Kanoo - World.Traveller 2011.04

The Sound of Silence
THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE ApRIL 2011
peter Hughes heads

to mobile phone-free
Lord Howe Island
NEW YORK
Why your kids will
love a bite of the
Big Apple
produced in International Media production Zone
9 Restaurants with
to-die-for views
(and food)
on YouR BiKe
Going Dutch in
Amsterdam
Back to
the future
Nigel Richardson seeks out fading
traditions in fast-moving China f
ofext
% n
10 your liday
ho
A Daimler Brand
A class ahead.
The new generation C-Class.
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Kanoo World Traveller APRIL 2011
CONTENTS
Travel biTes feaTures
05 AgendA 65 thirty-second concierge 30 lord howe
All the latest need-to-know travel news. City slickers will love Hong Kong’s Upper House. Peter Hughes finds the most splendid solitude in Oz.
14 Ask the expert 66 city guide: AmsterdAm 38 sri lAnkA

Where to head with little ones in tow. Laura Binder pedals her way through the capital. Island-life never looked better, finds Lyndsey Steven.
16 drive time 68 city guide: vAncouver 42 chinA

Take the most enchanting of trips through Oman. Sarah Harrington explores Canada’s coastal city. Grab a glimpse of tradition in the fast-moving country
20 picture this 71 competition 50 mAdeirA

Magical snapshots of the USA and Philippines. Win a luxury stay at Kempinski Mall of the Emirates. Sea, tea and tropical gardens in Portugal.
25 essentiAl selection 72 suite dreAms 58 new york

Dine with the world’s most spectacular views... Close your eyes and sail the Caribbean Sea. Why a city-stay makes for a film-worthy experience.
53 44 28 34 66 69
On the cover: Managing Director: Victoria Hazell-Thatcher Features Editor: Laura Binder Junior designer: Adam Sneade
A rice farmer Publishing Director: John Thatcher laura@hotmediapublishing.com Production manager: Haneef Abdul
at work in
rural China. Advertisement Director: Chris Capstick +971 4 364 2877 Sales Manager: Cat Steele
chris@hotmediapublishing.com Designer: Matthew McBriar cat@hotmediapublishing.com
+971 4 369 0917 matt@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 446 1558 Jan-June 2010
22,620 BPA
Consumer Audit
Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are
correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in Kanoo World Traveller. Produced by: HOT Media Publishing FZ LLC
April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 3

At Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, stay for 4 nights and pay for just 3. This five
star hotel is located adjacent to the Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall and Dubai
Metro and offers the following free benefits:
• Kids under the age of 12 stay and eat for free
• Complimentary Kids Club
• Access to Diablo Nightclub (door policy applies)
Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel
Call toll free from: the UAE 800 4934, Bahrain 8000 1991, KSA 800 124 Operated by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts
2929, Kuwait 2 225 3228* and Qatar 800 2001 and quote ‘Book Dubai P.O. Box 211508, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
and enjoy free nights’. Terms and conditions apply. Valid until 15th May Phone +971 4 444 0440
2011. Calls from Kuwait charged at local rate*. reservations.ibnbattuta@moevenpick.com
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
Stay 4 nights and pay for 3

AGENDA
Be informed, be inspired, be there
london calling
CorinThia hoTel london
If you’re yet to book your annual escape to London, you may want to be among the first guests to sample the finery of the city’s newest
luxury abode: Corinthia Hotel London. The stunning result of a reconstructed Victorian-era building, it opens this month on Whitehall Place
and houses the biggest suite in town – the immaculate Royal Suite. Another unique draw is a Harrods-inspired concept store which you’ll find
in the main lobby, so don’t forget to pack your credit card. www.corinthia.com/London

Back to
the beach
The sister property of Le Touessrok
opens on site where Le Coco Beach
once stood.
Spanning 59 acres of land in the beautiful Belle
Mare Peninsula on the east coast of the island, Long
Beach is the latest luxury resort to open in Mauritius.
So what makes this one different from the countless
others that dot the island? Well, for a start, all of
the rooms here boast views over the crystal-clear
lagoon and ocean beyond (take a dip in the lagoon
and you’ll see rare species of coral teaming with
multi-hued fish). But you’ll also find some unique
culinary twists within the resort’s seven restaurants.
www.sunresortshotel.com
ONE-MINUTE MASTERCLASS: RUSSIAN I’d like a bowl of Borsch,

please Подайте мне, пожалуйста, тарелку борща Can I have some
more sour cream? Добавьте, пожалуйста, чуть больше сметаны. Which
way is the ballet? Как пройти в театр оперы и балета?
Kingdom, come Base qatar
If you’ve ever pondered Threesy does it

a visit to the Kingdom of Marriott International will
Cambodia, you now have the simultaneously open three new
perfect reason to act: Sofitel hotels in Doha over the course
Phnom Penh Phokeethra, of the next three months,
the capital’s first five-star offering would-be guests a
hotel to open in more than choice of 500 rooms. They’ll be
a decade. The $50 million spread amongst the luxurious
property packs in eight stylings of The Renaissance, the
restaurants and over 30 business-focused Coutyard by
suites, the pick of which is Marriott and, for long-staying
the overtly decadent Opera guests, The Marriott Executive
Suite, from which yoiu have Apartments Doha City Center.
a grand view of the Mekong. www.marriott.com
6 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

agenda | news
slim shadies
Designed to pay tribute to world of motor
racing, these Persol Roadster Edition glasses
are just the ticket if you want to make like a
movie star on your travels. www.persol.com
a dine view
If you think you’ve done it all dining wise, book a
Star gazing
table at The Cube, a small, transparent er, cube, If you like to go where the in-crowd go, you’ll soon
which will pop up (quite literally) atop Brussels’ be making a beeline for New York’s Crosby Street
Parc du Cinquantenaire on April 1. It will remain Hotel (above) which has recently hosted more
perched there for three months before moving on celebrity names than your average gossip column:
to another European landmark. Jude Law, Carey Mulligan and Meg Ryan to name
www.electrolux.be/cube but three. www.firmdale.com

4 WayS To Sample
Moscow
1 Warm up with a bowl of Borsch.
The reddish-purple soup’s main
ingredient is beetroot and the cabbage
and beef that bobs inside makes
for a delicious feed. Not your cup of
tea? plump for pelmeni; the national
dumpling bulges with all manner of
meats and, with temperatures that dip
to minus 30 degrees in winter, you’re
going to need it. Sup them at a classic
café – and don’t forget the sour cream,
to be eaten in plentiful dollops.
2 Take in a ballet. The graceful

dance originated in Russia and The
Bolshoi Theatre, which dates back to
1776, is the place to see it. Living up to
its name (meaning ‘grand’), it’s among
the oldest and greatest companies in
the world and the most famous place in
Moscow to see the poetic maneuvers.
Notes from a small island 3 Shop til you drop. Moscowvites

are big on shopping (and even
Jumeirah Dhevanafushi opens this month, 10km from the nearest bigger on designer names), so part
island in the Maldives. It means you’re guaranteed a private slice of with some serious Ruples at a high-end
paradise, but if you’re still worried about bumping into someone, department store. ‘Gum’ corners the
Red Square and is the most famous
book the resort’s Island Sanctuary Villa, and hide out on your private
store in town.
stretch of beautiful beach. www.jumeirah.com
4 Head for the hills. The city’s as
Global Gourmet
flat as a pancake so, to drink-in its
finest panoramas, you’ll have to make
for its highest point – the Vorobyovy
Holidaying in Mauritius this year? Don’t go without Gory (Hills). Turn around to snap The
making a note of these must-dine spots from The University of Moscow – one of the city’s
Address Dubai Marina’s sous chef (and proud Mauritian), Seven Sisters, built under Stalin – it’s an
Vishal S. Maraday. awesome architectural sight to behold.
I was born and raised in Central Flacq so I have moved from
an island to the desert. When I do go back home I definitely
have a few favourite venues in which to dine. My first choice
would have to be La Cannelle Rouge, a fantastic French and
Mediterranean restaurant that serves authentic cuisine which reminds me of my
roots. My second choice, when I feel like moving towards Chinese cuisine, would
be Restaurant Chez Manual which serves up some of the best on the island – I
heartily recommend you try my favourite dish, the Saffron Octopus. My final
pick of places to eat is Restaurant Filaos, a seafood restaurant whose fresh
catches allows me to get back in touch with my love of the sea.

agenda | news
the royal wedding
By royal appointment.
Invitation to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s big
day lost in the post? Head here on April 29 instead...
What a sight
This month’s hot offers
from Kanoo Travel and
american express
Vacations.
ATHENS
4 dAyS/3 NIgHTS
$1,094 pER COUpLE
Bask in rich greek history
New York, USA Dubai, UAE
(including the famous Cape lowdown Spend the night in a Park lowdown Don your finest for an
View suite (designed by Ivanka trump) english-style street party (bunting and
sounion) on a city tour before
and wake up on the big day to a private all) and right royal feast: traditional
relaxing in a five-star hotel. screening, accompanied by a wedding roast dinner with all the trimmings,
breakfast fit for a prince at Jean British cheese boards and themed
BARCELONA Georges’ three michelin-star restaurant. desserts like Wimbledon cake – plus the
4 dAyS/3 NIgHTS (think scrambled eggs with caviar, mini big day on screen, naturally.
$1,953 pER COUpLE French toast and bubbly).
the Venue raffles Hotel. Crossroads
drink-in all the sights of this the Venue trump International Hotel lounge, azur restaurant and the pyramid-
colourful city, including an and tower. Set on the prestigious upper shaped hotel’s famous botanical garden
abundance of architecture. West Side, it doesn’t get much bigger will all be transformed for the big event
than ‘trump towers’. and Dubai’s British expats are sure to be
chomping at the bit for a seat.
KUALA LUMpUR highlight Besides enjoying award-
4 dAyS/3 NIgHTS winning food, each guest will be given a highlight You can’t have a wedding
$674 pER COUpLE piece of official royal Wedding china. without a cake, which is why the head chef
experience the many cultural will unveil a five-tier creation on the day.
details trump royal Wedding
offerings of Malaysia’s experience. From $1,075 per couple. details royal raffles roast. From $81
charming capital. www.trumpintl.com per person. www.raffles.com
10%
off all hotel and car hire bookings worldwide
Kanoo Travel is offering its customers a fantastic saving should they book a holiday
anytime during April. The discount of 10% is applicable to all hotel bookings and
car rentals worldwide, giving you a little extra money to spend while on your dream
vacation. See page 70 for a full list of Kanoo Travel offices.

agenda | calendar
aprIl
prepare for a spring in your step this month after a heavy helping of revelry and indulgence...
7-9
GRAND NATIONAL
Liverpool, UK
Head to the UK to
experience the spectacle
of the world’s greatest
steeplechase. The
challenging race – as
famous for its accidents
as for its successes –
has millions tuning into
thier televisions, only to
hold their breath as the
horses stampede the
tough 30-fence course.
To really grasp the action,
get amidst the punters
at racetrack level, which
buzzes with unbridalled
glee. www.aintree.co.uk
1-2 13-14 16 22 29
baby bofe’ gastronomy skI berlIn nIght of whIte house royal weddIng
bologna, Italy world cup theatre & operas easter egg roll london, uk
For little ones with a Ischgl, austria berlin, germany washington dc, usa Like a good wedding?
premature taste for Skiing, sipping and, Culture vultures can Step onto the South Then you won’t want
the finer things in life, er, eating all top the swoop into the city Lawn this spring and to miss this royal union
this mini festival will be schedule of this snow- for a rare night of you’ll be part of an between Prince William
like music to their ears, fuelled festival where entertainment where age-old Easter tradition, and Kate Middleton,
literally. Organised by chefs and mixologists 60 Berlin venues where public and set to follow in the
the Bologna Festival, head slope side to unveil back-to-back president alike flock to Queen’s footsteps by
it’s a charming classical compete for the best performances, from sniff out the tastiest egg- stepping down the aisle
music show for kids aged beverage and dish dramatic theatre and shaped treats – and get a of Westminster Abbey.
three to 11. Take them to devour off piste. emotive opera to the glimpse of the obligatory Carriages, famous names
along and prepare to There’s a giant fancy painfully elegant ballet. fluffy Easter bunny (aka and a designer gown are
watch magical renditions dress contest too, plus Each show is around one of the White House all hotly-anticipated so
in equal wonderment. a ski slalom for those half-an-hour in length, staff, not Obama). This – with a four-day public
Don’t miss this year’s who want to burn off allowing spectators to event’s been a custom holiday declared – why
headlining performance those excess calories. float between venues. for the presidential family not join the throngs set
of Alice in Wonderland. www.ski-worldcup- www.kulturprojekte- since 1878. to line the streets and get
www.bolognafestival.it gastronomy.com berlin.de www.whitehouse.gov a glimpse of the bride?

