World traveller nov'15

THE REGION’S BIGGEST LUXURY TRAVEL MAGAZINE

Issue Ninety One | November 2015

Complimentary Copy

Italian love story

An

Produced in International Media Production Zone

Romance in Italy's luxurious Veneto region

THE PHILIPPINES Searching for the world's best beach

NEVADA The wild and wonderful landscapes of the desert

LISBON A foodie tour through the gastronome's paradise

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FLIGHT OPERATIONS

November 2015 World Traveller

Editor’s Note Managing Director

Issue ninety one

Victoria Thatcher

November 2015

Editorial Director

As the year begins to wind down (and bring with it some blessed lower temperatures), thoughts begin to turn towards a break over the festive period. Whether it’s far-flung (like the eerie ghost towns of Nevada, p58) or closer to home with a trip to the paradisiacal Seychelles or the Maldives, we’ve got you covered.

John Thatcher Group Commercial Director David Wade Editor

Richard Jenkins Features Editor

Annie Darling Senior Designer

Our team of writers has been all over the world this month, including a search for the world’s best beach in the Philippines (p50), an Italian adventure in the little-known city of Padua (p44) and a foodie tour of Lisbon (p66) that is guaranteed to make your mouth water.

Andy Knappett Designer

Emi Dixon

Flip to page 75 now to see how you could win an amazing three night stay at a luxury Maldivian resort, for a little festive miniholiday of your own. Good luck, and enjoy the issue.

Illustrator

Andrew Thorpe Sales Manager

Lisa Price lisa@hotmediapublishing.com +971 4 375 3608

Richard Jenkins richard@hotmediapublishing.com

Production Manager

Sikandar Chaudhary

@wt_magazine

Padova, Italy Getty Images

Jan-Jun 2015 | 22,984 | BPA Consumer Audit Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in World Traveller.

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Welcome Contents

Contents

The Sections

Check In 10 Be Here Now The ultimate Greek crossroad of civilisations and an art exhibition that brings Kenya to London.

Check In News and inspiration from around the world

15 Globetrotter Unleash your inner 007 - fly in premium economy, or return to the ski slopes and elude bad guys.

Destinations In-depth travel features to fuel your wanderlust

24 Chef’s Top Tables Paulo de Souza takes us on a culinary tour of his favourite eateries in the world.

26 Spotlight On: Edinburgh Create lasting memories at Scotland’s vibrant, historical and cosmopolitan capital.

Weekends Everything you need to know about short-haul escapes 8

29 Style & Wellness Spa news, plus fashion and luxury accessories to make your upcoming travel more stylish.

November 2015 World Traveller

Destinations

Weekends

44 Pipe Dreams

71 News

A nostalgic warren of arcaded streets, Padua is famous for its medieval marketplaces and youthful population.

Get away on a luxury golfing expedition as the weather in the GCC cools down or explore a glamorous Dubai hotel.

50 The Best Beach

72 Big Five: Festive Markets

Will we ever know? From white-sand hideaways to enclosed coves, which beach is the most beautiful?

Looking for holiday gift inspiration?

Get your fill of festive fun at these winter markets with food, sights and sounds galore.

58 The Wild Wild West

75 The Great Escape

Las Vegas is famous for headlining acts, but it’s also the backdrop to some of America’s most beautiful scenery.

Be the envy of your friends and stay at The Meydan Hotel, located in the heart of Dubai’s ultimate horse racing venue.

66 Beyond Bacalhau

80 Suite Dreams

The finest delicacies of the sea and land are combined, providing Lisbon’s residents with gastronomic delights.

Spiralled stairways, bubbling jetpools and elegant Thai décor – what else could you possibly need?

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Check In Be Here Now

Be Here

Now

Thessaloniki, Greece Its prime location on the Halkidiki Peninsula makes Thessaloniki home to the finest beaches in Greece. Crystal clear waters run parallel to charming cafés and Ottoman relics. This destination isn’t all ancient ruins, however, and modern draws cater for every style of vacation.

A unique mix of archaeological sites and cosmopolitan character, the region boasts both Byzantine churches and designer boutiques. It’s not as well known as many other Greek holiday destinations, but that’s part of its appeal. The 56th Thessaloniki International Film Festival takes place this month, focusing on independent Greek Cinema - as if you needed another reason to visit.

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November April 2015 World Traveller

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Check In Be Here Now

Kenya, Africa Internationally acclaimed explorer Levison Wood is famous as the fi rst man to walk the length of the river Nile, a nine-month journey through the heart of Africa. Since leaving the army in 2010, Wood has also found a calling as a photographer. This December, Levison’s first photography exhibition, Visions of Africa, will take place at La Galleria, Pall Mall, London in a joint show with wildlife sculptor Rosamond Lloyd in support of conservations charity Tusk Trust. This photo, “Last of the Species”, shows the incredibly rare white rhino.

November 2015 World Traveller

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November 2015 World Traveller

Globetrotter Here’s what’s hot in travel this month…

Road Trip USA There’s nothing more American than hitting the open road with the wind in your hair

Route 66

Pacific Coast Highway

Salmon River Scenic Route

The most fabled American highway, 66 connects Chicago to Los Angeles. This corridor cuts diagonally across the United States and features the most archetypal roadside scenes. Whether you’re looking for old-school diners, kitschy Americana or rusty truck stops, Route 66 captures the essence of the American spirit. Travellers cut through Illinois cornfields to the star-studded streets of Hollywood, via the Grand Canyon. A new book charting Andy Warhol’s journey has just been published, if you want to follow in his tyre tracks.

This meandering, cliff-hugging 1000-mile route is among the nation’s most scenic and exhilarating road trips. Spectacular coastal views stretch from California’s northern border with Oregon to its southern boundary with Mexico. Visitors pass through magnificant wine country estates and untouched forest, before winding through Big Sur where mountains plunge into the Pacific. The tip of Point Loma boasts superb views of San Diego Bay, providing those worthy with the perfect Instagram snap.

At the heart of the Rocky Mountains stands the extraordinary shattered peak of the Sawtooth Range. A disarray of razorback ridges and idyllic alpine lakes, visitors follow central Idaho’s largest river, driving north through desert canyons. The scenic route heads into the mountains, following the Lost Trail Pass, which was fi rst taken

by Lewis and Clark on their bold quest to explore the uncharted west. Known as the whitewater capital of the world, this road trip is perfect for those who are interested in Native American heritage.

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Check In Globetrotter

Sloping Off

The Best Resorts for Early Season Skiing Mammoth Mount, California

Tignes, France

Fonna Glacier Ski Resort, Norway

Breuil-Cervinia, Italy

Located in eastern California, Mammoth Mountain is the third most-visited ski resort in America and has enjoyed snow since mid-September. Its funloving founder, Dave McCoy, turned 100 earlier this year and continues to welcome 1.3 million guests annually.

This beautiful mountain plateau has some of the best lift-accessed slopes in Europe, making it a winter playground for skiers and boarders alike. Impressive terrain and enviable snow cover makes the area a dependable destination for snow bunnies who love to leave their tracks.

Skiers who visit Fonna cannot forget the phenomenal panorama of the fjords and Hardanger’s mountains.

Norway’s third largest glacier, Folgefonna is ideal for crosscountry skiing and great for practicing flips, twists and other mid-air tricks.

Sleeping in the shadow of the towering Alps, the origin of this international skiing area dates back more than two hundred years. Straddling the border between Italy and Switzerland, the majestic terrain stretches through three valleys and provides skiers with sun and fresh air.

Stay at: Sierra Nevada Resort & Spa This rustic resort is a captivating blend of modern innovation in a luxury lodge setting. The familyrun hotel is surrounded by spectacular scenery. Perfect for those looking to cosy up in front of the woodburner. thesierranevadaresort.com

Stay at: Résidence Kalinda Set in the heart of newly developed Tignes-LesBoisses, Résidence Kalinda is a characterful apartment complex that offers guests the ultimate ski experience. Find serenity in the plush spa with a spell in the sauna or soak in the hot tub. cgh-residences.co.uk

Stay at: Jondal Hotel & Gjestgjevarstad This intimate and picturesque guesthouse was reinvented in 2008 to offer travellers a more modern experience. Located in the charming village of Jondal, 20 minutes from the Forlgefonn glacier, it is some of the closest accommodation to the slopes. jondalhotel.no

Stay at: La Cresta Chalet Situated a stone’s throw away from the slopes, La Cresta Chalet is ideal whether you’re after a romantic getaway or family-friendly retreat. The high south facing exposure gives the chalet some of the most breathtaking views from the top of Cervinia village. lacresta.it

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Check In Globetrotter

Centre Stage

Hilton opens up on beautiful Bankside Set in the heart of Bankside, a short distance from Tate Modern, one of the world’s most prestigious art galleries, Hilton London Bankside is home to 292 stunning guest rooms, including 25 bespoke suites which offer breathtaking views of the London skyline. The hotel also includes one beautiful penthouse apartment, which boasts its own private roof terrace, a 100m2 entertainment area and views across London. In addition, the hotel brings a new neighbourhood eatery, OXBO Bankside to the area, alongside The Distillery, a cool and casual bar. The striking design was put together in partnership with Dexter Moran architects and Twenty2Degrees. Each part of the hotel is designed to combine urban grittiness with polished refinement. The nearby Tate Modern is referenced inside, where the famous Turbine Hall is evoked in the lobby flooring, and bare brickwork, exposed metal and reprocessed tube station tiles give an ultra-cool and modern feel. hilton.com Take A Seat

A great new way to fly Singapore Airlines will launch a new premium economy cabin class on its Dubai bai to Singapore routes from January 12, 2016.

016.

Economy cabins often crams in fliers, while first-class fares remain out of reach. Gett the perks of a business-class seat without ut the price tag. To introduce the service, the he airline is offering introductory all-in fares res to Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney to customers who book now. singaporeair.com com

Travel Download All the media you need, whatever your journey

App Companion Designate one of your contacts as a ‘companion’. The app will track you, regularly asking if you’re ‘OK’. If you don’t acknowledge the prompt, your contact will be notified.

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Music Disclosure (feat.

Lorde) The duo have steered away from their signature house sound with the recent release of their highly anticipated collaboration with pop superstar Lorde.

Steam Powered

Travel in style

Film The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 Realizing the stakes are no longer just for survival, Katniss Everdeen leaves District 13 to liberate the citizens of war-torn Panem.

Book A Banquet of Consequences Elizabeth George’s New York Times bestselling series returns with another stunning crime drama when the buried lies of one family rise to the surface.

