WanderSleeps: Havana

GRAN HOTEL MANZANA KEMPINSKI LA HABANA

Nobody could quite believe it. Crafted from the shell of a 19th-centur y shopping arcade, Havana’s Kempinski was the first luxur y hotel to open in Cuba for almost 60 years when it welcomed guests in 2017. Straight to the nub: it’s the rooftop infinity pool and bar where you’ll hang, ogling the baroque beauty of central park buildings in cinematic close up. Take your breakfast on one of the best spreads in the city from tables overlooking rows of gelato-coloured classic cars, and order a daiquiri from the Constante Bar, all hummingbird green and lush botanicals in print. The Kempinski Havana is now using bamboo straws for drinks and engages an eco team to probe energy usage, while green ethics trailblazer Ear thCheck bronze benchmarked the hotel in 2020.

Rooms from £340, incl breakf ast; w w w. k e m p i n s k i . c o m / e n / h a v a n a / gran-hotel-kempinski-la-habana

CASA VITRALES

The rhubarb pink and pistachio turn-of-the-century townhouse in Old Havana’s coolest quarter is a hit. Vitrales was one of the first private boutique stays authorised in Cuba in 2014 and with nine rooms to boot. With an expert eye for interior design, Osmani Hernández revived the early Republic-era building – three stories of Spanish colonial tiles and antique stained glass, and decorated rooms with Cuban and Italian furniture married with modern beds. Breakfast on the alfresco terrace with 360° views of Havana’s jumbled roofscape before strolling the streets below. The neighbours are popular indy cafés and bars of Plaza Loma del Angel and Calle Chacón, as well as the Hairdresser’s Alley.

Prices available on inquiry; https://cvitrales.com

PASEO 206

Once the home of a Cuban senator, this 1930s villa – flush with wood panelling and Carrara marble tile – is a smart find. Italian and Cuban hospitality and design are the hallmark of this boutique property facing tree-lined Paseo avenue in Havana’s mansion neighbourhood. Take time out from the luxury to book one of Paseo’s immersive experiences: head in to sunny streets with an award-winning photographer and develop your film at the snapper’s studio. Hungry? Shop for ingredients at a farmer’s market with Paseo’s chef, learn to cook a Cuban meal, and muddle a killer mojito. Paseo’s eco credentials are on the rise: steel straws accompany drinks and empty glass bottles are sold to local drink makers. Rooms from £138, incl breakfast; www.paseo206.com

TRYP HABANA LIBRE

Shimmering in marine green, this landmark towers over the heart of Havana’s seaside entertainment quarter. Rooms overlooking the capital’s curved corniche take in a cityscape spanning 500 years: the emblematic hotel district all the way to El Morro harbour castle and lighthouse. Opened as the Habana Hilton in 1958, it was the largest hotel in the Caribbean on the eve of Fidel Castro’s revolution. Castro ran his newly minted government for three months in 1959 from Continental Suite 2324. Rock up for live music on its Turquino dance floor under the stars. The original Tiki bar and restaurant Polinesio – a former Hilton Trader Vic’s – is deliciously preserved. Rooms from £102, incl breakfast;

www.meliacuba.es/hoteles-en-cuba/hotel-tryp-habanalibre

LA RESERVA

This restored Spanish tile-clad mansion in Havana’s artsy barrio boasts huge rooms with fancy bathrooms, curated with Cuban and European furniture, Murano glassware and contemporary Cuban art. Tap into Havana’s magnetic spirit with conversation and cocktails around the all-day alfresco bar in the patio, all tropical foliage and scattered seats. And dine under the stars at new La Bodega celebrating all things regional Cuban cuisine. Fruit and veg are sourced from La Reserva’s out of town gardens, and cheese, pickles and terrines from local foodies Santuario Gourmet. Its best secret? La Reserva’s enviable black book for underthe-radar local encounters. Rooms from £80, incl breakfast; https://

estampacollection.com/collection-houses/la-reserva-vedado

THAIL AND IS BACK!

Renewed, refreshed and more beautiful than ever before

alm-shaded white sand beaches,

Pislands set in a turquoise sea, jungles rich with wildlife… Thailand entices. Now, post-pandemic, the country is cautiously and carefully re-opening its doors. Those lucky first few visitors will have a rejuvenated Thailand largely to themselves, its beautiful landscapes and welcoming people replenished by rest. Here’s what to expect...

TIME TO BREATHE

There has arguably never been a better time to visit. While humans have quarantined, the Kingdom’s landscapes and wildlife have thrived. Reefs are revitalised, forests reverberate with life, newly hatched hornbills scutter down beaches and honeyeaters flit through the trees.