AgendA | In depth
‘The fact that you

can rarely get a table
certainly adds a level
of mystique.’
know you are in The Ivy’ assures Phil. ‘The Dubai
restaurant will have a similar look and feel with green
leather, stained glass windows and dark wood feature, all
typical of the UK. But, we’ll also have a larger lounge area
as well as a terrace, which are two brand new elements
for the emirate.’ So, that’s the stylish setting covered –
but how about the stellar service The Ivy is known for, is
there a chance it could fall somewhat short without its
original team? ‘Not a chance’, says Phil. In fact, it seems
the team is pulling out all the stops to ensure a celeb-
worthy standard. ‘As well as bringing staff from London
Ivy League
to support the opening (including the maître d’) we will
send our new colleagues back to the capital to train in
the kitchen and restaurant so, when we do open, it will
be with a knowledgeable team.’
From celebrities to the style-conscious diner, London’s The Ivy has
Of course, what we’re all chomping at the bit for is an
long drawn the dining glitterati – and now its sister restaurant is tipped
insight into The Ivy’s menu. British chef Simon Conboy
to do the same in Dubai. Laura Binder finds out what’s on the menu…
is at its helm, who comes with a long list of esteemed
“A table at The Ivy is one of the most sought-after pieces of furniture London eateries to his name, including the likes of Home
in London,” says British writer AA Gill, and with the sought-after eatery House, the Four Season’s Lane Bar & Restaurant, Scott’s,
gearing up for its grand opening in mid-May, there are equal helpings of The Forge and Le Deuxième. So, what can we expect
anticipation in Dubai. After all, when the likes of Kate Moss and Madonna Simon to bring to the hot plate? ‘There’ll be some great
are all-too-often snapped leaving the West End haunt after a slap-up new dishes for diners,’ Phil says. ‘If you try one, make it
meal, the bar has been set – and we all want a slice of the pie. To get it, the Thai baked sea bass for main and the Scandinavian
you’ll need to head to the city’s slick business district, where it sets up iced berries with hot white chocolate sauce for dessert.’
home inside The Boulevard in Jumeirah Emirates Towers. But, besides But what of the signature British cuisine The Ivy’s GCC-
the obvious superstar clientele, you may be forgiven for asking what based former London-diners will know and love? ‘All the
it is, exactly, that sends would-be diners across the globe reaching classics will be on the menu, too,’ confirms Phil, ‘such
for their phones. The secret, its general director Phil Broad tells us, is as fish and chips, Shepherd’s pie and the signature Ivy
in an age-old recipe. ‘It’s been around since 1917 and has consistently burger – there’s a price point for every occasion.’ Now
delivered great quality food in a delightful environment,’ he says. the only decision left is what to wear on opening night –
Image: The Ivy, Dubai
‘Plus, the fact that you can rarely get a table certainly adds a level of if you can get a table that is…
mystique.’ Doesn’t it just? But will we get a taste of that internationally-
acclaimed London style, or will Dubai be a different kettle of fish The Ivy is now accepting reservations, call 04 319 8767.
altogether? ‘When you walk through the door though you’ll definitely www.theivy.ae

AgendA | trAvel q&A
Ask the expert

City or beach when you’re holidaying with the kids? And where
to spend that big aniversary ? Our pros share their top picks...
The panel
Jessica hudson
co-founded The Chic
Collection’s travel advisory
and is tasked with
sampling endless luxury
hotels and resorts.
Rachel hamilton
is a full-time writer and
the mother of two young
children, Jodie and
Dylan, whom she travels
frequently with.
James montague
writes for CNN.com and
The Guardian and is the
author of ‘When Friday
Comes: Football in the
War Zone’ (Mainstream).
Q It’s my parents’ wedding

anniversary and I want to
send them on a long weekend
away. Where would you suggest?
With Musandam’s majestic mountains
and Muscat’s bustling corniche, Oman is
perfect for a long weekend escape. Book
your parents into Six Senses Hideaway,
Zighy Bay; set in a secluded cove and
Q
flanked by the Indian Ocean and the
I’m torn between the city and the beach for our Hajar mountains, this hideaway is as
romantic as it gets – think private villas
family holiday this summer. If you had to decide with plunge-pools, a personal butler
for me, which do you think is the most suitable? and his and hers bicycles. If they’re
feeling active, they can even arrive by
That depends very much on their interests and their age. If they’re aged below ten, I’d recommend you paraglider, snorkel with turtles or hike
head to a beach resort with a good kids’ club. That way, if they wish it, your childrens’ daily itinerary is to the ancient ruins. Alternatively they
Image: Kids Club at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
already planned out – from early morning to early evening – and I’ve yet to hear of a child who hasn’t can check into the Six Senses spa for a
enjoyed the myriad activities and entertainments offered at these clubs – when you see them for couple’s massage. Or, for local culture,
lunch and dinner they’re full of stories! Two that I can recommend through experience are Kids’ Club at I’d suggest The Chedi in Muscat with
Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai and KidsOnly at One&Only Le Saint Geran in Mauritius. Both are excellent. the Grand Mosque, Sultan’s Palace and
If, like me, you also want to do plenty of things together as a family, resorts like these offer ample bustling Muttrah souk just a stone’s throw
opportunities for family fun. If your kids are older, however, you can’t beat a city like New York, where away. The suites are super-spacious with
they’ll love places like the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park Boating Lake. a luxurious finish in an Indonesian-style
Rachel Hamilton with rainforest showers. Jessica Hudson

AgendA
AgendA | RoAd
RoAd tRip
tRip
Drive time: MusandaM

TrAvel In Awe As you snAke beTween
The soArIng rusT-hued enclAves of oMAn
There’s a remarkable mystery about Musandam; a place where strange
yet beautiful contrasts coexist of the deepest peacock-blue sea and
dry, earth-coloured terrain. The latter is intermittently brought to life by
a sun-lit glimmer of burnt orange or the tentative steps of a mountain
goat treading its rocky heights. Take to the roads here and each turn will
invite you promisingly to the next; an endless stream of curves. As you
do, it’s virtually impossible not to stop and stare at the mighty surrounds
that engulf you. It’s one natural landscape that you can admire in relative
solitude too, thanks to a constant still that shrouds the area – no traffic or
honking horns here. If you do want to step out, though, we say take to the
sea for scuba-diving or snorkeling or set up camp on a stretch
of deserted beach. There are few better sights to wake up to...
Image: Photolibrary
16 Kanoo World Traveller April

January
20112011
AgendA | hotel picker
Where to stay
Dublin
there’s much to enjoy in ireland’s capital and some
truly unique hotels to stay at too...
START
Big OR Boutique
21st Century OR 11th Century Southside OR Central
Clontarf Castle Hotel The Beacon

www.clontarfcastle.ie www.thebeacon.com
Though it stands a mere two Not far from the famous
miles from the city centre, you’ll Leopardstown racecourse is this
feel a world away holed up in this super chic hotel where the best
11th Century castle, where four room in the house is the splendid
poster beds and roaring fires Penthouse Suite. In it you’ll find a
are the order of the day. It’s also Philippe Starck-designed bathtub
home to one of the Dublin’s best which stands on an elevated level
restaurants. in the bedroom, not bathroom.
Style OR Substance Nice ‘n’ Easy OR Rock ‘n’ Roll
The Merrion The Burlington Hotel The O’Callaghan The Clarence

www.merrionhotel.com www.burlingtonhotel.ie www.ocallaghanhotels.com www.theclarence.ie
Amidst the grand interiors of this The biggest hotel in the city packs This lovingly restored Georgian house An exclusive, style-laden abode made
beautiful Georgian building is a in over 500 rooms, the pick of which stands on the beautiful famous by its owners – Bono and The
wonderful collection of 19th and 20th are the spacious suites that boast St. Stephen’s Green – perfect for a Edge from U2 – this remains one of
Century Irish and European art. sweeping views of Dublin. stroll in the spring sunshine. Dublin’s coolest hotels.

Picture this
antelope canyon
usa
While it may feel like you’ve shrunk to the size of an ant

and are nestling inside a giant, pink macaroon, in reality
this snapshot scoops an inside look at the most visited
slot canyon in the Southwest. This is Arizona territory
(Navajo tribal land, to be precise) and the upper and
lower canyons that form the Antelope (dubbed ‘The
Crack’ and ‘The Corkscrew’) draw curious travellers from
far and wide – and it’s easy to see why. Beautiful spiral
impressions whip past one another like candy floss round
a bowl yet to the touch it is concrete-hard, impossible-
to-budge rock, spawned from the erosion of Navajo
Sandstone. Head here and you can tread The Crack with
ease at ground level, while The Corkscrew presents a real
hike, despite the installation of modern stairways. Long,
narrow and uneven, you can only tackle it with a guide
but, trust us, it’s well worth it… Image: Photolibrary
Picture this
chocolate hills
philippines
The name of this alien ensemble of hills isn’t the only

thing to seem like pure fantasy; their geological origins
remain something of a mystery, too. Over 1,000 of the
gargantuan mole-like hills blob themselves across just 20
square-metres of Bohol, rising up to 50metres. Up close
you’ll see the furry mounds are laden in grass but when
the dry season surrenders itself to the next, they turn
to a Cadbury-brown hue – which explains the name, at
least. While geologists’ theories label them the probable
product of limestone weathering or an uplifting seafloor,
the Philippines prefers the fairytale legend of a giant
called Arogo who fell head over hills for a mortal girl
and, after her death, his tears turned to hills to mark their
lasting love. Whatever tale you prefer to tell, do so from
the nearby observation hill – the best spot from which to
cast your spellbound eyes over this magical land.
Image: Photolibrary
EssEntial sElEction | dining rooms with a viEw
essential selection
Dining Rooms
with a view
Forget run-of-the-mill restaurants,
Laura Binder scours the globe for
venues with a difference…
Il San Pietro Di Positano’s

cliffside restaurant, Italy
If you’re hell-bent on finding the most romantic
dinner setting around, this would have to top
the list. It’s perched – quite literally – on the
beautifully jagged, green-licked cliffs that cast a
shadow over the blissfully lapping Amalfi Coast
below. White décor and Mediterranean sun
combine to paint a painstakingly ‘Italian’ picture
and the food is as first-class as its setting – so
says its Michelin-star. Best of all, its chef rustles
up fresh fare using ingredients plucked from
the hotel’s ripe grounds – like the virgin olive oil,
made from fruit grown in its private olive groves.
Must-try dish: Come summer, head to the
terrace that watches over Praiano and prepare to
wipe the juices off your chin from the lushest of
tomatoes, fattest mozzarella and zestiest home-
grown lemons. www.ilsanpietro.it

