Contents 42
06
BROWSE
10
Festivals, news and offers 06 Around the world 10 Travel Scanner
Travel Journal Features and travelogues 38 To hell with urbanity – Really? 44 Behind the veil – Being a woman in Afghanistan
TAKE OFF
46 Standing babas and their devotion
Travel ideas and destinations
62
20 24 hours – Explore London on foot or by tube 24 Live like a local in Tokyo 32 Christmas in Salzburg 34 Romancing Italy – Much more than pizzas and pastas
34
32 PICK POCKET Pocket Size Travel Guides 62 Cambodia 62 Seychelles 62 Daman
QUICK ESCAPES Weekend Getaways 48 Porto e Norte – A must visit in Portugal
70
78
52 Jaipur special – The Pink City and its charms 58 Zanskar – Hear the valley calling
CHECK-IN Where to Stay? 64 Sheraton Grande, a hotspot in Bangkok 66 Hard Rock in Ibiza- A musical retreat
PICTURE THIS
64
Your pictures, your stories
XX
CULINARY MAPPING
78 Sultanate of Oman – See it to believe it
82
66
Food, restaurants and experts 70 Fun and food at The Hiatus 72 Easy to cook recipes this Christmas 74 Cuisine Carrousel – World on my plate
94
LOUNGE Leisure, Fashion And Entertainment 82 Amitabh Bachchan on his travels 84 Spa...aah after the New Year bash 88 The month that was 90 New Year Special- Experts comment 94 Luxurious possessions 100 Now Trending
CEO’S NOTE Dear readers, It is our 4th anniversary and I would like to extend a big thank you to all for supporting us. We have here, a special issue which celebrates this and marks the debut of our international specials. The first in line is my personal favourite, USA. Hope you enjoy it! Best wishes! Cheers
Shivani Joon
team CEO Shivani Joon EDITOR-IN CHIEF Shweta Joon EDITOR Natascha Shah ASSISTANT EDITOR Nidhi Joshi FEATURES WRITER Piyali Paul CONTRIBUTORS Aarti Kapur Singh and Rupali Dean Marketing HEAD OF MARKETING Hiten Mori (Rajput) GM MARKETING Manoj K Singhal Mohd. Anas Rafat Vishu Gaba Deepna Kumar Vastvikta Tokas Jyotika DESIGN AND LAYOUT Vikas Negi Production Hasrat Ali Imran Khan HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION Siddharth Joon Editorial & Marketing Office: Blue Butterfly Media House B-3, Nangal Devat, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070 For Ads Contact advertise@tlfmagazine.com Phone: +91 9871871170 +91 9717546999 For editorial queries: editor@tlfmagazine.com editorinchief@tlfmagazine.com
DISCLAIMER Printed and published by Shivani Joon on behalf of Blue Butterfly Media House. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. Manuscripts, drawings and other materials must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. However, TLF cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. Please note that all images that we use in the magazine are TLF ‘s property and subjected to copyright . They should not and cannot be used anywhere else without our consent . If you see such a thing happen please report to info@tlfmagazine.com
It seems only yesterday when the first issue of TLF hit the stands. I remember being nervous, excited, apprehensive and full of joy - all at the same time. Now, four years down the line, we are one of the most widely read, globally acknowledged magazines in India. It has been a tremendous journey of many highs and lows, many milestones reached and a lot of hearts touched. At the onset itself, our aim was to write about the lesser known, more beautiful things that the world has to offer. To provide an alternative perspective on tourism, to focus on people, languages, culture, all those things that form the essence of a place. We have done some beautiful features that take you around the world in a few pages, be it a story on understanding places like India, Africa and Indonesia through cultural taboos or diving in deep into the history and society of a place like Afghanistan or bringing alive the energy of a city like Tokyo - we have hand picked some such pieces and made them a part of this special issue ( check for the anniversary stamp). We also have a special feature on the faces behind the thriving travel and hospitality industry. These are the people who have not only been associated with us but are also achievers in their field. Here's a chance to get to know them better. I proudly introduce the first of our international specials - the USA Special. It gives you the best of five cities (Miami, LA, Las Vegas, NYC and Atlanta) of the States. From what to see, to food and nightlife ideas to stay recommendations, these supplements will help you plan your vacation abroad. TLF will give you one of these every two months, next in line is a special on Prague. Lastly, I thank all of you all for the love and support and hope that this only grows with the years to come. Keep tripping on life! Cheers Natascha Shah Editor Write to me at editor@tlfmagazine.com
World View
Around the
World
Lost Paradise 2015 When: December -January 1, 2015 Where: New Australia
30,
South
2014
Wales,
Taking its cue from UK festivals such as wilderness, secret garden festival and bestivals, Lost Paradise is a musical concert with five thousand capacity event, bringing together live acts and DJs across two stages combining with culinary delights, crowd funded art installations and a Shambala area for the yogis and luxury glamping options. With such a huge line-up at Lost Paradise, some pretty basic math tells that one is likely to hear hundreds maybe thousands of songs over the three day bonanza (depending on how many sets you plan on catching). There are even options to arrive at the festival in a chopper if that is something you have in your style. And the show is placed just a 90 minute drive from Sydney’s CBD with the tickets priced at INR 18,522.
6 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
Worldfest’14
When: 17th to 21st December, 2014
Where: Lavasa, India (a beautiful satellite city spread over 25,000 acres at the outskirts of Mumbai) Worldfest is Ferriswheel’s annual international performing arts festival that attempts to bring the world together in one place. Worldfest’14 being held at the enchanting valley of Lavasa is bound to be larger than life event and a sure shot treat for travellers. Starting from 17th December, the festival will be on roll for 5 exhilarating days. The event is likely to witness participation from over 10 countries and 200 performers across the globe. Supported by Ministry Of Tourism, India, ICCR and MTDC, participating countries include Israel, Poland, Argentina, Belarus, Egypt, Lithuania, South Africa and many more. With 20,000 people expected to turn up at the event every day, Worldfest’14 is being seen as a grand galore for the cultural aficionados. The festival provides a complete experiential zone teeming with art and culture, food, handicrafts and also offers an opportunity for first hand interactions with natives from various participating countries.
L'Escalade: Geneva's chocolate festival When: 11 December, 2014
Where: Geneva, Switzerland If you want a decent excuse to eat chocolate before Christmas, Geneva has come up with it. At L’Escalade, the city’s largest festival, marzipan-filled marmites en chocolat (chocolate cauldrons) are smashed and the sweet pieces are gathered up and devoured. The night also sees torch lit processions through the old town and a huge bonfire is lit in the cathedral square. The festival commemorates the defeat of an attack by the Duke of Savoy on the night of 11 December 1602. If you’re here a few days early, there’s also the L’Escalade run, in which you can join around 20,000 other runners for an 8km jog around the old town. There’s also a fancy dress run if you happen to have something like a chicken suit stuffed in your suitcase.
Mevlâna Festival (Whirling Dervishes Festival) Where: Sports Stadium, Konya, Turkey When: 10 –17 December, 2014
In the Islamic world the 13th-century Sufi poet Celaleddin Rumi, or Mevlâna is considered a saint. One of the world’s great mystic philosophers, his poetry and religious writings are among the most beloved and respected in Islam and beyond. Madonna is an unabashed fan, and Mevlâna is said to be one of the biggest-selling poets in the USA. He also believed that union with God was possible through dance. After Mevlâna’s death, his followers formed the brotherhood called the Mevlevi, or whirling dervishes, with dance as one of its foremost worship semas (ceremonies). Today, the chance to witness this sema draws more than one million people to the Anatolian city of Konya for the Whirling Dervishes Festival, which commemorates Mevlâna’s death on 17 December 1273, the date now known as his ‘wedding night’ with Allah.
Tollwood Winter festival Where: Theresienwiese (Munich) When: New Years Eve
One of the biggest events in Munich on New Year’s Eve is the legendary Tollwood Winter festival held on the Theresienwiese, which starts in early December, complete with plenty of live music, circus acts, food vendors, beer and more, wrapping up at midnight on December 31st at the Tollwood New Year’s Eve Party. After celebrating throughout the night, get a good night’s sleep, so that you can join the locals and visitors alike at one of the many special New Year morning festivities, including hearty brunches being served in Munich’s many restaurants or cafes.
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 7
World View
Chaumos
When: 10 days around the winter solstice Where: Kalasha valleys, Pakistan
By the middle of December in the three Kalasha valleys of Rumbur, Bumboret and Birir, the crops have been stored for the winter and it’s time to celebrate. The largest festival for the Kalasha people, who stubbornly resist the Islamic religion that surrounds them, it’s a time of visiting, feasting and dancing. In Birir it’s accompanied by musical instruments but in the other two valleys it’s a cappella. Men bake bread into the shapes of goats, and the women sing songs to the demigod Balomain, who is believed to pass through the valley, staying for four days to enjoy the festival and collecting prayers to take back to the creator, Dezau – what better recommendation for a festival than from a God himself. The festival also sees the mass slaughter of goats. If you do visit during Chaumos you are expected to take part in the festivities, which may include buying your own goat to sacrifice.
Jonkanoo
Where: Jamaica
When: During Christmas Jonkanoo is a traditional Christmas celebration in Jamaica. This includes a great parade through the streets with Jamaicans dressed in colorful masquerade costumes, continuing a custom brought over from Africa by slaves. The Grand Market is a community fair characterised by food, street dancing, crafts and music. The markets are decorated with streamers, large accordion-style bells, and balloons. People arrive dressed up in fancy clothes, including bright hats purchased upon entering the Grand Market. Also dining in Jamaica is a festive experience filled with delectable delights. A traditional dinner is likely to include Baked ham, roast beef, chicken, oxtail or curried goat, accompanied by a sweet yam called yampi and Gungo along with Jamaican fruitcake, made with fruits that are soaked for months in rum or port, with a final dousing at the Christmas table.
Hogmanay
When: 29th December–1st January, 2015 Where: Edinburgh, Scotland
For Scots, the New Year has always been a more important celebration than Christmas, and largely they’ve managed to convince the world of the same through the enormous Hogmanay celebrations that engulf Edinburgh. It is the long been a tradition for people to fill the streets in towns, cities and villages all over the country on 31st December to wish each other a Guid New Year and to knock back a dram or six to keep the cold at bay. In 1993 Edinburgh’s city council had the idea of spicing up Hogmanay by organising some events, laying on some live music in Princes St and issuing an open invitation to the rest of the world. In a short few years, Hogmanay became the world’s most famous New Year celebration as well as Europe’s biggest winter festival, regularly pulling in more than 250,000 partying punters.
8 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
Chriskindlesmarkt
When: Friday before Advent Sunday to 24th December, 2014 Where: Hauptmarkt, Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany
In Germany, this is the season to do shopping. Across the country, Christmas markets spring up throughout the month leading up to the big day. Most famous among them is the Nuremberg market, filling the city’s main square with almost 200 stalls and drawing in around two million people. The market opens with a ‘Christmas angel’, dressed in a golden gown and with hair like a barrister’s wig, reading a five-verse prologue. Other than Christmas treats, one thing Nuremberg’s market does have is great history. It’s thought that the first Christmas markets were held in Hauptmarkt in the 16th century, and there’s documentary evidence of their existence dating back to the 1620s.
Hong Kong Pulse 3D Light Show
When: 17 to 29 December 2014 and 14 February to 5 March 2015, except 19 February Where: Hong Kong
Hong Kong plays host to a fascinating array of exciting events throughout the year. There will be some spectacular moments at the harbour front in the form of a 3D light show with exciting audiovisual effects. The Hong Kong Pulse 3D Light Show demonstrates the unique glamour, vibrancy and festive ambience of Asia’s World City. The Hong Kong Pulse 3D Light Show shall be organised during the Hong Kong Winter Fest and the Chinese New Year Celebrations. The show will take place four times in a day starting at 8:30pm, 9:00pm, 9:30pm, and 10:00pm. Each show lasts about 15 minutes.
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A Royal welcome to 2015 in Udaipur
If you want to celebrate the New Year in a traditional way with a modern touch, then you can head to the Leela Palace in Udaipur where you can partake in ceremonial traditions and experience the true bygone era. Here you can go back in time and dress like a Maharana and Maharani with your traditional best outfit complemented by stole and a pair of Mewari Jootis. Enjoy exclusive predinner cocktail hour with wine and premium spirits on offer. Be part of beautifully choreographed traditional dances and musical performances with culinary delights and retire the night at the luxurious room and suites with personalised New Year surprise. A supplement charge of INR 18,500 per person will be applicable in addition to the room charges. For reservations: +91(124) 4425 444 or reservations@theleela.com
Travel
Scanner WORDS | NIDHI JOSHI
Usher the New Year amidst luxury!
Spend a glorious Christmas season with those you love the most in one of Nature’s most beautiful corners, where good cheer and happiness are shared over cracking bonfires, and wishes go up to the billion stars above. The Serai offers special packages to create a lifetime of memories – in the coffee country of Chikmagalur. Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts offers you the holiday of your dreams in the luxurious environs of The Serai. In luxurious wood cottages, splendidly done up, that belong right in the middle of a Christmas card, overlooking looming hills, and silver-lit trees – The Serai at Bandipur, Chikmagalur or Kabini puts on a heart-warming feast for the year-end guests. The lounge bars are stocked with the best of spirits, tables are laden with great food, and dozens of exciting activities are planned to take the sharing and caring of Christmas right into the New Year. The package starts at INR 25,000 at The Serai Chikmagalur and INR 21,500 at The Serai Bandipur and The Serai Kabini. Valid from: 20th to 31st Dec 2014
For more information: www.theserai.in
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Celebrate your Christmas at Steigenberger Frankfurt Hof
The Annual Winter Cottage at Steigenberger Frankfurt Hof offers special Christmas Cottage, where you can soak up the festive atmosphere to delight your senses. The Christmas market offers a traditional celebration and seasonal customs in delightful historical settings. Both German and international guests enjoy this unique fair offered by the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof for over130 years. The cottage at Steigenberger will be opening for the fourth time. It will be opening daily from November 5 to January 31, 2015 in the courtyard of the Frankfurter Hof, offering a cosy atmosphere within the city along with Bavarian/Alpine food with an accommodation of around 80 people. Valid from: November 26 to December 22, 2014
For more information: www.steigenbergerhotelgroup.com
New Year in Hyatt Regency Gurgaon
Get ready for your staycation away from the hustle bustle of the city and yet be within the city. Without having to break your bank, your celebrations would be made perfect with Hyatt Regency Gurgaon’s irresistible festive packages. Indulge in the special festive offerings, spacious contemporary rooms, tempting gourmet food, Christmas specials, delightful music and an unparalleled authentic hospitality. The Festive package is priced at INR 6,000 plus taxes and the New Year Stay package starts at INR 12,999 plus taxes. Festive Stay Package is valid from: December 20, 2014 to January 11, 2015
For more information: http://gurgaon.regency.hyatt.com
New Year Stay Package is valid on: December 31st, 2014
‘Yuletide special package’ at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi
For creating some unique and memorable experiences for its guests The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi is introducing the Yuletide package keeping the festive spirit in mind with Christmas and New Year just around the corner. One can grab exciting offers such as 25 percent discount on selected Spa and Salon treatments, 10 percent off on food and beverages at Rick’s, Les Clef d’Or Concierge takes you on a unique shopping excursion or gets you to embark on a historical tour to Humayun’s Tomb and many more. The package starts from INR 8,500 - 10,000 per day plus taxes. Valid from: 19th December, 2014 to 4th January, 2015
For information: + 011 66513607/ 3720
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Happy Tidings In Imperial, New Delhi
For the forthcoming season of festivities, experience delightful gourmet across the award-winning restaurants while you partake in the spirit of festivities, the moment you step in. Plethora of packages with extensive menus have been put together to experience the festive occasion in style. Be a part of this celebration extraordinaire on the Christmas eve - 24th December 2014 and entice your taste buds with an exquisite Christmas eve dinner buffet and Christmas Brunch on 25th December 2014 at 1911. One can also enjoy gala New Year’s Eve dinner on 31st December 2014 and New Year brunch buffet on 1st January. The festive brunch would be open from 12:30 pm to 3:30pm. Christmas dinner is priced at INR 4500 and buffet at INR 4000
New Year dinner is priced at INR 5000 – 6500 and buffet at INR 4000
For more information call - 011-41116451/6452
Make merry this X-Mas at Rodeo, New Delhi
This Christmas, Santa with his big red bag laden with gifts beckons you to Rodeo where you can enjoy and sing carols in true festive spirit, feel the magic and wonder of the holiday season. A special buffet will be designed by executive chef Sanjay, which boasts of a Roast Turkey with cranberry sauce and the savoury dessert of plum pudding with custard sauce. Prices for the gala evening start at INR 799 plus taxes. Valid on: 24th December( 7pm onwards) and 25th December,2014 (noon to 3 pm)
For reservations: 011- 23713780/ 81, 8588815454
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Christmas Cheer at Cidade de Goa
Ring in Christmas with the charm of Goan hospitality at Cidade de Goa, a five star deluxe resort located right on Vainguinim Beach. With an authentic Goan style and impeccable service celebrating Christmas at Cidade de Goa will truly be a memorable experience. Cidade de Goa’s Christmas Cheer Package has three exciting plans, Discover Fun, Discover Happiness and Discover Luxury that allows you to choose the holiday you want. The Christmas Gala Dinner at the Mandovi and Zuari lawns is a culinary treat to be experienced. There will be Christmas special live Goan and Mexican stations with an array of international and Indian cuisines to scintillate your taste buds along with coruscating entertainment. And the ethereal setting of stars, mistletoes and snowflakes by the sea will make the evening even more special. Discover Fun package starts from INR12, 000 + taxes.
For more information: www.cidadedegoa.com or call +91 832 2454545
New Year Gala at Ganga Kinare, Rishikesh
Add twist to your New Year celebrations and head towards Ganga Kinare for New Year Gala with a perfect escape filled with adventure, rejuvenation and mysticism. This riverside boutique hotel in Rishikesh, amidst beauty and tranquillity, offers you the most ideal way to spend your days filled with adventure, fun and relaxation as you plan a short vacation with your friends, family or spouse. The hotel will put up a grand celebration at the riverside lawn under the open skies overlooking the mountains. Enjoy the sumptuous Gala Dinner on the 31st December 2014 at Holywater, the in-house multi-cuisine restaurant. Other attractions include bonfire, DJ, complimentary lawn croquet for kids. Guests can even enjoy invigorating spa sessions at the in-house Ayur Ganga Spa and can take part in the exhilarating white water river rafting experience. Packages start at INR 4900 per person per night.
Valid from: 26th December 2014 to 4th January 2015
For more information: www.gangakinare.com
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Magic of Christmas at the Avari
The Avari Dubai Hotel rolls out its special ‘December Treats with Joyous Christmas’ that offers you a fulfilling enjoyable experience this holiday season by offering single/double occupancy at an attractive price of INR 6308 + taxes per room per night. Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, and then relax in the comfort of your room and use the free internet service to help plan your holiday in Dubai. Start you day with the complimentary buffet breakfast after which you can avail of the complimentary shuttles to Jumeira/Mamzar Beach and other major shopping malls. You can also indulge in the Sumptuous Christmas Eve Set Menu with roasted turkey inclusive of 1 glass of bubbly wine. Package Validity: From 1st Dec 2014 to 27th Dec 2014.
For reservations contact: +971 4295 6666 or email to reservations1@avaridubai.ae
Enjoy the ‘Festive Delights’ at Costa
For all the coffee and dessert lovers, Costa Coffee is introducing a range of desserts and drinks for the festive period leading up to Christmas and New Year. The ‘Festive Delights’ includes luxuriant desserts and drinks to cheer up the festive spirit. Costa’s festive dessert range includes the brand new Cherry Almond Muffin for INR 130 and all new Salted Caramel Chocolate Log at INR 160. Not only desserts they have even introduced the Costa’s festive drink named Hot Spiced Apple at INR 200, Salted Caramel Latte price at INR 180 and Sticky Toffee Latte just for INR 180. These luxuriant desserts and drinks are available across all outlets till end December. Valid till: 31st December, 2014
Available across all outlets
Westin Turtle Bay Resort Has A New Address In Mauritius
The Westin Turtle Bay Resort and Spa, Mauritius welcomes its guest to a try rejuvenating experience inspired by Nature and redefined to indulge. The Westin Turtle Bay Resort and Spa is offering a special introductory opening offer for a truly relaxing and refreshing stay on the beautiful island. It guarantees an extraordinary time to each guest starting with a welcome gift on arrival, along with complimentary room upgrades, late check-out until 8 pm so as to enable the guests to enjoy the resort for as long as possible with a complimentary amenity on the day of arrival. The opening offer of 40 per cent is available for stays from 1st September until 31st January, 2015.
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For more info: www.westinturtlebaymauritius.com
Holiday in the hills at Shervani
Planning to visit the hills in winter than plan it with the Shervani Hilltop, Nainital as the resort has exciting packages in store to make your X-Mas and New Year vacation fun, exciting and memorable. Make a trip to Nainital as you feel its splendid winter and indulge in scrumptious food, nature walks, Himalayan views and an unlimited fun with a lavish stay in the Kumaon region. You may be lucky this year to catch an early snowfall and make your trip truly memorable! For all you Nature lovers, Shervani Hilltop, Nainital is an ideal getaway to the hills to enjoy the chilled wind and nature’s beauty at its best. Christmas Package starts at INR 16,000 per couple plus taxes for 2 nights/3 days
For reservations: 09873664150, 09411197601, 05942-233800 or reservations@shervanihotels.com
Valid from: 24th – 26th December, 2014
New Year Package starts at INR 21,000 plus taxes for 2 nights/3 days Valid from: 30th December, 2014 – 1st January, 2015 Mandatory Gala Dinner: INR 5,000 (All inclusive)
SriLankan Airlines takes delivery of new A330-300
In a major milestone signifying the beginning of a new era, SriLankan Airlines’ new Airbus A330-300 touched down at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. The new wide body A330-300 aircraft with its superior in-flight features and comfort, advanced technological features and enhanced fuel efficiency joins Sri Lankan’s existing Airbus wide-body fleet of A330-200 and A340-300 aircraft. The arrival of the A330-300 aircraft is the first of several other new aircrafts being acquired, representing the restructuring of the national carriers’ fleet in keeping with the modern standards of a highly competitive airline industry.
For more information: www.srilankan.com
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Mumbai welcomes Premier Inn
The UK’s biggest hotel chain Premier Inn is slated to open in the financial capital of the country, Mumbai. This will be the debut of Premier Inn hotels in Mumbai, catering to the vibrant city’s mid-scale market segment. Premier Inn Mumbai Worli will feature 350 rooms and is strategically located in the Lower Parel district, between the Central Business District, Santacruz Airport and the North Mumbai Business Districts. Premier Inn Mumbai Worli is slated to be one of the largest mid-market hotels in the country. It will feature an all-day dining restaurant and a trendy bar, as well as a fully equipped gymnasium. Keeping in mind the renowned Premier Inn service, the property will also boast amenities which include flexible meetings and conferencing facilities, free Wi-Fi access, flat screen TVs and the famous Hypnos branded bed in all rooms. Especially, designed to meet the needs of a rapidly growing economy travel segment in the region, the Mumbai property aims to bring Premier Inn’s value-for-money experience to travellers. For more information: www.premierinn.com
It’s yachting not cruising
The Caribbean islands are a perfect getaway for the holiday season. SeaDream Yacht Club brings its ultra luxury yachting experience in the British Virgin Islands, this holiday season. SeaDream’s ultra-luxury twin mega-yachts SEADREAM I and SEADREAM II are designed to cater to those travellers who believe in ultra-luxury. These are the super-sophisticated yachts that sail through and explore the Caribbean paradise which includes exotic ports and harbours. SeaDream has a variety of options to cover these destinations over a yachting experience of 6, 7 or 10 days. With a maximum of only 112 guests and 95 award-winning crew members dedicated to make sure every detail is addressed, yachting aboard either one of the luxury mega-yachts ensures the highest levels of luxury and pampering, a true boutique yachting experience. Also, it includes an impeccable dream cuisine – ‘Cuisine A La Minute’, an artfully packed wine-cellar and an open bar with unlimited Sushi prepared by world-class chefs. The yacht is also power-packed with a number of water-toys at the retractable Water Sports Marina for the members to feel the adrenaline in spite of the relaxing ambience and many more.
For more information: Call 1 800-10-33 678 or write to info-in@seadream.com
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Welcome the new year at Mana Hotel
The Mana Hotels, Ranakpur brings you the most exciting and unbelievable new year package to make most out of your holidays in every aspect. This New Year, Mana Ranakpur is organising some special events that will make this New Year unforgettable for you and your family. The scrumptious Gala Dinner on New Year’s Eve will be a massive feast of Rajasthani delicacies as well as international cuisines. There will also be a performance by DJ and folk dancers and adding some culture to your weekend will be puppet shows, pottery workshops and gazal performances. The packages are starting at INR 15,000. Valid from: 30th December 2014 to 1st January 2015
For more information: www.manahotels.in
Dine and Wine at Pullman, Gurgaon
For more information: +91 124 499 2000
This new year party the night away at Pullman, Gurgaon Central Park with special packages inclusive of scrumptious buffet, unlimited IMFL, live DJ, overnight stay and buffet breakfast. Guests can celebrate the arrival of 2015 with an exciting experience, located at the Delhi-Gurgaon Border on MG Road offering an incomparable view of the Aravalli range. Enjoy an extensive array of starters, lavish buffet spread offering mouthwatering international favourites with unlimited IMFL while the live DJ spins his tunes to ensure the guests have a memorable night in the Phoenix Ballroom. Later, spend a cosy night out at the hotel and enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast the next morning. This package is priced at INR 9,999 plus taxes for a couple with two children below the age of 6 years.
A night of glitz and glamour in Monaco
Spend your New Year’s Eve in a perfect concoction by satiating your desire in the country of Monaco which offers an array of parties, gala nights and celebrates the New Year’s Eve with outdoor parades. Monaco welcomes the New Year by ushering themselves in the potential of the coming year and bidding farewell to the previous years. You can indulge yourself in mass party with friends or in a luxurious party with your spouse or family. Nightclubs are also featured with DJs and dance troops and live music performances, entertaining the party animals until they lose their last bit of enthusiasm and energy. The best and the most popular DJs spin the disc throughout the night to offer the hottest numbers in the chartbusters. One can also visit the casino square and participate in the countdown along with the mass. Monaco also offers special Christmas and New Year packages for the travellers. So pack your bags and celebrate this festive season in style. For more information: www.visitmonaco.com
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Celebrate Christmas in a Royal Style
Royal Orchid Brindavan Garden brings customised holiday packages to make your Christmas royal. The 2 nights and 3 days package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at CK Restaurant with a glass of wine and beer while enjoying illumination of Brindavan Gardens and sightseeing of the city. You can indulge in a complimentary foot massage at MAYA spa and the local market for shopping. While you stay you can have a dip in the pool, play garden chess laid out on the garden floor, mini golf and more. Your family can also be part of the Royal Orchid Brindavan Go green programme where you can plant a tree with your name tag for sweet memories. Price: INR 24999 per couple. Children between the age of 5 and 12 years in the same room will be charged extra (INR 3500 per night)
For more information: +91 99 4581 5566, +91 99 0200 0153
Bring in the New Year at Suryagarh, Rajasthan
Celebrate Christmas and the last night of the year in the golden desert where the sand emits the essence of the year gone by and a night surrendered to the stars of the year yet to come. A starry Christmas night along with the music of the Manganiyar and a New Year’s Eve accompanied by an exquisite dinner emulating the local flavors with a hint of Rajasthani folklore on the side of Thar at Suryagarh, Jaisalmer offer a perfect getaway to the year’s end. This New Year retrace the Silk Route and move on a journey atop the ships of the desert, the camels. The New Year pacages start from INR 16,000 to INR 35,000 per night along with a gala dinner for INR 5000 + taxes.
