s n o i t a n i t s e D R E T N I W
SKI EUROPE The best slopes for all budgets
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DESTINATIONS WINTER
Tignes, France is a great destination for those looking to take their skills to the next level
Head to Bansko, Bulgaria for a budget ski
Hit the slopes and the clubs in Borovets, famed for its après-ski
Under the splendour of Mont Blanc at Chamonix
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Zermatt lies at the foot of the Matterhorn
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SKI RESORTS > EUROPE
Now’s the time to slope off Whether you’re a bona fide beginner or regular powder pounder, and no matter what budget you have to play with, there’s skiing to be found this winter WORDS ALASDAIR MORTON
W
ith the onset of winter comes many things: cold commutes, limited hours of daylight, but also the arrival of the snow season. So grab the skis, don your thermals and check out our rundown of the best resorts and slopes, whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first timer.
For novices ...
If you’re making your snow debut, you’ll be looking for two things – none-too-taxing slopes on which to practice, and others in a similar boat. Budget hunters should head to Eastern Europe, which boasts a spoilt-for-choice selection of destinations ideal for those who are keen to avoid breaking the bank as much as breaking bones with an illadvised off-piste calamity. Bansko in Bulgaria is one such venue, and as the country’s number-one ski resort, it is a great place to put that tentative snow plough to good use as your take your first tentative downhill steps. A two-day ski pass here costs £25pp. Those on a more midrange budget should check out Val Ceris in France. The resort has six snow parks to entertain, and for those who fancy a break from learning, there’s a wealth of non-ski activities on offer, including dog sledding, rifle-shooting (aim at the smug skiiers who got too good too quickly) and biathlon courses. A two-day ski pass here costs a reasonable £60pp. A little further north in Serbia, Kopaonik is ideally suited to people with a little more cash to spare. It regularly attracts the well-off and chic from the country’s capital, Belgrade, and the 55km of snowy slopes offer plenty of blue runs for beginners. A two-day ski pass here costs £65pp.
For taking it up a notch ... You’ve nailed the nursery slopes and weathered the bruises, now it’s time to venture forth and show what you’re really made of. Top venues for getting beyond the basics include the UK’s homegrown slopes and centres. The 180m Sno!zone slope at Tamworth is great for perfecting your skills before taking them abroad again (costing just £65 per day), and more slopes can be found north of the border in Scotland’s Nevis Range, Glencoe, and the Cairngorms (the Nevis Range offers two-day lift passes for £52pp).
Bulgaria’s Bansko is the country’s number one ski resort and perfect for first timers If you’ve got the parallel turn down, try Tignes in the French Alps, the 1992 Winter Olympics host venue, where the lofty altitude ensures excellent conditions for its 3000km of piste and off-piste runs. It has a halfpipe and boardercross routes, too, as well as plenty of freeriding ops (costs £180pp for a six-day ski pass). The Italian resort of Livigno is a great destination as well; centred around three quaint little villages, it has six runs for all abilities, 40km of prepared cross-country runs and boasts duty-free status, so you don’t even have to cough up your savings to have a luxury-filled trip. A two-day ski >> pass costs £110pp. tntmagazine.com/destinations
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DESTINATIONS WINTER
You can also board in Borovets, Bulgaria
For perfecting downhill skills ... You’ve endured the embarrassing spills and come back for more. Now it’s time to test your mettle. For the fiscally shrewd, head to the Polish town of Szklarska Poreba, which has top conditions and is famed for its high number of days of sun, guaranteeing your downhill snaps will look glitteringly impressive (costs a super-cheap £30pp for a two-day ski pass).
You’ve borne the bruises and endured the embarrassing spills, now your mettle will be tested For those looking to splurge, Zermatt in Switzerland boasts 365 days of snow, and is the highest ski destination in the Alps, soaring to over 3000m. Its 360km of pistes (a proud 20km in mid-summer, too) are renowned for their speed skiing and mogul fields. A two-day ski pass here is £106pp.
Spend evenings partying and days boarding in the Alps
FOR THE BEST APRÈS-SKI The only thing better than kissing goodbye to those aching limbs and that embarrassing moment you went ass over tit the first time you ventured off a blue run, is making sure your night is as eventful as your piste-bound day. Borovets in Bulgaria is famed for its après-ski, with nightclubs Mamcitas and Bonkers popular with tourists. Verbier in Switzerland, one of the world’s premiere off-piste locations, is a must visit for post-snow action – and for sleb-spotting. And Morzine, on the Swiss-French border, is an ace spot for nightlife, with the annual Rock The Pistes and Basscamp music festivals drawing big acts. (en.rockthepistes.com; basscamp-festival.
