World Traveller - January'19

INSPIRED BY

ISSUE 129 | JANUARY 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Produced in Dubai Production City

HONG KONG BERLIN NORWAY US ROAD TRIP

Idyllic Indian Ocean From over-ocean villas in the Maldives to natural wonders in Mauritius, we dive into the Indian Ocean’s treasured islands

Welcome note

For globetrotters like us, the start of a new year calls for a new roster of destinations to visit and mind-blowing travel experiences to relish, and this issue is packed with ideas that are sure to earn a place on your wish list.

Managing Director Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director John Thatcher General Manager David Wade Managing Editor Faye Bartle faye@hotmediapublishing.com Content Writer Habiba Azab

Regular readers will notice that, in the spirit of new beginnings, World Traveller has undergone a revamp to make way for even more travel tips and inspiration from those in-the-know. Our cover story (p26) whisks you away to the Indian Ocean, shining a light on everything from brand spanking new Maldives resorts (get there before the rest), to where to walk among giant tortoises in Seychelles, and pampering spa havens in Sri Lanka.

Drawing on our insider intelligence, dnata Travel’s resident globetrotter Emily Williams tells us which destinations are trending right now (p8) while our woman on the ground in Berlin helps you get under the skin of this achingly cool capital in her long weekend guide on p66.

We hope you like our new direction, and we invite you to share your own travel stories with us. Turn to p82 to see how you can carry on the conversation on our digital channels.

Happy travels, Faye Bartle

Win!

Art Director Kerri Bennett

Find out how you can win a three-night stay at Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives on p83

Senior Designer Hiral Kapadia Senior Advertising Manager Mia Cachero mia@hotmediapublishing.com

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED THIS ISSUE: 1

Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas is home to the world's largest open-air marine habitat, p10

2

Thanks to the new Maputo-Catembe Bridge, you can now reach Southern Mozambique in an easy 90-minute drive (as opposed to a bumpy five-hour ride) from the airport, p21

3

If you’re travelling longhaul with kids, outsmart jetlag by booking an overnight or late-night flight, p22

4

Berlin is nine times the size of Paris, but home to just 3.5 million people – that’s five million less than London, p66

Production Manager Muthu Kumar

5

INSPIRED BY

Photography credits: Getty Images and Phocal Media Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in World Traveller.

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

COVER IMAGE Jumeirah Vittaveli

In Hong Kong, Peking duck spring rolls now come stuffed with healthy kale, p44

Find us at…

ONLINE worldtravellermagazine.com FACEBOOK @worldtravellermagazine INSTAGRAM @dnataworldtraveller TWITTER @WT_Magazine

worldtravellermagazine.com 3

Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi

Contents January 2019

29 MALDIVES

regulars 8

TRENDING DESTINATIONS

From wild Tasmania to the dramatic landscapes of the Isle of Skye – four places to head to now

15

22

26

84

New Year travel goals to aim for; fresh places to stay; mood-boosting nature trips; and mustsee urban wonders

How to avoid jet lag when travelling with a toddler in tow – by the nomad parents who've mastered it

Say hello to your Indian Ocean paradise... we've rounded up the very best ways to do Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka

Bookworms need look no further than the Virginia Woolf Suite at University Arms, Cambridge

GLOBETROTTER

THE KNOWLEDGE

COVER FEATURE

SUITE DREAMS

worldtravellermagazine.com 5

CONTENTS

features

44

50

56

Neon-lit skyscrapers pierce the clouds and big-brand names light up the sky – this is modern Hong Kong

An eye-opening drive through America’s soulstirring canyonlands

Taking the reins on a family dogsledding adventure in northeastern Norway

MELTING POT

ROADS TO RECOVERY

BARKING GLAD

50

US ROAD TRIP

weekends 64

REASONS TO VISIT DUBAI CREEK

Check out the new wave of openings at the historic heart of the city

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66

A LONG WEEKEND IN BERLIN

What to see and do in this achingly cool and creative capital

72

78

Enjoy a well-deserved weekend away at these luxurious hotels

Take advantage of our exclusive deals for your next adventure

STAYCATIONS

TRAVEL OFFERS

Inspiration. Expertly crafted.

Comprising two iconic towers, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai is centrally located beside the Dubai Water Canal and offers a spectrum of facilities and services for a seamless experience.

The hotel features: 1,608 Luxurious Guest Rooms and Suites, Over 15 Award-Winning Restaurants and Lounges, Saray Spa featuring Traditional Hammams, A Dead Sea Floatation Pool and 17 Treatment Rooms, State-of-the-Art Health Club and Fitness facilities, 8,000 sqm of spectacular Meeting Spaces.

JW MarriottÂŽ MarquisÂŽ Hotel Dubai jwmarriott.com/DXBJW Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, PO Box 121000, Dubai, UAE | T +971.4.414.0000 | jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com

TRENDING DESTINATIONS

Tasmania

The island of Tasmania is witnessing a surge in popularity. This wild corner of Australia has beautiful (and quiet) beaches, abundant nature and wildlife, the purest air, cleanest water and an emerging cultural scene. Stay in the beautiful port capital of Hobart, an ideal base to explore, and home to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).

HIGHLIGHTS 1 See the diverse range of wacky art at world-renowned MONA 2 Bask in the beauty of the 50km-long Bay of Fires 3 Meet and greet a Tasmanian Devil at the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo

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TRENDING DESTINATIONS

Porto

Two hours north of Lisbon, Porto emerges from the banks of the Rio Douro like a pop-up book of colourful, historic buildings. With its fashionable hotels, local chefs picking up a growing constellation of Michelin stars, beautiful beaches and charismatic locals, January (with its mild weather and affordable rates) is a great time to experience all Porto has to offer.

HIGHLIGHTS 1 Visit the arts block of Rua Miguel Bombarda for your fill of contemporary art and design 2 Admire the old houses of Miragaia 3 Taste classic Portuguese cuisine by Porto-born Chef Rui Paula at DOP

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TRENDING DESTINATIONS

Bahamas

Home to the ‘original’ Atlantis hotel, Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas features the world's largest open-air marine habitat, a 141-acre water park, 11 incredible pools, five miles of stunning beaches, and a Tom Weiskopfdesigned 18-hole, oceanfront golf course. There’s no bad time to visit the Bahamas – go island hopping and marvel at its famous pink sand beaches.

HIGHLIGHTS 1 Grab a conch salad and listen to rake ’n’ scrape bands at the ‘Fish Fry’ in Arawak Cay, Nassau 2 Snorkelling at Andros Great Barrier Reef 3 Soak up the sun on pristine pink sand beaches

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Words by Emily Williams, dnata Travel’s resident globetrotter

TRENDING DESTINATIONS

Isle of Skye

The Scottish Highlands are on the radar, boosted by rumours of the prequel to Game of Thrones filming on the Isle of Skye. Already a popular location for film and TV crews, be sure to visit the iconic stone structure known as the Old Man of Storr and the beautiful ‘Fairy Pool’ waterfalls. It's cold in January, but the weather lends the dramatic landscapes an even more magical vibe.

HIGHLIGHTS 1 Follow guides to mountains, sea-cliffs, and canyons for a thrilling outdoor adventure 2 See an acclaimed collection of dinosaur fossils at the Staffin Dinosaur Museum 3 Take a boat tour to see basking sharks at sea, the world’s second largest fish

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A NEW WATERFRONT DESTINATION AT PALM JUMEIRAH

The Pointe at Palm Jumeirah.

The Pointe is a vibrant new waterfront destination located at the tip of Palm Jumeirah with scenic views of Atlantis The Palm. Spend the day with family and friends strolling along the promenade, satisfying your taste buds with cuisine from across the world, watching the latest big-screen blockbusters or simply relaxing, unwinding and pampering yourself. Visit The Pointe and indulge in a unique experience.

@thepointepalm | www.thepointe.ae

Globetrotter JANUARY

Be informed, be inspired, be there

HIGH SOCIETY Open your eyes to the mediaeval architecture and nature-filled walking trails of picturesque Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which historically was a popular holiday spot among Portugal’s elite – hence the exquisite palaces, mansions and decorative gardens amid the rolling hills. Embrace the grandeur by staying at Tivoli Palácio de Seteais (pictured), an 18th-century Portuguese palace-turned-hotel, which can send you on a host of adventures, including a horse-drawn carriage ride along the charming cobblestone streets to taste traditional pastries at centuryold pâtisserie Casa Piriquita.

World Traveller 15

GLOBETROTTER

NEW YEAR TRAVEL GOALS Make a meaningful start to your year in travel by embarking on a holiday that gives back Emirates One&Only in Wolgan Valley, Australia

3 1

Do a digital detox in Boracay

Break free from a digital rut at Mandala Spa & Resort Villas in central Philippines, which is surrounded by tropical gardens and just a short walk from the stunning beach.

Stay in the Digital Detox Villa, where television and Wi-Fi is strictly banned, so you can unplug and spend your days nourishing yourself with healthy food and taking part in yoga classes.

2

Join a writer’s retreat in Sierra Nevada

If you plan on penning your own masterpiece soon, then Casa Ana’s creative writing retreat provides all the inspiration you need to get started. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of southern Spain, it holds four writing retreats each year (March, June, August, and November) so you can focus on your prose in quiet surroundings, glean advice from the professional mentors and take part in group reading and critiquing sessions.

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Go wild in Wolgan Valley

Stay at Emirates One&Only in Wolgan Valley, Australia, and you can make a hands-on contribution to protecting the valley and its wildlife. Join the conservation team as they journey into the Blue Mountains to care for Carne Creek and Wolgan River – important habitats for native wildlife.

Learn about key issues impacting the local wildlife and take part in tree planting, wildlife surveys, feral animal monitoring and wombat surveys, among other activities, as you admire the scenery.

4

Cook up a storm in Oxfordshire

Tucked away in the picturesque countryside, the Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons cookery school, by chef Raymond Blanc OBE, will show you the secrets of creating show-stopping cuisine. There are courses for all skill levels and, once you’ve downed tools in the kitchen, you can retire to one of the manor house’s 32 individuallydesigned hotel rooms.

Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Maya Ubud Resort & Spa

5

Nurture your soul in Bali

Get back in touch with the important stuff with the eightday/seven-night spiritual journey programme at Maya Ubud Resort & Spa. Your itinerary will include trips to nearby temples, a visit to a Balinese healer and a stroll through the verdant rice paddies to gain a deeper insight into the Balinese philosophy of life, with lots of spa pampering in-between.

GLOBETROTTER

NEW HOTELS

FRESH STAYS… DUBAI Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai Inside scoop: This Jeffrey Wilkes designed property offers the best of both worlds, having bagged itself a coveted spot along Jumeirah Beach, placing you just steps away from the seafront and just a short drive away from icon-packed Downtown Dubai (in fact, it’s now the closest beachfront resort). Scheduled to open in Q1 2019, the hotel’s California-style aesthetic has us reaching for our overnight bag.

The rooms and suites: You can choose from a city or beach view, and most guestrooms have a private balcony.

We say book a room overlooking the pool and out towards the sea for the dreamiest views.

The food: There are six restaurants and lounges to discover, with signature venues including the Warayakiya-style Japanese restaurant and Portuguese poolside eatery Tasca.

The spa: Be pampered in the spa with a locally-inspired treatment and unwind in the dedicated hammam-style suite.

Also nearby: It’s just five minutes to thriving beach community La Mer, where you can go to shop, grab a bite to eat and hurl yourself down the slides at Laguna Waterpark.

1

JOHANNESBURG The Houghton Keen golfers will be lured from the city to the ’burbs by this luxurious property, due to its proximity to the Jack Nicklaus signature golf course (it’s literally the front garden).

The resort has a club-like vibe – expect the staff to call you by your first name – with plenty of ways to stay fit and healthy, including 7.9km of illuminated jogging paths.

