Condé Nast Traveller - May 2020 UK PDF

MAY 2020
32
PAGE
SPECIAL
THE EDIT
BEST FAMILY
ADVENTURES
FOR 2020
AND BEYOND
D E STI N ATI O N S
TO D R E A M A B O UT
QUIET ISLANDS
MEANINGFUL VOLUNTOURISM
ROOTSY FOOD
STAYCATIONS
NEW BRITISH PRIVATE HOUSES TO RENT
A COUNTRY WEEKEND HIDEOUT
THE GAME-CHANGING UK WELLNESS RETREAT
Haute Joaillerie, place Vendôme since 1906
9 NEW BOND STREET - HARRODS - SELFRIDGES

www.vancleefarpels.com - +44 20 7108 6210
Frivole collection
Clip pendant and ring,
yellow gold and diamonds.
CONTENTS MAY 2020
THE FAMILY GUIDE 2020 p79

Our round-up of the best holidays for the whole brood
SOLOMON ISLANDS p116

Going off grid in the pristine Pacific archipelago
MALTA p126
An unexpectedly eccentric corner of southern Europe
GUATEMALA p136
Francis Ford Coppola has added to the country’s smart new swagger
SANTORINI p146
Why this Greek isle is at its most curious out of season
PHOTOGRAPH: GEORG ROSKE
DOMES ZEEN CHANIA, CRETE
May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 9

CONTENTS MAY 2020
21
62 28
43
12 EDITOR’S LETTER 154 THE GLOBETROTTER
Star of This is 40 and Knocked Up
14 CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Mann
21 WORD OF MOUTH The 161 FLAVOUR HUNTER

worldwide destinations that need our Spotlight on Sardinia The finest
support from Australia to the Amazon feasting from the island. Eat the
streets Chacarita, Buenos Aires.
28 HOUSE CALL Take over a Taste buzz Gill-to-fin. Sip trip
minimal frontier home in Namibia’s Colombia’s aguardiente. Under
miraculous grape-growing desert the grill Singer Jessie Ware
BY LETITIA CLARK (HARDIE GRANT); CHRIS SCHALKX; MARTA TUCCI; ELSA YOUNG/BUREAUX
34 SNAPSHOT That Seventies 187 EVENTS Coming up A
PHOTOGRAPHS: CHRISTOPHER HORWOOD; OLIVIA NAHAC; MATT RUSSELL/BITTER HONEY

show: global designers are going retro tequila-spiked Mexican evening in
London. The lowdown Lunch with
37 THE ROAD TRIP California’s Olympian Victoria Pendleton at
national parks in a Dodge Challenger Mayfair’s exclusive Mark’s Club
43 WHERE TO STAY 208 THE VIEW FROM HERE

The best British houses to rent New Breezy, beachside Palace Plage in
74 boltholes across the country. The health the South of France
report Mayr at Grayshott, Surrey. The
weekender Middleton Lodge, Yorkshire.
Culture-hopping with DJ Khaled
59 STYLE FILE Table talk Louis

Vuitton’s invite-only Osaka restaurant.
Shopping in Paraty, Brazil. In the zone
Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson on Ibiza.
Jewellery Gem-set gardens. Beauty
Clever kit for carry-on. Watch Makers
look to French couture. On the scene
Constance Tsarabanjina, Madagascar
37 115 TRENDWATCH How the idea of

a pilgrimage is setting a fresh pace
161
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EDITOR’S LETTER
I am writing this on day one of my lockdown, pushed into

self-isolation as the first confirmed cases appeared at work.
There is sunlight streaming through my kitchen window, O N T H E C OV E R
frogspawn in the park pond, the earliest sprigs of blossom
hearty but tentative.
This issue goes to press today. When it is printed, arriving
through your letterbox or on your newsstand, it will be
some weeks from now. Where will we be? Psychologically,
geographically, I just don’t know. But I do know that I was
about to press send on the following letter to all my
travel-industry friends and colleagues and supporters and
explorers and hoteliers and tour operators and new nomads
and genuinely good all-round wanderers…
‘Lovely people, you are the very best of folk!

This is a uniquely strange time that has only galvanised my love and respect and
adoration for everything the world has to offer. This precious planet and all who live on it, SOLOMON ISLANDS
suffering so much. A lot of what I have seen and relished over the past decades has PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALISTAIR
been shown to me by you, experienced through your contacts, witnessed through your TAYLOR-YOUNG. COVER HAND-
eyes, given as simple word-of-mouth recommendations. Thank you. Now, when the travel LETTERING BY FIN FELLOWES
industry is in so much turmoil, I want to do something positive, so that Condé Nast Traveller
can shine a light on you, and you, in turn, with good faith and spirit and sense of together-
ness, can shine a light on those who are also in a deeply challenging position, those around
the globe who rely on tourist bucks for wealth and welfare. The businesses big and SUBSCRIBE
small, the shop owners, the restaurant managers, the doormen, the tour guides, the trackers,
the curious hoteliers, the fantastical museum owners, the experts with generations of untold VISIT CNTRAVELLER.
knowledge – all those who support so many more than themselves, their families, their COM/SUBSCRIBE,
communities and beyond. EMAIL CNTRAVELLER@
I’m sending you a Q&A which I would love you to fill out, so that the best, most moving
and most intriguing answers can be published on cntraveller.com. It’s made up of 21
SUBSCRIPTION.CO.UK, OR
questions. Please see it as an opportunity to wax lyrical about your favourite hotels/artisans/ CALL 0844 848 5202
travel heroes. The hope is to bolster and celebrate and highlight them, as Condé Nast
Traveller has always done. The amazing people in amazing places doing amazing things. All
those, right now, who will be hurting… F O L LOW U S O N
You have the sharpest knowledge in the world from all your travels – let’s hear about I N S TAG R A M
them! Let’s join up to create a wondrous global little black book. @ CO N D E N A S T T R AV E L L E R
#CNTEditorsLittleBlackBook
To moving forward, yours always,

Melinda’
And then it occurred to me that I was about to miss a huge opportunity! And that here
– in this space and in this time – are Condé Nast Traveller readers, lovers of adventure,
desperate to support all the individuals and destinations we hold so close to our hearts.
And so I pass the challenge on to you.
Email me at 21questions@condenast.co.uk. We will send you the Q&A. Go big and long
and brilliant and detailed in your answers, then email them back and we’ll publish our
favourite ones on cntraveller.com.
I am very excited to hear from you. PALAZZO MARGHERITA,
BERNALDA, ITALY
This is the new issue of Condé Nast Traveller. To a wonderful world, to global citizens!
MELINDA STEVENS MelindaLP

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
All information and travel details are correct at the time of going to press and may no longer be so on the date of publication.
Unless otherwise stated, hotel prices are low-season rates and restaurant prices are for a three-course meal for two without drinks

Dream away.
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CONTRIBUTORS
THIS MONTH, WE ASK OUR HAPPY WANDERERS ABOUT THEIR FAVOURITE BRITISH ESCAPES
JONATHAN ANDERSON In the Zone (p66) LESLIE MANN The Globetrotter (p154)
‘I came across Norfolk by accident and completely fell in love. ‘When I was 12, after my parents got divorced, my mother took me
What I find enchanting is that, in this very British countryside, to live in Rye, East Sussex, for two months. It was a beautiful place,
there is Holkham beach – four miles of white, flat, almost tropical but our house was definitely haunted! I would probably appreciate
sand.’ Fashion designer Jonathan is the creative director of the town a little more now.’ American actor Leslie recently starred
Anderson and Spanish label Loewe in Golden Globe-nominated film ‘Motherless Brooklyn’
PHOTOGRAPHS: FREDERIC AUERBACH/CONTOUR BY GETTY; TOM BEARD; SAYANA CAIRO; MANUEL GOMES DA COSTA
MATT RUSSELL/BITTER HONEY BY LETITIA CLARK (HARDIE GRANT); AMI SIOUX; ALISTAIR TAYLOR-YOUNG
JESSIE WARE Under the Grill (p170) ALISTAIR TAYLOR-YOUNG Photographer, Solomons (p116)
‘The Old Rectory in Hastings is a B&B run by the most wonderful ‘My father’s garden. He lives in Somerset, on the side of a hill.
people. You wake up in the morning and they’re already I remember waking up at 4.30am one morning to a symphony
cooking kedgeree for everyone. Each bedroom is different and of bird song. As I rarely get to visit the UK, I find that sound
so pretty. It’s very charming.’ British singer-songwriter Jessie’s incredibly evocative.’ Alistair has been one of our contributing
latest album s Your Pleasure?’ will be released on 5 June photographers since Condé Nast Traveller’s launch
RICK JORDAN Writer, Malta (p126) LETITIA CLARK Writer, Sardinia (p161)
‘Llanthony Priory is in Wales’s cloud-scudded Brecon Beacons, ‘I grew up in Mothecombe, a stretch of Devon coast that has
cut off from the world by mountains all around. Watching for appeared in films such as Sense and Sensibility. The nearby village
cowled shadows amid the gothic ruins; hiking the bracken-furred of Modbury has lovely antique shops, good pubs and cream
slopes, then returning for a pint of Welsh ale sprawled on the teas – one of my favourite things.’ Illustrator, chef and food writer
grass, counting sheep. It feels folkloric.’ Rick is our senior editor Letitia’s first cookbook ‘Bitter Honey’ is out this month

RILEY HARPER SHOT BY HIS FIANCEE, MICHAELA WISSEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MELINDA STEVENS
Editor, UK ISSY VON SIMSON
Director of Operations PAULA MAYNARD
Creative Director PETE WINTERBOT TOM
Photographic Director MATTHEW BUCK
Features Director FIONA KERR Digital Editor BECKY LUCAS Editor, US JESSE ASHLOCK Director of Editorial Administration
Senior Editor RICK JORDAN Acting Digital Editor SONYA BARBER Director of Operations, US PAULIE DIBNER and Rights HARRIET WILSON
Deputy Digital Editor TABITHA JOYCE Travel News Director ERIN FLORIO Editorial Business Manager JESSICA BORGES
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Art Editor NITISH MANDALIA Acting Audience Growth Manager LAUREN BURVILL Art Director, US ZOE WESTMAN Communications Director EMILY HALLIE
Creative Content Editor ROSALYN WIKELEY Senior Visuals Editor, US PALLAVI KUMAR PR Manager SOPHIE MITCHELL
Senior Picture Editor KARIN MUELLER Online Associate SARAH JAMES Executive Director, Communications MOLLY PACALA
Picture Editor ANNA MORASSUTTI VITALE Digital Picture Editor SOPHIE KNIGHT Contributing Editors Communications Manager SAVANNAH JACKSON
Video Producer CORINNE BROOKING Digital Assistant OLIVIA MORELLI DAVID ANNAND, JONATHAN BASTABLE, Circulation Director RICHARD KINGERLEE
HORATIO CLARE, ONDINE COHANE, SOPHIE Newstrade Marketing Manager OLIVIA STREATFIELD
Chief Sub-Editor GRÁINNE MCBRIDE Chief Digital Officer SIMON GRESHAM JONES DAHL, SOPHIE DENING, E JANE DICKSON, Subscriptions Director PATRICK FOILLERET
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FIONA JOSEPH, JEREMY KING, EMMA LOVE, Creative Design Manager ANTHEA DENNING
Fashion Director MARTHA WARD Senior Editor-at-Large PETER BROWNE LEE MARSHALL, KATE MAXWELL, Direct Marketing and Events Managers
Fashion Features Editor CHARLOTTE DAVEY Editors-at-Large STEVE KING, ALEX POSTMAN THOMASINA MIERS, REGGIE NADELSON, LUCY ROGERS-COLTMAN, BRITTANY MILLS
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PA to the Editor KATHARINE SOHN JAMES BEDFORD, DAVID CROOKES, SQUIRE FOX, ANTONIA QUIRKE, STEPHANIE RAFANELLI, Acting Production Co-ordinator
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your local Kuoni store today
WORD OF MOUTH
FRESH AND GROUND-BREAKING TRAVEL UPDATES. EDITED BY FIONA KERR
Atocall
arms
TRAVEL IS POWERFUL. IT OPENS MINDS AND CHANGES LIVES. BUT EVEN BEFORE
PHOTOGRAPH: JAC GILTROW
CORONAVIRUS, THE WORLD HAD A TUMULTUOUS TIME: THE SRI LANKA ATTACKS; THE AMAZON
BURNING; RIOTS IN HONG KONG; VENICE FLOODING; FIRES IN AUSTRALIA. NOW, WHERE
AND HOW WE CHOOSE TO GO, SPEND MONEY AND SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN EVER. AND, AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE, RUN TOWARDS NOT AWAY…
Blackbird Byron retreat in Australia’s Byron Hinterland

B L A C K B I R D BY R O N
WORD OF MOUTH
Australia
WHILE OUR FAVOURITE CORNERS ARE STILL DRAWING US IN,
L A C A S ITA TWO MORE ALT-UTOPIAS ARE EMERGING NEAR BYRON BAY L A C A S I TA
CO U N TRY H I N TER L A N D
A 20-minute drive from the micro-influencers in town, there’s a smart bohemian
scene unfolding in the hills of Byron’s hinterland. The allure? Mist-covered
forested slopes that hide multimillion-dollar homes and cute small towns such
as Newrybar where restaurants including corrugated-iron shack Harvest
serve a forward-thinking, hyper-local menu. And now there’s a steady stream of
openings: rustic three-room escape Blackbird Byron is a reimagining of a
B&B that’s all about the natural elements, with rooms decked out in timber and
a mineral-rich magnesium-salt pool. There’s also Ochre, a secluded eco-conscious
bell tent with 360-degree views. But it’s the recently opened wellness retreat
Soma – co-founded by meditation expert Gary Gorrow and created with his
designer-turned-hotelier brother, George Gorrow of The Slow in Bali – that’s
drawing the crystal-carrying crowd. The hills are officially alive.
COA S T B RU N SW I C K H EA D S
S O M A BYR O N B AY This lo-fi fishing village and in-the-know surf spot has slowly been stealing B L A C K B I R D BY R O N
some of the limelight from Wategos Beach. Back from the breaks, the tiny town has
serious foodie status, too, due to Astrid McCormack and Josh Lewis. First it was
their pocket-sized 14-seater Fleet, winning two Chef Hats – Australia’s answer to
Michelin stars – for plating up dishes such as mud-crab congee and sweetbread
schnitzels. But when they opened Mexican joint La Casita, it really drove
KARA ROSENLUND; EMMA SHAW @EXPLORESHAW; RHIANNON TAYLOR

PHOTOGRAPHS: JAC GILTROW; SAUL GOODWIN; MATTHEW LENNON;
the weekenders north from Byron for the promise of tacos done every way. And
just-opened The Brunswick, a retro, 18-room revived motel opposite the
beach, is giving the linen-clad set a fresh place to stay. CHLOE SACHDEV
22 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020 OCHRE

THE HEALING-HASHTAG RELIEF EFFORT
EAT
Launched by three Melbourne friends, @emptyesky
encourages city folk to pack a cooler and head out of town to
stock it with local produce, from farm-gate fruit to sustainable
chocolate. And plot other routes with @roadtripforgood.
DRINK
The Adelaide Hills wine country also took a strike in the
flames. Raise a glass to its struggling producers with
@morethanagooddrop, which highlights badly hit vineyards, as
well as outfits such as Bright Brewery and North of Eden Gin.
SHOP
For do-good goods, @spendwiththem spotlights fire-affected
L A C A S I TA small businesses including Masuki Store, selling organic baby
clothes on the New South Wales south coast, the Southern
Highlands’ Berrima Village Pottery, which has handcrafted
mugs, as well as surf shops, beauty brands and concept stores.
S TAY
From farmsteads to inns in off-the-beaten-track rural towns,
@stayinthebush gathers the sweetest finds, among them
The Black Barn overlooking the Blue Mountains or safari-style
huts at Worrowing Jervis Bay. FIONA KERR
KANGAROO ISLAND
KANGAROO ISLAND’S POST-CRISIS RENAISSANCE

On 20 December 2019, a lightning strike triggered bushfires here which
KANGAROO ISLAND
eventually blazed for more than three weeks across 210,000 hectares, taking
much of rugged Flinders Chase National Park, farmland and habitat, as well
as the pioneering Southern Ocean Lodge, in its path. But the island, which is
a 45-minute ferry journey from Cape Jervis or 35-minute flight from
Adelaide, is open again, recovering and rebuilding its ecosystem. Home to more
than 1,100 types of flora and hundreds of animal species, many of them
endangered, it has always drawn travellers but now needs them more urgently
than before. This July and August, Australian Wildlife Journeys’
conservation action days will work alongside experts, supporting regeneration
in a number of ways, from carrying out biodiversity surveys to planting trees.
And with more than half of the island unaffected by the fires, there are
still plenty of opportunities to see the famous wildlife, which includes wallabies,
sea lions, cockatoos, koalas and echidnas – and, of course, kangaroos.
australianwildlifejourneys.com TAMARA HINSON
UXUA CASA
WORD OF MOUTH
C R I S TA L I N O L O D G E
The Amazon, Brazil

HANDS-ON HOTELIERS HELP TO REGENERATE THE BIOSPHERE
Earlier this year, Brazil’s environment minister Ricardo Salles announced plans to create a
UXUA CASA
Secretariat of the Amazon. ‘We believe preservation requires recognition of the forest as an
economic activity that generates sustainable development and population inclusion,’ he said.
Most of those involved with the country’s eco-tourism quickly dismissed the announcement as
fake news. After all, this doesn’t sound like the same government that relaxed laws around
deforestation – which led to fires – cut funding to indigenous peoples and legalised harmful
pesticides. Bob Shevlin, co-founder of Uxua Casa, is particularly dubious: ‘In reality, it’s actually
up to us – hotels and their guests – to protect the lands we occupy.’ He and his business
partner Wilbert Das famously changed the fortunes of Bahian beach town Trancoso when they
furnished their hotel entirely with homewares by local artisans and the Pataxó community.
Today, Uxua is still one of the most environmentally forward-thinking hotels in Brazil – but part
of a growing movement – while Shevlin assumes a role that is more activist than hotelier. When
he’s not campaigning for civil rights, he’s partnering with NGO Despertar to foster a generation
of green activists. He is also on the board at Conservation International and communications
director for the Brazilian Luxury Travel Association, where he created the biannual Sustainable
Vision Award for socially responsible hotels. The current award holder, Cristalino Lodge in UAKARI LODGE
Alta Floresta, created a 700-hectare Private National Heritage Reserve in 1997 that now
spans 11,400 hectares. The project is one of enormous scale and complexity, maintaining
C O M U N A D O I B IT I P O C A biodiversity through research, conservation and educational projects. Elsewhere in the Amazon,
Uakari Lodge helps to preserve the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, an area
of 1,124,000 hectares – the biggest protected flooded forest in the world. Here, 10 local
communities manage the lodge which will be handed over to them entirely in 2023. And
Comuna do Ibitipoca in Lima Duarte invites guests to volunteer for a programme that
involves reforestation and rewilding. This is eco-tourism from the frontline. ALEX MOORE
PHOTOGRAPHS: MARCOS AMEND; DANIEL SCHWEIZER
C R I S TA L I N O L O D G E
24 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020 CO M U NA D O I BITI PO CA UAKARI LODGE

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ABODE AHANGAMA
WORD OF MOUTH
AMMA
A R U G A M B AY S U R F C L U B
AMMA Sri Lanka

THE ISLAND’S LOCALLY DRIVEN COMEBACK
After last Easter’s terror attacks rocked the country, intuitive spaces and
community projects are digging deep and giving back, proving that
there’s now even more reason to return to Sri Lanka.
T HE S U RF S P OT WI T H S O U L
The southern coast has never been short of wave-riding corners, but
increasingly big developments have rippled along from Unawatuna to
Weligama. Not so in the seaside village of Ahangama, where a thoughtful
PA L M H OT E L
brand of hotelier has breathed life into the Bawa-esque villas. Bolthole
The Kip put the town on the radar in 2017, and this year added a
shop selling island-made low-waste products. Now, the industrial-cool
PHOTOGRAPHS: MEGAN HOPE GLAZEBROOK; MAXWELL GIFTED; DEBORAH GRACE; CHRIS SCHALKX
Palm Hotel and four-bedroom Abode Ahangama have boosted
the buzz without diluting the community focus. Also causing a stir is the
laidback bar Driftwood for sundowners. The area could be early
Tulum, but this tight-knit crew aims to keep it firmly in the slow lane.
T H E G I R L- P OW E R P ROJ EC TS
A raft of recent schemes are championing the island’s future as
PA L M H OT E L female. SeaSisters, a Midigama-based nonprofit empowering girls with
swim and surf lessons, teaches ocean safety and environmental
awareness, something also promoted by women-only Arugam Bay
Surf Club on the east coast. Among the tea estates of Nuwara
Eliya, Amma works with local mothers to create sustainable textiles,
naturally dyed with food waste such as avocado stones. In Matara,
Sambol Setting, an NGO, operates a shelter for female domestic-
DRIFTWOOD violence victims as well as two guesthouses, making sure that visitors’
AMMA rupees end up in the hands that need them most.
T H E W E L L N E S S WAV E M A K E R S
With more than 3,000 years of Ayurvedic tradition, Sri Lanka is of course
known for its wellbeing scene. Upping the ante is the new Haritha Villas
in Hikkaduwa, where seven clean-lined bungalows share a hilltop with
two colonial mansions. Resident Ayurvedic doctors tailor programmes
to each guest, which can include herbal baths and meditation at
the nearby monastery. In the central plains, eco arrival Ayurvie Sigiriya
mixes yoga with treatments. And at You Are The Sea in Ahangama,
Argentinian holistic therapist Franco Rebagliati leads intensive bodywork
sessions and watsu-like guided therapies in the ocean. CHRIS SCHALKX

HOUSE CALL
Clockwise from this picture: the
driveway leading to Frontier House;
repurposed farm lanterns in the sitting
room; daybeds on the stoep; kitchen
island with Dutch pendant lights.
Opposite, one of the two bedrooms
PHOTOGRAPHS: BUREAUX
PLANT A SEED
THIS VINE-FLANKED FARM IN NAMIBIA IS A PARED-BACK HIDEOUT TO TAKE OVER FOR A GROUNDED,
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT DESERT ESCAPE. BY AMELIA BROWN. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ELSA YOUNG

NOTHING IS HERE BY ACCIDENT; NOTHING FIGHTS FOR ATTENTION. THE BUILDING
IT’S DIFFICULT TO CAPTURE the sense of vastness of Namibia. The scale, trellised to stand six feet high, their leaves creating a shadowy
the details, the feeling. What all that space does to your mind and canopy and a microclimate sustained by river-fed irrigation. It’s
body. In the midday heat, the desert seems to hold its breath taken trial-and-error pioneering to get to this point, contending
and nothing – nothing – moves. And so you move slower, uncon- with extreme temperatures – in summer it can reach up to 50˚C
sciously filling your lungs deeper, exhaling languidly; drinking in – and very little rain, which perversely contributes to the valley
the air, almost like someone who’s been underwater. There’s being a leading exporter of table grapes.
nothing like this hostile, silent emptiness of a desert for feeling alive. Unless you were agriculturally inclined it would have been
Much of the country’s appeal is its remoteness. Distances are unlikely that Aussenkehr was on your radar. Those in search of
immense and some of its most rewarding regions are difficult to the comparative action of Namibia’s diamond-mining history in
access. Just over a seven-hour drive from Cape Town is the farm- Lüderitz, towering red dunes in Sossusvlei or animal-fringed
turned-settlement of Aussenkehr, and a private homestead called watering holes of Etosha may want to keep driving north. If
Frontier House where you can be immersed in the desolate magic. Namibia has been the wilderness preserve of intrepid travellers,
The name Aussenkehr derives from German, meaning ‘outer bend’, Aussenkehr is for the astute pilgrim who seeks space and solitude.
and refers to its position on the Orange River – the flowing border The desert has a textured heat that you wear like a physical
between South Africa and Namibia that starts in Lesotho and ends layer. It’s waiting to envelop you as soon as you open the car door.
in the Atlantic; the life blood of an agricultural marvel. Yet stepping into Frontier House, all is cool and quiet, and the
Back in 1988, maverick Serbian-born businessman Dušan tranquillity of the river on the other side rushes in through the
Vasiljević bought an arid 100,000-hectare farm in the Karas region, floor-to-ceiling steel doors. The late architect Filip Deschepper
a few miles downstream from the border town of Noordoewer, interpreted the owners’ vision for a design rooted in the practical
where following unsuccessful trials with tomatoes he planted demands of farm life and rendered them in appropriately honest
the first experimental blocks of table grapes. Fast-forward three materials: bricks, cement and steel, and displaced stones from
decades and Aussenkehr has grown to a population of 22,000 that when the fields were prepared. The state-of-the-art pack shed, the
swells during summer harvest season. Parcels of incongruously most recent addition, and the two-bedroom homestead, one of
vivid green vineyards abut moonscapes. You just have to look the first to be built for the owners and their children, share a common
across the river to the craggy folds and kloofs of the South African vernacular. Referencing traditional farmhouses, ox-blood paint on
Richtersveld National Park to relocate yourself on the continent. the exterior metal windows and doors recalls the red undercoat
Driving in on the gently undulating tarred road feels like bobbing commonly left raw and unpainted, and a deep cement stoep wraps
on an ocean of vines. Enormous sweeps of vineyards are expertly around the house, its sail-like overhang creating pools of shade.
HOUSE CALL
HAS TO ANSWER TO THE ENVIRONMENT – SCALE AND PROPORTION ARE THE ESSENCE
The feeling of refuge has been set by Heidrun Diekmann, the Days have a cadence dictated by climate: breakfast of homemade
house’s owner. Nothing is here by accident; nothing fights for bread and eggs on the terrace with the soundtrack of busy birds
attention. ‘It’s a farm,’ she says simply. ‘It has to answer to the envi- as butterflies dance in the bushes; a paddle down the river or drive
ronment. Frills fall away; scale and proportion are the essence.’ into the reserve to see the wild horses, currently being fed by the
Vaulted ceilings give a sense of double-volume and Diekmann ranger as drought has left them vulnerable to hyenas. A siesta
has ensured the house doesn’t feel cavernous by playing with scale: after lunch; then G&Ts on a lookout high above the farm or on
oversized pendants, an extra-length sofa, custom-made four- a river float, the occasional cry of a fish eagle breaking the silence;
poster beds. The painted charcoal band around the base of the the night ending around the fire pit under a sweep of stars, quietly
walls offsets the crisp, fresh white above and purposefully alters observed by a resident owl who has taken to sitting on the trellis.
the proportions of the walls. Whether it’s in part due to her being The drive here has a lot to do with the overall experience, the
a fourth-generation Namibian or a result of her interior-design distractions of civilisation slowly disappearing as the border
success with restaurants and lodges across the country – including approaches and the distances between towns become greater, the
the celebrated Onguma The Fort – Diekmann’s connection to vegetation sparser, the roads emptier. There are magnificent lodges
context is intrinsic, evoking a modern African aesthetic. to choose from across the country, but Frontier House is a rarity
The use of texture as pattern and the celebration of craftsman- as much for its accessibility from South Africa and position on
ship – ‘the touch of the human hand’, as Diekmann puts it – are the river, as for its authenticity, and the chance to be embedded,
two hallmarks of her approach, evident in the metalwork applied as in comfort, in the workings of a Namibian farm.
a functional design element, refined by fellow German-Namibian Before dawn on our last day, we climb the dune that overlooks
Hanno Becker. On a sweltering day, the inky, silky metal is Frontier Grapes to watch the sun turn the mountains pink. Looking
miraculously cool. Together they collaborated on designs such as down at the distinct line where agriculture has triumphed over
the ergonomic hand-beaten round door and cupboard handles desert, it’s hard to imagine just how stark this was in 2012 when the
that reference grapes, deep architraves for the entrances to rooms land was first acquired. I’m struck by something Diekmann said:
PHOTOGRAPHS: BUREAUX
and a contemporary floating fireplace, adding niches and recesses ‘This is not just a story about a house, but a story of being curious
to reveal the artisan’s hands. Among this display of craft and and willing to learn, not being afraid of the unknown.’
design sit two small, delicate metal snails on shelves in the living Frontier House sleeps four and can be rented on a self-catering
room, a charming gift from Becker intended to break the austerity. basis or as part of a bespoke itinerary. perfecthideaways.co.za
Above, from far left: Moroccan-tiled floor in the bathroom; the wraparound stoep; the house’s owners in the vineyards; bedroom with painted doorframes

SNAPSHOT
seventies spin
COOL HANGOUTS AROUND
THE WORLD GET GROOVY
WITH DISCO-DIGGING DESIGN
Top row, from left: originally built in 1974
PHOTOGRAPHS: TIM CHARLES; DAVID CLEVELAND; DESIGN HOTELS; BEN FITCHETT; NIKOLAS KOENIG; KIM LIGHTBODY; VICENTE MUNOZ; PIA RIVEROLA; MIKKO RYHANEN
as the Camden Town Hall annex, The
Standard in London has kept the essence of
the era with deep-green leather furniture. In
Nashville, the swim deck at The Dive Motel
plays with bold letters and earthy tones
around its 60ft swimming pool. Primo’s bar in
New York channels eccentric retro Italian
design with curved banquettes, chrome tables
and spiky plants. The rooms at The Dive
Motel in Nashville have shaggy throws and
large-scale murals. Breezy palm trees
and funky tiles at Hotel San Cristóbal in
Baja California Sur, Mexico, reference
the laidback style of the decade.
Middle row, from left: modular, chunky seating

hugs the walls at Cub restaurant in London.
Graphic, spiritual prints and geometric
shapes take over the Jonathan Adler-designed
Parker Palm Springs hotel in California.
Yolanda Baker, who crafted the shiny glitter
globes of Studio 54, made every disco ball at
Nashville’s Dive Motel by hand. A room
at The Dwell Hotel in Tennessee has textured
wallpaper and Saarinen-inspired tulip chairs,
which saw a revival in popularity after
appearing in Star Trek. In New York, SoHo’s
Seventies-style Little Ways bistro plates
up sesame devilled eggs, cheese fondue and
duck breast with pumpkin and orange.
Bottom row, from left: primary-coloured

furniture and terrazzo floor tiles fill the
space at Primo’s, New York. Helsinki’s Jackie
bar evokes Seventies Europe with forest
hues and a French cosmic-disco soundtrack.
At The Standard in London, the macramé
curtains and knitted backrests at Decimo
restaurant contrast with the geometric stools
overlooking St Pancras station, while the
hotel’s library takes cues from the period’s
back-to-nature design movement with natural
wood and rounded motifs. With floor-to-
ceiling windows and sculptural, oversized
seating, the Boundary London brims
with nostalgia. KATHARINE SOHN

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THE ROAD TRIP
AN EPIC RIDE THROUGH CALIFORNIA’S CINEMASCOPE EXPANSES IN A DODGE CHALLENGER
BY TOBY SKINNER. PHOTOGRAPHS BY OLIVIA BOHAC AND JORDAN STEPHENS
California’s national parks give good iconography. Many a screensaving computer will default to crisp renderings of the imperious slab of
El Capitan in Yosemite, the magically eroded striations of Death Valley’s Zabriskie Point or the Joshua Trees in the park of the same name, so
called by Mormon settlers who thought the spiky yucca brevifolia looked like the biblical figure, arms upturned in prayer. Culture has been
layered onto these spaces like sedimentary rock: Ansel Adams’ first photograph at Yosemite, aged 12; Gram Parsons’ strung-out death at
Joshua Tree, his coffin burned at Cap Rock as approaching police lights lit up the desert sky. Like California as a whole, they feel hardwired into
us; a series of dreams written by film directors, artists, evangelists and nerds. My ultimate destination is San Francisco, but I start from Palm
Springs in a white Dodge Challenger, the muscliest car available, leaving behind the beautiful and ironic people at the Ace Hotel & Swim 

This picture, El Capitan.
Left, clockwise from top
left: the pool at the
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
in Palm Springs; Yosemite
chapel; on the road
from Palm Springs;
meadow at El Capitan.
Below, clockwise from
top left: Death Valley
National Park; King’s
Highway restaurant at the
Ace Hotel, Palm Springs;
pool, and bedroom, both
at the Phoenix Hotel,
San Francisco
Club, the oddly sterile mid-century-modern homes with their Keep Out
signs, and the sense of unease I’ve had here ever since my sister got
heat stroke and saw ants climbing up the wallpaper in a strange motel room
on a family holiday 30 years ago. From the southern entrance of Joshua
Tree, the prickly emptiness is punctuated by amateur film-makers and
slack-liners among rock formations that look like they could have been
made of Styrofoam on a studio backlot. Later, these cool kids on Parsons
pilgrimages will gaze at the stars after swaying to the bands at Pappy &
Harriet’s in Pioneertown, the old live-in Western movie set that has become
the spiritual home of jangly desert rock. I head away from the Yucca Valley,
passing the Googie sign at Roy’s Motel and Café, the subject of a thousand
retro photoshoots, then take a detour via Mojave and its aeroplane graveyard,
where rusting Boeing 747s shimmer in the haze. From here, it’s just a few
hours to the fierce beauty of Death Valley. It’s not quite 50˚C, but I can
imagine the feelings of the lost pioneers it was named after. This is where
the Californian Dream died scrabbling in the dust, among the snakes
and dry salt flats, leaving gold rush ghost towns such as Ballarat, where a
man called Rock in an oil-smeared vest serves moonshine from a trailer
park. It only emphasises the majesty of spots such as Zabriskie Point, the
kind of place that made Ansel Adams beg that American rocks ought
to be worshipped like European cathedrals. The road to Yosemite feels
like a miracle of shifting geography and opportunity, as sand morphs into
Thoreauvian woodsiness. The town of Bodie, not far from Yosemite’s
eastern entrance, seems wholesome somehow. Stepping out of the car,
I can see my breath. Inside the park, lawless desert has been replaced by
bears and rangers in pressed shirts; speed limits and rest stops. And yet
the sights of the Half Dome and the Tunnel View, with El Capitan on the
left, are not diminished by the selfie sticks or all those screensavers. They
are impervious to humanity’s transposed meaning. We are not the stars
of our own movies, they seem to be saying. We are infinitesimal specks in
a world of beauty and possibility, lucky just to be passing through.

This picture, Roy’s
Motel and Café sign
in Amboy. Above,
clockwise from top left:
Highway 120,
Yosemite National
Park; cholla cactus;
Zabriskie Point, Death
Valley; Fisherman’s
Wharf, San Francisco.
Above right, the Dodge
Challenger. Right,
clockwise from top left:
sunset at Twin Peaks;
Skull Rock in Joshua
Tree; the car on
Glacier Point Road,
Yosemite; Roy’s Motel.
Previous page, the
Dodge in front of the
Phoenix Hotel
WHERE TO STAY
INSIDER REPORTS ON THE TOP PLACES TO BED DOWN. EDITED BY ISSY VON SIMSON
PHOTOGRAPH: CHIRS HORWOOD
THE ROUND-UP: BEST BRITISH HOUSES

WE PICK THE SHARPEST NEW COTTAGES, MANORS
AND BARNS TO RENT IN THE UK
WOLTERTON HALL, NORFOLK

WHERE TO STAY
BEST FOR HOLDING COURT
WOLTERTON HALL, NORFOLK

A long, looping driveway through a Charles Bridgeman-designed landscape leads
to this Palladian-inspired stately. When the Walpole family handed it over in
2016, after almost three centuries in residence, it was time for a facelift. It’s
impossible not to be drawn in by the stories of the charismatic new owners, Peter
Sheppard and Keith Day. ‘This 18th-century Chinese goldfish bowl was probably
used to christen Nelson,’ says Sheppard as he wanders past a chair used in Prince
Charles’s investiture, which sits beneath a Chris Levine holographic portrait of the
Queen. These pieces are in the crimson royal room, the damask wallpaper of
which was so lusted after by Sheppard that he sourced, bought and used the last
rolls ever made. The renovation of the mansion has been a huge success – a
clever mix of textiles, styles and eras has created unstuffy, liveable spaces. The
main part of the house, available to settle into this summer, takes centre stage.
Walpole family paintings and intricate tapestries gifted by Cardinal Fleury lord
PHOTOGRAPHS: JAKE EASTHAM; CHRIS HORWOOD
over rooms illuminated by chandeliers and antique Venetian lampposts.