For more information: www.suryagarh.com
Sheraton Macao invites shoppers
When in Macau enjoy inclusive shopping packages with the world’s largest Sheraton. For travellers, Macau is no more just a place of entertainment, live music and dining. It is now high on shopping. Macau’s biggest hotel, Sheraton Macao Hotel offers easy access to a lineup of over 600 stores all under one roof with its brand new ‘Sheraton Shopping Package’ where guests can experience the best of Macau’s luxury stores, special room rates, world class shopping, and a huge variety of entertainment all within short walking distances. Starting at just HKD 1,598(INR 12,800 approx.) shopping aficionados should not miss this opportunity to indulge in a shopping extravaganza. Valid from: October 6, 2014 to January 31, 2015
For more information: www.sheratonmacao.com
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Take Off | 24 Hours
Tracing the Paddington Trail Paddington’s origins date back almost sixty years. As the movie Paddington released recently, RUPALI DEAN demystifies London just like an explorer CHECK IN
Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London, W2 2TY, Tel: +44 207 551 6000, www.lancasterlondon.com A five minute walk from Padding station, The Lancaster Hotel is a family friendly, four-star hotel in the heart of London. It offers both family packages and a specially created Paddington Bear package during school holiday times, which is packed with treats for kids! On offer for families is a Peter Pan themed afternoon tea as well as a
Paddington Bear mid-morning tea and cake. Needless to add, I felt truly entertained with refined luxury and gourmet indulgence and was worth every penny spent.
DAY 1 Rewind time -9:00 am, Natural History Museum, www.nhm.ac.uk
After a good night’s rest, we set off in the morning to the Museum of Natural History. Interestingly, Nicole Kidman’s character Millicent, in the movie Paddington is a
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"We give you two 24 hour itineraries in london. You could either walk through the city or board a tube and have a look around"
(Left to right) Paddington Bear by Michael Bond, Paddington Sparkles by Frankie Bridge and Paddington Shakesbear by Michael Sheen. Pic courtesy: JoePepler
taxidermist at this very museum. It was adventurous going behind the scenes at this top family attraction and discovering the hidden treasures.
Elevenses – 11: 00 am
The delightful Paddington Bear Eleven Am tea at The Lancaster certainly did not disappoint. It came along with freshly made marmalade jam and cakes along with endless pots of tea of course!
A Walk Through Portobello Road And Lunch -12:15 am
We booked an experienced Blue Badge Guide – and a Paddington Bear fan! Sophie Campbell took us on a walking tour of Portobello Road, one of London’s best
Paddington Trail artwork
markets and antique shop destinations and, of course, where The Browns in the Paddington books lived and where the cast of the movie had been spotted filming. I thoroughly enjoyed listening about the history and quirky facts of the location where Paddington spent a lot of his time. The shops in the market were equally fun to explore and the lunch at Charlie’s Portobello Road Café (which a true bastion of Portobello Road) was charming with a plenty of character.
Museum Of London - 3:00 pm www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ london-wall
Out here we got a sneak preview of some of the star objects appearing in the upcoming exhibition, which will explore the evolution
of the character of Paddington Bear from page to screen. It is an interesting museum - London through the ages - something for everyone and it’s free! Spent well over two hours here and could have spent longer.
Peruvian Dinner - 8-00 pm 14 Garrick Street (Floral Street entrance), London WC2E 9BJ, www.limafloral.com
As Paddington hails from Peru, we dined at one of London’s newest Peruvian restaurants, LIMA Floral (mind you, Peruvian food continues to be a hot trend in London). As would be expected in a restaurant of such calibre, the wine list is extensive. I must also add here that this is one restaurant that is hard to forget, supreme
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 21
Take Off | 24 Hours quality is its driving force and nothing is compromised. There are no mediocre dishes here, everything is first rate, the chef seems to be no stranger to immaculateness. The focus in every dish is prime ingredients which elicit the real flavour of every natural element, the Peruvian style!
DAY 2 Explore London By Tube- 10:00 am
I bought an Oyster Card so I could explore London via the Underground like Paddington does. My first stop was Hamley’s, on Regent street, one of the leading toy shops and of course I picked up a Paddington Bear for my daughter while I was there! And then moved on to get the Paddington look; on Regent Street and Carnaby Street where I discovered where to buy duffel coats, Wellington boots, hats and satchels à la Paddington. Next, I headed down to the South Bank (nearest underground stations are Waterloo or London Bridge), which is packed with fantastic family attractions such as the London Eye, London Dungeons, the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, boat trips on the Thames, Tate Modern and Borough Market. It’s also a lovely place to walk along with families, as there’s always plenty to see and do, from street entertainers and skateboarders to family friendly restaurants.
Clockwise from top: Antique shop on Portobello road, Underground station and Lancaster in London
Fortnum And Masons- 2:00 am
I got down at the Piccadilly Circus station and made my way to 181 Piccadilly where the store is located. After sourcing and selling outstanding quality tea for 300 years, in 1926, it transformed into a unique
Paddington bear in the history museum and my lunch (right)
22 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
Elevenses at Lancaster London and shopping in London( right)
department store with a restaurant. Today, it houses fine foods, hampers, teas, wines, five restaurants, award winning wine bar and an ice-cream parlour. The Queen herself buys her groceries from here. Marmalade is Paddington’s favourite food to eat and this luxury store has one of the biggest stocks of marmalade for sale in the capital, plus it stocks the three gold winners of the annual Marmalade Festival (which Paddington is often seen at!)
Marmalade Cocktail - 4:00 pm
5a Air Street, London W1J 0AD http://thehawksmoor.com
One for the adults! The tastefully designed cocktail bar is trendy and the menu enticing and indulgent. It is the perfect setting to savour cocktails or even a glass of wine in the early evening through to midnight. It certainly is a good place to taste marmalade cocktail, as served by the Hawks moor, where this originated.
Pre-Theatre Dinner At Scoff And Banter- 6:00 pm 20 Mercer Street. London WC2H 9ND www.scoffandbanter.london
Scoff and Banter describe its comprehensive menus as ‘real Britain on a plate’, serving fresh, seasonal ingredients and, (thanks to its great children’s menu), is a great place to bring the family before seeing a show, for a hearty lunch or a leisurely dinner. A meal here is a global culinary
"South Bank is packed with fantastic family attractions such as the London Eye, London Dungeons, the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, etc." journey along with an exclusive section of wines. The space is designed to suit the new way in which we eat, drink, listen to music and interact!
Matilda The Musical: 7:30 pm
http://uk.matildathemusical.com/ about/the-story
I quite enjoyed this performance of one of London’s top West End shows, one which is perfect for the whole family to experience. Inspired by the genius of one of Britain’s favourite children’s authors, Roald Dahl, Matilda is the musical masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination. I thought it was hilarious yet moving and the cast were all superb. The songs were incredible and the scenery was breath-taking. A great ending to my two day trip in London, must say!
Sneak preview in the museum of London
Do you know? Michael Bond, the celebrated author of Paddington Bear series bought a small bear from Selfridges on Christmas Eve in 1956 as a present for his wife. He named it after the nearest railway station to which they lived and the rest as they say is history.
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 23
Take Off | Live like a local
Larger Than Life:
Tokyo
Bringing alive the vibrant culture that dominates the streets of Tokyo
A
lthough known for its cherry blossoms, imperial palaces, beautiful geishas and sushi Japan has louder, more surreal side as well.The modern culture of Tokyo, where the streets are cluttered with gaming arcades where Japanese fingers are in perfect coordination with their eyes and mind. The crowd is obsessed with karaoke bars, spending way too much to belt their heart out. The cosplayers on the streets of the most dramatic market in the world – Takeshita, put to life the world of spectacular Japanese animation by dressing up like characters straight out of them.
The Crazy Bazaars
The crowd-steering shopping districts of Tokyo are a must visit. These bazaars
not only provide great souvenirs but are so visually stimulating that they are fullfledged entertainment in themselves.
Takeshiti Dori
Takeshiti Dori is located directly across the Takeshiti Exit (not the main exit) of JR Harajaku Station. The 400 metre-long walking street is a must-see for visitors keen to sample some of the styles worn by Japnese youth such as school girl skirts, calf length socks, graphic tee shirts, goth embellished pieces, colourful wigs, goth accessories along with the most stunning and dramatic boots. The girls here are walking talking mannequins, in their unbelievably astonishing costumes. Known as the cosplay girls, they display their creative get up ninspired by animated characters with much pride. Keep your camera ready because
24 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
one of these cosplay girls are sure to win your heart. They are very friendly and love clicking pictures with tourists. Takeshiti Dori also has cafes, fast food outlets, a Hello Kitty ice cream stand and a three-store ¥ 100 shop (Daiso, Japan’s version of the Dollar store).
CANDY/Sister, Shibuya-ku
CANDY: Greets customers with overwhelming, sartorially artistic pieces by uber-underground designers like Junya Suzuki and Balmung that would ping Lady Gaga’s radar. Upstairs is its offshoot store Sister that is a little bit more feminine - that is if you consider surrealist banana and mesh headpieces girly. It is in a secluded alley and is difficult to find but what fun is an easy address in a trip anyway? CANDY/Sister: Udagawa-cho 18-4,
Gaming arcades in Tokyo and a Japanese girl (below, pic courtesy: Wikimedia)
Pic courtesy: Tumblr
Shibuya-ku, Tel: 03 5456 9891, candynippon.com, 12-10 pm
DOG, Harajuku
With a hodgepodge of hipster vintage picked up in the United States and pieces reworked with industrial twist like breast plates and screw, this store is easily accessible and affordable. In a dilapidated structure, the store draws crowds with its one-of-a-kind display and avante garde vibe perfect for cosplayers and daring tourists. We say grab some pieces and get into the mood. DOG: Jingumae 3-23-3 b1. Shibuya-ku, Tel: 03 3746 8110
Kita-Kore Building, Koenji
The store room sized spaces in this dilapidated buildings are wonderland for
out of the box lovers. The narrow staircases, low roofs, parts of the apocalyptic building juxtaposed with reworked costume pieces of 1990’s is a striking contrast that one can ogle at for hours. It’s a fabulous new place for your itinerary, not just because of the stores are so fantasy-like but also for its shopping potential. The better-known stores are Nincompoor, Garter, Ilil, Sat?sun and dog. It has no system, sometimes the stores open only during weekends and sometime during weekdays 3 p.m. onwards. The Kita Kore nights are very popular in Japanese nightclubs where people dress up in a far more insane fashion than Lady Gaga- all from the stores of Kita Kore. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
"The crowd-steering shopping districts of Tokyo are a must visit. These Bazaars like Takeshiti Dori, Candy/Sister, Dog, Kita-Kore Building are so visually stimulating that they are full-fledged entertainment in themselves ”
Sing along Karaoke Bars
That the Japanese are obsessed with Karaoke bars is not a secret – it is more evident when you walk along the alleys and streets in Tokyo. From expensive to low budget, there is no shortage of these hubs of joyous singing. TLF discovers some unique Karaoke bars along with the usual in Tokyo that must be visited for a unique travel experience.
Bigecho:
This karaoke chain has branches all over the city and is affordable, so a trip to this place is recommended if by the end of the trip you are left with only a few yens to spare! The hourly rates are cheap and the
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 25
Take Off | Live like a local
closing time is late. The one go-to outlet is in Roppongi, where the rooms are spread out over three floors. 7=14-12 Roppongi, Minato-ku; +81 (0) 3 5770 7700; usually ¥ 500-600 an hour.
Lovenet: Each karaoke room at the plush Lovenet in Roppongi carries a different theme but it’s the Aqua Suite that stands out the most, featuring as its centrepiece an oversized bathtub for up to six singers to share. While they won’t all fit into the tub at once, the Aqua Suite accommodates a total of 14
people. The decent food menu includes everything from a cheese plate to a steak and the cocktail list is just as comprehensive. The whole venue feels classy yet affordable. Lovenet’s 24 other rooms include-the Ibiza Suite, which resembles a high-rolling casino minus the gambling, the intimate two-person Morocco Suite, with roughly plastered archways and a padded floor for recycling and the Heaven Suite. Hotel Ibis 3f-4F, 7-14-4 Roppongi, Minato-ku; +81 (0) 3 5771 5511; open 6 p.m.-5 a.m. ¥ 4,000-60,000/hour per room
26 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
Fancy Cat:
Rather than offering private booths, Fancy Cat has a stage with a lighting ring, making an audience of your customers and introducing the air of fellowship that is as infectious as the song themselves. The bar has cosplay clad waitresses to add to the experience. Its shelves heavy with manga volumes and figurines, Fancy Cat is the ultimate otaku hotspot. Kashiwa Sakae Dai IchiBldg 2F, 1-22-9 Honmachi, Kichijoji; +81 (0) 4 2222 7163; open Mon-Sat 8 p.m.-5 a.m. ¥ 2,100 /hour (men). ¥ 1,575/hour (women), including two drinks.
Japanese street fashion
Shibuya Kaikan Monaco
"The Japanese are obsessed with Karaoke bars is not a secret – it is more evident when you walk along the alleys and streets in Tokyo. From expensive to low budget, there is no shortage of these hubs of joyous singing”
It also offers all major game console types including fighting and crane types. Teenagers, who pick up fancies, often crowd around cranes to add a whacky, creepy figurine to their enormous collection. Taito HEY, 1-10-5 Soto-Kanda, CHIyoda-ku, tel: 03 5209 2030, 10 a.m.-12a.m.
Shibuya Kaikan Monaco
room number 1001 (equipped with dual screens and several coffee tables). 1-3-9 Azubu-Juban, Minato-ku; +81 (0) 3 5574 7007; open 11:30-5 a.m.
Mancy’s Tokyo: The two floors define luxury and entertainment. While a swanky café named Azubo-Juban served high-grade fusion fare, the second floor is twinkling with a plush Karaoke lounge. All karaoke rooms resemble the lounge of a top-notch hotel with karaoke screens fitted into the walls screens. Hourly room rates starts at ¥ 4,000 for the snug room numbers 2006 (curved highback leather sofa and funky wallpaper), and go up to ¥20,000 for the 20-capacity
Gaming Arcades:
Teenagers, couples, students, even married men can’t resist the temptation of visiting a gaming arcade. Professionals and motivated amateurs have their fingers stuck to the gaming appurtenances and eyes glued to the screens. This obsessive behavior is a treat to watch. Here’s a list of the best arcades that one must visit during a Tokyo dream trip:
Taito Hey
This gaming parlour in Akihabara has the city’s best collection of shooter games, locally known as ‘shoot em ups’ or shmups’.
This is a serious old school gaming arcade with a dingy narrow yellowed stairway leading to gaming zones – you’ll feel like a double agent ascending the staircase hunting for an obsessive gaming maniac! Inside several unkempt gamers will catch your attention, mechanically operating poorly groomed joysticks – for these kids the outside world does not exist. This arcade has a permanent space for 80’s arcade games collection. So you can have a peek at what people in the 80s played. Old school and very cool, worth a visit! Shibuya Kaikan Monaco; 23-10 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 3461 9171. 10 a.m.-12a.m.
Club sega Hard core dedicated professionals visit this arcade that has multiple rows of Virtua Fighter and Tekken cabinets and increasingly popular card based systems. Many game companies test unreleased games at Clun Sega, so lucky visitors can sometimes sample new titles before the masses. The fifth floor, for example, was the debut spot for the card-hybrid soccer game ‘WCCF International Clubs 20072008’, in which players use trading cards of real soccer stars to build ideal teams. Club Sega, 1-10-9 Soto-Kanda, Chiyodaku, tel. 03 5256 8123, 10am-1am.
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 27
Take Off
Penang – A fun filled holiday
Penang bridge
Often referred to as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’- Penang is an island of rich Chinese heritage. Bathe in the sun on the sandy beaches, explore the quaint nooks and corners of the towns, feast on delicacies from hawker street stalls, or bargain at the exciting night markets
O
WORDS | TLF Desk
ffering the best of Asia, Penang’s sights and sounds reflect the colorful heritage of the state and its people. Be it lush tropical gardens or richly designed temples and unique heritage buildings, Penang gives a glimpse into a world where nature, tradition and history blend into a rich cultural tapestry. Some of the popular places to visit in Penang include:
forest, mangroves and sandy beaches. The park is home to exciting wildlife ranging from leopard cats, sea otters, flying lemurs, ridley turtles to white bellied sea eagle and brahminy whites soaring gracefully above the park. It also offers a number of trails and hiking paths for tourists to enjoy the beauty of this natural habitat.
Penang National Park
Moonlight Bay is an idyllic location for picnicking or just spending the day lazing around for tourists as well as locals. This beautiful coastline is also home to a Wet World Wide Adventure Park offering a number of obstacle courses in the form of floating features in water. There are numerous rounded boulders at Moonlight Bay that give it the ‘quintessential Batu Ferringhi’ appearance making its way into Penang postcards.
Located on the north western corner of Penang Island, Taman Negagra Pulau Pinang or Penang National Park is one of the world’s smallest national parks concentrated in just 2,300 hectares. It is also the only nature reserve in Malaysia with five types of habitats, namely the only confirmed Meromictic Lake in Peninsular Malaysia, low land dipterocarp forest, montane/hill dipterocarp
Moonlight Bay
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"Located on the north western corner of Penang Island, Taman Negagra Pulau Pinang or Penang National Park is one of the world’s smallest national parks concentrated in just 2,300 hectares. It offers five types of habitats”
Penang Hill
Also known affectionately by locals as ‘Bukit Bendara’ , Penang Hill, at a height of 830 metres approx. provides serenity to its visitors in the hot and humid weather of Penang. The forested hill was founded by Sir Francis Light in 1788. Visitors can climb up the hill on foot or by the famous Swiss made Funicular Train. The hill is also popular amongst climbers and jungle trekkers for an adventurous experience of galloping along the cool ponds, jungles of bamboos and captivating views along the way. Some of the popular trekking route is from botanical gardens, Hye Keat Estate in Air Itam and the most vigorous trail of Tiger hill. There is also a gallery for history lovers showcasing some of the old Penang Hills’ history through photos and antique items.
Penang cityscape and Penang hill (below)
Batu Ferringhi Night Market
Batu Ferringhi Night market or ‘sidewalk Bazaar’ as some refer to it, is stretched along Jalan Batu Ferringhi from Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa all the way to Shangri-La’s Golden Sands Resort. Its a night market not to be missed when visiting the northern part of Penang. From clothing, baggage, souvenirs, cd’s, accessories to delicious street food, this place has it all. The Batu Ferringhi night market’s reputation is so legendary that some have been known to come here on a regular basis solely for the night market.
Tropical Spice Garden
Entering this spice garden is rejuvenation in itself with the aromas of the spice and perfumed plants and herbs. Located in an eight acre valley fronting the shores of Teluk Bahang, it showcases a landscape that consists of a tropical collection from all
over the world. With more than 500 varieties of tropical herbs and spices, one can rest assured that the natural sight and sound from the Tropical Spice Garden will offer a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Interesting activities at the spice garden include the spice, ornamental and jungle trail ending with a spice museum.
fast FACTS Capital: George Town
Currency: Malaysian ringgit
Language: Official language is Malaysian but English is widely spoken
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 29
Take Off
Plan a Ski Vacation Freezing outdoors in winters and cozy indoors, warm heaters, hot chocolates and muffins, the quilt and the television – the season often leaves us lethargic. How about a ski holiday? Not only will it make sure those muscles aren't idle; it will also be tons of fun! Here’s our list of top three ski destinations in India Gulmarg
Altitude: 2,690 mt above sea level Road: The journey from Srinagar to Gulmarg takes approximately two hours in bus and may take short time by chartered conveyance. Rail: The railway station in Jammu is the nearest to Gulmarg that caters to the rail transport to the hill resort. Airport: The airport in Srinagar at 57 km is nearest to Gulmarg. The airport caters to the air transport to the hill resort. Regular flights connect Srinagar with the other major cities in India. Gulmarg’s legendary beauty, prime location and proximity to Srinagar naturally make it one of the premier hill resorts in the country. The name means ‘Meadow of Flowers’ and in the spring it’s just that, a rolling meadow dotted with countless and colourful Bluebells, Daisies, Forget Me Not’s and Buttercups. The valley itself is about three km long and up to a km wide. Due to its geographic location Gulmarg gets some of the heaviest snowfalls in the Himalayas and it has earned the distinction of being the best ski resort in the Himalayas. Skiing was first introduced to Gulmarg by two British Army officers who established the first ski club in 1927 although it wasn’t until fivesix years ago when Gulmarg’s name really first started to appear on the skiing hotlist. With a very little population of local skiers, there are always many unmarked trials for everybody to discover. The longest ski run in Gulmarg is provided by the Gondola Cable Car Lift, where skiers can swoosh down the slopes from the height of 2,213 mt. Resorts are well equipped with two Kasse Bohrer snowbeating machines and five snow-mobiles. At the ski shop run by the government one can hire high quality skiing equipments like skis, goggles, boots, gloves and more.
Auli
Altitude: 2,500-3,050 mt above sea level Road: Auli is only 13km drive from Joshimath, State Transport and Union buses ply regularly between Joshimath and Rishikesh (253 kms). Local transport buses and state transport buses operate between Joshimath and Rishikesh (253 kms), Haridwar (277 km), Dehradun (298 km) and Delhi ( 500 km). From Joshimath onwards, both taxi and bus services are available for Auli. Deluxe coaches can also be arranged with prior notice for a group of 15 people or more. Rail: Coming from any part of India,
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the nearest rail head is Haridwar, 299 km from Auli. Air: For those travelling by air, the nearest airport is at Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun) 273 from Joshimath, 17 km from Rishikesh. Cable Car: The most popular way to drop in at Auli is by the famed cable car service which runs to three kms. Travelling by the rope-way, it is impossible to resist the captive beauty of the snow covered peaks, the alpine forest and the bracing climate. Covered with evergreen conifers and oak forests Auli offers a panoramic view of Mt.Nanda DeviKamet, Mana Parwat, Dunagiri, Beethartoli, Nilkanth,
Skiing is fun
"Gorson Reserve forest (part of Nanda Devi National Park) richly habituated by rare Himalayan wildlife including snow-leopard, musk deer and wild boar”
Hathi Parbat, Ghori Parbat or Nar Parbat. The potential of the snow dressed slopes of Auli, once the training grounds for the paramilitary forces was adjudged by the French and Austrian experts who compared it with the best skiing grounds of the world, and rated it as one of the best. In summers hikers/trekkers will find numerous marked walks and there are also mountain bike trails. At the back drop of the resort lies the famous high altitude Gorson Reserve forest (part of Nanda Devi National Park) richly habituated by rare Himalayan wildlife including snowleopard, musk deer and wild boar. Skiing courses are available for beginners, just as much as skis for kids, who also love building their own snowman. Do not forget to check out Auli’s temples and hot springs. Maybe you can follow in the footsteps of the great saint Adi Shankaracharya who attained enlightenment (moksha) here.
Lachung
Altitude: 3,000mt above sea level Road: One can easily reach Lachung by taking regular buses, jeeps or by hiring taxis from Mangan. The word Lachung means “Small Mountain” and the place is located in the state of Sikkim. Most of the time during winter Lachung remains covered with snow. The Sikkim Mountaineering Association (SMA) jointly with Blue Sky Tours and Travels of Gangtok introduced Ice Skiing at Phuni in Lachung and Yumthang. Phuni is situated 18 km from Lachung town at an altitude of about 11,500 ft. The main attractions here include the Lachung Monastery, which is also known as the Lachung Gompa, and the Yumthang Valley, which is about 25 km from the town. The months between October and May are the best time to visit this place. Lachung is a perfect holiday destination as it embraces snow capped mountain peaks, breathtaking waterfalls, sparkling streams and apple orchards. Lachung is famous for its apples, peaches and apricots. This place is also a great destination for shopaholics as the handicraft centre here offers exquisitely woven rugs and blankets. Off course skiing is one of the most sought after winter sport here.
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 31
Take Off
Christmas market in Salzburg
Stillenachtland
Christmas in Salzburg: Feel the magic UNESCO’s World Heritage Sight around Christmas time could not be more romantic, the historic city under a cover of freshly fallen snow provides a truly magical setting for a traditional alpine Christmas
T
oday's Christmas Market on Cathedral Square has a long history. Its origins go back to an ordinary city market, a "Tandlmarkt". It’s first mention in the accounts of the Salzburg Bürgerspital dates back to the period between 1491 and 1500, making it the oldest market in Salzburg.
A noble history
In addition to the Tandlmarkt, which operated all the year round, a seasonal Christmas market started on the site of today’s Old Market Square. It is repeatedly mentioned in the city chambers’ archives between 1679 and 1798, where it is referred to as "Nikolaimarkt" (market of St. Nicholas).
Salzburg Christmas Market - A sight to cherish
Every year, a million visitors from all over the world come to see the Salzburg Christmas Market. About half of them are Salzburg based, the other half come from the neighbouring provinces of Upper Austria and the Tyrol as well as from Bavaria, Italy, Britain, France and the USA. The romantic setting in the Old City -
Getreidegasse in Salzburg
below the impressive fortress and in front of the Cathedral - and the lovely atmosphere of the market with its traditional wooden huts on a starry winter night is truly captivating.
The tradition lives on
With over 90 events, the Salzburg Christmas market, offers visitors a varied social and cultural programme. These include an exhibition of Christmas mangers in the Residence courtyard, exciting
32 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
"Take a leisurely stroll through narrow alleyways and across the beautiful squares. Enjoy the special atmosphere of the Christmas markets, peaceful music and nativity plays” processions of Perchten in their frightening masks and costumes, as well as genuine folk song and dance performances. One of the highlights is the Salzburg Advent Brass Concert, which the Salzburg Christmas Market has helped to maintain through the ages. Every Saturday at 6.30 pm during Advent, brass bands from around the country play Advent music from different locations of the Cathedral and Residence Square. Individual trumpeters performing in the spotlight in the dimmed square add to
Procession of Perchten
the romantic atmosphere. Historically, the Salzburg Christmas Market has been a place where traditional crafts, wooden toys and second-hand goods were displayed and sold. Today, visitors will find extraordinary gift ideas and handicrafts. On the other side of the river, the ornately decorated booths of the Christmas Market on Mirabell Square are positioned in front of the impressive setting of the Mirabell Palace. Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, visitors are able to enjoy music performances. Advent Magic in Hellbrunn has received many accolades. Visitors are led along a torch-lined path to the Palace of Hellbrunn
Silvester and a performance by children (below) during Christmas in Salzburg
whose facade is annually transformed into a giant-sized advent calendar. The programme includes lantern walks through the worldfamous trick fountains, chorals and a charming exhibition of Christmas mangers, as well as an entertaining programme for children with pony rides, a petting zoo, scout camps and sausage barbecue and campfire.