2

3

MAURITIUS C Mauritius

We're lapping up the tropical vibes of C Mauritius in Palmar – the first opening for the cool new sister brand of Constance Hotels & Resorts. Warm and stylish, with incredible views of the lagoon and beach, it’s ideal for those who prefer an all-inclusive stay. (The hotel is in its soft opening stage and will be fully operational in March.)

DUBAI Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens Inspired by New York loft living, the rooms and apartments of this hip hotel are decked out with SMEG mini bar fridges, espresso machines and the like. Taste Pan-Asian cuisine at Ah Lah, dip a toe in the outdoor pool, and take advantage of the free bike, skateboard and rollerblade rental to explore the parks and lakes nearby.

4

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GLOBETROTTER

THE POWER OF NATURE Doctors in Shetland can now prescribe nature to their patients to help treat stress and other conditions. Make sure the time you spend in nature is well topped up with a few days' respite at these wonderfully lush hotels around the globe…

FAR-FLUNG FOREST Big Sur, California Tucked amid the forests of California’s rugged central coast is Ventana Big Sur, where you can watch the sun set over the ocean, explore the rolling hills and navigate the hiking trails with a local guide. Rest your head at its Redwood and Canyon Glampsites (only accessible by foot), which puts you in the thick of it all in a safari-style canvas tent, sharing stories by the light of the fire.

SHORT-HAUL BEACH The Amalfi Coast Surrounded by luscious bougainvillea and lovingly cultivated olive groves and fruit orchards, Hotel Santa Caterina invites you to experience the charm of this classically beautiful destination. This historic villa, perched on the cliffs, offers direct access to a private stretch of sand (via elevators carved into the rock face) where you can unwind, soak up the sun and swim in the heated seawater pool (open from mid-April to October).

Redwood and Canyon Glampsites, Ventana Big Sur Credit: Ventana Big Sur, An Alila Resort

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ON YOUR DOORSTEP DESERT The Dubai desert The allure of the golden dunes never fades and the private oasis of Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai, nestled deep in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, takes the breath away whether you’re a newbie or a regular. Post desert safari, you can gaze at the seemingly endless stretch of sand towards the Al Hajar Mountains from your suite’s private pool.

EXCEPTIONAL, INDIGENOUS, EXPERIENCE. Experience the alluring, golden desert landscape, the captivating silence of nature, the free-roaming wildlife in the reserve, all enjoyed from your private suite and pool. Indulge in a luxurious desert adventure with camel treks, horseback riding, falconry, archery, dune drives and more.

HOTELS THAT DEFINE THE DESTINATION FOR RESERVATIONS, PLEASE CALL 971 4 832 9900 OR VISIT THELUXURYCOLLECTION.COM/ALMAHA

feeling like a VIP that’s Kilban’s marhaba effect The difference is the staff. So caring.

I’m just an ordinary traveller but marhaba makes me feel like a VIP. With people like this, there is only one way you can go—up, up and up!

Kilban

Breeze through all the airport formalities with our meet & greet services in Dubai and Bahrain.

Whether you’re arriving, departing or transferring, marhaba meet & greet makes your time at the airport something to look forward to.

You can also relax in style, no matter what your airline or class of travel, at our lounges in Dubai and Bahrain.

Find your marhaba effect at marhabaservices.com

meet & greet | family packages | marhaba lounge | citystop | transfer service

GLOBETROTTER Louvre Abu Dhabi

ON OUR RADAR Design enthusiasts will want to be among the first to stay in the new-look NIKA Private

Residence at Velaa Private Island, which has been

There are now regular nonstop flights zipping between Abu Dhabi and Barcelona, Spain, thanks to Etihad Airways, which launched its inaugural flight there at the end of November 2018. The new route (just shy of eight

reimagined by interior designer Patricia Urquiola. The beach retreat, which sleeps up to 10, has a natural tone with raffia, wood and earthy textiles creating warmth.

MUST-SEE SIGHTS

Urban wonders The Roman Colosseum and Great Wall of China may already be on your must-see list, but how many of the new wave urban wonders are on your radar? Hilton Hotels & Resorts has recently unveiled the Seven Urban Wonders of the World, crowdsourced via influencers and rated by criteria such as architecture, activities available and, of course, Instagrammability. Here’s what made the cut…

Louvre Abu Dhabi for its impressive installations. Sydney Opera House for its cultural contribution to the city and picture-perfect viewpoint, looking out

towards Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, for its foodie, flea market appeal.

Camden Market, London, due to its rebellious and exciting persona.

The Bund, Shanghai with its milelong stretch of waterfront and real life ‘museum of buildings’. Temple Street Night Markets, Hong Kong, as a vibrant showcase for culture, food, and craft. Albertina, Vienna, for its history, art galleries and museums. Indeed, Albertina is one the city’s most photographed buildings, commanding more than 70,000 Instagram posts.

TOP BUY The MCM Traveler Cabin Trolley in Visetos, Dhs6,400, is the perfect size for a long weekend away and its compartmentalised interior makes packing easy too.

Just zip it up and go!

Thanks to the opening of the Maputo-Catembe Bridge, the largest suspension bridge in Africa, the wilderness of Southern Mozambique just got a whole lot more accessible.

Stay at White Pearl Resort, where ocean safaris, game drives and swimming with wild dolphins are among the adventures to be had.

Gordon Ramsay is turning up the heat with the newlyopened Hell’s Kitchen

at Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai. Serving up an experiential and immersive culinary experience, its coveted address on Dubai’s newest island destination adds to the allure.

Fans of Four Seasons will be keen to read this new tome, which takes you behind the scenes by sharing the stories of the authentic service and savoir faire of its people, illustrated

by Ignasi Monreal.

Four Seasons: The Art of Hospitality.

Assouline Publishing, assouline.com

World Traveller 21

KNOW-HOW

The Knowledge HOW TO...

Help kids beat jet lag With their two-year-old in tow, AJ Ratani and Natasha Sandhir travelled to 31 countries in just short of nine months. Not surprisingly, they learned a lot about travelling with a toddler Before you travel…

We always plan to align our son's sleep schedule to the destination. For example, in Spain, their culture is to enjoy dinner much later than we do in the US, so we’ll do the same when we’re there. This gives our child the opportunity to mix with the locals and taste the local cuisine, rather than having to eat at an empty restaurant or just grab a snack and go to bed at the same time they would back home.

When you’re travelling somewhere and know the time difference will be significant, it’s a good idea to start preparing a day or so in advance. Even though it can make for a crazy day or two, depending on whether you’re gaining or losing hours, wake your child up a couple of hours’ earlier or later than normal and have them go to bed earlier or later as well. This will help with the transition.

Booking the best flight time…

If you know the flight will be long, we prefer to book overnight or late-night flights. We have found that our son will be tired and typically falls asleep on the flight and (hopefully) sleeps until our destination. It also allows us to get some sleep as well, and we aren't stressed out trying to entertain and manage him during the flight. For shorter flights, we typically try to book one which departs after 11am. We try and avoid short flights that start around our son’s usual bedtime because that can be disruptive to his sleep.

When you’re flying at night…

We typically try to replicate as much of what we do at home. For example, we will put our son into his pyjamas and 22 worldtravellermagazine.com

read him his books before he goes to sleep. And then, when we say "good night", we tell him it's time to go to sleep.

If your plans fail, just go with the flow…

will be kids, so try not to get frustrated if your child can't go to sleep at an ideal time. Your best bet in that situation is to stay up with them and let them adjust over two or three days. To give you an example, when we flew from Dubai to Beijing we arrived around midnight, but it was only 8pm in Dubai. Our son wasn’t tired at all and it was useless to try to force him to go to sleep – we knew from experience that it will just end up in frustration for us all. Instead, we stayed up and went to bed when he was tired. For us, that meant going to sleep at 4am. However, we made sure to wake up by 11am, to start our day. Yes, we were tired, but it meant everyone would go to sleep earlier that night.

Within a day or two, we had all adjusted, our child included.

If all of what you’ve planned for goes out of the window, then you simply must go with the flow regardless of what happens. As the saying goes, kids

You can read more about AJ and Natasha’s globetrotting adventures at 2idiotstravel.com

Is there a noticeable difference in jet lag when flying East to West and West to East?

We personally prefer flying East to West over West to East. That's because when you fly West you gain hours and hence can get to your destination during the day. This means the family just needs to stay up until the evening to lessen the effects of jet lag. You are so exhausted having stayed up that you will go to sleep easily and adapt to the time change much easier.

Wellness Haven at Saray Spa. Renew for the journey ahead.

A relaxing realm of quiet luxury, Saray Spa at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai is an authentic wellness Spa, where ancient healing techniques and locally sourced natural ingredients are combined to enhance the well-being of each guest.

The Spa features 17 treatment rooms, inclusive of two private Hammam rooms, one Dead Sea treatment room boasting the UAE’s only Dead Sea Floatation Pool found within, and two Private Luxury Spa Suites.

Experience the wonders of the Middle East through Arabian Body Rituals or Hammam Rituals, or benefit from the results-oriented facials. An exclusive retail boutique offers luxurious gifts and spa products for every occasion.

JW Marriott Marquis Dubai | Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, PO Box 121000, Dubai, UAE T +971 4 414 6754 | mhrs.dxbjw.spa@marriott.com | jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com

The view from Jumeirah Al Naseem

STAY DIFFERENT WITH JUMEIRAH

Beach breaks

It's time to hit the sand! Let our handy guide point you towards your perfect beach holiday in Dubai

You could just find a resort by the sea, or you could stay at a true icon of luxury…

Frequently voted one of the world's most luxurious hotels, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab commands attention along Dubai's coast. And while it's a given that you'll want to visit the architectural gem while on a trip – if only to admire it up close – staying there is something every discerning traveller should vow to do at least once in his or her life. Ask anyone who has been lucky enough to check in and they'll admit that the experience is impressive from the very start. Upon arrival, you are discreetly escorted to your duplex suite which, due to the property's smart design, has wow views of your unique location and beyond through floor-to-ceiling windows. The beach experience is as luxurious as you'd expect, and at the exclusive Burj Al Arab Terrace you'll find Scape restaurant (specialising in Californian-style cuisine), a dreamy infinity pool and cosy cabanas. Of course, there's plenty more at the property to entice, including the acclaimed Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara, and a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce to ferry you around town.

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You could just stay on the beach, or upgrade to a place that has its own luxury beach club…

Unwind in your very own pocket of beach bliss at Jumeirah Al Naseem, the latest property to open at Madinat Jumeirah.

All the rooms and suites have postcard-worthy views towards Burj Al Arab or the Arabian Gulf, and expansive terraces that edge the sandy beach. But the best bit, in our opinion, is the lure of Summersalt beach club, which has launched a new Japanese fusion pop-up concept, Umi Shio, created by Japanese/ Argentinian chef Cristian Goya. Blending the artful craft of Japanese cooking, with the delicious flavours of South America, dishes are designed for sharing and feature authentic Japanese and South American ingredients such as miso, yuzu, truffle and lime in abundance. Open for lunch and dinner, it also serves a delicious selection of Japanese-inspired drinks to sip while admiring the view. And if you thought you'd reached peak relaxation throughout the day, bear in mind that Talise Spa is just a hop, skip and a buggy ride away. We rate the Hot Sea Shell massage, which helps banish tension and stress.

WORLD TRAVELLER X JUMEIRAH

You could just stay at a hotel with spacious rooms, or you could stay somewhere with Royal Residences…

While we're spoilt for choice when it comes to spacious suites in Dubai, there comes a time in life when you want to squirrel yourself away from the rest. If you're not keen on seeing another soul while you're away (aside from your nearest and dearest), then a private villa holiday fits the bill nicely. The Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Royal Residences set the bar high when it comes to exclusive beach breaks. Set amid lush tropical gardens and a dreamy lagoon pool, the Ottoman era inspired villas have their own private sun terrace, private swimming pool and stretch of soft sand. You'll also have access to your own private garden while a fully-equipped kitchen means you don't have to decamp to a restaurant – simply call upon the personalised butler service to take care of all your needs.

