World Traveller Jan'14

THE REGION’S BIGGEST LU XURY TR AV EL M AGAZINE

January 2014

Complimentary Copy

Issue Sixty Nine

MACHU PICCHU

Scaling the heights in the Lost City of the Incas

THE IT LIST We round up this year’s must-do destinations

JAPAN

Produced in International Media Production Zone

The cultural charms of Kyoto & Hiroshima

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Brian Jackman extolls the virtues of Tanzania’s wild side

Sydney Marseille Shanghai Memphis

DO YOU TRAVEL TO SEE OR TO DISCOVER? Isn’t the real excitement of travel about discovering something new? At InterContinental® we share our local knowledge of a destination so you can enjoy what makes it unique.

In Abu Dhabi or Dubai, for example, our Concierges will help you discover hidden gems, be it in the most unique souqs or the largest shopping malls in the world. Whatever you choose to do, we can help you enjoy truly authentic experiences that will stay with you long after you come home.

Do you live an InterContinental life?

For more information or to make a reservation, please call 800 897 1465 (KSA) or 800 4642 (UAE) or visit intercontinental.com

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January // 2014

Editor’s Note

Issue Sixty Nine, January 2014 There’s something about the arrival of a brand new year that brings out the adventurer in almost everyone. The promise of a fresh start seems to inspire us to seek new and exciting experiences in far-flung places, pushing our travel boundaries ever further.

With that in mind, intrepid explorer Hazel Plush has tracked down the five destinations that should be on everyone’s to-visit list this year: from the wild Indian Ocean coast of Kenya to the mountains of Patagonia.

In case you didn’t spend enough money over the holidays, we guide you towards the best of the January sales worldwide. And, if 2014 is all about budgeting, you’re in luck because we have some great offers from dnata that should ward off the January blues.

Elsewhere, I attempt to share a portion of the magic I encountered on my recent trip to Kyoto and Hiroshima, where history and great food were top of the agenda, while Will Donnelly takes us on a musical adventure in Memphis.

Happy New Year!

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Managing Director

Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director

John Thatcher Editor

Leah Oatway Contributing Editor

Hazel Plush Senior Designer

Adam Sneade Designer & Illustrator

Andy Knappett Production Manager

Chalitha Fernando To contact any of the above people, email firstname@hotmediapublishing.com

Jan-Jun 2013 | 22,920 | 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 World Traveller.

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494

Cover: Tanzania / Courtesy of Singita

Leah Oatway leah@hotmediapublishing.com

@WT_magazine

Get 4 for 3 at yaswaterworld.com At Yas Waterworld we celebrate the fearless and we reward the brave!

Book 4 tickets online and only pay for 3. Prove your nerves before it’s too late. Promotion ends 31 January.

January // 2014

Contents

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7-32

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65-80

Check In

Destinations

Concierge

Stuck in a travel rut? We’ve selected the destinations that’ll capture your heart in 2014, and rounded up the best travel offers from dnata. If shopping’s top of your agenda, look to our guide to the world’s best January sales – just remember to pack your credit card.

Revel in safari chic in Tanzania, where the Great Migration comes with a five-star twist. Leah Oatway takes a pilgrimage to Japan, to seek out the country’s quirkiest bites and sights, while jazz hound Will Donnelly ventures to Memphis, in search of The King.

For staycation inspiration, look to our guide to the region’s best spa deals and foodie happenings in 2014. Travellers to Paris are in for a treat, too: the City of Light appears in the world’s best hotel restaurants list, and is also the home to our new favourite suite at Shangri-La Hotel, Paris.

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D I SCOVE R A W H O LE N E W W O R L D O F T R AV E L OPENING SOON. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.DUBAIMARRIOTTALJADDAF.COM

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Check In The Essentials

This unique-looking resort at the foot of the Fluela Pass above Lake Davos, Switzerland, is the new InterContinental Davos. Likely to become a national design landmark, thanks in no small part to its unique waffle-like steel frame, the

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hotel is as perfectly situated for those seeking an active break (nearby ski resorts are fantastic) as those seeking an escape (beautiful nature trails provide ample mind-clearing walk opportunities). intercontinental.com/davos

World Traveller

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The big

Brazil Why go now?

Brazil is the promised land of parties, whether they’re the rhythms of Carnival, or the beach raves that are raucous enough to rival any city nightspot. Even the rainforest never sleeps: its weird and wonderful fauna is clad in bright feathers and slinky furs, with its very own soundtrack of whistles and catcalls. This year sees the country combine its two loves – fiestas and football – as the 2014 FIFA World Cup rolls into town in June. All eyes will be on the games, which are set to take over 12 of its cities. Make the trip, and you can expect a show with all the glitz, glamour, and glorious weather that the country is famed for. For seasoned travellers, the tournament will also provides a good excuse to venture beyond old favourite Rio de Janeiro, with many of Brazil’s lesser-visited spots stepping up to the mark. Between matches, head to Salvador for a vibrant blend of Portuguese and African influence, thickly forested Manaus (where the Amazon and Black rivers converge), the beaches of Fortaleza, or the thriving gastronomic scene and luxury shopping of Sao Paulo. The party won’t end this year, either: Rio de Janeiro is set to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, so Brazil is set to stay at the top of the travel wish list.

Where to stay?

Book early to avoid disappointment during peak dates: when it comes to Sao Paulo fixtures, you’ll find us at the design-savvy Hotel Unique (hotelunique.com), and when the football hits Rio de Janeiro, at the Art Deco-style Fasano Rio (fasano.com.br). Outside the main cities, give pousadas a try: they’re independently-run lodges, usually set in the countryside.

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While you’re there…

Brazilian street food puts any football snack to shame: fuel up on plump shrimp skewers and palm-sized empadinhas (pastry parcels stuffed with vegetables or chicken) – or go big with a paper bag of pastel de feira (deep fried dumplings).

Garapa, or sugar cane juice, has a sweet, herby taste: drink it pure, or mix with lemon juice for a zesty kick.

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A new year, a new adventure: Hazel Plush picks the destinations to discover in 2014...

World Traveller

January // 2014

Kenya Why go now?

Sure, you know all about the thriving national parks of this favourite safari destination, but what about its miles of unspoilt coastline? While other travellers try to squeeze in a few days at the end of their 4x4 adventures in the Great Rift Valley, it’s worth dedicating a generous chunk of time to this wildlife-rich, culturally-diverse region. Diani Beach is one of the most popular beach resorts, just south of Mombasa. It’s picture-book Indian Ocean: all swaying palms and long, lazy stretches of shallow turquoise sea. Further south lie the Funzi Keys, accessible only by air or boat. The islands are fringed with mangrove forests and glassy waters – perfect for fishing, and watching the islands’ plentiful bird population. To the north lies Watamu, with its extensive coral reef – under protection as part of the Watamu Marine National Park. The town itself is quiet, but the reef is anything but: beneath the surface you’ll find turtles and a rainbow of tropical fish.

Further up the coast, the island of Lamu fuses the culture of sub-Saharan Africa with the Middle East: the area’s prime spot on the Spice Route made it popular with Omai Arabs, who colonised it in the late 1600s (before relinquishing control in the 1800s). The conservative Muslim society remains, and the Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage Site, with winding streets punctuated by heavy ornatelycarved doors.

Where to stay?

There’s only one place to stay on the Funzi Keys: 17 dinky cottages, each with four-poster beds and Jacuzzis (thefunzikeys.com). In Watamu, decent accommodation is scarce, but Hemingways (hemingways-watamu.com) does a good job, with air conditioned sea-view rooms and a watersports centre (which includes PADI courses). On Lamu, regain your balance at Fatuma’s Tower Guest House (fatumastower.com) – this barefoot yoga hideaway is truly charming, surrounded by undulating sand dunes.

While you’re there…

Eschew dry land for a traditional turn on the Indian Ocean: the local dhow sailing boats couldn’t feel further from the neonclad vessels of Dubai Marina. Pack lightly, go barefoot, and pretend you’re the first explorer to discover these seas.

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YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME. With more than 240 ergonomically designed rooms, and more than 130 serviced apartment, exceptional facilities to cater for your special event and wide array of dinning options including the Award Winning Brazilian Churrascaria, you’ll experience the energy, style and multi-cultural environment that is unmistakably Crowne Plaza Doha - The Business Park.

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Patagonia Why go now?

Patagonia straddles Argentina and Chile, a mountainous, mysterious region steeped in legends and rich in beauty. When Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered the area in 1520, he wrote of its giants, and the wildness of its peaks and plateaus. While no trace of Magellan’s ogres remains, the mountains do: head to Parque Nacional Torres del Paine on the Chilean side of the border to see what all the fuss was about. With its sharp snowtopped peaks and dense emerald forests, the park is thought to be South America’s finest, and it was declared the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ in November of last year, by virtualtourist.com’s 1.3 million users. The prime attraction here is hiking: the ‘W trail’ lures over 100,000 people per year, who brave thigh-burning ascents for peerless views of the park’s whopping ice-blue glacier and jagged finger-shaped massif. In January and February, the park is at its busiest, so plan your trip for March or April, or at the very end of the year; in winter (June to September) temperatures can plummet to -10°C, making the trails impassable.

Where to stay?

You’ll find Hotel Salto Chico (pictured) in the centre of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, on the banks of the Salto Chico waterfall. The lodge has just 49 rooms, and has a strong eco-friendly ethos; this is a great base for hiking, or a comfy spot from which to survey your wild surrounds.

While you’re there…

Ruta 40 stretches 3,000km down the western side of Patagonia; it’s rough, ready, and one of the classic road trip routes. There’s no greater introduction to the size and scale of the Patagonian wilderness.

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Scotland Why go now?

Scotland is chomping at the bit for independence from the UK, but while politicians ponder the repercussions of going it alone, the rest of the country has made up its mind. 2014 is its selfproclaimed Year of Homecoming: for the next 12 months, it’ll be eating, singing and flinging its bonnie heart out, all in the name of national pride. It’ll re-stage old battles in all their bloody glory, champion obscure traditional sports in the Aboyne Highland Games (hammer throwing, anyone?), and run rings around arguably the most famous Scot during the Loch Ness Marathon. There are arts festivals galore, too: join the masses at the Edinburgh Fringe, head to Dumfries and Galloway for the iconic Wickerman Festival (thewickermanfestival.co.uk), or catch Shakespeare’s Macbeth at the Findhorn Bay Arts Festival (findhornbayarts.com). In July, the XX Commonwealth Games arrive in Glasgow, bringing sporting excellence to Scotland’s second city, as well as live music, film, and comedy.

Where to stay?

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Follow in the footsteps of Beyoncé and Sophia Loren at Edinburgh’s The Balmoral (thebalmoralhotel.com), which has occupied 1 Princes Street since 1902.

If you’re venturing outside Glasgow and Edinburgh, check into family-run bed-and breakfast lodges for a friendly welcome and button-busting Scottish breakfasts.

While you’re there…

There’s no more exclusive way of getting around than The Royal Scotsman (orientexpress.com), a train that blends the service and quality of a five-star manor hotel with the romance of the railways.

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January // 2014

The Philippines Why go now?

On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines: it was 300 miles wide, and ravaged the region with torrential rain, 195mph wind, and devastating coastal floods. You might think that 2014 is the year to avoid the country, to keep a wide berth while it starts on the long mission to rebuild and recover, but that’s not the case. More than ever, this nation will need tourists – for revenue, and for much-needed moral support. You’ll no doubt land in sprawling, smoggy Manila: it’s the capital, made up of a collection of towns, and you can easily lose a few days sampling its markets, museums, and street-side eateries. The Philippines is a poor nation, but it’s rich in natural beauty: the archipelago is the world’s second largest, with island-hopping options aplenty. Take to the glassy aquamarine water by boat (hire your own, or hop on board a tour), or stick to the low-key lodges on the cotton-white beaches. The municipality of El Nido features beautiful tourist-friendly paradise islands: its waters are busy with dolphins and turtles, and the main town is friendly and lively. Venture north and you’ll find the Calamian Islands, where divers can explore World War II Japanese warships sunk by the US Navy, each one teeming with colourful reef fish and coral.

Where to stay?

Luxury tourism is still a new concept in the Philippines, but there are a handful of sleek resorts to choose from. Pangulasian Island Resort (elnidoresorts.com) is an island hideaway in El Nido, whose private beaches and sumptuous spa are accessible only by boat. Amanpulo (amanresorts.com) is even more remote: to get there, you’ll need to fly for an hour from Manila, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more tranquil, romantic spot.

While you’re there…

Be sure you’re doing your utmost to help after Typhoon Haiyan: contact Unicef and the Philippines Red Cross for details about donating funds. If you’ve got space in your suitcase, see stuffyourrucksack.com for ideas of toys and supplies to take to local charities – including ChildHope Philippines, which works with street children.

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World Traveller

If you simply must listen to music on your travels, then this is how you need to do it. The splash-proof SRS-BTS50 ultra-portable wireless speaker from Sony offers up outstanding sound despite is compact size.

What’s more, it can also stream music wirelessly from iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones and tablets, and boasts an internal rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge.

