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art smart
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Water, whether the beach, the open ocean or suburban pools, has inspired artists over the centuries. Here Toby Preston has selected a surf series to enliven your walls and delight your eyes.
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urfing and the beach have been the inspiration of many great artists and photographers and images of the beachy life make great art for island dwellers. This selection includes everything from computer wallpaper images, iconic photographs, posters, home snaps and fine art prints. So why not buy up some collectibles or create your own, either way your walls will look all the better for a collection of sunny and simple pictures which bring the outdoors in. Maritime scenes have been popular with artists for centuries from the masters of the Dutch golden age in the 17th century through to Renoir, Monet and Delacroix in the 19th to any number of 20th and 21st century painters, photographers and printmakers. From Antibes in the south of France to the
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stormy north Atlantic, from the west coast of America to the east coast of Australia, the sea has been at the centre of a lot of art for the same reasons that continue to attract us all; it’s a meditative, soothing and constantly moving backdrop to life in the South Pacific. Changes in weather and light, transience and tranquility are the ephemeral qualities that artists have always attempted to capture on canvas or paper so the sea has to be among those favourite subjects for artistic endeavour. Get it right and you have inspirational images everyone loves, from furious storms to serene sunsets, clear blue skies and limpid green water to representations of lazy days on the sand or lifesavers busying themselves in a surfboat or practising their reel skills
Opposite page: A computer wallpaper image of the surfer’s favourite vehicle, the Volkswagen Kombi Van. Above: Possibly the most famous black and white beach photograph of all time, Max Dupain’s 1935 Sunbaker, reproductions of which can now be bought online, as is the case with the wonderfully quirky James Willebrant’s many aquatic images like this one (right) The Surf Totems, for only AU$550.
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Above left: Another Willebrant, this time the graphically fabulous, Surfboat. Above right: Hermosa Beach sign in California. Opposite page top:
Above and below: Make your own prints in black and white or buy up an existing scene from http://www. etsy.com (right) or find yourself a vintage poster on Flickr (opposite).
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home style
Buddha Basics e c a e p l a i spec A
O
ver the centuries fashion dictates have popularised religious artefacts and iconography as decorating items, from household and public displays of statuary through to jewellery and artwork, even tattoos. The Christian crucifix, the Coptic cross, colourful Hindu artworks, statues of Greek and Roman gods, the Ganesh and various reliquary as ornaments have all featured. Recently Buddha (the ‘enlightened one’) seems to be enjoying an upsurge as a decorating item from garden centres to galleries there are any number of choices from genuine antiques from the East to cheap casts from your local cement supplier, Buddhas are suddenly everywhere. Apart from their ubiquity, there’s good reason to introduce a bit of karma into your house or garden, aside from your personal religious sensibilities there’s something very appealing about having a serene face watching over you and if in three dimensions then a tactile, tranquil reminder of calm and peace can be no bad thing in an otherwise stressful world. There’s probably a thesis to be written if one wanted to speculate on the psychology of this icon’s sudden popularity among Westerners but as a piece of ‘art’ they can be appreciated by everyone for whatever reason.
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In choosing your Buddha as an item of décor it probably doesn’t matter too much what its origins or cost, it’s a simple matter of choosing one that’s pleasing to the eye of the beholder. It’s said the more peaceful the visage and the longer the ears the better the Buddha and indeed that’s not a bad starting point, you probably don’t want something unattractive and menacing staring at you day after day, so go for the good looker. And according to some, the bigger the better, apparently size does matter with larger Buddhas packing more of a punch when it comes to good luck. Indeed large Buddhas have a website of their own with the Indians, Japanese, Chinese and Burmese (or Myanmarese?) leading the way when it comes to big Buddhas. The biggest of them all a Maitreya at 152 metres is still under construction in Uttar Pradesh in India. But meanwhile there are numerous others to stare at in awe; try the Spring temple Buddha in Henan China, at 128 metres, this was built in response to the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan, an act the Chinese government condemned – completed in 2002, at the moment it is the tallest in the world. Not surprisingly the Feng Shui experts have opinions on where to place your Buddha and
PICTURES: Toby Preston and stock pix
Buddha statues have been around since 563 BCE but recently have enjoyed a resurgence as a decorating item regardless of religious affiliation. Toby Preston confesses to a small collection.