You could just stay at a family hotel, or you could stay at a family hotel that's fresh from a stylish refurb…

Back on the scene following a six month refurbishment, and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is a firm favourite among families. Throw open the doors of your family Garden Suite and step out onto the private terrace for some salty sea air, splash around in the swimming pools, build sandcastles with the kids, and swap stories over dinner at Pan Asian restaurant Beachcombers. What's more, all guests get complimentary access to Wild Wadi Waterpark.

To find out more, visit jumeirah.com Burj Al Arab Terrace

Madinat Jumeirah YOUR FIRST TIME SHOP AT SOUK MADINAT JUMEIRAH For an Arabian bazaar style shopping experience, browse the barrows and stalls of Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Each is brimming with treasured mementoes that deserve a space in your suitcase.

MADINAT JUMEIRAH VIA ABRA Soak up the beauty of Madinat Jumeirah and see the authentic Arabian architecture from all angles by setting off on a 20-min abra tour along the meandering waterways.

Camera at the ready!

PAI THAI First-timers are sure to be impressed by this award-winning Thai restaurant. A short abra ride delivers you to this ambient venue, where a feast of aromatic dishes await.

FULL MOON YOGA AT TALISE SPA The full moon is said to have a powerful effect on our mood and energy. Feel the benefits by taking part in this 90-minute yoga session under the stars, and stretch to a soundtrack of waves lapping the shore.

JUMEIRAH AL QASR You couldn't wish for a better introduction to warm Arabian hospitality than at this luxurious hotel, which is designed in the style of a Sheikh’s summer residence. The rooms are newly refurbished – we rate the Arabian Deluxe suites, which fit up to two adults and two children, with scenic views of the gardens and waterways.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT EMBARK ON A DEEPSEA FISHING TRIP Try something new on the water thanks to the dedicated Water Sports Centre – the thrilling deepsea fishing excursion is sure to take you out of your comfort zone for a trip to remember.

DO

SEE

EAT

SPA

SLEEP

A THEATRE SHOW With an impressive line-up of live performances, from foot-tapping musicals to ballet, Madinat Theatre is a draw card for fans of the arts. Showing in Jan is Blackouts & Charles Nguela (31 Jan) – a hi-tech acrobatics, dance and illusions show.

SHIMMERS Seasoned visitors can make the most of the winter weather at Shimmers. Savour bites

by Greek Chef Yiannis Katsikas, and sink your toes into the sand while admiring the never-getsold view of Burj Al Arab.

GET HOLLYWOODSTYLE HEALTHCARE Need more than a massage? Visit the DNA Health Clinic at Talise Spa to explore your DNA profile and genetic blueprint for tips on slowing down the ageing process, along with bioaesthetic treatments to help you look your best.

JUMEIRAH DAR AL MASYAF These summerhouses can go under the radar, but their tranquil setting amid the gardens, waterways, and private beach make them a gem if you're seeking something a bit different from the norm.

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Hello paradise!

Each one idyllic but uniquely charmed, the Indian Ocean’s big hitting holiday islands make for the ultimate escape, if only for a long weekend (although it's a fact you’ll wish for more when it’s time to pack your bags). But which of these islands is ideal for you?

Awash with history and with outdoor adventures on tap, Mauritius has much to complement its spectacular scenery, while in the Seychelles you can hike lush trails and snorkel

over colourful sea life in the space of an afternoon.

Culturally vibrant Sri Lanka, offers abundant UNESCO World Heritage sights and an ever-expanding list of luxury resort hotels. And then there’s the Maldives, home to the over-the-water villa, sugar-white beaches and sunsets so beautiful your heart melts.

Across the next 10 pages we’re going to take you to paradise. What better way to ease yourself into 2019?

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C R E AT E SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH US.

DUBAI MARRIOTT HARBOUR HOTEL & SUITES KING SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD STREET DUBAI MARINA, PO BOX 66662, DUBAI, UAE T. 971.4.319.4000 | DUBAIMARRIOTTHARBOURHOTEL.COM Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites @marriottharbour

Standing tall in the heart of Dubai Marina, featuring incomparable panoramic views of the city, combine the best of all worlds with luxurious accommodation, three contemporary dining destinations and a blissful caravanserai-inspired, Saray Spa.

IDYLLIC INDIAN OCEAN

Maldives

I've heard that some resorts are more than an hour's seaplane flight from Malé. Which ones are close to the airport?

Despite being a mere four-hour flight from the UAE, some Maldives resorts are remote enough to require a further scheduled domestic flight or, more commonly, a seaplane taxi, which will likely stop at one or two other resorts along the way to your own island escape. This can mean your actual travel time clocks in at over five hours or more, so if you’re intent on squeezing in every possible moment in paradise, you should consider a resort that doesn’t require you to take to the sky once more. One such place is Jumeirah Vittaveli, which lies atop the ocean only 20 minutes (via a transfer aboard a motorised catamaran) from the airport. This is a place that adds a splash of wow factor to many of its offerings: the first ice rink in the Maldives and the newly opened Private Ocean Retreats with Slide (yes, a slide, which winds

down from the upstairs balcony into the ocean).

Also just 20 minutes in a speedboat from Velana International Airport (commonly referred to as Malé International Airport) is Gili Lankanfushi.

A self-styled eco resort, the dwellings here were built from sustainably-sourced materials while not compromising on luxury. Of them, our firm favourites are the Crusoe Residences: two-storey, over-the-water villas stood a brief boat ride away from the main island.

Having recently removed the wraps from a two-year renovation, Baros Maldives is ripe for rediscovery – and only 20 minutes by speedboat from the airport. Enhancements to this muchloved Maldives stalwart (it welcomed its first guests in 1973) include the all-new Baros Suites, just two standalone villas which come with huge private pools and stunning sea views as standard.

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I want to stay somewhere brand spanking new.

Which places have just opened?

Kudadoo Maldives

Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi

Comprising only 15 villas – all of them on stilts over the ocean – the feeling of exclusivity at this all-inclusive resort extends to being able to have Dream Island, a neighbouring slice of sand owned by Kudadoo, all to yourself.

Water babies take note: Meaning 'Secret Water Island', Sirru Fen Fushi boasts one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives and a huge, 200-metre-long swimming pool. Rest assured it won't stay secret for long.

LUX* North Malé Atoll

Joali Maldives

Taking bookings now for a February 1 opening is LUX* North Malé Atoll. Out go the thatched-roof villas common to resorts and in come white-washed penthouses. Swish.

Why slum it in a villa that has only one swimming pool when you can have two?

Here, two-pool villas are available on the beach or over the water.

Kudadoo Maldives

Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi

OUR FAVOURITE 'ONLY IN THE MALDIVES' MOMENTS

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LUX* North Malé Atoll

Joali Maldives

Snorkelling or diving are the obvious ways to familarise yourself with Maldives' enchanting underwater world, but there are a few more unique ways to do so. It's home to the world's first underwater spa (Huvafen Fushi Maldives); underwater bungalow (Conrad Maldives Rangali Island); and underwater nightclub (Niyama Private Islands Maldives).

Dining is a big deal in Maldives, with some resorts even flying in Michelin-starred chefs to rustle up one-night-only dinners for guests. Yet a dining experience you'll cherish for reasons beyond what's on your plate is a sandbank dinner – you'll dine by flaming torches on a private slice of sand just for two. Heart melting.

Dolphins aren't known for being shy, but in Maldives they go beyond offering the odd tantalising glimpse to staging a fully-fledged, almost choreographed show at sea. Myriad resorts lay on a sunset dolphin cruise and it's an absolute must-do.

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Our favourite... jaw-dropping dwellings Be the host with the most by inviting your entire crew to stay in the eight-bedroom The Great Beach Residence – the largest of the eight Amilla Beach Villa Residences at Amilla Fushi. This two-story Miami-style abode has a huge living room overlooking the beach and ocean, two pools and sun terraces, a kitchen stocked with all your favourite food, and your very own beach buggy and fleet of bikes parked outside for exploring the island.

If Velaa Private Island exudes exclusivity, its Romantic Pool Residence defines it.

Suspended above a lagoon, this one-bedroom villa, replete with a spa and slice of cottonsoft beach, is spied upon by the sunset only, The impeccably designed villas at Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa (pictured) draw your eye in an instant, but its over-the-ocean villas (14 in all) take your breath away too. You'll love being

sprawled in their semi-submerged sun bed before taking the short step into the fish-filled lagoon.

Away from the ocean, the sunrisefacing Jungle Reserve at Soneva Fushi plots you amid dense greenery. But don't worry should they forget you're there – it houses a full kitchen, cellar, library, spa suite, gym, sauna and steam facilities.

Of a similar size is the lavish Royal Residence at JA Manafaru. Accessed via a pond-lined courtyard, the residence's two-storey interior houses three bedrooms, a spa room, and a first-floor living room; an elevated position to make the most of stunning sea views by day and the star-filled sky at night, for which the in-room telescope comes in handy.

Outside, two pools fringed by greenery and sun-kissed decking lead out to a private stretch of beach, for your feet only.

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Our favourite... resorts for families

The iconic One&Only Reethi Rah (pictured left) resort caters as well as anywhere in the Maldives to both kids and adults alike, with dedicated clubs for all ages (four-nine; nine-11, and 12 and up) manned by certified (and fun) counsellors. Not only does the kids' club at Kanuhura offer ageappropriate activities to two groups, but if your kids are aged below 12 and share your room, they stay and eat for free. Looking for a social spot? The retro-fun vibes at Finolhu make it a great choice for young families (onebedroom villas fit two adults and two children under 12), with the Oceaneers’ Club for tots to teens ensuring little islanders have a blast.

I’m worried we’ll get bored staying on the same island. How can I see more of the Maldives?

For a start, unless you're averse to just about every type of watersport imaginable, or tire quickly of seeing stunning sunsets, star-filled skies and frolicking dolphins, it's unlikely you'll get bored. However, there are options available that allow you to see far beyond one resort and to explore barely touched Maldivian atolls. Soneva in Aqua (pictured) is one such luxury, a two-bedroom 23-metre yacht that's yours to share with a dedicated (to you only) team comprised of a captain, sous chef, Mr. Friday (that'll be your personal butler) and, on request, a dive master, massage therapist and astronomer.

Another indulgence of note is the glass-bottomed spa tub in the master bedroom that offers a glimpse of the vibrant marine life below.

If you love to dive (and who wouldn't in the Maldives' crystalline and temperate waters?) then the 32 worldtravellermagazine.com

Four Seasons Explorer should make it to the top of your wish list. It's a three-deck catamaran that offers up to 22 guests an all-inclusive, three-, four- or seven-night cruise through a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Daily diving schedules are planned for you by a vastly experienced onboard dive team, and include visits to wrecks and an after-dark voyage into moonlit waters.

I want a romantic break without the kids (sorry, kids). Where do you recommend?

The boutique Milaidhoo Island offers not only heart-tugging scenery but does so with nary a toddler in sight – the booking policy here allows for children aged nine or over only.

Then there's Hurawalhi Island Resort, which is for adults only and houses Insta-worthy features like the world's largest all-glass undersea restaurant (pictured). if you don't fall in love all over again in these stunning surrounds, it's probably time to get the lawyers in...

Seychelles BEST FOR... feeling you have paradise all to yourself The aptly named JA Enchanted Island Resort has a mere 10 Creole-style colonial villas spread across a beautiful private island just off the coast of MahĂŠ. However, if that sounds like nine too many, you can book the entire island for yourself (and invite up to 24 fortunate friends). Thinking your budget probably won't stretch that far? One-of-kind villas hidden amongst the greenery are the Enchanted Signature Villa (two bedrooms and direct access to the beach) and the bigger still Owner's Signature Villa (two bedrooms and direct access to not one but three beaches). Mesmerizing views of the brilliant blue sea accompany each dip in your private infinity pool.