Sheppard and Day’s additions soften the historic edges: hot-pink Gio Ponti chairs,
contemporary English roll-arm sofas, Persian rugs curiously purchased from a
Dutch Buddhist monk, and a healthy dose of up-to-speed engineering. One
bathroom has a hidden Champagne fridge, and there’s a rain shower which
cascades from the full-height Georgian ceiling. Of the four apartments to rent,
the East Wing is the largest. Selwyn Leamy artworks line the staircase to the
loft, a triple-aspect zone of tranquillity, while the other bedrooms have period
furniture pieces, Howard-style chairs and Colefax and Fowler fabrics. And
for privacy, the Garden House, set away from the main building, has a walled
garden for summer barbecues. A heritage hit with a grounded type of
grandeur – modern yet still very much fit for a duke. PAULA MAYNARD
BOOK IT From £2,630 for three nights in the East Wing (sleeps 14).
+44 1263 76896; woltertonpark.co.uk

BEST FOR HOUSE PARTIES
BIBURY FARM BARNS, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Owners George and Polly Phillips spent two years transforming this old
farmyard – it took a couple of drawn-out appeals to planning, a few panicked
conversations with the bank, countless interiors proposals and a seriously
good deal from Cotswolds designer Pippa Paton to turn the family land into a
perfectly of-the-moment business. Across the five barns, now reimagined as
sleek, crisp hangouts, Paton’s look is tougher than the area’s ubiquitous
Daylesford narrative, with agricultural artefacts including stone troughs and
pitchforks as art. They work just as well for hunkering down – log burners,
deep sofas – as they do for gatherings, with cedar hot tubs, huge dining tables
and doors that open out onto the courtyard and great field of a garden. In
Grain Store, the largest space with five bedrooms, the ground floor could
hold 50 friends without blinking. A sense of solidity is prevalent: wide
floorboards, big beds, lengthy kitchen islands, copper bathtubs, oversized
showers and double-height ceilings, beamed with ancient oak and lit with
industrial steel pendants or an antler chandelier. Sunshine floods in through
walls of glass, casting shadows through the fiddle-leaf figs. Bedrooms
have a moody kind of light play: greys on grey, a tonal Kelly Hoppen
taupe-ness with linen throws and leather piped cushions. Bathrooms are
dark, warm, stashed with botanical 100 Acres products. Framed black-
and-white photographs of the recent mud-splattered floors and aluminium
roofs are an arty reminder of the place’s agricultural roots. Not that the cows
next door will let anyone forget. Honey-pot Bibury is right on the doorstep
– walk down after breakfast to explore before the crowds spill in. And the
rest of the Cotswolds – with its pretty pubs such as Northleach’s Wheatsheaf
Inn, antique shops, arboretum walks and pretty towns – is there for the
taking. Country smarts with heft. ISSY VON SIMSON
BOOK IT From £3,150 for a three-night long weekend in the Grain Store
(sleeps 10). +44 1285 706188; biburyfarm.com
WHERE TO STAY
BEST FOR SPLENDID ISOLATION
57 NORD, WESTER ROSS, SCOTLAND

Spied from a boat on the far-stretching Loch Duig in the north-west
Highlands, this one-floor cabin has a heart-stopping delicacy and
glister. It sits above the loch shores, the silvery-glass and fine-grained
larch exterior seeming to embody some spirit of sympathy with an
eternal landscape, while also having boldness, youth and originality.
Inside is an open-plan masterpiece of air and light. Immense glass walls
roll back to let in the breeze sweeping down from the vast scree slopes
of the Kintail mountains, shutting firm against more dramatic weather
– a given here. The whole vaulted-ceilinged structure feels thrillingly like
a viewing platform: out to the 13th-century Eilean Donan Castle below,
the lichen and irises fraying the edge of the water, the spreading circular
ripples of water, waves bucking and slewing in a storm. Owner Mumtaz
Lalani, who trained as a sommelier, and spent much of her youth in
Norway and Finland, worked with young designer Suzi Lee (Outside
In Studio) to embrace western Scotland’s Norse-Gael heritage. That
Scandinavian influence is reflected in the interior details: an opal-and-
brass chandelier from Danish Nuura spreads a pale, snow-like peace.
Curtains by Scottish brand Bute Fabrics are flecked in the swooning
blue of a spring dawn, and yet the effect is one of intense amber warmth.
Sliding doors between bedroom, bathroom and living room give the
yawning openness of one relaxed and fluid space. The bespoke oak
canopy bed is enormous – as if being in a wheelhouse that you can’t bring
yourself to leave, lulled by how the sun hits the curved surface of a black
table beyond. As much a sensory experience as it is a house. Gallery-like,
and yet infinitely genial, domestic, welcoming. ANTONIA QUIRKE
BOOK IT From £900 for three nights (sleeps two).
+44 1273 692300; coolstays.com/57-nord
BEST FOR WILDLIFE SPOTTING
KINGSHILL FARMHOUSE, KENT

‘In summer it looks like the savannah,’ says Gareth Fulton, gesturing out
the window to the widescreen Isle Of Sheppey skies and horizon-flat marshes,
snaked with water and stalked by swans and grazing sheep. In the distance, a
flight of swallows swoop over the Swale in the Thames Estuary beyond. It might
only be just over an hour from London, but the 3,300-acre wetlands that make
up Elmley National Nature Reserve feel far more remote. Fulton and his wife
Georgina moved here in 2013, taking over her family farm set amid the bird
PHOTOGRAPHS: DAVID CURRAN; REBECCA DOUGLAS; VERITY HURDING/EOLACH

reserve. Since then, they’ve slowly added cabins and shepherd huts to overnight
among the rushes. But for bigger broods there’s now Kingshill Farmhouse, which
opened last summer. This elegant six-bedroom space was a brick shell when
the Fultons started work, an original 18th-century farmhouse with a Victorian
addition fused onto one end. They’ve taken it back to the bones, restored and
modernised it, adding a glass-sided kitchen extension to make the most of the
nature-filled views and sky-blazing sunrises. The navy marble-and-brass kitchen
is fitted out for lazy lunches and get-together suppers around the long table
or out on the terrace (on the Fultons’ tip, pick up a joint from MB Farms en
route). Alternatively, food can be brought to the door, including breakfasts of
bircher muesli with Kentish apple juice and feasts of local lamb tagine or beef
and root-vegetable stew. The covetable interior design by Francesca Rowan-
Plowden has a layered, lived-in feel: oyster plates turned wall art; fluffy dried
pampas grasses in Surrey Ceramics pots; rugs from Romney Marsh Wools;
cushions by sustainable Whitstable studio Fable & Base. There’s help-yourself
whisky in the snug for a nip in front of the wood burner, backgammon and bird
bingo in the library, and books everywhere. Plus bedrooms to suit everyone,
such as the garden-inspired one with a metal bath at the foot of the four-poster
and the kids’ room in the beamed loft with twin raised beds. This is a pace-
resetting spot to flock to in a special corner of the country. FIONA KERR
BOOK IT From £1,700 for two nights (sleeps 14). +44 1273 692300;
coolstays.com/kingshill-farmhouse

BEST FOR SEASIDE SALTINESS
THE SHIPWRECK, CORNWALL

Set on the cliffside near the 17th-century fishing village of Portwrinkle,
this cabin is more resurrection than ruin, entirely fashioned from wood
recovered from Kodima, an actual shipwreck that sailed her last into
nearby Whitsands Bay. It was crafted in the early 2000s and then bought
and renovated in nine months by Plymouth couple Rob and Jo Kavanagh,
inspired by their shared love of the sea, through his sailing and her
childhood holidays. Now the home is a masterclass in maximising space.
A puzzle of pocket doors and loft cupboards; an old-fashioned trunk
serving as a coffee table; a TV that swings between rooms; and a
squeezed-in window seat for gazing out to sea. The kitchen is the beating
heart of the place, while the sitting room has a prepped-to-go fire heater.
There’s a custom-made Witt and Berg steel bath in the master, bunks
for the children, and the shower room has a rock-pool-shaped basin,
mirroring those glistening outside. What pulls everything together, like the
buttons on a sailor’s trousers, is the nautical theme. Spot illustrations of
sails throughout the centuries on walls and the odd shell or message in a
bottle on shelves – all without too much seaside schmaltz. Because it’s
the real deal; the couple has made sure their home, which they intend to
retract for their family’s sole use by 2025, is safe from whatever the
elements may fling at it, as if it were a real boat. Besides, there’s just no
escaping the sea here – its repetitive chorus fills your eyes, ears, lungs,
bones. Watch a neon sun melt into it from the bath or bed, the slouchy
sofa or bouncy wicker egg chair on the terrace. Or, on the beach itself,
while feasting on all-local scones, clotted cream, raspberry jam and even
Cornish wine from the weekend hamper. BECKY LUCAS
BOOK IT From £1,195 for a three-night long weekend (sleeps two
adults and two children). +44 1637 881183; uniquehomestays.com
WHERE TO STAY
BEST FOR ORGANIC FEASTING
RIVER COTTAGE, DEVON

The only way to reach the whitewashed farmhouse, at the foot of the Axe Valley
where Dorset rolls into Devon, is by tractor. A bumpy approach passes paddocks
of pigs and wandering cows in the 66 acres of West Country fields taken over by
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It’s been 20 years since the chef’s River Cottage
programme first aired, following his mission to be self-sufficient with food. Since
then, his ahead-of-the-curve organic ethos has become mainstream, but River
Cottage was championing local produce long before sustainability and zero waste
became the zeitgeist of the restaurant scene. Fearnley-Whittingstall fronted
campaigns to improve fishing practices in Europe and end supermarket food
waste; opened a cooking school at River Cottage HQ to teach home chefs about
seasonality and nose-to-tail recipes; and started supper clubs in the converted
barn. Now, for the first time, three bedrooms have been added for a full-on
sleepover. The biggest one slopes wonkily from one end to the other, a reminder
that this is indeed a 17th-century house, with a window seat overlooking the
folding hills and a secret door leading down to the living room. House manager
Nash Lewis-Oliver is around to pull out wellies for tramping on the grass and light
the wood stoves, leaving the fridge stocked with elderflower Champagne and wine
from Penzance’s Polgoon Vineyard. A five-course homegrown supper (smoked
beef brisket, roasted squash with labneh, brill with crispy roots) is whipped
up by chefs in the kitchen, the door left open for nosy guests to take a peek, and
served in the flagstone-floored dining room. It’s also where, in the mornings,
there are endless supplies of sourdough toast, steaming pots of coffee and eggs
from the chicken coop. For all its principles and ethical campaigns, the River
Cottage is an absurdly comfy, fatten-you-up weekender. SARAH JAMES
BOOK IT From £600 per night (sleeps six). +44 1297 630300; rivercottage.net

BEST FOR HUNKERING DOWN
NORTH FARM, COUNTY DURHAM

The stirring sister of Yorkshire, this north-east county is far less genteel yet still
poetic with its lumpen fields, Jurassic waterfalls and distinctive castles. And
the moment you cross the threshold of the muscular farmhouse, 15 minutes
from Darlington, it’s like entering a world where a NyLon sensibility meets an
understanding of true Englishness. Owner Rita Konig is a transatlantically
renowned interior designer whose childhood holidays in Scotland, years living
in Manhattan and patrician London upbringing (she is Nina Campbell’s
daughter) all come into play in this reimagined space. Konig artfully delivers
a new-but-been-here-for-generations feel. The star of the show is the apple-
PHOTOGRAPHS: MATT AUSTIN; SIMON BROWN; PAUL MASSEY
green drawing room with tapestry-style rugs, ornate carved side tables and
heavy, double-lined curtains. There is surprisingly varied art (large Japanese
chrysanthemum prints; fin-de-siècle oil paintings; vintage film posters) and
a hearteningly American attitude to hot water – Konig wanted each guest
to be able to bathe if not simultaneously, then consecutively. And there
are plenty of bathrooms but no en-suites, as she believes firmly in corridor life
which is indeed rather jolly – particularly since North Farm’s hallways are
covered in charming, faintly old-fashioned wallpaper. The kitchen is
dominated by a large scrubbed table and looks out across fields and fruit
trees. It is a real take on how to live: gather around the table while the
clanking of the washing up happens in the pantry, and be unbridled in getting
wet and muddy knowing that there’s a gleaming boot room in which to wash
off the mess, then sink into those fabulous sofas and headboard-backed
beds with their scalloped linen. Amid the rugged landscape, this is
an example of country life that’s utterly effortless. ANNABEL RIVKIN
BOOK IT From £2,500 per week (sleeps 14).
+44 7775 815669; northfarmdurham.com
THE HEALTH REPORT
A FAST TRACK TO AN IRON IMMUNE SYSTEM, THE GUT-FOCUSED MAYR
METHOD HAS LANDED AT SURREY’S GRAYSHOTT. DAISY FINER TESTS
THE FIRST HARD-HITTING PROGRAMME RIGHT ON OUR DOORSTEP
One question i get asked a lot is ‘Where can I head in the UK fasting, religiously chewing spelt bread and undergoing doctor-
for a proper health retreat?’ England has lots of smart country administered abdominal massages. It’s not exactly a holiday, but
house hotels with umbilically attached spas, but what if you’re this is one of the quickest, most assured routes I know to feeling
looking for somewhere integrated and dedicated, somewhere that less flat, more charged with energy. Plus, it’s essential to rest. A lot.
might actually be life-changing? In the past, getting on a plane has It sounded just the ticket, without having to buy one. As we are all
been unavoidable for an effective detox and medically based becoming much more conscious about not only what we eat but how
health assessment, whether for Germany’s foremost fasting clinic, we travel, I thought this was the ideal opportunity to check out how
Buchinger Wilhelmi, Spain’s SHA, one of Italy’s formidably England’s only fully focused destination spa was faring.
PHOTOGRAPH: FELICITY McCABE
brilliant Henri Chenot cleanses, or one of the many outposts in Since my last visit to Grayshott 10 years ago, it has been taken
Germany and Austria that offer the FX Mayr Cure. But the breaking into partnership by the ultra-smart, hyper-hi-tech medi-spa group
news for 2020 is that the grande dame of Britain’s spa hotels, Lanserhof. ‘I just hope they don’t ruin it and swank it all up,’ says
Grayshott in Surrey, is now offering an eight-night Mayr programme. Fay Maschler, the Evening Standard’s restaurant critic for 48
When I discovered this, I was in a mentally-beat-myself-up slump; years, who happens to have had the same idea as me and is on her
I knew I needed to avert the slippery slide into the blues. I’ve always third visit. This is where Maschler comes to reset in between reviewing
been a huge fan of the Mayr philosophy, which is based on the London’s hottest tables. She’s not the only one. There are female
premise that good health starts in the gut and involves Epsom salts, farmers from Dorset, a DNA detective, an eccentric interfaith

THE HEALTH REPORT
vicar who wants to open a Museum of Peace in London although days lost to sleep and downtime, evening swims and lectures, I add
she needs £50 million to get started (don’t we all?). There are also an array of stellar therapies. Maschler advises me to have a massage
plenty of men shuffling about. In the last straggle of winter, with Tommi Bordas: ‘It’s one of the best I’ve ever had.’ Another
Grayshott, which has been holding court for more than 50 years, is highlight is cranial osteopathy with Elaine Williams. She holds my
quietly abuzz with devotees pottering about in dressing gowns, head and neck for an hour, in silence, while unblocking energy and
stomping off for thrice-daily walks on the heather-strewn downs relieving muscular stress from the whole body. My eyes are still
or slumping on sofas next to a crackling fire. There is deep comfort closed and as we’re finishing she says: ‘There – that should feel better.
to be found in the hug of a building that was once home to You’ve got a strong spirit and if you don’t listen to it, it’s like pushing
Tennyson, and I know just how Maschler feels. It’s nice to go some- a beach ball under water. You really, really need to rest.’ I knew it.
where familiar where you can slob about in joggers. Finding out that Then there’s Kate Fismer, who specialises in the art of resilience and
the old dear was now attached to Lanserhof’s growing portfolio champions a tag line which to me seems to embody the ethos here:
was rather like discovering that Miss Marple might appear in the ‘Rest and digest, tend and befriend.’
latest version of Blade Runner. The Lanserhof aesthetic is more Everyone is concerned about my welfare. Not just the staff, but
modern than modern, as seen at the motherships in Lans (Austria) the other guests, too. I’m only the second person to have tried the
and Tegernsee (Germany), and their latest tentacle in London at Mayr (with its alkalising broths, massages and those dreaded Epsom
The Arts Club on Dover Street where MRI scans run like water. salts), and people are worried I might get lonely, or hungry or faint.
One can’t imagine how all this might translate to Surrey. What surprises me, though, is that most of the other guests, includ-
Grayshott is stoical, middle-aged, fits like a comfy glove, and ing Maschler, are also on a programme which Grayshott has been
many of the staff, with names such as Bridget and Mary, have been offering since 2013, affectionately known as The Regime. By the time
here for decades. You won’t find anything new-fangled, trendy or I leave I’ve reached the conclusion that The Regime is Britain’s Best
polished. At least not yet. To be honest, far from ruining it, Lanserhof Kept Secret. One of the waiters shares that he thinks guests lose as
has held back and Grayshott remains its own entity. I guess this goes much weight on this programme as they might on the Mayr, and
some way to excuse the grubby carpets, the poxy bathroom products they actually get to eat, as a group rather than as Norma No Mates,
(smaller even than the food portions) and the reality that there are and it’s half the price. Once you’ve done The Regime you can dip
still some design flaws – such as the fact that the steam room is back in for three-night top-ups. Clever. I ask Maschler about the food,
situated in a separate wing to the swimming pool, so you have to which is all about no sugar, good fats and promoting healthy
drip past motel-style bedrooms to get to it (stay in the main house microbes in the gut. ‘I’m not easily pleased,’ she admits, ‘but it’s
IT’S NOT EXACTLY A HOLIDAY BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE QUICKEST, MOST ASSURED
ROUTES I KNOW TO FEELING LESS FLAT, MORE CHARGED WITH ENERGY
with views over lawns). While it’s by no means perfect, there is much delicious and better than what they serve you if you’re just staying
to celebrate here, most notably the addition of Lanserhof-bred Dr here normally.’ What a coup. By the time Maschler leaves she has lost
Ursula Levine. A brilliant move. 6lb (‘Ann lost seven,’ she says, downcast), and the rest of her crew
Levine is in charge of the new Mayr (rhymes with fire) pro- are zinging about the place. A flurry of exercise classes includes the
gramme. Her energy is an uplift in itself, and she’s not just a GP who rather retro Fifties Aqua Fitness, several Pilates options and yoga
knows all about fasting – she’s also trained in TCM and trauma so gentle one younger guest walks out proclaiming it’s ‘for geriatrics’.
release. Appointments with her run throughout my stay. First, we To curb boredom, evening films run along the lines of Bridget Jones’s
talk about all my test results (bloods, urine, fitness, BMI). Most Baby, though by 8.30pm most people are already in their rooms.
came back as normal, though I do think the idea that I need to lose Everyone sleeps as if on Valium. Maschler wants to know how much
30lb a little absurd, cruel even, so I’m ignoring that one. It’s always weight I lost. But Dr Levine doesn’t weigh me at our last appoint-
nice to feel lighter, but that wasn’t the primary reason for my visit. ment, and I don’t mind that.
I was far more interested in sleeping better, raising energy levels, What I loved about Grayshott was that it delivered exactly what
calming the voice inside my head. Levine listens, and embarks on I needed most: a space to slow down and stop. No dishwasher. No
a 20-minute intravenous drip of vitamin C (‘the life vitamin’) mixed laundry. No dramas. While I found the Mayr programme wasn’t
with the Bs, zinc and selenium: immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory as meticulously executed as it might be at European counterparts
stuff. And while the drip dripped, she asked me to do a meditation (I kept forgetting the liver compresses because no nurse came to
where I had to visualise a rainbow entering the soles of my feet, administer it and I was expected to DIY), the joy of jumping into
travelling up the back of my body, past the point where a doctor your car and not facing an airport cannot be underestimated. By
cradles a baby’s head when it’s born and then up over the scalp, the time I departed my nervous system was so relaxed I felt like I
through the third eye, down the front and out the toes. Within was moving in slow motion. My mind really did calm down, and
about 10 minutes I was deep in that light, hypnotic place of peaceful yes, my jeans slipped on more easily. At last, somewhere in Britain
awareness where everything in your head finally hushes up. is providing a space for those wanting to take their health into
Levine throws in other delights, too: Chinese cupping for my their own hands. Collectively we are opening our minds to new
PHOTOGRAPH: FELICITY McCABE
stressed-out shoulders, and advice on boundaries. ‘One thing ways to care for ourselves, so bravo to Lanserhof which is, as usual,
that’s very interesting to do,’ she says, ‘is to wake up in the morning paving the way. This is the first effective medi-spa experience on
and stay silent. Get some Post-its and write down everything our shores. Whatever plans unfold here, I’m confident the future
that belongs to you and everything that doesn’t. Just try it.’ It is looks shining and bright.
exactly this sort of progressive attitude towards health that has
put Grayshott on the map. BOOK IT The eight-night Mayr Fasting Programme at Grayshott
In between castor-oil compresses, drawn-out meals in the Mayr- Spa costs from £3,994 per person. grayshottspa.com
dedicated dining room (you are instructed to chew slowly), whole

WHERE TO STAY
dovecote. Inside one cottage, a mezzanine
bedroom filled with plump creams and
botanical greens overhangs the airy
space and has a bed large enough to feel as
if you’re on an immense flying carpet.
Noble Isle bathroom products use heady
West Yorkshire rhubarb. Olive trees and
rosemary plants stud the outside, a smell
of eucalyptus catching the breeze.
EAT Everything on the plate at chef Gareth

Rayner’s Forge has been sourced locally.
Hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, black garlic
– piercingly earthy, caramel-sweet. There
are so many lovely details: oak fires burning
low; scarlet cocktails of spiced crabapple; an
infinitely rich Yorkshire Blue. The relaxed
Coach House serves consistently good
Mediterranean-inspired dishes all day, such
as especially silky, crispy gnocchi. At the bar,
cider from a nearby abbey. Rayner’s own
pickles and preserves crowd shelves like jars
of jewels. The breakfast granola – intense,
herbal – deserves its own shop.
WHO COMES HERE? An unusually egalitar-

ian mix of young and old, woke and county.
Chattering Dalesman families and whispering
French couples, city escapees and gossiping
regulars, a smattering of wedding guests in
delirious recovery mode.
WE LIKE The spa, poised to open more

treatment rooms, is heaven for simple but
powerful massages and facials by intuitive
THE WEEKENDER therapists using Kiss the Moon oils, made
just across the fields in Richmond.
MIDDLETON LODGE, YORKSHIRE WE DON’T LIKE The A1 is close by. Although
you can’t hear it, in any way that impinges.
WHY STAY? Because here’s a gorgeous WHAT IS THIS PLACE? Owner James
combination: quintessentially majestic Allison was raised in the Georgian manor, CONTACT +44 1325 377 977; middleton
British house and youthfully inventive and about 15 years ago, in his twenties, he lodge.co.uk. Doubles from £160, including
pastoral-estate hotel, enclosed in tended took over the estate, lovingly transforming breakfast. ANTONIA QUIRKE
acres on the lip of the distant-stretching its 200 acres and outbuildings with his
PHOTOGRAPHS: GASP PHOTO CO; RICHARD FAIRLESS/GETTY IMAGES
stone walls and green fells of Swaledale. architect wife Rebecca. The restored 16-
bedroom main house can be rented whole
WHY NOW? The Forge restaurant, plans for – a Palladian masterpiece whose central,
more bedrooms and an imminently larger cantilevered staircase seems to coil up into
spa reflect Middleton’s reputation in the the clouds. A converted coach house, one-
district: ask any local and each one has a time dairy, potting shed and more make up
fond story of a recent feast or stay. There’s the rest of the grounds, with two stellar
a word-of-mouth pride and interest in the restaurants and an intricate garden designed
whole enterprise that no marketing campaign by landscaper Tom Stuart-Smith that echoes
could hope to stir, and a permanently purling the bluebell wildness of the Dales beyond.
atmosphere of life and optimism. Stoves and
braziers flicker through winter, but early SLEEP Some 45 bedrooms occupy former OUT AND ABOUT
Richmond is the model Yorkshire market
summer in the two-acre walled garden is nooks and haylofts, all muted and elegant,
town, with glowering castle and rising
paradise: pagodas slung with blousy white with covetable paintings found by the cobbled lanes. Muddy gun dogs watch
roses, and the scarlet, raspberry-like buds owners at auctions and antique fairs. farmers sell pale leeks from vans. The best
on Persian ironwood trees shining in the The revamped dairy is particularly pretty, curd tart in the county is at Wilfred Deli.
dusk as if they were little lanterns. with 11 gentle rooms including an original

Smile all
the stay in
Mauritius.
LUX* Belle Mare encapsulates island living at its best: a glimmering lagoon and white sugar sand beach,
unrivalled service and charm, a huge swimming pool, exquisitely designed villas, the hottest tables of the island,
and even in-house coffee and ice-cream brands. We mean it when we say there is something for everyone.
MAURITIUS • RÉUNION • MALDIVES • CHINA • VIETNAM • FRANCE

CULTURE-HOPPING WITH
DJ KHALED
THE AMERICAN MUSIC MASTER, WHO C0-OWNS SIX
SOUL-FOOD RESTAURANTS, ON HIS TOP HANGOUTS
SOTTO SOTTO ONE&ONLY PALMILLA CHUBBY’S JAMAICAN PEREZ ART MUSEUM NUSR-ET STEAKHOUSE
TORONTO LOS CABOS, MEXICO KITCHEN TORONTO MIAMI FLORIDA NEW YORK AND MIAMI
‘Recently I was in the city ‘My schedule is pretty ‘Caribbean food is one ‘I love art, and have started ‘Seeing Turkish chef
with Drake, who grew up crazy, so whenever I have of my favourites – I to collect it. When I Nusret Gökçe receive the
here, and he gave me time to fit in a family always try to find joints have downtime, I visit the recognition he deserves
a tour. After being in the break, I’ll go somewhere that serve it. It makes Pérez Art Museum. It’s has been great. I support
studio all day, we went tropical. This hotel in San me feel at home. Chubby’s beautiful. I like it so much people who work hard;
to Sotto Sotto after-hours José del Cabo is a great was recommended that I hosted a dual he started out as a butcher
and he had them open it space to unwind. We stay to me by friends. The birthday party here with and now has a chain of
late for us – some real king in one of the villas and jerk chicken and oxtail my wife Nicole last restaurants. Social media
of Toronto stuff. It’s one of I spend all day swimming stew are so good. There is December, just after Art has a lot of power – when
the tastiest Italian spots I’ve with my son Asahd; we’re nothing like Caribbean Basel. We had NYC street he became popular for his
ever been to. I tried the blessed to experience such spicing to warm you artist Alec Monopoly do salt-sprinkling technique,
rigatoni ai quattro formaggi luxury. Having a personal up when it’s freezing a live painting and then I had to check out his
and mezze maniche al chef is one of the coolest outside. Man, winters in we auctioned it off. The place. The food is delicious.
PHOTOGRAPH: EMILY SHUR/AUGUST
pomodoro pasta. Incredible elements; it makes it Toronto are brutal proceeds went to my I was in New York not that
and fresh. We toasted easier to stay on track with but it’s all love – and I’m We The Best Foundation, long ago and he let me get
the night with Drake’s my diet. Travelling is grateful for the love which supports non- behind the kitchen to play
own-label Champagne – something I want to do I get when I visit.’ profit organisations and chef for the night. It’s a lot
nothing makes me happier more with my family chubbysjamaican.com individuals in underserved harder than it looks. If ever
than seeing my friends because there’s a whole communities. That I have a cheat day I want
succeed.’ sottosotto.ca world out there.’ was a night to remember.’ it to be here.’ nusr-et.com.tr
oneandonlyresorts.com pamm.org
DJ Khaled’s album ‘Bad Boys for Life’, the soundtrack to the 2020 film, is out now (djkhaledofficial.com). He spoke to Francesca Babb

TIME MACHINE IS
ACTUALLY A BOAT!
DISCOVER MORE
PHOTOS: JULIEN DUVAL; IVO BIOČINA
croatiafeeds.com
croatia.hr
O W N T H E H O R I Z O N
Derived from the ancient Greek word Amarantos, meaning everlasting, the AMARA experience is built to offer a
living panoramic vision that OWNS THE HORIZON. From the lobby to the bar, from the Michelin-star featured
restaurants, NOBU MATSUHISA and GIORGIO LOCATELLI, to your personal cascading plunge-pool, every room
offers a 180° view of the sea. Come and Stay. Journey into the everlasting, eternally changing, forever elusive.
9 5 A M AT H U S AV E N U E , AG I O S T YC H O N A S 45 3 3 , L I M A S S O L C Y P R U S . A M A R A H O T E L . C O M
STYLE FILE
FASHION-FORWARD NOTES FOR ALL SEASONS. EDITED BY CHARLOTTE DAVEY
TAKE IT AWAY
Shrinking things is fun, isn’t it? Unless they’re
in the wash. Poodles that fit in handbags;
dinky Regency furniture and roast dinners for
a doll’s house; the kids. In the 16th century,
courtiers marvelled at portrait miniatures of
Elizabeth I kept in lockets – almost the same
sense of wonder that greeted crisp-packet
shrinkies in the 1970s, made teeny-tiny in the
oven and threaded on string to create a
necklace. Now fashion designers are thinking
small. Jacquemus’ Le Chiquito Mini debuted
last year, and soon Lilliputian bags were
being worn like charms on belts at Dolce &
Gabbana, trailing from bracelets at Tod’s, and
layered up like lanyards at Versace. Fendi,
home of the original Baguette It-bag, has now
conjured these beaded mini pouches, just 5cm
square, to be hung like South Sea shells over
sequinned mini dresses. This was Silvia Fendi’s
first womenswear collection for her namesake
label after the passing of Karl Lagerfeld last
year. She introduced a fresh concept for the
brand: tech jewellery, with EarPod holders and
– coming soon – Apple Watch pendants. It’s
wearable power manifest, for a new sense of
perspective. Sometimes the macro outlook
can be micro. RJ Embroidered Pico Baguette
bags, £490 each, Fendi (fendi.com)
PHOTOGRAPH: WILL DAVIDSON. STYLED BY: MARTHA WARD. SHOT ON LOCATION AT SUJAN JAWAI (THESUJANLIFE.COM)

FRONT-ROW FUSION
FRENCH FASHION GIANT LOUIS VUITTON BRINGS ITS FIRST, BY-INVITE-ONLY RESTAURANT TO THE
BRAND’S FLAGSHIP STORE IN THE CITY KNOWN AS JAPAN’S KITCHEN. BY DANIELLE DEMETRIOU
LE CAFE V BAR AT LOUIS VUITTON MIDOSUJI IN OSAKA

TABLE TALK
It’s 8.30pm on a tuesday in osaka, and I’m standing outside an
empty Louis Vuitton store, gesturing at a security guard to let me in.
He shakes his head and crosses his arms. Then his face softens into
a revelatory ‘Ah!’ He whispers into his earpiece, slips out, guiding me
around the corner, and taps his white-gloved hand on a metallic
wall. ‘Seventh floor, please’ are his only words before vanishing.
It’s a fittingly spy-like introduction to the fashion house’s latest,
and most exclusive, venture yet: its first restaurant and café, just
opened at the apex of the billowing sail-like shop. I enter Le Café V
– where daytime shoppers put their name down and wait for a call to
try the already-lauded lunchtime wagyu burgers – but am immedi-
ately whisked behind a sliding-luggage installation into Sugalabo
V restaurant. Both are overseen by Joël Robuchon protégé Yosuke
Suga whose Tokyo outpost Sugalabo is impossible to get into. Stepping
inside is a bit like sleepwalking into a Louis Vuitton suitcase: an
AT ONE POINT A CHEF CEREMONIOUSLY
OPENS A MONOGRAMMED FLOWER

TRUNK, REVEALING BLACK TRUFFLES
intimate expanse of dark wood with brick-patterned trompe l’oeil
floors, and colourful bursts of yellow, blue, red and orange chairs.
Here, European flavours are mixed with a Japanese twist, so
Parma ham is laid over sushi-like mounds of rice. At one point a
chef ceremoniously opens a monogrammed flower trunk on the
open-kitchen counter, revealing black truffles before shaving them
over mini croque monsieurs. Lobster, cooked on a hot plate, is served
in a sweet curry with slow-roasted cauliflower and lemongrass.
As a tray of tiny madeleines and herb tea arrives, the experience
switches to a sort of private party: guests stand and mingle. The
crowd is made up of Suga’s Tokyo fanbase and Louis Vuitton’s
global customers – there are whispers that one early visitor was
Champagne guru Olivier Krug. It’s this access, on the other side
of a secret door on a street flanked with fashion flagships, that
makes this one of the most coveted seats anywhere in the world.
The speakeasy-style
door to Sugalabo V
restaurant. Above right,
Louis Vuitton Maison
Midosuji exterior
In the neighbourhood
N A M B A YA S A K A S H R I N E
A rare corner of quiet in busy Midosuji, with elegant torii gates
and a beautifully gnarled, centuries-old camphor tree.
Japanese shrine tradition sees locals wash their hands, toss
a coin and ring a bell before bowing their heads in prayer.
K A M I GATA U K I YO - E M U S E U M
PHOTOGRAPHS: LOUIS VUITTON MALLETIER/SOICHI KAJIRO
Behind its yellow exterior, this little spot feels more like
an old house. The walls are covered in Osaka-style woodblock
prints dating back hundreds of years and there is a small
workshop space on the top floor. Slip off your shoes, take a
seat at the low table and learn how to make your own.
HOZENJI TEMPLE
After supper at Sugalabo V, take a night stroll along
Hozenji Yokocho, a stone-lantern-lit lane lined with small
bars and restaurants that has a brilliant timewarp
atmosphere. Stop at this tiny temple and make a wish while
splashing water over the moss-covered statue, the
only surviving relic of the wartime bombings that
razed the surrounding area.