Chamonix, in the shadow of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the European Union, boasts extensive off-piste runs for the courageous, in the most stunning surrounds. Expect to splash out £120pp for a two-day ski pass here. n » For more information: skibansko.com; serbski.com; ski-france.com; snozoneuk.com; tignes.co.uk; szklarskaporeba.pl; livigno.com; ski-zermatt.com; chamonix.com
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This must be the après-ski warm-up
Photos: Getty Images, Pascal Tournaire/OT Chamonix, TNT Images, Thinkstock.
Good times at Rude Chalets, Morzine
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Photos: Getty Images, Pascal Tournaire/OT Chamonix, TNT Images, Thinkstock.
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DESTINATIONS WINTER
World wonder: Cape Town’s Table Mountain and below, hitting the waves
Try surfing or even windsurfing (above) in the Canary Islands
Whale spotting in Sri Lanka
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Go on an African safari
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winter warmers > the world
Banish your winter blues Don’t spend the chilly season stuck in gloomy London. Check out our favourite sunny escapes for all travel tastes, whether you want to hit the booze or the beach WORDS JADE BREMNER
C
lose your eyes, imagine yourself lying on warm sand, with the sun beaming down on your face, while waves crash and exotic birds squawk in the background. No, we’re not trying to torture you while you suffer through England’s winter – this could become reality if you take our advice and book one of these winter warmer breaks. We’ve picked the best spots for guaranteed sun and made sure there’s a trip to suit every traveller’s style. So swap your boring bus ride for a wayward tuk tuk
meal of spicy curry at one of the local restaurants, such as Mama’s Galle Fort Roof Café (76 Leyn Baan St, tel. 00 94 91 222 6415) which has cheap grub (curries start from £1.50) and views over the sea. MORE: srilankatourism.org GET THERE: Emirates flies from London to Colombo from £559 return (emirates.com).
journey, your lunchtime sandwiches for fresh fruit picked straight from the tree, or relax with a glass of wine from a sunny local vineyard. And of course, don’t forget to pack
BEST FOR: Boozing. The small town of Stellenbosch, on the
the factor 30 ...
Cape Town, South Africa outskirts of Cape Town, is potty about wine. Here visitors can drink away their winter blues on a vineyard tour. Guides will drive you around, tell you all about the grapes native to the area and then pour your drink for you. Easy Rider
Galle, Sri Lanka
BEST FOR: Wildlife – Sri Lanka has it in abundance. The best place to base yourself for access to all this beautiful, tear-
Specialist Wine Tours (winetour.co.za) is a good bet. A full day of drinking is £30pp. WHAT ELSE? There is, of course, that big Table Mountain
shaped nation has to offer is in the southern town of Galle.
thing that’s definitely worth making a trip up by cable car
From here you can go whale watching in the Indian Ocean by boat, and just an hour’s drive away is the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, which is home to 15 leopards and cheeky
– be sure to take the obligatory snap of it dominating Cape Town, too. Another must-see is Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was locked up for 27 years. And don’t forget the
purple-faced langurs. Entry into the park costs a mere £3.18,
‘Big Five’ – elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and buffaloes – which can all be spotted at Kruger National Park
and a tuk tuk driver will take you to the entrance for a few pounds. Cheap and very cheerful. WHAT ELSE? Galle’s town centre is a colonial, Unesco World
(krugerpark.co.za). A four-day tour with Cape Town Safaris (capetownsafaris.com) costs £754 per person, and includes
Heritage Site. Here you can sip Ceylon (Sri Lankan) tea at sleepy, hippy cafes, admire the whitewashed colonial
four-star lodgings, all your food and 4x4 safari-style transport around the park.
buildings that offer a fascinating glimpse into the town’s past, or wander along the Galle ramparts, looking out over
MORE: capetown.travel GET THERE: Qatar Airways flies from London to Cape Town
the crashing waves. While you’re here, don’t miss out on a
from £562 return (qatarairways.com). tntmagazine.com/destinations
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DESTINATIONS WINTER See elephants along with the rest of the Big Five at South Africa’s Kruger National Park
Swim with whale sharks or play beach sports (above) in Oman
Musandam, Oman
giant trevally fish reach 65kg in weight). A boat trip for eight people costs £450 (more at oceanactive.com). MORE: omantourism.gov.com GET THERE: Qatar Airways flies direct from London Heathrow to Muscat from £782 return (qatarairways.com).