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Who Do You Think You Are?

The Who were arguably the most quintessentially British band of all. This year marks 50 years since their formation and by way of celebration London’s Proud Camden will be showing a collection of intimate portraits shot by acclaimed photographer Colin Jones, who enjoyed unlimited access to the band during its heyday. WT looks at musicians so beloved by their countries that they have been immortalised in museums you can visit…

© Colin Jones. Fifty Years of The Who by Colin Jones, Proud Camden, February 6-March 23, 2014, www.proud.co.uk

> If you’re planning on a grand celebration to mark Chinese New Year, then where better than one of the biggest suites in Shanghai?

The just opened Shangri-La Suite at the city’s Jing An ShangriLa hotel packs all manner of luxuries into its outsized space (over 300 sqm) and affords fine views of the fascinating architecture fanned out below.

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Abba, The Museum Sweden The band’s costumes and gold discs are held here, as is a telephone that only rings if a band member is calling…

Bob Marley Museum Jamaica You’ll find memorabilia, myriad photos and lots of handwritten lyrics – all on show at the reggae king’s former home.

U2 Permanent Exhibition Ireland The Little Museum of Dublin, the band’s home town, will soon house a sprawling collection of U2 memorabilia.

Buddy Holly Center USA The outsized spectacles on the pathway are the biggest indication that this building in Texas is a shrine to all things Buddy.

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World Traveller Reader Offers

To book one of these offers call dnata on +971 4 316 6666 or visit dnatatravel.com.

Terms and conditions apply. On the same site you can also sign up to dnata’s newsletter and receive more offers direct to your inbox.

If you’re in need of a new year pick-me-up, we have the perfect tonic – exclusive offers to get away from it all... dnatatravel.com Turkey

Singapore

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul Offer: 2 nights from AED2,120 per person, or from AED3,465 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a Park View Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Valid for stays from: Now til March 31, 2014.

Mandarin Oriental Singapore Offer: 3 nights starting from AED2,760 per person, or from AED5,045 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a Premier Harbour Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers. Plus, stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free.

Valid for stays from: Now til February 16, 2014.

Italy InterContinental De La Ville Rome Offer: 3 nights starting from AED1,885 per person, or from AED3,410 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a Classic Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Valid for stays from: Now til March 31, 2014.

Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa Offer: 4 nights starting from AED4,320 per person, or from AED5,045 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a King Garden Villa with breakfast daily, return ferry transfers to Silhouette Island and return airport transfers. Plus, two children under 12 years stay free.

Valid for stays from: January 11-April 13, 2014.

Malaysia The Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur Offer: 3 nights starting from AED1,210 per person, or from AED3,555 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers.

Valid for stays from: Now til March 31, 2014.

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InterContinental De La Ville Rome

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Seychelles

Sri Lanka

Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa

The Palms Hotel Beruwela Offer: 3 nights starting from AED 1,340 per person, or from AED 5,045 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Valid for stays from: January 16-March 31, 2014.

World Traveller

Shangri-La Hotel, Paris Offer: 4 nights from AED AED8,795 per person, or from AED10,510 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in an Eiffel Premier Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers.

Valid for stays from: Now til March 31, 2014.

What better way to experience an Imperial New Year than in an Imperial Palace of the late Bonaparte family? Opened in 2010, the Shangri-La Hotel, Paris is a true gem amongst the jewels of Paris. Here, all rooms have the latest technology and fittings, with most also boasting eye-catching views of the Eiffel Tower and River Seine.

Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the Chinese New Year in style with dinner at the hotel’s Shang Palace restaurant: the only Chinese restaurant in France with a Michelin Star.

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seaplane transfers. Plus, a complimentary upgrade to Half Board, a free room upgrade, a Maldivian couples’ massage and 50% discount on another spa treatment.

Valid for stays from: January 13-April 11, 2014.

Horse Play Celebrate the dawn of the Chinese Year of the Horse at one of these superb hotels

Where do the Chinese go to celebrate Chinese New Year? Well that would be the Maldives. Kanuhura is the epitome of all that is Maldives, with some of the best diving on site complemented by bare foot chic and all-villa accommodation. We want you to have the most relaxing stay at Kanuhura, and of course we want your holiday to be a special experience from the moment you book it. That’s why we’re offering you a complimentary upgrade, a free night’s stay, a complimentary Maldvian couple’s massage and a free upgrade to half board. With all this taken care of all you need do is work on topping up your tan...

Kanuhura Maldives

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Offer: 3 nights from AED1,830 per person, or from AED4,595 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a Grand Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers.

Valid for stays from: Now til February 28, 2014.

For a truly indulgent Chinese New Year experience, why not take yourself to the heart of the action in Hong Kong? With our fantastic offer of a 3-night stay you’ll have enough time to enjoy the very best of Hong Kong, from its famed shopping to its fabulous restaurants and vibrant nightlife. Having recently completed an exciting renovation, the hotel offers a modern Chinese twist on contemporary design, giving you the best of Asia in room and out – many look out over the sprawling harbour.

Kanuhura Maldives Offer: 4 nights from AED7,420 per person, or from AED9,325 per person including airfare.

Includes: Stay in a Beach Villa with breakfast daily and return

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Shangri-La Hotel, Paris

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Capital Ideas Take advantage of our half board upgrade special on selected Abu Dhabi hotels to enjoy the very best of the UAE’s capital

Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Offer: 2 nights starting from AED2,730 per person.

Includes: Two nights stay in a Coral Room including breakfast, plus free upgrade to half board (lunch or dinner).

Valid for stays from: February 1 til March 31, 2014.

Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara Offer: 2 nights starting from AED995 per person.

Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Mangroves room including breakfast, plus free upgrade to half board.

Valid for stays from: January 15-March 31, 2014.

Emirates Palace

Grand Millennium Al Wahda Offer: 2 nights starting from AED715 per person.

Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room including breakfast, plus free upgrade to half board and enjoy a 50% discount on all spa treatments.

Valid for stays from: Now til March 26, 2014.

Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche Offer: 2 nights starting from AED745 per person.

Includes: Stay in a Superior City View Room including breakfast, plus free upgrade to half board.

Valid for stays from: January 15-March 31, 2014.

Grand Millennium Al Wahda

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Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara

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Novotel Abu Dhabi Gate Offer: 2 nights starting from AED 685 per person.

Includes: Stay in a One Bedroom Apartment including breakfast, plus free upgrade to half board.

Valid for stays from: January 4-March 31, 2014.

World Traveller

January // 2014

GR AND TOURS

If this month’s features have put you in the mood to experience the destinations first hand, why not take the hassle out of planning by booking one of these specially curated tours…

Offers are all subject to availability. For reservations email: nonairgsa@dnata.com or call +971 43166671

Tanzania

Japan

Memphis

Machu Picchu

Tanzania Camping Adventure G Adventures Offer: 7 days, from Arusha to Arusha, starting from AED8,140 per person on twinsharing basis. Departures from January 2014 onwards.

Includes: Mto wa Mbu guided village tour with traditional lunch. Masai village visit.

Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater game drives: witness the elusive Big Five in their natural habitat.

Splendours of Japan with Hiroshima Extension Trafalgar Tours Offer: 13 days, Tokyo to Osaka, starting from AED25,630 per person on twin-sharing basis. Departures from March to October 2014.

Includes: Tokyo, Takayama, Mount Fuji, wasabi farm near Matsumoto, sushi making, Geisha and Maiko ladies dance. Plus, lunch at a traditional Japanese Ryokan (Inn) in Kyoto and a tour of Hiroshima’s attractions.

Tastes and Sounds of the South Trafalgar Tours Offer: 10 days, Nashville to New Orleans, starting from AED9,240 per person on twinsharing basis. Departures from May to October 2014.

Includes: Elvis Presley’s estate in Graceland, Creole cuisine in New Orleans, southern mansions and historic plantations.

The Inca Trail G Adventures Offer: 7 days, Cusco to Cusco, starting from AED4,260 per person on twin-sharing basis.

Departures from January 2014 onwards.

Includes: Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo ruins guided tour with visit to a Planeterrasupported project, Inca Trail guided hike and Machu Picchu guided tour.

Inca Panorama Contiki Offer: 11 days, Lima to Cusco, starting from AED8,980 per person on twin-sharing basis.

Departures from March 2014 onwards.

Includes: Colca Canyon, King of the Andes at Condor Cross, Lake Titicaca’s floating islands, Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Travellers can either trek the Inca Trail or go by train.

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Is the world’s most expensive ski chalet worthy of its price tag?

Laura Binder checks into the $370,000 per night Chalet N

hile the winter climes of Oberlech are ice-cool, the rental price of its starriest resident – Chalet N – could get you hot under the collar: $370,000 a week.

It’s a price tag that soars above even its chicest chalet counterparts, from Europe (high-rolling Courchevel included) to North America. Indeed, just when skiers thought the chalet scene couldn’t get any flashier with their pools and Michelin-trained chefs, this super-chalet burst onto the scene in a show of Swarovski in 2012.

Now in the throes of its second ski season, it’s sealed a six-star status – attracting the cream of ski society along with the likes of Rhianna (not that any staff will confirm the rumours, however hard you try). The building itself, then, is rather like Fort Knox – constructed from concrete before being dressed in beautiful reclaimed oak and finished with bulletproof windows. But what does a the price tag get you beyond a façade the Swiss army would struggle to penetrate?

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World Traveller

One could argue that Chalet N’s location alone is priceless: sat 1,660metres-up in lesser-known Oberlech, an alpine village that places even its upmarket neighbour, Lech (favoured by Dutch royals) in the shade. The chalet’s vast terrace is the space to drink it all in from – dressed in fur-draped, slope-facing daybeds – it bears uninterrupted vistas of the Arlberg massif and powder-thick, skier-dotted slopes.

Make for the piste yourself and a lift will whisk you straight onto the snow from the chalet’s Boot Room – where your handpicked equipment hangs on heated racks. No time-consuming transfers here.

Though if you do want to get about, the chalet’s blacked-out 4x4s and Porsche Cayanne is the way to go.

But while the natural vistas are wondrous, the ski area vast (you can access St Christoph and St Anton) and the off-piste skiing excellent, you’ll be forgiven for expecting more for your dollar than good snow. Happily, Chalet N is home not only to 11 suites - one just for children

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and all with walk-in wardrobes and private terraces – but a lounge, bar, dining room, fondue room, wine cellar, cinema, spa and ice bar.

Interiors are as resplendent as they are generous. Oak wood is dressed in soft, smoky-grey furnishings, ebony accents and glimmers of extravagance (crystalembedded rugs; Swarovski shower in the spa; Hermes amenities…) not to mention state-of-the-art-technology.

As for Chalet N’s pièce de résistance, it’s a tough call: for grape and tobacco connoisseurs the cellar has it: some 350 labels (the priciest at 6,000 Euros) can be found beneath the curvature of its ceiling.

Sharing the space are 900 varieties of cigar – we suggest you sink into one of the Gucci armchairs to take your first draw.

For others, the spa is a real showstopper – so large it warrants its own floor, making it the largest of any private chalet to date. But there’s more than just a swimming pool (this one has daybeds floating atop it for starters) – inside a rain-

shower’s curtain is made entirely of ice cube-sized Swarovski crystals and a team of spa therapists (plus hairdressers) are on hand to pummel, pamper or preen at your request (though sports’ masseuse Franco is the go-to man after a hard day on the slopes). Step out through its glass partition and you can promptly plop into one of two steaming, slope-facing Jacuzzis.

But it’s the house staff (35 combed from 600 applicants) who you’ll wish you could take home with you. Onsite at all times (when do they sleep? I ask), their tasks cover anything from embroidering your initials into your pillowcase to shaking up your favourite tipple (ask for barman Tobias – a true talent). The in-house chefs, meanwhile, rustle up first-rate fare at any time of day, so you can savour caviar and truffle-topped scrambled eggs come morning, snack on oysters and dine on fine fare come nightfall. Though with three-courses served for lunch you can forget about heading back out to the slopes… chalet-n.com

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Bargain Hunt Fancy scouring the sales this month? Here’s our guide to the best places to bag a bargain. Sharpen those elbows and get there early though: shoppers can be ruthless when they smell a deal…

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London

Paris

Kind of a no-brainer, but the UK’s capital is massively popular with sales seekers from all over the world. Whether you’re after designer garb or high street loveliness, you’ll find it here: aside from the obvious Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, there’s also Oxford Street and Bond Street, Kensington High Street and the King’s Road to check out.

You’ll need some stylish but flat shoes to navigate France’s capital post-Christmas. Paris doesn’t do sales very often – twice a year, to be exact – but when it does, it does them well, with discounts running from 30 to up to 80 per cent, if you’re lucky.

The January sales actually run for six weeks with discounts heftier for those exercising patience. Head to Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré for haute couture, Boulevard Haussmann for department stores such as Galeries Lafayette, and Saint-Ouen Flea Market for one-offs.

Dubai Closer to home, Dubai Shopping Festival kicks off on January 20 and runs for a month, with the shops at almost all malls dishing out impressive discounts. The European high street chains are likely to already have sales underway too, and you can bag more offbeat bargains (as always) at the souks and Global Village – brush up on your bartering skills before you head off.