Vertigo, Thailand Eagle’s Eye Restaurant, Canada
Teetering over a city skyline of soaring skyscrapers and relentlessly- For those who prefer their surrounds snowy, take a gondola and make
twinkling lights; al fresco dining doesn’t get much better than Banyan for a mountaintop eatery that sits at eye-level with the white-clad
Tree Bangkok’s lounge-cum-restaurant (pictured). Pull up a pew peaks of Canada’s British Columbia (don’t stop till you reach a hold-
to a white linen-clad table and you can pause between forkfuls to your-breath 7,700 feet). Part of the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort,
peer down at the bustling Bangkok streets (61 floors below) whose mealtimes at Eagle’s Eye come with stop-and-stare mountain vistas,
inhabitants rush by in ant-like form. Coupled with a balmy Thai clime, offset with emerald-green forests and fairytale-esque wood lodges.
it makes for one of the hottest spots in the East in which to dine. Timber and stone décor help set the tone inside but for the best seat,
Night-owls should head to the Moon lounge post-bites to sup an exotic head out to the terrace (wrapped-up in your finest ski-wear) where
concoction beneath the bright lights. you can sit in utter contentment for an age.
Must-try dish: Its signature dishes make for can’t-fail orders – try the Must-try dish: Eagle’s Eye strives to be at one with nature with a focus
beautifully bite-sized tuna tartar with salmon roe or, if meat’s your on indigenous foods so, for the best bites, stick to its more authentic
weakness, the rosemary-scented roast lamb is impossibly tender. feeds of wild meats – juicy and plump, they taste just divine.
www.banyantree.com/en/bangkok www.kickinghorseresort.com

EssEntial sElEction||dining
EssEntialsElEction dining rooms with a viEw
Giraffe Manor, Nairobi Solo Per Due, Italy

Mealtimes here bring with them a rather unusual dinner guest; You’re guaranteed the best table in the house here; there’s only one,
giraffes. The dapple-skinned giants roam the grounds of what looks and it’s set for two. But just because it’s the smallest restaurant on
like a majestic 1930s hunting lodge, standing purposefully in Nairobi’s the planet (with a larger price tag of $450 per person), doesn’t mean
indigenous forests. If it sounds like a sight to behold; it is – and a it scrimps on luxury – to seriously impress your date you can book a
setting little ones will be thrilled by, too. Make for the Sun Room for personal fireworks display or Ferrari drive for dessert. You’ll find the
a sun-lit breakfast, where the huge open windows offer an open country villa’s fairytale façade at the end of a candlelit driveway –
invitation to the creatures’ tenderly prying heads. But, if you ask us, setting the scene for one very intimate meal. Summer time? Pull up a
there’s really only one way to dine here: at your own private table on wicker chair in its vine-shaded gardens. Winter? Make its log fire your
the lodge’s grounds with only flickering, orange lanterns guiding each dine-by spot. Whenever you go, there’s no fear of staff hovering over
bite – and perhaps a certain long-necked guest for company… you like bees to honey – just ring a silver bell and a waiter will appear.
Must-try dish: Dishes here resonate home-cooked style. Our tip is the Must-try dish: Ask for the latest special: sheep’s cheese, wild
flavoursome Mount Kenya smoked trout pate, followed by the watamu mushrooms and homemade pasta are all past favourites, each spun
red snapper – a house specialty. www.giraffemanor.com from nearby Vacone. www.soloperdue.com

Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant, Kenya At.mosphere, Dubai

Head just south of Mombasa, immerse your bare toes in the oh-so- Arriving to claim your reservation inside the tallest building on
white sands of Diani Beach and tread your way to Flamboyant; a the planet (aka Dubai’s Burj Khalifa) makes for a very James Bond
luxury beach house that shelters what has to be the area’s best-kept experience: an endless stream of black-clad security check your
secret: Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant (above). Set at the mouth of booking before waving you on towards an ear-popping lift that whisks
coral caves, 10metres below ground level, it’s impossible not to feel you up to the 120th floor to where the world’s highest restaurant
a surge of delight as you’re shown to your table amid copper-hued resides. Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows serve as a permanent (and
walls lit by dancing candlelight. Its ageing aura is palpable – the caves welcome) reminder that you’re eating among the clouds.
are between 120,000 and 180,000 years-old, after all. But if the word Must-try dish: Meat-lover? Order from the grill – its signature slow-
‘cave’ evokes a tinge of claustrophobia a look upwards will soon solve cooked BBQ beef short rib just falls off the bone. But, it would be
it – there’s no enclosed roof, just an open expanse of sky… criminal not to save space for a dessert here, like Gianduja – a mousse
Must-try dish: The fresh seafare is too good to resist – try the Swahili with bitter chocolate sorbet and caramelized hazelnut – which looks
Lobster in tomato, ginger and coriander. www.dianibeachkenya.com like a piece of culinary art. www.atmosphereburjkhalifa.com

Sense on the Edge, Oman Ithaa, Maldives

Take a slow, winding drive up the side of a mountain till you reach Fancy dining under the sea? That’s exactly what you’ll do after making
the most desolate, tranquil and beautiful of summits: a vast open reservations here, at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s eatery,
terrace that appears to have assumed a natural position as part of sixteen feet below sea level (pictured above). Dining inside is a little
the mountain range – otherwise known as your dining room for the like sitting in the classiest of fish tanks: wraparound windows pass
evening. A seat here (pictured top) commands quiet admiration; overhead, leaving luxury island-goers with a prime view of sea-life
dramatic peaks cut a mysterious dash in the night sky while, down you don’t get to see on the beach: flurries of tropical fish whoosh past
below, you can make out the gentle waves of an ever-turquoise sea. while giant sting rays glide by. But, be warned, to catch a table you’ll
Must-try dish: The restaurant serves up playful combinations (chili need to call up to two weeks in advance.
spiced popcorn with truffle corn soup, anyone?) but its Arabic Must-try dish: With a set menu that includes 23 different dishes over
offerings are the best way to celebrate your newfound surrounds – four courses, there’s plenty to try here – we’re holding out for the gelee
don’t pass up the 12-hour marinated lamb’s loin in Dibba local orange. of oyster with bubbly, crayfish condiments and sweetcorn sorbet.
www.sixsenses.com www.conradhotels1.hilton.com

australia | lord howe island
Howe’s THaT
Australia’s tiny, far-flung Lord Howe Island has no mobile phones,
one policeman, six miles of road and a cap on tourists. Isolation
never felt so splendid, discovers Peter Hughes.

I
n the oddball gazetteer of the world’s weird
places, lord howe island ranks high. there
is nowhere else quite like it. But conjure an
amalgam of three of the most peculiar island
settlements in the atlas and you start to get the picture.
administratively it is almost as eccentric as sark,
geographically it is nearly as isolated as st helena, and
in biodiversity it approaches the Galapagos. sir david
attenborough described it as ‘so extraordinary it is
almost unbelievable’.
lord howe, population about 360, occupies a tiny

plot in the tasman sea off the east coast of australia,
roughly two hours by air from either sydney or Brisbane.
officially it’s part of new south wales. at 31° 31’ south
it’s far enough north never to be cold, but not north
enough to be sub-tropical. summer temperatures
average 25C; winter is only six degrees cooler. it was
among the last islands on earth to be discovered, and
then by accident. no one lived there before 1834. so the
only real natives it ever had were 13 species of birds
found nowhere else on the planet – nine of which are now
extinct – and scores of endemic plants. not to mention
more than 500 species of fish, countless kinds of beetle
and 90 different corals growing on the most southerly
reef in the world.
the island has its own hybrid constitution which, in
essence, puts the interests of wildlife before those of any
interloping humans. it is this unaccustomed relegation
of the primacy of man that makes lord howe such an
oddity. For just as the rights of indigenous people are
being recognised and restored in different parts of
the world, so on lord howe the rights of indigenous
nature come first. Mining, deforestation and unlawful
agriculture are all effectively outlawed; cats and
non-indigenous plants are banned. the latter put an
unexpected stop to ruby thompson serving her popular
ice cream with (non-indigenous) guava. and there can’t
be many places where two specific types of bird – the
flesh-footed shearwater, or muttonbird, and the very
rare lord howe rail, or woodhen – have their own road
signs. as there are only six miles of road with a blanket
speed limit of 15mph, they would have to be very unlucky

australia | lord
rail journey | new
howe island
zealand
rails and muttonbirds to be run over. and for the wetsuits, surfboards and snorkelling gear Opposite page from
lord howe island’s visitors, categorised a little kept in the kiosk at ned’s Beach. bottom: Scuba diving;
Balls pyramid. This
unkindly as ‘the newly wed and nearly dead’, are also stephen wills lives in a bungalow with the grandiose
page: View from the top
affected. there can only be 400 at any time. stephen address of Government house. the island’s social centre of Mt Gower.
wills, the island’s Ceo, appointed by the new south is the Bowls Club, est 1922, where noisy dances are held
wales government, explained, ‘we don’t count everyone every Friday (‘they don’t start until 10pm’). there’s a
in and out. it tends to be self-regulating.’ there are only ‘Chicken run’ bowls tournament on thursdays (‘the big
400 licensed tourist beds and the airstrip, which runs prize is a frozen chook and you can wear mufti’). an even
the 1,000-yard width of the isthmus between Blinky bigger event is the arrival of the supply ship every two or
Beach and windy Point, restricts flights to 36-seat three weeks; everything on the island is imported, even
aircraft. Could it be that by establishing its visitor milk and vegetables. there are no visible power or phone
capacity and then enforcing it, this tiny curl of volcanic lines, and lord howe is one of the few places in australia
rock sticking out of the south Pacific has set the example where you can walk without fear of homicidal snakes
which all tourist destinations will surely one day have and insects.
to follow? i compiled an arbitrary inventory of some of the
it’s easy to construe something utopian about lord island’s idiosyncrasies. no one can own land, only lease
howe. Few people bother with locks; everyone knows it from the Crown. and if you relinquish a lease, it must
each other and everything about each other ‘and what be offered first to an ‘islander’ (that is, someone who has
they don’t know they make up’. there are honesty boxes lived continuously on lord howe for 10 years). there
– for green fees and club hire at the nine-hole golf course, are no mobile phones, though there is internet, and no

