london calling
Set Sail for Summer London bound this year? Swap five-star hotels for something altogether quirkier… a deluxe canal boat with all the trimmings to rival its landlocked sisters. We get the lowdown from the hotel-cum-boat’s owner and designer, Davina Stanley My friends were selling a dilapidated old chugger of a boat which just happened to have the most beautiful mooring in London – below the famous Cedric Price aviary at London Zoo. I have done luxurious interior design jobs in the same area of Primrose Hill (a glam spot in its own right) for some time, so put two and two together and came up with On the Water!
Record everything from sunken shipwrecks to underwater cities, hidden treasures and unique marine life with this Liquid Image Video Camera Scuba Mask; a nifty set of underwater goggles, complete with a 136 wide angle high-definition video camera attached. liquidimageco.com
I designed the finished look on the back of an envelope. I met with around five boat builders and eventually joined forces with Bluewater Boats who were the only ones prepared to take on our modern vision of a canal boat akin to a five-star hotel, with a large bedroom/lounge, en suite bathroom, galley kitchen, skylight windows and superb deck (great for star-gazing). It has a Hemingway/Florida Keys meets luxury city club look set in an English idyll. The fluid space is all about luxury and comfort and we’ve paid attention to detail, such as a flat screen TV and DVDs in case the weather goes bad. My team and I can really ‘zing’ things up for an event though, using the best London suppliers – we recently hosted a celebrity chef dining room, and a seventies-style disco onboard. Make reservations and you have the entire vessel to yourself, which sleeps two in a king-size bed – and you can stay for up to two weeks. A local artisan bakery assembles and delivers hampers daily too, so you can enjoy fresh continental breakfasts. You can set sail with our skipper if you make arrangements in advance and at an extra cost. Though, you should bear in mind that a trip to Amsterdam or even London’s Tower Bridge can take a very long time aboard a canal boat! What’s more, its setting on the edge of Regent’s Park makes a beautiful, peaceful spot in which to just stay still. Oxford Street, Camden Market and Mayfair are a short walk away and London Zoo is literally next door. Primrose Hill itself is also full of fab restaurants, cafés boutiques (and is a great spot for celeb-spotting) and you shouldn’t leave without admiring the view from the top of the hill which stretches out across the city. beonthewater.co.uk
hot offers
great getaways This month’s hot offers from Kanoo Travel and American Express Vacations
castel monastero, italy STAy 7 nIgHTS, PAy fOR 5 get away from the city with a long weekend in the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside where cypress tress and chestnut forests shroud this beautiful (and romantic) resort.
alila villas, bali STAy 5 nIgHTS, PAy fOR 4 Spend an extra night at no extra cost in a luxurious villa which takes prime position on an elevated over-the-ocean plateau and bask in picture-perfect vistas.
baD raGaZ, sWitZerlanD UPgRADE gUARAnTEED Make for the foot of the awesome Alps and immerse yourself in Swiss chic at the legendary grand Resort Bad Ragaz where upgrades at time of booking are a certainty, along with late 4pm check-outs. 12
Kanoo World Traveller August 2011