STYLE FILE Clockwise from left: bedroom at
Casa Turquesa; boats in the historic
centre; Pousada Literária hotel; town
cinema; pool at Casa Turquesa;
CANOA Arte Indígena craft boutique;
Le Gite d’Indaiatiba hotel entrance
PHOTOGRAPHS: MARTA TUCCI

SHOPPING IN
PARATY
ONCE JUST A PIT-STOP ON THE WAY FROM RIO
TO SAO PAULO, THIS BRAZILIAN BEACH
TOWN, WEDGED BETWEEN OCEAN AND FOREST,
PEACOCKS IN THE SUN, INSPIRING ECO-MINDED
ARTISANS. BY ROSALYN WIKELEY

STYLE FILE
CERAMICS than sleepy Paraty. Shelves are lined with wood. Her drawings are easily packaged up
A refreshing absence of loud shop signs limited editions, periodicals and architec- for the journey home, as are the doorstops
helps to create Paraty’s lo-fi vibe. The ture titles, while pastries by Belgian chef splashed with bright, animated faces.
unmarked Atelier de Cerâmica Lulu Silva Frédéric de Maeyer are served in the ivy- Sada works with wood certified by Brazil’s
Telles is part workshop, part homeware covered garden. pousadaliteraria.com.br IBAMA environmental institute and uses
store – though it could be mistaken for a pieces washed up on the beach. Over on
kitchen, as ceramist Lulu Silva Telles leaves TRADITIONAL CRAFT rua do Comércio, Atelier Patrick Allien
her creations to dry on the windowsill. CANOA Arte Indígena sells creations by is known for its quirky posters and intricate
Charming jugs, vases, egg cups, scalloped more than 40 collectives, from beaded etchings of the natural world. patriciasada.
plates and chunky earthenware, the colour jewellery and wooden sculptures to com, Atelier Patrick Allien (+55 24 3371 1158)
of raw clay or painted in olive green and macramé wall hangings. Founded by Nina
pastel tones, are on display at the one- Taterka, the initiative (Centre for Native HIP HANGOUTS
woman studio. You can also pick up Telles’s Arts Originating in the Americas) is Paraty Wine Bar is a chilled, low-key space,
wonky version of fruit – imperfect ornaments designed to preserve local cultures and but turns out strong cheese and Ibérico
with runny lines of blue – arranged in bowls. support artisans. Pick up clay Matis masks, charcuterie platters to go with its bottles.
facebook.com/atelierlulusilvatelles braided Canela belts and intricate piassava Across the street is Montañita Cafés
baskets, made using a technique known Especiais, a yellow-shuttered coffee shop
FASHION to only 35 families in the region. The shop that roasts speciality beans in small batches,
Lena Santana’s studio is tucked behind is involved with the Paraty Eco Festival showcasing Brazil’s best producers. The
her namesake whitewashed boutique. Her and other community fairs that provide interior is pared-back, with large-scale,
clothes – cotton dresses with Miró-esque an insight into the area’s history of crafts- Matisse-style murals as the only decoration.
designs; silk screen-printed tunics – hang manship. facebook.com/arteindigenacanoa Most blends are sold either as loose beans
beside beach totes and swimwear, as or ground coffee, and the Café da Casa
well as eclectic antiques and kitsch table- ART AND PRINTS comes in fun, cartoon-covered packages.
ware. Salvador-born and London-trained, At her eponymous gallery and studio, facebook.com/paratywinebar, montanita
Santana worked as a costume designer in Atelier Patricia Sada, artist Sada uses cafesespeciais.com.br
Rio de Janeiro before setting up her own reclaimed materials to create new works,
sustainably led label in Paraty. Pieces mix painting her abstracts – a riff on Egon SCULPTURE CULTURE
British punk influences with Brazil’s tropical Schiele’s sketches – on ceramics, canvas and After growing up in Provence, Aurelia
colours, using responsibly sourced fabrics. Cerulei moved here to open her mixed-
Look out for her unique accessories, such media gallery, A, a chapel of organised
as the oversized fabric collars, designed chaos circling a Victorian wrought-iron
to be worn on top of other garments in LOCAL KNOW-HOW staircase. For her collage-sculptures,
clashing patterns. lenasantana.com she turns broken pieces of crockery into
RENATA GUTIERREZ
AND JAMES ROWLAND textured maps, stitched together with thick
BRAZILIAN SPIRITS red thread. Around the corner is Studio
In Sítio Santo Antônio, a short ride from FOUNDERS OF FURNITURE Bananal, run by Brazilian artists Fernando
Paraty Bay, Cachaça Maria Izabel distillery STUDIO KNOT ARTESANAL Fernandes and Sergio Atilano, selling free-
and farm sits between dense jungle and standing pieces such as blocks of eroded
‘Jump in a kayak to
ocean. Izabel’s brew is the stuff of local driftwood washed in cobalt blue. instagram.
explore Paraty’s isolated
legend, using sugar cane grown and beaches and islands. com/aureliacerulei, studiobananal.com
distilled on site with near-alchemic yeast- Saco do Mamanguá
making skill. On top of this, she is also fjord is beautiful.’ WHERE TO STAY
the formidable host of the farm’s tasting Le Gite d’Indaiatiba is a guesthouse and
‘Laidback Quintal de
sessions. Bottles of the liquor can be bought restaurant with a series of bungalows on
Mãe in Jabaquara feels
at the shop for home-made Caipirinhas or the doorstep of the Atlantic Forest. The
like a friend’s house. Chef Flávia Alves
from Empório da Cachaça, a small store set it up in her garden and cooks the natural pool is surrounded by jungle, with
in town which looks like a 16th-century best north-eastern Brazilian dishes.’ short walks to waterfalls. In the historic
pirate’s drinking cabinet and also sells centre, Pousada Literária’s walls are lined
exotic fruit jams. mariaizabel.com.br, ‘DJ Xan, who plays various venues with worn books and terraces look out onto
in town – especially the beach bars –
instagram.com/emporiodacachacaparaty banana trees. Meanwhile, at Casa Turquesa,
always guarantees a good time.’
an 18th-century townhouse-turned-hotel,
BOOKS ‘For cultural events and exhibitions, vibrant woven baskets are filled with sandals
check out Casa da Cultura de Paraty,
PHOTOGRAPHS: MARTA TUCCI
Livraria das Marés, set inside a colonial for guests to slip on and feel at home. legite
mansion, is a bookshop and culture hub which has varied and interesting dindaiatiba.com.br; doubles from about
that champions Brazilian literature, holding programmes. Great for a rainy day.’ £35. pousadaliteraria.com.br; doubles
talks and workshops in an airy second-floor knotartesanal.com from about £200. casaturquesa.com.br;
space that feels more New York’s MoMa doubles from about £275
Opposite, clockwise from top left: Casa da Cultura façade; lampshades at CANOA Arte Indígena; Casa Turquesa; Paraty Wine Bar; fashion designer Lena
Santana at her studio and shop; bowls at Atelier de Cerâmica Lulu Silva Telles; artwork at Atelier Patrick Allien; Casa Turquesa; Carioca Bay in Paraty

IN THE ZONE
JONATHAN ANDERSON ON IBIZA
THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF SPANISH LABEL LOEWE SHARES HIS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WHITE ISLE
WHEN DID YOU FIRST VISIT IBIZA? on the island, so now there are many influences set up by Danish chef Boris Buono who also
‘I’ve been coming with my family every from India, the USA and Europe, and I think runs La Finca in the north of the island. A
summer since I was very young. My parents that’s what created this loving, open-minded friend of a friend took me here the first time and
bought an apartment here – well, my dad did, spirit. It is one of those rare destinations where it was like I had never tasted good food before!
completely out of the blue. I don’t think you can let go and experiment. There’s a feeling They grow everything themselves, so it’s all
my mother was impressed.’ that anything is possible.’ farm-to-table tapas such as pumpkin salad and
cured meats with fresh focaccia, figs and
WHAT MAKES YOU RETURN EACH YEAR? YOUR FAVOURITE BEACHES? artichokes. It also has a really interesting wine
‘It has everything you need; it’s a great place ‘Aguas Blancas, towards the north of the island, list – Ibizan wine is like nowhere else
to wind down in, but at the same time you can is one of the best I’ve ever been to. You have to because of the microclimate.’
have a night out if you want to. I always visit go through a forest to reach it, which is amazing
in August when you get the best of both worlds. in itself. It’s usually pretty quiet and there is a WHERE DO YOU GO FOR THE BEST
I come to decompress, find inspiration, little chiringuito beach shack which sells Mojitos VIEW ON THE ISLAND?
go shopping, sunbathe, drink gin and tonic and fresh juices. My perfect day would just be ‘Castell d’Eivissa is a standout. It’s set on top of
and enjoy the beach.’ hanging out here until sunset.’ the hill in the old town, so it’s a very steep climb
up through narrow lanes to get to it, but then
WHY DOES ITS STYLE APPEAL TO YOU? YOUR TOP PLACES TO EAT? there are views across the rooftops towards the
‘The 1970s were a big moment for Ibiza. A lot ‘There is a brilliant restaurant called Food Studio sea. It dates back more than 1,000 years and
of people from all around the world descended on Carrer Alt in the old town, which was was once a fort but now it’s a gorgeous area to
STYLE FILE
get lost in, with little bars and cafés tucked a part of the history of this place. It’s such an HOW HAVE YOU INCORPORATED IBIZA
away around the gates of the castle walls.’ Aladdin’s cave. I come here a lot for research and INTO YOUR DESIGNS?
inspiration; you never know what you’re going ‘When I joined Loewe as creative director in
ANY OTHER SECRET SPOTS? to find, from bright printed shirts to embellished 2013, I made it my mission to get the brand
PHOTOGRAPHS: SAYANA CAIRO; ANA LUI; AMI SIOUX
‘I like to escape from the crowds so I always go straw hats. It’s actually where I discovered lots aligned with the power of Ibiza. It was a natural
to San Carlos, a real hippie village in the north. of early Paula’s Ibiza pieces for the capsule link for the Spanish heritage label to
As much as it is incredibly busy on the island, collection that’s inspired by the legendary look to the Balearics, and for me, too. Being
there are still places with no one around, where Seventies clothing brand of the same name.’ from Northern Ireland, I didn’t know Madrid or
you can just disappear.’ Barcelona, but I had a link to Ibiza. Loewe
WHAT GALLERIES DO YOU VISIT? had already been printing textiles here for many
WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO SHOP WHEN ‘I like the modern Museu d’art Contemporani years, but the extension of the capsule
YOU’RE HERE? d’Eivissa, in the old town. It was originally opened collection was to also encompass the island’s
‘The lanes around Dalt Vila are the true in the 1960s so is a great record of the artists cultural history. Ibiza is related to freedom,
epicentre of that Seventies era. There is a very that have come through Ibiza since its heyday, as a mindset that takes you from meditation
good vintage boutique called Vicente, which well as showing international works. It’s also to clubbing, and I think we see this idea of
I’ve loved since I was a kid – it’s the best shop in where we have opened our Loewe Paula’s Ibiza extremes in the Paula’s Ibiza looks.’
Ibiza. The owner has been here since 1972 so it’s pop-up store for the past three years.’ Loewe Paula’s Ibiza collection is on sale from 16 April
Above: a dish of chicken with local peas at Ibiza Food Studio; Dalt Vila. Opposite from left: whitewashed Dalt Vila; Jonathan Anderson

STYLE FILE Jardin Mystérieux
earrings in
cultured pearls,
tourmalines,
peridots,
emeralds, garnets
and diamonds,
POA, Mikimoto
(mikimoto.co.uk)
Garden Party large

pendant in gold,
black rhodium and
diamonds, £9,500,
Annoushka
(annoushka.com)
Dior à Versailles, Côté

Jardins ring in gold,
diamonds, garnets,
sapphires, tourmalines
Pierre d’Eau and lacquer, POA, Dior
brooch in gold, Joaillerie (dior.com)
aquamarine
and diamonds,
£24,900,
Chaumet
(chaumet.com)
GARDEN STATE
JEWELLERS PLUCK FRESH IDEAS FROM THE WORLD’S LOVELIEST PLOTS
In this age of mindfulness, environmentalism and slow living, gardening feels more relevant and timely than
ever. Jewellery has always riffed on florals, but gardens specifically? Designers are now turning to nature at its
ESTATE/COURTESY THE REDFERN GALLERY, LONDON
most tamed and tidied for horticultural inspiration. Dior was first off the mark with a collection drawn from
PHOTOGRAPH: NORMAN STEVENS/ THE ARTIST’S
the ordered opulence of Versailles in which blousy blooms contrast with black enamel made to mimic the
palace’s intricate ironwork. Boodles’ 40-piece ode to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden (in particular
the remake of the film out this year) is similarly structured, with lattices of diamonds in a pair of earrings, a
bracelet and necklace. Mikimoto goes to Japan, of course, with its narrative as delicate leafy ear cuffs are
appropriately hung with pearls. Newcomer Akansha Sethi travels to Marrakech and the Jardin Majorelle; the
pop of carved lapis lazuli expertly mimicking the rich blue of the hard landscaping, with touches of hot-pink Ring in gold
ruby in homage to the clouds of bougainvillaea. While Chaumet settles on the paraphernalia of vermeil, lapis
a potting shed; wellies, watering cans and trowels are all given the Place Vendôme treatment lazuli, turquoise,
Walled Garden earrings in and rendered as gem-set brooches. But it’s Annoushka who stays closest to home, taking ruby and enamel,
pink gold, sapphires and inspiration from the sweeping lawns and clipped topiary of her own backyard in West £815, AS
diamonds, £14,000, Secret Sussex to create articulated graphic pendants and a bracelet in her customary textured Akansha Sethi
Garden collection by gold. So while gardens may be in sharp focus once more, you don’t need to be (akansha
Boodles (boodles.com) green-fingered to love everything about these pieces. JESSICA DIAMOND sethi.com)

STYLE FILE
KEEP IT COOL
CATHERINE ROBINSON TESTS OUT THE HIGH-IMPACT BEST FOR
BEAUTY FIXES FOR JET-SET RESULTS A BODY BOOST
‘Whenever I hum “Kokomo”
by The Beach Boys, I’m
BEST FOR BEST FOR transported to Aruba and
SKIN REPAIR BRIGHT EYES Jamaica. But when I need to
‘Some trips leave me looking ‘The real trick to beating jet go further, I head to Tahiti
tired and almost unrecognisable. lag is a brilliant concealer: with beauty brand Le Paradis.
The cause is hard to pinpoint, when you don’t look exhausted, American travel writer
regardless of it being long or it’s much harder to feel Stephanie Steinman’s love of
short haul, a hot or cold climate. exhausted. French-born Laura tropical destinations inspired
Symptoms are equally confusing: Mercier’s Flawless Fusion her to bring some of her
my complexion is oily enough to Ultra Longwear Concealer is favourite places to life in
produce spots yet desperately creamy and highly pigmented. products. One sniff of the tiaré-
dehydrated. For this, there It covers all indiscretions and is flower-scented Tahiti Body
is La Mer The Concentrate, perfect for under-eyes, as the Balm with monoi oil and I’m
which contains the brand’s pliable sponge wand reaches sipping coconut water under
healing Miracle Broth, using sea corners of darkness that others a palm tree, limbs covered
kelp and wheat germ, in its don’t. After applying, I let it in sunscreen. It’s what I want
purest form. Instantly soothing, air-dry a little before blending to apply after a day beside the
the velvety gel sinks in without – it is game-changing. Dab with sea.’ £70 (net-a-porter.com)
harming the skin’s fragile barrier.’ a finger and watch it fuse into
£325 (worlddutyfree.com) place.’ £25 (libertylondon.com)
BEST FOR BEST FOR

A ROSY COMPLEXION SAVING SPACE
‘A holiday always allows me to see life through rose- ‘It seemed wrong to tamper with the colour-
tinted lenses. What was gloomy on departure alchemy stripes of Lip Suede Les Rouges from
PHOTOGRAPH: ANTOINE VERGLAS
seems cheerful on arrival. Chanel’s Le Blanc Rosy Westman Atelier, the clean-beauty brand by
Light Drops does the same for skin. The sheer, make-up artist Gucci Westman. But once my
moisturising fluid smells sweetly of Japanese ume finger skimmed the surface, there was no going
flower and illuminates the face in a wash of back. Each shade is flattering: hot fuchsia, bitten-
iridescent pink, which breathes life and happiness lip burgundy, poppy red and dusty rose. Other
into anything it touches. Use on its own, under matte products can make lips feel like raisins, but
foundation or to enhance areas where the light hits, these are nourishing and plumping with collagen-
such as cheekbones. Don’t forget to add a sweep boosting peptides. Great for creating space
of shimmer to the décolletage.’ £38 (chanel.com) in my make-up bag.’ £75 (net-a-porter.com)

ISTANBU L KIEV KUALA LUMPUR MOSCOW PORTO R I YA D H
Ruban Secret Watch
STYLE FILE in gold and diamonds,
POA, Van Cleef &
Arpels (vancleef
arpels.com)
Egérie Moon Phase in gold, diamonds

and moonstone, £30,000, Vacheron
Constantin (vacheron-constantin.com)
PHOTOGRAPHS: MIKE CARREIRO/GALLERY STOCK; JASON SCHMIDT/TRUNK ARCHIVE

PLAYING DRESS UP
FRANCE’S COUTURE HERITAGE IS STITCHED INTO
THE MOST PRECIOUS NEW WATCHES
The horological world can be a fairly narrow one – watch designers don’t
often draw inspiration from another craft. But of late, a handful of makers
have turned to haute couture, borrowing motifs and references from
this assiduously French métier. And the fit is an easy one, not least in
methods and means; watchmakers build movements in dust-free, studious
workshops in the Vallée de Joux, while the seamstresses of Paris meticulously
pin and sew their extraordinary creations in the city’s tucked-away ateliers.
The capital has held on to its reputation as the original heartland of bespoke Dior Grand Bal Ruban in gold,
fashion since its invention in 1858 – couture is as French as the parquet diamonds and feathers, POA,
floors and grand apartment blocks of the Left Bank. And now Vacheron Dior Watches (dior.com)
Constantin has borrowed from the discipline in its new Egérie collection
with a dial rendered in the guillochage workshops to mimic the crisp pleats of
fabric, while watch hands in the shape of needles pay homage to the nimble
fingers of the couturiers. Dior riffs on its founding father’s contribution to
fashion with a delicate white-gold bow loosely tied on the oscillating
weight, set onto the front of the timepiece. Chanel, of course, zones in on Tweed
tweed, with high-jewellery designs that see threads of gold and strings of Brodé watch in
pearls woven together – this is Switzerland via Paris via the mills of Scotland white gold and
– and Van Cleef imagines a grosgrain ribbon tied around the wrist in a secret diamonds, POA,
watch set with hundreds of diamonds. Just as couture is a labour of love for Chanel Fine
those who make clothes for the lucky few, hours of craftsmanship go into Jewellery
these creations too – after all, a stitch in time‥. JESSICA DIAMOND (chanel.com)

STYLE FILE
Viper bikini top,

£114; bottoms, £90,
both Palm (moda
operandi.com) Brightside Palm
mini-dress, £2,600,
Zimmermann
(zimmermann
wear.com)
Straw fan,
£169, Maison
Alma (moda
operandi.com)
ON THE SCENE CONSTANCE TSARABANJINA, MADAGASCAR

Leather mules, £525, Rupert
T HE M O O D: M AN G O A G O - G O Sanderson (rupertsanderson.com)
Cotton and silk
wrap dress, £2,070, Critter-collecting conservationist Gerald Durrell is more commonly associated with Corfu
Gabriela Hearst and Jersey but his last mission was to Madagascar, to help save the aye-aye, a saucer-
(gabrielahearst.com) Leather
eyed, witchy-fingered lemur under threat of extinction. It is still alive and well, as are all wallet,
sorts of curious fauna here: moths as big as fans; fingernail-sized chameleons; psychedelic £395,
stick insects. Off the coast of East Africa, but floating alongside the Galápagos in Loewe
terms of biodiversity, Madagascar is the sort of place Gulliver may have landed. It’s also (loewe.
extraordinarily pretty, especially Tsarabanjina, a tiny island to the north. At its top and com)
bottom lie two beaches, fringed with squeaky white sand, and at the heart is rainforest,
echoing with the whoops of fody birds and paradise flycatchers. All around are reefs
teeming with Kool-Aid creatures: pink-fringed sea cucumbers on ultraviolet-edged coral;
delicate orange anemones; lobsters with graffiti-like shells; purple-lipped giant clams. At
Constance Tsarabanjina, 25 cabanas are tucked between palm groves – swing on hammocks, Cutwork
watch crabs scuttle by, listen to pounding waves and sip mango Margaritas. Or just wander embroidered
along the sandy paths, revelling in the sort of wildlife you’ll see nowhere else on earth. We dress, £4,750,
can all say aye-aye to that. LISA GRAINGER constancehotels.com. Doubles from about £470 Erdem
(erdem.com)
Ramie blouse,
Raffia and wood earrings, £400, £786, Alberta
Oscar de la Renta (oscardela Ferretti (moda
renta.com). Straw twill hat, £580, operandi.com)
Hermès (hermes.com)
Carlina sunglasses, £370,

Chloé (chloe.com)
Jade cross-
body bag,
Woven bracelet, £195,
£310, Dior (dior. Michael
com). Patent heels, Michael Kors
£495, Jimmy Choo (michael
(jimmy choo.com) kors.co.uk)
Medaille swimsuit,
£430, Eres Woven belt, £680,
(eresparis.com) Hermès (hermes.com)

STORE
Timeless, yet modern, prints from
the world’s most iconic photographers
condenaststore.com
Use code CNS25 for 25% off
Henry Clarke, June 1, 1952, Vogue
To everyone who took the slide, not the steps. Thank You
The World’s
BEST FAMILY
holidays 2020
OUR FAVOURITE HOTELS AND ADVENTURES. EDITED BY ISSY VON SIMSON
PHOTOGRAPH: RUPERT PEACE
VILLAS AT ONE&ONLY DESARU COAST, MALAYSIA

FOR THE WHOLE CREW
THE CLEVEREST MULTI-GEN SPACES, INCLUDING A SLICK ARRIVAL WITH A HENRI CHENOT SPA
EXCLUSIVE ONE&ONLY DESARU COAST

FIRST LOOK
JOHOR, MALAYSIA
THIS WAS ONE OF THE LAST PROJECTS from the late, great architect dishes appear on the menu of the Mediterranean-Malaysian
Kerry Hill, whose roll-call includes the sharp, striking Aman Tokyo restaurant, which means a guilt-free lunch or two.
and the jungly classic Datai Langkawi. Known for his fusion of Throughout the restaurants, local collaborations feel forward-
cultural traditions and technical precision, Hill laid the foundations focused and on-the-button. Two Malaysia-based creatives take centre
for a wildly copied contemporary style. This, his final play on a stage: there is a manga-style mural by artist Abdul Rashade above
modern tropical aesthetic, is rooted to the location and draws on the dimly lit Japanese sushi joint and Fuan Wong’s botanical glass
both the kampung, or village, vernacular and Malaysia’s black- sculptures in the open-air Dusky Monkey bar. This is where
and-white colonia-era mansions. There are imposing triple-height mixologist Vijay Naidu serves his own spin on a Negroni: equal
pavilions with timber shutters, walls of windows and brushed-steel measures of gin, Shiraz and Pinot Grigio. His explanation for its
ceilings. From the lobby, your gaze is channelled down a wide, origin? ‘I ran out of vermouth.’ It tastes worryingly moreish.
steep stone staircase to a break in the treeline and a tantalising There’s a different vibe down at the beach club, Ember, with its
first glimpse of the South China Sea. It is a suitably theatrical archi- cream-white styling and cabana-lined pools (one for children). The
tectural flourish on which the old master can bow out with pride. combination of sun, sea, DJs and exceptional food – such as grilled
While Hill’s best hits are spread across Asia, it’s curious that seabass with green-curry sauce – from chef Andrew Walsh, who
One&Only, with its high-octane hangouts around the world, is only worked under Jason Atherton and Tom Aikens, will no doubt bring
now venturing into the continent. After the obvious (Reethi Rah a weekend crowd up from Singapore. It feels more elevated than
in the Maldives), the urban (One&Only Cape Town), the people- Phuket, more sophisticated than Canggu. And yet, in the background,
pleasing (The Palm Dubai), and the trailblazing (Gorilla’s Nest there is still a rawness to the jungle environment. The wildlife is up
Rwanda), it is even more interesting that Desaru Coast is the chosen close. A cheeky macaque monkey might slide down a tree and sneak
base. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of it. I suspect it’s unknown into the villa pool. At the kids’ club, youngsters can watch footage
territory for even the most well-travelled. This skinny crochet hook from cameras hidden in the nests of oriental pied hornbills.
of land in the unspoilt south-east of Malaysia is much closer to The elephant in the room is the neighbours. On the way in,
Singapore than Kuala Lumpur. It had its last moment in the sun the drive passes an adventure waterpark. Beyond that, a Hard
back in the 1970s as a popular if modest seaside retreat for Rock Hotel. I am bemused that the brand looked for 10 years and
Singaporean families. But as the area’s hotels grew dated, its appeal then opened beside a spot that practically hands out guitar
waned. It didn’t register on the radar again until 2016, with the plectrums at turndown. But as a sure-fire winter-sun hotspot or a
opening of the first of two golf courses by sporting legend Ernie meet-in-the-middle gathering space for families who are spread
Els as part of an almost £1 billion masterplan to reinvent itself, and out globally, this feels smart indeed. SUSAN D’ARCY
Anantara and One&Only vying to scoop the best spot on the coast. BOOK IT Elegant Resorts offers seven nights from £2,900, including
It’s easy to see why they were both so keen for a slice of the pie. breakfast, flights and transfers (+44 1244 897294; elegantresorts.
Here, 128 acres of wild flora surround a lick of beach and water co.uk). British Airways flies from London to Singapore (ba.com)
that turns from a Thai turquoise in winter to a Caribbean cobalt in
summer. As I ‘om’ at its seafront yoga pavilion, the place feels as
remote as a private island. The only other sun worshippers are
hermit crabs scurrying across slabs of volcanic rock wedged at a
dramatic 45 degrees into the cappuccino-coloured sand. With a bit
of luck, hawksbill and green turtles can be seen waddling out of the
water to lay eggs under the triffid-like trees that shade the shoreline.
In a clever chess move, the group has added the kind of
heavy-hitting spa name that will draw expats from Hong Kong,
Bangkok and Australia. Henri Chenot is one of Europe’s most
respected wellness figureheads and a pioneer of the medical-
detox diet. At his Italian flagship, programmes revolve around
digestion analysis and nutrigenetic testing, broth fasts and mud
baths. Denial is not exactly part of the One&Only ethos, so
PHOTOGRAPHS: RUPERT PEACE
here the offering is more like Chenot-lite. The concept and its
diagnostics have been adapted for those on holiday, though are
still considerably more results-driven than the usual roster of
anti-ageing facials and massages. Treatments are targeted, but
there are also experiential ones including the incredible neuro-
acoustic deep relaxation, which combines a light-pressure massage
with music scientifically composed to trigger theta brainwaves
and transport guests to mental nirvana. And Chenot biolight
BEST FAMILY holidays
HOTEL ESENCIA
TULUM, MEXICO
This former home of Italian duchess Rosa de Ferrari is spirited away down
a dusty path off the road between Cancún and Tulum. In 2014 Hollywood
entrepreneur turned property mogul Kevin Wendle fell for the whitewashed
hacienda and cotton-soft Xpu-Ha beach and turned it into one of Mexico’s
loveliest places to stay. Baby sea turtles wriggle in the sand at dusk, waiting
to be returned to the water – a thrill for inquisitive marine biologists. A
palo-santo-waving shaman presides over the spa, making potions out of
Yucatán lime and hibiscus – a must for budding botanists. But while a
feeling of myth and natural wonder prevails at this fairly low-key, feet-in-
the-sand set-up, poolside sarongs are still by Chanel. The main mansion is
filled with art, with pieces by Picasso, Fernando Botero and Eduardo
Santiere; the beach is pristine (when the seasonal seaweed storms relent);
and there are two pools for everyone to spread out. Bedrooms are
minimalist with flashes of geometric colour – like a monk has had a
spending spree in Hermès. Villas have a plunge pool in their garden, and
terraces in all rooms provide a spot for parents to sit at night drinking in
the sounds of the waves over a spiced mezcal Margarita; larger troupes
should nab the three-bedroom Yum-Ha private house. A thoughtful
pre-breakfast treat of coffee and pastries is left outside the door every
morning in a box, to thwart avian visitors. At Mistura restaurant, dishes are
on-trend for the avo-loving wellness generation – sea-bass ceviche with
habanero sauce packs a punch. It’s hard to reconcile haute-hippy Tulum
with the hang-your-hammock gap-year territory it once was, with upcycled
kaftans commanding huge price tags and legendary queues at Hartwood
restaurant. But it’s buzzy and perennially popular. And Esencia, in its
tucked-away bird-and-plant-filled jungle setting, gives glorious respite.
INSIDER TIP Driving here is easy, and the Tulum ruins are only half an
hour away, so resist the temptation of just staying horizontal on a sunbed.
BOOK IT Turquoise Holidays offers seven nights from £6,999 for
two adults and a child, including flights and transfers.
+44 20 7147 7087; turquoiseholidays.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHS: TANVEER BADAL; MICKY HOYLE; MARK WILLIAMS; ELSA YOUNG; ARTURO ZAVALA

SINGITA CASTLETON
SABI SAND RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA
Made up of private concessions filled with big-hitting lodges, the
45,000-acre Sabi Sand Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park, is
a soft landing for safari first-timers, especially those with children. Getting
here, via Johannesburg, is a cinch, high concentrations of game are
guaranteed and it doesn’t involve bumping along in a four-wheel-drive for
hours to see it all. Even the shortest ride gets close enough to a leopard or
‘flat cat’ (bush code for a sleeping lion) to sear the image into curious
young minds. There’s still no better check-in for big families than Singita’s
Castleton, the original farmhouse where the conservation and eco-travel
brand’s founder Luke Bailes holidayed as a child. While the spirit of
the simple homestead remains intact, design duo Cécile & Boyd’s deeply
smart, antique-filled interiors have been recently tweaked to feet-up
perfection: grassy earth-coloured rooms, ticking-stripe linens, wildlife
sketches and tribal artefacts. Smiley staff rustle up lunchtime picnics and
starlit feasts in surprise settings, and warthog graze unperturbed
on the neat lawns that surround the main house and its six cottages.
What’s also changed is the raft of things to keep everyone busy when not
exploring the savannah. They’ve got ball sports covered, from football,
rugby or cricket on the lawn to a game of boules or tennis, plus there’s
archery and a huge trampoline. Post-game-drive sun salutations in the
new yoga pavilion are best followed by a massage, while the children take
a nature walk or help bake cakes for afternoon tea. The heart of the house
is the wraparound veranda with waterhole-view sofas, books, binoculars
and board games, and direct access to one of the most thoughtfully
stocked wine cellars in the country. Castleton is still steeped in feel-good
family vibes and as close as you can safely get to wild Africa without having
to forfeit holiday treats such as cocktail-fuelled afternoons by the pool.
INSIDER TIP Pack lightly, because you’ll want everything in
the Singita boutique and gallery, a slick edit of stylish safari living.
BOOK IT From about £12,925 per night for exclusive use (sleeps 12), full
board, including staff, private safaris and transfers. singita.com
CASA PEGO
COMPORTA, PORTUGAL
Tapping into the barefoot, salty-haired vibe of Portugal’s
coolest holiday destination used to be an exercise in knowing
the right people. The best beach shacks were privately owned,
and only for friends of friends. Now though, in addition
to a number of new hotel openings, the top spots can be
infiltrated. This low-slung six-bedroom villa, right behind the
high dunes of Pêgo beach, is as close as you can get to having
your toes in the water. Olive groves and wild pines surround
three separate cabanas – ideal for giving grandparents or older
siblings a bit of space – that are linked by sandy pathways;
there’s no need to bring shoes. Inside, floors are smooth
polished concrete and sun-bleached driftwood informs the
styling. And while the kitchen is fully kitted out, the house is
within walking distance of the gorgeous Sal Beach Club,
to which the whole family can decamp for long lunches.
BOOK IT SJ Villas offers seven nights from about
£23,070 (sleeps 12). +44 20 7351 2904; sjvillas.co.uk
MASSERIA CARDINALE
SYRACUSE, SICILY
The south-eastern corner is a gorgeous honey-hued part
of the island with wonderful countryside and quick day-trip
nipping between the ancient artefacts of Syracuse and
the wild beaches of Noto, via the world’s best cannoli and ice
cream at Caffè Sicilia. New this summer is this lofty masseria
that will swallow up families and friends in its cool spaces
and shady courtyards. Its meticulously restored cane-vaulted
hall is lined with Picasso-style frescoes illustrating Ovid’s
Metamorphoses, great for inspiring GCSE revision, and the
seven bedrooms are neutral, with lots of knocked-back greys
and off-whites. Whip up pizza in the wood-burning oven or
leave the in-villa cook to it – there are all sorts of pretty tables
around the grounds for suppers under the stars before
everyone retreats to the cinema room for a late-night movie.
BOOK IT The Thinking Traveller offers seven nights from about
£9,085 (sleeps 14). +44 20 8131 9476; thethinkingtraveller.com
VILLA MABROUKA
ESSAOUIRA, MOROCCO
Designed by the pre-eminent architecture team from
Studio KO – also responsible for Marrakech’s Yves Saint
Laurent Museum – and owned by Willem Smit, who
runs the gorgeous El Fenn in the medina, here is a villa with
good pedigree. The three-bedroomed hilltop house has
far-reaching views over a criss-cross of wheat fields
and drystone walls down to the Atlantic, and there is a guest
cottage for extended members of the gang. A housekeeper
lays out spreads of delicious local pancakes for breakfast but
PHOTOGRAPHS: KASIA GATKOWSKA
the traditional Moroccan feel ends there – rooms are

filled with Eames chairs, contemporary photographs and old
family pieces rather than mosaics and kilim rugs. Teens
will love not only the sharp, slick vibe of the villa but also the
windswept kite-surf beaches of Essaouira, which are a
20-minute drive away. An amazing place to flop, tacked onto
a city stop or an Atlas Mountain adventure.
BOOK IT CV Villas offers seven nights from £4,419
(sleeps eight). +44 20 3944 3114; cvvillas.com

TIME TO
LE A R N
MAKE IT EXCEPTIONAL
There’s no present like time – and at Scott Dunn we really understand that your holiday time is extra precious.
It’s why we’ve always made it our priority to be great listeners. Because we believe that only by getting to
know you can we create the magical moments and timeless memories that will make your family holiday
truly exceptional.
When you make time for what matters most, we make it exceptional. Call 0203 1306 908 or visit scottdunn.com/cnt
MINI MARVELS
CLUED-UP CORNERS WHERE THOSE WITH BABIES IN TOW CAN SWITCH OFF COMPLETELY
SANI
HALKIDIKI, GREECE
On paper, the complicated set-up of Sani – a five-hotel gathering spread out along
a scoop of pristine coastline – leaves some scratching their heads. To simplify:
soft, Caribbean-like sand, clear shallows, nose-tingling pine forests, bright, smart
bedrooms, every imaginable permutation of places to eat, very good kids’ clubs
and, above all, a proper Greek arms-open welcome for families. It is rare to find
somewhere that cushions parents and their brood like this, pre-empting needs,
mopping up spillages before a tear has dropped, popping hats on hot little heads,
holding out a hand as small legs wobble up steps. But that doesn’t mean it’s a
primary-coloured water park. Rooms in any of the hotels are elegant riffs on blue
and white, with marble in the bathrooms, sunshine on the terraces. The spas are
calming spaces for massages and body scrubs; swimming pools range from cool,
dark tucked-away numbers to inflatable-filled, splashy ones with bridges and
paddling sections. Lunches at Beach House, with its Balearic-beat soundtrack,
plates of sushi and bottles of Whispering Angel, transport you straight to Ibiza;
suppers under the boughs of bougainvillaea at Ouzerie taverna, with its painted
wooden chairs, checked tablecloths and resident cat, could be Corfu, Paxos,
PHOTOGRAPHS: THEHOTELTROTTER.COM; ENNO KAPITZA