Opposite top: reclining Buddha carved from timber, below: brass and gilt featuring the original swastika symbol. This page top: Meditation pose with hands in ‘wisdom’ position. Above and below: Gilt decorated head and antique Thai bronze. Above right: Tian Tan Buddha in Hong Kong. Right: Happily overseeing the pool.
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Buddha enthusiasts could devise a holiday with the intention of taking in a significant number of the world’s largest Buddhas from the ancient example in
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Far left, top: An eclectic collection of stone, marble, jade and ivory Buddhas and Ganesh figures. Middle: Buddha from the kingdom of Bhutan. Bottom: Statue in Nha Trang Vietnam. Above left and below: Some of the wonderful moss covered examples in the Leshan Temple gardens home to a giant Buddha carved into a cliff face in 713 BCE. This statue took 90 years to complete and is so large that a person can comfortably sit on the figure’s smallest toenail. Left: A museum quality sitting Buddha carved from Hibiscus wood in Bali.
which is the best sort to have, from the fat laughing ones to the more restrained and contemplative. It’s generally agreed that Buddhas should be at eye level and not looked down upon. And the most auspicious locations include facing the front door where he will be able to interact with the ‘positive chi energy entering your home’ and transform anything negative into lucky energy. It’s also acceptable to place the statue in a living room where he’ll be quite comfortable, also on a desk where he’s claimed to help in achieving academic goals or if in business on the front desk where he attracts prosperity. In the garden is the ideal spot for the meditation (sitting) pose Buddha. Buddhas come in all shapes and sizes from standing, sitting and reclining, heads only or head and shoulders which are mostly fragments of more complete statues and in many different poses displaying a variety of significant hand gestures
or mudras. Among the meanings of these gestures are fearlessness, meditation, wisdom, wish-granting or giving and instruction. They can be decorated and painted in many ways too with gilt being a favourite. You’ll also see swastika symbols on many older Buddhas which rather than being the inverted version used and discredited by the Nazis, is in fact derived from a tantric symbol and the Sanskrit word meaning ‘to be good’ or by some interpretations ‘being with higher self’. An ironic twist on what the bastardised version of the Third Reich came to represent. While it may not matter if you’re simply using your statue for decorating, not all Buddha-like images or statues are actually Buddhas, there are many Hindu deities which look similar, there are also statues of Buddha followers which can look just as good but in fact are not actual Buddha likenesses. In the end the best test is a simple one: do you like the look feel, texture, material and expression, if you do then that’s the Buddha for you. But be careful collecting Buddhas can be become a bit addictive, I bought my first, an antique Thai version about 30 years ago and my collection has grown by at least one a year since then, I tend to make sure I pick one up on every Asian stop and now have brass, marble, timber, stone, ceramic, bronze, jade and (don’t tell anyone!) a small ivory one which is very old and valuable. You can’t have too many benign, serene and radiant friends about the house so start making friends with the ‘awakened one’ now. •
Szechuan Province China at the Leshan Temple through to Hong Kong, India, Japan and Myanmar they range from 160 to 500 feet.
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long distance love affair
The bustling Victoria Harbour is renowned for being the gateway between East and West. Sitting at the mouth of the Pearl River, Asia’s
Eat, oShop, Love s e s n e s e h t ng satisfies
Hong K
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he first time I flew in to Hong Kong I thought it was the middle of the day. We’d checked in to our hotel off Nathan Road in Kowloon and went for a walk. The city was alive with men and women in suits rushing to trains, hawkers flogging everything from watches to Armani – ‘made to order in two days from a reputable shop just around the corner’ – it was a kaleidoscope of colour. It was exciting, it was alive and I was in love. You couldn’t see the sky for the lights of Nathan Road, the tall buildings all trying to outdo each other with flashing billboards and people, people everywhere. I’d never seen so many.