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IDYLLIC INDIAN OCEAN Opposite: JA Enchanted Island Resort This page, clockwise from top: Anse Georgette; North Island; sign leading the way to Aldabra giant tortoises

BEST FOR... walking among giant tortoises A helicopter transfer from MahĂŠ, Fregate Island Private is home to just 16 discreet villas but some 2,000 or more Aldabra giant tortoises, which roam free across the forestthick island. A resident conservationist will teach your kids how to make them move by scratching their backs. The island's myriad other natural charms extend to organic ingredients grown in the resort's own plantation and used extensively in inventive menus.

BEST FOR... a royally good honeymoon British royals William and Kate lost their hearts to the Seychelles on more than one occasion, heading there first for a holiday at the remote Desroches Island (now the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island) and again for their honeymoon, swapping islands for the stunning, 11-villa North Island. Hollywood royalty followed suit – George Clooney and his wife Amal celebrated their nuptials at the same resort.

BEST FOR... beautiful beaches that rival any in the world Those iconic images of outsized granite boulders set on golden sands?

That'll be Praslin, the second largest island in the Seychelles, but number one when it comes to the best beaches. You can debate long and hard about which of Anse Georgette or Anse Lazio beaches is the single best (both are routinely voted into the world's top 10), but we say Anse Lazio for snorkelling and Anse Georgette for sunsets.

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Mauritius The west and south west Why stay here?

The verdant valleys and pristine swathes of beach make this region the island's most diverse and, in our opinion, its most scenic. In line with the topography, the tourist attractions range from the Chamarel Coloured Earths (a natural phenomenon comprised of seven distinctly coloured sands) to swimming with wild dolphins.

In the history books The storied mountain of Le Morne (fleeing slaves scaled it to build small settlements, before tragically choosing to jump when faced with recapture) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a defining symbol of the island.

Off limits to hikers for decades,

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you can now ascend it as part of a guided hike operated by Yanature (trekkingmauritius.com). The soulstirring views from the top are your instant reward.

Get active The steady winds that blow in this direction make for excellent kitesurfing conditions. Ion Club (ion-club.net) rents out the necessary equipment and offers a complete kitesurfing tuition programme to beginners.

Where to stay In the shadow of Le Morne is the wonderful LUX* Le Morne, whose allinclusive packages help take the stress out of having to decide between luxury temptations aplenty.

Main image: Monkeys at Black River Gorges National Park Inset: Food at Shanti Maurice

IDYLLIC INDIAN OCEAN

The north and north west

Why stay here?

Home to Grand Baie, the island's tourism has a bounty of hotels, beautiful (although often crowded) beaches and entertainment, if you like your beach breaks served with a little bit of buzz, this is the part of the island for you.

In the history books When in Mauritius, you'll see abundant references to the legend of Paul and Virginie, the island's own Romeo and Juliet, whose love fell victim to a shipwreck, which crashed against rocks on the north end of Mauritius, drowning Virginie and leaving Paul to die of grief.

Get active The north has a monopoly on the island's best dive spots, which range in depth from 13 metres onwards. If you've packed your underwater camera, the Grand Baie Aquarium site is chockful of colourful sea life.

Where to stay The first boutique hotel on the island, 20 Degrees Sud benefits from a sheltered private beach and a tranquil setting within a coconut grove.

The east and north east

Why stay here?

This is arguably where you'll find the island's most celebrated stretches of beach, hugging the shoreline or encircling entire, tiny off-shore islands – yours to visit for the day by boat. It's also home to a clutch of superb hotels.

In the history books A 2017 study revealed that sand grains taken from a beach on the east of Mauritius were far older than than the island itself and evidence of a drowned 'microcontinent', which scientists have since termed a prehistoric Atlantis.

Get active For a bird's eye view of the beauty Mother Nature has mapped out below, head into the clear blue skies strapped to a parasail. Viator (viator.com) will get you up, up and away...

Where to stay This is where the island's Grand Dame, the recently refurbished One&Only Le Saint Géran, stands proud on a private peninusla. As it was before its temporary closure, the service here is practically faultless.

The south and south east

Why stay here?

The south's landscape is defined by its many sugar cane fields and colonialstyle plantation houses. It's less developed and the beaches can be a touch more dramatic than elsewhere: think raging waves crashing into rocks.

In the history books The fishing village of Mahébourg here bore witness to the only Napoleonic naval victory over the English in 1810, a victory now inscribed on Paris' Arc de Triomphe.

Get active A great way to explore the south is from the saddle of a quad bike. Quad Biking Mauritius (quadbikingmauritius.com) offers multiple tours across the rugged terrain, one of which includes stopping off to swim in a waterfall.

Where to stay Set aside the rolling waves. Shanti Maurice Resort & Spa has the supersized (and super private) Luxury Double Suite Pool Villa, which sleeps four adults and four children. worldtravellermagazine.com 37

I WANT TO... STAY SOMEWHERE STYLISH Tri didn't need to look beyond the natural to create its luxury design hotel. Crafted entirely from recycled jak wood and local granite, the villas here also feature 'living' roofs, planted with native creepers, water grass, and dwarf bamboo. The pick of them is the secluded Lake Villa, so named for affording guests uninterrupted views over Lake Koggala.

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I WANT TO... EXPLORE WORLD HERITAGE SIGHTS Sri Lanka has more than its fair share of these (eight in all) but unless you can enjoy a leisurely two weeks driving slow roads to see each one, you're best to concentrate your efforts on the Ancient City of Sigiriya, home to a dramatic rock fortress atop which are the remains, colourful frescoes among them, of a palace constructed by King Kasyapa in the 5th century.

From here, the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa and The Dambulla Cave Temple are within easy reach.

I WANT TO... GO WILD Sri Lanka has the world's largest concentration of elephants, the epicentre of which is Minneriya National Park, northeast of Colombo, where they gather on the banks of the Minneriya & Kaudulla Reservoir. Jeep safari tours of the park are available daily.

Clockwise from top: Sigiriya; mother elephant tending to her offspring; Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort; tea pickers gather leaves

I WANT TO... HIT THE SPA FOR A WHOLE WEEKEND Head, then, to Anantara Kalutara, where in a doublestorey tropical spa you can try a unique Ceylontea inspired treatment.

Double down on the bliss by transferring to sister property Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort, on Sri Lanka's south coast. Its award-winning serene spa offers bespoke treatments.

I WANT TO... TRAVERSE TEA PLANTATIONS Ceylon Tea Trails is a luxurious 'tea' bungalow resort (each bungalow has its own chef and butler) plotted amid tea-blanketed hills and gardens, which a resident 'tea planter' will lead you through. worldtravellermagazine.com 39

WORLD TRAVELLER X AL BALEED RESORT SALALAH BY ANANTARA

Find your balance Make a fresh start on a wellness retreat at this private pool villa resort in Salalah and enjoy a transformative travel experience

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Stretch out with yoga on the beach

I

f you’ve pledged to improve your health this year, enrolling in a wellness retreat may give you the nudge you need to get started, and we know a great option on your doorstep.

Nestled between a private beach and a freshwater lagoon, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara is offering health buffs an à la carte style retreat experience in serene surroundings.

What’s more, the Balance Wellness by Anantara programme can be tailored to suit your individual needs, so whether you want to clean up your diet or build more activity into your day, you can feel confident that you are getting the most from the experience. Upon arrival, you’ll sit down with a consultant to discuss your goals. Depending on how long you’re staying (there are three-, five- and seven-day packages available), you’ll be asked to pick from a mood-boosting combination of nourishing meals, energy-pumping activities and rejuvenating spa therapies, and your wellbeing expert will draw you up a bespoke itinerary.

NOURISH YOURSELF Staying full-board is part of the package, taking the stress out of planning what to eat and where. Sit down to a nourishing menu of healthy food created by renowned Italian vegan chef Valeria Agnelutto. Designed to detoxify and energise the system while delivering maximum flavour, dishes include Italian pasta e fagioli and chickpea burgers with rosemary and parsley and veggie mayo. The three-course meals also include delicious starters such as avocado tartare with cucumber and dates and raw tiramisu for dessert. Plus, each dish comes with a detailed nutritional breakdown and is accompanied by vitaminpacked raw juice.

BE PAMPERED Aside from your prescribed pampering treatments, a highlight of the wellness programme is experiencing the resort’s luxury hammam. Drawing on centuries of Arabian wellness, the ancient ritual starts with a muscle-relaxing steam bath in preparation for a black soap cleansing and kessa mitt exfoliation to sweep away impurities. Once you’re steamed and scrubbed, a Moroccan rhassoul treatment richly nourishes and rehydrates, leaving the skin silky soft. Other healing therapies to try include the kundalini massage and shirodhara: a unique ayurvedic therapy focusing on the

The chickpea burger is a healthy choice Kick-start the detox process in the hammam

head, to harmonise the entire body. If you're staying for the long haul, you’ll also be able to take advantage of additional discounts on all spa and wellness treatments.

FEEL MORE ENERGISED Get your body moving with activity sessions that beat boring gym workouts into submission. Take part in yoga and go hiking in the beautiful mountainous coast of Salalah to get your circulation pumping and discover a renewed passion for being in the great outdoors. Your consultant can advise on easy ways to build more activity into your everyday life once you're back at home so you’ll continue to feel the effects for months to come.

To find out more, call +968 2322 8222 or visit anantara.com worldtravellermagazine.com 41

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Postcards Stories from journeys far and wide

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Credit: The Sunday Times Travel Magazine / News Licensing

HONG KONG

Neon-lit skyscrapers pierce the clouds and big-brand names light up the sky — modern Hong Kong is a powerhouse. But just as potent is its passion for tradition: local young designers ply past skills and hip new chefs use ancient ingredients. It’s a ravishing recipe of old and new.

Nick Redman tucks in

In Hong Kong, ducking off a steep side street in SoHo around midnight, through an unmarked door, I fell headlong for the Old Man. Looking like Grandma’s living room, the Old Man is one of the coolest spots in Hong Kong right now — according to the trendy couple beside me. It certainly felt pretty special, from the drinks, to the design, to a giant mosaic of Ernest Hemingway’s hirsute chops on high. Chatter swirled about tropical-print stools as I scanned the novel menu, its strange concoctions each a salute to his stories.

Taxiing to my hotel in the muggy early morning, I could see why Honkers has fallen for Hemingway. What a fitting figurehead for the city, both man and metropolis so transient and restless, creative and repressed.

A marriage made in heaven (after all, he loved the city the one time he came). Hong Kong’s certainly had its relationship issues: a British colony relinquished in 1997, now under China’s wing. Western no more, yet not mainland Eastern either. Has anything homegrown sprouted in between? In pictures it looks possibly more thrusting than ever, worldly and confident; a stunning pinup. Having fancied a close-up for a long time, I boarded a plane and booked into Hong Kong’s great grande-dame hotel, the Peninsula. (It turned out Hemingway had been here, too — in ’41, with his war-journo bride, Martha Gellhorn, on a ‘honeymoon’, which he spent cavorting, while she was off reporting.)

The hotel was 90 years old last year, an icon of the Kowloon district, standing tall and timeless, while all around the city works, frantically, on its identity.

Glamorous new hotels fizz into the sky like fireworks in this town, most recently (at a respectful remove east from the Peninsula’s patch) the Kerry, resplendent with Turkish onyx interiors in liquid sweeps, mimicking the harbour before it; and the Murray, an update of a ’60s office block in Central, still with the iconic recessed windows, plus a roof lounge, Popinjays, overlooking jungly slopes, named for the parrots that fly around it.