Founded in 2005 by entrepreneur and traveller Sara Banks, Steamline Luggage has married those two passions into a stunning new range of cases for those with a sense of style as big as their wanderlust.

Crafted from high-strength materials with brushed metal and leather accents, the cases are available in a range of sizes from small vanity cases to huge stowaway chests. Every Carry-on and Stowaway piece boasts silent trolley wheels and lightweight aluminium extendable handles for ease of use at airports across the world, and the range is available in a selection of gorgeous colourways. steamlineluggage.com

November 2015 World Traveller

Tailing 007

James Bond: When in Rome This month’s widely anticipated release of Spectre marks Daniel Craig’s fourth film as the suave superspy. The 24th installment picks up where Skyfall ends, with Ralph Fiennes as the new leader of MI6. An emotionally disturbed Bond receives a cryptic message from his troubled past, which encourages him to hunt down the sinister company Spectre. To celebrate Bond’s Rome debut, discover your inner 007 at the Eternal City.

The vehicle: This year marks the 50th anniversary of Bond’s fi rst spin in an Aston Martin, but you needn’t break the bank. Chasing criminals through narrow streets is far easier on an Italian Vespa.

The restaurant: Imàgo at Hotel Hassler offers superb Italian cuisine with a 6th floor location. Guests enjoy spectacular rooftop views that even Bond would consider memorable. hotelhasslerroma.com The drink: Shaken, not stirred?

Select your favourite poison from a range of delectable mocktails served at the sophisticated Stravinskij Bar. roccofortehotels.com The hotel: Hotel Relais 6 is an elegant hotel, formerly a wartime hideaway. Popular with families, each room offers quality and comfort that’ll satisfy any secret agent. relais6.com The stunt: Spectre’s stunt coordinator revealed that $36 million was spent on sports cars, which were later destroyed during filming. Instead, why not explore the Coliseum? Whether you partake in gladiatorial games is up to you.

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Check In My City

MY CITY

Zabalj & Novi Sad, Serbia

Jelena J. Bin Drai The socialite, businesswoman and fashion expert never forgets her roots Zabalj is a very small town in Serbia, with a population numbering 15,000. It is very quiet in comparison to other cities in my country. The greenery is beautifully lush and it’s the perfect destination for a weekend getaway if you wish to take a quick break from the city. If you’re looking for a livelier location, I’d recommend a visit to Novi Sad. It’s only a short 25km drive away from Zabalj.

Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia. The music festivals are extremely popular and it’s a good idea to rent a hotel apartment nearby so you’re able to watch the Serbian performers.

If I had only 24 hours to explore the city, I would make sure to experience the 20

colourful nightlife. There are many fun clubs and bars that play traditional, lively music. Make sure to dine and stay a night at Salas 137. I make sure to go there with my family whenever we visit Novi Sad; it is very cozy and homely. Enjoy being one with nature and play with the animals, while embracing the relaxed Serbian vibe and generous hospitality. The restaurant’s performers will keep you entertained by playing the traditional tamborita.

If you’re wanting to rent a quaint little apartment, find one in the centre of Novi Sad so that everything is within reach. You can enjoy the nightlife and scenery, while having easy access to delicious local food at authentic restaurants and cafes.

The Matica Srpska Gallery and the museum of Vodvojina are both unforgettable. Fruska Gora is an amazing sight too and the only mountain visible from Novi Sad. The surrounding monasteries are magnificent, so be sure to have a look if

you’re in need for some peace and quiet.

Shopaholics can flock to Dunavska Street for their souvenirs and afterwards grab a bite to eat at the nearby cafés. Enjoy a traditional Serbian breakfast, which normally includes organic eggs, smoked turkey slices and crispy potatoes. These ingredients are fresh and delivered from local farms straightaway. It’s so delicious, you’ll want to eat breakfast three times a day, every day!

Celebrate your trip by clinking glasses at the Giardino Club. It boasts the most extraordinary views from its rooftop location. Perched on one of the tallest buildings in the city, it is the best place to relax and socialize with family and friends.

Most people don’t know this about the city, but even though Novi Sad is small, there is so much to see and experience. The farms and countryside alone are amazing especially if you are used to a city life. It has a very special place in my heart.

Check In Ask The Expert

Niesko, Japan

Ask the EXPERT

Rob Arrow is a product manager at dnata Travel and a self-confessed hotel geek. With nearly a decade of experience in the luxury travel industry, Rob loves nothing more than talking hotels and discovering destinations. His favourite country is Lebanon, his favourite city is Los Angeles and his dream is to own a boutique retreat in the Italian Alps.

Q. With winter coming up we’re looking for a ski holiday with a difference – where would you recommend?

A. The winter months are certainly the best time to hit the slopes and you will find a vacation that’s different from the usual sun and sand experiences. Japan now boasts over 600 ski resorts, and the biggest site is Niseko. Just ten minutes away by car from the slopes is the Hilton Niseko Village.

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It boasts four restaurants, its own karaoke and amusement arcades, and even its own gondola.

There are also smaller ‘micro resorts’ all over Japan, which offer a more bespoke skiing experience in comparison to mainstream resorts like Niseko.

Rokuroshi Kogen, Fukui, is the perfect example of this. Yours Hotel in the Fukui centre is perfectly located just minutes from Fukui Castle Ruins and Kitanosho Castle Park, making it a good base for exploring the Japanese city before taking in some skiing closer to the mountains.

Lebanon’s ski resorts are well known for their beauty, and the six resorts there have over 30km of pistes and 46 lifts. Just an hour’s drive from the sunny capital, and you can be gliding down the mountains like a pro. The InterContinental Mzaar is nestled among the peaks of Mount Lebanon and offers year-round recreation. Direct access to skiing is available with a beautiful 80km trail, and there’s also plenty of hiking excursions available.

Q. What’s a European city with lots of history to explore on a city break?

A. If you haven’t been to Rome, the Eternal City is the best place in Europe for history.

The must-see landmarks simply keep coming – The Coliseum, where gladiators fought to the death; The Pantheon, an ancient temple with a unique hole in the roof to allow in sunline; The Trevi Fountain, where tossing in a coin ensures that you will one day return – the list goes on and on. Add in some of the finest galleries and museums on the planet, and Rome can keep you exploring for weeks on end.

The Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto is close to the National Gallery of Ancient Art, Villa Borghese and the Spanish Steps, and has all the luxurious comforts one would expect from a Jumeirah property. For a truly five-star experience, the Boscolo Exedra Rome Hotel is wondrous in its opulence, evoking feelings of what the city must have been like during the heights of the Roman Empire. Set on a piazza overlooking the Diocletian Baths and statues designed by Michelangelo, everything about this hotel adds up to why Rome is a destination visitors return to time and again - for the luxury, for the stories and for the unforgettable sights.

Check In Chef’s Top Tables

Left to right: Harvest and Collection, Central; Anarquia de chocolat, El Celler de Can Roca; FU1015

Chef’s

TOP TABLES Head chef Paulo de Souza blends delicate spices and Latin passion into his cuisine at the exclusive La Parrilla, located in the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

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El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain Order: Grilled Sole with Mediterranean flavours One of the best restaurants in the world, the Roca brothers have mastered the experience of bringing Mediterranean cuisine to unsurpassable levels. Keeping Mediterranean traditions and techniques alive, the team use the best local ingredients from artisan producers. These culinary creations are absolute masterpieces.

Central, Lima, Peru Order: Snapshot of the Sea At the helm is Virgilio Martinez; a young Peruvian chef, who I greatly admire. His passion and dedication has taken him to the highest level and now, as a result, his restaurant is considered one of the best in the world. Martinez researches native products and plans his dish compositions aroound the different altitudes and microweathers of Peru - he is a true artist in every sense of the word.

November 2015 World Traveller

Maido, Lima, Peru Order: Pejerrey Tiradito Hands down my favourite Nikkei restaurant in the world. In short, Nikkei cuisine is the fusion of Japanese/Peruvian food and is commonly found throughout Peru. As you can imagine, it’s quite complex and the result of Japanese migration to the central coastal part of Peru in the 20th Century.

They applied delicate Japanese cooking techniques to their local products, which gave birth to “Nikkei” food.

Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand Order: Lamb chops with green herbs oil

FU1015, Shanghai, China Order: Braised prawns served with a fried bun

I would’ve never imagined that the best Indian food I would experience would be in Thailand, but it happened to me when I fi rst visited Gaggan.

Chef Anand plays around with traditional street food, in an adventurous and thoughtprovoking approach. Guests experience Indian cuisine in a very different way; it’s an extremely memorable dining experience!

I really like Cantonese cuisine, and this restaurant is at the top on my list when dining out in Shanghai. FU1015 showcases traditional cooking techniques, but with a modern twist. Although, I have a number of favourite dishes, braised prawns served with a fried bun is a star. Sweet, savoury and slightly spicy, the dish showcases all the flavour profiles of Cantonese cuisine.

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Check In Spotlight On

Spotlight On Edinburgh

The Scottish city has bags of history, sights to rival anything in the UK and stunning food and drink

Eat and Drink Mary’s Milk Bar

See and Do Arthur’s Seat

Stay The Balmoral

This quirky and comforting café specialises in unique and rich flavours of gelato, hot chocolate, as well as a variety of handmade artisan chocolates and milkshakes. A mustvisit for those with a sweet tooth.

Situated in the centre of the city, Arthur’s Seat is a great trekking or hiking area, offering stunning panoramic views of Edinburgh as you go up. It is said to be one of the possible locations for Camelot, the legendary castle and court of King Arthur.

For a luxurious and relaxing stay, The Balmoral is a hotel right in the heart of Edinburgh. Its contemporary architecture is truly majestic, and since it’s located in Edinburgh’s main shopping area, you’re never too far to explore local stores and attractions. Simply walking Edinburgh’s ancient streets is a historical lesson in itself, but do your homework before you go and you’ll find that almost every building has a story to tell.

The Kitchin Edinburgh Castle

Executive chef Tom Kitchin’s restaurant philosophy, ‘From Nature to Plate’, is a reflection of his passion for fresh produce and fine cuisine. Blending French cooking techniques with Scottish ingredients, the restaurant was awarded a prestigious Michelin star in 2007.

A mile away from Arthur’s Seat, the 12th Century castle is home to the Scottish Crown jewels, and boasts incredible views of the city, Built atop high volcanic rock, this is one of the best places to get a glimpse of ancient Scottish heritage.

Aizle

Scottish National Gallery

A Scottish Neo-Bistro nestled in the south side of Edinburgh, Aizle is the brainchild of Chef Stuart Ralston, and it’s focused on high quality food and relaxed fine dining. The five course-tasting menu here changes every month depending on what the freshest produce available is.