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New York In the city that never sleeps, January sales run for the best part of two months and almost all shops get involved, so there’s plenty of fun to be had wading through the rails. If you’re brave

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No discerning traveller should be without at least one of Globe-Trotter’s iconic suitcases.

This special edition, 21-inch case is the perfect size for carry-on and looks great. Each takes 10 days to make by hand, in a snazzy combination of leather and vulcanised fibreboard. mrporter.com

enough to face the feeding frenzy at the likes of Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s then we’re almost certain you’ll be pleased you did. And if you see yourself as a bit of a Carrie Bradshaw, then check out the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show & Sale on January 17 and 18.

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Hong Kong It’d be mean not to include a city where shopping is almost a national pastime. You name it, Hong Kong has it, and in the runup to Chinese New Year there’s a good chance it’s on sale. The skyscrapers of Admiralty, Central and SoHo house an array of international design houses and luxury goods, you’ll lose hours at Causeway Bay (SOGO department store there is a must), while there are plenty of antique shops to be discovered at the east of Western Market.

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Historic Hotel #7

THE SHOW GOES ON…

The real-life drama behind one of Manhattan’s most famous theatrical properties

From its very inception more than a century ago, the building we now know as The Chatwal, A Luxury Collection Hotel, was destined to take centre stage.

For starters, its beautiful architecture was the creation of famous American architect Stanford White (responsible for Madison Square Garden, The Washington Square Arch and the New York Herald Building): six storeys of neo-Georgian brick and a façade that featured six ram heads and two ram profiles. Its ornate, grand exterior hid the best of modern Check In

technology and entertainment: from telephones to a billiard room and even a small theatre. Upstairs, there were offices and bedrooms for members. The club opened in 1905 and just a decade later it doubled in size, with the city’s authorities designating it a landmark.

The building’s location on 130 West 44th Street meant it was also at the centre of American theatre during the 20th century, just a stone’s throw from Broadway, and it was quickly inhabited by the prestigious Lambs, a group of actors

and theatre aficionados who had rented a few places before settling there.

The Lamb’s Club has had more than 6,000 members, among them some of the world’s foremost stars, including John Wayne, Douglas Fairbanks and Fred Astaire (who famously compared becoming a Lamb with being knighted).

They are all likely to have stayed at the rented quarters there at various points: John Barrymore (known as Jack) lived in the dormitory quarters on and off. It was here he met and briefly dated a red-head

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from Pennsylvania called Evelyn Nesbit, who would go on to become known for her part in what is called the crime of the century.

Nesbit embarked on a brief, secret affair with architect White – a notorious extrovert and playboy. Later, she dated

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film legend Barrymore before marrying violent millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw.

When he heard about his wife’s former relationship with White he shot and killed the architect at Madison Square Garden during a show. Thaw was found guilty but was the first ever defendant to plead

insanity and win: he was sentenced to life in jail.

Until the 1970s, the building continued to be used by The Lamb’s Club, before it was lovingly converted into a hotel under the watchful eye of master architect and designer Thierry Despon. Today, The Chatwal, A Luxury Collection Hotel, is one of the city’s most revered abodes: a glossy ode to the glamour of its era and the essence of Art Deco.

Nods to its theatrical history remain in the presence of the huge 18th-century stone fireplace, a gift from White to the Lambs, which can be found in the restaurant – named the Lambs Club. Parts of the original rooms have been restored and reinstalled, and the celebrated façade is as beautiful as it was when the property opened in 1905 – complete with the marble Rams heads and a plaque in honour of the Lambs.

And, in a lasting homage to her grandfather, and in a nod to the property’s distinguished past, actress Drew Barrymore agreed to lend her family name to the 4,500-square-foot penthouse (floor 10). The Barrymore Suite boasts four en suite bedrooms, as well as a vast outdoor area with a private heated outdoor terrace and a 1,000-square-foot roof deck overlooking 44th Street.

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BIG APPLE BOOKS New books about New York

Conversations on the Hudson

Nick Hand

I Never Knew That About New York

Christopher Winn Thought you knew NYC? Think again – this lighthearted guide serves up all the quirky facts and figures behind the 400-yearold city. Excellent trivia fodder for know-it-alls and quiz masters.

Goodbye to All That

Ed. Sari Botton This collection of thoughtful essays and sentimental short stories by New York writers brings the city’s highs and lows to life.

The Hudson River is a New York icon: it flows through the state and the Big Apple itself. Nick Hand traversed its 500-mile length by bike, getting to know the stories of the people that live alongside the water.

New York City: A Food Biography

Andrew F. Smith From fads to old favourites, NYC is the birthplace of countless foodie triumphs.

This mouthwatering book spills the city’s gastronomic secrets: from where to find the perfect pastrami, to the best streetfood vendors.

Get to the Point

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Paola Navone has flexed his sizeable design muscle at this new Phuket resort. Point Yamu by COMO can be found at the tip of Cape Yamu, with sweeping views of the Andaman Sea and Phang Nga Bay. Food comes courtesy of two world-class restaurants, and aches and pains are taken care of at the on-site wellness retreat. Bliss.

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January // 2014

> The market for vintage travel posters continues to strengthen, and this month (January 22) Christie’s in London lays on a chance for you to bid for some of the best ski posters ever designed. Most hail from the early part of the twentieth century, when skiing holidays truly caught hold of travellers’ imaginations and the first resorts competed to be viewed as the most glamorous. The Ski Sale also affords the opportunity to bag a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk, should the budget stretch.

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> Bored of the same old luxury ski resorts? Allow us to introduce Switzerland’s W Verbier: Europe’s newest and arguably most stylish alpine resort. The slopes promise adrenaline-packed days, the views are incredible, the rooms feature roaring fires, and when the sun fades there’s plenty to keep you entertained. wverbier.com

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January // 2014

> This bright orange piece of arm candy comes courtesy of Mulberry.

The design house’s crossbody Kensal bag is the perfect accessory to cheer up a city break outfit, wherever you are and whatever the weather. mulberry.com

SIZE DOES MATTER A new resort proves the old adage ‘big is beautiful’ right…

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Just William

This month sees the much-awaited launch of extended-stay, boutique Manhattan hotel The William. Set in the heart of Manhattan’s theatre district, close to the UN building, Bryant Park and some of the city’s finest eateries, suites feature block colour and are inspired by the mid-century modern movement. Check it out before the crowds descend. thewilliamnyc.com

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Think you’ve seen all that the Maldives has to offer?

Well Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives hastens to disagree.

The developers behind some of the most popular resorts in the Maldives, including Constance Halaveli, Jumeirah Vittaveli, and Viceroy Maldives, have ploughed their extensive experience into creating the first Atmosphere branded resort. Expect incomparably vast living spaces (with villas ranging from 100 to 200 square metres as well as the first full-sized 50-metre swimming pool in the Maldives, plus the kind of five-star luxury befitting a resort of such stature. Where do we sign? atmospherekanifushi.com

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Wild at Heart In a Tanzanian reserve that had been virtually shot out by poachers, Brian Jackman enjoys huge herds and five-star extravagance

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t is alfajiri - the Swahili word for dawn - and as the sun breaks free of the eastern horizon it floods the plains with amber light, picking out the distinctive shapes of giraffe moving slowly among the flattopped acacias.

At such a time, there is no better place to be than Sasakwa Lodge, high on its hill in the Singita Grumeti Reserve.

From here you can see it all: the endless savannah, the herds of game, the distant hills rolling north into Kenya. This is how it must appear to the circling vultures: a view that defines the vastness and unassailable majesty of the Serengeti.

An east wind is blowing, heralding the end of the long rains. Soon the dry season will begin, banishing the anvil-headed storm clouds and scorching the grasslands until they are as brown as an old lion pelt.

Already the wildebeest herds have left their calving grounds in the deep south of the park, forced to move on in search of water. But at Singita Grumeti the land is still green, the air still rain-washed and diamond-bright, and the great migration Tanzania

- upwards of a million wildebeest accompanied by zebras in their untold thousands - is on its way.

It was in 2002 that Paul Tudor Jones, a Wall Street billionaire commodities trader and environmental philanthropist, leased the Grumeti reserve from the Tanzanian government. At that time it was nothing but a collection of clapped-out hunting

killing. Then he built two safari lodges and a tented camp (each one an hour’s drive apart), and went into partnership with Singita, whose South African lodges are the ultimate in safari chic. The result is the classiest piece of wildlife real estate on the planet.

Sasakwa, the reserve’s flagship lodge, is built in the image of an Edwardian

At Sabora you sleep under canvas, serenaded by lions.

There are no fences to keep animals out

concessions bordering on the western corridor of Tanzania’s world-famous Serengeti national park.

The land in question - 350,000 acres in total - had been virtually shot out by uncontrolled poaching, but Tudor Jones saw its potential. He began to turn things around, employing ex-poachers to stop the

manor house and furnished to match, with Venetian mirrors, crystal chandeliers, log fires and a grand piano in the lounge. David Shepherd paintings and photographs by Peter Beard add a touch of authentic Africa, as does the life-size bronze of a stalking cheetah on the lawns.

And - as if game viewing wasn’t enough -

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This page, clockwise from top right: Game drive at Singita Sabora; Singita Faru Faru. Next page: Zebras under clouds; Rhinos at rest; Singita Sasakwa.

there is also tennis, croquet, archery and horse riding.

Its ten guest cottages are named after the key figures of East Africa’s safari history: Selous, Hemingway, Beryl Markham - and are so secluded that clients are shuttled to dinner by golf buggy.

How Tanzania has changed since my first visit three decades ago. In those days such lodges simply didn’t exist, and if you were lucky enough to be given an egg for breakfast there was no bacon; if you had bacon there were no eggs; and sometimes there were neither eggs nor bacon.

Today, Sasakwa’s guests are pampered with everything from air conditioning to complimentary Havana cigars, and

every cottage comes with direct telephone facilities and internet access, and its own heated infinity plunge pool.

Here, safely tucked up each night in your stone-walled capsule of five-star comfort, you live in the sky, far from the savagery of the savannah below.

But while Sasakwa wows you with unrestrained opulence, Sabora is a tented camp that sets you down on the plains at the very heart of the action.

At Sabora you sleep under canvas, serenaded by lions. There are no fences to keep animals out, and at the height of the migration you can wake up to hear the wildebeest armies honking and grunting all around you.

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WHERE TO STAY If you like the idea of a safari you’ ll find lots of options throughout Tanzania, in addition to Singita’s luxury camps – one of which is Mivumo River Lodge, in the Selous Game Reserve.

It has only 13 rooms, all of which have private plunge pools that look out onto wilderness. For a back-to-basics style experience, try Oliver’s Camp in the Tarangire National Park.

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Sabora’s nine lavish, air conditioned Bedouin tents are decked out in the style of a Twenties hunting camp, with Persian rugs, silver candlesticks, cut-glass decanters and claw-foot bathtubs. It is so Out of Africa that I half expect to bump into Karen Blixen or find Denys FinchHatton sipping drinks on my sofa.

In the evenings, under a tree in which oil lamps hang like Christmas decorations, I dine on smoked salmon and fillet of beef while hyenas yowl in the surrounding darkness and the Southern Cross cartwheels in slow motion across the sky.

Yet for all its glitz, Sabora is a place in which to live at ease for a while in the open; to enjoy the space and catch the pulse of an older world that is no longer easy to find.

Outside my tent grows a desert date tree beneath whose canopy stands a bed and an umbrella for extra shade. Here after breakfast I lie one morning, with a herd of impala browsing around me and nothing else but waving grass and the blue faraway hills beyond. I feel the wind rushing over the earth, watch a bateleur eagle rocking and tilting across the sky, and think there is no finer place to be.

Most days, as the bush comes alive to a chorus of doves, I meet Joe Kibwe, my guide and driver, and we set off into the boundless grasslands to look for cats.

The herbivores are out in force.

Quicksilver gazelles scud away at our approach. Giraffe - “the watchtowers of the Serengeti” - observe our progress and every ridge is adorned with a frieze of zebras. At one point we count 400 eland Tanzania

in a single herd, yet even they are nothing compared with the wildebeest that have finally arrived in unimaginable numbers.

For half an hour we watch them and when we leave they are still pouring out of the distant woodlands. “The nearest thing to a traffic jam you’ll ever see at Singita Grumeti,” Joe says.

This is top-end tourism territory with knobs on It reminds me of the Mara in its age of innocence 30 years ago, a place where the grass meets the sky at the edge of the world, with nothing but horned heads between you and the horizon. All day long, from blood-red dawn to apocalyptic sunset, we drive with the sounds of the plains in our ears - the sad cries of larks

and long-claws, the shriek of crowned lapwings, the squeal of zebra stallions calling to their mares - while all around us the wildebeest are moving in endless, grunting columns.

As always, it is the carnivores that steal the show. First a leopard, lying full length along a bough with all four legs and tail dangling. Then the Sabora Pride, a 15-strong family of lionesses, small cubs and older offspring lorded over by two resident males with luxuriant tobacco manes.