Dive with whale sharks around Ko Tao or snorkel the coral islands of Ang Thong National Park. Hike to waterfalls on empty jungle trails in Samui or Koh Chang. Kayak through the

Want to watch wildlife? Tigers lurk in the forests in Khao Yai National Park and gibbons whoop in the trees in the forest-swathed Khao Luang mountains. Wild elephants bathe in rushing rivers in Kaeng Krachan and Khao Sok national parks. Orchids bloom in the hills. Fragrant frangipani wafts over the beaches in Ao Nang and Krabi. And once again, agencies in Bangkok and beyond are ready to whisk you into the wild on a trip of a lifetime.

Walkers should take a train north and hike to hill tribe villages in the mountains around Chiang Mai. Or walk the trails to Doi Inthanon – Thailand’s highest peak, where the air is so clear you can see for miles – over shimmering chedis and pagodas and across rolling mountain ridges that stretch into Myanmar.

pinnacle islands of Phang Nga Bay – home to endangered dugong and tiny finless porpoises; stopping to swim off talc-soft beaches along the way or for lunch in floating villages. Visit the long, wild sands at Phuket’s Mai Khao to see rehabilitated nesting turtles. Then soothe in one of South-East Asia’s most sumptuous spas in nearby Patong or Karon.

TIME TO REFLECT

Time seemingly stands still in Thailand’s temples, where Buddhism has been at the heart

of life for centuries. Without crowds, visits have never been so peaceful. In Kanchanaburi’s Tham Suea Tiger Cave Temple (a sacred Buddhist site named after the tiger paw prints in its cave) or Chiang Mai’s ancient Wat Chedi Luang, the loudest noises are birdsong and prayer bells. You can hear a footfall in Phetchaburi’s Buddha caves and carp splashing in the lily ponds of Chiang Rai’s Wat Rong Khun. There are no coach-party queues at Bangkok’s shrine of the Emerald Buddha and no hustling for sunset views from Golden Mount.

Thailand’s ancient cities are busy only with butterflies and songbirds. Wander the crumbling colonnades of Ayutthaya – where forgotten statues of bhikkus are embraced by jungle vines. Or meditate at the feet of the giant sitting Buddha of Sukhothai, which watches serene over a landscape of stupas, temples and lotus flower ponds.

In Isaan, the towering spires of 900-year-old Khmer cities such as Phimai and Phanom Rung sit over rice paddy fields tilled by buffaloes. At Wat Pha Tak Suea near Nong Khai, meanwhile, paths lead from glistening temple gables to a sky walkway perched over the vast Mekong river that winds across forested plains that stretch over the border into Laos.

Thailand’s islands are also empty and idyllic. Buddhas look over the long, creamy beaches of Krabi and Phuket. And on Koh Pha Ngan, dragon-roofed ceramic temples dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin sit over rolling, forested hills and bottle-green bays.

Escape the crowds

(clockwise from this) Wat Tham Hua, Krabi, is famous for its ‘footprint of the Buddha’; meet local communities in Mae Hong son; Haew Narok Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park; Tham Khao Luang Cave; kayaking through Phang Nga Bay’s mangroves; James Bond Island, Phuket

TIME TOGETHER

The pandemic taught many of us how much we long for time together. As restrictions ease, villages across Thailand are making time for each other once again and looking forward to welcoming back visitors. Seeking out authentic experiences in Thailand supports local lives, especially in rural communities who rely on tourism to supplement their traditional lives. Whether you’re visiting mountain hill tribes in the far north or fishing villages in the southern islands, you’ll be welcomed with open arms.

The hills around sleepy Mae Hong Son in the country’s far north are dotted with tiny hill tribe hamlets. As they have done for centuries, Lahu, Karen, Shan and Yao people hand-make brilliantly coloured clothes and jewellery, and plant steep hillsides with rice. Sharing food and conversation with them, and learning about their lives is an unforgettable experience, and provides vital post-pandemic revenue which ensures their traditions continue.

In Koh Klang near Krabi, locals will show you how to dye batik (a cloth decorated using wax and dye), to build long-tailed wooden boats and to cook traditional and delicious sticky rice.

You can also go on tours of mangroves rehabilitated through ecotourism, monkey-filled forests, marine caves and unspoilt beaches – all with a local as your guide

Even buying food in local markets makes a difference to communities who have been isolated by COVID-19. And food in Thailand is always good – sizzling, stir-fried pad Thai, simmering massaman curry, spicy green papaya salad… shared at a table with Thais happy to welcome tourists back – to spend time with them, together, once again.