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And then I looked at my watch. It was 11.30 on a Tuesday night. What on earth were all these people doing at this hour and why did it feel like lunchtime? Hong Kong was the place your parents went to in the eighties for a week of shopping, maybe a visit to Happy Valley or a trip over to Macau to try their luck in Asia’s answer to Victoria Harbour is one of the world’s most famous waterways with the ever-changing skyline often rebuilt on reclaimed land. Hong Kong’s total landmass is only 1,054 square kilometres spread over many islands and part of the Chinese mainland which supports a population in excess of 7 million. And they all want a Louis Vuitton bag.
PICTURES: Hong Kong Tourism Board.
It’s one of the most densely populated islands on the planet but that makes it one of the most vibrant, colourful, kaleidoscopic, esoteric and exciting places too. Tiffany Carroll fell in love with everything from the buildings to the food, the public transport to the designer baubles and the bars, bags, shoes, the neon glitter and ... well the total immersion experience.
world city and financial hub is on Hong Kong island just one of the 200 that make up this Special Administrative Region of China.
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Double decker trams make getting around fun and a little less frenetic than on foot but you’ll need your legs to get to this branch of Shanghai
Las Vegas. Later, as the Aussie dollar dropped, it became a stopover on the way to Europe for many Australians. Today Hong Kong is going through somewhat of an identity crisis. Kowloon is still very much a Mecca for tourists and bargain hunters from all over the world, but Hong Kong island, back under Chinese rule since 1997 almost defiantly seems determined to remain as Little Britain. Hong Kong is officially Hong Kong SAR – Special Administrative Region. It encompasses Hong Kong island and the Kowloon Peninsula – and p-l-e-a-s-e, don’t confuse the two. Hong Kong island is home to the finance district, the best shopping centres and cool streets for eating and drinking such as SOHO and Lan Kwai Fong. It’s also where most of Kong Kong’s expatriates live. Kowloon (referred to as the dark side by many snobby islanders) is where most visitors stay, eat, drink, shop and play. I said goodbye to Kowloon the moment I stepped aboard the Star Ferry to Hong Kong island and never really went back. 10 trips later and I am very much an island girl, only ever crossing to the ‘dark side’ to visit the best jeweller in Hong Kong, Rebacca Shop at the Ocean Centre. It’s not that I don’t like Kowloon, it’s a great eye-opener for
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a first time visitor to Asia and it does have fantastic shopping, but with it comes loads of tourists and those peddling hawkers. And frankly, what need do any of us that call the Pacific home have for a three-piece ‘genuine’ Armani suit? No, it’s definitely the island for me and here’s why, district by district.
Central Blindfold someone and drop them at the merger of Queens Road and Des Voeux in Central and they may well think they are in Manhattan. It’s all happening here with stockbrokers rushing through traffic, dog walkers with 10 miniature poodles or whippets on gold leads and the smell of terrific food, stale beer and cigarette smoke. IFC (International Finance Centre) is a great place to start your shopping experience on the island. Department store Lane Crawford makes David Jones look positively primitive. All the designer stores are here along with a terrific gourmet supermarket (with gourmet prices) and a selection of cafés to have High Tea. It’s all high heels and lipsticks at IFC, you wouldn’t be caught in comfy jeans and runners at this place and if you were – don’t expect to be served by the snooty sales staff.
Tang (above). If Paris is the city of lights this is the city of ultra bright neon, all day every day, and then some more when the fireworks are ignited.
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The name says it all, that’s one large floating restaurant. Top right: Lan Kwai Fong is the place to go for a night out. Above right: Bag a bargain
Just back from Central Station (which at last count had 11 exits leading to 11 different shopping areas of Central) you’ll find Shanghai Tang on Duddell Street (www.shanghaitang. com). This gorgeous shop makes Asian fashion cool. With exquisite silks and suits, homeware and gifts, don’t forget your credit card when you wander in here. Beautiful bags and shoes, baby clothes, linen, wool coats and room scents. It’s chic and uber-stylish and you’re bound to find a better (and more welcome) souvenir here than anywhere else in Hong Kong. Around the corner from Shanghai Tang in Wellington Street you’ll find Milan Station (www.milanstation.net). Now this place is a must-visit for those who love designer bags but not their designer price tags. All bags here are genuine – either second hand (in as-new condition) or unsold from previous seasons. Chanel, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Louis Vuitton, they’re
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all here and waiting for a discerning shopper.
