Midlands.
OPENING HOURS
Open seven days a week all year round. Closed Christmas Day. Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. Bicester Village, 50 Pingle Drive, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 6WD, England
+44 (0)1869 323 200 ChicOutletShopping.com
Frequent daily service available from Dublin Airport, George’s Quay in Dublin city, Limerick City and Shannon Airport to Kildare Village. For information on timetables and fares, visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com/shoppingexpress Call: +353 (0)818 333 222
BY TRAIN
Frequent service from Dublin Heuston station for the 35-minute journey to Kildare train station. There is also a regular train service from Cork and Limerick to Kildare Village. A complimentary shuttle bus runs from Kildare train station to Kildare Village. Visit www.irishrail.ie for more details on train times.
BY CAR
M7, exit 13. Sat Nav: N53º 9’ 16” W6º 55’ 2” Drive time: 60 minutes from Dublin city centre.
BY CHAUFFEUR
Hugh McCormack +353 (0)87 2534765.
AIRPORTS
Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Sunday: 10.00 – 20.00 Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. Fidenza Village, Via S. Michele Campagna, Località Chiusa Ferranda, 43036 Fidenza (Parma), Italy
Sunday 20 March – Wednesday 29 June: Monday to Wednesday 10.00 – 18.00 Thursday to Saturday 10.00 – 19.00 Sunday 11.00 – 19.00 Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. Kildare Village, Nurney Road, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare, Ireland
+39 0524 33 55 1 ChicOutletShopping.com
+353 (0)45 520501 ChicOutletShopping.com
special promotion
THE CHIC OUTLET SHOPPING® APP The chic outlet shopping® app is free to download from apple’s app store and android Market. after downloading the free application, you can plan your visit to any one of the nine chic outlet shopping® Villages. it includes interactive maps of each of the Villages’ boutique directories.
MADRID Las Rozas Village
BARCELONA La Roca Village
PARIS La Vallée Village
BY TRAIN
SHOPPING EXPRESS
SHOPPING EXPRESS
From Madrid Atocha or Chamartin stations to Pinar de Las Rozas station. 5 km from Las Rozas Village (30 minute journey). Call the office on +34 91 640 49 08 to arrange a taxi.
BY BUS
625 / 628 from Moncloa bus station, every 15 minutes, 45 minute trip.
BY CAR
Drive time: 30 minutes from Madrid. A6, exit 19. Also M-50, exit 82. From Segovia: Motorway A6, exit 24.
BY TAXI
For chauffeur services and other enquiries, please contact Las Rozas Village on +34 91 640 49 00. Expect to pay around €30 per trip from Madrid city centre.
A return daily luxury coach service from centrally located pick-up point in Barcelona, 10 Plaça Catalunya, six days a week. To book your Shopping Express tickets online, visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com/shopping express
BY TRAIN
Take the RENFE from Barcelona Sants Train Station to Granollers, a 40 minute journey. Regular shuttle buses from Granollers to La Roca Village, Monday to Friday.
BY CAR
Take the AP7, exit 12 (at Cardedeu). La Roca Village is a 40-minute drive from Barcelona. GPS: Lat 41.60933 Long 2.34331
BY COACH
AIRPORTS
Madrid Barajas, one-hour-drive from Las Rozas Village.
The Sagalés bus service runs Monday to Friday from Barcelona Fabra i Puig bus station to La Roca Village. For ticket reservations and tariffs, call: +34 902 13 00 14 www.Sagales.com
OPENING HOURS
BY CHAUFFEUR
Weekdays, Sunday and Bank Holidays: 10.00 – 22.00 Saturday: 10.00 – 22.00 Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. Las Rozas Village, C/Juan Ramón Jiménez 3, 28232 Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain
Please contact La Roca Village’s Welcome Centre for a Chauffeur service. Call: +34 93 842 39 00
AIRPORTS
Barcelona El Prat and Girona-Costa Brava.
BY TRAIN
TGV and Eurostar to Marne-la-Vallée-ChessyParcs Disney® station.
BY EXPRESS SUBWAY
From central Paris on the RER A; alight at Val d’Europe station (45 minute journey).
BY CAR
A4 Motorway from Paris, Exit 12.1; from Reims, Exit 14. Drive time: 35 minutes from Paris city centre.
BY CHAUFFEUR
By luxury chauffeur-driven car. Available daily between 10.00 and 19.00. For reservations and tariffs, call: +33 (0)1 60 42 89 00 www.transline-prestige.fr
AIRPORTS
Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly.