A few years ago they would have slunk off at the first sign of our presence.

Now they regard us with almost total indifference, and at a time when lions everywhere are losing ground, it is heartening to find such a healthy family enjoying Singita Grumeti’s protection.

“Seeing how relaxed the animals have become is a joy,” says Brian Heath, the managing director of the Grumeti Fund, the private conservation trust set up by

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Text by: Brian Jackman Photography supplied by: Singita

“Rebuilding the biodiversity of the Serengeti ecosystem is our ultimate aim,” Heath says, “and bringing back the rhino is a key part of it.”

How appropriate, then, to discover that Singita Grumeti has a lodge called Faru Faru (Rhino Rhino in Swahili), with a location unlike any other in the Serengeti.

Just as Sabora belongs on the open plains, Faru Faru hides in an enchanted forest overlooking the Grumeti river.

Here, as in a painting by Rousseau, colobus monkeys peek through the forest canopy, shy bushbuck wander beneath arcades of flowering creepers and swallowtail butterflies flip through the sunlight on green velvet wings.

Into this jungle of shady fig trees and riverside acacias, nine luxury suites have been unobtrusively inserted. Each one has vast plateglass picture windows that slide open at the press of a button, and the décor is a pleasing mixture of cutting-edge minimalism and full-on Africana.

Tudor Jones. “When I first came here eight years ago they would take off as soon as they saw us. They had all been hunted from vehicles. That was why they were so spooky. Now it is so different. We have so much game and everything has really settled down.”

In the week before my arrival, there was great excitement when five black rhinos were flown in from South Africa, to be greeted by a welcome party that included Tanzania’s president, Jakaya Kikwete.

Black rhinos, once common in the Serengeti, were so heavily poached that by 1991 only two females remained; their return marks the beginning of a multimillion dollar relocation programme backed by the Grumeti Fund.

Eventually, with GPS chips inserted into their horns and a round-the-clock guard of specially trained rangers to protect them, they will be released into the national park, where they will be joined by another 27 rhinos over the next two years.

The result is more like a penthouse suite than the conventional safari lodge - but with wildest Africa all around you.

Wherever you stay in Singita Grumeti there is no disguising the fact that you are living deep in the comfort zone. This is top-end tourism territory with knobs on, and it comes with a platinum price tag.

But it also comes guilt-free.

You can chill out here with a clear conscience, knowing your tourist dollars will support all kinds of eco-friendly initiatives, from bankrolling local schools and clinics to bringing back the rhino.

Of course, what you are really buying into is a Serengeti experience in a wilderness roughly the same size as the Masai Mara. The difference is that the Mara has beds for 4,000 visitors, while Singita Grumeti draws the line at 70. And that, together with forgotten pleasures such as the freedom to drive off-road and the abundance of animals, is the greatest luxury of all.

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Tale of Two Cities

a 38

Japan

Leah Oatway explores Japan’s calmer side in the culture-rich cities of Kyoto and Hiroshima…

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f he could speak English, and if the Japanese weren’t as polite a nation as they are, I’m pretty certain we’d have been open to a fair amount of abuse from the taxi driver as we made our way back to the hotel. As it was, the cab was silent, save for the drip of the rainwater that was now running freely down my nose and landing in a small puddle in my lap as my husband tried to discreetly wring his hair out in his hand.

Our Kyoto taxi driver anxiously checked his rear-view mirror, failing to hide his

despair. I couldn’t blame him, his cab was so dry and clean; the white lace seat covers so brilliantly white they could have made it into a washing powder advert. I made a mental note to accept any future offers by hotel staff for a free umbrella rental: after all, inconvenient hand luggage beats pneumonia every time.

It was raining hard when the bullet train had pulled into Kyoto train station just an hour or so earlier – we’d unknowingly followed a tropical storm from Tokyo – but it hadn’t mattered.

I had decided I would love Kyoto long before hubby and I had even booked our dream trip to Japan: the landscape, the monuments, the history… rain was just another thing to get excited about after six years living in the desert.

Having navigated our way through the train station, with a little help from a kind shop worker who spoke broken English (not an easy find in Japan, we soon discovered), we located the terminal for our shuttle bus to Westin Miyako Kyoto.

The hotel, one of Japan’s oldest (it opened in 1890) and best-loved (its former guests include Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and Ted Kennedy) is nestled deep within the verdant Higashiyama Hills – a startling, though welcome, change in scenery after a fun, if frenetic, few days in the capital and the perfect place to embark on three days of non-stop sight-seeing.

Kyoto, the former Japanese capital, is the only city not to

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have suffered the destruction of its major monuments during the Second World War, so it’s full of ancient shrines, palaces, gardens and traditional homes – there are 17 UNESCO-protected sites within the prefecture, each boasting a rich and intriguing history.

We’d practically skipped the short distance from the hotel to our first bonafide Japanese monument: Nanzen-Ji, remarking on how the weather added to the atmosphere. By the time we got to the temple grounds though, we were less starry-eyed… just thoroughly soaked.

We’d have to invest in warm clothing because there was a lot to see and most of it was outdoors.

Nanzen-Ji was originally built in the 13th century as a retirement pad for Emperor Kameyama before it later became a place of worship. Even by Hollywood standards, its remains a pretty impressive place to grow old: it’s worth paying the few yen it costs to scale the steep steps inside its cloud-reaching Sanmon entrance gate (built in memory of fallen soldiers during the 17th century) for the great views over the city. And the nearby Hojo building’s rock gardens, even in the rain, are pretty spectacular – the rocks are said to resemble tigers crossing the river, and a brick aqueduct serves as a reminder of a canal system that once carried goods between the city and the Shiga prefecture.

Ordering food in Japan can be intimidating, if you don’t speak the language

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There’s nothing like getting soaked to the bone to work up an appetite. So after a hot shower and quick wardrobe change at the hotel, we headed south towards town in search of food – passing students dressed in kimonos and traditional white socks, elegantly holding modern umbrellas (a marvellous sight in itself).

Japan’s obsession with Ramen noodles is well documented – the Japanese noodle soup is made of thick Chinese-style wheat noodles in a miso-like broth that is usually accompanied by meat or vegetables – but we were yet to taste any. With much of the town closed because it was a Monday, when we stumbled across a traditionallooking Japanese restaurant we hurried inside to discover we had chanced upon one of Kyoto’s most popular, and magical, Ramen eateries – Gogyo.

The restaurant, an intimate, dimly-lit atmospheric affair, was the former home of Kyoto geisha Oyuki, who at the start of the 20th century, when she was 21, was Japan

proposed to several times by a wealthy American banker. Oyuki was in love with a Kyoto university student but jokingly said she would marry the American if he gave her 400,000 yen. He did, so she gave the money to the student she loved and left Kyoto with the banker. When he died, she returned to Kyoto and lived at the restaurant (then a home) with her sister.

Today, it’s one of the most soughtafter dining spaces in town. It was late afternoon, so we were lucky to escape the normal queue and be seated immediately at the counter beside a friendly Kyoto University medical student who spoke broken English and was keen to practise.

Ordering food in Japan can be

intimidating, particularly if you don’t speak the language. Overwhelmed by the ambience and the sight of the two chefs in their bandanas and black coats busily preparing the eatery’s speciality – burnt ramen, that we decided to leave our meal choice up to the restaurant staff (and our student friend). It was a good move. A glass of local tea was followed by silky, super-thick noodles in the famous misolike broth, accompanied by deliciously naughty tempura vegetables served in covetable Japanese crockery. Language barriers meant communication with fellow diners were limited to approving smiles, eyebrow raises and repetition of the word “good” on our behalf, and our

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Openning page: A Geisha walks down a street in Gion, the Geisha district of Kyoto. This page from left: Main entrance to Kyoto station; To-ji Temple Pagoda; Zen Temple Saihoji in Kyoto; Shijo-Kawaramachi Shopping District.

attempts at manoeuvring the noodles from dish to mouth drew sympathetic smiles from staff, who promptly handed us noodle-cutting devices. Fortunately, we were too enamoured with the food to be embarrassed by our own clumsiness or faltering language skills.

Navigating Kyoto’s must-see historical monuments is best done by following the tree-lined Philosopher’s Path that runs along Lake Biwa Canal. So, the following morning, after breakfast, we made our way on foot to the southern end of the path (umbrellas in hand). The spectacular Eikan-do pagoda marks this end of the two-kilometre trail: famous for its incredible autumnal leaves. A thousand

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While some still claim Ramen noodles actually originate in China, today they’re undeniably one of Japan’s most famous exports.

There’s a museum dedicated to the wheat noodle (usually served in a fishy broth) in Yokohama and if you go to Chiyoda’s Akihabara district you’ ll even find vending machines stocking canned versions.

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photographs later, we continued along the cherry blossom-lined trail – stopping to admire the vintage kimonos and charming local trinkets for sale in the boutiques that line the way and the cats that live in the area (well cared for by local residents).

Lunch – for me, omelette sandwiches – came courtesy of a darling French-style coffee shop, Café de Sagan, adorned with vintage lamps, paintings and the like, before less sophisticated fruit-flavoured ice-shavings and local lollipops that came with the dubious recommendation of Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo diCaprio (or so the billboards claimed) called to us from the street vendors.

Irritatingly, a lack of change and the fact that many of the nation’s ATM machines don’t accept international bank cards temporarily put pay to our sweet cravings.

Second lesson of the holiday learnt: when you find an international card-friendly machine, withdraw plenty of cash.

Having located a post office ATM, a taxi ride to Gion – Kyoto’s famous Geisha district – was in order. Geishas are female Japanese entertainers trained for years in arts such as classic music and seasonal dances. While Kyoto has its fair share of busy roads and high-rise buildings, the Gion district gives a great taste of old life in the former capital: it’s lined with traditional wooden trade houses that contain shops selling art and antiques (albeit at hefty prices), along with some of the city’s Japanese fine-dining restaurants and, of course, teahouses, where geishas still entertain guests. Kyoto remains among the nation’s most prestigious geisha destinations and as the sun fades Gion comes alive – awash with beautiful lanterns, hungry pedestrians and the odd Japan

Geisha, in full make-up and stunning costume, making their way discreetly through the streets.

A craving for sushi led us to dine at a quaint restaurant nestled within Nishiki market, a colourful and lively trading space at the heart of the city where, from early doors, traders in narrow trading spaces sell the day’s catches alongside all manner of and textiles.

Shopping in Kyoto actually came as a pleasant surprise on our final day in the beautiful city. All templed out, having visited the beautiful Ginkaku-Ji complex,

aka the silver temple, in the morning, we headed downtown in search of souvenirs and a taste of modern Kyoto life.

The shopping area of the city starts near Shijo Station and is a vibrant mix of familiar and not-so-familiar high street and designer names. The Teramachi and Shin Kyogoku arcades are covered, pedestrianised streets where an eclectic array of shops stock everything from upand-coming Japanese designers through to beauty products, as well as an array of independent eateries. If you’re looking for an unusual novelty gift, check out the sock shops here – Japanese women put a lot of thought into their inner-shoe wear and the unique designs you’ll find reflect their fun, fashion-forward style.

Of course, the style-savvy Kyoto collective like their high-end fashion too, and those looking for designer garb (think Louis Vuitton and Armani) will find it aplents at the city’s department stores.

Takashimaya, Marui and Daimaru are like the Tardis – prepare to lose hours of your life wandering between the many floors in admiration at the inimitable offerings before you.

In Japan, everything feels stylish, but walking into LISN incense boutique was an experience unlike any other. Japanese incense is considered among the world’s finest and its use has religious, cultural

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Opposite page, from top: Nishiki food market; Chochin lanterns at Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine.

This page, from top: Kiyomizudera Temple; Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion.

and historical references. Being British, we were used to buying the scented sticks at bohemian stores and even supermarkets, so the slick minimalist boutique that greeted us (think glass counters, mood lighting and muted music) was a cultural experience in itself. LISN is a special branch of the 300-year-old Japanese incense company Shoyeido and, through an incredible team of staff and some truly amazing smelling stock, aims to impart an understanding of incense culture to those of us less in the know.

The atmosphere, aroma, and the attentive and super-friendly shop assistants proved a heady combination and we left around 30 minutes later clutching two bags of aromatic goodies and vowing to try to find the store online (we haven’t been successful as yet).

For a taste of old-school Kyoto shopping, and ample gift ideas, we moved on to the Higashiyama district. Located in the lower rises of Kyoto’s eastern mountains, the historic district was awash with tourists and kimono-sporting Japanese students nibbling on local specialities, such as sweets and pickles, as they scale the incline in search of gifts, and beautiful Kiyomizu-yaki pottery.

From here, it was just a short climb to Kiyomizu temple for without doubt the most spectacular city views. While parts of the downtown district could be mistaken for any major city, one glimpse at the lush mountain scenery brings you back to Kyoto.

Our desire to better understand Japan’s more recent history took us, the next

Kyoto is a most prestigious geisha destination

day, back to Kyoto’s train station and on a three-hour rail journey south to Hiroshima, the scene of the world’s first atomic bombing.