LKF (Lan Kwai Fong) & SOHO Cocktail bars, wine bars, underground bars, pubs and clubs. Yep, LKF is the district to head to for a night out on the island. The younger expats tend to congregate here in their genuine designer suits after a long day moving money around the world. You’ll find plenty of Poms, Aussies and South Africans drinking at Woolloomooloo (not the Sydney suburb, but steakhouse opposite the LKF Hotel) or meet the Swiss expat contingent at Feather Boa in SOHO. All the bars seem to have cool names and matching interiors. They’re dark, discrete and oh-so-sophisticated. Head along Staunton Street or LKF itself and you really can’t go wrong. Mella, Bisous and Beirut are favourites for people-watching and sampling the extensive cocktail menus.
In SOHO, no one’s drinking beer – it’s all about Chocolate Martinis and Fig Manhattans. Dress up and stay out late.
The Escalator Districts If there’s a downside to Hong Kong it’s got to be the traffic. Narrow streets, millions of people and taxis and something unique for an Asian city – no bikes or scooters. Hong Kong island is the Naples of Asia – crazy drivers and road signs that appear to be there for the sole purpose of displaying the latest nightclub opening hours. So in an effort to curb the traffic, the longest covered escalator in the world was opened in 1993. The escalator (which is not continuous, but linked by covered walk ways and overpasses) links Central to the Midlevels residential district. It operates one way only - downwards in the mornings so the locals can get to work, upwards from mid-morning to late at night so they can get home. It’s about a 30-minute walk/ride from top to bottom, but you can and should spend a full day exploring the areas it passes. You can start the escalator journey at Queens Road or at IFC, stopping along the way at Stanley Street with its hawker stalls and teahouses, Graham Street and the Hong Kong Market area, Hollywood Road and its art and antique shops, Staunton Street and its SOHO bars and restaurants and finally up to Conduit Street and the Mid-Levels residential area.
And the rest
HK is a shoppers paradise. Below take the Star Ferry to Kowloon.
Causeway Bay – home to Times Square shopping centre, the SOGO shopping centre and the Happy Valley Race Course. Wan Chai – Bars and nightclubs – this place opens late, closes … um, never. Sheung Wan – Home to the little known and less crowded Western Market. Great for picking up genuine designer fabrics direct from the factories in China. A must visit for any seamstress. Aberdeen – Head here to board a floating restaurant or take a harbour tour. Stanley – Home to the famous and crowded Stanley Market. It’s Kowloon on the island and if you’re not looking for average clothes, fake shoes and handbags, I’d probably skip it. The pub across the road however has water views and good food. Hong Kong is easy to get to and easy to get around. Grab an Octopus Card on arrival at HKG airport and travel by train – everywhere. Three days in Hong Kong would be more than enough for your wallet and senses, but a week is recommended to ensure you come home full, hung-over and broke – but in the latest designer clothes and matching shoes and handbag.• Want to know more? All the practicalities from trip planning to history, culture shopping and eating can be found on the terrific Hong Kong Tourism Board site at this address: www.discoverhongknong.com
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As one of Port Vila’s iconic hotels, The Melanesian has recently undergone an AU$1,000,000 renovation. Oasis Poolside Bar and Grill | Adult & kids pool | Le Melanesian restaurant BBQ and Culture Entertainment Night | Club 21 Casino and Gaming Lounge Located a short walking distance to Vila’s vast array of restaurants, markets and shops. The Melanesian……arrive as a guest, leave as a friend!