This page from left: automatic cash machines or public transport; most when you set down on lord howe you walk across the
Muttonbird; Snorkelling visitors either walk or cycle. there is one petrol pump, tarmac to a silvery bungalow whose spreading eaves,
amongst tropical fish.
one Give way sign, four hospital beds, six rental cars, shady veranda and trim, white picket fence give it the
Opposite page: Old
settlement beach; Yacht.
fewer than 200 private vehicles (restricted in size), one look of a homestead. trim. that’s the word for lord
police cell and one policeman. ‘this is one of the most howe. trim verges, trim houses, trim beaches, even
sought-after positions in the new south wales police,’ the rocks around the coastline look trim. For a place
confessed senior Constable andrew McKay. tall, fit where some 80 per cent is still native forest, and whose
and 45, he’s more hugh jackman than john rebus. and wilderness qualities made it one of only four island
crime wise it’s hardly Csi:ny. ‘we get a few assaults and groups in the world to earn a unesco world heritage
domestics, which probably come with such isolation,’ he listing, it appears remarkably tame. it looks more like
said. ‘and a few things get sorted in the old-fashioned parkland than outback, so neat it seems landscaped.
way without the policeman being involved. But the why was i not surprised to hear that one man runs
islanders are pretty respectful,’ he added. just don’t get weeding holidays? his clients spend their mornings on
caught riding a bike without a helmet. transit hill, pulling out the rampaging asparagus fern
Constable McKay works as much as a customs that stifles native vegetation including an endangered
officer, immigration and port official as a cop. he variety of passion fruit.
also coordinates any rescues. at sea, that entails My hotel lent me a golf buggy to go exploring. it didn’t
commandeering a fishing boat as there is no lifeboat. take long. the island is just under seven miles long and
Probably the policeman’s greatest skill is in exercising a mile and three quarters across at its widest. i trundled
discretion. it requires fine judgement: ‘if you cross past the communal barbecues, the dive shops, kayaks
the line between policeman and friend you’ve lost the and glass-bottom boats, humpty Mick’s cafe and the
community.’ Paradise doesn’t come without its stresses., island’s thumping generator. i called in at the museum,
though. stephen wills acknowledges that the question where there are pictures of the adventurer Francis
of the next generation is ‘a major consideration for the Chichester’s floatplane, the first aircraft the island had
future’. Between 2005 and 2025 only 25 new houses are seen, which was damaged in a storm in 1931. it took two
being built and jobs are already limited. everyone has at months to repair. among palms and huge banyan trees, i
least two occupations. walked to the Valley of shadows, warm and sheltered in

‘My hotel lent me

a golf buggy to go
exploring. it didn’t
take long. the island
is just under seven
miles long and a mile
and three quarters
across at its widest’
that day’s high winds. the well-marked path ended
like most other things on lord howe, with a bench.
i met ian hutton, the man behind the weeding
holidays, at ned’s Beach where shoals of big kingfish
cruised in the shallows waiting to jostle tourists
who feed them. hutton, who has written 11 books
about the island, took me to see the sooty terns
nesting. something flickered through my vision. i
looked up and one hovered, nine inches above me,
balanced on the wind. ‘it’s quite likely to land on
your head,’ hutton said. i passed the public hall,
which, before dVds, served as the cinema. Films
would stop in the middle for tea, no matter what was
happening on screen. then a bell rang for the restart
and the projectionist would struggle to find the
point where he paused. i moseyed past the Central
school, which takes about 40 pupils up to year 6.
For secondary school, children can do a four-year
correspondence course before ‘emigrating’ to the
mainland as boarders for two years at high school.
some families lease their homes on the island to
avoid being split up. about half the students return;
of those who go on to university, few come back.
even so, ‘there are some pretty well-educated
bedmakers on the island,’ i was told.
i perfected the lord howe drivers’ wave, a
considered raising of the right hand, three inches
from the rim of the steering wheel, index finger
crooked, and down again. everyone waves. what
happens if you don’t, i asked. ‘they wanna know
what’s the matter with yer.’
Man didn’t set foot in the place until 1788. it was
spotted by lieut henry lidgbird Ball, commander

This page: Carrier of hMs supply, one of the escorts of the First Fleet of a bounty of sixpence per rat’s tail. all to no avail. rats
plane arriving at convict ships to Botany Bay. Ball was on his way to norfolk are still a menace and the authorities have resorted to
the island; Taking
island to set up a satellite penal colony, so didn’t stop. But poison. nevertheless, with more than 130 permanent and
photographs at
on the way back he claimed it for the British Crown, as migratory species, lord howe can justifiably claim to be
Muttonbird Island.
one did. tactfully he named it after the then First lord australia’s top spot for birdwatching.
of the admiralty, lord howe. his own names he attached with the decline of whaling in the 1870s, lord howe’s
to 2,549ft Mt lidgbird and to a dramatic 1,808ft rock growing population needed another money-earner. they
spike, 14 miles off the main island, which he called Ball’s turned to the kentia – or thatch – palm, a decorative
Pyramid. there are popular boat trips to circle it. plant endemic to the island that thrived ‘in captivity’ in
the first settlers were three englishmen from new the northern hemisphere. it has defined the Palm Court
zealand. their names – ashdown, Bishop and Chapman and winter Garden for 140 years and still adds a sprig
– have the ring of a firm of family solicitors. in a part of of exotica to smart foyers the world over. Between two
the ocean where islands were in short supply, particularly and three million palm seedlings are exported each year.
ones with fresh water and neither unfriendly natives Kentia palms, fishing and tourism are the island’s only
nor meddlesome officials, a, B and C saw an opportunity industries, the 15,000 tourists a year adding more than
for victualling whaling ships. they grew vegetables $25 million to the island’s coffers. i stayed in the south at
above what is now old settlement Beach, and introduced Capella lodge, the first in the portfolio of Baillie lodges,
pigs and goats, whose descendants eventually had to one of the hotel groups that are at last providing australia
be eradicated to repair the island’s pristine ecosystem. with the kind of chic accommodation in remote places to
rats, which came ashore from a shipwreck in 1918, were rival the best in new zealand.
never eliminated. within a decade they had caused Capella, revamped in 2009, is styled on the lines of a
the extinction of five bird species. eighty owls were contemporary aussie beach house, all sharp angles, pale
introduced, and islanders were given shotguns and paid weatherboard, timber decking and huge windows. it has

a spa, an excellent restaurant and nine smart-casual it could hardly be more appropriate that the island’s
suites of differing sizes, each equipped to a high spec. most emblematic creature should be a bird that can’t fly.
it’s one of the most expensive billets on lord howe and Few of its human counterparts ever seem to leave. jack
to my mind the best; it certainly commands the best shick is a fifth-generation islander. he was christened
views. Built into the shoulder of a hill, it looks out beyond jack but is known as jackson, which must make him the
a stand of norfolk island pines, with their precisely only australian with a nickname longer than his given
clipped leaves, across groves of shimmering palms and name. his great-great-grandfather nathan thompson was
cow pastures to johnsons Beach. it’s an archetypal lord an american whaler, born in Massachusetts, who settled
howe scene, here miniaturised by the massive stubs of on the island in 1853 with his Polynesian wife. their
the island’s two mountains, Mt lidgbird and the 2,871ft original house is still standing. now 49, jackson grew up
Mt Gower. Both are coated in pelts of thick bush. Gower, without telephone, never mind television or computers.
a great cuboid block of rock, looks like a loaf left out to ‘My earliest memory?’ he repeated. ‘Freedom. we just
mould; lidgbird, with 45-degree flanks sloping up to a spent our days outside until Mum called us to come
Images; Photolibrary; Lord Howe island Tourist Board.
sheer turret of rock, is built the way that saladin made his in.’these days jackson is one of the guides on Mt Gower,
castles, impregnable. this is where lord howe becomes which he has climbed more than 1,300 times. two or three
truly wild. lidgbird is pretty well unclimbable but Gower times a year he goes off the island. ‘you’ve gotta get off the
is scaled regularly. it’s a day’s strenuous hike to the top, rock,’ he said. ‘you need to give yourself some head space
and you have to be accompanied by a licensed guide. the or you start to get a bit stir crazy. there’s nothing like
mountain was the last redoubt of the lord howe woodhen, getting into a car in sydney, getting stuck in a traffic jam,
a flightless bird, sparrow-brown and about the size of breathe in some pollution, and look for somewhere to park
a pheasant. it came close to extinction but a breeding just to see how the other half live.’
programme and the extermination of feral cats, pigs and jackson, and his fellow islanders, are as rare a species
goats assured its survival. now there are about 300. as the woodhen. long may they all be preserved.

indian ocean | sri lanka
it’s not every day that you meet a well-known crime novelist
who promises to base one of the characters in his new book
on you. But in inspiring sri lanka, everything is possible.
a socially congenial and astoundingly photograph of myself, as my gushing

beautiful country located in the clement husband spells out my name for him.
waters of the indian ocean, sri lanka cringe.
used to be rife with political turbulence. We’re in the lounge area of amanwella
But in May 2009, the ongoing on-off civil in Tangalle in southern sri lanka. With
war was finally quelled, sparking a surge the resort paying homage to sri lanka’s
in tourism (January alone saw a 46% rise). most celebrated architect, Geoffrey Bawa,
With its diverse landscapes of breezy with the use of local stone, timber and
mountains, fecund plantations, arresting terrazzo, the room, with its huge windows,
world heritage sights and some of the treats you to a pool and beach view so
most immaculate beaches you’ll ever step spectacular it leaves you gasping. Plump
foot on, sri lanka’s a perfectly idyllic sofa seats hug the walls of the airy space,
setting for a stressed out novelist whose which cleverly allows for intimate areas
latest work has just been put to bed. But as well as affording an openness that
he’s already drawing inspiration for makes conversation with fellow guests
a future project from this fascinating accessible. The look is one that is as slick
environment with its extraordinary and modern as the latest James Bond
complex society and visitors from all gadget, but it never gets in the way of its
corners of the globe. like me, he’s never surroundings. surroundings so beautiful
without a notepad and paper, determined they have served to inspire many an
to preserve this transcendent experience author in the past, including writer and
forever. ‘This is great,’ he says, slowly diarist leonard Woolf who said a century
appraising me to discern my merits upon ago about Tangalle: ‘The evening air is
hearing that i reside in the Uae. ‘one of warm and gentle. an enormous sky meets
my main female characters is actually a an enormous sea. The stars blaze in the
journalist in dubai working on a glossy sky and blaze in the sea…’
lifestyle magazine.’ i smile awkwardly i just pray that Mr Mystery author
while artlessly offering to send him a leaves out the details of how this

journalist, so well versed in the art of travel, almost managed
to miss her flight home. We fell so head over heels in love with
Tangalle that we somehow convinced ourselves that we still
had another night there and it was with heavy hearts that
we had to face up to the reality of our five-hour drive to the
airport. You can hardly blame us – what’s not to love?
it would be a cliché to claim that amanwella’s crescent-
shaped private beach with its titanium yellow sands fringed
by a gently swaying coconut grove belongs on a movie
set, but it is surprising that oscar-winning director and
environmentalist, James cameron, has yet to discover this
pristine piece of paradise. it was only when confronted
by lethal looking sea urchins while snorkelling – their
barbed spikes threatening to commit chinese torture on
our sunburnt skins – that we were forced to admit that
our surroundings were, in fact, real. But a cold lemon
scented towel and a soupçon of refreshing sorbet courtesy
of the smiling lifeguard quickly swept us back to a parallel
universe.
When we were able to stir ourselves out of our reverie and
off of our sun loungers, we shuffled to the dappled Beach club
to tuck into lip-smackingly fresh prawns, calamari and seer
fish grilled over a coconut charcoal barbeque, accompanied
by zesty salads and tangy sauces.
With amawella situated in the heart of Wella Wathuara
village, there are plenty of opportunities to explore, with a
stroll along the paths winding through the jungle offering a
fantastic insight into daily village life as well as the chance
to spy monkeys, birds, mouse deer, hares and mongooses.
if it’s bigger animals you’re after, sri lanka accounts for
seven per cent of the world’s elephant population and at the
UdaWalawe national Park, two hours north-east of Tangalle,
you can marvel at 400 of these massive pachyderms with