Christmas markets in the Old City
Salzburgers know that there are numerous smaller Christmas markets in the Old City. A real insider’s tip is the Salzburg Fortress Advent Market in the castle courtyard of
Hohensalzburg Fortress, high above the rooftops of Salzburg. The medieval fortress is easily reached by cable car or on foot. This advent market offers genuine arts and crafts, great gift ideas and culinary Christmas delicacies. You don’t want to miss the wax and honey specialities, and especially not the fun entertainment programme for children and adults. Tucked away in the medieval houses between Getreidegasse and Griesgasse is the Stern Advent Market, now in its17th year. Take a stroll through the Christmas market of traditional arts & crafts in Sterngarten, meet the artists and find extraordinary ideas, unconventional shapes, genuine traditional and ultra-modern arts and crafts. Outside the city of Salzburg is the Christmas Market St. Leonhard (Saturdays and Sundays). Since 1973, it has been offering crafts and exceptional gift ideas from all over Austria as well as from Bavaria and Southern Tyrol, which include a great number of contributions made by schools and disabled societies. Highly recommended are romantic carriage rides at the foot of the Untersberg mountain and the St. Leonhard Advent bakery for children.
fast FACTS Language: Austrian German Currency: Euro
Salzburg has the largest ice caves in the world For more information: www.salzburg.info
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 33
Take Off
Romancing Italy The land of olive oil and pasta, Roman ruins and Renaissance palaces, cheese and wine, mafia and sunshineall things divine
Under The Tuscan Sun
“Most people consider Siena worthy of just a day-trip from that hub of Italian art – Florence. But it definitely deserves more”. Deep in the heart of rural Tuscany lies the quaint, medieval town of Siena. Often overlooked due to its imposing neighbour, Florence. Sienna is the quintessential Tuscan wonder. The heart of the city is the Piazza del Campo, the main square, where the Sienese used to hold their markets and sporting events in medieval times, and is now the hub of social life. Paved with red bricks, the Piazzo is in the shape of a concave bowl. Flanked by the civil buildings on one side and the ceremonial fountain at the other, the edges are ringed by cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. Grab a slice of Panforte the traditional cake, made with nuts, fruits and spices, perhaps with a glass of Chianti, and join the hordes of people sitting on the sunbaked floor of Piazzo to just watch the world go by. Two hours of walking will take you around the city and back. The tight, narrow streets, curving in and around medieval
doorways and buildings, all seem to lead back into Piazzo del Campo. A visit to the Duomo, Siena’s 12th century cathedral and a great example of Italian Romanesque architecture, is a must. The town comes into its own twice a year, when the Palio or horse race is held in the Piazzo del Campo. Contested by 17 contrado or city neighbourhoods, they vie for a flag bearing the image of the Virgin Mary. Drawing in hordes of people from all over Europe, the Palio, is a matter of great pride. Siena offers a chance to experience the justifiably famous Tuscan cooking, wines and medieval city life, with far fewer tourists and in an immaculately preserved culture, architecture and a special flavour of its own that lingers long after you have left its cobbled streets.
A Sicilian Summer
The enchanting land where Archimedes taught and Saint Paul preached is definitely more than an island. Being the world’s first multicultural society, Sicily is Italy’s (and Europe’s) most historically cosmopolitan
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"Sicilian cuisine transcends the regular Italian culinary delights like pasta and pizza. If you plan to go on a diet, go to Sicily first and things like cheeses, pasta, artichokes, open air markets, wine reviews, wild game, olive oil tasting won’t let you diet anyway"
region, a kaleidoscope of art, archeology, history, folklore, food and breathtaking scenery, almost a nation unto itself.
A bird's eye view of the city; Aeolian Islands (right) and a tonga in Sicily (below)
Five must visits in Sicily
Aeolian Islands: For the exceptional beaches and the fantastic cuisine.
Agrigento: For its archeological brilliance, olive groves, almond orchards, enchanting folklore and the ancient Greek temples, including the Temple of Concord.
Celafu: The place reflects Sicily’s multicultural influences. With an ancient Sicanian temple on the rocky cliff overlooking the town, the ruins of a castle, narrow medieval streets and interesting shops and all just an hour from Palermo, make Celafu a great excursion idea if you’re staying in the capital.
Palermo: Sicily’s regional capital and largest city is rich in historic environment with its Byzantine Palatine Chapel, monasteries and castles, magnificent cathedrals, as well as art galleries and archeological museums. Palermo is a great western-Sicilian ‘base’ for excursions to Celafu, Erice Segesta, Agrigento and the wine country. Wine Country: A magical place that rivals any grape-growing region in the world in its serene magnificence. That’s because domesticated grapes were cultivated here long before they were introduced into France or northern Italy. If you come from Palermo, Segesta is a convenient stop en route to Salemi.
When in Sicily – Eat!
Sicilian cuisine transcends the regular Italian culinary delights like pasta and pizza. If you plan to go on a diet, go to Sicily first
and things like cheeses, pasta, artichokes, open air markets, wine reviews, wild game, olive oil tasting won’t let you diet anyway. Try the local delicacies like Caponata, a tasty salad made with eggplant, olives capers and celery, which makes for a great appetiser. There is also an artichoke-based version of this traditional dish, though you’re less likely to find it in most restaurants. Sfincione, a local form of pizza made with tomatoes, onions and sometimes anchovies, prepared on a thick bread and more likely found in a bakery than in a pizzeria, is another good snack. Try the Panella, a thin paste made of crushed or powdered ceci (garbanzo) beans and served fried or Maccu, a creamy soup made from the same bean. Other dishes include, Crocche (croquet), fried potato dumplings made with cheese, parsley and eggs, Arancine-fried rice balls stuffed with meat or cheese. Another Sicilian seafood
dish made with pasta is finnochio con sarde (fennel with sardines). Meat dishes are big here and are mostly made with lamb or goat. Sicilian desserts are superlative. Try the Cannoli with creamy ricotta and sugar filling. If they taste a little different from the ones you’ve had outside Italy, it’s because the ricotta here is made from sheep’s milk. Cassata, a rich sugary cake filled with the same delicious filling, Frutta di Martorana, almond marzipan pastries coloured and shaped to resemble real fruit or the Sicilian gelato (ice cream) all are excellent. In fact, it is possible that ice cream was invented in Sicily during Roman times, when a relay of runners would bring snow down from Mount Etna to be flavoured and served to wealthy patricians. You’ll find flavours ranging from pistachio and hazelnut (nocciola) to jasmine (gelsomino) to mulberry (gelsi) to strawberry (fragala) and even rum (zuppa inglese).
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 35
Take Off
Top Three Eateries
Spinnato: A stylish but affordable caféstyle eatery offering salads and cold plates, baked pasta with beef or aubergines, rice balls (arancine) and even sfincione ( a cheeseless Sicilian pizza). The bresaola (cured beef slices) served on a bed of fresh endive and arugula, with slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and seasoned with olive oil and lemon is a must try.
Cin-Cin: It offers refined, aristocratic ‘Baroque’ style cuisine. The beef filled with brandy is exquisite, and the pasta with urchin sauce is not be missed. Cin Cin also houses a wide range of Sicilian wines. Borgo Antico: Located in Castelmola, the district above Taormina, this restaurant is open in summer. The views from the outdoor terrace are incomparable. The menu is varied but the pasta with wild fennel and shrimp is a specialty.
From Italy To The World
Vespa scooter: Though the Chetak might have retired in 2009, ‘Hamara Bajaj’ is synonymous with India’s ‘desh ki dhadkan’ even now. Those above 25 will fondly remember how they stood in front of their proud fathers and took their first ride on the iconic automobile of the great Indian middleclass. Bajaj Auto was first produced in India under the licensing of Piaggio’s Vespa scooters in the 1960’s. Mafia: Sicily, Italy is where the mafia or the Cosa Nostra first emerged in the mid 19th century. These criminal syndicates still have the world’s security agencies in a tizzy and their gang wars in America in the 1960’s are stuff of legends. The mafia has inspired one of the biggest icons of the world – The Godfather, rated as one of the best movies of all time; it is the part of the personal collection of all ‘hot
Vineyards in Italy
blooded men’. After all, nobody can say no to the mafia’s supremacy because as Don Vito Corleone (Marlin Brando) said “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Bunga Bunga Parties: These infamous parties thrown by the then Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi included an Italian reality TV star, 17-year old Moroccan belly dancer Karima El Marhouq, known as ‘Ruby Heartbreakers’, is roughly understood to refer to an after-dinner sex game. Decadency at its best or worst?
Cannes: Cannes has become the Oscar of red carpet for Indian celebs. From the L’Oreal divas Aishwarya and Sonam Kapoor to snake woman Mallika Sherawat and cutie-pie Minissha Lamba all strutted their stuff along with Uma Thurman and Angelina Jolie with great success. Salvatore Ferragamo: This Florentine shoe designer designed for the well-heeled (pun-intended) of Hollywood. His scientific and creative approach to shoes spawned
many innovations such as the wedge heel and cage heel.
Football: Serie A is the name of the Italian football league and which football buff and even people who can’t differentiate a striker from a winger would not have heard of Roberto Baggio. He is also known as II Divin Codino (The Divine ponytail), for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career and his Buddhist background. La Dolce Far Niente: Glasses of wine (rose and white), hot cuppa and butter dripped croissants- eat, drink and be merry! The sweetness of doing nothing! Yes, a philosophy the Italians firmly believe in. Try it, but don’t make it a practice! Italian Art: Think Renaissance and you would have to come to Italy. From Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello – the painter and sculptors, not the ninja turtles- all belonged to Italy. Travel to the Eternal City, Rome, Florence and the Vatican to see the creation of these great masters.
FAST FACTS Currency: Euro
Sicily is the largest Mediterranean sea
Bay in Cefalu, Sicily
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Island
in
the
Etna located in the eastern side of the Island is the tallest active volcano in Europe
Travel Journal
To Hell With Urbanity! Pic courtesy: Prerna Sharma
A window to the cultural codes of some cities/states that are still rooted to their ancestral customs and beliefs! WORDS | NATASCHA SHAH
Kenya Into the Wild
Intangible heritage: The Kaya Kinondo
Kaya Kinondo, also known as Kaya Ngalaani, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the south of the Kenyan coast in Msambweni District and is owned communally by the locals. It is managed through a set of taboos enforced by a council of elders and is the main Kaya for the Digo-Mijikenda community— a tribe in the coastal lowland of Kenya, which still follows deep-rooted cultural practices and rituals. They believe these forests to be sacred and refer to them as their homeland. The Kaya consist of 11 forests on a stretch of 200 km land. In the ancient times when Galla and Oromo drove this tribe out of their settlement in upper Tana, they relocated to
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"The central clearing is the most sacred part, and is used as a burial ground. The Mijikenda believe that the spirits of their ancestors still reside there" these forests and this became their shelter. The cluster settled as nine (Giriama, Digo, Duruma, Rabai, Kauma, Ribe, Jibana, Kambe and Chonyi) different Kayas or villages, which later defined the individual Mijikenda groups.
Take a walk through the forest and you can see the caves, old trees and unusual land forms. The central clearing is the most sacred part, used as a burial ground. The Mijikenda believe that the spirits of their ancestors still reside there. The heritage of the tribe is reflected in the performance of rituals and the fabrication of materials used in the ceremonies. The most notable ones relate to maintenance and enhancement of physical and psychological health and well being of the people— ceremonies are performed for rain, success, harvest, thanksgiving, remedy, healing, famine and disease. The traditions involve both genders. Women come and clean the forest after which the men come and perform the ceremony, which includes sacrificing a black animal. The meat is consumed there and then and the bones buried with the of the ancestors. The Mijikenda also sing and dance while performing these rituals. Cutting of trees, removing dead logs, using a path other than the specific path to approach the forest- all is still prohibited. There also are a handful of other rules that the visitors need to observe like being appropriately dressed, leaving the head uncovered, wearing a Kaniki, no physical intimacy and sticking to the pathways, without wandering off from the tours.
(Clockwise from top) The Bauls, The Phallus festival in Japan and the fresh menstrual blood
India Bloody Cheers!
Ingesting Menstrual Blood: Vaishnava Bhauls of Bengal
Baul, originally from Bengal is a wandering music cult of nonconformists, who rejected the traditional social norms to form a distinct sect that upheld music as their religion. The word "Baul" has its etymological origin in the Sanskrit words Vatula (mad), or Vyakula (restless) and is used to describe a person who is "possessed" or "crazy". Originally, the district of Birbhum in West Bengal was the seat of all Baul activity.
"It is customary for a girl’s family members to ingest a few drops of her first menstrual blood, sweetened by milk and sugar"
Pic courtesy: Cal Widdall, Tokyo Desu
Later the Baul domain stretched to Tripura in the north, Bangladesh in the east, parts of Bihar and Orissa in the west and south respectively. In Bangladesh, the districts of Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Tangyl are famous for Bauls. A sub-sect amongst these- the Vaishnava Bhauls follow a strange practice of consuming women’s menstrual blood. They believe that menstrual blood has potent energising properties. Traditional songs lyrically refer to it as a river that rises once a month. An anthropologist studying the Vaishnava Bauls reported that it is customary for a girl’s family members to ingest a few drops of her first menstrual blood, sweetened by milk and sugar. An elaborate ceremony may also take place in which the girl’s menstrual blood is mixed with cow’s
milk, coconut milk, camphor, palm juice and sugar, and drunk by those present as a potent regenerating substance, increasing memory, concentration, happiness, serenity and love.
Japan
Kanamara Matsuri: Phallus festival in Kawasaki
It is believed that in the 17th century, in Kawasaki, Japan, a local woman’s vagina was inhabited by a toothed demon that would bite off men’s members. A metal worker who crafted an iron phallus to break its teeth released her from the curse and the nearby temple eventually became a place to pray to the Gods for protection against such “demons.” Another myth says, in the Edo period
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 39
Travel Journal
Girls enjoying themselves at the festival
(1603-1867), local prostitutes would come to the small shrine and pray for good business and protection from central diseases. Each year in spring, these women would carry a penis shaped object through the streets before settling in for a picnic in the shrine's courtyard. Till date, every year on the first Sunday of April millions of penises (literally and in the form of paper drawings, cut outs, suits, masks, lollipops and boards) throng the temple in Kawasaki to celebrate the phallus festival. The activities include worshiping for fertility, a gigantic penis carved from Japanese cypress. It is also paraded outside the temple. People come with small wooden tablets with their wishes written on themthe most popular being to have a baby. The tablets are then hung on tree barks or walls in the temple.
"Every year on the first Sunday of April, millions of penises (literally and in the form of paper drawings, cut outs, suits, masks, lollipops and boards) throng the temple in Kawasaki to celebrate the phallus festival"
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The Toraja tribe in Indonesia
Indonesia A High Spirited Stroll
The Walking Dead: Funeral Rites of the TanaToraja
The Toraja, an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia has funeral rites that are as far removed from reality as they could get! The tribe believes that death is not a sudden, abrupt event, but a gradual process toward Puya (the land of souls, or afterlife). The burial ceremony is based on the same thought and is an expensive and expansive affair—A ceremonial site, called rante, is usually prepared in a large, grassy field where shelters for audiences, rice barns, and other ceremonial funeral structures are specially made by the deceased’s family. Flute music, funeral chants, songs and poems, and crying and wailing are traditional Toraja expressions of grief with the exceptions of funerals for young children, and poor, low-status adults. The ceremony is often held weeks, months, or years after the death so that the deceased's
"If you were born in ancient time Tana Toraja, spotting a zombie would be as common as spotting children play (alive children play)- may be more!"
family can raise the significant funds needed to cover funeral expenses. The concept of The Walking Dead arose from two theories, the first being that a man should be buried where he was born. In ancient times when the villages were not well connected and it was difficult for people to carry a dead body in a coffin and take it to it’s native village, the corpse was simply made to walk back home! This was done with the help of black magic, hence if you were born in ancient time Tanatoraja, spotting a zombie would be as common as spotting children play (alive children play)may be more! The second theory is based more on the fact that in order for the dead person’s soul to have a good after life, the burial should be grand, hence the poor had to keep the corpse in temporary coffins, until they collected the funds to have a grand ceremony and then one fine day- the corpse was made to get up and walk to the fancy coffin and burial site! A picture of a walking corpse in Indonesia did the rounds on the Internet a while ago, and this ritual is still practiced! TLF Magazine November-December 2014 41
Travel Journal
The Last Samurais
Japan - The land of the rising sun
I
Rima Fujita, a young Japanese living abroad tries to enlighten the world about her rich cultural roots have spent more of my life in NYC than Tokyo, however, the reaction of people to our Japanese way still stuns me. For them it is foreign, but it comes naturally to me. To share this beautiful culture with people around the world, I would like to pen some personal episodes that show how the Japanese are in certain situations. Please allow me to say that I am not writing this to praise the Japanese. We are not perfect. we are often described as “too reserved”, and as people who say “yes” to everything while constantly shaking their heads back and forth! Still, here are some anecdotes
Too honest?
My father is a typical Japanese man who honours honesty and respects others. Once
when I was a teenager, my parents and I went to a shopping mall near Westchester, New York. My father, who was driving, lightly hit another car while parking. He dashed out to check the damage and found a tiny scratch. So, what did he do? He waited for the car’s owner to return for one and a half hours. The owner of the car, an elderly lady, she said to my father, “Did you just wait for me to tell me that you had done this?” to which he replied, “Yes,” "But why?” The lady didn’t get it. That’s how we are!” my dad answered with a smile. Another episode took place in Tokyo while I was visiting my parents. One afternoon my father went to buy some groceries for dinner. He was checking the receipt after coming home and suddenly said, “Oh my goodness.
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"For many older Japanese, honesty came from their wish to avoid “Gods punishment.” My grandmother often said to me “If you are naughty the punishment will fall on you from heaven" "
their wish to avoid “God's punishment.” My grandmother often said to me, “If you are naughty the punishment will fall on you from heaven. ” I am not sure if my grandmother surely believed it, but I think what she meant was creating your “karma.” Karma is not a punishment. Karma means “cause and effect” - What you do simply comes back in same ways. Buddha talked about cause and effect, and he taught how to control you mind. Japanese are extremely disciplined, and they can endure with a great deal of patience.
Patience
It is taught early in Japan. In kindergarten, I had a tea ceremony class every Wednesday, and we all had to sit with good posture for an hour. It was hard for us as little children who would rather run around than sit still. I also had a “prayer class” (equivalent to a meditation class) where you sat with your eyes closed and tried to be still. That was not easy either. So, whether good or bad, these cultural elements of the Japanese give them strength. And it is my time to go back to my deep roots, and learn from my ancestors who were dignified warriors. I am the “daughter” of the last Samurais after all.
Ojigi bow- traditional way of Japanese greeting
The cashier forgot to ring up the tomatoes. I must go back to pay for them”. “Come on, Dad! It’s just a few tomatoes, and it’s not your fault. Don’t even bother!” I yelled. Did he go back? Oh, yes, he did immediately. That is how my father is, and that is how many Japanese are. Japanese honour honesty and politeness. And they take pride in their behaviour.
Lost Wallets
When I was growing up as a child in Tokyo, it was absolutely common to leave your purse at the restaurant tables to save the seats, and no one would steal them. Nowadays in big cities, the Japanese don’t
do it anymore, but in small towns and villages, people still trust each other. Lost and Found services are very reliable too. At commute stations, department stores, police stations… most of the items you lose are returned, even wallets full of money!
Rima Fujita
Karma
So what keeps Japanese away from behaving “badly” in general? (Of course I’m not saying that there is no crime in Japan.) The philosophies of “Bushido” (The way of the Samurai warriors) and Buddhism, and the “wish to avoid shame” are deeply rooted in our cultural behaviour, but also as for many older Japanese, honesty came from
About the Author Rima Fujita is a full-time artist living in San Diego, California. She was born in Tokyo, and has lived in New York City for 32 years. More about her on http://rimafujita. blogspot.com
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 43
Travel Journal
Behind the Veil She doesn’t wear a burqa because she is comfortable that way. She doesn’t gun for those who do because she respects cultures of other people. This is Gulalai’s story WORDS | SUBIR GHOSH
W
hen the burqa debate was raging across the world, a young Pakistani women’s rights activist, who doesn’t wear a headscarf as a rule, travelled to Jalalabad in Afghanistan to see for herself what it meant to wear one. This is her story. Gulalai Ismail, a university student in Islamabad, needed to go to Afghanistan on an assignment. The consultancy on the evaluation of a gender-based violence project made her fly to Kabul. And then onwards to Jalalabad. For someone who doesn’t wear the burqa, the biotechnology student was curious to know what it was
like for Afghan women who are in some regions forced to wear burqas. “During my stay in Afghanistan, when I was seeing all these women in the blue shuttlecock burqas, the thought that ‘how they felt when enclosed’ triggered me to live the identity of an Afghan woman. Doing this in Afghanistan seemed the best way out,” she recollects. Gulalai, accompanied by Mudassar Shah, a radio journalist, decided to go to a market. Her first reaction was that it was built for men. She found this strange. “Women should buy for themselves because they know what they want to wear and what they need,” she felt.
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Determined, she headed for a shop selling burqas. “I want to buy a burqa to put myself in the identity of Afghan women. I want to know how they feel when they wear burqa. Do they feel suffocating or they feel liberating?” It was obvious to the shopkeepers that the young woman was a first-time buyer. He showed her one of inferior quality and quoted a high price. Just as Gulalai demanded to see more, an American aid worker happened to step into the shop. She wanted to try out one as well. The conversation went like this: American aid worker: Oh my God. Gulalai: Can you see anything?
Women in burqas (Pic courtesy: Cgoa)
"If men don’t cover their heads, and they are still respectable, the same should be applicable for women. There shouldn’t be double standards”
American aid worker: Ya ya ya Gulalai: Is it your first time to wear burqa? American aid worker: It is my first time. Gulalai: What do you feel? American aid worker: I feel very hot. It is very confining. I feel like it is wrong for me to be wearing it. Soon it was Gulalai’s turn. “Oh, I can’t see anything. Oh, my glasses, my eye sight is weak. How I will walk without glasses. Oh my God there is no air. Now, you cannot see me but I can see everything. I can see you and people
cannot see me. Now I can walk and people cannot see me.” She paid $11 (INR 882 approx.) for the burqa and walked out of the shop with her companion. Gulalai kept muttering, “I feel like someone is giving me a punishment. Punishment of being a woman, I cannot see the floor. It is difficult for me to walk. I don’t think I can be habitual of wearing this. I feel like something is wrong with the burqa. It has made my head heavy. I cannot see the floor either I have to see downward or I have to see in the front. This is a barrier. You know this burqa is limiting me from seeing the world with freedom. I can’t see the things and I am feeling like people are
laughing at me. I am covered but still they are looking at me. Look. It does not make a difference. They are still looking and staring at me.” Five minutes. That was all that Gulalai needed to head back for the shop which bore the legend: “Burqa once sold can’t be returned, but can only be changed.” She took it off and had it packed. “I will gift to some Afghan woman back in Pakistan.” Gulali’s tryst with the burqa ended there. That, however, does not mean that the woman’s rights activist scoffs at those who wear burqas. “While I am there (in Islamabad) I don’t wear a headscarf, because I feel more comfortable that way. But on the other hand, I respect the cultures of other people and other regions. I personally belong to a village called Swabi, which I rarely visit. But whenever I do, I even cover my face with the scarf.” Gulalai, the founder of Aware Girls, a young women-led organisation working for the empowerment of young women and peace building, goes on to assert, “ I must say here that I would really like to live in a society which has same standards of ‘values’ both for men and women. If men don’t cover their heads, and they are still respectable, the same should be applicable for women. There shouldn’t be double standards.” At the age of 16, Gulalai along with her peers, established Aware Girls with the aim of providing young women a platform which gives them opportunities to work effectively for social change and women empowerment. She elaborates about her work, “We are working on HIV/AIDS, political empowerment of young women, peace, advocacy for women’s rights, and safe abortion. We have launched a hotline called Sahailee which gives information to women about safe abortion through misoprostol.” Gulalai’s beliefs begin at home. Her father is himself a human right activist. “My family is very supportive. They are supporting my cause of women empowerment and social change.” And what about change in Afghanistan? What about memories of the Jalalabad trip? Gulalai winds up, “I stayed in Jalalabad for 10 days, and in Kabul for five years. I travelled by air. It was a nice flight. I felt like at home while staying in Afghanistan. It is developing and I have very positive hopes for the future of Afghanistan. I enjoyed the pure Pashto language, the hospitality of the Afghan people. But the violence against women frightens me.”
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Travel Journal
Standing
Babas
Are you sitting down? Well, I warn you that as you proceed to read this you will feel more uncomfortable in your chair. In fact you may feel the urge to stand and not sit down
L
WORDS | Shenaz Treasurywala
et’s talk about spirituality and wellness. I will eat a green salad for lunch once a week, chug a few wheat grass shots, do some yoga, go for a run, abstain from drinking, quit gluten. Most people are like me. But there are others who will go the extra mile, they will put their bodies through suffering and penance, eat food nibbled on by holy rats or drink snake blood for stronger libidos. In my travel trips, I am always pleasantly surprised to see what people will do to feel well. But in this case I did not have to travel too far because I met a baba in my own back yard. One Friday morning, I was late and decided to take the local train in Mumbai from Bandra to Church gate. I hadn’t taken the train in years but really how bad could it be? Turned out it was pretty bad. As I was struggling to get into the train a woman – brace yourself, its nasty – are you ready? A woman bit me. I am not exaggerating, she just dug her teeth in my arm, for extra space or she liked me, I am not sure but I lost my balance and fell on the train, flat at the feet of a dark man in a white loincloth. He helped me up and wiped the dust off my clothes and saved me from being trampled on by aggressive train boarding folks. How can I repay you I asked him? He said one word, “Chai”. Of course, I said. Forget my appointment, I’ve missed it already. Let’s go. We walked to the local chai shop outside Bandra station. I sat down, we ordered chai. He kept standing. “Sit down,” I said. He
shyly shook his head. The chai came. He took it and thanked me. I sipped the chai, he was still standing. “Sit down,” I said again. He didn’t sit. He just drank the tea standing up. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why won’t you sit next to me?” I asked. Is it because I am a girl? “Will you go with me? I will answer your questions,” he said. Now I know it’s not customary to follow a man in a loincloth to some remote part of the city but I was intrigued by this man. He had a certain aura about him and he made me feel safe. So, I agreed and boarded on a bus with him and went to - this is the part I am not allowed to
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"They had taken vows of penance to stand for 8-12 years. Vow to whom? To God” say as I was sworn to secrecy. What I can tell you is that it was cave-like place with a whole community of “standing man” in loincloths with glowing faces. They offered me food, made me sit and explained to me that they are what people
I looked down at his swollen, almost deformed feet. That did not look like wellness to me. But what do I know? It is faith and it makes them happy, it brings them peace. They believe that by putting their body through penance, they will achieve freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Nirvana! And that is the time they will be well. For now, life is all about suffering for them. They do not seem sad or unhappy but their faces glow, they have a community, people respect them, offer them alms, they go around blessing us normal folks and through their suffering, they believe that they are one step closer to God and wellness. I leave you with this. The babas are still standing as you read this article and will continue to stand as you sleep in your bed tonight or you eat breakfast the next morning and watch TV on your couch the following weekend. They have nine more years of standing. In this world of material pleasures, it is a treat to have met these people who walk their own path.