t. +678 22150 | f. +678 22678 melanesian@vanuatu.com.vu | www.melanesianportvila.com
info@whitegrasstanna.com ■ Telephone: (678) 30010 ■ www.whitegrasstanna.com
When visiting the charming Island of Tanna ... Indulge by staying at White Grass Ocean Resort - the most superior accommodation available! ■ Suitable for couples, families or group bookings. ■ Located on the spectacular coral coastline, this resort offers sensational ocean views and snorkeling. ■ All bures have ensuites, ceiling fans, refrigerators and 24 hour electricity. ■ A variety of tours are available at this resort; including the Blue Cave Boat Tour, a variety of Custom Village Tours and the Unique White Grass Ocean Resort Volcano Safari Tour which gives you an opportunity to travel across the island and experience the culture and tradition of Tanna. ■ If you just want to relax, you can laze by the pool or enjoy a Volcanic Hot Rock Massage ■
Teoma Road at Korman | P.O. Box 3260, Port Vila - Vanuatu Phone: +678 22260 | Mobile: +678 5511112 | Email: info@idapacific.org www.idafoundation.org
Eating Out
Honiara Hit (and miss) Parade A Sollies selection, from the Big Breakfast to the Big Fibreglass Fish, Honiara tastes pretty good.
H
oniara has kept the ambience of the ‘old Pacific’, there aren’t as yet a great number of tourists and the place retains an unsophisticated, unspoilt but homely, welcoming feel. The architecture is a mix of the typically crumbling Soviet cement style but with, remarkably, a number of newer and more splendid edifices scattered along Mendana Avenue.
The Lime Lounge
The food scene provides a few very credible options and the local lobster and seafood is not to be missed. Not surprisingly the hotels (which top out at 4 stars) have some decent dining venues but these are complemented by a couple of very good café-style eateries with some great dishes. The Lime Lounge is an old stager and sits on Commonwealth Street in the middle of the CBD and offers a selection of artwork for sale along with a good breakfast and lunch menu. The bush lime blended with ice and mint is a great tropical refresher for immediate consumption after stepping out of the humidity. For a substantial breakfast go for the RAMSI Big Breakfast, which apart from including plenty of bacon, eggs, tomato, toast and sausage can be topped up with a steak. Follow with a Merlo espresso and you have the perfect start to the day if you’re about to go out on patrol. (Closes 4pm)
Breakwater Café
A newer arrival is The Breakwater Café between the Heritage Park and Mendana hotels. This absolute-waterfront beauty is modern and air-conditioned with an expansive outdoor deck and jetty at which is moored the Extreme Adventures ‘fleet’ of tour and dive charter boats. Why not try a cruise after breakfast or lunch to one of the local islands or around the WWII sties on Guadalcanal. The décor is timber, glassy, contemporary, clean and open, and the menu includes some great pastries, cakes, sandwiches, snacks, sushi, perfectly poached eggs and absolutely fabulous fresh tropical fruit smoothies which are meals in themselves. The service from the friendly Melanesian staff is attentive and courteous and the coffee is from Di Bella, one of Australia’s more recent additions to the bean scene and is a great brew. Sit back on the deck and admire the views of Iron Bottom Sound, add a SolBrew beer and you’ll feel like a long-term expat or local within minutes. (Open 7am to 5pm daily).
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Club Havanah and Mandarine
For something more substantial in the evening try the Honiara Hotel which is set on the hillside behind town. While the hotel has a slightly jaded feel, the vibe is colourfully louche and quirky, if the giant fibreglass fish (*more of which later) could speak you could easily imagine a litany of raffish reminiscences. There are three restaurants here, the Oasis, Club Havanah and the Mandarine (often spelt Mandarin!). The night I was there we chose Club Havanah which is their open pavilion French specialist but after getting seated we were presented with a list slightly longer than the menu of food items that had mysteriously gone AWOL from the kitchen. No worries, in island fashion we relocated to the Mandarine where the Chinese cuisine was plentiful, fresh and well presented, and accompanied at times by a bit of over-amplified Karaoke from the adjoining room. From there it was back to Club Havanah for their, rightly, highly recommended desserts. Profiteroles, a selection of fruit and ice cream served in half a pineapple, nougat and honey and fruit coulis are among the gorgeous Gallic temptations. * Back to the fibreglass fish; not quite sure what these enormous piscine sculptures are doing here lurking by the dance floor which features an equally huge fibreglass clamshell as its centrepiece. Just another of the Pacific’s eccentricities – funky, funny and hokey but kinda cute!