Skiathos... The Dine Around programme seems elaborate at first but enables
families to bounce from restaurant to restaurant without adding painfully to the
final bill. Annabel Karmel has designed the children’s menus, so it’s not just
a pile-up of good old Italian carbs but also delicious chicken soups, grilled fish,
hummous and crudités, couscous salads, and purées for weaning babes and
toddlers. Plus there are high chairs and children’s cutlery everywhere. It’s also
possible to order all sorts of baby kit – sterilisers, bottle warmers, changing mats and
monitors – to the room, as well as rent buggies, scooters and trikes. And whoever
thought up the stay-and-play BabeWatch sessions at the beach deserves a gold
star. It’s hard to imagine a more relaxing set-up for an all-together holiday.
INSIDER TIP A secret gold card gives repeat guests 10 per cent off food and drinks
in the restaurants, in case further incentive is needed to book again.
BOOK IT Abercrombie & Kent offers four nights at Sani Beach from £1,795
for two adults and one child, full board, including flights and transfers.
+44 20 7173 6440; abercrombiekent.co.uk

VERDURA
SCIACCA, SICILY
An evergreen beachside hangout, this hotel was a labour of love for Rocco
Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi when it opened more than a decade ago on the
south-west coast of Sicily. The huge estate between the Valley of the Temples
in Agrigento and the fishing village of Sciacca remains as slick as ever.
Its architecture, a pared-back, modernist affair, has stood the test of time, the
whitewashed buildings sitting strong in the rugged landscape dotted with olive
groves and fragrant citrus trees. New this summer are 20 new Hollywood Hills-style
villas with private pools, and while they might look terribly grown-up, with earthy
tones of terracotta and ochre and handcrafted ceramics, they come kitted out
with night lights, safety plugs, baby baths and other crucial paraphernalia. The
whole place is subtly but deftly geared towards the smaller members of the family.
Fussy eaters won’t have anything to complain about, feasting on spaghetti al
pomodoro on colourful, unsmashable plates at Liolà trattoria. Food miles are minimal
– the fish at all four restaurants is fresh from the sea. Extra energy is burnt off in the
sports clubs where professionals train in everything from football to windsurfing, on
the tennis courts, dive-bombing into the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and
cycling around the 230-hectare grounds, which are flat enough to navigate with a
buggy. The kids’ club is full of singing-and-dancing Sicilian Mary Poppins organising
fun and games. Toddlers can take naps in a cool sleep room while parents
have theirs under the parasols on the sandy beach or on a treatment bed in the
state-of-the-art spa. Smart, easy to get to and high-octane, this may be where
Diane von Furstenberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper come to attend
Google Camp, but it’s also a laidback refuge for those looking for some
vitamin D-fuelled downtime and to feel the sea breeze on the whole family’s skin.
INSIDER TIP Carve out at least a few wellness-focused hours – the spa is quietly
up there with the very best in Italy. Alongside serious results-driven programmes
Rocco’s daughter Irene Forte has created a menu of facials using her own natural
skincare line made with olive oil, nuts and herbs grown on Verdura’s farm.
BOOK IT Carrier offers four nights from £6,360 for two adults and one
child, including breakfast, kids’ club access, flights and transfers.
+44 161 492 1357; carrier.co.uk
BEST FAMILY holidays SHANTI MAURICE
SAINT FELIX, MAURITIUS
This Indian Ocean island has been an established winter-sun winner for
years with families who can access its soft sands and jungly interiors by
direct overnight flight from the UK. Compared to the parade of freshly
revamped big hitters that line the southern coastline, Shanti Maurice is a
little worn around the edges, but with young children frankly that’s an
advantage – no fiddly furniture to break, and no fear of them ruining the
peace among legions of honeymooners. It still feels special, with low-slung
buildings set around an enormous pool, acres of tropical gardens and
one of the biggest spas on the island. Beach villas are breezy spaces of
marble, glass and thatch, with a sun deck and pool and separate living area,
great for families who need space to roam. Extra bunk beds are set up
for children with pre-tucked-in teddies, there’s an ice-cream cart on the
beach and although the bay is studded with sharp rocks, they’ve cleared
and roped off a tranche for paddling. All this before you get to the new
kids’ club, the really compelling reason to come here. It opened last year
and takes babies from four months old. Which is game-changing. The
space is huge, with age-appropriate kite-making, kayaking and cookery
classes, and the staff-to-child ratio is almost two to one. Open until 10pm,
it offers supper for little ones who are then delivered back to parents
in time for pudding. An outdoor cinema performs a similar miracle, with
four-year-olds being fed fish and chips and popcorn in front of a movie
while the adults have cocktails. And those late bedtimes mean late
morning wake-ups. So you could actually come back having slept well.
INSIDER TIP Two children under 12 can stay and eat for free if they’re
sharing a room with their parents, which is pretty persuasive.
BOOK IT Scott Dunn offers a seven-night stay from £2,500
per person for two adults and two children, including flights and
transfers. +44 20 3131 5723; scottdunn.com
ALMYRA
PAPHOS, CYPRUS
While Paphos draws crowds with its archaeological sites and incredible
mosaics, visually Almyra is the stark modern antithesis to the town. With
187 rooms, it isn’t small yet still contrives to feel boutique, with rooftop
lounge areas that you’ll stumble upon like a delicious secret and quiet,
bougainvillaea-shaded pathways. The interiors have just had a multi-
million-pound transformation overseen by French designer Joëlle Pléot;
while the place has amazingly never suffered the smudged grubbiness
of a thousand toddlers careering down the corridors over a summer
season, it’s good to see a fresh kick in the styling. Regulars will spot new
oak and olive furniture made by local artisans, photographer Michalis
Kouloumos’s specially commissioned prints, Carrara marble walk-in
showers and dramatic deep-blue accents. Breakfasts are perfectly geared
towards children: two types of bacon, Cypriot treats such as
pastelli, waffles and pancakes made to order. Parents swap sleep-training
and dummy-weaning tips, and weigh up the merits of Maggie & Rose PHOTOGRAPH: WARREN HEATH/FRANK FEATURES
vs Purple Dragon, while staff whip away Hänsel and Gretel trails of
crumbs. At night, it becomes more sophisticated. Even the most jaded
foodie will be satisfied by standout restaurant Notios with its almost-
Nobu Japanese-Mediterranean fusion. The kids’ club is still up there
with the best – gently cradling babies, artfully entertaining pre-schoolers
– giving parents some precious time out. One of four Thanos
Hotels on the island, Almyra feels like a half-term rite of passage for
those who like to catch the first and last rays of summer sun.
INSIDER TIP Ask for one of the Kyma suites, big, breezy and with
their own seafront terrace – they get booked a year in advance.
BOOK IT Scott Dunn offers a seven-night stay from £1,100
per person, for two adults and one child, half board, including flights
and transfers. +44 20 3131 5723; scottdunn.com

ALL-ACTION ZONES
SPECTACULAR NATURE-FILLED DESTINATIONS TO KEEP CURIOUS TEENS ENTERTAINED
PHOTOGRAPHS: JACK JOHNS & OWEN TOZER; MICHAEL TUREK

ISLAS SECAS
GULF OF CHIRIQUI, PANAMA
Most people flying into Panama City head straight for the azure waters of Bocas
del Toro or the San Blas Islands, off the Caribbean coast. But the wilder
Pacific side, with its scrappy surf spots and empty palm-tree-lined bays, is worth
considering as a family destination, too. Especially now there’s Islas Secas to check
into, a private archipelago 20 miles off the mainland. Not only are there seriously
impressive eco-measures in place – all energy is solar-generated for starters, and of
the 14 islands, only the largest, Cavada, has been developed – but everything
here is completely customised for all ages. Each evening, sit down with the staff to
hatch a plan for the next day, whether it’s hopping on a boat to Isla Pargo for a
picnic on the white beach – like playing castaway but with a walkie-talkie for
back-up; going on a guided nature walk through the forest, listening to tales about
buccaneers and bats; or booking in for a bonding sound-therapy session in the
hummingbird garden (the soothing vibrations mean the whole crew usually conks
out). For teenagers, there are thrilling watersports, including discovery dives and
eFoils, while younger siblings will love kayaking or snorkelling with turtles off
Isla Barracuda. Nine gorgeous wooden casitas – three more are in the pipeline,
plus a four-bedroom villa – are set in tropical gardens with plunge pools,
daybeds and thatched cabanas. Plus there’s the bar with a board-games nook and
the breezy Terraza restaurant where children can tuck into cheese quesadillas
and tuna burgers for lunch before afternoon downtime in a nearby hammock.
After dark, a fire-pit barbecue and movie night under the stars is a sure-fire hit,
too. To stay somewhere with this much space for running free is rare: you’ll hardly
clap eyes on any other guests, never mind fretting about making too much noise.
This is a new level of eco-luxury for Panama that hits all the right notes.
INSIDER TIP The island has its own landing strip and will offer direct transfer
flights from Panama City from next year – a seamless option for parents with
overtired children who want to cut the final leg of the journey.
BOOK IT Steppes Travel offers an eight-night trip from £11,595 per adult and
£3,395 per child, full board, including flights. +44 1285 601608; steppestravel.com
NOAH SURF HOUSE

COSTA DE PRATA, PORTUGAL
A sleepy village overlooking a beach pounded by Atlantic waves doesn’t
scream child-friendly destination. Yet under-the-radar Santa Cruz, north
of Lisbon, has quickly established itself among in-the-know parents.
That’s in no small part due to this hip eco-hotel designed by the couple
behind gorgeous Areias do Seixo a few miles away. Noah exhibits the same
artistic flair but with a more industrial aesthetic. Rooms are in the main
house or boxy wood-clad bungalows, their roofs tufted with grass, and
kids love the bunks suspended by cables with rope ladders. Teens roam
between the skatepark and chill-out room with its table football, or
commandeer the hot tub while adults take a deep inhale of salty air from
the daybeds around the pool. The ocean beckons as soon as the sun
rises but only the most dedicated surfer would miss breakfast with eggs
from the resident chickens. If conditions are too rough off Santa Cruz’s
11 beaches, head north to buzzing Peniche or south to pretty Ericeira. For
supper there are two options: the restaurant offers twists on local classics
such as Ibérico pork pica pau with spices, and Noah Beach House, right
on the sand, is big on seafood. In terms of design, bare bricks and chunky
furniture are offset by fishing nets, octopus traps, even an upturned boat
– this artful flotsam and jetsam reflects a determination to repurpose.
Sustainability extends beyond the styling: instead of air-conditioning, thick
walls keep rooms cool; rain water is collected and food composted; 70 per
cent of energy for hot water is generated by solar power; and everyone is
given metal water bottles to reuse. This is somewhere to teach kids good
environmental practice, as well as surfing. The modern way to holiday.
INSIDER TIP En route to Peniche stop off at glorious Santa Rita, a vast
expanse of beach crossed with wooden boardwalks.
BOOK IT i-escape offers doubles from £150 for two (£40 for each
additional person) including breakfast, yoga and skate lessons. i-escape.com

ALPHONSE ISLAND
OUTER ISLANDS, SEYCHELLES
In terms of far-flung, this speck 250 miles to the south-west of Mahé is
about as Robinson Crusoe-adventurous as most probably want to
get. Nature is allowed to run riot, with countless bird species, lumbering
giant tortoises, and nesting hawksbill and green turtles, whose secret lives
can be explored on nature walks with the conservation team. This is
where to come to kick off your shoes, pedal a bicycle through palm groves
and properly disconnect from the world. The atmosphere has the cheery
informality of a house party – owner Murray Collins and his family often
bob among guests gathering in the bar for a rum cocktail before candlelit
suppers. Bed down in one of 22 simple, raised A-frame bungalows; for
more space, choose the beach suites or the new villas, designed by Lisa
Rorich in thatched Creole style, all barely a stone’s throw from the lapping
water of the Indian Ocean. And what water. The island is famed for its
saltwater fly-fishing, the ocean rich in the ultimate prize – the giant trevally
– but with a commitment to preserving the stock, it is on a catch-and-
release basis. The exception is the Bluewater kitchen run, where would-be
Hemingways can reel in tuna and wahoo, which then reappears on a
plate, sashimi’d or freshly grilled, with an array of inventive salads. The
transparent shallows are dreamy for young paddlers, and older children can
kayak or snorkel above reefs teeming with fish, or learn scuba skills at the
dive centre. Swimming with manta rays or sailfish is another singular
experience. An Attenborough documentary can certainly ignite enthusiasm
for conservation, but a trip to a pristine wilderness like this will really show
children the hands-on importance of looking after the natural world.
INSIDER TIP A barbecue lunch on a sandbar, surrounded by vast blue sea,
shows how small we truly are – it later disappears in the rising tide.
BOOK IT Seven nights from about £5,280 per person, full board, including
flights from Mahé and all non-motorised water sports. alphonse-island.com
LES HORTENSIAS DU LAC

LANDES, FRANCE
Life is sweet on the shores of Lake Hossegor, a few hundred yards from
the rollers that draw surfers from around the world to this south-west
corner. Both rugged and cool, the Landes region is usurping the nearby
Basque Country in the hearts of Parisians. They come here with their
children for August holidays to sidestep the chi-chi hotspots of Ile de Ré
and Juan-les-Pins, to roam the countryside and have space to plant their
parasols on the beach. Most families hole up in the wooden-shuttered
houses between the lake and the sea, but this summer they’ll be
clambering for rooms here. This classic hotel, tucked into the pines, was
taken over and transformed by the Domaines de Fontenille group: after
a top-to-toe renovation it now looks like a kind of mid-century-modern
Hamptons surf lodge. The new restaurant with its bulb-string-lit terrace
serves up a sunny menu of pan-fried squid, mussels and hay-roasted
chicken. Bedrooms are light and bright, and downstairs whisky decanters
and loose-covered sofas have made way for jute rugs on polished-
concrete floors, decorative surfboards stacked in a corner, cane benches
and velvet footstools. It feels smart, but also somewhere for wet
footprints coming in from the pool or sandy toes from the beach. And
the real focus is the sea.The surf clubs that run along La Côte d’Argent
offer lessons to everyone from first-timers to near-pros, and there
are all sorts of surf competitions and festivals to watch, as well as
paddle-boarding on the lake and yoga back at the hotel. A fresh new
way to tap into the salty-haired vibe of the area, but without the villa
PHOTOGRAPHS: YANN DERET
hassle of having to cook supper or make the beds.

INSIDER TIP The hotel rents out electric bikes that are great fun to take
on the 25-mile cycle track that runs up to Seignosse, and back round via
Capbreton – a top spot to grab a café au lait or fresh juice.
BOOK IT Doubles from about £120. hortensias-du-lac.com
SUJAN JAWAI
RAJASTHAN, INDIA
The wilds of western Rajasthan feel utterly remote. There’s something
about the vast panorama of prehistoric rocks, winding rivers and endless
sky that’s like teetering at the edge of the earth. Here is where leopards
live, and a stay in this safari set-up is the best shot at seeing them in their
natural habitat. Crack-of-dawn four-wheel drives head out into an
almost lunar landscape to view the magnificent creatures as the sun rises
– these encounters are something even the grumpiest of teens will drag
themselves out of bed for. After the sightings it’s time for tea and pastries
lakeside, where hundreds of species of birds and crocodiles reside, before
looping back to camp for a proper breakfast. The 10-tent gathering at
Jawai is deeply smart: each comes with a huge bed, massive bathroom,
fully stocked bar, chrome trunk desk and dhurrie rugs, all designed by the
owners Anjali and Jaisal Singh. Laundry is whisked away each night, and
delicious dinners are organised surrounded by hundreds of oil lamps.
So far, so grown-up, but an exciting programme of activities makes
younger guests nod their heads in approval: a cubs den for the littler ones
with painting classes; tracking and bushcraft skills workshops for the older
set, plus photography lessons and bird watching. The Sujan team are
conservationists at heart, and helping Rabari herdsmen lead goats across
the hills or dropping into the schools where the group has invested in
teacher-training programmes are rewarding experiences that will ingrain
themselves on young minds. As an add-on to a grand tour of the Golden
PHOTOGRAPHS: HAJRA AHMAD; LUCY LAUCHT; ANJALI SINGH; AUBREY STOLL/GETTY IMAGES
Triangle, and a respite from the temples, a stay here is a real adventure.
INSIDER TIP Book the family suite which cleverly has two connecting
tents, as well as its own pool and dining area, meaning not only privacy
for the adults but also no shushing the children.
BOOK IT Tents from about £980, full board, including daily
wilderness drives. thesujanlife.com

One world, your story..
The world is full of stories yet to be told. At Elegant Resorts,
our highly experienced team go further to create the most
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PHOTOGRAPHS: SARAH GRACE; GEORG ROSKE; NICK SCHULTE
ROAM-FREE RETREATS BRILLIANT BASE CAMPS FOR KIDS TO GET THEIR KICKS
DOMES ZEEN CHANIA

CRETE, GREECE
A new breed of family-friendly hotels is being born. Spaces where the design is as
exciting as the children’s activities; where parents can pretend – if they ignore their
offspring instigating a water fight in the sleek, black-tiled pool – they’re still the
kind of people who hang out at beach clubs. Domes Zeen, which originally opened
as Casa Cook Chania last summer, is one such spot. Concrete villas spill down
the hillside from a modernist reception that wouldn’t look out of place in Palm
Springs, the work of those in-demand Athenian architects K-Studio (of hit
Mykonos beach bar Scorpios). At its foot, life centres around the pool: families
camped out on one side, nearest to the kids’ club; couples opposite dozing under
thatched parasols, the pebbly beach just beyond. The fashionable crowd is
instantly recognisable: toddlers in Liewood leopard-print swimsuits and mothers
with Isabel Marant beach bags stuffed with toys; Dutch parents in power linen who
crack open the rosé as soon as nap time rolls around; bleary-eyed Berliners on
baby’s first holiday ordering purées with their poolside poké bowls. There are rooms
with a window seat that cleverly turns into a third bed, and multi-roomed villas, all
with private or shared pools. Interiors include muted textiles and rattan touches
that are both covetable and child-proof in one. The club is just as considered, and
has an environmentally conscious, Montessori-led, creativity-inspiring ethos.
This translates as sessions crafting tic-tac-toe sets from painted rocks and castles
out of cardboard; decorating photo frames with shells; cookie baking and yoga.
Families reconvene for outings into Chania with mapped-out recommendations
such as coffee roastery Kross and restaurant/shop Ginger Concept, or a boat trip
to Loutro, a tiny, whitewashed village on a turquoise bay further south. Back at
the hotel, the all-day Beach House turns out healthy food with Cretan flavours,
from breakfasts of DIY grain bowls and local cheeses and pastries to hearty,
slow-cooked pork belly and homemade kalitsounia pie for supper. New this year
is the smaller, splashier Estia restaurant and an Elemis-backed spa. Greece has
long nailed family holidays, and this stay marks the next generation.
INSIDER TIP Rooms – except for the top villa – don’t have baths, so request a
baby one (and other kit to save on packing space) before you arrive.
BOOK IT Doubles from about £130, including breakfast. domeszeenchania.com
BOSCHENDAL WINE ESTATE

FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA
We all know Franschhoek first and foremost as an epicurean hub for world-class
wines and forward-thinking restaurants. But, of course, it’s also home to working
farms and next-gen organic estates that make for a wholesome holiday. One
of the oldest and loveliest, 2,200-hectare Boschendal, is certain not to rest on its
laurels. Stays here can involve taking the run of the historic Rhodes Cottage, the
elegant Werf Garden Suites – or, best for families, the Orchard Cottages with
up to four bedrooms. Backed by plum orchards and vineyards, with clear
views to Paarl Rock and the Franschhoek Pass, each Orchard space is equipped
with a mini kitchen, wood-burning stove and veranda with daybeds for lazing with
a book while keeping an eye on the pool action in the park-like gardens. There
are plenty of dams on the property for wild swimming and trout fishing and a
network of trails, mapped out through fynbos on the slopes of the magnificent
Simonsberg and Groot Drakenstein peaks, to run, hike or cycle along. Mountain
PHOTOGRAPHS: RODRIGO CARDOSO; CLAIRE GUNN; MARK WILLIAMS

bikers in the making will love the single-track practice run near the cottages
and the gnarly little pump track attached to the new Tree House. At this adventure
centre, doors are open to kids from four to 14, and they are supervised by
sustainability graduates, making it much more than simply a childminding service.
Gardening, foraging and cooking over coals are some of the activities on offer,
along with baking, upcycling and arts and crafts. The best way to cram everything
in is to book a farm tour, horse-riding session and picnic lunch at reception the
minute you check in. Breakfast, a bountiful farm-to-table spread served on
the cottage stoep, is included. When wine tasting turns into an early supper of
small plates at Werf Restaurant, order fish and chips or bowls of pasta from
the Deli for the little ones. If too tired to eat out, take organic provisions from the
farm shop back to the house or order in a wood-fired pizza or barbecue box
for DIY burgers. On Friday evenings, there’s a farmers’ market under the oaks
with Boschendal wines and live music. This is a dreamy rural bolthole to settle
down in after a whirlwind few days in Cape Town.
INSIDER TIP The Wine Tram may sound gimmicky but the hop-on, hop-off tour
of the Franschhoek Valley is great fun.
BOOK IT Orchard Cottages from £125 per night, including breakfast. boschendal.com

OUTPOST – CASA DAS ARRIBAS
COLARES, PORTUGAL
Built for a wealthy family in the 1940s by influential Portuguese architect
Raul Lino, this white-on-white estate – high on a cliff in the old seaside village of
Azenhas do Mar – lay abandoned for 15 years until it was modishly revived by
its German owner Chris Kraus two years ago. Outpost is now a collection of six
cool, clean-lined apartments set in a tropical garden staring vertiginously
down to the Atlantic Ocean, while the midnight-green forests of Sintra-Cascais
Natural Park creep up behind. They showcase Lino’s pared-down vision and
love of space and simplicity. Most have views on at least two sides, plus
polished-concrete worktops and exposed ceiling joists. Original terracotta tiles,
stone fireplaces and robust, locally made wooden furniture give the place
an air of rugged refinement (and parents a sense of relief that there’s nothing
too obvious for the children to smash). The Ocean Saloon is the pick of the
bunch, with glass doors looking out to a private terrace and roaring, in-your-face
sea views. Wool rugs in block-coloured stripes, an oval ceramic bath and a
swirling sculptural pendant lamp – designed by Kraus in the style of Le Klint –
add character. In summer, the hotel is filled with fresh-faced, outdoorsy
European families. A shared tennis and basketball court, gym, swimming pool,
spa and store cupboard stocked with skateboards, games and yoga mats keep
everyone on their toes, meaning young ones are adequately exhausted by
bedtime. Surfing is a way of life in these parts, and the practically private beach
– a minute’s walk from the garden gate – offers sheltered waves suitable for
the youngest budding boarders. Massages and fitness classes can be arranged,
as can childcare – especially useful for a quick grown-ups-only day trip to Lisbon
(about 45 minutes away). But with its hypnotic scenery and soothing, stripped-
back interiors, it’s easy to stay put at this crazy–good-value new hangout.
INSIDER TIP There’s no restaurant on site, but a breakfast basket can be
arranged and lunch and supper easily called in from the delightful
Café das Patrícias nearby.
BOOK IT Welcome Beyond offers doubles from about £115. welcomebeyond.com
LES MAISONS DE CAMPAGNE

ILE-DE-FRANCE, FRANCE
The fairy-tale Château de Villiers-le-Mahieu looks on first appearance like any other
obscenely romantic, 17th-century French country house: clipped yew trees, a glassy
moat and a portico with pretty turrets peeking out. But inside, the atmosphere is
more hip house party with pops of kitsch. Where once might have stood suits of
armour there’s an old-school popcorn trolley outside a cinema room, and a big screen
displaying the day’s activities, such as yoga and karaoke. Industrial-look lighting and
wild wallpapers lend style, and every living space has a help-yourself beer fridge.
Help yourself is a running theme at this spot, for not only does it represent a fresh
spin on the château, but a reinvention of the all-inclusive, too. Here, paying upfront
and not sweating the small stuff is done the slick way, designed to appeal to Parisian
families for whom it’s just an hour’s journey. Creator Guillaume Multrier hopes to
roll out a handful more Maisons de Campagne across France. He has form with this
variety of fun-luxe, opening the first Folie Douce après-ski hotel almost two years
ago in Chamonix, where acrobats twirl on rings in the lobby. Though it’s not quite so
‘extra’ here, trampolines on the lawn demonstrate that a similar sense of merry-making
pervades. But the focus is on unfussy pleasures: rowing on the moat and borrowing
scooters to explore nearby towns. At the pool, baskets of armbands are one of many
thoughtful touches that act as analgesics on stressed parents. Food is of course a
self-serve affair, but very nicely done with colourful salads, rich dauphinoise and
dorada sizzled on the barbecue out back. Then, as the shadows lengthen, grown-ups
retreat to the pétanque pitch with wine. Everything is chilled, and life is sweet.
INSIDER TIP As well as standard babysitting, there’s a supervised dormitory where
kids can be booked in for a sleepover with games and treats.
BOOK IT Doubles from about £145 per adult and £75 per child, full board.
lesmaisonsdecampagne.com
PHOTOGRAPHS: PIP COWLEY; KAREL BALAS; KARYN MILLET

PLAYA GRANDE BEACH CLUB
PLAYA GRANDE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Up on the wild northern shore, this pastel-coloured gingerbread-house set-up,
designed by New Yorker Celerie Kemble, was originally a private villa for her
and financier husband Boykin Curry, as well as their friends. And what a villa.
With tracery on the wraparound verandahs like wedding-cake icing, mint
and melon rooms and shell-studded mirrors, it is absurdly pretty, tropically sweet.
Getting here is an adventure; this part of the island is remote and miles – both
geographically and atmospherically – from the resorts of Punta Cana. But after
the bone-shaking, potholed drive from Santo Domingo, it is a relief to sink into an
unhurried pace. There’s not a huge amount to do, so time really slows down. Long
breakfasts of bright mangos and papayas, bananas straight from the tree, thick
yogurt and sticky local honey are followed by general pottering and pootling.
Everyone heads down to the deserted mile-long beach – where it’s not the flat,
turquoise Caribbean Sea, but the thrilling, wave-crashing Atlantic – to explore,
followed by a splash in the pool. There is no scene, no particular sightseeing, so it
becomes somewhere for children to enjoy adventuring under their own steam,
settling into a lo-fi momentum with a gentle sense of freedom. Coconuts plop
onto the sand and staff in the background keep an eye out while grown-ups doze.
You can of course sign up for outings, such as whale watching and rainforest hikes,
or just take a bicycle to pedal around nearby villages. The nine plantation-style
bungalows, spread out among the grassy gardens, are tucked away, with huge
copper rolltop bathtubs, retro kitchens and crisp linens on the vine-wrapped four-
poster beds. Despite the elegance of the design, it’s mixed with all the technology
needed: on-the-button air conditioning, filtered water in all the taps. Food is
delicious and incredibly healthy, but the menu is short, so pop to the beach
restaurant next door for lobster lunches, or to Amanera, up on the bluff, for evening
drinks. Kemble and Curry’s friends still populate the place – it feels like one big
Manhattan house party, with everyone hanging out at the clubhouse, eating supper
together, playing cards into the night. An extraordinary oasis from the real world.
INSIDER TIP The in-room spa treatments are very good – book one of the
hour-long massages for each day of your stay and you’ll feel utterly horizontal.
BOOK IT Bungalows from about £600. playagrandebeachclub.com
PATRICK’S LODGE
PALMARIN, SENEGAL
This is where the French come; while we are piling across the Channel on
a ferry to invade their shores, they are hopping on a plane to Dakar to feel the
African sand between their toes. But the year-round sunshine of Senegal is now
within reach via direct flights from London. The Petite Côte is a pristine swathe
of beach that stretches for about 62 miles. At its southernmost point, at the
gates of the Sine-Saloum reserve, between mangroves, white sand and ocean, is
this private lodge designed by Belgian architect Coralie Michiels. It opened
quietly last year and through word of mouth has quickly become one of those
places whispered about in the playgrounds of the 6th arrondissement. It’s exactly
the kind of barefoot family hideout that we all want to find, where kids really can
roam free. The main house has a soaring, open-sided sitting room decorated
with wooden masks, rattan lampshades, coffee tables made from felled trees
and gorgeous graphic cushions. A four-bedroom villa and a handful of smaller
houses – jungle-print tropicana in one, Santorini blues in another – are spread
out across the 11 hectares. Older children will beg to stay in the four- and
six-bed dormitories for late-night pyjama parties. And the littler ones will
be captivated by the kids’ club, where sweet staff will help them pick tomatoes
from the vegetable patch to make their own pizzas and climb on the wooden
giraffes, zebras and elephants in the playground. After paddleboarding in the
shallows, meandering the lagoon on a pirogue and taking quad bikes out
on the savannah, everyone returns for fish tagines and shrimp-salad lunches with
tall glasses of cool hibiscus tea or Provençal rosé at the large table set up facing
the surf. Despite the laidback look of the place, the infrastructure to keep
PHOTOGRAPHS: MIREILLE ROOBAERT
young ones happy is turbo-charged: cooks, nannies, a sports coach and drivers are
on tap 24 hours a day. After evening beach barbecues, musical workshops
take place to the beat of djembes and children fall asleep with stars in their eyes.
A gentle, authentic taste of West Africa for little folk.
INSIDER TIP Patrick’s Lodge has its own sewing workshop, where
bespoke tunics, pyjamas and household items made with stunning local
fabrics can be ordered.
BOOK IT Little Guest offers doubles from £490, full board. littleguestcollection.com

ADVENTURES IN THE WILD
IMPACTFUL JOURNEYS PROVEN TO BOND ANY BROOD
HORSE RIDING
KYRGYZSTAN, CENTRAL ASIA
My romance with Kyrgyzstan began 20 years ago when three girlfriends and I rode
the length of the Silk Road by horse and camel. As we crossed the border from
Uzbekistan it was as though a magical kingdom was opening up in front of our
eyes; rarely does a line on a map reflect such a dramatic change in landscape. The
adobe villages of the verdant Fergana Valley made way for the snow-tipped peaks
of Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan mountains. The fine-boned Uzbek farmers in their
striped coats and skull caps were replaced by nomadic shepherds on horseback,
wide smiling faces crowned with felt hats. After guiding our horses through a
maze of cotton fields and vegetable patches, we emerged galloping into the
freedom of the plains. ‘We are entering heaven now,’ announced Bazar-kul, our
guide. ‘Heaven’ was Sary-Chelek, a nature reserve of seven pristine, alpine lakes,
established during Soviet times to protect the landscape and recognised by
UNESCO in 1978. Last year I went back and it was still the most magnificent and
uplifting place. ‘Look at the eagle,’ cried my 10-year-old son, leaning out of
his Genghis Khan-style saddle to catch a better view of the seven-foot shadow
crossing our path and swooping down into the expanse below us. Swathes of
wildflowers brushed against our stirrups. No brambles or nettles – as I later
learned, because the ground has never been ploughed – just meadows of tulips,
hollyhocks, irises, peonies and so many other species beloved in English country
gardens, cultivated by botanists during the escapades of the Great Game. My horse
was bathed in sweat and its stomach heaving from our precipitous climb to the
8,025ft Kotormo Pass; I looked at my three children with wonderment – I couldn’t
believe we were all here on the very same paths I had ridden two decades earlier.
Every campsite was just as it had been ingrained in my memory: the one in front
of Iri-Kul lake, where we swam with our horses, and the spot beside Kara-Suu
lake, reached through a lunar terrain of boulders, where we witnessed a wild game
of ulak tartysh, or goat polo, played by the local men on horseback. One of
our guides was Akhmed, who I had last seen as an eight-year-old boy, the son
of Bazar-kul (himself now grown grandfatherly and more than partial to a swig of
vodka). The continuity of nature permeated everything. I had been longing for
PHOTOGRAPHS: VASILY BEREZHNOI
some years to take my children to Kyrgyzstan. When my youngest turned seven,

I felt the time was right – maybe I was more gung-ho than other parents, but I was
confident she was capable of riding more than 10 miles a day and camping at
night. I convinced two other families to join us, and our caravan of three mothers
and nine kids spent the happiest week riding, swimming in lakes, making fires,
playing cards, building dams, gorging on fresh bread with local jam, and sleeping
deeply after all that fresh air. As I read Grimms’ fairy tales out loud by torchlight
in the cosiness of our tent, watching my young ones drift off, it felt like everything
that childhood should be. ALEXANDRA TOLSTOY alexandratolstoy.co.uk

BEST FAMILY holidays SAFARI ANIMAL TRACKING
KALAHARI DESERT, SOUTH AFRICA
A 100,000-hectare game reserve, a very long way from anywhere, begins
to feel like a questionable choice for a family safari as our small plane
dodges thunderstorms en route to a remote airstrip in the Northern Cape.
We arrive at Tswalu with the start of the summer rains, steam rising off
the asphalt runway beneath a rumbling sky. It’s called the green Kalahari
as it receives just enough rain to be classified as semi-arid. Quenched,
the landscape transforms overnight with shoots, bulbs and wild herbs. The
quartzite Korannaberg Mountains rise up beside us and faraway sand
dunes roll away to the western horizon. Billionaire philanthropist Nicky
Oppenheimer began restoring this vast tract of the southern Kalahari more
than 20 years ago. It’s one of the best places in South Africa to see ground
pangolin, aardvark and honey badgers. My daughter, the budding activist,
sits in the back of the four-by-four next to my son, who’s much more
interested in driving than saving the planet. Would they appreciate the
immense privilege of being here? They’ve come to spot animals that most
children only see in films. Even so, I wonder if the two of them will become
bored before we see the famous, black-maned Kalahari lions. I needn’t
worry. Before dawn, everybody is assigned their own tracker and vehicle – a
ticket to adventure. Phones abandoned, the children learn about the myriad
signs of life in the wild, from spoor to dung. Predator-focused, cross-country
chases, typical of many safaris, are not what you come here for. Instead,
time slows as we sit outside a meerkat den, waiting for a family to pop out
and scratch in the sand for scorpions. We spend hours with a cheetah and
her cubs as they groom each other. Days are packed with archery lessons,
nature walks and swimming. We ride out over the dunes on horseback
one afternoon to the Malori, a camp-out platform, to cook kebabs over
coals and sleep under the stars. Alone with a two-way handheld radio, we
witness an epic sunset, with flashes from a distant storm over Botswana.
After supper, we curl up together in the king-size bed and watch the stars
prick holes in the night sky. JANE BROUGHTON tswalu.com
COASTAL HIKING
COSTA VICENTINA, PORTUGAL
‘Walking the coast? Keep the sea to your left, land to your right,’ yells our taxi
driver Sylvia with the windows down as she takes us on a shortcut to Alentejo
on Portugal’s wild west coast. Us, in this instance, includes my children
aged 12, 10 and seven, and Sylvia’s route turns out to be not only short but
secret. We barely see another car on the winding roads with potholes the
size of wild boar (whose land, a sign tells us, we are very much driving on).
It is a sharp departure from the sprawl of Faro with its shopping centres
and billboards. We feel the sea before we see it. The hot wind cools as we
near the coast with the huge Atlantic bashing against its cliffs. Our first
guesthouse, Herdade do Touril, is almost a mile inland. Cottages once filled
with farm animals are now bedrooms. There’s a pool, bicycles, donkeys
and a path to the ocean. We sleep like logs to the sound of cowbells. At
breakfast I break it to the kids: we’re reaching the next guesthouse on foot.
I didn’t lie about coming to Portugal, or how homemade pastel de nata tarts
would beat Krispy Kremes, but I hadn’t told them we’d be hiking up to 15
miles a day. Off we go carrying backpacks with in-built water bags, sucking
the tubes like aliens, sea to our left, land to our right. We follow the trail,
looking out every 300ft or so for the blue-painted rocks as markers that
fishermen proudly maintain. We cross golden beaches and hunt for shells
– the whole experience is liberating. I really didn’t know if my kids would be
up to it, yet here we are blown along by the wind, nature providing the
entertainment: swooping gulls, tiny nests, delicious raspberries. Even when
I drastically mess up our route one day – scrabbling along the bottom of a
cliff with the tide rising after a cancelled ferry – they don’t whine. You can
choose a chunk of the 143-mile Vicentina route and do as much or as little
as you please. The hotels and inns are so diverse that there’s always a
surprise at the end of each day. The concrete rooms at Três Marias near
Porto Côvo have a stylish Lisbonite edge. But homely tradition is still rife at
Casa do Adro in Vila Nova de Milfontes, where warm chocolate cake is
served for breakfast. ROSE ASTOR inntravel.co.uk

