Viestra Magazine

March June 2019 2019 | viestramagazine.com | viestramagazine.com

36 Hours in KOHTOWN SAMUI CAPE The Natural Wonders of VIENNA

NEW ZEALAND An Emerging Cultural Hub 12 Reasons to Visit The USA’S pick of JERSEY Hot New Hotels for 2019

Japan’s Child Friendly OKINAWA Travel in ISLANDS CASCAIS

A Room With a View in THE LAKE DISTRICT

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Also inside: A Three Modern Great Surfer’s HotelsDream in Devon in Devon Not to•be Neopolitan Missed Bites on The 20 SpasCoast Amalfi an Hour • 48From Hours London of Food • Relaxation in Dallas & and FortAdventure Worth and in more!

Sardinia

EN TA RY

OF THE TROPICS IN

Hideaway

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Adventure Travel in BRAZIL EXPERIENCE THE SERENITY

Exclusive OMAN

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PLACE, ANOTHER WORLD

SLEEP AMONG THE DREAMY SAND DUNES IN DORSET’S

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SEYCHELLES MAURITIUS NOT JUST ANOTHER LUXURY TRAVEL IN

FAVOURITE EXPERIENCE? MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF MACHU PICCHU BREATHTAKING...

Speak to a specialist on 020 8712 9673 2 or visit journeylatinamerica.co.uk

As the UK's No.1 specialist in travel to Latin America, we've been creating award-winning holidays to every corner of the region for nearly 40 years.

Trust in our experience to create yours.

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HELLO TRAVELLERS!

Alex Holman, Editor

Editor: Alex Holman alex@viestramagazine.com Advertising: Simon Hossack simon@viestramagazine.com Marketing and PR: Katie Saunders katie@viestramagazine.com Design Manager: Catherine Clarke

Another summer is upon us and everyone is ready for their yearly vitamin D fix! In this issue we’re covering many wonderful places across the globe. I embarked on my first trip to the Middle East where I fell in love with the people and the culture. And I’m currently writing this message to you from a yurt on an eco finca in Lanzarote (you’ll have to wait until the next issue to read about it).

I think it’s important to take opportunities to have adventures and to explore whenever we can.

Life serves us sombre reminders that nothing lasts forever: from the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano last year, which permanently changed the landscape of the island, to the recent fire at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris,

Contact: Advertising and Editorial call 020 3623 0567.

Publisher: Paul Williams viestramagazine.com #viestratravel @viestramag

partly destroying one of Europe’s oldest and most famous buildings.

With this in mind I think it’s important to make the effort to see the places that have been sitting on our bucket lists forever.

Travelling can really change a person and their perspective on life. Certain places I’ve been to have deeply impacted me... from people I met, to things I learnt, to simple feelings I felt while exploring a new place. Let’s explore our planet, but let’s remember to respect it too, because the planet is a fragile place that should be cared for and treated with love. As the well-known saying goes... ‘take only memories, leave only footprints’.

Happy travels x

Viestra Magazine is published by PWR Media, Unit 22, 295 Chiswick High Road, London, United Kingdom W4 4HH. 20,000 distributed at major travel hubs, corporate HQ’s and supermarkets.

30,000 distributed via supermarkets and subscriptions.

Viestra Magazine and the Viestra logo is a registered trademark registered as a Trade Mark with the UK Intellectual Property Office Trade Mark number: UK00003257230. ©PWR Media 2018. All rights reserved.

Viestra Magazine

Contributing writers: Jo Gardner, Gareth Davies, Sarah Rodrigues, Rob Tindall and Rachel Webb

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CONTENTS

8. THAILAND

14. NEW ZEALAND

18. MAURITIUS

24. 12 REASONS TO VISIT JERSEY

30. REIMS

34. CASCAIS, PORTUGAL

40. OMAN

46. LAKE DISTRICT

52. CHALET SAUNTON, DEVON

58. AMALFI COAST

64. DALLAS & FORT WORTH

70. 36 HOURS IN BRUGES

74. ANDALUSIA

78. EASTERN EUROPEAN CAPITALS

84. TURKEY’S TURQUOISE RIVIERA

90. ALICANTE

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ASIA

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ASIA

EXPERIENCE THE SERENITY OF THE TROPICS IN

TONGSAI BAY, KOH SAMUI Nestled on the shore of an idyllic bay in the Gulf of Thailand sits one of the most unique, serene, ecofriendly luxury resorts in Asia. Tongsai Bay on Koh Samui revels in its environmental prowess without compromising the high expectations of its clientele.

Paul Williams spends a couple of days enjoying the views in a tropical paradise.

WORDS BY PAUL WILLIAMS

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ASIA Gazing up at the clear midnight sky whilst lazing in a private pool on a warm night on Koh Samui, the mesmerising star systems may find you asking why are we here? Well that’s for boffins elsewhere to ponder, but at this moment in time I certainly know why I’m here - the tranquillity of Tongsai Bay; a private luxury resort offering true escapism, and from experience of what would be defined as similar, this is by far the best, the premier of premium, the king of kings.

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oh Samui is an island in the Gulf of Thailand that has been a gateway to the orient, dating back ions, as a major trade hub along the ancient trade routes to and from China. The staggering expansion of Bangkok saw the island benefit economically with the growth of tourism. We all know the associated clichés with back packing, dance music and gap year frolics which, to be honest, still exist, but tend to be on the south of the island or on Koh Phangan.

Arriving at the world’s most beautiful airport - seriously it’s more of a botanical garden maintained by a billionaire benefactor than an island hopper landing strip - after a quick flight from Bangkok, around 40 minutes, you are in the tropics. I have never ventured this far east and I am utterly transfixed by the new surrounds, in fact amazed at where I am, 30 degrees, blazing sun - I also notice a lot of my fellow travellers are suddenly wearing astonishingly brash elephant patterned light linen trousers... am I overdressed in my winter garb? As I’m physically melting, yes.

The Thai people are renowned for their open, mild mannered friendliness, and the concierge, about to offer me sanctuary from the sudden heat exposure by way of an air conditioned Merc, lives up to this reputation.

After a thirty minute drive from the airport I arrive at the gates of Tongsai Bay. An immaculately uniformed guard salutes upon arrival. The reception area sets the tone; a beautifully maintained building, wooden open plan area set in landscaped gardens and an obvious 100% focus on environmental consideration and restoration - I’m essentially in a luxurious eco village. Golf carted through the intricate, twisting, smooth road system, home for the next few days is a deluxe villa, probably at one of the highest points overlooking the bay but only a five minute stroll from the beach and the resort’s main dining area and bar.

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I expect the usual - a white cotton laced en-suite room, the typical ‘WOW’ a honeymooning couple would bore their friends about à la Maldives. Put simply, this is platinum, beyond 5 star without any doubt. A double ‘day’ bed out on the main outside area, along with a small sized pool, a set-in-floor bath and a covered galley type kitchen. Take your pick for position to look out over the bay and ocean. Inside, the attention to detail is incredible. Dark wooden floors and panelling keep it cool (along with the efficient AC of course - keep those doors closed!), a sumptuous bed, ultra-modern lighting and entertainment system, high end shower room and wash area - this space is lush, everything is laid out to provide you with an effortless stay.

There are different residential options to satisfy a stricter budget, more chalet oriented, but of exceptional standard.

I mentioned the emphasis on environmental concern and awareness, and walking down to the beach, I’m starting to notice it more and more. The flora and fauna, although of course managed, is allowed to flourish - buildings have been built around existing jungle growth, very little vegetation, if any, has been sacrificed. Owner Thana-

korn Hoontrakul and his wife Saisiri follow the vision of his late father Akorn, which was to create a self-sustaining resort that has minimal impact on the environment - this was realised in 1987. Glass bottled water is filtered on site, paper and plastic use is literally zero, all food waste is recycled and used to create chemical free detergent, and mosquito repellent created from citrus fruits - small moves with big results. Why isn’t this easy approach adopted across the world? I thought I was a considerate planet sharer, but Tongsai has instilled new thoughts.

Flip Flops off. The beach is beautifully made up of light coloured sand, naturally enclosed by forest covered headlands, turquoise waters lapping at the shore. Two large communal swimming pools are also on site, one just a little back from the beach is suitable for kids, the other a bit more adult oriented - loungers, small bar, and waiter service. Talking of bars and not feeling like pursuing too much aquatic activity, I sit at the Po Lad Beach Bar and Bistro, beer in hand, taking it all in. I spot a four man catamaran - I’ll renege on the no water sports idea then. You can sail, paddle or wind surf out from land here, courtesy of the resort.

“The reception area sets the tone; a beautifully maintained building, wooden open plan area set in landscaped gardens and an obvious 100% focus on environmental consideration and restoration - I’m essentially in a luxurious eco village.”

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ASIA

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ASIA

“The Thai smile is infectious and I must have said hello to over 50 people in the space of 25 yards...”

Lunch is simple but exquisitely prepared Thai vegetarian dumplings. The menu will satisfy most palettes and I always stick to the food of the country I’m staying in so, as always, I recommend going off piste with your choices - don’t get me wrong, no one will be offended if you order a pizza, but avoid what you’re used to, be adventurous… you won’t be let down here.

Back at my villa, book in hand (which I don’t actually read), I gaze out across the bay again. My mind empties. I love this.

Flip Flops on. Dinner time: I check out Chef Chom’s restaurant - named after Piengchom Dhadahbanand, previously a Chef in the Thai Royal household.

Now retired, she has handed the skills of Thai cuisine down to the current Chef Chom’s kitchen brigade lead by Sous Chef, Chef Toob. The restaurant is at the heart of the resort, spacious with silver service type qualities, ornate freshwater pools decorate the terrace. As dusk gently rolls in on the warm evening, I am spoilt, al fresco with a wonderful array of traditional dishes, all prepared with eloquence, cooked to perfection. Here they don’t use the phrase ‘fine dining’ but no doubt a foodie would label it as such, it truly is sensational.

Another on site dining option is The Butler’s, overseen by Michelin trained Chef Eak and perfect for private or small group dining, which serves gourmet prepped Pan-Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Do not miss sunrise. I’m up early, watching the sun start its journey across the globe as it breaches the horizon, light spilling out across the bay. Nature calls - literally - the wildlife start its morning chorus, a real joy - such an abundance of life. There are at least 40 species of birds making Tongsai their home; the sounds are a welcomed alarm call to the incessant bleeping of a smartphone.

Breakfast beckons. Two things; 1: do not avoid Tongsai’s juice lady - let her look in your eyes and from one glance she’ll devise a juice specific to you; 2: Have an omelette, unbeatable - OK not quite the food choosing philosophy

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I mentioned earlier, but after all it is breakfast! You will also find an array of fresh fruits, vegetables, noodles, rice, cheese, meats, breads and cereals.

I am lucky enough to be shown around the Tongsai organic garden where they grow fruit, veg, herbs, recycle food waste and maintain a self-sustaining programme tied in with the local economy. If you ask, you will be taken up to see the day to day workings, well worth a trip, around 5 minutes up the road, just remember your mosquito spray!

Tongsai is a perfectly placed base for visiting other parts of the island. I opt for a day off the resort and take a trip to the Fisherman’s Village at Bophut, a popular tourist hotspot during the high season, flush with bars and restaurants along the main drag, many with backdrops of beach and open sea. It’s hot, but not unbearable, the cool wind takes the edge of it all. I slowly pace the busy street, locals go about their daily business. The Thai smile is infectious and I must have said hello to over 50 people in the space of 25 yards - You could argue that they are trying to peddle their wares, but I feel a genuine welcome wherever I go - peaceful people.

Returning to Tongsai, a chill out on the beach or massage is on the cards. Or a chill out AND a massage seems totally appropriate. I won’t labour the point, but the massage is a luxury worth indulging in. My feet are washed in petalled fragrant water before a relaxing full body oil massage. Around an hour, this is absolutely divine. Try and stay awake - impossible.

After a further lazy lie down on the beach, and with the prospect of dinner on the beach under the starlit canopy of the heavens, it’s difficult to comprehend leaving. I have never been to such a place. Privileged to have enjoyed the trappings of luxury, I also acknowledge the fragility of nature and how one man’s vision to better the future is visibly maintained, appreciated and respected.

General Manager Martin Heiniger and his team led by Hotel Manager Mark Harrison make Tongsai Bay what it is; a testament to environmental protection with absolutely no deflection from its luxury status. This resort will satisfy both the ardent holiday maker that enjoys an annual taste of the high life and the frequent sun seeker that enjoys financial independence.

IT’S A MUST

TONGSAI BAY

1: Take the Tongsai Cookery Course: Enjoy the delights of learning how to cook traditional Thai cuisine in Chef Chom’s Restaurant. From scratch prepare starters, mains and desserts, enjoying the results with a sit down banquet. This was great fun, bonding with the staff who will help you get it right whilst enjoying a laugh. I failed miserably - apart from the starters I produced, they were best starters ever made in the history of the world.

84 Moo 5, Bo Phut, Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84320

2: Gin Master Class: Tongsai has a commercial relationship with Bangkok based Iron Balls Gin. Be taken on a voyage through gin mixology and the quaint measures you can take (no pun intended) to make your sun downer that little more interesting.

3: Fitness, massage and spa: There is a gym on site for general use. Experience traditional Thai massage and other variants in the spa area which also caters for a number of health and beauty treatments.

e: reservation@tongsaibay.co.th www.tongsaibay.co.th Tongsai Pool Villas are located on a hill behind Seafront Pool Villa. Each Tongsai Pool Villa features a large open-air with sea-view terrace (81 m2) equipped with a dining table with chairs, a pantry area with a stocked fridge, a gazebo where guests can sleep outside (mosquito net provided), ceiling fans.

Private pool starts from 15m2 to 27m2. Villa size 180 sqm. Prices From £500 per night on a bed and breakfast basis for 2 people sharing.

BANGKOK AIRWAYS www.bangkokair.com Daily flights from Bangkok to Samui. Fare starting from £97 one way.

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WORLDWIDE

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WORLDWIDE

THE NATURAL WONDERS OF

NEW ZEALAND New Zealand has been through some tough times recently but that won’t stop it being one of the most naturally beautiful countries on the planet. From the beachy north to the snow-capped south - and all the hip cities in between - a visit to New Zealand is a must, even if just once in a lifetime. Find out what to see on each of the islands for city slickers, adrenaline junkies and nature lovers.

Image credit: Christchurch Š Graeme Murray.

WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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WORLDWIDE NORTH ISLAND

Nature lovers: Rotorua

Adrenaline junkies: Queenstown

City slickers: Auckland

Mother Nature at her most fascinating combined with Māori culture - only Iceland comes close to the incredible geo-thermal activity on offer in Rotorua, or ‘Sulphur City’ as it is known. With its bubbling mud pools, hot springs and gushing geysers, the first thing you’ll notice is a strong smell of sulphur, akin to rotten eggs, as it emanates from the Earth’s crust. Thankfully, your nose will soon adjust – good job, too, because there is plenty to admire here.

Known as the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown is a quirky place with plenty of quaint coffee shops selling cinnamon buns so good you will be at the counter before you know it. Do as the locals do and grab a cup of jo to sip before heading out for a day of adrenaline-fuelled fun. And with everything from skiing, snowboarding, white-water rafting, hand-gliding, skydiving, canyoning, mountain biking and heli-skiing on offer, fun is the order of the day. The first commercial bungee trip even took place here in 1988.

Downtown, Auckland is blessed with great museums, restaurants, galleries and a European-style café culture where you can grab some of the best, and locally-produced, coffee to go. Auckland also has both a staggering amount of golf courses and several beaches – hire a pair of roller-skates and join the throngs of locals enjoying an early evening skate along the promenade of sandy Mission Bay before sitting down for a cold beer with a sea view.

Where to stay SO/Auckland is a modern five-star hotel by Sofitel with an open-air rooftop bar offering skyline views. The hotel also has a sky high restaurant and a spa with several treatment rooms, a pool with floor-to-ceiling windows and a fully-equipped gym with a faux grassy floor. Rooms - designed around the city’s volcanic underbelly – are an explosion of colour and quirk.

Adrenaline junkies: Bay of Islands Travel 150 miles north of Auckland and the look and feel of New Zealand changes completely. A staggering 144 islands make up the Bay of Islands, an area of unhampered natural beauty where coastal scenery and clear blue waters create an area of uninterrupted peace and quiet. Watch the sunset from the sand and you’re likely to find yourself alone with only the sound of the wind on the water for company.

There’s a wealth of history in the area, too, with many of the country’s oldest buildings dating back to the early 1800s. Unsurprisingly, activities in the Bay of Islands are mostly water-based, with cruises, dolphin and whale watching, sailing, snorkelling, diving, kayaking and fishing on offer.

Where to stay For real opulence – or a special occasion - stay at Eagles Nest, a £1,498-a-night all-villa luxury resort set on a 75-acre estate. Each villa has its own infinity pool, sauna and gym, and comes with a personal chef, trainer and spa therapist. 300-degree ocean views are guaranteed. Wander down to the resort’s private beach to see rare native birds or simply chill out by the pool, glass of New Zealand wine in hand.