OPENING HOURS
+34 91 640 49 00 ChicOutletShopping.com
La Vallée Village Shopping Express service, departs seven days a week from the Cityrama agency in Paris, Place des Pyramides. Two daily services from the Cityrama agency in Paris, Place des Pyramides: the 9.30 which leaves La Vallée Village at 14.30 and a 12.30 leaving La Vallée Village at 17.00. To book your Shopping Express bus tickets online visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com/ shoppingexpress
Monday to Saturday: 10.00 – 21.00 Sunday: closed Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. La Roca Village, 08430 La Roca del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
OPENING HOURS
+34 93 842 39 00 ChicOutletShopping.com
+33 (0)1 60 42 35 00 ChicOutletShopping.com
Monday to Sunday: 10.00 – 19.00 Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. La Vallée Village, 3 cours de la Garonne, 77700 Serris, Marne-la-Vallée, France
PLaN yOUR VISIT Visiting the Villages couldn’t be simpler. www.chicoutletshopping.com/planyourvisit allows you to plan your journey and purchase tickets for the shopping express, a luxury coach service which operates from nearby cities, transporting you in style directly to the Village.
BRUSSELS / COLOGNE / ANTWERP Maasmechelen Village SHOPPING EXPRESS
A luxury coach service from Brussels city centre to Maasmechelen Village every Saturday and Sunday. To book your Shopping Express coach tickets online, visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com/shoppingexpress
BY TRAIN
90 minutes from Brussels to Genk and taxi transfer to Maasmechelen Village.
BY CAR
A2/E314, Exit 33. Drive time: around 60 minutes from the city centres of Brussels, Antwerp, Düsseldorf and Cologne. 20 minutes from Aachen and Maastricht.
BY CHAUFFEUR
For reservation and information, please contact Taxi Maaskant. Call: +32 (0)475 45 77 22.
AIRPORTS
Brussels, Maastricht/Aachen and Düsseldorf.
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Sunday: 10.00 – 18.00 Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. Maasmechelen Village, Zetellaan 100, 3630 Maasmechelen, Belgium
+32 (0)89 77 40 00 ChicOutletShopping.com
MUNICH Ingolstadt Village
FRANKFURT Wertheim Village
SHOPPING EXPRESS
SHOPPING EXPRESS
Luxury coach service from Munich main train station and Westin Grand Munich to Ingolstadt Village every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. For booking and information, visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com/shoppingexpress
BY TRAIN
Trains to Ingolstadt North Station and from there take bus No. 20 to Ingolstadt Village. On Saturday free return VIP Shuttle from Ingolstadt main station to Village for ‘Bayern ticket’ holders.
BY COACH
Ingolstädter Airport Express from Munich Airport to Ingolstadt; on request also to Ingolstadt Village. From Ingolstadt city centre: No. 20 bus.
BY CAR
Munich – Nuremberg A9, exit 61 (IngolstadtOst). Drive time: 50 minutes from Munich city centre and from Nuremberg city centre.
Luxury coach service from Frankfurt to Wertheim Village and back. Departure from Frankfurt main train station and Westin Grand Frankfurt, Monday to Saturday. For booking and information, visit www.ChicOutletShopping.com/shoppingexpress
BY TRAIN
From Frankfurt main station, Nuremberg and Würzburg to Wertheim. Then take the free shuttle bus from the city of Wertheim to Wertheim Village from Monday to Saturday. (Free tickets available at the Tourist Information office in Wertheim city).
BY COACH
Romantic Road coach from Frankfurt’s main train station stops at Wertheim Village, May to October. www.romantic-road-coach.de Frequent free shuttle between Wertheim town and Wertheim Village.
BY CAR
For reservation and information, please visit www.blackstargruppe.de
Frankfurt – Würzburg, A3, exit 66 (Wertheim/ Lengfurt). Drive time: 50 minutes from Frankfurt city centre and from Nuremberg city centre.
AIRPORTS
BY CHAUFFEUR
BY CHAUFFEUR
Munich and Nuremberg.
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Saturday: 10.00 – 20.00 Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours Ingolstadt Village, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 1, 85055 Ingolstadt, Germany.
+49 (0)841 8863 100 ChicOutletShopping.com
For reservation and information, please visit www.frankfurt-limousinenservice.de
AIRPORTS
Frankfurt International and Nuremberg.