indian ocean | sri lanka
their flapping ears and small amber eyes. But you’ll want
to allow plenty of time for relaxing both on the beach and
at your villa’s private plunge pool, as well as for making
the most of your magnetic villa itself - its floor-to-ceiling
glass doors and latticed panels throwing open panoptic
ocean views. Views that work their way into the ‘not to
be deleted’ section of your memory bank forever.
The sheer size of the island makes it impossible
to take in everything on just one visit, which is why
we’d turned to amanresorts to offer a broad taste.
We’d started at amangalla in the port town of Galle, ‘This is an island that will serve to uplift
approximately three-hours drive from colombo airport,
because it forms the perfect headquarters from which and arouse the generations of our future’
to explore the city and has excellent shopping and
sightseeing on hand. With the hotel situated within a waves that came crashing through Galle in that fateful Clockwise from top left:
17th-century dutch fort, now a Unesco World Heritage december of 2004. Then again, there are no hotels Monkey perched in village;
Images; Amangalla Hotel; Amanwella Hotel; Shutterstock, Photolibrary. Words: Lyndsey Steven
Sea view from Amanwella

sight, exploring your surrounds on foot is a must. as resilient as amangalle. The oldest recorded and
pool; Exterior of Amangalla;
Heading towards the ocean, you’ll come across Galle continually running hotel, amangalla opened in 1863 as Elephants at UdaWalawe
lighthouse, sri lanka’s oldest light station. Further the new oriental Hotel. With realms of polished wood, National Park; Local
afield in Yatagala stands a 2,000 year-old building that’s grand high ceilings and loft-style apartments offering picking tea.
accessible via 200 steps. surrounded by old Bo trees and imposing four-poster beds and stooped planters chairs,
caves, it’s an incredibly peaceful spot. the hotel is a handsome nod to bygone days.
For shopping within the fort complex, stop in at shoba, requesting a room on the top floor is worth the heart
a fair trade woman’s co-operative on Pedlar street where palpitation-inducing staircase. Here you’ll be rewarded
beautiful clothes and lace are handmade on site and with an extra section outside your front door with your
workshops are offered. The collection on church street own private outlook to the world. it’s the perfect place
is also great for souvenirs and gifts such as handcrafted for a cup of tea as you watch the sun slide down over the
soaps, cushion covers and carved wooden ornaments. picturesque rooftops and then slip away into the sea. it’s
cool off with a swim at amangalla where the pool, a spot you could happily spend hours in, wolfing down
surrounded by shaded pavilions and mellow trees, is the pure unadulterated splendour of your surroundings
protected by original fort walls. Walls that are so sturdy and using it to draw inspiration for your next novel,
that it’s thanks to them that amangalle was one of the perhaps. after all, sri lanka is an almost magical island
few places to survive the crushing force of the tsunami that will always arouse the generations of our future.

fast forward | china
Fast Forward
China is racing toward the future, almost desperate to shed its past. So be quick
if you want to witness the country’s unique traditions, says Nigel Richardson,
because they’re being bulldozed as hastily as old buildings.

T
here were signs up – pictograms of a camera the heart of china. My partner and i were 10 days into Previous page from left
with a red cross through it. no photographs. But a month-long trip around china, and for the umpteenth to right: Local farmer
with camera phone; Old
the use of eyes was permitted. from a distance, time i had been reduced to involuntary vocalising by
and new Beijing cut a
and provided we didn’t record it digitally, we were being something unexpected and astonishing. for china is contrast. This page,
allowed to witness the future. ‘ahhh!’ said the small flying too – in bullet trains, through futuristic airport clockwise from top
group of people around me. we blinked and craned our terminals, on expressways that punch their way left: Pudong skyline;
necks, scarcely believing what we were seeing. ‘waaa!’ nonchalantly through entire mountain ranges – and Shanghai bridge;
Shanghai’s rushhour
humans were flying. one hundred yards away across there seems nowhere progress cannot reach. Most
traffic; A brightly-lit
a parade ground of red earth, they were plunging and people are familiar with the neon overdose that is street; Bullet train.
swooping from the top of a scaffolding wall the height shanghai, whether they have been there or merely seen
of a 20-storey building. controlled from the ground by the pictures of nanjing road and the Pudong skyline.
steel cables attached to the middle of their backs, they now the scale and speed of that development is being
performed breathtaking aerial routines. duplicated across the country. in the centre of every
city, old buildings are being bulldozed to make way
the incredible flying men, who also performed at the for new, and on the outskirts, entire neighbourhoods
Beijing olympics, were all students of martial arts at are sprouting where less than a decade ago peasants
the place where kung fu originated, shaolin temple in worked the fields by hand. Black limousines with

darkened windows – once the favoured runabouts of

Party cadres, now more likely to belong to nouveau
riche entrepreneurs – cruise immaculately landscaped
boulevards.
in small towns you may, as we did, come across
brassy new hotels with monumental marble atriums,
indoor fountains and plasma television screens in the
lavatories. it’s exhilarating and strange to witness – and
frightening too, for who knows what babies are being
thrown out with all this bathwater? ‘now is the best time
in china,’ said a friendly chap with good English who
came up to us as we walked along the top of the city walls
in Xian, an ancient imperial capital and ‘home of the
terracotta warriors’.
the man, let’s call him Mr Li, seemed anxious to talk.
‘first we had old china,’ he said, meaning the 4,000 or
so years of dynastic rule that preceded communism.

‘the farmers who work
this thin soil by hand
are not just close to the
earth, they are in it – for
many live in caves and
underground houses cut
from the loess’
‘then new china.’ he meant Maoism, which he likened
to north Korea under Kim Jong-il. ‘and now we have
Modern china.’ as tourists bicycled past us, smiling
and waving, Mr Li pointed beyond the red lanterns hung
along the perimeter of the wall to the smoggy skyline
– ranks of new apartment blocks and the concrete
carcases of those still under construction. Modern
china – ‘capitalism with chinese characteristics’ is
how the Party likes to describe it – is responsible for all
this hyperactivity, and Mr Li welcomes it. But all the
concrete and glass in the world could not blot out his
memories. for soon Mr Li was talking about the cultural
revolution of the sixties and seventies in which, at the
behest of Mao tse-tung, the people and fabric of china
were brutally knocked about.
the tension between old and new is palpable – a case
in point being our onward journey from Xian. we had
been booked on the 08:30 train to Luoyang, another
of china’s ancient capitals, which lies 200 miles to
the east in henan Province. according to the Lonely
Planet guidebook, the train journey between the two
cities takes about six hours, and we had stocked up
accordingly. But having survived the bunfight to get
aboard, we found ourselves in a carriage as roomy and
plush as a business-class cabin on an international
airline. the guidebook was already out of date, though
published just 12 months earlier: we were on a new
bullet train service, which runs on an entirely new
track, serviced by new stations, and speeds from Xian
to Luoyang in one hour and 50minutes. En route, the
elevated trackway zipped above fields where poor
farmers, waist-high in wheat, removed their conical
straw hats and gazed at us in awe from the prison of the
past.
four days later we dropped in – literally – on some of
these peasant farmers, who have been excluded from the
party that is modern china. By this stage we had reached
shanxi Province, which embodies a uniquely chinese


Previous page: Farmer with son setting off to
work on the loess. This page, clockwise from
top left: Rural peasant village; Terracotta
Warriors in Xi’an; Women work with wheat;
Changing cityscape in Xi’an.
paradox. It is simultaneously industrial – coal mines,

cement works, power stations – and profoundly rural.
The landscape is defined by friable yellow earth called
loess that is sliced into terraces, making the gentle hills
look as if they have been tipped from jelly moulds, and
planted with wheat and fruit trees. The farmers who
work this thin soil by hand are not just close to the earth,
they are in it – for many live in caves and underground
houses cut from the loess. With our guide, Luo Xiao
Shan, who uses the name Peter Luo with foreign clients,
we drove out from the modern city of Yuncheng on a
toll expressway, and into a backwater of narrow lanes
lined with wild hollyhocks. Chinese pheasants flitted
through apricot orchards, a pig slept in dappled shade, a
toothless crone smiled happily over a fence. Peter asked
the driver to stop and led us up a small hill with a flat top
of bare earth. In the middle of the hill a sheer-sided hole
dropped 30 feet to a sunken courtyard, as if someone had
spooned out a square from a dish of lasagne. This was the
underground home of the local vet, 62-year-old Wang
Shou Xian, and his wife. Mr Wang beckoned us back
down the hill to the entrance and put the kettle on for tea
in one of the several rooms off the courtyard. Onion and
coriander seeds were drying on the courtyard cobbles,
and some herbal medicinal concoction was bubbling on
a stove in one corner. Mr Wang reckoned his family had
lived here for more than 10 generations (each generation,
Peter explained, being about 60 years). ‘The clay in the
walls is like the flesh,’ said Mr Wang. ‘The stones are like
the bones.’
It seemed a delightful set-up. The rooms were
spotless and cucumber-cool in the humid heat, and
the Wangs have television, internet and piped water.
But appearances can be deceptive, for the surrounding
village is moribund, with more and more young men
moving to the city in pursuit of the grail of modernity.
Peter said this way of life was dying out, and he did not
regret it. He was ashamed of the rural poverty we saw,
describing Shanxi Province ruefully as ‘backward-
developed’. On the other hand, the pace of change was
bewildering to him. ‘I grew up in the Sixties and we used
coupons,’ he said. ‘It was hard even to buy bean curd.
China is changing so fast, so fast, and it is hard to follow
the steps of it.’
One striking difference from the time of my last visit,
12 years ago, is the development of domestic tourism. In
1998 the world-class Shanghai Museum was studiously

faST fOrWard | CHIna
quiet and virtually empty of people. now it reverberates with noise, shockingly polluted. Emissions from coal-fired power stations, coke
laughter and the lizard clicks of a thousand digital cameras. In the plants, domestic stoves and exhaust pipes have reduced the sun to
past decade the populace has gained both the free leisure time and a tarnished coin in the sky. In Beijing, they somehow pulled off the
the money with which to travel, and on any given day millions are trick of removing the worst of the pollution from the city itself in
on the move, apparently not too fussy about where they go or what time for the 2008 Olympics, but it remains as a kind of cordon around
they see, so long as they are together and mobile. They travel by the perimeter. In the north of the city there is a bridge called Silver
coach in large, irrepressibly noisy groups from one site to the next Ingot Bridge where in the Ming dynasty it was fashionable to stand
– 1,500-year-old statues as vast and dramatic as abu Simbel and and appreciate the view of the hills that rise some 15 miles west of
quaint museums – each group led by a guide who yields a megaphone the city. The hills have not been seen for some time from Silver Ingot
and flag. Bridge. But the crowds of young people, both locals and tourists, who
In the Qiao family Courtyard near Pingyao, in Shanxi Province, throng this trendy neighbourhood are focused on other things.
a sprawling Qing dynasty complex, four groups were crammed at the end of the street we waited for a taxi in the shade of a tree
into one small room, each with its own guide trying to outdo the and watched a group of old guys playing snatches of Chinese opera
others by screeching into his megaphone. The heat and noise were on traditional flute and erhu, a two-stringed instrument that looks
extraordinary, but it was a strangely uplifting experience – hilarious like part of a car engine. In front of this ensemble an elderly man
and touching, as if those gathered were still learning how to be in shorts, ankle socks and slipper-like shoes was practising his
Images: Photolibrary; Shutterstock.
tourists and weren’t quite sure how it was done. Off the beaten track calligraphy. He did so with a calligraphy brush the size of a broom
as we were for most of the time, we were often objects of curiosity to and he wrote not in ink but in water, dipping the brush in a bucket
these bustling hordes, but people were unfailingly polite and kind. and sweeping it across the hot paving stones. The letters he formed
Perched among the Song Shan mountain range, Shaolin was one faded as fast as he wrote, and I suddenly felt relieved that we had
of the few places where we were able to see blue sky for any length of come to China when we did, before much of what is memorable and
time. The inescapable truth is that much of China is miserably and unique fades too in the heat and rush of progress.