Renaissance Restaurant
The Heritage Park Hotel is reputedly Honiara’s best and was considered good enough to host the recent royal visit by Wills and Kate. Situated right on the shores of the bay, all rooms have water views and being the 5-acre site of the former Governor’s Residence, the grounds are well established and tropical. There’s a selection of dining opportunities, from Pool Side and casual to The Terrace for all-day dining to the Renaissance for that special pan Asian or European fine fare. While the atmosphere is slightly Spartan the food at Renaissance is right up there for freshness and quality. My two-tailed lobster with ‘lashings’ of garlic and butter was not only great value, it was sensitively grilled and juicy and rated highly on my unofficial Pacific Lobster Register of Creative Crustacean Cooking. – Craig Osment
Above: The Breakwater Café right on the water at Point Cruz overlooking Iron Bottom Sound. Left: Heritage Park Hotel’s Pool Side dining. Below: The view from both the above. Right from top left: The Solomon’s flag is widely used throughout Honiara; The Honiara Hotel; SolBrew the local beer drinker’s choice; The fish that ate Honiara at the Honiara Hotel; Knit your own holiday destination or buy it from the local market along with some great basketware.
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Vanuatu Luxury Holiday Homes
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Angelfish Cove Villas offer guests one, Angelfish Cove Villas offer guests one, lovely part of the Efate coastline there lovely part of the Efate coastline there
white sand beach. The spacious home has white sand beach. The spacious home has next to one of Vanuatu’s best restaurants. next to one of Vanuatu’s best restaurants.
two and three bedroom fully self contained accommodation. Located on a two and three bedroom fully self contained accommodation. Located on a is excellent kayaking and snorkelling right off the beach. is excellent kayaking and snorkelling right off the beach.
Vanuatu Luxury Holiday Homes offers vila-style accomodation, luxury holiday homes and exclusive vacation Vanuatu Luxury Holiday Homes offers vila-style accomodation, luxury holiday homes and exclusive vacation apartments at stunning locations in and around Port-Vila. Exclusive accommodation for your family’s Vanuatu apartments at stunning locations in and around Port-Vila. Exclusive accommodation for your family’s Vanuatu travel vacation, romantic escape, executive retreat or holiday with friends. travel vacation, romantic escape, executive retreat or holiday with friends.
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SARANGKITA
Sarangkita is sophisticated simplicity at its elegant best. A private beachfront villa with luxuriant gardens and intimate boutique accommodation for adults-only. The ulimate private tropical beachside holiday and a culinary delight. T: +678 26 108 M: +678 775 1793 E: info@sarangkita.com W: www.sarangkita.com
Welcome to the Reef Bar… Caili Christian, Reef Bar Manager ● Located at the Menen Hotel right on the oceanfront ● Coldest drinks in town and the best range ● Live Music three nights a week ● Live Streaming of major sporting events ● Bar food ( Best Steak Burger on Nauru!!) ● TAB facilities follow us on Facebook | Phone + 674 558 0671
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Ripples
Ripples On The Bay is Vanuatu’s newest micro boutique resort. Fifteen minutes from Port Vila, situated right on beautiful Teouma Bay, Ripples has four spacious and comfortable bungalows for over18s, ensuring your absolute peace and privacy and stunning views over the bay. Enjoy relaxed dining at our licensed restaurant. T: +678 223 355 M: +678 7758080 E: ripples@vanuatu.com.vu W: www.ripplesresortvanuatu.com
20 Years Experience In The Vanuatu Real Estate Market
island escape
First Among Equals the sea
y b r u o d Splen
This self-contained slice of paradise does everything a resort should do and more. It’s located on one of the ‘best beaches in the world’ with food, service and facilities to match. Craig Osment goes five-star.
The stunning adults-only infinity edge pool at the Toba Bar & Grill meets the waters of Natadola Bay.