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Originally a spa destination, visitors can visit many thermal sites, including Whakarewarewa Living Thermal Village, an old Māori town where some of the locals still live. Listen to fascinating stories of old, watch as geysers erupt and marvel at bubbling mud.

There is a quieter side to Queenstown though, with plenty of walking trails, golf courses, bird watching and wineries to visit, as well as many restaurants to enjoy a good meal at.

Where to stay

Where to stay

The Regent of Rotorua Boutique Hotel is an attractive five-star, black and white building in the centre of Rotorua. The art-deco feel continues in the bedrooms with black and white furnishings and art deco mirrors. The hotel’s pool, spa, gym and coffee house are modern and functional; the award-winning Regent Room Restaurant and Wine Bar a hit with both guests and locals.

Prepare to be spoilt at Matakauri Lodge, a six (yes, six) star luxury lodge overlooking snowy peaks and a beautiful alpine lake.

Built from stone and timber, the hotel’s unassuming exterior gives way to sumptuous rooms that let the views do the talking.

There’s also an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi and a restaurant serving delectable dishes.

The hotel’s incredible art collection also includes an original Picasso.

SOUTH ISLAND City slickers: Christchurch Recent atrocities won’t stop Christchurch rising out of the ashes to show off its friendly, pretty side. Of all the cities in New Zealand, Christchurch is the most English, with parks and gardens, punts down the River Avon and a grand Anglican cathedral making visitors feel like they have just headed down the road to Cambridge.

Completed in 1904, the cathedral was designed by architect George Gilbert Scott who also designed London’s St Pancras Station. While the Christchurch Cathedral undergoes renovations you can also visit its replacement, the Cardboard Cathedral, just a few blocks away.

Don’t miss a leisurely punt down the River Avon which threads lazily through pretty Hagley Park, or a visit to some of the city’s vibrant bars, restaurants and shops where a large student population keeps things fresh and hip.

Where to stay The George is a 53-room boutique hotel ideally located overlooking Hagley Park and the River Avon. Local artwork adorns the walls; eat at one of two award-winning restaurants, work out in the gym or enjoy a drink in the old English-style garden.

Guests can also borrow a mountain bike, hire a babysitter or work in the business centre.

Nature lovers: Fiordland One of only two places in the world where fjords can be seen, Fiordland National Park consists of hundreds of lakes, mountain peaks, deep fjords and rainforests. The south west has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for its glaciers, rocky coastlines, towering cliffs and plummeting waterfalls. Two-thirds of the park is covered with southern beech and conifer trees, some a staggering 800 years old.

Milford Sound is a must: the country’s bestknown fjord attracting more than 500,000 tourists each year, as is Marlborough Sounds, an area resplendent in mountains, lakes and vineyards where foodies flock to try local tipples served with award-winning dishes.

Where to stay The Marlborough Lodge is a luxury hotel set in a former Victorian convent. Handsome in grey and white, with colonial flourishes, the lodge has just 10 beautifully appointed suites, a heated outdoor pool, a spa, tennis courts and – for those balmy evenings – an outdoor fire pit. The building is set in 16 acres of lush gardens with lakes and walking trails. Keep walking and you’ll stumble across the Marlborough vineyards.

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Images anti-clockwise from top left: Bay of Islands © Shaun Jeffers, Milford Sound © Will Patino, Christchurch © Graeme Murray, So Sofitel Auckland.

The waterside metropolis of Auckland is home to a quarter of New Zealand’s population, making it the country’s largest and most vibrant city. Affectionately known as the City of Sails, its two harbours are frequently dotted with hundreds of gleaming yachts – dine in one of the many waterside restaurants and you can tuck into fresh seafood while watching these elegant vessels sail in and out.

WORLDWIDE

HOW TO DO IT

NORTH ISLAND • SO/Auckland Hotel 67 Customs Street East, Auckland Central 1010 + 64 9 379 1860 www.accorhotels.com • Eagles Nest 60 Tapeka Road, Russell 0242 + 64 9 403 8333 www.eaglesnest.co.nz • Whakarewarewa The Living Māori Village, 17 Tryon Street, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010 + 64 7 349 3463 www.whakarewarewa.com • Regent of Rotorua Boutique Hotel 1191 Pukaki St, Rotorua 3010 +64 7 348 4079 www.regentrotorua.co.nz

SOUTH ISLAND • The George 50 Park Terrace, Christchurch Central 8013 + 64 3 379 4560 www.thegeorge.com • Matakauri Lodge 569 Glenorchy Road, Queenstown 9348 + 64 3 441 1008 www.robertsonlodges.com • The Marlborough Lodge 776 Rapaura Road, Blenheim 7273 + 64 3 570 5700 www.themarlboroughlodge.co.nz

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TROPICAL DESTINATION

MAURITIUS

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TROPICAL DESTINATION

Mauritius, while famous for its beautiful coasts - sandy shores lapped by blue green lagoons - is also blessed with spectacular jungles and mountainous landscapes.

While the island’s natural beauty is mesmerising, you will most certainly be surprised by the country’s diversity of cultures.

WORDS BY ALEX HOLMAN

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TROPICAL DESTINATION Mauritius has gained an international reputation based on its crystalline waters and talc-white beaches. But Mauritius has more than one feather in its straw hat - the island has also been endowed with splendid inland landscapes and an extraordinary diversity of culture.

DO

All aboard and ready to set sail... head to the front of the catamaran where you can see the ocean spread out in front of you. Bring your best camera because this trip provides the perfect photo backdrop: luxury catamaran, endless ocean, golden hour and the setting sun.

HISTORICAL & STREET FOOD TOUR OF PORT LOUIS

mymoris.mu/en

After donning your snorkelling gear (all provided) and getting familiar with the local fish, JPH Charters serve up delicious food and drinks on board the catamaran and you can choose from three different menu plans - why not go all out with the lobster extravaganza menu?

This original My Moris tour reveals the ways in which the cosmopolitan heritage and delightful street food of Mauritius' capital are intertwined. It is an historical and cultural exploration, dotted with several food tasting stops.

We love JPH Charters because... their service comes with a big smile. The staff are hands on and happy to help, making sure to keep everyone topped up with drinks and full of food until the very end of the trip.

Spend your morning uncovering the exciting history and subtle flavours of Mauritian culture: explore the local scene on a bicycle or on foot. Take the time to meander through the streets and experience the local way of living…

domainedelabourdonnais.com/en

Along the way, you will hear the fascinating stories of the inhabitants while sampling the street food. You will taste an assortment of typical Mauritian dishes: steamed dumplings, gato pima, rotis - Indian crepes filled with spicy vegetables…

We love My Moris because... they positively contribute to an innovative form of tourism, one that is mindful and respectful of the local culture and environment. Meeting people from all walks of life, directly buying from local producers, supporting local cultural endeavours… These are some of the ways they actively contribute to the local economy and help sustain trades.

SUNSET CATAMARAN CRUISE

jph.mu

Situated on the west side of the island, Black River is the

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ideal location to experience a tropical sunset cruise along the coastline down to Tamarin Bay to watch the sun go down.

CHÂTEAU DE LABOURDONNAIS

Château de Labourdonnais is a grand Victorian mansion on a sugarcane planation offering rum tastings and a gift shop.

It was built between 1856 and 1859 by Christian Wiehe, and was restored between 2006 & 2010 and converted into a museum where you can discover the nineteenth century Mauritian lifestyle as well as its history.

From the moment you turn into the majestic tree-lined avenue leading to the Château, you will discover a magical place that shines a spotlight on Mauritian history, nature, cuisine and savoir-faire.

At the end of each visit, clients are invited to take a seat at the estate’s tasting bar and to sample the products of the Domaine’s distillery and orchards. These include a range of delicious rums, jams, fruit jellies and fruit juices made on the estate. This complimentary tasting is included in the price of entry to the Château, and each of the items is also available for purchase in the Domaine’s shop.

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TROPICAL DESTINATION We love Château de Labourdonnais because... if the Château itself isn't enough of a pull, visitors can also see giant tortoises peacefully grazing here, and the estate houses a large number endemic species of flora.

LA TABLE DU CHÂTEAU

tableduchateau.com

Inspired by traditional family recipes and drawing upon a rich variety of local produce, La Table du Château’s menu reflects a cuisine brimming with local flavours. The abundance of citrus, herbs and fragrant aromatics, as well as the many fruit-infused savoury dishes, will surprise and delight its customers. With tradition as a muse, Chef Fabio de Poli has devised a creative and constantly evolving menu inspired by the fruit and vegetables from the Domaine’s orchards.

We love La Table du Château because... the setting here is stunning. This open air restaurant is surrounded by tropical flora, with Château de Labourdonnais standing proudly in the background for you to admire as you eat your meal.

BOIS CHÉRI Bois Cheri town hosts the oldest tea plantation in Mauritius, and gave its name to the famous Mauritian tea brand.

A tour here includes a visit of the plant, the museum, and a tea tasting in the Bois Cheri Restaurant with a breathtaking panoramic view. Aside from the great landscape, the Bois Cheri Tea Factory represents an important piece of Mauritian history dating back to 1892.

A guide will lead you through the factory and the tea plantation, allowing you to discover the history, stories and tales of the Bois Chéri and the importance of tea production in Mauritius. After the guided tour of the tea factory comes a visit to the tea production museum, where you can learn more about the history of tea in Mauritius.

is a winner in our books. Nowadays Bois Chéri produces a new range of flavoured teas, green teas and herbal teas.

ELECTRO BIKE TOUR IN SOUILLAC (AND OTHER LOCATIONS)

electrobikemauritius.com/en

Souillac is a small village of some six thousand inhabitants located in the far south of the island. Small fishing villages, stunning waterfalls, the sparkling waters of the ocean crashing against the cliffs, gorgeous panoramas, peaceful gardens, historical sites… so many sites and milestones of the beautiful island and of its rich history that will inspire your very own memories during this bike tour. Throughout the ride, your guide will stop at various strategic sites so as to share the history and tales of the area, to give the opportunity for a few snapshots or to simply relax a little.

Riding an Electro-Bike (electric power-assisted bicycle) comes with the added advantage of significant assistance, therefore allowing you to enjoy the scenery, to abandon yourselves to the myriad of sensations offered by Mauritius, to be closer to the local population and to simply live and share one of the most authentic of experiences.

We love the Electro Bike Tour because... it combines fitness with stunning views, a very friendly guide and a fantastic home cooked meal at the house of a local. Also, we loved having the power assistance on those uphill stretches!

GORGES VIEWPOINT Gorges Viewpoint offers a magnificent perspective on the Black-River Gorges. From this viewpoint you can see the valley of the Gorges extend all the way up to the coast. This has been touted as 'one of the best views on the island' and we definitely think it's worth a visit. Here you can also find vendors selling souvenirs and wild monkeys looking for generous tourists who will share their food.

We love Bois Chéri because... anywhere you get to taste tea

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We love Gorges Viewpoint because... of the incredible view!

Also, The Seven Coloured Earths is just a few minutes drive away so it's not just a one stop wonder.

THE SEVEN COLOURED EARTHS

chamarel7colouredearth.com

The Seven Coloured Earths are a geological formation found in the Chamarel plain of the Rivière Noire District in south-western Mauritius. It is a relatively small area of sand dunes, located within a large, dense forest, comprising sand of seven distinct colours (red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow).

One of Mauritius’ most iconic attractions, the island’s original and premier geopark provides a unique experience for geology enthusiasts, nature lovers and those who simply want to understand more about this rare and impressive phenomenon.

We love Seven Coloured Earth because... it advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable way. Chamarel waterfall is also nearby which is worth a visit – cascading 83 meters down and surrounded by greenery.

RHUMERIE DE CHAMAREL RESTAURANT & RUM DISTILLERY

agricultural rum is obtained by distilling pure cane juice, a process which gives it its specifics aromas and flavours.

We love Rhumerie de Chamarel Rum Distillery because... aligned with the concept of sustainable development, the distillery puts emphasis on its environmental efforts on recycling – ‘nothing goes to waste’ approach. Indeed, the bagasse, the fibrous residue remaining after juice extraction is collected and turned into energy, the industrial fumes are cleared before being released into the air, the ashes are spread in the fields to act as fertilizers and the steam retrieved from the process is used to water the gardens.

RESTAURANT L’ALCHIMISTE L’Alchimiste is an upscale restaurant which seats 80. L’Alchimiste specializes in a unique cuisine, prepared with local products sourced from the Rhumerie de Chamarel estate itself. A typical menu might include exotic delicacies such as dishes featuring deer and wild pig, enhanced with fine wines imported from France and the main continents.

We love Restaurant L'Alchimiste because... it is surrounded by a tropical luxuriant flora, overlooking the plantations and mountains – the perfect place to relish the subtle cuisine.

STAY

rhumeriedechamarel.com

Perched 300 metres above the coast of South West Mauritius, the Rhumerie de Chamarel lies in a fertile valley influenced by its own micro-climate. A truly unique tourist attraction, it encompasses a distillery and an agricultural plantation on an eco-friendly estate.

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VERANDA TAMARIN HOTEL

www.veranda-resorts.com/en

La Rhumerie de Chamarel is one of the rare distilleries still in activity to cultivate its own sugarcane and the distillery was created to produce the finest rum. Experienced guides can take you behind the scenes to provide a thorough explanation of the rum making process while you visit the distillery.

Veranda Tamarin is a vibrant 3-star hotel in a prime location, just a 3 minute walk from Tamarin Public Beach and a 1-minute walk from Tamarina Golf Club. The bedrooms are comfortable yet simple in a minimalist way, some with sea views. They feature free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minibars, and tea and coffee making facilities, plus balconies or terraces. Suites add DVD players and separate lounge areas.

There are also 5 2-bedroom villas, plus a loft apartment with rooftop hot tub.

At the end of the tour, you can try the selection of the agricultural Rums produced by the distillery. As opposed to the traditional rum produced by the distillation of molasses, the

The hotel features two restaurants, where guests can discover flavours from Mauritius and around the world, a pool bar and live entertainment. Don't forget to visit View, the ho-

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TROPICAL DESTINATION MORE INFO For more information on Mauritius, please visit: www.tourism-mauritius.mu Air Mauritius Flights start from £732 per person including all taxes and airline charges.

Air Mauritius have now introduced the new A330-900neo aircraft on the London Heathrow to Mauritius route.

Veranda Tamarin Rates at Veranda Tamarin start from £70 per person per night, based on two sharing a Com-

tel's rooftop bar with panoramic views that sweep across the bay. Serving a selection of cocktails, fresh Mauritian juices and rums, this is a real sundowner hotspot with comfortable seating and its own infinity pool.

Other amenities at Tamarin Hotel include a spa, a daycare centre and a surf school. Activities such as boat trips to view dolphins, and guided diving and kitesurfing are also available.

We love Veranda Tamarin Hotel because... it's the perfect choice for those who seek to experience the Mauritian way of life. From rustic decor to vintage restaurant concepts, a friendly atmosphere shall greet you wherever you are roaming in the hotel.

LUX* LE MORNE

www.luxresorts.com/en/hotel-mauritius/luxlemorne Located on the quiet side of the island, LUX* Le Morne enchants with its magnificent beach and sunset views, secluded seating areas and elegant, romantic ambience. The colossal view of Le Morne Brabant towering to one side, a sweep of beryl-blue lagoon to the other and miles of talcsoft beach spread out in front – there can be few more captivating visions of tropical paradise.

The 5-star resort’s 149 luxuriously kitted-out rooms and chalet-style suites all provide lagoon and sea views, but there’s much more to do here than soak up the scenery: go horse riding along empty beaches, seek close encounters with marine life, learn kite-surfing at the world famous kiting spot 'One Eye', or experience an exclusive opportunity to taste fresh-from-the-ocean sea urchin... or just do absolutely nothing but relax in the sunshine and salt air.

The TREAD LIGHTLY programme is the LUX* way of keeping eco-awareness at the top of the travel agenda, with 100% carbon offsetting, an extensive awareness programme, a comprehensive array of sustainability initiatives ranging from energy-efficient lighting and kitchen-oil recycling to in-house water bottling, and a commitment to local conservation programmes.

When it comes to food, you're spoilt for choice: dine with

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fort Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis.

For reservations, please email: resa@vlh.mu or call +230 483 3100 00 LUX* Le Morne Room rates start from: 209 € (£178) in low season // 492 € (£418) in high season for a Superior room - based on 2 adults, room only.

For young children, curious adults and slightly less energetic visitors, there are outings on foot or bicycle, museums to see, animal parks to visit, and enough shopping centres to fill your suitcase with gifts and souvenirs.

your toes in the sand at The Beach, drink freshly roasted on-site coffee at Café LUX* or eat Thai food at East, awarded ‘Best Thai Restaurant in Africa’ in the 2016 World Luxury Restaurant Awards. These are just three of the many on-site food and drink establishments within the hotel.

We love LUX* Le Morne because... it is the epitome of luxury. From the moment you arrive, and are hit with the incredible ocean view and grand surroundings, you know you are somewhere very special. From the luxurious rooms, to the incredible food (the breakfast buffet literally has it all), to the impeccable customer service – once you arrive you'll never want to leave!

