TOURIST
'December 2012
CONTENTS
A n Interview with R ed Panda E xpert of the
Rotterdam Z oo
Top Best Places for Visit 2012
The Best Cake in Vienna
Tofino British Columbia World Best Surf Town
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LETTER OF CHIEF EDITOR TOURIST ‘DECEMBER 2012
Many people know I’m a hotel nut, i.e. someone who’s completely obsessed with hotels and the way they make you feel (Exhibit A: I have an Excel spreadsheet of 2,600 hotels around the world that I want to visit in my lifetime). Granted, it’s not the most noble passion, but it’s mine. I’m a firm believer that a hotel is only as good as the people who work there and give it life. This time of year, I find myself stalking hotel lobbies to admire the decorations. I’m particularly drawn to the ones with larger-thanlife gingerbread displays. But I’m not as interested in the biggest, best, and brightest as I am in the chefs behind the ornate houses. They’re the ones who spend months dreaming up new ways of making guests feel that holiday magic when
they step through the door. When I talked to chefs who have a hand in creating these fabulous displays, one thing became clear: Everything has to be edible. You never know when a curious toddler or famished adult is going to break off a piece of the house. Margarita Chornkondratenko
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AN INTERVIEW with RED PANDA EXPERT DR. ANGELA GLATSTON
J
of the
ROTTERDAM ZOO
Just last week some red panda (Ailurus spp.) cubs debuted at the Perth Zoo and they were a hit. As far as I know they have always drawn crowds, but their voguishness is relative. In contemporary history the popularity of the vibrantly-colored red panda may have been suppressed by common nomenclature. Sharing its colloquial name with the giant panda–a species of bear that also happens to subsist almost exclusively on bamboo–has placed the red panda at a disadvantage from a public relations standpoint, at least as far as scientists are concerned. The red panda is quite popular among zoo visitors and they are common in zoos.
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TOURIST ‘DECEMBER 2012
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A: Yes and no. They are not that difficult to breed if you [manage] them right–keeping them in pairs, in a quiet location, with lots of nest boxes and shade and trees. Avoid disturbing mothers and cubs too much, and take care at weaning time. The problem is few zoos do all of these things. As a result there are many zoos which don’t successfully breed their animals, or their dams neglect or kill their young. So no the population is not growJordan: I remember as keeper that ing particularly well and is not as zoos were either phasing out a sub- secure or stable as we might think. species of red panda, or that conservation geneticists were revisiting their taxonomy? Angela: In the early days of the unofficial global breeding of the red panda we decided to try to persuade the different regional breeding programmes (EEP/SSP/ASMP, etc.) to concentrate on one of the two subspecies. In Europe we said we would work with fulgens, and Japan would focus on styani. In the US you would keep both susbspecies, so really you should not have met this discussion in your zoo. However I suspect that different SSP coordinators may have had their different preferences for subspecies. They may have tried phasing one or other in or out, but I am not sure about this. In my red panda book, Colin Groves considers fulgens and styani to be diagnosably distinct evolutionary units. Which I guess means we should treat them as separate species.
J: What can people do to help conserve this species?
A: This is a difficult one–what can the individual do. There is nothing we purchase which is destroying their habitat. It might be argued that increased trekking vacations put pressure on firewood collection and result in habitat loss. In comparison with the other causes of habitat loss this, firewood collection, is relatively limited. The only think I guess is to show you care which will put pressure on local governments. People can give J: Do they suffer from a PR prob- money to support conservation lem? initiatives such as the Red Panda Network’s work. (Source: National A: Again, yes and no. Once people Georgaphic Magazine) actually see them they are hooked. a few cute pictures and videos can win a lot of hearts. However, many PR departments may need to be convinced of this. And the name doesn’t help as people continue expecting to see a small version of the giant panda.
J: Are red panda as easy to propa- J: What are the threats red pandas gate in zoos as the popular litera- face in the wild? ture suggests? A: Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and further fragmentation of
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the fragments. Disturbance and attacks by dogs which move with herders and their livestock into red panda habitat, and to a lesser extent poaching. One rather worrying recent development is the apparent appearance of red pandas (on the menu) in some restaurants in China. I suspect the arrival of domestic dogs in red panda habitat brings with it the very real threat of canine distemper to which red pandas are very susceptible.
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Photo by Christian Heeb, laif/Redux
Cape Breton
Photo by Christian Heeb, laif/Redux
Grenada
Nova Scotia’s treasured island
Caribbean with a smile
When to Go: May-October; Celtic Colours annual international music and cultural festival.
When to Go: Dry season, January-May.