Canary Islands, Spain BEST FOR: Get wet and wild with the watersports in Gran Canaria or Fuerteventura. The beaches are packed with surfers and windsurfers due to the consistent swells and
COSY CITY BREAKS Only got a weekend to spare? Wrap up warm and enjoy a snug city break instead Prague, Czech Republic The capital of the Czech Republic is considered one of the most beautiful cities on earth. Take in historical sights such as the Hunger Wall and Strahov Monastery. (praguewelcome.cz) Helsinki, Finland Nowhere does cosy like Scandinavia. Head to Helsinki for cute Christmas markets and saunas. The Finnish love the latter – even in the surrounding pine forest, you’ll find hidden wooden huts with boiling hot rooms and a lot of relaxed Finns. (visithelsinki.fi)
high winds. If you’re a newbie, start at Las Palmas’ Playa de las Canteras beach in Gran Canaria, where Club Mistral (club-mistral.com) offers windsurfing lessons at Bahia Feliz bay, from £40 for a two-hour lesson. WHAT ELSE? The volcanic landscape is dream terrain for hikers. Scale Teide, Spain’s highest mountain on Tenerife. Day trips are available from £80pp (tenerifehiking.com). MORE: grancanaria.com GET THERE: Ryanair flies direct from London Stansted to Gran Canaria from £128 return (bookryanair.com). n
8
Prague
Photos: Thinkstock, Getty, Mark Lloyd, Six Senses Zighy Bay, Otro Modo surf school
BEST FOR: Chilling out on isolated beaches. Get lost on Oman’s untouched coastline, set against dramatic jagged mountains and myriad secret coves. The most isolated spots can be reached on a day trip by dhow. These cost from £42pp with alboomdiving.com or sheesabeach.com. WHAT ELSE? Feeling brave? Spend some time in the water with whale sharks – dive trips start from £70 per day (alboomdiving.com). Or go extreme fishing (the region’s
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s Group Course n Private Tuitio rses Children’s Cou Snowboard rs Freeride & Tou
Ski W el come to the
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SMT Mayrhofen
Photos: Thinkstock, Getty, Mark Lloyd, Six Senses Zighy Bay, Otro Modo surf school
Skischule SMT Mayrhofen / Leitung Roland Rahm 6290 Mayrhofen 456 · T +43-(0)5285-63939 oder 63313 · Fax +43(0)5285-63007 info@mayrhofen-total.com · www.mayrhofen-total.com
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DESTINATIONS WINTER
Scottish and proud: party on Princes Street
GETTING THERE Train fares between London and Edinburgh cost from around £120 return. eastcoast.co.uk Consider the coach for a cheaper option; single fares from London Victoria start at about £14.50. nationalexpress.com
SCOTLAND
Glasgow EDINBURGH
ENGLAND
Fireworks are set off at midnight
Tartaned up: ready for a big night out
Photos: Getty Images.
Braving the River Forth for the Loony Dook on New Year’s Day
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HOGMANAY > EDINBURGH
Heading to Hogmanay Edinburgh’s infamous New Year’s Eve party might just be the best place in the world to ring in 2013. So pull on those tartan trews and get ready to celebrate WORDS HELEN ELFER
H
ogmanay really is the mother of all NYE parties. Not a one or even two-night celebration is enough for those hard-partying Scots, who ring in the new year with an epic bash that stretches through three days of music, torchlit processions, fireworks and, naturally, a lot of drinking. Here’s everything you need to know about the best New Year’s Eve party in the world.
The background
giant screens, outdoor bars and general merrymaking at the famous city-wide street party that takes over most of Edinburgh. As for New Year’s Day, if you’re feeling up to it, join the 1000 ‘loonies’ in the The Loony Dook, a tradition that sees folks jumping into the freezing waters of the Forth Estuary in an attempt to numb their New Year’s Day hangovers. A suitably crazy way to round off a bonkers bonanza of partying. SEE: edinburghshogmanay.org
Christmas was discouraged, and so all of the festive
Best of the rest
After the Scottish Reformation in the 1500s, celebrating traditions took place at new year instead. The word ‘Hogmanay’ probably came from the French ‘hoguinan’, which means a new year’s gift. Since then, the celebrations have grown in to the spectacular New
take some time to explore the rest of Edinburgh. Arthur’s Seat, a 823ft-high volcano, presides over the city’s skyline and if you make it all the way to the top, which isn’t too
Year’s Eve ritual it is today.
tough a climb, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views.