Sadhu baba performing a ritual while some others look on Pic courtesy: Wikipedia
call, “Standing babas.” They had taken vows of penance to stand for 8-12 years. Vows to whom? To God, they replied, pointing upward. “How do you eat?” I asked. “Standing,” they replied. “How do you sleep?” I asked. “Standing” they said. They showed me some swings. They lean on these swings that are attached to trees and get their sleeps. Some put one leg up like the flamingo bird and take a nap. I felt guilty about complaining about my pillow last night. These men were sleeping on their feet like birds. “How do you ever go to toilet?” I asked the men. They laughed. “Standing”, they
said. One man half squats. Oh ya, but never sits. “That’s kinda disgusting but I am not judging,” I said. No problem was the reply. These men are calm and life is not a bowl of anxiety for them. It’s easy even though they are standing. One man rode in a motor bike. Believe it or not, he was standing up and riding. Imagine the self-control. He hasn’t had a seat for years and he’s standing and riding a bike. I asked him if he’s ever tempted to sit while nobody is looking. His answer to me was simple. He said, “The man on top is watching.”
Shenaz Treasurywala
About the Author Join Shenaz, Bollywood and Hollywood actor, cultural reporter, sociologist and wellness expert as she travels the world in search of exotic customs and quirky traditions.
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 47
Quick Escapes | Portugal
Porto e Norte Where old is gold!
When history meets modern day civilisation, sparks are bound to fly. Nestled in a heart of gold, Porto lies in the North of Portugal. It is the first and the oldest city of Portugal. Its scenic landscape cannot be summed up in any form of poetry or prose. While we still try to gain some wings of poesy to describe Porto, you should know that this is the one spot on earth where history and long standing traditions bear a testimony to the foresight of ancestors which are intelligible even today.
W
hile Porto occupies the northern-most tip of Portugal, Portugal itself lies in the South-West of Europe. This makes for an interesting combination in terms of its location within the continent of Europe and the world at large. Porto is a unique city whose significance factors in its architecture and surroundings, natural as well as manmade. The rickety nature of houses at close proximity to each other, facing the sea strangely gives one an idea that they are good old friends holding on to each other and basking in the sunshine. Elegance and charm reign in the exterior quarters of the city as on further exploration you will realise that the Douro Valley and the city are entwined into each other. You
will also come to realise that exploring the city with the valley in picture can be a rich and cohesive experience, the city and the valley mutually contributing to each other's scenic beauty. You should hop on to the one of the several ferries during the day to feel like a free bird in a territory surrounded by sunshine, water, a beautiful green valley and a city emerging out of it all, shrouded in pastels with a burst of red every now and then. To complete the experience, come back at night to soak in a panorama of the night view of the city - the darker shades of the palette–think blues and purples with a burst of yellow lights dotting the scenic space. A reflection of this mesmerising beauty in the waters you set sail by will only imprint the memory in your grey area forever.
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"“Rock Art” at the end of this exploration is going to end up as an uber cool form of art and you can't help but wish at some point of this fascinating journey to travel back in time"
Panoramic view of the city
Vale do Côa
The River Côa is a tributary that conjoins with the River Douro southwards. The vast valley that surrounds the larger river – River Douro, therefore came to be known as the Douro Valley. Cultural significance and a long history of mankind's onset to civilisation to go with it, only adds value to the heightened significance of the Vale do Côa. Innumerous engravings and motifs on the rocks date back to as old as 25,000 years ago. The engravings on these rocks are said to be the products of the creative outbursts of our ancestors from the Paleolithic Age, which historians have traced down to the Neolithic and Iron Ages of late. The rock art here was categorised as a National Monument in 1997 and it went on to be
pronounced as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1998. It would be interesting to catch what a play of light and shadow could reveal while one tries to read into the motifs in the rocks. Symbolic interpretations can give one an insight into the past or the future. While you try to uncover the hidden meaning behind a drawing or decipher whether a hemisphere of rock holds a separate meaning when fully exposed to sunlight and contains a different message when looked at half exposed to the sun, give your stimulus a benefit of doubt, as you're conclusion might just be spot on. Try as you may, you cannot leave Vale do Côa, without exploring the Archeological Park, where you are frisked amidst all kinds of terrains to catch a glimpse of atleast four of such rock segments.
Port wine cellar
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 49
Quick Escapes | Portugal “Rock Art” at the end of this exploration is going to end up as an uber cool form of art and you can't help but wish at some point of this fascinating journey to travel back in time. The extensive climbing must call for hunger pangs. “Naco a Conquistador,” a local special is a must-try in terms of Porto's culinary offerings. Cooked with rump of steaks or beef, it is a heart-warming meal. Draining it down with a Vinho Verde, a typical Portuguese prototype of wine is the best way to go. Literally translated, it means “young wine.” It is meant to be consumed fresh – approximately within a year of bottling and could include any variety of white, red or rosé wines. Like they say it in Portuguese, Bom Apetite!
Alto Douro Wine Region
The landscape of Porto is vastly shaped by wine-making. The rocky terrain and a relatively high temperature call for ideal topographic and weather conditions for growing and fermenting grapes. The practise of wine making dates back to the third and fourth centuries A.D. The Douro Wine Region consists of a series of terraced vineyards spread across acres and acres of both large and small estates. Taking a walk through some of the open estate vineyards open to the public is a sensuous experience of its own kind. The smells draw you in, the sights and sounds of the grapes being hand-picked and meshed into large wooden buckets thereafter is nothing short of a 70s scene from the movies come alive. The region is primarily associated with
It's harvest time in Douro
the production of Port Wine, also known as Port, of which Porto is the epicentre of production in the world map. Port wine is a fortified variety of wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley area in the world and tops the list of some of the best quality wines produced in the world. Its fame is noted amongst several wine lovers in the world and accounts for its popularity and credibility. While you indulge in the three essential steps prior to the best wine tasting experience, make sure you have enough snapshots to share the lovely memory back home. Tilt, smell, sip. Cheers! Porto historic centre and Alto Douro wine region (above)
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Quick Escapes | Delhi
24 hours in Jaipur Drive down to Jaipur and spend an interesting day in the city that has a lot to offer—we tell you what not to miss
The Pink City has a lot to offer to a traveller
Get set go
The Pink City is located 277kms away from Delhi. The car journey will take you four hours and the Volvo can take anywhere from five to six hours. Take the 7 am Volvo and that will make you reach Jaipur by 12:30 pm.
Freshen up
ITC Rajputana and Jaipur Marriott are the best options to choose from when it comes to a leisure and luxury stay. Have lunch, rest for a bit and then leave for the local markets. Stop at the Jal Mahal on your way and witness the beauty of a palace located in the middle of Man Sagar Lake.
Shop
Johari Bazar and Bapu Bazar are the two local markets of the city where you can find modern and traditional silver jewellery, drape yourself in the lovely bandhani dupattas, swirl around in the skirts and suits and check out the mojris and quilts.
"Jaipur has three main forts that one must visitNahargarh Fort, Jaigarh fort also known as the Fort of Victory and the Amber Fort"
Eat
Try the paneer ghewar, daal, mirchi vada and onion kachoris at Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar, better known as LMB, one of the most popular sweet shops in the city.
The village experience
20 minutes away from Bapu Bazar is Chowki Dhaani, which is made like a typical Rajasthani village. There is fun and frolic for the children and typical Rajasthani thaali for
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the elders. Everything in this village screams ‘fun’. Watch the magic show, get your palm read, take a horse and camel ride, dance with the Kalbelia dancers, go on the giant wheel or find your way through a maze and many more things.
Call it a night
Head back to your hotel and sleep tight; there is a lot to see before you leave the next day. The Volvo leaves at 12:30 pm. Make sure you visit the Amber Fort on your way out.
For the history buff
The forts in the city tells us about its past and Jaipur has three main forts that one must visit. Nahargarh Fort should be visited first as it is located at a height and you can see the Man Sagar Lake and the entire city. This fort is best for sight-seeing. The second fort is Jaigarh which boasts the largest cannon in the country. This fort is better known as the fort of victory. Amber Fort is known for the Shila Mata Temple, Jas Mandir and the Sheesh Mahal.
A breath of fresh air Okra at the Jaipur Marriott
Think of Jaipur and the first thing that comes to mind is the rich cultural and historic legacy that the city comes with — the forts, palaces, people, clothes, language, food, all stand testimony to it. Is there a place for a contemporary space, offering modern services of international standards? Of course, there is
T
WORDS | Natascha Shah
he pink city, since time immemorial, is everybody’s favourite weekend getaway — be it women looking for a spa and shop escape, off sites for big companies, a family holiday or a destination wedding. As opposed to a few years ago when a lot of foreigners would do the golden triangle, a lot of domestic tourists, like myself, are heading towards Jaipur and we want something besides the Maharaja experience. We want comfort, global cuisines, luxury, modern amenities, a hip club (no Bollywood please), a spa offering something besides a Swedish, Aroma and Balinese massage, a whole lot of space for weddings and events,
because we like our celebrations to be big and we want all this at an affordable cost. This is exactly what Marriott Hotels Resorts and Suites’ Jaipur Marriott offers. A gorgeous blend of great design and warm hospitality, the property has over 317 well-appointed rooms, 31,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space, multiple fine dining options, a spa and much more.
Culinary Delights
From a lavish spread that includes dimsum, teppinyaki and sushi live stations, wood fire pizzas and open grill stations at Okra, the 24-hour multi cuisine restaurant ( Buffet+ an exotic a la carte menu) to Saffron (7 pm - 12 am) where one can taste dishes from
"The property offers 31,000 sq ft of meeting space that includes two huge ballrooms, six break away venues and meeting rooms, and a lawn to accommodate 1,000 people”
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 53
Quick Escapes | Delhi
The gym at the hotel
North India and Hyderabad, to the signature outlet Jaipur Baking Company (as good as its famous contemporary Mumbai Baking Company at the JW Marriott Mumbai) and Lounge 18, a reinvented lobby that serves snacks and drinks and where international DJs often play great EDM, there are some great F&B outlets at the Jaipur Marriott.
Delicacies by the Jaipur Baking Company(JBC)
Meet And Greet
The property offers 31,000 sq ft of meeting space that includes two huge ballrooms, six break away venues and meeting rooms, and a lawn to accommodate 1,000 people. The multi level ballrooms, Sapphire (6,500 sq ft) and Ruby (8,500 sq ft) possess a majestic ceiling height of 20 ft and both are further divisible into three break- away halls each; Sapphire can accommodate 1,000 people and Ruby accommodates 1,700 people free style. There is also a business centre with state-of-the-art facilities that include four meeting rooms with a seating capacity varying from 12 to 32 persons and two private offices, open from 7 pm to midnight.
Relax And Rejuvenate
The O2 Spa, located at the pool side pampers with a variety of body massages, scrubs, wraps and facials. One can work out at the fully equipped fitness centre with cardio equipment, free weights, fitness assessments and a personal trainer or take a dip in the pool. There also is a gigantic pool which is the perfect place to unwind. Although I have been going to Jaipur
every year since the past 20 odd years, and have tried staying in almost all the hotels that are there in this vibrant city, Marriott worked for me for three simple reasons. Everyone, right from Rohit Dar, the General Manager to the front desk and housekeeping staff welcome and treat the guests like they would treat close friends at home — straight from the heart. The food that comes out of the kitchens of Executive Chef Sahil Arora, Chef Paramjeet Singh Oberoi and Pastry Chef Anil Dutt is light, delectable and is a delish blend of local and international flavours and lastly it is superb value for money, with 5 star standard services being offered at 3 star rates.
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FAST FACTS Website: www.jaipurmarriott.com
Address: Jaipur Marriott, Near Jawahar Circle, Ashram Marg, Jaipur 302015
Phone no: +91 141 4567777, +91 141 4567887
Only LEED Platinum certified hotel in Jaipur
Live life kingsize
ITC Rajputana, Jaipur
Well, that is what I desire when I visit Jaipur, after all isn’t it the place where we have a lot of palaces, forts, tales of maharajas and the maharanis doing the rounds
A
WORDS | Nidhi Joshi
h! So I get a long weekend off. What better way to unwind and relax than to be treated like a maharani. Without much ado I head straight to ITC Rajputana. Doesn’t the name only exude royalty? Not only is the name royal but the new look of ITC Rajputana will have you thinking as if you have been transported to an era of Rajputs, such is the grandeur of the lobby. The lobby is fashioned along the lines of a typical haveli of the Rajputs.
Accomodation
They say never judge a book by its cover. That’s true in this case as well. Although the
façade of the property appears to be modest due to its red brick exterior but this 218 rooms property will surpass any expectation you have of a luxury hotel. Accommodation here boasts the grand 487 sq ft Thikana suite, the 340 sq ft Rajputana chambers and executive club rooms to suit everybody’s taste.
Meetings and Conferences
Expect only the best when you are at the best luxury hotel in Jaipur. Here, you are offered most lavish and grand options for banquets, conferences, meetings and your other formal and informal events. 9,300 sq ft of versatile banqueting, conferencing
"There is the famous Peshawri which brings the authentic and robust flavours of the North-West Frontier with a wide spread of tandoor cooked specialties”
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 55
Quick Escapes | Delhi
Clock wise from top: Sheesh Mahal bar: Thikana suite; Rajputana Royal Room (centre) and the lobby at the ITC Rajputana
and exhibition space with 2,800 sq ft of pre function area plus 2,000 sq ft that are part of the courtyard with a separate entrance make ITC Rajputana a favourable choice among the elite. There are three boardrooms equipped with the state-of-the-art business facilities that are at your disposal to make your life easy and smooth.
Royal Cuisine
How would a maharaja treat you if you where his friend? You got it right. At ITC Rajputana be prepared to be treated like a royalty when it comes to food. There is the famous Peshawri which brings the authentic and robust flavours of the NorthWest Frontier with a wide spread of tandoor cooked specialties. Do I even need to abreast my readers with the famous Dal Bukhara, which is still the most popular dish if you
are dining in ITC? Jal Mahal presents the delectable contemporary cuisine. It is by far one of the best buffet restaurants in Jaipur and with live music the food even tastes royal (if that was a flavor? But trust me it does, after all, it’s all about the experience). There are world class wines and spirits at the Sheesh Mahal Bar. Hungry at odd hours, fret not, head to the Chandravanshi Pavilion which is a 24-hour restaurant with the finest a la carte options to choose from. You can also choose to enjoy your evenings at Jharokha, the poolside bar out on the wooden deck lounge and tap your feet to some folk music in the evenings.
Kaya Kalp – The Spa
How could my royal cravings be put to rest until I had visited the spa? Kaya Kalp the spa at ITC Rajputana is an unrivalled spot
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for rejuvenation and relaxation. Although the regular fare can be found on the menu card, a special mention should be made of the indigenous treatments at the spa here. At present there are four such treatments that make and glow and relax from head to toe. Kesar Facial and Kesar Massage is one such therapy that includes extensive use of saffron to make you feel really special and royal.
Fast Facts Located just 15 kms from the airport and half a km from city centre.
Address: Palace Road, Jaipur 302006, Rajasthan, India Phone: +91 141 510 0100
Website: www.itchotels.in
Quick Escapes | Jammu & Kashmir
Zanskar Valley: The Virgin Land Exploring the unexplored has always fascinated me. I must admit that these untouched beauties know how to charm your senses, leaving you to ask for more always
M
y recent trip to Zanskar Valley was nothing less than a dream. Beauty was definitely at its best while I paved my way through the land of happiness and smile. Gazing astonishingly at the splendour, magnificence and the radiance, Zanskar had all the right ingredients to make me fall in love with the place. For the uninitiated, Zanskar Valley lies to the South west of Leh and is the most isolated of all the trans-Himalayan valleys. Surrounded by the Himalayan and Zanskar
WORDS | Swati Jain
ranges,the place comprises of two main valleys of Stod (Doda chu) and Lungnak (Tsarap chu), which converge below at Padum at an elevation of 13,000 ft. Due to heavy snowfalls, the area remains closed during winters for 6 months. The only way to get into Zanskar in winters is through the Chadar, which means white river blanket sheet. In Zanskari language Chadar is called as Hkado Sanglam. From offering treks, camping to enjoying the glorious beauty, Zanskar Valley has got everything a nature and adventure lover could seek for.
"Zanskar Valley lies to the South west of Leh and is the most isolated of all the trans-Himalayan valleys�
Padum Palace
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On the way to Zangla and distant view of Stongdey monastery (right)
Places of interest
There are several interesting places you can visit while at Zanskar.
Zongkhul Monastery: The spectacular Zongkhul monastery can be reached by road or by undertaking an exciting trekking route through the Padum-Kishtwar trail. This monastery is an architectural delight, formed in a nest shape.
Zangla: Lying deep in the northern region of Zanskar, Zangla is an old castle. A small chapel here lies on a hilltop, overlooking the desert valley below. Tsa-zar is a tiny village nearby which treasures exquisite murals.
Pensila Pass: Also known as gateway to Zanskar. This pass divides Zanskar valley with the Suru valley. Enjoy the magnificent views of majestic mountains and alluring countryside by sitting at the side of two small lakes at Pensila Pass. Get a view of mighty Drang Dung Glacier while crossing Pensila.
Stongdey Monastery: One of the most fascinating attractions in Zanskar is the Stongdey Monastery. The stunning structure is associated with the Tibetan yogi, Marpa and is the second largest monastery in Zanskar. About 60 Gelukpa monks are the permanent residents of Stongdey Gompa and house numerous majestic shrines.
Karsha: Karsha is essentially a human settlement with all kind of basic facilities. Visit the Gelugpa monastery, providing an insight to the importance of the religion in lives of the people of Zanskar. The impressive mural art displayed at Labrang is worth seeing.
View from Zangla
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Quick Escapes | Jammu & Kashmir
Phuktal Gonpa also called as Cave Monastery
Must- to- do list in Zanskar Camping
How about enjoying yourself in a world untouched by stress and hustle bustle of the urban lives? Where the land reaches out to the heavens and where you just might discover the real you, walking dreamily along a lazy stream. If this is what you want, camping should be on a must- to- do list in Zanskar.
River rafting expedition
Are you a true adventure lover?? If yes, don’t miss out on thrills and chills of rafting
in Indus and Zanskar River. Take the river rafting expedition and raft over the cold river, amidst the surreal beauty and colours that the valley has to offer. For those interested, a 4 day 3 night river rafting expedition starts from Remala and ends at Nimu Village in Ladakh.
Trekking to Phuktal Gonpa
Though Zanskar Valley offers quite a number of popular treks, don’t miss out on the trek to Phuktal Gonpa. A trek to the monastery is not just exciting, offbeat and adventurous; it's religious too. A few hours of drive from Padum, the biggest town in Zanskar, brought us to the ‘end of the
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road’ at Anmo village wherein we planned to complete the trek same day.Our time estimation was eight hours to and fro. Well though it’s certainly not a day trek owing to a rough patch, which requires you to jump over high mountain passes, but the first sight of Phuktal monastery will surely blow your mind away. For me, it’s amongst the most beautiful and prettiest monasteries in India.
Mountain biking
If you are high on physical fitness then Zanskar is the best place for mountain biking. Probably, it is the best way to enjoy the beauty of the valley.
Sun-rise at Padum (only town and administrative centre in Zanskar) and Stongdey Village from Stongdey Monastery (below)
Chang
A flavour of local chang, made out of barley is a must try while at Zanskar.
Homestays
"Large sections of Zanskar River freeze over in the dead of winter and are covered by a thick blanket of ice. This frozen blanket is called ‘Chadar’ in local language ”
If you are a cultural observant and love exploring it, opt for homestays. Homestays offer you a unique opportunity to stay and share the culture of the Zanskari people in remote villages. And nothing can beat the smiling faces and hearty warm welcome which you get every time.
Chadar trek
Large sections of Zanskar River freeze over in the dead of winter and are covered by a thick blanket of ice. This frozen blanket called ‘Chadar’ in local language, is the only way in and out for Zanskar locales in the winter, as the roads to the village get closed due to heavy snowfall. This route has been used for centuries for
trade and transportation. Majorly adventure enthusiasts hit Ladakh road in winter only to experience the Chadar trek.
Swati Jain is a travel (buoyantfeetblog.wordpress.com)
blogger
FAST FACTS Distance from Delhi: Close to 1200 KM
How to Travel: By Train: Closest railway station is Jammu, then taxi By Air: Closest airport is Leh
By Road: Srinagar-Kargil-Padum (Zanskar)
Where to stay: Zanskar has got decent guesthouses and homestays. Kailash and Alpine Guesthouse are preferable
Things to pack: Heavy woollens, sun screen with high SPF, lip balm, cold cream, goggles( with UV Protection) Best time: May till October
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 61
Pick Pocket
with caustic social comments are much in vogue. Must see Fort of St Jerome, Devka Beach, Church of Bom Jesus, Mirasol Waterpark, Jhampore Beach, The Sao Jeronimo Fort, Moti Daman Fort, Dominion Monastery, a heritage walk in Daman.
Cut, Keep, Explore: Pint sized travel ideas
Currency: Indian Rupees Language: English, Hindi and Gujarati
Daman
Why Daman is a true fusion of cultures - tribal, urban, European and Indian. Various Portuguese dances are well preserved and still widely presented. Tribal dances
Where to stay The Gold Beach Resort, The Deltin Hotel and Casino, Silver Sands Beach Resort Daman, Hotel Jazira, Sandy Resort, Sovereign, Where to eat Tawakkal, Mirasol, Nana’s Restaurant, Pind Punjab Da, Daman Delite, Kasumbo, Veer da Dhaba, Marine Moods, Damao Pequeno jetty restaurant, Vadilal Ice Cream Parlour,
Apollo Bar and Restaurant, Spice Garden Family Restaurant, Hot Place Dosa and Chat Centre
Where to party
Bachelor’s Party in Silver Sands Beach Resort, Daman Talkies, King’s Ladies Dance Bar, Royal Bar, Mapasand Bar, Mayank Bar.
Must see Aldabra- world’s largest atoll, Denis, Bird, Alphonse and Desroches Islands, tour around Mahe Island, cycle ride in L’Union Estate - La Digue, Vallese de Mai-Praslin a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Selwyn Clarke market. Currency: Seychelles rupee Language: French, English and Seychellois Creole
Seychelles
Why If you want to see unique endemic species Seychelles is the right place to visit. These include the paradise flycatcher, the warbler, the jelly fish tree, and the female Coco de Mer, which is the world’s heaviest nut.
Where to stay Coco de Mer Hotel and Black Parrot Suites, Maia Luxury Resort and Spa, Treasure Cove Hotel and Restaurant, Banyan Tree Seychelles, Anse Sévère Bungalow, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa, Le Meridien Fisherman's Cove. Where to eat Berjaya Mahe Beach Resort for buffet lunch at the Pool, Sunday Brunch at Sunset Beach Hotel, Chez Batista, Rendezvous in Victoria,
Boathouse restaurant for Grilled Tuna and Mango Salad.
Where to party
The upmarket Club Lovenut in the centre of Victoria, for theme night out Tequila Boom, La Faya Bar, Katiolio the first night club in Mahe, the Casino del.
Must see Royal Palace Phnom Penh, Silver Pagoda, Tuol Sleng Genocide Musuem, Choeung Ek, Independence Monument, Bayon Angkor Thom, Sisowath Quay, Cambodian Cultural Village, National Musuem of Cambodia, Vietnam Friendship Monument. Currency: Cambodian riel Language: Khmer
Cambodia
Why Cambodia is a beautiful landscape with uplands and mountains with a 443-kilometre coastline along the Gulf of Thailand.
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Where to stay Sojourn Boutique Villas, Sala Lodges, Navutu Dreams Resort and Spa, Hotel Be Angkor, Firangi Pani Siem Reap, Blue Lime, Palm Village Resort and Spa Where to eat Bayon Restaurant, Topaz, Mails, The Lost Room, Chivit Thai, Cuisine Wat Damnak, The Apsara Terrace, FCC, Le Malraux, Tasty Points, Peace Café, Snake House, Khmer Borane, La Croisette, Metro Café.
Where to party Full Moon Party club, Bars on Serendipity beach - JJs, Dolphin Shack and Nap Bar, The Riverfront, Heart of Darkness, Walkabout, Shanghai, Cadillac Bar and Grill, Candy bar, Cathouse Bar and Restaurant, QG Nightclub, Rory’s Irish Pub and Guesthouse
Check-in
Sheraton Grande: Classy and Chic Offering breath taking views of Bangkok from every room, Sheraton Grande spells luxury and exclusivity in a theme that runs through every facility of the hotel WORDS | RUPALI DEAN
Location
As you walk along the Terminal 21 Mall, on the opposite side you come upon what looks like a stylish, cutting edge property. The moment I enter the gates of The Sheraton Grande, I pause taking in the elegant marble lobby, high ceiling, unique Thai stone carvings and sculptural water features, providing a haven of tranquillity. With a strategic location, guests enjoy convenient access to the several major tourist attractions, shopping centres and the business district of the city which are all near the hotel. A sky-link bridge connects the lobby of the hotel to the Asok Sky train and the Sukhumvit subway stations. With a direct link to the BTS Sky train station and a
few steps from the MRT Sukhumvit Subway station, it’s the best location in Bangkok.
Accommodation
Accommodations come in three categories – the 420 spacious guestrooms include 40 Grande Suites, 3 Speciality Suites, and 3 Thai Theme Suites. At every corner of Sheraton Grande graceful Thai culture and lifestyle go hand in hand with western design disciplines and create a resonant yet restful effect. Defined by grand designs and opulent interiors, the hotel offers the guests luxury accommodation complimented by exceptional service. All rooms also have I-pod dockets, Wi-Fi internet access and LCD screen televisions and a mini bar. My
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"Six restaurants and lounges offer a myriad of dining options- Rossini’s, The Orchid Cafe, Basil, The Living Room-a renowned live jazz lounge, The Sala's and the BarSu"
Clockwise from top left:Rossini's Restaurant; The Grande Spa; Bar Su and The Sala Restaurant
Spa …Aah!
Grande Suite was practical yet innovative with a pool view. I slept like a baby on the goose down bedding, a comfortable pillow and crisp white cotton sheets.