A Slice of
Madeira
*
DevAstAteD by A storm A yeAr Ago, the tiny islAnD is
As beAutiful now As it ever wAs, sAys roDney bolt.

european vacation | madeira

M
y love affair with madeira began nearly two Africa); mauve agapanthus growing wild along the
decades ago. i was bowled over by the way in roadside; arum lilies so abundant they are harvested as
which this tiny island, just 15 miles across at its bedding for cattle. so varied are the microclimates on
widest and rising to more than 6,000ft in the middle, this steep little island, rising abruptly out of the Atlantic,
seems to cram in landscapes from all over the globe. A that in places you can grow avocados at one end of
wild, rocky coastline; a patch of pretty forested hills; your garden and chestnuts at the other.
dense ancient laurel forests; steep-sided valleys that unfortunately, madeira’s position also means that
disappear into steamy haze, reminiscent of old Chinese it can get caught in big Atlantic storms. nevertheless,
prints; barren, windswept mountain tops, way above deluges like the one of last february, which brought
the tree line, where, after travelling through mists you boulders crashing down the mountainsides to the
emerge into sunlight, looking down on the clouds as if coast, are rare – the last comparable one being the
you were in an aeroplane – and all these vignettes just storm of 1803, during which the home of an english
This page: Mountain
scenery; View from a few minutes’ drive from each other. if you wear stout family called tatlock (who were having a dinner party
restaurant at Reid’s boots and pack a picnic in a backpack, you can walk at the time) was washed out to sea in its entirety, where,
Hotel. Opposite page, between them. Along the way comes an astonishing every window ablaze with light, it went down like a
clockwise from top
array of plants and flowers – orchids and bananas on large ocean liner. ‘luckily the 2010 storm happened on
left: Fishing trip; View
the coast; camellia trees nearly three storeys high; a saturday,’ says roberto silva, who lives in funchal.
over Funchal; Rocky
coastline; Terrace at gardens aflame with bird of paradise blooms and ‘schools were empty, people were at home rather
Reid’s Hotel. protea (notoriously difficult to grow outside southern than at work. it was all over in a few hours. And we

madeirans are hard workers. everyone mucked in to

help.’ that steep terrain breeds tough folk. within a
few weeks, most of the damage had been repaired
and life was back to normal. ‘the problem with the
international media coverage was that it focused on the
bullet wounds,’ says a local internet entrepreneur, mike
heavey. ‘really, it was only the area around the three
storm-drain rivers in funchal and a couple of other
spots along the coast near the city that were affected.
the rest of the island was untouched.’
walking along the funchal promenade near the old
town, at the mouth of one of those wall-lined rivers, it
seems hard to believe there has been a flood at all.
the farmer’s market is piled with fruit and veg,
edged by buckets of flowers. gentle madeiran sun
picks out the cream plaster and reddish stone of the
seafront buildings. African flame trees live up to their
name in style, bursting with bright orange flowers.
Cable cars swing silently overhead to the suburb of

This page, clockwise monte – 2,000ft above sea level, but barely halfway up on a tiered plate, a pot of fine tea, and a view over a
from top left: Seating the side of the funchal basin. the only clear evidence tropical garden and out to sea. reid’s, which celebrates
area near Encumeade;
of the havoc is that what was once a nondescript rocky its 120th anniversary this year, was long a favourite
Local market;
Traditional cottage in
city beach is now a large flat terrace – the rubble that among british visitors (sir winston Churchill among
old town. Opposite page came washing down the rivers has been compacted them) – a section of the dining room was, until not
top: Cable car viewed and levelled to form an extension to the promenade, or too long ago, reserved by an unspoken rule for peers
from street of Funchal; perhaps a garden (official decisions have not yet been of the realm. but there is plenty new happening, too.
Local housing and
made). Paragliding and windsurfing are both taking off. And
gardens.
in the old town, where some of the cottages not only can you go whale and dolphin watching, but
date back to the first settlement in the 15th century, you can swim with the latter.
cobbler José de sousa still sits in his tiny shop, making for me, the island’s greatest attractions have always
strong boots and sheepskin slippers. At the o Jango been outside funchal. on a grey day, i go chasing
restaurant, owner-chef firmino santos tells me he the sun with norberto fernandes, a walking guide.
escaped lightly, with just a few inches of water covering madeira’s many microclimates mean that within a few
part of the floor. he was open again within days. As we miles, the weather can change completely.
talk, two fishermen come in with that morning’s catch, ‘the clouds are coming from the south-west,’
for firmino to choose his fish of the day. old madeira norberto says, ‘so it will probably be sunny across the
appears to have survived intact. i can’t resist indulging mountains in the north-east.’ And so it proves – we
in one great island institution, afternoon tea on the spend the day on a classic madeira walk, along a levada
veranda at reid’s – cakes, sandwiches and fresh scones (narrow, walled waterway) that takes us deep into a

‘Here we sit, on a cliff-top

balcony as waves crash
beneath us, as mists drift in
from the sea and back again’
mountainous valley, winding between steep, farmed
terraces, some barely the size of a double bed, past
soft banks of ferns and mosses, and on to a magnificent
waterfall.
madeira’s natural abundance lies behind another
new trend on the island. At a time when people are
increasingly aware of the environmental downside of
transporting fresh foodstuffs across the world to put
unseasonal produce on diners’ plates, a spot where you
can grow almost anything is coming into its own. At
breakfast one morning at reid’s, i raise an eyebrow at
the appearance of green asparagus on the menu – in
January. it turns out to have been grown in the hotel’s
own garden and harvested that morning.
the labour involved in farming those tiny madeiran
terraces paradoxically makes much local produce more
expensive than imported fare, but restaurateurs are
becoming aware that it tastes better than food that has
spent weeks in container ships or cold stores.
At a sunday market in the village of santo da serra,
on a plateau north-east of funchal, you can buy not
only farm produce, but homemade cakes, sweets and
traditional ponche it has become an island hot spot.
even spas are offering treatments based on island-
grown aloes and grapes. Andrew Zino, the scion of an
old madeiran family, is at the forefront of a movement
not only to raise awareness of the benefits of using
local produce, but of farming organically. At the family
farm in santo da serra he produces organic carrots,
lettuce, strawberries, potatoes – even kiwi fruit, as well
as lamb, poultry, honey and more. much of it goes to
supply his father’s restaurant at Quinta do furão, on
the northern coast.
here we sit, in shirt-sleeves in late winter, on a cliff-
top balcony as waves crash beneath us, as mists drift in
from the sea and back again, and the sky goes through
20 different hues in the course of a lunch, and tuck in to
fresh limpets, organic duck and salad, rounded off by
ice cream flavoured with bolo de mel, a spicy molasses
cake. And i reflect that the comment of one 19th-
century traveller to the island still holds true. ‘madeira,’
he wrote, ‘ensures almost every european comfort with
every tropical luxury.’

Clockwise from top left: Suite
at Reid’s Hotel; Local fare at
Riso; Afternoon Tea at Reid’s
Hotel; Parrot fish at Uva.
such as the evil-looking espada (scabbard

fish) served with sweet local bananas,
and sumptuous seafood cataplanas (the
Portuguese version of a tagine). once a tiny
old town restaurant for those in the know,
it has now expanded into the building next
door and is buzzingly busy but still just as
cosy and just as good (rua de santa maria
166; 00291 221280).
Chega de Saudade
first-floor restaurant clearly decorated by
someone with a passion for classic designer
chairs, with something of the air of a low-
key london or new york hip hideout. try
the alheira, a game-sausage croquette (rua
dos Aranhas 20; 00291 242289).
Riso
rice-related dishes from all over the world,
from crab risotto to portobello timbale
with puffed rice, in a restaurant with a
magnificent cliff-top balcony in the old
town. great for lunch (rua de santa maria
274; 00291 280360).
Armazém Do Sal
excellent seafood and meat dishes, with
inventive extra touches (such as apple and
celery ravioli), served under the heavy
beams of a 400-year-old salt warehouse.
(rua da Alfândega 135; 00291 241 285)
THE BEST HOTELS the são tiago fort, and designed to Uva
Vitorina’s Guesthouse resemble a period building. book a room three michelin-starred chef Antoine
vitorina’s guesthouse brings a breath of old with a sea view (Avenida do mar 50; www. westermann advises a kitchen that
madeira, with traditional wooden furniture portobay.com; doubles from $238). produces a heady fusion of madeiran and
Text: Rodney Bolt / The Sunday Telegraph / The Interview People.

and her brother’s wine estufa next door. Reid’s Palace french cuisines, coming up with such
the tower room, with windows on four reid’s is, effortlessly, the quintessence of wonders as roast parrot fish with glazed
sides, must enjoy the best view in town discreet luxury, gentility and charm. yet onions and citrus marmalade. Chic rooftop
Images: Photolibrary; Shutterstock; Reid’s Hotel.
(rua da santa maria 279; doubles from it makes a quiet nod to the present with setting (the vine hotel, rua dos Aranhas
$56). state-of-the-art games facilities for children 27; 00291 009000).
Quinta das Vistas and teenagers, and has an excellent spa Quinta do Furão
modern hotel commanding magnificent (estrada monumental 139; www.reidspalace. Cliff-top restaurant where chef yves gautier
views over funchal and the sea com; doubles from $308). aims to use largely local and organic
(Caminho de santo António 52; www. produce. he is famed on the island for
quintadasvistasmadeira.com; doubles from his beef Caldeirão verde, a sort of beef
$184). THE BEST RESTAURANTS wellington with roquefort - it’s simply
Porto Santa Maria O Jango delicious (Achada do gramacho, santana;
in a prime position in the old town, beside A favourite for traditional madeiran cuisine, 00291 570 100).
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new york | usa
Made in
Manhattan
Jessamy Calkin makes her
kids’ dreams come true with
a trip to The Big Apple.
I
n a recent article I’d read about children’s holidays,
several kids aged five to 14 said the place they most
wanted to go to was New York. How do they all know
about it? Films, of course, and television. And New York is
never disappointing. It is true to the idea of itself; its very
essence goes a long way. My children had never been to
New York; they were ridiculously excited before we left
– just the idea of going there might have been enough –
and full of sheer glee from the minute we arrived. Our cab
driver (Vinny, Italian) pointed out various landmarks from
the freeway: the metal globe that featured in Iron Man 2;
the tower that Spider-Man climbed up. When we arrived
in Manhattan, 10-year-old Jonah raised his eyebrows
at drug store and smirked at ‘don’t honk – penalty
$350’, while his sister, Alabama, rushed around the deli
photographing all the cereal.
The Crosby Street Hotel, opened last year, is wedged

into SoHo, built on an old car-park. Part of the Firmdale
group, it is thoughtfully located: American Apparel just
up the road for Alabama, and for Jonah an astounding
shop called Evolution, which has killer bees in tiny glass
vials, edible bugs and rats’ skulls. Round the corner in
Spring Street is Ben’s Pizza (Men in Black II). The hotel
This page: Aerial view of New York City.
decor is eclectic, colourfully gothic and contemporary.

There is a cinema in the basement with 100 orange
leather seats, and on the roof is a Tudor-style hen house
and a little allotment with tomatoes, rhubarb and herbs.
There is a dog theme, including a papier-mâché one in
the lobby made out of old Beanos. The Meadow Suite
literally has a meadow instead of a terrace outside the
window. What Jonah was most impressed by was not the
flatscreen television above the bath, but the fact that the
remote control was waterproof.