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Saturday: 10.00 – 20.00 and Special Sunday Opening Please check the Village website for the latest information on opening hours. Wertheim Village, Almosenberg, 97877 Wertheim, Germany
+49 (0)9342 9199 100 ChicOutletShopping.com
concierge Mallorca | Auckland | Lima | south Africa
The 30-second concierge
Xavier Orvay, hOTel la residencia, MallOrca How would you describe the hotel and its setting? Would-be guests will find La Residencia nestled in the north-west region of Mallorca, in the pretty mountain village of Deiá, just a five-minute drive from the sea. It’s an area that’s known to be home to many artists, perhaps for its inspiring surrounds and sense of tranquility. The hotel itself consists of two old country ‘fincas’ and each of its rooms are decorated in traditional local style with clay-tiled floors, four-poster Mallorcan wooden beds and fresh white walls splashed with colourful modern art. I really want to get away from it all, which is your most private suite? The most secluded of all our luxury suites has to be number 66 (above). It’s totally private and not overlooked by anyone. Inside there’s a huge lounge, luxurious bathroom and a large private terrace and garden with its own heated swimming pool. There’s also a chill out area if you’re feeling stressed, along with an outdoor dining area where you can eat in complete privacy.
I have a free day, where could I spend it outside of the hotel? Take one of the hotel’s Vespas and head for Banyalbufar where you can see vineyards growing on sea-facing terraces. It’s the prettiest spot to set up a picnic then, on your way back to La Residencia, stop off at Na Foradada viewpoint (a pretty coastal road just 10minutes away) and watch what has to be the best sunset in the Mediterranean. It’s dinner time, can you recommend somewhere for me to eat? If you’re feeling relaxed, stay at the hotel and tuck into local dishes and Spanish tapas at Son Moragues Bistro. Or, for a more formal evening, our gourmet restaurant El Olivo is truly romantic – set inside an ancient olive press and lit by hundreds of candles. If you wish to venture out, however, take a gentile walk to the nearby village and dine at Es Racó des Teix. With a Michelin-star to its name, you’re guaranteed a wonderful choice of culinary treats. www.hotel-laresidencia.com
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 73
peru
Visit lima
The Peruvian capital is framed by a wild expanse of ocean, but its old colonial heart is cosy, welcoming and filled with fine spots to indulge in the city’s outstanding food culture, reckons Rob Orchard… MUST-DOS Pick a likely-looking restaurant downtown and order the local dish of ceviche – fish or shrimp served near-raw and exceptionally fresh with little more than a twist of lemon. It’s extraordinarily tasty. If that sounds too challenging, try their local version of shrimp cocktail.
S
ince it was founded by the Spanish back in the 16th century, Lima has been a meeting point for local and western cultures. Its old town is a uNeSCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Latin America. As you stroll round the centre, you’re never far from a striking sea view or an ancient site, including the exquisite Convent of San Francisco. There are also great cultural hotspots, including the Museum of Art of Lima and the Larco Museum, alongside archeological treasure trove the Huaca pucclana, a pyramid of clay and built almost two thousand years ago. For all this wealth of touristic opportunity, the main thing you should do while in Lima is eat: this city is known for its stunningly good seafood, plucked fresh from the pacific Ocean by battalions of local fishermen each day. 74
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Relax at the extensive Parque de las Leyendas (1), a zoo which showcases the nation’s most exotic wildlife: expect to see llamas and condors among many other species. Head to the Gold Museum (2) – El Museo de Oro, which has an incredible wealth of jewellery and gold artefacts, and follow up with a trip to the Museo de la Nacion, to get a flavour of the country’s history. Grab a coffee at an al fresco café in Plaza Mayor (3), the heart of the city’s historical district and the very place where it was founded in 1535. An excellent spot for people-watching. Take a saunter around Miraflores (4), the city’s most affluent neighbourhood, filled with cool little boutiques and smart restaurants. Pop by Cerro Azul (5), an ever- popular local beach where you can catch some rays or some waves (it’s an excellent area for surfing). Go to the Palacio del Gobierno (6) any day at noon and watch the pageantry and pomp of the traditional Changing of the Guards ceremony.
LIMA | peru Opposite page: Local indoor market. This page clockwise from top left: National Library Building; Changing of the guard, Palacio del Gobierno; Marinera dancers; Llama at Parque de las Leyendas.
Go shopping on the Conquistadores or Miguel Dasso streets (7), which are lined with stores representing both international and local brands.