USEFUL INFO Flight time The flight time to Mauritius from London is around 12 hours Time difference +4 hours Greenwich Mean Time Language There are three main languages in Mauritius – English, French and Creole. Hindi and Bhojpuri are also spoken and many hotel employees are fluent in German, Italian and Spanish.

Currency The Mauritian Rupee (Rs) Weather forecast The summer months of November to April are warm and dry with temperatures of 23-33 degrees Celsius. The winter months of May to October are cooler, at around 17-23 degrees Celsius, with the wettest months being December to March. Annual rainfall is 900mm on the coast with 1,500mm falling on the central plateau. The ocean temperature sits at 22–27 degrees Celsius.

Visa requirements British nationals can get a visa on arrival, which is normally valid for 3 months.

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12 REASONS TO VISIT

12 REASONS TO VISIT

JERSEY

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12 REASONS TO VISIT

Jersey may be just a hop, skip and a jump away but - with its pristine beaches, fresh seafood, fancy hotels and sparkling marinas – it can feel a world away. Here’s why you should add it to your bucket (and spade) list WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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12 REASONS TO VISIT 1. IT’S EASY TO GET TO Whether you’re travelling from London or one of the many local airports that fly into Jersey (think Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Norwich and Sheffield to name a few) you’ll only spend around an hour in the air; no sooner are you up, you’re coming back down again - just enough time to drink a cup of coffee and munch on a pastry. No stress, no fuss - and definitely no jet-lag.

Flights from local airports with EasyJet and FlyBe go for a song, while British Airways regularly has late deals from London from £47 return including taxes - perfect for a spontaneous weekend getaway.

2. IT’S SUNNIER THAN THE UK Jersey is closer to France than it is to the UK so enjoys significantly more sunshine than Blighty. Winters are mild with temperatures rarely dipping below zero, while March, April and May are ‘walk around in a t-shirt and flip-flops’ months. Summers are long and hazy, the perfect temperature for a dip in the sea, a barbecue in the garden or dinner al fresco overlooking the sea.

3. YOU CAN SPEND THE MONEY IN YOUR PURSE Jersey is in the same currency union as the UK meaning it takes sterling - you won’t have to hunt out a currency exchange before arriving or, worse still, get stung by high rates at the airport. Once on the ground, you won’t have to spend your first day figuring out the price difference or spending over the odds for something.

4. IT’S DELIGHTFULLY SMALL Small islands aren’t just easier to get around but the airport is never far away - no matter where you are staying on Jersey (which is just nine miles by five), your airport transfer is unlikely to be more than 30 minutes (most likely less). Jersey’s compact and bijou size also makes driving a delight – with a population of just over 100,000, there are fewer cars on the road (and zero traffic jams). And there’s nothing quite like a drive through a country lane or along a stretch of coastline to blow those cobwebs away (we hired a duck-egg blue Fiat convertible and fell in love with driving again).

5. IT’S SQUEAKY CLEAN Fewer cars means cleaner air, and you won’t find lots of rubbish on the beach, litter on the streets or dirt in your hotel room, either.

Why? The locals love where they live and want it kept that way – for them and for us. Thank you, Jersey.

6. IT’S AS SAFE AS HOUSES… Literally – the locals often leave their front doors unlocked and rarely lock their car doors, meaning you and all your possessions will be safe during your stay. While it’s advisable to not be quite so lax whist on Jersey (imagine having to explain to the car hire company why you didn’t lock the door!) it’s good to know that you can fully relax during your holiday.

7. IT’S GREAT FOR CHILDREN Jersey has plenty of blue flag beaches, low tide and warm waters making it perfect for children who want to swim. Many of the hotels have restaurants with children’s menus, and children are allowed pretty much anywhere – even in Michelin star restaurants and pubs after 7pm. Older children will love the range of outdoor activities on offer too, and will doubtless sleep like a baby after a day in the fresh air.

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12 REASONS TO VISIT 8. THE BEACHES ARE WONDERFUL Jersey is known for its golden sand, shallow blue water and deserted spots meaning you often can picnic, swim, sunbathe and make sand castles without seeing another soul. In fact, you are never more than 10 minutes from the water’s edge. Head to the wild and beautiful north coast for soaring cliffs and sheltered bays; the southern shores offer serene beaches with silky sand and safe swimming. In the north, try Plémont beach for gentle surfing, Grève de Lecq for a glass of local cider on a sunny boardwalk and Bouley Bay for scuba diving. In the south, head to St Brelade’s Bay for some of the best sunshine on the island, Ouaisné for a small stretch of picture-postcard beach and Belcroute Bay for stand up paddle boarding.

9. FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD With plenty of farm stalls, delis, restaurants, quirky cafes and pubs serving pub grub, you certainly won’t starve on Jersey. The seafood comes straight from the island’s clear waters meaning you can tuck into flappingly fresh fish whenever the mood takes, be it at a fish stall or in a Michelin-star restaurant overlooking the sea. When it comes to produce, Jersey is known for the Big 4, namely Jersey oysters, Jersey lobsters, Jersey Royal potatoes and Jersey cows that produce milk, butter, cream and ice-cream. Don’t leave without trying afternoon tea with a dollop of Jersey cream or a locally made ice-cream on the beach. For fish, try Jersey Crab Shack in St Helier or Oyster Box in St Brelade; for Michelin-star restaurants, you can’t beat Ocean Restaurant or Bohemia Bar and Restaurant. Before leaving, visit Relish Delicatessen and grab some local goodies to take home.

10. THE PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY Research suggests that happy people are kinder, friendlier and more forgiving – on Jersey, you won’t come across a surly shop assistant, a miserable barmaid or a bad-tempered barista. You won’t have to ask anybody for directions, either – simply stand with a map in front of you (or just a furrowed brow) and some kind local will come and ask if they can help. Some will even take you to where you want to go, especially if they are heading that way themselves.

11. THERE ARE LOADS OF GREAT PLACES TO STAY From boutique hotels to country cottages and from camp sites to quirky B&Bs, Jersey has it all. “Where luxury meets the Ocean,” claims the website of The Atlantic, a multi-award winning, fivestar hotel overlooking the sea. There’s an outdoor pool, a Michelin-star restaurant and a health club, too. Or try The Club Hotel & Spa, a boutique hotel with a Champagne bar on the roof and a decent spa. Lovers of the outdoors will find plenty of options to camp, glamp or stay in pastel-hued VW vans, while those wanting something completely different can choose to stay in a 19th century cliff-top fort (Fort Leicester), a 15th century granite farmhouse (Cider Barn Apartment), a 1930s beach hut hideaway (Barge Aground), an apartment in the barracks of St Elizabeth’s Castle or in a Radio Tower with 360-degree panoramic sea views.

12. YOU WON’T BE BORED It’s not all beaches and food on Jersey - there’s plenty to see and do during your stay. If you’re feeling active, you can play golf, abseil, surf, cycle, paddle board, kayak, dive or hike; history lovers should make a beeline for the iconic castles, of which there are five - a picnic in the grounds of Mont Orgueil Castle is a must. For attractions, head to Jersey National Park, Jersey Zoo or Jersey Pearl, where you can pick your own oyster pearl and have it made into a piece of jewellery. There’s tax-free shopping all over the island, too - head to the island’s capital, Saint Helier, for high-street stores; Saint Aubin for quirky finds; and The Central Market for flowers, fruit and veg and meat.

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12 REASONS TO VISIT

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12 REASONS TO VISIT TOURIST INFORMATION • www.jerseypearl.com

• Relish Delicatessen 22 Halkett St, St Helier JE2 4WJ +44 1534 618844 | relishjersey.co.uk

EAT

STAY

• Jersey Crab Shack 4-6 Market Street, St Helier JE2 4WJ +44 1534 850805 | jerseycrabshack.com

• The Atlantic Hotel Le Mont de la Pulente, St Brelade JE3 8HE +44 1534 744101 | theatlantichotel.com

• Oyster Box Route de la Baie, St Brelade’s JE3 8EF +44 1534 850888 | oysterbox.co.uk • The Atlantic Hotel & Ocean Restaurant Le Mont de la Pulente, St Brelade JE3 8HE theatlantichotel.com/dining/ocean-restaurant • Bohemia Bar & Restaurant Green Street, Saint Helier, Jersey JE2 4UH +44 1534 880588 | bohemiajersey.com

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• Barge Aground La Grande Route des Mielles, St. Ouen JE3 2FN jersey.com/barge-aground • Radio Tower La Rue de la Corbiere, St. Brelade JE3 8HN www.jersey.com/radio-tower ATTRACTIONS

• The Club Hotel & Spa Green Street St Helier JE2 4UH +44 1534 876500 | theclubjersey.com

• Jersey National Park jerseynationalpark.com

• Fort Leicester Les Charrières du Boulay jersey.com/fort-leicester

• Jersey Zoo La Profonde Rue, Trinity JE3 5BP durrell.org/wildlife

• Cider Barn La Rue de la Patente, St. Lawrence JE3 1HS jersey.com/cider-barn-apartment

• Jersey Pearl Grande Route Des Mielles, St. Ouen JE3 2FN +44 1534 862137 | www.jerseypearl.com

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FRANCE

REIMS If any city can boast promoting good times as its main purpose, it is Reims. This is the home of Champagne, much imitated but never excelled as the world’s favourite celebration drink.

WORDS BY GARETH DAVIES

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FRANCE

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FRANCE Whatever the song says, Champagne wasn’t invented on any particular night. It’s the product of a rare synchronisation of soil chemistry, climate and luck, in a small corner of France, just southeast of Paris. The big reveal in any of the tours given by the great Champagne houses – mine was with Veuve Cliquot – is in the grand descent into the vast cellars hollowed out of the chalk beneath the city by the Romans. In the atmosphere of year-round cool down there, they coax mere grapes through an intricate process that leads to a cork-popping finale.

M

y introduction to this miraculous process began on the high-speed dash from Paris (I do urge you to take the train if it’s possible, although a flight to Brussels is an alternative). I took the mid-afternoon Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, arriving in Gare du Nord. Gare de L’Est was an easy 10 minute walk. Choose, if you can, the very fastest service from Paris. My exhilarating non-stop sprint to Reims, 89 miles east, took just 45 minutes. The train swooped up and down wide wooded hills. Close to Reims we passed a small mountain. On its foothills grow the Pinot Noir grapes used in Champagne. Four hours and nine minutes from London, even with that Paris stop: that’s closer to London than Glasgow.

2019 marks a poignant centenary, for which popping corks would be inappropriate. Reims was the most destroyed city in France in the First World War. About 80% of it was pulverised by shelling. But the city scarcely gave the weeds time to establish in the ruins.

The planning started immediately, and the 1920s marked a creative flowering out of the ashes unmatched in Europe. It is defined by many styles of rebuilding. The city was an early centre of excellence in the new design of Art Deco, sleek and geometric compared to the exuberant and flowery Art Nouveau it succeeded. The most striking legacy of those years is the Carnegie Library of Reims, a gift to the city by the Carnegie Trust, one of only three in Europe. It was refurbished in the 2000s, its features – marble, stained glass, ironwork and woodwork – returned to their original magnificence.

I took the Art Deco tour. It includes Saint-Nicaise church, the Boulingrin Covered Market, built in 1927, and the Grand Theatre. Now the Opéra de Reims, it only perfected its Art Deco style in 1997 when it was renovated.

You can also see the main details of the style in buildings in Rue de Talleyrand and Place Drouet-d’Erlon.

The most powerful symbol of rebirth is the 13th-century cathedral of Notre Dame de Reims in the city’s heart. This great Middle Ages masterpiece was largely destroyed in 1914. It was restored with part-funding by another US benefactor, this time the Rockerfeller Foundation. It reopened in 1938. I stood in the forest of stone columns in the

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immense nave, enveloped by the solemn hum of history. 25 kings of France were crowned here. The most illustrious coronation, in 1429, was of Charles VII, in the company of that scourge of the English armies, Joan of Arc. Like me, she must have marvelled at the glorious colours flooding through the rose window in the western facade.

If American dollars helped remake the city, an American idea is helping drive its tourism.

The tourism board provided me with a guide, but now anybody can have this privilege.

Had I given them a week’s notice they could have set me up with a “greeter”. The idea came from New York. Greeters are dedicated locals, not professional guides, who show you around for nothing, sharing their stories and showing you their favourite places.

Exposed as it was to the centuries-old political storms of Europe breaking all around it, Reims suffered accordingly. Perhaps it’s fitting that it was where peace was declared at the end of the Second World War, in which it was spared serious damage. The treaty ending the war in Europe was signed in a school in Reims, near the railway station, now the Musée de la Reddition (Museum of the Surrender). It had been General Eisenhower’s HQ in the war’s final months. The map room is kept just as it was, complete with rickety table and chairs bearing the names of the signatories from German and Allied sides.

A jigsaw of maps showing the state of military play across Europe on 7th May at 2.41 am, the exact time of the signing, covers the walls. A modest setting for a momentous occasion.

One thing war couldn’t kill was the Champagne industry, its legacy safely stored in so many (probably millions) of dusty bottles deep under the city. Today UNESCO, as well as celebrating the city’s built heritage in 1991 – listing the Cathedral, the Palace of Tau and the Abbey of Saint-Remi – recognised “the Champagne Landscapes” in 2015.

The UNESCO inscription takes in the “Hillsides, Houses and Champagne Cellars” of the region: “a combined work of man and nature”. The listing includes Champagne houses and chalk cellars in the Reims Saint-Nicaise quarter, the Avenue de Champagne in

nearby Epernay, vineyards around Dom Pérignon’s village of Hautvillers and the villages and vineyards of Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Ay. I took the Veuve Clicquot tour (it could equally well have been Mumm, Lanson, Pommery or others, all based in Reims).

Madame Clicquot was not the folksy, rosycheeked grandmother, invented by the advertisers. She was a tough cookie of a widow, who took over one of the city’s main champagne houses in the 1820s when men dominated business. Down in those deep cellars it’s a happy place, each maturing bottle promising celebration to come. Naturally my visit ended with a glass of fine Grande Dame.

There is plenty of good food to go with the bubbles. Reims restaurants are spangled with Michelin stars. L’Assiette Champenoise is one of many. After a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée on the terrace overlooking a big garden, I sampled sea bass with carrot confit; roasted Brittany langoustines with lettuce and onion; radish and crayfish and cold pea soup. Next day I enjoyed the lunchtime informality of Le Café du Palais in Place Myron Herrick. The owner’s cheerful jumble of paintings and photographs covered every surface. That night I sampled open air dining in Restaurant Café de la Paix, a brasserie on pedestrianised Place Drouet d’Erlon. I sat, ate and watched Reims saunter by. If you wanted to start the evening with a glass of Champagne, try Le Gueuleton, near the Cathedral. It serves a huge selection.

The city has its name attached to no fewer than four products – mustard, vinegar (made from the yeast sediment from champagne before corking), ham and biscuits, all with the suffix “de Reims”. For the illustrious Biscuit Rose de Reims, coloured pink with natural carmine, go to Biscuits Fossier (25 Cours Jean-Baptiste Langlet).

I was amply provisioned for my picnic on the exhilarating dash back to Paris, after a visit to Terrroir des Rois, (8 rue du Préau).

And my drink, as we sped past those prolific hillsides? It had to be a scintillating glass of Champagne.

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FRANCE PLAN YOUR TRIP reims-tourism.com REIMS CITY PASS (1-, 2- or 3-day pass, with free access to museums and public transport. reimscitypass.com/en

Veuve Clicquot veuveclicquot.com/en-gb EAT L’Assiette Champenoise assiettechampenoise.com/en/ SHOP Fossier fossier.fr/en/ Terroir des Rois terroirdesrois.fr

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Images (top to bottom): Caves Taittinger © Carmen Moya, Le moulin de verzenay © Clément Richez.

TOUR

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CHILD FRIENDLY TRAVEL

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CHILD FRIENDLY TRAVEL

CHILD FRIENDLY TRAVEL IN

CASCAIS

Can a well-known chain hotel provide everything a solo parent needs for holidaying with her six-year old? Jo Gardner and her daughter, LilyJane, head to Portugal with a plan: to award the hotel a point every time it gets something right for families. How will they fare?

WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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CHILD FRIENDLY TRAVEL In all my years as a travel journalist, I’ve never considered Sheraton’s group of hotels to be particularly geared up for families - business travellers and couples, yes; noisy, sticky-fingered children, not so much. So I was surprised to receive an invitation to visit the relatively new (three years) Sheraton Cascais Resort in Portugal with my sixyear-old daughter (a particularly sticky-fingered, full-oflife child).

We head on our 2.5-hour flight to Lisbon from Stansted, followed by a complimentary 40-minute transfer to Cascais, Lisbon’s beach town, for my first family stay at a Sheraton Resort.

(The free airport shuttle gets the hotel off to a flying start with 1 point).

THE RESORT The Sheraton Cascais is a large resort made up of a series of ochre-hued buildings with striking grey balconies and window frames – some of the buildings house the guest bedrooms and hotel facilities; others are residences which can be bought and stayed in all-year-round.

The entrance to the hotel is eye-catching, with a square cobbled driveway complete with statement tree-like sculpture and water feature; the lobby is light and spacious with several fountains at floor level which turn purple at night (hours of fun for children – 2 points).