You can do Hiroshima in a day trip from Kyoto, albeit a long one, and cut the train journey in half by purchasing a ticket on Japan’s Nozomi train – the fastest rail option. We’d purchased a seven-day Japan Rail Pass though and were determined to make use of it (you can’t ride on a Nozomi train with it) so opted to make it a twoday visit.

As it turned out, we wished we’d spared more time. We’d booked a room at the Sheraton Hiroshima Hotel – an unwittingly inspired move. The imposing high-rise is situated just a few steps away from JR Hiroshima Station’s entrance and within minutes of arriving we found

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ourselves ensconced in the luxurious surrounds of our plush room overlooking the bustling city.

Hiroshima, a city that could quite easily wallow in its past, has instead chosen to use its experience to educate the world about the dangers of nuclear weapons and the need for a peaceful international community.

We got off the bus at the Peace Memorial Gardens, opposite the Museum, and were immediately struck by the serenity of our surroundings. Once a thriving commercial district called Nakajima, on August 6, 1945 the first atomic bomb exploded directly over this area, killing as many as 140,000 people and changing the course of history forever.

When we visited, a lone national flag billowed in the breeze beside the concrete, saddle-shaped memorial cenotaph that bears the name of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The monument was the first to be built on the site in 1952, the shape symbolising a shelter for the souls of the victims.

Perhaps it was because we knew the history, maybe because after days of highrise buildings we were finally confronted

items are accompanied by the harrowing accounts of their loved ones. We moved in silence from exhibit to exhibit, room to room, navigating the crowds of school children who were also visiting and discreetly marvelling at the odd survivor present to lead tours.

Stepping into the bright sunshine afterwards, the city looked different: even more beautiful, more resilient, more miraculous for its ability to come back from such tragedy. The calm that had touched us pre-museum visit felt more poignant.

“How did that make you feel?” asked two elderly Japanese ladies in smart hats who were passing by the exit. Touched that they had reached out to me, and impressed by their linguistic skills, I stopped and we spoke for a while, about the impact the bombing has had on the city, the attitude of world leaders and even previous visits they’d made to the UK. I’d begun to feel quite smug about my social skills until the end of the world was mentioned and I realised their motives were religious.

We spent the next hour or so wandering contemplatively around the

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with open space, or maybe it was just because for the first time in days the sun had come out, but the tranquility that washed over us was palpable.

Before exploring the gardens, we headed into the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Established a decade after the bombing, it now attracts more than one million visitors a year. And it was singularly the most emotive museum experience either of us have ever had.

The story of the bombing, and the events that led to it, are told through artefacts such as exhibits of correspondence shared among the politicians responsible for the bombing, alongside models and imagery of the city before and after the bomb was dropped. Undoubtedly the most haunting element of the experience, however, and the most effective in terms of conveying the reality of that awful event, were the scorched or melted exhibits of victims’ belongings: the charred remains of a child’s tricycle, the human shadow etched in stone, backpacks stained by black rain and the remains of school uniforms of children who made it home only to die in the arms of their loved ones in the sorrowful days that followed. Most Japan

Peace Memorial Gardens. Among its many monuments, the A-Bomb Dome – the UNESCO-protected remains of the former Industrial Promotion Hall, which was the only building close to the epicentre that remained partially standing after the explosion. Perhaps the most moving feature, however, is the Children’s Peace Monument: a statue of a girl with arms outreached and a folded paper crane above her. It was built in memory of the thousands of children who died as a result of the bombing and is based on the story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who died from radiation from the bomb. Sasaki would spend her days folding paper cranes, believing that if she made 1,000 she would be cured. Today, people around the world continue to fold cranes in her memory and send them to Hiroshima, where they are exhibited in the park.

There’s more to Hiroshima than its tragic history though. Today, its city centre is as bustling and neon-filled as its Japanese counterparts. And its local cuisine – namely the Hiroshima pancake okonomiyaki – is world-renowned.

Peckish after a day of walking and travelling, we went in search of the illusive

Text by: Leah Oatway Photogra phy supplied by: Corbis / Arabian Eye

Stepping into the bright sunshine, the city looked different: even more beautiful, more resilient, more miraculous...

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January // 2014

WHERE TO STAY Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto offers history, an incredible location and luxury (albeit dated) that you can rely on. For an authentic luxe stay in a place of extreme natural beauty, try Kyoto’s Hotel Kitanoya: large open-air baths, Japanese seafood and incredible views.

Alternatively, why not try out the hot springs at Kinsuikan Hotel in Hiroshima city? Book at dnatatravel.com

This page clockwise from top left: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum; Children’s Peace Monument in Peace Memorial Park; The Atomic Bomb Memorial Dome.

savoury dish. The challenge here doesn’t tend to be finding a restaurant that serves the savoury speciality in the downtown area – it’s choosing which to dine at that proves the most complex. Okonomi-mura, in Naka-ku, is an okonomiyaki food theme park that houses more than 25 restaurants serving the favoured meal – making it among the most obvious destinations to head to.

We found one with a short queue and soon found ourselves sat in a booth with a grill laid out expectedly between us.

The pancake – essentially a batter of flour, yam, eggs, noodles and cabbage layered with other ingredients of your choosing, such as meat, vegetables and cheese – was brought across sizzling on a hot plate before being placed on the grill between us. At our disposal, a metal spatula to transfer it from grill to our small plates and chopsticks to eat it. That it’s referred to as Hiroshima’s soul food is unsurprising: its like a warm hug for your insides.

Sated and tired, we returned to the comfort of our hotel, disappointed to be leaving the following morning. There is so much more to discover in Hiroshima: from the natural beauty of Chuo Park and the hundreds of sakura trees (the ones that produce the beautiful cherry blossoms) at its castle (rebuilt after the bombing using original foundations) to the retail delights of Hondori Street and even the day trip to the deer-inhabited Nara Island. Which, I suppose, gives me another excuse to visit again soon…

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Memphis

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Memphis Belle It was the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll and it changed America forever. Will Donnelly discovers that the beat goes on...

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was hoping to avoid Graceland. The kitsch decor, the demented fans, the threat of Elvis impersonators - it sounded like a bad afternoon in Blackpool. There are a hundred reasons to come to Memphis, but I didn’t reckon Graceland was one of them.

It’s Memphis, after all, that changed modern music forever. Like Elvis, we owe the city everything: without it, we might still be listening to barbershop quartets.

Memphis is where the blues comes from, where rock ‘n’ roll was born.

On the edge of the Midwest, it’s a surprisingly appealing place, with a downtown of gracious buildings dating from the days when cotton was still king.

The Mississippi rides on its shoulder, and paddle steamers still churn up and down the river. Memphis may be in Tennessee, but it belongs to the lands that lie to the south, the great flatlands of the Mississippi Delta – of cotton plantations, share croppers, levees and dusty towns.

Of the blues, too. Just over a century ago, the music emerged from the Delta, spawned in a rich swamp of African rhythms, work songs, field hollers and spirituals. What is strange is how local it all was. The Mississippi Delta is small.

Yet it was home to almost all the great blues artists - from Robert Johnson and Charlie Patton through to Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, BB King, John Lee Hooker and countless others.

And when they wanted to escape the plantations, they took the road to Memphis. By the early decades of the

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Memphis

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Opening page: BB King’s Blues Club.

Opposite page, from top: Sun Studios; Photograph and statue of W.C. Handy; Graffiti for Elvis in Graceland. This page: Beale Street, Memphis.

Referred to by many as simply The King, Elvis’ enduring popularity has seen his music top the charts as recently as last month. And though he died at his Graceland home in 1977, the most devoted fans - clutching at a handful of straws - maintain that his death was faked and that he lives till this day, a recluse outside of the spotlight.

20th century, Memphis’s Beale Street was all afloat on music from the Delta.

Sam Phillips, a white guy who would eventually record the young Elvis at Sun Studio, revelled in the excitement of the street they called the ‘Main Street of Negro America’. Watching the Saturdaynight crowds, he said, ‘Every damn one of them was so glad to be there.’ Music remains the lifeblood of Memphis. Beale Street’s seedier side may have gone the way of the fishtailed Cadillac, but otherwise not a lot has changed. There are 20 live music venues in just over four city blocks, and the bands are the best bar bands you will ever hear, churning out rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, R ‘n’ B and Memphis soul. Most nights the street is a rowdy, extended crawl of the venues. Long before midnight, dancing has spilled out onto the pavements.

So there I was, up at the top of the street, in BB King’s Blues Club, where an eight-piece band was whipping up a storm as Stand by Me melted into Be My Baby.

On the dance floor, a line of young black girls, swimming through the music, were joined by a fat white guy in cargo shorts,

an elephant among gazelles. A gang of overexcited preppy kids were jiving in front of the stage with a party of matrons.

The highlight of the dancefloor was a guy who might have been Lionel Richie’s lost twin - tightened skin, thin moustache, leather trousers, a face-splitting smile.

With his hips still doing the business, women queued up to dance with him. He brought something out in them. Strutting up and down at the end of Lionel’s arm, the 130kg woman in the little black dress proved to be a veritable Freddie Mercury.

The following night I hooked up with our guide, Tad Pierson, in his ’55 Cadillac, an automotive monolith with a back seat the size of a studio flat. Rolling like a ship, we were cruising Memphis’s juke joints.

“The music of Memphis went around

On the edge of the Midwest, Memphis is a surprisingly appealing place 49

the world,” Tad said. “This city has got a special sound that goes right back to the very beginning.” Tad and his Caddy were going to take me to some of the more obscure neighbourhood clubs, away from the mayhem of Beale Street. We stopped for a few drinks at Wild Bill’s, a shopfront place in a strip mall. Guys in serious suits

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This page: Blues guitarist B.B. King.

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- purple, white, red satin made the rest of us seem shabby.

The band, the Memphis Soul Survivors, was playing The Thrill is Gone with a wailing harmonica, known round here as a Mississippi saxophone.

An hour later the old Caddy was lumbering through potholes down by the railway tracks. We swung into a side street and parked in front of a low building with a sagging porch. It was surrounded by vacant lots and rundown houses. A naked light bulb hung above the door. A thin dog whined at the end of a chain.

But inside the club, called the Big S Grill, in a room marinated in the aromas of fried chicken, drink, sweat and tobacco,

A few years ago I had been in the Delta, searching out the iconic sites associated with the origins of the blues. I told him about visiting Robert Johnson’s three graves; no-one knows which one he’s buried in.

“Probably none of ’em,” he laughed.

I don’t remember how Graceland came up in conversation. I must have looked unimpressed.

“You gotta go,” he said. ‘It is some place.

You come to Memphis, you gotta see Graceland. It is jes’ as much part of the story as places like this.” Overly keen to recognise the black roots of modern music, I made some disparaging remark about Elvis stealing black hits.

The music of Memphis went around the world.

This city has got a special sound that goes right back to the very beginning... the place was buzzing as drinks were being served across a long bar.

A gravel-voiced John Lee Hooker, playing on the sound system, was barely audible over the voices and the laughter.

The owner, Sam (presumably the Big S), a gracious upright gentleman well into his 80s, was there. When he shook my hand, he held onto it, drawing me onto the stool next to his. “I am guessing you ain’t from round here,” he smiled.

We talked about music.

“The music belongs to everyone,” the old man said. “Ain’t nothing wrong with Elvis.

He was a great singer and a fine fellow. He was respectful. Treated everyone equal.

He opened doors that all sorts of folks, including lots of black folks, went through.”

The next morning I drove to Sun Studio, where Elvis got his first break. Across the tracks on Union Avenue, it was a small detached building with shopfront windows.

Next door they were selling car radiators.

A lanky young woman took us on a tour of a studio that’s virtually unchanged since Elvis’s day: the old fashioned microphone he used to record his first records still stands in the corner. Remarkably, Sun Studio is still active. U2 has recorded here, hoping to soak up some of the atmosphere.

The Memphis of the ‘40s, the Memphis in which Elvis grew up, was still a segregated place. Blacks and whites lived 51

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WHERE TO STAY For the ultimate in kitsch, it has to be Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel. Standing just outside the entrance to Graceland, it houses everything you’ d hope to find in a themed hotel, and more besides including a heart shaped swimming pool. For something a little nore upmarket, head to The Westin Memphis Beale Street, handily located in the centre of town Book at dnatatravel.com

separate lives, with separate schools, separate hospitals and separate businesses.

Black radio stations and white radio stations catered to different musical tastes.

But technology was about to change things.

In the ’30s, the radio – then the size of a chest of drawers – sat in the living room, where the family gathered round to listen to it communally. But by 1950, smaller radios were becoming common, allowing people to listen independently. All across America, alone in their bedrooms, teenagers were turning away from the crooner on the white station that their parents were listening to downstairs, and tuning into the black stations, where the music was hotter, livelier and sexier. “That music just entered my soul,” Carl Perkins would say, years later about the black stations. “Time stopped... as I listened.”