OFF-BEAT EXPLORING
HUA HIN, THAILAND
I adored the hedonistic Full Moon parties of my early twenties – the palm-
fringed Thai islands, the flowing Singha beer and the hangovers. But there is
a different side to Thailand – one that is relatively less ravaged by development
– that makes for a more meaningful trip. Our family built a house in the
mountains outside Hua Hin town in 2009, after a serendipitous introduction
to the area by friends from London. As the years have passed, we’ve had some
of our best holidays here and become close with locals. The area’s beaches
aren’t Koh Phi Phi-picturesque, but that is precisely why it hasn’t been stormed
by travellers – and it’s all the better for it. Away from the coast, much of
the land is protected because of its links to the Thai royal family, who own
summer residences here. Mrigadayavan Royal Palace, a series of Twenties teak
buildings that transport you straight into the area’s Siamese past, is a soothing
antidote to the honking urban clamour in town. As is Pranburi Forest Park,
just south of the district, a nature reserve founded by Queen Sirikit in the early
1980s with walking trails and immaculate landscapes. Buddhas dot the base
of the mountains that look imposingly over Hua Hin town. Down here is
Wat Huay Mongkol temple, known as the big-headed monk. Built for a monk
who is believed to have performed miracles, the 40ft-high statue of Luang
Phor Thuad is a Buddhist pilgrimage site, but it’s also in a large park that’s
ideal for picnics. We take a small bag to keep our shoes in – it’s a bore
searching for them after leaving the temple. The children are always keen to
see wildlife, but beware of the clearly cruel tourist traps; Wildlife Friends
Foundation Thailand’s rescue centre and elephant refuge, about 30 miles
north-west of Hua Hin, is worth the drive. There are bears, wild cats and, of
course, elephants – and, unlike many other places, all the animals here live
chain-free. Pala-U waterfall in Kaeng Krachan National Park is a magnet for
butterflies in spring. The pools make for gorgeous swimming spots, and if
PHOTOGRAPHS: SONIA DAVIES; DOOK; CHRIS WISE
you can get to the top of what is one of Thailand’s highest falls, there are
sweeping views across the border into Burma. When we head into town, our
children love the Twenties train station. What used to serve as the royal
family’s rail line from Bangkok to their seaside escape has retained its original
regal waiting room. We often wander the rickety wooden market stalls out
front for street-food suppers of guay tiew noodle soup and spicy som tam
salad; papayas cut in front of us and eaten by hand. If we stay into the evening,
my eldest daughter takes pocket money to the night market to pore over
the eclectic mix of designer knock-offs and toys, local textiles and fiery
snacks. The Cicada Market is also great fun, mixing live music with local arts
and crafts, every seller bookended by buskers, magicians and dancers. The
kids are usually asleep in the car before we get home. While they will no
doubt want to fly off to Full Moon parties in years to come, for now this is
very much their happy place. CASS FARRAR hayesandjarvis.co.uk
BEST FAMILY HOLIDAYS holidays
VOLUNTOURING
ACROSS EUROPE
A few years ago, my husband and I approached our teenage children with what we believed
was a proposition they could not refuse: sell all we own, buy a caravan and set off to
volunteer our way around Europe. In hindsight I can now see how ludicrous this request was
– not only asking them to leave behind their home and friends, but also to go against almost
everything that defines being a teenager. We were calling on them to give up their privacy
in exchange for sharing a small, rectangular space with their parents, urging them to stand
out at a time when most kids want to blend in and imploring them to trust us when in
reality we had no idea what the future would hold. Fortunately, after much debate and
negotiation, they agreed to one year on the road and we set sail for Europe, embarking,
unbeknown to us, on the most rewarding journey imaginable. To date, we have towed our
caravan more than 10,000 miles. We have witnessed the dry, mountainous landscapes of
Portugal and Spain transform into lush, rolling hills as we crossed the Pyrenees into France.
Entering Belgium, it was the architecture and in particular the lack of symmetry that
immediately caught our eye. In the Netherlands, we understood for the first time why the
Dutch are so proud of their dykes, canals and polders. And Germany at Christmas was a
glühwein-scented winter wonderland. We have volunteered at the houses of individuals,
couples and families. Home has been farms, campsites, a wellness retreat, a B&B, massive
IT WAS A LUDICROUS REQUEST: ASKING OUR KIDS

TO LEAVE HOME BEHIND FOR A YEAR, TO GO AGAINST
EVERYTHING THAT DEFINES BEING A TEENAGER
properties in the country and smaller homes in the suburbs. Our caravan has found a resting
place at the top of the steepest hill in Belgium, 10ft below sea level at a vineyard in the
Netherlands and, on one unfortunate night, in the parking lot of a Repsol petrol station
in Spain. Volunteer projects have seen us replace an entire farmhouse roof, fit new kitchen
worktops, dig trenches, fell trees, repair a mini-golf course, clean stables, repair animal
PHOTOGRAPHS: CARLA CUENCA CORTES; @FINDUSLOST; HAARKON.CO.UK

shelters, train horses, lay plumbing and electrics for an eco house and help to run a campsite.
And, as a result, we have learnt how to care for a variety of animals, operate heavy machinery,
plaster walls and gut fish – but, more importantly, how to communicate with people of
all ages and backgrounds and appreciate what each country and culture has to offer.
How to recognise our own strengths and have the confidence to tackle our weaknesses; how
to laugh at ourselves and each other. In Portugal, we had the good fortune to kayak down
the Mondego River, clamber to the summit of the Serra da Estrela and surf the waves at
Praia da Arrifana. We made an emotional trip to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in
Lower Saxony, ambled over canals in Amsterdam and walked through St Anna’s underpass
below the Scheldt river in Antwerp. We have visited the Venice of Portugal, Aveiro, and
sampled the local delicacy ovos moles; in Bruges it was waffles at Markt square – and when
it comes to frits and sauce I would go so far as to say we are connoisseurs. With every new
stop and completed project we have gained a greater understanding of ourselves and the
world around us, and have been absolutely overwhelmed by the kindness, trust and hospitality
we’ve encountered along the way. A short while ago, we gathered the kids together to discuss
the fact that we were approaching the end of our year on the road and to ask them whether
they would like to return to the UK or continue on our travels. The outcome? We are
currently fully booked with volunteer projects until February 2021, and our eldest will be
writing his IGCSEs in Aljezur, Portugal. KAREN BINEDELL workaway.info

ROAD TRIPPING
ROCKY MOUNTAINS, CANADA
The red mist descended almost immediately. Ranting at my children wasn’t a great
start to our Canadian adventure. My advice, in retrospect, is to step away. If a sulky
teenager misses seeing a black bear with its cub because they’re texting their friends,
it’s not a big deal. You want to hike to the waterfall and they don’t – go without
them. The point of a road trip is to pare the rules down to the bare essentials for
safety and happiness. Embrace the moment, the untamed, the together times and
let the epic drive, framed by sky, wind, sun and stars, do the rest. This journey,
cruising along the Icefields Parkway, through the Rocky Mountains towns of Banff,
Lake Louise and Jasper, was joyful for the snow-capped forests, piercing glacial
lakes, gleaming ice fields and diamond waterfalls that sluiced down jagged cliffs.
My kids were less interested in the above but did like whizzing up Sulphur Mountain
in a cable car, white-water rafting on the Sunwapta River, taking an Ice Explorer
onto the Athabasca Glacier and canoeing on Moraine Lake. Pack for all weathers.
The teenage wardrobe of crop tops and itsy-bitsy skirts doesn’t cut it in the Rockies.
It’s not uncommon in the summer months for it to drop to near freezing at night,
even if the daytime temperature is mild. Places to stay range from cavernous hotels
in the main villages to isolated camps up rugged peaks. Our favourite was Cathedral
Mountain Lodge, a cluster of log cabins in Yoho National Park; a scene that could
be out of Legends of the Fall. The children had their own little house – for them,
satisfyingly far away from us – with a chipmunk, who would appear each morning
on their porch. Inside was a North American pioneer’s fantasy of life on the
frontier: roaring log fires, wicker chairs, curious artefacts. Outside, zig-zagging
PHOTOGRAPHS: FINN BEALES; LINDSAY BOTTERILL;
pathways navigated little rockeries bursting with lilac-coloured columbines and

harebells; the sound of a river whooshed by in the distance. Adventures included
riding, fly fishing and tracking down a grizzly. Hikes were often met with a groan
but provided us with some of our most memorable experiences. During those still,
simple moments – when the early evening light clung to the tops of mountains and
GRANT HARDER; LU MADELINE
turned streams green with reflected leaves – there was laughter, chatter and the
indelible understanding that what illuminates life is not the chasing after but
the slowing down and living in the now. EMMA INGLIS turquoiseholidays.co.uk
CONTRIBUTORS Gemma Bowes, Jane Broughton, Isabel Choat,

Katy Cole, Laura Craik, Fiona Kerr, Marie Létang, Teresa Levonian Cole,
Emma Love, Rymn Massand, Anna van Praagh, Issy von Simson,
Charlotte Sinclair, Jemima Sissons, Jerome Stefanski, George Webster

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ISL A N D ODYSSE Y
Set sail for Croatia on a blissful tour along the Adriatic coastline
C
roatia was made for sailing. From Sailors wanting to go off grid are easily lured some of the wineries for a tasting of dry
the Istrian peninsula in the north to to Croatia’s largest archipelago, the Kornati white Grk or rich red Plavac Mali.
the Montenegrin border in the south, National Park, which has about five times as
the dazzling Adriatic Sea is dotted with 1,244 many islands as it has permanent residents. As you carry on south towards Dubrovnik,
islands, islets and crags waiting to be explored. Its barren beauty is bewitching, and it’s the lush greenness of Mljet comes across the
It takes island-hopping into a different realm certainly the place to get away from it all. horizon, inviting you to stop and linger. It’s
– one of countless coves, sparkling waters, idyllic one of Croatia’s greenest islands, helped
villages, impossibly fresh seafood and more than As you get closer to Split, you come to by the forested Mljet National Park which
60 marinas in which to shelter for a night or two. some of Dalmatia’s island honeypots: Hvar, covers its western side. Its mellowness is
Brač, Korčula, lesser-known Šolta and enticing, and once you moor your boat
The choice is enormous. Take a tour around remote Vis, which had a starring role in you’ll be ready for lazy bike rides through
teardrop-shaped Istria, stopping in heavenly the hit film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. the woods and across to sandy beaches.
Rovinj and admiring the Venetian architecture Soak up the rays on Hvar – Croatia’s sunniest
that’s such an intrinsic part of Croatia’s long island – and get swept away by its lively Need a few more island gems to explore?
coastline (Istria was once part of Italy). Carry nightlife. For a quiet interlude, sail across The sleepy Elafiti islands are next, of
on to the Kvarner Gulf and get to know the two to Sveti Klement, one of the Pakleni islands which three – Šipan, Lopud and Koločep
biggest islands in Croatia, Krk and Cres, where off Hvar’s coast, and seek its hidden coves. – are inhabited. Sail into one of Šipan’s
craggy coasts harbour intimate coves and longer coves and feast on the freshest fish and
stretches of pebbly beaches. Try Krk’s dry white Head to the southern side of the island of seafood while the water laps below you.
Žlahtina wine and Cres’s succulent lamb before Brač to see one of Croatia’s most stunning
sailing onwards to the herb-scented island of beaches, the white, V-shaped Zlatni Rat. The When you reach Dubrovnik, head straight
Lošinj. Hop over to Rab and discover medieval area is also one of Europe’s best destinations to the tiny island of Lokrum, one of the
Rab Town and the island’s 30 sandy beaches. for windsurfing, so swap your boat sails for most magical in the country. After a walk
a sailboard for a day. You’ll find another of around its ruined monastery and a swim in
Soon you reach the archipelago that surrounds Croatia’s favourite beaches on the little island of a rocky cove, sail to Cavtat for a stroll along
the ancient Dalmatian city of Zadar, worth Vis, where the gorgeous Stiniva beach sits snugly the pretty harbour. As a final fling on your
a stop for its audacious public art and dreamy in a sheltered bay surrounded by high cliffs. Croatian odyssey, drop anchor in front of
sunsets. Drop anchor by the island of Pag and the dramatic terracotta cliffs overlooking
stock up on the tangy sheep’s-milk cheese Wine lovers can’t resist the vineyards of Pasjača beach for an unforgettable swim.
known as Paški sir. Turn up in the summer Korčula, home to varieties found nowhere
and you might catch one of the many dance else on Earth. When you’re not exploring Further Information
music festivals that pop up along the coast. beautiful walled Korčula Town, visit Explore more at croatia.hr
Opposite page: the old town of Rovinj.
This page, clockwise from above: Lopud
island; freshly caught lobster; Pasjača
beach; Brač island; Rab island
Photography by CNTB/Hrvoje Serdar/Ivo Biočina/
Maja Danica Pečanić/Zoran Jelača/Mario Hlača
Babylonstoren, South Africa
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a family adventure to South Africa to spot the Big 5 on a game drive, teaching your children the art of
gelato making in the city of Rome or protecting endangered sea turtles together in the Caribbean,
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TRENDWATCH
INTREPID DIRECTIONS IN WORLDWIDE CULTURE
WALK THE WALK, TALK THE TALK

The first guidebook wasn’t a Baedeker appreciation of the Rhineland or a where-to-water-the-servants Grand Tour pamphlet, but a tome called
the Codex Calixtinus. This was a 12th-century guide to the Camino de Santiago, the 500-mile Catholic pilgrimage route across France and
northern Spain to the burial place of St James, with advice on where to seek sanctuary, which scams to avoid, and how the men of Gascony
were libidinous, poorly dressed drunks, but also pretty generous hosts. It’s easy to imagine the medieval wanderer, like the Nineties backpacker
with a dog-eared Lonely Planet, settling into a tavern then looking around, peeved that so many other people had stumbled upon the same
place. But while the idea of pilgrimage will always have a Chaucerian ring to it, record numbers are now walking the Camino – more of them
under 30 than over 60, a majority female, and packing not a devout set of beliefs but a desire for back-to-basics slow travel. ‘The impulse to
PHOTOGRAPH: SONIA DAVIES
go on a quest, to step out and return with new knowledge, is deep-rooted,’ says Guy Hayward of the British Pilgrimage Trust. ‘Walking opens
up different ways of thinking, and the changing landscape is just as stimulating as a Netflix splurge. You get such a rich mix of people on
pilgrimages, and they’re great for solo and inter-generational travel.’ Among other classics are the Kumano Kodō trail in Japan and Adam’s Peak
in Sri Lanka; fresh routes include the recently rediscovered Old Way, from Southampton to Canterbury, and the new Western Front Way,
leading 600 miles across the French and Belgian battlefields of WWI, while 2020’s Year of Cathedrals encourages shorter, single-day
peregrinations. After all, the whole idea of a holiday, or holy day, started with pilgrimage – in the end, all paths are circular. RICK JORDAN

D E E P
AN ISLAND-POCKED WATER WORLD OF TRIPPY CORAL REEFS AND DOG-FACED
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D I V E
DUGONGS, THE SOLOMONS ARE A SLOW-SHUTTER EXPOSURE OF PACIFIC LIFE
BY STANLEY STEWART. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALISTAIR TAYLOR-YOUNG
W HEN I WAS A BOY IN CANADA, I had a newspaper round. On Friday
afternoons, I would collect the money for the papers I had tossed every morning
on to verandahs with an accuracy that should have aroused the interest of a base-
ball scout. One of my calls was a broken-down house with a door of flaking paint.
It was home to a lean middle-aged man with a military haircut and eyes that
stared even when he didn’t mean to.
Our exchange was always the same, as if he had forgotten about the previous
week. Two bucks fifty, I would say, holding out a receipt. He looked at me for a
moment, then reached into a bowl on a hall shelf and handed me a small ivory-
coloured tooth. ‘There you go,’ he would say. He waited a few beats, then he said,
‘A porpoise tooth. That’s money in the Solomon Islands.’ Then I would hand it
back while he rummaged for change. ‘The Solomons,’ he would say. ‘Paradise on
this wretched earth.’
Later I learned from my father that the man had been a pilot in the Pacific
during World War II. His plane had gone down somewhere in the Solomon Islands,
and when he came home it seemed he was never really fit for work. There was
some trauma, my father said.
Now, years later, bound for the Solomons, I thought of the man and that
haunting phrase – paradise on this wretched earth.
The Pacific is a universe, its archipelagos like scattered galaxies. Far in the
west, close to Papua New Guinea, and a three-hour flight north of Brisbane,
B A R O Q U E S K I E S S W E P T OV E R H E A D A S VA S T
P R OV I N C E S O F S U N C H A S E D C O L U M N S O F R A I N R O U N D
T H E H O R I Z O N S . A S A I L F I S H L E A P T B E N E AT H T H E B OW
the Solomons consist of almost a thousand islands, strewn across 11,000 square
miles of ocean. They were named for King Solomon by a 16th-century Spanish
adventurer chasing legends of gold. The Spaniard was a lesson in the danger of
expectations. Fixated on gold, he didn’t notice the islands themselves.
Those who know say the lagoons and shores of the Solomons’ western
provinces are among the most beautiful in the Pacific. And so I bypassed the
shabby capital of Honiara, and took a local flight to Munda, in the western
province, landing on an airstrip left by American pilots. Munda is not so
much a town as a collection of hamlets, centred on a ramshackle market of rickety
stalls and shops that are seen, by outlying islets, as the bright lights.
It was the outlying ones I wanted. The first night found me in a rustic hotel on
Lola island. From a hammock outside my cabin, I watched the scissored silhouettes
of birds turning among apricot-coloured clouds as dusk stole across the channel.
Night arrived with tropical suddenness, and the unlit and uninhabited islands
sailed away into darkness. I had fallen into the South Seas dream: a hammock,
the scent of blossoms, the murmur of surf, a warm breeze rattling the palms,
shattered moonlight on the water, the tree frogs singing like birds.
From Lola I set off into a wilderness. Baroque skies swept overhead as
vast provinces of sun chased columns of rain round the horizons. A sailfish leapt
Opposite, from top: New
beneath the bow of our boat. Away to the west thunderheads parted
Georgia island in the
Solomons; local woman in theatrically to reveal further islands moored in distant anchorages of sun.
Ugele village, Rendova. The smaller islands of the archipelago were atolls, uplifts of the coral reefs,
Previous pages, from left: fringed by absurdly turquoise seas. The larger ones were steeply mountainous,
fish in the shallows; volcanic, rising to almost 6,000ft, their summits haloed in clouds. Their interiors
crinoid on a coral reef brimmed with vegetation. Their shores were palm groves and mangroves and
119
empty white beaches broken here and there by simple villages of leaf houses. On
the porches of small cabins, I had the happy sense of civilisation falling away,
piece by piece: the internet, news, electricity, cold beer, hot water, any connection
to the world I knew. Instead there were islands to chase, boats to board, trees to
sit under, forest paths to explore.
On a tiny islet, barely the size of a town square, Sunga the boatman took me
to see the skulls. It was a sacred place; we spoke in whispers. Sunga lifted the lid
off one of the wooden reliquaries, rotten with age, and three skulls peered out at
us. ‘This one is my great grandfather,’ Sunga said. ‘He was a famous chief.’ Later
we spotted a pair of reef sharks circling in the turquoise shallows. ‘Old people
worship them,’ Sunga said. ‘They believe sharks are the ghosts of their ancestors.’
Skulls were something of a preoccupation in the Solomons. Until the
establishment of a British Protectorate at the end of the 19th century, headhunting
and cannibalism were occasionally practised, while the slave trade and infectious
diseases made the islanders antagonistic to outsiders. For a time, the Solomons
were one of the most dangerous places on earth, jungle outcrops where – according
to the popular imagination of the time – chaps with bones in their noses tied
visitors to a stake while stoking a fire beneath a steaming pot.
But provided no one ate you, life here, for long centuries, must have been pretty
good – the sea was full of fish, the land was fertile, clam shells and porpoise teeth
served as currency. In their Neolithic way, the islanders quietly minded their own
business beyond the currents of world history. Until suddenly, in 1942, the world
caught up with them and their home became the battleground for its soul. The
Japanese invaded and World War II broke over this place like a hurricane.
The Solomons saw some of the fiercest fighting in the war in the Pacific. Seven
thousand Allies died here and around 30,000 Japanese. The channel in front of
A N Y C O N N E C T I O N T O W H AT I K N E W F E L L AWAY: N E W S ,
I N T E R N E T, C O L D B E E R , H OT S H OW E R S . I N S T E A D T H E R E W E R E
B OAT S TO B OA R D, T R E E S TO S I T U N D E R , PAT H S TO E X P L O R E
Guadalcanal became known as Iron Bottom Sound for the 70-odd ships that
were sunk in a six-month battle between 1942 and 1943. It was in August of 1943
that the PT boat commanded by John F Kennedy was cut in half by a Japanese
destroyer, a war story that would lend considerable gravitas to his presidential
campaign less than 20 years later.
It is typical of the Solomons that, post-war, they managed to disappear again,
gliding back into the obscurity from which they had emerged. So remote and so
isolated were many of these isles that, decades later, lone Japanese stragglers
would stumble out of their jungles, unaware the war was over; the last sighting
of one such survivor was in 1989.
On the island of Titiru, I slept in a ramshackle room cantilevered over the
sea, hard by a bundi tree the size of a cathedral. White cockatoos sailed between
the branches, kingfishers flitted along the shore and an osprey turned on high
currents. One morning I followed a path through the mangroves to Ugele village.
Seated on their rickety front steps, everyone greeted me in rudimentary English.
In a stream, boys in miniature dugout canoes raced one another through the
green shadows of overhanging branches. One woman was making fire by rubbing
sticks together, though only because she couldn’t find her matches. Another
Opposite, from top: Skull
woman offered me lunch – ginger and coconut and something known here as
island; fisherman in
slippery cabbage – while a bare-chested fellow led me to the shrine of the fish his dugout canoe. Previous
god. He brings the god ‘puddings’ which it seems to like. Frigate birds then show pages, clockwise from top
him where the fish are. ‘Like dark angels,’ he said. left: alcyonacea or soft
At Tetepare, the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific, there were coral; yellow scroll coral
only a handful of rangers. Headhunting had been a problem here and, some 160 on a reef; crinoid; a boy
years ago, the inhabitants fled to safer islands. Now their descendants are keen near Ugele village
122
to save their old homeland. A conservation scheme has been established to protect
the place from the depredations of loggers and the EU has helped to fund a basic
guesthouse for visitors. Tetepare is a menagerie of species. Dugongs graze in the
sea grasses offshore. Sea turtles nest on the beaches. Huge coconut crabs scuttle
through the undergrowth. Saltwater crocodiles lurk in the mangroves.
Channelling Indiana Jones, I went in search of a lost city with a couple of
rangers, hacking our way through creepers with a machete. After an hour or so, we
found the old defensive walls of coral stone set on a headland above the sea. The
promontory was fissured and split with deep crevasses, their depths full of boulders
and bones and bats. This had been the islanders’ last stand, before they escaped
across the sea, and some echo of their fear remained here in this humid jungle.
For many people, the best of the Solomons is underwater. The archipelago is
known as one of the top dive destinations in the world. I dived a couple of times
a day, dropping down to the glorious reefs where huge elephant-ear coral
undulated in elegant slow motion, where legions of spectacular fish circled and
phalanxes of manta rays appeared out of the blue.
But it is the wrecks in these seas, the relics of the war, that made for some of
the most fascinating dives. There was a Japanese freighter with rows of lunch
boxes that never made it to lunch. There was an American plane. The bones of
the pilot had been found near the tail wing, and despatched only a few years ago
to his only remaining relative – a 93-year-old sister still waiting in Kansas for the
return of her lost brother. I thought of the man on my paper round. His plane
was somewhere in these waters, lying in the depths, like a buried memory.
I thought about the panic and the terror people must have felt at the sight of
these aircraft 78 years ago. First the ominous drone of the engines, then their
sudden appearance, coming in low perhaps, just over the heads of the palm trees,
as locals screamed and scattered. For a terrible instant they might have glimpsed
the two masked men, the sun flashing on their goggles, the pilot in his cockpit
and the gunner behind leaning forward for the lever to release their bomb.
The last wreck we dived was another American plane at 50ft. At first it felt
as if we were descending into nothingness. And then, beneath us, the aircraft
gradually took form, an apparition. In that first moment, through the trembling
water, she looked like a sunken angel with her wings spread. The sea had made
her beautiful. A rainbow of coral blossomed along her fuselage. Blue starfish
adorned her wings. Butterfly fish swam through the cockpit. Red emperors sailed
away through laceworks of submerged sunlight while a shark hovered some way
off, a ghost half visible in the void.
I am not sure what happened to the man on my paper round. I heard he ended
up in a home. I hope he kept his porpoise tooth, and remembered his paradise.
His plane is still there, transformed, a thing of beauty in refracted depths. It
escaped, in ways he failed to do. This was the gift of the Solomons.
GETTING HERE
This trip was arranged by Pelorus, a leading experiential travel specialist founded
by two former British Army captains, Geordie Mackay-Lewis and Jimmy Carroll.
Their team has access to a fleet of high-spec yachts, such as the 115ft Spirit (five
guest cabins and a crew of seven), which are used to reach off-grid regions of the
world. Pelorus can arrange a similar experience in the Solomons, combining half a
week on M/Y Spirit and half a week in lodges, as well as dive and conservation
experiences, a dive guide and host from £50,800 per person, excluding international
flights. For those who want to get involved in community initiatives in the Solomon
Islands, Pelorus can organise for guests to join nature rangers on Tetepare, home to
Opposite, clockwise from some of the last remaining lowland rainforest in Melanesia and nesting turtle
top left: coconut floating populations, including the endangered leatherback, supported by the conservation-
in the water; traditional focused Tetepare Descendants’ Association. It also works with Dive Munda, which
fish hook; sea anemones; runs coral-restoration and replanting projects in the islands. pelorusx.com
a child on Rendova island
PHOTOGRAPHS: MANUEL GOMES DA COSTA
STONE COLD
CLASSIC
S E A - S OA K E D S T R ATA O F H I S TO RY
H AV E M A D E M A LTA A F I L M
DOUBLE FOR EVERY WHERE FROM
A N C I E N T RO M E TO K I N G ’ S
L ANDING. BUT RICK JORDAN
F I N D S A N AT I O N F I N A L LY C A R V I N G
OUT ITS OWN LEADING ROLE
127
PHOTOGRAPHS: TIM CLINCH; ADRIAN GAUT; ASH JAMES
A
t some point in my life, I’d like to have a Maltese wooden signs, all stitched together by flinty dry-stone walls. It’s also
balcony to call my own. Some people have cabins in the woods another island nation currently holding its identity up to the sun,
and sheds at the bottom of the garden, but I think there are considering its place in the world.
few finer places to watch the world go by than a gallarija. There are no lakes or rivers on Malta, but the ocean is never
Cantilevered out over the street and painted bright, they line more than quarter of an hour away. Nowhere is very far away.
the baroque sandstone townhouses like harlequin cable cars, with The main island is just 20 miles by 10. In the farm village of
enough space for a chair or two, a few ferns, a drink to hand. A Gudja, goats are herded along the lanes while planes take off
place to play peekaboo, gossiping with neighbours, watching fisher- at the airport, a five-minute walk. I’ve criss-crossed from the tiny
men mend their boats. To drift off in and dream of storm-tumbled capital Valletta to the western cliffs of Dingli, where prehistoric
seas, galleons with gull-white sails and pirates with gleaming scimitars. temples huddle with thousand-yard stares out to sea, then down
Malta is a land that can be a little hazy in the imagination. It to swim at Ghar Lapsi bay, joining a congregation of women
was British for a couple of centuries, then not British and inde- who bob in the water in beehive hairdos and necklaces and
IT LIES ON THE PERIPHERY OF EUROPE YET AT THE HEART OF THE

MEDITERRANEAN, FACING NORTH WITH A SOUTHERN DISPOSITION
pendent, but with Whitehall-red telephone boxes that startle as much trade stories. You can swim in the waves until Christmas, off the
as a lamppost in a snow-covered forest. Before that, successive beaches of Golden Bay and Gnejna, when the countryside
waves of invaders and settlers – Phoenician, Arabic, Italian – left turns from parchment to green and oranges still festoon the
behind tidal flats of language, buildings and food, the Maltese trees. In the evening, a foray to the old capital of Mdina, rising
themselves usually walk-on parts in their own history. The island lies above the fields like a painted backdrop from El Cid, a baroque
on the periphery of Europe, but at the heart of the Mediterranean, city that’s utterly unspoilt. Many of Malta’s oldest families still
facing north yet with a southern disposition. A small archipelago live here, gathering at Fontanella café on the bastion walls for
with a gravitational pull that’s made it almost a condensed version chocolate cake. The next morning I might bus down south, to a
of our continent, a palimpsest of mysterious standing stones and fishing village with the throat-catching Arabic name of Marsaxlokk
Roman remains, colonial sea battles and Parisian-style shop and walk up past industrial chimneys and swirls of wild flowers
Above from left: Valletta’s Grand Harbour and the Barrakka lift; building in Marsaxlokk. Opposite, Museum Café in Valletta.
Previous pages from left: a balcony in a suite at The Xara Palace hotel in Mdina, once the capital of Malta; a medieval courtyard in Mdina
129
to St Peter’s Pool, where sprat-brown teenagers jump off pancake and have a nice beach holiday, like Mallorca, then it’s not like that.
splatters of rock into the water below. The Maltese live their lives oblivious to tourism. It’s a hard-working
There’s a natural brutalism to the landscape; it’s a barnacle of place where you just don’t know what will happen next. One
sandstone whose very existence seems to imply resilience and minute you’ll have a cove to yourself, the next an entire family
survival, yet has drawn in castaways and dreamers. Parts of this will be setting up kitchen tables and chairs right next to you.
rock are riddled like a termite nest with passageways and tunnels, There’s a freedom here, in a way; some laws are rarely enforced.’
bored over the centuries; I think of them as rabbit holes in Sharp, a textile designer who founded The Rug Company, comes
time, out of which stumble Christian knights and Turkish from an old Maltese family and spent her early years on the island,
janissaries, the nonsense poet Edward Lear, who holidayed here arriving by boat from Sicily and hearing the growly voices of men
with his sketch pad, Coleridge, who came to kick his opium habit, on the dockside, once spying Colonel Gaddafi riding horseback
Odysseus and St Paul, shipwrecked in ad60, at least according to down the lanes. She and Christopher have also just rescued a
legend. Out of another tunnel mouth, the cast of Popeye, the Twenties pottery in Attard, at Villa Bologna, and are restoring it,
‘ YOU EITHER GET MALTA OR YOU DON’T. YOU’RE N OT G O I N G TO CO M E