Just a walk away from the Edinburgh Castle, art lovers will enjoy the museum’s exhibitions that feature both classical and contemporary art on display. The gallery has a staggering 96,000 works in its permanent collection, so there’s something to please everyone.

• Don’t miss

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Edinburgh’s Grassmarket is worth a visit in any season. It’s a picturesque and wide thoroughfare with trees down the central column, surrounded by bars and restaurants, which leads up to the castle above. It’s Edinburgh’s answer to Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, or Paris’ Champs- Élyseés.

November 2015 World Traveller

&

Style Wellness

Back with a Bang Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok Resort & Spa in Mauritius This month sees Le Touessrok, that grand dame of Mauritius hotels, unravel the wraps on her six-month makeover, which also ushers in Shangri-La as her new custodian.

While that’s enough cause alone to pack our bags, we’re also eagerly anticipating trialing the resort’s new CHI spa. In keeping with how their sister CHI spas across the globe take inspiration from the local setting, we’re looking forward to receiving the Traditional Tipik Massage, the rhythmic strokes for which are administered to the sound of Sega music – native to Mauritius - performed by local musicians.

Meanwhile, Mauritius’ most famous export, sugarcane, is utilised in a signature massage designed to relieve tension. shangri-la.com 29

Check In Style & Wellness

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Magnificent Autumn Essentials A Treat Yourself Dubai

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(1) Taylor Morris Oversized Sunglasses Sungl (availabl ((available il bl att H Harvey Ni Nichols h - Dubai) (2) Ona Brooklyn Messenger Bag (3) Lacoste Wool Jacket (4) Le Coq Sportif High Tops (5) Replay Studded Belt (6) Mira Mikati Leather Jacket (shopatsauce.com) (7) Replay Denim Dress.

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, the Ottoman inspired resort located on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, has released a new treatment menu and stellar new product line at the luxurious Talise Ottoman Spa. The highend Spanish skincare company Natura Bissé has tailored a range exclusively for the spa, which has also put together seven new treatments available from now onwards. Treatments featuring Natura Bissé start from AED665, and retail products are priced from AED400. jumeirah.com/jumeirahzabeelsaray

Complete Karl Milan

The Six Senses Oman Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas has opened a truly cavernous 33,000 square foot Six Senses Spa at the opulent Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz Carlton Hotel in Muscat, Oman. The spa aims to reflect traditional Omani design, and includes high domed ceilings, arched walkways and burbling water channels. Spread over three levels 30

like an Arabian fort, the spa has a peaceful reception area with a ladies’ majlis, two consultation rooms and a full spa gallery with skincare and wellness products for sale. Elsewhere, there are 17 treatments rooms including infrared saunas, and rooms using ice, steam and hammam to ensure maximum relaxation and wellness.

Having dominated the world of fashion for decades, Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has set his sights on the digital world. Launching in November, Karl.com is a global online women’s flagship store, designed to encapsulate the iconic, immersive world of Lagerfeld.

To celebrate the launch, Lagerfeld has designed three one-of-a-kind handbags to be auctioned at renowned online art auction house artnet.com, a sketch of which can be seen above. Finally, and most exciting of all, is the Karl Around the World capsule collection, featuring a selection of bags, accessories and readyto-wear items inspired by the designer’s international travels. karl.com

November 2015 World Traveller

Get Well Soon#

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Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy

Simply being alongside the waters of Italy’s most famous lake is enough to make anyone relaxed, but a stay at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and its gorgeous new T Spa will make you positively comatose – in a good way. With spectacular panoramic views over the lake, guests are invited to try the very best anti-stress, anti-ageing and rebalancing treatments, custom-designed to meet the needs of men and women alike. ESPA treatments found on site are tailored to meet individual’s needs on the day – whether you’re stiff from a day’s rowing, or simply in need of gentle pampering, there is a highly trained therapist ready to solve your problem.

Try this…

In the sanctum of the T Spa, the sizeable indoor infinity pool is a strip of azure, pure energy.

Two parallel baths linked by a beautiful arched passage give a double infinity effect with the stunning Lake Como view repeated. One of the pools, right on the lakefront, seems to blend into the lake itself, while the other remains concealed. Together, there are five different types of Jacuzzi to discover, for massages of the back, feet and shoulders.

Keen swimmers can even adjust the pools’ currents, to test themselves in tougher conditions. grandhoteltremezzo.com

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Check In World Traveller Promotion

Sport onYas

Island

Cooler days mean you have no excuse to hide inside. For more info visit yasisland.ae

Train Yas

I

f you’ve been putting off starting a new sport until the cooler months, now you’ve no reason not to get out and active. Yas Island has lots of action-packed activities for guests of all ages. Whether you want to make a day of it, or enjoy a weekend getaway, visitors are invited to get fit while spending quality time with friends and family. Blast calories in a high-intensity workout or unwind on a mantra yoga mat.

Either way, it’s fun and games for everyone who visits Yas Island, as these examples prove.

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Yas Beach

Yas Links

Sand’s not just for sunbathing. Beach volleyball, paddle boarding, kayaking and windsurfing are just a few of the activities offered on Yas Beach. The mangrove kayaking tour is particularly popular, with guests often spotting flamingos and shoals of flying fish in the tranquil waters.

Opening this month, the glamorous Beach Club transforms Yas Beach with a new restaurant, bars and lounge with VIP beds and cabanas - making it perfect to chill out and relax after a day of activity.

Spectacular scenery and a hefty challenge await golfers who visit the only links course in the Middle East. Yas Links excites professionals and tests beginners with uneven fairways, pot bunkers and unpredictable wind conditions. Designed by Kyle Phillips, one of the world’s leading golf course designers, Yas Links blends modern techniques with the unique traditions of the game. Cool off afterwards in the clubhouse’s signature infinity pool overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

November 2015 World Traveller

November

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Radisson Blu Yas Island

Yas Links

2 nights from USD 235 per person Special Off er: 2 tickets for Ferrari World and 2 Tickets for Yas WaterWorld Includes: Stay in a Standard Room with breakfast Validity: Until Nov 30, 2015 (excluding Nov 26-30, 2015)

Vogue Fitness

Yas Beach

Fitness Fun

Yas Kicks

Yas Marina Circuit

Why not use the island’s Bike Share system to cycle between attractions? If you need a body tune-up, a visit to a BounceBack physiotherapist will have you fit as a fiddle in no time. Vogue Fitness at Yas Marina is all about having fun while achieving the best fitness results of your life. With a team that has been ranked the #1 CrossFit team in the Middle East, you will learn from the best. Yas WaterWorld Abu Dhabi will also host the World Flowboarding Championships from Nov 6 – 8.

Yas Kicks is a football facility offering top quality artificial turf pitches for rent, either 5 a side or 7 a side. It provides facility rental, tournament/league organisation and football academy training. Customers come to Yas Kicks to enjoy the turf, the great location on Yas Island and to enjoy competitive games with their friends, family or team mates. Our very own Yas Kicks Academy compete in the local Abu Dhabi leagues and the Yas Kicks Ladies team compete in leagues in Dubai and the UAE.

Are you a passionate runner or a keen cyclist? We all have different goals in the gym, but TrainYAS by Activelife encourages participants to get outdoors and work out on the famous Yas Marina Circuit track. Transform your body, pedal to heart pumping music and sculpt your muscles in what’s guaranteed to be a first-rate workout.

Rather use the circuit as it was intended?

A range of driving experiences or Yas Kartzone are perfect for those with a need for speed.

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WORLD TRAVELLER

Reader Offers I A

A USA Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort

3 nights from USD485 per person Special off er: 35% room rate reduction, 2 children under 9 years old dine free and complimentary WiFi Includes: Stay in a Run of House Room with return breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now until Mar 31, 2016 A gateway to all theme parks.

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B United Kingdom St. James's Hotel & Club

France Le Meridien Etoile

3 nights from USD345 per person Special off er: 15% room rate reduction and complimentary upgrade to Deluxe Room Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now until Mar 31, 2016

3 nights from USD341 per person Special off er: Complimentary room upgrade and complimentary WiFi Includes: Stay in a Classic Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now until Mar 31, 2016

In a quiet cul-de-sac, moments from Mayfair and Buckingham Palace, follow in the footsteps of ďŹ lm stars and celebrities.

There's no better setting to wear your winter wardobe. Stroll the cobbled streets of Paris like a French fashionista.

Mauritius Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita 4 nights from USD1,775 per person Special off er: Stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free Includes: Stay in a Garden Pool Villa with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now until Mar 15, 2016 Mauritius is beautiful yearround, but can get pretty hot.

Before December rolls in is the ideal time to get away.

November 2015 World Traveller

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+971 4 316 6666

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E Maldives Taj Exotica Resort & Spa

4 nights from USD1,575 per person Special off er: 20% room rate reduction, stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free, upgrade to Half Board and complimentary return speedboat transfers Includes: Stay in a Lagoon Villa with breakfast daily Validity: Now until Mar 15, 2016 Unrivalled luxury makes the Maldives an obvious choice.

How to Book

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

F Thailand Anantara Sathorn Bangkok

H Hong Kong Singapore Concorde Hotel Singapore InterContinental Hotel Hong Kong 3 nights from USD389 per

3 nights from USD160 per person Special off er: 20% room rate reduction, upgrade to Skyline One Bedroom Suite and complimentary WiFi Includes: Stay in a One Bedroom Suite with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now until Mar 31, 2016

person Special off er: Complimentary upgrade to next room category and late check out until 1500 Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now until Mar 31, 2016

3 nights from USD700 per person Special off er: Stay 2 nights and receive an additional night free Includes: Stay in Superior Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now until Mar 31, 2016

Singapore is no longer a sterile stopover. It has reinvented itself as one of the most exciting holiday destinations worldwide.

This enigmatic city of ancient traditions, modern skyscrapers and scrumptious cuisine will inspire.

Fun-loving, exotic and historic!

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Kameha Grand Zurich

Langham Place New York

Raffles Praslin

Conrad Bali

dnata’s FANTASTIC FOUR

Remarkable Retreats These hotels offer total hospitality and personalised services to valued guests I

USA Langham Place, New York, Fifth Avenue 4 nights from USD1,010 per person Special off er: Stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now 'til Mar 31, 2016 A unique mix of captivating design, thoughtfully refined hotel signatures, and genuine service await. Enjoy gracious hospitality during your next stay on Fifth Avenue.