Hogmanay’s highlights
For a spooky bit of sightseeing visit Mary King's Close, an underground warren in Edinburgh’s Old Town said to be haunted by plague victims who were walled up in the
The theme of the party on December 31 is ‘Be Lucky.’ And if you’re one of the 80,000 partygoers heading off to Hogmanay, you certainly are. Festivities kick off on December 30 with the atmopsheric torchlight procession, which involves thousands of torch carriers walking from Chambers Street to the Son et Lumière for a fireworks finale on Calton Hill, complete with a traditional pipes and drums performance. On New Year’s Eve itself, the annual Photos: Getty Images.
If you’re heading up north for the Hogmanay festivities,
Concert in the Gardens is always a huge draw, and this year features headliners Simple Minds alongside Bwani Junction and The View. But the shenanigans don’t end there. More live music and entertainment follow, with DJs,
1600s and left to die. A tour here gives a truly fascinating insight into life in the city between the 16th and 19th centuries, and walking the dark, spooky passages with a costumed guide is a nerve-jangling experience – listen out for the reported ghostly scratching from inside a chimney where a child sweep is said to have died. Next, Edinburgh Castle, which has been a royal residence since the 12th century, is the city’s most iconic edifice. Time your visit for around 1pm, when a field gun inside the castle walls blasts a round of shellfire to mark the hour. SEE: edinburghcastle.gov.uk; realmarykingsclose.com tntmagazine.com/destinations
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V
DESTINATIONS WINTER
Après-ski can spell trouble on the slopes
Get insured before attempting snowy stunts
Avoid too much vino with lunch if you’re hitting the slopes afterwards
Emergency aid is costly
Photos: Thinkstock, TNT Images, freerideworldtour.com/DDaher.
Pray it’s just a bruised bum
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TRAVEL INSURANCE > SKIING
Get yourself covered Travel insurance is a must for every skiier who doesn’t want to return from the slopes with their leg in a cast – and packing a crippling hospital bill to boot WORDS HELEN ELFER
nasty accident on the slopes is every skiier or boarder’s worst nightmare. Not only will a broken leg obviously ruin your sporty holiday, and mean a prolonged stay in a foreign hospital, but, if you’re not insured, it could set you back thousands of pounds, too. Whether or not you decide to buy travel insurance is your decision, but every skiier should at least make themselves aware of the risks before jetting off.
A
What are the main risks?
What will travel insurance cost me?
Not only is the latter extremely dangerous, but in some resorts it can also lead to the confiscation of your lift pass if you’re caught. In terms of insurance, injuries sustained
which, when you think about it, is less than you’d spend
under the influence of drink or drugs might be considered by your travel insurer as being “self-inflicted” and give
Photos: Thinkstock, TNT Images, freerideworldtour.com/DDaher.
A winter sports insurance policy doesn’t need to be too pricey. You can get decent cover for as little as £30,
In one word – booze. Accidents are more likely to happen after a heavy night out on the lash; if you’re feeling foggy and hungover when you hit the slopes, you’ll put yourself and others at greater risk of serious injury. Recent research by Santander Insurance revealed a whopping one in four British holidaymakers had hit the slopes under the influence of booze from the night before – worse still, 17 per cent had done so after a lunchtime drinking session.
on a particularly raucous après-ski night. If you are splashing out on an expensive trip, make sure you up your cover accordingly. There’s no point buying a policy that pays
them grounds to refuse to pay out for any resulting claim.
out for the cancellation of a holiday up to the value of
What about my ski gear?
£500, for example, if the trip is costing you £1000.
Theft on the slopes is an ever-increasing problem, as many skiers and boarders don’t take simple precautions when
What kind of policy should l buy?
dropping by a bar or restaurant. Many policies wont’ pay if your equipment has been left “unattended”, so check
It’s crucial skiers and boarders choose a policy for the type of winter sports they plan to do. Some cheaper travel insurance policies don’t cover these at all. Others might cover you for skiing and snowboarding, but not the likes of tobogganing, or more extreme snowy activities such as paraskiing or ski joering. In addition to sports and any physically risky activities, a good insurance policy should also cover you for all the other things that could go wrong on your trip, from cancelled flights and lost bags, to a stolen passport and additional medical problems.
how your policy defines “unattended”. If your gear is stolen, report it to the police immediately, as some insurers will refuse your claim unless you can provide them with an official police report. If your gear is badly damaged while skiing and you want to make a claim, make sure you bring the skis home with you – insurers may not pay out if you leave them abroad. It may also be wise to get a letter from the resort or your instructor confirming the damage took place on the slopes, and not before you arrived. tntmagazine.com/destinations
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