Where to Stay: Family-owned Highland Heights Inn combines homey rooms and home-cooked meals (try the traditional Nova Scotia fish cakes) with breathtaking views of the Bras d’Or Lakes. Spend a day immersed in Gaelic culture next door at the 40-acre Highland Village living history museum. How to Get Around: Drive the Cabot Trail loop counterclockwise beginning in Baddeck. Where to Eat or Drink: Rusty Anchor Restaurant in Pleasant Bay serves up fresh seafood chowder, fish and chips, and some of the Cabot Trail’s best lobster rolls (pure lump meat and a bit of butter). Watch the ocean, and maybe even a whale, from the outdoor patio. Open May-October. Fun Fact: Most of Nova Scotia’s endangered Canada lynx live in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The mostly nocturnal cat is built for stealth. Its fur ear tufts act as hearing aids and its large, furry feet function as snowshoes.
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Where to Stay: All 12 rooms at La Sagesse Nature Centre, a 25-minute drive from St. George’s, are steps from the intimate resort’s palm-shaded beach. Stay in the former plantation’s original manor house or a duplex suite, cottage, or low-slung oceanfront guesthouse. The beachside restaurant (open to the public) serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and its signature chocolate mousse (prepared with local organic chocolate) seven days a week. How to Get Around: For island-wide touring, rent a car at the airport. Public minivan routes connect St. George’s to Grand Anse Beach and the island’s other major cities. Taxi service is readily available from the airport. Several local tour operators offer group and private transportation and sightseeing options. Where to Eat or Drink: The open-air restaurant at Belmont Estate serves a threecourse lunch buffet spotlighting homegrown spices, fruits, and vegetables. Lunch is served Sunday-Friday beginning at noon. Fun Fact: According to legend, Grenada owes its Isle of Spice status to an East Indies doctor who brought the first nutmeg trees to the island in the 1830s. The tree produces the island’s principal export crops—nutmeg and mace.
Bo
Norway’s to the
When to Go: Early Ju midnight sun; Septem lights.
Where to Stay: The w Bodø and newly reno tion Hotel Grand Bodø evening buffet include cated near shops, resta
How to Get Around: In less than a mile from t the local bus. Hop a fa coastal day trips. Take south to Trondheim, o north.
Where to Eat or Drink: gerikaia for grilled tør and fresh prawns. Fo mountain and sea view Radisson Blu Hotel’s T
Fun Fact: Norway is ho breeding population o an estimated 3,500 to sive raptor (Europe’s b ons, a wingspan of ov live 20 to 25 years.
Photo by Karl Lehmann, Getty Images
odø
s gateway Arctic
Photo by Justin Guariglia, National Geographic
Kyoto
Photo by S. Falke, laif/Redux
Hudson Valley
Meditation in Japan
New York’s original art show
une-early July for the mber-April for northern
When to Go: Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season typically is late March through mid-April.
When to Go: May-October; fall foliage and harvest festivals mid-September through October.
waterfront Rica Hotel ovated Clarion Collecø (breakfast and a light ed) are conveniently loaurants, and museums.
Where to Stay: The 535-room Hotel Granvia Kyoto is conveniently located above the Japan Railway Kyoto Station Building, which includes a sprawling underground mall. Spend at least one night in a traditional wooden inn like the 12-room Ryokan Shimizu.
Where to Stay: The Olde Rhinebeck Inn’s mid-Hudson Valley location north of Hyde Park and easy access to the New York State Thruway (I-87) make the historic bed-andbreakfast an ideal base for area day trips.
n town, walk (airport is the city center) or take ast ferry for island and the Nordland Railway or a bus for destinations
How to Get Around: Take the Japan Railway Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to connect to Kyoto’s efficient transportation network of buses, trains, subways, and taxis. Explore the Higashiyama neighborhood’s shrines, temples, and museums on foot.
: Try harborside Brygrrfisk (cod), fish soup, or drinks, panoramic ws are included at the Top 13 Rooftop Bar.
Where to Eat or Drink: Many restored machiyas (traditional wooden townhouses) house bars and cafes. Try Urume (lunch only) for heaping bowls of soba noodles. Leave room for freshly made kinako (soybean powder) ice cream from Gion Kinana.
ome to Europe’s largest of white-tailed eagles, 4,000 pairs. The masbiggest) has eight talver eight feet, and can
Fun Fact: Its shiragikui (white chrysanthemum) spring water has made Kyoto’s southern Fushimi district a nihonshu brewing hub since the 17th century. In Japan, nihonshu means Japanese alcohol (known as sake elsewhere), while the word sake refers to any alcohol.