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Switzerland Kameha Grand Zurich

Seychelles Raffles Praslin

Indonesia Conrad Bali

3 nights from USD460 per person Special off er: Receive an upgrade to Deluxe Room and complimentary WiFi in the room and public areas Includes: Stay in a Premium Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now 'til Feb 29, 2016

4 nights from USD1,195 per person Special off er: Stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free and complimentary upgrade to Half Board Includes: Stay in a Bayview Pool Villa with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now 'til Mar 15, 2016

4 nights from USD425 per person Special off er: Stay 3 nights and receive an additional night free and a complimentary 60 minute massage for 2 Includes: Stay in a Superior Room with breakfast daily and return airport transfers Validity: Now 'til Mar 31, 2016

November in Switzerland means unforgettable days in the sun and snow - whether it's on a ski slope, cross-country trail or warm and toasty cottage.

Swimming alongside the largest and most exotic fish in the ocean is only one of the bucket-list experiences you can tick off at the spectacular Seychelles.

A beacon of magnificent luxury and timeless style, this awardwinning resort beckons with its beach of golden sand and private accommodation.

November 2015 World Traveller Promotion

Club Med

Relax and enjoy an extraordinary all-inclusive sun and ski holiday in a variety of exotic locations.

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reaming of a winter sport holiday that offers complete freedom and flexibility? Then look no further than Club Med. Our promise is simple. We'll allow you to relax and completely let go in the most beautiful skiing area in the world, while we take care of everything, right from the start. All our 22 ski Resorts have something unique to offer. So whatever makes you happy, you're sure to find it here, at Club Med.

10 reasons to choose Club Med 1. No need to worry about a thing, it's all taken care of from the moment you arrive 2. Discover the world's finest ski domains 3. Everything you need is in the Resort: ski lessons booking desk, ski lockers, ski equipment rental…

4. Try the latest, top-quality equipment, updated every year 5. Learn from the best with our professional English speaking ski/snowboard instructors 6. Try one of our 30 sports & activities, on and off the slopes 7. Indulge your taste buds with our creative cuisine and local specialities 8. Entrust your kids to our dedicated GO team, from 4 months and up 9. Relax afterwards in our prestigious spas, outdoor pools, saunas…

10. Live a connected experience in our digitalized Resorts

Our selection of Mountain Resorts, hand-picked just for you Departures between Jan 03, 2016-Apr 17, 2016. Book by Jan 22, 2016 to earn a 10% discount.

Val Thorens 4 , French Alps Val Thorens boasts Europe's highest station and international events.

Price per person starting from: AED5,710*

Val d'Isère 4 , French Alps Val d'Isère gives you dream snow, not to forget the charm of the Savoie region.

Price per person starting from: AED5,790* Pragelato-vialattea 4 , Italy Located in Italy's Piedmont region at an altitude of 1,600 metres (5,250ft), in a beautifully preserved natural site.

Price per person starting from: AED5,990* Peisey Vallandry 4 , French Alps This charming Resort offers skiers a true mountain experience.

Price per person starting from: AED6,200* Valmorel 4 , French Alps A charming, tree-lined Resort, superb slopes and views of Mont Blanc. Here, family ski holidays have been redefined.

Price per person starting from: AED6,565* Villars-sur-ollon 4 , Switzerland An elegant family Resort that has won the Green Globe Certification for sustainable tourism.

Price per person starting from: AED6,565*

What a Club Med price include: · Luxury accommodation · International full board gourmet cuisine · Unlimited drinks and refreshments · Ski/snowboard lessons in English · Ski pass · Kids' clubs** · Evening entertainment · Kids under 4 stay free***

Note: *Price is based on a 7 night accommodation in a club room on a twin share basis. Prices are subject to availabilities and quotas.

Please inquire for more information **Kids' club services under 4 years old will incur a cost ***Kids stay free is available to children aged under 4 years old (0-3) at any Club Med ski resort (under 6 for any Club Med sun resort). Free stay is only applicable on the accommodation part of the package (with or without transport). This off er applies to stay only, there are a few exclusion dates where children receive 75% off adult accommodation prices. Please enquire at the time of booking. Children pricing only valid when sharing a room with a minimum of two adults.

For more information, please call +9714 316 6666 or email contactcentre@dnata.com 37

Check In World Traveller Promotion

The heavenly

Seychelles For an unforgettably romantic vacation in paradise, the Seychelles can’t be bettered

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he Seychelles is a natural wonder, one of the world’s most photogenic and desired destinations. As an incomparable place for romance, be it a renewing of vows, a scenic proposal or, of course, a five star setting for a fabulous honeymoon, the Seychelles is a paradise getaway. The Seychelles has something for everyone, from those who love to lounge on the beach through to pleasureseekers keen to try out a world of water sports and hiking. With 38

115 idyllic islands to explore, there is much to find. One notable addition on the island of Mahé, is The H Resort Beau Vallon Beach, a stunning new property.

Time to Relax Of course, you can simply lie back and relax with a good book, but The H Resort also goes out of its way to make sure every guest is entertained throughout their whole stay. In the elegant Sesel Spa, discover

the true essence of being at one with nature, as you indulge in the many holistic offerings in this blissful space. There is plenty to do for sporty types – yoga, tennis, beach volleyball, gym and a giant chessboard are available, as well as excursions like fishing trips, cruises and much more.

Kids Come First The Treetops Kids Club presents a world of fun and exploration for little ones, either

splashing in the gentle surf or learning about the wildlife around the island. The team of trained professionals are experts in entertaining kids of all ages.

Inspired Dining The H Resort has several world class dining options, including Seyshima, which showcases the finest in Japanese cuisine on the resort’s lagoon. Vasco’s, which blends contemporary décor

November 2015 World Traveller

Clockwise from left: Mahé, Seychelles; The H Resort Beau Vallon Beach; Eden BBQ; Sunset at Beau Vallon Beach; Beach Villa Bathroom

with Mediterranean, Seychellois infused cuisine. Or try the Tête-à-Tête experience, where guests have the opportunity to create their own unique and memorable, romantic dining experience on the pristine beach or Eden, offering The H Resort experience, where lucky visitors can explore the true beauty and essence of island life, with a divine, and unforgettable gastronomic event. seychelles.h-hotel.com; seychelles.travel 39

Destinations Iconic Shanghai

Iconic

Shanghai Widely known as the Oriental Paris, Shanghai is China’s largest and fastest-growing city, with more than 20 million residents. It’s quickly becoming a bucket list destination among travellers, thanks to its distinct oriental culture and delicate blend of Eastern and Western customs

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November 2015 World Traveller

Stupendous Skyscrapers One of the most recognizable and striking landmarks of Shanghai’s futuristic skyline is the newly built Shanghai Tower. Estimated to have cost between $1.5 billion and $2.4 billion, it is divided into nine sections, each with its own shops, gardens and restaurants.

Its curved façade and spiralling structure goes beyond just creating a unique appearance; the tower offers a sustainable way of living in a vertical city. At 128 stories, it’s the world’s second tallest building and its four-year construction was completed this September.

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Destinations Iconic Shanghai

Chinese Cuisine In Shanghai, there’s no excuse for eating poorly.

From simple street food to Bund-style cuisine, the city’s overflowing with delicious delicacies. Perched on the Yangtze River Delta, next to the Yellow Sea, restaurants are brimming with freshwater fish. It’s a pulsing magnet for migrants from all over China, creating a melting pot of exotic flavours and spices. Housed in the Pudong Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Yong Yi Ting serves exquisite Jaigngnan cuisine. mandarinoriental.com

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Bazaar Bargains Although shopping malls are becoming increasingly popular in Shanghai, the majority of its residents still shop at the city’s markets and bazaars.

Translucent ponds of glittering goldfish and packs of nomadic

tourists are commonplace at the renowned Yùyuán Gardens. Located in the Old City, its bazaar stretches across ten streets; each littered with quirky shops and cozy cafés. Founded by a prominent

Ming-Dynasty family, Yùyuán is an extraordinary example of the country’s traditional garden design. One of the most famous teahouses in China, The Húxīntíng Teahouse, is only a few minutes walk away.

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Destinations Italy

Pipe Dreams

Have you heard the one about the cop, the nun and the accordion player? I’m no comedian, but I can tell you this: at the end of the day they all end up in Padua, at the Piazza dei Signori. Words by Ellen Himelfarb

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November 2015 World Traveller

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Destinations Italy Opening pages: Brenta river and Ponte degli Alpini in Bassano del Grappa. This page: Fondamenta Osmarin, Venice. Opposite page: Vineyards in Treviso.

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November 2015 World Traveller

isit the town of Padua, the understated heart of Italy’s wealthy Veneto region, and it’s easy to see why. Signori is one of those continental squares where gelato is a suitable snack for elevenses; where the café terraces blend into one another and you only discover which yours belongs to when you spot the waiter sprinting out the door with your spritz. It’s so close to the Piazza delle Erbe market that the pavements are spotted with impressions from yesterday’s tomatoes. And at sunset, a corona forms around the clock tower, which bears the world’s oldest zodiacal clock, the Orologio.

The people-watching is divine. Side by side with the off-duty musicians and the clerics from the blush-stone San Clemente church are students from the 13th-century university. Among them, bouffant ladies

canal circling its 500-year-old ramparts, and more Medieval churches than London has Starbucks – plus no Starbucks. Jason, who spent a few months here in his twenties, tracked down contacts using old Christmas cards. After they’d sent us a trail of email tip-offs a virtual mile long, we booked a flat in the centre of town.

Temporary residents, we soon fell into the leisurely rhythms of this fresco-swathed town. And with Venice closer to our front door than east London is to west, we could always nip there and be back with daylight to spare. We could also roam the entire Veneto, a thriving region that holds tight to its Medieval glory, but still has a grip on the modern day.

We arrived midweek in very early September – an inspired decision that

wear sunglasses as big as their lap dogs are tiny. Then there are families like ours, whose children hang off the obelisks and draw stick figures on the cobbles with pavement chalk. If you want to drink in Padua’s past, present and future along with your iced beverage, the place to do it is Signori.

We’d planned Padua to be a brief detour on a sojourn in Venice. My husband, Jason, and I wanted to show our two daughters the Sinking City since they’d devoured books featuring gondolas punted by cartoonish types and had started asking questions.

Everyone’s got to see Venice at least once in their life, and their time had come.