The Peninsula itself was reassuringly sumptuous, a comfort blanket in a territory figuring out the future, made to cocoon first-timers like me. Under worldtravellermagazine.com 45

HONG KONG

‘

chandeliers, potted ferns stood about like plumed Tiller Girls. Guests contemplated the towering scones of its afternoon tea in the lobby. In its ’50s French restaurant, Gaddi’s, I raised a glass to Gable, Gardner and stars who’d been here before me. And after dark I got the bigger picture, in the top-floor lounge, Felix, a ’90s-retro zone of gauzy Starck drapes and Barbie-ish furniture. Across the waters of Victoria Harbour, lit by the fireflies of red junks on tourist duty, was Hong Kong Island, a nightscape of skyscrapers pushing kaleidoscopic product placements on the horizon. Panasonic, Prudential, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch. I felt like a transit passenger in the Lost Land of Brands.

In search of a more local impression, the next day I took the Star Ferry from Kowloon to the island for the funicular railway to the Peak. It felt touristy (I became an expert on Melbourne, eavesdropping on the sevenminute ascent), but the city explained itself more clearly as I saw last night’s view back over the waters. Kowloon lay north, the Peninsula the size of a Monopoly piece; the New Territories stretched beyond, fading, somewhere, to China. Below lay the view known from postcards: the towers of commerce splayed by perspective, like monster shocks of quartz. It was sensational but remote. And robotic on closer inspection — Hong Kong seemed to move without much actual human motion: on escalators under the plinths of skyscrapers; along travelators through endless malls; or in its trademark red-and-white taxis, pouring across flyovers, like torrents of tiny kiddies’ sweets off a factory conveyor belt.

I needed to find my feet — which is where Wanderlust Walks stepped in. Alex, the German expat behind it, recommended a ‘street art’ stroll as the way to taste home-grown Hong Kong — and what she didn’t know about the city’s emerging talent you could daub on a dumpling.

Around Tai Ping Shan, a tram ride from Central, the street walls were a blast of psychedelic cartoons, the fruit of the city’s big spray-can art festival, HK Walls.

We wandered alleys, past a Bruce Lee mural here (signed Xeva, South Korea), a scarlet strumpet there (Neil Wang, Hong Kong). A challenge to authority?

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I INHALED A HONG KONG THAT COULD ONLY HAVE SEEPED UP THROUGH THE CRACKS BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

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A boredom with bland brands? Whatever, it was potent. I inhaled a Hong Kong that could only have seeped up through the cracks between East and West.

Down the road, English chef Jason Atherton had scented local promise, planting his restaurant, Aberdeen Street Social, in a striking piece of retro Hong Kong architecture called PMQ. I admired its modernism, pale in the gentle late sun, as Chinese banyans climbed the perimeter wall and diners lounged on the terrace.

A rare survivor in this pull-it-down town, it was built in 1951 as quarters for young married police officers, and spared demolition when that closed in 2000.

It’s a head-turner, the living spaces now brimming with cafes and pop-ups.

One stood out, stacked with nostalgicwitty ceramics and camp-as-candy ‘Suzie Wong Night Club’-logo bags — the calling card of Goods of Desire, an indigenous star in the international city firmament of Prada and Versace. Douglas Young, the Hong Konger behind the brand, works in an atelier across town, in Kowloon’s Sham Shui Po — Garment District. The premises are easy to find, in the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre — an artists’ colony in a converted nine-storey factory (you can sign up for a nose around). He was a chatty dynamo, his mission — to make the Hong Kong he loves tangible, what with Asian traditions ‘on the verge of extinction in a western-centric world’.

‘There’s still relatively little study on Hong Kong culture — books, movies, music,’ he said. ‘I want to make things that address that imbalance, that young people want to buy.’

I adored his Angry Cat toys sticking up

This page, clockwise from top left: Neon signs light the night sky; rainbow village basketball court; an office buiding's illuminated facade; Popinjay's at The Murray Hotel

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HONG KONG

a middle finger — spoofing the classic golden waving lucky cats that spell good fortune in Asia. I had a wander around Sham Shui Po and the streets he strolls for inspiration. It was intoxicating, all gaudy tropical prints on cheap fabric rolls, shabby shopfronts shedding wizened lettering, and grimy Art Deco curves of wilting apartment balconies.

Sham Shui Po was a whiff of a Hong Kong loved by generations, where street food adhered to methods decades old: at Kung Wo Beancurd Factory a noisy antediluvian drum of gloop whirled alarmingly, but the tofu pud was a silky treat, made to a recipe passed down through the business. I copied the regulars and stuck my face silently into my bowl, spooning up sweetness as ethereal as a cloud. By evening, south of Sham Shui Po, I was with the crowds of Mong Kok area; among love’s youngdreams feeding each other tubs of fish balls slathered in chilli sauce bought from kiosks lining the pavements.

With prices requiring mere shrapnelchange, there was no need to know what you were ordering. Just point and devour (or discreetly discard).

I knew where to take my brunch cravings next morning: to Kennedy Town, 25 minutes by tram from Central, on the western tip of Hong Kong Island where giddy-tall tenements meet tropic-blue sea. Here, tradition seemed content to co-exist with gentrification, evidenced by rents trailing many zeroes in estate-agent windows, the honeypot Lebanese-owned cafe, Catch, doing avocado every which way.

I gave that one a miss for Cheung Heung, a cha chaan teng, or classic Hong Kong tea house. ‘It has been here at least 50 years,’ said Kevin, grandson of the owners, as I snapped the Formica fittings.

The coconut tarts were hanging around for seconds, stuffed into paper bags for a patient fan base, queueing.

‘Hong Kong original!’ said the man at the next table, pointing at my custard tart.

‘If you find in China, it is imitation!’

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GLAMOROUS NEW HOTELS FIZZ INTO THE SKY LIKE FIREWORKS IN THIS TOWN

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In Hong Kong, imitation can be an amusing game. I loved the way the chef at trendy Mott 32, in Central, seemed to be having such fun with staples. His Peking duck spring rolls came stuffed with that healthy western obsession, kale, unexpectedly stunning. His bao buns seemed a thumbs-up to Spain (Hemingway would definitely have had those).

Things were contrastingly hightemple-serious that last night, at Fish School: a Helsinki-goes-to-Hong Kong haunt in the San-Francisco-steep quarter of Sai Ying Pun. Counterbalancing the spare aesthetic of stone and timber, dishes were rich, the flavours engagingly alien. Only when Chris, the chef, whipped out his phone to show a photo of a bramble he’d picked that morning in the New Territories to adorn my pudding, did I realise: he’d been foraging.

‘I like to work with the kind of stuff my mum used to get from the market,’ he said, with a sage’s poise, as I hoovered up a starter of glistening fish.

It looked like dill-laced salmon but was, he told me, cobia, rolled in seaweed. ‘It’s local — caught in the South China Sea.’ With Fish School, the aim was to offer ‘a slice of what the city can provide’. That didn’t include one curious striped specimen in the fish tank. ‘It’s a knifejaw,’ he told me. ‘We put it on the menu, but nobody knew what it was, so we kept it as our pet.’

Some things it seems are still too local, even for the locals.

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ROADS TO RECOVERY After a tough year, Alex Allen feels the need for fresh horizons — and on a drive through America’s soul-stirring canyonlands, he discovers the widest in the world

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US ROAD TRIP Opposite: Highway 163, crossing Monument Valley This page: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

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T

HE ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WATCHING THE SUNRISE IN ARIZONA’S MONUMENT VALLEY IS THAT IT’S COLD. BREATH-STEALINGLY, FINGER-STIFFENINGLY, FACE-ACHINGLY COLD. I was on my knees in the red dirt at the roadside, camera poised, trying to keep my hands from shaking. Behind me, Patsy Grandson, my Navajo guide, sat in the heated cab of our minivan.

‘Here they come,’ she said, killing the engine and headlights. Ahead, emerging like ghosts from a glowing, ember-red landscape, were two, three, four, white horses. ‘Mustangs — on their way to water,’ said Patsy, as I sat paralysed, not by the cold, but by the sight.

Here I was, in the most emblematic landscape of the American West, among those towering tombstonelike columns of rock immortalised by the movies, watching a string of its most iconic animals troop by.

In fact, I was roughly at the halfway point of America’s ‘Grand Circle’ drive, a week-long loop that tours the

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shimmering deserts, unfathomable canyons and mountain-framed prairies of Nevada, Arizona and Utah, while ticking off six of the country’s most dramatic national parks along the way.

I was also two months on from the end of my treatment for cancer, a period of time consumed by medical scrutiny, and scary, swallowed-down thoughts.

I’d wanted to take a trip to shake off the mental tethers that had kept me grounded for more than a year of my late twenties, and to make the most of my freedom from routine hospital visits. I couldn’t think of anywhere more fitting to do so than out on my own, on America’s most epic road trip.

I’d started in Las Vegas, giving myself just enough time to meet an old university friend. In November, the city was mad and sticky-hot — a psychedelic,

24/7 circus, where even time seemed to have lost its grip on reality. It was fun to wander on a ‘weirdo-watch’, and get kitsched-out in Bonanza, ‘the world’s largest gift shop’ (they’re not joking), but when the day came to jump in my rented Jeep and head out of town, I was ready.

I was on the road just after sunrise, the moon still visible as a perfect halfpill in a sky the blue of a motel pool.

The mood was elation. As I streamed along towards my first checkpoint, across the Nevada-Arizona border in the city of Kingman, I could feel a weight lifting. With a local country-music radio station twanging from the stereo, and nothing ahead but desert, running to the suede-brown folds of distant mountains, I felt a rush of wonder and exhilaration close to a high. I was already hooked on the open road.

Kingman flickered by like a ’50s film reel. It’s where an original section of Route 66 briefly splits from the thundering I-40 highway that overlaps it all the way from Oklahoma City to Barstow, California. This historic stretch, running from Kingman to Ash Fork, was a procession of chromedout diners, retro petrol stations and motels decorated in bubble-gum

US ROAD TRIP

Opposite: Arches National Park This page: Route 66 motel sign

shades of pink and blue. In Seligman, I pulled over for tacos at Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In — an eccentric, homespun place, with rusty old Chevrolets displayed outside. But the road wouldn’t wait. I had another 280km to go to my first overnight stop, and it was a biggie: the Grand Canyon.

It is practically impossible to grasp, let alone convey in words, the scale of the Grand Canyon. It even defied the empirical capabilities of my camera.

Every picture I took on the slow cruise east along the South Rim the next day, came out flat and inadequate. ‘Yeah, that’s what it looked like’ I could see myself telling blank-faced friends back home, ‘but, like, way bigger!’ In the end I realised the only thing to do was just commit as much to memory as I could: the low scud of rain clouds across the horizon; the flash of the Colorado River, just visible from certain angles; and the roaring silence of that big red hole.

It was also an opportunity to slow

down and take stock, to appreciate just how far from home I did feel — in a good way. For the last year and a half I’d been almost umbilically-linked to a hospital.

But now the major ties had been cut, there was a catharsis in the gobbling-up of distance. And there was also a feeling — despite the unending scale of the region — of a comforting familiarity.

The handful of people I’d had encounters with, gift-shop owners, petrol-station clerks, diner waitresses, had been chatty and open. Every little cottage or cottonwood-shaded farm I passed felt like somewhere I could stop for directions, and maybe a glass of iced tea on the porch. But then things changed.

The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American territory in the US, covering a vast swathe of the ‘four corners’ area (encompassing Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico). And I had absolutely no idea I had crossed into it until I began to spot the signs: placards on municipal buildings carrying the Navajo

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EMERGING LIKE GHOSTS FROM A GLOWING, EMBER-RED LANDSCAPE, WERE TWO, THREE, FOUR, WHITE HORSES

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Nation seal, vehicles bearing an insignia that at first I thought must belong to an environmental agency, but later discovered was the Navajo Nation police.