FOR A NICE BEAC H HOLIDAY. IT’S A HARD-WORKING PL ACE’
Robin Williams movie that time forgot, filmed on the west bringing back old designs: jugs that make a glugging sound; hand-
of the island and whose wooden set, built by Scandinavian painted pineapple lamps, bowls in the shape of artichokes.
carpenters, still stands strong – a theme park on the northern coast, Sharp is of a still-youthful generation who can just remember
to which mystified children are taken by their parents. the time when dusty Malta was aligned with the ley lines of Hydra
‘It’s like Beirut: you either get Malta, or you don’t,’ Suzanne and Ibiza, the sunshine and slow beat of village life enticing figures
Sharp tells me at 18th-century Casa Bonavita in the quiet town such as English abstract painter Victor Pasmore, pioneer of the
of Attard, just next to Mdina, which she and her husband Euston Road School, who collected cats by the dozen and set up
Christopher are in the process of transforming into a hotel – a studio in a crumbly farmhouse, and The Naked Ape zoologist
place of A Room with a View insouciance and parterre hedges, a Desmond Morris, who promptly started sketching the Phoenician
lawn for summer cocktails. ‘If people think they’re going to come eyes of fishing boats; chain-smoking A Clockwork Orange polymath
Above from left: a peeling wall in Valletta; portraits at Casa Rocca Piccola, the 16th-century palace of a noble
Maltese family in the city that’s also a living museum.Opposite, balconies over a street in Valletta
130
PHOTOGRAPHS: ADRIAN GAUT; MANUEL GOMES DA COSTA; DANIELA STALLINGER
PHOTOGRAPHS: ADRIAN GAUT; MANUEL GOMES DA COSTA; TIM CLINCH
Anthony Burgess too, outraged when his books were confiscated the past 20 years. An émigré from Yugoslavia with something of
for being obscene. ‘Nicholas Monsarrat on Gozo, too, and Martha Schiaparelli about her, she has a keen-eyed outsider’s perspective,
Gellhorn,’ says Sharp. ‘Her biggest passion apart from writing was a wariness of gentrification and an appreciation of island
swimming, and she was obsessed with the quality of the water here. eccentricity. Trained as a psychologist, she picked up her camera
She’d rent a flat near Manoel Island, and write and swim every and started documenting un-postcards of hole-in-wall café-
day.’ Corduroy bohemians; a latter Bloomsbury Set amid the lizard bars, Catholic totems and tangled doodles of electricity wires.
heat. I meet a survivor from that scene at his house in the eastern Many places no longer exist. ‘Malta was a lot emptier two decades
resort town of St Julian’s: the architect and poet Richard England, ago,’ she says. ‘It was like that film, Gabriele Salvatores’
now in his 80s, a halo of white hair like Gielgud’s Prospero. Mediterraneo, about a boat party stranded on a Greek island. Or
Maltese-born, he studied under mid-century renaissance man Gio the Wild West. Now visitors take photos of me smoking on my
Ponti, and his own buildings are influenced by the materials and balcony. I give them the finger, but they only seem to like that
simplicity of Malta, candy-coloured modernist structures that more.’ Duska’s mouth curls in disapproval at some changes. The
THIS DUST Y L AND WAS ONCE ALIGNED WITH THE LEY LINES OF HYDRA .
CORDUROY BOHEMIANS; A L ATTER BLOOMSBURY SET IN THE LIZARD HEAT
resemble abstract paintings. He shows me his drawings of imagi- old-fashioned stationers that closed to become a sportswear store;
nary cities, bubbling across the paper like frogspawn, inspired by the wrought-iron Victorian market in Valletta, reimagined as a
Italo Calvino and perhaps a need for order on this unpredictable food mall with escalators. Instead she leads me to a hall belonging
island, and talks of the Neolithic temples, ancient wisdom and the to the local marching band – organisations that inspire football-
islet of Filfla off the south-western coast, said by some to be a like devotion, whose brass-toting legions turn saint’s day processions
remnant of Atlantis, others that it was a village thrown there by into Fat Tuesday-esque hootenannies. Few outsiders think of
the devil for being more sinful than he could bear. venturing in, but it’s open to all: a working-men’s club of theatrical
Sometimes I wander the island alone, meeting pale stone saints, grandeur where a ruff-collared statue of La Valette – dogged saviour
hands raised in supplication on street corners; sometimes my com- of Malta during the Great Siege of 1565, vanquisher of the legendary
panion is Duska Malesevic, a friend who has lived on Malta for Turkish corsair Dragut – looks on as plates of tuna sarnies and
Above from left: Caffe Cordina, which first started as a pastry shop in Bormla in 1837 before it was relocated to Valletta;
Rubino restaurant in the capital. Opposite, Grapes wine bar on the neighbouring island of Gozo
133
crisps are served. At the Crystal Palace café in the town of Rabat, a silverback peers over his saloon door and reminisces about the
shelves a Pop Art riot of confectionary, tea is made in glasses with time he and friends would fly old World War II planes over to
sweet Carnation milk, chai-style, and served with pastizzi, explo- Sicily for pizza and back. ‘But then one crashed, then the other,
sively flaky pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas. Old men and I knew I would be next, so I stopped,’ he says sadly.
with Oliver Hardy trousers and few words sit all about, save for Some shadows flit over this sunlit rock, as dark as Caravaggio’s
the woman opposite us, a scream in Mills & Boon pink, her pooch painting of the beheading of St John the Baptist in the cathedral;
in matching outfit and nail varnish. mostly cast by the still-unsolved killing, three years ago, of Daphne
Caruana Galizia, an investigative journalist who was asking serious
I’m drawn back to valletta again and again. It’s the patina. questions about political corruption. And greed is causing over-
Turning down sepia streets, past scuffed doorways the colour of development – sail into the pinball-clamour of modern Paceville
old tattoos, and roads that fall and rise in a parabolic curve for and you’ll back-paddle right out again. But while the government
almost the entire length of the small city. Vintage shop signs act is widely mistrusted, a handful of individuals are replotting Malta’s
as landmarks; a typographic urban safari spotting handmade course. On an island whose identity has for so long been in the
designs from the city’s heyday, 1920s through to the 1950s. Up hands of others, and a history defined by two events – the Great
under ‘His Master’s Voice’ hanging on St John’s Street, an imagi- Siege of 1565 and the merciless aerial siege of World War II, when
nary crackle of gramophone spinning a ghost soundtrack, down it was bombed into rubble – the smoke is clearing, and its people
to Useful Bazaar, gold leaf against coal-black wood. Stopping are finding and appreciating their own voice at last.
opposite ‘Carmelo Delia, House Furnisher’, red-and-white on No need to fly to Ragusa for a margherita now. Just a handful
bottle green, I ask a shopkeeper when it was last open. He looks of years ago, as everyone will tell you, Valletta was a museum city,
up, squints and grins, ‘Not since the Falklands War!’ Another tells dead after dark. Now there are natural wines at Cru, creative spins
of dusty, Jarndyce v Jarndyce-style family legal disputes, consigning on island ingredients at Noni, while Strait Street, once a beacon
properties to perpetual emptiness. A roll-call of Borgs, Buttigeigs for brawling, whoring sailors, has some rather nice cocktail bars
and Zammits. It’s like Havana without the old Buicks; the signs – though none as fun as Café Society, on steps leading down to
evoking a pre-war era of boat trains and Brylcreem, when super- the waterfront. Summer festivals send digital volleys ricocheting
stitious carriage drivers shifted position in their seats after dark around the sandstone walls, and the country’s cultural reputation
to prevent the devil sitting next to them. is growing. Blitz gallery opened in a townhouse belonging to
The invaders who made the most resounding impression were curator Alexandra Pace’s grandparents, empty for three decades,
the Knights of St John, a roaming order of Catholic warriors who where shows have included shroud-like 3D sculptures by Maltese
famously fought off a mighty fleet of Ottoman troops in 1565, artist Kane Cali. On the horizon for 2021 is MICAS, a major art
raising cliff-sized fortifications that survive to this day. Their Grand space embedded in a bastion built by the Knights, egged on by
Harbour is a spectacle of incredible golden-age drama, glowing Gozo-born interior designer and V&A collaborator Francis
at sunset like a votive candle, and best crossed by wooden luzzu, Sultana. It’s a grand project to be set beside Renzo Piano’s reim-
an Eye of Osiris painted on the bow for good luck, as kohl-rimmed agined City Gate, a spectacle of Giza-like proportions that turned
as Elizabeth Taylor’s in Cleopatra. Across the water are the Three Valletta’s defensive wall into a welcoming, arms-wide-open space.
Cities, set on two fingers of land, a jumble of houses and church One afternoon during my most recent visit to the island, I was
domes rising either side, the colour of a Da Vinci sketchbook. The startled by the sudden sound of explosions. No one else seemed
city called Vittoriosa is the most appealing, tight lanes lined with concerned. Bang. Bang. Bang. Following the noise, I realised they
pot plants leading to auberges of the French Knights, and a Sunday were fireworks; daytime ones, asterisks of smoke blooming in the
flea market. ‘The well-off families from the north never come sky. It was a saint’s day parade, a church lit up with strings of lights,
here,’ Vanessa, the owner of a design store in a former bakery, tells newspaper confetti gathering in snow-like drifts, a swaying pro-
me. ‘They still think of the Three Cities as being ghetto.’ Time cession of hooded medieval figures with Nike trainers peeping
seems liminal. I climb up the stairs of the oldest house here, out below – trumpets hooting like Sidney Bechet, everyone happily
amateurishly restored to its 13th-century original and deserted as oblivious to anything else. Malta is an island full of noises, sounds
if the owner had just nipped out to have a pop at the Turkish and sweet airs, gunpowder and bells; an island intent on doing its
armada. Back on the street, a grizzled man with a bare chest like own thing, no matter what the world throws at it.
THE LOWDOWN
WHERE TO STAY Ursula Street is a favourite balconied address in with cement pattern tiles and ceramics from Villa Bologna. ‘I wanted
Valletta, with several small palazzo hotels; try 66 Saint Paul’s for its dinky to create the sort of place everyone I know would want to stay at,’ she
rooftop pool. Other recent arrivals include Domus Zamittello, a restored tells me, ‘with views of harbour life you could sit and watch for a week.’
baroque masterpiece by the bombed-out opera house, with painted WHERE TO EAT & DRINK The debut Michelin Guide to Malta has just
coffered ceilings. And after a long delay, the ambitious Iniala Malta is due been published, with stars going to Valletta’s Under Grain, De Mondion and
to open in May, spread across four townhouses. In Three Cities, Birgu’s Noni (try the confit rabbit), but I’d also point you to Sotto for pizza,
Locanda La Gelsomina has colourful interiors inspired by the owner’s Da’Pippo for pasta, Rubino for old-school oomph and the Rising Sun Bar
travels in the East (while here, visit Vanessa Conneely’s Find The Door in Marsaxlokk for simple sea bass and salad. And stop for a cocktail at the
boutique, for locally made ceramics and jewellery). And on Senglea, City Lights, a paean to red velvet and Eighties erotica in an old cinema.
Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour is set within dramatic, siege-proof ART SCENE Both Blitz and Lily Agius galleries are small but dynamic. Valletta
walls – just feel that limestone – its rooftop pool one of the finest Contemporary opened in 2018 in what feels like a submerged 400-year-old
look-outs over the waterfront. Suzanne Sharp has just opened four warehouse; multi-media Spazju Kreattiv was designed by Richard England.
apartments (book through Airbnb) at Senglea House, almost Fifties in style, For more information, go to visitmalta.com and maltacreativecollective.com
Opposite, clockwise from top left: the sea near Mellieha in north-west Malta; cobbled street in Mdina, known as the silent city;
entrance to the megalithic temple site of Ggantija on the island of Gozo; old sign for an ironmongery in Valletta
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PHOTOGRAPHS: ADRIAN GAUT; MANUEL GOMES DA COSTA; ASH JAMES
SLOW DAWN
G UAT EM A L A I S T H AT R A R E , RO OT SY D E S T I NAT I O N T H AT M A IN TA INS
A LOW- K E Y NAT UR A L A R T Y ID E N T I T Y. NOW FR A N C I S FO R D C O P P O L A
I S A D D I N G TO I T S IND IE A P P E A L W I T H A S M A RT J U N G L E R E T R E AT
BY A L E X P OST M A N . P H OTO G R A P H S BY J U L I E N C A P M E I L
137
PULLING AWAY FROM LIVINGSTON, a ramshackle, painted town on
Guatemala’s short Caribbean coast, the captain cut the engine.
The tinny percussion of punta rock from a dockside bar and
shouts of fishermen cleaning their nets gave way to a cottony
silence. The boat drifted into the narrow mouth of the Rio Dulce
as if being swallowed whole. We were alone in the jungle, with 27
miles between us and Izabal, the largest lake in a country of lakes.
Soaring, leaf-shrouded bluffs sprang up on either side. Except for
the bellow of a howler monkey in the canopy, everything seemed
to hold its breath: the pendulous foliage and thatched houses
by the muddy bank, stoic egrets and a fat iguana on a branch,
two shirtless men line-fishing from a dugout canoe. Four centuries
ago, when this was a Spanish colonial stronghold, pirates
routinely attempted the same stealthy entry to loot Izabal’s caches
of gold and jade and cacao, only to be tripped up at the river’s
end by a massive chain that was winched out of the water at the
fortress of San Felipe de Lara.
As we bobbed under a limestone cliff, its craggy façade
morphed into the face of a man, its mouth a yawning cave. The
ancient Maya – whose civilisation stretched from the Yucatán
Peninsula through present-day Guatemala to El Salvador and
Honduras – believed caves were the entrance to the underworld,
called Xibalba, ‘place of fear’. Guatemala is rife with such visual
trickery, portals that seem to deliver the visitor into a living past.
The Mayan concept of time is famously precise. Based on the
number 20, a solar year, or tun, comprises 18 months of 20 days
EVERYTHING SEEMED TO HOLD

ITS BREATH: STOIC EGRETS
AND A FAT IGUANA, SHIRTLESS
MEN FISHING FROM A CANOE
– 360 days – plus an omen-filled month of five days at the end.
But their genius was the Long Count, the system used to track
eras and epochs in which 20 tuns make a katun, 20 katuns make
a baktun, and 13 baktuns complete a Great Cycle, when the
universe is destroyed and recreated. The latest one ended quietly
on 21 December 2012, despite all the global hysteria.
But time hasn’t smiled on the Maya, whose descendants
make up nearly half of Guatemala’s population (the rest are
largely Ladino, a Spanish and indigenous mix). After building
cities, roads and reservoirs without the benefit of the wheel, the
society collapsed around AD900, due to drought, deforestation
and overpopulation. Rather than disappear, however, the Maya
dispersed. The arrival of the conquistadors in the 1500s brought
slavery and and subjugation until independence in 1823, which
led to serial dictatorships. A brutal 36-year civil war left more
than 200,000 dead before ending in 1996. Today, government
corruption and an intransigent power elite keep much of the
indigenous population in poverty. Media coverage of caravans
of migrants and drug-related gang violence has helped scare
away much-needed tourism.
Still, intrepid travellers have long been drawn to the country’s
sprawling pre-Columbian ruins, volcanic lakes and cultured
cities. One of its staunchest allies has been Francis Ford Coppola.
The boat brought me to his just-opened retreat, Cassa Zenda,
From top: bedroom at Las Cruces; fish dish at La Lancha; Cassa Zenda dock.
Opposite, clockwise from top left: the lobby at Casa Palopó; Santa Catalina
Arch in Antigua; Beyond Expeditions tented camp at Lake Atitlán; church in
Santiago; La Lancha mirador; façade in Antigua. Previous pages, Lake Atitlán
139
a cluster of thatched villas surrounded by palms, rhododendrons that revealed 60,000 more houses, temples and palaces under the
and orchids on the fringes of Lake Izabal. This quiet region in trees. The discovery suggests a sophisticated civilisation compa-
the south-east is home to commercial fishermen and weekend rable to ancient Greece or China, with highways, irrigation
houses of Antigua families. After dinner I water-skied on the and agricultural terracing that could support 10 to 15 million
lake, the darkness and warmth blurring the lines between skin people – twice previous estimates. The closest I could get to this
and air, water and sky. Listening to the susurration of trees and god’s-eye view was to climb the wooden scaffold up the pyramid
the cries of jungle creatures, I have rarely felt safer than I did of Temple IV, at 230ft the tallest pre-Columbian structure in
at that moment. the Americas. The forest was pierced by five more temples,
Coppola laid down roots in Guatemala when he opened La their crumbling roof combs reaching into clouds the colour of
Lancha lodge in the northern department of El Petén in 2003. steel wool. From here, astronomers calculated the rising and
There, cheery wooden casitas hung with traditional textiles setting points of the sun and moon.
sit on a hillside so steep there’s The Maya buried their dead
a funicular to get guests to THE BOAT DRIFTED INTO THE with maize in their mouth
Lake Petén Itzá below. This MOUTH OF THE RIVER AS IF – food for the journey to the
part of Guatemala, the ruined BEING SWALLOWED WHOLE. WE underworld and a symbol of
city of Tikal and the astrono- WERE ALONE IN THE FOREST rebirth. One afternoon, I was
mical observatory of Uaxactún, taken to a dig behind Temple
draws fanatics: an American teacher I met at the lodge told me IV, where a team of young Guatemalans caked in white limestone
she’d been ‘called by Tikal to experience a parallel Mayan were gingerly tapping away through layers of history, one edifice
universe’. There are also the Star Wars pilgrims, who know the built on top of another in cycles of 52 years, said to be the life
jungle-draped location as the rebel base in the original film. expectancy for royalty. ‘To die was not the end, but a transition,’
But these sites’ remoteness within the 5.2-million-acre Maya my garrulous guide Antonio explained as we crossed the grassy
Biosphere Reserve inoculates them from the crowds at places main plaza, where indigenous visitors still use the ceremonial
such as Chichén Itzá in Mexico’s Yucatán. The grandest city in fire pit. The spirit, he added, was thought to descend underground
the Mayan world, Tikal snoozed under tangled vegetation to the sacred ceiba tree, then rise up to the sky. To do what?
until explorers discovered it in 1848. ‘To feed the stars to keep them guiding new generations.
Recently the Pacunam Foundation, an NGO focused on Under that philosophy, you are never alone. It’s very common to
conservation and sustainable development, produced a ground- see people at night outside their houses, looking to the sky
breaking aerial view of Tikal, using LiDAR, a 3D-mapping tool and talking to those who are one step ahead. This is one way
Above from left: the gardens at Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor; colourful art and candles at Casa Palopó; Luna Zorro. Opposite, Cassa Zenda bedroom
140
you get to understand how people living with not too much
in this country always smile.’
Back at La Lancha I paddled out on Lake Petén Itzá until the
guests drinking sundowners on the thatched jetty were the size
of worry dolls. From my canoe I watched the sun sink into a
mountain on one side and a nearly full moon rise on the other –
yesterday and tomorrow held in momentary balance before
the Long Count plunged the lake into darkness.
GUATEMALA MEANS ‘PLACE OF MANY TREES’, but it’s also a place of

many volcanoes: 37 of them. This topography rises up to greet
you when you fly into Guatemala City, the entry point to the rural
western highlands. The roads out of the capital are smooth yet
choked by traffic and chicken buses, old US school buses repainted
like spaceships and decks of cards. Along the Pan-American
Highway, the commercial strips soon yield to volcanic farmland
of sugarcane, coffee, squash and, most significantly, bananas. This
is the cornucopia that the American-owned United Fruit Company
controlled for decades. When, in the 1950s, Guatemala’s president
attempted a more equitable land redistribution, the CIA deemed
the move to be a Communist plot and instigated a coup, unleash-
ing the civil war, whose effects were felt most deeply in this region.
I spent the night at a temporary camp, Beyond Expeditions,
on a cliff above Atitlán, a stunning crater lake that is the deepest
in Central America. Cows nibbled at the grass behind the airy white
tents decked out with woven blankets, lanterns and wood-fired
OFTEN AT NIGHT, PEOPLE

CAN BE SEEN OUTSIDE THEIR
HOUSES, LOOKING TO THE SKY
AND TALKING TO THE STARS
stoves. Children came from the village to try out their English.
Across the lake the notched silhouette of Volcán de Fuego, one
of three active volcanoes, puffed ribbons of smoke.
The operation is managed by Noé Carrillo Vasquez, a 40-year-
old local with shining eyes and an athletic build. At 10, he left his
highlands village and travelled more than 1,000 miles to the USA,
where he found a job as a cleaner in Georgia. He earned a college
football scholarship but missed his family and returned home,
working for an ecotourism company, which has allowed him to
put eight of his 11 siblings through school. ‘Everyone here has a
story like it,’ he said with a shrug. The small tented kitchen is run
by his sister Carolina, who is studying for a business degree.
Wearing a woven huipil shirt and ikat skirt, she wordlessly prepared
her mother’s pepián, a cold wind hammering the tent as we
devoured the stew of tomatoes, potatoes and corn, thickened with
ground sesame and pumpkin seeds and spiced with dried chillis.
Rather inevitably, the traditional way of dressing is vanishing.
In the village of San Juan La Laguna, whose neat streets are lined
with trippy murals and leafy cafés selling Atitlán’s famed coffee,
there’s a movement to preserve this ancient craft and harness it for
economic empowerment. Here, in a kind of female creative Arcadia,
are dozens of women-run weaving co-ops using organic cotton
in colours squeezed from indigo and cochineal, the insects that
produce carmine. The sale of the gorgeous artisanal textiles steers
From top: villa at Casa Palopó; building in Antigua. Opposite,

clockwise from top left: Casa Palopó; Felisa Café, inside La Nueva
Fábrica gallery in Antigua; Casa Palopó; bedroom at Las Cruces;
tuk-tuks on the streets of Santiago; terrace at Cassa Zenda
143
profits back into the Tzutujil community. Across from a chocolate
maker, a collective of herbalists, midwives and bonesetters
operate a small medicinal garden, selling soaps and supplements.
In Antigua, the one-time Spanish capital with UNESCO- WHERE TO STAY
protected cobblestone streets and colonial façades of ochre, pink
Family Coppola Hideaways now runs a circuit
and umber, the past and present collide. The scars of many earth-
among its Central America hotels. Start in Placencia,
quakes are evident – the Cathedral of Santiago, destroyed in 1773, Belize, at the laidback Turtle Inn (doubles from about
is a haunting shell of archways and pillars. The high-ceilinged £255; thefamilycoppolahideaways.com), before
residences with leafy courtyards have attracted many expats, who heading to Cassa Zenda (from about £2,700 for eight
can be spotted sitting in tiled cafés sipping matcha lattes and mezcal, people; cassazenda.com), a cluster of four thatched-roof
or browsing at La Nueva Fábrica contemporary-art gallery. cabins and outdoor lounges right in the middle of the
Above the city, on a 150-year-old coffee farm, a modern glass jungle. La Lancha (doubles from about £140; thefamily
box houses Luna Zorro, a weaving enterprise where San Francisco coppolahideaways.com) has 10 hillside bungalows on
expat Molly Berry advises young artisans. One morning two Lake Petén Itzá, the gateway to Tikal National Park. It is a
sisters from a highlands village were working on backstrap and short flight to Guatemala City and a three-hour drive
through the mountains to Viaventure’s Beyond
foot looms; they’re also learning about management and account-
Expeditions (doubles from about £570; viaventure.com),
ing while supporting their family back home. ‘Textiles are the
a temporary tented camp that creates jobs for the
heart and soul of Guatemala,’ said Berry, who moved from Panama villagers and leaves no trace when broken down. Across
City with her Guatemalan husband and children six years ago. the water, Casa Palopó (doubles from about £230; casa
‘By helping women understand how much it’s valued, and that palopo.com), the country’s only Relais & Châteaux,
they in turn are valued, I hope more will decide to stay with it.’ has 12 stylish rooms. In Antigua, stay at smart
On my last afternoon I found the streets around Parque Central Hotel Palacio de Doña Leonor (doubles from about
blocked off. Ducking the crafts vendors, balloon hawkers and £130; palaciodeleonor.com) or Las Cruces
marimba players, I spotted a procession carrying a carved painted (doubles from about £160; lascrucesboutique
Virgin on an enormous platform borne by older women in red hotel.com), a former private home filled with
17th-century silver and oil paintings. AP
skirts and lace headscarves. As they shuffled along to the strains
of a brass band, they swayed in unison, stopping every few minutes
to allow a team of young men to lift the weight off their shoulders. Black Tomato can arrange similar trips to
Like their country, they were moving forward, with patience and Guatemala. blacktomato.com
persistence, to the steady tempo of the Long Count.
From opposite: ornate façade in Antigua; cowboy saddle at La Lancha; Santiago local wearing traditional woven clothes; bedroom at Casa Palopó
145
146
L AYE R
UPON
L AYE R
SANTORINI HAS BEEN FEELING
THE STRAIN OF ITS SUMMER PIN-UP

PHOTOGRAPHS: KATE HOLSTEIN
STATUS. AEGEAN REGULAR
TIMOTHY O’GRADY VISITS OFF
SEASON TO FIND A WHOLE OTHER
TALE WORTH TELLING

Santorini, it put me in a trance,’ says the surface of the sea, Santorini has been subjected to 12 major
‘W
HEN I FIRST SAW
Georgia Tsara, the sommelier and manager at Selene volcanic eruptions over the past 650,000 years, culminating in
restaurant. ‘The sense of devastation, of repeated catas- the cataclysmic Minoan blast that happened around 1625BC. It
trophe, is written in the rocks. But so is the island’s endurance, buried all that was there under many feet of white ash; sent out
its capacity to renew itself. There was something very grand waves that reached Syria and Spain and, some have claimed,
in this first impression I had, of a tremendous span of time, created a tsunami that ended the Minoan civilisation on Crete;
the eternal cycles of destruction and regeneration, the deep caused the Israelite exodus from Egypt; and inspired Plato’s myth
energy in this. It was an intense sentiment. I felt the place could of Atlantis. The island split into fragments, with the clawlike
go on feeding me, that I could live here with passion and crea- eastern remnant, almost a mirror image of the Greek mainland,
tivity, and that it wouldn’t stop.’ forming what is now called Santorini. The white villages look
Georgia had this experience in 1998, when she was taking over a cliff nearly 1,000ft tall into the caldera.
a break from her job as a journalist to work for a summer at a Arriving by sea is a dramatic experience. Small islands of
hotel on Monolithos Beach, on the eastern side of Santorini. heaped ash are scattered across the lagoon. Pumice floats on
Today she runs one of the best restaurants in the Cyclades. the water. The sheer, striated, fire-scorched cliffs of the main
You can hear one of her talks about Santorini’s eternal cycles island rise to your left, glowing black, rust, yellow and white
PHOTOGRAPHS: KATE HOLSTEIN; BEN QUINTON
and dichotomies, and how they are microcosmically present under the sun, cobalt in the shadows. Each layer is a record of
in its produce, at Selene before heading upstairs for supper. devastation. You are in the primitive embrace of the claw. The
Photographs might lead you to believe that Santorini is only a sensation can rise to the sinister. No vegetation relieves it.
place of pristine, white cliff-top villages with blue cupolas and The island seems still to seethe and smoke, like the mouth of
languorous women in straw hats and diaphanous dresses sitting a gun after a shot. Lawrence Durrell, a master of description,
on walls, gazing into the distance, their hair and scarves flowing thought it indescribable.
in the Cycladic wind. But for Georgia, Santorini is harsh and All this drama, according to Georgia, is present in the island’s
austere – and in these qualities you can find not only the food. Because Santorini’s mineral springs were buried by the
island’s beauty but also its greatness. Once a domed disk on last volcanic blast, the only moisture here is the morning dew,
Above, a church in Oia. Opposite, clockwise from top left: rooftops; the entrance to Atlantis Books in Oia; white-on-white door;
shelves at Atlantis Books. Previous pages: the softly curved architecture of Oia
148
held in the soil by pumice. The winds desiccate and scorch. The Astonishingly, only one in 20 travellers to Santorini visits
fierce struggle to exist intensifies the flavour of the produce, Akrotiri. When I was first here 30 years ago, I didn’t go either.
resulting in small, unusually sweet tomatoes and cucumbers I stayed in a cave in Oia, which then, as now, spilled over the cliff
that taste like melons. The white aubergine, protected from like an interrupted landslide. I walked down hundreds of steps
insects by basil and spearmint, can be eaten raw. Visitors to and swam out to Agios Nikolaos, an islet where a little church
Santorini can feast on the story of the volcanoes: basalt, pumice, sits. I moved past a short rock ledge at the shore and was sud-
fir, smoke. The wine does not comfort. It is crisp, dry, mineral. denly in pale-blue sun-shot water hundreds of yards deep. It felt
Santorini also has Greece’s oldest vineyards. Wind, heat and like I was swimming in the sky. In the whole of Oia, there were
volcanic soil give the Assyrtiko grape a character that yields perhaps 50 visitors. The warrens that ran through the village
whites valued throughout the world. The vines sit differently were silent, exquisite and mysterious. We all seemed tied together
here, low on the ground rather than on trestles, independent in a loose confederation. We met in cafés. We sat with locals. All
and arranged into wreaths was proximate. There were
for protection from the winds occasional whispers of the
and to preserve moisture. otherworldly, put forth by
You see fields of them every- the islanders. Vampires were
where, large and small, by mentioned. A farmer said
the side of the road, behind that he and his family were
petrol stations, between unable to work their fields
houses. There are 20 wineries, near Akrotiri because of the
each with its own vision. ghosts. It all began to get
Some, such as Gavalas in out of hand, to veer into the
Megalochori, are run tradi- hallucinatory, when I saw
tionally by families; others, brisk-paced men seemingly
i n c l u d i n g Va s s a l t i s i n possessed of godlike strength
Vourvoulos, are more exper- as they carried large boulders
imental. My favourite, for on their shoulders as though
the flavour of the wines, the they were reed baskets. I
setting and warm welcome, reported this in the café.
is Domaine Sigalas, on the The waiters laughed. ‘That’s
northern tip near the village volcanic rock,’ they said.
of Oia, owned by a former ‘Porous. Light as cork. They
mathematics professor. make porcelain out of it.’
‘This is a site of earth- Somewhere along the line
quakes and volcanoes and in the years since my first
conquests,’ says Georgia. ‘As visit, the island’s taxi drivers
recently as 1950, the volcano had the enterprising idea of
blew a 3,000ft column of ash telling their customers that
into the air. The island was the most perfect place to
virtually deserted in the after- experience Santorini’s leg-
math. That’s in living memory. endary sunsets was in Oia,
Everybody knows it could which just so happened to
happen again, that death generate the highest fares
could come at any time.’ You for them since it is at the fur-
can sense this in certain thest point on the cliff from
places, and if you pay close the harbour, airport and
attention, but nowhere is this capital city of Fira. In time
picture more vivid than at the archaeological site of Akrotiri. I the news of Oia’s sunsets spread to tour operators and honey-
have never been drawn to ruins, but this is extraordinary – an mooners and romantics all over the world. The result is a daily
PHOTOGRAPH:S MARINA DENISOVA; CHRISTIAN HOGUE
almost perfectly preserved ancient city whose population was pilgrimage of buses, taxis, four-wheel-drives and motorbikes
evidently vaporised in an instant 3,500 years ago. All that along the Oia road. When I was here last autumn, with sunset
remained lay preserved under many feet of ash, undiscovered still a few hours away, I could not stretch out my arms in the
until 1967, when Professor Spyridon Marinatos made a calcu- streets, so dense was the throng. Oia has moved outwards and
lated guess as to where Akrotiri might lie and began to dig. You downwards. More tunnels are being dug to make replicas of the
can see how pleasant, how beautiful, how airy and light life there cave houses. One came up in someone’s wardrobe. Swimming
was. The buildings were tall, with foundations fortified against pools, buses and thousands of people add to the weight. It is built
seismic events. There were shops, a town hall, wine cellars, on a precipice of volcanic ash. I heard more than one person
souvlaki sticks. The windows were wide and the walls were dec- worry that the landslide could cease to be interrupted and that
orated with elegant frescoes. It was a way of life that feels Oia could collapse and tumble down the cliff into the sea.
sophisticated, contemporary. You can see it and walk along its More than two million people visit Santorini each year. More
streets. You can touch it across a gap of thousands of years. and more of the island is covered with concrete. Spare rooms
Above, a cluster of hilltop houses. Opposite, doorway with a view over the crater lagoon in Thira
150
IT’S HARSH AND
AUSTERE. YET IN THESE
QUALITIES YOU
F I N D N OT O N LY B E AU T Y
BUT GREATNESS
THE FLIP SIDE
OF SANTORINI
WHERE TO SLEEP
Pyrgos, at the foot of Profitis Ilias mountain, the island’s
high point, is the largest and best-preserved of the medieval
settlements. It is more peaceful and more Greek than
the white towns on the cliff edges. Worn stone stairs wind
elegantly upwards to the Venetian castle. Part of the
way up is Voreina Gallery Suites (voreinasuites.gr;
doubles from about £155), where contemporary art fills the
walls and the caldera and sunsets can be seen from terraces
without the taxi fare to Oia. Voreina is owned by Lefteris
Zorzos, who first came to Santorini to volunteer at Akrotiri.
For an independent tour of the island from here, hire a
vehicle at the exceptionally friendly and helpful Pyrgos Rent a
Car (pyrgosrentcar.com) on the main road near the square. It
might seem impossible to be far away from everything on this
island, but places such as Incognito Villa (incognitosantorini.
gr; doubles from about £230) manage it. Set at the end of a
dirt track on the beach near Monolithos, it has its own garden
and a little pool, and there are tavernas within strolling
distance in either direction along the sand. Even in the height
of summer, it is astonishingly quiet.
WHAT TO EAT
and apartments are posted on Airbnb. The infrastructure Sophisticated Selene (selene.gr) is part of the scene in
groans and creaks. There is no time for traditions of hospitality Pyrgos, with its fresh ingredients such as octopus
that once were sacred. You sense that there is another Santorini and tomatoes; the offshoot, Selene Meze and Bar, is
beyond the chic and glamorous façade, beyond the tour buses more casual. Andreas Markozanes, part Ethiopian and part
and trinket shops, one that has suffered some kind of wound Greek, grew up in Finikia near Oia thinking of Santorini as ‘a
but is nevertheless struggling to reassert itself. I heard about it rock that made money’. But through travel, he increasingly
all over the island, in the wineries and restaurants and galleries came to value the traditions of hospitality that are stitched
and even in the town hall. through the island’s history, the rootedness that village life
had given him growing up, and the wonder of its wine and
You can meet this other Santorini. Attend one of Georgia’s
agriculture. He wanted to bring all these things together in a
talks at Selene. See how the food is grown at Nomikos Estate
restaurant, Oia Vineyart (oiavineyart.gr), which he started
in Vothonas. Hire a guide to take you around Akrotiri. Visit some with his brother and a few friends. A food shop, gallery
wineries and the old tomato-canning factory at Vlychada, a and restaurant are spread over a former wine store on one of
museum that gestures both to an old family industry and to Oia’s lanes. Upstairs is a furnished room where artists can
contemporary art. Head to Pyrgos, preferably up the hill via stay and be fed while they work – as long as they leave one
the labyrinths that lead to churches and a fish restaurant painting behind. They live what they preach about
at the top; it is so beautiful at night. This other Santorini is not connectedness here.
‘old Santorini’. It is a place that has room for warmth and
connection and is also informed by the tastes and occupations WHAT TO DO
PHOTOGRAPHS: MARINA DENISOVA; HOLLY FARRIER; BEN QUINTON
of the modern world. The best months to come in off-season are October and
November. Those who fly in and miss the dramatic
‘It is strange to see people coming from so far away just for
entrance by sea can still experience it by getting out on the
that view, thrilling and inspiring though it is,’ says Georgia.
water. Sunset Oia Sailing Cruises (sailing-santorini.com) will
‘The islanders gather in the inland places. These were always the leave Vlychada and get to Oia to catch the sunset, with time
most prized because they were safe from pirates and had for swimming from the boat and lunch. Santorini has many
the best land. The most favoured daughters were granted dowries incredible fresh products, including its cherry tomatoes,
of inland properties while the least favoured were sent to the white aubergine and famous split pea – a super-meal in itself.
caldera. Santorini is existential. But I am hopeful. The island is See how they are grown at the Nomikos Estate (madein
an unusual teacher. I think it will tell us when enough is enough santorini.gr) in Vothonas. It would be a waste to walk through
and show us how to modify and improve. The fiery death all the ruins at Akrotiri without a guide. Eugenia Liodaki
around has always led to renewal. I am a sommelier. I see it in (santoriniguide.gr) is superb. TO’G
the vines: flame-like crimsons and oranges in the autumn, the For more information on visiting Santorini,
lifeless greys and blacks of the winter, then the opulent greens go to discovergreece.com
of spring. After that, the beautiful ripe grapes of the summer,
carrying a taste that remembers the volcano.’
Above, looking across the bay from Oia. Opposite, clockwise from top left: a cave house; bells; a windmill; powder blues
153
THE GLOBETROTTER
LESLIE MANN
KNOWN FOR HER FRANK HUMOUR, THE AMERICAN ACTOR WHO MET HER HUSBAND JUDD APATOW WHEN
AUDITIONING FOR THE CABLE GUY WENT ON TO STAR IN CULT COMEDIES KNOCKED UP AND HOW TO BE SINGLE
Where have you just come back from? sky – it’s so lovely. There’s a great bluffs trail jukebox, they give you peanuts and then you
‘My husband and I recently went to Sedona, in Santa Monica, just above Pacific Coast can throw the peanuts on the floor. I guess
Arizona. We stayed at a spa called Mii Amo Highway, which is a brilliant place to walk it is slowly becoming more touristy, but on
in the middle of the desert. It’s a very and watch the sun go down.’ week nights it’s still a blast.’
spiritual place where they completely clear
your energy. You can get psychic readings, And your favourite island? I lost my heart in…
healing, that kind of thing, but the second ‘Big island in Hawaii, where I got married. ‘The delivery room when my kids were
you go back to Los Angeles all that bad My husband and I visited a couple of times born.’
energy obviously returns. ’ before the wedding, and we’ve been back
many more times since. It’s very rocky and The most interesting person you’ve met
Where in the world have you felt happiest? it has an active volcano. I feel like the on your travels
‘In my bed, with my kids, my cats and my second you land there all the stress is just ‘I don’t know about the person, but we
husband. Ideally watching The Bachelor, sucked away. But we could only relax for so stayed at Le Bristol in Paris, and it has this
which is what we’ve been doing every long, then we’d take trips into town and go big white fluffy cat, like a greeter cat who
Wednesday. We have lots of pillows, very soft to the Target store in Kailua-Kona.’ just sits on the stairs in the lobby. I hope he’s
sheets, but that part doesn’t really matter. I still there. It was eight years ago, but cats
just love being with my family and my cats.’ live to about 20, right? Let’s say he’s still
‘I LOVED GLASTONBURY. there. My kids and I loved that cat so much.
Any memorable filming locations? WE WALKED 17 MILES A DAY We recently got a similar one.’
‘The house up the street from mine in Los IN MUD, IT WAS EXHAUSTING
Angeles is where we shot Knocked Up and What would you like to find in your minibar?
This is 40. It meant I had a two-minute walk
AND COLD BUT WE STILL ‘In the UK, you guys have pickled chips –
to work. The crew completely ruined the HAD THE BEST TIME EVER’ pickled crisps – and you can’t get them in
wooden floors; it has a pebble driveway and the USA, so it would definitely be those.
everyone managed to bring in all these Who’s your fantasy holiday companion? And Häagen-Dazs ice cream.’
stones from outside.’ ‘I know this sounds boring, but it’s my
family. We’ve been on so many trips and I Your favourite place to stay?
A place that most lived up to the hype? really like travelling with them. I don’t want ‘I absolutely adore the Connaught Hotel in
‘I went to Glastonbury four years ago and to sound corny, but we’re all witnesses to Mayfair. We were there over Christmas last
it was amazing. I just remember walking 17 each other’s lives and carry each other’s year and it was so beautiful. They brought
miles a day in two feet of mud and watching memories. It’s fun to be with the people you ballerinas in to dance in the lobby. They
Coldplay, Adele and ELO. We stayed in are closest to.’ gave us carrots, milk and cookies for the kids
an area called Camp Kerala; it had these to leave for Father Christmas and the rein-
gorgeous little tents with shag rugs and First time away without your parents? deer, which was a really cute touch.’
really nice bedding. It was a beautiful place ‘My friends and I went to Vegas when we
right at the top of the hill so it overlooked were 18. We lied to our parents and said One thing you’ve taken from a hotel?
PHOTOGRAPH: FREDERIC AUERBACH/CONTOUR BY GETTY
the whole festival. I liked Glastonbury so we were going somewhere else. What ‘Anything not nailed down at the Connaught.
much. Yes, it was exhausting and cold, but did we do? I think we visited casinos and I can’t say – they won’t have me back.’
we still had the best time ever.’ gambled… does that mean we had fake
IDs?! I remember there were about 20 Most regrettable holiday souvenir
What do you pack first? of us staying in a very small hotel room. ‘It’s usually some kind of clothing that
‘I usually bring a sound machine with me There was a lot of alcohol involved. I don’t doesn’t translate at home. It never looks
when I travel – a little gadget to block out recall much more than that.’ right when you’re not on holiday. We went
noise. And earplugs and a sleep mask. Lately to Thailand once and got those MC Hammer
I’ve been using my iPad to play white noise.’ Tell us about a great little place you know pants. I never wore them and had to get rid
‘There’s a bar in Santa Monica called Chez of them after about three months.’
Describe your favourite view Jay. Marilyn Monroe used to go there. It’s a
‘I love the sunsets during winter in Los cool Santa Monica spot that a lot of people Leslie Mann stars in ‘Blithe Spirit’, which
Angeles, looking out over the Pacific Ocean, don’t know about. The food isn’t great, but is in cinemas on 1 May. She was speaking
with the big, big sun and the candy-coloured it has a very fun atmosphere. They have a to Shannon Mahanty