The snag? We couldn’t afford a whole week in Venice for four. Who can? But we needn’t have worried. Less than a half hour by train — and less attention seeking by miles — Padua is one big children’s playground. Dating back to 1183BC, it is northern Italy’s oldest city, with a moat-like

allowed us two days to wander the city free from weekenders and students emancipated from humanities. Combined with the powerful Adriatic sunshine, it made things especially blissful for the girls. They played tag through the Italianate colonnades of the Palazzo della Ragione, an 800-year-old town hall coated with allegorical frescoes, while my husband and I investigated a contemporary-art exhibit inside.

We rounded the corner and sat down at Caffè Pedrocchi, a legendary coffee house with a classical stone facade. The girls played horsey on the guardian lions while we ordered drinks that came with generous bar snacks I wish I’d known about as a backpacker: bottomless dishes of crisps, cornichons, crackers and mini pizzas.

If you’re feeling skint, a cheap drink at Pedrocchi will take you through to dinner (and a late one: most restaurants don’t even open their doors until 7.30pm).

We spiralled outward from the Ragione 47

Destinations Italy

We’d hunt for souvenirs... while noshing on strawberries from the marketplace

palace, treading the same ground as Galileo Galilei. There are statues — and sprawling green grounds for excitable young ones to run wild in — 10 minutes’ walk from Piazza dei Signori at Prato della Valle. This elliptical park, ringed by a moat, is home to 78 Italian luminaries chiselled in stone at the University of Padua at the turn of the 17th century. Co-founded by the astronomer in 1599, the Galileiana Academy of Arts and Sciences is tucked in behind the Duomo and its vast piazza. Finding the Pasticceria Al Duomo, we bought takeaway slices of zuccotto — a gelato-based cake moulded into an appropriate dome shape — and nibbled at it messily, while the kids played on the fringes of a footie match in the square.

From here, Galileo would surely have made the pilgrimage to the Byzantine Basilica di Sant’Antonio da Padova. Inside are the relics of Saint Anthony, ‘Il Santo’, exhumed in the ‘80s and displayed behind the altar. It took some effort to explain that the decaying brown tissues behind glass were the tongue and jaw of a guy last seen in 1231, but the thrill endeared the girls to churches for the rest of the holiday.

In the Veneto, that is no small thing. One of Padua’s most popular sights is the 14thcentury Scrovegni Chapel, where Giotto painted a cycle of Sistine-esque frescoes depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. Our girls were willing, but Scrovegni’s elaborate timed-entry system has visitors sit through a 15-minute video while the air temperature in the hold regulates itself (in the name of preservation). By the time we got in to see the midnight-blue ceiling, one kid had fallen asleep. In the intervals, we’d hunt for souvenirs or shimmy between street buskers, while noshing on strawberries from the marketplace. By the end of those first two days, sampling our second cone at Gelateria La Romana, it had become clear that a week wouldn’t be enough, so we started cramming stuff in. On Friday, 48

we visited Jason’s friend Stefano, whose family lives outside the moat. There, huddled around slices of pizza the length of my arm, Stefano and his wife argued in their gesticulative Italian over which Venetian stronghold we should visit for the day. Verona: “Forget the Shakespeare – it is beautiful Roman city!” Treviso: “They make-ah the Prosecco! They make-ah the tiramisu!” Vicenza: “Palladio’s triumph!”

The table turned into a conflict zone, with tomes lugged from the bookshelves to illustrate when their broken English failed.

Victory went to Bassano del Grappa, known for the Palladian wood bridge that links ancient villages across the river Brenta. Stefano offered the use of his car.

We refused. But we were no match for his wife. She stuffed the keys in Jason’s hand and the leftovers in mine.

Cittadella, an immaculately restored fortress, broke the hour’s drive from Padua at the halfway point. Built in the 1200s by the Paduans to protect themselves against their Trevisani enemies, it was as pristine as a film set. As the children ran along the crown of the 16m-high walls, we looked down on Gothic churches right out of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose and colourfully striped awnings yawning over market stalls. The streets were nearly deserted, the few characters hanging about — a barmaid, the fishmonger and touslehaired lovers sharing a Vespa — straight from Central Casting.

Onwards to Bassano del Grappa, we could see the peaks of the Alps fading into the horizon. It was the distraction the kids, now ravenous, needed until we made it to lunch on the banks of the Brenta at the fi rst pizzeria we passed with an ‘aperto’ sign.

Was it the effect of the mountain or did the air feel more bracing, making our walk to the wooden Bridge of the Alpini a true moment?

It was naive of us to expect a simple handover of the car keys on Sunday. After

November 2015 World Traveller

Clockwise from left: Vineyards in Valdobbiadene, near Treviso; Domes of the Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, 13th century, Padua, Veneto, Italy; Palazzo della Ragione on Piazza delle Erbe in Padua; Bicycles in Piazza delle Erbe in Padua; Tomatoes at a farmer’s market.

morning services, Stefano and his family, sweaters tied round their shoulders, met us outside their church, Chiesa del Torresino, with a second car and a plan. We split into two vehicles and convoyed to the volcanic Euganean Hills: ‘Our countryside’.

On the southwest road out of town the kids spotted orchard after orchard: peaches, limes and under-ripe lemons that looked like limes. I glimpsed overgrown manors with peeling stucco. “Empty,” said Stefano.

“Nobody can afford them now.” With that we began hatching plans to pool our resources. We endured hairpin turns up the hillside to Fattoria Danieletto, a vineyard restaurant in the hilltop village of Teolo.

I’d call the scene ‘Spaghetti Western’ – pasta on the menu, modern cowboys riding across the landscape. We arrived at 1pm.

Between courses of sliced meat and crusty bread, asparagus pasta and guinea fowl with roasted potatoes, we played hide-andseek among the grapevines, the fierce sun a little lower in the sky, until at five we were

stuffed, sleepy and homeward bound.

With few days remaining, we did make it to Venice eventually. And wouldn’t you know it? We arrived to downpours.

“Fantastic,” we told ourselves, pulling on our ponchos. “More elbow room for us.”

We spoke too soon: dodging a thousand umbrellas en route to the Doge’s Palace, we stood in an eternal queue outside the Basilica di San Marco. Yet the rain was a reminder of the unfailing resilience of children. They were too enchanted by their new carnival masks to notice the naff surrounds of our luncheon spot, chosen hurriedly in a dash from the vaporetto.

Then, once inside San Marco (the Golden Church), they were stopped in their tracks by the angelic incantations of a student choir, which seemed to have broken into spontaneous song by the splendour of it all.

I wish I’d thanked them for salvaging our day. But in the end, there wasn’t so much riding on it. That is the splendour of the Veneto.

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Destinations Philippines

What is the best beach in the world?

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Gap-year kids debate it furiously around campďŹ res.

Newlywed couples discuss it passionately over brochures.

Ignore them: the most paradisiacal strand on the planet is here, says Chris Haslam, in the Philippines

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obody does one-upmanship like a backpacker. Maybe it’s the arrogance of youth; maybe it’s the insecurity.

Either way, it makes for interesting eavesdropping in far-flung bars. “We’re just back from Vic Falls,” says the dreadlocked English girl. “It was, like, amazing.” “Which side?” asks the tattooed Israeli. “Zambia,” says the girl. The Israeli sniffs. “The Zimbabwe side is much better.” “Not any more,” interjects the American. “Too touristy.

You should see the Tugela Falls in KZN.” He gets extra points for the abbreviation.

It stands for KwaZulu-Natal, but everyone knows that, right?

The ultimate one-upmanship, anyway, concerns The Best Beach in the World.

In the backpacker hostels, it’s a favourite topic of conversation, and the search for the planet’s most perfect stretch is a noble quest that can prolong a trip — and put off getting a proper job — for years. I’ve often earwigged on the debate, and when everyone has laid down their cards, a grizzled German — it’s always a German — will speak up. Four words: “Secret Beach, El Nido.” And the debate is finished. Game over. So eventually I looked up El Nido. It’s the Spanish for ‘nest’, and the tiny town on the northwestern tip of Palawan Island in the Philippines was once famous for them.

Locals would scale the cliffs to gather the little swiftlet nests and sell them to Chinese traders. Getting there wasn’t easy — but that’s what makes it so brag-worthy.

I hung around in Manila for a day, discovering a gentle city with a bad reputation that acts as though the devastation from World War II happened only last week. Frenzied development, backed by iff y planning rules and infrastructural improvements, has created a city of 12 million that’s in almost perpetual gridlock; its traffic dominated by the ubiquitous Jeepnies, made by welding the front of a Jeep to the back of a bus.

The locals are amused when I climb aboard for a ride downtown. “You should take a taxi,” they say, but if I’m to beat the backpackers at the bragging game I need to be stuck in a traffic jam in an open-sided Jeepnie, with the sounds and smells of Manila — not in an air-conditioned cab listening to love songs on Mellow 94.7.

“I’ve come to find the best beach in the world,” I tell my fellow passengers. Can they offer any pointers? They look at each other, then at me. In an archipelago of 7,107 islands, asking someone to name the best beach is like asking an Englishman which is the best pub in Britain. At Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila’s 16th-century heart, I met David and Cecilia and their four children. They live in a tin shack in Tondo, one of the world’s biggest slums. David’s just got a job with a dredging company — poorly paid, dangerous work — and Cecilia is hoping to set up a laundry business. I wish them luck, and they do the same to me — finding the country’s best beach 52

will be a true challenge, they insist. That night, I take the two-hour flight south to Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan Island. A biblical storm is driving sheets of water across the highway, and the almostconstant lightning is throwing the palm trees into silhouette. Despite this, Hotel Centro’s management thinks it’s worth going ahead with the outdoor barbecue.

“Tomorrow will be fine,” says the chef, bailing the rainwater out of the potato salad.

There’s a happy, clappy, tie-dye-and-hairbraids vibe to the town I reach El Nido the following evening, after a 240km journey that takes six hours on a visually exhausting, rollercoaster road through paddy field and jungle. The town is scattered along the edge of Bacuit Bay, beneath forested hills and sheer limestone outcrops where the swifts make their precious nests. These days it exists solely as the dormitory and jumping-off point for island-hopping tours of Bacuit Bay, and since the only tourists who come here are backpackers, prices — and standards — are low.

This won’t last. El Nido has been designated by the Philippines Government as a tourist development zone and is facing a tsunami of building work that will see the backpackers’ hostels, cybercafes and homestays replaced by luxury hotel and residential developments.

Property company Ayala Land has begun construction of a 100-hectare resort comprising “hotels and resorts, tourism and commercial establishments, as well as residential communities”.