Sam Phillips was already recording black artists in Sun Studio – BB King and Howlin’ Wolf both made records here in the early ’50s – when, in 1954, Elvis managed to wrangle himself an audition

there. Initially Presley sang corny country stuff that didn’t much impress Phillips, the man who liked hanging in Beale Street. But, during a break in recording, Elvis began fooling around, jamming with the guitar player and the bassist, singing That’s All Right Mama, a song that had been a hit for Big Boy Crudup on black radio stations in 1949. Sam Phillips came back in from the next room, openmouthed. He had just heard the sound that would kick-start a musical revolution, a white boy singing black music, the sound that for Elvis would lead to Graceland. He hurried into the sound booth and turned on the tape.

As an icon, Graceland tells us as much about America as the Statue of Liberty.

I had run out of reasons not to visit.

The house is right on the outskirts of Memphis, on a dual carriageway lined with the strip mall businesses that are America’s urban signature – used-car lots, motels, gas stations, fast-food joints, auto parts. A billboard the size of an Olympic swimming pool advertised ‘The Complete This page from left: Vintage pink Cadillac; A diner in Graceland; Sun Studios; Plaque on Beal Street.

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Memphis

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Funeral Package for $998.’ Since Elvis’s death at Graceland in 1977, the suburban mansion has become one of America’s premier tourist sites, a National Historic Landmark and the ultimate celebrity shrine. Over 200 people an hour file through the mansion to gape at the kitsch rooms that have become the memorial to the singer everyone calls the King.

Even in the car park, you can hear Elvis singing. “Welcome to my world, Won’t you come on in,” his disembodied voice drifts plaintively through the trees.

“Miracles I guess, Still happen now and then.” Beyond a small bridge adorned

Text by: Will Donnelly Photography supplied by: Corbis / Arabian Eye

As an icon, Graceland tells us as much about America as the Statue of Liberty

with the graffiti of love-struck fans was the visitor centre, complete with ticket counters, check-in queues, security checks, shuttle buses and enough gift shops to fill Terminal 5. A few doors along, in a food outlet done up like a ’50s diner, fans were tucking into exactly the kind of supercalorific fare that did for Elvis.

Buses ferry visitors across the road through the big gates with their musical motifs and up the mansion’s curving drive. Stone lions keep guard in front

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of a columned portico. Inside, the decor is a throwback to the ’70s – assuming your ’70s was one of limited taste and unlimited wealth. The carpeting is so thick you could trip over it. The living room is dominated by a white leather sofa that could accommodate an entire football team. There are mirrors everywhere – on the walls, on the ceilings, on the staircase, on the pillars, on the tables – presumably so Elvis could keep tabs on his quiff.

Downstairs things started to get a little crazy, as if the drugs were beginning to kick in. A mirrored staircase led to the recreation room, where a purple sofa sprawls beneath yellow and purple walls and another mirrored ceiling. Next door, in the billiard room, deranged wallpaper climbs the walls and swarms across the ceiling in a weird pleated arrangement.

This is all before you hit the jungle room, a tribute to zebra chic. Both floor and ceiling are encased in deep pile carpet the colour of river slime. The furniture, apparently carved out of tree stumps, is upholstered with fake fur. Forests of plastic plants add a claustrophobic touch.

The end wall is a full-scale waterfall. I was wrong to spurn Graceland. The place is a hoot.

Beyond the house were endless exhibits of costumes, awards, film posters, photographs. In the car museum you could check out Elvis’s attempts to spend all that money. As well as the famous pink Cadillac, there were several RollsRoyces, a pink Willys Jeep, a ’56 Lincoln Continental and a ’73 Stutz Blackhawk,

which looks like Batman’s day car. Out back were two aeroplanes, one of them a full-size Boeing passenger jet refitted in leather and gold plate.

Elvis’s story is extraordinary chiefly for the way it marries all the important currents of early rock ‘n’ roll. But scrape away all the merchandising and the kitsch, and Graceland seems to be a tribute to the suburbanisation of popular music.

Graceland was the domestic counterpart of his middle-of-the-road Vegas stage shows, a long way from the gritty and bluesy rock ‘n’ roll that had first made him famous.

Somewhere, between shows at Vegas, someone once asked Elvis what he missed about Memphis. His answer was simple.

“Everything,” he said. Perhaps he meant everything he had lost.

But everything that made Elvis a musical revolution, and that made the city the bedrock of American music, can still be found in Memphis – the blues bars, the dive bars, the studios, the fever of Beale Street, the great bands with their spine-tingling energy, and the sense that you are only a few musical steps from where it all began.

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Iconic

HONG KONG

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Hong Kong

World Traveller

January // 2014

Named in honour of Britain’s longest-serving queen, Victoria Harbour is the third largest natural harbour in the world.

Its waters are thick with cruise liners, cargo ships and traditional Chinese boats, and Hong Kong’s vertiginous business district has sprung up alongside.

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Taking the ‘ding ding’, or tram, is a must-do: the system has been in operation for over 100 years, and is the only network in the world to exclusively use double-deckers. A single journey costs just HK$2.30 (AED1); grab a seat on the upper deck, and you can see the whole city on the cheap.

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Hong Kong

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Seafood, noodles, watches, tea ware... haggle hard enough, and everything’s a bargain at Temple Street Night Market.

Last year, over 200,000 ships entered Hong Kong Harbour; it’s known as the ‘Fragrant Harbour’, but is often shrouded in smog.

Photography supplied by: Corbis / Arabian Eye

The International Chinese New Year Parade marks the start of the Chinese lunar calendar: the event itself is held on New Year’s Day, but festivities continue for 15 days, with markets, horse races, and a lantern festival.

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Star Trek

Leah Whitfield enjoys the trip of a lifetime to encounter Machu Picchu

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Machu Picchu

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t’s just before dawn in the high Andes and the pain, the sweat and, yes, the occasional tears of our three-day hike are about to be forgotten as we wait for the sun to rise over Machu Picchu. Excited murmurs break out in our group as the first rays flash tentatively from behind two jagged peaks which form the spectacular backdrop to the Inca city. Then awestruck silence as the sun emerges, bathing the ruins and surrounding forest in a vibrant golden light. I feel the breath leave my body as the city’s giant walls, terraces and ramps are revealed in all their majesty. It’s the most incredible natural spectacle I’ve ever witnessed.

Be prepared to dig deep for superlatives when you visit the Peruvian Andes. The region is rightly famous for its historic and archaeological sites but there’s much more – inquisitive, friendly people proud of their cultural heritage, exotic wildlife and unbelievable landscapes in which my partner and I enjoyed some of the best extreme outdoor activities South America has to offer.

But first, let’s rewind two weeks to the start of our adventure in the little

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Peruvian desert town of Nasca where we stumbled upon one of the continent’s great unsolved mysteries.

If you are impressed by crop circles then the Nasca Lines will blow your mind. This vast grid of giant symbols, animals and geometric lines, some up to nine miles long, lie etched into the desert floor a short drive out of town. Intriguingly, they are fully discernible only from the sky.

Theories abound as to their origins – some inevitably involving aliens and UFOs – but today most historians agree that the Lines were built by the ancient Inca community that lived here more than 1,600 years ago as a means of communicating with their gods. It is thought the Incas used basic tools to scrape away the upper layer of desert rock, allowing the soft clay-like rock below to bake in the desert sun, creating the shapes which are still visible today.

Tours to the Nasca Lines are popular.

If you are going by road, be sure to visit the watch tower which allows you a view one of the longest lines and two of the giant symbols. Better still, though, is to see the Lines the way their creators intended – from the sky. Local planes take off every half an hour to fly over the site, but be sure to take travel sickness tablets as the desert winds and the pilots’ aerobatics can make for a bumpy ride.

Be prepared to dig deep for superlatives when you visit the Peruvian Andes

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From Nasca, a 16-hour bus journey took us to Cusco, ancient capital of the Incas and most famous of the high Andean towns. At 3,400 metres above sea level, the altitude here can take some getting used to and many visitors use the town to acclimatise before embarking on a trek to Machu Picchu.

Cusco attracts thousands of tourists each year with its Inca remains and vibrant mix of culture and history. Winding, cobbled streets surround the central Plaza De Armas which is overlooked by intricately carved terrace balconies, a reminder of the Spanish influence that arrived with the Conquistadores 500 years ago.

There’s a timelessness about the town evidenced by the Incan rituals and beliefs in ‘Pacha Mama’ (Mother Earth) still observed by the locals. Many of the mountain people speak the ancient Quechua language and you’ll see them in Cusco selling their traditional alpaca wool products and a variety of brightly coloured trinkets and jewellery.

Accommodation in the mountain town is plentiful, from budget ‘hospedajes’ in the backstreets to luxury hotels in the centre, including the prestigious Hotel Monasterio where we stayed. Built on the foundations of the Inca Amaru Qhala, the 16th Century San Antonio Abad monastery is a living example of the town’s complex history. The central courtyard is a place of tranquillity – the trickle of the fountain shaded by a 300 year old cedar tree is accompanied by the sounds of chanting monks – while the chapel houses Machu Picchu

an impressive collection of 17th and 18th Century paintings.

Our room, situated in one of the old cloisters, was decorated in warm earthy colours and rich golds while a large religious painting hung in front of the bed.

Upon arrival we were offered traditional coca tea and told that oxygen was on tap should the altitude get the better of us.

Luckily a good night’s sleep was all we needed before we set off to explore the following day.

We began at Qorikancha (House of Gold), regarded as the most important temple in the Inca empire. Dedicated primarily to the Sun God, this place of worship and sacrifice was pillaged by the Conquistadores in the 16th Century before being turned into a Catholic monastery. However, the Spanish architects – unlike the Incas – failed to take account of the frequent earthquakes that affect the area; as a result, few of their buildings remain here, while many of the Incan sites still stand strong.

We headed next to Saksaywaman, a 15th Century temple dedicated which took an estimated 80 years to build. The zigzag walls (representing lightning) is made up of giant limestone boulders which were rolled into place on stone balls and wet clay. The temple has had to be largely reconstructed, because of damage by the Spanish and the practice of generations of locals of using the temple’s stone to build their own homes.

Well worth a look is the Planetarium.

With no clocks or calendars or clocks to indicate the time and seasons, the Incas

Opening page: Morning fog over Machu Picchu. This page, clockwise from top left: Huascarán National Park; Peruvian cowboy by Ausangate Mountain; Peruvian fruits; Lamas next to Laguna Viconga.

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relied on the sky and stars to plan their farming and to predict the rains. The high altitude and low light pollution in Cusco means a spectacular array of stars are visible to the naked eye. Wrapped in rugs and sipping tea, we gazed at the constellations above us and even caught a glimpse of Saturn and the Milky Way. To end a perfect few days, we headed back to the Hotel Monasterio to enjoy a local drink before heading for dinner in the El Tupay restaurant, situated in the original refectory under the hotel in the original refectory.

The Incas are thought to have built more than 11,000 kilometres of mountain paths, although many have been destroyed and many more lie undiscovered. The most famous, known commonly as The Inca Trail, draws tourists from all over the world to follow the route trodden by the Incas to Machu Picchu. Because of heavy wear and damage to the trail, the Peruvian government has introduced a permit system limiting the number of tourists using it. As a result, alternative treks have become popular, most offering a range of activities – in our case, biking and white water rafting – as well as the chance to trek on an alternative original Inca path.

Our first day began with a nerve jangling drive from Cusco through the Sacred Valley and up the 4,350-metre

Cusco attracts thousands of tourists with its vibrant mix of culture and history

Abra Malaga peak, the starting point for our bike ride down the mountain.

Unfortunately fog had set in and as we donned our body protectors, full face helmets and leg pads in the chilly gloom, I began to wonder what I had let myself in for.

I needn’t have worried. Whizzing down the mountain, the fog cleared and stunning views of glaciers and peaks opened up. Our guide, Wilian, would stop to point out rock formations, wildlife and plants, including clumps of agave. He even demonstrated how the Incas used the wild mountain grass to make rope and told us that grass rope bridges are still in use today.

After four unforgettable hours and 3,000 metres of descent, we swapped our bikes for swimming costumes and hard hats before jumping aboard rafts to continue our adventure along the Urubamba river. The rapids here are graded according to difficulty – from

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gentle Grade 1 to white knuckle Grade 4.

Our rafting guide’s rather basic English added to the experience; approaching one bend in the river he shouted down the boat: “Next rapid is OK, no problem.

After that, we have big problem.” He saw the consternation in our faces and roared with laughter.

Early next morning our trek to Machu Picchu began in earnest. The first leg, 23 kilometres long, started with a testing uphill slog through the highland jungle, past locals out collecting fruit and through villages of mud brick houses. Wilian, who had grown up with his Quechua grandmother in the mountains, fairly sprang along the path in front of us enthusiastically pointing out different fruits and flowers used by the locals. Life here is tough and with the nearest hospital more than eight hours away, villagers rely on the forest to provide herbal medicines to keep themselves healthy - the guanabana plant, for example, is said to help to prevent cancer while aloe vera is used to treat skin irritations and stomach upsets.

Slogging up the mountain, all thoughts of fatigue were quickly forgotten when I spotted our first sign for the Inca Trail.

This particular route is part of the old trail between Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba, the last city of the Incas. It looked very scary – a narrow ribbon winding up the mountain – and with no hand rails I often found my knees knocking together in panic.