WHERE TO EAT
BUILDING GROUND The city was built on land originally belonging to Taulichusco, a famous Indian chief SPUD YOU LIKE You can try over 2,000 different types of potato in Lima, should you so desire.
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Restaurant Huaca Pucllana (8) www.resthuacapucllana.com Not only can you visit the city’s most extraordinary ancient structure – a pre-Spanish pyramid some 1800 years old – but dine in its beautifully retro restaurant too. The seafood is impeccable – whether you go simple with a classic ceviche with a twist of lime, or try a more sophisticated mix of octopus, fish, shrimp and scallops with yellow chili. And the lomo saltado – beef tenderloin sautéed with hot spices – is pretty special too. Mains from $9.20.
6 RIMAC
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Images: Auckland tourism, Shutterstock.
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Astrid & Gaston (9) www.astridygaston.com Named one of the world’s 50 best restaurants by San Pellegrino this year, Astrid & Gaston is pleasingly unpretentious. It’s a soulful sort of place where regulars go to enjoy the likes of crab with avocado and lima beans, tuna cooked with roast green chili and mango and – of course – a triple-header of ceviches. The two separate tasting menus – one classic, one unusual – are a culinary treat. Mains from $11.
WHERE TO STAY Miraflores Park Hotel (10) www.miraflorespark.com This Orient Express hotel is right on the ocean’s edge, in the city’s hippest neighbourhood. It makes the most of the views with a huge garden and a blissful infinity pool for guests to relax in. There’s a lovely Zest Spa, a couple of great restaurants (Mesa 18 is particularly good if you’re looking for contemporary Peruvian cuisine) and high levels of service – for the ultimate indulgence, get the dedicated bath butler to draw you the perfect tub, surrounded by rose petals and scented candles. Rooms from $300. Country Club Lima Hotel (11) www.hotelcountry.com Located in the attractive San Isidro section of the city, the Country Club Lima Hotel is just opposite an excellent golf club and offers high levels of luxury and service to its guests. The building dates back to the 1920s and as a result is home to large rooms, quirky décor and, in the Perroquet, one of the city’s very best hotel restaurants. Rooms from $229.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 75
New ZealaNd
Visit AucKlAnd
Life in this New Zealand gem is a pleasing mix of big city hustle and harbour-side tranquility, a winning combination that makes it a must-see stop-off on any tour Down Under, says Emma Parnell.
P
icture a cosmopolitan city rich in culture and diversity, with a passion for outstanding food, wine and shopping. Surround it by beautiful beaches, hiking trails and idyllic islands. Imagine this and you are beginning to understand what makes auckland the tenth most livable city in the world. In auckland you really can have it all. Two magnificent harbours frame a narrow isthmus punctuated by volcanic cones and sprinkled with sandy bays. allow the laidback Kiwi pace of life to charm your senses, assured by the knowledge that the real world is never far away. a hop, skip and a jump and you’re back in the arms of bustling city life for an afternoon of boutique shopping and fine dining. and if you simply don’t know where to start, the city of sails provides the perfect backdrop to take stock over a nice cold juice…
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MUST-DOS Take a 35 minute ferry ride to experience island bliss on Waiheke Island (1), where you can top up your tan on the beach, go diving or take a horseback ride. Dine in true Kiwi style: pick a beach at random and you’re guaranteed a fish and chip shop (2) close by. Spend a day ambling round the Edwardian and Victorian buildings of Devonport (3) picking up locally produced arts and crafts. Grab your walking shoes and tackle the hour long climb to the summit of Auckland’s largest
volcanic cone, Rangitoto (4). Pick a clear day and take your camera: spectacular vistas of the city await you. To snap views that take a little less effort take an early morning balloon tour (5) and see the sun rise over the city before touching down and tucking into a gourmet picnic. Live the dream and charter a yacht (6) for an afternoon of sun-dappled luxury and you’ll quickly discover how the city of sails got its name. Experience a slice of New Zealand history with a trip to the Auckland Museum, which will culminate in taking in
aucKlaNd | New ZealaNd
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS auckland is home to almost a third of the global population of yellow-eyed penguins. YACHT A FACT There are more yachts per capita in auckland than in any other city on the planet. NORTH SHORE
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Balloon Tour (20km)
GREY LYNN
Black Sands (30km)
Waiheke Island (3km)
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a traditional Maori Cultural Performance (7). Beaches (8) are Auckland’s number one draw card. Experience both extremes with a morning of exploration on the black sands of the west coast followed by an afternoon of sheer relaxation on the sheltered east coast bays of the north shore (9).