In the meantime, beachfront rooms go from about £20 a night, and there’s a happy, clappy, tie-dye-and-hairbraids vibe to the town — imagine Ko Samui in 1979 or Goa in 1969. Eating is ludicrously cheap, especially if you avoid the backpacker magnets — easily identified by the signs advertising free wi-fi. Plump instead for the street barbecue stands, where AED 5 — yes 5 — buys a bowl of rice topped with exquisite lechón (slow-roasted meat). I find a bar that isn’t playing Bob Marley and order a drink. The sun is setting, and the traditional Filipino outriggers they call bangkas are dropping sunburned, glassy-eyed tourists back on the beach. “I think Ha Long Bay was prettier,” says an Irish backpacker, opening his laptop and updating his Facebook. “Way

November 2015 World Traveller

Opening page: Bacuit Archipelago Palawan Far left: Luzon Island Below: Taganbua Vilage on Coron Island

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Giant crabs lurk in the mangroves, and snorkelling in the coral reefs is like swimming through a kaleidoscope too touristy,” retorts an Australian girl about the Vietnamese resort. “You should have gone to Lan Ha Bay.” You don’t have to put up with this. There are 45 islands in Bacuit Bay, and while you can visit most of them on numerous organised excursions from El Nido, strict environmental laws mean you can’t stay on them, unless you’ve booked with El Nido Resorts. The company, part-owned by Ayala Land, operates a little-known chain of luxury hotels on four islands. I arrive at the biggest — the 50-room Lagen Island Resort — during yet another tropical downpour.

The property is a mixture of over-water villas and land-based accommodation, built around a lagoon at the foot of a 180m, jungle-covered limestone crag. A band is playing as I step ashore, and while the rain muffles the music, it isn’t loud enough to drown out the 15-minute eco-lecture to which new arrivals are subjected by a company so conservation-minded that they give you recycled cotton bags with which to take home your non-biodegradable garbage.

If you’re expecting Maldives-style excess, you might be disappointed. Luxury tourism is new here, and the rooms, which start at 1,400 AED a night, are resolutely four-star, as is the buffet. Service is friendly but slow, and it’s easy to see why: the staff are as mesmerised by their surroundings as the guests. As the sun comes out, the barman and I stand and stare: the islands, dark and forbidding in the rain, now appear to be illuminated from within, glowing like green lanterns floating on a sparkling sea.

I need to see them, so the next morning I rent a Bangka and crew. It costs 340 AED for the day, and while I could have joined a public tour from El Nido for 90 AED, I’m worried about meeting that Aussie backpacker. Slumped under cloudless skies, I drift from slumber to wonder, and back again, as we chug from one ludicrously beautiful outcrop to the next, jumping off, swimming around, drinking water from a coconut and moving on.

Some rise sheer from the seabed, their foundations eaten away by waves so they overhang the ocean. Some look uninhabited from the sea, but have sophisticated beach clubs, complete with bars and toys hidden beneath the palms. Others are truly deserted, their dazzling sands colonised by green turtles and squabbling crows. Giant crabs lurk in the mangroves, and snorkelling in the coral reefs is like swimming through a kaleidoscope.

On Miniloc Island, a collapsed cave system has created a vast, freshwater lagoon 24m deep. Just around the corner, I kayak

Previous page, left-right: Snake Island, Palawan; Bacuit Bay. This page, clockwise from top left: Tagbanua father and son on their floating bulsa; Coron Island, Kayangan Lake; Visayas Islands, Salmonback anemonefish

through a cave-like cleft in a cliff to find the imaginatively named Small Lagoon; a football pitch-sized pool of glassy, jade-hued water surrounded by jagged 60m crags.

The bottom is visible, around 10m below.

Another paddler, a Filipino, drifts alongside.

His four-year-old daughter is balanced on the front of his kayak like a hood ornament.

“Now tell me there is no God,” he smiles. But greater beauty is still to come.

On the west coast of Matinloc Island, the captain points to a line of surf pounding the rocks on either side of what appears to be the mouth of a river. “Secret Beach,” he says, pushing me towards the deck’s edge.

This is it: the best beach in the world.

“Boat no go,” says the captain. “You swim.”

There’s another boat anchored nearby, its complement of backpackers leaping excitedly into the swell. What can possibly go wrong? My plan is to float just outside the break, watch what everyone else does and work out how to catch a wave without being trashed. But the ocean abhors procrastination, and the current speeds me into the surf. Lifted by a monster wave — at least a metre high — I flail like a maniac and am shot forward into a narrow canyon, where the challenge suddenly shifts from “swimming in” to “not being sucked back out”. Given that we’re all wearing life vests, this is nowhere near as dangerous as it sounds, but not all swimmers are as lucky as me. As I wade up the channel, a pair of bright-red bikini bottoms swirls past.

Behind me, in the surf, is an even brighterred girl.

So this is it, the Secret Beach — a lagoon encircled by dragon’s-tooth cliffs, and almost too perfect to be real, as though it was imagineered by theme-park designers.

The crescent of white sand is symmetrical.

The light green of the lagoon matches the dark green of the jungle, which contrasts perfectly with the thunder grey of the karst crags. The air temperature is around 30˚C, and the seawater, if anything, is slightly too warm. Out of earshot of the backpackers I mention to my Filipino friend — who has somehow managed to bring his daughter through the channel — that there may be a better beach on Earth, but I haven’t seen it. He doesn’t reply, but before we leave he borrows a pencil and a scrap of paper from the caretaker and writes down the name of a beach. “Google this place,” he says. “Better than here?” I ask.

He shrugs. “It is a subjective judgment. But you should see it.”

I can’t tell you the name. I put the piece of paper in my pocket and swam quickly back to the boat.

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Destinations Nevada

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November 2015 World Traveller

The

WILD

Wild

WEST

For millions of visitors Las Vegas is a place to see a few shows and marvel at over the top architecture.

But those who are willing to go beyond the glitz of the Strip and venture beyond the city can feast on the colourful and occasionally gruesome history of Nevada

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Destinations Nevada

N

evada became America’s 36th state in 1864. It had been the home of a number of Mormon communities who had spilled across from Utah.

Mining, the railroad, and more recently casinos have shaped the state, which has repeatedly reinvented itself – and left some fascinating detritus behind. Nowadays we live in an age of pop-up shops but during the Gold Rush in Nevada it was an era of pop-up towns. Settlements mushroomed as thousands came west to seek their fortune.

But as fast as they grew they disappeared, leaving derelict buildings and at times complete ghost towns.

A two-hour drive from Vegas, Rhyolite is a classic ghost town. It grew at an astonishing rate after two prospectors – Shorty Harris and Ed Cross – discovered gold in 1904.

Word travelled fast. Thousands staked

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claims and according to the 1910 US census, the population soared to 7,523. By all accounts Cross and Harris made more money from mining the pockets of gullible investors than from gold itself. The seam of gold proved to be less rich than claimed and within twelve months the population fell to 200. By the end of the decade it was just 14.

But the Gold Rush led to a frenzy of building including a depot, school, bank and even a house made of bottles – which were more plentiful than wood, in a town which at one point had 53 saloons. The people left, but the ruins of the buildings remain in a patch of desert close to the California border and only a few miles from Death Valley. The shell of the splendid Cook Bank – built in 1908 for $90,000 (more than $2 million today) - is perhaps the most impressive of the structures. The safe remains in place

even if the roof and many of the walls have gone. There is also the remnant of the Porter Brothers Store on what would have been the main street. The brothers had three other businesses in California, but they rushed goods straight to the boomtown of Rhyolite.

There was even a railroad depot, which in its later life became a boarding house and a casino.

Now there is a small museum on the site with fascinating photos of Rhyolite during its brief heyday, including a wonderful picture of Maude, a burro which would wait outside the town’s ‘restaurant’ demanding pancakes from the miners.

The drive from Vegas is fascinating in its own right, cutting through the desert and the Paiute reservation – complete with its own police substation.

November 2015 World Traveller Opening page: Aroad in Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area.

These pages, from far left:Rhyolite Ghost Town; Spring Mountains; Mercantile at the Rhyolite Ghost Town

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Destinations Nevada This page: Mt. Humphreys and Golden Trout Lake, High Sierra.

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Joshua Trees; Abandoned car in Berlin, Nevada; Suburbs near Las Vegas; Red Rock Canyon Overleaf: Neon Boneyard

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November 2015 World Traveller

45 minutes southeast of Las Vegas is the Eldorado mine. It is a spectacular drive through windswept, cactus-strewn desert where traffic seems to hurtle at breakneck speed and motorists are warned of ‘dust hazards’ every few miles. The Techatticup gold and silver mine was established in 1851, abandoned in the 1940s and restored in the 1990s. At one point the mine employed 144 people; at the same time the population of Las Vegas was 30. Early miners included deserters from both armies in the civil war – but they still had to be kept apart.

The mine shop and dining hall has been rebuilt and is festooned with stuffed animals including a coyote, mountain lion and buffalo. Costing $12.50, the tour is particularly evocative. The main building is jam packed with artefacts from the mine’s heyday. There are the buildings where the miners slept, relics of the processing mill and complete mine shafts. The trip includes

a visit to the tunnels in which the miners worked, where part of the rich seam of minerals which drew people to the Eldorado Canyon is still visible.

For over 70 years, the mine had a violent history, punctuated with feuds and grizzly murders. There was the charming John

The mine had a violent history, punctuated with feuds and grizzly murders Nash, who hired three miners to carry out a contract killing to ensure he gained control of the mine. He eventually put a contract out on one of the killers. In the early 20th century there was Queho, a serial killer who claimed 14 victims. Despite a $300,000 bounty, he was never caught. Eventually his mummified body was found in February 1940, two decades after his last murder.

Nowadays the mine makes its money from tours and films. Kevin Costner, for example, blew up a petrol station in 3,000 miles to Graceland. It was perhaps appropriate he was playing a villain because during the mine’s heyday there was little law and order in Eldorado or Nelson, the adjacent township.

That was largely because the sheriff was based in Pioche – at about a week’s ride away, it was hardly worth bothering making the trip.

Pioche is about 150 miles north-east of Las Vegas. In 1871 its population reached 10,000 people. It can claim with some justification to have put the wild into the Wild West.

The owners of the Meadow Valley mining company felt it necessary to hire gunmen who were paid $20 a day (equivalent to $2,000) to protect their investment.

Corruption was rife. The sheriff ’s office raked in $40,000 a year in bribes – that 63

Destinations Nevada

What some might regard as the detritus of Vegas’s glorious past is now lovingly cherished

would be $4 million today. Then there is the courthouse. It was supposed to cost $16,000 when the fi rst contract was signed in 1871.

When the final cheque was paid 60 years later, the bill had soared to an astonishing one million dollars.