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Machu Picchu

This page from top: Woman walking in the mountains; Musicians onboard the Hiram Bingham Express; A tribe in Cuzco Province; Hotel Monasterio.

World Traveller

But Wilian proved a safe and comforting guide and as the sun began to set we reached the final test of the day – a river crossing in a man-powered cable car.

Forget anything you may have seen on ski slopes, this cable car was a flimsy old wooden crate attached to a wire which an old man with a toothless grin pulled across the river for S/.2 (around $0.75).

We were treated to spectacular flora and fauna However, as I steadied myself to climb aboard the swaying contraption, a bizarre thing happened; two Rottweiler dogs who had been following our group suddenly pushed past and leapt aboard. Wilian chuckled. He said the dogs always refused to pay but made no attempt to remove

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them. I was left with no option but to join them and set off, legs dangling over the edge with two enormous salivating dogs, who had no concept of personal space etiquette, prowling just feet away.

Relieved to have made it across the river in one piece and with aching legs from the climb, I nearly wept with joy when I spotted some natural hot springs ahead of us. I was changed and in the pools in a flash, allowing the reviving waters to ease away my accumulated aches and pains.

The following day, slightly shorter at 16 kilometres, passed with fewer incidents as the trail followed the old, disused railway line from Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes. We were treated to spectacular flora and fauna along the way, including hummingbirds feeding voraciously on the nectar from the fabulous array of plants and flowers.

Aguas Calientes came as a shock after three days in the wilderness. The town has become a hub for the hundreds of

Over the course of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Incas created South America’s largest empire, which saw them rule over nine million people. An incredibly adavanced civilization, some of their feats include the creation of some 18,000 miles of roads, while they also conducted successful skull operations to heal wounds.

thousands of tourists who visit Machu Picchu each year and, as a result, is now a mish mash of loud music, tourist stalls and restaurants. Normally we may have been tempted, but faced with a 4am wake up call the following morning for the start of the last leg up to Machu Picchu we did the sensible thing – grabbed a hot shower, a quick meal and then headed for our beds.

We were up and waiting when the guard opened the gates to the Machu Picchu path at 5am the next day – all that stood between us and our goal were 1,861 stone steps up the mountain. An hour’s hard slog later and we entered the ancient city’s stone gates just in time to watch the sunrise. For ten minutes or so it seemed we had this wondrous place to ourselves, and then the tourist shuttle buses began arriving from Aguas Calientes and the spell was broken.

We explored the mazy citadel, learning about the culture and history of the people who lived here. The architects, it seemed, had thought of everything, from the extra wide doorways through which the Inca king could pass on his litter to the ‘acoustic room’ from where the Incas relayed messages across the valley.

But our exertions were not yet done and we slipped on our walking boots one final time for the trek up Machu Picchu Mountain. The 90-minute walk proved utterly draining but the views from the 3,082-metre summit were a rich reward and as we gazed down at the sun blushed stonework of the city it finally sunk in that we had reached our journey’s end. And there was an added bonus – thanks to the

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This page, clockwise from below: Pongo de Mainique Gorge on Lower Urubamba River; Urubamba Valley; Peruvian women sewing.

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Machu Picchu

Rio Sagrado Hotel. Built entirely with indigenous materials, the hotel blends beautifully into its surroundings and our private terrace, with views across the gardens and back over our old favourite, the Urubamba River, proved the perfect place to unwind. Another early start the following day called for an equally early night, but as I curled up in bed in the soft sheets I had the satisfaction of knowing that the day had been truly special.

The following day dawned cloudy, and with the glories of Machu Picchu still fresh in our minds we were somewhat subdued. More fabulous Inca ruins did perk us up but, with our feet feeling the strain, we decided to call the day a little short and headed back to the hotel for one final treat – the Mayu Wilka spa.

We lay in the bubbling hot Jacuzzi once more admiring the stunning garden views and watched as the Alpacas grazed lazily, clearly as tired as we were but with their thick fluffy coats, every bit as warm.

WHERE TO STAY On the banks of the Urubamba River you’ ll find the wonderful Rio Sagrado Hotel. Treat yourself here to a soak in an outdoor Jacuzzi, with the verdant Secret Valley as your backdrop.

Similarly spellbinding is Hotel Monasterio, which is housed in a building that has stood since 1595. Each of the rooms here is unique, boasting charming, colonial style pieces.

Text by: Leah Whitfield Photography supplied by: Corbis / Arabian Eye

excellent mobile phone coverage, we could even make a quick call home to share our excitement.

Back in Aguas Calientes we relaxed with a celebratory drink in a bar overlooking the railway station while keeping an eye out for our next ride, the luxurious Hiram Bingham Express. We’d heard fantastic accounts about the train, named after the American archaeologist who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911, and it certainly lived up to its star billing.

The elegant and ornate royal blue carriages were straight out of a 1930s travel poster. An immaculately dressed guard welcomed us aboard where we enjoyed sensational Pisco Sours and a light meal before settling back into our enormous seats for the journey to Ollantaytambo. The train does go all the way back to Cusco, but we only went as far as the Sacred Valley where we had one final adventure planned.

Our base in the valley was the delightful

World Traveller

January // 2014

Concierge Inside Information

Let’s face it, January is usually about detoxing. And we’ve found the perfect place to do it. This lake-sized pool can be found at the Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay, Bodrum, and is the scene of aqua therapy Watsu, which combines pressure

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point massage techniques with the soothing effect of warm water.

Pool aside, the vast, low-rise hotel’s sprawling spa offers 5,500 square metres of luxury treatment rooms, steam rooms, a Turkish bath, a fitness centre (personal

trainers are optional) and plenty more besides, including treatments to help shake off any unwanted signs of festive excess. It makes diet and exercise seem almost appealing, doesn’t it? kempinski.com

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Wherever you love, we’ll take you there.

Call +971 4 316 6666 or visit dnatatravel.com You can also email us at holidays@dnatatravel.com

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January // 2014

SIX of the BEST…

Hotel Restaurants

1. The Restaurant

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxford, England Raymond Blanc’s Michelinstarred eatery is, as you’d expect, a blissful haven for food lovers. His ingredients come from the incredible twoacre kitchen garden on site, and despite the fact that he’s an internationally-renowned celebrity chef, dining at Le Manoir is, while admittedly on the pricey side, a pretty laid-back affair. Blanc doesn’t do pretention, just astounding food.

Try: The six-course Les Saveurs d’Automne menu captures the best of the season’s produce: particularly delightful is the risotto of wild mushrooms with truffle cream.

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January // 2014

2. Sirocco

Lebua Bangkok It’s difficult to pin Sirocco’s success down to any single feature. A restaurant that towers over its peers, literally, it boasts the impressive title of the world’s highest openair restaurant and a list of awards as remarkable as its Chef’s Tasting Menu and the breath-taking views across Bangkok (which earned the restaurant an appearance in The Hangover 2).

Try: The seafood here is fantastic, with the scallops and line-caught sea bass among our favourite dishes.

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January // 2014

3. Felix

Peninsula Hong Kong That The Peninsula Hong Kong’s signature restaurant is sophisticated and world-class is not really much of a surprise – but somehow, the quality of the food and ambience always catches us off guard. Yes, there are the views of Victoria Harbour (even possible to enjoy whilst using the toilet, we must add), but Philippe Starck’s modern design is a revelation. The menus are iPads, boasting hi-res images of the dishes, there are images of employees past and present on the back of the chairs and the food – out of this world.

Try: The Chef’s Tasting Menu offers the best of everything: from its “breakfast” of pan-seared duck liver and mousse through to a heavenly sweet nacho dessert.

4. Dinner

by Heston Blumenthal

Mandarin Oriental London Take a culinary trip back in time at one of the world’s most famous restaurants. The menu is the result of years of research into Britain’s culinary history, combining the best of what went before with Blumenthal’s inimitable flair – roast marrowbone, anyone? Earthy interiors of wood, iron and leather reflect the Michelinstarred chef’s fascination with 15th and 16th century cookery.

Try: If spiced pigeon is too adventurous, try Blumethal’s roast halibut with leaf chicory, sea purslane and cockle ketchup.

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5. Epicure

Le Bristol, Paris, France Maybe it’s the fact that the restaurant was designed by acclaimed architect PierreYves Rochon, or maybe it’s the incredible Parisian setting, or perhaps it’s simply the three-Michelin-starred-cuisine, but there’s something special about Epicure at Le Bristol.

Tasteful flourishes of gold, a roaring fireplace and floral curtains add warmth to the light and airy dining area, where Eric Frechon’s food never fails to win admiration.

Try: The cheeses. Epicure works with two master cheese makers to collate a selection that represent “the local land and tradition”.

6. Osteria del Circo The Bellagio, Las Vegas, USA

In typical Vegas fashion, there’s plenty of the dramatic to be found at Osteria del Circo – from the big top décor (far more sophisticated than it sounds) to the stunning views of Lake Bellagio and its astonishing fountains. At the sister restaurant of Sirio Maccioni’s acclaimed New York eatery, you’ll feast on Tuscan cuisine prepared by the finest chefs in the business.

Try: We love the grilled chicken al mattone with eggplant parmigiana.

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January // 2014

Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana, Dubai

Something for the Weekend

What can I find here that I won’t find anywhere else?

The hotel is linked exclusively to Al Ghurair Centre, Dubai’s oldest mall. It has recently reopened after an extensive makeover, and is now home to over 350 retail, food and beverage, and entertainment outlets.

Guests also have the attractions of ‘Old Dubai’ just a few minutes away: including the Creek, souks and the arty Bastakiya district.

WIN! Have your very own Dubai escape at Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana: we’ve got a two-night stay for two people to give away, with dinner for two at Shayan.

All you need to do is email us at easywin@ hotmediapublishing. com before January 31, 2014 with the answer to this simple question:

Are there any good restaurants nearby?

Yes – on the doorstep! Shayan, situated inside the hotel, serves up authentic Persian cuisine in vibrant surroundings, with a show kitchen and traditional bread oven. Liwan is the place to go for international bites (served all day), and you can find light snacks and meals in Yasmine Lounge and Buzz Deli Café.

What is the name of the oldest mall in Dubai?

A. Al Ghurair Centre B. BurJuman C. The Dubai Mall

Why go?

While the cooler weather allows, now’s the time to explore the more traditional side of Dubai, and its blend of Middle Eastern and international influences. Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana, in Deira, is in the heart of the city: the family-friendly, alcohol-free hotel is designed in ornate Arabian style, and is just a stone’s throw from Dubai’s most historical attractions.

Concierge

Sounds like fun – but I’m in need of some R&R… Top up your ‘me time’ at Zen the spa, the hotel’s health and beauty suite with eight treatment rooms.

Take your pick from body wraps, massages, facials and reflexology – all in a tranquil contemporary setting that’s inspired by holistic Asian philosophies. Zen the spa is open from 10am to 10pm, so there’s plenty of time for treatments after a day out exploring.

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January // 2014

Roll up, roll up

To undo our festive excesses without any blood, sweat and tears, we’ll be hauling our muffin tops to the spa this month – and making the most of the January deals. Conrad Spa at Conrad Dubai (conraddubai.com) is offering a two-hour detoxing programmes for AED890, with reviving body treatments and a cleansing facial.

Until 9 January, Talise Spa, Madinat Jumeirah (madinatjumeirah.com) is hosting face reader Eric Standop, who can pin-point health and lifestyle improvements with one look at your face – great if you’re looking for a new life direction in 2014. When you book three 60 or 90 minute massages at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi’s Namm Spa (dusit.com), you’ll get an additional one free this month, and at Grand Millennium Al Wahda (millenniumhotels.ae) you’ll receive 50% off any treatment booked from 10am to 2pm. To pep up pasty skin, tanner-to-the-stars James Harknett will be taking over the Bliss Spa at W Doha (whoteldoha.com) next month (10-13 February) – he’s the man behind many a celebrity’s sunkissed glow. For a more tranquil experience, you can’t go wrong with the Six Senses spa at Zighy Bay, Oman (sixsenses.com) – it’s just had a makeover of its own, making it an even more serene spot for a rejuvenating hammam ritual.

Michelin starred chef Joël Robuchon has made a new menu for SushiArt in DIFC, Dubai – these are our top bites…

Crispy lobster roll

Cut ’n’ roll

Hawaiian roll

A weekend to remember

We’ve got two exclusive reader offers for you to start the year in style.

To book, call dnata on +971 4 316 6666.

Spicy ebi roll

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Sushi St Jacques

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AED 795 Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa

AED590 Fairmont The Palm, Dubai

Offer: From AED795 per person for one night in a Luxury Sea View Room with breakfast daily. Also, receive a complimentary upgrade to half board.

Valid for strays from: January 14-March 18, 2014 (book by February 28).

Offer: From AED590 per person for one night in a Fairmont City View Room, with breakfast daily.

Valid for stays from: January 11-February 15, 2014.