Sheraton Cascais also has the most family-friendly check-in (10am) and check-out (12pm) times I have ever experienced, making life easier for families on early or late flights – occupying a child until 3pm when everything is still packed is no easy feat (3 points). So far, so family-friendly.

The entire resort is set in pristine gardens, too which, the gardener tells me, are designed to let nature run wild (in part at least). We spot the odd daisy growing in the grass, smell wild rosemary beside the pool and take photos of bright pink flowers which I have never seen before.

THE ROOMS I am surprised to learn that all 156 rooms and suites have kitchen facilities allowing families to cater for their children around the clock (4 points).

The hotel’s two-bed panoramic suite has a fireplace and rooftop whirlpool bath.

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Our one-bed suite has a separate double bedroom for parents and a sofa-bed in the lounge (already set up -5 points) for children, a loungecum-dining room with sliding doors opening out onto an oversized balcony, a large bathroom with shower over bath, and a fully-equipped kitchen with large fridge and Nespresso machine.

The décor edges on Asian with calming greys, statement blacks and pillar-box reds; the artwork is made of feathers and leaves – we spend the entire weekend debating if they are real or not.

Large flat-screens in the lounge and bedroom, as well as room service, make an evening in your PJs with the kids possible – after getting out of the large tub, Lily-Jane and I snuggle up in our pyjamas, order burgers to be delivered (complete with wine for mum) and watch a movie together.

Rather go out? Book a babysitter to come to your room for a few hours while you enjoy some time together (6 points).

Comfy beds, mood lighting, soundproof walls and thick curtains ensure we sleep like babies (7 points).

THE POOL As soon as we see the outdoor pool the next day, I am in awe of the design. The round shape is cleverly divided into two sections by a wooden walkway meaning parents can follow nervous swimmers all the way across the pool without having to get wet (8 points). The left side is heated, while the right isn’t, meaning guests can choose the right temperature for them depending on the weather.

It’s 11 am and the sun is out - I relax on a squashy cream lounger with a cup of coffee while my daughter swims in the clear green water.

When she gets too cold, we go next door to The Brave Kids club: a large,

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CHILD FRIENDLY TRAVEL rustic playground which backs onto woodland. Tepee-style huts, swings and slides are on the inside; rope bridges and zip-lines between the trees in the woods. During the summer months, activities for children take place here including mini golf, archery, science workshops and treasure hunts, giving parents a much-needed rest (9 points).

The Flow Bar by the pool, meanwhile, provides a constant flow of drinks, snacks, juices, smoothies, ice-creams and wine or beer, all of which can be enjoyed poolside.

FOOD & DRINK All guests start their day in The Glass Terrace, a dining room with two complete sides of retractable glass which can be opened up in the summer. Help yourself to a buffet of pastries, meats and cheeses, yoghurts, fruits and, of course, pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) before ordering eggs and coffee from one of the waiters – my eggs Benedict is spot on.

Lily-Jane loves the pancake-making machine – put a plate underneath, push a button and watch the pancake come out the side before smothering it in maple syrup or Nutella (10 points).

Dinner is an a la carte affair with a separate menu for kids with colouring on the back – coloured pencils are provided (11 points).

My slow-roasted pork with carrot puree is a triumph; my lemon and lime dessert tart and light. On the other side of the table, the fish fingers (sea bass in bread crumbs that it then sliced, no less) and fries are also a hit. All wines are locally-sourced, too – try the Vinho Verde, a local white that’s light and delicious, as well as lower in alcohol (9.5%).

Sadly, our visit doesn’t coincide with the opening of the hotel’s new sushi restaurant, but we will just have to return…

THE SPA This is where I imagine I will claw some points back – children aren’t allowed in spas anywhere in the UK as far as I am aware, and in relatively few in Europe.

At the Sheraton Cascais, however, the award-winning Serenity Spa permits children into the spa between 2pm and 5pm every day to swim in the hydro-pool, enjoy a treatment or simply relax on a lounger – an absolute god-send when it’s raining outside (12 points).

Adults can work out in the 24-hour fitness room, relax in the hydro-pool with its three swan neck fountains or get hot under the collar in the steam room or sauna.

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“At the Sheraton Cascais, however, the award-winning Serenity Spa permits children into the spa between 2pm and 5pm every day to swim in the hydro-pool, enjoy a treatment or simply relax on a lounger – an absolute godsend when it’s raining outside.”

In the centre you’ll find four relaxation loungers affording gardens views through full-height windows. Relax, relax, relax…

Treatments take place in one of five treatment rooms and include facials, wraps, massages, scrubs, treatments for mothersto-be and men, and manis/pedis. Products are from revered marine brand Thalgo, Charme d’Orient (from Paris) and Gentleman’s Tonic, London.

My Senses of Cascais signature treatment (90 minutes, 130€) was designed especially for the hotel using local ingredients. It consists of a scrub using fleur de sel (salt, sugar and vanilla) mixed with sand from the local Guincho Beach, followed by a wrap using a light clay made from blended, locally-grown red and white grape skins. While this works its magic, my therapist performs a sleep-inducing head massage.

The treatment ends with a full body massage (knots? What knots?) followed by a glass of red wine which is served in the relaxation room – a treat indeed.

She is shown a few colours and designs and, once chosen, allows her therapist to create a masterpiece – baby pink nails with perfect red flowers and silver streaks. As my treatment is longer, the therapist then sits in reception with her for a further hour until I return – without charging a babysitting fee (14 points).

ACTIVITIES If it’s sunny, book in the Picnic Basket Tour - a four-hour bike ride ending with a picnic prepared by the hotel, which you take with you in a wicker basket. Bike hire is part of the package and you can order small bikes so that children can join you (15 points). A family bike-ride in the sunshine is one of those lovely holiday moments that everyone remembers.

Inside the large wicker basket, we find a gingham red and white tablecloth which we lay on the grass, white crockery and silverware. Our picnic is made up of cheese and salad rolls, smoked salmon and red pepper wraps, tuna and black bean salad, tubs of Pringles, more doughnuts than my daughter can possibly eat in one go (but boy does she try) and a bag of Haribo sweets, as well as cans of Coca-Cola, a lemon iced tea and a small bottle of orange juice.

The hotel also offers free hourly transfer into Cascais, the nearby town (16 points).

Here, we sit on caramel-hued sand and watch the boats come in and out, eat lunch in a quaint restaurant on a pretty cobbled street and visit the Museum Quarter, a cluster of museums housing art, history and photography exhibitions. There’s also an ancient fort, some envy-inducing houses (this is where the rich and famous used to holiday) and plenty of little cafes for icecream (for them) and beer (for us).

THE VERDICT So… a quick tot up reveals that we awarded the Sheraton Cascais Resort 16 points during our three-night stay. Does that make it family-friendly? You can bet your Moana it does.

While I am being pampered, my offspring enjoys a Princess Nails treatment (30 minutes, 20€) in a separate room (13 points).

SHERATON CASCAIS RESORT Rua das Palmeiras 5, Quinta da Marinha, Cascais 2750-005 +351 21 482 9100 | www.sheratoncascaisresort.com/en

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CHILD FRIENDLY TRAVEL

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MIDDLE EAST

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MIDDLE EAST

SLEEP AMONG THE SAND DUNES IN

OMAN

Oman, a legacy that has been passed on from generation to generation; the art, the culture, the folklore and the artistry has to be seen. But there is much more in the heart of Oman to explore: the sense of respect for time, for people, and for nature.

WORDS BY ALEX HOLMAN

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MIDDLE EAST

Having never been to the Middle East, I wasn’t sure what to expect on my very first visit to Oman earlier this year. I was excited, and a little nervous, to be exploring somewhere so very new to me. And my overall experience wasn’t what I had expected at all...

DUNES BY AL NAHDA .......................................................

Just 50 minutes south west of Muscat International Airport, on the edge of Wadi Al Abiyad sand dunes and overlooking the mountain, is Dunes

by Al Nahda, an intimate luxury boutique camp. This is the closest desert resort to downtown Muscat and to the United Arab Emirates, allowing guests to enjoy the desert at their doorstep.

THE ACCOMMODATION Here you can dwell in an abode of opulence in your own luxury tent house, designed as a palace and adorned with affluence. Rich plush interiors, satin draped curtains

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and colossal sized beds are just a few of the highlights. Dunes by Al Nahda features 30 ultra luxury accommodation tents: choose between 10 Luxury Tents, 18 Suite Tents and 2 Royal Tents.

WINING AND DINING • Fleur Restaurant & Dunes Bar Fleur restaurant is a beautiful open-air restaurant, providing an incomparable natural setting for diners with views of the surrounding dunes, offering both a multi-cultural buffet-style and a la carte menu. At the centre of the restaurant is the Dunes Bar. From sunrise to sunset the ever-changing light over the spectacular landscape makes this restaurant and bar a great spot to unwind whilst indulging in a pre- or post- dinner sunset drink and

nourishing the body with specialities from Omani, Western and Indian cuisines.

The chef can arrange a ‘must do’ Omani cooking experience to introduce you to shuwa, the national dish of Oman, where meat is marinated in oils and spices then wrapped in palm leaves and cooked in a fire pit for a day or more. The incredibly tender meat is served with rice and an aromatic Omani tomato sauce – simply delicious!

• Pool Bar The crystal clear blue infinity pool is surrounded by the spectacular sand dunes. With comfortable individual sun-beds as well as tented day beds, the pool is the perfect place to relax and soak up the desert rays. There’s

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MIDDLE EAST

always someone on-hand at the pool bar to take your drinks and snacks orders. With music playing in the background, it’s an unbeatable spot to watch the sun go down in a relaxed environment.

• Special Occasions You can request a traditional Omani dining experience during your stay.

Make yourself comfortable at a special cushioned seating area in the sand where you will be served dinner, drinks and shisha under the stars, while bathing in the light from lanterns and candles dotted all around. The perfect setting for a romantic or group dinner and one of my favourite experiences during my stay at Dunes by Al Nahda!

URU SPA The award winning URU Spa is the only one in Oman to have an Egyptian Sand Spa. After being buried up to the neck in sanitised sand in the sunken hot sand tubs with an aloe vera face mask on (the therapist kindly sits behind you and swats flies away while you relax) you’re moved to a wooden bed where creamy yoghurt is applied to your body and

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allowed to settle for an additional 15 minutes. After washing the yoghurt off, the therapist gives you a massage with aromatherapy oils (the one used on me was called Liquid Gold and it smelt divine) leaving you feeling totally relaxed.

ACTIVITIES Dunes by Al Nahda offers a range of unique activities to enjoy while staying in the sand dunes. There’s an on-site 9-hole golf course, as well as the opportunity to go dune bashing, quad biking, sand surfing, kite flying and camel riding. This is one the most famous dune bashing spots in Oman, and if you don’t feel like having a go yourself, you can watch the locals come in their 4x4s to drive up and coast down the sand dunes from the comfort of the resort.

I tried my hand at quad biking on the sand dunes and it was more challenging than I had imagined, with the sand moving under the wheels and the drops appearing to be much sheerer than anticipated when peering over the top of them. Don’t make the same mistake as me and stop half way up a dune. You will get stuck.

Luckily our guide was a pro and, after sending me up on foot, quickly saved my quad bike from it’s sunken state in the middle of the desert and returned it to my (not so) competent hands. Challenging, but loads of fun!

.......................................................

THINGS TO EXPERIENCE IN MUSCAT ..................................................

SULTAN QABOOS GRAND MOSQUE The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat is the main mosque in the Sultanate of Oman. The entire building is vast with a total capacity of up to 20,000 worshippers. This impressive structure was built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone, contains the second largest singlepiece carpet in the world and also the second largest chandelier in the world (both in the men’s prayer hall).

The building is extraordinary to see (from the inside and outside) and highly worth a visit.

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MIDDLE EAST MUTRAH SOUQ The Mutrah Souq is perhaps one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world and is known locally as Al Dhalam (‘darkness’ in Arabic) Souq.

It’s located right by Muscat harbour where you might see the Sultan’s two super yachts docked. See the Omani people in action here, as they come to socialise in the coffee shops outside the souq or as they shop for their wares inside.

The Mutrah souq carries a huge variety of items: from household goods, shoes and ready-made

garments to spices, perfumes and oils. From typical ‘tourist’ keepsakes to more traditional ‘Omani’ items, you’re sure to find something inside worth haggling over.

GUIDED CITY TOUR I love a good guided tour. The best way to get to know the country you’re staying in is to speak to people who are from there. Our guide was great and shared lots of interesting information about Muscat, and was happy to answer all our questions about the culture and way of life in Oman. Guided tours can be organised

by Dunes by Al Nahda on request.

FUN FACTS .........................................................................................................................................

• Dates are an important part of Omani culture and you’ll find them in every household. The Sultan of Oman has created a project to plant one million date trees to ensure that all Omanis have a source of food.

• When drinking coffee and your cup is empty, if you want more you give the cup back to your server, and if you don’t want more you shake your cup before giving it back. This originates from top-secret meetings where deaf servers worked, who couldn’t overhear important information.

• The mussar (Omani headdress worn by men) is worn in different styles depending on which city the person comes from. People can tell where someone is from just by looking at their mussar. The royal family have their own unique style of wearing their mussar.

• The Omani flag is comprised of three symbolic colours: The white represents peace and prosperity, the green fertility of the land and the red represents the battles fought against foreign invaders. The national emblem is also displayed on the flag, comprising of a khanjar inside its sheath and two crossed swords.

• Omani people can receive their entire education for free and when someone reaches the age of 23, they are given a free piece of land. Health care is also free in Oman.

Dunes by Al Nahda - Wadi Al Abiyad Sands, Barka, Sultunate of Oman Luxury Tent: From OMR 159+ 17% taxes for 2 adults inc. b/fast & dinner For Bookings: stay@dunesbyalnahda.com Website: www.dunesbyalnahdaresort.com Activities: Quad biking @ OMR 35.1 p/hr in an automatic 400 cc quad bike Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque - Sultan Qaboos St, Muscat 113 Visiting hours for non-Muslims are 8:30 to 11:00am Sat to Thur. Both men and women must wear modest clothing and women must cover their hair. If you run into any dress-code problems you can rent an outfit to wear for a very reasonable price just by the entrance.

Jungle Muscat - Al Qurm St, Muscat 100

JUNGLE MUSCAT If you’re looking for a great dining experience in Muscat, The Jungle is a tropical rainforest themed restaurant offering a unique opportunity to experience the natural elements atypical of a pre-historic rainforest - rain, thunder and lightning along with the sounds of a roaring dinosaur, chirping birds and other animals.

The culinary experience at The Jungle Restaurant comprises of a mixture of Middle Eastern, Asian and European menus. The restaurant is family-friendly, allowing children to have their own dining experience with the Junior Explorer Menus.

Apart from the unique ambience and fantastic food, there is a plant shop located at the entrance of the restaurant, where guests can find out about various flora found in the Sultanate, or buy exotic plants and flowers.

.......................................................

FINAL THOUGHTS ON OMAN .......................................................

One thing that stood out to me throughout my entire trip to Oman was the warmth and openness of the Omani people. People here seem to want you to enjoy yourself and feel at home. The Omanis love their country and all its history and traditions.

Staying in the desert was one of those wow! moments in my life. Don’t let the word ‘camping’ or ‘tents’ fool you: the experience at Dunes by Al Nahda is of the utmost luxury.

Walking back to my bedroom after dinner one night, with the path and tent area lit up with hundreds of lanterns and candles (the only light visible among the dark dunes), the warm evening breeze on my skin and the smell of the sand in the air, I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

I couldn’t have been in a place so surreal and far from home, yet felt so at ease and like I was at home.

When I think of my time in Oman I am filled with a warm feeling of homeliness, and somewhere I know I will feel welcome anytime.

+968 9569 0658 | junglerestaurant.net

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DESTINATION UK

A ROOM WITH A VIEW IN

THE LAKE DISTRICT

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DESTINATION UK

The Lake District has long attracted visitors for its typical English countryside, sparkling lakes and B&Bs serving up a full English with a smile. But, as more trendy hotels with killer views, Michelinstar restaurants and award-winning spas open up, and others get expensive makeovers, the Lake District is becoming firmly in vogue.

WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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DESTINATION UK

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DESTINATION UK The Lake District, with its lush green hills, natural lakes and English charm, has always been a special place to visit. Granted, the area gets a lot of rain (those lakes don’t fill themselves you know) but it’s generally quieter than Devon or Cornwall in the high season and protected with UNESCO heritage status. What’s more, massive investment in hotels, restaurants and spas is seeing it have its day in the sun – don’t overlook it for a holiday this year.

LOW WOOD BAY RESORT & SPA

LODORE FALLS HOTEL & SPA

Ambleside Rd, Windermere LA23 1LP +44 333 220 3105 englishlakes.co.uk/low-wood-bay

Borrowdale Valley, Keswick CA12 5UX +44 17687 77285 lakedistricthotels.net/lodorefalls

The property:

The property:

The summer saw the opening of Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, an 18th century working farm-cumresort hotel right on Lake Windermere. Part of a multi-million pound investment by English Lakes Hotels, it’s the first of its kind to open on the lake itself, making the most of the watery views through floor-to-ceiling glass and large balconies. The property has 131 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a coffee and juice bar, a health club with a pool and gym, and a fantastic spa.