And then, on reaching the Monument Valley area, I realised I was the only non-Navajo speaker in a chattering grocery store queue. It was a moment of wonderful, unexpected, bewilderment.

Before I arrived, I’d imagined Monument Valley — as recognisably American as the Coca-Cola logo, or

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This page: A Navajo woman with a loom in Monument Valley

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US ROAD TRIP

‘

Credit: The Sunday Times Travel Magazine / News Licensing

IT IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GRASP, LET ALONE CONVEY IN WORDS, THE SCALE OF THE GRAND CANYON

the red tab on a pair of Levi’s — as an over-commercialised film set. I was sure there’d be corny stagecoach rides, a fancy-dress cowboy to take selfies with, and hordes of tourists. Instead, the following morning, I found myself alone on Patsy’s minibus, as we rumbled to the valley entrance under a dawn sky still frosted with stars. I knew November was low season, but I didn’t think I’d get it all to myself. Yes, there was a visitors' centre and gift shop, and a modest fee for taking your car along the 27km scenic loop, but beyond that, the site was untouched by tarmac, mascots or hot-dog stands. ‘That’s just one of the advantages of not being a US national park,’ Patsy said with a wry chuckle, as we stopped to take in a panorama of buttes and cliffs washed in the amber light of sunrise. Monument Valley belongs to the Navajo, and is sensitively managed for the benefit of those who still live and farm on the valley floor.

As part of the tour, which is the only way to get off and beyond the markedout loop road, we stopped at a small homestead that consisted of two prefab houses, a chicken coop, a basketball hoop and a mud-splattered truck. There was also a traditional earthen ‘hogan’ house, which Patsy ushered me into, where a Navajo woman sat spinning yarn on a creaking loom. As the two women chatted, I self-consciously browsed the jewellery displayed along a shelf. ‘That’s a nice one,’ Patsy reassured me, of the buffalo-pendant necklace

I eventually chose. ‘The buffalo is symbolic of humbleness, a reminder to take only what you need.’ In truth, I’d bought it to be polite. But it would end up becoming a treasured souvenir.

My next stop, the town of Moab, a day’s drive north into Utah, was a humble kind of place itself — particularly given its location, as the gateway to both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. I bedded down for two nights, just long enough to cover the main sights. In Canyonlands I took my 4x4 off-road, rattling along sandy, snow-dappled tracks that led to plummeting overlooks.

If I’d felt alone previously, it was nothing compared to what I experienced here. Whereas the Grand Canyon, and even Monument Valley, had had a sense of well-trodden familiarity, Canyonlands felt truly, eerily wild.

Fearful thoughts began to nag. Who would find me if I broke down? The wolves? The wildcats? Spooked, I sped back to the safety of town.

In Arches, I was pleasantly surprised to find crowds. I tagged along with them around the wind-formed bridges and towers of rock, like a giant sculpture garden, and followed their cues on where to stop and gawp. It was nice to be part of a flock again.

But it couldn’t last. I had a few more checkpoints to cross off on this greatesthits road trip: Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

Frankly, and frustratingly, there

’

simply aren’t enough adjectives (or column inches) to describe all three in a way that comes close to doing them justice. Each is as memorable as the next, from Capitol Reef’s ghost town of Fruita, to Bryce Canyon’s forest of stalagmite-like ‘hoodoo’ rock formations. In the end, it was a final standout moment that swayed it for Zion — the one that left the deepest lasting impression.

I was still on the fringes of the park when it happened. Up ahead, and to the left of the endlessly straight road, where the land rolled away in a series of undulating hills, I saw something moving. As I stopped and got out to take a closer look, the dry-cold wind bit at my face. Leaning on the fence post, I watched a herd of buffalo rumble towards me over the crest of a hill. There was something touching about the way they moved, heads bowed under their own weight, both formidable and vulnerable — living remnants of an older time, when they would have covered this landscape in their millions. This time, I didn’t bother to lift my camera. Just standing there and watching in silence as they thundered past, trailing a cloud of dust, was enough. After they’d disappeared, I turned back to the car. Like the buffalo, I too was pushing on, moving forward, trying to take only what I needed.

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NORWAY

Bridget Harrison takes the reins on a family dog-sledding adventure in northeastern Norway

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NORWAY

y sister is kneeling in the snow with tears cascading down her cheeks.

Nuzzling in the crook of her arm is the tawny black head of Neos. He’s looking up at her with quizzical honeycoloured eyes, wagging his tail.

“You’re my new friend, aren’t you boy,” she whispers. He gives her face a fat lick.

“I think Neos knows you are sad,” says Alexi, my son.

“I’m not sad,” sobs my sister.

“I couldn’t be happier.”

It’s our first morning at Trasti & Trine, a two-acre homestead in Finnmark, northeastern Norway, and we have been in the dog yard since we got here an hour ago. It’s minus 5C, the snow is thick on the ground and the pale February sun is only just peeping above the horizon, but we’ve barely noticed the cold.

We have 60 Alaskan huskies to get to know. Each is tethered to a wooden kennel bearing its name. Some lie in the snow, some are curled up inside their huts, just their snouts poking out. Others stand majestically on their kennel roofs. We work our way through them with head scratches, pats and paw shakes. Crocs, Bacon, Peso, Isma, 58 worldtravellermagazine.com

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OUR TORCHES FLASH IN THE SILVERY DARKNESS AND THE STARS ABOVE US ARE AS BRIGHT AS LEDS

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Neos. We all find a favourite. I hope my sister is finding something more.

Six months previously her beloved dog, Willow, died of cancer. The day the vet came to put Willow down I made a promise that, although my heartbroken sister was going to take a while to be ready for a new pet, we would go on a holiday that would be all about dogs.

I’d been husky sledding before, but only for a couple of hours, and (as it often is) the trip was just one event in a list of snow-based activities. I had found it a rather impersonal experience with the dogs. When we got to the sled they were already harnessed up and ready to run.

But Trasti & Trine, just outside the small coastal town of Alta, in a remote area of flat-topped mountains and snowy forests, offers something unique: a chance to stay on a homestead where

you really get to know an entire pack of huskies — pet them, feed them, harness them. It’s run by Trine Lyrek, a warm-spirited and passionate musher who has competed in the Iditarod, the legendary 1,000-mile Alaskan husky race.

As well as offering a range of sledding adventures, her yard is an active racing kennel. All the huskies here are elite athletes, but Trine has purposely bred them to be comfortable with strangers, starting when her puppies are born in the summer and visitors book to go hiking with them.

The dogs are such a welcoming bunch, it’s hard to tear ourselves away from them — until someone mentions hot reindeer stew. It is waiting for us in the warmth of a rustic farmhouse.

This is the domain of Trine’s husband, Johnny Trasti. He was a chef for the Norwegian prime minister (he has also cooked for President Putin) and now runs a Michelin-star-worthy restaurant, smokery and bakery on the homestead.

All his cooking is based on local, organic ingredients: wild salmon, Arctic char and pike from the nearby Alta River; reindeer and elk from the mountains; lingonberries and cloudberries foraged from secret marshlands; king crab, scallops and cod from the nearby Barents Sea. People travel from all over Norway to enjoy his tasting menus based on the

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This page, clockwise from top left: The tree-lined pathway leading to the Trasti & Trine homestead; owners Trasti & Trine share a joke; guests enjoy the winter sun; Johnny Trasti's inventive fish dish; inside the three-bedroom log cabin

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NORWAY

seasons and take his cooking classes.

We soon warm up, dunking homemade bread flavoured with birch sap into a rich, smoky broth. This is followed by a delectable cloudberry mouse.

By now the Arctic darkness has descended and it’s time for our first sledding trip. Back in the yard and bundled up in heavy-duty snow gear, we are given the names of the huskies that we are to harness. They yelp and dance about in excitement, desperate to be chosen. My boys, aged seven and ten, are just as excited when they learn that they are getting their own sled, pulled by Crocs and Slipper, their very own dog team.

My sister lovingly leads four dogs to her sled while my husband and I grapple four excited mutts to ours.

Trine’s sled will lead with her team.

Then it’s head torches on and we whoosh off in a line out of the homestead.

Down snowy forest trails we speed, towards the white expanse of the frozen river. Our torches flash in the silvery darkness and the stars above us are as bright as LEDs. Out here in the wilderness the night is silent. As the dogs charge along, all we can hear is the scraping of our sled runners and the whoops of the boys ahead when they career round a corner or fly over a bump.

It’s now minus 10c so Trine keeps our adventure to less than two hours, and just as our toes are going painfully numb we’re back at the homestead, sipping hot blackcurrant juice by a blazing outdoor fire. We finish the day tucking into a meal of cod tongue and scallops, followed by reindeer steaks and lingonberry tart.

Guests sleep in rooms above the restaurant, or, as we did, you can stay in the cosy three-bedroom cabin, which has its own little sitting room with a log-burner. It’s a simple place, with pineclad walls and large windows. Best of all, exclaims my sister, is that her room under the eaves overlooks the dog yard.

She drifts off to sleep happily listening to the huskies starting up a communal good-night howl before they are crossly shushed by Trine. Next morning I find her and Alexi in their pyjamas at her window, watching the dogs being given hunks of frozen fish for breakfast.

Our breakfast is a perfectly curated buffet of local fare: slices of home60 worldtravellermagazine.com

smoked wild salmon, salted lamb, reindeer tongue, foraged berries, wild mushrooms and scrambled eggs, along with homemade breads, jams, butter and kefir water.

We have a day-long sledding trip booked and Trine suggests that we do a wide circuit down the frozen river — along forest and mountain trails — that will keep us near the homestead, in case the boys get cold or bored.

She need not have worried: they are so thrilled at driving their own sled, they would be game for the Iditarod.

At lunchtime we set up camp in a clearing, high on a wooded mountain path, where the last rays of the sun bathe us in golden light. We lay down reindeer skins on the snow and the boys help Trine to make a fire. She gives them each a sheath knife to whittle skewers for grilling hot dogs. We drink reindeer soup and make toast from Trasti’s bread in the flames. My sister disappears for a while.

We find her up on the path, hanging out with the dogs. Neos’s head is in her lap again. Bacon is nuzzling her ear.

On our way back we have a minor mishap. My sister slips off her sled just as we are heading down a bank on to the frozen river. She’s not hurt, just mortified, because before Trine can stop them the huskies pelt off down the trail, pulling the unmanned sled.

Trine reassures us that the dogs know their way home and takes my sister in her sled. Then, a short while later up ahead on the trail we spot our errant huskies rolling about in the snow, waiting for us. They pant happily as we approach, as though they’ve just played a hilarious practical joke.

That night, as we finish our last delicious supper, still laughing about the cheeky huskies, I doubt anything could have made this trip better. Then, just as we are tramping through the snow back to our cabin, the sky turns ablaze with green. Out of nowhere, the curling, iridescent fingers of the Northern Lights stretch out above the homestead. We stop and stare at the heavens in wonder. In the dog yard the pack begins a communal howl. My sister and I are both crying now.

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The Northern Lights over the Trasti & Trine homestead

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OUT OF NOWHERE, THE NORTHERN LIGHTS STRETCH OUT ABOVE THE HOMESTEAD

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Extend your journey with World Traveller magazine by heading online to read more inspirational and exclusive travel content and take advantage of upto-the-minute hotel and holiday features

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Weekends

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Staycations and short-haul escapes

OLD KID ON THE BLOCK

© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Photo by Roland Halbe

Abu Dhabi’s original urban block, Al Hosn, has re-opened to the public following conservation works. The oldest, most significant heritage site in the city, it comprises four interrelated components, including Qasr Al Hosn, which tells the story of the emirate's evolution from 18th-century fishing and pearling settlement to modern metropolis. View the exhibition at the Inner Fort before touring the Outer Palace, which shares the stories of the people who lived there, offering a glimpse into their everyday lives.