Clockwise from top left The beauty of New York is that you don’t have to do
to right: FAO Schwarz; anything elaborate or expensive to entertain children.
Lobby at the Crosby
Spend your money on the hotel instead. We had three
Hotel; Corner View
room at The Standard
days there and drew up a punishing and iconic schedule,
Hotel; A racoon at working out our routes with the help of the concierge.
the Central Park Zoo. Early the first morning, buzzing from jet lag only partly
Opposite page: Times offset by an indecently large breakfast, we hopped on to
Square.
the Staten Island Ferry, which is free, fun and educational:
on the 30-minute trip outwards you get a tip-top view
of the Statue of Liberty. Staten Island used to have the
largest landfill in the world, Fresh Kills Landfill, which
opened in 1947 and closed in 2001; it reopened briefly
to accommodate the debris from 9/11, then closed
for good. (There are plans to turn it into a park.) It is
probably advisable to stay on the ferry and come straight

new york | usa
back again except for one thing: a restaurant called

Enoteca Maria, which Vinny told us about, run entirely by
‘I’d forgotten the loveliness of the
grandmothers who come and cook on shift duty. Every
day a different grandma from a line-up of 10 ties on her
park, with its hills and boulders and
apron and takes home-cooking to new levels, cash only, little bridges, and the zoo, which was
no set menu.
Back in Manhattan, everyone had told us about the virtually empty of people and quite
High Line, a long, skinny park built on a former elevated
railway line stretching like an unruly green ribbon above
enchanting’
the Meatpacking District and West Chelsea. The last
time a train used the High Line was in 1980, and the site
was condemned to be pulled down by Mayor Giuliani
until two local residents started an initiative to save it. A
competition was held (ideas ranged from a rollercoaster
to a 22-block elevated swimming-pool). In 2004 $50

new york | usa
‘The beauty of New York is that you million was given by the New York government to
establish the park. The result is low key and enchanting:
don’t have to do anything elaborate or the artful combination of nature and design maintains the
impression of an abandoned railway line, sections of the
expensive to entertain children. Spend original track poking through meadow plants and grasses.
your money on the hotel instead’ It initiated a renaissance of the area, and looming over
it, straddling it, is the Standard Hotel. When the hotel
opened in January last year, it became briefly infamous
for exhibitionists posing in the windows, showing
themselves to people in the park below. (Everything
in New York becomes an art project). We looked hard
but we couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary so we
settled for the more orthodox but unexpected views
afforded by the High Line, then descended the metal
stairs, and walked around the Meatpacking District (I Am
Legend), now transformed from the lumpen warehouses
on view when I last came here 10 years ago. We watched
fashion shoots, ate pizza and shopped for Halloween
masks in Ricky’s Costume Superstore.
Next day, sunshine and Times Square (Letters to
Juliet). This was a real hit – the children couldn’t get over
the New York-ness of it. Then a swift walk down 5th
Avenue (The Devil Wears Prada) to Central Park to visit
the zoo (countless classic films but I’m ashamed to say
that Gossip Girl was the reference mentioned here). I’d
forgotten the loveliness of the park, with its hills and
boulders and little bridges, and the zoo, which was
virtually empty of people and quite enchanting. There
are even snow leopards (they breed them in the Bronx
zoo, weirdly), a treat for my wildlife-loving daughter who
had always wanted to see one, as well as red pandas,
grubby-looking polar bears, and tentacled snakes and
giant blue lizards in the reptile house. A sharp hike across
the park took us to the Natural History Museum (Night at
the Museum), cavernous and impressive with a fabulous
planetarium and space centre and massive blue whale.
Starving after all this, we returned to the hotel and
walked a few yards to Balthazar in Spring Street, Keith
McNally’s French bistro with its superb seafood bar: very
Opposite page, clockwise from top:
Le Bain at Standard Hotel; Crosby
lively and chatty.
Street Hotel suite; Snow Leopard at On the whole my children were thrilled with New York
Central Park Zoo. This page: Globe and we were sad to leave the Crosby Street Hotel. It was
at Columbus Circle . very relaxed there, and very cool. The children loved the
full-length windows and the rooftop chicken coop and
seeing Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) in the lift. What
does chic mean, Mummy?’ asked Jonah, as we crossed
the lobby. Sort of elegant. Why? ‘The manager said the
hens were chic.’ And they were, as hens go.

Discover Greece
A magical country of tiny islands and vast peninsulas, steeped in myth, legend and romance,
Greece offers the perfect holiday destination for lovers of history, art and antiquity. Marvel
at the Parthenon in Athens or the remains of the great cities of Corinth and Delphi. Take a
relaxing cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean and explore the scenic islands.
Name of The hoTel SaR BhD aeD QaR omR
ThREE STAR hoTElS 1184 121 1150 1150 121
FouR STAR hoTElS 1366 139 1326 1326 139
FivE STAR hoTEl 1749 178 1698 1698 178
Cost includes: Three nights’ accommodation with breakfast based on standard room. Return airport/hotel/airport transfers
by private air-conditioned modern taxi. Athens sightseeing by regular organised seat-in-coach tours with English speaking
guide and entrance fees.
Name of The hoTel SaR BhD aeD QaR omR
ThREE STAR hoTElS 3851 393 3739 3739 393
FouR STAR hoTElS 4040 412 3922 3922 412
FivE STAR hoTEl 4423 451 4294 4294 451
SAR=Saudi Riyal; BHD=Bahraini Dinar; AED=UAE Dirham; QAR=Qatari Riyal; OMR=Omani Riyal.
Cost includes: Three nights hotel accommodation with breakfast. Five days Aegean Sea Cruise (Monday to Friday) in standard
outside cabin with meals which include breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as midnight snacks. Arrival and departure airport/
port transfers by private vehicle. Athens sightseeing based on seat-in-coach with English speaking guide and entrance fees.
• Validity 31 October, 2011

• All prices are per person on twin sharing basis subject to change without prior notice.
• The rate at the time of reservation and confirmation will prevail.
• Single, child and extra night rates are on request and will be available as required. 020GR0311SA
• Kanoo Holidays terms and conditions apply to all bookings. For more information call or contact any Kanoo Travel or Kanoo Holidays office.
64 Kanoo World Traveller September 2010

concierge
hong Kong | Amsterdam | Vancouver | caribbean
The 30-second concierge

Marcel ThoMa, The Upper hoUse
How would you describe the hotel and its location? Which city sights are not-to-be-missed?
The Upper House is an individual, intimate luxury hotel designed by Hong Hollywood Road and Upper Lascar Row (aka ‘Cat Street’) are a must
Kong architect Andre Fu that sits above Pacific Place in the city’s business for shoppers; they’re crammed with antique shops and an open-air
district (placing you just 40minutes from the airport). You’ll find 117 rooms curio market, ideal for picking up eclectic gifts. Night owls, meanwhile,
inside (including 21 suites and two penthouses) some of which are the should go to Lan Kwai Fong, an L-shaped, cobbled lane surrounded by
largest in the city and all of which convey a calm, contemporary feel. skyscrapers – it’s the trendiest night spot in town.
Which is your most stunning suite? It’s dinner time; where should I book a table?
The Upper Suite. Its design is clean and uncluttered with an understated At the hotel, Café Gray Deluxe – a Michelin-starred, grand café on the 49th
luxury – and a sprawling view of the spectacular Victoria Harbour. At 1,230 floor – but if you want to go out, Yung Kee is famous for its gourmet roast
square feet it’s one of city’s largest suites and inside you’ll find beautiful goose, while the Dim Sum at Luk Yu Tea House (whose decor has barely
pieces of art – look out for Cocoon by Taiwan’s Marvin Minto Fang. changed since its opening in 1933) is just excellent. www.upperhouse.com

HOLLAND
Visit AmsTerdAm
Laura Binder steps out in the city to find tulips in spring bloom, canal-cafés
in full flow and 600,000 bicycles in motion (well, there about…)
AMSTERDAM MuST-DoS
Don’t leave without seeing
the Museum Quarter – a visit
to at least one of Amsterdam’s
‘big three’ is a must. Anne
Frank House (1) chronicles the
emotive experiences of the girl
who hid from Nazi persecution;
the Van Gogh Museum (2)
displays the largest collection
of post-impressionist paintings
by the colourful artist; while
Rijksmuseum (3) (the country’s
biggest national museum)
shows Dutch art in the wing of a
gorgeous Neo-Gothic building –
worth a photo in itself.
For a quirkier peek at the city’s
art head to Electric Lady Land
(4) – the world’s first fluorescent
museum – and prepare to
feel somewhat spaced-out at
the sight of glow-in-the-dark
objects, psychedelic sculptures
and luminescent rocks.
On sunny days head to a
pretty park and recline with a
picnic. Vondelpark (5) is likened
to New York’s Central Park
for its hive of activity, where
everyone from relaxed readers
to chattering groups of friends
L
congregate. But, if you have
iberal, quirky, creative and doll-house pretty; Amsterdam is one colourful kids in tow, Amstelpark (6) is
character. See for yourself as you take to her cobbled streets, which, if you want to paradise with its petting zoo,
pony rides and playgrounds
make like a local, you’ll do atop a bike: there are 750,000 residents in Amsterdam and
(plus rose gardens and art
some 600,000 bicycles. Hire one and follow the leisurely flow of the three canals that exhibits for you).
criss cross its quaint cityscape; coo at the 17th-century merchants’ villas which flank its Ever wondered what it’s like to
banks; and pause to ponder life on a bobbing barge. While her sweet side is charmingly live on one of those super-cute
canal boats? Step aboard the
obvious, so too is her rebellious streak – the nightlife here is legendary. Our advice? Head
Houseboat Museum (7) for an
there in her most delightful month (May) and spend your days as the Dutch do; relaxing inside look at a sailing barge and
in the spring sun. Just don’t forget where you parked your bike... see just how cosy life can be…

cONcierge | AMSterDAM
Opposite page clockwise from bottom

left: Pretty canal; Bustling nightlife; 13
Fresh tulips at Albert Cuyp; Colourful
Bicycles. This pages clockwise from top Holland
U.K
left: Room at Hotel De l’Europe; Queen’s Belgium Germany
day celebrations; Sofitel Amsterdam.
GRACHTENGORDEL-WEST France Italy
12
10
4
1
NIEUWMARKT EN LASTAGE
ht
rac
eng
R oz
7
BURGWALLEN NIEUWE ZIJDE
AMSTERDAM 11
8
GRACHTENGORDEL-ZUID
LEIDSEPLEIN
3
5
6 (4km)
9 n
ALL ABOARD! grab a hop-on, hop-off canal Bus Day Pass and you can
cruise the city’s three key routes, passing all the major attractions.
DAM IT: the name ‘Amsterdam’ derives from the river Amstel and the
dam built upon it to create more land for buildings.
If you’re in town on April 30 whERE To STAy Sat on the banks of the River at the bit nightly. Inside it’s all
you best have your dancing Sofitel Amsterdam (10) Amstel (it has one of the super-chic dark tones and black
shoes on; it’s Queen’s Day. Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197, prettiest terrace cafés in the chandeliers, while its menu is
Celebrations ensue to mark 1012 ex Amsterdam city) this 1899 hotel still evokes just as indulgent: dishes offer
the day Queen Beatrix became www.sofitel.com a feel of the era through its up combinations like lobster
Queen of the Netherlands, with It’s impossible to feel anything glam chandeliers and Dutch and cocoa beans or oyster with
the entire city surrendering itself less than regal on arrival here; art. Nowadays, its new features avocado and truffle. From $29.
to the occasion clad head-to-toe it set the scene for Queen (cigar lounge, plunge pool and
Images: Shutterstock, Photolibrary, IHG, Sofitel Hotels; Hotel De I’Europe
in orange (a nod to her lineage, Beatrix’s civil wedding in 1966, cool signature suites) make it a Café Restaurant Amsterdam (13)
which traces back to William of after all. Today its interior has great pick for city slickers and Watertorenplein 6, Outer
Orange). Prepare to party like had something of a revamp; we love the Provocateur suite for Districts. www.cradam.nl
an Amsterdammer at the many we say book a suite and take a its huge circular bed. From $589. If you like your venues painfully
markets and street parties. post-sightseeing soak in an art hip, look no further. This one
While away an entire day at deco-style bathroom before whERE To EAT takes up residence in a former
Bloemenmarkt (8), a delightful heading to one of its über-cool Restaurant Christophe (12) water-processing plant (cue
floating flower market on the lounges. From $551. Leliegracht 46, 1015 DH cool, warehouse-style details)
Singel canal that’s perfect for www.restaurantchristophe.nl while the menu is chockful of
green-fingered folk, or try Hotel De l’Europe (11) Make reservations at Jean- French classics. Seafood-lovers
Albert Cuyp (9) which sells Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-14, Christophe Royer’s Michelin- are sure to fall for its juicy
a mixed bag of goods as the 1012 CP Amsterdam starred restaurant and you’ll platters of Norway lobster, crab
largest street market in town. www.leurope.nl see why it has diners chomping claws and more. From $13.