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THIS IS THE LIFE

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terrace, complete with Jacuzzi (the efficient You can then compare and contrast East a big draw. Tennis, table tennis, mini golf,
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kebabs of flame-seared lamb and Ottoman meatballs and fresh fruit and vegetables Further Information
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From Antarctica to North America’s Great Lakes and
the Arctic, Viking’s new Expedition journeys epitomise
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In January 2022, Viking Expeditions launches In Antarctica, for instance, that means along the shoreline of Mackinac Island, cruising
its first ship, V ng Octantis, which will plot having a close-up look at the world’s largest ice the Soo Locks, an 1850s engineering marvel,
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378 guests – so they are intimate enough to cruise follows in the footsteps of explorers such round-trip itinerary from Tromsø on V ng
navigate small bays and ports while still being as Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott, crossing Polaris, which weaves through frozen tundras,
technologically advanced and suitably sized the notorious Drake Passage to discover the dramatic fjords and outlying settlements. Three
to provide stability in choppy seas. Last Continent. Days will be spent hopping on days are spent immersed in the stark beauty of
Zodiacs to pristine beaches where seals slumber Svalbard, from Bjørnøya, the most remote and
Viking has always had the ethos that travel in the distance, kayaking among the glaciers southern island where over a million seabirds
should be more than simply a trip – instead as you listen to the crackling sound of trapped gather annually to breed, to shore landings
offering an in-depth immersion in the local arts, air bubbles being released from the ice, and where guests can go with a guide in search of
history, nature and culture of the places visited, spotting wildlife such as penguins, migratory polar bears. On both ships, resident scientists
both through the excursions offered and the birds and whales. The trip ends with a scenic and expert expedition leaders will share their
enrichment programme on board. The two cruise around Cape Horn, the headland of findings on the migration patterns of birds and
expedition ships will not only be kitted out Chile’s Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the behaviours of other wildlife while the evenings
with a fleet of Zodiacs, RIBs, kayaks and southern tip of South America. allow for plenty of time to reflect on the day.
submarines, but they will also have new venues Whichever itinerary you choose, it will be
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include The Hangvar, a unique marina and Octantis will be the ‘Great Lakes Explorer’,
working science laboratory, and The Aula, the which includes three days exploring some Further Information
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FLAVOUR HUNTER
DISPATCHES FROM THE FOODIE FRONTIER. EDITED BY TABITHA JOYCE
PHOTOGRAPH: MATT RUSSELL/BITTER HONEY BY LETITIA CLARK (HARDIE GRANT)
A SLICE OF
SUNSHINE
CELEBRATING THE COOKING
OF SARDINIA WITH ISLAND
CASTAWAY LETITIA CLARK
Sardinia gets under your skin. I’m
not the only person to have felt it. The
renowned food writer Claudia Roden
said: ‘I don’t know if it is because
Sardinians are unbelievably hospit-
able, and their land is so beautiful, or
because their food evokes a remote
past, or because it is simply so good,
but it provokes a strong emotion of
the kind you never forget.’

FLAVOUR HUNTER
Separated from Italy by language, culture, history
and geography, this idiosyncratic island, lost in the
Mediterranean, has much to offer any hungry traveller
searching for something a little less ordinary. The food
culture is, like the place itself, theoretically Italian, but
really a world unto itself. While they both share some
essential philosophies – the focus on ingredients and
extreme freshness, the peasant roots that make each
dish simultaneously comforting and abundant –
Sardinian food seems a distilled version; somehow
even simpler, more rustic, more wild. The emphasis
on tradition is even more pronounced. Food is never
just food. It is a memory, a moment recaptured in a
mouthful. It is friendship, love, celebration. Often today,
it is easy to lose sight of this. In Sardinia it is not.
I first visited when I was 18, on a holiday with a
friend’s family. We stayed in a remote villa in the north,
MY MOST POTENT MEMORY WAS

A FEAST OF RICOTTA RAVIOLI AND
ROAST SUCKLING PIG. IT COULDN’T
HAVE BEEN MORE DELICIOUS
and my most potent memory was the night I dragged
everyone out to the local agriturismo, where we, the
only guests, feasted on ricotta ravioli in fresh tomato
sauce, roast suckling pig, raw artichokes with home-
pressed olive oil for dunking, and then deep-fried
cheese pasta with honey and orange zest, all rounded
off with myrtle liqueur. Every single thing we ate was
made or produced on the farm, and it couldn’t have been
simpler, or more delicious. It didn’t feel strange to be
the only diners, as we were made not to feel like cus-
tomers at all, rather friends at the family dinner table.
I moved to the island three years ago. Since then,
I’ve realised many things; about myself, about eating,
about cooking. Far too trite to say I found myself –
I didn’t anyway – but I found my food, and that’s a
pretty good place to start. ‘Bitter Honey: Recipes and
Stories from the Island of Sardinia’ by Letitia Clark
(£26; Hardie Grant) is out on 30 April
Dishes from Bitter Honey

including celery and
bottarga salad (above);
saffron aoili (above right);
and blood orange and
polenta cake (far right)

LETITIA CLARK ON WHERE TO EAT
DA RENZO
This restaurant in Siamaggiore, part of a smart hotel, has one
of the most luminous dining rooms. It’s particularly famed for
matching Sardinian pastas with local seafood. The pasta is
made by a company set up by the owner; buy some to take
home. Try a raw platter, then the rock lobster, or aragosta.
The tiramisu is pretty fool-proof, too. darenzo.it
JOSTO AND FRAMENTO

These sister joints in Cagliari are run by one of the island’s
foremost chefs, Pierluigi Fais. At Josto, timeless classics are
reimagined with clever combinations. Up the hill is the
Framento pizzeria where traditional slow-fermented dough is
baked with typical or more unusual toppings such as smoked
salmon or cauliflower. Crispy, slightly sour and completely
moreish, this is pizza Sardinian style. facebook.com/josto.
restaurant, facebook.com/framentopizza
SA NASSA
Named after the characteristic fishing nets made in the area,
this is unquestionably Bosa’s best restaurant. Tucked down
an alleyway and run by a father and son, it serves a variety of
local dishes; order anything cooked with the local Malvasia,
a slightly sweet, fragrant white. +39 347 781 4166
NAUTILUS
Another spot on the coastal road is Alghero. Known as Little
Barcelona, it was previously a Catalan colony and is great for
an evening aperitivo and a stroll around the cobbled streets.
At Nautilus, go for whatever on the menu is ‘alla catalana’, a
speciality of fresh fish marinated in oil and served with finely
PHOTOGRAPHS: MATT RUSSELL/BITTER HONEY
sliced red onion, parsley and vinegar. nautilusalghero.com
DA MARCO
BY LETITIA CLARK (HARDIE GRANT)
This shack just off the quartz beach of Mari Ermi has no frills,
with gingham paper tablecloths and sandy floors, but it fills up
in minutes for summer lunches. Try the local fregola pasta
(like cous-cous) cooked in a seafood and tomato sauce.
Other favourites include a type of escabeche with orange and
the irresistibly salty bottarga pâté. +39 340 568 4528
SU GOLOGONE
One of Sardinia’s loveliest hotels, this is the place to try the
region’s most famous dish: suckling pig. See them roasted
over an open hearth in the dining room. sugologone.it
FLAVOUR HUNTER
WHERE TO STAY
DOMU ANTIGA
Run by Samuel Lai and his family, this little B&B is a
labour of love. After inheriting the property in the centre
of the island from his grandmother, Samuel restored it
slowly and sympathetically. Food is prepared by his mother
and sister: cakes and tarts using locally grown fruit; savoury
dishes such as wild-boar stew. Breakfast includes yogurt,
home-cured salamis and hams, and Samuel’s sheep’s milk
ricotta which he demonstrates making for anyone who
wants to learn. The whole place is filled with arrangements
of wildflowers, gathered by his ex-florist mother, and
pale-pink dog roses bloom in the grassy courtyard.
domuantiga.it; doubles from about £95
MARIO CESARE
Just down the road from Domu, Samuel’s sister Giulia runs
this tiny one-storey stone house with just two bedrooms. It
formerly belonged to a local painter, after which it is named.
A famed recluse, Cesare left his home to the postman on his
death. Giulia persuaded the postman to sell it to her, and has
since created a place so charming it feels like stepping into a
storybook – decorated simply with prints left behind by the
artist as well as his old paint tubes and even his leather
boots. Each morning Giulia lays breakfast outside beneath
the bougainvillaea. Bookable on Airbnb from about £80
SA PERDA ARRUBIA
On the west coast overlooking vineyards, this agriturismo is
deep in the Mediterranean maquis, at the foot of Mount
Astili. Not far from the beaches and set in a spectacular
granite-studded landscape, the house dates back to the
1940s and has a wonderful terrace for breakfast with a view.
perdaarrubia.it; doubles from about £55

WHAT TO BRING BACK
Apart from delicious places to stay and eat, Sardinia has
other, more unique highlights for travellers. Traditional goods
and crafts are celebrated throughout the island during Cortes
Apertas, which translates as ‘open courtyards’, in the autumn.
Here producers open up their doors as clusters of people
wander through mountain-top villages, tasting a local wine,
a special variety of potato or a specific dolce. You’ll also find
stalls selling items that make great gifts for food lovers.
Here’s what to look out for.
KNIVES Sardinia is famous for its blades. Legend has it that

every man here carries one, often crafted out of wood or horn.
As well as visiting individual workshops, make a trip to Clemente
Binelli in Cagliari – as much a museum as a shop.
BRONZE PASTA CUTTERS Also stocked by Clemente Binelli,

these little gadgets are used to carve intricate patterns in local
dolci and pasta. They render the finished products as delicate
and dainty as lace and, because they are beautifully fashioned
out of bronze, are worth collecting purely to look at too.
BASKETS There’s a long tradition of basket weaving in

Sardinia, and reed baskets are still used to dry pasta. If you
miss the markets, try La Bottega dell’Intreccio in Oristano
for plenty of hand-shaped loveliness.
Dishes from Bitter Honey including

(clockwise from far left) eggs in tomato
sauce with music-paper bread; fried
ravioli with cheese and honey; bream
baked with potatoes; pumpkin and
ricotta ravioli; watermelon granita;
bottarga pâté; two-booze tiramisu
PHOTOGRAPHS: MATT RUSSELL/BITTER HONEY
BY LETITIA CLARK (HARDIE GRANT)
FLAVOUR HUNTER
Eat the streets
PREVIOUSLY OVERLOOKED FOR ITS NEIGHBOURING NIGHTLIFE SCENE AND KNOWN ONLY FOR A 230-ACRE
CEMETERY, LEAFY CHACARITA IS SUDDENLY BUENOS AIRES’ MOST EXCITING RESTAURANT DESTINATION
Pavement-side at
La Fuerza bar
9.30AM BREAKFAST 6.30PM APERITIF
Alegra Restaurante y Vinería, Olleros 3891 La Fuerza, Avenida Dorrego 1409

Two friends – both cooks and sommeliers – scramble free-range Vermouth is the city’s new craft beer and La Fuerza is stocked
eggs and whip up brick-thick toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches at with Torrontés- and Malbec-based versions on tap. Hipsters hog the
this pretty corner spot. Take a seat by the lofty sash windows to watch wrought-iron tables outside, ensuring their tipple goes further
the people of the neighbourhood amble by or share the communal table with a soda syphon on the side. Nibble on juicy beef empanadas
in the sky-blue annex with freelancers sipping cafés con leche. to keep you going until supper. lafuerza.com.ar
facebook.com/alegrarestaurante.com
9.30PM SUPPER
1PM LUNCH
Ajo Negro, Avenida Córdoba 6237
Roll’in Luí, Avenida Jorge Newbery 3674 The seafood small plates here are best eaten while sitting at the striking
There’s a burgeoning vegetarian scene in the steak-loving city and this industrial open kitchen, which is constructed from scaffolding pipes.
little sandwich shop is helping to lead the charge. Queue up with the Hits include squid al pil pil (made with garlic, olive oil and chilli salsa)
local creatives on their lunch breaks to bag one of the killer falafel wraps, and tiradito (Peruvian sashimi) cured in beetroot juice. The seasonal
loaded with tahini sauce, and a zingy homemade lemonade. menu includes tapas specials on rotation but the catch of the day with
chickpeas and patatas bravas is always a safe bet. Instagram @ajonegrobar
4PM PICK-ME-UP
12.30AM LATE-NIGHT SNACK
Falena, Charlone 201
This distressed-brick bookstore used to be the home of conceptual El Imperio de la Pizza, Avenida Corrientes 6891
artist Leandro Erlich and now houses a cool café in the living room. Do as the locals do and end the evening with a whopping slice of pizza.
Owner Marcela Giscafré’s literature selection is spot on: a mix of classic Not exactly a new kid on the block (unlike its Chacarita neighbours), this
and contemporary non-fiction, plus art and design titles. And the standing-room-only shop has been making pizzas since 1947. The cheese
urban-jungle terrace is a wonderful insider hangout for a glass of Teho and onion fugazzeta is a crowd pleaser, paired with a foamy chopp (glass
Malbec and an artisanal cheeseboard. falena.com.ar of lager). facebook.com/elimperiodelapizza SORREL MOSELEY-WILLIAMS

WA L K I N G O N
SUNSHINE
Centuries of culture, a fabulous food scene and the ideal
climate make Malta a short-stay destination with a big impact
‘ C
ity break’ is a magical phrase. It and food festivals. With gracious locals famed
conjures up morning coffee at an for their hospitality, this LGBT-friendly
outdoor café, must-see museums and destination makes for the ideal laid-back stay.
galleries, and the welcome feel of the sun’s rays
as you stroll through ancient alleyways. Happily, If it’s delicious native cuisine you’re after,
Malta is just three hours from the UK and Malta brings plenty to the table. These islands
ticks off this city-break wish list like a charm. have hosted many civilisations, and dishes
here weave together Sicilian, Arabic, Roman,
Blessed with more than 300 days of sunshine Spanish and French flavours. You’ll find
a year, Malta sits in the warm waters of the chic restaurants in the capital that use local
Mediterranean not far from Sicily. Glorious and seasonal ingredients – a dash of village
coastline abounds and Valletta (the capital) pecorino cheese here, a wild nasturtium
is a UNESCO World Heritage site bursting leaf there – and it’s also worth popping to
with historic monuments – think palaces, Marsaxlokk, a traditional fishing village,
cathedrals and sculptures. It’s also home to the to feast on the catch of the day.
only signed painting by Caravaggio – make
your way to Baroque masterpiece St John’s As evening falls, a warm welcome awaits
Co-Cathedral for a viewing amid the grand at one of Valletta’s many wine bars, from Grand
gold-leaf interiors. Medieval fan? The walled Harbour joints with live jazz to atmospheric
city of Mdina is so impressive, its architecture vaulted stone cellar dens (as Malta doesn’t
had a starring role in Game of Thrones. produce enough wine to export, this is your
chance to imbibe). Art, wine, architecture and
You can immerse yourself in Malta’s buzzing sunshine – could a city break get any better?
cultural scene: countless events throughout
the year celebrate the archipelago’s fascinating Further Information
history and include lively carnivals, concerts Visit maltauk.com
Above: sailing into

Valletta’s Grand Harbour
FLAVOUR HUNTER
THIS MONTH’S TASTE BUZZ
GILL-TO-FIN
THE TREND
Nose-to-tail has become such an accepted part of modern cooking that trotters and tripe
are barely noteworthy these days. But the idea of eating every part of a fish has been a
slippier sell, both for chefs who don’t have time to fiddle with scales and swim bladders and
for diners uncomfortable consuming collars and throats. But gill-to-fin, which dramatically
reduces waste, is finally hitting the restaurant scene, driven by increasingly high-profile
champions pushing to change fishing practices. There’s even a new term – seaganism –
for vegans who are prepared to eat sustainably sourced seafood on the side.
TRY IT
Sydney-based chef Josh Niland, author of The Whole Fish Cookbook, is a fount of fresh ideas
for cooking fish, which he argues can be hung just like meat. The 31-year-old, who once
worked under Heston Blumenthal, aims to use at least 90 per cent of every animal prepared
at his Paddington Fish Butchery (the average is less than 50). His team at the lab-like shop use
swim bladders that puff up like crackling and even fish sperm for a take on mortadella, later
eaten at Niland’s intimate Saint Peter restaurant down the road. The produce is dry-aged
for up to 80 days, with marlin and swordfish tails suspended from hooks as if they were
lumps of Spanish jamón. In London, Niland’s credo is being followed by Cornish chef Tom
Brown, who plates up a ‘seacuterie’ board of salmon pastrami and trout ham at Cornerstone,
his Hackney Wick joint. He shows the same devotion to sustainable fishing as his mentor
Nathan Outlaw, whose two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Port Isaac, Cornwall, also puts
the focus on underused fish such as gurnard, megrim sole and coley. TOBY SKINNER
PHOTOGRAPHS: JODY HORTON; JASON LOUCAS; TRAVIS RATHBONE/TRUNK ARCHIVE; NIKKI TO

Clockwise from top left: trout rillettes with radish at Saint
Peter, Sydney; fish tails; spanner crab at Saint Peter
SIP TRIP AGUARDIENTE

A ROUGH-AND-TOUGH SPIRIT IS SOUTH AMERICA’S FIERY WILD CARD
Few countries have a closer association with a locally produced, relatively inexpensive, strongly
intoxicating and potentially addictive substance than Colombia. I am of course talking about
aguardiente, the drink of choice of both the hard-bitten campesinos of the Andean highlands
and their more fancy-free metropolitan counterparts at sea level. Though aguardiente is
produced, with variations, elsewhere in South America, the Colombian version is distinctive for
its popularity and simplicity. The name translates, directly and accurately, as firewater. It is a
rudimentary, harsh, sugar-cane-based spirit, made more or less tolerable with the addition of
aniseed. In its liquoricey flavour, it is a cousin of arak, raki, ouzo and absinthe. A distant country
cousin – somewhat brash and unpolished but great fun at parties. It is telling that, among
Colombians, aguardiente is generally consumed briskly, by the shot, followed by an expressive
oath uttered through gritted teeth and then washed down, whenever possible, with a swig of
beer to kill the taste and clear the palate. Colombian aguardiente is neither as subtle nor as
flexible as cachaça, pisco or other superior South American spirits. It remains, shall we say,
more of a time-and-place kind of drink – and is surely none the worse for that. STEVE KING

Top to bottom: wild

encounters in Antarctica;
Icelandic waterfalls;
Seabourn Venture
TO B O L D LY G O
When Seabourn Venture launches next
year, it will raise the bar for ultra-luxury
expedition travel to the wildest, most
remote regions of the world
S
ince 2013, Seabourn has been offering
world-class expedition experiences in
Antarctica. This was followed by the
brilliant ‘Ventures by Seabourn’™ programme:
optional kayaking, Zodiac rides and hiking in
incredible back-to-nature destinations around
the world. Now, the one-year countdown begins
until the arrival in June 2021 of Seabourn Venture,
an intimate hotel-at-sea with 132 spacious
ocean-front suites that will mark a new era
of ultra-luxury, immersive travel (this will
be followed by a second ship in May 2022).
Designed by visionary Adam D. Tihany, the

purpose-built Seabourn Venture is aimed at
adventurous travellers who want to explore
remote parts of the planet in ultra-luxurious Seabourn Venture’s inaugural season will include
surroundings. It combines all the advanced expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and the
technology necessary to operate capably in Amazon, where guests can set out in Zodiacs
ice regions while still delivering an above- under teeming bird cliffs and along jungle rivers,
and-beyond experience through many of or kayak among monumental icebergs; and the
the familiar features guests are used to, from Caribbean, where coral gardens glittering with
superb dining in a choice of restaurants to iridescent fish make idyllic snorkelling spots.
complimentary premium spirits and fine Hand-picked itineraries feature everything from
wines, and award-winning service. Plus there Viking ruins and ancient Inca sites to up-close
are exciting new additions: two custom-built, sightings of whales, walruses and seals, treks to
six-seater submarines for those wanting an thundering waterfalls and blue-tinged glaciers,
unforgettable look beneath the ocean’s surface, and the chance to see towering underwater Further Information
and a complement of kayaks and Zodiacs ice cliffs and vivid reef walls from a submarine. Visit seabourn.com/expedition,
overseen by a crew of wilderness experts, All of these are bucket-list experiences that email enquiries@seabourn.co.uk
scientists, historians and naturalists. can now be enjoyed in extraordinary style. or call 0344 338 8615
FLAVOUR HUNTER
UNDER THE GRILL

JESSIE WARE
The Brit-nominated singer started an
award-winning podcast by hosting supper for
friends – including Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith
– with her mother. On the launch of their
first cookbook, she shares her tastiest finds
What’s your dream breakfast location? The strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
‘It has to be Russ & Daughters in New York. ‘I recently went to a tasting for Santiago
I’d order the lox platter – in fact, I’d take Lastra’s restaurant, Kol, in London – he was
liberties and have practically everything The dish that reminds you of trying out dishes at his house and when I
because you also have to try the latkes with your childhood? arrived the first thing he offered me was an ant.
sour cream and apple sauce. Plus, a selection ‘My grandma’s gefilte fish because there is It was very sour, which I didn’t expect.’
of the bagels; my top pick is the Everything nothing more nostalgic than the smell of my
bagel. Let’s call it brunch!’ gaga’s “chopped and fried”. It reminds me of Your go-to drink?
travelling up to Manchester on the train, which ‘A dirty Martini. I went in search of a dive bar
Biggest splurge? used to take forever, but as soon as we got in Ubud – Naughty Nuri’s – because
‘I’m a huge fan of tasting menus. One of the to her flat there would be this waft. Balls Anthony Bourdain once described its Martini
most exciting eating experiences I’ve had was of fish sound completely unattractive but it as the very best. It was so full-on it blew my
at A Wong Chinese restaurant in Pimlico, was the greatest smell in the world. Her recipe head off, but it was very lovely.’
London. There were these pulled cumin-lamb is one of my favourites in the cookbook.’
buns that were like nothing else. Grab Your cooking hero?
two stools at the bar and watch head chef Most memorable feast? ‘Yotam Ottolenghi has made everyone so
Andrew Wong at work.’ ‘I got married on Skopelos in Greece where adventurous and he’s definitely sexed
a brilliant restaurant, Rodi, served us fall-off- up vegetables. I still love pomegranate
Favourite place for street food? the-bone slow-cooked lamb with lemony on everything. I’m grateful he brought out
‘Tel Aviv, where they make the most delicious potatoes. There was incredible mastic ice his Simple book though, as I’m a self-
kebabs: the naughty on-the-way-home- cream for pudding with a filo-pastry flan confessed slap-dash cook.’
after-a-night-out kind. But somehow drenched in orange-blossom syrup – I’m not
they’re beautiful, filled with baba ganoush sure people appreciated the food as they were The ingredients you can’t live without?
and fried aubergine, just delightful – and all so drunk by this point.’ ‘Anchovette spread. My mum begs our friends
very nearly virtuous.’ to bring it over from South Africa – it’s so good
What do you always take on tour? on buttery brown toast. The honey on
The best coffee you’ve had? ‘Marmite. And Yorkshire Tea. In our book we Skopelos is the best I’ve tasted. I eat it with
PHOTOGRAPH: TOM BEARD
‘There’s this café in Oslo called Fuglen, have a recipe for carrot and Marmite soup. thick Greek yogurt and fuzzy peaches. And
which also sells furniture. It’s very cool – I’ll put it in anything; on toast with peanut yuzu salt from Japan is also wonderful. You can
I think I actually read about it in Condé Nast butter and a sharp, grated Cheddar is God’s use it on anything and it’ll look like you’ve
Traveller when I was touring. But as greatest gift – the triple threat.’ made a real effort.’ TABITHA JOYCE
soon as I arrived I realised I’d been to its
sister outpost in Tokyo, too – it’s unlike ‘Table Manners: The Cookbook’ by Jessie and
any other coffee experience. ’ Lennie Ware (£22, Ebury Press) is out now

J E T, S E T, PA R T Y
Laid-back days turn into hedonistic
nights at Nikki Beach Resort & Spa in
Porto Heli, Greece
W
ishing you knew where Europe’s
most fashionable prefer to holiday?
Those in the know head to Porto
Heli, a cosmopolitan seaside town that boasts
crystalline waters and a spectacular coastline.
At its heart is Nikki Beach Resort & Spa,
a sleek boutique hotel that invites discerning
travellers to discover Greece’s best-kept secret.
Since Nikki Beach Resort & Spa opened, it

has attracted a jet-setting crowd drawn to its
contemporary décor, state-of-the-art facilities
and world-renowned beach-club scene. Making
ample use of its location on the Greek Riviera,
From top: Porto Heli Bay;
the 8,000-square-metre property occupies a sleek, all-white interiors;
prime stretch of golden sand. On the jetty, beach spa treatments by the
lovers are promised unrivalled views – and an water; stylish bedrooms
unlimited opportunity to dip into the Aegean’s
warm waters. Inside, guests continue to enjoy
panoramic vistas: each of the 66 luxurious rooms Less than three hours’ drive from Athens, this
and suites has direct views of Porto Heli Bay. pristine corner of the Peloponnese coastline has
long been frequented by well-heeled Greeks.
Renowned as the most stylish spot for a party, Home to some of the country’s most luxurious
the Nikki Beach Club has built a loyal following private villas, it is a gem that remains beautifully
since it was founded. Guests can unwind at the unvarnished by mass tourism. Uncover its charms
outdoor pool, drink in hand, as the resident DJ – just promise to keep the secret to yourself.
spins the latest beats, or feast on delectable dishes
inspired by Nikki Beach locations worldwide at Further Information
Café Nikki, an all-day urban bistro with views Visit porto-heli.nikkibeach.com
over the Argolic Gulf. As day turns to night,
head to the hotel’s Terasu rooftop, where a hip
clientele sips signature cocktails crafted from
local ingredients. The following day, put the
night’s revelries behind you at the spa, where
ancient Greek massage therapies knead out aches
and pains, or at the 24-hour fitness centre.
CRE ATIVE PARTNERSHIP S
JA PA N
R I SING
New happenings in this ancient land
From top: Mount Fuji; the
Tokyo skyline at dusk
W
ith the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo
fast approaching, and the Rugby World Cup in
the bag, Japan is riding high. More travellers than
ever are discovering its great cities (old and new), its diverse
natural beauty and the uniquely Japanese spirit of hospitality
known as omotenashi. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and
Paralympics have provided the impetus for a flurry of hotel
revamps and reveals countrywide, with sophisticated
hospitality experiences now extending into less-well-known
regions, such as Tohoku and the islands of Kyushu and
Shikoku. Read on for our pick of what to see and do.
JAPAN RISING
TOK YO H IG H S
Serene spaces and culture amid the neon metropolis
JAPAN RISING
C O N TAC T B O O K
Olympic Games tokyo2020.org
Meiji Jingu meijijingu.or.jp
Palace Hotel Tokyo palacehoteltokyo.com
Original Travel originaltravel.co.uk
Imperial Hotel imperialhotel.co.jp
Inua inua.jp
Trunk(House) trunk-house.com
Yayoi Kusama Museum
yayoikusamamuseum.jp
Aman Tokyo aman.com
Opposite page, clockwise from top: the city
Museum of Contemporary Art
by night; luxe bathing, fine dining and geisha
entertainment at Aman Toyko. This page,
mot-art-museum.jp
clockwise from top: Shibuya; calligraphy at Aman Nezu Museum nezu-muse.or.jp
Tokyo; Esterre restaurant at Palace Hotel Tokyo Sushi M sushi-m.com
a refreshingly low-rise neighbourhood with

a surprisingly continental feel, thanks to its many
cafés and bars. Kagurazaka is also a historic
hanamachi (geisha district), where geisha and
maiko still attend the traditional high-class
restaurants, known as ryotei, that hide behind
black, slatted fences in its narrow alleyways.
Kagurazaka geisha can also be called to

perform at Trunk(House), one of Tokyo’s most
original and beguiling new accommodations.
this year. To mark this, it has unveiled an This highly private, one-bedroom property
elegant Kengo Kuma-designed museum to – a member of Design Hotels – is spread
display the shrine’s priceless treasures, discreetly over two immaculately restored floors of
nestled within dense broadleaf forest. a 70-year-old former geisha training school,
tucked away in ‘Hide and Seek Alley’. This
Overlooking the eastern moat of the Imperial exclusive-use ‘hotel’ comes with its own chef
Palace, at famous address 1-1-1 Marunouchi, and butler, a pocket garden and a secret
Palace Hotel Tokyo – the city’s only Japanese, nightclub, complete with illuminated disco
independently owned five-star – is channelling floor and karaoke machine – so you can feel
an Olympic vibe with its ‘Energizing Tokyo’ like you are in Shinjuku after all.
package that features new ways to discover
the city. Guests can cycle the backstreets or Trunk(House) is filled with artworks by
even kayak Tokyo’s rivers and canals (albeit contemporary Japanese and international
at a more leisurely pace than their Olympic artists, mostly original commissions inspired
counterparts), and take part in swim training by the locale. But the big contemporary-art
with former Japanese Olympic swimmer talking point in the neighbourhood is the Yayoi
Hanae Ito. Meanwhile, tour operator Original Kusama Museum, tickets for which are as
Travel is offering fencing enthusiasts instruction sought-after as they have been since it opened
in the samurai art of swordsmanship, with the in 2017. (Book online on the first day of the
sword choreography team behind the Kill Bill month, two months before you want to visit.)
films. The private lessons, which take place
P
edestrians holding up smartphones to at Nogi Shrine in Akasaka, are one of a number Delve deeper into Tokyo’s art scene with a day
Boomerang Shibuya’s ‘scramble crossing’, of ancient skills and crafts featured in the in the company of an expert, as part of a new
teens bouncing through a digital universe company’s new Reconnect itineraries. Art Journey from Aman Tokyo. Travelling
by TeamLab Borderless in Odaiba, cosplay kids with a private driver and art specialist, guests
and sky-scraped cityscapes: you don’t have to Palace Hotel Tokyo also recently unveiled will visit some of Tokyo’s finest galleries and
go far in Tokyo to feel firmly transported to the Esterre, a new fine-dining restaurant from Alain exhibitions, from the big-hitting Mori Art
future. And as the host of the Summer Olympic Ducasse, pairing French culinary techniques Museum in Roppongi to Complex 665 nearby
Games, the pace here continues unabated. with organic Japanese ingredients. Meanwhile, – home to three contemporary galleries,
at the nearby five-star Imperial Hotel, chef Yu including the exclusive Tomio Koyama Gallery.
Kengo Kuma’s striking new woodland-themed Sugimoto – a former head chef for Ducasse and
National Stadium – the centrepiece of July’s fellow food legend Yannick Alléno in Paris – has Other must-sees for art lovers include the
Games – is grabbing all the headlines, but taken the helm as executive chef, leading a team revamped Museum of Contemporary Art and
hidden in actual woodland in central Tokyo is a lauded for its mastery of regional French fare. the Nezu Museum, with its tranquil garden
more understated recent gem by the celebrated and exceptionally curated shop in the heart
Japanese architect. Meiji Jingu is one of Tokyo’s One of Tokyo’s hottest tables is Inua, the of chic Minami-Aoyama. Across the road, the
most cherished green spaces, as well as being Japanese-Scandi newcomer from Noma alumnus former sommelier of legendary two-Michelin-
one of Japan’s most important Shinto sites. Thomas Frebel, which was recently awarded star restaurant Narisawa has opened the ultra-
It enshrines the spirit of Emperor Meiji and two stars in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2020. It is high-end Sushi M, pairing sushi with probably
Empress Shoken and celebrates its centenary located close to Kagurazaka in eastern Shinjuku, the best sake collection in Tokyo. Kanpai!
JAPAN RISING
A RICH SEAM
Honshu offers a golden hello to first-time visitors
Clockwise from above:

the hidden garden setting
of Aman Kyoto; luxury
floating ryokan Guntu
W
ith its must-visit cities Tokyo, Kyoto
and Hiroshima, not to mention
Mount Fuji and the hot springs of
Hakone, it is no wonder Honshu, the largest of
Japan’s islands, is the most popular destination
for first-time visitors to Japan. As well-trodden
as it is, Japan’s ‘Golden Route’ offers a great
introduction to the country for the uninitiated.
If Kyoto’s UNESCO temples and shrines In fun- and food-loving Osaka, Louis Vuitton
are not enticement enough, there are a few has opened its first-ever café and restaurant, on
gorgeous new reasons to visit the ancient the top floor of its four-storey maison, designed
imperial capital: namely, the new Aman by architect Jun Aoki. To the west, the Seto
Kyoto – late architect Kerry Hill’s retreat in Inland Sea remains a huge draw for its ‘art
a secret forest garden close to Kinkakuji, the islands’ of Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima,
Golden Pavilion – and the new Park Hyatt former industrial islands that comprise the
Kyoto, on the doorstep of a clutch of World Benesse Art Site. Visiting them has become
Heritage sites in Higashiyama. Nearby, a whole lot more glamorous following the launch
Japan’s oldest public art museum, Kyoto of Guntu, a 19-cabin luxury floating ryokan.
City KYOCERA Museum of Art, reopened
in March after a two-year renovation. For travellers keen to venture deeper into
Honshu, and into Japanese culture, InsideJapan
Elsewhere in Kyoto, the first Japanese outpost recently launched a new cultural tour that
for hip brand Ace Hotel opens on 16 April explores enduring, and often hard-to-translate, C O N TAC T B O O K
in the former Central Telephone Office, Japanese concepts such as wabi-sabi and Aman Kyoto aman.com
not far from Nishiki Market. It includes a Bushido, over the course of 13 nights. The new Park Hyatt Kyoto hyatt.com
new building by Kengo Kuma and 213 rooms ‘Japanese Ikigai and the Path to Happiness’ Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
designed by LA-based Commune Design, journey loops from Tokyo to the Izu Peninsula, kyotocity-kyocera.museum
some with Japanese soaking tubs and others to Kyoto and rural Ayabe (known as Kyoto’s Ace Hotel acehotel.com
with tatami floors. Prefer something traditional? kitchen), to Tsumago, on the old mountain Nazuna Kyoto Tsubaki St
An entire alleyway of machiya (historic route from Tokyo to Kyoto, and finally to nazuna.co
merchant houses) close to Shijo-Omiya station Matsumoto, and includes opportunities to Guntu guntu.jp
has been transformed into Nazuna Kyoto try zazen meditation, shinrin-yoku (forest InsideJapan
Tsubaki St, a single luxury ryokan (traditional bathing) and kintsugi – the art of repairing insidejapantours.com
inn) with 23 rooms, all with open-air baths. cracked pottery with gold lacquer.
N O RT H S TA R S
Tohoku and Hokkaido have growing allure
C O N TAC T B O O K
Powder Byrne powderbyrne.com
Wondertrunk & Co. wondertrunk.co
Michinoku michinokutrail.com
Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono
hyatt.com
Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park
Clockwise from top: Aman ainu-upopoy.jp
Niseko will offer ski and Japan Nature Network
spa life from 2023; japan-nature.net
spiritual hiking with The Royal Express the-royalexpress.jp
monks in Yamagata
A
lmost a decade after the earthquake Hip Japanese ‘destination producer’ year. The much-anticipated Upopoy National
and tsunami, the enchanting region Wondertrunk & Co. has recently opened Ainu Museum and Park opens in Shiraoi in
of Tohoku – which is made up of six online bookings for spiritual hiking experiences April, celebrating their culture and history.
prefectures in northern Honshu – is beginning with the famous Yamabushi mountain monks
to shine. This spring, the Olympic torch relay in the sacred peaks of Yamagata. Also for the Hokkaido is equally resplendent in the summer
set off from the J-Village stadium in Fukushima, adventurous, Michinoku, a new 1,000km ‘green season’. Japan Nature Network offers
and Tohoku will also host baseball, softball walking trail, has opened along the length tours and cruises to spot brown bears, orcas
and football for Tokyo 2020 – all of which is of Tohoku’s Pacific coast, from Soma in and sperm whales on the wild Shiretoko
effortless as its gateway city, Sendai, is just 90 Fukushima to Hachinohe in Aomori, with peninsula. In August, Olympic race walkers and
minutes from Tokyo by Japan’s fastest bullet authentic accommodations en route. marathon runners will trade the Tokyo heat
train, the 200mph Tohoku Shinkansen. for Hokkaido’s cooler climes: the women’s and
Across the Tsugaru Strait is Hokkaido, Japan’s men’s marathons will take place in Odori Park
Tohoku’s many draws include the UNESCO northernmost main island, best known for its in the centre of Sapporo on the final days of the
World Heritage temples and shrines of light powder snow – and lots of it. In Niseko, Games. August also signals the arrival of The
Hiraizumi; the picturesque Matsushima Japan’s largest ski resort, the roster of big-brand Royal Express luxury train, which is relocating
‘bay of islands’; Shigeru Ban’s architectural hotels continues to grow, with a chic Park Hyatt to the island (from its usual Yokohama to
hotel Suiden Terrasse, set amid the paddy now open and a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Moxy Izukyu-Shimoda route) for a limited number
fields of Yamagata; and the ‘snow monsters’ and Aman all in development. The latter takes of four-day, slow-travel journeys from Sapporo
and winter sports around Zao Onsen, design inspiration from Hokkaido’s Ainu people, that include Shiretoko, Ashikawa and Furano,
where ski specialist Powder Byrne has whose indigenous status was officially recognised another well-known ski resort, equally famous
some surprising new family itineraries. by the Japanese government in February last for its striped fields of summer flowers.
A W HOLE N EW WOR LD
Beyond the big hitters of Kyoto and Osaka, the Japanese regions of Kansai
and Central Honshu are layered with tradition, culture and intrigue
Clockwise from far left:
Asaba Ryokan; L’Hôtel du
Lac; D.T. Suzuki Museum;
Koyasan; Noh theatre;
Wajima lacquerware
S
panning half of Japan’s main island, the Japanese Alps in Chubu to the ancient
Honshu, the regions of Kansai and forests of the Kii Peninsula in southern Kansai.
Chubu (central Honshu) are home On Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata, two
to many of the country’s most important forested mountain chains provide the dramatic
cities, including the powerhouses of Osaka, backdrop for luxury hot-spring resorts, divine
Kobe and Nagoya, and the ancient gems of diving and distinct local cuisine, based on
Nara and Kyoto. But beyond these limelight- delicacies foraged from land and sea. Rich in
grabbing hubs, Kansai and Chubu boast an folklore and history, Sado was once a place of
abundance of nature, authentic heritage and exile, and one of the island’s most beguiling
rare and refined accommodation for inquisitive traditions – its Noh theatre – is the living legacy
travellers looking to delve deeper into Japan. of a playwright exiled there in the 15th century.
The country is renowned for its heartfelt Further south along the Sea of Japan coast, the Buddhist practices are among the many intricate
hospitality, known as omotenashi. It’s a culture Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa is similarly beloved rituals, ceremonies and crafts that travellers
that runs deep, and can be experienced in all for its untamed coastal majesty. Its relative can observe and experience across Chubu and
kinds of accommodations across Chubu and inaccessibility (it helps to hire a car) rewards Kansai. Others include tea ceremonies, geisha
Kansai, from shukubo Buddhist temple stays the determined with an authentic, laid-back dances in Kyoto and Atami and samurai
to luxury sleeper trains, and five-star hotels to experience of rural Japan. But, this being Japan, sword-forging by blacksmiths around Osaka.
Japanese inns known as ryokan. With their there are always surprises: remote as it is, Noto
understated elegance and traditional aesthetic is home to Japan’s finest lacquerware maker, In Wakayama, in southern Kansai, is the
(think shoji screens, tatami flooring, futons and, Wajimaya Zenni in Wajima. The company monastery complex of Koyasan – the most
often, natural hot-spring baths known as onsen), was established in 1813, and its master artisans important site for Shingon Buddhism in Japan.
to stay in a ryokan is to experience the zenith of nurture their own lacquer trees in order to For over 1,200 years, it has welcomed pilgrims
omotenashi. Among many fine establishments guarantee the highest-quality materials for and visitors to spiritual retreats, with guests
is the legendary Asaba Ryokan – a 500-year-old their bowls and decorative objects. staying in some of Japan’s most iconic shukubo.
hot-spring resort beside the Katsura River At the historic temple guesthouse Sojiin,
in Shuzenji, on the Izu Peninsula, south of Wajima is around a two-hour drive from travellers will find the ultimate escape for mind
Mount Fuji. Meanwhile, L’Hôtel du Lac, on Kanazawa, a city of immaculately preserved and body, joining monks in their daily chanting
the picturesque shores of Lake Biwa, north samurai residences, geisha heritage and one of and meditation, walking in sacred forests,
of Kyoto, combines Japanese hospitality with Japan’s finest landscaped gardens, Kenroku-en bathing in mineral hot springs and dining on
Western-style rooms and French fine dining Garden. It is easily accessible by bullet train innovative multi-course Buddhist vegan feasts.
in a natural setting. Japan’s largest freshwater from Nagano or Tokyo, making it an inviting It’s a daily ritual that has enticed visitors to
lake, Biwa is surrounded by forests and prospect even for those with limited time. Koyasan for centuries. But, of course,
marshlands, making it an exceptional location One of Kanazawa’s least-known gems is the exceptional experiences are an
for birdwatching, cycling and forest bathing. D.T. Suzuki Museum, a blissfully contemplative everyday occurrence in Japan.
space dedicated to the Buddhist writer
Central Honshu has an enviable abundance of and philosopher who was instrumental in Further Information
unspoilt nature, from the snow-tipped peaks of introducing Japanese Zen to the West. Visit japan.travel/luxury
JAPAN RISING
THE BE AUTIFUL S OUTH

Wander off grid in Kyushu, Shikoku and Okinawa
Clockwise from above: the

Shimanami Kaido bridge; C O N TAC T B O O K
history at Ozu Castle; Chiiori
Hotel Cycle onomichi-u2.com
Dogo Onsen dogo.jp
Ozu Castle visitehimejapan.com
world away from the metropolises of opportunity to explore Iya on a two-day tour Chiiori chiiori.org
A Honshu, Japan’s western and southern

islands are great places to immerse
oneself in nature in all its diversity.
with Kerr, as part of Japan National Tourism
Organization’s Your Japan 2020 experiences.
Japan National Tourism Organization
jnto.go.jp
Red Savannah redsavannah.com
The most south-westerly of Japan’s main islands, InsideJapan insidejapantours.com
Shikoku, the least-visited of Japan’s main Kyushu is the best place to experience Japan’s Hoshinoya Okinawa hoshinoya.com
islands, is just a bike ride across the Seto Inland dynamic geology, from the hot springs of Yufuin
Sea on the Shimanami Kaido – the ‘Island- to the natural steam sand baths of Ibusuki, as
Wave-Sea Route’ along cycle lanes and well as active volcanoes Sakurajima and Mount
bridges spanning six small islands between Aso. In Miyazaki, the mysterious Takachiho
Honshu and Shikoku. The Honshu gateway is Gorge was created by lava flow from Mount
Onomichi – where you can stay and get kitted Aso: rent a boat to row between towering cliffs
out at Hotel Cycle in the hip Onomichi U2 and get up close to Manai Falls, one of the most
complex – and the route ends 60km later dramatic waterfalls in Japan. In Kagoshima,
in Imabari in Ehime, western Shikoku. Sengan-en is a beautiful historic house and
garden with views of smoking Sakurajima.
On arrival in Ehime, the city of Matsuyama has
the perfect place to soak tired legs: Dogo Onsen, Many of these highlights are connected by the
one of Japan’s oldest hot springs and bath houses. Seven Stars, a luxury sleeper train that loops
Also in Ehime, travellers can live like a lord the island, from Hakata, on a 3,000km-long
in Ozu Castle, a white, tiered landmark on railroad through Kyushu’s seven prefectures.
a hilltop above the Hijikawa River which, this Capturing the old glamour of rail travel, Seven
spring, will become one of the first castles in Stars is wildly popular, but Red Savannah or
Japan to open to the public for overnight stays. Inside Japan Tours can secure you a ticket.
Shikoku is best known for its deep interior that Japan’s last stop is Okinawa, an archipelago
once provided refuge for defeated samurai. The of islands in the tropical south, 950 miles from
remote Iya Valley reveals dramatic gorges, vine Tokyo. Don’t miss the latest opening from one
bridges and an untouched way of life including of Japan’s finest home-grown luxury hotel
many old rural homes – the most famous of groups: the 100-room Hoshinoya Okinawa
which is Chiiori, a 300-year-old thatched debuts in May on the beachfront in Yomitan
farmhouse restored by Alex Kerr, author of village, north of the capital, Naha. Don’t
Lost Japan. This September, there’s a rare forget your sunscreen.
TRUNK CALL
A former geisha house turned private
hotel is now one of Tokyo’s most exclusive
and immersive recent openings
T
runk(House) isn’t the easiest place are unusually intimate – because Trunk(House) English-speaking butler is on call 24/7 to do
to find – but that’s as it should be. is a highly private, exclusive-use property, which everything from facilitating local tours and
This discreet Design Hotels gem is accommodates a maximum of just four guests. reservations at Michelin-starred restaurants,
secreted in cobbled ‘Hide and Seek Alley’ in to whipping up cocktails or late-night noodles.
Kagurazaka, a historic district of Shinjuku Immaculately restored and renovated,
and one of the few places where elusive Tokyo Trunk(House) was created by the people behind This discreet urban retreat feels a world away
geisha still flit in and out of traditional 15-bedroom Trunk(Hotel), Shibuya – one of from Shinjuku’s famous neon nightlife – but
high-class restaurants known as ryotei. Tokyo’s coolest boutique hotels – and is spread if that’s what you’re craving, simply pull back
over two floors, with grey mortar walls, dark the soundproof doors on the ground floor
Trunk(House) itself has a deep connection with terrazzo floors, shoji screens and wood-panelled to reveal Trunk(House)’s very own pocket
this vanishing world: not only is it located in a ceilings that nod to the traditional architecture. nightclub, complete with illuminated floor,
70-year-old townhouse where geisha once trained Original artworks by local and international glitter-ball cocktails and karaoke machine.
(their old class schedule is still mounted on an designers are everywhere. On the first floor is It’s history meets hedonism at Trunk(House)
original wall), but it is also now an address so a bedroom, bathroom, lounge and tatami tea – a brilliant microcosm of Tokyo itself.
exclusive that Kagurazaka geisha will accept room, while below there’s a high-tech kitchen,
a request to attend to sing, dance and play music dining room and landscaped mini-garden. Further Information
for guests. Their performances are rare and There are even dedicated chefs, while an Visit trunk-house.com
T H E ROYA L T R E AT M E N T
Two new hotels, one sought-after destination: Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai
and Caesars Resort Bluewaters Dubai are making waves on a new island oasis
V
ini, vidi, vici: he came, he saw, he world-famous signature dishes: beef Wellington ROAM for teens. Both are overflowing with
conquered. Which makes Caesar a (imbued with a little Ramsay magic), eggs in age-appropriate distractions, so your little ones
fitting namesake for the two five-star purgatory (definitely not purgatory on your might find themselves on an aqua adventure or
hotels that are currently stealing the show in palate) and the chef’s heavenly take on sticky camping under the stars, while older children can
a destination already famed for setting above- toffee pudding. And for those for whom partying let loose with game zones, virtual reality, outdoor
and-beyond expectations. Central to Dubai’s is an integral part of a break, the Cuban-inspired movies and evening Roman parties. Or, for
most desirable new island and comprising Havana Social Club recreates the electrifying a truly unforgettable family night, head to The
Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai and Caesars 1920s, complete with chilled Latin beats, Rotunda, the intimate domed venue inspired
Resort Bluewaters Dubai – plus The Residences distilled-sugarcane cocktails and a delectable by Rome’s Pantheon, where 360º views ensure
at Caesars Palace – this immersive concept selection of authentic Cuban bites and fine cigars. the ultimate experience as you enjoy the thrilling
delivers the ultimate sun-soaked getaway for all. line-up of live concerts, comedians and Las Vegas
Equally luxurious yet more family-orientated, headliners: a holiday high that hard-to-impress
Take Caesars Palace: the ideal place for Caesars Resort boasts the same spectacular youngsters will be talking about for weeks.
a romantic escape. Here, suite sizes have been setting, complete with a private beach fringed
upscaled, while sweeping views take in the by the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf. Against Further Information
glittering expanse of the Arabian Gulf. On the this blissful backdrop, private cabañas dotted Visit caesars.com/dubai,
pristine, golden beach, sun lovers can bask in along the shore provide the ideal base in which email stay@caesarsdubai.ae
year-round rays, bathe in warm shallows or let to lounge, sipping on perfectly chilled cocktails or call +971 (0)4 556 6666
their hair down to lively backdrop beats at Cove as younger family members run back and forth
Beach while cooled by a gentle breeze. Those from the shallows and older ones head out to
in search of more hands-on healing can head conquer the waves by jet ski, sailing boat or
READER OFFER
to the Qua Spa, where revolutionary Japanese paddleboard. Delicious wining and dining
technology and luxurious treatments centred options include the fabulous rooftop Paru, Condé Nast Traveller readers can receive
around the five elements will restore the most combining panoramic sunset sea and skyline an exclusive 20% discount on room
depleted reserves of inner ‘qi’ (the unique views with a modern Japanese menu created rates, including daily breakfast and
Psammo Concept Quartz Bed treatment, by Michelin-starred Akira Back. Or try the complimentary access to Laguna
integrating the multiple benefits of sand therapy, alfresco Cleo’s Table for a culinary journey of Waterpark, Mattel Play! Town and The
aromatherapy, inversion therapy and wave-like Mediterranean classics: think artisanal pizzas, Green Planet for two guests per room.
massage, is a must). For a further lift, where flatbreads and homemade ravioli (and, naturally, Quote CPCONDE to book Caesars
better than the buzzing atmosphere of multi- more breathtaking views). In between, parental Palace or CRCONDE to book Caesars
Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay Hell’s peace is assured thanks to two fantastic kids’ Resort. Terms and conditions apply.
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Clockwise from left:
Bluewaters Island; the
palm-fringed pool at Caesars
Palace; Michelin-starred chef
Gordon Ramsay; kids’ activities
at Caesars Resort; chic suites
and cabañas at Caesars Palace
H O L I DAY H E AV E N
STA RTS H E R E
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signature personal touches, Condé Nast Johansens
is the name to trust
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Nita Lake Lodge Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica

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+1 888 755 6482; condenastjohansens.com/nitala elodge +1 767 445 1000; condenastjohansens.com/cabrits
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Bali, Indonesia Santorini, Greece
+62 361 730 622; condenastjohansens.com/thelegianbali +30 2286 600 630; condenastjohansens.com/santomaris
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approach to traditional Indonesian design, The Legian comprises 67 tranquil all-suite-and-villa hotel invites you to find serenity. Kick
spacious luxury suites, a two-storey beach house with direct beach access back in no fewer than five pools, rejuvenate your mind, body and
and 14 private-pool villas. The enchanting Wellness by The Legian spirit in Santorini’s largest spa, and go on a culinary journey of
offers a full menu of treatments alongside fitness classes. The airport is creative Greek flavours in Alios Ilios Restaurant while admiring
just 15km away and Bali’s best dining scene is within walking distance. some of the most spellbinding sunset views of the island.
Milaidhoo Island Maldives Marigot Bay Resort And Marina

Baa Atoll, Maldives Saint Lucia, Caribbean
+960 660 7788; condenastjohansens.com/milaidhoo +1 758 458 5300; condenastjohansens.com/marigotbay
Reached via a 35-minute seaplane from Malé, Milaidhoo Island Offering luxury and service at the gateway to Saint Lucia’s land
Maldives offers a sense of Maldivian small-island living with 50 villas, and sea adventures, this welcoming five-star resort is set on one of
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TRAVELLER EVENTS
KEEP ON COURSE FOR THE LATEST HAPPENINGS
SUNDOWNERS
MEXICAN FLAVOURS AND TEQUILA COCKTAILS AT LONDON’S TREEHOUSE HOTEL
THE READERS’
CHOICE AWARDS
VOTE FOR A CHANCE
TO WIN A HOLIDAY IN
THE MALDIVES
PLUS
THE LOWDOWN ON LUNCH
WITH OLYMPIC STAR
VICTORIA PENDLETON
PHOTOGRAPH: OLIVER PILCHER

TRAVELLER EVENTS
CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER INVITES YOU TO

A CHEF’S WORLD SERIES
DON JULIO TEQUILA NIGHT

AT LONDON’S FAVOURITE NEW ROOFTOP RESTAURANT, MADERA AT TREEHOUSE LONDON
BOOK NOW: DONJULIOCINCODEMAYO.EVENTBRITE.CO.UK

Tickets are £35 per person and include a stand-up supper and cocktails
There’s a memorable scene in comedy classic Three Amigos! when Steve Martin tries to order beers for
the sombrero-wearing trio in a Mexican bar. ‘We don’t have beer, we have tequila,’ says the
moustachioed bartender with a gleam in his eye. ‘But it’s like beer.’ Tequila, of course, is nothing like beer.
Made from blue agave and distilled up to three times using a centuries-old method, it’s the original fiesta
spirit – especially on annual occasions such as the Cinco de Mayo (5 May) and Day of the Dead
(2 November). The smooth-talking Don Julio Reposado, for example, is aged for eight months in
white-oak bourbon barrels, and has vanilla and almond notes. In recent years, the drink’s reputation has
grown and grown, holding its own against the gin revival and being used by London’s creative bartenders
in some wondrous concoctions – appearing in a white Negroni, or for endless twists on the classic
Margarita, each one seemingly tasting better than the one before. For this special event to celebrate
Cinco de Mayo in London, we have paired up with agave-picking maestro Don Julio – founded by
Don Julio González-Frausto Estrada in 1942 in the highlands of Jalisco – for an evening of Paloma
cocktails and small plates that will unlock the subtle flavours of the brand’s tequilas. The event takes
place at one of the capital’s most exciting new restaurants, Madera at Treehouse London, pictured
opposite, set high above the centre of the city near Broadcasting House, with a rooftop terrace for
widescreen views. It’s a prime position for sunset, but an even better one for a Tequila Sunrise.
MONDAY 4 MAY 2020, 6.30–8.30PM

PHOTOGRAPH: JULIEN CAPMEIL
MADERA AT TREEHOUSE LONDON,

14-15 L ANGHAM PL ACE, LONDON W1B 2QS
PARTICIPANTS MUST BE 18 OR OLDER. CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO POSTPONE THE EVENT IF RENDERED NECESSARY
BY ANY UNAVOIDABLE CAUSE. TICKETS WILL BE FULLY REFUNDED IN SUCH CASES.

EVENTS
HER SPORTING LIFE

A STORY-FILLED LUNCH WITH GOLD MEDALLIST
VICTORIA PENDLETON AT LONDON’S MARK’S CLUB
Victoria Pendleton, above At this Traveller’s Tales event, Conde Nast Traveller readers learned
right, shared her travel about how one of the UK’s greatest female athletes swapped
goals at the lunch in saddles from professional cyclist to licenced amateur jockey having
association with Swiss never sat on a horse before. For Victoria Pendleton, switching
watchmaker Longines sports at the peak of her career – at the London 2012 Olympics
she won the women’s keirin race and came second in the sprint
– was not a decision to be taken lightly. But after training for just
a year, she went from a riding novice to securing fifth place in the
2016 Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham. Her travel ambitions now
include galloping across Mongolia in the Mongol Derby, a 10-day
event covering 620 miles: ‘You wrestle a bridle on a horse and just
hope it bolts in the right direction,’ Pendleton says. The talk, held
in association with Swiss watch brand Longines, was followed by
PHOTOGRAPHS: EMMA JONES
a lunch of smoked salmon, roast pheasant and berry crumble

whipped up by Mark’s Club chefs and served in the elegant Garden
Room. The Mayfair private-members’ club has been a West End
fixture since the 1970s, bringing together leading lights from
both creative and business scenes. With surfing in Costa Rica and
mountaineering pursuits also on the horizon for Pendleton, it’s
clear that the finish line is still a long way off. LUCY FARRELL
FOR INFORMATION ON MORE EVENTS, VISIT CNTRAVELLER.COM/EVENTS

CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER
READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2020
C A ST YO U R VOT E TO WIN
A H O L IDAY IN T HE M A L D IV E S
NOMINATE YOUR FAVOURITE HOTELS, ISLANDS, CITIES, TOUR OPERATORS
AND MORE. ALL RESPONDENTS WILL BE ENTERED INTO A DRAW: THE
PRIZE IS SEVEN NIGHTS FOR TWO AT MILAIDHOO ISLAND, MALDIVES, ON
A HALF-BOARD BASIS, ORGANISED BY SCOTT DUNN*. THIS INCLUDES A
PRIVATE DINING OR SANDBANK EXPERIENCE, SPA TREATMENT AND FLIGHTS
VOTE ONLINE NOW AT TRAVELLER.UK/RCA

POLLING CLOSES 30 JUNE 2020. RESULTS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN OUR NOVEMBER ISSUE, ON SALE 6 OCTOBER
*TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
W
OST
WANTED
THEA DARRICOTTE’S NEW-SEASON
EDIT OF THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND
PRODUCTS FOR YOUR RADAR
UP AND AWAY
In need of a reboot? BURGENSTOCK RESORT WALDHOTEL is a medical wellness centre on
Lake Lucerne with an elite team of multidisciplinary physicians. The new Detox Yoga break focuses
on restoring the body and mind through daily practice, low-sodium, herbal cooking and nurturing
spa treatments. From approx £2,821 for a six-night-minimum stay. buergenstock-waldhotel.ch/en
Caudalíe Adidas by Stella

Vinoperfect Dark McCartney cropped
Spot Correcting mesh-trimmed
Moisturizer, £34, stretch top, £55,
caudalie.com net-a-porter.com
Sisley Paris Self

SPA BREAK Tanning Hydrating
essentials Body Skin Care, £88,
sisley-paris.com
GHD neo-mint
Helios hairdryer, Adidas by Stella
£169, ghdhair.com McCartney
snake-print stretch
leggings, £85,
net-a-porter.com
Powerful offshore Atlantic breaks make Portugal a huge draw for

surfers and there’s no better way to experience the scene in style than at
Loewe + the PALACIO ESTORIL HOTEL. Whatever your ability, the Surf &
Paula’s Ibiza
yoga mat Relax programme will make a water baby of you, with each class limited
with mermaid to three students for faster results. After a day at the beach, the hotel’s
print, £325,
loewe.com Banyan Tree Spa will relieve any muscle fatigue, while a yoga or Pilates
Antler Clifton class will stretch and hone your figure before another day of riding
suitcase, from
£164, antler.co.uk waves. This four-day programme includes two private surf lessons
(90 minutes per class), a Balinese Full-Body Massage (60 minutes), one
Head & Shoulders Reliever (30 minutes) and one yoga or Pilates mat
group class. From £425 per person. palacioestorilhotel.com
FASHION
update
Sabina Savage ‘The
Lion and Tiger’s Tea
Party’ silk twill scarf
(90cm x 90cm), £255,
sabinasavage.com
Zimmermann
asymmetric silk
wrap dress, £530,
brownsfashion.com
Marla Aaron gold base

earrings, £870, and yellow
gold and turquoise mini
disc earrings, £650,
Erika bag in suede brownsfashion.com ETHEREAL BLOOMS is taking on the huge carbon footprint
and Kuba material caused by the shipping and air freighting of freshly cut flowers.
with studs, £520, A biotech treatment on each flower preserves its freshness and
hel-mer.com
vibrancy so it blooms for up to 12 months in the vase, reducing
Bottega Veneta the justification for a weekly delivery. Bouquets are arranged
Lido Intrecciato woven and hand-tied in London and require no sunlight or water.
leather mules, £905,
matchesfashion.com etherealblooms.com
Since opening in 2018, CHABLE MAROMA on Mexico’s Riviera Maya has become one of the region’s hottest hotels. Each of its
mangrove-framed casitas is super-private, with its own pool and outdoor terrace. The 3,000-square-metre spa has everything from a temazcal
(a Mayan sauna) to hydrotherapy, yoga and meditation. Jorge Vallejo of Quintonil in Mexico City – 11th on the San Pellegrino World’s Best
Restaurants list – oversees the food here, so you know you’re in for something really special. From £450 per night. chableresort.com
W
OST
WANTED
SAADIYAT ROTANA RESORT & VILLAS has sweeping views of the
Arabian Gulf. Surrounded by natural beaches, it provides a haven for wildlife, THIS MONTH’S
including the endangered hawksbill turtles which nest close by. rotana.com
HIGH-FLYER
EMMA MORTIMER
Managing Director of THE OUTNET
Interview by
Lucy Farrell
BEAUTY The P.Ball will tone

glutes, thighs and core.
update £48, pvolve.com
Bobbi Brown Summer This ZIIP How has The Outnet evolved
Glow Bronzing Duo, £28, device and
bobbibrown.co.uk Golden since its inception 10 years ago?
Conductive When we launched, discount shopping
Gel duo
brings salon- wasn’t the norm. Today, The Outnet is
worthy facials an extremely successful global fashion
to your home. business, offering over 350 of the world’s
£425, net-a-
porter.com most luxury designers. We have a global
buying team, seasonal uploads, dedicated
editorial content, exclusive capsule
The Ritual of Jing Sleep Augustinus Bader collections and an in-house label.
range, from £8.50, The Body Cream, £130, What’s been your favourite collaboration?
rituals.com augustinusbader.com Collaborations are in our DNA. Over
the past decade these have included
Mary Katrantzou, Ellery, Roksanda, Emilia
Wickstead and Diane von Furstenberg,
but I think our 10th-anniversary capsule
really stands out for me. It was our biggest
ever, and we worked with some of the
industry’s most respected brands.
Are there any new designers who we
can expect to see featured in 2020?
Paul Smith, Sies Marjan, Rhode, Deveaux,
and For Restless Sleepers are just some
of the exciting brands launching in 2020.
What is your most-loved piece
from The Outnet?
I have an amazing Roksanda dress
that is getting a lot of wear.
What is your go-to destination
for optimum relaxation?
Kamalaya in Thailand. It’s the most
wonderful place for rebalancing and
re-energising. For a closer-to-home fix,
I would go to north Norfolk for a long walk,
some fresh sea air and a good pub lunch.
What has been your most memorable trip?
THE FISH HOTEL is set within the rolling grounds of a 400-acre Cotswolds A trip to Chile last year. It’s an incredibly
estate, with a choice of shepherd’s huts, treehouses or a quirky hotel house to stay diverse country with breathtaking
in. Alfresco barbecue feasts can be cooked up on the Feasting Deck, tacos are landscapes, from the Atacama Desert
served around the fireplace in the cosy, buzzy bar and the lavish ‘Tipsy’ afternoon to the beautiful Lake District.
teas – complete with cocktails in teapots – are legendary. thefishhotel.co.uk theoutnet.com
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THE VIEW FROM HERE
A RETRO-COOL COASTAL BASE IN THE LANGUEDOC FROM THE CREATORS OF A PARIS LEGEND
PLAGE PALACE, PALAVAS-LES-FLOTS

Of all the beaches in all of France, you’d never have bet your last franc on this being the one that the Costes
brothers planted their parasol on. While Palavas-les-Flots, just south of Montpellier, is one of the prettiest
sweeps of untamed Mediterranean coastline, the postcard backdrop is one of families lugging their picnics,
inflatable sharks and racquetball paddles down to the water as soon as the sun comes out. No yachts, no
jet-skis, no dancing on tables. Entrepreneurial restaurateurs and hoteliers Guy and Jean-Louis have taken a step
away from the glorious gloom of the era-defining Costes in Paris and created a seaside-bright, white-cubed
hotel here. ‘We’re country boys from the Aveyron,’ says Guy, who potters around the garden without anyone
spotting him. ‘It made us happy to return to a place where we spent our childhood summer holidays.’ They
aren’t alone – there’s even a sugary pop song tootling the simple pleasures of the town. This is probably the only
smart place to stay on the whole stretch from Marseille to Perpignan where it’s possible to tumble out of bed
and straight onto a sea-shell-scattered private scoop of properly soft sand. From the grey clapboard rooms,
there are widescreen views of the sky as kitesurfers scud past, plus the ever-present muted soundtrack of lapping
waves. Montpellier’s movers and shakers may be heading for languid seafood lunches and craft cocktails in the
Imaad Rahmouni-designed beach club. But for now it remains a refreshingly low-key hangout, a smash of nostalgia
turned hip, re-energising the local scene. LANIE GOODMAN plagepalace.com. Doubles from about £180
PHOTOGRAPH: ALEX PROFIT

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MAY 2020

9 NEW BOND STREET - HARRODS - SELFRIDGES

THE FAMILY GUIDE 2020 p79

SOLOMON ISLANDS p116

DOMES ZEEN CHANIA, CRETE

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 9

21 WORD OF MOUTH The 161 FLAVOUR HUNTER

PHOTOGRAPHS: CHRISTOPHER HORWOOD; OLIVIA NAHAC; MATT RUSSELL/BITTER HONEY

43 WHERE TO STAY 208 THE VIEW FROM HERE

59 STYLE FILE Table talk Louis

37 115 TRENDWATCH How the idea of

But it can happen by appointment.

For a private consultation call + 44 (0) 20 7823 2020

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I am writing this on day one of my lockdown, pushed into

‘Lovely people, you are the very best of folk!

To moving forward, yours always,

MELINDA STEVENS MelindaLP

12 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

Exclusive villas, local knowledge,

14 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

MANAGING DIRECTOR ALBERT READ

CAN’T FIND CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER IN THE SHOPS?

Book your appointment at

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 21

KARA ROSENLUND; EMMA SHAW @EXPLORESHAW; RHIANNON TAYLOR

22 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020 OCHRE

KANGAROO ISLAND’S POST-CRISIS RENAISSANCE

The Amazon, Brazil

24 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020 CO M U NA D O I BITI PO CA UAKARI LODGE

020 3504 0637 | cvvillas.com

AMMA Sri Lanka

26 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 29

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 31

Middle row, from left: modular, chunky seating

Bottom row, from left: primary-coloured

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 35

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 37

38 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

THE ROUND-UP: BEST BRITISH HOUSES

WOLTERTON HALL, NORFOLK

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 43

BEST FOR HOLDING COURT

WOLTERTON HALL, NORFOLK

over rooms illuminated by chandeliers and antique Venetian lampposts.

44 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

BIBURY FARM BARNS, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

BEST FOR SPLENDID ISOLATION

57 NORD, WESTER ROSS, SCOTLAND

BEST FOR WILDLIFE SPOTTING

KINGSHILL FARMHOUSE, KENT

PHOTOGRAPHS: DAVID CURRAN; REBECCA DOUGLAS; VERITY HURDING/EOLACH

46 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

THE SHIPWRECK, CORNWALL

BEST FOR ORGANIC FEASTING

RIVER COTTAGE, DEVON

48 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

NORTH FARM, COUNTY DURHAM

May 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 51

52 Condé Nast Traveller May 2020

EAT Everything on the plate at chef Gareth

AT ONE POINT A CHEF CEREMONIOUSLY