PICTURES: Craig Osment and INterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
T
here are resorts and there are resorts, good, bad, large, small, first and last. These days anyone who builds a block of flats around a pool seems entitled to label it a resort. But ‘real’ resorts, those dedicated to relaxation and recreation are more difficult to perfect. The InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa to give it its full title has got it right. This place has all the qualities that make the best stand out from the rest. It’s relatively remote, inasmuch as there’s a bit of distance between the establishment and the nearest outside facilities, because of this it’s entirely self-contained, and again, because of this it has to satisfy everyone’s holiday expectations – which it does. Located about 40 minute’s drive south from Nadi and about another 30 minute’s from Sigatoka it sits on the shores of Natadola Bay which is the only natural stretch of white sand beach on Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. This stunning coral fringed bay protects two kilometres of white sand beach which has been voted by those beach bums at Forbes magazine as among the 25 best beaches in the world. So there you go, if the moguls are impressed then who are we to argue?
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The most immediately apparent feature is the scale of the place, it’s vast, more like a suburb than a mere resort. It covers 35 acres plus there’s an adjacent 18 hole championship golf course with sensational ocean views. It’s the size that sets it apart, unlike some land-locked mini tourist traps, the public areas here never seem to be overwhelmed by your fellow guests, the recreation spaces are huge and numerous. There are four pools, five restaurants, an expansive bar, a luxury spa and any number of aquatic activities to amuse or divert, and Planet Trekkers, a kids’ activity centre to help maintain the calm of their companion adults. So it’s all taken care of in a manner that’s casual and relaxed while being professional and understated. There are 271 rooms set within clusters of ‘bures’ scattered about the grounds. And within the complex there is a ‘resort within a resort’ in the form of Club InterContinental which is a clutch of 55 suites set upon the hilltop with its own pool Opposite below: The view from the Navo restaurant across the lagoon to Navo Island.
Sunset over the bay from the Kama lounge lawn which as the site of weddings and functions is social central.
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and private club lounge. These suites all include 24-hour personalised butler service, complimentary breakfasts served in a choice of four venues and spa baths while the ground floor versions come complete with private plunge pools. All rooms are beautifully appointed in a contemporary tropical style with all the first class amenities you’d expect, in addition there are wonderful semi outdoor ‘Cleopatra’ baths on private terraces within a clever curtained-off area for privacy. The Beachfront suites would be my first choice given their proximity to, well, the beach obviously but also all the main restaurants and the fabulous Kama bar for those sunset drinks before wandering off to one of the eateries or if you prefer a private, romantic cabana dinner on the beachfront. Apart from the Club International lounge and restaurant which overlooks its own infinity pool on the hilltop there’s a choice of the Navo, the resort’s fine diner set on the water’s edge with views over Navo Island across the lagoon entrance, here you can dine in the main pavilion, alongside the internal ornamental pool or on the sweeping lawns leading to the bayside beach, or … The Toba Bar and Grill (pizza by the pool or something from the grill) set behind one of the regions most gorgeous pools which forms a seamless connection with the clear turquoise waters of the bay, or the Sanasana below the main lobby and set by another ornamental infinity-edged pool for breakfast or sumptuous evening buffets. The food at all the eateries lives up to expectations and is an appropriate fit with the varying levels of formality, not that there’s anything very formal about tropical dining, relaxation, as it should be, is the keyword here. Unlike some places in Fiji where the accusation is that the menu is simply transported from Australia (can’t be all bad anyway!) the InterContinental makes an effort to include fresh local produce and utilise the particularly fine fresh seafood including reef fish and crustaceans along with Fijian and Indian favourites like kokoda (the national dish of raw fish marinated in chilli, lime, coriander and coconut milk), lovo, tandoori and roti. The breakfast crab omelette is sublime, I could have eaten that three times a day. If sybaritic lounging by the pool or on the white sand gets to be all a bit too much and you’re looking for something to do between meals and drinks then you could exhaust yourself with a range of activities ranging from the aerobically excessive to the blissfully euphoric. In addition to golf, there’s a 24-hour
Above: The Club InterContinental cocoons by the pool. Opposite page right from top: Pacific Island Living on location; the ‘all-day’
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crab omelette; spa decor. Below from left: Golf with views; kokoda anyone?; song and dance men mingle with wedding guests.
