AIR MILES

AIR MILES WITH Sacha Jafri

Sacha Jafri is a Dubai-based artist and leading philanthropist who recently collaborated with UNESCO on a project which is touring the world

WORDS VARUN GODINHO

Which was the very first painting

you sold?

When I was at Eton College with Prince William, I did my A-level piece and it was called Cyclist and Passenger. I came rst in the country for art A-levels. e wife of the headmaster of Eton at the time was a massive art collector and asked if she could buy the painting, o ering me £2,000. I was going to sell it, but my dad said that I shouldn’t as it would be worth much more in the future. So I lent it to her. I remember going with my mum to their house and they had Picassos, Mondrians and Rothkos on their wall. ere was actually no space for my painting, and so the headmaster took down a Picasso to put up my painting. Later, I sold that piece to a collector for £500,000.

Tell us about The Art Maze and UNESCO collaboration project.

It’s UNESCO’s 50th anniversary and they want to celebrate it. I was asked to create 50 paintings celebrating the most prominent UNESCO sites around the world. e exhibition goes to 18 countries across six continents. We opened e Art Maze exhibition at the Burj Al Arab helipad with

Sacha Jafri’s Sagarmatha National Park – Mount Everest painting made for the UNESCO project the rst 30 paintings. I’m doing another 20. In September, UNESCO has its big anniversary celebration at its headquarters in Paris where all 50 pieces will be on display. e event will be opened by French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN Secretary General.

How did you manage to recenly unveil one of the paintings from The Art Maze collection on Mount Everest?

It is the rst painting to be unveiled on Mount Everest. It was above base camp at nearly 6,000 metres. You have to take a helicopter to get there and no one’s ever taken a painting there before because of the hazardous situation with the weather and how dangerous it is. e painting was up there for a day.

How challenging was it to create the artwork you will send to the Moon this year?

at project is in partnership with NASA, Spacebit, Astrobotic, and Selenian who is the art curation company that approached me to create this work. It will be the rst o cial painting to be placed on the lunar surface. e artwork is on a lunar-resistant plate. With a laser, I etched onto the plate an image of two people embracing, signifying the reconnection of humanity. e plate had to go through tests over three years to make sure that it will last eternally on the Moon. During the day, temperatures rise to 200˚C, and at night they plunge to -180˚C. You also have to contend with radiation, gravity and the possibility of meteorites hitting the Moon.

What is your golden rule when packing?

Pack incredibly light. Make sure you can get everything in one bag.

Which are the three things that you always pack in your suitcase?

A picture of my daughter, a very comfortable pair of jeans and Vitamin C because I’m o en on three hours of sleep.

Which was your most rewarding travel experience to date?

At the age of 24, I set myself a challenge to get from England to Siberia and back with no money in my pocket and no credit card. It took me two months, but I did it. I used to do chalk drawings in the street, street sketches, and sometimes I would paint little paintings for restaurants and they would give me food. I also befriended the concierges of hotels. I would get a night at the hotel, and I would do sketches [in return].

Which is the one travel experience you’d rather forget?

A package holiday that you do in naivety thinking that it’s cheap and you’ll save some money, but it ends up just being a disaster.

How do you spend your air miles? I only ever use them for upgrades.

Which is the one UNESCO site you haven’t been to which is on your wish list?

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia in Türkiye.

A Crete odyssey

Explore the east of Crete, one of Greece’s most popular island holiday destinations

If you’ve got your summer plans well laid out, we’d safely assume that getting trapped in an overcrowded tourist destination is definitely not on the agenda. That’s where destinations like Greece, with its inviting Mediterranean climate and tourist spots which are spread out across a number of islands, allows travellers the chance to holiday in relative privacy. Pre pandemic, the country attracted 31.3 million visitors in 2019, a sharp increase from the 24 million it did in 2015. The country is inviting guests back and one of the key destinations that they’re flocking to is the island of Crete – specifically the east of Crete. Here’s what three of the main regions in the east of Crete have to o er.

Agios Nikolaos

Nestled along the Mirabello Bay, on the northeast coast of Lassithi Prefecture in east Crete, Mirabello is the largest natural bay in Crete. The town is dotted with several bars, nightclubs and restaurants that allow visitors to indulge in some of Greece’s reputed nightlife. During the day, explore Lake Voulismeni, an ancient lake located in the centre of the city. If you’ve brushed up on your Greek mythology – and there’s no reason you shouldn’t if you’re visiting Greece – you’ll recall that according to legend, the goddesses Athens and Artemis bathed in this lake whose waters are connected to the volcano on Santorini.

Elounda

Head 11km north of Agios Nikolaos where exploring its natural landscape of rocky coastlines and coves can provide plenty of opportunities for some quality time spent outdoors. You can explore the village of Elounda itself which has a very sparse, but welcoming, local population, visit the fishing harbour, or discover the sunken city of Olous and the remains of a Byzantine basilica. Elounda has a number of luxury hotels with access to world-class spa facilities that include private steam rooms and several treatment suites. For those who favour adventure tourism, you can avail of activities including water skiing and windsurfing.

Spinalonga

Connected by boat from Elounda and Agios Nikolaos, the 8.5-acre islet of Spinalonga is steeped in history.

On the ruins of an ancient castle, the Venetians built a fortress. Repairs to the fortress were made during the Cretan War (1645-1669). Spinalonga remained under the rule of Venice until it was occupied by the Ottomans in 1715. During the first two centuries of Ottoman rule, the fortress was used as a place of exile and isolation. At the end of the 19th century, however, its role was upgraded as it obtained an export trade permit. In the middle of the 19th century, a large number of people inhabited the islet, mostly tradesmen and seamen, who took advantage of the fortified settlement and the easy access to lucrative sea routes along the east of the Mediterranean. For further inspiration, pick up a copy of Victoria Hislop’s first novel The Island which is set in Spinalonga. The book was also adapted into a 26-part television series To Nisi.

To step into the shoes of its protagonist Alexis Fielding and relive some of the key moments of the novel, you can stroll across the island in an hour. Take a left turn by the old town hall and you will head down to the seafront where you can spend an afternoon swimming. Once done, take the boat back to Elounda or Agios Nikolaos. visitgreece.gr