The building is still there – it is now a museum - along with other relics of the boom town days, including the old mine and main street, which still has the feel of the 1870s, albeit with SUV’s parked where horses would have once been hitched up.

Around 25 miles to the south of Pioche is Caliente, a town which owed its prosperity to arguably the biggest growth industry in 19th-century America – the railroad.

It was the centre of a dispute between William Clark and E.H Harriman as the rival companies sought to cash in on the profitable route from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, via Las Vegas. In 1923 the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad opened a splendid mission style depot, complete with bedrooms for the railroad workers upstairs and a waiting room and ticket office downstairs. Caliente was a victim of the replacement of steam by diesel. Locomotive maintenance was shifted to Los Angeles and in 1970 the building – which is on the National Register of Historic Places – was 64

handed over to the town. The building itself is magnificent, but it is the box car museum, about 100 yards away, which is a real treasure trove packed to the rafters with artefacts from the rail industry’s heyday.

There is everything from a bewilderingly large collection of padlocks to – and this is a personal favourite – a detailed ledger kept by the local brothel in a county where prostitution was and remains legal.

In Las Vegas, casinos have come and gone at a bewildering rate including the Stardust, where my Uncle Sid’s band, the Nitwits, played in the late 1960s. The Stardust is no more, but its sign has pride of place at the Neon Museum on the outskirts of town.

What some might regard as the detritus of Vegas’s glorious past is now lovingly cherished, with an array of metal, glass tubing, wiring and fibreglass bearing witness to a colourful, glitzy and wonderfully over the top past.

There are around 150 signs at the ‘Neon Boneyard’ from former hotels, defunct casinos and long-gone restaurants. The work of Betty Willis – best known for the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign – is featured with the distinctive French script piece she designed for the Moulin Rouge.

Through it, Nevada’s spirit lives on.

November 2015 World Traveller

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Beyond Bacalhau From hipster food stalls to inventive fine dining, Lara Brunt discovers there’s more to Lisbon’s dining scene than codfish and custard tarts

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November 2015 World Traveller

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Destinations Portugal

A

Ferrero Rocher is not what I expected to see on the menu at Lisbon’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant. “It’s not quite as it seems,” our waiter at Belcanto says with a twinkle in his eye as he places the dish on the crisp white tablecloth. As I bite into the crispy shell studded with hazelnuts, it’s not chocolate that delights my tastebuds but rich, smoky foie gras.

It’s just one of many culinary surprises dished up by the Portuguese capital. Long overshadowed by its Spanish neighbour, I have to admit my knowledge of Portuguese cuisine starts with custard tarts and ends with salted cod. While the ubiquitous pastel de nata and bacalhau remain much-loved favourites of Lisboetas, the city also has a burgeoning and buzzing food scene.

Leading the way is José Avillez, a 36-yearold chef who has built up an impressive empire of six restaurants, five of them in the capital including Belcanto, awarded its second Michelin star in 2014. A protege of Ferran Adrià, Avillez combines respect for

The three-hour experience involves dish after dish local ingredients with a playfulness that does his patron proud.

Along with the foie gras-filled Ferrero, the 360° Discoveries degustation menu includes 15 imaginative courses influenced by the seafaring nation’s golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries when Portugal built up a vast empire of colonies from Goa to Brazil.

“What I try to do is a new Portuguese cuisine based on 600 years of [history of] travelling around the world, bringing and taking different ingredients, techniques and knowledge,” says Avillez.

The three-hour experience involves dish after dish of gastronomic wonders matched with grapes from around a dozen Portuguese vineyards. Highlights include ‘The Porthole’ featuring tiny morsels of shellfish served in texturized seawater on a porthole-style plate, and ‘The Garden of the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs’, a shimmering sous-vide egg with leeks and mushrooms topped with gold leaf.

Next up, after a tip-off from our concierge at Hotel Valverde, a beautiful boutique hotel that opened last year on the grand Avenida da Liberdade, we dine at Leopold in Mouraria, one of Lisbon’s most historic bairros, or neighbourhoods. Housed in a former bakery, the restaurant redefines unpretentious and intimate, with three tables, a “kitchen” behind a large marble counter with no stove, and a six-course degustation menu for an incredible €32.

At the helm is Tiago Feio, a former sous chef at Largo, one of the city’s most renowned contemporary Portuguese restaurants. “I don’t have a stove so I use 68

November 2015 World Traveller Clockwise from left: Valverde Hotel; The historic district of Alfama; Streetcar in Placa do Comercio; Belcanto restaurant; Bacalhau; custard tarts.

Where To Stay Valverde Hotel In a beautifully preserved 19th-century townhouse on the grand Avenida da Liberdade, Valverde Hotel is Lisbon’s loveliest boutique hotel. Spread across six floors, there are 25 rooms, including two spacious suites in the eaves, decorated with rich colours, mid-century modern furniture and Moorish touches such as lattice sliding screens.

sous-vide, fermentation and dried products,” he says. “I’m more creative when I have restrictions. I like to play with texture and create a minimalist atheistic.”

Served on dark green cabbage plates by venerable Portuguese brand Bordallo Pinheiro, each dish is almost too pretty to eat. Almost. We devour grouper ceviche with peach, blueberries and almonds; Asian-inspired Azores beef with soy sauce, seaweed and purslane; and creamy sous-vide egg with shitake mushrooms and buckwheat. As we savour the petit fours of figs preserved in sugar syrup, topped with pennyroyal mint, we’re treated to our fi rst taste of fado, the melancholy music born in Mouraria, drifting from a bar across the street.

The tempo is more upbeat the following day at Sunday brunch at Sítio, the groundfloor restaurant in Valverde Hotel.

Featuring live jazz and bossa nova, the tables in the leafy courtyard soon fill with hip Lisboetas making the most of their weekend. The equally good-looking staff are dressed in casual Lacoste uniforms, a nod to the brand’s Portuguese creative director, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, while chef Carla Sousa’s menu features brunch favourites served as petiscos, or small plates (call them tapas at your peril).

We tuck into a selection of egg dishes and cured meats, followed by our first taste of the fabled bacalhau. A Portuguese staple for centuries, there are said to be 365 different recipes for the dried and salted fish – one for each day of the year. “If you only learn one word of Portuguese while you’re here, best make it bacalhau,” jokes one of our fellow diners.

Another stylish new arrival is the revamped food court at Lisbon’s historic Mercado da Ribeira, the city’s biggest fresh food market. Opened last May as the fi rst

permanent foodie venture for Time Out magazine, the market features over 30 stalls selling local and regional specialities, including cheeses, sausages, tinned sardines and ginjinha (wild cherry liqueur).

Five well-known chefs have also set-up stalls here, including Henrique Sá Pessoa and Marlene Vieira, offering small plates from just €5. We opt for a succulent bifé marrare (steak with peppercorn sauce) from Café de São Bento, an outpost of the restaurant on the street of the same name that is widely acknowledged to serve the city’s best steak.

Of course we can’t leave without sampling Lisbon’s famous sweet treat, so we jump on a tram and head west to Pastéis de Belém in the Belem district. The patisserie has been baking the soft-centred, flaky custard tarts since 1837 and serves up to 50,000 a day in peak season. We queue impatiently outside the beautiful blue and white azulejoclad store, teased by wafts of custard and cinnamon, before finally being rewarded with a still-warm tart.

Sardines, tinned in winter or fresh in summer, are another much-loved staple that every local we meet insists we must try. The city goes especially sardine crazy in June during the Festival of Santo Antonio when the narrow streets of Alfama, the city’s oldest quarter, fill with the smell of grilled sardines in honour of Lisbon’s patron saint.

We enjoy fat, juicy ones at Super Mario, an old-fashioned tasca in the Chiado neighbourhood where the daily menu is written on a large sheet of paper taped on the wall. Packed with locals, we follow their lead and bookend our meal with deliciously gooey Azeitão sheep’s cheese and a strong bica (espresso). “You like?” the owner asks, unnecessarily, as he clears our empty plates. “We like,” I assure him. “We like a lot.”

69

orlando

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Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney WorldÂŽ Resort

4 nights from

AED 1,990 per person

6 nights from

AED 4,210 per person

To book: Call us on 04 389 8555, visit us online at dnatatravel.com or a nearest dnata Travel outlet.

Terms and Conditions Valid for bookings up to 31 October 2015. Travel periods as speciďŹ ed. Please note some seasonal surcharges may apply. All prices were correct at time of printing and are subject to currency uctuation up until the time full payment is made. All prices are subject to availability and special conditions apply.

November 2015 World Traveller

Weekends

Two days is still plenty of time to travel

Underwater room

72 The Big Five Christmas Markets 74 Beautiful Golfing Getaways 75 The Great Escape 78 Reader Offers

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Weekends Big Five

BIG FIVE

FESTIVE MARKETS Experience the merry magic at these winter wonderlands

1.

1.

2.

When: 21st Nov–23rd Dec Opening times: 11am–6pm

When: 14th Nov–21st Dec Opening times: 10am–9pm

For an authentic Scandinavian winter, the Old Town’s market is a must. Quaint wooden stalls of red timber are filled with vendors selling sweets, reindeer sausages and other Swedish delicacies. Bring home a handmade candle or taste of Sweden with a saffransbullar (saffron bun). stortorgetsjulmarknad.com

Nestled at the heart of this bustling city centre, Manchester’s award-winning market returns. Over 300 stalls are spread throughout the city, tempting visitors with everything from fine amber jewellery to schnitzel and strudel. Artisans throughout Europe are invited to share their wares. manchester.gov.uk

Stay at: Central Hotel Conveniently close to Stockholm’s entertainment and shopping districts. profilhotels.com

Stay at: The Midland A grand Edwardian hotel only a few minutes walk away from the opera house and library theatre. qhotels.co.uk

Stockholm, Sweden

2.

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Manchester, England

November 2015 World Traveller henriktrygg/mediabank.visitstockholm.com

3.

St. Gallen, Switzerland When: 26th Nov–24th Dec Opening times: 11am–6pm A Baroque cathedral is the breathtaking backdrop to this market. Only an hour from Zurich, St. Gallen is the ultimate destination for a picture-postcard white winter.

700 gigantic stars glitter above half-timbered merchants’ houses. Treat yourself to a mouthwatering mince pie as you wander the chalets.

Stay at: Hotel Säntispark Guests enjoy spectacular views of the snow-smothered Säntis Mountain. hotel-saentispark.ch

3.

4.

4.

5.