World Traveller

January // 2014

Graphically speaking

Shanghai Shanghai’s nickname is Hu because it used to be a fishing village called Hudu – a word derived from the name of a wooden fish trap

23.9M population of

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In 1986, the white magnolia was adopted as the city’s signature flower

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The most expensive toilet in Shanghai is at Moon River Art Park, and it cost AED 3 million to build.

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OF RESIDENTS ARE

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Jiangsu 16.8% Henan 8.7%

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The world’s tallest statue of polish composer Frédéric Chopin is located in Zhongshan Park

January // 2014

Photography supplied by: Corbis / Arabian Eye

January 2014

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There’s no better way to shake off the January blues than with a visit to the Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China. For two months the city is overwhelmingly colourful: you’ll find a spectacularly vibrant temporary city, sculptures and art all made of ice sourced from the Songhua River.

The world’s best tennis players will battle it out for the perfect start to the year, and the Asia Pacific Grand Slam, at the 2014 Australian Open in Melbourne.

The best in cinema – both new and established – along with scores of new films and documentaries aired in offbeat settings such as gyms, school halls and old theatres: yep, it’s time for Sundance again.

Robert Redford’s film festival prides itself on celebrating the USA’s independent film makers.

Montreal’s Igloofest is, quite literally, the world’s coolest festival. Every year hundreds of revellers gather in their best woollies for four weekends of the hottest electronic music on the planet.

Head to Hong Kong to see just how special Chinese New Year celebrations are.

The two-week family-focused festival features lots of feasting, fireworks (the display over Victoria Harbour is incredible), flower markets and even horse racing.

Concierge

LET US MAKE YOUR EVENT ONE TO REMEMBER Fraser Suites Dubai’s conference and banquet centre is the perfect venue for your next corporate event, function, wedding or training seminar.

Choose from a private boardroom for 20 with dedicated break-out area or our three state-of-the-art stylish meeting spaces each featuring natural light and views extending to Palm Jumeirah, with exible layouts that will comfortably accommodate up to 200 guests.

Our extensive range of gourmet catering options combined with our personalized attentive service will make your event one to remember.

Be inspired. Book your next event at Fraser Suites Dubai.

FRASER SUITES DUBAI - Sheikh Zayed Road, Media City, Dubai, UAE Reservations: +971 4 440 1400 Email: reservations.dubai@frasershospitality.com dubai.frasershospitality.com

January // 2014

Where to Stay Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port (sofitel.com) A five-star hotel in the pulsating heart of the city’s old port, with MuCEM and the beach (Plage des Catalans) just a stone’s throw away.

Cultural Marseille Fresh from its year as Europe’s Capital of Culture, Marseille is a city in bloom

It was nicknamed Rio-surMer for its gang-related problems, but France’s second largest city appears to be shaking off its badboy reputation. Once in the news for all the wrong reasons, today Marseille is undergoing a stunning transformation. Its multicultured population lives amid a thriving cultural scene that’s best explored in winter when, unlike much of Europe, temperatures rarely dip below a balmy 10 degrees…

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Among the many benefits of being European Capital of Culture is the regeneration it often encourages, and Marseille’s multi-billion-dollar rebirth is certainly no exception.

Fresh from its year in the cultural spotlight, there’s a heady mix of new and old cultural attractions crying out to be explored in the winter sunshine.

Having begun life as a trading port in 600BC, the harbour of France’s oldest city remains at its heart. Today, though, it looks a little different – most of the boats France

InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu (intercontinental.com/ marseille) Next to the Panier, this hotel comes steeped in its own history thanks to the 18th-century monument it is housed within. The terrace offers great views of the harbour too.

Le Petit Nice Passedat (passedat.fr) This charming family-run boutique hotel boasts a three-Michelin-starred chef at its helm. Gerald Passedat has held those stars since 2008, no mean feat in a country of great chefs, thanks to his incredible locally caught seafood.

are of the leisure rather than cargo variety, for starters, and you’ll find a wonderful fusion of new and old architecture there (along with plenty of cafés and restaurants). Head to the port early to see fishermen selling their catches, as they have for centuries, at the small but vibrant fish market.

Those intrigued by Marseille’s rich history will appreciate the forts that have flanked the port’s entrance since 1666, as well as the National Heritage works of art nestled within the Saint-Ferréol, a church first built in the 15th century that has retained cultural elements of each of the periods it has survived.

Two exciting new museums at the port are the J1 Hangar – a former ferry terminal

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January // 2014

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Getting around It’s a city best explored on foot but there’s a great public transport system on hand, too. Two metro lines run east to west, and north to south across the city, there’s also a comprehensive bus network and two tram lines, in addition to the more expensive taxi or car rental options.

Audrey Berr, chief concierge at InterContinental Marseilles Hotel Dieu, suggests three ways to entertain your younger family members in Marseille…

Language

Photography supplied by: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Suppleid

Text by: Leah Oatway

While the native language is French, the city is a melting pot of nationalities and is close to North Africa, so you’re likely to hear other languages spoken.

that’s been transformed into a free-toaccess gallery, and MuCEM (the Museum for the Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean). The latter, France’s first national museum outside of Paris, took more than a decade to build but finally opened last year and is located on two sites – the Fort Saint-Jean and J4 pier site – that are joined by a walkway. The locations are culturally significant: for centuries, people came and went via J4 pier, including the musicians and creative thinkers fleeing the Nazis. And the Fort Saint-Jean site is rich with military and civil history: from Greek and Roman ruins to a medieval 15th-century tower.

Ending where the old port begins is the Panier, Marseille’s old town. It’s here that the first settlers made their home in 600 BC, and immigrants have been doing likewise ever since. The bourgeoisie expanded the area between the 16th and 18th centuries and the resistance forces hid here during the Second World War – take a walk to discover the remnants of its former residents. In Panier’s centre is the Vieille Charité building, too, home to Musée des Arts Africains, Oceaniens et Amérindiens (MAAOA) and the Museum of Mediterranean Archeology.

In total, the city has more than 21 museums to satisfy all tastes, and covering every period through to present day. Most have had facelifts ahead of Marseille’s 2013 Capital of Culture status, and often the buildings they are housed in have a story to tell: The Fine Arts Museum and the Natural History Museum can both be found in the Palais Longchamp, a spectacular 19th-century monument built

A treasure Hunt in historical Marseille An adventure combining discoveries, encounters and clues! The intrigue focuses on a magical dowsing rod and takes children and their parents through many areas, cultural venues and historical places of Marseille.

to celebrate the Canal de Marseille. The Parc Longchamp, home to the famous chateau d’eau fountain, surrounds it. The Museum of Decorative Arts, Fashion and Ceramics has found a suitably beautiful home at Borély castle, while the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has made the exterior of the Frac Paca as incredible as the contemporary art it houses.

Head to the Marseille Museum of History on the right day and you may see archaeologists still excavating on the grounds, while Musee Cantini (set in a glorious 17th-century manor) exhibits vintage art and the best of new talent.

Jazz music arrived in Marseille during the inter-war period and has never really left. If you’re in Marseille in July, a night at the Five Continents Jazz Festival is a must. Otherwise, Le Cri du Port association organises regular concerts and, since 2011, the city is awash with great music venues, including Espace Julien and le Silo.

And literary fiends should take the short ferry ride from the docks to Chateau d’If – the inspiration for Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.

If Castle and Frioul Island Jump on a boat to discover the famous If Castle and its Count of Monte Cristo legend.

This ancient fortress and its secrets always make children feel like a hero or a pirate. Then, continue to the Frioul Island: an exceptional place to discover nature and vegetation typical of the south.

Children’s atelier at the J1 museum There’s an artistic and cultural event centre for lectures, performances and concerts dedicated to children – all that with a breathtaking view of the port and beyond. On the way to the museum, be sure to stop in on the famous Glacier du Roy in place de Lenche for great ice cream.

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Essential Sydney There are many reasons to visit Sydney in January.

Leah Whitfield guides you through the best of them…

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Great beaches, fabulous weather, incredible shopping, a thriving art scene, world-class dining and iconic architecture: it’s easy to see why Sydney is one of the world’s most visited cities. And January is arguably the best month to visit, with the Sydney Festival turning its already buzzing venues into a hive of artistic activity.

Preparation is key, if you don’t want to miss the city’s many highlights…

Sydney is a city full of surprises, with idyllic harbour views and hidden gems to be found among the cobbled back streets.

Australia

It also has an impressive quota of historic buildings spanning the city’s 200 year history, complimented and contrasted by the modern designs of the new high rise skyline and famous Opera House on the water’s edge.

Even if you’ve seen it on television a thousand times before, Sydney Opera House is mind-blowing up close and the backstage tour is well worth two hours out of your day.

Those seeking the picture postcard view of the Opera House framed by the imposing Harbour Bridge, known affectionately by the locals as the coat hanger, should head to Mrs Macquarie’s Point, near the Botanic Gardens. Look carefully across the water and you may spot daredevils making one of their regular (supervised) daily climbs, some 200ft above sea level, over the famous arch. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, why not try a night climb and take in the city lights in all their glory?

Locals and expats alike have fallen in love with the city’s coastal charm, and it’s not difficult to see why. Life around Darling Harbour can brighten even the

Getting around Sydney’s simple road system makes navigating the heart of the city on foot an enjoyable experience.

If you do get weary, a free bus service runs every 10 minutes between Central Station and Circular Quay and the Sydney Underground network gets you further afield.

Language English, or to be specific, Australian English, is the country’s de facto language and is widely spoken by all. Of course, the city is multi-cultured so you may hear other languages spoken, and there are indigenous languages, such as Australian Aboriginal and Tasmanian languages, too.

World Traveller

Where to Stay

Photography supplied by: Corbis / Arabian Eye

Text by: Leah Whitfield

InterContinental Sydney (intercontinental.com/ sydney) Built around the old Treasury Building of 1851, window seats in every room afford prime viewing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Shangri-La Hotel Sydney (shangri-la.com/sydney) Unwind after sight seeing with a spa treatment or three at CHI, The Spa, before dining at Altitude Restaurant – great food and equally great views.

BLUE Sydney – A Taj Hotel (tajhotels.com/ sydney) Light-filled rooms inkeeping with this boutiquechic design-savvy hotel’s history makes this wharf property a great place to stay for a while.

January // 2014

dullest working day, particularly during dullest working day, particularly during the Sydney Festival, which runs from January 9 to 26, when it (along with the rest of the city) is a flurry of music, art and entertainment. This year’s festivities offer up a truly eclectic mix of attractions: from jazz and hip hop gigs through to opera and symphonies under the stars, punk cabaret and acrobatics, a life-size inflatable Stonehenge and, er, Chaka Khan.

Luckily, getting to and from these events should be a breeze, with Sydney’s multiple modes of public transport. But if the buzz of the city centre gets a little much then hop aboard one of the regular ferries and cruise from bay to bay, taking in the spectacular views.

Rose Bay, just a 20-minute ferry ride from Sydney’s Circular Quay, offers a chance to explore some of the local countryside often overlooked by tourists.

The Hermitage Foreshore track is one of Sydney’s favourite coastal walks, offering great views of the city’s harbour and major attractions.

For those on a stricter time budget, the Royal Botanic Gardens is just a minute’s walk from the InterContinental Sydney and offers city-goers a grassy refuge to relax, while exercise buffs can take advantage of the numerous jogging routes.

And as the sun fades, there’s no need to head home. There’s a wealth of top restaurants to explore: enjoy an awardwinning fusion of Japanese-AustralianFrench cuisine at Tetsuya in its Japanese garden; Quay, Australia’s most decorated eatery, serves exquisite food with views of the Opera House and harbour, while critically-acclaimed chef David Chang’s first restaurant outside New York, Momofuku Seibo creates divine dishes.

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David Patt, chief concierge at InterContinental Sydney, gives the inside track on Sydney’s best eateries…

Le Pelican One of my favourite French restaurants in Sydney, this bistro opened in 2006 in a converted sandstone home that has certainly retained its local, homely feel. The duck is a standout dish on an imaginative menu that changes weekly.

Ormeggio at the Spit Chef Alessandro Pavoni’s innovative and contemporary take on Italian cuisine has sincerely wowed me.

Located next to the marina, away from the city, you must try his risotto.

Fish at the Rocks A charming, friendly, unpretentious seafood restaurant we recommend to many of our guests.

Just a short walk from the hotel, my favourite dish is the baby Barramundi (the fish is de-boned and the Barramundi meat is mixed with prawn meat then fried and served with a red coconut curry).

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Suite Dreams What:

About:

La Suite Shangri-La

Hotel staff tell us it’s the best suite in the world – and while they are admittedly biased, we think they may be right. Overlooking the City of Lights and its monuments, and with the Eiffel Tower so close to its 100-square-metre

Where: Shangri-La Hotel, Paris

terrace that you feel like you can touch it, La Suite Shangri-La is the crowning glory of the Shangri-La Paris. The 220-square-

18 arrondissement

8 arrondissement

Paris

13 arrondissement

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metre Pierre Yves Rochondesigned space, which can be extended to 500 square metres (spanning the entire seventh floor), features a sumptuous bedroom, marble-clad bathroom, and terrace furniture so comfortable you’ll struggle to tear yourself away.

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