Nestled in the heart of the beautiful Borrowdale Valley, the Lodore Falls Hotel is named after the nearby Lodore waterfall and has recently re-opened after an extensive refit, including a brand new spa building with 11 bedrooms and a new Asian restaurant, Mizu.

All 82 rooms and suites in the main building have received a charming upgrade, too, as has the well revered 2AA Rosette Lake View restaurant.

The rooms:

Standard and Classic rooms overlook the fell and woodlands behind the hotel and have everything you need for a comfortable stay. Upgrade to a Lake View room for balconies overlooking the lake. All 11 luxury spa bedrooms in the new spa building are Scandi-inspired with large living areas, luxury bathrooms and outdoor spaces. Those on the ground floor have small private gardens; those on the upper floors large terraces with river views. You’ll find a complimentary bottle of prosecco in the fridge, too.

With seven categories to choose from, each individually styled, guests are sure to find a bedroom to suit them. Ranging from 18sq metres to 32sq metres, each room has king or twin beds, sumptuous carpets, Pure Lakes bathroom products, Fairtrade tea, fluffy robes and slippers, locally-sourced artwork and flatscreen smart TVs. Upgrade for rain showers, large bath tubs, balconies with lake views or separate lounges.

The food/drink: You can enjoy classic English cuisine or afternoon tea at The Windermere Restaurant which has oak wood panelling, ornate chandeliers and draped curtains. A typical three course dinner could include dressed Muncaster crab, slow-cooked shank of Lakeland lamb and summer pudding.

At the Blue Smoke on the Bay restaurant, dishes are cooked on a three metre centrally located wood fired grill. Watch as your aged steak is cooked to perfection before watching the sky change colour over the lake through full-height glass windows.

The spa: The Spa at Low Wood Bay is located on the former site of the stables and old dairy, but is a world away from farming. Both the indoor and outdoor areas have been designed to take advantage of the lake and mountain views, with some imaginative features thrown in – coconut-infused steam room anyone? There’s also a dry salt room, herbal lounge, hydro-pool and a relaxation space called The Greenhouse. Come evening, guests can stargaze from the bubbly comfort of the outdoor hot tub.

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The rooms:

The food/drink: Mizu (the Japanese name for water) is Lodore Fall’s new Pan Asian restaurant serving Japanese, Korean, Thai and Malaysian-inspired dishes. With the lake on one side and the waterfall on the other you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to views. The design is cool and simple with plenty of glass complemented by natural textures and materials. The property also has a 2AA Rosette Lake View restaurant with strong emphasis on local produce, as well as a Champagne bar and deli.

The spa: The Falls Spa opened in the autumn across the river from the hotel with five treatment rooms, a rasul and a thermal suite containing a laconium, aroma steam room, herbal sauna, salt room, ice fountain, drench showers and heated relaxation loungers. The star of the show is the 16 metre outdoor hydro-pool offering spectacular views across Derwentwater and the Catbells Mountain Range

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DESTINATION UK

“Built on a limestone outcrop within the hotel grounds, The Rock House is secluded and private, while The Turrets, a castellated property set against woodland just above the main house, comprises two elegant en-suite double bedrooms and a kitchen.”

NETHERWOOD HOTEL & SPA Lindale Road, Grange-over-Sands LA11 6ET +44 15395 32552 netherwood-hotel.co.uk

The property: The Netherwood Hotel & Spa is a sprawling grade II listed grey-stone Victorian mansion set in 15 acres of woodland and landscaped gardens, with spectacular views across Morecambe Bay. With just 28 bedrooms, one restaurant, a small gym and a brand new spa, it’s cosy and intimate. The hotel has the added benefit of a separate pre-wedding retreat, The Turrets and, within the hotel grounds, The Rock House, a separate house ideal for couples.

The rooms: Most of the 28 bedrooms in the main house have spectacular views across the Morecambe Bay estuary to the hills beyond, while the remainder overlook the woodland to the back of the hotel or the surrounding gardens. All are comfortable and wellequipped with mod cons. Built on a limestone outcrop within the hotel grounds, The Rock House is secluded and private, while The Turrets, a castellated property set against woodland just above the main house, comprises two elegant en-suite double bedrooms and a kitchen.

The food/drink: The hotel restaurant offers stunning lake views whether you’re enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The chef showcases the best local produce with specialities such as salt marsh lamb and Morecambe Bay seafood on the menu. There’s even a separate ‘Mini Hers and Sirs’ menu for children. Choose a tipple from the hotel’s own wine cellar which is extensively stocked with fine wines and Champagnes from around the world.

The spa: Access to Netherwood Hotel’s newly refurbished spa will cost £20 for three hours, just enough time to get around the traditional sauna, aroma steam room (with seasonally-rotating aromas), salt inhalation room, monsoon shower, ice fountain and hot tubs, of which there are three. Each hot tub is stylishly sunken into the ground. After a treatment, enjoy a manicure in the double nail bar with a glass of prosecco or relax in the snug with its soothing grey and cream hues, soft beanbags, candles and light refreshments.

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UK SURF SPOT

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UK SURF SPOT

CHALET SAUNTON,

DEVON

THE MODERN SURFER’S DREAM

Think surfing and it may well be images of Australian shores and Hawaiian beaches that spring to mind. Closer to home, surf spots in Europe abound, from France’s Biarritz to Portugal’s Peniche. But when you only have a weekend, or even a week, at your disposal, why waste any of that precious time queuing in airports, or diligently emptying your 100ml liquids into clear plastic bags, when Devon’s Croyde is home to world class surf right here in the UK? WORDS BY SARAH RODRIGUES

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B

asking in sunshine is not something that North Devon can guarantee and water temperatures bottom out at about 8C (although in August they can hit the high ‘teens). That said, advances in wetsuit technology have done wonders for making cold water activities more palatable, with thick neoprene and seamless suits cushioning the blow of the chill. If you’re new to the sport, Croyde’s consistent long waves are ideal for getting comfortable with its ‘tummy to knees to feet’ mechanics, and the area’s gradual shelving means that these occur at relatively shallow depths, so you can focus on the flow of your manoeuvres rather than fretting about being out of your depth with a large piece of foam and fibreglass attached to your ankle.

My early-noughties memories of surf weekends in Croyde involve shoddily erected tents and communal shower stalls with gritty floors, facts which were hardly conducive to making the squeeze into a damp wetsuit more bearable. If camping wasn’t your thing and budget allowed, there were a clutch of hotels and B&Bs, many of which boasted location, homeliness and epic views, but more palatial accommodation simply didn’t exist in this area of North Devon.

By contrast, Chalet Saunton, which we’re calling home for the weekend (longer if we can get away with hiding in the cupboard) is a masterpiece of modern sleekness; light filled and airy. Comprised of six three-bedroom apartments and a two-bedroom penthouse, it sits proudly above the broad sweep of Saunton Sands; the views of silvery sky, glistening beach and shifting tides are mesmerising and, thanks to

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floor to ceiling windows, uninterrupted.

obviously been eagerly awaited.

That the property is built on the site on which the family home of the developer formerly stood would be proof of the fact that there is genuine love, heart and soul in this offering, even if the interiors themselves didn’t make this so wonderfully apparent. Time in the London property sector has obviously left its mark on Tim Fleming and, by extension, on Chalet Saunton: think open plan living, seamless cabinetry, Scandi-style furnishings, cutting edge appliances, pendant lighting and blonde floorboards, beneath which radiant heating removes the need for a post-surf Ugg boot. It’s as far removed from the chintz and doilies that one might associate with a British beachside holiday cottage as can be - and, with occupancy hitting 90% in its very first August last year, it’s the embodiment of a style evolution that’s

As a local, Fleming was ideally positioned to anticipate that such a shift was on the horizon. “When I first started surfing in the early 90s, there were only a couple of us in the water and one or two Kombi vans in the carpark,” he recalls. “Now, you see Range Rovers, convertibles, and surfers of all ages and abilities. This new crowd aren’t here for cream teas and bingo; they’re affluent, fit and keen to make the most of their time on a weekend break from the city.”

And that time needs to be as pleasurable indoors as it is in the elements; indeed, thanks to those large windows and muted interior palette, which offer a soothing lack of distraction from the visual feast beyond, the separation between the two is minimised considerably. After an early

“Hosted by big wave surfers, these aim to guide participants through yoga, meditation, mindfulness and breathing techniques, complemented by wholesome and nutrient-dense meals, all of which combine to up your surfing game...”

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morning surf session, long hours are spent curled into the comfort of an armchair, with those seemingly infinite sands providing an almost constant distraction from even the most enthralling of books.

If you can’t be bothered to shoehorn yourself back into your wetsuit for an afternoon paddle, access to the beach is via a pathway leading directly from the Chalet’s landscaped gardens, which are complete with outdoor shower and space for hanging suits and stashing boards. Leisurely beach walks along those gleaming sands - impossibly vast when the tide sucks out - are a balm to the harried soul, even without the prospect of a luxurious, aromatherapy-infused soak in the master bedroom’s freestanding bathtub, accompanied by the locally made body products with which the housekeeper had greeted us.

Also contained within this welcome hamper were an array of breakfast goodies: mushrooms, bacon, butter, juice and breads. Self-catering is a concept that often makes my heart sink: if cooking for yourself and the troops on holiday isn’t a glum enough thought, then what about doing it in a kitchen that’s even smaller and less well-equipped than your one at home? The complete opposite is true here: the appliances are dazzlingly state of the art, right down to the climate-controlled wine fridge, and the design is of the seamless kind that lends itself perfectly to modern entertaining. And once again, there are those views: the vast dome of the sky darkening the wet sand to a dull titanium, on which miniature figures are mirrored as the last handfuls of surfers and strollers prepare to call it an evening.

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“...the appliances are dazzlingly state of the art, right down to the climate-controlled wine fridge, and the design is of the seamless kind that lends itself perfectly to modern entertaining...”

That said, there’s no end of choice when it comes to eating out, if the desire takes you. The convivial Thatch, in Croyde, does a roaring trade in post-beach beers, washing down burgers and nachos, while the award-winning King’s Arms, in nearby Georgeham, offers a more sophisticated vibe, with an excellent range of wines and a kitchen stocked by its own greenhouse nursery. About twenty minutes from Chalet Saunton, local chef Thomas Carr’s Michelin-starred restaurant, The Olive Room, has us tucking in to a six-course menu that moves from salmon and hake to Exmoor fillet of beef, each mouthful of which is perfectly executed and sublime.

Evidently, the level of sophistication that Chalet Saunton embodies is reflected in the wider area - not only in these upscale restaurants but also in recent additions like The Stores, a slick provisions emporium with options both for eating in and stocking up. It’s also apparent in the range of

wellness-based activities available. Surfing may once have been associated with a gnarly vernacular and the hard partying ways of ‘dudes’ but such pursuits now come, more commonly, with a generous dollop of self-improvement. To this end, guests at Chalet Saunton are able to book a private yoga instructor for the duration of their stay; alternatively, a handful of retreats are run throughout the year. Hosted by big wave surfers, these aim to guide participants through yoga, meditation, mindfulness and breathing techniques, complemented by wholesome and nutrient-dense meals, all of which combine to up your surfing game, improve your fitness and elongate muscles tired from taking on waves. In addition, yoga does incredible things for balance and core strength, both of which are key to achieving and maintaining that upright stance on the board.

Even if you’re not here for the surf - although with Croyde Surf Academy prom-

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UK SURF SPOT ising a free return lesson if you’re not standing by the end of your first one, it seems silly to not at least give it a go - yoga is now so finely woven into our zeitgeist that a lesson on the beach, offered by Bay Fitness in the summer months (classes are offered year-round in a variety of other nearby locations) is as alluring a morning prospect as coffee which, thanks also to the area’s coming of age, is now expertly barista-crafted. If finding your flow is something that heals and grounds you in a city studio environment, how much more blissful does it feel when you’re outside, washed by coastal light and salty air? On a windy morning, the grasses fringing the dunes are lashed into supinity in a way that says ‘inspo’ far more than any green-juice wielding Instagrammer: there’s a wild freedom to every pose that’s difficult to articulate; suf-

fice to say that, at the end of the session, my body feels like a previously withered, parched sponge which has, after a long wait, been immersed in life-affirming water.

Not everyone spending time in this haven of clean living will have their eyes on the same wellness ideals - after all, one person’s hashtag-bliss is another’s person’s hashtag-cringe.

But, whatever your attitudes to group activities, self-challenge, sun-salutation ... the joy of space is indisputable. At Chalet Saunton, you don’t need to stir from those heated floors to experience an expansive sky that’s uncluttered by high rises and soothes, simply by the fact of its existence. I wish I could wrap this view around me, like a protective cloak, on my return to the city.

“If finding your flow is something that heals and grounds you in a city studio environment, how much more blissful does it feel when you’re outside, washed by coastal light and salty air?”

WHERE TO STAY • Chalet Saunton - The Chalet, Saunton road, Braunton EX33 1LG - 01271 890514 - bookings@chaletsaunton.com - chaletsaunton.com Chalet Saunton’s three-bedroom apartments start from £400 per night (sleeping six) on a self-catering basis including a hamper of local deli produce on arrival.

ACTIVITIES • Bay Fitness - 07583 330 239 - hello@bayfitness.co.uk - bayfitness.co.uk Bay Fitness offer yoga, bootcamp, personal training, massage therapy and retreats.

• Croyde Surf Academy - Down End Car Park, Croyde Bay, North Devon EX33 1QE - 01271 320 218 - info@croydesurfacademy.com - croydesurfacademy.com Croyde Surf Academy runs individual and group lessons for everyone from absolute beginners to those looking to improve their skills. Coasteering and paddle boarding sessions are also available. A 2.5 hour adult group surf lesson is priced at £40 per person, including all equipment.

WHERE TO EAT • Thomas Carr at The Olive Room - 54 Fore St, Ilfracombe EX34 9DJ - 01271 867 831 - thomascarrdining.co.uk • The Stores - 1 St Mary’s Road, Croyde EX33 1LF - 01271 316 026 - thestorescroyde.co.uk • The Kings Arms - Chapel St, Georgeham, Braunton EX33 1JJ - 01271 890 240 - kingsarmsgeorgeham.co.uk • The Thatch - 14 Hobb’s Hill, Croyde, Braunton EX33 1LZ - 01271 890 349 - thethatchcroyde.co.uk

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DESTINATION EUROPE

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DESTINATION EUROPE

NEOPOLITAN BITES ON

THE AMALFI COAST

The preserve of the rich and famous during the swinging sixties, the Amalfi Coast may have lost its Hollywood status but it certainly hasn’t lost its charm. Stunning beaches, glistening marinas and houses the colour of ice-cream await visitors to Sorrento, Capri and Amalfi.

Image: © Davide Ragusa.

WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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DESTINATION EUROPE

If I could choose an era to be young and carefree in, it would definitely be the ‘60s. From the little dresses to the large, round sunglasses, and from the beehive hairdos to the Italian mopeds – not to mention the soulful music and iconic architecture – the whole decade simply has me fascinated. So where should a fanatic like me go on holiday other than the Italian Riviera, the playground of ‘60s Hollywood sirens? The answer is nowhere; the question is why I haven’t I been before?

Sultry Sorrento First stop: Sorrento, a small beach town with designer shops, top-notch restaurants, ice-cream parlours and – on our visit – sweltering heat. With mid-afternoon temperatures reaching 35C, the foyer of the Hilton Sorrento Palace, our home for the next week, was like a breath of fresh air. Upgrade to an executive room if you can – rooms are more spacious and modern, and you’ll get access to the Settimo Club Lounge, an infinity pool with sun beds, incredible views and a

‘help yourself’ bar. With the sun high in the sky, we spend our first day by the pool, sipping glasses of fizz and tucking into plates of Italian meats and cheeses. With facilities like this, who needs to leave?

But leave we do, into the balmy night to the pretty squares resplendent in lemon- and baby pink-coloured buildings seemingly put there to stop me meandering into yet another al fresco restaurant or courtyard bar for a cold beer.

Images (left to right): Capri - © Juanita de Paola, Amalfi - © Nellia Kurme, Capri - © Mauricio Artieda, Amalfi - © Tanner Larson.

Aside from its stunning vistas, one of the major reasons for heading to this part of the world is to get a real sense of difference – this area has incredible beaches, quaint towns and big cities all in one. Combine bustling Sorrento with upmarket Capri and tiny Amalfi - with its pastel-hued houses clinging to rock faces - and you’re in for a real treat (and that’s before mentioning the tasty gelato and easy on the eye locals). A friend and I hopped on a plane to Naples and spent a week hopping about.

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DESTINATION EUROPE

We slip down a narrow street and discover a charming courtyard with fairy lights wrapped around trees and gingham tablecloths laid out on tables for two. If something like this were in London, it would have its own Facebook page – not here; restaurants like this are two a penny.

Sipping glasses of white wine, we tuck into pizza so good I remember how it’s meant to taste - wood-fired thin crusts are smothered in tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella and decorated with a handful of peppery rocket. Simple but oh so tasty; I vow never to step inside a Pizza Hut again.