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WEEKENDS

Reasons to go back to

THE CREEK

Rediscover the historic heart of the city thanks to the new wave of attractions and activities at Dubai Creek

1

Boutique stays Tucked away amid the rooftops and courtyards of a souk, Al Seef Hotel

by Jumeirah is just like a traditional Arabian bayt (home). Spread across several clusters of buildings, the hotel transports you to old-world Arabia with its views along the ambient alleyways of the bazaar and of the waterway, all wrapped up in authentic design details, such as woven fabrics and wooden beams.

2

Shatter your illusions For a novel, Insta-friendly museum experience, check out the mind-bending Museum of Illusions in Al Seef. It's home to 80 quizzical exhibits, including the Alice in Wonderlandesque Ames Room, where you shrink or grow as you move through the space.

Al Seef Hotel by Jumeirah

Jameel Arts Centre

3

View a contemporary art gem The recently-opened Jameel Arts Centre, located at the tip of Al Jaddaf Waterfront, is home to curated commissions, projects and exhibitions drawn from regional and international artists. Even the gardens that punctuate the building are achingly artistic, designed by landscape architect Anouk Vogel and featuring rare plants.

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4

Floating tours Docked on the Bur Dubai side of the creek, JA Bateaux Dubai offers a fresh perspective on the area's vibrant souks and aged dhows. Step aboard the Sundowner Cruise (from 5-6pm) and you can take in the sights from the outdoor deck.

Or, there's the option to linger over a meal served to a classy soundtrack.

long weekend the

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This page: Alexanderplatz and Television Tower Opposite from top: the Reichstag building; Provocateur

Berlin From a divided city to an achingly cool capital, Berlin hums with creative energy and exciting things to see and do, says resident Lara Brunt

LONG WEEKEND

KNOWN FOR ITS CUTTING-EDGE CULTURE, 24-HOUR NIGHTLIFE AND FREE-SPIRITED VIBE, you’d be hardpressed to find a capital as cool as Berlin.

Founded in the 13th century on the River Spree, Berlin has had a turbulent history. After the devastation of Hitler’s

The number of hotels in the German capital has doubled in the last decade, with an eclectic mix of luxury and designled spaces that reflect the arty atmosphere of the city itself.

Overlooking the Brandenburg Gate, Hotel Adlon Kempinski is Berlin’s most glamorous fivestar hotel. The 385-room hotel is sumptuous as you’d expect, with a twoMichelin-starred restaurant and a tri-level spa.

In a former bank near the State Opera House, Hotel de Rome features four historic suites. Chill out in the subterranean spa and head to the rooftop terrace for impressive views.

The 78-room Das Stue on the edge of Tiergarten, the city’s largest park, was once the Danish Embassy.

Plump for a sprawling Stue suite with a freestanding silver tub, then indulge in Catalan chef Paco Pérez’s Michelin-starred cuisine.

Next to Berlin Zoo, 25hours Hotel Bikini

Third Reich, the Cold War left the city brutally divided into East and West by the Berlin Wall. Following reunification in 1990, ample space and cheap rents lured creative types to Berlin and resulted in an explosion of art, music and culture.

Today, Berlin offers history and hipsters at every turn.

The central Mitte district is packed with enough attractions to keep you busy for days, including the World Heritagelisted Museum Island and Brandenburg Gate.

Straddling the Spree, the hip ‘hoods of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are bustling with clubs, cafés and restaurants. Heading west, Tiergarten is dominated by the park of the same name, while upmarket Charlottenburg is home to Ku’damm, Berlin’s main shopping mile. And no trip to Berlin is complete without paying a visit to the splendid palaces of Potsdam on the outskirts of the city.

Our Berlin guide offers a curated list of the best things to see and do, and the hippest places to eat, shop and sleep.

So, let’s start exploring…

explore the wall Nearly 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, explore one of the city’s darkest chapters

STYLISH SLEEPS

From historic properties to boutique hotels, discover the best places to bed down Berlin is an Instagrammer’s dream – think hammocks in the lobby and a hip rooftop lounge. Choose from rooms overlooking the animal enclosures, or the buzzing streets of West Berlin.

A short stroll from the shops of Ku’damm, Provocateur has stylish rooms with lipstick-red or rich teal hues and plush velvet bedheads.

Shimmy along lamp-lit hallways to the acclaimed restaurant serving French-Chinese fusion.

On the banks of the Spree, the Hotel nhow Berlin is close to the city’s best nightlife. It boasts candy-coloured interiors

by Egyptian-born designer Karim Rashid and roundthe-clock room service offering guitars and decks for post-clubbing parties.

THE EAST SIDE GALLERY Running for more than 1.3km, this open-air gallery is the longest remaining stretch of the wall. It features around 100 murals painted by international artists soon after the wall came down commemorating the pain of separation and the joy of reunification.

BERLIN WALL MEMORIAL Bypass Checkpoint Charlie – the old border crossing is now a tacky tourist trap – and instead visit this fantastic (and free) indoor-outdoor museum on Bernauer Strasse in Mitte. Alongside remnants of the wall, the moving monuments and exhibitions show the impact of division on daily life. worldtravellermagazine.com 67

retail therapy From fashion to furniture, Berlin’s shopping scene is as eclectic as the city itself KaDeWe Opened in 1907 and recently revamped by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas, KaDaWe is Berlin’s counterpart to Harrods.

Spread over 60,000sqm, the department store stocks a dazzling array of luxury brands from around the world. Don’t miss the sixth-floor food hall, where you can shop for artisan cheese and chocolate, and dine at more than a dozen high-end food counters.

Frau Tonis Parfum Bottle a bit of the city’s bohemian spirit at this sleek perfumery near Checkpoint Charlie. Founders Stefanie Hanssen and Christoph Niedermeier’s unique fragrances evoke the Berlin of the Roaring Twenties, including the best-selling Violet No.37 inspired by Marlene Dietrich. You can even get a customblended scent to match your style, or try your hand at creating your own.

Andreas Murkudis In a former printing factory in the Tiergarten neighbourhood, this concept store showcases an eclectic edit of more than 300 brands in a gallery-like space.

There’s a mix of established brands – think Dries Van Noten and Comme des Garçons – and freshly discovered designers that favour a minimalist aesthetic.

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ART GALLERIES Home to more than 400 galleries, Berlin has one of the most exciting art scenes on the planet The epicentre of Berlin’s post-Wall contemporary art scene, Auguststrasse in Mitte is a great place to start your gallery hop.

Stop by the KW Institute for Contemporary Art (kw-berlin.de) and me Collectors Room (me-berlin.com), two sprawling galleries showcasing local and international works, and pop into Clärchens Ballhaus to the see the beautiful 19th-century mirrored ballroom.

Wander over to the Boros Collection (sammlung-boros. de); you’ll need to

book in advance, but both the contemporary art collection and the building itself – a World War II bunker – warrant a visit. Opt for a group tour (Thursdays to Sundays) or a private viewing of the current exhibition, which features works by Andreas Eriksson and Guan Xiao.

Then continue northwest to the Hamburger Bahnhof (smb.museum), one of the world’s largest museums for contemporary art. Housed in a former railway station, works range from Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein to the German artist Joseph Beuys.

Next, take public transport south to Blain Southern (blainsouthern. com) in the same former factory on Potsdamer

Strasse as Andreas Murkudis’ concept store (see 'retail therapy'). The gallery’s roster of artists includes top names such as Lynn Chadwick, Wim Wenders and Bill Viola.

Finish up at the nearby Urban Nation (urbannation.com), the world’s first major museum dedicated exclusively to street art and graffiti.

COOL CAFÉS

Coffee is serious business in Berlin, with third-wave roasters and independent cafés packed with laptoptoting locals. In Mitte’s gallery district, The Barn (thebarn.de) focuses on single-origin coffee, while the croissants are so popular you can only buy two at a time. Over in Friedrichshain, Silo Coffee (instagram. com/silocoffee) does a mean flat white, while in a redbrick former factory in Kreuzberg, Bonanza Roastery Café (bonanzacoffee.de) serves one of the smoothest cappuccinos in town. Their beans are also served at The Store (thestores.com), an über-cool concept store and café on the ground floor of Soho House in Mitte.

LONG WEEKEND

Opposite from top: Artist at work; Hamburger Bahnhof; a flat white at The Barn This page from top: A dish by Horváth; Boxhagener Platz

HOT TABLES

Once a culinary backwater, Berlin now boasts innovative restaurants and a constellation of Michelin stars RESTAURANT TIM RAUE Not far from Checkpoint Charlie, Tim Raue serves highly creative, Asianinfluenced fusion cuisine. Dishes such as wasabi langoustine and Peking duck three ways have earned the Berlin-born chef two Michelin stars. tim-raue.com COOKIES & CREAM Berlin is Europe’s vegan capital, and the city’s first meat-free fine diner has been awarded a Michelin star. Chef Stephan Hentschel works his magic on dishes such as mushroom ravioli with wild herbs and Parmesan dumplings with Périgord truffle stock. cookiescream.com HORVÁTH This cosy, wood-panelled restaurant in Kreuzberg is another of Berlin’s more unconventional Michelin-starred spots. Chef Sebastian Frank – named European Chef of the Year – serves imaginative twists on Austrian favourites. finesse. restaurant-horvath.de

insider tips Domingos Ruiz Lepores, editor of Awesome Berlin (awesomeberlin. net), shares his top picks for... exploring the city: “I always take visitors to Dahlem, a leafy residential neighbourhood with the most beautiful houses in Berlin. Stop by the Domäne Dahlem, a small farm where you can buy homegrown fruits and vegetables. My favourite hidden gem is Gartenstadt Falkenberg in the far eastern neighbourhood of Grunau.

This UNESCO World Heritage-listed modernist housing estate was designed by architect Bruno Taut, who also influenced the Bauhaus movement.

And don’t leave Berlin without climbing the 285 steps of the Victory Column in Tiergarten for one of the best views of the city from above.

To market

TO MARKET

Foodies should make a beeline for Markthalle Neun (markthalleneun. de), a 19th-century market hall in trendy Kreuzberg that focuses on regional farmers and artisan purveyors.

Regular events include the hugely popular

Street Food Thursday and Breakfast Market, which takes place every third Sunday.

On Saturdays, head to Boxhagener Platz – aka Boxi – in the hip Friedrichshain neighbourhood for the weekly farmers’ market and explore the surrounding cafés

and boutiques. On Sundays, Mitte’s Mauerpark market is a must for lovers of vintage and vinyl.

If the sun is shining, stroll over to the amphitheatre for Bearpit Karaoke – easily one of the most entertaining afternoons you’ll ever have.

worldtravellermagazine.com 69

Family first If spending more time with loved ones is at the top of your list this year, then it's high time to feel the family-friendly staycay vibes at Fairmont The Palm

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WORLD TRAVELLER X FAIRMONT THE PALM

T

here are two main camps of people when it comes to organising family holidays: those who are open to going with the flow, and those who prefer to precision plan their stays. If you fall into the latter category, you’ll be cursed with a checklist as long as your arm that no doubt has to be carefully cross examined before committing to leaving the house with the little ones in tow. Common points that are non-negotiable include having an entertaining kids’ club, toddler-friendly swimming pool and plenty of space to spread out in. Thankfully, families are blessed with an impressive number of staycation options in the UAE, and Fairmont The Palm is on the radar as a top choice for parents in search of a fuss-free break away.