How to Get Around: Driving offers the most flexibility. From New York City, drive north on either side of the Hudson River via I-87 (tolls) or U.S. 9W on the west or the scenic Taconic State Parkway or Route 9 on the east. Add a boat cruise (May-October, Hudson River Cruises) or scenic train ride (MetroNorth Railroad). Where to Eat or Drink: Book a table two months in advance at elegant Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Menus list the day’s fresh ingredients. Identify any you don’t want in your Farmer’s Feast. Fun Fact: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is the final resting place of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving. Other notable residents include Harry and Leona Helmsley, whose lavish mausoleum offers Manhattan skyline views (on a stained-glass window). (Source: National Georgaphic Magazine)
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THE BEST CAKE IN
VIENNA
The cake was invented in 1832 by 16-year-old Franz Sacher. Years later, at the height of the Habsburg Empire, the beautiful, but lonely, Empress Sisi regularly had the cake sent to her. And today, 1,000 cakes are sold daily in four locations across Austria. (Two people are employed just to crack all the eggs — 11,000 each day!) There are other versions — one could say imitations — of the famous torte, of course, including with Cafe Demel, Sacher’s main rival in Vienna. I’ve sampled many, but, for me, Cafe Sacher’s version always wins. The cake isn’t for everyone. Some of my friends who have been moved to try the Sacher-Torte themselves after hearing my rapturous reviews, only to return with complaints of dry cake. But that has been a small minority. My obsession remains. Cafe Sacher is attached to the family-owned Hotel Sacher, a transportive place that looks out over Hofburg Palace and the Vienna State Opera. I have yet to stay overnight but love that I can sit in the plush red-velvet lobby, the Blue Bar, or the cafe and still feel a part of it.
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Wolfgang Buchmann, Hotel Sacher’s charismatic chief concierge, says the cake owes its success to its secret recipe, which is locked away in a safe. “The ingredients are high-quality, but simple,” he says. But he warns against pairing the cake with a coffee that could overwhelm its flavor. “It should not be too strong,” he says. “I prefer to drink a [Wiener] Melange with it.” After a tête-à-tête with an Original Sacher-Torte, you’ll want to walk around. When I’m in town, I always take advantage of Vienna’s Ringstrasse, a grand boulevard that encircles the historic city center in a 3-mile loop, for a post-torte power walk. This time, the Ringstrasse is aglow with tiny, twinkling lights from Vienna’s Christmas markets. The Christkindlmarkt in front of city hall, has the most stunning backdrop, but the Spittelberg Market, nestled in one of my favorite neighborhoods, the buzzing Neubau, near the MuseumsQuartier, is definitely worth a visit. You also won’t want to miss the market at Schönbrunn Palace, just a subway ride away from the Ringstrasse.
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TOFINO
British Columbia World Best Surf Town Best For: Couples and surf travelers who want to trade the bleached-blonde surfer dude vibe for something more hip and outdoorsy … and don’t mind wearing a bit of extra neoprene. California may be one of the surfing world’s spiritual centers, but one of the surfiest towns on the West Coast of North America is far to the north. Tofino, British Columbia, is an old fur trading and logging town that just happens to sit in one of the prettiest spots on Vancouver Island. Clayoquot Sound, compromised of nearly 350,000 hectares of land and ocean, is cool, misty, full of wildlife, and utterly spectacular. Although winters can be harsh, the spring and summer bring warmer air temperatures and almost nonstop markets, festivals, and cultural events. “All of our beaches are beginner friendly, especially in the summer,” says local professional Peter Devries, a man who currently surfs better in head-to-toe neoprene than perhaps anyone in the world. “The huge tides flatten out the beaches and create very mellow beginner waves. There is the odd exception where the banks can change and get powerful and hollow, but there is always somewhere that is good for beginners. South Chesterman Beach and Long Beach are great places to learn.”
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When March to September. Winter sees the biggest waves, if you don’t mind freezing air temps and raging storm surf. Everyone else will appreciate more warmth and sunlight in exchange for slightly smaller waves. Learn Tofino Surf School owner and operator Jeff Hasse is a local institution. Also, check out Storm Surf Shop for any of your surfing needs. Stay Just because you’re at the edge of a lot of wilderness doesn’t mean you have to rough it. Check out the rugged splendor of the Wickaninnish Inn. Eat “For a small town, Tofino is blessed with a lot of good food,” says Devries. “My favorite restaurant is called SoBo—everything on the menu is amazing!” Play Starting in March, gray whales migrate from Baja to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. It’s estimated that some 40 to 50 stay around the coast of Vancouver Island until around June. Hop in a whale-watching boat and pay your respects to one of the sea’s great migrations. What to do Take a nap, and still manage a hike before lunch. (Source: National Georgaphic Magazine)
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