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gym, beach cricket, jogging and walking trails, croquet, water polo, bocce and beach volleyball among others such as shark dives, kayaking, sport fishing, snorkeling, dive certification courses and waterskiing. Then there’s the spa. This features a Wai Zone – Fijian for water or essence of life. This aqua therapy involves therapy with water in ‘all three states’ – gas, liquid and solid along with a steam area, a Jacuzzi and Fiji’s first ice room. There’s also a yoga deck and a tranquil lounge. The spa uses local indigenous herbs and plants for a traditional Fijian method of relaxation. You can also experience some local culture or get out and do a bit of sightseeing which the tour desk will help you arrange. Try the Navo Island cave tour or the Sanasana village tour, or visit the local Malomalo primary school which the resort supports, where you’ll get a warm welcome in song from the students. If tying the knot offshore is on your agenda then the InterContinental can arrange everything from the bridal bouquet to a party for 110 guests. If you really want to indulge you could go all out and try the FJ$500,000 Soqo Lagi Lagi nuptial blowout which includes limited business class airfares, exclusive use of the Club International suites, VIP travel including return helicopter transfers for two, five nights accommodation, a choir, a private brunch for your 110 guests and an almost endless list of other luxuries is also included. Not a bad way to start a marriage. So if a sophisticated tropical holiday with everything taken care of by more than 500 helpful friendly staff in superb surroundings is your idea of bliss then the InterContinental offers the lot, from the moment you enter the monumental foyer to the day of departure it should be a case of ‘Sega na lega, vakacegui!’ which is Fijian for no worries, be happy! •
The overwhelming impression at the InterContinetal is one of space, you’re not going to be tripping over other guests, the expansive
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Left: Traditional tribal drumming show performed virtually on the beachfront. Above the semi-outdoor ‘Cleopatra’ bath which overlooks the beach as you soak in Pure Fiji bath products. Below from left: The monumental entrance foyer and walkway to the infinity of the ocean; Sanasana dining is casual with sumptuous buffets in the evening; Beachside dining in your personal cabana, nothing could be more romantic; And that’s the chapel by the sea for memorable marriages. grounds and public areas are relaxing and serene at all times.
islandliving | 83 pacific
Flores •Indonesia
Unique Freehold Opportunity Located only an hour from Bali but the place everyone in Bali is talking about. Flores has long been overshadowed by its neighbour’s reputation and popularity as a holiday island but the name Flores is about to hit the headlines for all the right reasons. In September this year a new extended runway airport is due to open along with planned international hotels which in turn will open Flores to tourism and new investment opportunities. Indeed the first of these developments is already under way and the first parcels of land are now on sale.
Current offerings include six x 5000 square-metre blocks situated on green hill-land overlooking two glorious white sand beaches and the islands of the archipelago towards the famous Komodo, including Banko Island. The blocks are serviced by a brand new road linking them to the nearby beach and jetty from which some of the most spectacular coral reefs of the region can be found. In addition to this Flores offering there is also a unique opportunity to purchase the entire freehold of Banko Island for which concept plans have already been drawn for a luxury resort or, retain as a private sanctuary with residence to your own design if you choose.
Both of these prime investments are available at amazing introductory prices which are sure to increase after the opening of the airport in September. The Flores blocks are for sale immediately at AU$75,000 while the entire island of Banko is priced at just AU$3 million. Buy into this remarkable paradise now. For further information contact Justin Ingram on +61 431 471 352 Email: justini@oneagency.com.au
Vanuatu Food Safari
Slip your curiosity in high gear and join me on a culinary day out on our beautiful island. You are invited on my own cook’s journey through the South Pacific, a unique food experience that’s inspiring, informative and fun! Cooking classes by appointment. For details, bookings and availability please contact at the following:
W: www.vanuatufoodsafari.com T: +678 26 108 M: +678 775 1793 E: bookings@vanuatufoodsafari.com Conducted by Christiana Kaluscha Food Editor of Pacific Island Living
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A company specialised in wealth management and life insurance, partnership with a bank in Luxembourg, the manager, Sonia Bonneau, is a licenced private banker practising in Noumea
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The definitive guide to Vanuatu culture, commerce, tourism and adventure. The perfect souvenir for travellers or the essential guide for residents or expatriates. Available on Air Vanuatu flights, Vanuatu Post or Stop Press.
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