Isle of Plenty Capri is an island with money – think gleaming yachts, the odd celeb sighting and rock star mansions. This is where, in the 1960s, stylish ladies would whiz around in open top cars, their pretty headscarves flowing in the breeze.

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We head to the top deck of the ferry for our 90-minute journey to the island, the breeze playing with our hair as the glistening island comes into view. With a headscarf of my own, I wonder what it would be like to be Sophia Loren (a regular visitor in her heyday), on my way to lunch on a pricey yacht – then a gust of wind blows my scarf clean off and I’m left scurrying around the boat like a child trying to swat a fly. Not very Hollywood.

Once docked, we head to the nearest beach and drink a beer perched on a rock looking out to sea – the smell of

bright pink bougainvillea fills the air.

There isn’t much sand to speak of but I love watching the locals go about their beach routine: dipping in and out of the sea, smoking cigars and playing cards. We don’t see another tourist all day.

We end our trip to Capri with creamy gelato from an authentic parlour with stripy canopy. With 100 flavours to choose from, it takes a good while to make a decision, but my scoop of apple and cinnamon tastes just like green apples with a hint of spicy warmth.

“...leave we do, into the balmy night to the pretty squares resplendent in lemon- and baby pink-coloured buildings seemingly put there to stop me meandering into yet another al fresco restaurant...”

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DESTINATION EUROPE

The best way to reach Amalfi, much to my delight, is by scooter; my eyes light up as I inspect the line of shiny Vespas in different shades available to hire. I choose a duck egg blue one and, despite having no clue how to ride it, I can’t hide my excitement.

My friend is less than enthusiastic.

A few turns around the car park though and we have it sussed. “Just be careful you don’t wobble over the edge,” cries the owner as we zoom off.

As we head through the tiny town of Positano - with its colourful houses clinging for dear life to the cliff edge, and sheer drops the other side - I finally get what he means. At one point, the road is so steep I wonder if I should off and push; at others, I feel like I want to duck in case a precarious-looking building falls on top of me. Thankfully the views are a welcome distraction, and simply breathtaking – each turn providing a different vista: craggy cliffs one minute; glistening water the next.

As we arrive into Amalfi, we don’t need to get a map out and look for a beach – there is one right in front of us. Elegant older ladies are chatting away, their fingernails painted in bright shades of red and pink. I catch the eye of a friendly-looking lady and try to imagine what her life would have been like in the '60s. Part of me is tempted to go and ask her more about the decade that has enthralled me since I was a child but, as a storm threatens to chase us off the beach, I decide against it. Besides, I think I would rather dream.

HOW TO DO IT WHEN TO GO Spring and summer are the best times to visit this part of Italy – try and avoid August when the mercury can hit 40C. GETTING THERE • Easyjet flies direct to Naples from London Gatwick, Stansted, London Luton and Liverpool | www.easyjet.com • Ryanair flies direct to Naples from Stansted and East Midlands www.ryanair.com • British Airways flies direct to Naples from London Gatwick www.britishairways.com •Thomas Cook Airlines flies direct to Naples from London Gatwick and Manchester | www.thomascookairlines.co.uk Flight times take between two and three hours.

GETTING AROUND • Buses operate between Naples, Positano and Sorrento from Naples central bus station • Ferries and hydrofoils operate regular services between Naples, Sorrento, Capri and Amalfi • Visitors can hire scooters to get around – ensure you have a valid driving licence and ask to borrow a helmet .

WHERE TO STAY • Hilton Sorrento Palace - Via Sant’Antonio, 13, 80067 Sorrento +39 81 878 4141 | www3.hilton.com WHAT TO DO • In Sorrento: Get dressed up and head to the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria for a glass of Limoncello overlooking the Bay of Sorrento. Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren have all enjoyed a drink on this terrace Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria Piazza Torquato Tasso, 34 80067 Sorrento +39 081 877 7111 | excelsiorvittoria.eu • In Capri: Have lunch at Ristorante Add‘O Riccio, a cliff-top restaurant where the views are almost as tasty as the seafood dishes served Ristorante Add‘O Riccio Via Vignola, 3, 80071 Anacapri +39 81 837 1396 • In Amalfi: Head to the town’s only sandy beach, Vietri sul Mare, located at the foot of the Monte San Liberatore mountain.

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Images (top to bottom): Sorrento - © Alicia Steels, © Brooke Lark, Positano - © Ricardo Gomez.

A ride to remember

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USA

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USA

48-HOURS OF FOOD IN

DALLAS & FORT WORTH

Image: Deep Ellum.

WORDS BY ROB TINDALL

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

WHAT TO DO – DALLAS ......................................................................................

SIP AFTER HOURS IN DEEP ELLUM Deep Ellum is the largest entertainment district in the region, featuring more than 60 restaurants, 20 music venues and 30 shops. The neighbourhood cannot hide its artsy side, with street art, graffiti, sculpture gardens, public art exhibitions and art galleries. Travellers must visit the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market, where visitors can shop for art from local artists and vendors while listening to live music. Then head over to Revolver Taco Lounge, where the Revolver Margarita (a stop along the iconic Margarita Mile) is a perfect companion to the al pastor taco, topped with grilled pineapple, onion and cilantro.

GARDEN TASTINGS Visitors can temporarily turn their back on Downtown Dallas to get lost in the mass display of blooming flowers, azaleas and Japanese cherry blossoms in the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The garden is known for its spectacular seasonal displays - tulips bloom in the spring and pumpkins and gourds in the fall – and A Tasteful Place, the arboretum’s edible display garden offering daily tastings of local seasonable produce, cooking demonstrations and spectacular views of the Dallas skyline.

KICK BACK AND RELAX

WHAT TO DO - FORT WORTH ......................................................................................

EXPERIENCE WHISKEY WITH A CYCLING TWIST Explore the amazing craft brewery scene in Fort Worth on the 6-Pack Trail Bike Cruise and Craft Beer tour. The tour is led by knowledgeable Beer Guides that will give cyclers the lowdown at each trail stop, where cyclers will enjoy beer/ cider tastings and craft their own 6-pack of 8 oz.

STOCKYARDS NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT EXPERIENCE ICONIC STEAK IN THE OLD WEST Experience the Old West and its iconic dining experiences in Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. Dress up in cowboy gear, boots and a Stetson before heading to the world’s only twice daily cattle drive to see local cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns down Exchange Avenue or watch the world’s oldest running rodeo and livestock show.

EXPLORE SUNDANCE SQUARE Featuring 35-blocks of entertainment, Sundance Square is the country’s liveliest urban setting, showcasing world-class dining, live-music, dining and entertainment.

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Images (top to bottom): Dallas Arboretum, Woodshed Patio Dining, Margarita Mile Revolver Taco.

Kick back, relax and enjoy live music while sipping on one of the best margaritas in the heart of Dallas at The Rustic.

The frozen Rimy Rita is a fan favourite thanks to the perfect blend of Dulce Vida Lime tequila, raspberry liquor, Cointreau and a sangria popsicle for an extra pop of flavour.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

“Dress up in cowboy gear, boots and a Stetson before heading to the world’s only twice daily cattle drive to see local cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns down Exchange Avenue...”

WHERE TO EAT – DALLAS ......................................................................................

START REFRESHED Start the day refreshed at Tribal All Day Cafe in Bishops Arts District (a haven for hipsters and avant-garde) for hearty bowls and all-day breakfasts. Their food looks lovely and makes visitors feel that way too, with breakfast burritos, açaí bowls, delicious smoothies and much more. They are inspired by the conscious consumer – only serving cage free eggs and sustainable cheeses from local farms with happy chickens and cows. Afterwards explore the Bishops Arts District’s numerous independent boutiques and art galleries.

AN ICONIC LUNCH

FOR SOMETHING SWEET Head to Emporium Pies and indulge in handmade pies which change with the seasons. A favourite, known to bring a smile when it arrives each autumn, is the Cloud Nine a creme pie with salted caramel, butterscotch custard and brown sugar meringue.

WHERE TO EAT - FORT WORTH ......................................................................................

A BREAKFAST UNLIKE ANY OTHER There is a reason why the Swiss Pastry Shop is always filled with locals and regulars. The award-winning breakfast spot serves classic egg-and-pancake dishes, omelettes filled with meat and cheese, divine French toast and iconic biscuits with gravy.

Image: © OCVB.

Images (top to bottom): Omni Pool Fort Worth, Dallas Arboretum, Emporium Pies.

Renowned as the birthplace of ‘The World’s First Frozen Margarita Machine’ in 1971, innovation has always been at home in Mariano’s Hacienda. Here travellers can rediscover fresh flavours with the signature Frozen Sunburst Margarita (the first Margarita Mile stop) featuring tequila infused with strawberry and mango purée. The restaurant uses fresh, locally sourced and quality ingredients to create flavourful Texas ranch cuisine.

All images ©OCVB.

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Image: Margarita Mile Mariano’s.

USA

“The unique 8-foot cantilevered pool gives guests the sensation of swimming beyond the hotels edge, while overlooking the hustle of downtown...”

AWARD-WINNING DINING Overlooking the stunning Sundance Square, the award-winning Bird Café is known for its fried chicken breast, poached eggs, homestead grits and jalapeño gravy, as well as its signature Bird Mimosa served every weekend.

TYPICAL TEXAS DINING The H3 Ranch, the iconic steakhouse in Fort Worth’s Stockyards National Historic District, keeps its diners returning with its wide-ranging menu and excellent selection of steaks, ribs and hearty sides. After a meal here, walk to the Stockyards Hotel for a drink at the bar and remark at the iconic stools which resemble saddles.

SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE UNUSUAL At the Woodshed Smokehouse, the guests prefer a breakfast that is far more adventurous than just avocado on toast. For those wanting to try something a little different, the restaurant offers mouth-watering bone broth and low-and-slow smoked beef shin, as well as rabbit and rattlesnake sausage.

WHERE TO STAY ......................................................................................

THE JOULE HOTEL – DALLAS The Joule is a revitalised 1920’s neo-Gothic landmark resort set in the heart of Dallas’ central business district.

With a world-class pool and spa, dramatic art installations, unique retail boutiques, clever design, award-winning food and drinks and some of the best service in town, The Joule is seen as the culture epicentre of downtown. The unique 8-foot cantilevered pool gives guests the sensation of swimming beyond the hotels edge, while overlooking the hustle of downtown and Main Street below. The heated pool gives the expression ‘hanging out by the pool’ a whole new meaning.

OMNI - FORT WORTH Omni Fort Worth Hotel is a stunning blend of progressive luxury and Western spirit, located in the heart of Fort Worth’s exciting downtown. Take a dive in the heated rooftop swimming pool, relax on the poolside tanning deck, dine out in the heart of city or enjoy the outdoor hot tub.

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DALLAS • Deep Ellum Outdoor Market 100-199 N Crowdus St, Dallas 75226 outdoormarket@deepellumtexas.com • Revolver Taco Lounge 2701 Main St, Dallas 75226 +1 214-272-7163 | revolvertacolounge.com • A Tasteful Place at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden 8525 Garland Rd, Dallas 75218 +1 214-515-615 | dallasarboretum.org • The Rustic 3656 Howell St, Dallas 75204 +1 214-730-0596 | therustic.com • Tribal All Day Cafe 263 N Bishop Ave, Dallas 75208 +1 469-776-8003 | livetribal.com • Mariano’s Hacienda Dallas 6300 Skillman St J, Dallas 75231 +1 214-691-3888 | laharanch.com • Emporium Pies 2708 Main St #110, Dallas 75226 (and other locations) emporiumpies.com STAY • The Joule 1530 Main St, Dallas 75201 +1 214-748-1300 | www.thejouledallas.com FORT WORTH • 6-Pack Trail Bike Cruise & Craft Beer Tour 6packtrail.com • Swiss Pastry Shop 3936 W Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth 76107 +1 817-732-5661 | swisspastryonline.com • Bird Café 155 E 4th St, Fort Worth 76102 +1 817-332-2473 | birdinthe.net • H3 Ranch 109 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth 76164 +1 817-624-1246 | h3ranch.com • Stockyards Hotel 109 E. Exchange Avenue, Fort Worth 76164 +1 800-423-8471 | stockyardshotel.com • Woodshed Smokehouse 3201 Riverfront Dr, Fort Worth 76107 +1 817-877-4545 | woodshedsmokehouse.com STAY • Omni Fort Worth Hotel 1300 Houston St, Fort Worth 76102 +1 817-535-6664 | omnihotels.com/hotels/fort-worth

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36 HOURS IN

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36 HOURS IN

36 HOURS IN

BRUGES The city of cobbles, canals and chocolate shops - also known as the “Venice of the North” – is a delight to visit at any time of the year. We show you how to get the most out of the city in 36 hours.

Image: Jan D Hondt.

WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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36 HOURS IN

TOUCHING DOWN Let the train take the strain on the Eurostar from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet International to Brussels Midi (around two hours). From here, it’s a quick hop to Bruges. Alternatively, fly to Brussels and complete the journey by rail, changing at Brussels Nord station. British Airways, BMI, Brussels Airlines and Flybe all fly direct to Brussels from a variety of airports.

MORNING Start the day with breakfast in your hotel or guesthouse – the Belgians know how to put on a good spread with a selection of yoghurts, homemade breads, cheeses, meats, eggs to order and, if you luck out, waffles, which in some places you can make yourself by pouring pre-made mixture into a machine (oh the joy).

It’s hard to get lost in a city this small but getting lost is also half the fun. Spend a good few hours wandering the historic medieval streets and taking it all in. Bruges is relatively carfree so you can walk at will (although watch out for bicycles) and window shop.

All streets will eventually lead you to Markt, the main square, where most of the tourist attractions sit. Climb the 366 steps of The Belfry of Bruges to get a stunning view of the city - on the way up, catch your breath at the treasury, where you’ll see Bruges’ celebrated carillon with 47 bells.

Back down, grab a coffee at The Gulliver Tree, a little coffee house just off the main square, where you can sit and plot your next move.

A rickshaw is a great way to see parts of the city you wouldn’t usually get to – and it gives your feet a rest. Guides speak good English and allow you to get off and take photographs.

My guide effortlessly cycled me along several canals, over tiny bridges and to the Lake of Love, which is really worth stopping to get a shot of, before returning me back to Markt.

AFTERNOON For lunch on the go, nothing beats the little carts dotted around the city selling waffles, chips and homemade lemonade. My triple cooked chips doused in mayonnaise were hot and delicious, and cheap as, erm, chips.

For an afternoon of culture, you could either visit the Chocolate Museum or the Diamond Museum (or both); both are centrally located and worth a look.

EVENING My hotel of choice on this visit is Hotel Van Cleef, which sits handsomely on the banks of the main canal. However, Bruges is stuffed with more quirky B&Bs than you can shake a morning baguette at, many on gorgeous historic streets or beside small stretches of canal – shop around before booking (the Canal Deluxe B&B comes highly recommended).

I start my evening with a drink in the hotel bar which has a large terrace facing the water. Watch the boats come in and out as they take passengers on a canal tour – a highlight for me and something I highly recommend despite the queues at high season (there are several jumping on and off points all over the city so walk to the next one if lines are long).

Evening meals really depend on the weather – if it’s warm,

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don’t miss the opportunity to sit outside at a bistro, either in a pretty square or canal-side. If it’s cold, there are plenty of cosy options to choose from.

As it’s a pleasant evening, I brave the elements and sit outside at Brasserie Uilenspiegal which has uninterrupted views of the canal and an incredible menu of muscles, stews, croques, salads and waffles. My steaming bowl of muscles cooked in Belgian beer was just what the doctor ordered.

If you aren’t too full or tired from a day of walking, a visit to the modern Concert Auditorium to watch a classical musical performance might well be music to your ears.

DAY 2 MORNING Every time you turn a corner in this city, you come face-toface with another stunning piece of architecture – Saint-Salvator Cathedral is no exception. Sitting demurely off the main square since 1834, a walk around the inside, with its incredible stained glass windows and ornate flourishes, is a really good way to spend a morning (particularly if it’s hot outside). Light a candle and think of a loved one, or make a wish.

Good deed done, it’s time to shop. Put your back to the cathedral and cross the road into Bruges’ main shopping street, where you’ll find Mango, H&M, an Apple store and many more well-known names. For traffic-free shopping, head back down the lanes and just mooch – you’ll find shops selling entire walls of beer, souvenirs, quirky homewares and clothes as well as, of course, chocolate.

No trip to Bruges is complete without pressing your nose up to the window of some of the prettiest chocolate shops (and heading inside). Keep your tongue in your mouth as you buy presents to take home (or just select a few pieces to nibble on) on nearby Katelijnestraat. Here, you’ll find Pralinique de Bruges at no. 25, Verheecke at no. 22 and Sukerbuyc at no. 5, the city’s oldest chocolate shop.

If chocolate isn’t your thing you can drop into Chez Albert on the same street and order a waffle to go. This is a favourite spot among locals who eat theirs with strawberries and cream, chocolate sauce and ice-cream or plain with a drop of syrup. Ask them to put a little Belgian flag in it and take a photo for Instagram – you won’t be the first (or the last).