Images: Auckland tourism, Shutterstock.
WHERE TO EAT Café Hanoi (10) www.cafehanoi.co.nz Vietnamese cuisine is hard to come by in Auckland but Café Hanoi does it in style, taking inspiration from Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The eatery offers superb food delivered through an informal sharing menu: load up your table with dishes, and don’t miss the peppered soy ‘shaking beef’, the sweet pickled shrimp wontons or the chargrilled five-spice poussin
with bok choy and lime salt dip. Delicious. Mains from $8. The Engine Room (11) www.engineroom.net.nz A strong contender for Auckland’s best restaurant, The Engine Room is perched on Northcote Point. Book ahead, take the ferry from Downtown Auckland and save room for the handmade chocolate truffles and the NY cheesecake. The menu changes regularly, but expect the likes of lamb salad tahini, twice-baked goat’s cheese soufflé and roast ‘chook’ (chicken) with polenta. Mains from $25.
WHERE TO STAY The Boatshed (12) www.boatshed.co.nz For a beautifully executed modern take on the ‘kiwi batch’ look no further than this boutique hotel on Waiheke
Island. Each suite is different to the next but ‘The Lighthouse’ really nails it with three storeys of original elegance. The inhouse spa is a real treat – make sure to book in for a ‘sensory emersion signature ritual’, which combines a body wrap with a shower immersion and aromatic massage: pure bliss. Doubles from $588. Hotel De Brett (13) www.hoteldebrett.com Hotel de Brett is the choice for city living, offering a unique fusion between old and new. A pure labour of love by its interior designer owner, what is the oldest hotel building in the city now oozes modernity with eclectic designer touches throughout including a beautiful library, local art, photographyadorned walls and tiled lifts. A very stylish choice. Rooms from $237.
Opposite page: Auckland from afar. This page: Charter a yacht or experience beaches by horseback. Top: A Maori statue; Cafe Hanoi soup.
June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 77
Feeling excited about your holiday? Check through our list of the most popular Kanoo Travel offices, find one near you and head down or call up to turn your getaway dreams into reality...
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concierge | book your trip
win A luxury two-night stAy At sofitel CAiro el gezirAh For a taste of French style in the heart of Egypt, look no further than the Sofitel Cairo which melds the two to perfection. Head to the capital and you can’t fail to miss the hotel’s imposing façade emerging from the banks of the famous River Nile. Here you can reserve one of 433 contemporary rooms or, for the crème de la crème, book the hotel’s Imperial Suite for a king-sized bed, spacious living area and butler service. Would-be guests are spoilt for choice when it comes to dining too, with no less than ten eateries and lounges to choose from including the famous Buddha Bar, the ultimate in hip Eastern hangouts: take your beverages to its terrace and drink-in dazzling Nile views...
ThE PrizE To experience Sofitel Cairo to the full, we’re giving away a two-night stay for two in the Imperial Suite (worth $5,000 per night) including a daily breakfast and your choice of lunch in El Kebabgy or dinner at Buddha Bar. To be in with a chance of winning, email your answer to this question to easywin@hotmediapublishing.com before June 30, 2011.
Q. On which famous river does the hotel reside? a) River Thames b) Mississippi River c) River Nile TERMS AND CONDITIONS: All dates are subject to availibility. Prize must be claimed within six months of issue date.
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June 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 79
concierge | SoUTH AFricA
Suite dreamS
Reserve this chic safari-inspired suite and ts earth-hued decor won’t be the only element to evoke an uninhibited coo of appreciation (we love its Egyptian cottons and butter-soft silk throws), but the endless panoramas of unspoilt plains that unravel before it like Mother Nature’s favourite blanket of green and blue. (Don’t be surprised if you see multiple grey elephants thudding gently below your new bush boudoir, either). Named after a Lebombo Euphorbia tree, it’s easy to see where the inspiration for its branch-like roofs came from. Better still, though, is this natural abode’s mud-brown decks which lead you to straight a private lap pool (don’t resist the urge to dive straight in) where you can swim to the quietening backdrop of the African wilderness. But, no matter how hard it is to leave your newfound creature comforts, you simply musn’t pass up a night’s kip tucked-up in the terrace’s bed, where you can drift away beneath the night stars... www.singita.com
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Image: Singita Game Reserves
SINGITA’S LEMOMBO LODGE, SOUTH AFRICA