Canada
Visit VancouVer
Skyscrapers and mountains form the most breathtaking (and somewhat bizarre)
cityscape in Canada’s young metropolis. Sarah Harrington takes a snapshot of the city…
This page clockwise from left: Downtown

Vancouver; Capilano Suspension Bridge;
Razor Clam Ceviche, Bluewater Café.
Opposite page, top left to right: BC Place
Stadium; Shangri-La Hotel suite; Volleyball
at Kitsilano Beach.
I t’s little wonder that Vancouver repeatedly tops the

world’s best cities in which to live polls– just take a
look around: Pacific Ocean flanks three sides creating
MUST-DOS
Got a head for heights?
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Spend an hour or so strolling
down the Seawall Promenade
(3) by Stanley Park’s shoreline.
(1) is the world’s longest Just watch out for the local
city-hugging beaches, while jagged mountain ranges
(140metres) and highest cyclists and skaters who whizz
pierce the sky – so you can ski and swim at the same time (70metres) and sways lightly by at a frightening pace.
of year. needless to say, Vancouverites are big on this above the Capilano Canyon – a On a rainy day seek shelter in
great outdoors (it has some 200 parks) and a stroll or cycle snap-worthy sight of cascading the Bloedel Floral Conservatory
through one of its most famous sites, Stanley Park, is the clear waters flanked by picture- (4). The glass construction is
best way to suck it up like a laid-back local. But there’s perfect forests. home to exotic plants, koi carp
If your tummy’s grumbling and free-flying tropical birds –
plenty to warm your cockles inside, too: this young slip
Granville Island Public Market keep an eye out for the rather
of a city (less than 150 years-old) is bursting with cosy (2) can cease the murmurs; friendly Charlie the Cockatiel…
coffee houses, hip hangouts and fantastic restaurants. it’s teaming with gourmet fish, Sports fans should make their
But if you only do one thing while here, get a shot of that cheese, pastries and all-things way to BC Place Stadium (5)
famous skyline where snowcapped peaks peer over deli. Take a hamper, pack it to which is home to the BC Lions
modern towers with mythical presence. This is what the brim and make for nearby Canadian Football team (a
Vanier Park, passing animated major sport here) and served as
makes Vancouver.
buskers as you do. a 2010 Olympic Winter Games

COnCIerge | VanCOUVer
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC The city was named after British naval

captain george Vancouver who first explored and mapped the area in
the 1790s. COME RAIN OR COME SHINE Vancouver’s weather is
notoriously unpredictable – it can rain in one area as the sun shines
simultaneously in another – so be prepared.
venue. Today it hosts all manner the far-reaching Raw Bar. Mains
of events, plus a Sports Hall of from $28.50.
Fame & Museum dedicated to
decades of BC athletes. Kirin (10)
There’s no shortage of bathe- 1172 Alberni Street, BC
worthy beaches in this city www.kirinrestaurants.com
but Kitsilano Beach (6) is the To sample the best of
most popular hangout come Vancouver’s Dim Sum, head
summertime, when volleyball to Kirin’s Downtown or West
players and hardcore sun- restaurants and squeeze
worshippers flock to its sands. the plumpest of parcels
Take more than a dip in its between your chop sticks. The
heated Kitsilano Pool – one of restaurant’s revered for its use
the largest outdoor saltwater of local ingredients which makes
pools on the planet. for super-tasty bites – try its
The hustle and bustle of colourful steamed prawn and
Chinatown (7) is well worth a spinach dumplings topped with
CAnADA
visit for Far Eastern cuisine but fish roe. Mains from $13. 1
Capilano Suspension
Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Bridge (3.8km)
Garden & Park (8) is the place WHERE TO STAY 3

uSA
for a little time out. Inside you’ll Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver (11)
tread winding pathways, passing 1128 West Georgia Street, BC BuRRARD InLET MEXICO
ancient limestone formations www.shangri-la.com

and, best of all, turtles bobbing This swish downtown retreat
VAnCOuVER
on its green-tinged water. stakes its claim on the first HARBOuR
12
Find a local operator (they’re 15 floors of the city’s tallest 10
plentiful) and go whale watching building – which means you’re in 11
EnGLISH
on the West Coast. Most give for some spectacular cityscapes. BAY
a 90% chance of spotting the Its décor encapsulates modern
awesome mammals and the Asian-style and though its spa DAVIE 7
Images: Shutterstock, Istock Photo, Blue Water Café, BC Place Stadium, Shangri-La Hotel.
VILLAGE 8
scenery is just spectacular. is great its restaurant, Market by 6 9 DOWnTOWn
5 EASTSIDE
Jean Georges, takes the biscuit.
WHERE TO EAT Rooms from $230.
Blue Water Café & Raw Bar (9) 2
KITSILAnO
1095 Hamilton St, BC Loden Hotel (12)
www.bluewatercafe.net 1177 Melville Street, BC
Surely the hippest seafood joint www.theloden.com
in town, this award-winning You can’t fail to spot this
vancouver
eatery sets up home in a boutique bolthole in Vancouver’s
converted warehouse, where coolest community, Coal
exposed bricks and beams form Harbour. A floor-to-ceiling glass
an ultra-cool setting. And the façade gives way to funky décor
food’s even better: tuck into and each room has high-end
your chosen catch (including
live crustaceans like Alaskan
king crab) or sup fresh oysters at
gadgets – ideal when you’re all
worn out from a day’s outdoor
pursuits. Rooms from $305.
Queen Elizabeth Park
4 n
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concierge | book your trip
win A two-night stAy At kempinski hotel mAll of the emirAtes

There’s excitement in the air at the mighty Mall of the Emirates in Dubai this month as its jewel, Kempinski Hotel, celebrates its fifth
anniversary. Make the most of the occasion with a stay that’s sure to be laden with honorary birthday treats. Set on Sheikh Zayed Road,
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hard-to-believe views of snow-strewn slopes (aka Ski Dubai, the world’s largest indoor ski slope). Ski Dubai presents you with one spot
to spend your free time, and then there is the hotel’s three restaurants (K Grill is a carnivore’s dream), trio of lounges (Mosaic Chill is
the coolest of poolside spots), a quite brilliant infinity pool, and of course the shopping – you’re just footsteps away from some serious
retail therapy. It’s as if all our birthdays have come at once...
ThE PrizE
We’re giving away a two-night stay for two in a grand deluxe room, plus
breakfast. To be in with a chance of winning, email your answer to this
question to easywin@hotmediapublishing.com before April 30, 2011.
Q. How many restaurants can be found inside the hotel?

a) Thirty
b) Thirteen
c) Three
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: All dates are subject to
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concierge | caribbean
Suite dreamS
Oasis Of the seas® - ROyal CaRibbean inteRnatiOnal®
Look twice and you’ll realise that the expanse of powder-blue soaring past your window isn’t just an expanse of sky but an infinite stretch of
Image: Royal Caribbean International.
rolling ocean – you are all at sea, after all. Not that you’d know it aboard the mammoth Oasis of the Sea which masters each wave with swan-
like grace, leaving you to head to a blissful bed while cruising the Caribbean. But of course when you’re staying in the ship’s largest Royal Loft
Suite there’s plenty to do at every hour. We’re picturing private outside dining by starlight (don your finest summer threads and invite up to
seven guests) or soaking up a different treat, like a sip at its private wet lounge or a dip in its balcony-based Jacuzzi. And for those determined
to stay dry, there’s always reclining with a read from the suite’s library, or casting your fingers over the dainty ivories of its Baby Grand. Leave
the door ajar as you do and let the sea breeze rush over you... www.royalcaribbean-arabia.com

HONG KONG
Hong Kong is Asia’s leading tourist destination that never fails to amaze you.
Discover the many delights it has to offer from the breathtaking skyline view from The Peak, the
delicious fresh cuisine, the abundance of shopping malls and markets and, of course, the luscious
green countryside and beaches.
Hong Kong is great for everyone from families to friends, to couples – there is something to suit all.
Immerse yourself in the shopping experience and you’ll find everything from the latest designer fashions
to electronic gadgets. Explore the memorable attractions around you and be amazed by the diversity
of this exciting destination.
Hong Kong’s vibrant atmosphere and blend of cultures will dazzle you and leave you wanting more.
For further information about Hong Kong, visit DiscoverHongKong.com

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The Sound of Silence

THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE ApRIL 2011

peter Hughes heads

14 Ask the expert 66 city guide: AmsterdAm 38 sri lAnkA

16 drive time 68 city guide: vAncouver 42 chinA

20 picture this 71 competition 50 mAdeirA

25 essentiAl selection 72 suite dreAms 58 new york

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 3

Stay 4 nights and pay for 3

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 5

ONE-MINUTE MASTERCLASS: RUSSIAN I’d like a bowl of Borsch,

Kingdom, come Base qatar

If you’ve ever pondered Threesy does it

6 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 7

2 Take in a ballet. The graceful

Notes from a small island 3 Shop til you drop. Moscowvites

4 Head for the hills. The city’s as

8 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

the royal wedding

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 9

10 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

‘The fact that you

12 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

Ask the expert

Q It’s my parents’ wedding

14 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

Drive time: MusandaM

16 Kanoo World Traveller April

21st Century OR 11th Century Southside OR Central

Clontarf Castle Hotel The Beacon

Style OR Substance Nice ‘n’ Easy OR Rock ‘n’ Roll

The Merrion The Burlington Hotel The O’Callaghan The Clarence

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 19

While it may feel like you’ve shrunk to the size of an ant

The name of this alien ensemble of hills isn’t the only

Il San Pietro Di Positano’s

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 25

26 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

Giraffe Manor, Nairobi Solo Per Due, Italy

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 27

Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant, Kenya At.mosphere, Dubai

28 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

Sense on the Edge, Oman Ithaa, Maldives

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 29

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 31

lord howe, population about 360, occupies a tiny

32 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 33

34 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

‘My hotel lent me

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 35

36 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 37

a socially congenial and astoundingly photograph of myself, as my gushing

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 39

40 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

Sea view from Amanwella

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 41

April 2011 Kanoo World Traveller 43

44 Kanoo World Traveller April 2011

darkened windows – once the favoured runabouts of