AFTERNOON Beer is king in Bruges too, and a brewery tour is a good way to learn how the dark stuff is made – and get the afternoon off to a good start with some tastings. Try the Half Moon Brewery which has been run by the Maes family for centuries.

Don’t move a muscle… the Half Moon serves food too, in a light and airy restaurant with about 20 moose heads of different sizes on the far wall (I didn’t ask if they were real).

Go for the a la carte menu and tuck into three courses for 30€. Choosing the beer soup with ham and cheese to start was something of a risk but well worth it. End the evening, and indeed your tour of Bruges, like the start – with another waffle. Just like the city itself, they are warm, made with love and something I just can’t get enough of.tt

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Images (clockwise from top right): Jan D Hondt, Jan D Hondt, Jan D Hondt, Mourad Mokrane.

DAY 1

HOW TO DO IT Getting there • Eurostar - eurostar.com • British Airways - ba.com • BMI - flybmi.com • Brussels Airlines - brusselsairlines.com • Flybe - flybe.com See/Do • The Chocolate Museum - choco-story.be • The Diamond Museum - diamondmuseum.be • Pralinique - pralinique.be

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• Sukerbuyc - sukerbuyc.be • The Half Moon Brewery - halvemaan. be • Concert Hall - concertgebouw.nl/en Eat/Drink • The Gulliver Tree - thegullivertree.be • Uilenspiegel Brasserie - uilenspiegelbrugge.be • Chez Albert - +32 50 95 00 09 Hotels • Hotel Van Cleef - hotelvancleef.be • Canal Deluxe - canaldeluxe.com

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WELLNESS HOLIDAY

FIVE SMALL BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN

ANDALUSIA

Image: Hotel Cortijo del Marques.

FOR YOUR OWN WELLNESS HOLIDAY

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WELLNESS HOLIDAY

It’s a must. It’s all the rage. Fitness holidays, spa breaks, wellness retreats, boot camps, I get the need. To be well in mind, body and spirit, is a must. A healthy break can be both a holiday and a wellness and/or fitness boost at the same time. You work hard, play hard and that precious time off is so important. Don’t make the mistake of using your precious free time on a stay that makes you need a holiday at the end of it.

WORDS BY RACHEL WEBB

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What is wellness? Back in 1948 The World Health Organization (WHO) stated it’s about striving toward “physical, mental, and social well-being” and is “not merely the absence of disease.”

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WELLNESS HOLIDAY

I

n 1976 Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute in the US, developed the wellness model ‘six dimensions of health’ which included physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, and social. A statement released by the Australian Psychological Association in 2008 affirmed, “It is clear that the well-being and integrity of natural ecosystems and the biophysical environment are integral to human health and well-being.”

There is something special, restorative about being outside, spending time in nature that somehow slows us down. Which is probably why walking, jogging or cycling in the great outdoors gives back far more than sessions indoors in a gym or even swimming.

What is the answer? Combine both. A getaway with nature and your own-planned wellness holiday or fitness break. If you run, do yoga, hike, mountain bike or feel the need for time to think and disconnect it’s time to plan your own retreat.

Where better than the blue skies of Andalusia in the south of Spain ? With, the statistics say, over 300 days of sunshine a year, I’ve lived here since 1996 and would bet there are more.

Really rural Andalusia is a great choice. It’s not hard to find swathes of pristine countryside, natural parks and national parks. What is much more difficult is narrowing down the wealth of beautiful, small boutique hotels.

So I’ve been province hopping to bring you five of my favourites from the very west of Andalusia, near Portugal to the lesser known province of Huelva to the better known ones of Cordoba, Granada and Malaga.

Don’t be deceived by thinking ‘I know those cities’. Each one is both city, and wonderful they are, but also provinces with vast areas of natural beauty and ruggedness too. So let’s take a quick look at the region of Andalusia, which I am still exploring.

HOTEL MOLINO LA NAVA Hotel Molino la Nava is an ancient olive oil mill located and surrounded by the olive groves of Cordoba province. It’s about 45 minutes from the city, which is a must visit, by car. Unsurprisingly it is not only surrounded by olive groves, but smack bang in the middle of them, but with another bonus: it is on the GR48 walking route, which makes it ideal for walkers, joggers and cyclists.

Molino la Nava is also a dark sky area in a registered Starlight Reserve, due to the vast expanse of unlit countryside, so bring a telescope or book a Stargazing Night session with an enormous telescope (this needs reserving in advance). A hotel for lovers of peace, silence, darkness and nature.

Head into Cordoba city to Hammam Baths

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for a real pampering with a choice of massages and hot, warm and cold baths.

HOTEL CORTIJO DEL MARQUES To the north of Granada province and about 20 minutes drive from the city is the fabulously restored Cortijo del Marques. an ancient manor house with a long history. Traces of Roman and Moorish occupation have been found here and it also has its own chapel, once used by the noble landowners and their workers. It’s a perfect base for walking, hiking or mountain biking with horse riding available nearby.

If you want to explore inland Andalusia on your non-active days it’s just a few kilometres from a main road and a perfect position for a day visit to Granada. For a Turkish or Arab Baths experience you must visit the soul-restoring Hammam Al Ándalus in the old part of the city.

HOTEL FUENTE DEL SOL Separating the coast from inland Malaga and behind the Montes de Málaga mountain range you’ll find Hotel Fuente del Sol, a gloriously situated rural hotel with an outdoor swimming pool and indoor spa with heated salt pool, sauna, jacuzzi and Scottish shower for peace and well-being.

If you fancy some phyiscal activity there’s an indoor gym or outside in the beautiful countryside bikes are available for hire or guided horse riding will take you over stunning terrain including the Karst landscape of El Torcal.

The very charming and well-worth visiting town of Antequera is nearby and both Granada and Cordoba make excellent day trips.

FINCA LA FRONDA Next we go west to the wilds of the Sierra de Aracena & Picos de Aroche Natural Park in Huelva province. Close to the Portuguese border, winding country lanes and sweet chestnut and cork trees accompany your exercise routes here. Finca la Fronda is a small and beautiful remote spot for country lovers, seekers of peace and ideal for running, hiking or biking. Surrounded by trees, this is a real tree huggers retreat and is perfect for a bit of Shinrin-yoku ‘forest bathing’, the latest fad from Japan, said to calm both the body and the mind.

Finca la Fronda is also in a dark sky Starlight Reserve, think black skies and millions of sparkling stars overhead. Private stargazing/ astronomy evenings can also be reserved here.

LA CASA GRANDE DE ZUJAIRA Not so rural is the newly opened, beautifully restored house of nobles La Casa Grande de

Zujaira. Located in a tiny town near Granada city in the flat area known as La Vega yet surrounded by sierras – mountain ranges. The owner, Lis, is a mountain bike aficionado, and happily shares his favourite routes, one of which is a cycle around the surrounding mountains with views of the Unesco listed Alhambra Palace.

Whatever your level of cycling ability, bikes will be rented to you and route difficulties and lengths planned. Relaxing, walking or heading into the city of Granada are possibly a must as well. This is the land walked by poet Federico García Lorca, his birthplace and museum are just minutes away too, you may need two weeks here.

There are many more natural areas and beautiful hotels in the vast region of Andalusia.

Along with almost guaranteed sunshine, it is the perfect location to escape into vast swathes of countryside. Spain’s largest Natural Park is in Jaén province to the north of the region but with 18% of Andalusia being protected areas and fifty per cent of its land mass being mountainous or sierras there is no shortage of space or peace and solitude.

Which makes wellness and getting back to nature a near impossibility. Peace, nature and a boutique stay... what more is there?

WHERE TO FIND THEM • Hotel Rural Molino la Nava Camino La Nava, 6, 14600 Montoro, Córdoba +34 957 33 60 41 molinonava.com • Hotel Cortijo del Marques Camino del Marqués s/n A44, exit 108, 18220 Albolote, Granada +34 958 34 00 77 cortijodelmarques.com/en/ • Hotel Fuente del Sol Paraje Rosas Bajas, s/n, 29260 La Joya, Málaga +34 670 467 210 hotelfuentedelsol.com • Finca la Fronda Ctra HU8105 Km 24,200, 21340 Alájar, Huelva +34 959 501 247 fincalafronda.com/en/ • La Casa Grande de Zujaira Calle Enriqueta de Castilla número 10, Zujaira Granada 18291 +34 653 27 81 59 lacasagrandedezujaira.es

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EASTERN EUROPE

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EASTERN EUROPE

THE BEST OF

EASTERN EUROPE’S CAPITAL CITIES From ballet to culture and history to spas, Eastern Europe’s capital cities have it all - and that’s before mentioning the architecture, cafés, nightlife, food and drink, and shopping. You won’t find any beasts in these eastern beauties.

Image: National Museum of Romanian History, Bucharest by Diego Delso.

WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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EASTERN EUROPE

From ballet to culture and history to spas, Eastern Europe’s capital cities have it all - and that’s before mentioning the architecture, cafés, nightlife, food and drink, and shopping. You won’t find any beasts in these eastern beauties.

Head to: St Petersburg For… ballet Ever since St Petersburg set the stage for the original Nutcracker, ballet has found a warm welcome in Russia. Some of the most influential dancers of the 20th century come from, or were trained in, St Petersburg, including Anna Pavlova – one of the most celebrated ballerinas of all time.

The country continues to look for the ballet stars of the future, with scouts regularly on the hunt for young talent at Russia’s ballet companies, academies and theatres. If you want to be a ballet dancer, you’d do well to come to St Petersburg.

watching a performance by the Mariinsky Ballet Company at the Mariinsky Theatre. This monumental neoclassical building is where The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty were first staged; an evening here doesn’t just allow visitors the chance to see some of the best ballet in the world but marvel at one of the most impressive auditoriums, with its gold accents and huge chandeliers. Drive past the lit-up building at night and your nose is sure to be pushed against the window.

Other leading ballet venues in St Petersburg include the Mikhailovsky and the Alexandrinsky Theatres, both built in the 1830s. It’s here that international ballet companies come to perform with a year-round schedule of traditional and modern ballet.

No visit to the city would be complete, therefore, without

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Head to: Budapest For… spas Budapest doesn’t just have a river running through it (Buda sits on one side and Pest on the other) but natural thermal springs bubbling away underneath. Known as the ‘City of Spas’ Budapest has 118 springs providing 70 million litres of warm water a day, meaning you can comfortably sit in it until you prune.

Rich in calcium, magnesium, sodium and low-concentrates of salt, the waters are said to have healing properties, and are of particular benefit to those suffering from joint pain - even a short bath can significantly revitalise the whole body.

Budapest’s thermal waters were first enjoyed by the Romans as early as the 2nd century, but it was only during the Turkish occupation of Hungary in the 16th century that the bath culture really started flourishing.

Today, there are 15 public thermal baths in Budapest, not counting the private thermal spas established in some lux-

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ury hotels which use the therapeutic waters in their treatments.

The Rudas Baths, built in the 1500s, hosts parties on Friday and Saturday nights with music and special light effects. For something more relaxing, head to the Csillaghegyi Baths which are located in a park - during the summer months, families come here to relax, sunbathe and read a book in the warm, rejuvenating waters.

Head to: Bucharest For… culture Romania’s capital is a melting pot of architecture, art, coffee shops, music and literary offerings, making it perfect for culture-vultures.

Once known as the “Paris of the east” thanks to its Art Nouveau architecture and grand municipal buildings (the city even has a building that looks just like the Arc de Triomphe), the town now displays a thought provoking hotchpotch of architecture. Of particular interest is the

Images (left to right): Mariinsky Theatre (St Petersburg by A. Savin), St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral, (Kiev by Petar Milošević), Alexandrinsky Theatre, (St Petersburg by Alex ‘Florstein’ Fedorov).

EASTERN EUROPE

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EASTERN EUROPE

If you love books, make a beeline for Cărturești Carusel, an independent shop selling books, stationery, gifts and vinyl in a building so pretty you won’t know whether to stare at the rows of literary offerings or the ceiling. Stop for coffee on the top floor between browsing, or simply wander around the old town and marvel at the huge number of hipster coffee shops, each roasting their own beans.

And if that wasn’t enough, visitors can row on a lake in a pretty park during the summer months, get sloshed in a traditional beer hall while tucking into local grub, watch live music at the city’s equivalent of the Royal Albert Hall and go in search of Dracula in nearby Snagov. What’s not to love?

Head to: Bratislava For… music With two opera houses, several live music venues and festivals showcasing local and international talent, Slovakia’s capital is music-lover’s delight.

The Slovak National Theatre, constructed between 1884 and 1886, hosts a variety of International opera in its classic Neo-Renaissance building. Tickets go for a song, too, with some costing as little as £2.25 per person.

The new Opera House, which is an extension of the Slovak National Theatre, opened in 2007 by the glistening Danube; it’s a modern building with stunning acoustics. 2019 will see operatic performances of Carmen and La Traviata performed here.

More classical music can be enjoyed at the annual Bratislava Music Festival with anything from soloists to Philharmonic orchestras on the roster.

If classical music isn’t your thing, you’ll find anything from jazz to rock and folk music to pop played in over 20 venues around

the city. Head to Flame to watch emerging talent, Barrock for DJs, Bon Bon for jazz, Café Studio Club for unplugged concerts, Fuga for electronic sounds, Kafé Scherz for blues, Korzo for concerts played on an outdoor terrace and Luna for underground tribute bands.

Youngsters wishing for a career in music can attend the city’s excellent Academy of Performing Arts or Zigo School of Music, a high school especially for budding musicians.

Head to: Kiev For… history Thought to have been founded by three brothers and a sister in the late 6th century, Ukraine’s capital has a long and fascinating history. Almost completely destroyed during World War II, the city was restored around the mid- 1950s, rising by the 20th century to become a well-developed economic hub. The country separated from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Once the administrative centre of ancient Rus, Kiev is also where Orthodoxy was chosen as the religion of the Slavs. Evidence of this historic event can be seen in the city’s St. Sophia’s Cathedral, one of the most beautiful examples of early Rus-Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture with its white façade, jade green domes and golden spires.

Other historical relics in the central area include the ruins of the Golden Gate, built in the 11th century during the reign of Yaroslav and the Zaborovsky Gate, built in 1746–48.

Perhaps the most notable historical site of the 21st century is Maidan Nezalezhnosti, known as Independence Square. This served as the centre of the Euromaidan protest movement that led to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych being deposed in February 2014.

Head along the top of the riverbank to the Pecherskyi district and you’ll find many of the principal buildings of the Ukranian government, too, including the glass-domed palace and the 10-storey block that houses the Cabinet of Ministers.

HOW TO DO IT ST PETERSBURG

BUDAPEST

• Mariinsky Theatre - mariinskiy.com • Mikhailovsky Theatre - mikhailovsky.ru/en • Alexandrinsky Theatre - en.alexandrinsky.ru

• The Rudas Baths - rudasbaths.com Csillaghegyi Baths - en.csillaghegyifurdo.hu

BUCHAREST

• Slovak National Theatre - snd.sk/en • Flame - flame.sk • Barrock

•Cărturești Carusel - carturesticarusel.ro

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BRATISLAVA

- medusagroup.sk • Bon Bon Jazz Bar - facebook.com/ bonbonjazz/ • Café Studio Club - cafestudio.info • Fuga - fuga.forumabsurdum.sk • Kafe Scherz - kafe.scherz.sk • Korzo - korzorestaurant.sk • Luna - lunabar.sk

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Images: Cărturești Carusel (Bucharest by Mihai Petre), The Palace of the Parliament (Bucharest by Dennis Jarvis).

Memorial of Rebirth on Revolution Square - a 25 metre-high blood-soaked marble obelisk piercing through a basket-like structure. Love it or hate it, it’s a must-see.

DESTINATION UK

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TURQUOISE COAST

FOUR REASONS TO TAKE A TRIP TO

THE TURKISH RIVIERA

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TURQUOISE COAST

The Turkish Riviera, also known as the Turquoise Coast, combines a pleasant climate, warm sea, beautiful scenery, picturesque beaches and many archaeological sites, making this stretch of Turkey’s coastline a popular tourist destination.

WORDS BY GARETH DAVIES

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Image: Patrick Neil.

TURQUOISE COAST

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TURQUOISE COAST

“On the beach we would savour this coast’s eternal simplicity.

We set out our garden-grown almonds and olives, poured a drink and for the umpteenth time wondered at that perfect, timeless view, as the sun sank over the bay.”

F

or many miles our road around Turkey’s Turquoise Riviera had been in full wow factor mode, curling around headlands and inlets, switchbacking over pine-clad heights.

“Beautiful sea”, said our driver by way of unnecessary commentary, with an enthusiastic gesture to the shimmering, deep blue Aegean, studded with little verdant islands.

The surprise is that this landscape, green mountain slopes plunging down to a scattering of shorefront villages and beaches, even survives in this busy tourist region, under two hours from Dalaman Airport. We owe eternal gratitude to the authorities who did not repeat the mistakes of Spain and the South of France and made sure mass tourism development in this south west corner was restricted to holiday resorts like Bodrum, Altınkum and Marmaris.

This crinkly coast is sprinkled with many good examples of alternative, small-scale tourism, boutique hotels and discreet highend resorts tucked away in peaceful corners.