Food And Beverage
On offer is an awe-inspiring dining portfolio for guests and residents of Sheraton Grande; six restaurants and lounges offer a myriad of dining options. Rossini’s, the Italian restaurant brings diners the passion, creativity and innovative Italian taste with exquisite food and fine wines, the authentic décor of a Tuscan villa and impeccable service. The Orchid Cafe is perfect for those who are in a rush but at the same time enjoy good food. This is one of the finest gourmet international buffets in Bangkok for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the a-la-carte the chefs combine the finest of produce, selected at its seasonal best, to create modern and light dishes and yes, the Thai selection is naturally superlative. Guests dining at Basil, the Thai restaurant can discover an exquisite menu of classics and creative modern dishes, all guaranteed to deliver sensational flavours and artistic presentation. The Living Room, a renowned
live jazz lounge hosts nightly performances by the best international musicians and is also home to the spectacular Sunday Jazzy Brunch. The Sala's relaxed tropical garden ambience makes it the perfect place to chill as here the guests are pampered with dedicated attention and seamless service that is only found in the most elite boutique hotels around the world. Good music and conversations pay an ode to life’s simple pleasures at BarSu, I’d simply say that exotic martinis, an exclusive wine list of handpicked international and indigenous spirits from across the world, it’s all there. There’s also more finger-licking variety of food to go with your tipple. And if you are lazy just order in from the room service menu.
No holiday to Thailand is complete without a Spa experience, so naturally we made the most of the in-house Spa. Along with the standard spa fare, this spot is greatly influenced by Thai traditions, with their Thai ambience, staff and treatments. The serene ambience and a holistic approach to wellness make it a place to calm your senses and elevate your spirit. Only the purest, organically-grown Thai herbs, flowers, essential oils, and natural ingredients are used here for their medicinal and healing properties.
Fast Facts How to reach: Fly from Delhi to Bangkok with Jet Airways or Indigo Connect: Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, THAILAND Tel: (66) 02 6498888
E- mail: grande.sukhumvit@ luxurycollection.com
Web: www.luxurycollection.com/bangkok
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 65
Check-in
Musically Yours: Hard Rock, Ibiza The first and only Hard Rock hotel in Europe, this five-star property is a vibrant mix of style and energy on Ibiza’s effervescent island setting. Here music is the uniting essence WORDS | RUPALI DEAN
Location
Strategically located in the heart of Ibiza, the hotel is easily accessible from the beach and shopping amenities too. The moment I entered the gates of Hard Rock, I paused soaking in the famous collection of memorabilia once owned by great musical icons.
Accomodation
Out of the 493 rooms, 235 are suites, with each of the twelve categories showcasing
rock music as the way of life. Music lovers, adventurers, daredevils all have a place to pay tribute to innovations that break the mould while still enjoying the luxury of a five-star hotel. It succeeds in creating mindblowing experiences from the very first moment you arrive at the hotel. My deluxe silver room was luxurious and cutting edge; 33 square-meters in size featuring cool, relaxing tones and a modern design. What I loved most was my private terrace where I could enjoy views of the pool, main stage and the sea.
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"Out of the 493 rooms, 235 are suites, with each of the twelve categories showcasing rock music as the way of life"
Rockstar Wellness
One can choose from two grand ‘aquatic areas’ throughout the resort. The swim-up rooms offer another level of privilege with personal access to a nomadic pool from a 5 square-metre terrace where you can simply chill under the sun or the stars. The ‘Rock Spa’ is exceptionally modern comprising both indoor and outdoor spaces with all that you need to revitalise your body and mind. The star massage table is outfitted with speakers that vibrate with the rhythm of the music. ‘Body Rock’ offers top of the line workout facility replete with outstanding equipment and original and innovative sports activities.
Food And Beverage
Each experience at the four restaurants and seven trendy bars was top drawer and offered a great variety of both drinking and dining. At ‘Estado Puro’, two Michelin star Chef Paco Roncero, spices up Spanish
HARD ROCK ALSO OFFERS
The Rock Shop offers Hard Rock merchandise and an exclusive Ibiza collection.
The Roxity Kids Club gives little ones a chance to hang with the coolest crew around, the Roxtars. The Hotel also features Interactive Kiosks to check day and evening activities planned throughout the Resort. A tablet area is available for guests to share their experiences on their social networks.
Sky bar at Hard Rock, Ibiza
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 67
Check-in
FACT FILE Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, Carretera Playa D’en Bossa S/N, 07817 Sant Jordi De Ses Salines, Ibiza-Spain Tel: + (34) 971 31 42 10
E-Mail: cr.europa@palladiumhotelgroup. com/info@hrhibiza.com
cuisine with innovation and experience to perfect the revered tapa. ‘Sublimotion’ is an unprecedented alternative dining experience situated in a unique space where chef Paco presents a new way to enjoy his cuisine by converting it into experience for all the five senses. ‘Sessions’ is not your typical buffet restaurant and I think it serves the best breakfast with captivating sea and pool views. If you are in a mood to snack, ‘Munchies’ is there to satisfy all kinds of cravings. The ‘Beach Club’ is where sea breezes enhance exquisite dining replete with live music and a stunning ambiance. ‘3rd half’, also happens to be the first Sports Bar inside a hotel in Ibiza, lets guests view their favourite sporting events on giant screens with a stage for live shows and other surprising events. ‘The ninth’ sky lounge which looks like a luxurious sky bridge yacht, is absolutely impressive and is a perfect place to enjoy Playa d’en Bossa’s sunsets. ‘Constant Grind’ is synonymous with leisurely sojourns, this is where early
Floyds, the bar
morning meetings turn into afternoon lunches and evening coffee gives way to sundown sessions, effortlessly. At ‘Floyd´s’, the cocktail bar a luscious long drinks list and fast service make it a great escape from the daily grind- whether you cast yourself into the weekend crush, or slip in midweek for a potion of pow-wow with your friends. Don’t miss the Gin Floyd here. Nothing quite beats the romance of pool side lounging with a tantalising menu to match at the two pool side bars at Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza.
Service
The young staff speaks fluent English, is happy to run up to your room a hundred times to show you how the various cool machines work – the Led light Chromo therapy, the iPod dock, etc. They have an answer to everything from providing you with a USB (I needed one to download my images) to suggesting a drink for the evening. Throughout the resort, high-speed Wi-Fi and the largest bandwidth on the island carried by fiber optic, reaches each and every room.
MUST DO IN IBIZA • • • • •
• •
Take a tour of the Parque Natural de Ses Salines (Natural Park of Ses Salines). Route around the West of the Island, covering small towns and coves like Es Cubells, Sant Josep, Sant Agustí Have lunch in a Typical Restaurant ‘El Carmen’ with magnificent views of the iconic island Es Vedrà.
Visit the legendary hippy market ‘Las Dalias’. Walk around ‘Dalt Vila’. The old town of the island city of Ibiza which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Watch the sunset over a drink at Café Del Mar or Puesta de sol.
Have one dinner at ‘Can Berri Vell’, located in the town of Sant Agustí
Tin Marinated Mackerel by Chef Paco
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Culinary Mapping
The Hiatus:
A hidden gem in Delhi The master and his craft
This lovely restaurant has everything going for it. Great food served in a very passionate manner, exhaustive drinks menu and a picture perfect setting with a posh location is sure to ring some bells
N
WORDS | Nidhi Joshi
othing could describe this place better than tagging it as a hidden gem of a place in south Delhi. The Hiatus - the world cuisine restaurant at the Qutab Hotel, is indeed a place worth a dekko. It has a scintillating menu with a modern progressive cuisine infused with natural flavours and great textures conjured up by Piyush Jain, executive chef who is with the restaurant since the first brick of the foundation was laid. Having graduated from Oxford Brookes University, London, chef Piyush says, “The Hiatus is all about progressive modern world cuisine where it is not only about multi cuisine, it’s about mixing two or three country’s cuisine on one plate, it can include plating style, basic food flavours from particular region or fusion of food.” There are a multiple places within the Hiatus where you could enjoy your drinks and food at the same time. At the Dine–InCellar you could have a private gathering provided you have done the booking in
advance. Here, the sommelier will assist you with the selection of the wines that suit your tailored menu. The Patio offers you an opportunity to bask in the winter sun as your taste buds are treated to the earthy flavours prepared on the live barbeque. Then there is the H Bar which boasts a large selection of international single malts, rare whiskies and creative cocktails that are sure to leave you spoilt for choice. The exhaustive menu can sort of intimidate you but chef Piyush is always available for a quick chat and can help you make the right choices. For starters, I had Tikki Fusion which is brie stuffed aloo tikki served with spicy granny smith chutney, shishmi yoghurt ravioli, chickpea and onion chaat and I can vouch that it was simply out of the world, don’t judge it by the oh-so-common name it has. Another dish I would recommend for its sheer creativity besides the taste is exotic vegetable cigars. This dish is a great combination of basic and modern twist as it has a basic Mediterranean vegetable cigar rolls and for modern twist
70 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
it has a 40 second tomato sponge which is done by dehydrated tomato dust, and spicy tomato fondue which is presented in a syringe. If you love sea food then N2O Battered Tempura Prawns are a must try. With a carefully drafted menu, there are exotic and new twists to the otherwise common starters and the main course and the very creative desserts which are a sight to look at when presented on the table, specially the Mini Mini Plant Surprise. From contemporary western food, wood fire grills, oriental food, basic Indian palate to modern and basic desserts, everything at the Hiatus is a culinary experience which must be savoured at least once.
FAST FACTS Address: The Hiatus, Clarion Collection – Qutab Hotel, Shaheed Ajit Singh Marg, New Delhi 110016 For more information: www.thehiatus.in
Cost for a meal for two: INR 3,000 (approx.)
Culinary Mapping
NCR’s own
Jungle
Book
Jungle Jamboree is the only restaurant in Gold Souk Mall, conceptualised on the lines of a jungle, it is must visit for those who want to dine with a difference
It's jungle on the walls!
C
WORDS | Nidhi Joshi
an you imagine a forest right in the middle of sky scrapers in Gurgaon? Jungle Jamboree in Gurgaon’s Gold Souk Mall offers a jungle dining experience although with some city comforts. It’s a jungle themed restaurant which serves a 7 course buffet that too at an affordable cost. As soon as you enter the restaurant you are greeted with various noises which one encounters in the jungle and its anybody’s guess that this place will click with the kids instantly. First section opens up to the jungle covered with grass, creepers and the king of the jungle sitting majestically on the walls; just inside this area is the hunters’ lodge which is a perfect place for a small private gathering. On the left is the Aqua Zone, which reflects an underwater cave with beautiful aquariums, a life size mermaid and the chairs covered in blue fur with their backs shaped like fish, it’s nothing short of a deep sea experience. Even the waiters are dressed in hunters’ pants to give a real feel to the place. The Sky Garden which is on the first floor gives a stunning panoramic view of Gurgaon’s skyline, the kids zone right beside it is a lively yet safe space designed specifically to ensure a fun day out for the young ones. The sky garden, as the name suggests is an open air sitting arrangement which gives the patrons a chance to enjoy their buffet under the sun, fresh from their
The aquatic themed area is all blue
kitchen. However, the highlight for Jungle Jamboree is its especially crafted 7-course buffet menu with is served on the table in a carefully planned manner, giving experiential dining a new perspective. The menu has been carefully engineered to incorporate dishes and beverages from across the globe, thus, providing a dining experience, which equals a king’s feast. An eclectic mix of popular European, Indian and Oriental dishes, the first course is a delectable platter of bite size starters
ranging from spicy papri chaat to the crispy Ceaser salad paired innovatively with the refreshing aampanna. The second course consists of piping hot soup and a plateful of papads and fries; However, the real digging starts with the third course. Here, one can choose from falafels, sushi, and fish teriyaki to popular French crepes. As the conversations and palates warm up for the feast ahead, the fourth course is kebabs ranging from melt-in-the-mouth galouti kebabs on ultaparatha to North India’s favourite Amritsari fish kebabs or Dahi ke kebabs. The fifth course is a careful selection of popular European dishes like the French crepes, pizza or the much-loved pasta. The heavy duty sixth course is a true Indian fare with a traditional Hyderabadi biryani, spicy rara gosht and malaikofta and paneer makhani for the vegetarians. After this fully satiating meal, it is ended on a sweet note with paan flavoured ice cream, chocolate brownie or apple pie.
FAST FACTS TIMINGS: 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Cuisine: North Indian, Continental Highlight: 7 course buffet Cost for two: INR 1200
Address: Shop no. 22 - 24, second floor, Gold Souk Mall, sector 43, C block, Sushantlok 1, Gurgaon Distance from: Hong Kong Market-6 km and Galleria Market-3 km
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 71
Culinary Mapping
Merry Christmas! Christmas is the time to rejoice with friends and family and bring in lots of cheer and happiness. For such special occasions, TLF gets you exotic but simple to make recipes from renowned chefs Christmas Roast Turkey Crown Chef Shane O’Neill, Executive Chef, Grand Hyatt Goa Ingredients
1 turkey breast crown (a wingless, legless turkey) 50g/2oz butter salt and pepper about 10 rashers streaky bacon
Preparation Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Rub the butter all over the bird and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then lay the bacon rashers over the bird, more or less covering it completely. Place the bird in a roasting tray in the centre of the oven. Cook on this high heat for 25-30 minutes until the bacon is almost burnt. Remove the bacon from the breast of the bird and put on one side. Baste the breast of the bird with the fat and juices in the pan and return to the oven. Turn down the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and continue to cook for about 12 minutes per 1kg/2¼lb, protecting the skin with buttered foil only if it seems to need it. Cook until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the breast is pierced with a skewer and the skin is brown and crispy. Cooked like this even a big bird (say 6-7kg/13½-15¾lb legless weight) shouldn't take more than 1½-2 hours in total. Serve slices of roast turkey breast and spoonful’s of the leg meat in their rich gravy, with all the usual trimmings: roast potatoes, bread sauce, steamed sprouts, chipolatas wrapped in bacon and stuffing
Christmas Roast Turkey Crown
72 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
Chocolate crème brulee Chef Anil Dutt, Pastry Chef, Jaipur Marriott. Ingredients
Fresh cream500 ml Milk 200 ml Egg yolks156 gms Sugar105 gms Vanilla pod1nos Coco Powder10 Gms
Methods of cooking
Chocolate crème brulee
Mix Cream, half of sugar, milk and coco powder and boil keep aside. Take a mixing bowl and add egg yolks, left over sugar and Vanilla pod in case you do not have Vanilla pod then add vanilla essence. When the sugar is dissolved with yolks add slowly the kept aside cream and milk mixture. Put this mixture into small serving bowls, take tray put water into in and place the serving bowls into the tray. Put this tray into the preheated oven at 120 degrees for 20-25 mins. Prick the brulee with the needle in center after 20 mins if the needle comes out clean, its cooked else continue cooking for another 3 mins. After being cooked let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled to room temperature add caster sugar on top of brulee and torch it, till the time sugar melts and starts caramelising. Yummy crème brulee is ready.
Bebinca
A traditional Goan layered cake made from coconut milk and eggs and flavoured with nutmeg
Chef Edia Cotta, Goan specialty chef, Alila Diwa Goa Ingredients
Plain Flour 200 Gm Coconut Milk 500 Ml Castor Sugar 250 Gm Egg Yolks 10 Nos Ghee 200 Ml Nutmeg 2 Gm
Preparation Add Refined Flour, Sugar And Egg Yolks To The Coconut Milk And Stir Thoroughly Till The Sugar Dissolves. Next Add The Nutmeg Powder And Keep Aside. Heat A Little Ghee In An Aluminium Container And Pour In One Cup Of Batter. Bake This Layer Under Salamander On Low Heat Till It Turns Light Brown In Colour. Then Add Another Spoonful Of Ghee And Another Cup Full Of Batter. Continue To Bake Layer By Layer Till All The Batter Is Used Up. Once Done, Turn The Vessel Upside Down, Remove The Bebinca And Cool Before Serving. Cut Into Slices And Serve
Bebinca
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 73
Cuisine
Culinary Mapping
Carrousel When it comes to food, it is the element of surprise that adds the maximum flavour; the delight begins in not knowing what you’re eating until you realise you’ve never tasted it before. Here are four dishes that are undeniably, exponentially tastier than they look, brought to you from four very exotic locations–THAILAND, VIETNAM, KENYA and CALIFORNIA WORDS | Srishti Taneja and Shrutika Nagpal
Kway Teow Pad Thai Thailand
How it’s eaten Thailand offers an array of delicious food items, and uses a range of aromatic herbs like basil, lemon grass and a variety of spices. You can find a lot of mouth-watering snacks at the food stalls of Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. Flat noodle dishes are most frequently seen here. Kway Teow Pad Thai is one of the most exotic dishes you can find to eat in Thailand. Served with sprouts, chives, lime, ground peanuts and chilli on the side, the dish is memorably queer. Commonly known as Pad Thai, the dish consists of succulent shrimp on a bed of noodles, surrounded by crispy fresh vegetables, giving a contrasting sweet, salty and sour taste. It is eaten as a light meal at any time and is especially popular in the night markets. Find it at Pad Thai is a very common Thai dish, and can literally be found in every nook and corner! The best Pad Thai can usually be tasted on the bustling streets full of vendors rather than from the restaurants because there are only a few of them that can make this dish decently enough. Although one might not prefer to eat on the streets,
Kway Teow Pad Thai
in Thailand the seafood is fresh from the waters and nearly free of bacteria, and is actually much safer to eat.
How it’s made Soak noodles in warm water. Heat a pan and mix tamarind sauce, fish sauce, and palm sugar to make the sauce. In another pan add oil, garlic, tofu and fresh shrimp and stir. Now add the noodles to it, and add water to soften. Add the premade sauce and stir.
74 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
"In Thailand, the seafood available on the streets is fresh from the waters, and nearly free of bacteriaand is actually much safer to eat!"
as such is a city famous for Imperial cuisine. Head to Dong Ba Market for a good serving of this delectable dish. Along with numerous street vendors, most restaurants in Hue also serve the dish, but perhaps not nearly as welcomingly as the Vietnamese people themselves! Ask your guide where it’s found and don’t be surprised if he offers to take you home and have you dine with his family.
How it’s made
Mam Tom Chua
Mam Tom Chua (Hue Sour Shrimp) Vietnam
How it’s eaten Vietnamese food consists of the most distinctive flavours and is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. Sour shrimp is a great attraction here for natives living outside the city, as well as tourists. Before leaving Hue, people make it a point to buy a few jars of sour shrimp. The dish really surprises people tasting it for the first time!
To enjoy the flavour of sour shrimp couple it with other ingredients like herbs, boiled meat, boiled pork sides and some fresh veggies like green bananas, chillies and cinnamons. These additions give the dish a good look and a perfect balance. Your love for sour shrimps just keeps increasing from the time you see them to the moment you finally eat them!
Find it at Vietnam is reputed for its Mam Tom Chua and Hue is the best place for its unique sauce. Hue is the old capital of Vietnam, and
Sour Shrimp is one of the most sought after specialties of Vietnam and must be prepared with fresh shrimps. The recipe includes a number of steps that must be performed in a specific order. First, the fresh, clean, and dry shrimp- all of approximately the same size-are put in wine along with dry bamboo shoots, garlic, and chili. Then we thoroughly mix the shrimps, sticky rice and spices and pour the mixture into a sealed jar. When the shrimps are sufficiently soaked into the spices, and the tofu is fermented, pick the sour shrimps out of the jars; the shrimps are very delicious at this time and are equally soft and sweet. After five or seven days, the sour shrimps are ready to serve.
"Your love for sour shrimps just keeps increasing from the time you see them to the moment you finally eat them !"
Nyama Choma Kenya
How it’s eaten At most places, you will find a varying array of carcasses hanging from windows, having been freshly butchered in the morning (hopefully). Just enter and choose your meat and then head out to wait for it to be prepared. The meat will arrive on a board and the butcher or grill man himself will bring it out with a knife and cut it into bite size chunks in front of you. There should be a pile of salt and pilipili (chilli) on the two corners of the board. Grab a chunk of meat and chew until you are sure you can swallow, washing it down with soda, juice, or beer. Some prefer just meat and salt while others like a bit of Kachumbarior PiliPili (chilli).
Nyama Choma
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 75
Culinary Mapping Find it at
Nairobi has no shortage of Nyama Choma joints; some are clean meat roasting restaurants while others range from slightly dirty to grungy butcher shops. Kenyatta Market during lunchtime hours offers a strip of clean stalls set up at the entrance of the market, all serving either goat or chicken. Open spaces and airy atmospheres are the common ambience chosen to eat because Nyama Choma will unfailingly fill you up and completely satiate you, leaving you with the need for just the right air to deflate! Neighbourhood areas throughout Nairobi are hot spots for mystery cuts of roasted meat. Laced with fat and covered with flies that also want a taste, these types of eateries
California Style Clambake California
How it’s eaten
No pit to dig, no bonfire to build; this clambake is prepared in a steamer on top of the back yard barbecue. It's a Californian variation of the traditional meal, using fresh herbs, baby potatoes and West Coast seafood. Clambakes are delightful traditions for New Englanders. The most authentic ones are held on the beach, in pits dug and lined with smooth, round rocks. A fire is built on top of the rocks and kept burning for two to three hours while seaweed is gathered and washed. The California Style Clambake is usually accompanied by fresh, rustic-style bread.
Find it at
Adding to California’s immense culinary treasures are the settings in which visitors can break bread. Whether it’s the sparkling Tomales Bay, San Diego’s Mission Beach, the sunny Palm Springs, or the Yosemite Falls, you can find so many locations, locations, locations in California. You could also visit a farmers’ market and rub shoulders with celebrity chefs and foodie insiders picking out the finest organic produce. Step into sleek restaurants serving innovative, ultra-fresh California cuisine.
can turn into a great adventure!
How it’s made
Nyama Choma is the east African style of roasted meat. Nyama means meat, and Choma means roasted or grilled. In East Africa, goat is the default meat used, but beef (ng’ombe) and chicken (kuku) are also quite common. The oil-tossed meat should be threaded into skewers, and the salt stirred into warm water until it is fully dissolved. Grill the skewered meat, basting it occasionally with the salt water, until it is cooked to your desire doneness. Remove the meat from the skewers and serve with kachumbari salad (which is a combination of chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and sometimes avocado), or ugali (which is a
Kenyan specialty made of cornmeal starch). Authentically, the only seasoning used is salt and pepper, but you can also marinate your meat in a mixture of minced onions, minced garlic, ground ginger, hot pepper flakes, and some lemon juice.
"Nyama Choma will unfailingly fill you up and completely satiate you, leaving you with the need for just the right air to deflate!"
"Whether it’s the sparkling Tomales Bay, San Diego’s Mission Beach, the sunny Palm Springs, or the Yosemite Falls, you can only find so many locations, locations, locations in California" stock. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mussels and clams and steam for 7 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, shake the pot several times. Then remove the pot from heat and pour mussel and clams into a large serving dish. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately and see everyone’s faces light up like Californian sunshine!
How it’s made
The preparation for the dish is just as enthralling as the rest of the experience. In a large stockpot, over medium-high heat, add olive oil, shallots and garlic. Sauté for a minute or until the vegetables have slightly browned. Add wine and chicken
76 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
Clambakes
Picture This
The charms of Oman
The Sultanate of Oman, as it is officially known is a paradise for travellers who are looking for some sun, sand and shopping
Mountain climbing in the wadis sure is an adventure and a must-do when in Oman
78 TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014
Shop till you drop in Muttrah Souk
The picturesque Muscat city
A beautiful beach in Salalah
Romantic date in Sharqiya Sands
TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014 79
Picture This
Swimming in the beautiful Wadi Bani Khalid is fun with family and friends
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Gorgeous view of Jebel Sifah, just sit back and soak in the magic of Nature
Snorkeling in Musandam is realxing and stress busting
Dolphin watching in Muscat is a treat for the eye
TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014 81
Lounge
"My home is my favourite destination"
Amitabh Bachchan:
The hero, the phenomenon, the cult
An interview with the living legend, an actor who enjoys love and admiration not only in India but across the globe WORDS | Aarti Kapur Singh
Have you always been fond of travelling? I like new experiences; they keep you alive and young. The world is too big for anyone to confine themselves within four walls. I like new ways to have fun, new ways to live. All of this is very adventurous.
about three minutes. I remember we were on holiday in Greece and on a massive boat. It was just eight or nine of us. My dear wife almost panicked and declared that the boat was going to capsize because the breeze was blowing at a high speed. Thankfully everyone else is open to new experiences.
So you like adventure travel? I think there is only one non-adventurous person in my family and that is my wife Jaya. She could get nervous driving from our house to Juhu beach - a distance of
What do you think of travelling - is it a necessity or a way of connecting? Travelling is education. I have just recently learnt that my favourite vegetable, bhindi is not Indian in origin - but from Brazil! I would
82 TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014
love to travel and learn a native language or learn how to sing like a gondolier. Travelling opens up your mind and being like nothing else can. What is your favourite destination in the world? My home is my favourite destination - with the warmth of my family. But if you are talking about holidays, I like Switzerland for its scenic beauty. I also love London for its vibrancy and luxury. There is also an emotional connect with London - it was
my first ever holiday destination abroad and Jaya and I went there for our honeymoon. I have only recently discovered the beauty of St Petersburg in Russia and this unseen pulse that one experiences when in San Francisco. So you like luxury holidays? To be very honest, a holiday with the family is a luxury because it is rather tough to match everyone's schedules. We holidayed en masse at Benaulim in Goa some years ago and my grandkids made me do a lot of
"Travelling is education. I have just recently learnt that my favourite vegetable, bhindi is not Indian in origin - but from Brazil!"
crazy stuff in my old age such as riding a jet ski and stuff. It is actually because of them that I am able to carry on even at 72. But coming back to your question, it is not about luxury as much as it is about experiences. I enjoy road trips too. I am particularly fond of driving from Mumbai to Goa. I also like exploring a place on foot - whenever I can. As a child, I also used to love exploring the hills of Nainital around Sherwood College, my alma mater. How do you cope with the constant attention while you travel? I look at it differently. It makes me feel I am still wanted, which, frankly, is a pleasant surprise to me. So I look at the love as a truly memorable souvenir that I collect from the journey called life. ď Ž
Travel preferences Best place to stay in: St James Court in London Best travel partner: My grandkids Best cuisine: Always Indian
Best place in India that you want to explore: The Andamans and the north eastern states
TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014 83
Shine and Sparkle in 2015
Lounge
With the party and holiday season round the corner, TLF brings to you a range of spa treatments from across the length and breadth of India. So take your pick and indulge in some luxury to wash away the post party hangovers and start the new year afresh
84 TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014
Where: Shvasa Spa at Hyatt Regency Gurgaon
Name of the Treatment : Ayurvedic Massage - Abhyanga Duration: 60 min/90 min Price: INR 2500|3200
USP: A traditional Indian massage from head to toe using warm medicated oils. A combination of soothing and symmetrical long strokes will regulate the circulatory and nervous systems of the body. It helps to restore and repair worn out tissues, improving blood circulation and prevents early aging. For more information: +91 124 618 1234; gurgaon.regency@hyatt.com
Shvasa Spa, Hyatt Regency, Gurgaon
The Deltin Spa
Where: The Deltin, Varkund, Nani Daman, Daman (UT) - 396210 (India)
Name of the treatment: The Deltin DUO massage Duration: 30 min/45 min
Price: INR 4500/6500 plus taxes
USP: This technique is based on healing traditions, this massage is performed by two therapists mirroring each other’s movements, this synchronised massage is the ultimate indulgence and can be like experiencing two full body massages at the same time. The therapist will use the client's body as a form of canvas onto which they choreograph slow, detailed moves of varying paces and pressures. For more information: +91 260 6699999; www. deltingroup.com
TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014 85
Lounge Where: Ranbanka Palace, Circuit House Road, Jodhpur, Rajasthan Name of the treatment: Deep Tissue Massage Duration : 60 mins Price: INR 2400
USP: A deeply relaxing massage that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue and aims to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, thus, releasing tension and removing toxins, while relaxing and soothing the muscle.