When: 27th Nov–31st Dec Opening times: 9am–7pm

When: 26th Nov–24th Dec Opening times: 10am–9pm

Dating back to 1570, this festive market is one of Europe’s largest, boasting over 300 stalls. Two million visitors gather around the city’s cathedral every year to admire the 30-metre high tree and ice-skating rink. Its majestic decorations and lights differ each week to reveal spectacular fairytales. noel.strasbourg.eu

Striezelmarkt is one of Germany’s oldest documented festive markets, and many of the customs surrounding the main market stem from local industries. Stalls are littered with characterful stocking-fillers, including delicate wooden ornaments, ceramic bells and handcrafted nutcrackers. dresden.de

Stay at: Citadines Kléber Ideally situated next to Place Kléber, guests are only a 10-minute walk from the festivities. citadines.com

Stay at: QF Hotel Dresden This modern and luxurious hotel is surrounded by brilliant boutiques bursting with seasonal gifts. qf-hotel.de

Strasbourg, France

5.

Dresden, Germany

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Weekends News

Clockwise from left : Almouj Golf; Kuredu; Big Easy, The Els Club; Sir Nick Faldo at Laguna Lang Cô

Tee Time Dubai The Els Club For a first-class golfing experience combined with fivestar service, The Els Club might be Dubai’s finest. Thoughtfully designed by US Open and Open Championship winner Ernie Els, the course is a unique “desert links” style, inspired by the great links courses of the UK. After a round, the Big Easy Bar & Grill inside the clubhouse offers a fantastic Friday brunch with live cooking stations and home-smoked salmon. elsclubdubai.com 74

These fore golf courses are well worth a travel trip

Oman Almouj Golf, The Wave Muscat

Vietnam Laguna Lăng Cô Golf Course

Following the natural lines of Muscat’s pristine and rugged coastline, Almouj Golf at The Wave, Muscat is a links course offering amateurs and professionals alike a challenging yet rewarding round of golf.

Running alongside a sixkilometre stretch of white beach, it’s a 7,342 yard course peppered with bunkers, water hazards, natural dunes and the ever-present Gulf of Oman to one side. almoujgolf.com

Located within the stunning Laguna Lăng Cô resort lies the Laguna Lăng Cô Golf Club, and 18-hole, par-71 Championship Course designed by 6-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo.

It’s another links-style course, offering a traditional outand-back routing, presenting opportunities for all kinds of shots along the way. The backdrop to the course is all imposing mountains and lush forest. lagunalangco.com

Maldives Kuredu Imagine standing barefoot on a golf course, on a deserted island, in perfect 28° heat, with absolutely no stress – you’re playing on Kuredo Golf Club’s 6-hole pitch and putt course. Ok, so it’s not a championship level 18-hole course, but if you want a holiday where you can keep your swing in shape while still maintaining zen-like relaxation, this is the place to build focus. kuredu.com

November 2015 World Traveller

The

Great

Escape The Meydan Hotel, Dubai

There are lots of luxury hotels in Dubai. Why this one?

Since its inception in 2010, the Meydan Hotel has established itself as one of the region’s leading destination hotels.

284 extravagantly appointed rooms and decadent suites boast spectacular views, substantial space and an abundance of natural light. State-of-the-art amenities and world-class award-winning facilities have been designed to facilitate a seamless and comfortable stay.

What’s unique about this hotel?

Built around a world-class

racecourse, the hotel combines luxury, sophistication and a passion for equestrian sports, and plays host to a number of exciting global events including the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horserace.

Guests can see horses exercise in the equine swimming pool and have exclusive access to the Jockeys’ Room, Saddling Paddock and Parade Ring.

Sounds good, but I’m here on business.

The hotel offers myriad fullyequipped meeting venues that are ideal for business and leisure travellers alike. A 24hour concierge service and the

hotel’s business facilities keep you in the loop no matter how far from the office you may mind yourself. It is within easy striking distance of Downtown Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Road and Dubai International Airport. Guests enjoy total serenity, while remaining connected with the hustle and bustle of the city.

What else is there to do around the hotel?

In addition to horse riding, the hotel also offers Dubai’s fi rst pay and play golf course and a tennis academy, as well as facilities for a wide range of outdoor sports.

Staying fit and energized is a part of the experience at The Meydan Hotel, and guests can maintain their fitness with a wide range of indoor and outdoor sport facilities. Located on the 11th floor, a gymnasium is equipped with state-of-the-art Technogym machines.

At a

GLANCE Fast facts about The Meydan Hotel • Translated from Arabic, Meydan means ‘a meeting place’ and the hotel offers guests a number of unique hangouts • The hotel’s designed in the shape of a wave in motion, with a luminous green glass façade • Hotel guests can take a personal tour of the Meydan Stables and learn how the thoroughbred horses are trained • The destination experience at the Meydan hotel is complemented by seven food and beverage outlets 75

Check In Abu Dhabi News

City of

ART

Abu Dhabi Art brings exceptional art from around the world to the capital this month Abu Dhabi Art, running from November 18-21, presents a selection of the world’s leading modern and contemporary art galleries alongside a dynamic programme of performances, talks and more taking place at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Abu Dhabi art focuses on two sectors, a public programme that connects with the community through initiatives and education, and an art fair which includes an array of renowned and up-and-coming artists from near and far. Entrance to Abu Dhabi Art, in the Saadiyat Cultural District of Abu Dhabi, is complimentary but online registration is required. Visit abudhabiart.ae for more information.

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November 2015 World Traveller

November 2015 World Traveller Promotion

Festive

Harrods Head to the world’s most iconic department store for festive fun with all the trimmings

I

f your little boys and girls have been good this year (and only the big man knows for sure at this stage), a huge treat awaits them at Harrods. Home to the world’s grandest and most popular festive in-store celebrations, Harrods’ festivities spring into action on Friday, November 6, when the store’s famous windows are unveiled.

Families are invited in store to join the fun across that weekend and encounter festive characters aplenty amid ample entertainment.

This year, each of Harrods’ windows will comprise a spectacular stage – complete with lights, scenery and red velvet curtains – to evoke a world of puppets and performers. Meanwhile, a visit to Santa’s Grotto (open from November 7) affords kids the chance to explore his magical toyshop – and try out the ‘naughty or nice’ machine – en route to seeing the man himself. While for the first time, this always magical encounter can be topped off with a visit to the new Disney Grotto Café.

For would-be princesses, however, only the best will do, and at Harrods, that means a visit to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Here you can choose from myriad experiences for your children to enjoy, Cinderella and Frozen among them. Each princess experience includes time with a personal Fairy Godmother-in-Training, who will

teach your daughter the ways of a princess before helping them transform into one, via make-up, accessories and deluxe dresses they get to keep. It’s the ultimate little girl’s dream come true, with the experiences offered ranging in grandeur (we’re talking exclusive Elsa dresses and limited edition Cinderella ball gowns).

One last thing, be sure to save space in your luggage allowance for one of Harrods’ incredible festive hampers, stocked with enough edible delights to see you through

to 2016 and beyond. But only if you’ve been nice, of course.

For a full list of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experiences, and to book a slot, visit disneyboutiqueatharrods.com. Due to popular demand, all Classic visits to the Grotto are now fully booked. There is limited availability for the Grotto Cafe and Tea Time Grotto experiences throughout November. For more information please visit.harrods.com/grotto 77

Weekends dnata Offers

WORLD TRAVELLER

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UAE Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah 1 night from USD176 per person Special off er: 40% room rate reduction, complimentary upgrade to a Deluxe Palm View Room plus kids go free (maximum 2 children up to and including 11 years old) Includes: Stay in a Deluxe Skyline room with breakfast daily Validity: Now ‘til Apr 2, 2016 78

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InterContinental Muscat

November 2015 World Traveller

WIN! Angsana Ihuru, The Maldives Has the hectic pace of the UAE got your batteries worn down? We’ve got just the tonic – how do three nights in the Maldives sound? The infinitely relaxing Angsana Ihuru is one of the most luxurious to be found anywhere, with crystal waters, the famed Rannamaari shipwreck to be dived, and amazing oceanic wildlife waiting to be discovered. We’ve got three nights for two people including breakfast to give away to one winner.* All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer this question: What’s the name of the wrecked ship?

A) Randolph B) Ranieri C) Rannamaari Email your answer to easywin@ hotmediapublishing.com by November 30, 2015.

For more information, visit angsana.com * Prize valid from 10th January to 30th June 2016, except 5th -15th February.

Subject to availability, the prize is nontransferable, and no cash alternative is available.

Bookings must be made in advance.

The prize is a three night stay in a Beachfront Jet Pool Villa for two people on a bed and breakfast basis. Any additional extras will be charged for.

All government taxes are applicable. The prize does not include flights.

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Weekends Suite Dreams

Suite Dreams

What: Presidential Suite Where: Spa Sanctuary Retreats, Banyan Tree Bangkok About: This stunning split-level duplex comes with a charming spiralled stairway, bubbling jetpool, relaxation jet shower and electronically controlled curtains to give you full control over your suite experience. The modern bathroom and dining areas are offset with doubleheight full glass walls, to give the suite an alluring open-plan feel. The loft-style sleeping area brings a touch of New York cool to the bustling Bangkok experience, which you can enjoy within walking distance of the hotel’s front door, or simply viewing out of the huge windows – the whole city, including the legendary River of Kings, will unfold beneath you. banyantree.com 80

A perfect destination for the whole family. Despite fast-paced development in Al Ain, it is still a safe and quiet place surrounded by greenery and extraordinary nature. It offers a relaxing retreat for any individual after a tiring day at work or school and is a must-visit tourist destination.

Al Ain Zoo

A 900 hectare park allowing visitors to watch the animals in their semi-natural habitat.

Al Qattara Fort

Wadi Adventure

Combining water adventure and L_JP[LTLU[ Z\YÄUN HUK H RH`HRPUN network of channels that is among the largest in the world.

Recently redeveloped, this historic fort now has a folk art centre that hosts workshops, along with a cafeteria and a library.

800 555 visitabudhabi.ae

@visitabudhabi

Al Ain Oasis

The largest and oldest palm oasis in the city of Al Ain that still holds its identity and embodies the lifestyles of the past.

Hili Fun City ;OL .\SM»Z ÄYZ[ HT\ZLTLU[ WHYR" OHZ attractions for all ages plus walking and playing areas.

5:34PM

The moment romance came to light.

From the breathtaking scenery and luxurious rooms to the worldclass service and amazing line-up of indulgences that await you, Fairmont Ajman is magic with a view.

Create your Ajman memories today. +971 6 701 5757 | fairmont.com/Ajman