Tucked along the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, the hotel’s island location lends a fun, vacation vibe – there’s something about feeling the salty sea breeze wash over you that screams “holiday”. Those of you with younger kids will agree that a speedy check-in is worth its weight in gold and the aptly named Fairmont Gold experience is like getting access to a secret hotel within a hotel. With it, you’ll be able to usher the kids straight past the main reception and up to the ninth floor where a private, lounge-style space awaits. Simply collect your key as your kids gulp down fresh juice and get stuck into their activity packs, and you’ll be in your room in a flash.

Fairmont Gold Rooms come with one king bed or two queen beds, with cots available upon request, and interconnecting rooms available for larger broods. If you need more space still, you can upgrade to a suite, the pinnacle of which is the Deluxe Suite, which has a separate living room and dedicated dining space, as well as an adjoining butler’s pantry, large terrace and access to all the signature benefits, such as complimentary breakfast in the lounge and afternoon tea served from 2-4pm.

‘

end. You’ll find the family pools to the right of the hotel – the first you come across is the shallowest where kids are free to roam, under a watchful eye, without wandering out of their depth (our two-year-old couldn’t touch the bottom near the basketball hoop, but the rest of the pool was perfect for him).

Just beyond this is the splash park where vibrant sprinklers invite water babies to play.

The private beach (open from 6.30am to sunset, depending on the season) is reached via a short walkway which opens out to a stretch of soft sand and marked swimming area, with great views towards Dubai Marina and the Ain Dubai Ferris wheel.

There are plenty of watersports available, from kayaking to sailing lessons and there’s also a cool line-up of fitness activities to try, such as PRAMA by Pavigym, which will put a hi-tech spin on your training session as you strive to stay in step with the interactive floor. If you need to occupy the children while you sweat it out, you can drop them at Fairmont Falcons Kids' Club (for ages 18 months to six years) where they can tackle the climbing wall, get absorbed in arts and crafts, play dress up or kick back with video games in the chillout zone.

3 ACTIVITIES FOR BUSY BEES

Dinner companions

Friday family lunch at Flow Kitchen

The hotel’s island location lends a fun, vacation vibe

Adventure in spades

If you’re eager to get out and enjoy the winter sunshine, the swimming pools and beach are enough to keep you busy for hours on

Fun at Fairmont Falcons Kids' Club The little ones will love the lineup of activities crafted by the in-house playmakers, along with books, toys and jigsaw puzzles to get stuck into.

’

Family-friendly dining venues are easy to come by, with Flow Kitchen offering something to suit all tastes – the Friday family lunch is especially popular among guests of all ages. Blowfish does American style ‘grab and go’ dishes such as burgers and crazy shakes by the beach while the vibrant interiors of Little Miss India invite you to taste Indian cuisine. There are children’s menus available at the majority of venues, offering a healthy twist on the usual kidfriendly favourites, but if you don’t feel like leaving your room, the in-room dining is a great option (we’ve never seen our kids devour so much food in one sitting). Order glasses of milk for your pyjama-clad minimes so they can settle down to sleep while you sneak out onto the terrace to recount memories of the day.

To find out more call +971 4 457 3388 or visit fairmont.com/palm

Taking place from 12.30pm3.30pm, you can dine al fresco at this fun family buffet – the pick 'n' mix style sweetie counter will blow their minds.

Be pampered at Willow Stream Spa Unwind with a traditional Moroccan hammam and tipto-toe body scrub at this multiaward-winning spa. worldtravellermagazine.com 71

WORLD TRAVELLER X BAB AL SHAMS DESERT RESORT & SPA

STAYCATION

Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa Let this rustic Arabian oasis charm its way into your travel plans ROOMS & SUITES Designed in harmony with the surroundings, you'll feel at one with the dunes inside these abodes – from the Superior Room with its desert or courtyard views, to the Deluxe Suite, which fits families of four and has a terrace with a seating area ideal for gazing at those golden sunsets. The Junior Suites are decorated with rare, handcrafted Arabian furnishings.

THE FOOD Enjoying a traditional meal underneath a blanket of stars makes for a memorable meal and Al Hadheerah more than delivers with its cosy seating and live entertainment. Head to Al Sarab Lounge for an elevated view of the landscape – the warm glow of the lanterns and soothing oud music add to the ambience. Masala is the place to go for delicious North Indian fare.

WELLNESS Ensure you start 2019 looking and feeling your best with the three-hour Blissful Desert Rose Experience at Satori Spa, which includes a full-body exfoliation, tip-to-toe aromatherapy rub with rose oil, body wrap and soothing facial with scalp massage. Not only will you say "goodbye" to muscle tension, but you'll emerge a more radiant version of your former self.

To find out more, call +971 4 809 6100 or visit babalshams.com 72 worldtravellermagazine.com

YOUR DREAM DESERT EXPERIENCE IS ON OFFER AT 20% OFF BEST AVAILABLE RATE! Behind you lies the urban sprawl. Up front, the rolling dunes and the promise of a luxury desert getaway like no other.

Here, luxury and relaxation are reinvented. And now, this dream desert experience comes with a great deal. %RRN \RXU VWD\ GLUHFWO\ WKURXJK RXU ZHEVLWH DQG HQMR\ RII WKH EHVW DYDLODEOH UDWH \RX FDQ ¾QG

PRICE FROM AED 1000 Superior King per room per night BAB AL SHAMS DESERT RESORT & SPA Dubai,United Arab Emirates T:+971 4 809 6194, bas.reservations@meydanhotels.com babalshams.com /babalshamshotel

/babalshamshotel

/babalshamshotel

WORLD TRAVELLER X TWO SEASONS HOTEL & APARTMENTS

STAYCATION

Two Seasons Hotel & Apartments Place yourself at the heart of new Dubai at this family-friendly, all suite property SUITES & APARTMENTS When you've a large family to accommodate on holiday, or are looking for a comfortable space where you can stay for longer in Dubai, these elegant suites and apartments may be the answer. The Grand Suite Sea View, for instance, has views of Palm Jumeirah, two bedrooms to spread out in, a cosy living room, and kitchenette for a happy, holiday home vibe.

THE FOOD If you feel like a day off cooking, there are plenty of places to dine in the hotel.

Feast on barbecue food on the rooftop at La Terrasse Tent, or step inside the main restaurant (it's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner) to dine à la carte in a stylish setting. For Lebanese food, Qutoof Restaurant is the place to go.

Its enclosed terrace area comes in especially handy during the summer.

THE ACTIVITIES Take a dip in the pool – lessons for kids are available – and keep up your fitness regime at the gym, which has a fab line-up of classes, such as martial arts and spinning. For pampering, head to Dreamworks Spa, where all manner of revitalising treatments are on offer, from soothing wraps to complexionboosting facials. Plus, all the attractions of new Dubai are on the doorstep.

To find out more, call +971 4 399 6666 or visit 2seasonshotels.com 74 worldtravellermagazine.com

Discover the perfect blend of convenience, stylish comfort for pleasure and business.

Email: info@2seasonshotels.com | Web: www.2seasonshotels.com Tel: +971 4 399 6666 | Fax: +971 4 381 8067 | P.O.Box: 502222, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Internet City, UAE

‫ א א‬ Unlimited Comfort

WORLD TRAVELLER X JW MARRIOTT MARQUIS DUBAI

STAYCATION

JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Rise to the top at the world's tallest five-star hotel SUITES & APARTMENTS This lofty hotel has ample space to welcome guests. Its 1,608 guestrooms and suites have luxurious finishings – think marble bathrooms with rain showers and oversized tubs – and views of the glittering skyline or Dubai Water Canal. Families can book a suite and spread out in two separate living and sleeping areas. Room service is available around the clock.

THE FOOD There are 15 award-winning restaurants and bars at the property, each serving memorable meals. Fans of delicious steak will want to head straight to Prime68, while Positano is the place to feast on handmade pasta and pizza. For something a bit different, try Japanese restaurant Izakaya – the resident Wasabi Girl (she has green hair) will prepare fresh wasabi at your table.

THE ACTIVITIES The hotel is close to many top attractions, but there are lots of perks that'll tempt you to linger for longer at the property. Take a dip in the sparkling outdoor swimming pool or, for a spot of pampering, head to Saray Spa, which is home to the UAE's only Dead Sea floatation pool. Try the Saray Golden Hammam, which includes a decadent skin massage using 24-karat gold.

To find out more, call +971 4 414 3000 or visit jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com 76 worldtravellermagazine.com

Service and detail that shape your journey.

Immerse in the luxury of rich experiences at the JW Penthouse Suite and Marquis Penthouse Suite, spread across two levels of impeccably designed space with a touch of traditional Arabic design.

Each 624sqm suite features two separate bedrooms with two separate living rooms.

Additional benefits include complimentary airport transfers, private check-in and check-out and access to the award-winning Executive Lounge on the 37th floor.

Enjoy celebratory dining in more than 15 restaurants and bars, and pampering at the luxurious Saray Spa.

JW MarriottÂŽ MarquisÂŽ Hotel Dubai jwmarriott.com/DXBJW Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, PO Box 121000, Dubai, UAE | T +971.4.414.0000 | jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com

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THROUGH THE LENS Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar, Oman “This mosque had popped up in my Instagram feed a few times so I was determined to go and photograph it for my MasjidSeries project, which documents mosques around the world to portray Islam in a beautiful, positive light. Its architecture is very heavily influenced by Persian and Central Asian Islamic design, and the person in the shot reveals its scale – this isn't even the main door, it's just a side door! I enjoyed my visit so much that I ended up spending around four hours there and was able to pray Asr and Maghreb. It was the trip that made me fall in love with Oman.”

Dubai-based investment banker turned photographer, Alamash Javed, loves to travel because “it helps open up my mind and appreciate the world” @aljvd; altamashjaved.com

SEND US YOUR BEST TRAVEL PHOTOS in high-res jpeg format, along with a snippet of the stories behind them via email to faye@hotmediapublishing.com and you may end up being featured on this page

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A 3-night stay at Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives We’ve teamed up with this eco hideaway to give away a threenight stay in a villa suite for two people, including daily breakfast and return transfers*. Just a 20-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport, this lush resort invites you to pamper yourself with a tension-busting massage, dine on Maldivian favourites, an grab a surfboard and tackle the waves (lessons are available in the lagoon) – there’s so much to discover. Visit worldtravellermagzine.com for details. *Terms & conditions apply.

THE HOT LIST Let our travel news and round-ups, available exclusively on our website, inspire your next trip…

1

A dunk above the rest. Dip a toe into our selection of stunning rooftop swimming pools around the globe.

2

Bucket list trips. Our countdown of 100 must-have travel experiences is still going strong.

3

Rooms with a view. Feast your eyes on these coveted rooms and suites with postcardworthy views.

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Suite dreams Our monthly finish with a flourish, delving into a suite that has a character and style all of its own

Virginia Woolf Suite

University Arms, Cambridge

Fans of the celebrated British author will have plenty to write home about while staying in this sophisticated suite, which nods to the literary heroine with a library curated by Heywood Hill, one of London's leading bookshops, and a portrait of Woolf on the wall. Hints of Cambridge Blue, bespoke furniture and a statement chandelier enhance the property's quintessentially English heritage and the academic spirit of Cambridge (it has recently undergone a two-year refurbishment at the hands of Martin Brudnizki and John Simpson), so you don't have to look far to find your inspiration.

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Ronald Codrai © Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi

‫ أبوظبي‬- ‫رونالد كودراي © دائرة الثقافة والسياحة‬

ABU DHABI’S LEGACY AND HISTORY. Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest and most significant building in Abu Dhabi. It includes the city’s first permanent structure, a coral and sea stone watch tower built to protect the settlement of Abu Dhabi established on the island in the 1760s. Qasr Al Hosn became home to the ruling family, a seat of government, and it now stands as our nation’s living monument, telling the story of Abu Dhabi and its people.

Book your experience at qasralhosn.ae

DISCOVER T H E S TO R I E S O F O U R N AT I O N ’ S P R O U D PA S T.