Spa at the Ranbanka Palace
For more information: 91-2912512800-03 ; reservations@ ranbankahotels.com Mobile : 09351157071
Spa reception (left) and Vitality pool at The Leela Palace, Chennai
86 TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014
Where: NeoVeda Spa, The Metropolitan Hotel and Spa, Bangla Sahib Road, New Delhi Name of the treatment: Shirodhara
Duration: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Price: INR 5400 plus taxes
USP: Ancient wisdom of Ayurveda is echoed in this holistic treatment inspired to create a balance of the element and Chakras in the body and mind. It is created to release the congesting and restrictive toxins and to encourage freedom for the flow of natural energy. Oil pouring to the third eye through the scalp and hair leads to a state of ultimate harmony.
Shirodhara at Neo Veda Spa,The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa
For more information: + 91 11 42500200; spa@hotelmetdelhi. com; www.hotelmetdelhi.com
Where: ESPA at The Leela Palace Chennai
Name of the treatment: ESSENCE OF LEELA Duration: 120 Minutes
Price: INR 7800 plus taxes
USP: Essence of Leela begins with body brushing and full body exfoliation, followed by placing of hot stones on vital energy points. This harmonises the seven subtle energy centres known as Chakras to balance body and mind physically and emotionally. The body is massaged using individually tailored essential oils combined with the use of hot stones to release tension. This full body treatment ends with a luxurious head massage and facial to clear the mind and calm the spirit. For more information: +91 44 30958190/8191; spa.chennai@ theleela.com
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Lounge
Virat Kohli endorses
WROGN WROGN brings out Virat Kohli's passion and enthusiasm for the game, replicating his daring persona that is not afraid to experiment
U
niversal Sportsbiz (USPL) recently announced the launch of its premiere fashion brand WROGN, an eclectic collection of apparel that challenges established fashion trends and norms. Inspired by the distinctive sense of style and the enormous youth appeal of cricketing genius-Virat Kohli, WROGN is an extension of his bold and dynamic personality which is expressed in each piece of clothing. The launch included a flamboyant fashion show by Anjana Reddy, focussing on constructing celebrity driven brands by aiming at the youth, displacing the stereotypes and creating vibrant brands. According to Virat, style has always been an effortless expression of his persona, breaking free from trends and setting his own. The brand is co-created with Myntra and will be available exclusively on the portal and across Shopper’s Stop outlets starting February 2015. The price range starts at INR 799.
Virat Kohli showing off Wrogn
A real celebration with the children Dhaba by Claridges celebrated Children’s Day and the completion of its first anniversary at DLF Place, Saket
D
Manik Kapoor, Ravi Saxena and Vineet Kochar with kids
88 TLF Magazine November-December 2014
haba by Claridges hosted an anniversary lunch for their amazing guests – the children of Udayan Care. The restaurant came alive with the truly radiant energy of 50 children of Udayan Care, a customised child friendly menu was developed just for the occasion by Chef Ravi Saxena. The highlight of the afternoon was the truck in the middle of the restaurant where few kids found their way into the truck to get their hands behind the wheel! It was a magical experience for the children to participate in the famous Dhaba by Claridges choreographed dance performance along with the staff members. This was just the first of many more such opportunities by the Dhaba team to share their culinary love with everyone.
A tribute to the heroes Twenty five of India’s most talented musicians came together in Mumbai recently to remember the martyrs of 26/11 and pay a tribute to their sacrifice
O
n Friday, 26th November 2014, through the resonance of mundane hustle and bustle outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus the melodious sounds of a sitar, mridangam, flute, tabla and a plethora of other classical instruments were heard. Twenty five of India’s most talented musicians came together to perform a musical tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives on 26/11. This musical performance was one of three that took place in the day, the second occurring at about 3pm at Marine Drive and the third at 5:30pm outside the Taj Mahal Palace. The performance was a tribute to the martyrs. The musical flash performance was done in collaboration with Qyuki – a multi channel network promoted by Shekhar Kapur, Samir Bangara and AR Rahman. Titled ‘Shaheed Sangeet Samman’, the event saw several accomplished musicians namely Purbayan Chatterjee, Fazal Qureshi, Rakesh Chaurasia, Dilshad Khan, Deepak Pandit, Sridhar Parthasarathy, Imran Khan, Siraj Khan, Bharat Raj, Manu Raj, Shridhar Jujjar and Unmesha Athavale among others who performed a seven minute classical homage to Mumbai’s heroes.
Rakesh Chaurasia with the flute and Purbayan Chatterjee with sitar
Party through the night at ARK Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai International Airport launched its new bar, 'ARK'. The launch marked the opening of the fourth food and beverage outlet at the hotel
A
RK at Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai will provide a smooth transition allowing night goers of the city as well as in-house guests to shift from the lounge area to the high-energy bar area with a stylish chic twist. The launch of this bar aims at providing its patrons an excellent food and beverage experience along with world-class hospitality at the only bar in North Mumbai that serves delectable craft beer. Also, with its stylish ambience, sumptuous F and B options and location, ARK aspires to up the ante as far as bars in the city are concerned. Mumbai's fashion and film fraternity also became part of the launch, the guests for the evening included Shraddha Kapoor, Vivaan Shah, Kiara Advani, Sakshi Khanna and the Moranis along with many other guests who enjoyed the vibes and had good time. The guests present were also indulged in the signature cocktails and delicious hors-d-oeuvres enjoying the live performance by DJ Akhtar who charted out some of his blockbuster remixes.
Vikas Kapai, GM,Shraddha Kapoor and Ashish Kanakia, owner at the launch of ARK, Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai
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The Face of Success Time has come for us to bid goodbye to 2014, as another year waits to unfold before us, TLF asks a few experts from the travel and hospitality industry about the flux this industry has seen and what tops their travel bucket list recognised today as one of the top sales and marketing companies in India. With strong credentials of consistent delivery, working out of the box and finally putting sales back into the representation business, they handle some big clients like Choice Hotels USA and Caribbean, Accor Hotels, Rotana Hotels and Resorts and Indonesia Tourism to name a few.
On top of your travel bucket list
Pompeii, Machu Pichu, Bagan, Hampi, Konark Dance festival
Runjuan Tongrut 52, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Runjuan has been busy promoting Thailand as a preferred holiday destination in India. And it’s not surprising that as a result of her efforts, a million of Indian holiday makers went to Thailand.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Channels of distribution have changed hugely and we are looking at working in a digital era. Our travellers from India are now an evolved lot. We have different needs from each age group and each interest segment. We now look at travel as a lifestyle and not at all elitist activity which it was considered earlier
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
The travel industry has changed a lot and the pattern of travel has shifted from conventional to more niche. Travellers are now looking for luxurious trips, new experiences and a major contribution could be attributed to the change from conventional to digital and social media.
Vasudha Sondhi 49, Managing Director, Outbound Marketing India
Outbound Marketing India was formed in February of 2002 and is
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Robert Yang Commercial Director, Tigerair
Robert Yang overlooks all commercial activities of Tigerair. He has over 20 years of experience in the aviation industry which is now contributing to evolve Tigerair as one of the fastest growing low cost carriers in the Asia Pacific region.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Rise of low cost carriers (LCC) and increased influence of the Internet when it comes to a traveller’s behaviour. Travellers are taking advantage of the plethora of no-frills airlines, affordable hotels and last-minute/find-and-seek deals and/or websites to increasingly act on a whim to feed their wanderlust. Thus making spontaneous decisions to go somewhere is becoming the norm, especially for the Internet generation who do everything at Internet speed.
Bharat Malkani 49, President, Hotel and Restaurant Association, Western India (HRAWI) and MD, Hotel Transit
Biswajit Chakraborty 50, GM, Sofitel Luxury Hotels (Sofitel Mumbai BKC)
Biswajit Chakraborty is a turnaround specialist. He was awarded the ‘General Manager of the year’ by Hotelier India in 2009.
On top of your travel bucket list Vietnam
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
The increase in number of online tools continues to lead the transformation of the ever-evolving hotel industry. In addition, the use of online platforms is transcending age and demographics. In order to accommodate the expectations of the guests, the product offering as well has undergone a sea change. Today, a business hotel also offers a music lounge, apart from its various business facilities. Considering the impact of rising affluence, globalisation and technology, the hotels have differentiated themselves by offering a new type of product that connects with the discerning traveller.
A humble and a gentle person, Bharat doesn’t believe in self proclaimed achievements and feels it is a feeble excuse to camouflage pompousness. He firmly believes in making and keeping his co-workers in a happy space and that according to him is some achievement.
On top of your travel bucket list
My bucket list includes trekking around Lake Baikal in Russia, riding a camel in the Sahara Desert in North Africa, canoeing down the Amazon River in Brazil, flying a hot-air balloon above South France and watching the sunrise over earth from space.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Travel has become much more accessible to a large number of people today. With the advent of low cost airlines, the travel segment has opened
up opportunities hitherto unknown to our predecessors. Communication has revolutionised travel, with smart phones able to book a traveller into a hotel, motel, lodge or airline at the click of a button seamlessly. Certain travel spots have also been affected by what locals are beginning to call 'Tourists Overload'. Nonetheless, the world beckons discovery. The hospitality business has adapted rapidly to this changing world. Where hotels were more or less standardised, today we have a number of boutique hotels that address the needs of the new traveller.
Saurabh Bakshi
35, General Manager, Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway A part of the team since the preopening, Bakshi has seen it all from receiving the first guest at Sheraton Bangalore till today, three years down the line, hosting high profile guests, winning awards for the hotel and food and beverage venues, holding large scale events has become a part of his life. He believes in creating memories for every guest that has walked into their doors and that is what makes the property an iconic
hotel in Bangalore. Achieving a rank one on Trip Advisor in 2013, over 30,000 Face Book fans and consistently high scores on guest experience, this property is indeed rocking.
On top of the travel bucket list
Florida as it brings together all elements of a vacation spot and has something for everyone. Be it adventure sports or a great nightlife experience, exploring culture and history or a calm retreat, this place has it all.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Rapid urban development and growth in the IT sector, medicine and commerce in Bengaluru have paved way for a lot of players. The city hotels have slowly gained a steady footing in business travel with a number of conferences and meetings taking place. The hospitality sector in Bengaluru is currently dominated by 5 star hotels. This city has seen significant room additions in past two years and is likely to see more in next few years. TLF Magazine November-December 2014 91
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Shirkant Wakharkar
46, General Manager, The Westin Chennai Velachery
Wakharkar's biggest achievement as the GM of this hotel has been the successful launch and aggressive marketing. In order to reiterate Westin as a lifestyle brand, various brand programs were initiated with some powerful alliances like the Chennai Marathon, which chose to make Westin their hospitality partners and continue to do so. Wakharkar became the ‘brand ambassador’ of the Westin theory. Apart from the launch, the hotel gained the number one position on Trip Advisor after two months of its opening and maintained its stature for more than ten months.
On top of your travel bucket list
Macchu Pichu in Peru, mainly because its stunning and picturesque.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
AD Singh 54, MD, Olive Bar & Kitchen
A D Singh followed his heart and became an entrepreneur after working as a computer engineer for a few years. His first venture was Party Lines which organised boat parties and events for corporates. In 1999, he set up The Bowling Company taking the standards of leisure to new heights in India, then in 2000 he opened the Olive Bar and Kitchen in Mumbai and subsequently in Delhi, Bangalore and South Mumbai. Other ventures by AD Singh under the Olive umbrella include Guppy by ai that opened in August 2013 which is a contemporary Japanese bar and kitchen. In November 2013, he launched Soda Bottle OpenerWala which is an ode to the Bombay Irani cafe at Cyber Hub in Gurgaon.
We are living in an age of great change, gone are the days where one has to plan well in advance for a holiday trip or even a business trip. The technology has definitely impacted the hospitality industry. Thanks to social media and digital media, now things have become easily accessible. Moreover, due to technology the information access has definitely aided hotels in giving exceptional services. At Westin, for instance we have initiated a program called Global Personalisation at Starwood (GPS), which enables all the Starwood properties across the world share guest information thus enabling us to provide a better, personalised service.
On top of your travel bucket list
Japan. Ever since we opened Japanese restaurants I've become fascinated by many different aspects of their lives, their culture and their approach to food.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Today we have many more options as consumers, as travellers and as food lovers.
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Nishant Kumar Choubey 29 years, Executive Chef, Dusit Devarana New Delhi
Chef Choubey has excelled in New World Cuisine and brings this experience to Kiyan, the World Cuisine restaurant at Dusit Devarana, New Delhi. His achievements include winning a gold medal at the bocus d‘ or competition in 2010, a gold medal at a chef competition by AAHAR in 2013 in innovation category, first prize at the mango festival, organised at the Indian Trade Association, attending the Master Chef Classes at the world Gourmet Summit (Rising Stars of the century) in 2008 in Singapore and being selected for Southern United States Chef Training Program, 2010 on southwest food. This young chef has also co-hosted numerous TV shows.
Top of the bucket list
Spain which is considered to be the food destination of the world and looks forward to be part of the Madrid Fusion Festival in 2016.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
People now understand the essence of luxury and appreciate world class service and food. Then the opening of Michelin star restaurants, international hotel chains and even boutique niche luxury brands like Dusit entering the Indian market has set the pace. The next 5 years will be even more exciting for the industry with some real big names like St Regis, W hotels, Andaz and many more entering the Indian market.
Raheel Ahmad
39 years, Executive Chef , Bengaluru Marriott Whitefield Chef Ahmad not only actively participated as the culinary task force in the opening of JW Bangalore, Fairfield Bangalore and Ritz Carlton Bangalore, he has also won many accolades like being awarded the Worldwide Global Marriott Chef of the Year 2013 and the Marriott International for 2014.
On top of your travel bucket list
Manish Dayya 37, Accor Hotels (Deputed at Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort and Novotel Goa Shrem Resort in Goa)
He had been shortlisted among the Top 10 General Managers of the Year 2011 Award by Hoteliers Association of India.
Italy , Japan , Spain
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Creating excellent F&B reputation is very important. Social media is playing an increasingly important role and the Gen Y or the young travellers are now the core customers. WOW customer service has become a priority for all the hotels.
On top of your travel bucket list
I want to explore the United States of America
Gokul Saklani
34, COO, 32nd Milestone
He quickly climbed the success ladder and was promoted from General Manager to Chief Operating Officer in a span of 8 months from joining. He has shown immense focus on optimising costs without impacting the business in the times of fast rising costs and shrinking margins.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
Though the last few years have not been very good for the industry, Indian hospitality market has seen the entry of many new international players and many more new hotels opening in the country. This has resulted in the decline in ARR’s but improvement in the service offerings.
The travel and hospitality industry has seen tremendous change during the recent times. Technology has now taken the front seat in the form of online channel usage going high. Increasingly, social media is highly used by the hotels to stay connected with its guests.
Manish Mehrotra 40, Corporate Chef, Luxury Dining, Old World Hospitality In 2009, Chef Mehrotra designed the path-breaking contemporary Indian menu of Indian Accent, at The Manor, New Delhi and the rest is as they say history. Indian Accent has been awarded the Best Restaurant in India (Time Out Food Awards, India & Varli Culinary Awards, New York), Amongst 101 Best Places to Eat in the World (Newsweek Foodie Awards) Best Modern Indian Restaurant (Times Food and Nightlife Awards 2013) and has also been voted amongst The Top
100 Restaurants Worldwide (Foodie Top 100). Manish has been called the most exciting modern Indian chef in the world today. He has been awarded the Best Chef in India by American Express and the Vir Sanghvi Award (2010 & 2012). He has recently been awarded with the Excellence award For Shining The World's Spotlight On India at Condé Nast Traveller India Readers’ Travel Awards 2014.
Trends in the travel and hospitality industry
More sharing platters, more vegetarian dishes and artisan chilli sauce.
TLF Magazine November-December 2014 93
LOUNGE | Fashion
Luxurious Essentials This Christmas and New Year shower your loved ones with fab gifts. Or pick one for yourself
Pic courtesy: IWC
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Timeless Elegance
These watchmakers have mastered the art of design and performance and what we get is a time piece that is not only exquisite but also edgy and fashionable at the same time. IWC Portifino midsize collection Price: INR15,44,890 Available at: Ethos stores in India
Timex Price on request Available at: Ethos stores in India
Baume & Mercier Price on request Available at: Ethos stores in India
Givenchy Price: INR 7,45,00 approx. Available at: netaporter.com
Marc Jacobs Price: INR 2,8,000 approx. Available at: netaporter.com
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Fendi Price: INR 2,11,000 approx. Available at: netaporter.com
Bag It
Be it a classy nude look, a sporty event, a casual day out with friends or a formal business dinner, there is something for every occasion.
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LOUNGE | Fashion
Da Milano Price: INR 19,999 Available at: Exclusive stores of Da Milano
3
The V Renaissance Price: INR 1,60,000 Available at: info@thevrenaissance.com
Travel necessities
Holiday in style with these trendy bags that will make sure you announce your arrival.
The V Renaissance Price: INR 1,40,000 Available at: info@thevrenaissance.com
William Penn  Price: INR 4.5 lakhs Available at: www.williampenn.net
4
A gift for someone you love
Whether it is the devotion to the divine powers or the customisation of coffee beans, a gift is always cherished. 96 TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; November-December 2014
Kaffa Cerrado Price on request Available at: www.kaffacerrado.com
Élitaire Price on request Available at: +91 9871923088
Alchemy De Luxe Price on request Available at: 011 41662500
Élitaire Price on request Available at: +91 9871923088
5
Home sweet home Adorn your home with these elegant and sophisticated decorative pieces.
Newform’s digital bathing collection Price: INR 2,29,240 onwards Available at: Across India through dealers
Artt'dinox Price: INR 41,000 Available at: Exclusive showrooms across India
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LOUNGE | Fashion The V Renaissance Price: INR 1,57,000 Available at: info@thevrenaissance.com
6
Roberto Cavalli Price: INR 10,36,000 approx. Available at: www.darveys.com
Glam up your fashion quotient
This winter let your spirits soar high with warm and stylish apparel.
The V Renaissance Price: INR 1,25,000 Available at: info@thevrenaissance.com
Charkha Pashmina Shawls Price on request Available at: Wrap Studio, 116-A, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi
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Fusion Diamond Ring Price: INR 1,23,252 Available at: www.zaamor.com
Farah Khan for Tanishq Price: On request Available at: Tanishq stores in India
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Flaunt your jewels
Swarovski Price: INR 21,400 Available at: All Swarovski stores in India
You won’t be able to resist these precious and classy pieces of jewellery.
Roya Pink Flower Pendant Price: INR 24,017 Available at: www.zaamor.com
After Eight collection Price on request Available at: www.CaratLane.com
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#Now Trending
Touching tourists could be a criminal offence
Union minister of state for tourism and culture Mahesh Sharma said his ministry was in talks with the home ministry to deal with touts who harass tourists. Touching tourists could be made a criminal offence. Many tourists, both domestic and foreign, who visit the Taj Mahal return home feeling cheated, threatened and abused. Touts, guides, auto and taxi drivers, besides hotel owners, pounce on every opportunity to make a quick buck, and have no scruples in misleading and misinforming visitors to extract money. On the issue of encroachments near monuments, the minister has reportedly directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to draw up a plan in collaboration with the state government. The minister also plans to develop one Agra monument as a 'model', so it could be used as a blueprint for the conservation of other monuments.
Modi government gives new wings to tourism
The much awaited online visa facility or E-visa has now been launched by the government for the convenience of the tourists and to boost tourism in the nation. The online visa facility will be applicable for 43 countries including Australia, Japan, Germany, Singapore, Israel and the United States. The tourists from other countries in the first phase are Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, UAE, Jordan, Fiji, Kenya, Finland, South Korea, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Oman and the Philippines among other nations. The fee of the visa has been fixed at INR 3,840 ($62) and the ETA (electronic travel authorisation) will be valid for 30 days. Applicants are required to apply online keeping a minimum four days in hand from the date of arrival.
HRIDAY - A makeover drive
In the next three years, one can expect to visit cleaner religious complexes and heritage sites having properly laid roads without hawkers blocking the way and well-lit surroundings, at least in seven cities. The Narendra Modi government will launch a flagship scheme in the next couple of months to revitalise the heritage cities of Amritsar, Ajmer, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Varanasi and Vellankani. With INR 500 crore of government funds, the project — Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) - aims to bring together urban planning, economic growth and heritage conservation besides beautification in an inclusive and integrated manner with focus on cleanliness, livelihoods, skills, safety, security, accessibility and faster service delivery. The heritage development within a city to the overall planned development of the locality will not only make the region more tourists friendly but will also improve the quality of life of locals. Installation of CCTV cameras and provision of Wi-Fi access areas will also be a focus area.
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Contents
BROWSE Festivals in America
City Special
106
114
108
134
Miami 118 Mandarin Oriental, Miami: A class apart 120 Sofitel Miami, a tropical paradise Los Angeles 107 Five must do’s in LA 108 Sofitel LA: epitomised
European
glamour
Atlanta 114 Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta: Luxury redefined Las Vegas 132 Aria Resort and Casino: Las Vegas can’t get better
Check In
124
Montana 128 Grand Union Hotel: Blast from the past 128 Fort Peck Hotel: A wooden hotel South Dakota
134 Show time in Vegas
128 Deadwood Mountain Grand Wonderful MICE destination
New York
128 Alex Johnson hotel, a foodie’s delight
124 Mandarin Oriental, New York: Superb location 126 New York street chow: Food trail in America
Lounge 110 Spa hopping in the US On the TLF USA special cover: Picture Courtesy: Tom Donoghue
:
Browse
Festivals in
USA
Snow Globe Music Festival Lake Tahoe
When: 29th - 31st December, 2014
Where: The Lake Tahoe Community College, South Lake Tahoe, California Timings: From 2 pm – 1am Combining the world's best musicians with the world's best snow conditions, the Snow Globe Festival is a oneof-a-kind experience that offers the ultimate fusion of music and mountains. With multiple stages of world-class musicians, the live music at Snow Globe is sure to satisfy thousands of music fans. Skiers, snowboarders and music lovers will find the ultimate escape for New Year's Eve in Lake Tahoe. With multiple world class resorts within striking distance, the opportunity to escape in the fresh powder is right at your fingertips. Electronic dance music heavy weights Skrillex, Zedd, Porter Robinson, Disclosure, Phantogram and Flux Pavilion, as well as Minnesota hiphop veterans Atmosphere, will be among the performers at this year’s Snow Globe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe.
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Dine About Town
When: January 15-31, 2015
Where: Participating restaurants throughout San Francisco Its music to foodie’s ears, “Dine About Town” – San Francisco’s very own Restaurant Week will take off from January 15-31 providing an opportunity for visitors to experience San Francisco’s finest restaurants at a fraction of the price. This bi-annual event will see participation by over 100 of San Francisco’s best restaurants which will be offering two course lunch menus for $18.95 and threecourse dinner menus for $36.95, prices representing up to 25 percent off regularly priced a la carte items.
106th Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade When: 17th – 21st December, 2014.
Where: Starts from the Bay Island at 6:30 pm and finishes at the same site at approximately 9:00 pm each evening. If you particularly enjoy Christmas lights and want to do something for the family, or if you are planning an office party, and you want something different, then it is time to consider the Newport Beach Boat Parade. This is an event that you don’t want to miss. This tradition began over one hundred years ago. The humble beginnings included only about a dozen boats that sailed the water with decorations. The theme this year is “Deck the Hulls with Bows of Jolly". There are hundreds of boats as part of the event, and they include unique and extravagant displays. It is not uncommon for boat owners to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the decorations. So, you can expect lights, special effects, themes, and much more. You will also see everything from multimillion dollar yachts to kayaks and canoes.
25th Anniversary of the Sea Lions’ Arrival at Pier 39 When: January 16 – 19, 2015
Where: Pier 39, San Francisco This January, PIER 39 celebrates the 25th anniversary of the sea lions’ arrival to PIER 39. The boisterous barking pinnipeds began arriving in droves shortly after the Loma Prieta earthquake hit San Francisco in October 1989. With a protected environment and plentiful supply of food from the Bay, the sea lions quickly decided to make PIER 39’s K-Dock their new home. Join PIER 39 to celebrate these playful mammals with Sea Lion Encounter Walking Tours, refreshments, special discounts and more from January 16-19.
Underground Atlanta's Annual Peach Drop Atlanta When: December 31, 2014 – January 1, 2015
Where: Underground Atlanta – Downtown Atlanta The annual Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta is the Southeast's largest New Year's Eve celebration. Enjoy live music and family-friendly activities throughout the day, and ring in a brand new year by awaiting the descent of the 800-pound peach from 138-feet above street level. With an expected 175,000 patrons to crowd the streets around Underground Atlanta, the 26th Annual Peach Drop New Year’s Eve Celebration is one you won’t want to miss! Since its inaugural year in 1989, the Peach Drop still proves to be a favorite Atlanta tradition and a nationally recognised New Year’s Eve staple. As day turns into night, Downtown Atlanta will fill with the sights and sounds of those ready to ring in the New Year. When the countdown begins, the 800-pound peach will descend from its 138-foot tower of lights to its resting place, where confetti will shower over attendees and dazzling fireworks will light the sky and mark the beginning of 2015.
TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 105
Los Angeles
Los Angeles: A cultural mecca Two Rodeo Drive Via Rodeo during holidays, Los Angeles
T
he City of Los Angeles holds many distinctions. LA is the entertainment capital of the world, a cultural mecca boasting more than 300 museums and a paradise of good weather. From tourist attractions like the Walk of Fame’s collection of stars (numbering 2,482, and growing by one or two a month) to career opportunities like those presented in the expanding biotech industry, Los Angeles is the place to be. It is the only city in North America to have hosted the Summer Olympics twice. Downtown LA is the largest government centre outside of Washington, D.C. Los Angeles has the only remaining wooden lighthouse in the state (located in San Pedro’s Fermin Park) and the largest historical theatre district on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Getty Centre The Getty Centre is a campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust. It is well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles.
Courtyard Los Angeles The Courtyard Los Angeles LA captures the excitement of the "most entertaining place on the planet" while striking the perfect balance of comfort and function.