The rise of Airbnb, in particular, has made it easy to find somewhere secluded, for stays as short or long as you like. Are these little places, well away from the bustling towns, the shape of the new Turkish holiday?

We stay at an Airbnb property, built by its British owner in the local style, with local labour and materials, on the site of derelict cottages in a coastal village on the Loryma peninsula. Our only rule was: get up early.

That pre-dawn hour, especially in the summer, is a magical interlude. We would make our preparations in the golden-creamy light, when the slightest countryside sound floats for miles in the still, syrupy air.

First we set the stone table on the patio with the bounty of the village market - local figs, yoghurt, honey, almonds, water melon. The menemen - an omelet of onion, tomato and green peppers - was made with eggs laid by chickens that had been our dawn chorus. We would break the village bread into hunks and prepare the coffee.

Then it was time for the daily sensation, which we could time to the second. Just before seven the sun would steal up behind the ring of peaks that encircle the village. For a few splendid seconds the great glowing orb balanced on a pinnacle. Then it surged up in a burst of gold. Breakfast could begin.

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There was always an easy day ahead. Our house did not have a swimming pool; such extravagance would be quite out of place.

Besides, how could a chlorinated dip compare with basking in waters that could have been distilled to an original recipe by the Greek gods?

There is no road to our favourite beach. We followed a path worn smooth by centuries of feet and donkeys’ hooves, down a tight, green, shaded ravine. It is cool even in high summer, refreshed by a spring-fed stream that never seems to dry up.

Our destination was an enclosed bay flanked by mountains, yet another from an endless list of deserted coves you would struggle to find on a map, let alone in a guide book. On a day in high summer you might spot no more than a dozen people, local and visitors.

No clue that we were in this, or any other century, as far back to the Ancient Greeks.

Bits of their columns and temples are liberally and casually scattered along this coast.

Apart from the odd communications mast, it has changed little since the Persians routed the Spartans off Cnidus (present-day Knidos) in 394 BC. There has been a remarkable transformation in South West Turkey’s holiday industry since my first visit in 1987, when the choice was from only a few B&Bs and box-like hotels. Then came the explosion of the formula summer sand-and-sea holiday in the 1990s that was to attract millions.

When do tourism destinations achieve the travel industry’s equivalent of a football club’s promotion to the Premier League?

One answer could be, considered from a UK perspective, when British Airways takes an interest. That was in 2015, when the company began a daily service to Dalaman from Gatwick.

Today the region still receives millions of package holiday visitors. But the small, yet significant shift to a more discerning market that opened up only in the past ten years is firmly established. It’s not so fanciful to place coastal Turkey alongside the South of France or Tuscany.

Our base, Söğüt, is an authentic, working village, folded into a valley, with a quiet dusty road leading to the sea-front. Everyday rural life went on around us. The lady living op-

posite would lead her sheep to pasture higher up the hill twice a day. Our neighbours thwacked almond trees with sticks to bring down the nuts. They were all so friendly. It’s a delightful detail of Turkish culture here that the first greeting to us was always the Turkish word for “welcome”.

We had arrived by taxi, then picked up a hire car. (An alternative was a regular village-run bus service from the nearest town, Marmaris, delivering to our doorstep.) Route planning was simple, with Google Maps. One favourite excursion was to the ancient Knidos, at the end of the Datça Peninsula. The ruins inspire a visit to something that isn’t even there. The colossal marble lion found here in 1859, in the days of well-meaning but predatory archaeology, is on display in the Great Court of the British Museum.

There was a riot of fresh vegetables and fruit in our village’s weekly market. At the local fishmonger we simply pointed to something that took our fancy on his comprehensive chart. He invariably had it in his freezer, caught out of the bay. We had no need for bottled water, it gushed pure and sweet from an eternal spring just above our house. I would go there in the cool of the night to fill our reusable bottles, lit by my smartphone torch. Or by the stars.

One of our favourite restaurants along the coast was the Mermaid on the waterfront at Saranda. They were happy for us to linger all day at a shady table next to the water. The routine was easy. A dip in the sea, dry off, back to the table, read a book, eat, another dip, more reading, another drink and then a leisurely walk back around the coast on a path the Classical Greeks probably used.

Our perfect day would end on that polished footpath, walking down to our favourite beach. As usual, not a soul. Then an eagle would alight from the crags above, describing princely arcs over the cliffs. On ever widening circles it would rise, higher and higher, until it was a mere dot above the bay.

On the beach we would savour this coast’s eternal simplicity. We set out our garden-grown almonds and olives, poured a drink and for the umpteenth time wondered at that perfect, timeless view, as the sun sank over the bay.

There is far more coast than it is possible to spoil, even if the authorities relax planning regulations, and there is no evidence of that happening. I’m sure most visitors to these many little places want this version of Turkey to stay exactly as it is.

Gareth stayed at Yesil Ev (The Green Cottage) in Söğütköy, booked through www.airbnb.co.uk.

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Images (top to bottom): Timo, Jan Wright, Jan Wright.

TURQUOISE COAST FOUR REASONS TO TAKE A TRIP TO THE TURKISH RIVIERA TASTE A NEW TAKE ON TURKISH FOOD: Travellers are invited to dive into unique flavours from street food, sold by local vendors in the beautiful and vibrant markets to a more traditional seafood dining experience at one of the many family-owned restaurants, known to locals as meyhanes on the Turkish Riviera. Visitors should sample peynirli börek, a traditional snack made from layer upon layer of flaky pastry and filled with fresh spinach or cheese, lokma, deep-fried dough balls doused in syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon, and biber Dolması, locally sourced green peppers stuffed with various ingredients such as lamb, beef, rice and onions. For a vegetarian alternative, there is yaprak sarma, grape leaves stuffed with rice, tomato, mint and pepper and sautéed in olive oil. In between sampling delicious dishes, indulge in a traditional Turkish coffee made with extremely fine coffee beans.

GET DIVINELY DIRTY: For those wanting to relax whilst also indulging in the local traditions and cultures of the area the Dalyan Mud Baths and natural hot springs are the perfect spot. Nature’s very own spa is believed to have curing qualities that restore the body and mind to leave visitors feeling refreshed, relieving aches and pains and leaving your skin glowing – the perfect way to relax with family and friends. The Dalyan Mud Baths are accessible only by boat, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the breath-taking scenery of the surrounding landscape as they glide through the reed beds in rustic wooden boats.

TAKE A DIP WITH THE CARETTA CARETTA: The beaches in the region are renowned for their vast numbers of nesting loggerhead sea turtles. The turtles are tranquil creatures that can be found swimming in the sea under the glow of the Turkish sun and are locally called Caretta caretta. Visitors coming to the area in early summer will also have the opportunity to watch the turtle’s hatchlings dashing across the sand towards the ocean. Tag along with the turtles and let them take you to their top snorkelling spots by the shore.

BE A REAL CULTURE VULTURE: Visitors on the hunt for a culturally enriching escape will find an array of well-preserved archaeological sites on the Turkish Riviera which pay tribute to the cultural traditions and customs of the Persians, Athenians, Ottomans, Romans and Lycians who once inhabited the land. In the ancient city of Kaunos, which dates back to the ninth century BC, travellers can take a boat trip down the Dalyan River, through the reed beds, and observe the fascinating city perched on the hill top. From the river, the Lycian Rock Tombs are clearly visible, carved into the side of the limestone cliff side, their grandeur palpable even from a distance.

At the Fethiye Museum decipher the trilingual stone, a three-faced artefact with writing in Greek, Aramaic, and Lycian, which was the key to understanding the Lycian language.

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“Nature’s very own spa is believed to have curing qualities that restore the body and mind to leave visitors feeling refreshed, relieving aches and pains and leaving your skin glowing...”

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FIVE-STAR HOTEL

A SLICE OF ASIA IN

ALICANTE Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is a sprawling, beautiful, fivestar resort with an impressive number of awards under its belt: Conde Nast Traveller continually votes it best hotel in the Mediterranean, while the roll-call of celebrity visitors think Novak Djokovic, Bruce Willis, Penelope Cruz and Bruce Springsteen – is testament to the exemplary service and fantastic facilities.

WORDS BY JO GARDNER

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FIVE-STAR HOTEL

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FIVE-STAR HOTEL

THE VIBE: Themed hotels can be a bit gimmicky - a bronze Buddha and a Chinese bedspread don’t make a hotel Asian - but Asia Gardens is the whole kit and caboodle: from the classic Asian uniforms to the fragrant gardens, and from the waterfalls to the Thai Spa, you feel like you’re much farther away than you actually are. “Wake up in Asia,” tempts the website. I certainly did.

With 10,000 sq metres of pristine lawns (100% of the watering is done using recycled water); tropical gardens containing 200 species of plants (80% of them from Asia, including a 200-year-old Bonsai from Japan); 150,000 planted shrubs; waterfalls; wooden bridges suspended over ponds – where expensive yellow, orange, blue and green carp swim below – and a city backdrop view that could easily be Hong Kong or Malaysia, it’s hard not to feel a world away. Come evening, the whole resort is lit with Asian lanterns and floating candles.

The staff are all drop-dead-gorgeous – kind, knowledgeable, respectful and friendly, they call you by your name, place their hands together and bow whenever they address you and speak a command of the English language that’s as polished as their smiles.

THE PROPERTY: The resort is made up of several terracotta buildings with traditional thatched roofs. The main building is a smart glass apex; head through the double doors and marvel at the triple height reception. The ceiling is all bamboo and rattan; Asian ceiling fans sway back and forth above, while fish swim in water below.

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There are 311 rooms and suites in eight categories; some have hot tubs and lounges bigger than your average flat; all have outdoor terraces. My deluxe room is the lowest grade but feels really superior with its spacious 30-sq metre footage and private terrace with ivy hanging down from the roof. Every time I head out, I can hear birds singing in the trees and water trickling in the stream below.

Inside, my room has a king-size bed with pressed white sheets, a huge flat-screen, and a bathroom with separate tub and shower cubicle hidden behind sliding bamboo doors. Amenities are from The White Company.

THE POOLS: Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa has seven (yes, seven) swimming pools, each with Asian names – four heated to a balmy 29 degrees all year round. I spend my first day at the Zen Pool, with its pleasant water temperature, Jacuzzi with cold jets, copious comfy loungers, snack bar and waiter service. Order food, a cold beer, an iced coffee or a dry towel from a waiter walking past – nothing is too much trouble.

At 7pm, the loungers are replaced by tables and chairs for dinner, each with its own ice bucket for wine or Champagne. This is where the Spanish come on holiday – you won’t see Brits knocking back beer after beer by the pool here, but long-limbed, tanned beauties sipping fresh juices on their loungers. They play catch up in the evening though, bottles of pink fizz being ordered for pre-dinner tipples. It’s a pattern I could get used to.

The Island Pool is much larger, with its own poolside snack bar, kids’ section and separate ‘islands’ with day

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LUXURY TRAVEL

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FIVE-STAR HOTEL

beds. The Langkawi Pool, meanwhile, snakes through the red buildings. There’s also a pool just for adults, as well as one just for guests staying in the suites.

Despite the hotel being at full capacity during my stay, I never have to battle for a lounger, wait for a drink or stand in line at the concierge – everything is seamless.

land (poolside barbecue), Lombocci (exclusive Italian cuisine) and the Bonsai (lounge and snack bar).

THE FACILITIES:

Given the size of Asia Gardens, the number of restaurants on site will come as no surprise: there are nine, each named after a place in Asia, plus a Champagne bar (of course).

Most decent hotels have spas these days but the Thai Spa at Asia Gardens is outstanding. There’s an indoor, candlelit pool which runs outside; a Turkish bath; seven stilted cabins for treatments (massages, wraps, facials, you name it…); a solarium terrace; a relaxation area with help-yourself herbal teas; and a comprehensive gym that, as far as hotel gyms go, isn’t too shabby. Book in for Tai Chi, Qi Qong, Yoga or Meditation, or participate in a traditional Asian tea ceremony.

Each drink you order – be it poolside, to your room or during lunch or dinner – comes with little Asian snacks, while most of the restaurants have their own kids’ menu with freshly-made pizzas, chicken nuggets, burgers and ice-cream.

There are also two pristine golf courses, where many a famous golfer has played, and a highly- revered kids’ club which is free, open all day and fun (my daughter loved the bouncy castle in the garden and the barbecue lunch).

Breakfast is a marvellous affair – a buffet with an omelette/pancake/waffle station, fancy yoghurts, an entire section of freshly-baked pastries, a whole area of fresh fruit, and Champagne to help yourself to. There are loads of fresh juices, too – one waiter suggested I try Champagne with a dash of papaya juice, a great way to start the morning with a zing.

Of course, a hotel of this calibre isn’t cheap, but what you pay for is Asia in all its short-haul glory - like grabbing your favourite far-flung destination and bringing it closer to home. Flights are quick (and cheap), there’s no jet-lag, no visas, no jabs and no malaria… just couples, friends and families enjoying a fantastic holiday. And that, as they say, is priceless.

THE RESTAURANTS/BARS:

Celebrating an occasion? Book a seat at the In Black restaurant – the menu is Asian fine dining; the restaurant intimate and romantic. I eat at Udaipur, with its outdoor rattan seats, rows of flickering candles and stunning city views, and tuck into tapas served with an Asian flair.

Other restaurants include Palapa (Mediterranean cuisine with pool views), Koh Samui (Oriental cuisine), The Is-

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Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa Rotonda del Fuego, Terra Mítica, 03509 Finestrat, Alicante +34 966 81 84 00 | asiagardens.es

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Take a remarkable Viking journey, where the views come to you 2019 river cruises from ÂŁ1,595pp 2019-2020 ocean cruises from ÂŁ2,140pp To find out more or to request our brochures, call 020 8780 8711 or visit vikingcruises.co.uk Prices correct at time of going to print but are subject to availability and change. From prices are per person and based on two people sharing the lowest grade stateroom available on selected 2019-2020 cruises. Prices valid until 31 December 2018. Single supplements apply. For more information please visit vikingcruises.co.uk/terms-conditions or call us.

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Spirit of Adventure Launching Summer 2020 Introducing Saga’s second state-of-the-art new cruise ship.

Sister ship to Spirit of Discovery, Spirit of Adventure’s inaugural season features classic cruises to the fjords, Med, Canaries and Caribbean, along with short hops to the Continent and around the British Isles, from just £694pp.

Every cabin has a private balcony as standard

Complimentary chauffeur service

Every cruise is backed by our Price Promise and you’ll be amazed how much we include in the fare.

In fact, we’re so confident you’ll love your first cruise with us, we promise to refund your money if you don’t*.

All inclusive for 2020

Speciality dining at no extra charge

For more details call 0800 056 8986 quoting STASC or visit saga.co.uk/2020-launch

Price is per person, based on two people sharing a Standard Balcony cabin aboard Spirit of Adventure’s Christmas Sights of Amsterdam cruise, departing December 16, 2020. Includes optional travel insurance underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance SE, UK Branch, and additional cancellation rights, or a price reduction of £18 if not required (cover is subject to medical questions). *Visit saga.co.uk/loveit for full details.

Private chauffeur service up to 75 miles each way or shared chauffeur service from 76-250 miles. Please ask for further details. All inclusive cruises include selected wines at lunch and dinner, Saga house-branded spirits, cocktails containing house-branded spirits, draught beer and lager, non-alcoholic cocktails, all mixers and soft drinks. Saga Holidays are for anyone aged 50+. A travel companion may be 40+. Saga Holidays is a trading name of ST&H Ltd (registration no. 2174052). ST&H Ltd and Saga Cruises Ltd (registration no. 3267858) are subsidiaries of ST&H Group Ltd (registration no. 0720588). All three companies are registered in England and Wales. Registered Office: Enbrook Park, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. With respect to general insurance products sold in the UK, ST&H Ltd is an appointed representative of Saga Services Limited, registered in England and Wales (company no. 732602), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. NHA-SC1159.

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Enhance your experience with Heathrow’s Fast Track security

To book visit heathrow.com/fast-track Important information: All passengers flying out of Heathrow Airport are subject to the same security procedures and regulations. Heathrow recommends that passengers ensure that they have allowed enough time for the usual security and x-ray screening. As a premium experience, customers who have purchased access to Fast Track Security will be given a priority service to ensure that waiting is kept to a minimum. However, we cannot guarantee a maxi-mum or minimum queue length or time. Access to Heathrow’s Fast Track Security is granted through a pre-booked time slot. Whilst Heathrow will endeavour to ensure that all passengers are able to access Fast Track, access may be denied for latecomers. Please remember that it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they arrive at the departure gate at the published boarding time as stated by the airline. Heathrow Airport is not responsible for any passengers who miss their flight because they did not allow enough time to go through the check-in and security process. Please note all passengers including infants and babies require both an airline ticket and a Fast Track ticket if they want to pass through Fast Track security.

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www.berninaexpress.ch

Bernina Express From glaciers to palms

Experience one of the most spectacular ways to cross the Alps: The Albula and Bernina lines of the Rhaetian Railway. One of the highlights is the panoramic journey through the UNESCO World Heritage RhB.

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Information / Reservation / Sales Rhaetian Railway, Railservice, Tel +41 (0)81 288 65 65, railservice@rhb.ch, www.rhb.ch

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