Timings: Tuesday–Friday and Sunday 10:00am–5:30 pm, Saturday 10:00 am– 9:00pm (Mondays closed) Admission free
Disneyland Disneyland, is the first theme park built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Open daily
Tickets: Adult $96, Children $90
The Griddle Cafe: Café and Diner
7916 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 900463304, (323) 874-0377 Argentinian,
Stay
Timings: 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Eat
Carlitos Gardel: Steakhouse
See
Italian,
7963 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046 (Central L.A), (323) 655-0891
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Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is fun for the whole family. There are theme park rides and shows, a real working movie studio and Los Angeles’ best shops, restaurants and cinemas at CityWalk. Open daily
Timings: 9:00am-6:00pm. Tickets: $149—$189
901 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (Central L.A) 1-213-443-9200, http://www.marriott.com
Sheraton Universal Hotel Featuring an artful blend of Sheraton’s four-star service and the history of an iconic Hollywood hotel, it plays a starring role for both business and leisure travellers who seek a friendly, cool and lively Hollywood environment. 333 Universal Hollywood Angeles, CA 91608
Drive,
Los
(818) 980-1212, http://www. sheratonuniversal.com/
Loews Hollywood Hotel Loews Hollywood Hotel is a true urban oasis with a prime location at the base of the fabled Hollywood Hills. It’s an address the locals call Hollywood and Highland but one you’ll call out of this world. 323-856-1200, 1755 N Highland Ave, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90028 http:// www.loewshotels.com/
Los Angeles | See
Make the most of LA Paparazzi, glitterati and glamour, that is Los Angeles for you—home to many stars, some of the greatest drink and dine spots, night clubs, shopping avenues and of course HOLLYWOOD. Here are the five must dos Celebrity Home Spotting
Ashton Kutcher doesn’t live there and Johnny Depp has moved to France but you can spot the American flag waving in Tom Cruise’s front yard (that is honestly all you can spot and there are no spaceships) or the paparazzi, hidden behind tinted glasses near Halle Berry’s house. What used to be once Frank Sinatra’s humble abode is now only barren ground and people have started stealing bricks from Elvis’s house’s boundary wall as it too is going to be torn down soon—this besides some walls, corners and mostly steel gates of celebrity homes is what you get here.
Window shop at Rodeo Drive
Julia Roberts had Richard Gere paying for her; if you too have someone then shop till you drop, else enjoy the view. From Ralph Lauren to DKNY, Coco Chanel to Michael Kor this avenue is full of high end shopping options. You can either burn your credit card or soak in the sight and head on to the more affordable shopping spaces. Go there
on a Sunday and there are chances that you might bump into a celebrity, as this is after all where the stars shop.
Universal Studios
Do you know how many people and techniques go into making The Smurfs dance? Take a trip through the Universal Studios and you shall. Attend the special effects show, see film sets, witness the water show and check out the rides. The Transformer ride is a must experience!
"From Ralph Lauren to DKNY, Coco Chanel to Michael Kor Rodeo Drive is full of high end shopping options. Go there and you might bump into a celebrity"
Enjoy a drink at the Sunset Strip
This area is like a painting at the bottom of the sea during the day, quiet yet beautiful and at night it turns into an animated billboard! This is where you can party with the stars, maybe in a place owned by them. Johnny Depp once owned the Viper Room. Whiskey A GoGo is where the Doors got their start. Rainbow Bar and Grill is where many great songs were written back in the days when it was called Villa Nova. It is also where Marylin Monroe went on her first date with baseball star Joe DiMaggio.
Bunk in Style
Leonardo and Cameron Diaz’s joint venture The Standard Hotel, on the Sunset Boulevard is a great option. Another one is the famous Hotel California, which is also in the vicinity or you can go for the Beverly Wishire Hotel in Beverly Hills where Pretty Woman was shot.
PS: The Chinese Theatre- Home of the Oscars, is a must visit! Specially a walk down the avenue of stars. Find your favorite celeb scribble and get clicked.
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Los Angeles | Stay
Facade of Sofitel LA
Sofitel LA: The shining star This property breathes the best fusion of Hollywood and luxe French and is located at the intersection of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills Overview
Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills offers the ultimate fusion of hip Hollywood and luxe French. Located at the intersection of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, Sofitel is a key player in the trendy Hollywood scene. With an ambiance of an urban resort, it is the preferred hotel for the world’s most discerning travellers and high profile guests.
with 295 guestrooms, including 28 suites. Blending Hollywood glamour with European flair, Sofitel LA’s rooms and suites are adorned with the trademark SoBed™ sleeping systems, flat panel HP televisions, oversized work desks, two-line telephones, and both wired and wireless Internet access available throughout the hotel. Amenities include room service, turndown service and an outdoor heated pool and fire pit.
Location
Meetings and Conferences
Situated on the corner of Beverly Boulevard and La Cienega in the prestigious West side of Los Angeles, the hotel neighbours some of Los Angeles’ most wellknown landmarks including the Hollywood Sign, Rodeo Drive, and Sunset Boulevard.
Accomodation
The luxurious accommodations provide consummate style, comfort and elegance
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Great events take great surroundings, and Sofitel offers 22,000-sq ft. of flexible space to choose from. Along with two private dining rooms in the restaurant, the hotel can accommodate any event from small social settings to large ballroom gatherings.
Food and Beverage
Esterel: Savor the distinctive and delicious cuisine of the Mediterranean at Esterel, new
"Executive Chef Marius Blin satiates the diner’s palette in a dramatic showcase of his expertise for the venerable global brand’s precise French food and beverage platform at their Los Angeles flagship property"
contemporary French restaurant at Sofitel. Named after the mountains in southeast France that overlook the sea, Esterel entices with an innovative menu that captures the unique flavours of the region. In a chic and stylish ambience, enjoy artfully prepared meals infused with accents of fennel, saffron and herbs de Provence for an incomparable dining experience. Riviera 31: Riviera 31 offers a unique mixology program designed by Cocktail Chef Matthew Biancaniello which includes a selection of masterfully crafted cocktails reminiscent of the luxurious retreats of the iconic French Riviera. Personalised table-side cocktail preparation adds to the guest experience as well as one-of-a-kind bottle service presentations. The tapas and communal plates menu takes visitors on an epicurean journey through French coastal cuisine. Entertainment is provided by some of LA’s top DJ's and curated live acts on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays beginning at 9pm. Cultural events are programmed weekly on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to encourage hotel guests and Angelenos to co-mingle in an upscale and social setting.
Spa
LeSpa: LeSpa is a stunning 5,000-sq ft. oasis providing an unparalleled atmosphere. Whether it is a ritual foot soak, massage, manicure, pedicure, individual tea service or one of the many natural therapies offered from around the globe, the journey here will renew the mind, body, and spirit.
Pool at the hotel
Additional Facilities
SO Fit, the hotel’s fitness centre, is the largest of its kind in Los Angeles. The 2,500sq ft. gym has everything one needs in order to stay fit and keep in shape. Included are state-of-the-art cardio machines, strength training stations, free weights, steam rooms and an outdoor heated pool, all in spectacular setting.
Nearby Attractions
Located in the heart of West Hollywood, Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills is in close proximity to shopping centres such as the Beverly Centre located across the
street, Melrose Boulevard, The Grove, and Rodeo Drive; museums such as the Griffith Park Observatory and the La Brea Tar Pits; sporting events such as the Coliseum, Staple Centre, Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl; such as Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu; and film studios such as Universal, Paramount and Warner Bros. Studios. Seasonal Events: There are the award shows such as the Oscar’s, the Grammy’s, the Emmy’s, the Golden Globes, and various other film festivals; the lighting of the Christmas tree at The Grove; The Rose Parade; Summer Concert Series at the Hollywood Bowl.
Le Spa and Riviera 31 (right) at Sofitel, LA
Fast facts Address: 8555 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
For reservations contact: 1-800-521-7772 or www.sofitellosangeles.com
Nearby Airports: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),Burbank Airport, Santa Monica Airport
TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 109
Lounge
Go Spa hopping in the US TLF outlines a number of spas in California for its readers which are worth a visit for any reason or season WORDS | Saket Newaskar
Tenaya Lodge
M
ore often than not, holidays tend to stress us out more than our daily lives. There’s the pressure to pack, the discomfort of sitting for long hours and the constant urge to see every nook and corner of the destination within a small time period. How many times have you thought that you actually need a holiday to recover from your recent trip? Picture this: You’re lying on a hammock which is slowly rocking you to sleep, the wind is whispering in your ears while you stare at a starlit sky after hours of rejuvenating treatments and massages. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it isn’t. With Triphobo’s suggestions for wellness centres in USA, you will realise that this very scenario is well within reach.
CALIFORNIA
Calistoga Ranch , Napa
The next time you plan a trip to Napa, combine your wine explorations with extensive sessions of pampering and luxury. The Calistoga Ranch is situated on a blessed 157 acres that is dedicated to co-exist with Nature , offering some rare views that
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Calistoga Ranch at Oak Creek Lodge
overlook oak trees and natural brooks. If wellness is on your mind, you will find it in almost every corner of this beautiful retreat. The ranch boasts signature spa therapies like the Watsu warm water therapy and mineralfed natural pools. You can also partake in their well being classes or just feel one with nature in one of their outdoor rain showers. Address: 580 Lommel Rd, Calistoga, CA 94515, United States Phone: (707) 254-2800
Harbin Hot Springs, Middletown
Not too far from Calistoga Ranch and the famous Napa valley lies another gem called Harbin Hot Springs Centre. A non profit retreat and workshop that is devoid of glamorous pretentions, Harbin concentrates on connecting your spiritual self with your physical form. Known for the hot springs that flow directly into their meditative pools, the spring water is soothingly warm and inviting. Other activities at this optionally
Amazing sunset view from L'auberge Del Mar and waterfall terrace (right)
nudist resort include chanting sessions, yoga classes, and spiritual talks. Away from the pressures of the digital world, a trip to Harbin Hot Springs will not just refresh your body; it will rekindle your love for yourself. While you are in the area, you can check out the Safari West wildlife preserve and experience one of their amazing guided tours. Address: 18424 Harbin Springs Rd, Middletown, CA 95461, United States Phone: (707) 987-2477
L’Auberge Del Mar
Dive into unparalleled luxury at the coastal paradise that is L’Auberge Del Mar. Redefining indulgence and relaxation, the resort is prepared to spoil you silly (and even has plenty awards for it!). Their award winning spa has ocean inspired treatments that are designed to fully rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. An oasis of calm and quiet that lies only 25 miles from the busy streets of San Diego, the resort is so tranquil it’s easy to let go of yourself and all your worries. The Del Mar Art Centre that lies in the neighbourhood is worth a visit if you are an art connoisseur. Address: 1540 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014, United States Phone: (858) 259-1515
Spirit Rock Meditation Centre
Dedicated to the teachings of Buddha with a focus on mindful awareness, the Spirit Rock Meditation Centre is a temple of well being. From silent meditation or Vipassna to inspirational teachings, the programs at Spirit Rock are full of heart and soul. Unplug from all your devices and re-acquaint with yourself at this peaceful haven, you will discover the true meaning
"Harbin Hot Springs Centre in Middletown is a non profit retreat which concentrates on connecting your spiritual self with your physical form" of nirvana at these retreats. Spirit Rock Meditation Centre lies only 21 miles from the colourful San Francisco city. Check out the Roys Redwood Preserve that lies close to the centre for a rendezvous with nature while you are at Spirit Rock. Address: 5000 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Boxx 169, Woodcare, CA 94973, Unites States Phone: (415) 488-0164
Private couples patio at L'Auberge
Tenaya Lodge
Nestled in the stunning Yosemite national park, Tenaya Lodge offers many opportunities for some much needed R&R. Just the feeling of being surrounded by the glorious forest and breathing unadulterated oxygen rubs off more than five years from your face. Besides the sinfully indulgent spa packages, you can choose from activities like hiking, swimming , biking and even skiing at the world famous Yosemite park. We bet you that before the scents of lavender and sage leave your skin, you will want to return back to this sanctuary of calm. Address: 1122 California 41, Fish Camp, CA 93623, United States Phone: (888) 514-2167 (The writer is co-founder, TripHobo) TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 111
Atlanta
Atlanta: The booming metro city Skyline of Atlanta
T
he city of Atlanta is growing in height as well as in expanse. This booming metropolitan city traces its creation to the early 1840s when it was a tiny settlement. Nestled at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the city besides being rated as an alpha-city, takes pride in having one of the most extensive covers of greenery among US cities. Home to some of the most recognizable brands like the Coca Cola and CNN, the city has moved from strength to strength, becoming one of the foremost global economic powerhouses. Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia that is located in the Southeast of the United States. Often considered to be one of the prettiest US cities, this remarkable city is a shinning example of sustainable development.
Eat Bistro Niko: French cuisine. 3344 Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30326 Pricci: Grab amazing Italian food
500 Pharr Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 Planet Bombay: cuisine
For authentic Indian
451 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 303071562
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Stay
See Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is a 30 acres botanical garden located adjacent to Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta to develop and maintain plant collections for the purposes of display, education, conservation, research and enjoyment.
Open: Tuesday - Sunday (Closed in the daytime on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Timings: 9 am - 4 pm
Ticket: Adult $18.95, Children (from 3 to 12) $12.95
World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola is a permanent exhibition featuring the history of The Coca-Cola Company including its wellknown advertising, as well as a host of entertainment areas and attractions located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place. it's a must visit considering the popularity of coke world over, and what better way to understand than to see and experience it.
Timing: Sun-Thurs (10-5), Fri – (9-5) (Closed Monday, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.) Tickets: Adult $74, Children $59
Mandarin Oriental Atlanta
Mandarin Oriental Atlanta is a blend of southern hospitality with oriental charm, contemporary design and fabulous facilities that can’t fail to impress. 3376 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30326 +1 (404) 995 7500
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/atlanta Hilton Atlanta
Hilton Hotels and Resorts help make travelling easier with the smart design, innovative restaurant concepts, authentic hospitality and commitment to the global community. 255 Courtland streets NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, USA +1-404-659-2000, http://www3.hilton.com
The St. Regis Atlanta The St. Regis Atlanta stands out as a true "in-town" luxury resort that is gracious in each finely crafted detail. 88 West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta, Georgia 30305
(404) 563-7900, 888-627-7231, http://www. stregisatlanta.com/
Atlanta | Stay
The glory of Atlanta: Mandarin Oriental Soaring 42 stories above the Atlanta skyline Mandarin Oriental is idealy located on Peachtree Road in the heart of Buckhead Overview
Housed in an iconic building designed by celebrated American architect Robert A.M. Stern, Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta soars 42 stories above the Atlanta skyline and offers sophisticated, residential elegance in its 127 spacious rooms and suites.
Location
Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta is ideally located on Peachtree Road in the heart of Buckhead, once described by Robb Report
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as among the top affluent communities in the country with some of the most beautiful mansions, best shopping facilities and finest restaurants in the southeastern United States. Within walking distance of the hotel are two world-class shopping destinations, Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, boasting the most fashionable boutiques of Buckhead. Top attractions such as the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia Aquarium, the High Museum of Art and Piedmont Park are situated close by. Guests can also tour the World of Coca Cola and CNN headquarters,
or take the kids to Legoland, Malibu Grand Prix or Zoo Atlanta. The hotel is 35 minutes away from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and 10 minutes from the DeKalb- Peachtree Airport, which accommodates private aircraft.
Accommodation
Unparalleled city views, expansive space and sophisticated decor define the hotel’s guestrooms and suites. Bathed in soft hues, the light, airy interiors are finished with
Climate controlled indoor lap pool at the hotel
the refined luxury of a stunning Atlanta residence. Advanced technology blends seamlessly into the sophisticated decor of each room. Elegance resides in the expansive bathrooms, bathed in white marble and generously appointed with a deep soaking tub, dual sinks, luxurious bath amenities and plush robes providing all the comforts of a home. All guest rooms are equipped with a Bose sound system and high speed Internet access. Selective guest rooms and suites offer private balconies and the exceptional 2,340-sq ft. Presidential Suite, with its dual balconies high atop the 15th floor, offering dramatic views of the Atlanta skyline. The Residences at the hotel perched even further above the city skyline, occupying floors 25 to 42, feature 25 luxury homes,
The exterior of Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
"The hotel offers 127 spacious rooms and suites. The intimate property features a blissful 15,000-sq ft. spa, indoor lap pool, fitness centre, extensive meeting and event space along with the CafĂŠ and Bar"
offering owners the sought-after comforts of a private residence with the unsurpassed amenities and legendary service of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Spa Facilities
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta is a 15,000 sq. ft. haven of blissful relaxation. Offering unparalleled therapy for the body, mind and spirit, spa treatments are based on ancient rituals, modern treatments and proven techniques gathered from around the world. Rooted in oriental graciousness and personalisation, highly trained therapists deliver a holistic approach to restore balance and harmony. The extensive spa has 14 private treatment rooms, including two TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; USA Special 2014 115
Atlanta | Stay
The rooms are spacious and comfortable in Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
couple suites, a 60-foot climate-controlled indoor lap pool that is bathed in natural sunlight and overlooks the English Garden, a high-tech fitness centre with Techno Gym equipment, yoga studio, steam room, vitality pool, relaxation areas with adjoining terrace and spa boutique.
Food and Beverage
Complementing Atlanta’s acclaim of being home to the ‘New South’s’ gourmet evolution, the Cafe and Bar is a sophisticated meeting place for power breakfasts, chic lunches and elegant dinners. Inspired by modern American cuisine, the menu offers a flavourful array of locally sourced ingredients and highest quality ingredients. A cozy retreat for pre-or post-dinner drinks, The Bar serves stylish cocktails and vintage wines. Taipan-an inviting lounge, is where guests can relax and unwind with specialty cocktails and gourmet appetisers.
Meetings and Conferences
The hotel’s premier Atlanta address is equally matched by its elegant, spacious and sun-drenched meeting space. The stately oriental ballroom features a magnificent terrace overlooking the English Garden, a unique and inspiring setting for al fresco events. Two boardrooms and three additional event spaces offer venue versatility and flexibility. The expansive meeting space is equipped with state of the art audiovisual technology, high-speed Internet and ISDN lines for video conferencing, and the event concierge and expert audio-visual
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Cafe and Bar at the hotel and the Mandarin suite bathroom (below)
team are on hand to manage all details and expectations.
Weddings and Social Occasions
Social occasions at the city’s most exclusive address are masterfully executed with southern refinement and oriental graciousness. From spectacular weddings to intimate private parties, the elegant function rooms and exquisite English Garden set a graceful tone and provide stunning backdrops to any celebration. An endless array of personalised services include bespoke menus, floral creations, live Internet feed to family and friends worldwide and special arrangements such as a horse drawn carriage with white plumes or a dramatic exit in a cloud of confetti.
Fast Facts For reservations:+1 (404) 995 7555, +1 (800) 526 6566 or www.mandarinoriental.com
35 minutes from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and 10 minutes from the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport
Miami
Miami: Land of sun and sand
L
ocated on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida, Miami is the city of sun, beaches, high energy and some great Cuban food. The trendy nightlife of South Beach, bejeweled by the eye candy of the Art Deco district, the bustle of Calle Ocho and the highly caffeinated energy of Little Havana, the plush hotels of Miami Beach and the historic hideaways of Coral Gables are all some of the ingredients that make Miami what it is. The lures of deepsea fishing and golf and tennis, major league football, basketball, hockey and baseball are hard to resist. Boat shows and auto racing, art festivals and outdoor food and wine extravaganzas, there’s no dearth of activities in Miami. An international airport and the world’s busiest cruise port, the Miami area offers all of this – and so much more.
EAT Aruba Beach Cafe: American, Caribbean, Fusion
1 Commercial blvd. Lauderdale-by-the-sea, FL 33308; 954-776-0001
Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market: seafood specially stone crabs 398 NW North River Drive; 305-375-0765.
South Beach,Miami
STAY
SEE Miami Seaquarium
Hotel Beaux Arts Miami
Open all day
255 Biscayne Boulevard Way, Miami, FL 33131
Tickets: General Admission $ 42.99, Child Admission (3-9 yrs) $ 33.99 + 7% Florida sales
Conrad Miami
Miami Seaquarium is a world-class marinelife entertainment park with eight different marine animal shows and astonishing daily presentations. This a fun packed place for the entire family. Timings: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
Jungle Island
Jungle Island is an interactive zoological park in Watson Island, Miami, Florida, United States. Children are sure to enjoy themselves here and this place offers a fun way to learn about animals and their behaviour. Phone: +1 305-400-7000 Open all day
Timings: Monday-Friday (10am to 5pm), Saturday-Sunday (10am to 6pm) Tickets: Lemurs! Up Close Day Pass: Adults - $49.95 | Children - $41.95
General Park Admission: Adults - $34.95 | Children - $26.95
Hotel Beaux Arts Miami provides a private, urban, environment catering to the most sophisticated and affluent business and leisure traveller.
1-305-421-8700, http://www.marriott. com/, http://conradhotels3.hilton.com/ Located in Miami's Business District overlooking Biscayne Bay, this 36-story luxury hotel offers a full-service spa, rooftop pool, and on-site dining.
Espirito Santo Plaza, 1395 Brickell Avenue, Miami, FL 33131 855-277-5299, http://conradhotels3.hilton. com/ Epic Hotel
An upscale waterfront hotel, provides unique design and unmatched service and amenities. 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, FL 33131
(866) 760-3742, Hotel: (305) 424-5226, Fax: (305) 424-5232
TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 117
Miami | Stay
Clockwise from left: Exterior of the hotel; Spa and living room of a suite at Mandarin Oriental, Miami
Mandarin Oriental, Miami: Contemporary chic With recently renovated and most spacious guest rooms, Mandarin Oriental, Miami boasts contemporary and dynamic design and is idealy located Brickell Key Overview
Mandarin Oriental, Miami, open to guests since November 2000, provides unsurpassed levels of luxury and service in Miami. The deluxe 326-room waterfront hotel, with its contemporary and dynamic design, features Miami’s most spacious guest rooms and suites, all of which were renovated in 2010.
Location
The triple five-star urban oasis is ideally located on Brickell Key, a 44-acre island in Biscayne Bay considered one of Miami’s most prestigious commercial and residential locations, just minutes from Miami’s international financial district and convenient to Miami International Airport, South Beach, the Design District and Coconut Grove.
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Accomodation
The hotel’s spacious guest rooms and suites evoke a serene, residential feel and provide spectacular views from balconies and terraces overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. The guest room interiors draw on the sophistication of a cosmopolitan city with diverse cultural influences. A tranquil and elegant haven, the guest rooms combine contemporary touches from South Florida with exotic Asian elements, such as the bamboo hardwood floors in the hotel’s suites to the Spanish marble bathroom tiles in all rooms. All guest rooms are equipped with dual phone lines, cordless phone, wireless high speed internet access, Bose sound system, flat screen TVs, DVD players and iPod sound dock music system.
A flower petal bath at the spa
Spa Facilities
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Miami is a tri-level sanctuary offering panoramic waterfront views and holistic treatments blending elements of East and West. Each spa experience has been created as a sequence of rituals and treatments inspired by the elements of life and oriental traditions. Glass elevators transport guests from the lobby level and pool deck to The Spa, with 18 treatment rooms, including six private suites (and three couples’ suites), along with a Beauty Room designated for the exclusive results-oriented treatment line, Beauty by Mandarin Oriental. All suites have glass windows overlooking the bay. Adjoining the spa is a comprehensive fitness centre and Oasis Beach Club featuring private cabanas for outdoor spa treatments catering to singles and couples.
Food and Beverage
The hotel has successfully established chic and dynamic waterfront dining opportunities in Miami with two restaurants – one for casual elegant dining and one signature restaurant – both overlooking Biscayne Bay and designed by Tony Chi and Associates of New York. La Mar by Gaston Acurio invites diners to explore the authentic and diverse flavours of Peruvian gastronomy, ranging from upscale novoAndean fare to Asian-Peruvian fusion and traditional seafood ceviche. Azul, the five-star signature restaurant, provides stunning bay views, a vibrant atmosphere and innovative French cuisine with Asian influences. MO Bar + Lounge, an elegant bar and lounge, boasts the most
View of the city from a balcony of a suite at the hotel
"South Beach, which is only six miles away, presents endless options for water sports activities, while Crandon Golf Course provides championship golf just a stone’s throw away on Key Biscayne"
expansive views of the Biscayne Bay with two-storey, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the waterfront and the Miami skyline.
Meetings and Conferences
Extensive conference and banquet facilities feature 15,000 sq.ft. of space, including an elegant ballroom with seating for more than 600 people. Glass windows provide natural light and waterfront views in several of the versatile meeting rooms offer an excellent view. In addition, the hotel has a state-of-the-art business centre.
Leisure Activities
Mandarin Oriental, Miami is privileged to be located in the midst of a locale with a superb climate and a plethora of activities for vacationers and residents alike. On the property, Oasis Beach Club features a private beach and offers luxury cabanas with flat-screen televisions as well as plush furniture overlooking Biscayne Bay. Other hotel features include a comprehensive fitness centre, infinity-edge swimming pool, pool cafe and jogging trail circling the island and chic shopping experiences at Karma and Shanghai Tang boutiques.
Fast Facts Address: 500 Brickell Key Dr, Miami, FL 33131, United States For reservations: +1 (305) 913 8288, +1 (866) 888-6780
Relax at the Beach Club
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com
TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 119
Miami | Stay
Exterior of the hotel
Sofitel Miami: The artistic destination This property offers a perfect mix of glamour and elegance, with luxurious amenities and views of the tranquil blue lagoon Over view
Nestled in its own tropical paradise, Sofitel Miami blends classic south beach Art Deco with touches of Art Nouveau to create a lush, contemporary French ambiance. Savour Florida sun and French style at their very best at Sofitel Miami. It is a European oasis surrounded by the glamour and elegance of South Florida’s signature city. Inside, the lobby welcomes you with striking tropical colours, art and sculpture. Richly appointed rooms and suites feature modern design, luxurious amenities and views of the tranquil blue lagoon.
Location
Sofitel Miami is ideally situated just minutes away from the Miami International 120 TLF Magazine ď‚&#x; USA Special 2014
Airport, beautiful beaches, the Port of Miami and other area attractions. Complimentary airport shuttle service makes it very approachable and hassle free.
Accomodation
There are 281 spacious rooms spread across 15 floors which include 25 suites and two presidential suites. Amenities include SoBed Feathertop and duvet sleep system, wired and wireless Internet access, and a spacious bathroom with luxurious French toiletries.
Food and Beverage
Enjoy an inspired dining experience in La Riviera, blending Latin cuisine with French flair. For a quick breakfast or afternoon
"Enjoy an elegantly styled accommodation, a bottle of champagne on ice, a romantic gift, wonderful breakfast served in your room every morning and a late check-out at Sofitel Miami"
Clockwise from left: Lobby; pool at the hotel and restaurants at Sofitel Miami
snack, Le Petit Marche proudly features Starbucks coffee and freshly baked French pastries. Le Bar is the perfect location for an after-hours cocktail while watching an amazing sunset over the lagoon, featuring daily happy hours with drink and appetiser specials.
Meetings and Conferences Sofitel Miami offers 11,000-sq ft. of spectacular indoor and outdoor meeting spaces featuring stylish decor. It offers elegant banquet halls, private outdoor terraces, an Art Deco Monte Carlo Ballroom and six parlour meeting rooms. Flawless service and exceptional contemporary French cuisine set the stage for meetings of distinction.
Fast Facts For reservations contact: +1 (305) 2644888 – 5800, +1 (305) 264-4888 E-mail: sofitel.miami@sofitel.com
Add: 5800 Blue Lagoon Drive - Miami, FL 33126 – USA
TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 121
New York
New York City: Pulsating and vibrant Statue of Liberty (Pic courtesy: Marley White, New York)
N
ew York City is one of the most amazing cities in the world. New York City served as the capital of the United States in the 1780s before it was moved to Philadelphia and then Washington D.C. Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street was the site of the first Capitol Building of the United States. New York City is now the most populated city in the USA with more than 8.2 million people. The Holland Tunnel, which connects NYC with New Jersey, was completed in 1927 and is one of the first ventilated tunnels in the world. The ventilation system was needed to clear out vehicle exhaust and carbon monoxide generated by the automobiles passing through. New York City has 4000 street food vendors including hot dogs, pretzels, falafel, kebabs, and more.
Le Bernardin: Four star seafood restaurants 155 W 51st St, New York City, NY 10019, Call212 554 1515 Eleven Madison Park: French cuisine.
Bronx Zoo The Bronx Zoo is located in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, within Bronx Park. It is among the largest metropolitan zoos in the world, and is the largest in North America, with some 6,000 animals representing about 650 species from around the world.
Hotel Giraffe
Timings: 10:00 am-4:30 pm
The Wall Street Inn
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neo classical on Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor in Manhattan, New York City.
9 South William Street New York
Open daily
Tickets: Adults $23.95, Children $19.95
Open every day except December 25. Timings: 8:30am – 5:00pm
Tickets: Adult $28.00, Children $19.00
Eat
American
and
11 Madison Ave, New York City, NY 100103643, 212-889-0905
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Stay
See
Ellis Island Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. The south side of the island, home to the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, is closed to the general public and the object of restoration efforts. Open every day except December 25. Tickets: No fee applicable
Hotel Giraffe embodies the gentle power, grace and beauty found in one of nature’s most beloved animals. 365 Park Avenue South at 26th St. New York Visit http://www.hotelgiraffe.com/
The Wall Street Inn is a luxurious and affordable hotel located in the heart of the financial district, near the New York Stock Exchange. It is surrounded by historic attractions and popular landmarks. 212.747.1500,
http://www.thewallstreetinn.com/ Aloft Harlem
Aloft Harlem is located in Manhattan's hottest cultural destination known for beautiful brownstones, legendary soul food and historic religious institutions. 2296 Frederick Douglas Boulevard New York 212-749-4000, 866-716-8143 or http:// www.aloftharlem.com/
New York | Stay
Mandarin Oriental, New York:A class apart Flaunting a prime location Mandarin Oriental, New York is within a walking distance of Fifth Avenue, Broadway and the Lincoln Centre
S
oaring above the city, Mandarin Oriental, New York enjoys an unbeatable setting in the midst of the action. Stunning floor-toceiling windows overlook the Hudson River, Central Park and Manhattan’s glittering skyline, along with the sumptuous rooms and spacious suites.
Location
Enjoying a prime location on top of the Time Warner Centre, Mandarin Oriental, New York is perfectly situated for all of
124 TLF Magazine USA Special 2014
New York’s major attractions. It overlooks Central Park and is within a walking distance of Fifth Avenue, Broadway and the Lincoln Centre. It is also within easy reach of all of the city’s legendary sites, shops, major attractions and the Time Warner Centre with its luxury boutiques and restaurants.
Accomodation
This hotel provides 244 sumptuously designed rooms and elegantly appointed suites enjoying an unbeatable setting with 198 guestrooms and 46 suites. The suite
size ranges from 800-sq ft. to an impressive 2640-sq ft. and the floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the Hudson River, Manhattan and Central Park.
Food and Beverages
With acclaimed cuisine, tempting cocktails and chic surroundings, the bars and restaurants are considered among the best in Manhattan. There is modern American cuisine in a stylish setting at Asiate consisting of light dishes, afternoon tea, cocktails and desserts in the atmospheric
Clockwise from left: Fine dining restaurant, Asiate; A guest relaxing at the spa and suite at Mandarin Oriental, New york
Exterior of the hotel at night
"Mandarin Oriental, New York has a reputation for excellence among business travellers and is known as the ultimate ‘Celebration Destination’ for leisure guests around the world"
Lobby Lounge and delicious cocktails and a lively atmosphere in the stylish MObar.
Spa And Wellness
The spa in Mandarin Oriental offers a blend of rituals as cosmopolitan as the city itself and is an oasis of relaxation and rejuvenation. The Spa is spread across 14,500-sq ft. with luxurious space and sweeping views of the Hudson River along with six treatment rooms, a Thai Yoga room, VIP Spa suite with fireplace and private steam and shower and men's and women's heat experiences including vitality pools and amethyst crystal steam rooms.
Meetings and Conferences
With award-winning service and impressive function rooms, the meeting and event facilities are unsurpassed. There is a 6,000-sq ft. ballroom with dramatic 18 ft. high floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking
Central Park and Manhattan. Additional meeting spaces include suites and a boardroom. There are state-of-the-art audio visual facilities with dedicated events team and excellent in-house catering.
Leisure facilities
Experience a healthy way to enjoy New York by making the most of the leisure facilities. State-of-the-art fitness centre offering cardiovascular and weight training equipment, 75-ft. naturally-lit lap pool and private yoga classes with an easy access to Central Park are all there at the Mandarin Oriental, New York.
Fast facts For reservations call: +1 8668018880 or www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork
Address: 80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street, New York, New York 10023, USA
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New York | Eat
New York Street Chow Yummy French fries are American and not French
Travel as you may, but when in America, eat like an American! Hamburgers drippin’ of cheese, lips smacked with butter braised beef hotdogs, pancakes with syrup rising up like the molten lava et all
A
uthentic American Cuisine – there is no such thing as that and yet there is! Surprised? You would be, most tourists are, until they find out why and are only pleasantly taken aback. New York is home to such numbers of ethnicities, races, nationalities and beliefs, that its culinary fest has turned into a melting pot of various cuisines dished out to fill the hungry tummy with a huge smile. Travel as you may, but when in America, eat like an American! Hamburgers drippin’ of cheese, lips smacked with butter braised beef hotdogs, pancakes with syrup rising up like the molten lava et all. TLF takes you through an epic gastronomic walk of Manhattan good enough to indulge you in more than a single orgy at a time.
PABT: Step out of the PABT metro station 126 TLF Magazine USA Special 2014
and choose your favourite cart based on the assortment of smells coming your way. Pick up a cheese and egg bagel for a quick breakfast coupled with a rich chocolate doughnut and a hot coffee with caramel cream. A club sandwich or a beef hamburger is a good way to go too. Although if your weighing in slightly on the healthy side, a Green Salad with not too many dullops of mayo will serve you right. These yummy packages will cost you anywhere between $ 9-11. Truly McYummy!
valuable meal for $7. The pigeons give good company, while you smile with every bite.
7th Avenue: Find yourself surrounded by cartels of food calling out to you with the mélange of smells that they whiff out. Here “Halal meat” logos dot every food cart on the street. If you’re starving and want to have a solid meal, this is your zone. Dig into some Chicken Over Rice or Lamb Over Rice while sitting at a gazebo close-by which is a
Times Square Crossing: Eateries dotting this place have an array of cuisines to choose from. They all have one thing in common – food dished out to suit the American palatability, preserving the original flavours. Chinese, Korean and Thai food is a must try – Pad Thai Noodles, Spicy Chicken, etc. You might be a little drained in your
"Swear by these food statements to make the most of your trip to New York City!"
pocket considering this is a street food, but the magical view of Times Square’s hubbub from the open air seating coupled with the sights and smells of open kitchens will make it all worth it. Be prepared to shell out anywhere from $ 15 – 50.
5th Avenue: Stop by at a cartel here for the very famed Falafel Over Rice. This is an interesting mix of Middle Eastern flavours with a contemporary American touch to it – what with the dash of an array of sauces that you are consulted for. When you finally get to gorging on the Falafel, you’d be floored by the crunch and the flavours of this very vegetarian supplement of meat – which can give meat a run for its money any day. An $8 – 12 bill would be dished your way – over and above which you will want to tip. It’s that good! Lexington Boulevard: This is your haven if you are a pretzel person. This sweet crunchy flour base rolled into shapes of ribbons and baskets can be quite a mood enhancer, especially when you’re exhausted walking too many blocks. Grab a basic pretzel, one with a chocolate or nuts base and just stand by the lamp post while you let the warm sugar melt into mouth. Price $6 to $15 worth of fun! Park Avenue: Go Nuts! Cartels dot this place. While you can’t take your eyes off the glittery limousines, don’t forget to pick a little paper bag up from one of these carts with sugary cashews or salted peanuts. They are a delectable collectible to an ardent fan of nuts! You will be pleasantly surprised that an indulgence so good, is also something
“Danish whipped creams are just passed on as a freebie if you manage to chat up an interesting conversation of your experiences as a tourist or if you’re still a child who loves smearing chocolate around your mouth”
A hotdog cart in NYC
that simple – flavour-wise and price-wisethat’s tight. “99 cents please”.
27, 28, 29 Broadway: This is where you’ll find a mini Indian subcontinent, thriving in motion – tourists, restaurants, café owners or even locals. Head to a place like Curry In A Hurry or Haandi. Don’t let the names, ambience, atmosphere or people deceive you thinking that it’s an all Indian galore. Wait till you spot a country flag in these food joints indicating the country of origin. You will realise that you are back to an Indian pre-independence era where “sub continental food” is only an umbrella term to encompass Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Afghani, Sri Lankan food with the mainstream Indian palate. $18 – 35 for a nostalgia-filled meal. Central Park: You can keep staring at the Apple Building, but you can’t take a bite off that already bitten apple you know. Turn to the horse carriages and something as classic as that is still not going to help if you’re cold. Turn to the entrance and you will find a lovely European Waffle Cart. Hot Waffles
with fresh maple syrup, Nutella, Belgian chocolate or espresso flavours is a must-have here. Danish whipped creams are just passed on as a freebie if you manage to chat up an interesting conversation of your experiences as a tourist so far or if you’re still a child who loves smearing chocolate around your mouth. Choose you pick between $9-15.
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Peta Bread and Hummus will be passé if you give Pita Bread and Lamb a chance to woo you here. $7-16 would keep the food happily occupied with you. The interesting bit about this little promising venture is that, it is cooked in the American style- with braised butter, styled like a Spanish Taco and yet tastes exactly like a Middle Eastern basket of flavours. Maybe you’re in America, or maybe you’re just in a place where the whole world collides and overlaps together over a plate of food. While you enjoy the combination or confusion as you may, just turn around – The Statue of Liberty beckons your attention as a tribute to the spirit of American food to unite and impress. Bon Appetit! TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 127
Montana and South Dakota
Montana and South Dakota: Hidden treasures Fort Peck Hotel, Montana
Amidst everything glossy, grand and modern in the USA, South Dakota and Montana give you an opportunity to travel back in time with their vintage hotels. Check them out!
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WORDS | KARISHMA SINGH DAGAR
ontana and South Dakota are a must visit as they offer brilliant diversity, spread out like a thousand points of starlight in a broad and peaceful sky. They are the ideal destination for any luxury seeker with a twist. One can drop into these two states and enjoy the perks of staying in a vintage hotel. These vintage hotels are completely committed to their clients, offering the best gourmet food and room services. Their primary agenda is to keep the customer's trip brimming with comfort. We have listed down some vintage hotels for you to enjoy, so get ready to soak in this eternal experience.
Montana
Rightfully titled as the 'Treasure state' or ‘Big Sky Country’, Montana is full of picturesque and charming treasures that have been bestowed on it by Nature. You will feel your lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery, wilderness, sprawling areas with exciting wildlife, adventure sports etc.
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If you are an outdoor enthusiast this place is a perfect choice for you, as you can be a part of the trek to the Rocky Mountains and witness the sunlight clapping the earth. Also do visit the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area Ski Resort to indulge in the neverfading experience of skiing, fishing, boating and all other varieties of water recreation. The saying that 'the only good cage is an empty cage' will be proved right by paying a visit to the Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall and Swan wilderness areas, which
"This classic, wooden hotel, built in the 1930s, helped house Army Corps of Engineer employees working on the nearby Fort Peck Dam"
are brimming with wildlife in its natural niche. You cannot understand hospitality unless you have stayed at the historic hotels, classic inns and lodges in Montana. Here are a few properties, a stay at which will be cherished for years to come.
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota Pic courtesy: en.wikipedia.org
Charley Montana B& B, Glendive
The Charley Montana B&B resides within the historic walls of the Krug Mansion, a stately 8,000 sq. ft. home built in 1907 for millionaire stockman Charles Krug. This iconic property features ten-feet high ceilings with seven nine-feet high oak pocket doors, authentic wood carvings in
oak and mahogany, a butler’s pantry and the antique bank vault door.
Grand Union Hotel, Fort Benton
Built in 1882, seven years before Montana became a state the Grand Union is Montana’s oldest operating hotel. Perched on the banks of the Missouri river along the storied path of Lewis and Clark’s exploratory travels, the hotel was built at the height of Fort Benton’s prosperity during the steamboat era. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Pollard, Red Lodge
The Pollard, built in 1893, is reputed for having served Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane and Harry Longabaugh a.k.a The Sundance Kid. Guns have been banned in the hotel since the time Harry Longabaugh got arrested.
Fort Peck Hotel, Fort Peck
Lake Mcdonald, Glacier National Park, Montana Pic courtesy: gallery.svetulcho.org
This classic, wooden hotel, built in the 1930s, helped house Army Corps of Engineer employees working on the nearby Fort Peck Dam. During the New Deal years, 10,000 plus workers swarmed to the northeast corner of Montana to work on
what is still the largest hydraulically filled dam in the USA. The Fort Peck Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Boulder Hot Springs Inn & Spa, Boulder
Outfitted with 50 rocking chairs, the veranda at Boulder Hot Springs Inn overlooks the Elkhorn Mountains in Montana’s Peace Valley, so named by the First Nations People, who believed all should benefit from these hot, healing mineral waters. This historic inn has catered to U.S. Presidents (including Teddy Roosevelt who came to hunt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Warren Harding) as well as celebrities and wealthy ranchers.
Izaak Walton Inn, Essex
The Izaak Walton Inn, completed in November of 1939 for $40,000, was initially intended for the use of railroad service personnel. Additionally, it was built to serve as an entrance to Glacier National Park between the East and West Glacier. These plans were postponed due to WWII and never materialised after the war. All that remained was the “Inn Between,” a nickname that has endured. Since then, the Izaak Walton Inn with its distinct Tudor-style exterior has TLF Magazine USA Special 2014 129
Montana and South Dakota
Hotel Alex Johnson Pic Courtesy: www.panoramio.com
Bed and Breakfast, Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes, South Dakota
found its own niche, surrounded by a million acres of wildlife-rich wilderness.
South Dakota
Adapt to the pace of nature by vacationing at South Dakota and witness a peek into the history of American Indian culture, outdoor adventures and the rich flora and fauna. South Dakota is tagged as the state of great faces owing to the historically significant Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial, both of which mustn't be missed! Enjoy the opportunities to be adventurous by living the life of your dreams and taking a shot at some or the entire array of adventure sports such as rock climbing, skiing, rappelling etc. at the Base Camp in South Dakota. It is also a shopper’s paradise, as one can buy anything from hand made souvenirs to authentic native American arts and crafts. In the Cherry Blossom’s shade there’s no such thing as a stranger, so make it a point to check-in at the best vintage hotels of South Dakota- Deadwood Mountain Grand and the Alex Johnson hotel.
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Deadwood Mountain Grand This is the Black Hills’ premiere largescale entertainment venue. With its contemporary 98-room hotel overlooking the heart of the fabled gold mining camp, its state-of-the-art casino, a 2,500-seat entertainment and event centre and an exceptional restaurant, the Deadwood Mountain Grand is the preferred location for your next meeting, convention or romantic getaway.
"The Izaak Walton Inn, completed in November of 1939 for $40,000, was initially intended for the use of railroad service personnel"
The Deadwood Mountain Grand also affords its guests easy access to some of the best outdoor recreational opportunities in America. Alex Johnson Hotel After checking into these luxurious vintage hotels and indulging in loads of adventure, you are sure to feel hungry, so feel free to try out the mouth-watering dishes on offer. To conclusively prove the truth in the saying, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his belly’, do taste the Kuchen (the official dessert) and feel South Dakota’s heart beats. Allow yourself to live it up as this place unlocks a trunk of flighty temptress and adventure and you watch in awe and feel rewarded. As a consequence of the unparallel experience that you carry back home with you, both Montana and South Dakota are bound to leave a yearning in your heart to come back again. There's always more to see so give in to that yearning!
Las Vegas
Las Vegas: Glitz and glamour Aerial view of the Las Vegas Strip
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as Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife and is the leading financial and cultural centre for Southern Nevada. The city bills itself as ‘The Entertainment Capital’ of the world, and is famous for its mega casino–hotels and associated entertainment. It is also a growing retirement and family city. The city is one of the top three leading destinations in the United States for conventions, business, and meetings. In addition, the city's metropolitan area has more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world, and is a global leader in the hospitality industry.
Eat Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse: American, Seafood, Steakhouse 129 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101-5603 (Downtown), 702-386-8399
Andiamo Italian Steakhouse: Enjoy Italian flavour and American steaks
301 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, 702388-2400
See
Stay
Bellagio Fountains The fountains put on their show -wonderfully timed to music choreography -- every 15 minutes or so after dark and last for a few minutes. Open daily Timing: weekdays 3pm - midnight, weekend’s noon - midnight Admission: Free
Signature at MGM Grand The Signature is a world within a world where you're free to indulge in an incredible array of diversions – with one commonality, an elevated level of personalised service.
Red Rock Canyon Red Rock Canyon is a network of impressive canyons and surreal rock formations inside the Red Rock National Conservation Area. A great opportunity to hike, bike or rock climbs within easy striking distance of Las Vegas. Open daily Timing: 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets: $73.99
Neon Museum
The Neon Museum is a non-profit organisation dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic and cultural enrichment. Open daily Timing: 9:30 am - 9:00 pm Tickets: $18
145 East Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 00 1 877-727-0007
http://www.signaturemgmgrand.com Excalibur Hotel and Casino Stay in royal accommodations in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. Excalibur offers everything you’d expect from a Las Vegas hotel – from top-notch dining and entertainment, to non-stop Las Vegas casino action. 3850 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 891094300 00 1 877-750-5464, http://excalibur.com
Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is an iconic Las Vegas luxury hotel that sets the standard for opulent details, impeccable service and lavish Las Vegas accommodations. 3570 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, 1-800-223-7277, http://www. caesarspalace.com
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Las Vegas | Stay
Exterior of Aria Resort and Casino, Las Vegas
Aria Resort and Casino: Luxury in Las Vegas Having redefined Las Vegas Strip with an unprecedented combination of striking architecture, sustainable design, high-end service and spectacular amenities Aria is a fusion of energy, inspiration and vision Overview
Aria Resort and Casino is a fusion of energy, inspiration and vision. Aria has refined and redefined the Las Vegas Strip with an unprecedented combination of striking architecture, sustainable design, high-end service and spectacular amenities. Guests are swept away by its breathtaking beauty, stunning innovation and the refreshing level of consciousness found in every detail. Even in a city such as Las Vegas, with an extraordinary history of dynamic cutting-edge developments, Aria creates a new generation of resort experiences, unlike anything Las Vegas
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has ever seen. Recognising the remarkable nature of this resort, AAA awarded Aria its prestigious Five Diamond award in its first year of operation and one year later bestowed a second Five Diamond upon the Aria Sky Suites.
Location
Aria Resort and Casino is located within City Centre on the Las Vegas Strip. The sheer power and ambition of City Centre’s stunning architecture, born from the imaginations of the world’s foremost talents, leaves all who visit both awestruck and inspired. Aria’s distinction from other
"AAA awarded Aria its prestigious Five Diamond award in its first year of operation and one year later bestowed a second Five Diamond upon the Aria Sky Suites"
hotels on The Strip is evident at first sight, it embodies the excitement and vitality of Las Vegas in a 21st century building; offering a shimmering world of reflections.
Nightclubs, Lounges and Bars
From quiet bars and lounges where guests can relax and chat with old friends to hip, trendy lounges and piano bars where they can make new ones, Aria brings day and night to life with HAZE Nightclub, The Deuce Lounge, GOLD Boutique Nightclub and Lounge, Lobby Bar and City Bar.
Casino
Aria’s casino approaches the gaming experience in a new light; natural light to be specific which streams onto the gaming floor. Designed in warm, earthy tones, Aria’s casino mirrors the resort’s celebration of natural design elements. Foliage-like ceiling decor lines the walkways which are lit from above to suggest the sensation of strolling along a tree-lined street. Trellis-like canopies provide guests a subtle direction to table games. Offering more than 150,000sq ft. of gaming, Aria’s unique layout and design allow guests to enjoy the energy and excitement of all of their favourite selections in pockets of action, creating a more personal and intimate setting.
Julian Serrano, restaurant at the hotel and a deluxe room (below)
Guestrooms and Suites
The contemporary architecture of the Aria tower is complemented by the resort’s lavish accommodations. Guestroom corridors streaming with natural light open to areas of enclosed glass, delivering spectacular city or mountain views. With in Aria’s 4,004 guestrooms, including 568 suites, panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows offer magnificent views of Las Vegas’ striking skyline. Every guestroom at Aria delivers a level of personalised automation currently found only in high-end custom homes.
Dining
ARIA offers a wide range of dining options featuring some of the world’s best and brightest chefs and finest restaurateurs. One can have mouth watering food in the any of the many restaurants – bar MASA, Tetsu, Javier’s, Julian Serrano, Jean Philippe Pâtisserie, Blossom, Lemongrass, Sage and more.
Spa and Wellness
Synchronising balance and beauty, The Spa and Salon at Aria presents a personalised
journey for guests into a peaceful haven where nature’s healing properties take centre stage. Salt, stone, earth, fire and water join to create a spa experience that elevates guests to a meditative state for introspection and relaxation. Upon entering, guests are welcomed by a tranquil stone and water garden adorned with sacred Japanese Aji stones, blessed in Japan to inspire calmness and tranquility. Natural light dances in harmony with the water garden and reflects onto the ceiling in a mesmerising rhythm as soothing music and signature scents ease guests’ tension.
Meetings and Convention facilities
Aria boasts 300,000 sq ft. of technologically advanced meeting and convention space. The north facade features a spectacular glass
wall overlooking Aria’s beautiful pool deck and providing a landscaped backdrop with the warmth of natural light where one is able to accommodate gatherings of up to 5,000 attendees along with four ballrooms, three featuring fully functional theatrical stages, ranging from 21,000 - 50,000 sq ft. Conference facility encompasses three levels with a total of 38 meeting rooms ranging from 800 to 2,000 sq ft.
Fast facts Circle- ARIA Sky Suites is a Forbes Five-Star Award winner Address: 3730 Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89158 For mre information: www.aria.com
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Las Vegas | See
folks! It’s Show Time
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Jersey Boys runs 2 hours and 10 minutes with a pause
Recording Studio - From L to R Jeff Leibow, Travis Cloer, Rob Marnell, Deven May; Pic courtesy: Joan Marcus
as Vegas is undoubtedly the capital of glitz and glamour with right doses of entertainment thrown in. The illusion, the dream, the surreal world of virtuosity and colours enthralls you and leaves you returning for more. TLF brings to light the best shows at Vegas.
“O” at the Bellagio Hotel
Cirque du Soleil weaves an aquatic tapestry of artistry, surrealism and theatrical romance in the timeless production, “O”. Inspired by the concept of infinity and the elegance of water’s pure form, “O” pays tribute to the beauty of the theatre – from the simplest street performance to the most lavish of operas – where anything is possible and where the drama of life plays itself out before our eyes. World-class acrobats, synchronised swimmers, divers and characters perform in, on and above water to create a breathtaking experience. Never before would you have witnessed such a mesmerising performance in water in any theatre.
Tickets: INR 6540- INR 9580 (approx.) www.cirquedusoleil.com
The Beatles “Love” at the Mirage
Plenty of Las Vegas shows can entertain you but this one will move you. Excellent
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The Beatles “Love” at the Mirage
sound system, happy smiling faces of the performers, artistic story telling, lots of energy and colours – this show is dedicated to the history of the Beatles from their struggling Liverpool days to their 100 plus amazing songs. If you are a fan of music and particularly a fan of the Beatles then this is a must watch. The poetry of the lyrics is incorporated in the performances. The soundtracks have been mixed cleverly for an interesting dance and acrobatics performance using amazing props. Yes, The Beatles Vintage Beauty is one of them.
Tickets: INR 6430-INR 9580 (approx.) www.cirquedusoleil.com
Announced the ‘Best Show in Vegas’ by Vegas Seven Magazine
The Green Fairy, Melody Sweets; Pic courtesy: Tom Donoghue
“O” at the Bellagio Hotel
‘The Blue Man Theatre’ at the Venetianc
‘The Blue Man Theatre’ at the Venetian
Intelligent, engaging and tremendous fun using experimental music, multimedia and comedy – you leave the theatre with a heightened awareness of everything surrounding you. This show is for the entire family and is undoubtedly a must watch. The Three Blue Men will leave you with an irresistible urge to continuously tap your feet and uplift your mood to astronomical heights; the goose bumps on your body will speak volumes about the experience.
Tickets: INR 5255-INR 10,050 (approx). www.blueman.com
Mystere at Treasure Island Hotel
Mystere is classic Cirque du Soleil, combining the powerful athleticism, highenergy acrobatics and inspiring imagery that has become the company’s hallmark. Deemed a theatrical “ Flower in the desert”, Mystere thrills generations of audiences with its exhilarating blend of whim, drama and the unimaginable life brought on stage. Presented exclusively at Treasure Island, Mystere provides the ultimate discovery that life itself is a mystery. You are advised to come 30 minutes before the show for the exclusive pre-show entertainment, which gets you in the mood. It has an international cast of 72 performers featuring dancers, singers, musicians and champion-calibre acrobats. It is one of the most innovative and exciting shows to be seen anywhere.
Tickets: INR 5255- INR 7360 (approx). www.cirquedusoleil.com
Absinthe at Caesars Palace Las Vegas
In 2011, Spiegelworld opened its award-winning show Absinthe on the forecourt of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Absinthe, is the critically acclaimed acro-
Mystere at Treasure Island
cabaret variety show. It is performed in the round with unobstructed sightlines and in intimate proximity of the worldclass artists performing amazing feats of strength, balance, danger and unfathomable flexibility. Absinthe has been hailed as ‘the most inventive and daring show to open on the strip in years’. It features outrageous comedy and a cast of wild and outlandish acts performing amazing feats of virtuosity within mere feet of the audience. The show is equipped with a lot of adult humour, so be broad-minded just for those few hours.
Tickets: Prices range from INR 6,127 approx. ($99 plus tax) to INR 8,293 approx. ($ 134 plus tax) www.AbsintheVegas.com
Jersey Boys
The hit is based on the true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The smash Broadway musical Jersey Boys combines comedy, drama, dancing and live music with some of the most enviable voices on the Las Vegas Strip with music by Bob
Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Jersey Boys is the number one rated show in Las Vegas and the ‘must see show of the year’, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. Jersey Boys is the story of how a group of blue-collared boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty. The show features hits such as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)” and many more. Presented in Las Vegas at Paris Las Vegas, it is the same production fans all over the world have come to know and love.
Tickets: Ticket prices range from INR 3268 ($ 52.80) to INR 11438 ($ 184.80) plus all applicable taxes and fees. VIP Seating is also available which includes preferred orchestra seating, a signed post, a drink voucher and CD Sampler. www.JerseyBoysVegas.com
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Culinary Mapping